Just in time for the Oscars, Tilly Norwood, and by extension her creator, Eline van der Velden, gave actors at every level an unexpected gift — the chance to breathe a little easier.

AI will not be replacing you any time soon.

On Tuesday, the AI phenomenon known as Tilly debuted a single and music video titled “Take the Lead.” In it, Tilly sings a self-celebratory, pro-AI anthem with the big-eyed feisty longing of an algorithm marked “Disney princess: Big song” while she wanders through increasingly fantastic self-affirming scenarios that scream “Plus ‘Barbie.’”

Van der Velden was clearly trying to persuade actors to embrace the possibilities of AI but like Timothée Chalamet, who managed to prove that opera and ballet have many devoted fans by publicly suggesting the opposite, her attempt will likely backfire. The underlying message of the video, at least to performers, appears to be: Relax — AI hasn’t figured out how to lip sync properly, much less act.

It’s a bit of good news in a time of AI anxiety, some of which was Tilly-induced. Last year, Van der Velden, a Dutch actor and founder of the production company Particle6, debuted Tilly, via Instagram, as the “world’s first AI actress.” Around the time the account hit 50,000 followers, Van der Velden announced that several talent agents were interested in representing Tilly. Not Van der Velden, but Tilly Norwood, a “performer” who did not exist.

For a few minutes, Hollywood lost its collective mind. Not only were creators and performers facing a future in which their work, bodies and faces could be scanned and fed into an algorithm capable of imitating writing styles or creating images of actors doing things they never did (in a recent AI video, Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt duke it out on a war-torn rooftop), now some feared they would be competing for jobs with “actors” who could work 24 hours a day, required no health benefits and would never demand bowls of M&Ms with the green ones removed.

SAG-AFTRA, which had just ended a strike caused in part by concerns about AI, protested Tilly and the use of “stolen performances to put actors out of work.” Various actors were outraged and some called for the interested talent agencies to be identified. Even Emily Blunt was publicly disconcerted, begging Hollywood agencies to “please stop taking away our human connection.”

Van der Velden quickly responded, insisting that Tilly was “not a replacement for a human being, but a creative work — a piece of art … a new tool — a new paintbrush.”

Then, on Tuesday, “Tilly” released a music video that seems to argue the exact opposite.

In the video, which appears over the message “Can’t wait to go to the Oscars,” the computer-generated young woman trips through a montage of “famous person moments,” as Tilly insists that she is not a puppet but a star; she encourages all actors to embrace and use AI, to own their creativity and “be free.”

A note prefacing the video states that “18 real humans” were involved in its production (including Van der Velden who is the basis of the performance), who provide the subtext for Tilly warbling: “They say it’s not real, that it’s fake, but I’m a human, make no mistake.”

Whatever Van der Velden and her team hoped to achieve, one thing is very clear: Emily Blunt has nothing to fear from Tilly Norwood.

The questionable merits of the song, performance and production value aside, the video is the best argument yet for why AI “performers” are a limited threat. As Tilly walks the streets of London, poses for selfies, signs autographs, appears on talk shows, performs live in front of enormous audiences, interacts with photographers, we are reminded that Tilly could never do any of this. AI performances are, by their very nature, limited to a screen.

Instagram fame is a real thing and can be monetarily beneficial, just as animated and digitally enhanced characters can connect deeply with audiences. But beyond her ability to raise the spectre of wholly coded “performers” constructed from borrowed bits of humans (which, as anyone who has read or seen “Frankenstein” knows, never ends well), Tilly doesn’t appear to have anything like star power.

And to consider her as existing separate from her creators is like imagining that the ventriloquist dummy Charlie McCarthy could have a career, and an agent, separate from the real performer Edgar Bergen.

Though Charlie did have the advantage of being able to be seen live and in person.

Watching Tilly, one is reminded that the magic of actors is that they are human. Audiences are, after all, human too and whether facing a stage or a screen, we are captivated by certain performers’ ability to bring all manner of characters and stories alive, while also being, as Us Weekly says, “just like us.”

People with bodies that age and change, people who fall in love, get messy, say dumb things, say smart things, fall prey to illness and accidents, shop at Trader Joe’s, end up in court or trip when about to receive an Oscar.

Their faulty, glorious humanity allows them to connect to their art, but it also connects them to us. We may never get an Oscar or be able to masterfully deliver a Shakespeare soliloquy on a chat show, but we know what it’s like to trip or say something dumb or experience aging, illness or accident.

You can’t replace actors with algorithms, even if/when someone comes up with something more convincing than Tilly, because actors are not just about performances. They are people who are alive in the world and no amount of coding can replicate that.

WE are just days away from St Patrick’s Day and the UK is full of events to celebrate.

Even though St Patrick’s Day falls on a Tuesday (March 17), this weekend there are a number of events you can head to soak up the celebration.

Some cities are hosting parades and others have more family-orientated events – so here are some of the best.

Belfast St Patrick’s Day Celebrations

Of course, it wouldn’t be this list without the capital of Northern Ireland.

St Patrick’s Day celebrations are spread across several days in Belfast, with a Music Festival from March 13 to 17, Celebrations at St George’s Market on March 14 and 15 and a parade on March 17.

When it comes to the parade on Tuesday, the streets will come alive with performers, music, dance troupes and community groups.

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Also on Tuesday, visitors will be able to enjoy the St Patrick’s Day Festival Village between 1pm and 4pm at Belfast Cathedral Car Park.

The village is free to enter and will boast music, dancing, food and family activities.

London St Patrick’s Day Parade

This Sunday, March 15, London will host one of the largest St Patrick’s Day parades in the country.

Starting at 12pm and running until 6pm, the parade will follow a 1.5 mile route and feature carnival performers, musicians, dancers and marching bands.

There will also be lots of celebrations in Trafalgar Square that are free for the public to enjoy.

For kids there will be arts and crafts sessions and if you get hungry there will be plenty of food stalls around.

Manchester Irish Festival

Manchester Irish Festival will take place across several days with Irish art, comedy, dancing, music, sport and theatre performances.

The parade will take place on Sunday, March 15, starting at 12pm.

It will follow a route into the city centre.

From March 12, there will be the Irish Festival Village at St Ann’s Square, with live music every day, Irish-themed pizza and pints, of course.

Leeds St. Patrick’s Day

Leeds‘ annual St Patrick’s Day celebration will be on March 15.

The day will be full of entertainment but there isn’t a parade this year.

In a statement on social media, the team said: “The Leeds St Patrick’s Day Parade committee would like to inform you of an important change to this year’s festival day.

“Due to matters out of our control, we have had to make the decision not to have floats and walkers travel the parade this year.

“This is a decision which was not made lightly and we hope to have this aspect back next year – bigger and better than ever.

“However, we will still be celebrating St Patrick’s Day in Millennium Square.

“There will be lots of entertainment and displays in the square for all to enjoy.

“It is still set to be a brilliant day – so don’t miss out.”

Birmingham St. Patrick’s Fun Day

On March 15, there will be a St Patrick’s Family Fun Day in Birmingham.

The event will take place at the Irish Centre, starting at 12pm.

There will be entertainment, activities, food, live bands and music.

For children, there will be a lot of fun to get stuck into including a funfair and face painting.

Meanwhile, parents can peruse stalls and have a go at the tombola.

If you want to grab a bite to eat, there will be Irish sausage baps as well as Fitzgerald’s Irish Store, which sells a range of Irish products.

Tickets to the event cost £10 per person, but children under the age of 10 go free.

Cheltenham Festival St Patrick’s Thursday

If you happen to be at Cheltenham Festival on March 12, you will get to see St Patrick’s Thursday.

As the battle for the Prestbury Cup continues, attendees can also make the most of live music across six areas.

For example, The Tumbling Paddies will perform live in The Guinness Village.

Glasgow St Patrick’s Festival Family Fun Day

In Scotland, you can head to Glasgow‘s St Patrick’s Festival on March 14.

Running from midday to 5pm, the festival on Merchant Square will include live Irish music, face painting, a balloon artist and stalls with deals on holidays in Ireland.

There will also be a number of bars and restaurants involved in the event.

Can’t make March 14? On March 17 – actual St Patrick’s Day – head to the Grosvenor Cafe in Glasgow’s West End for live music, dancers, spice bags, pints and even a special appearance from Jedward.

For more upcoming events, here’s what’s on in the UK this month.

Plus, these are the cheapest family holiday destinations under three hours from UK that are over 20C this Easter.

As a travel journalist, I am away a lot, and there’s one £9 bag makes me feel like one of those super-organised people that can pack light

Despite travelling a lot for work, and fun, I’ve never mastered the art of packing light. I do not have a chic capsule wardrobe for city breaks, and I like to test those budget airline baggage capacities to their fullest.

As a perimenopausal woman, my carefree days of chucking a couple of lipsticks and a few makeup remover pads in a bag are also way behind me. When I go away for the night I need my skincare products, magnesium and collagen supplements, and industrial amounts of makeup, which arguably, are not making a huge amount of difference. A teeny tiny makeup bag is not going to do the job.

Last year, I stumbled across a toiletries bag on Amazon that has since become my favourite thing to take on trips, and at just £8.99 it’s something I’ve recommended to anyone I speak to who’s heading abroad. The Chakipee Travel Hanging Toiletry Bag looks just like an ordinary makeup bag on the outside. I bought the medium size, which measures 26x17x9cm, and when it arrived, I was sceptical about how much it would fit.

I don’t know what sorcery the manufacturers have used, but I can fit a surprising amount into this bag. I’ve managed to squeeze full size shampoo bottles into the big pockets, plus it has some smaller compartments for things like my toothbrush, contact lenses, and small stuff I don’t want to lose.

