Irish Sport for Palestine accuses Israel of engaging ⁠in ‘genocide’ in war on Gaza ahead of UEFA Nations League game.

Leading Irish footballers have joined celebrities in a campaign urging ⁠the Republic of Ireland to boycott a UEFA Nations League match against Israel later this year.

An open letter sent to the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) from campaign group Irish Sport for Palestine accuses Israel of engaging ⁠in “genocide” in the war in Gaza and of breaching UEFA and FIFA statutes by allowing teams to play on occupied Palestinian land.

In November 2025, 93 percent of FAI members voted for its leadership to press UEFA to suspend Israel under those statutes, a mandate campaigners say the Irish governing body should “respect and represent”.

Israel has denied that its forces have ‌committed genocide during the war in Gaza.

The letter, entitled “Stop the Game”, was signed by League of Ireland players, former men’s coach Brian Kerr and twice women’s player of the year Louise Quinn.

Irish rock band Fontaines D C, hip-hop trio Kneecap and singer-songwriter Christy Moore were among the other signatories, along with Oscar-nominated actor Stephen Rea.

Ireland are set to host Israel at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on October 4, while a September 27 fixture designated as an Israeli home ⁠match is expected to be staged at a neutral venue.

The letter includes a statement ⁠from Shamrock Rovers captain and Professional Footballers’ Association of Ireland chair Roberto Lopes.

“We can’t ignore the humanitarian catastrophe in Palestine; the sheer loss of life there has to take precedence over any sporting consideration,” said Dublin-born Lopes, who is set to play at the ⁠World Cup for Cape Verde in June.

“Ireland has an opportunity here to lead and do what others won’t.”

Israel have played in UEFA competitions since the early 1980s after ⁠being excluded from Asian Football Confederation (AFC) competitions in the 1970s when ⁠several countries refused to play against them.

Ireland’s prime minister Micheal Martin said the two matches against Israel should go ahead.

“We have been critics and have opposed very strongly Israeli government policy within Gaza in particular. We condemned the Hamas attack on Israel which was absolutely horrific,” ‌the taoiseach told The Irish Times.

“I think sport is an area that can be challenging when it crosses into the realm of politics.”

In February, FAI Chief Executive David Courell said the national team had no choice but ‌to ‌fulfil its obligations or risk harming the long-term sporting interests of Irish football, including potential disqualification from future competitions.

A poll by the Irish Football Supporters Partnership found 76 percent of respondents opposed the fixture being played.

Alan Partridge actor Steve Coogan is starring in Netflix’s searing new spy drama Legends

Netflix fans want to know more about comedy legend Steve Coogan after his recent turn in the British 90s-set thriller Legends.

Legends only dropped today (May 7) on Netflix, but audiences are already watching the six-part series, based on an incredible true story.

The show follows a group of customs officers, who become agents and adopt ‘legends’ or alter-egos as they go undercover to infiltrate Britain’s most notorious drug gangs as part of Margaret Thatcher’s war on drugs.

Coogan plays Don, the head of a top-secret group, which has been sent out into the field with minimal training and no budget or official recognition for their dangerous but vital work.

Many audience members are keen to know more about Coogan’s life away from the cameras, here’s the lowdown including his famous ex-girlfriends and a “truly terrifying” experience.

Get Netflix free with Sky

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

£5.99

£0

Sky

Get the deal here

Sky is giving away a free Netflix subscription with its new Sky Stream TV bundles, including the £15 Essential TV plan.

This lets members watch live and on-demand TV content without a satellite dish or aerial and includes hit shows like Stranger Things and The Last of Us.

Steve Coogan’s famous ex-girlfriends

The star has dated some very famous faces in the past, most notably Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain’s ex-wife, Courtney Love.

The pair had a fleeting fling with the Hole star – and both parties had some choice words about the romance.

Love described the fling in a 2021 social media post as “one of my life’s great shames” and went on to compare it to her solo musical endeavour America’s Sweetheart: “Like Steve Coogan, or crack, it’s one of my life’s great shames.”

Meanwhile, Coogan told GQ of their brief time together: “Some of it was true, most of it was b******s. To borrow the title of the film [2005’s A Cock and Bull Story], it was 20 per cent cock and 80 per cent bull.”

Along with Love, Coogan was also linked to model and restaurant heiress China Chow between 2008 to 2011, model Elle Basey from 2011 to 2014, and former TV presenter Melanie Sykes between 2018 and 2019.

He is father to Clare Coogan Cole, whom he shares with TV producer Anna Cole.

Coogan is now thought to be dating model and actress Caitlin Walsh since 2021.

Steve Coogan’s real accent

The star grew up in Middleton, Lancashire and studied in Manchester however, he recently admitted how he rarely gets to use his real accent as part of his work until he starred in Legends.

He explained in a recent interview: “I’ve played a lot of different people in my career, and it was quite nice to play someone who is from the North of England, which is where I’m from.

“It’s the first time I’ve been able to do my unfiltered, native accent, and that’s also quite enjoyable.”

Going on to speak about his character Don in Legends, Coogan said: “He’s no-nonsense and plain speaking, and people who meet him for the first time might consider him to be rude, unfiltered and direct.

“But they soon learn that he does care very deeply about the welfare of the people who work for him.

“He’s quite a moral man, despite his bluff, forthright nature, and that’s always an interesting character to play.”

Steve Coogan’s ‘terrifying’ ordeal

Coogan spoke candidly in his 2015 book Easily Distracted as per The Guardian about his former drug use and mental health, saying that he had a “truly terrifying cocaine-induced panic attack” in 1992 while living in Edinburgh.

He went on to describe how he had “been up all night doing drugs” when he started to feel dizzy and he was on the “verge of blacking out”.

A distraught Coogan was taken to hospital by a friend and thought he was going to die.

However, he was reassured by the doctor that it was a panic attack and he would be kept in overnight.

Instead of staying at the hospital, Coogan left and explained: “I was scared of what might be written about me in the papers.”

He continued to have panic attacks which led to depression.

Coogan sought out a therapist, who explained he was having panic attacks and taught him breathing exercises to manage any feelings of “impending catastrophe”.

As his panic attacks lessened, the Philomena star admitted he started doing cocaine again.

He reflected: “I spent tens of thousands of pounds on everyone else’s addiction, but it took me a long time to face up to my own.”

In the 2020 book Don’t Look Back In Anger, which featured interviews from numerous other Britpop era stars, Coogan said: “Some of the live shows I did I was still intoxicated from the night before. I didn’t care. I had a feeling of indestructibility.”

He added: “But the bottom line is the drugs don’t work.”

Although the star has now given up drugs, he still considers himself an addict.

Legends is streaming on Netflix now

The top candidates in California’s wide-open race for governor took the stage Wednesday night in a Los Angeles debate that began politely but quickly devolved into another raucous clash.

Former Biden Cabinet member Xavier Becerra and billionaire Tom Steyer, both Democratic frontrunners, were primary targets of the political attacks — Becerra for his record as U.S. Health and Human Services secretary and Steyer over his past investments, including in private prisons that housed immigrant detainees.

San José Mayor Matt Mahan started off the debate by lashing out at both Republicans and Democrats.

“We do not need the leadership that MAGA candidates on this stage are offering that’s divisive. We don’t need the leadership of a billionaire who’s now against everything he made his money in, or a career politician who has failed again and again to deliver results,” Mahan said, taking shots at conservative commentator Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, Steyer and Becerra, respectively.

Mahan had good reason to go on the attack. The moderate Democrat has struggled to meet early expectations that he would emerge as a top-tier candidate.

The California Democratic Party’s latest poll, released Monday, showed Hilton and Becerra tied at 18%, and Bianco, a Republican, with 14%. Steyer received the backing of 12%, while support for the other top Democrats in the race — former Orange County Rep. Katie Porter, Mahan, former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and state Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond — were in the single digits. Thurmond did not meet the polling threshold to qualify for the televised debates this week.

Sanctuary state policy leads to kerfuffle

In a tense exchange on immigration and the state’s sanctuary laws, Porter said, “We ought to enforce our sanctuary laws everywhere so we don’t have crazy cowboys taking the law into their own hands.”

It was a shot at Bianco, who has criticized the law that blocks local law enforcement from assisting federal immigration agents.

“Tell that to the crazy mother who lost her child,” Bianco said, referring to a case in his county involving a 14-year-old who was hit and killed by a driver who he said had two prior DUI arrests and was in the country illegally.

“Sir, I don’t need any lectures from you about being a mother,” Porter, a single mother of three and the only woman on the debate stage, shot back.

“You might,” Bianco said, prompting a nasty look from Porter and groans and boos from the studio audience.

The one-hour clash followed another Wednesday evening debate, among candidates for Los Angeles mayor, part of a doubleheader hosted and broadcast by NBC4 and Telemundo 52 in Los Angeles. Both took place at the Skirball Cultural Center and were moderated by NBC4 News anchor Colleen Williams, chief political reporter Conan Nolan and Telemundo 52 News anchor Enrique Chiabra.

Republicans and Democrats divided on immigration

Democrats were in lockstep on most issues related to immigration, including opposing Immigration & Customs Enforcement raids and supporting the sanctuary law that prohibits police from coordinating with the federal agency.

