Month: August 2026

A NEW Therme resort is under construction in the UK and is making huge strides towards opening.

Therme Manchester is set to be complete by 2028 and will have everything from huge swimming pools, waterslides and even beaches.

The Therme Group has announced that they have reached their first milestone of 12 tower cranes being built.

It said the progress marked “the start of an exciting new phase of construction for Therme Manchester“.

On social media it continued: “Over the coming months, these cranes will play a key role in bringing our vision to life. Creating an amazing destination where wellbeing, relaxation and fun come together.

“This is just the beginning. Stay tuned as we continue to build something extraordinary!”

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One excited person commented: “Wow!!! Can’t wait!! We are watching the process everyday when we pass.”

Another added: “Can’t wait, no more going to Germany to the amazing spa.”

The Therme Group also announced it would be teaming up with Marriott International.

In terms of booking, Marriott Bonvoy members will be offered exclusive travel and lodging packages linked directly to Therme destinations – which when it opens will include Manchester.

The £500m resort will be set across 28 acres making it the “largest water-based wellbeing destination in Europe.”

Inside the resort, visitors can expect a large-scale waterpark with more than 25 waterslides as well as a wave pool.

It will be heated to 33C and will have lots of spa and wellness facilities that will be split into three distinct zones called Play, Relax and Restore.

The Play zone will focus on ‘next-generation’ water fun, as well as a a warm water pool, steam rooms, saunas as well as lounging and family dining experiences.

This zone will also have an outdoor beach.

In the Relax zone – which will be adults-only – there will be a “focus on premium wellbeing experiences” as well as indoor and outdoor pools, waterfall showers, mineral baths, steam rooms, saunas and casual dining.

Finally, in the Restore Zone – the second adults-only area – there will be “industry leading health, nutrition and wellbeing therapies”, “sauna rituals”, experience showers, wellbeing consultations and dining.

Therme Manchester is set to become “UK’s largest paid-for tourist attraction” and see just over three million people each year.

This will be the first Therme site in the UK, joining one in Erding, Germany and one in Bucharest, Romania.

India take a 1-0 lead with a 165-run win against the hosts in Galle to begin the two-Test series.

Left-arm spinner Manav Suthar finished with a haul of 10 wickets as India thrashed Sri Lanka by 165 runs in the first Test in Galle to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

Suthar, playing only his second Test, impressed with his line and length to ensure India a memorable win on Wednesday in their 600th Test match.

He took four wickets in the first innings and kept up the fine show to take 6-55, helping bowl out the hosts for 206 shortly after lunch on the final day.

Set a target of 372 runs, Sri Lanka’s batters failed to apply themselves, other than Sonal Dinusha, who top-scored in both innings.

Indian captain Shubman Gill called the victory “very satisfying”.

“We were in a comfortable position but were not sure if the match would go on [because of the weather], but the team responded well,” he said.

Gill also praised Suthar and the batsmen for their effort on a wicket that was not easy to score runs on.

“He has been bowling magnificently. Looks like a very promising guy and someone who can play for India for a long time,” he said.

India claimed two wickets in the morning session after Sri Lanka resumed from their overnight score of 84-4 and then quickly ran through the tail.

Captain Dhananjaya de Silva (59) and first-innings centurion Dinusha tried to fight back, batting for more than two hours to add 95 runs for the fifth wicket.

De Silva, who had been dismissed off a no-ball early in his innings, looked set to make the most of the reprieve, posting his 20th half-century.

But his knock ended after he attempted a sweep shot off Ravindra Jadeja and was caught at short fine leg by Suthar.

“It was not easy [batting fourth in Galle],” said de Silva.

“They won the toss, got the runs on the board, and with our batting, we lost wickets, and it went downhill from there.”

Wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella posted a half-century in the first innings but could not make an impact in the second.

Dickwella fell for 10 when he attempted to hit Prasidh Krishna over the slips but ended up edging one to the wicketkeeper.

Suthar triggered a late-order collapse with a triple-wicket maiden after lunch and then, in his next over, claimed the last wicket of Keshara Nuwantha as Sri Lanka folded 36 minutes after lunch.

The last four wickets fell for seven runs, with Suthar claiming them all.

The 25-year-old Dinusha (84) put up a solid effort despite little support from his teammates.

Playing his fourth Test, he showcased maturity beyond his age, taking on India’s spinners with nimble footwork.

He was dismissed when Dhruv Jurel at leg slip took a bat-pad catch. He faced 128 deliveries during his defiant knock and hit eight fours and one six.

Apart from Suthar, the other standout performer for India was top-order batter Devdutt Padikkal, who posted 167 and 44 in the game, having come in as a late injury replacement.

“The wicket had its natural wear and tear [but] it was a good Test wicket,” Padikkal said.

“Turned a lot more from the third day onwards. In the end, it was all about who came out on top with their skill-set.”

The teams now head to Colombo for the second Test match, starting on Sunday.

Travel expert Simon Calder has advice for those heading abroad

Students celebrating their A-level results are being urged to think carefully about safety before setting off on gap years and adventures abroad.

Travel expert Simon Calder has issued a stark warning to young people preparing to head overseas – telling them that risk management should be at the heart of their plans. Calder, speaking on The Travel Expert podcast with Telegraph journalist Greg Dickinson, said he wanted students to return home “in one piece with nothing but happy memories”.

His advice comes as thousands of young people consider gap years, holidays or trips abroad before starting university. Calder, who took a gap year himself, said there was plenty to gain from seeing the world – but warned that students and their parents should not overlook the potential dangers.

His top three concerns are: drugs and drink, accidents in water and road safety. Calder said: “If you are going to go on a gap year, the main thing to do is risk management.”

He added: “I am absolutely concerned to try to make sure that everybody comes back in one piece with nothing but happy memories.”

Drugs, drink and the risk of spiking

Calder’s first warning was about alcohol and recreational drugs. He acknowledged that many people drink and some take recreational drugs, but urged travellers to understand the risks – including the possibility of their drink being spiked.

He also specifically warned students about methanol poisoning, which has tragically killed travellers overseas. His message was not simply to avoid excessive drinking or drugs, but to understand the potentially serious consequences of what can happen abroad.

And students should never allow alcohol or drugs to lead them into taking unnecessary risks. Calder warned against doing things such as hiring a scooter or going for a midnight swim after consuming drink or drugs.

Take care around water

Calder’s second major warning was about accidents in water. Young travellers heading to beaches, islands and other holiday destinations are urged to understand the dangers posed by strong currents.

One particular hazard is a rip current – a powerful current of water moving away from the shore which can quickly carry swimmers out to sea. Calder said travellers should “make absolutely sure that you know how to identify a rip tide” and understand what to do if caught in one.

The important message is not to panic or try to fight directly against the current.

Road safety

Calder stressed there was one danger that sat “absolutely top of my risk list” , which is road safety. He warned that road risks can increase sharply once travellers leave Britain.

“As soon as you leave the UK, risks start to multiply on the roads,” he said. His advice was to consider how you are going to travel around a country before setting off.

He suggested that, where appropriate, using trains or flying in countries with high road accident rates could reduce the risks faced by young travellers. Calder’s warning is particularly relevant to gap-year students who may be tempted to hire scooters or motorcycles as a cheap and convenient way of getting around.

Thailand warning

The discussion also turned to Thailand, a hugely popular destination for young British travellers. Dickinson warned that students should not assume the country is a place where drug use is tolerated simply because of its reputation for parties and nightlife.

He specifically highlighted the famous Full Moon parties – but stressed that Thailand has strict drug laws. Travellers can face serious consequences for possessing or taking illegal drugs. Dickinson said: “They’re extremely strict on drugs, so you basically need to not get involved with that whatsoever.”

From the outside looking in, Dakota Fanning — as a household name for roughly two decades and an actor with an enviable list of credits — might seem to exist in the usual celebrity bubble, insulated, as far as possible, from quotidian inconvenience. But she is also a busy professional with a relatable dependence on takeout and delivery, and one who follows the news.

“I’m in a panic over this lettuce situation,” she admits, referring to the cyclosporiasis outbreaks. “What is everybody doing? That’s all I can think and talk about. What do you mean I can’t eat lettuce? What am I supposed to do? I’m not ordering salads. We’re not talking about me cooking. I’m not worried about that.”

