reopen

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has told Al Jazeera that the Strait of Hormuz will “reopen one way or another” in the wake of the eventual end of the US-Israeli war with Iran.

The exclusive interview on Monday came as speculation has grown over a possible US troop deployment in Iran and as the effective closure of strait continues to roil global oil markets.

US boots on the ground would represent a new phase in the grinding conflict, which began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes, even as US President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that the US was pursuing diplomacy with Iran.

Rubio again maintained there were “ongoing direct talks between parties in Iran and the United States, primarily conducted through intermediaries”.

Iran has repeatedly denied that talks were ongoing. Pakistan on Sunday said it would host direct talks “in the coming days for a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the ongoing conflict”.

Rubio added that Trump “has always preferred diplomacy and seeks to reach a resolution – something that could have been achieved earlier”.

The Trump administration had previously pursued indirect talks with Iran to curtail its nuclear programme. One round of talks was derailed last year with Israel’s 12-day war against Iran, which ended with US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facility.

A second round of diplomacy was underway when the US and Israel began the latest war.

Rubio again indicated the administration’s preference for regime change in Iran, which the US and Israel have so far been unable to achieve despite several high-profile assassinations, including the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“We would welcome a scenario in which Iran is led by individuals with a different vision for the future, and if such an opportunity arises, we will seize it,” he said.

Nuclear and ballistic weapons

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Rubio further called on Iran to take “concrete steps” to end its nuclear programme and stop “manufacturing drones and missiles”.

He accused Iran of seeking nuclear weapons to “threaten and blackmail the world”, a claim Tehran has for years denied, maintaining its nuclear programme was only for civilian purposes.

On Monday, the Wall Street Journal reported Trump was considering a special forces operation to seize enriched uranium stored in Iran. Military experts have warned throughout the war that US and Israeli airstrikes alone would not be able to destroy Iran’s capabilities.

In a statement to Al Jazeera, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt did not deny the report, but said: “It’s the job of the Pentagon to make preparations in order to give the Commander-in-Chief maximum optionality. It does not mean the President has made a decision.”

Rubio said Iran “must also cease sponsoring terrorism and halt the production of weapons that threaten its neighbours,” he said. “The short-range missiles launched by Iran serve only one purpose: to attack Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain.”

Turning to the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively closed to open traffic, Rubio voiced optimism it would be reopened when the conflict ends.

“The Strait of Hormuz will reopen one way or another once our military operation in Iran is over,” Rubio said. “The strait will reopen either with Iran’s consent or through an international coalition including the US.”

He threatened “severe consequences” if Iran closes the strait after the fighting ends.

The US has previously sought to raise a coalition to protect ships in the Strait of Hormuz, but has faced wariness from many traditional allies concerned over tacit entry into the conflict.

‘Our objectives in Iran are clear’

Rubio’s statements on Monday broadly reflected a list of demands put forth by Washington to end the war.

Iran has rejected the proposal, with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian releasing its own list of demands, including “recognising Iran’s legitimate rights, payment of reparations, and firm int’l guarantees against future aggression”.

For his part, Trump told the Financial Times in an interview published on Sunday that he hopes to “take the oil in Iran” including by possibly seizing the key export hub of Kharg Island.

“Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t. We have a lot of options,” he added. “It would also mean we had to be there [on Kharg Island] for a while.”

The Trump administration has presented a carousel of objectives in the war, including degrading Iran’s military capability, preventing it from ever developing a nuclear weapon, and helping to foment regime change.

However, its endgame has remained unclear, with its final goals possibly diverging from Israel, which has pushed for more comprehensive regime change.

To date, at least 1,937 people have been killed in Iran since the war began, with at least 20 killed in Israel, 26 killed across the Gulf states and 13 US soldiers killed.

Rubio told Al Jazeera that the administration did not expect the war to drag on indefinitely.

“Our objectives in Iran are clear, and we will achieve them within weeks, not months,” he said.

SPLIT between heading to a seaside town or the Cotswolds over Easter? Well, what if you could head to the Cotswolds but still get time on the beach…

A beach isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of the Cotswolds, but near the village of Somerford Keynes you’ll find one, and you can head there from this week.

