JENNIFER Lopez showed off her incredible figure in a satin white bikini for a new photoshoot.

The actress and singer, 57, confidently flaunted her taut abs in the two-piece, which she paired with polka dot court heels for a 1950s-esque look.

Donning black sunglasses and a patterned headscarf, Jennifer posed up a storm for the selection of snaps as she channelled the past.

Sharing the pictures to Instagram, the star captioned the post: “Leo season continues🦁”.

Fellow celebs such as Jessica Alba and Jenna Dewan took to the comment section to praise Jennifer’s looks.

It comes as the star has spent the summer enjoying a road trip around Italy with her children – documenting the trip with a post to Instagram last week.

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Jennifer shares twins with her ex-husband Marc Anthony.

She is currently thought to be single following her split from Ben Affleck, whom she divorced in 2024.

Last month, it was claimed that her marriage to Ben, which began in 2022 following their reunion after calling off a wedding 20 years prior, was a ‘publicity stunt’.

Speaking out, her first husband, personal trainer Ojani Noa, slammed in an interview: “That marriage was a publicity stunt. She needed people to talk about her again.”

Jennifer married Ojani in February 1997, following a whirlwind romance.

His claims came after The Sun on Sunday revealed how Jennifer’s marriage to Ojani ended after he accused her of cheating on him with her ex, disgraced rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs.

A few hours after their season-ending defeat in the NFC championship game last January, the Rams boarded a plane for their flight home from Seattle.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford was seated a row in front of veteran receiver Davante Adams, who once again had fallen just short of finally reaching the Super Bowl.

“He’s turning around, he’s looking at me, like, ‘I’m sorry, man, I wanted that for you so bad,’” Adams recalled. “Not for him, but he wanted it for me.”

Adams, 33, is expected to get another shot at playing on the NFL’s biggest stage.

The star-studded Rams are favored to not only play in but win Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium.

Since the Green Bay Packers selected him out of Fresno State in the second round of the 2014 draft, Adams has played in and lost five NFC championship games, including last season’s 31-27 defeat by the eventual Super Bowl-champion Seahawks.

Adams was visibly upset in the locker room — “a mess” he said — so he is aiming for a happier result if the Rams reach the conference championship game for the fourth time under coach Sean McVay.

Last season, his first with the Rams, Adams led the NFL with 14 touchdowns catches.

And that was after the three-time All-Pro got no training-camp reps with Stafford, who sat out because of a back issue.

Stafford, an 18th-year pro, and Adams struggled to consistently connect on the field through the first six games. But that changed when the Rams traveled to London to play the Jacksonville Jaguars.

McVay described what happened at Wembley Stadium as “a turning point” for Stafford and Adams.

Rams wide receiver Davante Adams jogs with the ball during training camp at Loyola Marymount on July 26.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

In the 35-7 rout, Adams caught three touchdown passes, all from two yards or closer.

“They really hit their stride,” McVay said.

Adams was sidelined the next game and the final two games of the regular season because of a hamstring injury. He returned for the playoffs and made several huge plays, including a spectacular sideline catch in a divisional-round victory over the Chicago Bears in Chicago.

Last spring, with the Philadelphia Eagles shopping wide receiver A.J. Brown, McVay acknowledged that Adams’ name had come up in trade talks.

“It’s just the way that this business goes,” Adams said at the outset of training camp. “You gotta evaluate, you gotta look at certain things, and ultimately I’m still a Ram and I’m here and I’m happy to be here.”

Stafford and Adams had scheduled rest days during camp but they still got plenty of reps together as the Rams prepared for next month’s opener against the San Francisco 49ers in Australia.

“We’re getting a whole different start than what we did last year,” Adams said, adding, “Any time you can have these grinding days where you come out here, play ball and lock in on the details, that’ll help you be in a much better position when it’s time to really go.”

During the offseason, the Rams added All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, cornerback Jaylen Watson and defensive end Myles Garrett, the reigning NFL defensive player of the year.

McDuffie and Watson have helped Adams and fellow star receiver Puka Nacua hone their skills.

“It’s the epitome of iron sharpens iron,” Adams said when asked about McDuffie.

For both.

Adams is the best route runner in the NFL, McDuffie said.

“The more we can keep ping-ponging back and forth against each other, the more we can keep rising our standard,“ McDuffie said. “It’s going to be a great year for both of us, so I enjoy it a lot.”

Despite being the oldest wide receiver on the roster — “This is dog years out here,” he said, laughing — Adams is learning from and being pushed by his younger teammates.

“I am the old man and I feel young because I can still go out there and do young-man stuff,” he said. “But then my body don’t necessarily feel the same way. … If I can continue to play at a high level, I’ll deal with the other stuff, whether it’s talking about me being old or a little bit of extra pain.

“It’s just a little extra work you have to do to come out of it.”

Davante Adams catches a pass at Rams training camp on July 26.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Stafford and Adams are aiming for a celebratory postgame exchange if the Rams once again reach the NFC championship.

Of his interaction with Adams on the plane after their loss to the Seahawks, Stafford noted that Adams had been a part of good teams that fell short of playing in the Super Bowl.

“As much as I wanted to go play in that game, and a lot of other guys did too, I wanted it more for other guys that haven’t either gotten the opportunity to be there or win it,” Stafford said, adding, “[It was] on my heart at the moment and I decided to tell him how I was feeling.”

Adams appreciated the sentiment from Stafford and all of his teammates.

“For them to feel that way about me and to care that much to want to get me a [Super] Bowl before I get out of here, it says a lot about who they are,” he said, “and a little bit about who I am.”

Search and rescue teams are racing against time across western Colombia after a powerful earthquake killed at least 132 people and left thousands missing, authorities say.

The magnitude 7.4 quake struck on Monday, rattling Cali, Quibdo, Pereira and dozens of other cities and towns. About 1,600 buildings have been reported damaged or collapsed, with soldiers, emergency crews and residents working side by side, passing chunks of concrete by hand as they search for survivors under the rubble.

Families are posting details of missing relatives on citizen-run websites; by Monday night more than 2,700 people had been reported missing. In El Cairo, near the epicentre in San Jose del Palmar, local officials say 80 percent of the town, home to about 7,000 people, has been damaged. Many of its traditional houses, made of sticks and mud, crumpled in the tremors.

President Abelardo de la Espriella, facing his first major crisis since taking office on Friday, has deployed “the entire military and police apparatus”, sending engineers, rescue teams and search dogs into the worst-hit areas. The US has pledged $15.5m in emergency aid, as regional governments also offer support to one of Colombia’s poorest and most isolated regions.