Republicans said the controversial state law, which was approved in 2017 during President Trump’s first term, has hurt public safety.

“I have someone in my jail right now … he’s convicted of a felony, but the three prior convictions for DUI, he was released from jail,” Bianco said. “He was deported on two of them, [came] back into the country, and then he killed a 14-year-old boy with another DUI. So we have to wait until somebody dies before we deport criminals who are in our jail.”

Villaraigosa countered that the law allows for violent criminals to be deported and that thousands have been by state and local law enforcement agencies.

Hilton, a British national who became a U.S. citizen in 2021, declared himself “the candidate of the legal immigrant community” and said the governor’s job is to enforce laws, whether they agree with them or not.

All the Democrats said they would restore full Medi-Cal coverage for undocumented immigrants, which has been rolled back due to budget constraints, while Republicans said they would not.

Courting Latino voters

One of the many undercurrents of Wednesday’s debate was the ongoing tussle between Becerra and Villaraigosa. Both have been competing for California’s pivotal Latino vote, and the former Los Angeles mayor’s attacks have become increasingly aggressive as Becerra has ascended in the governor’s race.

At about 40% of the state’s population, Latinos are California’s largest ethnic group but also among the groups least likely to vote, casting just 21% of ballots in the 2022 primary election.

Mindy Romero, director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at USC, said Becerra’s surge in momentum could boost Latino turnout, “but I don’t see any evidence right now that actually tells us that will happen. The thing about primaries, unfortunately, is that turnout is always low. Even in a competitive primary like this.”

On Wednesday, Villaraigosa launched a new digital ad highlighting a former member of the Biden administration questioning Becerra’s record as U.S. Health and Human Services secretary.

He highlighted the issue during Wednesday’s debate after the moderates asked the candidates how they would address homelessness in California.

“Mr. Becerra, are you proud that you pushed out 85,000 migrant children? They were, according to the New York Times, they were maimed, they were exploited,” Villaraigosa said. “Some were even killed. You said those are MAGA talking points, it’s a MAGA hoax. Tell that to the children who died.”

“So I’m not sure what that had to do with homelessness, but cálmate, Antonio, cálmate,” Becerra responded, urging his opponent to “calm down.” He accused Villaraigosa of parroting the unfounded attacks that Trump deployed against former Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.

“We protected kids. We did not let them be abused,” Becerra said. “Stop lying.”

Speaking of homelessness

The Democrats and Republicans on stage were sharply divided on the best way to address California’s ongoing homelessness crisis.

People living on the streets are “pawns in the homeless industrial complex,” Bianco said, adding: “This is not and has never been about homes. This is about drug and alcohol addiction.”

Mahan, Villaraigosa and Becerra touted their records building housing and expanding mental health services, saying those will help reduce homelessness. They, along with Porter, also called for more oversight of state homelessness spending.

Hilton said the issue is one of the state’s biggest failures and blamed the Democrats — the party that has controlled state government for the past 16 years.

“Some of these Democrats are on this stage, they talk as if we’re in some parallel universe where Democrats haven’t been running this state for the last 16 years of one-party rule,” he said.

Democratic shift on nuclear plants, high-speed rail

A series of lightning-round questions highlighted some subtle shifts on traditional Democratic policies as candidates aim to make the state more affordable.

Democrats led the charge to decommission nuclear power plants in California over concerns of potential environmental and health catastrophes, but as the state struggles with energy affordability, all the Democrats (and both Republicans) said they would support further extending operations at the state’s only remaining nuclear plant, Diablo Canyon in San Luis Obispo County.

Most of the Democrats also said they support finishing a high-speed rail line from Bakersfield to Modesto, despite the massive cost overruns and delays, but said the project should be done cheaper and more efficiently. Hilton and Bianco want to scuttle the project.

And all Democrats except Steyer said they would vote against a proposed billionaire tax that will likely be on the November ballot mostly to backfill federal cuts to healthcare coverage. Although most of the Democratic candidates aside from Mahan say they support higher taxes on the wealthy, they have raised issues with the details of the proposal, including the fact that it is a one-time tax.

TWO holiday destinations are losing their Virgin flights until next year.

The major airline has confirmed that flights to both Dubai and Seattle will no longer go ahead this year.

Flights to Dubai are off the cards for most airlines right now, with the Iran war putting the winter sun destination on the no-travel list.

Virgin Atlantic had already suspended flights from London Heathrow to Dubai, but has now confirmed they would not go ahead until winter 2027.

It comes as its London Heathrow flights to Riyadh were cancelled entirely after just a year.

The airline is also suspending flights to Seattle until March 27, 2027.

PLANE TO SEE

Airline boss warns fuel crisis is WORSE than Covid as costs triple in months

FUEL FEAR

All the airlines that have cancelled flights amid jet fuel shortage holiday fears

A Virgin spokesperson said: “Unfortunately, we have taken the difficult decision to temporarily suspend our seasonal service to Dubai for the winter 2026 season, while services to Seattle will also be temporarily suspended for the winter 2026 season only, before resuming in March 2027.

“Customers can continue to travel to Seattle with our partner Delta Air Lines who will offer daily services from London Heathrow.”

“We’d like to apologise to any affected customers and will be contacting them with their options which include rebooking or a refund.”

The airline is instead adding more flights to two of its destination in Africa.

From October 25, there will be 11 weekly flights to Cape Town, as well as 10 a week to Johannesburg.

They added: “The updated flight schedule enhances convenience for travellers, with earlier morning arrivals into South Africa allowing passengers to maximise their time on the ground, and later evening departures offering a more seamless overnight journey to London.”

The Southern Section will hold its four track and field prelims on Saturday at four high schools, but lots of focus will take place at the Division 3 meet at Yorba Linda.

Servite, with its outstanding sprinters, and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, with sprinters, hurdlers and shotputters, will be trying to qualify their best athletes in preparation to battle it out at the Southern Section championships on May 16 at Moorpark High.

“We’re trying to qualify but also build upon all our races,” Servite coach Brandon Thomas said.

Servite looks finally healthy. Robert Gardner, a sprinter who was hurt all season, ran 10.87 seconds last week in the 100 meters in his comeback race. He’ll be one of four Servite athletes trying to qualify in the 100. Another previously injured athlete, Jaelen Hunter, has also returned and will be in the 400.

Notre Dame’s Brayden Borquez recovered from his spill at the Arcadia Invitational to win the 110 hurdles last week at the Mission League finals. JJ Harel, the defending state champion in the high jump, is also gearing up to score points in the long jump and triple jump.

Outside Yorba Linda, opponents of transgender track athlete AB Hernandez competing for Jurupa Valley are planning to hold a news conference to protest her participation.

Other finals will be held at Trabuco Hills (Division 1), Ontario (Division 2) and Carpinteria (Division 4).

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

Iran said on Wednesday that it was reviewing a United States peace proposal that sources said would formally end the war, while leaving unresolved the key US demands that Iran suspend its nuclear programme and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson quoted by Iran’s ISNA news agency said on Wednesday that Tehran would convey its response. US President Donald Trump said he believed Iran wanted an agreement.

“They want to make a deal. We’ve had very good talks over the last 24 hours, and it’s very possible that we’ll make a deal,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday.

A day before, Trump paused “Project Freedom” to reopen the blockaded strait, citing progress in peace talks. The de facto blockade of the waterway threatens to cause a global recession. Iran has been pressing to keep Hormuz under its control, through which a fifth of global oil and gas supply passes.

Here is more about the US proposal to end the war, and how experts think Iran would respond.

What is the latest US proposal to end the Iran war?

US media outlet Axios said the two sides were “getting close” to an agreement on a 14-point document. Under the memorandum, Iran would agree not to develop a nuclear weapon and halt enrichment of uranium for at least 12 years, it said.

The US would lift sanctions and release billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets, and both sides, which have imposed competing blockades in the Strait of Hormuz, would reopen the critical waterway within 30 days of signing.

Iran has been under US sanctions for decades, and the lifting of some sanctions under the 2015 nuclear agreement was reversed after Trump walked out of the landmark deal signed under his predecessor, President Barack Obama. Billions of dollars of Iranian assets remain frozen in foreign banks due to the sanctions.

It is unclear how this memorandum differs from a 14-point plan proposed by Iran last week.

The Reuters news agency reported on Thursday, citing a source briefed on the mediation, that the US negotiations were being led by Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner. If both sides agreed on the preliminary deal, that would start the clock on 30 days of detailed negotiations to reach a full agreement.

The full agreement would end the competing US and Iranian blockades on the strait, lift US sanctions and release frozen Iranian funds. It would also include certain curbs on Iran’s nuclear programme, which was allowed by the United Nations nuclear watchdog.

While the sources said the memorandum would not initially require concessions from either side, they did not mention several key demands Washington has made in the past, which Iran has rejected, such as curbs on Iran’s missile programme and an end to its support for armed proxy groups in the Middle East.

The sources also made no mention of Iran’s existing stockpile of more than 400kg (900lb) of near-weapons-grade uranium.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump’s ally, said on Wednesday the two leaders agreed that all enriched uranium must be removed from Iran to prevent it from developing a nuclear bomb.

The US and Israel bombed Iranian nuclear sites last June during the 12-day war, after which Trump claimed that Tehran’s nuclear programme was obliterated. A significant portion of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile remains buried inside the bombed nuclear sites.

