IT’S out with the old and in with the new, as holiday-makers seek out less visited destinations.
This year will see growing interest in “Cinderella destinations”, previously overshadowed by more heralded neighbours, finds research for operator Riviera Travel.
Bookings for South Korea are up 167 per cent, year on year, while those for Uzbekistan have risen by 42 per cent.
So, before securing next year’s getaway, take a look at Sophie Swietochowski’s alternative suggestions . . .
You might think Transylvania, a Romanian region strongly linked to vampires, should only be visited at this time of year as we approach the spooky season.
But there’s so much culture and fascinating history to be explored, beyond the Dracula myths.
Glorious hiking trails make it a rambler’s paradise while animal lovers should keep their eyes peeled for brown bears, which are highly concentrated in this area of Romania.
This eight-day Transylvania and Bucharest tour will tick off the must-sees, from tiny villages with medieval squares and clocktowers to Bran Castle, inspiration for the Gothic lair in the Dracula books.
GO: The eight-day trip costs from £1,749pp based on two people sharing and including return flights and transfers, accommodation in four-star hotels, daily breakfast, two lunches and two dinners, and 12 experiences. For details, check out rivieratravel.co.uk.
While Sri Lanka is not exactly an undiscovered destination, it has become more popular in recent years as more and more travellers favour it over the much-visited Thailand.
Tourist numbers are lower than for other nearby destinations, meaning prices are still cheaper and travellers can get more bang for their buck.
Also, you won’t be dealing with mega crowds and tourist traps.
Instead, you can expect high-end accommodation and loads of wildlife (a half-day safari trip should be top of your list of things to do).
If wildlife is what you’re after then a stay at the 5H Sun Siyam Pasikudah offers great value for money — and you’re likely to spot monkeys and cows strolling the beach or elephants in the backstreets nearby.
GO: Seven nights’ half-board at the 5H Sun Siyam Pasikudah is from £1,379pp including flights from Gatwick and transfers on April 13. Book by October 15. See travelbag.co.uk or call 0203 393 9620.
Those on the hunt for glorious alpine views and vast lakes tend to make a beeline for Switzerland or Austria.
These destinations can make a heavy dent in the wallet, though.
So why not look to Slovenia instead?
Its glacial rivers and snow-drenched peaks could rival those in the fanciest resort towns of popular holiday countries, with the dramatic Lake Bled offering the most glorious backdrop for tourist snaps.
Make sure to visit the Vipava Valley, too.
It’s Slovenia’s answer to Tuscany and home to some unique white wines that you won’t find anywhere else.
GO: Seven nights’ room-only at the 4H Triglav Bled is from £459pp including flights from Luton on February 22. See loveholidays.com.
Brits can visit Uzbekistan visa-free for up to 30 days, which is more than enough time to indulge in the country’s fascinating architecture.
Turquoise domes and colourful mosaics are a key feature of many notable buildings, including the Shah-i-Zinda in Samarkand, which was built between the 11th and 15th Centuries.
The ancient trading route that makes up the Silk Road passes through the heart of the country and, if you have got cash to splash, you can soak up the best of it on an 11-day adventure.
The trip starts in Tashkent before heading to the Ayaz-Qala desert fortress, Khiva (a Unesco World Heritage city), Bukhara and Samarkand.
GO: The Silk Road trip is from £3,249pp based on two people sharing, including return flights and transfers, nine nights in three to four-star accommodation, daily breakfast and nine meals, plus ten experiences. For details, check out rivieratravel.co.uk.
Forget Japan, South Korea’s K-pop music, quality beauty products and fascinating culinary scene have the younger generations hooked.
And with the recent launch of direct Virgin Atlantic flights from Heathrow to South Korean capital Seoul, the country is now easier than ever to reach.
So if this sounds like your cup of tea (or bowl of kimchi), book now before visitor numbers skyrocket.
Seoul, in particular, blends history and culture with modern-day living — palaces sit between skyscrapers, and traditional markets are close to contemporary shopping areas.
GO: Eight nights’ room-only at the 5H Grand Hyatt Incheon is from £1,458pp including flights from Heathrow on May 12. Check out virginatlantic.com/holidays.
Tickets to see Indianapolis beat Washington 30-13 on Sunday went on sale in July at £79-£245.
But the NFL then dropped prices twice, in late August and again last week. That meant some fans who paid £185 were sat next to fans who paid £79 a few days ago.
Some tickets were also discounted or free via the Blue Light Card and Tickets For Good platforms.
Matt Cullen travelled from Cambridge to most of the London games and said there were two main reasons for the slow sales; a price hike and a season-ticket package being scrapped.
“I find the prices now mind-boggling,” he added. “It’s so far above the rate of inflation that it just feels like a money-grab. It’s priced out a lot of long-term fans.”
In 2019, tickets ranged from £55 to £125. According to Ticket-Compare, UK inflation has since risen by about 32.4% and the cheapest NFL London tickets have risen by 43.9%. The most expensive have seen a 96.5% hike.
Season-ticket packages had been available, guaranteeing seats for each London game with a discount, but they were scrapped after the 2024 season.
“It felt like a kick to the head for a lot of loyal fans who’d supported the games for a long time and spent a lot of money,” said Cullen, a former season-ticket holder. “But I do understand the NFL wants to bring new fans in.”
The Group of Seven countries has agreed to release 100 billion barrels of crude oil and diesel from emergency reserves over several months in an effort to reduce soaring energy prices after pressure from US President Donald Trump.
The US and Israel’s war on Iran, as well as Russia’s war on Ukraine, have triggered a spike in global oil and diesel prices.
list of 3 itemsend of list
Oil prices jumped on Thursday and settled up more than $4 a barrel. Global diesel prices also hit a record high last Friday with the average price for a gallon (3.79 litres) of diesel at $6.50, up from $5.61 a month earlier, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA).
In a statement on Thursday, G7, which includes the US, UK, Canada, Japan, Germany, Italy and France, with the EU also represented, said there will also be a “substantial diesel release within the first 20 days” and discussions over “additional diesel releases as necessary” will be held in the coming days.
Will the G7’s energy release stabilise the global energy market?
Here’s what we know:
After a video conference of G7 leaders chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday, the group said in a joint statement: “Taking into account commitments that have already been fulfilled, we will implement our commitments with a coordinated release through the IEA of 100 million barrels.”
Earlier this week, the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Executive Director Fatih Birol said that members had released about two-thirds of the 400-million-barrel agreement.
The G7 energy release will begin immediately and last for four months and will include a substantial diesel release for 20 days. It is not clear how many oil and diesel stocks each member of the group will release.
“We will convene in the context of the IEA in the coming days to discuss the possibility of additional diesel releases as necessary,” the statement said.
“We will coordinate maintenance schedules across G7 refineries to prevent simultaneous capacity shutdowns and temporarily increase utilization rates where feasible,” it added.
The G7 also urged member countries to refrain from imposing export restrictions on energy products among themselves.
Earlier this week, the Trump administration had threatened to impose a ban on US diesel exports and also pressured Europe to release its emergency diesel stocks to help ease soaring diesel prices.
Global energy prices have been soaring due to the US and Israel’s war on Iran, which has disrupted energy exports from the Gulf. Meanwhile, the Ukraine attacks on Russian energy installations have also disrupted global energy supplies.
Former head of the International Energy Agency’s Oil Industry and Markets Division Neil Atkinson told Al Jazeera that there are three key factors contributing to the decline in global diesel supply.
First, “there isn’t diesel coming out of the Middle East to Europe, and Europe took quite a lot of diesel from Saudi Arabia and from Kuwait.”
Second, “Russia has now ceased to export diesel at all” due to “the attacks by Ukraine on Russian refineries”.
“And China is no longer exporting diesel,” he added.
“We’re in a situation where demand remains relatively high and is likely to stay high because of the agricultural harvesting season.”
According to data from the Joint Organizations Data Initiative (JODI) and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the United States is the world’s largest producer and exporter of diesel. It produces around 240.5 million tons and exports around 1.26 million barrels of diesel per day.
Russia is the world’s second-largest exporter of diesel, supplying 783.4 thousand barrels per day to the global market. Saudi Arabia is the world’s second-largest producer of diesel at 58.4 million tons, but it consumes large portion of its diesel domestically.
After the G7 announcement, French President Macron, who had co-chaired the meeting, said the group’s move to release the oil will “bring down the prices of petroleum products, particularly diesel.”
The price of Brent crude oil, the international benchmark, briefly dropped below $100 a barrel after the G7 announcement, but rose to around $102 in the evening.
Naeem Aslam, Chief investment Officer at Zaye Capital Markets, told Al Jazeera that the G7 energy release was “very much needed”, but the group’s announcement was just to ease off the pressure on the energy market.
“The actual structure changes about who is going to release [the energy stocks] and what and where the bans will be lifted, remains an important component in terms of the market,” he said.
Aslam added that by Sunday night especially before the markets open, the added pressure on energy prices will come off. “But going into Monday morning…we could potentially see the reversal in the market,” he added.
Atkinson, the energy expert, said the G7’s fuel release is welcome but “doesn’t deal with the fundamental problem that the global supply remains lower than normal”.
