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UK motorists would rather take a scenic UK drive than the fastest option for a staycation road trip – with 52% saying beautiful scenery was important when planning a long drive.

Three quarters of motorists would prefer to take the scenic route rather than the quickest option for a staycation. A poll of 2,000 drivers revealed that beautiful scenery (52%) was a key consideration when planning a long drive – with the average motorist willing to add 41 minutes to their journey for a more impressive view.

Four in ten find a road trip ‘boring’ as it typically involves motorways and staring at the back of a lorry – with the M25 voted the most tedious road to drive on. However, 21% admitted they wouldn’t know how to find a more scenic route, while 57% rarely or only sometimes have enough time to plan one before heading off.

A further 49% confess they rely too heavily on their sat nav, meaning they seldom discover new or picturesque routes by chance.

The study, commissioned by temporary car insurance provider Tempcover, revealed that when taking a scenic route, 37% found it took a similar amount of time to a motorway journey, while 25% said it actually took less – thanks to avoiding traffic and congestion.

Adam Craddock, temporary car insurance expert for the brand, said: “With the UK staycation market seeing strong demand this summer, we wanted to give motorists the best of both worlds.

“Motorways are essential for efficient travel, but we also want to give holidaymakers an easier way to discover stunning scenic detours alongside their usual routes.

“The UK possesses world-class landscapes that genuinely rival top global destinations – from the spectacular vistas of the Scottish Highlands to the serene beauty of the Lake District – and our new interactive tool is designed to unlock them all.”

Discover an alternative scenic route by entering your start and end UK postcodes with this new online tool.

The research revealed scenic views are the source of many arguments in the car, with 13% accusing passengers of ‘hogging the best views’ – leaving 70% of drivers feeling that passengers are the only ones who get to enjoy it.

Despite 41% citing stop-offs as essential during a long car journey, 31% rarely or never do this – with the Angel of the North (33%) and Yorkshire Dales (22%) among places travellers have never stopped to visit.

However, the country’s beauty doesn’t go unnoticed as 34% believed the Scottish Highlands rivals the Norwegian Fjords, while 24% compared Cornwall to the Amalfi Coast.

Kaiser Chiefs frontman and musician, Ricky Wilson who regularly travels across the country for festivals and gigs, contributed his own top spots to the tool.

He said: “As a band we’ve driven thousands of miles this year alone, and after recently hitting the milestone of 1,500 live shows, you realise how much of the country you miss by sticking rigidly to the sat nav.

“Some of our best moments on tour – like all of us jumping out of the bus to check out Stonehenge – only happened because we took a scenic detour.

“Now with four-year-old twins, pit stops are non-negotiable, and swapping grey motorway service stations for incredible scenic spots is a game-changer.

“We’ve had some legendary detours over the years, and taking the scenic route turns a boring drive into pa rt of the holiday. “

The countryside (68%) and beach and coastal routes (63%) were amongst the most enjoyable scenery to take in while driving, according to those surveyed via OnePoll.com.

The typical driver is comfortable going 113 minutes before requiring a break – however, 41% would never split driving responsibilities as 47% prefer being behind the wheel. But 27% would refuse to hand over the keys because of insurance reasons, while 15% claimed adding an extra driver to their annual policy is too much hassle.

Adam Craddock at Tempcover added: “A great trip should start the moment you get into the car, not just when you reach the destination.

“It’s all about making the most of the journey together and sharing the adventure every mile of the way. The right cover gives drivers the flexibility to share the wheel and we are all about removing the hassle with temporary comprehensive cover in minutes – making it easy to share the drive and swap over so one person doesn’t hog all the views.”

Spanish star has scored just one goal in the World Cup, where he’s been sharing celebrations with his little brother.

Despite not scoring a goal in Spain’s quarterfinal win over Belgium, Lamine Yamal was named the player of the match for his contributions and capped off the win by sharing a touching moment with his little brother during the post-match celebrations in Los Angeles.