Tehran denies wanting to acquire a nuclear weapon. It insists its programme is for civilian purposes as allowed within its position as a signatory to the non-proliferation treaty.

Could Iran agree to this proposal?

Iran has yet to formally respond to the latest US proposal. However, Iranian leaders have pushed back against it.

Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Rezaee, a spokesperson for the parliament’s powerful foreign policy and national security committee, described the text as “more of an American wish-list than a reality”.

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf appeared to mock reports that the two sides were close, writing on social media in English that “Operation Trust Me Bro failed.”

Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar Atas, reporting from Tehran, said on Thursday that Iran is still reviewing the US proposal, after which a response is expected to be given to the Pakistani mediators later today.

The Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday that it welcomes the news of a potential agreement between Iran and the US, adding that it will not disclose additional information at this stage.

“As mediators, we will not lose the trust of both parties by revealing details,” it said in a statement quoted by Al Jazeera Arabic.

Atas said, “Iranians are saying that, at this stage, they’re not negotiating their nuclear programme; it’s only about ending the war on all fronts.”

He added that Tehran wants direct guarantees from the UN Security Council, a lifting of sanctions and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

“If that is achieved, in a second phase, they’re ready to discuss their nuclear programme.”

Al Jazeera’s Almigdad Alruhaid reported from Tehran on Tuesday that Iran has set “a very firm red line” on the nuclear file. “The nuclear enrichment programme is non-negotiable,” he said.

According to former US Assistant Secretary of State Mark Kimmitt, Trump’s reported demand that Iran halt all uranium enrichment is unrealistic and unlikely to be accepted by Tehran.

“If there is anything the Iranians are going to insist upon in these negotiations, it is their right to enrich uranium to the 3.67 percent level, which is allowed under nuclear non-proliferation treaties,” he told Al Jazeera.

Kimmitt added that even the 2015 nuclear deal permitted Iran to continue enrichment. Iran boosted its enrichment up to 60 percent after Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018, during his first term.

However, Kimmitt postulated that Trump might want Iran’s existing stockpile of enriched uranium outside of Iran. He added that Iran might either agree to move the enriched uranium outside the country or dilute it down to a non-enriched state.

Alruhaid, the Al Jazeera correspondent, however, said Iran is resisting handing over its existing stockpile of enriched uranium.

Iran is believed to have about 440kg (970lb) of uranium enriched to 60 percent. A 90 percent threshold of enriched uranium is needed to produce a nuclear weapon.

Al Jazeera’s Alruhaid said “the sovereignty on the Strait of Hormuz is becoming one of the main issues on the negotiating table.

“We are seeing the Iranians are tightening their control. They are setting new protocol, new mechanism for controlling that strategic chokepoint for each vessel that is to pass through.”

The US allies in the Gulf, who faced the brunt of Iranian retaliatory strikes, have been pushing for the restoration of navigation in the strait without any conditions. Iran carried out attacks on the Gulf nations, mainly targeting US military assets, after the US and Israel launched attacks on it on February 28.

Trump has repeatedly played up the prospect of an agreement that would end the war, so far without success. The two sides remain at odds over a variety of difficult issues, such as Iran’s nuclear ambitions and its control of the Strait of Hormuz.

A Pakistani source and another source briefed on the mediation told Reuters that an agreement was close on a one-page memorandum that would formally end the conflict, the agency reported on Thursday.

This agreement would kick off discussions to unblock shipping through the strait, lift US sanctions on Iran and set curbs on Iran’s nuclear programme, the sources said.

Al Jazeera, however, could not confirm the veracity of the reports.

A passenger from the cruise ship hit with a Hantavirus outbreak has spoken to Al Jazeera from isolation about what took place on board. Three passengers died from respiratory illness on the MV Hondius as it travelled from Argentina to West Africa.

BBC RADIO 2 legend Bob Harris has shared a new health update with fans, after revealing that his cancer has spread. 

The radio star, who previously revealed he was forced to take a break from broadcasting as a result of his health issues, posted a new image of himself with a big grin and a thumbs up. 

Bob, 80, could be seen sitting at home in a gown and appeared in good spirits, while writing to fans: “Hiya Folks! I hope you’re all ok. Sending you all my love.” 

The star, who is resting up at home and out of hospital, was flooded with sweet messages from fans. 

One person wrote: “Sending all the love your way,” while another added: “Fab photo Looking great. Keep up the good work.” 

Bob, 80, was initially diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2007 and managed the disease with treatment before recent setbacks.

‘FRIGHTENING NEWS’

BBC Radio 2’s Bob Harris reveals his cancer has spread in health update

‘ROAD TO RECOVERY’

BBC Radio 2’s Bob Harris taking a break after surviving a heart scare

Last month, he shared how his cancer has spread from his prostate to his upper spine.

Taking to Instagram to update his fans at the time, Bob shared a photo of himself walking with a stick.

“I’m sorry it’s been so long since I last posted but the past few weeks have proved to be an extremely testing time,” he penned in the caption.

Bob went on: “When I posted last time from hospital, we were trying to find the reason for the excruciating pain I was feeling in my back.

“Several scans later, we discovered that my prostate cancer has got into my upper spine…really frightening news.

“So, I immediately began a course of radiotherapy – two weeks in hospital in total – to bring things back under control. Thankfully I’m back at home now, on the pathway to recovery and feeling stronger every day.”

He added: “I have started a programme of rehab and today I got out into this glorious weather for the first time with my son @expiredfilmclub who took the photograph.

“Just want to send so much love to Zoe and to everyone who have been in touch.

“See you soon folks! xxx.”

Bob previously suffered a heart scare that forced him off the air in 2019. 

He suffered a tear to his aorta which he described as “extremely serious” at the time.

Bob has hosted The Country Show on BBC Radio 2 for a number of years and famously hosted BBC Two music show, The Old Grey Whistle Test, in the 1970s.

WHEN Brits choose to have a staycation, most will head down to Cornwall or Devon for their beautiful beaches, but there’s a ‘secret’ isle that has just as much to offer – or possibly more.

The Isle of Wight is the largest island off the south coast of England and Darragh Gray has holidayed there almost 100 times – speaking to Sun Travel, he reveals his favourite beaches and where you can find the UK’s only blue sparkling wine.

Follow The Sun’s award-winning travel team on Instagram and Tiktok for top holiday tips and inspiration @thesuntravel.

Originally from Northern Ireland, Darragh’s family made the journey to the island every summer during the school holidays from when he was three-years-old.

Darragh explained: “I’ve been going as long as I can remember, every summer as a child we’d drive to Hampshire and take a ferry over.

“As a kid it always felt magical, like going to a secret island – and I fell in love with the landscape, the coastline and if anything, it’s only deepened as I’ve gotten older.”

GO ALL IN

Turkey has crazy cheap all-inclusive holidays this summer – 7 nights from £329pp

GO GREEK

Five cheapest Greek hols islands as country lets Brits SKIP huge EU airport queues

When the school holidays ended, Darragh continues to visit and has been to the island almost 100 times – he already has four trips planned for this year.

He added: “Even though it’s a really short ferry journey, it feels like going to a different world. It looks and feels like England, with a hint of the exotic.

“Parts of it almost feel Mediterranean. A lot of people say it’s like stepping back in time and I think there’s a lot in that.

“It’s full of history with its old buildings and villages, but it also has a vintage feel and a slower pace of life – but in saying that, it doesn’t feel stuck in the past.

“There are great restaurants, attractions and lots of lovely places to stay.”

The Isle of Wight is the largest island off the south coast and can be reached in as little as a 22-minute ride on the Wightlink ferry from Hampshire.

It doesn’t take long to explore the Isle of Wight as you can drive from one end to the other in one hour – but Darragh says there are so many places to explore in the middle, and around the coast.

When it comes to beaches, Darragh suggests heading to West Wight, the rural, western coastal region with dramatic cliffs and sandy beaches.

Darragh said: “Compton Bay is a lovely spot that feels remote, and you can go fossil hunting on the beach.

“Freshwater Bay is interesting because on a stormy day it looks wild with huge waves on the edge of the Atlantic – but on a calm summer’s day, you can feel like you’re on a Greek island.”

The Isle of Wight also has busier beaches with shores for building sandcastles and propping up windbreaks for a picnic.

“If you’re looking for a beach with all the fun of the traditional seaside – you can’t beat Sandown. It has miles of sand that run from a pier at one end to the cliffs at the other.

“Another great spot is a beach resort called Ventnor, which has the striking red and gold sand and shingle; that’s a lovely one to visit.”

When it comes to grabbing a bite to eat, there are plenty of pubs on the island – but some of Darragh’s favourites are two you might not naturally stumble upon.

“What I love about the pubs on the island is there’s so many beautiful historic ones and lots with awesome sea views.

“In Shanklin, tucked under the cliffs, is the Fisherman’s Cottage; it’s a lovely pub away from the main beach – sitting on the patio is one of my favourite places to be.

“On the south side of the island, in Ventnor, is the Buddle Inn, which dates back to the 16th century and used to be a spot for smugglers back in its day. It’s lovely to sit by the fire in the winter, or in the garden in the summer.”

