SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Much has been made of the Dodgers’ exorbitant spending, magnified by a pair of World Series titles for the franchise, as Major League Baseball enters the final year of the current collective bargaining agreement.
The Dodgers open 2026 with a record $381 million payroll, while having over $1 billion in deferrals. As if signing Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernández and Blake Snell, and extending Tyler Glasnow and Will Smith weren’t enough, the club once again opened up its wallet this winter, spending a combined $309 million on four-time All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker and three-time reliever of the year Edwin Díaz.
Relief pitcher Blake Treinen, one of the longest-tenured players on the Dodgers heading into his seventh season with the team, did not mince words when asked about how outsiders view the organization.
“Perception is built from the media and maybe owners that don’t like what the Dodgers are doing because they would have to do something similar,” Treinen said earlier this week. “And I say to that, ‘Maybe you’re in the wrong business.’”
Treinen thinks more teams should spend the way that the Dodgers do.
“Is it a bad thing that the people who pay our checks and our salaries want a winning product?” Treinen said. “If you’re going to complain about a team willing to do what it takes to win, then I think you’re in the wrong business. And, if you win, to say that you lose money by winning is a wild statement, so I think the perception is more or less if you don’t like what the Dodgers are doing, either take a look in the mirror or look at the people who aren’t putting a product on the field.”
Treinen went on to say that teams don’t necessarily need to be lavish spenders in order to compete, pointing to how the Milwaukee Brewers posted baseball’s best record a season ago, with the 22nd-highest payroll. The Brewers bested the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central by five games, despite having a payroll nearly $100 million lower than their rival, and reached the National League Championship Series.
“You don’t always have to spend money to be great, look at the Brewers,” Treinen said. “But to say that you can’t compete — like they did — is a wild thing, because [they had] the best record in baseball last year. Draft and development is a big deal, a lot of teams have leaned into it. So, if you either invest heavily in one or the other, and the Dodgers have done a great job of doing both and that’s why players sign here. If you don’t like it, then maybe find a new business model.”
How the Dodgers operate has garnered some praise — the Padres’ Manny Machado and the Phillies’ Bryce Harper weighed in on the subject early in spring training — but the front office wasn’t really seeking it out.
“We’re not looking externally for validation,” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said earlier this month at Camelback Ranch. “The validation is winning championships and putting out as good a team as we can each and every year, and all we’re trying to do is get a little bit better each and every season, with the goal of winning championships. [Our] coaching staff, our players I think view it as that. Good, bad or indifferent, the external stuff is something we can’t worry about.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, speaking at Cactus League media day earlier this month, said the fixation on the money spent makes people miss the things they do well.
“It does get lost, the things that we do well,” Roberts said. “Scouting and player development, I think we do as well as anybody in baseball … to get superstars to play well every night, to put out a good product every single night, I think we do a good job at that.”
“That’s why the biggest conversation should be that instead of a payroll question,” Roberts added. “Why are we good for baseball? Because our players play the game the right way.”
This European city has topped a poll of the top 10 greenest cities with a 77.3 score based on air quality, green spaces and public parks
17:14, 26 Feb 2026Updated 17:17, 26 Feb 2026
Almost all residents are never more than a 300-metre walk from a green area in this city(Image: Getty)
Travel needs for Brits looking for a holiday are changing and one search term in particular has surged by a staggering 9,900% in the last year – the ‘greenest city in the world’.
Research has suggested people are picking cities to visit that blend exploration with outdoor relaxation and open green spaces. If that sounds like a combination too-good-to-be true, it turns out it isn’t with many cities across the world classed as ‘nature rich’.
The travel pros at Iglu Cruise have developed a Green City Index which charts the top 10 cities where nature and urban life combine. Based on the amount of greenery in each city, air quality, and accessible public green space, they have discovered a European city has topped the poll – and it’s only a two-hour flight away.
Oslo, the capital city of Norway, came first with a green score of 77.3 because of its high air quality and a high percentage of green spaces and public parks.
