Month: June 2026

As O’Neill throws himself into planning for the new campaign, he has had little time to digest last season’s success.

Celtic secured their 14th Premiership crown in 15 years in remarkable fashion, winning their final seven matches to snatch a title that had at times seemed to be edging out of reach.

“I feel as if, no it hasn’t [sunk in],” O’Neill said.

“If I’d no longer been at the football club, I think I would have more time to digest it and say, oh that was really great, surreal.

“It feels as if you’re just back in again, and so I probably haven’t got the time. Maybe the first league game at Celtic Park, maybe I’ll think about it then, but genuinely, no I don’t think it has really sunk in.”

The gruelling, draining nature of the job and title triumph left O’Neill unsure if he was open to taking the post full-time this summer. But the potential for regrets pushed him back into the dugout.

“It was strange in the sense that if I’d been asked about it a day after we’d done it, I don’t think I would have had the energy,” he said.

“And I suppose deep down really, if I felt okay by maybe late July, August or September time and things had moved on without me, then you think, oh gosh, maybe I would like to have stayed on.

“So I tried to project myself a couple of months further forward.”

The Champions League incentive also played a part. Celtic’s play-off tie is looming large – the first leg takes place on 18 or 19 August – and O’Neill is well versed in the competition’s importance to the club.

Celtic, then under Brendan Rodgers, suffered a calamitous qualifying exit to Kazakhstan’s Kairat Almaty last summer to set the tone for their turbulent season.

“Absolutely vital,” O’Neill said of reaching the league phase.

“If we’re going to do it, first of all, we’re talking about trying to augment the squad. Secondly, it’s getting players prepared both physically and mentally for those games, and that becomes very, very important.

“The disappointment of last season, not making it into the Champions League because of having a good run the previous year, I think that carried over to league performances. Malaise is far too strong a word but disappointment and concern about everything and as a consequence I think we fell down a little bit but we raised it at the end.

“Now this tie that we will be in, whoever it may be, becomes very important.”

Israel and Lebanon have agreed on a new framework agreement after four days of marathon talks in Washington, DC, brokered by the United States, trying to end the months-long conflict.

Israel has been occupying almost 20 percent of Lebanese territory in the south and has killed more than 4,000 people since fighting erupted on March 2. A previous bout of fighting ended in a ceasefire in November 2024, but Israel carried out almost daily attacks and refused to end its occupation in breach of the deal.

The new deal, however, does not specifically call for the withdrawal of the Israeli forces and instead ties it to the disarmament of Hezbollah – a condition repeatedly rejected by the Iran-backed armed group.

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem on Saturday rejected the framework agreement, calling it “null and void”. Hezbollah has demanded that Israel first end its occupation.

Hezbollah supporters flooded the streets of the capital, Beirut, on Friday evening to oppose the deal.

So, what is the new agreement, which does not include Hezbollah, and can it lead to peace in Lebanon?

What’s in the Israel-Lebanon agreement?

After the trilateral signing in Washington, the US Department of State released the text of the agreement, which talks of a “sequenced process” that will see the Lebanese army restore “effective sovereign authority over all Lebanese territory, pending the verified disarmament of non-state armed groups” – a clear reference to Hezbollah.

The deal does not mandate Israeli withdrawal from the fifth of Lebanese land it occupies. Instead, the framework notes that Israel shall “progressively redeploy” out of Lebanon, offering two “pilot zones” where the Lebanese military “will gradually assume full and effective security responsibility”.

“One [pilot zone] is south of the Litani River and outside the security zone altogether, and the other is north of the Litani – a small area in the expanded security zone that we conquered in the last two weeks, and which the [Israeli military] says it does not need,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later said in a statement.

Once these conditions are met, “Lebanese civilians will be able to safely return to these areas under the exclusive control of Lebanese state authorities,” the framework says. More than 1.2 million people have been forcefully displaced.

Israel says that successfully returning southern Lebanon to Lebanese government control would “eliminate any future need for [Israeli military] action or presence in Lebanon” and “[declared] that it has not territorial ambitions in Lebanon”.

The Lebanese government has signed that it rejects “the claims of any state or non-state actor to use force on its behalf without its explicit authorization,” deeming such attacks “illegal” and “contrary to Lebanese national interests”.

How have parties to the conflict reacted to the agreement?

Israel

Netanyahu issued a video statement shortly after the agreement was announced, stressing that the framework would allow the Israeli military to remain in the occupied Lebanese land.

“We will maintain [the buffer zone] until Hezbollah disarms and as long as there is a threat to the State of Israel,” Netanyahu said.

It is also a partial, momentary win for Netanyahu, who faced intense domestic criticism after the US and Iran sidelined Israel to sign the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, which mandates an end to hostilities in Lebanon as well.

Lebanon

President Joseph Aoun expressed gratitude to Trump and other regional mediators after the signing of the trilateral agreement, which he hailed as “the first step on the path to restoring Lebanon’s sovereignty”.

In a statement from the Lebanese presidency, Aoun noted that the framework also “marks the beginning of the road to fructify [Lebanese citizens’] sacrifices, so that they may return to their fully liberated land”.

His statement has done little to tamp down the tensions in the capital, where supporters of Hezbollah took to the streets, burning tyres and blocking a road leading to the airport.

Hezbollah

Though the armed group is not a party to the agreement, and was not present at the negotiating table, its posture and actions will dictate where the conflict heads in the future.

The Hezbollah leader on Saturday condemned proposals to tie the Israeli withdrawal to the group’s disarmament. “Linking the Israeli withdrawal to the disarmament of the resistance throughout Lebanon is a very dangerous proposition that crosses all red lines,” he said.

“The framework agreement in Washington is humiliating, shameful, and a surrender of sovereignty,” he said.

He added that the framework agreement should be replaced by the Iran-US Memorandum of Understanding (⁠MoU) signed on June 15.

Earlier, Hassan Fadlallah, a Hezbollah representative in the parliament, said Lebanese authorities would not be able to enforce the framework agreement unless, with US support, “they go to civil war”.

In a televised speech before the agreement was signed, Qassem said that Hezbollah would hold its weapons closer, ready to fight Israel for Lebanon, if the Lebanese state fails to do so.

The Iran-US MOU called for the “territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon” – a similar wording has been used in the framework agreement.

United States

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Washington’s point person in Israel and Lebanon talks, announced an “immediate” $100m donation by the US towards humanitarian assistance in coordination with the UN.

At the signing ceremony at the State Department in Washington, Rubio appeared to acknowledge the limited scope of the agreement, calling it “the beginning of the beginning.”

“There’s a lot of work ahead. We don’t in any way underestimate the difficulty of the task ahead, but we understand the importance of it, how vital it is, and we are honored to have played a part in bringing this together,” he said.

Two previous ceasefire agreements brokered by Washington failed to stop the fighting in Lebanon, as well as the Islamabad MOU, signed by President Trump and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian, earlier this month.

Iran

Though Tehran is yet to officially react to the agreement, its state media has been pressing against the deal.

Fars news agency noted that the agreement is essentially the US permitting Israel to violate the first clause of the Islamabad MOU, which mandated the cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon.

Does the Israel-Lebanon agreement contradict the Islamabad MOU?

Analysts point towards two direct contradictions between the preliminary deal signed by the US and Iran, and the latest agreement between Israel and Lebanon.

In short, the Islamabad MOU mandates the end of hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon, with no conditions – while the Israel-Lebanon agreement ties it to Hezbollah’s disarmament.

Israel has not adhered to any of the ceasefire agreements, including earlier ones, and continued with its assault on Lebanese territories. On Saturday, Lebanese state news agency NNA reported that the Farah amusement park intersection in Nabatieh al-Fawqa was targeted by an Israeli drone strike.

Israel has killed at least 4,192 people in Lebanon since the start of the war on Iran four months ago.

Secondly, the Islamabad MOU does not refer to or mention any of the Iran-backed proxy armed groups among its listed clauses to take forward the negotiations to end the war.

Tahani Mustafa, a visiting fellow on the Middle East and North Africa programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations, told Al Jazeera that Israel and Washington would “definitely use the fact that Hezbollah refuses to disarm and capitulate to blame Hezbollah for derailing the entire process”.

Mustafa further added that Israel “has also proven that it is acting in bad faith, which really gives no confidence to Hezbollah to disarm or capitulate in the way that is being demanded.”

Washington is not blame-free either, she noted, arguing that “the American negotiators actively work behind the scenes to try and decouple Lebanon and Iran.”

“This has really just been something that both the Israelis and the Americans have attempted to cook up behind the scenes and once again obfuscating the blame for its failure,” she told Al Jazeera.

Can a deal work if Hezbollah rejects?

This is not the first time that Hezbollah’s disarmament is on the table – and the existing challenges remain. The 2024 deal also called for Hezbollah’s disarmament, but it could not be achieved as Israel continued to attack Lebanon and refused to withdraw its troops in breach of the deal.

Alon Pinkas, an Israeli former ambassador and consul general in New York, says he is “very doubtful and sceptical” that this will work out because the deal is between Israel and Lebanon with the US; the issue here is Hezbollah.”

Iran’s linking of the Lebanon conflict to the maturation of an agreement with the US, Pinkas says, “complicates things [because] Netanyahu said that [Israel] would not yield to any linkage to Iran and that Israel would defend itself in Lebanon”.

Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem said that the agreement is an “existential threat” to Hezbollah’s presence.

“Without Hezbollah’s consent, this is not going to happen,” Hashem said. “This is going to be a recipe for another confrontation. The Lebanese government isn’t capable of imposing this deal. It’s not the de facto force on the ground.”

Tiny Cape Verde have become the history makers of World Cup 2026 by defying all odds to become the smallest country to earn a spot in the knockout stages of the competition.

Their improbable run through the group stage, with a third straight World Cup draw, was completed with a 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia on Friday night to advance in the tournament.

Keeping goal for Cape Verde throughout has been Vozinha, 40, who has embodied the grit of his nation.

“We are small, but we have big hearts and we are fighters,” said the goalkeeper, who last season played for Chaves in Portugal’s second tier.

The island nation off the western coast of Africa, which is making its debut on football’s grandest stage, already held 2010 champion Spain to a 0-0 draw – a shock in itself to begin their campaign.

They then came from behind to get a 2-2 result against Uruguay – the winners of the inaugural World Cup in 1930.

“The team was very eager to show this to the whole world,” Cape Verde coach Bubista said while draped in his country’s flag after the Saudi Arabia game.

“We are proud of having arrived at this stage. We have shown that we are a small country, but that we fight for the things that we want to achieve.”

Cape Verde’s three points put the team in second place behind Spain, which beat Uruguay on Friday night and won the group.

Cape Verde will play reigning World Cup champion Argentina in Miami on July 3.

Drawing all three group matches doesn’t guarantee advancement at major football tournaments, but several teams have done it in the past. Those include: Wales in 1958, Ireland and the Netherlands in 1990, and Chile in 1998. New Zealand, however, also got three draws at the 2010 World Cup and were eliminated.

On the eve of the match, Bubista mused, “Everyone is entitled to dream and nothing is impossible.”

The Blue Sharks proved him right, overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds as this country of just  530,000 reached the round of 32.

A woman, her face painted with a flag of the archipelago, held a sign that read: “Small Islands, Big Dreams,” a dream that these underdogs have made reality as they continue their charmed run on the world stage.

They did it with another strong game from Vozinha, whose tournament success has helped him amass more than 16 million Instagram followers.

He had a save in first-half stoppage time, grabbing a header from Mohamed Kanno to keep Saudi Arabia scoreless. Another save came in the 66th minute when he leaped to deflect a shot from Mohammed Abu al-Shamat.

A third came in the 92nd minute when he stopped a shot by Abdullah al-Hamdan.

“There is a lot of quality in our national team,” Vozinha said. “Maybe for many of you, you think the Cape Verdean player is not good enough. But we came here to show that we have a lot of quality and we are here to compete and our players can play everywhere in the big competition, in the big leagues.”

A group of shirtless men in the crowd each painted one letter of his name on their chests as they cheered Cape Verde.

But Vozinha had a much bigger fan among the crowd of 68,278 as his mother Ana Candida Evora watched from a luxury suite, waving a tiny Cape Verde flag. It was her second match of the tournament after missing Vozinha’s epic seven-save performance against Spain because of visa issues.

Cape Verde had a chance to score in the 50th minute, but Kevin Pina’s shot from distance was just above the crossbar. Another chance came in the 74th minute when Laros Duarte’s shot from the middle of the box was stopped by goalkeeper Mohammed al-Owais.

