special

SWIFTIES assemble! Your favourite superstar Taylor could be in line to make a very special surprise appearance at next week’s Brit Awards.

Right now, there is a bit of a blank space when it comes to the exact details of her possible attendance at the celebrations.

In fact, no one seems to know what will happen on the night.

I can exclusively reveal, though, that Tay, along with an enormous entourage of more than 20 people, secretly landed in the UK this week.

I’m told they’re going to be visiting Manchester next week — the location for this year’s Brits.

Their schedule then sees them leaving the UK a week on Monday — just a couple of days after the ceremony.

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My music industry mole said: “Taylor is hiding out in London at the moment and is scheduled to visit Manchester, which seems like she could be lined up for a surprise appearance at the Brit Awards.

“Taylor was handed the Global Icon Award at the ceremony back in 2021 and has a huge amount of respect for the Brits. She loves it.

“Brits bosses are trying to keep everything under lock and key, but it feels too much like a coincidence that Taylor is secretly in the UK at the exact time of the Brits.

“The fact her team are all heading home the Monday after the ceremony is fishy. Manchester is an amazing city, but Taylor wouldn’t just be coming to look at the cathedral and the Etihad, would she?”

As lovely as those landmarks are, I doubt it.

If Tay is at the city’s Co-op Live arena on February 28, I think it could be the greatest coup for the Brits. She always delivers a show, on and off the stage.

In 2015, when I was working for Heat magazine, I exclusively revealed that Taylor had hooked up with Calvin Harris at an after-party, with the pair dating for a year.

And in 2021, when she received the Global Icon Award while we were mired in Covid restrictions, she had a very safe knees-up with pals including Haim and Olivia Rodrigo.

This time around, I know Manchester is ready for one massive party and having Taylor front and centre would be phenomenal.

And given her ex Harry Styles is also on the bill, I think it could be a very exciting night.

…AND SHE’S No1 AGAIN

TAYLOR has been named the biggest-selling artist globally of 2025 – the fourth year in a row that she’s topped the list.

The singer, who also took the title in 2014, 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024, triumphed thanks to the release of her 12th album, The Life Of A Showgirl, in October.

She is just ahead of K-pop group Stray Kids, who have become megastars around the world, despite not having chart success in the UK.

The list has been compiled by the International Federation Of The Phonographic Industry, which compiles streaming, downloads and physical formats in every country for its global artist chart.

The biggest gainer was Super Bowl headliner Bad Bunny, who hopped up from No20 in 2024 to No5, while country star Morgan Wallen rose from No13 to No7.

And there was good news for Lady Gaga.

She has re-entered the list at No10 for the first time since 2020, following the release of her album Mayhem.

JADE HAS A LITTLE HELPER IN GROOT

JADE THIRLWALL got comfort from a surprising source after stepping away from her musical roots when Little Mix went on hiatus in 2021.

She admitted walking around with a teddy version of Groot – the tree-like character from Guardians Of The Galaxy – on her shoulder as she pined for her girlband pals.

On new podcast By The Way  . . . With Harriet Rose, out today, Jade said: “Little Mix, that was my life. I’m very career driven and poured everything into Little Mix.

“So when that kind of stopped, that was a massive shock to the system. I had a little bit of a mini menty-b [mental breakdown].

“I had a little teddy of Groot and started wearing it on my shoulder all the time. It was really weird.

“After Little Mix, I went on holiday with my friends and they were like, ‘Why do you keep wearing Groot on your shoulder?’. I think I was replacing the girls with Groot.

“My friends were like, ‘I think it’s time to stop wearing Groot’.”

MILEY CYRUS will take part in a special for Disney+ to mark the 20th anniversary of her breakout show Hannah Montana.

In the one-off, which is to be screened on March 24, she will be interviewed by podcaster Alex Cooper in front of a live studio audience to look back at the series.

Miley said: “This ‘Hannahversary’ is my way of celebrating and thanking the fans who’ve stood by me for 20 years.”

YELL OF A LOOK, PRIYANKA

PRIYANKA CHOPRA spread some joy in this bright yellow outfit ahead of the premiere for her new movie The Bluff.

She wore the thigh-high dress at a photocall before changing into a leather look for the Los Angeles launch of the action thriller on Tuesday night.

The actress was supported on the red carpet by her husband Nick Jonas, who she grabbed by the cheeks while leaning in for a kiss, inset.

Nick released his fifth solo album Sunday Best earlier this month, but it failed to crack the charts.

Here’s hoping her movie fares better.

SHAUN BLASTS TRUMP

US President Donald Trump winds up many people – and Shaun Ryder is no exception.

The Happy Mondays frontman has channelled that into music and written his angriest ever song about Donald, who he branded “orange, fat and bloated”.

In an exclusive chat about their new album, Shaun told me: “Trump keeps popping up.

“There’s plenty on that f***ing orange, motherf***ing waste of space.

“Although I’ve not been mentioning his name, some songs are definitely influenced by that w***er. I f***ing hate him.