Cotswolds Country Park and Beach features the largest inland beach in the UK, as well as swimming lagoons.

This is despite the Cotswolds beach being more than 70 miles from the sea.

And the attraction reopens on March 27, including the Main Beach Swimming spot where visitors can have a paddle or sunbathe on the sand.

The beach also looks out across the lake, which means you can keep an eye on kids splashing in the water or watch people pedal on pedalo swans.

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In the peak season, you can expect there to be lifeguards as well.

Near the beach is a BBQ area, in case you fancy sizzling some sausages in the sun.

Dogs are welcome to join you when you visit the country park, but they are not allowed on the beach or in the water.

One recent visitor said: “We enjoyed playing on the beach, the water was lovely and clean and just a nice chilled vibe.”

Right by the beach, you can also grab some snacks too at the Beach Shack.

For warmer days and when you need to cool down, there is an ice cream hut as well.

But the country park doesn’t only boast a beach; families can also hire kayaks or stand-up paddleboards, costing £10 for a 30-minute session.

Alternatively, you could hop on a pedalo swan or rowing boat for the same price.

And one of the biggest attractions at the park is AquaAdventure, which is a giant inflatable water obstacle course.

Each session lasts around an hour and costs from £15 per person.

If you think the water is a little nippy or would rather stay firmly dry, there is a mini golf course as well, which costs £5 per play.

And children needing to burn some energy can have a go on the climbing wall for the same price, or head to the two playgrounds.

You will also need to pay to get into the park in the first place, which varies depending on the time of the year.

In May, you could enjoy the sun while mid-season prices are available, which costs £4.09 per person or £13.64 per car of up to five people, so about £2.73 each.

However, during the high season, it usually costs £5 per person, or £18.18 for a car of up to five people (so about £3.64 each)

In the surrounding area, there are a few places you can choose to stay at as well.

For example, you could head to Cotswold Lakes Camping at Field Farm, which is surrounded by lakes, wildlife and rolling hills.

The site boasts hardstanding pitches with electrical hook-ups, grass pitches, and open field grass pitches, as well as hot showers, indoor and outdoor kitchens, and is dog-friendly.

A standard grass pitch sleeping up to six people costs from £40 a night.

And if you want to explore the wider area, Cirencester is down the road.

The pretty market town sits on the River Churn, and it is the largest town in the Cotswolds.

If you are looking for more places to explore in the Cotswolds, head to the ‘Golden Triangle’, where you will find some of the UK’s prettiest towns.

Plus, the ‘Gateway to the Cotswolds’ that had the first English king, has been named one of the best places to live in the UK.

A HISTORIC Hampshire pier is set to reopen to the public for the first time since its closure in 2024 after undergoing months of work.

Hythe Pier will reopen on Thursday, April 2 following major electrical improvements and a subtle revamp.

Under the management of Hythe Pier Companies, it will cost visitors £1 to walk along the pier, but children under five will be allowed on for free.

A spokesperson for the Hythe Pier, Train and Ferry Group said: “Every £1 you spend goes back into the pier, supporting its future as we begin our transition into a charity.

“Come and walk the full length of the pier (700 yards / 640 meters) take in the views, and be part of this next chapter.”

The attraction is the UK’s seventh-longest pier but has been shut for more than a year and has kept essential ferry services closed, disrupting life for locals.

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A crucial stopping point for the Hythe Ferry, which ran regular services to Southampton before the closure, the pier has been essential to the community.

The pier is also home to a historic ferry train which having opened in 1922 makes it the world’s oldest, a feat recognised by Guinness World Records.

Although the reopening is good news for tourists, the essential ferry and train services that once connected the village to Southampton are not yet back on track.

Local councillor Malcolm Wade explained that the pontoon, owned by ferry operator Red Funnel, has been broken for almost two years, leaving commuters, football fans and day trippers cut off.

“We’re waiting for Red Funnel to decide what they’re going to do, because they’ve already written to us to say they’re not interested in running the ferry anymore and we want our ferry back”, he said.

