leaving

Christian Watson didn’t literally come back from the dead on “Thursday Night Football.”

But what the Green Bay Packers receiver pulled off during his team’s 27-19 win over the Carolina Panthers was nearly as dramatic.

“He resurrected himself,” quarterback Jordan Love said during a postgame interview on Prime Video.

Injured while making a 53-yard catch at the 9:11 mark of the second quarter — he later said he might have landed with the ball or his elbow in his chest — Watson was having trouble breathing on the field and coughed up some blood on the sideline. Prime cameras showed him climbing into an ambulance under his own power and still wearing his pads.

Less than an hour later, the same cameras showed Watson climbing out of the ambulance and jogging out of the tunnel at Lambeau Field, much to the surprise and delight of his teammates and the crowd.

“It was super dramatic,” Watson told reporters in the locker room after the game. “I used to watch WWE as a kid — I felt like I was watching ‘WWE SmackDown vs. Raw’ or something out there, you know, seeing the cameras on me when I got out of the ambulance, that was a little crazy. It was a surreal experience, no doubt, just to go through that and have you know the fans cheering for me getting back out there. It was definitely exciting.”

It was a scene Watson would have liked to have avoided in the first place.

“I never wanted to go” to the hospital, Watson said during an on-field interview with Prime after the game. “I was hoping that they would let me off. I said it was feeling better once I kind of caught my breath, but they said there was a couple signs that made them have to take me over there. I was just praying that it was good enough where I could come back out here.”

Watson, who was able to keep up with the game on a doctor’s phone, said he was told he had broken a rib. He was cleared to return after a CT scan showed no signs of internal bleeding.

“I was spitting a little blood [on the sideline] at first, so they just wanted to make sure there was nothing crazy,” Watson said. “I cleared everything and was able to get back out.”

Donning extra padding to protect his ribs, Watson re-entered the game with 4:01 remaining in the third quarter and was targeted on the first play. The deep pass from Love was knocked away by Carolina’s Nick Scott, with Panthers cornerback Marco Wilson landing on Watson’s chest at the end of the play.

But the NFL’s second-leading receiver said he was happy just to be back on the field.

“I had so much adrenaline that it didn’t really hit me right away, but definitely, definitely felt that one,” said Watson, who caught two passes for 13 yards after his return and finished the night with eight catches for 113 yards.

“That’s pretty remarkable,” coach Matt LaFleur said of Watson’s performance. “He had a heck of a night. Just can’t imagine what he would have had had he not missed so much time.”

“I think it shows resiliency, I think it shows toughness, and I think it just shows the love that he has for this team,” safety Xavier McKinney told reporters after the game. “Sometimes, you might see that happen and he had his 100 yards, and he could’ve just sat it. But the fact that he wasn’t satisfied and the fact that he felt like and he knew that we still needed him out there and he still said, ‘OK, I love this team and I want to be able to go out here for this team and do that,’ that gains our respect.”

The epic war drama is based on a true story and viewers have hailed it an ‘outstanding masterpiece’ that’s ‘as good as Saving Private Ryan’ – it’s leaving Netflix on November 5.

For most film fans when the subject of war films arises a handful of reliable titles dominate the conversation and establish the standard. Movies such as Saving Private Ryan, Black Hawk Down, and The Hurt Locker have long been regarded as masterworks in the genre, with discussions inevitably returning to these films.

However, audiences are now claiming there’s another war movie by a legendary actor and director that rivals, if not surpasses, the Holy Trinity referenced above.

Viewers have just a few more days remaining to watch the ‘masterpiece’ war drama, though, as the film is departing the Netflix library on November 5.

Featuring an outstanding Bradley Cooper in the central role – who has received endless praise for his titular performance in the picture – this 2014 war drama has been helmed by acting icon Clint Eastwood.

American Sniper is presently streaming on Netflix – and audiences simply cannot get enough of the war drama, reports the Express.

