The arrest of more than 700 people during Palestine Action demonstrations has rekindled the debate. These arguments revolve around how to balance state security and individual freedoms in the UK. Heavy policing, frequent raids and mass arrests have accompanied the protests that centre mainly on the UK based firms importing weapons related to the arms trade in Israel. It has been portrayed by the government that these are done as a part of law and order, but critics claim that such a magnitude of arrests against mostly peaceful protestors is alarming as it moves the state towards authoritarian policing. Civil liberties may be gutted when protest action is coded by the state through a mass punishment process that renders citizens freer to disagree with government policies or with corporate participation in controversial wars overseas.
The main problem with such developments is that there is an eroded distinction between policing and political repression. The actions of protesting arm companies with ties to Israel might be considered disruptive, however they are really acts of political speech which is a pillar of the democratic society. It is this aggressiveness in pursuing protesters that the state risks criminalizing activism. This is a bad precedent, peaceful opposition will be identified with crime, and any rightful protest will be discredited in the name of order. This attitude that the political leanings of a person can dictate the response of the police negatively affects the belief of the people in the police system as well as in encouraging people to practice democracy freely.
It is also a step in the wrong direction to make it public that these arrested suspects are of a particular race and their immigration status. Superficially it can be explained by the need to be transparent. Nevertheless, in practice it might stigmatize minority communities and present the picture protest as an imported issue by immigrants instead of a domestic political problem. These actions may strengthen the racist discourses as migrants or racial minorities appear to participate in the rebellion or crimes in huge proportions. When anti-immigrant rhetoric is already present in segments of political speech, racial and migration issues interact in the form of intensifying scapegoating of vulnerable groups and the continuing division of society. It is unsafe to make these sensitive factors of the anti-immigrant rhetoric and anti-immigration activism components of the public record in protest related cases.
The government has justified its move as a logical trade off: we must compromise our freedoms so that we can enjoy national security and safety. But history teaches us repeatedly that once you have unleashed restrictions of freedoms in the name of security, it seldom returns. The historic legacy of civil liberties in the UK in the form of the right to protest, freedom of speech and the right to assembly has already been undermined over the last few years by legislation like the Police, Crime Sentencing and Courts Act.
Such actions have empowered the police to repress demonstrations and thwart the fundamental meaning of democracy interaction. The recent suppression of Palestine Action is further evidence of this, only exacerbating the trend due to the simplicity with which governments justify making use of security to cover its authoritarianism.
Brute force policing of activists would even backfire as well. Likewise, surveillance, a sense of being silenced and wrong criminalization, are other factors that contribute to alienation among people. Such policies are likely to have the opposite effect to what they intend because they radicalize even more people into believing that peaceful means of protest are exhausted. These communities are already marginalized be it political, racial or immigration background and thus they are highly susceptible to such alienation. This strategy of the state fails to achieve its intended purpose of ensuring that society remains safe, opening even wider rifts in society and creating feelings of vengeance toward the institutions whose purpose is to cater to the needs of every citizen.
The UK will have to change its tune on protest and political dissent should it wish to continue adhering to its democratic ideals. Policing must be equally reasonable and unbiased, not a club of political expediency. Mass arrests and stigmatizing disclosures of race or immigration status are undone by dialogue and accountability instead of the involvement of activists by the authorities. An effective democracy needs to welcome disruptive protest when it reveals unpleasant facts about foreign policy or corporate cooperation in war. Silencing such activism can temporarily cripple vocal opinions but it will also undermine democracy within society in the long term.
The argument that is generated by the crack down on Palestine Action is not a single protest movement. It goes to the very core of what type of a society the UK aspires to be. Will it increase its authoritative policing that defies liberty at the cost of security? Or will it hold fast to its democratic tradition by safeguarding dissent even when that is disruptive or makes things uncomfortable? Publication of race and immigration status of suspects is nothing but a distraction to these underlying questions because it shifts the blame to a certain community instead of looking at the root of the problem which is the right of the citizens to speak and act against their own government. Finally, there is a chance that a society founded on the concepts of security over liberty will end up losing it all. The issue of liberty versus fear has few more clear cut versions in the UK.
Third in a series of stories profiling top high school football players by position. Today, Madden Williams, St. John Bosco receiver.
If blockers are a quarterback’s best friends, what are receivers?
“It’s our job to make the quarterback look good,” St. John Bosco’s Madden Williams said.
Few teams in Southern California start the 2025 season with a better collection of receivers than the Braves.
It begins with the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Williams, a Texas A&M commit who caught 13 touchdown passes as a junior. Then there’s Oklahoma commit Daniel Odom, San Jose State commit Carson Clark, super sophomores Darren Tubbs and Landon Perkins and two highly regarded freshmen.
“Not only is it our best group but deepest,” coach Jason Negro said.
In 2019, St. John Bosco had Logan Loya, Kris Hutson and Beaux Collins at the receiver positions. They ended up at UCLA, Washington State and Clemson, respectively.
Now sophomore quarterback Koa Malau’ulu will be the beneficiary of an electric receiver group that will force defenses to pick their poison. Double team one and you’ll get burned by another.
“Whomever they try to double, the others will go off,” Williams said.
As a freshman last season, Malau’ulu looked for Williams to deliver big plays. And that’s what he did, reinforcing the quarterback’s confidence in him.
“I would say what makes him great is that he has no weakness,” Malau’ulu said. “He’s a go-getter. Whenever we can go get extra work, he’s there. He’ll get any ball in his vicinity. He’s fast, strong and physical — everything you want in a receiver.”
Williams trusts his hands and uses fundamental techniques to make plays. His length gives him an advantage over smaller defenders. And once the ball is near him, his hands find a way to catch it like a magnet attracted to metal.
“Hands are the strongest pieces of my game,” he said. “You make sure you look the ball in. A lot of people are too worried what they’re going to do after a catch. One-hand catches are cool, but only do it when you have to do it.”
As for dealing with defensive backs who are aggressive and strong, Williams said, “The strategy is making sure you don’t let them touch you. That’s what we work, on releases and not let the defensive backs redirect. We know the route we’re running. We have to make sure they do not take us off the route we have. Sometimes they guess right, but most of the time I don’t think they can — at least against me.”
The individual duel between receiver and defensive back is like a football version of cat-and-mouse.
“It’s always you and the defensive back,” Williams said. “You’re on an island and it’s who’s better at the end of the day.”
Defensive coordinator Chris King has called Williams “unguardable.” Williams responded with seven catches for 252 yards and three touchdowns against Sierra Canyon last season.
“He’s got such great route running ability, knows leverage and understands coverages,” Negro said. “He’s super savvy and his football IQ is off the charts.”
Williams also played on the basketball team even though he was a reserve. He said the practices were helpful developing the skills needed for football.
In the end, Williams follows a motto that he hopes will carry him forward in sports and in life.
“What happens in the dark will always be brought to light,” he said. “I’m going to be grinding in the dark and when it’s time to shine in the light, I will play the best.”
Friday: Servite tight end Luke Sorensen.
