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The United States army announced last month that it would raise the maximum age at which Americans can enlist from 35 to 42 years to expand its pool of eligible candidates amid recruiting challenges in recent years.

An updated version of US Army Regulation 601–210, dated March 20, outlined the changes, including the elimination of rules requiring anyone with a single conviction for marijuana possession or drug paraphernalia to obtain a waiver to enlist.

Government data shows that while the US army has met its recruitment goals over the last two years, it fell short in 2022 and 2023 and has consistently failed to meet targets for the Army Reserve, shortcomings that analysts have attributed to several possible factors.

The new age limit was announced during the US-Israel war on Iran, towards which young people have expressed widespread opposition.

Here’s what you need to know about the changes.

When does the regulation go into effect?

The updated version of Army Regulation 601–210 officially takes effect on Monday, April 20.

What has the military said about the changes?

The US army announced updated enlistment regulations on March 20, with the changes scheduled to take effect one month later on April 20 and applying to the Regular Army, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard.

The maximum enlistment age is raised from 35 to 42, and previous restrictions requiring anyone with a single conviction for possession of marijuana or drug paraphernalia to obtain a waiver to enlist are done away with.

Do these changes apply to the whole US military?

The changes announced in March are specific to the US army.

The military news outlet Stars and Stripes reported that those changes bring the army into greater alignment with the maximum enlistment age of other branches of the military, such as the Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, and Space Force, which accept enlistees in their early 40s.

The maximum enlistment age for the US Marines is 28.

What factors explain the change?

While the US army did not comment on the reasons for the increase, data from the US Army Recruiting Command show that the army has struggled with recruitment challenges.

While the army met 100 percent of its recruitment goals in 2025 and 2024, it missed its target by about 23 percent in 2023 and 25 percent in 2022.

That data also shows that the army has fallen short of recruitment targets for the Army Reserve for the last six years in a row.

The average age of army recruits has risen in recent years to 22.7, up from 21.7 in the 2000s and 21.1 in the 2010s, according to the military news outlet Army Times, citing data from a US army spokesperson.

The US Army Recruiting Command has attributed such challenges to issues such as changes in the labour market, limited awareness about military service, and a lack of qualified young people due to issues such as obesity, drug use, and mental health issues.

A 2018 poll listed concerns over possible injury and death, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), separation from family and friends, and other career interests as top reasons offered by young people for not joining the military.

Does the change have to do with the war in Iran?

Analysts have been discussing the possibility of raising the enlistment age for years as a means of addressing recruiting challenges, with a 2023 research report from the RAND Corporation, a US think tank, calling “older youth” a “crucial, largely untapped, yet high-quality pool of potential recruits”.

While the military has not suggested that the change is linked to the US-Israel war on Iran, where US President Donald Trump has previously said he could deploy ground troops, some social media users were quick to note the timing of the announcement.

Some in the online community joked that older supporters of the war would now be available to enlist.

“They raised the enlistment age to 42,” one X user said in response to a video of the conservative commentator Ben Shapiro praising Trump’s decision to attack Iran. “Why are you still here?”

Surveys have found that younger people are more likely to oppose the US war on Iran than those aged 65 and up, and polls in recent years have found that young people are more generally sceptical of US intervention abroad than older generations.

A 2024 Pew Research Center poll found that people between the ages of 18 and 29 were the only age bracket in the US who viewed the military more negatively than positively, with 53 percent saying the military had a negative effect versus 43 percent who said it had a positive effect.

How many people are currently in the US military?

According to the Pew Research Center, the US military has about 1.32 million active members. The US army accounts for the largest share, with nearly 450,000, while the US Navy is second with more than 334,000.

The Air Force has more than 317,000, the Marines more than 168,000, the Coast Guard nearly 42,000, and the Space Force nearly 9,700.

Data from the US Army Recruiting Command shows that about 80 percent of recruits in the Regular Army were men in 2025.

Black and Latino recruits also make up a larger share of army recruits than their percentage of the population, each making up about 27 percent of recruits while comprising 14 percent and 20 percent of the general population, according to data from the 2024 census.

White people made up about 40 percent of US army recruits, while about 57 percent of the general population.

Professional pickpocket Lee Thompson left Amanda Holden open-mouthed when he admitted his real age on stage

A skilled pickpocket who appeared on Britain’s Got Talent tonight (April 18) left the judging panel gobsmacked within moments of stepping onto the stage.

Lee Thompson, from Birmingham, delivered a slick routine in which he repeatedly lifted Ant and Dec’s phones, glasses and room keys without them having the faintest idea.

He was also shown secretly planting wristwatches in the bags and pockets of audience members after posing as a security guard in a pre-recorded segment — and even managed to pull one over on the judging panel backstage, Simon Cowell included.

Yet it wasn’t his nimble fingers that first left the panel speechless — it was his age. Within moments of stepping out on stage, he had Amanda Holden in particular utterly open-mouthed.

“You look very dapper,” Amanda began as the performer first walked out. He swiftly fired back: “Oh! Do I look my age?”, reports Wales Online.

“I don’t know, how old are you babes?” the judge quipped, prompting Lee to reveal: “I’m touching 60.”

The admission left Amanda visibly stunned as she shot back with a “You’re not! Are you?” in sheer disbelief. Simon, clearly equally impressed, then weighed in with: “You look good.”

Following that exchange, he went on to wow the entire panel with his act, earning himself the title of the “modern-day Artful Dodger” from Amanda.

Remarkably, Lee was actually employed as a Pickpocket Consultant on Guy Ritchie’s Young Sherlock series on Prime Video, which follows a young Sherlock Holmes as he finds himself trying his hand at pickpocketing after being inspired by the story of Oliver Twist.

Viewers at home were equally taken with the performer, with one writing: “This is genuinely amazing. Even if he might be incriminating himself.” A second enthused: “That was clever, funny and amazing….good job.”

While Lee breezed through to the next round with four yes votes from the judging panel, some viewers questioned why he wasn’t awarded the prized Golden Buzzer, which grants an act a direct pass through to the live final.

Fans were outraged this evening after KSI awarded his Golden Buzzer to a contentious act. Comedy performer Mr Cherry, 44, kicked off his routine by opening a jar of pickles before subsequently uncorking wine bottles with his buttocks.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, I don’t know about you but that was the greatest thing I have ever seen,” KSI declared, as disgruntled viewers swiftly branded his choice the “worst Golden Buzzer” act ever put through on the programme.

Britain’s Got Talent airs Saturday nights from 7pm on ITV1 and ITVX. All episodes can be streamed on ITVX after broadcast.

Exploring the area west of Santander feels like being in a time machine. Within a half-hour drive of the Cantabrian capital on Spain’s green northern coast, you can stumble upon prehistoric cave art, a perfectly preserved medieval town and a laid-back beach resort.

When I began my weekend trip, it was raining, so my journey started in the Upper Paleolithic period, at the Cave of Altamira, a Unesco world heritage site, staring up at some of the oldest art on Earth. Well, almost. The original cave was largely closed to the public decades ago to protect the fragile paintings, so we were inside the Neocueva, a painstakingly reconstructed replica built beside it that costs just €3 to enter.

Above me, bison and deer charged across the undulating rock ceiling, their bodies rendered in rich ochres and charcoals. The prehistoric artists who painted them – hunter-gatherers who lived here 13,000 to 36,000 years ago – used the natural bumps and hollows of the cave to give the animals a three-dimensional presence.

