years

April 25 (UPI) — Palestinians in Gaza held an election for the first time in 20 years as municipal elections were held there and in the West Bank on Saturday.

People in Deir al-Balah, a city in central Gaza, voted for the first time since 2006 because it was the least destroyed area after two years of airstrikes by Israel after the attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, CNN reported.

The elections, which also were held in many parts of the West Bank, were run by the Palestinian Authority and required candidates to agree with Palestinian Liberation Organization to recognize the state of Israel and support a two-state solution.

Elections were last held in the West Bank in 2022, The BBC reported, and had not been held in Gaza since Hamas took the enclave over two decades ago. Hamas was not permitted to participate in the elections.

Election results will be reported either late Saturday or on Sunday.

Salama Badwan, who voted with his wife and daughter, told Al Jazeera that the first election “is a truly Palestinian democratic celebration.”

“We must change everything through the ballot box,” Badwan said. “Whoever wins, it is their right, but not through inheritance … change must be through the hands of the people.”

Roughly 70,000 Palestinians — or 5% of the entire Gazan population — in Deir al-Balah were eligible to vote because many of the places that would have been used for voting were destroyed, as were supplies like ballot boxes.

The Palestinian Authority’s Fatah party dominated ballots as votes were held for 90 municipal councils and 93 village councils — leaving 42 other municipal councils and 155 village councils to be decided without votes.

Hamas praised the vote in Gaza and expressed hope for the rest of the territory to also choose its own leaders, although after its election in 2006 it forced Fatah out of Gaza in often violent battles and had not held an election since.

Washington, DC – Donald Trump — whose political career has been built, in part, on deriding the United States press — is set to attend his first White House Correspondents’ Dinner as president.

Saturday’s event continues a decades-long tradition, dating back to 1921. Still, the black-tie gala held in Washington, DC, remains a divisive event.

For years, detractors have argued its chummy approach to the presidency risks blurring the independence of the press corps.

Trump himself is one of the dinner’s critics. Until this year, Trump had refused to attend, appearing poised to defy a tradition of sitting presidents dining at least once with the press corps during the annual event.

Since he launched his first presidential campaign, Trump has taken a bellicose approach towards the media, issuing both personal attacks on journalists and lawsuits against news organisations for coverage he deems unfair.

His presence at Saturday’s dinner has only heightened questions about the event’s role in the modern era.

Trump has previously declined five previous invitations to attend, across his first and second terms. His inaugural visit on Saturday has been accompanied by changes to the dinner’s format: Most notably, the longstanding practice of having a comedian perform has been nixed.

Journalist organisations and rights groups, meanwhile, have called on the event’s host, the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA), to send a “forthright message” to the president about protecting the freedom of the press.

“We also urge the WHCA to reaffirm, without equivocation, that freedom of the press is not a partisan issue,” a coalition of groups, including the Society of Professional Journalists, wrote in an open letter.

A return for Trump?

Saturday is set to be the first time Trump attends the correspondents’ dinner as president, but it is not his first time attending the event.

He was present as a private citizen at the 2011 dinner, years before launching his first successful presidential campaign.

At the time, Trump had begun his foray into national politics, pushing the so-called “birtherism” theory: the racist claim that then-President Barack Obama was born in Kenya and had faked his US birth certificate.

It is tradition for the sitting president to speak at the event, and Obama seized the moment to lob barbs at Trump’s conspiracy theories and his nascent political career.

In one instance, Obama poked fun at Trump’s work hosting the reality television show The Apprentice.

Referring to Trump’s “firing” of actor Gary Busey, Obama mockingly praised his decision-making. “These are the kind of decisions that would keep me up at night,” he quipped. “Well played, sir.”

Obama also envisioned what a future Trump presidency would look like, displaying a mock-up of a “Trump White House Resort and Casino”.

Comedian Seth Meyers, who hosted the night’s event, also took aim at Trump’s birtherism claims and political ambitions.

“Donald Trump has been saying that he will run for president as a Republican,” he quipped at one point, “which is surprising since I just assumed he was running as a joke.”

Trump sat stone-faced in the audience, with several confidants later crediting the night as a major motivator for his 2016 presidential bid.

The White House Correspondents’ Association was launched in 1914, as a response to threats by then-President Woodrow Wilson to do away with presidential news conferences. The organisation has worked to expand White House access for reporters.

Comedians became mainstays of the annual dinner in the early 1980s, with both presidents and journalists often the subject of their pointed jokes.

Defenders of the event have argued that the presence of comedians helps to celebrate free speech and ground the black-tie proceedings, underscoring that no attendee is above ridicule.

But since President Trump first declined to attend the event after taking office in 2017, that norm has shifted.

Michelle Wolf’s no-holds-barred performance in 2018 is often seen as a breaking point.

In her jokes, she seized upon Trump’s past statements appearing to praise sexual assault, and she charged that Trump did not have a “big enough spine to attend” the event. She also mocked the mainstream media’s coverage of the president.

While praised by fellow comedians and some members of the press, her performance divided the White House press corps. Trump and his top officials took particular issue with the material, with the president decrying Wolf as “filthy”.

The following year, the association instead invited historian Ron Chernow to speak at the event. The dinner did not have another comedian until 2022, during the administration of US President Joe Biden.

Last year, during Trump’s first term back in office, the association abruptly cancelled a planned performance by comedian Amber Ruffin, with the board’s then-President Eugene Daniels saying it wanted to avoid “politics of division”.

This year, a mentalist, Oz Pearlman, is set to perform instead of a comedian.

Calls for press freedom

The Society of Professional Journalists, Freedom of the Press Foundation, and The National Association of Black Journalists are among the organisations and hundreds of individual journalists urging their colleagues to use the event to make a statement.

In an open letter, it said the actions by the Trump administration “represent the most systematic and comprehensive assault on freedom of the press by a sitting American president”.

The organisation pointed to a series of hostile actions the Trump administration has taken against journalists.

They include limiting the White House and Pentagon press pools, threats by the Federal Communications Commission against broadcasters, immigration enforcement actions against non-citizen journalists, and an FBI raid of a Washington Post reporter’s home.

The letter also pointed to the White House’s launching of a “hall of shame” page on its website, which highlights news organisations accused of biased coverage, as well as Trump’s repeated verbal attacks on reporters.

But the Trump administration has rejected allegations that it treats journalists unfairly or that it has prevented public access to information.

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, for example, has regularly touted Trump as the “most transparent” president in US history, pointing to his regular media events.

During his second term, Trump has also taken spur-of-the-moment phone interviews from reporters, even amid the US-Israeli war in Iran.

In their letter, the journalists and professional organisations note that some attendees on Saturday plan to wear pocket handkerchiefs or lapel pins with the words “First Amendment”.

The pins reference the section of the US Constitution that protects freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

But the journalists called on the White House Correspondents’ Association to go further and make it clear that it will not “normalise” Trump’s behaviour — “but instead fight back against any officeholder who has waged systematic war against the journalists whose work the dinner celebrates”.

Palestinians in central Gaza and the occupied West Bank have begun voting in municipal elections, the first local vote held since the start of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

Polling stations opened at 7am (04:00 GMT) on Saturday for 70,000 eligible voters in Gaza’s Deir el-Balah area – the first electoral exercise in the besieged enclave in 20 years.

The vote in a single city in Gaza is largely symbolic, with officials calling it a “pilot”. Deir el-Balah was selected because it is one of the few areas in Gaza not destroyed by Israeli forces.

Nearly 1.5 million registered voters in the occupied West Bank are also voting to determine the makeup of the local councils overseeing water, roads and electricity.

The elections come amid a tightly restricted political landscape and deep public disillusionment, as the Palestinian Authority (PA) seeks to project reform and legitimacy amid growing public frustration over corruption, political stagnation and the absence of national elections since 2006.

Most electoral lists are backed by President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah movement or independent candidates, with no official participation from Hamas, which controls parts of Gaza.

Linking the occupied West Bank and Gaza

With much of Gaza decimated by more than two years of war, the Ramallah-based Central Elections Commission chose to hold its first vote in Deir el-Balah. It had to improvise because it was unable to conduct traditional voter registration.

“The main idea is to link the West Bank and Gaza politically as one system,” its spokesperson, Fareed Taamallah, said.

The commission has not coordinated directly with either Israel or Hamas ahead of the Deir el-Balah vote and has been unable to send materials like ballot papers, ballot boxes or ink into Gaza, he added.

Though Palestinian voter turnout has gradually decreased, it has been relatively high in past local elections by regional standards, according to commission figures, averaging between 50 and 60 percent.

Gaza’s first election in 20 years

Hamas won parliamentary elections in 2006 and seized control of Gaza from the Fatah-led PA a year later.

It did not put forth candidates for Saturday, but polling from the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research indicates it remains the most popular Palestinian faction in both Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Ramiz Alakbarov, the United Nations deputy special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, called the elections “an important opportunity for Palestinians to exercise their democratic rights during an exceptionally challenging period”.

Hamas controls half of Gaza, which Israeli forces partially withdrew from last year, including Deir el-Balah, but the coastal enclave is preparing to transition to a new governance structure under US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan.

The plan established a Board of Peace composed of international envoys and a committee of unelected Palestinians, intended to operate under it.

