Month: August 2026

DID you know Travelodge has more than 630 hotels around the UK?

Not only that, but lots of them are on the seafront so you are just steps from the beach or pier.

To save even further, kids get free breakfasts this summer including everything from pancakes and porridge to sausages and cereal

The deal includes two kids under the age of 15, per one paying adult.

Along with a Best Price Finder to get the biggest room bargain, to £14.95 meal deals, Travelodge is on a mission to save you money this summer.

Here are eight of the best Travelodges across the UK that are right on the seafront, all with rooms from £25.

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Travelodge Bournemouth Seafront

The Travelodge Bournemouth Seafront is just a few steps from the beach, which is Blue Flag.

This means you can enjoy clean, golden sand, before getting some shut eye back at the hotel.

Rooms from £25

Travelodge Brighton Seafront

The location of the Travelodge Brighton Seafront gives you the option of both the beach and the famous The Lanes.

With 159 rooms to choose from in the hotel, you are spoilt for choose.

Rooms from £25

Travelodge Paignton Seafront

Step out of the Travelodge Paignton Seafront and you can see the beautiful sea and pier right outside the door.

The hotel has 92 rooms, which include the New Design ones which have been upgraded.

Rooms from £25

Travelodge Ramsgate Seafront

Did you know Ramsgate is home to the UK’s only Royal Harbour? You can even look straight at it from the Travelodge Ramsgate Seafront.

It is also right by the beach – home to the UK’s biggest Wetherspoons.

Rooms from £25

Travelodge Worthing Seafront

If you want to explore the palm-tree lined promenade of Worthing, one of the cheapest stays you’ll find is Travelodge Worthing Seafront.

Of the 90 rooms, pick one at the front for views over the water.

Rooms from £25

Travelodge Skegness Seafront

This Travelodge not only is right by Skegness beach, but also has a top floor Bar-Cafe with panoramic sea views.

The beach is just two minutes by foot, while the main pier and theme park are nearby too.

Rooms from £25

Travelodge Rhyl Seafront

The Welsh town of Rhyl is getting a £20million makeover – but you can still stay on the cheap with Travelodge Rhyl Seafront.

There’s just 73 rooms to choose from so its a much more intimate hotel.

Rooms from £25

Travelodge Helensburgh Seafront

If you need a base when exploring the west coast of Scotland, choose the Travelodge Helensburgh Seafront.

Pop out for a seaside stroll with amazing views of the Clyde from the pier.

Rooms from £25

BRADLEY Cooper and Gigi Hadid have sparked marriage rumours, after they were spotted in Paris wearing matching rings.

The Hollywood star, 51, and his stunning supermodel girlfriend, 31, have been dating for three years, and have now left fans wondering if they have taken the next step.

The couple were seen on two occasions in the French capital wearing bands on their ring fingers.

As they held hands, after leaving the gym, the matching rings were on full display.

They were later seen heading to dinner at Paris’ Loulou, also wearing the bands.

Bradley and Gigi were first linked back in October 2023, after they were spotted on a dinner date in New York.

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Since then the couple have been seen enjoying romantic dates in the Big Apple and London, as well as vacations in Italy.

Bradley and Gigi were last seen together heading into Madison Square Garden for the model’s best pal Taylor Swift‘s wedding to Travis Kelce last month.

Despite dating for three years, the couple only went Instagram official last year.

It came when Gigi shared a slew of pics from her 30th birthday, which included her movie star man.

Before Bradley, the model was famously in a relationship with One Direction hunk, Zayn Malik, 33, who she shares her child with.

Bradley was previously in a relationship with supermodel Irina Shayak, 40, and together they have a nine-year-old daughter, Lea De Seine.

Ireland’s women must plan for the forthcoming World Cup without distinguished goalkeeper Ayeisha McFerran, who has been ruled out of the tournament through injury.

McFerran’s many achievements in the game included being named Goalkeeper of the Tournament at the 2018 World Cup, at which Ireland were silver medallists.

Head coach Gareth Grundie has announced a 20-player squad to travel to Wavre, Belgium.

In McFerran’s absence, Lizzy Murphy and Holly Micklem are named, offering them their first chance to potentially represent Ireland in goal on one of hockey’s biggest stages.

The side will be making their third successive appearance at at a World Cup, having beaten Japan in a shootout in the bronze medal match in Santiago to ensure qualification for the 2026 edition.

Ireland, who are ranked 12th in the world, have been drawn in Pool C of the competition, and will face Spain in their opening match on 16 August, before playing New Zealand two days later and Belgium on 20 August.

A top-two finish in the pool would allow Ireland to progress to Pool E for a shot at a place in the semi-finals, while a third or fourth place finish would send them to Pool H where they will begin their final classification matches.

Meanwhile, Ireland men’s coach Mark Tumilty has also announced a 20-strong squad as the side prepare to make their first appearance in the competition since 2018.

Tumilty has named an unchanged squad from that which secured qualification in Santiago in March courtesy of a comprehensive semi-final win over Wales, before coming from behind to beat France in the final.

Ireland’s men are 10th in the world rankings and have been drawn in Pool C of the competition, taking on Australia in their opener on Sunday, 16 August, before facing South Africa and Spain on 18 and 20 August respectively.

As with the women, a top-two place would put the team into Pool E for a semi-final chance, while they would enter Pool H for classification fixtures if they come third or fourth.

Ireland women’s squad: Elizabeth Murphy, Holly Micklem, Roisin Upton, Hannah McLoughlin, Caoimhe Perdue, Lena Neill, Sarah McAuley, Ellen Curran, Lisa Mulcahy, Sarah Hawkshaw, Charlotte Beggs, Michelle Carey, Christina Hamill, Mia Jennings, Katie Mullan, Sarah Torrans, Aisling Utri, Mikayla Power, Niamh Carey, Emily Kealy.

Ireland men’s squad: Jaime Carr, Luke Roleston, Kyle Marshall (capt), Peter McKibbin, Mark McNellis, Sam Hyland, Gregory Williams, Fergus Gibson, Lee Cole, Luke Witherow, Sean Murray, Johnny McKee, Peter Brown, Adam McAllister, Matthew Nelson, Benjamin Walker, Jeremy Duncan, Ali Empey, Louis Rowe, Jonny Lynch.

Aug. 4 (UPI) — The Democratic primary for Michigan’s Senate seat between Abdul El-Sayed and Rep. Haley Stevens is just one of Tuesday’s key races to watch.

Michigan is one of five states holding primaries on Tuesday, along with Virginia, Missouri, Kansas and Washington.

El-Sayed and Stevens are running for the seat left open by retiring Sen. Gary Peters. El-Sayed has received endorsements from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., while Stevens has the endorsement of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Stevens represents a more moderate wing of the Democratic Party while El-Sayed is the more progressive candidate.

Mike Rogers, a former Republican congressman, is running unopposed in the Republican primary. Rogers lost a tight race against Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., in 2024. Rogers is endorsed by President Donald Trump.

Whitmer’s endorsement of Stevens is among the last endorsements she will make as sitting governor. She has reached her term limit, leaving the governor’s seat up for grabs.

For the Democratic Party, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is running against Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson. For the Republican Party, Rep. John James is running against businessman Perry Johnson. James is endorsed by Trump.

The Democratic Party is focused on flipping House seats in Virginia after the state’s Supreme Court struck down a congressional redistricting plan pushed by Democrats. The proposed map would have favored Democrats in 10 of 11 congressional districts.

Instead, Democrats are hoping to flip several Republican-held seats, including that of Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va. Elaine Luria, a former congresswoman, is running to take on Kiggans, who defeated her in 2024. She is one of four Democrats vying for the party’s nomination.

Seven Democrats are running for the opportunity to challenge Republican Rep. Rob Wittmann in the Williamsburg and suburban Richmond district. The Democratic Party has supported prosecutor Shannon Taylor’s primary campaign. Taylor was the first Democrat to be elected Henrico Commonwealth attorney in 40 years.

A Republican-led redistricting in Missouri has altered the makeup of the state’s congressional districts. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., who represents Kansas City, is running unopposed in a district that suddenly is more Republican-leaning than it has been in recent elections. The Republican primary to challenge Cleaver includes six candidates.

Former Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., is seeking a return to Congress after losing her seat to Rep. Wesley Bell, D-Mo. Bush and Bell are running in a firmly Democratic district in St. Louis. The district voted 80% for Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024.

In the state of Washington, nonpartisan primaries will see the top two vote getters on the ballot in November regardless of party. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., is running for re-election against eight candidates in Washington’s District 3.