Altamira is often called the Sistine Chapel of prehistoric art, and standing beneath those larger-than-expected painted animals, it’s easy to see why. Knowing the paintings were replicas did little to blunt their impact.

The cave, whose main entrance was sealed around 13,000 years ago by rockfall, was discovered in 1868 by a local hunter and brought to wider attention by amateur archaeologist Marcelino Sanz de Sautuola. When, in 1880, Sautuola first presented the paintings to the scientific community, many experts dismissed them as fakes, unable to believe that prehistoric people were capable of such sophisticated artistry.

Walking through the museum, it’s striking how little humanity has changed. From handprints pressed against cave walls to the selfies visitors take beside them today, the impulse is the same – to leave a trace.

Time was slipping away and my travel companions – my husband and our infant son – were beginning to lose patience with my archaeological enthusiasm. Hungry and still slightly awestruck, we drove a few minutes down the road to Santillana del Mar, the small medieval town that serves as Altamira’s gateway.

After a quick lunch, we found ourselves in the middle ages. Santillana del Mar feels as though it’s come straight from the pages of a fairytale or, for the less imaginative among us, Game of Thrones. Nobles’ houses, monastery buildings and towers line winding cobbled streets. At this point, the rain turned out to be something of a gift, emptying the streets of tourists.

Santillana traces its origins back to the ninth century, when monks carrying the relics of Saint Juliana settled here and built a small hermitage. Around it grew a monastery, then homes, farms and workshops, forming a settlement that gradually evolved into Santillana. During the middle ages, the town flourished as part of the Astur-Leonese kingdom and became an important stop for pilgrims travelling along the Camino de Santiago.

The flow of travellers brought trade and wealth, hence the grand stone houses and palaces. In 1209, King Alfonso VIII granted the town a charter, the height of its medieval prosperity.

The town sits close to the start of the Camino Lebaniego, a less well-known pilgrimage route that winds inland to the monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana in the Picos de Europa mountains. Cantabria is the only region in the world crossed by two Christian pilgrimage routes recognised as Unesco world heritage sites.

For a town deeply tied to Christian pilgrimage, it is perhaps unexpected that Santillana is also linked to existential philosophy. In 1935, Jean-Paul Sartre visited the town with Simone de Beauvoir. A few years later, Santillana appeared in Nausea, Sartre’s first novel, as the narrator points to a photograph and describes it as “the prettiest town in Spain” during a conversation about the nature of adventure.

“Getting on the wrong train. Stopping in an unknown city. Losing your briefcase, being arrested by mistake, spending the night in prison,” says the Self-Taught Man. “Monsieur, I believed the word adventure could be defined: an event out of the ordinary without being necessarily extraordinary.”

By that definition, my own adventure was well under way.

Travelling through medieval streets with an infant is not for the faint of heart. Umbrella in one hand and baby carrier in the other, we trudged through the rain and our son fell asleep – ruining his nap schedule and our chance of an afternoon rest.

Still, Santillana has a way of softening such moments. We ducked into the Casa Quevedo bakery, where the same family has served fresh milk and cakes since the 1950s. Inside the medieval building, a glass of milk felt like the perfect antidote to grey skies and parental exhaustion.

From Santillana, it’s a 10-minute drive to the seaside town of Suances, our final stop – and another lurch of the time machine. Driving past the main part of town and towards the more touristy area of the coast, apartment blocks and seaside hotels appeared in pastel shades. We checked into Costa Esmeralda Suites, a five-star hotel offering generous off-season discounts. On the outside, it resembles a traditional mansion. Inside, however, the design feels like a time capsule of turn-of-the-millennium luxury: red carpets, a Ferrari-theme and enormous whirlpools.

Just a short walk away lies Playa de la Concha, where Atlantic waves roll towards wide sandy dunes. The rain finally eased as we arrived.

Near the port, restaurants and cafes buzzed with activity. “Other surf towns in the area are dead in winter,” one resident, Inma, told me in the Marcelo Gourmet bar and restaurant. “But Suances is always full of life.”

Out of summer, wetsuited surfers paddle out into the surf, sometimes with views of the snow-capped Picos de Europa mountains behind them. And the food alone is reason enough to visit. At Bonito Verde, we ordered a plate of rabas (fried calamari, a local speciality), so fresh and crisp they disappeared almost instantly, along with delicious squid-ink croquetas. Curiosity also led us to Suka, an unassuming restaurant rumoured to serve some of the best sushi in Cantabria. It was another win.

For breakfast, locals pointed us to Castillo de Los Locos, which houses a restaurant perched dramatically above the cliffs of Playa de Los Locos, and where the food is good and the views are incredible.

The last morning, I woke early and slipped out of the hotel room, leaving my sleeping family behind. Sunlight had finally broken through the clouds. I walked along the thin peninsula that juts out between Playa de Los Locos and La Concha, listening to birdsong and watching waves crash against the cliffs. It’s only a short walk beyond the Castillo de Los Locos, but it felt far from civilisation.

Standing there, breathing the salt air and feeling the sun, I relaxed.

After singing the praises of Santillana, Sartre’s Nausea protagonist reflects that adventure isn’t something we can experience while it’s happening. Instead, he says, adventures are made after the fact, by looking back and turning experiences into stories. “But you have to choose,” he continues. “Live or tell.”

It’s been eight years since The xx performed together as a band, but it sure didn’t feel like it when the U.K. trio took the Main stage on Friday.

For one, the members haven’t exactly disappeared. Producer/drummer Jamie xx is a festival mainstay and one of the most sophisticated, exultant DJ’s working. Romy Madley Croft became a sapphic-nightlife sovereign in 2023 with the clubby “Mid Air,” after Sim’s own minimalist, horror-streaked “Hideous Bastard.”

The band’s songs are among the most timeless of their generation of indie rock. Forward-thinking enough to reinvent the guitar-bass-drums palette for the EDM boom; yet stark and lovelorn enough to pass for Motown in another era.

Yet their return was among the most buzzed-about sets of the festival this year, a credit to how well their catalog has stood up on the merits. At their debut, they almost singlehandedly inaugurated a shift towards hyper-intimate headphone pop – it’s hard to imagine Billie Eilish sounding quite the same without them.

Yet on Friday, they bolstered that purity with the confidence, swagger and precision of the veteran rock act they’ve become.

Dressed in their typical all-black palette, their faces carrying a little more gravity and composure with age, the set slipped between the ships-in-the-night duets of “Shelter” and “VCR” to the after-hours whomp of Romy’s “Enjoy Your Life.” “On Hold” best married the band’s two worlds, sample-soaked yet rock driven; “Angels” remained a peerless devotional ballad.

There was a sweet irony watching them close the set with “Intro,” a modest instrumental jam from their debut that has, through well-paying commercial placements, become their calling card to mainstream pop. It still rips. They even wrapped it up with into a noise-staggered breakdown that felt like actual stadium rock. Leave it to these three to drift into the murk of a warehouse club for a near decade, and come back bigger rock stars and more powerful a band than ever.

Davey Lopes, the no-nonsense, base-swiping second baseman on a historic Dodgers infield that played together for a record 8½ seasons, died Wednesday at age 80, the Dodgers announced.

The first 10 years of Lopes’ 16-year major league career were spent with the Dodgers, and he returned to the organization in 2011 to serve as first-base coach for five years. Lopes was a four-time All-Star who won two stolen base titles, one Gold Glove and helped the Dodgers to four World Series, including the championship in 1981.