When it comes to food, the Isle of Wight makes a lot of its own produce from tasty tomatoes to fresh seafood, and uniquely, blue wine.

“There’s one commercial vineyard on the island called Adgestone, and what you can buy from there is sparkling wine: white, red, and blue.

“I once took the wine to a barbecue and everyone was fascinated by it.

“The colour blue comes from the skin of the grapes, and I don’t know how they do it – but it’s an incredible turquoise-blue colour – it’s very tasty.”

Of course a trip to the Isle of Wight wouldn’t be complete without at least one chippy tea.

Darragh told us: “There are two I really like, the Happy Haddock in Shanklin, and Stotesburys in Newport – both are great value for money.

“For ice cream, there’s a fantastic Victorian ice cream parlour in Ventnor called Crave – they make a whole range of ice cream on site every day.

“There’s also a family business called Minghella, which has been going for years, and they make delicious ice cream. Their ginger ice cream is incredible.”

Places to stay on the island range from boutique hotels to Airbnbs, but another option is its holiday parks.

There are around 20 holiday parks on the island, some small, and others like Parkdean and Away Resorts, which offer affordable stays – Darragh has even booked week-long off-peak stays from £41.

And if you’re thinking about booking your own trip over to the isle and are wondering which season is best, Darragh has some advice.

“I go at all times of the year, and I love to see the island during different seasons.

During the winter, not everything is open, and it can be a bit more of a challenge getting about, especially on the buses.

“But it’s so lovely, quiet, and peaceful, and I would say if you have some time off and you’re worrying about if you’ll be bored during the winter, I’d say no – you can also get some great deals on accommodation.

“My favourite time, though, is around now, early spring and early summer. Everything’s green, there are lots of wildflowers, and it doesn’t have the summer holiday traffic.

“September into October is a lovely time to go, you still haven’t gotten into the depths of winter. It’s brilliant all year round.

“Even in peak summer, I’m always amazed, you don’t have to go too far for peace and quiet, there are so many hidden corners on the island to be discovered.”

Democrats have a huge opportunity to make a huge difference. But whether they’ll grab it is a huge question.

In 2020, I wrote that voters were “weary, anxious and looking for salve” after President Trump’s first term. I said then that the experienced, reassuring Joe Biden fit the moment. Now I fear that if Democrats nominate a similar presidential candidate in 2028, one who wins yet doesn’t act with alacrity on democracy preservation and helping Americans live better lives, a fed-up electorate will once again turn them out as ineffectual.

Who can or should lead the party at a time like this?

I’m not alone in hoping for a tough and confrontational 2028 nominee, someone who is aggressive, persistent and, when necessary, as ruthless as the forces on the opposite side. This person also must have the energy to undertake the mammoth task of repairing the institutional wreckage of Trumpism. Which suggests Democrats should be checking out younger nominees.

Fortunately, newer generations of leaders are emerging. Those who “get it,” in my view, include Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut.

Obviously any Democrat will be better than anyone from Trump’s team or orbit, including JD Vance, Donald Trump Jr. or Marco Rubio. The issue facing Democrats is whether moderate or policy wonkish people such as former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear or Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro would be the democracy warriors this moment demands. Repairing a crucial interstate bridge with lightning speed is a great thing and, sometimes, so is outreach to Republicans and Fox News. But would they prioritize thinking big and fighting hard for the fundamental changes we need?

Where would centrist former CIA officer Abigail Spanberger, the new Virginia governor, land on this scale? Even after coming around to supporting new House maps that will net four seats for her party? Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, who began his podcast by inviting MAGA guests, championed a referendum on five new Democratic seats in his state and led his party to a redistricting triumph. Where would he land? Would he prioritize outreach to Republicans or the battle to assure a “no kings” future for America? The need for structural changes in our outdated institutions is glaringly obvious. Who will run to repair this country? Who can be trusted to follow through? Because the solutions are out there, staring us in the face:

Checks on presidential pardon power. A larger, term-limited Supreme Court bound to an enforceable ethics code. A national law requiring independent redistricting commissions or, better yet, multi-member districts with proportional representation. A voting rights law that sets minimum standards for mail voting, early voting and voter IDs. Anti-corruption laws that prevent profiteering by presidents and their allies. Explicit limits on presidential construction and alterations to federal properties. A stronger “impoundment” act with sharp teeth to make sure future presidents spend taxpayer money constitutionally, as Congress intends, instead of any way they want. D.C. and Puerto Rico statehood to start rebalancing a Congress and electoral college that have shortchanged urban America since the late 19th century.

It’s a long list, and there’s no guarantee that today’s Supreme Court would allow any of it. But realizing some of these goals will take decades; we can’t be discouraged by temporary impediments such as the current lineup of justices. The work on all of it should start ASAP — next year in the next Congress if Democrats are running one or both chambers. And at some point, we’ll have a different high court.

I can already hear the protests: What about affordability? That’s the best part: Trump has done so many things to make life more expensive that simply reversing them would have immediate impact. Stop the Iran war; reopen the Strait of Hormuz; aim to restore the Obama-era agreement that kept Iran’s nuclear ambitions in check; end the Trump tariffs; stop shrinking labor forces in agriculture, healthcare, construction and other industries by ending detentions and deportations of noncriminals; reverse last year’s tax breaks for elites and restore the money for Medicaid and health insurance premium subsidies; and kill off the Versailles-level Trump ballroom that he now wants to fund with taxpayer dollars (initially $400 million, now $1 billion).

Then Democrats could revisit some of their own affordability priorities, including the expanded child tax credit that significantly reduced child poverty, new ways to put housing within reach of more people and national paid family leave. They could also crack down on military spending that is pointless in the modern era and refocus on cheap and effective equipment such as drones like Ukraine is using to strike inside Russia.

As it happens, a stark indicator of the political tides came as I was writing this. Maine Gov. Janet Mills suddenly dropped out of the Democratic Senate primary race against Graham Platner. It was a lightning bolt, given her establishment support after being recruited by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. But in a way it was inevitable.

Mills is 78. If she had gone on to win the primary and defeat GOP Sen. Susan Collins, she would have been sworn in at age 79. Platner is 41, an oyster farmer and military veteran with a compelling, relatable persona. Though he has a controversial past, Mills’ negative ads did nothing to dent his appeal. Polls showed him winning the primary vote against Mills, sometimes by 2 to 1, and with a consistent general-election edge against Collins as well.

Platner told Jon Stewart last week that the party leadership establishment had largely ignored him. His message to them? “You should be curious, because I’m polling 40 points ahead.” By the next morning, Mills was out, and the establishment — Schumer and New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, chair of the Senate campaign committee — said they’d work with Platner to flip the seat.

The midterm races are sending Democrats clues. They should take them seriously.

Jill Lawrence is a journalist and the author of “The Art of the Political Deal: How Congress Beat the Odds and Broke Through Gridlock.” Bluesky: @jilldlawrence

IF you’re having a night out at Wetherspoons, you can expect to drop around £25 for a bottle of wine.

But skip the bottle next time and you could fly somewhere to a beautiful beach instead – sometimes with some cash to spare.

Of course, a bottle is always cheaper at a supermarket, but sometimes you just want to have a night out with your mates.

But there are lots of flights from the UK this month that are under £25 – so we’ve found 10 of the best which have a beautiful beach as well.

Faro

The Portuguese town is used as a gateway to the Algarve but it has its own amazing beaches too. Try Isla Deserta, home to just one restaurant but beautiful stretches of sand.

EasyJet has flights there for £19.99 when flying from London Southend or London Luton.

GROUNDED

Ryanair threatens to scrap all flights at another popular European airport

PLANE EXPLAIN

Jet2, Ryanair, easyJet, TUI, BA and Virgin – UK airlines on the fuel crisis

Biarritz

On the French basque coast is Biarritz, known for being both a surfing capital and a seaside resort once loved by royals – and nicknamed Paris-on-Sea.

Fly with Ryanair from Edinburgh for £19.99.

Santander

The northern part of Spain shouldn’t be overlooked, not least for its amazing ‘pitxos’ snacks – grab a bunch with some cheap wine to the
El Sardinero beaches for a relaxing afternoon.

Flights are £14.99 this month with Ryanair, and you can fly from both Birmingham and Manchester for the bargain fare.

Alghero

Did you know Italy has its own ‘Little Barcelona? Sardinia’s Alghero is just as beautiful especially with its white sand beaches.

Ryanair flights are £15.99 when flying from London Stansted.

Dubrovnik

The Croatian city of Dubrovnik has more to it than it’s Game of Thrones popularity, in the form of Banje Beach right by the Old Town.

Ryanair flights from London Stansted are £16.99.

Madeira

The Portuguese island of Madeira has some of Europes most beautiful mountains to hike, with some fantastic beaches underneath.

£16.99 flights with Ryanair take off from Manchester this month.

Fuerteventura

When it comes to Spanish islands, Fuerteventura is often overlooked in favour of its neighbours Lanzarote and Gran Canaria.

But fly there with easyJet for £19.99 from Birmingham and make the most of Sotavento Beach.

Beziers

In the south of France, Beziers has four nearby beaches to choose from – Portirangues Plage, Serignan Plage, Valras Plage and Vias Plage.

