LIDOS are experiencing a resurgence of popularity across the UK and this one has been open since the 1800s.
For locals it’s been a peaceful spot for a morning swim, or a Full Moon dip, but now there’s talk of it becoming more like the busy resort town of Benidorm.
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Havre des Pas is a tidal pool on the edge of St Helier in JerseyCredit: Visit JerseyWith a change of operator, it could become a lot different in the coming yearsCredit: Alamy
The historic pool is tidal, meaning it fills with seawater at high tide and empties at low tide.
Currently, the lido also has a waterside beach kiosk and bar along with a rooftop bar, but it could all be about to change.
From 2026 First Point will take over as the lido’s operator, and one Constable Marcus Troy, senior partner at First Point, revealed he wants to make the bathing pool and surrounding area “a resort like Benidorm.”
Talking to the BBC, he said: “So, we are going to be talking to all the catering and hospitality businesses in the area and creating our own map as if it’s a destination in its own right, like West Park and St Brelades. A resort like you would call Benidorm, for example.
“We aren’t the size of Benidorm, but we want more activity in general – whatever it is – volleyball, swimming competitions, galas, night time events, family amusements; we might like to put bouncy castles in the pool.”
First Point will take on the lease for nine years.
Plans to open the lido in St Helier began in 1860s when The Jersey Swimming Club was established and the group sought a safe swimming space on the British Isle.
Years later and the lido at Havre De Pas opened in May 1895 with a large pool and a circular tower, which had the changing rooms and club room.
It was very popular, especially between the 1920s and 30s which is why it saw lots more improvements and additions in the years that followed.
Havre Des Pas also has a bar, Kiosk cafe and rooftop areaCredit: AlamyThe pretty lido is on the edge of Jersey’s capitalCredit: Alamy
29 new cabins were built on the tower, and there was an extension to the club built called the Blue Terrace.
Now, inside the tower is a bar with an open kitchen, dance floor and stage as well as a balcony that overlooks the pool.
There’s a dining area too which has indoor tables or the choice to eat al fresco, plus there’s the rooftop which has live music and is an ideal location for a cocktail.
The venue at the lido can stay open until 1AM and has dubbed itself the ‘ultimate Private Party Island’.
Through the summer months, the Kiosk is open with lots of light bites, as well as pizzas, burgers, tacos, fish and chips and full English breakfast offerings.
The lido is just on the coast outside of the island’s capital of St Helier – and it’s a popular spot for locals and visitors too.
One visitor wrote in Tripadvisor: “What a fabulous place The Lido Havre de Pas is! Beautiful views over the bay and to watch the people swimming in the gorgeous Lido.
“Will definitely return when I go back on holiday there next year. Can’t recommend enough.”
Another simply branded it as a “good old fashioned historic Lido”.
Not everyone is happy after the announcement of the new operator.
After the news, LidoJersey took to social media to voice concerns about it and stated that the pool could and end up being a ‘bare shell‘
It said: “Unless this new entity wishes to negotiate with us, which hasn’t been done to date, the site will revert to a bare shell, just as it was when we took it over in 2015.”
It added that this would mean there would be no licence for alcohol, entertainment, marriage of infrastructure like the kiosk, commercial kitchen and bar area.
Cleveland Pools in Bath, which was built in 1815 and is the country’s oldest, may never reopen to the public again.
It was open for just four months in 2023 after receiving £9.3 million for a revamp. But it hasn’t reopened since, and it might never do so.
The trustees of the restored lido revealed in a report that it “might not be possible” to reopen the pool, according to the BBC.
The report stated: “The risk that the cost to repair the pools and the plantroom will be substantial and beyond the resources available to the trust.
“There is therefore a risk that the pools cannot be repaired and reopened.
“To mitigate against this risk the trust is exploring all potential avenues that would allow the pools to be repaired and reopened, including but not limited to legal recourse and external funding.”
Cleveland Pools is a Grade II listed lido, and is considered the oldest outdoor swimming pool in the UK.
It opened in the early 1800s and closed in 1984. It then took a huge campaign by the public, and almost £10million to reopen the lido in September 2023.
Havre Des Pas Lido first opened in the 1800sCredit: Alamy
Times are tough and inflation is real, but this holiday season, it’s still possible to shower your loved ones in luxury without breaking the bank.
There’s no rule that says indulgence has to come with a hefty price tag. As my friend Nicole likes to say, a luxury item is one that you wouldn’t think of buying yourself.
Does anyone need an iPhone case in rich pebbled leather? Probably not, but they absolutely might enjoy one.
On this list of gifts that feel expensive (but aren’t), you’ll find a rich smelling high-end candle alternative, an elevated bottle of indie nail polish with a display-worthy brass cap and one of the best olive oils you’ll ever taste from the fruit of 100-year-old California olive trees.
My editor challenged me to keep all the gifts under $40, and dear Gift Guide reader, I rose to the challenge — if you don’t count shipping costs. Remember: Luxury is a matter of extravagance, not price.
If you make a purchase using some of our links, the L.A. Times may be compensated. Prices and availability of items and experiences in the Gift Guide and on latimes.com are subject to change.
Slot’s squad selection for Wednesday’s EFL Cup defeat by Crystal Palace sparked huge debate.
He made 10 changes from Liverpool’s last outing, handing out two debuts and naming three teenagers in his starting line-up, plus a further five among his substitutes.
The likes of Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo, Florian Wirtz, Mohamed Salah and Hugo Ekitike were all absent as the Reds made a tame exit in a competition they have won twice in the past four seasons.
Liverpool fan Abigail Rudkin told BBC Sport she is disappointed by Slot’s decision-making.
“Walking to the game last night, me and my dad got the team sheet and we were like ‘he’s sacrificed this’,” she said. “I understand we are losing games at the moment but you need to try and get a winning mentality back.
“We are losing patience. I think there are two different sides of the fanbase at the minute.
“There are those on social media that are calling on him to lose his job, and there are the people I see at the ground, like me, who are losing patience going to these games and not enjoying it as much with losing the games, but they also want to stay patient with him because we are very grateful to him for what we’ve had from last season when we thought it would all fall apart without Jurgen Klopp.”
Winning the title in his maiden season is a double-edged sword for Slot according to supporter Richard.
“The problem is Slot won the Premier League with Jurgen Klopp’s team,” he said. “This was amazing. However, now he has spent hundreds of millions of pounds to improve and put his stamp on the team and club, it is all going wrong.
“When you watch him on the touchline, he doesn’t seem to know how to fix things when they go wrong. We have stopped pressing and terrorising opponents. For some reason, we now play at training-game pace, and only really bring the hammer in the last 15 minutes or so when we’re behind and chasing the game. This is not Liverpool at all.”
Fellow fan Ryan said it’s “way too soon” to be talking about getting rid of Slot, but said players need to take responsibility and shoulder some of the blame too.
“We don’t turn into a bad team overnight,” he said. “But Slot doesn’t help himself with some of his decisions – and that is what he can control.
“Liverpool operate differently and I can’t see us cutting Slot and his staff so soon. However, results are what count, ultimately, and if things don’t improve – and quickly – then we all know how the road ends.
“The players have to step up too, by the way – it shouldn’t all be on the manager. Some have been way, way below an acceptable standard for Liverpool.”
The 25-year-old, who has 48 caps for the Netherlands, has found love in Manchester – settling down with her partner Ruth, who she met on a dating app.
Now an openly gay woman, Casparij says the community is “close to her heart”.
“It was hard at times growing up until I got into women’s football. It was normal and openly spoken about [at Heerenveen],” she said.
“I learned a lot about myself. I didn’t have that when I was young, I had so many doubts and questions.
“I was lying awake at night thinking ‘is this weird or am I weird?’ Being able to be that role model now with my partner, for so many young girls, is so important.”
The right-back has a platform to promote inclusivity in women’s football and has taken full advantage.
She wears rainbow laces on her football boots, rainbow armbands, regularly posts messages of LGBTQ+ support on social media and in April, dedicated her goal against Everton to the transgender community.
“Why I find it really important to spread the word and stand with people is because in modern society if it’s often not against you, you won’t say anything,” said Casparij.
“It’s important that we stand up for people that need it so they feel supported. For example, the trans community. They are good people and I care about them.
“I want to show that I stand with them. I’m hoping to inspire people to do the same. I think we need more togetherness generally and a sense of community.”
She has supported numerous campaigns – most recently becoming a patron for the LGBTQ Foundation, helping to fund helplines against domestic abuse and transphobia.
