early

Walt Disney Co. laid off nearly 300 workers this week, the latest wave in an industry-wide consolidation that continues to reverberate throughout Southern California.

Several people close to the Burbank entertainment giant confirmed this week’s cuts, which came as Disney separately offered early retirement packages for older workers. The voluntary separation program is underway, and the number of executives who will exit later this year has not been determined, one of the knowledgeable sources said Friday.

The layoffs this week largely affected the human resources and the technology divisions — a belt-tightening that comes as Disney Chief Executive Josh D’Amaro seeks to put his imprint on the sprawling company and sharpen its focus.

D’Amaro took the reins from former CEO Bob Iger in March, and the former parks chief has begun to organize the company around a “One Disney” approach to break down corporate silos that sprouted with each large acquisition, including Disney’s 2019 takeover of much of 21st Century Fox.

Disney also has been working for the past year to make Disney+ the company’s central streaming hub. As part of that effort, executives have begun to diminish the Hulu service and brand, which sprung to life nearly 20 years ago.

Disney employees are bracing for further cuts. Many expect a significant television division restructuring early next year, which could result in hundreds of layoffs, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Disney’s legal government affairs department also will be downsized, according to a recent internal memo Disney Chief Legal Officer Horacio Gutierrez.

A Disney spokesperson declined to comment.

Disney President Dana Walden, during a Thursday appearance at Bloomberg News’ Screentime media conference in Hollywood, acknowledged the industry turmoil.

Traditional studios and TV networks have shed tens of thousands workers in recent years after the streaming bubble burst and twin labor strikes paused projects.

Production workers in Los Angeles have felt a double-whammy as other states and countries have offered generous tax subsidies that have pulled productions from L.A.

Separately, Warner Bros. Discovery workers are anxious that David Ellison’s planned takeover of their company next week will ultimately result in hundreds of layoffs as the tech scion and his team hunt for $6 billion in cost cuts that they promised investors and prospective debt holders.

The merger will leave the combined company, which will go by the name Skydance, with more than $80 billion in debt.

Walden suggested her company’s cuts would be more modest. She said restructurings were necessary as companies adapt to changing consumption patterns, which have eroded the more lucrative TV economics of yesteryear.

“There is a need to constantly evaluate how you’re structured,” Walden said. “It is extremely painful. We’ve exited colleagues who I’ve worked with for most of my career and it is, in many ways, a harsh reality.”

She described Disney’s voluntary retirement program as a “generous” program to give “long-tenured executives agency and the opportunity to make their own decisions around whether the timing was right to leave.”

“This evolution, it will never stop,” Walden added. “Technology set their sights on our business, and we must survive, and thrive and grow. And that’s what we’re going to do.”

SYDNEY Sweeney fans have been left lost for words after realising that she has also appeared in a late 2000s teen drama.

The actress, 29, is arguably best known for her roles in Euphoria and White Lotus.

But in 2010 she appeared on our screens during the sixth episode of the third season of 90201.

Although it was only a small part, in the scene, her character can be seen approaching a shirtless Liam (Matt Latner) and asks him for help.

Her character tells him: “We’d like to look at those jeans but they are too high up for us to reach.”

As he reaches for the trousers, her character cheekily touches his bum and she starts giggling to her friends.

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The episode is called How Much Is That Liam in the Window.

One fan shared the scene on TikTok and said: “Sydney Sweeney before she was Sydney Sweeney.”

Many rushed to the comments section to share their shock over the fact they never noticed her before on the show.

One said: “I had no idea!”

Another confessed: “I didn’t recognise her so much she’s dressed.”

A third chimed in: “Omg I just watched this episode and didn’t even recognise her.”

90210 aired on The CT between 2008 and 2013.

It starred the likes of Rob Estes, Shenae Grimes, Jessica Stroup, Lori Loughlin, Michael Steger, Jessica Lowndes, Matt Lanter, Trevor Donovan, Gillian Zinser, Tristan Wilds, Tristan Wilds, Dustin Milligan and Ryan Eggold.

Sydney has appeared in a number of films over the years including Anyone but You, Spiders 3D, Clementine, Along Came the Devil, Eden and The Housemaid.

Meanwhile she’s landed telly roles including Grey’s Anatomy, Pretty Little Liars, Robot Chicken, Family Guy, Kickin’ It and Criminal Minds.

As well as acting, Sydney has recently stripped naked as she balanced on a basketball in a steamy sports-themed shoot.

She also regularly models lingerie from her own brand Syrn on social media.

Despite his expressions giving the game away at all times, he still fancies being a traitor and says he has ‘no qualms’ when it comes to killing his friends

Rob Beckett has confessed he is facing an uphill struggle when it comes to The Celebrity Traitors – because he is unable to hide his true feelings.

The comedian, who fronts a TV series with fellow player Romesh Ranganathan, is aiming to emulate the comedy deflection tactic used to perfection last year by winner Alan Carr.

“I think I’ll be good at deflecting with humour naturally because that’s what I’ve been trained to do,” he said. “My problem is that you know what I’m thinking by looking at my face. I think I’m in trouble, because I tell everyone everything with my expressions alone.”

