decade

The ongoing ICE sweeps taking place across Los Angeles and the country have underscored the many challenges faced by immigrant communities. For decades, migrants across Latin America have traversed rugged terrain and seas in search of a better life in the United States, often risking their lives in the process. Various films have captured the complexities of the Latino immigrant experience. Here are five of them.

“El Norte” (1983) directed by Gregory Nava

Siblings Rosa and Enrique Xuncax (played by Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez and David Villalpando, respectively) decide to flee to the U.S. after their family is killed in the Guatemalan Civil War, a government-issued massacre that decimated the country’s Maya population. After a dangerous trek through Mexico, Rosa and Enrique find themselves in Los Angeles, the land of hopes and dreams — or so they think. The 1983 narrative is the first independent film to be nominated for an Academy Award for original screenplay; it was later added to the National Film Registry in 1995.

Decades later, “El Norte” still feels prescient.

“[Everything] that the film is about is once again here with us,” Nava told The Times in January. “All of the issues that you see in the film haven’t gone away. The story of Rosa and Enrique is still the story of all these refugees that are still coming here, seeking a better life in the United States.”

“Under the Same Moon” (2007) directed by Patricia Riggen

Separated by borders, 9-year-old Carlitos (Adrián Alonso) yearns to reunite with his mother, Rosario (Kate del Castillo), who left him behind in Mexico with his ailing grandmother. After his grandmother passes, Carlitos unexpectedly flees alone to find his mother in Los Angeles, encountering harrowing scenarios as he pieces together details of her exact location. Directed by Patricia Riggen as her first full-length feature, it made its debut at Sundance Film Festival in 2007, where it received a standing ovation.

“All these people risked their lives crossing the border, leaving everything behind, for love,” says Riggen. “For love of their families who they’re going to go reach, for love of their families who they leave behind and send money to. But it always has to do with love and family.”

“Una Noche” (2012) directed by Lucy Mulloy

There is no other option but the sea for the three Cuban youths in “Una Noche” who attempt to flee their impoverished island on a raft after one of them, Raúl, is falsely accused of assaulting a tourist. Lila follows her twin brother Elio, who is best friends with Raúl, but all is tested in the 90 miles it takes to get to Miami. The 2012 drama-thriller premiered in the U.S. at the Tribeca Film Festival, where it won three top awards; its real-life actors Anailín de la Rúa de la Torre (Lila) and Javier Nuñez Florián (Elio) disappeared during the screening while in a stopover in Miami, later indicating that they were defecting.

By this time, it was not uncommon to hear of Cuban actors and sports stars defecting to the U.S.

“[Anailín and Javier] are quite whimsical and I can see how they’d decide to do something like this,” said director Lucy Mulloy when the news broke in 2012. “But this is also an important life decision, and no one in Cuba takes it lightly.”

“I’m No Longer Here” (2019) directed by Fernando Frías de la Parra

Ulises (Juan Daniel García Treviño) shines as the leader of Los Terkos, a Cholombiano subculture group in Monterrey known for their eclectic fashion and affinity for dancing and listening to slowed down cumbias. But after a misunderstanding makes him and his family the target of gang violence, he flees to New York City, where he must learn to navigate the unknown world as an individual at its fringes. The 2019 film swept Mexico’s Ariel awards upon its release and was shortlisted in the international feature film category to represent Mexico at the 93rd Academy Awards.

The contemporary film provided a nuanced perspective on the topic of migration that did not always hinge on violence.

“The idea was to have a film that is more open and has more air so that you can, as an audience, maybe see that yes, violence is part of that environment,” said director Fernando Frías de la Parra to The Times in 2021. “But so is joy and growth and other things.”

“I Carry You With Me” (2020) directed by Heidi Ewing

Iván’s (Armando Espitia) life appears at a standstill — he’s a busboy with aspirations of becoming a chef, and a single dad to his 5-year-old son who lives with his estranged ex. But his monotonous life changes when he meets Gerardo (Christian Vázquez) at a gay bar, which shifts his journey into a blooming love story that traverses borders and decades. The story is inspired by the real-life love story of New York restaurateurs Iván García and Gerardo Zabaleta, strangers-turned-friends of director Heidi Ewing, a documentary filmmaker by training. The 2020 film first premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the NEXT Innovator and Audience Awards.