Atkinson told Al Jazeera that “seven months after this war started in the Middle East, we are still in a situation where the global supply of crude oil or products remains significantly below pre-war levels.”
“We are now in a situation where the focus is on end use of products, mainly diesel, which is what we’re talking about here,” he added.
Soaring diesel prices have been a source of tension for the Trump administration and Republicans who fear this will cost them votes in the upcoming November midterm elections.
Last week, Trump pressured Ukraine to stop attacking Russian diesel facilities amid the war.
Then, on Thursday this week, the US president told reporters that his administration “may” ask European countries to release diesel stocks, shortly after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged Europe to “immediately” tap its reserves.
Trump also threatened to impose a ban on US diesel exports if Europe did not release emergency diesel stocks.
But on Friday, Trump told reporters at the White House that Washington would not impose a diesel export ban. He said the plan was never really on the table.
“Europe has a lot of diesel, and they’re going to be making a major world contribution, and so are we. And we’re not going to be doing the export ban. We’re going to be doing what we’re supposed to do,” Trump said.
“Trump is scared by diesel prices above $6, which is a price jump of 70 percent compared to before he started the war. This is likely to get worse with US diesel inventories at their lowest seasonal level since records began in 1982. So if there is not enough diesel being produced because of the US-Israeli war on Iran, and diesel reserves have been used up, the only way to bring more diesel to the US market is by exporting less,” Frederic Schneider, a nonresident senior fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, told Al Jazeera on Friday.
After the G7 announcement, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: “Europe has just agreed to release a massive amount of their heavily stocked Diesel Oil. The process will begin immediately.”
The White House is also reportedly preparing an executive order to tackle record-high US diesel prices that could be unveiled as early as next week, two people familiar with the process told the Reuters news agency.
Schneider noted that countries are also concerned about high energy prices since diesel and gasoline are important for economies and fulfil different roles.
“While gasoline fuels cars, diesel fuels anything from trucks, freight trains, ships, tractors, harvesters, construction machinery, mining equipment and backup generators. This means gasoline is used more by consumers while diesel is mostly used by producers, meaning a diesel price shock spreads into the price of almost everything else, most prominently food, building materials and anything delivered by truck,” he added.
Farmers are hit twice because diesel prices are rising at the same time as fertiliser prices, both of which have been pushed up by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
“A higher diesel price therefore acts like a tax on production and logistics, while higher gasoline prices act like a tax on consumers directly. Like higher gasoline prices, higher diesel prices risk stagflation by pushing up inflation while simultaneously squeezing margins in transport and agriculture, meaning central banks find [themselves] in a dilemma between cutting rates [helping producers] and raising rates [cutting inflation],” he said.
Andrii Yalanskyi
Southport Acquisition Corp. II (PORT.U) announced the pricing of its initial public offering of 20M units at $10.00 per unit, raising $200M in gross proceeds.
The blank check company’s units are scheduled to begin trading on the New York Stock
The two candidates to become California’s next governor painted vastly different portraits of the state they want to lead during a televised CNN debate Wednesday night — though they both agreed the state faces tremendous challenges.
Democrat Xavier Becerra, leading in polls, cast the state as an economic engine and a critical bulwark against the disastrous economic policies and creeping authoritarianism of the Trump administration, but also a victim of Trump policies, including tariffs and the war in Iran, that have made life less affordable and the nation less safe.
Becerra said he would work hard to help struggling Californians — including by cutting red tape on housing and regulating AI to ensure it doesn’t destroy jobs — while his challenger, Republican Steve Hilton, would harm them further by backing President Trump’s agenda at every turn.
Hilton, endorsed by Trump, blamed the state’s most entrenched ills on years of Democratic governance, awash in unnecessary state bureaucracy and regulation that have made it wildly unaffordable, and wrongly obsessed with fighting the president instead of bringing down costs and fixing related local issues like homelessness.
Hilton said he would help struggling Californians by cutting taxes, cutting the cost of building new housing, eliminating fraud and bringing common sense back to state policy-making.
Both candidates came out of the gate on offense, and at times it got intensely personal, particularly on immigration — with Becerra accusing Hilton of welcoming white immigrants into the country while rejecting Latino immigrants, and Hilton accusing Becerra of handing migrant children over to sex and labor traffickers during his time as U.S. Health and Human Services secretary.
With ballots soon arriving in voters’ mailboxes and the Nov. 3 midterm election rapidly approaching, the hour-long debate — moderated by CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash in Burbank and aired live by the national news network — provided the public with its latest look at two candidates vastly different both in politics and campaign style.
Becerra, a former Congress member from Los Angeles, California attorney general and Health secretary under President Biden, surged past a slate of other Democrats to win the June primary after onetime front runner Rep. Eric Swalwell dropped out of the race amid sexual assault allegations. Hilton placed second after Republican voters and others coalesced behind his message to shake up Sacramento — earning him the right to face off against Becerra in November.
Hilton, a former British political aide, former Fox News host and Silicon Valley entrepreneur, has been crisscrossing the state looking for votes anywhere he can find them — an uphill battle given registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by a nearly 2-to-1 margin, and opposition to Trump is widespread in the state and growing even among Republican voters.
A poll this month by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies and co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times found 58% of likely voters surveyed said they support Becerra, compared with 33% who back Hilton — a slight increase to Becerra’s lead compared with an August IGS poll. California voters identified the high cost of living as their top concern, but that was followed closely by opposition to the Trump administration.
The same poll found found that 76% of Republican voters in the state approve of the president’s performance, down from 83% last year.
Becerra has taken a less visible approach to campaigning, with critics accusing him of intentionally keeping a low profile in an effort to cruise to victory in a state that hasn’t elected a Republican to statewide office in two decades.
“I just want to say thank you to CNN for bringing Xavier out of hiding,” Hilton said at the beginning of Wednesday’s face-off. “He’s barely been seen in public since the primary four months ago; it’s very important we have this debate.”
During the debate, both candidates seemed prepared to focus on the lack of affordability — namely by blaming the other’s political party for it. But they also discussed artificial intelligence and data centers, immigration policy and, of course, Trump.
California has some of the highest housing and energy costs in the nation, and affordability tops the list of concerns for likely voters. It also was the first issue the candidates debated.
Hilton has made the cost of living a central theme of his campaign, with a plan he calls “Califordable” to cut gas prices and end income taxes on earnings up to $150,000. He blamed California’s high costs on Democrats, who have controlled the Legislature and statewide offices for more than 15 years. Hilton says he can lower costs by slashing onerous state regulations on businesses.
Hilton said the “quickest way to get more money in people’s pockets is for the government to take less out” and to reduce regulations to allow more housing to be built — including in “10 new cities” he said he would help build in the state.
Becerra has blamed higher prices on Trump’s tariffs and the war against Iran. In response to attacks from the U.S. and Israel, Iran has for months choked off a major oil trade route, sending global gas prices soaring — to a national average of $4.48 per gallon this month.
Becerra said Hilton’s plan to end income taxes would amount to a massive tax cut for “billionaires and millionaires” that would take money from schools, healthcare and other critical services. “The math doesn’t add up to what he’s talking about. He’s going to have to take it out of somewhere. It will come out of our schools,” Becerra said.
Becerra said he would bring down costs for people by cutting red tape, including on housing, and fighting the Trump administration — which he said is the real driver of cost increases. He also said he has helped create millions of jobs during his career.
Hilton and Becerra both support regulations for data centers and artificial intelligence companies, a sign of growing bipartisan pushback seen across the country.
Hilton said he wants California to take a leading role in regulating AI, given much of the industry is located in the state, and expressed concern about losing AI jobs to other states such as Texas and Arizona. Hilton questioned whether Becerra would have the political courage to rein in the industry, saying his campaign has received funding from it.
When Bash asked Hilton if those companies should be able to “self-police,” as Trump has suggested, Hilton said, “We’ll have to see.” He also said he appreciates the effort by Trump to get assurances from AI companies on safety during a recent summit, and he would work to make sure that those promises are upheld.
Becerra derided Trump’s deal as a meaningless “pinky promise” that does not guarantee a safe path forward. He said he would lead efforts to reach real and meaningful regulations but also work directly with local communities on what they want.
“If someone wants to come in and build a data center that creates more jobs in the community, adds more energy to our grid, and it actually protects and adds more water capacity, then let’s talk,” he said. “But it has to be good for the community.”
Becerra has faced bipartisan criticism of how Health and Human Services cared for the influx of unaccompanied immigrant children during the pandemic.
Hilton has hammered Becerra on it, and at the debate accused him of sending “thousands of young children directly into the clutches of child sex and labor traffickers.”
Becerra was attacked by Democratic rivals in the gubernatorial primary in the aftermath of a Pulitzer Prize-winning series in the New York Times, including an article that said thousands of migrant children who entered the United States between 2021 and 2023 worked in slaughterhouses, factories and other dangerous jobs that violated child labor laws. The investigation also alleged that tens of thousands of the children Becerra’s agency released couldn’t be found because he relaxed screening of relatives and sponsors.
