AFTER returning to Instagram Katie Price has found herself with one less loyal follower – her husband Lee Andrews.
Katie was previously left fuming after her account with a whopping 2.6 million followers was removed from the platform.
The ban came at a tumultuous time for the former glamour model, following a man hunt for Lee, who is currently thought to be jailed in Dubai’s Al Awir prison.
But after regaining access to her page earlier today, she was met with a mystery.
Katie’s conman hubby Lee has hit the unfollow button on the star, something that usually points towards trouble in paradise.
Lee now follows nobody over on the app.
Things between the pair have certainly been a rollercoaster these past few weeks as she claimed to have told him he was the “most hated man in Britain” over the phone.
The reality TV legend told fans last week that she and Lee had a two-minute phone call from which he dialled in from a prison call box.
Lee claimed he’d been detained on suspicion of spying but that lie was quickly debunked.
Authorities confirmed to us he was NOT being held over spying charges and we understand he’s behind bars over claims relating to a private, civil matter.
Lee, who has “three phones” and bragged about being an “arms dealer,” is due for release today but must pay a four-figure fine.
The self-confessed “businessman” has certainly fuelled speculation on his relationship with Katie after savagely unfollowing her.
She was furious with Lee when he “made her look a d**k” after failing to show up for their joint GMB interview but this could be the ultimate betrayl.
Podcast host Katie had her Instagram account taken away over the weekend due to her flashing her boob in one post, alongside a flurry of promotions for CBD products.
Meta, the company behind the social media giant, removed her entire profile as it investigated.
Execs are understood to have analysed her posts and stories, and found no wrongdoing, hence why her profile has now returned.
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Barrick Mining (B) is considering a possible London listing for its African business, potentially via an all-stock deal with U.K.-listed Endeavour Mining (EDVMF) as a possible option, Reuters reported Monday.
Under one scenario being explored, Barrick (B) would retain its
DENVER — Tina Peters, the former clerk convicted of participating in a scheme to chase election conspiracy theories promulgated by President Trump, was released from prison Monday after the president successfully pressured Colorado’s Democratic governor into commuting her sentence.
Peters’ release was confirmed by the Colorado Department of Corrections. The state agency said it would have no more information about the 70-year-old inmate. Her sentence was shortened by Gov. Jared Polis last month after Trump waged a lengthy pressure campaign against the governor and his state.
Peters served less than a quarter of her nine-year sentence.
Peters was the first local election official to be charged with breaching security after the 2020 election. She snuck in an outside computer expert affiliated with My Pillow Chief Executive Mike Lindell — who himself denied that Trump lost the White House in 2020 — and the person copied the county’s Dominion Voting Systems computer server as it was updated in 2021.
Peters then joined Lindell onstage at a “cybersymposium” that promised to reveal proof that the election was rigged. Video and photos of the computer system upgrade, including passwords, were posted online. The move stoked false claims that voting machines were manipulated to steal the election from Trump.
Peters was convicted in 2024 of attempting to influence a public servant, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, violation of duty and other crimes by jurors in Mesa County, a Republican stronghold that supported Trump. An appeals court upheld her conviction in April, but ordered Peters to be resentenced because it said the judge who sent her to prison wrongly punished her for speaking out about election fraud.
Trump had championed Peters’ case, but because she was convicted under state law, he did not have the power to pardon her. Instead, the president pressured Polis to do so, lambasting him on social media and disinviting him to a White House meeting with other governors. The Trump administration also announced plans to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado and relocated the U.S. Space Command to Alabama.
Polis commuted Peters’ sentence on May 15. In a letter, he wrote that although Peters was convicted of serious crimes and deserved to spend time in prison, the sentence was “extremely unusual and lengthy” for a first-time non-violent offender.
Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, called the move a “dark day for democracy” and said it amounted to ”selling out our state’s justice system for Trump.”
Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has called on UFC president Dana White to release Tom Aspinall from his contract and says the heavyweight champion is not being paid his worth.
Manchester-based Aspinall, 33, signed a “commercial and advisory” deal with Hearn’s new talent agency in March.
Aspinall has been the standout performer in the UFC’s heavyweight division in recent years, with seven of his eight wins ending in the first round.
Hearn is prepared to offer Aspinall higher earnings if the UFC allowed him to leave, as tensions continue to grow between himself and White, though it is unclear whether that would be in boxing or MMA.
Matchroom chairman Hearn is also willing to drop planned legal action over Conor Benn’s decision to leave his stable for White’s Zuffa Boxing promotional company if they release Aspinall.
Hearn, 46, previously described 29-year-old Benn’s departure as a “dagger in the heart”.
“I’ll walk away from all their problems they’ve got on the Conor Benn legal situation if they release Tom Aspinall,” Hearn said.
“And I will, in writing, it will be five or six times more money he’ll be making, but I will put in writing that Tom Aspinall will make a minimum of three times more than he will under his current contract.”
Aspinall remains under contract with the UFC and is one of its biggest stars.
Hearn has previously criticised the UFC’s pay structure and suggested leading fighters could earn considerably more elsewhere.
There is no indication the UFC would consider releasing Aspinall, but Hearn’s remarks have increased debate around fighter pay in mixed martial arts (MMA).
“I would like to propose that Dana White should be happy for Tom Aspinall, who is extremely unhappy, and he should release him of his obligations with the UFC,” Hearn added.
“And he should allow him to go out and make considerably more for himself and his family because that’s what Dana White’s all about, isn’t it? He’d be happy for Tom. So that’s what I would like.”
Aspinall has been dealing with eye problems since his title fight with Ciryl Gane last October had to be stopped because of repeated eye pokes.
He had double eye surgery in February and it is not yet certain when he will be able to return to action.
Hearn has been publicly feuding with UFC president White since the launch of Zuffa Boxing.
Aspinall became part of that war of words when Hearn suggested White “humiliated” him by not backing the fighter after the eye controversy.
June 1 (UPI) — French President Emmanuel Macron said the country’s navy intercepted a sanctioned crude oil tanker that departed from a Russian port.
Macron wrote on X that a ship called the Tagor was seized Sunday by the French navy “in international waters, with the support of several partners including the United Kingdom, in strict compliance with the law of the sea.”
The Tagor, registered in Madagascar, departed from the Russian port of Umba and appeared on ship tracking sites in the North Atlantic last week, CNN reported.
The European Union, Britain and the United States have all sanctioned the Tagor.
“It is unacceptable for ships to circumvent international sanctions, violate the law of the sea, and fund the war that Russia has been waging against Ukraine for more than four years,” Macron wrote. “These vessels, which fail to adhere to the most basic rules of maritime navigation, also pose a threat to the environment and to everyone’s safety.”
The Tagor is the third ship to be seized on suspicion of being part of a Russian shadow fleet. An oil tanker was intercepted by France between the southern coast of Spain and the northern coast of Morocco in Morocco. Another was intercepted by Belgium with French assistance in March.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov released a statement that Sunday’s seizure was “illegal, bordering on international piracy.”
“We absolutely disagree that they are being carried out in full compliance with international law,” Peskov said of the seizures.
The Russian embassy in Paris told Russian state-run news agency TASS that the captain of the Tagor is believed to be a Russian citizen, and the embassy has requested information from French officials about whether other Russian citizens were present on the vessel.
A BEAUTIFUL city in Germany has been named one of the best hidden gems in Europe.
European Best Destinations has announced its list of ‘Best Treasure Destinations in Europe 2026’, naming any that have ‘rare beauty, timeless charm and extraordinary places still preserved from mass tourism’.
At the very top of its list is Tübingen in Germany.
The publication called the city an “amazing treasure destination in Europe“.
It added that it’s “a traditional university town; about one in three people living there is a student.
“From its historical sites to its beautiful green spaces, there are so many unique things to do in Tübingen.“
The city in southwest Germany has a very pretty Old Town, translated to Altstadt.
Tübingen is considered ‘untouched’ as unlike other German cities as it avoided being bombed in World War Two.
