confused

Travel blogger Ben Morris decided to visit a city that has been dubbed ‘the rudest in the world’ but ended up having mixed feelings after his first day on the ground

A travel blogger visited the “rudest city” in the world but was left confused by what he found. The French capital Paris is often dubbed the rudist place to visit as a tourist.

Its locals have often been described as “snooty”, “surly” and “unwelcoming” for visitors. That is despite the fact around 50 million tourists each year head to the city to see sights such as the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, and the Arc de Triomphe.

Ben Morris, who boasts 870,000 followers on YouTube, decided to head to Paris to find out if the stereotypes were true. On his first day, he received a mixed reaction tourists walking the Parisian streets.

One woman said: “They are rude. French people are so rude, they are so mad at everything.”

Other tourists however told Ben they had no negative experiences in the huge French city. One said: “Nobody’s been rude to me, but I’m good vibes.”

Ben’s experience in Paris left him unsure about its reputation. In a video, he explained : “After a full day of talking to strangers I was feeling confused because everyone was giving mixed opinions.

“We were told if we wanted to better understand why Parisians are labelled rude, we needed to experience the morning commute to La Défense.”

The travel blogger decided to head to La Défense – the city’s business district – on the second day of his trip to see if it lived up to its name. While Ben encountered a “direct” waiter in the bustling district, he felt as though it “wasn’t quite rude”.

Ben’s mission to discover the true Paris found him encountering more positive reactions when he donned a blue-striped shirt and red beret. “More nice French people, they’re everywhere,” he told the camera.

He later met up with Lucile Hernandez Rodriguez, a Parisian blogger who explained how to behave in Paris. She said: “You have to say merci (thank you), bonjour (hello), [and] look people in the eye or people will think you’re rude. That’s like the rule of Paris.

“They [tourists] come and they’ve seen the movies and they think like they’re going to meet a pretty French girl and fall in love but they take the subway and people are p****d because they have to go to work.”

Lucile however feels the stereotype about Paris is “kind of true”. She however says a lot of the attitudes towards the city comes from interactions with people heading to and from work.

Ben admitted he had met “so many nice people” on his trip, confessing it was “ironic” since he travelled to the city in search of rudeness. He signed off the video by experiencing the Fête de la musique (World Music Day) in the capital.

Clarkson’s Farm star Jeremy Clarkson has turned his countryside escapades into a hit TV series – but he has confessed he is still very clueless about some agricultural practices

Jeremy Clarkson may be reaching new levels of fame thanks to his hit documentary series about his Oxfordshire farm – but he has admitted there are aspects of farming that he is still completely clueless about, despite working the land for years.

The 65-year-old TV star previously enjoyed fame as a host of Top Gear on the BBC – before departing the show under a cloud of shame after he punched a producer behind-the-scenes. He then launched rival car show The Grand Tour on Amazon Prime – however this success has been eclipsed by his hugely popular agricultural series, Clarkson’s Farm.

The show follows Jeremy as he endures trials and triumphs as he tries to make a living from his farm – which he named Diddly Squat as he has struggled to make sizeable sales from his crops. But the star appears to be enjoying his challenges – and has even become a spokesperson of British farming, and has turned on the current Labour government over changes to tax rules that risk decimating the UK farming industry.

Jezza has been learning as he goes – and admits there are still many aspects of farming he cannot understand. In a recent column, he explained that he can be confused by the industry – including how animals are turned into food after they are sent to the slaughterhouse.

He writes in the Sunday Times Magazine: “It’s nigh on impossible to deduce which bits are used to make steaks and which are for mincing and whether that bulbous-looking thing is incredibly tasty or a bowel.”

He continued: “But by far and away the most difficult thing would be turning my wheat into bread. This is something that has fascinated me for years because how on earth did anyone figure it out?”

As well as running his farm, Jeremy has opened his Diddly Squat Farm Shop where he sells his home-grown products to the public. And more recently he opened a pub called The Farmer’s Dog – which is a short trip from his farmland.

Clarkson’s Farm has been on the air since 2021 and has proved to be a surprise hit for Amazon. The show, now in it’s fourth season and with a fifth on the way, has won over TV fans who have admitted they have become unexpectedly emotional while watching the show.