Progress towards further phases, including disarming Hamas, reconstruction and a transfer of power, has stalled.

Electoral reform

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, 90, signed a decree last year to overhaul the electoral system in line with some demands from Western donors.

The reforms allow voting for individuals rather than party lists (slates), lowering the eligibility age to run and raising quotas for female candidates.

In January, another Abbas decree required candidates to accept the programme of the Palestine Liberation Organization, the group that leads the PA. The programme calls for the recognition of Israel and renouncing armed struggle, in effect, sidelining Hamas and other factions.

The slates in major West Bank cities are dominated by Fatah, the faction that leads the PA, and independents, some with ties to other factions. It marks the first time in six local elections that no other faction has officially put forward its own slates.

In the occupied West Bank, the PA exercises limited autonomy, and local councils oversee services from rubbish collection to building permits.

Votes are being held in villages in Area C, which covers about 60 percent of the West Bank and remains under direct Israeli control. Full administrative control would have been handed to the PA according to the 1995 Oslo Accords.

Votes will also be held in municipalities that Israel’s military has occupied since it launched a ground invasion in the northern West Bank last year.

Campaign posters have been plastered across cities, though many – including Ramallah and Nablus – will not hold elections because too few candidates or slates registered.

The PA’s power has withered amid years without peace negotiations with Israel and the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Writer Ali Graves renewed her vows after 20 years, on the most luxurious Caribbean island with her 3 kids in tow

You’d be forgiven for thinking that holidaying with the kids means giving up luxurious touches for standard family friendly resorts – complete with watered down cocktails and mediocre rooms – but you’d be wrong, as I was about to discover.

A very comfortable nine-hour flight with British Airways, across the Atlantic to the Beaches resort in Turks & Caicos soon blew that theory out the window for me. We travelled as a family of five and despite the ages in our party (ranging from 12 to 46), there was one universal expression as we set sandy foot onto property… wide-opened mouths of delight.

Our first taste of the Turks & Caicos

White sands, crystal-clear turquoise waters and a perfect, 28ºC breeze quickly told us that we had truly landed in paradise.

Beaches is a sister resort to Sandals and offers all the same luxurious amenities, but with a bonus – they’re family-friendly, so the little ones can come too. This isn’t their own spot, there’s another Beaches in Jamaica, too.

Turks & Caicos is made up of 40 islands and cays (small, sandy islets) but only nine are inhabited. Providenciales Island is the main centre, with our hotel located at the western end Grace Bay Beach – 12 miles known as the most beautiful white sand beach in the world. It borders the Princess Alexandra National Park and, for ocean lovers, it’s the perfect spot for snorkelling by Bight Reef Coral Gardens.

The perfect place to say ‘I do’ – again

Of course an island this beautiful is also a perfect destination for a wedding, honeymoon or – as my husband and I did – a Retying the Knot ceremony. We celebrated our 20-year anniversary while visiting and it was a privilege to mark this in style, and with staff so loving and attentive, there was nowhere more perfect.

We arranged this ahead of visiting and throughout the lead up, the lovely wedding team – especially Erika and Maureen – stayed in touch to arrange flowers, photographers and music choices, cake flavours and cocktails.

We chose a dreamy beach location, and the pictures are the best souvenir ever. I was pregnant on our first honeymoon so you could say I’d waited 20 years for my island cocktail! To sip on those exotic flavours while falling in love all over again, with our children by our side, was nothing short of heavenly.

From family adventures to adults-only relaxing

But this island is not just for weddings and newlyweds. In fact, who you’re here with – whether you’re a couple, a family with little ones or teens – will help you decide where is best to stay on site. The resort is split into five ‘villages’ – Key West Village (where we stayed in a plush two-storey, two bed concierge suite), Caribbean Village, Italian Village, French Village and new from last month, Treasure Beach Village. Each has their own ‘personality’ from family-style fun with quizzes, dance competitions, a swim-up bar and water aerobics in the Italian Village, to smaller, intimate pools and a quieter vibe in Key West, including adults-only pools and jacuzzi spots. Treasure Beach packs quite the luxurious punch with an infinity pool that drops into picturesque views of the Atlantic and fine dining options.

Luxury options at the restaurants

Beaches is all-inclusive, covering food, drink entertainment and water sports. And the food is exceptional, with something for every palate. If you fancy chilli cheese dogs, fries and pizzas washed down with a snow cone then you’re covered, but if sushi, steaks and lobster with fine island wine are more your vibe then it’s all here.

I have two tips on the food front. First, don’t miss the only restaurant you’ll need to book: Kimonos. This Teppanyaki-style, interactive dining experience is so much fun, with singing chefs and electric energy, and the meats are exceptional, too. Our personal favourite though, was Pinta in Treasure Beach Village which offered a worldwide cuisine menu – the pork belly poke bowl, roast pumpkin tacos and apricot rum punch will live rent free in my head for years to come.

Try the resort coffee too – Jamaican Blue Mountain. It’s cultivated in the high-altitude Blue Mountains and it’s a spectacular wake-up call at breakfast.

Red Lane Spa is located in two places on the resort – in Key West and in French Village – and is a paradise within paradise. My daughter and I chose tropical facials and left floating, with scents of mango and pineapple, and a bag of treats to bring home, too.

How to book this Turks & Caicos resort

Seven nights at Beaches Turks & Caicos in a Two Bedroom Concierge Suite costs from £7,449 per adult and £1,025 per child, based on two adults and two children under 12 sharing, including all-inclusive accommodation, concierge service, return flights, resort transfers, kids clubs, waterpark access and more. To book, call 0800 597 0002 or visit www.beaches.co.uk.

April 23 (Asia Today) — A former Samsung Electronics manager was sentenced to 6 years and 4 months in prison on Thursday in a retrial over charges that he leaked key semiconductor technology to a Chinese competitor.

The Seoul High Court also fined the former manager, identified by his surname Kim, 200 million won ($145,000).

The ruling came after South Korea’s Supreme Court sent the case back for a new trial, saying lower courts had wrongly treated some acts involving trade secret disclosure as part of a single offense rather than separate crimes.

Kim was accused of illegally leaking Samsung Electronics’ 18-nanometer DRAM process technology, classified as a national core technology, to Chinese memory chipmaker ChangXin Memory Technologies, also known as CXMT. He was indicted and detained in 2024. He was also accused of leaking technical data belonging to another company.

The appeals court said Kim had illegally acquired Samsung trade secrets and used them in China, calling the offense extremely serious.

The court said violations involving industrial technology, trade secrets and national core technologies waste the massive time and money invested in developing DRAM technology, severely undermine fair business order and could damage national competitiveness.

Two other defendants tried in the same case also received sentences after parts of the earlier acquittals were overturned. A former executive at a partner company was sentenced to three months in prison, while a company employee received a two-month prison term suspended for one year.

In the first trial, Kim was sentenced to seven years in prison after the court found him guilty on most charges related to trade secret leaks. The second trial upheld much of that reasoning but reduced the sentence to six years, citing findings that he had not directly participated in leaking some of Samsung’s core technology.

The Supreme Court later reversed that judgment and ordered a retrial. It said obtaining or disclosing trade secrets among accomplices during the process of leaking technology overseas should be treated as distinct crimes.

The court said South Korea’s unfair competition law defines the acquisition, use and disclosure of trade secrets to third parties as independent offenses, and separately punishes the knowing use of such secrets.

On Tuesday, another former Samsung employee charged in a related case was sentenced to seven years in prison. Authorities said that case was uncovered during an additional investigation into Kim.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260423010007596

The Saturday soccer show, which looks ahead to the day’s games, is to end following a drop in ratings

Alex Scott has issued a statement after BBC bosses blew the final whistle on Football Focus after a run of 52 years. The presenter, 41, said: “I always knew this would be my last season on the show, which the BBC were aware of too. My intention was to move quietly into the next chapter, but sometimes things change.”

The show, hosted by Alex Scott, was first broadcast in 1974. The decision is said to be based on “changing audience behaviours”, with fans increasingly consuming football content in different ways.

She said: “To have been part of it has been incredibly special, and I’m so grateful and proud of the eight years I’ve been involved , including the five years I’ve had the honour of presenting it.

“It has been such an important part of my life, working with some of the very best people in the business, both on screen and behind the scenes. I’ve loved so much of it, the conversations, the laughter, and sharing so many big moments with you, the audience. Thank you for being part of it.”

It comes as the Corporation battles with its finances, with the BBC saying “it is appropriate to respond to this as difficult decisions are made around how the licence fee is spent”.

In an age of content creators and social media, many football fans are no longer tuning in to the BBC1 show.

But BBC Sport chiefs insisted the decision to end the show at the end of the current season was not a reflection on the performance of Scott, who took over in 2021 after Dan Walker’s 12-year stint.

Alex Kay-Jelski, Director of BBC Sport said: “Alex Scott is one of our finest presenters, is hugely popular across the men and women’s game and is a big part of our present and future.

“She will remain at the heart of our sports output across both the Men’s World Cup this year and the Women’s World Cup in 2027, as well as continuing her lead role on the Women’s Super League and BBC Sport Personality of the Year. We are also working on a very exciting new project with her – more to come on that soon.”

