project

The Academy Foundation earlier this month laid off all five staffers with its Oral History Projects team, effectively dissolving the department responsible for conducting and preserving interviews with notable members of the film industry.

Two of those laid off were transitioned into different union roles within the Academy Foundation, the organization confirmed, Friday.

The layoffs were part of a consolidation of the collections department at the Academy Foundation, which along with the Academy Museum is operated under the umbrella of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Four of the five staffers who previously comprised the Oral History Projects department were in union roles.

In a statement posted on social media, the Academy Foundation Workers Union, AFSCME Local 126, called the cuts “a sad and reckless choice.” It also expressed frustration with what it called the Foundation’s “lack of transparency” and “disregard for the skills and expertise of our colleagues” during the restructuring.

“The Academy’s decision to abandon this dedicated project devalues the labor required to produce intellectually stimulating and rigorous long-form interviews, as well as underestimating the historical worth of each individual story,” the union wrote in an email to The Times.

The academy said that existing oral histories will remain accessible through its archive, and that it will continue to preserve film history through its museum, collection and digital initiatives.

The Academy Foundation established its Oral History Program in 1989 with the goal of documenting the careers of industry professionals using audio recordings. These conversations were archived in the Margaret Herrick Library.

The now-dissolved Oral History Projects department was founded in 2012 to streamline the collections process, and to date has recorded more than 185 interviews — each between four or five hours long. These provide invaluable details about filmmaker’s lives and careers, and the Academy Museum regularly draws on the Academy Foundation’s library and film archive materials for its exhibitions and film screenings.

“Through the work of OHP, the Academy has also become the primary preservation repository for filmmaker interviews from the guilds and other sources,” notes the organization’s website.

“The Academy’s Oral History Project (OHP) recorded and collected audio and video interviews with the individuals who form the rich fabric of filmmaking history — production and costume designers, documentarians, executives, actors, animators, technicians, composers, and more,” the union wrote in an email. “Without the department, these meticulously researched and skillfully crafted oral histories are no longer being produced.”

This is not the first time the academy has laid off staffers since it opened the Academy Museum in 2021. A 2022 restructuring effort, which created a new Academy Collection and Preservation Department, resulted in the layoffs of 16 members from the organization’s archive and library.

In an internal email to staff obtained by The Times, academy CEO Bill Kramer, said that the restructuring was necessary as the organization navigated “two worlds that are rapidly evolving — the film industry and the non-profit arts community.”

“We are working hard to stay focused on our mission while addressing this pivotal moment. And while we know how difficult these moments can be, we are confident in our steps to shape a sustainable organization that is well-suited to meet our goals now and in the future,” Kramer said.

Times staff writer Josh Rottenberg contributed to this report.

Jan. 22 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s Coast Guard did not execute 22.7 billion won ($17.5 million) in project funds by year-end 2025, according to data submitted to the National Assembly, raising questions over whether budget execution and fund allocation were properly managed.

The figures, obtained by opposition People Power Party lawmaker Kim Tae-ho, show the Coast Guard carried over 22.73431 billion won ($17.5 million) in project funds as of Dec. 31, 2025. The projects include spending tied to maintenance depot operations, vessel construction and establishment of Vessel Traffic Service centers.

More than 45 of 56 projects were classified as “contract period not yet expired,” the data showed. The Coast Guard has said payments could not be made because work was not completed. However, some observers said that under annual project structures that can include advance and progress payments, at least part of the funding could have been disbursed by the end of the year.

The Coast Guard rejected the “unpaid” characterization, saying the issue stems from contracts still being in effect rather than overdue payments. It also said the situation differs from cases involving the Defense Ministry where payments were reportedly not made even after completion and invoicing.

Still, the Coast Guard’s explanations appeared inconsistent. In a call with this publication, a Coast Guard spokesperson described a system that includes advance payments and interim payments with execution tied to project progress. The following day, the Coast Guard emphasized a typical “80% advance payment and 20% final payment” structure and said some contracts are paid in full after completion, without clearly addressing whether the 22.7 billion won figure reflected interim payments or final payments.

Asked whether the amount involved interim or final payments, a Coast Guard official said the agency would need to review individual projects, signaling further verification is required.

