The hall in Halifax has been a stunning events venue since 1779 and remains the only 18th-century northern cloth hall of its kind, now hosting music concerts, independent shops and restaurants
It has stood the test of time since the 1700s(Image: PhotoEye.co.uk)
Nestled in the centre of Halifax in West Yorkshire sits an architectural gem that now serves as a premier events destination for the region.
Since 1779, The Piece Hall has been an integral part of the town, functioning as an expansive open-air courtyard that’s currently encircled by a vibrant town centre brimming with shops, bars and restaurants.
Originally designed to accommodate large exhibitions, this magnificent space has evolved into a breathtaking venue hosting an extensive array of events.
One recent visitor shared on TripAdvisor: “Great trip, lovely environment and good shops! The Piece hall is an absolutely brilliant tourist attraction and has done wonders for Halifax!”.
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History
The Piece Hall ceremoniously welcomed its first visitors on New Year’s Day in 1779, operating as a public marketplace for trading woven cloth and fabric.
The construction costs totalled just over £9,000 at the time, equivalent to approximately half a million pounds in today’s money.
It represented a masterpiece of architectural undertaking for its era and stands as the sole surviving example of 18th-century northern cloth halls.
This landmark building held a pivotal position in the textiles industry, contributing significantly not only to Yorkshire’s economy but to the nation’s prosperity for generations.
The opening is believed to have featured an elaborate grand ceremony, complete with a musical procession and spectacular fireworks display. Trading commenced the very next day, with business conducted every Saturday for merely two hours weekly.
Events
The Piece Hall has established itself as a vibrant entertainment destination, serving as Yorkshire’s premier venue for live music, theatrical productions and cultural exhibitions.
Its stunning and spacious courtyard provides an ideal setting for broadcast productions, including hosting the BBC’s beloved Antiques Roadshow.
The venue has welcomed circus acts, dramatic performances and musical concerts, whilst also functioning as an open-air cinema location. Most music events operate on a standing basis to maximise the area’s capacity, with minimal seating available.
The Piece Hall’s forthcoming calendar features Madness performing across two consecutive evenings from June 11, alongside a Paul Weller performance during that same week.
Renowned British acts including the Kooks and McFly are scheduled to perform at the historic location later this year.
One guest urged visitors to “not miss this Yorkshire jewel”, describing it as a “total delight” that’s “soaked in historic interest”, whilst praising the on-site retail offerings as making it “so worth a visit”.
Refurbishment
After a comprehensive refurbishment programme costing approximately £19 million, the Piece Hall celebrated its spectacular reopening during summer 2017.
To facilitate such substantial renovations, the location remained shuttered for three and a half years, commencing in January 2014.
The restoration works included re-levelling the central courtyard, transforming it into a vast 66,000-square-foot piazza capable of hosting events for up to 7,500 people.
Additionally, the project saw the careful restoration of the original stonework, preserving its historical integrity.
However, the most significant aspect of the restoration was the creation of spaces within the arcades to accommodate independent shops, cafés and bars.
The site also gained a new extension on its eastern side, which now contains a learning centre where visitors can discover the heritage of the location and its role in Yorkshire’s industrial development.
Shops
Behind the stone walls of the Piece Hall sits an array of independent retailers offering everything from handicrafts to books, clothing, homeware and beyond. Among its most popular shops are Loafers, a local record shop, The Book Corner, Antiques by Rachel and Waterfall Games store.
Following a day of browsing, one visitor claimed: “Amazing architecture, historically fascinating lots of small shops, bars and restaurants. The town is small but has enough charm to keep you entertained. The local indoor market has great food and atmospheric designs. Definitely worth a visit!”.
TRIPADVISOR has revealed its top beaches from all over the world – and two ‘unique’ ones in the UK have been praised.
Their latest Best Beach ranking looked at millions of Tripadvisor reviews, trips and opinions to find the most-loved coastal spots.
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The top One of a Kind beach according to Tripadvisor is Boulders Beach in South AfricaCredit: SuppliedAnother is this beautiful beach called Isola Bella in SicilyCredit: Lost Shore Surf ResortBamburgh Beach in the UK came in third placeCredit: Alamy
And their ‘One of a Kind’ beach rankings saw Bamburgh Beach in Northumberland come in third space – the only UK beach to make the top 10.
The coastal spot in the north of the country is known for its sweeping sands and of course, Bamburgh Castle which sits high up on the headland.
Bamburgh is no stranger to awards having picked up UK’s number one seaside town on more than one occasion.
He said: “Visitors can take a dip in the fresh North Sea if they’re feeling bold, however I decided to simply dig my toes into the soft sand and take in the sights of Bamburgh Castle, which stands imposingly atop a hill behind the beach, creating a real life work of art.
“The huge fortress, recognisable from TV series The Last Kingdom and the most recent Indiana Jones film, The Dial of Destiny, dates back 1,400 years and even features in ballads written as long ago as 1270.
“It’s impossible to not be impressed by its towering presence which provides a unique backdrop to the beach and encapsulates a lot about what makes the north east a spectacular holiday destination.”
Further down the list of ‘One of a Kind’ beaches is another one in the UK – Sandown on the Isle of Wight, just making the top 20.
It’s known for its five miles of coastline, huge pier with amusement arcades and is a popular spot for fossil hunting.
The no.1 ‘One of a Kind’ beach went to Boulders Beach in South Africa, the home of endangered land-based colony of African Penguins.
Visitors won’t be able to sunbathe here, but instead they can watch the thousands of penguins from the boardwalk above.
In second place is Isola Bella in Sicily which is also known as the ‘Pearl of the Ionian Sea’.
Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan took the 4th spot, followed by Brazil‘s Lençóis Maranhenses.
This is followed by Anakena Beach on Chile‘s Easter Island, followed by Wai’anapanapa State Park in Hawaii (7th) and Hopewell Rocks in Canada (8th) which has the world’s highest tides up to 52 feet tall.
Sleeping Bear Dunes overlooking Lake Michigan has huge sandy banksCredit: AlamyLençóis Maranhenses in Brazil is described as a ‘desert oasis’ with lagoonsCredit: Alamy
Tripadvisor’s World’s Best Beaches…
These are the best beaches in the world according to Tripadvisor…
Isla Pasion – Cozumel, Mexico
Elafonissi Beach – Crete, Greece
Balos Lagoon – Kissamos, Greece
Eagle Beach – Eagle Beach, Aruba
Praia da Falésia – Algarve, Portugal
Banana Beach – Ko He, Thailand
La Jolla Cove – California, USA
La Pelosa Beach – Sardinia, Italy
Manly Beach – Sydney, Australia
Boulders Beach Penguin Colony – Simon’s Town, South Africa
Falassarna Beach – Falassarna, Greece
Platja De Muro – Platja De Muro, Spain
Tobacco Bay Beach – St. George, Bermuda
Paleokastritsa Beach – Paleokastritsa, Greece
Kite Beach – Dubai, UAE
Kelingking Beach – Nusa Penida, Indonesia
Clearwater Beach – Clearwater, USA
Spiaggia dei Conigli – Lampedusa, Italy
Bondi Beach – Sydney, Australia
Playa de Maspalomas – Maspalomas, Spain
Poipu Beach Park – Poipu, USA
Plage de Palombaggia – Porto-Vecchio, France
Ipanema Beach – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Spiaggia La Cinta – San Teodoro, Italy
Sandown on the Isle of Wight also made it onto Tripadvisor’s list of One of a KindCredit: Alamy
Ninth place was in Puerto Rico, Bahía Bioluminiscente, with the brightest bioluminescent bay in the world, followed by Hot Water Beach in New Zealand in 10th.
Other One of a Kind beaches include Pig Beach in the Bahamas, and Butterfly Valley in Turkey.