“He’s just a p**ck. You might as well have me and Bez up there saying s**t. We have probably got more of a clue than he has.

“I just can’t stand the f***ing man. You can see how it’s affecting me lyrically. I wrote one song that goes, ‘You orange, fat, bloated ****! You f***ing lying, f***ing delusional t**t!’ How’s that for a chorus?”

Brilliant, Shaun.

He also takes a pop at Nigel Farage on the record and said: “Reform, f*** me.

“Every time it gets a bit tough and people haven’t got jobs, it’s ‘blame f***ing immigrants, blame this’,’ it never changes. “That’s the f***ing world, the world is on a loop.

“We never seem to learn f*** all about wars or anything.”

RITA’S TIPS TO BRUSH OFF TROLLS

RITA ORA has advice for ignoring online trolls who target her and other celebs.

The Anywhere singer recites mantras to get into a good headspace.

Rita has teamed up with tech company Meta for a video series on Instagram in a bid to help others.

She said: “You can’t be afraid of something you can’t control.

“You can’t control it, stop thinking about it. These are the mantras I say to myself every day in the mirror.”

Rita added: “Comments can cut. Every tiny thing gets magnified and everyone can see through the walls.

“Someone in the public eye may have more people looking at them but the walls are just as fragile. The doubts are really what helps me make great songs though.”

Personally, I just like to laugh at the trolls, who are always sad, decrepit nobodies, who should get off the internet and find a job.

ACTOR Daniel Radcliffe does not want the cast of the new Harry Potter HBO TV show to be compared to those in the original movies.

He was boy wizard Harry on film, but that role is now Dominic McLaughlin’s.

Daniel said: “Just let them get on with it, it’s going to be a new, different thing.

“I’m sure Dominic is going to be better than me.”

ROB HITS WIG TIME

ROBERT PATTINSON is unrecognisable in this blond wig as he sits on the floor holding a ciggie.

The actor posed for Interview magazine, in which he and his The Drama co-star Zendaya interviewed each other.

Even she was puzzled about the snaps, saying: “The theme was, I don’t know.”

Rob revealed he doesn’t feel welcome in Hollywood, admitting: “I’m never really allowed in. I’m always knocking at the door, like, ‘Hey, guys. Where the party at?’

“And everyone just gets younger and younger.”

Anyone who thought Cruz Beckham was just another nepo-baby musician should think again — that boy is seriously good on a guitar.

He made his live radio debut on Chris Evans’s TFI Unplugged on Virgin Radio UK with his band The Breakers and proved his mettle.

Their new track, For Your Love, is packed with promise — gentle and lilting before it ramps up to an Indie-anthemic chorus.

The video is also out now and features a special appearance from Victoria’s dad, Tony Adams.

Cruz said: “Tony is my grandad, he is an amazing human. He was in a band when he was younger. I love talking to him about music and playing songs.

“Once I found out he was part of a band I got a lot more into it. I found out about The Beatles because of him.”

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It’s clear the Fab Four are a big influence for Cruz, along with a smudge of Oasis and a large splattering of The Stone Roses — his dad David’s favourite band.

Chatting after their performance, Cruz said: “I’ve always wanted to be in a band. Growing up, listening to so much band music, it was always important to me.

“When I was in the studio, there was always something missing. I always wanted stuff around me.

“We met through my girlfriend [Jackie Apostel] who is a songwriter. I went to see one of their gigs and the sparks flew from there.”

The group have already put out tracks including Optics and Lick The Toad, but like Cruz, For Your Love is my favourite by far. Cruz added: “Optics wasn’t my favourite song.

“I wanted to put For Your Love out first. I just think it was a different way into it.”

Cruz and The Breakers have just finished their debut run of shows with Welsh indie group, The Royston Club, and are now preparing to head out on their first solo tour — with almost all of the 14 dates nearly sold out.

“The Royston boys hadn’t heard anything that we were playing,” Cruz explained.

“They didn’t know if we could play a tune to be honest and they just accepted us and it was nuts. It was a whole new thing for me, I’d never really gigged in front of people. But every night it got easier and a lot less stressful.”

Opening up about their influences, Cruz, alongside his bandmates Dan Ewins, Telmo Seixas and Dario Scotti, all cited rock bands — including Machine Head, Rage Against The Machine and Born Of Osiris — as their first shows.

Cruz was more true to form though, joking with Chris: “Other than Spice Girls age two?

“My dad took me to a Stone Roses gig at Old Trafford.”

Chris then revealed David had been listening from home and told Cruz: “Now you’ve mentioned your mum and dad.

“We played Stone Roses at 6:45am and your dad texted me and said: ‘You can’t get enough Stone Roses.’”

True that, David.

I think there’s an exciting future ahead for Cruz and co, so take a look at their performance on Virgin Radio UK’s YouTube channel to see them singing live for yourself.

Millie looks ace

It’s game, set and matching outfit for Millie Bobby Brown as she poses on a tennis court to model her latest fashion range.

The Brit actress was promoting her clobber for fashion brand Florence By Mills, while taking a break after a mammoth tour for the final series of cult Netflix show Stranger Things.