So it still has it’s pastel-coloured 15th-century half-timbered houses and cobblestone roads filled with independent and boutique shops, pubs, cafés, and restaurants.
One visitor said: “We went there in the middle of summer and the view was really beautiful. Between the alleys, typically German, colorful houses and flower railings.”
Another said the Old Town is “definitely the most beautiful place in the city. The square is plenty of restaurants and terrasses. It’s a good place to drink something and enjoy the atmosphere, especially in summer.”
One of the most famous sites in the city is the Hölderlin Tower, the former home of the poet Friedrich Hölderlin.
The tower was built in the late 18th century and sits on the Neckar River.
It’s now a museum with a permanent exhibition dedicated to Friedrich Hölderlin during the time that he lived in the tower.
Another popular activity is getting on Neckar River for Oxford-style punting.
Public punting along the Neckar River runs seasonally from May to September.
One of the tour operators offers sessions from €70 (£60.54) per hour – this price is for a whole boat seating up to 16 people.
There are different tours available, some along the riverfront, others head to Neckar Island and sunset tours during the evening.
There are some food specialities to enjoy while visiting Tübingen including Maultaschen – pasta filled with minced meat, spinach, bread crumbs and onions.
There’s also Käsespätzle which are cheese noodles, the region is also known for its wines like Trollinger and Lemberger.
For Brits, the easiest way to get to Tübingen is to fly to Stuttgart, and then drive 40-minutes south of the airport.
Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr brings you the latest from Lebanon as Israel expands its occupation there.
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On the Shelf
There’s Only One Sin in Hollywood
Flatiron Books: 300 pages, $29
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Twenty pages into “There’s Only One Sin in Hollywood” by bestselling Pasadena author Rasheed Newson, I had to stop reading. Not because the story and characters were anything less than gripping —I was utterly transfixed. Not because I was unmoved by the setting, the 1950s version of the iconic landmarks where today’s Angelenos, myself included, work, play, eat and drink: Griffith Park, the L.A. Central Library, the Paramount Pictures lot, the Roosevelt Hotel, the Tam O’Shanter in Atwater Village and the Black Cat in Silver Lake, site of America’s first queer riot, also depicted in the book.
No, it was writerly admiration — OK, envy — that stopped me. As I turned the pages, I kept scribbling the same question in the margins. “How did Newson do this?”
How did Newson, author of the 2022 bestseller “My Government Means to Kill Me” and a producer/writer on such popular TV series as “The Chi” and “Bel-Air,” craft a novel populated with a seamless mix of real and invented characters, each with their own true or fictional backstory, personality, career vicissitudes, sartorial style and sexual proclivities, adhering simultaneously to both his novelistic timeline and historically accurate events?
How did Newson seat his fictional protagonist — Aaron Touissant, a Black, closeted gay Hollywood “fixer” employed by Skyline Studios to keep queer actors’ secrets secret — at the same Beverly Hilton ballroom table with Sidney Poitier, Diahann Carroll, Harry Belafonte, Sammy Davis Jr., Lena Horne, Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis, James Edwards, Eartha Kitt and Xavier Barlow, Newson’s invented Black gay movie star who is Skyline’s greatest hope and Touissant’s principal client?
I couldn’t read another page without knowing, and those unread pages were calling to me. So I called Rasheed Newson, whom I’d seen around the L.A. lit scene but had never met, and asked how he’d made the magic of his novel happen.
“I wanted to do a deep dive into Black queer history during the Golden Age of cinema,” Newson said. “The first thing that came to me was Xavier’s character. I decided to make him the 10-years-younger, queer rival of Sidney Poitier, to highlight the acceptable versus unacceptable — meaning, straight versus gay — 1950s Black movie star.
“I read a lot of books on Hollywood’s golden era,” Newson said. “But I was trying to get closer to what people were thinking at the moment, rather than what they reflected back on later. Only newspapers give you that. So I spent hours and hours in the downtown L.A. public library, poring over microfiche, reading the newspapers of the time.”
Author Rasheed Newsom.
(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)
I asked Newson about the titular “one sin in Hollywood.”
“That sin is disobedience,” he said. “Particularly when your disobedience threatens to upend how the business makes money. In Hollywood you can be an addict, be a philanderer, be outspoken. But don’t disrupt the cash flow.”
Newson’s plot and characters serve the novel’s thesis well. We meet Aaron Touissaint as a brutally bullied “sissy” in a small, small-minded Ohio town. Aaron escapes his torturers, first by rooting himself in the town’s only movie theater open to Black people, and then by lying about his age and enlisting in the Navy at 16. On the Korean battle front, Aaron becomes the aide and the lover of superstar fighter pilot and “model Negro” Horace Dixon. When the war ends and Skyline Studios buys the screen rights to Horace’s life story, Aaron follows Horace to Hollywood.
The movie is canceled. Horace leaves Hollywood and a heartbroken but determined Aaron behind. Hired as a Skyline security guard, Aaron is promoted to fixer, keeping himself and Skyline’s A-listers closeted by any means necessary. To that end, Aaron marries Kimberly, who becomes his poised, self-contained “beard.”
At the top of Aaron’s client roster is Xavier Barlow, Skyline’s new, hot rising star and Aaron’s new, hot crush. “The bond between us was never conventional,” narrator Aaron tells us. “Off and on for nearly a decade, it was my duty to keep [Xavier’s] nose clean. … He challenged me to admit who and what I am. And I fell in love with him.”
As secret same-sex love stories all too often do, Aaron’s love for Xavier, and Xavier’s one-man campaign to mitigate Hollywood’s homophobia, come to a tragic and suspicious end. Soon after Xavier publicly protests the studio’s homophobic rewrite of a movie script he intended to serve as his coming-out announcement, a truck crashes into his car on Wilshire.
“This was no accident,” Aaron realizes. “Xavier was hunted down.” With his best friend, Diahann Carroll, and a sizable contribution from Sidney Poitier, Aaron organizes the funeral, attempting to redeem the reputation he was hired to protect. “The news reports following Xavier’s death impeached his character,” Aaron says. “The implication was that gay men naturally had messy lives and untimely deaths. … Confidential magazine went as far as to print that “the driver of the truck [that killed Xavier] could well have been one of Xavier’s spurned male lovers.”
“Furious at the coverage,” Aaron narrates the story, “Diahann asked me, ‘Why don’t they print the lovely things I have to say about Xavier?’ ”
“I said, “They never will. Xavier fought the studio, and everything you’re reading is part of his punishment.”
The erasure of gay Black Hollywood is really the point of this imaginatively crafted, stunningly tense, historically significant sophomore novel. Newson’s impressive gifts for story, for writing the erotic and the noir, and for rooting himself in his adopted city are on magnificent display here. By smoothly merging the true and the invented stories and characters of 1950s Hollywood, Newson alerts us to the increase in racism and homophobia evident in the entertainment business, and in the U.S., today.
Rasheed Newson will talk with novelist Laura Warrell at Octavia’s Bookshelf at 6 p.m. Monday, and with writer Manuel Betancourt at Skylight Books. at 7 p.m. June 24.
Maran, a Silver Lake-based author, has written “The New Old Me” and other books.
California’s decision to redraw its congressional map to flip as many as five House seats to Democrats in November is poised to play a big and potentially decisive role in the nation’s broader, bare-knuckle fight for control of Congress.
Tuesday’s primary races — where the top two candidates will advance to November runoffs — won’t determine which Republicans are ousted in most cases, but they will provide an important first look at voter sentiment and bring the fall’s most crucial head-to-head contests into focus.
“There will be some real cues and signals about what to expect,” said Christian Grose, a redistricting scholar and political science professor at USC. “We’re going to know how strong the Democrats’ chances are going to be based on who advances.”
As one example, Grose pointed to the redrawn 22nd Congressional District in the Central Valley, where incumbent Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford) is facing challenges from moderate Assemblymember Jasmeet Kaur Bains (D-Delano) and progressive college professor Randy Villegas.
Grose said Bains is probably a stronger challenger than Villegas in a district that’s still a reach for Democrats — even if “either one could probably beat Valadao if 2026 is a big Democratic wave.”