A last chance to score came in the final seconds when Nuno da Costa sent a shot from the middle of the box wide left.

But it didn’t matter because a couple of minutes after the final whistle, Spain completed its victory over Uruguay and set off a joyous celebration among Cape Verde’s players and fans, many of whom cried as they rejoiced.

Having led his squad to new heights, Bubista was asked if he could have imagined such a run entering the tournament.

“I’ve always said that sooner or later Cape Verde would be on such a stage,” he said. “Of course, it’s hard to have such a forecast, but I always knew.”

Saudi Arabia were eliminated after finishing with two points in the group stage.

“We were very poor in terms of creating things, controlling the game and creating actions,” coach Georgios Donis said. “And one cannot win a game this way. It would be very difficult.”

The BBC’s The Other Bennet Sister has been a huge hit with viewers and fans are now looking for similar shows and films to watch.

Period drama lovers will not be able to resist a charming Jane Austen adaptation hailed ‘masterful’ by fans.

Fans of The Other Bennet Sister, which is set to receive a three-part Christmas special, are being urged to seek out an Austen-inspired film widely celebrated as “a classic”.

Drawn from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, the opening series of the BBC’s The Other Bennet Sister pulled in 7.3 million UK viewers during its first four weeks on air.

Since its triumphant run, devotees of period drama have been desperately seeking out comparable shows and films to plug the gap while the Christmas special gears up to enter production.

A 2007 film starring Felicity Jones and JJ Feild has emerged as a firm recommendation, serving as an adaptation of Jane Austen’s 1817 novel of the same name.

Northanger Abbey is the title in question, following a young Catherine Morland (Jones), who travels with family friends to Bath and discovers she has captured the hearts of both Henry Tilney (Feild) and John Thorpe (William Beck).

When she receives an invitation to stay at Northanger Abbey, Catherine’s fanciful imagination runs wild as she muddles reality with the Gothic romance found within the pages of her beloved novels.

Viewers have flocked to IMDb to voice their opinions on the film, with one declaring: “Classic!” Another hailed it a “must-watch”, adding: “The 2007 adaptation of Northanger Abbey is a delightful and faithful rendition of Jane Austen’s novel.

“From the charming performances to the captivating storyline, the film brings Austen’s wit and satire to life. Felicity Jones shines as Catherine Morland, perfectly capturing her innocence and imagination, while JJ Feild makes a dashing and charismatic Henry Tilney.

“The adaptation stays true to the novel’s themes, blending romance, humour, and gothic intrigue seamlessly.”

One final enthusiast described it as “masterful”, elaborating: “This is a really lovely TV/film version of this book, and of course… the script is by master adapter Andrew Davies. He is just magnificent. ENJOY this masterful adaptation!”.

A Reddit user put forward the film, which is available to purchase on Prime Video for just £1.89, as a comparable watch to The Other Bennet Sister, commenting: “Surprised Jane Austen adaptations have barely been recommended, unless those are too obvious.

“The Other Bennet Sister is not only a spin-off of Pride and Prejudice with many familiar characters from that story, but in many ways it takes inspiration from other existing Austen novels, which is very Austen of the author, because her stories frequently recycled/reworked the same characters/plot-lines.”

One devotee took to Reddit to express their desire for a fresh Northanger Abbey adaptation off the back of The Other Bennet Sister’s triumph, writing: “@BBC thank you for adapting this rather than another round of endless adaptations of Austen’s books that already have so many amazing adaptations!

“@Netflix take notes! Fans don’t want you to ruin Austen’s work with crummy adaptations that don’t do the original ones justice.

“Let’s adapt other beautiful stories instead! Honestly, I would be fine with another Northanger Abbey adaptation or maybe a Mansfield Park adaptation if it’s absolutely needed.”

Northanger Abbey is available to buy on Prime Video for £1.89

WHEN it comes to a holiday in Egypt, most Brits head to Hurghada or Sharm el Sheikh.

But there is a lesser-known spot in Egypt that people say feels like going back in time.

Siwa Oasisis home to salt pools that are more concentrated than the Dead Sea, clay houses and miles of desert.

You can float in the bright blue waters – just make sure to wash off when you come out with tap water as the salt can irritate your skin.

The pools are surrounded by desert, where you can do a number of other activities including sandboarding and ‘dune bashing’ where you race around in 4x4s.

For another swimming experience, visitors can head to Cleopatra’s Bath – a natural spring with crystal waters.

Read more on travel inspo

TRAVEL TIP

The £2.99 SIM hack that can save Brits HUNDREDS abroad

STAYCAY

Our travel experts’ best-kept-secret UK holiday spots for summer – from £37 a night

Local legend has it that Queen Cleopatra used to swim in the circular pool and visitors can do the same today, as long as your shoulders and ankles are covered.

Around the pool there are even a number of cafes serving Siwan mint tea as well as freshly made juices.

Near the bath is also the Temple of the Oracle, dating back to the 26th Dynasty.

The temple sits on the top of a hill and is known for being the spot where Alexander the Great was named the son of Amun in 331 BCE.

Even though much of the temple today is ruined, visitors can climb to the highest point where they will get panoramic views with palm groves, salt lakes and desert.

The town of Siwa Oasis itself is home to hundreds of clay buildings, with the Shali Fortress standing in the middle.

The fortress dates back to the 13th century and is made of kershef, which is a blend of salt, mud and clay – all from the local lakes.

Despite heavy rain causing damage to the fortress in 1926, it still stands today with a number of alleyways and sets of stairs to explore.

One person said on TikTok: “The town itself feels like you’re stepping back in time.”

There is a catch, however – to get there, you will have to drive 10 hours from Cairo and pass through several military checks on the way.

You can fly to Cairo from the UK in July from £165 one-way.

With GetYourGuide, you could then head off on a three-day tour from Cairo to Siwa Oasis, staying in a lodge in Siwa Oasis for one night and a Bedouin Camp for the second night.

The tour includes exploring Siwa Oasis as well as the El Alamein Military Museum, Mountain of the Dead with the tombs of Si-Amun, dipping in Cleopatra’s pool and visiting the city of Shali.

Also included in the tour is a dune buggy ride and sandboarding.

window.itgHolidayConnectHolidayDealsFrames =
window.itgHolidayConnectHolidayDealsFrames || [];
window.itgHolidayConnectHolidayDealsFrames.push({
cid: “99a9d895”,
pid: “8925dc20-49c7-4663-9c7c-547ad29879e4”,
config: {
“poweredBy”:”icelolly”,”intro”:”Best value deals “,”title”:”The Sun Travel Eygpt all-inclusive deals under £600pp”,”destination”:”9546″,”boardBasis”:”AI”,”maxPrice”:”60000″,”maxDepartureDate”:”plus60″,”utm_campaign”:”The Sun Travel Eygpt all-inclusive deals under £600pp”,”layout”:”carousel”,”container”:”false”
},
});

https://holidayconnect-app.icetravelgroup.com/supersonic-assets/scripts/holiday-deals/init.js

The package costs £307 per person.

Alternatively, you could head on a three-day tour with Viator heading to Marsa Matrouh, which Viator claims to be “one of the most beautiful cities on the Mediterranean” before reaching Siwa Oasis.

Similar to GetYourGuide, Viator’s tour will also take you to the Mountain of the Dead.

The tour also includes a dune buggy ride, camping in Siwa Oasis, stargazing and meditation, a tour of the Temple of the Oracle and a visit to Darker mountain.

Tickets for this tour cost from £197 per person.

California Forever, the tech billionaire-backed group that hopes to build a city from scratch on farmland in the outer San Francisco Bay Area, is lobbying state leaders to fast-track a massive shipbuilding deal that would kick-start its development after years of local opposition.

The billionaires behind the project are seeking a deal to expedite environmental reviews of the development and, if necessary, bypass county restrictions on building by being absorbed into Suisun City boundaries. They’ve hired former Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg and former Senate Majority Leader Bob Hertzberg — Democratic architects of landmark environmental laws — to make their case, and are using the prospect of luring a major shipbuilder to California to accelerate the dealmaking.

California Forever has pursued its project for nearly a decade, though the vision has shifted: At first pitched as a walkable city with cottages, bike lanes and even a water park, the plan then added a major shipbuilding operation and, last summer, a significant manufacturing hub.
California Forever’s proponents, led by the state’s powerful building trades union along with Realtors, peace officers and pro-housing groups, argue the latest proposal would boost the state’s economy and bring an estimated half a million jobs to California. And now, a prospective tenant has emerged: Defense company Saronic Technologies Inc., which builds autonomous vessels for use in national security, is deciding between California and Texas for its next factory. The state must fast-track the development or lose the deal, supporters argue.

The developers are seeking the state’s permission to use an 18-year-old environmental impact report for the shipyard development, limit any legal challenges to the project to 270 days, and allow Suisun City to annex their land if needed, according to Steinberg and Hertzberg.

“In short, if legislation is not approved, California will lose billions of dollars in investments and tens of thousands of jobs this summer to Texas and other states,” proponents wrote in a joint letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders this week.

But some locals and lawmakers are skeptical, arguing that details about the project remain scarce. The proposed development would convert vast farmlands into factories and risk harming the surrounding ecosystem, they said, which deserves rigorous environmental review under the landmark California Environmental Quality Act that proponents are seeking to expedite.

State Sen. Christopher Cabaldon (D-West Sacramento) is shown during a Senate floor session at the state Capitol in Sacramento on Feb. 20, 2025.

(Fred Greaves / CalMatters)

“For a project this scale in this location, it is what the [law] was designed for,” said Sen. Christopher Cabaldon (D-West Sacramento), who represents the area. “A central question for the people of Solano County is: Is this going to be for the community or is this a conversion project that leaves them behind?”

Opponents also slammed California Forever for pursuing relief behind closed doors with state leaders and circumventing local opposition. Since 2018, the group has secretly bought up agricultural land, shelled out hundreds of millions of dollars to court local residents and spent at least $330,000 lobbying the governor and legislative leaders for favorable legislation.

“I think they know that the only way this actually happens is under cover of darkness, by trying to essentially get the governor to work this plan for them,” said Jordan Grimes, legislative director at Greenbelt Alliance, which has advocated for streamlined environmental reviews for housing projects.

Secretive beginnings foment distrust

For residents of Solano County, an agricultural community on the outskirts of the Bay Area that includes coastal areas next to a deep-water shipping lane, the suspicion around California Forever has been hard to shake.

The group’s subsidiary, Flannery Associates, started buying up farmland in 2018, eventually acquiring 62,000 acres while routinely refusing to answer questions about its backers. Some farmers later alleged the company used strong-arm tactics to get them to sell.

In 2023, Flannery’s backers were unmasked as a group of wealthy venture capitalists, including the founders of LinkedIn and Netscape, all led by former Goldman Sachs trader and real estate developer Jan Sramek. Marc Andreessen, co-founder of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, holds investments in both California Forever and Saronic, the defense company eyeing California. Andreessen’s firm did not immediately return a CalMatters inquiry for comment.

Despite rocky beginnings, California Forever needed the majority of Solano County voters on its side due to a 1984 “orderly growth” law that requires voters to approve development on unincorporated land.

In 2024, the company debuted the East Solano Plan to rezone 17,500 acres of agricultural land for a dense, 400,000-person city. The proposal was set to go before voters that year, but its backers pulled it following powerful grassroots opposition, poor polling and a county assessment that found holes in the plan. Sramek acknowledged the group likely moved too fast and said the initiative would go back before voters in 2026.

Instead, the group has pivoted. The East Solano Plan has become the Suisun Expansion Plan and the Solano Shipyard. In January 2025, Suisun City’s city council directed its manager to explore expanding the city’s limits through annexation, which is now underway, although it could take years.

State Route 113 runs through land where California Forever plans to put its new city in Solano County.

(Loren Elliott / CalMatters)

“The annexation and the shipbuilding have been a clear way to work around the need for voter support in Solano County,” said Nate Huntington, a member of the grassroots group Solano Together, which formed in response to the secretive land purchases. Huntington pointed out that California Forever hasn’t even submitted a proposal for a shipbuilding facility to the county.

“All of this has been happening in backrooms of Sacramento, and it’s not been publicly available.”

Seeking state environmental relief

California Forever is now selling the development to the state as a major incentive to lure manufacturers and shipbuilders to California — and the subsequent need for housing to accommodate the promised jobs.

The company wants the governor and state lawmakers to cut red tape for the development and require enough housing for the new jobs. Steinberg and Hertzberg told CalMatters they are contemplating legislation to that end, but only after California Forever signs a lease with a manufacturer or shipbuilder.