He added: “Football Focus has been a hugely important programme in the history of BBC Sport and has played a key role in telling the stories of the game for generations of viewers. This decision was made before last week’s wider BBC savings announcement, reflecting the continued shift in how audiences engage with football and our commitment to evolving how we deliver content to reach fans wherever they are.”

But Alex, who will be the last presenter of the long-running BBC stalwart, is said to have been left feeling “bruised” over the BBC’s inquests into its declining performance. The BBC has not published viewing figures but the audience had dropped off significantly from 849,000 in 2019 to 564,000 by 2023.

Walker predicted the end of the show back in 2023, when he said: “It’s hard to see Football Focus struggling… I hope it stays part of the TV landscape.”

THE conflict in the Middle East has had a far-reaching impact on the package holiday market.

Bookings have stalled as holidaymakers delay plans due to the uncertainty and those who are heading away are opting for last-minute trips.

There’s been an increase in demand for Western Mediterranean destinations like Spain and Portugal over the Eastern Med.

Ironically, that has led to some fantastic deals available on holidays to Cyprus, Turkey and Egypt – all of which are operating completely normally and where there are absolutely no safety concerns.

All of our main tour operators – including Jet2, TUI and easyJet Holidays – have not expressed any concern about trips in the short to medium term and are planning on running their summer schedules as normal.

But with airlines across the globe beginning to scale back flight schedules – removing unprofitable routes now jet fuel prices have soared – as well as others introducing surcharges there is a stark contrast between the two.

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If you are looking to head away this summer and haven’t booked, now is probably the time to do it before prices start to rise.

Tour operators are desperate for us to get booking and you’ll see plenty of decent pricing and incentives.

Heading to Greece, Turkey, Cyprus and Egypt will be a good bet for those wanting to get a bargain – with demand for Western Mediterranean resorts high, prices could soon start to rise.

But what can you do to make sure your holiday is safe this year? While a lot of it is out of your hands, here are some ways to try and protect it as – much as possible.

Go for package holidays

Package holiday regulations do allow tour operators to add a surcharge to the cost of holidays already booked although it is extremely rare for this to happen.

Even then, the maximum they can charge is eight per cent of the holiday price.

Anything over that, and the operator has to offer you a full refund instead.

But what is clear is this is probably not the summer to do a DIY break.

Booking an ATOL-protected package holiday comes with lots of consumer protection you simply don’t get if you book each element independently.

Check your travel insurance

Most standard travel insurance policies exclude coverage for disruption tied to acts of war but it is still essential to take out insurance as soon as you book any trip as it offers vital protection in the run up to your trip such as sudden illness or the death of a close relative.

And of course, it provides essential medical cover should you fall ill or are injured on your trip as well as lost or stolen luggage and possessions.

Travel insurer Staysure revealed recently that the cost of a medical ambulance back from Spain this summer averages £37,853 from the Canary Islands, £22,930 from the Balearics and £25,583 from mainland Spain.

So it is still worthwhile buying a policy for medical protection alone.

And while travel insurance won’t cover you if your flight is cancelled, under UK/EU law your airline has a legal duty of care to you and must get you to your destination as quickly as possible.

In most scenarios, getting a refund on a cancelled flight would probably be the worst option as the airline then has no legal duty of care to you.

Read up on your rights should flights be cancelled and be prepared to fight for what you are due.

Opt for easy-to-get-home-from destinations

Many of us won’t want to give up the chance to soak up some Mediterranean sunshine this summer – and why should we?!

But making savvy choices on destinations could help protect your summer break.

If airlines do begin to trim schedules and cancel certain flights, it makes sense to choose airports where there are lots of daily flights.

Now is probably not the time to be booking a holiday to a destination that has just a single flight a week.

Booking holidays to our closest European neighbours – the likes of Spain, Portugal, France and Italy – also mean there are alternative ways to get home should flights be cancelled.

You can also look at other ways to holiday from the UK this summer without going near an airport.

There are lots of cruises that depart from UK ports including Southampton and London Tilbury that will sail you in style to the Mediterranean, Norwegian Fjords and beyond.

The boss of Brittany Ferries, Christophe Mathieu, has even said: “We make a clear promise to customers.

If you have booked with us, or are considering doing so, we will get you to a beautiful and safe holiday destination this year. Period.

“We will play no part in profiteering. The cost of our holidays rose by inflation earlier this year, and by inflation alone. There will be no further rises in the weeks or months ahead.

“Conflict or other global uncertainty should not be used as the basis for knee-jerk price hikes.”

Be prepared for unexpected expenses

Many travellers were caught short when airlines were forced to cancel flights to or through the Middle East at the start of the war.

For any trip, it always makes sense to have an emergency credit card for any unforeseen expenses that may occur. If possible, apply for one with an interest-free period.

Or look at a currency card like Currensea – this is a card that is linked to your bank account and takes out the payments via direct debit but avoids the high foreign exchange fees and doesn’t need to be pre-loaded like some other currency cards.

An alternative is to look at opening an account with a digital based bank account that you operate through an app on your phone like Revolut or Monzo.

Ninety-five years ago next month, Aurelio Manrique Jr. landed a job as a mild-mannered L.A. Times columnist. But the resume this native of the central Mexico state of San Luis Potosí brought to the paper was that of a firebrand.

Medical student turned political prisoner. Fought in the Mexican Revolution. Governor of his home state. Trusted advisor of general-turned-president Álvaro Obregón. Founder of a left-wing political party. Mexican legislator. He even took to the floor of Mexico’s congress to denounce former president Plutarco Elías Calles as a farsante — a phony — and then pull a gun on a rival who took issue with his vitriol.

Tall, with round wire glasses and a shock of black hair that was the inverse of his Moses-like beard, Manrique cut an exciting figure in Latino L.A. when he arrived as a political exile in 1929 after the so-called Escobar rebellion, which was an attempt to overthrow the Mexican government. A Oct. 28, 1929 Times dispatch noted that “it is not uncommon to find among the shabby, shuffling street venders [sic] of Sonoratown” former Mexican bigwigs “offering sweetmeats and trinkets from trays” in an effort to survive.

Finding a home in L.A.

They, like so many other political refugees before and since, made L.A. a home but also a place to fight for the freedom of their homeland.

Manrique, on the other hand, was hailed as the “intellectual head” of his fellow Mexican refugee politicos and an “accomplished linguist” who spoke Spanish, English, French and German.

“He stands in my memory as a pillar of fire because, at all times, he has never been afraid to do or say what he considered to be right, regardless of his own personal or political fate,” an admirer would recall decades later in the Virginia Quarterly Review.

The revolutionary found welcome audiences across the Southland with lectures and Spanish-language radio show appearances to talk about what was going on in his home country. He participated in Mexican Independence Day and Cinco de Mayo festivities and even found work in Hollywood films as everything from a British lord to an Arab sheikh.

But reputation doesn’t pay the bills, so Manrique also offered translation and interpreter services from a small Bunker Hill office. He also held Spanish-language classes twice a week at the L.A. Central Library. Soon after, The Times — a paper that back then loathed leftists of all stripes — hired Manrique as a columnist in May 1931. He was to be in charge of its daily Spanish-language roundup of world and local events, which the paper had regularly published since 1922.

The revolutionary plays a more reserved role

I wish I could say that Manrique used his platform to inveigh against the mass roundups of Mexican Americans that kicked off that year and that would lead to the repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Mexican Americans, citizens and not, during the 1930s. Or that Manrique taught his Times bosses that Latinos were more than domestic help or a societal scourge. Or that he deserves a spot in the pantheon of legendary Times metro columnists like Jack Smith, Ruben Salazar and Steve Lopez.

Alas, it was not to be.

The daily columna was just a roundup of wire stories published in Spanish, part of The Times’ effort to teach the language of Cervantes to those interested. Every Monday, the 40-year-old Manrique also wrote Platicas de Los Lunes [Monday Lessons], a place for the professor to teach new words to readers via translations, poems and sample sentences.

Manrique’s last byline was April 25, 1932. In the hundreds of columnas he wrote for us, I found nothing even remotely hinting at the progressive lion that Mexicans in Southern California knew him as. But in an era in which Latino visibility in Anglo Southern California was nonexistent when it wasn’t heavily stereotyped, Manriquez’s brief tenure at The Times was an important step for future Latino writers at the paper, all of us whom owe a debt to the man.

He returned to Mexico in early 1933 after President Abelardo L. Rodríguez announced amnesty for him and other exiles. The former revolutionary spent the rest of his life working for the Mexican government, most notably as ambassador to Scandinavian countries from 1946 to 1956.

In 1962, the retired Manrique returned to his old L.A. stomping grounds one final time five years before his death for a lecture at the Alexandria Hotel.

“He finds Los Angeles completely changed,” La Opinión reported, “and told us, with a tone of barely concealed sadness, that many of those who knew him had disappeared.”

The fate of all Angelenos, alas.

Today’s top stories

Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton speaks at a March 7 town hall in Mentone.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

A Trump-endorsed Republican could become California’s next governor

A second ticket drop for the Olympics

• A second ticket drop is set to open in August and will offer refreshed inventory across all sports at a range of prices.
• Those who registered but did not receive a slot in the first ticket drop or did not buy all 12 of their tickets will be enrolled in a lottery for a spot in the second ticket drop.

