Majorca has seen a huge decrease in number of German tourists visiting the island. The fall in German holidaymakers visiting the popular destination had been confirmed by a downward trend that had started in May. It came after a prolonged period of growth, but come May the trend reversed and dropped, and in July, Majorca saw a fall of more than 8%.
However, the decline in German tourists is not as a result of the protests and anti-tourism campaigns as many might believe, but instead the Germany economy.
Alvaro Blanco, director of Turespana’s bureu in Berlin, has said that “the economic situation in Germany isn’t helping”, in reference to a fall in German GDP, increasing level of unemployment and a rise in prices for products and services across the country.
He added that all of these factors are impacting foreign holiday destinations as well as Germany as a destination, reports Majorca Daily Bulletin.
When it comes to German tourism across the Balearics, 90% of it is in Majorca. However, with Majorca’s increased prices and the economic conditions in Germany, it has led to holidaymakers seeking alternative holidays that are more affordable.
Carlos Cendra, marketing and communications director for Mabrian, a tourism data consultancy, said: “The German consumer climate is, in general, less optimistic, and this reduces spending intentions.
“The German tourist market is very sensitive to price fluctuations, and when the consumer climate is less encouraging, this sensitivity is great.”
Marbian provides information to the Baleric Goverment and island councils. The company compared tourism data to Antayla and the Turkish Riviera and found that flight capacity for Antalya had increased 8% this summer.
It also found that in July and August the average hotel stay cost €92 per night, whilst in the Balearics it was €292.
Wolfgang Engstler, German consul in Majorca, said: “German tourists are having to pay more attention to their budgets and can no longer spend so much money on holiday. Given that flights and hotels in Majorca have risen significantly in price, there is generally less money left for other purposes.”
While the protests across Spain have been covered by German media, Mr Engstler doesn’t believe this is the driving factor in the fall in tourist numbers.
He added: “For families, the evolution of prices, coupled with lower budgets, are the decisive factors.”
Things go from bad to worse for a presumably happy couple played by Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson in the first-look trailer for the new psychological thriller Die My Love, released by Mubi on September 5.
Set to the tune of “The Clapping Song” by Shirley Ellis, the clip opens with Grace (Lawrence) and her husband Jackson (Pattinson) sharing a kiss while crawling through a field of grass. Then, we see the pair laughing and smiling in the kitchen of their home. After Jackson kisses her and walks away, Grace stands there in silence with a nonchalant expression on her face before slumping over, almost as if in defeat. What comes next is a sequence of startling events, from Grace and Jackson yelling at each other to one of their characters carrying a knife outside their house. LaKeith Standfield, Nick Nolte and Sissy Spacek round out the ensemble cast. Watch the trailer below.
Here’s the full synopsis for Die My Love:
Die My Love centers on Grace (Lawrence) and Jackson (Pattinson), a loving couple who leave New York for an inherited home in the country. After welcoming a baby, Grace begins to mentally unravel and finds herself empowered in unexpected ways
Die My Love debuted at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. Lynne Ramsay, known for the 2017 crime thriller You Were Never Really Here, directed the film from a script she co-wrote with Alice Birch, which is based on Ariana Harwicz’s 2012 novel of the same name. Jennifer Lawrence serves as a producer alongside Martin Scorsese, Andrea Calderwood, Justine Ciarrocchi, Thad Luckinbill, Trent Luckinbill and Molly Smith.
Jennifer Lawrence’s Performance in ‘Die My Love’ Is Already Generating Oscar Buzz
Following Die My Love‘s Cannes debut, critics praised Lawrence’s “astonishing” and “uninhibited” portrayal of a first-time mom battling postpartum depression, leading some to believe that she could take home an Academy Award. As many will recall, Lawrence won her first Oscar for her performance as Tiffany Maxwell in 2012’s Silver Linings Playbook, taking home the Academy Award for Best Actress at the 2013 ceremony. Is it possible that Jennifer Lawrence could take home her second Oscar for Die My Love? We’ll just have to wait and see; fortunately, awards season is right around the corner.
While attending the Cannes afterparty (hosted by The Hollywood Reporter) earlier this year, Lawrence spoke to the publication and shared how becoming a mother of two has changed her viewpoint on acting. As she said:
“It changes your whole life, but it’s brutal and incredible. I didn’t know that I could feel so much, and my job has a lot to do with emotion, and they’ve opened up the world to me. It’s almost like a blister or something, so sensitive. So they’ve changed my life, obviously, for the best, and they’ve changed me.”