Hythe Pier, Train and Ferry Group said: “We could see how incredibly important it was that we bring our much-loved pier back to the community.

“This is hopefully the first step towards restoring the service.”

March 15 (UPI) — Israel said it launched a wave of airstrikes on Iran on Sunday as Iran carried out its own attacks on U.S. military sites and against U.S. allies in the Gulf region at large.

The Israeli military said its airstrike hit the Hamedan area of western Iran, hitting multiple military headquarters, The Times of Israel reported. The Israeli military said it plans to expand its attacks on western and central Iran “with the aim of broadly and systematically damaging the regime’s command and control capabilities.”

Israeli officials, meanwhile, said at least five people in the country were injured Sunday by Iranian missiles. Iran’s state-run Mehr news agency reported that the Iranian military has pledged to “pursue and kill” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “with force.”

The United Arab Emirates said it has seen a drop in Iranian attacks within its borders. The defense ministry said it intercepted four ballistic missiles and six drones Sunday.

Since the start of the war, it has faced more than 1,900 attacks by Iran.

Bloomberg reported that a key oil port on the UAE’s east coast — Fujairah — was back in operation Sunday after it was targeted by an Iranian drone Saturday. The port is about 70 nautical miles away from the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran closed earlier in the month to put pressure on its enemies’ abilities to transport oil. About one-fifth of the world’s oil passes through the strait.

Fujairah is situated at one end of a pipeline that allows the UAE to bypass use of the Strait of Hormuz entirely. The site exported an average of more than 1.7 million barrels of crude and refined fuels per day in 2025, about 1.7% of the world’s demand, The Guardian reported.

Officials said they intercepted a drone attack near the site, causing a fire there briefly.

British Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said his country was examining ways to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and keep oil flowing. In an appearance on Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Miliband said Britain was in talks with allies.

“There’s different ways in which we can make maritime shipping possible. We are intensively looking with our allies at what can be done, because it’s so important that we get the strait reopened.”

TOPEKA, Kan. — A Kansas town known for its prisons is allowing a shuttered private prison to reopen and house immigrants detained for living in the U.S. illegally after a nearly yearlong legal fight amid a massive national push for new detention centers.

The City Commission in Leavenworth on Tuesday approved a permit to private prison operator CoreCivic. Members voted 4 to 1 to approve a three-year permit with conditions that set minimum staffing levels, ban the housing of minors and provide for a city oversight committee.

“If they don’t follow those guidelines, we can pull the permit,” Mayor Nancy Bauder said before the vote.

The 1,104-bed Midwest Regional Reception Center is 10 miles west of the Kansas City International Airport. CoreCivic, one of the nation’s largest private prison operators, said the center will generate $60 million annually once it’s fully open.

Leavenworth, Kan., sued CoreCivic after it tried to reopen the shuttered prison without city officials signing off on the deal.

The legal battle played out in state and federal courts, with the Department of Justice siding with CoreCivic in legal filings. The department argued that the city was engaged in an “aggressive and unlawful effort” to “interfere with federal immigration enforcement.”

It appears to be the only such legal battle nationally to delay a private prison from opening amid President Trump’s push for mass deportations. The city argued that requiring a permit would prevent future problems, while CoreCivic maintained that it didn’t need a permit and the process would take too long.

Leavenworth was an unlikely foe because the GOP-leaning city’s name alone evokes a shorthand for serving hard time. Prisons employ hundreds of workers locally at two military facilities, the nation’s first federal penitentiary, a Kansas correctional facility and a county jail, all within six miles of City Hall.

CoreCivic stopped housing pretrial detainees for the U.S. Marshals Service in its Leavenworth facility in 2021 after then-President Joe Biden called on the Justice Department to curb the use of private prisons. The American Civil Liberties Union and federal public defenders said inmates’ rights had been violated and there were stabbings, suicides and even one homicide.

The city’s lawsuit described detainees locked in showers as punishment and accused CoreCivic of impeding city police force investigations of sexual assaults and other violent crimes.

