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The census people will tell you that Ojai’s population is something like 7,563, but don’t be fooled. This is a small town that contains multitudes.

That is, this little, liberal enclave beneath the Topatopa Mountains cherishes creativity, yet often resists change. It celebrates freedom, yet relies on regulation. Though its prosperity is driven by visitors from Los Angeles (just an hour and a half away), its leaders get nervous about anything that might lure more of them.

Somehow, this mix keeps producing new and intriguing things — including enough recent developments to fill a lively weekend. They include a new hotel (Hotel El Roblar, which is really a dramatically retooled old hotel); new restaurants; a spiffy new movie theater with cocktails and organic popcorn; a mezcal bar and listening room; and increased odds of encountering a rare tortoise (at the Turtle Conservancy outside town).

Also, in the days since my visit, the new chefs in charge of the Ranch House, where Alan and Helen Wheeler pioneered California cuisine in the 1950s and ‘60s, have opened their doors. Perfecte and Alia Rocher offer prix-fixe dinners in a 15,000-square-foot garden. The restaurant’s new name: The Rochers at the Ranch House.)

In addition, actor Jon Bernthal leads a team that has upgraded the Ojai school district’s Chaparral Auditorium, a 115-seat black box venue on Ojai Avenue that housed a stage production, “Ironbound,” in May and is to be used by Nordhoff High School. If Bernthal and team have their way, an Ojai Theater Festival will become an annual event, joining a local cultural schedule that includes the Ojai Music Festival, Ojai Playwrights Conference and the Ojai Pops Concert Series.

The options will easily fill a couple of days. But if you stay twice as long and do everything half as quickly — that’s closer to the Ojai way. Now, on to these seven new (and renewed) possibilities.

SEOUL, Aug. 21 (UPI) — Nongshim, South Korea’s largest instant noodle maker, will release a line of products featuring characters from the Netflix hit animated movie KPop Demon Hunters later this month.

Packaging for the company’s popular Shin Ramyun instant noodles and Shrimp Crackers snacks will showcase images of characters from the film, including Rumi, Zoey, Saja Boys and Derpy the tiger, the company said Wednesday.

Nongshim will also launch a new Shin Toomba Sauce and special cup noodles modeled after the snacks eaten by the fictional K-pop group Huntrix in the movie. The company will promote the collaboration through a series of global events, including social media campaigns, digital content and offline pop-ups.

“KPop Demon Hunters’ realistic depiction of various Korean cultures, including K-Pop and K-Food, went viral and is creating a global fandom,” the company said in a statement. “The frequent appearance of ramyun, a quintessentially Korean food, naturally drew attention to Nongshim.”

The animated film, which centers on a K-pop trio who secretly battle demons, has been a massive hit for Netflix since its release in June. As of last week, it has become the second-most-watched film of all time on the streaming service, with more than 210 million views.

The Kpop Demon Hunters soundtrack has also crossed over onto the global music charts, with the single “Golden” by Huntrix topping the Billboard Hot 100 list for the week of Aug. 16.

Nongshim said that the partnership was sparked by the film’s realistic depiction of Korean ramyun and snacks, which many fans said resembled the company’s products.

“This collaboration was possible thanks to fans who identified our products in Kpop Demon Hunters and shared their excitement,” a spokesperson said. “Just as KPop Demon Hunters introduced K-culture to the world, we will also work to genuinely inform global consumers of the taste and value of K-snacks.”

The limited-edition products will be available in South Korea and major markets across North America, Europe, Oceania and Southeast Asia.

A BRAND new vintage fairground-themed playpark has just opened its doors in the UK.

The new Adventure Play Fair in Norfolk is “one of East Anglia’s largest themed play areas,” according to the attraction’s Instagram account.

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Sprawled across the 30,000-square-foot park, wooden huts have been converted into all the things you would expect to find at a funfair.

A towering red and yellow Helter Skelter stands out in the play area and has a small climbing wall and exit to a bridge walkway on the side as well.

Then there is a wooden shed standing as a ‘Popcorn Hut’, with a rope bridge leading it to the ‘Hook a Duck’ hut with a slide and another exit to the ‘Hall of Mirrors’.

Another spot is ‘Tin Can Alley’, where kids can bang on long metal tubes that vary in length to create differently pitched sounds.

The Ferris Wheel, dubbed ‘The Big Wheel’ has a network of tunnels, bridges and different wooden ‘pods’.

While the giant play structure doesn’t move like a Ferris Wheel does, the different cabins have a variety of things to do, including one with a slide out of it.

The carousel also stands stationary, with wooden horses and a long rope bridge coming from its roof and stretching to another part of the park.

And scattered across the park are a number of multicoloured teacups.

Adding to the vintage steam rally theme, there is a train that kids can crawl through, and on hot days, they can have a splash in the UK’s first water fountain organ.

Classic playground elements are in the ‘funfair’ too, such as swings, pedal quadracycles and trampolines in the ground.

For the parents, there are plenty of picnic benches with parasols to perch on and a cafe to grab refreshments or a light bite at.

One visitor, who headed to the open day yesterday, said: “[T]his is outdoor play on a whole new level.”

Tickets cost £4 per adult and £8 per child and the Adventure Play Fair is open Sunday to Thursday, 10am to 5pm.

While there, families can also explore the museum that has the world’s largest collection of steam engines.

For half price adult admission and free tickets for kids under 12, you can show your Adventure Play Fair tickets.

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Thursford is also popular in the festive season for its Christmas Spectacular, which includes a three-hour show with over 130 performers.

There is also Santa’s Magical Journey, which includes a meet-and-greet with Father Christmas.

From November, visitors can head on The Enchanted Journey of Light – an immersive light trail with fairytale characters, lanterns and lit-up seesaws and swings.

And if you are looking for something else to do nearby, head down the road to Pumpkin House which has a maize maze, mini golf, tractor sand pits and pumpkin picking in October.

Or you could discover Hindringham Hall – a moated Tudor manor house with fishponds and historic walled garden.

There are holiday cottages at the house too, if you wanted to extend your stay in the area.

Norfolk was also recently named a must-visit destination for August.

Plus, on the Norfolk coast there is a countryside hotel with an underground spa.

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A TERRIFYING giant wasp spider that can camouflage itself has been discovered in the UK.

The rare spider with a wasp-like body has been found in a garden in Norfolk – and they’re slowly spreading across the nation.

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The creepy crawly was spotted by Craig Calvin and his two children, Ralph and Hugo, in their garden last week.

The wasp spider cunningly disguises itself as its namesake and is easily recognisable due to its striped abdomen and legs.

With its vivid black and yellow stripes and dramatic zigzag web, it’s been dubbed the “great mimic” by the Wildlife Trust.

The species was once a rarity in the UK but now they’re being spotted more frequently across the country.

Mr Calvin said: “I’d never seen one before – it’s quite large and looks completely out of place on the Norfolk Broads.

“It’s such a beautiful creature. A perfect example of how wildlife is changing right on our doorsteps.”

One of the biggest in Britain

Although it has the external characteristics of one, the spider is simply a mimic of a wasp.

It’s the female spiders who have the yellow, black and white stripes just like the common wasp and it’s legs are stripy too.

The males are smaller and pale brown.