Speaking before the series was filmed in May, Rob said his strategy was to make decisions in real time as the game unfolds. “Do trust your gut in the moment because you can overthink and over prepare, and then what I’ve got is panicked rehearsed lines – and that’s not just in this game. In life, the best things I’ve ever said have never been planned.”

The comic, from south London, says for him and some of the other players, the show is a full-circle moment. “I think I’ll just find the whole scenario hilarious because it’s so surreal to be around that group of people.

“Romesh, obviously everyone knows we’re such good friends, but Joe Lycett and James Acaster, I did gigs with them nearly 20 years ago, in pubs in Soho in front of eight people, and now all of a sudden we’re in this situation. So, it’s quite a reflective moment to consider this journey we’ve all gone on to now be on the biggest show on TV.

“Everyone wants to be on it, and we’re very lucky to be here, and to be here with friends and people that I’ve come through the ranks with and been able to confide in over the years. It’s quite nice to see all of us here as grown-ups.”

Dad-of-two Rob, 40, reckons he’d make a good Traitor, but is happy to leave the decision to presenter Claudia Winkleman. “I’d happily be either. Claudia and the producers are the experts in this, not me, but I’m very happy to do both, and I’ve got no qualms about killing people off.”

If he does end up as a Traitor, however, he does worry about giving him away immediately. “I could be the fastest Traitor out in history. I’ll probably just get a tap of the shoulder and get up and go: ‘You’ll never guess what just happened to me!’ and off I go. You’ll never know until you get in there.”

Rob’s hoping that his many years as a stand-up will help him to survive. “Being on stage is like being at the Round Table. You’re performing to an audience. And you’re having to say things to get them to behave in a certain way.”

Fellow player Joanne McNally reckons the six comedians who’ve signed up for this year’s show would “absolutely kill each other off” if necessary.

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Arguing that the group will happily double-cross each other for entertainment, she insisted they hadn’t spoken beforehand. “We haven’t been in cahoots at all,” Joanne insisted. “There’s been no chatting because we know that we’re more than willing to throw each other under the bus. It’s not like we’re making fake allegiances. They are professional entertainers, and they will absolutely kill each other off for the craic.”

The other comedians taking part are James Acaster, Joe Lycett, Miranda Hart, Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan.

Asked about signing up for the series Joanne, 43, quipped that she wanted to improve her social circle, laughing: “It’s all about the celebrity WhatsApp group. And what an eclectic cast we have. Like, you couldn’t predict it. It’s like lining up all my ex-boyfriends. There’s no consistency to it at all. I love it. It’s so frantic. It kind of has a bit of everything.”

Aiming to be chosen as a Traitor, “quietly competitive” Joanne insisted she had the necessary skills. “I’m great at spotting lies. I can read body language, and I’ve dealt with a lot of snakes,” she said.

She prepared by having a makeover. “I got six packs of hair extensions put in. I have some skills but hair and makeup is not one of them.” Joanne now believes she could have what it takes to go all the way to the end. “I have this feeling I’ll either be out within seven minutes, or I’ll end up going the distance.”

Heartstopper actor Sebastian Croft, 24, is hoping to fly under the radar. “To be with a bunch of my heroes in a castle with Claudia is wonderful,” he declared. “I’m very much hoping that the fact that most of the cast don’t know me will work to my advantage.”

He has prepared by asking the universe for advice. “I went to see a lady who read my tarot, my astrology, crystals, the lot! I couldn’t possibly tell you any of it, it would ruin what’s going to happen.”

Sebastian is hoping to become a Traitor – ideally alongside actor pal Bella Ramsay. “I love Bella! Imagine us in the turret together. That would be the dream.”

YouTuber and boxer King Kenny, 29, is on a mission for justice after his pal Niko Omilana was the first to be banished in last year’s show. “I’ll be honest, after Niko went out last year, I stopped watching,” he said. “But when I heard I was going to play this year I got determined to do this for Niko and avenge him.”

The first season of The Celebrity Traitors aired on the BBC last autumn and was watched by 15million people across the series, the biggest TV audience of 2025.

– The Celebrity Traitors starts on October 1 at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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ONE in five early holiday bookers have been left out of pocket after seeing prices for their trip plummet as the departure date approaches.

Researchers explored whether travellers are more likely to identify with a traditional, take-charge Type A personality (54 per cent), or a laid-back Type B approach (31 per cent), when booking and enjoying a holiday.

Type A travellers prefer to meticulously plan every detail of their trip well before setting off, while Type Bs would rather go with the flow and embrace the unexpected when away.

However, the study of 2,000 adults who have travelled abroad in the last three years found 20 per cent of Type As later spotted the exact flight or hotel they had spent weeks researching available for significantly less.

Another 10 per cent of these travellers have lost money trying to amend or cancel rigid bookings when their plans changed.

Yet 73 per cent of Type As believe booking a holiday just a week before departure feels too risky.

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But 36 per cent of their Type B counterparts feel confident there is little risk of missing out on their dream destination, even without planning months in advance.

The research was commissioned by lastminute.com to mark the launch of its ‘Travel Bgents’ platform, a hub that rewards Type B bookers with extra discounts.

