Byron Sher, a Stanford law professor-turned California legislator who wrote some of the state’s most far-reaching environmental laws, died Saturday. He was 98.
Cerebral and soft-spoken, Sher was the antithesis of politicians nowadays. He rarely issued press releases, didn’t convene news conferences, and disliked raising campaign money.
But he left an indelible mark on the environment, authoring legislation offering incentives to recycle, limiting advertisers’ inflated claims about products’ environmental benefits and combating water and air pollution.
He helped lead the effort to preserve ancient redwoods in Headwaters Forest in Humboldt County in 1999, pushing the state and federal government to buy it from Texas financier Charles Hurwitz, who owned Pacific Lumber Co. and was preparing to log it.
A decade earlier, in 1988, Sher authored legislation requiring that California take stock of the sources of greenhouse gases. It was the first time the legislature in California — or any other state — embedded the term “global warming” into a state law, and became the foundation for bills in later decades to combat climate change.
“The heat is on,’’ Sher said presciently, as quoted by the Sacramento Bee on May 5, 1989. “The state can either ignore what science is telling us, or we can respond to this challenge in a responsible way.’’
Because of his legislation, manufacturers today sell more products in spray bottles rather than aerosol cans, people can more easily dispose of televisions and other electronic waste, and underground gasoline storage tanks rarely leak and foul groundwater.
“Byron Sher built the legal and research foundation for California’s climate change regime and by extension helped shape how the world has tried to handle climate change,” said Joe Mathews, a Berggruen Institute fellow who is working on a book about the state’s legislative efforts to confront global warming.
Today, Sher’s 1989 legislation creating state wild and scenic rivers is a barrier to President Trump’s proposal to raise Shasta Dam north of Redding to increase water storage, an idea backed by Central Valley farming interests. His legislation protects the McCloud River, which feeds Shasta Reservoir. Raising the dam would inundate habitat along the McCloud.
That Sher placed such ideas into law reflected his ability to persuade and compromise. Gov. George Deukmejian, a Republican, signed the wild rivers legislation, and Sher’s Clean Air Act, which helped shape federal clean air legislation signed in 1990 by President George H.W. Bush.
Their partisan differences aside, Deukmejian viewed Sher as having “great personal integrity,” said Steve Merksamer, who was Deukmejian’s chief of staff.
“When Byron Sher wanted to come into the office and had the bill, would he get in? Absolutely. Would the governor listen to him? Yes,” Merksamer said.
Sher did fall short of convincing Deukmejian to sign one of his bills — a whimsical measure inspired by a Camp Fire girls and boys troop to proclaim the banana slug to be the official state mollusk. Deukmejian vetoed the bill, though Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation in 2024 designating the slimy yellow creature as the official state slug.
Sher was born in St. Louis in 1928, graduated from Harvard Law School in 1952, and joined the Stanford Law School faculty in 1957. He served on the Palo Alto City Council in the 1960s, got recalled in 1967 over his opposition to development and won back his seat in the 1970s. Sher was Palo Alto mayor in 1980 when he won an Assembly seat. He remained in the Assembly until 1996 when he was elected to the state Senate, serving until 2004 when term limits forced him to step aside.
Among the students who passed through his Stanford classrooms was Newsom’s father, William Newsom, who became a state court of appeals justice.
Sher and his aide and friend Kip Lipper attended a 2010 banquet in San Francisco at which the California League of Conservation Voters honored Justice Newsom with the Byron Sher Lifetime Achievement Award. In his acceptance speech, Newsom recalled that Sher was the only Sanford professor who gave him a C. When Lipper asked whether the story was true, Sher deadpanned, “He deserved it.”
“There aren’t a lot of tales to tell about Byron Sher,” said Bill Lockyer, who was Senate leader when Sher won a state seat in 1996. “He went home at night and tended not to get into the Capitol gossip.”
In 1996, Lockyer entrusted Sher to serve on a joint Assembly-Senate conference committee that produced landmark legislation that sought to deregulate California’s electricity system.
Sher added provisions expanding requirements that the state use renewable sources of electricity and called the legislation “an extraordinary result” given the issue’s complexity. Lockyer said Sher’s additions, while important, were “the cherry on top of the toxic sundae.”
The legislation was blamed for California’s electricity crisis in 2000 and 2001 when swashbuckling energy traders manipulated the markets, causing prices to spike, resulting in rolling blackouts, and fueling the 2003 recall of Gov. Gray Davis.
Sher was notable for measures he refused to support. With a few other liberal Democrats, nicknamed the Grizzlies, Sher would pick through turgid language of legislation looking for provisions that reflected the undue influence of special interests.
Sher voted against 1986 legislation that purported to open the way for a shrimp processing facility in West Sacramento. The bill turned out to be part of an elaborate FBI sting that resulted in 14 legislators, lobbyists and others being sent to prison.
“He wasn’t a comfortable politician,” said San Mateo County Supervisor Jackie Speier, a former Democratic congresswoman who served in the Legislature with Sher. “He didn’t speak up a lot. So, when he did, people listened.”
He displayed partisan side in 1994 when Republicans took a 41-seat majority in the 80-seat Assembly, and Republican Assemblyman Jim Brulte was in line to be elected speaker. But Democratic Speaker Willie Brown had a Republican supporter, Paul Horcher, who voted to retain Brown as speaker, plunging the two parties into a yearlong fight for control.
To wrest control from Republicans, Brown asked the professorial Sher to challenge one Republican’s right to remain in the Assembly. That Republican, Richard Mountjoy of the San Gabriel Valley, won two elections that November — one to the Assembly and the other in a special state Senate election to fill the seat vacated when the incumbent, Frank Hill, was sentenced to prison in the corruption scandal.
Sher reasoned that Mountjoy had to make up his mind — stay in the Assembly or move to the Senate. Facing term limits in the Assembly, Mountjoy joined the Senate in January 1995. The partisan battle went on all that year.