Taken in the second round of a 1968 Dodgers draft haul considered the most talented in baseball history, the 5-foot-9, 170-pound Lopes rose from a rough-and-tumble Rhode Island upbringing to become the team’s everyday second baseman and leadoff batter by 1973.

Lopes played outfield in the minor leagues but became part of a bold move by Dodgers manager Walter Alston before the 1973 season: Lopes would move to second base, Bill Russell from center field to shortstop and Steve Garvey from third to first base. Ron Cey would be installed at third. The Dodgers moved longtime coach and scout Monty Basgall — known as an exceptional infield instructor — from the front office to the field to help the players adjust to their new roles.

The quartet took the infield together for the first time in the second game of a doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds in a sold-out Dodger Stadium on June 23, 1973. They stuck together through their 1981 World Series championship season, after which Lopes was traded to the Oakland Athletics for Lance Hudson, a utility player who never reached the major leagues.

Lopes continued to play well, not retiring until 1987 at age 42. He stole 557 bases and was successful in 83% of his attempts, one of the best rates in major league history. He also displayed power for a leadoff batter, hitting 155 home runs, including a career high of 28 for the Dodgers in 1979.

Although Lopes’ lifetime batting average was .263, he had an excellent eye, walking nearly as many times as he struck out and logging an excellent .349 on-base percentage. He scored 1,023 runs in 1,812 career games.

As games progressed, Lopes typically batted after the pitcher, who was at the bottom of the order. He became adept at stalling tactics that gave pitchers ample rest if they’d just returned to the dugout after running the bases.

Times assistant sports editor Houston Mitchell, a lifelong Dodgers follower, described what happened next: “Lopes was a magician at wasting time to give the pitcher a chance to towel off and cool down a bit. Especially if there were two out. Lopes would spend an extra moment or two in the on-deck circle. He’d take his time getting the round weight off his bat. Then he would slowly walk to the batter’s box.”

David Earl Lopes was born May 3, 1945, and raised in East Providence, R.I., a town of Irish, Portuguese and Cape Verdean immigrants seeking jobs in factories and along the waterfront. One of 12 children, Lopes was a toddler when his father died. Lopes’ mother, Mary Rose, worked as a domestic.

Lopes often described his upbringing as difficult, referring to his neighborhood as a “ghetto” and describing it to Times columnist Jim Murray as “roaches, rats, poor living conditions, drugs as prevalent as candy.”

“If it hadn’t been for sports, there’s no telling what I’d be or where I’d be,” Lopes told The Times’ Ross Newhan in 1973. “All I had to do is step off the porch to a choice of all the things you associate with a ghetto.”

Long before he became an accomplished base stealer, Lopes said he became an expert at shoplifting. “I never stole anything major, just clothes and baseballs and bats,” he told Murray.

Lopes needed an adult role model and one came along in the coach at an opposing high school, Mike Sarkesian, who grew up in a Providence tenement but became the basketball coach and athletic director at Iowa Wesleyan College the year Lopes graduated from high school.

“Whatever I missed by having not really had a father, Sarkesian provided,” Lopes told Newhan. “He could relate to my problems, my environment. The drive, the determination, not to give in to the ghetto, to make something of my life, stems from my relations with him.”

Sarkesian recruited Lopes to play baseball at Iowa Wesleyan. Two years later, Sarkesian became athletic director at Washburn University in Topeka, Kan., Lopes went with him. Lopes was taken by the San Francisco Giants in the eighth round of the 1967 MLB draft but opted to return to Washburn, where he played baseball and basketball well enough to be inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 1987.

The Dodgers drafted him in the second round a year later and Lopes signed for $10,000. He skipped spring training his first two minor league seasons to complete his classes at Washburn and graduated in 1969 with a degree in elementary education.

Lopes spent the 1968 and 1969 seasons at Class-A Daytona Beach, and married Linda Lee Vandover during his first season. The night before the wedding he broke up no-hitters in both games of a doubleheader with late-inning hits.

A promotion to triple-A Spokane came in 1970. His manager was Tommy Lasorda and the team was exceptional, posting a record of 94-52. Among his teammates were Garvey and Russell as well as other future major leaguers Bill Buckner, Bobby Valentine and Tom Paciorek.

Lasorda recalled Lopes as so shy he wouldn’t speak to anyone. “It took two years, but he finally came around,” Lasorda said. “[He] finally got to the point where he felt he belonged.”

Lopes showed improvement at the plate his second year at Spokane, batting .306 with Cey as a teammate. The Dodgers moved their triple-A affiliate to Albuquerque in 1972 and in his third season at that level Lopes exhibited the blend of power and speed that would be his calling card, posting a slugging percentage of .476 while stealing 48 bases.

Five years in the minor leagues after having attended college meant Lopes was 27 when he made his major league debut that September. He was the opening day second baseman the following year and turned 28 a month into the season.

Lopes quickly made up for lost time, his stolen base totals increasing in each of his first three full seasons from 36 to 59 to 77. On Aug. 24, 1974, he stole five bases in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals, becoming the first NL player to do so since 1904.

It wasn’t long before the best catcher in baseball, the Reds’ Johnny Bench, lauded Lopes, saying, “He’s the best there is at stealing. Lopes not only has the knowledge and speed, but also the quick acceleration. He has everything.”

The once reticent Lopes also showed leadership qualities as early as 1976, when a throw by new Dodgers outfielder Dusty Baker had missed the cutoff man.

“We don’t play that way,” Lopes told Baker.

“Hey, I almost threw him out.” the Dodgers newcomer replied.

“We don’t play that way,” Lopes emphasized.

“I’d never had a player get in my face like that, and I didn’t like it too much,” Baker recalled of the incident. “I looked up and the whole team was coming over to back up Davey.”

Lopes was popular with fans as well. In 1980, he received 3,862,403 votes to lead all MLB players and start at second base in the All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium. That was his third of four consecutive All-Star appearances.

The Dodgers were consistent winners with Lopes, Garvey, Russell and Cey anchoring the infield, but lost the World Series in 1974 to the Athletics and in 1977 and ’78 to the Yankees. In 1981, however, they broke through, winning the Fall Classic for the first time since 1966 by defeating the Yankees in six games.

“They can do anything they want with us now,” said Lopes, who set a record by stealing 10 bases in 10 attempts that postseason. “I’ve got the ring. They can’t take that away from me.”

Youngster Steve Sax, however, did take his job. Lopes, 36, was traded to the A’s during the offseason. He was hardly through, playing another six seasons and even stealing 47 bases in 99 games in 1985 for the Chicago Cubs to become the first 40-year-old player to steal more bases than his age.

Lopes retired after the 1987 season and spent the next four years as a coach under Valentine with the Texas Rangers. Next he coached for three years under another former teammate, Baltimore Orioles manager Johnny Oates, and for four years with the San Diego Padres under Bruce Bochy.

In 2000, Lopes got his shot at managing, signing a three-year deal with the Milwaukee Brewers, who posted losing records in his first two seasons. When the Brewers won only three of their first 15 games in 2002, Lopes was fired.

“A lot of people discouraged me from taking [the Brewers job] because they thought I was just setting myself up for failure,” Lopes told The Times’ Ross Newhan, sensing the odds were catching up to him, “but I was determined to show them I could do it.”

Lopes returned to the Padres as a first-base coach from 2003-2005. He spent one season as the Washington Nationals’ first-base coach and baserunning adviser, and he served in the same capacity for the Phillies from 2007 to 2010.