Zoë Fidler, from the holiday firm, said: “There’s a common misconception that Type B travellers are just unstructured non-planners who leave things to chance. In reality, they are the savviest bookers in the game.

“Type B travellers have simply realised that holding off on pressing ‘book’ is the smartest move you can make, knowing they can get what they want and at a great price.”

Yet a quarter (25 per cent) admitted they wish they could embrace this more spontaneous approach and have the confidence to book a trip without overthinking.

With 30 per cent of Type B travellers assured that they could change plans on a whim when leaving it late to lock in their trip.

It’s not just saving money and planning time as 42 per cent of Type B travellers agreed that spontaneous adventures while on holiday create lasting memories, whereas this was true for just 20 per cent of Type A travellers.

With Type B travellers revealed to be more likely to stumble across hidden gems (36 per cent v 28 per cent) or enjoy unexpected moments (42 per cent v 20 per cent).

Zoe Fidler, from lastminute.com, added: “By holding out for the right moment, Type B’s unlock premium trips at a fraction of the cost, without the over-planning.

“Leaving it to the last minute isn’t about compromising or settling for leftovers; it’s an intentional, high-reward strategy.”

One in five holidaymakers who book trips well in advance later discover the same flight or hotel has dropped in price as the departure date nears, according to new research.

Researchers explored whether travellers are more likely to identify with a traditional, take-charge Type A personality (54%) or a more laid-back Type B approach (31%) when booking and enjoying a holiday.

Type A travellers prefer to meticulously plan every detail of their trip well before setting off, while Type Bs are more likely to go with the flow and embrace the unexpected when they’re away.

But the study of 2,000 adults who have travelled abroad in the last three years found 20% of Type A travellers later spotted the exact flight or hotel they had spent weeks researching available for significantly less .

Another 10% said they had lost money trying to amend or cancel rigid bookings when their plans changed. Despite that, almost three quarters (73%) of Type As said booking a holiday just a week before departure feels too risky .

However, 36% of Type B travellers said they feel confident there is little risk of missing out on their dream destination, even without planning months in advance.

The research was commissioned by lastminute.com to mark the launch of its ‘Travel Bgents’ platform, a hub that rewards Type B bookers with extra discounts.

Zoë Fidler, from the holiday firm, said: “There’s a common misconception that Type B travellers are just unstructured non-planners who leave things to chance. In reality, they are the savviest bookers in the game.

“Type B travellers have simply realised that holding off on pressing ‘book’ is the smartest move you can make, knowing they can get what they want and at a great price.”

Even so, a quarter (25%) admitted they wish they could embrace a more spontaneous approach and have the confidence to book a trip without overthinking.

Around 30% of Type B travellers said they feel reassured they could change plans on a whim when leaving it late to lock in their trip.

And it’s not just about saving money and planning time. Some 42% of Type B travellers said spontaneous adventures while on holiday create lasting memories — compared with 20% of Type A travellers .

Type B travellers were also more likely to say they stumble across hidden gems (36% vs 28%) or enjoy unexpected moments (42% vs 20%).

Zoe Fidler added: “By holding out for the right moment, Type B’s unlock premium trips at a fraction of the cost, without the over-planning.

“Leaving it to the last minute isn’t about compromising or settling for leftovers; it’s an intentional, high-reward strategy.”

HENRICO, Va. — In-person voting for this year’s midterm elections began Friday, ushering in the final six weeks for Americans to decide which party they trust to lead Congress through a cost-of-living crisis, a prolonged war in Iran and other pressing issues.

Election administrators say they are prepared and confident the vote will be accurate and secure. Nevertheless, President Trump has continued with efforts to denigrate certain voting methods and reshape how elections are run, through court challenges, an expansive federal hunt for noncitizen voters and a pressure campaign to force election officials to share sensitive voter data.

Friday marked the start of early voting in Virginia. Voters in a handful of other states, including Idaho, Minnesota and South Dakota, can cast absentee ballots in person, typically at a local election office or voting center. More expansive early voting is scheduled to begin in those and other states in the coming weeks.

At a voting location in Fairfax, Virginia, 18-year-old college student Sanya Singhal was among the first to vote early in person Friday morning, arriving well before the site opened to get in line.

“Why not just have a little fun in life, you know, try to be the first early voter?” she said. “I really want to participate in my democracy.”

At a voting location in suburban Richmond, a poll worker rang a bell as the building opened and about a dozen voters in line began to file in. Stephen Gura was excited to be the first.

“This election is critical. We need to stop the Trump agenda. We need to start electing people who will stand up for people in this district,” said Gura, who added that he voted for U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, a Democrat, and Shannon Taylor, the Democratic nominee against Republican incumbent Rob Wittman in the 1st Congressional District.

The Nov. 3 election includes votes for governor and state legislature in most states and will determine whether Republicans maintain control of the U.S. House and Senate. If Democrats retake Congress, it will alter the trajectory of the final two years of Trump’s term, most likely leading to investigations and other oversight efforts.

Voting underway after unusual redistricting and Trump’s bid to control how elections are run

At the suburban Richmond voting center, a steady stream of voters flowed in and out for the first hour of early voting. William Curry, a 74-year-old retiree who described himself as a libertarian-leaning independent conservative, voted for Warner’s Republican challenger, Bert Mizusawa, and Wittman. Curry said he generally approves of the job Trump has done, apart from the war with Iran.

