Month: March 2026

JUNIOR Andre has joked that his mum Katie Price “crushed his dreams” of becoming a professional footballer, after he was scouted as a child.

The 20-year-old, whose dad is Mysterious Girl singer Peter Andre, is now carving out a career for himself as a musician and actor.

But once upon a time, Junior had high hopes of becoming a footballer.

And he was even scouted by professional club Millwall, before trialing for premiere league side Chelsea, Junior has revealed.

Appearing on the Not My Bagg podcast, Junior said that glamour model mum Katie informed him he didn’t have the skills to make it big time in the sport.

“My mum crushed my dreams,” said Junior.

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“She watched me play once and she says, ‘Junior, let’s be real, you’re not gonna be a footballer. You’re not good enough. Don’t worry, you’re gonna be an entertainer’.”

“But, also, equally, I wanted to be a musician and actor,” assured Junior.

Continuing that he would play Saturday league, he said: “I used to play every week and I loved it.

“When I was young I got scouted at Millwall, and I had a trial and Brighton and Chelsea and I was loving it.

“But I was never actually really that good, I was just above average.”

Just this month, Junior made his acting debut as he is starring in a new coming-of-age drama called Finding My Voice.

He stars alongside his dad Peter and EastEnders star Michelle Ryan in the flick.

Alongside acting, Junior has been in the studio working on new music, with the budding star seen recording in a recent episode of his sister’s reality show, The Princess Diaries.

Despite his famous parents, it’s not all been glamorous for Junior, who revealed in the TV show that he had also been working full time for TFL while his music was on hold.

Junior revealed he worked through the nights, full time, while he sorted out “differences” with his record label.

Speaking on his secret TFL job, Junior said: “It’s been a long time coming, it’s been hard, you know I’ve obviously had to do nine-to-five, Monday to Friday.

“I found a night job basically just working on the London underground, grafting, lifting heavy metals, cutting, filing, painting. I got them jobs so I could do my music career, so I could fund it.”

Princess, 18, gushed over her brother for following his dreams self- sufficiently.

The reality TV star said: “So proud of Junior, his last two singles went in at number one , but while he was sorting differences out with his label he went to work through the nights and work a full time job so he was fully self sufficient. Which I’m super proud of.”

SPANISH sun and a sense of calm was what I was expecting to greet me at Lanzarote Airport – instead I spend the first three hours of my holiday queuing to get out of the arrivals hall.

Because thousands of travellers like myself were stuck in huge queues, thanks to the new EES system – and with Easter and summer season on the way, I can see it getting worse.

My Jet2 flight landed at half past one on a Thursday afternoon in early March and I didn’t get out until just after half past four.

The queues stretched along the corridor and zigzagged all the way through the arrivals hall that took passengers to EES registration.

I’d already signed up to EES, having visited Lithuania a few months ago – but that was no use at all.

There was no separate queue for – or any staff for that matter – advising those who have registered to head straight to the passport e-gates.

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While this was frustrating, what was even more so was that only half of the EES machines were actually working.

When I finally made it to my bus transfer, even the Jet2Holidays rep said she’d ‘never seen delays this bad’.

While Lanzarote has had a bad rep for lengthy queues in recent weeks, they are by no means the only ones.

The Sun travel team has been to various airports across Europe since the start of 2026 and many of them have had much longer queues than usual.

Like in Lanzarote, in some places only half the EES machines are working.

In other destinations, all of the machines are switched off until around midday. So it’ s pure luck as to whether you’ll even get to sign up.

Thanks to its winter sun offering, Lanzarote is one of the first airports to really show what an issue the new system could be for Brits this summer – when millions of visitors arrive for their annual holidays across Europe.

Lanzarote Airport has been subject to ‘bottlenecking’ which is a term used when there are too many flights at once and it causes congestion in the airport.

It’s no surprise really, Lanzarote is a small island with a small airport.

Around 100 planes land at the airport each day and over one million British tourists visit Lanzarote each year, with more heading there over the Easter and summer holidays.

Looking at planned flights on flightradar24 for Thursday 19 March 2026, there are almost 40 from the UK alone, with just under 100 flights in total scheduled for the day.

Between 2pm and 3pm there are 10 flights due from the UK.

Two from Glasgow arrive at the same time, and others are within five and ten-minute intervals.

With the queues in Lanzarote reportedly reaching four hours, I’ve seen parents fearing travel chaos for their upcoming holiday.

One mum even started a forum on Mumsnet with the subject ‘Lanzarote airport actual chaos or exaggerated drama’.

In the comments, one recent visitor described the airport as a ‘madhouse’.

Another, who went on holiday around the same time as me, described it as an “absolute nightmare” and has even cancelled their booking in April as a result.

The lengthy wait times are likely to crop up at other European destinations too because of the new EES requirement.

Delays have been reported at airports like Brussels, Lisbon and Prague, and officials have even called for the EES to be delayed until after the summer holidays.

Other airports are looking for solutions.

At some operated by Aena, like Ibiza, Menorca, Malaga and Palma, Majorca – there could be a Brit only lane at border control to ease congestion.

As for Lanzarote, if you want to make the most of your arrival on the island, then I’d suggest booking an earlier flight so you’ll still have the afternoon to explore.

Otherwise all there is to do is line up and wait patiently.

For more about the new travel requirements this summer – here’s everything you need to know about EES.

And for more travel inspiration, here are the bucket list 2026 holidays you should go on for every month of the year.

It’s the perfect place for an Easter or summer holiday, as there’s so much to see and do, and it’s very easy to get around.

A stunning European capital has been crowned one of the most walkable, making it ideal for a summer or Easter break with countless attractions to explore. Better still, it’s affordable to reach, with UK flights available from just £19 in April.

Budapest in Hungary has repeatedly featured in conversations about great holiday destinations. There’s good reason for its popularity – getting around on foot is effortless, it’s steeped in fascinating history and brilliant attractions, plus the cuisine is great . In fact, travel experts at Freetour named it the top city to visit in 2026.

The specialists explained: “If there is one city that tops every travel ranking time and time again, it’s Budapest. The Hungarian capital claimed first place across all FREETOUR.com destinations in 2025, and 2026 is shaping up to be no different.”

They continued: “It has everything a curious traveler could want: the medieval Castle Hill and the ruin bars of the Jewish Quarter, fin-de-siècle thermal baths and street food at the Great Market Hall, the misty Chain Bridge at dawn and a symphony of lights over the Danube at night. Budapest is a city where every free walking tour feels like a genuine discovery.”

Budapest often appears in lists about the most pedestrian-friendly cities globally. In Guru Walk’s rankings last year, it secured second place, with Rome claiming the number one position, reports the Express.

The professionals noted: ‘Known as the “Pearl of the Danube”, Budapest blends imperial architecture with a vibrant cultural scene.’

Two of Budapest’s main attractions – St Stephen’s Basilica and the Houses of Parliament – are conveniently located just a 15-minute stroll apart. However, if you’re not keen on exploring entirely by foot, the city boasts an efficient public transport system, complete with trams, buses and metros.

Undoubtedly, one of Budapest’s standout attractions is the Szechenyi Thermal Baths. It’s one of the largest complexes in Europe, supplied by two thermal springs, with the indoor and outdoor pools tracing their history back to 1913.

The waters are rich in health-enhancing minerals and temperatures vary from a comfortable 27°C to a warm 38°C.

After your relaxing soak, you can indulge in Budapest’s lively street food scene.

Karaván, nestled in the heart of the Party district, is a must-visit for those eager to sample local delicacies, such as Lángos, a deep-fried flatbread garnished with garlic, cheese and sour cream.

Flights to Budapest start from just £19 from Gatwick in April.

Edison International boosted the pay of its top executives last year despite their responsibility for the safety of the company’s power lines before the devastating Eaton fire, which destroyed a wide swath of Altadena and killed 19 people.

Although the company cut cash bonuses for its senior executives, citing the wildfires, their overall compensation went up substantially as the utility’s profit soared in 2025.

Pedro Pizarro, chief executive of the parent company of Southern California Edison, received $16.6 million in cash, stock and other compensation last year, up 20% from 2024, according to a new company filing.

Steven Powell, president of Southern California Edison, received compensation totaling $6.5 million last year, up from $3.9 million in 2024 — a jump of more than 65%.

The utility’s transmission equipment is suspected of igniting two wildfires on Jan. 7, 2025, including the Eaton fire, which left thousands of families homeless.

The Times earlier detailed how Edison fell behind in performing maintenance on its aging transmission lines — work that it had told state utility regulators was needed. County prosecutors are investigating whether Edison should be criminally charged for its actions before the fire.

The government investigation into the cause of the fire has not been released and Edison has denied that it acted negligently. Pizarro has said a leading theory is that a century-old transmission line, which the company had not used for 50 years, may have briefly reenergized, igniting the fire.

A state law championed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2019 protects utilities from paying for the damage due to fires sparked by their equipment. When it passed, Newsom touted the law’s requirement that utilities must tie executive compensation to their safety record, saying it would keep them accountable.

The law said that a utility “may” consider tying 100% of executive bonuses to safety performance and “denying all incentive compensation in the event the electrical corporation causes a catastrophic wildfire that results in one or more fatalities.”

Edison said in the new filing that the company’s board members who determine executive compensation decided to decrease the cash bonuses of Pizarro, Powell and Jill Anderson, the utility’s chief operating officer, because of the 2025 wildfires.

Pizarro’s cash bonus was cut by more than $1 million while Powell’s was trimmed by $442,000, according to the filing. Anderson lost out on $244,000.

The company, based in Rosemead, said its decision to cut the three executives’ cash bonuses “was not a reflection of the performance of the company or these executives.”

Despite those cuts, the executives’ total pay of salary, bonuses, stock and other compensation rose, according to the filing. That’s because Edison ties most executive compensation not to safety, but to the company’s financial performance.

And last year, Edison’s profit jumped more than 200% — from $1.3 billion in 2024 to $4.5 billion — despite the Eaton disaster.

The profit increase resulted from the protections from wildfire damage provided to Edison by the 2019 law, as well as a 13% hike in customer electricity rates in October.

The utility attributed the higher electric bills to several increases that it successfully lobbied the California Public Utilities Commission to approve. All five members of the commission were appointed by Newsom.

Scott Johnson, an Edison spokesman, said Tuesday that Pizarro and other company executives holding stock took a financial hit after the fires when the price plummeted.

Before the January fires, Edison International’s stock price was about $80. It fell to $50 the next month. It has recovered much of its value, closing on Tuesday at $72.92.

