Chris Hansen has not seen “Primetime,” the A24 film in which Robert Pattinson plays him, and he probably won’t anytime soon. He walked out of an Aug. 20 screening arranged for him at the studio’s Manhattan offices after refusing to sign a nondisclosure agreement, which he believed would prevent him from raising any legal objection to the way he is portrayed.
But Hansen’s company has purchased preshow advertising in theaters showing “Primetime,” which opens Sept. 25. The spots promote TruBlu, the subscription streaming platform where the former “Dateline NBC” correspondent presents his current sting operations under the title “Takedown.”
“It’s a movie that uses my name, image and likeness,” Hansen told The Times in a recent interview. “Why not direct people to what the real Chris Hansen is doing? Here’s where you can see it.”
Moviegoers, in other words, will be asked to have a seat twice.
The film revisits one of the most provocative and scrutinized franchises in the history of TV news. “To Catch a Predator,” which ran as a periodic “Dateline” investigation from 2004 to 2007, exposed men who used online chat rooms to solicit sex with minors. It accelerated the popularity of the true crime genre while raising lasting questions over journalistic ethics.
Directed by Lance Oppenheim in his narrative feature debut, “Primetime” is based on Luke Dittrich’s 2007 Esquire article “Tonight on Dateline, This Man Will Die,” about the suicide of a Texas prosecutor targeted by one of the stings. It premieres Sept. 5 at the Venice Film Festival.
Hansen, 66, is ready to ride the wave of notoriety the film is bound to generate. He is still pursuing online predators and a new generation of fans have found him on TruBlu, his YouTube page and on social media. “I’ve got to be the only 66-year-old man in America with 1.1 million TikTok followers,” he said.
Hansen first heard from A24 regarding “Primetime” when an executive reached out to him in late May to ask whether he would participate in promoting the film, according to emails obtained by The Times. Over the two months that followed, the journalist and his business partners repeatedly asked to see the film or a script before making any commitment. They also raised the possibility of compensation or a production credit, although Hansen said no formal request was made.
Hansen and his partners repeatedly raised concerns that he had never been contacted about the use of his name and likeness, even as a courtesy, before production was completed. The studio said it wasn’t necessary.
“Chris’s work was an important inspiration for ‘Primetime,’ which is a dramatized film inspired by true events,” according to an Aug. 8 email from A24. “While the film didn’t require individual consultation or permission during production, we’d love to have Chris’s support of the film to the extent he feels comfortable. If not, we certainly understand.”
An A24 representative declined to comment for this story. A person involved with the film who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly said the nondisclosure agreement Hansen was asked to sign is standard for a movie screened ahead of release, so that viewers do not reveal plotlines or spoilers.
The trailer, released earlier in August, has generated buzz in media business circles for the appearance of Jeff Zucker, former NBCUniversal chief executive, who appears as himself in a small role as a ratings-hungry network executive. Pattinson’s Hansen is later seen in the trailer screaming, “I’ll be bigger than ‘Lost’!” in reference to the ABC hit.
Robert Pattinson in a scene from A24’s “Primetime.”
(Sinna Nasseri / A24)
Hansen said he is not looking for a payout from the filmmakers. But he would like a clearer statement that the film is fiction rather than “inspired by true events,” as it says in the trailer, and perhaps a financial contribution to organizations for victims of child predators.
“I want some recognition that they used my name, image, and likeness in a largely fictional story,” he said. “They used my name, my colleagues’ names and some family members. Based upon what I know about this, it’s an insult to the thousands of people who work diligently, often at great risk, every day to protect children from predators.”
The conflict is hardly the first involving a living celebrity objecting to a fictional depiction. But legal challenges are often futile.
“You don’t own your life story,” said Domenic Romano, managing partner at Romano Law. “If you’re a celebrity, the filmmaker doesn’t need your permission to dramatize it. Even if you’re alive and you don’t like how you’re being portrayed, the 1st Amendment gives broad protection.”
Actor Olivia de Havilland went to court in 2017 over the FX series “Feud: Bette & Joan,” claiming the portrayal of her as a vicious gossip damaged her reputation. The court ultimately ruled in FX’s favor.
Actor Daryl Hannah took a different route, publishing an opinion piece in the New York Times in March objecting to her depiction in FX’s “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette.” Hannah, who dated Kennedy before he married Bessette, wrote: “In the weeks since the series aired, I have received many hostile and even threatening messages from viewers who seem to believe the portrayal is factual.”
“When entertainment borrows a real person’s name, it can permanently impact her reputation,” Hannah wrote.