Court strikes down California mask law

California is getting 3 new state parks

• California will establish the new parks in the Central Valley, marking the state’s largest park expansion in decades and bringing the statewide total to 283 parks.
• The parks will serve historically underserved communities with recreation and historic preservation.

What else is going on

Commentary and opinions

This morning’s must-read

Other must-reads

For your downtime

The waffle with maple butter is the drive-across-town dish at celebrity-backed Max & Helen’s, the Larchmont diner opened by Phil Rosenthal and Nancy Silverton.

(Ron De Angelis / For The Times)

Going out

Staying in

A question for you: What’s your favorite California-themed book?

Marya says, “Hard Times in Paradise” by David and Micki Colfax.

Cristina says, “Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck.

Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.

And finally … from our archives

On this day 21 years ago, “Me at the zoo” was the first video uploaded to YouTube, opening the door to a new medium of television.

For the 20th anniversary last year, The Times’ Wendy Lee wrote about the video sharing platform and how it changed TV as we know it.

Have a great day, from the Essential California team

Jim Rainey, staff reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters

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ONE of Europe’s biggest airport hubs has opened its huge new third terminal – more than a DECADE after works started.

Frankfurt Airport, the busiest in Germany and 6th busiest in Europe, is often used as a stopover airport for long-haul flights.

And its new Terminal 3 has now opened.

Having started works back in 2015, the new terminal is the airport’s biggest project to date.

Costing €4billion (£3.6billion), inside is a main terminal and three concourses adding to Terminal 1 and 2.

Inside are more than 60 shops and restaurants, we well as new automated bag drop areas and improved CT scanners at security.

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Designed by German architect Christoph Mäckler he said he wants to make the terminal feel like a “city in its own right”.

He added: “These days airports have become a destination in their own right. In fact, they typically receive more visitors than many city centres.

“This makes it even more important for airports to also perform some of the same functions as cities. We’re making this happen in Terminal 3.”

Around 57 airlines will move to the new terminal from Terminal 2, which includes Qatar Airways and Cathay Pacific.

There will also be a shuttle between the terminals, taking less than 10 minutes.

Initially it will welcome up to 19million passengers, although this will eventually increase to 25million by June with the opening of the fourth phase.

Frankfurt Airport welcomed 63.2million passengers last year.

Brits can currently fly to Frankfurt with British Airways for £69, whereas Ryanair’s £15 flights go to the smaller Frankfurt-Hahn Airport.

And Condor Airlines launched a new flight route to Frankfurt from London Gatwick this month, the first UK route for the airline.

If you want to explore the city, it even has its own “mini Manhattan,” thanks to its skyscraper financial district.

CNN Travel previously said: “Frankfurt looks and feels more like a modern American city than any other metropolis when people visit Germany.”

Here is another new airport that has recently had a makeover in Europe.

A FORMER bodyguard and close pal of Michael Jackson has claimed the new biopic about the star whitewashes his life by not delving further into the sex abuse claims made against him.

In an exclusive interview, Matt Fiddes claimed Jackson would have wanted any movie to include the allegations and their impact on his life.

Fiddes also revealed he received a “delirious” call from Jackson two days before he died with the star allegedly pumped full of ephedrine and desperately reaching out for his dad.

Speaking ahead of the release of a new biopic on Friday, Fiddes said the star also claimed on the call that bosses were “making him rehearse too much” and that he “never agreed to 50 shows.”

Giving a unique insight into the moments leading up to Jackson’s death, Matt claimed Jackson was forgetting his lyrics and acting erratically – but it was still a complete shock to everyone who knew him as they were convinced he would just pull out of the tour.

The new movie based on the life of the “King of Pop’ is set to hit the big screen later this month with Jackson’s own nephew Jaafar in the title role.

An earlier trailer became the most watched of all time – amassing 150million views when it was released.

Jackson was first accused of abuse in 1993 by 13-year-old Jordan Chandler and his father Evan, who reached a $23million civil settlement with the star a year later.

He was never ultimately charged in connection with these allegeations after a 18-month criminal investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department and Santa Barbara Sherriff’s Department found they could not prove the case without Jordan’s testimony.

The movie was forced to undergo expensive reshoots last year after lawyers found an overlooked clause in the settlement with Jordan that barred him from being depicted or mentioned in any movie, according to Variety.

The movie was reportedly supposed to originally open with Jackson in 1993 surrounded by cop cars and its entire third act was dedicated to the allegations before the rewrite.

But Fiddes, 46, claimed the impact of the sex abuse claims played a direct role in Jackson’s death and accused filmmakers of whitewashing the allegations.

Fiddes, who was one of Jacko’s closest confidants for many years, claimed although all the allegations made against him were “proven untrue,” to cut them out of the movie wouldn’t do justice to the impact they had on him.

Jackson was still plagued by further allegations from 1993 on.

He underwent a high-profile criminal trial in 2005 after being hit with felony charges of abuse against 13-year-old Gavin Arvizo – but was found not guilty on all counts.

After his death the FBI confirmed they had found no evidence of criminal conduct to warrant federal charges against Jackson by releasing 300 pages of their decade-long investigation.

And over a decade after his death, Jackson’s estate is still facing lawsuits about his alleged behavior.

Accusers Wade Robson and James Safechuck are seeking $400million in a civil lawsuit that will go to a jury trial in November.

Fiddes said the release of the Michael Jackson movie would be “extremely controversial” and although he hasn’t yet seen it, he’s been told what will be in and out of it.

He added: “I’ve heard accounts from people who’ve seen the film. And from my understanding, it doesn’t cover the child abuse allegations and a lot of the struggles that Michael had behind the scenes, which are well publicised and what eventually led to his death.

“I know the fans are disappointed in this. They been contacting me. They want to see the real Michael. They want to see behind the scenes Michael, how he created his genius and how he suffered, how lonely
the man was.

“But I understand how business works. I’m a businessman, and if you’re running the Michael Jackson estate, you are going to want to have it all about the music, which is what Michael would have wanted.

“But Michael, as I knew him, would have wanted his fans and the public to see what it was like to be Michael Jackson. It was not all glitz and glamour. It was anything but.

“We could not go out. He couldn’t do anything. We had to go through the kitchen entrance to go into the hotels. He was manipulated by people he couldn’t trust. Many people. He was paranoid. He struggled to eat sometimes due to being nervous and anxious.”

Matt also said he believes allegations that Jackson was a child abuser were untrue but should still be referenced in the biopic.

He added: “It fascinates me to see still now in 2026 that there’s TV shows and documentaries being made about my friend Michael Jackson, that he’s a child molester, that he’s into young boys.

“Because having known the man personally, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

“He wanted to keep his life a mystery and would always remind me wanted his life to be the greatest show on earth.

“I said to him, I think you should show how you talk about girls from the back of the car. He had a nickname for a girl he fancied or always attracted to. He’d call them fish.

“He always said, that’s a nice fish there. Well, Matt, try and get that fish to my room.

“I told him ‘Michael, you should show this side to the public. But he always refused and said one thing Motown taught him when he was a young boy, in the Jackson Five, is that he mustn’t ever show that he was straight, that he was gay, or that he was married in a relationship. As this was going to cut off his fan base and it’ll be the end of the Jacksons.

“So all the fans feel that they got a chance to marry him, whether they’re gay, straight or whatsoever.

“I understand there are contracts signed from his girlfriends that can’t be talked about. But from what I’m hearing, there’s going to be a Michael movie part two of this franchise.

“What I will say is that everything Michael Jackson touches turns to gold. And I predict that Michael the movie will be the biggest movie ever of all time, not only the biggest biopic. I think it will be the biggest movie of all time. And we’ll go past a billion dollars turnover in no time whatsoever.”

Fiddes, who now runs the largest martial arts and dance chain in the world, worked with Jackson for a decade and recalls meeting him through a friend.

He added: “He called me up in the middle of the night and said, you have to come to my house now. If you don’t, you’ll regret it. It took me a good three hours to get there, but he would not tell me who I was going to meet.

“I walked in the living room and this man walks up to me. He bows to me due to the fact that we’re both martial artists. And he said, nice to meet you, Matt. For this. My name is Michael Jackson. I’m thinking, I know who you are.”

Fiddes said they quickly became friends and hang out and do normal stuff together.

He added: “He was a very shrewd character. I always say you got two sides to Michael. You got the very shy, quiet, humble person of his mother, Mrs. Jackson. Katherine, who’s a lovely lady. And then you’ve got the toughness, brutal, ruthless businessman of his father, Joe Jackson.

“And Michael had both sides of them. But aside from that being around him, he was the the most gentle soul and would do anything for anybody. And he was just extremely clever. He loved being Michael Jackson, but he was the nicest guy in the world, most misunderstood man in the world.”

Fiddes also gave a unique insight into the state of mind of the star when he died and revealed he had desperately tried to reach out to his dad Joseph Jackson to help, but could only reach his voicemail.

Fiddes, who believes the movie would become the most watched of all time, said: “You can’t talk about Michael Jackson without talking about the bad times and the negative times and none of us were expecting that he was going to die.

