Islands

The island has seen a number of anti-tourism protests in recent years, with locals demanding caps on visitor numbers, and summer 2026 could potentially see more people taking to the streets

Visitors to a Spanish island that welcomes millions of British tourists each year could be facing disruption over the summer with fresh waves of protests planned.

Menys Turisme Més Vida (Less Tourism, More Life), a group behind protests across the popular island of Majorca, are set to hold an assembly on Friday (February 20) to potentially plan further actions such as protests.

The meeting is planned due to the perceived failure of the Balearic Government’s sustainability pact, and inability to control overcrowding on the islands. A press release stated: “the constant increase in overtourism in Mallorca can only be confronted through grassroots organisation”.

Speaking to Majorca Daily News , Margalida Ramis of environmental group GOB (Grup Balear d’Ornitologia i Defensa de la Naturalesa), claimed that the government “has not done anything and will not do anything” to tackle overtourism.

Visitor numbers to the Balearic Islands have been steadily rising, and are expected to follow the same pattern in 2026. 2024 saw the number of visitors hit 18.7 million, then rising to over 19 million in 2025. In total, the Balearic Islands has a population of just 1.2 million, which includes around 18,000 British expats.

Opposition party PSOE recently took to the Balearic parliament to present a motion arguing that tourist numbers should be capped at 17.8 million a year. However, in a relief for UK travellers, the motion was rejected this week.

Groups such as Menys Turisme Més Vida have been involved in a number of protests in Majorca in recent years, alongside protests against overtourism across Spain. In May 2024, around 10,000 protestors took to the streets of Palma, while in July 2025, numbers reported as high as 50,000 people joined the protests. The 2025 protest was timed to coincide with the start of the school holidays in England and Wales, when many families would be arriving on the island.

Menys Turisme Més Vida’s Instagram account sets out a manifesto with their demands including a ban on tourist rentals across Majorca, a 50% reduction in rental prices for locals, and more stable jobs in what has become a precarious labour market.

However, in recent weeks there has been concern across the hospitality industry over a reduction in customer numbers, with a discount voucher scheme being considered to get more people to eat at local restaurants.

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In 2025, Jet2 CEO Steve Heapy warned that “anti-tourism protests and derogatory comments from local administrations make tourists feel unwelcome” amidst rising tensions in the Canary Islands, which included a number of protests, and signs appearing in some hotspots asking tourists to stay away.

At the time he added: “People don’t come to the Canaries to be mistreated or to witness protests. Such incidents tarnish the region’s image, pushing tourists toward destinations like Turkey and Morocco, where they feel valued.”

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The administration of United States President Donald Trump has sanctioned two leaders of Pacific island nations for alleged corruption, accusing them both of creating openings for China to increase its influence in the region.

On Tuesday, the US Department of State issued a notice alleging that the president of Palau’s Senate, Hokkons Baules, and a former mayor in the Marshall Islands, Anderson Jibas, had engaged in “significant corruption”.

Neither they nor their families will henceforth be allowed to enter the US, according to the statement.

“The Trump Administration will not allow foreign public officials to steal from U.S. taxpayers or threaten U.S. interests,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott wrote on social media.

The State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) also posted its support for the sanctions.

“Corruption that hurts U.S. interests will be met with significant consequences,” it said.

In both cases, the US credited the politicians’ actions with allowing the expansion of Chinese interests in the Pacific region.

The State Department alleged that Baules took bribes in exchange for supporting Chinese interests in Palau, an island in Micronesia that is the 16th smallest country in the world.

“His actions constituted significant corruption and adversely affected U.S. interests in Palau,” the US said in its statement.

Jibas, meanwhile, stands accused of “orchestrating and financially benefitting from” schemes to misuse the Bikini Resettlement Trust, a US-backed fund designed to compensate those negatively affected by nuclear bomb testing on the Bikini Atoll, part of the Marshall Islands.

The trust was worth nearly $59m in 2017, when the first Trump administration decided to hand control of the main resettlement fund to local authorities and relinquish its authority to audit.

Since then, the fund has emptied precipitously. As of February 2023, the trust had plummeted to a mere $100,000, and payments to Bikini Atoll survivors and descendants have ceased.

Critics have blamed Jibas, who was elected in 2016 to lead the Kili, Bikini and Ejit islands as mayor. He campaigned on having more local autonomy over the fund.