A political source said even official documents submitted to the National Assembly contain inconsistent descriptions of the execution structure and called for a parliamentary review of the Finance Ministry’s overall fund allocation and execution management.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

The tunnel will be 23 miles – and will be completely out of sight.

Britain’s longest tunnel is currently under construction beneath a national park, and it’s set to snatch the title from the Northern Line on the London Underground as the nation’s lengthiest.

The ambitious project is making significant progress, though its price tag has spiralled dramatically from an initial £1.1billion estimate to a reported staggering £7.4billion.

The massive undertaking will transport fertiliser across 23 miles, running entirely underground and out of view.

The Northern Line currently holds the record at 17 miles, having opened back in 1937. But the Woodsmith Mine Tunnel is on track to open in 2030 and claim the crown as the UK’s longest.

Managed by Anglo American, the tunnel is the largest private sector infrastructure scheme in the country. The aim is to extract polyhalite – a nutrient-packed fertiliser – from the North York Moors near Whitby and transport it to a processing facility in Teesside.

Sirius Minerals originally owned the project and provided the initial cost projections. However, reports from 2023 indicated the scheme had already blown well past its budget, reports the Express.

Tom McCulley, head of Anglo American’s crop nutrients division, previously acknowledged that estimates of $9billion costs were “not too far off”, according to the Times.

The route will run from an underground reserve near Whitby to a processing plant in Wilton, close to Teesside.

Last month marked a significant achievement as the project surpassed 30km in length – just over 18 miles.

The tunnel boring machine (TBM), dubbed Stella Rose, smashed the record for the longest continuous drive by a single TBM.

Andrew Johnson, project director at Woodsmith, said recently: “We are incredibly proud of this milestone. The Woodsmith Project is one of the most innovative mining developments in the world today and construction is progressing well.”

He added: “We currently employ 1,100 people in the area of which 75% are local – something we are incredibly proud of.

“We are also proud to have a small international workforce with the specialist expertise we need for this unique world-class engineering project that will provide employment for hundreds of local people for many many years to come.”

The tunnel proposal initially faced opposition. Sirius Minerals successfully navigated 98 environmental regulations to secure planning permission for Britain’s first deep mine in over four decades.

CONCERNS have been raised over the temporary closure of a British Isle airport in a £24million scheme to rebuild its runway.

The charming British Isle of Guernsey has long been loved for trips, with flights between 40 minutes to an hour, but the future of its airport hangs in uncertainty.

Plans were in place to improve Alderney’s only airport – approved back in 2022 – but delays and climbing costs have put the development on pause.

The plans, due to start in 2024, were for the airport to have a £24million renovation to improve services and have more flights to and from the island; there are currently around seven flights to Alderney a day.

The makeover would extend the runway so it could welcome larger planes as well as modernise the 1960s terminal building.

Guernsey officials warned the airport may need to close for an “extended period” to complete the scheme in the shortest time – work could start in 2027.

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Chris Blythe, Alderney resident and pilot and flying instructor, said he was concerned about the possibility of the airport closure leaving islanders “cut off”.

Sharing his worry, Blythe spoke on BBC News and said: “I think it’s going to be pretty brutal for the people on the island to be cut off and there’s been nothing said yet about how we would get to Guernsey or the mainland.”

He added: “From the point of view of the people who will be working on the project, there’s going to be a whole load of workers… who are going to be trapped on the island with us.”

Blythe insists passengers deserved to have a runway which was up to specification and met minimum legal requirements.

The proposed scheme involved the reconstruction of the asphalt runway, to meet minimum aerodrome design standards. Blythe believes this “was always going to be the only option”.

Blythe said: “The main runway in Alderney is not very good, in light aircraft it doesn’t really matter that much but for commercial aircraft it needs to be better than that.”

He added: “I think the previous proposal to extend it and put ATRs in was ludicrous and I think anybody who knew much about aviation probably came to that conclusion.”

It was another tough year for film and television production in Los Angeles as the total shoot days for 2025 dropped 16.1% compared to the previous year, according to a new report.

Last year’s 19,694 shoot days was the lowest total since 2020, according to the nonprofit FilmLA, which tracks filming in the greater L.A. area. In 2024, that total was 23,480 shoot days.