“I think queer women are having a tough time at the moment and I want to help them have safe spaces,” said Casparij.
“In domestic violence, for example, queer women are often overlooked. I want to make sure they have a place to heal and someone to talk to.
“I want to be a woman that helps women.”
She is also passionate about setting an example to young, gay women – the type of representation she wished she had as a child.
“It’s nice to be able to make other people take away doubt. It’s about helping them to understand why they are feeling how they are feeling,” she added.
“I always love being surrounded by queer people. Feeling included and supported is important. All I want to do is spread love.”
One village has been named as a ‘perfect quiet alternative’ to a popular seaside resort, which has also been labelled one of the UK’s happiest places
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Warkworth is becoming an increasingly popular choice as a staycation destination(Image: hopsalka via Getty Images)
Bamburgh, with its stunning castle and picturesque beach, was recently crowned one of the UK’s happiest places. But there’s another Northumberland gem that’s giving it a run for its money.
“Just down the coast from Bamburgh, Warkworth offers the same fairytale feel but with fewer visitors and a riverside twist,” the experts said. “Like Bamburgh, it boasts an imposing medieval castle with sweeping views, but instead of a clifftop perch, Warkworth’s fortress rises above a peaceful loop of the River Coquet.
“You’ll still find golden beaches nearby, but here the pace is gentler. Explore craft shops, row to a hidden hermitage carved into the rock, or unwind in a cosy pub where the fire’s always lit.”
Situated a 40-minute drive from Bamburgh and just 30 miles from Newcastle, Warkworth has been receiving well-earned praise this year. It was also recently named by experts at Sykes Holiday Cottages as one of the top “up-and-coming” destinations for UK staycations.
The 12th-century Warkworth Castle, which towers over the village from its elevated position in a curve of the River Coquet, welcomes visitors throughout the year, with tickets available to purchase through English Heritage.
Featuring its distinctive cross-shaped keep and remarkable stone carvings, plus hosting everything from falconry displays to medieval tournaments, the castle represents just one of numerous historical treasures that guests can discover during their visit to Warkworth.
Another essential destination for history enthusiasts exploring the village is Warkworth Hermitage, an impressive 14th-century chapel and priest’s residence hewn into a cliff face that lies concealed along the river and can only be reached by boat journey.
Meanwhile, Castle Street serves as the principal thoroughfare in Warkworth and boasts some of the “most scenic views in Northumberland,” according to the county’s tourism board. Warkworth Castle is positioned at one end, and the village’s 12th-century church is at the opposite end.
There are numerous unique accommodation options in Warkworth, ranging from a 200-year-old stone cottage situated directly on the riverbank to a converted dairy and cow byre transformed into a holiday lodge. Additional highly-rated cottages available for booking for brief stays in the village include:
There are also some top-rated hotels in the village where visitors can rest their heads, with the number one option according to reviews on Booking.com being Bertram’s, a boutique B&B that is also a café during the day and a bistro at night. It is closely followed by Warkworth House Hotel, a dog-friendly hotel with 14 rooms to choose from.
At this time last year, the pressure was palpable.
Up until last October, the Dodgers had a reputation as postseason failures.
It wasn’t an unwarranted distinction. In each of the previous two seasons, the team had been upset in the National League Division Series by lesser opponents in the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks. The fall before that, their title defense flamed out against the underdog Atlanta Braves in the NL Championship Series. Yes, they won a World Series in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. But outside of that, it’d been more than three decades since they last triumphed under typical circumstances.
That checkered history weighed on them. Their urgency to change it in last year’s playoffs was fervent.
“That kind of sour taste that you have when you make an early exit from the postseason, our guys are tired of it,” manager Dave Roberts said on the eve of last year’s postseason. “So this is another opportunity. I do sense that edge.”
This week, of course, the Dodgers face a different kind of dynamic.
After their memorable run to a championship last year, the team has gotten the monkey of its full-season title drought off its back. And while expectations are still high, with the Dodgers and their record-setting $400-million roster set to begin the playoffs with a best-of-three wild-card round starting Tuesday against the Cincinnati Reds, the questions about past October disappointments have dissipated.
So, does the pressure of this postseason feel different?
“You would think,” veteran third baseman Max Muncy said. “But the pressure’s always going to be there. Especially when you’re this team, when you’re the Los Angeles Dodgers, there’s a lot of expectations around you. There’s a lot of pressure.”
Indeed, after an underwhelming regular season that saw the Dodgers win the NL West for the 12th time in the last 13 years, but fail to secure a first-round bye as one of the NL’s top two playoff seeds, the Dodgers have a new task before them.
Erase the frustrations of their 93-win campaign. Maintain the momentum they built with a 15-5 regular-season finish. And recreate the desperation that carried them to the promised land last fall, as they try to become MLB’s first repeat champion in 25 years.
“For us, the challenge is not letting that pressure get to you and finding our rhythm, finding what’s going to work for us this year,” Muncy said. “Each year the team has to find their identity when they get to this point. You have an identity during the regular season, and you have to find a whole ‘nother identity in the postseason.”
The Dodgers’ preferred identity for this year’s team figures to be the opposite of what worked last October.
Unlike last year, the team has a healthy and star-studded starting rotation entering the playoffs. Also unlike last year, the bullpen is a major question mark despite an encouraging end to the regular season.
For the wild-card series, it means the team will need big innings out of Game 1 starter Blake Snell, Game 2 starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto and (if necessary) Game 3 starter Shohei Ohtani — who is being saved for the potential winner-take-all contest in part to help manage his two-way workload.
Ideally, their production should ease the burden on a relief corps that ranked 21st in the majors in ERA during the regular season, and has no clear-cut hierarchy for its most trusted arms.
“The starting pitching is considerably better” than it was last year, Roberts said Monday. “That’s probably the biggest difference between last year’s team.”
Granted, the Dodgers do feel better about their bullpen right now, thanks to the return of Roki Sasaki, the reallocation (at least for this series) of Emmet Sheehan and Tyler Glasnow from the rotation to relief roles, and recent improvements from Blake Treinen and Tanner Scott.
“[We have] much more confidence than we had a couple weeks ago,” Roberts said of the bullpen. “I think that it’s because those guys have shown the confidence in themselves, where they’re throwing the baseball. I think last week we saw guys more on the attack setting the tone, versus pitching behind or pitching too careful.”
Dodgers reliever Tanner Scott delivers against the San Francisco Giants on Sept. 19.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Still, it’s anyone’s guess as to who will pitch in the ninth inning, or be called upon in the highest-leverage moments.
Close, late contests would be best for the Dodgers to avoid.
To that end, the continuation of the Dodgers’ recent uptick at the plate would also help. During a dismal 22-32 stretch from July 4 to Sept. 6, the Dodgers ranked 27th in scoring, struggling to overcome injuries to several key pieces, slumps from some of their biggest stars, and a general lack of consistent execution in situational opportunities. Over their closing 20 games, however, the lineup averaged an NL-best 5.55 runs per game behind late-season surges from Ohtani and Mookie Betts, plus team-wide improvements while hitting with runners in scoring position.
“The team is starting to fire on all cylinders, finally,” Muncy said. “It’s something that we haven’t really felt all year.”
The Dodgers had good news on the injury front during Monday’s team workout at Dodger Stadium. Muncy, who missed the last four games of the regular season while battling leg bruises and what Roberts has described as other “overall body” issues, is expected to be in the lineup. So too is Tommy Edman, who hasn’t played in the field since last Wednesday because of a lingering ankle injury.
The big question remains catcher Will Smith, who has been out since Sept. 9 with a right hand fracture.
Roberts said Monday the team has been “encouraged” with Smith’s recent progress. The slugger was even able to take live at-bats Monday night.
“If he can get through today and feel good,” Roberts said, “then it’s a viable thought” that he could be on the final 26-man roster the Dodgers will have to submit ahead of Tuesday’s game for the wild-card series.
Either way, the Dodgers’ biggest concern remains on maintaining their recent level of play. Erasing past October failures might no longer be a motivation. But, like Muncy, Roberts said the urgency to win another World Series remains the same.
“I don’t know if it’s easier or harder that we won last year,” Roberts said. “But, honestly, all we care about is winning this year.”
The Sonia Jackson actress says she feels and looks different after leaving the BBC soap after three decades
Natalie Cassidy on life after EastEnders and feeling free(Image: PR Supplied)
Move over Sonia Jackson and take your trumpet with you… after 32 years it is finally time for Natalie Cassidy to take centre stage.