Yamal, who has not scored since Spain’s group-stage win over Saudi Arabia on June 21, said after the match on Friday that nobody will care about his lack of goals if Spain win the World Cup.

At a tournament where stars like Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane have been prolific, 18-year-old Yamal has just one goal to date, in a routine 4-0 group drubbing of Saudi Arabia. He failed to find the net once again as Spain booked their place in the World Cup semifinals for the second time.

“Obviously I want to score, but I don’t go onto the pitch thinking about that. I do it thinking about helping the team,” said Yamal.

“If we win the World Cup, no one will remember whether I scored goals … The important thing is winning,” said the Barcelona star, after the victory in Los Angeles set up a semifinal clash with France.

“I know I can contribute even if I don’t score. I know my movements draw in many opponents, so I do everything I can to help the team,” he said.

Despite the lack of goals, Yamal has performed consistently for La Roja and has also broken records along the way.

On Friday, he made his sixth FIFA World Cup appearance, the outright most by a player aged 18 or younger in the competition.

Breakout star

Two years ago, then aged 16, Yamal was the breakout star of the Spanish team that won the European Championships in Germany.

He only scored once during that victorious campaign – a stunning strike in a 2-1 semifinal win against France.

“There’s an idea that I should be scoring more, like at the Euros, but we won the Euros with me scoring just one goal. And I have one goal here too, so I’m relaxed about it,” he said, with a smile.

But Spain will be hoping Yamal, who turns 19 the day before the semifinal, can bag further goals if his side is to see off the free-scoring tournament favourites France.

“There are two possibilities – either they reach three consecutive World Cup finals, or we beat them three times in a row. We’ll see what happens,” said Yamal.

“We aren’t afraid at all.”

Yamal shares endearing moment with brother Keyne

Amid Spain’s post-match celebrations, Yamal and his half-brother Keyne were caught in a sweet moment when the younger sibling was shown on the big screen.

The three-year-old was screaming and stuck his tongue out when the camera panned on him. Keyne then blew a kiss at his brother, making the teen Spanish star laugh and wave at him.

Keyne, who often accompanies Yamal to award shows and other public events, has been a fan favourite for the crowds at the World Cup.

He has been picked up by the cameras on multiple occasions, drawing a chuckle from his older brother and cheers from the crowd around him.

President Donald Trump says it’s ‘unfair’ for Iran to lack ballistic missiles if other regional countries have them. Trump is at the G7 in France where the US-Iran deal has taken centre stage.

Both SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild East are condemning the recent firings at CBS’ “60 Minutes.”

Under the news network’s editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, on-air correspondents Scott Pelley, Cecilia Vega, Sharyn Alfonsi and the program’s executive producer, Tanya Simon, have all been ousted from the legacy newsmagazine. The two unions, which represent journalists, said the recent actions appear to compromise editorial independence.

WGA East president Tom Fontana wrote in a letter to members on Thursday that the changes at CBS News “are more than mere ideological interference with the news. They display a profound contempt for the journalism profession.”

He added, “it is clear that CBS brass is engaged in a near-constant level of editorial interference that would have previously been unthinkable.”

Tom Fontana joined WGA and SAG-AFTRA members on the picket line in the strike over contract negotiation at Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery offices on Aug. 15, 2023, in in New York City.

(Lev Radin / VIEWpress via Getty Images)

SAG-AFTRA similarly said in a statement Thursday that these “decisions can only be seen as part of a broader strategy to gut the crucial independent journalism that is so important to our democratic system.”

A spokesperson for CBS News said in a statement, “There is no political interference at CBS News, not from ownership, not from Bari Weiss. The only ‘interference’ is the normal back and forth between editor and correspondent that happens in every newsroom.”

Pelley, one of the program’s most high-profile correspondents, was fired on Tuesday after speaking out during a team meeting. He reportedly said Weiss “is murdering ‘60 Minutes.’ … She does not love this place. She was brought in to kill it, and she’s been doing exactly that.” He also questioned the newly hired executive producer, Nick Bilton, and his ability to run the show, citing his lack of TV news experience.

