Month: April 2026

The Sparks worked on building their 2026 roster long before the WNBA’s compressed free agency period tipped off.

Teams have had a little more than a week to prepare their training camp rosters between free agency, the league’s primary draft and an expansion draft. The Sparks have one of the more notable roster transformations in the league, adding Nneka Ogwumike, Erica Wheeler and Ariel Atkins.

On Sunday at the start of training camp in San Diego, Wheeler said Sparks returning guard Kelsey Plum sold her on the vision of the organization, and Ogwumike’s signing cemented it.

“KP played a big role in having me here,” she said, describing a lunch last season when Plum told Wheeler she wanted her to sign with the Sparks. “I think Nneka just was like the tip of the iceberg, like it was a no brainer. Once Nneka decides she wants to come here, because, as you know, president [of the WNBPA], life is always easier around her.

“We want to win the championship.”

Ogwumike’s return to Los Angeles was just one indicator that the Sparks are, as Wheeler put it, “going for gold.”

This year’s Sparks roster looks a lot more intentional than a couple of years ago. General manager Raegan Pebley said Atkins’ addition helps establish a deeper offense, while Rae Burrell playing at the three gives them more versatility.

There are still question marks. They don’t have a ton of ball-handling depth or much true-center play after Cameron Brink.

But Ogwumike has seen the changes internally and from afar, and she thinks the Sparks are ready to compete now.

“I didn’t actually want to leave, but I felt like I needed to, considering the growth that we wanted to see further in the organization, and I really wanted to come back,” she said. “… The timeline of a lot of things [in the offseason] accelerated, me narrowing down certain organizations, but L.A. was in the mix not because, not just because of the time that I’ve had here, but because of the amazing progress that I’ve seen in just the two years in my absence.”

Ogwumike said part of that was the investment in a practice facility, set to debut in 2027, and that the front office, led by Pebley, had a plan to build a winning team.

But the most important thing in bringing in the veteran trio was that the Sparks had a plan on the court, too.

“It’s really exciting when you can be in a place where everybody has the main thing being the main thing,” Atkins said. “And that’s not to say it wasn’t like that in the past, but it’s different when you have older players and vets around you that have done it before, because the way that they walk in, the way that they talk, there’s no uncertainty there, right? It’s like, this is how we need to get through, this is what we need to do, get it done so it really just be on us.”

Wheeler has only played in the WNBA postseason a handful of times between Indiana and Seattle and at 36 years old, she joined the Sparks led by coach Lynne Roberts with the intention of playing for a winner.

“I tell people all the time, I’m a businesswoman,” she said. “I have money. … So money don’t move me, [there] was a lot more money out there for me to go after. But I felt like Lynne is building a championship rock, and I want to be a part of that.”

Atkins was traded from Chicago for Rickea Jackson, a controversial move that shipped one of the best young players in the game away from the Sparks. On draft night, Pebley said the move helped them win games now and she reiterated that on Sunday.

“We were really aware of is that we were missing another counter punch with KP, she needed some support in terms of somebody that can take some pressure off of her, to have to score it, or to have to create for someone else to score it, that was a big reason of why Ariel, we feel, is a great fit,” she said. “And then Erica Wheeler is just a winner, and she’s going to bring some toughness and leadership there. So I think with those three at the one-two spot, we’re super excited about that.”

Atkins adds a defensive layer alongside Ogwumike for a team that was dead last in the WNBA in defensive points per game last season, and that’s one of those intentional, win-now kind of moves that has everyone in the organization excited.

The Sparks finished just two games out of a playoff spot last season. This year, expectations are far more than just finishing as a playoff team, and that messaging brought in one of the most cohesive rosters in the WNBA.

“I always say that the killer combination is investment and engagement, and so I’m seeing both at very high levels, and it permeates every aspect of the organization,” Ogwumike said. “Whether it’s basketball ops, front office, player experience, practice facility, it’s just something that I’ve always believed was our standard, and not only have we matched what our expectations were, but we’re now exceeding it in a timeline that I think is much faster than I ever expected.”

April 20 (UPI) — The American Library Association released its list of the “Top 11 Most Challenged Books List of 2025,” including titles by John Green and Sarah J. Maas.

The list, part of the 2026 State of America’s Libraries Report, is based on data from the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, which tracked 4,235 unique titles challenged across 2025. The number was the second-highest ever documented by the ALA, after 4,240 books were challenged in 2023.

The 2025 challenges included 713 attempts to censor library materials and services through access restrictions, including 487 books.

The most challenged book of 2025 was Sold by Patricia McCormick, followed by The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe, and Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas.

There was a tie for fifth place between Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo and Tricks by Ellen Hopkins.

The seventh book on the list was A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, followed by a four-way tie between A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, Identical by Ellen Hopkins, Looking for Alaska by John Green and Storm and Fury by Jennifer L. Armentrout.

The challenged titles of 2025 included 1,671 representing the lived experience of LGBTQ people and people of color — about 40% of the total challenges.

The report was released to coincide with National Library Week

“Libraries exist to make space for every story and every lived experience,” ALA President Sam Helmick said in a news release. “As we celebrate National Library Week, we reaffirm that libraries are places for knowledge, for access, and for all.”

The ALA said less than 3% of the challenges came from individual parents, with 92 percent of the challenges coming from government officials and political pressure groups.

“In 2025, book bans were not sparked by concerned parents, and they were not the result of local grassroots efforts,” said Sarah Lamdan, executive director of ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. “They were part of a well-funded, politically-driven campaign to suppress the stories and lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals and communities.”

A total 5,668 books were banned from American libraries in 2025, and 920 others were censored through access restrictions.

The global fallout of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz may create the impression that the world cannot function without fossil fuels. Nothing could be further from the truth. Every single industry can and must decarbonise.

For global shipping, this process would be relatively easy because technological solutions exist and a single United Nations agency can set legally binding rules for all ships. The first steps have already been made.

In 2025, member states of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) agreed on a policy mechanism to cut shipping emissions: the Net-Zero Framework (NZF). But they opted to postpone a decision on formal adoption of this landmark agreement.

This delay is emblematic of obstructive tactics used by countries opposing climate action.

The IMO Framework – the world’s first global carbon price on any international polluter – took years of compromises and watering-down. As it stands, it is the lowest possible bar Pacific Island states like the one I represent can accept. We cannot give in another inch.

While I join the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels in Santa Marta, Colombia, next week, delegates will gather again at the IMO in London to decide whether to uphold their unanimous commitment to phase out fossil fuels in a just and equitable way.

The delegates of Vanuatu who travel to London have a mandate to push for the adoption of the NZF this year.

Should anyone reopen the framework to water it down, our position is clear: We will revert to our original Pacific demand for a universal levy on emissions of $150 per tonne of carbon dioxide.

Last year my country abstained from the vote on the NZF agreement. We reached that decision because the mechanism is not nearly ambitious enough. Even so, it is a starting point we can work with.

But since then, the tide has shifted dramatically.

After the delay in adoption, a small group of countries is now suggesting further weakening the ambition in the framework to meet the demands of particularly influential states whose current policy positions are not aligned with climate ambition. This strategy is problematic as reducing our collective actions to align with those that want no climate action at all is incompatible with our people’s continued survival.

The world’s poorest countries, and the planet, simply cannot afford anything less than what is already on the table.

The framework, as it is, gives the world and the industry some chance of meeting the climate obligations that IMO countries committed to in 2023, namely reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 in a just and equitable way.

The NZF introduces penalty fees – eg emission pricing for noncompliance with the regulation. This provides the regulation with a “stick” to ensure ships comply or else they must pay.

The penalties also represent revenues, up to $10bn to $12bn a year, to both incentivise industry transition and enable a fair transition for all. This fund is a lifeline for developing – and especially least developed – states to be able to afford clean maritime energy upgrades and compensate for the rising trade costs because of this transition.

Some claim that revenues raised by the NZF will blow out transport costs. This is preposterous.

The penalties charged through this framework come down to less than $1.50 per year for every living human being – although the biggest polluters should pay this cost. If the richest 10 percent of the world’s population foots this bill, it adds up to less than $15 per person. That’s a few coffees a year, which the world’s richest can easily spare.

Losing both financial penalties for noncompliance and financial support for countries like mine in the name of a political compromise with rich oil-producing states is a bad deal. Not just for all climate-vulnerable states but also for the industry that demands and deserves clarity.

If anything, we need more action and more ambition in the framework.

For years, Pacific states have pushed for the IMO regulation to be in the form of a universal levy on emissions, by pricing all emissions. We managed to get the majority of IMO member states on board, including the European Union, South Korea and Japan, as well as important Global South states, such as Panama and Liberia. However, the US has been very effective in exerting its influence in this area, which is resulting in shifts to some positions to the detriment of us all.

Our position was always backed by the best available scientific evidence.

A levy on all shipping emissions is the best way to send an unambiguous signal to the industry: Invest in the future now! The revenues, up to 10 times more than those from the NZF, serve as both a bigger stick for polluters and a bigger carrot for first movers and cash-poor countries.

This is not a handout: Hitting net zero by 2050 is not possible if our countries cannot invest in clean ships.

The bridge we have built in the form of the NZF through years of compromise and evidence is still standing. Let us cross it together by adopting it as agreed without any further dilution.

Pacific states stand ready to fight for what science and justice demand, and we call on our partners to stand with us.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

HE has long been known for his enthusiasm for so-called throuples.

Now David Haye‘s ex has spoken of the day he asked her to “bring your girlfriends” to his hotel room, where he was waiting in his boxer shorts.