The rise and fall of “To Catch a Predator” provides enough drama for a big-screen treatment.
During his run at NBC News, Hansen was an Emmy Award-winning correspondent delivering hidden-camera investigative stories on such topics as identity theft and sex trafficking. But his “Predator” franchise, which used online decoys in chat rooms to draw men seeking sex with minors into police stings turned him into a global sensation, albeit a polarizing one.
NBC News conducted the investigations with the help of a civilian watchdog group called Perverted-Justice and local police in the towns and cities where the stings were set up. The suspects arrested and convicted included a rabbi, a teacher and a doctor.
Decoys posing as young teens lured the men to sting locations, mostly set up at private homes in quiet communities. Hansen would then enter and confront the men with his signature line: “Have a seat.” After a chat with the correspondent (“You see how this looks, right?”), the men were arrested by local police, while a camera crew captured it all.
The tableau of Hansen going face-to-face with suspects seated in suburban kitchens became so familiar it was spoofed in a comedy sketch that opened the 2006 Emmy Awards.
“Predator” remained a giant hit until a November 2006 sting in Murphy, Texas, went awry. Bill Conradt, a Rockwell County assistant district attorney, had been exchanging online messages and photos with a decoy posing as a 13-year-old boy. Unlike other targets, he never came to the sting house. Police obtained warrants and a SWAT team came to his home with a “Dateline” crew in tow. He shot himself to death after law enforcement entered.
Conradt’s family sued NBC, which settled out of court. The incident sharpened the debate over Hansen’s tactics, and as the “Predator” franchise became more popular, he was criticized in journalism circles for collaborating with police and an outside group of private citizens in his investigative work.
There have been many accolades as well. Law enforcement organizations credited the program for shedding light on a new form of criminal activity in the then-emerging internet age. Over the years, Hansen has helped promote advocacy groups and legislation protecting the rights of sexual abuse victims.
“Dateline” continued producing “Predator” investigations for another year after Conradt‘s death, airing its final installment in December 2007 before NBC retired the franchise in early 2008. Hansen has long maintained that the show simply ran its course. The library of his episodes continued to air on cable news channel MSNBC, now called MS NOW.
Hansen left NBC News in 2013 after the network declined to renew his contract. He continued to orchestrate the sting operations on a short-lived syndicated series, “Crime Watch Daily.” He also became one of the first well-known TV journalists to use a Kickstarter campaign to raise money to produce his own work to present on web platforms, which eventually led to the TruBlu site he has now. He also has a podcast series distributed by Red Seat Ventures called “Have a Seat,” a true crime podcast where he interviews figures in law enforcement.
Families should be aware of some important rules before they travel
The change came into force on July 8(Image: Akabei via Getty Images)
Heathrow has issued a summer travel update telling families they can now benefit from a major change to Britain’s airport border controls.
The airport said: “Get ready for easier arrivals for families. Children aged 8 and 9 will now be able to use the eGates. They will need to have an eligible passport and be travelling with an adult”. The change could prove a welcome boost for parents returning to Britain from their summer holidays – potentially cutting the time they spend queuing at passport control.
Children aged eight and nine can use UK eGates, bringing them into line with older children who are already eligible to use the automated border gates.
But there is an important catch. The youngsters must have an eligible passport, be travelling with an adult and, under the Government’s rules, be at least 120cm (3ft 11in) tall.
The change came into force on July 8, just as the summer holiday travel season was getting into full swing. And the Government estimates that up to 1.5 million more children could become eligible to use eGates over the next year.
For parents facing the prospect of tired youngsters after a long flight, the prospect of avoiding a lengthy passport-control queue could be particularly welcome. Heathrow has urged passengers travelling with younger children to check airport signage or speak to staff if they are unsure which lane they should use.
What parents need to know
The expanded eGate access applies to eight and nine-year-olds who meet the requirements.
They must:
Be aged eight or nine
Be at least 120cm tall
Have an eligible passport
Be travelling with an adult
The Government says the change covers more than 290 eGates across the UK and at so-called juxtaposed ports, where British border checks are carried out in Europe. Millions of passengers already use eGates each year.
The Government says using one typically takes only a few minutes – and increasing the number of people who can use them should also help reduce queues for passengers who still need to go through staffed passport control.
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Major change for families
The move was announced by the Home Office in May as part of a wider programme to transform the UK’s border system. Migration and Citizenship Minister Mike Tapp said: “Travel with young children can be stressful for parents.”