Their plan would allow the governor to designate construction on company land as “environmental leadership development projects,” which would effectively require any litigation to be resolved within 270 days. Steinberg authored the state law streamlining that process in 2013.

State law requires government agencies to prepare a report for any project that might have a significant impact on the environment. Instead of assessing the impact of the proposed shipyard, Steinberg and Hertzberg’s proposal would use a 2008 report, which designated the area where the shipyard would go as “water-dependent industrial usage.” Most of California Forever’s 7,500-acre planned footprint does not have that designation.

Steinberg told CalMatters the report is sufficient since the site has changed little.

“The state and county need the ability to say yes now to these numerous opportunities,” he said in a text. A new report, he said, “would require years of additional delay and lost opportunities.”

But the report is outdated, Cabaldon argues.

“This is completely different,” he said. “Just the notion that you would just say, ‘We are not going to do any assessments at all and we’ll just rely on this old one’ — that is not consistent with what the public interest is.”

Steinberg and Hertzberg also want the state to require enough housing in the area, but to allow surrounding cities and Solano County to permit local housing developers to build first.

But if local governments aren’t willing to or cannot build enough housing within the timeline the manufacturer or the shipbuilder wants, Steinberg and Hertzberg’s proposal would allow Suisun City to annex adjacent California Forever-owned county land into its city boundaries — a controversial idea that has drawn fierce local opposition. The move would be a “last resort,” Steinberg and Hertzberg stressed repeatedly.

The annexation would effectively bypass the county’s orderly growth initiative, which requires voters to have a say in development.

“The shipbuilders and manufacturers need certainty on a much faster timeline,” Steinberg said.

Cabaldon said the pitch to build new housing to accommodate theoretical jobs is “fantastical,” noting that Saronic, the proposed shipbuilder, is a leader in automation.

“There’s no indication that this is going to generate on an ongoing basis that many jobs, and certainly not more jobs than we have housing for even today without building a single additional unit,” he said.

Historic union agreement prompts support

In January, California Forever announced it had signed a 40-year deal with the Napa/Solano Building Trades Council and Northern California Carpenters Union to use union labor to build its development. The agreement was an important political alliance for Chief Executive Sramek, bringing more influential advocates to the table.

According to Digital Democracy, both the Building Trades Council and the Carpenters Union have given roughly $10 million in direct donations to legislative candidates since 2000.

Those advocates made themselves heard over the last few weeks, following a Texas county court approving significant tax incentives to lure Saronic to Brownsville. In a statement, Saronic said its nationwide search is still “active and ongoing.”

The California Alliance for Jobs, an alliance of influential construction companies and workers, drafted two letters in quick succession calling for legislative leaders to streamline the California Forever expansion and shipyard.

“We champed at the bit to go all in to get this project moving, and to get legislation through Sacramento this session,” said Joshua Arce, executive director of the alliance.

Suisun City Councilmember Princess Washington, who has consistently been the sole vote on the council against the annexation plan, said she feels organized labor is being used as “political pressure” to win approval.

“Processes are slow, but they’re done that way through government to ensure that it’s being done correctly, that all parties of interest are being treated fairly, and there’s checks and balances,” Washington said.

“It’s unheard of for a project to be done as quickly as they want it to be done.”

In a statement, California Forever spokesperson Jim Wunderman said any shipyard project will comply with all California environmental and land-use laws. He said county supervisors already approved using the 2008 impact report, and that legislation would allow the group to “meet prospective employers’ timelines.”

He said by pursuing expansion within Suisun City, California Forever is following the community’s preferences by channeling new growth into existing cities.

An ongoing presence in the Capitol

Since 2024, California Forever has spent at least $330,000 lobbying the Legislature and governor’s office on bills and other actions, according to campaign finance records.

Steinberg and Hertzberg told CalMatters they were hired in April as “special counsel,” not lobbyists, meaning they are spending less than a third of their time talking with public officials.

Grimes, who said he respects Steinberg for leading landmark environmental land-use reforms in the Legislature, said he’s disappointed in his advocacy for California Forever, “a project that is antithetical to all of this.”

Sheep graze on land where California Forever plans to build its new city in Solano County.

(Loren Elliott / CalMatters)

California Forever reported spending $90,000 lobbying the governor’s office and the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, called GO-Biz, last year on “federal shipbuilding activities and California business attraction and retention activities.”

“GO-Biz has discussed relevant state incentive programs with Saronic and explained how they operate,” said GO-Biz spokesperson Willie Rudman. He said the agency does not offer incentive packages to specific companies.

Last fall though, GO-Biz helped organize a bid for Saronic to settle in Solano County. County staff reported during a board meeting that GO-Biz supported a legislative effort to override the county’s “orderly growth” law.

County supervisors rushed through a proposal to change the boundaries of the Solano Shipyard to comply, but with just days remaining before the end of the legislative session, Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson, a Democrat from Suisun City, said there wasn’t time to introduce legislation.

Since then, Wilson said, the proposal has been on the table, but “nothing’s been requested” of her office by California Forever.

The company also urged lawmakers to act fast or risk losing the shipbuilder to Texas last year — a negotiating tactic common in economic development, Cabaldon said.

But Cabaldon argued that Saronic will decide where to place its shipyard based on “defense needs of the United States of America” instead of state incentives.

“We have to negotiate with our eyes open,” he said.

Wolffe and Yu write for CalMatters.

June 26 (UPI) — The District of Columbia and the American Civil Liberties Union on Friday settled a lawsuit over the wrongful arrest of a man for protesting the National Guard’s presence in the capital.

Sam O’Hara, who was arrested last year for repeatedly playing the “Imperial March” — Darth Vader‘s theme music in the Star Wars movie franchise — behind members of the Guard who were on patrol in the District, will be paid an undisclosed amount of money in exchange for dropping his lawsuit.

The ACLU filed the finalized settlement on behalf of O’Hara on Friday, ending a months-long negotiation with officials in Washington, D.C., and its Metropolitan Police Department, but a suit against the Ohio National Guard sergeant who had him cuffed and detained was still in litigation, USA Today reported.

“Our right to free speech grants us the freedom to criticize the government,” Scott Michelman, legal director for the ACLU’s Washington, D.C., chapter, told The New York Times.

“Government officials don’t have to like it, but they can’t punish someone for their speech,” Michelman said, noting that O’Hara’s settlement was “not a significant amount” and that the number will not be disclosed.

O’Hara had for months been protesting President Donald Trump‘s deployment of the National Guard in Washington, D.C., by playing Vader’s theme music toward members of the Guard and recording the interactions.

On Sept. 11, however, an Ohio National Guard sergeant told O’Hara that if he continued his protest the MPD would be called to “handle” the situation.

When O’Hara ignored the command, MPD officers were called to the scene and handcuffed him in an effort to end the protest and accused him of harassing members of the Guard, but later released him without charges.

In a statement, O’Hara said the law enforcement effort to end his protest “ultimately backfired and brought more attention to the unjust deployment of the National Guard in Washington, D.C.”

“This settlement serves as a reminder that constitutional freedoms are worth defending, especially when those in power would prefer we stay quiet,” O’Hara said.

The MPD said in a statement after the settlement was announced that its internal affairs bureau is investigating the incident, but also noted that its department policies would not change.

“MPD recognizes the importance of upholding First Amendment rights of individuals to peacefully express their views and is dedicated to facilitating lawful demonstrations while maintaining public safety and order,” the department said in its statement.

This is the moment rescuers pulled a newborn baby from beneath the rubble of a collapsed building, after two deadly earthquakes hit Venezuela.

Videos shared on social media show rescuers in the city of La Guaira moving the baby away from the rubble and handing it over to a man, who appears to be the father. The mother was also pulled alive from the rubble a while later, AFP reports.

Rescue efforts are continuing in the country, after back-to-back quakes struck the country, killing at least 920 people and injuring more than 3,360.

More on this story.

The best weapon in the “Jackass’” arsenal isn’t the taser, the beehive or the booby-trapped latrine. It’s the explosion of relief when a prank ends, often in humiliation, always with hoots and claps. The first film, 2002’s “Jackass: The Movie” was slow to discover that carnage without camaraderie is painful; several injuries limped off-screen in horrified silence. Laughter heals, except for the brain hemorrhage that Johnny Knoxville suffered in 2022’s “Jackass Forever” when, dissatisfied by the clobbering he took from a bull, requested a second ramming that knocked him out cold.

Hence “Jackass: Best and Last,” the goon squad’s alleged final film, is underwhelmingly tame. Shot quickly by stalwart director Jeff Tremaine this spring, half of it is a clip reel of past hits, like the time fan favorite Steve-O slingshotted into the sky in a port-a-potty. The rest is scraps of hastily assembled chaos, the most elaborate of which is a puppet show in which veterans Ehren McGhehey, Dave England and Jason “Wee Man” Acuña dangle helplessly from strings, trying to recite cue cards while being pummeled by tropical fruit. “A pineapple!” Wee Man moans.

I’m no sadist. They’ve suffered plenty for our amusement. Still, it’s a shame that for the first time in two and a half decades of cringe comedy, the guffaws feel forced.

Acknowledging the Jackasses’ age, if not maturity, are a couple skits about prostate and rectal checkups. (The gnarliest involves clear pants, colonoscopy prep liquid and a game of Twister.) Modern technology enters the arena with a nimble-fingered robot. If the team had invested any actual energy into brainstorming this entry, they’d have played paintball with a sniper drone. At least for the sake of torch-passing, someone should have thought of something for the newish members introduced in “Jackass Forever” to do besides stand around and applaud.

These fresher faces — Jasper Dolphin, Rachel Wolfson, Zach Holmes — prove brave and resilient when allowed to participate. Only one of them, Sean “Poopies” McInerney, a surf bro so gullible that I’m not sure he’s capable of informed legal consent, fits into “Best and Last” like a well-worn punching bag. (When Poopies yelps that “my mind is getting to me” while wearing a shock collar around a sensitive area, people snort because, as sweet as he seems, the only thing rattling inside his cranium is a moth.) Early on, Poopies gets swollen lip injections that, someone claims, will last the whole movie. You expect his trophy wife pout to be a running sight gag. But his disfigurement never even gets another closeup.

“Jackass” started with a bang. In January of 1998, Knoxville, then a 26-year-old aspiring actor, strapped on a cheap bulletproof vest padded with a stack of “Hustler” magazines and fired a gun point-blank into his chest. His dumb derring-do went viral on VHS tapes, earning him an MTV show and five feature films. Watching that Rosetta Stone-cold stupid footage here, you’re struck not only by his audacity, but by the scene’s excruciating comic pacing. As there’s only one bullet in the pistol, empty chambers click multiple times before the bullet finally fires. Logically, you know Knoxville will live long enough for his hair to turn fright-wig white. Yet the lizard brain making you gawk is shrieking.

Do not attempt any of the stunts you’re about to see, the prefatory caution blares. Absolutely. The thing is, no one else could. “Best and Last’s” flashbacks are a walloping reminder that Knoxville is inimitable: a telegenic and extroverted entertainer with a charisma he wields like a skunk aims its stink. Upset him at your own risk. Like Buster Keaton before him, Knoxville has an uncanny awareness of how his death-defying escapades appear on camera. Even in that near-suicidal early segment, note how Knoxville stays on his feet, enduring agony with a magician’s “Ta-da!” He might have given himself a bruise the size of a baseball but he’s focused on the audience’s delight.

Over the years, the visuals dramatically improve, from snuff film aesthetics to confidently silly splendor. “Jackass Number Two,” released in 2006, expended major energy on a musical homage to Old Hollywood that nodded to Keaton and bathing beauty Esther Williams who, in MGM’s “Million Dollar Mermaid,” plunged 50 feet into a pool and broke her neck. By 2010’s “Jackass 3D,” which riffed on classic cartoons with Knoxville strapping himself onto an Acme-style red rocket, one could admit they went to see a Jackass movie for the cinematography with even more sincerity than if Knoxville claimed he bought “Hustler” for its life-saving properties.

The new movie doesn’t have any artistic ambition. The charitable excuse for its reliance on old material is that the gang wanted one more film that summed up their entire legacy — from the impact of seeing them age to the opportunity to include departed colleagues Ryan Dunn, who died in 2011, and Bam Margera, fired in 2020. The other explanation is it’s a cash grab made for pennies. Still, Steve-O strives for memorable moments, gathering the gang in a generic office building corridor to watch him take off his pants and pop out a ping-pong ball. There’s a lot of nudity but the setting feels half-assed.