Brulte, who never did become speaker, was elected to the Senate in 1996, as was Sher. On Sunday, he called Sher “a wonderful man.”
“Everything in politics today is personal. It wasn’t personal,” Brulte said of Sher’s role in the speakership battle. “Somebody may have taken it personally, but I certainly didn’t.”
Sher retired to a pear orchard in the Sierra Nevada foothills and served on Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and Sierra Nevada Conservancy.
His wife of 62 years, Linda Bowser Sher, died in 2014. He is survived by three children, five grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.
MADRID: The Spanish government on Sunday said more than 5,300 of the migrants who remained in Ceuta after July’s influx had returned to Morocco in a month, as it faces pressure to restore normality to the increasingly tense city.
The new figures come as criticism over the speed at which the migrants are being returned from the Spanish north African territory damages Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez before next year’s election.
More than 70,000 migrants entered Ceuta on July 30 and 31 in an unprecedented and deadly rush, with most returning to Morocco in the following hours.
The government has had to identify the thousands of migrants who have remained for weeks to check if they are entitled to asylum, while unaccompanied children cannot be summarily deported.
Angel Victor Torres, the minister tasked with leading the government’s response, said in a video posted to social media that 5,321 people had “voluntarily returned” to Morocco since August 10.
Ninety people had “given up” their request for international protection and “almost 1,000 people are being registered with the aim of being able to complete their return proceedings,” Torres added.
The minister did not say how many migrants remained in Ceuta after those returns, a figure that has consistently sparked controversy between the leftist government and the conservative-run city.
On Friday, Ceuta’s leader Juan Jesus Vivas, of the main opposition right-wing Popular Party, put their number at 13,000, but the government’s estimations have been significantly lower.
Locals have protested regularly as the migrants continue to camp on beaches and sleep in the streets, accusing the government of abandoning the overwhelmed city amid a humanitarian crisis.
The migration ministry announced on Sunday the creation of another 864 places in temporary migrant shelters, taking the total to around 4,300 and with a view to reaching 6,000 “in the near future.”
Doubts about what the government knew beforehand and the possible role of Morocco, with which Madrid has spent years trying to improve relations, have also increased the political fallout for Sanchez.
The competition series fronted by Gary Lineker took an uncomfortable turn as lies told by one of the cast finally came to light
The Box stars were left unimpressed after one of their fellow contestants came clean about some ‘white lies’(Image: ITV)
ITV’s The Box cast were stunned after learning their co-star had lied to them.
The star-studded competition series sees celebrities taken to a series of locations where they are then given a challenging task to complete. As per ITV’s synopsis: “Plunged into the unknown while enclosed in a box, 10 celebrities emerge in mystery locations to face their fears in tricky challenges.”
While the line-up initially featured 10 famous faces, that has now been whittled down to just eight at the start of the third episode, which aired this evening (September 12). Remaining in the contest was YouTuber Danny Aarons; comedian Ellie Taylor; reality star Joey Essex; JLS star JB Gill; The Chase’s Jenny Ryan; former politician John Bercow; presenter Ranvir Singh and Love Island star Shakira Khan.
The opening challenge saw the cast thrust into a debate at the prestigious Oxford Union in front of a packed audience. Their debating partner was a fellow celebrity, with reality stars Joey and Shakira going head-to-head in an argument over whether cats or dogs made the better pet.
Just before the start of their debate, Shakira revealed that not only had she been Head Girl at her school, but that she had also been “head of the debate club”, leaving the audience erupting into gasps and Joey immediately doubting his chances at a win.
“I’ve no chance, have I?” he said, before show host Gary Lineker revealed that Joey had to argue for cats being better pets, while Shakira was assigned the counter-argument during which she claimed a scar on her face had been at the hands of a cat.
Despite his passion for the subject matter, Shakira was ultimately crowned the winner of their debate by the watching audience. However, when Gary brought the cast together later on, it emerged Shakira had not been entirely honest.
“Shakira, as head of the school debating society how relieved were you not to lose to Joey Essex?” Gary asked, prompting a sheepish admission from the Love Island star.
“That was actually a fib Gary,” she started, as a stunned Gary replied: “It was a fib was it? I didn’t think you had that in you.”
“The scar from my chin is also not from a cat,” Shakira added, leaving her co-stars open-mouthed. “So a few white lies don’t hurt in politics.”
Following the admission, her co-star Aaron fumed: “Shakira has shown her true colours today. She lied to the audience and I think that shows a snake.”
The Box continues tomorrow night at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX. Episodes 3 and 4 are also available to stream now on ITVX.
Gaza City, Gaza Strip – For more than four hours, Hajj Rabhi al-Fairi, 79, has been standing outside his home in Gaza City with his children and neighbours waiting their turn to use a small generator.
The generator’s owner pours in the fuel, starts a timer and switches on the machine.
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Each family gets a few minutes to operate a pump that pushes water up to a storage tank on the roof, before the generator moves on to the next house.
For al-Fairi and his neighbours, this is how they get water.
“We have an old water pump, but there is no electricity to run it. We have to rent a generator,” al-Fairi tells Al Jazeera.
Since the family returned to their home in October 2025, after fleeing a month earlier during Israel’s assault on their neighbourhood, the generator has become a familiar sight on the streets of Nassr.
When it arrives, residents gather around it, each carrying a jerrycan of diesel to operate the machine, which they have to pay for themselves.
“We came back and found the place a tragedy,” he says.
Their neighbourhood and home were badly damaged from years of Israeli bombing, with no municipal electricity or water supplies functioning. The family depends on an old pump – but without electricity, it cannot bring water up to the rooftop tank.
Each family needs only about seven or eight minutes to fill up their tanks, but with the number of flats in their building, the generator needs to be rented for about an hour.