Catch Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson in Die My Love, coming to theaters on November 7, 2025.
Headshot Of Jennifer Lawrence In The 35th Annual GLAAD Media Awards
Orson Welles is one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers of all time. After directing several high-profile stage productions and hosting his radio anthology series, Welles’ first film was Citizen Kane (1941) – which he co-wrote, directed, and starred as the titular character Charles Foster Kane – and is now widely regarded as one of the best movies of all time.
Throughout his career, Welles directed twelve additional feature films, including highly celebrated works such as The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), Othello (1951), Touch of Evil (1958), The Trial (1962), and Chimes at Midnight (1966). Despite his towering achievements and influence, Welles was an outsider to Hollywood’s studio system at the time, and often found himself fighting with studios for creative control.
The Magnificent Ambersons Set For Restoration Using AI
The Magnificent Ambersons is set for a new restoration using artificial intelligence. Written and directed by Orson Welles, the 1942 film follows the pampered heir of the declining Amberson wealth who drives a wedge between his widowed mother and the man she has long cherished. Its cast includes Joseph Cotten, Dolores Costello, Anne Baxter, Tim Holt, Agnes Moorehead, and Ray Collins, with Welles narrating.
During editing, Welles lost creative control to RKO Studios, who changed the film significantly, including altering the ending to be more optimistic. While Welles’ original notes still exist, about an hour of footage was permanently destroyed and never found. Despite being released in a heavily altered form, The Magnificent Ambersons is still widely considered one of the greatest films ever made.
Now, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Showrunner will reconstruct the missing footage from The Magnificent Ambersons using artificial intelligence. The Amazon-backed company recently unveiled a new AI model capable of producing long and complex narratives, eventually extending to live-action feature-length films. The service already enables users to create custom TV episodes from just a short prompt.
Since Showrunner does not hold the rights to the film, the project will not be commercialized. They plan to combine AI with traditional filmmaking methods to re-create the lost footage, including filming certain sequences with live performers, then applying AI-driven face transfer to replicate the appearance of the original cast. The team will also rely heavily on the film’s extensive archive of set photos to guide the reconstruction.
Our Take On The Magnificent Ambersons Being Restored Using AI
While AI’s further encroachment into Hollywood is troubling, signaling a slippery slope toward automated content creation, this specific project appears to preserve the human touch. Leading the project is filmmaker Brian Rose, who has dedicated the past five years to reconstructing 30,000 lost frames from the film, recreating the physical sets as 3D models to accurately map camera movements in line with the script and archival photos.
Rose has also restored the framing and timing of each scene, forming the backbone of the re-creation. Assisting him is Tom Clive, a VFX specialist skilled in face-swapping and de-aging techniques. This effort to restore The Magnificent Ambersons appears to be using AI as a creative tool to enhance human artistry, rather than replace it.
For 15 years, Dylan Shepherd’s band was as close as you could get to seeing Oasis onstage.
Shepherd fronts Supersonic, an Oasis tribute act that’s nailed every detail of their Manchester heroes’ live sets, from Liam Gallagher’s anorak jacket-bedecked swagger to the precise jangle of his brother Noel‘s guitar. For fans worried that the famously acrimonious Gallagher brothers would never reunite after their chaotic 2009 split, Supersonic was a solid alternative.
Never has a band been happier to be upstaged.
“Like everyone else, we were shocked and elated when Oasis announced they were getting back together,” Shepherd said. “We came up with the concept of going and doing a bunch of shows in cities just before them to get people even more fired up, if that’s even possible.”
On Friday, just before Oasis plays the Rose Bowl, Supersonic will headline the Whisky a Go Go, the site of Oasis’ infamous drug-fueled meltdown onstage in 1994. Supersonic will likely behave better than the Gallaghers, but for Angeleno Anglophiles, this week’s revelry is on par with Taylor Swift’s Eras tour or a BTS reunion coming to town.
For one weekend, L.A. will more or less become Manchester with palm trees.
“We went to their first Manchester show in July and it was unbelievable, the atmosphere was just buzzing,” Shepherd said. “Out of every shop window, every bar, you could hear Oasis, and they sounded better than they ever have.”