Stronger Food System Offers Cushion Against El Niño

Near-record food inventories, advances in agricultural technology and the emergence of major exporters such as Brazil and Russia have made the global food system more resilient to this year’s potentially powerful El Niño than during previous severe episodes.

Global agricultural production has generally outpaced consumption and population growth since the 1980s, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and analysts.

Higher-yielding crop varieties, increased fertiliser use, improved irrigation and better crop protection have significantly raised production of major staples including rice, wheat, corn and soybeans.

“Even during drought conditions, better irrigation management and crop science mean we can still produce marketable yields,” said Andrew Whitelaw of Australian agricultural consultancy Episode 3.

While El Niño can still disrupt global supplies and push prices higher, improved agricultural preparedness means the consequences could be less severe than during previous major events.

El Niño Gathers Strength

The effects are already being felt across major agricultural regions.

Drier conditions linked to El Niño have disrupted planting across parts of Asia, including India, Southeast Asia and Australia. At the same time, shortages of fertiliser and diesel caused by the Iran war have created additional risks for global agricultural production.

India is experiencing a deficient monsoon season, while Australia’s major wheat-producing regions face the prospect of drier conditions. Crops in Indonesia, Thailand and other parts of Southeast Asia are also suffering from insufficient moisture.

The situation could deteriorate further as El Niño is expected to intensify during the fourth quarter and early next year.

U.S.-based meteorologist Chris Hyde said the event could become one of the strongest on record, meaning the biggest impact from drought may still be ahead.

El Niño is associated with warmer ocean surface temperatures across the eastern and central Pacific. The weather pattern typically produces drier conditions across large parts of Asia while increasing rainfall across the Americas.

Previous major El Niño events in 1997-98 and 2015-16 caused substantial damage to crop production, contributing to food shortages, inflation and weaker economic growth.

Drought pushed up sugar and palm oil prices after damaging production in countries including Brazil, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Tight rice supplies also prompted some Southeast Asian producers to restrict exports.

Australia suffered lower wheat production and exports, while countries in southern Africa were forced to increase corn imports.

Record Inventories Provide a Buffer

One of the biggest differences between previous El Niño events and the current environment is the level of global food reserves.

Near-record grain inventories, drought-tolerant seeds, improved weather forecasting, precision agriculture and better irrigation could help absorb some of the production losses.

India’s crop sowing has broadly recovered from an initial delay, although rainfall during August and September will remain important for crop maturity and grain formation.

India also holds a particularly important position in the global rice market. The country accounts for around 40% of global rice exports and has accumulated such large reserves that storage capacity is being stretched.

China, meanwhile, holds nearly half of global wheat stocks. As the world’s largest wheat producer and consumer, its large reserves could reduce the need for imports if drought damages production in major suppliers such as Australia.

Global palm oil inventories are also near historic highs, although Indonesia’s expanding biodiesel programme is expected to reduce stocks in coming months.

Brazil and Russia Strengthen Global Supply

The emergence of major agricultural exporters that were far less important several decades ago has also increased the resilience of global food markets.

Brazil has become the world’s largest soybean exporter, with shipments increasing more than 13-fold since the 1997-98 El Niño period.

Russia has also emerged as a major wheat supplier, with exports reaching 48 million tons last year compared with roughly 1 million tons in 1997-98.

These additional sources of supply give global markets more alternatives if weather damages production in individual countries.

Agricultural science has also improved. Drought-tolerant corn hybrids have become widely used across Africa and the Americas, while heat- and drought-resistant wheat varieties have gained ground in India and Australia.

Short-duration rice varieties are increasingly being used across South and Southeast Asia, allowing farmers to reduce exposure to increasingly unpredictable monsoon conditions.

Technology Changes the Equation

Farmers today also have access to technologies that were largely unavailable during the 1997-98 El Niño.

Satellite crop monitoring, seasonal climate forecasts, detailed soil-moisture maps and GPS-guided fertiliser application allow farmers to make more precise decisions about planting, irrigation and inputs.

AI-powered agricultural platforms are also increasingly combining weather forecasts, soil information and crop data to advise farmers on planting schedules, irrigation, fertiliser use and pest management.

The result is a food system that can identify and respond to weather risks earlier.

FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero said governments now have significantly better information and can prepare earlier because forecasting and market transparency have improved.

Wars Could Undermine the Resilience

Despite these improvements, the global food system remains exposed to risks beyond weather.

The wars in the Middle East and Black Sea region could undermine some of the protection provided by stronger inventories and agricultural technology.

The Iran war has disrupted fuel and fertiliser supplies, while higher fertiliser costs could reduce farmers’ ability to maintain production.

Torero warned that much will depend on how conditions develop during the second half of 2026, particularly because agricultural input use has been affected by the Strait of Hormuz crisis.

Before its blockade during the Iran war, the Strait carried around one-fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas supplies. Disruptions to the waterway have therefore created additional pressure on fuel and fertiliser markets.

Analysis: Is the Global Food System Ready?

The biggest takeaway is that El Niño is no longer operating against the same fragile agricultural system that existed during previous major events.

Higher productivity, larger inventories, diversified exporters and better technology provide several layers of protection. If one major producing region suffers a drought, supplies from countries such as Brazil and Russia, combined with existing reserves, can help prevent a sudden global shortage.

However, resilience does not mean immunity.

The greatest risk comes from the interaction between climate shocks and geopolitical disruptions. A powerful El Niño could reduce production at the same time that wars restrict fuel, fertiliser and transport. That combination could rapidly turn a manageable agricultural disruption into a broader food-price problem.

For now, large inventories provide an important buffer. But if the El Niño intensifies as expected while geopolitical disruptions continue to constrain agricultural inputs, the real test will be whether those reserves and technological gains are sufficient to prevent another surge in global food inflation.

With information from Reuters.

ANNE Hathaway has flashed her baby bump after hitting back at claims she is ‘faking her pregnancy’.

The stunning actress, 43, attended the premiere for her movie The End of Oak Street.

For the occasion on Sunday night, Anne wore some low-waisted jeans and floaty dip hem top.

With her bump on display, Anne received criticism for her look, as well as wild comments that her bump might be “fake”.

As the internet exploded with wild claims, Anne hit back in a subtle yet direct way.

Posting a clip to Instagram in her glam chair as she got ready for the premiere, Anne defiantly wrote in the caption: “Fake hair, real bump.”

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Fans flocked to the comments to defend the stunning Devil Wears Prada actress.

“Since when was it considered ‘normal’ to comment on a pregnant woman’s bump/appearance in a negative way.

“Anne you look bloody amazing,” said one person.

“Love that you showed off your beautiful bump,” said a second.

