NEWS

Angry demonstrations over Spain’s flood response interrupt king’s visit to stricken Valencia suburb.

Hundreds of residents of a Valencia suburb badly hit by last week’s deadly floods have protested during a visit by Spanish King Felipe, Queen Letizia, and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, with some demonstrators throwing mud at them.

Chanting “Murderers, murderers!” on Sunday, they vented anger over what has been widely perceived by local residents as tardy alerts from the authorities about the dangers of Tuesday’s flooding, and then a late response by the emergency services when disaster struck.

“Please, the dead are still in the garages, the families are looking for their relatives and friends. Please come, we only ask for help …  All we wanted was to be warned and we would have been saved,” yelled one resident, Nuria Chisber, the Reuters news agency reported.

At one point in the visit to the stricken suburb of Paiporta, Felipe, wearing a simple dark raincoat, distinguishable from distance by his height and grey hair, held to his shoulder a man who was crying.

Online footage showed his wife, Letizia, crying as she hugged some residents.

Her hair and face had traces of mud and one of her bodyguards had blood on his face, apparently from a hurled object. Bodyguards had opened umbrellas to try to protect the royals.

Spanish national broadcaster RTVE reported that the barrage aimed at the royals included a few rocks and other hard objects and that two bodyguards were treated for injuries.

The network said the monarchs and officials called off another stop on Sunday at a second hard-hit village, Chiva, about half an hour to the east of Valencia city.

The death toll from the country’s worst flash floods in modern history edged higher to 217 on Sunday – almost all of them occurring in the Valencia region, with more than 60 of them in Paiporta alone.

Blame game

The central government has said issuing alerts to the population is the responsibility of regional authorities, while the Valencia authorities have said they acted as best as they could with the information available to them.

Dozens of people were still unaccounted for, while some 3,000 households had no electricity, officials said.

Valencia’s regional leader Carlos Mazon, who also visited Paiporta amid insults from protesters, posted on X: “I understand the public anger and of course I will stay to receive it. It is my political and moral obligation. The King’s attitude this morning has been exemplary.”

Thousands of additional troops and police joined the disaster relief effort over the weekend in the largest such peacetime operation in Spain.

The October 29-30 floods engulfed streets and lower floors of buildings, sweeping away cars and pieces of masonry in tides of mud.

The tragedy is Europe’s worst flood-related disaster in a single country since 1967, when at least 500 people died in Portugal.

ARCHAEOLOGISTS have unearthed rare carvings on an ancient Mayan ball court depicting a powerful snake-themed dynasty.

Excavators have uncovered three stucco reliefs that depict scenes of the Kaanu’l rulers in Quintana Roo, Mexico.

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The site, in Dzibanché, was an early centre for the Maya and dates back to 300BC.

Since 2023, a 100-person team has worked extensively at Dzibanché, uncovering relics including the Temple of the Owl, the Temple of the Cormorants, and sections of an acropolis.

But the new reliefs date to the Early Classic period of the civilisation around 500 to 600AD.

The decorations were discovered on two platforms near the site’s ballgame court – a ceremonial space for the Mayan sport.

The sport was an activity combining athleticism and ritual devotion.

The image of snakes is used in the reliefs as the ruling dynasty – the Kaanu’l rulers – associated itself with the animal to look strong.

Sandra Granados, head of the dig, described the discovery as a breakthrough.

She said: “Although we had found stucco reliefs on larger buildings, we would never have thought of finding such decorated façades on a ball court with such profound meanings as these ones apparently have.”

Each of the three relief scenes offers a glimpse into the mythological and celestial beliefs of the Mayan rulers.

The first relief features two figures standing guard beside a pedestal with symbols referencing a Kaanu’l ruler.

The second scene depicts ancestral figures in a cosmic setting, surrounded by stars and intertwining serpents – motifs that reflect the Kaanu’l’s divine connection as rulers.

The third panel portrays a series of mythological animals linked to constellations.

The Kaanu’l dynasty used snakes to position itself as intermediaries between the gods and people to build its legitimacy to rule.

According to INAH, “This representation of intertwined snakes indicates that we are looking at images with which the rulers of Dzibanché sought to reaffirm their ancestry or lineage.”

The reliefs, now white, still retain traces of the original colours including red, blue, yellow, and black paint.

The archaeological team is now employing advanced photogrammetry techniques to create detailed models and save and preserve the designs.

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New York City, the US – In Queens, 26-year-old Claudia, a first-generation college-educated Latina born in the United States, sat at her family’s dinner table engaging in heated political debates that switched seamlessly between English and Spanish. She and her immigrant parents from Mexico and El Salvador clashed over the future of the country they all call home.

“It’s not about loving [Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala] Harris,” Claudia said, disappointed with the administration’s handling of Israel’s war on Gaza and immigration, but committed to voting against Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump’s return.

Her parents, US citizens for more than a decade, feel differently. They worry about their economic security – like 52 percent of Latinos, according to a June survey. And they support Trump for his economic policies and in frustration at the inflation the US has experienced in the last few years.

Their resentment is directed towards the support of President Joe Biden’s administration for “new immigrants arriving with benefits, a hotel, and a pathway to documents”, while their own relatives remain undocumented – a population that Trump has threatened to deport.

This generational divide within one family – part of one of the fastest-growing demographics in the US, with 36.2 million eligible voters making up 14.7 percent of the electorate – illustrates the challenges both parties face in appealing to a group that resists simple categorisations.

‘Latinos are not a monolith’

Eligible Latino voters in the US are demographically diverse. About 60 percent are of Mexican heritage, 13 percent are Puerto Rican, while Cubans, Dominicans, and other Central and South Americans each represent less than 7 percent, according to the National Museum of the American Latino.

Latino voters are also, of course, men and women, young and old, and immigrants and US-born.

But despite this diversity, political campaigns and the media often approach Latinos as a single voting bloc. “The biggest misconception is treating Latinos as if they’re the same or can be reached with a single message. It’s about the diversity of ideas, experiences, ideologies,” Julio Ricardo Varela, founder of The Latino Newsletter and an MSNBC columnist, told Al Jazeera.

“The phrase ‘Latinos are not a monolith’ should be eliminated—it’s already mainstream. The real question is, why haven’t political parties realised this?” he asked.

As polls reveal that immigration ranks lower among Latino voter priorities, campaign ads are adjusting their focus to better connect with new voters. Both Trump and Harris have expanded outreach, including town halls with Latino voters hosted by Univision, one of the largest Spanish-language networks in the US.

However, the rise of misinformation on social media, often spreading in Spanish and targeting immigrant communities, complicates these outreach efforts and has shaped perceptions on critical issues.

Misinformation on social media spreads false claims about issues like immigration policies, voting processes, and government benefits. This can foster confusion and mistrust, potentially affecting how Latino voters perceive campaign messages.

Experts agree that campaigns now face a dual challenge: reaching Latino voters with tailored messages while also countering misleading narratives that may distort views.

Trump’s appeal

Despite his anti-immigration rhetoric, Trump is gaining traction with Latino voters by tapping into nostalgia for the strong economy under his presidency, high-profile endorsements from reggaeton artists, and Spanish-language ads.

However, Trump’s strongest appeal lies in fearmongering about communism, a message spread widely on Spanish-language social media by Trump and his affiliates.

This outreach has also resonated with Latino evangelical communities, who make up 15 percent of Latinos in the US and are a fast-growing group among American evangelical Christians, with nearly half leaning Republican, according to a 2022 Pew Research Center survey.

For many Latino immigrants, especially those from Cuban and Venezuelan communities, Trump’s messaging also resonates with memories of leftist regimes. “Republicans have weaponised the fear of socialism and communism, especially in Florida,” said Paola Ramos, author of Defectors: The Rise of the Latino Far Right and What It Means for America.

According to Varela, Trump’s tactics mirror Latin American political strategies that shape election narratives and outcomes.

Recently, Trump shared an AI-generated image of Vice President Kamala Harris addressing a “communist” crowd on X, which garnered more than 81 million views.

Varela also notes that anti-communist ads in Spanish media specifically target working-class, Spanish-speaking men, framing economic security as a defence against ideological threats.

NYU professor and political scientist Cristina Beltran suggested that Trump’s appeal taps into ideals of masculinity and hierarchy, offering a sense of belonging within a nationalist vision of the US.

“Whiteness has historically been a way of understanding American membership as a politics of domination,” she explained to Al Jazeera.

For some Latino men, this framework provides a sense of elevated status, as Trump’s promise of prosperity and stability appeals to those who see themselves positioned above the undocumented. Beltran added that Trump “gives Americans a permission structure to embrace these attitudes”.

Harris moving beyond identity politics

Polling indicates that most Latino voters still favour Harris over Trump.

Under campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez, the first Latina to lead a general election effort, the Harris team has broadened Latino outreach, expanding efforts September 15 to October 15, during Hispanic Heritage Month.

The campaign has ramped up ad spending directed at specific Latino groups, such as Hispanic women, “Hombres con Harris” [Men for Harris], and 13 diaspora groups like “Boricuas con Kamala” [Puerto Ricans for Harris] and “Mexicanos con Kamala” [Mexicans for Harris]. The campaign also allocated $3m for Spanish-language radio ads.

Harris’s message moves beyond identity politics, with recent ads in Arizona, Nevada, and Pennsylvania focused on economic concerns, high drug prices, and crime.

Political scientist Beltran observed that Harris is balancing her identity as a woman of colour with broader policy appeals. “Nobody wants to be simply reduced to their race or gender,” she explained.

“The Harris campaign recognises this and aims to connect with voters on a range of issues, understanding that identity encompasses much more than demographics.”