The tennis ball in an ice-cream cone was certainly a stranger thing – but she serves up a good look.

Scott backing UK Eurovision hope

The UK’s Eurovision entry has finally been chosen and Scott Mills has high hopes.

The Radio 2 DJ, who goes to the contest every year, has revealed the BBC are playing him the chosen song next week ahead of a grand announcement later this month.

And he insists we have a good chance, despite mixed results recently, as the standard of our tunes has improved.

Asked in an exclusive chat if he has heard it, Scott said: “No, but I know they’re going to play it to me next week. But I’m really in the dark about it this year.

“I don’t feel embarrassed by any of the artists or songs that we have sent recently.

“I’m not gonna say when, but I’ve worked on Eurovision so long that when they would play me the song I’d be like ‘OK, right then, I’ve got to sell this now….’

“It was quite a while ago now. And that doesn’t really happen any more.

“But I say that now…”

Yesterday Scott was named in Attitude 101, empowered by Bentley, in it’s annual list of 100 LGBTQ+ trailblazers.

Scott, who attended the glitzy lunch with his husband Sam, explained: “I’ve never had a gay honour.

“This magazine is iconic, and also, I have mad imposter syndrome so I’m like, ‘Why am I on this list?!’”

But he is thrilled that homophobia, for him, is in the past.

He said: “When we did Race Across The World, I thought that there might be, like, ‘Oh, God, a gay couple,’ because that’s kind of where I’m from, and that’s what I’m used to.

“And I think it’s all in our heads. That’s what really made me go, ‘Oh, OK, there has been a shift here.’”

And although they aren’t considering it now, having a child isn’t off the table.

He added of becoming a dad: “It’s a huge thing. I would like to, but my schedule is so unpredictable and ridiculous still.

“I thought by this time in my career, things would have kind of calmed down a bit, but it’s got busier than ever.”

Tate’s Can do attitude

Tate McRae’s fans are still right behind her, it seems, despite the singer causing a storm after backing Team USA in the Winter Olympics rather than her native Canada.

Die-hards mobbed her as she enjoyed a night out in Paris with mates.

But Tate, who looked chic in a black leather jacket and miniskirt, happily signed autographs and posed for selfies.

It’s the first time she has been seen out since she made a very Gen Z apology for getting behind the Yanks.

She shared a sweet picture of herself as a child, waving a Canadian flag, and wrote: “Y’all know I’m Canada down.”

I’m sure the cash Tate got for this gig more than made up for the criticism.

Tom’s on hand for proposal

My favourite pop star Tom Grennan helped pull off a heart-melting proposal on Capital Breakfast yesterday.

Show hosts Jordan North, Chris Stark and Sian Welby have spent the past fortnight dropping hints about their “secret fiance” (Darren Spencer) during their shows but his girlfriend, Sophie Black, who listened every day on her commute was none the wiser.

Sophie believed she was a competition winner who had bagged a night’s stay at the Jumeirah Hotel in London.

But at breakfast a flash mob of choir singers got up and started performing, Tom popped out to sing his hit, Little Bit Of Love, and Darren got down on one knee.

Sophie, who said yes, said: “Never in a million years did I think he could pull off something like that.”

Katherine Ryan looked as smooth as the cartoon characters at London’s new Pixar attraction.

She showed off the results of her facelift as she cradled daughter Fenna at the launch of the Mundo Pixar Experience in Wembley on Thursday.

Mermaid is little bit naughty

The tale of the Little Mermaid is tipped on its head in a new musical – telling the story from the villain’s perspective.

Camp and hilarious show Unfortunate: The Untold Story Of Ursula The Sea Witch is packed with naughty gags and belting songs, and sees Sam Buttery play the deliciously wicked protagonist.

It launched at London’s Other Palace theatre . . .  although drag queen Tiara Skye caused quite a stir in the audience.

The TikTok star, who it seemed had enjoyed a few drinks, repeatedly heckled the actors and left some of them clearly miffed.

It’s fair to say that Doctor Who’s Yasmin Finney, who was unfortunately sat next to Tiara, looked absolutely mortified by the crazy outbursts.

Taylor Swift scores her sixth No1 single with Opalite, after originally peaking at No2 last year. Olivia Dean, right, stays top of the album charts, ahead of Bad Bunny, whose Super Bowl show has propelled Debí Tirar Más Fotos up to No2 and his single DtMF is at No4.

Single

1. Opalite – Taylor Swift
2. Raindance – Dave & Tems
3. Where Is My Husband! – Raye
4. DtMF – Bad Bunny
5. Rein Me In – Sam Fender & Olivia Dean
6. So Easy (To Fall In Love) – Olivia Dean
7. Lush Life – Zara Larsson
8. Man I Need – Olivia Dean
9. I Just Might – Bruno Mars
10. Stateside – Pink Pantheress with Zara Larsson

Albums

1. The Art Of Loving – Olivia Dean
2. Debí Tirar Más Fotos – Bad Bunny
3. The Fall-Off – J Cole
4. 50 Years: Don’t Stop – Fleetwood Mac
5. The Highlights – The Weeknd
6. Piss In The Wind – Joji
7. Man’s Best Friend – Sabrina Carpenter
8. The Essential – Michael Jackson
9. You’ll Be Alright Kid (Chapter 1) – Alex Warren
10. +–=÷×– (Tour Collection – Ed Sheeran

Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa were left on the bench – just a few months after Howe spent £124m on the forwards.