“He’s in a mess he can’t get rid of,” Curry said of the conflict.

On a rainy day in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Bill Goehring, 67, said he voted early at the county office because he will be traveling later. He voted for a mix of Democrats and independents, and said Trump’s “dictatorial tendencies are bad for America.”

The start of early voting comes at a time of deep angst among many Americans about issues including rising gas and grocery prices, the war in Iran, the looming risks of artificial intelligence and Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement campaign.

It also follows an unprecedented spate of mid-decade redistricting for the U.S. House that began when Trump urged the Republican-controlled legislature in Texas to redraw its congressional map to help the party. California and other states followed.

The changes affect millions of people: Research shows 1 in 10 Americans this fall is a resident of a different congressional district than in 2024.

Those partisan efforts are expected to continue before the 2028 elections after a landmark ruling this year from the U.S. Supreme Court weakened the federal Voting Rights Act’s protections against racially discriminatory redistricting.

As the start of early voting approached, Trump was focused on efforts to assert federal control over election administration, even as the Constitution bestows the power to run elections on the states and, in some cases, Congress. The nation’s highest court rejected Trump’s bid to restrict mail ballots this week, but several of his administration’s other efforts to influence the voting process and mine state voter lists for illegitimate voters continue.

Virginia’s attorney general said Thursday that Trump’s administration may have violated several of the state’s laws after a whistleblower accused federal employees of misrepresenting themselves on voter lookup tools to hunt for noncitizen voters. In a letter, Attorney General Jay Jones demanded that the Department of Homeland Security confirm in writing whether it had directed anyone to access Virginia voters’ information without first obtaining permission from those voters.

Trump for years has raised the specter of widespread noncitizen voting in U.S. elections, and this year is no exception. But despite his administration’s insistence that hundreds of thousands of people are illegally on voting rolls across the country, research continues to show noncitizen voting is exceptionally rare.

David Becker, executive director and founder of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, said he wouldn’t be surprised if the Republican president continues “his disinformation campaign and his attack on election officials.” But he said he thinks despite that and other challenges, “ultimately the process will hold as it has in past years.”

Advocates suggest voters cast their ballots early

Voting rights advocates have encouraged voters this year to cast mail ballots early, in part because of concerns about recent changes in U.S. Postal Service operations that could delay the application of postmarks to ballots.

“Voting early, whether in person or by mail, is good for all of our communities because it gives voters options, eases lines on Election Day and can even mean faster results,” said Hannah Fried, co-founder and CEO of the voting rights group All Voting Is Local.

The top official at the U.S. Postal Service also encouraged voters who cast ballots by mail to get them in early.

“We say seven days,” postmaster general David Steiner said in an interview. “Everything is solved if people vote early.”

In a news briefing Thursday, Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon urged people not to be swayed by stories they might have seen or read that cast doubt on election operations. They would be able to vote “just like they always have,” he said.

“I just want to reaffirm that Minnesota’s elections are fundamentally free, fair, accurate, honest and secure,” he said.

Swenson, Rankin and Raza write for the Associated Press. Swenson reported from New York and Raza from Sioux Falls, S.D. AP writer Mike Catalini in Philadelphia and AP video journalist Nathan Ellgren in Fairfax, Va., contributed to this report.

MAKKAH: More than 60 early Islamic inscriptions and two historic wells in Wadi Al-Usaylah, northeast of Makkah, are providing archaeologists with a record of early Arabic writing and the pilgrimage routes used by caravans traveling to the holy city.

The six-kilometer-long, two-kilometer-wide valley was historically an important passage for travelers and pilgrim caravans arriving from Iraq and surrounding regions, according to a report by the Saudi Press Agency, or SPA.

The inscriptions, carved into mountain rock faces, date to the seventh and eighth centuries — corresponding to the first and second centuries of the Islamic calendar. They include references to figures from the early Islamic period and offer scholars tangible evidence of changes in the form, structure and aesthetic development of early Arabic script.

Water was also essential to sustaining travelers crossing the arid landscape. Successive Islamic rulers established water infrastructure along the route, with two of the valley’s four original historic wells still surviving near the inscribed rock faces. Some of the wells are believed to date to the Abbasid Caliphate.

The Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites is carrying out a comprehensive preservation program along the corridor to protect the inscriptions and wells from erosion. The effort forms part of wider initiatives under Saudi Vision 2030 to preserve the Kingdom’s archaeological heritage while developing sustainable cultural destinations, SPA reported.

The Wadi Al-Usaylah findings add to a growing body of archaeological evidence documenting the development of writing and human settlement across Saudi Arabia.

In a July 2026 report, SPA said the King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve contains thousands of archaeological inscriptions and rock carvings, including Thamudic and Nabataean writings as well as depictions of animals, hunting scenes and aspects of daily life. More than 400 archaeological and historical sites have been documented across the reserve, with some remains dating as far back as 8,000 BC.

Najran provides another extensive record of the evolution of writing in the Arabian Peninsula. In a September 2024 report, SPA described the UNESCO-listed Hima Cultural Area as a vast outdoor museum containing rock carvings and inscriptions in Ancient South Arabian, Thamudic and Islamic scripts.

