tells

The free trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur countries should be implemented without delay, Paraguay’s President Santiago Peña told Euronews. He warned that stalling the agreement would be a “mistake” amid rising geopolitical tensions.

The free trade pact was signed last month by the EU and Mercosur members Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. However, its full ratification by the EU has been frozen after MEPs referred the agreement to the Court of Justice in Luxembourg.

“We already presented the agreement to the Congress of the Paraguayan Nation last week, and we understand that the European Union has the legal tools to implement it temporarily,” Peña said on Euronews’s flagship interview programme The Europe Conversation.

“We are working to make this happen, and we want Paraguay to be the first country to implement it.” The country currently holds the rotating pro tempore presidency of Mercosur.

Despite the judicial review, the European Commission has the prerogative to provisionally apply the deal once one or more Mercosur countries complete national ratification. While Germany, Spain, Portugal and the Nordics are pushing for the next phase, the Commission currently says no decision has yet been made.

‘Opposition rooted in ignorance’

The agreement would create a vast EU–Latin America free-trade zone, slashing tariffs on goods and services. But resistance in Europe remains fierce, with farmers and several capitals, led by Paris, warning of unfair competition from Mercosur imports.

Peña said that European opposition to the deal was rooted in “ignorance” and an outdated and stereotypical view of Latin America.

“Our countries have changed tremendously. They have developed. Human capital has grown,” Peña said. “Europe has to rediscover Latin America.”

In the interview, Peña warned that rejecting the deal would amount to a strategic blunder, as Europe can no longer rely on the United States as its default trade partner due to President Donald Trump’s unpredictable policies.

“If (MEPs) ultimately prefer not to integrate themselves into (new) markets and instead choose to retain their old alliances that today no longer work, it would certainly be a mistake,” he said.

Still, Peña credited Trump with giving the deal “the final push” after 25 years of talks.

“The world was in a state of drowsiness,” he said. “We weren’t moving, and he came along to move us all. He came to challenge what we thought was stable, and that pushed us to leave our comfort zone.”

According to Peña, one of the EU-Mercosur deal’s key advantages is its potential to counter China’s growing presence in the region and dominance of rare earth supplies.

“Europe is losing an enormous opportunity there, because if there is a region that can compete globally, it is Latin America. We have young talent, a predominantly young population, a population (of people who are) already digital natives,” he said.

“We have that tremendous abundance of natural resources, not only food that grows above the ground, but also minerals that are below the earth, which are so critical to this new technological wave. Our region has absolutely everything that Europe and the world need.”

Ryanair has told passengers to stop packing a popular toiletry in their hand luggage. If you make the mistake, it could cause a few problems at airport security

There’s nothing like jetting off to a hot location during the winter months, but you need to ensure you pack your belongings in the right cases. In fact, airline Ryanair has told passengers they need to avoid placing a popular toiletry in their hand luggage if they want to travel through airport security with ease.

It’s worth paying attention to as, if you fail to follow the expert advice, it could land you in a spot of bother. In fact, it was recently brought up on Reddit after a traveller was left a little confused about the rules as to what he could carry in his hand luggage.

This isn’t the first time vital air travel information has been brought to people’s attention either. Back in December, a travel expert also shared the airport rule that all passengers should follow.

On Reddit, a social media user posted: “I recently started using safety razors and I was wondering if I could carry mine with one blade inside or a packet of blades. I don’t have a checked bag, only the carry-on.

“Previously I was always able to bring disposable razors with the blades stored in the plastic compartment. In the General terms & Conditions, Ryanair says safety razors are allowed but, I asked the support and, even though he wasn’t anywhere specific to answer my query, he said that sharp objects are not allowed.

“So, if I bring the safety razor with me with a blade in it, the worst that can happen is they are just going to remove the razor and give me the head/handle (enclosure thing) back?”

The question got a lot of people talking, as one person replied: “Safety razor will be fine. Really comes more down to the airport you are going through, not the airline, and even then it also comes down to the individual person you deal with.”

Another added: “OP (original poster) is not asking about safety razors per se. He’s asking about the blades, which are definitely prohibited items. Someone intent on causing harm could quite easily unscrew the razor and use the blade or spare blades as weapons.”