In a time when giant pop tours are the barometer of health for the live music industry, Oasis’ reunion feels both old-fashioned and refreshing — a hard-partying, live-wire rock band is suddenly the hottest ticket in town. The band’s shows in the UK transformed its city centers with a fervor closer to national heritage than mere rock band fandom.
Now, for the first time since 2008, it’s L.A.’s turn.
Anyone who has seen the documentary “Depeche Mode: 101” or attended a Morrissey show with a Chicano-heavy crowd knows that L.A. turns out for its idols across the pond. Some superfans here couldn’t wait for the band to make it over.
“I’ve been a fan since the ‘90s, but I never got to see them back in the day and I’ve just been waiting for them to resolve things,” said Rose Ghavami, an L.A. promoter and DJ who flew to the U.K. for two Oasis shows. That wasn’t nearly enough, though.
Fans of rock band Oasis arrive for an exhibition of photographer Kevin Cummins’ work on the band at Musichead Gallery in West Hollywood on Sept. 4, 2025.
(Etienne Laurent / For The Times)
“I’m crazy. I’m going to the Rose Bowl on Saturday and then to see them in Mexico City the following weekend. Centering travels around these concerts has been super-emotional. I definitely cried alongside with everyone, singing every word,” Ghavami said.
Between those shows, she’s hosting an Oasis-themed pre-party at Cha Cha Lounge in Silver Lake on Friday. Among her contingent of Britpop fans here, she sees parallels to another group’s historic sweep of American stadiums.
“I wasn’t around for Beatlemania, but this feels similar to that,” Ghavami said. “It’s usually cringe to wear a band’s shirt to their concert, but this gets a pass because people were head to toe in gear from their bucket hats to their socks. I see people walking down the street here with Oasis gear, and you stop each other to ask ‘Are you going to the show?’”
Shoppers showing off their Oasis merch
(Vivien Killilea)
Indeed, the lines at the Oasis pop-up merch mart in Hollywood have been formidable, as fans rushed to commemorate the reunion they feared might never come. The tour’s rapturous reviews — and a notable lack of drama between the Gallaghers — cemented this as the must-see rock event of the year.
Even for seasoned Oasis tour vets, the outpouring of goodwill and camaraderie between the band and fans has been invigorating.
Kevin Cummins is a British photographer who captured the group in its earliest days, just before releasing its debut LP “Definitely Maybe.” He’s exhibiting shots from his book of that era, “Oasis: The Masterplan,” at Musichead Gallery in Hollywood starting this week. Even he’s taken aback by how frictionless and joyful this reunion has been.
“I watch football with Noel in England, and we’d talked about a reunion on and off over years. He’d always say no, it’ll never happen, it won’t work,” Cummins said. “So I was as surprised as anybody about the scale of these gigs and the reception they’re getting. When I speak to Noel after the gigs, he says each is better than last one. I don’t think even they quite believe how huge this has become.”
Cummins has photographed the band for three decades, and always admired how Oasis fans identified with their working-class insouciance and biting humor. In a political climate where every cultural figure can become instantly polarizing, Oasis’ reunion was the closest thing the U.K. got to a national consensus.
In an L.A. ravaged by fires, ICE and a doom-stricken mood in its hallmark entertainment industries, Oasis’ return is a rare spectacle to look forward to as well.
Liam Gallagher, left, and Noel Gallagher, right, from the band Oasis perform during their reunion concert on Friday, July 4, 2025, in Cardiff.
(Scott A Garfitt / Invision / AP)
“In England, the gigs were a time of renewal, if that’s not too corny,” Cummins said. “This year has been pretty miserable year politically, so this tour has come along and been great distraction. Oasis has always been a band people were fiercely proud of, and this is like going to football game where 80,000 people are rooting for same team.”
All week, L.A. bars and nightclubs have packed their calendars with Oasis-themed parties. Regulars at Club Underground, a decades-long British indie night now at Grand Star Jazz Club in Chinatown, would naturally get in on the occasion.
“Every week, ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ is our closing song,” said Lawrence Gjurgevich, who throws Club Underground as DJ Larry G (naturally, they’re throwing a pre-party Friday night). Affection for Britpop in L.A. “Goes back to the original KROQ, which played bands like New Order, the Smiths, the Cure,” he said. “There’s always been a lineage here that continues with bands like Arctic Monkeys and Fontaines D.C.”