A staggering 95% of residents in Oslo live within a 300-metre walk of a green area, making it one of Europe’s most walkable capitals and a city that feels like you’re living in a national park.
The city also has an initiative scheme called ‘pocket parks’ which have been developed through community-led efforts to transform old parking spaces into green areas. In addition, Oslo has the world’s first ‘bee highway’ – a corridor of flowers and bee hotels running across the city’s streets which gives tourists a unique experience of stunning Norwegian nature only minutes away.
The city also boasts well-known sites including the Royal Palace Park and Vigeland Park, which is the largest sculpture park in the world created by a single artist.
Visitors can take a 20-minute metro ride out of the city centre to Oslomarka forest and the trails around Sognsvann Lake.
There are also well-known sites like the Royal Palace Park and Vigeland Park, the largest sculpture park in the world created by a single artist. A 20-minute metro ride from the city centre takes you to Oslomarka forest and the trails around Sognsvann Lake.
There are also a number of impressive beaches in Oslo, primarily located on the Bygdoy peninsula which offers sandy shores, green spaces and is easy to access from the city centre. The most popular beach is the bustling Huk which has sandy spots, grassy lawns and a beach volleyball court. For a quieter experience, visitors can go to Paradisbukta or urban Tjuvholmen which are ideal beaches for swimming, sunbathing and walking alongside the Oslo Fjord in the summer.
Other green cities in Europe included Vilnius in Lithuania, Helskini in Finland and Vienna in Austria in second, third and fourth place while Reading was the only entry for the UK in at ninth place.
Canberra and Sydney in Australia and Singapore flew the flag internationally in fifth, sixth and eighth spots with Stockholm in Sweden in seventh and Munich in Germany rounding out the list at ten.
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Single on Valentine’s Day? Skip the predictable romance films and celebrate with these nostalgic, feel-good movies to lift your spirits
Single on Valentine’s Day? Skip the predictable romance films and celebrate with these nostalgic, feel-good movies to lift your spirits(Image: Supplied)
Valentine’s Day has come round once more, and if you’re not getting caught up in all the soppy, romantic nonsense, there’s loads of other ways you can spend your evening. If you’re staying in and swerving all the loved-up couples out there, telly is an excellent means of escape.
Valentine’s Day needn’t revolve around romance, after all. If you’ve had your fill of formulaic, predictable romantic flicks, here are some brilliant alternatives that’ll rekindle your appreciation for those nearest and dearest.
So whether you fancy a giggle on your own or with mates, ditch those rom-coms for some feel-good nostalgia this Valentine’s Day.
Angus, Thongs & Perfect Snogging (2008)
For anyone wanting to grasp what life was like as a British teenage girl in the late noughties, Angus, Thongs & Perfect Snogging hits frighteningly close to home. At some stage, we’ve all caught ourselves relating to Georgia’s worldview, however misguided it might be, reports the Express.
Adapted from Louise Rennison’s bestselling book series, we follow 14-year-old Georgia Nicholson (Georgia Groome) as she tries to navigate adolescence whilst pining after the new lad in town – a breakthrough performance from Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Throughout her mission to bag a boyfriend and organise a spectacular 15th birthday bash at a nightclub, we witness the inner workings of the teenage brain manifesting in reality through some absolutely hilarious and toe-curling antics.
Shaving off an eyebrow? Absolutely. Faking the disappearance of a beloved moggy for sympathy? Naturally. A massive pair of granny pants? Without question.
Whilst this flick might centre on Georgia’s romantic pursuits, beneath the surface lies a tender coming-of-age tale exploring insecurity, platonic bonds, and that distinctly teenage sensation that everything is utterly catastrophic. Plus, it boasts what’s arguably one of cinema’s finest original songs, guaranteed to transport you straight back to those nostalgic days.
Planning to mark Valentine’s Day with your mates this year? Nobody’s turning down this gem. Angus, Thongs & Perfect Snogging proved a defining British picture for younger audiences back then, and continues to supply countless cultural touchstones we reference today.