A third also replied: “NO, you cannot. Razor blades, including straight razor blades and replacement blades, are prohibited items because they could be used as weapons.

“However, as you said, fixed cartridge razors (disposable razors) generally are allowed in carry-on luggage. Safety razors (with blades in a plastic head) also are usually permitted in carry-on luggage. But NOT the type where you can unscrew the head and extract the blade.”

If you usually carry razors with you when you travel, which a lot of people do, it turns out there are some rules you need to follow. All you need to know is detailed on the Ryanair website.

What does Ryanair say?

The website reads: “The following items must not be carried on board, but may be carried as part of your checked baggage. Objects with a sharp point or sharp edge capable of being used to cause serious injury, including razors and razor blades (except safety or disposable razors with enclosed blades and razor heads held in plastic compartments).”

It also detailed all the other items that are banned in carry-on luggage. While each airline may differ slightly when it comes to its regulations, generally there are some rules you should follow.

Even though all razors aren’t banned in carry-on luggage, certain types are prohibited. Some airlines allow disposable razors, cartridge razors and electric shavers/epilators to be carried in hand luggage.

However, traditional safety razors, straight razors and loose razor blades are usually not allowed in the cabin and must be packed in checked luggage. This is due to the fact that they are so sharp.

If deemed dangerous, security can confiscate them and the mistake could see you facing delays at the airport. In a nutshell, it’s a packing mistake that’s really not worth making.

Everyone told me how spectacular Las Vegas would be, with its mega resorts, huge entertainment venues and bustling casinos, but there was something no one warned me about

Mega resorts towered over me as I walked along the iconic Las Vegas Strip, the echo of country music seeping from a four-storey bar, colourful signs flashing in every direction and the Bellagio fountains taking centre stage every 15 minutes.

Inside the sprawling resorts, I was met with the vibrant, blinking slot machines, elaborate interior themes and celebrity restaurants, along with impressive nearby venues that make up ‘Entertainment Capital of the World’. This was everything I expected from the city of Nevada, and so much more.

With its bustling, energetic and chaotic atmosphere, it felt as though I had stepped into a parallel universe. After all, I was at the heart of America’s playground. Yet, amid all of the expected madness, there was something that completely took me by surprise during my first time in ‘Sin City’.

OPINION

Amy Jones

OPINION

Amy Jones

Las Vegas is situated in the Mojave Desert, the smallest and driest desert in North America. Beyond the glitz of the Strip, you can see the rugged mountains and sprawling golden desert that make up this striking landscape. But what I didn’t factor in was how dry the air would feel.

Of course, I knew deserts were dry, offering hot days and cold evenings, but it was nothing like I had experienced before, especially while walking around such a built-up city. It left me constantly thirsty, made my knuckles crack, and my lips were as dry as the Mojave Desert itself!

I needed to constantly carry a bottle of water around with me to quench my thirst at any given moment, moisturise my knuckles multiple times a day, and apply lip balm as if my life depended on it. I panicked when I accidentally left my lip balm in my hotel room one day, and saw my knuckles become redder and redder as the days went on.

It bewildered me how much it affected my skin and thirst. I could feel the dry air around me, even though it was only around 20C during the day, and I can only recall the air feeling fresh once during my five-day trip. Yet, it only added to the experience and reminded me that I really was in the heart of a desert.

While I was taken aback by the climate change, it appears that other travellers are familiar with the Las Vegas air. One shared on TripAdvisor: “I have a real problem with dry skin in Vegas and always take crack cream. Seems to help.”

Another advised: “HYDRATE – you cannot drink enough water. This is your best defence. (If you are enjoying those wonderful free cocktails while gambling, ask for a bottle of water with each drink.)

I had another encounter with the desert during a guided hiking tour through the Valley of Fire with Love Hikes, just a few hours’ drive away. Here, I was instantly amazed by the dramatic orange rock formations and miles of golden floor as I wandered through towering valleys.

Notably, the majestic desert in the state park has been used as a movie filming set, including for Transformers, Star Trek: Generations, The Professionals and Viva Las Vegas, which starred Elvis Presley. While it’s a far cry from the casinos, you can still find some glamour in the rugged terrain.