That told its own story as the visitors lined up without a recognised striker for the second away league game in a row.

Anthony Gordon was instead tasked with leading the line on the road again after Howe took heart from the opening half an hour of his side’s 4-1 defeat against Liverpool.

Gordon put Newcastle in front at Anfield that night, but it was still a bold call.

However, Gordon, Elanga and Harvey Barnes aggressively led the press out of possession as they hunted down Spurs’ defenders and broke forward quickly with the ball.

There were still occasions where Newcastle were crying out for a poacher in the box to get on the end of a number of teasing crosses from Elanga.

However, the speed of Newcastle‘s front line caused Spurs problems and Gordon’s dancing feet set up Ramsey’s winner.

Remarkably, it was just travel-sick Newcastle‘s third away league victory of the season.

Newcastle have too often been soft, throwing away more points (19) than any other side in the division.

But this was an evening where they “really did inspire each other” following a difficult few days.

“If anything they used it in a positive way and reinforced relationships,” Howe added.

“It made us all look inward and look at what we’re doing and how we can do it better.”

Available for 29 days

Mark Chapman is joined by T20 World Cup winner Tymal Mills, former England spinner Phil Tufnell and Chief Cricket Reporter Stephan Shemilt to discuss the opening few days of the World Cup.

The big news today is that Pakistan will play India in the Group match on Sunday after Pakistan’s government lifted their boycott with Bangladesh’s blessing. Wisden editor Lawrence Booth joins the panel to talk about the internal politics of world cricket.

England are off to a winning start, just, so what did we learn about Harry Brook’s captaincy? 

And are the smaller nations catching the established powers in international cricket?

You can hear ball-by-ball commentary of every match of the T20 World Cup on BBC Sounds

Programme WebsiteShow less

HE has more than two decades of hits under his belt and worked with everyone from Amy Winehouse and Dua Lipa to Adele and Miley Cyrus.

Now I can exclusively reveal Mark Ronson will get his flowers at the Brit Awards later this month, as he will receive the Outstanding Contribution to Music award.

And, in even more good news for viewers, Mark will also take to the stage for a performance at the ceremony, being held at ­Manchester’s Co-op Live arena on February 28.

The superstar DJ, producer and songwriter said: “This is the most meaningful honour of my career.

“I think of the times I’ve watched artists I revere accept this same award.

“The idea that I’m now standing in that ­lineage feels impossible.

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“I left England as a kid, but this country runs through everything I’ve made.

“The UK artists I’ve worked with — their brilliance and refusal to compromise — shaped not just my work but how I understand what music should do.

“And more than anything, it’s the crowds here who’ve ­sustained and showed up for me.

“The fans, the festival crowds, the record buyers and streamers — the love has always been overwhelming. I’m beyond grateful for all of it.”

The gong is richly deserved for Mark, who has helped guide some of my favourite artists to superstardom.

It is a poignant year to receive the award, as it marks 20 years since Mark produced Amy’s Back To Black album, which is widely considered one of the greatest records of all time.

Details about his performance are being kept under lock and key, but I imagine he will be treating us to a medley of his hits including the Bruno Mars classic Uptown Funk and Miley Cyrus’ Nothing Breaks Like A Heart.

He joins a stellar list of performers, with Harry Styles, Olivia Dean and Wolf Alice already announced. In receiving the gong, Mark is following in the footsteps of other British favourites including Sir Paul McCartney, Robbie Williams and Blur.

Jack Whitehall is returning to host the biggest night in UK music for the sixth time.

And I am expecting my story about Maura Higgins’ kiss with married McFly singer Danny Jones at last year’s Universal Music after-party to feature heavily in his jokes.

Bring it on.

Nicole strikes a blue note

NICOLE SCHERZINGER looked belting in blue after performing at a charity concert.

She wore this stunning gown to the Love Life: West End Unites Against Cancer event at London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane just as I revealed her ex Lewis Hamilton, who she dated from 2007 to 2015, is secretly seeing Kim Kardashian.

Nicole is now engaged to former rugby union player Thom Evans – but I won’t be surprised if this gives her a nudge to get on with her wedding planning.

Ben and Benson’s goalden gags

BEN STILLER and Benson Boone play brothers who can’t stop fighting in a new ad.

In the guise of an Eighties Europop duo, the pair argue after comedian Ben tries and fails to copy Benson’s famous backflips.

Then they lock horns over the Super Bowl, with Ben confusing American football with soccer.

He says: “We are excited to sing for you in this football game. Hopefully many, many goals.”

Singer Benson corrects him: “This is a different football – they touch down,” prompting yet more bickering.