“That’s her pregnancy belly! It’s just pale and the baby sitting that way. I saw it jiggle,” penned a third.

While a fourth said: “Fake or not, it’s none of our business.
Stay out of her pregnancy. Let her be a person.”

And a fifth penned: “THIS. This is how you clap back at people’s unsolicited opinions!”

Anne revealed she was expecting her third child back in June.

She shared a sweet post of her showing off her blossoming bump, which left her millions of followers completely overjoyed.

Walking into shot wearing a billowing white skirt and cropped top, Anne showed off her blossoming baby bump.

In the caption of the post she gushed: “x Baby, I’m yours x.”

Anne already has two kids with her husband, Adam Shulman.

She has two sons, Jonathan Rosebanks Shulman, born in March 2016, and Jack Shulman, born in November 2019.

Brandon Nimmo singled home the go-ahead run in the 10th inning and the Texas Rangers beat the Angels 4-1 on Monday night to snap a five-game road losing streak.

Texas (60-59) has won five of its last six overall and is a half-game behind AL West-leading Houston.

Nimmo and Elias Díaz each finished with two hits and an RBI.

Peyton Gray (6-0) pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to earn the win. Jacob Latz worked a scoreless 10th for his 23rd save.

Luke Murphy (0-1) came on to start the 10th for the Angels. Wyatt Langford drew a leadoff walk and Corey Seager singled to load the bases. Ezequiel Duran popped out, Blake Weiman replaced Murphy and Nimmo’s line drive to right field drove in automatic runner Nicky Lopez before Jake Burger’s two-run single capped the scoring.

Mike Trout hit a 418-foot shot for the Angels (45-74), his 20th home run this season, in the first inning. The three-time AL MVP was one for two and walked three times, one intentional.

Angels right fielder Wade Meckler robbed Seager of a home run to end the seventh and preserve a 1-1 tie.

Díaz singled to drive in Duran and make it 1-1 in the fourth.

Texas starter MacKenzie Gore struck out nine in 5⅓ innings. He allowed four hits and walked two. The 27-year-old left-hander was reinstated from paternity leave Saturday after his fiancée, Alex, gave birth to their first child.

Angels starter Reid Detmers gave up one run and had six strikeouts in six innings. He allowed three hits and walked four.

Up next: Angels RHP Ryan Johnson (2-6, 7.11 ERA) starts Tuesday opposite LHP Cody Bradford (0-0, 0.00) as the series continues.

Half of America’s most advanced missiles are gone. The Pentagon wants $67bn to restock, on top of $37.5bn already spent fighting Iran. So where is all that money actually going? Al Jazeera’s Yasmeen ElTahan explains.

DISRUPTION is continuing to cause problems in Italy, after days of flight cancellations.

Flights at Catania Airport in Sicily were expected to restart yesterday, but there are further delays as ash caused by the eruption of Mount Etna continue to drift into the airspace.

Arrivals at Catania Airport were initially suspended until 5pm yesterday – but this has been extended until 7pm (6pm UK time) today.

A few departures are permitted to take-off at the airport, but only from runway 08.

On FlightRadar24, most departures remain cancelled with more scheduled to take-off after midday.

One easyJet flight to London Gatwick scheduled for 10.35am has been cancelled.

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And a flight to London Gatwick with British Airways this evening at 7.55pm has also been cancelled.

However, a Ryanair flight to London Stansted is scheduled for departure at 11.10am.

There has been disruption since Saturday at Catania Airport after an eruption on the volcano.

One Brit travelling home from Sicily over the weekend wrote on X: “Had a superb holiday in Sicily.

“Getting home was interesting.. Catania flight cancelled due to Etna → 3hr taxi to Palermo → flight cancelled → slept at airport → Rome → taxi to Naples → Gatwick → taxi to Luton. Only a day late but very happy to be back at the nest.”

Palermo Airport, Sicily’s other major airport on the northwest coast, remains unaffected, with flights operating as scheduled.

For most golfers, the biggest hazards are ponds and sand traps. President Donald Trump, the target of frequent attempts on his life, including while golfing, has bigger threats to worry about, especially from Iran. Which is why images and videos have emerged showing U.S. Army Humvee-based Avenger system short-range air defense systems (SHORAD) in the background when Trump hits the links.

The latest such imagery was from Sunday, when Trump was attending the final round of the LIV Golf Bedminster tournament at his New Jersey golf course.

One photo shows Trump wielding a wedge with an Avenger behind concertina wire in the background. There is another photo of an Avenger, but it is unclear it is the same one. There are certainly other protection platforms we don’t see, especially electronic warfare systems.

The White House on Monday confirmed the authenticity of the photos to us.

The following video shows the Avenger and an AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel air defense radar in the background.

As if to highlight the concerns, while Trump was at Bedminster on Sunday, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) F-16 Fighting Falcons intercepted two general aviation aircraft that violated the Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) airspace over the area.

“All general aviation aircraft were safely escorted out of the area by NORAD aircraft,” the command stated on X.

On Aug. 1, the White House shared a video of Trump talking with soldiers at Bedminster. In the background was an Avenger.

“I’m not worried about missiles and drones,” the president joked.

“We got it covered,” a colonel responded with a smile, pointing his right thumb over his shoulder to the Humvee-mounted SHORAD system.

The Avengers, which fire Stinger heat-seeking surface-to-air missiles, are a fast-reacting point defense asset, and do make some sense for protecting a golfing president. They have been upgraded to deal with drones and there is also a known rooftop Avenger missile turret near the White House for air defense purposes, which was installed not long after 9/11.

When deployed to assist the Secret Service in protecting POTUS, the Avenger systems are operated by the 263rd Army Air and Missile Defense Command, NORAD told us. A spokesperson declined to provide further details about how often the Avengers are used this way.

Drone technology, including first-person view types and those equipped with fiber optics, is rapidly proliferating around the world and Iran has been both a user and distributor of these weapons.

Trump, as we noted earlier in this story, has already been the subject of several assassination attempts and threats. A number of these threats involve golf. The most recent incident came earlier this month. 

“Authorities arrested a suspect who was allegedly photographing and recording security preparations ahead of a scheduled fundraising dinner at the Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes, California,” Fox News reported. “The suspect, Jeanine John Taele, 38, was found carrying a 16-round magazine loaded with ammunition, while investigators recovered an additional pistol and a fake ‘security protection agent’ badge from his truck.”

Prior to that, there was an attempt against Trump on Sept. 15, 2024, at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. 

As Trump golfed, a Secret Service agent conducting a perimeter security sweep saw the partially obscured face of a man in the brush along the fence line near the sixth hole, according to a Justice Department media release at the time. 