Yet, there was something else that surprised me during my trip, and that was how much smaller Las Vegas felt than I had expected, even while wandering around the iconic Strip. I thought it would feel like a gigantic city, but the span of the Strip, despite its enormous towering resorts and gigantic landmarks, was more compact than I had imagined.

There was so much to see and explore, but with its Strip measuring approximately 4.2 miles, you could easily walk its length, something I really didn’t think about until I saw it for myself. Although it would take around two hours to walk the extent of it, it felt like nothing compared to the streets of New York or London.

The population of Las Vegas was 641,903 at the 2020 census, but is thought to have increased since then. Meanwhile, the Las Vegas metropolitan area has an estimated 2.4 million residents across an estimated 7,891 square miles. This is in contrast to New York, which has an estimated population of 8,478,072, as of July 2024, spanning across a whopping 300.46 square miles.

However, while I think the Strip was more compact than I had expected, the city stretches far beyond the glitz with neighbourhoods scattered across the desert right to the edge of the mountain backdrop.

To book your trip, you can check out the Visit Las Vegas website or find direct flights with Virgin Atlantic.

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian emphasised that regional instability ‘benefits no one’ during the call.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has held a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after a United States aircraft carrier arrived in the region amid growing fears of a new conflict with Israel or the US.

The US has indicated in recent weeks that it is considering an attack against Iran in response to Tehran’s crackdown on protesters, which left thousands of people dead, and US President Donald Trump has sent the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier to the region.

Pezeshkian hit out at US “threats” in the call with the Saudi leader on Tuesday, saying they were “aimed at disrupting the security of the region and will achieve nothing other than instability”.

“The president pointed to recent pressures and hostilities against Iran, including economic pressure and external interference, stating that such actions had failed to undermine the resilience and awareness of the Iranian people,” according to a statement from Pezeshkian’s office on Tuesday.

The statement said that Prince Mohammed “welcomed the dialogue and reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s commitment to regional stability, security, and development”.

“He emphasised the importance of solidarity among Islamic countries and stated that Riyadh rejects any form of aggression or escalation against Iran,” it said, adding that he had expressed Riyadh’s readiness to establish “peace and security across the region”.

The call between the two leaders comes after Trump repeatedly threatened to attack Iran during a deadly crackdown on antigovernment protests this month. Last week, he dispatched an “armada” towards Iran but said he hoped he would not have to use it.

Amid growing fears of a new war, a commander from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Tuesday issued a warning to Iran’s neighbours.

“Neighbouring countries are our friends, but if their soil, sky, or waters are used against Iran, they will be considered hostile,” Mohammad Akbarzadeh, political deputy of the IRGC naval forces, was quoted as saying by the Fars news agency.

Israel carried out a wave of attacks on Iran last June, targeting several senior military officials and nuclear scientists, as well as nuclear facilities. The US then joined the 12-day war to bombard three nuclear sites in Iran.

The war came on the eve of a round of planned negotiations between the US and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear programme.

Since the conflict, Trump has reiterated demands that Iran dismantle its nuclear programme and halt uranium enrichment, but talks have not resumed.

On Monday, a US official said that Washington was “open for business” for  Iran.

“I think they know the terms,” the official told reporters when asked about talks with Iran. “They’re aware of the terms.”

Ali Vaez, director of the Iran Project at the International Crisis Group, told Al Jazeera that the odds of Iran surrendering to the US’s demands are “near zero”.

Iran’s leaders believe “compromise under pressure doesn’t alleviate it but rather invites more”, Vaez said.

But while the US builds up its presence in the region, Iran has warned that it would retaliate if an attack is launched.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson warned on Tuesday that the consequences of a strike on Iran could affect the region as a whole.

Esmaeil Baghaei told reporters, “Regional countries fully know that any security breach in the region will not affect Iran only. The lack of security is contagious.”

TWO years ago, Take That’s Howard Donald delivered 52 tapes to Netflix in an enormous Ikea bag.

He had spent the past 35 years quietly filming the band as they transformed from working-class lads into bona fide global stars.

“Are you sure it wasn’t a Prada bag?” Howard teases as I interview the group to celebrate the release of a three-part Netflix docuseries based on that footage.