Their double act is for online grocery service Instacart’s ad, which will air during the US sporting event on Sunday.

I feel like they need a whole film together.

Kooks show on Sail soon

THE KOOKS will play a huge show at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, South East London, on July 31 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their incredible album Inside In/Inside Out.

It comes as Luke Pritchard releases a live version of his brilliant 2014 tune See Me Now, which he wrote for his musician dad Bob, who died when he was three.

The new version was recorded at London’s O2 Arena last year, with Luke, telling me: “I didn’t think I would be able to finish the song.

“I just thought how much that this would blow my dad’s mind – that I played the song to that many people in London, you know.”

Bob, who once supported The Rolling Stones on tour, helped Luke first pick up a mic, with the star explaining: “My mum dropped off a load of tapes of me and my dad that I’d never seen.

“He was teaching me to use a microphone, play guitar, pose like a rock star, all when I was three.”

Tickets for the show go on sale at noon on Monday.

I’ll see you there.

Molotovs’ No1 battle

THE MOLOTOVS have thrown down the gauntlet to Lily Allen as they battle her for the No1 album spot this Friday, warning: “We’re coming for you.”

Punk rock siblings Matt and Issey Cartlidge, who make up one of the most exciting and disruptive new bands I’ve seen in years, are at No2 in the midweek charts with their debut record Wasted On Youth.

Meanwhile, Lily has shot up to the No1 spot with West End Girl, after she released physical copies of the record for the first time.

The race is tight, and in an exclusive chat, Matt told me: “Watch out silly Lily, we’re coming for you.

“We’d love to beat you. We wish you all the best but f***ing, come on! We’ll have you!”

Issey adds: “Battling with Lily Allen proves bands are coming back. People still have an appetite for our music.”

Lily, right, is more than happy to hand over the mantle and, on Monday night, issued a public statement to the siblings, writing on Instagram: “It’s all love baby, I hope you win the war.”

Matt and Issey have worked tirelessly to get their album heard and have played 600 live shows to date, while simultaneously championing grassroots venues.

Their campaigning, alongside the Sex Pistols and Frank Carter, helped save the iconic Bush Hall in West London, after a fundraising drive brought in £45,000.

Issey adds: “We’re now ambassadors for the Music Venue Trust too. The 30-date tour we’re on now has been in small, grassroots venues – we wanted to champion them.

“These venues and institutions are so important.”

The pair will support their pal Yungblud on his UK arena tour in April, before they embark on their own 13-date tour across the UK in September, taking in venues including London’s 2,300-capacity O2 Forum Kentish Town.

Matt said: “It’s a big step up. We’ve always had the same level of confidence, we’re just getting bigger.”

The Molotovs deserve a No1 for Wasted On Youth – it is fantastic.

CAUGHT LIVE

Suede @ Leas Cliff Hall, Folkestone

★★★★☆

SUEDE kicked off their sold-out UK tour in blistering form over the weekend, promoting latest album Antidepressants which topped The Sun’s album poll in December.

Brett Anderson teased us fans by inviting us into their world, before warning: “It’s not very nice and full of barbed wire.”

But in reality, the set is packed with new tunes and a sprinkling of classics from the Nineties, with Brett’s voice stronger than ever as he treats us to an off-mic a capella tear jerker among the thundering hits.

With 14 of the 21 songs coming from their post- 2010 comeback albums, it’s proof that being the self-dubbed “anti-nostalgia band” is a pretty perfect world after all.

THIS Sunday Bad Bunny will take to the stage for what I ­imagine will be an epic Super Bowl half-time show.

But before that, rapper Lil Wayne will also have his own half-time show . . . virtually, at least. The five-time Grammy winner is set to perform his 2008 hit A Milli on mobile game Clash Royale on Friday.

Lil Wayne said: “Music, sports, and gaming all in one place – y’all know how much I love being at the centre of the culture. I’m turning the Clash Royale Arena into the most lit concert of the week.

“Tap in on February 6 to see what we got in store for y’all.”

CHAPPELL ROAN has defended the “nipple ring” Thierry Mugler dress she wore to the Grammys on Sunday, insisting she had no idea it would cause controversy.

Sharing images on Instagram of the frock, which had fabric hanging from prosthetic pierced nipples, the singer wrote: “Giggling because I don’t even think this is THAT outrageous of an outfit.

“The look is actually so awesome and weird. I recommend just exercising your free will – it’s really fun and silly.”

I am pleased to see Chappell can laugh about it.

Every red carpet could do with a bit more silliness in these troubled times.

“In 2008, my wife, my then-7-year-year-old daughter and I were going to take Amtrak from Los Angeles to Chicago, but the Amtrak booking agent screwed the reservations up so badly that we instead decided to take a train from Montreal to Vancouver.

There was some poignancy to this, as my grandmother was a picture bride from Greece. She had grown up on a small Dodecanese island and crossed the Atlantic in the 1920s. For the last leg of her journey, she took a train from Montreal to meet my grandfather (for the first time) in Vancouver. They met on a Saturday and married on a Monday in a Russian Orthodox Church. Experiencing the same journey that my grandmother had taken seemed like a good vacation hook.