He said expanding eGate access would allow more families to have a “swifter and smoother journey home” while keeping Britain’s borders secure.
Border Force Director General Phil Douglas said eGates were an “essential part” of keeping the border secure.
He said the expansion would deliver safe and smooth journeys while freeing officers to concentrate on intercepting people who pose a threat to the UK.
Karen Dee, chief executive of AirportsUK, welcomed the change, saying it would give more families the opportunity to use the technology and could reduce waiting times.
Part of wider border overhaul
The change comes alongside the Government’s wider push to modernise Britain’s borders. The Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme has also been introduced for eligible travellers, with almost 25 million ETAs issued, according to Government figures.
The longer-term ambition is for a more “contactless” border, with facial comparison technology being used to verify travellers’ identities.
Undaunted by reality, and likely law, Bianco announced he was going to have his deputies recount the votes, even though this kind of interference in the chain of custody of ballots never had occurred anywhere in the United States.
This unprecedented seizure of ballots — something election-denier-in-chief President Trump has been hinting at trying himself for years — quickly became a national news story, and a national concern.
With midterms looming and more than one MAGA sheriff out there, what would stop another conspiracy-minded, badge-wearing maverick from doing something similar this November, potentially throwing our national election into turmoil?
The specter of Bianco setting a precedent for like-minded conspiracists to follow prompted two significant lawsuits — one led by the election experts at the UCLA Voting Rights Project and the other from state Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta.
The state Supreme Court heard arguments in those cases Monday, and while we’ll have to wait for the official rulings, things did not seem to go well for the sheriff.
What surprised me most, or maybe just relieved me, was how thin Bianco’s arguments were to support his actions. In the end, his legal team came with little more than contortions and cartwheels, trying to twist Bianco’s overreach into existing law.
His lawyer, Bradley Hertz, attempted to argue that legislators, when crafting laws protecting ballots, meant different rules to apply to investigations of elections preceding formal prosecutions. If that sounds confusing, it’s because it is.
Hertz seemingly was trying to convince the court that Bianco legally could pull his shenanigans as long as he didn’t actually find criminal wrongdoing, which would trigger a different set of rules.
“That seems bizarre,” Justice Goodwin H. Liu said during a back-and-forth with Hertz.
Indeed.
But it was Justice Joshua Groban who hit at the national implications of what Bianco had done — and what it could mean for the midterms if this court ruled in his favor.
“It seems like under your broad view of the warrant power … the sheriff could could seize ballots even before election day, right?” Groban asked. “Even before they were counted.”
It’s terrible to have ballots seized after they’re counted. It’s devastating if they were to be taken before there was an official tally, because how would anyone trust that there hadn’t been tampering? Simply seizing uncounted ballots, no matter what happens next, would create such paranoia and uncertainty that the election results almost certainly would be called into question — something that could play into the favor of, say, a wannabe authoritarian who fears he’s likely to lose a fair vote count.
Even Hertz seemed to acknowledge such a scenario was bad.
“If search warrants were allowed during the election or preelection, that would obviously wreak havoc,” he said. “There would be, kind of, a cat out of the bag, so to speak. You can’t count ballots if they’re not in the possession of the registrar.”
But then Hertz tried to come up with logic that what Bianco was arguing wouldn’t mean that ballots could be seized anytime, anyhow, and that instead courts could find a way to allow seizing only after the official count. The court did not seem convinced that this was a good idea, or that that is what the law should or did allow.
If that case didn’t go well for Bianco, it was the second case brought by Bonta that really might end up being a hard loss.
For years, decades really, in California and across the country, there has been a group of sheriffs who have argued they are a law onto themselves because they are elected, not hired or appointed. Some of these sheriffs argue that they are literally above federal law.
In California, there has at times been momentum to rein in this line of thinking by creating clear boundaries in law, but the state Legislature always has backed down in the face of opposition from law enforcement.
One potential curb on sheriffs’ power comes from a single line in our state Constitution that seems to say the state attorney general has supervisory power over them. But the meaning and power of this particular clause has long been debated and seldom invoked.
Bonta, however, invoked it against Bianco, claiming the the sheriff had to back off the ballot-seizing because Bonta had authority to order him to stop. Bianco did stop, to his credit. But the standoff was heard by the court Monday and likely will force clarity on an issue that has long lacked it.
Here again, the justices seemed amenable to Bonta’s argument that sheriffs, at least to some extent, answer to him as the state’s chief law enforcement officer. But the justices seemed far more cautious on this issue, and even the state’s attorney conceded that “it’s actually pretty remarkable how little our Constitution says about county sheriffs.”