Receivers to watch
Demare Dezeurn, Palisades, 5-11, 175, Jr. One of the fastest in California should dominate in City Section
Troy Foster, Huntington Beach, 6-2, 205, Sr.: Colorado State commit caught 15 touchdowns
Quentin Hale, L.A. Cathedral, 6-3, 175, Jr.: Caught 14 TDs as a sophomore
Chris Henry Jr., Mater Dei, 6-6, 200, Sr.: Ohio State commit is finally healthy and ready to put on show
Trent Mosley, Santa Margarita, 5-11, 170, Sr.: USC commit is big-play weapon and tough to stop
Daniel Odom, St. John Bosco, 6-3, 190, Sr.: Oklahoma commit has size to be a top player
Vance Spafford, Mission Viejo, 5-11, 175, Sr.: Miami commit has tremendous speed and great hands
Madden Williams, St. John Bosco, 6-2, 190, Sr.: Physicality, strength, instincts make him big-time target
Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, Mater Dei, 6-3, 180, Sr.: Ohio State commit delivers one big catch after another
Luc Weaver, Sherman Oaks Dame, 6-3, 195, Sr.: USC commit has improved speed, work ethic, aggressiveness
Rashawn Slater, the Chargers’ star left tackle who became the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history last month, sustained a torn patellar tendon in practice and will undergo season-ending surgery, the team announced Thursday.
Slater went down in team drills after going up against edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu. As Slater planted his left foot, he collapsed to the ground and immediately grabbed his leg.
A quiet hush fell over the Chargers’ facility while Slater stayed down for several minutes before trainers and teammates helped him onto a cart. Slater appeared visibly distraught — throwing his helmet, slamming his hand on the cart and burying his face in his hands. Several teammates walked over to console him before he left the field.
Two trainers supported him as he entered the team facility. He was unable to put any weight on his left leg.
“I didn’t really see anything — I kind of just turned around and boom,” Tuipulotu said of the play. “We’re praying for him.”
The injury is a significant setback for a Chargers team that was hoping to have Slater anchor an offensive line that was hampered by injuries and struggled, at times, to create opportunities for the running game last season. The injury comes as the Chargers are already dealing with depth concerns along the line, with Mekhi Becton being sidelined since July 28 because of an undisclosed injury.
Slater played a valuable role in helping the Chargers set a franchise record for the fewest offensive turnovers (eight) in a season. He also finished 2024 with the second-best overall grade and the third-best pass-blocking grade at offensive tackle, per Pro Football Focus.
Joe Alt slid over to left tackle for the remainder of practice Thursday. Trey Pipkins III subbed in at right tackle — where he started in 2022 and 2023 — before spending most of last season at right guard, starting 15 games. With Slater out, Alt likely will be Justin Herbert’s blindside protector this season.
Keenan Allen always envisioned a return to the Chargers. Once his brief stint with the Chicago Bears ended, he saw himself coming back to the franchise that drafted him.
“It was close to home and family,” Allen said. “This is what I’m used to. The organization, the people around the building — it just feels like home.”
Thursday marked Allen’s first day back in powder blue and gold — a welcome sight for fans who watched his climb over 11 seasons.
On his first snap of full-team drills, Allen hauled in a strike over the middle from Justin Herbert, reigniting a familiar connection that lasted four seasons.
The two began rebuilding their chemistry last Friday, when Herbert threw to Allen during a private workout. Allen said they stayed in touch throughout the process leading up to his return.
Allen said he missed being on the receiving end of Herbert’s throws and is “just happy to be back.”
“This is where I’m supposed to be,” Allen said.
He is the veteran leader of a receiving room that looks much different than the one he left, with Quentin Johnston and Derius Davis the only holdovers from two seasons ago.
“[It’s] much better than what I’m used to seeing in a training camp this early,” Allen said of his first impressions. “The technique, the way they’re getting downfield, the way they’re pressing coverages — I think it looks great.”
Allen shared how impressed he’s been with Ladd McConkey, who broke his franchise rookie receiving records, joking, “He had a few more games.”
“You’ve got two guys who love to play football and compete,” said Allen, on sharing the field with McConkey. “You can put us anywhere. … And obviously, he showed that last year.”
Throughout the offseason, Allen felt teams “downplayed” his value. Entering his 13th season, he’s out to prove he can still perform at a high level at 33.
“Still got a little hunger, little chip on my shoulder and still want to go out there and play ball,” Allen said.
But Lana Skeldon has been selected despite the Bristol hooker, who is the most-capped member of the squad on 81, leaving the field on a stretcher in the same game on Saturday.
“To get Lana Skeldon cleared after that injury is a huge relief as she is an exceptional player and is the most experienced player we’ve got here,” Easson said.
“When we saw her go down against Ireland, it was heart in the mouth stuff.”
Bristol Bears’ Elliann and Rhea Clarke have become the first set of Scottish sisters to be selected for the same Women’s Rugby World Cup.
Scrum-half Rhea has just one cap but joins prop Elliann, who has played for her country 22 times, in the party for the finals.
Edinburgh Rugby/University of Edinburgh winger Hannah Walker is the only uncapped player selected.
Trailfinders second row Emma Wassell has made her way back to international rugby after recovering from a benign tumour in her chest in September.
Captain Rachel Malcolm leads a selection comprising 18 forwards and 14 backs for a Pool B campaign against Wales, Fiji and Canada.
The flanker is one of 21 players to have appeared at the previous Rugby World Cup, played in 2022.
Easson is leaving his job at the end of the tournament and added: “To go to a rugby World Cup is the pinnacle for any player but also anyone in our management team as well, so real excitement to go to that, but the fact that it is the last dance, it does put that little bit of an edge on it.
“I am so excited to see what this group can do and I want to finish it off as well as I can.”
For months, candidates in the race to become California’s next governor had waited for a pivotal question to be settled: Will former Vice President Kamala Harris run or not?
With Harris’ announcement this week that she’s out, a new question arose: Who’s the front-runner now?
Because of Harris’ star power, the answer is far from simple. For months, other candidates saw their campaign planning and fundraising undercut by the possibility she would run, meaning the race got a big reset seconds after Harris made her announcement Wednesday.
Some political observers give the nod to former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, who appears to have a small leg up over her opponents.
Porter was the only Democrat to receive double-digit support in multiple polls when Harris was not included in the field.
A prodigious fundraiser while she was in Congress representing an Orange County district, Porter reported a strong infusion of cash in the months after launching her campaign in March, and said she raised $250,000 in the 36 hours after Harris’ announcement.
Katie Porter, a lawyer who served as a U.S. representative from California from 2019 to 2025, speaks at the Women’s Caucus at the California Democratic Party Convention at the Anaheim Hilton and Convention Center in May.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
“The enthusiasm we’re seeing from donors at every level shows that Californians know how critical this race is,” Porter said in an email blast.
Other candidates — including Xavier Becerra, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Biden administration and a former California attorney general — have also tried to assert that, with Harris out, they are moving up.
“BECERRA CAMPAIGN BUILDING MOMENTUM IN ‘WIDE OPEN’ RACE,” read the subject line of an email sent Friday by the Becerra campaign, saying he is “well-positioned to unite a broad swath of voters around his plans to make health care and housing less expensive and more accessible.”
Xavier Becerra, attorney and former United States secretary of Health and Human Services, speaks at the labor caucus at the California Democratic Party Convention at the Anaheim Hilton and Convention Center in May.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Outside observers, however, said that none of the candidates really stand out from the pack at the moment.
“That these remaining candidates are jockeying for bragging rights about who may be the front-runner — it’s to be expected, but it’s ludicrous,” said Garry South, a veteran Democratic strategist who has worked on a number of past gubernatorial campaigns, including for former Gov. Gray Davis.
“With Harris opting out, there will likely be no obvious front-runner among the remainder of the current field for quite some time,” South said. “None of these candidates start out with statewide name recognition.”
With such a wide-open field, factors such as endorsements and communication strategies will be important to watch, experts said. So will the candidates’ ability to raise money and use it to broaden their appeal.