Montreal was our point of departure, an enchanting city with fantastic food and charming denizens. After a few days we headed out to Toronto on a commuter-style train. It was perfectly adequate, but not particularly enchanting, and certainly not what my grandmother would have traveled on.

In Toronto, my daughter and I had afternoon tea at the Fairmont Royal York across from the train station, where we embarked on a more picturesque excursion.

We had a triple compartment. It was located in a stainless-steel streamlined car that was built in the 1950s, spot on for our little family of Midcentury Modern enthusiasts. We saw the train snake through Ontario forests, felt it rumble along Canada’s midwestern plains and then head up through the spectacular Canadian Rockies. There were plenty of bear, elk and other wildlife sightings along the way. We ate surprisingly good food like trout and pork chops for dinner. At night we watched train movies like “Murder on the Orient Express.”

We got off in Jasper, the Yellowstone of Canada, filled with glaciers, craggy mountains, waterfalls, rivers and spectacular vistas. We took bike and horseback rides. When I admonished my 7 year-old for complaining too much during a particularly wonderful excursion, she retorted, “Daddy, complaining is my passion!”

After a few days we got back on the train and headed to Vancouver. This was another scenic parade of mountains, rivers and forests.

In Stanley Park I pondered my grandmother’s voyage. Our trip was one of leisure. Hers was a life decision to escape the bleak prospects of an island girl.”

— George Skarpelos, Los Angeles

HOUSTON — Democrat Christian Menefee won a Texas U.S. House seat in a Saturday special election that will further narrow Republicans’ slim majority.

Menefee, the Harris County attorney, prevailed in a runoff against fellow Democrat Amanda Edwards, a former Houston City Council member. He will replace the late Rep. Sylvester Turner, a former Houston mayor, who died in March 2025.

The seat representing the heavily Democratic Houston-based district has been vacant for nearly a year.

Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott didn’t schedule the first round of voting until November. Menefee and Edwards were the top vote-getters in a 16-candidate, all-parties primary. They advanced to a runoff because no candidate won a majority of the vote.

Abbott argued that Houston officials needed the six months between Turner’s death and the first round of voting to prepare for the special election, but Democrats criticized the long wait as a move designed to give the GOP a slightly bigger cushion in the House for difficult votes. The 18th District is safely Democratic with minority residents making up most of the voters.

Menefee, 37, was endorsed by several prominent Texas Democrats including former presidential candidate and congressman Beto O’Rourke and Rep. Jasmine Crockett. He was joined Saturday by Crockett, who is running for the U.S. Senate.

“I”m looking to bring a fight to Washington, D.C., and I need your help to do it,” he said as he stood beside Crockett in a social media video.

Menefee ousted an incumbent in 2020 to become Harris County’s first Black county attorney, representing it in civil cases, and he has joined legal challenges of President Trump’s executive orders on immigration.

Edwards served four years on the Houston City Council starting in 2016. She ran for U.S. Senate in 2020 but finished fifth in a 12-person primary. She unsuccessfully challenged U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee in the 2024 primary, and when Lee died that July, local Democrats narrowly nominated Turner over Edwards as Lee’s replacement.

Menefee finished ahead of Edwards in the primary, but Edwards picked up the endorsement of the third-place finisher, state Rep. Jolanda Jones, who said Edwards had skills “best suited to go against Trump.”

After Saturday, yet another election lies ahead in little over a month. Menefee and Edwards are on the ballot again on March 3, when they will face Democratic Rep. Al Green in another election — this one a Democratic primary in a newly drawn 18th Congressional District, for the full term that starts in 2027.

GOP lawmakers who control Texas state government drew a new map last summer for this year’s midterms, pushed by Trump to create five more winnable seats for Republicans to help preserve their majority.

Winter weather added to voters’ confusion, forcing local officials to cancel two days of advance voting this week, prompting civil rights group to go to court to win a two-day extension, into Thursday.

Hanna writes for the Associated Press.

This charming Yorkshire village is home to less than 300 people and is well-equipped for walkers with protected meadows that bloom from May to June

One corner of the sweeping Yorkshire Dales hills beside a pristine village transforms into a spectacular burst of colour annually – and visitors can stroll straight through the flower-filled meadow down towards the River Swale.

The Muker region offers stunning walks and ideal locations for pub grub, with one trail leading directly across the upland hay meadows via a public footpath.

This tiny unspoilt village, home to fewer than 300 residents, caters perfectly for ramblers and visitors alike. Swaledale Woollens stocks exquisitely handcrafted knitwear created from local wool, whilst The Farmers Arms serves up a cracking lunch and boasts an impressive 4.4-star Trip Advisor rating.

There’s also an abundance of bed and breakfasts plus a village shop stocking everything required for a day’s hiking.

The meadows surrounding Muker are distinctive as they’re among Britain’s scarce protected grasslands under the Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and the Northern Pennine Dales Meadows Special Area of Conservation (SAC), according to Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust, reports Yorkshire Live.