Model Zoe Gregory says the I’m A Celeb star seemed fascinated by her unconventional romance with Playboy boss Hugh Hefner, with whom she shared a bed along with six other women.

She met heavyweight boxing champion Haye after he fought a bout at Hef’s notorious mansion in LA in 2003.

In an exclusive interview Zoe, 51, revealed: “He asked me what group sex is like and I said, ‘It works.’

“He seemed fascinated and very curious. He probably thought, OK I’ll have to give that a try one day. After I gave him my number, he asked me to visit him and he said: ‘Bring your girlfriends to the hotel too.’

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“He was on a high after the boxing match and he probably thought, they all want to smash me. I was in awe of him so it didn’t put me off. He’s a smooth operator. I don’t remember exactly what he said, but he was charming and persuasive.

“He was very complimentary when I turned up to the hotel but I knew he just wanted to get in my pants.

“When I reached his hotel, I thought we would chill by the pool, but he said, ‘No come to the room, I’m still getting ready.’

“He opened the door in his boxer shorts and I wasn’t expecting that, but I wasn’t mad either. He literally grabbed me out the doorway and threw me on the bed so that was that.”

Zoe opened-up about her time with the boxer after he was slammed for his “sexist” comments while competing on the all-star version of I’m A Celeb in South Africa.

Referring to his long-term girlfriend Sian Osborne as having the personality of “a proper ugly bird,” he went on to claim that most good-looking women are “idiots” and that less attractive girls work harder on their personalities to win attention.

Singers Ashley Roberts and Sinitta were left shaking their heads while Corrie actress Beverley Callard later complained: “I’ve never heard anything so sexist in my life.”

Fashion model Sian, 33, defended him, saying in an exclusive interview: “I consider it a compliment.

“A big one. I’m fluent in David by now and my family find it hilarious.”

Miami-based Zoe, who cheated on Hefner with Haye, also backs him.

She explains: “I totally agree with him because everyone judges a book by its cover. People will look at me, blonde hair and big tits, and assume that I’m a bimbo.

“That’s because most blondes are bimbos, unfortunately. Blondes are very ditzy and that’s why they get that label. I’ve found myself saying the same things as David.

“Being around the girls at the Mansion, the ugly ones were always overcompensating with their personality. They would feel, I’m not that great looking so I’m going to have to do cartwheels to compete with the favourites.

“When I go the gym, I see girls wearing next to nothing and they don’t have a body to be wearing that – or a face. They don’t even look like they work out but sometimes people go that extra mile to overcompensate, to fit in.

“I feel bad saying it, but it’s true. It’s the way society is and social media has made it even worse. You are always going to have girls that get bent out of shape by comments like David’s and they are usually the fat ugly ones.

“David has met enough women to be an authority on this. If this is his opinion based on all the women he’s met, I can’t say he’s wrong.

“But he is in a corner with the public and he’s got to take a beating. Everything he says, people are watching and listening and they will use it against him to make out he’s a bad person. But he’s really not a bad person.

“He’s an opinionated person and he’s got a right to his own opinion. David is known for talking his mind and having a crazy sex life and being open about it.

“I can’t fault him for being like that.”

Mum-of-one Zoe moved from London to Los Angeles in her early 20s to work as a model and erotic B movie actress. She was accompanied by her husband, DJ Chris Paul and their young son, who is now in his 30s.

But once offered the chance to live with Hefner at his £150m LA mansion – having met the magazine boss at one of his notorious parties – she decided the opportunity was too good to turn down.

She lived with Hef, who was then in his 70s and relying heavily on Viagra to perform in bed, from 2001 to 2004.

But still married to her first husband, she always living with Hef as a job rather than a romantic relationship and she walked out following a series of rows with his number one girlfriend Holly Madison.

In 2024, she published a memoir called From Britain to Bunny in which she detailed her “hot 15 minutes” with Haye, which she described as “crazy and electric.”

Looking back on that day, she recalls: “David did seem fascinated by Hef. He asked me lots of intimate questions about him.

“He said, ‘So you’ve got to sleep with him?’ I said, ‘Yes, but it’s more of a job for me.’

“He said, ‘That’s weird.’ Then he asked, ‘Can Hef still get it up?’ I said, ‘Yes, of course.’

“I told him what went on in the bedroom – the orgies and Hef’s harem of women – and he seemed impressed by that. He was very complimentary towards me – he told me I have both beauty and brains.”

Zoe, who now works in promotions, last bumped into Haye at a restaurant in Miami two years ago just before her book was released. He was with girlfriend Sian, who has allowed him to spend time with Saturdays’ singer Una Healy and DJ Mica Jova – relationships that have been described as ‘throuples.’

Zoe continued: “David and Sian were over for a boxing event and it turned out we had a mutual friend, a photographer.

“David was surprised to see me. He was like, ‘Oh!’ It was a bit awkward because I wasn’t sure if Sian knew about our history.

“David said, ‘You look really well.’ I said ‘Yes, you too.’ It was a flirty moment and it was funny. And I swear David looked exactly the same as I remembered him. He’s aged very well.

“I got to meet Sian and she’s lovely, sweet girl. When I first met her, she didn’t say much and wasn’t very outgoing. She just sat there.

“I introduced myself and was doing extra to make her feel comfortable and after a few minutes, she warmed up. I kept the conversation away from him because I didn’t know what she knew and the book hadn’t come out yet.

“I wouldn’t say, ‘Oh by the way I f****d your boyfriend.’ I would never have a conversation like that. I do think David has got used to women throwing themselves at him.

I told him, ‘You need to go for an older woman that doesn’t get intimidated by you and can put you in your place.’

“Because otherwise he is just going to walk all over a girl, because it’s his way or the highway. He’s got his cake and he’s eating it – and I love him for that.”

The warning comes at a time of global turmoil

Ryanair has issued a warning to passengers hoping to fly in the days ahead. The budget airline has sent emails to travellers flying from the UK to large parts of Europe.

It cautions of ‘longer queues, particularly at busy airports’. The reason is the new Entry and Exit System (EES), which has been rolled out by the European Union (EU). It requires all travellers from the UK and other non-EU nations to be photographed and fingerprinted at EU airports and border crossings.

The objective is for the new system to replace manual passport stamping and more efficiently track the 90-day visa-free limit, but there have been accounts of it causing delays stretching to several hours at busy airports. It has even been temporarily suspended at times to clear the backlog.

In a message to customers titled ‘Important: Changes to Passport Control’, Ryanair says: “From 10 April 2026, the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) is in place at all Schengen Area external borders. As a result, passport control may take longer for some passengers.

“You are affected if you hold a non‐EU / non‐EEA / non‐Swiss passport (e.g. UK, USA, Canada, Australia), and are flying into or out of the Schengen Area.

“Commonly affected routes include flights between the Schengen Area and countries such as: UK, Ireland, Cyprus, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Türkiye, Egypt, Israel and others.

“At passport control you may need to:

• Scan your passport
• Provide fingerprints
• Have a facial image taken

These checks may cause longer queues, particularly at busy airports. Queues may form before security.

If affected, please:

• Arrive at the airport early to allow for queues
• Have your travel documents ready
• Follow signs marked EES / Passport Control

Those who are not affected:

• EU, EEA and Swiss passport holders
• Flights within the Schengen Area (e.g. Spain–Italy, France–Germany)

“If you are denied entry, this will be due to EU policy, not Ryanair’s rules.”

Greece has reportedly opted to pause the EES rollout following considerable delays. A statement on the Greek Embassy website and posts across official social media channels said: “In the framework of the implementation of the Entry/Exit System, as of 10 April 2026, British passport holders are exempt from biometric registration at Greek border crossing points.”

Airport representatives and the European Commission convened a meeting on Tuesday to address issues surrounding the system. Approximately 122 passengers were left stranded and unable to board their flight from Milan Linate to Manchester on Sunday, following severe hold-ups at passport control linked to the introduction of the EES.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has confirmed that your details will need to be re-registered every three years. A statement also warned that travellers may face longer waiting times when entering or departing a country. It states: “The European Union’s (EU) Entry/Exit System (EES) started on 12 October 2025 This is a new digital border system that has changed requirements for British citizens travelling to the Schengen area.

The countries in the Schengen area are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

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The Republic of Ireland and Cyprus are not within the Schengen area, and therefore EES is not applicable when travelling to either of these countries. If you are travelling to a country in the Schengen area for a short stay using a UK passport, you may be required to register your biometric details, such as fingerprints and a photo, when you arrive. You do not need to take any action before you arrive at the border, and there is no cost for EES registration.

EES registration is replacing the current system of manually stamping passports when visitors arrive in the EU. EES may take each passenger extra time to complete so be prepared to wait longer than usual at the border.

“On your first visit to the Schengen area, you may be asked to create a digital record at the port or airport on arrival. You may be asked to submit your fingerprints and have your photo taken at dedicated booths. You don’t need to provide any information before travelling to a Schengen area country. The checks may take slightly longer than previously, so be prepared to wait during busy times.”

“If you enter the Schengen area through the Port of Dover, Eurotunnel Le Shuttle at Folkestone or Eurostar, St Pancras International, any EES checks will be completed at the border, before you leave the UK. You may also be asked to provide either your fingerprint or photo when you exit the Schengen area.”

“If you frequently travel to the Schengen area for work and/or leisure purposes, you must ensure that your total stay in the Schengen area is no more than 90 days in every 180 days. You must be aware of the penalty and enforcement approach for exceeding the immigration limit in any individual Member State you plan to travel to, or through.”

