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TUI passengers can travel with four luggage items for free this summer, but there are some rules to be aware of if you’re jetting off abroad with a baby or infant

TUI passengers are in for a treat this summer as they can bring four pieces of luggage onboard flights without any additional charges.

Every TUI traveller aged two and above is permitted to carry one piece of hand luggage on flights free of charge, provided it doesn’t exceed 10kg and its dimensions don’t exceed 55x40x20cm. In addition, passengers can also bring one small personal item onboard, such as a backpack, laptop bag or a handbag.

This must be compact enough to fit under the seat in front and not exceed 40x30x20cm. It comes after Ryanair passengers band together as staff charge woman £75 luggage fee.

READ MORE: Baggage handler explains type of suitcase that’s least likely to be ‘tossed around’READ MORE: Beautiful UK resort dubbed the ‘Queen of seaside towns’ during summer

For those who’ve booked a package holiday with TUI, a checked-in luggage allowance of at least 20kg per person is included. However, for flight-only bookings, checked-in luggage comes with an extra fee.

But there’s good news for families travelling with infants – TUI is allowing up to two additional items of luggage on flights free of charge, reports the Express.

TUI permits passengers to check in a collapsible pushchair and a car seat into the hold at no extra cost on both package holidays and flight-only bookings. Although passengers do have the option of bringing pushchairs onboard, provided it doesn’t exceed 50x40x20cm and weighs no more than 10kg. However, in this case, it will count as your large piece of hand luggage.

Infants under the age of two don’t get a hand luggage allowance on TUI flights, so if you have a baby changing bag that you need to take with you, this will be counted as part of your 10kg free allowance.

TUI states: “If you’re flying on a TUI flight (package or flight only), you can check in pushchairs and/or car seats into the hold for free. You can also bring your pushchair with you onboard, as long as it weighs less than 10kg, is no bigger than 55x40x20cm and has a hand luggage label provided during check-in.

“This’ll count as your larger piece of hand luggage for an adult on the booking, meaning you can have this and one smaller piece of hand luggage that fits under the seat in front of you, with maximum dimensions 40x30x20cm.

“There’s the option to use your pushchair at the airport and hand it to a member of staff at the gate before you board, but please make our ground staff aware when you check in as you’ll need a label for this too.

“Just so you know, pushchairs and car seats will be returned on the luggage belt when you arrive, and there’s occasionally a long walk between the aircraft and the luggage reclaim area. Any pushchairs need to be completely collapsible. Please note, if you’re travelling with an infant under 2, they don’t have a hand luggage allowance.”

Every TUI aircraft features baby changing facilities situated within the loos, though travellers are encouraged to consult the cabin crew beforehand since amenities can differ based on the aircraft type. Children under two years old also don’t receive meals during flights, meaning passengers must pack their own grub, although the carrier can warm baby milk bottles while airborne.

READ MORE: Ryanair-approved cabin case to rival Antler gets slashed by 30% in summer sale

Salcombe in Devon has been deserted by tourists after it was revealed to be the UK’s most expensive seaside town – and a new £10 parking charge has been implemented

A new £10 parking charge is putting off day-trippers from visiting Salcombe, recently branded the UK’s most expensive coastal town.

Lloyds revealed in May 2024 that the average house price in the Devon hotspot has tumbled by 22% to £970,657, compared to over £1.2million in 2022. However, Rightmove’s August rankings still positioned Sandbanks and Canford Cliffs in Dorset at the summit of the list for the most costly seaside towns, with average asking prices of £1.5million and £1.2million respectively.

Salcombe, known for its high concentration of second homes – making up about 60% of its housing stock – is already hitting these properties with double council tax. It comes after reports of a small fishing village with some of UK’s best seafood but hardly any tourists.

READ MORE: World’s ‘prettiest town’ dubbed ‘Little Venice’ with stunning canals and winding streetsREAD MORE: ‘Fish and chip capital’ that’s perfect for tourists named top place to visit

The recent launch of a £10 daily parking fee for visitors has triggered outrage, whilst South Hams District Council provides locals an annual permit for £5, enabling them to park for £8 per day, reports Devon Live.

Local business owners are worried about the effect on trade. Beck Gordon, owner of a cafe and fishmonger’s, said: “It’s quieter generally. The parking’s definitely an issue.”

She noticed a drop in visits from nearby residents, saying: “In terms of day-trippers, if you talk about more local people, they definitely don’t come any more.”

Gordon also emphasised the gap in parking costs, pointing out it’s cheaper to get a weekly parking ticket for £25 or £50 than paying the car park fees, which would total £70. She branded the situation “absolutely ridiculous”.

A local cafe manager revealed that she spends a whopping £120 of her earnings solely on parking. Councillor Julian Brazil, who is in charge of community services at the local council, commented: “We’d like to do everything to help the tourism trade and we have kept our car parking charges as competitive as possible.

“Residents of the South Hams can benefit from our discounted resident parking scheme.” He also highlighted the benefits for Salcombe’s workforce, stating: “Many workers in Salcombe have benefited from our competitive parking permits, which offer significantly lower long-term parking compared to our pay-on-the-day rates.”

Councillor Brazil was frank about the financial decisions, asserting: “Be under no illusion, we don’t want to increase prices, but this is the best choice for us under the circumstances we find ourselves in.”

He further clarified the reasoning behind the pricing strategy: “Our prices have been frozen for four years, and now everyone who benefits from our public services are being asked to contribute, and that includes our visitors.”

Property experts at Zoopla have pinpointed Devon’s South Hams district as a prime location. The area, which includes the historic town of Dartmouth and nearby Kingsbridge, Ivybridge, Salcombe, and Totnes, is deemed “desirable”.

They expanded on the available housing options, stating: “Dartmouth and its surrounding town and villages offer a range of properties from terraces, cottages and merchants’ houses, to new-builds and luxury sea-view flats, town houses and boathouses.”

Following a significant tourist boom, officials have confirmed overseas tourists will be charged to enter some of the country’s most popular natural sites – with some fees as high as £17

A breathtakingly beautiful country renowned for its rugged mountains and lush landscapes has revealed plans to charge overseas tourists for entering some of its most famous natural attractions. Last year, around 3.31 million international tourists flocked to New Zealand, a significant increase of 357,000 compared to 2023.

Lured in by its glow worm-filled caves, natural springs, incredible hikes and unbeatable coffee culture, the country’s tourist boom has shed light on the strain tourism can have on nature. As a result, conservation minister Tama Potaka and prime minister Christopher Luxon have announced new measures to help protect the areas, as well as create more jobs and boost wages.

The move will see tourists pay between NZ$20 (£8.87) and $40 (£17.75) to enter a handful of attractions that account for around 80 per cent of all visitors. It comes after a warning to Brit tourists planning all-inclusive holidays to Spain.

READ MORE: Historic city with 81p beers is one of Europe most affordable mini-breaks

“Tourists make a massive contribution to our economy, and no one wants that to change,” Mr Potaka said. “But I have heard many times from friends visiting from overseas their shock that they can visit some of the most beautiful places in the world for free.”

The politician estimated the move will generate a whopping £28 million in revenue per year, which will be ‘directly re-invested into those same areas’. However, New Zealanders will be exempt from the tourist charge.