“The agent observed the barrel of a rifle aimed directly at him,” the release stated. “As the agent began backing away, he saw the rifle barrel move, and the agent fired” at the man, later identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, of Hawaii. Routh survived and is currently in prison awaiting trial.

A few months earlier, on July 13, 2024, at a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania, a man fired a shot at Trump, then the Republican presidential nominee. Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was later killed, and a bloodied Trump was whisked away. 

Prior to those attempts, Iran made a golf-related threat against Trump.

An image highly suggestive of a drone targeting the then-former President Trump on a golf course in a “vengeance” strike in retaliation for the death of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani was posted on Twitter by an account for Iran’s then-Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The U.S. military killed Soleimani in a drone strike in Iraq in January 2020, which had already prompted public threats from Iranian officials, including against Trump specifically.

Twitter suspended the @khamenei_site account around 15 hours after the post when the image first appeared on Jan. 21, 2020.

Khamenei himself was killed Feb. 28 during the opening night of Operation Epic Fury.

There has been extreme concern for Trump’s safety following the launch of that operation, with an Iranian revenge hit on the president being more plausible now than ever. This has triggered major changes in safety protocols, some of which have made headline news.

The Avenger isn’t the only specialized vehicle used to protect Trump while he golfs. As we previously reported, during a golf outing with his son Eric at his course in Scotland last year, Trump was trailed by an armored Polaris Ranger X utility task vehicle (UTV) designed to provide ballistic protection. The vehicle, dubbed Golf Force One by the press, was “part of the Presidential fleet of specialty vehicles,” a White House spokesperson told The War Zone at the time. The White House provided no further details. Trump was in Scotland to host a meeting with former British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at his resort, where security was beefed up.

So the next time you are having a tough time on the course, just remember this. At least you probably don’t need a Stinger-launching weapons system to ensure you make it safely to the clubhouse.

Contact the author: howard@twz.com

‘Young tourist’ tests positive as all people using health centres will have to wear face masks to cut spread

An alert has been issued after a hotspot much loved by UK tourists was hit by an outbreak of measles, with a young tourist testing positive. The Public Health Surveillance Service has detected at least six people affected by a measles outbreak in Mallorca, the Balearic Regional Ministry of Health has reported in a statement.

The patients have been treated at the same hospital, as their cases are linked, although the source of the infection does not originate from the healthcare setting and has therefore been classified as a community outbreak. To try to clamp down on the outbreak all people using health centres will have to wear face masks.

The epidemiological investigation has determined that the first case was that of a young child on holiday who attended the paediatric A&E department at Son Espases University Hospital on July 19. The secondary cases began to show symptoms at the end of July. The Majorca Daily Bulletin has only just reported on the outbreak. No information has yet been released on the nationality of the tourist.

Five of the six people affected by the outbreak have not been vaccinated against measles, whilst there is no record of vaccination for the sixth. The Directorate-General for Public Health, in coordination with IBSalut Balearic health service and in accordance with the protocols of the National Epidemiological Surveillance Network, has activated a monitoring and control plan that includes immediate prevention and protection measures to contain the outbreak.

Public Health service in Majorca said it is carrying out contact tracing and has asked close contacts of those infected to monitor their health closely for 23 days following exposure, particularly those who are unvaccinated.

In addition, it has issued an internal recommendation for the use of FFP2 face masks in all healthcare settings as a priority measure for the prevention, protection and control of the outbreak, as well as mandatory self-monitoring for symptoms and a review of the vaccination status of all staff at health centres and hospitals in Mallorca.

The Foreign Office-backed Travel Health Pro site said: “Measles is a highly infectious viral illness, with potentially serious, life-threatening complications. Travel remains an important risk factor for the international spread of measles.

“Measles is spread by airborne or droplet (coughing, sneezing, drops from mouth/nose) transmission. Initial symptoms can include fever, runny nose, red, sore eyes (conjunctivitis) and cough. A rash usually then appears after a few days. This starts on the face/head and then spreads over the body, arms and legs in three to four days. People are infectious from the day symptoms first appear to four days after the rash starts. The incubation period (time from exposure to measles virus to symptoms starting) is about ten days but can be between seven and 18 days.”

Complications of measles infection can include otitis media (ear infections), diarrhoea, pneumonia and convulsions (fits). Rarely, encephalitis (brain inflammation) or sub-acute sclerosing pan-encephalitis (fatal late onset brain inflammation) can occur. Risk of death from measles complications is age-related and is higher for children younger than one year and adults. Measles can be more severe in immunosuppressed individuals and during pregnancy, and increases the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, or preterm delivery.

It added: “Travellers with no history of measles infection or who are unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated may be at risk from measles when visiting countries reporting cases, especially if staying with friends or family and mixing with local people.”

All UK travellers should make sure they are up to date with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) or measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox (MMRV) vaccines, according to current UK recommendations.

K-POP influencer Mina Chan, 26, has taken her own life during a disturbing livestream.

She said she had been harassed by the fans of a popular boy band for “overstepping boundaries” in the days before her death.

The Japanese social media star died by suicide in the early hours of August 5.

She was based in South Korea and known for running a fan account for K-pop boyband Enhypen.

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Since Brexit, and with the UK no longer part of the European Union, clubs now have to navigate a more complex work permit system to ensure players – especially those who are yet to establish themselves at the top level – are able to move to England.

Austria youth international Ndukwe doesn’t currently have enough points to obtain a Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) to obtain a work visa.

There is another route into the squad, through taking up an Elite Significant Contribution (ESC) slot, which is awarded to foreign players who do not qualify for the standard GBE.

Premier League and Championship clubs have up to four ESC places available, based on the percentage of minutes clubs gave to their England Qualified Players (EQP) in the previous campaign.

But clubs are not entitled to all four spots automatically.

The magic number is 35% of minutes, which means clubs can use four ESC players. Dropping below that begins to reduce the number of ESC slots available.

Liverpool‘s percentage last season means they only get one ESC place, which has already been taken by Senegalese 18-year-old Mor Talla Ndiaye.

Last season, Freddie Woodman, Gomez, Rhys Williams, Curtis Jones, Trey Nyoni and Rio Ngumoha were the only English players in Liverpool‘s squad, playing a collective 83 times in the Premier League.

This comes after Liverpool lost the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jarell Quansah, Tyler Morton and loaned out Harvey Elliott.

Aug. 11 (UPI) — A federal judge has approved the Trump administration’s request to dismiss criminal charges against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani while chastising the Justice Department for its reasoning and methods for abandoning the high-profile case.