Becerra repeatedly has said that despite a lack of congressional funding for licensed-care facilities dismantled by the Trump administration, his staff worked hard to vet the people who the children would be placed with.
At the debate, he called Hilton’s claims “Trump talking points.” He also said more needs to be done to ensure children aren’t separated from their immigrant parents.
Becerra also has slammed the Trump administration for its mass deportation program and immigration crackdown, which has sent immigration enforcement agents into cities across the country, including Los Angeles.
Hilton said he would work to “lower the temperature” in the immigration debate and “prioritize the removal of dangerous criminals,” which he said is not occurring in California because Democrats are playing “politics” with the Trump administration.
Becerra, the son of immigrants, said California welcomed Hilton as an immigrant, and Hilton “welcomed ICE mercenaries” into California in return. He also accused Hilton of welcoming immigrants that look like Hilton, who is white, while working to remove immigrants who look like Becerra, who is Latino.
“I have fought all my life to make life better for immigrants, to represent them well, to defend them, to let them grow and build like my parents. But here’s the problem I have with your policies: You seem to welcome immigrants who look like you, but deport immigrants who look like me,” Becerra said.
Hilton called that “disgraceful.”
Hilton repeatedly has praised Trump and his policies and consolidated support among California Republicans after Trump endorsed him before the June primary. But Trump’s endorsement could be an albatross in the Nov. 3 election, given his low approval ratings — particularly in California.
Becerra repeatedly hammered Hilton as a Trump acolyte, so much so that Hilton said that it was Becerra’s only attack line, and that Becerra “takes no responsibility” for Democratic policies that have harmed California for years.
“All you ever say is Trump, Trump, Trump, and that’s nothing but an insult to every Californian who is desperate for something to change in this state, and all you’re offering is more of the same,” Hilton said.
Becerra countered that Hilton embraced Trump during the primary.
“Your words, Trump, Trump, Trump. Because he is your supporter,” Becerra said. “You chased his endorsement.”
Former Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Bob Chapek knows his reputation among Disney fans, especially Disneyland loyalists. In his new book “Behind the Castle Walls,” he defends his changes to the Disneyland experience, the vast majority of which are still felt today.
“Contrary to what some people tried to paint me as,” he writes, “I wasn’t just a maniacal, money-optimizing machine.”
An insider guide to the ever-changing world of theme parks, coming to you straight from SoCal — the theme park capital of the world.
By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service, which include arbitration and a class action waiver. You agree that we and our third-party vendors may collect and use your information, including through cookies, pixels and similar technologies, for the purposes set forth in our Privacy Policy such as personalizing your experience and ads.
When I had the chance to talk to him last week, I wanted to know if having that image bothers him.
“I’m not concerned about it,” he says, speaking via phone from his Florida home. “I don’t give that any thought at this point. But I’m very proud of the performance of the parks segment during my time. The numbers bear that out.”
Chapek, in his role as chairman of the parks division and later CEO of the company, presided over an eight-year period beginning in 2015 in which Disneyland would significantly raise prices, introduce add-on perks, and, in my opinion, create the unsettling sense that you could be having more fun if you just spent more money.
When Chapek took over the parks segment, Disneyland would begin to fully remake its annual passholder program, largely by significantly increasing its price and limiting access. (In 2015, the top priced annual pass was close to $800. Today, it’s $1,899.) Single-day tickets to the parks would also begin a period of aggressive price hikes. Today, a one-day, one-park ticket tops off at $224. It’s widely expected that Disneyland will be raising its prices again this October, as it has done nearly every year in recent history.
Additionally, benefits that Disneyland guests long took for granted as free, such as the line-skipping Fastpass program, would become a paid perk on Chapek’s watch. Access to some attractions would be grouped together as part of a package now known as a Lightning Lane. In-demand rides such as Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance would be sold separately.
Bob Chapek has defended price increases at Disneyland, noting that ambitious projects like Galaxy’s Edge require capital.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Prices on all of the above typically increase yearly. Today, guests who spring for the front-of-the-line Lightning Lane pass as well as individual access to Rise of the Resistance can expect to pay around an extra $65 per person once having their tickets scanned.
Chapek notes he faced significant opposition at Disney in making these changes.
“To all who come to this happy place, welcome,” goes Walt Disney’s original dedication speech, which for decades was used as a guiding light that every guest who entered Main Street, U.S.A., would be treated as an equal. That meant, with limited exceptions, no special access for anyone.
This was seen as an “inviolable virtue” at Disney, but one Chapek was ready to break, as he writes in his book.
“Everyone is equal when they come through the gates no matter what walk of life they come from,” Chapek tells me. “What’s different, though — and this isn’t because we say it’s different, it’s because the guests say it’s different — it’s that guests say they want an experience that’s tailored to what they can afford.”
Maybe. I don’t have access to guest satisfaction surveys, but that sounds like something only people with a certain privilege say. No doubt guests who can afford less don’t want a worse experience.
Chapek in his book describes himself as a “disruptor,” and considers Lightning Lane-like add-ons “bespoke” experiences that appeal to guests who crave a more customizable day. While they are common at nearly every theme or amusement park, I consider them classist, creating a haves-versus-have-nots mindset as soon as guests step through the gates.
Chapek defends the move to me, pointing out that while he presided over the parks, it’s lowest price one-day, one-park ticket stayed steady at $99 (today it’s $104). While true, and while Disneyland has even sought to increase the number of days offered at its introductory price since Chapek was ousted from the company in 2022, these are often midweek tickets, necessitating that working families take a day off and force a child to skip school.
“How about demand?” says former Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Chapek, seen here with Minnie Mouse at Hong Kong Disneyland, when defending his price hikes.
(Kin Cheung / Associated Press)
“How about demand?” Chapek says to me when I point out that I have been critical of the moves. “Do people stop coming? That would obviously be a big concern. Even with the increase in prices that were taken on the annual passes, it would temporarily soften demand, but a year later they were subscribed just like they were before. Wall Street has certain expectations that may not be consistent with the expectations of guests of a certain pass type.”
Chapek reveals in his book that there is somewhere around 1.1 million annual passholders to Disneyland, which is today known as a Magic Key. With each price increase, he writes, that number would tumble to around 1 million, but within about 12 months they would be back to a level they were at before the rise in prices.
During Chapek’s reign, the company also introduced a reservation system, which asks guests to plan in advance. The price increase, later coupled with a reservation system, is designed to cut down, in part, on spontaneous trips to the resort, forcing guests to be more intentional about their Disneyland plans. This can aid, of course, in forecasting crowds and park staffing, but is also intended to limit days in which the park can feel overcrowded.
During his five-year tenure as parks chairman, Chapek writes that profits within the segment went up 18%. And that was largely due to an increase in individual guest spending. Over the decades, certain leaders of the Walt Disney Co. have arguably more closely ingratiated themselves with fans than Chapek has, but the fact remains that Chapek fundamentally and forever altered the approachability and the affordability of a Disneyland visit.
“In order to build things like Galaxy’s Edge and Avengers Campus, that takes capital,” Chapek says. “That capital takes revenue.”
My long-term fear, however, is that this has created a slippery slope. Disneyland guests now brace for yearly price hikes each fall, and this is coupled with yearly spikes on food prices each summer. Once the company and its shareholders become accustomed to such a financial boost, an environment where individual guest spending sharply increases even when domestic park attendance is soft or steady, there’s likely no turning back. Disney has created a business that will target the highest-spending consumer year in and year out.
And thus, guest equality, what was once an “inviolable virtue,” is forever a thing of the past, no matter who is in charge.
The X2 roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Have a theme park tale to share? Whether it was a good day or less-than-perfect day, I would love to hear about it. Have a question? A tip? A fun photo from the parks to share? Email me at todd.martens@latimes.com. I may feature your note in an upcoming newsletter.
Ride on,
Todd Martens
Me, enjoying a beverage, on the now shuttered Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
There is one area where the former CEO of the Walt Disney Co. and I are in complete agreement. Chapek and I both miss Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, colloquially known as the Star Wars Hotel. The ambitious, but costly, multi-day experience was one of the most creatively inspiring offerings in company history.
In “Behind the Castle Walls,” Chapek writes that he believes it was shuttered too soon. The Starcruiser closed after about a year of operation. “Was it perfect the first time? Absolutely not,” Chapek tells me. “Was it one of the most ambitious lodging experiences we have ever created? Yes.”
A place dedicated to play — and light role-play — the Starcruiser allowed guests to fully inhabit a fictional world. It was an argument that interactivity could have been the future of theme parks. “It seemed to have the plug pulled on it prematurely,” Chapek says, “and I think it was a big opportunity missed.”
—
This newsletter is free thanks to the support of L.A. Times subscribers. If you’re not yet a subscriber, explore subscription packages to unlock unlimited digital access and support award-winning local reporting.
Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Sign up here to get it in your inbox.
Food and drink can be expensive at the airport(Image: Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Holidays are an expensive business, especially if you plan to grab a coffee and a toastie at the airport. Even a bottle of water can set you back £2-3, which is a kick in the teeth when you’re delayed and stuck in a hot terminal.