“It’s our collective inheritance and Kiwis shouldn’t have to pay to see it,” the PM added, arguing the country’s concessions regime is ‘totally broken’. “If we’re serious about keeping Kiwis at home, creating jobs, and increasing wages for all New Zealanders, we can’t afford to keep saying no to every opportunity that comes our way.”

The first locations to introduce the charges will be Piopiotahi (Milford Sound), a stunning fjord located in the southwest of the south island. Sandwiched within Fiordland National Park, the reserve is highly popular with tourists wanting to explore the dolphin-filled waters and majestic waterfalls on a boat tour. It was also one of the many filming locations for the Lord of the Rings.

The iconic Te Whanganui-a-Hei (Cathedral Cove) will also be included in the shake-up. This stunning marine reserve is arguably the country’s most famous patch of sand, often pictured by its natural archway that perfectly frames the beach. Other sites slated to introduce tourist charges include Tongariro Crossing in the eponymously-named national park and the famous Aoraki Mount Cook – New Zealand’s highest mountain.

It is reported that the fees won’t be introduced until 2027. Much closer to home, sunbed wars see Brits forced to queue for ‘over an hour’ just to get to the pool.

What do you think of New Zealand’s tourist charge? Have your say in the comments section below

Karle Ofarrell was about to board a Ryanair flight from London Gatwick to Dublin when staff told her that her bag was too big and that she’d have to pay an extra charge

A group of passengers stepped in to try to save a woman from paying a £75 Ryanair cabin bag charge.

Karla Ofarrell was travelling from London Gatwick to Dublin when a Ryanair worker asked her to make sure her luggage fit in the bag sizer. And when the 35-year-old was told it was too big, a group of men offered their belts.

As a team, they tried to wrap the belt around the bag to squash it down and pass the check. But the staff member wouldn’t back down. The intervention came after a Mirror reporter was forced to fork out a significant chunk of cash to take her water bottles on a Ryanair flight.

Have you got a Ryanair story to share? Email [email protected]

“Staff came directly over to me while I was sitting down and asked me to put my bag in the bag holder,” Karla, from Dublin, told Luxury Travel Daily. “It fit in, but the staff said it didn’t, and I would need to make the case shrink somehow to fit it behind the tape.

“They didn’t pull anyone else’s bag, and when I argued that it fit, she said the bag was a danger to fly with, so I would need to make it smaller or else it wouldn’t fly. Three or four men who were standing nearby started to offer their belts.

“I tried two different ones that were too small, and then finally one belt that would fit and make the case smaller. The flight attendant wasn’t happy about it, shushed the crowd and said they were disturbing other passengers.

“Someone shouted out, ‘Micheal O’Leary is charging €10 for having the craic’. The flight attendant got more and more irate and wouldn’t accept the bag with the belt. They ignored my attempts at boarding. She made me wait until last and said she wouldn’t let me fly unless I paid the fine and I could ‘take all the pictures I wanted’.

“Me and the other passengers agreed that she wanted to make an example out of me, so she doubled down because she was embarrassed.”

Karla had already forked out £385 for the return flight on 9 July and £40 for priority boarding. She claims that when she pointed this out to the staff, they threatened to ban her from flying. Karla says she made a complaint to Ryanair.

She added: “The fines are an unbelievable waste of time and bad press. Unfortunately, we had to fly Ryanair due to flight times for meetings.”

A Ryanair spokesperson said: “This passenger booked a Regular fare for this flight from London Gatwick to Dublin (9 Jul), which allowed them to carry a small personal bag and a 10kg cabin bag onboard. As their cabin bag exceeded the permitted size, they were correctly charged a standard gate baggage fee (£75) by the gate agent at London Gatwick Airport.”

Chargers linebacker Denzel Perryman was arrested Friday night on suspicion of a felony weapons charge, according to L.A. County Sheriff Dept. records.

Perryman was arrested by deputies from the South Los Angeles Sheriff’s Station at 9:41 p.m. and booked at shortly after 10 p.m., according to department records. A court hearing in Inglewood has been scheduled for Tuesday.

“We are aware of a matter involving Denzel and are gathering information,” the team said in a statement Saturday.

One of the veterans of the Chargers’ defense, Perryman, 32, had 55 tackles and one sack last season. He returned to the Chargers in 2024 — the team that drafted him in 2015 — after stints with the Las Vegas Raiders and Houston Texans.

Perryman is in training camp looking to keep his starting role next to Daiyan Henley.

WASHINGTON — The Senate on a party-line vote on Tuesday confirmed Emil J. Bove, President Trump’s defense lawyer and loyal ally atop the Justice Department, to a lifetime seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals in Philadelphia. The vote was 49 to 50.

Bove, 44, was a highly controversial judicial nominee, not because of his legal views, but because he led a purge of prosecutors and FBI agents who had worked on cases growing out of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

Before this year, the Justice Department held to a tradition of keeping politics out of law enforcement. But Bove and Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi saw their missions as carrying out the wishes of President Trump, including his plans for retribution against the prosecutors and investigators who brought charges against him or the 1,500 Trump allies who stormed the Capitol and fought with police.

In the first weeks of Trump’s second term, Bove served as the acting head of the Justice Department before Bondi was confirmed by the Senate.

Bove also ordered federal prosecutors in New York to drop bribery and corruption charges against Mayor Eric Adams. The move prompted several of them to resign over what they saw as an unethical deal to win the mayor’s cooperation in the administration’s plan to round up immigrants who are in the country illegally.

Bove also played a key role in the new administration’s clash with a federal judge over deporting Venezuelans to a brutal prison in El Salvador. A former Justice Department attorney-turned-whistleblower said Bove told government lawyers they should ignore orders from the judge who sought to halt the deportations.

When Bove appeared before a Senate committee as a judicial nominee, he said he had been misunderstood and unfairly criticized.

“I am not an enforcer” or “anybody’s henchman,” he said.

Deputy Atty. Gen. Todd Blanche, who partnered with Bove in defending Trump last year, said he had been smeared by unfair criticism.

“Emil is the most capable and principled lawyer I have ever known,” he wrote in a Fox News opinion column.

Democrats said Bove did not deserve a promotion to the federal courts.

Sen. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) described Bove as a partisan loyalist who served Trump as “the instrument of his vengeance.”

“When Trump wanted to purge the department of prosecutors who had proved to juries beyond a reasonable doubt that the violent offenders who attacked police officers that day did so to interfere with the peaceful transfer of power, Emil Bove was there to punish not the criminals, but the prosecutors,” Schiff said in opposing the nomination.

On Tuesday, Bove was called a “diligent, capable and fair jurist” by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), according to the Associated Press.

Bove is not likely to have much influence on the 3rd Circuit Court. Its 14 judges hear appeals from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. Bove has no experience as a judge and has not written on legal or constitutional issues.

However, if Justices Clarence Thomas or Samuel A. Alito were to retire in the next three years, Trump could nominate him to the Supreme Court.

His nomination drew unusually broad opposition from the legal community.

In a July 15 letter to the Senate, 80 former and retired judges said confirming Bove to a life-term judgeship undercuts the rule of law and respect for the federal courts. They said his “egregious record of mistreating law enforcement officers, abusing power and disregarding the law itself disqualifies him for this position.”