You need a new document at a cost of £90 a time

People travelling from the UK to Europe have been warned of a major passport change this week, making documents invalid from Wednesday, April 22. The post-Brexit change means that anyone travelling with a pet will need new documentation or face being sent home.

Until now, people taking their pets abroad – whether by plane, train, ferry or car – could use an EU Pet Passport. The EU Regulation 2016/429 – known as the Animal Health Law – comes into force this week after a 10-year transition.

That means anyone going to Europe with their pet now needs an Animal Health Certificate. The certificate requires a vet visit within 10 days of your trip, a new certificate each time and a £90 payment – per pet.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) issued Briefing Note 14/26 on April 17, 2026. ^{This statement marks a significant shift in pet travel rules, effectively ending the “loophole” where Great Britain (GB) residents used EU-issued pet passports to avoid the cost of Animal Health Certificates (AHCs).}

A spokesman said: “An EU pet passport, issued to or held by a pet owner who is resident in GB, will no longer be a valid document for travelling with pets from GB to the EU. ^{This applies to EU pet passports issued in an EU Member State or Northern Ireland, including those issued before 22 April 2026 . EU pet passports may only be issued to owners whose main residence is within the European Un ion.”}

If your primary residence is in Great Britain, you cannot use an EU pet passport for travel from the UK to the EU, regardless of where or when that passport was issued (e.g., if you obtained it in France or Spain). UK residents must now obtain an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) for every single trip to the EU.

The briefing clarifies that EU pet passports issued in Northern Ireland are also invalid for travel if the owner is a resident of Great Britain.

APHA is updating the AHC forms to align with new EU regulations. ^{While these new templates are being finalised, there is a transition period where older AHC templates will still be accepted for travel into the EU. There are currently no changes to the requirements for pets entering GB. You can still use a valid EU pet passport or AHC to return to the UK.}

For dogs, the requirement for a vet-administered tapeworm treatment between 24 and 120 hours before arriving back in GB remains in place.

You should contact your vet immediately to arrange an AHC, as pet passports will no longer be accepted at the border for UK residents from that date.

Updated rules on the movement of dogs, cats and ferrets are included in a January 2026 EU regulation which is coming into force on April 22.

IT WAS HARDLY A SURPRISE that President Bush made a brief stop in Afghanistan on Wednesday, and not just because word of the “unexpected” trip leaked to the media beforehand. With Iraq ever more messy and his administration on the defensive on multiple fronts, Bush undoubtedly wanted to evoke that sweet moment of victory in November 2001 when U.S. forces ended the Taliban’s rule.

Yet Afghanistan is not such a simple story. Democratic elections brought a reasonable government into office, but it remains weak and ineffective outside of Kabul. Over the last year, the Taliban has made a strong revival, drug trafficking is up and the number of suicide bombings has steadily climbed. Bush’s advisors said his visit was so brief because it was hard to guarantee security.

Back in Washington, the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, Michael Maples, testified before Congress on Tuesday that attacks by Taliban and other insurgents increased by 20% last year, and they are expected to intensify this spring. Aid workers report that villagers across the south of Afghanistan tell them not to visit anymore because Taliban forces punish anyone who accepts Western help.

Lest anyone forget, the Taliban was target No. 2 in the U.S. war against terrorists provoked by the 9/11 attacks. Target No. 1 was Osama bin Laden — Bush wanted him “dead or alive” — and he is still at large. Bush promised in Afghanistan that the leader of Al Qaeda would eventually be brought to justice. At this point, we are not holding our collective breath. Bin Laden is believed to be hiding in the mountainous region straddling Afghanistan’s border with Pakistan, spooning out taped messages to the West, but there has been little sign of progress in the hunt for him.

Like too many administration projects, the situation in Afghanistan appears to be the victim of a lack of follow-through. After the invasion of 2001, Bush promised to rebuild Afghanistan, ravaged by years of civil war and horrific destruction at the hands of the Taliban. There are 18,000 soldiers in the country, and in 2004 the United States and other donors pledged or spent $3.6 billion on humanitarian aid and reconstruction.

Yet once the war in Iraq was launched, Washington’s attention went there, as did most of its troops. The political will to bring security and basic services to Afghanistan clearly fizzled. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld likes to argue that the United States is capable of fighting two wars at once, but the evidence from Afghanistan and Iraq suggests that it may not be capable of fighting two wars well.

The United States is not the first world power to stumble in Afghanistan. The British and the Russians each failed to subdue the warlords who roamed the nation’s treacherous terrain. Yet the U.S. efforts that began there with great promise in 2001 remain, as yet, unfulfilled.

British judoka Emma Reid won silver to clinch the first European Championships medal of her career.

Reid, who finished fifth in 2025, was beaten in the- 78kg final by Italy’s Alice Bellandi in Tbilisi, Georgia.

“I’m very happy with my performance, and it’s great to end the day with a medal,” said 30-year-old Reid, who won bronze at the World Championships in 2024.

“It has been a tough and busy block at the start of this year, so it’s nice to see the hard work paying off with my first European Championships medal.”

Reid won her last-16 and quarter-final contests with sankaku-gatame against Ukrainian Anna Kazakova and juji-gatame against Lithuanian Migle Julija Dudenaite respectively.

She then guaranteed herself at least silver by forcing her semi-final opponent, Slovenia’s Metka Lobnik, to submit just one minute into the contest.

April 20 (UPI) — Iran said that it carried out drone strikes on Monday against U.S. military vessels blockading its ports after the U.S. Navy attacked an Iranian-flagged container ship in the Gulf of Oman.

The state-run Tasnim News Agency said the Iranian military “launched drone strikes toward several U.S. military vessels in the area” in retaliation for the boarding and seizure of the Touska on Sunday night while it was en route to Iran from China.

“We caution that the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond to and retaliate for this act of piracy and armed aggression by the US military,” Khatam al-Anbia Central Headquarters, the Iranian military’s central command, said in a statement

Khatam al-Anbia Central Headquarters said the Iranian Armed Forces had held off from delivering “a decisive response” to “blatant aggression by U.S. terrorist commandos” due to concerns for the safety of family members of the ship’s crew who were on board the Touska.

“Iran’s operational action was delayed in order to protect their lives and security, which were in constant danger,” the statement added.

The U.S. military did not immediately comment on Iran’s claim it conducted drone strikes.

However, U.S. Central Command posted video of the guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance warning the Touska to “vacate your engine room” because it was about to open fire and, some time later, night-vision footage of helicopter-borne U.S. Marines from USS Tripoli conducting an amphibious assault operation to take over the vessel.

CENTCOM said the Spruance intercepted Touska as it was steaming toward the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, issuing multiple warnings over a six hour period that it was in violation of the U.S. blockade. When it refused to stop, the Spruance fired several rounds from its 5-inch gun hitting the engine room and disabling the vessel.

U.S. Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit later boarded the vessel and took control of the vessel, which remains in U.S. custody.

CENTCOM said U.S. forces had ordered 25 commercial vessels to turn back, or return to an Iranian port, in the week since the United States implemented its blockade of Iranian ports on April 13.

However, Sunday was the first time that the U.S. military is known to have opened fire on merchant shipping since the war started Feb. 28.

The escalation came after a rollercoaster weekend that began with Tehran declaring that the Strait of Hormuz was fully open to all commercial shipping for the remainder of the 14-day cease-fire currently in place, which is due to expire on Wednesday.

The move was welcomed by the United States, but the administration of U.S. President Trump made it clear its blockade would remain in place. That prompted Tehran to accuse the United States of violating the cease-fire and by Saturday it declared the strait closed again and at least one tanker was fired on by two Iranian gunboats as it attempted to enter the sea lane.

The developments have cast doubt over peace talks, which are due to resume in Islamabad, Pakistan, later Monday or first thing Tuesday.

Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform that U.S. negotiators would arrive in the Pakistani capital on Monday night, with the White House later confirming that Vice President JD Vance would again head up the U.S. delegation, picking up from where he left off from in an initial round of talks on April 11 that failed to produce a breakthrough.

Tehran said Monday it had not yet decided whether it would attend.

“As of now, while I am speaking to you, we do not have a plan for the next round of negotiations, and no decision has been taken in this regard,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said at a press conference in Tehran.

Referencing the ongoing U.S. blockade and seizure of the container ship, Baqaei accused the United States of actions that “are in no way indicative of seriousness in pursuing a diplomatic process.”

However, the comments do not mean Iran will not show in Islamabad.

The Iranian side only confirmed participation in the first round of negotiations at the last minute.

Global oil prices, which fell sharply on Friday after Iran said the Hormuz Strait was open, rose again over the weekend but were holding steady in late morning trade in London where Brent crude for June delivery contract was changing hands at $95.24 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate for May delivery was changing hands at $88.89 a barrel.

US forces have released video appearing to show the capture of an Iranian-flagged ship near the Strait of Hormuz, which President Donald Trump says was attempting to breach its naval blockade. Iran has condemned the operation as ‘maritime piracy,’ warned of retaliation, and cast doubt on new talks with the US. Here’s what we know.

By early 1963, the Station Hotel in London had become an epicenter of the burgeoning British blues scene. On a blustery, snowy night that February, the Rolling Stones’ classic early lineup took the stage for one of the first times, dazzling the audience with ferocious renditions of blues standards like Muddy Waters’ “I Want to Be Loved” and Jimmy Reed’s “Bright Lights, Big City.”

Multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones, the band’s founder and leader, synchronized guitars with Keith Richards, who favored a distinctive slashing and stinging style. Drummer Charlie Watts, the group’s newest member, a jazz aficionado and an accomplished percussionist, propelled the music forward with a rock-solid beat.