“I didn’t think he was going to do the 50 show concerts. We were getting reports all the time that he was not well, that he was underweight.

“He was not remembering his lyrics. I spoke to him two nights before he passed away, and I remember that conversation vividly.

“My ex-wife answered the phone and handed me the phone and said, It’s Michael, you need to speak to him urgently. He was unhappy. He said, Matt, I need to speak to Joe, meaning his father, Joseph Jackson.

“Do you know where he is? I thought, if he’s asking for his dad, then there must be something wrong. He said ‘I need him to come and sort this situation out here. Only Joseph can do it.

“He said ‘I don’t know what I’m supposed to be doing. They’re making me rehearse too much. And I never agreed to 50 shows.’”

Fiddes, who runs a martial arts business and lives in England, said Jackson sounded erratic and he asked if he had taken anything.

He added: “He said ‘I’ve just taken something called ephedrine, which is like a, an upper, like next level up from caffeine.’

“It’s a drug that a lot of dancers and performers and bodybuilders use. And he said he got given to him by a doctor, which kind of reassured me, but he was begging for me to come to Los Angeles.

“Then he asked for his best friend’s number, Mark Lester, who he called straight away. He played the original Oliver Twist from Oliver the movie and had a similar conversation with him.

“It turns out he did call Joe Jackson asking for help, but he got Joe’s answerphone and Joe went on a TV show.

“Not long after Michael passed away, he said sadly, ‘I got a message from Michael, but it was too late.’ Michael had already passed away.

“So Michael’s death was a shock to all of us. We thought he was going to call the concerts off and not do them.

“Or maybe do one or two, but not die on us. We didn’t think that was going to happen. That is something that will stick with me forever.”

WASHINGTON — A man who stole a purse from then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem while she dined at a restaurant under the protection of Secret Service agents was sentenced on Wednesday to three years in prison for a string of thefts in the nation’s capital.

Mario Bustamante Leiva did not recognize Noem when he grabbed her Gucci handbag from the floor of a restaurant where she was eating with her family in April 2025, according to the U.S. attorney’s office. Noem’s purse had credit cards and about $3,000 in cash. Police recovered it from Leiva’s motel room.

Bustamante Leiva, a 50-year-old native of Chile, is facing deportation after his sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden.

“Bustamante Leiva came to Washington illegally to prey on citizens of the district,” said Jeanine Pirro, U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, in a statement. “His pattern of theft ends here.”

Noem, who is identified only by her initials in court filings, acknowledged the incident in a statement last year that referred to Bustamante Leiva as a “a career criminal who has been in our country illegally for years.”

He pleaded guilty in November to three counts of wire fraud and one count of first-degree theft. He was charged and convicted of robbing two other people and charging fraudulent purchases to their credit cards.

Bustamante Leiva was charged along with a second suspect, Cristian Montecino-Sananza, who was sentenced in March to 13 months of incarceration for his role in one of the other thefts.

Investigators said they identified Bustamante Leiva as a suspect in the thefts after he used a stolen gift card to make a purchase.

Kunzelman writes for the Associated Press.

April 22 (UPI) — On Wednesday, a U.S. District judge sentenced the man who stole a purse from former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to three years in prison for that theft and others in Washington, D.C.

Noem was eating with her family April 25 at a restaurant in the presence of Secret Service agents when Mario Bustamante Leiva took her Gucci purse from the floor, NBC News reported. Police later found the bag, which had credit cards and more than $3,000 in cash, in Bustamante Leiva’s room.

The U.S. attorney’s office said that Bustamante Leiva, 50, a native of Chili, did not recognize Noem when he took the purse. The theft was part of a string of similar incidents in which Bustamante Leiva stole bags that belonged to women at restaurants throughout the District of Columbia.

Police arrested Bustamante Leiva on April 26, 2025. He pleaded guilty in November to three counts of wire fraud and one count of first-degree theft. He will face deportation after his prison sentence, the U.S. attorney’s office said.

“Bustamante Leiva came to Washington illegally to prey on citizens of the district,” Jeanine Pirro, U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, said in a press release. “He methodically targeted women at restaurants, stealing their purses and monetizing the stolen cards within minutes. His pattern of theft ends here.”

Court records show that, in three cases last April, Bustamante Leiva took bags from women at district restaurants and used their cards to make purchases, including gift cards worth hundreds of dollars, soon afterward. The incidents took place April 12, 17 and 20, 2025, with the last involving Noem.

In the April 12 case, Bustamante Leiva worked with codefendant Cristian Montecino-Sanzana, the U.S. attorney’s office said. Montecino-Sanzana was sentenced March 13 to 13 months in prison and three years of supervised release. He also faces deportation after his sentence.

A remarkably preserved town that has been underwater for a whopping 2,400 years has reappeared in a tourist holiday hotspot – anchored in the past and frozen in time

In an extraordinary turn of events, a town has reappeared after being submerged under water for more than 2,000 years – and it remains largely untouched.

In the popular holiday hotspot of southeastern Turkey, archaeologists uncovered a 2,400-year-old town beneath the Dicle Dam Lake. Despite being submerged for thousands of years, the town appeared eerily frozen in time, with remarkably preserved mosques, religious schools, and tombs that once made up an ancient community.

Due to a lack of human disruption, the town, near the district of Eğil, and near Diyarbakır, has remained protected and untouched under the water’s still surface. “In the images taken by the teams or when the water recedes, we can see that these historical structures have preserved their integrity and remain standing in a solid condition,” Dr. İrfan Yıldız, a researcher at Dicle University, said.

READ MORE: The seaside town with beautiful beaches and 23C May temperatures ‘begging Brits to come’READ MORE: Popular airline reduces Europe flights and cancels others until June 14

The mosque and tombs beneath the water are said to be associated with the Prophet Elisha, as well as the Ottoman-era Caferiye, also known as Lala Kasım, Madrasa, and the Byzantine-era Deran Bath. Experts have noted just how extraordinary it is to have such well-preserved structures underwater.

The discovery of the settlement, published by Dicle University, is now offering archaeologists insight into the region’s prehistoric past and its transformation over the millennia. But how did this foregone town, that once had a thriving community, find itself lost in time and engulfed under water?

The Dicle Dam Lake was formed by a dam built in 1986 and completed in 1997, which was required as a vital water source for the region. But before this, the Eğil district, part of the Tigris River Valley, had been home to ancient communities.

Its residents date back to the Hittites and Ottoman empires, which once used prehistoric tombs. While the region is said to have served as a vital gateway for Assyrians, Persians, Hurrians, Mitanni, Romans, and Byzantine citizens.

Before the dam was completed and flooding engulfed parts of the region, some important sites were removed, while other parts were simply abandoned. The reservoir was filled, and the ancient town remained untouched, lost beneath the water.

While it’s been one of the most fascinating discoveries, the ruins are at risk of being lost if measures aren’t taken to protect them due to shifting water levels, sediment activity and possible erosion. Dr Yıldız, who described the find as “extraordinary”, is championing the extension of studies to protect the heritage site.

He said: “Underwater archaeological studies can be carried out on these remains.” It’s thought that further studies on the former town could help uncover more of the region’s history and the lives of the citizens who called it home, all those years ago.

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

If enjoying a tipple in a sunny beer garden is top of the list for your seaside trip, there’s one English beach resort that wouldn’t have been your cup of tea before this century. 

I visited Frinton-on-Sea, a quaint little town on the Essex Sunshine Coast where boozers were banned until 2000.

Follow The Sun’s award-winning travel team on Instagram and Tiktok for top holiday tips and inspiration @thesuntravel.

Nowadays you can prop up the bar at the town’s first pub, the Lock and Barrel, or enjoy a drink in the sun outside.

There are a couple of small courtyard areas with picnic tables out back, plus tables in front of the pub’s huge double-fronted picture windows overlooking the high street.

It’s all a far cry from the Frinton of years gone by, when industrialist Richard Powell Cooper developed the golf course and land around it in the 1890s, stipulating that no drinking holes would be welcome. 

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In fact, there wasn’t even a fish and chip shop until the 1990s.

So heading back 30 years after the sea change, I was interested to see if lifting the ban on takeaways and pubs has made much difference to the sleepy seaside chic I remember from my youth.

Now pubs are permitted, Frinton’s main claim to fame is being named by Which? as the warmest and driest coastal town in its most recent survey of best UK seaside spots, as well as scoring five stars from visitors for peace and quiet.

It got just one star for tourist attractions, as it’s not got a pier, arcades or any of the other seaside staples you might expect.

It’s the polar opposite of the party vibe of its coastal cousin Clacton, just five miles down the seafront.

With a family-friendly sandy beach overlooked by the wide lawns and heritage sea shelters of the greensward, there’s something a little bit special about this secluded seaside spot, and the introduction of a pub hasn’t done anything to change that. 

It’s still got a village vibe, with only one road in and out over the railway line. 

Its high street Connaught Avenue remains packed full of independent shops – a glimpse out of the pub window revealed a toy shop, butcher, bookshop and fishmonger.

Although, Frinton hasn’t avoided the inevitable Turkish barber, charity shop and nail salon that seem to have sprung up in every town centre.

Even a chain like Poundstretcher has toned down its brightly coloured exterior and signage to fit in with the conservation area. 