More than 900 former Justice Department attorneys signed a letter to the Senate saying “it is intolerable to us that anyone who disgraces the Justice Department would be promoted to one of the highest courts in the land.”

Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, became the first Republican to declare her opposition to his nomination.

“We have to have judges who will adhere to the rule of law and the Constitution and do so regardless of what their personal views may be,” she said in a statement. “Mr. Bove’s political profile and some of the actions he has taken in his leadership roles at the Department of Justice cause me to conclude he would not serve as as impartial jurist.”

Collins and Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska were the only Republicans to vote against Bove.

Just hours after the Trump administration moved to extend U.S. Atty. Bill Essayli’s term as Los Angeles’ top federal law enforcement official, prosecutors moved to dismiss charges in a pair of controversial criminal cases, including one involving a donor to the president.

In a motion filed late Tuesday, federal prosecutors sought to dismiss an indictment accusing Andrew Wiederhorn, ex-CEO of the company that owns the Fatburger and Johnny Rockets chains, of carrying out a $47 million “sham loan” scheme.

Prosecutors also sought to dismiss charges against L.A. County sheriff’s deputy Trevor Kirk, who has already been convicted and sentenced in an excessive force case after he attacked a woman in a supermarket parking lot in 2023.

A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s office declined comment. Both cases had already drawn significant controversy during Essayli’s turbulent run as L.A.’s top federal prosecutor.

Days before Essayli’s initial appointment in April, Adam Schleifer, the assistant U.S. attorney handling the criminal case against Wiederhorn, was fired at the behest of the White House.

Schleifer alleged in appealing the decision that his firing was motivated in part by his prosecution of Wiederhorn, a Trump donor who has maintained his innocence.

According to three sources familiar with the matter who were not authorized to speak publicly, Essayli had a meeting with Wiederhorn’s defense team shortly after he was appointed. The meeting included former U.S. Atty. Nicola T. Hanna, whom the sources said was in charge of the office when the investigation into Wiederhorn began and is now on Wiederhorn’s defense team.

According to those sources, Essayli suggested shortly after the meeting ended that the cases against Wiederhorn could be dismissed if Essayli was permanently appointed.

“From day one, we have maintained Andy’s innocence,” Hanna said in a statement on Tuesday. “We are extremely grateful that the U.S. Attorney’s Office listened to our arguments and determined, in the interests of justice, that all charges should be dropped.”

Hanna has not responded to requests for comment about the prior meeting with Essayli.

Earlier on Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Justice confirmed Essayli would be named acting U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, a move that extends his term another 210 days.

Under normal procedures, U.S. Attorneys must receive Senate confirmation or be appointed by a federal judicial panel. But facing opposition to Trump’s picks in the Senate, the administration has used a similar tactic to skirt legal norms and keep its chosen prosecutors in power in New York, New Jersey and Nevada in recent weeks.

The indictment against Wiederhorn also alleged he was aided by the company’s former chief financial officer, Rebecca D. Hershinger, and his outside accountant, William J. Amon. The U.S. attorney’s office moved to to dismiss the indictment against all three defendants, as well as charges against their company, Fat Brands.

“From day one, we have said Rebecca Hershinger was innocent,” attorney Michael J. Proctor of the law firm of Iversen Proctor LLP said in a statement. “We are grateful that the government has acknowledged the case should be dismissed.”

Wiederhorn was also under indictment on a gun charge, which prosecutors moved to dismiss as well. Wiederhorn is banned from possessing firearms after he pleaded guilty in 2004 to charges of paying an illegal gratuity to his associate and filing a false tax return. He spent 15 months in prison and paid a $2-million fine.

Late Tuesday, the U.S. Attorney’s office also moved to dismiss an indictment against Alejandro Orellana, a 29-year-old ex-Marine who had been accused of aiding in civil disorder for passing out gas masks during large scale protests against immigration raids in Southern California.

A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s office declined to comment. Orellana’s case was one of the few indictments Essayli’s prosecutors had won related to alleged misconduct during the protests, and Essayli had fervently defended the charges when questioned by a Times reporter last month.

“He wasn’t handing masks out at the beach … they’re covering their faces. They’re wearing backpacks. These weren’t peaceful protesters,” Essayli said. “They weren’t holding up signs, with a political message. They came to do violence.”

Orellana issued a statement Tuesday that declared: “Protesting is not a crime. Defending my community is not a crime.”

“I want to thank all the supporters across the country who mobilized to get the charges dropped,” he said. “We won because we’re on the right side of history and our cause is just.”

Kirk, the sheriff’s deputy, was convicted of assault under color of authority in February and faced 10 years in prison for hurling a woman to the ground and pepper spraying her while responding to a reported robbery at a Lancaster supermarket in 2023. The victim, Jacy Houseton, was filming Kirk at the time but was not armed or actively committing a crime.

Kirk and his defense team have argued Houseton matched the description of a suspect given to Kirk as he responded.

Kirk was set to self-surrender next month, on August 28.

“We support that obviously without any objections and I think it’s within the confines of the law,” Kirk’s attorney, Tom Yu, said.

Caree Harper, who has represented Houseton, said she was notified Tuesday afternoon by Asst. U.S. Atty. Robert Keenan of the plan to dismiss the indictment against Kirk.

“We thought Trump’s new U.S. Attorneys office could not stoop any lower, but it seems like Mr. Essayli & Mr. Keenan’s insistence on being Trevor Kirk’s BEST defense attorney has no limits,” Harper said in an email.

Reached by phone, Harper called the news “disappointing and disheartening,” citing the fact that the judge in the case “already gave him an unbelievable break.”

“They don’t want him to spend one day in jail. They don’t want him in cuffs at all,” Harper said. “This is a travesty of justice yet again.”

Lawyers seeking a temporary restraining order against an immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades say that “Alligator Alcatraz” detainees have been barred from meeting attorneys, are being held without any charges and that a federal immigration court has canceled bond hearings.

A virtual hearing in federal court in Miami was being held Monday on a lawsuit that was filed July 16. A new motion on the case was filed Friday.

Lawyers who have shown up for bond hearings for “Alligator Alcatraz” detainees have been told that the immigration court doesn’t have jurisdiction over their clients, the attorneys wrote in court papers. The immigration attorneys demanded that federal and state officials identify an immigration court that has jurisdiction over the detainees and start accepting petitions for bond, claiming the detainees constitutional rights to due process are being violated.

“This is an unprecedented situation where hundreds of detainees are held incommunicado, with no ability to access the courts, under legal authority that has never been explained and may not exist,” the immigration attorneys wrote. “This is an unprecedented and disturbing situation.”

The lawsuit is the second one challenging “Alligator Alcatraz.” Environmental groups last month sued federal and state officials asking that the project built on an airstrip in the heart of the Florida Everglades be halted because the process didn’t follow state and federal environmental laws.

Critics have condemned the facility as a cruel and inhumane threat to the ecologically sensitive wetlands, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and other Republican state officials have defended it as part of the state’s aggressive push to support President Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has praised Florida for coming forward with the idea, as the department looks to significantly expand its immigration detention capacity.

Schneider writes for the Associated Press.