The 42-year-old was only 10 when she joined EastEnders, and she inhabited the character with such conviction that the lines of fact and fiction blurred. But no more… Natalie says since leaving the BBC juggernaut this year, the changes have been so huge that not only does she feel different, she looks different too.
“It was amazing when I got to reinvent myself after leaving EastEnders,” she says, beaming. “Sonia isn’t the most glamorous of characters, bless her, but I wanted to stay true to her character, so I never got extensions put in, or dyed my hair.
“She was just a worker who didn’t have a lot of money and worked for the NHS. But coming away, and breaking free, I just thought, ‘I want to be glam. I want to wear coloured nails. And just feel like me’.
“I do feel like my face has changed a little since leaving EastEnders, because I was quite sad when I was playing Sonia, or angry all the time. So I feel like my frown lines have sort of faded away, which is quite nice!”
Since Natalie joined in 1993, Sonia fell pregnant at 15, lost Jamie Mitchell, faced a rocky marriage to Martin Fowler and had a cancer scare. She also took the lead in the live episode in February for the soap’s 40th anniversary, giving birth in the Queen Vic.
News of trumpet-playing Sonia’s departure shocked viewers, who had grown up watching Natalie’s powerful performances on their TV screens. Natalie says her 40th birthday was a turning point.
“It’s a bit of a cliche, but it is a milestone. You know who you are, who your friends are, and where you are in life. You don’t want any rubbish. Having been in this business for such a long time, I just needed to be free and be open to everything else.”
Mum-of-two Natalie admits she felt chained to the show, while conceding: “And that’s not a bad thing, because it’s regular money. But you haven’t got any time to plan anything else, so it does take over your whole life,” she says. “For me, I just knew I needed to be brave, and I needed to break free from that to sit and go, ‘What else is going to come?’”
Natalie is busy recording her podcast, Life With Nat, appearing in BBC comedy Boarders and fronting C4 consumer show What’s The Big Deal. The star, engaged to cameraman Marc Humphries, also plans to do lots of mum things with Eliza, 15, and Joanie, nine.
“It’s been freeing leaving EastEnders,” admits Natalie. “I feel liberated and just happy. Albert Square will always hold a place in my heart… and the door is always open for me to return, never say never.”
Read Natalie’s full interview in the November issue of Prima here.
Married At First Sight fans were less than impressed with Sarah’s answer tonight when a producer asked what Dean needed to do for her to feel a spark with her new husband
(Image: E4)
E4 Married at First Sight viewers were left outraged by bride Sarah’s comments about her new husband Dean, as the two honeymooned in the Maldives.
From the get go, it was obvious Dean wasn’t Sarah’s usual ‘bad boy type,’ and things started off on the wrong foot when he rapped his vows, leaving Sarah and her friends cringing.
Things didn’t stop there however, the former redcoat performer had written his own song to perform at the wedding reception, and this time, Sarah was left in tears.
Breaking down backstage, she told cameras: “I’m not an over romantic person at all and anything over the top does put me off. I don’t know how to react to that. The song is just a bit too much for me, too much too soon.”
In tears, she continued: “I’m struggling a little bit, I can’t lie. More than I thought. I can see why we’ve been matched I can. It’s just not there.”
However, the 31-year-old recruitment consultant didn’t let it get her down, as she headed off on honeymoon with Dean. She did however, kindly tell her husband the singing was getting annoying – later revealing that she was feeling friend vibes.
Lats night, Dean also asked Sarah if she’d ever been with someone bigger, as she said she hadn’t.
In tonight’s episode, the pair went for an intimate dinner on the beach, and behind the scenes, one of the producers asked Sarah: “Is there anything that Dean could do to ever get a sexual spark?”
“Get some tattoos and lose some weight, maybe?” she replied to the producers, which left many fans outraged.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, one fan penned: “What’s Sarah’s deal with Dean’s weight? He’s not very big. Get tattoos and lose weight?! Rude.
“Noooo pls tell me Sarah has not just said she’d fancy him if he lost weight n got tattoos.. on national television?? Girl are you okay ???” a second questioned.
“Now if Dean told Sarah to lose weight, the experts would step in,” said a third.
Sarah later continued: “The longer the honeymoon has gone on for, the last couple of days there have been certain parts of his personality that are beginning to grate on me,” before she debated being “completely honest” with him.
Things continued to spiral further towards the end of the episode as Dean continued to make more jokes, which Sarah said was “becoming an ick”.
Opening up, Dean told Sarah he didn’t want to get hurt, revealing that he found himself “going back to being that fat kid at school who didn’t get the girls.”
Cutting straight to the point, Dean asked if things would be different if he “wasn’t as big” to which his bride responded: “Probably. I think there maybe would be more of that attraction and sexual chemistry.
“Sorry. I want to be open and transparent with you, I don’t want to pretend,” she said.
But will the two find a spark in the coming weeks?
As the Nepali night takes on the texture of velvet, the party naturally divides. The men sway in a circle, singing plaintively. The women surround an elderly lady who smokes tobacco rolled in writing paper. And I settle into swapping stories with the girls. Alina and her younger cousins Miching and Blinka may be draped in the silks and heavy jewellery of the Indigenous Aath Pahariya Rai community, but they’re as keen to talk love and travel as any young women. “I’m too independent to get married until I’m very old,” declares 21-year-old Alina. “When I graduate, I want to go to Paris – and then come home to Sipting. Life’s peaceful here and the air is clear.”
I’m in the little-visited Dhankuta region of eastern Nepal on a trip hosted by Community Homestay Network (CHN). This social enterprise is working with governmental organisations and non-profits such as Human and Social Development Centre (Husadec) to support women – including Alina’s mother, Prem Maya – to open their homes to travellers. Since launching with just one homestay in Panauti, south-east of Kathmandu, in 2012, CHN has grown to more than 362 families across 40 communities. This is the first in the country’s rural east.
The writer stayed with Prem and her daughter Alina
As rising temperatures, seasonal flooding and erratic monsoons force droves of Dhankuta’s subsistence farmers over the border into India, this remote region is turning to international tourism for the first time. Empowering women to earn without having to leave their villages, and working on sustainable rainwater-harvesting solutions, is central to this vision.
While tourism contributed about $2.2bn (£1.64bn) to Nepal’s GDP in 2024, it remains concentrated around Khatmandu, trekking routes such as Everest and the Annapurna Circuit, the second city Pokhara and Chitwan national park. The result is overloaded infrastructure, traffic jams at key viewpoints and the economic benefits of the industry concentrated into just a few hands. Schemes such as CHN hope to spread the tourist dollar and offer visitors a memorable experience away from the crowds.
The orange-painted buildings of Dhankuta
After a 40-minute flight from Kathmandu and a two-hour-plus bus journey along a road that winds upwards like a series of sickle moons, our first stop is the town of Dhankuta. It served as the region’s administrative hub until the 1960s, when it sank into a slumber. At first, it appears the government’s new tourism policy might not have registered with local residents. As I wander past the orange-painted buildings, the sewing machine in a tailor’s shop stills as its owner looks up at me in astonishment; a shopper wearing a shirt emblazoned with the words “Mama’s little man” drops his bags to stare; and a woman freezes in her doorway, oblivious to the dal dripping from the wooden spoon she’s holding.
“In the last few decades this neighbourhood was so empty that jackals roamed the streets,” explains our guide, Kalpana Bhattarai. “Locals painted it to celebrate their history as orange growers before climate change – and in the hope of appealing to visitors. It seems they’re a little surprised to see it actually working.” She flashes a winning smile, and they all beam back.
A view on the hike through the hill forest to Khambela
Bringing as many local people as possible into the tourism supply chain is central to CHN’s ethos, which is why it also runs programmes to train youngsters as guides. After a night in the comfortable Hotel Murchunga International in Dhankuta we meet one of the programme’s first two graduates, Nabin Rai of the Aath Pahariya Rai community. This morning, he’ll be leading the 7½-mile forest hike to his home village of Khambela for the first time and, given my incessant questions, I suspect this is a baptism of fire.
As we walk, he talks about his life as the only young man remaining in the village – staying behind partly to care for his disabled father and partly out of love for this place. “When I come to the forest, it feels like my own house,” he says, leading the way along a path studded with silver silica particles that gleam like the Tamor River below. “You can feel the gods here.”
As we enter Khambela through trees woven with jasmine, Nabin points out the rainwater storage tanks installed by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), which help to supplement the unreliable supply from the government pipeline two hours away by foot.