The Kansas gubernatorial election is an open race with Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly reaching her term limit this year. Three Democrats and seven Republicans are running for her seat in a state that favored Trump by 16 points in 2024.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is facing growing criticism from some European leaders as European Union interior ministers meet to discuss last week’s mass crossing into the Spanish territory of Ceuta, an episode that has reignited debate over migration across the bloc.

Human rights groups and activists, meanwhile, have accused far-right politicians of exploiting the crisis to advance anti-immigration narratives.

More than 60,000 people crossed into the North African enclave on Thursday and Friday, triggering a humanitarian emergency and prompting Spain to deploy additional military and police forces.

More than 80 migrants died, according to Spanish and Moroccan authorities, including some who drowned or were crushed while attempting to cross a breakwater barrier.

Most of those who entered have since returned to Morocco. By Saturday, “almost all” had left and the situation in Ceuta had largely returned to normal, Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said.

Ireland, which holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, convened an emergency video meeting of EU interior ministers after 22 of the bloc’s 27 member states called for “coordinated action and the strengthening of external borders”.

Political fault lines

The events in Ceuta have once again exposed divisions within the EU over migration policy, with several governments calling for a tougher approach while others have urged adherence to humanitarian and international legal obligations.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was among Sanchez’s sharpest critics, announcing that Italy would introduce temporary air and sea border controls with Spain while questioning Madrid’s handling of the situation.

Sanchez rejected the criticism, saying Italy’s position was “contrary to European law, humanitarian law, and the principles of solidarity that bind us together”.

In a post on X, he also noted that Italy had received significantly more migrants than Spain since 2021, saying Italy had recorded about 478,000 arrivals compared with Spain’s 234,000.

The political debate has unfolded despite a broader decline in irregular migration to the EU. According to the EU’s border agency Frontex, irregular border crossings peaked at 1.8 million in 2015. During the first half of 2026, crossings fell by 37 percent compared with the same period last year to about 49,000.

The scenes in Ceuta have nevertheless become a focal point in wider political debates over migration, despite the EU already introducing stricter migration and asylum rules that expand member states’ powers to detain migrants and return them to designated “safe countries” or facilities outside the bloc.

Human rights organisations have criticised the measures, warning they could leave asylum seekers stranded for prolonged periods in offshore detention centres, while illegal police pushbacks at borders still regularly occur in both the EU and North Africa.

Spain defends its response

The Spanish government has rejected accusations that it mishandled the crisis, saying the situation was brought under control quickly in close coordination with Morocco despite limited assistance from other European countries.

Officials have also said that a recent ruling by Spain’s Supreme Court, which found that migrants arriving by sea cannot be summarily returned without due process, was deliberately misrepresented by smuggling networks to encourage people to attempt the crossing.

A senior Moroccan official, speaking anonymously to the AFP news agency, said Rabat had raised concerns with Spanish authorities after discussions on social media about the court ruling began in late July.

“We discussed this ruling and its impact. We explained that this ruling was going to create a problem. And it did create a problem,” the official said.

He rejected suggestions that the mass movement into Ceuta reflected a failure by Morocco’s security forces.

“It’s simplistic to say that Morocco should just have used force to stop them. That is to completely misunderstand this phenomenon,” he said.

With the biggest global opening weekend in history, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” is cleaning up at the box office in a manner that left “The Odyssey” spitting sand. (Relatively speaking; “The Odyssey” also had a strong worldwide debut and is on track to become the third R-rated film to hit the billion-dollar mark.)

But while Christopher Nolan’s vision of a nearly 3,000–year–old epic poem has received, with the exception of a few less-than–impressed classics experts and the usual “replacement theory” nut jobs, waves of gratitude for helping revitalize cinema, the success of “Spider-Man” has many of these same people scratching their heads.

Certainly the reviews have been mixed — some find the narrative streamlined and personal with Tom Holland giving his best-ever performance; others declare “Brand New Day” to be overstuffed with franchise teasers and/or suggest that, at 30, Holland is getting a bit old for the job.

So how is it, pundits wondered, that Spidey has vanquished the ultimate supervillain: superhero fatigue.

It’s simple really: love.

There’s a reason “Love Actually” featured a kid in Spider-Man face paint, as opposed to a Superman cape. People, especially kids (and the adults they will become), love Spider-Man with an affection that is deep and true. Unlike so many other superheroes, Peter Parker is one of us. He’s not a super-scientist or a god or an extraterrestrial or a one-percenter able to develop all manner of nifty crime-fighting gadgetry. He’s a kid who, having been accidentally endowed with superpowers that do not disfigure him, physically or emotionally (no Red Room trauma, inner rage monster, centurylong life span), remains a kid with an adolescent’s delight in all he can now do.

He’s funny, sweet and, having been raised right (in this latest iteration by Marisa Tomei’s hip and humanitarian Aunt May), extremely polite, even as he takes down all the bad guys — a cheeky bright spot in a landscape super-peopled almost exclusively with adults and all their existential whinging and regretful brooding.

But our feelings for the character is not the only, or most important, love story helping to drive the success of “Brand New Day.” Perhaps because they are closest in age to Romeo and Juliet, the complicated courtship of Peter and MJ (or Gwen), has always been the best built-in love story in the multiverse. The actors playing those roles — Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone — invariably became romantic partners so when the series was revived with Holland, with Zendaya as MJ, producer Amy Pascal warned them not to date.

Mercifully, they did not listen and in Holland and Zendaya, “Brand New Day” has a real-life beloved couple (recently married) playing a fictional beloved couple, now divided by the memory-erasing spell of the previous film, “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”

Screenwriters Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers’ decision to have Peter Parker wiped from everyone’s memory, including MJ‘s and Ned’s (Jacob Batalon), was a brilliant twist that not only saved us from “Spider-Man Goes to College” but also injected a star-crossed romantic pathos that Shakespeare would envy.

I can’t have been the only person who bought an opening weekend ticket for the sole purpose of finding out if/when/how Peter and MJ would find their way back to each other.

This has been spoiled elsewhere, but we’ll leave it at they do and they don’t. Although the more jaded among us might see the ambiguity as a nakedly emotional hook for future films, including “Avengers: Doomsday,” the opportunity for both Peter and MJ to mature a bit, independent of each other, feels thematically essential and more than a little revolutionary. It certainly sparks an intriguing question about the nature of romantic love, something too often associated with “being saved” in Marvel, and many other, films.

Seeing the famously private couple playfully interact with each other and Batalon during the press tour of “Brand New Day” only amped up the already fevered anticipation of how the trio will regroup as surely they must — the love Peter has for Ned is just as strong and singular as his love for MJ. The fact that we’ve watched these actors grow up before our eyes (Zendaya and Batalon were 19 and Holland 20 when they filmed “Spider-Man: Homecoming” in 2016) makes it even more of a family affair — of course we want to know what happens to Spidey and his gang!

Given the extraordinary success of “Brand New Day,” on top of “The Odyssey,” there is a very good chance that Hollywood, in its infinite and historically flawed wisdom, will decide that superhero fatigue is a myth and that what audiences really want is spectacle. So this is a plea for those in charge to tear their eyes away from the box office returns and look at the film itself.

Yes, “Brand New Day” is full of terrific web-slinging and swinging scenes (albeit ones in which Spider-Man gets even more beat up than usual), but its power is emotional not spectacular, built more on dialogue than special effects.

Holland’s Spider-Man relates more personally to everyone — friends and foes — than any other superhero; his scenes with the Punisher (Jon Bernthal), Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Det. DeWolff (Liza Colón-Zayas) and, at the end, Jean Grey (Sadie Sink) are always less about exposition or explosive action than character revelation and connection.

He cares and so do we.

That’s how it works in love stories and, as “Brand New Day” is proving, love stories are pretty hard to beat.

In 2022, Eala was on the cover of Vogue Philippines after becoming the first Filipina to win a junior Grand Slam title.

But it was her victory over Swiatek in the quarter-finals of the Miami Open in 2025, that brought a new passion for tennis to the Philippines.

There has been a lot of love for the young star from her community, with queues to see her play growing and fans following her all over the world.

There are more than 75,000 members of the Filipino community in Washington, with a further four million across the US who will be watching her in the US Open in late August.

“To all the Filipino fans that came out and have supported, you guys are helping grow tennis around the world,” Pegula said after the match.

Fellow Filipino and former boxing champion, Manny Pacquiao, wrote on social media that her comeback showed the “heart of a Filipino” before calling her “our new champion”.

A FAMILY has been left distraught after they missed their flight – but it wasn’t their fault.

A father along with his family including his severely disabled teenage daughter has claimed that they were abandoned by budget airline Ryanair.

Daniel Laws, from Bournemouth commented that Ryanair told them to make their own way home after waiting in the wrong airport for hours, adding that the treatment from the airline’s staff was “abominable”.