They build their webs in grassland and heathland and attach their silk egg-sacs to the grasses.

Wasp spiders are completely harmless to humans and are a fascinating addition to the UK’s biodiversity.

They are originally native to southern Europe and can be found in southern England but they’re slowly spreading northwards too.

The wasp spider measures as one of the six biggest spider species in Britain.

Spider season approaches

Spider season occurs from August to October, with wetter conditions often enticing them into homes, the Royal Meteorological Society reports.

Among its spider prevention tips are keeping windows shut at night. clearing any clutter that they may like to hide in and vacuuming regularly.

The website also praised cats and dogs as great helpers in terminating the critters.

And B&Q has the perfect solution to keep your house creepy crawly free for just £7.99.

Beyond getting rid of spiders, the spray also helps to prevent the build-up of cobwebs.

You can also keep spiders out the house by using a simple kitchen staple.

Earlier this year, The Sun revealed that white vinegar can often do the job.

Peppermint oil is also a great way to keep critters out.

Keep pests out all summer

IF you want to ensure that your home is pest free this summer, here’s what you need to know.

Hornets and wasps – hate the smell of peppermint oil so spraying this liberally around your patio or balcony can help to keep them at bay.

Moths – acidic household white vinegar is effective for deterring moths. Soak some kitchen roll in vinegar and leave it in your wardrobe as a deterrent.

Flying ants – herbs and spices, such as cinnamon, mint, chilli pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cloves, or garlic act as deterrents.

Mosquitoes – plants, herbs and essential oil fragrances can help deter mozzies inside and out. Try eucalyptus, lavender and lemongrass.

SHE has always loved experimenting with her image and has debuted some dramatic looks over the years.

But I have heard that Little Mix star Perrie Edwards is set to show off her natural beauty after landing a lucrative deal with beauty giant L’Oreal.

The Black Magic hitmaker has secured an agreement, understood to be worth £300,000, with its skincare brand CeraVe, which prides itself on working with dermatologists and developing products for sensitive skin.

A source said: “Perrie wants to show that taking care of your skin can be affordable and people don’t need to break the bank with fancy creams.

“She has always loved testing different make- up looks, but knows that taking care of her skin is a priority. Perrie will also be able to show off her edgy side with the advert.”

The singer, who has a three-year-old son, Axel, with former Premier League footballer Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, told Fabulous magazine in 2018: “I have very sensitive skin, and I used to use loads of products on my face because I thought that was best.”

She added: “The worst thing I used to do was go out partying and drinking and just sleep with my make-up on.

“You think, ‘Oh it’s only one night, I’m too tired, I really can’t be bothered to take all my make-up off’.

“But it only takes one night for a week’s worth of acne, so you have to be strict with it.”

It comes as Perrie teased new solo music this week to her 18.8million Instagram followers with a montage of footage.

She reacted with a raindrop emoji to a fan who commented: “The drought is over!! So happy and excited for you.”

Pop star Perrie last released music in February, with her single Rollercoaster, about the ups and downs that come with love.

With this skincare deal and new music on the horizon, little wonder Perrie has such an unblemished career . . . 

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EMILIA FEELS ‘LUCKY’ BEING LEADING LADY

EMILIA FOX has revealed that she is “lucky” to have never experienced misogyny – thanks to her leading role on hit series Silent Witness.

The actress, who has played pathologist Sam Ryan for over 20 years, said: “I haven’t experienced it, and certainly, at my age now at 50, I’ve been very lucky.

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“I’ve been part of a show, which was led brilliantly by actress Amanda Burton. It was her legacy that really left the mark on the show.

“Sam Ryan was written for a leading female actress, playing a woman in a man’s world when Silent Witness first began.

“I think I got very, very lucky being able to play a lead, which I’ve been playing for two decades now.”

Emilia who is working with My Pension Expert, to encourage people turning 50 to take control of their future, said she is encouraging her teenage daughter Rose to save money.

She said: “She puts away a few pounds every week so that she will see, hopefully, a benefit in the future to saving every week.

“I hope that will be the example she then grows up with. I think having a good work ethic and savings ethic is insurance for life.”

SABRINA CARPENTER, who caused a stir with her new album cover, has unveiled an alternative one for Man’s Best Friend.

The singer wears a sparkling turquoise dress at a formal dinner. In the original, she was on all fours while a man pulled on her hair.

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Sabrina posted: “The final alternate cover for Man’s Best Friend features a special bonus track ‘Such A Funny Way’ available on vinyl. Three weeks left!!! Can’t wait for it to be yours x.” I can’t wait.

DOJA LIKE MY ZEBRA CATSUIT?

DOJA CAT gave her best zebra impression as she performed at Outside Lands Music Festival in San Francisco.

The Say So hitmaker looked hot in the monochrome catsuit at the festival held at Golden Gate Park on Friday night.

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Doja, who is set to release her fifth studio album Vie later this year, has also been working hard in the fashion world.

The American star recently shared snaps from a shoot with Marc Jacobs and posed for fashion mag V Magazine.

ONLY WAY IS ESSEX FOR EKIN-SU

SINCE her triumph on Love Island three years ago, Ekin-Su Culculoglu has remained one of the most successful contestants.

Now I can reveal that the beauty, currently starring on ITV’s Cooking With The Stars, has snapped up a £900k four-bedroom mansion in Essex, near her parents.

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Ekin was close to investing in Surrey, and even looked around some properties with ex Curtis Pritchard, but did a last minute U-turn to stay more local to her family.

A source said: “Ekin’s worked really hard since winning Love Island with ad campaigns and a steady stream of telly appearances.

“She has snapped up this home and chose somewhere more modest so she could be closer to her parents, who she spends a lot of time with.

“She’s looking forward to getting stuck in and fixing it up to her perfect style. She’s really proud of everything she’s achieved and ready to lay down roots.”

Since appearing on Love Island: All Stars in January, Ekin split with Curtis, with the star calling it “unfortunate” – but she has been concentrating on her career instead, with a focus on acting.

She better not get too comfortable in the UK as Hollywood beckons…

NOEL’S GOT S-MASH HIT ON HAND

HE famously sings that “Sally can wait” in hit song Don’t Look Back In Anger.

And it seems that Noel Gallagher’s girlfriend Sally Mash is firmly by his side during their Oasis Live 25 Tour.

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I can reveal that she has been his “secret weapon” during their sold-out tour – with the Gallagher brothers on stage for their second gig at Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, last night.

A source said: “Sally has been his secret weapon throughout the tour so far.

“She has been at every one of the gigs alongside brother Liam’s girlfriend Debbie Gwyther.

“Their relationship has gone from strength to strength and Sally has loved watching Noel in his element on stage.”

Noel’s daughter Anais has also been at every gig.

Last year The Sun revealed Noel was dating events organiser Sally – after confirming his split from wife Sara MacDonald, with whom he shares sons Donovan and Sonny.

Speaking about Sally, Noel previously said: “She says she sees a steely look in my eyes.”

When asked what she makes of him singing the hit 1996 song Don’t Look Back In Anger, referencing “Sally”, he said: “She’s cool about it.”

It sounds like the name Sally has been a hit all round over the years.

KYLIE JENNER certainly did not have the birthday blues as she posed in a plunging black bikini.