But reports in The Wall Street Journal and other news outlets accused him of misappropriating the funds for purchases including vacations, travel and a new pick-up truck.

In Tuesday’s announcement, the State Department connected Jibas’s alleged abuse to the spread of Chinese power in the Pacific and an increase in immigration to the US, two key issues in Trump’s platform.

“The theft, misuse, and abuse of the U.S.-provided money for the fund wasted U.S. taxpayer money and contributed to a loss of jobs, food insecurity, migration to the United States,” the department wrote.

“The lack of accountability for Jibas’ acts of corruption has eroded public trust in the government of the Marshall Islands, creating an opportunity for malign foreign influence from China and others.”

Both Palau and the Marshall Islands were US territories, occupied during World War II and granted independence in the late 20th century.

They both continue to be part of a Compact of Free Association with the US, which allows the North American superpower to continue military operations in the area and control the region’s defence.

They are also part of a dwindling list of countries that maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan’s government, much to the ire of the People’s Republic of China.

Only about a dozen remain, and they are largely concentrated in Central America, the Caribbean or the Pacific islands.

But China has sought to pressure those smaller countries into rupturing their ties with Taiwan and recognising its government in Beijing instead.

The Asian superpower – often seen as a rival to the US – has also attempted to expand its sphere of influence to the southern Pacific, by building trade relations and countering US military authority in the area.

Baules, for example, is among the local politicians who have advocated for recognising Beijing’s government over Taipei’s, and he is a vocal proponent for increased ties with China.

Those shifting views have placed island nations like Palau and the Marshall Islands in the midst of a geopolitical tug-of-war, as the US struggles with China to maintain dominance in the region.

In other parts of the world, the US has also used sanctions to dissuade local officials from seeking closer ties with China.

Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino, for instance, has accused the US embassy in his country of threatening to strip local officials of their visas, as the US and China jockey for influence over the Panama Canal.

Similar reports have emerged in neighbouring Costa Rica, where officials like lawmaker Vanessa Castro and former President Oscar Arias have accused the US of revoking their visas over ties to China.

But there have been other points of tension between the Pacific Islands and the US in recent years.

The Trump administration has withdrawn from accords designed to limit climate change and quashed international efforts to reduce emissions, straining ties with the islands, which are vulnerable to rising sea levels.

Still, the US State Department framed the sanctions on Tuesday as an effort to ensure local accountability and defend US interests in the region.

“The United States will continue to promote accountability for those who abuse public power for personal gain and steal from our citizens to enrich themselves,” it said.

“These designations reaffirm the United States’ commitment to countering global corruption affecting U.S. interests.”

Love Island All Stars bombshell Jessy Potts has addressed her split from Joey Essex after making a dramatic entrance into the ITV2 villa

Love Island All Stars bombshell Jessy Potts has lifted the lid on her romance with reality television personality Joey Essex following her explosive villa debut.

The 27-year-old caused quite a stir when she strutted into the ITV2 villa during last night’s heart rate challenge (February 9), planting kisses on Tommy and Scott’s lips whilst giving the remaining boys neck kisses. Tonight’s episode revealed her sultry black lace outfit had sent several boys’ heart rates soaring, much to the annoyance of some of the female contestants.

As the new arrival began mingling with her fellow Islanders, Love Island USA’s Zac was first on her agenda for a private conversation. She whisked the reality star away to the terrace whilst his partner Millie looked on, confessing: “I love an American.”

During their chat, she discussed her past romance with The Only Way Is Essex favourite Joey, who became Love Island’s inaugural celebrity bombshell when he joined the show’s eleventh series.

Jessy arrived in the villa later that season with the power to couple up with any boy she fancied. She chose Joey and the duo remained together until their fellow Islanders voted them both off the programme, reports OK!

However, just two months after their stint on the 2024 summer series, the pair decided to go their separate ways. At the time, they each released a statement, with Jessy saying: “I appreciate the Love Island experience I had with Joey, we tried to make it work but it wasn’t to be. I’m so grateful to everyone who supported us and look forward to all of the exciting opportunities ahead.”

Joey, on the other hand, stated: “Unfortunately, we have decided to call an end to the relationship but I hope we can continue to be friends. I truly wish Jessy the very best with whatever she does in the future.”

