forced

A BON Jovi tribute singer has been forced to change his name from One Jovi after a legal threat from the rockers’ lawyers.

Andy Hearn, 53, trademarked the jokey moniker after other performers tried to copy it.

But he then got a cease-and-desist letter from the ’80s hitmakers, named after lead singer Jon Bon Jovi, saying the tag was too similar.

Engineering fitter Andy, of Rotherham, South Yorks, has been in the band for six years but was worried about the costs of tackling the Livin’ On A Prayer stars in court.

He said: “I was disappointed a multi-billion-pound company would be bothered about someone doing pubs and clubs for a few pennies.

“I said, ‘If you think I’m a threat, then thank you — it’s a compliment’.”

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Andy said they claimed a tribute band name had to be at least 20 per cent different.

He said the exchange took place around three years ago and was resolved after several emails.

Andy was allowed to keep rocking Bon Jovi classics with his band – and at solo shows – under the ‘One Jovi’ name.

But he now releases his own songs under the tweaked moniker ‘Mr One Jovi’.

Andy insists it has not soured his love for the band, whose music he first discovered as a teenager.

He said: “It didn’t affect the way I feel about them.

“I remember listening to them when I was 14 and just absolutely loving it.”

Andy is now stepping out of Jon Bon Jovi’s shadow and chasing chart success with original music of his own.

Bon Jovi have been contacted for comment.

An international heritage body has recommended that Japan take further steps to adequately reflect the “whole history” of the Sado mine World Heritage site, linked to the wartime mobilization of Korean laborers, saying Tokyo’s related efforts remain insufficient.

The recommendation was included in a draft decision released Wednesday by UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee following its review of a State of Conservation (SOC) report submitted by Japan late last year, according to Seoul’s foreign ministry.

When approving the inscription of the mine as a World Heritage site in July 2024, the committee recommended that Japan present the site’s “whole history” across all periods of mining activity.

South Korean foreign ministry officials said the “whole history” includes the period during which more than 1,500 Koreans were mobilized to work at the mine during Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. Once known for its gold production, the complex was later used to produce war supplies for the Japanese imperial army during World War II.

“The interpretation and presentation strategy of the whole history has shown some progress but remains to be fully developed,” the draft decision read.

“Further clarification is needed regarding how the interpretation and presentation strategy and facilities comprehensively address, at the site level, the whole history of the property throughout all periods of mining exploitation,” it noted.

The committee also recommended that Japan closely consult with relevant parties to improve its interpretation and exhibition strategy and ensure that the site’s whole history is fully presented, and submit a follow-up implementation report by December 2027.

The draft decision is scheduled to be discussed at the 48th committee session in the southeastern South Korean city of Busan next week. Unless objections are raised by member states, it is expected to be adopted by consensus.

“We view the decision as reflecting our consistent position that Japan’s implementation of the committee’s recommendations remains insufficient,” a foreign ministry official said.

“We will continue to work closely with the UNESCO Secretariat and relevant countries to ensure that Japan faithfully implements the committee’s decisions and the commitments it made at the time of the site’s inscription,” the official added.

Japan has held annual memorial ceremonies for workers at the mine as part of commitments made during the inscription process. South Korea, however, has declined to attend the Japan-hosted event for two consecutive years, noting the ceremony failed to adequately reflect the site’s whole history, including the forced mobilization of Korean laborers.

Seoul has instead held separate memorial services each year near the mine site with the bereaved family members of the forced laborers.

Copyright (c) Yonhap News Agency prohibits its content from being redistributed or reprinted without consent, and forbids the content from being learned and used by artificial intelligence systems.

Beijing’s new ethnic unity law has taken effect. It strengthens Mandarin’s position as the primary language of education, official business and public spaces across China.

The government says the law’s provisions on social cohesion and preventing separatism benefit everyone.

But activists abroad say it will further erode the rights of groups such as Uighurs and Tibetans. They are also warning against a clause that states China can take action against those who violate the law outside of the country.

Taiwan has echoed this criticism. Its government warns the law could be used to target people there who are critical of Beijing.

Presenter: Mohammed Jamjoom

Guests:

• Einar Tangen – Senior fellow, Centre for International Governance Innovation
• Zumretay Arkin – Vice president, World Uyghur Congress
• William Yang – Senior analyst for Northeast Asia, International Crisis Group

ANOTHER UK holiday company has gone into liquidation after nearly 30 years.

Global Vision International (GVI), an Exeter-based company, has cancelled all holidays.

Offering programmes abroad, including nature and conservation ones, they have been forced to close after 28 years.

GVI CEO Andrew Valentine said in a statement: “It is with an incredibly heavy heart that I write to share that GVI is today closing its doors.