For now, perhaps the solution is to return to her “stomping grounds” and eat sushi “anywhere on Ventura Boulevard” after a hike of Fryman Canyon — her ideal day-off itinerary. (That seems fairly lettuce-free, right? Maybe stick to sashimi.)

After all, it’s how Fanning ended up as “a Valley girl” that led to this Zoom call with the actor: Fanning, now 32, first moved to California to pursue work as a child actor and has been a steady presence in film and TV ever since. And 25 years on, she’s still celebrating major milestones. “I’m enjoying where I am and not taking it for granted,” she says. “I’m trying to enjoy the moments that I can, be present for them and try not to move through them too fast.”

Speaking with The Envelope from New York City, where she just landed from Paris to continue filming an untitled thriller for Apple, Fanning jokes that she is working with “half a brain” from jet lag, but feeling grateful and energized about her busy year. She recently wrapped her first onscreen collaboration with sister Elle, the Kristin Hannah adaptation “The Nightingale,” and received Emmy nominations for her supporting performance in the twisty “All Her Fault” and as a producer on “Margo’s Got Money Troubles,” under the Fanning sisters’ Lewellen Pictures banner.

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“This has not been a year with a lot of time off,” she says. “You can’t plan for it; you have to take advantage of it when it appears.”

Fanning was on set in Europe on Emmy nominations day. “I had just rehearsed and was waiting for them to set up and got the news of my sister and [‘Margo’s Got Money Troubles’], and that was really exciting. And then ‘All Her Fault’ and Sarah [Snook] and then myself. It was just a wonderful surprise.” Fanning adds that she is genuinely honored by the nominations, no matter how trite it may sound. “I don’t know why it became a cliche to say it’s an honor to be nominated, but it’s a hundred percent the truth.”

When asked how she’s planning to attend the ceremonies, plural, given the fact that her nominated categories will be presented at both the Sept. 14 televised ceremony and the not-for-broadcast events of Sept. 5 and 6, Fanning says she’s still figuring that out. “I don’t know, we’ll see. It’s up in the air, but it’s lovely to think about.”

How does she feel about the TV Academy’s surprising change? “There were a couple statements from SAG and from the Directors Guild, from the Writers Guild, and my agency that I’m represented by, UTA, had some thoughts, and I tend to agree with those thoughts,” she says. “So I think I’ll just leave it there.” (The joint statement issued by SAG-AFTRA, DGA and WGA called the academy’s decision a devaluation of “the contributions of the talented people the Academy is meant to honor. An awards show dedicated to recognizing excellence should not reduce recognition for the artists whose work gives it meaning.”)

Regardless, the actor looks forward to celebrating with both productions. “If you’re lucky to be there as a nominee, it’s exciting to just feel what that feels like [in the room] and be excited by that. It’s not a feeling that gets old.”

In the Peacock thriller “All Her Fault,” Fanning relished the opportunity to work within a starry ensemble including Sarah Snook, Michael Peña, Jake Lacy and more, as well as getting to explore and express female rage through her character, steady yet overworked mom Jenny. “People connected with the mystery of it, and I think audiences love trying to figure out what’s going to happen or who did it,” she says. “A lot of women have really responded to Jenny … they felt validated in her struggle and her rage. And I took a lot of inspiration from the women in my life [to play her].”

Fanning with co-star Sarah Snook in “All Her Fault.”

(Peacock)

In an email, “All Her Fault” executive producer Minkie Spiro, who directed the first four episodes, praised Fanning’s ability to be fully prepared but flexible with her performance. “She remains completely alive to whatever unfolds in the moment. Watching her play Jenny, I was constantly struck by how much she could communicate without announcing any of it — wit, exhaustion, anger and vulnerability could all pass through a single look. The camera doesn’t just capture Dakota performing; it captures her thinking, and that is what makes her work so compelling.”

Fanning’s true Hollywood story is of the more rare and idyllic variety. Her acting potential was “discovered” after the final performance at a weeklong summer camp at an Atlanta playhouse, when an instructor told her parents their daughter “seemed to really enjoy and understand [acting] in a different way than some of the other kids” and suggested she start going out for commercials. The Fannings moved from Georgia to Los Angeles not long after that.

“I knew it was a job, but I didn’t really think about it in that way. It was something that was just fun, I liked the way it made me feel,” she says of her early work. The young star held her own with memorable gut-punch performances opposite Sean Penn in 2001’s “I Am Sam,” for which she won a Critics Choice Award (the youngest-ever winner at age 7), and three years later with Denzel Washington in “Man on Fire.” “It was all kind of instinctual. I didn’t really take any classes,” she says. “I’ve learned a lot from people I’ve worked with. I’ve learned so much, but it’s been more on the ground.”

Fanning says she’s always surprised by the projects fans refer to when they approach her. “If it’s a girl my age, it’ll probably be ‘Uptown Girls’ [a 2003 coming-of-age drama with Brittany Murphy]. But if I had to pick one that sort of [gets mentioned] across the board, it’s ‘Man on Fire.’ That’s a lot of people’s favorite. And I totally understand. Denzel freaking Washington, Tony Scott. It’s such a good movie. It’s so sad, it makes me cry.”

(David Urbanke / For The Times)

The film’s ending, she means, not the experience making it. “I think because I started acting so young and had these really pivotal, poignant experiences, it’s immortalized the memories. So when people ask, ‘Do you even remember doing “Man on Fire”?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, of course I do. What do you mean?’ I think about the memories with Denzel and with Tony, and getting to live in Mexico City for six months when you’re 9 years old is pretty spectacular.”

While Fanning continues filming the Apple series, helmed by showrunner Alex Cary (“Homeland”), alongside another stellar ensemble (one that includes Stellan Skarsgård and Grace Gummer), she’ll be promoting “The Sun Never Sets.” The indie drama also stars Jake Johnson, is directed by Joe Swanberg and opens in limited release Aug. 28 before going wide Sept. 4. “We filmed that in Alaska last June, and it was one of the most magical experiences I’ve ever had in my life,” says Fanning. “I’ve never been camping, I’m not super outdoorsy, but in Alaska, it is so unbearably beautiful you can’t even believe what you’re looking at and you want to be out in it, on the water and on a mountain.”

In addition to getting more in touch with her outdoorsy side, Fanning added an unexpected skill to her résumé. “My character works in construction and I learned to drive and operate a bulldozer and a forklift,” she says with pride. “I loved every second.”

Fanning’s co-star Johnson told The Envelope via email he loved working with her, “first because she’s a great actor. She is present and unpredictable in scenes. She is real,” he shared. “But what I enjoyed most is being around her. I knew she was going to be talented, I didn’t know she was going to be so fun and funny. We became fast friends and she made the experience such a joy.”

Twenty-five years in, Fanning is just as fulfilled by the work as she was at the very beginning of her career. “It’s a job, but it’s also time in your life, days, months,” she says. “If you’re not filled by it in a real way that feels good, I don’t know how to do that.”

Which makes another upcoming industry milestone all the more meaningful: a permanent “place” on Hollywood Boulevard. “My sister and I are the first sisters to get stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame,” Fanning reveals. “It’s a very ‘Whoa, what is happening?’ moment because I remember being 6 years old and coming to L.A. to see if I could get some commercials. I was a massive ‘I Love Lucy’ fan when I was little and Lucille Ball was my favorite. And so we went to see her star. That’s a big memory for me as a kid, so having that happen is insane. It will be a double star ceremony, and I’m so excited and can’t wait for that.”

(David Urbanke / For The Times)

A MAJOR budget airline cancelled around 100 flights at a number of airports over the weekend – and there could be more to come.

Travellers are being warned that there could easyJet flight cancellations due to strikes, in the next two weeks.

Between August 15 and 16, an initial walk out led to nearly 100 flights to and from France cancelled, impacting thousands of passengers.

And there is the possibility that cabin crew could start a number of strikes again over the coming days.

A notification for strike action remains in place until September 2.

The notice gives workers at the airline the option to strike with 48 hours notice.

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With the strike notice still in place for the couple of weeks, travellers are being warned that the chaos might not yet be over.

If further strike action is called, it is expected to take place on weekends as this will create the most disruption.