Her outreach has included ads tailored to Puerto Rican communities, contrasting with Trump’s recent Madison Square Garden rally, which faced backlash over controversial remarks made by a comedian about Puerto Rico.

Beltran noted that Harris’s approach has been strategic: “It’s been interesting watching Harris run ads where Latinidad [Latino cultural identity] isn’t explicitly mentioned, but the visuals feature people who look identifiably Latino – often brown-skinned individuals with voiceovers in accented English.”

“This is a subtle way to signal that these ads are targeted at Latinos. I actually wish they included voices with and without accents to further reflect diversity.”

Varela pointed out that “the campaign is shifting to recognise it’s about regional diversity”. He also highlighted Harris’s “opportunity economy” plan, which appeals to Latinos by emphasising pragmatic economic growth, through job creation, small business support, and affordable housing, especially in underserved communities.

“Harris positions herself as a ‘pragmatic capitalist’,” he explained, noting that Latinos are reshaping the US economy, contributing $3.6 trillion to the gross domestic product (GDP). This impact is driven by high rates of entrepreneurship, labour force participation, and essential roles in sectors like manufacturing, retail, and construction, though representation issues persist.

A politically independent generation

Analysts agree that campaigns are increasingly leveraging social media to reach a new generation of Latino voters, who may no longer see themselves as defined solely by their Latinidad.

These diverse perspectives are amplified by Latino influencers, some aligning with Harris, others with Trump, each reflecting a spectrum of political allegiances.

“There’s also a growing movement among young Latinos identifying as politically independent,” noted Varela, that has often been overshadowed by traditional party narratives.

Now, more young Latino voters are reasserting this stance, demanding a political representation that speaks to their unique experiences and values.

“Latinos are no longer confined to Democrat or Republican labels,” Varela concludes. “This politically independent movement is not just asking for recognition—it’s reshaping the boundaries of American politics.”

Since Wu-Tang Clan leader RZA started chopping up samples and making hip-hop beats on a drum machine nearly 40 years ago, he’s been pulling inspiration from a variety of musical genres and mediums, ranging from 1970s soul and orchestral tracks to kung-fu films.

But it wasn’t until the legendary producer and artist challenged himself to make his first classical album, “A Ballet Through Mud” (released in August), that he recognized that he’s always been a composer — his journey has just been different.

“I have been composing my whole life, although I didn’t know initially that was what I was doing,” says RZA, who provided the soundtrack for movies such as “Kill Bill” and “Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai.”

After finding an old notebook filled with hundreds of pages of lyrics from his childhood during the pandemic, RZA dreamed up a magical, 11-track composition that follows six characters — each named after Greek musical scales — as they navigate the complexities of life, friendship and personal growth. With the help of the Colorado Symphony, which performed on the album, and a ballet performance choreographed by Yusha-Marie Sorzano, RZA brought the album to life with two live shows at the Boettcher Concert Hall in Denver last year.

On Monday, RZA brings the show to Los Angeles for the first time. The sold-out event at the Los Angeles Theater, presented in partnership with Platoon, 36 Chambers and Classical California KUSC, will be conducted by Oliver Zeffman and performed by USC Thornton School of Music students and alumni, along with a ballet performance by Sorzano Dance Works. Also, the show will be presented in L-ISA, an ultra-high-quality sound experience that creates an immersive experience.

We recently caught up with RZA over the phone to talk about the upcoming show, how his Buddhist practice inspired the album and how making it unlocked a new level of confidence in his artistry. This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

This project started during the pandemic when you found an old notebook filled with lyrics you wrote when you were a teen. Where did you find the notebook and how did it make you feel reading those lyrics from so long ago?

It was in storage in this old Tommy Hilfiger duffel bag and it had a few books in it. It even had some of the Wu-Tang Clan lyrics all in this bag that I must’ve stuffed years ago while bringing some stuff from the East Coast to the West Coast. When I was reading the notebook, it took me back to my childhood and it reminded me of something: my high school English teacher, Mr. Joe Sicilian, who really had a lot of aspirations for me. I made the honor roll. I was in the honors class for writing. He had me writing for the newspaper. He just really believed that I could be a good writer and he said you should always write in your journal every day. So I would have the journal, but I’d be writing lyrics. Then I started bringing my blue binder [to school] and in most classes, I would finish my work quick and start writing songs and lyrics. Whether I was in the classroom or to be quite frank with you, I cut a lot of classes too. So if I cut class and I’m in the lunchroom, I’m writing lyrics. Or when I’m riding that Staten Island ferry, I’m writing songs, so this book has hundreds of pages in it to be quite frank and it’s just like, wow. It’s almost like my diary in story form.

Eventually, you scrapped the lyrics and decided to make your very first classical album. What was the a-ha moment that you should move into that direction instead?

My wife was very influential in that capacity because I think from her point of view, she’s seen me go from RZA to Bobby Steelz to Bobby Digital. You know, there’s so many different renditions of lyrical performances and songs, and I think that as I was trying to say the lyrics after the music was created, it actually was interfering with the music in the sense of it was making you think something versus allowing you to think, and she kind of pointed that out. We actually recorded the lyrics to some of these songs. We tried some, but one of the a-ha moments was just traveling on a road trip and the music was playing, and my wife turned to me and pitched me a movie idea, which she never does. A whole movie played through her head listening to these tracks and I was like, OK, she’s right. Let it exist for the listener to go ahead and find their story within it.

The album also has a ballet component, which was choreographed by Yusha-Marie Sorzano. What was it about the Alvin Ailey documentary you watched that inspired you to add this component to the show and how does it add to the overall experience of the album?

Watching him striving to tell stories through dance and he was striving to show the Black experience in a way. He was also striving to break away from the box of traditionalism and open up the floor to more unique expressions, and I didn’t know that, of course, as a kid. Obviously living in New York, you always would see his name and I never was interested in that stuff, but as my art grew and then I saw this documentary, I was able to relate that there’s so much in a music melody and a music harmony, but there’s much in body movement. There’s so much story that can be told in moving bodies without dialogue, and he’s mastered that. He left a legacy of that and I walked away inspired and enlightened, like that’s the glue. So I could go back to my story — the lyrics — and still hold the lyrical part of it. Hold the verbalization and allow the music and now the body movement to talk. And once again, when you see this ballet, you’ll see the dancers are acting out a particular story. They are doing that, but yet, still, there’s so much space for your own personal interpretation.

Let’s talk about the title of the album, which speaks to your own personal experience of figuratively getting out of the mud and blossoming into a beautiful lotus as well as your spirituality. Can you talk about the title’s significance to you?

Studying Buddhism, I am a Shaolin disciple and there’s a Shaolin parable about Bodhidharma who migrated from India to China. The story is that he walked and it’s a long, tedious [journey] and he got there, he was disheveled and was basically covered in mud — that’s the punchline. The other monks looked down on him based on his appearance and he told them the symbol of Buddha is the lotus. They were like, a monk shouldn’t be covered in mud, and he said, “But the lotus grows out of the mud” and that enlightened them. That’s the idea. It’s just like sometimes “from the slums of Shaolin, Wu-Tang Clan strikes again.” [Laughs] It’s coming from the mud of things, but that seed planted in that mud can grow into a beautiful flower.

And I’ll just point out one thing: If you think about the historical figure that I’m talking about, Bodhidharma, Bodhid means to be enlightened. Dharma means the way of righteousness. So you could be righteous but not be enlightened. To be enlightened means you are intentionally being righteous. It’s a different way to intentionally being righteous versus to be righteous by nature or because of a system or your parents taught you. … That’s what he brought to the world and that’s what he brought to Shaolin. And then of course, Shaolin temple flourished after his arrival.

In what ways has your experience with scoring kung fu films influence your classical composing style?

I think that’s the foundation. I think working as a film composer gave me the key knowledge and foundation to do this. Even the team that I assembled around me, some of my orchestrators that helped flush out the ideas. You could play on a MIDI, but that doesn’t mean that the human player is going to be able to play that or understand how to play it because it still has to be written. Is it a mezzo forte? All these different words and ideas that are used to tell the player how to play it — that’s a whole ’nother chamber. But having a team around me from doing my movies and doing my TV show, it made my foundation so strong because I knew the language. I could talk to them. I could understand another way of doing it. I could also accept another way of doing it. That knowledge came from being a film composer and also so many colleagues in the film world, who I’ve had a chance to break bread with. And obviously Leonard Bernstein — I studied his work when I first came to Hollywood — and Henry Mancini. Those were the guys that I geeked out on early.

RZA of Wu-Tang Clan performs at the 2023 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on April 28, 2023, at the Fair Grounds Race Course.

(Amy Harris / Invision / AP)

“A Ballet Through Mud” has received a lot of positive feedback online and true fans know that you’ve been sampling classical music on Wu-Tang tracks for years. This album was a “personal achievement” for you, but I’m curious if you were anxious about releasing your first classical album to the world at all?

Fortunately, my intentions were pure so I really didn’t consider positive or negative criticism. So I haven’t been affected by what, let’s say, fans or peers of mine, would think. It didn’t motivate me nor stop me. One day I was hanging with Nas and Lin-Manuel [Miranda]. Miranda was sharing music from “The Warriors” album, which is very unique and a great album. While we were waiting, I said, “Let me share something as well” because I love sharing music and I played the song “Divine Intervention” from my album, and they were like “Yo, man. Wow.” They enjoyed it. It set the room into another vibe.