The r/ClarksonsFarm Reddit page has swelled in contributors since the show began – with many fans heading there to review episodes online.

And fans have not shied away from confessing they have been moved to tears by the show. One poster admitted: “I have, like many others, only known Jeremy from Top Gear and Grand Tour, and I’ve always perceived him as this cocky character whom I also find funny of course.

“I expected him to be the same way when I started watching Clarkson’s Farm. But I am more than surprised with how big his heart is!” The fan went on to share their favourite moment from the show, a scene which many have praised as one of Clarkson’s Farm’s very best parts.

The fan adds: “He is so interested and humble (to a certain degree with Kaleb). He cares so much for the animals and even though it’s sad, I love seeing how deeply it hurts for both him and Lisa when they send them to the butchers or they die.

“He sees farming from such a wide perspective and he uses his screen time well to enlighten us non-farmers about the unknown reality of this hardcore profession in an interactive manner. I just love watching it! I just saw the episode of season three where Kaleb gets frustrated over the bad crops and how much work that goes into it. I must admit I teared up a bit.”

A sixth season is also expected to be filmed following the release of season six – although Jeremy has previously hinted the crew behind the cameras will take a long break after the fifth season before filming the sixth.

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Liberians are expressing confusion and anger after United States President Donald Trump praised the English skills of their country’s President Joseph Boakai.

“Such good English,” Trump said to Boakai at the White House on Wednesday, with visible surprise. “Such beautiful English.”

English has been the West African nation’s official language since the 1800s. But Trump did not stop there.

“Where did you learn to speak so beautifully?” he continued, as Boakai murmured a response. “Where were you educated? Where? In Liberia?”

The exchange took place during a meeting in the White House between Trump and five West African leaders, amid a pivot from aid to trade in US foreign policy.

Liberia has had deep ties with Washington for centuries, stemming from the drive to relocate freed slaves from the US.

Foday Massaquio, chairman of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change-Council of Patriots, said that while the remarks were typical of Trump’s engagement with foreign leaders, what some saw as a condescending tone was amplified by the fact that the leaders were African.

“As a matter of fact, it also proves that the West is not taking us seriously as Africans,” he said. “President Trump was condescending; he was very disrespectful to the African leader.”

Kula Fofana, spokesperson for Boakai’s office, told the Associated Press news agency: “I believe that as journalists, it is important to focus on the substantive discussions at the summit.”

“We find it a good thing that President Trump is commending our president for his way of speaking and the clarity he provided during the meeting,” she added. “However, we look forward to achieving the substantive request specifically engaging in a stronger bilateral relationship with the United States.”

Sara Beysolow Nyanti, Liberia’s foreign minister, said on X that “President Trump’s comment on Boakai’s ‘beautiful English’ simply acknowledged Liberia’s familiar American-rooted accent and no offence was taken”.

“Our linguistic heritage is deeply American‑influenced, & this was simply recognised by Donald Trump. We remain committed to strengthening Liberia‑US ties, built on mutual respect, shared values, and meaningful partnership,” the minister said.

Close relationship in the past

But for others, Trump’s comments added to the sense of betrayal that became palpable in Liberia in recent months.

Earlier this month, the Trump administration dissolved the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and said it was no longer following what it called “a charity-based foreign aid model”.

That decision sent shock waves across Liberia, where US support made up almost 2.6 percent of the gross national income, the highest percentage anywhere in the world, according to the Center for Global Development.

Liberians thought they would be spared from Trump’s cuts because of the countries’ close relationship. Their political system is modelled on that of the US, along with its flag. Liberians often refer to the US as their “big brother”.

Liberia was one of the first countries to receive USAID support, starting in 1961. Its street signs, taxis and school buses resemble those in New York.

“Liberia is a longstanding friend of the USA, therefore Trump should have understood that we speak English as an official language,” said Moses Dennis, 37, a businessman from Monrovia. He added that Boakai did not go to Washington for “an English-speaking competition”.

‘Condescending and ridiculing’

Dennis’s views were echoed by Siokin Civicus Barsi-Giah, a close associate of Liberia’s former President George Weah.

“Liberia is an English-speaking country,” he said. “Former slaves and slave owners decided to organise themselves to let go of many people who were in slavery in the United States of America, and they landed on these shores now called the Republic of Liberia.”