Here’s the full list of Tripadvisor’s One of Kind beaches:
Boulders Beach – Simon’s Town, South Africa
Isola Bella – Taomina, Italy
Bamburgh Beach – Bamburgh, UK
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore – Empire, USA
Parque Nacional dos Lençóis Maranhenses – Barreirinhas, Brazil
Anakena Beach – Easter Island, Chile
Wai’anapanapa State Park – Hana, USA
Hopewell Rocks – Hopewell Cape, Canada
Bahía Bioluminiscente – Isla de Vieques, Puerto Rico
Nissanka’s unbeaten century batters former cricket champions Australia, who now need other results to go their way to survive.
Published On 16 Feb 202616 Feb 2026
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Sri Lanka’s opener Pathum Nissanka scored the first century of the T20 World Cup to put his side into the Super Eights of the cricket tournament and leave Australia on the brink of elimination.
Nissanka scored 100 not out off 52 balls with five sixes and 10 fours as Sri Lanka, chasing Australia’s 181, reached 184-2 with two overs to spare in Kandy to win by eight wickets on Monday.
“We’re in the lap of the gods now, I think,” Australia captain Mitchell Marsh said after the match.
“Lot of emotions in the room right now,” he said of the 2021 champions. “Haven’t been at our best. Disappointed bunch at the moment.”
Nissanka was involved in a 97-run stand off 66 balls with Kusal Mendis for the second wicket, with the wicketkeeper-batsman posting his third fifty in the competition.
Nissanka became the first Sri Lankan to score two hundreds in T20 internationals.
After Mendis’s dismissal, Nissanka and Pavan Rathnayake put on 76 off 34 balls to see Sri Lanka to victory.
Nissanka played some glorious cover drives off the spinners and played some elegant flicks against the quicks.
Rathnayake hit the winning runs straight after Nissanka reached his century off 52 balls and was greeted by massive cheers in Pallekele International Stadium.
The packed crowd roared again one delivery later when Rathnayake finished the match with a boundary to deep square.
Sri Lanka came into the World Cup after a 3-0 drubbing at the hands of England, but have gained momentum and have won all three games so far.
Australia’s campaign has been plagued by injuries.
Their captain Marsh, who missed the first two games, returned and gave them a rollicking start by scoring 54.
Marsh and Travis Head (56) scored 104 runs off 51 balls for the first wicket.
With Australia eyeing a total in excess of 200, Sri Lanka’s slow bowlers kept them to 181 with leg spinner Dushan Hemantha picking up 3-37.
Australia collapsed as they looked for quick runs, losing their last six wickets for 21 in 24 balls.
Australia’s captain Mitchell Marsh looks on after his team’s loss against Sri Lanka [Ishara S Kodikara/AFP]
Super Eights: Sri Lanka through; Australia on the brink of elimination
A victory by Zimbabwe over Ireland in Group B on Tuesday, or against Sri Lanka on Thursday, would eliminate Australia.
If Zimbabwe lose both matches, Australia will need to beat Oman in their final game on Friday by a big margin to get through on net run rate.
Meanwhile, Australia could fail to get out of the group stage for the first time since 2009 if unbeaten Zimbabwe beats Ireland on Tuesday.
England have also reached the Super Eights after surviving a scare from Italy in Kolkata. England came back from 105-5 to post 202-7. Italy were cut short on 178.
In New Delhi, Afghanistan shrugged off back-to-back defeats to finally register a win after beating the United Arab Emirates by five wickets. That helped them stay in the tournament and saw South Africa secure a spot in the Super Eights.
England were given another major fright but held off tournament debutants Italy by 24 runs to secure a place in the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup.
After England posted 202-7, Italy threatened to pull off the greatest shock in World Cup history in pursuit – a result which would have left Harry Brook’s side facing an embarrassing group-stage exit.
Ben Manenti crashed 60 from 28 balls to take Italy within 89 of victory and, after his wicket became the first of four in quick succession, 31-year-old Grant Stewart thrashed a 45 from 25 balls to keep the contest very much alive.
Italy needed 30 from the last 12 balls but Sam Curran had Stewart caught at short third.
With 25 runs needed from the last over and two wickets in hand, Jamie Overton wrapped up the innings to leave Italy 178 all out.
But it was another unconvincing day for England, who progress after a final-ball win over Nepal, a defeat by West Indies and two nervy wins against Scotland and Italy.
Even in making their highest total of the tournament so far, they were not convincing with the bat.
They were 105-5 before Will Jacks hit 53 not out from number seven. It was his first fifty in T20 internationals and, coming in 21 balls, England’s quickest at a T20 World Cup.
The result eliminates Italy, whose tournament ends in Mumbai on Thursday against West Indies.
England’s Super 8 opponents are still to be confirmed but they will play that phase in Sri Lanka, starting on Sunday, and surely must improve to have any chance.
State-appointed defense counsel Ben Archbold, who is representing Naveed Akram, speaks to the media outside Downing Center Local Court in Sydney on Monday after his client made a brief appearance by video-link from prison. Photo by Bianca de Marchi/EPA
Feb. 16 (UPI) — The lone surviving suspect in the Bondi Beach shooting, in which 15 Jewish people were killed and 40 were injured, made his first court appearance in Sydney on Monday on murder and terrorism charges.
Naveed Akram, 24, appeared in court via video-link from Goulburn supermax prison to face 59 charges related to the Dec. 14 attack on a gathering to celebrate the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, including 15 counts of murder and one of carrying out a terror attack.
Akram is accused of carrying out the attack alongside his 50-year-old father, Sajid Arkram, who was shot dead at the scene by police who also shot Naveed, seriously injuring him.
Naveed Akram did not enter a plea and was asked only to confirm he understood the extension of a court order suppressing the identities of survivors of the attack who do not wish to be named in court.
After the brief hearing at Sydney’s Downing Center Local Court, criminal defense attorney Ben Archbold refused to answer questions as to how his client would plead, saying it was too early to say.
Court documents detail several videos, including one taken on one of their mobile phones in which the pair are allegedly seen undergoing firearms training at a rural location somewhere in New South Wales. Police allege the footage shows them “firing shotguns and moving in a tactical manner.”
Another video on Naveed Akram’s phone shows the pair allegedly posing with an Islamic State flag and long-arm firearms, in which they are allegedly heard making “a number of statements regarding their motivation for the Bondi attack and condemning the acts of ‘Zionists.'”
The documents allege the attack was “meticulously” planned over a period of months with CCTV footage also showing the pair carrying out a reconnaissance mission to Bondi on Dec. 12, in which they scoped out the footbridge from which they are alleged to have opened fire on around 1,000 people gathered in Archer Park two days later.
The pair is also alleged to have thrown several IEDs at the crowd, including a “tennis ball bomb,” but none of them detonated, according to the court documents.
Naveed and Sajid Akram spent most of November in an area of the southern Philippines known for Islamist militants, but authorities have said their investigations thus far indicate they acted alone and did not receive training or “logistical preparation” assistance there, as originally feared.
Naveed Akram is next scheduled to appear in court in April.
Online sales of South Korean products in overseas markets rose to a record high in 2025, government data showed Monday. In this December photo, foreign tourists shop at an Olive Young outlet in Incheon International Airport. File Photo by Yonhap
Online sales of South Korean products in overseas markets rose for the third consecutive year to a record high in 2025, government data showed Monday.
Outbound online sales by South Korean businesses reached 3.02 trillion won (US$2.09 billion) last year, up 16.4 percent from a year earlier, according to the data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics. The figure has been on a steady increase since 2023.
By region, sales increased by 26.3 percent on-year in the United States and 10.9 percent in China, while sales to the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) fell 4.4 percent.
By product category, food and beverage sales surged 49.2 percent to 112.9 billion won, the highest level since the statistical standards were revised in 2017.