So, when one TikToker posted the prices at a busy Greek airport, it inspired a flood of comments, but not for the reason you might think. The Greek holiday fan, who posts under the username @zantegeezer with videos about the party island, went to an outlet at the airport that sold the usual pre-departure fare, and one thing surprised his followers.
He started his video saying: “I always post this every time I come to the airport. There is a regulated menu. Basically it means Greek government enforce these very good value for money options.”
Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com
He goes on to show the regulated menu, which includes inexpensive prices for coffee, tea, toasties, and water, all the basic airport staples. He then holds up the café menu, saying:
“That’s a normal menu. You see the price difference there? I mean, look at the proper espresso you get off the regular menu”. The cafés usual menu shows a single espresso costs €4.80, just over £4, but travellers who order it via the regulated menu can get it for €1.80, a more reasonable cost of around £1.53.
A filter coffee is listed as €4.70 on the normal menu, yet if customers were to order off the regulated menu they’d spend just €1.60, around £1.36. And the bargains don’t stop there. Bottled water, in 0.5 or 0.75 litre bottles can be bought for €0.60 or €0.90, around £0.51 and £0.77 respectively.
Hungry travellers can enjoy a toast with ham and cheese for €1.80, and if you’re dying for a cuppa before you get on the plane, a hot tea costs €1.60 on the regulated menu, or €4.00, about £3.43, if you order from the normal menu.
The TikToker finished by saying: “Just so you know, any airport in Greece you can get cheap stuff by law. Sort it out.” Regulated menus are also available in other locations across Greece in spots such as ports and ferries and places with a captive audience such as certain tourist sites.
However, there is a slight catch. The regulated prices only apply to basics such as water, coffee, and simple snacks like toasties, and only have to be offered on a takeaway basis, so the establishment isn’t under any obligation to let you use its tables. You’ll also generally be offered Greek brands, so don’t expect Volvic or San Pellegrino for the low price.
The video received many positive comments from people sick of rip-off airport prices. Over the summer, a number of airport prices came under scrutiny by fed-up travellers, from food costs to the hike in airport drop-off fees across major hubs.
Many shared their experiences with finding these cheaper deals. One said: “Santorini Airport only had €6.50 Evian water on display but they had the cheap Greek stuff when I asked.”, while another was unaware of these ‘secret menus’: “I didn’t know! Paid €4 for a bottle of water and € 7.90 for a sandwich at Zante airport!”
And there were plenty of calls for other countries to follow suit. “I need to call my representatives for the local and European Parliament. this has to be a European wide directive.”, said one. While another poster commented, “This is one of the best things about Greek airports. needs to be made Europe-wide”
Have a story you want to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com
International crude oil prices climbed further on Tuesday morning amid uncertainty over US-Iran talks, as hopes of reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway crucial to oil shipments, faded.
Hopes that Middle East tensions would ease were dashed at the weekend when Donald Trump rejected Iran’s offer of a seven-day truce.
Mediators are working with the US and Iran on a deal to end the fighting and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, officials told the Associated Press. The disruption to shipping through the waterway has affected global trade and added to inflation.
Iran has proposed reopening the strait if the US lifts its blockade of Iranian ports and eases sanctions, among other conditions. Washington says any deal must also address Iran’s nuclear programme. Officials said the two sides disagree over the timing of concessions and who should act first.
Brent crude, the international benchmark, gained nearly 2% and traded above $107 a barrel early Tuesday, well above its price of roughly $72 a barrel in late February before the Iran war.
US West Texas Intermediate crude rose 1.8% to more than $94 a barrel.
High oil prices have renewed inflation concerns and expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates again next month. Government bond prices have fallen as a result, pushing yields to multi-year highs.
The benchmark 10-year US Treasury yield rose above 5.27% on Monday, its highest level in 19 years, following a rise of nearly half a percentage point through September. Yields rise when bond prices fall, and this month’s sell-off is the heaviest in two years.
The US two-year yield has risen even further, climbing by more than 0.57 percentage points this month to nearly 5%. In Europe, Germany’s benchmark 10-year bond yield reached 3.62%, its highest level since June 2009.
Government bond yields help set borrowing costs across the economy, from mortgages to company loans. As yields rise, governments, businesses and households face higher costs, while stocks can become less attractive to investors.
In Japan, a 40-year government bond auction drew its strongest demand since 2020 as relatively high yields attracted investors, according to Bloomberg.
Stock markets also struggled after all three main Wall Street indexes fell on Monday.
In Europe, Tuesday’s open showed a mixed reaction.
The Euro Stoxx 50 was flat in early trading while the broader pan-European Stoxx 600 traded 0.2% higher.
The UK’s FTSE 100, Italy’s FTSE MIB, Spain’s IBEX 35 and the Netherlands’ AEX all traded between 0.1% and 0.2% higher than their Monday close.
However, France’s CAC 40 and Germany’s DAX 30 both dropped about 0.5%.
Over in Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 lost 1.3%, South Korea’s Kospi declined 0.9% and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 0.6%. Hong Kong-traded shares of Shein fell 11.7% after the online retailer reported a 67% fall in quarterly adjusted net profit from a year earlier.
The Shanghai Composite was little changed following a report from China’s official Xinhua News Agency late Monday that its State Council had discussed ways to make economic policies more effective.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was down more than 0.1% by early morning in Europe.
Australia’s central bank raised its key interest rate by 0.25 percentage points to 4.6% on Tuesday, a 15-year high, as rising oil prices fuelled inflation. The Reserve Bank said higher fuel costs were pushing up prices across the economy, while growth and inflation had been stronger than expected.
The US dollar edged up to 157.42 Japanese yen from 157.39 yen. The euro fell to $1.1362 from $1.1371.
Gold remained near $4,160 after steep losses on Monday, as expectations of further rate rises weighed on the metal, which pays no interest.
Investors are also awaiting key US inflation and jobs data this week that could influence the Fed’s next decision. Markets are pricing in another rate rise at the end of October.
Additional sources • AP
Ever watched a TV show like Amazon Prime’s Lego Masters and wished you were the one under the studio lights, racing against a ticking clock? That is the exact magic Lego House is trying to capture with its recently opened Lego Masters Academy in Billund, Denmark – the ultimate pilgrimage site for brick fans.
I took my seven-year-old resident Lego expert to test out the 75-minute Level 2: Build Me Up session, and it delivered from start to finish. Enthusiastic Play Agents, as they call themselves, started the experience by getting the crowd excited outside the studio with an interactive live countdown. Once the doors rolled open, we all entered a vibrant space designed to mirror the TV set, complete with a central podium, upbeat music, and studio lighting.
Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com
The session started with an accessible warm-up follow along building session where we were shown professional building techniques. Small challenges were then added, before we were ready for the main event – building a completely original custom build, in our case our own self portrait Lego figure.
Timers flashed up on massive overhead screens as we were told to help ourselves to colour-coded, shape-sorted brick pits to grab materials for our custom builds. Here it really felt like the TV show, with everyone reaching out to grab handfuls of bricks, aware that the 15-minute timer was now ticking. After brick selecting ended, we all raced back to our building stations to get started on our builds.
A little overwhelemed by the noise, my seven year old opted out of this custom build, and instead preferred to help me finish mine and watch others at work. This wasn’t an issue at all – with the Play Agents keeping him included, making him smile by asking about his favourite LegoLand rides, and making sure he was still having fun. My mistake was not showing him any episodes of the TV show before we visited – I’d really recommend parents of younger children prep them this way.
By the time the timer went off, we had just about finished our slightly wonky multicoloured person. Unlike the competitive TV show, at the end all creations are showcased in a shared gallery, so we went up and put our creation on the podium, ready for all to admire, before coming together with new friends for a joint picture.
While the Masters Academy costs extra, on top of a Lego House ticket, the value for money is outstanding. Every participant keeps their custom build as a souvenir, and you are encouraged to jam-pack an official takeaway box with loose bricks at your station. Organisers promise the contents are worth far more than the ticket price – and the only rule is the lid has to be able to shut.
Overall we really enjoyed our session. My son threw himself into marking every countdown, glowed with pride over our creation and was delighted by his heavy tressure-like takeaway box – which came in very handy that night keeping him occupied at dinner. Whether you are a die-hard Lego fanatic or traveling as a family, it is a unique experience.
Pricing for the Lego Masters Experience is split by age and experience level. The Level 2 session which we did costs £15 per guest for 75 minutes. Older builders aged ten and above can opt for Level 3: aROUND the Bricks We Go, which runs for 90 minutes at £17 with a focus on advanced techniques. The 60 minute level one session is £14 and marketed at beginner builders.
Keep in mind that these require a separate add-on ticket on top of standard LEGO House general admission, which costs £29 per person, with discounts for booking online. Children under thirteen must be accompanied by a paying adult for the Lego Masters Experience.
If you are planning to go, binge watch a couple of episodes of Lego Masters show beforehand so younger kids can anticipate the studio set and timer format.
Book well in advance – ideally before picking your trip dates – as sessions are limited and often full. Make sure to select an English-language session if applicable.
Make sure to pick up your wristbands at least 15 minutes early, as studio doors lock strictly on time. Keep your wristband – this also gives you access to photos of the session.