The drop in filming comes as L.A. continues to battle runaway production to other states and countries, as well as the continued effects on the industry of the pandemic and the 2023 dual writers’ and actors’ strikes, as well as cutbacks in spending at studios.

The production decline has left many in Hollywood without work for months or even years, leading to a widespread lobbying effort last year to bolster the state’s film and TV production incentive program. An increased annual cap, as well as expansion of eligibility criteria, was passed by lawmakers last year, buoying the industry’s hopes that filming could return to the Golden State.

The new inclusion of 20-minute shows to the qualification categories could also lead to more production in L.A., particularly for TV comedies, FilmLA said.

So far, more than 100 film and TV projects are among those awarded production incentives for filming in California under the revamped program, including TV shows like a reboot of “Baywatch” and a new “Jumanji” movie. In the fourth quarter of 2025, incentivized projects made up about 13% of all shoot days in the L.A. area.

Several of the projects awarded production incentives have relocated from other states or countries, including the action series “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” which returned to California from New York and Italy.

But it will take time for those awarded projects to show up in filming data, said Philip Sokoloski, FilmLA vice president of integrated communications.

“While the year-end numbers are disappointing, they are not unexpected,” he said in a statement. “Although our overall numbers remain low, there are dozens of incentivized projects that have yet to begin filming.”

For the fourth quarter, on-location production totaled 4,625 shoot days, down 21.1% compared to the same time period in 2024.

The steepest filming declines that quarter were in commercials, which saw a decline of 23.2% to 586 days compared to 2024. Television shoot days dropped 21.9% to 1,247 days. Feature film shoot days were down 19.7% to 473 from the fourth quarter in 2024, and FilmLA’s “other” category, which includes student films, documentaries and music videos, was down 20.4% to 2,319 days.

Within the TV category, filming for pilots saw a 62.5% decline that quarter compared to 2024 with 9 days, while dramas fell 36.4% to 336 days. Reality TV shoot days were down 9.8% to 698 days and TV comedy filming was down 6% to 110 days for the fourth quarter.

Composer Guy Moon, who scored a handful of popular animated TV series, and was most known for Nickelodeon’s “Fairly OddParents,” has died. He was 63.

The Emmy nominee was killed Thursday morning in a traffic collision, his family announced in a Facebook post on Saturday. Savannah Moon, the composer’s daughter, said in a phone interview that her father was riding his Vespa scooter when he died. The Los Angeles Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed on its database that Moon died of traumatic injuries.

Moon’s three children, daughters Chelsea and Savannah and son Dusty, fondly remembered the composer in phone interviews as a “walking jukebox” who had an accepting, playful and peaceful approach in his personal and professional lives. He was a devoted husband, father and grandfather, his family said.

“There was always music but it was never about him being super good at music even though he was just so incredibly talented,” Dusty said. “The music was never about him. It was just about love and connection.”

“He was very good at highlighting other people and highlighting what was important, whether it was through music or whether it was through what he said to people,” Savannah said.

Guy Moon long scored the magical antics of “Fairly OddParents,” an animated series that tracks the adventures of Timmy Turner, a 10-year-old boy with fairy godparents who grant him wishes to solve his everyday problems. Moon was the show’s composer for more than a decade from 2001 to 2017 and scored more than 150 episodes, according to IMDb. He earned four Emmy nominations for his work on “Fairly OddParents.”

A Wisconsin native, Moon also worked on “Fairly OddParents” creator Butch Hartman’s other series “Danny Phantom” and “T.U.F.F. Puppy.” Hartman mourned Moon in an Instagram story Saturday.

“I have no words yet because there are none adequate enough,” Hartman said, adding that he will make a statement at a later time.

Moon, a graduate of the University of Arizona School of Music, started his career in the 1980s, contributing to projects including “The Land Before Time,” the animated “Addams Family” series, “Leave It to Beaver” and “Johnny Bravo.” In the mid-’90s and early aughts, Moon supplemented his series work with films including “The Brady Bunch Movie,” “Minority Report,” “Fight Club,” “Evan Almighty” and “Leap Year.”