Sales of cosmetics rose 20.4 percent, while those of albums, videos and musical instruments increased 7 percent.
Copyright (c) Yonhap News Agency prohibits its content from being redistributed or reprinted without consent, and forbids the content from being learned and used by artificial intelligence systems.
PARTS of the UK have seen rain every day of 2026 so far.
But there is a popular country in Africa where you can find sunshine as it has the least amount of rainfall in the world.
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Egypt has barely any rainfall all year round and highs of 30C this weekCredit: AlamyElysees Hotel Hurghada will set you back just £339pp for a 10 night stayCredit: Love Holidays
Egypt is constantly ranked the country with the lowest average annual rainfall in the world.
In one year, it only gets about 0.7 inches of rain – in comparison, the UK sees on average 47 inches.
This week, while the UK shivers in freezing temperatures and possible snow, Egypt is basking in highs of 30C.
The good news for Brits is that Egypt is incredibly accessible with the flight time being as little as five hours – and there are very cheap holiday offers throughout the year.
The most popular resort towns for Brits are scattered along the Red Sea – these are Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada, El Gouna, and Marsa Alam.
You can pick the destination depending on what kind of break you’re after.
Sharm El Sheikh, on the southern tip of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, is a premier Red Sea resort city with world-class diving and snorkelling thanks to its stunning coral reefs.
Hurghada is also a Red Sea city and is known for having incredible beaches along with great nightlife in Sakalla.
Just up the coast from Hurghada is El Gouna – a secure and gated resort town with high-end hotels, golf courses and marinas.
Meanwhile, Marsa Alam is further south – its U-shaped Abu Dabab Bay is known for its sea turtles and sea cows.
You can spend 10 nights at in Giza for as little as £249 each with loveholidays.
The hotel has spacious bedrooms – some even have bathtubs in the rooms.
The rooftop is the perfect place to gaze at the ancient pyramids, and guests can hire out BBQ equipment for some outdoor cooking.
The price is room only and includes flights from London Stansted.
The Nomad Pyramids Boutique Hotel has incredible viewsCredit: Love HolidaysThe Red Sea resorts are popular spots for diving thanks to their pretty coral reefsCredit: Alamy
Staying in Giza, a city on the west bank of the Nile is the perfect stop for anyone wanting to explore Egypt’s history.
It is home to the last remaining Wonder of the Ancient World—the Great Pyramid of Giza and the Sphinx.
Over in Hurghada, you can stay at the 4-star Elysees Dream Beach Hotel which has its own beach, and lots of children’s facilities.
A 10 night stay at Elysees Dream Beach Hotel (starting on February 26) starts from £339pp this includes breakfast – and flights from London Stansted.
Hurghada is the perfect spot for a ‘fly and flop’ break – and February sees more mild temperatures as in peak summer season it can get as hot as 38C.
For a different kind of holiday, why not check out an Egyptian river cruise?
TUI offers package cruises from £1459pp with the Legends of the Nile.
This package is across seven nights, it’s all inclusive with a superior cabin which comes with air conditioning and shower as well as other room amenities.
Guests can explore spots like Aswan, Edfu and Kom Ombo seeing ancient cities and ruins.
One Travel Writer hopped onboard a TUI river cruise when it first launched.
She said: “I got to explore the ancient lands of Egypt in possibly the best way a tourist can — a cruise along the River Nile on board Al Horeya,TUI’s first river cruise ship to sail outside of the European waterways.
“Luxor was the first stop on my seven-night bucket list adventure.
“And I was desperate to explore the Valley Of The Kings where some of Egypt’s most illustrious — and notorious — Pharaohs are buried.
“After a busy day of exploring this fascinating city on the Nile’s east bank, the double bed in my Superior French Balcony Cabin seemed all too inviting.
“From the first night, the Egyptian rosé wine Shahrazade became my tipple of choice – luckily, stays aboard the TUI Al Horeya are all-inclusive which meant I could swig back as many wines as I fancied.”
French President Macron and Brazilian leader Lula expected to attend summit aimed to outline global AI governance and collaboration.
India is hosting an artificial intelligence summit this week, bringing together heads of state and tech executives with hot-button issues on the agenda, including job disruption and child safety.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Monday afternoon inaugurate the five-day AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, which aims to declare a “shared roadmap for global AI governance and collaboration”.
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“This occasion is further proof that our country is progressing rapidly in the field of science and technology,” and it “shows the capability of our country’s youth”, he said in an X post on Monday.
Touted as the biggest edition yet, the Indian government is expecting 250,000 visitors from across the sector, including 20 national leaders and 45 ministerial-level delegations.
It comes at a pivotal moment as AI rapidly transforms economies, reshapes labour markets and raises questions around regulations, security and ethics.
From generative AI tools that can produce text and images to advanced systems used in defence, healthcare and climate modelling, AI has become a central focus for governments and corporations across the world.
The summit, previously held in France, the United Kingdom and South Korea, has evolved far beyond its modest beginnings as a meeting tightly focused on the safety of cutting-edge AI systems into an all-purpose jamboree trade fair in which safety is just one aspect.
‘AI should be used for shaping humanity’
India – the world’s most populous nation and one of the fastest-growing digital markets – sees the summit as an opportunity to project itself as a bridge between advanced economies and the Global South.
Officials said the country’s experience in building large-scale digital public infrastructure, including digital identity and payment platforms, offers a model for deploying AI at scale while keeping costs low.
“The goal is clear: AI should be used for shaping humanity, inclusive growth and a sustainable future,” India’s Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw said.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva are among the world leaders who are attending the summit.
Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Microsoft President Brad Smith and AMI Labs Executive Chairman Yann LeCun are also expected to attend.
New Delhi declaration
The summit has the loose themes of “people, progress, planet” – dubbed the “three sutras”.
Like previous editions, the India AI Impact Summit is not expected to result in a joint binding political agreement. It is more likely that the event could end with a nonbinding pledge or declaration on goals for AI development.
Last year’s edition, the Paris AI Action Summit, was dominated by United States Vice President JD Vance’s speech in which he rebuked European efforts to curb AI’s risks by warning global leaders and tech industry executives against “excessive regulation” that could hobble the rapidly growing AI industry.
AI summits have evolved since the first meeting in November 2023, barely a year after the launch of ChatGPT, which stoked excitement and fear about the capabilities of generative artificial intelligence.
That meeting at a former code-breaking base north of London was attended only by official delegations from 28 countries and the European Union, along with a small number of AI executives and researchers, and was focused on keeping AI safe and reining in its potentially catastrophic risks.
Seth Hays, author of the Asia AI Policy Monitor newsletter, said talk at the summit would likely centre around “ensuring that governments put up some guardrails, but don’t throttle AI development”.
“There may be some announcements for more state investment in AI, but it may not move the needle much, as India needs partnerships to integrate on the international scene for AI,” Hays told the AFP news agency.
As I take my seat in Galimard’s Studio des Fragrances, in the Provençal town of Grasse, I limber up my nostrils for the task ahead: to create my own scent from the 126 bottles in front of me. Together they represent a world of exotic aromas, from amber and musk to ginger and saffron. But given that I have left the grey British winter behind to come here, I am more interested in capturing the sunny essence of the Côte d’Azur.
Here in the hills north of Cannes, the colours pop: hillsides are full of bright yellow mimosa flowers, violets are peeping out of flowerbeds and oranges hang heavy on branches over garden walls, even though it’s not yet spring. It is the perfect antidote to the gloom back home, and the chance to bottle these very scents is a joy.
Over the next two hours, with the help of perfumery expert Manon Zamoun, I blend my own perfume that I name “Mimosa trail”. The scents (natural essences or synthetic aromas), are set out on three shelves, the top shelf for the high notes, the bottom for base notes, with the heart notes in between. I sniff, blend and decant; it’s the most rewarding chemistry lesson of my life.