“I would start spending money on social media, on television advertising, on every single platform I could find to build up my name ID,” South said, but “none of them have enough money to do that at the moment.”
Experience and endorsements
With Harris out, will she back someone else?
“Obviously if she did endorse, that would be a big plus” for whichever candidate she rallied behind, said John Pitney, a professor of politics at Claremont McKenna College.
Harris has long relationships with several of the candidates in the race. A source familiar with her thinking told The Times after Harris bowed out that she was still considering whether and how to approach the governor’s race.
Other endorsements could affect the race as well. Hours after Harris announced her decision, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), the influential former House Speaker, appeared on CNN to endorse Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, whom she has known for years.
“We have many great candidates, one in particular Eleni Tsakopoulos, whom I support,” Pelosi said, referring to Kounalakis by her maiden name.
Eleni Kounalakis, lieutenant governor of California, speaks at the Women’s Caucus at the California Democratic Party Convention at the Anaheim Hilton and Convention Center in May.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Kounalakis’ father, the wealthy developer Angelo Tsakopoulos, helped bankroll an independent expenditure committee supporting his daughter’s 2018 campaign for lieutenant governor. Political observers are watching to see if he dumps money into a similar effort backing her gubernatorial campaign.
Pitney said Pelosi’s opinion “would carry a lot more weight” if she were still speaker. He said it “isn’t necessarily going to sway a large chunk of the electorate,” but could be important if it sways Bay Area donors.
A former GOP legislative aide and national party staffer who renounced his membership in the Republican Party the night Trump was elected in 2016, Pitney said that endorsements are far from a determining factor in today’s political landscape.
“I hesitate to rule anybody out, because very often candidates seem to come out of nowhere — like Mamdani in New York City,” he said, referring to the sudden rise and stunning upset primary win of 33-year-old democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani in the New York mayoral race.
Pitney added that experience in government and administrative leadership also matters, but could also cut against candidates at a time when many voters are frustrated and want something new.
Antonio Villaraigosa speaks to the Latino Caucus at the Calififornia Democratic Convention at the Anaheim Convention Center in May..
(Carlin Stiehl/Los Angeles Times)
For example, Antonio Villaraigosa, the former state Assembly speaker and L.A. mayor who is in his 70s, “obviously has a long history, but that long history is both an advantage and a disadvantage,” Pitney said.
Villaraigosa has said his campaign is “about the future.” But voters “may not regard him as a fresh face,” Pitney said.
Name recognition and money
None of the current candidates for governor have the same profile as Harris. In fact, they are broadly unknown to huge swaths of the electorate.
That means they have their work cut out for them, Pitney and South said — namely in terms of fundraising.
South said that there “is no question that the Democratic donor base has basically been sitting on their haunches waiting to see what Harris is going to do.”
But, he said, he hasn’t seen any sign yet that donors have picked a favorite candidate now that she’s out, either — which is a problem for candidates with little or no name recognition.
“None of these candidates in the remaining field with Harris out have enough money in the bank to run a statewide campaign for governor,” he said.
South said that could change if Kounalakis gets another major infusion of cash from her father and once again taps her personal wealth.
At the same time, there could also be a “huge blowback” from that sort of splashy family spending, South said, especially if Kounalakis’ opponents pounced on it as distasteful.
“We have not tended in this state to elect moneyed people who try to buy the governor’s race,” he said.
South said he is watching to see if big Bay Area donors decide to back Porter “because of her profile as a progressive.”
Los Angeles developer and 2022 mayoral candidate Rick Caruso “could be a force” if he were to enter the race, Pitney said, because “he has prominence in Southern California and also has a lot of money.”
Fundraising reports
The most recent fundraising reports, which were due Thursday night, shine a light on candidates’ coffers — but only through the end of June, well before Harris dropped out.
The Democrats who do not have the potential to self-fund their campaigns reported having millions of dollars in cash on hand as of June 30, including some who transferred money from prior campaign committees to their gubernatorial accounts.
Former legislative leader Toni Atkins reported having $4.3 million in the campaign, while raising $648,000 and spending $549,000 in the first six months of this year.
Gubernatorial candidate Toni Atkins speaks to supporters at the California Democratic Convention at the Anaheim Convention Center in May.
(Carlin Stiehl/Los Angeles Times)
Villaraigosa raised $1.1 million and spent $550,000 this year, but reported $3.3 million cash on hand based on fundraising he did last year.
Becerra had $2.1 million in the bank after raising $2.5 million and spending $449,000 in the first six months of the year.
Porter reported raising $2.5 million and spending $449,000 since launching her campaign in March. She said she has $2.1 million in the bank.
Unlike the other candidates, Porter’s campaign revealed her fundraising because her filing on the state disclosure website didn’t show any dollar figures.
Spokesman Nathan Click said her number of small-dollar donors crashed the state’s system, and that they had been working with state officials to get the documents displayed on the secretary of state’s website all day Friday. He said most of Porter’s 34,000 donors contributed less than $200 each.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco reported raising $1.6 million and spending $609,000 this year, leaving him with $1 million in the bank.
A few candidates reported mediocre fundraising numbers, but have personal wealth they can draw on.
Kounalakis raised just over $100,000 and spent nearly three times as much during the first half of this year. She has more than $4.6 million on hand and millions more in her lieutenant governor campaign account, although some of that money can’t be transferred because of campaign finance rules.
Businessman Stephen J. Cloobeck, a Los Angeles Democrat, raised about $160,000 and spent $1.5 million — including more than $1 million on consultants. He had about $729,000 on hand at the end of the period. He also said he made a $10-million contribution Friday that he said “turbocharged” his campaign.
Philanthropist and businessman Stephen Cloobeck, right, takes a photo with a supporter after speaking about his candidacy for California governor during the labor caucus at the California Democratic Party Convention at the Anaheim Hilton and Convention Center in May.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
“One of my many advantages is that I’m not a politician and I am not compromised,” Cloobeck said.
Former Fox News host Steve Hilton, a Republican candidate, raised about $1.5 million, of which $200,000 was a personal loan. Hilton spent about $1 million and has a little less than $800,000 in the bank.
At the lowest end of the fundraising were former state controller Betty Yee, who raised almost $238,000 and spent $255,000, with $637,000 on hand; and state schools superintendent Tony Thurmond, who raised about $70,000, spent about $180,000 and had almost $560,000 on hand.
Both Yee and Thurmond told The Times last month that fundraising had slowed while Democratic donors waited on Harris to make a decision.
When it comes to packing your hand luggage, there are plenty of items you need to be careful with in order to make it through airport security
When it comes to packing your hand luggage, there are plenty of items you need to be careful with in order to make it through airport security(Image: Anastasiia Krivenok via Getty Images)
If you’re jetting off this summer and planning to cram your life into a hand luggage bag, there are some items that could land you in hot water. Hand luggage liquids generally need to be under 100ml to pass through airport security, including water bottles, face oils, moisturiser and hand gel, reports the Express.
However, some items that aren’t technically liquids can cause issues at security. Fulton Umbrellas have put together a list of surprising items you can and can’t take with you on your travels.
Firstly, soft cheese is part of the 100ml limit if you’re travelling back to the UK from the EU. The same applies for jams, chutneys, sauces and anything sold in liquid like antipasti or olives.
Leave the soft cheese at home(Image: Getty)
Some countries even have stricter rules when it comes to travelling with food, so always check before you pack. Another item that should not be packed in your carry on is protein powder.
This is because powders can obstruct x-ray machines and therefore will need to be manually checked by staff. This can be a lengthy process so it’s fastest and safest to just leave it at home – or if you’re really desperate, put it in your checked bag.