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star, who turned 28 today, took to Instagram ahead of the celebrations.

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Sharing the sizzling selfie to her 393million followers, the mum of two wrote: “Last Friday as a 27-year-old.”

Her pal Hailey Bieber commented: “Twenty eight is better I promise.”

Trust me Kylie, the best is yet to come.

KYLIE’S TICKLED PINK

KYLIE MINOGUE sizzled in hot pink as she performed in Argentina as part of her worldwide Tension Tour.

The Aussie pop star wowed in the PVC outfit as she took to the stage at the Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires on Thursday – her first show in the Argentine capital for 17 years.

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Posting on Instagram to her 3.2million followers, she wrote: “Buenos Aires, how do you describe a show feeling?

“I’ve only ever dreamt of this. WHAT A SHOW!! Thank you so much.”

Kylie performed in Chile last night and will head to Sao Paulo in Brazil next Friday, with the 66-date tour wrapping up at the end of the month in Mexico.

ED AND RUPERT’S FAM WEEKENDER

ED SHEERAN has got fans seeing double in the music video for his new track A Little More.

His doppelganger Rupert Grint stars in the video – 14 years after he appeared in Ed’s hit Lego House.

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Ed, who shares daughters Lyra and Jupiter with wife Cherry Seaborn, invited the Harry Potter actor, his partner Georgia Groome and their daughters Wednesday and Goldie to stay at his home in Suffolk while filming the video.

And it was a family affair, with Ed saying: “Our daughters [Lyra and Wednesday] are exactly the same age – they get on”.

Sounds perfect.

PETE AND JOWITA GO SUPERSONIC

It seems Pete Wicks cannot let go of his Strictly Come Dancing pro partner Jowita Przystał.

The happy pair were spotted arm-in-arm at last Wednesday’s Oasis gig at Wembley Stadium.

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An onlooker said: “Pete is very fond of Jowita and they shared a sweet moment during the set.

“They have both expressed how much they mean to each other following their close bond on Strictly.”

It comes after Pete recently revealed that Jowita was “one of the most important people” in his life.

Pete, who split from Love Island’s Maura Higgins in February, revealed on his podcast with I’m A Celebrity winner Sam Thompson that he invited Jowita to the gig.

On the Staying Relevant podcast, he said: “Well the reason that Jowita and I are going [to Oasis] is because we danced to Oasis on Strictly.”

Ahead of the new Strictly series, Pete said: “I will be vetting her new partner!”

Jowita recently posted a snap of her with Pete on Instagram.

Looks like her new Strictly partner will have big shoes to fill . . . 

In this Thursday’s Mirror Daily Digest, we’ve pulled together the biggest stories of the day from the sad news of how the mum of a slain schoolboy learnt about his death, to the reality of one of Europe’s top ‘party strips’

Welcome to the Mirror’s Daily Digest, where we pull together all the best stories of the day from our News, Showbiz, Sport teams and more. This Friday, we’re featuring everything from River Island’s planned closure of 33 high street stores, to the tragic story of how slain teen Harvey Willgoose’s mother found out about his death.

In other news, we’re also taking a look at how two cruise ship tourists died in bad weather, the depressing reality of the Magaluf ‘party strip’ in 2025, and the sad news of the death of Corrie icon Frank Grimes.

Harvey Willgoose: Mum learned schoolboy son had been killed through ‘RIP’ post

Earlier this afternoon, our UK News team shared the story of how Harvey Willgoose’s mum screamed in horror when she found out her son had been murdered at school. And she said she will forever be haunted with guilt because she urged the 15-year-old to return to the “lions’ den”.

Caroline Willgoose, 51 and her husband Mark, 52, spoke to The Mirror about only discovering their “amazing” son had died after seeing a social media post saying ‘RIP Harvey’. Despite their grief the couple have vowed to fight on until knife arches are installed in schools. “Children are going to school scared,” she told the Mirror. “This cannot be allowed to happen again.”

The defendant, a fellow pupil also aged 15 who cannot be named, had already admitted manslaughter but denied murder, saying he lost control and did not remember stabbing Harvey twice. But after more than 14 hours of deliberations the jury convicted him of murder with a majority verdict of 11-1. He is expected to be sentenced later this year.

Read the full story here .

River Island to shut 33 stores with hundreds to lose their jobs

Our Money team reported earlier today that major high street chain River Island has announced it will shut dozens of stores – leaving hundreds of people jobless. The move, part of a long-in-the-works “restructuring plan” worked up to prevent the chain from collapsing into administration, will see River Island shutter 33 shops and pay reduced rents on a further 71.

The clothing retailer is looking to secure further funding later this year to avoid falling into millions of pounds’ worth of debt. Landlords are being asked to cut rents for three years and potentially stop payments completely on some sites in a bid to stem losses. Matthew Weaver KC, for River Island, told a hearing on Friday that the company “simply has not been able to reverse” a trend of financial difficulty as the restructuring plan was approved by the High Court in the UK.

In written submissions, he cited a decline in footfall and sales due to “the pressures of a highly competitive and changing retail environment as well as the prevailing trend away from high street retail stores to online shopping”. It comes after Royal Mail made a major delivery rule change from this week for millions of UK homes.

Read the full story here .

Frank Grimes dead: Coronation Street actor dies after short illness

Our Showbiz team shared the sad story this afternoon that Coronation Street actor Frank Grimes has died at the age of 78. The actor died following a short illness, with The Irish Cultural Centre paying tribute to the acting legend.

Frank starred as Barrington “Barry” Connor in the ITV soap at regular intervals between 2008 to 2015 and played the father of Paul Connor, Liam Connor and Michelle Connor. Barry even made a return in 2015 to attend Michelle’s wedding to Steve McDonald. In all, he appeared in more than 50 episodes over the years and was a key character in the Connor family.

In a statement, they said: “Frank was undoubtedly one of Ireland’s greatest actors, he was a dearly loved friend of the ICC’s and over the past three decades, he trod the ICC’s stage on so many occasions.”

Read the full story here .

Two cruise ship tourists killed as gales batter Greece

Our World News team reported that two cruise ship tourists have died at sea in Greece after strong winds battered a holiday hotspot – causing travel chaos for thousands of travellers.

A man and a woman, both from Vietnam, were found on the Sarakiniko beach on the popular holiday island of Milos. The coastguard confirmed the travellers died following a tragic incident on Friday.

A spokesperson for the local coastguard said: “The man and woman were found unconscious in the sea and were taken to the local health centre.”

Read the full story here .

Woman takes video of Magaluf party strip in 2025 and reality is devastating

Our Travel team reported this afternoon that Magaluf, once synonymous with sun-soaked fun, beach frolics, and raucous nightlife, has seen its allure wane lately. And a stark video exposes the sad state of this once-thriving Majorcan hotspot.

At the start of the season, the sight of vacant sun loungers was telling. What’s more, pub landlords confessed to adjusting opening hours in response to the changing tourist demographic. This downturn in visitor numbers is attributed to stringent measures against disorderly holidaymakers.

The notorious Punta Ballena strip came under fire when former Majorca official Jose Ramon Bauza denounced it as “500 metres of shame”. Bauza’s scathing critique followed an incident where a young woman was duped into performing indecent acts for what she believed was a complimentary holiday, only to be rewarded with a cocktail mockingly named ‘Holiday’.