The bottles’ labels are turned away from me so my choices are led by my nose not my brain. I’m surprised to find I liked parma violets and patchouli, while rose d’orient and fleurs de lilas don’t make the cut.
Galimard is Grasse’s oldest perfume house, established in 1747. The trade grew out of the town’s leather tanning industry; with scents created to cover the pong, it became the “perfume capital of the world”. Its other two famous perfume houses, Molinard and Fragonard, opened in 1849 and 1926 respectively, later joined by big names such as Dior, Guérlain and Chanel.
But beyond perfume, Grasse is a delight to wander – a maze of yellow-hued streets, overlooked by towering palm trees and, today at least, a welcome blue sky, though there’s still a little chill in the air. I take comfort in the fact it’s 10 degrees warmer than it is back home because I’m here to fast-forward spring with a short road trip between the lesser-known villages and towns of the Côte d’Azur.
Grasse, where the perfume industry developed initially to cover the smell of the town’s leather tanning trade. Photograph: StockByM/Getty Images
En route to Grasse, I’d stopped at Tourrettes-sur-Loup for another of the region’s flowers: violets. When seen from the south, the village is a jumble of terracotta-roofed houses clinging to a clifftop. It’s known for its tradition of growing the small, purple blooms, and has supplied the perfume industry since Queen Victoria visited in the late 19th century while wintering in Nice, 18 miles (30km) south west of here. The queen gave her name to the variety that was, in her day, cultivated by 40 families in Tourrettes and, thanks to its long stalk, was traditionally given in small posies between Christmas and Valentine’s Day.
At La Bastide aux Violettes, a small museum on the outskirts of the village, I discover more about the flower and its history, and inhale its sweet, delicate scent in the greenhouse, where they grow in vertical columns. There are now only three producers, including Jérôme Coche and his family, who turn the petals into products such as crystalised violet sweets. The village still celebrates the end of the season with La Fête des Violettes in late February/early March, which attracts about 12,000 people (some on coach trips from Italy) with carnival floats, dancing, music and a flower and produce market.
Out of season the village is quieter, awaiting the summer crowds. Wine bar-restaurant La Cave de Tourrettes is buzzing with life though, even on a wet Wednesday evening, and my two-course meal is a superb beef tartare with grana padano, caper berries and cornichons, followed by pork filet mignon and orange-scented sweet potato with braised leeks (mains from €25.50). The next morning, the sky is a blaze of blue and I eat breakfast on the balcony of my townhouse apartment, with a lovely view of the valley towards the Mediterranean.
A cafe in Mandelieu-la-Napoule decorated with mimosas. Photograph: Hemis/Alamy
The sun is also shining in Mandelieu-la-Napoule, on the coast, my last stop. Mimosas were just starting to come into bloom on the dramatic route between Tourrettes and the village of Gourdon, which winds through the Gorge du Loup, with its waterfalls, tunnels and steep cliffs – but down on the coast, spring has really sprung.
La Route du Mimosa is a trail through the most impressive blooms, covering 80 miles from Bormes-les-Mimosas to Grasse. Around the town of Mandelieu-la-Napoule – which hosts the Fête du Mimosa, a weekend of celebrations to mark the start of the season in February – there are group hikes into the hills organised by the tourist office, as well as farms to visit and shops where producers have turned its delicate flavour into jams and cordials, and its scent into candles and soaps.
For a thrilling ride and to gain some local knowledge I’ve booked a three-hour tour with La Grande Vadrouille (€160 for one or two). Local guide Daniel Saffioti welcomes me to ride in the side-car of his Chang Jiang Pekin Express motorbike. Daniel knows all the best routes from Mandelieu to Tanneron, a town farther inland where you find mimosas in abundance. After donning my helmet and sunglasses, we set off along the coast road, La Corniche d’Or.
This sinuous route southward to the Cap d’Esterel offers astonishing views of Cannes and its backdrop, the snow-capped Mercantour mountains of the Alpes-Maritimes. Along the road, mimosas burst between palm trees and over the garden walls of luxurious villasWe double back toward Mandelieu, and then motor on into the hills, stopping for a rest just outside Tanneron, where the landscape is a tapestry of olive groves, eucalyptus trees and lavender fields awaiting their summer blooms. A closer inspection of a mimosa tree allows me to breath in its delicate scent and see its fern-like leaves and tiny flowers up close – like little yellow pompoms electrified by the sunshine. Daniel tells me how they were introduced by the British, having been brought from Australia (they are a kind of acacia) and how council workers work hard to keep them from taking over the landscape and roadsides, such is their propensity to thrive in the Provençal climate.
Our tour finishes in Mandelieu and after bidding Daniel farewell, I sit on the terrace of the Biskota cafe for lunch and a mimosa-infused lemonade. In the evening is the opening of the Fête du Mimosa. Gingham-clothed tables and benches are laid out for locals to sit and drink wine and street performers, some on stilts, dance through the crowds. Tomorrow there will be floats adorned with flowers, but tonight a firework display shoots up over the crenellated walls of the waterside chateau. I breath in the sulphurous tang that hangs in the air; it may not be the floral scent of spring, but it doesn’t matter – I’ve got a bottle of that in my bag.
The trip was provided by Côte d’Azur Tourism and Mandelieu-La-Napoule Tourism. La Borgarda in Tourrettes-sur-Loup has a one-bedroom apartment from €195 a night and a three-bedroom townhouse from €330 a night. The Pullman hotel has doubles from £130. Perfume blending at Galimard’ Studio des Fragrances is €99pp
Han Byeong-do, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, right, speaks with Song Eon-seok, floor leader of the People Power Party, during a plenary session at the National Assembly in Seoul on Feb. 3. File. Photo by Asia Today
Feb. 15 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s ruling and opposition parties continued trading barbs over real estate policy during the Lunar New Year holiday, clashing over multi-home ownership among lawmakers and President Lee Jae-myung’s personal property.
The liberal Democratic Party of Korea stepped up criticism of lawmakers from the conservative People Power Party, saying 42 PPP legislators own multiple homes.
In a written briefing Sunday, Democratic Party floor spokesperson Kim Hyun-jung said PPP members were “keeping silent about their own multiple properties” while criticizing Lee, who owns one home.
She said PPP leader Jang Dong-hyuk owns six houses and accused the party of defending what she described as “unearned real estate income.”
The PPP rejected the criticism as exaggerated and politically motivated.
Chief floor spokesperson Choi Eun-seok said the Democratic Party was “blowing out of proportion” the fact that some PPP lawmakers own multiple homes in an attempt to portray the entire party as defenders of windfall profits.
“Compete with real policies, not divisive tactics,” Choi said.
The PPP also renewed calls for Lee to sell his Bundang apartment, after the president described it as “a home to return to after retirement.” Party officials argued that Lee’s position reflects a double standard that limits citizens’ property rights while making exceptions for himself.
Senior spokesperson Choi Bo-yoon said a policy that “pressures the public while making exceptions for the president” would neither stabilize housing prices nor restore trust.
The exchange comes as Lee has posted a series of social media messages targeting multi-home ownership, keeping real estate policy at the center of political debate.
Lakers star LeBron James eased his way to the interview podium Sunday with a giant water jug in his hand and a do-rag covering his hair, the last of the NBA All-Stars to speak with the media.
James was selected as a reserve, breaking his NBA record of 21 consecutive starts but extending his record for most appearances to 22.
At 41 and playing in his record 23rd season, James was asked about his future, because his eventual retirement always seems to be a source of curiosity.
So, James was asked before he played in the “U.S. vs. “World” All-Star Game tournament at Intuit Dome whether he had any inkling about what he wants to do next season.