For him, the exchange was “condescending and ridiculing”.

“Joseph Boakai was not praised. He was mocked by the greatest president in the world, who is leading the greatest country in the world,” he said.

Some, however, said that given Trump’s style, Wednesday’s remarks were meant as praise.

“To some, the comment may carry a whiff of condescension, echoing a longstanding Western tendency to express surprise when African leaders display intellectual fluency,” said Abraham Julian Wennah, director of research at the African Methodist Episcopal University. “In postcolonial contexts, language has long been weaponised to question legitimacy and competence.”

But if one looks at “Trump’s rhetorical style”, the remarks were “an acknowledgment of Boakai’s polish, intellect and readiness for global engagement”, Wennah added.

MONROVIA, Liberia — There was confusion and anger in Liberia on Thursday after President Trump praised the English skills of President Joseph Boakai.

“Such good English,” Trump said to Boakai, with visible surprise. “Such beautiful English.”

English has been the west African nation’s official language since the 1800s. But Trump did not stop there.

“Where did you learn to speak so beautifully?” he continued, as Boakai murmured a response. “Where were you educated? Where? In Liberia?”

The exchange took place during a meeting in the White House between Trump and five West African leaders on Wednesday, amid a pivot from aid to trade in the U.S. foreign policy.

Liberia has had deep ties with the United States for centuries. It was first established with the aim of relocating freed slaves from the United States.

Foday Massaquio, chairman of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change-Council of Patriots, said that while the remarks were typical of Trump’s engagement with foreign leaders, what some saw as the condescending tone was amplified by the fact that the leaders were African.

“As a matter of fact, it also proves that the West is not taking us seriously as Africans,” he said. “President Trump was condescending, he was very disrespectful to the African leader.”

Kula Fofana, spokesperson for Boakai’s office, told The Associated Press: “I believe that as journalists, it is important to focus on the substantive discussions at the summit.”

Close relationship in the past

Trump’s comments added to the sense of betrayal which became palpable in Liberia in recent months.

Earlier this month, U.S. authorities dissolved theU.S. Agency for International Development and said it was no longer following what they called “a charity-based foreign aid model.”

That decision sent shockwaves across Liberia, where American support made up almost 2.6% of the gross national income, the highest percentage anywhere in the world, according to the Center for Global Development.

Liberians thought they would be spared from Trump’s cuts because of the countries’ close relationship. Their political system is modeled on that of the U.S., along with its flag. Liberians often refer to the U.S. as their “big brother.”

Liberia was one of the first countries to receive USAID support, starting in 1961. The street signs, taxis and school buses resemble those in New York.

“In the first place, Liberia is a long standing friend of the USA, therefore Trump should have understood that we speak English as an official language,” said Moses Dennis, 37, a businessman from Monrovia. He added that Boakai did not go to Washington for “an English speaking competition.”

‘Condescending and ridiculing’

His views were echoed by Siokin Civicus Barsi-Giah, a leadership expert and a close associate of former President George Weah.

“Liberia is an English speaking country,” he said. “Former slaves and slave owners decided to organize themselves to let go of many people who were in slavery in the United States of America, and they landed on these shores now called the Republic of Liberia.”

For him, the exchange was “condescending and ridiculing.”

He added: “Joseph Boakai was not praised. He was mocked by the greatest president in the world, who is leading the greatest country in the world.”

Some however said that given Trump’s personal style, Wednesday’s remarks were meant as a praise.

“To some, the comment may carry a whiff of condescension, echoing a long-standing Western tendency to express surprise when African leaders display intellectual fluency,” said Abraham Julian Wennah the director of Research at the African Methodist Episcopal University. “In postcolonial contexts, language has long been weaponized to question legitimacy and competence.”

But if one looks at “Trump’s rhetorical style,” these remarks were “an acknowledgment of Boakai’s polish, intellect, and readiness for global engagement,” he said.

Mengonfia, Pronczuk and Mcmakin write for the Associated Press.

Good Morning Britain presenter Susanna Reid returned to the BBC on Sunday

Susanna Reid has left fans “confused” with her BBC return after 11 years.