Anchoring the rhythm section with him was bassist Bill Wyman, who was recruited more for his spare VOX AC30 amp that the guitarists could plug into than for his musical skills. The stoic bassist proved a strong and innovative player. Together, he and Watts would go on to form one of rock’s most decorated rhythm sections.

Ian Stewart’s energetic boogie-woogie piano style rounded out the sound. Months later, manager Andrew Loog Oldham kicked him out of the band for being “ugly,” although Stewart continued to record, tour and serve as the band’s road manager until his death in 1985.

This April 8, 1964, file photo shows the Rolling Stones during a rehearsal. The members, from left, are Brian Jones, guitar; Bill Wyman, bass; Charlie Watts, drums; Mick Jagger, vocals; and Keith Richards, guitar.

(Associated Press)

Fronting the group was Mick Jagger. Channeling the music like a crazed shaman, Jagger shimmied and sashayed, owning the stage like few lead singers have before or since. By the end of the night, the Stones had the crowd in a frenzy. Although only 30 people had made it to the gig because of the treacherous weather conditions, the hotel’s booker had seen enough: He offered the Stones a regular gig.

“The Rolling Stones had caught fire. The music they were playing and the way they played it struck a chord with a young crowd starved for something different, something their own… It was soul-stirring, loud and uncompromising,” writes Bob Spitz in “The Rolling Stones: The Biography,” his magisterial work that charts the 60-year journey of “the greatest rock and roll band in the world.”

Spitz, the author of strong biographies on the Beatles and Led Zeppelin, as well as Ronald Reagan and Julia Child, captures the drama, trauma and betrayals that have kept the Stones in the public’s consciousness for more than six decades. It’s all here: The Stones’ evolution from a blues cover band to artistic rival of the Beatles; the musical peaks — “Aftermath,” “Let It Bleed” and “Exile on Main Street” as well as misfires like “Dirty Work”; Keith’s descent into a debilitating heroin addiction that nearly destroyed him and the band; the death of the ‘60s at the ill-fated Altamont free concert; Marianne Faithfull, Anita Pallenberg, Bianca Jagger, Jerry Hall and other lovers, partners and muses; the breakups, makeups and crackups; and perhaps most important, the unbreakable bond between Jagger and Richards at the center of it all.

Although Spitz unearths little new information, he excels at presenting the Stones in glorious Technicolor. Spitz homes in on the telling details and anecdotes that give the band’s story a deep richness and poignancy.

Take “Satisfaction,” the Stones’ 1965 classic and first U.S. chart topper. The oft-told story is that Richards woke up in the middle of the night, grabbed the guitar that was next to his bed, and recorded the iconic riff and the phrase “I can’t get no … satisfaction” on a cassette recorder in his Clearwater, Fla., hotel room before falling back asleep. But as Spitz notes, the song initially went nowhere in the studio. That is until Stewart purchased a fuzz box for Richards a few days later, which gave the tune a raunchier sound that perfectly matched Jagger’s lyrics of frustration and alienation. A classic was born.

Piercing the Stones mythology

Spitz’s deep reporting often pierces the mythology surrounding the band. Contrary to the popular belief of many fans, for instance, Jones bears much of the responsibility for the rift with his bandmates and his tragic demise.

The most musically adventurous member of the group — he plays sitar on “Paint It Black” and dulcimer on “Lady Jane” — Jones wasn’t a songwriter. That stoked his jealousies and insecurities, along with frontman Jagger stealing the spotlight from him. A monster of a man, Jones impregnated multiple teenage girls and physically and emotionally abused several women, including Pallenberg. Perhaps that’s why she left him for Richards. Over time, Jones made fewer contributions in the studio and onstage, becoming a catatonic drug casualty. The Stones fired Jones in June 1969 but would have been justified doing so a couple years earlier. He drowned in his pool less than a month later.

Author Bob Spitz

(Elena Seibert)

Similarly, Stones lore has long romanticized the making of “Exile on Main Street” in the stifling, dingy basement of Richards’ rented Villa Nellcôte in the South of France, where the Stones had decamped to avoid British taxes. In this telling, Richards, deep in the throes of heroin addiction, somehow managed to come up with one indelible riff after another built around his signature open G tuning — taught to him by Ry Cooder — leading the band to create one of the best albums in rock history. That’s not entirely accurate, according to Spitz.

Yes, Richards came up with the licks for “Rocks Off,” “Happy” and “Tumbling Dice.” But it’s equally true that a strung-out Richards missed myriad recording sessions, invited dealers, hangers-on and other distractions to Nellcôte, and repeatedly failed to turn up to write with Jagger. Far from completing the album in the druggy haze of a French basement, the band spent six months on overdubs at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles, where Jagger contributed many of his vocals.

Beatles vs. Stones

One of the more interesting themes Spitz develops is the symbiotic relationship between the Beatles and Stones, with the Fab Four mostly overshadowing them — until they didn’t.

John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote “I Wanna Be Your Man” and gave it to the Stones, whose 1963 rendition, with Jones on slide guitar, became the group’s first UK Top 20 hit. The Lennon-McCartney songwriting partnership inspired Jagger and Richards to begin penning their own songs. In early 1964, the Beatles came to the U.S. for the first time, making television history with their appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” and playing Carnegie Hall. A few months later, the Stones kicked off their inaugural American tour at the Swing Auditorium in San Bernardino. In 1967, the Beatles released “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” a psychedelic masterpiece. The Stones responded with “Their Satanic Majesties Request,” a psychedelic mess.

The Rolling Stones: The Biography cover

As the Beatles began to splinter, Spitz writes, the Stones sharpened their focus. The band released “Beggars Banquet” in late 1968 and “Let It Bleed” the following year, albums every bit as innovative and visionary as “The White Album” and “Abbey Road.” For the first time, the two groups stood as equals.

When the Beatles broke up in 1970, the Stones kept rolling. With Jones replaced by virtuoso guitarist Mick Taylor — whose fluid, melodic style served as a tasty foil to Richards — they produced what many consider their finest works, “Sticky Fingers” and “Exile on Main Street.” More impressively, the band, with Taylor’s successor, Ronnie Wood, has continued to dazzle audiences with incendiary live shows, touring as recently as 2024 behind the late-career triumph “Hackney Diamonds.” The Beatles, by contrast, retired from the road in 1966 and devoted their energies to the studio.

Hundreds of books have been written about the Rolling Stones, but few sparkle quite like Spitz’s. For anyone who loves or even likes the Stones, it’s indispensable.

Like most of the band’s biographers, Spitz gives short shrift to the post-“Exile” period after 1972. He curtly dismisses 2005’s strong “A Bigger Bang” and 2016’s “Blue & Lonesome,” a back-to-basics album of blues covers, as “adequate endeavors that signaled a band living on borrowed time.” That critique is both off target and under-developed. Spitz ignores the band’s legendary live album, “Brussels Affair,” recorded in 1973, or why the band waited decades before officially releasing it.

These are small quibbles. Spitz has written a book worthy of its 704-page length; another 50 or so pages covering the later years would have made it even stronger. To quote the Rolling Stones: “I know it’s only rock ‘n roll, but I like it, like it, yes, I do.”

Marc Ballon, a former Times, Forbes and Inc. Magazine reporter, teaches an advanced writing class at USC. He lives in Fullerton.

Europe is facing a severe jet fuel crisis due to the Middle East conflict, with International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol warning the region has ‘maybe six weeks or so’ of jet fuel left and that flight cancellations could follow

Europe has just six weeks’ worth of jet fuel remaining due to the ongoing Middle East conflict, with major airlines grounding flights.

Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), warned that flight cancellations could follow “soon” if oil supplies continue to be restricted by the Iran war. Iran maintains a firm grip on tankers navigating through the Strait of Hormuz, with Mr Birol telling the Associated Press this is triggering “the largest energy crisis we have ever faced”.

He warned that Asian nations such as Japan, India and China, which depend heavily on Middle Eastern energy supplies, are on “the front line”, with the pressure set to “come to Europe and the Americas” shortly after.

Europe has just six weeks of fuel left, according to the IEA director. He added that if the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked, the knock-on effect could mean “some of the flights from city A to city B might be canceled as a result of a lack of jet fuel”.

READ MORE: Jet2 holidays changes to 14 day rule for all travellers and sends emailREAD MORE: Flight cancellations over fuel as passengers told to know their rights

Which airlines are cancelling flights?

A number of airlines have warned that they might have to cancel flights if the situation continues, but the number of those that have already done so is fewer.

Swedish flag carrier SAS has said it would cancel 1,000 flights in April because of high oil and jet fuel prices, after cancelling a “couple hundred” flights in March.

United Airlines said that five per cent of flights would be cancelled in the second and third quarters of 2026, while Dutch airline KLM has cancelled 160 flights for the coming month.

South Korean airline Asiana will slash 22 flights between April and July due to the fuel cost increase.

Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific will cut some flights from mid-May until the end of June, with about 2% of its scheduled passenger flights grounded. Its budget airline HK Express is cutting around 6% of flights.

German airline group Lufthansa said it would ground 27 planes servicing its short-haul CityLine subsidiary earlier than it had planned, blaming jet fuel prices.

Vietnam Airlines plans to cancel 23 flights per week across domestic routes from April.

Air New Zealand will be cutting back on flights over the next two months, it announced in March. It is expected that 1,100 flights will be impacted.

Norse Atlantic Airways has removed all flights to Los Angeles International Airport from its summer schedule, blaming the fuel shortage.

Although major airlines including British Airways, Ryanair and easyJet have highlighted the potential impact of the fuel price rise on ticket costs and schedules, they are yet to cancel flights as a direct consequence.