The cost has also risen. Al-Rabhi says families used to pay about 80 to 90 shekels ($26-30) to rent a generator for an hour. At different times, the price has risen to about 100 or 120 shekels ($33-40) an hour, excluding the cost of diesel.
A generator passes through a northern Gaza neighbourhood [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]
A generator on wheels
Khalil Abu Ouda, 39, takes a machine mounted on a horse-driven cart from one house to another. The generator’s metal body is covered in black soot and grease, and white smoke rises from the engine when it operates.
At each house, Abu Ouda connects long electrical cables to the water pump. The cables stretch across the street as neighbours gather around the machine to wait their turn.
“Go on, switch it on,” someone calls.
For Abu Ouda, this machine is both a service for the neighbourhood and an essential source of income for his family.
He says there are very few small, mobile generators, like his, left in working condition in Gaza. Many have broken down, while spare parts are difficult to find or too expensive to source due to Israel’s siege.
Mechanics are also expensive to hire, while fuel and engine oil are increasingly scarce and costly.
“If I could, I would lower the price as much as possible,” he says.
At the same time, demand has never been higher.
“People are under pressure and they need water. If I stayed working until morning, I would keep working,” Abu Ouda says.
To cope with the demand, he often works for 10 to 12 hours a day, putting pressure on himself and the machine.
“But this is our livelihood. There is no alternative,” he said.
When the home stops providing
With most Palestinians in Gaza having no home or losing their possessions due to Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, they have to rent or hire items or services for the most basic household chores.
This includes washing clothes, something once done at home but now impossible to do with no power.
Earlier in the war, Abeer Ghorab, 52, used to wash everything herself. Now she gathers clothes from her tent and takes them to a nearby laundry, where they can be washed and dried in far less time and with less effort.
“When these laundries started opening, they gave us some relief,” Ghorab said.
The difference is particularly important in winter, when heavy clothes, blankets and bedding can take time to dry.
“In winter, the tracksuits are heavy. They need another day to dry,” she said. “When I bring them here, they wash and dry them for me, and I get them back clean and dry. That really helps.”
Abeer Ghorab, 52, a displaced Palestinian woman, takes her clothes to a commercial laundry, paying to wash and dry them as water and electricity remain scarce [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]
But due to a limited income, Ghorab cannot afford to use this laundry service every day.
Before the war, Ghorab had a washing machine, a refrigerator and regular electricity at home.
“Things we once took for granted have become dreams. Now we have to pay for every little thing we used to do at home.”
The loss of the household
Across Gaza, the infrastructure that once allowed families to carry out everyday tasks at home has been severely disrupted.
A recent United Nations assessment found that 91 percent of surveyed households experienced moderate-to-high water shortages in early August.
A separate damage assessment by the authority found that 107,941 of the 178,632 housing units inspected – about 60 percent – were severely damaged, destroyed or otherwise considered uninhabitable.
Water systems, electricity, sanitation and household appliances, which families relied on to manage daily life, have also been disrupted.
For families living in damaged homes, tents or makeshift shelters, everyday tasks must be paid for.
A laundry adapting to shortages
Fadi Abu Shawarb, 23, has worked at his family’s al-Hurriya laundry for six years.
Residents now rely on communal washing machines for cleaning clothes [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]
Before the war, the business relied on large, 50kg (110lb) washing machines for carpets, blankets and other heavy loads. But due to the high cost of operation, these machines are far too expensive to run.
“We started replacing the 50kg machines with 25kg ones because there is not enough electricity,” Fadi says. “There are no solar panels, no reliable power, and the generators are always breaking down.”
Most of his customers are displaced families who lack electricity, water or washing machines at home.
The laundry now handles about 20 to 30 loads a day, with clothes-washing among the most in-demand services.
A load costs six shekels ($2) when the laundry can use solar power and 12 shekels ($4) when it relies on a generator.
But even that is hard for people to pay. “People’s situation is difficult,” he says.
For Ghorab, the laundry is only one of the many expenses she now has to budget for.
“I feel like I’m going through a difficult time,” she says. “I have to pay for every little thing in my day, and with how difficult things are, it’s hard to keep up with everything.”
THE Office star Lucy Davis has tackled a terrifying zip-wire challenge amid her terminal cancer fight.
The 53-year-old announced last month that she’s been diagnosed with incurable stage four breast cancer.
The Office star Lucy Davis has bravely taken on a gruelling hike and terrifying zip wireCredit: reallucydavis/ InstagramShe took to Instagram to share her zip line challengeCredit: reallucydavis/ Instagram
She admitted “I don’t know how long I have left” as she revealed the tragic news with her followers in a video on social media.
However, Lucy said she was determined to have as much fun as she can during the time she has left and she’s doing exactly that.
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The daredevil shared her pride on Wednesday after completing a gruelling hike followed by a scary zip line through a California canyon.
She took to Instagram to share pictures of herself on the hike as well as video of the moment she bravely took on the zip line.
Lucy took the zip line in her strideCredit: reallucydavis/ InstagramShe hiked across the California canyonCredit: reallucydavis/ Instagram
Lucy penned: “I loved this #zipline and I was a bit proud of myself for doing it because they said to be prepared for a 25 minute walk, so I took my pain meds an hour before in preparation.
“In previous zip lines, I’ve always been driven up to the first line, and the walking is in between the lines.
“But no. This was a legit hike up to the first zip. It took me one hour and 15 minutes.
“I was so grateful for the support of the guides and my friend @jharris1231 who helped me up, and the other people on the hike that never judged me or made me feel stupid. Thank you.”
Her fans flocked to the comments section as one expressed: “Still living to the fullest and experiencing life. Good on you!”
Another person commented: “Oh wow, you’re fabulous Lucy. Still chokes me up though.”
Somebody else gushed: “You are such an inspiration. Also, whenever I see you I remember Aunt Hilda, she was so comforting as a character.