Grose will also be closely watching the race between incumbent Reps. Young Kim (R-Anaheim Hills) and Ken Calvert (R-Corona) in the redrawn Congressional District 40, which covers a swath of inland Orange County and portions of San Bernardino and Riverside counties, including parts of Kim’s and Calvert’s current districts.
The district race wasn’t designed to deliver Democrats a seat, but will produce “one of the first casualties for Republicans from the new map” — months before other expected ousters — if Kim and Calvert don’t both advance.
The redistricting war was prompted by President Trump’s unprecedented pressuring of Republican-controlled states to redraw their maps mid-decade for partisan advantage in order to retain control of Congress, given his sinking approval ratings and a history of midterm voters punishing the president’s party.
After Texas Republicans heeded Trump’s call to redraw five districts in their party’s favor, California Democrats responded with Proposition 50, a ballot measure passed by voters in November to sideline the state’s independent redistricting committee and allow Democrats to redraw five congressional districts in their favor.
The war ratcheted up — with more Republican states suddenly considering map changes — after a U.S. Supreme Court decision in April that weakened the 1965 Voting Rights Act and its long-standing protections for majority-Black districts in the South.
Republicans have now acted to redraw congressional maps in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio and Tennessee, with varying degrees of success, while a battle in Utah could add a single additional Democratic seat there. Attempts in other states have failed, including by the GOP in South Carolina and Democrats in Virginia.
Experts say the net result from the flurry of redistricting will probably be a gain of a handful or more seats for Republicans — but in a year when Democrats are expected to make gains more broadly, leaving control of the House up for grabs. California’s new map is “a huge deal” precisely because that math is so close, said David Wasserman, senior editor and elections analyst for the independent, nonpartisan Cook Political Report.
“Democrats are modest favorites for House control based on the political environment, but also because of California,” Wasserman said in an interview with The Times. “Picking up these four or five seats is a prerequisite to Democrats getting the majority.”
California has 52 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, by far the most of any state. With their new map, California Democrats are hoping to increase their 43 House seats to 48. That would leave just four seats represented by members of the GOP despite Republicans accounting for a quarter of the state electorate.
But that outcome isn’t guaranteed.
Paul Mitchell, a Democratic redistricting expert who devised California’s new map, said the reconfigured congressional districts had to create a pathway for new Democrats to win additional seats without undermining incumbent Democrats’ reelection. And the result is a map with three pretty safe pickups for Democrats, and two districts that are “100% on the table, ready for Democrats to win,” but will nonetheless “require shoe-leather and grit.”
The redrawn congressional district boundaries enacted by Proposition 50 promise to shake up at least three seats, experts said.
Congressional District 1: Held by the late Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) for 13 years until his death in January, the district is currently rural and conservative, stretching from the Sacramento outskirts through Redding to the Oregon border and California’s northeastern corner. Under the state’s new congressional district map, it loses some of its rural reaches and picks up liberal coastal communities, and favors a Democrat such as state Sen. Mike McGuire, who is one of the leading candidates.
Congressional District 3: The seat is currently held by Rep. Kevin Kiley (I-Rocklin) and stretches from the Sacramento suburbs through Lake Tahoe and south along the Nevada border. Under the new map, it holds more tightly to the Sacramento suburbs, favoring a Democrat.
The changes were enough to convince an incumbent Democrat, Rep. Ami Bera (D-Elk Grove), to leave his current district — Congressional District 6, which includes the city of Sacramento and the suburbs of Roseville and Rocklin in Placer County — and run in District 3 instead.
Meanwhile, Kiley did the reverse. He quit the Republican Party, became an independent and announced he would be leaving District 3 and running instead in District 6 — the one Bera is leaving — against a slate of new Democratic challengers.
Congressional District 41. The seat is now held by Calvert, a 17-term incumbent, and currently stretches from Corona to the Coachella Valley. The new map made the district more liberal, losing voters in Riverside County and gaining them in Los Angeles County, and Calvert decided to run instead in Kim’s redrawn but still Republican-leaning Congressional District 40 that is just to the west.
The two toughest flips for Democrats, experts said, are Congressional District 22, Valadao’s heavily Latino district in the Central Valley, followed by Congressional District 48 in San Diego and Riverside counties, where Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Bonsall) decided to retire rather than run for reelection.
Valadao is viewed as especially vulnerable because of his recent support for Medicaid cuts, but he has proved resilient in the past. Meanwhile, his two leading Democratic challengers, Bains and Villegas, are in a bitter fight, with Bains receiving Democratic establishment support and Villegas winning endorsements from prominent progressives.
In Issa’s district, moderate Republican San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond is running against several infighting Democrats, including San Diego Councilwoman Marni von Wilpert and former Obama labor official Ammar Campa-Najjar.
Jeff Wice, a New York Law School professor who was involved in California redistricting efforts in 2010, said the state “has long played hardball politics on redistricting,” including when then-Rep. Phil Burton, a powerful San Francisco Democrat, bragged more than 40 years ago that the complex congressional boundaries he’d crafted for Democrats were his “contribution to modern art.”
But in five decades studying redistricting, Wice said he has never seen such “politically driven, partisan politics” as are occurring now across the nation, which he said have “no root in law, reason or fairness” — and are only likely to continue.
“This state-by-state war is far from over, and may continue all the way through 2030,” he said. “A lot of it depends on the outcome of this November’s election.”
Wasserman said the country has “entered an era of no-holds-barred redistricting,” and he also sees redistricting efforts continuing — including in California, where they would present a distinct threat to the state’s few remaining Republicans.
Michael Li, senior counsel in the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law, said California is a “big part of the story” this election cycle, thanks to Proposition 50. “Democrats in California proved to be very determined and resourceful and managed to get that done, and right now California is the big offset to Republican gerrymandering around the country,” he said.
But what will come of it all — in California and across the country — is still to be determined.
“When you’re gerrymandering, you’re making a bet that you know what the politics of the future will look like, and it’s hard to predict,” he said. “It’s a high-risk, high-reward venture.”
She has flown early to the west coast of the US to be fully acclimatised for this week’s major, imbued with the confidence of her Ohio triumph.
And the key to that victory on 17 May was worked out by the player herself. She had been bemused by an uncharacteristically erratic performance on the greens while missing the cut at the Mizuho Americas Open earlier in the month.
“My putting was pretty poor and I’d been putting pretty good this year,” Woad said. “OK, it could be me, it is probably is me, but, I thought I’ll check the putter.
“The grip was just a tiny bit off, but obviously as golfers, we’re pretty specific. So it was bugging me a little bit. I got it regripped and then, yeah, all good.”
Woad beat a quality field, holding off South Korea’s Haeran Ryu to win by two shots, with major winners Miyu Yamashita and Ruoning Yin trailing in her wake.
The spectacularly in-form Nelly Korda and former world number one Lydia Ko shared eighth place.
“I think it was probably a more important win for me than the first one,” Woad said. “The first one [in Scotland last July] was obviously amazing, but it all happened so quickly.
“I had just turned pro right before that one and then went off and played loads of events. I didn’t really get time to reflect on it.
“I don’t know how many events I’ve played now, but a lot more events, playing each week, travelling each week. Seeing the competition, seeing how good everyone is.
“I think to win again, to get the second one was more important for me.”
Published On 1 Jun 20261 Jun 2026
India says it will continue engaging with Myanmar after Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Min Aung Hlaing, the leader of the country’s military government, in New Delhi.
Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told reporters on Monday that India’s policy is “not intended to be a commentary on the internal political arrangements” in Myanmar and that New Delhi believes engagement is the best way forward.
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Western nations have sought to isolate Myanmar’s military rulers since they overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in a 2021 coup that triggered a crackdown on opponents and a brutal civil war.
The conflict began when the country’s army leader, Min Aung Hlaing, ousted the government and detained civilian leaders, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
Some critics and human rights groups have said Min Aung Hlaing’s visit to India risks lending legitimacy to the military-backed government.