But perhaps the handiest feature is that it unfolds and can be hung up on a hook. While I’d love to pretend that my job always involves luxury travel to hotels with huge marble bathrooms, the truth is, I often stay in budget hotels where the bathroom is roughly the size of a postage stamp. If you are staying somewhere with zero bathroom counter space, just hang the bag from a spot such as a shower rail and you can easily access your products.

I’ve managed to fit a week’s worth of supplements and skincare products into the bag for longer trips, and as the ultimate test, once managed to do an everything shower in the tiny ensuite of a ferry cabin by hanging this bag on the door.

The only time the bag doesn’t come with me is if I’m travelling with hand luggage only, as annoyingly, the 100ml liquid rules are still in place at many airports. In general, the product reviews for the organiser are positive, with lots of people praising it for having plenty of pockets and compartments. A couple of reviews have complained about broken zips., but so far, I haven’t had that issue and have found it to be good quality.

If you’re looking for a bag solely for makeup then the Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Makeup Bag also comes with some glowing recommendations. It also has a Tardis-like interior that can fit in full sized products, yet is compact when zipped up. One review says it offers: “Lots more room than I was expecting, can fit all my products in and love that I can organise things in the separate sections.”

If you’re travelling with hand luggage only, then Charlotte Tilbury also has lots of travel size skincare and makeup products that will ensure you don’t break the 100ml rules. Its Beauty Check-in Kit is currently on sale for £72 and includes a mini lip kit, powder, and setting spray that are just the right size for a week away.

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

BRITISH holidaymakers have been caught up in the Iran crisis, with thousands stranded abroad and even more fearing for their upcoming trips.

But if you haven’t booked your holiday yet, should you be doing it now to avoid any price hikes?

Due to the ongoing US-Iran conflict, the cost of jet fuel has spiked, with airline fares already spiking in response.

Before the attack, prices were around $90 (£67) per barrel.

However, this has now jumped to as much as $200 (£149) per barrel – the highest prices since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

Jet fuel makes up about a quarter of the cost of airline operations, according to the IATA.

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In response, airlines such as Qantas, Scandinavia’s SAS and Air New Zealand have all raised flight prices already.

Some airlines such as Ryanair, easyJet, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, are less affected as they have secured some of their fuel at fixed prices for a set amount of time – called hedging.

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary said the rise in jet fuel “won’t affect our costs and it won’t affect ​our low fares,” something easyJet also echoed.

But flights elsewhere are likely to go up in the next year or so, as the conflict continues.

Most airlines in America do not protect themselves against jet fuel price increases, meaning Brits are likely to see more expensive transatlantic fares.

According to research from Skift this could cost US airlines as much as $24billion in extra fuel costs – working out to 11 per cent increases on flights.

Not only that, but the closure of the Strait of Hormuz – one of the world’s most important shipping routes – is also having a knock-on affect and could lead to shortages.

James Noel-Beswick, head of commodities at market intelligence firm Sparta Commodities, told the BBC that it was very likely” that prices will increase this summer.

He added: “I think we’re weeks away from maybe flight cancellations or delays due to lack of jet fuel, rather than months.”

So, what can Brit holidaymakers do?

If you were planning on booking a package holiday, many tour operators allow you to lock in a cheap price, and simply pay a deposit, with the full balance coming later.

Jet2 allows you to book a holiday with a £60pp deposit while TUI has a number of £0 deposit schemes.

Loveholidays has deposits from £19pp, as well as a “Best Price Promise” that refunds the difference if your holiday is cheaper within seven days of booking, plus an extra £5 per person.

Destinations like Spain – already one of the most popular holiday destinations for Brits – are likely to see even more demand this year along with Greece due to being seen as ‘safer’ holiday destinations.

This means you might see a jump in price more than usual as well.

Other popular destinations like Cyprus is already seeing some booking cancellations after a drone attack on an RAF base on the island.

Hoteliers have said cancellations are affecting holidays in March and April – this is despite Cyprus remaining on the safe travel list.

Dubai is still on the “only essential travel” list so holidays to the UAE city are currently suspended, along with Jordan also on the travel ban list.

Even destinations like Egypt and Turkey are being affected, with a number of Sun readers concerned about holidays to both.

The Sun’s Head of Travel on which holiday destinations to go to instead this year

The Sun’s Head of Travel Lisa Minot, explains: “There’s no doubt the current crisis in the Middle East is going to have a seismic impact on our holiday habits.

“Reports of travellers stranded in the UAE and across the globe will certainly prompt those looking to travel long haul to look at alternative ways to fly – with direct flights to places like Thailand, the Maldives and Japan sure to be very popular.

“Closer to home, the situation will sadly likely impact destinations like Turkey, Egypt, Cyprus and possibly even Greece.

“And with soaring fuel costs, tour operators will be looking to price alternative destinations competitively. 

“But there are other options – our traditional resorts in places like Spain and Portugal are good, safe bets.

“Comparison giant TravelSupermarket has crunched the numbers for this summer and declared Spain’s Costa Calida one of the best-value destinations for this summer. 

“Dubbed the ‘warm coast’, this region stretching along the south eastern region of Murcia is one of Spain’s most underrated coastlines with 150miles of beaches, crystal clear waters and the unique Mar Menor lagoon, Europe’s largest saltwater lake.

“Also worth exploring arethe likes of Montenegro, Albania and even North Macedonia for cheaper hotel and restaurant costs as well as traditional favourite Bulgaria.

Both countries have not been affected by the Iran crisis and the tourist resorts remain safe to travel to.

Long haul holiday destinations are likely to see a spike in prices too, as Brits try to avoid booking connecting flights that go via Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi.

Some popular countries include Thailand, Vietnam, the Maldives and Bali, all of which usually fly via the Middle East.

There are alternative stopover destinations, usually via Turkey, Singapore or Hong Kong – but the soaring demand is likely to see these cost more this year too.

And with longer flight times? More jet fuel, so even more costs being passed on.

Here are five lesser visited coastal resorts to visit this year.

And here is another lesser known European city that is a bargain weekend trip.

A POPULAR water attraction that’s the largest of its kind in the UK is getting upgrades in time for the Easter holidays.

Sandcastle Waterpark in Blackpool is the largest indoor waterpark in the country and it is getting a £500,000 refresh.

The water attraction that sits on Blackpool’s promenade has a tropical climate and 18 slides inside.

It’s set to undergo a the huge refurbishment to coincide with it’s 40th birthday, having first opened back in 1986.

The improvements will be to the waterpark’s changing village rooms.

The slides will be refreshed too with a lick of paint, and a new audio system being installed.

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The upgrades are due to be finished before Easter and will be completed in time for the school holidays.

General manager Kyle Woodcock said: “This is a landmark year for us, and we wanted to mark our 40th birthday with improvements that our guests will really feel.”

One of the most popular slides is the Master Blaster which is the UK’s longest indoor water rollercoaster.

Another is Sidewinder – the world’s first indoor half-pipe water slide which has been called a “white knuckle” experience.

Another thrilling slide is the very fast Montazooma which has tight hairpin bends.

There’s also the Treetops Water Chutes racing slides, the slower moving Ushi Gushi River Creek lazy river and Typhoon Lagoon is the waterpark’s huge wave pool.

Even if the weather isn’t playing ball outside, the attraction is always warm as it sits around 30C.

On the outskirts of the pool, visitors can enjoy the warmth in their own private Tiki Cabanas which can be hired out for the day.

Here, visitors can enjoy beer, wine, lunch, and even watch TV while lounging in a hot tub for £60 per person.

It’s not all thrilling slides and splashing about in swimming pools either – there’s also a quieter spa area for adults only.

The Sea Breeze Spa is for those 18 and over to ‘renew, re-energise and feel refreshed’.

It has a sauna, steam room, heated loungers, foot spas, aromatherapy and even a salt inhalation room.

Access to the spa is an additional £7 alongside an admission ticket.

There’s food available on-site too at the Waterfalls Cafe and Waters Edge kitchen where you can pick up drinks, sandwiches and even hot food.

There’s an option for dessert too at the Cool Waves stand, which serves ice cream and sweet treats.

On Tripadvisor, the attraction has a rating of 4.0 out of 5 with over five thousand reviews.

One visitor wrote: “Great family day out at one of Blackpool’s best attractions.”

And another said: “The kids absolutely loved it here with lots to keep them entertained.”

The waterpark is currently open during the weekends – and will reopen on weekdays in the Easter holidays.

General admission tickets into Sandcastle Waterpark start from £24.95 for those age eight and over.

Those between three and seven can get in for £15.95 and under twos go free.

Plus, here are all of the waterparks in the UK mapped – with lazy rivers and wave pools to cool off during the hot weather.

And here’s a massive waterpark hotel that is still warm in winter with 26 slides and even its own theme park.

Jacob Ulibarri spent about six hours on New Year’s Day last year squashing hot spots where the Lachman fire had burned.

The rookie Los Angeles firefighter arrived sometime after 7 a.m., when the smoky areas were all over and easy to see. By the time the next crew swapped with his that afternoon, they were scarcer: “One every 30 minutes, roughly,” Ulibarri recalled.

At that point, Battalion Chief Martin Mullen, who was running the mop-up operation, had walked three laps around the perimeter of the fire. He recalled one hot spot he saw at about 10 a.m., which crews hit with water. Later in the afternoon, Mullen did his fourth and last loop and left the area for good.

He decided to leave the hoses out overnight, just in case.

Over the next two days, a series of communication failures and questionable decisions led crews to leave the area prematurely, with embers from the small Jan. 1 fire later reigniting into the devastating Palisades fire. A firefighter picking up hoses on Jan. 2 found crackling, red-hot coals in the dirt and warned colleagues that a more thorough mop-up was needed. Also that morning, a captain cautioned his chief that it was too soon to pick up the hoses. In yet another missed opportunity, crews apparently did not walk the entire perimeter of the burn scar after a caller reported smoke in the area on Jan. 3.