The Phillies led the major leagues in stolen base percentage three times during his tenure and won the 2008 World Series championship, but that season began with a serious health issue for Lopes. Days before spring training, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. It was in remission by opening day.

In 2011, Times columnist Bill Plaschke lobbied for the Dodgers to add Lopes to the coaching staff. General manager Ned Colletti did just that. Lopes displayed an empathy for young players, saying, “I’ve been there, I know what it’s like when you’re young and you need to know somebody is covering your back. Sometimes you feel lost, and you need a coach or manager to alleviate that.”

Lopes served as Dodgers first-base coach for five years — immediately improving the team’s base-stealing prowess — before closing out his five-decade baseball career in 2017 as a coach for the Nationals under his old teammate Baker.

“I’m not doing much. I’m retired, taking it easy,” Lopes said about retirement on a podcast. “It was not a difficult decision to make, but one I was kind of hesitant to make. But it all works out.

“I got the opportunity to play, manage or coach for a long, long time. I’m extremely thankful. I was one of the lucky ones in the big leagues for 45 straight years. That’s a long time. I have no complaints.”

Lopes is survived by two brothers, Patrick and John, and four sisters, Jean, Judith, Mary and Nina.

This Morning presenter Alison Hammond has addressed the 22-year age gap between her and her boyfriend David Putman, as she issued an update on their relationship

Birmingham-born telly star Alison Hammond has addressed the 22-year age gap between herself and her partner, Russian model and massage therapist David Putman, telling the Daily Mail: “I completely understand why people are interested when there’s a 22-year gap,” before questioning: “But what I find interesting is that it’s not as interesting when it’s the man who is older. Why is that? I just want people to be happy for us. We are absolutely in love.”

The presenter first encountered the towering 6ft 10in model after booking him for a £150 massage. Sparks flew instantly between them. According to Alison, they complement each other perfectly, with David being “mature and sensible”, while she admits she’s “so not”.

Gushing about her beau, Alison said: “He just has the most beautiful energy and everyone feels it when they’re in his presence. It’s very rare. I am so grateful that he chooses to spend his life with me.”

Wedding bells aren’t ringing quite yet for the loved-up couple, though Alison playfully teasedThis Morning audiences about a possible engagement during a celebrity gossip segment last summer.

While discussing the day’s headlines alongside co-presenter Dermot O’Leary, Alison spotted articles about herself: “Oh my God! Apparently I am engaged?” she gasped, before joking, “Let me swap it over to stop these rumours,” as she shifted her eye-catching diamond ring to another finger.

Alison revealed in December that neither she nor her partner feels any urgency to tie the knot: “We live together, and we’re happy the way it is. I don’t need a ring to show my love to somebody. What I will say is, if he asked me tomorrow to marry him, it wouldn’t be a ‘no’. That’s all I’m going to say to you.”

The mother-of-one, whose wealth is estimated at around £4 million, has previously stated she prefers to keep details of her personal life private. She said: “I don’t like to go into detail about him, because it’s my private life, and I want to respect his life as well.”

Nevertheless, she noted that those close to her are fully aware she is completely “loved-up.”

The Bake Off and Love of Dogs presenter shared that being in a relationship makes her “more patient” and “kinder”, adding that she cherishes having someone to “care for”.

The sole difficulty in their romance appears to be David’s mother, Olga, who is said to disapprove of the age-gap relationship. A source close to the pair told The Sun that Olga, 64, believes Alison is too mature for David and is uncomfortable with how Alison’s fame has thrust him into the public eye.

“She’s uncomfortable that her son is with someone who has so much more financial power than him,” the insider revealed. “Olga’s traditional values don’t sit well with their relationship. She’s told him in no uncertain terms that he must end it.”

Another source added: “Olga raised her children in the Orthodox Church. This kind of relationship doesn’t fit her beliefs.” She has reportedly made several calls to David from her home in Sochi, on the Black Sea coast, urging him to rethink his decisions.

Despite his mother’s misgivings, David remains content with how his romance with Alison is progressing, and it seems unlikely that her concerns will have any bearing on his choices.

“A civilised government never targets institutions of knowledge.” Iran’s minister of science said the US and Israel are the ones that belong in the Stone Age following an attack on Tehran’s Shahid Beheshti University. Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi visited the site to see the damage.

Our Yorkshire Farm star Reuben Owen returns to Channel 5 this weekend.

Reuben Owen has been gushing over his girlfriend on social media.

Fans of Our Yorkshire Farm can tune in this weekend to watch Amanda Owen‘s son Reuben in a repeat episode of his documentary series, Reuben: Life in the Dales. The show chronicles young Reuben Owen’s journey as he works to expand his heavy plant machinery enterprise alongside his closest mates, Tommy and Sarah, in the picturesque Yorkshire Dales.

Tonight’s episode on Channel 5 (April 4) takes viewers back to the beginning of Reuben’s second year in business, just after he’d secured a contract to breathe new life into a disused fishing pond at an impressive country estate in County Durham.

His venture has flourished remarkably, and devoted viewers are eager to discover more about the rising star’s life beyond what cameras capture. Here’s the lowdown on Reuben, covering everything from his age to his romantic history.

Reuben Owen’s age

As the second-eldest among the Owen children, Reuben follows his older sister Raven. Born in November 2003, he’s presently 22 years old and will mark his 23rd birthday later this year. His siblings include Raven, 24, Miles, 18, Edith, 15, Violet, 15, Sid, 14, Annas, 12, Clemmie, 10 and Nancy, nine.

Remarkably young to be helming such an operation, the television personality runs Reuben Owen Ltd, a thriving five-star business that tackles various projects from muck shifting to drainage and landscaping work. Through the company’s Facebook page, he regularly posts updates about his daily activities and ventures.

His latest update revealed: “Some pictures of the team putting in a new water supply last week, 900m of pipe in one day over some very boggy ground.” Thousands of followers responded to the update, with numerous people commending him for his outstanding efforts.

Who is Reuben Owen’s girlfriend?

Reuben is in a relationship with Jessica Ellwood, whom he met at a Young Farmers’ convention in 2024. Jessica helps run her parents’ Brough Castle farm, which houses 400 sheep, 80 milk cows, three horses, 200 cattle, two cats and three dogs.

The duo made their relationship official in November 2024, with Reuben previously hinting that wedding bells might be approaching. In February 2026, they celebrated Valentine’s Day with a romantic escape, and Reuben shared several charming photographs from their trip on Instagram.

He posted: “A romantic weekend away with my love @jessica.ellwood1 for valentines day #loveyousomuch #mylove.” Reuben is plainly smitten with Jess, declaring in another update: “My darling @jessica.ellwood1 love working with you #lovemygirlfriend.”

Jess, who maintains her own Instagram presence, displays similar enthusiasm when posting pictures with her partner. The couple recently embarked on a hot air balloon adventure, with Jess posting: “What an amazing experience flying over your home in a hot air balloon.”

The farmer had previously been in a relationship with Sarah Dow, though Reuben confirmed she had pursued her “own way” after Life in the Dales wrapped up. The pair, who were childhood sweethearts introduced through a mutual acquaintance, called time on their romance in May 2024.

During an appearance on Lorraine Kelly’s programme, he explained: “Me and Sarah were together, we’re no longer together but we’re still very good friends. She’s kind of gone her own way and is pursuing her own career.”