“I want to live,” James said. “When I know, you guys will know. I don’t know. I have no idea. I just want to live. That’s all.”
James played on Team Stripes, joining fellow veterans Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, who didn’t play because of a right knee injury.
They are long-time combatants, friends and U.S. Olympic teammates. And they are All-Stars again, all older than 37 and still playing at a high level.
“It’s always an honor to see those guys,” James said. “We have had such an unbelievable journey throughout our individual careers and then intersecting at certain points in our careers, matchups in the regular season, Finals appearances, postseason appearances, then Olympics two summers ago. When it comes to me, Steph and KD, we’ll be interlocked for the rest of our careers, for sure. It’s been great to be able to have some moments with those guys, versus those guys, teaming up with those guys.”
The All-Star format has changed from East versus West to U.S. versus the World.
Team Stars forward Scottie Barnes, left, celebrates with Cade Cunningham after hitting a three to beat Team World in the first matchup of the All-Star Game tournament Sunday at Intuit Dome.
(Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)
There were three teams — Team Stars, Team Stripes and Team World, and they played 12-minute games in a round-robin tournament.
Game 1 was Team World vs. Team Stars, a game that went into overtime after Anthony Edwards tied the score 32-32 at the end of the first 12 minutes.
Team Stars, the first team to score five points in overtime, won 37-35 on a Scottie Barnes three-pointer,.
Victor Wembanyama led Team World with 14 points, six rebounds and three blocks.
Anthony Edwards had 13 points for Team Stars, which will play Team Stripes next.
James and Clippers star Kawhi Leonard are on the USA Stripes and Lakers superstar Luka Doncic, the leading all-star vote getter, is on Team World because he is from Slovenia.
James was asked whether he could have ever imagined a USA versus the World all-star format.
“No,” James said, laughing. “No. I mean, East-West is definitely, it’s a tradition. It’s been really good. Obviously, I like the East and West format. But they are trying something. But we’ll see what happens. I mean, it’s the US versus the World. The World is gigantic over the U.S. So, I’m just trying to figure out how that makes sense. But, I don’t want to dive too much into that. Yeah, East-West is great. We’ll see what happens with this.”
Just before the tipoff of the first game, former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama were introduced to a standing ovation.
Defending champions India have thumped Pakistan by 61 runs in a grudge Group A match at the Twenty20 World Cup in Colombo, Sri Lanka, to secure their place in the Super Eight stage of the cricket tournament.
Suryakumar Yadav’s side made 175-7 after a flying start from Ishan Kishan’s superb 77, before bowling Pakistan out for 114 in 18 overs.
The defeat on Sunday extended Pakistan’s dismal record against India in World Cups.
India have now won eight of the sides’ nine meetings at T20 World Cups, as well as all eight of their encounters at ODI World Cups.
The cricket teams of the nuclear-armed, contentious neighbours only face each other in multi-nation tournaments at neutral venues under a longstanding compromise arrangement.
It has been more than 18 years since India and Pakistan last met in a Test match, and 13 years since either side crossed the border to play a bilateral series.
Ishan Kishan defies a tricky Colombo pitch with 77 as India beat Pakistan by 61 runs in Group A of cricket’s T20 World Cup.
Published On 15 Feb 202615 Feb 2026
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Defending champions India have thumped Pakistan by 61 runs in a grudge Group A match of the Twenty20 World Cup to secure their place in the Super Eight stage of the cricket tournament.
Ishan Kishan’s breakneck 77 powered India to 175-7 on Sunday at the R Premadasa Stadium, where Pakistan’s spin-heavy attack managed to apply the brakes to an extent after the opener’s exit.
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The tournament co-hosts returned to bundle out Pakistan for 114 in 18 overs to register their third win in a row.
The match went ahead after Pakistan earlier reversed their decision to boycott the game in solidarity with Bangladesh, whose team refused to tour India over safety concerns and were replaced by Scotland.
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha and his India counterpart Suryakumar Yadav did not shake hands at the toss, though.
India were reinforced by the return of Abhishek Sharma, who missed the first two matches with a stomach infection. But the opener could not make it count.
Pakistan’s Salman sprang a surprise by opening the attack himself, and the move paid off as the spinner trapped Abhishek lbw to remove the reigning number one batter in T20 Internationals.
Pakistan used three spinners in the powerplay to try and stem boundary flow, and India’s score of 52-1 after six overs suggested the ploy worked to an extent.
India’s Ishan Kishan in action during his innings of 77 [Lahiru Harshana/Reuters]
Kishan could not be contained, though, and the diminutive southpaw tore into the Pakistan attack with his take-no-prisoners batting.
The opener took only 27 balls to race to his second successive fifty of the tournament.
Saim Ayub ended Kishan’s 40-ball blitz, but India were 92-2 at the halfway stage of their innings.
Ayub (3-25) dismissed Tilak Varma (25) and Hardik Pandya with successive deliveries to turn the heat back on India.
Suryakumar (32) and Shivam Dube (27) could not quite provide the late flourish to take India past the 200-mark that had looked well within their reach at one stage.
Pakistan became the first team to employ six spinners in a T20 World Cup match, but the joy of having restricted India under 200 evaporated soon as they slumped to 13-3 in two overs in their chase.
Pandya removed Pakistan’s in-form opener Sahibzada Farhan for a duck, and Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Ayub and Salman in the same over to pin down Pakistan.
Babar Azam (five) did not last long either, and Pakistan were gasping at 38-4 after the six powerplay overs.
Usman Khan (44) defied India for a while, but Axar Patel lured him out to be stumped to effectively snuff out Pakistan’s chances of an unlikely victory.
Ishan Kishan’s quickfire 77 is followed by a well-rounded bowling display as India thrash woeful Pakistan by 61 runs to qualify for the Super 8s stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Brazilian authorities have ordered that Elon Musk’s platform, X, must implement measures to prevent its artificial intelligence tool, Grok, from generating sexualized content involving minors and involving adults without consent. File Photo by Fazry Ismail/EPA
Feb. 13 (UPI) — Brazilian authorities have ordered that Elon Musk’s platform, X, must implement measures to prevent its artificial intelligence tool, Grok, from generating sexualized content involving minors and involving adults without consent.
The case is being reviewed by Brazil’s National Data Protection Authority, the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office and the National Consumer Secretariat. The agencies contend that, despite prior warnings, the social network failed to show effective action to curb these practices.
“X must immediately implement appropriate measures to prevent the production, through Grok, of sexualized or eroticized content involving children and adolescents, as well as adults who have not expressed their consent,” Brazilian authorities said in a joint statement.
On Jan. 20, the agencies recommended that X establish, within up to 30 days, technical and operational procedures to identify, review and remove sexualized content generated by Grok that remained available on the social network. That deadline co-existed with the requirement to adopt immediate actions to prevent new posts.
The company said at the time that it had removed thousands of posts and suspended hundreds of accounts for violating its policies.
However, Brazilian authorities said the information provided “was not accompanied by concrete evidence, technical reports or monitoring mechanisms that would allow its effectiveness to be assessed.”
Tests conducted by technical teams indicated that the platform still allows the generation and sharing of sexualized or eroticized images of minors and adults without authorization.
Since late last year, thousands of complaints in several countries have alleged that Grok responds to requests to alter photographs posted by women on social media, making them appear nude or in bikinis. At least two Brazilian women have reported being victims of these deepfakes.
The Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office ordered X to submit monthly reports on the actions taken to prevent the production of these images and pointed to a lack of transparency in the company’s response.
The National Data Protection Authority also required the platform to detail the measures implemented and provide evidence that can be verified by authorities.
The new five-business-day deadline requires the company to explain what specific actions it will take to prevent Grok from creating this type of content. The official document does not specify when clock began.