“We have always proceeded on the principle that sustained dialogue is what is important,” Misri said, adding that isolating Myanmar would be counterproductive.
“History has shown that disengagement doesn’t give us any results that are better than engagement.”
The visit is Min Aung Hlaing’s first to India since he was sworn in as president in April following an election that critics say was designed to cement his hold on power. His last visit to India was in 2019, when he served as Myanmar’s military chief.
He arrived in India on Saturday, first in the eastern state of Bihar, with a visit to the Buddhist pilgrimage site of Bodh Gaya, where believers say that the Buddha attained enlightenment.
India shares a 1,643-kilometre (1,020-mile) border with Myanmar and a maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal.
Myanmar is also strategically important to India’s security interests. The two countries have cooperated on border security and intelligence sharing to combat armed rebel groups.
Modi and Min Aung Hlaing did not address the media after their meeting, as usually occurs after most bilateral talks involving visiting heads of state or government in New Delhi.
But Misri said the two leaders discussed trade, defence and security cooperation, border management, and regional issues, with talks also focusing on expanding economic and technology ties. He said both sides agreed to deepen collaboration across sectors, including trade, energy and critical minerals, and to accelerate major connectivity projects.
Min Aung Hlaing is expected to hold talks with business representatives during his five-day visit, and will travel to the financial hub, Mumbai.
Bilateral trade was $1.95bn in 2025-2026, according to New Delhi.
The leaders also discussed cooperation against cybercrime and human trafficking, issues that have affected thousands of Indians lured to scam centres in the region.
Misri said India and Myanmar have worked together to rescue more than 2,400 Indian nationals over the past 18 months.
Resistance groups formed after the 2021 coup have captured swaths of Myanmar. Others sought out and fought under the leadership of ethnic armies in exchange for training and weapons with which to fight the military.
These resistance groups, known as the People’s Defence Force (PDF), nominally operate under the leadership of the National Unity Government (NUG), a shadow government formed by Myanmar lawmakers removed by the military coup.
Zin Mar Aung, the foreign minister of the NUG, wrote a letter to Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, the minister of external affairs for India, on May 28, expressing concern about the visit.
“Since the military coup of 2021, which overturned the democratic will of the people, Myanmar has endured prolonged conflict, instability, and immense humanitarian suffering,” she said.
“India has long championed democratic governance, the rule of law, and regional stability. We therefore urge the Government of India to weigh carefully the broader implications of formal engagement that may normalise or legitimise military rule in Myanmar.”
My seven year old was enchanted by the entire experience(Image: Natalie King)
It’s difficult to believe that 13 years have passed since Frozen first graced our cinema screens. The adventures of Elsa and Anna soon became one of the most commercially successful animated pictures ever made, with its follow-up arriving in 2019. This means virtually every parent with primary school-aged children will, at some stage, find themselves able to reel off every word to Let It Go.
My seven year old daughter has kept the Frozen films on constant repeat on Disney+ for years. There’s something about the heartwarming stories of the two sisters that proves utterly captivating for her generation, even though she wasn’t born when the films originally came out. So when the opportunity arose to visit Disneyland Paris for the launch of Disney Adventure World featuring the World of Frozen – previously known as Walt Disney Studios Park – I responded with an enthusiastic yes.
The attraction forms part of ambitious expansion schemes for Disneyland Paris, and features stunning landscaped gardens surrounding a lake, brand-new dining venues and retail outlets, and arguably most importantly, the opportunity to enter Arendelle itself and become immersed in the magic. Not only was this my maiden voyage to Arendelle, it was also a first Disney adventure for both myself and my daughter, which made it all the more exciting.
Before the official opening back in March, we were treated to an exclusive preview, allowing us to explore the town at leisure, and it’s genuinely breathtaking. While Frozen is set in an imaginary kingdom, it draws heavily on Norwegian influences, and the park has recreated this flawlessly.
Against the striking backdrop of an enormous artificial North Mountain — where you can spot Elsa’s frozen palace shimmering in the distance — charming wooden structures are dotted throughout, packed with little nods to the film that will thrill Frozen fans.
Following a stroll around the lake soaking up the scenery, we kicked off our day with a visit to get my daughter’s hair styled. There’s a rustic wooden cabin beside the lake where children can select from an array of Scandinavian-inspired hairstyles including plaits and updos, finished with Frozen-themed hair embellishments. Face painting and flower crowns are also available for that authentic Arendelle style.
We also had a look inside the new Nordic Crowns Tavern, a welcoming spot at the heart of the park offering fast-service dining choices. The menu featured meatballs, fish, and other foods that complement the overall Scandinavian atmosphere of Arendelle.
But the star attraction is undoubtedly the World of Frozen ride, and so climbing aboard a boat, we set off into the unknown. The experience perfectly retells the story from the first film, guiding you through various scenes where you’ll spot familiar faces from the trolls, or love experts, to Sven, before going up a steep incline towards Elsa’s frozen fortress.
As the melody of Let It Go echoes around you, your boat suddenly hurtles backwards at pace, before you’re hurled from the North Mountain by the fearsome Marshmallow down a dramatic plunge. One tip for riders – don’t leave anything you don’t want soaked on the floor. I ended up having to use a hairdryer on my passport after my backpack got drenched through.
You then enjoy a firework display accompanied by delightful Frozen songs. My seven year old absolutely adored the experience, and it proved to be a trip highlight. And yes, we took a second spin — it would have been rude not to.
Time your arrival well and you can catch a Celebration in Arendelle, where beloved characters perform a spectacular show on boats across the water, and naturally, you can arrange a meet and greet with Anna and Elsa – although advance booking is required for this.
For those wanting to enjoy more Disney princess encounters without the lengthy waits, the new Regal View Restaurant is essential. I must confess, it feels somewhat strange stepping into an upscale restaurant after a morning spent at a theme park, and I felt rather underdressed compared to the elegant interior adorned with oil paintings and Disney-inspired ceramics.
That said, the staff were nothing short of delightful. As we settled in and enjoyed a three-course French meal, complete with charming nods to Disney princesses — from edible rose petals to dainty crowns — the princesses strolled between the tables to meet guests.
We were lucky enough to meet four princesses from the comfort of our seats, including Jasmine and Mulan, and each one was brilliantly professional and wonderfully engaging. My little one can be on the shy side when meeting characters, but they soon had her chatting away and practising princess twirls, and we had ample time to snap plenty of photos.
It’s certainly not a budget option, at €100 for adults and €50 for children for the set menu (roughly £86 and £43), but it made for a thoroughly relaxed and enjoyable experience — one that’s truly worth saving for a special occasion.
Amid all the buzz surrounding the World of Frozen, the brand-new Tangled ride was somewhat overlooked, though it’s an absolute gem for younger children. On Raiponce Tangled Spin, you gently drift around on spinning boats beneath a canopy of lanterns, making it the ideal attraction for little ones.
That evening, we made our way to the opening ceremony, where in a spectacular burst of glitter and confetti, the gates were flung wide open. Much like the iconic moment in the original film when the gates of Arendelle parted, there was an electric rush of excitement as we followed a brass band belting out beloved Frozen tunes.
French singer Santa took to the stage to perform Let It Go, amongst other songs, officially marking the park’s opening, with visitors making a beeline for the new ride and the chance to meet the princesses.
Rounding off the experience at the World of Frozen is a brand-new night-time spectacular, Disney Cascade of Lights, set on the lake. Combining drones, fireworks and pyrotechnics, it’s a breathtaking achievement and the ideal way to close the day for any Disney fan.
All in all, World of Frozen made for a magical experience and stands as one of the crown jewels of Disneyland Paris. As a first-time visitor to Disney, expectations were high, and the extraordinary attention to detail and outstanding entertainment on offer in Arendelle more than delivered. But above all else, watching my daughter wander around wide-eyed with wonder throughout the entire visit made every moment of the journey absolutely worthwhile.
Find out more on disneylandparis.com.