His Nickelodeon credits also include “ChalkZone,” several “Fairly OddParents” and “Jimmy Neutron” crossover specials, “Back at the Barnyard” and “Big Time Rush.” In recent years, Moon turned his focus to live-action and independent projects including TV drama “The Green Veil” starring John Leguizamo and the 2024 film “Forty-Seven Days with Jesus.” He was last credited in 2025 as a composer for “The Artist,” a series from streaming service the Network.

Moon, an Annie Awards and BMI Film & TV Awards winner, incorporated his passions for music in family life, from expressing his daily observations in a sing-songy manner to playing the piano to entertain friends and family. Despite the accolades for work, Moon would have been most proud of his collaborations with his children, who all shared his musical passions, Chelsea said.

“We are his legacy. He was so proud of us and so proud to work with us,” she said, adding “he would probably say that was his greatest life’s accomplishments — to have us.”

Moon’s children underlined his devoted faith, which he balanced with his full-time career as a composer. His family said Moon often melded his faith with his love and his connections in the music world, from producing church musical events to introduce fellow worshipers to new forms of Christian music to directing his church’s youth ministry alongside his wife when his children were younger.

“He just embodied the heart of Jesus to welcome everyone. He just deeply loved God in a very simple way where there was never a moment where anyone felt excluded in his presence or othered,” Chelsea said.

Guy Moon’s three adult children described him as a “walking jukebox” who had an accepting, playful and peaceful approach in his personal and professional lives.

(Natalie Wright-Ruiz )

“He was not exclusive and he was not an elitist, “ Savannah said. “He was just so generous with his time and his acceptance of people.”

Moon incurred tinnitus following an injury to his eardrum in recent years, which impacted his ability to work. Still, he remained adventurous and enjoyed riding around San Pedro on his Vespa, Chelsea said.

In addition to his children, Moon is survived by his wife, Jennifer Moon, his parents, two older sisters and seven grandchildren with an eighth on the way.

The family said in its Facebook statement that they plan to celebrate Moon’s life on Feb. 7, the composer’s birthday. The memorial in Los Angeles will be followed by another in Wisconsin at a later date.

TRAVEL times between two European countries are set to be halved as the world’s longest undersea road and rail tunnel takes shape.

The 18-kilometre project will carry a four-lane motorway as well as two electrified railway tracks.

This ambitious project will see an immersed tunnel connect Rødbyhavn on Denmark’s Lolland Island with Puttgarden on Germany’s Fehmarn Island.

Known as the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link, the infrastructure project is steadily taking shape beneath the Baltic Sea, and is set to be complete by 2029.

Femern, the Danish state-owned company behind the project, said the tunnel is “Denmark’s largest infrastructure project and the world’s longest immersed tunnel and rail link”.

The structure is assembled from massive prefabricated concrete elements, which are built onshore before being floated into position and sunk into a pre-dredged trench on the seabed.

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Once complete, the tunnel will dramatically cut crossing times between the destinations, taking just 10 minutes by car and 7 minutes by train, a considerable decrease from the current 45- to 60-minute ferry ride.

The project estimated to cost around £6.4 billion, an amount financed largerly through loans repaid by tolls, with the European Union also granting £1.1 billion.

The Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link will form a key part of Europe’s transport corridors, helping to boost freight efficiency and reduce emissions through increased rail use.

When finished, the Fehmarnbelt will claim the title of the world’s longest road and rail immersed undersea sea tube tunnel.

The project, which began construction in 2021, will surpass current records like the 6.7 kilometre immersed section of China’s Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge.

Meanwhile, the project’s innovative immersed design marks a new era in sustainable cross-border connectivity, with Femern commending it as a “safe, tested and efficient way of building an underwater tunnel”.

“The technology is Danish-developed and builds on experiences from, among others, the Øresund Tunnel,” the company said.

“The Fehmarnbelt tunnel will be just as safe as a corresponding section of motorway above ground. The tunnel is equipped with continuous hard shoulders and emergency exits along its entire length.”

The incredible tunnel is expected to be completed by 2029

The Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link is an immersed tunnel set to link the Danish island of Lolland with Germany’s Fehmarn island. This remarkable tunnel beneath the Baltic Sea, expected to become one of the world’s longest underwater structures, is due for completion by 2029.