Edison is facing hundreds of lawsuits by victims of the fire. The suits claim it acted negligently, including by failing to remove the old, dormant transmission line in Eaton Canyon.

The lawsuits also blame Edison for not preventatively shutting down its transmission lines Jan. 7, 2025, despite the dangerous Santa Ana winds.

Pizarro has said the winds didn’t meet the company’s threshold in place at the time for turning off those high-voltage wires.

“Our deepest sympathies remain with all those affected, and this loss reinforces our commitment to public safety and wildfire risk mitigation,” Pizarro and Peter Taylor, chairman of the parent company’s board, wrote in a letter to shareholders that was released with the details on executive compensation.

The two executives added that the company’s “long-term objective remains unchanged: to significantly reduce wildfire risk while improving safety, reliability and affordability of electric service.”

Edison is now offering to compensate Eaton fire victims, including those who lost their homes, family members, businesses and apartments. The offer requires the victims to give up their right to sue the utility. Many survivors say the utility’s offer falls short of what they lost.

Pizarro and Taylor wrote that as of March 4, more than 2,500 claims had been submitted through the program. So far, Edison has extended offers to roughly 600 victims submitting claims and made payments totaling $31 million to 212 of those people, they wrote.

The utility also has begun settling claims of property insurers that covered Altadena homes that were destroyed or damaged, paying out hundreds of millions of dollars. The settlements will help cover the insurance companies’ losses.

Edison has told its shareholders that it expects most or all of those payments to victims and insurers to be covered by a $21-billion state wildfire fund that Newsom and lawmakers created as part of Assembly Bill 1054, which became law in 2019.

Critics say the law went too far, allowing a utility to allegedly spark a deadly wildfire without financial consequences to the company or its executives.

“The predictable outcome of continuing to protect shareholders and executives from the consequences of their own negligence is not theoretical. It is observable. More catastrophic fires,” Joy Chen, executive director of the Eaton Fire Survivors Network, wrote in an email to state wildfire fund administrators this year.

Johnson responded, saying,”Our motivation to prevent fires and any incidents is to be good neighbors and provide affordable and resilient energy. There is nothing more important than safety.”

Taylor was on the board committee that approved the compensation package for Pizarro and other top executives. For his work chairing the board, Taylor received cash and stock compensation of more than $500,000.

Johnson said Taylor’s compensation was based on “typical board chair pay” at other utilities.

The new filing said Pizarro’s total compensation of $16.6 million was 75 times the median Edison employee’s total compensation of $220,000.

The present value of Pizarro’s pension is more than $19 million, the report said.

The company is facing a challenge from one of its shareholders — John Chevedden of Redondo Beach, according to the filing.

Chevedden is asking the company’s shareholders to vote to approve his proposal that would require Pizarro and other Edison executives to hold at least 25% of the stock they had received as compensation until they reach retirement age.

He said that requiring utility executives to hold a significant portion of their stock until retirement would focus their efforts on the company’s long-term success.

Chevedden pointed to “unfavorable news reports,” including the U.S. Department of Justice’s lawsuits against Edison for the Eaton fire and 2022 Fairview blaze, which killed two people in Riverside County.

Edison’s board urged shareholders to vote against Chevedden’s proposal before the company’s annual meeting April 23.

The board said the company already had guidelines that “closely align the interests of officers with the long-term interests of our shareholders.”

Yamamoto is honored

From Maddie Lee: The first pitch of the Dodgers’ 2026 season won’t capture the exuberance of the last pitch of 2025. But it will be meaningful in its own right, as the official first step of the team’s quest for a third straight championship.

How poetic that the same arm should deliver both pitches.

“It’s an honor for me,” Dodgers opening day starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto said Tuesday through interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda. “And then it’s opening day at a Dodger Stadium home game, and that’s very [much an] honor to me. I also feel the responsibility.”

Yamamoto is scheduled to make one more Cactus League start, against the Padres on Friday, before taking the Dodger Stadium mound next Thursday when the Diamondbacks come to town. It will be the second opening-day start of Yamamoto’s MLB career, and his first at home.

It will also mark the end of a whirlwind offseason and spring training for Yamamoto, who not only shouldered a demanding postseason workload, but also navigated an especially quick turnaround to pitch for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic.

“It’s hard to put into words,” manager Dave Roberts said. “He is just very driven, he’s very disciplined in his work. That’s some of the things that allows him to compete at a high level. Where most people would feel that you win the World Series MVP, you don’t have enough to pitch in the WBC. He wanted to pitch for his country, and now he’s really excited about the start of 2026.

“He is a very determined person. He really is. We’re just lucky he’s on our team.”

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March Madness analysis

The NCAA men’s tournament bracket is set and the games are set to begin Tuesday with the First Four.

Here’s a rundown of the players to watch, potential underdog teams and what to know about the 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

Click here to continue

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The NCAA women’s basketball tournament bracket is set and the games will begin Wednesday with the start of the First Four.

Here’s a rundown of the players to watch, potential dark horse teams and game previews for every region in the 2026 NCAA women’s basketball tournament.

Click here to continue

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NFL mock draft

From Sam Farmer: NFL teams are living on the edge.

Sure, it’s a quarterback’s league, but a major focus of the upcoming NFL draft will be about getting to the quarterback. This class is loaded with talented pass rushers, and teams figure to take advantage of that early and often. This mock draft has edge rushers off the board with the second, third and fourth selections.

How appropriate that the April 23-25 draft will be held for the first time in Pittsburgh, birthplace of the Steel Curtain.

The Steelers, incidentally, take a receiver in this mock — and there are lots of talented prospects at that spot, too. This contemplates the Rams selecting USC receiver Makai Lemon, although it’s entirely possible that the sure-handed Trojans star will already be gone by the time the 13th pick rolls around.

The Chargers, meanwhile, take an offensive lineman to address the need that haunted them all last season after they were ravaged by injuries up front.

One look at how the draft could unfold:

Continue reading here

Venezuela defeats the U.S. to win the World Baseball Classic

Venezuela won the World Baseball Classic for the first time, rebounding from a blown eighth-inning lead to beat the United States 3-2 Tuesday night on Eugenio Suárez’s tiebreaking double in the ninth.

Maikel Garcia’s third-inning sacrifice fly and Wilyer Abreu’s fifth-inning homer off rookie Nolan McLean built a 2-0 lead before a roaring pro-Latin America crowd. Meanwhile, left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez and lights-out relievers limited the Americans to two hits through the seventh.

Bobby Witt Jr. walked with two out in the eighth and Bryce Harper drove the second straight changeup from Andrés Machado over the center-field fence for a two-run homer that tied it. Harper slowly trotted around the bases and took time at third to salute coach Dino Ebel.

Luis Arraez walked against Garrett Whitlock starting the ninth. Pinch-runner Javier Sanoja stole second just ahead of catcher Will Smith’s throw and came home when Suárez doubled to the left-center gap. Suárez spread his arms wide and pointed to the sky at second base while teammates streamed from the dugout to greet Sanoja at the plate.

Daniel Palencia struck out two in a perfect bottom half to finish a three-hitter and get his third save of the WBC, striking out Roman Anthony to end the game. Venezuelans ran onto the infield to celebrate as the Americans stared while leaning on their dugout railing.

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This day in sports history

1945 — Maurice Richard of the Montreal Canadiens becomes the first NHL player to score 50 goals in a season during a 4-2 triumph over the Boston Bruins in the final game of the season.

1950 — CCNY beats Bradley 69-61 for the NIT championship.

1953 — Don Schlundt scores 30 points to lead Indiana to a 69-68 victory over Kansas for the NCAA basketball championship.

1990 — Jeff Fryer’s 41 points leads Loyola Marymount to a 149-115 victory over defending national champion Michigan in the highest-scoring game in NCAA tournament history.

1993 — Santa Clara beats Arizona 64-61 to become the second 15th-seeded team to win a first-round game in the NCAA tournament.

1995 — Michael Jordan announces he is ending his 17-month NBA retirement.

2001 — Indiana’s Reggie Miller becomes the first player in NBA history to accumulate 2,000 three-pointers after hitting four in a 101-95 win over Sacramento.

2008 — The Houston Rockets’ 22-game winning streak comes to an end. Kevin Garnett scores 22 points and Paul Pierce adds 20 as the Celtics beat the Rockets 94-74, stopping Houston’s remarkable run.

2009 — New Jersey’s Martin Brodeur breaks Patrick Roy’s NHL record for career wins by a goaltender. Brodeur records his 552nd win in a 3-2 decision over the Chicago Blackhawks.

2013 — LeBron James and the Miami Heat escape Boston with their 23rd win in a row, the second longest win streak in NBA history. James scores 37 points and makes the go-ahead basket with 10.5 seconds left in Miami’s 105-103 victory.

2015 — Lindsey Vonn wins the World Cup downhill title for the seventh time, winning the last race in the discipline at the World Cup finals in Meribel, France.

2016 — Middle Tennessee State sends a big shock through the men’s NCAA Tournament, topping second-seeded Michigan State 90-81 in the first round. Middle Tennessee never trails the Spartans (29-6) in one of the biggest upsets since the tournament began seeding teams in 1985.

2016 — Thomas Walkup scores 33 points and 14th-seeded Stephen F. Austin takes down West Virginia’s full-court pressure with some of its own in-your-face defense, pulling off a 70-56 first-round upset of the third-seeded Mountaineers in the NCAA Tournament.

2017 — Kalani Brown scores 21 points and top-seeded Baylor overwhelms much smaller Texas Southern 119-30, the most lopsided women’s NCAA Tournament game. The 89-point margin breaks the previous record 74-point win by Tennessee over North Carolina A&T (111-37) in 1994. Baylor’s 119 points are the most scored in regulation of a women’s NCAA Tournament game, surpassing the previous record 116.

2017 — Texas A&M pulls off the biggest comeback in women’s NCAA Tournament history, rallying from a 21-point deficit for a 63-61 victory over Penn to close out the first round of the NCAAs. The fifth-seeded Aggies finish the game on a 25-1 run to beat the 12th-seeded Quakers.

2018 — Tennessee loses for the first time at home in women’s NCAA Tournament history. Marie Gulich has 14 points and 12 rebounds to lead sixth-seed Oregon State to a 66-59 win. The third-seeded Lady Vols had been 57-0 at home, with most of those victories coming under late Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt.

2019 — 40-year old Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki overtakes Wilt Chamberlain to move into sixth place with 31,424 points on the NBA scorers’ list; Mavs suffer 129-125 OT loss to New Orleans Pelicans.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

South Korean stocks surged more than 5 percent Wednesday, on a semiconductor rally boosted by the ongoing U.S. chip giant Nvidia’s global artificial intelligence (AI) conference. The Korean won strengthened against the U.S. dollar.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed up 284.55 points, or 5.04 percent, to 5,925.03.