However, BA is stopping its route from London Heathrow to Jeddah, although this is due to a shift in demand, according to the airline.

Last week, easyJet chief executive Kenton Jarvis sought to reassure passengers, stating that all airports the airline serves are “operating as normal”.

He continued: “We only ever in this industry have three to four weeks’ visibility (of jet fuel supplies), and that is the same as it was pre-crisis. We have visibility to the middle of May, and we have no concerns. What we’re seeing is airports and fuel suppliers working well to bring jet fuel to the airports.”

EasyJet revealed the Middle East conflict set the airline back roughly £25 million in elevated jet fuel costs last month. The Luton-based carrier said it anticipates reporting a headline pre-tax loss of between £540 million and £560 million for the six months ending in March.

The conflict has created “near-term uncertainty around fuel costs and customer demand”, easyJet revealed.

Bookings have dropped by two percentage points for the three-month periods ending in both June and September when compared with the previous year.

The alert regarding larger-than-anticipated first half losses sent easyJet shares tumbling by as much as 9% during early Thursday trading, before stabilising around 4% down.

If enjoying a tipple in a sunny beer garden is top of the list for your seaside trip, there’s one English beach resort that wouldn’t have been your cup of tea before this century. 

I visited Frinton-on-Sea, a quaint little town on the Essex Sunshine Coast where boozers were banned until 2000.

Follow The Sun’s award-winning travel team on Instagram and Tiktok for top holiday tips and inspiration @thesuntravel.

Nowadays you can prop up the bar at the town’s first pub, the Lock and Barrel, or enjoy a drink in the sun outside.

There are a couple of small courtyard areas with picnic tables out back, plus tables in front of the pub’s huge double-fronted picture windows overlooking the high street.

It’s all a far cry from the Frinton of years gone by, when industrialist Richard Powell Cooper developed the golf course and land around it in the 1890s, stipulating that no drinking holes would be welcome. 

SIGHT SEA

£9.50 holidaymakers’ favourite Skegness activities… away from the beach

GRUBS UP

Best pubs, fish and chip shops and cafes in Sussex – by Sun readers & locals

In fact, there wasn’t even a fish and chip shop until the 1990s.

So heading back 30 years after the sea change, I was interested to see if lifting the ban on takeaways and pubs has made much difference to the sleepy seaside chic I remember from my youth.

Now pubs are permitted, Frinton’s main claim to fame is being named by Which? as the warmest and driest coastal town in its most recent survey of best UK seaside spots, as well as scoring five stars from visitors for peace and quiet.

It got just one star for tourist attractions, as it’s not got a pier, arcades or any of the other seaside staples you might expect.

It’s the polar opposite of the party vibe of its coastal cousin Clacton, just five miles down the seafront.

With a family-friendly sandy beach overlooked by the wide lawns and heritage sea shelters of the greensward, there’s something a little bit special about this secluded seaside spot, and the introduction of a pub hasn’t done anything to change that. 

It’s still got a village vibe, with only one road in and out over the railway line. 

Its high street Connaught Avenue remains packed full of independent shops – a glimpse out of the pub window revealed a toy shop, butcher, bookshop and fishmonger.

Although, Frinton hasn’t avoided the inevitable Turkish barber, charity shop and nail salon that seem to have sprung up in every town centre.

Even a chain like Poundstretcher has toned down its brightly coloured exterior and signage to fit in with the conservation area. 

Here are more of our favourite UK seaside towns…

*If you click on a link in this box, we will earn affiliate revenue.

Sidmouth, Devon
Take a trip to Sidmouth on the Jurassic Coast and wander down Jacob’s Ladder to its pretty shingle beach. Make sure to walk along the promenade and check out the independent shops and boutiques. Stay at the four-star Harbour Hotel for sea views and traditional afternoon tea from £135 per room.

BOOK A STAY

Whitby, North Yorkshire
With a history of sailors and vampires, a dramatic coastal path, and the very best in pints and scampi, it takes a lot to beat Whitby. Pop in the amusements, eat award-winning fish and chips, and board the all-singing Captain Cook boat tour on the harbour. The Royal Hotel overlooks the harbour with stays from just £68 per room.

BOOK A STAY

Old Hunstanton, Norfolk
This town has some of the best beach walks beside striped limestone cliffs, a Victorian lighthouse and 13th century ruins. The beach has golden sands with rolling dunes and colourful beach huts, backed by a pretty pinewood forest. Stay at a beachfront hotel from £100 per room.

BOOK A STAY

Seahouses, Northumberland
This is an authentic British seaside break, with fishing boats bobbing on its pretty harbour and fresh catches of the day to enjoy in local restaurants. There’s no flashing arcades here, but there’s a great beach with rockpools, boat trips, and you may even spot a grey seal, too. Treat yourself to a stay at the Bamburgh Castle Inn from £129 per room.

BOOK A STAY

We popped in for a pint at the Lock and Barrel, paying £30 for a round of two beers, a glass of wine and three soft drinks.

I liked the pub name’s nod to the previous ironmonger incarnation of the building, with Blowers and Cooper storefront lettering preserved on the ceiling above the bar to remember the shop based here for 75 years.

And the lovely green tiled pillar at the entrance preserves part of the pub’s predecessor for posterity.

It all seems very much in keeping with the genteel feel that attracted the likes of Winston Churchill and the Prince of Wales here in the first half of the 20th century.

And while Frinton is never going to be prime pub crawl territory, strolling a mile inland while window shopping along Connaught Avenue brings you to the Essex Skipper on an estate towards the outskirts of the town.

We loved the beach hut seating areas in the beer garden and the big word cloud backdrop that commemorates many of the special places, food and experiences that make this stretch of the Essex coast unique.

This pub has a fresh, modern feel, quite a contrast to the olde world charm of its high street counterpart.

With August average highs of 21C, sea temperatures of around 18C and rainfall just 45mm, Frinton combines the best of British summertime with a town that’s stayed true to its traditions.

And it’s easily accessible, with trains from London Liverpool Street taking just 90 minutes.

If you do like to be beside the seaside and all you need for your bucket-and-spade break is a beach and a bit of sunshine, Frinton could become a firm family favourite for you.

For more inspiration, here are all the trendy UK seaside towns with huge makeovers and enough to do for a WEEK – and you can stay from £35.

And here’s the coastal English town becoming the next big thing – and there’s loads of celebs there too.

If they were true to their principles, moderate Republicans and consistent conservatives would be supporting John Kerry. Instead, their acquiescence to the reckless whims of George W. Bush marks a descent into that political abyss of opportunism where partisanship is everything and principle nothing.

How else to explain their cynical support for this shallow adventurer, a phony lightweight who has bled the Treasury dry while incompetently squandering the lives of young Americans in a needless imperial campaign? If Al Gore had been knighted president by the Supreme Court and overseen this mess instead of Dubya, the rational remnant of the Republican Party would be rightly calling for his head.

Instead, a century’s worth of conservative ideals are tossed out the window for political expediency. Soaring budget deficits suddenly don’t matter, and not a tear is shed for the wasted surplus accumulated during Bill Clinton’s tenure. Despite two huge tax cuts for the super-rich, Bush turns out to be a big believer in that old GOP boogeyman, Big Government. An equal-opportunity spendthrift, he throws billions into the sinkhole of Iraq as easily as he doles out corporate handouts.

In the newspapers we read about American mothers and fathers working in deadly Iraq as drivers and security guards because they can’t find work at home. More than a million jobs have been lost since the end of the prosperous Clinton era, while real wages are stagnant. The rich have enjoyed unprecedented tax breaks even as the middle class has eroded and millions have fallen below the poverty line.

Healthcare costs are spiraling, nothing has been done to shore up Social Security and Medicare against the impending flood of retiring baby boomers, and the number of those without medical insurance is a national embarrassment — though perhaps not to the former governor of Texas, a state that far and away leads the country in this disquieting statistic.

Bush’s startling inattention to our serious problems is explained away by reference to the new burden of the war on terror. How odd, then, to note that it was Bush’s preoccupation with Iraq both before and after 9/11 that has left us so vulnerable to Muslim hatred and terrorist attacks. Before Sept. 11, 2001, ignored warnings and flaccid response; afterward, a campaign of lies to justify a military occupation at the Muslim world’s heart.

Instead of making the U.S. safer, the hasty and unilateral dive into the Iraq quagmire shredded the post-9/11 international unity of purpose indispensable to any serious effort to root out terrorism.

But don’t take my word for it: That the occupation of Iraq is a festering disaster was finally acknowledged by some Republican senators on Sunday’s talk shows in the wake of the latest depressing prognostications of U.S. intelligence agencies.

“The fact is, we’re in deep trouble in Iraq,” Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) conceded. “We made serious mistakes,” said Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.), the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, blamed the glaring failures in Iraq on “the incompetence in the administration.”

Unfortunately, the solution offered by these Republican critics was an escalation of the U.S. military effort, the root cause of the rising anti-U.S. nationalism in Iraq that is crossing ethnic, religious and regional lines. A true conservative would heed George Washington’s warning to avoid such foreign entanglements. This is why in 2000, candidate Bush, pretending to be conservative, said he was against “nation-building.” Now, led by radical ideologues way outside the conservative mainstream, he’s got us trying to build two nations — and failing — with many in his administration hoping to take on a few more in a second term. Talk about flip-flopping.

On Monday, Kerry made his strongest case yet that Bush was leading us dangerously astray. “Invading Iraq has created a crisis of historic proportions and, if we do not change course, there is the prospect of a war with no end in sight,” Kerry said, calling Iraq a “profound diversion” from the war on terror. “The satisfaction we take in [Saddam Hussein’s] downfall does not hide this fact: We have traded a dictator for a chaos that has left America less secure.”