Reuben: Life in the Dales airs on Channel 5 on Saturday, April 4 at 5.45pm

ALISON Hammond has declared she is “absolutely in love” with her boyfriend David Putman, despite their 22 year age gap, in a rare relationship admission.

The This Morning star has been dating Russian model David since 2023, but keeps their relationship fairly private.

Alison’s romance was a surprise to many due to David’s age, with her beau thought to be turning 29 next month.

However, Alison – who is a mum to 20-year-old son Aiden – has said their love transcends any age barriers in a new admission.

Addressing the difference, the TV star explained: “I completely understand why people are interested when there’s a 22-year gap, but what I find interesting is that it’s not as interesting when it’s the man who is older.”

Talking to the Daily Mail, she continued: “Why is that? I just want people to be happy for us.

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“We are absolutely in love.’

Alison’s comments comes after she revealed things were going “really, really well” for the couple back in December.

Ahead of spending Christmas together, along with her son Aiden, Alison gushed over her other half.

“Things are going really, really well,” she told the Mirror.

She continued: “He just has the most beautiful energy and everyone feels it when they’re in his presence. It’s very rare.

“I am so grateful that he chooses to spend his life with me.”

Alongside working as a model, David is a massage therapist and first met Alison when she booked in for a massage back in 2023.

Hitting it off, the pair have been going strong ever since.

While they don’t often make public appearances together, Alison has shared a handful of snaps with David to Instagram over their relationship.

Previously addressing their age gap, she assured that David’s maturity makes things work so well.

Alison told Good Housekeeping: “I can see how, on paper, you’d notice the age difference.

“Yes, I’m 22 years older than he is, but if you saw us together, you’d understand. People have said to me, ‘We get it now.’”

STOWE, Vt. — Looking back, gubernatorial candidate Dean Roy says his political ambitions started in the eighth grade. And by that he means last year.

After working as a legislative page at the Vermont Statehouse, the 14-year-old freshman at Stowe High School now has his sights set on the corner office. In November, he’ll be the first candidate for governor under age 18 to appear on the state’s general election ballot.

“I don’t expect necessarily to win,” he said. “What I do expect is to start the movement, and get more young people to come in behind me and say, ‘Yeah, we also want to make change.’”

Another eighth-grader, Ethan Sonneborn, sought the Democratic nomination for governor in 2018 but finished last in a four-way primary. Roy secured his spot in the general election by creating his own third party, the Freedom and Unity party. Both were able to run because the state constitution sets no minimum age for gubernatorial candidates, requiring only that candidates have resided in the state for four years.

“I know it sounds crazy, a 14-year-old running for governor, but honestly, look at the people in charge right now,” Roy said in a post on his campaign’s Instagram page. “They’ve been doing this forever and things still aren’t working.”

Nearly all other states set minimum age requirements for governor, often 30 years old. In Kansas, lawmakers added a requirement that gubernatorial candidates be at least 25 years old in 2018 after six teenagers ran for office.

Peter Teachout, a professor at Vermont Law and Graduate School, has a different take than Roy on Vermont’s constitution. He points to a section in the document referring to what qualifies someone to be “entitled to the privileges of a voter,” and that is that they must be 18 years of age. Even under Roy’s interpretation, Teachout doesn’t predict a win for the teenager.

“In theory, a 4-year-old could run for governor. Should we be worried about it? No,” he said. “Vermonters can be a little cantankerous and provocative just for the fun of it, but it is not something they are likely to support in this context.”

But Roy’s former history teacher, James Carpenter, said he thinks it’s great that Roy is giving it his all. Though most 14-year-olds aren’t concerned with property taxes or healthcare, Carpenter describes Roy as an “old soul” with endless curiosity.

“It just really shows what type of kid Dean is. He’s very earnest in what he’s doing. There’s no gimmick behind this,” he said. “I think he blends that youthful optimism with some pragmatism that few kids have.”

Roy, who said he doesn’t identify with either major party, said housing is the most important issue facing the state. He’s also thought about how he’d juggle school with a full-time job as governor, saying he’d consider online classes and would do his homework at night after work.

The current governor, Republican Phil Scott, applauds Roy’s interest in politics and public service but questions whether someone so young is ready for the responsibilities that come with running a state.

“He believes it’s important for our youth to get involved,” said Press Secretary Amanda Wheeler. “But the governor also believes that a teenager may not be best suited to serve in that role given the lack of experience and lived perspectives youth have at that point in their lives.”

Roy disagrees that age has anything to do with whether a candidate is fit to run for office.

“What I’m aiming for is that these career politicians look at me and they say, ‘Oh my God, he actually has a chance to disrupt things,’” he said. “If I can get people to think that I am a threat to them, then I know that’s been a success. Because what I want is to show them that the youth have a voice. We’re gonna make change. The future is now.”

Swinhart writes for the Associated Press. AP reporter Holly Ramer contributed to this report from Concord, N.H.

Mary Rand, the first British woman to win an Olympic gold medal in athletics, has died at the age of 86.

Rand secured the long jump title at the Tokyo Games in 1964, also winning silver in the inaugural women’s pentathlon and bronze in the 4x100m relay.

That meant she also became the first British woman to win gold, silver and bronze at a single Olympic Games.

In the long jump, Rand broke the British and Olympic records with her first leap of 6.59m and then smashed the world record on her fifth attempt with an effort of 6.76m.

“Mary was the most gifted athlete I ever saw,” said Ann Packer, who won 800m gold at the 1964 Olympics days after Rand’s triumph and was her room-mate in Tokyo.

“She was as good as athletes get. There has never been anything like her since – and I don’t believe there ever will.”

Rand, whose first husband was British rower Sydney Rand, also won long jump gold at the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Jamaica.

However, injury denied her the chance to defend her Olympic title in 1968 and she retired at the age of 28 the same year.

Born in Wells, Somerset, she was only 17 when she set her first British record in the pentathlon, and she won 12 national titles across long jump, high jump, sprint hurdles and pentathlon during her illustrious career.

Rand was voted the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1964 and was awarded an MBE in the 1965 New Year Honours List.

If you find yourself surrounded by towering palms, mod furniture, vintage-looking neon signs, a 26-foot Marilyn Monroe statue and a backdrop of bare desert mountains, chances are you’ve landed in Palm Springs.

Look, I get it: Palm Springs doesn’t exactly scream Gen Z. It’s long been known — and still functions — as a retirement haven. A place where older adults trade in puffer jackets for gallery strolls, pool lounging and taco sampling under cloudless skies.

But I, a Gen Z reporter, am here to say Palm Springs can be really fun, and it actually aligns with my generation more than you might expect.

“If you’re going to Palm Springs and you’re our age, you’re looking for spots that are content-creatable,” said Ava Bostock, a 25-year-old L.A.-based public relations professional who researches the intersection of media and youth consumer behavior. “We need the picture to prove we were there.”

Palm Springs doesn’t shy away from its past, and that’s exactly what makes it feel so current.

Gen Z, which covers those who are 14 to 29 years old, is fluent in the digital world, but we romanticize the analog: the grainy film photo, the thrifted wardrobe, the rotary-phone energy of another era. Palm Springs leans into that fantasy: sun-faded signage, bubblegum-colored motels, midcentury homes with breeze blocks and Old Hollywood flair. It’s a time capsule built for our aesthetic eye and our camera roll.

“When I revisit the past, the ’60s were so focused on the future and space age and what comes next,” Bostock said. “I don’t think our generation has that. It feels like we’re walking into the future backwards — like we’re so enchanted with the past.”