The index came under strong buying pressure from foreigners and institutional investors, triggering the Korea Exchange (KRX), the country’s main bourse operator, to issue a buy-side sidecar near the closing bell.

Program trading for the KOSPI was suspended for five minutes at 2:34 p.m., according to the KRX.

Offshore and institutional investors snapped up a combined net 4 trillion won (US$2.7 billion) worth of equities. Retail investors, on the other hand, offloaded 3.9 trillion won.

Trade volume was heavy at 1.1 billion shares worth 26.1 trillion won, with winners far outnumbering losers 614 to 278.

Investors’ appetite for semiconductors increased, following remarks from Nvidia’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jensen Huang on Samsung Electronics, Lee Kyoung-min, an analyst at Daishin Securities, said.

During the ongoing four-day event in California, Huang said on Monday he wants to “thank Samsung, who manufactures the Groq LP30 chip” for the company, adding that the chips are in production and would be shipped in the second half of this year.

“The stock market’s sensitivity to geopolitical issues in the Middle East is markedly declining,” Lee added.

Most large cap shares ended bullish.

Top-cap Samsung Electronics jumped 7.53 percent to 208,500 won, while its chipmaking rival SK hynix climbed 8.87 percent to 1,056,000 won.

Nuclear power plant builder Doosan Enerbility rose 2.78 percent to 107,300 won, on anticipations alternative energy sources would benefit from the recent spike in oil prices.

Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, has remained at the US$100 per barrel level for the past five sessions.

In contrast, defense shares lost ground as investors went to lock in profits. Hanwha Aerospace inched down 0.43 percent to 1,390,000 won, and LIG Nex1 retreated 2.27 percent to 689,000 won.

The Korean won was quoted at 1,483.1 won against the U.S. dollar as of 3:30 p.m., up 10.5 won from the previous session.

Bond prices, which move inversely to yields, closed higher. The yield on three-year Treasurys fell 6.3 basis points to 3.261 percent, and the return on the benchmark five-year government bonds retreated 6.7 basis points to 3.511 percent.

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As United States President Donald Trump tries to build a coalition of navies willing to open the Strait of Hormuz, some countries are negotiating safe passage directly with Iran, underscoring a new de facto reality, analysts say: Regardless of military results, Tehran is calling the shots on who gets to use the world’s most important energy waterway.

After US-Israeli strikes on Iran began on February 28 and killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the Iranian military leadership responded by focusing on its most potent form of leverage – Iran’s geography. The country controls the northern shore of the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of global crude oil and natural gas supplies pass. It is 33km (20 miles) wide at its narrowest point, so any naval force that wants to cross it becomes easy prey for Iranian attacks coming from the mainland.

Considering insurance companies’ low appetite for risk, it took relatively few attacks on vessels in the strait – or just the threat of them – to undermine market confidence and send insurance premiums shooting up, causing a near paralysis in maritime traffic. About 20 vessels have been attacked since the start of the war.

“Iran has effectively proven that it dictates the terms of passage through the strait. They have now shown they are the gatekeeper of this important chokepoint. This will elevate the status of Iran in the geography of the Gulf,” said Andreas Krieg, an associate professor in Security Studies at King’s College London and a fellow at King’s Institute of Middle Eastern Studies. This will be the new reality for the foreseeable future, he added.

Meanwhile, crude prices have risen above $100 a barrel, more than 20 percent higher than pre-war prices, forcing countries to make the biggest releases of emergency reserves in history. Gas prices have risen by more than 40 percent since the war began.

Trump initially floated the idea of ordering the US Navy to escort vessels through the waterway. He then appealed to some countries to send warships and warned NATO members they would face “a very bad” future if these allies failed to help in opening the strait. But the appeal was either turned down or received noncommittal responses. Japan said it had no plans to deploy naval vessels. Australia ruled out sending ships. The United Kingdom said it would not be drawn into the wider war. Germany sent a clear message: “This is not our war”.

Others decided to take action – but not of the kind that Trump asked for. On Saturday, two India-flagged gas tankers passed through the strait after days of negotiations between New Delhi and Tehran, including a phone call between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Ships from Pakistan, Turkiye and China also have transited through the Strait of Hormuz. The Financial Times has reported that Italy and France have also reached out to Iran for deals although Italian authorities have rejected making such an overture.

Meanwhile, Windward, a maritime intelligence tracking group, said that while traffic in the strait on Tuesday remained 97 percent below average, a growing number of ships have been passing through Iran’s territorial waters, suggesting that Tehran is allowing “permission-based transit”.

‘It is up to us to decide’

There is a precedent for US naval forces to escort convoys through the strait dating back to the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. But today’s scenario is different, experts said. Back then, the US, while it was backing Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, was not a direct party to the conflict. Iran was still in a post-revolutionary process of consolidating power, and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was nowhere near as organised as it is today.

Today, Iran has drones that its factories are capable of producing on a large scale and has been using them. Iranian forces could also use small boats to assault tankers, deploy mines and engage in other guerrilla-style tactics. While there are conflicting reports on whether Iran has placed mines in the strait, experts said it would be a counterproductive move for Tehran because it would disrupt the passage for any ships – Iranian vessels included – and it would take away from Tehran the power to choose who may pass.

Iranian officials are aware of their geographic advantage. “This is up to our military to decide,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday, referring to who will be allowed to use the strait.

Pro-government figures increasingly frame the Strait of Hormuz as a strategic bargaining tool beyond the war itself, suggesting the waterway could be used to extract compensation, sanctions relief or broader economic concessions after the war, Hamidreza Azizi, an expert on Iran and visiting fellow with the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, commented on X.

Recent attacks seem to suggest that Iran wants to increase its pressure on the energy market.

On Tuesday, a drone attack caused a fire at the port of Fujairah, the United Arab Emirates’s only crude export terminal. It is located outside the eastern entrance of the Strait of Hormuz, allowing its exports to circumvent it. The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen could also further squeeze oil prices by disrupting the Bab al-Mandeb strait. That would force the US to operate across multiple maritime theatres. So far, the Houthis have not carried out such attacks, but this month, they said they were ready to strike at any ‌moment.

Still, the US is focused on applying maximum pressure on Tehran and forcing it to open the Strait of Hormuz. The US Central Command, the US military’s combat command responsible for operations in the Middle East, said early on Wednesday that its forces had used 2,270kg (5,000lb) bunker-busting munitions against antiship missile sites along Iran’s coastline near the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump has also ordered amphibious ships carrying thousands of US Marines to move to the Middle East, and some experts believe the US might try to seize Kharg Island, a tiny piece of land in the northern Gulf where 90 percent of Iranian crude oil is exported from. The US has already bombed what it said were military sites on the island.

Such an operation, however, might do little to force Iran into opening the Strait of Hormuz, Krieg said. The island is 500km 310 miles) from the strait, and should the US take control of it, it would expose US Marines to Iranian fire. Should Iran see its key terminal being seized, it could also opt to mine the strait outright, having fewer reasons to allow some vessels to pass through.

“The issue with the Strait of Hormuz is really not a military one. … It’s a market issue, and confidence cannot be restored by the military. Confidence can be restored through diplomacy only,” Krieg said.

The actor portrays John Worboys – dubbed the “black cab rapist” – in the upcoming series

Daniel Mays has admitted he was “absolutely terrified” when he read the script of his new ITV drama Believe Me.

The actor plays convicted offender John Worboys – who was dubbed the ‘black cab rapist’ after preying on women under the cover of being a licensed taxi-cab driver.

He was convicted in 2009 for crimes including sexual assault and drugging with intent against 12 women.

“I actually underestimated how much it was going to affect me,” Daniel said as a first look image of him as Worboys was released.

“I’ve been a professional actor for 26 years, so I’ve done a lot of true crime and played a lot of wrong ‘uns. When I got these scripts, it absolutely terrified me, because I’m a father myself.

“My head immediately went to my 13-year-old daughter Dixie. She’s venturing out, going on trains, and before long, no doubt she’ll be in the back of a taxi. So as a father, I found it an incredibly disturbing and terrifying read.”

He continued: “It was a difficult thing to have rolling around in my head before filming.

“It was a very isolating character to play, by its very nature. When I was announced to play him, I got this tirade from family and friends and work colleagues who can’t quite believe it, going, ‘Why would you want to play something like that?’ So, the challenge was to humanise him, really, and that was a very difficult and unsettling thing to take on.”

The four-part series, filmed in Cardiff, focuses on the ordeal of Sarah (played by Peaky Blinders’ Aimée-Ffion Edwards) and Laila (played by Raised By Wolves’ Aasiya Shah), who reported sexual assaults by Worboys, and how their allegations were not thoroughly investigated.

ITV said it “tells the story of how the victims of one of the most prolific sex attackers in British history were failed by the system”.

Danny, known for Des and A Thousand Blows, said there’s “always a huge responsibility” playing a real person on screen, but that this was “a whole other level”.

He explained: “This is told from the perspective of the victims, and for them to tell their truth, have their stories told – the ordeals that they went through and the fight they took on against the Metropolitan Police and the court systems.

“So, when you’re dealing with that, the onus was on me to get it absolutely 110% right. That was paramount to me.”

Believe Me is coming soon to ITV1

If you or somebody you know has been affected by this story, contact Victim Support for free, confidential advice on 08 08 16 89 111 or visit their website, http://www.victimsupport.org.uk.

WHEN it comes to travelling to Greece there are loads of islands to choose from – but now the cheapest spots have been revealed, and you might be surprised.

Greece is a much-loved holiday destination for Brits, and now the islands where you could save over £1,000 have been revealed.

According to new data by TravelSupermarket, Kefalonia – the largest Ionian island – is the cheapest Greek destination.

Looking at average prices for a seven-night holiday between September 16, 2025 and March 15 2026, TravelSupermarket found that Kefalonia cost an average of £596 per person.

Caroline McGuire, Head of Travel (Digital), who has visited the island, said: “Looking out at Myrtos Beach, which is regularly named one of Greece’s top five, it felt like we were being let in on a great secret.

“The bright white shoreline and astonishingly clear aquamarine waters shone back at us, almost completely empty.

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“It was so peaceful, in fact, that a digital nomad had set up his van office in the parking lot overlooking the sea.”

In second place is Lefkada, costing around £606 per person.

Instead of heading to Corfu, Lefkada (which is just along the coast) offers fewer crowds.

