leaves

The holiday park operator changed its accommodation grading over a year ago, and has clarified how this will affect customers, but some have taken to social media to voice their disappointment

Parkdean has changed the way it grades its accommodation and it has left some customers ‘disappointed’, while others have been left confused by the update.

A number of guests have taken to the Parkdean Resorts Complaint Group on Facebook and shared their experience of booking accommodation with the holiday park operator.

Parkdean’s website explains that its grading system is now based on the size of the accommodation, rather than quality or age, so Bronze, Silver, and Gold run from smallest to largest. There are also ‘Premium’ options in each of these grades.

But some customers have claimed that this is different to how other holiday parks grade their accommodation, which could make it confusing. A member of the Facebook group claimed: “Gold caravans were always more luxurious than silver or bronze and this was reflected in the higher price. This new pricing system is not only confusing but very disappointing if you think you are paying for gold quality and end up with bronze instead.”

A spokesperson for Parkdean Resorts, said: “Guests consistently tell us how much they enjoy staying at our holiday parks, and we’re proud to maintain a strong TripAdvisor rating of 4.2 from more than 12,000 reviews.

“Our accommodation categorisation system was introduced over a year ago to help guests find the holiday experience that best suits their needs. As explained on our website, accommodation is categorised by size rather than quality or age, with premium options available across each size category, offering enhanced features and higher-specification fixtures and fittings.

“All of our accommodation is maintained to high standards, and we remain committed to providing every guest with a great holiday experience.”

But some holidaymakers in the Facebook group are still claiming to be left unhappy with their accommodation. One claimed they “booked a gold van” but felt “very disappointed” at what they felt “can be described as a silver van at best”, alleging that staff on site told them “that the grading system has changed and there is nothing they can do”,

Another claimed they had “booked a gold premium caravan and at best it was a bronze” at Sandy Bay Northumberland. They alleged that when they asked a member of staff they were told “pictures are only for illustration only and the status as in bronze, silver gold or gold premium is on the size of the caravan and not the spec”.

There are other holiday park operators that do grade their accommodation based on facilities rather than size. For example, Haven offers six caravan grades, from Saver to Signature Gold, and while some grades such as Bronze and Silver are around the same size, the latter offers extra features such as an outdoor deck.

Park Holidays also offers four core tiers: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum, with bronze described as an “affordable option” while “platinum caravans are crafted to the highest standards and include private decking, en-suite facilities and premium finishes.” There’s no mention of sizing on its website.

Have a story you want to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com

The documentary was originally released in 2023 but is now available on HBO Max, NOW and more. It’s left many fews with “goosebumps” after watching the “haunting” ending

It can be tricky deciding which documentaries to devote your time to, especially with so much choice on offer. But an “unforgettable” documentary has earned praise for its emotional depth and “haunting”, chilling conclusion that lingers with audiences long after the final credits.

There’s an abundance of thought-provoking, powerful and compelling documentaries available across numerous streaming services like NOW, Disney+, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and beyond. Those seeking greater insight into our world and the cosmos can indulge in the various David Attenborough-led programmes like Life on Earth, Planet Earth and countless others.

True crime devotees have no shortage of options, with the likes of Making a Murderer, Girl in the Picture, Fred & Rose West: A British Horror Story, and plenty more capturing global audiences.

But for those yearning for something slightly different, a 2023 documentary currently streaming on HBO Max might prove the ideal solution.

Lots of telly fans head to social media while searching for their next marathon viewing session and popular TikTok content creator Luke Ecclestone, who shares content online as Eccy Reviews, has emerged as a trusted resource for many audiences.

Luke has accumulated hundreds of thousands of followers across social media where he offers his thoughts and analysis on various films and television programmes.

What is 2023’s Daniel about?

In a recent video uploaded to TikTok, he highlighted the 2023 documentary, Daniel, which chronicles the life of Daniel Northcott, who started filming his life from just seven after acquiring his dad’s video camera.

Luke began: “You need to cancel whatever you [were] planning on watching tonight because I’ve just gone and found you the perfect documentary to go and watch.

“It is emotional, it will send shivers down your spine, and you genuinely never will forget the ending.”

He continued: “The documentary you need to see is called Daniel. Now, this is available on HBO Max and if you’re someone who’s seen it, you’ll know exactly why I’m talking about it.