Surprisingly, in the UK there is one item you are allowed to take on that you might not be aware of.
Protein powder can obstruct x-rays(Image: Getty)
If you’re only taking carry-on luggage with you, but you fancy dabbling in a little arts and crafts on the plane, you are allowed to take a small pair of scissors on board.
In the UK, the standard rule is that any pair of scissors with a blade length less than 6cm is permissible.
For larger pairs, it’s recommended to stow them in your checked luggage. Different airlines may have varying regulations regarding items with blades, so it’s advisable to verify if you need to carry scissors with you.
The days of being charged additional fees for your hand luggage on flights could soon be a thing of the past – at least in the EU
Good news: charging for cabin bags might soon be over
UK holidaymakers have been warned of a significant change to hand luggage rules on flights to Europe. The BBC has highlighted a considerable shift in hand luggage regulations for European Union flights. The era of being slapped with extra charges for your cabin baggage on flights may soon be over – at least within the EU.
On June 24, 2025, legislators voted in favour of a proposal that would allow passengers to bring a small carry-on bag weighing up to 7kg (15.4lbs) onto their flight free of charge, even on budget airlines. This development comes as Ryanair‘s chief, Michael O’Leary, has fired back at ‘unimplementable’ proposals that could permit each plane passenger to bring two free cabin bags on board.
Cabin bags up to 7kg to be free of charge, even on low-cost airlines(Image: Getty Images)
This development comes as Ryanair‘s chief, Michael O’Leary, has fired back at ‘unimplementable’ proposals that could permit each plane passenger to bring two free cabin bags on board, reports Birmingham Live.
During Ryanair’s earnings call for the first quarter of 2026, its CEO vehemently criticised the ‘impractical’ move. As per Travel Weekly, he stated: “The idea that everyone is entitled to two free bags on board is unimplementable – they don’t fit in the aircraft.
“There’s not room on largely full aircraft for one small carry-on bag and one large trolley bag. About 50 per cent of the passengers can bring a trolley bag and we do that using the priority boarding service.
“Any rules that would alter that would be infringing EU rules guaranteeing the freedom of airlines to set pricing and policies, and we don’t believe that will happen.”
Ourania Georgoutsakou, managing director of Airlines For Europe, Europe’s largest airline association, expressed her concern: “Europe’s airline market is built on choice. Forcing a mandatory trolley bag strips passengers of that choice and obliges passengers to pay for services they may not want or need,”.
She further questioned: “What’s next? Mandatory popcorn and drinks as part of your cinema ticket? The European Parliament should let travellers decide what services they want, what services they pay for and, importantly, what services they don’t.”
Meanwhile, Mr O’Leary announced his consideration to increase the incentive to “eliminate the scourge of passengers with excess baggage. I think it’s unlikely to play out but there’s clearly going to be some kind of negotiation between the parliament and the commission on passenger rights.”
By eliminating carry-on baggage fees, airlines will make travelling abroad easier. Even better, it will save them from spending hundreds of pounds to send off a small piece of luggage.
WASHINGTON — “Mr. President, this is the gavel used to enact the ‘big, beautiful bill,’” House Speaker Mike Johnson said at a White House signing ceremony on the Fourth of July.
“I want you to have it,” he said.
Handing over the gavel delighted President Trump who, seated behind a desk outdoors, immediately tested it out with a few quick thumps.
The moment left a memorable mark on a historic day. The gesture reflected a traditional nod of honor, from one leader to another, a milestone of the Republican Party’s priority legislation becoming law. But the imagery also underscored a symbolic transfer of political power, from Capitol Hill to the White House as a compliant Congress is ceding more and more of its prerogative to the presidency.
Congress gives Trump what he wants
Since Trump’s return to the White House in January, and particularly in the past few weeks, Republicans in control of the House and Senate have shown an unusual willingness to give the president of their party what he wants, regardless of the potential risk to themselves, their constituents and Congress itself.
Republicans raced to put the big package of tax breaks and spending cuts on Trump’s desk by his Independence Day deadline. Senators had quickly confirmed almost all of Trump’s outsider Cabinet nominees despite grave reservations over Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary, Pete Hegseth as the Pentagon chief and others. House Republicans pursued Trump’s interest in investigating his perceived foes, including investigating Democratic President Biden’s use of the autopen.
But at the same time, Congress hit the brakes on one of its own priorities, legislation imposing steep sanctions on Russia over its war on Ukraine, after Trump announced he was allowing President Vladimir Putin an additional 50 days to negotiate a peace deal, dashing hopes for a swifter end to the conflict.
This past week, Congress was tested anew, delivering on Trump’s request to rescind some $9 billion that lawmakers had approved but that the administration wanted to eliminate, including money for public broadcasting and overseas aid. It was a rare presidential request, a challenge to the legislative branch’s power of the purse, that has not been used in decades.
The pressure on Republicans is taking its toll
“We’re lawmakers. We should be legislating,” said a defiant Sen. Lisa Murkowksi, R-Alaska, as she refused to support the White House’s demand to rescind money for National Public Radio and others.
“What we’re getting now is a direction from the White House and being told, ‘This is the priority. We want you to execute on it. We’ll be back with you with another round,’” she said. “I don’t accept that.”
Congress, the branch of government the Founding Fathers placed first in the Constitution, is at a familiar crossroads. During the first Trump administration, Republicans frightened by Trump’s angry tweets of disapproval would keep their criticisms private. Those who did speak up — Liz Cheney of Wyoming in the House and Mitt Romney of Utah in the Senate, among others — are gone from Capitol Hill.
One former GOP senator, Jeff Flake of Arizona, who announced in 2017 during Trump’s first term that he would not seek reelection the next year, is imploring Republicans to find a better way.
“The fever still hasn’t broken,” he wrote recently in The New York Times. “In today’s Republican Party, voting your conscience is essentially disqualifying.”
Seeking a ‘normal’ Congress
But this time, the halls of Congress are filled with many Republicans who came of political age with Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement and owe their ascent to the president himself. Many are emulating his brand and style as they shape their own.
A new generation of GOP leaders, Johnson in the House and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, have pulled closer to Trump. They are utilizing the power of the presidency in ways large and small — to broker deals, encourage wayward lawmakers to fall in line, even to set schedules.
Johnson, R-La., has openly pined for what he calls a “normal Congress.” But short of that, the speaker relies on Trump to help stay on track. When Republicans hit an impasse on cryptocurrency legislation, a Trump priority, it was the president who met with holdouts in the Oval Office late Tuesday night as Johnson called in by phone.
The result is a perceptible imbalance of power as the executive exerts greater authority while the legislative branch dims. The judicial branch has been left to do the heavy lift of checks and balances with the courts processing hundreds of lawsuits over the administration’s actions.
“The genius of our Constitution is the separation of power,” said Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, the former speaker, in an interview on SiriusXM’s “Mornings with Zerlina.”
“That the Republicans in Congress would be so ignoring of the institution that they represent, and that have just melted the power of the incredibly shrinking speakership” and Senate leadership positions, “to do all of these things, to cater to the executive branch,” she said.
Confronting Trump comes with costs
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., endured Trump’s criticism over his opposition to the tax and spending cuts bill. The senator raised concerns about steep cuts to hospitals, but the president threatened to campaign against him. Tillis announced he would not seek reelection in 2026.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, voted against that bill and the rescissions package despite Trump’s threat to campaign against any dissenters.
One Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, appears to be pressing on, unphased. He recently proposed legislation to force the administration to release the Jeffrey Epstein files, something the president had been reluctant to do.