Nostalgia was a crucial element for the film, a poignant feeling for those unable to return.

“Sometimes I dream about when I was a kid in Mexico and that makes my day,” said García to The Times in 2021. “That’s all we have left, to live off our memories and our dreams.”

After a short and successful war with Iraq, President George H.W. Bush claimed in 1991 that “the ghosts of Vietnam have been laid to rest beneath the sands of the Arabian desert.” Bush was referring to what was commonly called the “Vietnam syndrome.” The idea was that the Vietnam War had so scarred the American psyche that we forever lost confidence in American power.

The elder President Bush was partially right. The first Iraq war was certainly popular. And his successor, President Clinton, used American power — in the former Yugoslavia and elsewhere — with the general approval of the media and the public.

But when the younger Bush, Clinton’s successor, launched wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Vietnam syndrome came back with a vengeance. Barely three weeks after the U.S. attacked Afghanistan on Oct. 7, 2002, famed New York Times correspondent R.W. Apple penned a piece headlined “A Military Quagmire Remembered: Afghanistan as Vietnam.”

“Like an unwelcome specter from an unhappy past,” Apple wrote, “the ominous word ‘quagmire’ has begun to haunt conversations among government officials and students of foreign policy, both here and abroad.”

“Could Afghanistan become another Vietnam?” he rhetorically asked. “Echoes of Vietnam are unavoidable,” he asserted.

Over the next 12 months, the newspaper ran nearly 300 articles with the words “Vietnam” and “Afghanistan” in them. The New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times ran articles mentioning Iraq and Vietnam at an average rate of more than twice a day (I looked it up 20 years ago).

The tragic irony is that President George W. Bush did what his father couldn’t: He exorcised the specter of “another Vietnam” — but he also replaced it with the specter of “another Iraq.”

That’s what’s echoing in the reaction to President Trump’s decision to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities. We’re all familiar with cliches about generals fighting the last war, but journalists and politicians have the same habit of cramming the square peg of current events into the round hole of previous conflicts.

Trump’s decision to bomb Iran — which I broadly support, with caveats — is fair game for criticism and concern. But the Iraq syndrome cosplay misleads more than instructs. For starters, no one is proposing “boots on the ground,” never mind “occupation” or “nation-building.”

The debate over whether George W. Bush lied us into war over the issue of weapons of mass destruction is more tendentious than the conventional wisdom on the left and right would have you believe. But it’s also irrelevant. No serious observer disputes that Iran has been pursuing a nuclear weapon for decades. The only live question is, or was: How close is Iran to having one?

Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, told Congress in March — preposterously in my opinion — that “Iran is not building a nuclear weapon.” On Sunday, “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker asked Vice President JD Vance, “So, why launch this strike now? Has the intelligence changed, Mr. Vice President?”

It’s a good question. But it’s not a sound basis for insinuating that another Republican president is again using faulty intelligence to get us into a war — just like Iraq.

The squabbling over whether this was a “preemptive” rather than “preventative” attack misses the point. America would be justified in attacking Iran even if Gabbard was right. Why? Because Iran has been committing acts of war against America, and Israel, for decades, mostly through terrorist proxies it created, trained, funded and directed for that purpose. In 1983, Hezbollah militants blew up the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon, killing 63. Later that year, it blew up the U.S. Marine barracks, also in Beirut, killing 241 Americans. In the decades since, Hezbollah and other Iranian proxies have orchestrated or attempted the murder of Americans repeatedly, including during the Iraq war. It even authorized the assassination of President Trump, according to Joe Biden’s Justice Department.

These are acts of war that would justify a response even if Iran had no interest in a nuclear weapon. But the fanatical regime — whose supporters routinely chant “Death to America!” — is pursuing a nuclear weapon.

For years, the argument for not taking out that program has rested largely on the fact that it would be too difficult. The facilities are too hardened, Iran’s proxies are too powerful.

That is the intelligence that has changed. Israel crushed Hezbollah and Hamas militants and eliminated much of Iran’s air defense system. What once seemed like a daunting assault on a Death Star turned into a layup by comparison.

None of this means that things cannot get worse or that Trump’s decision won’t end up being regrettable. But whatever that scenario looks like, it won’t look much like what happened in Iraq, except for those unwilling to see it any other way.