“[This documentary] follows Daniel, who at a young age is given a film camera. He begins to document his whole entire life into his 20s, when he begins to explore the whole world.”

However, circumstances soon shifted dramatically for Daniel.

Luke explained: “He becomes a teacher in Asia until one day, he goes into this Mayan cave, where he is drawn to this rock.

“He decides he wants to take it home, but he is advised not to because of the bad spirits, etc, etc. However, after the warnings, he begins to take the rock home.

“And three months later, he is diagnosed with leukaemia. Now, he begins to document his journey with cancer.

“It is very emotional, it is very personal, it will definitely bring a tear to your eye. When he begins to remember about this rock, he cannot find it – and it becomes a documentary that is super entertaining, but emotional.

“Genuinely, when you get towards the end of this documentary, you will never, ever forget what happens. So make sure you go and head over to HBO Max – go and check out Daniel.”

How did viewers react to Daniel?

In the comments section, fellow TikTok users were eager to voice their opinions. One person said: “It’s absolutely brilliant but very haunting.” Another said: “Best documentary.”

A third commented: “Just watched it on Sky Docs, wow! One of the most powerful documentaries I’ve seen for a long time, good shout.” While a fourth said: “Daniel documentary absolutely broke me and [I] get goosebumps every time I think of that ending.”

Someone else shared: “This was such a bittersweet watch.” And another viewer added: “I can confirm, the ending gave me the shivers. Wow!”

Daniel is available to stream on HBO Max via NOW.

‘We’re going backwards.’ Palestinians in Gaza say Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rejection of the US-backed 15-point plan has deepened uncertainty over an end to the war. Hamas says it remains committed to the agreement.

Josie Gibson failed to hold back on her line of questioning during the latest instalment of This Morning as she asked Ricky Gervais about his relationship

ITV’s This Morning made for hilarious viewing on Friday (August 7) as Ricky Gervais was interviewed on the famous blue sofa.

The 65-year-old appeared on the daytime programme to discuss his new Netflix show, Alley Cats, with presenters Paddy McGuinness and Josie Gibson. But after briefly talking about the new animated series, Josie questioned Ricky on other matters.

Talking about his character Gus in Alley Cats, Ricky mentioned that he is similar to the animated feline because he dislikes people. Stating that he prefers to stay indoors instead of socialising outside, Ricky said: “It’s my favourite thing!

“It’s couch, me, girlfriend, cat, wine, Netflix.” He added: “Honestly, just to get up and go on tour, I’ve already been paid so I’ve got to do it.”

Josie then probed: “Have you not married Jane then. Is she still your girlfriend?”

To which Ricky awkwardly replied: “Yeah. Yeah – we do everything. We are married, really. But just not in the eyes of God.”

With Josie responding: “Right, okay!”

Ricky and his long-term partner, Jane Fallon, have been together for more than four decades, having started their relationship in 1982 after meeting while studying at University College London.

Over the years, the couple have built successful careers of their own. While Ricky became one of Britain’s most recognisable comedians, actors and writers through projects including The Office, his partner Jane has established herself as a bestselling novelist.

Reflecting on their early years together, Ricky has spoken about the modest flat they shared in London’s King’s Cross, recalling that it was all they could afford at the time. Despite their humble beginnings, the couple have remained by each other’s side as their careers continue to flourish.

Ricky has often praised his partner for inspiring his work, and their relationship has remained strong throughout his rise to international fame. Although they have been together for over 40 years, the pair have repeatedly said they have no plans to marry or have children.

Speaking to The Daily Mail in February 2018, Jane told the publication: “We’re not married because neither of [us] are fussed. I think if one of us really cared then we would probably do it but it’s not really been anything that either of us have ever really needed.”

This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV1.

Aug. 2 (UPI) — At least five people were killed and 41 remain missing after a ferry carrying hundreds of people caught fire off the coast of Indonesia’s Madura Island on Sunday, officials said.

Thick smoke was seen billowing from the passenger vessel KMP Mutiara Sentosa 2, which was carrying 271 passengers and crew.

The ferry’s captain reported the fire as the vessel traveled from Surabaya to Makassar about 6 a.m. local time.

Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency said survivors were rescued by a number of vessels that had been in the area, the Jakarta Globe reported.

Search and rescue efforts continued throughout the day. The ferry was still smoking by mid-afternoon, the Globe reported.