Read the full story here .

At least 100 people are involved in search operations at the world’s largest underground copper mine.

Rescue teams in Chile are searching for five miners trapped after a partial collapse triggered by a tremor killed one colleague and halted operations at the world’s largest underground copper mine.

At least 100 people were involved in the perilous search effort, said Andres Music, general manager of El Teniente mine in Rancagua, some 100km (62 miles) south of Santiago.

“So far, we have not been able to communicate with them. The tunnels are closed, they are collapsed,” he told reporters on Friday.

The miners had been working at a depth of more than 900 metres when the collapse happened. Their exact location has been pinpointed with specialised equipment.

“We will do everything that is humanly possible to rescue the five trapped workers,” Maximo Pacheco, the president of Chile’s state-owned mining company Codelco, told a news conference on Friday afternoon.

“All of our experience, all of our knowledge, all of our energy and all of our strength are dedicated to this cause and to seeing this through,” he added.

Codelco cancelled a presentation of its first-half financial results, set for Friday morning, due to the rescue efforts.

Temporary closure

Mining minister Aurora Williams earlier announced the temporary cessation of activity at the mine, which began operating in the early 1900s and boasts more than 4,500km (some 2,800 miles) of underground tunnels.

Last year, El Teniente produced 356,000 tonnes of copper – nearly 7 percent of the total for Chile.

The cave-in happened after a “seismic event” on Thursday afternoon, of which the origin – natural or caused by drilling – is not yet known, according to authorities. The tremor registered a magnitude of 4.2.

“It is one of the biggest events, if not the biggest, that the El Teniente deposit has experienced in decades,” said Music, adding: “We are making every effort to try to rescue these five miners.”

“The next 48 hours are crucial,” the manager said.

The search team included several of the rescuers who participated in successfully surfacing 33 miners trapped in a mine for more than two months in the Atacama Desert in 2010, attracting a whirlwind of global media attention.

Chile is the world’s largest copper producer, responsible for nearly a quarter of global supply with about 5.3 million tonnes in 2024. Its mining industry is one of the safest on the planet, with a death rate of 0.02 percent last year, according to the National Geology and Mining Service of Chile.

It also lies in the seismically active “Ring of Fire” that surrounds the shores of the Pacific Ocean.

PLANS for a giant new village next to a UK holiday hotspot with 1200 homes have now been unveiled.

The proposals to launch Canford Garden Village in Dorset will be essential in tackling the ever-pressing housing crisis in the UK.

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The Canford scheme aims to create a new community focusing on family housing and social infrastructure.

The site will be located near Wimborne in Dorset, and it is thought to be prime real estate, according to W.H. White.

W.H White are behind the plans which were submitted to Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP).

The plans are to build 1200 new homes across the 230 hectares site, creating a characterful village which is architecturally striking which fits within the landscape.

In order to help ease the housing crisis currently taking hold of the UK, it has been reported that 40 per cent of the new buildings will be affordable homes.

What’s more, it will not be just a housing development, as the plans recognise the need for supporting infrastructure.

For example, there will be a community hub, flexible workspaces, community facilities, and a care home.

There will also be education and healthcare provision, as well as local infrastructure improvements to ease the pressure that would be placed on surrounding areas.

A total of 600 of the homes would be dedicated to first-time buyers, social rent and shared ownership schemes.

Scott Worsfold Associates were selected to create a complete design vision.

The plans for the site were was unanimously approved for a new sustainable community in March 2021 by the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council.

The land used to be a former quarry and golf course, and will now be made into a biodiverse community.

Current farmland is also earmarked to be turned into 90 hectares of publicly available green space with new habitats and allotments.

The proposal has garnered support from various stakeholders, including Dorset Chamber and Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership, who emphasise the economic benefits and job creation potential of the development.

However there has been some backlash to the proposals.

It was reported that there were critics to the plan due to concerns regarding the potential impact on existing infrastructure, traffic congestion, and highway safety, particularly concerning access to the site from Blandford Road.

Some were also concerned about the proximity to existing facilities like Lockyer’s Middle School, which could cause longterm disruption. 

Ward councillor for Bearwood and Merley, Richard Burton, said: “We’ve had a lot of development in Bearwood and therefore I know my residents will be very worried about this because of the impact it could have.” 

However, he said the scheme is in the very early stages and this scoping application does not mean the local authority is supporting it. 

“From a political point of view, I do totally understand that we need more affordable housing in BCP, but just choosing the easiest places to build, which is currently Green Belt, isn’t the way forward and it’s not sustainable,” said Cllr Burton. 

W.H. White said there would be a commitment to low carbon construction with solar energy, ground source heating and opportunities for localised renewable energy. 

A spokesperson for W.H. White said: “The current shortfall in housing supply, combined with well-documented viability challenges of delivering homes on urban land, has prompted renewed interest in strategic and deliverable opportunities such as at Canford Village.”

BCP Council previously said it would soon initiate a new call for potential development sites in the conurbation as part of ongoing efforts to deliver new homes.

Cllr Millie Earl, leader of BCP Council, previously said: “It is important that we balance our future development priorities whilst protecting the beautiful area that we live in and the precious natural environment we are so lucky to have.”

Alan Tudyk was nearly 50 when he scored his first starring role in a TV series as the titular extraterrestrial Harry Vanderspeigle in Syfy’s “Resident Alien.” It’s not that he was underemployed or little known — he’s been celebrated in genre circles since “Firefly,” the 2002 single-season western-themed space opera in which he played the sweet, comical pilot of a spaceship captained by smuggler Mal, played by Nathan Fillion, with whom he has since been linked in the interested public mind, like Hope and Crosby, or Fey and Poehler. His own 2015 web series “Con Man” (currently available on Prime Video), based on his experiences at sci-fi conventions, in which he and Fillion play inverted versions of themselves, was funded by an enormously successful crowd-sourced campaign, which raised $3,156,178 from 46,992 backers; clearly the people love him.

You can’t exactly call “Resident Alien” career-making, given how much Tudyk has worked, going back to onscreen roles in the late 20th century and on stage in New York, but it has made him especially visible over a long period in a marvelous show in a part for which he seems to have been fashioned. He has, indeed, often been invisible, with a parallel career as a voice artist, beginning with small parts in “Ice Age” in 2002; since channeling Ed Wynn for King Candy in Disney’s 2012 “Wreck-It Ralph” (which won him an Annie Award), the studio has used him regularly, like a good luck charm. You can hear him in “Frozen” (Duke of Weselton), “Big Hero 6” (Alistair Krei), “Zootopia” (Duke Weaselton), “Moana” (Hei Hei), “Encanto” (Pico) and “Wish” (Valentino). He played the Joker on “Harley Quinn” and voices Optimus Prime in “Transformers: EarthSpark.” Performing motion capture and voice-over, he was Sonny the emotional android in “I, Robot” and the dry droid K-2SO in both “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” and again in “Andor.” (He’s a robot again in the new “Superman” film.) This is a partial, one could even say fractional, list. Among animation and sci-fi fans, being the well-informed sorts they are, Tudyk is known and honored for this body of work as well.

Alan Tudyk at his home in Los Angeles last year. The actor has been in a variety of roles onscreen, on stage and as a voice actor.