Because of the holiday, some were filling in for others outside of their normal assignments. Firefighters said they adhered to the LAFD’s strict chain of command and did not question higher-ups, while those in charge had fuzzy memories or shifted responsibility to others.

The revelations, contained in the sworn testimony of a dozen firefighters earlier this year as part of a lawsuit filed by Palisades fire victims, corroborate previous reporting by The Times and call into question the LAFD’s repeated claims that commanders left the fire “dead out.” More than a year later, with much of the Palisades still in ruins, LAFD leaders have refused to explain how or why the breakdowns occurred.

The LAFD employees mentioned in this story either could not be reached or declined to comment.

In a statement Monday, LAFD spokesperson Stephanie Bishop pointed to the alleged arsonist charged by federal prosecutors with deliberately setting the earlier fire. “The Lachman and Palisades Fire incidents would not be matters of discussion had this individual not allegedly initiated the original fire,” she said.

“It is important to allow the legal process to proceed without external influence or speculation. Offering running commentary on depositions outside of the courtroom risks compromising witness testimony, affecting the integrity of evidence review, and impacting ongoing judicial proceedings. We stand by the investigation conducted by the ATF,” Bishop added, referring to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Around 6 a.m. on Jan. 2, 2025

At the end of his 24-hour overtime shift, Mullen handed the reins to Battalion Chief Mario Garcia, recommending that the incoming chief scope out the fire perimeter.

“I told him I left him hose lines in place overnight. You need to walk that and make sure there’s nothing going up on there,” said Mullen, whose regular job is managing the LAFD’s 106 fire stations and 30 or so other buildings.

Before Garcia set foot on the burn scar, he put word out to station captains about the plan for the morning: Pick up hoses.

At Fire Station 19 in Brentwood, Capt. Alexander Gonzalez got a text from the chief’s aide, directing him to bring a “plug buggy” — a pickup truck used to carry equipment — “to help pick up hose.”

The plan reached Capt. David Sander at Fire Station 23 in the Palisades and Capt. Michael McIndoe at Fire Station 69.

McIndoe had reservations.

He told the chief’s aide that he thought the hoses should stay out longer. He had seen the forecast that day — a National Weather Service alert had warned of weather conducive to wildfires — and handling any lingering hot spots would be easier with hoses in place. The aide told him to take it up with the chief.

So McIndoe shared his concerns with Garcia over the phone.

Garcia “said something along the lines of, ‘OK. Let me go check it out, and then I’ll get back to you,’” McIndoe testified.

But the orders for the morning never changed.

8:30 a.m. on Jan. 2, 2025

After a briefing at Fire Station 23, Scott Pike and his partner took their ambulance to a cul-de-sac near the burn area. They spotted some hose dangling over a retaining wall covered in ivy.

An engine crew threw a 20-foot ladder to get over the wall. Soon, Pike said, they got another call and left.

“We were kind of making jokes, like, ‘It’s on us,’’’ recalled Pike, a firefighter normally assigned to a station in Sunland.

He grabbed his brush jacket, helmet and gloves and climbed over. He decided to hike to the end of the hose line — he was feeling good and thought he’d get a workout in.

Pike followed the main line — called the trunk line — which had hoses branching off in other directions. About 100 feet in, he saw where grass had burned. He navigated through culverts and climbed a steep hill of about 300 feet before hitting a hiking trail.

When he got to the end of the line, at about 8:45 a.m., he noticed a handful of smoky areas in heavier brush, and a hand line that wasn’t cut properly.

One ash pit was so hot he didn’t want to touch it, even with gloves. So he kicked it with his boot, exposing red-hot coals. He heard crackling and smelled smoke. He looked around, and there were no other firefighters.

We shouldn’t be picking up hoses, he thought to himself. Instead, we should be filling the hoses with water to do a more thorough mop-up.

He pinched the hose, directing any residual water to the ash pit. It steamed and crackled. He felt defeated when he only got a couple of gallons out, which wasn’t enough.

He slowed down, in case the pickup plan were to change because of his observations, and was relieved when more crews began hiking over.

“Hey, guys, are you seeing what I’m seeing?” Pike told a couple of firefighters. He was working an overtime shift away from his usual fire station, so he didn’t know them. “Like, maybe we should be charging these lines instead of picking them up.”

Since they were already there, he figured, some extra mop-up could save them work down the line if the fire were to reignite.

The firefighters shrugged him off and seemed eager to finish the assignment.

“They were like, ‘Yeah, I see what you’re saying,’ And then it was like, ‘We’ll tell one of the skippers. We’ll tell one of the captains.’ But, like, in the meantime, people were just very much like, just get the hose picked up,” Pike testified.

Shortly after, he saw a captain and raised the same concerns.

“That’s how I approached him, is like, ‘Hey, Cap … We have hot spots in general. We have some ash pits,’” Pike said. “That’s an alert to double-check the whole area and maybe we need to switch our tactics.”

Pike testified that it was not his job “to overstep and tell him what to do. He earned that rank.”

The captain suggested possibly bringing hand tools or a backpack filled with water up the hill to extinguish any hot spots.

Pike went back to picking up the hose while awaiting new orders, which never came.

The LAFD has declined to say whether the captain has been identified. Pike believed the captain was from Engine 69, which would have been McIndoe. But McIndoe told The Times he did not speak with Pike that day.

McIndoe said he also came across a smoldering ash pit during the couple of hours he was on the hill.

He retrieved a backpack with water from his engine, sprayed into the ground with a couple of gallons of water and dug up the dirt with his hand tool until he was satisfied it was cool.

At one point, he saw Garcia, the battalion chief, and brought up their earlier conversation.

“I just went up to him, and I said, ‘Hey, I hope you don’t think I’m just trying to get out of work,’” McIndoe said. “And he said, ‘No, that’s — that’s fine.’ Something along those lines, and that that’s all I can really recall.”

He said he was trying to tell Garcia that he believed “that the hose should stay up a little bit longer.”

By the time Gonzalez, who was backfilling that day at the Brentwood station, got to the scene, the operation was well underway, with half the hose already down the hillside.

“When I got there, it was just, it’s like a big daisy chain of hands pulling hose off and getting it down to the street. And rolling it, hosing it off and loading it into the plug buggy,” he testified.

He did not see smoldering that day. He testified that he went about 200 to 300 feet up, to where piles of hose were being dropped. “The next person brings it back down and that was it,” he said.

Some firefighters on hose pickup duty that day have not been deposed in the lawsuit. Aside from McIndoe and Pike, the four other firefighters who testified that they were at the burn scar on Jan. 2 said they did not see smoldering.

Garcia testified that at the burn scar, no one raised any concerns with him about the hose pickup. Nor did he see any need to leave the hoses at the site.

At 1:35 p.m. on Jan. 2, Garcia texted two higher-ups: “All hose and equipment has been picked up.”

Around 4:30 p.m., Garcia walked the area again with his aide to see if they had left any equipment behind. He saw no issues.

“We both walked the whole area,” Garcia said. “We went separate directions, but covered the whole area, and there was nothing that would bring any concern.”

11:51 a.m. on Jan. 3, 2025

Shortly before noon, someone called the LAFD about a grass fire in the burn area.

Engineer Edward Rincon, who had been on Engine 23 retrieving hoses the day before, pulled up to the same cul-de-sac. Once again, his crew threw the 20-foot ladder over the retaining wall. As on the previous day, he never entered the burn scar. He stayed with the engine while the captain and two firefighters went to scope out the area. He set the volume high on his radio to hear if they needed anything.

On the other side of the wall, Capt. Cesar Garcia walked for what he said was more than a couple of football fields, while the two firefighters went to different peaks to look around for smoke or fire.

“Everything is completely burned. I don’t smell anything. I don’t see any smoke. I don’t see any fire,” he testified.

He canceled another engine that was assigned to the call.

Firefighter Michael Contreras said he also didn’t see smoke. He said he could not see the entirety of the burn scar from his vantage point. He also said he did not suggest to his captain, Cesar Garcia, that they walk the whole perimeter.

“Is there a reason you did not?” a plaintiffs’ attorney asked.

“Again, would not be my lane to tell him that, you know,” he said.

Battalion Chief Mario Garcia was on duty again that day. Like Rincon, he stayed with his vehicle. Cesar Garcia said the chief pulled up a live feed on an iPad from two cameras on the mountain, which showed no smoke or fire.

An incident report shows they spent about 34 minutes on the call.

On the morning of Jan. 7, LAFD records show, a captain on duty in the Palisades called Fire Station 23 and told colleagues: The Lachman fire had started up again.

The 28-year-old described it as a “special moment” and said he “really got emotional” when he realised the scale of his achievement.

“I wish I could relive it twice,” Adebayo said.

Paying tribute to his family and trainers, he said: “They’ve seen me at the lowest, at the bottom of the bottom, trying to figure out how to really pick myself up.

“To have this moment and share it with all them, it’s a pretty emotional moment.”

The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 120-106 at home thanks to Luka Doncic’s 31 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.

The Lakers climbed to fourth in the Western Conference, ahead of the Timberwolves on a tie-breaker as they both have 40-25 records.

Eastern Conference leaders the Detroit Pistons moved to 46-18 with a 138-100 win at the Brooklyn Nets as Jalen Duren scored 26 points.

SEOUL, March 11 (UPI) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the test-firing of strategic cruise missiles from a naval destroyer, state media reported Wednesday, as the United States and South Korea began a large-scale joint military exercise this week.