Victims were taken to three area hospitals for medical evaluation.

“Our main focus is on rescuing the victims and ensuring they receive the best possible care upon their arrival on land,” Sumenepe Police Chief Ariek Indra Sentanu told iNews. “The TNI, Polri, and district government are working together in the field.”

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, officials said.

A mum-of-three who left the UK three years ago and moved her family across the world has said the biggest reason for moving abroad was how expensive things are at home

A mum-of-three has claimed her “life is better” after taking her family across the world to escape the cost-of-living crisis. Many Brits have been feeling the pinch over the past few years, with the cost of everything from food to energy bills and petrol costs skyrocketing and leaving everyone with less money in their pockets.

But while many of us look at ways we can cut our spending by being more frugal with our food shopping or cutting back on family holidays, one mum has taken matters into her own hands – by moving somewhere more affordable. Lucy Richardson shared a video on social media in which she said rising costs were one of the biggest factors in deciding to move her family abroad for a new life.

In a video shared on TikTok, Lucy explained that she, her husband, and their three young children decided to leave the UK in 2023. They now live in Bali, Indonesia, where prices are so low that she can completely fill her moped for just £4 – and the tropical weather and gorgeous views are just a bonus.

She said in her video: “The cost of living in the UK was completely out of control, and that’s why we left. We left nearly three years ago because two full-time working parents were not enough for us to sustain the life that we had in the UK.”

Lucy revealed that she and her husband were working full-time to try and support their family and pay their rent, but were finding that they were barely getting by and described their situation as “surviving” and not “living”.

She continued: “We just felt like we were constantly chasing our tail and constantly paying stuff out. Then we had this tiny little pot left over to actually enjoy ourselves and do things that we wanted to do. Then, because there wasn’t enough money, we would put it on a credit card, and then we were in this massive circle of debt.”

The mum-of-three said she could see her family being in this cycle for years, potentially never being able to live their lives until they were retired, by which point they could be “too ill or too old” to enjoy it.

What’s more, Lucy felt like she was missing out on spending time with her three children, as they were growing up without her while she worked full-time to support them. So, the family made the decision to leave the UK and move to Bali.

She said: “It was a crazy, vicious circle that I didn’t want to be a part of. So we left. We now have a much simpler life.

“Today, we just filled up our moped for £4. The same petrol that you have in the UK, and that’s a full tank that’s going to last me for two weeks. Four quid. It’s absolutely crazy.

“Now, we have a much simpler life. We don’t have to go to a nine-to-five [job], and I get to see my kids’ childhoods. So I know what I would rather pick, and that’s why we left the UK. So many people ask, and it’s the cost of living. It was just too high.”

Many commenters on the post praised the mum for having the courage to take her family across the world for a better life, with many saying they wish they could do the same.

One person said: “Well done, you, for taking that step and leaving the UK to better your lives. We are a family of five and totally understand where you are coming from. We class ourselves as the working poor. Working but have nothing to show for it because everything goes on paying taxes and bills.”

Another added: “Agree totally, Britain is a rip off. You did right in getting out.”

A third posted: “Same here. We left six years ago for Spain and it’s so liberating. Our relatives can’t believe how much less we pay month to month here and can now appreciate why we left.”

THIS is the shocking moment former glamour model Katie Price left her son Junior mortified as she talked about her “hairy bits.”

Katie made the comments on series three of her daughter’s show The Princess Diaries after finally being “allowed” to film.

During a glamping trip with her kids, Katie was asked by Princess when she started her first business.

The 48-year-old confessed she launched raunchy ironing board covers when she was just 18.

Katie said: “Ironing board covers. When you iron it, I go naked. Sorry Junior.”

“I’m doing my beauty range at 18 and that’s when you started,” said Princess.

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Katie replied: “That’s what I mean you’re following in my footsteps.”

Speaking candidly on her mum‘s cheeky venture, Princess said in her confessional: “It’s actually really interesting to hear mum talk about starting to build her career.

“Because like if a girl did that now at 18, it would be classed as very wrong so, it’s two different lives really.”

Podcast host Katie then went on to leave her kids – specifically Junior – gobsmacked by a surprise revelation.

She announced: “I had bit of a hairy muff back then though.”

Junior, who is following in his dad Peter’s footsteps as a singer, put his head in his hands.