Kerry has now framed the debate we need to have concerning American priorities. And in their hearts, responsible Republicans and independents must now realize that Kerry is right.

Kings lose to the Avalanche

From Kevin Baxter: Different opponent. Same result.

In each of the last four seasons, the Kings have opened the Stanley Cup playoffs against the Edmonton Oilers. They lost each time.

So on Sunday the Kings tried a different route, opening against the Colorado Avalanche.

They lost, 2-1.

The goals came from Artturi Lehkonen late in the second period and Logan O’Connor early in the third. The Kings made a game of it late, pulling goaltender Anton Fosberg with 2:57 to play and getting a power-play goal from Artemi Panarin 35 seconds later.

But if the Kings lost the game they also gained a ton of confidence with the way they played against the winningest team in the NHL during the regular season.

“The guys did what they had to do and played the right way,” interim coach D.J. Smith said “It is what it is. We’re down in the series, but a lot of good things.”

Continue reading here

Kings summary

NHL playoffs bracket

Kings playoffs schedule

All times Pacific

at Colorado 2, Kings 1 (summary)

Tuesday: Kings at Colorado, 7 p.m., ESPN

Thursday: Colorado at Kings, 7 p.m., TNT, truTV, HBO Max

Sunday: Colorado at Kings, 1:30 p.m., TNT, truTV, HBO Max

*Wed., April 29: Kings at Colorado, TBD

*Friday, May 1: Colorado at Kings, TBD

*Sunday, May 3: Kings at Colorado, TBD

*- If necessary

Ducks playoffs schedule

All times Pacific

Monday: Ducks at Edmonton, 7 p.m., ESPN2

Wednesday: Ducks at Edmonton, 7 p.m., TBS, HBO Max

Friday: Edmonton at Ducks, 7 p.m., TNT, truTV, HBO Max)

Sunday: Edmonton at Ducks, 6:30 p.m., ESPN

*Tuesday, April 28: Ducks at Edmonton, TBD

*Thursday, April 30: Edmonton at Ducks, TBD

*Saturday, May 2: Ducks at Edmonton, TBD

*-if necessary

Dodgers lose to Rockies

From Mirjam Swanson: What do you know? The once-stampeding Dodgers have been caged by the Colorado Rockies.

With a 9-6 loss Sunday at Coors Field, the two-time defending World Series champions lost back-to-back games for the first time this season. The Dodgers again couldn’t hold a lead, letting the Rockies tee off for 15 hits.

Nor could the Dodgers keep up offensively at the hitter-friendly park — though they put some pressure on in the ninth inning, when Shohei Ohtani led off with a ground-rule double and the Dodgers scored twice to cut the lead to three runs. Then the new guy, Ryan Ward, made the final out in his big league debut, robbed of a hit and a chance to keep chipping away by a diving Troy Johnston in right field.

Before that, the Rockies — who beat the Dodgers twice in 13 meetings all of last season — chased starter Roki Sasaki from the game in the fifth inning and then ruffled the Dodgers’ relievers. That included closer Edwin Díaz, who came on in the eighth and promptly gave up three singles, a walk and two runs before being pulled with the Dodgers trailing 8-4.

Continue reading here

Shaikin: Rick Monday saved an American flag in 1976. Why the moment resonates 50 years later

Dodgers box score

MLB standings

Angels lose to Padres

Xander Bogaerts and Bryce Johnson delivered two-out RBIs as the San Diego Padres defeated the Angels 2-1 on Sunday.

Bogaerts broke a scoreless tie with an RBI single in the fourth inning, and Johnson added a two-out RBI single in the seventh as San Diego took two of three games in the series. Johnson finished with two of San Diego’s five hits for his multihit game of the season.

Michael King (3-1) gave up one hit over five scoreless innings, striking out six and walking four while working through traffic. He combined with Ron Marinaccio, Kyle Hart, Bradgley Rodriguez and Mason Miller to hold the Angels to two hits.

Continue reading here

Appreciation: Angels great Garret Anderson was a Hall of Famer in area stats couldn’t measure

Angels box score

MLB standings

Lakers can steal the series

From Bill Plaschke: The Lakers limped painfully into the playoffs Saturday night only to delightfully discover a miracle salve.

An opponent as mangled as they were.

Yes, the Lakers are beginning this tournament seriously hampered by the indefinite absences of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

But — surprise, surprise — the Houston Rockets showed up with a bad leg of their own, a recently suffered knee contusion that sidelined leading scorer Kevin Durant for at least the first game of this first-round series.

The result? Check out the wide-mouthed scream unleashed by the Lakers’ Luke Kennard midway through the fourth quarter.

The Lakers: Loud and surprising and inspiring.

Continue reading here

Luke Kennard provides a jolt of Luka magic, helping the Lakers beat the Rockets

Lakers playoff schedule

First round
All times Pacific

at Lakers 107, Houston 98 (box score)
Tuesday: Houston at Lakers, 7:30 p.m., NBC
Friday: Lakers at Houston, 5:30 p.m., Amazon Prime Video
Sunday: Lakers at Houston, 6:30 p.m., NBC
*Wed., April 29: Houston at Lakers, TBD
*Friday, May 1: Lakers at Houston, TBD
*Sunday, May 3: Houston at Lakers, TBD

*-if necessary

Alex Palou wins Long Beach Grand Prix

From Steve Galluzzo: For two thirds of Sunday’s Acura Long Beach Grand Prix, Alex Palou bided his time… waiting for the one break he needed.

It came in the form of a caution on the 58th lap, allowing him to overtake front-runner Felix Rosenqvist exiting pit lane and hold the lead the rest of the way, taking the checkered flag by 3.96 seconds for his third triumph in five IndyCar Series races this season and his first at Long Beach.

Right after being showered with applause and confetti at victory lane, the 29-year-old Spaniard thanked his crew, whose quick work on the last pit stop proved to be the difference.

Continue reading here

Race results

LAFC loses to Earthquakes

Ousseni Bouda scored two goals in the second half, ending LAFC goalie Hugo Lloris’ scoreless run to begin the season at 593 minutes, and the San José Earthquakes stunned LAFC 4-1 on Sunday night in an early Western Conference showdown.

San José (7-1-0) moves into a first-place tie with the Vancouver Whitecaps in the Western Conference and Supporters’ Shield races in the Earthquakes’ second season under head coach Bruce Arena.

Daniel De Sousa Britto missed a chance to tie Lloris with a sixth clean sheet on an own goal by Reid Roberts in the 74th minute. He had three saves.

Continue reading here

LAFC summary

MLS standings

This day in sports history

1944 — NFL legalizes coaching from bench.

1958 — The Montreal Canadiens win the NHL Stanley Cup for the third straight year with a 5-3 victory over the Boston Bruins in the sixth game.

1986 — Chicago’s Michael Jordan sets an NBA single-game playoff scoring record with 63 points in a 135-131 double overtime loss to the Boston Celtics, in Game 2 of the first round in the Eastern Conference.

1991 — Mark Lenzi becomes the first person to score 100 points on a single dive. On his last dive, Lenzi scores 101.85 points on a reverse 3½ somersault from the tuck position to win the 3-meter springboard title at the U.S. Indoor Diving Championships.

1996 — NFL Draft: Keyshawn Johnson from USC first pick by New York Jets.

1997 — Chicago’s Michael Jordan wins an unprecedented ninth scoring title with an average of 29.6 points, the first time in those nine seasons that he fails to average at least 30 points.

1997 — PGA Seniors’ Championship Men’s Golf, PGA National GC: Defending champion Hale Irwin wins his second of three straight Senior PGA Championships.

2002 — NFL Draft: Fresno State quarterback David Carr #1 pick by Houston Texans.

2007 — Roger Federer wins his 500th match, defeating David Ferrer 6-4, 6-0 in the quarterfinals of the Monte Carlo Masters.

2008 — Danica Patrick becomes the first female winner in IndyCar history, capturing the Indy Japan 300 in her 50th career start. Patrick takes the lead from pole-sitter Helio Castroneves on the 198th lap in the 200-lap race and finishes 5.8594 seconds ahead of Castroneves.

2008 — Lorena Ochoa becomes the first LPGA Tour player in 45 years to win four tournaments in consecutive weeks. Ochoa shoots a three-under 69 in the final round of the Ginn Open and beats rookie Yani Tseng by three strokes for her fifth victory in six starts. Mickey Wright did it in 1963.

2014 — Bernard Hopkins, 49, becomes the oldest to win a unification light-heavyweight bout as he captures a split 12-round decision over 30-year-old Beibut Shumenov of Kazakhstan. Hopkins, who improves to 55-6-2, retains his IBF title and wins the WBA and IBA belts.

2015 — Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia wins the 119th Boston Marathon, his second victory here. Desisa, who finishes in 2:09:17, also won the 2013 race just hours before a pair of bombs exploded at the finish line. Caroline Rotich of Kenya wins the women’s race.

2017 — LeBron James finishes with 41 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists, and the Cleveland Cavaliers set an NBA postseason record by erasing a 25-point halftime deficit to beat the Indiana Pacers 119-114 and take a 3-0 lead. Cleveland trailed by 26 in the first half and was still down 74-49 at halftime. The largest halftime deficit overcome to win a playoff game had been 21 points by Baltimore against Philadelphia in 1948.