Pelley accused CBS News management of favoring the Trump administration by instructing him to put “falsehoods and bias into a politically sensitive story.”

“I’ve been told to include assertions that are unverified,” he said in a statement. “To date, in every case, I have ignored these instructions or refuse them.”

“60 Minutes” is now down four correspondents, following Anderson Cooper’s departure and the firings of Vega and Alfonsi. These are only the most recent controversial moves from Weiss, who’s set on remaking the institution long defined by tradition. She arrived at CBS News in October with no television experience, installed by Paramount Chief Executive David Ellison after he acquired her digital news outlet, the Free Press, with a mandate to change the network.

Since her hiring, there was a significant round of layoffs and CBS News Radio was shut down.

“I’m only interested in working in a newsroom that is built on trust and mutual respect,” Weiss said of Pelley’s firing during a meeting on Wednesday morning. “That foundation was broken on Monday, and despite our attempts to engage with Scott Pelley and to find a way back, unfortunately we weren’t able to do so, and so we had to part ways.”

The lack of reporters means “60 Minutes” will have to line up new talent quickly to fill the correspondent roles, as production of the 2026-27 season is already underway.

WGA’s Fontana added, “To our friends and colleagues at CBS News: We see you, and you are not alone. Thousands of your union brothers, sisters, and siblings have your backs.”

SAG-AFTRA also said the union is prepared to take “legal actions related to the company’s conduct over the last several weeks.”

Times staff writer Stephen Battaglio contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON — President Trump said Thursday that federal housing finance regulator Bill Pulte, his pick for acting director of national intelligence, would not be his “permanent” choice for the critical security post.

The Republican president’s disclosure that he was ruling out installing Pulte in the position full time came after bipartisan pushback on Capitol Hill in recent days over Pulte’s lack of national security experience. The position requires Senate confirmation, something that lawmakers indicated was unlikely if Pulte were the nominee.

“He’s not going to be permanent because, you know, I don’t think he’d want to be permanent,” Trump said while taking questions in the Oval Office after an event on coal. He called Pulte a “very smart guy” and said he may look at past elections that Trump claims, without credible evidence, were “rigged” against him.

Trump said other candidates were under consideration for nomination to the post. “We’re interviewing people right now,” he said.

Pulte, a grandson of the founder of PulteGroup, has been a source of controversy within the administration for his work as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and his oversight of the mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Pulte has used his position to pursue Trump’s perceived political rivals for alleged mortgage fraud and has verbally attacked Jerome H. Powell, whose term as the Federal Reserve chairman recently ended after months of Trump and Pulte attacking him for not slashing the central bank’s benchmark rates. The federal housing finance regulator has also pitched a 50-year mortgage, an idea that backfired as it meant that the process of building wealth through homeownership would be slowed.

Both Republican and Democratic senators expressed concerns about Pulte and his lack of national security credentials in occupying a role coordinating 18 federal agencies involved in domestic and foreign security issues. Trump’s initial director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, resigned last month, citing her husband’s recent cancer diagnosis.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, said the national intelligence director job shouldn’t be “weaponized” and should be led by “professionals.”

Republican Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and John Cornyn of Texas, who are each leaving the chamber after this year’s elections, also expressed concerns about Pulte.

Democratic senators view Pulte as a risk even if he is serving only temporarily as the director of national intelligence while keeping his position at the FHFA.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sent Trump a letter on Thursday calling on him to rescind Pulte’s national security appointment.

“Americans cannot trust him to protect our nation and refrain from misusing the sensitive information he will have access to,” Warren wrote, saying that giving Pulte the job on an acting basis was a risk because Trump’s own words suggested the federal agency could be used “to promote election denial theories.”

At a hearing on Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed reports that he had threatened to fight Pulte in September, a sign of the friction that the federal housing finance director had generated inside the administration.

But as a frequent traveler on Air Force One, Pulte has a close relationship with Trump.

“He’s a person who’s got high integrity,” Trump said Thursday about Pulte.