“Over the last 28 years, we successfully supported critical wildlife and marine conservation projects to safeguard endangered ecosystems, partnered with local communities through collaborative education and sustainable livelihood initiatives, and welcomed an incredible network of alumni who continue to advocate for our planet.

“I deeply regret the effect that GVI’s closure will have on staff, projects and customers, and we are committed to providing clear information to those affected as GVI goes through a formal liquidation process.”

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Anyone with holidays booked will be contacted regarding how to claim back, according to the website.

It stated: “GVI staff on the ground are supporting participants as they make plans to depart GVI bases.

“All impacted participants will receive formal correspondence detailing the liquidation process and instructions on how to lodge a claim.”

It comes as Bath-based travel firm Groupia Ltd closed after 24 years.

It used to offer group-based travel experiences including weekends away as well as hen and stag dos to destinations such as Prague and Barcelona.

Here’s all the travel companies that have recently gone bust.

July 2 (UPI) — Outgoing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer apologized in person Thursday to women and some of their children who were caught up in a historic forced adoptions scandal in England and Wales dating back to the 1950s through the 1970s.

Stamer issued a formal apology on behalf of the British state, calling the taking of an estimated 185,000 babies from unmarried women, railroaded into allowing their children to be put up for adoption, a “stain on our history.”

The shame is not yours. The shame was never yours. The shame is ours,” he said in a statement to the House of Commons after earlier hosting a group of survivors in Downing Street.

“Mothers, many young, vulnerable, and without support were coerced, bullied, or misled into feeling that they had no choice but to have their children taken away from them. What a thing to do,” he said.

Speaking as some of those whose lives were severely impacted watched on from the public gallery, Starmer said that what happened to them and to tens of thousands of mothers, children and families “should never have happened.”

“It is a stain on our history,” he said.

Starmer said the victims had “very powerfully” relayed to him the “gut-wrenching” shame they were made to feel and how it was drummed into them that they were immoral young women whose children would be better off without them.

The experiences stayed with them through their lifetimes, while their children grew up believing they were unwanted, he said.

“We are deeply and profoundly sorry to the mothers who were told they were unfit, who were prevented from caring for the children they desperately wanted to help and to keep, and who have carried this loss for decades,” said Starmer.

Starmer acknowledged that the practice was deliberate and widespread, particularly between 1949 and 1976 when it was, he said, “embedded within systems across local authorities, across voluntary and faith-based institutions, and in health and social care services,” including parts of what is now the National Health Service.

“All institutions that operated with power over people’s lives, yet they did so without compassion, without consent, and without dignity or proper safeguards,” said Starmer.

He said some women, including those placed in Mother and Baby Homes and other institutions, were prevented from seeing their families and partners, denied education and job opportunities and kept in harsh living conditions.

Some of the treatment meted out to the women was tantamount to manipulation and abuse, said Starmer.

Mothers and adoptees campaigned for years for the state to acknowledge wrongdoing but no offer of compensation was forthcoming, although the government has announced a $5.3 million fund to improve access to adoption records and assist family reunions.

Survivor Ann Keen, whose baby son was adopted in 1966 after she was sent to a mother and baby home in Swansea in Wales at the age of 17, told the BBC she had “no say” in the decision.

The former Member of Parliament in the ruling Labour Party, told BBC Radio ahead of Starmer’s statement to lawmakers that she was eagerly anticipating the moment she would finally be “released from my shame.”

Abigail Velez took to social media to issue her apology for her ‘thoughtless comment’

An ABC News reporter has apologised after sparking backlash with an on-air comment about Bosnia-Herzegovina ahead of the country’s World Cup clash with the United States.

Abigail Velez, who works for ABC7 Los Angeles, was reporting from a USA viewing party in Long Beach, California, when she made the remarks while discussing America’s next opponent in the tournament.

Following the US team’s 3-2 defeat to Turkey, Velez told viewers: “The next round, Team USA will play Bosnia next Wednesday and one thing about Bosnia, I could not point out where it is on a map.”

She then added: “I don’t know the first thing about Bosnia and I don’t want to know because Team USA, we’re back, we’re better than ever.”

The comments quickly spread on social media, where Bosnian football fans and other viewers criticised the report as disrespectful.

One account, Bosnian Football, shared the clip on X and wrote: “My goodness, the stereotypes write themselves…”

Another viewer said: “Some competitive talk is always fun, but that’s not the way to do it.”

A third added: “The weirdest thing about Americans is that they feel it’s like a flex to say ‘I don’t even know where they are on a map.'”

Velez later issued an apology on X, formerly Twitter, admitting she had gone too far while trying to inject humour into her World Cup coverage.

She wrote: “In a poor effort to have a little fun with World Cup competition, I took it too far and made a thoughtless comment on air that was insensitive and inappropriate. I apologise to the people of Bosnia and the Bosnian Football team.”