Spanning 18 kilometres (11 miles), the Fehmarnbelt tunnel will drastically reduce journey times between Scandinavia and mainland Europe. Femern described the tunnel as “Denmark’s largest infrastructure project and the world’s longest immersed tunnel and rail link”.

The project carries an estimated price tag of DKK 55.1billion (£6.4billion), with the European Union providing approximately 1.3billion euros (£1.1billion) in funding.

Femern outlined that an immersed tunnel represents a “safe, tested and efficient way of building an underwater tunnel”.

“The technology is Danish-developed and builds on experiences from, among others, the Øresund Tunnel. Once completed, the tunnel will not pose any obstacle to vessel traffic in the Fehmarnbelt. Marine safety is also a top priority during the construction phase.

“The Fehmarnbelt tunnel will be just as safe as a corresponding section of motorway above ground. The tunnel is equipped with continuous hard shoulders and emergency exits along its entire length.”

The Institution of Civil Engineers highlighted that the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel will rest atop the seabed, marking it as “a remarkable engineering feat”. “Weighing in at 73,500 tonnes apiece, these colossal structures are a testament to modern engineering. Once a tunnel element is ready to be shipped, waterproof bulkheads (barriers) are installed at both ends, and the segment is carefully towed into position by tugboats.

“In total, 89 elements will be connected sequentially – much like assembling giant Lego pieces – to form the complete tunnel.”

A Stranger Things icon has announced their next big career move alongside Julianne Moore and a Disney princess.

A Stranger Things star has already moved on from the unforgettable Netflix sci-fi drama with a major project now in the works.

Stranger Things has officially come to an end and while fans did have some questions after the finale, Netflix subscribers couldn’t help but labelled it as the “best show ever”.

All of the characters upped their game ahead of the final battle against Vecna but someone who surprised fans with their newfound bravery was Karen Wheeler (played by Cara Buono).

Not only did Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Holly Wheeler’s (Nell Fisher) mum fight off a demogorgon with a wine bottle, she blew up three of the creatures in the hospital’s laundry room, saving some of the beloved gang.

Fans flocked to X, formerly Twitter, to hail Karen a “hero” and a “bada**”, with someone writing: “Wow. I feel like I need to write Karen Wheeler multiple apology letters. She achieved fully elevated GOAT status this season.”

Now Karen Wheeler star Cara Buono is working on a brand new project that’s worlds away from the dangers of the Upside Down.

Buono is set to play the leading role of Cassie in what’s currently being listed as “Untitled Musical Comedy Jesse Eisenberg”.

The official synopsis for the project, which is currently in post-production, reads: “A shy woman unexpectedly cast in a local musical production loses herself in the role under the spell of the strong-willed director, immersing herself in the high-stakes world of community theatre.”

But Buono is far from the only familiar face in the upcoming musical comedy as she heads up a star-studded cast.

Alongside the Karen Wheeler actress, the project will star Oscar-nominated actor Paul Giamatti, famed for The Holdovers, Billions and Black Mirror.

Another massive name in the cast is Hollywood legend Julianne Moore whose work includes Boogie Nights, The Hours and Still Alice which won her an Academy Award for Best Actress.

The Little Mermaid star Halle Bailey, who also features in Grown-Ish and The Colour Purple, joins them along with Better Call Saul icon Patrick Fabian.

The musical comedy has been created by none other than Jesse Eisenberg who rose to fame in The Social Network, but has since gone on to star in the Now You See Me franchise.

He also wrote and starred in the 2024 film A Real Pain which won Kieran Culkin the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

Stranger Things is available to watch on Netflix.

SEOUL, Jan. 5 (UPI) — Korea Land and Housing Corp. said the state-run company selected several private-sector enterprises as preferred bidders for a large-scale city development project in Vietnam.

Among them were the country’s leading contractors, Hyundai E&C and POSCO E&C, along with JR Asset Management. Public-sector involvement is also expected through the Korea Overseas Infrastructure and Urban Development Corp.

The Vietnamese government is seeking to attract investment to move forward with a multibillion-dollar project to construct a new city in the fast-growing Southeast Asian country.