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Visits slammed the attraction for being overcrowded and expensive(Image: (c) HADI ZAHER via Getty Images)
As the summer season kicks in, queues at Europe’s most popular attractions are set to grow even longer – but landmark named as an ‘overrated’ hotspot may simply not be worth the wait.
A data analysis examining a range of Europe’s top attractions, assessing average review scores alongside factors such as overcrowding, cleanliness and entertainment value, has revealed the ten most overrated sights on the continent. Surprisingly, many of them are iconic landmarks that feature on countless tourists’ bucket lists.
Topping the list is the vast Palace of Versailles, the lavish château commissioned by King Louis XIV on the outskirts of Paris. Despite the estate’s undeniable grandeur, the study – carried out by price comparison site idealo found a significant number of reviews from disenchanted visitors, with nearly a third of reviewers flagging overcrowding as a major gripe.
Although the palace holds an impressive 4.7 rating on Google, a clear pattern of complaints emerges among its negative reviews. One frustrated visitor wrote: “It’s another tourist trap. This place is so crowded. Most art works are of replicas, the real ones are stored at the Louvre museum.
“There’s not enough toilet facilities for the number of visitors and every part of the palace requires another ticket: the king’s apartment, the queen’s apartment, the garden, the virtue, all cost extra.”, they added.
Another review from several months back stated: “It was impossible to enjoy the palace with the sheer number of people crammed into the spaces-it even felt unsafe in such a crowd.” However, a more enthusiastic review declared: “Beautiful place to visit. So much history! Fantastic architecture and amazing art.”
Coming in second was Park Güell in Barcelona, and while this collection of outdoor spaces designed by Antoni Gaudí boasts plenty of distinctive architectural elements, not every visitor was won over, reports the Express.
One critical review remarked: “My honest opinion is don’t bother. It’s €18 to walk around a kind of country park. There are 3 houses which you can see better on the website. How people are rating it 4 I do not know.
“Nothing but a money making tourist trap. The walk up to the entrance is about 20 minutes uphill and loads of steps too. Seriously, don’t waste your money.”
Yet a recent review offered: “It’s a very nice park with several great spots for taking photos. I recommend buying tickets in advance, but you can also get them on-site if you go early. I recommend going in the morning when the park opens.”
Claiming third place was the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, celebrated for its world-renowned frescoes adorning the ceiling, painted by Michelangelo. But despite its stunning 16th century artwork and legendary reputation, not everyone enjoyed their experience.
Many reviewers grumbled that the visit felt hurried, excessively crowded, and that photography of the famous ceiling was prohibited. One tourist described being: “Forced through a maze like cattle. Took an hour to get to the Chapel once we entered. Only saving grace wax we bought tickets to miss the regular line. I think people were waiting over an hour just to get in.”
Another complained: “The artwork is of course amazing. However, the shoulder to shoulder crowding throughout the museum made it difficult to appreciate anything but oversold tickets.”
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Passholders can enjoy a year of thrill rides and family fun(Image: Merlin Entertainments)
Merlin has launched a summer sale that slashes the cost of annual passes and monthly memberships in time for the six-week school holidays.
The sale, launched today by the owner of a number of theme parks and attractions across the UK, means theme park fans can enjoy discounts on both Gold and Platinum passes, as well as monthly memberships, giving them unlimited access to over 20 UK attractions. These include Thorpe Park, Alton Towers, LEGOLAND, and Chessington.
Best of all, if you opt for a Gold membership at the discounted price of £16.99 a month, this works out cheaper than a monthly Netflix Premium subscription, which costs £18.99 a month. So, you can enjoy lots of days out with the kids and screen-free time over the summer without worrying about entry fees.
You can currently buy an annual pass at Gold or Platinum level with £50 off the total price. This brings Gold membership down from £239 to £189 a year, and Platinum down from £299 to £249. If you prefer to pay monthly, the sale has slashed Gold from £19.99 a month to £16.99, and Platinum from £24.99 to £20.99.
Gold memberships, whether annual or monthly, include 364 days’ entry to over 20 Merlin attractions, free parking, and 20% off food, drinks, and shopping. Platinum members get these perks with no exclusion dates, four bring-a-friend passes, a free one-shot Fastrack per visit, and other extras.
While it’s not included in the sale, there’s also the cheapest Merlin Essentials pass for £139 a year, which offers unlimited access for 339 days of the year. However, parents should note that exclusion dates include Saturdays in August, at the peak of the school holidays.
Merlin’s parks are set to be popular with families this summer thanks to the addition of some major new rides aimed at the younger crowd. The brand-new World of PAW Patrol at Chessington World of Adventures Resort opened in early May, and includes four pup-themed rides, play areas, and meet and greets. Over at Alton Towers, CBeebies Land also recently opened Bluey the Ride: Here Come The Grannies!, a must-visit for fans of the Heeler family.
In addition to its well-known theme parks, Merlin also operates a range of family-friendly attractions that make perfect school holiday days out. These include the London Eye, SEA LIFE centres, Madame Tussauds, and Cadbury World, meaning it’s easy to make the most out of your pass.
For comparison, booking a day ticket to Alton Towers starts at £34, so if you live near a Merlin theme park or visit a lot, you could soon get your money’s worth.
If you’re planning a one-off visit, then Cadbury is currently running a promotion on selected packs offering half-price tickets. Simply pick up an eligible product and visit fun.cadbury.co.uk to enter your barcode to receive a discount code and a link to book your tickets at 50% off.
The Merlin Pass Summer Sale ends June 28. For more information or to purchase, visit the Merlin website.
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THERE’S a landmark right by one of the UK’s biggest airports and we bet you don’t know about it.
Think about the last time you flew from Gatwick Airport in London – you would have been right next to a huge part of the UK’s aviation history.
Gatwick’s original terminal still stands today but it isn’t like any other terminal you will have seen before.
Instead, the terminal was Art Deco and the first circular airport terminal in the world, leading it to be nicknamed The Beehive.
The circular terminal was four floors in total with the main floor having three layers.
The outer part was home to customs as well as storage and toilets, and in the centre of the circle, was the main concourse along with three shops and a post office.
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Between these two layers was another layer that was mainly used as office space, but did include a bar and lounge.
The terminal had a control tower in the centre as well, with 360-degree views.
Outside of the terminal, there were four grass landing strips.
Morris Jackaman bought the site back in 1933 for £13,500 – which is around £1.25million now.
According to the BBC, the circular design came about by accident after Morris’ father warned him if he wasn’t careful, “he’d be thinking around in circles” about the design.
The terminal was built between 1935 and 1936 and operated its first flight – which was to Paris – in 1936.
It was also the first airport to link train and air travel into one place – before, travellers would usually have to head to the closest town and then hop on a bus or in a taxi to the airport.
The airport linked the two via underground tunnels and pull-out canopies which meant passengers could walk direct from the train to their plane completely undercover, even if it rained.
Today, the 130metre tunnel still stands but is sectioned off and mainly used as storage.
When you emerged from the tunnel, you would be in the atrium of the terminal, with three check-in desks in front of you – all of which still stand today.
What are now the fire exit doors, used to be where passengers would step out of the terminal and head to their plane.
When World War II broke out in 1939, operations at the airport stopped as it was then used as a base for the Royal Air Force.
And by the time the war was over, commercial flights had increased in popularity and so the terminal was retired.
It wasn’t until 1958 when it was decided that Gatwick would be London’s second airport, with a much larger building replacing the former terminal, nearby.
In 1996, The Beehive was then Grade II listed and today is used as office spaces – and is sadly closed to the general public.
However, inside the modern terminal you will find The Beehive Wetherspoons pub named after the terminal.
Decor in the pub nods to the old terminal with honeycomb patterns and a curved bar.
The TV show uses this real life manor as one of its many sets (Image: UNKNOWN)
Rivals is back on our screens once again, and with it comes a growing intrigue into the beautiful setting, based predominantly in the UK’s Cotswolds, including this stunning manor.
Playing a huge part in the Disney Plus series is its countryside setting, with beautiful backdrops and unbelievable luxury homes all set within the fictional county of Rutshire.