Those headed to this popular European beach destination this summer need to be careful as social media users warn of an unexpected phone charge which could set you back hundreds of pounds

Brits heading to Corfu have been warned to be the lookout this summer for a hidden network charge – which could hit them before they’ve even left the airport. Worse still, it could even cost them hundreds. Instead of unwinding, tourists have been left confused after receiving a ‘Welcome to Albania’ text message upon arrival at their island destination – despite Corfu being a part of Greece.

As reported by the Daily Mail, an employee from MailOnline recently holidayed at the popular holiday destination. He shared a text he received upon landing, which came from a service named ‘Rate Advice.’

READ MORE: Beautiful city dubbed ‘Venice’s little sister’ has barely any tourists

It reads: “Welcome to Albania! Calls, texts and data in Albania are chargeable and do not come out of your standard allowances or UK data add-ons. Roam Beyond data add-ons for this destination are available in the iD Mobile app for as little as GBP5.00.

“If you haven’t already purchased a Roam Beyond data add-on, it will cost GBP1.50 per MB. Minutes and texts are not included , and will cost GBP0.60 per text to roam. To protect you from excessive charges, a GBP45.00 roaming data cap is in place.”

The issue arises from Corfu’s proximity to Albania. Despite being located in Greece, it lies relatively close (30 miles) to Ksamil, a small beachside village in the Albanian Riviera.

Due to its location, the strength of Albanian mobile phone signals from the coast can cause phones to connect to them automatically. This can occur even when the user is in a completely different country.

Aside from causing confusion, this mix-up can end up costing tourists – which is why unfortunate holidaymakers jumped on social media over the summer to warn others of unexpected charges.

Steve Moore, from Chesterfield, came on to the popular Facebook group, We Love Sidari, to complain about his experience. He wrote: “I arrived Sunday, usual welcome text to Corfu charges just the same as UK – 2 days later message welcome to Albania this is your charges.”

He continued: “Wow what a rip off, phoned company and after 45 mins of conversation was told the network must of changed to a different mast. You need to keep an eye on it otherwise it will cost you a lot.”

A second Facebook user also chimed in, pointing out that appears to happen in specific parts of the island. “Only if you go to the east of the island,” they wrote. “I did that mistake while on a quad. Using google maps. £128 to drive up road lol.” A third added, ‘We got caught out £298 bill when we got home.’

So, how do you avoid these charges? Travellers are urged to either contact their provider regarding the situation, switch off ‘roaming’ or manually select a Greek network in their phone’s settings – rather than relying on automatic network selection.

As one Facebook commenter advised: “All you do is let your phone set it’s paired Greek network automatically when you arrive on the island at the airport. Once it’s selected the correct Greek network, go into your settings and turn OFF ‘automatically select network’.”

They added: “This means your phone will not hunt for or connect to anything else other than your correct Greek network.” Although, they warned users to remember to switch it back once they return to the UK.

To avoid these charges, Georgia Brivida, from the international SIM provider Sim Local, has urged Brits to switch off the ‘autoplay’ feature on their phones before boarding their next flight.

She revealed that the setting could quietly drain data and lead to a significant phone bill, in many cases without users even noticing. She explained: “Autoplay is a feature that automatically plays videos as you scroll through apps like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube, often without you even tapping play.”

One of the physicians who supplied ketamine to “Friends” star Matthew Perry appeared in a Los Angeles federal court Wednesday morning to plead guilty to multiple drug charges connected to the actor’s death.

Dr. Salvador Plasencia, known to Perry as “Dr. P.,” according to prosecutors, pleaded guilty to four felony counts of ketamine distribution. Plasencia, 43, supplied the drug to Perry through his live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, one of three defendants who pleaded guilty last year to their own connected charges.

“While Dr. Plasencia was not treating Mr. Perry at the time of his death, he hopes his case serves as a warning to other medical professionals and leads to stricter oversight and clear protocols for the rapidly growing at-home ketamine industry in order to prevent future tragedies like this one,” his lawyer, Karen L. Goldstein, said in a statement.

Goldstein said her client was “profoundly remorseful” for his role in supplying ketamine to Perry, who was vulnerable due to his history of addiction.

The doctor agreed in addition to the plea deal signed last month to give up his medical license within the next 30 to 45 days.

Plasencia faces up to 40 years in prison along with $2 million in fines. His voice was quiet during the hearing Wednesday, with Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett asking him to speak up as he relinquished his right to a jury trial.

Perry, 54, who was found in his Pacific Palisades home’s hot tub in October 2023, died from the acute effects of ketamine. Authorities allege the actor’s final dose, injected by Iwamasa, was sourced from the “Ketamine Queen” Jasveen Sangha, who pleaded not guilty and has a trial date set for Aug. 19.

Plasencia dabbed his face repeatedly with a cloth as prosecutors read out the charges, detailing how he sold the drug to Perry for thousands of dollars, sometimes administering it in the back of cars in parking lots.

Plasencia will remain out on bail until his sentencing on Dec. 3 on request from his defense lawyer, who argued that he is one of the primary caretakers of a 2-year-old son.

His Calabasas urgent care clinic, which remains open, requires patients to sign waivers that explain the charges against him.

Greece has introduced a new cruise tax which will see people charged depending on the season and port on the European Union holiday hotspot, MSC Cruises has warned

British holidaymakers now face a €20 (£17.35) levy the moment they set foot in Greece following the introduction of fresh regulations in the popular European Union destination. A new cruise tax has been rolled out, meaning passengers will be hit with varying disembarkation charges depending on which Greek island port they visit and the time of year.

From July 21, 2025, island-hopping by cruise ship became considerably pricier for all travellers. Between June 1 and September 30, visitors will be stung with a €20 fee when stepping off at Mykonos and Santorini ports. All other Greek ports will impose a €5 (£4.34) charge during this peak period.

READ MORE: Brits claim Benidorm is ‘too posh’ as ‘German Magaluf’ is the new holiday hotspot

The levy reduces during the shoulder months of October and from April 1 to May 31, dropping to €12 (£10.41) for Mykonos and Santorini whilst other ports charge €3 (£2.60).

Throughout the winter period from November 1 to March 31, the fee falls to just €4 (£3.47) for the two popular islands and €1 (87p) for remaining ports. The charge applies to each passenger at every port where they step ashore.

MSC Cruises has already notified customers via email that the additional cost will be passed directly onto guests. The cruise operator explained in correspondence: “This tax, similar to those already in force for hotels and other types of accommodation facilities, is designed to support local infrastructure, promote sustainable tourism, and improve the visitor experience.”

“For your convenience, MSC Cruises will prepay this tax for you directly to the Greek authorities. We will simply add the tax to your onboard account the night before each call in a Greek port.”

READ MORE: Little known cheap holiday spot dubbed the ‘new Magaluf’ as £2 pints a hit with Brits

They explained: “MSC does not determine or control this expense, which is established and imposed by the Greek authorities and applied to all cruise companies operating in Greece.” The message also noted that passengers who remain aboard will have the fee automatically waived.

The new travel permit is to strengthen security and the borders of the Schengen zone, reports Birmingham Live. The €20 doesn’t apply only to Greece, but also other popular holiday destinations, such as Spain and France, will be affected.

This also follows news from EU’s Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs revealing that European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) were going to be introduced in the final quarter of 2026. As previously reported by the Mirror, ETIAS will not be mandatory until 2027.