The initiative is designed to transform a 2,000-acre site in Bac Ninh Province, about 12 miles northeast of Hanoi, into a self-sufficient urban center capable of accommodating more than 100,000 residents.

Midway through 2024, LH signed a memorandum of understanding with Bac Ninh Province to pursue the development. Last August, it asked the provincial government to issue an investment policy approval.

Once the approval is secured and related administrative procedures are completed, LH plans to establish a special purpose company with Vietnamese partners to implement the 50-year phased initiative, which is scheduled to conclude in 2076.

Early last year, LH estimated the project’s value at $4.1 billion, but the company noted that the figure would be subject to change depending on project scope and other factors.

The Seoul administration has expressed high hopes for the initiative. For example, President Lee Jae Myung cited it during a meeting with To Lam, general secretary of Vietnam’s Communist Party, in Seoul last August.

“We will provide full support to advance cooperation on the Bac Ninh new town development,” Lee said at the time.

FANS of Peter Andre have been sent into a tizzy after he began teasing an undisclosed new project online today.

The Mysterious Girl singer, 52, is loved for many things, from his warm smile, quips, and chart-topping tracks.

So him teasing an unknown project on his Instagram page today is bound to have had an effect.

Peter kept things simple, posting a plain cream background to his story, scrawled with the words “Something coming.”

Underneath in red lettering is the date for January 23, indicating that something special will be happening in a few weeks.

The date flits between flashing from red to white, drawing a viewer’s attention.

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The only other feature in the announcement is upbeat music playing in the background.

So could this mean that Peter is making a return to his music career?

Peter first launched into the music industry back in the mid-90s with major hits like Mysterious Girl, Flava, and I Feel You.

He rapidly gained popularity, becoming both a heartthrob and a leading artist.

After competing on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2004, his music entered prominence again.

It was around this time that Mysterious Girl was propelled to number 1 on the charts.

He released more successful albums off the back of the smash hit, including The Long Road Back with popular track Insania.

Though after the 2009 and 2010 album drops of Revelation and Accelerate, his career largely diversified into television.

Most notably, Peter starred in programmes alongside ex-wife Katie Price.

But he also worked on his own shows including Peter Andre: My Life.

Since his split from Katie, Peter’s been living a busy family life with wife Emily, who he married in 2015.

Together they share three children – Amelia (11), Theodore (8), and Arabella (1).

On his social media, Peter describes himself as many things including a “proud dad, award winning singer/songwriter, actor, producer and TV presenter.”

He also adds that he’s a “happy guy”, reflected by his beaming smile in many Insta snaps.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Trump has spent much of his two-week vacation in Florida golfing. But when he gets back to the White House, there’s a military golf course that he’s never played that he’s eyeing for a major construction project.

Long a favored getaway for presidents seeking a few hours’ solace from the stress of running the free world, the Courses at Andrews — inside the secure confines of Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, about 15 miles from the White House — are known as the “president’s golf course.” Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Joe Biden have spent time there, and Barack Obama played it more frequently than any president, roughly 110 times in eight years.

Trump has always preferred the golf courses his family owns — spending about one of every four days of his second term at one of them. But he’s now enlisted golf champion Jack Nicklaus as the architect to overhaul the Courses at Andrews.

“It’s amazing that an individual has time to take a couple hours away from the world crises. And they’re people like everybody else,” said Michael Thomas, the former general manager of the course, who has golfed with many of the presidents visiting Andrews over the years.

Andrews, better known as the home of Air Force One, has two 18-hole courses and a 9-hole one. Its facilities have undergone renovations in the past, including in 2018, when Congress approved funding to replace aging presidential aircraft and to build a new hangar and support facilities. That project was close enough to the courses that they had to be altered then, too.

Trump toured the base by helicopter before Thanksgiving with Nicklaus, who has designed top courses the world over. The president called Andrews “a great place, that’s been destroyed over the years, through lack of maintenance.”

Other golfers, though, describe Andrews’ grounds as in good shape, despite some dry patches. Online reviews praise the course’s mature trees, tricky roughs, and ponds and streams that serve as water hazards. The courses are mostly flat, but afford views of the surrounding base.