The previous strikes impacted all of easyJet’s bases in France including Paris Orly, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Lyon, Nice, Nantes, and Bordeaux.

According to The Connexion, no further strike dates have been confirmed at the moment.

Three unions are involved in the action, which has been called over poor working conditions and uncooperative management.

The Connexion added that easyJet has offer alternatives to all passengers impacted but the strike action over the past weekend, including other flight options.

Due to the strike action being called by easyJet’s staff it cannot be classed as ‘extenuating circumstances’ and as a result passengers should receive compensation and refunds.

Holidaymakers warned viral airport photo trend can turn dangerous in seconds

British holidaymakers are being warned against copying viral plane-spotting videos at a popular Greek island airport. It comes after two tourists were seriously injured by jet blast within days of each other.

Skiathos International Airport, officially called Alexandros Papadiamantis Airport, has become one of Europe’s most famous plane-spotting locations because its runway sits extremely close to the coastline and surrounding public areas. Aircraft pass remarkably low over spectators as they approach, attracting holidaymakers who gather nearby to photograph and film arrivals and departures. It features a short, narrow runway measuring 5,341 feet.

But two recent incidents have highlighted the risk when aircraft are taking off. On August 10, a 52-year-old Italian tourist suffered serious head injuries after the force from a departing aircraft reportedly knocked her to the ground.

She was initially treated at the Skiathos Emergency Clinic before being airlifted to Volos General Hospital. Just three days later, another Italian woman in her early 50s reportedly suffered a severe arm fracture after being knocked over by the jet blast from another departing aircraft.

Local authorities and the airport have consistently placed large warning signs around the perimeter fence to emphasise the serious risks of being near departing aircraft. The prominent signs displayed around Skiathos International Airport, Alexandros Papadiamantis, alert onlookers that the force of engine thrust can push people and objects away. Police and city officials keep reminding visitors to avoid congregating directly behind the runway.

Emily Matthews, travel advisor at Private Portugal Tours, says tourists should understand that standing near a runway to watch a plane land and positioning themselves directly behind an aircraft preparing to depart can expose them to very different risks. “The videos that make Skiathos famous can make the whole experience look like an unusual holiday attraction, but tourists need to pay attention to exactly where they are standing and what the aircraft is doing,” Emily said.

“Standing directly behind a departing aircraft to get a dramatic video is something holidaymakers should avoid. If there are warning signs telling you about jet blast, take them literally and move away.”

Take off is where tourists need to be particularly careful

Skiathos has sometimes been described as Europe’s answer to St Maarten in the Caribbean, where aircraft famously pass low over a beach before reaching the runway. That close approach is what many tourists travel to photograph.

However, watching aircraft take off can be more hazardous for spectators too close to the runway perimeter, as large aircraft generate substantial thrust as they depart. Warning signs at Skiathos specifically alert visitors to the danger of jet blast.

“People may arrive because they have watched a video of an aircraft flying low overhead, then assume that anywhere around the runway is part of the same experience,” Emily said. “The important distinction is what happens when a plane turns around and prepares to take off. If you are positioned behind it, you can suddenly be in the path of extremely powerful airflow.

“Do not choose your position because a video looked impressive from there. Look at the warning signs around you and keep well away from areas where spectators are being warned about jet blast.”

Do not assume the crowd means the spot is safe

Plane spotting at Skiathos is well established, and large numbers of spectators can gather close to the airport. Emily says that creates another risk for tourists: assuming that a location must be safe because dozens of other people are already standing there.

“A crowd is not a safety assessment,” she said. “It is very easy on holiday to think, ‘Everyone else is doing it, so this must be where you are supposed to stand.’

“That logic can be especially persuasive when people have their phones out and appear to be waiting for exactly the same photograph. But warning signs do not stop applying because a crowd has formed beside them.”

The August 10 incident is currently being investigated by local authorities, according to reports. The tourist was believed to have been standing at a plane-spotting area close to the airport when she was knocked down. Skiathos has also seen jet-blast injuries in previous years, reinforcing that the hazard is not theoretical.

The ‘perfect’ video is not worth standing behind a departing aircraft for

Emily also warns tourists against trying to recreate footage they have seen online frame-for-frame. Viral travel videos often show only the few dramatic seconds when an aircraft passes or begins its take-off roll. They do not necessarily show the warnings around the location, how far the person filming is from the aircraft or what happened immediately afterwards.

“Social media can flatten the difference between watching something and participating in the risk,” Emily said. “You might see people’s clothes and hair being blown around and think that is part of the fun. Once enough videos like that circulate, being hit by the blast can almost become part of the attraction.

“Two serious injuries within days should be enough to remind people that being knocked off your feet is not a harmless holiday experience.” She advises tourists who want to watch aircraft to choose a position away from the direct line behind departing planes, respect barriers and signs, and move if local staff or authorities instruct spectators to do so.

Keep children away from the jet-blast area

Families should be particularly cautious about bringing young children into crowded plane-spotting locations where departing aircraft are nearby. “Children are naturally going to be excited when a huge aircraft passes close overhead, but this is one place where parents should decide where the family stands rather than simply following the crowd.

“If you cannot clearly understand the warnings or you are unsure whether your position is exposed to departing aircraft, move farther away. You can still enjoy watching the planes without trying to stand in the most dramatic possible spot.

“Skiathos is famous for an extraordinary view that aviation enthusiasts cannot experience at many other European destinations. That does not make every position around the runway equally safe. The simplest rule is to remember the difference between the spectacular low approach people travel to see and putting yourself behind an aircraft as it powers up to leave. A holiday video is never worth ignoring a warning sign for.”

A NEW budget airline has announced routes across Spain with flights from as little as €19 (£16.26).

Fly2Galicia will begin operating later this year with eight direct destinations across Europe.

The Spanish airline confirmed its will begin service from its new base at Santiago de Compostela’s Rosalía de Castro Airport in December.

It will have internal flights to Alicante, Zaragoza and Granada.

Other routes will be to Brussels, Munich, Milan-Malpensa, Prague and Venice.

There will be 17-weekly departures which are due to start from December 1 – the first flight will be from Santiago to Zaragoza.

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Flights from Milan and Brussels will start at €39, while those to Munich, Prague, and Venice will start at €49.

Even the lowest fare will include two pieces of hand luggage which will be an eight-kilo cabin bag and one personal item.

Fly2Galicia won’t actually operate these initial flights – it will instead be run by another European operator which hasn’t been named yet.

The initial schedule is planned to operate through October 24, 2027.

It’s expected the airline will use an Airbus A320 and according to reports, it’s considering adding a second aircraft for the summer 2027 season.

Sadly Brits will have to head to mainline Europe if they want to catch one of these flights as there are no plans to launch any to or from the UK yet.

HIGH SCHOOL FLAG FOOTBALL
Tuesday’s results

Southern Section
Agoura 46, Rio Mesa 0
Antelope Valley 12, Adelanto 0
Aquinas 32, Jurupa Hills 6
Arlington 20, Riverside North 0
Arrowhead Christian 40, Nuview Bridge 0
Arroyo Valley 31, Citrus Hill 0
Baldwin Park 40, Calvary Baptist 6
Beaumont 62, Rancho Cucamonga 12
Cajon 65, Indian Springs 0
California Military Institute 44, Rancho Mirage 0
Camarillo 34, Buena 0
Canyon Country Canyon 18, Lancaster 6
Cerritos Valley Christian 27, Glenn 12
Channel Islands 21, Newbury Park 7
Colony 8, Los Osos 6
Compton 14, Mayfair 6
Corona del Mar 20, Santa Margarita 14
Esperanza 15, Anaheim 0
Fountain Valley 36, Sunny Hills 12
Gahr 34, Claremont 0
Great Oak 21, Temecula Prep 0
Harvard-Westlake 20, Village Christian 0
Highland 22, Eastvale Roosevelt 14
Hillcrest 6, Norte Vista 0
Hueneme 26, Saugus 7
Fountain Valley 36, Sunny Hills 12
JSerra 40, Woodbridge 21
La Mirada 12, Pioneer 0
Los Alamitos 31, Costa Mesa 6
Knight 50, Rosamond 0
Miller 19, Colton 0
Millikan 32, Palos Verdes 12
Monrovia 20, San Gabriel 12
Northview 41, La Puente 8
Oxnard Pacifica 34, Valencia 12
Ramona 8, Moreno Valley 6
Redondo Union 12, Downey 6
Rim of the World 39, Entrepreneur 0
Rowland 21, Nogales 0
San Gorgonio 45, Bloomington 7
Santa Barbara 27, Simi Valley 12
Santa Monica 26, Windward 0
Schurr 12, San Marino 8
St. Lucy’s 40, Mark Keppel 0
Temescal Canyon 14, Elsinore 7
Torrance 12, El Segundo 0
Trabuco Hills 30, Portola 0
Troy 25, Orange 12
Upland 39, Rialto 26
Ventura 25, Castaic 7
Victor Valley 14, Eastside 0
Vista del Lago 14, Heritage 12
Warren 14, Sonora 6
Westlake 53, Oak Park 20
West Valley 44, San Jacinto 6
Yucaipa 47, La Sierra 18