Also, in comparison to a seven-night break in Corfu, you could save £216 per person, or £864 if travelling as a family of four.

The island of Lefkada is often dubbed the ‘Caribbean of Greece’ thanks to its exotic, Caribbean-like natural landscape.

Across the island, you will find sprawling beaches including Porto Katsiki.

And in the island’s main town, there are lots of alleys to explore, and a long promenade with restaurants and bars littered along it.

In the town, look at the buildings too, as many are in a Venetian architectural style.

Surprisingly, Santorini ranked third most affordable, costing around £637 per person.

The stunning island is one of the most popular destinations in Europe attracting honeymooners and A-listers such as Angelina Jolie and Beyonce.

And as a result, many think visiting the island comes with a premium price tag.

But a trip to the white-and-blue island doesn’t need to break the bank.

Hotels can cost from just £35 a night and the island has a good bus network, which costs less than £2 a ticket.

For less busy spots, check out Megalochori, Pygros or Emborio – they all feature cobbled roads, cosy tavernas and authentic Greek food.

Mykonos followed in fourth, costing around £670 per person.

Mykonos is often thought to be one of Greece‘s most glamorous and expensive places to visit.

But it is actually cheaper than heading to Crete.

If you swapped Crete for Mykonos, you could save around £98 per person.

Often associated with parties, Mykonos is a great destination to head to if you enjoy nightlife.

Beaches including Paradise and Super Paradise have bars with live music and a number of clubs attract world-renowned DJs.

But Mykonos doesn’t just have great nightlife; make sure to check out the row of 16th-century windmills on the hill above the town.

Rhodes then rounded out the top five, costing around £689 per person.

Instead of heading to Kos, head to Rhodes.

Both destinations are Dodecanese staples, with lots of sunny weather and stunning beaches.

Yet, if you head to Rhodes over Kos you could save a massive £254 per person – or £1,016 for a family of four.

The island is well-known for its 3,000-year-old history with the UNESCO-listed medieval Old Town as well as amazing beaches including Lindos Beach and Faliraki Beach.

Chris Webber, Head of Holidays and Deals at TravelSupermarket, said: “Greek islands are not all created equal when it comes to price — but the expensive ones might not be the islands you’d expect.

“Mykonos costs less to book than Crete. Rhodes is hundreds of pounds cheaper than Kos.

“If you’re prepared to swap one island for another, the savings can be huge.”

For more ideas on where to travel in Greece, there is one smaller island that has 70 beaches.

Plus, one Greece expert shares four better value islands where locals go on holiday.

A MAJOR airline in Europe has cancelled 1,000 flights next month due to soaring fuel costs caused by the Iran crisis.

Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) is the second airline to do so, following Air New Zealand.

While the majority will be shorter domestic routes, some other longer routes could also be affected.

The main flights affected are across Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

In a statement, the airline said: “Given the ongoing situation in the Middle East, including the sharp and sudden increase in global fuel prices, we are taking measures to strengthen our resilience.”

“One such measure is a limited number of short-term flight cancellations.”

GROUNDED

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GROUNDED

British Airways cancels all flights to Dubai until June amid ongoing Iran conflict

SAS CEO ​Anko van ⁠der Werff told local media: “The price of jet fuel has doubled in ten days. ‌

“Even ⁠if we try to absorb cost hikes as far as we can this is a shock that strikes directly at the aviation industry.”

He confirmed hundreds of flights have already been cancelled this month, although urged that it was a fraction of their usual 800 flights a day.

He added: “We are cancelling a few hundred flights in March, but trying to protect our traffic as much as possible.”

More are expected to be affected after the Easter holidays.

The airline has also confirmed that they have increased flight prices, one of the first to do so in response to the conflict and alongside Qantas and Cathay Pacific.

SAS is the first major airline in Europe to axe flights because of of the cost of fuel going up.

This has been caused by the Iran conflict, with fears of it continuing due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a major shipping route.

Earlier this month, Air New Zealand also confirmed they would be cancelling flights due to fuel costs.

The airline’s chief executive of Nikhil Ravishankar said the five per cent reduction in flights would last until May.

This works out to around 44,000 passengers, with the majority of services affected being short haul and domestic.

Most UK airlines are not currently affected due to a process called ‘hedging’ where they pay a set price for oil.

IAG – who owns British Airways – confirmed that 80 per cent of fuel was hedged for month.

Ryanair echoed this, saying that 84 per cent was hedged for the current quarter.

However, they could still be affected if the Iran conflict continues.

Before the conflict, prices were around $90 (£67) per barrel. This has now increased to as much as $200 (£149) per barrel.

We’ve explained what the Iran crisis means for your holiday.

And here are the European destinations booming in demand due to the ongoing conflict.

Four of the five members of the Board of Fire Commissioners, which oversees the Los Angeles Fire Department, are stepping down at a time when the department is under intense scrutiny because of its missteps in handling the devastating Palisades fire.

The departures, which include board President Genethia Hudley Hayes, come after the agency’s top watchdog, Independent Assessor Tyler Izen, retired this month.

The fire commissioners are appointed by the mayor and are supposed to provide civilian oversight for the Fire Department. But during critical discussions about the Palisades fire, the commissioners have largely been quiet.

Addressing the LAFD’s failure to fully extinguish the Lachman fire, which later reignited into the Palisades fire, Chief Jaime Moore conceded at a January board meeting that mop-up procedures needed to be strengthened. Moore also admitted that the LAFD’s after-action report on the Palisades fire was softened to shield top brass from scrutiny.

The commissioners did not ask any questions about Moore’s remarks and only praised him.

In an interview at the time, Hudley Hayes said she did not know who ordered the changes to the after-action report — and despite her oversight role, was “not particularly” interested in finding out.

“Our job is to take the report that we have in front of us. Our job is to make sure those recommendations that came to us from a public report are taken care of,” said Hudley Hayes, a former school board member who said she was first appointed to the commission by then-Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, served eight years and then was appointed again by Mayor Karen Bass.

On Monday, Corinne Tapia Babcock, one of the four commissioners stepping down, said that by the time items come to the board, they often have already been negotiated by the fire chief, the mayor and the City Council.

“It’s more of an approval, ceremonial role,” she said.

After Babcock said she wasn’t planning to stay on past the end of her term in June, Bass’ office asked her to serve instead on the Board of Fire and Police Pension Commissioners, and she accepted.

On her way out, Babcock said she suggested that the fire commission be expanded to seven seats, instead of five, to include an active and a retired LAFD member.

“I think there could be more opportunity for the commission to have more of a say if there was some lived experience,” said Babcock, whose father is a retired fire chief.

Jimmie Woods-Gray, whose term was set to expire in 2028, is also stepping down. She said family commitments have left her with less time to devote to the board.

She said she is leaving with some frustrations about the management of the LAFD, including its reluctance to refer allegations of wrongdoing by its members to an independent investigation rather than an internal inquiry.

“One of the problems I’ve always had with the Fire Department is that they always investigate themselves,” she added.

Hudley Hayes, whose four-year term would have expired in June 2027, said the tumult within the LAFD had no bearing on her exit, which she had been planning since before the Palisades fire. After the fire, Bass and an aide asked her to stay on, Hudley Hayes said.

“For me, it’s time,” she told The Times on Tuesday, adding that her last day would be March 30. “At 81, it’s time for me to take care of Genethia.”

The one remaining commissioner is Elizabeth Garfield, a retired lawyer who represented the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, the labor union for LAFD firefighters, in negotiating three collective bargaining agreements. She was appointed in September.

Bass has named four new commissioners to replace the departing ones: John Pérez, a former speaker of the California Assembly who will step down from the Board of Harbor Commissioners to join the fire commission; Jerry P. Abraham, a physician who is the director of public health, integration and street medicine at Kedren Health; Jose Campos Cornejo, a manager at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California; and Yolanda Regalado, a former Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy whose three brothers were firefighters and who now owns a cafe in San Pedro.

Yusef Robb, a Bass spokesperson, said in a statement that the mayor “is confident that her reform agenda for the Fire Department will not only continue, but will accelerate under the fresh perspective and leadership of her new appointees.”

LAFD spokesperson Stephanie Bishop said the agency “welcomes the new members of the Fire Commission and looks forward to working alongside them.”

Sharon Delugach, who was vice president of the fire commission and whose term was set to expire in 2029, bid farewell at a meeting this month.

“I still intend to help and fight and advocate,” she said. “I’m only leaving because I don’t feel like I’ve got the time at this point to be the kind of commissioner I want to be. I don’t want to just come to meetings.”

Delugach did not return a call Tuesday for comment.

Izen retired this month as the LAFD’s independent assessor, who reports to the commission and conducts audits of operations and the department’s handling of complaints. He could not be reached for comment.

Pringle is a former Times staff writer.

THE UK is heating up today, with highs of 20C making it hotter than places in Athens and Ibiza.

So if you fancy a last minute trip to the beach, we’ve rounded up 11 of the best which you can get to by train from a UK city in less than 60 minutes.

Weston-super-Mare – 19 minutes from Bristol

One of the closest beaches to Bristol, Weston-super-Mare can often get a bad rap as a seaside town.

But the huge new £20million Weston Placemaking Strategy will regenerate the town as part of a 10-year plan, which includes a new waterpark and reopened pier.

We spoke to a couple who have been going there for 55 years – here’s what they love about it.

Great Yarmouth – 25 minutes from Norwich

Great Yarmouth is also getting a huge revamp, with a £40million upgrade including North Quay and the Victorian Winter Gardens.

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A traditional beach, it is even home to Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach, which was named one of the UK’s best theme parks.

Here are some of Sun Readers top tips on what to do in Great Yarmouth.

Southend-on-Sea – 53 minutes from London

Nicknamed the British Miami, Essex’s Southend-on-Sea is one of the coolest seasides on the list.

You might spot a celeb at the Roslin Beach Hotel which has welcomed everyone from Gary Barlow and Tyson Fury to Denise van Outen and TOWIE stars.

We’ve rounded up some other things to do there, including the free-to-visit theme park.

Exmouth – 20 minutes from Exeter

Devon‘s oldest seaside resort, Exmouth has it all from playgrounds and chippies to cheap Haven holiday parks.

It’s also on the new 2,700 coastal path which is the longest of its kind in the world – if you fancy a bit of a hike.

The Sun’s travel reporter Cyann Fielding explains why she loved visiting the beach as a child.

Cromer – 45 minutes from Norwich

Did you know that Britain has its own Great Barrier Reef – and it is less than an hour by train from Norwich?

Cromer is not only one of the warmest beaches in the UK (outside of summer) but it is also famous for its delicious Cromer crab.