Here are more of our favourite UK seaside towns…

*If you click on a link in this box, we will earn affiliate revenue.

Sidmouth, Devon
Take a trip to Sidmouth on the Jurassic Coast and wander down Jacob’s Ladder to its pretty shingle beach. Make sure to walk along the promenade and check out the independent shops and boutiques. Stay at the four-star Harbour Hotel for sea views and traditional afternoon tea from £135 per room.

BOOK A STAY

Whitby, North Yorkshire
With a history of sailors and vampires, a dramatic coastal path, and the very best in pints and scampi, it takes a lot to beat Whitby. Pop in the amusements, eat award-winning fish and chips, and board the all-singing Captain Cook boat tour on the harbour. The Royal Hotel overlooks the harbour with stays from just £68 per room.

BOOK A STAY

Old Hunstanton, Norfolk
This town has some of the best beach walks beside striped limestone cliffs, a Victorian lighthouse and 13th century ruins. The beach has golden sands with rolling dunes and colourful beach huts, backed by a pretty pinewood forest. Stay at a beachfront hotel from £100 per room.

BOOK A STAY

Seahouses, Northumberland
This is an authentic British seaside break, with fishing boats bobbing on its pretty harbour and fresh catches of the day to enjoy in local restaurants. There’s no flashing arcades here, but there’s a great beach with rockpools, boat trips, and you may even spot a grey seal, too. Treat yourself to a stay at the Bamburgh Castle Inn from £129 per room.

BOOK A STAY

We popped in for a pint at the Lock and Barrel, paying £30 for a round of two beers, a glass of wine and three soft drinks.

I liked the pub name’s nod to the previous ironmonger incarnation of the building, with Blowers and Cooper storefront lettering preserved on the ceiling above the bar to remember the shop based here for 75 years.

And the lovely green tiled pillar at the entrance preserves part of the pub’s predecessor for posterity.

It all seems very much in keeping with the genteel feel that attracted the likes of Winston Churchill and the Prince of Wales here in the first half of the 20th century.

And while Frinton is never going to be prime pub crawl territory, strolling a mile inland while window shopping along Connaught Avenue brings you to the Essex Skipper on an estate towards the outskirts of the town.

We loved the beach hut seating areas in the beer garden and the big word cloud backdrop that commemorates many of the special places, food and experiences that make this stretch of the Essex coast unique.

This pub has a fresh, modern feel, quite a contrast to the olde world charm of its high street counterpart.

With August average highs of 21C, sea temperatures of around 18C and rainfall just 45mm, Frinton combines the best of British summertime with a town that’s stayed true to its traditions.

And it’s easily accessible, with trains from London Liverpool Street taking just 90 minutes.

If you do like to be beside the seaside and all you need for your bucket-and-spade break is a beach and a bit of sunshine, Frinton could become a firm family favourite for you.

For more inspiration, here are all the trendy UK seaside towns with huge makeovers and enough to do for a WEEK – and you can stay from £35.

And here’s the coastal English town becoming the next big thing – and there’s loads of celebs there too.

EastEnders fans were not expecting to see one character randomly head back to the BBC soap without warning during Monday’s episode of the BBC soap amid a scene with Ravi Gulati

Fans got a surprise during Monday’s episode of EastEnders as a character returned without warning after four years offscreen.

With the episode now up on BBC iPlayer ahead of it airing on BBC One on Monday evening, we saw Ravi Gulati faced with a blast from the past. The death of his ‘father’ Ranveer Gulati was revisited, as Ravi headed to hospital amid his mental health spiralling.

There, his nurse was none other than his ex and former stepmother Nina Gupta. Fans may recall Nina was having an affair with Ravi behind Ranveer’s back.

Around this time we saw Suki Panesar believe she had killed Ranveer after he sexually assaulted her. She attacked him in self-defence, and Ravi walked in and decided to help her cover up the crime.

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It was soon apparent his ‘dad’ was still alive though, and Ravi killed him. Nina was helping Ravi trying to get Ranveer’s money, and she covered for Ravi for killing her husband too.

Now she’s back, treating Ravi in hospital where she addressed their past. Seeing him struggling, she said it was karma for what he did all those years ago.

Fans were divided over the return, as one fan posted on social media: “Now why did we need to bring Nina back. We didn’t need her the first time and she’s just proven why we didn’t need her this time.”

A second fan said: “I’m glad they bought back Nina for this episode cause even though this sl was triggered by the drugs and the spiking I think it reminds people that everything genuinely stems from Ranveer and Nish.” A third added: “Unexpected Nina in the bagging area!!!”

Another viewer said: “Seeing Nina return today took me by suprise but has equally left me convinced that Kheerat and/or Ash might return at some point. Kheerat took the fall for Ranveer’s death in the end and that showdown at the surgery beteeen Ash and Nina was brilliant.”

The reactions kept on coming too, with one fan saying: “Bringing back Nina Gupta wasn’t on my bingo card!” another confessed: “For some reason I thought Nina died lmao clearly not.”

A final comment read: “I was really divided about Nina. I think it’s really good when you bring back a past character to explore someone else’s past and I think this did that and reminded us of that time in Ravi’s life. But equally why was she acting like she wasn’t a ‘baddie’ style character then too?

“She was hardly innocent! I thought it was a good twist as we didn’t know it was going to happen and it was like oh hello, but at the same time I don’t know if it added much.”

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

Much of the news dominating the local restaurant scene has focused on sadness.

Two Los Angeles icons, Cole’s French Dip and Echo Park’s Taix restaurant, closed after more than 215 combined years of service.

It’s easy to be down and not necessarily want to go out.

Fortunately, our Food team, led by senior editor Danielle Dorsey, has some amazing recommendations for new favorites and old haunts that will fill your stomach and lift your spirits.

This month’s highlighted selections include locales from Altadena and Echo Park to Malibu and Westwood that the team feels are all worth your time.

Let’s take a look at a few of their selections.

Duke’s (Malibu)

The iconic restaurant along PCH was on the heels of reopening after the Pacific Palisades fire last February when heavy rain caused mudslides that led to flooding and extensive damage.

Fourteen months later, Duke’s Malibu is open with significant renovations and limited lunch and dinner menus featuring Hawaiian-influenced seafood staples such as crispy coconut shrimp, Korean sticky ribs and hula pie.

As the restaurant celebrates 30 years in operation, plans are underway for an anniversary party this summer.

(Kayla Bartkowski/Los Angeles Times)

Golden Leaf Restaurant (San Gabriel)

A Taiwanese restaurant in San Gabriel was forced to remove stinky tofu, a popular, culturally significant dish, from its menu after repeated complaints from residential neighbors and fines from the city.

City officials have encouraged Golden Leaf restaurant to install an expensive filter to address the pungent smell, though owners insist that none of their immediate shopping center neighbors have complained about the odor.

Supporters launched a Change.org petition last summer backing the preparation of the dish.

(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times )

Hoja Blanca (Palm Springs)

If you’re heading to Coachella today, it’s worth making a detour for this weekly pop-up at a sleek Palm Springs bar.

From married couple Omar Limon and Blanca Flores Torres, with help from Omar’s brother Arnold Limon, Hoja Blanca offers a playful take on modern Mexican food with dishes such as quesabirria tacos, esquites with cauliflower and a tetela topped with pork belly, all served alongside Bryan Jimenez’s classic cocktails.

(Stella Kalinina/For The Times)

Meymuni Cafe (Rancho Park)

As war unfolds in Iran and neighboring countries, L.A.’s Persian community has found comfort and support at restaurants such as Meymuni, a modern Persian cafe that offers free tea and cookies to diners, many of whom stop by after related protests at the nearby Federal Building.

The cafe opened in 2025 with barbari bread and lavash wrap sandwiches, tahini-date shakes and chai lattes, plus a full slate of events aimed at uplifting the local Persian community.

(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)

NADC Burger (Westwood)

The rapidly expanding smashburger chain from Pasta Bar and Sushi by Scratch Restaurants chef Phillip Frankland Lee has opened its first L.A. location in Westwood Village, with plans to open additional locations in the city.

The signature burger at NADC — an acronym for “not a damn chance” — features two Wagyu patties, American cheese, grilled onions, jalapeños, pickles and a house sauce, with beef tallow fries and brown butter chocolate chip cookies rounding out the short menu.

(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)

Roshona Bilash (Larchmont)

After stepping away from the kitchen for decades, Abul Ibrahim has opened a quick-service restaurant in Melrose Hill that celebrates the Bangladeshi flavors he grew up with.

Roshona Bilash, which translates to “luxurious taste,” features Bengali classics such as bone marrow nihari, rice pilafs and meats and breads cooked in a clay oven, with plans to expand with regional specialties such as seafood dishes popular along the Bangladesh coast.

Check out the full list here.

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(Illustrations by Lindsey Made This; photograph by Frazer Harrison / Getty Images)

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Get wrapped up in tantalizing stories about dating, relationships and marriage.

Have a great day, from the Essential California team

Jim Rainey, staff reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew J. Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters

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It’s time to reveal memories, laughs and crazy times from Randy Rosenbloom’s 55 years as a TV/radio broadcaster in Los Angeles. He’s hopping in a car next Sunday with his wife, saying goodbye to a North Hollywood house that’s been in his family since 1952 and driving 3,300 miles to his new home in Greenville, S.C.