If Bianco loses on this issue, it would be huge. It would mean that Bianco not only overstepped his power by seizing the ballots, but that he also had forever lessened the power of California sheriffs by clarifying they do answer to the attorney general. I’m sure that will be very popular with other sheriffs.
We’ll see what the justices say, but at least it seems likely that this embarrassing chapter of California election history will end in favor of the law, and democracy.
Maybe Bianco really does believe his conspiracy theories. After all, “there are some people who believe they had breakfast with Elvis on Sunday,” pointed out Chad Dunn, who argued the case for the Voting Rights Project.
“We can’t satisfy them,” Dunn warned.
More importantly, we shouldn’t — even when they wear a badge. Our laws already have robust protections for elections, and rogue sheriffs aren’t one of them.
NEW YORK — It was 2023 when Laufey, the Icelandic singer-songwriter known for her neoclassical jazz-pop, decided to create a global fan event. Her second album, “Bewitched,” was soon to be released and she wanted to do something big to celebrate it. But more than that, she says, she “wanted to find a way to get my fans out of their homes, and to really follow an itinerary of my perfect idea of a day and have the music from ‘Bewitched’ follow it.”
And thus, “A Very Laufey Day” was born. Each year, the Grammy-winning singer curates itineraries for different locations across the globe for her listeners to follow. It’s “anywhere I have been and loved,” she says. It allows them to live what she refers to as “a perfect day,” but also to connect with their community offline and in person. And as she approaches its fourth edition, it has only grown larger.
“It became much bigger than I anticipated, really,” she says. She sought to inspire her audience to find “third spaces,” and explore some of her favorite locales: museums, bookstores, cafes, concerts and the like, and foster community in the process. And each year, it has only grown bigger, with fans dressing up in their favorite Laufey-themed vintage fashions to celebrate the unofficial holiday.
And Aug. 23 will mark the fourth annual “A Very Laufey Day.”
“It is a fun puzzle every year,” she says.
‘A Very Laufey Day’ 2026
This year, “A Very Laufey Day” will include experiences in 75 cities across 25 countries, centering on the theme of “A Celebration of the Arts.”
“Wherever in the world you’re spending your day, I hope you feel inspired and invigorated,” Laufey wrote in a note on her “A Very Laufey Day” website.
Fans can expect performances spanning symphony orchestras, ballet, jazz, opera and theater as well as events with libraries, bookstores, coffee shops, yogurt/ice cream shops and more. Her concert film, “A Night at the Symphony: Hollywood Bowl,” will be screened at select theaters. And she’s partnered with many museums around the world, including New York City’s Guggenheim, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, London’s Tate Modern and National Gallery, Chile’s Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Seoul’s Daelim Museum and more. At some participating businesses, fans will be able to acquire limited-edition merchandise and Laufey-themed specialty drinks.
LACMA is offering a discount code, AVLD, for museum visitors on Aug. 23. As of Aug. 16, the code took $2 off tickets. “Come spend the day enjoying something beautiful,” LACMA wrote on Instagram.
“This year it was really about focusing on the arts and culture and finding ways to bring this barrier of entry down between my audience — which is mostly Gen Z and Gen A — and these kind of so-called high cultural experiences,” she says. “Whether it’s going to see an orchestra show … museums or galleries, we really want to find ways to connect with those institutions.”
Some of these spaces can be intimidating for younger fans, and Laufey says this year was all about making these rooms, some of her favorites, inviting to her audience.
“It doesn’t have to be this scary thing. And so, I’ve kind of made it my life’s mission to make spaces like that fun and accessible,” she says.
CHICAGO — Southpaw Tarik Skubal’s experience pitching in the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field came with a hostile reception. Cubs fans booed him as he approached the bullpen gate in right field to warm up before the game. They jeered even louder and longer as he took the mound in the bottom of the first inning.
That’s what came with the “Los Angeles” scrawled across the chest of his new blue jersey. Over the weekend he’d gone from the top trade candidate in baseball, to a symbol of the Dodgers’ evil reign.
A sports betting site even seized on the moment and paid for an airplane to fly a “THE DODGERS RUINED BASEBALL” banner over Wrigley Field a few hours before the game Tuesday — although it was upside down.
As the boos quieted, he authored a quality start in his Dodgers debut. But that wasn’t enough to serve as the team’s new stopper, as the Dodgers’ offense fell flat. They stumbled to a 5-1 loss and extended their skid to a season-high five games and ensured a second straight series loss.