She added: “The World Cup is supposed to be about uniting communities around the world, and my comment didn’t reflect that spirit. Wishing all the teams the very best as they continue their World Cup journey.”

Despite her apology, not everyone was convinced. One person replied: “This is not a pure apology. This is just a pr stunt to protect one’s reputation from being scrutinized.” Another pointed out that the current president of ABC News, Almin Karamehmedovic, is actually from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Not everyone was offended though. One user shared, “There is absolutely no reason to say sorry for that. The Bosnians don’t even know where Pigeon Forge and Rochester are on the map. Do you see them saying sorry?”

The apology came ahead of the USA’s knockout match against Bosnia-Herzegovina, which is due to take place at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on Wednesday.

The United States finished top of Group D after winning two of their three matches, while Bosnia-Herzegovina progressed from Group B as one of the best third-placed sides.

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RYLAN has apologised after being forced to pull out of his BBC Radio Two show.

The 37-year-old was due to be on air today, but failed to make it home from Nice, France.

The radio host had to be replaced at the eleventh hour after being stranded abroad.

Calling into Emma Willis‘ show to explain his predicament, Rylan said: “I decided to go away with my partner and a couple of my friends to Nice for a few days and just enjoy the sun.

“I didn’t have work this week, I’d managed to clear my diary and I was like, that’s amazing.

“I was flying back very early this morning, so I went to the airport and it was like, ‘no’.

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“I was like, “sorry?’

“At one point I was going to get on an eight-hour train, which still would have made me late for work, but would have got me home today.

“In the end I thought, ‘you know what, you’ve done well for yourself, I’m just going to stay another day’.

“What can I do? I’m not going to be able to make the show today so I thought I can either really stress myself out about this and sweat my foundation off my forehead or I’m just going to have to swallow it and deal with it and go, ‘what a shame, there’s worse places to be’.”

Rylan was replaced by Mark Goodier, with a BBC rep confirming on social media: “Rylan got stranded somewhere Nice…”

Rylan replied in the comments, writing: “So unprofessional.”

He also went on his Instagram, telling fans: “Soz about today’s show.

“I blame everyone but myself.

“Genuinely had it all sussed out and then flights all cancelled.

“Thanks Mark for stepping in you legend. Gonna have a rosé and think of you all.”

Mark stepped up to the hotseat for Rylan to host the film and TV quiz Couch Potatoes and discovered how listeners’ holiday dilemmas turned into a feel-good success story.

Rylan will be back next week to host his three-hour show Rylan On Saturday which airs weekly at 3pm.

A coalition of advocacy groups for artists, songwriters and managers is warning musicians about the growing risks of artificial intelligence music.

Recently, many major record labels have inked deals with AI music startups such as Suno, Udio and Klay. But the coalition, which includes organizations such as the Music Artists Coalition and the Songwriters of North America, argues in a new letter that “artists and songwriters whose works, voices, performances, likenesses and creative identities make those deals valuable are not being meaningfully consulted.”

The letter, released Monday, stated that many artists and songwriters in existing recording and publishing agreements are currently receiving letters from their labels and publishers claiming that they “will be opted in to AI-related uses by default, with little actual choice offered.” Even new artists are receiving agreements that include “AI rights clauses as a standard condition of signing.”

“We support innovation and recognise that AI can create new opportunities for music,” the coalition wrote in the letter. “However artists are not simply catalogue assets, and innovation cannot be used to override artists’ rights.”

The National Independent Talent Organization, a live entertainment advocacy group that signed the letter, said many of its members are coming to the organization with label contracts that include “non-negotiable AI usage clauses.”

“We can’t allow for contract language signed decades before this technology existed to be the standard bearer. These rights belong to the creators and they get the final say on usage,” said Nathaniel Marro, NITO’s executive director, in a statement to The Times.

“Music companies are leading the fight to protect artists’ and songwriters’ rights in the age of AI,” said a spokesperson for IFPI, the recording industry’s global trade body.

“While our members have taken different approaches, they share the same fundamental objectives: combating the unauthorized use of music and establishing licensing models that return revenue to artists and songwriters,” the IFPI spokesperson added.

The coalition is asking the industry to move forward on AI deals only under four conditions: that musicians directly consent to any agreement; that artists receive fair compensation; that there be transparency between the companies and the talent; and that companies make a public commitment to end contracts built on default AI opt-ins and forced AI clauses.

“Artists need a real seat in these conversations, clear terms on revenue share, and the ability to say no without losing their deal,” said Ron Gubitz, the Music Artists Coalition’s executive director, in a statement.

This letter comes at a time when policymakers are reviewing copyright rules in response to AI and when streaming platforms and social media platforms are overflowing with AI-generated music.

A little over two weeks ago, the American Federation of Musicians sued Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group. The complaint claims the major labels “received significant compensation” from the AI companies for past copyright violations and licensed “substantial” portions of their music catalogs to them, but haven’t shared that with the musicians.