Flights from London Luton to Béziers Cap d’Agde with Ryanair start from £21.99.

Barcelona

Spain‘s second city is know for its beautiful beach, and now is a great time to go following the latest competition of the Sagrada Familia.

Fly with Ryanair from Edinburgh for 14.99. Or fly with Wizz Air from Luton for around £20.

Newquay

Don’t fancy leaving the UK? Newquay is often compared to the Med and if you don’t fancy getting the train, Ryanair has £14.99 flights from London Stansted.

Several Disneyland Paris visitors have gone online this week to share photos of the ‘eyesore’ white construction board that’s been put in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle while refurbishment work happens

The iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle is one of the main attractions at Disneyland Paris, with many visitors excited to get their first glimpse of it when they go there. However, many have been left “gutted” as the main bridge and central archway entrance are currently closed for a major refurbishment scheduled to last until late September 2026.

Several Disneyland Paris visitors took to Facebook groups this week to share photos of the ‘eyesore’ white board that was put in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle. They said they were left ‘devastated’ that this would be their family’s first experience at Disney and that it would now be ‘ruined’.

One person shares a wrote on Wednesday (May 6): “Not being funny but they could have at least got a feature wall maybe to represent the bridge. This is not a little refurbishment, Disney planned this and definitely have the money to make it more attractive whilst the park is still open to visitors paying a lot of money.”

Another agreed: “I’d be so devastated if this was my first and only time being able to go to Disney. Everyone wants pics in front of the castle. It’s a lot of money to be paying and for many a once in a lifetime holiday and yes while you’re not paying just to get a photo at the castle that is a big part of the experience for many.

“Gutted we can’t get our annual photo in front of it this year but lucky enough to have gotten three photos in front of it so far.”

A third chimed in: “Actually gutted. We’ve booked for June. Why is this being done in the summer months when logically it will be busier period. Surely it makes more sense to do in the winter.”

Despite the complaints, many Disney fans argued you could still get nice pictures of the castle behind the boards.

One person wrote: “We got a picture this morning behind the boards, and a nice empty bridge too.”

While another added: “You can still get lovely pictures, if not better from the side.”

Another person also showed people what the castle looked like at night during the fireworks. They wrote: “We have just got back from being in the reserved viewing area for the fireworks this evening. I know a lot of people wanted to see what the view is like.

“To be honest we didn’t even look at the boards. They’ve moved the area backwards so you’re looking up and none of the projection is limited. Honestly we still had the best time.”

It seems Disney could have listened to the complaints, as an online post from today (May 7) shows the white board decorated to blend in with the castle. However, some people are doubting if it’s real until more posts emerge.

The post was captioned: “They have officially decorated the white wall, and it definitely looks prettier.”

One person replied: “Is this real? If so it looks a million times better and has made me feel so much happier about our trip in a couple of weeks. I know everyone is going on about photos but I don’t care about getting the perfect shot-it’s about the impact for my two girls walking up to the castle for the first time in their lives and getting that first impression and ‘wow’ factor.”

Another asked: “Is this real or AI?”

Disneyland Paris has been contacted for comment.

Ticket buyer: Alec Mackie of Los Angeles

Events: Men’s baseball gold medal finals, women’s basketball gold medal finals, men’s soccer gold medal finals, swimming preliminary and tennis quarter final mixed doubles

Thoughts: ”My uncle made a spreadsheet. The tickets are for me, my uncle, friends and I’m hoping to take my nephew as well. I was 10 years old at the 1984 Olympics and got to go to gymnastics, swimming and closing ceremonies, and my nephew will be 10 in 2028. I know L.A. is going to have an amazing Olympics, we are Los Angeles! Ten million creative, beautiful people, always dreaming and we know how to wow people. I can’t wait and hopefully traffic is smooth, a glamorous sequel to ’84.”

May 7 (UPI) — As Washington and Hanoi enter a dense stretch of trade diplomacy, the coming weeks will test whether one of the Indo-Pacific’s most pragmatic economic partnerships can sustain its momentum or become entangled in the very frictions it has worked to avoid.

A series of meetings — including Section 301 hearings on industrial capacity from Tuesday to Friday this week, forced labor discussions April 28 to May 1 and bilateral consultations next Monday and Tuesday, arrives at a pivotal juncture.

They will help determine whether the United States and Vietnam can preserve a trade relationship that has become central to supply chain resilience, U.S. business interests and Vietnam’s continued economic ascent.

At its core, the U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is grounded not in diplomacy alone, but also in economic logic.

Partnership built on complementarity

Over the past decade, Vietnam has emerged as one of the fastest-growing U.S. trading partners, driven by a convergence of structural interests. As American firms diversify production beyond China, Vietnam has become a preferred destination, offering cost competitiveness, political stability and deepening integration into global value chains.

U.S. data show Vietnam ran a $123.5 billion trade surplus with the United States last year — the fourth-largest imbalance after China, the European Union and Mexico. It is a figure that has drawn increasing scrutiny in Washington even as it reflects the depth of bilateral trade integration.

From electronics to apparel and consumer goods, Vietnam-based production is often embedded within supply chains designed and financed by U.S. and allied firms. American companies benefit from lower production costs and diversified risk, while Vietnamese exports sustain growth and employment at home.

Disrupting this ecosystem through blunt trade measures risks undermining the very businesses Washington seeks to protect.

Hanoi has consistently signaled a willingness to engage. It has approached trade tensions not with confrontation, but with negotiation — a posture that stands in contrast to more adversarial economic relationships. The upcoming consultations should reinforce that cooperative trajectory, not derail it.

Rethinking “overcapacity”

The debate over “overcapacity” has become a central issue in U.S. trade discussions, with concerns that the term is being applied broadly across different economic models.

In Vietnam’s case, officials and industry observers note that production growth is largely driven by market-based investment and global supply chain shifts rather than state-directed industrial surpluses.

“Vietnam’s overcapacity is much different from China’s,” said Murray Hiebert, head of research for Bower Group Asia. “China’s factories are producing huge surpluses that it dumps onto the world’s markets below market prices. Instead, Vietnam relies on foreign investment companies to produce for export.”

He noted that Vietnam’s export engine is overwhelmingly foreign-driven, with multinational firms, particularly from the United States and South Korea, accounting for roughly 80% of outbound shipments, while domestic producers contribute only about one-fifth.

“Vietnam’s economy is largely a manufacturing platform for foreign companies,” Hiebert said. “U.S. policymakers need to understand Vietnam did not create overcapacity by subsidizing manufacturing, but by courting foreign investors who used Vietnam as a low-cost base to serve global markets.”

Vietnam’s manufacturing expansion has been shaped by global supply chain realignment, accelerated by U.S.-China trade tensions and pandemic-era disruptions, rather than by state-led efforts to flood international markets. Many of the factories operating in Vietnam were relocated or expanded by multinational firms seeking to maintain access to U.S. consumers.

To conflate this model with subsidy-driven overproduction risks misdiagnosing the issue and penalizing a partner that has facilitated, rather than distorted, market outcomes.

Labor reforms and supply chain progress

Concerns over labor practices and supply chain integrity remain part of the policy conversation, particularly in the context of ongoing forced labor discussions. But these concerns should be weighed against Vietnam’s steady, if incremental, progress.

In recent years, Hanoi has undertaken significant labor reforms aligned with the International Labor Organization, including updates to its labor code, expanded worker representation rights and enhanced compliance mechanisms.

Vietnam has also prioritized traceability and transparency across key export sectors. From fisheries to manufacturing, authorities have invested in monitoring systems, strengthened inspections and improved regulatory oversight — steps aimed at meeting the expectations of international partners and markets.

This is an evolving process, not a completed one. But the trajectory is clear: Vietnam is moving toward higher standards, not retreating from them.

The case for market economy recognition

Another unresolved issue, Vietnam’s designation as a non-market economy under U.S. trade law, has become increasingly difficult to justify.

Vietnam operates within the framework of the World Trade Organization and has been recognized as a market economy by more than 70 countries. Its private sector has expanded rapidly, its regulatory environment continues to evolve and its integration into global markets is deepening.

Maintaining Vietnam’s current non-market economy designation under U.S. trade law has raised concerns among policymakers and business groups, who say it could affect the application of trade remedies and investor confidence. The issue comes as Washington seeks to expand economic partnerships across the Indo-Pacific.

Avoiding unintended consequences

Intellectual property has emerged as a new point of tension in U.S.-Vietnam trade relations. Ambassador Jamieson Greer, the U.S. trade representative, has designated Vietnam as a “Priority Foreign Country” — its most serious classification — in its latest intellectual property rights report, opening the door to a potential Section 301 investigation within 30 days.

The designation, the first of its kind in more than a decade, reflects ongoing U.S. concerns over Vietnam’s intellectual property protections and could affect the trajectory of current trade negotiations.

Sweeping trade measures designed to address structural concerns could disrupt supply chains, raise costs for American businesses and consumers, and weaken a partnership that has delivered measurable benefits. In an already fragile global economy, such outcomes would be counterproductive.

Vietnam’s own incentives align with stability. Its growth depends on open markets, foreign investment and compliance with international standards. That alignment should be viewed as a strategic asset.