Brits might want to do some research before they head off to a sunny-drenched destination, as they might be stung with a fee. The bigger the family, the more expensive it will become!

Minnesota Vikings receiver Jordan Addison will avoid jail time for his 2024 DUI citation after pleading no contest to a lesser charge Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court.

The former USC standout was arrested in July 2024 when a California Highway Patrol officer found him sleeping behind the wheel of a Rolls-Royce that was blocking traffic near Los Angeles International Airport.

Addison pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor drunk-driving charges in December; those charges were dismissed Thursday after Addison entered a no-contest plea to the charge of “wet reckless driving upon a highway.”

“While Mr. Addison’s case would have made for a great trial, I admire him for taking responsibility by accepting the City Attorney’s ‘wet reckless’ offer,” Addison’s attorney, Jacqueline Sparagna, said in a statement. “Now he can put this incident behind him and solely focus on his promising career.”

Addison was sentenced to 12 months’ probation and is required to pay a $390 fine and complete two online courses. In a statement posted to X, Addison’s agent Tim Younger said the expectation was that “his probation will be terminated early in six months.”

“Over the past year, he voluntarily participated in MADD events and programs and, after reflection, decided to enter this plea understanding the ramifications of this decision,” Younger wrote. “He has kept the organization apprised throughout these legal proceedings, and will continue in his full commitment to being a valuable member of his team.”

Had Addison been convicted on the charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and driving with 0.08% blood-alcohol level, he could have faced up to six months in jail, been fined up to $1,000 and had his license suspended for as long as 10 months.

According to the NFL’s policy and program on substances of abuse, Addison still could face a three-game suspension without pay, with some “aggravating circumstances” allowing for a harsher penalty. The league said in a statement Thursday that the matter “remains under review.”

Addison spent the first two years of his college career at the University of Pittsburgh, winning the Fred Biletnikoff Award for best receiver in the country after catching 100 passes for 1,593 yards and 17 touchdowns during the 2021 season.

After catching 59 passes for 875 yards and eight touchdowns at USC the following season, Addison was selected by Minnesota at No. 23 overall in the 2023 draft. He has 133 catches for 1,786 yards and 19 touchdowns in two seasons with the Vikings.

BATON ROUGE, La. — Federal authorities have charged three current or former Louisiana police chiefs with taking bribes in exchange for filing false police reports that would allow noncitizens to seek a visa that allows certain crime victims to stay in the U.S.

The false police reports would indicate that the immigrant was a victim of a crime that would qualify them to apply for a so-called U visa, U.S. Atty. Alexander C. Van Hook said Wednesday at a news conference in Lafayette. He said the police officials were paid $5,000 for each name they provided falsified reports for, and that there were hundreds of names.

There had been “an unusual concentration of armed robberies of people who were not from Louisiana,” Van Hook said, noting that two other people were also charged in the alleged scheme.

“In fact, the armed robberies never took place,” he said.

Earlier this month, a federal grand jury in Shreveport returned a 62-count indictment charging the five defendants with crimes including conspiracy to commit visa fraud, visa fraud, bribery, mail fraud and money laundering, Van Hook said.

Those charged are Oakdale Police Chief Chad Doyle, Forest Hill Police Chief Glynn Dixon, former Glenmora Police Chief Tebo Onishea, Michael “Freck” Slaney, a marshal in Oakdale, and Chandrakant “Lala” Patel, an Oakdale businessman.

If convicted, the defendants could face years or even decades of jail time.

According to investigators, people seeking special visas would reach out to Patel, who would contact the lawmen and offer them a payment in exchange for falsified police reports that named the migrants as victims of armed robberies that never occurred.

The scheme went on for nearly a decade, Van Hook said.

Getting a U visa can give some crime victims and their families a pathway to U.S. citizenship. About 10,000 people got them in the 12-month period that ended Sept. 30, 2022, which was the most recent period for which the Homeland Security Department has published data.

These special visas, which were created by Congress in 2000, are specifically for victims of certain crimes “who have suffered mental or physical abuse” and are “helpful to law enforcement or government officials in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity,” based on a description of the program published by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

“These visas are designed to help law enforcement and prosecutors prosecute crimes where you need the victim or the witness there, ” Van Hook said. “U visas serve a valuable purpose, and this is a case where they were abused.”

When asked about the extent of the fraud, Van Hook said there were “hundreds of names” — specifically for visas that were approved.

At least two of the police chiefs had been arrested as of the Wednesday morning news conference, authorities said.

Lester Duhé, a spokesperson for the Louisiana attorney general’s office, said that the office was assisting federal agents with “court-authorized activities” when asked about its role in the case.

The current or former police chiefs are from small central Louisiana municipalities that are near each other. They’re in a part of the state that is home to multiple immigration detention facilities. Although Louisiana doesn’t share a border with a foreign country, there are nine ICE detention facilities in the state — holding nearly 7,000 people.

Local news outlets reported seeing ICE and FBI agents entering the homes of two of the chiefs. Van Hook said authorities searched multiple police departments and a Subway sandwich shop that Patel operated.

Van Hook and others said at the news conference that the arrests do not mean the indicted chiefs’ departments are corrupt.

In 2021, the USCIS warned that the U-visa program was susceptible to fraud after an audit from the Office of Inspector General found that administrators hadn’t addressed deficiencies in their process.

The audit found that USCIS approved a handful of suspicious law enforcement signatures that were not cross-referenced with a database of authorized signatures, according to the OIG report. They were also not closely tracking fraud case outcomes, the total number of U visas granted per year, and were not effectively managing the backlog, which led to crime victims waiting for nearly 10 years before receiving a U visa.

Cline and Mustian write for the Associated Press. Mustian reported from New York. AP writer Valerie Gonzalez in McAllen, Texas, contributed to this report.

Brits cruising around a popular set of European islands this summer have been warned over a new tourist tax, that slaps holidaymakers with charges of up to €20 (around £17) for entering the port

Brits flocking to an insatiably popular set of European destinations this summer have been warned over hefty charges.

Last year, a whopping 40.7 million tourists headed over to Greece and its cluster of picturesque islands, marking a 12.8 per cent spike compared to the year before. While the huge influx is believed to have generated a staggering €21.6 billion (around £18.6bn) in tourism revenue, officials argue local people aren’t seeing the benefit.

In fact, many residents argue the surge in holidaymakers is pricing them out of the property market – and wrecking the country’s environmental beauty. As a result, many hotspots have started to introduce a tourist tax – with profits designed to support local infrastructure and ‘promote’ sustainable tourism levels.

READ MORE: Beautiful Greek island with world’s clearest waters but hardly any tourists

Cruise ships are a huge issue in Greece, often flooding tiny islands with thousands of tourists in one big hit. This stretches the island’s amenities, creating sudden surges of demand in cafes and restaurants, and results in insufferable crowds and queues.

This is why cruise passengers will be charged a hefty tourist tax when entering Greek ports. The fee, which comes into effect on July 21, 2025, until September – is €20 for hotspots like Mykonos and Santorini, and a much lower €5 in less popular ports. This works out at around £17 and £4.31, respectively.

“Please note that this mandatory fee applies to all guests, regardless of age, who transit through a Greek port – including ports of call as well as the port of disembarkation,” MSC Cruises reportedly told its customers. Rather than having to carry cash with you, the tourist tax is added to passengers’ onboard accounts.