The picture’s official synopsis states: “Navy S.E.A.L. sniper Chris Kyle’s pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield and turns him into a legend. Back home with his family after four tours of duty, however, Chris finds that it is the war he can’t leave behind.”

Sienna Miller plays the female lead of the picture alongside Cooper, and the leading duo are supported by Luke Grimes, Jake McDorman, Cory Hardrict, Kevin Lacz, Navid Negahban, and Keir O’Donnell in additional roles. American Sniper draws from the 2012 memoir of the same title written by war veteran Chris Kyle alongside Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice.

The war drama proved a colossal box office triumph, raking in $547 million against a production budget of roughly $59 million.

Beyond its commercial triumph, the picture garnered critical acclaim, securing six Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actor for Cooper, while ultimately claiming an Oscar for Best Sound Editing.

Audiences are completely taken with the war drama, as one fan writes on Rotten Tomatoes: “Powerful, emotional and very gritty. Directed to a tee by Clint Eastwood and Bradley Cooper excels as usual exceptionally well in character. Top class cinematography and writing. Succeeds in gripping you to the point where you can almost experience the settings physically. Outstanding on absolutely every level. Truly a memorable movie about a memorable man.”

Another viewer said of the film: “I can’t remember a movie in the last decade, that was as riveting and captivating as “American Sniper.” I kept seeing the trailer on TV and when I finally went to see it, I was already jacked-up…and it delivered. A+ Script A+ Director A+ Lead Actor A+ Supporting Actors A+ Cinematographer. Eastwood, Cooper and the screenwriter made a great team…which eventually became a great film.”

While another audience review reads: “One of the best war movies of our time. The character is really in focus and has a lot of development which makes it stand out in the sea of meaningless war stories. Really emotional and intense throughout. Amazing performance from Bradley Cooper too.”

Critics have been left equally bowled over, as one writes: “… a mature film of the toll war takes on its warriors, and you should see it, regardless of your politics.”

While another reviewer noted: “What a surprise that rather than an uncritical testament to the might of the armed forces, Eastwood delivers this complex, conflicted and profoundly moving look at the military machine, and the toll it takes on the soldiers.”

A third critic added: “American Sniper is devastating on the emotional level, especially with a very buffed-up Bradley Cooper in the lead role.”

American Sniper is available to stream on Netflix till November 4.

Ernie Johnson, the bow-tie-wearing, peace-keeping host of “Inside the NBA,” is leaving the show after 37 years.

“It’s just time,” the 70-year-old broadcaster said in a video posted Wednesday on social media.

“So why now? Total honesty here. I’ve always prided myself on my preparation, the hours I put in every day getting ready for the next show. I’ve always loved that part of my job, but I’ve always vowed that if that ever became more of a challenge than it is a joy, then I’ll know it’s time to step away. And now, after 37 seasons, it’s time.”

“Inside the NBA” started on TNT in 1989, and Johnson became host the following season. Over the years, he was joined by analysts Kenny Smith (1998), Charles Barkley (2000) and Shaquille O’Neal (2011) in a lineup that has become beloved to generations of basketball fans — so much so that the show switched over to ESPN when TNT lost its NBA rights.

“Few people have shaped the way fans experience the NBA as profoundly as Ernie Johnson,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “His brilliance as a broadcaster is matched by his character, compassion and generosity, which have been evident throughout his 37 years as host of ‘Inside the NBA.’ We are grateful for Ernie’s extraordinary impact on our league and look forward to celebrating him during his final season.”

Johnson repeated his announcement to open the crew’s appearance on ESPN’s “NBA Tip-Off” on Wednesday, then asked a clearly emotional Barkley how he was doing.

“That was tough,” Barkley said. “We knew the day was coming — still tough. Been here for 26, 27 years, and it’s been an honor and a privilege to work with you all this time, and Kenny and Shaq and the amazing people behind the scenes. …

“It’s been an amazing journey. You’ve been our leader. Our unquestionable leader. The question I’m asked the most … is, is Ernie Johnson as good a person as he seems? And I say, man, he’s better than that. So I just want to say thank you. Thank you for being our leader for all these years. … All I can say, Ernie, is thank you.”