I was hanging with Logic one day and we were going back and forth with hip-hop beats, and I played him a demo of “Clear Sky After the Storm” and once again, he was like, “Wait a minute. After that, people are going to sample it and make their own songs.” And then DJ Scratch came up to me at the Wu show in Vegas and was like, “Yo, I chopped up three of your joints already” and I was like, “Have fun.”

You worked with the Imagination Artist Series on this project, which is aimed at getting more young people interested in the orchestra. Why is this mission important to you and what do you think is the benefit of learning to play an instrument?

Because at the end of the day, I’ve seen success happen without this knowledge, right? But it’s an uphill battle trying to understand and trying to interpret — whether it’s your engineer, whether it’s another musician or whether it’s yourself. Like say you sample an A minor and it’s a cool sample from Roy Ayers and you’re loving it and now you’ve got to add a bass line. Now, of course, by your ear you could potentially find it, but if you already know sonically and you already have the knowledge, it speeds up your process and it also gives you a chance to create even more variations. So knowledge is the key. Hip-hop was a product of necessity, meaning they took the music program out of schools and in my generation, you had to get a drum machine or a turntable. Nobody was picking up trumpets, violins or guitars for a while. So hopefully now that we have technology, we can also incorporate the natural, analog instruments to build skill sets [and] to build character. I just [saw] Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg in an interview and [Dre] was saying the exact same thing — that he wants to see this generation of hip-hop producers and performers actually be instrumentalists. You know people who know how to play the instruments so we don’t have to keep digging through the past for our expression. We can actually build something that doesn’t exist. Like when James Brown made funk.

Last year, you presented two live performances of “A Ballet Through Mud” in Denver. Can you take me back to that moment? What was the energy like in the room and how did you feel once it was over?

Well of course in the beginning, it was very nerve-wracking. On the first performance, you’re wondering how the audience is going to respond to the art, but the response was great and the standing ovations happened and I just felt like a big relief. Like a big fear and burden was off of my chest knowing that the creation actually worked. And then on the second night, everybody was feeling great already and feeling confident. So yeah, it was nerve-wracking, but it was a joy to see that it was well received.

Why did you want to bring the show to L.A. and do you have plans to hit more cities?

I would love for this show to be seen in various locations, but of course, L.A. is a terminal city. New York [as well]. The team at Platoon [and I] talked about performing it in Atlanta, New York, Philadelphia, but L.A. being one that was possible to do this year and the opportunity came, and it was like “Yeah, let’s go. Let’s go. Let’s go.”

The L.A. show is free, which many fans will likely appreciate in this economy. Why was this important for you?

This whole project is a gift in all reality. After I found success, I kept chasing success. You put out art, music and films for economic returns and things of that nature because it is a business. But this is really a gift from beginning to end and this is just another example of it being a gift for people to enjoy the vibe, the spirit, the emotions [and] the reflective nature of the music. So it’s a gift and I’m happy to give.

What do you hope that people take away from the live show?

I hope they’re able to walk away with the gift we’re striving to give them. A good time, a good moment, good inspiration. And maybe somebody will walk out, go home and start writing their ballet.

Sinn Féin says that Belfast City councillor JJ Magee has been suspended from the party “without prejudice” following an allegation that inappropriate online messages were exchanged between him and a minor.

Sinn Féin National Chairperson Declan Kearney said in a statement that the party whip had also been removed from Magee.

Kearney added that the chief executive of Belfast City Council has been notified.

He said the allegation has been forwarded to social services and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) in compliance with the party’s children safeguarding policy.

Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation (QF), attended the opening of the Arab Global Scholars (AGS) Annual Gathering.

Commenting on the gathering, Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser said: “Today we held the annual Arab Global Scholars gathering – a natural continuation of the Arab Expatriate Scientists Conference which we launched in 2006. I was delighted to meet this diverse community of scientists, innovators, researchers, research institutes, and industry partners, with whom we aim to strengthen our partnerships. Today, AGS members may be based anywhere in the world, as through technology we explore new and different methods of collaboration, making it easier for everyone to contribute to ensuring this region is stronger and better able to overcome the challenges of the 21st century.”

Held at Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s (HBKU) Minaretein building, the occasion heralded the latest evolution of QF’s initiative to nurture a contemporary renaissance of Arab science and research by reconnecting scholars and intellectuals with roots in the Arab world back to their region to contribute to its positive development and long-term future.

Its beginnings going back almost two decades, AGS originally stems from the formation of QF’s Arab Expatriate Scientists (AES) Network. Today, AGS has solidified itself as an innovation-focused community linking Arab scholars, research institutes, universities, and industry partners to advance science, research and capacity-building projects from within Qatar. Current AGS member and partner organizations include more than 14 key institutions in Qatar and beyond.

The three-day event sees esteemed internationally and locally based Arab experts working to impact the sciences and humanities within the Middle East and beyond engaging in high-level dialogue and dedicated workshops designed by HBKU. Centered on areas of local, regional, and global importance, such as Precision Health and Biotech, Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Sustainability and Environmental Health, proceedings also provide opportunities for exchange between scholars and policymakers.

A central element introduced at the opening was AGS’ digital platform, which has advanced into an immersive and interactive space that introduces members to a wealth of collaborative opportunities. These include research projects, academic and student exchanges, and professional development activities. In establishing the platform, AGS recognizes that distance and geographical boundaries are no longer obstacles to the convergence of Arab expertise and creation of a knowledge center that inspires current and future generations to develop Arab-inspired solutions for regional and global challenges.

Following opening remarks, the first day commenced with a panel on the role Arab intellectuals must play in shaping contributions to the Arab renaissance. Featuring Dr. Dina Katabi, Director, Center for Wireless Networks and Mobile Computing, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Chief Executive Officer, Emerald Innovations, Dr. Shihab Kuran, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Power Edison, Dr. Taha Kass-Hout, Global Chief Science and Technology Office, GE HealthCare, and Dr. Hilal Lashuel, Research, Development, and Innovation Advisor to the Chairperson & Executive Director of RDI, QF, the panel offered perspectives on the importance of Arab-inspired efforts for addressing the myriad educational, technological, social, and economic challenges facing the region. The session was moderated by Dr. Ahmed Elmagarmid, Executive Director,  Qatar Computing Research Institute and Acting Vice President of Research, HBKU.

Speaking after the panel, Dr. Katabi said: “While the challenges facing the Arab world are considerable, they are by no means insurmountable. Each requires a distinctly Arab response that prioritizes a deep regional appreciation of the problem at hand, as well as academics, scientists, and industry working together to positively shape the Arab future. AGS is ideally placed to facilitate and support such initiatives, turning obstacles into opportunities in the process.”

The second day will end with a distinguished scholar address concerning recent developments in the fields of AI and Generative AI, delivered by Dr. Usama Fayyad, Inaugural Executive Director, Institute for Experiential AI; Professor of Computer Science, Northeastern University; Chairman, Open Insights.

The gathering will conclude with a panel discussion on the critical role Arab intellectuals can play in post-conflict recovery and reconstruction. Featuring key insights by Dr. Chaouki Abdallah, President, Lebanese American University, Dr. Karem Ahmad Sakallah, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan, and Ms. Hend Alhinnawi, Executive Director, Humanitarian Tracker, the session will explore how Arab scholars can leverage their knowledge and networks to offer multidisciplinary support during times of conflict. The panelists will also consider contributions Arab intellectuals and professionals could potentially make to engaging with and rebuilding conflict-affected communities.

“Today was a highly-productive start to the gathering,” said Dr. Abdallah. “Discussions have been full and frank but nonetheless fostered a vibrant knowledge exchange among stakeholders who care passionately about the future of the Arab world. I look forward to engaging with my peers on matters of mutual interest and concern over the coming days.”

Over the course of the next two days attendees will also participate in a series of workshops, roundtable discussions, and visits to partner organizations.

SIR ALEX FERGUSON has stepped down from another job just weeks after leaving his ambassadorial role at Manchester United.

Red Devils co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe continued his cost-cutting measures last month as he stopped paying Fergie’s £2million-a-year salary.

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The move was widely condemned by a number of ex-Man Utd players – while it was also reported the iconic head coach had been banned from the dressing room.

Now Ferguson has reportedly relinquished another of his duties – though this time it was solely his decision.

According to The Mirror, he has resigned as director of his company ACF Sports Promotions Ltd.

The business is understood to have made £24.3million in assets and investments.

They include a £2m collection of sporting memorabilia, a £19m investment portfolio, and a cash reserve of £5.1m.

Fergie began the company during his time at Aberdeen, before he had started his 27-year stint as Man Utd boss.

He stepped down as director on October 29, with sons Jason and Darren having resigned one day earlier.

Another of Fergie’s children, Mark, is still a director of the company and is continuing in the role he has held for 12 years.

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Ferguson’s late wife, Lady Cathy, was also a director up until she passed away last year.

Just a fortnight after Man Utd relieved Fergie of his ambassadorial role, they also sacked manager Erik ten Hag.

Former striker Ruud van Nistelrooy is currently in interim charge of the side.

But Ruben Amorim will take over as the new permanent coach on November 11 after Man Utd agreed a deal with Sporting Lisbon.

The callers were so angry that security wasn’t taking any chances.

After the late shift ended, they escorted the nighttime host of WIRK radio to his car, lest any of the callers make good on their threats to “beat up” the host for playing the Dixie Chicks.

The year was 2003, and the band had just created a national uproar over the Iraq War.

“We do not want this war, this violence,” singer Natalie Maines told the crowd of the show in London, “and we’re ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas”.

This rebuke of President George W. Bush led to massive boycotts, and for a time, it looked like the Dixie Chicks might never recover from speaking out against politics and war.