Boak writes for the Associated Press.

In the debut episode of “The De Los Podcast,” hosts Fidel Martinez and Suzy Exposito spoke with the Latin Grammy-nominated singer and actor Leslie Grace about her long-awaited new music — plus some of the highlights and pain points throughout her film career.

Released in May, Grace’s bilingual record “Amor, ¿Quién Eres?” is the first album she’s released in over a decade. Suffused with what Exposito described as “tropical eleganza,” the album is a far cry from the Christian music Grace recorded in her teen years — and a marked shift from the Latin Grammy-nominated self-titled project she released in 2013. She touched on some of the personal developments required to reach the more sensual sonic landscape she explored in her latest release.

“The biggest learning has been how to protect my creative space, while I grow it and discover at the same time,” she told De Los.

The 31-year-old also discussed her work in the 2021 movie musical “In the Heights” — and the online backlash the film received due to the lack of other Afro-Latinos in the cast.

“The lack of representation within film [and] diversity within the Latin community is a conversation we haven’t touched on as much,” she said. “Only so many films [are] given a shot. There [are] certain ways that Latinos are portrayed that are very narrowed down in film. I think it’s a worthwhile conversation at any time. I’m glad that people started to talk about that, so [we] can get more stories.”

Reflecting further on her filmography, Grace talked about the canceled release of “Batgirl,” in which she played the titular role. The film, which was originally for a late 2022 debut on the HBO Max streaming service, was axed by its studio Warner Bros. for financial reasons.

“It was disappointing because we knew the film that we were making,” Grace said of the movie, which was in postproduction when it was scrapped. “I knew that it wasn’t a reflection of our work, because this is something that happens. But I think because of the context of the conversation around representation, and the way that films can be discarded, after a lot of work and time and money has gone into something … the creative community really felt for me.”

During that period, Grace said the support from other creatives helped her move forward. She has since starred in more independent films in recent years — including “In the Summers,” which won a grand jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival in 2024 — and the 2026 features “Stages” and “Campeón Gabacho,” which premiered at this year’s edition of South By Southwest.

“I really am grateful for every person that reached out to me and was like: ‘Hey, I’ve got you, whatever you need,’ or ‘This is wrong,’” Grace said. “When something happens to me, I focus on my experience and what I gained from it, that no one could really take away.”

Married at First Sight viewers said they ‘feel bad’ for one star after recent revelations

Married At First Sight viewers shared their concern after one of the brides accused her husband of being dishonest about a former partner.

The American version of the beloved reality programme is currently broadcasting on E4. Brand new episodes from its 19th series air weekdays at 8pm on the channel, and are also available to stream on Channel 4.

In a subtle departure from other iterations of the show, viewers follow just five couples from Austin, who have committed themselves to complete strangers. While some pairings are moving forward steadily, others are proving considerably more turbulent.

Wednesday’s (May 27) episode saw the couples mark a significant milestone. A full month had passed since they all walked down the aisle, meaning it was also one month since they first laid eyes on one another.

The couples organised a diverse array of activities to commemorate the occasion, with Pat and Rhonda rising early to watch a live space launch on their laptop. Meanwhile, Josh arranged to go skydiving with his wife Jalyn, reports OK!

Later, Josh struggled to rewrite his vows, revealing it had taken him four days to compose his original speech. The pair eventually made up, however tensions were soon to reach boiling point following an incident that occurred off camera.

As the episode drew to a close and the credits began rolling, a heated row between the two was broadcast. Jalyn revealed they had been socialising with some of Josh’s friends when the topic of ex-partners somehow arose.

Footage from a camera positioned within their apartment shows them arriving home in the middle of a heated debate. Josh tells her: “And it’s just like no. He didn’t say that Jayln and my ex are similar, he said that I similarly jumped into this like I jumped into it with my ex.