One of the village elders in Khambela
The hike ends with vegetable curry in a courtyard owned by a woman in her 60s who tells us to call her Didi (big sister), and observes our fascination with her home with quiet amusement. As we prepare to leave, she presses a veena into my hand: a hand-carved instrument that hums grudgingly when I blow through it and tug its string with clumsy enthusiasm.
After another night at our hotel, we wander round Dhankuta’s haat (bazaar), where Rais, Magars, Limbus and people from several Hindu castes haggle for everything from buffalo-skin stools to cucumbers as fat as a child’s leg. Then we take the bus to Sipting to meet the Aath Pahariya Rai family, our hosts for the next few days.
Prem leads the way up a dirt staircase hewn from the mountain to her home, the highest in the village. From its squat toilet to three bedrooms haunted by a kitten called Nimki, it’s impeccably clean and has arresting views over the valley’s forested floor.
She shyly points out the water and fresh soap by my bed. “I’m not sure where you’re from and haven’t seen many people who look like you, but I am very glad you’re here,” she says. A towel folded in the shape of a butterfly and the light left on – a gesture that always reminds me of my parents – suggest that this couldn’t be more true.
Over the next few days, I adjust to the rhythms of life in Prem’s house: the scent of cow dung and woodsmoke as I learn to fold large leaves that will be used as dishes; the way the valley appears almost flat beneath the midday heat, and becomes soft and deep in the afternoons; Alina recalling that when she was little and her father, Ram, carried her to bed, she fancied the stars were walking with them.
“I can’t read or write beyond my name and have never earned my own money before. Now I’m a businesswoman,” says Prem, watching with approval as I demolish a millet pancake bursting with potato curry.
By day, Kalpana leads us on intriguing outings. At Dhoje Dada, we climb through a mogul cemetery in a cloud that echoes with the calls of cuckoos, only for it to clear in rapid, smoke-like wisps to reveal the sunrise. As darkness swallows the mountains at Kachide, we harvest sour tree tomatoes and learn local recipes from a woman who is using the income to fund her daughters’ university educations.
The road winds through dripping rhododendron forests and mountain villages where I sense that we are the first westerners local people have ever seen.
At Cholung Park, most visitors seem more interested in watching me receive a blessing from a Mundhum samba (a figure in charge of rituals for the Limbu people, who flicks a leaf on to my throat that clings like a damp butterfly’s wing) than browsing the museum’s collection of sacred Limbu artefacts. Given the queues that now form at the peak of Everest and on Annapurna’s trails, getting such an unfiltered glimpse of Nepali life feels like an enormous privilege.
For my final breakfast in Sipting, Ram watches through the window while Alina and Prem fill my pockets with freshly picked passion fruit and tuck a sprig of mugwort behind my ear to ward off evil spirits on the road to Janakpur. Prem patiently attempts to braid a lacha dori (a colourful thread adorned with beads) of Alina’s into my slippery bob. “We’re so sad to see you leave,” she says. “Come back whenever you like – this is your home now.”
The trip was provided byCommunity Homestay Network;its eight-day Eastern Nepal: The Road Less Taken adventure blends nature, Indigenous culture, homestays and hikes and costs US$2,359 for a single traveller, $2,657 for two or $3,597 for a group of four, including a local guide, ground transport, accommodation and most meals. Many shorter personalised trips and packages are also available. Responsible tourism in Dhankuta is being implemented through the HI-GRID Project, supported by the Australian government and led by ICIMOD. For more information on travel to Nepal, visitntb.gov.np
They believe their actions were warranted to highlight the issues seen off the field in high school football despite receiving criticism from some. An LAUSD investigation eventually determined a group of Narbonne players were ineligible, and the City Section imposed a three-year playoff ban on Narbonne for rule violations.
Mike Christensen, the former Carson football coach, said he’s “sad” that the booster Brett Steigh has admitted involvement in the ongoing Bishop Montgomery football scandal that has resulted in the team’s season coming to an end. Steigh also helped finance St. Bernard’s football program, which shut down its team in 2021, 2022 and 2023 following the resignation of coach Manuel Douglas, a former Narbonne coach.
Christensen said coaches who participated in the forfeits last year faced repercussions from school district personnel, “but it needed to be done.”
“My relationship with my principal was never the same,” Christensen said.
Perhaps the coach under the most pressure was former Banning coach Raymond Grajeda, who was the first to forfeit his league game to Narbonne. Then the three others followed.
“We got punished hard from the district office,” Grajeda said. “It was one of the reasons for me quitting.”
He said all the rumors about money changing hands and school officials declining to investigate without evidence was motivation to the coaches as a unit to try to stop the rule violations.
“Everything was true,” Grajeda said. “We live in the community. Some of those deals that went down, they were in our backyard. If you’re going to do the transfer thing, do it right. I feel some sense of relief. The future of football in this area, we want to be competitive and fair.”
Former Gardena coach Monty Gilbreath said, “I think it turned out to be good because we were able to bring attention what was going on and caused the City Section to take a closer look. We knew as coaches it was a fact. We didn’t have the means to prove it.”
Christensen retired, Gilbreath resigned as did Grajeda, who now spends his time watching his freshman daughter play flag football for Banning.
Only San Pedro coach Corey Walsh kept coaching this season.
“I do not care at all,” Walsh said of the reaction to the booster accepting responsibility for the illegal payments. “We’re playing Great Oak this week. I was trying to see the bigger picture. I knew where this was headed if something didn’t change.”
Christensen said last January he was attending a coaches’ convention when several coaches came up to him and thanked him for taking a stand last fall.
DEAR DEIDRE: WHENEVER I check into a hotel with my lover for sex, I feel judged by the staff and guilty about cheating on my husband.
I can see them glancing at each other, whispering that I’m a cheat, and laughing at me when they think I’m not looking at them.
But I’m not a bad person. I just want to be loved and wanted, and my husband doesn’t appreciate me.
I’m in my mid-thirties and have been married for five years. My husband is ten years older. He is a nice guy and I love him, but our sex life is rubbish and he bores me.
Last year, I was so frustrated and unhappy that I started browsing hook-up sites. I didn’t want a relationship, just sex and excitement.
I found a guy there who, like me, was unhappily married.
We agreed to meet in a seedy hotel on the outskirts of town for sex. The first time, it was thrilling. I felt like I was playing a role in a film. The sex was rough and energetic, and I really enjoyed it.
But afterwards, my lover — who is my age — cuddled me for about 30 seconds. Then he jumped up to shower, as he had to go back to his wife.
I felt grubby. But the feeling soon passed, and it wasn’t long before we then repeated the experience.
Now we meet whenever it’s convenient. We don’t have meals out or dates — it’s purely sex.
But I’ve started feeling increasingly used and guilty.
When you walk into a hotel in the middle of the day and check out an hour or so later, everyone knows why you’re there. It’s humiliating.
Dear Deidre: Cheating and can you get over it
I’ve realised cheating isn’t making me any happier. But I also need to feel wanted.
What should I do?
DEIDRE SAYS: You’ve tried to fill the big void in your marriage with no-strings sex.
But sex with your lover is empty, and so it can’t fill anything. Instead, it’s making you feel more unhappy, and worse about yourself.
Perhaps it’s time to put an end to your affair before you and your lover get discovered by one of your spouses.
If you love your husband, it’s worth putting your energies into improving your relationship. My support pack, Looking After Your Relationship, should help.
Seeing a couple therapist will give you a safe space to talk about the problems in your marriage and sex life.
If this doesn’t work, or isn’t an option, perhaps you need to think about ending your marriage.
Get in touch with Deidre
Every problem gets a personal reply, usually within 24 hours weekdays.
THANK YOU FOR HELP ESCAPING MY ABUSIVE MALE PAL
DEAR DEIDRE: WHEN I found myself in a toxic situation with a male friend who had sexually assaulted me several times, I didn’t know what to do.
I was confused because we’d stayed close after he did it the first time, and I felt I’d encouraged him by getting drunk, dancing and flirting.
He’d touch my breasts and private parts, force me to kiss him and take his clothes off uninvited. We’d been pals since we were students. I’m 32, he’s 33.
After the assaults, he’d always apologise and promise it wouldn’t happen again. You were so understanding and made me see it wasn’t my fault.
You advised me to contact Rape Crisis (rapecrisis.org.uk, 0808 500 2222) for support and to think about reporting him to the police.
You also acknowledged how ending my friendship would be hard, and helped me think about how I could make my life better, improve my self-esteem so I was less vulnerable and stop feeling lonely.