Now, according to multiple experts, the exact opposite is true. Celebrities are expected to make their opinions known, as many have during this year’s US presidential election. That includes the band now known as The Chicks, who performed the American national anthem on the final night of this year’s Democratic National Convention (DNC).

“The Chicks are the perfect example of our shifting cultural expectations,” said David Schultz, an author and political science professor at Minnesota’s Hamline University. “It used to be ‘shut up and sing,’” he noted, referring to the title of a book by conservative commentator Laura Ingraham. “Now it’s, ‘we want to hear you sing, but we also want to know where you stand.’”

Since celebrity endorsements on today’s scale are a relatively new phenomenon, it remains unclear what impact – if any – they may have on the outcome of an election.

However, every shred of influence could matter in a race this close.

“Let’s say Bad Bunny or LeBron James can move 5,000 to 10,000 voters in Nevada or Pennsylvania,” Schultz told Al Jazeera, referring to the Puerto Rican singer and the US basketball player. “Assuming they do move people, it could shift the state.”

Driving turnout

Multiple experts interviewed for this story agreed that celebrities will not change people’s minds about policy. Rather, their most significant impact will likely be seen in voter turnout.

A Taylor Swift or Bad Bunny fan may not have been planning to vote, but the fact that their favourite artist is encouraging them could be enough to get people to the polls.

For instance, after Swift used Instagram to endorse Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris in September, roughly 400,000 people clicked on the voter information website she linked to in her post. It’s unclear how many of those people actually registered, but in 2023, the website Vote.org registered more than 35,000 new voters after a post by Swift linked to their site.

When asked about the impact of Swift’s 2024 endorsement, Karen Hult, a political scientist at Virginia Tech University, said, “It could make a difference”, particularly given Swift’s popularity with the key demographic of women aged 18 to 30. Similarly, experts like Schultz credit Oprah Winfrey for helping Barack Obama gain inroads with suburban women in his first presidential race.

Yet there’s also evidence to suggest Democrats are walking a tightrope. They want to tap into celebrities’ fan bases, but they want to shed the “elitist” tag Republicans are all too happy to attach to them every time a celebrity like Swift or Winfrey pipes up in Harris’s favour.

“Patriot, Comrade Kamala is putting together a RADICAL LEFT DREAM TEAM,” Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump – himself a long-time celebrity – wrote in a fundraising email in September. “She’s got HOLLYWOOD HACKS like Oprah Winfrey and Jamie Lee Curtis raising MILLIONS for her campaign.”

During the Democratic National Convention, Harris’s team stressed to reporters that celebrities did not drive the campaign. In his convention address, Obama noted that American culture “puts a premium on things that don’t last – money, fame, status, likes”.

However, in these final days of the campaign, celebrities have been at the forefront of both campaigns.

Billionaire Elon Musk has been stumping for Trump (and has given at least $132m to the former president and Republican politicians). At the same time, racist remarks made by a comedian speaking at a Trump rally have prompted Puerto Rican stars Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin and Luis Fonsi to publicly endorse Harris – with Lopez appearing at a rally days before the election.

Neither campaign responded to a request for comment from Al Jazeera. Still, the observers and experts interviewed for this story all agreed that endorsements are perhaps most valuable as an indicator of a campaign’s attempted identity.

Furthermore, they believe the growing dominance of celebrity endorsements provides a glimpse at where presidential campaigns are headed in the future.

A window into strategy

The Trump campaign may be led by a businessman who starred in one of the most popular shows on US television, The Apprentice, until 2015, but it lacks star power compared to the Democrats.

Trump does have some celebrity supporters, largely from the world of mixed martial arts, such as the head of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Dana White, and slightly faded celebrities, such as wrestler Hulk Hogan and the singer Kid Rock. The wildly popular comedian and podcast host Joe Rogan has not officially endorsed Trump but has largely been approving in recent weeks.

But what Trump lacks in traditional celebrities, he has been making up for with tech moguls such as Musk.

Mark Shanahan, a political engagement professor at the University of Surrey, is paying close attention to the “tech bros” contingent that has attached itself to the Trump campaign. Aside from Musk, this contingent includes David Sacks, Marc Andreessen, and Trump’s running mate, JD Vance – all celebrities in their own way. They’re also potentially appealing to a specific type of voter.

“Tech bros are a different kind of celebrity, but for millions and millions of voters away from the coastal states, away from the seats of power, those people may well think someone like a Peter Thiel offers a solution and gives them an opportunity to be a millionaire or billionaire one day,” Shanahan told Al Jazeera.

The veteran political scientist added that it’s “notable” that the Harris campaign has brought in billionaire Mark Cuban for late-in-the-campaign appearances. Cuban, perhaps best known for owning the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and starring as a judge on the reality show “Shark Tank,” first made his fortune in tech and the dot com boom. For Harris, Shanahan argues, Cuban could be a balancing force, and a sign that she, too, has friends and supporters in elite business circles.

Hult, the Virginia Tech professor, has also been observing the “tech bro” ties Trump has cultivated. She thinks that it could backfire, mobilising people against the candidate. After all, she points out, Musk is a highly divisive figure.

But the more interesting consideration, she says, is the strategy behind these ties. For example, she says she had previously heard “chatter” that the Harris campaign was coveting an endorsement from LeBron James. The thinking, she says, is that James could help to increase turnout among Black men, a demographic in which Trump is gaining ground. James, whom Fox News presenter Laura Ingraham once told to “shut up and dribble”, endorsed Harris in the campaign’s final days.

Hult also says both political parties may trend towards “microtargeting” in their future courting of celebrity endorsements. More specifically, they may spend more time working to secure the support of social media influencers.

There are already clear signs of this – this election has been referred to as “the podcast election” – and some studies indicate social media influencers are more likely to mobilise voters than a celebrity.

For now, it is clear both campaigns need any kind of edge they can get, be that a celebrity, a podcaster, or the backlash to someone from one of those camps.

Shanahan noted that the margins are thin and the stakes are high.

“If Trump comes in, all bets are off,” he said. “Will the US leave NATO? In trade, the only tool he uses is war. So, we’re probably looking at a realignment in global geopolitics.”

And the Democrats will be using everything in their toolbox – including celebrity endorsements – to stop that.

In 1948, beset by labor issues and changing technology, the Chicago Daily Tribune was forced to print its first presidential election night issue with only a small percentage of ballots counted. Relying on polls and the prognosticating reputation of their Washington correspondent, editors announced the victory of Republican New York Gov. Thomas Dewey over the incumbent president, Democrat Harry S. Truman.

After Truman’s landslide victory, he was photographed holding up the mistaken front page in what would become an iconic reminder of the frailty of polls and the perils of calling an election before a majority of the ballots had been counted.

No one in their right mind could have foreseen a United States president replicating the most famous journalistic error in this country’s history as a political tactic.

Yet four years ago this week, that is precisely what Donald Trump did.

Early on election day 2020, then-President Trump led former Vice President Joe Biden in several key states. As more ballots, many of them mailed in or dropped off due to COVID-19 concerns, were counted, those leads began to vanish.

By midnight, there was no clear winner: Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Nevada and Pennsylvania remained too close to call. (Fox had called Arizona for Biden earlier but not every outlet agreed.)

Based on voting trends, and the demographics of areas where ballots remained uncounted, networks and pundits began cautiously predicting a Biden win — after midnight, Biden gave a speech in which he expressed confidence that he would prevail — but neither candidate had enough electoral votes to declare victory.

And yet, at 2:21 a.m. on Nov. 4, that is precisely what Donald Trump did.

Dismissing the protests of all his top aides, with the exception of a reportedly drunk Rudy Giuliani, Trump called the press to the East Wing of the White House, where he stood in front of a bank of American flags and attempted to steal the election.

In a matter of minutes, he claimed he had won the election (he hadn’t), that he had won Georgia, Pennsylvania and Michigan (he hadn’t, and didn’t), that Democrats had perpetrated fraud (they didn’t), that voting needed to stop (it had, hours before) and that “we don’t want them to find any ballots at 4 o’clock in the morning and add them to the list” (in some states, ballot counting would, by necessity, go on for several days).

The country, and the world, had never seen anything like it.

Historically, various news outlets “call” election results after the majority of the ballots have been counted and the winner typically waits for his or her opponent to concede before delivering victory remarks.

Twenty years ago, that pattern of protocol was interrupted by then-Vice President Al Gore after his race against Texas Gov. George W. Bush came down to an election-night seesaw in Florida. First called for Gore, it later was called for Bush. Gore first conceded, then, as continued counting narrowed Bush’s apparent victory, withdrew his concession. For a month, we watched the “hanging chad” convulsions of the Florida recount and related court cases until a highly controversial 5-4 Supreme Court decision allowed Bush to win Florida and the presidency.

Which Bush had not claimed until it was official. Yes, he had been, not surprisingly, a bit testy when Gore called to withdraw his concession, and many questioned, and continue to question, the legitimacy of the final outcome.

But neither man claimed to have won the presidency while ballots were still being counted or recounted.

Yet here was Trump, mere hours after polls closed in the middle of a global plague, implying that his brief, early lead in certain states equaled victory; that Biden’s growing gains constituted fraud; and that any ballot that had not been counted before 2:21 a.m. had been “found” and was somehow suspect.

It was lunacy, attempted larceny, an attack on democracy. And it was only the beginning.

Trump apparently believed that he could win simply by saying he had won. And that if he hadn’t won, it was because his opponent cheated. A case of massive oppositional mendacity that borders on the hilarious — except that many people believed and continue to believe him, all evidence to the contrary.

Which is astonishing, infuriating, horrifying and queasily understandable.