Thousands of public transport drivers in the Philippines begin a three-day strike over soaring fuel prices. Drivers say incomes are falling short of a living wage because of rising costs and taxes.
Published On 29 Sep 202629 Sep 2026
Share
Gold hits seven-week low; silver follows suit and records a nearly 5 percent loss.
Published On 28 Sep 202628 Sep 2026
Gold prices are falling as concerns of rising fuel prices stoke inflation worries on the back of the war between the United States and Iran.
Spot gold prices fell by 3.3 percent to reach a more than seven-week low at $4,146.51 per ounce on Monday.
list of 4 itemsend of list
Rising oil prices, a higher US dollar and Treasury yields stoked inflation concerns, creating further headwinds for the metal.
This is the lowest level for gold values since August 5. US gold futures also fell by 3.3 percent to $4,178.40.
Although gold is traditionally considered an inflation hedge, higher interest rates dent its appeal as investors prefer yield-bearing assets.
“There might be no notable direct impact on regular people due to that. However, investors who had turned to gold will see a hit, especially under the current high inflation rates,” Sherif Othman, CEO of the Maryland-based Poise Investment Advisors, told Al Jazeera.
“Gold does not yield interest, so when Treasury yields go up, investors turn away from gold, impacting its value”, he added.
The Fed lifted benchmark rates by a quarter percentage point earlier this month and flagged that at least one more hike is likely in the coming months.
The US dollar was steady near a two-month high, and oil prices spiked about 3 percent as US President Donald Trump rejected an Iranian offer to resolve the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Such factors triggered several policymakers to warn that inflation risks remain elevated and that interest rates may need to rise, with Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack among the latest officials to reiterate that view.
Higher Treasury yields and the US dollar are “creating a perfect storm to push the metals prices sharply lower,” according to Jim Wyckoff, a market analyst at American Gold Exchange.
Spot silver also fell by 4.7 percent to $61.27 per ounce, platinum declined 2.9 percent to $1,726.30 and palladium lost 4.4 percent to $1,211.45.
Asian markets decline amid rising oil prices, Middle East tensions, and US futures decline
Source link
ONE in five early holiday bookers have been left out of pocket after seeing prices for their trip plummet as the departure date approaches.
Researchers explored whether travellers are more likely to identify with a traditional, take-charge Type A personality (54 per cent), or a laid-back Type B approach (31 per cent), when booking and enjoying a holiday.
Type A travellers prefer to meticulously plan every detail of their trip well before setting off, while Type Bs would rather go with the flow and embrace the unexpected when away.
However, the study of 2,000 adults who have travelled abroad in the last three years found 20 per cent of Type As later spotted the exact flight or hotel they had spent weeks researching available for significantly less.
Another 10 per cent of these travellers have lost money trying to amend or cancel rigid bookings when their plans changed.
Yet 73 per cent of Type As believe booking a holiday just a week before departure feels too risky.
But 36 per cent of their Type B counterparts feel confident there is little risk of missing out on their dream destination, even without planning months in advance.
The research was commissioned by lastminute.com to mark the launch of its ‘Travel Bgents’ platform, a hub that rewards Type B bookers with extra discounts.
Zoë Fidler, from the holiday firm, said: “There’s a common misconception that Type B travellers are just unstructured non-planners who leave things to chance. In reality, they are the savviest bookers in the game.
“Type B travellers have simply realised that holding off on pressing ‘book’ is the smartest move you can make, knowing they can get what they want and at a great price.”
Yet a quarter (25 per cent) admitted they wish they could embrace this more spontaneous approach and have the confidence to book a trip without overthinking.
With 30 per cent of Type B travellers assured that they could change plans on a whim when leaving it late to lock in their trip.
It’s not just saving money and planning time as 42 per cent of Type B travellers agreed that spontaneous adventures while on holiday create lasting memories, whereas this was true for just 20 per cent of Type A travellers.
With Type B travellers revealed to be more likely to stumble across hidden gems (36 per cent v 28 per cent) or enjoy unexpected moments (42 per cent v 20 per cent).
Zoe Fidler, from lastminute.com, added: “By holding out for the right moment, Type B’s unlock premium trips at a fraction of the cost, without the over-planning.
“Leaving it to the last minute isn’t about compromising or settling for leftovers; it’s an intentional, high-reward strategy.”
Diesel prices have hit record highs as the tensions between the United States and Iran, along with the war between Russia and Ukraine, disrupt key oil and fuel trade routes.
On Friday, the average price for a gallon (3.79 litres) of diesel was $6.50, up from $5.61 a month earlier, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA), which tracks fuel prices daily.
list of 4 itemsend of list
The spike has prompted the administration of US President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers to consider restricting US diesel exports ahead of upcoming midterm elections.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in August found that 47 percent of voters said the cost of living was the single most important factor in deciding how they would vote in the midterms — more than twice the share who cited the next-most important issue, “democratic values and norms”.
A new Marist poll also found that Americans have more confidence in Democrats than Republicans to handle the economy, with 42 percent choosing Democrats compared with 34 percent for Republicans.
Amid that voter sentiment, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Thursday that he was in touch with major oil refiners to gauge interest in a potential voluntary restriction on diesel exports, according to the Reuters news agency.
That followed remarks by Trump on Tuesday that he supported restricting diesel exports from the US, the world’s largest diesel exporter.
Energy analysts and industry groups have warned that an export ban could have unintended consequences, potentially pushing up fuel prices in the US and abroad.
Even though the US is the world’s largest diesel exporter, diesel is traded on a global market.
Disruptions to refineries in Russia and the Middle East have reduced the amount of fuel available worldwide, putting more pressure on US producers to fill the gap. In Russia, for example, drone attacks have damaged major refineries, forcing a cutback or halt in production.
“While US refineries are running at full tilt and higher than normal, the global gaps remain,” Rachel Ziemba, senior adjunct fellow at the Center for a New American Security, told Al Jazeera.
It comes as US diesel supplies are also shrinking. As of September 11, inventories had fallen to 107.9 million barrels, the lowest in more than four decades, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
With global supplies tightening, diesel prices have risen around the world — including in the US. Because American producers can sell their fuel into the global market, they are drawn to the soaring global prices rather than simply setting a lower price for domestic consumers.
In Washington, DC, leaders have flirted with the idea of pushing US companies to stop or slow exporting diesel.
Republicans have been pushing for a slowdown or outright ban of exports in an effort to lower costs for consumers ahead of the pivotal midterm elections, where cost of living is becoming a critical issue.
Such a move, they hope, would reduce local diesel prices, which is significant as diesel is used in trucks to haul food and most products, Ziemba said, adding that US diesel exports are equivalent to about 40 percent of domestic consumption.
On Tuesday, Chuck Grassley, a Republican from Iowa, called on the president to put in place a temporary halt on exports.
“I encourage President Trump to put a temporary embargo on diesel exports through executive action,” Grassley said.
Republican Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska made a similar call: “The cost of diesel is just too damn high. I’m calling for a temporary pause of American diesel exports so that we can rebuild our reserves ahead of winter,” Sullivan said in a statement on Tuesday.
In the House of Representatives, Congressman Tim Burchett of Tennessee introduced two bills that would restrict US diesel exports: One would impose a ban through January 2027, while the other would restrict exports if the national average price reaches $5 a gallon.
The administration has not made any official policy announcements, and the White House told Al Jazeera that the president is evaluating all options.
Oil and gas industry experts say that a ban could drive up prices rather than bringing them down.
“Diesel trades on a world market, just like corn. farmers don’t sell cheaper to Americans, and refiners can’t either since they buy crude at global prices. force a lower price and they’ll make less diesel. less supply means higher prices, not lower,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said in a post on X.
A ban would prevent or restrict US refiners from selling diesel to buyers overseas, theoretically leaving more fuel available in the domestic market.
Analysts at Wood Mackenzie, a research and consulting firm, say that keeping more diesel stateside would ultimately fill up US storage tanks but also force refineries to cut production. That could affect other markets that rely heavily on US fuel, including Latin America and Europe, forcing them to compete with other global buyers for supplies and driving up prices for the global market.
Wood Mackenzie says China is the only major producer with enough spare refining capacity to potentially make up much of the shortfall.
“China is currently the only country with material spare refining capacity that could cover the loss of US refinery throughputs. However, China may well decide it is not in its interest to intercede,” analysts said.
Wood Mackenzie has warned that a ban could quickly fill US diesel inventories, forcing refiners to cut crude runs and potentially increasing US petrol imports.
That was also the view of an S&P Global analysis, which found that a complete ban could also mean that production would be reduced as storage capacity is filled up with unsold diesel. According to the analysis, that could lead to production cuts of as much as 750,000 barrels a day, which could put the US into being a net importer of petrol in the fourth quarter of this year.
An export ban would affect US refiners and consumers, as well as countries that rely on US diesel.
“They [export bans] may provide temporary relief, but diesel is a global commodity. Treat one part of the system, and the effects travel elsewhere. Trade-offs are inevitable. Refiners are unlikely to cheer a blanket ban. Voluntary, controlled export reductions would generally be less disruptive in the short term,” Maksim Sonin, visiting scholar at Stanford University’s Precourt Institute for Energy, told Al Jazeera.