Intersectional
North County San Marcos 44, Dana Hills

Monday’s results

City Section
AMIT 18, Diego Rivera 0
Eagle Rock 33, Sotomayor 0
Franklin 31, Contreras 0
Franklin 31, King/Drew 14
Granada Hills Kennedy 18, Bishop Alemany 6
King/Drew 40, Contreras 0
Monroe 19, Reseda 0
New Designs University Park 27, West Adams 0
Panorama 6, Sotomayor 0
Panorama 23, Eagle Rock 22 (OT)
San Fernando 32, Reseda 0
San Fernando 24, Monroe 0

Southern Section
Artesia 40, Oxford Academy 6
Ayala 12, Sunny Hills 6
Azusa 33, Alhambra 7
Baldwin Park 32, Workman 6
Bell Gardens 15, Norwalk 7
Bishop Amat d. Sacred Heart of Jesus, forfeit
Cajon 68, San Bernardino 0
California 20, La Habra 0
California Military Institute 31, Nuview Bridge 0
Castaic 6, Santa Paula 0
Cerritos 21, Montebello 6
Chaparral 20, Linfield Christian 18
Chino Hills 12, Northview 0
Colony 20, Montclair 0
Corona Centennial 28, Riverside Poly 26
Covina 29, Sierra Vista 13
Culver City 33, Immaculate Heart 18
Downey 26, Aliso Niguel 7
Eastvale Roosevelt 18, Patriot 13
El Dorado 32, La Palma Kennedy 19
Etiwanda 20, Corona Santiago 12
Foothill 34, Placentia Valencia 7
Fountain Valley 18, Sage Hill 0
Gabrielino 32, Arroyo 7
Godinez 36, Garden Grove Santiago 6
Glendora 39, Alta Loma 18
Hemet 25, Desert Hot Springs 24
Hillcrest 39, Jurupa Valley 0
Jurupa Hills 26, San Jacinto 0
La Canada 20, West Covina 0
Laguna Hills 41, Katella 6
Lakewood 6, Paramount 0
Lakewood St. Joseph 34, Cypress 6
La Serna 28, La Mirada 14
Liberty 24, Vista del Lago 0
Long Beach Wilson 19, Bellflower 6
Los Alamitos 52, Loara 6
Los Altos 24, Rosemead 0
Los Osos 7, Don Lugo 0
Magnolia 14, Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary 6
Millikan 49, Santa Fe 6
Murrieta Mesa 45, Lakeside 0
Murrieta Valley 34, Elsinore 6
Nogales 12, Charter Oak 0
Oaks Christian 30, Oak Park 20
Ontario 21, Hacienda Heights Wilson 6
Ontario Christian 32, Chaffey 0
Orange 6, Irvine 0
PACS 13, Rosamond 12
Palm Desert 18, La Quinta 6
Ramona Convent 21, Rio Hondo Prep 6
Rancho Alamitos 13, Bolsa Grande 6
Rancho Cucamonga 24, Norco 13
Redlands East Valley 13, Riverside King 7
Riverside North 24, Heritage 13
Saddleback 18, Tustin 6
San Dimas 38, Duarte 0
San Gorgonio 18, Ramona 13
San Juan Hills 6, Northwood 0
Santa Ana Valley 26, Bell Gardens 18
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 20, Mayfair 13
St. Margaret’s 34, Crean Lutheran 26
Temecula Prep 47, Rancho Christian 6
Temescal Canyon 20, Paloma Valley 19
Tesoro 19, Portola 14
Valencia 12, Vasquez 0
Villa Park 20, Segerstrom 0
Western Christian 72, United Christian Academy 0
Whittier 20, Western 7
Yorba Linda 40, Garden Grove Pacifica 6

Intersectional
Carson 25, Mater Dei 19
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AN abandoned UK village will open to the public for a limited time at the end of the month.

The town, which has been frozen in time since World War II, remains cut off from the world for most of the year.

For just 12 days out of the year, history fans and nature lovers travel to the village of Imber in Wiltshire, which has not been occupied since 1943.

During the second World War, the town’s 150 residents were given 47 days to evacuate their homes so the village could be turned into a military training area for American troops preparing for D-Day.

While they were promised they would be able to return after the war, the village is still occupied by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to this day.

Once every few months, the public is invited to visit the town for free, with roads opening through Imber until 6pm during the August Bank Holiday weekend.

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ON THE UP

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Public access has been granted to the village as well as the Grade I-listed St Giles Church, which will be open from 11am to 4pm daily.

The original surviving building is free to visit during open days with any donations going towards the Churches Conservation Trust (CCT) for maintenance and restoration.

Along with an old pub, the church is one of the few remaining original structures in the village.

Most of the larger stone buildings were damaged during military training, and were subsequently demolished.

Meanwhile, houses in the village are either hollowed-out shells or have been converted into windowless buildings to simulate urban environments for military training.

Those who once lived in the village have the right to be buried on the church grounds, with undisturbed wildlife now the only living residents.

Imber also holds open days during the Christmas and New Year period as well as at Easter, with all visitors required to adhere to the public rights of way and designated areas, and comply with signposting.

Aug. 19 (UPI) — Federal prosecutors have charged a man from the Bronx with hate crime offenses alleging he assaulted a security guard and a congregant in a racially motivated attack at a Manhattan synagogue last week.

Larry Montes was arrested following the alleged attack at Central Synagogue on Friday and was charged by New York State.

On Tuesday, the Justice Department charged him with two counts of committing hate crimes, each of which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment, and one count of damage to religious property resulting in bodily injury, which carries a maximum 20 years’ imprisonment.

“These charges serve as notice that the Department of Justice will intervene to protect the public in the face of antisemitic and racially motivated attacks,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in a statement.

According to the complaint, Montes was allegedly among some 375 people who attended Shabbat service Friday night at the synagogue. During the service, he is alleged to have stood up and begun shouting and then struck two ceremonial silver candlesticks, which were damaged.

As a security guard attempted to remove Montes from the building, Montes allegedly uttered profanities about those in attendance and allegedly punched a woman.

After being handcuffed, he allegedly looked at a Black security guard cursed and called him a racial slur, before spitting on and head-butting the security guard.

During an interview with law enforcement, Montes allegedly issued antisemitic statements.

As of the end of July, there were 360 hate crime incidents committed in New York City, 205 of which were motivated by anti-Jewish bias, according to the city statistics.

Nearly every week, I pass a colleague in the office who taunts me with four words: “Count of Monte Cristo, Count of Monte Cristo,” as he shakes his head. He’s disappointed his favorite book didn’t make the cut of our 101 best book club picks list, which served as the 2026 LA Times Festival of Books curtain-raiser. I don’t mind the barb. There’s nothing more exciting than an impassioned reader — even when they’re wrong. I’m all for rallying around a book or author and debating their merits like it’s a sporting match. Our book lists, after all, aren’t meant to be final verdicts. They’re invitations to read more (and, maybe, better).

To compile our expansive list we surveyed more than 200 bookish luminaries — along with a few zealous book club members. Our readers had their own ideas for their top book club picks, many of which we deeply considered. Here you’ll find some of our worthy Los Angeles Times reader selections.