(Ethan Benavidez / For The Times)

“Resident Alien,” whose fourth season is underway on Syfy, USA and Peacock (earlier seasons are available on Netflix, which has raised the show’s profile considerably), is a small town comedy with apocalyptic overtones. It sees Tudyk’s alien, whose natural form is of a giant, big-eyed, noseless humanoid with octopus DNA, imperfectly disguised as the new local doctor, whom he kills in the first episode. (We will learn that the doctor was, in fact, an assassin, which makes it sort of … all right?) Learning English from reruns of “Law & Order,” the being now called Harry will preposterously succeed in his masquerade, and in doing so, join a community that will ultimately improve him. (By local standards, at least.) It’s a fish way, way out of water story, with the difference that the fish has been sent to kill all the Earth fish — I am being metaphorical, he isn’t actually out to kill fish — although he is now working to save them from a different, nastier race of alien.

Some actors play their first part and suddenly their name is everywhere; others slide into public consciousness slowly, through a side door — which may lead, after all, to a longer, more varied career. Tudyk has the quality of having arrived, despite having been there all along. Like many actors with a long CV, he might surprise you, turning up on old episodes of “Strangers With Candy,” “Frasier,” “Arrested Development” or “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” or repeatedly crying “Cramped!” in a scene from “Patch Adams,” or in the movies “Wonder Boys,” “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Tale” or “3:10 to Yuma.” You might say to yourself, or the person you’re watching with, “Hey, that’s Alan Tudyk.” (You might add, “He hasn’t aged a bit.”) It was “Suburgatory,” an underloved ABC sitcom from 2011, though not underloved by me, where he played the confused best friend of star Jeremy Sisto, that, combined with “Firefly,” cemented Tudyk in my mind as someone I would always be happy to see.

He’s handsome in a pleasant, ordinary way. If he’s not exactly Hollywood’s idea of a leading man, it only points up the limitations of that concept. His eyes are maybe a trifle close set, his lips a little thin. There’s a softness to him that feeds into or productively contrasts with his characters, depending on where they fall on the good-bad or calm-hysterical scales. (In the current season of “Resident Alien,” a shape-shifting giant praying mantis has taken over Harry’s human identity, and this evil twin performance, which somehow fools Harry’s friends, is as frightening as the fact that the mantis eats people’s heads.) It makes his robots relatable and roots his more flamboyant characters, like Mr. Nowhere, the villain in the first season of “Doom Patrol” — who comments on the series from outside the fourth wall, inhabiting a white void where he might be discovered sitting on a toilet and reading a review of the show he’s in — in something like naturalism.

Sara Tomko and Alan Tudyk in a scene from Season 4 of “Resident Alien.”

(USA Network / James Dittiger / USA Network)

As Harry, Tudyk is never really calm. Relaxed neither in voice nor body, he tucks his lips inside his mouth and stretches it into a variety of blobby shapes. The actor can seem to be puppeteering his own expressions, which, in a way Harry is, or splitting the difference between a real person and an animated cartoon, in the Chuck Jones/Tex Avery sense of the term, which is not to say Tudyk overplays; he just hits the right note of exaggeration. Harry often has the air of being impatient to leave a scene and get on with whatever business he’s decided is important.

Though he’s given to explosive bursts of speech, as the character has developed, the humor he plays becomes more subtle and quiet, peppered with muttered comments and sotto voce asides he means to be heard. He is, as he likes to point out, the smartest and most powerful being around, but he has the emotional maturity of a child. At one point, having lost his alien powers, Harry was willing to sacrifice the entirety of his species to get them back.

Where once he had no emotions, now he is full of them. Last season, he was given a romance, with Heather (Edi Patterson), a bird person from outer space, which has continued into the current run; he is also a father, with a great affection — anomalous in his species — for his son, Bridget, an adorably fearsome little green creature. And he loves pie.

And that Tudyk himself seems genuinely nice — there are interviews with him up and down YouTube, and my friend David, who worked on “Firefly,” called him “kind, grateful and curious” — makes him easy to like, however likable a person he’s playing. That possibly shouldn’t matter when assessing an actor’s art, but it does anyway.

Molting peacocks squawked in the distance and a Pacific breeze whispered through the eucalyptus as flamingo keeper Liz Gibbons tidied her station at the San Francisco Zoo.

It had been an unusually cold summer in a city famous for them. Marooned on “a breathtaking piece of land” at the peninsula’s far western edge, steps from the deadly surf at Ocean Beach, the timeworn seaside menagerie had endured weeks of gray gloom.

But late that July afternoon, the sun broke through the clouds. Then word began to spread.

“Everybody was like, ‘Oh my God, did you hear?’” the keeper recalled. “It’s the news we’ve been waiting for.”

A sign at the Highway 1 entrance of the San Francisco Zoo.

(Paul Kuroda / For The Times)

For more than a year, the keepers, gardeners, train drivers and office staff of Teamsters Local 856 had been fighting to unseat their boss, longtime San Francisco Zoo Chief Executive Tanya Peterson.

They were not alone.

A growing chorus of animal activists, government watchdogs and civic leaders had called for Peterson to step down. In May, the San Francisco Zoological Society, the park’s nonprofit operator, split down the middle in a failed attempt to remove her.

From late last spring through early this summer, there was a vote of no confidence by the union, a blistering exposé in the San Francisco Chronicle, a damning report by the Animal Control and Welfare Commission, a looming audit by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and a hail-Mary intercession by Mayor Daniel Lurie.

Even the consul general of China had privately sought Peterson’s ouster.

“He was like, ‘You have issues — fix them,’” said Supervisor Myrna Melgar, whose district includes the zoo.

A similar fight recently sent fur flying in Los Angeles, where the city and its former nonprofit zoo partner have locked horns over control of a $50-million endowment. At stake in San Francisco’s power struggle is a pair of cuddly new tourist magnets: two giant pandas from China, hailed as a coup for the tarnished Golden City when then-Mayor London Breed inked the deal to bring them last year.

Only two other American zoos have pandas: San Diego and the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. In San Francisco, where nearly a quarter of residents identify as Chinese, the thrill was palpable. City Hall hoped the panda prestige would burn off any lingering haze of a doom loop.

“We’re getting our house in order,” Lurie said. “We already are a world-class city. When the pandas arrive in San Francisco, that’s just going to be yet another draw.”

A giant panda plays at Chongqing Zoo in Chongqing, China, on May 10, 2025.

(Costfoto / NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Others saw the black-and-white bears as a rebuke to Trumpian isolationism.

“The best response to the displeasure of Washington is to be awesome and successful,” Melgar said. “The pandas are a part of our success and a part of our value system.”

For Peterson, who led the zoo since 2008, bringing a pair of the world’s most sought-after animals to San Francisco was a dream come true. The political urgency and multimillion-dollar price tag seemed to ensure her continued leadership.

“The same day that the [Zoological Society] board was meant to vote her out, she let everyone know she was meeting with the Chinese Consulate,” said activist journalist Justin Barker of SF Zoo Watch. Peterson “essentially tells the Board of Supervisors, ‘If you move forward with this audit, you might not get pandas.’”

So how did the ace up her leopard-print sleeve bring her down?