During the 2020 campaign, as polls began to lean in Biden’s favor, Trump had gone to great lengths to undermine his supporters’ trust in the increased use of mail-in and dropbox ballots. Trump voters, who already mistrusted any media outlet that wasn’t Fox (and then Fox too, after it called Arizona for Biden), expected Trump to defy predictions as he did in 2016. (Heading into that election day, most polls had Hillary Clinton leading; she won the popular vote, but Trump took the Electoral College.)

Still, on Nov. 4, 2020, the fact that he was president of the United States made it very difficult, even for those who did not vote for or admire him, to take in what we were seeing and hearing: That Trump was attempting to call the election, by himself and for himself, before millions of ballots had been counted.

It was the kind of transparent lie associated with authoritarian nations, not the world’s largest democracy. While news outlets rushed to provide “fact-checking,” which boiled down to “None of this is true,” the country, already exhausted and traumatized by a pandemic, tried to contextualize the enormity of Trump’s actions.

Many Trump supporters heard a president vowing to fight a conspiracy he had been describing to them for years. The rest of us experienced an emotional tsunami that went from dumbfounded disbelief — surely this was one last bit of rhetorical self-aggrandizement that would lead to concession if he lost — to hideous apocalyptic foreboding — this is how democracy ends, not with a bang but with a 2 a.m. press conference.

Even in our shock, we knew there had been signs. While campaigning against Clinton, Trump had positioned his victory as a litmus test for democracy. If he won, justice had prevailed. If he didn’t, the system was corrupt and the Democrats were cheats.

This is, of course, the “logic” of authoritarianism, and Trump continued to espouse it throughout his presidency and the 2020 campaign. So when, in the early hours of Nov. 4, even many members of his own campaign began agreeing that Biden seemed the likely winner, Trump took that twisted “logic” to its unnatural conclusion. In his mind, he should have won, therefore he did win. And anyone who said otherwise was a cheater.

Many hoped that night’s statement was the last gasp of Trumpian lies and hyperbole. As results proved Biden to be the winner, there were a few moments when it was hoped that Trump would remember his oath to uphold the Constitution and, after legally contesting the results in certain states, accept the courts’ conclusions and concede that he lost.

We all know how that turned out. After the armed mob he sent to the Capital on Jan. 6, 2021, failed to keep Congress from certifying the election results, Trump finally conceded that Biden would become our 46th president, though not that he, Trump, had lost the election.

Instead, for almost four years, Trump has incessantly repeated the lie he first told in that infamous press conference — that the only votes that matter, the only votes that should count, are the ones cast for him.

A petition has been submitted to Ecuador’s copyright office to recognise Los Cedros cloud, an Ecuadorian forest roughly 15,000 acres (6,070 hectares) in size, as a co-creator of a musical composition.

This proposal aims to grant legal recognition to nature’s role in artistic creation, potentially setting a new precedent in environmental and copyright law.

So what does the petition ask for and can forests, lakes or other natural bodies have legal rights in the same way that humans can?

What song does the forest ‘want’ rights to?

The petition by the More than Human Life (MOTH) project, which advocates for “advancing the rights of humans and non-humans”, demands that Los Cedros forest be given formal credit as the co-creator of the “Song of the Cedars”.

The song was composed by musician Cosmo Sheldrake, writer Robert MacFarlane and field mycologist Giuliana Furci from the Fungi Foundation, a US conservation group.

In a recent interview, MacFarlane told the UK’s Guardian newspaper: “This was absolutely and inextricably an act of co-authorship with the set of processes and relations and beings that that forest and its rivers comprise. We were briefly part of that ongoing being of the forest, and we couldn’t have written it without the forest. The forest wrote it with us.”

Is there a legal case for this? 

Yes, special rights were extended to natural areas when Ecuador adopted a new constitution in 2008 under former President Rafael Correa. This made Ecuador one of the first countries to recognise the inalienable rights of an ecosystem.

The Rights of Nature (RoN) Articles 10 and 71-74 of Chapter 7 of the Ecuadorian Constitution state the following:

• Nature or Pachamama, where life is reproduced and exists, has the right to exist, persist, maintain and regenerate its vital cycles, structure, functions and its processes in evolution.
• Nature has the right to restoration. This integral restoration is independent of the obligation on natural and juridical persons or the State to indemnify the people and the collectives that depend on the natural systems.
• The State will apply precaution and restriction measures in all the activities that can lead to the extinction of species, the destruction of the ecosystems or the permanent alteration of the natural cycles.
• The persons, people, communities and nationalities will have the right to benefit from the environment and form natural wealth that will allow wellbeing.

According to a 2023 article published by Cambridge University, the rights of nature (RoN) under Article 10 have been invoked 55 times for judicial decisions between 2019 and February 2022 in Ecuador.

The article states: “Consequently, the Court is interpreting RoN in a way that forces a non-traditional approach to sustainable development, which emphasises the need to achieve an equitable balance between economic development and ecosystem protection, rather than consistently prioritising economic development at the expense of the environment.”

Ecuador and other countries may continue or even expand economic activities such as mining and fishing on an industrial scale under such laws, but these laws are intended to require such industrial operations to be conducted in a manner that “preserves the integrity of ecosystems and their natural cycles”, as well as ensuring the survival of species, as stated in Article 73.

Have nature spots been granted legal rights before?

Yes, including in the following places:

Ecuador

In 2021, the “personhood” of a forest was recognised in a decision by Ecuador’s constitutional court, when it designated the Los Cedros biological reserve as a legal entity. The 2021 ruling blocked Enami EP, Ecuador’s national mining company, from further mining the area by cancelling their mining permits.

New Zealand

In 2014, a New Zealand court declared the mountainous area of Te Urewera – located on the North Island of the country – to be “beyond human ownership and to own itself and to have a legal personality”, Rachael Evans, legal lecturer for the Faculty of Law at University of Canterbury in New Zealand, told Al Jazeera. This was in response to a legal challenge mounted by local Indigenous communities.

This legal precedent produced the Te Urewera Act 2014 which confirmed the Te Uruwera region as a legal entity with “all the rights, powers, duties, and liabilities of a legal person”.

Mountainous regions in New Zealand are not the only entities to be given legal personhood. In 2017, New Zealand granted legal personhood to the Whanganui River, a river system that flows through the North Island.

Bangladesh

In 2019, the High Court of Bangladesh gave all rivers in the country legal rights, essentially declaring all rivers as “living entities”. The National River Conservation Commission (NRCC) in Bangladesh was declared the legal guardian of all rivers in the country.

Under this decree, the NRCC is responsible for establishing guidelines to protect rivers from erosion and pollution while safeguarding water sources within the country.

Colombia

In 2018, the Colombian Supreme Court granted the Colombian portion of the Amazon rainforest the legal status of “personhood” after a group of children and youths took the government to court over its response to climate change and deforestation.

How did the idea of granting legal rights to nature come about?

While formal legislation regarding the legal rights of nature has mostly been formed in the 21st century, the idea of creating legal rights for an ecosystem goes back to the 1970s.

In 1972, the Sierra Club, an environmental organisation founded in 1892, filed a lawsuit against Walt Disney Enterprises which was developing a ski resort in Mineral King Valley, located in Sequoia National Park. Sierra Club argued that the new development would cause irreparable damage to the natural ecosystem.

Although the US Supreme Court ruled against the Sierra Club, arguing that the organisation had no evidence that its members would be disproportionately affected by the new development, it did prompt a dissent from Justice William O Douglas, who suggested that natural ecosystems might well need to be granted personhood to allow them to sue in their own right.

In his dissenting opinion, Douglas wrote: “Inanimate objects are sometimes parties in litigation. A ship has a legal personality, a fiction found useful for maritime purposes. The corporation sole – a creature of ecclesiastical law – is an acceptable adversary, and large fortunes ride on its cases. The ordinary corporation is a ‘person’ for purposes of the adjudicatory processes, whether it represents proprietary, spiritual, aesthetic, or charitable causes.”

Douglas said his dissent was influenced by the earlier works and papers of the so-called “godfather of personhood for eco-systems”, US academic Christopher Stone.

In 1972, Stone published a paper titled “Should Trees Have Standing – Toward Legal Rights for Natural Objects”, arguing that nature should be granted legal standing, similar to corporations. Stone argues, that trees, rivers, and other natural ecosystems should have legal guardians to represent their interests in court.

Have nature spots been granted legal rights to art or music before?

Although the petition for granting Los Cedros forest is still pending with Ecuador’s copyright office, there has been no earlier precedent to credit natural ecosystems music or any other artistic right credits.

If the Los Cedros petition is successful, it would most likely not affect the rights to previous works of art or music, however.

“The general rule in this country, and I believe in other common law countries [such as] the United Kingdom and in Canada – is that law can’t be retroactive unless it is very explicit. Personhood in the future doesn’t make a past act illegal,” she said.

What about animals?

In 2014, the Association of Officials and Attorneys for the Rights of Animals (AFADA) filed a habeas corpus petition on behalf of an orangutan named Sandra as a “non-human” person with legal rights.

AFADA argued that the authorities at Buenos Aires’ zoo had unjustly and arbitrarily restricted Sandra’s freedom, leading to a severe decline in her mental and physical wellbeing. The organisation warned that her condition had deteriorated to such an extent that she faced an imminent risk of death.

Although the case was initially denied it was later appealed to Argentina’s Federal Chamber of Criminal Cassation, where in 2015 Sandra was awarded “non-human” personhood rights. Sandra was then moved to the Center for Great Apes in Wauchula, Florida, a sanctuary known for its proper caretaking of orangutans.

On Wednesday, the United States Supreme Court’s conservative majority gave the Republicans a win, voting to uphold Virginia’s efforts to purge voters less than a week before the 2024 election.