Gjurgevich lost his home in the Eaton fire, and while he’s buried in the rebuilding process, these Oasis shows are both a respite and a reminder of why he made a life in L.A.’s music scene. “The shows are in our backyard, which is amazing,” he said. “We’re rebuilding and it’s heavy, but this has been something to look forward to, a place to make new friends.”
Even young newcomers, who missed Oasis in its boozy ‘90s heyday and 2000s collapse, are compelled by this tour, said Holiday Kirk, an L.A. promoter, writer and memelord (who is partially responsible for the nu-metal revival among Gen Z).
“If you’re under 25, you don’t remember how omnipresent Oasis was. You couldn’t get away from them, they could park singles at number one by sheer will,” Kirk, who in his early thirties, said.
Kirk is pivoting to Britpop for an Oasis-heavy pre-party at Gold Diggers on Friday. There’s certainly a nostalgia factor for older fans, but also a curiosity from younger ones about a band that slung insults, fists and cocaine in equal measure while writing some of its era’s most affecting songs.
A fan, Rose, looks at British rock band Oasis’ pictures shot by photographer Kevin Cummins displayed for an exhibition.
(Etienne Laurent / For The Times)
Gen Z fans are “fascinated by the idea of being an uncompromising rock band and conquering the world. That’s so far out of anyone’s conception of what’s possible today,” Kirk said. “Can you imagine Sabrina Carpenter, in an interview, saying she hated Taylor Swift? It’s so fun to think that you can do that and it wouldn’t ruin your career. I’ve seen so many Liam Gallagher fancams on TikTok where the comments are like ‘OMG, so babygirl’” — a Gen Z term of endearment for older men — “because no other frontman has had that swagger since.”
Even for fans left out of the Rose Bowl shows, the Alamo Drafthouse cinema in downtown L.A. screened the 2016 Oasis documentary “Oasis: Supersonic” this week to offer a taste of the band at its incendiary peak.
“There’s such an appeal for young audiences to see these cultural documents of a world before the celebrity became so image-conscious and considerate of stakeholders,” said Jake Isgar, the head of specialty programming for Alamo Drafthouse. “The Gallagher brothers can’t help but be themselves, and that’s why people are so drawn to them.”
A detail of a contact sheet of British rock band Oasis by photographer Kevin Cummins.
(Etienne Laurent / For The Times)
While Pasadena will be the center of the rock and roll universe this weekend, Oasis posted a live map of pre-parties and band-historic sites in Los Angeles where the devoted can take a pilgrimage. (Yep, the Whisky is on there.) It’s been a brutal year for so many in L.A., and the chance to finally throw back as much beer as the Rose Bowl will serve you and scream along to “Acquiesce” and “Morning Glory” is proof anyone — even the Gallagher brothers — can find a way to reconcile and recover.
“I’ve seen people bringing their children to these shows, multiple generations having communal experiences. I can’t think of another band that could have this impact,” Ghavami said. “After ICE raids, fires and political tension, things are awful. We need to bring joy back to people. Something simple like one of the greatest rock and roll bands of all time. I’m excited to be alive for it.”
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BLACKPINK‘s JENNIE is going solo once again, but not in the way you might think. After partnering with Beats last year to help promote the brand’s Solo 4 earbuds, the K-Pop star is back and this time with her very own Ruby red collaboration. Unveiled earlier this week, Beats and JENNIE are releasing a special edition colorway of the Solo 4 headphones.
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The collab features a Ruby red base with unique “R” and “J” details, and an embellished UltraPlush ear cushion with symbols inspired by the megastar. The headphone are also adorned with an attachable red ribbon, tied into a bow on each side. The fiery, monochromatic design is a nod to JENNIE’s debut studio album, Ruby.
Beats x JENNIE Solo 4 Special Edition
The headphones were launched alongside a new ad campaign featuring the limited-edition device blossoming from a bed of flowers set to the Ruby track “Like Jennie.” Watch the official campaign below.
“Beats has been part of my everyday life and creative process, so collaborating with them in this way feels very special,” said JENNIE in a statement. “I’m excited for people to experience my music in a new way through these headphones.”
The Beats x JENNIE Solo 4 headphones are available beginning today, (Friday, September 5) on Apple’s website and Best Buy for $199.99. Shop below. Also, if you’re in the market for earbuds, the transparent red colorway of the Beats Solo Buds from last year’s campaign featuring the K-Pop star are still available online as well. Shop both headphones below before they sell out.