“Best and Last’s” intro splat-tacular, typically a highlight of each film, hinges on the posse standing still on a moving floor. But the monochrome staging — white walls, white ground — looks almost like CGI, the antithesis of their appeal, and it takes us a minute to understand what’s actually going on. Worst, it lacks both suspense and surprise, that no-they-aren’t–oh-god-they-are drama that once elevated the franchise to the peak of pure cinema.

There is — and I mean this — existentialism in witnessing a person embrace shame and terror. Actors have won Oscars without achieving the transcendence of, say, misery glutton McGhehey in “Jackass Forever,” bound to a chair and coated in salmon and honey, realizing that his friends have released a bear into the room. Meryl Streep could never do that (and wouldn’t have to). McGhehey’s sole path to stardom is that he did.

Not everything in a “Jackass” movie needs to be that sublime. One of my few genuine howls in “Best and Last” came in a three-second rehash of someone stepping on a rake; another was the percussion Chris Pontius makes with his swinging nethers before attempting a naked Fosbury flop. There’s a great accidental gag in a cut bit from the original MTV pilot when a deputy pulls up to arrest Knoxville and forgets to put her car in park. Yet the snippet I keep thinking about is a throwaway beat in a new skit when McGhehey willingly gets into the wrong chair again and, once freed, attacks Knoxville who coolly knees him in the nuts. Everyone chuckles.

Once, in anthropology class, my professor lectured on an insular island tribe that cackled whenever someone got hurt. Schadenfreude was the community’s way to vent tension. I thought of that village throughout “Best and Last,” especially during Knoxville’s nonchalant disarmament of his pal. Team Jackass has stayed united even while at each other’s throats. In bad times, they’ve borne each other’s struggles with sobriety and mental health. In good, they’ve seen the inequality of success that’s left Knoxville in a better financial position to retire than the rest.

While “Best and Last” is a whiff, I can forgive this band of bozos’ urge to make it. No one seems happy to still be zapping themselves with electrodes. They just want to rally together for the final time to choke out one last laugh.

Bakeries

It has to be Københavns Bageri; they upgrade beloved Danish classics using the best ingredients. The cardamom buns are second to none, but the “potato cake” – that’s a choux bun filled with vanilla custard and topped with a cocoa-dusted marzipan disc to resemble a potato – might be my favourite. MF

For bread, go to Tír Bakery in the morning and stand in line – they sell out every day, but their bread is the best. For croissants, go to Bageriet B and sit outside and enjoy a good filter coffee. TH

Hands down, Juno the Bakery. Founded by pastry chef Emil Glaser, the space was designed so you can see the bakers at work. What makes it special is the level of technique and consistency; they’re known for their cardamom buns, which are buttery, fragrant … perfect, and their sourdough and croissants are flawless. I usually order a cardamom bun, perhaps a pistachio croissant (if it’s available), and a sourdough roll with comté. Then I sit with a coffee and watch the production. KB

My go-to right now is Albatross & Venner in Torvehallerne. We have our original taqueria nearby, so I love walking over to grab a quick pastry – usually the spandauer – before work. I love that they’re baking every day in this tiny space, serving pastries that are often still warm from the oven. Insider tip: they sell fresh baguettes, which is rare in the city. RS

Coffee

Det Vide Hus in the heart of Copenhagen is a hidden gemmuch loved by locals, and it’s a favourite breakfast spot among Copenhagen chefs. Everything from seasonal pastries to the decadent ice-cream bars are made in house. MF

I am a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to coffee; I never understood why filter coffee became a pour-over, so I go to one of Original Coffee’s places and order traditional beans. For an independent place, go to Enghave Kaffe for some Danish hygge – the coffee is really good, as is the BMO (bun with cheese and butter). TH

Copenhagen is incredibly lucky when it comes to coffee. If I’m near Sanchez restaurant, I’ll go to Prolog Coffee Bar in the Meatpacking District because the coffee is always excellent, the team are lovely, and the atmosphere feels relaxed but focused. If I’m looking to sit and have a pour-over moment, I love April Coffee. RS

Breakfast

Apotek 57, located inside the Frama store, is one of the prettiest eateries in Copenhagen. Chef-owner Chiara’s Italian roots are at the heart of her food, with an emphasis on seasonal vegetables, fragrant herbs and a generous drizzle of olive oil. Try the porridge with apple, thyme and Piedmont hazelnuts. MF

Cycle to Nordhavn and start at Andersen & Maillard. Get a BMO, coffee and pastry – a classic Danish breakfast – then cycle to nearby Skudehavnen, where you’ll find small fishing huts, boatsheds and a harbour. It’s a pocket from the past; find a tranquil spot at one of the piers, have your breakfast and dip your toes in the water. TH

Atelier September is an effortless meeting point between design, creativity and good food. I love the breakfast selection: eggs, avocado, vegetarian dishes – all delicious. There’s an energy; you feel connected to the city’s cultural pulse simply by sitting there. KB

I don’t typically go out for breakfast, but if I do, I love Amator, where they specialise in omelettes served with slices of bread and wonderful sides. The menu is small, but they’re dedicated to making everything the best it can be, which I always appreciate. Get the omelette with chilli, and always end with a lemon tart. RS

Cheap eats

There are so many great choices, but nothing beats soaking up the sun with a wedge of Diamond Slice pizza and a glass of wine. Even pineapple haters succumb to the Canadiana with fermented pineapple, ham and pickled jalapeños. MF

It’s hard to decide what I love most, books or food, but it is heaven when they go together. Brøg Litteraturbar has a great selection of both Danish and English titles, and a nice small cafe where they do an excellent lunch for a fair price. I get the tart or soup of the day, and this is hygge and full of love. TH

One of my favourite spots for a laid-back weekday meal is Slurp. Its ramen is exactly the kind of comfort I crave when I don’t feel like cooking: pure flavour and thoughtful but unfussy toppings. I’d recommend the house pork bone broth with chashu, spring onions and a soft‑boiled egg, or go for the miso‑based bowl for something a little lighter. It’s the sort of place I’d take my family for something quick and easy – relaxed and with genuinely good food. KB

I highly recommend Poulette and their spicy fried chicken sandwich. They’ve been around for some years now and are always consistent: very tasty, deeply comforting, and extremely filling and affordable. The sandwiches are made with their own spicy blend, the chicken is marinated in-house, and the crust somehow stays crisp. I also love that there’s nothing quite like it in Copenhagen. To elevate things beyond a quick meal, grab a glass of wine next door at Pompette and enjoy it outside. RS

Splurge meals

When I feel like spoiling myself, one of the best places is the newly renovated Krogs Fiskerestaurant overlooking the canals at the old fish market. It uses classic French techniques with the best local seafood and seasonal produce to make the most delicious food. The menu changes often but if you see anything with beurre blanc and four types of roe, choose that! MF

Mikkel Mårbjerg is one of a few chefs that represent modern Danish cooking – they call VIE in Nordhavn a modern inn. He gets his produce from his daughter’s regenerative farm, and you feel his love of vegetables. They cook cabbage like only a few do, served with langostino and bisque, and their potato bread with löjrom and creme fraiche is a must. If sandart (a local freshwater fish) is in season, please try it, and then finish with the almond cake and ice-cream – it’s divine. TH

For fine dining, it has to be Geranium. There’s a clarity and precision in every dish that’s hard to find elsewhere. Located on the eighth floor of Parken Stadium, overlooking Fælledparken, it holds three Michelin stars and is an experience from start to finish. The concept centres on a plant‑forward tasting menu, and the attention to detail is extraordinary. The pacing, the wine pairings, the service – everything is perfectly in sync. The bread course, with whipped butter and seasonal oils, and its signature raw scallop dish, have stayed with me. KB

I would definitely go to Akmē; it’s not necessarily three-star Michelin expensive, but it feels like a splurge (in the best way). I love that you simply go with the menu and let the team cook – there’s a real sense of trust in the experience. The food feels creative, and the hospitality is warm and genuine. Lately, it has become one of my favourite places for a special occasion, or even just to go to feel inspired. RS

The Meatpacking District

One of the best dinner spots in “the meat town” is fishy. Kødbyens Fiskebar, which sits under a fresco of a bull at the entrance to the old meat market, serves incredibly pretty dishes in this buzzy but unpolished food quarter: brill with a deep blush of rhubarb, topped with samphire and chive blossoms; bright orange roe crowned with scarlet nasturtium petals, to heap on a seaweed waffle; prawns in a buttermilk sauce marbled with emerald herb oil. It all looks exquisite and it’s not a hearty menu, although you could go for, say, the mussels steamed in a cream-laden cider.

Dolly Parton once said: “It takes a lot of time and money to look this cheap.” The nearby Superbon has only been around a few years but has the vibe of a generations-old family business, with its seemingly random but carefully curated 1970s velvet-and-chrome decor and 80s video games arcade on the way to the bathroom. The menu is Asian, delicious and affordable by Copenhagen standards – pork gyoza, soft-shell crab, lychee salad, bao with hoisin duck and pickled daikon, huge chicken leg with green sambal. Afterwards, go for an ice-cream at Ismagieret – the menu changes but you might try the amarena cherry or the marzipan with pistachio ganache. Young visitors could end their evening in one of the packed bars but you could also start your day with a cheese roll or a cardamom croissant at Hart Bageri, one of the bakery’s eight branches in the city. Opposite is Prolog Coffee, which has a range of speciality beans from Peru, Colombia and Kenya, and a small selection of Juno pastries, saving you from the social influenza of the queue at their Østerbro shop. TL

Cocktails

There are many great cocktail bars in Copenhagen, but none like Geoffrey Canilao’s crazy, cosy bar, Balderdash. The motto is: “Keep it hygge.” The Blonde Ambition with gin, elderflower, cardamom and bergamot is a forever favourite. MF

K-bar was one of the first places to take cocktails seriously in Copenhagen, and I’ve been coming here since it opened. I like to go there early for a classic negroni – there’s beautiful outside seating in the summer with a view to the old town. For a wine bar, I like Ancestrale, which is organic certified. I go here for a glass of red wine and cheese with hazelnuts and brown butter – one of its classics. TH

I go to Tadaima to dream as much as I do to buy pieces for my ever-growing collection of kitchenware. From porcelain egg cups to sculptural shelving systems, everything is carefully curated with a Japanese/Scandinavian minimalist aesthetic. It also has pieces from one of my favourite craftsmen/artists, the Danish glass blower Nina Nørgaard. MF

The best kitchen shop I know is Kunst og Køkkentøj in the centre of Copenhagen. Competent staff, a great cookbook selection, a specially made baking tin for rye bread, knives, baking equipment, and the best large tweezer I know. They wrap everything in brown paper, and you feel special when you leave the shop. TH

I like to visit Frama for homeware; I’m really drawn to the balance between warmth and simplicity in its designs. And I especially appreciate a lot of its soaps and scents. Frama is also associated with a number of restaurants and cafes that they have designed, so it’s always interesting to see how they curate spaces and atmospheres that feel calm and lived in. RS

HOLIDAYS to Dubai are back on track. The UK Foreign Office last week scrapped the advice against all but essential travel to the UAE, as well as nearby destinations such as Qatar and Bahrain.

And with hotels and attractions itching to welcome us once more, there are some great bargains to be had right now. Whether you’ve got bags of cash to spend or are hunting for ways to make your dosh go further, we’ve got you covered.

ON A BUDGET?

FROM beach club deals, through to discounted 5* “business lunches”, a classy trip can be yours but without the cost — if you know where to look.

One of the biggest expenses on a visit to the UAE city can be at the ever-popular beach clubs.

Expect to drop hundreds of dirhams once you’ve paid for entry, loungers, food and drink.

CHEAP THRILL

Budget airline to launch first UK flights and it’s to a Dubai-alternative city

GO EAST

Dubai holidays back ON as UK lifts travel ban after hotspot caught up in Iran war

Yet one of the newest on the block is also one of the most affordable — the Casablanca.

As part of landmark resort Atlantis, the club is a bargain, so long as you time your visit for a weekday.

Paying around £24 per person for a sun lounger, you can still enjoy the pool and beach without having to spend a fortune.

My hours were happily spent with a few Prosecco foam cocktails and truffle fries while enjoying the party atmosphere, thanks to the upbeat dance music being pumped out.

Dips in the pool were followed by lolling on the beach swing, before sunning myself to dry off on my striped lounger.