“Nowhere in the Constitution does it say that if the president wants something, you must do it,” said Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, in a Senate speech. “We don’t have to do this. We don’t have to operate under the assumption that this man is uniquely so powerful.”
July 21 (UPI) — X declined to hand over data in allegations made by French authorities concerning a data tampering investigation on Monday.
“French authorities have launched a politically-motivated criminal investigation into X over the alleged manipulation of its algorithm and alleged ‘fraudulent data extraction,” X posted on social media. “X categorically denies these allegations.”
Prosecutors initiated an investigation in January following allegations that X’s algorithm was being exploited for foreign interference. This month, the investigation was moved over to France’s national police.
“French authorities have requested access to X’s recommendation algorithm and real-time data about all user posts on the platform in order for several ‘experts’ to analyze the data and purportedly ‘uncover the truth’ about the operation of the X platform,” X said.
X said the investigation is meant “to serve a political agenda and, ultimately, restrict free speech.”
“X has not acceded to the French authorities’ demands, as we have a legal right to do. This is not a decision that X takes lightly. However, in this case, the facts speak for themselves,” X said.
At the moment most easyJet and Ryanair passengers are only allowed to take a small personal bag on board for free
03:27, 19 Jul 2025Updated 08:16, 19 Jul 2025
Ryanair has already had to make one change(Image: Dmitri Zelenevski via Getty Images)
Passengers flying with Ryanair and easyJet may soon be able to take two cabin bags onboard without paying any extra charges. At the moment, these airlines allow those on a basic fare to bring one small personal item onto the plane, with any extra luggage incurring additional fees.
Ryanair has recently had to expand the dimensions of its personal bag allowance, due to a change in EU regulations. Under a new rule, travellers with the budget carrier will be entitled to take hand luggage measuring up to 40 x 30 x 20cm, representing a 20% expansion from the previous 40 x 20 x 25cm size limits.
easyJet’s dimensions are already in line with the new rule. And an additional EU law change could mean passengers are able to bring both a cabin bag measuring up to 100cm and a personal bag without extra charges.
The proposed legislation will only be given the greenlight, though, with backing from a minimum of 55% of EU member nations. Discussions are scheduled to begin later this month.
Should it receive approval, the rule would apply to all journeys within the EU, plus routes travelling to and from the EU. European Parliament members (MEPs) are also pushing for children under 12 to be seated alongside an adult companion without additional fees.
Currently, airlines face no legal requirement to ensure children sit with family members, though the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) suggests they should do so. The CAA states: “Young children and infants who are accompanied by adults should ideally be seated in the same seat row as the adult.
“Where this is not possible, children should be separated by no more than one seat row from accompanying adults. This is because the speed of an emergency evacuation may be affected by adults trying to reach their children.”
In 2018, Paul Simon walked onto the Hollywood Bowl stage for what most in the crowd believed to be his last tour stop in Los Angeles, ever. Simon expected that too — he’d billed the event as his “Homeward Bound — Farewell Tour.” After 50 years of performing, a then-record three Grammy wins for album, a catalog of some of the most sophisticated and inquisitive American songwriting ever put to paper — he’d go out in full garlands.
So what a shock and delight when Simon, now 83, announced a few years later that he was not quite done yet. In 2023, he released a new album, “Seven Psalms,” an elliptical, gracious invocation for the arc of his life, drawing on biblical imagery and intertwined guitar fugues.
But even better, Simon would also return to the stage for a new tour, including a five-night run at Disney Concert Hall. For L.A. fans, these shows were one last chance to reconnect with Simon, who now had a profound late-career album to bookend his catalog. Those songs spanned from his years in the Greenwich Village folk scene of the ‘60s and ‘70s to a Sabrina Carpenter duet on “Saturday Night Live’s” 50th anniversary special.
Wednesday’s show — the last of the Disney hall stand — got to all of it, with Simon still in exquisite form in the last light of his performing career.
If Simon, seven years ago, had any doubts about his interest or ability to perform live at this exacting level, they must have disappeared the second he got a guitar in his hand at Disney Hall. The set opened with a full run of “Seven Psalms,” a short yet profound song cycle in which a dense, ornamental acoustic guitar figure recurs over several songs in an intimate valediction.
“Seven Pslams” belongs alongside David Bowie’s “Blackstar” or Johnny Cash’s “American Recordings” albums in the canon of wide-lens looks at the mystery of late life. Simon’s music was wise before its time even when he was a young man. But the perspective he has at this vantage, on the backside of 80 with a rejuvenated muse, was especially moving.
“I lived a life of pleasant sorrows, until the real deal came,” he sang on “Love Is Like a Braid.” “And in that time of prayer and waiting, where doubt and reason dwell / A jury sat, deliberating. All is lost or all is well.“
Simon’s band members for this stint — a dozen or so strong, spanning percussion, woodwinds and guitars — were mostly impressionists during this portion, adding distant bells and chamber flourishes to the patina of these songs.
While he kicked up his heels a bit on the bluesy “My Professional Opinion,” there was a trembling power in “Trail of Volcanoes” and, especially, “Your Forgiveness,” in which Simon took stock of his time on Earth and whatever lies next. “Two billion heart beats and out / Waving the flag in the last parade / I have my reasons to doubt,” he sang, followed by a gracious incantation: “Dip your hand in heaven’s waters, god’s imagination … All of life’s abundance in a drop of condensation.”
Paul Simon plays and sings Wednesday at Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
The hit-heavy back half of the show was a little rowdier. One fan even made a bit of history when he tossed a $20 bill onstage, which was enough for Simon to gamely oblige his request to play a verse of “Kodachrome.”
Simon and his band had looser reins here. “Graceland” and “Under African Skies” still radiated curiosity for the world’s musical bounty, with the fraught complexity of that album nonetheless paving a stone on the road for African music’s current global ascent. (He introduced his bassist, Bakithi Kumalo, as the last surviving member of the original “Graceland” band.)
An elegant “Slip Slidin’ Away” led up to a poignant “The Late Great Johnny Ace,” which took a tale of rock ‘n’ roll self-destruction and pinned it to a generational sense of cultural collapse. Simon didn’t reference any current events beyond the John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and John Lennon assassinations, but you could feel a contemporary gravity in the song.
Veteran drummer Steve Gadd reprised his jazzy breaks for “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,” and the fatherhood ballad “St. Judy’s Comet” was a sweet, deep-cut flourish. (That mood continued when Edie Brickell, Simon’s wife and vocalist, slipped in from the side stage to whistle the hook on “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard.) But the band hit full velocity on a pair of songs from “The Rhythm of the Saints.” “Spirit Voices” conjured an ayahuasca reverie with its thicket of guitars and hand percussion, while the sprawling and time-signature-bending “The Cool, Cool River” showed Simon the musician — not just the poet — still in absolute command.
Simon’s set never got to “Bridge Over Troubled Water” or “You Can Call Me Al,” but the final encore wrapped with just him and a guitar and the eternal hymn of “The Sound of Silence.” His guitar work retained all its original power in the opening instrumental runs, and Simon looked genuinely grateful that, perhaps even to his own surprise, the stage hadn’t lost its promise or potency for him just yet.
Who knows whether Wednesday was the last time Angelenos will get to see Simon perform live (this tour wraps next month in Seattle). If it was, then it was a beautiful benediction for one of America’s defining songwriters. But if it wasn’t, take any chance you get to see him again.