And then the way I explained it was like ‘Duh I jumped into this, I got married.’ So that’s where Peter said the similarities are. And that’s what brought up the whole ex thing. And I’m sure that’s what prompted the conversation between you and David. “

Josh and I were hanging out with his friends and we had a situation happen where we had a lot of talk Abou social media and what does it look like if your partner still has exes and what does that look like. And he was like I unfollowed her on Instagram and then I could feel something was off and it became evident that he didn’t

It is then revealed that Josh’s ex has seemingly DM’d him since getting married, prompting Jalyn to state: “I just don’t like that.” He insists that he is not hiding anything but she shares to the camera: “An unnecessary little lie, All I think of is turning into bigger lies. It definitely feels like a breach of trust or a lack of respect.”

She continues: “What is a mistake that you can work through and what is a red flag that you should leave for?” It didn’t take long for those watching along at home to share what they feel about the situation.

One fan said: “I hate the whole American ‘can’t ever speak to your ex again’ thing, ugh. And Josh shouldn’t have offered to cut contact with his ex, then not done it. I hope Josh gets the post nup, I don’t trust Jalyn.”

Another claimed: “Josh shouldn’t have said that he stopped following the ex when he didn’t and she shouldn’t have asked him to in the first place.”

While someone else noted: “Oh the ending where Josh still didn’t block his ex and seems like he’s still having conversations with her but then tells Jalyn that he doesn’t want a relationship with his ex, then why are you talking to her? I feel so bad for her.”

Married At First Sight USA continues tomorrow at 8pm on E4 and streaming on Channel 4

Foad Izadi of Tehran University says US President Trump’s repeated threats of renewed full-scale war are a sign of weakness, coming after 37 days of US bombing failed to force Iran into capitulation.

The CPJ says the ‘lack of concrete progress’ in the FBI investigation represents a failure by the US government.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has demanded a “public progress update” from United States authorities on the FBI probe into the Israeli military’s killing of Palestinian-American Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, 51, who was shot dead in the occupied West Bank in 2022.

In an open letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI chief Kash Patel, the CPJ said on Thursday evening that “the effectively stagnant status of this case is inconsistent with ensuring the security of US citizens anywhere in the world.”

It said the “lack of concrete progress” represents a failure by the US government to respond to the “killing of one of its citizens by a foreign military”.

It noted that there had been no formal interviews with witnesses, “despite the willingness of multiple witnesses to cooperate”, and no signs of FBI activity to gather evidence in Israel or Palestine.

Longtime TV correspondent for Al Jazeera Arabic, Abu Akleh, was covering Israeli army raids in the West Bank city of Jenin when she was killed by Israeli forces on May 11, 2022. She was wearing a clearly marked press vest when she was shot dead.

Israel initially accused Palestinian fighters of her death, but the Israeli military later released a statement saying “it is not possible to unequivocally determine the source of the gunfire which hit” Abu Akleh. It added that there was a “high possibility” that she was hit by Israeli gunfire.

Many independent investigations conducted by CNN, The Associated Press news agency, and The Washington Post concluded that Abu Akleh was deliberately targeted, the CPJ letter noted.

‘Justice remains elusive’

The CPJ asked for a public update on the status of the investigation, a commitment to a timeline for the investigation, and the public release of its findings. It also said the investigation needs to be “impartial and independent, free from political considerations”.

Abu Akleh’s family said in a statement on Thursday, “despite the passage of time, justice remains elusive,” adding that the lack of justice “sends a dangerous message that journalists can be targeted without consequence”.

Abu Akleh’s death became a symbol of the wider Palestinian struggle. Murals of her have adorned the cities of the occupied territory as people remember her for her fearless reporting.

Since her killing, Israel has killed 258 journalists and media workers, the CPJ reported. Israel has acknowledged killing a number of journalists, alleging they had links to armed groups, accusations their employers deny and the CPJ calls “deadly smears”.

“The prevailing culture of complete impunity enjoyed by Israel is a direct factor in the continued targeting of journalists without deterrence,” said Sara Qudah, CPJ’s regional director. “Without an independent investigation and real accountability, such attacks will only continue to escalate, emboldening those who seek to silence the truth through violence.”