And you followed up to see if I was OK. I did go to the police and learned I wasn’t the only woman he’d assaulted.
Although I’m still struggling, I am now getting help.
I know it will take a long time to deal with what I’ve been through.
Thank you for being there, Deidre.
DEIDRE SAYS: Hopefully he won’t now be able to do this to another woman. It will take time for the pain to ease, but you are brave and strong.
TEENAGE TROUBLES
DEAR DEIDRE: I’M so embarrassed that my colleagues at work gossip about my self-harm scars.
I’ve been trying really hard to stop, but knowing people are talking about me makes me want to do it more.
I’m an 18-year-old girl who works in a supermarket. Since I was 15, I’ve suffered from anxiety and have cut myself.
I feel I can’t wear short-sleeved tops due to the scars, even when it’s really hot, and people have noticed.
It’s upsetting me so much.
DEIDRE SAYS: Being gossiped about is horrible. It’s worse when it’s affecting your mental health.
Perhaps you should confide in your manager so they can help to support you.
Self-harming is a way of dealing with emotional pain. Talking to someone can help.
For confidential counselling for under-25s, contact The Mix (themix.org.uk).
ONLINE BOYFRIEND WILL NOT SHOW ME HIS FACE
DEAR DEIDRE: MY relationship is in trouble – although so far we have only chatted online, and he is too shy to even show his face.
He is an influencer and I’ve become super-jealous of all his female fans.
We connected on Instagram six months ago. We’re both in our late twenties and live hundreds of miles apart.
We soon moved on from DMs to WhatsApp and quickly realised we were falling for each other.
So, we agreed to be in an exclusive long-distance relationship.
We message back and forth all day, every day and talk about everything. I feel like we know each other inside out – he’s my soulmate.
But even though I’d quite like to do a video call some time, he says he’s too shy, and he always chickens out at the last minute.
That really bugs me because he’s not too shy to make content for his fans – most of whom are other girls.
We argue about it a lot and I can’t help feeling jealous. He says he doesn’t know them, and that I’m the one he loves.
He talks a lot about the future and how we’re going to get married – even though we haven’t set a date to meet.
But I worry he’s going to fall for one of his thousands of fans.
What can I do to cope with this better?
DEIDRE SAYS: It’s strange that your boyfriend is confident enough to make video content for his fans, but too shy to show his face to the woman he professes to love.
I’m afraid to say, that’s ringing alarm bells for me. I wonder if he’s not the person you think he is and doesn’t want you to find out.
Long-distance relationships can work, but you do need to meet up at some point, or there’s no future.
Perhaps you need to ask him to be really honest with you about why he refuses to show you his face.
My support pack, Love Online, has more information about this which may be of help to you.
FALLEN FOR COLLEAGUE
DEAR DEIDRE: I’VE fallen for a colleague – but I’m worried if I tell her, she’ll reject me or even report me for sexual harassment.
She has no idea how I feel. But I know she’s my perfect woman. I’m a 40-year-old man and she’s 34, and part of the same team.
We’ve worked together for a year, and although I noticed her cracking figure and pretty face from the off, I’ve fallen for her personality too. She’s funny, kind and patient.
I know she’s single as she recently broke up with her boyfriend. However, if I do or say anything, it could make her feel really uneasy. Not to mention that other people might gossip about us.
So how can I get the message across to her without causing any issues?
DEIDRE SAYS: In the days before dating apps, a high percentage of people met their partners at work.
It’s not surprising feelings develop, given how much time we spend with our colleagues. But some workplaces frown on romances between employees. Before you do or say anything, check out your company’s policy.
As for what to say to her, you could suggest an afterwork coffee or drink, so you can get an idea of whether she is interested in you.
Don’t be overtly flirty, just be friendly. She may already have picked up vibes that you’re interested.
If she agrees to go, and it goes well, ask her again. Let things develop slowly.
If she says no, at least you’ll know where you stand. At the very worst, you’ll still have a friendship.
My support pack, How To Date Successfully, may help.
The Court of Appeal ruling that will allow asylum seekers to stay at the Bell Hotel, in Epping, is a technical victory for the government.
But for many Labour strategists, whichever way the ruling had gone, today was a case of “heads they win, tails we lose”.
Let’s begin with the good news for ministers.
They will be breathing a sigh of relief having feared that, had they lost this appeal, other local councils could bring legal challenges against the use of hotels to house asylum seekers in their area.
That would have risked throwing the whole system into chaos because there are thousands of asylum seekers awaiting decisions on their cases and limited accommodation options.
But the government has a legal duty to keep them off the streets.
This court ruling effectively resets the situation.
It gives ministers the time to fulfil their promise of removing all asylum seekers from hotels in “a controlled and orderly way” by 2029.
But there will not be any champagne corks popping in the Home Office.
That’s because in order to uphold their legal responsibility to protect asylum seekers, they have had to argue in favour of using hotels to house them.
That is already being seized on by Labour’s political opponents.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage claimed the government had used European human rights legislation “against the people of Epping” and that migrants had “more rights than the British people under Starmer”.
The government had tried to make the case that it needed to comply with the European Convention on Human Rights but, in fact, the duty to house asylum seekers so they don’t sleep rough is a piece of British law, passed by MPs in 1999.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said: “Keir Starmer has shown that he puts the rights of illegal immigrants above the rights of the British people who just want to feel safe in their towns and communities.”
She urged Tory councils to continue to bring legal cases against asylum hotels.
For a government under pressure after a summer of small boat crossings, this is a difficult position to be in.
As one Labour adviser told me, there will now be pressure on ministers to take more radical action to counter the kind of accusations they are facing.
That could include swapping some hotels for former military barracks or disused warehouses, as the health minister Stephen Kinnock suggested earlier on Sky News.
But such a move could further antagonise those voters on the left who believe the UK should be offering more support to asylum seekers.
The Green Party said the case was “a distraction” from “Labour’s failure to come up with workable, humane solutions”.
Former Labour leader and independent MP Jeremy Corbyn said asylum seekers “should be supported so they can live in a more humane, sustainable, community-based form of accommodation”.
He added: “Both Reform and Labour want you to think that the problems in our society are caused by these minorities. They’re not.”
This court ruling might have been the climax to a difficult summer for the government. But it also marks the start of an autumn that doesn’t look much easier.
Ireland front row Linda Djougang says her refusal to be in any way complacent has been a key factor in achieving the consistency which has seen her become an almost ‘ever-present’ in the side and reach her 50th cap against Spain in Sunday’s Rugby World Cup game at Northampton.
The Cameroon-born prop has missed just one Ireland match since making her international debut against England in 2019.
“It feels amazing. I haven’t really thought about it until this week. When I started rugby I never dreamt of this. I never imagined I would reach this milestone,” said Djougang.
“Every game I just try to do my best. For me it means so much to show the other girls in the squad that they can get there too.
“For me to be that role model for them, there aren’t really words, but we have a job to do against Spain to make it even more special. We’ve been so focused on the game and getting everything right for Sunday.”
The 29-year-old says she never takes anything for granted as regards selection.
“You never want to feel comfortable. In each training session you want to put your hand up for selection. As we all know rugby is such an unpredictable game.
“I always train like I’m on the bench and I want to get on the starting team. This milestone shows me what I’m capable of and pushes me to want more.
“It’s nice to be reminded of the achievement and I’ll celebrate with the girls as my journey started with them and this landmark deserves to be celebrated with them.”
Ireland head coach Scott Bemand paid tribute to the impact made by Djougang, and her influence on the squad.
“Linda is an incredible person, an incredible player. She can play both sides of the scrum and has such a level of resilience and robustness.
“It’s an incredible feat of endurance, of getting better all the time. She’s right at the centre of where we’ve come from, what we are now and where we’re trying to go.
“Hopefully we give a performance to do this milestone proud.”
Lily Phillips is the subject of a new episode of Stacey Dooley’s show, Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over, where she talks about her decision to leave university and enter the adult content creator industry
20:30, 25 Aug 2025Updated 20:35, 25 Aug 2025
Lily got emotional as her parents spoke of their struggles(Image: u.co.uk)
It’s every parent’s worst nightmare to learn that their child has become an adult content creator. But that is the reality for the parents of Only Fans star Lily Phillips, 23.
Lily grew up in a small village in Derbyshire and dropped out of university after a few months to join the online platform. In her first 24 hours online, she made £2,000 and has since gone on to pull a number of ‘live stunts’ which has seen her sleep with 100 men in one day, taking her content very much offline as well.