U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York dismissed with prejudice three fraud-related charges against Gautam Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani and Vneet Jaain, while reserving judgement on two conspiracy charges against five other defendants, asking the Justice Department for more information before deciding their dismissals.

The Justice Department charged Gautam Adani and the seven other defendants, all current or former executives of Adani Group or its subsidiary Adani Green Energy, in November 2024, alleging various defendants participated in schemes to pay $265 million in bribes to Indian government officials to secure lucrative solar energy contracts, lied to U.S. and international investors to raise billions of dollars in financing and impede the investigations of three U.S. government entities.

The three alleged schemes were conducted between 2020 and 2024, according to the indictment.

In May, Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter requested that the charges be dismissed, stating “the Department of Justice has reviewed this case and has decided, in its prosecutorial discretion, not to devote further resources to these criminal charges against individual defendants.”

In response to Garaufis’ demand that the Justice Department explain its motion to dismiss, McCotter said that the case is predominantly foreign, India has investigated the allegations and found no actionable misconduct, investors lost no money, there would be “extraordinary proof problems,” the defendants would likely never appear before U.S. courts and the indictment was unsealed during the final days of the Biden administration in order to drop “a potential quagmire of a case into the lap” of the incoming Trump administration.

In his Monday order, Garaufis called the “irregularities” in McCotter’s decision to dismiss the indictment “concerning” and said the principal associate deputy attorney general “appears to have eschewed the professional opinions of innumerable officials from various federal offices and replaced them with his singular judgment.”

He said McCotter’s decision, reached largely in collaboration with Adani’s defense counsel and seemingly without input from those who investigated and brought the case, “evinces a lack of respect for the judiciary.”

Garaufis also strongly rebuked McCotter for alleging the Biden administration’s Justice Department unsealed the indictment during its final days to hinder the incoming Trump administration, stating he appears to be accusing officials from four different government agencies without providing “a scintilla of evidence” to show that the unsealing of the indictment was politically motivated.

“McCotter’s baseless assertion is unbecoming of his office. It is also inconsistent with this court’s experience,” Garaufis said.

“The court has presided over innumerable cases brought by the SEC, the FBI, the department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office over the last 26 years (and counting) and does not agree with McCotter’s characterization of their integrity and motives.”

His order also recounts several events involving Gautam Adani and President Donald Trump or his inner circle as he was being investigated and prosecuted, including congratulating Trump on Nov. 6, 2024, on winning re-election and announcing a commitment to invest $10 billion in the United States days later. The order also cites reporting that Gautam Adani and Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., held meetings as early as November 2025.

In a social media statement on Monday, Gautam Adani said he welcomed the court’s decision “with humility and deep respect for the judicial process.”

“Throughout this challenging period, our faith in truth, fairness and the rule of law remained unwavering,” he said.

“We will continue doing what matters: building our nation, creating value that outlasts us and serving a purpose larger than ourselves. That is our commitment.”

Caracas, August 10, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Venezuelan Foreign Minister Félix Plasencia held a meeting with Orthodox Rabbi Isaac Cohen on Sunday in which the latter formally requested that Caracas reestablish diplomatic ties with Israel.

According to a Foreign Ministry statement, Cohen delivered a letter addressed to Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, arguing that normalizing relations with Tel Aviv is necessary to “tend to the needs of the Jewish community” in Venezuela.

“Venezuela has historically welcomed with open arms an important Jewish community, which has contributed to the development and well-being of our nation,” Plasencia wrote on social media.

Venezuela’s top diplomat thanked Cohen, on behalf of the Rodríguez administration and the Venezuelan people, for Israeli “assistance” following the June 24 double earthquake.

Cohen, a rabbi from the Venezuelan Jewish Association (AIV), was reportedly one of the intermediaries for the arrival of an Israeli diplomatic and military mission one week after the earthquake. The delegation included IDF officers and weapons contractors, while several Tel Aviv-aligned organizations likewise deployed on-the-ground teams.

Rodríguez held multiple meetings with the Israeli team, praising its members as “highly trained and professional” and thanking them for their work. IDF spokesman Roni Kaplan stated that the Israeli team had created a “dashboard” for Venezuelan authorities to evaluate damaged buildings, while Brigadier General Elad Edri was pictured presenting a “Project for Future Reconstruction” slideshow.

The Israeli mission has sparked growing protests, with Venezuelan popular movements reaffirming support for Palestine, condemning the genocide in Gaza and Lebanon, and burning Israeli flags.

Former President Hugo Chávez severed ties with Israel in 2009, fiercely denouncing the US ally for genocide and demonstrating unwavering support for the Palestinian cause. His stance was maintained by Maduro, who endorsed South Africa’s activation of the Genocide Convention against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2024.

Following the January 3 US military strikes and kidnapping of Maduro, Rodríguez fast-tracked a diplomatic rapprochement with Washington alongside a broader radical shift in Caracas’ geopolitical alignment. 

Apart from re-engagement with Israel, the Venezuelan government is also reestablishing ties with far-right US allies in Latin America, including Chile, Peru, and the Dominican Republic, while distancing itself from historic partners in Havana and Tehran. During the recent US-Israel war against Iran, Caracas offered no backing for Tehran, instead voicing “solidarity” with US Gulf allies such as Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Edited by Lucas Koerner in Philadelphia, USA.

ROD Stewart has sparked concern for his health as he pulled out of a second concert in a week over a mystery medical issue.

It’s been revealed 81-year-old rocker has pulled out of his August 9 gig at the Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati.

This comes after he cancelled a string of concerts earlier this year due to health setbacks.

The organisers of the event announced the shocking news yesterday – the day of the gig.

They confirmed Rod was undergoing an “unforeseen but minor medical procedure.”

The venue shared a statement on social media, which said: “Due to an unforeseen but minor medical procedure that required prompt attention, Rod Stewart’s performance tonight in Cincinnati has been postponed.

GRANDPA ROD

Rod Stewart, 81, is a grandfather for sixth time as daughter welcomes 2nd child

NO SHOW

Rod Stewart cancels gig hours before he’s due onstage – as fans fume

“Rescheduling is currently underway, with additional information to follow on Tuesday.

“All previously purchased tickets will be honored for the rescheduled date.”

They claimed Rod is expected to be back tearing up the stage soon.

“Rod is expected to make a quick recovery and looks forward to returning to Cincinnati,” said the Riverbend Music centre.

One fan wrote: “I hope he’s okay,” followed by a praying hands emoji.

“Praying he’s doing well the concert hasn’t been cancelled just postponed,” penned another fan.

This isn’t the first time the Scottish-born star has left his fans feeling concerned.