The cruise line will then pay the tax directly to the port authorities. “If you choose to stay onboard and not go ashore, the expense will be automatically removed from your account within 24 hours,” the firm added.

In the shoulder seasons (April, May, and October), the tax is lowered to €12 (£10) for visits to Santorini and Mykonos and €4 (£3.43) to other ports. In Winter, when tourism levels are at their lowest, this goes down to €4 (£3.43) and €1 (86p).

Over on the mainland, Greece has implemented an accommodation tax that charges tourists staying overnight. This ranges from €0.50 (43p) per night, per room, to €4 (£3.45) depending on the star-rating of your hotel. For a couple spending a week in a luxury five-star hotel, this adds €28 (£24.13) to their overall hotel costs.

Do you agree with the cruise tax? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below

The BBC issued a formal apology after broadcasting a controversial performance from the rap-punk group Bob Vylan at England’s Glastonbury festival.

Bob Vylan — outspoken critics of Israel’s war on Gaza — led its crowd at last weekend’s festival in a chant of “Death to the IDF,” or Israel Defense Forces.

The BBC’s director- general Tim Davie wrote to staff in an internal memo on Thursday. “I deeply regret that such offensive and deplorable behavior appeared on the BBC and want to say sorry — to our audience and to all of you, but in particular to Jewish colleagues and the Jewish community,” Davie said. “We are unequivocal that there can be no place for antisemitism at the BBC.”

The broadcaster announced several policy changes for future festival broadcasts, including keeping “high risk” acts off live broadcasts and live streams.

Bob Vylan’s set led to some backlash within the music industry and beyond. The comments prompted local police to open a criminal investigation, and the band’s U.S. visas were revoked for its upcoming performances. The band’s agency, UTA, reportedly dropped them as well.

The band’s singer, who performs as Bobby Vylan, wrote on Instagram after the set that “teaching our children to speak up for the change they want and need is the only way that we make this world a better place,” adding, “Let them see us marching in the streets, campaigning on ground level, organising online and shouting about it on any and every stage that we are offered.”

The Northern Irish rap trio Kneecap, a fellow Glastonbury performer, has also come under scrutiny for its outspoken criticism of Israel’s war on Gaza. The band’s Glastonbury set was not broadcast live. The group’s Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who performs as Mo Chara, had been charged with supporting a proscribed organization for allegedly waving a flag from the terror group Hezbollah at a London concert in 2024 (Chara denied the charge). U.K. prosecutors also recently dropped charges against Kneecap after a 2023 concert where Chara allegedly said, “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.”

A local activist who handed out protective face shields to protesters last month during demonstrations against the Trump administration’s chaotic immigration raids was indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday.

Alejandro Orellana, a 29-year-old member of the Boyle Heights-based community organization Centro CSO, faces charges of conspiracy and aiding and abetting civil disorder, court records show.

According to the indictment, Orellana and at least two others drove around downtown L.A. in a pickup truck distributing Uvex Bionic face shields and other items to a crowd engaged in a protest near the federal building on Los Angeles Street on June 9.

Prosecutors allege Orellana was helping protesters withstand less-lethal munitions being deployed by Los Angeles police officers and Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies after an unlawful assembly had been declared.

Orellana is due in court on Thursday morning. An e-mail to his federal public defender seeking comment was not immediately returned.

U.S. Atty. Bill Essayli, a former California Assemblyman appointed by President Trump, has promised to aggressively prosecute anyone who interferes with Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations or harms police during protests. Federal prosecutors have brought at least 14 cases related to last month’s demonstrations and Essayli promised more people will be charged.

Asked how handing out defensive equipment was a crime during a news conference last month, Essayli insisted Orellana was specifically handing out supplies to violent demonstrators.

“He wasn’t handing masks out at the beach. … They’re covering their faces. They’re wearing backpacks. These weren’t peaceful protesters,” he said. “They weren’t holding up signs, with a political message. They came to do violence.”

Essayli described anyone who remained at a protest scene after an unlawful assembly was declared as a “rioter” and said peaceful protesters “don’t need a face shield.”

Orellana, who works for United Parcel Service, has no criminal record and previously served in the U.S. Marines, according to Carlos Montes, a fellow member of Centro CSO.

Montes said he believes Essayli is specifically targeting Centro CSO for its pro-immigrant activism, noting FBI agents seized another member’s cellphone last week as part of their investigation into Orellana.

“It’s ridiculous charges. We’re demanding they drop the charges now. They’re insignificant, ridiculous,” Montes said. “The most it amounts to is that he was passing out personal protective equipment, which includes boxes of water, hand sanitizer and snacks.”

A spokesperson for the U.S. Marine Corps did not immediately respond to a request for Orellana’s service record.

Montes also challenged Essayli’s argument that peaceful protesters have no need for protective equipment, pointing to myriad instances in which people have been seriously injured by Los Angeles police and county sheriff’s deputies in recent years.

A Times investigation last month highlighted incidents in which protesters allege Los Angeles Police Department officers fired rubber rounds and other crowd control munitions without warning in recent weeks, causing demonstrators and members of the media to suffer broken bones, concussions and other forms of severe harm.

Times staff writer Brittny Mejia contributed to this report.

When Lauren Hersh, the national director of the anti-sex trafficking activist group World Without Exploitation, heard Wednesday that Sean “Diddy” Combs was convicted only on the two least serious charges against him, she felt grief for his former partner Casandra Ventura and his other accusers.

“I think this is a travesty,” Hersh said. “It shows there is culturally a deep misunderstanding of what sex trafficking is and the complexity of coercion. So often in these cases, there’s an intertwining of horrific violence and affection.”

Hersh, the former chief of the sex trafficking unit at the Kings County district attorney’s office in Brooklyn, said that Combs’ verdict — guilty on two charges of transportation to engage in prostitution but acquitted on one for racketeering and two for sex trafficking — is a mixed message about Combs’ conduct. But it will likely be felt as a step backward for the movement to hold powerful men to account for alleged sex crimes.

In a cultural moment when other music stars like Marilyn Manson and Chris Brown have mounted successful comebacks after high-profile abuse investigations and lawsuits, Hersh worries the Diddy verdict may deter prosecutors from pursuing similar cases against powerful men and chill the MeToo movement’s ability to seek justice for abuse victims.

“It’s a huge setback, especially in this moment when the powerful have continuously operated with impunity,” Hersh said. “It sends a signal to victims that despite the MeToo movement, we’re still not there in believing victims and understanding the context of exploitation. But I’m hoping it’s a teachable moment to connect the dots with what trafficking is and understanding the complexity of coercion.”

The charges against Combs were not a referendum on whether he had abused Ventura or the myriad other women and men involved in his “freak-off” parties, where group sex and drug use intertwined into an allegedly decadent and violent culture around Combs.

Combs’ defense team freely admitted that his relationship with Ventura was violent, as seen in an infamous 2016 videotape of Combs beating Ventura in an elevator lobby at the InterContinental hotel in Los Angeles. Marc Agnifilo, one of Combs’ lawyers, said in closing arguments that Combs has a drug problem but described his relationship with Ventura as a “modern love story” in which the hip-hop mogul “owns the domestic violence” that plagued it.