“You really played her so well, you’re truly amazing. So talented and inspiring.”
She revealed last month that she’s got incurable cancerCredit: instagram/reallucydavisShe’s best known for her role in The OfficeCredit: BBC
Yet another added: “My gosh Lucy, so much courage! You are such an inspiration.”
Lucy took to Instagram last month to share her heartbreaking news.
She wrote: “Hi friends:) I wanted to share something with you all that I’ve kept to myself for a while but for various reasons would like to share now.
“A year and a half ago I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Breast Cancer, which has metastasized to my bones. Specifically to my spine, right hip, and my ribs. The cancer is incurable, and too late for chemo.
“The initial lump that I felt, wasn’t a ‘lump’ as such; rather a kind of hard spot. Really tiny.
“I almost didn’t bother getting it checked. So I guess I’m saying don’t ignore anything – get everything checked out.”
Lucy told her fans that she’s at peace with “whatever comes next,” as she shared the clip of her ringing the cancer treatment bell.
While she rang the bell, Lucy confessed she has been told by doctors it’s “too late” for her to receive Chemotherapy.
24 Hours in Police Custody fans have been left gutted as fan favourite Tom Hamm revealed he’s left the show.
Detective Sergeant Tom Hammhas announced he’s officially retired after more than 22 years of police service and seven years on the show.
Detective Sergeant Tom Hamm has quit the Channel 4 showCredit: channel 4Detective Sergeant Tom Hamm has been on the show intermittently for seven yearsCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
He shared the news with his fans on social media this week, writing: “So tonight is likely to be my last appearance on #24hoursinpolicecustody.
“I hope that the episodes I have appeared in have somehow influenced people by showing the difficulties that police face when investigating crime. Thanks for the support.”
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Tom’s followers were devastated by the news.
One wrote: “Happy retirement Tom, I bet all the free time you get will be a breath of fresh air.”
Hamid was arrested but the four attackers have never been identifiedCredit: The Garden Productions
A second said: “Happy retirement Tom! Love the series, its great to see what goes on behind the scenes. Time to relax now.”
“The series won’t be the same without you working on the team. Well done to your team and everyone else who was involved,” this person posted.
The last episode featured a 17-year-old boy was left for dead under a railway bridge, suffering traumatic brain injuries.
Police originally thought he was a victim of a hit-and-run in Luton in June 2022.
They boy survived but had life-changing injuries.
Tom, who worked for Bedfordshire Police, said: “This case, for me was quite emotional because the victim was a twin and I have twin boys of similar ages to him and the parallel of how my children’s lives and the difficulties and circumstances of his life was something that played on my mind.”
“I could put myself in the position of his parents and how I would feel if I got that knock on the door from a police officer saying one of them had been hurt.
“This, by the grace of God, could be me.
“And I understand how it would affect the other twin.
“They do share a different bond than other siblings I think.
“Knowing how close mine are, if one of them is suddenly not there, it does affect them deeply.”
He had another reason to feel personally attached because of an enduring regret over the loss in quick succession of first his father and then his mother.
Tom’s personal feelings are evident in the two-part documentary,24 Hours in Police Custody, in which he and his team investigate the mystery of why a 17-year-old boy was left critically injured on the roadside after suffering catastrophic head injuries.
“Initially, we didn’t know who the victim was, and we were working hard to establish his identity,” says Tom, who has now retired from Luton CID after 22 years of service.
At first, it looked like a hit and run but as all the injuries were to his head, medics believed they were inconsistent with a car collision.
When the victim’s twin brother arrived at the police station, he told them that he believed his brother had come to Luton from London to meet a girl.
But then he learnt on social media that he had been involved in some sort of altercation,
With the victim lying in hospital in a life-threatening coma, Tom told his team their priority was to get his family by his bedside as soon as possible.
He discovered that the case was linked to a county line drugs trade, where drugs are moved between different part of the country.
Hamid was found guilty of conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm and was sentenced to 10 years and nine months in jail.
Jasmine Aldrich was also charged with conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm but was found not guilty.
AN airport that was closed for almost three days after a volcanic eruption has finally reopened.
But hundreds of thousands of passengers are scrambling to get home with flights still being delayed or cancelled.
As many as eight airports were forced to close over the weekend – but have since reopenedCredit: EPAAn eruption on Anak Krakatau caused major disruption to flights in IndonesiaCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
On Monday, Indonesia’s Transport Ministry reported on Monday that as many as 270,000 travellers were stranded with their flights “cancelled, delayed, or diverted” – including those at Jakarta’s Soekarno Hatta International Airport which has since reopened.
Now it’s believed as many as 370,000 passengers are said to have been affected by the disruption across the last three days, with 3,000 flights cancelled.
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It started on Friday when there was an eruption on Anak Krakatau.
An ash cloud drifted into the city of Jakarta and the Lampung province, halting flights at its airports with seven being forced to close.
The biggest airport to close was Jakarta’s Soekarno Hatta International which grounded flights from Sunday until early this morning.
The current FCDO advice reads: “Soekarno Hatta Airport and Halim Airport in Jakarta were temporarily closed due to the volcanic ash clouds from Mount Anak Krakatau on 5 September.
“Both airports have reopened, but there are continued flight disruptions and many flights are cancelled or delayed.”
For anyone due to travel, it advises to check with your airline or travel provider for up to date information on your flight status.
On Flightradar24, Soekarno Hatta Airport has had 9 per cent of its flights cancelled today with 20 per cent delayed.
Lots of travellers were told they wouldn’t be able to fly for a few more days, including a newlywed couple on a honeymoon in Bali.
Flight continue to be delayed or cancelled in the aftermath of the eruptionCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
Talking to Bernama, they asked: “What are we going to do here for another five days? We only prepared enough money for our honeymoon and [were supposed] to go home yesterday.