@JonahDispatch

DAVID Beckham is to finally be awarded a knighthood, The Sun can reveal.

The footie legend, 50, will become a ‘Sir’ in the King’s Birthday Honours list next week.

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His Spice Girl wife Victoria will be known as Lady Beckham.

Ex-England and Man United star Becks has longed for a knighthood for years.

The news will also bring some joy to the Beckham household amid a rift with their eldest son Brooklyn and his wife Nicola Peltz.

Politicians and fellow sports stars have spent years calling for the man known as “Golden Balls” to receive a knighthood.

The father of four — who played 115 times for England and has made major contributions to charity— has struck up a firm friendship with King Charles.

And the monarch dropped a potential hint last month that his wait was coming to an end.

Countryside-loving Becks, who is an ambassador of The King’s Foundation, was seen greeting Charles and Queen Camilla at the Chelsea Flower Show.

Coveted honour

He shares a passion for horticulture with Charles and sported the King’s rose in his lapel.

Charles asked him: “You got it, didn’t you?”

Becks replied: “It was incredible, thank you. It was very kind.”

Letters inviting recipients to accept honours are sent out weeks in advance – and one may have already landed on David’s mat at the time of their chat.

He was first put forward for a knighthood in 2011 after helping to secure the London 2012 Olympics.

But he was blocked from getting the title by the Honours Committee after becoming caught up in a tax avoidance scheme, along with many other stars.

Becks retired from playing in 2013, and his finances were cleared by the taxman at least four years ago – paving the way for him to finally get the coveted honour.

Many thought it would finally come in 2022, after he spent 13 hours queuing with the public to pay his respects at Queen Elizabeth’s coffin, which lay in state in Westminster.

But he was again left waiting for the honour.

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The Sun understands he narrowly missed out on a knighthood in the New Year Honours List published in December last year.

Former England football manager Gareth Southgate got the award.

David had been given an OBE in 2003 for services to football.

He received it from Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, watched by proud Victoria, sons Brooklyn and Romeo, and his grandparents.

David and his wife — who shot to fame with the Spice Girls before becoming a successful fashion designer — have an estimated combined net worth of £500million.

David also has a long history of charitable work, which will have been considered by officials on the Honours Committee.

It was inspiring to hear from The King about the work of His Majesty’s Foundation

David Beckham

Last year, he was formally made a charity ambassador by the King, and beekeeper Becks was buzzing with excitement at teaming up with him.

Charles invited Beckham to Highgrove to learn more about the charity, which focuses on “creating better communities where people, places and the planet can coexist in harmony”.

Tours of the grounds help to fund workshops and courses in traditional skills and crafts, and the former footie star met woodworking and embroidery students.

Becks said at the time: “I’m excited to be working with The King’s Foundation and to have the opportunity to help raise awareness of the charity’s work.

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“I’ve always been keen to help young people to expand their horizons and I’m particularly looking forward to supporting the Foundation’s education programmes and its efforts to ensure young people have greater access to nature.

“Having developed a love for the countryside I’m also on a personal mission to learn more about rural skills which is so central to the Foundation’s work.

“It was inspiring to hear from The King about the work of His Majesty’s Foundation during my recent visit to Highgrove Gardens — and compare beekeeping tips.”

In 2020, he teamed up with the Chelsea Pensioners as he backed The Sun’s campaign to save the Poppy Appeal amid the devastating Covid lockdown.

He said he was “in awe” of the veterans as he delivered poppies to their London HQ.

David added: “With another lockdown coming it is more important than ever that we support our veterans.”

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Becks, also dad to son Cruz and daughter Harper, has carried out lots of charity work focusing on children, and was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador 20 years ago.

To mark his 50th birthday last month he appealed for donations for the charity.

He was also a founding member of the leadership council of charity Malaria No More in 2009, helping to eradicate the disease, even visiting No 10 to highlight the issue.

In 2023, he delighted the Brentford Penguins – a football team for children with Down’s Syndrome — with a visit to celebrate them winning one of The Sun’s Who Cares Wins awards.

He took footballing son Romeo with him to lead a surprise training session.

David celebrated his 50th last month with a string of parties, though Brooklyn stayed away.

The honours will be formally announced later this month.

The government does not comment on them beforehand.