“When I walk out, I’ll probably break down,” he said.

He graduated from North Hollywood High in 1969. He got his first paid job in 1971 calling Hart basketball games for NBC Cable Newhall for $10 a game. It began an adventure of a lifetime.

“I never knew if I overachieved or underachieved. I just did what I loved,” he said.

Randy Rosenbloom (left) used to work with former UCLA coach John Wooden for TV games.

(Randy Rosenbloom)

John Wooden, Jerry Tarkanian and Jim Harrick were among his expert commentators when he did play by play for college basketball games. He called volleyball at the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games for NBC and rowing in 2004. He’s worked more than 100 championship high school events. He did play by play for the first and only Reebok Bowl at Angel Stadium in 1994 won by Bishop Amat over Sylmar, 35-14.

“There were about 5,000, 6,000 people there and I remember thinking nobody watched the game. We ended up with a 5.7 TV rating on Channel 13 in Los Angeles, which is higher than most Lakers games.”

He conducted interviews with NFL Hall of Famers Gale Sayers and Johnny Unitas and boxing greats Robert Duran, Thomas Hearn and Sugar Ray Leonard. He’s worked with baseball greats Steve Garvey and Doug DeCinces. He called games with former USC coach Rod Dedeaux. He was in the radio booth for Bret Saberhagen’s 1982 no-hitter in the City Section championship game at Dodger Stadium. He was a nightly sportscaster for KADY in Ventura.

Randy Rosenbloom, left, with his volleyball broadcast partners, Kirk Kilgour and Bill Walton.

(Randy Rosenbloom)

He was the voice of Fresno State football and basketball. He also did Nevada Las Vegas football and basketball games. He called bowl games and Little League games. He was a public address announcer for basketball at the 1984 Olympic Games with Michael Jordan the star and did the P.A. for Toluca Little League.

Nothing was too small or too big for him.

“I loved everything,” he said.

He called at least 10 East L.A. Classic football games between Garfield and Roosevelt. He was there when Narbonne and San Pedro tied 21-21 in the 2008 City championship game at the Coliseum on a San Pedro touchdown with one second left.

Probably his most notable tale came when he was doing radio play-by-play at a 1998 college bowl game in Montgomery, Ala.

“I look down and a giant tarantula is crawling up my pants,” he said. “My color man took all the press notes, wadded them up and hit the tarantula like swinging a bat.”

Did Rosenbloom tell the audience what was happening?

“I stayed calm,” he said.

Then there was the time he was in the press box at Sam Boyd Stadium and a bat flew in and attached itself to the wooden press box right next to him before flying away after he said, “UNLV wins.”

Recently, he’s been putting together high school TV packages for LA36 and calling travel ball basketball games. He’ll still keep doing a radio gambling show from his new home, but he’s cutting ties to Los Angeles to move closer to grandchildren.

“I’m retiring from Los Angeles. I’m leaving the market,” he said.

Hopefully he’ll continue via Zoom to do a weekly podcast with me for The Times.

He’s a true professional who’s versatility and work ethic made him a reliable hire from the age of 18 through his current age of 74.

He’s a member of the City Section Hall of Fame and the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. He once threw the shot put 51 feet, 7 1/2 inches, which is his claim to fame at North Hollywood High.

One time an ESPN graphic before a show spelled his name “Rosenbloom” then changed it to “Rosenblum” for postgame. It was worth a good laugh.

He always adjusts, improvises and ad-libs. He expects to enjoy his time in South Carolina, but he better watch out for tarantulas. They seem to like him.

Bulgarians vote to elect a new parliament, after mass protests brought down the previous Conservative-led government in December.

Bulgarians have started voting in the eighth parliamentary election in five years after mass protests brought down the previous Conservative-led government in December.

Polling stations opened at 7am local time (0400 GMT) and are due to close at 1700 GMT, according to AFP journalists.

Sunday’s vote is significant as it could bring to power a left-leaning, pro-Russian former president Rumen Radev – just days after voters in Hungary rejected the authoritarian policies and global far-right movement of Viktor Orban, who cultivated close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The December protests drew hundreds of thousands of mainly young people to the streets. The protesters called for an independent judiciary to tackle widespread corruption.

Radev, a former air force general, has said he wants to rid the country of its “oligarchic governance model” and backed anti-corruption protests late last year that brought down the conservative-backed government.

He has advocated for renewing ties with Russia and criticised sending military aid to Ukraine. He resigned from the mainly ceremonial presidency in January to launch his bid to lead the government as prime minister.

He leads the newly formed centre-left grouping, Progressive Bulgaria. Opinion polls before Sunday’s vote suggested it could gain 35 percent of votes.

Since 2021, the nation of 6.5 million has struggled with fragmented parliaments that produced weak governments. None managed to survive more than a year before being brought down by street protests or backroom deals in parliament.

BRITS wishing to travel to a major American city have been dealt a blow as a budget airline announced it is grounding all flights to the destination.

Norse Atlantic is axing its flights from London Gatwick to Los Angeles.

The decision comes as the Iran War continues to impact fuel prices.

Norse only introduced the route between the UK and American city back in June 2023 and at that time operated seven flights per week from London Gatwick to Los Angeles.

The airline had planned to operate six flights per week for the peak summer months.

However, the flight route – due to start next month – will be cancelled for the entire season until October.

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And it isn’t just Brits that will impacted as the airline is also stopping its routes to Los Angeles from Rome in Italy and Paris Charles de Gaulle in France.

The announcement means that Norse will only have four long-haul routes this summer, including London Gatwick to New York and London Gatwick to Orlando.

According to Travel Gossip, a spokesperson said: “Due to the continued increase in fuel constraint risks, fuel prices, and the resulting impact on our operating costs, we have had to make the difficult decision to suspend our LAX operations this summer, May to October.

“All affected customers will be proactively notified by Norse Atlantic Airways today where contact details are available.

“We sincerely apologise, but as a consequence of this fuel crisis, it is our responsibility to ensure we make this decision to maintain a sustainable airline for our passengers and colleagues.”

The news follows a number of other airlines making decisions to axe flights and increase fare prices as a result of the ongoing fuel crisis caused by the Iran war.

Yesterday, KLM announced that they were axing 160 flights across Europe over the next month due to the fuel crisis.

These include services to and from London.

The cancellations will impact flights travelling to and from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands.

However, the airline has said that they currently do not have a shortage of jet fuel.

A KLM spokesperson said: “Passengers affected by these changes will be rebooked onto the next available flight.

“As these are destinations KLM serves multiple times a day, such as London and Düsseldorf, travellers can usually be accommodated quickly.

“KLM expects a busy May holiday period and is making sure passengers can travel to their holiday destinations as planned.”

This week, Lufthansa also announced that its subsidiary airline CityLine is to cease operations due to both the Iran war and ongoing strike action.

The airline – which operates some flights to and from the UK including Frankfurt and Munich – will be grounding 27 aircraft from April 18.

Lufthansa’s main airline will be grounding four Airbus jets and two Boeing jets for good, by the end of the summer as well.

These planes are usually used for longer haul destinations.

The airline will reduce short and medium-haul flights by five aircraft from this winter too.

British Airways announced that it will be permanently cutting its route between London Heathrow and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia from April 24.

And earlier this month, UK airline Skybus scrapped all future flights between London Gatwick and Newquay.

In other flight news, a closed UK airport has revealed the latest details about being able to reopen as part of huge £193million project.

Plus, a UK travel company has gone bust with all holidays cancelled – but Brits won’t get any refunds.

We boarded the P&O Cruises sailing around Canary Islands and Madeira with a previous cruise experience in mind – but P&O Cruises offered a completely unexpected holiday

‘I get seasick when I am on a rowing boat’.

Those 10 words from my friend Paul filled me with dread as we prepared for our first ever cruise together. He was a cruise virgin having always avoided a holiday on board a ship due to seasick fears and the idea of not being in one place for very long.

My last cruise was 25 years plus ago so we were definitely newbies as we boarded P&O’s Azura in the Port of Santa Cruz following a chartered flight from Gatwick to Tenerife. But we had decided to take the leap of faith in a bid to soak up some winter sunshine, relax and explore the Canary Islands and Madeira.

This kicked off with a trip to Tenerife’s Mount Teide where we were immediately hit by the contrast of winter underfoot and the sunshine hitting our skin. Following a bumpy and exhilarating cable car journey towards the summit of the 3,715 metre high volcano we emerged onto the crisp snow that crunched under every step.

Just minutes earlier we had been at the bottom among ashen, molten rock on a lunar landscape more at home on Mars or the Moon. Our guide explained that they had experienced more rain and snow than in many many a year, but this just added to the breath-taking scenery.

However each destination offers something different with a whole host of excursions available. Regular cruisers told us the excursions and the entertainment on sea days are what sets this cruise apart and we really could not disagree.