Sun travel reporter Alice Penwill explains why she loves going to Cromer.

Brighton – 58 minutes from London

One of the UK’s most popular beaches, Brighton just squeezes under the one-hour-train mark.

A recent study even found that it has the most pubs per person so you can grab a pint to take to the beach.

Our Assistant Travel Editor Sophie Swietochowski reveals how to do a weekend in the famous seaside town from the best shops to beautiful hotels.

Hunstanton – 50 minutes from Cambridge

Named one of the best seaside spots in the UK by Time Out, Hunstanton is your traditional seaside resort.

It lays claim to having the best sunset views, being the only spot on the East coast that faces West.

Sun travel reporter Jenna Stevens explains why you should visit other parts of the nearby county too.

North Berwick – 30 minutes from Edinburgh

North Berwick has two main sandy beaches, Milsey Bay and West Beach, so really its two trips in one.

According to the Scottish Tourist Board, it is still a “hidden gem” and “largely unspoilt”.

We’ve rounded up some other things to know about the tiny resort.

Folkestone – 55 minutes from London

The Kent town of Folkestone is getting a lot of hype at the moment – from the new ‘UK’s biggest beach sauna’ to the reopening on the seaside funicular this summer after years of closure.

Less than an hour from London, it was even named one of the best places to live in the UK.

Deputy Travel Editor Kara Godfrey has revealed everything to look forward to in the town this year.

Crosby Beach – 25 minutes from Liverpool

One of the best places to spot the Northern Lights is, unusually, Crosby Beach near Liverpool.

It’s other claim to fame is being home to an Antony Gormley “Another Place” art installation, of which there are 100 cast-iron figures across the coastline.

Here are some other things to do in the nearby area.

Barry Island – 33 minutes from Cardiff

If you’re a Gavin and Stacy fan, you’ll know Barry Island and its just half an hour by train from the nearest city of Cardiff.

It has everything from Barry Island Pleasure Park, as well as a huge stretch of beach with all you need from chippies to arcades.

We spoke to the locals who gave us their top tips on what to visit in Barry Island.

HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL, SOFTBALL SCORES
Tuesday’s Results

BASEBALL

CITY SECTION
Collins Family 10, Smidt Tech 6

SOUTHERN SECTION
AAE 12, ACE 2
Agoura 13, Trinity Classical Academy 1
Alemany 6, Harvard-Westlake 5
Alhambra 16, Schurr 0
Ambassador 5, Shalhevet 4
Anaheim 9, Bolsa Grande 7
Arcadia 18, Hoover 2
Anza Hamilton 13, California Lutheran 3
Banning 12, Rim of the World 7
Beverly Hills 12, Inglewood 6
Bishop Amat 13, St. Paul 3
Bloomington 10, Colton 4
Bonita 9, Charter Oak 6
Brea Olinda 2, El Modena 1
Brentwood 8, Campbell Hall 2
Buckley 12, Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 1
Buena 10, Oxnard 8
Cantwell-Sacred Heart 12, St. Monica 2
Capistrano Valley Christian 19, Webb 1
Chadwick 5, Flintridge Prep 4
Chino 14, Chaffey 1
CIMSA 9, Lucerne Valley 7
Crescenta Valley 12, Pasadena 0
Crossroads 6, Viewpoint 4
Culver City 16, Leuzinger 3
Cypress 5, Villa Park 3
Dana Hills 6, Linfield Christian 4
Desert Christian Academy 19, California Military Institute 3
Desert Hot Springs 8, Desert Mirage 2
Diamond Bar 11, Hacienda Heights Wilson 1
Don Lugo 11, Montclair 3
Downey 6, Warren 3
Edgewood 15, El Monte 0
Environmental Charter 16, Animo Leadership 9
Estancia 2, Loara 0
Firebaugh 19, Dominguez 9
Fontana 10, Big Bear 0
Ganesha 1, Mission Viejo 0
Grand Terrace 5, Rialto 0
Heritage Christian 5, Village Christian 3
Huntington Beach 6, Marina 1
Irvine University 7, Irvine 4
Kaiser 12, Eisenhower 2
Katella 12, Buena Park 4
Laguna Hills 8, Ocean View 6
La Mirada 4, Etiwanda 2
Lawndale 2, Compton Centennial 0
Los Alamitos 5, Edison 3
Los Amigos 15, Garden Grove Santiago 1
Magnolia 5, Western 4
Maranatha 10, Whittier Christian 0
Mark Keppel 5, Bell Gardens 3
Mary Star of the Sea 9, Salesian 7
Montebello 14, San Gabriel 0
Murrieta Valley 4, El Toro 2
New Roads 10, de Toledo 0
Newport Harbor 5, Corona del Mar 1
Norwalk 9, Lynwood 3
Nuview Bridge 12, San Jacinto Leadership Academy 2
Ontario 3, Diamond Ranch 2
Orange 17, Rancho Alamitos 1
Orange County Pacifica Christian 14, Western Christian 8
Oxnard Pacifica 10, Dos Pueblos 2
Paraclete 8, Cathedral 3
Redlands 10, San Gorgonio 1
Rio Hondo Prep 4, Pasadena Poly 2
Rio Mesa 4, Santa Barbara 1
Riverside Notre Dame 13, Hesperia Christian 2
Rosemead 22, Southlands Christian 1
Rowland 11, Pasadena Marshall 9
San Marcos 7, Ventura 3
San Jacinto Valley Academy 12, Santa Rosa Academy 7
Santa Ana 13, Godinez Fundamental 0
Santa Ana Foothill 11, Citrus Valley 0
Santa Clarita Christian 8, Desert Christian 6
Savanna 7, Westminster La Quinta 0
Servite 6, Aliso Niguel 2
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 13, Chaminade 2
Sierra Canyon 3, Crespi 1
SLOCA 13, Coast Union 2
St. Anthony 7, Bosco Tech 1
St. Bonaventure 17, Grace 0
St. Francis 6, Loyola 2
St. John Bosco 6, JSerra 0
St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 18, St. Genevieve 4
Summit 22, Jurupa Hills 4
Tahquitz 4, Elsinore 0
Temescal Canyon 7, Murrieta Mesa 5
Temecula Prep 13, SJDLCS 3
United Christian Academy 26, Sherman Indian 4
Upland 3, Glendora 0
Villanova Prep 1, Ojai Valley 0
Westminster 7, Placentia Valencia 5
West Valley 9, San Jacinto 8
Woodbridge 5, Northwood 0

INTERSECTIONAL
Bellflower 6, Legend 1
Gahr 5, T.C. Roberson (NC) 2
La Habra 7, Henderson (NV) Liberty 1
Redondo Union 2, Valor Christian (CO) 0
Redondo Union 10, Las Vegas (NV) Desert Oasis 1
Stoneman Douglas (FL) 7, Santa Margarita 6

SOFTBALL

CITY SECTION
Central City Value 15, CNDLC 0

SOUTHERN SECTION
Agoura 9, Rio Mesa 0
Alhambra 18, Westridge 0
Alta Loma 5, Rancho Cucamonga 4
Anza Hamilton 2, Temecula Prep 1
Arcadia 12, San Dimas 7
Beaumont 14, Apple Valley 3
Big Bear 13, ACE 3
Bishop Amat 14, Bishop Montgomery 1
Brea Olinda 7, El Dorado 6
Brentwood 16, Crossroads 4
Cajon 14, Sultana 3
California 4, La Serna 3
Calvary Baptist 7, Bethel Christian 0
Cantwell-Sacred Heart 11, St. Anthony 1
Carter 11, Kaiser 8
Chino 18, Chaffey 8
CIMSA 21, Lucerne Valley 1
Colony 6, Jurupa Hills 4
CSDR 1, NSLA 0
Dana Hills 5, Tesoro 3
Desert Chapel 20, Public Safety Academy 17
Desert Christian Academy 15, California Military Institute 11
Desert Hot Springs 19, Desert Mirage 3
Don Lugo 23, Montclair 1
Dos Pueblos 23, Oxnard Pacifica 1
Downey 21, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 6
Eastside 11, Antelope Valley 1
Edison d. Newport Harbor, forfeit
Eisenhower 16, San Gorgonio 3
El Modena 13, Anaheim Canyon 5
El Segundo 9, North Torrance 3
El Toro 12, Irvine 0
Fillmore 16, Nordhoff 0
Firebaugh 18, Compton Early College 3
Flintridge Prep 19, Mountain View 4
Flintridge Sacred Heart 4, Muir 2
Ganesha 11, Corona Centennial 5
Garden Grove Pacifica 6, Eastvale Roosevelt 5
Glendora 13, Claremont 5
Grace 14, Foothill Tech 0
Grand Terrace 10, Summit 0
Great Oak 4, Chaparral 0
Harvard-Westlake 11, Louisville 7
Highland 14, Littlerock 3
HMSA 21, Animo Leadership 1
Hesperia 7, Adelanto 6
Hueneme 13, Channel Islands 10
Huntington Beach 14, Corona del Mar 0
Immaculate Heart 17, Webb 4
Indio 14, Tahquitz 2
JSerra 8, Aliso Niguel 2
La Canada 5, San Marino 2
La Salle 11, Ramona Convent 1
Lawndale 28, Compton Centennial 9
Leuzinger 6, Culver City 5
Maranatha 21, Pasadena 0
Marymount 18, Lennox Academy 9
Mayfield 10, Montebello 8
Monrovia 13, South Pasadena 2
Murrieta Mesa 12, Temecula Valley 0
Nuview Bridge 22, San Jacinto Leadership 3
Oak Park 24, Calabasas 2
Ontario 7, Diamond Ranch 0
Oxnard 8, Buena 1
Paraclete 6, St. Paul 0
Placentia Valencia 5, Buena Park 2
Quartz Hill 11, Lancaster 0
Rialto 12, Arroyo Valley 10
Ridgecrest Burroughs 9, Barstow 1
Riverside North 13, Linfield Christian 3
Rosary Academy 25, Bishop Conaty-Loretto 1
Rowland 13, El Monte 6
Royal 11, Newbury Park 4
San Juan Hills 12, Garden Grove 4
Santa Monica 13, Hawthorne 0
San Marcos 1, Ventura 0
Santa Rosa Academy 18, San Jacinto Valley Academy 3
Saugus 13, Canyon Country Canyon 2
South Torrance 7, Wiseburn-Da Vinci 4
St. Bonaventure 18, Bishop Diego 0
St. Monica 15, Mary Star of the Sea 14
Twentynine Palms 13, Moreno Valley 6
United Christian Academy 18, Sherman Indian 3
Valencia 4, Hart 3
Viewpoint 10, Archer 0
Warren 15, Norwalk 3
Western Christian 6, Ontario Christian 5
Westlake 12, Moorpark 6
West Ranch 13, Castaic 5
West Valley 16, Bloomington 15
Whittier 16, El Rancho 11
Woodcrest Christian 15, Perris 1
Yorba Linda 19, Beckman 10

INTERSECTIONAL
Bonsai 20, Victor Christian Academy 7

Morocco were awarded the 2025 AFCON title following an appeal to CAF regarding Senegal’s walk-off protest in final.