Smith gave Johnson a standing ovation, and O’Neal said Johnson was the reason he joined the crew.

“You are the controller of this thing people call the circus — the best circus in town, but without you, it’s going to be very, very difficult,” O’Neal said. “Chuck made a great point. All we can say is thank you, and we appreciate you. We’re gonna miss you, and we will see you around, but thanks for the great run.”

In a video posted on X, Golden State Warriors forward and frequent “Inside the NBA” guest Draymond Green perfectly summed up Johnson’s role on the show.

“He is the best point guard I’ve ever played with — that’s no disrespect to the great Steph Curry,” Green said in a video posted Wednesday on X. “Ernie Johnson on a set is as incredible as they come. He sees everything. He’s like, ‘Man, this guy hasn’t spoke for a while. Let me toss it to him. Man, this conversation is going off the rails a little bit’ — as it can on that show — ‘let me rein it back in.’ … This guy is amazing.”

Johnson also shared that he’s been dealing with “heart issues” for almost two years, including undergoing bypass surgery two months ago, and that it was a “contributing factor” in his decision.

“Still trying to get this thing to beat exactly the way it should, and we’re getting it,” Johnson said. “I mean, I feel great. So this isn’t a case where my doctor said you need to stop working. It’s nothing like that. But here’s the deal: Going through that has made me treasure even more every second with my amazing wife of 44 years, Cheryl Ann, and being Poppy to our five grandchildren. So I just want to slow down a bit, spend more time enjoying that.

“Just to be clear, I’m not retiring; just cutting back. I’ll still do March Madness and other projects for TNT and CBS, and I’ve just started a new production company called 32 Bowties, geared toward telling feel-good stories in sports. So this is by no means the end. It’s just a turning of the page.”

Shaun Wright-Phillips has revealed the moment it dawned him on that he could be about to leave Strictly Come Dancing after a tense dance-off that took place over the weekend

Shaun Wright-Phillips has revealed the moment it dawned him on that he knew he was about to leave Strictly Come Dancing.

The footballer, 45, and his professional partner Alexis Warr became the latest couple eliminated from the BBC Saturday night favourite following their Jive that was set to Stevie Wonder hit Faith.

It was the second time in the series that the couple had found themselves in the dance off, but, in his first interview since exiting the programme, Shaun has admitted he knew it was coming.

Speaking to Ellie Taylor on Monday’s edition of It Takes Two, when asked how it felt when he was told he was in the bottom two again, he said: “I kind of knew. In my head I kind of knew so mentally I was already preparing myself from that moment.

“As soon as we got into that room in the back, I was visualising straight away. We were running the steps where I made the mistakes and once again I was doing them fine so that confused me to the point where I knew them but I still made the mistake.”

It was then that Alexis chipped in to show that she still has nothing but support for her former dance partner. She said: “That happens. I think… I want him to give himself grace for that because that’s sometimes just what happens on the floor and with everything.

“Sometimes things don’t always make sense but even when he did mess up, he kept pushing and he ended strong. He always kept pushing. He’s a fighter, from day one until now. He just has that fight in him, that spirit.”

On Sunday evening, viewers watched as Shaun and Alexis failed to turn things around in the dance off with Jaime Winstone and her partner Carlos Gu, who finished in the bottom two after the public vote despite scoring 25 for their dance on Saturday’s episode of the BBC dancing show.

Shaun said: “I don’t think I can put into words how my time has been, from the pros, judges, staff behind the cameras, everyone who’s helped me along the way, it’s been the most amazing journey I’ve had. And thank you for giving me the chance to be on the Strictly Ballroom floor and actually learn how to dance.”