In fact, Georgia Groome recently resurrected that legendary olive outfit for a cameo appearance in the reveal video for Maisie Peters’ latest album ‘Florescence’. Nearly two decades on and that immortal line still echoes: “Boys don’t like girls for funniness”.
The year 2008 was evidently peak teen cinema. On one side sits Angus, Thongs & Perfect Snogging, offering a relatively authentic portrayal of adolescent life for girls during the noughties, whilst on the other stands Emma Roberts ‘ Wild Child.
What do you do with a spoilt, glamorous Malibu Barbie teenager who leaps off cliffs into the ocean? Simple – pack them off to an all-girls boarding school deep in the English countryside.
A genuine fish out of water, Emma Roberts’ Poppy Moore couldn’t be more different from the seemingly prudish, eccentric pupils she encounters at Abbey Mount. It’s quite the exaggerated portrayal of boarding school life, but that’s rather the point – to knock the protagonist down a peg or two.
Gradually, the crisp English climate begins breaking down Poppy’s defences as she develops authentic bonds with her roommates – Kate (Kimberley Nixon), Josie (Linzey Cocker), Kiki (Sophie Wu), and Jennifer “Drippy” Logan (Juno Temple). Naturally there’s a love interest (Alex Pettyfer) and a sworn enemy (Georgia King) determined to see her fail, though that’s really beside the point when there’s such entertaining mischief afoot.
Beneath the rebellious and entitled façade lies genuine warmth, drawn out through the connections she forges. Ultimately, Poppy emerges transformed – having discovered a missing piece of herself through real mates who embrace her for who she truly is, whilst wreaking havoc around campus. Whilst Wild Child might not be the most universally relatable picture, there’s something in all of us that yearns for that kind of school adventure.
The film also marks one of Natasha Richardson’s final performances (as headmistress Mrs Kingsley) prior to her tragic passing in 2009.
Wild Child is available to stream on Netflix.
The Breakfast Club (1985)
This film boasts what’s arguably one of cinema’s most iconic closing sequences and exit tracks. The Breakfast Club, a coming-of-age comedy-drama, follows a group of outsiders whiling away the hours together during an all-day Saturday detention.
Each teenager belongs to a different social circle within the school, and their paths would ordinarily never cross in daily life. They’re set the task of penning a thousand-word essay on “who you think you are” by their notoriously harsh vice principal (Paul Gleason).
Alongside the usual rebellious teenage shenanigans and storylines, the film explores the realities lurking beneath the stereotypes presented on screen. It tackles themes including peer pressure, abuse, neglect, troubled relationships, and suicide in a manner that resonates with its audience, rendering the characters relatable to viewers.
Despite their contrasts, the group discover they’re all grappling with comparable struggles and form connections with one another. It serves as a reminder that surface appearances can be deceiving.
Whilst the group suspect their newly-formed bonds will dissolve once detention wraps up, they acknowledge they’ll view their classmates through fresh eyes going forward. As the film reaches its conclusion, we hear their moving message to their vice principal, declaring: “Each one of us is a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, and a criminal.
“Does that answer your question? Sincerely yours, the Breakfast Club.”
Cue Judd Nelson’s fist raise and Simple Minds’ ‘Don’t You Forget About Me’.
The Breakfast Club can be watched via Netflix, Amazon Prime and NOW TV.
Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion (1997)
There’s something about a 90s comedy that hits all of the right spots, something the 2020s can learn from. The film follows underachieving best friends Romy (Mira Sorvino) and Michele ( Lisa Kudrow ) who decide to reinvent themselves with fake careers to impress their former classmates at their ten-year high school reunion.
The film kicks off with the drama of the girls’ prom in 1987, where they find themselves targeted by bullying from the high school cheerleader clique. Some stroppy behaviour leads the girls to do the classic slow dance together.
Fast forward, the duo don’t appear to have achieved much success since leaving school, stuck in dead-end jobs – or jobless – living a life lacking in some sort of purpose. They’re fine, totally fine.