Peterson did not respond to requests for comment. In an emailed statement, zoo spokesperson Sam Singer said she “served with distinction and devotion.”

San Francisco Zoo director Tanya Peterson plans to depart from the zoo on Aug. 1.

(Paul Chinn / The San Francisco Chronicle)

In her own message to staff this month, Peterson likened her planned departure on Aug. 1 to the death of the zoo’s beloved silverback gorilla, writing that “some animals may leave this earth, but they never leave our souls.”

“It has been an honor to serve you, our animals, and the loyal constituents of this amazing community,” she said.

For workers, her exit brought elation.

“I haven’t seen this level of positivity and excitement ever,” said Stephanie Carpenter, a reptile and amphibian keeper.

Former carnivore curator Travis Shields name-checked the infamous large cat wrangler from the Netflix series “Tiger King” when asked what the next zoo leader should bring in comparison with Peterson.

“I don’t think [keepers] care who comes next,” he said. “It can’t be any worse unless Joe Exotic comes in — and he’s still in prison.”

Attendees watch a Western Lowland Gorilla at the San Francisco Zoo.

(Paul Kuroda / For The Times)

But the long fight has clawed open old wounds. Many in and around the zoo described the bitter panda power struggle as the worst crisis the institution has faced since the fatal tiger attack that vaunted Peterson to her current position and nearly shut down the zoo.

“They’re holding their breath,” said one former manager, who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation. “It’s a similar feeling to after the tiger got out — what’s going to happen to everything?”

For Peterson’s usurpers, the $25-million question is now: What’s going to happen to the pandas?

The rise of Tanya Peterson is inextricably linked to the fall of Tatiana the tiger, the first and only animal to escape and kill a visitor at an Assn. of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited facility.

San Francisco acquired the 2½ -year-old, 242-pound Siberian from the Denver Zoo in 2005 as a mate for its 14-year old male Tony. They lived in the tiger grotto and were fed at the Art Deco-style Lion House, built for the original Fleishhacker Zoo by the Works Progress Administration.

The park’s original Depression-era structures are iconic, rising gray and craggy from the muted landscape like the Monterey cypress through the ever-present fog.

A lion and tiger emerge into their open enclosure at the San Francisco Zoo.

(Paul Kuroda / For The Times)

“The zoo is right on the water, it’s right next to the beach and all the structures are daily battered by the fog and the wind and the sand and the salt,” Melgar said.

Much of the century-old site is in disrepair.

“The infrastructure really left a lot to be desired,” said Manuel Mollinedo, who took over as the executive director of the San Francisco Zoo in 2004 after a successful turnaround at the Los Angeles Zoo.

Twenty years before Tatiana arrived, the tiger grotto was briefly repurposed to house two giant pandas, Yun-Yun and Ying-Xin, who passed through during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics before visiting again in 1985.

Those publicity tours preceded a slump in attendance through the mid-1990s. In 1993, the nonprofit San Francisco Zoological Society took over operations, while the city retained ownership of the property.

Many zoos are run on a similar nonprofit model, including the Bronx Zoo and the San Diego Zoo, Assn. of Zoos and Aquariums President Dan Ashe said. Others, such as the Los Angeles Zoo, are run by cities or for profit.

By the mid-aughts, efforts to draw in more blue-collar visitors had begun to bear fruit, and tax records show more than a million people were coming each year.

“The zoo had really turned a corner,” Mollinedo said. “Our attendance was the highest it had ever been since the pandas were brought in 20 years before.”

Then, during a public feeding in the Lion House in December 2006, Tatiana reached under the bars and grabbed keeper Lori Komejan by the arm.

The tiger mauled her as she attempted to drag her into the cage, leading to permanent damage, according to a lawsuit later settled with the city.

Mary Ryan, a San Francisco Zoo employee, arranges a makeshift memorial to Tatiana the tiger in January 2008.

(Noah Berger / Associated Press)

But that wasn’t the end of it. One year after that incident, on Christmas Day 2007 — Tatiana escaped, mauling two men and killing a teenager.

The city and the zoo ultimately reached financial settlements with the injured men and the family of 17-year-old Carlos Eduardo Sousa Jr. A federal investigation found panda-era modifications probably paved the way for Tatiana’s escape.

“It was really rough for everybody,” said Gibbons, the flamingo keeper, who grew up in the Outer Sunset neighborhood and climbed the ranks through the zoo’s youth volunteer program. “I remember the city wanting to close it as a zoo and have it be a sanctuary.”

Instead, the board pushed Mollinedo out and installed Peterson, a fellow board member and an attorney at Hewlett-Packard, whose then-husband had just run the finance committee for then-Mayor Gavin Newsom’s reelection campaign.

“She said all the right things — that she wanted to hear from staff, that her door was always open,” longtime zoo gardener Marc Villa said. “For the time being, it was kind of a breath of fresh air.”

Echoing other critics, Mollinedo said Peterson “knew nothing about animals.” But she made up for it with philanthropic prowess.

“She’s a good fundraiser, I’ll give her that,” said San Francisco Recreation and Park Commissioner Larry Mazzola Jr., who heads the zoo advisory committee.

A mandrill at the San Francisco Zoo.

(Paul Kuroda / For The Times)

As interim CEO, Peterson swapped her corporate wardrobe for ostrich-feathered sheaths, tiger-striped hatbands, snakeskin-patterned coats and cheetah-spotted sneakers.

Her early tenure was already marked by constant tension between what animal experts felt needed fixing and what donors wanted done. Outrage over half-finished safety measures led the Teamsters to their first no-confidence vote in 2014.

“All of this has been degenerating for a long time,” Melgar said. “We have not had labor peace at that institution for years.”

By 2024, the zoo’s annual attendance had slipped to 700,000 — 15% below the nadir after the tiger attack, and roughly two-thirds of the yearly visitors to the Oakland Zoo across the bay.

The pandas were supposed to fix all those problems. Instead, they fomented a coup.

When Breed announced the panda deal late last April, zookeepers were shocked.

“None of the senior managers knew anything about it,” Villa said. “Everybody’s scrambled: How do we make this work? Where are we going to put them? It was just, ‘Hey, we’re getting pandas!’”

It was a week after the union’s second vote of no confidence against Peterson. To many, the move felt emblematic of her leadership flaws.

“If we do have a vision for this zoo besides pandas, it’s not been communicated very well,” Villa said.

Pandas are wildly popular with the public. But they’re a thornier prospect for zoos, experts warn.

Two visitors at at the grizzly bear enclosure at The San Francisco Zoo.

(Paul Kuroda / For The Times)

The bears cannot be kept near lions or other large carnivores. They need a special diet, experienced keepers and state-of-the-art new enclosures. For San Francisco, the cost has been estimated at $25 million.

Raising that money will fall to the interim CEO, which San Francisco has not yet named. The search for a permanent replacement will pit San Francisco against two of the state’s premier animal attractions, the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the San Diego Zoo.

Despite the promise of greater oversight and the possibility of more funding from the city, many animal activists and former zoo staff remain staunchly opposed to the panda project.

Some current keepers also expressed concerns.

“Guests are always asking, ‘Where are the tigers? Where are the monkeys? Where are all these animals that used to be here?’ We need to take care of the animals we have right now,” said Carpenter, the reptile keeper.