Now, Jessy has shed more light on what led to their break-up, revealing to Zac that they were simply “different people”.

After Zac apologised for not having watched her season, Jessy clarified: “Mine was a couple of years ago but I had quite an easy journey. I basically got in there, got in one couple and stayed in it the whole time.”

When Zac asked: “Why did it end?”, Jessy confessed: “It only lasted about a couple of months afterwards. It was just we’re definitely different people. So then you leave here and it’s like ‘Oh s***’. It’s a lot.”

She added: “He’d done TV before so he already had a lot of people that had opinions about him anyway. It just wasn’t for me but that’s ok.”

Love Island All Stars airs Sunday to Fridays at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX. For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new ** Everything Gossip ** website.

MONTANA Brown is facing the wrath of the internet after her comments that food pouches for kids are ‘c**p’ left viewers feeling patronised.

The series three Love Islander, 30, posted a TikTok discussing what supermarkets brand as “healthy snack pouches” for children and how she feels sickened that people would ever actually purchase them.

Speaking candidly to the camera from her car, Montana said: “All the soon-to-be mothers… don’t get into the trap of buying ‘kids’ food.

“Like going to the kids aisle in a shop and seeing all these like ‘kiddylicious wafers’ and ooh a chicken casserole in a little squirty thing.

“I hate them. I really hate them. I think they [shops and brands] want it to be so easy for us.

“They want it to be so convenient for us that we buy them every day and feed them to our kids because it’s healthy and it’s an easy…

PHONE MOAN

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Montana Brown sparks debate after she got moaned at for talking on loudspeaker

“[You think to yourself] you don’t have to MAKE them a chicken casserole.

” But it’s full of c**p.”

The star continued to say that it can be hard to not fall into the trap of feeding ultra-processed food to your family, but parents could instead give their children “a piece of carrot or cucumber”.

She said: “I used to give Jude [her son] pouches back in the day, he used to have pouches very rarely, and when I looked at the ingredients I was like ”oh my gosh I do not want to give him this stuff ever’.

“Miley [her daughter] I would never give her a pouch, and it just annoys me because I think we need to give kids real food. 

“And actually there doesn’t need to be a kids section necessarily, we can just give them a carrot or we can give them cucumber, we can give them an apple, we can give them a pear.

“It just takes a couple more minutes to prepare. It’s just really frustrating.”

Viewers rushed to let Montana know they thought she crossed the line between being informative and rude, leaving parents feeling guilt-tripped for doing their best as well as patronised.

One user said: “Try being a busy mum with a full time job, being out the house 8am-6pm every day (bills to pay).

“We need a bit of convenience at times. Don’t guilt trip those of us who don’t have time to scratch cook nutritiously balance meals 21 times a week.”

A second responded sarcastically with: “Don’t give up breastfeeding until they go to high school, give them avocados and salmon everyday for breakfast otherwise they’ll never survive the real world x”

A third added: “This isn’t it babe. Mum shaming as a Mum herself is crazy.”

Montana and her fiancé professional rugby player Mark O’Connor met in 2021.

They share two children, who were born in 2023 and 2025.

Montana has been open about her difficult journey to motherhood, having experienced a breech as well as a home birth.

Despite calling it earlier an ‘act of great stupidity’, Trump signals support of Starmer’s Chagos deal.

United States President Donald Trump appears to have endorsed the deal struck by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to hand over the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, weeks after calling it a “great stupidity”.

Trump had last month described the United Kingdom’s decision to cede sovereignty of the Indian Ocean archipelago, which includes a joint US-UK military base on the island of Diego Garcia, as an “act of great stupidity”.

The US president said he held productive talks with Starmer on Thursday and that the UK leader had made the “best deal he could make”.

But he also warned in a post on Truth Social that the US would retain the right to “militarily secure and reinforce” the US presence on the island of Diego Garcia if it were threatened.

The British government said in a statement that “the leaders agreed their governments would continue working closely to guarantee the future operation of the base and speak again soon”, the AFP news agency reported.

Under a deal agreed last May, the governments of the UK and Mauritius jointly announced that full sovereignty of the Chagos, a remote group of more than 60 islands, would again belong to Mauritius in exchange for guarantees that the US military base could continue operating there for the next 99 years.