Despite the confrontational tone of the letter, some signatories struck a more conciliatory note. Overall, the industry seems to be receptive to these AI changes, said Willie “Prophet” Stiggers of the Black Music Action Coalition, another signatory advocacy group. At this point in AI’s development, he added, everyone in the industry — from artists and labels to AI start-ups and policymakers — has a responsibility to establish effective guardrails.

“The companies building these technologies understand that trust is essential to long-term success, and trust begins with respecting creators’ rights,” Stiggers said in a statement to The Times. “There’s still important work ahead, but we’re encouraged that the conversation has shifted from whether protections are needed to how we build them together.”

“The structures being created now will shape the music ecosystem for years to come,” the coalition’s letter said. “The future of music must be built with artists, songwriters and their representatives, not imposed on them.”

Times staff writer Wendy Lee contributed to this report.

Israel is pushing humanitarian groups and rights defenders to scale down operations in Palestinian territories.

Children are “increasingly unprotected” as humanitarian groups and rights defenders are forced to scale back their operations in the Palestinian territories, the United Nations has warned.

Many civil society and aid organisations in Gaza and the West Bank have been labelled “terrorists” by pro-Israel groups or politicians, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child warned in a statement issued on Monday, noting that their absence leaves children vulnerable.

“For more than three decades, these organisations have played a vital role in defending Palestinian children, including in the Israeli military courts, and in documenting grave violations against Palestinian children at the hands of Israeli forces,” the committee said.

“Without them, Palestinian children will be even less protected, and violations of their rights risk continuing with impunity,” it added.

Issued by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the statement noted that tactics used to delegitimise these human rights groups also include “military raids, travel bans, personal financial sanctions, threats of arrest, destruction of records, and even threats of secondary sanctions against partners who support their work”.

The committee said this made it “increasingly impossible for these organisations to operate safely or protect the children and families who turn to them for help”.

The committee urged the international community to hold Israeli authorities accountable for the attacks committed against Palestinian human rights defenders.

It urged the Israeli authorities to lift the restrictions faced by humanitarian individuals and groups.

“Despite grave risks and limited resources, child rights defenders have continued to stand with Palestinian children and families in extraordinarily dangerous conditions. They must be protected, not punished,” the committee said.

Israel has cracked down significantly on humanitarian operations in Gaza since the “ceasefire” that began on October 10, banning Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF, after it failed to provide a list of its Palestinian staff, further depriving Palestinians in the besieged enclave of life-saving assistance.

In February this year, 17 international aid groups petitioned Israel’s Supreme Court to be allowed to keep working in the Gaza Strip and other areas in the occupied Palestinian territory. The Israeli government has planned to halt their life-saving work.

EUROSTAR has cancelled a number of trains to and from the UK this week due to the hot weather.

The train operator cited “adverse weather conditions” as the reason for the cancellations.

The cancellations include two services a day between London St Pancras International and Paris‘ Gare du Nord.

The affected trains are:

• Monday – 10:07am from Paris to London
• Monday – 1:31pm from London to Paris
• Tuesday – 10:07am from Paris to London
• Tuesday – 1:31pm from London to Paris
• Wednesday – 1:31pm from London to Paris
• Wednesday – 6:08pm from Paris to London
• Thursday – 1:31pm from London to Paris
• Thursday – 8:08pm from Paris to London

No trains have been cancelled on Friday yet but this could change later in the week.

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Eurostar said in a statement: “Due to expected adverse weather on the Eurostar network, your train is cancelled.

“We’re so sorry for the disruption and any inconvenience caused.”

Passengers affected by the cancellations can move their booking to a later time and date.

Otherwise a full refund can be claimed, either with an e-voucher which can be used up to 12 months later, or a full refund (which doesn’t include booking fees).

The UK is set to high record temperatures for June this week, with highs up to 38C expected.

This would beat the previous hottest June temperature of 35.6C, which was in 1976 in Southampton.

The now-influencer appeared on BBC’s Song Marry Avoid when she was just 19-years-old

A woman who appeared on a popular BBC show says she had no choice but to turn down some major opportunities.

Sophie Bow received a dramatic ‘makeunder’ on BBC’s Snog Marry Avoid, which featured the sassy robotic style guru POD (Personal Overhaul Device).

Rather than being given a makeover, those who appeared on the show were given a ‘makeunder’ as they were persuaded less is more.

The show was a huge hit with fans in the late 00s with singer Jenny Frost followed by comedian and Strictly Come Dancing star Ellie Taylor as the host. The BBC Three show aired from 2008 until its sixth and final series in December 2013.

Sophie was just 19 when she first appeared on our TV screens, when she encountered POD as a teenager who loved lots of fake tan, heavy makeup and eye-catching outfits covered in sequins and glitter.