A federal judge had previously found that Virginia had illegally purged 16,000 voter registrations over the previous two months, however, the Supreme Court granted the largely Democratic-voting state’s Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin an emergency appeal this week. A coalition of independent groups, including the US Department of Justice, had previously sued the state for violating federal election law, arguing the efforts were stripping eligible voters of their right to vote.

Youngkin said voters who believe they were improperly removed from the rolls can still vote in the election because Virginia has same-day registration.

“There is the ultimate, ultimate safeguard in Virginia, no one is being precluded from voting, and therefore, I encourage every single citizen – go vote,” Youngkin told reporters.

On social media, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump had previously blasted the Virginia court’s initial ruling as a  “totally unacceptable travesty.” “Only US Citizens should be allowed to vote,” the former president added.

The legal win, which comes as Trump and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris duke it out in the dying days of their respective campaigns, represents a broader strategy by the GOP to tighten voting regulations across key states, including Arizona, Michigan, and Nevada.

Why is this happening? 

Across the country, the GOP is targeting voter rolls and absentee ballots, and also monitoring elections. It says this is an attempt to ensure that the election is fair, but its opponents say these are actually attempts to suppress the vote.

The Republican focus on election-related legal battles dates back to lingering distrust from the 2020 presidential election. Former President Trump’s false claims that the election was stolen have fuelled enduring scepticism within the party, where a significant number of GOP voters continue to believe in election fraud without substantial evidence. These lawsuits have become a strategy not just for election integrity but for appealing to a base that feels disenfranchised by the previous electoral outcome.

How and where else is the GOP challenging the vote?

In recent months, Republicans have launched lawsuits in multiple battleground states challenging voting access in attempts to purportedly boost election integrity and oversight.

This strategy includes lawsuits aimed at purging suspected non-citizens from voter rolls, restricting the votes of convicted felons, contesting absentee ballot processing, and challenging election worker protections.

The results have been mixed. In Alabama, a federal judge ordered Republicans to stop attempting to purge the voter rolls. In Nebraska, another judge upheld the right to vote for those who have completed their felony sentences. And in Georgia, a court declared new rules unconstitutional that would have allowed election results to be more easily contested.

Here’s a breakdown of what’s happening in some other states:

Nevada: Republicans, including Trump-aligned groups, unsuccessfully filed lawsuits challenging voter registration procedures, which sought to remove alleged non-citizens from Nevada’s voter rolls. These legal efforts focused on specific matches between the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles records and current voter rolls.

Republicans argued, without evidence, that voters with addresses flagged in a national database may have mail ballots sent to addresses where others could fill them out on their behalf.

The move could have potentially axed 19,000 registered voters from Clark County and an additional 11,000 in Washoe County, according to the ACLU of Nevada, which filed a motion to intervene in the lawsuit. Republicans have abandoned the effort after the ACLU and others raised technical objections, Nevada Public Radio reported.

Arizona: Several lawsuits backed by GOP and conservative groups also challenged Arizona’s election procedures, including absentee ballot handling and voter roll management, aiming to enforce stricter eligibility standards for voting.

In May, a Maricopa County judge in Arizona dismissed portions of a GOP-led lawsuit challenging the revised state Elections Procedures Manual, citing concerns that some elements of the lawsuit might lead to voter intimidation.

North Carolina: A Republican National Committee (RNC) legal effort aiming to purge 225,000 voters in the state, alleging issues with voter registration accuracy, stalled after the state’s Board of Elections won an appeal that will keep the litigation in federal court.

The lawsuit, filed in late August, demanded the court make the state’s Board of Elections formulate a strategy to remove those voters from the rolls by September 6, despite federal law barring the systematic purging of voters 90 days before an election, according to the Carolina Journal.

The North Carolina State Board of Elections has criticised the GOP efforts as baseless, arguing the timing could cause confusion and disruptions on Election Day. Republicans also argued that ballots with improperly sealed envelopes should be excluded, targeting absentee voting, which has favoured Democrats in previous elections.

North Carolina elections officials claim they’ve removed 750,000 ineligible voters from voter rolls since the beginning of 2023. The state has 7.7 million registered voters.

Michigan: Republicans in Michigan have challenged absentee ballot verification processes, arguing for stricter enforcement, with ongoing court proceedings to clarify standards. The GOP also sued the state’s Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson over guidance on absentee ballot verification, claiming it lacked proper enforcement detail.

Last week, however, a federal judge tossed a lawsuit that targeted the state’s voter roles out. In another case, a state judge reversed a Republican challenge of a tiny number of voter registrations by military and overseas voters, according to the Detroit Free Press. The RNC could potentially appeal the ruling.

How could it backfire?

It’s a gamble. Eleventh-hour voter roll purges can create confusion, foster distrust, and potentially disenfranchise eligible voters.

Republicans risk also disenfranchising their own base with such aggressive purges, especially when the evidence of potential fraud is largely non-existent. Those who move often, have incomplete registration information, military personnel, the elderly and rural citizens could all possibly be disenfranchised by such efforts.

Such legal strategies also further degrade public trust in the electoral system, driving down voter turnout, and could potentially further alienate swing voters who value democratic processes.

GREGGS has unveiled its first-ever Christmas advert, and it sees celebrity chef Nigella Lawson try the bakery’s festive menu.

The high street giant’s 60-second clip shows Nigella enjoying various items from its upcoming Christmas menu in her kitchen.

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Premiering today across social media channels, it is the first time that Greggs has ever made a Christmas advert.

It is set to an instrumental version of Carol of the Bells – a well-known Christmas carol.

It opens with Nigella returning home to a London townhouse decorated with a traditional Christmas tree decked in Greggs baubles.

In a scene lit by fairy lights, she notes that Christmas is her “favourite time of year” before tucking into a Greggs Festive Bake.

Describing the return of the eagerly anticipated festive favourite, Nigella describes it as a “rapturous riot of flavour” with a “succulent filling”.

The advert parodies Nigella’s famed use of superlatives, which viewers of her popular cooking shows will be familiar with.

The camera then pans over a table filled with Greggs goodies as Nigella narrates the items being showcased.

She describes “sweet mince pies, aromatic gingerbread lattes and gorgeous Christmas baguettes”.

Eagle-eyed viewers will also spot a fan favourite item making an appearance on the festive spread – the Vegan Festive Bake.

The advert confirms that the savoury treat will be returning after customers were left fuming when it was removed from menus last year.

The film ends with Nigella preparing to sip a gingerbread latte while telling viewers: “The Gregg’s Christmas menu is back. Bag some joy.”

Talking about her time filming the advert, Nigella Lawson said: “As a longtime fan of Greggs, and especially their Sausage Rolls, I’m thrilled to be collaborating with them to celebrate the return of the iconic Christmas menu.

“Greggs brings joy wherever and whenever you choose to enjoy it,  and I’m delighted to be sharing this with the nation this Christmas”.

Greggs Christmas menu

Fans of Greggs will be delighted to hear that they will get the chance to try the items from the ad when its festive menu launches on Thursday, November 7.

Returning to the menu alongside the much-loved Festive Bake, will be the Christmas Lunch Baguette.

The all-new Festive Flatbread will also be launching alongside a range of hot drinks like the gingerbread latte.

In a move that’s also expected to delight vegans and veggies across the UK, the Vegan Festive Bake is also set to return after a hiatus from the menu last year. 

For customers looking for a Christmassy sweet treat, the brand-new Toffee Fudge Muffin and Chocolate and Hazelnut Flavour Doughnut will be making an appearance.

Meanwhile, the returning and popular Festive Bake is made up of a crumb topped pastry, filled with pieces of chicken, sage and onion stuffing and sweetcure bacon, covered in a creamy sage and cranberry sauce.

Another new item returning to the menu is the Christmas Lunch Baguette – filled with chicken breast and sage and onion stuffing, with a dash of onion gravy, sweetcure bacon, cheese, finished with a cranberry and onion relish.

The all-new Festive Flatbread will also be launching – a soft and warm flatbread stuffed with sage & onion style chicken mayo, sweetcure bacon and a tangy cranberry and red onion relish.

For those of you with a sweet tooth, give the brand-new Toffee Fudge Muffin and Chocolate and Hazelnut Flavour Doughnut.

The toffee flavour muffin contains toffee pieces and is topped with a swirl of toffee flavour frosting. 

While the Chocolate and Hazelnut Flavour Doughnut is packed with a chocolate and hazelnut flavour filling, then topped with white chocolate flavour icing and pieces of honeycomb coated in milk chocolate.

Greggs isn’t just for savoury or sweet snacks, the chain is also adding several hot drinks to its menu.

Making a comeback are the Mint Hot Chocolate and Mint Mocha.

The hot chocolate is a festive twist with delicious mint flavoured syrup, a cream topping and a sprinkle of chocolate to finish.

The Mint Mocha is made with freshly ground espresso, steamed milk, hot chocolate and mint-flavoured syrup with sweetener, finished with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles.

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A family dog which killed a 10-year-old girl inside her home will be destroyed, police have said.

The girl suffered serious injuries after being bitten by her dog while at home in the Malton area at around 16:15 GMT on Friday.

Despite efforts by medical professionals and a member of the public who came to the family’s aid, the girl died at the scene, police said.

Their inquiries so far indicated the attack was “out-of-character” and that the girl and dog had “a close, loving relationship”.

North Yorkshire Police said it was “conducting detailed inquiries covering all aspects of the incident”.

The force said: “One of the lines of inquiry relates to the behaviour of the dog to help explain, as far as possible, why it attacked the girl.”

Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.