“I wanted to take a second to talk about my step mom @hilariabaldwin,” Ireland began a lengthy Instagram post shared on Thursday, September 4. “I think if people actually knew her the way I do, they would be quite surprised. This post may come out of left field since I don’t post about her or any family members much. I expect misinformed comments and plenty of comments about me only playing nice so I can secure my inheritance. C’mon, people. I see the comments. I’m not getting an inheritance. I have 7 siblings 😂.”
Ireland went on to share that she and Hilaria have bonded over their shared “complex and chaotic” upbringings, adding, “She didn’t always feel safe and seen. Sometimes, she is too loyal to a fault. She is eccentric and totally bat s*** crazy (in a fun way) but she saved my dad’s life. She turned his health around and has shown him the forgiveness and kindness that he needed.”
Ireland continued, “She also recognizes and nourishes the parts of my father [Alec Baldwin] that are the most compassionate and wonderful. She’s taught him that he doesn’t need to suffer inside of his own head and stay stuck in his own past. That it’s never too late to admit you need help and it’s never too late to learn to be kind to yourself.”
Ireland credited Hilaria as the reason she and Alec have the “close relationship” they currently do. “She is the reason I get to have siblings/a big family that I’ve always wanted. She has always respected me, accepted my flaws, embraced me, and has always shown me kindness,” the actress and model gushed. “I met her as a teenager and I needed her as an example. I still very much look up to her now.”
Ireland concluded her message of support by writing that she’s “so proud” of Hilaria for joining DWTS Season 34. “I CANNOT wait to cheer her a** on. She deserves this!” she stated. “And it’s not my place to share the ins and outs, but this woman is a gem and deserves all the love.”
Ireland is the only child Alec shares with his ex-wife, Kim Basinger, to whom he was married from 1993 to 2002. He went to wed Hilaria in 2012, and the couple have since welcomed seven children together.
Ireland shared her message alongside a photo of herself and Hilaria holding a dog and one of her siblings, respectively. Hilaria thanked her stepdaughter for the kind words in the post’s comments, writing, “I’m crying. I love you with all my heart, @irelandirelandireland ❤️. These words mean so much. You mean so much to me 💙.”
Disney / Andrew Eccles
Hilaria will compete alongside partner Gleb Savchenko on DWTS Season 34, which premieres this month. Her casting has been met with mixed reactions from fans, with one fan commenting underneath one of Hilaria’s recent TikTok posts, “How is she a star? I have never heard of her. Singer, actress, athlete?” Another user alleged, “Alec had to make a phone call to make this happen.”
Others shared their excitement to see Hilaria on the show. “Fabulous!!!! We’ll be watching and cheering for you!👏👏👏✨✨✨,” one TikTok user commented, while another added, “Rooting for you, Hilaria! You deserve to take this year’s trophy home!!”
Dancing With the Stars Season 34, Live, Tuesday, September 16, 8/7c, ABC, Disney+ (next day on Hulu)
Georgina Mazzeo made a big statement in the Fashion Nova red crochet pant set fitting the Miami retro vibe. The gorgeous ensemble of the influencer was instantly praised in the comment section, with the admirers appreciating her taste and aesthetic.
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The post, captioned simply, “Miami retro mode @FashionNova activated with this set ✨,” also tagged Mazzeo on the Hayden Crochet Pant Set-red. While the upbeat, playful audio of the video was about getting hurt and nighttime escapades, all eyes were glued on the fashion forward ensemble, which was a Summer lounge with some nostalgia thrown in.
There was an almost overwhelming response by the users on social media, all expressing their adulation for Mazzeo and her style choices. “Oooh I love the outfit,” constituted one comment as the wave of similar sentiments hit the comments section. The straightforward appreciation was the strongest evidence of how well it was received by her audience, therefore resonating.
“So much talent here 🔥 The set-up looks truly outstanding 🌸, big ups to @miaerkin for this one.” This statement was noteworthy because it complimented the entire experience—all the way past just the wardrobe.
The post gathered more humanized comments such as, “I love your face 😍😍😍,” while another wrote, “I have been a big fan since 2017 😍.” These comments were evidence of Mazzeo’s ties with her following, which, over the years, has only grown stronger when it comes to fashion influence.