“There’s certainly no panic,” manager Dave Roberts said. “We’ve been through a lot of these things, this core group of guys. I think that you just got to kind of reset, flush it, find a way to win a game, and not let it just compound. But it never feels good to lose.”
The first pitch Skubal threw as a Dodger, en route to holding the Cubs to two runs and four hits in six innings, was a sinker that zipped through the top of the strike zone at 96.3 mph, according to Statcast, to get ahead in the count against Cubs MVP candidate Pete Crow-Armstrong.
For the next four pitches, he alternated between his four-seam fastball and off-speed pitches — first his changeup and then curveball. And to finish off the at-bat, he located a sinker at the bottom of the zone for a called strike three.
It was a strong first impression, and his first strikeout of six.
“Going to bed last night, excited,” Skubal said. “It felt like my major-league debut, kind of same type of vibe in terms of the nerves running through. But I think that’s all good stuff.”
Skubal retired the first six batters he faced, with the help of a sliding catch by center fielder Andy Pages and a diving grab by right fielder Kyle Tucker.
To end the second inning, Skubal got new Cub Tyrone Taylor to chase a changeup just outside. Skubal skipped backward off the mound and buried his fist in the pocket of his glove in celebration.
The next inning, Skubal wavered ever so slightly. He gave up a first-pitch solo home run to Dansby Swanson.
“I think everyone around the league and he himself would say he’s an aggressive pitcher, he comes after you,” Swanson told reporters. “ He likes to get strike one, he likes to get strike two. You’ve just got to be ready to hit pitches he may leave over the plate, and he doesn’t do that very often. He’s been so good for a reason.”
Then, after another sliding catch by Pages and a strikeout, he gave up a single to Crow-Armstrong and walked Seiya Suzuki.
In his first high-pressure situation of the night, Skubal induced Alex Bregman to fly out on a changeup.
Then, he was back to cruising. Skubal put together perfect fourth and fifth innings.
“He creates really tough angles,” said catcher Ben Rortvedt, after his first game since the Dodgers reacquired him at the trade deadline. “Really commands the glove side really well. And his off-speed is really good, his changeup is elite. It’s two fastballs you can put on a dime. It’s just really good stuff.”
In the sixth, an unlucky bounce pushed the go-ahead run across the plate.
With one out, Skubal walked Suzuki on four pitches. Then he missed his spot with a fastball to Bregman, who roped a line drive to deep right field. Tucker tracked it back to the warning track but just missed the catch as he slammed into the wall. The double put runners on second and third.
Skubal held the Cubs at bay for one more batter by getting Michael Busch to skip a groundball to second baseman Tommy Edman, playing on the edge of the infield grass. He fired home for the second out of the inning.
Then came that dose of misfortune. Skubal’s fastball did its job, as the Cubs’ Nico Hoerner drove it into the ground. Bouncing off the plate, the ball shot up in the air, and then it settled in the grass, giving Bregman enough time to score the go-ahead run.
Ian Happ, left, Seiya Suzuki, middle, and Pete Crow-Armstrong run after beating the Dodgers.
(Melissa Tamez / AP)
The Wrigley faithful turned up the heat, taunting “Skuuuuubaaaaalll.” They’d done something similar in the National League Division Series last year to Brewers ace Freddy Peralta.
“The fans are what create the environment,” Skubal said. “It’s a ton of fun to play in front of crowds like that. Even if they’re booing me or whatever it is, I think that’s what makes the game of baseball really fun, the competition really fun, and the atmosphere is really fun. I’m sure that’s not going to be the only rowdy atmosphere on the road. I plan on pitching in front of those atmospheres for the rest of the season, and then obviously, when it comes postseason time, I’ll be ready to go.”
Skubal bore down and got out of the inning with a flyout from Taylor. That changeup, designed to get him to chase, wrapped up Skubal’s outing at 85 pitches.
“For me, I want him wanting for more, feeling good,” Roberts said. “This is me still learning him. Where we’re at, I’m going to err on the side of being smart and cautious, and knowing that he can still give us more. I’m going to push him, but tonight is not the night. I just felt that that extra inning wasn’t worth the squeeze.”
When Skubal walked off the mound, his team trailed 2-1, their only run a solo homer from Tucker, who’d been booed throughout his first series back at Wrigley since departing the Cubs in free agency.
The Cubs, on the other hand, continued to rally against the Dodgers’ bullpen.
“Just a rut,” veteran leader Mookie Betts said after the loss. “It’s OK. We’re going to be OK.”