If the order is not met, the company could face fines and other administrative sanctions. Those responsible could also be prosecuted for disobedience.
The Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office said it could open broader investigations that may lead to legal action to seek damages for harm caused by the creation and dissemination of these images.
The case adds to investigations in Europe. On Feb. 3, the Paris Prosecutor’s Office searched Grok’s offices as part of a preliminary investigation into the alleged dissemination of child pornography and deepfakes. Authorities in the United Kingdom and the European Union are also examining Grok’s use to manipulate images.
Grok is developed by xAI, Musk’s artificial intelligence company, which also controls X. Earlier this month, the entrepreneur announced the merger of xAI with SpaceX, his aerospace company. SpaceX is expected to debut on the New York Stock Exchange later this year.
For a while it looked like this match would not happen.
Pakistan, whose last win against India was at the Asia Cup in 2022, announced a boycott a week before the tournament began, only to reverse their decision at the start of this week after extensive talks.
It went ahead, in front of a large crowd weighted towards Indian blue, because it is the most lucrative fixture in the world game, providing the funds upon which cricket’s ecosystem survives in its current imperfect state.
How long that remains the case given India’s dominance, built from their cricketing and financial might, remains to be seen.
Kishan’s assault gave India breathing space and their bowlers were ruthless, even if their fielders dropped three catches.
After Pakistan’s seamers went the distance, Hardik began with a wicket maiden – dismissing right-hander Sahibzada Farhan, who skewed a pull shot high to mid-on.
In the next over, the majestic Bumrah pinned left-hander Saim Ayub in front with full inswinger before Pakistan Salman Agha holed out playing a wild slog.
Even Pakistan’s biggest name, Babar Azam, was tamely bowled for five attempting a swipe to left-arm spinner Axar Patel in the fifth over, while left-handers Mohammed Nawaz and Faheem Ashraf meekly picked out fielders in the deep.
After all of the build-up this was another underwhelming meeting.
Former Scottish National Party CEO Peter Murrell (L) is accused of stealing more than $626,000 from the party and will appear in Edinburgh High Court in May, but his ex-wife, Nicola Sturgeon (R) is not accused of any wrongdoing. File Photo by Robert Perry/EPA
Feb. 13 (UPI) — Peter Murrell, the former CEO of the Scottish National Party, has been accused of embezzling more than $626,000 over a 12-year period, an indictment made public Friday indicates.
Murrell, 61, is expected to appear in a preliminary hearing at Glasgow’s High Court in Edinburgh on May 25. He is accused of embezzling the funds from the political party’s accounts Aug. 12, 2010, through Jan. 13, 2023.
He initially had a preliminary hearing scheduled on Feb. 20 in Glasgow, but the court and date were changed.
A police investigation dubbed Operation Branchform led to Murrell’s arrest in 2023, and he was charged in April 2024.
Prosecutors allege that Murrell used the funds to buy a motorhome, two vehicles, jewelry, luxury items and cosmetics, as initially reported by The Scottish Sun.
He faces eight charges that accuse him of embezzlement and falsifying documents to hide the alleged theft.
Police say the largest expenditure was $169,911 on the motorhome for his personal use. He allegedly created false documents that indicated the purchase was for the political party.
He also is accused of using party funds to buy a Jaguar I-PACE car in 2019, for which prosecutors say he submitted a false invoice to hide the purchase.
Investigators said Murrell sold the vehicle in 2021 and deposited the proceeds into his personal bank account.
Murrell’s ex-wife, Nicola Sturgeon, is not accused of any wrongdoing. The former first minister and SNP party leader announced their divorce on Jan. 13, 2025, ending their 15-year marriage.
SACRAMENTO — Gavin Newsom writes in his upcoming memoir about San Francisco’s highborn Getty family fitting him in Brioni suits “appropriate to meet a king” when he was 20 years old. Then he flew aboard their private “Jetty” to Spain for a royal princess’s debutante-style party.
Back home, real life wasn’t as grand.
In an annual performance for their single mom, Newsom and his sister would pretend to find problems with the fancy clothes his dad’s friends, the heirs of ruthless oil baron J. Paul Getty, sent for Christmas. Poor fit. Wrong color. Not my style. The ritual gave her an excuse to return the gifts and use the store credit on presents for her children she placed under the tree.
California’s 41st governor, a possible suitor for the White House, opens up about the duality of his upbringing in his new book. Newsom details the everyday struggle living with his mom after his parents divorced and occasional interludes into his father’s life charmed by the Gettys’ affluence, including that day when the Gettys outfitted him in designer clothes at a luxury department store.
“I walked out understanding that this was the split personality of my life,” Newsom writes in “Young Man in a Hurry.”
For years, Newsom asserted that his “one-dimensional” public image as a slick, privileged politician on a path to power paved with Getty oil money fails to tell the whole story.
“I’m not trying to be something I’m not,” Newsom said in a recent interview. “I’m not trying to talk about, you know, ‘I was born in a town called Hope with no running water.’ That’s not what this book is about. But it’s a very different portrayal than the one I think 9 out of 10 people believe.”
As he explores a 2028 presidential run and basks in the limelight as one of President Trump’s most vociferous critics, the book offers the Democratic politician a chance to write his own narrative and address the skeletons in his closet before opponents begin to exploit his past.
A book tour, which is set to begin Feb. 21 in Nashville, also gives Newsom a reason to travel the country, meet voters and promote his life story without officially entering the race. He’s expected to make additional stops in Georgia, South Carolina, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
The governor describes the book as a “memoir of discovery” that sent him interviewing family members and friends and digging through troves of old documents about his lineage that his mother never spoke about and his father smoothed over. Learning about his family history, the good and the bad, Newsom said, helped him understand and accept himself. Mark Arax, an author and former Los Angeles Times journalist, was his ghostwriter.
“I’ve changed the opinion of myself,” Newsom said when asked if he believed the book would revise his glossy public image. “It kind of rocked so many parts of my life, and kind of cracked things open. And I started to understand where my anxieties come from and why I’m overcompensating in certain areas.”
Newsom writes that his interest in politics brought him and his father, William, closer. His mother, Tessa, on the other hand, didn’t share his father’s enthusiasm.
She warned him to get out while he still could, worried her only son would eschew his true self.
“My mother did not want that world for me: the shrewd marriage of tall husbands and tall wives that kept each year’s Cotillion Debutante Ball stocked with children of the same; the gritted teeth behind the social smiles; the spectator sport of who was in and who was out based on so-and-so’s dinner party guest list,” Newsom wrote.
At the heart of her concern was her belief that Newsom’s “obsessive drive” into business and politics was in response to his upbringing and an effort to solve “the riddle” of his identity from his learning disorder, dyslexia, and the two different worlds he inhabited.
“As I grew up trying to grasp which of these worlds, if either, suited me best, she had worried about the persona I was constructing to cover up what she considered a crack at my core,” Newsom writes. “If my remaking was skim plaster, she feared, it would crumble. It would not hold me into adulthood.”
Newsom’s mother was 19 years old when she married his father, then 32. He learned through writing the book that his mother hailed from a “family of brilliant and daring misfits who had carved new paths in botany and medicine and left-wing politics,” he writes.
There was also secret pain and struggles with mental health. His maternal grandfather, a World War II POW, turned to the bottle after returning home. One night he told his three young daughters to line up in front of the fireplace so he could shoot them, but stopped when his wife walked in the door and took the gun from his hand. He committed suicide years later.
Newsom’s father’s family was full of more traditional Democrats and Irish Catholic storytellers who worked in banking, homebuilding, law enforcement and law. Newsom describes his paternal grandfather as one of the “thinkers behind the throne” for former California Gov. Edmund “Pat” Brown, but his family never held public office despite his dad’s bids for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and the California Legislature.