The North’s Choe Hyon destroyer launched the missiles at island targets in the Yellow Sea on Tuesday, the official Korean Central News Agency said, with Kim watching via a video feed. The missiles flew for roughly two hours and fifty minutes before striking their targets, KCNA said.

Pyongyang described the weapons as “strategic,” a term it typically uses for systems capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

The launches came days after North Korea conducted a similar cruise missile test from the destroyer ahead of its commissioning.

The test also coincided with the start of the allies’ annual Freedom Shield exercise on Monday, an 11-day program of command-post simulations and field training drills.

North Korea has long condemned the joint exercises as rehearsals for invasion. On Tuesday, Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of Kim Jong Un, warned that the drills could destabilize the region and lead to “unimaginably terrible consequences.”

After observing the launch, Kim praised the “superiority of the destroyer’s integrated combat system,” according to KCNA.

“The components of our war deterrent are now being included in the very sophisticated operational system … and the country’s nuclear forces have made a switch to the phase of multifaceted operation,” Kim said.

Images released by state media showed Kim watching the test alongside his daughter Ju Ae, who has appeared frequently with her father at major events. South Korea’s spy agency said last month that Ju Ae, believed to have been born in 2013, appears close to being designated as Kim’s successor.

Pyongyang launched the Choe Hyon, its first 5,000-ton destroyer, last April as Kim called for strengthening the country’s naval capabilities. North Korean reports say the vessel carries a range of weapons, including nuclear-capable cruise missiles and tactical ballistic missiles.

Photos released by state media show the ship’s missile and radar systems resembling those found on Russian vessels, prompting speculation Pyongyang may have received technical assistance from Moscow.

North Korea has deployed troops, artillery and weapons to support Russia’s war in Ukraine and is believed to be receiving financial support and advanced military technology in return.

A second destroyer, the Kang Kon, suffered an accident during its launch ceremony last year that left it listing on its side before it was repaired and relaunched in June.

Kim has ordered another 5,000-ton destroyer completed by Oct. 10, the anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea.

Frustrated players say they were left in the dark for days over their travel while England flew out within two days.

Cricket’s governing body has rejected suggestions of unequal treatment after the West Indies and South Africa squads were stranded in India for more than a week following their exit from the T20 World Cup, while England flew out in less than two days.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has been accused of giving preferential treatment to one team over the other two amid the travel chaos resulting from airspace closures and rerouted flights because of the war in the Middle East.

However, the ICC said on Wednesday it “rejects any suggestion that these decisions have been driven by anything other than safety, feasibility and welfare”.

“We understand that players, coaches, support staff and their families who have completed their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaigns are anxious to return home,” it said in a statement.

Cricket West Indies said on Tuesday its squad had waited nine days for a charter flight that was “repeatedly delayed”, calling the uncertainty “increasingly distressing”.

West Indies ‌players were leaving India on commercial flights in batches 10 days after their scheduled departure, which led to frustrated players airing their thoughts in social media posts.

The ICC said nine West Indies players and staff members were already travelling to the Caribbean, with the remaining 16 booked on flights departing India within 24 hours.

Indian media reported that a charter flight for the West Indies and South ⁠Africa Twenty20 World Cup teams scheduled to fly to Johannesburg before continuing on to Antigua was cancelled earlier on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, South Africa, who have been stranded in ⁠India since March 4, will begin to fly home on Wednesday, with the entire contingent ⁠departing in the next 36 hours, the ICC said.

England flew home ‌less than two days after being beaten in the semifinals, prompting criticism of the ICC from the South African and West Indian camps.

Darren Sammy, head coach of West Indies, began venting his frustration on social media on the fifth day since his team’s exit from the T20 World Cup.

“I just wanna go home,” he wrote on X, followed by another tweet requesting an update after being left in the dark for five days.

Three days after South Africa were knocked out, in the first semifinal, their players Quinton De Kock and David Miller said the team had heard nothing from the ICC regarding their departure while England, who were eliminated a day later in the second semifinal had already left.

“England are leaving before us somehow?! Strange how different teams have more pull than others,” De Kock wrote in an Instagram story.

Miller, commenting on a post announcing England’s departure, said: “It doesn’t take the ICC long to organise England charter. WI have been waiting for 7 days for a charter and SA coming on 4 days now. And yet we still wait.”

The ICC said the criticism was “incorrect” and that there was no comparison between arrangements for South Africa and the West Indies and those made for England, “which arose from separate circumstances, routing options and different travel conditions”.

“Throughout this period, the ICC’s overriding ⁠priority has been the safety and welfare of everyone affected,” the sport’s global governing body said.

“We will not move people until we are satisfied that the travel ‌solution in place is safe, and that commitment will not change.”

BROOKS Nader has stripped off into a daring bubble outfit with her reality show star sisters after landing a part in the Baywatch reboot.

The family show, Love Thy Nader, follows the four Louisiana sisters as they trade their small-town roots for high fashion, high drama, and the hustle of New York City.

Brooks, Mary Holland, Grace Ann and Sarah Jane have now been snapped wearing incredibly sexy bubble ensembles.

Holding hands, they walked the streets of New York flashing their sensational abs.

The barely-there bubbles left little to the imagination as the telly stars smiled for the camera.

Blonde bombshell Brooks put on a leggy display as she twirled around nearly flashing her bum.

Read more on Brooks Nader

OFF HER CHEST

Brooks Nader goes braless in a see-through nude top on wild night out in LA

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Tom Brady-linked Brooks Nader pulls down bikini bra in risque snap

The sisters wore slightly different versions of the tiny bubble outfits but wore matching nude stilettos.

Mary, Brooks and Grace were seen with bouncy curled locks while Sarah had her hair styled in a chic slick-back ponytail.

Brooks sizzled in the nearly-nude ensemble, which has certainly sent pulses racing.

This comes as the star has been announced as the latest actress to join the cast of Fox’s Baywatch reboot.

The Sport Illustrated model has already been compared to the original show’s standout Pamela Anderson.

Hulu star Brooks is joining the cast alongside Suits LA star Stephen Amell.

Stunning Brooks will play Selene, captain of the Zuma Beach lifeguards, who regularly butts heads with Stephen’s character, Hobie Buchannon, the son of Mitch, played by David Hasselhoff in the original series.

Selene and Mitch are set to clash over their drastically different approaches to the job.

Fans have gone crazy over Brooks casting as she becomes one of the latest stars destined to put on the famous red swimsuit.

They have likened the Love Thy Nader star to blonde beauty Pamela Anderson, given their similar career paths.

“So, they want Brooks to be the next Pamela Anderson but there’s only one Pam,” one Instagram user said about the casting.

There’s a hidden door in Downtown Disney. Only this one isn’t meant to be walked through.

Flanking a stage near the monorail station, you’ll find a glistening white tower, the work of artist and activist Nikkolas Smith, who has adopted the term “artivist.” At first glance, the tower — one of Downtown Disney’s most striking works — appears to be a nod to Disneyland’s Midcentury art, for its curved lines and space-age optimism wouldn’t be out of place in Tomorrowland.

That’s there, says Smith, but there are also a number of more subtle inspirations.

The tower is a nod to five Black architects, trailblazers whose creations sometimes went unnoticed or overlooked. And that’s why at the base of the structure is a looping opening meant to signify a half-open doorway.

Downtown Disney’s Legacy Tower touches on the styles of different Black architects as it rises into the sky.

(Gary Coronado / For The Times)

Smith shares a distressing anecdote. “They had to learn how to read drawings upside down, because they weren’t allowed to sit next to the white clients,” Smith says, adding they also had to endure unequal pay. “So I was incorporating things like the half doorway to symbolize their struggle.”

Officially designated as the Legacy Tower, Smith himself fixates on that word — “legacy.” The term, he says, represents a thematic constant across his work. A regular collaborator on a number of Walt Disney Co. projects and a former architect with Walt Disney Imagineering, the division of the company focused on theme park experiences, Smith is something of a connector. His canvas art, full of fast-moving brush work, is often rooted in the past while urgently seeking to draw links to the present.

Artist Nikkolas Smith went viral for his portrait of Martin Luther King Jr. in a hoodie, a tribute to slain teenager Trayvon Martin.

(Nikkolas Smith)

His 2025 children’s book, “The History of We,” tells the story of how humanity can trace its roots to Africa. And one of his best-known pieces is of Martin Luther King Jr. in a hoodie, meant to evoke the image of Trayvon Martin, the slain 17-year-old whose death inspired a social justice movement. The work went viral in 2013 while Smith was still working for Imagineering. It altered his career trajectory.

“It was like, ‘I cannot just make art about churros and rides right now,’” Smith says. “There’s a time for that, and there’s also a time to talk about this.” He references his portraits related to the killings of Black men, many at the hands of police officers, such as Philando Castile and Michael Brown.

“At the end of the day, Disney understood that,” Smith adds. “They understood that I needed to make art that was extremely important at the moment, about justice or the lack of justice.”

Smith left Disney in 2019 after 11 years but has maintained a close relationship with the company, so much so that Imagineering called upon Smith to design the tower, which opened in 2023.

Artist Nikkolas Smith, left, chats with guests Ricky Yost and Martina Yost of Aubrey, Texas, who recognized Smith from a recent Disney cruise excursion.

(Gary Coronado / For The Times)

As the Legacy Tower spirals toward the sky, its patterns and and lattice work nod to the likes of James H. Garrott, Robert A. Kennard, Roy A. Sealey, Ralph A. Vaughn and Paul Revere Williams. All were active in Los Angeles — Williams, for instance, was a pivotal designer on the LAX Theme Building — and Smith interlaces decorative flourishes in varying styles that twist around one another to work up the Legacy Tower’s pointed spheres.

The door of the Legacy Tower symbolizes perseverance, Smith says. “They made it through, despite all of the obstacles they had to go through.”