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Alexis, commented: “The resilience that this man has is so admirable, and I just want to say thank you so much. You have made this season such a joy for me, and it’s been so lovely to just get to know you and get to see you completely handle something different.

“And I’m so proud of how you just danced that dance-off. And that, that’s what we talk about, that’s the grit that you did. And I am so proud of you, and you should be so beyond happy with yourself. And also, the gentleman that this man is, I feel so honoured to have had him as my partner, so a friend for life!

Addressing Alexis, Shaun said: “Thank you, I couldn’t ask for a better partner, a better human being, you knew how to deal with my mood swings, you put me in my box, you got me back on the dancefloor, you knew how to work with me, I wish I could’ve taken you further.”

When asked if he’ll continue dancing, he responded: “Oh hell yeah,” before saying he would return each week to support his co-stars.

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Bianna Golodryga, a longtime international anchor and senior global affairs analyst for CNN, is leaving the network.

Golodryga, the co-anchor of the CNN International program “One World with Zain Asher,” announced her departure Thursday in a post on X. She will make her final appearance on the network Friday, according to a CNN representative.

“After nine wonderful years at CNN, I’ve decided to leave for an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up,” Golodryga said. “I’m grateful for the experiences, friendships and support from fabulous colleagues during my CNN years. Exciting news to share very soon!”

Golodryga’s exit comes three days after Christiane Amanpour, the network’s best-known international journalist, stated her intention to leave CNN next June.

The departures unfold as CNN insiders consider their future under Skydance, which absorbed the network as part of its $111-billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery.

In the short term, CNN and Skydance’s CBS News are operating independently under their current leadership. But consolidation is expected at some point with international bureaus being an expected early target. There is also anxiety among the CNN rank and file over how involved CBS Editor in chief Bari Weiss will be in the combined operations.

Weiss has been a polarizing figure at CBS since Paramount acquired her contrarian digital news site the Free Press last year and gave her oversight of the network’s storied news division. She has made major changes at “CBS Evening News” and the top-rated newsmagazine “60 Minutes,” where several correspondents were fired after accusing her of pushing them to add right-wing talking points to their stories.

Golodryga, 48, arrived at CNN as a contributor in 2017 and joined the network full time two years later. She previously served as co-host of “CBS This Morning,” and was an anchor for Yahoo! Finance. She also worked for ABC News as a correspondent and co-anchor of the weekend edition of “Good Morning America.”

Golodryga, who immigrated to the U.S. as a refugee from the Soviet Union in 1980, is the co-author of a young adult novel, “Don’t Feed the Lion,” which dealt with antisemitism.

Doha, Qatar — The United States is moving away from its traditional security-for-oil relationship with the Middle East and no longer seeks to dominate the region, senior US diplomat Tom Barrack has said.

However, it was not abandoning the Middle East, he added, speaking at the Global Security Forum in Doha on Tuesday — but rather reassessing its role, after years of attempts to reshape governments across the region.

“The US no longer wants to own,” said Barrack, who serves as US Ambassador to Turkiye and Special Envoy for Syria. “The bargain is not to control, but to not leave. We’re not leaving.”

Barrack acknowledged that regional countries were increasingly recognising the limits of US involvement.

“Everybody is saying: OK, I can’t rely on America to solve all my problems,” he said.

Barrack questioned the effectiveness of previous interventions, saying that the US had been involved in 23 regime changes across the wider Middle East.

“Every time we try and intervene, change the person or the regime, it seems to have been a mistake,” he said.

His comments come as Washington and Tehran try to negotiate an end to the US-Israeli war on Iran that has destabilised the region and disrupted global energy supplies.

Political analyst Luciano Zaccara described Barrack as probably “the most realistic of Trump’s allies” in his assessment of US involvement in the Middle East.

He told Al Jazeera that Barrack had effectively acknowledged that regime change, one of Trump’s stated objectives in the war on Iran, was unlikely to succeed.