“Fahrenheit 451” by Raymond Bradbury

“A favorite book my book group read and discussed is ‘Farenheit 451.’ It was fascinating to see what the past thought the future might bring,” reader Margaret Hardy writes of the 20th century classic. “In terms of technology and control by the government we are seeing today what Bradbury was thinking about in 1953. We felt that the future was found in the past. It was a chilling read.” Equally chilling is that the book often shows up on banned books lists — not unlike in its narrative.

“Homegoing” by Yaa Gyasi

“You missed ‘Homegoing’ by Yaa Gyasi!” reader Melanie H. writes of the critically acclaimed Ghanian historical fiction novel. “My book club read it and I was enthralled. I can’t stop thinking about it ever since. The amount of research and empathy into every single character and era Gyasi put into this story is incredible. It altered my brain and to this day I tell everyone about this book.”

“Giovanni’s Room” by James Baldwin

Reader Roxanne Yahner writes, “It is beautifully written, elegant and eloquent, and there is no preparing anyone for the sheer inexorable force of Baldwin’s language. This novel expresses the personal — and historical — grief of two gay, perhaps bisexual, men as they explore their sexuality at a time and place where such behavior was dangerous. The reader aches for these men and feels their grief. Some in our book club were disturbed by this novel, but all agreed they were deeply moved by it.”

“The Satanic Verses” by Salman Rushdie

Several readers wrote to us recommending Rushdie’s magical realist epic. “It’s such a complex, yet entertaining novel. We learned a lot about the tenets of Islam as woven into the story,” Ellyn Moscowitz shares about their book club pick. “It provoked great discussions about death, afterlife, religion in general and great character studies.”

“Geek Love” by Katherine Dunn

Reader Francesca Smithwick-Driver chose this as a book club pick in the ‘90s for her group and the 1989 National Book Award fiction finalist remains a favorite.

“[It’s] about a family who runs a carnival of ‘freaks.’ The story is told by an albino dwarf. There are strong themes about what it is to be normal, falling in and out of love with yourself — your family — and the world around you. Wonderfully written scenes about horrible things and beautiful things. I still remember the discussion of my book club — from ‘why in the world did you recommend this disgusting book’ to ‘what a book’ … I couldn’t wait to get back to it each time I put it down.”

“The Master and Margarita” by Mikhail Bulgakov

Reader Kate Karp, who has a cat who resembles a key character in this Russian classic, writes: “[It] turned out, no surprise, to have been the inspiration for the Stones’ ‘Sympathy for the Devil.’” She notes it also requires multiple readings to grasp all the subplots — but it’s worth it.

“Klara and the Sun” by Kazuo Ishiguro (and “Chain Gang All-Stars” by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah)

“I am terrible at book clubs because I have found that I am a very picky reader who simply will not read a book that I do not enjoy,” reader Mike Gascoigne writes. “That said, in a book club I did very much enjoy Kazuo Ishiguro’s ‘Klara and the Sun’ and Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah’s ‘Chain Gang All-Stars.’ There was a lot to discuss about both titles including AI/robots, intellectual enhancements, climate change, reality television, prison reform/abolition and human nature.”

“All the King’s Men” by Robert Penn Warren

“‘All the King’s Men’ is a powerful summer read — a Pulitzer-winning novel that feels strikingly current,” reader Ken Muche writes. “Set in the 1930s South, Willie Stark’s political rise echoes modern demagogues, reminding us how easily power can blur truth. Even more important, the novel invites reflection on our own bad life choices — showing that taking accountability for one’s actions is the first step toward forgiveness, peace, and ultimately, a more grounded kind of happiness.”

(Grove Press / Black Cat)

“Girl, Woman, Other” by Bernardine Evaristo

Reader Seth Kivnick’s pick is this work of fiction that co-won the Booker Prize in 2019, he notes that the compelling book describes the Black women in the British Isles who came from all walks of life and different countries. “[It] appealed to male and female club members.”

“Hell of a Book” by Jason Mott

“It’s good-humored without being comedy or satire but opens serious friendly discussions about contemporary problems,” reader Christine Almeida writes of the novel that won the 2021 National Book Award for fiction. “Our library-based book club talked about it for a solid 90 minutes without straying from what the book itself had to offer its readers.”

Footballers Toby Alderweireld, Robbie Keane, Ashley Young, and former Tottenham manager Thomas Frank will join Match of the Day as pundits and BBC Sport will launch four new YouTube formats for the new men’s football season.

The BBC Football YouTube channel will house the quartet of new shows including FANS², The Truth About Football, Golden Goal and Football Hub.

There will be a focus on fan experience with the addition of the BBC Sport Fan Collective, which will bring together supporters representing all 20 Premier League clubs.

“Football means something different to every fan, and this season BBC Sport is putting those fans even more firmly at the heart of the game,” said BBC director of Sport Alex Kay-Jelski.

“We’re bringing together the unrivalled expertise of former players and managers with the passion, personality and perspectives of supporters to create a richer football experience wherever and however audiences follow the game.”

BBC Radio 5 Live will broadcast live commentary of 209 Premier League matches this season, as well as coverage from the Champions League, Scottish Premiership, FA Cup, men’s League Cup and international matches.

As well as Match of the Day’s Premier League coverage, BBC will broadcast two matches from each round of the FA Cup as well as one Bundesliga match every week on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.

Highlights and clips will also be available from La Liga, Serie A, the Europa League and Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland’s international games.

Kelly Somer’s The Football Interview will continue on BBC iPlayer, BBC Football YouTube and the BBC Sport website and app, as well as on BBC One every Saturday from 12:45 BST.

Aug. 19 (UPI) — The United Arab Emirates announced it was indefinitely severing trade relations with Iran on Wednesday after accusing Tehran of firing two ballistic missiles at it.

The move was announced by the UAE’s Foreign Affairs Ministry communications director, Afra Al Hameli, who said “in light of regional escalations that undermine regional and international peace and security, all trade, commercial exchanges and financial transactions with Iran have been halted until further notice.”

“The UAE remains firmly committed to safeguarding the integrity of the international financial system, in line with international law and the highest global standards,” she said in a statement, while stressing the UAE’s “steadfast commitment to dialogue cooperation and regional integration as essential means of advancing peace, stability and prosperity in the region.”

The UAE-Iran trade relationship was worth billions a year, with the Observatory of Economic Complexity platform stating the UAE exports nearly $6 billion in goods, mostly electronics, to Iran each year, while Iran exports nearly $500 million, mostly in grapes, nuts and crustaceans.

The announcement came hours after the UAE’s Ministry of Defense said its air defense systems had detected two ballistic missiles fired from Tehran toward maritime traffic, with both falling into the sea, one within the UAE’s territorial waters.

“The Ministry of Defense confirms that it is on high alert and readiness to deal with any threats, and to firmly confront everything that targets undermining the state’s security or the security of navigation in the region, thereby ensuring the preservation of the state’s sovereignty, security and stability, and protecting its interests and national capabilities,” it said in a statement.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei rejected the accusations that Iran had launched missiles toward the UAE, saying Abu Dhabi was violating “the principle of good-neighborly relations” in doing so, Iran’s Mehr News Agency reported.

According to the UAE’s Ministry of Defense, its air defenses have engaged more than 550 ballistic missiles, 29 cruise missiles and more than 2,265 drones fired at it by Iran since the war began on Feb. 28. However, Tuesday’s launches were the first since May.

A brand new season of Love Is Blind UK has finally returned to Netflix

A Love Is Blind UK star looks completely different in an unearthed throwback snap.

Love Is Blind UK has returned for its third instalment, with a fresh group of singles taking to the pods in the hopes of finding their perfect match. As ever, they will go on blind dates, narrowing down their potential love interests along the way.

They will only meet face to face for the first time if they decide to take their relationship to the next step and become engaged. Then, will they move in together and plan their wedding day, but for some, the process is not without its difficulties.

A synopsis reads: “Love is Blind: UK returns to Netflix for a third series which promises high drama, raw emotion and plenty of romance.

“The latest group of hopeful singles, each one searching for their Mr. or Mrs. Right, will step into the iconic Pods for a string of blind dates. From behind a wall, they are all hoping to form a connection so deep that they’re willing to put their hearts on the line by agreeing to marry without ever having seen each other.”

Now, eight episodes have been released on Netflix, with viewers having to wait until next week to find out who gets married, or who, if anyone has been left at the altar.