In a significant retrenchment, media mogul Byron Allen has retained investment banking firm Moelis & Co. to sell his network-affiliate television stations after spending more than $1 billion to scoop up outlets in smaller markets.

The Allen Media Group announced the news Monday morning. It owns nearly two dozen stations, including in Northern California near Redding, as well as Honolulu; Flint, Mich.; Madison, Wis.; and Tupelo, Miss.

The company needs to pay down debt, Allen said in a statement.

Allen’s firm declined to provide details on its finances.

The Los Angeles firm has spent big bucks during the last six years buying stations with a goal of becoming the largest independent television operator in the U.S. Many of Allen’s stations have standing in their markets with programming from one of the Big Four broadcast networks: ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox.

“We have received numerous inquiries and written offers for most of our television stations and now is the time to explore getting a return on this phenomenal investment,” Allen, chairman and chief executive, said in a statement. “We are going to use this opportunity to take a serious look at the offers, and the sale proceeds will be used to significantly reduce our debt.”

Allen Media Group, which was founded by Allen in 1993, also owns a dozen television channels, including the Weather Channel.

The Los Angeles entrepreneur and former stand-up comedian had been steadily expanding his empire for more than a decade.

However, the television advertising market has become increasingly challenged in recent years as media buyers shift their budgets to digital platforms where they are more likely to find younger consumers. The television advertising market has become more strained with the addition of streaming services, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Paramount+ competing with legacy stations for dollars.

A decade ago, Allen brought a high-profile $20-billion lawsuit against two of the nation’s largest pay-TV distributors, Comcast and Charter Communications, alleging that racism was the reason his small TV channels were not being carried on those services.

The case ultimately reached the U.S. Supreme Court and was legally significant because it relied on the historic Civil Rights Act of 1866, which was enacted a year after the Civil War ended and mandated that Black citizens “shall have the same right … to make and enforce contracts … as is enjoyed by white citizens.”

But the Supreme Court struck down many of Allen’s arguments. In a 9-0 decision in March 2020, the high court said it was not enough for a civil rights plaintiff to assert that his race was one of several factors that motivated a company to refuse to do business with him. Instead, the person must show race was the crucial and deciding factor.

Last month, CBS picked up his show “Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen” to run at 12:35 a.m.

Searching for patio furniture that is attractive, affordable and long-lasting is like seeking the holy grail: We want to believe it exists, but we’re not entirely sure.

“Outdoor furniture is tough,” said Tatiana Tensen, co-founder of the Eastside Staging Company that has been staging homes in L.A. for a decade. “While we look at the majority of our inventory as an asset, we understand that most patio furniture has a shelf-life of one, maybe two years. After that, most of it ends up being gifted to our local Buy Nothing group.”

Still, Tensen, who shops for furniture as part of her job, was able to offer a few tips on what to look for when investing in outdoor pieces.

“Certain brands like Salterini, Brown Jordan and Eames made outdoor furniture that lasted decades,” she said. “Materials also matter in terms of longevity. Powder-coated metals and well-patina’d teak will stay fresh and current for years.” She added that investing in good outdoor fabrics is also key. “There is a reason why Sunbrella is so popular,” she said.

Many people purchase patio furniture online from chain stores like Crate & Barrel, Restoration Hardware, Ikea, Costco and Home Depot or online retailers like Article and Wayfair. Others have had luck with Facebook Marketplace, where they say getting a deal is like finding a needle in a haystack but can yield a huge payoff if you’re willing to put in the time and energy. The list below is for people like me who prefer to shop at brick-and-mortar stores, aren’t afraid of vintage items and like supporting local businesses.

With help from designers, prop stylists, set decorators and the always informative Atwater Village Mom’s Facebook Group, I’ve assembled this road map to help you find whatever the patio furniture holy grail means for you. Maybe it’s a gorgeous teak peace that’s pricey but will last forever, or a mosaic tile table made by hand. Perhaps you can tolerate a little rust on a midcentury piece if the price is right, or you’re willing to shell out for a perfectly revamped chaise with new powder coating and fresh vinyl straps in the color of your choice.

Whatever it is you hope to find, I’m wishing you best of luck on your quest — and plenty of outdoor lounging.