Stellio Lestienne, chef at La Matelote in Boulogne’s harbour, shows me his shopping list as we browse the city’s daily morning fish market. He wants to pick up some crab and sole, which are in season, but his usual lobster fisher is still out on his boat, so he’ll have to wait a bit for that. Although I’ve been a regular visitor to both Boulogne and the surrounding Hauts-de-France region for about 30 years, this is my first time in the fish market. Now I’m kicking myself for all that lost time.
It’s not very big, nor is it remotely picturesque, stretching along a nondescript car park in the port. But it does have a fantastic selection of fish and seafood, both from fishers (pêcheurs artisans in light-blue stalls) and retailers (commerçants in dark blue). And it’s considerably cheaper than other fish markets I’ve seen. “People come here from the UK with cool bags to do their shopping,” Stellio says, pointing to a man doing that very thing. I spot filleted roussettes (dogfish) going for €2 each. At another stall, a man deftly slices through a grotesque-looking monkfish, cutting out the prized cheeks.
Boulogne harbour. Photograph: Anthony Hucks/Alamy
Boulogne-sur-Mer is France’s largest fishing port and all of this bounty is just a short jaunt across the Channel. This makes the idea of a seafood safari along the Côte d’Opale – whose chalky cliffs, sand dunes and forests stretch south from Calais to Le Touquet and beyond – impossible for me to resist.
I start in the fishing village of Audresselles, a pleasant 45-minute pootle along the coast road from LeShuttle’s terminal. La Marie Galante, run by cheerful and talented sisters Béatrice and Godeleine Cuvellier, has a cosy interior and razor clams on the menu. Accustomed to seeing empty razor-clam shells on my favourite Norfolk beach but not on restaurant menus (too much of a faff to collect, a local fishmonger told me), I pounce on these shellfish smothered in garlic and parsley. This is followed by a typical plate of fruits de mer – oysters, whelks, giant juicy prawns and half a crab. Around me echoes the sound of people studiously pounding their crab claws open, soon joined by my own. The sound of a happy restaurant.
Mary Novakovich tackles crab at La Marie Galante in Audresselles. Photograph: Adam Batterbee
One of my favourite French towns awaits a little further along the coast – Wimereux, with its wonderfully whimsical 19th-century architecture and long expanse of beach. Its art deco grande dame, Hotel l’Atlantic, has had a major makeover since I last stayed. Chef Benjamin Delpierre, co-owner with his wife Aurélie, has also since handed back the restaurant’s Michelin star, throwing off the constraints that came with it. In a relaxed yet sophisticated atmosphere, I dip prawn croquettes into a curried beetroot puree before revelling in a fillet of roast cod with an addictive celery cream and rich chicken jus. All the while, I watch mesmerised as the sun dips across the Channel.
Le Touquet, with its long sandy beaches, pine forests and golf courses loved by Channel-hopping Brits, is my next stop. But first I make a detour to its neighbour across the River Canche, Étaples-sur-Mer. This is another first for me: a visit to Maréis, an exhibition centre and aquarium telling the story of French sea fishing in the North Sea and Channel. And what an utterly fascinating story it turns out to be. What is caught in the sea and how it’s caught are vividly brought to life thanks to clever immersive and interactive exhibits (in French and English). Fish swim in an aquarium above my head, while another large tank holds enormous rays gliding through the water.
That evening in Le Touquet, the shouts of England fans from the Globe Trotter pub keep me abreast of the World Cup score while, across the lane at Pérard, I dine on a whole grilled sea bream. I can’t remember the last time I could fillet a fish so effortlessly, such was the perfection of the grilling and freshness of the fish. On the way back to my hotel, Novotel Thalassa Le Touquet, I’m treated to the same sunset spectacle as in Wimereux, the sands and the sea glowing in the warm light.
I spend an agreeable morning wandering through Le Touquet’s sprawling market, most of whose food stalls are under soaring wooden vaulted ceilings within the semicircular covered market. Not surprisingly, the fishmongers have their own section, where they’ve set up a bar à huitres so you can sit at high tables and order fruits de mer and a glass of wine. It’s tempting, but I go for a bowl of mussels covered in oozing maroilles cheese in nearby La Chope. The restaurant’s soundtrack of death metal isn’t exactly conducive to a relaxing lunch, but the food just about makes up for it.