But as fans binge watch the brand new release, there is one star that appears to be unrecognisable in unearthed throwback pics.

Pilates Instructor Ciara Murphy, from London, is looking for someone who values her for “more than just her looks”. The now 30-year-old is a fan of the finer things in life and has been single for a year, having been cheated on in every relationship in the past.

Now, the star is looking for her forever love, hoping the pods will help her find the one. Exploring her connections, Ciara admitted on the show that she did in fact used to be a brunette, as she showed off her now-blonde locks.

Over on Ciara’s Instagram page, which she regularly posts selfies from her adventures, the star is known for her bright blonde hair, in recent snaps, but throwback pics confirm her natural colour.

In one post, from 2023, she can be seen smiling at the camera, with Christmas decorations in the background, captioning her post: “merry christmas.”

Whether Ciara finds love on the show though, fans will need to tune in to find out.

Love Is Blind UK can be streamed on Netflix.

Former Maj. Gen. John Bruce Medaris, the military director of the nation’s unmanned space program who after a seemingly miraculous recovery from cancer devoted his remaining years to the Episcopal priesthood, has died of the disease, it was learned Sunday.

Medaris was 88 when he died Wednesday at his summer home in Highlands, N.C., after a long struggle against bone and lung cancer. The announcement was made by friends in Florida and reported by United Press International.

He had commanded the Army’s early space program, the Army Ballistic Missile Agency, when it orbited America’s first satellite on Jan. 31, 1958. The program was soon turned over to the civilian control of the new National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Col. Pat Patterson of Maitland, Fla., a friend of Medaris’ for 47 years, said the former general had picked the nation’s first team of space scientists, both military and civilian, “and I have never seen a team surpass that one.”

The historic team that built those first missiles was headed by German scientist Wernher Von Braun, father of the Saturn V rocket that was to send Americans to the moon and a pioneer in the development of Germany’s wartime V-2 rocket. Kurt H. Debus, the Kennedy Space Center’s first director, was another team member.

The expatriated German scientists that included Von Braun had been sent after the war to Ft. Bliss, Tex., and later transferred to the small north Alabama cotton town of Huntsville where Medaris became their commander.

There was little sense of urgency about the nation’s embryonic space program until the Korean War broke out in 1950. Then seven years later, on Oct. 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the 184-pound Sputnik I, the world’s first orbiting satellite.

On Dec. 6, Medaris’ team tried to respond by sending a three-pound satellite into orbit, but the Vanguard rocket which was to have propelled it rose two feet off its Cape Canaveral launch pad and exploded into a giant fireball.

America finally got into space Jan. 31 when a Jupiter C booster hurled the 31-pound Explorer I into orbit. The satellite discovered the Van Allen Radiation Belt.

Medaris was born in Milford, Ohio, and at 16 lied about his age to get into the Marines. After a couple of years, he resigned and tried his hand at business, where he made but then lost a fortune.

Medaris entered the Army as a second lieutenant and came through 300 days of World War II combat unscathed.

An ordnance expert, he served as chief of the first Army contingent to Argentina from 1949 to 1952, and in 1955 was named commander of the Ballistic Missile Agency.

He became known as an aggressive, often arrogant commander who would roll over anyone in his way. He even carried a swagger stick for emphasis.

But in 1964, four years after retiring from the service, he was stricken with bone cancer and told he had only 18 months to live. Eighteen months later he was not only still alive, but the cancer somehow had gone into remission.

“The thought had sometimes crossed my mind that perhaps a power, or whatever it was, was keeping me intact because there was some important job that I was destined to do,” he said in a 1970 interview.

He told the Los Angeles Times in a 1982 interview from Cape Canaveral, where he had gone as an honored guest to watch the launch of the space shuttle Columbia, that he decided to repay the debt by service to his church.

He said he originally intended to become only an Episcopal deacon but “soon I found myself irresistibly forced into (other) situations.” He thus became the Very Rev. John B. Medaris, rector of Anglican churches in Maitland and Orlando, Fla.

In recent years, the International Aerospace Hall of Fame made Medaris a fellow, its highest award. The Army awarded him the first Medaris Award to Army Space Pioneers.

In the meantime, the cancer resurfaced in 1970 but again went into remission, returning only recently.

Although he had become a man of God, he did not lose the aggressiveness that had marked his military days and remained particularly critical of the decisions made many years earlier that separated military and civilian space objectives.

“It’s one of the greatest mistakes we ever made.”

A beach in the UK has been named among the top ten best in the world, beating all sorts of exotic destinations thanks to its white sands and clear turquoise seas that visitors love

If you were aiming to visit one of the world’s best beaches, you might think this would involve an extremely long flight, and possibly a boat to an island or trek through a rainforest to reach it.

But one of the best beaches in the world is right here in the UK, and it has been revealed in a ranking by Big 7 Travel. Its list of the 50 Best Beaches in the World includes many destinations you’d expect, from the Seychelles to Sri Lanka, but only two European destinations made the top ten, only one of which is in the UK.

The list explains the reason for the Cornish beach’s ranking, saying: “Hidden beneath towering granite cliffs in Cornwall, Porthcurno Beach is easily one of England’s most beautiful. The entire Cornish coast is known for its rugged coastline and significantly better weather than the rest of the UK, and with the clear waters and bright sands of Porthcurno Beach, it’s easy to imagine that you’re in the tropics.”

Found just a few miles from Land’s End, Porthcurno Beach is reached by a sloping coastal path and is surrounded by cliffs to protect it from high winds. This bay has soft golden sands and clear blue waters, and during the summer months there are usually safe places to swim marked out by the lifeguards.

When it’s low tide, the sea rolls back to expose a walking route to the neighbouring beach of Pedn Vounder; just be careful to check the tide times for your return, as people sometimes find themselves cut off. Overlooking the beaches is the iconic Minack Theatre, where a variety of plays and family shows are on the schedule, with incredible cliffside views as the backdrop. While it looks like something from Roman times, the theatre was designed by Rowena Cade and opened in 1932.

Another unique creation of Rowena’s was the Porthcurno Wendy House, which she designed for her lucky nieces and nephews. This playhouse was carved into the granite rockface of the cliffs and had a fireplace, glass windows, and two storeys of rooms. Sadly, it’s now closed to the public, but you can still see the exterior when you’re on the beach.

Porthcurno is a small village, which adds to its charm and the remote vibes of the beach. You’ll find a few facilities such as a pub and a couple of shops. But there’s one unique attraction that you might not expect. The village was once home to the world’s largest submarine station, and at the PK Porthcurno Museum of Global Communications you can learn about its role in WWII. You can even explore the tunnels that were built to protect its infrastructure in case of an attack.

Aside from Porthcurno, only three other UK and Ireland locations made it into the top 50. Luskentyre Beach in Scotland was praised for its white sands and rugged mountain scenery, while Keem Beach was named as “one of Ireland’s true hidden gems. Whitesands Beach in Wales was also on the list, with the guide stating: “While the coastline looks its wildest during winter, on a clear summer’s day, the sea views can rival those of any beach in the world.”

Ten best beaches in the world according to Big 7 Travel

1. Anse Source d’Argent – Seychelles
2. Entalula Beach – Philippines
3. Pink Beach – Indonesia
4. Sandy Lane Beach – Barbados
5. Ee Motu Beach – Cook Islands
6. Whitehaven Beach – Australia
7. Matira Beach – Bora Bora, French Polynesia
8. Cala Macarella – Menorca, Spain
9. Porthcurno Beach – England
10. Mirissa Beach – Sri Lanka

Have a story you want to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com

If you were once a child dragged to the British coastline, seemingly regardless of the time of year or weather, then you too will know how beautiful but also bleak it can be

Bleak or beautiful? When it comes to the UK coastline, it can be difficult to know what you’re going to get.

Camber Sands, Morecambe and Cromer are all picture-perfect places that belong on a postcard when the sun is shining and the chippy fryers are bubbling away.

But, when the clouds roll in and the temperatures drop, leaving the prom deserted but for the hopeless sound of ignored arcade machines, such beauty is replaced by a bleakness.

If you were once a child dragged to the British coastline, seemingly regardless of the time of year or weather, then you too will feel this particular brand of wist deep within yourself.