Other commenters have dumped compliments such as “Epic style! Nice job 😁” and “This is such a nice outfit! 👏,” cementing it as a fashion coup. Others doled out praise for the outfit, itself, with “I love that outfit 😍” and “I love the outfit.”
The song was joined by international admirers. Another user threw in hand and kiss emojis saying, “you are superb ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️love kisses 💋 💋 💋.” The enthusiasm across different languages proves that fashion has no language barrier when style indelibly communicates.
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Another recurring theme in the comments months is the genuine admiration people have for Mazzeo’s style and how she presents the crochet set in inspiring ways to her audience. It is a distinguished divergence in contrast with the usual influencer post ending in mixed reviews, and it was instantly embraced by applause-this is a statement that indeed strikes loud and clear- The Miami retro style of Mazzeo really connected with her audience, achieving that rare social media moment when everybody agreed: this outfit was a hit!
Although she hails from New York City, actor and comedian Hannah Pilkes confesses that living in Los Angeles has won her over. “I adored the comedy scene in New York, but the allure of L.A. is undeniable,” she says.
Pilkes, who portrays Leanne Morgan’s daughter in the new Netflix comedy “Leanne,” is enamored with the year-round outdoor lifestyle that L.A. offers. “I just love Pasadena,” she says. “The ability to be outside on the patio all year is chef’s kiss.”
In Sunday Funday, L.A. people give us a play-by-play of their ideal Sunday around town. Find ideas and inspiration on where to go, what to eat and how to enjoy life on the weekends.
The 32-year-old admits she could easily spend an entire day in Pasadena, whether it’s admiring the Edgar Degas paintings at the Norton Simon Museum or strolling through the charming Arlington Garden with her husband, Gregory Nussen. “I’m captivated by L.A.’s status as an art hub,” she says. “There are so many places where there is whimsy and magic because there are so many artists here who are trying to find ways to express themselves.”
Just don’t expect to find her playing tennis at Pasadena’s Rose Bowl Tennis Center. “Greg and I attempted to play tennis four days a week as our New Year’s resolution,” she says, laughing. “They got me a racket, and when I wasn’t good at it immediately, I had a meltdown. I love to run around the Rose Bowl, and my parents swim there. But we realized that if we want to keep the love alive, maybe we shouldn’t play tennis together. Perhaps we should invest in lessons instead.”
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
8 a.m.: Coffee and garden stroll in Pasadena
I like to start my day with an iced morning bun latte from Tartine on Green Street. I have a toddler’s palate, so I prefer a sweet coffee drink. Or I’ll walk across the street to Ideology because the baristas there are heaven on earth. I could talk to them for hours.
I’m a big garden enthusiast. The Huntington gardens receive a lot of credit, which they deserve, but there are so many hidden gems in Los Angeles. I love Arlington Garden, a small, tucked-away garden with cool topiaries, sculptures and a rustic feel. I love to bring my journal there. Some days, I’ll bring lunch and have a picnic there with my friends. It’s such a charming area.
10 a.m.: Visit a jungle-like nursery in Sylmar
Staying on the garden kick: There is a nursery called Earth Force Nursery in Sylmar that’s just gorgeous. When you get there, you will suddenly feel like you’re in a jungle. On Saturdays and Sundays, their café, Café Escondido, is open, serving delicious coffee drinks, Mexican food and margaritas. While you are there, you feel like time and space cease to exist, and you’re on vacation for just a few hours.
Noon: Shop for used books in DTLA
I love the Last Bookstore. I haven’t visited the new one in Studio City, but the art direction at the downtown location is so good. I love anywhere that you can get $2 books. I love the smell of them. I love that I can buy plays there. For my wedding at Nestldown, my aesthetic was stately and whimsical gnomes. I wanted to feel like a professor in the woods, so we purchased a bunch of used books from the Last Bookstore and stacked them along a winding pathway and then covered them with moss. I like to feel like I’m in a Jim Henson film at all times.
2 p.m.: Lunch … Take your pick
Descanso Gardens has a new restaurant, Farmhouse, that features repurposed wood. It’s really dramatic and woodsy, and I had one of the best salads ever there. I also like Kismet Rotisserie, Crossroads Kitchen on Melrose, My Vegan and Malibu Seafood, which is such a magical lunch spot. République is so pricey, but they have such yummy pastries and quiches. I had a delicious shakshouka for lunch and the best oysters I’ve had by far in Southern California. It reminds me of Sea Ranch, my favorite place in the world, where I’ll eat oysters and drink white wine and watch the sunset.