‘They all like to drive the cart’

The first president to golf at Andrews was Ford in 1974. Thomas began working there a couple years later, and was general manager from 1981 until he retired in 2019.

He said the Secret Service over the years used as many as 28 golf carts — as well as the president’s usual 30-car motorcade — to keep the perimeter secure.

“It’s a Cecil B. DeMille production every time,” said Thomas, who had the opportunity to play rounds with four different presidents, and with Biden when he was vice president.

He said the commanders in chief generally enjoyed their time out on the course in their own unique ways, but “they all like to drive the cart because they never get an opportunity to drive.”

“It’s like getting your driver’s license all over again,” Thomas laughed.

Trump golfs most weekends, and as of Friday, has spent an estimated 93 days of his second term doing so, according to an Associated Press analysis of his schedules.

That tally includes days when Trump was playing courses his family owns in Virginia, around 30 miles from the White House, and near his Florida estate Mar-a-Lago, where he’s spending the winter holidays. It also includes 10 days Trump spent staying at his golf club in Bedminster, N.J., where his schedule allowed time for rounds of golf.

Trump has visited Andrews in the past, but the White House and base have no record of him playing the courses.

Another of Trump’s construction projects

Andrews’ military history dates to the Civil War, when Union troops used a church near Camp Springs, Md., as sleeping quarters. Its golf course opened in 1960.

The White House said the renovation will be the most significant in the history of Andrews. The courses and clubhouse need improvements due to age and wear, it said, and there are discussions about including a multifunctional event center as part of the project.

“President Trump is a champion-level golfer with an extraordinary eye for detail and design,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle said in a statement. “His vision to renovate and beautify Joint Base Andrews’ golf courses will bring much-needed improvements that service members and their families will be able to enjoy for generations to come.”

Plans are in the very early stages, and the cost of — and funding for — the project haven’t been determined, the White House said. Trump has said only that it will require “very little money.”

The Andrews improvements join a bevy of Trump construction projects, including demolishing the White House’s East Wing for a sprawling ballroom now expected to cost $400 million, redoing the bathroom attached to the Lincoln bedroom and replacing the Rose Garden’s lawn with a Mar-a-Lago-like patio area.

Outside the White House, Trump has led building projects at the Kennedy Center and wants to erect a Paris-style arch near the Lincoln Memorial, and has said he wants to rebuild Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia.

On Wednesday, meanwhile, the Trump administration ended a lease agreement with a nonprofit for three public golf courses in Washington — which could allow the president to further shape golfing in the nation’s capital. The White House, however, said that move isn’t related to the plans for Andrews.

Presidential perks of golfing at Andrews

When the president is golfing, Andrews officials block off nine holes at a time so no one plays in front of him, allowing for extra security while also ensuring consistent speed-of-play, Thomas said.

That’s relatively easily done given that the courses aren’t open to the public. They’re usually reserved for active or retired members of the military and their families, as well as some Defense Department-linked federal employees.

Thomas remembers playing a round with the older President Bush, a World Golf Hall of Fame inductee known for fast play, while first lady Barbara Bush walked with Millie, the first couple’s English Springer Spaniel. George W. Bush also played fast, Thomas said, and got additional exercise by frequently riding his mountain bike before golfing.

When he wasn’t golfing at Andrews, Obama tried to recreate at least part of the experience back home. He had a White House golf simulator installed after then-first lady Michelle Obama asked Thomas how they might acquire a model that the president had seen advertised on the Golf Channel. Thomas gave her a contact at the network.

Obama famously cut short a round at Andrews after nine holes in 2011 to hustle back to the White House for what turned out to be a top-secret review of final preparations for a Navy SEAL raid on the compound of Osama bin Laden.

But, while Thomas was golfing with presidents, he said he never witnessed play interrupted by an important call or any major emergency that forced them off the course mid-hole. There also were never any rain-outs.

“If there was rain coming, they’d get the weather forecast before we would,” Thomas said. “They would cancel quick on that.”

Weissert writes for the Associated Press.

The Brenner Base Tunnel, which is currently under construction, will be the longest tunnel in the world when it opens in 2032 – and it will connect Austria and Italy.