Last year’s announcement stirred a range of emotions among the Chagossians, who were forced from their island home in the 1960s and 1970s and resettled in Mauritius, the Seychelles and the UK. For decades, they have campaigned to return to their ancestral lands freely, without any restrictions.

The Chagos Islands have been under British control since 1814. In the 1960s and 1970s, Britain forcibly evicted nearly 2,000 locals to make way for the US military base, which played a pivotal role in US military operations in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2008, the US also acknowledged that the base had been used for covert rendition flights of “terrorism” suspects.

Love Island All Stars has descended into chaos after Belle Hassan confronted Lucinda Strafford in a heated villa clash

Love Island stars Lucinda Strafford and Sean Stone have been branded “fake” in an explosive All Stars row.

The third instalment of the popular spin-off returned to ITV2 last month, bringing back familiar faces from previous series for another shot at romance.

Over recent weeks, audiences have been treated to explosive rows, surprising eliminations and numerous bombshell entrances. The latest shake-up saw six American contestants arrive, alongside the unveiling of villa USA.

However, conflict wasn’t far away as Belle Hassan and Sean found themselves at loggerheads after Sean opted to pursue Lucinda whilst Belle was in the other villa. Tensions reached boiling point on Monday (February 2), when Sean and Lucinda shared their first kiss in the secret garden, reports OK!.

During Tuesday’s (February 3) instalment, an angry Belle confronted Lucinda as she attempted to make amends. Belle interjected, stating: “I don’t want to hear that because it’s not true, is it? You’re not sorry.”

Lucinda responded: “I feel like what’s happened with me and Sean, when I came in, he was my top pick and there’s no doubt about that.”

Belle wasn’t convinced, particularly given Lucinda’s decision to couple up with Ciaran Diaries when she first arrived, after she wanted to “throw the girls off” regarding her preferences.

Challenging her directly, Belle demanded: “What’s real, Lucinda? What is real?” to which a taken-aback Lucinda replied: “Don’t start coming at me.”

For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new Everything Gossip website

Belle didn’t hold back, saying: “What’s real? If we’re going to have a conversation, let’s be open and honest. What’s real? And let me get one thing straight, you’ve not once gave a f*** about my feelings or [made] me feel comfortable in this, so don’t expect that same thing from me cause that isn’t gonna happen.”

She added: “So, if this conversation you’ve wanted to have all day was for me to validate your s*** behaviour, that’s not gonna happen… This nice girl image just doesn’t wash, I see through it.”

Lucinda hit back, responding: “I don’t really respect you talking to me like that.”

Undeterred, Belle went on: “I don’t respect the way you’ve behaved since the first day you got here, so evidently we’re not going to be on the same page ever… I don’t need to know you for any longer… All you think about is yourself and that has been evident.”

Hinting at her suspicions about Lucinda’s romance with Sean being disingenuous, Belle wrapped up: “We aren’t going to be cool… You do want you need to do, I’ll keep out of your way and that’s where we’re at. I think the whole situation is very fake.”

Viewers flocked to X (formerly Twitter) to applaud Belle’s no-nonsense approach, with one fan posting: “I wish I could handle conversations the way Belle does. I’m actually in awe watching her say it how it is with Lucinda.”

Another viewer observed: “Belle has officially clocked Lucinda’s behaviour and Lucinda couldn’t even defend herself,” whilst a third declared: “Belle calling out Lucinda for her nice girl act finaalllyy someone has had the courage to say it all to her face.”

Meanwhile, one confused fan commented: “What has Lucinda done wrong. I’m still trying to understand.” Will Belle and Lucinda be able to patch things up?

Love Island All Stars airs Sunday to Friday on ITV2 and ITVX at 9pm

Emigrating to sun-kissed Lanzarote might sound like a dream come true, but one British couple have confessed that they miss quite a few things from back home – including the weather!

Taking early retirement and leaving the soggy British winters behind forever is an impossible dream for many of us. But designers Richard and Tarnya Norse-Evans managed to do just that when they sold their business and relocated to the Canary Islands.

While they don’t regret making a new home for themselves in balmy Lanzarote, where the temperatures rarely drop into single figures, Richard and Tarnya say there are a few things they miss about chilly, rain-lashed Britain.

“When you live on a small island you need to see and do something different, because here you don’t get to go to the art galleries, visit people, go to the city or eat in different restaurants,” Richard told the i Paper.