Smith had studied the architects while a student at Hampton University, and has documented on his Instagram their various stylings, which range from restrained to whimsical to ornate. A section referencing Vaughn is modern minimalism, whereas an area dedicated to Sealey is full of jagged, pointed linework. All of it is held together via a coiling design that feels full of movement.

The patterns of the Legacy Tower are nods to the likes of James H. Garrott, Robert A. Kennard, Roy A. Sealey, Ralph A. Vaughn and Paul Revere Williams.

(Gary Coronado / For The Times)

“How can I show humanity’s interconnected future? That’s the idea,” Smith says. “There’s this African theme of Sankofa. If we look toward our future, we have to look at the past and value and appreciate the past. I thought it would be great if I could really commemorate some Black designers and architects as the foundation and backstory of the tower. And I was also thinking about these breezeway block patterns that you see in Leimert Park.”

And yet it also feels like something that belongs in the park. Smith says he looked at some Tomorrowland designs.

“A Midcentury Modern vibe was Walt,” Smith says, referring to park patriarch Walt Disney. “That was Walt’s thing. It all connects. I love that people can hopefully now connect both things. You can connect Tomorrowland and Walt with Paul Revere Williams.”

It’s clearly Smith’s favorite design of his for Disney, although it’s not the only space at the resort that features his artistry. During his decade-plus with Imagineering he regularly worked on teams that focused on projects at Disney California Adventure, which this year is celebrating its 25th anniversary. He was heavily involved, he says, in the evolution of Avengers Campus, contributed to a small promenade stage in Pixar Pier and helped envision the facade of Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: Breakout!, which transformed the former Tower of Terror into a sci-fi structure.

Nikkolas Smith says elements of Downtown Disney’s Legacy Tower symbolize perseverance.

(Gary Coronado / For The Times)

Smith looks back fondly at his years at Imagineering, specifically calling out his time on the Guardians project. The former fake hotel is now full of glistening bronze pipes, a retro futurist look that former Imagineer Joe Rohde, who led the design, has said takes influence from the high-tech aesthetic of architect Renzo Piano, who worked on France’s Pompidou Centre.

“How much can we add to it? How much can we get away with gluing onto this thing?” Smith says of the Guardians facade. “What is the right amount of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy,’ without being too much? Without scaring people on the freeway?”

Today, Smith continues to focus on social justice work, and has also collaborated with filmmaker Ryan Coogler, such as completing concept designs for his Oscar-nominated film “Sinners.” Smith’s 2023 children’s book “The Artivist” documents the importance of creating art that’s in conversation with the world, believing it’s not only a source for education but for empathy. Smith’s weekly paintings speak out often against the current administration, and Smith has been particularly vocal on the ICE raids.

A selection from “The Artivist,” an illustrated book from Nikkolas Smith.

(Nikkolas Smith)

“Some people say that all art is activism, but I feel that some of the best art that is created is art that has a message,” Smith says. “And hopefully that message has to do with the humanity of all people, and for me, I like to focus on marginalized communities, and how we can value the humanity of everybody. That’s why I make picture books about the origins of humanity and the origins of this country.”

The Leimert Park resident says his wife and young son regularly visit the Disneyland Resort. And when he does, Smith says, he always takes a moment to stop by the Pixar Pier stage that he contributed to, which is often used for character meet and greets.

“They were team projects, and I do go up to them with so much pride,” he says. “I go up to the Pixar Pier promenade stage, and I just go up to it and touch it. … The beautiful thing about Disney is these creations are usually around for a lifetime.”

It turns out you can take the artivist out of Disney, but you can’t fully take the Disney out of the artivist.

HOUSTON — Kyle Teel, Sam Antonacci and Jac Caglianone homered as Italy built a big lead and held on to stun the United States 8-6 Tuesday night in the World Baseball Classic.

The U.S. is done with pool play at Houston’s Daikin Park and needs the Italians to beat Mexico Wednesday night to be guaranteed a spot in the quarterfinals. If Mexico beats Italy, the three teams will be knotted at 3-1 and the winners will be determined by a tiebreaker, with the team that allowed the most runs eliminated.

Italy starter Michael Lorenzen allowed two hits in 4 2/3 scoreless innings to keep the Americans off balance.

Pete Crow-Armstrong homered twice and drove in four runs, and Gunnar Henderson added a solo shot for the U.S., but the rally came up short when Greg Weissert struck out Aaron Judge with a runner on to end it.

Crow-Armstrong’s second homer, a shot to the second deck in right field, cut the lead to 8-6 with one out in the ninth. Bobby Witt Jr. singled and Henderson struck out before Judge whiffed to start the Italian celebration.

The U.S. was down by 8-1 with two out in the seventh when Crow-Armstrong hit a majestic three-run homer to right field.

Kyle Schwarber and Will Smith hit back-to-back singles with two out in the eighth before Roman Anthony’s RBI single on a line drive to left field. But Ron Marinaccio retired pinch-hitter Bryce Harper on a fly ball to end the inning.

Teel’s home run to the Crawford boxes in left field gave Italy an early lead with two out in the third. McLean then plunked Caglianone before Antonacci’s homer to the bullpen in right-center made it 3-0.

Caglianone’s two-run shot off Ryan Yarbrough pushed the lead to 5-0 with no outs in the fourth.

The Italians added a run on an error, another on a sacrifice fly and a third on a wild pitch by Brad Keller to push the lead to 8-0 in a sloppy sixth by the U.S.

The U.S. finally got on the board with Henderson’s homer in the sixth.

The South Korean government is “closely involved” in discussions with the International Energy Agency (IEA) over the agency’s reported proposal to release strategic oil reserves to help stabilize soaring oil prices, Seoul officials said Wednesday.

Officials at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources confirmed Seoul’s participation in the reported IEA discussions to Yonhap News Agency, following media reports saying that the IEA has proposed the largest-ever release of oil reserves to its 32 member countries, including South Korea.

According to the report by the Wall Street Journal, IEA members are expected to soon decide on the proposal in an extraordinary meeting.

“South Korea is closely involved in discussions over a coordinated release of strategic oil reserves by the IEA,” a ministry official said.

The country currently holds around 1.9 billion barrels of oil reserves, which is enough to last more than 200 days.

“We have yet to decide how much oil will be released from our reserves with the IEA’s decision,” a ministry official said.

The Seoul government has released its strategic oil reserves on five occasions since 1990, all through international coordination.

The occasions included the 1991 Gulf War, the 2011 Libya crisis and the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine War in 2022.

Copyright (c) Yonhap News Agency prohibits its content from being redistributed or reprinted without consent, and forbids the content from being learned and used by artificial intelligence systems.

Cruise missiles were seen launching into the sky as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw tests from a new naval destroyer aimed at assessing the warship’s capabilities.

Ralf Little got emotional as he candidly opened up during the latest episode of Will & Ralf Should Know Better

Death in Paradise star Ralf Little fought back tears as he shared the heartbreaking reason he doesn’t have children.

During the latest episode of Will & Ralf Should Know Better, Ralf, 46, and Will Mellor decided to face their fears, from dangling on a trapeze and tackling fatherhood to the ultimate horror of performing stand-up in front of a Glasgow crowd.

At the start of the show, Will, 49, pointed out to Ralf: “I think I’ve actually done something that you would find more frightening than any of that. What I’ve done that I think you’d find more frightening… is have a child.

“Yes, yes, actually commit to something, commitment. I have had two kids and brought them up. So, to give you a little taste, I’m taking you to a place, it’s like a charity set-up, where dads can go and learn how to be good parents. What to expect from a baby, how to be a parent” to which Ralf admitted: “This my living nightmare!”

At the charity set-up, Ralf was asked “what’s the worry about children” to which he admitted: “It’s a lot of work, innit? I bought a bread maker once and I loved making that bread, but after a little while, I was like, I’ll just unplug it and put it under the cupboard. You can’t really do that with babies, can you?”

The leader of the charity set-up then asked: “Ralf, what is it that you’re most afraid of?” to which the former Death in Paradise star said: “I’ve lived a lot of my life having a mentality where there’s nothing I can’t walk away from.

“It’s actually terrifying to me, the idea of loving something so completely and irreversibly. I can’t walk away from it intact. That’s terrifying to me.”

Following the charity set-up and being given a baby doll to look after, it made Ralf think deeper about why he doesn’t have children. He said: “Yeah, it’s been a funny old day. Just in general for me” to which Will added: “I can see it threw some questions into your mind that you weren’t expecting. I could tell from your reaction that you were a bit like maybe there is a reason a bit deeper why I haven’t had children.”

To which Ralf emotionally admitted: “For sure. My parents were fantastic with us and did the best that they could. But their relationship broke down really in a really difficult way and that was very difficult for us.

“You know, there’s no way of putting this that’s not blunt, but, you know, they had three kids and an idyllic family life and then one of the kids was alive one week and dead the next.

“Everything, their entire lives crumbled right in front of their eyes from that moment on. It’s like, you know, you can’t protect them.”

Ralf then fought back tears as he composed himself and continued: “My mum was really… my mum was really protective of us. Really protective.

“And it happened anyway. It happened anyway because you can’t wrap your kids in cotton wool and protect them 24-7. Like, it’s a lot. And it’s only when I’m forced to sort of say these things out loud that I realise quite what a lot it is.”

Tragically, when Ralf was just nine-years-old, his sister, Ceri, then 14, fell 150ft to her death from a cliff during a family holiday to Cornwall.

Ralf has said that the tragedy was partly to blame for his parents’ divorce and deeply affected his other sister Rowena – but it made him push himself academically and in extracurricular activities.

Will and Ralf Should Know Better is available to watch on Channel 4 and 4oD, as well as U.