Back in June the hitmaker was forced to pull out of a gig in California, due to a respiratory infection that later triggered a bout of laryngitis.

Just a week later, Rod stopped midway through his Utah concert and was seen using an oxygen tank onstage after nearly passing out.

Following the sad news, Rod also postponed his concerts at Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado in June, citing vocal rest.

He has repeatedly told fans that while he is winding down large-scale global arena touring, he has no intention of fully retiring from music or performing altogether.

Rod Stewart, who is married to TV personality Penny Lancaster, shot to fame in 1971 following the release of his debut album, Every Picture Tells A Story.

His biggest hits include Maggie May, Sailing and Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?

Over his six-decade career, he’s sold over 250 million records worldwide, been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, and received a knighthood in 2016.

How do you replace Pep Guardiola?

Enzo Maresca is just starting to find out this summer, having been chosen as the Spaniard’s successor at Manchester City – returning after being Guardiola’s assistant during the club’s Treble-winning 2022-23 campaign.

Guardiola, one of the greatest managers of his generation, stepped down at the end of last season after leading City to 17 major trophies, including six Premier League titles and a Champions League victory.

Now, with his first pre-season as manager at the club nearing its end, Maresca sat down with the five travelling UK-based media in Seoul to discuss the challenges ahead.

“After 10 games, if we have got 10 points, 20 points, 30 points. People will be comparing it to Pep after 10 games, it doesn’t put pressure on me,” said Maresca.

“I have said many times while I was at Leicester or Chelsea, he is the best manager in the world over the last 15 or 20 years.

“When he started in Spain, everyone wanted to play like Barcelona, he moved to Germany everyone wanted to play like Bayern [Munich], he comes to England and everyone wants to play like City.

“Someone asked me if it’s the impossible job to follow him – maybe, but at the same time it’s a privilege.”

The ex-Chelsea boss says he met Guardiola in Barcelona a day before he officially signed as his replacement, as it was “useful” to pick his brains – having been at the club for a decade.

“We spent some hours together,” he said. “We had planned before the season finished here to spend some time in the summer holidays together.

“I like to go in empty sometimes to see things for myself – but he was here so long, he has his opinions. But also you have to arrive and see things for yourself, see all the picture.”

To signal a change for the players, Maresca has moved into the office of former assistant Pep Lijnders at City’s headquarters, next door to Guardiola’s old office – which has now been converted into a meeting room.

Shortly after his appointment as the City boss at the end of June, Maresca apologised to former club Chelsea for the “disruption” caused by his mid-season departure.

So what did he do during the intervening six months?

“I tried to enjoy a little bit more [time] with the family,” he says about his wife and four children.

“And everyone is talking about AI, so I want to understand how it works. So I did two masterclasses to understand it a little bit more and have more knowledge.”

Such has been the rise of artificial intelligence in everyday life, even Premier League managers are now beginning to dabble in it for those marginal gains.

But Maresca is going to need more than AI to make a success of his City career, having taken over from one of the greatest managers of his generation.

Ryanair has urged plane passengers to stop packing a common toiletry in their hand luggage. It’s advice worth listening to if you want to avoid potential problems at the airport

With summer now upon us, it’s pretty standard to dream of sun, sea and sand, but before any of that comes packing and making sure your luggage is sorted correctly is absolutely vital. Budget carrier Ryanair often keeps travellers up to date with their advice.

Now with more families booking time away in the summer holidays, the airline issued guidance regarding a common bathroom item that should be kept out of hand luggage if you want to sail through airport security. It’s crucial to follow this advice as ignoring it could land you in some bother at the airport. The issue recently sparked debate on Reddit after a baffled traveller raised questions about the rules governing what’s permitted in carry-on baggage.

This isn’t the first time that crucial travel guidance has been brought to people’s attention either. Just a few months back, important information was also shared regarding hand luggage regulations.

Reddit Debate over Loose Blades vs Safety Razors in Carry-On Bags

Posting on Reddit, one user wrote: “I recently started using safety razors and I was wondering if I could carry mine with one blade inside or a packet of blades. I don’t have a checked bag, only the carry-on.

“Previously I was always able to bring disposable razors with the blades stored in the plastic compartment. In the General terms and Conditions, Ryanair says safety razors are allowed but, I asked the support and, even though he wasn’t anywhere specific to answer my query, he said that sharp objects are not allowed.

“So, if I bring the safety razor with me with a blade in it, the worst that can happen is they are just going to remove the razor and give me the head/handle (enclosure thing) back?”

The question sparked a heated discussion online, with one person observing: “Safety razor will be fine. Really comes more down to the airport you are going through, not the airline, and even then it also comes down to the individual person you deal with.”

Another chimed in: “OP (original poster) is not asking about safety razors per se. He’s asking about the blades, which are definitely prohibited items. Someone intent on causing harm could quite easily unscrew the razor and use the blade or spare blades as weapons.”

A third person argued: “NO, you cannot. Razor blades, including straight razor blades and replacement blades, are prohibited items because they could be used as weapons.

“However, as you said, fixed cartridge razors (disposable razors) generally are allowed in carry-on luggage. Safety razors (with blades in a plastic head) also are usually permitted in carry-on luggage. But NOT the type where you can unscrew the head and extract the blade.”

For regular flyers who habitually pack razors — and there are plenty — it appears there are specific regulations that need to be observed. Complete details can be found on the Ryanair website.

Official Ryanair Cabin Rules for Disposable Razors and Prohibited Blades

The official guidance states: “The following items must not be carried on board, but may be carried as part of your checked baggage. Objects with a sharp point or sharp edge capable of being used to cause serious injury, including razors and razor blades (except safety or disposable razors with enclosed blades and razor heads held in plastic compartments).”

The website also outlined every other item banned from cabin bags. While individual airlines may operate slightly varying policies, there are broadly accepted standard rules that all passengers are expected to adhere to.

Although not all razors are forbidden in hand luggage, certain types are prohibited. Most airlines permit disposable razors, cartridge razors and electric shavers/epilators to be brought into the cabin.

However, traditional safety razors, cut-throat razors and individual razor blades are generally not permitted in the passenger cabin and must be stowed in hold luggage, owing to their exceptionally sharp nature.

Should security staff deem them a potential threat, they hold the power to seize them, and this simple oversight could leave you facing unnecessary delays at the airport. In short, it’s a packing mistake you’ll want to avoid at all costs.

China’s test of a nuclear-capable missile into the Pacific has exposed the growing divisions among Pacific island nations over the increasing militarisation of a region they have sought to preserve as an “Ocean of Peace”.