Washington should avoid applying a China-centric lens to Vietnam’s trade profile, said Dan Harris, a partner at the law firm Harris Sliwoski. Treating Vietnam as an “overcapacity” case without clear evidence risks penalizing U.S. firms that relocated production there in line with Washington’s own push to reduce reliance on China and strengthen supply chain resilience.

“We will end up punishing the companies that did what we asked,” Harris warned.

He added that the broader strategic context matters: Vietnam’s long history of conflict and mistrust with China sets it apart from Beijing, even as it emerges as an increasingly important U.S. partner in the Indo-Pacific.

But the implications of Washington’s trade posture toward Hanoi extend far beyond economics. Vietnam’s export-driven growth, fueled primarily by multinational investment rather than state subsidies, has quietly elevated the country into a strategic linchpin in the Indo-Pacific.

A stable and prosperous Vietnam not only supports supply chain diversification, but also reinforces the rules-based order in the South China Sea.

Economic resilience in Vietnam is not peripheral to U.S. strategy. It is foundational to maintaining balance in contested Indo-Pacific waters. Trade policy cannot be divorced from strategic reality: A weakened Vietnamese economy would do more than disrupt production flows. It could undercut one of the region’s most important counterweights to China’s expanding maritime presence.

Balancing trade and security alignments

Rising risks of policy missteps could carry strategic costs. Analysts warn that overly punitive U.S. trade measures, particularly those misreading Vietnam’s market-driven model, may push Hanoi toward alternative economic alignments, reshaping regional supply chains and weakening U.S. influence in an increasingly competitive Indo-Pacific.

U.S. policymakers are weighing more targeted, cooperative measures in managing trade concerns with Vietnam, including a bilateral supply chain monitoring mechanism, expanded data-sharing on industrial capacity and the potential creation of a standing U.S.-Vietnam trade and standards working group.

The approach aims to address regulatory and transparency issues while maintaining stability in the broader economic partnership.

The challenge for Washington is alignment – translating economic logic into strategic necessity. That means recognizing Vietnam not as a trade problem to be managed, but rather as a partner whose economic trajectory is increasingly central to the region’s stability and security.

Beyond trade flows and investment figures, the U.S.-Vietnam economic relationship carries broader strategic significance. It reinforces a rules-based framework in the Indo-Pacific and supports cooperation across sectors ranging from technology to maritime security.

Any escalation in trade tensions between the United States and Vietnam could disrupt commercial ties and place broader strategic cooperation at risk, as both sides seek to sustain recent gains in economic and security engagement.

James Borton is a non-resident senior fellow at Johns Hopkins SAIS Foreign Policy Institute and the author of Harvesting the Waves: How Blue Parks Shape Policy, Politics, and Peacebuilding in the South China Sea. Borton is the editor-in-chief of the South China Sea NewsWire. The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

Spain international Dani ⁠Carvajal injured his right foot during a training session for Real Madrid last week.

Spain manager ‌Luis de la Fuente says ⁠Dani ⁠Carvajal could still make his World Cup squad but the right back must prove his ⁠fitness and form after suffering a foot injury in training ⁠with his club Real Madrid last week.

“Carvajal is a very important figure in our dressing room,” de la Fuente said on Wednesday.

“I actually spoke with him yesterday, so I’m aware ‌of what’s going on. He doesn’t have a specific injury, nothing serious, but he needs time to get back to his usual level.

“We’ll see in the remaining matches whether he truly gets the opportunity and delivers the performances.”

De ⁠la Fuente added that Carvajal, ⁠who made just one appearance for Spain in 2025, would understand if he is left out of the squad for the ⁠World Cup, which is being held in the United States, Canada ⁠and Mexico from June 11 to ⁠July 19.

He joins a list of players who have sustained injuries in the weeks before the World Cup with Spanish teammate Lamine Yamal among them.

Carvajal, 34, is approaching the final weeks of his contract with Real and has struggled for game time this season ‌amid competition from Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Spain begin their World Cup campaign against Cape Verde on June 15 ‌and ‌also face Saudi Arabia and Uruguay in Group H.

Worst Ex Ever season two has already soared into Netflix’s top 10 most-watched list.

Worst Ex Ever has returned to Netflix after a two-year hiatus to tell more horrifying relationship stories.

The series is back with a new four-part season delving into survivors’ true accounts of “romance gone wrong”.

Despite just being released on Wednesday, May 6, the true crime docu-series has already catapulted into Netflix’s top 10, landing the number two most-watched spot.

Episode two, Primetime Predator, revolves around someone 90 Day Fiance fans may recognise as Geoffrey Paschel starred in the fourth season of the TLC reality show.

Viewers may remember that during the show, he was discovered to have had prior drug-related convictions and to have faced allegations of domestic abuse from his ex-wives.

While he was in a relationship with Varya Malina during filming, TLC eventually banned him from appearing in the show’s reunion special.

Worst Ex Ever season two recalls events prior to him appearing on 90 Day Fiance when he met Tennessee teacher Kristen Wilson on a dating app in 2017.

She went on to find out that he had a criminal record and allegedly, a violent past with several of his exes.

In June 2019, just months before he was to start filming 90 Day Fiance, Paschel attacked Wilson and was later convicted.

According to the Knox County District Attorney’s office, he “grabbed the victim by the neck and slammed her head against the wall several times”.

Cosmopolitan reported that he also took Wilson’s phone so she wouldn’t be able to call for help.

Where is Geoffrey Paschel now?

Geoffrey Paschel is currently serving an 18-year prison sentence without the possibility of parole.

A jury found him guilty of aggravated kidnapping, domestic assault and interference with emergency calls following a two-day trial in October 2021.

The judge cited him as a “multiple offender” and is now incarcerated at a state prison in Tennessee.

Two years ago, Paschel tried to appeal his conviction but this was rejected at the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals.

While Paschel is behind bars, his 90 Day Fiance co-star Varya Malina has continued to stay by his side and shared updates regarding his imprisonment.

She last posted in September 2025 on Instagram a few pictures of the pair hiking together, along with the caption: “Happy birthday. Even though we can’t celebrate together today, my heart is with you every moment.”

Worst Ex Ever is available to watch on Netflix.

WASHINGTON — When the U.S. Supreme Court sharply curtailed a key provision of the Voting Rights Act last week, Democrats in Washington had a message: The rules of redistricting have changed, and California — the nation’s biggest blue bastion — may have a further role to play.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said Democrats should “play by the same set of rules” as Republicans. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) vowed to fight in “the Deep South and all over the country.” And Rep. Terri Sewell, an Alabama Democrat, was blunt: “I’ll take 52 seats from California, I sure would. And 17 seats from Illinois.”

The calls for action came as Republican governors in Louisiana, Alabama, Mississipppi and Tennessee called special legislative sessions to redraw congressional maps ahead of this year’s midterm elections. Florida has also approved new maps that could give the GOP four more seats in the House, and President Trump urged other Republican states to follow suit.

The Republican response has intensified the pressure on Democrats to act, including those in California — where the ruling could upend not just congressional maps, but also legislative and local races.

“We can’t allow this national gerrymandering effort of Republicans to go unanswered,” said Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Long Beach). “If Republicans go for it, I think we have to leave all options on the table.”

For now, California’s response is far from settled.

Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Los Angeles) cautioned against “accelerating a race to the bottom.”

(J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press)

The chair of the California Democratic Party said there are no current plans to redraw maps — just months after voters approved a constitutional amendment authorizing a mid-decade redistricting backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The Democratic consultant who drew the state’s current congressional district boundaries says an all-blue map, while possible to create, would probably hurt Democrats more than help them in the long run. And some of the state’s congressional Democrats are worried the impulse to match Republican partisan efforts would be bad for the American electorate.

“Rather than accelerating a race to the bottom, the next step is to dial it down because you can reach a point of no return,” said Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Los Angeles), one of the state’s most prominent Black lawmakers. “And that’s where we’re headed.”

What California decides — and when — will matter at the national level. With 52 congressional seats, no state has more to offer Democrats in a redistricting war. But experts, lawmakers and party officials say the path forward is more complicated than the calls from Washington suggest.

California could see 48 blue seats, out of 52

That’s in part because California already acted. In 2025, voters approved Proposition 50, which drew new congressional district lines designed to favor Democrats for the 2026, 2028 and 2030 elections. The new maps, which could yield as many as 48 Democratic seats out of 52, are already in effect, and voters have begun receiving their mail-in ballots.

Going farther is not currently on the table — at least not yet.

“We have yet to fully win the seats in the map that was drawn in 2025. It seems a step too far to say we’re going to go back to the drawing board and redraw the map,” said Rusty Hicks, the chair of the California Democratic Party.

Hicks said it doesn’t mean the issue could not become part of a future discussion, but he said Democrats in other states should not look past what California has already done.

“We’re trying to pick up 48 of them. How much more do you want us to pick up? You want us to make it 52 blue? Well, you all should get into the fight,” Hicks said. “You all should pick up some seats. Let’s all do this together, because California cannot do it alone, it will take the rest of the country.”

Others are not convinced the most aggressive option makes the strategic sense in California.

Paul Mitchell, the Democratic redistricting consultant who drew California’s Proposition 50 congressional maps, said the push for a 52-0 delegation reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of how a partisan map would perform in the state over time.