**For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new ** Everything Gossip ** website**

For years, Magaluf has been a go-to party resort for Brits seeking fun in the sun. But a darker side to the tourist spot has emerged, with reports of spiked drinks, sexual assaults, and rape

With the promise of sun, sand, booze, and parties, Magaluf is a major party resort – but beneath it hides a dark underbelly. Popular amongst a younger demographic, it’s been seen to epitomise a typical ‘lads holiday’ or girls’ trip abroad, with tens of thousands of British 18 to 30-year-olds flocking there each summer.

Dubbed ‘Shagaluf’, alcohol-sodden tourists descend on the ‘strip’ in their droves, lured through the promise of cheap accommodation, cheap booze, and no-strings sex. However, it hides a seedier scene where vulnerable young girls are being exploited – duped into drinking too much and pressured into sex acts.

In 2014, viral mobile phone footage showed a British 18-year-old giving oral sex to 24 men on a Carnage Magaluf pub crawl, egged on by a DJ who called her a ‘slag’. The ‘prize’ was a free drink. In the horrifying video obtained by our newspaper, the vile music host is seen shouting: “This is Carnage and this is what we do” as a no-holds-barred sex act takes place in the middle of a bar. When the girl appears to stop, the DJ – who has a Geordie accent – bellows: “You little sl*g, stop f****** about. This is Carnage and this is what we do. We need to see someone get b*nged here don’t we? Who wants to see someone get sh**ged?”

And this week, eight men were jailed after a British teenager was filmed being gang-raped at a hotel in Magaluf. The accused, seven French nationals and one man from Sweden, subjected the 18-year-old to a sickening attack in at the BH Mallorca Resort on August 14, 2023.

The men agreed to plead guilty in exchange for reduced sentences. The five rapists accepted jail terms of nine to 11 years for sexual assault, with three receiving higher prison sentences because they repeated their crimes. The three men who didn’t take part in the sex attack but filmed it were handed prison sentences of two years and three months.

Reports at the time said three of the suspects had met the girl hours earlier while partying in Magaluf. After sexually attacking her, one went out into the hotel corridor to encourage strangers returning from their own night out to have ‘free sex’ with her.

“There, the accused men, during approximately half an hour, aware of the semi-conscious state the young woman was in and at one point seeing she had fallen in a state of unconsciousness, and taking advantage of the closed room she had been taken into, stripped her naked leaving her with only her bra on,” a 14-page indictment laying out the public prosecution case read.

“They then carried out different sexual acts on her, acting by common consent and without her consent.” The indictment further detailed how the woman had been raped, spat on, and “hit and smacked”.

“The accused men, each one with a mobile phone, throughout the actions previously described, recorded several videos focusing on the young woman’s private parts in which they appeared forcing her to to carry out sexual acts,” it added. One of the suspects was accused of filming 14 videos lasting 170 seconds, and another of filming five videos lasting 142 seconds.

Sadly, it’s not an unusual story. The dark underbelly of Magaluf was explored in the 2024 Channel 4 documentary Magaluf Undercover: Predators and Parties. It followed journalists Ellie Flynn and Emily Birtley as they went undercover for three nights, posing as drunk or vulnerable tourists to expose the predatory behaviour on the strip, in clubs, and on the beach.

In one instance, footage saw Ellie pretend to be drunk and slump on a sun lounger before being approached by two men. One asks: “Are you good? Do you want to talk for a little bit?” When she replies, “I’m good”, he continues to bombard her, saying: “You are my last chance, do you want to kiss a little bit?”

Ellie tells him “No”, and secret cameras, hidden around the lounger, show the man walking away. But instead of leaving, he goes to recruit another man. “She’s completely wasted,” he tells him in Spanish, before calling out “Let’s go for it.” A third man then moves in beside Ellie on the sun lounger saying: “If you want, I can keep you company.”

Reflecting on the encounter, Ellie said: “The arrival of the third male ­startled and genuinely scared me. I had seen the first two together, but the sudden appearance of another – and having no idea at the time if they were together – was enough for me to signal security to get me out.

“I leave the beach upset and frightened, feeling like I’ve experienced an orchestrated attempt to target drunk women alone on a night out in Magaluf. Shockingly, this was not an ­isolated incident, but a pattern that emerged across my three nights in the resort town.”

Another young woman, meanwhile, said she ended up alone on the beach after her drink was spiked. “I just started to feel worse and worse. I could barely speak, I could barely walk,” she said.

We spoke to Ellie about the latest arrest of the eight men – and the dangers that women can face abroad. She told the Mirror: “It’s just so horrifying, isn’t it? I guess first impressions are just, I’m so, so sorry for that girl, what she’s been through.

“I think having been on these holidays when I was younger myself – I went to Magaluf when I was younger – and similar places, I think I really understand some of the problematic culture there.

“I think that these holidays, unfortunately, can create a breeding ground for this kind of behaviour, because you have young people who are particularly vulnerable, perhaps away from home for the first time, with their friends, trying to have a good time, drinking, trying to party.

“And unfortunately, there are predatory people there who are looking to take advantage of those vulnerabilities. I think what’s so shocking about this case [is that] it’s not even the first or the only one of these kind of horrific group rapes. It says so much, I think, about this toxic culture that eight people got involved with that.”

Dr Charlotte Proudman, a barrister and academic who specialises in women’s rights, echoes these concerns, and believes the problem has been fuelled by the so-called ‘manosphere’ – an online space that often champions masculinity to the extreme. The online space includes content creators with huge followings, such as HS Tikky Tokky, who promote the ideals of masculinity – and even misogyny – via YouTube videos and podcasts.

“What we are seeing in places like Magaluf is the collision of toxic online misogyny with a holiday culture of excess, where alcohol, group dynamics and anonymity embolden some men to act with shocking entitlement towards women’s bodies,” she tells The Mirror.

“The influence of the ‘manosphere’ has normalised the dehumanisation of women and the idea that sexual aggression is a form of male bonding or status,” Dr Proudman explains. “The fact that some perpetrators even film these attacks is profoundly disturbing; it shows that for some men, sexual violence is not only committed but performed for an audience for entertainment.

“This is not about lowered inhibitions on holiday, it is about a culture that still allows misogyny and sexual violence to be trivialised, excused and, in some cases, celebrated.”

Indeed, an independent survey undertaken as part of the documentary exposed disturbing levels of predatory behaviour and sexual abuse – primarily toward women – on party holidays. The survey, which asked over 500 men and women aged 18 to 35 about their experience on party holidays, revealed:

• Almost of quarter of those surveyed said they’d experienced sexual assault with almost 1 in 10 women reporting experience of a sex act – including rape – without consent
• Nearly 35 percent of women reported unwanted sexual touching whilst on a party holiday
• 1 in 5 of the men surveyed admitting to touching a stranger in an intimate area without their consent
• More than 30 percent of the men surveyed admitted they had kissed someone without their consent during a night out on holiday
• Nearly a quarter of men believed that someone dancing or standing alone indicated they were looking for a sexual partner
• 33 percent of the women reported they had been followed whilst on holiday
• Nearly 40 percent of women surveyed felt that they had been taken advantage of whilst being alone on a party holiday
• More than 1 in 4 of the men believed that someone chatting to them on a night out meant that person wanted to be sexually intimate with them

In an effort to take control back on the streets of Magaluf, the government passed a new law in January 2020 to target “tourism of excesses and for the improvement of quality in tourist zones”.

At the time of the approval of the decree, Balearic tourism minister Iago Negueruela stated that it represented “one more commitment to a sustainable tourism of quality” and that it was part of “the fight against anti-social behaviour caused by excessive consumption of alcohol”.

Key rules include a six-drink limit per day for all-inclusive guests, a ban on shop alcohol sales between 9:30 PM and 8 AM, and prohibitions on pub crawls. There are also fines for being topless and naked in public, and the police presence has increased.

Ellie added that “it’s really hard to imagine and it’s horrifying” that one of the men went into the corridor and offered ‘free sex’ with the teenager, saying: “It’s almost difficult to um comprehend that anybody would respond to that in any way other than calling the police.

“I think it’s really symptomatic of how dangerous these holidays or these kind of environments can be, not just for women but you know mostly for young women.

“What I find the most shocking about it is the fact that they were, it’s such a bleak fact that this group of men who did not know each other, thought that this was something they would get involved in and I think that it shows how pervasive this kind of this culture of abuse of women is because you know in that environment people were willing to get involved in the most horrific crime.

“There’s something about these holidays, I think, where hedonism and abuse, the lines become so blurred and I think that people kind of go in with these attitudes of wanting to have sex, wanting to meet people, and unfortunately what we see in a society where, like, women are systematically abused and often used for kind of male gratification is this blurring of lines between sort of hedonism and trying to have fun and then really really serious abuse.”

When making her own documentary and surveying holidaymakers, Ellie noted, “a huge percentage of the men that we surveyed thought that someone standing near you was an indication that they might be interested in sex”. She added, “it was so shocking and I think there is this assumption that if you are on these holidays, if you’re out with your friends having a good time, having a drink that somehow that that makes you you know constantly available for sex – you know even if you’re unconscious”. Een if someone is “showing no signs at all that is what you want, there are people out there who will take advantage of the fact that you that you were just there”.

She added, “That was what really shocked me about the documentary,” pointing out that some people responded to the documentary in bizarre ways, “there were people who were replying to me on Instagram who were like, ‘Well you know, why would you go somewhere like Magaluf if you weren’t prepared to experience something like that?’ And I think it shows that we have such a long way to go in terms of actually stopping Violence against women and girls.”

Discussing the algorithmic silos that see totally different conversations about gender, sexual violence, and abuse taking place at once, Ellie said: “We’ve never seen a further divide between young men and young women and their views and their experiences.