Wimereux seafront and sea pool. Photograph: Yann Avril/Alamy
I still have an evening in Boulogne to look forward to, but first a stroll around the Old Town near the imposing basilica. My B&B is here too, the Stay Well Hôtel de Fiennes, an elegant 1732 townhouse with a courtyard made for unwinding. But the prospect of dinner at La Matelote drags me out of the comfy chairs and down to the port. Delicious flavours follow: langoustine with cauliflower cream; white asparagus with smoked salmon, caviar, basil cream and hummus; hake with pea puree and thyme-roasted carrots. And it’s all crowned by a quite stupendous lemon souffle. I’m not a dessert person, but this makes me want to applaud whoever made this divine creation.
I have a final stop before the end of my little seafood safari – back to Audresselles, but this time to my regular haunt, Chez Mimi. Trying to be sensible after days of indulgence, I opt for a small plate of crustaceans instead of my usual calorific “crabe mimi” (stuffed crab with fries). My husband orders it instead, making me wish I were less sensible. In the village square, everything is being set up for that weekend’s annual crab festival, now in its 50th year and an event I enjoyed years ago. I might be missing the party, but I have my own seafood celebration to savour.
A couple have shared the game-changing hack they used to guarantee they get a full row to themselves on a plane – but there’s one big catch that means it doesn’t always work
The couple managed to book themselves a full row on a plane without spending any extra cash (stock photo)(Image: Images By Tang Ming Tung via Getty Images)
A savvy booking trick could see you snapping up an entire plane row for yourself. Let’s be honest – flying is rarely a comfortable experience, particularly when you’re wedged next to strangers for hours on end in a cramped seat with minimal legroom and precious little room to breathe.
However, if you’re travelling with a companion, there’s a nifty hack worth trying that could leave you both with the whole row to yourselves. One woman and her partner recently put the trick to the test on social media, and ended up with considerably more space than they’d ordinarily have had.
In a TikTok video, Lucy-Emma revealed that she and her partner had each booked the window seat and the aisle seat in the same row, deliberately leaving the middle seat vacant. They were banking on no one else claiming that middle spot, effectively bagging an extra seat without spending a penny extra – and it came off brilliantly.
She said: “We decided to do the thing where you book the aisle and the window seat and hope that no one sits here [in the middle seat]. Especially because I dislocated my toe this morning, and I want somewhere to put my feet up.”
Lucy-Emma later captured herself and her partner on film once all passengers had boarded, confirming that the middle seat remained unoccupied. This meant she could use it to rest her injured foot, while also taking advantage of the tray table to give herself extra room to watch her favourite show on her laptop.
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Viewers of the video were left gobsmacked, with many having no idea that booking two seats and leaving the middle one empty was even an option. Others, however, admitted they were petty enough to deliberately book the middle seat just to scupper couples attempting to use this trick to their advantage.
One person said: “I didn’t know you could do this!”
Another added: “Wow, so lucky!”
But one argued: “And I’m the a**hole who sits in the middle seat and refuses an offer to swap seats. S*** goes both ways.”
A fourth also shared: “I’m that person who purposely books the middle seat just to miff people off.”
Numerous other commenters were quick to flag that this method is far from foolproof. Certain airlines may not permit you to leave the middle seat vacant, while on fully booked flights, the seat could simply be assigned to another passenger.
One person pointed out: “Doesn’t this only work if the flight isn’t full? If the flight is full, the booking system will automatically put someone there who hasn’t booked a seat.”
As such, this isn’t a reliable method of securing extra space on board, as you could find yourself with a complete stranger wedged between you and your travel companion – and they may well refuse to budge so the pair of you can sit together.
If you’re looking to guarantee more room on a flight, the only surefire solution is to book the middle seat yourself, which some airlines may offer at a reduced rate compared to your actual seat.
He was tentatively scheduled to start Wednesday against the Phillies, after promising initial reports on his recovery from an injection in his left knee. But after seeing his knee’s response to playing catch, the team decided to give him more time.
“We just want to continue to give it the best chance to kind of get into a good spot,” manager Dave Roberts said. “And as he said, as we feel, it’s the pitching and the torque of landing on that leg that kind of gets it upset.”
It was clear enough from catch play that Ohtani’s start would have to be pushed back that Ohtani did not feel the need to test it by throwing off a mound, Roberts said.
“Where we’re at right now, how we’re proceeding, I would say that it’s going to be some time,” Roberts said. “It’s not going to be a day-to-day thing.”
That left a wide range of timeline possibilities, from days to weeks. Roberts did, however, rule out shutting Ohtani down from pitching for the rest of the season.
“I guess anything is possible, but I just don’t think that’s a possibility,” he said.