4 p.m.: Scrolling on Facebook Marketplace
My ideal day is sitting on a patio while scouring Facebook Marketplace for precious mementos. I just moved into a 1895 Craftsman apartment, and when we first moved in, I didn’t have a single piece of furniture. When I got the job on “Leanne,” I decided to treat myself and indulge in some furniture, but I’m particular about it. I like to rent my clothes, and I appreciate upcycled furniture. I purchased my dining room table at Sunbeam Vintage in Highland Park. If there is a dent or a scratch, to me, it’s character. I want to imagine the journey the furniture had before it got to me. I enjoy bringing old memories into my new space.
6 p.m.: Drinks at Checker Hall
My favorite bar in all of L.A. is Checker Hall. It has the best cocktails and it almost feels like you’re in New Orleans when you step inside. It has a beautiful patio overlooking Highland Park. The decor is funky and kitschy, yet classy; it’s magical. Their Mediterranean bites are amazing. Next door is the Lodge Room, which is my favorite venue for variety in all of L.A. I saw Elijah Fox there, and I performed in “Varietopia” there. The audiences are always jovial and electric. I love that you can do your comedy show and then congregate at the bar afterwards — just like in New York. I love the Elysian in Echo Park too. They have an area where you can enjoy drinks. I’m all for chatting after the show — like, let’s talk about that weird thing we just did on stage! People often don’t recognize me because I often wear wigs.
If we don’t go to Checker Hall, we’ll hit Edwin Mills by Equator in Pasadena at the end of the night. They have an amazing happy hour from 4 to 7 p.m., and I love their lychee martinis. On the nights they have live jazz, there are people dancing from all walks of life — older people, even my 4-year-old nephew loves to dance there, and there are dogs. It feels so communal, and everyone claps at the end. It’s very wholesome and sweet.
10 p.m.: Bad reality TV and impressions
Realistically, my husband and I would probably end the day by binge-watching bad reality TV to decompress and disassociate for a little bit — something like “Love Island.” I’m usually the hungriest really late at night, so I might order something against my better judgment like the hippy vegan ramen from Tatstu. We’ll devour “Love Island” and then do impressions for each other. Thank God I married someone who is a performer. Life is interesting with them. It’s very, very fun.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said any foreign troops operating as part of a peacekeeping force in Ukraine would be considered a “legitimate target” by Moscow.
It comes a day after French President Emmanuel Macron said 26 of Ukraine’s allies had formally committed to deploying troops “by land, sea or air” to help guarantee Kyiv’s security the day after any ceasefire or peace is achieved.
Mr Macron stressed any troops would be deployed to prevent “any new major aggression” and not at the frontline, adding the force does “not have the will or the objective of waging war against Russia”.
Mr Putin quickly poured cold water on the proposals when speaking at an economic forum in Russia’s eastern Vladivostok region on Friday.
Directly responding to Mr Macron’s comments, he said: “If any troops appear there, especially now, during military operations, we proceed from the fact that these will be legitimate targets for their destruction.
“And if decisions are reached that lead to peace, to long-term peace, then I simply do not see any sense in their presence on the territory of Ukraine, full stop.”
Russia has long argued that one of its reasons for going to war in Ukraine was to prevent NATO from admitting Kyiv as a member and placing its forces in Ukraine.
Speaking today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it was important that security guarantees “start working now, during the war, and not only after it ends”.
On Thursday, NATO chief Mark Rutte said Russia had no veto on Western troops being deployed to Ukraine: “Why are we interested in what Russia thinks about troops in Ukraine? It’s a sovereign country. It’s not for them to decide.”
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Our Moscow correspondent Ivor Bennett reveals the that three things Vladimir Putin’s warning to foreign peacekeeping troops in Ukraine reveals.
‘Please come to Moscow’
Mr Putin also addressed the chances of a direct meeting between himself and Mr Zelesnkyy aimed at ending the war.
Such a proposal looked positive after the Russian met Donald Trump in Alaska last month, but Mr Putin said on Friday he did not see much point in such a meeting because “it will be practically impossible to reach an agreement with the Ukrainian side on key issues”.
However, he reiterated an offer he made earlier this week to host Mr Zelenskyy for talks in Moscow, which Ukraine’s defence minister previously declared as “knowingly unacceptable”.