“And there was a period in time where I think it felt like things were moving in the right direction. You know, we were taking women seriously, and we were listening to their stories and we were, saying all the right things to try and combat violence against women and girls and stop this kind of insidious abuse, but you know at the same time you have the rise of, you know, certain influencers and the manosphere and this kind of narrative that young boys are isolated and don’t know how to treat girls and are scared of kind of making any approaches, and and we have these kind of two conversations happening simultaneously and taking people down in completely different directions and I think that is where things are now particularly concerning.”

She added that “on one side you have young men,” hearing one message and “almost being justified in some cases in the abuse of women and in this mistreatment of women and in degrading women, because there are people, there are high profile figures, who have made them feel like it’s okay to do that.”

Ellie continued, “It’s clear that we need to be having conversations that include both sides of this argument.” She adds, “I have two sons and I don’t want them to grow up feeling like they are inherently bad because they are male, that’s not true, and I think that somewhere along the way that’s a narrative that some young boys have learned to believe, and so things have gone wrong in a sense that things have gone that way, but also ignoring the very real epidemic of violence against women and girls and highlighting those issues isn’t the answer. We should be able to do both at the same time.”

When a freshman is wondering whether to play sports or focus on academics because of the immense time commitment, it’s usually the parents who have to give a nudge toward one or the other. Except this time, the decision was left to 15-year-old Javier Zarate, and he chose to give up club soccer to try for straight A’s last year at Garfield High.

Last spring, Garfield soccer coach Pablo Serrano, knowing he had a highly regarded goalie on his campus, began a lobbying campaign with emails and text messages inviting him to try out for the Bulldogs’ soccer team.

“He told me if I wanted to give it a shot, I could try out,” Zarate said. “They were very welcoming and nice.”

The rest is going to be part of Garfield sports lore, because Zarate saved three penalty kicks when Garfield won the City Section Division II championship game against Canoga Park and delivered more saves last week in helping the Bulldogs beat Bakersfield Taft 1-0 in the Southern California Division V regional final.

Incredibly, Garfield is headed to Sacramento this week to play in the first CIF state soccer championships, against Branford on Saturday at 10 a.m. at Natomas High.

“I’m super pumped up,” Zarate said.

Who knows how many alumni from Garfield are living in Sacramento or nearby, but they have been known to travel around the country to support their Bulldogs, especially if rival Roosevelt is the opponent. Something tells me there’s going to be a caravan from Boyle Heights headed to Sacramento to provide support.

“I know some will make the drive,” Serrano said.

It’s been a strange season in City Section soccer, with six schools removed from the playoffs for using ineligible players, most of whom played for club teams while also playing tor their high school team, in violation of CIF bylaw 600.

Serrano said there’s always a reminder making sure his players know the rule.

“There’s a lot of soccer going on in this community,” he said. “It’s always a challenge because kids play outside with club. It’s something I do from the beginning of tryouts. We talk to the kids that if they play in a club outside of school, they are not allowed to play high school or vice versa. There’s no excuse,”

In the case of the 5-foot-6 Zarate, he didn’t play any soccer last year while focusing on academics and being part of the school’s ROTC program. His weighted grade-point average is at 4.4. He wants to study to become a firefighter.

“My family motivated me to be academically focused and I found a balance to do both,” he said of his return to soccer.

Goalies are usually much taller than Zarate, but he received lots of lessons on how to overcome the size disadvantage.

“I get that a lot that I’m very short for a goalie,” he said. “As a kid I, got training by a good trainer. He told me, ‘You’re pretty short for a goalie. As long as you can master being able to dive and jump high, you should be as good as them.’”

Garfield finished fourth in the Eastern League behind City Section soccer powers South East and Marquez, both of whom were eliminated after making the semifinals because of ineligible players.

Given the opportunity to get hot in the playoffs, the Bulldogs have done just that. Junior Noe Marmolejo has been the leading goal scorer.

The team is scheduled to take a bus to Sacramento on Friday, stay at a hotel Friday night, rise early for its game on Saturday, then immediately return home. Considering how loyal the Boyle Heights community is, look for lots of fans supporting the team in Sacramento and when that bus returns home.

“It’s an honor,” Serrano said of being the first City team to play for a state soccer title.

The deterrence posture against North Korea will not be hindered regardless of a potential shift of military assets owned by the U.S. military stationed in South Korea, a senior official at Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday, amid media reports that the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) has shipped out some of its air defense assets from the Korean Peninsula.

“Given our level of military capability, defense spending, defense industry capacity and the high morale of our troops, there is no problem with deterrence against North Korea regardless of whether some USFK assets are relocated overseas,” the official said.

The official, however, declined to comment on media reports that parts of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system and other air defense units owned by the USFK were moved from South Korea amid a raging war in the Middle East.

“It is not appropriate for our government to comment on military operations between Korea and the U.S.,” the official said.

The official said South Korea and the U.S. have remained in close coordination to maintain a robust combined defense posture.

“Korea and the U.S. will maintain a robust combined defense posture to contribute to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the region,” the official said. “To that end, the two countries will continue close communication and coordination.”

Copyright (c) Yonhap News Agency prohibits its content from being redistributed or reprinted without consent, and forbids the content from being learned and used by artificial intelligence systems.

Video shared online shows the destruction caused to buildings and vehicles in Iran’s capital after a reported strike near Mehrabad international airport.

A judge recently entered an eviction ruling against actor Mickey Rourke who, despite owing nearly $60,000 in unpaid rent at his Beverly Grove home, rejected more than $100,000 raised in a GoFundMe campaign coordinated by his manager to keep him housed.

On Monday, a judge issued a default eviction ruling in favor of Rourke’s landlord, Eric Goldie, for possession of the home and termination of the rental agreement, according to documents in Los Angeles Superior Court. The default ruling means that Rourke failed to take action to defend against the eviction complaint within the time allowed by law.

Rourke, who was a leading man in the 1980s with movies including “Barfly” and “Angel Heart” and was later Oscar-nominated for his role in 2008’s “The Wrestler,” was served a three-day notice to pay rent or vacate the premises on Dec. 18 and failed to comply, according to court documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.

On Dec. 29, his landlord filed the eviction complaint, alleging that Rourke owed him $59,100 in back rent on the $7,000-a-month rental.

In January, Rourke’s management team set up a GoFundMe to help keep the actor in his home, with his representative Kimberly Hines listed as the benefactor. Hines did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

“Mickey Rourke is an icon — but his trajectory, as painful as it is, is also a deeply human one,” read the description for the since-shuttered GoFundMe. “It is the story of someone who gave everything to his work, took real risks, and paid real costs. Fame does not protect against hardship, and talent does not guarantee stability. What remains is a person who deserves dignity, housing, and the chance to regain his footing.”

Fans quickly rallied to support the 73-year-old, with around 2,700 donors raising more than $100,000 within three days.

But Rourke refused to accept the money, denouncing the campaign in a Jan. 5 video posted on his Instagram as “humiliating” and stating he would rather shoot himself (in a rather graphic way) than accept charity.

Rourke said he was in a “really bad situation” after new owners purchased the home he had been renting for years and would not fix anything. “I said I’m not paying rent, because there’s mice, there’s rats, the floor is rotten, one bathtub there is no water,” he said in the video.

The “Iron Man 2” villain said he didn’t know who started the GoFundMe but assured fans he would speak to his lawyer and get to the bottom of it. He repeatedly urged anyone who donated to get their money back.

Hines, his manager of nine years, previously told the Hollywood Reporter that it was not true that he did not know who started the fundraiser, noting that she and her assistant ran the idea past Rourke’s assistant and everyone agreed it would be helpful.

“Nobody’s trying to grift Mickey. I want him working. I don’t want him doing a GoFundMe,” Hines told THR in January. She said she had arranged to move him out of the unit and into an apartment in Koreatown, noting that the Beverly Grove home had severe water damage and black mold.

An attorney for the landlord did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment Tuesday.

Times staff writer Christie D’Zurilla contributed to this report.

HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL, SOFTBALL SCORES
Tuesday’s Results

BASEBALL

CITY SECTION
Birmingham 9, Verdugo Hills 0
Downtown Magnets 10, University Prep Value 9