He added that, while Lanzarote’s weather makes for a nice easy life there’s something to be said for a good old-fashioned chilly day. He said he sometimes feels nostalgic about the idea of “putting on a coat and Wellingtons and getting out in a forest for a good stomp and an English pint in a pub”.

While that’s a rare treat these days, it’s still a possibility. Because the cost of living in Lanzarote is much lower than in the UK, Richard and Tarnya can afford to splash out on an occasional flight back to Blighty for a taste of what they missing.

The pair also noted the struggles with the language barrier, and highlighted challenges in Spain with paperwork that meant long wait times for permits.

According to the most recent figures, between 6,200 and 6,500 British people are officially registered as residents in Lanzarote, making them one of the largest foreign populations on the island.

That number’s swelled massively in the summer, of course, when thousands more flock to the sun-kissed islands. Because the climate is so mild, there’s no real “low season” on Lanzarote, and holidaymakers are arriving at the island’ airport at any time of year. Tourism is the single biggest of the island’s economy.

Holiday rentals on Lanzarote grew by by 113% between June 2023 and December 2025. While there have been a few reports of extreme, violent anti-tourist hostility, they tend to be exaggerated, and the island remains generally welcoming to holidaymakers.

Richard and Tarnya have become part of that thriving industry, with a luxurious-looking Airbnb to supplement their lifestyle. “We certainly do not live a permanent holiday,” Richard said. “Work life still goes on regardless of the weather.”

They also own a vineyard that produces around 7,000kg of grapes a year, which they sell to a local wine producer.

And there are many kinds of business that simply aren’t available on Lanzarote – with Richard bemoaning the lack of variety when it comes to the arts and entertainment.

But luckily, he says there’s always the option of popping home for a taste of what he’s missing. He added: “With a four-hour flight we can be back in London quickly and enjoy the best of both worlds.”

Love Island: All Stars contestant Zac Woodworth has seemingly given away his “game plan” after entering the villa as a Bombshell on the hit ITV2 reality show earlier this week

Love Island All Stars contestant Zac Woodworth has seemingly given away his “game plan” after entering the villa. The reality star, 26, initially appeared on Love Island USA but recently entered the British version of the ITV2 reality dating show by arriving at the South African Villa as a bombshell.

He is currently getting close to Millie Court on the spin-off of the main show, which sees former contestants heading back onto the programme that made them famous, so they can have a second chance at finding love.

An Instagram account dedicated to Love Island memes screenshotted a story that was reposted onto Zac’s page, which was initially posted by his former co-star JD Dodard, who also appeared on the US version of Love Island in summer 2025.

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He wrote: “Pre game plan executed perfectly @zacwoodworth,” with a crying tears of laughter emoji, whilst his other co-star Zak Strakaew said: “Make sure ya’ll go back my boyyyy @zacwoodworth,” which was then reposted onto his Stories.

Viewers of the reality show rushed to the comments to share their thoughts, with some claiming that some contestants are just hoping for a spot on the show.

The original account wrote: “From Zak’s story!! I hope this wasn’t his plan all along and is leading her on,” and in response, one fan said: “Of course it is, the Americans all just want to get into the main villa. No one is there ‘looking for love,'” whilst another wrote: “Producers should step in because that’s someone’s feelings!”

Another wrote: “You can see this a mile off!” and a fourth viewer said: “It could be that he really likes her and happy he’s got what he went in for… never judge a book by it’s cover as they say.” Another shared: “Feel like pre game plan means that he saw her before on there, that was who he wanted and he beelined for her and got her! Really doubt it’s a negative thing.”

Just before heading into the villa, Zac said: “I am super social, I love talking to everybody. They can expect me to be gentlemen but also go for what I want.

“In the US Villa I was conscious of not wanting to talk to ‘somebody’s girl’ but I would do that differently this time. I’m really excited to just get in there and do my thing!” The reality star also shared that he thought his time was “cut short” the first time round, after making it to just day 20.

Zac, a native of Arizona, explained: “Honestly, I felt that my time in the Love Island USA villa was cut short, I didn’t get the best shot at getting to know someone so for me, experiencing Love Island again but in the UK is perfect. I’ve always travelled the world and I love meeting girls outside of the US. “

Love Island: All Stars airs weeknights at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.

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