If someone you love has come to prize experiences over objects — or if they’re just out of storage space — we have ideas for you.

Some of these adventures (like the Anacapa visit, for gull-related reasons) are best enjoyed in winter or spring, when the gift is still fresh in the recipient’s memory. But most are evergreen (like the Tonga Hut).

Also, most of these adventures work well if the giver and recipient come together for the experience, but none require that. And if you want to turn your gift-giving into a full-blown event, know that you can bring 20 or 30 friends to meet those alpacas, depending on the type of tour.

If you make a purchase using some of our links, the L.A. Times may be compensated.

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

Have the ultimate moviegoing experience with the American Cinematheque

For the cinephile in your life who values an immersive moviegoing experience, how about an American Cinematheque membership? Since 1985, the nonprofit arts organization has been screening films with high-quality sound and picture (think 35 mm, 70 mm, nitrate and state-of-the-art digital) at its multiple theaters around L.A. Locations include the beloved (now Netflix-owned) Egyptian Theatre as well as Santa Monica’s Aero Theatre, which opened in 1940, and the Los Feliz 3 Theatre, which opened in 1935. American Cinematheque’s Film Club membership is $85 per year, which grants your giftee $5 off one ticket to every regular-priced screening, invitations to member-only showings and special events, priority entry to regular events and discounts on merchandise. The next step up is the Friend of the AC membership, which provides the same benefits and two discounted tickets ($5 off) instead of just one. Not only will the membership save your gift recipient some money each time they go but they’ll also have the opportunity to attend exclusive Q&As with film creators and actors, an invaluable experience. — Kailyn Brown

$85 per year at American Cinematheque

Cook an authentic Italian dish with the help of a professional

Help your cooking-obsessed friend or family member tap into their inner Carmy and Sydney from “The Bear” — sans the drama and screaming — at Eataly Los Angeles. The Italian food market and restaurant, located at Westfield Century City, offers cooking classes for people ages 8 and up. (Students under 15 must be accompanied by a paying adult.) At Eataly, you can learn how to make everything from Napoli-inspired pizza to northern Italian-style fresh egg pasta from scratch. The classic sauces class I took was hosted by Fabio Angelini (a.k.a. Chef Bibo), who taught us how to make three sauces from his hometown of Rome: cacio e pepe, carbonara and amatriciana. As soon as we arrived, we were given appetizers — pizza alla pala (Roman-style pizza) and Caprese salad, along with a glass of Prosecco — and then we got to work. If your giftee arrives solo, they’ll be teamed up with a partner. The roughly two-hour class moved fast, but Chef Bibo was attentive. I left feeling as if I actually learned something. Plus, we were given a small booklet that featured the recipes and instructions so we could make them again at home. We made the amatriciana sauce to take home, then feasted on the other two, which seemed to leave most of us in a food coma. All the while, the hosts never let our glasses go empty. The class I took was $150 (before taxes); other courses range from $40 to $150. That’s much cheaper than booking a flight to Rome to try these traditional meals, and that’s a win-win. — K.B.

Prices vary at Eataly

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

Take a day trip to a rugged Channel Island

Anacapa is a tiny island (with around 2 miles of trails), a world away from L.A. and a great surprise for any newcomer who likes the sea or the outdoors generally. It’s part of Channel Islands National Park, an hour’s boat ride from Oxnard’s Channel Islands Harbor or Ventura Harbor. Island Packers has the National Park Service concession to run daily boats to the island. (Check website for sailing days; gift cards are available.) Often you’ll spot dolphins on the way, and you’re sure to see the 40-foot-high Arch Rock as you reach Landing Cove at the island’s east end. Here the hiking begins: It’s about 160 stair steps from the landing to the top of the cliff island. Some people snorkel, kayak or camp. But most visitors just hike to the 700-acre island’s two highlights: Inspiration Point, which overlooks a spectacular sprawl of rocky slopes surrounded by sea; and the 1932 lighthouse, among the last built on the West Coast. From January through mid-April, visitors often spot migrating gray whales. From April through August, it’s nesting season for western gulls, which can get loud and smelly. — Christopher Reynolds

$70 for an adult round-trip on Island Packers from either Oxnard or Ventura at Island Packers

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

Meet the alpacas on a Carpinteria farm tour

Canzelle Alpaca Farm is a 20-acre haven where about 40 furry creatures with tiny heads stand in enclosures on a hillside overlooking Carpinteria. These are the alpacas, cousins to the llama. They get fleeced every spring, and they make genial hosts who are happy to be petted by your favorite animal lover all year round. Guide-led tours last an hour. The alpacas, native to South America, have mostly mellow dispositions and only bottom teeth, so there’s not much biting. But there will be petting and patting, and guests may get a chance to feed the animals carrots by hand. Also, lots of photos must be taken. Tours and separate sound baths (in a pasture with the animals) are offered Fridays through Sundays only. Advance reservations are required for all visitors. Children are welcome, dogs are not. To join a group tour (up to 20 people), the adult fee is $37.10. For a group sound bath, $65 per person. For a private tour (up to 30 people), the tab is $636. Gift cards available. — C.R.

$37.10 for a group tour at Canzelle Alpaca Farm

Bike and dine along the L.A. River

Let’s assume your people like walking or biking. Let’s further assume that they’re ready to do that along the Los Angeles River, that ever-evolving spectacle of wildlife, concrete and urban invention. Once they’ve worked up a bit of thirst and hunger, it’s time to draw on your thoughtful gift card covering a sophisticated dinner or brunch (with Instagrammably playful drinks) at Lingua Franca (2990 Allesandro St.). The restaurant has a snug indoor area, high ceilings, courtyard seating and a patio alongside the bike path. The menu is “new California cuisine.” The matchstick potatoes (cut in-house and fried with herbs) are a favorite, but don’t overlook the saffron risotto or apricot-glazed roasted half-chicken. There’s a daily happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m. Lingua Franca main dishes are $25 to $52. Need something cheaper/more casual? Lingua Franca’s sandwich-slinging sibling Wax Paper (2902 Knox Ave.) is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily — or until they sell out. Like Lingua Franca, it offers gift cards ($5-$500). — C.R.

Gift card amounts vary at Lingua Franca and Wax Paper

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

Book a jam session in a Burbank rehearsal studio

Nightingale Studios in Burbank just might be the place to stage the jam session of someone’s dreams — without annoying the neighbors. If you book the largest rehearsal room, Showcase Studio A (34 feet by 23 feet, with a stage on risers), you can gather up to 25 musicians and friends. You can bring in pizza and drinks. (Of course, management reserves the right to eject anyone who gets unruly.) The setup includes a drum set, microphones, amplifiers, mixer, couches, fridge, tiny tiki bar and an HD projector and screen. The credit-card rate for a party or event in Nightingale’s Showcase Studio A is $60 per hour, with a two-hour minimum and a $250 cleaning deposit, paid five days in advance. A dedicated sound engineer costs extra. Owner Mike Nightingale says it’s wise to make a gift party/event booking at least three weeks ahead and start the process with a phone call to (818) 562-6660. (The studio doesn’t offer gift cards.) — C.R.

Prices vary at Nightingale Studios

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

Join Venice’s eclectic, electric light parade

What could be more L.A. than zooming along the beachfront in the Venice Electric Light Parade? Just about every Sunday at sunset since 2015, founder Marcus Gladney has led scores of riders from beachfront Windward Plaza. They roll at sunset, boomboxes throbbing, drummers drumming, several volunteers ensuring safety at intersections. The eight-mile route follows the bike path alongside Ocean Front Walk to the Santa Monica Pier, returning via Main Street, Abbot Kinney Boulevard, the Venice Fishing Pier and the dangling letters of the Venice sign. Plan on a three-hour adventure including about 90 minutes of riding for your lucky gift recipient. They (and you) can bring a bike, skates, etc., for free, but while you’re at it, why not rent an LED-illuminated vehicle from Gladney or Jay’s Rentals? For $99, you can book a lighted bike for the evening (T-shirt included) through Airbnb Experiences or arrange a gift card via [email protected]. Alternatively, you can prebook through Jay’s Rentals ([424] 272-9196), which offers an e-bike parade rate of $50. Or, for a group experience, a more stable ride and better photographs, consider a three-seat e-chair ($80 an hour, half off on parade night). — C.R.

$99 for a lighted bike at Airbnb Experiences
Prices vary at Jay’s Rentals

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

Try tacos and a Nutty Chi Chi at the Tonga Hut

The Tonga Hut in North Hollywood is L.A.’s oldest tropical bar, dating to 1958, and it often seems to be one of the happiest places in town — so why not a food-and-grog gift? The Nutty Chi Chi (featuring macadamia nuts and vodka with a purple flower on top) is the hut’s biggest seller among dozens of sweet, strong, Insta-friendly options. Meanwhile, Durango’s Tacos sets up Monday through Saturday nights. (There’s another taco truck on Sundays.) Note: The hut’s well-decorated interior is snug (capacity: 68), so many patrons head for the picnic tables outside in back, closer to the tacos. Dogs are allowed out there. Also, you can bring food in. (The Tonga Hut also has a Palm Springs location.) Most Tonga Hut cocktails go for $12 to $15. The hut doesn’t have gift cards on its website, but if you show up and ask, manager Kat Bailey will make and sell you one, analog-style. (Or go through Giftly.) Durango’s sells tacos ($4 each), burritos and quesadillas, including slow-cooked barbacoa beef. — C.R.