Want to go higher? When it comes to a rooftop pool, Aura can’t be beaten, taking the title of the world’s tallest 360-degree infinity pool.

But if you love the views and aren’t fussed about the pool, try their lounge breakfast package.

For a fraction of the price of using the pool, you get a breakfast and two drinks.

I might have stayed dry, but I got those influencer-style shots posing next to the water without the cost. From the miso eggs benedict to pomegranate juices, I promise it’s worth the early start.

For more of the high life, also drop in at Ce La Vi. The famous bar has some of the best views of the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.

But you’ll be joining the locals if you visit at lunch rather than dinner — and will stay in your budget, too.

Dinners can see a main course alone costing £30. Yet the three-course lunch set menu will set you back just £28, including a glass of wine.

But while Dubai is certainly a foodie city, the real flavour of the place is to be found in the street markets.

Head to the Grand Souk, where you’ll find breads stuffed with cheese or Nutella for £1.22, or Iranian falooda — a sorbet-like dessert made of thin rice noodles and syrup — for £1.

You’ll certainly need some energy for going shopping afterwards, with streets of spices and gold jewellery (Dubai is home to the world’s biggest gold ring — 21-carat, and weighing 59kg).

And after all that, your well- deserved rest will not tip your budget over the edge — Brits will be pleased to spot the famous purple signage of Premier Inn, there being seven across Dubai.

Yet these are pimped-up Premier Inns, with gyms and rooftop pools — as well as the familiar Costa outlet in the lobby.

And who knew they’d be even cheaper than the UK, with rooms for as little as £21 a night during the off-season? That means you could spend a week in Dubai for under £150 — half the price of one night at the Atlantis.

Otherwise there’s Rove, the UAE’s own budget hotel chain.
Slightly pricier at £44, it has a bit more to it, from ice-cream trucks to beach- bar happy hours.

So don’t believe the rumours that Dubai has to be expensive.

Live the high life — often literally — and still come home with some change to spare.

MORE CASH TO SPLASH?

IN my opinion, upgrading your hotel generally comes with a multitude of benefits that extend way beyond just a swankier room.

The Palm ­— so named because of its fronds of sand jutting out into the sea that resemble the leaves of a palm tree — is one of the most desirable areas to stay in but you can get the same luxury for a fraction of the price elsewhere.

Book one of the 5* resorts that sit at the bottom of its branch, along Mina Seyahi beach.

The 5* Westin is a sprawling resort that features several pools and seemingly more sun loungers than there are rooms.

With a whopping ten restaurants on site, you don’t even need to leave the resort.

Kids have use of all the fun-packed waterslides at neighbouring hotel Le Meridien, while parents can kick back in the adults-only area where there is a constant supply of mellow music and freshly shaken cocktails.

Adults after a more sophisticated atmosphere, however, will likely prefer the trendy 5* W Hotel, home to bold bedrooms and the sky-high Attiko restaurant (for those aged 21 and over).

The menu of Asian-fusion bites is designed for sharing — try the spicy tuna taco topped with avocado and yuzu and the crispy scallop, served in its shell.

These are dished up alongside cocktails that are as jaw-dropping as the views of twinkling hotels at night.

It’s safe to say fancy food isn’t in short supply in Dubai. In fact, this Middle Eastern city is now catching up with some of the world’s most celebrated foodie destinations — competing with the likes of Tokyo and Paris.

The Michelin Guide for Dubai features 117 restaurants for 2026.

Last year, Avatara, in Dubai Hills, became the first vegetarian Indian restaurant in the world to earn a Michelin star. And having sampled all 17 delicately crafted courses on its flavour-packed tasting menu, I can see why it’s ranked so highly.

The experience is wonderfully theatrical, and the plates could be considered works of art, not just the meals — decorated with edible flowers, rich sauces and billowing dry ice.

It costs around £150pp for the tasting menu, but my word, you’ll leave satisfied and full to the brim. But while Avatara may have the wow factor for serious foodies, those who prefer more of an experiential dinner should book a Lady Nara cruise.

This fancy wooden vessel runs breakfast and dinner sailings at various times of day, but the most spectacular has to be at night when Dubai’s glowing skyscrapers are fully lit.

We sailed between various landmarks while tucking into a feast cooked up in the kitchen below deck. Hors d’oeuvres were followed by huge bowls of fresh leaves and artichokes topped with shaved Parmesan, and hearty meats served in zingy sauces, while gentle music hummed in the background.

If fine dining isn’t your thing but you still want to push the boat out a bit, you can always spend that hard-earned dosh on a flight upgrade instead.

Emirates is the official airline of Dubai and is currently the only one offering direct flights from the UK. It launched a fourth daily flight between Dubai and Gatwick at the start of this year, giving travellers even greater flexibility.

The experience in Emirates business-class cabins is as flashy as Dubai itself, thanks to the doting crew, as well as the on-board cocktail bar — where you can while away the eight or so hours on board sipping on martinis made at 38,000ft.

Passengers have been urged to read up on their airline’s mobile boarding pass requirements

With many youngsters soon breaking up from school for the summer holidays, it won’t be long before families begin making their way to the airport.

However, before loading up the car and wheeling out the luggage, it’s worth brushing up on the rules surrounding mobile boarding passes, as certain airports do not accept them. On top of location-specific restrictions, one budget airline has gone entirely paperless since November 2025. Here’s what you need to know if you’re travelling with easyJet or Ryanair.

What are easyJet’s mobile boarding pass rules?

The airline encourages travellers to use mobile boarding passes, as they allow all travel information to be stored in one secure, easy-to-access location. They also help reduce paper waste by eliminating the need for printed boarding passes.

For added convenience and offline access, you can also save your mobile boarding passes directly to your Apple Wallet or Google Wallet.

Not all airports accept mobile boarding passes. Easyjet explains: “The majority of our airports accept mobile boarding passes, however, the airports listed below do not currently accept mobile boarding passes.”

This includes:

• ADB – Izmir
• AGA – Agadir
• AYT – Antalya
• AQJ – Aqaba
• BEG – Belgrade-Beograd
• DJE – Djerba
• ESU – Essaouira
• EVE- Harstad
• HRG – Hurghada
• JSH – Sitia
• LXR – Luxor
• NBE – Enfidha-Hammamet
• RAK – Marrakech
• RBA – Rabat Sale
• RMF – Marsa Alam
• SCR- Scandinavian Mountains
• SPX – Cairo Sphinx
• SSH – Sharm El Sheikh

It adds: “If you’re flying from an airport that doesn’t currently accept mobile boarding passes, please check in online at www.easyJet.com and print out a paper boarding pass for your flight.

“Many of these airports require all passengers to complete a document check before going to security. If travelling from an affected airport, please make sure you, and anyone you’re travelling with goes to our Bag Drop for a document check before going through security.”

You can find out more online via the easyJet website here.

What are Ryanair’s mobile boarding pass rules?

Ryanair confirmed it has “moved to 100% Digital Boarding Passes (DBP). This means all passengers will receive a DBP to their Ryanair App when they check-in online.”

Passengers simply need to check in online via Ryanair.com or through the Ryanair App before arriving at the airport. Once checked in, your DBP will appear automatically within the Ryanair App.

You should present your DBP at airport security and at the boarding gate for your flight. The airline explains the shift to fully digital means:

• DBP lowers airport costs and fares for all Ryanair passengers.
• Provides a better service (including flight info) for customers on day of travel.
• Improves customer service and re-booking during flight disruptions.
• Better for our environment (gets rid of 300 tonnes of paper annually).

If you have completed online check-in and your smartphone or tablet is lost, stolen, or runs out of battery, you can get a complimentary boarding pass at the airport.

It adds: “If passengers don’t have a smartphone or tablet, as long as they have already checked-in online before arriving at the airport, they will receive a free of charge boarding pass at the airport. However, they will not be able to access real-time flight updates or benefit from enhanced customer service during any flight disruptions.”

If passengers don’t check-in online before arriving at the airport, they will be required to pay the airport check-in fee.

You can find out more online via the Ryanair website here.

Los Angeles officials have reached a tentative agreement with organizers of the 2028 Olympic Games laying out the process for reimbursing the city for potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in public services.

The agreement, which still needs approval from Mayor Karen Bass and the City Council, would require the privately run Olympic organizing committee LA28 to provide the city with funding in advance to cover services that are ineligible for reimbursement from the federal government, such as traffic control and trash pickup.

The two parties would take a somewhat different approach for police protection at high-security venues. Under the proposed arrangement, the city would seek reimbursement from the federal government for security costs at those locations, said City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo, the city’s top negotiator.

If the federal government does not provide full reimbursement for those security costs, the city would seek to tap LA28’s contingency funds to cover the difference, Szabo said.

“This deal ensures the 2028 Games will have the City services needed to be safe and successful, while protecting the taxpayers from footing the bill,” he said in a statement.

Paul Krekorian, executive director for Bass’ Office of Major Events, praised the agreement.

“Mayor Bass’ priority is that the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games be fiscally responsible, protect taxpayers, and benefit Angelenos for decades to come,” he said. “This agreement helps deliver that commitment.”

Negotiations between the city and LA28 have played out behind closed doors over the last year, even as critics have grown increasingly vocal about the potential for taxpayers to be saddled with huge payouts if the Games fail to generate a profit. If organizers experience significant losses, the city would be on the hook for the first $270 million and possibly more after that.

Szabo acknowledged that under that scenario, the city would be far less likely to recoup all of its security costs if the federal government failed to provide full reimbursement.

Under an agreement finalized in 2021, the organizing committee must reimburse the city for any services that go beyond what would be provided on a normal day at a variety of locations, including parts of downtown L.A., Exposition Park, Venice and elsewhere.

President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” included $1 billion for security, planning and other costs associated with the Olympics. Nevertheless, some elected officials have voiced fears that money might not materialize once the Games are over, or that the city’s security expenses could exceed that amount.

The tentative deal, known as an Enhanced City Resources Master Agreement, goes before the council’s ad hoc committee on the Olympic Games on Tuesday, then to the full council.

Even with the agreement, many of the details surrounding taxpayer services during the Olympics and Paralympics will remain unresolved for at least a year.

The two sides still have to finalize agreements spelling out the services that will be provided at each venue by July 2027. They also must agree on the cost of those services by Oct. 31 of the same year.

According to a summary of the agreement released by the city Friday, Los Angeles World Airports, the Port of Los Angeles and the Department of Water and Power would need to enter into their own service agreements with LA28.

LA28 and the city were supposed to have a tentative agreement in place last fall. The negotiations dragged out for an additional nine months, in large part because of the “inherent complexity of the 2028 Games,” Szabo said in a memo he co-wrote with Sharon Tso, the city’s chief legislative analyst.

Under the terms of the 2021 agreement, LA28 must create a $270-million contingency fund that can be distributed as a surplus if the Games make money, or be used to cover any losses in the event of a shortfall.

The proposal unveiled Friday calls for the five-year-old agreement to be amended to ensure that those contingency funds can be used to cover the city’s costs in the event that other revenue is not enough to pay for certain city services provided during the Games.

The money from that contingency fund would be distributed to the city only after LA28 covers its own costs, according to the city’s summary.

If LA28 does make money, it would not be allowed to distribute its surplus funds to any other organization until after it has covered its financial obligations to the city, according to the tentative agreement.

Jacie Prieto Lopez, LA28’s vice president of communications and public affairs, said in a statement that her organization is pleased to forward the agreement to the council for consideration.

“We proudly stand behind this agreement which delivers on our commitment to execute a safe, secure, and fiscally responsible Games that benefits Los Angeles for decades to come,” she said.

Cameron Carr talks about joining Lakers

From Broderick Turner: NBA mock drafts projected Cameron Carr getting selected somewhere between 15 and 20 in the first round on Tuesday night.

Ending up with the Lakers later in the draft, however, was more than Carr could have asked for.

The Lakers acquired his draft rights from the New York Knicks, who took the 6-foot-5 Baylor guard with the 24th pick, in a multiple-team deal in which L.A. sent the draft rights to Spanish guard Sergio De Larrea, who was taken 25th, and cash considerations to New York.

As he sat for his introductory news conference Friday, dressed in all black, Carr shared what his thoughts were when he found out he would be playing for the Lakers.

“I’m going to the Lakers! It was more of an exciting thing,” he said. “It felt surreal. It didn’t feel real for the first couple minutes when I found out. It was trying to get my head around, ‘Man, I’m about to walk across the stage and be an NBA player.’ I’ve dreamed of this my whole life, especially since I was a kid. So it took a second. Still trying to get my head wrapped around it, but nothing but excitement and happiness. I feel more motivated to work.”