The Hiking Photographer noted: “The fields around Muker in the Yorkshire Dales are a special place to visit in the months of mid-May until end of June when the stunning wildflower meadows in the fields to the north of Muker are in full bloom.”

The safeguarded meadows boast an abundance of varied blooms, encompassing Wood Crane’s-bill, Melancholy Thistle, Yellow Rattle, Pignut, Lady’s Mantles, Rough Hawkbit, Cat’s-ear and Sweet Vernal Grass amongst others.

His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales designated four of Muker’s meadows as Coronation Meadows in 2013.

Muker’s meadows have been hailed as “jewels in the crown” – locations where visitors can revel in the spectacular display of colour and wealth of wildlife.

Remarkably, these plots also serve to provide fresh seeds for reviving deteriorating meadows in the surrounding vicinity.

The Hiking Photographer went on: “Each field has it’s own special mix of Wildflowers and it’s one of the best places to see upland wildflower meadows from a footpath in the Yorkshire Dales. It really is an amazing sight to see.”

A stone-flagged pathway guides ramblers directly to the meadow – from which point you can extend your trek through Swaledale and meander down to the waterway itself, which cascades over the copper-hued stones.

The optimal period for visiting the meadows falls in June – when the wildflowers reach their peak flowering. Come mid-July, weather permitting, the meadows are then harvested for hay – ensuring the fields’ preservation for the following year.

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Sean McVay did not waste any time attempting to address the Rams’ problematic special teams going into next season.

The Rams hired Raymond “Bubba” Ventrone as their special teams coordinator, a person with knowledge of the situation said Thursday. The person requested anonymity because the hiring has not been announced.

Ventrone, a former NFL player, was the Cleveland Browns special teams coordinator the last three seasons. He also has been a coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts, and coached for the New England Patriots.

Special teams were a weakness for a Rams team that finished 12-5 and advanced to the NFC championship game before losing to the Seattle Seahawks.

Kicking game miscues cost the Rams in several early-season losses, leading them to sign kicker Harrison Mevis to replace Joshua Karty and veteran snapper Jake McQuaide to replace Alex Ward. McVay fired coordinator Chase Blackburn in December, the day after Seattle’s Rashid Shaheed returned a punt for a touchdown in a Week 16 overtime defeat at Seattle.

Ben Kotwica served as interim special teams coordinator the rest of the season.

The Rams had a punt blocked in a wild-card victory at Carolina.

In the NFC championship game, returner Xavier Smith muffed a punt that was recovered by the Seahawks, who scored on the next play.

Although the two dominant political parties–Republican and Democratic–get most of the attention and their candidates win most offices, there are four other ballot-qualified parties in California: American Independent, Green, Libertarian, and Peace and Freedom. Buoyed by a surge in voter disaffection and disgust with the political status quo, the minor parties are fielding candidates in a number of major California races. Yet victory is likely to remain elusive: The combined voter registration of the four parties totals only 450,000. Most often, these parties enter races not so much to win as to force the discussion of certain issues that they feel might otherwise be ignored. Here is a look at the parties and the issues they stand for. All but the Green Party have entered candidates in the U.S. Senate races, and those candidates are also listed here. Candidates in other races are listed on Pages 6, 7 and 8.

AMERICAN INDEPENDENT:

Origins: Supporters of former Alabama Gov. George C. Wallace’s 1968 presidential bid formed this party. Today, it disavows the racism once associated with Wallace but promotes fiscal conservatism and a generally right-wing agenda. The party is loosely Loosely affiliated with the U.S. Taxpayers Party elsewhere in the nation. But it is not related, as some mistakenly believe, to businessman Ross Perot’s independent presidential candidacy.

Membership: 217,197 registered voters (1.54% of state’s total registration).

Issues: The party wants to reduce government spending across the board, including cuts in the military budget. It would terminate all foreign aid. American Independent candidates want to eliminate the federal income tax and the Internal Revenue Service. They would repeal many environmental and other government regulations and impose term limits for elected officials. They advocate removing the federal role in schools. They favor the death penalty and would outlaw abortion.

U.S. Senate candidates: Marketing consultant Paul Meeuwenberg for the two-year seat, Castroville businessman Jerome McCready for the six-year seat.

GREEN:

Origins: The newest of California’s alternative parties, the Greens were certified as an official party in January after a registration drive that targeted environmental rallies, anti-Gulf War marches and rock ‘n’ roll concerts. Members include environmentalists, feminists and peace activists, among others. Despite the party’s fledgling status, members have already won about a dozen nonpartisan local offices across the state. Sixteen Greens are running for seats in the Congress and the Legislature this fall , most of them in Southern California. Most members live in the San Francisco Bay Area The party is patterned after the European Green parties but there are no financial ties.

Membership: 95,116 registered voters (0.67% of total).

Issues: The Greens favor strong environmental protection, or “ecological wisdom.” The party would like to see deep defense cuts, with the “peace dividend” going to education and other domestic programs. The party favors abortion rights, nonviolence and community-based economics. It also advocates vegetarian meals in schools and jails.