Jokes aside, Howard, Gary Barlow, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams handed full editorial control to director David Soutar to tell their story with zero interference.

It was a bold move given the much-publicised trials and tribulations of one of Britain’s biggest bands, who have landed 12 No1 singles in their 35-year career.

The series features candid new interviews with current members Gary, 55, Howard, 57, and Mark, 54, alongside never-before-seen footage and photographs.

GARY’S LOW

Gary Barlow shares never seen before pics from bulimia battle after hitting 17st

BACK IN TOWN

Gary Barlow reveals secrets behind Take That’s new tour & Robbie’s new record

Robbie, 51, and Jason, 55, allowed archive chats with them to be used to narrate their part in the story.

In one emotionally-charged interview, Gary talks about his struggle with bulimia, which started following Take That’s split in 1996 and his rivalry with Robbie.

Taunts from Robbie are replayed during the documentary, with footage showing him saying: “My problem always was with Gary, I wanted to crush him. “I wanted to crush the memory of the band and I didn’t let go. Even when he was down I didn’t let go.”

Speaking at the premiere of the documentary at Battersea Power Station in South London on Monday night, Gary admits it was tough to watch.

‘Butt of the joke’’

He said: “It’s a narrative that I haven’t thought about for years and years. When we had our reunion we spent a lot of time talking about it and I remember leaving on one particular day and we’d discussed everything. And I remember leaving and my shoulders were light.

“And I’d not thought about it since because I’d not needed to. And it brought it all back. Tricky times they were.”

In the documentary, Gary shares previously unseen photographs of him as he struggled to find his purpose and says: “You’re the butt of the joke. It was so excruciating you just want to crawl into a hole.

“There was a period of 13 months where I didn’t leave the house once. I’d also started to put weight on.

“The more weight I put on the less people would recognise me and I thought, ‘This is good. This is what I have been waiting for. This is a normal life’.

“So I went on this mission then, if the food passed me I would just eat it. And I’d killed the pop star.

“I would have these nights and I would eat and eat and eat but however I felt about myself, I felt ten times worse the day after.”

At his heaviest, Gary, who has three children with his wife Dawn, weighed just over 17 stone.

He explained: “One day I thought, I have been out, it’s 10 o’clock, I have eaten too much, I need to get rid of this food.

It only took a few years to get that low, but it took me years to get back to who I wanted to be. Ten years probably.

Gary Barlow

“You just go off to a dark corner of the house and you make yourself sick. You think it’s only once and all of a sudden you’re walking down that corridor again and again.

“Is this it? Is this what I am going to be doing forever?”

By 2003, Gary turned his life around, and he said: “I just went, ‘No, I’m not having this any more, I’m going to change. I want to change and I’m determined that this is not who I’ve become’.

“It only took a few years to get that low, but it took me years to get back to who I wanted to be. Ten years probably.”

Discussing his recovery with The Sun in 2021, he explained: “I’ve been very strong-minded about how I live and what I eat.

“In general, I work on a 90/10 — 90 per cent sensible-choice food and ten per cent fun choices.

“Buy a nice little writing book, one you’ll feel good about holding and keeping on you at all times. Do a food diary every day, and look down and you’ll see what you’re doing wrong.

“A food diary will also show you what you’re missing in your diet. If you want to get serious and go to a dietician or to a friend and seek help, you can show them the diary.”

Howard is also painfully honest about how hard life was following the end of Take That.

In the documentary, Howard recalls returning home and says: “I felt like I was the only one who didn’t grow up, even though I was the eldest.

“I was a nobody in school, I didn’t go to university, I didn’t think I’d do anything but I felt like a superhero up on that stage.

“It was going towards a depressive state. I decided to go to the Thames.

“I was seriously thinking I was going to kill myself but I was too much of a s**tbag to do it.”

Speaking backstage at the premiere, Howard explains that the band did not want to hide the painful parts of their journey.

He said: “I think it is such a true documentary. You can easily do a documentary and take out all the bits that you feel uncomfortable with — and there are quite a lot of uncomfortable bits in there.

“But it’s true of the last 35 years of Take That. There is a lot of footage people have never seen. It’s good for people to see.”