The failed campaigns left his father in financial and emotional turmoil that crippled his marriage when Newsom was a small boy. A divorce set the stage for an unusual contrasting existence for the would-be governor, offering him brief exposures to the wealth and power of the Gettys through his dad.
Newsom said he moved casually between the rich and poor neighborhoods of San Francisco as a boy.
“It was a wonder how effortlessly I glided because the two realms of my life, the characters of my mother’s world and the characters of my father’s world, did not fit together in the least,” Newsom writes.
Mayor Gavin Newsom and his dad, Judge William Newsom, have lunch at the Balboa Cafe in San Francisco.
(Christina Koci Hernandez / San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
Though William Alfred Newsom III went on to become an appellate court justice, Newsom’s father was best known for his role delivering ransom money to the kidnappers of J. Paul Getty’s grandson. He served as an adviser to the family without pay and a paid administrator of the $4 billion family trust.
The governor wrote in the book that the ties between the two families go back three generations. His father was close friends with Getty’s sons John Paul Jr. and Gordon since childhood when they became like his sixth and seventh siblings at Newsom’s grandparents’ house.
Gordon Getty in particular considered Newsom’s father his “best-best friend.” Newsom’s dad helped connect the eccentric music composer “to the outside world,” the governor wrote.
“My father had this way of creating a safe space for Gordon to open up,” Newsom writes. “He became Gordon’s whisperer, his interpreter and translator, a bridge to their friends, a bridge to Gordon’s own children.”
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and his sister, Hilary Newsom, in a promotional portrait for the Search for the Cause campaign, which raises funds for cancer research, on Nov. 21, 2025.
(Caroline Schiff/Getty Images)
His father’s friendship with Gordon Getty exposed Newsom and his younger sister, Hillary, to a world far beyond their family’s own means. Gordon’s wife, Ann, and Newsom’s father organized elaborate adventures for the Gettys’ four sons and the Newsom children.
Newsom describes fishing on the Rogue River and riding in a helicopter while studying polar bears on the shores of the Hudson Bay in Canada. He recalled donning tuxedos and carrying toy guns pretending to be James Bond on a European yacht vacation and soaring over the Serengeti in a hot air balloon during an East African safari.
Throughout his travels, Newsom often blended in with the Gettys’ brown-haired sons. He wrote that the actor Jack Nicholson once mistakenly called him one of the “Getty boys” at a party in a 16th-century palazzo in Venice where guests arrived via gondola. Newsom didn’t correct him.
“Had I shared this encounter with my mother, she likely would have asked me if deception was something I practiced whenever I hobnobbed with the Gettys,” Newsom said in the book. “Fact is, I was always aware of the line that separated us from the Gettys. Not because they went out of their way to make us aware of it but because we, as good Newsoms, paid constant mind to the distinction.”
Newsom wrote that his mother seemed to begrudge the excursions when her children returned home. She raised them in a much more ordinary existence. Newsom describes his father’s presence as “episodic.”
“For a day or two, she’d give us the silent treatment, and then we’d all fall back into the form of a life trying to make ends meet,” he wrote. “After enough vacations came and went, a cone of silence took hold.”
Newsom’s mother worked as an assistant retail buyer, a bookkeeper, a waitress at a Mexican restaurant, a development director for a nonprofit and a real estate agent — holding as many as three jobs at once — to provide for her children. His mother’s sister and brother-in-law helped care for them when they could, but he likened himself to a latchkey kid because of the amount of time he and his sister spent alone.
They moved five times in 10 years in search of a “better house in a better neighborhood” with good schools, taking the family from San Francisco to the Marin County suburbs. Though his mother owned a home, she often rented out rooms to bring in extra money.
Tired of his mother complaining about finances and his father not coming through, Newsom wrote that he took on a paper route.
In the book, Newsom describes his struggles with dyslexia and how the learning disorder undercut his self-esteem when he was an emotionally vulnerable child.
Eager to make himself something more than an awkward kid with sweaty palms and a bowl haircut who couldn’t read, Newsom mimicked Remington Steele, the suave character on the popular 1980s detective show. He chugged down glassfuls of raw eggs like Sylvester Stallone in “Rocky” and ran across town and back like a prizefighter in training.
He found confidence in high school sports, but his struggle to find himself continued into young adulthood. Newsom wrote that he watched tapes of motivational guru Tony Robbins and heeded his advice to remake yourself in the image of someone you admire. For Newsom, that became Robbins himself.
“Find a person who embodies all of the outward traits of personality, bearing, charisma, language, and power lacking in yourself,” Newsom described the philosophy in the book. “Study that person. Copy that person. The borrowed traits may fit awkwardly at first, but don’t fret. You’ll be surprised by how fast the pose becomes you, and you the pose.”
His father scoffed at the self-help gurus and nurtured his interest in business.
More than a half-dozen friends and family members, including Gordon Getty, invested equal shares to help him launch a wine shop in San Francisco. Newsom named the business, which expanded to include restaurants, hotels and wineries, “PlumpJack,” the nickname of Shakespeare’s fictional character Sir John Falstaff and the title of Gordon Getty’s opera.
“Gordon’s really inspired me to be bolder and more audacious. He’s inspired me to be more authentic,” Newsom said. “The risks I take in business … just trying to march to the beat of a different drummer and to be a little bolder. That’s my politics. But I also think he played a huge role in that, in terms of shaping me in that respect as well.”
Newsom described Gordon and Ann Getty as like family. The Gettys also became the biggest investors in his wineries and among his largest political donors.
In an interview, Newsom said there are many days when he feels his mother “absolutely” was right to worry about the facade of politics and the mold her son stuffed himself into.
Gavin Newsom heads for his home neighborhood on Nov. 3, 2003, to cast hisvote for San Francisco mayor.
(Mike Kepka / San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
He described the day the recall against him qualified for the ballot amid the COVID-19 pandemic as humbling and humiliating, though it later failed by a wide margin. Still today, he said, there’s a voice in his head constantly questioning why he’s in politics, what he’s exposing his wife and children to and doing with his life.
By choosing a career as an elected official despite his mother’s warnings, Newsom ultimately picked his father’s world and accomplished his father’s dream of taking office. But he said the book taught him that so much of his own more gutsy positions, such as his early support for gay marriage, and his hustle were from his mother.
Newsom said he’s accepted that he can’t control which version of himself people choose to see. Writing the book felt cathartic, he said, and left him more comfortable taking off his mask.
“It allowed me to understand better my motivations, my purpose, my meaning, my mission… who my mom and dad were and who I am as a consequence of them and what truly motivates me,” Newsom said. “There’s a freedom. There’s a real freedom. And it’s nice. It’s just so much nicer than the plaster of the past.”
The dawn-to-dusk fast lasts anywhere from 11.5 to 15.5 hours, depending on where in the world you are.
Published On 15 Feb 202615 Feb 2026
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The Muslim holy month of Ramadan is set to begin on February 18 or 19, depending on the sighting of the crescent moon.
During the month, which lasts 29 or 30 days, Muslims observing the fast will refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk, typically for a period of 12 to 15 hours, depending on their location.
Muslims believe Ramadan is the month when the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad more than 1,400 years ago.
The fast entails abstinence from eating, drinking, smoking and sexual relations during daylight hours to achieve greater “taqwa”, or consciousness of God.
Why does Ramadan start on different dates every year?
Ramadan begins 10 to 12 days earlier each year. This is because the Islamic calendar is based on the lunar Hijri calendar, with months that are 29 or 30 days long.
For nearly 90 percent of the world’s population living in the Northern Hemisphere, the number of fasting hours will be a bit shorter this year and will continue to decrease until 2031, when Ramadan will encompass the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year.
For fasting Muslims living south of the equator, the number of fasting hours will be longer than last year.