That fixation shows up in our Pinterest boards, photo filters and travel decisions. “The most iconic images of decades past are at your fingertips,” she said.

In a place like Palm Springs, where roadside signs, retro motels and Old Hollywood architecture are preserved like set pieces, Gen Z can find a slowed-down, stylized version of the past we’ve only ever seen online.

It’s not just about visuals. “The way we consume and vacation and travel is really dictated by content,” Bostock said.

That’s part of what makes Palm Springs feel uniquely Gen Z. It satisfies a generational paradox: a destination that’s hyper-photogenic yet relaxed and immersive. It’s a place where you can stage the perfect coffee photo, then put your phone down and just be.

So whether you’re tagging along with your desert-retreating parents or planning a weekend getaway with friends, here’s your Gen Z-approved guide to Palm Springs, from where to caffeinate and vintage shop to the best spots for dancing, wellness walks and content-worthy photo ops.

On a night when my family watched Austin Reaves pull off the miraculous intentional missed free throw put-back basket on the way to a thrilling Laker overtime win against the Denver Nuggets, we talked more about the newest Lakers super fan on the way home. Kudos to Bill Plaschke for recognizing and capturing the power of 6-year-old Jackson Tuyay’s passionate cheering that helped ignite the laid-back crowd and inspire the Lakers to a huge comeback win. As a lifelong Laker fan since the same age as Jackson it was so awesome to see such innocent and authentic passion for the Lakers. In an arena full of stars in the stands and on the court it was the voice of a 6-year-old that reminded us how awesome it is to be a Lakers fan for life!

Paul Stapleton
Los Angeles

To quote Jackson Tuyay, “Yeaaaaah!” It looks like the Lakers can play some defense and beat the better teams after all.

Vaughn Hardenberg
Westwood

The Los Angeles Times welcomes expressions of all views. Letters should be brief and become the property of The Times. They may be edited and republished in any format. Each must include a valid mailing address and telephone number. Pseudonyms will not be used.

Email: sports@latimes.com

Scattered orange California poppies, California Lilac with bright blue blooms, and hummingbird sage with dark rose-lilac-colored flowers spontaneously tell us what we already know: Spring has arrived.

Southern California, especially Los Angeles, has many breathtaking botanical gardens and wildflower-lined hiking trails. But it’s also exciting to visit private home gardens that are rarely open to the public and find inspiration even if you don’t have space for a garden at home.

This year’s spring garden tours include a visit to a historic Midcentury Modern home designed by Buff, Straub and Hensman, complete with a river running through the property as part of the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days Tour. You can also check out a native garden at a Long Beach elementary school that is usually closed to visitors, or see how a young couple used a $5,000 turf rebate from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to transform their Inglewood yard during the Theodore Payne Foundation’s two-day Native Plant Garden Tour.

Whether you love gardening or simply enjoy beautiful landscapes and meeting other plant lovers, these tours offer plenty of ideas you can use long after your visit. From native plants to rose gardens, here are this spring’s local garden tours.

Blooming California poppies remind us that spring is here.

(Stella Kalinina / For The Times)

March 29
The Poppy Day Garden Tour raises money for the South Coast chapter of the California Native Plant Society. Visit 10 native plant gardens across the South Bay that support wildlife and help save water. The tour runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets cost $15 in advance or $20 at the door, if available. Children and teens under age 18 get in free. For tickets and more information, visit cnps-south-coast.square.site.

The Creative Arts Group’s Art of the Garden Tour features self-guided visits to five gardens in Pasadena, Altadena and La Cañada Flintridge from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets cost $45 in advance or $50 on the day of the event. This tour is the nonprofit’s biggest fundraiser of the year, supporting arts programs, exhibitions and classes for children and adults. Please note that photography, pets and children under age 12 are not allowed on the tours. You can also stop by the Creative Arts Group Gallery at 108 N. Baldwin Ave. in Sierra Madre to buy tickets in person and see artwork from more than 25 local artists. For more information, visit creativeartsgroup.org.

(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

April 11-12
Theodore Payne Foundation’s Native Plant Garden Tour: Habitats That Heal is a showcase for 42 gardens across Los Angeles, each with at least half native plants. The self-guided tour runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both days. On April 11, you can visit 20 gardens in neighborhoods in Sherman Oaks, Van Nuys, North Hollywood, Shadow Hills, Tujunga, Montrose, Burbank, Glendale, Eagle Rock, Highland Park, South Pasadena, Pasadena and Altadena. On April 12, the tour covers gardens in Santa Monica, Venice, West L.A., Del Rey, Baldwin Hills, Mid-City, Inglewood, South L.A., Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Hollywood, Los Feliz, Glassell Park, Highland Park, Mt. Washington, El Sereno and Alhambra. Tickets cost $55, or $50 for members, and children under age 16 are free. If you buy a ticket, you’ll receive a guidebook in the mail, which also serves as your ticket. Starting March 26, tickets and maps are only available for purchase in person at the foundation office in Sun Valley from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The office is closed on Sunday and Monday. For more information, visit nativeplantgardentour.org.

California Native Plant Society’s San Diego Native Garden Tour is a showcase of 31 private gardens across the city, including the CNPS San Diego Native Plant Teaching Garden, Southwestern College Botanical Garden, Paradise Hills and Native West Nursery. Each garden in the self-guided tour uses at least 60% California native plants, demonstrating how these gardens protect local biodiversity. The tour is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are $45; children age 17 and under are free. Will call locations and instructions will be emailed after ticket purchase at eventbrite.com.

A “Welcome to California” sign is seen at Prisk Native Plant Garden in Long Beach.

(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)

April 12 and 19
The Prisk Native Plant Garden Open House is celebrating its 30th year with an annual tour of the garden, which is usually closed to the public. You can visit from 1 to 4 p.m. both days at William F. Prisk Elementary School, 2375 Fanwood Ave. in Long Beach. The garden is located behind the school at East Los Arcos Street and Albury Avenue. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. For more information, visit facebook.com/prisknativegarden.

April 19
The Garden Conservancy Pasadena Open Days Tour welcomes you to visit four private gardens at historic homes. You can see Buff, Straub and Hensman’s Midcentury Modern Norton House, the 1916 Spanish Revival-style home called Mi Sueño del Sur, a Southern California Arts and Crafts garden, and the rose gardens of a historic Pasadena estate from the 1900s. The tour runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets cost $10 per garden and are available online only. Children ages 12 and under can join the tour for free with an adult. For more information, visit gardenconservancy.org.

Desert gardens with native plants at the Mojave Land Trust in Joshua Tree.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

The Morongo Basin Conservation Assn. is hosting its 15th Annual Desert-Wise Landscape Tour. This self-guided event runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and features four private gardens in Pioneertown and Yucca Valley, along with three demonstration gardens in Joshua Tree. Tickets cost $25, or $20 for members. You can find tickets and more information on the MBCA website, mbconservation.org. On the day of the tour, registration will only be available at the Mojave Desert Land Trust in Joshua Tree.