RICHMOND, Va. — U.S. Rep. Gerald “Gerry” Connolly, an outspoken Democrat who sought key reforms in the federal government while bringing transformational development to his populous Virginia district, died Wednesday. He was 75.

Connolly, who most recently held a prominent position as the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, served in Congress for more than 16 years.

He died at home in the company of family members, his family said in a statement. Connolly announced in 2024 that he had esophageal cancer and said a few months later that he planned to retire from Congress. His death leaves House Republicans with a 220-212 majority.

The spirited and at times bullheaded Fairfax Democrat became known for his voluble nature and willingness to engage in spirited debates. In one hearing, he accused Republicans of engaging in a witch hunt against the IRS, asking a witness if they ever read Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible.”

“I am heartbroken over the loss of my dear friend,” said Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia. “To me, he exemplified the very best of public service.” He said Connolly “met every challenge with tenacity and purpose, including his final battle with cancer, which he faced with courage, grace, and quiet dignity.”

A fixture of Virginia politics for three decades, Connolly was first elected to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in 1995. On the county board, he steered the transition of northern Virginia’s Tysons Corner from a traffic-heavy mall area to a downtown business hub.

In 2003, Connolly was elected board chairman, and he continued pushing for transportation investment that had been debated among officials for decades. Connolly sought billions in state and federal dollars to develop the regional rail system’s Silver Line connecting the national capital region to Tysons Corner.

Connolly’s dream was realized with the Silver Line’s opening in 2014, and eight years later, the rail line was extended an extra 11 miles to reach Dulles International Airport.

As the extension opened in 2022, Connolly said: “Doing big things is difficult — the world is filled with naysayers.”

Connolly’s local government experience launched his congressional career. He was elected in 2008 after flipping an open Republican-held seat by nearly 42,000 votes. In his victory speech, Connolly said he would use his position to ensure the federal bureaucracy is “a responsive, accountable instrument for the people we serve.”

“If we insist the government must work for all of our citizens again, we cannot fail,” Connolly said.

Connolly got his first taste of Congress while working as a staffer for the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in the 1980s. Decades later, Connolly became a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

He also served as a member of the House Oversight Committee and led Democrats on subcommittees on government innovation and information technology.

Connolly cosponsored the 2010 Telework Enhancement Act, which requires federal agencies to allow a portion of their employees to telework at least one day a week. In 2014, he cosponsored another bill that reformed federal IT management and has since saved the government billions of dollars, according to the Government Accountability Office.

He also closely followed the financial burden of the slowing U.S. Postal Service, becoming a prominent voice accusing President Trump and former Postmaster General Louis DeJoy of seeking to winnow the postal service to suppress mail-in ballots during the 2020 presidential election.

Connolly reached a new milestone late last year as he was chosen ranking member of the House Oversight Committee. He defeated Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for the position. The victory came shortly after Connolly announced that he had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer and would undergo chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

As ranking member, Connolly called on inspectors general to investigate the Department of Government Efficiency. He and other Democrats also introduced a pair of resolutions demanding the Trump administration turn over documents and information about billionaire advisor Elon Musk’s potential conflicts of interest and the firings of federal workers.

He said in late April that after “grueling treatments,” he learned that the cancer had returned and that he decided to step down from his post on the committee and would not seek reelection.

“With no rancor and a full heart, I move into this final chapter full of pride in what we’ve accomplished together over 30 years,” he said.

Diaz writes for the Associated Press.

MILLIONS of bank customers face being left stranded after a damning report revealed 6,000 branch closures over the past decade.

A whopping 13million customers used bank branches last year, according to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

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The data shows that most users remain “reliant on bank branches for essential services,” despite the move toward online banking.

The FCA report revealed that an eye-watering 9.7million people visited a specific site at least once a month.

Experts fear that the trend of branch closures will leave customers stranded with around 3.3million account holders never banked online.

Around 63 per cent of those are over the age of 85, which raises further concern, according to the FCA.

The report also found that people from low-income households – as well as those with cancer, multiple sclerosis, or HIV — were less likely to engage with digital banking.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: “The disappearance of face-to-face banking risks cutting a significant minority of the older population out of an essential service, making it difficult if not impossible for them to maintain their independence.”

The main reasons people avoided online banking were concerns about security and a preference for speaking to someone face-to-face.