Because the lunar year is shorter than the solar year by 11 days, Ramadan will be observed twice in the year 2030 – first beginning on January 5 and then starting on December 26.
(Al Jazeera)
Fasting hours around the world
The number of daylight hours varies across the world.
Since it is winter in the Northern Hemisphere, this Ramadan, people living there will have the shortest fasts, lasting about 12 to 13 hours on the first day, with the duration increasing throughout the month.
People in southern countries like Chile, New Zealand, and South Africa will have the longest fasts, lasting about 14 to 15 hours on the first day. However, the number of fasting hours will decrease throughout the month.
(Al Jazeera)
Fasting times around the world
The table below shows the number of fasting hours, suhoor and iftar times on the first and last days of Ramadan 2026. Use the arrows or search box to find your city.
Ramadan greetings in different languages
Muslim-majority nations have various greetings in their native languages for Ramadan.
“Ramadan Mubarak” and “Ramadan Kareem” are the most common greetings exchanged in this period, wishing the recipient a blessed or generous month, respectively.
U.S. Central Command conducted aerial strikes against more than 30 ISIS targets in Syria from February 3 through Thursday. Photo courtesy of U.S. Central Command
Feb. 14 (UPI) — The U.S. military struck dozens of Islamic State targets in Syria while conducting retaliatory strikes for the deaths of two soldiers and their interpreter.
CentCom said it conducted 10 strikes on more than 30 ISIS targets in Syria from Feb. 3 through Thursday to “sustain relentless military pressure on remnants from the terrorist network.”
The strikes over the past 1.5 weeks targeted ISIS infrastructure and weapons storage facilities with precision munitions sent by fixed-wing, rotary-wing and unmanned aircraft, CentCom officials said.
The aerial strikes continued U.S. Central Command’s Operation Hawkeye Strike attacks after the Islamic State’s ambush on Dec. 13 that killed two Iowa National Guard reservists, Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, and their civilian interpreter, Ayad Mansoor Sakat, 54, who was from Michigan.
Three members of Syria’s security forces also were wounded in the ambush.
“There is no safe place for those who conduct, plot, or inspire attacks on American citizens and our warfighters. We will find you,” CentCom Commander Adm. Brad Cooper said in a statement after U.S. forces killed Al-Qaeda-affiliated Bilal Hasan al-Jasim in January.
CentCom also carried out five strikes against an ISIS communications site, logistics node and weapons storage facilities from Jan. 27 to Feb. 2.
The strikes over the past two months have killed or captured more than 50 ISIS militants struck more than 100 ISIS infrastructure sites with hundreds of precision munitions, according to CentCom.
Syrian forces have helped the U.S. military stop ISIS from rebuilding its infrastructure and capabilities and on Friday transported 5,700 detainees to Iraq, where they will be tried in a court of law.
The move occurred as the U.S. military is lowering its troop count in Syria by evacuating a military base in al-Tanf after a 10-year deployment there.
Pakistan on Monday reversed their decision to boycott their T20 World Cup match against India, but rain could intervene.
Published On 14 Feb 202614 Feb 2026
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Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav said his players are not concerned about the threat of rain for Sunday’s Twenty20 World Cup clash with Pakistan, adding that the defending champions are focused on preparing for the showdown between bitter rivals.
Pakistan had initially boycotted the Group A fixture in Colombo over Bangladesh’s removal from the tournament for refusing to play in India over security concerns, but reversed their decision on Monday.
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But weather forecasts have warned of heavy rain between Sunday afternoon and evening, casting new doubts over the match.
“Weather is something which is not in our control,” Suryakumar told reporters on Saturday.
No complacency from India against Pakistan
He said the clash would not be a routine game for the co-hosts.
“When you play an India vs Pakistan game it’s more about the occasion. It’s a big platform, obviously. No matter how many times you say, it’s just another game … It’s human tendency, you know which game you’re about to play,” the 35-year-old said.
“Whatever we have worked hard on and practised, we try to execute them in the game.”
India and Pakistan have both won two games each in the tournament. While Pakistan played both their games in Colombo due to an agreement that they would play each other only on neutral venues, India arrived after a win over Namibia on Thursday.
Suryakumar said India would not be disadvantaged by unfamiliarity with the ground.
“We have similar wickets back home, and we’ve played a lot of cricket here during bilaterals against Sri Lanka, so we’re also very familiar with the conditions,” he said.
India and Pakistan most recently faced off in last year’s Asia Cup, where India won all three of their meetings, including the final.
“You can’t carry history into the ground, because it can cause complacency,” Suryakumar said.
India ready for Pakistan’s ‘out of syllabus’ Tariq
India have carried out preparations to face Usman Tariq, a spinner with an unorthodox action, who took three wickets for Pakistan during Tuesday’s win over the United States.
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha said earlier on Saturday that Tariq was a trump card against India.
“At an exam, when there’s an out-of-syllabus question, we can’t just skip it; we have to try something to tackle it,” Suryakumar said about Tariq.
“We practise with similar bowlers, with similar actions. We’ll try to execute what we practise in the net sessions.”
Salman had also expressed hope that Indian opener Abhishek Sharma, who is the highest-ranked batter in the 20-over format, will play on Sunday after missing the previous game due to illness.
“All right, if (Salman) wants him to play, then we’ll play him tomorrow,” Suryakumar said about Sharma.
Captain Aiden Markram hits an unbeaten 86 in seven-wicket defeat of New Zealand in Ahmedabad.
Published On 14 Feb 202614 Feb 2026
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South Africa are on the brink of reaching the Twenty20 World Cup’s Super Eight stage after captain Aiden Markram’s storming half-century led them to a dominant seven-wicket victory over New Zealand, securing their third straight Group D win.
New Zealand on Saturday suffered their first loss in the campaign after they posted 175-7 as South Africa’s Marco Jansen took four wickets.
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In response, opener Markram hit four sixes and eight boundaries in his unbeaten knock of 86 off 44 balls, the highest by a South African captain in the tournament’s history, helping his team reach 178-3 with 17 balls to spare.
Last edition’s finalists South Africa chose to bowl first in Ahmedabad, India, and it immediately paid off as player of the match Jansen (4-40) dismissed most of New Zealand’s top order by the seventh over.
Finn Allen (31 off 17 balls) tried to mitigate the damage after Tim Seifert and Rachin Ravindra fell to Jansen. But Jansen got Allen caught at mid-off in the sixth over, leaving New Zealand struggling at 58-3.
Mark Chapman (48) and Daryl Mitchell (32) turned things around with a 74-run partnership for the fifth wicket until Jansen got Chapman caught by Ryan Rickelton at backward point in the 14th.
New Zealand scored only 17 runs in the next four overs until James Neesham’s unbeaten 23 off 15 balls got them to a fighting total.
Markram’s magic seals the deal for South Africa
Chasing 176, South Africa got off to a fast start with Markram hitting three sixes and five boundaries to steer his team to 62-0 in four overs.
Losing fellow opener Quinton de Kock (20) did not affect Markram, who hit Mitchell Santner for a six down long-on to reach his half-century in just 19 balls. By the time Rickelton (21) fell in the eighth over, South Africa had already crossed the 100-run mark.
With the required run rate falling below six per over, Markram did not hit a single boundary in the next seven overs and focused on rotating the strike, getting South Africa within 28 runs of victory with 30 balls left.
“It’s about managing it through the right phases, I guess, but up front, you’ve seen how teams are taking on the powerplay and we’d be silly not to try that. It’s not always going to come off, but when it does, … we can get ahead of the game,” Markram said.
David Miller, who scored an unbeaten 24, cleared the mid-wicket boundary to bring up the winning runs.
South Africa will conclude their group campaign against the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday, a day after New Zealand play Canada.