Zaccara said Barrack’s reference to regime changes in the Middle East was an acknowledgement “that what the US has been doing in the region has not been working, regardless of which administration it was”.

According to Zaccara, Barrack had stopped just short of suggesting that Trump needed to retreat from “the maximalist demands” he had made of Iran.

US-Iran negotiations ongoing

Qatar says negotiations between Tehran and Washington are continuing despite growing fears of renewed fighting.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Majed al-Ansari, speaking separately at the Global Security Forum, said mediators were continuing to exchange messages between the warring parties, with regional partners involved in efforts to reach a deal.

“We are working between the parties, continuing our job as mediator with our partners and others in the region,” he said.

Al-Ansari said the lack of public information about the negotiations should not be interpreted as a lack of progress.

“The fact that we’re not hearing about it is a good sign that we’re doing our job properly,” he said.

The diplomatic efforts come as Iran’s seven-day proposal to end the war remains on the table, with the US yet to give its response.

The plan envisages reopening the Strait of Hormuz and resuming nuclear negotiations in exchange for US concessions, including lifting the naval blockade on Iranian ports and easing economic sanctions on Tehran.

Analyst Negar Mortazavi said the diplomatic door remained open, but negotiations were stalled over the terms and sequencing of an agreement.

“Tehran wants to end the war, but it is not prepared to surrender under military or economic pressure,” she told Al Jazeera on the sidelines of the forum in Doha.

The Strait of Hormuz remains a major flashpoint, with attacks on commercial shipping raising concerns over global energy supplies. Before the US-Israeli war on Iran, one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies transited through the strait.

Mortazavi said the escalation was part of Tehran’s strategy to maintain leverage against Washington despite its military disadvantages.

“Iran’s leverage has diminished but has not disappeared,” she said. “Moving tankers is not the same as restoring safe, predictable and normal maritime traffic.”

According to Mortazavi, Tehran wants to increase the economic and political costs of the war for Trump, while signalling to future US administrations that military action against Iran carries consequences.

But she warned that continued escalation posed serious risks to Iran and the wider region.

“Ultimately, neither military escalation nor economic pressure is likely to produce Iranian capitulation,” she said.

Fighting in Yemen

Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson also reaffirmed Doha’s support for Riyadh in the fighting against Yemen’s Houthi armed group, saying it backed Saudi Arabia in “defending their sovereignty against this attack”.

Fighting intensified in September after the Houthis seized areas along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, including the port city of Mocha. In response, forces loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognised government launched an offensive, dubbed “Dawn of Yemen”, on October 4, backed by Saudi air strikes.

The Houthis have retaliated with missile and drone attacks on Saudi airports, oil facilities and military installations. Strikes on Riyadh’s King Khalid international airport earlier this month killed at least 14 people and wounded hundreds.

Fans say the Peaky Blinders star’s film is “totally absorbing yet disturbing”

Time is running out to watch what some consider as the Peaky Blinder star’s best movie.

A |masterpiece” period drama starring Cillian Murphy is leaving Netflix in a matter of days. Small Things Like These was only just added to the platform earlier this year but fans will need to act fast before it is removed from the service.

The film is an adaptation of the award winning book of the same name, written by Claire Keegan. It was shortlisted for the prestigious Booker Prize in 2022 as well as the Rathbones Folio Prize, while it took home the Orwell Prize for political fiction in the same year.

Its big screen version came out in 2024, with Irish actor Murphy in the leading role. Although it was perhaps overlooked by some, as this was the same year the star picked up his Oscar for a very different period piece – Oppenheimer.

Like the novella, Small Things Like These takes place over Christmas in 1985, when devoted father and coal merchant Bill Furlong, played by Murphy, discovers startling secrets kept by the convent in his town, along with some shocking truths of his own.

The plot is inspired by the truth behind Ireland’s Magdalene laundries. These were asylums run by Roman Catholic institutions from the 1820s until 1996 which were supposed to reform “fallen young women.”