Mark is also seen struggling to cope with life after the band, who landed their first Top Ten hit with a cover of Tavares’ It Only Takes A Minute in 1992.

He said backstage: “We were working hard, playing all these gigs and things got very hard — but then we got back together. Maybe miss out on the middle bit.”

‘I got a lot of stick’

Like Robbie and Gary, Mark attempted to launch a solo career, but was dropped by his label in 1997, a year after Take That split.

He added: “You start to feel very negative about yourself.”

Robbie and Jason’s clashes with the band’s former manager, Nigel Martin-Smith, are also discussed in the doc.

Robbie says: “Nigel as a manager, he never managed me, he managed Gary Barlow. I wanted him to love me but he never did.”

Jason adds: “When I was in Take That the first time around I was the dancer and I accepted that at the time.

“I don’t know if this is the time or place to say, I was told not to bother singing, ever.”

After the group came back as a four-piece without Robbie in 2005, they ceased working with Nigel and found new representation.

Of the change, Jason says: “Robbie and I got a lot of stick from Nigel. He made us all feel insecure.

“I could feel worthless in the band and I didn’t deserve to feel that. I didn’t want to feel that any more.

“We had chosen our own management, we had chosen our own people, we were in control.”

Director David admits there was some trepidation when it came to showing the three episodes for the first time.

In about 25 minutes we’d put things to bed that had haunted us for years.

Gary on Robbie feud

Speaking backstage alongside producer Gabe Turner, David said: “We talked long and hard about how to do it.

“There is some really hard stuff in there for them, it was a tricky thing for them to watch and it was nervy for us to watch it with them.

“They allowed us to push them to that place. We asked them to lay down their story and they allowed us to take them to that place.”

Gabe added: “Episode two is punchy. With a lot of documentaries you are building that relationship for the first time, you’re working on the fly, but these guys know us and know what we want to do.

“I felt really positive about how little they wanted to see it. They handed us the keys and said, ‘Do you thing’.”

As well as the tough times, Take That fans get a front seat to the inner workings of the group’s comeback with Robbie in 2011.

‘Haunted us for years’

Opening up about healing their old wounds, Robbie says: “I needed Gary to listen to my truth.”

Gary continues: “There were things around people not being supportive of his songwriting and his weight. I’d called him Blobby rather than Robbie one day, which I shouldn’t have done.

“Then I hit him with things he had done to me that I didn’t like

“In about 25 minutes we’d put things to bed that had haunted us for years.”

As well as hearing original demos on the series, fans also get treated to a new single, You’re A Superstar, at the end of the third episode.

The track, taken from their tenth album, is expected to be released later this year.

We’ve got the first steps, we’ve got the Netflix documentary, then we’ve got the Circus tour, then there will be new music.

Gary

Backstage at the screening in London, Howard said the trio have spent months working on the material, adding: “It’s going really well.

“We’ve all been writing separately, writing together and I think we’ve got a really good choice of really good songs.

“We are really proud of them and we just can’t wait for people to hear them.

“We’ve got the first steps, we’ve got the Netflix documentary, then we’ve got the Circus tour, then there will be new music.”

Mark continued: “The tenth album feels quite special. I am really excited about what I am hearing.

“It’s given us a boost, the songs that are coming through and the fact it’s our tenth record, it’s like ‘Go on guys!’.”

Ahead of their 17-date Circus Tour, which kicks off at St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton on May 29, fans will be wondering now if history will repeat itself — and Robbie will rejoin again.

And Gary for one is hopeful, saying yesterday: “At some point it’s going to happen.

“And that’s one of the wonderful things about our band — you never know what’s around the corner.”

• Netflix’s Take That is available to stream now.

Former European Central Bank president Mario Draghi will attend an informal meeting of European Union leaders at the invitation of European Council President António Costa, who is looking to accelerate the implementation of his competitiveness report.

The retreat will take place on 12 February and will focus on boosting the European economy. Former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta will also participate in the gathering.

Draghi and Letta penned two influential reports on the EU single market and competitiveness in 2024.

In an interview with Euronews from New Delhi, where the EU signed a major trade deal with India, Costa said the retreat will serve to kickstart a cross-institutional debate on how to strengthen the European economy and implement their reform agenda.