By Kashana Cauley Atria: 256 pages, $28 If you buy books linked on our site, The Times may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookstores
There are a frightening number of ways an American can become indebted today: there’s medical debt (I won’t be paying off my child’s birth until he’s nearly 5 years old, and I have insurance). Mortgages, of course (though as a millennial living in an expensive city, I wouldn’t know what those look like). And then there’s student loan debt carried by nearly 43 million Americans, and which disproportionately affects Black women. But hey, at least one good thing has come of that, as TV writer and novelist Kashana Cauley graciously acknowledges in her new book, “The Payback”: “To the student loan industry,” reads her dedication, “whose threatening phone calls made this book possible.”
Narrated by Jada Williams, a wardrobe designer turned retail salesperson, “The Payback” is full of such you-gotta-laugh-to-keep-from-crying humor. The book opens at Phoenix, the clothing store at the Glendale mall where Jada now works, and includes a hilarious yet mostly sincere appreciation for the beleaguered centers of suburban America: “I loved mall smell,” Jada narrates, waxing poetic about the scents of the bins at the candy store and the ever-present pizza smell before admitting that she sometimes even leans down to smell the plastic kiddie ride horses. “Sometimes, when there were no kids, I’d lean into the horse and sniff it to get a whiff of plastic, childhood dreams, and dried piss. Yes, I know, nobody’s supposed to savor the aroma of pee, and I wouldn’t rank it first among the smells of the world, but pee is life. It’s humanity. It’s the mall.”
Jada loves the mall, and she even loves her job, which is not a given for anyone who’s lost their dream career like she did. She’s passionate about helping people find the clothes that look and make them feel good, even if she’s doing that for 20% commission. She’s definitely gotten over her sticky fingers habit, too, except that, well, on the day the book opens, someone leaves an expensive watch in the fitting room, and Jada can’t help but pocket it. This eventually leads to her getting fired, but not before the boss she likes, Richard, dies on the store’s floor and Jada and her co-workers get to witness the newly formed debt police in action chasing and beating up Richard’s grieving widower during his wake.
The debt police are exactly what they sound like: cops who come after people in debt. Cauley, a former writer for “The Daily Show With Trevor Noah” who has contributed to the New Yorker, has fun with this concept: she dresses them up in turquoise and makes them all obnoxiously hot and as annoying as the worst Angeleno cliché you can think of (they’re especially obsessed with overpriced new age treatments and diet culture). The cherry on top is their true apathetic evil. “These Leo moon incidents are always the worst,” a debt policeman says, for example, while literally beating Jada up.
Six months after she’s fired, Jada is making money by “eating food on camera in the hope that internet people, mostly guys, according to their screen names and Cash App handles, would pay [her] rent.” She eats shrimp for its pop and the way she can lick it; graham crackers for their whisper and crackle; almonds for their snap; celery sticks for their crunch. On the one hand, she’s paying her rent; on the other hand, her relationship to food has become sonically focused and exhausting.
The saving grace is that Jada manages to stay friends with her former Phoenix co-workers, Lanae (frontwoman of a punk band, the Donner Party) and Audrey (a runner and hacker in her spare time). Together, they come up with a plan to erase their own — and everyone else’s — student loan debt. It’s a heist, of sorts, except instead of getting rich, they’ll stop being in the hole for tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. But the real pleasure, just like it is in any good heist movie, is witnessing the three women spending time together and becoming closer over the course of the book.
Jada is a deeply imperfect narrator. She’s quick to judge others, slow to trust, and even steals a watch on page 12 (Gasp! She’s a thief!) So, yes, she’s a messy millennial who has some issues to work through, but neither she nor anyone deserves to spend the rest of their life indebted to a system that claimed a college education as the only way to break into the middle class, and which instead ends up keeping so many from it.
The novel is a satire, of course, and the debt police are over the top because it’s generically appropriate, but also because Cauley is using humor to approach the horrifying reality that people really do go to prison for having debt in this country. And even when they don’t, student loan debt ends up increasing the racial wealth gap. According to the latest data from the Education Data Initiative, “Black and African American college graduates owe an average of $25,000 more in student loan debt than white college graduates.” Flash-forward four years after graduation, and “Black students owe an average of 188% more than white students.”
Yet the job of a novelist isn’t to hit you over the head with statistics but to entertain you — if you learn anything along the way or think more deeply about something you’d never considered, that’s great, but it’s not the main point. For all that it deals with systemic racism and economic precarity, “The Payback” is a terrifically fun book that made me laugh out loud at least once every chapter.
Masad, a books and culture critic, is the author of the novel “All My Mother’s Lovers” and the forthcoming novel “Beings.”
A TikTok user has shared a genius packing hack to help you fit more clothes in your case – and it doesn’t involve using packing cubes, which she said “don’t save any space”
Trying to cram everything you need into a small carry-on can be a struggle(Image: Olga Rolenko via Getty Images)
For those nipping off on quick holidays this summer, paying extra for a large suitcase in the plane’s hold just doesn’t make sense.
Here’s where a bit of packing savvy comes in handy, be it with a compact wheely case, a rucksack or a holdall that you can take into the cabin with you.
All the rage amongst holidaymakers on social media right now are packing cubes, praised for their ability to keep suitcases neat and make more room. But now, people are discovering an old-school packing tactic does the job equally well – and it’s said to squeeze ‘months’ worth of clothes in.
This smart technique was shown off on TikTok by @joanna. pirog, who ditched her organising cubes for a better, cheaper approach when preparing for a getaway.
She demonstrated with an unfilled suitcase surrounded by clothes she intended to take; she rolled each item tightly and methodically popped them into the bag, reports the Liverpool Echo.
She managed to fit a selection of dresses, tops, t-shirts, skirts and shorts with room to spare and, despite appearing full, Joanna found space for even more by wedging them into small crevices.
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According to her, rolling clothes meant she could get three months’ worth of belongings into just one small suitcase.
In her caption, she said: “Packing cubes don’t save space, roll your clothes and you’ll fit so much more!”.
In the video’s comments, people agreed that packing cubes were pretty useless unless you’re carrying a massive suitcase.
“I’m with you on the packing cubes. I just find they make it so much worse,” one viewer said. Another chimed in: “I’m so impressed.”
Joanna pointed out that while she travelled across Europe with her luggage, most airlines didn’t bother to check its weight – but if you do get caught out and it’s too heavy, you could be slapped with a fee to chuck it in the hold.
If you’re travelling with just hand luggage, this tip could come in very handy (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
If you’re looking for another packing trick to try this summer and you don’t want to resort to packing cubes, influencer Chantel Mila has just the thing.
She has recommended standing your suitcase upright, rather than laying it flat on the floor, and packing your belongings vertically in columns.
Not only will this help to maximise space, but you’ll be able to see everything in your case much more clearly, which will make unpacking so much easier when you reach your destination.
Kelly Osbourne’s engagement to Sid Wilson wound up being a family affair.
The Slipknot DJ proposed to the former “Fashion Police” co-host backstage at Ozzy Osbourne’s final show Saturday, and she said yes. But not before papa Ozzy got a few words in edgewise.
“Kelly, you know I love you more than anything in the world,” Wilson said, holding Kelly‘s hand after family and friends crowded around them and were shushed by mom Sharon Osbourne, according to a video Kelly posted on Instagram.
“F— off, you’re not marrying my daughter!” Ozzy interjected, true to form. A big round of laughter followed before Wilson got back to business.
“Nothing would make me happier than to spend the rest of my life with you,” he told Kelly, reaching into a bag slung across his chest and extracting a small box.
“So in front of your family and all of our friends,” he said as he got down on one knee, “Kelly, will you marry me?”