Our other excursions on Gran Canaria and then Lanzarote continued the theme of feeling like you are stepping off the boat onto another planet. We visited Timanfaya National Park on Lanzarote where a 40-minute bus tour takes you through lunar landscape shaped by eruptions towards the park’s Islote de Hilario where geothermal demonstrations wow the crowds of tourists and chickens are cooked on BBQs using the volcanic heat. In Gran Canaria we did a two-hour walking guided tour around the edge of a volcano where we again mixed ash, molten rock and thriving greenery before heading to a vineyard to sample local wines and cheeses.

Thankfully the destination days were separated by two sea days which allowed us to recover from exploring the islands and discover everything the Azura had to offer. It is one of the largest cruise liners in the P&O fleet with more than 1500 cabins spread across 14 decks which also include five pools, a gym, a spa, a casino, theatre as well as several restaurants and bars.

It meant there was plenty of opportunity for us to unwind and indulge – and there was not even the smallest of suggestion that Paul was going to be seasick . We spent several hours in the modern and well-equipped gym but it was the spa that was the real special retreat with an adult-only pool, jacuzzi, sauna and plenty of treatments.

The escape from the sun-kissed bustling decks was welcome before the highlight of dining and then on to more exploring – this time trying out the nightlife onboard!

When it came to food, there was an impressive amount of choice, but one must-visit is the sophisticated Epicurean which offers fine dining and makes you feel at home for the black-tie evenings. The dishes are not just beautifully presented but the taste was exceptional and the whole experience felt extremely luxurious.

Other highlights included Sindhu which is a stylish Indian eatery, the Beach House offering Caribbean and Mexican style dishes (which includes the stand-out Fillet steak served on a lava rock), as well as The Oriental featuring a mix of British and global dishes.

It was this variety – not just for dining – but across the whole experience which saw us converted to cruise enthusiasts. There really is something for everyone and something for every budget. You can mix fine dining and extravagant excursions or you can mix the buffet with exploring the islands yourself. You can relax by the pool and bars or head to the spa.

You can work out in the gym and swim or you can soak up the sun on the decks. You can try quizzes, the casino, sports and much more. It seems to be perfect for couples, friends, families, as you truly can make what you want out of the holiday.

In the meantime, I know for sure that I won’t be leaving it another 25 years before I board my next cruise.

Book the holiday

Prices for the Spain, Portugal & Canary Islands cruise (N617) start from £1,299pp, sailing 14-nights on a roundtrip from Southampton on 18 July onboard Ventura, based on two people sharing an inside cabin. Book on pocruises.com.

Commenters who never have been — and never will go — complain about the cost, the influencers, the hype. Purists wax poetic about the days when they disappeared into three days of music and the field wasn’t overtaken by brands like Barbie and e.l.f. cosmetics. Defenders claim they can camp their way to an affordable weekend, and others spend the whole time posting. A select few even talk about great performances they saw — it’s still a music festival.

But one thing everybody can agree on: Coachella has changed. I should know. I’ve been covering it as a journalist since 2007.

Rapid advancements in technology and mass adoption of social media have brought out the best and worst of the festival — not just on screens thousands of miles away, but to those of us trying not to trip over the makeshift photoshoot you might have seen on Instagram.

Coachella pre-2010 was a purist’s paradise

Some of Coachella’s most iconic moments happened before smartphones: The Flaming Lips in a human hamster ball in 2004; Daft Punk’s 2006 pyramid set; Rage Against the Machine reuniting and calling for the George W. Bush administration to be tried for war crimes in 2007. If you even had a cellphone when Coachella started in 1999 it was probably a Nokia brick or a flip phone with an antenna that had limited talk and text options.

In the early years, there were no brand activations on the field; nobody knew what an influencer was and the only corporate sign you saw was for Heineken in the beer gardens. (There was no Heineken House with its own stage, just signs advertising the beer.)

The grounds were also considerably smaller, making it easier to explore the different stages and discover new music. You didn’t have fancy food options, but a slice of Spicy Pie was less than $10. (Coachella upgraded its food options from festival staples to weekend outposts of L.A. restaurants in 2014.)

The music was the draw. The festival’s track record includes artists like the Killers, the Black Keys, Childish Gambino and Kendrick Lamar climbing up from small type to headliner on the lineup poster.

Livestreams and influencers made Coachella’s reach global

The vibes started to shift in 2010 as smartphones grew in popularity, although the service on the field was spotty. It was the first year Coachella offered a livestream — available via Facebook and MySpace. The next year, the stream moved to YouTube, where it remains and draws millions of viewers.

As Coachella expanded to twin weekends due to popular demand on the ground in 2012, it also had the first viral moment fans could enjoy from thousands of miles away: Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg brought 2Pac back to life via a hologram.

Celebrities were always at Coachella (I spotted Ryan Seacrest, Corbin Bernsen, David Hasselhoff and Danny DeVito in my early years), but the rise of social media made celebrity culture a key part of the event. By 2011, TMZ was posting about stars like Lindsay Lohan. Clips from Coachella went viral and ended up on shows like “Tosh.0” and referenced in “Community.”

The art, which was always part of the festival, became bigger and more iconic. On the growing photo app Instagram, larger-than-life sculptures of astronauts started appearing in selfies.

Brands saw an opportunity. American Express, H&M and Samsung launched activations on-site in 2015. The party scene outside the festival, with non-affiliated events that were timed because everyone was in town for Coachella, became marketing vehicles. Brands are still cashing in more than a decade later.

The next watershed moment was Beyoncé in 2018. Today, most headlining sets at the fest feel as if they are designed for the viewing experience on the livestream rather than the fans on the field (ahem, Justin Bieber and his laptop). But Beyoncé’s spectacle was just as mind-blowing on-site as it was at home. A year later, the “Homecoming” special debuted on Netflix, widening the reach.

Coachella became a key part of the pop culture landscape, and then it became a cornerstone of the influencer economy.

Behind all the hype, there’s still a music festival hiding

I inadvertently photobombed approximately 500 people just trying to go to and from the press tent last weekend and my inbox is overflowing with requests for coverage of off-site events with brands, celebs and TikTok influencers, including social media clips.

But at the end of the day, Coachella is still a music festival, and a really good one at that. The Strokes, David Byrne, Jack White, Iggy Pop, Turnstile, Wet Leg, Fujii Kaze and even Less Than Jake in the Heineken House were some of the best performances I had seen in years.

Coachella is what you make of it. And besides, everyone knows there are fewer influencers on Weekend 2.

Today’s top stories

A health worker administers a measles test on Fernando Tarin, of Seagraves, Texas, at a mobile testing site outside Seminole Hospital District on Feb. 21, 2025.

(Julio Cortez / Associated Press)

Increasing measles cases in California

• California in 2026 has already seen its highest number of annual measles cases in seven years amid an ongoing resurgence of a disease once considered effectively eradicated in the U.S.
• The re-emergence comes as vaccination rates have tumbled nationwide in recent years.

Testing LAX’s long-awaited train

• LAX’s 2.25-mile electric train system will begin running without passengers next week as testing advances following a series of delays.
• The Automated People Mover system began construction in 2019 and was initially slated to open to the public in 2023.

Nationwide recall of a popular anxiety drug

• Specific bottles of Xanax, one of the most widely prescribed medications to treat anxiety and panic disorders, has been recalled due to its failure to dissolve at a standard rate.
• FDA officials are not warning against consuming the product at this time.

What else is going on

Commentary and opinions

This morning’s must-read

Another must-read

For your downtime

Reporter Deborah Vankin gets a massage by an “Aescape” robot at Pause Wellness Studio.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Going out

Staying in

A question for you: Are you planning on leaving California for another state? If so, tell us why.

Laura says, “I left California during the pandemic. Part of the push factor for me was politics, but not blue politics. I had been living in OC since 2018 and was surprised it was so Conservative (and conservative). That became a bigger source of discomfort for me as the vaccine question demonstrated how our neighbors’ decisions can impact us directly. Rather than moving elsewhere in California, which would have sorted out the political discomfort nicely, I moved to a much more affordable state where I had family.”

Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.

And finally … from our archives

Kendrick Lamar performs at Coachella Music & Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club on April 16, 2017.

(Amy Harris / Invision / AP)

On April 16, 2018, Compton’s own Kendrick Lamar became the first hip-hop artist to win the Pulitzer Prize for music.

He won for his album “Damn.,” which the Times’ Mikael Wood heralded as Lamar’s graduation to pop superstardom.

Have a great day, from the Essential California team

Jim Rainey, staff reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters

How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com. Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com.

Niall Currie has left his role as Portadown boss with immediate effect with two games of the Irish Premiership season remaining.

Currie took over as Ports boss for a second spell in October 2022 after previously managing the club between 2016 and 2018.

His last game in charge was Saturday’s heavy 4-0 defeat against relegation-threatened Crusaders in which Currie criticised his side’s “abysmal” performance.

Currie could not prevent the club from being relegated in the 2022-23 season, but he led the Ports back to the top flight at the first time of asking as they won the Championship title the following campaign.

They also reached the BetMcLean Cup final in 2024, but were beaten in the final by Linfield.

He then guided Portadown to an eighth place finish in their first campaign back in the Irish Premiership last season, two points off seventh and a spot in the European play-offs.

The club currently sit 10th with two games left to play, away to Ballymena United on Saturday and away to Bangor on Saturday, 25 April.

The 53-year-old has also managed Dundela, Carrick Rangers, Ards, Loughgall and Annagh United.