One of those very settings is The Priory, the home belonging to Declan O’Hara in the show, a highly regarded Irish TV presenter and journalist. Although, in real life, it’s privately owned by an entirely different family and known as Chavenage House.
Set back within Tetbury, the home was up until recently under the helm of the chatelaine and matriarch for 67 years, Rona Lowsley-Williams. Rona sadly passed away in July 2025 and is much to thank for transforming the estate from a fading Edwardian household to a visitor attraction.
It stands proudly as an Elizabethan house, a Grade I listed building, built in 1576 by a man named Edward Stephens. Over time it has transformed with extensions done in the 17th, 19th and 20th centuries, looking rather different from its more humble beginnings but keeping with the original style and materials.
The house has been used as a prime filming location for a number of film and TV productions, not just for Rivals. Famous faces have graced its grounds over the last few decades, including the likes of Eddie Redmayne, Jamie Dornan and Aidan Turner.
A big example of this is the BBC’s Poldark, where Chavenage portrays the fictional house of Trenwith in the series. It also featured as Candleford Manor in the BBC’s Lark Rise to Candleford from 2008 while also appearing in The House of Eliott, Casualty and Dracula, to name a few.
Now, outside of its scheduled filming, the wonderful home is open for the public to see and explore a real-life set of their favourite show.
According to its website, the opportunity to tour the house is limited and so allows for guests to make reservations prior to turning up, subject to availability, as it is a privately owned residence after all.
The cost of this unique attraction is £12 a head for adults with a minimum group size of 21 and £6 for children. If group tours aren’t available and an individual visit is wanted, the bespoke private tour will begin at £250.
A recent visitor claimed it’s unmissable, writing on TripAdvisor: “This privately owned manor is full of history and artefacts, and the owners are lovely people. What a treat to have a personal tour of this incredibly special place, built in the Elizabethan period. If you have seen Poldark, you will recognise many of the scenes filmed in this historic home.”
Another shared: “Wow. After visiting many beautiful estates and castles (Buscot and Highclere), I didn’t expect to be blown away. However beautiful they were, I enjoyed Chavenage House so much more.
“Primarily, because the host was personally invested – he is part of the Lowsley-Williams family that has been at home here since 1891 and takes great pride in personally giving the tour. This truly makes a difference; the personal stories, pride and detail makes it very intimate.”
You can find out more on chavenage.com.
A BRAND-NEW train service has been halted just a week after its launch due to a mechanical fault.
The new route promises low prices and faster, direct services to London.
Lumo services between London Euston and Stirling have been cancelled in both directions due to a mechanical fault on the service’s sole train.
The journey was set to depart from Stirling at 8:50am this morning, travelling on the West Coast Main Line to get to London Euston by 3pm.
Passengers have been encouraged to check Lumo’s website for updates, and will face no extra cost for using alternative train services.
In a post on X, Lumo said Stirling and Larbert passengers would receive a taxi or road transport service to Motherwell to join an Avanti West Coast service.
Greenfaulds and Whifflet passengers expected to travel by ScotRail to get there.
Passengers travelling from Carlisle, Preston, Crewe, Nuneaton and Milton Keynes were told to join either Avanti West Coast or London Northwestern services to get to Euston.
A spokesperson for Lumo said: “Since launch, the vast majority of our services have operated as planned, however, a few services have been cancelled with alternative travel offered to customers.
“We apologise for the inconvenience and are working closely with Alstom who maintain the trains to ensure minimal disruption to customer journeys.”
Only launched last week, the new route offers budget travel routes betwen London and Stirling, costing £29.90.
For some Scottish towns, this service became the first direct rail route to London.
The faulty train is said to be a refurbised Class 222 Meridian train, previously used by East Midlands Railway.
Lumo hopes to increase its schedule to four daily services, plus an additional journey between Euston and Preston, as early as late July using more new trains.
It is unknown what caused the train fault, but rail services on the London Euston to Stirling route are expected to resume on Tuesday.
On a modest bed inside his war-battered home in the Khartoum North neighbourhood of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, Murtada Mohieddin, a diabetic patient in his early 50s, carefully counts his remaining doses of insulin. His search for medicine has transformed into a harrowing battle – not just to find the treatment he needs to survive his diabetes, but to ensure the medicine is not expired or ruined.
“Sometimes the insulin is spoiled,” Mohieddin tells Al Jazeera, inspecting his limited supply. “You wouldn’t know if it is ruined or expired. You can check the expiration date, but it could still be damaged from poor storage.”
More than three years of civil war have crippled Sudan’s healthcare infrastructure: hospitals, health centres and pharmaceutical factories have been shut and vital medical supply chains and storage across the country have been disrupted.
The war, which erupted as a power struggle between Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has killed more than 50,000 people and displaced 14 million – nearly a quarter of the country’s population.
The devastating conflict has paralysed domestic pharmaceutical production and collapsed vital supply chains across the country.
According to a World Health Organization (WHO) news release dated April 14, 2026, Sudan represents the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with 21 million people lacking basic healthcare services out of 34 million needing aid.
In the void left by the closure of pharmaceutical companies, smuggling networks have flourished, flooding the market with unregulated drugs locally known as “Boko” medicines.
These include critical intravenous malaria medications smuggled across borders. Because they completely bypass strict temperature controls and quality checks during transit, these drugs are frequently spoiled, rendering them either totally ineffective or lethally toxic to patients.
Inside local pharmacies in Omdurman, located on the outskirts of Khartoum, the crisis is not just limited to scarcity. Patients now face the double threat of exorbitant costs and life-threatening quality issues, as these illicit medicines are often severely spoiled due to a lack of proper storage and refrigeration.
Mutawakil Hamza, a pharmacist based in Omdurman, said the reliance on unregulated channels is putting lives at immediate risk.
“Most malaria medicines are now brought in through smuggling,” Hamza said. “These are ultimately injections for intravenous use, and this is highly dangerous to a patient’s health.”
Because intravenous treatments bypass the body’s natural defences and require absolute sterility, administering improperly stored or degraded smuggled injections can rapidly cause severe bloodstream infections, systemic shock, or death.
The war has effectively dismantled local manufacturing, reversing years of medical self-reliance. Yasser Ahmed Youssef, a pharmaceutical industry expert whose factory is located in Khartoum, noted the stark contrast to the pre-war era, when local factories managed to produce “very large quantities of life-saving medicines, including drugs for blood pressure, diabetes, colds, and paediatric care”.
Now, the majority of those production lines are silent, leaving the population dependent on a shattered healthcare system. According to the October 2025 Health Resources and Services Availability Monitoring System (HeRAMS) report cited in a WHO Public Health Situation Analysis from January 6, 2026, 40 percent of health facilities nationwide are entirely nonoperational.
The situation is even more drastic regionally, with 87 percent of facilities shut down in Khartoum and 85 percent closed in North Kordofan, whose control is contested between the rival sides.
In active conflict zones such as Gezira, Khartoum, Darfur and the Kordofan regions, the shortages are particularly dire.
A United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) emergency report from August 2025 highlighted that the only functioning maternity hospital in the besieged city of el-Fasher faces critical medicine shortages and risks imminent closure.
El-Fasher, the last SAF stronghold in the western region of Darfur, was taken over by the RSF in late October 2025, trapping approximately 700,000 civilians – mostly women and children. People have been cut off entirely from food and medicine and subjected to attacks.
In the government-funded public sector, the National Medical Supplies Fund maintains that it is working to secure essential medicines despite the fighting, claiming to have achieved 75 percent availability for cancer medications and fully secured supplies for kidney patients.
However, officials admit the overarching infrastructure is in ruins, with the local health ecosystem almost destroyed.
“We have been massively affected by the ongoing war inside Sudan,” said Abubakar Salouha, a department director at the fund. “The medical supplies have been severely impacted; there has been a collapse at the level of the main warehouses at the headquarters.”
International aid deliveries from neighbouring countries also face enormous logistical hurdles.