When at Alicante Airport, the special assistance bus took the family to the wrong plane and resulted in them missing their flight back to Bournemouth.

According to the Bournemouth Echo, Daniel said: “I said to them this is the wrong plane, this is a TUI plane.”

However, by the time the family were back at the terminal, their plane had left without them.

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The family was then taken to the Ryanair help desk, where they were left “sitting on the floor for two hours”.

After waiting for a few hours, the family was then told they could be rebooked onto a flight that would head to Stansted Airport.

He added: “I responded would they also be able to help us get back to Bournemouth and they seemed to laugh at that and walk away from the window.”

After landing back in London, the family headed to the Ryanair desk at the airport to seek further assistance to travel back to Bournemouth.

After an hour of waiting passed, the staff hadn’t spoke to the family and when they eventually did, they told the family that “Ryanair believe it has nothing to do with them and we must organise our own way home”.

To make matters worse, the family hadn’t eaten since breakfast.

Daniel added: “We were abandoned in Stanstead and none of us had eaten.”

The family eventually travelled home via train, but have stated that they want a refund for the flights and all expenses incurred.

He added: “It was a life changing event for them [the children]….they were so worried about my eldest.”

A Ryanair spokesperson said: “Special assistance services at Alicante Airport (and all other airports) are provided by the airport but are paid for by Ryanair.

“We regret that Alicante Airport’s special assistance provider, Alyzia, failed to bring these passengers to the aircraft prior to this flight from Alicante to Bournemouth departing on 31 July.

“Following Alyzia’s error, Ryanair reaccommodated these passengers free of charge onto the next available flight from Alicante to Stansted, which departed later that the same day.

“We are working with Alicante Airport to ensure this does not recur.”

Aug. 4 (UPI) — British oil giant BP posted second-quarter profit on Tuesday of $5.7 billion, more than double the $2.35 billion it made in the April to June period in 2025, amid sharply higher oil and gas prices caused by the U.S.-Iran conflict.

Profit was $2.5 billion more than what the company made in the first quarter, the first two months of which were before the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, and easily beat the $5 billion expected by analysts.

BP’s results, the latest of the oil giants to report bumper profits in recent days following on from Shell, Exxon Mobil and Chevron, came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump accused energy firms of exploiting the current shortage of supply.

“Based on a shortage, they’re making too much money,” he said Monday after Exxon Mobil and Chevron last week reported a combined $26.5 billion profit for the second quarter.

Trump demanded the companies return some of their windfall to the public by cutting their retail prices, saying profits that had jumped as much as 12-fold were not acceptable and that he was not happy about it.

On Friday, Shell, the other British supermajor, also posted results showing it more than doubled its earnings, reporting a $9.84 billion profit for the April to June period, up from $4.26 billion in the same period last year.

Environmental groups criticized the profit made by BP as unseemly.

“Clearly not everyone is feeling the pain of the energy crisis. While BP banks another round of enormous profits, millions of households are paying the price through sky-high energy bills and a climate crisis accelerating rapidly out of control with increasingly severe heatwaves, wildfires and droughts,” said Friends of the Earth campaigns head Rosie Downes.

BP CEO Meg O’Neill told CNBC on Tuesday that while she understood the pressure ordinary consumers felt when they were confronted by the prices at the pump, the company had little control over the cost.

“The reality is we produce a global commodity and the prices for the product we sell hangs off that global commodity price, said O’Neill, who stressed that the sterling financial results were due to strong performances across all its businesses,” she said.

She added that the company had tweaked the firm’s refining runs to ensure the products consumers needed most at any given point in time were available in sufficient quantities but insisted BP was “there was more to do.”

“We are not making the most of our potential. Our performance over the past few years has not met our own expectations, let alone those of our shareholders. We have not delivered consistently; we have written off too much value; and our costs and liabilities are not resilient enough in a low price environment,” said O’Neill.

BP’s results came four days after it put its North Sea oil business on the market amid uncertainty over whether the British government will forge ahead with phasing out North Sea oil and gas, in line with its Net Zero by 2050 target, or issue some new drilling licences to meet U.K. demand in the interim.

O’Neill said Tuesday that in a conversation with Prime Minister Andy Burnham he had assured her that he would take a “pragmatic” approach to the issue.

“The U.K. is still using a huge amount of oil and natural gas every single day, and we ought to be using our domestic resources first instead of buying those resources from a third party,” O’Neill added.

Analysts estimate BP’s 24 fields, about half of which are still producing, should fetch around $2.6 billion.

There are estimated to be at least 12 billion barrels of oil left under the North Sea, although developed reserves awaiting to be pumped are much lower.

Rescue boats from both France and the UK took part in the operation to evacuate passengers from the stricken vessel.

More than 150 migrants travelling to the United Kingdom in a boat across the English Channel have been rescued after the vessel caught fire.

A major rescue operation was launched on Tuesday morning near the French port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, with both French and British authorities working to evacuate those on board, some of whom had jumped into the sea.

The local French maritime prefecture said five of the 157 people on board had requested rescue overnight and were evacuated. It said the remaining passengers refused assistance and the boat continued its journey towards the UK, until the engine caught fire and all those on board were rescued.

Since Andy Burnham became UK prime minister two weeks ago, more than 2,000 people have crossed the English Channel in small boats.

Immigration is an extremely divisive and hotly contested issue in the UK, prompting Burnham to pledge that he will be “relentless” in stopping people from reaching the country in small boats.

A person generally must be in the UK to lodge an asylum application, as current rules do not allow people to make asylum claims from overseas. Amnesty International has argued that this makes it “impossible” for people abroad to seek asylum in the UK.

The 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention, to which the UK is a signatory, establishes protections for people fleeing persecution and recognises that those seeking safety may have to use irregular routes.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage commented on the incident in the English Channel in a post on X.

“We must put a stop to this. Our plan will save lives,” he said.

Farage’s party has pledged to abolish what is known as indefinite leave to remain (ILR) if it wins the next election, due to take place in 2029. ILR allows people to live and work in the UK without a time limit. Reform has also said it would rescind existing ILR grants.

A SUMMER of free bus travel for under 16s has started in the UK and one major airport is now offering free trips too.

To encourage passengers to leave their cars behind, bus travel will be completely free to and from the terminal for all holidaymakers throughout August.

London Luton Airport in Bedfordshire will operate buses throughout the day dropping passengers right outside without having to pay a fare.

This falls under the ‘Fly and Ride’ scheme where passengers can travel free on a range of Arriva and Stagecoach services.

All travellers have to do is show a valid printed or digital boarding pass for a flight departing from London Luton Airport during August.

The offer is valid on Arriva routes 101, X1, X2, X3, X4, A and Z.

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It’s also valid on Stagecoach’s MK1, which covers the nearby towns of Stevenage, Milton Keynes, Aylesbury, Bedford and Dunstable.

The free journey will count from any stop between August 1-31.

Return journeys must be completed by August 31 to qualify.

The offer does not include National Express and Greenline services.

August is the busiest month for most airports and last year 1.8million holidaymakers travelled through Luton Airport.

This was a five per cent increase from the year before, according to the CAA.

Alberto Martin, CEO of London Luton Airport, said: “This is a fantastic initiative and a great example of how we continually look to extend our simple and friendly passenger experience far beyond the terminal doors.

“As we prepare for our busiest summer on record, we’re delighted to offer passengers the opportunity to leave the car at home, take advantage of excellent local bus services and travel to the airport for free.”

This comes after part of the new government scheme where under 16s can get on bus for no cost as part of the government’s Great British Summer Saving scheme.

Child fares typically cost between £1 and £2 so families will be able to save on the cost of travel.

The scheme is running from now until August 31.

“I’M going to spend my Saturday digging soil with a JCB for fun,” was a phrase that would never have passed my lips until I became a mum. 

Yet, here I am, spending the first sunny weekend in August on an industrial estate in Medway, Kent, having the time of my life at Diggerland theme park. 

Find out how to get 2-4-1 tickets through Sun Club here

Diggerland has to be seen to be believed and is possibly the UK’s most unique theme park.

Yes, it really is an attraction entirely themed around construction machinery, which was founded in 2000, by digger hire firm owner Hugh Edeleanu.

The Kent site was the first, and there are now three further parks around England, in  Devon, Durham, and Yorkshire. 

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You might question whether you can really get a whole day out of construction equipment, and I was as surprised as anyone to find ourselves racing around the park at closing time, trying to choose our last attraction. 

The range of activities is impressive, and not like any other theme park. 

They have 20 main rides and drives included in the ticket price, plus some extras like dodgems and quad bikes. 

Spin Dizzy is the biggest – spinning up to 8 guests high in the sky in the bucket of a huge digger.