“I said: ‘I’m ready, please, come, we will definitely provide working conditions and security, a 100% guarantee’,” Mr Putin said.
Image: Russian President Vladimir Putin visits an interactive exhibition in Vladivostok. Pic: Sputnik/Reuters
“But if they tell us: ‘we want to meet with you, but you have to go somewhere else for this meeting’, it seems to me that these are simply excessive requests on us.”
Speaking at a news conference in Paris on Thursday, Mr Zelenskyy said US mediators informed him about Mr Putin’s invitation.
“Our American partners told us that Putin invited me to Moscow, and I believe that if you want to avoid a meeting, you should invite me to Moscow,” he said.
However, he said the fact that the issue of organising a meeting arose was “not bad”.
Drone strikes continue
While talks to end the war continue at a diplomatic level, more heavy drone strikes were recorded across Ukraine.
Kyiv’s air force said Moscow attacked Ukraine overnight with 157 strike and decoy drones, as well as seven missiles of various types.
Air defences shot down or jammed 121 of the drones, it said, but 35 drones and seven missiles still struck 10 locations.
Image: Russian drone attack damages houses in Dnipro. Pic: Reuters
Image: Russian drone attack damages houses in Dnipro. Pic: Reuters
Elsewhere, Russian troops destroyed 92 Ukrainian drones overnight, according to its defence ministry.
Local social media channels in the city of Ryazan, approximately 200 kilometres (125 miles) southeast of Moscow, reported that the city’s Rosneft oil refinery had been targeted. Ryazan’s regional governor said that drone debris had fallen on an “industrial enterprise” but did not give further details.
Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russian oil infrastructure that it says fuels Moscow’s war effort in recent months.
Military analyst Professor Michael Clarke said Ukraine’s campaign on Russia’s oil refineries has been a successful one so far, but doubts it will hurt Moscow’s war machine too much.
“Will that directly affect the war? Probably not. Because the Russian military runs on diesel,” he said.
“It filters through to the war in the sense that it inconveniences and bothers the Russians and reminds the Russian population that this war has a cost to them as well.”
When scouting for high-quality smaller stocks across the AIM, the name of the game is growth. While these smaller companies come with lots of volatility and risk, the chance of them multiplying tenfold times or more is highly enticing. That’s why Filtronic (LSE: FTC), a high-tech British manufacturing firm serving the fast-growing defence and space industries, has caught the eye of many an investor lately. Up 10 times since 2023, the firm’s £296m market cap is only a stone’s throw from the FTSE 250 (smallest member ASOS has a £335m market cap).
With Filtronic fresh from signing an eye-catching contract with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, could the shares be a screaming buy for 2025 and beyond? Let’s find out.
What does it do?
To start with, why does Filtronic even do? The Durham-based firm designs and manufactures wireless communications components across the RF, microwave, and mmWave bands. To put its operations in more simple terms? Its products make it easier to send reliable communication signals between things that are sometimes travelling very, very fast.
Filtronic’s high-performance tech has military applications (deals already made with BAE Systems and Leonardo). Its state-of-the-art receivers and amplifiers are useful too in space tech (deals made with the European Space Agency and SpaceX). The eye-catching deal with Elon Musk’s company in August this year helped along a share price that is up 81% year to date.
SpaceX links
That £47m contract with the Starlink operator reveals even more to the company than perhaps first appears. Compare Filtronic’s price-to-earnings ratio of 23 with the forward price-to-earnings ratio of 50. The firm relies heavily on the orders coming in and with only a few massive clients, there is large customer concentration risk here.
The silver lining to this cloud is that a few big orders might propel the share price to new heights. Starlink has a total addressable market of, well, the entire world. What if economies of scale bring the Starlink service below the price of a regular wired broadband? Filtronic shares also serve as a proxy for anyone excited about the future of SpaceX or Starlink. Those shares aren’t available to buy on stock exchanges at present.
In case it isn’t obvious, this is a fairly speculative stock with a long time horizon. Those looking for reliable cash from sturdy dividend payers need not apply. But for those who like a growth aspect to their portfolio and are bullish on the nascent ‘space economy’ and its potential? Filtronic could be one to consider. I count myself in that camp and took the plunge on buying the shares recently. If we are truly headed for the stars, then I might one day be looking back on a very prescient decision.