Gift card amounts vary at Giftly

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

Dive into a hotel pool ‘daycation’

When you want to give pool time but don’t want to pay for a hotel room, think about ResortPass gift cards. With one, you can give somebody day access to pools at more than 80 L.A.-area hotels. For example, $44 on weekdays and $82 on weekend days buys access to the Lanai pool, hot tub and new Royce Pool at the stately Langham Huntington Hotel in Pasadena, along with locker rental, towel service and discounted valet parking. When I arrived at the Royce Pool (which this year replaced two tennis courts), an attendant appeared promptly with a towel and a cup of ice water. The pool, shaped like a flower with five petals, is surrounded by about 100 chaise lounges and a few cabanas (rentable separately, for a hefty price). No outside food, drinks, pets, speakers or pool floats allowed. Most ResortPass day pool passes fall between $25 and $110, depending on how snazzy the property is. The gift cards are digital, can be any amount, do not expire and can be used at hundreds of participating hotels in the U.S., Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean. — C.R.

Gift card amounts vary at ResortPass

Fly high over scenic mountain terrain at Skull Canyon Ziplines

Take your favorite adrenaline junkie to Skull Canyon Ziplines, a 160-acre thrill zone filled with high-speed zipline runs, a sky gym and other heart-pumping activities. It’s in Corona, roughly 60 miles outside of L.A., but the excursion is well worth it. Skull Canyon has four zipline tours, which range from 80 to 350 feet above the ground amid picturesque mountain terrain. This includes the original course (the most kid-friendly) for $95.40; extreme (starts at 200 feet) for $132.50; monster (the highest and fastest course) for $169.60; and the speed run zipline where you can race your loved ones on a side-by-side zipline for $42.40. Bring proper closed-toe shoes, as each route includes a hike, which ranges in length and difficulty depending on which course you do. The duration also ranges depending on how many people are in your group. (A friend and I went on a Tuesday morning — staff said it was a slow day — and it was just us on our tour.) A maximum of 10 people are allowed on each tour. Unlike some other zipline experiences, Skull Canyon has a hands-free patented braking system, so you won’t have to worry about braking yourself. The venue also features a sky gym, which has three levels of balance- and strength-based obstacles, ranging from 14 to 42 feet in the air. Participants must weigh at least 60 pounds for the sky gym, whereas the zipline experiences vary from a 60- to 100-pound weight requirement depending on the course. Height requirements vary for the sky gym. Skull Canyon is open Friday through Tuesday. Book the experience yourself or buy a gift card. — K.B.

Courses range from $42.50-$169.60 at Skull Canyon Ziplines

Provide an introduction to pickleball

It’s no secret that pickleball is having a moment in L.A. and beyond. Whether you’re buying for an enthusiast or a newbie who doesn’t know where to start, check out Westchester L.A. Pickleball. The pickleball club hosts a $50 beginners clinic on Sundays at 3 p.m. at the Westchester Recreation Center, where Mike Koss, a certified coach with the Professional Pickleball Registry, teaches everything you need to know about the game. Paddles and balls are provided. Six days a week, excluding Tuesdays, the pickleball club also hosts open play sessions. Courts are designated by player level, and coaches walk around to give pointers. Friday nights are especially fun, according to Koss, because the club plays music on the courts, and the group usually goes out for drinks afterward to further build community. Reservations are required for all sessions. Participants must wear tennis or court shoes. If you don’t have a paddle, you can borrow one from one of the league leaders. Westchester L.A. Pickleball also offers memberships, which grant you priority booking for all events, among other benefits. When I took the beginners class recently, I struggled to serve the ball properly at first, but with Koss’ encouragement, I eventually got the hang of it. I’ll definitely be back. — K.B.

$50 for beginners clinic at Westchester L.A. Pickleball

Experience live music in a dreamy candlelit room

Is it just me, or do string instruments make everything sound more romantic and beautiful? Let your most music-loving friend experience their favorite artists — ranging from Beyoncé and the Beatles to Taylor Swift and Bad Bunny — in a concert hall filled with hundreds of candles. With the help of local musicians such as Orchid Quartet, Candlelight Concerts regularly hosts intimate, one-hour shows at various venues throughout Los Angeles. Although some of the events are dedicated to specific artists, others highlight noteworthy songs from particular genres. On a recent Friday night, I attended one of Candlelight Concerts’ neo-soul events at the Zipper Concert Hall inside of the Colburn School in downtown L.A. The all-woman quartet opened the show with a gorgeous rendition of Childish Gambino’s “Redbone,” then continued to awe the crowd with their interpretations of songs such as “Purple Rain” by Prince, “Good Days” by SZA and “Smooth Operator” by Sade. Patrons are asked to avoid taking photos or videos until the last two songs of the show and to sing in their heads rather than aloud out of respect for other attendees. Candlelight Concerts is truly a magical, multisensory experience that any music aficionado would appreciate. Gift cards are available for purchase. — K.B.

Prices vary at Candlelight Experience

(Todd Martens / Los Angeles Times)

Fight — or embrace — corporate maleficence at a real-life video game

Hatch Escapes’ the Ladder is redefining what an escape room can be. Think of the Ladder as a 90-minute interactive movie with puzzles, taking guests through five decades, beginning in the 1950s, in which they play an exaggerated game of corporate life. They’ll start in the mailroom and work their way through secretarial and middle-management-themed areas, all the while mixing puzzles, games and choose-your-own-adventure choices. Each area features a mix of puzzles — they are difficult — and games, which are approachable and communal, helping to ensure all levels of players have a task at hand. Participants may find themselves playing a game of memory using light-up cocktail glasses. Or perhaps they’ll choose to investigate a wall-long switchboard, listening to callers’ problems and trying to connect them with a solution. Elsewhere, in an area dedicated to the 1980s, Nintendo’s “Donkey Kong” gets remixed as “Bossy Kong,” with a suited villain rather than a gorilla trying to thwart progress. If all goes according to plan, wits will be tested but so will morals, as players are graded on puzzle acumen as well as personal choices. They may play ethically, corruptly or spend their time exploring the mini-golf-turned-shuffleboard floor in a middle-management office. The Ladder offers an abundance of choices, so many that it’s impossible to discover all its content in a single play-through. So if you’re lucky, this is a gift in which you may be invited along. Gift cards are available in $25 increments. —Todd Martens

$75 to $95 per person (with a four-player minimum) at Hatch Escapes

Prices and availability of items and experiences in the Gift Guide and on latimes.com are subject to change.

More gift guides

Decades after the fall of apartheid, the echoes of South Africa’s cultural resistance still ring out, inspiring new generations. During the struggle, artists like Sipho Mabuse used their craft as both a weapon and a lifeline, giving voice to a vision of freedom and dignity.

In this edition of Talk to Al Jazeera, we delve into the power of the arts in resistance, asking what role they played in South Africa’s journey to freedom and drawing comparisons to today’s struggle for Palestinian self-determination.

Satellite imagery reveals how Israeli attacks have caused extensive damage to more than a dozen villages in southern Lebanon. Al Jazeera’s Virginia Pietromarchi explains the impact it has on civilians.

A MAN who has flown on over 170 airlines has revealed a little-known way to avoid flight cancellations.

Indy Nelson, 29, learned the trick while attempting to travel to every single country in the world.

He succeeded, becoming the youngest and fastest person to ever to so – at the age of 24 and in 539 days.

The globe trotter has also secured the Guinness World Record for flying on the most airlines, beating the previous record of 156.

Yet, of the whopping 500 flights that Indy booked during his adventure, only two were cancelled.

The secret is to always book morning flights, the American claimed.

This means there is less chance of a backlog of cancelled or delayed flights – meaning your flight will likely take off on time.

A 2023 study by the US Department of Transportation suggested the same phenomenon.

More than 80 per cent of flights leaving between 6am and 9am take off on time, according to the study.

However, less than 60 percent of flights leaving between 6pm and 9pm reportedly depart on time.

Product manager Indy, whose favourite airlines are Emirates and Qatar Airways, explained the reasons for his travel marathon on his website.

He said: “Growing up, I traveled abroad on a number of occasions.

“It wasn’t until taking my first overseas trip without my parents that the travel bug set in.”

He started off my volunteering at a camp for Syrian refugees in Greece, before booking an unconventional holiday to North Korea after graduating from college.

The adventure, for which he had to take out an $80,000 loan, has since taken him to numerous far-flung and even war-ridden destinations, including the front lines in Iraq.

He added: “It was exciting to go into the unknown and not know what was going to happen each day.

“The best way to learn how to solve the most difficult of situations is to be exposed to them – especially those that you can’t even fathom.

“There is no manual to traversing the world.”

It was during his Korean sojourn that he first set his sights on becoming the youngest person to ever travel the whole world – with the record holder at the time being two years older than him.

The helpful tip comes after researchers at Which? also revealed which seats have the most legroom on Ryanair planes.

Plane etiquette

IF you’re planning on going away any time soon, you’ll need to pay attention to the following unwritten plane etiquette rules…

RECLINING SEAT: Podcast host and etiquette expert Nick Leighton explained that you shouldn’t recline your seat if the passenger behind you is working on their laptop.

He said: “Nobody likes their laptop snapped in half.”

Before you recline your seat, it’s best to check to see what the passenger behind you is doing.

If they are on a laptop, ask before you move your seat back.

FEET: A flight attendant told The Sun: “Your boarding card tells you a number and a letter, this will be the reserved seat that you have paid for.

“Your feet, which are attached to your body, should do their best to reside within this space and stay far away from anyone else.

“If you do insist on stretching out, please make sure your feet are covered up.”

CHAT: TV travel expert Samantha Brown explained that conversations from strangers aren’t welcome, suggesting that others shouldn’t expect a chat.

She added: “I’m not a talker. Plane time is me time.”

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