Almost four dozen people spoke in opposition to the permit before the commission’s vote. Bauder admonished the crowd several times for being too noisy, and police removed a protester who yelled vulgar comments.

“We, we the people of Leavenworth, are not fooled and we don’t care about their money,” David Benitez, a city resident, told the commission.

Some backers of the permit cited the potential boost to the local economy. Two CoreCivic employees argued for approval, and one of them, Charles Johnson, of Kansas City, Kan., said his job gave him purpose and allowed his family to get off of state assistance.

“The people I work alongside are caring, professional and committed to doing things the right way,” he said, his comments drawing boos from critics outside the commission’s meeting room.

City Commissioner Holly Pittman said because the city “stood firm,” it could negotiate conditions on the permit. She said denying it would risk a potentially expensive lawsuit.

“I will not gamble the financial stability of this city,” she said before voting yes. “Let me be clear: Approval does not mean endorsement.”

Hollingsworth and Hanna write for the Associated Press. Hollingsworth reported from Mission, Kan.

WORK is set to restart on a disused lido in Cumbria – two years after it was originally set to reopen.

The Grade-II listed lido in Grange-over-Sands has been closed since 1993, but could welcome back locals as soon as this summer.

The pool on the promenade in Grange-over-Sands first opened in 1932 and is the only surviving seaside lido in the north of England.

In 1993 the lido closed because of low usage and rising repair costs.

Work then began in 2023 with £6.8million worth of funding to restore the site with an initial opening timeframe of just 14 months.

The opening date was delayed but work continued – during this time there was an upgrade to the pavilion building and an accessible entrance from the promenade was created.

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The changing rooms have been upgraded, and work to the roof and terraces has been completed, so have security upgrades, cleaning, and decoration.

A new play area on-site has already been built and work to the diving board has been completed.

However, work was paused in May 2025 after problems with concrete at the site were discovered.

Now, it’s set to restart in April 2026, with Westmorland and Furness Council saying it hopes the site will be open at the end of this summer.

In its initial opening, it won’t be used as a lido.

There is a temporary infill of the pool and the site will be used as a public space before phase two of the restoration begins.

On the Save Grange Lido website, it explains: “There’s to be a 25m 6 lane pool with a depth of 1.35m which can be used for County Level competition and training, a smaller, shallower 13m pool (0.9m deep) and a paddling pool or splash pad.”

Locals have been vocal in wanting the outdoor lido to reopen for swimming.

In 2011, the lido was granted Grade-II listed status and in the same year, the Save Grange Lido group was formed.

18,000 people signed a petition calling on the council to include the reopening of the pool in any plans to restore the lido site.

Here’s another English seaside town’s beachfront lido that is set to reopen this summer despite fears of closure.

And this popular English seaside town reveals plans for huge £4.5million makeover.

A LIDO that was set to close for good has backtracked and confirmed that it will reopen for the 2026 summer season.

The outdoor pool in Teignmouth was marked for closure earlier this year, but the decision has since been overturned.

In February of this year, Teignbridge Council announced plans to close its beachfront lido in order to save money.

Officials said that not reopening Teignmouth Lido could save £74,000 in 2026.

Now, the decision has been reversed by the executive committee of Teignbridge Council.

The council announced the news on social media and said: “Our Executive Committee has today (Tuesday 10 March) voted to open Teignmouth Lido this summer.

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“Teignbridge District Council will operate the pool this summer and will work with community groups interested in taking on the Lido to ensure a safe handover.

“Councillors acknowledged the difficulties of balancing the books but agreed that opening the Lido would deliver value over price and enable the community to keep using the pool while Teignbridge works with groups to secure the asset’s long-term future.”

Since the news of the lido’s potential closure broke last month, the local community has been campaigning to reopen the lido.

Over 2,500 people having signed a petition to stop the lido’s closure, according to the Teignmouth Community Lido Trust.

After the executive committee meeting campaigner Catherine Brown said: “This is a brilliant outcome.

“It’s unbelievable that the council has gone from a unanimous decision to close it to a unanimous decision to keep it open!”

The 25-metre outdoor pool first opened in the 1970s and opens seasonally, usually having its debut in May half-term.