2017 — Roman Josi scores twice, Pekka Rinne has 30 saves and the Nashville Predators beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 to complete a surprising sweep of the Western Conference’s top seed. It’s the first time a No. 1 seed is swept in the first round since the NHL adopted its current playoff format in 1994.

2021 — All six EPL clubs withdraw from the controversial European Super League just 3 days after it was announced – Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham.

Compiled by the Associated Press

This day in baseball history

1910 — Addie Joss of Cleveland pitched the second no-hitter of his career, a 1-0 win over the White Sox in Chicago.

1912 — Fenway Park was opened in Boston and the Red Sox defeated the visiting New York Highlanders, later known as the Yankees, 7-6 in 11 innings. Tiger Stadium in Detroit also opened its doors as the Tigers defeated the Cleveland Indians 6-5.

1916 — The Chicago Cubs played their first game at Weeghman Park — renamed Wrigley Field in 1926 — defeating the Cincinnati Reds 7-6 in 11 innings.

1920 — Manager Gavy Cravath of the Philadelphia Phillies inserted himself as a pinch-hitter and beat the New York Giants with a three-run homer, 3-0. It was his last home run in the majors.

1937 — Gee Walker hit for the cycle on opening day to lead the Detroit Tigers to a 4-3 win over Cleveland. Walker hit the cycle in reverse order: home run, triple, double, single.

1938 — Cleveland’s Bob Feller pitched the first of 12 career one-hitters, beating the St. Louis Browns 9-0.

1939 — In his first major league game, Ted Williams hit a 400-foot double as the Boston Red Sox lost 2-0 to New York at Yankee Stadium.

1941 — The Brooklyn Dodgers become the first major league team to wear protective headgear.

1967 — Tom Seaver of the New York Mets recorded his first major league victory with a 6-1 triumph over the Chicago Cubs. Seaver went 7 2-3 innings and gave up eight hits and one run.

1982 — The Atlanta Braves recorded their 12th consecutive victory from the beginning of the season — a 4-2 decision over Cincinnati in Atlanta — and eclipsed the major league record set a year earlier by the Oakland A’s.

1988 — The Baltimore Orioles set a major league record with their 14th straight defeat at the start of the season, losing to the Milwaukee Brewers 8-6.

1990 — Seattle’s Brian Holman lost his bid for baseball’s 13th perfect game with two out in the ninth inning on Ken Phelps’ pinch-hit home run in the Mariners’ 6-1 victory over the Oakland Athletics.

1997 — The Chicago Cubs stopped their season-opening losing streak at 14 games, rallying in the sixth inning to beat the New York Mets 4-3 in the second game of a doubleheader. The Mets won the opener 8-2. Chicago’s 0-14 start set a National League record and was the second worst behind the 1988 Baltimore Orioles, who began 0-21.

1999 — Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott agrees to sell her controlling interest in the Reds to a group headed by Carl H. Lindner, ending her 14-year tenure.

2001 — Carlos Delgado of the Blue Jays hit three homers for the second time this season, as Toronto beat the Kansas City Royals 12-4.

2006 — Julio Franco became the oldest player in major league history to hit a home run when he hit a two-run, pinch-hit shot in the eighth inning to help the New York Mets rally for a 7-2 win over San Diego. Franco, 47, replaced Athletics pitcher Jack Quinn in the record book who was 46 years, 357 days old when he homered on June 27, 1930.

2007 — Alex Rodriguez went 3-for-5 with two home runs in a 7-6 loss to Boston and joined Mike Schmidt, who hit 12 homers in the first 15 games in 1976, as the fastest to reach a dozen in baseball history.

2008 — The Blue Jays release former superstar Frank Thomas, who has 516 major league home runs.

2010 — Pitcher Edinson Volquez of the Reds is suspended for 50 games for failing a PED test during spring training.

2011 — Commissioner Bud Selig steps in and takes control of the day-to-day operations of the Dodgers from owner Frank McCourt.

2012 — Drew Stubbs had three hits and drove in three runs to lead the Cincinnati Reds to a 9-4 win over the Chicago Cubs — the 10,000th victory in franchise history.

2021 — Corbin Burnes strikes out 10 batters and walks none in 6 innings in a 6-0 Brewers win over the Padres.

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.

Madrid, Spain – Venezuela’s opposition leader Maria Corina Machado is aligned with Spain’s main right-wing party on its economic visions, but they are divided by social issues such as abortion, analysts say.

On a visit to Spain this weekend, Machado chose to snub an invitation to meet Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and the left-wing coalition government officials.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner said she had chosen not to meet Sanchez because he was hosting a summit of left-wing leaders from Latin America in Barcelona.

“What has transpired in the past few hours at the meeting held in Barcelona with various political leaders from different countries is proof that such a meeting was not advisable,” Machado told a meeting in Madrid on Saturday.

Instead, she held a series of meetings with leaders from the opposition conservative People’s Party (PP) and the far-right Vox party.

Machado received a rapturous welcome from Alberto Nunez Feijoo, the PP party leader and Venezuelan emigres in Madrid, on Friday.

On Saturday, the Venezuelan opposition leader met Isabel Diaz Ayuso, the populist conservative Madrid regional leader, one of Sanchez’s fiercest critics and a possible rival to Feijoo.

Ayuso presented Madrid’s gold medal to Machado, while Madrid’s Mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida – also of the PP – handed her the keys to the city before a rally with Venezuelan supporters.

Machado also met Santiago Abascal, the leader of Vox, in the Spanish capital.

Feijoo praised how Machado had championed freedom even at the cost of going into hiding in Venezuela away from her family.

“Spain knows well the value of freedom; it cost us dearly to obtain it. The generations of our parents and grandparents know what it is to live without freedom. That is why we cannot look the other way,” Feijoo said.

What divides Venezuela and Spain’s opposition?

Despite the cordial welcome, there are significant differences between Machado and Feijoo, commentators said.

A liberal conservative, who has said she is an admirer of Margaret Thatcher, Machado has been dubbed Venezuela’s “Iron Lady”.

She moved from the right politically to the centre-ground during the 2024 presidential campaign to attract voters in the middle ground.

As a conservative, Machado heads a Venezuelan opposition that is split and which also contains more liberal factions.

In contrast, Feijoo heads a well-organised conservative political party, which has only recently suffered divisions after the formation of the hard-right Vox party in 2013, analysts said.

Carlos Malamud, an expert on Latin America at the Real Elcano Institute, a think tank in Madrid, said the structure of both opposition groups was different.

“Machado is the leader of a small, disorganised opposition, while Feijoo is the head of the PP, which is a well-organised national political party,” he told Al Jazeera.

Malamud said Machado did not demonstrate the traits of a would-be Venezuelan president by refusing to see Sanchez.

“If Machado wants to be the president of Venezuela next year, she needs to be prepared to meet the head of the Spanish government, whoever that may be,” he explained.

“Perhaps the Venezuelan opposition sees the Spanish Socialist Party as being allied to (former Spanish prime minister) Jose Rodriguez Zapatero.”

Zapatero has played a controversial role in acting as a mediator between Spain and the government of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was abducted by the United States in January.

Maduro faces charges of narcoterrorism, conspiracy to commit narcoterrorism, drug trafficking, money laundering and corruption, which he denies.

Machado ‘more conservative’ on social issues

Malamud said one factor which unites Machado and Feijoo is that they came from political systems which suffered from polarisation.

“Venezuelan politics is the same as Cuban politics, or like Spanish. They all suffer from the same degree of polarisation,” he added.

Ana Ayuso, an investigator in Latin American affairs at the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs, said Machado shared the liberal economic theories of Feijoo, but they differed on social issues.

“She is in favour of freedom of trade and a small state, so she is quite liberal on economic affairs like Feijoo,” Ayuso told Al Jazeera.

“She is also closer to Isabel Diaz Ayuso in terms of economics, in terms of free trade and the participation of the state.”

“However, she is more conservative when it comes to social issues. Machado is against abortion, and religious affairs are important to her. She is close to the [Roman] Catholic Church. Feijoo supports the right to abortion.”

In an interview in 2024 with Spanish newspaper El Pais, Machado said she was against abortion but in favour of changing the law in Venezuela to allow abortion in cases of rape.

At present, the law in Venezuela allows abortion only when there is a risk to the life of the mother or child. Otherwise, it is illegal and can carry a jail sentence of up to two years.

“Machado does not have any similarities with Vox. Venezuela does not have a problem with immigration. Emigration is the problem,” added Ayuso.

She said the Venezuelan opposition leader had initially been a staunch supporter of US President Donald Trump, but he had shunned her in support of Delcy Rodriguez, the acting Venezuelan president.

Machado was now closer to Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, who supported her cause within the MAGA movement, she added.

Russia’s FSB accused the woman, found with a bomb in her backpack, of taking part in a plot hatched by Ukraine.

Russian authorities say they have thwarted a Ukraine-linked bomb plot against security services and arrested a German woman found with a makeshift bomb in her backpack.

Russia’s FSB security agency said the unnamed woman was detained on Monday in the southern city of Pyatigorsk.

In a statement cited by Russia’s state-run TASS news agency, the FSB said it had “prevented a terrorist attack planned by the Kyiv regime against a law enforcement facility in the Stavropol region, involving a German citizen born in 1969”.

It said the woman had been recruited by a citizen from a Central Asian country, who was working on orders from Ukraine. That man was found and arrested near the targeted site.

According to the FSB, the device contained an explosive charge equivalent to 1.5kg (3 pounds) of TNT and was intended to be detonated remotely. The agency said the blast was ultimately prevented by electronic jamming.

Video of the purported arrest published by Russia’s state RIA Novosti news agency showed armed Russian security agents approach the woman as she was face down in a car park.