Netflix now lists a warning label on the title, that informs users it will be ‘leaving soon’. The streamer states that the last day to watch will be October 27, meaning at the time of writing, viewers have just a little over a week to catch it before it’s too late. It’s not yet known if it will became available on an alternative platform or service after this date.

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Despite the tough subject matter, the film received a positive response from viewers and critics alike, with Murphy often being singled out for his stellar acting performance. It holds a rare 94% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes with many fans backing up the reviews.

One person posted online: “A masterpiece. Every shot is a masterpiece. The soundtrack is a masterpiece. Every performance is a masterpiece. The casting is beyond perfect. If possible, it’s even better than Claire Keegan’s short story.”

While some admitted they struggled with the slower pace of the film, many have suggested it is a must watch. One person said: “A hard to swallow, but fantastically acted, written, and directed film putting religion and its mafia laden tendencies at the forefront. Cillian continues to be a star, with a support cast of epic proportions. Based on a true and very sad story.”

A fourth penned: “Totally absorbing yet disturbing film, brilliantly led by an understated master class of acting by Cillian Murphy. The sudden ending leaves you literally crying out for more. A modern day masterpiece.”

Someone else added: “Following a read of the perfectly written book, I had to watch the film when I heard that Cillian Murphy was the star. He and the rest of the cast bring this extraordinary story to lives. Is there nothing he cannot do! Well worth a watch, it’s poignant from start to finish.”

Small Things Like These is streaming on Netflix

Baghdad, Iraq – Sitting anxiously in his small office in Jameela market, one of Baghdad’s main wholesale markets, food trader Hamza al-Rudayni is waiting to see what the coming days will bring.

A decision by the Iraqi government to devalue the country’s currency, the dinar, against the US dollar has left traders like him facing sudden losses and uncertainty over the prices they should charge for their goods.

“I don’t know what to do,” al-Rudayni told Al Jazeera after the devaluation reduced the dollar value of his dinar holdings, leaving him with less money to purchase imported goods.

“All I know is I woke up a few days ago to discover that I had lost 25 million Iraqi dinars (roughly $16,500 at the new exchange rate) because of this decision, while larger merchants lost billions,” he said.

Al-Rudayni entered the wholesale trade market last year after losing his previous job at a private Iraqi bank that he says was sanctioned by the United States Treasury. He sold his car and used his savings to start trading with a larger merchant before recently launching his own business.

With exchange-rate fluctuations making prices unpredictable, al-Rudayni said he and many other traders have chosen to suspend buying and selling until the situation stabilises.

“Market activity has ground to a halt,” al-Rudayni said. “Traders buy goods in dollars but sell them in dinars, as regulations prohibit them from selling in dollars.”

That is the root of the problem for traders: A weaker dinar means they have to pay more in local currency for goods imported in dollars, while making it harder to determine the right price they should charge customers for goods they already have in stock.

Why devalue?

On October 7, the Iraqi government introduced a new official exchange rate against the US dollar, in an attempt to ease a financial crisis triggered by the US-Israeli war on Iran and the  disruption of oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz.

Before the war, Iraq exported around 3.5 million barrels of oil per day through the Strait of Hormuz, accounting for 90 percent of Iraq’s government revenue.

The Central Bank of Iraq decision set the rate at 1,520 dinars per US dollar for cash sales to the public. It was previously set at 1,320 dinars per dollar.

Devaluing the Iraqi dinar by almost 15 percent against the dollar allows the government to receive more local currency for every dollar of oil revenue it converts, helping it cover public spending, including government employee salaries.

“It is my decision and I am responsible for it,” Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said during a meeting with parliamentary leaders on Thursday.

“I was facing three challenging options to cover salaries and other mandatory expenditures,” al-Zaidi added. “The first is to cut salaries by 35 percent … the second is to pay the salaries every 45 days … while the third is to resort to foreign loans.”