Shaking his head he said: “Oh my god!”

Katie didn’t stop there, she added: “It was because I had red bikini on and the ironing board cover would take it off and I had like a little triangle.”

Junior said: “Mate that I…I don’t like…”

“It’s part of your mum’s journey and after that I bought out cups with me topless on them,” added Katie.

Mortified Junior decided to remain silent as his mum opened up on her sexy merch.

This comes as Katie has finally been “allowed” to film the show after previously being banned from production.

After fallout from Princess’ dad and his wife Emily being allowed on the show they both took a step back to avoid further drama.

Following Katie and Peter’s truce back in February, Princess hinted that both her parents would feature in series three – which they have.

In March, she said: “I mean, the good thing is now, obviously, my mum and dad have come out with an agreement to be fine.

“So hopefully season three, they will actually both be in it which is amazing. It’s so good now because there is just no issues.”

A British tourist visiting the Canary Islands has shared a great-value restaurant find in Tenerife, where a pizza and Aperol Spritz lunch came to much less than viewers were expecting

While planning holidays to the Canary Islands, or any other popular tourist destination, many holidaymakers will outline an itinerary to plan out their days. This often includes the various activities they want to do, places to visit, and when to schedule in time to relax by a pool or a beach.

But with the rise of social media, people can now also plan out which restaurants and cafes they want to visit, as many holidaymakers will take to platforms like Instagram and TikTok to rave about their favourite eateries in different locations, which sometimes leads to the restaurants in question going viral.

One of the many people who have shared where they’ve eaten is British tourist Beth Yeandle, who often takes to her TikTok to share her travel vlogs and recommendations to her followers. During a recent holiday to Tenerife with her friends, Beth went on to document her pizza lunch at a restaurant called La Spezia, raving about both the food and the prices.

“Okay, you need to save this for your next trip to Costa Adeje,” Beth said at the start of her video, as she was seen tucking into a cheesy-looking pizza.

People amazed by value of Tenerife restaurant

Panning to the outside of the restaurant, she revealed that she and her friends had stumbled upon the eatery one afternoon during their holiday, drawn in by menus advertising a €6 (£5) pizza and pasta deal, alongside a happy hour offering half-price drinks between 2pm and 5pm.

“We were so buzzing with this little find,” Beth said, as she shared footage from inside the restaurant, which was decked out in a minimalist Mediterranean style.

Beth and her two companions each ordered a pizza, all with different toppings, yet each looking equally mouth-watering.

“The pizzas were huge, and you can’t beat a good Aperol at lunchtime,” Beth said. “We enjoyed it so much that we actually ended up going twice.”

Although she didn’t disclose the total bill, assuming she took advantage of the deal, her food would have come to just €6.

As for the drink, the typical price in Tenerife ranges between €7.50 (£6) and €8.50 (£7), meaning her entire lunch set her back less than £10 with the half price offer.

Viewers were quick to flock to the comments section to voice their opinions, with many desperate to visit the eatery themselves after watching Beth’s clip.

“Ohhhhh I love Tenerife,” one person wrote, while someone else commented: “The best restaurant! !”.

“I’d be there every day,” a third person said.

Another user pointed out: “It’s worth noting that this is in Callao Salvaje and not Costa Adeje.”

A landslide on the outskirts of the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing has killed at least eight people and left 34 missing. 10 residential buildings have been buried, forcing more than a thousand residents to evacuate.

The Hairdresser Mysteries seems to have won over TV viewers as it launched to favourable reviews on BBC One

A new BBC detective series has left fans “obsessed” as it launches with positive reviews.

The Hairdresser Mysteries made its debut on Friday, 17 July at 2pm. Written by playwright Jim Cartwright, the series centres on Lily Petal, a talented hairdresser whose obsession with all things 1970s is matched only by her flair for styling.

After leaving the fast-paced world of an upmarket London salon, she relocates to a small hairdressing shop in a quiet northern market town in search of a slower pace of life. However, that plan quickly unravels when a string of suspicious deaths begins unfolding around her new home.

Before long, Lily finds herself solving crimes instead of simply cutting hair, with sharp-minded assistant Clary Coombs by her side. Their unlikely detective team is completed by the town’s resident busybody, Wincey, and enthusiastic Police Constable Adam, who all become caught up in a series of investigations.