A staggering 21 per cent of account holders surveyed said their regular bank branch had closed.

Consumer group, Which?, showed that more than 6,000 branches have shut in the past decade.

Jenny Ross, money editor at Which? said: “As the UK’s bank branch network continues to be cut to the bone, more people are finding it difficult to access banking services.”

 Former pensions minister Ros Altmann added: ‘Millions of British citizens cannot and do not use online or mobile banking, and indeed don’t even have a smartphone.

Despite the rising bank closures, Nationwide has committed to keeping all of its branches open until 2028.

The major bank has seen the number of customers rise by 4 per cent, which appears to be partly driven by other bank closures.

Which bank branches are closing in June?

Halifax:

• Bitterne: 400/402 Bitterne Road SO18 5RS – June 9
• Bournemouth: 335/337 Wimborne Road BH9 2EA – June 4
• Felixstowe: 85 Hamilton Road IP11 7BQ – June 2
• Fleetwood: 4 Poulton Street FY7 6LR – June 22
• Gainsborough: 32 Lord Street DN21 2DQ – June 2
• Launceston: 1 Southgate Street PL15 9DP – June 3
• Leek: 16 Derby Street ST13 5AB – June 4
• Letchworth: 1 Commerce Way SG6 3DN – June 3
• Littlehampton: 68 High Street BN17 5EA – June 23
• London (North West): 469 Kingsbury Road NW9 9ES – June 2

Bank of Scotland:

• Bathgate: 50 Hopetoun Street EH48 4EU – June 30
• Cowdenbeath: 349/351 High Street KY4 9QJ – June 24
• Linlithgow: Regent Centre Blackness Road EH49 7HU – June 23

Lloyds:

• Alcester: Stratford Road B49 5AX – June 25
• Ashbourne: Compton DE6 1DY – June 24
• Dorchester: 1-2 High West Street DT1 1UG – June 19
• Launceston: 13 Broad Street PL15 8AG – June 3
• Liverpool: 188-190 Breck Road L5 6PX – June 4

Over the rest of the year, another 40 branches are closing.

These include locations in Bristol, London, Bolton, Edinburgh and Coventry.

Here is the full list…

Halifax:

Barrow-in-Furness: 133-135 Dalton Road LA14 1HZ – September 10
Bexleyheath: 131 Broadway DA6 7HF – October 23
Blackpool: 283/287 Lytham Road FY4 1DP – October 29
Bolton: 23/27 Knowsley Street BL1 2DG – November 20
Brentwood: 12 High Street CM14 4AE – September 10
Bristol: 15 Kings Chase Shopping Centre BS15 8LP – October 8
Carmarthen: 121/122 Lammas Street SA31 3AE – October 6
Castleford: 68 Carlton Street WF10 1DB – September 8
Cirencester: 10/12 Cricklade Street GL7 1JH – September 25
Crewe: The Market Centre CW1 2HU – October 14
Derby: 39 East Street DE1 2BL – October 23
Epsom: 51-52 The Ashley Centre KT18 5DB – September 15
Erdington: 221 High Street B23 6SS – September 24
Folkestone: 70-72 Sandgate Road CT20 2AA – October 9
Hayes: 45/47 Station Road UB3 4HH – October 6
Hexham: 20 Priestpopple NE46 1XH – November 5
Hove: 86/87 George Street BN3 3YE – October 20
London (South East): 165/169 Eltham High Street SE9 1TT – October 29
London (South East): 9-13 Powis Street SE18 6HZ – October 1
London (South West): 6 St Johns Hill SW11 1RU – September 23

Bank of Scotland:

Edinburgh: 206 St John’s Road EH12 8SH – October 29

Lloyds:

Biggleswade: 35 High Street SG18 0JD – November 5
Blandford: 6 Market Place DT11 7EE – November 10
Bristol: 16 Highridge Road BS13 8HA – November 6
Bury: 45 The Rock BL9 0JP – October 21
Chard: 27 Fore Street TA20 1PS – November 11
Coventry: 531 Foleshill Road CV6 5JN – November 4
Dunstable: 12 High Street North LU6 1JY – November 4
East Grinstead: 1/3 London Road RH19 1AH – November 12
Fakenham: 27 Norwich Street NR21 9AH – July 1
Falmouth: 11-12 Killigrew Street TR11 3RA – November 13
Feltham: 40 The Centre TW13 4AX – November 4
Ferndown: 84 Victoria Road BH22 9JB – November 17
Hexham: Priestpopple NE46 1PA – November 5
Kidderminster: 1 Vicar Street DY10 1DE – October 16
Leeds: 1 Cross Gates Centre LS15 8ET – August 20
Leeds: 52 Town Street LS12 3AE – September 8
Leominster: 9 Corn Square HR6 8LT – November 18
London (East): 180 – 182 High Street E17 7JH – October 22
London (South West): 12 Mitcham Road SW17 9ND – October 8
Loughton: 11 The Broadway IG10 3SW – November 12
Manchester: 64 Old Church Street M40 2JF – November 5

Since June 2022, Lloyds Banking Group has shut 537 bank branches across its three brands.

It has previously said all workers at the affected branches will be offered jobs elsewhere in the company.

UK banks and building societies have closed about 6,293 branches since January 2015, according to research by Which?.

This works out as almost two branches shutting every day for the past decade.

Barclays is the individual bank that has reduced its network the most, with 1,227 branch closures.

What to do if your local bank is set to close

If your nearest branch is closing, you should still be able to access banking services without going to another town.

For example you could check if there is a Post Office near you.

Here you’ll be able to do basic banking tasks, although you won’t be able to open a new bank account or take out personal loans or mortgages.

You can find your nearest Post Office branch by visiting postoffice.co.uk/branch-finder.

Many banks also offer a mobile banking service where they bring a bus to your area that offers services you can usually get at a physical branch.

Other banks use buildings such as village halls or libraries to offer mobile banking services.

You may want to contact your bank to see what mobile services they have available.

Another option is to check if there’s a super ATM near you.

These have been rolled out across the UK where branch closures have left residents unable to access essential banking services.

These ATMs will allow customers to withdraw funds, access their balance, change PIN numbers and deposit cash.

Banking hubs are also being opened across the country with 250 set to be available by the end of 2025.

MANCHESTER UNITED and Tottenham will face off in the Europa League final next week in a battle for a place amongst Europe’s elite.

The winner will earn a spot in next season’s Champions League, a reward that is potentially worth in excess of £100MILLION.

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Much has been made about whether that prize is suitable or not, given that United and Spurs currently occupy 16th and 17th spot in the Premier League – but Uefa aren’t changing their rules for the two underachievers.

Qualification would mean a huge amount to both clubs, with the lure of the Champions League meaning more top talent could be enticed to join in the summer – not to mention a huge boost to their transfer kitty.

For Spurs, the money would be the cherry on top of the giant cake that is ending their 17-year wait for a trophy.

While United almost NEED to win the competition given their current financial situation, with a defeat meaning a huge loss in potential revenue amid a slew of cost-cutting measure by Sir Jim Racliffe and his Ineos team.

Once getting to the Champions League, advancing to the very end could earn up to a potential £95m extra for the eventual winner – but United and Spurs will be aware that their chances of going all the way are slim.

In fact, of the eight different teams that have gained qualification into the Champions League by winning the Europa League over the last 10 years, just one has made it to the semi-finals.

That was Villarreal, who were knocked out of the tournament by eventual winners Liverpool.

Man Utd entered the competition thanks to their 2017 Europa League success under Jose Mourinho, only to lost to Sevilla in the Round of 16.

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While Chelsea did the same in 2019 and were kicked out by Bayern Munich in the last 16 too.

United and Chelsea are two of six teams that reached the last 16 after qualifying through the Europa League.

While Sevilla have twice failed to advance through the group stages and Atalanta were knocked out of this year’s competition in the qualifying knockout round.

Although it makes for bleak reading for Man Utd and Spurs fans, it’s worth noting that the lure – and cash injection – of playing in the Champions League has helped teams who qualified through the Europa League attract big players.

It was United’s entry to the 2017/18 competition that helped them sign Romelu Lukaku, Nemanja Matic and Victor Lindelof in the following summer.

Chelsea were unable to purchase players following their success as they were hit with a transfer ban following academy player rule breaches.

Either way, the prize waiting for the winner of next week’s ‘Hell Clasico’ is something which cannot be underestimated and could have a huge impact on either club for years to come.