Disruptions to US exports could reduce the amount of fuel available on the global market. Wood Mackenzie analysts say countries in Europe and Latin America that rely heavily on US fuel could be forced to compete with other producers for supplies.
“If implemented, it would lead to European and Asian product prices increasing as the buyers of US fuel, mostly in Latin America, scramble to find new supplies, bidding up supplies. European crack spreads could widen, and overall we might see more disruptions,” Ziemba added.
“Given these issues, the US may opt for a mixture of carrots and sticks aiming to incentivise refineries to keep producing, perhaps including penalties if they cut production. There may be voluntary export quotas rather than a formal ban, and there may be exemptions for countries that provide crude oil to the US, like Mexico,” Ziemba said.
That could put pressure on consumers not only at the petrol pump but in the skies as well.
Airlines for America, an airline industry trade group, has also warned that an export ban could lead to higher prices for airlines and travellers, according to the Reuters news agency. The trade group did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment.
The broader concern from analysts is that restricting exports could reduce US refinery production rather than simply redirecting diesel to US consumers, potentially putting upward pressure on fuel prices both domestically and internationally.
“It’s unlikely to help US consumers much given how it fails to solve underlying problems and could backfire if refineries hold on to production. The best way to address this is to end the conflicts prompting the shortages,” Ziemba said.
WASHINGTON — Despite rising political anxiety over the Iran war, senators on Thursday narrowly rejected a war powers resolution seeking to halt President Trump’s military action, which has been largely blamed for the spike in gas prices and become a flashpoint in the midterm election.
The Senate tally, 49-50, coming days after Trump’s bombastic address to the United Nations in which he threatened to “annihilate” Iran, was likely the last chance for lawmakers to go on record about the war ahead of November. More Republicans are peeling way from the president as the war drags on, a rare slap back to Trump, as they campaign for control of Congress. The Senate outcome fell short, with four GOP senators joining most Democrats in favor of the resolution.
“They have been carrying water for this ridiculous and illegal war for months and months and months and not listening to their constituents,” said Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), who pushed the war powers resolution forward.
About half of rural American voters believe the economy is worse off now than when Trump returned to office, according to a new survey from the Associated Press in partnership with KFF. The costs of groceries, gas and healthcare rank as top pain points for the rural voters.
“We’ve got to break the cycle,” said Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who joined in voting yes.
Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Rand Paul of Kentucky also voted for the resolution to end the war, as they have in many previous tallies, and Democratic Sen. John Fetterman voted against.
This was the 14th time the Senate has considered a war powers resolution since Trump launched the conflict Feb. 28.
War powers resolutions are largely political statements, without the full force of law, but stand among the sharper tools the House and Senate have to express disapproval of the White House, short of halting funds for Trump’s military actions. As resolutions, they do not go to the president’s desk for his signature.
Republicans in control of Congress have shied away from directly confronting Trump over the war, now stretching past the seven-month mark. But their unrest is surfacing as stubbornly high gas prices leave voters in a cash crunch back home.
Diesel costs, in particular, have almost doubled, topping $6 a gallon, according to AAA.
Just returning from a swing through Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska stumping for GOP candidates who are suddenly at risk in their elections, Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana called on Trump to hold a prime-time address to the nation to explain the Iran war strategy and the end game.
“People are confused about the war and upset about the cost of living,” he said.
But he and others were not yet ready to vote against the war.
“My own view is that the focus right now needs to be on attacking the cost of living issues,” said Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who opposes the war powers resolution and believes the president is acting within his authority to conduct the military action.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries scoffed at the handful of Republicans now trying to distance themselves from what he called Trump’s failed economy. “Now all of a sudden they’re waking up,” he said.
Earlier this month, the House for a third time approved a war powers resolution, this time with seven Republicans joining the Democrats, including two from battleground Iowa, Rep. Zach Nunn and Rep. Mariannette Miller Meeks, where affordability issues among rural voters are dominating the campaigns.
Senators, though, have rarely been able to confront Trump by passing a war powers resolution.
In June, the Senate approved a war powers resolution after four GOP senators joined Democrats, but Republicans abruptly reversed course the next day after Trump berated them during a private lunch over the outcome.
At the time, Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana stood up to defend his vote only to end up in a shouting match with Trump. He later switched to oppose the war powers resolution after receiving a personal briefing from the White House.
Thursday’s vote was on a resolution that had passed the House in July with GOP support. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) who authored the House resolution, said the Senate outcome was “a slap in the face to the millions of American people who want this war to end.”
As the war drags on, costing $43.5 billion so far, Congress is also seeking other ways to force Trump to rethink his military strategy in Iran.
Rep. Thomas Massie, the renegade Republican from Kentucky, pushed forward articles of impeachment against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth before the GOP leadership abruptly adjourned the House and sent lawmakers home to campaign for the election, avoiding any potential vote on the matter.
Lawmakers also have the power of the purse to curtail military spending, something Republicans have been reluctant to do but Democrats are sure to tackle if they win power in the midterm election. The White House’s request for an additional $87.6-billion funding package for the war and other needs has idled in Congress.
First created in the aftermath of the Vietnam War as a way to hold a president accountable for military actions, the war powers act has long posed a test of the balance of power between the executive and legislative branches of government.
While the Constitution says only Congress can declare war, the president as commander-in-chief is also able to engage the military. The war powers act seeks to provide clarity by requiring the president, within 60 days of any such action, to seek approval — or risk disapproval — from Congress.
Mascaro writes for the Associated Press. AP writers Joey Cappelletti and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.
EDINBURG, Texas — Quinten Martinez, pumping gas under a hot south Texas sun, remembers a time when fueling up didn’t require difficult decisions.
“Is it going to be groceries this week?” said the 28-year-old Amazon delivery driver as he watched the numbers tick higher. “Is it gonna be getting gas in our tank to go to work?”
He shook his head when asked about President Trump’s assertion last week that higher gas prices are a small price to pay for the war with Iran.
“I don’t feel like it’s a good trade-off,” Martinez said. “I don’t feel like this is good for anyone.”
Voters across the country, and across the political spectrum, tend to agree.
Interviews with voters in several states, along with a fresh round of national polling, reveal an overwhelming sense of frustration that skyrocketing gas prices — a direct result of Trump’s war — are creating serious and sustained financial hardships for America’s working class.
The acute concerns are adding to a bad political environment that may be worsening for Trump and his Republican Party as early voting gets underway in the November midterm elections.
Historically, the party holding the White House has suffered major losses in midterms. About seven weeks before election day, Republican candidates at all levels are struggling with the additional burden of Trump’s weak approval ratings, an unpopular war and an affordability crisis that Trump and his congressional allies had promised to fix.
But when Trump campaigned in North Carolina on Wednesday, he played down the effect of surging gas prices.
“You have a little higher. It’s a very inexpensive price to pay for what we’ve done,” Trump said of the war, which he describes as necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. “Remember that. It’s a little more. Frankly, even if it was a lot more.”
Despite what Trump says, there are few things that may matter more this election year than the price of a gallon of gasoline, according to political operatives in both parties.
Gas prices are moving sharply in the wrong direction at a time of year when drivers typically get some relief. The national average for a gallon of gas reached $4.48 on Friday, according to the American Automobile Assn., up roughly 17 cents over the last week, 40 cents in a month and $1.27 from a year ago.
“Gas prices matter because they’re one of the few economic indicators voters experience and see in real time,” said veteran Republican strategist Chris Wilson. “The price is literally staring them in the face several times a week. So I wouldn’t minimize the frustration we’re seeing, particularly among working- and middle-class voters.”
Interviews with voters last week found bipartisan frustration and disappointment.
Democrats and unaffiliated voters were especially motivated to punish Republicans at the ballot box for their economic hardship, while some of Trump’s working-class supporters pledged to support Republicans this fall, even if they weren’t happy with the president’s leadership on the economy.
Dan Lloyd, who voted for Trump, lamented the president’s leadership as the 63-year-old carpenter paid $4.39 a gallon to fill up his pickup truck in Mesa, Ariz.
“He hurt himself stepping into this,” Lloyd said of Trump. “Where’s all this oil from Venezuela? I thought we were flush with gas and everything, but no. The American people eat it every time, whether it’s interest rates, food, gasoline.”
Still, he expects to vote Republican in the midterms.
“I think the Democratic Party has lost its way,” Lloyd said. “I just feel like the whole system’s on the verge of collapse.”
In sweltering Edinburg, Texas, 52-year-old Kristin Jimenez shrugged off the rising price of gas after filling up her Mercedes.
“We’ve paid the same price under Republican presidents, we’ve paid this price under Democrat presidents,” said Jimenez, a mother who runs a small business. She plans to vote for a Republican because they’re the “lesser of two evils.”
She said gas prices aren’t part of her calculation.
“We don’t mind paying $8 for a cup of coffee at Starbucks, but we have a problem paying four bucks at the pump?” she said. “Make it make sense.”
More than 1,500 miles to the north in central Michigan, 35-year-old Garth Johnson is trying to make ends meet running a deep-cleaning business with several gas-powered vehicles and one machine fueled by diesel, which was $6.79 a gallon as he filled up his SUV.