At the time, viewers fell in love with the teen and show bosses were keen to get her back on our TV screens for other projects.

Now 33, she has become a popular social media content creator but revealed that she was forced to turn down a number of TV opportunities because of her anxiety.

Looking back on her journey since appearing on Snog Marry Avoid, she took to TikTok and gave fans an update on her life today.

She started off by saying: “I would say appearing on telly back in the day definitely helped my career.

“Back then it was a very popular show but it disappeared off the face of the earth and no one knows why or where it went but it would be so good if they brought it back.”

She revealed: “After being on that show, I did actually get casted for the first ever Love Island but I was in a relationship. I’ve always been in a relationship so I never went on the show. “

However her relationship wasn’t the only thing holding her back as she explained: “But there have been so many opportunities that I actually did miss out on – throughout my life because I do have anxiety – I suffer badly with anxiety.

“I don’t really know what triggered it but I do get quite back anxiety. Even to this day I get asked on brand trips or anything outside my comfort zone, if I’m not going with somebody I can’t.”

The influencer added: “I really need to push myself to do more. I have a little boy and he is the best thing ever so I did take a little break from social media for a little while but then I did go back into social media.

“I did lose quite a lot of following from having the break then I started a TikTok account and here I am.”

SHARON Osbourne was forced to miss her late rocker husband Ozzy’s statue unveiling after being rushed to hospital.

The 73-year-old returned to social media to explain her absence at the event this week.

Sharon was notably missing from the French metal festival Hellfest where the tribute to Ozzy was revealed, which stands at 20ft tall.

His widow Sharon told fans on social media: “I’m sorry I couldn’t be at Hellfest for the unveiling of Ozzy’s statue.

“Unfortunately I had an unexpected trip to the hospital earlier in the week. 

“A big thank you Olivier Garnier, Ben Barbaud and everyone at Hellfest. Special thank you to @philippe_pasqua_officiel for the absolutely stunning statue!”

READ MORE ON SHARON OSBOURNE

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Black Sabbath singer Ozzy died aged 76 last July following a long battle with Parkinson’s.

Sharon recently put the LA mansion she shared with her late husband up for sale for $17m (£13m), and will be moving into an apartment.

The X Factor legend still has her Grade-II listed Georgian mansion in Buckinghamshire, where Ozzy is buried.

Ozzy’s final performance in Birmingham last summer completely sold out and raised millions.

But it was all donated to three charities: Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Acorns Children’s Hospice.

His other earnings have now gone to his family, who revealed this week that they are trying to buy back the Beverly Hills mansion where they shot their MTV reality show The Osbournes in the Noughties.

The Israeli military has ordered residents of 20 Lebanese towns and villages to leave their homes immediately.

Israeli air raids across southern Lebanon have killed one person as attacks continue despite a United States-brokered “ceasefire”.

Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported that the person was killed in an Israeli air raid in the municipality of Maarakeh, in the Tyre district of southern Lebanon.

Al Jazeera’s Heidi Pett, reporting from Beirut, said that over the course of Friday and into the evening, there were continued Israeli air attacks on towns and villages that are well north of what the Israelis call the “Yellow Line” – the part of southern Lebanon that they have been seeking to control and to occupy.

The attacks come after an announcement by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday that the United States and Iran have agreed on the wording of an agreement aimed at ending their war, and that mediators were working with both sides to finalise a deal.

Iranian media report the initial agreement would declare an end to the war “on all fronts, including Lebanon”.

This has led to fears that Israel’s actions in Lebanon could scupper a deal, since Israel is not a party to the negotiations between the US and Iran, and its leaders have said they do not plan to withdraw from Lebanon.

The attacks also come amid a supposed ceasefire, agreed between Israeli and Lebanese officials earlier this month, that would require a “complete cessation” of fire by Hezbollah, yet the fighting continues.

The next round of talks between the two countries is expected on June 22, with a view towards reaching a comprehensive agreement.

Israel issues forced displacement orders, demolishes homes

Israeli attacks at dawn have demolished homes and government buildings in southern Lebanon’s Bint Jbeil, the country’s NNA reports.

The Israeli military also ordered residents of 20 Lebanese towns and villages to leave their homes immediately and move “north of the Zahrani River”.

The forced displacement orders apply to Deir al-Zahrani, al-Namirieh, al-Sharquieh, al-Dewayr, Harouf, Habboush, Kfarjoz, Zibdine (Nabatieh), Nabatieh al-Tahta, Nabatieh al-Fawqa, Kfar Rouman, Al-Mahmoudieh, Sajed (Jezzine), Reihan, Aaramta, Kfarchouba, Mlki, Al-Lawiza (Jezzine), Jarjouh and Arab Salim.