But the giant diggers were by far my son’s favourite, as you spend around 10 minutes shifting soil in an impressive Komatsu PC55MR-5 tracked excavator. They’re simple enough to use that at seven years old, he was able to get into the cab and tackle control himself. 

Other crowd pleasers included the chance to drive a JCB around a circuit, digging for gold with Komatsu PC14 mini diggers and being lifted 50 feet into the air by the Skyshuttle. 

But the standout for me had to be the decommissioned police car. 

My son was able to drive the car himself, pedals and all, around a dirt track, despite being a whole ten years away from getting his provisional license. 

Which is no bad thing, considering he made for a hair-rising chauffeur and was even given a ‘speeding ticket’ at the end of his go.

It feels like the Diggerland creative team had a whale of a time when coming up with the various attractions, which are diverse enough to entertain all ages. 

You’ve got the little Tykes toy area, the indoor soft play and the crazy trikes for the younger kids, plenty of options for primary school age children, and a large choice for the adults who’ve always fancied having a go when passing a construction site. 

The parks even offer stag and hen do parties, with the onsite cafe listing a range of cocktails and beers that you’d never see at your typical theme park restaurant. 

If you fancy checking it out for yourself there’s no better time to visit as Sun readers can get 2-4-1 tickets at Diggerland through Sun Club or Sun Savers, with families saving over £39 on tickets, plus free entry for children under 90cm. 

To get your tickets, Join thesun.co.uk/club for just £1.99 per month or £12 per year, then head to Offers Hub and find the Diggerland page to claim your voucher. 

Tickets cost £25.95pp in advance and £39.50pp on the door, for adults and kids over 90cm.

Or you can pick up the The Sun newspaper from Saturday, August 1 and collect Sun Savers codes.

• Find the Diggerland page in the Offers section and select Start Collecting.
• Collect THREE out of eight Sun Savers codes printed in The Sun from Saturday, August 1 to Saturday, August 8. Once you have your THREE Sun Savers codes, enter them on the Sun Savers app or website to unlock booking. Booking opens at 11am on Monday, August 3.
• Download your voucher (Max 2 people per voucher) and have it ready on your phone or printed before your visit.
• Choose your Diggerland Park in Kent, Devon, Durham or Yorkshire.
• Claim this offer by Monday, 19 October 2026. Present your voucher and a valid Sun Savers account at the park entrance when purchasing your tickets. Your voucher can be redeemed at your chosen Diggerland attraction on selected dates up until Saturday, October 31, 2026.
• 18+ UK only. Sun Savers multiple code collect 01/08/26-08/08/26 or Sun Club subscription required. Online access required. Buy one full price standard admission ticket to get a second standard admission ticket free for the same day. Voucher must be redeemed at attractions alongside valid Sun Club/Sun Savers account. Cannot be used online or in conjunction with any other offer. Max 2 people per voucher. Tickets valid weekends in September-October and October 26-30 only. Subject to availability. Non-transferable & non-refundable. Full T&Cs apply, see sunsavers.co.uk  or club.thesun.co.uk/sun-club

MoneySavingExpert, which was founded by Martin Lewis, shared a tip for plane passengers

Some customers could be owed back hundreds after purchasing plane tickets, according to MoneySavingExpert (MSE). The consumer website, founded by journalist and TV personality Martin Lewis, regularly shares advice to help Brits.

In advice for travellers, the money experts pointed out that passengers who book non-refundable plane tickets but don’t end up using them can still request a refund for some of their money. While the refund won’t cover the entire cost of the tickets, they can get the Air Passenger Duty refunded.

In a Facebook post, MSE said: “Air Passenger Duty is a tax only paid by the airline to HMRC if you fly. If you don’t fly, whether you cancelled a non-refundable ticket or you missed your flight, you can request a refund from £8 to £253 per person.” The post also included a real-life success story from MSE Clare.

Clare revealed that her in-laws received a refund of £92 each after realising they needed to change their return flight home after visiting the UK from Australia. The family members had assumed they wouldn’t get any money back from their non-refundable tickets after their plans changed, but a “quick email” to their airline confirmed the good news. Clare said it was “a small consolation, but better than nothing.”

In the comments under the post, MSE added: “There’s no deadline for how far back you can claim – though some airlines impose their own (and a few charge an admin fee).” More information is available on the MSE website.

It said: “When you book a flight departing the UK, your ticket price will include various fees, such as airport tax. However, this isn’t collected by HM Revenue and Customs from the airline until after you actually fly. If you don’t fly – even by choice – you shouldn’t have to pay the tax.”

If you’re looking to make a claim, airlines publish information for passengers explaining exactly how to get it. Skyscanner explains: “The procedures for claiming an airport tax refund vary from airline to airline.

“Some will refund it automatically, whereas others require you to fill out a form. It’s worth noting that some carriers will charge an admin fee for the refund application, and with budget airlines, that fee can often surmount the amount you’ll get back.

“Each airline should publish details of how to claim back APD tax on its own website. If you cannot find this, call the airline and request details.”

Skyscanner added: “Some airlines have commercial agreements with various airports and may not always pay airport taxes. If you didn’t initially pay them, you wouldn’t be eligible for a refund.”

You can’t keep a beloved news team down, even after more than a decade since being yanked off the air in a move that stunned fans and local TV newsrooms.

For almost 20 years, KTTV Fox 11’s “Good Day L.A.” was hosted by Steve Edwards, Dorothy Lucey and Jillian Barberie, becoming a dominant fixture in the fiercely competitive morning show arena. The show’s popularity for a time outdistanced network morning shows and crosstown rivals “The KTLA Morning News.”

The trio’s freewheeling banter spiced with humorous mayhem and mischief enchanted legions of viewers while bringing freshness to the familiar formula of news, weather and sports. The distinct personalities meshed effortlessly — veteran newsman Edwards, relentlessly upbeat co-host Lucey and fiery weather reporter Barberie, who injected the proceedings with outrageous, at times crass comments along with declarations that “my breasts are real.”

An undercurrent of friction brought an edge to the breezy vibe, with Edwards often acting as the awkward buffer between Lucey and Barberie, who did little to disguise their dislike of each other. Barberie would go on to bash Lucey on Howard Stern’s radio show, calling her “very Christian and Bible-thumpy.” Lucey was frequently distraught by Barberie’s “mean.”

But that winning combination was broken up starting in May 2012, when Lucey was fired as part of a show revamp. Barberie was let go four months later after declining a demotion. And after continuing with other co-hosts, Edwards vanished from the show in December 2017 after allegations of sexual harassment, but there was never an official explanation from him or management about the reason for his departure. The exits sparked a wave of protests from viewers and celebrities, including Suzanne Somers, Piers Morgan and Simon Cowell of “American Idol.”

Dorothy Lucey, left, Steve Edwards and Jillian Barberie in 2001 on the set of Fox 11’s “Good Day L.A.”

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

But good days have returned for the former “Good Day L.A.” hosts. More than a decade after being let go, Edwards, Lucey and Barberie are fired up about their new venture.

The trio has reunited for “So Unanchored,” a weekly podcast fueled by spontaneous riffs on their years together, pop culture and their deep friendship. As they did on “Good Day L.A.,” they consistently interrupt one another and the chatter careens from one topic to the next without a breath. Complete sentences are rare.

“We have not missed a beat,” Edwards said as he, Lucey and Barberie relaxed in an office lounge after a recent taping. “It’s the most effortless thing. It makes us very happy when we get together. There’s an endorphin thing going on.”

“And we like each other more,” added Lucey.

They will tape a special live episode Wednesday at 11 a.m.. New episodes usually appear on Fridays.

The shattering of the “Good Day L.A.” team was particularly traumatic for Barberie, the breakout star of the trio. In addition to getting divorced after the Fox 11 job, she was later sideswiped by financial woes and a devastating health scare.

“I lost my job, got divorced and got cancer all at the same time,” said Barberie, her voice cracking as she sat near Edwards and Lucey in the lounge. “The fact that these two were a constant in my life during those 12 years when I was going through all those things is everything. I’m so grateful.”

Of course, there are major differences from their previous collaboration. While “Good Day L.A.” was broadcast at Fox 11’s massive West Los Angeles studio, “So Unanchored” is a no-frills affair staged at a Canoga Park office park.

The hosts sit in a small office, backed by nondescript office furniture and a framed poster of the vintage “Please Stand By” image broadcast by stations when there were technical difficulties.

Lucey, left, Edwards and Barberie in the Canoga Park office where they tape their podcast, “So Unanchored.”

(Annie Noelker/For The Times)

On their initial podcast, Barberie made it clear that there is no love lost when it comes to her former employer.