“I invited Mario Draghi and Enrico Letta to join us as we take stock of what we’ve done but also look at what we need to deliver,” Costa said.

“We need to create renewed momentum and give a new impetus” to their call for reforms.

“I expect leaders to give clear political guidance to the Commission and the Council as they did last year on defence and security,” he added. “This time, for the single market.”

Costa has held a series of informal meetings bringing together the 27 leaders to brainstorm without the formalities of a European summit, which usually sees a stricter agenda and looks for compromise to deliver unanimous conclusions.

The retreat format, he argues, allows for more open discussions. Last year, leaders met alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to discuss European security and defence. By inviting Draghi and Letta, Costa hopes to reinstate momentum around their recommendations published in 2024.

Last year, the European Commission’s efforts focused on reducing red tape and cutting bureaucracy pegged to excessive EU regulation. While pushing for simplification of existing rules, analysts suggest the executive is not doing enough to push forward actual reforms in line with the recommendations of the two reports.

A report by the European Policy Innovation Council published in September last year suggested that only 11% of the recommendations listed in the Draghi report had been implemented in its first year even as the Commission referred to it as its economic compass.

Draghi’s attendance could serve to sharpen minds as the former ECB president is highly influential in diplomatic circles, the European capitals and the EU institutions where his speeches are closely monitored.

Draghi has repeatedly called for the bloc to work as a true union and called for a “pragmatic federalist” approach in a changing world.

Draghi has also expressed support for joint borrowing by EU member states to finance large projects of common interest such as security and defense, and called for the integration of the European capital markets to attract and scale up investments.

Watch the full interview with Council President António Costa on The Europe Conversation on Euronews on 28 January.

Ryanair has told all passengers to stop putting a popular item in their hand luggage from January. It turns out, it should never be stored there and could cause problems at security

With the UK being so wet and dreary at this time of year, it’s no wonder people dream of escaping to other parts of the world, but there are some things you need to know if you’re preparing to hop on a plane. When it comes to packing, there are some important rules you need to follow to ensure your airport experience goes smoothly.

According to Ryanair, certain items should never be packed in your hand luggage, and one of them is super popular at this time of year. From January, you may want to think a little more about how you’re preparing to travel.

The thought of jetting off abroad may be lovely, but air travel comes with its stresses. There are some key guidelines you need to follow when it comes to your hand luggage.

Previously, the topic came up on Reddit when a social media user asked: “Looking for a trekking pole to buy. Which kind of pole (collapsible/telescopic) would be better so that it could be brought as a carry-on bag on Ryanair/Iberia?”

It got a lot of people talking, and they were quick to point out an essential piece of information, and it’s worth noting if you’re planning on going skiing any time soon. One person replied: “I don’t think it really matters what airline you fly. You have to get past security with them, and they are usually not allowed.”

Another wrote: “You will always be taking a risk unless you put them in a checked bag.” A third also replied: “Trekking poles are not allowed in your carry-on. This rule is not always enforced, but that is the rule.

“One time I flew to a location with my poles in my carry-on, but they wouldn’t let me on the flight to come back with those same poles in my carry-on (same airline).”

However, according to Ryanair, this isn’t the only thing you need to be aware of. If you’re going skiing any time from January, you need to stop packing poles in your carry-on luggage too.

What does Ryanair say?

According to the airline, various items are prohibited in carry-on luggage, and all of these are detailed on the website. However, when it comes to poles, it offers specific advice.

It reads: “The following items must not be carried on board, but may be carried as part of your checked baggage. Objects with a sharp point or sharp edge capable of being used to cause serious injury.”

Ski poles and hiking poles feature in the list, so it’s important you don’t take them in your hand luggage. Generally, they need to be checked in, as they are deemed too sharp to carry through airport security.

Due to their length and sharp tips, they are considered potential weapons. While some travellers may find success with collapsible poles tucked away, security agents typically require them to be checked.

Though some airline guidelines may differ, the safest option is to put them in your checked luggage. This will help avoid any problems or delays at airport security.

If you opt to try and take them through, you risk having to surrender them at airport security. It’s a gamble that’s really not worth taking when you travel.