Leading the cast is Sally Phillips as Lily, the fashionable salon owner whose knack for uncovering clues proves just as useful as her skills with a pair of scissors. The 56-year-old actress is widely recognised for playing Shazza throughout the Bridget Jones film series.

Taking on the role of Clary is Charlotte Jordan, whose character’s intelligence and eye for detail make her an invaluable partner in Lily’s amateur sleuthing. The 32-year-old actress is best known to television audiences for portraying Daisy Midgeley in Coronation Street, a role she held between 2020 and 2025.

Promoting the show on Instagram, actress Charlotte penned: “The Hairdresser Mysteries’ drops on @bbcone and @bbciplayer today with the schamazinggg @sallysmack @isunetra and @bencastlegibb.

“Welcome to Blosson Vale. Where everyone’s a little bit odd…and someone usually ends up dead. New episodes every Friday for the next six weeks.”

After seeing her post, fans couldn’t get enough and headed straight to the comment section to share their thoughts. One social media user wrote: “So obsessed, already need another series!!”

Another wrote: “LOVING IT SO FAR!! Lily and Clary are already an ICONIC duo!!”

Fans on X, formerly known as Twitter, also shared similar sentiments, with one writing: “I guess a lot of us were just watching because it was Charlie Jordan’s first job after Corrie and she was brilliant.”

The Hairdresser Mysteries airs Fridays at 2pm on BBC One.

Former “The Ring” and “Lilo & Stitch” child star Daveigh Chase, who died while homeless in June after years of battling drug addiction, leaves an estate worth nearly half a million dollars.

Probate documents filed July 8 in Los Angeles County Superior Court say Chase — legal name Daveigh Elizabeth Schwallier — left behind about $400,000 in personal property. The late actor’s mother, Cathy Chase, submitted the documents and filed a petition to become the administrator of her daughter’s estate.

The court filings also note that Daveigh Chase died without a will, is only survived by her parents, and confirm that she was homeless at the time of her death. The last known address for Chase appears to be a home in Chatsworth.

Chase died June 16 in a hospital at age 35. In initial reports, her father, John David Schwallier, and her boyfriend said the actor died of complications from bacterial meningitis and a blood infection. But the medical examiner’s report disclosed that Chase died of AIDS, which is caused by HIV, as the primary cause of death. The report also listed chronic polysubstance use — using more than one drug or substance at the same time or within a short period — as a “significant condition.”

Chase started her acting career in the late 1990s with minor roles in popular TV series, including “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” “Charmed” and “ER,” and starred in multiple beloved movies at the turn of the century. In 2001 cult classic “Donnie Darko,” she was Samantha, the younger sister of Jake Gyllenhaal’s troubled Donnie Darko. She would reprise the role eight years later for the sequel, “S. Darko: A Donnie Darko Tale.”

In the same year as “Donnie Darko,” Chase lent her voice to the American dub of Hayao Miyazaki’s tender “Spirited Away,” voicing its protagonist Chihiro. The film won the animated feature prize at the 2003 Academy Awards.

Chase was known for her versatility, demonstrated by her roles in “Lilo & Stitch” and “The Ring” in the same year. In the latter, she played ghost girl Samara Morgan.

In the aughts, Chase also appeared in more than 20 episodes of the Fox sitcom “Oliver Beene” and more than 30 episodes of HBO’s Emmy-nominated Mormon family drama “Big Love” as cunning teenager Rhonda Volmer. After the hit series, Chase’s career slowed and she appeared in lower-profile projects. Her final credit was a voice-acting role in the 2016 video game “Let It Die.”

A hearing for Chase’s probate case is set for Aug. 12.

Times editorial library director Cary Schneider and staff writer Hannah Fry contributed to this report.

Typhoon Bavi brought heavy rain and powerful winds to Japan’s southern islands while skirting Taiwan, where rough seas, fallen trees and localized damage were reported.

Despite the storm, residents in Keelung ventured out to markets as Bavi weakened while tracking toward China’s east coast, where landfall is expected on Sunday.

After Strictly Come Dancing announced Love Island winner and dancer Cach Mercer as the fifth contestant for 2026’s line-up, several fans of the BBC show were angered to discover he already has dance experience

Strictly Come Dancing have announced Love Island winner Cach Mercer as part of their 2026 line-up – but some fans are up in arms because he already has dance experience.