April 25
Habitat Garden Tours at Caroline Park and Ryan Bonaminio Park, the Riverside-San Bernardino Chapter of the California Native Plant Society is offering free tours of two large native plant gardens within city parks in Redlands and Riverside. Morning tours of the 16-acre Caroline Park in Redlands, which is dedicated to California native plants, will be held at 9 a.m., 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. Park near the corner of Mariposa Drive and Poppy Road, then enter the park using the trail to the left of the Caroline Park sign. Meet at the kiosk upon arrival. Afternoon tours at Ryan Bonaminio Park in Riverside, which features restored native plants from local floodplains and upland areas that support pollinators, will be held at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Park on the west end of the parking lot to access the decomposed granite path leading to the 1.17-acre habitat garden. The tours are free, and you are welcome to join at any scheduled time. For more information, visit: chapters.cnps.org/riversidesanbernardino.

April 25-26
The Floral Park Home & Garden Tour in North Santa Ana invites you to explore historic homes and gardens from the 1920s to the 1950s from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both days. Along with the tours, you can enjoy the Street of Treasures Market, sample food from local restaurants and check out a car show. All proceeds help fund community scholarships and support nonprofit organizations. Tickets cost $45 if you buy them by April 20, or $50 at the door. For more details, visit floralparkhometour.com.

The Riverside Community Flower Show & Garden Tour: Garden Party features self-guided tours of six local gardens, with master gardeners on hand to answer your questions. Tours are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. You can also visit a free flower show at the Riverside Elks Lodge, 6166 Brockton Ave., from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the garden tour is $10, and children under 16 get in free. For more information, visit riversideflowershow.com.

Bungalow Heaven, a tree-lined neighborhood in Pasadena, is known for its substantial collection of Craftsman bungalows.

(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times)

April 26
The 35th Annual Bungalow Heaven Home Tour features self-guided walks through eight homes, with volunteer docents ready to share each home’s history and architecture. Although the focus is on architecture, many of the homes in the landmark district have lovely landscaped backyards that guests are welcome to visit and admire. McDonald Park will be lively all day with music, a silent auction of unique items, homemade cookies and local food trucks for lunch. It’s from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Advance tickets are $25 at bungalowheaven.org and available until April 25 at 8 p.m. Tickets on the day of the tour are $30 and can be bought at McDonald Park, 1000 E. Mountain St., starting at 9:40 a.m. Part of the proceeds will go to San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity to help those affected by the Eaton fire.

May 2
The Laguna Beach Garden Club’s 20th Gate & Garden Tour starts at the Bruce Scherer Waterwise and Fire-Safe Gardens, located at 306 3rd St. in Laguna Beach. Special buses will take ticket holders to visit several local gardens. You can buy Mexican food and artisanal margaritas and enjoy free homemade baked goods. Artists will be painting in some of the gardens, and if you wear a festive garden party hat, you’ll be entered in the club’s hat contest. Proceeds help fund school gardens, local scholarships and community projects. The tours run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please note that children are not allowed. Timed-entry tickets are $65.87 online, which includes entry between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., plus one food item and one drink. Find tickets at eventbrite.com.

A welcome sign at one of the garden’s in last year’s Mary Lou Heard Memorial Garden Tour.

(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times)

May 2-3
The Mary Lou Heard Memorial Garden Tour: Real Gardens by Real People features self-guided tours of 34 gardens spanning Long Beach to San Clemente from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. The tour is free, but donation jars will be set out at the gardens to support the Sheepfold, a crisis center for women and children that has long been the foundation’s annual tour beneficiary. For more information, visit heardsgardentour.com.

May 3
Inspired Garden Artistry invites you to the Blooms with a View Garden Tour, featuring 10 private home gardens in View Park, Windsor Hills, Ladera Heights and Baldwin Hills. The tour runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can also enjoy the free Garden & Community Resource Expo at Ladera Park’s south entrance, 4750 W. 62nd St. during the same hours. The expo offers artisans, landscape architects, nurseries, local community services, food trucks, giveaways, a plant swap and fun activities for families. Tickets are $30 online until April 15 and $35 from April 16 through May 3. Kids ages 12 and under enter free. To learn more, visit inspiredgardenartistry.com.

Join the 28th Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Assn. & Hospice Camarillo Garden Tour and explore four beautiful Camarillo gardens from noon to 4 p.m. Artists from the Pastel Society of the Gold Coast will be giving demonstrations in at least two of the gardens. Tickets are $30 online, and all proceeds support the association’s hospice program in Camarillo. For more information, visit lmvna.org/gardentour.

May 9
The West Floral Park and Jack Fisher Park neighborhoods are hosting the 19th annual Open Garden Day, featuring tours of two tree-lined areas with vintage homes in North Santa Ana. Enjoy live music, art displays, garden talks and demonstrations, a classic car display, and free bottled water at the gardens. In the morning, you can buy coffee and doughnuts, and vendors will offer food and garden products from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tours run from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with a shuttle service between the two tour loops to help reduce wait times. Tickets go on sale online starting March 20 for $20, or you can buy them for $25 on the day of the event at West Santa Clara and North Westwood avenues in Santa Ana. For more information, visit opengardenday.com.

In 2024, visitors explored the garden of Dennis Mudd, the creator of Calscape, during the San Diego Native Garden Tour hosted by the California Native Plant Society.

(Silke Gathmann)

May 14
The 29th Newport Harbor Home & Garden Tour, hosted by Barclay Butera Interior Design, invites guests to explore six locally designed homes and gardens near Newport Harbor High School from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The day begins with a morning reception at 9 a.m., followed by a luncheon from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and ends with a reception at Barclay Butera from 2 to 5 p.m. This event raises funds for the Newport Harbor Educational Foundation to help support academic programs and faculty at Newport Harbor High School. Tickets are available online for $125 until April 24 at newportharborhometour.com.

May 16
The San Clemente Garden Club’s 2026 Garden Tour offers self-guided tours and live entertainment at several local gardens from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can buy tickets online ahead of time for $40 each, or $35 each if you buy four or more. Tickets on the day of the event are $50. All proceeds help fund the club’s college scholarships, junior gardeners programs, local conservation groups and civic beautification projects in San Clemente. For more information, visit sanclementegardenclub.com.

A Matilija poppy grows in West Hills.

(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

May 17
The Rossmoor Woman’s Club is hosting its 22nd Garden Tour, offering self-guided visits to five or six private gardens in the Rossmoor-Los Alamitos area of Orange County, just north of Seal Beach. The tour runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will also be a marketplace with vendors and refreshments. Tickets cost $20 and will be available online in April or at the club’s outdoor marketplace at the Farmers & Merchants Bank, 12535 Seal Beach Blvd., on the day of the tour. All proceeds go to local charities and college scholarships for Los Alamitos High School students. For more information, visit rossmoorwomansclub.org.

FAMILY holidays are most fun when children reach eight years old, according to research.

A poll of 2,000 mums and dads who’ve ever been on holiday with their child found this is the age when parents and little ones alike get the most out of getaways.

At this stage, 55 per cent believe they start to form lasting holiday memories, 64 per cent think they get genuinely excited about new places and can contribute to the planning (22 per cent).

They’re better able to relax themselves (41 per cent), enjoy more shared hobbies and activities together with their kids (41 per cent) and have longer attention spans (40 per cent) then too.

Commissioned by Jet2holidays ahead of Mother’s Day, the research found 76 per cent of mums who go on one or more getaways a year consider family holidays to be their calendar highlight.

A spokesperson for the tour operator said: “Family holidays are special at all ages.

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“With the research highlighting just how meaningful family getaways are across the board.

“However, there appears to be something especially great once kids reach eight years old – with the findings suggesting many kids are more curious, more engaged and better able to take in new experiences at this age.”