“When I started that, I was like wow – I found a glitch in the matrix and I can make money doing what I love,” she says. Quickly, the conversation comes up about her parents feel about it.
“I described it to them as more like glamour modelling. Obviously, they were concerned at the start – are you safe, as long as it’s only online,” she says, before admitting she hadn’t told her parents about her latest ‘stunt’.
Stacey was with Lily as she got ready for one of her live videos(Image: u.co.uk)
The stunts happen in person – rather than online – and Lily will go out and physically recruit people for them. No one is off limits. The content was so shocking that none of it ended up in the documentary.
In a candid chat, Lily got emotional as she spoke with her parents on her regular Sunday catch up, joined by documentary maker and journalist Stacey Dooley. Speaking on Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over, her dad says: “We’ve known for years she’s done OnlyFans and I thought it was just posing in swimwear and lingerie.”
“When she said she was doing Only Fans, we stood back because we want to continue our relationship with our daughter. We were pretty open with it, but when it went to the next step, we were like ‘no no’,” her mum says. Heartbreakingly, her dad says: “If there’s anything we could do to change her profession, we’d do it overnight … It’s the degradingness of it and making sure that she’s safe.”
Her dad says: “Sometimes we think have we done anything wrong with her upbringing, well as far as I’m concerned we’ve had nothing but nice times and love … Is it money? Because if it was money, we’d sell our house. You could have everything you want Lily if you gave it all up now.” When asked how she feels, Lily says she understands and respects how they feel and “that’s that”.
The conversation later gets too much for Lily and she walks away, hearing her parents get emotional over their daughter’s career choice. “I don’t want to be on camera, I just need a moment,” she says. Her mum is also emotional as they both apologise for upsetting her, as her dad says he receives calls from random people saying ‘I hope your daughter dies’.
Lily’s parents opened up about their own feelings towards what she does(Image: u.co.uk)
Lily says she’d do anything to stop her parents being affected by what she does – but talk of money doesn’t come easy for Lily. When pressed by Stacey about how much she earns, Lily eventually confesses to being a multi-millionaire.
“So the subscribers, they’ll give a tenner and she’s got 33,000 so that’s £330,000 a month,” Stacey reveals during one of Lily’s live videos – which all gets too much and Stacey walks out, unable to watch it continue.
Her empire has allowed her to buy her dream car outright and finance isn’t even a word Lily needs to think about. “Does multimillionaire mean lots of millions in the bank? I’d say multimillionaire,” she says rather bashfully, before adding: “I’m so English – I find money so uncomfortable to talk about… I find it a little bit distasteful.”
It comes just weeks after the Channel 4 documentary on her fellow adult content creator Bonnie Blue was criticised for appearing to promote their career choice with young women looking to enter into the industry.
At just 23-years-old, Lily believes she’s slept with over 1,000 men. One of her most viral videos – which saw her sleep with 100 men in one day – earned her a seven figure sum. Despite her parents’ worries, she has no plans to stop doing what she does.
When asked by Stacey if there was a world where she’d stop what she did, she say she wouldn’t. “I don’t see it as that extreme,” she says, appearing to double down on her decision to stay in the industry.
“Is all of this worth it?” Stacey asks Lily, who tells her: “I can’t imagine what else I’d be doing. It gives me so much drive and a reason to wake up in the morning. This is something that isn’t degrading for me – I still have to live my life how I want to.”
Lily’s appearance on Stacey’s show has been hit with furious backlash. One wrote: ‘I’m just losing my conviction towards Stacey’s content and the authenticity of her views… is it just documentary clickbait.” Another said: “Really disappointing, just don’t think Stacey Dooley should be promoting or giving this girl a platform. Lowest derivative entertainment, a real regression in content from Stacey.”
A study, published in 2021, revealed that one in five Britons open to working in adult industry, with 32% of those aged 18-34 saying they were tempted by the money – but is a show like this serving a warning or promoting it as lifestyle choice?
*Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over is available to stream on U.
Scotland head coach Steve Clarke has conceded he “feels the pressure” to get the nation to their first World Cup finals in 28 years.
Under Clarke’s guidance the Scots have reached two European Championships, but have failed to emulate the achievement of Craig Brown’s group in 1998.
The country’s latest qualification campaign, this time for next summer’s finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico, commences away to the formidable Danes on 5 September.
“I feel the pressure,” the stoic and normally unshakable Clarke told BBC Sport.
“I think there is a pressure because we do want to get there, the whole country wants to get there, and obviously as a head coach a little bit of that comes back on me.
“But I’m looking forward to it.”
The Scotland boss was speaking to Match of the Day’s Kelly Cates as he prepares for what potentially could be his last campaign.
The 61-year-old, who is due to name his squad next week, has previously said he is 75% sure his time in charge of his country will come to a close after this World Cup campaign ends.
It is a journey which started just over six years ago, with Scotland having not qualified for a major finals since that French sojourn back under Brown.
A summer fling has been flung twice at the Euros, albeit with the Scots falling flat in their attempts to make it out of a group for the first time.
In World Cup qualifying, a glorious chance to make it to Qatar was passed up in a home play-off to Ukraine.
While Hibs were cruising in Belgrade, around 400 miles north in Vienna, Dundee United displayed character and dig to stun Rapid in a 2-2 draw.
Also a third-round qualifier in the Conference League, Jim Goodwin’s side twice came from behind inside a bouncing Allianz Stadion against one of last season’s quarter-finalists.
First it was Max Watters who brought them level, before Zac Sapsford repeated the feat in the second half.
But the goals are only half the story. United faced 21 shots while having just 38% of the ball. Brave defending, acrobatic goalkeeping from Yevhenii Kucherenko, and a bit of luck all played their part.
History plays its part in emphasising how significant this result could be.
Last week, United progressed in Europe for the first time in 28 years by seeing off UNA Strassen of Luxembourg.
It hints at how hard life can be on the continent. The last time United played in Europe prior to this season they lost 7-0 to AZ, albeit after winning the first lef.
But they’ve given themselves a chance here. In a second-half of constant pressure, they didn’t buckle, and an already sold-out Tannadice awaits next Thursday.
“Outstanding away performance from Dundee United to a man,” said former Tannadice midfielder Scott Allan.
“Jim Goodwin will be absolutely delighted. Take this game back to Tannadice and it’s all to play for.”
The oppressive conditions – with the temperature above 30 degrees Celsius as well as high humidity – meant a three-minute water break in each half and an extended interval of 20 minutes were introduced.
Wales faded badly in the second half as Japan scored 19 unanswered points but Sherratt refused to blame the heat and humidity for the tourists’ demise.
“I would be making excuses if I said that [conditions played a part],” said Sherratt.
“If you look at the game, we took pretty much every chance we got bar one in their 22.
“Every ball that hit the floor bounced for us and we were on the right side of the penalty count.
“In the second half there were some big moments. We had a lineout around 45 minutes to take the game to three scores and it was a tough call by the referee to penalise us.
“We have a young group, we have not had a win for a while and those little scars can start to run deep.
“In the second half every bounce went for them, we had some key lineout positions we did not make the most of and the penalty decisions went away from us.
“Maybe the conditions added to that also but my instinct is not so much.”
Lake says Wales will look at themselves first.
“Conditions are going to play a factor but we’re not blaming that,” said Lake.
“We weren’t clinical enough in the 22 and we didn’t come away with points.”
Jones was proved right when he said before the match the team that coped with conditions would win the game, but the Australian also praised his opposition.
“For Wales to come from the northern hemisphere into those conditions is difficult,” said Jones.
“Like every Wales team, they were always tough to beat. They’re a proud rugby nation and produce tough, good players.”
It took Julio César Chávez Jr. three rounds to throw an accurate punch, three more to show he was awake and three more to remember he could fight. The Mexican boxer’s effort was not enough and he lost by unanimous decision to Jake Paul, who showed many defensive deficiencies that Chávez — a former middleweight champion — did not take advantage of.
While Chávez was slowly reacting to his opponent, Paul (12-1, 7 KOs) was scoring points, forcing the son of Mexican legend Julio César Chávez to row against the current in the bout’s final rounds. Julio César Chávez Jr. seemed disconnected in the early rounds and spent time complaining to the referee about alleged headbutts and ill-intentioned punches from his opponent.
“I reacted too late,” said Chávez (54-7-1, 34 KOs) after Saturday night’s bout at the Honda Center in Anaheim, where his frustrated father was among the fans. Julio César Chávez frequently stood up from his seat and shouted directions to his eldest son.