They continued: “We thought we would just sleep at the airport for a few hours and then take the morning flight home [on Monday]. We never thought we would end up being stuck here for days.”
Yesterday, another passenger told AFP how they had not heard any updates from the airline and were seeking out hotels only to find most of them have been fully booked.
Airlines like Qantas are offering anyone who booked to go to or from Jakarta before September 5 the chance for a free refund on travel up to September 11.
But its services are resuming as scheduled from today.
Indonesia’s Geological Agency has warned however that “the probability of further eruptions in the coming periods remains high”.
Flight compensation rules
A look at your rights if a flight is delayed or cancelled, when your entitled to compensation and if your travel insurance can cover the costs.
What are my rights if my flight is cancelled or delayed?
Under UK law, airlines have to provide compensation if your flight arrives at its destination more than three hours late.
If you’re flying to or from the UK, your airline must let you choose a refund or an alternative flight.
You will be able to get your money back for the part of your ticket that you haven’t used yet.
So if you booked a return flight and the outbound leg is cancelled, you can get the full cost of the return ticket refunded.
But if travelling is essential, then your airline has to find you an alternative flight. This could even be with another airline.
When am I not entitled to compensation?
The airline doesn’t have to give you a refund if the flight was cancelled due to reasons beyond their control, such as extreme weather.
Disruptions caused by things like extreme weather, airport or air traffic control employee strikes or other ‘extraordinary circumstances’ are not eligible for compensation.
Some airlines may stretch the definition of “extraordinary circumstances” but you can challenge them through the aviation regulator the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Will my insurance cover me if my flight is cancelled?
If you can’t claim compensation directly through the airline, your travel insurance may refund you.
Policies vary so you should check the small print, but a delay of eight to 12 hours will normally mean you qualify for some money from your insurer.
Remember to get written confirmation of your delay from the airport as your insurer will need proof.
If your flight is cancelled entirely, you’re unlikely to be covered by your insurance.
Making up Culture Club were Charlie Brookfield, a consultant microbiologist, Viki Owen, a clinical scientist, and their captain, Hugh Adler, a consultant microbiologist.
Meanwhile, making up Ad Astra were David Howes, a retired RAF officer, Paul McMillan, an astrophysics lecturer, and their captain, Louise McMillan, a research development officer.
During the Connecting Wall challenge, Ad Astra were left stumped by one of the connections. The trio had difficulty with finding the final word in a group of anagrams for different types of starches and carbohydrates.
They were able to successfully find – top oat – potato, tapas – pasta, and eric – rice. Yet they struggled to find the final word to complete the connection, asking in frustration: “What are we missing?”
However, viewers at home were left ‘screaming’ at their televisions over the correct final word, which was beard – bread.
Taking to Twitter, now X, one person said: “I AM SCREAMING BREAD #onlyconnect” while a different account put: “#OnlyConnect Shouting BEARD IS BREAD!! over and over at my TV.”
Another viewer wrote: “Shouting BREAD repeatedly at the TV. #onlyconnect” while a different show watcher commented: “Only #onlyconnect has me shouting “Bread” at the TV.”
Elsewhere, a different fan put: “BREAD #ONLYCONNECT”, another viewer joked: “Shouting Bread at the screen like a lunatic ffs #onlyconnect” while a different viewer added: “Bread! F**king Bread #OnlyConnect.”
Meanwhile, another show watcher joked: “I don’t think I’ve ever said bread and beard so many times in succession in my life #onlyconnect” while a different viewer added: “How many people were shouting BREAD?? #onlyconnect.”
After the correct answers appeared on screen, contestant Paul declared: “Bread, it’s bread!” as he put his head in his hands. Meanwhile, team captain Louise quipped: “Can’t believe we didn’t spot bread!”
Yet despite struggling on the Connecting Wall challenge, the team were later victorious as they won a place in the next round with 26 points. Meanwhile, Culture Club had 20 points.
A contestant on The Voice UK shared the inspirational support he’d received behind the scenes.
The Voice UK star was left emotional (Image: ITV)
A coach on The Voice UK was left in tears moments before Saturday’s episode came to an end.
The ITV competition has returned, with Kelly Rowland joining will.i.am, Sir Tom Jones and duo Tom Fletcher and Danny Jones. During the third round of the blind auditions on Saturday (September 5), viewers saw a show-first, as a Scottish singer made history, becoming the first contestant to be given the Rewind. ITV had earlier teased the game-changing format, saying: “If a coach realises they have made a mistake, they can hit Rewind, bring the act back, and offer them a place on their team.
“However, with only one Rewind available to each coach, they must choose their moment wisely. For an act who thought their journey was over, it could change everything…”
Elsewhere during the show, an emotional final audition left Kelly wiping back tears. 24-year-old Aaren was the last performer that day, hoping to impress the coaches.
Before taking to the stage, the ambulance care assistant, from Warrington, opened up about the support he’d received behind-the-scenes. He shared: “I live with my nan, she means the absolute world to me, she’s like a second mum.”
He went on to reveal that his nan had been diagnosed with breast cancer, adding: “There was a level of uncertainty there, whether we would have to say goodbye, when that would be, so I moved over to look after her.”
Aaren’s nan went on to praise him as “such a lovely person, inside and out”. “This is all you’ve wanted to do,” she added, talking about his audition.
Aaren shared: “This is one of the most nerve-wracking things I’ve done, and probably ever will do. But the amount of times my nan will say, I wish I’d have done this when I was younger. I don’t ever want to get older and have any regrets, I want to be able to say that I’ve tried.”
After his performance, both Kelly and Sir Tom turned around, hoping to win Aaren onto their team. Kelly shared: “I turned around because I love a male soulful voice, that wants to croon. Like nobody sings from their gut, heart and soul anymore… it’s a talent.”