Archaeological surveys in Najran have documented inscriptions from different periods, including tribal markings and writings in Thamudic, Sabaean, Himyarite and early Islamic scripts. The accompanying rock art depicts people, camels, horses, ibexes, hunting scenes and battles, offering clues to ancient communities and their material culture, SPA reported.

The continuity and development of Arabic writing are also illustrated by a bilingual inscription discovered and documented in 2024 in Alqan village in the Tabuk Region. According to an SPA report, the inscription dates to the fifth century AD and contains two lines in Thamudic script and one in early Arabic.

The Heritage Commission said the Tabuk discovery provided evidence that Thamudic writing continued to be used alongside early Arabic during the fifth century. It also offered new insights into the coexistence of the two writing traditions and the development of Arabic letter forms.

Together, such discoveries underscore the archaeological value of Saudi Arabia’s mountains, valleys and desert landscapes as repositories of written history. They also highlight the importance of systematic documentation and preservation to protect inscriptions and other remains from erosion and other threats while making them accessible for scientific research and cultural tourism.

For Wadi Al-Usaylah, the combination of early Islamic inscriptions and surviving water infrastructure provides a particularly important glimpse into the networks that connected travelers and pilgrims with Makkah during the formative centuries of Islam.

Members of the high court have exchanged accusations after one justice was accused of involvement in a bank scandal.

Brazil’s Supreme Court has cancelled a second straight day of deliberations as suspicions of corruption, political bias and police interference loom over several of its members.

Cancellations are rare at the high court. But on Thursday, Chief Justice Luiz Edson Fachin nixed a second consecutive session, calling for the court to reconvene on Tuesday instead.

The decision was spurred by an ongoing crisis among the court’s members.

The divisions emerged on September 1, when one justice, Andre Mendonca, unsealed a series of federal police documents that appeared to show a disgraced banker, Daniel Vorcaro, seeking advice from another justice, Alexandre de Moraes.

De Moraes has rocketed to prominence in recent years for his roles in high-profile cases.

He presided over the trial of former President Jair Bolsonaro after prosecutors accused the far-right leader of plotting a coup following his 2022 election defeat. De Moraes also oversaw suspensions of platforms like X and Rumble for failing to abide by court orders, making him a target for Brazil’s right wing.

The document release authorised by Mendonca, a Bolsonaro appointee, contains roughly 30 text messages sent to a phone number associated with de Moraes, allegedly from Vorcaro.

In response, de Moraes has accused Mendonca of abusing his authority on the court for political gains. He requested a probe into whether Mendonca interviewed Vorcaro without the presence of police or prosecutors.

Tuesday’s session will involve the full Supreme Court bench, and 10 of the justices will discuss whether the 11th member, de Moraes, should be investigated over the text messages.

The tit-for-tat on Brazil’s high court is the latest fallout from the Banco Master corruption scandal.

Vorcaro, the head of the Banco Master financial institution, was arrested in November 2025 on accusations he defrauded investors of billions in lost funds, in one of the biggest banking scandals in the country’s history.

The collapse of Banco Master’s private banking arm left behind more than $7bn in debt.

Lawmakers from across the political spectrum have become embroiled in the unfolding scandal as new details emerge.

The turmoil risks affecting October’s general elections, including a pivotal presidential election.

Left-wing incumbent Lula Inacio Lula da Silva is set to compete for the presidency against Jair Bolsonaro’s eldest son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro.

Both Lula and Senator Bolsonaro have called for investigations into the Supreme Court justices.

The Bolsonaro family itself has been dragged into the Banco Master scandal. In May, the publication Intercept Brasil released a report showing that Senator Bolsonaro petitioned Vorcaro for funds to finance a film about his ex-president father, who is now serving a 27-year prison sentence.

Senator Bolsonaro has denied wrongdoing, claiming he did nothing more than seek private sponsorship for the film, entitled Dark Horse.

But on Thursday, Brazilian police executed dozens of raids related to the Banco Master scandal, including some that targeted two figures involved in the film: Karina Gama, the head of a production company, and Congressman Mario Frias, who served as executive producer.

Senator Bolsonaro has called the probes “attempted political interference” ahead of the elections.

A British family said they were forced to fly home early from their summer holiday to Greece after their four-star all-inclusive resort was ‘derelict’ and ‘horrific’

A family of four were left with no choice but to fly home early from their holiday after checking into a hotel that was ‘derelict’ with a ‘green swimming pool’ and ‘brown water slides’.

Adam, his wife and two kids booked a last-minute summer getaway with Love Holidays after seeing a tempting deal at a four-star all-inclusive resort in Kos, Greece. They paid £3,500 for a 10-night stay at Kipriotis Village Resort, which Adam said was almost half price, with rates ranging from around £5K to £6K, during the peak travel season.

“Everything advertised looked good, and Love Holidays advertised it as a four-star, all-inclusive hotel. We read the reviews, and they were ok, so we booked it,” Adam exclusively told the Mirror. “We didn’t expect the Ritz, but we did expect cleanliness and something that was livable.” But before they even reached the hotel, Adam was given a worrying warning. “We got a taxi from the airport, and the guy said, ‘Kipriotis Village?’, and I said, ‘Yeah’, and he went, ‘Oh dear’, so I sat there and thought, oh no.”