“The defendant embraced the fact that he was a habitual drug user who regularly engaged in domestic abuse,” federal prosecutors wrote in a hearing about Combs’ possible bail terms.

The jury decided that Combs’ conduct, however reprehensible, did not amount beyond a reasonable doubt to a criminal racketeering organization or sex trafficking. Yet the case’s impact on movements within music and other industries to hold abusers to account is uncertain.

Many civil suits against the music mogul are still moving through court and could affect his depleted finances. Combs’ reputation has been thoroughly tainted by the lurid details of the trial and strong condemnations from his many accusers.

Still, for victim advocates, the verdict was a bitter disappointment.

Reactions within the music world were swift and despairing. “This makes me physically ill,” said Aubrey O’Day of Danity Kane, the band Diddy assembled on his popular reality TV show “Making the Band,” on social media. “Cassie probably feels so horrible. Ugh, I’m gonna vomit.”

“Cassie, I believe you. I love you. Your strength is a beacon for every survivor,” wrote singer Kesha, who in 2014 sued producer Dr. Luke, accusing him of assault. Kesha has frequently altered the lyrics of her hit single “TikTok” in performances to lambast Combs.

Even longtime Diddy antagonist 50 Cent seemed to acknowledge his partial victory. “Diddy beat the feds that boy a bad man,” 50 Cent wrote on Instagram, before referencing a famous mobster notorious for evading convictions. “Beat the RICO he the gay John Gotti.”

Mitchell Epner, a former assistant U.S. attorney in New Jersey who prosecuted numerous sex trafficking and involuntary servitude cases, said that despite some recent high-profile sex trafficking cases that ended in convictions, Combs’ charges were never going to be easy to prove.

“In recent years, we’ve seen prosecutions of Ghislaine Maxwell in the Jeffrey Epstein case, Keith Raniere of NXIVM and R. Kelly, where they are trafficking in order to feed the traffickers’ sexual desire,” Epner said. “But this indictment was all about Sean Combs sharing women with people he was paying. He wasn’t receiving money, he wanted to be a voyeur. That technically fits the definition of sex trafficking, but it wasn’t the primary evil Congress was thinking about.”

The hurdles for accusers to come forward with claims against powerful men, and for juries to discern between transgressive sexual relationships and criminally liable abuse beyond a reasonable doubt, make such cases difficult to prosecute.

In the absence of convictions, some recently accused artists have already mounted successful comebacks.

Shock-rocker Marilyn Manson had been under investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department since 2021, when several women accused him of rape and abuse including “Westworld” actor Evan Rachel Wood and “Game of Thrones” actor Esmé Bianco.

Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman said in January that the statute of limitations had run out on Manson’s domestic violence allegations, and that prosecutors doubted they could prove rape charges.

“While we are unable to bring charges in this matter,” Hochman said in a statement then, “we recognize that the strong advocacy of the women involved has helped bring greater awareness to the challenges faced by survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault.”

Bianco told The Times that, “Within our toxic culture of victim blaming, a lack of understanding of coercive control, the complex nature of sexual assault within intimate partnerships, and statutes of limitations that do not support the realities of healing, prosecutions face an oftentimes insurmountable hurdle. Once again, our justice system has failed survivors.”

Manson has denied all claims against him. He has since released a new album and mounted successful tours.

Meanwhile, R&B singer Chris Brown was recently the subject of “Chris Brown: A History of Violence,” a 2024 documentary that shed new light on a 2022 lawsuit where a woman accused Brown of raping her on a yacht owned by Combs in 2020.

That lawsuit — one of many civil and criminal claims made against Brown over the years, beginning with the infamous 2009 incident in which he assaulted his then-girlfriend Rihanna — was dismissed. In 2020, Brown settled another sexual assault lawsuit regarding an alleged 2017 incident at the singer’s home. Brown currently faces criminal charges around a 2023 incident where he allegedly assaulted a music producer with a tequila bottle in a London nightclub.

Brown denied the claims in the documentary, and his attorneys called the film “defamatory.” He sued Warner Bros. Entertainment for $500 million. He is currently on a stadium tour that will stop at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in September.

Combs, meanwhile, may still face a range of criminal and civil consequences. He could be sentenced from anywhere up to the maximum of 10 years apiece on each prostitution charge, or to a far lesser sentence. Some experts said it’s possible he may be sentenced to time served and walk away a free man soon.

Though it’s too soon to know what kind of future awaits Combs should he return to public life, it’s hard to imagine a return to the heights of influence that defined his ‘90s tenure at Bad Boy Entertainment, or his affable multimedia-mogul personality in the 2000s. A fate similar to the former hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons seems most likely — reputationally tarnished and culturally irrelevant.

Still, his supporters thronged outside the New York courtroom waving bottles of baby oil — an infamous detail of the trial — in a pseudo-ironic celebration of his acquittal on the most serious charges.

If Combs wants to ever return to music, he’ll have at least one ally in Ye, the embattled Nazi-supporting rapper who showed up in court to bolster Combs. Ye featured the incarcerated mogul on his song “Lonely Roads Still Go to Sunshine,” and released clothing featuring the logo of Combs’ old fashion label Sean John.

President Trump, another convicted felon and alleged sexual assailant who quickly returned to the heights of power, has said he is open to pardoning Combs. “It’s not a popularity contest,” he has said, regarding a Combs pardon. ”I would certainly look at the facts if I think somebody was mistreated.”

About 1,200 children are being urged to undergo testing for infectious diseases after a Melbourne childcare worker was charged with a string of offences including child rape.

Joshua Dale Brown was arrested in May and faces 70 charges, with police alleging he abused eight children – including a five-month-old – between April 2022 and January 2023.

The 26-year-old has worked at 20 childcare centres since 2017, prompting local health authorities to notify parents of any children who may have been in his care, recommending many be tested as a “precaution”.

Brown, who is yet to enter a plea to the charges, has been remanded in custody and is due to appear at Melbourne Magistrates Court in September.

The eight children – all under the age of five – who police allege were harmed attended the Creative Gardens Early Learning Centre in Point Cook, in Melbourne’s south-west.

Brown is accused of child rape and sexual assault offenses, as well as producing and transmitting child abuse material.

Detectives are also investigating alleged offences by Brown at a childcare centre in Essendon “as a priority”.

At a press conference, authorities said he had a valid working with children check and was employed as a fill-in childcare worker when he was arrested.

Brown was not known to them before the investigation, they said, adding that they believed he acted alone and that the alleged offending only happened in Victoria.

Revealing Mr Brown’s identity was an “unusual decision”, Victoria Police’s Janet Stevenson said, but this is a “unique” case.

“It’s very important to ensure that every parent out there that has a child in childcare knows who he is and where he worked,” she said.

Chief Health Officer Christian McGrath would not say if Mr Brown had tested positive to sexually transmitted infections, but said the manner of the alleged offending meant some children may be asked to undergo screening for infectious diseases.

About 2,600 families had been contacted, with 1,200 children recommended for testing, she said, adding that the infections that the children may have been exposed to can be treated with antibiotics.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said she was “sickened” by the allegations.

“My heart breaks for the families who are living every parent’s worst nightmare,” she said.

Families across Victoria will be “angry and frightened” by the case, Allan said, adding that a dedicated website has been set up for those impacted.