The WHO’s January 6 situation analysis detailed that cross-border transit times for medical commodities can take up to 90 days to reach remote regions like Darfur from the Cameroonian city of Douala via Chad. Compounding these suffocating delays, armed groups have repeatedly targeted medical infrastructure, looting pharmacies and stripping remaining hospitals of their vital medical supplies.
Recent attacks highlight this systematic destruction by rival sides. On March 20, 2026, a drone attack on Al-Daein Teaching Hospital in East Darfur state killed at least 64 people, including medical personnel, and injured 89 others. Sudanese rights group the Emergency Lawyers reported that the army was behind the attack.
On April 2, another drone attack struck Al-Jabalain Hospital in White Nile state, killing 10 staff members, including the hospital’s director while he was performing surgery. That same day, the Family Hospital in el-Daein was looted, and patients and health workers were assaulted and expelled. Similarly, a hospital in Kurmuk, Blue Nile state, was looted on March 25, its equipment destroyed, and patients forced out. The RSF was blamed for these attacks.
“Sudan is confronting one of the gravest humanitarian and public health emergencies in the world today. The ongoing conflict has pushed the health system to the edge of complete collapse,” warned WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on April 4.
“These incidents are stark reminders of the urgent need for renewed international solidarity and decisive political and humanitarian action. Sudan cannot endure this crisis alone.”
Maybe you can use a laugh this morning. Maybe you’re still deep in your feelings, thinking about the “Hacks” series finale and that shot of Hannah Einbinder looking at Jean Smart on the dance floor, grief seeping into her eyes. Maybe you’re lamenting the chaos at our treasured national parks. Hell … maybe you took out a loan to buy a tomato over the weekend.
If you’re feeling down, Gary Oldman would like a word. And that word is: Hufflepuff.
I’m Glenn Whipp, columnist for the Los Angeles Times and host of The Envelope newsletter, back in your inbox for the next few weeks as we navigate our way through Emmy season.
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(Jennifer McCord / For The Times)
Gary Oldman is a Hufflepuff.
Never mind that the 68-year-old actor, who played the rebellious, impulsive wizard Sirius Black in the Harry Potter film franchise, couldn’t tell you the difference between a Hufflepuff and, say, a Gryffindor.
When journalist Josh Horowitz reads a list of core personality qualities — loyalty, hard work, patience, fairness, dedication — and asks Oldman if that describes him, he nods his head.
You’re a Hufflepuff.
“I’m a Hufflepuff?” Oldman says, trying the word on for size. He likes it. “I’m a Hufflepuff!”
This video clip is a favorite of mine, one I could watch on a loop for the sheer delight Oldman takes in pronouncing the word Hufflepuff.
It’s easy to see why Oldman takes such pleasure in being a granddad these days, one of the things we talked about at length not long ago for an Envelope digital cover story. He can access his silly side with ease.
I asked Oldman about the upcoming HBO “Harry Potter” television series, a decade-spanning endeavor that will spend a season adapting each of J.K. Rowling’s seven fantasy books.
“I’ve seen a trailer for it, and I think it’s a great idea,” Oldman says. “They’re doing the whole book, which I love, because there were a lot of wonderful things, fabric and character detail, we had to lose for the sake of telling the story in two hours.”
Would Oldman be keen to don a distressed velvet overcoat again and participate in the reboot?
“I don’t think they want any of us from the movies contaminating or muddying the waters,” Oldman says, pleasantly. “Besides, I’m too old.”
But with AI, is anyone too old now? Oldman could drop into “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” and look like he hasn’t aged a day since the movie was released 22 years ago.
“I don’t know where we’re going with it because it seems to advance every week,” Oldman says. He ponders the advances made since Martin Scorsese used digital deaging in his 2019 film “The Irishman.”
“I think that was the least successful thing about it,” Oldman says of the technology, “and I’ve been a huge Martin Scorsese fan forever. Ultimately, I don’t know why they wanted to make [Robert] De Niro’s eyes blue.” He pauses, considering the change and why it bothered him. “I guess it’s a blue-eyed Irishman. If I had one negative takeaway, it would be that.”
Oldman prefers directors like Christopher Nolan, whom he worked with on the “Dark Knight” movies and “Oppenheimer,” who think technology should be used sparingly to enhance the storytelling.
“Otherwise it leaves me a bit cold,” he says. “You’re just looking at ones and zeroes.”
“I don’t want to be replaced entirely,” Oldman continues, shaking his head. “I don’t think anyone does.”
Xavier Becerra’s campaign for California governor appeared doomed just two months ago. Every major opinion poll showed the longtime Democratic politician mired near the bottom of the pack, overshadowed by his flashier or wealthier rivals.
Now Becerra tops them all, according to the most recent opinion polls, emerging as a surprise front-runner in a race that has confounded voters and political experts alike.
Both his loyal supporters and well-financed critics have a hard time explaining Becerra’s rapid ascent, with theories ranging from outright luck to a nefarious social media push. Others credit Becerra’s mild temperament, describing him as a steady figure — the Goldilocks candidate in a field of competitors who weren’t just right.
Becerra, when assessing his sudden rise, believes voters wanted experience, not “glitz and sizzle.”
“Folks put their faith in someone who’s done that kind of work and achieved results, someone who’s taken on real crises and been able to pull us out of them,” Becerra said in an interview Friday after a union rally in the Inland Empire. “Now it’s time to get things done. I think they’re looking for someone who could actually do that.”
Becerra’s team also points to the fortuitous timing of their seven-figure political ad campaign that launched shortly before explosive allegations of sexual assault and misconduct against the then-leading Democrat in the race, former Rep. Eric Swalwell. After Swalwell suspended his campaign on April 12, Becerra’s ascent began.
Becerra is backed by 25% of likely California voters, followed by Republican Steve Hilton at 21% and environmental activist Tom Steyer, a fellow Democrat, at 19%, according to a new UC Berkeley Institute for Governmental Studies poll co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times. Two months ago, before Swalwell dropped out of the race, support for Becerra registered at just 5%.
Whatever the outcome of Tuesday’s primary election, Becerra’s surge over the other Democrats in the final sprint of his campaign will be a defining moment of the 2026 governor’s contest.
“It’s almost too good to be true,” said Carrie Webster, a Becerra supporter and Long Beach hairdresser who interviews political candidates on social media using the name “Crowd Source Carrie.”
“He shot through the roof, but it feels like it’s all organic,” said Webster, 49, who said she isn’t paid for her political work.
A Sacramento resident, Becerra, 68, served one term in the state Legislature, more than two decades as a Los Angeles congressman and then as California attorney general, and most recently worked as the secretary of Health and Human Services in the Biden administration.
His only previous statewide race was his 2018 bid for attorney general. In that contest, which he won handily, he had the major advantage of incumbency after being appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown to fill the vacancy caused by then-Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris’ election to the U.S. Senate.
Running for governor has proved to be much more daunting. His top Democratic challengers not only include Steyer, a free-spending billionaire, but also former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, current San José Mayor Matt Mahan, former Orange County congresswoman Katie Porter and state Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.
In early March, the chair of the California Democratic Party, Rusty Hicks, urged stuggling candidates to drop out of the race. He feared the crowded field of candidates would splinter the party’s voters and lead to a Republican being elected as the next governor of California.
Under the state’s top-two primary system, only the first- and second-place finishers in the primary advance to the November election, regardless of party. While Hicks did not mention Becerra by name, he was certainly among the struggling candidates at the time.
Until now, Becerra’s splashiest moment was in late March, when he launched a public pressure campaign to boycott a gubernatorial debate hosted by USC after he and other candidates of color were excluded from lineup. University officials based the invites on opinion polls and a controversial campaign fundraising formula. The debate was canceled less than 24 hours before it was scheduled to take place.
Then came the allegations against Swalwell, which prompted nationwide interest in the otherwise sleepy California governor’s race. Political data strategist Paul Mitchell compared the moment to a dramatic scene midway into a “Real Housewives” season.
“Finally, somebody flipped a table, threw wine on somebody else, and all the voters started paying attention,” he said.