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‘It was derelict and dangerous’

The family checked into the Kipriotis Village Resort in Kos at around midnight on Friday, 14 August, but as soon as they walked into their room, they were stunned by its condition. “Honestly, in all my years of travel, I’ve never seen a room like what was presented”, Adam revealed. “There were holes all in the walls, the floorboards were all up, they were manky all around the bed.

“The air conditioning wasn’t working, there were cobwebs and clearly the room hadn’t been cleaned for years. The toilet was constantly running, the flush wouldn’t work, and there was mould around the bath. It was basically derelict.” Love Holidays said the hotel’s four-star rating is based on Greece’s official hotel rating system and aligns with local standards.

In addition to its conditions, the father of two said: “It was a mezzanine room, so the idea was that we had the main bit downstairs and the top part was for the kids’ bed, but the safety bannister was rocking like mad, and if they leaned on it in the night, and they fell off that, it would have killed them.”

No other choice

Horrified by the room, they complained at the hotel reception and declared, ‘We can’t have this.’ Adam claimed that the hotel staff told them, ‘Well, it’s tough, because we’ve got no rooms’, and said, “they were not interested in dealing with us”. He said he called Love Holidays to help with the situation and was allegedly told, ‘We’re just an agent, deal with the hotel’.

Adam said they had “no choice” but to spend the night, as there were no other hotels available. He claimed that at reception the next morning, “the queue was unbelievable”, and said, “everyone had the same problem, all the rooms were falling apart”. Adam claimed: “Love Holidays haven’t checked it, assessed it or done any of the groundwork whatsoever, and they’ve advertised it with old pictures.” He said he spoke to Love Holidays again, to which he was allegedly told, ‘We tried to contact the hotel, they’re not answering, you’ll have to deal with it yourself’.

On their second morning, the hotel offered them an upgraded room. They viewed the room, but Adam said it was “nothing like the photos, but it was all on one level, and the floorboards were intact.” He added, “There were no other hotels I could book. I needed something safe for my kids. What do I do? So I thought, right, I’ll take it.”

The father of two claimed that he was “presented with a waiver form” and was told, ‘You can only have the upgraded room if you sign this’, with article three alleging stating, ‘I waive all my rights for any claims against the hotel’. The dad said he refused to sign it.

Adam claimed the form was “snatched away” from him and was told, ‘Right, you’ll stay where you are then’. But in a bid to get the upgraded room, Adam said he asked how much it would be without signing the waiver, and was told €280. “It’s not ideal, nothing that was advertised, it’s horrific, but at least it’s a safe room for the kids, because I can’t get anything else,” he told the Mirror.

‘Green swimming pool and raw food’

Yet it wasn’t just the rooms that seemed to be inadequate. “The resort was derelict,” Adam said. “The swimming pool was green, there were green stains around the rim, and the drains were green. There were some kids’ slides with brown, sewage-smelling water at the bottom, and some people were letting their kids go down them. The sunbeds had obviously been there for 20 years, just rotting.

“The tennis courts were just dug up, you couldn’t even walk on the surface and were all closed up. The football pitch was a mess, and the kids’ club was non-existent. The cleanliness of the place was horrific; I couldn’t let my kids go in the communal toilets.” He added: “The food, I can’t tell you how bad it was. People were getting raw food. I went for a chicken skewer, and it was just raw inside. The food was really bad. The trays the food was served in will turn your stomach.”

For the first few days of the trip, the father of two said he spent days at reception but “got nowhere”, so in the end, left the hotel every day for aslong as long as possible. “We literally slept in the bed, went out for planned days out, to waterparks and boat trips. I can’t tell you how bad the place was.”

Flying home early

Just when they thought it couldn’t get any worse, Adam said they had “a really bad sewage smell” in the new room. He stated he emailed Love Holidays back and forth, but said, “they were not interested and kept saying, ‘speak to the hotel’.” In the end, the family flew home three days early, “just to get out of there”. “It was just horrific,” Adam added.

He claimed: “Love Holidays have been absolutely horrific with everything. The lack of support and accountability, and lack of remorse from Love Holidays was just so bad, and they would try to fob us off to a hotel that just wouldn’t listen. It’s not necessarily about me. There are people out there who are genuinely saving all year to put money aside to take their families on holidays, and when they get to a place that hasn’t even been checked by Love Holidays, it’s in such a state and so bad.”

A Love Holidays spokesperson said: “We are very sorry that Adam and his family’s recent experience at their hotel in Greece fell short of our usual high standards, and we are investigating the issues raised directly with the hotel. We have contacted Adam to offer our sincere apologies and reimburse him £1,799, covering 50% of his total accommodation costs and out of pocket expenses.”

The Mirror has contacted Kipriotis Village Resort in Kos for comment.

‘Prison cell’ hotel room

This isn’t the first time Kipriotis Village Resort in Kos has been called out for its ‘derelict’ condition. Just last month, a mum told the Express that she paid £1,500 for a ‘holiday from hell’ with a room that compared to ‘a prison cell’ after checking into a room at the same hotel.