Senegal ‌have condemned the decision to strip them of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title, labelling ⁠it “unfair, unprecedented, and unacceptable”, ⁠and saying it casts a shadow over African football.

“The Senegalese Football Federation denounces this unfair, unprecedented, and unacceptable decision, which casts a shadow over African football,” it said ⁠in a statement on Wednesday.

“To defend its rights and the interests of ⁠Senegalese football, the federation will initiate an appeal as soon as possible before the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne,” it said.

Morocco were declared African champions on Tuesday after the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF’s) Appeals Board upheld their protest and ⁠found Senegal’s walk-off protest during the final on January 18 were grounds for them to be disqualified and the match result declared 3-0 in favour of the hosts.

Senegal won the final 1-0 in Rabat ⁠with an extra-time goal, but not before staging a 14-minute walk-off after a penalty was awarded against them in stoppage time at the end of the regulation 90 minutes.

The protest was instigated by coach Papa Bouna Thiaw, subsequently handed a lengthy ban, and saw Senegal’s veteran striker Sadio Mane emerge as a hero ‌as he attempted to get his teammates back onto the field.

Once Senegal returned to the pitch, the referee allowed play to continue with Morocco squandering the last-gasp penalty, and the encounter then went to extra time, with midfielder Pape Gueye netting the 94th-minute winner.

However, the Appeals Board said that by walking off, Senegal contravened tournament regulations and forfeited the game.

The Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) had to intervene in 2019 when Moroccan club Wydad Casablanca walked off in the second leg of ⁠the African Champions League final, also protesting against VAR.

In that case, they refused to play on, and the referee declared opponents Esperance winners, ⁠but CAF’s executive committee then surprisingly ordered a replay. Esperance took ⁠the matter to CAS and were declared champions, with CAF embarrassingly rebuked for attempting to override the referee’s decision.

The decision by Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala to continue with the AFCON final in January, rather than stop it and declare Morocco ‌winners after Senegal’s walk-off, will likely feature strongly in any arguments for a reinstatement of Senegal as champions.

The Laws of the Game state the referee’s decision is final.

“No one could have imagined such ‌a ‌statement two months after the final,” said veteran coach Claude Le Roy, who managed Senegal between 1988 and 1992.

“For years, all the refereeing decisions have been flouted by the CAF,” he said on French television.

A left-footed winger cutting in from the right flank? It just feels natural at Bayern Munich.

It was an Arjen Robben trademark – now it’s Michael Olise’s.

Bayern go into the second leg of their last-16 tie with Atalanta in the Champions League on Wednesday holding a 6-1 advantage.

That’s thanks to a dazzling performance from the 24-year-old in the first leg, when he scored twice and laid on an assist.

The display was in keeping with Olise’s remarkable form since he joined from Crystal Palace in the summer of 2024 – no one in Europe’s top five leagues has more than his 23 assists in all competitions this season, no winger can top his 38 goal involvements.

It’s no wonder he’s now being talked about as one of the best players on the planet.

“It’s nice to hear but there’s half of the season still to play, so I’m focused on the team and on team titles now,” said the typically relaxed Frenchman on a potential Ballon d’Or after his masterclass in Bergamo.

He may have a laid-back attitude and a languid playing style, but behind the calm exterior there is a steely determination.

“I don’t want to compare the players because they’re not the same but [he has] the mentality of [former Manchester City player] Kevin de Bruyne when I played with him,” said Bayern boss Vincent Kompany after the Atalanta game.

“I was lucky to watch him come through as a young player and become a superstar. I saw the whole process and it is that obsession with detail that Michael has.”

IN A new twist in the Beckham family feud, it has been revealed how Brooklyn “lay by an LA pool just metres from dad David’s hotel room”, as they avoided seeing each other in the US.

The Sun were first to reveal how the estranged father and son were staying near to each other in America earlier this week.

We revealed on Monday, how David, 51, was in LA to shoot a commercial, after spending time with middle son Romeo, 23, skiing in Canada.

On Sunday night he checked into the Beverly Hills Hotel, which wasn’t far from where son Brooklyn, 27, and his wife Nicola, 31, were spotted at Sir Elton John’s Aids Foundation Oscars viewing party.

But in a new twist that has just emerged, it has been revealed that both David and Brooklyn were “just metres from each other” on two occasions at the five-star hotel.

It came when Brooklyn was spotted at his dad’s five-star hotel on Monday morning for breakfast after Elton’s Oscars party, according to the Daily Mail.

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David, had reportedly only just left the hotel to film five miles away in Santa Monica to record an advertisement for Lays crisps.

Insiders then said, Brooklyn stayed at the hotel all day to enjoy a “chill day by the pool“, and was seen sunbathing at around 3pm. close to where his dad’s room was.

Just three hours later David arrived for dinner at the hotel’s famous Polo Lounge restaurant at 6pm.

This means there were two occasion where the estranged father and son could have seen each other.

A source told the Mail: “David was totally in the dark about where Brooklyn was and had no idea that he had just missed him, not just once, but twice.

“Brooklyn was with Elton when David arrived to check in on Sunday night, didn’t get there before David left on Monday morning and then had gone before he arrived back.

“There is absolutely no contact between Brooklyn and his parents and there hasn’t been for some time, it is desperately sad but that is how Brooklyn has chosen to live his life with Nicola.

“Brooklyn also probably had no idea that his father was staying in a room just yards away from where they were having their breakfast.”

The insider added: “David looked like he was having a great time when he was at dinner, you wonder if that would have been different if he had known he had missed his son.”

Meanwhile, a source told The Sun earlier this week: “David was in Los Angeles for a new ad campaign, but given Brooklyn’s decision to cut off his family, there was no meeting between them.

“David had just come back from a skiing trip with Romeo and friends in Canada when he flew to Los Angeles for work.

“Brooklyn would have just been miles away from him in the house he shares with Nicola.”

The Sun first revealed last year how Brooklyn had cut off his family.

In October, insiders confirmed that the eldest Beckham boy had no interest in making amends with his family.

By January, he was communicating with them through lawyers.

Days later, Brooklyn released a bombshell statement confirming the story.

He went on to make allegations against his family, including claiming fashion designer Victoria, 51, had “hijacked” his first dance with Nicola at their wedding in 2022.

As well as cutting off his famous parents, Brooklyn is no longer in contact with his brothers Romeo and Cruz, 21, and sister Harper, 14, after blocking them on social media.

The village has been crowned the world’s most beautiful by Forbes and receives 20,000 visitors on weekends – but overtourism has caused serious problems

A UK village crowned the most beautiful in the world has moved forward in the fight against overtourism, with a huge cash boost and a raft of new potential measures.

Bibury, nestled in the Gloucestershire Cotswolds, is an undeniably charming spot. It boasts honey-hued stone cottages, a gently winding river, and a historic, fairytale-like atmosphere. Its allure led Forbes to name it the world’s most attractive village for 2025, approximately 150 years after poet William Morris declared Bibury “the most beautiful village in England.”

The cottages of Arlington Row are often hailed as the most photographed and breathtaking cottages in Britain. Built in 1380 as a monastic wool store, it was later converted into a row of weavers’ cottages in the 17th century.

It’s easy to see why Bibury garners such accolades, with accommodation options like the Swan Hotel and The Catherine Wheel pub both welcoming inside and festooned with climbing plants outside. The village’s charm has put Bibury firmly on the tourist trail. And now, some locals say, things are getting out of hand.

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Chairman of the local parking action group, Mark Honeyball, who has resided in Bibury for a decade, has had some rather unpleasant experiences with visitors. He revealed to the Express that he asked a coach driver to move on from some double yellow lines before drama unfolded.

He said last year: “I’ve been physically attacked four times now, but once really quite badly two weeks ago, I was kicked in the chest and stomach and kneed and punched in the face full force by a driver that I’d just asked simply to move on from double yellows at the top of the village.

“The coach drivers themselves are being pushed here by their coach companies, they don’t really want to be here, they find it really difficult to park. The tour operators are the key behind this, the coach operators are doing what the tour operators ask them to do, primarily with people from China, India, and South Korea at the moment.”

Up to 20,000 tourists flood into Bibury over weekends in the high season, with as many as 50 coaches arriving daily. That’s a staggering number for a village home to merely 600 residents.

This week, Gloucestershire County Council announced it was investing £175,000 in a project to combat ‘overtourism’ in Bibury, Punchline Gloucester reports.

Following the period of consultation, the county council is considering a series of measures to control the impact of tourism. They include:

• Permanent removal of coach parking bays and implementation of on-street parking restrictions.
• Additional enforcement of parking restrictions.
• Introducing pay-and-display parking.
• Restricting coach parking/waiting using enforcement officers to support traffic flow.
• Exploring if there are improvements that can be made to local bus services including options such as park and ride.

Restrictions on coaches entering the village were implemented in May last year. At that point, parking bays in the heart of the village were shut and new public bus stop clearways were established. The objective was to put a stop to “unsafe coach manoeuvres.” Following the summer trial period, Gloucestershire County Council decided to implement permanent restrictions on coaches entering the area.

Cllr Lisa Spivey, leader of the county council, said: “Hopefully we are getting somewhere. We did a trial last year which has been extended where we essentially removed the coach parking bays in the centre of the village and created drop off and pick up points for coaches, so we are now going to make that a more permanent solution.

“They have currently got some red and white plastic barriers which don’t look very nice in a historic village so we want to make that look nice. We are going to introduce pay and display parking so we can pay for more enforcement to make sure people aren’t parking where they shouldn’t be and causing an issue.

“We’ve been working alongside the coach operators and other stakeholders to really encourage the use of smaller vehicles to come into the village. There’s been a huge amount of engagement with the coach operators, Cotswold Tourism, the parish council, businesses, the police etc. Lots of people have been involved.”

Just like regular consumers at the gas station, airlines refueling in Los Angeles are being forced to adjust to higher prices at the pump.

Jet fuel prices have shot up, and experts say airfares are following suit.