“I don’t want anything associated with that show,” she said. “Let’s start fresh, man. They used us and they treated us like s— at the end. Who needs them? Goodbye!”

The other major shift is the relationship between Lucey and Barberie.

“Dorothy and I love each other now,” Barberie said on one episode.

Lucey: “We do. Because the last time you saw us, we really didn’t like each other.”

Barberie: “And Steve has never been happier.”

Edwards: “You two are like sisters. You used to be like brothers — Cain and Abel.”

Barberie: “And then something happened between the three of us that got her and I close, and then I got cancer. She took me to all of my surgeries and took care of me. I’m telling you, it’s a beautiful thing.”

Lucey: “We still hate Steve, though.”

Barberie: “We have that in common.”

The burying of the hatchet is a great relief for Edwards, who was troubled by the tension between his colleagues during their time on “Good Day L.A.”

Barberie pressed Edwards on their first podcast: “Be honest, Steve. Did you like it when we didn’t get along?”

Edwards: “Sometimes it would get ugly and my stomach would turn.”

On “So Unanchored,” Barberie has revived her loose cannon role in their dynamic, raw and unfiltered. She will tear up, and moments later throw her head back with an explosive laugh that bounces off the studio walls.

She detailed her wild lifestyle during her TV days: “From 34 to 40, I was single, had five TV jobs, partied like a rock star, dated anyone I wanted and made a s—load of money.”

Though she eventually landed a talk show on KABC-AM 790 after leaving Fox 11, hard times hit in 2019 as she tried to make ends meet while raising two children as a divorced mom battling cancer.

“When I lost everything, I literally collapsed on my money manager’s table. I was bald and I started crying,” she said.

She listed her ranch-style Tarzana home, which was featured in “MTV Cribs,” for $2.5 million in 2021. She currently rents “a beautiful little apartment way out in Thousand Oaks. I love it and my life is quieter.”

Barberie was more explicit on the podcast: “I haven’t dated in 10 years. I have no tinglies down there. I’m dead from the waist down. I don’t want to date. I don’t want a man, an ape beside me at night if I’m having a hot flash. I have no nipples. I have no desire to cook, sit and talk with you. I don’t care.”

Edwards: “So you’re saying there’s a chance.”

Since leaving “Good Day L.A.,” Barberie, left, and Lucey have developed a close friendship. Edwards, standing center, said, “You two are like sisters. You used to be like brothers — Cain and Abel.”

(Annie Noelker / For The Times)

Scott Sternberg, whose production company produces “So Unanchored,” said “Good Day L.A.” was a clear standout on the morning show spectrum.

“There was something different about ‘Good Day L.A.’ from the other shows,” Sternberg said in a phone interview. “Their personalities were all different, but they could finish each other’s sentences and were not afraid to say what they wanted to say. I felt if I could bring them back together, there would be a huge audience who remembered them fondly.”

Asked to define the magic of their chemistry, Edwards said it was not instantaneous.

“At the time, there were five morning shows, including the network,” he said. “It took years for our thing to happen, but when it did, it happened big. We could do no wrong for 10 years. The ratings were crazy good. There was a run for many years when we were No. 1. We made them a lot of money.”

He continued: “Success is based on the relationship between the people on the show and the audience. Once that is established, it doesn’t matter if the show is good or bad that day. I was going through a lot with these two [Lucey and Barberie], and the audience was doing it with us. But the suits don’t care about that.”

The first indication that the show was in trouble came in 2017, when a new management team initiated a revamp of the morning show.

Lucey wrote at the time in her blog “God and Gossip” that her new boss told her that her voice, which has a trace of raspiness, “made his eyes bleed. Not the crusty yucky pink eye. New guy was saying when I spoke I made his eyes bleed. I have read that can happen after you vomit. Now I could almost see my husband saying something like that to me … But from a new boss…”

But station executives did not express regrets about dismissing Lucey, saying in a statement after her ouster: “The revitalization of ‘Good Day L.A.’ has been refreshing.”

Months later, Barberie was approached about taking a reduced role as a field reporter. She turned it down. Edwards’ departure caused a bigger stir because it was so abrupt. KTTV would say only that he was no longer employed by the station.

“Fox never issued a statement, and I never issued a statement,” Edwards said. “Obviously there was not agreement on what happened.”

As they prepared to leave the lounge, the three hugged each other warmly and said they were looking forward to getting together the following week.

“There is one word for us being back together,” Barberie said. “Home.”

Photo of the Guri Hydroelectric Plant posted by the US Embassy on August 3

In the last few days, a sight that had become unusual in Venezuela for years took place in multiple parts of the country: street protests over electricity. The blackouts are increasing in frequency and duration without any warning, along with several strong brownouts. This recent uptick has even reached the capital, which the chavista government usually tries to protect from the chronic power deficit, at the expense of the rest of the nation.

In Carabobo state, people in Valencia and its surrounding cities reported both prolonged cuts and swift interruptions, which have taken their toll on their daily routine. Local authorities say that the full recovery of the thermoelectric plant Termocarabobo (directly affected by the earthquakes just like Planta Centro, close to the epicenter of the first quake) will help alleviate the problem.

Next door, in Aragua state, things are not much better. People in Maracay report daily double cuts of four to five hours, hitting the city’s commercial sector despite the use of power plants. In the smaller towns of Villa de Cura and San Mateo, citizens held peaceful protests to complain as governor Joana Sánchez blamed current electricity woes on the June 24 earthquakes.

The increase in power outages has reached both the east and west of Venezuela. In the western Lara state, an unannounced blackout right after midnight on July 31 left large parts of the state in the dark, in addition to the lengthy daily rationing that reaches up to five hours. Local NGO Activos por la Luz, which monitors the effects of the electric crisis in the region, released in response a very scathing statement on social media:

Protests spanning affluent Lechería and impoverished El Callao spell bad news for Delcy Rodríguez’s promise of economic recovery. 

“This has stopped being just an electrical problem. This is a systematic destruction of our mental health, our emotional stability, of our dignity and of our hope as people. It’s not normal to live under constant stress, without knowing when the power goes out, how long the blackout will last or how you will go to sleep, work or just survive the heat and the burnout. We have been pushed to a permanent state of anxiety, frustration and impotence…”

Very bad mood in Oriente

Meanwhile in the eastern cities of Maturín and Anaco, people made their voices heard in front of the offices of State-owned electricity Corpoelec without incident. Sadly, that wasn’t the case in Guayana, as a public gathering in the road to enter the town of Guasipati on July 28^th was dissolved by a group of unidentified men using firearms. The following day, the nearby town of El Callao witnessed a civic strike protesting six-to-seven hour power cuts and the collapse of other public services caused by increasing mining activity in the area and the growing population influx.

Such is the level of exasperation that the mayor of Lechería, Manuel Ferreira, publicly called Corpoelec to establish a proper scheduling of the electrical cuts. “Without schedules, without timetables and without respect: that’s how our neighbors have been treated. We understand the climate variables or the structural system failures, but if the rationing is unavoidable, the least we demand is respect and dignity. People have the right to know when the service is taken off so they can prepare.”

To better understand the relevance of this: both Guasipati and El Callao belong to the region covered by the Mining Arc, where there is a documented presence of gangs (hence the recent killing of Tren de Aragua’s leader in nearby Kilometro 88), and the military is currently deploying intense control over the population. The gold industry in the region is vital for the regime’s interests and has recently fallen under the eye of the Trump administration and the international mining companies the White House aspires to attract to Venezuela. Lechería remains an enclave for the privileged, the ones who built or preserved a comfortable life during the worst years of the country’s economic decline. The fact that both regions are witnessing protests of this scale is more bad news for Delcy Rodríguez’s promise of economic recovery. 

The electric transition hasn’t started either

Back in May, as the national power grid was stretching thin because of high temperatures and rising demand, the Electricity Minister Ronald Alcalá and the US Chief of Mission John Barrett met to discuss plans to rebuild the country’s power grid.

In the early days of June, the National Assembly apparently advanced in the drafting of a partial reform to the Electric System and Service Organic Law, allowing the private sector to participate in the electricity service but still keeping the State mostly in control of it. Some have criticized the changes as insufficient.

After that, the interim government signed two memorandums of understanding in June. The first one with Argentinian company IMPSA, which involves two hydroelectric plants in Guayana: repairing the Macagua Dam and finishing the long-delayed and unfinished Tocoma Dam. 

IMPSA was formerly a State-owned company which won the contracts in 2008 when Cristina Kirchner was in charge but stalled around 2013-14 as the Maduro government stopped paying.

With the arrival of Javier Millei to La Casa Rosada, IMPSA was privatized and later sold to US consortium Industrial Acquisitions Fund (IAF), which decided to pick up the pending projects in Venezuela again right after the events of January 3rd, with Washington’s help.