To fill Ohtani’s spot in the rotation this week, the Dodgers moved right-hander Emmet Sheehan’s start to Monday. Before the rainout bumped the second game of the series against the New York Yankees, Sheehan was scheduled to start Saturday.
For Sunday’s doubleheader, right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto will take the mound in the first game. The bullpen, and potentially multiple innings from the 27th man, will cover the nightcap.
“Honestly, a lot of it is where we’re at and how we’ve put ourselves in a good spot,” Roberts said of the MLB-leading Dodgers. “Could [Ohtani] probably do it? Sure. But right now, the benefits just don’t seem to outweigh the cost at this time of the season. So I think we still have plenty of time to get him to a good spot to then pitch.”
Ohtani, who went hitless in four at-bats as the designated hitter in Friday’s 2-1 win, was set to DH and hit leadoff in Sunday’s first game.
Ben Morris visited Sambuca di Sicilia, dubbed “Italy’s little America”, to investigate a seemingly incredible €1 home scheme, but he quickly discovered a catch
Around 25 municipalities are said to be offering the €1 homes
(Image: Ben Morris/YouTube
)
A travel vlogger who visited the beautiful Mediterranean island of Sicily to investigate a €1 home scheme quickly came across a major “catch”. A wave of reports advertise small towns in Italy flogging vacant properties for as little as €1 (just 85p in today’s money).
It’s a phenomenon that comes on the back of a reported rural exodus. Young Italians have been increasingly drawn to city life, leaving stunning villages to empty out as their ageing populations dwindle.
Around 25 municipalities are said to be offering the €1 homes, betting that renovated and occupied properties will be more lucrative; second homes come with tax bills.
Ben Morris visited the commune of Sambuca di Sicilia, Sicily, dubbed “Italy’s little America” due to the influx of US property buyers, to investigate. On his self-titled YouTube channel, Ben spoke to a local estate agent about the scheme.
She explained: “So, when they launched the first project, then there has been three: €1 houses, €2 houses, and €3 houses.”
The estate agent went on to say: “The rules are more or less always the same. You have to do an offer of at least €1, €2 or €3, but you know that the higher offer will win the house.”
Returning to Ben’s narration, he stated: “So there’s the catch in Sambuca. Although houses do go on the market for €1, they usually get bid on for up to €5,000 (about £4,200).
“However, the town that we’re going to visit after this actually has houses that you can straight up buy for €1. No catch. And there’s actually places available now.”
Ben then spoke about the home of Meredith Tabbone, who bought hers for €5,000 and later bought the home next door. However, her renovations set her back a whopping $446,000 (about £333,000).
Later, he set off in search of a no-strings-attached €1 home in the town of Mussomeli. Ben met up with a woman named Natalie, who said she’d show him a range of homes, including two that cost just €1.
Once he entered one such property, it was immediately visible that the house needed a lot of work. Ben was advised to only walk on the edges of the floor as he ventured through the property for “safety” reasons.
After he inspected the seemingly dilapidated two-level property, he commented: “And that is exactly why so many of these homes are being sold for so cheap. You’re going to need to do renovations and spend money to make it livable.
“You also have the responsibility to make sure your house doesn’t fall down and like kill your neighbour or something.”
Natalie also explained that, in addition to this, the buyer would have expenses to close the sale. Ben said this was another “little catch”, adding that you’d have to pay for notary fees and certificates.
Speaking previously about the scheme, 1eurohouses.com said in a statement, as reported by the Independent: “We do not need new constructions and new overbuilding.
“The strategy to improve the housing environment and reclaim our cultural identity is to revive the small abandoned centres or to redevelop buildings in a state of abandonment, with a story that is our history.”
After topscoring with the bat for Scotland, Kathryn Bryce makes an impact with the ball, taking a superb one-handed catch to remove Ireland’s Alana Dalzell for six in their opening match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup at Old Trafford.
The first film by Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg to be shot partly in the U.S. is, perhaps not surprisingly, a freaky satire of Hollywood. Its take on fame has only grown more accurate in the years since its premiere in 2014. Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowska and Robert Pattinson star in a demented tale of family, celebrity, ambition, ego and limousines. Funny and perverse, the film captures the uncanny cocktail of mean-spirited malignancy, self-obsessed delusion and just plain obliviousness that runs rampant around town. Presented by the screening series Mezzanine and the local literary magazine the Big One, the evening will be introduced by the film’s screenwriter, Bruce Wagner, a longtime chronicler of Los Angeles.
“Maps to the Stars” is playing June 14 at Brain Dead Studios. Tickets here.