Another video showed masked plainclothes agents pulling a man into a station, followed by a controlled explosion of the backpack.

Russia’s previous allegations

Russia has arrested dozens of people throughout the four-year war, mostly its own citizens, on allegations of working for Ukraine to carry out sabotage attacks.

Russia has previously accused Ukraine of working with Islamic fundamentalists to carry out attacks inside Russia, without providing evidence.

Officials initially alleged that the perpetrators of a 2024 massacre at a concert hall on the outskirts of Moscow that killed 150 people were ISIL (ISIS) members in coordination with Ukraine.

ISIL claimed responsibility for that attack, making no reference of any Ukrainian involvement, for which no evidence was presented by Moscow and which Kyiv denies.

CHLOE Ferry has been criticised by fans and animal charity Peta after her boyfriend surprised her with a new French bulldog puppy.

The Geordie Shore star’s dog Ivy died in October leaving her devastated. In a bid to cheer Chloe up, her boyfriend Alex Swinney bought her a pup she’s named Olive.

Seeing her other dog Narla playing with the new addition immediately brightened Chloe’s mood and she told fans: “After losing my baby Ivy I wasn’t sure I was ready but my boyfriend SURPRISED me with this little one.

“I can’t tell you how happy I am to finally see Narla with her spark back again, just seeing her play has fulfilled my heart so much.

“From grieving to growing she accepted her new sister right away meet baby OLIVE.”

While many fans heaped praise on her property developer partner for the gift and complimented the cute pup, others, including charity Peta, made their reservations known.

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The animal charity commented: “Your boyfriend needs to rethink this. French bulldogs struggle to just breathe, let alone live a happy and healthy life.

“Buying one neglects the tens of thousands of homeless dogs in shelters just waiting to be adopted [broken heart emoji] Tell him to adopt next time.”

Others echoed the sentiment, with one writing: “Puppies are cute, but so, so sad to see people buying breeds with breathing impairments who will never be able to fully enjoy what it means to be a dog. Please stop buying and promoting breathing impaired breeds

“Blue is one of the worst choices when it comes to health issues…”

Another said: “Frenchies can barely breathe, and buying one keeps it going. Shelters are full [broken heart emoji] Adopt next time.”

A third wrote: “If you buy a Frenchie you are asking for heartache. The breeds are not meant to mix and that causes defects. It’s sad but true. Its unfortunate they have become the ultimate chav accessory. Poor babies.”

French Bulldogs are renowned for having breathing difficulties due to the way they’re bred to have flat faces.

They have greater chance of contracting a variety of health conditions and, according to Peta, brachycephalic dogs (flattened faces) have, on average, 40 per cent shorter lifespans than other dogs.

They also struggle to give birth due to the large shape of their heads and narrow hips.

Meanwhile, when Ivy died, Chloe told her followers that the pooch “couldn’t stop being sick” prior to its passing.

She wrote: “Pftt, losing a pet is so hard, it’s just like a human and it [the emotion] comes in waves when you least expect it.

“One day you’re alright the next you’re not.

“Today I’ve just tried to get on with jobs, my house has been a mess, so I’ve tried to clean it.

“It has actually made us feel a little bit better but then you sit and overthink everything, and think could I have done more.

“What makes it worse for me, my other dog Narla, she doesn’t understand.

“I had Ivy first so Ivy was always independent, she didn’t need Narla, but Narla came second and needs Ivy.”

What’s the one thing better than finding the perfect beach? Finding one with a perfect cafe, bar or restaurant, where even the simplest of meals is elevated by a sea view and a soundtrack of crashing waves. We’d love to hear about your favourite finds in the UK and Europe, whether it’s a laid-back chiringuito in Spain, a seafood shack on a UK beach or an archetypal Greek taverna.

The best tip of the week, chosen by Tom Hall of Lonely Planet, wins a £200 voucher to stay at a Coolstays property – the company has more than 3,000 worldwide. The best tips will appear in the Guardian Travel section and website.

Keep your tip to about 100 words

If you have a relevant photo, do send it in – but it’s your words we will be judging for the competition.

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The competition closes on Monday 27 April at 10am BST

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Airline and travel company has contacted all passengers with holidays booked to inform them of a change to when booking documents are sent out amid Middle East conflict concerns

All Jet2 passengers with holidays booked have been contacted by the operator regarding an important change. Thousands of travellers have received emails notifying them that their holiday documents will be arriving later than originally expected.

This has raised alarm bells among some customers who fear it could be a scam – particularly as Jet2 has recently been warning about numerous fake social media accounts being created in an attempt to defraud passengers.

One passenger wrote on X: “@jet2tweets Hi, I’ve just received this email apparently from Jet2 saying I will now get my holiday documents 14 days before my holiday departure instead of 28, is this true or is it still 28, I’ve a feeling this was a spam email though.”

Another passenger added: “I had the same email. Flying on 25 May with jet2,” A traveller added: “Ive just had the same email !”

The email says: “Just so you know, following a change to when we send out the documents for your holiday, you’ll now receive your documents 14 days before departure, rather than 28 days as stated on your original booking confirmation. You don’t need to contact us or take any action – you’ll recveive your documents 14 days before you travel. Have a lovely holiday!”

Responding on X, Jet2 confirmed it was a genuine message and explained: “Hi there, thanks for reaching out. Yes we can confirm that you will receive your documents 14 days before departure. Should you require any further assistance, then please feel free to send us a DM. “

The shift towards holidaymakers securing their travel documents closer to their departure dates comes amid growing uncertainty sparked by the Middle East conflict. Last week, Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), warned there could be flight cancellations “soon” if oil supplies remain restricted by the Iran war.

The head of the world’s energy watchdog also cautioned that Europe has only six weeks’ supply of jet fuel because of the Middle East conflict. Iran continues to have a stranglehold on tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz and has fired at several over the weekend.

Worried holidaymakers have been flooding Jet2’s social media channels with their concerns. One wrote: “@jet2tweets Hi there – we are looking to go away for a week to Malaga in June and want to know how concerned we should be about the reporting of lack of airport fuel and what happens to our holiday should something like this happen and impact our holiday. Can you help…?|”

Another posted: “Are holidays going ahead as usual? We’ve booked an all inclusive 10 day to Crete in June. I’m worried about jet fuel prices.” While a further traveller asked: “You guys aren’t planning on last-minute flight cancellations due to potential jet fuel shortages, are you? Family holiday booked in May, FYI” Jet2 responded: “Hi all, flights are planned to go ahead as normal. If anything were to change regarding your booking, we would be sure to reach out to you directly to make you aware and discuss the options available to you. Thanks”

Meanwhile, Javier Gándara, easyJet’s CEO for Spain and Portugal, spoke at the reopening of the airline’s base in Palma, Mallorca, where he gave his assessment of the current fuel supply situation: “What the producers and airports are telling us is that there won’t be any supply problems for the next three or four weeks.

“Beyond that, it’s difficult to see. In Spain, we are in a comparatively better situation than neighbouring countries for two reasons. Firstly, because of all the crude oil that is imported and then refined here, only 11% comes from the Middle East, which is the percentage affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz; the remaining 89% comes from elsewhere.”

He went on to warn: “No one will be immune to potential supply problems. Ships that leave and pass through the Strait of Hormuz and come to Europe take an average of 45 days, and they have already been practically out of service for two months. It will take time to recover all of that. It’s difficult to know what will happen, so we’ll react as we go.”

A woman who moved from the Cotswolds to London over two decades ago has said that despite her vibrant life that there has been one massive downside of being based in the UK’s capital

There has been a noticeable ebb and flow in UK living patterns in recent years, as thousands of Britons weigh up whether they prefer city or countryside life.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, many left urban centres in favour of the wide open spaces and cleaner air of the countryside, though some later returned when restrictions were lifted and they missed the convenience and amenities of city living.

As the cost of living crisis has continued, the debate over whether to stay in cities or relocate to the countryside has remained ongoing. One woman, who moved from the Cotswolds to London to run a pub in the East End, has explained why she has no intention of returning.

Artist and mother-of-five Pauline Forster, 76, runs The George Tavern on Commercial Road in Tower Hamlets, having bought the building for £500,000 in 2003 when she was 53.

More than 20 years and a major renovation later, the Grade II listed building — which had once been earmarked for demolition — is still standing and thriving. She has said that despite the high cost of living in London, she values the space her property provides for those who need it.

She told The Times: “There’s room here for whoever needs it, including my five sons. I like the scale and space of it — why would you buy a terraced house when you can get all this?

“I’ll admit that the bills, wages and utility bills are horrendous, and have rocketed in the time I have been here. I do have a mortgage but if I live to 80, I’ll have paid it off. I don’t really care because I’ll never stop working and the George will continue well after I’ve gone.”

Pauline added firmly that “nothing” would tempt her back to countryside living, saying the stimulating environment of London is both what she wants and what she needs.

However, while Pauline has chosen to remain in the capital, others have taken a different approach, opting to live outside the city while still commuting in for work.

Olivia Newton, 37, works in London but lives in South Hams in Devon with her husband Will.

Despite a four-hour commute and £150 off-peak train fare, she says she has no plans to move back to the city, largely because of the benefits the journey brings to her mental health and productivity.

She told The Times: “I once dreaded ‘the commute’ and that was from Shepherds Bush to my office in Shoreditch, but it’s become an integral and valuable part of my life in its own right.

“I get time to have a good think and finish off the deck I’ve been putting off, attempt to get to the end of my book club book and occasionally just zone out and watch the waves splash at the tracks as we pass through Dawlish.”