As she heard about Aaren’s nan, she broke down in tears. She said: “That was sweet, to watch him love his grandmother like that, I love that.” She added: “You always want them to have this really sweet space for a woman who is a rock in their life.”
After the auditions came to an end, Kelly added: “Aaren had me moved to tears, he just makes me kind of putty. He’s so honest, he was a really special guy so I’m really excited.”
Michael explained the ways in which he has to help his sonMichael is clearly very proud of his sonCredit: Rex
“Whenever we’re watching racing, he’s by my side because I’m giving a commentary.
“Whenever he wants to go…he needs his dad to take him. I’m his taxi driver.”
Michael continued: “I get to spend three times more time with my lad because he’s got an eye condition.
“Now I might be a selfish b*****d but I think that is…I love it and I wouldn’t want it any different.
“And of course I’d give my eyes to him in an instant, if we could swap, of course I would. But let’s take the positive, he is so bright, he just doesn’t sit back and pity himself.
“In fact it’s quite the opposite, he gets out there and he laughs at himself.”
While Michael is clearly proud of James and his other children, daughters Gemma, Jessica and Emily, he also admitted on the podcast that he doesn’t tell them he loves them.
He said: “I never ever tell my kids I love them. I don’t say anything like that.
“I just assume my actions would show them that I love them. It’s a bad thing. I think most of us are like that.”
A plane passenger has been left feeling ‘stupid’ after allowing a child to sit in their pre-book plane seat just to stop the youngster and their ‘entitled’ mum from moaning throughout the journey
They feel ‘stupid’ for swapping seats (stock)(Image: Getty Images)
But one passenger has been left frustrated after a parent expected them to give up their paid-for window seat so their child could sit in it instead. Taking to Reddit, the traveller admitted they understood why the youngster wanted the window seat, but felt it shouldn’t automatically become their responsibility to move.
They said: “Please stop expecting random adults to give up the window seat they paid for just so your child can look out the window.”
The passenger explained that they had specifically chosen and paid for the window seat, but were made to feel guilty after arriving at their row to find a child already sitting in it.
They added: “A child was already sitting in my window seat when I got to my seat. His mother saw me, and when I told her it was my seat, she said, ‘Oh please let him sit, he’ll fall asleep in 10 mins, and then you can take your seat.'”
Although they didn’t really want to give up their place, the traveller said they felt pressured with everyone around them watching, so eventually agreed.
Unfortunately, the child didn’t fall asleep after 10 minutes – or even during the flight.
The passenger said they waited around half an hour before asking the mother again if they could have their seat back, but were met with another plea.
She replied with four words that made the passenger livid, which were: “He’s getting cranky, please.”
Once again, the passenger didn’t feel able to argue and ended up spending the entire flight sitting in an aisle seat instead of the window seat they had paid for.
They said: “So I spent the whole flight in someone else’s seat, it was an aisle seat, eyeing her, and feeling stupid for not just saying no. It honestly ruined my mood.”
The experience prompted them to share a wider message to parents, arguing that a child’s disappointment shouldn’t mean a stranger has to give up the seat they’ve specifically chosen.
They added: “I understand your child is cranky. I understand they really, really want the window seat. But, that’s a you problem, book it and pay for it in advance.”
The traveller insisted they had nothing against children wanting window seats, but felt parents shouldn’t simply assume another passenger will give theirs up.
“I paid for my seat. I chose my seat. I would like to sit in my seat,” they wrote.
Reaction
The post sparked plenty of debate, with many users sympathising with the passenger and agreeing that parents should book the seats their children want rather than relying on other passengers to move.
One user said: “I’m also cranky, bored, and wanting to look out of the window.” Another user added: “If it goes down in a fiery mess, I want them to know which body is mine.”
A third user said: “I hate when people think they should get a free pass to everything just because they have a kid. Your kid is not anyone else’s responsibility.”
Couple refused boarding on ‘overbooked’ easyJet flight home and left stranded
A pensioner says a dream family holiday to celebrate her 50th wedding anniversary ended in “anger and frustration” after she and her husband were denied boarding on an overbooked easyJet flight home. Eileen Snow, 72, and her husband Stephen, 74, had enjoyed a week in Croatia followed by a week in Montenegro with family when they arrived at Tivat Airport on Saturday expecting to fly back to London Gatwick.
But the couple say they were stopped at the gate and left stranded abroad. The situation was worrying for Stephen, who takes daily medication and says he only had enough to last until the following day. The delay also meant Eileen was unable to visit her late father’s grave on what would have been his birthday.
EasyJet later emailed Stephen apologising that he had been “denied boarding” on flight EZY8814 and referred to procedures used when flights are overbooked. According to Civil Aviation Authority guidelines, an airline expecting to have too many passengers should first ask for volunteers willing to surrender their reservations in exchange for agreed benefits.
But the couple, from Emsworth, Hampshire, insist they did not volunteer to give up their seats. “I was angry and frustrated – I couldn’t believe the level of incompetence,” said Stephen. “It did ruin what had been a perfect holiday with family. Regardless of what easyJet claims, we did not volunteer to stay off the flight.”
Eileen and Stephen had been booked on the 4:50pm easyJet service from Tivat to Gatwick. The flight was already delayed when they reached the gate. The couple says they and three other couples were prevented from boarding despite having reserved their seats well in advance.
Eileen said: “They let many people board after us. We were told the flight was full. Ten of us could not go.”
She says they were told the aircraft was over-fuelled. She claims a woman dealing with the stranded passengers promised to arrange taxis, accommodation, food and vouchers. But Eileen says the woman then left to seek help and never returned.
She said: “She promised all the requested items – taxis, accommodation, food, vouchers. She abandoned us.”
The couple says they repeatedly asked for an easyJet representative and a senior airport manager but were unable to get practical assistance. As the airport began closing, Eileen says the remaining passengers were told they had to leave.