Continue reading here

Friday’s World Cup results

Group G
Egypt 1, Iran 1
Belgium 5, New Zealand 1

Group H
Spain 1, Uruguay 0
Cape Verde 0, Saudi Arabia 0

Group I
France 4, Norway 1
Senegal 5, Iraq 0

Today’s World Cup TV schedule

All times Pacific
2 p.m., Croatia vs. Ghana, FS1, Universo
2 p.m., Panama vs. England, Fox, Telemundo
4:30 p.m., Colombia vs. Portugal, Fox, Telemundo
4:30 p.m., DR Congo vs. Uzbekistan, FS1, Universo
7 p.m., Algeria vs. Austria, FS1, Universo
7 p.m., Jordan vs. Argentina, Fox, Telemundo

World Cup Group standings

Group A
Country, W-D-L, Goal Differential, Points
x-Mexico, 3-0-0, +6, 9
x-South Africa, 1-1-1, -1, 4
South Korea, 1-0-2, -1, 3
y-Czechia, 0-1-2, -4, 1

Group B
x-Switzerland, 2-1-0, +4, 7
x-Canada, 1-1-1, +5, 4
x-Bosnia-Herzegovina, 1-1-1, -1, 4
y-Qatar, 0-1-2, -8, 1

Group C
x-Brazil, 2-1-0, +6, 7
x-Morocco, 2-1-0, +3, 7
Scotland, 1-0-2, -3, 3
y-Haiti, 0-0-3, -6, 0

Group D
x-United States, 2-0-1, +4, 6
x-Australia, 1-1-1, 0, 4
x-Paraguay, 1-1-1, -2, 4
y-Turkiye, 1-0-2, -2, 3

Group E
x-Germany, 2-0-1, +6, 6
x-Ivory Coast, 2-0-1, +2, 6
x-Ecuador, 1-1-1, 0, 4
y-Curacao, 0-1-2, -8, 1

Group F
x-Netherlands, 2-1-0, +6, 7
x-Japan, 1-2-0, +4, 5
x-Sweden, 1-1-1, 0, 4
y-Tunisia, 0-0-3, -10, 0

Group G
x-Belgium, 1-2-0, +4, 5
x-Egypt, 1-2-0, +2, 5
Iran, 0-3-0, 0, 3
y-New Zealand, 0-1-2, -6, 1

Group H
x-Spain, 2-1-0, +5, 7
x-Cape Verde, 0-3-0, 0, 3
Uruguay, 0-2-1, -1, 2
y-Saudi Arabia, 0-2-1, -4, 2

Group I
x-France, 3-0-0, +8, 9
x-Norway, 2-0-1, +1, 6
x-Senegal, 1-0-2, +2, 3
y-Iraq, 0-0-3, -11, 0

Group J
x-Argentina, 2-0-0, +5, 6
Austria, 1-0-1, 0, 3
Algeria, 1-0-1, -2, 3
y-Jordan, 0-0-2, -3, 0

Group K
x-Colombia, 2-0-0, +3, 6
Portugal, 1-1-0, +5, 4
Congo DR, 0-1-1, -1, 1
Uzbekistan, 0-0-2, -7, 0

Group L
England, 1-0-1, +2, 4
Ghana, 1-0-1, +1, 4
Croatia, 1-0-1, -1, 3
y-Panama, 0-0-2, -2, 0

x-clinched round of 32; y-eliminated

The top two teams in each group plus the next eight best third-place teams advance to the next round.

World Cup round of 32 schedule

Sunday
South Africa vs. Canada, noon, Fox

Monday
Brazil vs. Japan, 10 a.m., Fox
Germany vs. Paraguay, 1:30 p.m., Fox
Netherlands vs. Morocco, 6 p.m., Fox

Tuesday
Ivory Coast vs. Norway, 10 a.m., Fox
France vs. Sweden, 2 p.m., Fox
Mexico vs. TBD, 6 p.m., Fox

Wednesday
TBD vs. TBD, 9 a.m., Fox
Belgium vs. TBD, 1 p.m., FS1
U.S. vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina, 5 p.m., Fox

Thursday
Spain vs. TBD, noon, Fox
TBD vs. TBD, 4 p.m., Fox
Switzerland vs. TBD, 8 p.m., FS1

Friday
Australia vs. Egypt, 11 a.m., Fox
Argentina vs. Cape Verde, 3 p.m., Fox
TBD vs. TBD, 6:30 p.m., Fox

Dodgers lose to Padres

From Maddie Lee: The home run that Roki Sasaki gave up to San Diego’s Ty France was more dramatic than the two walks he issued earlier in the inning. But it was the free passes that really hurt him.

In the Dodgers’ 7-1 loss to the Padres on Friday, Sasaki was out of the game before he could record an out in the fifth inning. He gave up only three hits but issued five walks, tying his season high, and hit a batter.

“I actually felt different than I never felt before, mechanically,” Sasaki said through interpreter Kensuke Okubo, noting that his lower body felt a little off. “So I need to go over it and see what was really happening.”

Continue reading here

Shaikin: Did Padres curse themselves by messing with that anti-Dodgers FTD burger?

Dodgers box score

MLB standings

Angels fire their GM

The Angels have fired general manager Perry Minasian midway through their sixth consecutive disappointing season under his leadership.

The last-place Angels appointed former Cardinals GM John Mozeliak to be their interim general manager and baseball operations consultant on Friday. Mozeliak will oversee day-to-day baseball operations while assisting the search for the next GM, team president Molly Jolly said in a news release.

“Perry has been a valued leader who worked tirelessly over the last six years to strengthen our baseball operations department,” Jolly said. “I am grateful for his dedication, insight and many contributions to our organization.”

Continue reading here

Angels lose to the Athletics

Shea Langeliers capped a seven-run rally in the fifth with the Athletics’ sixth straight single, backing J.T. Ginn in a 9-3 victory over the Angels on Friday night.

Ginn (6-4) gave up three runs and eight hits, striking out five and walking one, to provide a much-needed boost to a pitching staff with that had major league highs in June with a 6.14 ERA and 44 home runs allowed.

Continue reading here

Mike Trout says he’ll likely not participate in All-Star home run derby

Angels box score

MLB standings

Kings re-sign Brandt Clarke

Defenseman Brandt Clarke has agreed to a five-year, $37 million deal to stay with the Kings.

The Kings announced the deal Friday for Clarke, the eighth overall pick in 2021 who has grown into the new cornerstone of their defense.

Clarke had career highs of eight goals and 32 assists while playing in all 82 regular-season games last season for the Kings, who lost in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the fifth consecutive year. He was third in the NHL with 185 blocked shots, and he finished fourth on the LA roster in scoring.

Continue reading here

NHL draft: Maple Leafs select Penn State forward Gavin McKenna No. 1 overall

Chris Evert has cancer

From Chuck Schilken: Tennis legend Chris Evert is battling ovarian cancer for the third time and will not attend Wimbledon, the 18-time Grand Slam champion and longtime ESPN analyst said Thursday on Instagram.

“This past weekend, after undergoing CT and PET scans, I learned that my ovarian cancer has returned,” Evert, 71, wrote. “I have already undergone surgery as the first step in my treatment and recovery, and will begin chemotherapy in the coming weeks.

“Because of this, I will not be attending Wimbledon this year, and I will step back from my professional commitments over the next few months to focus on my health.”

Evert was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer in December 2021. Two years later, she revealed her cancer had returned.

“Ovarian cancer is relentless, but I will stay optimistic and determined in continuing to fight this battle,” Evert wrote. “I am deeply grateful to my medical team, my family, friends and everyone who has reached out with kindness and encouragement. I look forward to seeing everyone again soon.”

Continue reading here

This day in sports history

1890 — Canadian boxer George Dixon becomes first black world champion when he stops English bantamweight champion Edwin “Nunc” Wallace in 18 rounds in London, England.

1903 — Willie Anderson captures the U.S. Open with a two-stroke victory over David Brown in a playoff.

1914 — Jack Johnson wins a 20-round referee’s decision over Frank Moran at the Velodrome d’Hiver in Paris.

1924 — Walter Hagen wins his second British Open. Hagen finishes with a 301 to edge Ernest Whitcombe by one stroke at Royal Liverpool Golf Club at Hoylake, England. Hagen, who won in 1922, was the Open’s first winner born in the United States.

1936 — Alf Padgham beats Jimmy Adams by one stroke to win the British Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England.

1950 — Chandler Harper wins the PGA championship by beating Henry Williams Jr., 4 and 3 in the final round.

1959 — Mickey Wright beats Louise Suggs by two strokes for her second straight U.S. Women’s Open title.

1971 — JoAnne Carner wins the U.S. Women’s Open with a seven-stroke victory over Kathy Whitworth.

1984 — UEFA European Championship Final, Parc des Princes, Paris, France: Michel Platini & Bruno Bellone score as France beats Spain, 2-0.

1988 — Mike Tyson KOs Michael Spinks in 91 seconds in Atlantic City.

1990 — NBA Draft: Syracuse power forward Derrick Coleman first pick by New Jersey Nets.

1992 — Top-seeded Jim Courier, the Australian and French Open champion, loses 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 to qualifier Andrei Olhovskiy of Russia at Wimbledon. It’s the first time in Wimbledon history that a qualifier beat the top seed.

1998 — NHL Draft: Rimouski Oceanic (QMJHL) center Vincent Lecavalier first pick by Tampa Bay Lightning.

1999 — Juli Inkster shoots a 6-under 65 to win the LPGA Championship, becoming the second woman to win the modern career Grand Slam. Pat Bradley won her Grand Slam 13 years earlier.

2001 — NBA Draft: Glynn Academy center Kwame Brown first pick by Washington Wizards.

2006 — Roger Federer wins his record 42nd straight grass-court match, beating Richard Gasquet 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 to open his bid for a fourth consecutive Wimbledon championship. Federer breaks the record he shared with Bjorn Borg, the five-time Wimbledon champion who won 41 straight matches on grass from 1976-1981.

2008 — Zheng Jie completes the biggest victory of her career at Wimbledon, beating new No. 1 Ana Ivanovic 6-1, 6-4 in the third round. The 133rd-ranked Zheng’s victory, her first against a top-10 player, is the earliest exit by a top-ranked woman at Wimbledon since Martina Hingis lost in the first round in 2001.

2010 — Cristie Kerr cruises to a 12-stroke victory in the LPGA Championship in one of the most lopsided wins at a major. Kerr leads wire-to-wire, closing with a 6-under 66 for a 19-under 269 total. Kerr breaks the tournament record for victory margin of 11 set by Betsy King in 1992 and matches the second-biggest victory in a major.

2013 — NBA Draft: UNLV power forward Anthony Bennett first pick Cleveland Cavaliers.

2021 — Nelly Korda beats Lizette Salas by 3 strokes to win the Women’s PGA Championship. The win is Korda’s first major title.

Compiled by the Associated Press

This day in baseball history

1917 — Catcher Hank Gowdy of the Braves became the first major league player to enter military service in World War I.

1939 — The Brooklyn Dodgers and the Boston Braves played a 23-inning, 2-2 tie. Whit Wyatt pitched the first 16 innings for the Dodgers. Both clubs played a 26-inning tie in 1920 at the same Braves Field.

1958 — Billy Pierce of the Chicago White Sox retired 26 straight Washington batters before pinch-hitter Ed Fitzgerald hit a double just inside the right-field line for the only hit. Pierce then struck out Albie Pearson on three pitches and beat the Senators 3-0.

1973 — David Clyde, a $125,000, 18-year-old bonus baby with the Rangers, pitched five innings, struck out eight and gave up one hit in his first major league start. Texas beat the Minnesota Twins 4-3 before 35,698 fans — the Rangers’ first home sellout at Arlington Stadium.

1980 — The Dodgers’ Jerry Reuss pitched a no-hitter against the San Francisco Giants in an 8-0 victory at Candlestick Park. The only player to reach base was Jack Clark in the first inning on a throwing error by shortstop Bill Russell.

1986 — San Francisco rookie Robby Thompson set a major league record when he was caught stealing four times in the Giants’ 7-6, 12-inning victory over the Cincinnati Reds. Catcher Bo Diaz threw out Thompson in the fourth, sixth, ninth and 11th innings.

1993 — Anthony Young of the New York Mets set a major league record by losing his 24th straight decision, 5-3 to the St. Louis Cardinals.