Johnson voted for Trump, but doesn’t know what he’s going to do in November. He said he doesn’t feel qualified to second-guess the president’s evaluation of the war, but he’s feeling financial pressure in his own life.
“I like a lot of the things he’s done,” Johnson said, but added, “I’m a little guy and I’ve got to live my life.”
Midterm voting was already underway Friday in Virginia, where Alan Johnson said Trump seems to have “no empathy” for Americans who are struggling financially.
“With the gas prices being what they are and continuing to grow, we’ve got to do something. Hopefully the Democrats can get into office and turn the ship around,” said the 60-year-old engineer, who cast ballots in the morning for Democrats for the U.S. Senate and House.
In Raleigh, N.C., teacher Brittney Bivins sees surging gas prices as evidence that Trump and his Republican Party aren’t dealing with the issues that matter most to people like her.
“He really doesn’t care about everyday people,” the 45-year-old said. “He can afford the gas, but most of us can’t. So it feels like he’s not even connected to his own people.”
Bivins, who described herself as an independent, said she’s eager to support Democrats this fall — especially the party’s emerging democratic socialist wing.
At a gas station in Lansing, Mich., Rina Risper spent $50 on eight gallons of premium gas.
“When I rolled up I was in shock, actually, and said, well, maybe I should drink water instead of having that $4.99 bottle of whatever it was I was gonna get,” Risper said. She thinks Trump’s tariffs will make affordability even worse.
“We’re not in Miami. We’re in Lansing, Michigan,” she said. “It’s really going to impact our people.”
Nationwide, more than three times as many voters say they are falling behind financially as getting ahead, according to a Fox News survey released Wednesday. By a 15-point margin, Democrats are considered the party that would better handle inflation and prices at a time when the cost of living and the economy are voters’ top concerns.
The Fox poll found that 61% of voters say gas prices are a major problem for their household, compared with 48% two years ago, while 52% say the same for healthcare costs, compared with 44% in 2024. Majorities also view housing costs and grocery prices as major problems, although neither has increased.
Overall, nearly two-thirds of voters (63%) say the administration has made the economy worse, compared with 52% in September 2025, including one-quarter of Republicans. Only 46% of Republicans say the administration has improved the economy, while about one-quarter don’t see an impact.
Back in rural south Texas, an area where Trump’s GOP made gains in recent elections, Martinez, the Amazon delivery driver, could not contain his frustration.
Trump “likes to tout that we are the best economy in the world,” said Martinez, but in rural towns, “you don’t see any of the winning, you don’t see any of the ups that he’s talking about.”
“You just see struggles for day-to-day life,” he said.
Peoples, Bedayn and Cooper write for the Associated Press. Peoples reported from New York and Cooper from Mesa. AP writers Allen G. Breed in Raleigh, Jacqueline GaNun in Lansing, Sarah Rankin in Richmond and Nicholas Riccardi in Mason, Mich., contributed to this report.
KATIE Price has made her modelling comeback as she walked the runway at London Fashion Week in a tiny waistcoat that barely contained her biggest ever boobs.
The reality star surprised fans as she made an appearance at Natasha Zinko’s London Fashion Week show X OnlyFans show in Islington, London, last night.
The 48-year-old strutted her stuff on the catwalk at Collins Music Hall as she flaunted the results of her latest boob job.
Katie was seen wearing a pair of satin shorts and a matching cropped black waistcoat that struggled to contain her assets.
The skimpy ensemble showed off her long legs and large collection of tattoos.
Katie, who is no stranger to going under the knife, underwent her latest boob job just weeks ago in Brussels.
After being left with one boob slightly larger than the other, Katie went in for corrective surgery and ended up asking the surgeons to make them even bigger.
The former glamour model, who went by the alias Jordan during her page three days, has now made a dramatic comeback and she was loving every minute of it.
Katie recently dumped her conman husband Lee Andrews by text after discovering the crypto account he claimed had contained £37m had just £2.20 in it.
She appeared on Good Morning Britain earlier this week and confessed she’s had enough of Lee’s lies.
Jailed Lee sent a voicenote to the show in which he criticised his wife for speaking out about him and said “divorce is probably for the best”. He also said Katie wasn’t tech-savvy and had looked in the wrong account, insisting he is a multi-millionaire.
Lee is still behind bars in Dubai’s Al Awir prison as Katie prepares for what could be showbiz’s messiest divorce.
Sanaa, Yemen – Ahmed Yahya, 28, fills his taxi with 10 litres of petrol as he begins his workday early in the morning.
“I feed my taxi with fuel first so that it can help feed my family,” Yahya, a taxi driver, said as he wiped the dust from his front window at a petrol station on the outskirts of Sanaa.
list of 3 itemsend of list
Up until earlier this week, Yahya used to pay 4,750 Yemeni riyals, the equivalent of roughly $8.90 in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. The price had remained unchanged for about four years in territory under the rebel group’s control – including the capital Sanaa.
But then, on Monday, the Houthis announced a roughly 10 percent increase in the price of petrol, up to 5,250 Yemeni Riyals ($9.80). After years of economic misery, Yahya described the price hike as another “painful surprise to an already devastated people”.
The Houthi-run Yemen Petroleum Company said the diesel and petrol price increase was the result of a “global increase in fuel prices”, and promised that it would be temporary. The increase in global oil prices this year comes off the back of the impact of the United States-Israel war on Iran. But, more recently, the Houthis’ own capture of Yemen’s southern Red Sea coast from government forces last week, and attacks on Saudi Arabia, have played a major role in increasing prices.
“When I heard the announcement of the new fuel price, I was shocked and frustrated. We’re hardly surviving, and this price increase will make survival even harder,” said Yahya, as he lamented another burden in a country where 18 million already face acute food insecurity – a lack of reliable access to enough food.
Yahya, a father of three, has been working as a taxi driver for five years. Although the job helps make ends meet, he feels financially insecure, especially with the ongoing changes in food and fuel prices.
“My family spend about 75,000 Yemeni riyals [$140] a month on food expenses such as flour, rice and cooking oil. With the fuel price rise, we will need at least 85,000 Yemeni riyals [$159] a month for the same food items,” said Yahya.
The resumption of fighting in Yemen in the past few months, after a four-year period of relative calm in the country’s war, has contributed to the price rises. But for Yahya, relatively safe in Sanaa, it’s the increased expenses that are the more troubling development.
“When prices rise, they affect what we eat, drink, and how we live,” he said. “Let me give you an example: I pay 25,000 Yemeni riyals [$47] in rent every month. With the increase in food prices, putting money aside to pay the rent has become more challenging. What is the priority? Rent or food?”
An April report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that Yemen’s internal conflict has led to significant macroeconomic vulnerabilities and a marked decrease in income per capita, leaving more than half of the population in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.
“It [the conflict] has caused widespread food insecurity, disease outbreaks, mass family displacement, and limited access to clean water,” the report said.
One of the links between the renewed fighting and the increase in prices is the longer distances needed to transport products across the country, as truckers avoid roads near the front lines.
“A truck carrying goods from the south to the north or vice versa now takes up to a week to reach its final destination. Before the renewed fighting, a similar journey would have taken three days or less,” explained Saleh Abdullah, a shopkeeper in Sanaa.
The increased transportation costs, including the higher fuel prices, are passed on to the consumer.
“This means no family is immune to this trouble,” Abdullah said. “Whether it is the flour, the baby milk, the fruits, the vegetables, or anything else, families will feel the pain of price increases.”
“Some customers become angry at us when we sell products at a higher price,” he added. “We didn’t impose prices. We just react and adapt to the changes in the country or the region.”
Ibrahim Abdu, an employee at the Nehm customs checkpoint in Sanaa governorate, said the number of trucks arriving in the capital has declined over the past few weeks.
“Fighting has cut off many roads, and merchants have avoided risking their products and drivers,” he told Al Jazeera.
Years of war have taken a heavy toll on Yemen’s economy, disrupted businesses, and pushed millions of people into poverty and food insecurity. Against this bleak backdrop, the country’s humanitarian tragedy has been worsening.
Ahmed Mohammed, a former humanitarian worker in Hodeidah, describes the fuel price rise as a “hunger multiplier” in war-torn Yemen.
“If a breadwinner struggles to buy a family three meals a day, he may be able to afford only two given the rising price of food commodities. This will deepen hunger among families,” said Mohammed.
He added: “War is ugly, and one of its ugliest aspects is seeing a family unable to afford a kilogramme of flour, sugar or rice.”
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) warned this week that the violence threatens to trigger a humanitarian crisis as more people are displaced, pressuring communities with limited resources.
Wafiq Saleh, an economic researcher and executive director of the Taiz Centre for Yemeni-Gulf Studies, said the 10 percent hike in fuel prices in Houthi-controlled areas deals a blow to Yemeni consumers.
“Its impact will manifest as a major inflationary wave, placing a heavy burden on the most vulnerable and income-deprived segments of society,” Saleh told Al Jazeera.