“He’s a strong fighter and after the first three or four rounds, he got tired, so I think he’s not ready for championship fights, but he’s a good fighter,” Julio César Chávez Jr. said of Paul — a YouTube star turned boxer — after the loss.
Despite his poor start and loss, Chávez was not booed. Paul earned that right from the first moment cameras captured his walk to the ring before the fight began.
The decibels erupted when Paul appeared wearing the colors of the Mexican flag on his robe as he walked to the ring to the rhythm of Kilo’s “Dance Like a Cholo.”
“It’s one of the songs I used to dance to when I was a kid,” Paul said during a news conference after the fight.
Paul did it, he said, in honor of Mexican legend Julio César Chávez.
“It was an ode to his father,” Paul assured. “I wore the same outfit as his dad every time I walked to the fights. It’s a respect to his dad. But also, when I got in the ring, I said, ‘I’m going to be your daddy tonight.’”
(Etienne Laurent / Associated Press)
After speaking with reporters, Paul improvised a face-off when he crossed paths with Gilberto Ramirez, the evening’s co-main event. Ramirez is the World Boxing Assn. (WBA) and World Boxing Organization (WBO) cruiserweight champion after defending his belts against Cuba’s Yuniel Dorticos.
Ramirez is not exactly a fighter known for creating an intense pre-fight atmosphere, but he presents another opportunity for Paul to cement himself as a legitimate boxer. Paul has said he has faced difficulty scheduling fights after his unconventional move from YouTube stunts to sanctioned boxing.
“I still want to do it. I’m used to these guys not being good promoters and at the end of the day, I’m going to fight these guys,” Paul said. “Today, I feel like it was the first day of my boxing career, I’m just warming up and this is the second chapter from here on out.”
Paul has been consistently criticized for not facing trained boxers. Chávez was just the third boxer Paul has faced in his 13 fights since debuting in January 2020. In 2024, 58-year-old legend Mike Tyson was the second fighter he faced.
Paul’s only loss came at the hands of Tommy Fury in February 2023.
“I don’t think I was a fighter at the time, I was barely two and a half years into the sport,” Paul said, reflecting on his start in the sport and loss to Fury. “I didn’t really know what I was doing. I didn’t have the right equipment around me, the right conditioning. My lifestyle outside of the ring was still like that of a YouTuber, a famous actor or whatever it was at that point in time. I wasn’t completely focused on boxing.
”… Chapter one is over today and now I’m moving on to chapter two. … People still hold the Tommy Fury fight against me, but now I’ve beaten a former world champion and I’m coming to collect on that loss to Tommy.”
Jake Paul, right, punches Julio César Chávez Jr. during their cruiserweight boxing match on Saturday at the Honda Center.
(Etienne Laurent / Associated Press)
In the co-feature, Ramirez (48-1, 30 KOs) defended his cruiserweight titles against mandatory challenger Dorticos (27-3, 25 KOs). Ramirez won by unanimous decision after the judges’ scorecards read 115-112, 115-112, 117-110.
“I think it was a good performance, he can hit. I don’t know why it was so close in the scores, but it is what it is,” Ramírez said.
He is eager to lock in a unification fight against International Boxing Federation (IBF) champion Jai Opetaia.
“We’re going to unify titles,” Ramirez said. “I just had to follow my plan, listen to my corner and get the job done, that’s all.”
Although Ramirez entered the fight as the favorite to defend his belts, the Mexican was slow, allowing the scores to be closer than expected. Dorticos was decisive in the early rounds, but as time went on, Ramirez made up ground. Dorticos lost a point after the referee penalized him for connecting consecutive low blows.
Making her return to professional boxing after a 12-year absence, former UFC champion and ring veteran Holly Holm (34-2-3, 9 KOs) faced undefeated Mexican Yolanda Vega Ochoa (10-1, 1 KOs) in a 10-round bout. Holm dominated from the start, setting the pace with her jab, controlling her opponent’s attack and using precise combinations. Vega opted to press, but landed constant clean punches and was unable to connect meaningful combinations that would turn the tide of the fight.
Holm won by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the fight 100-90. Her performance was resounding because of her tactical control, mobility and ability to neutralize Vega’s offense, who was unable to break her strategy or avoid the cleaner punches.
“I love kicking so much that I loved MMA for a while, but then I started to feel a growing pain from wanting to box again, so it’s been fun to come back and just get those boxing arms going,” Holm said. “I only sparred in wrestling shoes twice, I was barefoot the whole camp, I was looking for my groin protector the day I flew in, it was in the dumpsters in my garage. I’m still training with the same team, with the same trainers, I did the whole camp. I haven’t sparred in a ring in I don’t know how long, so this feels great.”
With a great combination and a powerful uppercut, Mexican Raúl Curiel (16-0-1, 14 KOs) knocked down Uruguayan Victor Rodríguez (16-1-1, 9 KOs) in the fourth round and although the Uruguayan managed to get to his feet, he did not have the power to stop an onslaught from Curiel. The referee stopped the fight at the 2:09 mark during the fourth round.
The fight determined the mandatory challenger for the World Boxing Assn. (WBA) welterweight title.
“It was an eliminator for the title, so I pushed myself,” said Curiel, a Tampico, Tamaulipas, native. “I knew it would end in knockout. I didn’t know which round, but knockout. I was strong.”
Rodríguez finished the fight in bad shape, with his nose injured and one eye swollen and bleeding.
Now Curiel wants to fight Rolando Romero, the WBA welterweight champion who most recently beat Ryan Garcia by unanimous decision in May.
“With whoever, whatever champion is available,” Curiel said. “Let’s fight Rolly. We fight all the champions.”
Welterweight Julian Rodríguez (24-1, 15 KOs) earned a dramatic win over Avious Griffin (17-1, 16 KOs), who lost his undefeated record and at times appeared to be in control of the bout. With five seconds left in the 10th round, Rodríguez knocked Griffin down in such a way that he almost knocked him out of the ring.
The fight was mostly evenly matched and two of the judges had the bout as a draw, while the third gave Rodríguez the win by two points.
“All the sacrifice, all the pain to get to this point,” Rodriguez, who was clearly exhausted, said in the ring. “It was pure emotion. Now I’ll be back in the gym in the next two or three weeks.”
In a lightweight bout, Floyd Schofield (19-0, 13 KOs) wasted no time and in just 78 seconds of the first round took out veteran Tevin Farmer (33-9-1, 8 KOs). Schofield knocked Farmer down twice and the referee stopped the bout at the 1:18 mark.
In February, Schofield had a fight scheduled against World Boxing Council (WBC) champion Shakur Stevenson in Saudi Arabia, but he was unable to make it because he was hospitalized twice before that bout. Schofield has not explained the reasons for his hospitalization.
“I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders,” Schofield said after Saturday’s win over Farmer. “They doubted me since what happened in February, and a lot of people didn’t believe I would win this fight. It’s just a lot of excitement.”
Preliminary fight results
In a welterweight bout, Joel Iriarte defeated Kevin Johnson by unanimous decision: 78-74, 80-72, 79-74.
Bantamweight Alexander Gueche was the winner against Vincent Avina: 80-72, 80-72, 79-73.
At heavyweight, Joshua Edwards knocked out Dominic Hardy in the first round.
Super featherweight René Alvarado beat Víctor Morales by unanimous decision: 96-94, 99-91, 99-91.
John Ramírez defeated Josué Jesús Morales at bantamweight by unanimous decision: 79-73, 80-72, 80-72.
Child Q was strip-searched by police at her east London school in 2020 – demonstrators highlighted the incident while campaigning against institutional racism outside the BBC’s HQ and elsewhere in 2022
A teenager who was strip-searched by two Met Police officers has said she does not know if she is “going to feel normal again” after the officers were dismissed.
A disciplinary panel found the actions of trainee Det Con Kristina Linge and PC Rafal Szmydynski amounted to gross misconduct after the girl – known as Child Q – was searched at her school in Hackney, east London, in December 2020.
The black schoolgirl, who was wrongly suspected of possessing cannabis, was on her period and forced to expose her intimate parts while no appropriate adult was present.
A third officer, PC Victoria Wray, was found to have committed misconduct for her role in the search and was given a final written warning.
In a statement released via Bhatt Murphy Solicitors after the hearing, Child Q said: “Someone walked into the school, where I was supposed to feel safe, took me away from the people who were supposed to protect me and stripped me naked, while on my period.