The Brenner Base Tunnel is presently being built and will link Austria and Italy together. This remarkable tunnel, destined to become the world’s longest, is due to launch in 2032.

The rail tunnel will join Innsbruck in Austria with Franzensfeste/Fortezza in Italy, bridging two nations across different time zones. Building costs are projected at 8.54billion euros (£7.4billion).

The spectacular BBT will form a cutting-edge railway tunnel spanning 55km (34 miles) in total.

BBT explained: “In May 1994, a railway bypass was opened south of Innsbruck, known as the Inn valley tunnel. This 12.7 km tunnel links to the Brenner Base Tunnel.

“Passenger and freight trains along this stretch will therefore not only travel through the Brenner Base Tunnel, but for a few kilometres, through the Inn valley tunnel as well. This line, totalling 64 kilometres, will become the longest underground railway connection in the world.”

An unusual aspect of the Brenner Base Tunnel is the “exploratory tunnel running from one end to the other.”

“This tunnel lies between the two main tunnels and about 12m below them and with a diameter of 5m is noticeably smaller than the main tubes.

“The excavations currently underway on the exploratory tunnel should provide information on the rock mass and thereby reduce construction costs and times to a minimum.

“The exploratory tunnel will be essential for drainage when the BBT becomes operational.”

Other unique railway constructions include the world’s longest train journey, which links three countries and crosses eight time zones.

Almost two years after the death of Hairy Bikers’ Dave Myers, Si King’s new solo project will hit screens in the New Year as he explores another of his passions

The Hairy Bikers’ Si King is about to make his first big career move since the death of co-star Dave Myers.

Fans are set to see the TV star return to screens in a four-part railway adventure series Britain’s Favourite Railway Stations with Si King – and there’s not long to wait. The show, which will see the 58-year-old delve into the vast network of over 2,600 train stations across the UK, begins on January 8.

Since his co-star and best friend Dave’s death in 2024, Si has continued to honour his legacy, participating in a final Hairy Bikers program titled The Hairy Bikers: You’ll Never Walk Alone, which aired in December 2024. But now he has his own solo project.

In January, he joined ITV’s This Morning as a regular chef on their cooking segments. Now, almost two years after Dave’s death, the star will be fronting his own adventure series on Channel 4. He has his own show and fans can’t wait to see him help keep the timetables on track.

Produced by the Welsh company Yeti Television, a promo says viewers will see “Si King, Siddy Holloway and Damion Burrows explore the extraordinary spaces that take us beyond catching a train to the hidden worlds where heritage, technology and community converge.”

Clemency Green, Channel 4‘s senior commissioning editor for lifestyle, expressed excitement about the project: “As the rail network turns 200 years old, this series will spotlight the best of our country’s engineering history in a different way. We’re honoured Si will be presenting his first series for More4, and Yeti will no doubt deliver a captivating series that viewers will love to escape into.”

Si had a heartbreaking realisation almost two years after the death of his friend. The pair met in 1995 when they were both working on the set of The Gambling Man in 1995. They struck up a close friendship before making their name as television chefs thanks to their programmes that combined their love of food and motorcycles.

But tragedy struck in 2022 when Dave was diagnosed with cancer. He subsequently underwent chemotherapy but in February 2024, Dave died aged 66.

Speaking to The Times magazine earlier this month, Si admits he still misses his pal more than ever. He said: “When I was riding a bike the other day, I automatically looked behind me to see if Dave was there. I thought, ‘Where the bloody hell is he? Has he gone around that bend?’ Then I realised, ‘Oh no, of course he hasn’t.’”

Si admits he finds grief “very odd” and says he experienced a “huge mix of emotions” after losing Dave. He added: “It’s anger, frustration, sadness, disappointment. They come when you least expect them.”

Si, 59, describes the two as “great friends” and revealed he was “so close” to both his diagnosis and subsequent treatment. He believes the pair had a “fruitful and fulfilling time together” and prefers concentrating on highs of their friendship “rather than the loss”.

The TV presenter has also faced his own health battles during his life. In 2014 he suffered a brain aneurysm that he says left him needing to “lie down after making a cup of tea”.

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