It’s the invitation from one of their high school tormentors to their high school reunion that makes them pull their socks up, but only in the pretence sense. It’s your typical American movie that takes you on a journey, both literally and figuratively.
Following a catastrophic falling out over their friendship, the pair go their separate ways after their drive cross-country to the reunion. Or do they?
The film is madcap, light-hearted, and chock-full of clichés, but sometimes that’s just the ticket. Let’s face it, we all need a good giggle now and then, and anything featuring Lisa Kudrow is guaranteed to leave you in fits of laughter.
Whilst we’re accustomed to seeing Greta Gerwig behind the lens, she’s equally at home in front of it. The film stars Gerwig as a struggling dancer in New York, grappling with the rollercoaster ride of her twenties alongside her best mate, Sophie (Mickey Sumner).
They say your twenties are meant to be the time of your life, but in truth, you’re still figuring out who you are and where you fit into the world. We can all identify with the unpredictability of existence; flitting from one flat to another, settling for jobs you don’t really fancy, and witnessing friendships fade as they form new relationships.
Life in the Big Apple can be complex and unsettling, regardless of which side of the Atlantic you hail from. The trials and tribulations of everyday life can weigh heavily, with Frances battling to make her mark on New York.
The film masterfully blends comedy, drama and emotion to paint an authentic picture of struggling twenty-somethings.
In 2025, Frances Ha secured the 90th spot on The New York Times’ list of “The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century”. Writing for Harper’s Bazaar, Yasmin Omar noted: “Frances Ha has become a cult classic thanks to its relatable portrait of the bewildering life stage that is young adulthood.”
Frances Ha is available on Netflix, Amazon Prime and Apple TV.
A NEW luxury train experience is coming to the UK later this year.
A new carriage will appear on the British Pullman named Celia, after the fictional character created by director Baz Luhrmann and cinematic designer Catherine Martin.
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Celia will be on the British Pullman from summer 2026Credit: BelmondThe carriage will be an original carriage from 1932Credit: Belmond
According to the duo, Celia is a West End icon from the 1930s who once played Titania in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Set in an original 1932 Pullman carriage, Celia will boast a cocktail bar, lounge, dining and entertainment area that feels as if you are heading back to the 1930s.
Up to 12 guests at a time can experience the carriage via private and bespoke events.
The carriage is designed to create a luxury private dining experience, as well as showcase the train carriage’s historical charm.
During the day, Celia will be a reception carriage and then in the evening it will turn into the “most refined venue”.
When guests reserve Celia for an event, a Guest Experience Curator will plan each detail.
Passengers will also get private luxury transfers within Greater London to and from London Victoria.
And there will even be a personal chef, butler and steward.
On the menu, passengers can create their own brunch, lunch and dinner menus.
Welcome drinks, such as a seasonal cocktail or champagne, will also be provided.
And to elevate the experience even more, there will be bespoke activities available to book.
Baz Luhrmann said that Celia is based on a woman who, after a Sunday matinee of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, headed off with her friends to escape the crowds and head on the British Pullman.
Baz said: “From the moment someone receives an invitation, or chooses to board Celia, they should be drawn instantly into her world and be swept into the glamorous, mysterious life of the actress for whom the carriage was named.”
He added: “Celia also has the capacity to transform into a performance space; I have no doubt a musical artist could have great fun staging an unplugged session or making an album announcement there.
And it has been designed by director Baz Luhrmann and cinematic designer Catherine MartinCredit: Belmond
“And of course, we’ll be fitting out the carriage with a terrific sound system and speakers to support that.”
On the idea behind the carriage, Catherine Martin revealed that once they had Baz’s character of Celia, the interior design of the carriage was based on Celia’s life story.
Baz added: “We’re both devoted lovers of slow travel as there’s an undeniable magic and romance to these kinds of journeys.
“It’s a form of travel that lends itself to being told in the most evocative and cinematic ways.”