SOUTHERN SECTION
Agoura 10, Simi Valley 1
Alemany 12, Crespi 3
Alhambra 20, Mark Keppel 1
Alta Loma 6, Walnut 3
Apple Valley 4, Granite Hills 3
Arcadia 9, Muir 0
Ayala 15, South Hills 4
Bolsa Grande 4, Artesia 2
Brentwood 11, Crossroads 4
Buckley 2, de Toledo 1
Buena Park 4, La Palma Kennedy 2
Burbank Burroughs 17, Glendale 1
Calvary Baptist 26, Pomona 1
Carter 8, Colton 2
Cathedral 3, Bosco Tech 1
Chaminade 6, Loyola 2
Chaparral 7, Yorba Linda 5
Chino 4, Ontario 0
CIMSA 15, ACE 6
Claremont 6, Victor Valley 3
Colony 12, Patriot 2
Cornerstone Christian 17, California Lutheran 0
Corona Santiago 8, Bonita 1
Crescenta Valley 13, Hoover 1
Culver City 11, Lawndale 2
Diamond Bar 2, Esperanza 1
Dominguez 10, Lynwood 3
Don Lugo 16, Chaffey 5
Dos Pueblos 14, Buena 3
Downey 5, Ontario Christian 4
Eisenhower 15, Arroyo Valley 5
El Modena 7, Sonora 1
Etiwanda 13, Dana Hills 6
Flintridge Prep 6, Mountain View 1
Fontana 14, Rubidoux 5
Foothill tech 15, Milken 7
Fullerton 5, Costa Mesa 0
Garden Grove 12, Godinez 0
Glenn 11, Saddleback 4
Hawthorne 7, Beverly Hills 5
Heritage Christian 5, Grace 3
Hesperia Christian 10, Loma Linda Academy 4
HMSA 10, Vistamar 0
Huntington Beach 6, Edison 3
Jurupa Hills 7, Bloomington 0
Jurupa Valley 10, San Bernardino 0
Kaiser 5, Rialto 2
Laguna Hills 2, Estancia 1
La Habra 5, Capistrano Vallet 4
La Salle 11, Bishop Amat 1
Leuzinger 16, Inglewood 0
Linfield Christian 5, Redlands East Valley 0
Long Beach Wilson 4, Anaheim Canyon 2
Los Alamitos 2, Fountain Valley 0
Los Altos 22, Downey Calvary Chapel 0
Lucerne Valley 19, Packinghouse Christian 5
Magnolia 7, Rancho Alamitos 2
Maranatha 2, Valencia 2
Mayfair 14, Firebaugh 0
Montebello 2, Schurr 1
Newport Harbor 3, Marina 0
Northview 2, La Quinta 1
Ocean View 5, Katella 3
Orange 7, Placentia Valencia 0
Oxnard Pacifica 3, Oxnard 2
Paramount 4, Norwalk 3
Pasadena 16, Burbank 6
Pasadena Poly 19, Pasadena Marshall 4
Pioneer 9, Santa Ana 8
Rancho Cucamonga 7, Ramona 2
Ridgecrest Burroughs 15, Barstow 0
Rowland 8, Gabrielino 2
Royal 7, North Torrance 5
San Gorgonio 11, Pacific 1
San Jacinto Valley Acacemy 7, Redlands 6
San Juan Hills 10, Northwood 1
San Marcos 10, Rio Mesa 4
San Marino 10, Village Christian 0
Santa Ana Foothill 1, El Dorado 0
Santa Barbara 4, Ventura 0
Santa Margarita 20, Trabuco Hills 3
Santa Monica 18, Compton Centennial 0
Santa Rosa Academy 16, Cathedral City 0
Savanna 17, Big Bear 8
Serrano 11, Silverado 3
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 4, St. Francis 2
South El Monte 4, Edgewood 3
South Pasadena 8, Temple City 3
St. Anthony 3, St, Monica 0
St. Bonaventure 2, Fillmore 0
St. John Bosco 13, Los Osos 1
St. Paul 6, Gardena Serra 3
St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 12, Verbum Dei 2
Sultana 6, Adelanto 3
Summit 6, Grand Terrace 0
Tahquitz 11, West Valley 0
Temecula Prep 11, Anza Hamilton 1
Temescal Canyon 10, San Jacinto 0
United Christian Academy 6, Southlands Christian 1
University Prep 6, Palm Springs 2
Villa Park 5, Garden Grove Pacifica 1
Western Christian 12, Webb 3
Westminster La Quinta 4, Los Amigos 3
West Torrance 13, Rolling Hills Prep 9
Whittier Christian 10, Trinity Classical Academy 0
Windward 4, Viewpoint 3

INTERSECTIONAL
Alliance Ouchi 22, CNDLC 0
Boron 28, Trona 1
Mammoth 10, Lone Pine 6
Monrovia 5, Garfield 0
Palo Verde Valley 5, Needles 0

SOFTBALL

SOUTHERN SECTION
AAE 8, Hesperia 7
Adelanto 9, CIMSA 8
Agoura 5, South Torrance 4
Alemany 6, Village Christian 5
Aliso Niguel 10, Rosary Academy 0
Anaheim 18, Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 8
Anaheim Canyon 7, Yorba Linda 2
Apple Valley 8, Canyon Springs 1
Arcadia 17, Hoover 0
Arlington 6, Citrus Valley 1
Arrowhead Christian 8, Redlands 4
Bonita 13, San Dimas 12
Burbank Burroughs 9, Glendale 1
Cantwell-Sacred Heart 7, Ramona Convent 5
Chaminade 25, Calabasas 0
Chino 3, Ontario 1
Chino Hills 10, Ayala 4
Coachella Valley 13, Yucca Valley 10
Compton Early College 29, Compton 3
Corona del Mar 7, Los Amigos 6
Costa Mesa 24, Downey Calvary Chapel 3
CSDR 13, Desert Mirage 3
Dana Hills 5, Villa Park 3
Del Sol 24, Carpinteria 12
Diamond Ranch 11, Montclair 1
Don Lugo 4, Chaffey 3
Dos Pueblos 10, Buena 0
Downey 3, Paramount 0
Eastside 15, Palmdale 4
Edison 14, Mayfair 4
El Dorado 4, St. Paul 2
El Segundo 10, Mira Costa 3
Elsinore 5, Jurupa Hills 4
Etiwanda 5, California 4
Firebaugh 11, HMSA 0
Flintridge Sacred Heart 10, Mayfield 0
Fontana 24, Rubidoux 2
Glendora 8, La Palma Kennedy 0
Glenn 12, Samueli Academy 11
Grand Terrace 8, Los Osos 1
Granite Hills 19, Arroyo Valley 14
Heritage Christian 22, Rosemead 1
Hesperia Christian 17, Loma Linda Academy 0
Highland 13, Lancaster 3
Indio 8, San Bernardino 0
Jurupa Valley 14, Bloomington 4
Katella 14, Placentia Valencia 2
Knight 26, Littlerock 16
La Habra 13, Gahr 3
Lakewood St. Joseph 15, Bishop Montgomery 0
La Salle 14, St. Anthony 0
Linfield Christian 11, Heritage 5
Long Beach Cabrillo 14, Bolsa Grande 13
Monrovia 26, Blair 5
Moreno Valley 14, San Gorgonio 6
Muir 13, Burbank 4
Newport Harbor 9, Capistrano Valley Christian 6
North Torrance 9, Leuzinger 3
Northview 9, Alta Loma 8
Oak Park 7, Santa Paula 1
Ontario Christian 6, Covina 5
Orcutt Academy 11, Coastal Christian 0
Oxnard 12, Oxnard Pacifica 1
Quartz Hill 19, Antelope Valley 1
Rancho Alamitos 25, Estancia 13
Ridgecrest Burroughs 16, Santa Ana Foothill 4
Rio Hondo Prep 5, Alhambra 2
Rio Mesa 3, San Marcos 2
Riverside North 18, Rialto 1
Riverside Prep 5, Corona Centennial 3
Royal 11, Grace 2
San Juan Hills 10, Irvine 0
Santa Ana Valley 13, Century 0
Sante Fe 5, Whittier 0
Santa Margarita 10, San Clemente 0
Santa Maria 18, Valley Christian Academy 2
Santa Ynez 8, Santa Clarita Christian 5
Saugus 12, Harvard-Westlake 1
Segerstrom 22, Troy 2
Serrano 6, Silverado 5
Simi Valley 13, Santa Monica 1
South Pasadena 4, San Marino 3
St. Bonaventure 15, Foothill Tech 3
St. Monica 10, Bishop Conaty-Loretto 4
St. Pius X-St, Matthias Academy 18, St. Bernard 6
Sunny Hills 20, Fountain Valley 10
Torrance 17, Culver City 0
Trabuco Hills 2, Irvine University 1
Twentynine Palms 12, Desert Hot Springs 2
Valley View 9, Sultana 1
Ventura 18, Faith Baptist 2
Walnut 18, Hacienda Heights Wilson 3
Warren 14, Long Beach Wilson 11
West Torrance 8, Wiseburn-Da Vinci 0
West Valley 14, Bevies Bridge 3

INTERSECTIONAL
Agoura 4, Venice 0
Canyon Country Canyon 13, San Fernando 4
Granada Hills 4, Louisville 0
San Pedro 24, Long Beach Jordan 0
San Pedro 4, Redondo Union 3
Simi Valley 4, Carson 2

Star NBA players like LeBron James take to social media to praise the Miami player’s incredible scoring achievement.

Miami Heat centre Bam Adebayo’s 83-point performance against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday – the second-highest scoring game in NBA history – was a historic statistical line no one saw coming.

The Heat star shot 20-43 from the floor and was 7-22 from beyond the three-point line. Thirty-six of his 83 points came from the free-throw line (36 of 43).

Entering the game, Adebayo was averaging just 18.9 points per night this season, placing him outside the top 40 scorers in the league.

Now, the 28-year-old only trails the legendary Wilt Chamberlain for most points scored in a single NBA game after he passed the late Kobe Bryant’s 81-point masterpiece against the Toronto Raptors, set in 2006.

Post-game, Adebayo spoke of the significance of passing Bryant, who he idolised growing up.

“To be 83 and passing [Bryant], in my mind, it’s like, what would he say to me? Because I’ve always wanted to have a conversation with him,” Adebayo said. “He’ll probably say, ‘Go do it again.’

“Just a surreal moment being in the company with somebody that you idolised growing up.”

Here is some reaction to the Miami big man’s incredible scoring feat from some of the biggest names in the NBA:

“BAM BAM BAM ,” wrote LeBron James, the NBA’s all-time career leading scorer, on X.

“Bro, what?” said Jalen Brunson in disbelief.

Former Miami Heat legend Dwayne Wade wrote: “83 for Cap”

Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant, who was asked about Adebayo’s achievement in a post-match news conference on Tuesday, said:

“I couldn’t believe it when I was hearing about it in real time. He got 30 in the first quarter … Congratulations to Bam. I know how much work he puts in.

“I looked at the statsheet, and it’s pretty crazy, 40 shots, 40 free throws, 20 threes, that takes a lot of stamina man, that takes a lot of energy to not only go out there to put those shots up, but also make them to set the record to surpass Kobe [Bryant] as the second-highest scorer in the history of the game,” Durant added.