Kelly‘s jaw dropped as she looked around the room in shock. The two had welcomed a son, Sidney, in November 2022, less than a year after they started dating. Kelly, 40, and Wilson, 48, met more than 20 years ago when Slipknot was part of the Osbourne family’s Ozzfest tour.
She was still in her teens; he was seven years older and better friends at the time with her brother, Jack Osbourne. Kelly said on a podcast in March 2024 that Wilson began liking her — though she had no idea — in 2013, after they ran into each other at his record store on Melrose Avenue. Around 2020, he invited her to a Slipknot show in L.A., and things progressed from there.
“It wasn’t, like, forced. Because we had been friends for so long and known each other for so long, there was a sense of comfortability that I’ve never had with anyone else,” she said on the podcast, via People. Plus, she told her mother, “I was never going to come home with anyone normal.”
But bringing Wilson home now seems like it was a good move. On Saturday, after she nodded yes, he slipped the ring on her left-hand ring finger. Then he and his bride-to-be hugged like there was no tomorrow.
Henry Slade is out of the tour of Argentina and the United States with a hand injury, leaving England with inexperienced midfield options as they attempt to seal a series win over the Pumas.
Slade played the full 80 minutes in the 35-12 first-Test win over Argentina in La Plata on Saturday but will miss the rematch in San Juan this weekend.
Seb Atkinson made his first Test appearance in La Plata while Max Ojomoh, Luke Northmore and Oscar Beard – the other specialist centres in the 36-player squad – are still uncapped.
Fraser Dingwall and Ollie Lawrence, who emerged as England’s first-choice midfield during the Six Nations, are both injured while the versatile Elliot Daly has returned from the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia with a fractured arm.
Slade, who won his 73rd England cap against Argentina, was also a back-up option at fly-half, with uncapped Charlie Atkinson the only direct cover for the experienced George Ford.
Co-captains Ford and Jamie George and flanker Sam Underhill – with 102, 100 and 41 caps respectively – are now the only players with more than 40 caps in the squad.
England, whose tour will conclude with a one-off Test against the United States on 19 July, have no plans to summon a replacement for Slade.
Steve Borthwick’s side produced one of their best performances of the head coach’s reign in La Plata, surviving the sin-binning of Alex Coles and Seb Atkinson to lead 3-0 at half-time, before accelerating away to victory via four second-half tries.
The win takes England above their opponents to fifth in the world ranking.
The Pumas, who rested some of their France-based players for the first Test, have brought in Bordeaux-Begles second row Guido Petti for the second game.
The 30-year-old, who scored a try in their Top 14 final loss against Toulouse on 28 June, will join up with Harlequins next season.
SpongeBob SquarePants would, in theory, have little use for stamps. They would get soggy in that pineapple under the sea.
Neither would Patrick Star (no fingers on the ends of those arms), Mr. Crabs (claws) or Squidward Tentacles (his name says it all). One could argue that even the fans of “SpongeBob SquarePants” wouldn’t have much use for stamps. That crowd doesn’t go in for snail mail — although Gary the Snail might.
Nevertheless, the whole gang from Nickelodeon’s long-running animated show — even Sandy Cheeks, the squirrel in the diving suit — is featured on a new set of commemorative Forever stamps, according to the U.S. Postal Service.
But the point isn’t to use them but to collect them, and perhaps look at the yellow, smiling, gap-toothed face of SpongeBob when you need a quick pick-me-up.
If you happen to be in New York City’s Times Square on Aug. 1 from 8 to 10 a.m. Eastern, you can get your hands on the new stamps. The event is free, but the stamps you’ll have to pay for. (A sheet of 16 will cost you $12.48. They’re 78 cents apiece.)
That’s 40 cents more than each stamp would have cost when “SpongeBob” premiered 26 years ago.
The USPS art director, Greg Breeding, designed the stamps with Nickelodeon artwork to guide him, according to the Postal Service. He’ll be on hand for autographs.
The world of Bikini Bottom was introduced in May 1999, and the show began a full run two months later. Creator Stephen Hillenburg, who died in 2018 at age 57 after battling Lou Gehrig’s disease, was — appropriately — a teacher of marine biology in Southern California before switching to animation. He created colorful teaching tools as well as wrote and illustrated stories with the characters who came to populate the show, as The Times wrote in Hillenburg’s obituary.
To set the record straight, stamps have, in fact, been used in Bikini Bottom.
One example: In the Season 13 episode “Patrick the Mailman,” the starfish delivers a letter to SpongeBob and asks him, “Do you know where this Spon-gee-Boob Squir-pa-Nants lives?” He then makes SpongeBob his postal pal.
During his stint on MAFS, Dave Hand was open about his father Howard’s struggle with cancer. Months later, the Aussie hunk shares a devastating update on his dad’s health.
MAFS star Dave Hand made waves on the E4 show – but he’s determined to focus his efforts on bigger projects
After making waves in Married At First Sight Australia, Dave Hand has revealed his father Howard is facing his own storm as his cancer has returned.
From heartbreak to healing, Dave Hand is figuring out what comes after reality TV – one step, one trial and one walk with his dog at a time.
“It’s definitely a lot harder than I expected,” he says, “You’re not only thrown into TV and popularity, it’s like a whole new world. You’re just learning to walk again.”
New to the spotlight of the hit E4 show, Dave didn’t anticipate how fame would ripple into everyday life. “It plays out in everything you do,” he says. “You go out for coffee, you’re taking photos with somebody. Or you’re walking down the street and people are asking you for advice.”
What audiences saw on screen was a man entering the MAFS experiment with real intention. But behind his calm exterior, another story was unfolding. His father, Howard, was battling stage-four cancer.
Dave Hand’s father Howard was battling cancer during his son’s stint on MAFS AU and was unable to attend his wedding ceremony with Jamie Marinos(Image: Instagram)
“A lot of people connected with me through my dad’s sickness,” Dave says, “Cancer is a hell of a disease and it’s an eye-opener because you don’t realise how many people are going through it. It’s really nice to hear people’s stories.”
But reality TV comes with backlash. Dave says he’s experienced both the highs and lows of fan attention. “On one side, you’ve got really nice, heartwarming messages and on the other, you’ve got someone who’s so immature,” Dave says. “You choose to be mean rather than spread kindness and love. I don’t understand it.”
The online noise isn’t the only thing frustrating him. Off-screen drama between his castmates has left Dave disappointed in what could have been a supportive community.
The latest season has been one of MAFS AU’s most explosive yet – with Ryan Donnelly and Jacqui Burfoot’s feud spiralling into restraining orders and off-camera rows erupting between Jacqui, Rhi, Tim, amongst other participants.
“The cast members should be looking after one another after the show. And you’ve got people acting absolutely ridiculous towards one another. It’s a damn shame,” Dave says.
Before settling scores with on-screen rival Adrian Araouzou. “Adrian said some things about me and he absolutely copped it from the public. I feel sorry for him,” he says, “And in the meantime, he’s attacking me. This isn’t the way the group should be handling it. It’s quite scary.”
He adds: “We should be backing each other at this time and we’ve dropped the ball completely. We could have been standing up to the bad comments together.”
Dave is determined to make a difference as he teases plans to head to the UK(Image: @dth_9/Instagram)
Tensions also brewed with Tim during filming but Dave insists that chapter is far behind him. “I’ve moved on from Tim, any anybody who’s thrown shade my way. I’m not hostile,” Dave says. “If I saw him, I’d probably say ‘G’day!’ But if someone paints you a picture, don’t let them paint you another.”