The July launch, China’s first known ballistic-missile test into the Pacific since September 2024, took place just hours after Fiji and Australia signed a major defence treaty, marking Fiji’s first formal alliance. The timing highlighted the increasingly complex security environment in a region where China, the United States and their allies are competing for influence.

More than a month after the test, Pacific Islands foreign ministers were unable to agree on a collective statement condemning Beijing’s missile launch, despite individual leaders expressing concern about the growing military presence in the region.

Papua New Guinea Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko described the test as “totally inappropriate”, while stressing that China remained a close friend and ally of Papua New Guinea. He said Beijing had provided advance notice of the launch but had not given details about where the missile would land.

China defended the test, saying it had been conducted safely and urging countries not to over-interpret the launch.

Growing Military Activity in the Pacific

The missile test came after a year of increasingly visible military activity across the Pacific, a region that has become a major arena of strategic competition between the United States and China.

Chinese naval deployments and live-fire exercises in the Tasman Sea have coincided with U.S.-allied military exercises around Guam and Hawaii. Warship visits and expanding security partnerships have also increased across the region.

The United States retains a substantial military presence in the Pacific, including in Hawaii, Guam and the Marshall Islands.

For Pacific island governments, the growing military presence creates an increasingly difficult choice. Security partnerships can provide valuable capabilities for surveillance, disaster response, policing and training, but they can also increase the possibility that Pacific territory and waters become incorporated into wider strategic competition.

Tuvalu permanent foreign secretary Pasuna Tuaga expressed concern about the broader militarisation of the region, including security arrangements such as the AUKUS partnership between Australia, Britain and the United States.

Pacific Nations United in Principle but Divided in Practice

Pacific leaders endorsed the Ocean of Peace Declaration in September 2025, committing themselves to protecting the region and strengthening international peace and security.

The initiative reflected a long-standing desire among Pacific states to ensure that their security agenda is not dictated by larger external powers.

The defence agreement between Australia and Fiji, known as the Ocean of Peace Alliance, emerged from this broader regional framework.

But the growing number of security partnerships has created an inherent contradiction. Pacific governments want greater security capabilities while simultaneously opposing the militarisation of their region.

Australia and other partners argue that defence cooperation can strengthen regional resilience. Critics, however, fear that expanding bilateral arrangements could eventually leave Pacific nations with less influence over how their territory, waters and infrastructure are used.

Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Rick Houenipwela said the regional agenda must remain “conceived by the Pacific, shaped by the Pacific and only by the Pacific.”

Yet the failure to produce a unified response to China’s missile test demonstrated just how difficult that principle is to implement.

China Divides Regional Consensus

The disagreement over the missile test reflects the different political and economic interests of Pacific island nations.

Kiribati and Nauru, which have deepened their relations with Beijing after switching diplomatic recognition from Taiwan, did not support the wording of the proposed statement, according to an official familiar with the discussions.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters blamed foreign influence for the failure to reach consensus, although he did not identify a particular country.

The disagreement demonstrates that Pacific nations do not share a uniform approach toward China.

Some governments see Beijing as an important economic and diplomatic partner, while others are increasingly concerned about its military activities and the strategic implications of its expanding regional presence.

At the same time, many Pacific governments remain wary of becoming closely aligned with either China or the Western powers.

The Security Dilemma Facing the Pacific

The central problem for Pacific nations is the tension between security and strategic autonomy.

Countries require surveillance capabilities, military training, disaster-response mechanisms and other security resources. Defence partnerships can provide those capabilities.

But greater reliance on external powers can also make it more difficult for Pacific governments to maintain an independent regional agenda.

Fiji Foreign Minister Sakiasi Ditoka acknowledged this tension, saying countries wanted to be free from “war-making paraphernalia” while also recognising that some security capabilities helped keep them safe.

Fiji’s participation for the first time in U.S.-led RIMPAC military exercises further illustrates this balancing act.

The country is simultaneously promoting the idea of an Ocean of Peace while becoming more involved in established regional security structures.

Analysis: The Pacific Is Becoming a Strategic Battleground

The significance of China’s missile test goes beyond the launch itself. It has exposed the growing gap between the Pacific’s aspiration to remain an “Ocean of Peace” and the strategic realities surrounding it.

The region is increasingly being shaped by competing security partnerships, military exercises and the expanding strategic presence of major powers. China is becoming more active militarily, while the United States, Australia and their partners are strengthening their own defence relationships.

For Pacific island states, the challenge is therefore not simply whether to oppose China’s military activities. It is how to respond to them without allowing the Pacific’s security agenda to become dominated by great-power rivalry.

The failure to agree on a common statement is particularly significant because regional unity is one of the Pacific’s strongest tools for maintaining its diplomatic autonomy. When governments cannot agree on how to respond to a major security development, external powers gain greater room to shape the regional agenda.

At the same time, completely rejecting security partnerships would leave many Pacific states without capabilities they consider increasingly necessary. The result is a difficult balancing act: accepting enough external security assistance to address genuine threats while preventing those partnerships from transforming the region into a military theatre.

China’s missile test therefore exposes a deeper strategic dilemma. The more Pacific states seek security through external alliances, the greater the risk that the region becomes militarised; yet the more they reject those partnerships, the harder it may become to respond to an increasingly competitive security environment.

The upcoming Pacific Islands Forum leaders’ meeting in Palau is likely to bring these questions back to the centre of regional diplomacy. The key issue will be whether Pacific nations can establish a collective security approach that protects their interests without allowing the strategic competition between China and Western powers to define the future of the region.

With information from Reuters.

On the shores of Douglas Bay, I could barely see the sand. Crammed on to the beach, on every available inch, were tourists bustling for the best spot. Luckily, I wasn’t there at the same time. I was looking at a black and white photograph taken some 135 years earlier, displayed in the Manx Museum in Douglas, the Isle of Man’s capital. When I’d stepped off the ferry earlier that day, the crescent-shaped beach was still there – but the crowds weren’t.

The self-governing British Crown dependency in the Irish Sea has always been a haven for outsiders. From the early hunter-gatherers who ventured here in 6500BC, to the Irish Celts (who brought over Christianity in the fifth century) and Vikings who established Tynwald (one of the oldest continuous parliaments in the world) to the Victorian tourists who transformed it into a popular holiday destination.

Tourism boomed after the advent of steamboats in the 1830s, bringing hundreds of thousands to the island. Visitor numbers rose from 60,000 a year in 1863 to 350,000 by 1887. Last year, there were 329,613 visitors.

I’d come here to try out Inntravel’s new self-guided walking holiday, a four-night, single-centre package with a booklet full of hikes to try each day and a Go Explore Heritage Pass, which offers unlimited public transport and entry to many attractions. It promises a car-free adventure using footpaths and heritage railways to explore more than just the coast.