The second MoU was with GE Vernova, a major US energy company which was once part of the famous conglomerate General Electric until its breakup in 2024. In the agreement, GE Vernova would assist with improving Venezuelan energy supply to one gigawatt in the first 24 months and more than five gigawatts over the course of four years. The company also committed to properly train personnel and transfer technology to modernize the infrastructure.

The second reading and final passing of the electricity reform is now on hold as the Rodríguez-controlled National Assembly says it is focused on more urgent, disaster-related matters.

Days after those preliminary agreements were announced and signed, the earthquakes occurred and some of the set priorities took a backseat. For example, the grid was heavily hit in places like La Guaira and power had to be restored in parts of Falcón. As mentioned earlier, Carabobo’s generation plants were also affected.

As those short-term fixes are on the top of the list, some of those positive developments from June have gone down on the to-do list, as the CEO of GE Vernova Scott Strazik admitted to Bloomberg: “Practically speaking, if not for the earthquake that had taken place that took us off track, we could be very close to a contract today…” The company is optimistic to start working this year.

In a similar vein, the second reading and final passing of the electricity reform law is now on hold as the Rodríguez-controlled National Assembly says it is focused on more urgent disaster-related matters. But the earthquakes deepened the many issues the national grid had been carrying for long, as this Runrun.es report indicates:

Letters of intent that the government signed with international consortiums to recover turbines in the Caroni (River) or to rehabilitate trunk transmission do not accelerate engineering times. Therefore, specialists insist that stabilizing the system is a complex process that’ll take years.

Until those projects materialize, the interior of the country will keep paying the cost of the system that works to its limits. The seismic doublet of June not only shaken distribution lines of those who usually don’t lose the light; for the rest of Venezuela, the true earthquake is day-by-day in the darkness of a structural crisis that is not solved with speeches.

The official response from Delcy Rodriguez is to simply throw the ball back and ask them to keep carrying that weight as she just announced a brand new plan to save electricity and water. The pretext: the effects of El Niño are being felt around the world and the solar radiation phenomenon that caused the original declaration of electric emergency in March is returning later in August.

For the record, there have been previous precedents of planned power rationing timetables like in 2016, when there was a situation similar to the current one. However, a rationing plan like the one announced for the summer of 2026 is the first in years. Corpoelec chose instead to send SMS messages of questionable accuracy. 

In the meantime, she can at least count on the Trump administration giving her a little help-out, thanks to the visit of John Barrett to Guri, along with experts from the US Energy Department.

Dodgers lose fourth in a row

From Maddie Lee: The Dodgers came away from the trade deadline with major wins — a two-time Cy Young Award winner in Tarik Skubal, necessary catching depth with Ben Rortvedt and Hunter Feduccia, and a 2025 All-Star in pitcher Kris Bubic.

All of that momentum, and the staggering amount of talent on the roster, have overshadowed the Dodgers’ recent poor play. A clean slate against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field was a chance to set a new tone after being swept by the Boston Red Sox at home. Instead, they lost 10-5, extending their losing streak to a season-high tying four games.

“This is a playoff-contending team,” manager Dave Roberts said of the Cubs before the game. “We’ve got to play well. Like I said [Sunday], we got outplayed. Outcompeted against. So we need to play better. We’re going to play better this series. I don’t know the results, but we will play with more urgency.”

The Dodgers (69-44) essentially played out that prophecy to begin the game. Against left-hander Matthew Boyd, Shohei Ohtani and Andy Pages hit back-to-back singles, and Tommy Edman roped a three-run homer to left.

Then Boyd settled in. He got out of the inning with three straight flyouts — Cubs fans enthusiastically booing Kyle Tucker, who was never expected to re-sign with the team when he hit free agency after one season in Chicago, when he flied out to right field.

Continue reading here

‘Dodgers do all the right things.’ Tarik Skubal dismisses the ‘ruining baseball’ critics

Dodgers box score

MLB standings

From Ryan Kartje: One of college football’s most hallowed rivalries will continue on, after all.

After months of back-and-forth negotiations, USC and Notre Dame announced Monday that they’ve agreed to a four-year series beginning in 2030 when the Irish will open the season against the Trojans at the Coliseum. The following year, the teams will play in Week 1 at Notre Dame Stadium and the two games after that will be played somewhere between Week 1-3 of the 2032 and 2033 seasons.

USC ended up getting exactly what it asked of Notre Dame more than a year ago, when the two sides first sat down to talk about renewing their rivalry series. USC’s leadership sought to shift the game to the beginning of the season, first offering to play during Week 0 of the 2027 season. But Notre Dame rejected multiple scheduling offers.

That changed in recent weeks, as Notre Dame opted to cancel a home-and-home series with Indiana in 2030 and 2031 to accommodate their longtime rival.

Continue reading here

Angels made good trade deadline moves

From Bill Shaikin: No date will ever top Oct. 27, 2002, the date the Angels won their lone World Series.

We could talk about Sept. 30, 1984, the date Mike Witt threw the Angels’ lone perfect game. Or June 9, 2009, the date the Angels drafted the best player in franchise history, Mike Trout. Or July 29, 2018, the date Vladimir Guerrero became the first player to wear an Angels cap on a Hall of Fame plaque.

Or, if you care to look at it from a cynical angle, that fateful fall day in 1979 when then-general manager Buzzie Bavasi said he could replace Nolan Ryan, who had just gone 16-14 in his final year in Anaheim, with “two 8-7 pitchers.”

This isn’t about trivia. This is to say that Monday might well be remembered as one of those significant dates in Angels history.

In recent years, the Angels have deluded themselves and their fans with such beliefs as: they had assembled a young core that could win; Shohei Ohtani really wanted to stay; and the universally and consistently poor rankings of their minor-league system should be dismissed.

On Monday, John Mozeliak changed all that. The Angels’ interim general manager traded seven players off the major-league roster ahead of the trade deadline, including five within the final nine hours. Mozeliak imported nine prospects, only one of which will report to the major-league team.

Continue reading here

World Cup was good practice for the 2028 Olympics

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: Like most good stories, this one requires planning. Organizers with the L.A. Sports and Entertainment Commission spent nearly nine years preparing to bring the FIFA World Cup to L.A. The most popular sporting event in the world was just the start of a mega-event trilogy that turns the page to Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium and will culminate with the largest Olympics ever in 2028.

“We are on the international stage for three years,” said Kathryn Schloessman, president and chief executive officer of L.A. Sports and Entertainment Commission, or LASEC, said. “What story are we telling and how are we doing that?”

The World Cup was a riveting first chapter. The 39-day tournament brought more than 560,000 fans to SoFi Stadium for eight matches, 250,000 fans to 10 official fan zones and a projected $892 million in economic impact across L.A. County, according to LASEC.

The expanded World Cup, with 48 teams and 104 matches over 16 venues in three countries, is only a logistical qualifying match compared to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The first Olympics in L.A. in 44 years will welcome 11,198 athletes across 51 sports from more than 200 countries competing over 20 days. The 2028 Paralympics will come to L.A. for the first time with a 23-para sport schedule that will begin competition before the opening ceremony for the first time.

Despite the difference in scale, John Harper, chief operating officer of LA28, called the successful World Cup’s local matches “an immense learning opportunity for us in a lot of ways.”

Continue reading here

MLS has a new commissioner

From Kevin Baxter: Larry Berg, the co-managing owner of LAFC, was chosen Monday to become the third commissioner in MLS history when Don Garber retires in December.

Berg has been with LAFC since the club’s founding, helping build the team into the league’s most successful franchise since entering MLS in 2018. He has held ownership stakes in Italy’s AS Roma and Welsh club Swansea City and has served MLS as co-chair of the league’s sporting and competition committee.

Berg, 60, also spent more than three decades in private equity, serving as a senior partner at Apollo Global Management before retiring in 2022.

“I’m honored to lead Major League Soccer into its next era,” Berg, a lifelong soccer fan and player, said in a statement released by the league. “Thanks to the vision and commitment of so many people, Major League Soccer has achieved tremendous success, but I believe our greatest opportunities are still ahead.

Continue reading here

Mauricio Pochettino stays as U.S. coach, agrees to 4-year extension through 2030 World Cup

This day in sports history

1936 — American athlete Jesse Owens wins his 2nd gold medal at the Berlin Olympics; beats German Luz Long in the long jump final with an Olympic record.

1945 — Byron Nelson wins his 11th consecutive PGA Tour event, beating Herman Barron by four strokes. Nelson finishes the year with a record for most tournament wins (18) in a season.