“A 52-to-zero map would have the potential of backfiring,” Mitchell said. “In 2026, we could pick up 52 seats. But then in 2028 or 2030 — a bad year for Democrats, let’s say — Democrats lose 11 of those seats. You’ve drawn these districts so demonically to a Democratic advantage in a good year that in a bad Democratic year, they don’t have the ability to withstand the challenge.”

Ruling could jeopardize state’s voting rights law

The political debate over congressional maps has so far dominated the conversation in Washington. But legal scholars and redistricting experts say the ruling could also have consequences in California’s city hall, school board and county supervisor races.

The justices’ ruling, decided by the court’s conservative majority, says states cannot consider race to create majority-minority electoral districts while allowing them take partisan interests into account.

“A purely partisan map is actually more defensible now than one drawn with racial considerations,” said Rick Hasen, an election law professor at UCLA. “It turns the world on its head.”

The ruling now puts at risk any district drawn at any level of government that relied on the Voting Rights Act to justify its boundaries, Hasen said.

And in California, that uncertainty extends to districts drawn under the state Voting Rights Act, which extends protections for minority voters beyond the federal law, he said. The state law was not directly at issue in the Supreme Court ruling, but Hasen argues the court’s reasoning could provide new legal grounds to challenge the state law as potentially unconstitutional.

Cities including Santa Monica and Palmdale have faced lawsuits alleging their at-large City Council elections diluted the Latino vote. Palmdale settled its case and agreed to switch to district-based elections; Santa Monica’s case is ongoing. Hasen argued that the cities, as well as other bodies, such as school boards, could now return to court to challenge whether district maps drawn as a result of the California Voting Rights Act are unconstitutional.

“That has not been tested yet,” he said, but he fears the same arguments made to challenge the federal Voting Rights Act could be made against the state law.

At the state level, Republican strategist Matt Rexroad sees the ruling affecting the California Legislature as well. He argues the boundaries drawn for the state Assembly and Senate districts are racial gerrymanders.

“Those legislative lines, I would argue, are unconstitutional,” Rexroad said. “And those lines are probably going to change by 2028.”

But Rexroad’s biggest concern goes beyond any single set of maps: It is the future of California’s independent redistricting commission, the nonpartisan body he has spent years defending.

A threat to independent redistricting

Rexroad sees a scenario in which the national political environment gives California Democrats little incentive to return the map-making power to the commission. If Republican states continue to aggressively redraw maps, Democrats will have another justification to keep power in the Legislature’s hands, the same argument made to pass Proposition 50, he said.

“I don’t think the California redistricting commission has ever been in greater jeopardy than it is right now,” he said.

J. Morgan Kousser, a historian who has testified as an expert witness in voting rights cases for 47 years, said California’s commitment to the commission may depend on how aggressive Republican states act in redistricting.

“If we go back to an all-white South in Congress, California may not go back to a fairness standard,” Kousser said. “It may not disarm. It may rearm.”

Mitchell, the redistricting consultant, said that he hopes California and other states choose the path of disarmament and that there is a national push for independent commissions in every state.

“This isn’t good for anybody,” he said. “This was all basically a nerd war over lines that didn’t actually improve any districts anywhere.”

A travel content creator has shared a simple two-second trick to help keep your belongings safe

A globetrotter has left social media users amazed after revealing her “genius” tip to help keep her possessions safe. In a viral TikTok post, @Charlottenorth demonstrated a two-second trick for fashioning a “makeshift lock” for your handbag.

The “smart” concept impressed viewers, with some branding it “the best hack.” The method is “so simple”, as you’ll only need one item to try it. As seen in the viral clip, Charlotte recommended using a claw clip to “lock” bags. Commenters also suggested using carabiners for the same effect.

In her post, Charlotte wrote: “How to lock your bag when travelling – I might just be dumb but I figured this out halfway through my trip and it felt revolutionary.” She then demonstrated the method, which saw her feed a hair clip through the zip and then clip it to her bag’s strap to create a “makeshift lock.”

Viewers loved the idea, with the footage gaining over 100k likes. One impressed viewer said: “I love this omg how smart!!” A second posted: “So simple yet genius!” Another fan of the idea wrote: “That’s so smart omg!! Thanks for sharing!”

A fourth commenter echoed: “This is so smart!!” Charlotte replied: “Honestly felt so much better walking round crowded areas like this!!!”

Sharing a similar idea, someone else said: “I’ve been doing this with a carabiner and it’s perfect when I travel!!” A different reply read: “Been doing this for a year and it’s the best hack!!” Another social media user shared: “I always do this! Looks cute and my stuff is safe.”

Keen to try the idea, a fan said: “Ohhhhhh! I think I’ll do this for my upcoming Italy trip this summer!” Yet another fan wrote: “Ohhh, I might do this for our summer euro trip.”

Issuing advice on pickpocketing, the Metropolitan Police’s website states: “Remember, having a zipped bag doesn’t mean you’re totally safe. Thieves have been known to walk behind victims while slowly unzipping bags. Yes, they can be that bold. So, never underestimate a pickpocket.”

The webpage also includes dos and don’ts to help keep your belongings safe. The tips include carrying bags in front of you or diagonally across your chest and concealing your wallet in a buttoned or zipped pocket.

When travelling, the advice is to separate your wallet and phone and keep the contact numbers of family in case your phone is stolen. The guidance recommends opting for a purse that’s difficult to open.

People are also advised not to leave bags hanging on the back of a chair, attached to a pushchair, or out of sight on the floor when they visit cafes and restaurants. Pickpockets can target people in these areas.

ONE of England’s largest aquaparks has reopened, but its glamping overnight stays now come with a twist.

Camping enthusiasts can now enjoy an overnight stay in a converted helicopter, as well as tonnes of new activities.

North Yorkshire Water Park has undergone a massive makeover, and it is a hit with thrillseekers.

Based in Wykeham, near Scarborough, the park showed off its fresh new look back in March, welcoming visitors throughout the Easter holidays.

Now, families can get stuck in to the great outdoors, with archery, axe throwing, outdoor laser tag, climbing and a 250-metre zip line all on offer.

For a mental retreat, visitors can also tackle an array of brain teasers in its escape and puzzle rooms.

SHORE THING

Underrated UK seaside town to get first direct trains to London under plans

SPLASH OUT

UK lido that’s ‘like being on holiday’ with pool and slides reopens this month

This revamp also marked the grand reopening of the upgraded Wipeout Aqua Park in April.

One of the largest aqua courses in England, this course has brand new inflatables, slides, swings and extra challenging obstacles.

This joins the current Warrior Aqua Park and toddler-oriented Splash Kingdom, with the Warrior and Wipeout parks combining for an extra long course in the summer months.

A more peaceful retreat can also be enjoyed with kayaking, wakeboarding, paddleboarding and pedalos on offer.

Most excitingly, for those wishing to book an overnight stay after a long day of the great outdoors, there are new glamping experiences available.

In addition to the existing accommodation, adventurers can also stay in two helicopter glamping pods.

Originally built for RAF Search and Rescue, the Sea King helicopter glamping experience offers guests the chance to sleep in a converted aircraft.

Both helicopters are fitted out for the whole family, with double beds and bunk beds inside both.

Guests will also have access to the cockpit area, which has been transformed into a dining area, equipped with a microwave, toaster, kettle and fridge.

The winch operator’s sliding door also works, leading onto a gravel landing pad with a picnic bench.

Prices to stay start from £130 per night to experience this one-in-a-lifetime stay.

Wednesday’s Results

CITY SECTION

QUARTERFINALS

OPEN DIVISION

#1 Granada Hills d. #8 Carson, 23-25, 25-16, 23-25, 25-19, 15-10

#4 Venice d. #5 LA Marshall, 25-23, 21-25, 25-23, 25-19

#3 Chatsworth d. #6 Wilmington Banning, 25-15, 25-20, 26-24

#2 Palisades d. #7 Eagle Rock, 25-16, 25-13, 25-20

SOUTHERN SECTION

QUARTERFINALS

DIVISION 3

Palos Verdes d. Valencia, 26-24, 25-18, 26-24

St. John Bosco at Eastvale Roosevelt, Thursday

Santa Ana Foothill d. Servite, 3-1

Windward d. Crescenta Valley, 25-18, 28-26, 23-25, 25-21

DIVISION 4

Village Christian d. Chino Hills, 3-0

Royal d. Temple City, 3-1

Sunny Hills d. Northwood, 25-22, 25-22, 19-25, 25-16

Crossroads d. San Marino, 25-16, 27-29, 25-21, 25-22

DIVISION 5

El Dorado d. Dos Pueblos, 3-0

Bishop Diego d. Brea Olinda, 23-25, 22-25, 25-18, 25-19, 15-10

Bellflower d. Flintridge Prep, 25-21, 26-24, 25-17

Western Christian d. St. Anthony, 22-25, 25-11, 25-18, 20-25, 15-8

DIVISION 6

Temecula Valley d. Beverly Hills, 3-1

Culver City d. Firebaugh, 3-1

Garden Grove d. Capistrano Valley Christian, 3-1

Pasadena Poly d. Santa Ana Calvary Chapel, 3-2

DIVISION 7

Rialto d. La Sierra Academy, 3-2

Foothill Tech d. Cerritos Valley Christian, 3-2

Oakwood d. Knight, 3-2

Tustin d. Indio, 3-2

DIVISION 8

Temescal Canyon d. Santa Rosa Academy, 25-16, 25-19, 25-23

CAMS d. Eastside, 3-0

West Valley d. Burbank Providence, 3-2

Palmdale Aerospace d. Glendale Adventist, 25-23, 27-25, 25-19

DIVISION 9

Tarbut V’Torah d. Webb, 3-1

Le Lycée d. YULA, 25-22, 14-25, 21-25, 25-20,

Vasquez d. Cantwell-Sacred Heart, 3-1

Avalon at Downey Calvary Chapel, Thursday

THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE

CITY SECTION

QUARTERFINALS

(Matches at 7 p.m. unless noted)

DIVISION I

#9 East Valley at #1 Taft

#5 VAAS at #4 North Hollywood

#6 Vaughn at #3 Cleveland

#7 Larchmont Charter at #2 Sylmar

DIVISION II

#8 Huntington Park at #1 LA Hamilton

#5 Bernstein at #4 Marquez

#6 Narbonne at #3 Diego Rivera

#7 Panorama at #2 LA University

SECOND ROUND

(Matches at 4 p.m. unless noted)

DIVISION III

#17 San Fernando at #1 New West Charter, 3 p.m.