Inarguably, the bleak jewel in the Dungeness crown is its twin nuclear power plants, which once whipped a patch of nearby sea into a whirlpool but have lain dormant and decommissioned for the past 19 years.

The unique feel of the place has been best captured by artist, filmmaker, gay rights activist, and gardener Derek Jarman, who turned his home into Prospect Cottage—a point of pilgrimage for his fans and those who love the way he carefully manicured the garden into a concentrated miniature form of Dungeness.

But not everyone is a fan. In fact, many are left cold by Dungeness’ charms.

“Bleak is an understatement,” one detractor of the place recently wrote on Reddit. Another added: “Bleak to Dungeness is like ‘a wee bit cold’ in Antarctica. The missus loved it though…” A third wrote: “I find it dismal down there. Old nuclear power station for a view.”

Others love Dungeness and how different it feels from other parts of the UK.

The science writer Ben Goldacre recalled his experience of riding through Dungeness on the small railway that takes day-trippers down the coastline.

“The Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway has a strange, dreamlike existence, on the border between fantasy and reality. You leave toytown in a cute miniature train, surrounded by excited children. But Disney, this is not. Suddenly, you’re riding through real life: past clothes lines, collapsing breezeblock walls, an abandoned washing machine in a back garden, chuffing along behind a miniature steam train. Finally, you’re ferried across a beautiful, windswept shingle peninsula, spotted with railway carriage houses and abandoned shipping containers. Then you are delivered to the foot of a nuclear power station,” Ben wrote.

“This meeting of toy train sets and grim industrial purpose is what makes the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway so perfect.”

Ben is not alone. Dungeness was named the seventh-best beach town in the UK in Which?’s survey of the British public last year. The consumer organisation surveyed more than 3,800 people about their experiences of UK seaside destinations and their opinions on beaches, scenery, food and drink offerings, accommodation, tourist attractions, and value for money.

The elevation of Dungeness into the top ten is a major scoop for the Kentish settlement, which languished in 35th place the year before.

DENVER — The Dodgers are putting closer Edwin Díaz on the injured list for the second time this season, this time with inflammation on the right side of his neck, manager Dave Roberts said before the game against the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday.

The Dodgers are going to have Dr. Robert Watkins, who specializes in spine injuries, examine at Díaz’s neck in L.A. on Wednesday morning, Roberts said. He’s set to undergo imaging.

“It’s something he felt [Monday] night,” Roberts said before the Dodgers’ 7-6 win against the Rockies on Tuesday. “We don’t know if it’s something that has been there the last, call it, week or whatever but it showed its head last night. So we’re going to address it.”

The move comes after Díaz gave up nine runs and recorded three blown saves in a span of six appearances.

“I know Edwin is — I don’t know if it’s encouraged, but just know that there could be a reason why the stuff is not playing like it has in the past,” Roberts said. “And the neck, obviously, there’s ties with the whole body, the arm, and all that stuff matters. So I’m personally excited to kind of find something that kind of make us understand what’s going on.”

“We’ll know more after seeing Dr. Watkins,” Roberts said, “but given where he’s at, I don’t see a situation where he’d be out for the year.”

Díaz has only made 16 appearances for the Dodgers this season, recording an 11.85 ERA and 6.01 FIP. He spent three months on the IL after undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow in late April.

After collecting a save in a 4-2 win over the Seattle Mariners on July 29 in his first appearance back, Díaz was unable to show command in subsequent outings. He blew saves on consecutive days against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Aug. 7-8, and then blew a 4-2 lead last Thursday against the Milwaukee Brewers — which proved critical for the Dodgers in losing the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Brewers as the division leaders jostle for playoff seeding.

During the Dodgers’ 11-5 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Monday night, Díaz pitched the ninth inning and gave up three runs and four hits.

With Díaz no longer an option in save situations, left-hander Tanner Scott is set to slide into that role.

“I just wait for the phone to ring, I don’t care when,” Scott said after a four-out save Tuesday. “You get the adrenaline rush when your name’s called and just go out there and pitch.”

On Tuesday, Roberts turned to Scott to get the final out of the eighth inning, with runners on first and second in a two-run game. He induced left-handed pinch hitter Brett Sullivan to ground out to third.

Back out for the ninth he gave up a one-out double to Jake McCarthy’s and a two-out RBI single to Willi Castro. But the run was of no consequence.

“He’s been great,” Roberts said of Scott’s contributions this year, in multiple roles. “Tanner doesn’t complain. He’s always ready, wants to pitch, wants to help his teammates, his team. And certainly, given how last year went, for him to come back and right the ship, he’s been our most consistent reliever by far. I trust him, and I feel like you can use him in any situation.”

The Dodgers also recalled right-hander Emmet Sheehan on Tuesday as a multi-inning option out of the bullpen. Sheehan, optioned to triple A at the trade deadline for a reset, made two starts for Oklahoma City.

“I got the hang of it a little bit last year in the playoffs,” Sheehan said of pitching in relief. “I have the routine that I would have for starting, and that I have for coming out of the bullpen. So comfortable doing either one or whatever they want me to do.”

Ohtani may be ready for next step

Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani appeared to throw two simulated innings in his bullpen session on Tuesday, for a total of about 45-50 pitches.

When Roberts asked how it went, he said Ohtani gave him a thumbs up.

Roberts did not rule out the possibility of Ohtani throwing live batting practice back in Los Angeles as his next step.

“I could see that,” Roberts said.

Serving as the designated hitter Tuesday, Ohtani hit a two-run homer in the third inning. It was his third homer in two games and his 30th of the season. He’s reached the 30 home-run mark in six straight seasons.

“You’ve got to be available, you’ve got to be a high-performer,” Roberts said of the feat. “And Shohei this series is back to being who he is. I like the at-bat quality. I like the swing decisions. And obviously he’s hitting homers out with breaking balls, fastballs, a curveball tonight. When he goes, it certainly adds a lot of energy to our offense.”

Crude oil and natural gas supplies have been disrupted worldwide by the United States-Israel war on Iran, but one energy sector appears to be cashing in – coal.

This week, South Africa’s thermal coal producer Thungela Resources said it had doubled its half-year profits as the war has forced more countries to buy the fuel.

Although abundant and relatively cheap to produce, coal is considered one of the dirtiest fossil fuels.

Mining it causes water pollution, and burning it releases enormous amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, which contributes to global warming.

In recent months, several countries, especially in Asia, have reversed or delayed promises to scale back on coal production.

Global coal consumption was already rising in 2025 with the Eurasia region and the US using the fuel to power artificial intelligence data centres, according to the World Bank.

Here’s what we know:

Why is more coal being used?

The US-Israel war on Iran has triggered a global energy crisis. Soon after strikes on Tehran began on February 28, Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies were shipped during peacetime.

Negotiations to reopen the strait are ongoing.

Its closure has reduced oil and gas supplies and caused oil prices to soar, prompting many countries to fall back on the most readily available alternative to keep the power on – coal.

While coal prices have also risen, the fuel is still much cheaper than oil – and is more readily available.

No region has been more impacted than Asia, which largely depends on the Gulf for its energy needs. About 82 percent of oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz went to Asia in 2022, according to the US Energy Information Administration. China, India, Japan and South Korea were the top destinations.

Besides being unable to ship exports through the strait, Gulf countries caught up in the conflict have also been badly impacted by Iranian strikes. Qatar, for example, was forced to declare force majeure on its delivery contracts in March when Iranian drones hit its Ras Laffan oil facility – the world’s largest LNG complex – forcing it offline. Iran’s attacks had knocked out 17 percent of Qatar’s LNG exports by March, state officials said.

Similarly, the United Arab Emirates’s Das Island LNG terminal, Fujairah oil terminal, Ruwais Refinery Complex and other energy sites have been attacked during the conflict. Facilities in Saudi Arabia and Oman have also been hit.

Where has coal use increased?

According to an analysis by the energy data company Ember, coal output will rise globally by 1.8 percent by the end of 2026 compared with 2025 in a “worst-case” scenario.

This represents a notable uptick considering that countries are meant to be transitioning away from coal, experts said.

Since the war began, several Asian countries have announced plans to increase coal-fired electricity generation.

Japan has lifted restrictions on older, high-emission coal plants to cope with the energy shocks while South Korea has delayed the shutdown of coal-powered plants it promised to wind down by 2040.