1999 — Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 27th homer and robbed Juan Gonzalez of a three-run shot with a spectacular over-the-fence catch as the Seattle Mariners beat the Texas Rangers 5-2 in the final game at the Kingdome.

2003 — Boston set a major league record by scoring 10 runs before the first out. The 50-minute, 91-pitch first inning came during a 25-8 victory over Florida. The Red Sox also tied an AL record with 14 runs in the first inning. Johnny Damon matched a major league mark with three hits in an inning.

2007 — Ryan Howard hits his 100th home run in a 9-6 loss to the Reds. The shot against Aaron Harang makes him the fastest player in major league history to hit 100 homers, doing so in his 325th game.

2008 — Carlos Delgado of the New York Mets homered twice, including a grand slam, and set a franchise record with nine RBIs in a 15-6 rout of the Yankees at Yankee Stadium in the opener of the teams’ two-ballpark doubleheader. The Yankees beat the Mets 9-0 at Shea Stadium in the night game.

2009 — Tim Wakefield makes his 382nd start for the Boston Red Sox, tying Roger Clemens for most in franchise history. The 42-year-old knuckleballer earns his tenth win of the year with six scoreless innings against the Atlanta Braves. Boston prevails, 1-0, with Mark Kotsay driving in the game’s only run.

2010 — Jamie Moyer surrendered his record-breaking 506th home run but was sharp otherwise, and the Philadelphia Phillies took advantage of Toronto’s troubles to beat the Blue Jays 11-2. Moyer only mistake was a two-run homer by Vernon Wells in the third inning. Moyer passed former Phillies Hall of Famer Robin Roberts for the most homers given up in a career.

2016 — Kris Bryant became the first major leaguer to hit three homers and two doubles in a game, and Jake Arrieta added a solo shot, leading the Chicago Cubs to an 11-8 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

2016 — The Texas Rangers wrapped up a weird win at 2:44 a.m., rallying after a rain delay of more than 3 1/2 hours in the ninth inning to beat the New York Yankees 9-6 with maybe 100 fans left in the stands. Umpire crew chief Paul Nauert signaled for the tarp at 10:40 p.m. The game resumed at 2:15 a.m. Texas trailed 6-5 when Kirby Yates replaced closer Aroldis Chapman after the delay with a runner on first and no outs. Yates (2-1) hit three batters, and Beltre and Elvis Andrus each hit a two-run singles.

2017 — Florida wins the first College World Series title in school history by defeating Louisiana State 6-1.

2021 — A little over a week after MLB has begun to systematically examine pitchers for foreign substances to improve grip, a first victim is caught: Hector Santiago of the Mariners is ejected after umpires discover an unknown sticky substances on his glove. The glove is impounded and sent for further analysis, while Santiago protests his innocence, claiming that he was only using rosin to prevent perspiration from dripping unto his hands. He will be issued a ten-game suspension.

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.

IF you’ve got kids, you already know how the holiday hierarchy works.

A pool’s nice, a kids’ club’s helpful, but a hotel with its own on-site waterpark’s the holy grail – that’s the sort of currency that buys you good behaviour until Christmas.

The only problem is that waterpark holidays usually carry an eye-watering premium and sell out for summer, FAST.

So, I dug straight into our summer average booking data to find the spots delivering all the splash, without the cash.

And I’ve unearthed 7 family favourites where you get the slides, the lazy rivers, and the splash zones without completely clearing out the savings.

Here’s where your budget goes furthest this summer.

7. PortAventura Hotel Gold River, Costa Dorada

If you’ve got proper thrill-seekers in the family, they’ll love this hotel for more than just the waterpark.

Because you’re staying directly inside the PortAventura resort grounds, you get unlimited access to the main theme park and entry to the massive Caribe Aquatic Park, which features towering mega-slides, indoor play areas, and massive wave pools.

The real insider win at this hotel though, is the hotel’s private entrance to the park – it completely bypasses the main turnstiles, letting you stroll straight into the park before the main gates open to help you beat the August queues.

For this setup, the average summer price sits at £130 per person per night – but when I had a look, I tracked down a half-board stay at PortAventura Hotel Gold River for just £528pp in late August.

6. Mukarnas Spa & Resort Hotel, Turkey

The Mukarnas Spa & Resort Hotel in Alanya shows exactly why Turkey dominates family holiday value charts every single year.

The hotel boasts a serious aquapark packed with multiple high-speed drop slides, curved flumes, and dedicated pirate-themed splash zones for toddlers.

And what makes this hotel a certified winner for parents, too, is the layout of the beach pier – the resort positions its quiet cabanas just far enough from the waterslides that you can actually escape the noise and read a book while the animation team keeps the kids occupied.

The average summer price for this one comes in at £126 per person per night, but you can score the full package at Murkanas Spa & Resort on an all-inclusive basis for £650pp this August.

5. HYB Eurocalas, Majorca

The HYB Eurocalas is one of Majorca’s most reliable value family hotels year after year, and it’s an absolute paradise for younger kids.

The star of the show is its massive, pirate-themed splash park, which is completely packed with mini slides, water cannons, bucket drops, and enough colourful chaos to keep toddlers entertained for hours.

This hotel’s also kitted out with multi-room family apartments that come with proper partitions, meaning you don’t have to sit in the dark whispering from 8pm when the kids crash out after a day on the slides.

The average summer price sits at a very reasonable £125 per person per night, and when I went searching, I found a peak-summer, 5-night all-inclusive deal at HYB Eurocalas for £540pp in August.

4. Club Mac, Majorca

Club Mac Alcudia is basically an institution for British families after years and years of popularity, and it’s famous for being an absolute beast for entertainment.

Aside from its own massive three-hotel pool complex, booking a room here gives your family free, unlimited access to the huge Hidropark waterpark right across the road, which features 15 different multi-lane racer slides and kamikazes.

The best bit of insider advice I can give you for this resort is their late-night buffet service –  they run a dedicated midnight snack station that’s absolute gold dust if you’ve been out watching the family tribute acts and have kids suddenly complaining they’re starving at 11pm.

This classic family favourite has an average summer price of £124 per person per night. But right now, you can bag an all-inclusive stay at Club Mac this August for just £500pp.

3. Eftalia Splash Resort, Turkey

Eftalia Splash Resort is where the value starts getting ridiculous, especially given the scale of the attractions on offer.

It features one of the most towering, intense waterpark setups you will find anywhere in Europe at this price point, boasting massive multi-lane racers, family raft flumes, black holes, and a huge splash tower.

The killer insider feature here is the ‘Eftalia Island’ beach club access. Because the hotel runs a seamless, free shuttle down to a massive beachfront complex where the all-inclusive food and drinks carry over to the sand, meaning you never have to budget extra for lunch by the sea.

The average summer price is sitting at £109 per person per night, and I clocked an all-inclusive package at Eftalia Splash for £613pp between 22–27 August 2026. Bargain.

2. Bellevue Club, Majorca

The Bellevue Club in Alcudia is a big self-contained resort and one of Europe’s largest holiday complexes – but it’s different to your typical waterpark hotel in that the waterslides aren’t really the main attraction.

This place packs in multiple distinct pool zones, sports areas, and an on-site lake, alongside an array of family-friendly waterslides and splash zones.

And as this place is so sprawling, the insider trick is utilising their on-site supermarket and private guest laundry facilities, which means you can pack light, skip the airline checked-bag fees entirely, and sort breakfast in the room for pennies before heading out to the central flumes.

The average summer price is an incredibly low £107 per person per night, but I dug up a self-catering deal at Bellevue Club, in August, for just £335pp. This deal might be my pick of the bunch!

1. THB Tropical Island, Lanzarote

My absolute top waterpark hotel on the board is THB Tropical Island in Playa Blanca, which completely dismantles the theory that Canary Islands waterpark holidays require a second mortgage.

The resort features a massive array of splash zones, family slides, and premium cooling-off spots scattered across its massive grounds.

But what makes this hotel the absolute benchmark for value on this list for parents is its adult-only quiet zones.

The resort has cleverly cordoned off a premium, deep-water pool and thermal spa area strictly for adults, meaning you can trade waterslide shifts with your partner to get an hour of genuine peace while the kids are tearing up the splash park down the other end.

The average summer price is a stunning £91 per person per night, and when I went for a peek at the deals, I found an August self-catering stay at THB Tropical Island for an absurdly low £363pp, flying from Edinburgh from 22–27 August 2026.

June 26 (Asia Today) — More than 4 in 10 South Korean employees who participated in a government cybersecurity exercise opened simulated phishing emails, but companies that had conducted repeated training recorded significantly better results, officials said Friday.

The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Internet & Security Agency announced the findings at a review meeting at the Post Tower in central Seoul.

A total of 630 companies and 255,460 employees participated in the government’s cybersecurity crisis response exercise for the first half of 2026.

The government conducts the exercise twice a year to improve security awareness and strengthen companies’ ability to respond to cyberattacks.

The latest exercise was held from May 11 through May 22 and covered four areas: phishing emails, distributed denial-of-service attacks, penetration testing and vulnerability detection and response.

The phishing exercise targeted employees at 569 companies.

Participants received simulated malicious emails designed to resemble messages from familiar institutions or routine workplace correspondence.

The government monitored whether participants opened the emails and clicked attached files that would have triggered malware infections in a real attack.

The results showed that 41.6% of participants opened the simulated phishing emails. About 12.7% clicked an attachment and reached the simulated malware infection stage.

Large companies, which had the highest rate of conducting their own cybersecurity exercises, recorded the lowest figures.

Employees at large companies had an email open rate of 35.4% and a simulated infection rate of 9.8%, highlighting the value of repeated training, officials said.

The distributed denial-of-service exercise tested web servers and development servers at 147 companies by sending simulated attack traffic.

Officials measured how quickly each company detected and responded to the traffic.

Companies that had previously participated in the exercise took an average of 20 minutes to detect and respond to the attack.

First-time participants took an average of 64 minutes, more than three times as long.

The vulnerability assessment covered 241 companies.

Investigators found 28 types of security vulnerabilities at 32 companies. Twelve of those companies had six types of vulnerabilities that required immediate corrective action.

The ministry and the agency provided the affected companies with their assessment results and instructions for addressing the weaknesses.

Lim Jeong-gyu, director general for information security network policy at the ministry, said the emergence of advanced artificial intelligence was making cyber threats facing companies increasingly serious.

“Building technical defense systems is important, but having all employees directly experience and respond to a simulated crisis can prove invaluable at a critical moment,” Lim said.

He encouraged companies to participate regularly in cybersecurity exercises rather than treating them as one-time events.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260626010009374

The 2026 World Cup will have 13 different kickoff times. You can use the Al Jazeera Sport widget to find out exactly when your team is playing in your local time.

Who: Colombia vs Portugal
What: FIFA World Cup 2026 Group K match
Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
When: Saturday, 7:30pm local time (23:30 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 20:30 GMT ahead of our live text commentary stream.

One of the biggest group games of the 2026 World Cup takes place in Miami on Saturday when Colombia face Portugal in a battle of Group K’s top two.

Colombia, powered by Luis Diaz and Daniel Munoz, have already booked their ticket to the round of 32 as the current table-toppers, while Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal, who are second, are also assured of a knockout berth.

Those standings could change after Saturday’s fixture at Hard Rock Stadium, where a capacity crowd is expected after tickets reportedly sold for thousands of dollars.

Al Jazeera tells you everything you need to know about Colombia vs Portugal:

Portugal expect ‘away’ atmosphere in Miami

Spearheaded by the larger-than-life presence of superstar Ronaldo, Portugal are a huge and popular draw globally – but for this match, Colombia will hold the spectator edge at Hard Rock Stadium.

With hundreds of thousands of Colombian Americans living in ‌the Miami metropolitan area, the Colombian team has a partisan crowd behind them. In the lead-up, Portugal coach Roberto Martinez remarked that his side would be playing “away from home” while acknowledging the enormous hype around the final matchday for both teams.

Colombia vs Portugal is the most in-demand fixture of all 72 group-stage games, according to The Athletic, with five million ticket requests made in the first 24 hours of the Random Selection Draw in December.

“It means I had to buy tickets for my family in November,” Martinez quipped when asked about the fan dedication. “That’s what it means, because I knew it was going to be difficult to get tickets.”

“I think it’s fascinating. The passion of the game in a difficult moment in the world. Football still brings unity, it brings passion, it brings inspiration for the kids … So I hope football wins and inspiration of anyone that watches the game.”

While Colombia have reached ⁠the knockout stages with six points from two games, Portugal sit second on four points and are all but through. Finishing second could give them a tougher path in the knockout stage, with England or Croatia potential opponents.