#9 Central City Value at #8 Foshay

#12 Northridge Academy at #5 University Prep Value

#13 Birmingham at #4 Sun Valley Magnet

#14 Fairfax at #3 South East

#11 Monroe at #6 Reseda

#10 Animo Bunche at #7 Lincoln

#18 Granada Hills Kennedy at #2 Legacy

DIVISION IV

#17 Canoga Park at #1 Hollywood

#9 LACES at #8 Annenberg

#12 Mendez at #5 Animo South LA

#20 Chavez at #4 Math & Science College

#19 West Adams at #3 Manual Arts

#11 Animo Robinson at #6 King/Drew

#10 Arleta at #7 Maywood CES

#18 Community Charter at #2 RFK Community

DIVISION V

#17 Garfield at #1 WISH Academy

#9 Alliance Levine at #8 Locke

#21 LAAE at #5 Fulton

#13 Rancho Dominguez vs. #4 Animo Watts at LA Adventist, 5:30 p.m.

#14 Franklin at #3 Jefferson

#11 Stern at #6 Gardena

#10 Animo De La Hoya at #7 Horace Mann UCLA Community

#15 Sotomayor at #2 Bert Corona

Note: Quarterfinals Divisions III-V May 11; Semifinals Open Division-Division I May 12; Semifinals Divisions II-V May 13; Finals All Divisions May 15-16.

Castle’s 21 points and Wembanyama’s 19 helped Spurs crush T’wolves 133-95 as Knicks take 2-0 lead over 76ers.

Victor Wembanyama scored 19 points and grabbed 15 rebounds as ‌hosts San Antonio Spurs dominated the final three quarters on the way to a 133-95 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, levelling the teams’ Western ⁠Conference semifinal series at one win apiece.

San Antonio swamped the sixth-seeded Timberwolves in the ⁠second quarter, turning a seven-point lead after the opening period into a 24-point advantage at halftime on Wednesday.

The Spurs expanded the margin to 98-63 after three periods as Julian Champagnie poured in all 12 of his points on the night via four 3-pointers in the frame.

From there, San Antonio ⁠cruised to the finish, building their lead to as many as 47 points.

Stephon Castle’s 21 points led the Spurs, with De’Aaron Fox scoring 16, Harrison Barnes tallying 12, Dylan Harper adding 11, Devin Vassell hitting for 10 points and Keldon Johnson pulling down 10 rebounds. Wembanyama canned two 3-pointers but is just 2 of 15 from behind the arc for the series.

Second-seeded San Antonio have not lost back-to-back contests since January 11 at Minnesota and January 13 at Oklahoma City, a stretch of 49 games.

Wembanyama said of the difference between Game 1 to Game 2, “We had intensity early ‌on. Crashing the offensive boards early, fighting for the ball and passing to the open man.

“Of course, we’re gonna keep doubling up on what worked and the few things that didn’t. We’re gonna erase them. [Minnesota] is an experienced team – we know they’re going to respond. … I love how everyone had everybody’s back. It looked like a system that worked.”

Game 3 of the best-of-seven series is scheduled for Friday in Minneapolis.

Knicks take 2-0 lead over 76ers

Meanwhile, Jalen Brunson scored eight of his 26 points in ‌the fourth quarter for the New York Knicks, who took control of their Eastern Conference semifinal by ⁠stopping the Philadelphia 76ers down ⁠the stretch to earn a 108-102 win in Game 2.

The Knicks lead the best-of-seven set series 2-0. Game 3 is scheduled for Friday night in Philadelphia.

“Being down 2-0 after coming back to win in the ⁠first round, I think it’s more of a challenge,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse said. “It was 1-1 after two games [against the Boston Celtics in the first round], right? So it’s 2-0. Puts a lot on this next game for sure, but that’s OK.”

Karl-Anthony Towns ⁠produced 20 points and 10 rebounds despite playing just 27 minutes due to foul trouble for the Knicks, who ended the game on a 12-3 run to close out a contest that included 14 ties and 25 lead changes.

OG Anunoby, who exited the game with 2:31 left after hobbling off with a right leg injury, had 24 points while Mikal Bridges added 18 points as New York ‌won its fifth straight game overall. The Knicks’ average victory margin in the previous four games was 33.8 points.

“He looked like he was hopping,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said of Anunoby. “I have not talked to medical yet.”

Tyrese Maxey scored 26 points for the 76ers, who managed just 12 points on 4-of-19 shooting in the fourth quarter. Philadelphia took its final lead at 99-96 on Kelly Oubre Jr’s 3-pointer with 6:52 left, after which the Sixers hit 1 of 10 from the field with two turnovers.

“At the end of the day, it came down ⁠to who was going to get more stops in that fourth quarter,” Brown said. “To hold a ⁠team like that to 12 points – and they missed some shots, we know that – to have them only score 12 points in that fourth quarter, it’s huge.”

Oubre and Paul George each finished with 19 points. VJ Edgecombe had 17 points.

The 76ers Joel Embiid missed the game due to ankle and hip injuries.

Philadelphia host Game 3 and 4 on Saturday and Sunday.

Maryam watched her goats starve and her crops fail. She buried two of her children before she finally gave up hope and sought help from international aid agencies in southern Somalia.

She left her village with her remaining six children, making the long journey along the Jubba River to one of a clutch of makeshift settlements on the outskirts of Kismayo, the capital of Somalia’s Jubbaland state.

Three consecutive seasons of failed rains have doubled Somalia’s malnutrition rate. Maryam, 46, is among more than 300,000 Somalis forced to leave their homes since January alone.

Several international organisations have stopped operations in the Kismayo camp for internally displaced people (IDPs), largely due to aid cuts ordered by United States President Donald Trump last year.

“We are hungry. We need care and help,” said Maryam.

Haunted by the memory of her dead children’s swollen bellies, she says she will not return to her village, which is under the control of the al-Qaeda-linked armed group al-Shabab. Fighters there have started seizing the limited food supplies available.

But the camp is hardly better. In March alone, five children died of malnutrition, its manager says.

Since the early 1990s, Somalia has endured near-constant civil war, armed rebellions, floods and droughts. The war-torn country ranks among the world’s most vulnerable to climate change, which scientists say is leading to more frequent and more intense episodes of extreme weather such as droughts and floods.

Africa, which contributes the least to global warming, bears the brunt.

The recent cuts in foreign aid have not helped. They have had “a huge impact on our work”, said Mohamud Mohamed Hassan, Somalia director for NGO Save the Children.

More than 200 health centres and 400 schools have closed since last year.

Farmers, whose herds and crops have been decimated, describe one of the worst droughts ever recorded in a country where a third of the population already lacked regular meals. Even if the forthcoming rainy season is normal, it will take months for affected populations to recover.

“We cannot afford to actually address all the needs of these people,” said Ali Adan Ali, a Jubbaland official managing the displaced.

At a mobile health clinic supported by Save the Children, the only one still operating for multiple camps in the area around Kismayo, a woman named Khadija tried to feed a high-calorie solution to her severely malnourished one-year-old daughter.

She came to the camp after last year’s drought killed her livestock, but here also “we have nothing to eat”, the 45-year-old said.

A hospital in Kismayo is the only facility in the region capable of treating the most severe cases of malnutrition. But it is turning patients away due to a lack of space and staff.

Every bed is occupied by starving babies, some on ventilators with intravenous drips in their fragile arms. Cases have tripled since last year, and things are only getting worse.

The US-Israel war on Iran has increased fuel prices, affecting food and water supplies.

Those in the camp seek work in construction or cleaning jobs in Kismayo or sell firewood, but the options are limited.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has had to steadily reduce its Somalia programme from $2.6bn in 2023 to $852m this year, especially since Washington slashed its donations. So far, only 13 percent of this year’s target has been raised.

“It’s a toxic cocktail of factors … Things are really, really desperate,” Tom Fletcher, head of OCHA, told the AFP news agency in an interview last week.

“Often we’re having to choose which lives to save and which lives not to save.”