Arriving in Douglas by ferry from Heysham, Lancashire, early on a Sunday morning, the capital was barely stirring. Along the promenade, black guillemots and herring gulls outnumbered people. Grand Victorian hotels, painted in bold blues, greens and yellows, lined the waterfront. The Tower of Refuge sat on its tiny islet, illuminated by a sliver of sunlight cutting through the cloud.

I climbed aboard the island’s 150-year-old horse-drawn tramway. Tourists shared benches with local people carrying shopping bags as children squealed with delight as the horse trotted along the seafront.

Swapping literal horsepower for electricity, I boarded the narrow-gauge railway towards Groudle Glen. Taking Inntravel’s advice, rather than heading there directly, I hopped off at a request stop near Garwick Beach, a woodland-backed pebbled cove on the Raad ny Foillan (the Way of the Gull), a 100-mile coastal path that circles the island and is well-known to long-distance hikers.

The variation on this walk was that the trail led inland through Ballannette nature reserve, where wrens loudly trilled from the brush and greylag geese bobbed across the lakes. The path then diverted to the ruins of St Adamnan’s church with its Celtic crosses dated from between the seventh and 10th centuries. Finally, I reached the fairytale setting of Groudle Glen, where the wheel at the watermill churns and the sunlight spools through the tree canopy of beech, birch and larch.

That evening I settled into the Halvard hotel, a 20-room boutique property in the heart of town, dining at its restaurant, which makes pub grub (burgers, pasta, stew) with local Manx ingredients, served with views of the sea.

The next day I headed west on another Victorian legacy: the island’s steam railway. At the Level, a request stop so short only passengers in the last carriage can disembark, Gore-Tex-clad hikers stepped off the train clutching walking poles. But with my insider guide in hand, I continued to Port Erin and rejoined the Raad ny Foillan. Purple spring squill and bright yellow gorse lined the path as it climbed and fell in a rollercoaster of colour, rabbits darting at my feet.

Soon I reached one of the island’s highlights: the Calf Sound, where the Calf of Man, a small island separated from the mainland by half a mile of sea is home to a colony of grey seals, accessed by boat trip.

My route continued along the water but then diverted inland to Cregneash, one of the last strongholds of the Manx language – a type of Gaelic – and the oldest open-air folk museum in the British Isles (founded in 1938). Here, costumed guides explain traditional crofting life while rare four-horned Manx Loaghtan sheep graze nearby and prehistoric stones stand in a circle above the village – things I would have missed had it not been for my recommended detour.

Rejoining the coast, I reached the Chasms, where the remains of an 1898 tourist cafe – which had to run with no water or electricity – cling dramatically to the cliffs. Though it closed in the 1960s, walkers and climbers still come to peer down into the sea-carved fissures below. I finished the day with the daily catch and chips in Port Erin before catching the bus back to Douglas, stomach and heart full.

For my last full day I placed my trust in the Inntravel guide again and headed to Peel, the island’s medieval capital, where the remains of Peel Castle dominate St Patrick’s Isle, connected to the mainland by an artificial causeway. Wandering amid ruins, I listened to tales of former residents – including monks, kings, the military and the Moddey Dhoo (the legendary black dog said to haunt the castle’s ramparts) on an audio guide, included with the Go Pass.

Lunch was a paper tray of queenies – locally caught scallops simply pan-fried in butter – from the Fish Bar stall at the harbour before I climbed to Corrin’s Folly, built in 1806 by a wealthy landowner. Once more my guidebook took me away from the well-known coast and inland, to Knockaloe, site of one of the largest first world war internment camps in the British Isles – now just fields. More than 23,000 internees passed through its once barbed-wire perimeter, including Joseph Pilates, who developed his eponymous exercise system while interned here. I followed directions to a bus stop to head home, wandering through pretty woodlands and along the banks of a stream.

Back in Douglas that evening, sampling locally brewed beer at Wine Down, it was easy to imagine those black-and-white photographs filling with colour once more. But perhaps the Isle of Man’s greatest success will not be resurrecting its Victorian heyday, but rather offering the chance for travellers to explore without ever turning an ignition key. Given the climate crisis and rising carbon emissions, that makes this place feel less like a throwback and more of a glimpse into the future of sustainable travel.

The trip was provided by Inntravel. The new Highlights of the Isle of Man four-night self-guided walking break costs from £621pp, including B&B, return transfers and public transport pass

Brad Pitt has revealed that he’s back on the sauce.

During a vulnerable interview published in Esquire on Monday, Pitt said he’d started drinking again, in moderation. “I was sober for seven years,” he said. “And then I got back off the wagon.”

The be-all and end-all of movie stars, Pitt had a messy, highly publicized (and litigated) divorce from fellow crème de la crème star Angelina Jolie that stretched from 2016 to 2024. Jolie filed to end the power couple’s two-year marriage after an alleged alcohol-fueled incident on a private plane. The fallout has been consequential for both stars, and served as the catalyst for Pitt seeking help through Alcoholics Anonymous.

Now, maybe after a seven-year itch, Pitt is trying to rework his relationship with alcohol, this time “in a more restrained manner.”

“I got overconfident a couple times, went, ‘Yep, nope, not good for me. Not in big quantities,’” he told Esquire.

When it comes to wine, Pitt says, “Well  . . .  I can have a few. But I can’t have a lot. I have to be professional about it.”

The “Heart of the Beast” star has been candid about his sober-curious journey in recent years and publicly thanked actor (and sponsor to the stars) Bradley Cooper for helping him get sober. “I got sober because of this guy,” he said during a 2020 acceptance speech at the National Board of Review’s annual awards gala. “And every day has been happier since.”

And last June, the Oscar winner sat down with Dax Shepard for an episode of “Armchair Expert” and opened up about the positive experience he’d had in the 12-step program. “I am a stubborn f—, but when I’ve stepped in s—, I’m pretty good at taking responsibility for it and owning up to it,” he told Shepard. “And now it’s a quest to … make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

In the Esquire story, Pitt admitted that, during the darkest period of grappling with what he referred to as “family stuff,” he could see how suicide might feel like relief — but that his survival instinct kicked in. He discussed feeling immense grief and how that grief can leave a gaping hole. Rather than climbing out of it, Pitt said he thought of it as “going through it.”

“And trying and trying and trying and trying to the point of exhaustion and then trying again,” he told the magazine. “I don’t want to ignore the place where you run up against the wall. But I just one day woke up, and it just felt a little sunnier and the air felt a little sweeter. Just microdoses of it.”