The 54-year-old presenter’s career began as a news producer at BBC Radio Bristol, before she transitioned into a reporting role on BBC News 24.

Susanna later secured a presenting position on BBC Breakfast, where she worked alongside Bill Turnbull and Charlie Stayt. In 2010, she left the show to join Sunday Morning Live.

Following appearances on The Andrew Marr Show, Susanna moved to ITV to host Good Morning Britain, which replaced Daybreak.

Susanna currently co-hosts the programme with a rotating line-up of presenters, including Richard Madeley, Ed Balls, and Martin Lewis, reports the Manchester Evening News.

At the weekend, Susanna returned to the BBC after 11 years to participate in a panel discussion on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.

Following her appearance, she took to Instagram to post a photo of herself on set, alongside panellists Daniel Kebede and James Harding.

“SUNDAY! Always fantastic to be on @bbclaurak back at the BBC, this morning with @danielkebede and James Harding,” the caption read.

Susanna went on to reassure her followers that she’d be back on Good Morning Britain on Monday (July 7), saying, “Back @gmb tomorrow!”

Fans were thrilled to see her return to the BBC Studios, with many expressing their shock in the comments section.

“A nice surprise in the morning!” one person wrote.

Another added: “Nice to see you back on the BBC,” while a third said: “Yes I watched it just because you were back.”

A fourth fan echoed the sentiment, saying: “I was confused this morning thinking it was Monday already when I saw you. Then realised I had BBC One on and there was no Ed.”

The Sunday morning political show delved into voter perspectives a year on from Keir Starmer’s Labour triumph in the general election.

Susanna sparked a lively discussion among the audience when she suggested that the Prime Minister might benefit from a stint on I’m a Celebrity to enhance his public image, much like Nigel Farage did with his 2023 reality TV appearance.

A viewer, clearly exasperated by Susanna’s comments, vented on X (formerly Twitter): “According to Susanna Reid, Starmer should go to I’m a Celebrity. We are doomed.”

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays on ITV1 and ITVX at 6am

It was another day of drama in the Love Island villa tonight as the Islanders got to know new bombshells Billykiss and Ryan after their shock arrival during last night’s episode

It seemed to be the end of the road for Harrison and Toni during tonight’s Love Island – but fans were more focused on the 22-year-old’s bizarre sleeping habit.

Toni was celebrating her 25th birthday – but it probably wasn’t the best celebration she’s ever had, as she learnt Harrison and Helena had shared another kiss the night before. Despite the arguments, Harrison tried to rekindle things with Toni by making a birthday breakfast, but she wasn’t having any of it, as she took him to the terrace to end things.

“You made your bed, lie in it,” Toni said, as she told Harrison to go off and be with Helena. Ironically, fans happened to notice Harrison’s ‘bizarre’ sleeping pattern in tonight’s episode, as they couldn’t help but realise he slept sitting up.

“Harrison defo got a sore back tomorrow sleeping sitting up,” said one, while another said: “has anyone else noticed how Harrison always sleeps like sitting up LOL.”

As for now, Toni and Harrison are still coupled up so they’ll be sharing a bed in the meantime. However, if things continue the way they are, Harrison and Helena may be sharing a bed together in the near future.

Elsewhere, Billykiss and Ryan enjoyed their first day in the villa. Billykiss decided to take Conor and Dejon for a date, whereas Ryan invited Shakira and Toni out. During tonight’s episode, the rest of the Islanders got to know the new bombshells – but it seems they only had eyes for certain people.

Following their date, Billykiss and Conor continued the vibes back at the villa. Billykiss’ arrival came at the perfect time for Conor, after his partner Megan was dumped from the villa following last week’s public vote. Despite Conor being all for Billykiss, the bombshell’s eyes are elsewhere…

Later on in the episode, she was seen pulling Dejon for a chat. Despite Dejon saying he had a great connection with Meg, she wasn’t too convinced and expressed her worries that her partner’s head could finally be turned.

Billykiss and Dejon’s chat took an awkward turn in front of Meg tonight, when Tommy remarked the two were getting on like a house on fire. It seemed Dejon couldn’t hide his attraction towards the new bombshell, as she pointed out that he kept staring at her.

Could Billykiss be the one to turn Dejon’s head?

Love Island continues tonight at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.

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