She said an older man approached them before bringing over what she believed was a police, security or border officer. Eileen said: “Some of them had belts with what looked like a gun. We were intimidated.”
An airport worker eventually stepped in and drove the couple to a hotel in his own car, helping them with their luggage. Eileen and Stephen paid for the accommodation themselves.
By the following evening, Eileen was still trying to resolve the situation through easyJet’s WhatsApp customer service. The airline later provided links allowing the couple to seek reimbursement for hotel, food and transport costs and submit a denied-boarding compensation claim.
But Eileen says the experience had left her deeply disappointed. The couple had travelled from 16 to 29 August for the family holiday to mark their golden wedding anniversary. They eventually secured British Airways flights from Croatia to Gatwick and booked a £190 taxi across the border to Dubrovnik.
They then faced a further £177 journey from Gatwick back to their home. An easyJet spokesperson said: “We are very sorry that Mr and Mrs Snow were unable to travel on their flight from Tivat to London Gatwick due to the aircraft exceeding weight limits.
“Weight restrictions are in place for all airlines for safety reasons and in the event that a flight exceeds this limit, we are required to carry fewer passengers. We did everything possible to minimise disruption for our customers including offering the next direct flight, however as this wasn’t suitable, they booked with an alternative carrier and will be reimbursed.
“We have since spoken to Mr and Mrs Snow, apologised for their experience and provided the compensation due. The safety and welfare of our passengers and crew is always easyJet’s highest priority.”
The actress, best known for playing Eileen Grimshaw in Coronation Street, opened up about a terrifying health battle which left her seriously ill and needing treatment in intensive care. The star is currently appearing on Celebrity MasterChef as she takes on a new challenge away from the cobbles.
But while viewers watch Sue battle it out in the kitchen, the star has previously spoken candidly about a difficult period in her life after undergoing surgery and later becoming seriously unwell. In 2023, Sue revealed she had endured a particularly difficult year after undergoing a hysterectomy before later being rushed to A&E.
Speaking about her health at the time, Sue explained that she had been seriously ill and had required intensive care treatment. “I had a really bad year. I had a hysterectomy in March then a few weeks ago, I ended up in A&E,” Sue said during an appearance on ITV hit chat show Loose Women.
Sue chose not to go into detail about exactly what had happened but admitted it had been an extremely frightening experience.
She explained: “I don’t need to go into details, but I have not been on a diet this year. I have been seriously ill. It was a scary, scary time. I had surgery and ended up in intensive care.”
The star had been subjected to speculation about her changing appearance, with images of her being used in adverts promoting weight-loss products. But Sue made clear that her weight loss had not been the result of following a particular diet. Instead, she had been dealing with serious health problems behind the scenes.
Despite the difficult experience, Sue was able to joke about the attention she had received over her appearance. “I’ve been seriously, seriously ill, but I look amazing!” she quipped.
The health scare came several years after Sue experienced another frightening medical emergency. In 2019, the actress developed sepsis after suffering from a kidney infection.
Sue later recalled becoming extremely unwell while she was working, initially believing that her symptoms could have been caused by flu or another illness.
Her condition deteriorated rapidly and she was eventually taken to hospital, where doctors diagnosed her with sepsis. The actress has since spoken about how serious the situation became and how important it was that she received medical treatment.
Sue has continued working throughout her health battles and has remained a familiar face on British television.
Now, the actress is taking on another challenge as she joins the line-up for Celebrity MasterChef. The cooking competition sees famous faces put their culinary skills to the test as they compete to impress the judges.
For Sue, it marks another chapter in her television career and gives viewers the chance to see a different side of the much-loved soap star.
Celebrity MasterChef is available to stream on BBC One and BBC iPlayer
Brits already mourning summer holiday season can ditch the cold for the sun-soaked beaches of Barbados, Antigua, St Lucia and more
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Ambassador has slashed prices on all of its 2026 Caribbean holidays with UK flights included(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
The summer holiday season is officially at its end – but for those already dreading the return to the daily grind after their sun-soaked getaways, jetting off for a Caribbean cruise is sure to lift the spirits. And one cruise line has slashed prices on its autumn trips for the bank holiday weekend, with just hours left to save.
Ambassador is offering 5% off all of its remaining Caribbean cruise holidays in 2026, with prices including return flights from either Heathrow or Manchester Airport, to escape the dreary UK autumn/winter weather for golden sands and warm waters. Customers just need to book by midnight on August 31 using the discount code BANKHOL5.
First up is theAtlantic Horizons and Caribbean Discovery voyage, an epic 24-night journey sets sail from London Tilbury on October 29 and calls in France, Portugal and the Azores before crossing the Atlantic towards the islands of the West Indies. Priced from £1,709 per person for an ocean view room using the discount code – working out at just £71 per night – highlights of this trip include Antigua, Martinique, St Lucia and more, with a return flight from Barbados back to the UK included at the end.
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Next is the Tropical Treasures cruise holiday from November 22, a 14-night adventure sailing from Bridgetown, Barbados to visit the vibrant streets of Curaçao, the lush hills of Dominica, the coral reefs of Bonaire and the iconic peaks of St Lucia. Available to book from £1,614 per person using the August bank holiday discount code, there’s also the option to secure a half price premium drinks package and save on flight upgrades too.
Sailing at the start of December is the Island Rhythms and Blue Horizons trip, another 14-night holiday beginning in Barbados before heading to the likes of the lively port town of Pointe-à-Pitre, the colourful streets and bustling markets of Fort de France, and Kralendijk, Bonaire’s capital with calm beaches and rich marine life. The cheapest of Ambassador’s 2026 Caribbean cruises from £1,519 per person using the BANKHOL5 code, this voyage has eight ports of call in total to swap the depths of British winter for tropical island-hopping.
Ambassador is offering 5% off its 2026 Caribbean voyages to customers who book by midnight on August 31 using the discount code BANKHOL5.