It has partial opening hours in June and July and then opens full time during the summer holidays.

The pool is heated and holds various swim sessions, from public to fun sessions, as well as activities like aqua fit and aqua circuits.

Four years ago, the pool underwent a refurbishment of £800,000 and then a further £30,000 was spent on repairs, according to Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The Teignmouth Community Lido Trust has expressed its hope to take over the lido site and keep it open for years to come.

Travel Reporter Cyann Fielding who grew up in the area is also a fan of the lido. She said: “Teignmouth Lido is more than just a gem on the South West coast; for me, it’s the backdrop of my childhood.

“For over a decade, my school summer holidays were defined by afternoons spent there with my family – so to hear that the lido could close is heartbreaking.

“With ample patio and sun-drenched patches of grass surrounding the 25-metre crystal clear pool, it was the rare kind of place where parents could relax while kids felt a bit of freedom.”

For more on swimming, here are all the lidos in the UK mapped – with water slides, cocktail bars and some are even FREE to enter.

Plus this new ‘floating park’ with sauna and lido is set to open in popular a London district as part of a huge £5billion upgrade.

PLANS have been revealed to turn an abandoned attraction into a new leisure spot in a popular seaside town.

The Kursaal in Southend-on-Sea has stood empty for six years and during that time has fallen into disrepair.

But now, the once thriving attraction that had a circus, arcades, a ballroom, a dining hall and even a zoo, will be transformed into a new leisure destination.

Though the details of what the attraction will be have not been announced yet, Daniel Cowan, Council leader at Southend-on-Sea City Council, said: “The Kursaal is woven into the story of Southend and for too long the Kursaal’s future has been uncertain.

“Today we can say it has a credible local operator, a leisure vision for the building and a clear path to reopening,” reports the BBC.

The Kursaal – which translates to ‘cure hall’ and usually refers to the main hall of a spa town – opened back in 1901 and hosted famous musicians such as Queen, Black Sabbath, Rod Stewart and AC/DC.

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Former attractions included bumper cars, a ski jump, a ghost train and a figure-of-eight rollercoaster.

Under the plans to reopen the historic venue that currently sits on the list of neglected sites, essential repairs will be carried out first.

Currently managed by the property group AEW, the Grade-II listed venue’s lease will be handed over to Star Amusements by the end of this summer.

Star Amusements already runs a number of attractions along the seafront, including an arcades venue close to Southend Pier.

Bayo Alaba, the Labour MP for Southend East and Rochford, said that the Kursaal is “a building of historical significance and architecture“.

He added: “Great-grandparents met in the ballroom, children have grown up laughing in its arcades and bowling alleys, and countless memories made here connect generations across our city.”

Nick Singer, the operations director at Star Amusements also shared that the new attraction would be “high quality” and that whilst there is a lot of work to do, they are “ready to move forward”.

When the venue opened over 100 years ago, it was one of the world’s first purpose-built amusement parks.

And to date, several distinctive features remain such as a dome which was even featured on a Royal Mail stamp in 2011.

Between 1919 and 1934, the Kursaal was also home to Southend United F.C.

Most of the building was then closed down in 1973, before it fully closed in 1986.

It reopened in 1998 but closed again in 2020, with just a small Tesco Express remaining open on the ground floor.

The Kursaal is about a two-minute walk from Southend-on-Sea’s Golden Mile beach and promenade, where you will find amusement arcades, cafes, and entertainment venues.

Taking to social media, many people have expressed their excitement about the news with one person commenting: “Please have ballroom facilities there to host dance competitions!”

Another added: “So glad that this iconic, Grade-II listed building has been saved.

“I was worried that it was going to be torn down and flats built there.

“They say, it is to be entertainment-themed, so lets hope it may be a multi use venue – concerts, exhibitions, even perhaps an ice or roller rink.”

A third person said: “Fantastic news!! Such a Southend icon!”

In other attraction news, here are 15 attractions in the UK that have £1 per person tickets from huge castles to kid-friendly museums.

Plus, London’s biggest rooftop attraction is set to open this summer with live DJs and food festivals.