Cach, who won Love Island last year, was the fifth contestant announced for this year’s Strictly Come Dancing. But, according to charity Young Minds, of which Cach is an ambassador, the star is a “professional dancer from East London”.

The Love Island star appears to have training in Hip Hop and Afrobeats and regularly posts videos of himself dancing online. In many of these videos, he has choreographed his own dance moves. He has also taught a dance classes for places such as dance event Move It and Platinum Performing Arts.

After discovering that the latest Strictly celeb had dance experience several fans were upset. One wrote on Instagram: “Had to google who he was, and the first thing that came up was ‘professional dancer’!!!”

Another added: “A professional dancer? How is he getting on as a celeb then?” A third said it gave “such an advantage when they’re already dancers” and that it was “extremely unfair to the other contestants”.

A fourth hilariously thought Strictly’s post about Cach joining the show was intended to announce a new pro dancer. “Oooh he’s a professional dancer!” they wrote. “So we are get getting some new pros this year!” The fan quickly added: “Oh wait no, this says celebrity reveal. He’s a Love Islander and professional dancer. I might just delete all this.”

But, other fans defended Cach, pointing out that many celebs who have competed on the show had dance experience and that Cach’s training was not in ballroom or latin.

“He’s trained in hip-hop and afrobeats. He’s never done ballroom or latin, never been to a stage school and never danced with a partner,” one said. “So he’s well within the rules of the show.”

Another continued: “When so many contestants have been to stage school and done musical theatre etc, it is well past time that we stopped calling people out for having previous dance experience.”

Every year there seems to be at least one celeb contestant who fans say should not be on the show due to their prior dance experience and/or training. Last year, both Emmerdale star Lewis Cope and Love Island winner Amber Davies came under fire for doing the show whilst having dance training.

Amber, who dances in musical theatre shows, responded to the backlash with: “We see the same thing over and over again and I feel like it doesn’t matter what I say or how I feel, if I’m struggling, people will of course have things to say because I do musical theatre.

“I have worked my a**e off to be taken seriously in the musical theatre world, and I feel like I have been working so hard. The musical theatre world is actually quite small so once you work hard, you are committed, consistent in your job and are a good company member, you can build your reputation quite quickly within the industry.”

Meanwhile, Lewis, who danced as a child and got to three dance world championships, said to Metro: “I don’t really know where all that came from, to be honest. I trained as an actor, I danced a bit when I was a teen, but haven’t since. It’s only ever really been acting for me for a long, long time – so I don’t really know where that came from. I don’t really take notice of it, though – everyone’s so strong, and anyone can pull out a brilliant performance at any point.

“To call me professionally trained or a professional dancer seems a bit bizarre, especially now that I’m working with these pros on the show. It’s kind of an insult to them, really, to suggest I’m on their level when they’ve dedicated their lives to becoming as brilliant as they are.”

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

There is one overriding question many people are now asking. How?

Fifa’s disciplinary code states that Balogun should receive a ban of “at least two matches for serious foul play”.

Indeed, the World Cup rules do not allow teams to appeal against a red card.

Fifa’s statement offered no reason or explanation for suspending Balogun’s ban. It just cited “article 27 of the Fifa disciplinary code”.

Article 27 allows Fifa “to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure”.

It is a wide-ranging rule that allows Fifa to effectively make whatever decision it wants without having to meet any other criteria.

Article 27 has never before been used at a World Cup.

In addition, Balogun’s suspended ban is only for one match, not two as per the disciplinary code. This has not been explained.

BBC Sport has asked why this happened.

But we were not provided with any reasoning. We were simply directed to Cristiano Ronaldo’s suspended ban before this tournament.

Under Fifa’s disciplinary code, Ronaldo should have received a three-match ban for elbowing Dara O’Shea during Portugal’s 2-0 qualifying defeat by the Republic of Ireland in November.

He served one match in the final qualifier against Armenia – but the remaining two games of the ban were suspended.

Ronaldo’s red card, though, was received in qualifying. It was not a red card at a World Cup.

There have been many cases of players being shown some leniency before a tournament, not just Ronaldo.

See France’s Laurent Koscielny in 2014, or Ecuador’s Moises Caicedo and Argentina’s Nicolas Otamendi before this World Cup.