U.S. Senate candidates: None.

PEACE AND FREEDOM:

Origins: The party grew out of the anti-war movement of the 1960s, first qualifying for the ballot in California in 1968. Party membership began to wane after the Vietnam War but it is making a small comeback as the party broadens its platform to include a variety of liberal and socialist issues. Still largely a California party.

Membership: 68,182 registered voters (0.48% of total).

Issues: The party promotes multiracial harmony and the righting of racial inequities as a prerequisite for bringing the national economy back to life. It advocates huge cuts in defense spending and the conversion of the nation’s defense industry to civilian business. The party also favors redistribution of the wealth, achieved through taxing the rich and raising the minimum wage.

U.S. Senate candidates: Gerald Horne, professor of history and chairman of the black studies department at UC Santa Barbara, running for the two-year seat. Genevieve Torres, a cancer researcher, is listed on the ballot as the party’s candidate for the six-year seat, but because of internal disputes, many in the party have distanced themselves from her campaign.

LIBERTARIAN:

Origins: On the ballot in all 50 states, the Libertarian Party was founded in 1971 in Colorado. It promotes a synthesis of social Darwinism, individualism and laissez-faire economics. The party is fielding 100 candidates in congressional and local races in California.

Membership: 66,994 registered voters (0.47% of total).

Issues: The Libertarian Party stands for a hands-off style of government and the defense of personal liberties. Libertarian candidates believe in putting a cap on federal spending, reducing defense spending and eliminating foreign aid. They would phase out federal subsidies to businesses and to state and local governments. They support a voucher system in schools and would eliminate the Department of Education, the Environmental Protection Agency and most government offices. Because they believe in limited government, Libertarian candidates advocate legalization of drugs, prostitution and gambling.

U.S. Senate candidates: Self-described entrepreneur and motivational speaker Richard Boddie for the two-year seat; computer programmer June Genis for the six-year term.

A striking airport following a major revamp with an art gallery has been named as the world’s most beautiful, but some travellers have hit back, condemning it as ‘nothing special’

Many of us see airports as a functional form of transport, rather than an architectural phenomenon or iconic landmark. Yet there’s one airport that’s been deemed the most beautiful in the world – although not all travellers are impressed.

Each year, the Prix Versailles architectural competition is held across eight categories with 24 prizes awarded, including one to honour the world’s most beautiful airport. For the second year in a row, San Francisco International Airport (SFO), with its Harvey Milk Terminal 1, was crowned as the winner.

Following a multi-billion-dollar revamp, Harvey Milk Terminal 1, which opened in June 2024, was praised for its eco-friendly design and cutting-edge features, cultural importance, traveller experience and striking architecture. Natural light seeps through the terminal, which boasts a preaeful ambience away from the rush of travel, even replacing overhead announcements with quieter features, along with gender-neutral bathrooms.

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It stands as the globe’s first airport terminal named after an LGBTQ+ pioneer. It also features a museum gallery and an exhibition honouring Harvey Milk, an American politician who became the first openly gay man elected to public office in California.

Elsewhere in the terminal, travellers can find a mezzanine-level security checkpoint, four new concessions, and a connecting walkway that links all terminals beyond security. Remarkably, the terminal managed to slash its carbon footprint by 79 per cent and cut energy consumption by 59 per cent.

San Francisco International Airport has four terminals and welcomes more than 50 million passengers each year. Following the reward, Airport Director Mike Nakornkhet shared: “We are truly honoured to be named the top airport in the world by Prix Versailles.

“Harvey Milk Terminal 1 was designed to establish a new benchmark for an extraordinary airport experience, bringing to life our mission to put people and planet first. Being the first airport terminal in the world named for an LGBTQ+ leader only enhances the significance of this recognition, and my thanks go out to the entire project team for this milestone achievement.”

Despite its noble achievements and worldwide recognition, some travellers aren’t impressed. Following the news of being the world’s most beautiful airport, one flyer shared on Reddit: “I don’t get it. It’s nice and modern. Don’t really know what’s beautiful about it.”

Another responded to its grand title, commenting, “I fully disagree.” A third also penned: “I have a hard time seeing it. The Harvey Milk upgrade is nice and all, but the curb appeal is meh. Inside, it kind of relies on having a couple of areas that make the terminal feel spacious, that open area by the water bottle fillers and extends out to the museum.”

They continued: “Otherwise, it’s fine and all, but it’s nothing special. All the restaurants and the like with their kind of fake outdoor patios and the like are something that exists everywhere else. It’s just look at me, I’m modern and have big atriums.”

However, one voiced: “The ‘quiet airport’ concept cannot be understated. I was recently in an airport that had broadcast announcements for every gate throughout the entire airport. It’s a cacophony, and with so many announcements I really don’t care about it’s hard to hear ones that affect me. With smartphones and text notifications, there really doesn’t need to be these broadcast announcements (except in an emergency, of course).”

While another simply said: “SFO is great, totally agree.”

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