On Saturday, the Israeli military said an air raid alert had been activated in the northern town of Metula due to the “infiltration of a hostile aircraft” from Lebanon, but did not name the armed group Hezbollah.

Haiti have been forced to change their kit design just four days before their World Cup opener against Scotland after their shirt, depicting a war scene, failed to comply with Fifa rules.

An illustration of the Battle of Vertieres in 1803, which secured Haiti’s independence, with the country’s flag had been embedded on the shirts worn in both of their pre-tournament friendlies.

However, equipment regulations set out by the world governing body prohibits the use of any “political, religious, or personal messages or slogans” on kit.

In a statement, Colombian manufacturer Saeta, said its original design “was a tribute to the men and women who contribute every day to Haiti’s future” and “was not intended as a political statement”.

It added: “Fifa determined that certain visual elements could be interpreted differently under its equipment regulations and ultimately requested modifications to the design.

“While this interpretation differed from our intention, Saeta respected the process and implemented the final requirements communicated by Fifa.”

Haiti begin their first World Cup campaign in 52 years against Scotland at Boston Stadium, Foxborough at 02:00 BST on Sunday.

The Caribbean country then face five-time winners Brazil and Morocco in Group C.

In their only previous World Cup appearance in 1974, Haiti lost all three group games and conceded 14 goals.

AN iconic UK pier could be forced to close after its owner collapsed into liquidation.

The future of historic landmark, which dates back to 1866, remains uncertain.

Lions Pier Limited, which operates Eastbourne Pier, was issued a compulsory winding-up order last month.

Local hotelier Abid Gulzar, who is listed as the firm’s sole director on Companies House, was handed the order on May 12, 2026 following a petition filed on March 25, 2026.

As a result, Lions Pier Limited and the future of the pier is now in the hands of the Official Receiver.

Compulsory liquidation is typically triggered by an unpaid creditor, with the court appointing the Official Receiver to take complete control of the process.

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The Official Receiver is responsible for investigating the reasons behind the company’s failure and assessing the director’s conduct, which could lead to a director disqualification order and further sanctions.

Gulzar purchased Eastbourne Pier in October 2015, before going on to acquire nearby Hastings Pier, which he entered into voluntary liquidation in 2023.

Two of the businessman’s hotel firms, Chatsworth Hotels Ltd and Lion Hotels Ltd, were also put into voluntary liquidation in 2017.

The hotelier carried out extensive renovation works at Eastbourne Pier, including the construction of four new replacement buildings.

Now, the collapse of Lions Pier Limited has resurfaced questions over the ownershop of the pier’s physical structure.

If Lions Pier Limited is deemed the owner, the Official Receiver could move to sell the pier as part of the liquidation process.

However, if Gulzar holds the freehold separately, as was the case with Hastings, he may retain control of the asset despite the company’s collapse.

A spokesperson for Eastbourne Borough Council told The Argus: “We are monitoring the situation at Eastbourne Pier very closely.

“It is an iconic and much-loved seafront attraction, and we hope the Official Receiver can secure an outcome that ensures it remains open and restored for residents, visitors and businesses based on the pier.

“While the pier has always been in private ownership, council officers routinely check its general condition and these checks will continue.”

Eastbourne Pier was transformed into a defensive stronghold during World War II in the event of invasion, with part of the decking removed to deter enemy landings and machine guns installed in the theatre.

Nowadays, the pier proves a popular tourist attraction for those visiting the UK’s sunniest town, offering cafes, gift shops, arcades, and a live music venue.

The Sun has reached out to Abid Gulzar via the Official Receiver for comment.

A MUM was forced to cancel her flight after discovering her son doodled a dinosaur in her passport just hours before a work trip abroad.

The distraught parent shared the stressful experience online, along with photos of the ballpoint scribbles, captioned: “I hate dinosaurs!”

“I feel like crying. My flight is tonight,” she said.

“I was packing, and my little one was busy scribbling on my passport. I didn’t notice when he got hold of it.

“This morning I was running around queuing at immigration.

“I’m hoping I don’t have to declare the passport as damaged.”

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The woman then went to the Immigration Department in Kajang, Malaysia before being sent to Putrajaya.

Unfortunately, her worst fears were realised.

Officials told her her passport was damaged and not valid for travel.

To make matters worse, as it was a weekend, she could not get a replacement until Monday.

She said: “I’m now on the way to Kuala Lumpur International Airport to ask Qatar Airways if I can change my ticket to Monday night.

“Please pray that everything is made easier.”

Fortunately, she was able to change her flight to Monday – though at a not insignificant price of £114.

Accepting the outcome, she wrote: “To those asking about the little one who scribbled on the passport, he’s still smiling without any sense of guilt and still saying, ‘Let’s go to the airport!’

“Please pray that our affairs are made easier as we continue our 11,977km journey soon… amen.