Al-Zaidi, a former banker, also said that his government had inherited public debt exceeding 208 trillion Iraqi dinars ($139bn at the new rate) when it took office in May. He said the government needed approximately 10 trillion dinars ($6.7bn) each month to cover salaries and other essential expenditure.

A shortage of liquidity

The crisis in the Strait of Hormuz had caused a severe financial squeeze for the Iraqi government.

Although the situation has eased somewhat in recent weeks after Iraq’s oil exports partially recovered, they have yet to return to their pre-war levels.

Mudher Mohammed Salih, the Iraqi prime minister’s financial adviser, said in August that the Central Bank of Iraq’s foreign currency reserves had declined from $106bn to approximately $80bn.

To make up for the loss of revenue, the Iraqi government has also turned to borrowing from domestic banks to cover salaries and other expenses.

A Finance Ministry official told Al Jazeera that ensuring salaries were paid on time remained the government’s main priority, describing this issue as a matter of domestic economic stability.

“Our hands are tied regarding the revenue and how to maintain enough money to ensure that we can pay the salaries,” the official, who asked to remain anonymous because he was not authorised to speak publicly, said.

Economists have warned that while adjusting the exchange rate could ease some immediate fiscal pressures, it would not address the deeper weaknesses in Iraq’s economy.

“Nothing in economics is sacred, including the exchange rate,” said Nabil al-Marsoumi, professor of economics at Al Maaqal University in Basra. “It can be adjusted, but only after all other options have been exhausted.”

“In any case, the exchange rate shouldn’t be used as a cover-up for failures in the state’s economic and fiscal policies,” he added.

Two residents of the village of Bibury, Gloucestershire, are taking matters into their own hands after becoming fed up with a change in tourists’ behaviour after the Covid-19 pandemic

A couple who live in one of the UK’s most beautiful villages, located in the Cotswolds, have announced their plans to leave after a major change in the area following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Brian and Jill Skarda have decided to leave the village of Bibury, Gloucestershire, a place named “the most beautiful village in England” by William Morris, due to the worsening behaviour of visitors.

Brian and Jill originally moved to Bibury, which was also branded the “world’s most beautiful village” by Forbes last year, that lies along the River Coln, from Barnsley. During their time in the area, they joined the parish council and became part of everyday life.

Writing in the Village Life magazine in a column known as Tales from the Riverbank, Mr Skarda admitted “we have had enough invasive tourism”.

Mr Skarda, who highlighted Arlington Row as a key point of issue, explained that he felt tourists are now getting too up close and personal with locals, so much so they had been finding it harder to go about their own lives.

He explained: “We have decided that we have had enough invasive tourism in Arlington Row…We have been here for over 14 years and noticed that since Covid, visitor behaviours have changed.

“They have become more inconsiderate and the sheer numbers of tourists …meant that, on occasions, we have virtually been unable to get out of our front door.”

In the latter part of his column, the Independent reported that Mr Skarda said he hoped that Bibury would one day “resolve its tourism issues” after complaining the area was being “ruined by the very people who come to see it”.

When it comes to Bibury, Mr Skarda isn’t the only person to have taken issue with the seasonal influx of tourists.

Speaking to the Independent, parish council chairman Craig Chapman said overtourism was having an impact on the local environment too.

He added: “Over the summer with the hot weather, people would not just sit on the river bank but would go in the water and even bring chairs in to sit on to cool down.

“The main concern is the wildlife, but also the whole area with people using it like it is a recreational area. When they go into the water they can upset the habitat.”

So great are the concerns about the impact on Bibury’s environment that last month, they announced they were going to put up fences around the river to stop people paddling in it.

Mr Skarda’s and Mr Chapman’s remarks about the village comes as debate grows about the impact of overtourism in places like Bibury and Castle Combe.

Every year, thousands of people from all over the world and the UK flock to these aesthetically pleasing places, many of which they have seen in films, to admire them.

Whilst these visits can be good for the local economy, locals are often caught in the crossfire.