While this price increase may appear modest in percentage terms, its effects extend far beyond the petrol station, rippling through various goods and services and creating new hardships, according to Saleh.
“Petroleum products serve as intermediate inputs for a wide range of goods and services. Consequently, a 10 percent rise in fuel prices does not merely increase people’s expenses by 10 percent; it triggers a cascading effect on prices,” he said.
“The most severely affected sectors include agriculture – which relies on diesel for crop irrigation – and the transport and services sectors, where rising costs immediately drive up passenger fares and food prices.”
He added that the increase would also affect water and electricity services, many of which rely on diesel-powered generators, further increasing the cost of basic services.
Small- and medium-sized enterprises are similarly affected.
“Small enterprises are operating on narrow profit margins, and they may be forced to either cease operations or pass the increased costs on to the final consumer,” Saleh said.
Published on
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 gained 1.9% to 65,332.57 after the Bank of Japan raised the benchmark interest rate to 1.25% from 1.0%, a 31-year high.
The move had been widely priced in, coming after the Federal Reserve also raised its key rate this week. Pressures have been coming from the US for Japan to raise rates because of concerns about the weakening yen.
The nations intervened together recently to prop up the yen. But the efforts haven’t had a big impact.
In currency trading, the US dollar rose to 157.11 Japanese yen from 155.95 yen. The euro cost $1.1487, up from $1.1480.
South Korea’s Kospi jumped 2.3% to 6,866.83. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was little changed, slipping less than 0.1% to 8,731.50. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng edged up nearly 0.7% to 24,769.80, while the Shanghai Composite added 1.0% to 3,916.08.
Falling oil prices and easing pressure from the bond market helped Wall Street reverse many of its losses from the prior day.
The S&P 500 jumped 1.1% for just its second rise in the last nine days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 316 points, or 0.6%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 1.7%.
Wall Street stocks got a boost after the price of a barrel ofBrent crude oil slid from the nearly $110 it reached earlier in the week on worries that the war with Iran will keep oil bottled up in the Middle East instead of going to customers worldwide.
In Asian trading, Brent, the international standard, lost 0.94% to $103.83 a barrel. Benchmark US crude slid 0.83% to $101.06 a barrel.
Brent is still more expensive than the $72 per barrel that it cost earlier this summer, but the recent drop helped pull yields lower in the bond market and removed some pressure on stocks. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.93% from 5.01% late Wednesday.
The Federal Reserve on Wednesday raised the short-term interest rate that it controls, the federal funds rate, by a quarter of a percentage point for its first hike in more than three years. Officials also hinted that they may raise the federal funds rate one more time this year as they try to get high inflation in the US under control.
The signals sent Wall Street on a roller coaster. Stocks initially remained higher for the day after the Fed made its announcement Wednesday. They then slid sharply before recovering a chunk of the losses before trading ended.
On the upside for markets, the shift to higher interest rates built confidence that the Fed is committed to getting inflation back to its target of 2%. On the downside for markets, higher rates undercut prices for stocks and other investments.
All told, the S&P 500 rose 85.95 points to 7,637.76. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 316.14 to 51,778.04, and the Nasdaq composite rallied 439.87 to 26,418.30.
Additional sources • AP
KATIE Price’s ex Dane Bowers has updated fans from his hospital bed about ‘complications’ after a seven-hour surgery.
Back in August, the Another Level singer revealed he needed to have a “very serious operation”.
On Thursday, Dane, 46, took to Instagram from his hospital bed to share an update on how his spinal fusion went.
He said: “So I had my surgery yesterday, luckily enough I didn’t really have much pain, obviously I had this morphine drip thing that I could press the button for and I’ve not used it.
“I used it once right at the beginning to see what it felt like I guess, but I’ve not used it which is good.”
But the singer – who wore a hospital gown with a piece of white material tucked into the neckline – then explained something was wrong with his neck and chin.
He said: “I have this thing here on my chin which needs to be seen to, which is why I’m talking a bit weird, it’s all numb and it’s from where my face was down.
“My surgery was seven hours which is quite long. And it’s sort of seeping as you can see…disgusting.
“So I think I’m having a dermatologist and some sort of skin doctor come to see, but that’s the only sore bit really.”
Dane – who dated Katie between 1998 and 2000 – then revealed he had managed to get out of bed and stand up with a physiotherapist and used a walker to do some steps around the ward.
He added: “My back is sore when I move but I’m not particularly in pain. I did have a bit of cramping in my good leg but otherwise not too bad.”
When Dane shared the news of his upcoming surgery last month, he said: “I got a second opinion and I am glad I did, because it’s pretty much changed what I am doing.
“Bad news for me, I do need to have a very serious back operation. I need to basically have a fusion”.
Spinal fusion is a procedure which sees two or more vertebrae joined together with metal rods, cages or screws.
BEIJING: Oil prices jumped more than two percent on Monday, after new Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia and Iranian attacks on ships in the Gulf compounded supply concerns following the closure of a key Saudi oil pipeline.
Brent crude futures rose $2.90, or 2.77 percent, to $107.51 per barrel as of 2313 GMT. WTI futures rose $2.27, or 2.27 percent, to $102.32 per barrel. Prices had initially risen more than 3 percent at market open.
Saudi Arabian state media on Sunday released video footage of damage to homes and a mosque from what it said was a Houthi attack on the country’s southern Jazan province. The Houthis said they had also struck a Saudi military base in a neighboring province.
A vessel in the Strait of Hormuz was struck by a projectile, causing a fire and forcing the crew to be evacuated, the British maritime security agency UKMTO said on Sunday.
Iran said one person was killed and four crew wounded aboard an Iranian commercial vessel struck off its coast.
Oil prices had been expected to rise on Monday amid growing concerns about risks to supply from Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, whose East-West oil pipeline was shut on Friday by a drone strike that originated in Iraq.
The loss of the pipeline, which helped Saudi Arabia re-route its exports avoiding the Strait of Hormuz, threatens up to 4 percent of global oil supply.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis had reached the strategic island of Perim on Friday, moving to tighten their control over the Bab Al-Mandab Strait, another key oil transit lane that has been shipping 4-5 percent of global supply in recent months.
Oil surged 8 percent higher on the week due to the disruptions, rising above $100 for the first time since July.
“Looking ahead, unless this week’s talks in Oman produce something operational — or the East-West pipeline is brought back online quickly — the risk is that crude oil continues to extend its gains toward the $119.48 high of early March,” IG market analyst Tony Sycamore said in a note on Sunday.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said on X later on Sunday, however, that a scheduled Monday meeting in Oman between Gulf countries and Iran to discuss the Strait of Hormuz had been postponed.
No peace talks have been held in the war, launched six months ago by the United States and Israel, since an interim agreement in June collapsed after a few weeks.
RIYADH: Egypt’s annual nationwide inflation rate eased to 12.7 percent in August from 13 percent in the previous month, as lower food prices offset increases in electricity, housing and other household costs.
The nationwide consumer price index was unchanged from July at 289.8 points, according to data from the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics. Annual urban inflation also eased to 14.5 percent from 14.9 percent in July.
Egypt continued to experience faster price growth than several regional peers, although the latest available comparative readings are for July rather than August.
Saudi Arabia’s annual inflation was 1.8 percent in July, while Jordan’s was 2.7 percent, according to official data from the respective countries. Morocco recorded a 0.6 percent annual decline in consumer prices.
The International Monetary Fund expects Egypt’s inflation to rise to 16.7 percent in the second half of 2026, reflecting higher energy prices, exchange-rate depreciation and unfavorable base effects.
In its latest report, CAPMAS stated: “The food and beverages division recorded a decrease of 1.2 percent due to a 0.1 percent decrease in the prices of cereals and bread, a 1.5 percent decrease in the prices of meat and poultry, a 0.1 percent decrease in the prices of fish and seafood, and a 7 percent decrease in the prices of vegetables.”
Housing costs climb
Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels rose 1.9 percent during the month. Electricity, gas and fuel prices increased 4.3 percent, while actual rents rose 0.8 percent and housing maintenance costs increased 0.5 percent.
Prices for furnishings and household equipment rose 0.7 percent, while clothing increased 0.5 percent, healthcare 0.4 percent, transport 0.2 percent, and restaurants and hotels 0.5 percent.
On an annual basis, housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels recorded the largest increase, at 33 percent, with actual rents up 28 percent and electricity, gas and fuels rising 22.4 percent.
Transport costs increased 21.7 percent annually, while education rose 20 percent and recreation and culture increased 15.3 percent. Food and beverages prices rose 6.5 percent, with vegetable prices up 27.7 percent.
Monetary policy
The inflation data comes after the Central Bank of Egypt kept its key interest rates unchanged last month, with the overnight deposit rate at 19 percent and the lending rate at 20 percent. The main operation and discount rates were maintained at 19.5 percent.
The CBE expects headline inflation to accelerate through the third quarter because of unfavorable base effects before gradually declining from the first quarter of 2027. It expects inflation to converge toward its 7 percent target, plus or minus 2 percentage points, during the second half of 2027.
The central bank has warned that the inflation outlook remains exposed to risks from regional hostilities and a stronger-than-expected pass-through from fiscal consolidation measures.