“Also, thank you to the immigration officer in Putrajaya who was on duty this morning and helped us accept fate with more calmness.

“God willing, there is a blessing in it.”

This is not the first time passport issues have caused last-minute travel chaos.

In August last year, a couple left their 10-year-old son behind at Barcelona Airport after discovering his passport had expired.

Determined not to miss their flight, they arranged for a relative to collect him and boarded the plane without him.

The plan quickly unravelled when airport staff spotted the boy alone and alerted police.

It is not known if the family were charged or given any sort of caution by the police.

A 48-HOUR strike in Europe has already seen Eurostar trains cancelled – and more could follow.

Strikes across Italy and France today and tomorrow are impacting rail services including Eurostar trains to and from the UK.

Cancelled Eurostar trains include the 7:12am service from Paris to London and then the 3:31pm service from London to Paris, both today.

Tomorrow, the 7:12am service from Paris to London will also be cancelled.

A number of other Eurostar trains are facing delays as well including between Paris and Brussels, which will impact Brits changing trains at Paris.

According to the Eurostar website, the cancellations are due to “strike action on the French network” and that “local and national traffic in France will be heavily disrupted”.

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Passengers are being advised to keep an eye on Eurostar’s website and app for updates.

The Eurostar delays and cancellations aren’t the only trains impacted.

Across France and Italy there are nationwide strikes over the next 48 hours on rail services.

In France, strike action today is causing disruption across the entire country’s network including trains heading to Normandy, Brittany and Provence.

The action started at 7pm yesterday and will continue until 6am tomorrow.

According to Rail Europe, delays of between one-and-a-half hours and three hours can be expected on trains being run by TGV INOUI, OUIGO, and Eurostar.

On the other hand, in Italy, workers at state-owned rail companies such as Trenitalia, Trenord, and Trenitalia Tper will strike tomorrow from 3am until 2am on Friday.

Delays and cancellations are expected across the country including services to destinations such as Rome, Milan, Florence, Venice and Naples.

Though due to Italian laws, there will be services at peak times which include between 6am and 9am and between 6pm and 9pm.

According to RTL Today, train connections to Luxembourg are also being impacted.

For Brits on holiday in either Italy or France, if you are due to get on a train within the country or even on a Eurostar service, expect delays and cancellations, as well as busier train stations.

Sun Travel has contacted Eurostar for comment.

Israeli forces killed nine people in Tyre in the past 24 hours after it issued forced displacement orders on the city and continued deadly attacks across southern Lebanon.

A UN spokesman says forced evacuation orders issued across southern and eastern Lebanon are nearly impossible to follow safely, and calls into question whether Israel is complying with international humanitarian law.

The administration of US President Donald Trump has proposed new tariffs of up to 12.5 percent on imports from 60 economies after determining they had failed to curb trade in goods made with forced labour, an assertion that was rejected by US trading partners.

The proposal from the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), issued late on Tuesday, comes from a Section 301 unfair trade practices investigation designed to help rebuild US President Donald Trump’s emergency tariffs, struck down by a US Supreme Court decision in February.

Despite laws banning them, the products of forced labour are deeply embedded in supply chains across the world. European lawmakers bristle at the accusation that the region is less effective than the US at curbing the trade in such goods, with one describing the US findings as “utterly absurd”. Business leaders said the US move created more confusion for companies.

The USTR proposed 10 percent additional duties on imports from Canada, Ecuador, the European Union, Indonesia, Mexico, Pakistan, Argentina, Bangladesh, Cambodia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Malaysia, Taiwan and Britain. The USTR said all had plans or partial schemes in place.

The trade agency said it would impose additional duties of 12.5 percent on the remaining 45 countries that it investigated. These include China, India, Nigeria, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Australia and New Zealand.

“The failure of our most important trading partners to address the importation of goods made with forced labour is unacceptable,” US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement. “This creates a dynamic where American workers are forced to compete globally on an unlevel playing field.”

The USTR said it would accept public comments on the proposed tariffs and other remedies through July 6, with a public hearing scheduled for July 7.

The announcement comes ahead of the July 24 expiration of a 10 percent temporary tariff imposed by the Trump administration on February 20, the day the Supreme Court struck down Trump’s tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. It also shows how determined the Trump administration is about building a wall of tariffs around the US economy, the world’s largest, despite repeated setbacks in court.

After the loss in the Supreme Court, Trump turned to another law to impose temporary 10 percent tariffs globally. But those stopgap levies expire July 24. And a specialised trade court ruled last month that they, too, were illegal – though the government can continue collecting them while that case works its way through the courts.

Unjustified tariffs

The European Commission said the tariffs were unjustified and reiterated its commitment to the trade deal sealed with Washington last year.

Bernd Lange, the chair of the European Parliament’s trade committee, which voted on Tuesday to accept that trade deal, said the new tariffs were expected, but said the results of the US investigation were still “utterly absurd” given a 2024 EU law to ban imports of forced labour products.