In Bangladesh, the government at first imposed power cuts, closed universities and rationed fuel sales for vehicles before announcing it had ramped up coal-powered electricity generation.

Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam have also increased coal-powered electricity generation to preserve dwindling gas reserves.

In Pakistan, data from the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority showed that by July, electricity generated from imported coal had risen by 90 percent compared with the same period the previous year.

China and India already consume 70 percent of the world’s coal and are also major producers. In India, where electricity demand is increasing partly due to more intense heatwaves, the government plans to launch several new coal-mining projects that will see global supplies increase by 2.5 billion tonnes a year, according to the Global Energy Monitor.

Germany also said it won’t jeopardise electricity generation because of earlier climate promises it made while Italy has pushed back its coal phase-out plans from late 2025 to 2038.

Who is making a profit from coal?

Indonesia is the top coal exporter by a wide margin, followed by Australia and Russia.

In March, Jakarta reversed previous plans to curb coal production and reduce oversupply in a bid to benefit from the rising prices. Prices were set at $131.85 per tonne in July, compared with $102.20 in the previous year.

South Africa’s Thungela, meanwhile, reported doubled profits from January to June, compared with the same period of 2025, driven largely by higher production from its Ensham mines in Queensland as well as higher demand and higher prices at both Ensham and its South Africa operations.

Production at Ensham rose by 38 percent in the first half of the year – during the peak of the conflict – to 2.2 tonnes, compared with 1.6 tonnes in the previous period.

The company reported 4.80 South African rand ($0.30) in headline earnings per share – or HEPS, a primary metric of profitability used in South Africa. That’s up from 1.92 rand ($0.12) in June last year.

In a statement, Thungela said prices will likely remain high as European and Asian markets prepare for winter.

What does this mean for the drive for clean energy?

In 2021, more than 40 countries, including Indonesia and Vietnam, promised to scale back coal use at the COP26 global climate summit. India and China did not sign up, however. Last year, South Korea joined the Powering Past Coal Alliance, which helps coal-dependent economies transition away from the fuel.

However, the Middle East crisis has upset those plans largely because many countries do not have sufficient renewable energy-generating capacity to fall back on, said Nick Hedley, an energy transition analyst at South Africa-based Zero Carbon Analytics.

“For the likes of Bangladesh, it’s easy to lift coal use when global gas supplies are disrupted because the country invested heavily in coal infrastructure in recent decades, and much of that capacity has been sitting idle,” he said.

“Coal becomes cheaper than imported gas when gas prices surge. Importantly, coal still cannot compete with renewables on cost,” Hedley added.

It’s not all doom, however. Analysts noted that upticks in some places are being offset by long-term declines in coal use in places like Europe.

China’s domestic coal production also fell this year as the government tightened oversight following a deadly explosion in May at the Liushenyu coal mine, where 82 people died. Beijing has also made large investments in renewables.

In addition, the breakdown of global fossil energy supply chains could make clean alternatives more competitive and force more countries to invest in them, Hedley pointed out.

“The lesson here is that Asian countries need to speed up their shift to clean energy and electrification to safeguard themselves against future global crises,” he concluded.

Reflect. Think about yourself, about those around you, and you will reach the same conclusion as I have. Since the signing of the disastrous economic adjustment package with the International Monetary Fund in February 1989, Venezuela has never experienced such a unanimous feeling of bewilderment, contained anger, and repulsion at others deciding for us.

In October 2025, a Hinterlaces survey had 83% of respondents state that they would be willing to confront a foreign military invasion. The attack came [on January 3], we were denied the possibility of resistance, and now we face an invisible invasion. An insolent foreign presence that barely appears on screen, but tramples us, crushing the executive, legislative, judicial, and moral attributes of sovereignty one after the other, stealing over $13 billion worth of oil from us in just half a year, resources that no one knows where they have gone, and remodeling our country so that the plundering can continue indefinitely.

Along with the looting, a shroud of opacity has fallen over Venezuela, relegating everything that matters to mystery, except for occasional voices that infiltrate informal media. María Alejandra Díaz Marín warns us from Colombia about the attempt to remove all constitutional limits that hinder the looting. Mario Silva contrasts what politicians used to say and what they say now. Ramsés Reyes confesses that he “spits blood.” José Sant Roz proclaims in Ensartaos: “I tremble with indignation when I hear people say ‘Iran is not Venezuela,’ ‘Cuba is not Venezuela.’”

Comparisons are odious, but more odious is avoiding them to escape self-criticism.

For my part, I preach that anger is a more valuable natural resource than the oil and gold that the US is plundering from us, because anger is infinitely renewable and more fruitful than resignation. I admire all the countries that have shaken off the yokes of empires. I appreciate those who reproach us for apparently having stopped doing the same. I do not even invoke the sacred wrath of the [1813] Decree of War to the Death, which liberated what are now six countries. The assertion that Venezuela is not like this or that country reiterates that freedom and sovereignty do not fall from the sky nor are automatically defended. They are conquered through the extreme pedagogy of the unbearable.

Venezuela is not Iran. Nothing could be truer. Since 1941, Iran had been living under the dictatorship of Shah Reza Pahlavi. The nationalist Majlis movement succeeded in having Mohammed Mossadegh appointed as prime minister in 1951, and he nationalized the oil industry. The hegemonic countries blockaded the Iranian state from selling oil. In 1953, the CIA and MI6 incited street demonstrations, a military coup ousted Mossadegh, and Shah Reza Pahlavi was installed as a dictator, handing over oil to Europeans and yankees and presiding over a repressive autocracy. Only in 1979, after an endless 37 years of fierce monarchical dictatorship and the continuous theft of oil by foreign powers, did waves of Iranians depose the puppet and confirm that autonomy is not gifted: it is defended. They took their affirmation of cultural identity to the extreme. They faced the selective assassination of their scientists and leaders until they became impregnable. They won wars against neighboring Iraq, instigated and armed by the United States, and now against the US Empire itself. They divided their defensive system into “mosaics” capable of continuing to resist when others would have fallen. We are not like the admirable Iranians. But they teach us a rough path to become like them.

We are not like the Cubans. When José Martí arrived in Caracas in 1881 and first visited the statue of Simón Bolívar, it had already been 57 years since we had gained independence and formed what are now six countries. The Liberator included in the Panama Congress of 1826 the goal of the emancipation of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Hispaniola, and planned to achieve it with an expedition that domestic secessionism thwarted. The Apostle [Martí] and Cuba still had to endure a bitter lesson. For Martí, death in his first battle. For his homeland, the humiliation of an independence interfered with by the US invasion of 1898, and a sovereignty tarnished by the Platt Amendment. And still remaining was the bitter record of 60 years of dictatorships and corruption covered up by the United States, until Commander Fidel Castro arrived and put a stop to it. Martí never felt humiliated because in his time Cuba was not like Venezuela. He sacrificed his fragile existence in the Promethean attempt to overcome it, and his legacy pierces our conscience like red-hot iron.

China is not like Venezuela. Starting from 1848, it was attacked by England amid the Opium Wars. Through the Infamous Treaties, Western powers filled it with military bases and puppet governments. Starting in 1931, the Japanese invaded Manchuria; the rest of the world threatened, blockaded, or ignored China. Only after a bitter century of humiliations could the country, in 1948, resume the arduous path that led it to becoming the world’s leading power.

No, Venezuela is not Algeria, or Vietnam, or Korea, or Afghanistan, or India, or Pakistan, or Somalia, or Yemen. Venezuela preceded them. In 1810, we had a foolish homeland that had to learn to stand on its feet, and in 1825 it taught the world lessons. Today we must understand, along with so many admirable nations, that there is no independence greater than that which is conquered, nor sovereignty greater than that which is defended.

Once again, the current metropolis [the US] is losing its hegemony. Its bases are demolished, its mercenaries put to flight. Its Congress denies funds for its reckless aggressions, its energy sources slip away, its fraudulent unbacked currency vanishes, emerging powers surpass it in economy, social advantages, science, culture, and defense. The path diverges between the road to extinction and that of Utopia.

What Venezuela needs to relearn is to be like Venezuela.

Translated by Orinoco Tribune. Minor edits by Venezuelanalysis.

Source: Luis Britto García blog