He’s also made peace with the end of his relationship with Jamie Marinos, the 28-year-old digital marketing agent he was matched with.
While Jamie fell fast – telling Dave she loved him just weeks in – he struggled to match the pace. “After the show, I’ve learned that I really want to take my time with somebody,” he says, “It takes time for me. I’m not as quick as Jamie was, falling in love after six weeks.”
He continues: “You can love somebody when things are all good and happy but when things get hard, you don’t really know who this person is. Jamie said two weeks later that she didn’t love me. I feel like she loved the idea of me or the idea of someone she wanted me to be.”
Now, Dave’s focus is back where it matters the most – his father. The cancer Howard had kept at bay during filming has returned. “The tumours my dad had on the show that had previously shrunk – they’ve come back pretty quickly,” Dave says, emotion straining his voice.
“He’s on a new trial now. Only 200 people in the world are doing it. My dad’s response for doing it is, ‘if I can help somebody out, I’m going to give this trial a crack and help the future.’”
Dave says he’s no longer in touch with Jamie after the pair went their separate ways(Image: Nine)
But Dave doesn’t sugar-coat the toll it’s taken. “He’s been fighting it for five years and now it’s taken a toll on him,” Dave adds, “He’s a bit frail and now he’s got to go into battle again.”
Looking ahead, Dave is considering a bold next chapter. “I want to get over to the UK,” he says, “I’d love to do some reality TV over there. I’ll probably come out later in the year.”
As for dating? He’s in no rush. In fact, he’s more focused on mental health advocacy. “Mental health issues and depression have been in my family, I’ve witnessed it, I’ve lived it,” he says.
“But I’ve processed it, I deal with it and I know what works for me. I can help others with that. I want to get the message across that the sad days don’t stick.”
His long-term dream? A mental health charity. “I’d like to touch base on some mental health stuff and be a role model for younger kids,” he says. “I want to start a charity one day.”
Until then, Dave’s not walking alone. His five-year-old Marana dog is always by his side during his toughest days. “He’s definitely helped keep me grounded,” Dave says.
STANFORD — Marco Reus scored in the 70th minute and the Galaxy played the San José Earthquakes to a 1-1 draw on Saturday night in the 104th edition of the California Clásico.
The Galaxy (1-14-5) are unbeaten in their past eight road matches (Stanford Stadium and PayPal Park) across all competitions against San José (7-8-5) dating to June 26, 2021.
San José native Beau Leroux opened the scoring in the 16th minute with a shot into the upper-right corner for his fourth of the season. He settled Mark-Anthony Kaye’s cross with his left foot and curled in a shot with his right from the top of the 18-yard box.
San José goalkeeper Daniel stopped an initial attempt in the 70th, but it bounced right back to Reus for an easy touch home. It was Reus’ first game wearing the captain’s armband.
Daniel made several key saves. He came out of his area to deny Joseph Paintsil on a one-on-one opportunity in the 60th. He also got a hand on Gabriel Pec’s shot on a counterattack in the 88th.
Denis Villeneuve will direct the next James Bond film, the 26th official entry in the historic franchise. Villeneuve will also serve as executive producer, alongside Tanya Lapointe.
Amy Pascal and David Heyman are producing the project, as had been previously announced. The pair came onto the film after the series’ longtime producers, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, made a deal to give up creative control to Amazon MGM Studios earlier this year.
In a statement, Villeneuve, a four-time Academy Award nominee, said, “Some of my earliest movie-going memories are connected to 007. I grew up watching James Bond films with my father, ever since ‘Dr. No’ with Sean Connery. I’m a die-hard Bond fan. To me, he’s sacred territory. I intend to honor the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come. This is a massive responsibility, but also, incredibly exciting for me and a huge honor. Amy, David, and I are absolutely thrilled to bring him back to the screen.”
Also in a statement, Pascal and Heyman commented, “Denis Villeneuve has been in love with James Bond movies since he was a little boy. It was always his dream to make this movie, and now it’s ours, too. We are lucky to be in the hands of this extraordinary filmmaker.”
Villeneuve’s last film, “Dune: Part Two,” earned more than $700 million worldwide. He is preparing to begin shooting the third “Dune” movie this summer with a scheduled release date of Dec. 16, 2026.
Daniel Craig and Ana de Armas in “No Time to Die,” which marked Craig’s final film in the James Bond franchise.
(Nicola Dove / MGM)
The prior film in the Bond franchise, 2021’s “No Time to Die,” finished off Daniel Craig’s five-film run in the role, which began with 2006’s “Casino Royale.”
A screenwriter hasn’t yet been named and no announcement has been made as to who will take over playing the famed British secret agent.
Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, said in a statement, “We are honored that Denis has agreed to direct James Bond’s next chapter. He is a cinematic master, whose filmography speaks for itself. From ‘Blade Runner 2049’ to ‘Arrival’ to the ‘Dune’ films, he has delivered compelling worlds, dynamic visuals, complex characters, and — most importantly — the immersive storytelling that global audiences yearn to experience in theaters. James Bond is in the hands of one of today’s greatest filmmakers and we cannot wait to get started on 007’s next adventure.”
For those planning on going abroad this summer, it’s important to be up to date with all of the regulations around what you can bring with you in your hand luggage and suitcases
It’s important to know what items are banned in airports (Image: Getty Images)
With many people jetting off on holidays this summer, it’s worth being up to date with regulations on what you can bring with you.
Travellers are warned not to pack these certain items in their cases to avoid being stopped at security and help make airport experiences as easy as possible.
There are certain items passengers are refrained from bringing on an aircraft according to the official government website and aircraft staff have the right to not let anything through that they feel is dangerous – even if it is an item that is allowed. So in order to make sure you don’t start your holiday off on the wrong foot, here’s some items that have certain restrictions…
There are bins provided for forbidden items(Image: Johnny Greig/Getty Images)
Food and powders
If you are planning on bringing food with you on holiday or on your travels, the advice given is to put the items in your hold luggage instead to help minimise delays. This is due to food items and powders in your hand luggage can obstruct images on x-ray machines and your bags may need to be checked again manually by security.
Frozen items
There are strict regulations on frozen items which aren’t allowed in your hand luggage. This includes frozen liquids, food and ice packs, however there are exceptions which include certain medications and types of baby food.
Lighters
While many people think lighters are banned, travellers are permitted to bring one lighter in their hand luggage but there are strict rules to comply with. The Gov.uk website stated: “You can only carry 1 lighter on board. You should put it inside a resealable plastic bag (like the ones used for liquids), which you must keep on you throughout the flight. You cannot put it in your hold luggage or put it in your hand luggage after screening.”
Portable chargers
In recent months, several airlines have banned travellers from carrying portable chargers in their checked suitcases, however airlines in the US are now taking the measures further and have banned seven types of battery-powered items from luggages with immediate effect. Portable chargers could catch fire and are not allowed in checked luggage in the hope of preventing any deadly disasters.
Batteries and electronics
While you’re allowed to bring up to 15 electronic devices with a lithium battery in your hand baggage, you’ll need to request permission to carry any lithium battery up to 160 Wh.
It’s also important to note that for flights from or via Dubai, passengers are forbidden from bringing pagers and walkie talkies. These items will be confiscated at Dubai airport without exceptions.
Some electronic items, while permissible for your hand baggage, are prohibited to use once you board an airplane including: remote control toys and televisions. The reason being that these devices may interfere with the plane’s navigation systems. E-cigarettes are not permissible in your hand baggage, though this rule may vary depending on the country to which you are travelling.