Linda Martin, from Cardiff, said: “It was a big place, with massive grounds. We dragged our suitcases down the steps and dragged them through buckets of vomit. So I immediately thought, red flag, this is disgusting.” She explained: “I opened the door to enter what I can only describe as prison cell block H. We were hit by stifling heat, it was stinky, and there were mosquitoes flying everywhere.

“There were three single beds, which were rock hard. The room did not resemble in any fashion the photos in the brochure. It was dilapidated. The curtains were not wide enough, so they couldn’t be closed, and the room was dirty. We had separate rooms, and my daughter looked at the room, and she just burst into tears and said, ‘I’m not staying here, I want to go home, I just want to go back to the airport’.”

The holidaymaker added: “When we walked around the pool area, it was derelict, the sun loungers were hanging, and I had seen nothing like it.” In the end, Linda and her daughter were forced to book another hotel in the area, and Love Holidays reimbursed her £1,772, covering 50% of her total accommodation costs and her taxi expenses.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from an autumn trip to Finland, my first ever to the country, but spending an afternoon sprawled on a deck chair beneath blazing blue skies certainly wasn’t part of it. After a morning walking beneath the leafy canopy at the Mustila Arboretum – the oldest, most extensive botanical garden in the country – and a lunchtime wine-tasting (more of which later), my friend Sara and I pitched up at the Sahanlahti resort, deep in the Finnish Lakeland, only to find sun-drenched scenery that felt far more Mediterranean than Nordic.

Sahanlahti was the second stop on a mid-September road trip from Helsinki to the shores of Lake Saimaa; a journey in search of ruska, the spectacular autumn colours that blaze for a few short weeks before the long Finnish winter sets in. However, on our opening drive east from the airport to the Radalla resort, set on Lake Urajärvi, most of the thousands of trees we drove past were resolutely green, with just the very tips of the leaves tinged with auburn, like a foliage balayage.

“You’re too early,” the waitress told us, cheerfully, after we had checked in to our chic waterfront cabins, and were tucking into hefty plates of crispy garlic chicken, scattered with freshly picked chanterelles, in Radalla’s quiet dining room. “But you might get some sun tomorrow.” Later, walking back to our cabins through thick drizzle, we agreed she was most probably just being kind.

The Radalla resort is just one of dozens of lakeside hotels scattered across southern Finland – many with self-catering cabins, sauna complexes and gleaming metal steps that lead from wooden piers down into the chilly waters of the lake. The grey drizzle we awoke to made a dip less than appealing, and instead we decided to set off for our next stop, taking in the arboretum en route before finding a place for lunch.

Driving in southern Finland turned out to be quite different from other countries. Most settlements fringe the lakesides, so they tend to be tucked away down side roads leading off from the main highway. Instead, trees – those resolutely green trees – rolled past us for mile after mile, until slowly the fields began to melt into lakes, one after another, the road snaking alongside the blue-grey waters, or stitching together small islets that lay scattered between them.

Googling somewhere for lunch, Sara came across the Ollinmäki winery, an unexpected find in a country that grows absolutely no grapes. Instead, berry wines are hugely popular, and once settled in at our table, we were persuaded to try a flight of six, accompanied by a bowl of hearty elk soup (which tasted considerably better than it looked) and a leaf salad with local cheese. One wine, the white currant and berry Myllärin Matti was particularly delicious, with the tang of a crisp sauvignon – although I wouldn’t want to find out what a Finnish hangover feels like.

From the winery it was an easy drive to Sahanlahti, by which time the weather had cleared and pin-sharp blue skies gleamed above the shores of Lake Saimaa. The main house – painted butterscotch-yellow and dating back to the mid-18th century, when the owners presided over the local sawmill – had a languidly old-fashioned air, but dinner at the Koskivahti restaurant was anything but: rich mushroom soup, slivers of goose confit with lingonberry sauce, wafer-thin beetroot carpaccio with tangy goat’s cheese.

It might have been too early for the leaves to turn, but we had arrived right in the middle of harvest season, when heading out into the fields and islands to pick wild mushrooms and berries (of which there are 35 different varieties) is practically a national sport. We had barely set down our bags at our final stop, Järvisydän resort, before we were whizzing out across Saimaa on a small motor boat, baskets tucked between our feet, to hunt for chanterelles and look for rare ringed seals and ospreys.

The sky was flawlessly blue as we whipped across the water, disembarking first to pick the mushrooms – slashes of bright yellow among the green undergrowth. We were guided in our harvesting by Sebastian, the 12th generation of the Heiskanen family to be running Järvisydän. “Back in 1654,” he told us, “my family were given a portion of land by the Russian tsar, to build a tavern on the route between St Petersburg and Helsinki.” More than 350 years later, the tavern has morphed into a 100-room resort, offering everything from starkly modern glass-walled cabins, high in the forest, to hexagonal log houses with bedrooms set off a central, fire-lit atrium, and camping pods.