Susan Edwards said her holiday was ‘horrendous’ from the minute she arrived at the Greek island of Corfu with her daughter and three other family members

A fuming mum has vowed never to book with TUI again following a “nightmare” all-inclusive trip to Corfu, where she claims there was “no English food” or hotel entertainment.

Susan Edwards embarked on a seven-night holiday to the Greek island on 12 May. She stayed at the Lido Corfu Sun Hotel with her cousins, aged 77 and 78, her daughter, 30, and second cousin, 50.

However, Susan, 69, from Westerhope, described the holiday as “horrendous from the minute [they] got there.”

The holidaymaker explained: “It was all-inclusive, £750 each we paid and there was no food we could eat and we couldn’t have anything to drink.

“I have to be careful because I have ulcerative colitis so there’s certain things I can’t eat. The all inclusive drinks were wine, lager, ouzo, or brandy. Yes, there were soft drinks, but we had to pay €1.50 for water.”

Susan and her party arrived at the hillside hotel around 2pm on 12 May, ready to enjoy some food and refreshments after their long journey.

After climbing a large ramp to reach the hotel reception, Susan said she was told that pool-side food would be served at 5pm for guests, which she claims was a “one-inch square of baklava”.

Her dissatisfaction only got worse the next day when she discovered there was “no English food” available at the hotel. Describing the grub on offer, Susan said: “On a morning you could have toast, a hard boiled egg, or something in sauce,” Chronicle Live reports.

“There was no bacon. For breakfast there was mozzarella and sliced tomatoes. There was no hot bacon or sausage.

“We got chips one day. One day out of the whole lot. There was fish, sardines and rice – I was sick to death of looking at rice. There was pasta and salads, none of this was marked (labelled). One night there was a Greek night and they had kebabs, I couldn’t eat that. It’s the worst holiday I’ve ever been on.”

The mum says she couldn’t enjoy her preferred drink during her holiday because she doesn’t fancy ouzo and doesn’t drink brandy. She explained that she would normally have bottled lager or one Bacardi and Coke, which she said would have cost her €9 and would have been a different brand.

“By the time we paid £750 for the holiday, €70 tourist tax for me and my daughter and an extra £450 for both of our meals, I could have been to the Caribbean on that”, Susan fumed.

TUI’s website describes holidays at the Lido Corfu Sun Hotel as being “all about the laidback life” where “ping pong and pool are the liveliest activities on the agenda”, aside from the occasional live music and Greek night. It also says the four-star hotel has its own private patch of beach “just steps away”.

However, Susan claimed there was no entertainment at the hotel which is “stuck there in the middle of nowhere”. She added: “There was a private beach but it was so steep we couldn’t get down to it and it was 150 yards from the hotel.”

“There’s a ramp at the side of the hotel that you have to try and pull your case up when you arrive. My daughter was up and down, up and down, trying to pull everyone’s case up for them.”

She also expressed her frustration over not being able to get a second key for the room she shared with her daughter. Susan explained: “I asked for a second key for my daughter because sometimes I get tired in the afternoon and rather than lying in the sun and getting burned.

“But if I went up to have a sleep, my daughter wouldn’t be able to get into the room. She would have to wake me up to get in. I asked for a second key but I was told ‘no, too expensive’.”

Susan said she usually holidays in Spain with her cousins and would always fly with TUI as she felt comfortable knowing “there’s a big company behind you if anything goes wrong.”

However, this time, her confidence in TUI has been shaken due to what she perceives as an inadequate response from the travel firm.

She has been offered £100 in holiday vouchers by TUI, but she claims that other guests she met at the hotel have been offered more after complaining. Susan has declined TUI’s final £100 voucher offer.

“In the past I’ve paid more to get on a TUI flight because if anything happened I’ve always thought you’ve got a big company behind you if anything goes wrong. Not anymore. This holiday was a nightmare,” Susan said.

A spokesperson for TUI UK said: “Our priority is to ensure customers have the best possible holiday experience, so we are sorry to hear that Mrs Edwards felt dissatisfied with her holiday. We have been in touch directly with Mrs Edwards to come to a resolution.”

PILTON, England — Irish-language rap group Kneecap gave an impassioned performance for tens of thousands of fans on Saturday at the Glastonbury Festival despite criticism by British politicians and a terrorism charge against one of the trio.

Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, has been charged under the Terrorism Act with supporting a proscribed organization for allegedly waving a Hezbollah flag at a concert in London in November. The rapper, who was charged under the anglicized version of his name, Liam O’Hanna, is on unconditional bail before a further court hearing in August.

“Glastonbury, I’m a free man!” O hAnnaidh shouted as Kneecap took the stage at Glastonbury’s West Holts field, which holds about 30,000 people. Dozens of Palestinian flags flew in the capacity crowd as the show opened with an audio montage of news clips referring to the band’s critics and legal woes.

Between high-energy numbers that had fans forming a large mosh pit, the band members led the audience in chants of “Free Palestine” and “Free Mo Chara.” They also aimed an expletive-laden chant at U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has said he didn’t think it was “appropriate” for Kneecap to play Glastonbury.

The trio thanked festival organizers Michael and Emily Eavis for resisting pressure to cancel Kneecap’s gig and gave a shout-out to Palestine Action, a protest group that the British government plans to ban under terrorism laws after its members vandalized planes on a Royal Air Force base.

The Belfast trio is known for anarchic energy, satirical lyrics and use of symbolism associated with the Irish republican movement, which seeks to unite Northern Ireland, which is part of the U.K., with the Republic of Ireland.

More than 3,600 people were killed during three decades of violence in Northern Ireland involving Irish republican militants, pro-British Loyalist militias and the U.K. security forces. Kneecap takes its name from a brutal punishment — shooting in the leg — that was dealt out by paramilitary groups to informers and drug dealers.

The group has faced criticism for lyrics laden with expletives and drug references, and for political statements, especially since videos emerged allegedly showing the band shouting, “up Hamas, up Hezbollah,” and calling on people to kill lawmakers.

Members of the group say they don’t support Hezbollah or Hamas, nor condone violence, and O hAnnaidh says he picked up a flag that was thrown onto the stage without knowing what it represented. Kneecap has accused critics of trying to silence the band because of its support for the Palestinian cause throughout the war in the Gaza Strip.

A performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April — where the band accused Israel, with U.S. support, of committing genocide against the Palestinians — sparked calls for the group members’ U.S. visas to be revoked.

Several Kneecap gigs have since been canceled as a result of the controversy.

The BBC, which airs many hours of Glastonbury performances, didn’t show Kneecap’s set live, but said it would “look to make an on-demand version of Kneecap’s performance available on our digital platforms” afterward.

About 200,000 ticket holders have gathered at Worthy Farm in southwest England for Britain’s most prestigious summer music festival, which features almost 4,000 performers on 120 stages. Headline acts performing over three days ending Sunday include Neil Young, Charli XCX, Rod Stewart, Busta Rhymes, Olivia Rodrigo and Doechii.

Glastonbury highlights Friday included a performance from U.K. rockers the 1975, an unannounced set by New Zealand singer Lorde, a raucous reception for Alanis Morissette and an emotional return for Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi, two years after he took a break from touring to adjust to the effect of the neurological condition Tourette syndrome.

Dixon writes for the Associated Press.