But City Hall remains staunchly pro-panda. So does the Chinese Consulate, the Teamsters and the Board of Supervisors, which just last month threatened to withhold $4 million from the Zoological Society over its failure to produce audit paperwork.

“People are proud that we’re doing this, and want us to pull it off,” Melgar said. “The pandas will have a view of the ocean!”

The Chinese visitors were originally slated to arrive at the end of this year. Then, this spring, they were assured by next April, just after the Super Bowl. That date has been pushed again, to the end of 2026.

“We don’t know where we’re going,” Villa said. “Everything runs on rumors and speculation.”

For now, the Teamsters are keeping their ears perked, waiting for good news to swirl in with the fog.

A controversial thriller that left fans feeling uneasy is leaving Netflix soon

Netflix subscribers have just a limited time to stream a controversial thriller that left fans unable to sleep.

American Psycho was released in 2000, and is the film adaptation of the 1991 bestselling novel of the same name, written by Bret Easton Ellis.

Directed by Mary Harron, the horror thriller stars Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman, a narcissistic banker living in New York during the 80s, who is leading a double life as a serial killer.

Seeming normal to the outside world, behind closed doors Patrick is hiding an extreme violent streak as he commits unhinged and brutal acts of murder and torture.

Packed within its 102 minute run-time, American Psycho has plenty of kills, drug-taking and sex. In one notable scene, an axe-wielding Patrick goes on a killer rampage, murdering Jared Leto’s character Paul Allen.

The cast of the film – which developed a cult following in the decades since its release -also includes stars like Willem Dafoe, Justin Theroux and Reese Witherspoon.

What’s more, the critical response to American Psycho was fairly good. On Rotten Tomatoes, it was given a 68% “fresh” rating based on over 100 reviews from 2000 to 2023.

The movie – which leaves Netflix on August 10 – fared pretty well at the box office too, grossing $34 million from a $7 million budget.

As for fan reaction, American Psycho certainly left people divided. Online, one person said: “It was so twisted I loved it.” Someone else fumed: “Not a fan, gross and too violent for me.”

A third chimed in: “I couldn’t sleep after watching it! One of those that sticks with you for sure.” Another also wrote: “It’s my favorite movie and it’s the movie I’ve seen the most times. I never get bored of it since there are so many great details.”

Meanwhile, last year it was reported that Austin Butler is set to take on the role of Patrick in a modern remake of American Psycho.

Best known for his Academy Award-nominated performance as Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, Austin is said to be collaborating with acclaimed director Luca Guadagnino for a fresh cinematic interpretation of the film.

Variety confirmed the casting and announced that the project is being developed by Lionsgate and will bring a bold new vision to the 2000s thriller.

Move follows campaign accusing Maersk of links to Israel’s military and occupation of Palestinian lands.

Maersk will cut ties with companies linked to illegal Israeli settlements on the occupied West Bank, the Danish shipping giant has said.

The decision follows months-long pressure by activists on Maersk on issues related to Palestine.

Its shipments have come under scrutiny as part of an international campaign led by the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), a grassroots organisation. The group has focused mainly on Maersk’s shipments of US foreign military sales, but PYM has also researched the transport of cargo from companies tied to settlements.

A statement on the Maersk website, dated June, 2025, said, “Following a recent review of transports related to the West Bank, we further strengthened our screening procedures in relation to Israeli settlements, including aligning our screening process with the OHCHR database of enterprises involved in activities in the settlements.”

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) database includes businesses involved in various activities related to the settlements, such as providing services, equipment, or financial operations that support the illegal settlements.

When asked for further details on its decision, Maersk pointed Al Jazeera to the statement on its website. It is unclear which or how many businesses Maersk had links to.

Israel has built more than 100 settlements across the occupied West Bank that are home to some 500,000 settlers. These settlements, illegal under international law, range from small outposts to larger communities with modern infrastructure.

“This sends a clear message to the global shipping industry: compliance with international law and basic human rights is not optional. Doing business with Israel’s illegal settlements is no longer viable, and the world is watching to see who follows next,” said PYM’s Aisha Nizar.

But she called for further action, arguing that Maersk still transports goods for the Israeli military, including components of its F-35 fighter planes.

“Maersk continues to profit from the genocide of our people – regularly shipping F-35 components used to bomb and massacre Palestinians,” Nizar said. “We will continue to build pressure and mobilise people power until Maersk cuts all ties to genocide and ends the transport of weapons and weapons components to Israel.”

Last year, Spain banned Maersk ships transporting military goods to Israel from using its ports.

Earlier this month, PYM revealed how Maersk was using the port of Rotterdam as an essential link in what it called a “supply chain of death”.

Despite a Dutch court ruling that prohibited the Netherlands from exporting F-35 parts to Israel, Rotterdam still played a role in Israel’s F-35 programme, the report showed.

In response to those findings, Maersk told Al Jazeera that it upholds a strict policy of not shipping weapons or ammunition to active conflict zones and that it conducts due diligence, particularly in regions affected by active conflicts, including Israel and Gaza, and adapts this due diligence to the changing context.

It confirmed, however, that its US subsidiary, Maersk Line Limited, was one of “many companies supporting the global F-35 supply chain” with transport services.

A DAREDEVIL TT rider cheated death after slamming into a jumbo-sized seagull at 150mph – and somehow stayed in the saddle.

Mark Parrett, 55, was tearing through the famous Isle of Man course when the feathered missile hit him head on.

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The 3kg bird busted his lower arm, snapping one bone in two, and dislocating his wrist.

Mark, a TT veteran with 98 starts under his belt, miraculously managed to stay in control of his powerful BMW superbike.

The speedster, from Midhurst, West Sussex, was airlifted to hospital after the smash earlier this month.

He told The Sun: “It’s a bit of a miracle I stayed upright.

“It was a huge seagull – they’re all massive on the Isle of Man – and it just shot up out of nowhere.

“I was doing 140 or 150mph so there was no way of avoiding it. I had to just grin and bear it.

“It felt like being hit by a cannonball. If it had hit me in the chest or the helmet, I’d be history.

“I was lucky that I didn’t come off the bike.”

Pictures posted on social media show his racing leathers drenched in bird guts.

Mark, a self-employed electrician by day who now faces surgery to plate and pin the break, later joked: “Parrett one. Seagull nil.

“It does go to show Parrett’s are birds of prey after all.”

He added: “I’ve had enough laps around that place to know the worst thing you can do is panic.

“It’s the nature of the circuit – you can hit all sorts of things.”

Mark is aiming to return to the Isle of Man next year for his 100th start.

He added: “I’m getting too old to be doing this, but it’s like an addiction. I will be back there next year, whatever happens.”

A post on the Facebook page of Mark Parrott Racing read: “A local seagull lay in wait for ‘The Parrett’ on the approach to the 33rd milestone and hit Mark on the left arm.

“He soon realised that it was rather serious when he tried to pull in the clutch and his left hand wasn’t working.”

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Netflix Chairman Reed Hastings is joining the board of San Francisco-based artificial intelligence company Anthropic.

Anthropic, valued at $61.5 billion after its most recent funding round in March, is known for its AI chatbot model Claude.