With a busy summer travel season approaching, airlines are starting to pass the costs on to passengers through higher fares and fees.

“Whenever there’s a surge in oil prices, the airlines end up passing that to the consumers immediately,” said Diego Bufquin, director of hospitality management and entrepreneurship at Tulane University. “It doesn’t take a long time.”

Airlines have been struggling around the world since the U.S. and Israel began bombing Iran late last month. Flights have to take longer paths around war zones, and higher fuel costs eat into their already razor-thin profit margins.

Jet fuel prices account for about a third of airlines’ operating costs, so they “cannot afford to wait to upcharge their customers,” Bufquin said.

United Airlines Chief Executive Scott Kirby told CNBC that the spike in fuel prices will have a “meaningful” impact on the airline’s financial results.

Some airlines outside the U.S. have already added fuel surcharges to their ticket fees. Air India announced a phased increase in fuel surcharges on domestic and international routes last week. Hong Kong’s flag carrier Cathay Pacific announced it would charge extra on all fares to cover fuel costs starting Wednesday.

Airlines topping up at LAX and other regional airports are already being hit. Jet fuel prices in Los Angeles have jumped more than 40% since the conflict in the Middle East started.

Just like the price of gas for cars, jet fuel often costs considerably more in California than in other states.

California is largely detached from the rest of the fuel distribution system. With limited pipeline connectivity, it relies more on sea delivery from other states and countries. California also has higher taxes on jet fuel than many other states.

National average gas prices reached $3.71 per gallon on Tuesday, according to AAA. In California, the average Tuesday was $5.52 per gallon.

Still, spring and summer demand is likely to remain strong even if prices rise, said Alan Fyall, an associate dean of the University of Central Florida Rosen College of Hospitality Management.

“Fares are going up, but the demand is still there domestically,” Fyall said. “The only thing that really dampens demand is economic recession.”

Indeed, consumers have been booking earlier than usual to lock in lower prices for their summer travel, airlines said. Delta and American Airlines had some of their strongest-ever single-day sales in March.

“When prices did spike, we saw a spike in demand,” Alaska Airlines Inc. Chief Executive Ben Minicucci said this week, according to Bloomberg. “I think people got this initial, ‘Wow, if this thing is going to go crazy, I better book my fare now before fares go up.’”

Airlines and other industries will face tougher conditions if fuel prices remain high for a prolonged period, he added.

Airfares were already on the rise, according to the Consumer Price Index, which found that the airline fares index rose 1.4% in February compared to last year.

The impact will vary by airline, said Fyall. Many airlines hedge their fuel to negotiate a fixed price, and stock up on fuel while it’s less expensive.

“The airlines that manage their fuel-buying process very well, that hedge very well, tend to be able to offset the price charges quite well,” Fyall said.

Jet fuel prices are even more sensitive to economic forces than auto fuel prices, experts said.

It’s not yet clear if Californians will have to pay significantly higher airfares than their neighbors, but some in-state flight routes could become temporarily unavailable, according to Bufquin. As airlines look to save money, they could cut certain shorter, less profitable routes.

“Budget airlines like Spirit and flights from smaller California hubs like Burbank, San José and Fresno are at risk of being canceled,” Bufquin said.

Anxieties due to war. A culture inhospitable to LGBTQ+ communities. And an underpinning of loneliness and suppressed yearning.

The play “5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche” is set in 1956, but its themes resonate in 2026. The United States is at war. Attacks on gay marriage and other LGBTQ+ rights remain a cornerstone of today’s conservative movement. A reimagining of the 2011 production, one popular with universities and fringe festivals, seeks to further modernize the show in which a morning gathering quickly turns into a stay in a Cold War-era bomb shelter after near nuclear annihilation.

When I arrived at the back room of a Glendale church, I was given a new name. It was clear that “Todd” was not welcome here. “Joan” turned out to be a suitable replacement, and I was immediately asked how my life had been since my husband had died. For on this night I would no longer be occupying the role of a straight white male. Every audience member is asked to take on the persona of a widow, for losing a husband appeared to be a perquisite to enter this meeting of the Susan B. Anthony Society for the Sisters of Gertude Stein.

How did he die, I was asked. “Ski accident,” I blurted out. “Yours?” A camping travesty that led to a bear mauling, I was told. Ad-libbing, in addition to quiche, was on the menu tonight. Metaphors, absurdities and seriousness intermingle in this production from New Forms LA and directed by Marissa Pattullo.

Pattullo’s vision for “5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche” ramps up the interactivity, seeking to transform a largely traditional proscenium show, albeit one with a few moments of fourth-wall breaking, into one that is centered around audience participation. Staged in a flex space without a tinge of irony at the Glendale Church of the Brethren, “5 Lesbians,” written by Evan Linder and Andrew Hobgood, has been reconstructed as a largely immersive production, that is one that asks audiences to lean in and interact.

Jessica Damouni’s Ginny Cadbury devouring breakfast in “5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche,” a show that unfolds as a giant metaphor.

(New Forms LA)

While there is a small stage, it is used sparingly. The five-person cast roams the room, sitting at various circular tables to blur the lines between script and improvisation. Typically a svelte 75-minute show, on the night I saw the production it swelled to about two hours, allowing time for drinks, mingling and, of course, the eating of a quiche. Pattullo has added an intermission, with quiches courtesy of Kitchen Mouse and Just What I Kneaded included in the ticket.

For quiche, I was told often, was the primary topic of conversation at the Easter-timed meeting, so much so that it was clear within moments that this was a gathering not of breakfast enthusiasts but of the repressed. The hidden meaning is no secret; it’s in the title of the play.

“It’s a giant metaphor,” Pattullo, 30, says. The show, she adds, “keeps finding ways to make sense with the times, whether it’s Trump being elected, or we’re at war. Or gay marriage. All of those things. A bomb going off and being trapped inside. It speaks to whoever is watching it.”

Pattullo, who splits time building New Forms LA and serving tables at Los Feliz’s Little Dom’s, first discovered the show while in college in the Midwest. It immediately resonated, and Pattullo has been tinkering with ways to perform it live ever since. During the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, she staged an online version of the show, and debuted it as an immersive production last winter. It’s back for two weekends this month.

“5 Lesbians” makes a relatively smooth transition to the immersive format. Perhaps that’s because the audience, in the script, is cast as attendees of the Susan B. Anthony Society for the Sisters of Gertude Stein’s brunch meeting, whose motto is “no men, no meat, all manners.” For about the first 30 minutes of the show we largely interact with the actors. Dale Prist (Nicole Ohara) has hidden ambitions. Vern Schultz (Chandler Cummings) seems ready for the group to cut its charade. Lulie Stanwyck (Noelle Urbano) is fighting so hard to stay prim and proper that she feels on the verge of bursting.

“I really like to play,” Pattullo says, referencing how “5 Lesbians” lends itself to improvisation. “Some of the girls I think are very ‘stick to the script.’ I’m like, ‘Stray from the script.’ If people come in late, call them out. If people are talking, call them out. You can adjust and improvise in immersive theater. Having a script but being able to break from it, is really fun for me. It tickles me.”

Wren Robin (Emily Yetter), Vern Schultz (Chandler Cummings) and Lulie Stanwyck (Noelle Urbano) protect breakfast in “5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche.”

(New Forms LA)

There’s an underlying tension in the show because it walks a line between silliness and graveness. Ultimately, “5 Lesbians” is about finding joy in dark times, and moments inspire uncomfortable laughter, such as jokes about gay marriage being legal in four years’ time (1960) or Ginny Cadbury (Jessica Damouni) devouring a quiche in a way that leaves nothing to the imagination. But it’s also a show about how stressful moments can bring about vulnerability and community, as the whole church practically exhaled when Wren Robbin (Emily Yetter) finally let her hair down and expressed who she truly was.

“Even when we did it back when I was in college, Trump had just won, so it just feels like it’s keeping relevant,” Pattullo says. The timeliness, she says, makes it such an amusing play to perform.

Pattullo will sometimes, depending on cast availability, take on a role in the show. It’s a chance, she says, to amplify the play’s wackiness, which she believes helps puts audiences at ease and makes its difficult subject matter easier to digest. She tries to create the most outlandish tale possible for when relaying to guests one on one how her husband perished.

“My story was a raccoon attack,” she says. “Because my husband thought the raccoon was behaving with foreign intent, like the raccoon was a spy or something. It was just stupid.”

Or it was evidence of how immersive theater can delight when it deviates from the script.

Scattered orange California poppies, California Lilac with bright blue blooms, and hummingbird sage with dark rose-lilac-colored flowers spontaneously tell us what we already know: Spring has arrived.

Southern California, especially Los Angeles, has many breathtaking botanical gardens and wildflower-lined hiking trails. But it’s also exciting to visit private home gardens that are rarely open to the public and find inspiration even if you don’t have space for a garden at home.

This year’s spring garden tours include a visit to a historic Midcentury Modern home designed by Buff, Straub and Hensman, complete with a river running through the property as part of the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days Tour. You can also check out a native garden at a Long Beach elementary school that is usually closed to visitors, or see how a young couple used a $5,000 turf rebate from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to transform their Inglewood yard during the Theodore Payne Foundation’s two-day Native Plant Garden Tour.

Whether you love gardening or simply enjoy beautiful landscapes and meeting other plant lovers, these tours offer plenty of ideas you can use long after your visit. From native plants to rose gardens, here are this spring’s local garden tours.

Blooming California poppies remind us that spring is here.

(Stella Kalinina / For The Times)

March 29
The Poppy Day Garden Tour raises money for the South Coast chapter of the California Native Plant Society. Visit 10 native plant gardens across the South Bay that support wildlife and help save water. The tour runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets cost $15 in advance or $20 at the door, if available. Children and teens under age 18 get in free. For tickets and more information, visit cnps-south-coast.square.site.

The Creative Arts Group’s Art of the Garden Tour features self-guided visits to five gardens in Pasadena, Altadena and La Cañada Flintridge from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets cost $45 in advance or $50 on the day of the event. This tour is the nonprofit’s biggest fundraiser of the year, supporting arts programs, exhibitions and classes for children and adults. Please note that photography, pets and children under age 12 are not allowed on the tours. You can also stop by the Creative Arts Group Gallery at 108 N. Baldwin Ave. in Sierra Madre to buy tickets in person and see artwork from more than 25 local artists. For more information, visit creativeartsgroup.org.