1984 — Carl Lewis wins the 100-meter dash in 9.99 seconds at the Los Angeles Summer Games. U.S. teammate Sam Graddy wins the silver in 10.19 and Canada’s Ben Johnson gets the bronze with a time of 10.22.

1996 — Laura Davies shoots a 6-under 66 for a two-stroke victory over Nancy Lopez and Karrie Webb in the du Maurier Classic.

1996 — The Atlanta Olympic Games end with U.S. boxer David Reid’s stunning gold-medal knockout, and the women Dream Team’s romp over Brazil. Reid captures America’s only boxing gold, knocking down Cuban Alfredo Duvergel, while the U.S. women roll to a 111-87 victory behind Lisa Leslie’s 29 points. A record 11,000 athletes from 197 countries make it the biggest Olympics.

2011 — Cappie Pondexter scores 15 points to lead New York past Chicago 59-49, and the Liberty hold the Sky to a WNBA-record one point in the fourth quarter.

2012 — Michael Phelps wins another gold medal as the United States wins the medley relay at the London Olympics. Phelps leaves the sport with a record 18 golds and 22 medals overall. At these games, he wins four golds and two silvers.

2012 — Serena Williams beats Maria Sharapova 6-0, 6-1 to join Steffi Graf as the only women to complete the Golden Slam — winning the Olympics and the four majors. In a men’s semifinal match, Roger Federer outlasts Juan Martin del Potro in a 19-17 final set and clinches his first Olympic singles medal. Canadian equestrian Ian Millar rides into Olympic history by competing in his 10th games — the most of any athlete.

2013 — Missy Franklin claims her record sixth gold medal on the final day of the world championships in Barcelona, becoming the most successful female swimmer ever at a world meet. Franklin eclipses the record shared by Tracy Caulkins — who won five times in 1978 — and Libby Trickett, who did it in 2007.

2013 — Stacy Lewis wins the Women’s British Open after a marathon final day. Lewis finishes with a pair of birdies on the Old Course at St. Andrews and closes with an even-par 72. It’s her second major on the LPGA Tour, and it ends a record streak of 10 straight majors won by Asian players. Forced to play 36 holes, Lewis is the only player at par or better from the last 21 groups that tee off.

2018 — British swimmer Adam Peaty improves his own world record in the 100-meter breaststroke to 57.1 seconds at the European Championships in Glasgow, Scotland.

2021 — Sydney McLaughlin sets a world record in in the women’s 400m hurdles, 51.46s, for a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

2024 — At the Paris Olympics Noah Lyles becomes the first American sprinter to win the 100m gold medal in 20 years; his time 9.784s edges Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson by 0.005s

Compiled by the Associated Press

This day in baseball history

1884 — Pud Galvin pitched the most lopsided no-hitter in major league history as the Buffalo Bisons routed the Detroit Wolverines 18-0. It is the second career no-hitter for Galvin.

1910 — Jack Coombs of the Philadelphia A’s and Ed Walsh of the Chicago White Sox hooked up in a 16-inning scoreless tie. Coombs struck out 18 and allowed three hits.

1945 — Bill Salkeld of Pittsburgh hit for the cycle in a 6-5 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. The Pirate catcher went 5 for 5 and drove in all five runs.

1945 — Boston’s Tom McBride became the third player to drive in six runs in an inning as the Red Sox pounded Washington 15-4. McBride had a bases-loaded double and triple during the Red Sox’s 12-run fourth inning.

1953 — New York’s Vic Raschi set a record for a pitcher by driving in seven runs in a 15-0 win over the Detroit Tigers.

1963 — New York’s Mickey Mantle, batting for the first time in two months after breaking his left foot, hit a pinch home run as the Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 11-10 for a split of a doubleheader.

1973 — John Briggs of the Milwaukee Brewers went 6-for-6 in a 9-4 win over the Cleveland Indians.

1979 — Atlanta knuckleballer Phil Niekro set modern major league records with four wild pitches in one inning (fifth) and six in one game. The Braves lost to Houston 6-2.

1982 — Joel Youngblood became the first player in major league history to play and get a base hit for two different teams in two different cities in the same day. In the afternoon, his hit drove in the winning run for the New York Mets in a 7-4 victory at Chicago. After the game, he was traded to the Montreal Expos and played that night in Philadelphia. He entered the game in right field in the fourth inning and later got a single.

1985 — Tom Seaver, 40, became the 17th 300-game winner in major league history with a six-hitter — all singles — as the Chicago White Sox defeated the New York Yankees 4-1 on Phil Rizzuto Day.

1985 — Rod Carew of the Angels got his 3,000th hit in a 6-5 win over the Minnesota Twins, his first major league team.

2006 — Chase Utley went 0-for-5 night in Philadelphia’s 5-3 victory over the New York Mets, ending a 35-game hitting streak that tied him for the 10th longest in major league history and the fourth longest in National League history.

2007 — In the second inning of a 3-2 loss to the Padres, Barry Bonds hits his 755th career home run to tie Hank Aaron for the all-time record.

2007 — Alex Rodriguez became the youngest player in major league history to hit 500 home runs with a first-inning homer in a 16-8 victory over Kansas City.

2010 — Alex Rodriguez hit his 600th home run and became the youngest player to attain the milestone. His two-run, first-inning drive off Toronto’s Shaun Marcum put New York ahead, and the Yankees coasted to a 5-1 victory over the Blue Jays.

2021 — Japan moves into the gold medal game in the Tokyo Olympics.

2022 — The Angels tie a record by hitting seven homers but still losing the game, 8-7 to the A’s, also setting a record for most runs scored in a game, all on solo homers. Shohei Ohtani hits a pair, followed by Kurt Suzuki, Taylor Ward, Jo Adell, Jared Walsh and Mickey Moniak. However, Oakland scores six times in the 3rd and adds a two-run blast by Ramon Laureano in the 4th to negate the Angels’ long balls.

2024 — With a 13-7 loss to the Twins, the White Sox’s losing streak reaches historic proportion at 20 games. It is a new franchise record and tied for third all-time, trailing only the 21 losses by the 1988 Baltimore Orioles to start that season, and the 23 consecutive losses by the 1961 Philadelphia Phillies.

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.

FIFA executive Arsene Wenger backs decision to drop FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s World Cup sell-off plan.

FIFA executive Arsene Wenger has distanced himself from President Gianni Infantino’s failed plan to sell stakes in future World Cup profits to private investors and says it was “absolutely necessary” to drop the proposal.

Wenger’s statement on Tuesday on the controversy came after a preservation letter from UEFA, confirmed to Al Jazeera by European football’s governing body, was sent to FIFA, the world governing body.

Upon confirming the legal request was sent, UEFA said it would be making “no further comment at this stage”.

The Associated Press news agency, however, has reported that it has seen a letter from lawyers representing UEFA that has named Wenger, the French coaching great, among 18 executives whose data and communications should be retained as potential evidence.

“I was not involved in this strategic plan and first became aware of the project through media reports,” said Wenger, who was hired by Infantino in 2019 and is FIFA’s chief of global football development.

The statement by the former Arsenal coach did not name Infantino and comes after a weeklong furore across world football.

“The decision to withdraw the project was absolutely necessary and beyond question, because I firmly believe in an independent FIFA that serves our game with commitment, transparency, and integrity,” Wenger wrote.

Infantino withdrew his $20bn proposal early on Saturday after a furious backlash by global football officials and organisations, including UEFA warning of a boycott of all FIFA games and events.

The plan would have created a subsidiary, known as FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), to run the money-making parts of the nonprofit football body’s work, including organising tournaments like the World Cup and selling broadcasting and sponsorship rights and tickets.

It proposed raising $4.2bn from investors by selling stakes amounting to about 20 percent in FFE, based on an equity valuation of $20bn.

The “anchor investor” would have been Thrive Eternal, launched by Joshua Kushner, whose brother, Jared Kushner, is a son-in-law of United States President Donald Trump.

FIFA’s 211 member federations – already the essential owners of the governing body as a nonprofit association under Swiss law – were offered $20m each. The deadline to accept was September 19.

They also were promised a doubling of their FIFA funding for the four years through 2030 to $20m instead of the previously announced $10m.

Infantino shared details of the project to FIFA management just one week after the July 19 final of the financially successful World Cup in North America that drove FIFA’s revenues to $15bn for the 2023-2026 commercial cycle, almost double the income tied to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Wenger said his FIFA duties were to “oversee the data analysis of the game, the FIFA online training centre, the development of youth education through 60 academies across 60 countries where they are most needed, and youth competitions around the world”.

The man suspected of killing Scottish aid worker Elisabeth Jane Ross in Greece is 26-year-old Sharif Ahmadzai, the BBC understands.

He was arrested after the body of the 38-year-old was found in a suitcase in an abandoned building in the Kypseli district of Athens on 18 July, several days after she was reported missing.