“Anthropic is very optimistic about the AI benefits for humanity, but is also very aware of the economic, social, and safety challenges,” Hastings said. “I’m joining Anthropic’s board because I believe in their approach to AI development, and to help humanity progress.”

Netflix is one of the world’s most prolific producers of movies and TV shows, known for its content recommendation algorithm.

Hollywood is grappling with the implications of generative artificial intelligence, which studios believe could save money and time, but also comes with downsides. Labor groups fear job displacement, and there are also concerns about the use of copyrighted material when training AI models.

Hastings was selected by Anthropic’s Long Term Benefit Trust, which the company describes as “five financially disinterested members” that can select and remove a portion of the board.

The group selected Hastings because of his leadership experience, philanthropic work and “commitment to addressing AI’s societal challenges makes him uniquely qualified to guide Anthropic at this critical juncture in AI development,” said Buddy Shah, chair of Anthropic’s Long Term Benefit Trust, in a statement.

Hastings will join the company’s five-member board, which includes Anthropic Chief Executive Dario Amodei, President Daniela Amodei, investor Yasmin Razavi and Jay Kreps, CEO of Mountain View-based data streaming firm Confluent.

Hastings served as CEO or co-CEO of Netflix for 25 years until 2023. He currently serves on the boards of other organizations including Bloomberg, the financial data and media company.

He has donated money to charter school networks serving low-income U.S. communities and recently gave $50 million to Bowdoin College to establish the Hastings Initiative for AI and Humanity that aims to help the school provide ethical frameworks for AI and examine AI’s impact on work and education.

When the Bradford family walks together on a beach, at an airport, in a restaurant, eyes turn. They aren’t just tall, they’re giants. They aren’t a basketball family — they play volleyball. On Memorial Day, mom, dad, daughter and son were at the beach looking for games.

Lee Bradford was a 6-foot-7 middle blocker at Pepperdine in the 1990s. His wife, Sara, is 6-1 and played basketball at Fordham. Their oldest daughter, Carissa, was the 6-2 City Section volleyball player of the year at Granada Hills, played at Tennessee and South Alabama and is now head coach at Bates College.

Their son, Derek, is 6-8, won a CIF title with Royal and now trains with the USA beach volleyball team. Their son, Grayson, is a 6-11 senior at Mira Costa and plays for a state championship on Saturday in Fresno. He’s committed to UCLA.

Even the youngest in the family, 12-year-old daughter Brooke, is 5-10 and headed for volleyball stardom. Talk about good height genes — no giant shoes go unused in this family.

The Bradford volleyball family (left to right). Derek (6-foot-8), Lee (6-7), Sara (6-1), Brooke (5-10), Carissa (6-2), Grayson (6-11).

(Courtesy Bradford family.)

Dad gave his kids a choice growing up. “I love the sport and offered free private lessons,” he said.

They took him up and the rest is history. Lee has been a teacher at Granada Hills and used to be an assistant coach to Tom Harp. He eventually moved his family to Manhattan Beach after driving to the South Bay for years for club competition.

“We made a really good decision four years ago to go to a high level club program,” he said. “It’s been a great journey.”

At 6 feet 11, Grayson Bradford towers over everyone playing volleyball for Mira Costa. He’s headed to UCLA.

(Steve Galluzzo)

Grayson has been a key player for Mira Costa, which won the Southern Section Division 1 championship, then the Southern California regional championship and play San José Archbishop Mitty in the first state Division 1 boys title match on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. at Fresno City College.

It’s a weekend for championships. The Southern Section baseball will be held Friday and Saturday at Cal State Fullerton and Blair Field in Long Beach.

The Southern Section softball finals are Friday and Saturday in Irvine.

The state track and field championships will be Friday and Saturday at Buchanan High in Clovis (temperatures will hit triple digits). The state tennis championships are Saturday in Fresno.

The City Section softball finals are Saturday at Cal State Northridge.

Tuesday’s Division 1 baseball semifinals produced a shocker. No. 1-seeded Corona, which started the year considered as high school baseball’s version of the Dodgers, was beaten by St. John Bosco 2-0. It was the first high school pitching defeat for Seth Hernandez, who came in 18-0.

St. John Bosco has unleashed a closer extraordinaire in junior Jack Champlin. Last week, in the bottom of the seventh inning with the score tied, Villa Park had the winning run on third and Champlin was brought in to get a strikeout. He threw 2 1/3 hitless relief before the Braves won 5-4 in nine innings.

He was inserted into the game with a 2-0 count, one runner on and one out in the seventh inning against Corona. He walked the first first batter, then got a strikeout and fly out to end the game.

He said of the situation, ““I love it,” he said. “There’s close to 1,000 people and it’s electric. I didn’t feel any pressure, didn’t feel nervous. It’s just fun to compete against all these Power 5 players.”

Jack Champlin of St. John Bosco picked up the save in 2-0 win over Corona.

(Nick Koza)

That kind of closer’s mentality and confidence should help St. John Bosco in Friday’s 7 p.m. Division final against Santa Margarita at Cal State Fullerton. Champlin will gladly take the ball whenever coach Andy Rojo offers it.

“I haven’t had a blown save,” he said.

That’s not the kiss of death. That’s a teenager who wants the ball with the game on the line.

President Jose Raul Mulino, whose changes to social security laws prompted the protest, called the strike ‘illegal’ and said the company has ‘just cause’ for the layoffs.

Banana producer Chiquita has announced mass layoffs in Panama amid an ongoing strike.

The United States-owned banana giant said on Friday it was letting “all” daily labourers go for the “unjustified abandonment of work at our plantations”.

Workers have been on strike for more than a month, as part of nation-wide industrial action protesting new social security laws lowering pensions. The government has branded the strikes “illegal” and said the sackings are the result of workers’ “intransigence”.

Chiquita said in a statement that the strike had caused “irreversible damage ..[and] at least $75 million in losses”, adding that those affected by the layoffs are required to collect severance payments.

The company did not elaborate on the number of people affected by the decision. However, the Reuters news agency reported that about 5,000 workers out of 6,500 have lost their jobs, referring to an unnamed source.

‘De facto’ or ‘indefinite’ strike

Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino defended Chiquita’s actions at a news conference on Thursday.

“The company will have to act accordingly, dismissing those necessary to save its operation in Bocas [a Caribbean province in Panama]. Believe me, it hurts me, but this intransigence is not good,” he said.

“The strike is illegal,” Mulino added. “The next step according to the Labour Code is dismissal with just cause because this is a de facto strike, not a legitimate strike.”

However, Francisco Smith, secretary-general of the Banana Industry Workers Union (Sitraibana), told the Panamanian television channel Telemetro on Thursday that the strike was legal because the “deputies who approved bill 462 harmed the banana sector”.

Passed in March, Bill 462 introduced changes to the Social Security Fund that could lead to a possible reduction in pensions.

The introduction of the law led to significant anger, with unions, including banana workers, joining a national strike on April 23.

The government and Sitraibana held a preliminary meeting on Thursday to discuss amendments to the bill, which would include protections for banana farmers.

Still, Smith said, “the strike continues, we continue fighting in the streets… The strike is indefinite.”

Panama’s banana industry is a significant part of the country’s economy.

According to the Observatory of Economic Complexity, in 2023, Panama exported $273m worth of bananas, making it the 13th largest exporter in the world.