“I can’t go a single day without wanting to scream, shout, cry or just give up. I don’t know if I’m going to feel normal again. But I do know this can’t happen to anyone, ever again.”
‘She’s a changed person’
Cdr Kevin Southworth said in a statement: “The experience of Child Q should never have happened and was truly regrettable.
“We have sincerely apologised to Child Q since this incident happened. Again, I am deeply sorry to Child Q and her family for the trauma that we caused her, and the damage this incident caused to the trust and confidence black communities across London have in our officers.”
Child Q’s mother said in a statement: “Professionals wrongly treated my daughter as an adult and as a criminal and she is a changed person as a result. Was it because of her skin? Her hair? Why her?
“After waiting more than four years I have come every day to the gross misconduct hearing for answers and although I am relieved that two of the officers have been fired I believe that the Metropolitan Police still has a huge amount of work to do if they are to win back the confidence of Black Londoners.”
Getty Images
The Met Police acknowledged organisational failings in the search of the girl
During the hearing, held in south-east London, the search was described as unjustified, inappropriate, disproportionate, humiliating and degrading.
Panel chair Cdr Jason Prins said the search “was improper and conducted without an appropriate adult”.
He added that Child Q’s position as a “vulnerable or a potentially exploited child was not adequately considered”.
“The potential effect of a 15-year-old going through puberty had not been considered,” he said.
Child Q – whose mother was not told about the search – felt “demeaned” and “physically violated” and did not give evidence at the four-week hearing because of the psychological effects the strip-search had on her, the panel heard.
‘There’s a level of fear’
The panel was told that the officers failed to get authorisation at sergeant level or higher before they took action, which went against police policy.
It was also alleged that no adequate concern was given to Child Q’s age and sex, especially after she removed her sanitary towel.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct said the decision to strip-search Child Q on suspicion of possessing a small amount of cannabis was “completely disproportionate”.
The panel heard that black people were disproportionately more likely to be stopped and searched by police.
However, the panel did not accept an “inference” that the girl’s race caused “less favourable treatment”.
Details of Child Q’s case were released in a safeguarding report in 2022, which said the search was unjustified and that racism was likely to have been a factor.
Tanya Obeng said for many black people there was a “level of fear” surrounding the police
Tanya Obeng, who works as a therapist, took part in one of the demonstrations in Hackney about the strip-search. She said many black people did not trust the police.
“There’s a level of fear and I think for Caucasians, there’s a level of safety. That is the disparity,” she said.
Reacting to the panel’s findings, Prof Louise Owusu-Kwarteng, who teaches applied sociology at the University of Greenwich, said black children were often unfairly labelled at school.
“It was almost like this escalation, automatically assuming that she had done something wrong without doing the due process,” she said.
Sharon Adams, from Hackney, has a young daughter and still feels deeply upset by the way Child Q was treated.
“They already had that perception of her and no matter what she would have said it just went out the window. She didn’t have a voice in that moment,” Ms Adams said.
“Training to our officers around strip-search and the type of search carried out on Child Q was inadequate, and our oversight of the power was also severely lacking,” he said.
“This left officers, often young in service or junior in rank, making difficult decisions in complex situations with little information, support or clear resources to help their decision-making.”
He said the search of Child Q had been a “catalyst for change” for the force and policing nationally.
“While we should not have needed an incident such as Child Q to check our approach, it has absolutely led us to improving our processes and significantly reducing the number of these types of searches carried out.”
Children’s commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza described the case as “shocking and profoundly disturbing”.
“Child Q’s case has to be a line in the sand,” she said.
“The strip-searching of children should never form part of routine policing. It must only be used as a last resort if there is an immediate risk of harm to the child or others, with proper safeguards in place – children should never be put through such traumatic experiences without rigorous standards.”
The government feared that victims of the Post Office scandal who had not yet sought compensation would feel “harassed” if officials chased them to apply, MPs have been told.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of MPs, which has scrutinised payments, found that many of the wrongly-accused or convicted sub-postmasters were yet to receive “fair and timely” redress.
In a report, it said the government had taken “insufficient action” to ensure people entitled to compensation had applied for it.
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) said it had paid out more £1bn in compensation to date.
The committee revealed the government had no current plans to follow up with people eligible for compensation, after just one in five letters sent to sub-postmasters about restitution received a response.
MPs said they were “concerned about the potential for further delay of settlements if letters which had not yet received a reply were not being followed up”.
Chris Head, who ran a Post Office in West Boldon, South Tyneside, said the current compensation processes were not working.
Mr Head, who was made an OBE last year for services to justice, was wrongly accused of stealing £88,000 and when the criminal investigation against him was dropped, the Post Office later launched a civil case.
“You have Sir Alan Bates, offered less than 50% of his claim… you have other people on the Overturned Convictions Scheme, who are the worst affected people… not been fully compensated.
“How can you tell people to come forward, to make a claim when the worst people affected are not being paid?”
The DBT said it was “concerned that individuals receiving letters would feel harassed if they had a series of letters asking the same thing”.
However, the DBT did agree to consult the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board on the suggestion that follow-up letters should be sent to potential Horizon Shortfall Scheme applicants who have not yet applied for redress.
Alamy
Former sub-postmaster Chris Head said clear it was “clear the system isn’t working”
There are four main schemes that sub-postmasters can apply to for compensation, and individual eligibility depends on the circumstances of each case.
Between 1999 and 2015, more than 900 sub-postmasters were wrongly prosecuted after the faulty Horizon IT system made it look like money was missing from branch accounts.
Some sub-postmasters ended up going to prison, while many more were financially ruined and lost their livelihoods. Some died while waiting for justice.
The scandal has been described as the biggest miscarriage of justice in British legal history, but many victims are still waiting for financial redress, despite government pledges to speed up payouts.
The Department for Business and Trade said the PAC report was based on a “period before last year’s election”.
However, the committee said that while the report did scrutinise the annual accounts for the Department for Business and Trade from April 2023 to March 2024, while the Conservatives were in power, the report also reflected the record of the current government.
The report includes evidence heard in April this year and reflected some figures as recent as May.
The committee said:
By March this year, the Post Office, which is owned by the government, had written to 18,500 people, regarding applications for the Horizon ShortfallScheme (HSS), but the majority had not responded.
The Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme (HCRS), which offers 800 eligible people a choice between applying for a £600,000 flat-rate settlement or the option to pursue a “full claim assessment”, had received 536 applications by May this year. Of those, 339 had chosen the flat payout sum. The report said the government had yet to receive any full claim assessment applications
In relation to the Overturned Convictions Scheme, 25 eligible individuals out of 111 people had not yet submitted a claim. Some 86 had submitted full and final claims, of which 69 had been paid.
The PAC report said the government had “no plans for following up with people who are, or may be, eligible to claim under the schemes but who have not yet applied”.
It added the government did not yet have clarity on the value of claims expected through the HSS and HCRS schemes.
Latest figures showed a total of £1.039bn has been awarded to just over 7,300 sub-postmasters across all the redress schemes.
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, chair of the committee, said it was “deeply dissatisfactory” to find that the compensation schemes were still moving “far too slowly, with no government plans to track down the majority of potential claimants who may not yet be aware of their proper entitlements”.
“It is entirely unacceptable that those affected by this scandal, some of whom have had to go through the courts to clear their names, are being forced to relitigate their cases,” he added.
The committee has made several recommendations to the government with the broad message that every postmaster be made fully aware of the options for claiming compensation.
The Department for Business said: “We will consider the recommendations and work with the Post Office, who have already written to over 24,000 postmasters, to ensure that everyone who may be eligible for redress is given the opportunity to apply for it.”
The long-running public inquiry into the Post Office scandal, which has examined the treatment of thousands of sub-postmasters and sought to establish who was to blame for the wrongful prosecutions, will publish its final report on 8 July.
‘No incentive’ to recover fraudulent Covid loans
As part of its annual report, which was compiled in April this year, but covers the period from April 2023 to March 2024, the PAC also found that the government’s efforts to recover fraud losses incurred through the Bounce Back Loan Scheme introduced to help businesses recover from Covid-induced losses had been “largely unsuccessful”.
It said it was estimated at least £1.9bn had been lost to fraud through the scheme, with just £130m in payouts from lenders recovered, though it is unconfirmed how much of the amount related to fraud.
The report said the government had been “too passive by placing primary responsibility on lenders to recover losses”.
“As lenders’ losses are 100% underwritten by government, there is no commercial incentive to assist with recovery of taxpayers’ money,” it added.