Ahmadzai, who was born in Afghanistan and is a champion boxer, travelled to Greece as a refugee.

He is expected to appear in court in Athens on Wednesday.

The BBC understands Ahmadzai, who left Afghanistan after being orphaned aged 15, lives in Greece with his American wife and child.

His father, a commander in the Afghan army, was shot dead and his mother and siblings were killed by a suicide bomber in Kabul.

He travelled to Greece via Iran and Turkey, according to a video telling his story, external which was published by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), before settling in a refugee camp on the island of Lesbos.

It is understood this is where he met his wife and converted to Christianity. The pair then set up the charity Love Every Nation Athens to help other refugees.

It is thought that he met Ross through the charity.

Holidaymakers jetting off abroad to the Spanish island of Majorca this summer are being warned about ‘biting fish’ in some popular beach hotspots following several reports

Tourists heading on holiday to Majorca are being warned about ‘biting fish’ following a string of reported ‘attacks’.

More than 2 million Brits jet off abroad to Majorca, also known as Mallorca, every summer for a sun-soaked Mediterranean getaway on Spain’s largest Balearic island. But an unusual phenomenon is threatening to dampen days spent along some of its pristine sandy shores and clear turquoise waters.

Following the weekend, there have been several reports of people being bitten by small fish while swimming in the crystal-clear waters off Majorca. The incidents were recorded around the beaches of Illetes and Cala Comtessa, which are in the municipality and resort town of Calvià.

The Spanish news publication Majorca Daily Bulletin said that “several people” reported seeing “small fish, which seemed to have about two teeth, biting our legs, but in the end, they actually drew blood and everything” over the weekend. At first, they believed the fish were “removing dead skin” rather than taking a nibble of flesh.

One witness to the fish-biting events recalled to the publication following the weekend: “The attacking fish are back in Mallorca waters, and I saw it for myself on Saturday in Illetas, groups of people leaping up and down as they were nibbled and even bitten by small fish.

“Last year I was bitten three times, so far I’ve been lucky this year, but it appears others have not. One man even joked that perhaps they are part of the anti-tourism movement!”

But this isn’t the first time there have been reports of small biting fish in the shallow shores of Majorca. Just last summer, a woman suffered a serious fish bite while at Playa de Palma, and a German tourist also claimed to have been bitten by several fish on two different occasions within the same week.

“Today, however, the bite was rather serious, and I got out of the water straight away, as it was even bleeding,” he told the Majorca Daily Bulletin last summer. However, they weren’t the only ones to report fish bites, and there’s thought to have been a string of minor incidents along the shores of Majorca dating back to the summer of 2023.

It’s thought to have become more common over the years, and local news outlets report a spike in fish nibbling on swimmers during the summer months. Further incidents have been recorded in Majorca, including Palma, Sa Ràpita, S’Estanyol, Cala Pi, and Cala d’Or.

Experts say rising sea temperatures could contribute to the bizarre happenings. “There are no studies into this, but the reason behind what’s happening could be that the temperature of the water is higher,” Ron Farage, Assistant Curator at Palma Aquarium, previously told the local publication, Ultima Hora.

“And these fish are less scared, in this case of human beings, when they are more hungry, which is a consequence in summer of this increase in the temperature of their natural habitat.”

Meanwhile, the expert added that beachgoers shouldn’t be scared of the fish, because “they’re not poisonous and they don’t do any real damage”. Instead, they tend to be curious about dry skin or existing wounds on people, which they can mistake for food.

Marine Biologist Silvia García from Oceana also told the Majorca Daily Bulletin that the culprits are likely young fish. “They are usually juvenile fish, only a few days or weeks old, so small and transparent that they are barely visible in the water.”

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The beloved crime drama first aired on the BBC back in 2001 and ran for seven years before coming to an end.

A popular BBC programme based on a bestselling book series has been hailed ‘one of the best of all the Brit mysteries’.

Over 20 years ago, BBC viewers saw a new detective duo hit the screens as actors Nathaniel Parker and Sharon Small took on the roles of DI Thomas “Tommy” Lynley and DS Barbara Havers.

The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, which is based on the crime novels by author Elizabeth George, follows the unlikely duo as they solve complex murder cases.

With DI Lynley coming from an aristocratic background and DS Havers hailing from a working-class life, the pair frequently butt heads due to their conflicting personalities.

Originally, the show aired in 2001 and ran for seven years and features a range of odd cases.

Over the years, viewers saw public school disappearances, political conspiracies and aristocratic family murders.

Speaking about the show coming to an end, actor Nathaniel shared that the actors didn’t know the series wasn’t coming back when they filmed.

He told Entertainment Weekly in the past: “Well, it’s kind of strange because when we shot it we didn’t know it would be the end. They canceled the series after we finished shooting, so there is no tie-up to it.

“There’s been quite a sweet response, a wonderful response really, here and in Europe. I mean around the world, really. Lots of petitions and things like that sent to the BBC.

“It’s been slightly embarrassing. I was asked by a bunch of people in Amsterdam — 17,500 viewers — to accept their petition to take back to the BBC. But I think the BBC would look at me and say, “God, you must be really desperate for work!”

Although the series came to an end in 2008, with a revival airing last year, its still remained a beloved show with BBC viewers.

On IMDb, one person said: “A magnificent duo – up there with Holmes & Watson, Morse & Lewis […] Both characters are utterly convincing and indeed inspiring as people. There are many duos as detectives, but this is one of the best.”

Someone else wrote: “Better than the books by far. Having seen the television version before reading the books, I can heartily recommend the video version over the print one.”

Another shared: “One of the best of all the Brit mysteries. Everything about this show works well — the plotting, the acting, the direction, the sets — but what is truly above average is the relationship that slowly develops between the two stars, making this show both a mystery program and a character-based one. Watching these two actors grow into their roles while solving well-written cases is deeply satisfying.”

While a fourth commented: “Very Enjoyable Series. I find this series very satisfying. It is character-driven and has compelling dialogue between Lynley and Sgt Havers. Havers is the real star of the show.”

Inspector Lynley Mysteries is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

WITH all this warm and sunny weather, has there ever been a better summer for a camping staycation?

Known locally as Mochras, Shell Island in North Cardigan Bay, Wales, sits in the Snowdonia National Park and is the biggest campsite in the UK – and even one of the biggest in Europe.

To get to the campsite, you’ll need to check tide times, as it is accessed via a Tidal Causeway – a raised road that can only be driven on at low tide.

With 800 pitches, there is plenty of space for campers across the 450-acre site, or if you don’t fancy sleeping under canvas, you could opt for one of the chalets on site.

Guests have access to three large, golden sand beaches that look out across Cardigan Bay where you can even have a campfire on.

And what makes the spot even better is that the sunsets are some of the best in the country, painting oranges and pinks in the sky above the peaks of Llŷn Peninsula and Snowdonia.

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At the park there are loads of things to do for guests including heading to the Tavern Bar for a tipple.

And for forgotten items, there is a useful supermarket on site as well as a gift shop, camping shop and off licence.

Kids can let off steam in the playground and football pitch or watch boats bob in the Mini Boat Pool before heading to the strawberry picking site.

There’s a large games room as well, next to the bar, where you can play pool, have a go on multiple arcade games and try and win on the penny machines.

Or head to the sports room, next to the games room, where you will find three TVs showing different sports.

The beach is just a few minutes’ walk away as well, which is a great spot to head kite-surfing, fishing and sailing.

The beach is known for having a large variety of shells, with up to 200 different species.

Little ones can also enjoy exploring rock pools.

Along the beaches, there are a number of paths for walks as well as recommended swimming spots.

During the peak season, camping costs from £14 per adult per night and children cost £7 per night.

Dogs are welcome too, costing £2.75 per night.

And one of the most unique things about the park, is that you get to pick your pitch as there is no pitch allocation.

This means you could opt for an area hidden in the sand dunes that overlooks the sea, to camp at.

One recent visitor said: “Shell Island is a fantastic campsite in an unbeatable location with a great mix of campers, mostly experienced old‑school types who know what North Wales coastal camping is really like.

“It’s great value for money; they keep pitch prices cheap.

“Loved the whole experience, can’t wait to go again, and the pub on site has great options on tap.”

Around Shell Island you’ll also find 13 species of wild orchid, amongst other wildflowers and crabbing spots.

Slightly further afield, there are a number of other to explore too, including Harlech Castle – a UNESCO World Heritage medieval fortress that’s just 10 minutes away.

And keen hikers can also head to Snowdon, Wales’ highest mountain.

The seaside town of Barmouth is nearby too, where you can explore cosy cafes and independent shops, as well as a large shingle beach.