Alf LaMont worked for Swalwell’s team as a digital communications expert until his firm quit on April 10 following news reports about the allegations against the East Bay Democratic congressman.
LaMont said he was “doomscrolling” that same night when he saw an “organic, random” push for Becerra on Threads and other social media sites. LaMont said he immediately called Becerra’s campaign team and signed up to work for him.
Webster, the Long Beach content creator, also noticed the online buzz about Becerra.
“People were saying, ‘Let’s print out yard signs, T-shirts,’” Webster said. “Or someone would say, ‘I’m going to start Gen X for Becerra,’ or ‘I’m going to start Millennials for Becerra.’”
The push was so noticeable that Steyer’s campaign hired an intelligence agency with ties to a major Israeli firm to study the trend.
The agency’s report found about 3,000 fake accounts that amplified Becerra across social media platforms X, Facebook and Instagram while also criticizing Steyer, according to Steyer’s team. In all, the fake accounts generated 1.3 million views and 42,000 engagements, the report stated.
Steyer spokesperson Kevin Liao alleged a coordinated network from Becerra’s team or his supporters. Becerra’s campaign denied any role and dismissed the influence of the fake accounts.
Earlier opinion polls also offer a possible explanation for Becerra’s rise.
Even as he remained stuck behind other candidates in support among voters, Becerra’s favorability ratings versus his unfavorability ratings were better than rivals, including Porter and Villaraigosa.
Swalwell also had high favorability ratings, and when he dropped out, Becerra was “seen as the least objectionable of the candidates that were remaining,” Mitchell said.
The UC Berkeley Institute poll released Thursday shows more likely voters viewed Becerra favorably (44%) than unfavorably (38%). By contrast, 39% of voters viewed Steyer favorably and 43% unfavorably.
Becerra’s campaign credits part of his April surge to good fortune. His team unleashed a large advertising buy — a major chunk of his remaining campaign funds — placing spots on cable TV and online beginning in late March.
The timing was opportune given the chaos caused by Swalwell.
Becerra’s ads depicted him as calm and experienced. One showed him speaking to a diverse group of young people about his record of challenging President Trump, suing his administration more than 100 times when he served as attorney general, and his plan to bring down the cost of living for “the next generation.”
At the same time, LaMont’s team — which also is behind Gov. Gavin Newsom’s political communications — created a more “earthy” and “grassroots” look to Becerra’s campaign ads and messaging. Words like “Tio” and “carne asada” emphasized the candidate’s Latino heritage.
Polls done in the wake of Swalwell’s exit showed Becerra gaining ground.
Special interest groups, including California Medical Assn., which had supported Swalwell, switched to Becerra. A well-financed, independent political committee campaigning against Steyer — an effort intended to benefit Swalwell — also moved over to Becerra. Major corporations, including Chevron, Meta and McDonald’s, lined up next.
Becerra appeared unprepared for the speed at which voters and others gravitated toward him. He stammered through hastily filmed videos asking for small-dollar donations as his campaign sought to convert the new interest around him into donors.
He appeared stiff during his first post-Swalwell debate appearance; he mistakenly referred to Trump’s “war in Iraq” instead of Iran during his first answer and fended off the first of many attacks to come during an April 22 debate. During a sit-down interview with a KTLA-TV reporter in Los Angeles in early May, Becerra went immediately on the defensive — questioning whether it was a “gotcha piece.”
Still, people flocked to town halls, including one in Oxnard in May, where he leaned into his “bad dad joke” persona. He greeted the large crowd with his corny, familiar line, “Did you think you were coming to a Bad Bunny concert?”
Oxnard audience member Rose Castren, 68, told The Times she liked Becerra’s “calm and reassuring” style. The retired nurse watched the CNN debate in early May, where the candidates piled on Becerra to try to undercut his momentum.
“The other candidates seemed to be coming unglued,” she said. “And he didn’t.”
Times staff writer Seema Mehta contributed to this report.
A Paralympic athlete died “in an accident waiting to happen” when a metal bar fell on him, a sentencing hearing at the Old Bailey has been told.
Abdullah Hayayei, a wheelchair using shot putter from the United Arab Emirates, was killed when a training cage collapsed in a gust of wind at a training facility in Newham, London, as he practised for the World Athletics Championships in July 2017.
UK Athletics, the event’s organiser, is being sentenced for corporate manslaughter.
Keith Davies, 78, UK Athletics’ former head of sport, is being sentenced for a breach of health and safety law. Both Mr Davies and UK Athletics pleaded guilty at a hearing earlier this year.
Prosecuting, John Price KC told judge Richard Marks KC that the equipment that killed Mr Hayayei, 36, was missing key components.
The entire structure collapsed in the wind, and a heavy metal bar weighing 25kg hit the athlete on the head. Mr Hayayei, who had a history of cerebral palsy, died at the scene.
The court heard a victim impact statement from Badriah Rashid Zayed Al-Yahyaei, the victim’s widow, who described how her husband’s death had left her alone with five young children.
“It was a huge shock to me because I was waiting for the news of his victory and success,” she said.
“Suddenly the news reached me. I could not comprehend it at first and refused to believe it, and today that moment is still in my mind.
“What happened was a result of gross negligence that could have been avoided had safety rules been adhered to.
“My husband went out to represent his country, raise the name of the UAE, and returned as a corpse.”
Mr Davies and representatives from UK Athletics listened as the prosecutor explained how key base support components from the heavy shot-putting cage had been missing that afternoon.
The KC said Mr Davies had told investigators that the equipment had been assembled according to the instructions.
“At the very least,” argued Mr Price, the official “ought to have known that it was incorrect”.
He added: “The evidence shows he actually knew it and therefore this was not a truthful statement by him.”
An expert called to the Newham site after the accident said some of the bolts were missing, and the KC claimed there was a “culture and practice” of assembling the cage without key pieces.
“It was an accident waiting to happen,” he told the court.
A legal statement which UK Athletics produced years after the incident was described by the prosecutor as ‘”a deeply unworthy document by a national sporting body and one of which it should be ashamed”.
UK Athletics, said the KC, had attempted to lay all the blame upon Mr Davies “and even appear to have pointed the finger at the Newham venue”.
Representing Mr Davies, Mark Balysz KC said his client had written to the court in advance of the sentencing.
Mr Davies says he has found it “so very hard” to come to come to terms with the athlete’s death.
“I have woken every night thinking about his loss, and his poor family,” he said.
“These feelings have intensified since I found out about the investigation for manslaughter.”
The hearing continues, and Judge Marks is expected to hand down his sentencing decisions on Tuesday.
A handout photo made available by Metta Tham Kalasin Rescue shows a Laotian survivor rescued from a flooded cave in a mountainous area in Xaisomboun province, Laos, on Friday. Photo by Metta Tham Kalasin Rescue/EPA
June 1 (UPI) — Rescue workers in Laos said they heard a knocking sound while searching flooded caves for villagers who went missing on May 19.
The search continues in the Xaisomboun province for two of seven villagers who descended into the caves searching for gold last month. The rescue workers said Monday they knocked on the cave walls and heard a “knocking response” from deep inside the cave system within the last 24 hours.
An eighth villager went into the cave with the group but was able to escape and alert of the seven others who were trapped.
“Yesterday, when we knocked, there was a signal responding back,” Kengkaj Bongkawong, head of Metta Tham Rescue Kalasin, a Thai rescue team, wrote on Facebook. “It was a knocking sound meant to be heard. Based on our initial assessment, this is considered not to be a reflection or an echo of the sound.”
The sound was discovered after the rescue team rappelled down a vertical shaft they had discovered. They report hearing a knocking response twice in the last 24 hours.
Flash flooding after the villagers went into the cave caused them to be trapped. Five of the villagers were rescued last week when a rescue team pumped water out of the cave to help them get out.
One of the villagers was trained to scuba dive and was able to swim out of the cave.
“Moving forward, it won’t just be a matter of sitting around waiting for water to be pumped out,” Bongkawong wrote.