“The impression is increasingly emerging that a tariff measure is sought first, and only then is a suitable legal justification found,” he said. However, he added that the key question would be whether the additional tariffs would exceed those agreed between both sides last July.

The US’s largest trading partner, the EU, agreed last July to accept tariffs of 15 percent on a broad range of its exports. In its report, the USTR said the EU anti-forced labour measures only came into force in December 2027 and lacked key elements.

It was unclear whether the proposed tariffs – which the US release described as “additional duties” – would come on top of levies agreed in bilateral deals signed with the US.

Britain said it was in regular talks with the US and was taking action to tackle forced labour. It added that the preferential access to US markets that it had negotiated for UK businesses remained in place.

Mexico said that goods that were compliant under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) would be exempt from the new tariffs.

Taiwan said it was “hopeful and confident” that the final results would reflect agreements already reached, securing relatively preferential treatment.

Beijing, facing 12.5 percent tariffs, said that it opposed all forms of unilateral tariffs and that there was no forced labour in China. India, confronted with the same rate, said it was engaged with Washington on the Section 301 proceedings, noting the proposed tariffs were not final.

“There will be deep concerns in the international business community that the US [forced labour law could] become a global template,” said Andrew Wilson, deputy secretary general of the International Chamber of Commerce.

“Anyone can make a claim, get a shipment impounded and the company has to prove no forced labour in supply chain.”

Certain exemptions

The USTR said it would exempt from tariffs products including energy, rare earths and some other metals, beef, coffee, certain fruits and vegetables, pharmaceuticals, organic chemicals and aircraft parts.

It also said it was proposing a textile mechanism that would allow for a certain volume of apparel and textile imports to enter the US at a reduced tariff rate, without giving details.

The ICC’s Wilson said the list of exemptions, stretching for more than 76 pages, suggested sensitivities over the potential cost-of-living hit to food and other goods with known forced-labour risks.

“It doesn’t make sense if the object of this is to enhance controls on modern slavery,” he said.

Euphoria’s creator Sam Levinson has claimed that Sydney Sweeney pushed him to include nude scenes for her character Cassie Howard as he defends himself from fan backlash

After the Euphoria season finale, fans were outraged by the inclusion of copious nude scenes for Cassie Howard, but Sam Levinson has claimed that Sydney Sweeney ‘forced’ him into it.

During the third and final season, Sweeney’s character was nude in multiple scenes, including a montage of nude fetish scenes, as her character started a career as an OnlyFans model. Some fans felt the show over sexualised Cassie and criticised Levinson for the direction the show took. But Levinson said in a podcast episode that it was Sweeney’s choice.

The showrunner said: “When I first wrote it, I thought, ‘Well maybe we shoot all of this and we don’t have any nudity.’ I was talking to her, and you know, [I said] ‘Maybe there’s ways to shoot around certain things?’

“She looked at me, and she was like, ‘Are you kidding? It’s like, I’m playing an OnlyFans model. You’re telling me you’re going to, like, skirt around it?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, OK, it’s a fair point.’ So there’s always a discussion of what works best for the character.”

He added the the New York Times podcast that Sweeney was a “totally fearless actor” and “wonderfully professional”. Levinson said: “I adore working with her, because there’s such a flexibility in terms of the performance.”

Fan backlash to the scenes was quite strong. Critics of the show questioned their inclusion and argued Cassie was being “degraded” in them and that it was a “humiliation ritual” for Sweeney.

Levinson addressed the fan backlash: “I believe very strongly that the best, most honest performances are when an actor feels free and safe. That’s how you get a great performance. You can’t if there is any tension, the emotion that is going to be blocked. And that’s something I’ve known from my days of studying acting.” He claimed his role on set was to “create the most conducive environment for the actor”.

Sweeney has also appears to have spoken about the nude scenes. She took to Instagram on 31 May to share a series of behind the scenes pics from the last season, including one from when she was nearly naked, with a python draped over her body. She said underneath the image: “It’s called… acting.”

Fans were also angry with the the season finale for killing off Zendaya’s character Rue via an accidental overdose. After being sober all season, the character was given pain pills that were laced fentanyl and died. Accidentally overdosing on fentanyl was the same way Euphoria star Angus Cloud died in in 2023.

Some fans felt the death was wrong as Rue had been sober all season. “What the hell is this show about ??? Rue has been sober since episode one how come she died from overdose in the last episode?” one wrote on X. Another added: “I think it’s safe to say that this was the worst season of Euphoria.”

But Levinson said this was an “honest” ending for Rue. “The honest ending is that people like Rue don’t make it. There’s no reason to sugarcoat it. I wanted to tell this story for Angus [Cloud] and for people who weren’t granted a second chance.”

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