It’s an extraordinary place: everything – from the vast reception, dwarfed by a replica Viking longship hull hung above reception, to the restaurants, bar and the Hobbit-like spa – is built entirely from local stone and timber. A visit to the spa seemed the perfect way to warm up after our chilly boat trip, with six different saunas to dip into – although the “sunken log” sauna, where the temperature reached 70C, gave me some sense of how an ice-cream might feel if left out in the sun.

Of the three resorts we visited, Järvisydän was the standout – for its history, for the spectacular scenery of Lake Saimaa that surrounds it, for the delicious mushroom soup and for the long, sunlit walk we took on our final afternoon, through the dense pine forest, where red squirrels skittered around in the branches above. It was a wrench to leave on our last morning, but as we sped back along quiet roads to Helsinki, we agreed Finland had – in spite of our foliage fail – outstripped our expectations. It was more beautiful, more peaceful, more sunkissed than we could ever have imagined.

Ruska (the vibrant colours of autumn foliage) begins in the north of the country in early to mid-September, reaching the Lake Saimaa region in the south by early October.

The trip was provided by Discover the World. A four-night bespoke self-drive trip staying at Radalla, Sahanlahti and Järvisydän resorts starts at £794pp, including B&B and car hire, but not flights.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto was flawless over his first five innings in the Dodgers’ 8-6 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday, giving up no hits with seven strikeouts and one walk.

“It comes down to starting pitching,” Roberts said pregame, after his team gave up 13 runs in a loss Tuesday. “And obviously it’s a young, hungry team out there. Came out last night swinging the bats, so it’d be nice to put up a zero, get a lead, and go from there.”

Roberts’ wish appeared granted, as the Dodgers led 3-0 in the first after Freddie Freeman ended his career-long 47-game homer drought with a three-run blast against Cardinals lefty Brycen Mautz.

But the once-cruising ace encountered turbulence. He later gave up a pair of two-run homers, with the Cardinals’ Thomas Saggese launching the first in the sixth and Leo Bernal the second in the eighth.

The Dodgers showed fight amid chaos on Tuesday.

“[Tuesday] night I really liked the way we just kind of fought, saw some different arms, got the closer up, and things to build on,” Roberts said pregame.

On Wednesday, not even a Mookie Betts two-run homer in the seventh could lift the Dodgers (82-57) to a win.

Yamamoto’s night was done after seven innings. He threw 93 pitches, had eight strikeouts and gave up five hits, two walks and four runs, a few mistakes away from a completely different outing.

Tanner Scott stepped in for Yamamoto in the eighth, allowing a Joshua Báez double three pitches in. And after Ivan Herrera moved Báez to third via a groundout, Alec Burleson tied the score at five with a sacrifice fly to right.

Jack Dreyer kept things stable with a clean ninth. However, in the 10th, Brock Stewart (0-2) uninspiringly gave up three runs. Orange County native Nathan Church got the Cardinals’ wheels turning iwith a single up the middle, advancing José Fermin to third. Saggese delivering the go-ahead run on an infield single. One pitch later, Báez put the game out of reach with a two-run double

The Dodgers could only get one run back in the bottom of the miserable 10th.

CT3 comes home

Chris Taylor, his wife Mary and son Theo watch a video tribute to his career before the start of Wednesday’s game.

(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)

The Dodgers welcomed back former longtime utility player Chris Taylor to Dodger Stadium and presented him with a video tribute and his third World Series ring.

“It’s pretty much what I identify my career as — over 90% of my entire career was in Dodger Blue,” Taylor said. “This is the place I call home. Always proud to be a Dodger, and it means a lot to me that they would do this for me. So, I’m extremely humbled.”

Taylor, a 12-year veteran who retired earlier this season, said Wednesday night was the first time he was able to watch a game with his family.

Injury Updates

Shohei Ohtani reacts after striking out in 10th inning Wednesday.

(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)

Roberts said the plan is still for Shohei Ohtani to return to pitching this season. However, there is no timetable for when he’ll throw his next bullpen session, and shutting down Ohtani as a pitcher remains a distant possibility.

“We’re not there quite yet, but it’s certainly an option,” Roberts said.

Roberts also shed light on some of the work Ohtani’s doing to get back on the mound.

“He’s doing plyos,” Roberts said. “He does that a handful of times a week. … That’s kind of where we’re at right now.”

Will Smith was given a breather after going one for five with two RBIs in his first game back from a three-month stint on the IL on Tuesday.

“It was good to see him get a knock,” Roberts said. “I thought he swung the bat pretty well. So, it’s a premeditated day off today. He’ll be back in there tomorrow, but I guess no news is good news.”

It wasn’t a full day off, as Smith pinch-hit for Hunter Feduccia in the ninth and scored the Dodgers’ run in the 10th.

Rōki Sasaki’s blister is healing as planned, and he shouldn’t miss additional time.

“I saw him yesterday at the end of the bench; it’s healing well,” Roberts said. “He’s still moving his arm, playing catch. So I think it’s going to be a shorter term getting him back.”

Roberts doesn’t yet know whether Sasaki will take a spot in the bullpen or rotation upon his return.

Gavin Stone could potentially pitch in September, according to Roberts.

“Gavin’s been good,” Roberts said. “I think right now — and again, this is not talking to the guys in the, you know, player development — but it’s more of just getting him to stay upright, stay healthy, is the win for 2026.”