The study also identified what parents look for in a family getaway – with value for money (29 per cent), a place which suits the whole family (28 per cent) and good weather (28 per cent) coming top.

Activities everyone can enjoy together are also considered key (17 per cent), along with a destination which is easy to get around (15 per cent) and genuinely family friendly accommodation (14 per cent).

To ensure the kids in particular are happy, 30 per cent ‘often’ or ‘always’ get them involved in the planning of a family break.

They do so because it makes their little ones feel included and valued (46 per cent), creates shared excitement (37 per cent) and ensures activities suit their interests (34 per cent).

And taking such steps to ensure family holidays are a success appear to be worth it – 86 per cent said memories spent with their kids on such getaways are among their most meaningful.

The research carried out through OnePoll also identified the holiday milestones those polled consider to be the most significant, with going abroad as a family for the first time (35 per cent) coming top.

Flying together for the first time (24 per cent), the first theme park or major attraction visit as a family (15 per cent) and staying away from home overnight for the first time as a unit (14 per cent) are also significant.

A spokesperson for Jet2holidays added: “It’s clear involving children in the planning process plays a big part in making a holiday memorable.

“And this is just one of a host of memorable holiday milestones they’ll be part of – whether that’s flying together for the first time or going abroad as a family stay with parents for years.

“This is why considerations like the right destination and accommodation are so important.

“We’re proud to help families make those memories by offering great value, family friendly holidays which cater to everyone, whatever stage of family life they’re in.”

WASHINGTON — Jill Biden is breaking her silence about Joe Biden’s decision to abruptly end his 2024 presidential reelection bid under pressure from Democrats concerned about his age, health and viability against Republican Donald Trump in a rematch of their 2020 campaign.

A political spouse for nearly 50 years, Jill Biden said she has never publicly discussed her feelings about the three-week stretch when her husband ended his political career, instead saving her thoughts for the pages of her soon-to-be-released memoir.

Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, on Wednesday announced that her book, “View from the East Wing: A Memoir,” is scheduled to be published June 2.

Jill Biden told the Associated Press in a brief telephone interview that the book is a “reflection of my four years as first lady” and that writing it was somewhat healing.

“It was kind of cathartic for me to write it, and I wrote about all the, you know, sometimes painful — but other times, most of it really beautiful moments that Joe and I shared during his presidency,” she said.

Jill Biden declined on Tuesday to discuss any of those moments, good or bad — including watching her husband work his way to the decision to end his five-decade-long political career by dropping out of the 2024 presidential race.

In an announcement video shared on Instagram, she said she wants to “set the record straight.”

The last chapter of her husband’s political career

In April 2023, then-President Joe Biden was 80 and the oldest president in U.S. history when he announced he was running for a second term. His age and fitness to serve another four years — which would take him to age 86 — became a source of concern for the public. Some fellow Democrats began to pressure him to step aside after he turned in a disastrous debate performance against Trump in June 2024 in which he struggled, in a raspy voice, to land his debating points and often appeared to lose his train of thought. Aides blamed the poor performance on a cold.

Joe Biden at first insisted that he would stay in the race, but after a few weeks he withdrew from the campaign and endorsed Democrat Kamala Harris, his vice president. Harris became the party’s presidential nominee but lost to Trump in the November 2024 election.

Jill Biden said that, with the book, “I have put things in perspective,” presenting what she describes as a “more balanced view” of her husband’s time as president.

The memoir is also a tribute of the sorts to women who, like herself, juggle multiple roles.

“It’s also a story about my being able to balance life, you know, as a working woman and as a mother, a grandmother, a first lady,” she said.

During her four years in the role, Jill Biden, 74, made history as the first first lady to continue the career she had before entering the White House. She had taught English and writing for decades at the community college level, and she continued teaching twice a week at a Northern Virginia school while serving as first lady.

Joe Biden ‘doing well’ after his cancer diagnosis

The former president’s office announced in May 2025 that he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer and that it had spread to his bones. He’s receiving treatment.

Jill Biden said it was “quite a shock getting the diagnosis” for her husband, who’s now 83.

“The fact that it is in his bones means that he will have cancer, you know, all his lifetime,” Jill Biden said. She said the doctors say he will “live out his natural life.”

“Like most retired couples, he’ll probably drive me crazy till the end of it,” she joked.

She said he visits Washington at least once a week for meetings or to give speeches.

A unique period in American history

The former first lady also writes in the book about serving during a unique period in U.S. history, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the aftermath of the insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, according to the publisher.

Her husband was sworn into office on the steps of the Capitol on Jan. 20, 2021, just two weeks after a mob of Trump supporters, spurred by his false claims that the Republican lost because of election fraud, stormed the building in a violent attempt to keep lawmakers from certifying Joe Biden’s victory.

Joe Biden’s first year in office was dominated by the federal response to the pandemic and, while he mostly stayed at the White House, Jill Biden wore face mask and traveled around the country to encourage people to get their vaccinations. She also continued her advocacy on behalf of military families, education and community colleges, cancer prevention and women’s health initiatives.

Before she became first lady, Jill Biden was second lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017, when her husband was Barack Obama’s vice president. She currently chairs the Milken Institute’s Women’s Health Network.

Jill Biden is also the author of “Where the Light Enters,” published in 2019, in which she writes about meeting Joe Biden, then a U.S. senator from Delaware, and marrying and building a life with him. She also has written three children’s books.

Superville writes for the Associated Press.

Parents believe everyone in the family can get something out of a holiday when their children reach eight years old.

Family holidays can be stressful but new research has shown that they are considered to be most fun when children reach eight years old. A poll of 2,000 parents found eight is the age when everyone in the family gets the most out of holidays. At this stage, more than half (55%) of parents believe their children start to form lasting holiday memories, while 64% believe their children can start to get genuinely excited about new places.

What’s more, at eight years old 22% of parents say their children can contribute to the planning. This means parents are better able to relax themselves and can enjoy more shared hobbies and activities together with their kids.

Commissioned by Jet2holidays ahead of Mother’s Day, the research found 76% of mums who go on one or more getaways a year consider family holidays to be their highlight.

A spokesperson for the tour operator said: “Family holidays are special at all ages. However, there appears to be something especially great once kids reach eight years old – with the findings suggesting many kids are more curious, more engaged and better able to take in new experiences at this age.”

The study also identified what parents look for in a family getaway – with value for money (29%), a place which suits the whole family (28%) and good weather (28%) coming top.

Activities everyone can enjoy together are also considered key (17%), along with a destination which is easy to get around (15%) and genuinely family friendly accommodation (14%).

To ensure the kids in particular are happy, 30% ‘often’ or ‘always’ get them involved in the planning of a family break. They do so because it makes their little ones feel included and valued (46%), creates shared excitement (37%) and ensures activities suit their interests (34%).

The holiday milestones considered to be the most significant were going abroad as a family for the first time (35%), flying together for the first time (24%), as well visiting a theme park or major attraction for the first time (15%). Staying away from home overnight for the first time as a unit (14%) was also significant.

A spokesperson for Jet2holidays added: “It’s clear involving children in the planning process plays a big part in making a holiday memorable.

“And this is just one of a host of memorable holiday milestones they’ll be part of – whether that’s flying together for the first time or going abroad as a family stay with parents for years.

“This is why considerations like the right destination and accommodation are so important.

“We’re proud to help families make those memories by offering great value, family friendly holidays which cater to everyone, whatever stage of family life they’re in.”