Colombia coach warns team against Ronaldo, Vitinha

Colombia coach Nestor Lorenzo said his team will need “special tactical discipline” against Portugal, whom he considers one of the favourites to win the tournament. The Colombians need to avoid defeat to advance as group winners, but Lorenzo was taking nothing for granted against the No 5 side in the FIFA world rankings.

“We’ll try to maintain our style and our footballing identity,” he said.

“But without a doubt, we have to pay attention to the other characteristics and strengths [that Portugal] has. It’s a very well-coached team. They have a coach and players who are at the elite level of world football … and ‌that shows in their game.”

Lorenzo also said Colombia will be wary of the threat posed by Ronaldo, who scored twice in the last match, and Vitinha, the defensive midfielder known for his ball control, work rate and playmaking abilities.

“Both Vitinha and Ronaldo are decisive players. One in the organisation of the game and the quality of his playmaking, and the other in finishing,” he added. “So we absolutely cannot leave them alone or neglect them. Hopefully, the team collective will be well-oiled.”

Colombia are set to feature in the World Cup knockouts for the first time since 2018, having failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Colombia vs Portugal prediction

Opta’s supercomputer has calculated a 48.9 percent probability of Portugal winning this fixture, while Colombia is assessed a 26 percent chance of victory. There is a 25.1 percent probability of the game ending in a draw.

Overall, Colombia are favourites to finish on top of Group G, with a 53.32 percent probability, according to Opta.

Colombia vs Portugal: Kickoff time, TV channel

• Colombia: DSPORTS, RCN TELEVISION SA, CARACOL, DGO (6:30pm Colombia Standard Time)
• Portugal: RTP 1, RTP Play, LiveModeTV, SPORT.TV5 (00:30am on Sunday, Western European Summer Time)
• United Kingdom: BBC iPlayer, BBC One, Red Button 1 (00:30 am on Sunday, British Summer Time)
• USA: FOX, FOX One, Telemundo App, Telemundo Network, Peacock, (7:30pm, Eastern Daylight Time)

To check the TV listings for your country, head to FIFA’s TV listing schedule here.

What’s the scenario in Group K?

Colombia (six points) and Portugal (four points) are assured of a round of 32 berth each as the top two teams. The Democratic Republic of the Congo are third with one point, and Uzbekistan bottom with zero.

The top two teams from each of the 12 groups, along with the eight best third-placed teams, will proceed to the round of 32.

DR Congo have to beat Uzbekistan to stand a chance of advancing via the third-place team route.

Can Portugal finish on top of Group K?

Yes, Portugal can topple Colombia from first place in Group K if they beat the South Americans. Currently, they have a two-point difference.

If Portugal draw with Colombia or lose to them, Ronaldo’s side will remain second.

What’s the benefit of winning a group?

Group winners start their knockout campaign against a third-placed team from another group.

In this case, the Group G winner will face a third-placed team from Group D, E, I, J or L in the round of 32 in Kansas City on July 3.

Form guide

(Last five games, latest first)

Colombia: W-W-W-W-L

Portugal: W-D-W-W-W

Both teams have a solid record over the last five matches, with Portugal edging Colombia with an unbeaten streak over that period.

Portugal thrashed Uzbekistan 5-0 and were held to a 1-1 draw by DR Congo in the first game of the World Cup. They defeated Nigeria and Chile in pre-World Cup friendlies and beat the USA in a March friendly.

Colombia defeated DR Congo 1-0 and Uzbekistan 3-1 at the tournament. Before that, they beat Jordan and Costa Rica in June friendlies but lost to France in a March exhibition fixture.

Colombia vs Portugal: Team news

No injuries have been reported by either Colombia or Portugal.

Colombia predicted lineup

(4-3-3): Vargas (goalkeeper); Munoz, Sanchez, Lucumi, Mojica; Puerta, Lerma, Arias; Rodriguez, Suarez, Diaz

Portugal predicted lineup

(4-2-3-1): Costa (goalkeeper); Cancelo, Dias, Veiga, Mendes; Neves, Vitinha; Neto, Fernandes, Felix, Ronaldo

Love Island viewers missing the ITV series this Saturday should tune into this other hit show

Love Island has once again vanished from our telly schedules, but we’ve got just the programme to fill the void in its absence.

ITV viewers will be aware that the reality series broadcasts fresh episodes every Sunday through to Friday, with a blooper-style edition appearing on our screens each Saturday.

While the Unseen Bits episode has become increasingly popular over the years, it doesn’t always deliver the same dramatic impact as the main programme. So those craving a new fix of reality TV drama might well be searching for an alternative.

They’re in luck because Are You The One? is presently available to stream on Paramount Plus.

Branded as ‘unhinged’ by audiences, the dating programme first launched on MTV in 2014, before transferring to streaming platform Paramount in 2023, reports OK!.

Audiences follow a group of men and women who have been secretly paired with their ‘perfect partner’ by a matchmaking algorithm. They are then placed under one roof and must attempt to discover their other half.

If the participants successfully identify all of the perfect couples, they secure a prize fund of up to $1 million. The contestants are free to pursue any romantic connections within the house, much like in Love Island.

However, they have the distinctive option to consult the ‘Truth Booth’ to confirm if they are genuinely a match.

While the American series falls into the same category as Love Island, some audiences believe it compels contestants to genuinely pursue authentic romantic connections rather than coasting in friendship pairings until the finale.

Heading to Reddit, one enthusiastic viewer shared their thoughts: “I just watched the two seasons on Netflix and it’s what I always wanted Love Island to be. People actually mixing, doing things, partying,… Instead of policing people if they dare talk to a person, they’ve been ‘coupled up with’ for a day.”

They went on to say: “I think LI need to look at shows like that and apply some things. Give them incentive to not just pick a person at the start and then chill for weeks.”

Viewers have also posted glowing write-ups, with one social media user writing: “I love drama and cat fights so if you love to entertained I would watch it. Couples being broken up and people getting jealous it’s so interesting.”

Another enthusiastic fan declared: “Just binge watched season 1 of [Are You The One]!!!! ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT! HOW IS THIS SHOW NOT MORE POPULAR!?”

Are You The One? is streaming now on Paramount Plus

Twenty-four days after the polls closed on election day, Los Angeles County officials have certified the results from the 2,227,461 ballots cast. Despite questions raised about the pace of the vote count, a Times analysis found ballots this June were tallied faster than in previous cycles.

California is known to have a slow vote count, partially because of the state’s grace period for mail-in ballots. This year, counties were required to report most of the ballots by June 15, with some exceptions, including for mail-in ballots received within seven days of election day and ballots requiring additional verification such as signature curing. The process has spurred baseless claims of fraud from President Trump and others, leading the U.S. Supreme Court to take up a case on whether mail-in ballots must be received by election day to count.

The state has reported 9.4 million processed ballots. Officials estimate about 5 ballots remain to be counted and 17,650 are waiting to cure a missing or mismatched signature.

Compared with the last time both governor and Los Angeles mayor were on the ballot, county election officials counted more ballots, and tallied them faster than in 2022, The Times found.

In Los Angeles County, turnout jumped from 28% of eligible voters in the 2022 primary to 38% this June, according to the county registrar. Meanwhile, the share of vote-by-mail ballots dropped about 3 percentage points to 82%, indicating a rise in in-person voting.

Statewide, early results show 41% of registered voters turned up for the June election, up from 33% in 2022, according to the secretary of state. County elections officials must report their final results by July 3, giving state officials a week to certify all election results.

The Los Angeles Times reports election results from the county clerk as well as from the Associated Press. The AP provides ballot counts, a calculation of the expected vote and race calls for statewide and national races.

The expected vote percentage, or EEVP, is an estimate of the total number of votes that will eventually be certified. That number can be adjusted based on new information over time.

“Before counting begins in California, our estimates are primarily informed by turnout in past similar elections plus pre-election data on ballot returns, with projections based on what percentage of ballots had already been received at the same point in past elections,” AP director of election analytics Emily Swanson said in an email.

In the gubernatorial and mayoral races, more than half of the votes were counted by the end of election day, EEVP data show.

Swanson’s team also observed a faster vote count this year than in the 2022 and 2024 primaries.

In January 2024, L.A. County consolidated its election operations into a new ballot processing center in the City of Industry. Dean Logan, head of the L.A. County registrar-recorder/county clerk’s office, told The Times earlier this month that the facility, which is open to observers, is designed for transparency, security and efficiency.

“It doesn’t take long to count. The counting process is very fast,” Logan said ahead of election day. “What extends the time period is those options that are provided under California law for voters — to allow everyone the opportunity to vote up until election day, and then allowing us the time to process those with the same level of security and integrity that we did the ballots that were received two weeks before the election.”

Despite the faster count, the Associated Press took longer to call winners, suggesting these races were more competitive. The AP makes such declarations by determining whether there is an opportunity for a trailing candidate to catch up to the race leader. It has been calling races for nearly 180 years.

Both the gubernatorial and Los Angeles mayoral race saw a 30% increase in votes from 2022. The governor’s race received more than 9.2 million votes compared with 7 million in 2022. The Los Angeles mayor’s race received more than 850,000 votes, an increase from nearly 650,000 in 2022.

The vote counting process for California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada and Alaska may change for the November midterm election, depending on which way the U.S. Supreme Court rules.

Data and graphics assistant editor Sean Greene contributed to this report.

NBA mock drafts projected Cameron Carr getting selected somewhere between 15 and 20 in the first round on Tuesday night.

Ending up with the Lakers later in the draft, however, was more than Carr could have asked for.

The Lakers acquired his draft rights from the New York Knicks, who took the 6-foot-5 Baylor guard with the 24th pick, in a multiple-team deal in which L.A. sent the draft rights to Spanish guard Sergio De Larrea, who was taken 25th, and cash considerations to New York.

As he sat for his introductory news conference Friday, dressed in all black, Carr shared what his thoughts were when he found out he would be playing for the Lakers.

“I’m going to the Lakers! It was more of an exciting thing,” he said. “It felt surreal. It didn’t feel real for the first couple minutes when I found out. It was trying to get my head around, ‘Man, I’m about to walk across the stage and be an NBA player.’ I’ve dreamed of this my whole life, especially since I was a kid. So it took a second. Still trying to get my head wrapped around it, but nothing but excitement and happiness. I feel more motivated to work.”

Rob Pelinka, the Lakers’ president of basketball operations, met Carr at the facility on Friday but didn’t speak with the media during the news conference.

It meant Pelinka couldn’t be asked about Austin Reaves agreeing to re-sign with the Lakers on a four-year, $185-million deal, or about how conversations are going with free agent LeBron James.

But NBA rules prohibit team officials from commenting on anything during the free agency moratorium, which won’t be lifted until July 6.

So, this day was all about the 21-year-old Carr and how impressed he was being in the Lakers’ building.

“Walking in the building, first thing you notice is the rich tradition of the people that have been here before you,” Carr said. “It’s a moment of happiness. As a kid, you always dreamed of walking across that stage and accomplishing everything you wanted to. Man, it just felt good to walk in the gym and look at the people that came before me. Now I’m in their shoes.”

Carr was viewed by NBA scouts as athletic with his 42½-inch vertical leap and as having a good jump shot.

During his sophomore season at Baylor, Carr averaged 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.3 blocks in 34 games. He shot 49.4% from the field, 37.4% from three-point range and 80.1% from the free-throw line.

But Carr quickly talked about how playing defense will be his calling card with the Lakers.

“Stepping into an organization with people with the same type of mindset and abilities, it only makes my job easier,” Carr said. “I’ve just got to cut and dunk the ball for them, and run in transition. But first things first is establishing a defensive consistency and showing I can be dominant or a plus on the defensive end as someone they would like to guard the best player.”

Carr always had his dad, Chris Carr, to lean on during his journey as a basketball player. Having him as a mentor was so beneficial because his father spent six seasons in the NBA. His most famous moment came in 1997, when he became the runner-up to Kobe Bryant in the slam dunk contest.

Now father and son have something else in common: making the NBA.

“I’ve always wanted to be better than him,” Carr said. “I’ve always been behind, so I want to show he’s put a lot of work in me becoming a better man. So I feel the only way I can credit him and show I’m thankful for him is by putting in the work and using it every single day. He was a heck of a player, so it’s some big footsteps I’ve got to follow and a long journey.

“It’s good motivation. My ‘why’ is just to be better and show people I’m better than a lot of people that are put in front of me. I feel like that’s the chip on my shoulder, or the fire under my feet.”