At least with Ronaldo, we were given some justification, with Fifa saying it had taking into account that “he had no red cards in his other 225 international appearances”.

With Balogun, we did not even get that.

It has left a vacuum of information which can only lead to speculation.

Why was this a special case? What factors were taken into account? Who made the decision?

BBC Sport has been told there are no suggestions that the referee asked for the suspension to be removed, or that video assistant referee protocol was not respected.

In England, the Football Association would publish the full written reasons.

The United States have the right to ask Fifa to publish them, Belgium do not.

BBC Sport pundit Micah Richards, a former England defender, said it was a farce.

“To have it suspended for a year makes a mockery of the whole tournament,” he said.

“It is to keep the big stars in the competition. How can that happen? Fifa needs to do better.

“It has left a bad taste in a lot of people’s mouths.”

Belgium are, of course, furious. They issued a statement on Sunday saying they were “astonished” that Balogun had been cleared to play.

The Belgian FA referenced several regulations, workshop presentations and pre-tournament co-ordination meetings.

They are adamant that the decision contradicts the tournament regulations which state that a player “will automatically be suspended from their team’s subsequent match”.

In effect, they say Fifa used its disciplinary code to override the competition regulations.

Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia, speaking at a news conference, went further. He said: “I didn’t know that [at] the Fifa World Cup 5 July is now 1 April, and that is April Fool’s.

“We are not defending the national team or the federation, we’re defending football.”

What must the other players sent off at this tournament be thinking?

Take Qatar’s Assim Madibo, involved in an unfortunate incident which led to a broken leg for Canada’s midfielder Ismael Kone.

There is a clear case here that Madibo did not even make a challenge, that the injury happened by chance and not because of the nature of the tackle.

Yet Fifa handed Madibo a five-game ban – an extra three on top of the standard punishment for serious foul play.

Netflix viewers are binge watching the four part series, which has already found itself in the top 10

A “disturbing” true crime series that gives viewers nightmares is available to stream in full.

Earlier this week (July 1), streaming giant Netflix released four part series Worst Neighbor Ever, which comes from the same creators of shows Worst Ex Ever and Worst Roommate Ever.

Spanning across four episodes, it plunges viewers into real life neighbour disputes that often escalate to violence, and even murder. Through chilling body cam and CCTV footage as well as heartbreaking interviews with victims, the series also offers a unique approach by using animated re-enactments.

Promising to show cases that are “more shocking than ever”, an official synopsis teased: “You think you know your neighbors? Think again.

“This new series features first-hand accounts of violence, intimidation, and harassment that are more shocking than ever. Through compelling testimonials, startling body cam footage, and animated re-enactments, Worst Neighbor Ever proves the people next door aren’t just a nuisance – they’re lethal.”

The cases included a huge insurance scam explosion that had a catastrophic impact on one community, as well as a suspect’s chilling moves before a brutal shooting that left one dad dead.

Already, Worst Neighbor Ever has found itself in the top 10, surpassing other new releases taking the top spot.

Viewers cannot stop binge watching the four part anthology series, with some having “nightmares” from the harrowing cases shown.

Taking to X, one person wrote: “Episode 3 of #WorstNeighborEver has in my tearssssss. J**** man.” Another said: “#worstneighborever is crazy.”

A third fumed: “this #WorstNeighborEver series is ridiculous. there’s really some evil people out here.”

A fourth added: “These #WorstNeighborEver cases get worse and worse omg.” A fifth commented: “Episode 3 of worst neighbor ever just ruined my mf dayyyyyy!!!!!”

Another stated: “Every single episode of #WorstNeighborEver has made me cry, episode 3 especially.”

Over on TikTok, one true crime fan said the show was “unbelievably shocking” as they said in a video: “It did not disappoint, it was absolutely fantastic and I am shocked beyond belief.” They added it made then “so sad and so angry”.

One person replied: “just watched it the first episode was gut wrenching”, as another echoed: “OMG just finished watching it, I was bawling my eyes out he didn’t deserve that.”

A third added: “Thought it was so good, and so disturbing.” In another video, one reviewer stated the ‘Worst Ever’ collection has them “locked in every time”, as another said they were “not prepared” when watching the heartbreaking episode. A third penned: “It gave me nightmares.”

Worst Neighbor Ever can be streamed on Netflix