(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

April 11-12
Theodore Payne Foundation’s Native Plant Garden Tour: Habitats That Heal is a showcase for 42 gardens across Los Angeles, each with at least half native plants. The self-guided tour runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both days. On April 11, you can visit 20 gardens in neighborhoods in Sherman Oaks, Van Nuys, North Hollywood, Shadow Hills, Tujunga, Montrose, Burbank, Glendale, Eagle Rock, Highland Park, South Pasadena, Pasadena and Altadena. On April 12, the tour covers gardens in Santa Monica, Venice, West L.A., Del Rey, Baldwin Hills, Mid-City, Inglewood, South L.A., Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Hollywood, Los Feliz, Glassell Park, Highland Park, Mt. Washington, El Sereno and Alhambra. Tickets cost $55, or $50 for members, and children under age 16 are free. If you buy a ticket, you’ll receive a guidebook in the mail, which also serves as your ticket. Starting March 26, tickets and maps are only available for purchase in person at the foundation office in Sun Valley from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The office is closed on Sunday and Monday. For more information, visit nativeplantgardentour.org.

California Native Plant Society’s San Diego Native Garden Tour is a showcase of 31 private gardens across the city, including the CNPS San Diego Native Plant Teaching Garden, Southwestern College Botanical Garden, Paradise Hills and Native West Nursery. Each garden in the self-guided tour uses at least 60% California native plants, demonstrating how these gardens protect local biodiversity. The tour is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are $45; children age 17 and under are free. Will call locations and instructions will be emailed after ticket purchase at eventbrite.com.

A “Welcome to California” sign is seen at Prisk Native Plant Garden in Long Beach.

(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)

April 12 and 19
The Prisk Native Plant Garden Open House is celebrating its 30th year with an annual tour of the garden, which is usually closed to the public. You can visit from 1 to 4 p.m. both days at William F. Prisk Elementary School, 2375 Fanwood Ave. in Long Beach. The garden is located behind the school at East Los Arcos Street and Albury Avenue. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. For more information, visit facebook.com/prisknativegarden.

April 19
The Garden Conservancy Pasadena Open Days Tour welcomes you to visit four private gardens at historic homes. You can see Buff, Straub and Hensman’s Midcentury Modern Norton House, the 1916 Spanish Revival-style home called Mi Sueño del Sur, a Southern California Arts and Crafts garden, and the rose gardens of a historic Pasadena estate from the 1900s. The tour runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets cost $10 per garden and are available online only. Children ages 12 and under can join the tour for free with an adult. For more information, visit gardenconservancy.org.

Desert gardens with native plants at the Mojave Land Trust in Joshua Tree.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

The Morongo Basin Conservation Assn. is hosting its 15th Annual Desert-Wise Landscape Tour. This self-guided event runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and features four private gardens in Pioneertown and Yucca Valley, along with three demonstration gardens in Joshua Tree. Tickets cost $25, or $20 for members. You can find tickets and more information on the MBCA website, mbconservation.org. On the day of the tour, registration will only be available at the Mojave Desert Land Trust in Joshua Tree.

April 25
Habitat Garden Tours at Caroline Park and Ryan Bonaminio Park, the Riverside-San Bernardino Chapter of the California Native Plant Society is offering free tours of two large native plant gardens within city parks in Redlands and Riverside. Morning tours of the 16-acre Caroline Park in Redlands, which is dedicated to California native plants, will be held at 9 a.m., 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. Park near the corner of Mariposa Drive and Poppy Road, then enter the park using the trail to the left of the Caroline Park sign. Meet at the kiosk upon arrival. Afternoon tours at Ryan Bonaminio Park in Riverside, which features restored native plants from local floodplains and upland areas that support pollinators, will be held at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Park on the west end of the parking lot to access the decomposed granite path leading to the 1.17-acre habitat garden. The tours are free, and you are welcome to join at any scheduled time. For more information, visit: chapters.cnps.org/riversidesanbernardino.

April 25-26
The Floral Park Home & Garden Tour in North Santa Ana invites you to explore historic homes and gardens from the 1920s to the 1950s from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both days. Along with the tours, you can enjoy the Street of Treasures Market, sample food from local restaurants and check out a car show. All proceeds help fund community scholarships and support nonprofit organizations. Tickets cost $45 if you buy them by April 20, or $50 at the door. For more details, visit floralparkhometour.com.

The Riverside Community Flower Show & Garden Tour: Garden Party features self-guided tours of six local gardens, with master gardeners on hand to answer your questions. Tours are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. You can also visit a free flower show at the Riverside Elks Lodge, 6166 Brockton Ave., from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the garden tour is $10, and children under 16 get in free. For more information, visit riversideflowershow.com.

Bungalow Heaven, a tree-lined neighborhood in Pasadena, is known for its substantial collection of Craftsman bungalows.

(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times)

April 26
The 35th Annual Bungalow Heaven Home Tour features self-guided walks through eight homes, with volunteer docents ready to share each home’s history and architecture. Although the focus is on architecture, many of the homes in the landmark district have lovely landscaped backyards that guests are welcome to visit and admire. McDonald Park will be lively all day with music, a silent auction of unique items, homemade cookies and local food trucks for lunch. It’s from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Advance tickets are $25 at bungalowheaven.org and available until April 25 at 8 p.m. Tickets on the day of the tour are $30 and can be bought at McDonald Park, 1000 E. Mountain St., starting at 9:40 a.m. Part of the proceeds will go to San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity to help those affected by the Eaton fire.

May 2
The Laguna Beach Garden Club’s 20th Gate & Garden Tour starts at the Bruce Scherer Waterwise and Fire-Safe Gardens, located at 306 3rd St. in Laguna Beach. Special buses will take ticket holders to visit several local gardens. You can buy Mexican food and artisanal margaritas and enjoy free homemade baked goods. Artists will be painting in some of the gardens, and if you wear a festive garden party hat, you’ll be entered in the club’s hat contest. Proceeds help fund school gardens, local scholarships and community projects. The tours run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please note that children are not allowed. Timed-entry tickets are $65.87 online, which includes entry between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., plus one food item and one drink. Find tickets at eventbrite.com.

A welcome sign at one of the garden’s in last year’s Mary Lou Heard Memorial Garden Tour.

(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times)

May 2-3
The Mary Lou Heard Memorial Garden Tour: Real Gardens by Real People features self-guided tours of 34 gardens spanning Long Beach to San Clemente from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. The tour is free, but donation jars will be set out at the gardens to support the Sheepfold, a crisis center for women and children that has long been the foundation’s annual tour beneficiary. For more information, visit heardsgardentour.com.

May 3
Inspired Garden Artistry invites you to the Blooms with a View Garden Tour, featuring 10 private home gardens in View Park, Windsor Hills, Ladera Heights and Baldwin Hills. The tour runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can also enjoy the free Garden & Community Resource Expo at Ladera Park’s south entrance, 4750 W. 62nd St. during the same hours. The expo offers artisans, landscape architects, nurseries, local community services, food trucks, giveaways, a plant swap and fun activities for families. Tickets are $30 online until April 15 and $35 from April 16 through May 3. Kids ages 12 and under enter free. To learn more, visit inspiredgardenartistry.com.

Join the 28th Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Assn. & Hospice Camarillo Garden Tour and explore four beautiful Camarillo gardens from noon to 4 p.m. Artists from the Pastel Society of the Gold Coast will be giving demonstrations in at least two of the gardens. Tickets are $30 online, and all proceeds support the association’s hospice program in Camarillo. For more information, visit lmvna.org/gardentour.

May 9
The West Floral Park and Jack Fisher Park neighborhoods are hosting the 19th annual Open Garden Day, featuring tours of two tree-lined areas with vintage homes in North Santa Ana. Enjoy live music, art displays, garden talks and demonstrations, a classic car display, and free bottled water at the gardens. In the morning, you can buy coffee and doughnuts, and vendors will offer food and garden products from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tours run from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with a shuttle service between the two tour loops to help reduce wait times. Tickets go on sale online starting March 20 for $20, or you can buy them for $25 on the day of the event at West Santa Clara and North Westwood avenues in Santa Ana. For more information, visit opengardenday.com.

In 2024, visitors explored the garden of Dennis Mudd, the creator of Calscape, during the San Diego Native Garden Tour hosted by the California Native Plant Society.

(Silke Gathmann)

May 14
The 29th Newport Harbor Home & Garden Tour, hosted by Barclay Butera Interior Design, invites guests to explore six locally designed homes and gardens near Newport Harbor High School from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The day begins with a morning reception at 9 a.m., followed by a luncheon from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and ends with a reception at Barclay Butera from 2 to 5 p.m. This event raises funds for the Newport Harbor Educational Foundation to help support academic programs and faculty at Newport Harbor High School. Tickets are available online for $125 until April 24 at newportharborhometour.com.

May 16
The San Clemente Garden Club’s 2026 Garden Tour offers self-guided tours and live entertainment at several local gardens from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can buy tickets online ahead of time for $40 each, or $35 each if you buy four or more. Tickets on the day of the event are $50. All proceeds help fund the club’s college scholarships, junior gardeners programs, local conservation groups and civic beautification projects in San Clemente. For more information, visit sanclementegardenclub.com.

A Matilija poppy grows in West Hills.

(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

May 17
The Rossmoor Woman’s Club is hosting its 22nd Garden Tour, offering self-guided visits to five or six private gardens in the Rossmoor-Los Alamitos area of Orange County, just north of Seal Beach. The tour runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will also be a marketplace with vendors and refreshments. Tickets cost $20 and will be available online in April or at the club’s outdoor marketplace at the Farmers & Merchants Bank, 12535 Seal Beach Blvd., on the day of the tour. All proceeds go to local charities and college scholarships for Los Alamitos High School students. For more information, visit rossmoorwomansclub.org.

“It’s actually so sad to see that the tournament directors and the tournaments not protecting us as players. They just care about their [sales], about their tournament and that’s it.

“I’m not sure if I ever want to go there after his comment. For me it’s too much.”

Sabalenka won the Indian Wells title on Sunday, her first tournament since losing the final of the Australian Open in January.

“Going into this season, we decided… to prioritise my health and make sure we have these little gaps in the schedule where I can reset, recharge, work and be better prepared for bigger tournaments,” said Sabalenka, who will attempt to defend her Miami Open title this week.

“I feel like the scheduling is going crazy and that’s why you see so many players injured, always taped and not delivering the best quality matches because it’s almost impossible.”

American two-time Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff said: “Iga and Aryna have played that tournament so many times and it wasn’t anything personal to it.

“It’s tough. We’re trying our best to play the calendar. I completely understand why she would feel like that because the comments were unnecessary.”

Players have regularly voiced concerns about the congested tennis calendar, which stretches across 11 months of the year for the top players.