Rounding off Ambassador’s Caribbean cruise offers is the Christmas & New Year Caribbean Celebration, giving holidaymakers the chance to ditch the chaos of Christmas at home for a festive season with a difference. Priced from £2,469 per person with the discount and beginning a 14-night voyage on December 20, this trip will see passengers spend Christmas Day on warm sands and welcome the New Year with music, dancing and celebration at sea, exploring Grenada, Curaçao, Tobago, St Lucia and St Kitts.
Ambassador writes of its autumn/winter Caribbean cruise offering: “It’s a time of year when the Caribbean truly shines, with warm breezes, long daylight hours and a slower rhythm that invites you to breathe deeply. Whether you’re wandering colourful markets or unwinding on deck, each day brings something new.”
Ambassador isn’t the only cruise line offering Caribbean getaways as the UK weather begins to trend cooler and wetter. Fred. Olsen still has spots left for its Caribbean Christmas Island-Hopping holiday, a 31-night winter sun trip with Christmas Day at sea and New Year’s Eve in Antigua, priced from £5,799 per person with a special offer of £150 on board credit to spend.
Or for holidaymakers seeking a more budget-friendly option, TUI’s Marella has also slashed prices on some of its Caribbean cruise offers. One of the earliest deals sailing at the start of November is the Passage To Paradise trip travelling from Malaga to visit Antigua, Dominica and Barbados, now priced from £1,209 per person with a £776 discount.
Back at Ambassador, the price of each cruise includes return flights and transfers between the airport and ship, as well as full board dining while on board. Passengers will also have plenty to keep them entertained in between stops, including the use of the ship’s gym, swimming pool and hot tubs as well as a range of daily shows and activities from fitness classes, quizzes and crafting to plays, cabaret, music and dance.
Ambassador has earned an average rating of 3.9 out of five stars on Trustpilot. One passenger wrote in their review: “Fabulous Caribbean Cruise. Good food, excellent staff, great entertainment and lectures and a fantastic itinerary meant this was a fabulous holiday.”
Another fed back: “Our 45-day adventure on board Ambassador’s MV Ambition exceeded all our expectations! Sailing from Tilbury to the Caribbean via the Azores, calling at many beautiful islands. Escaping the winter weather and enjoying the beautiful Caribbean while being pampered and entertained.
“Our daily routine was very enjoyable, lectures, daily choir practice sessions leading to two shows towards the end of the cruise! Plenty of socialising, exercising on deck in the sunshine or relaxing in the spa, working out in the gymnasium with fellow athletes and trainers.”
They added: “MV Ambition is a comfortable ship with pleasant bars and restaurants, friendly and attentive staff that worked hard to make sure we had all that we required. The entertainment team were excellent, such great shows, musicals and fabulous performances!”
Not everyone gave their experience five stars, however, with one person commenting: “We were on a 46-day cruise to Cuba and the Caribbean and found the staff to be excellent, the cabins comfortable and facilities ok. I have marked the experience down due to the fact that despite saying that they cater for vegetarians we were disappointed with the food on offer.”
A MAJOR airport has been forced to close restaurants and toilets due to another water outage – just weeks its last shortage.
Passengers at Gatwick Airport have slammed the water outage, with many “turned away from restaurants”.
Another water outage has hit Gatwick Airport, with restaurants closing and toilets unable to flush.Credit: Alamy
The outage has been caused by a burst water main, which has affected the supply to the airport.
As a result, a number of toilets have been closed with no running water, while food and drink outlets in the North Terminal are unable to serve anything.
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One source told The Sun: “There were no announcements, they just started turning away everyone at the restaurants.
“Someone from the airport then directed us to Starbucks, which was also shut.
“Water fountains weren’t operational either. People are treating the toilets like portaloos at a festival, its going to be a biohazard soon.”
Others on social media also complained, with one saying: “No water at Gatwick again so restaurants are closing.”
Another said: “Yet another water outage at Gatwick Airport.”
A Gatwick Airport spokesperson told Sun Travel: “A water issue is causing some disruption in the local area.
“The problem is affecting water supply in both terminals and is currently under investigation by SES Water.
A number of outages around Gatwick Airport have been reported by SES WaterA water outage hit Gatwick Airport just weeks ago (pictured)Credit: PAThe outage back in July resulted in restaurants and toilets being closedCredit: PA
“At present, there has been no impact on flights.
“We will provide further updates and apologise for any inconvenience to passengers.
The water in the area is covered by SES Water, which covers parts of Surrey, Kent and London.
A spokesperson told The Sun: “We have a burst water main which is temporarily affecting supply including to Gatwick Airport.
“Our teams are on site and working to repair the burst as quickly and safely as possible.
“We are sorry for the disruption this is causing customers and will continue to provide updates.”
It comes just weeks after a similar water outage left the airport with no running water, toilets or bars.
On July 26, a power outage at a water treatment plant in southeast England caused issues with low pressure and loss of supply at the major airport.
Passengers called it “disgraceful” with images showing vending machines with no water left and dirty toilets.
MORE THAN 100 passengers were left stranded in Tunisia after their easyJet flight home was cancelled.
A number of travellers from Northern Ireland were due to fly back from Tunisia Enfidha-Hamamet Airport three days ago, when easyJet cancelled their flight and told them they had no other flights available for 10 days.
Passengers were left stranded in Tunisia after a cancelled easyJet flightCredit: EPASome passengers even ran out of medicationCredit: Getty
According to BBC News Northern Ireland, one man claimed to have spent £4,000 just to get home, having to fly via Brussels, while another passenger branded the situation “an absolute nightmare”.
Other passengers have noted how they have run out of medication for health issues.
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The airline has since been heavily criticised for not offering enough support to the travellers and arranged a ‘rescue’ flight yesterday at 9:20pm.
According to the airport’s website, an easyJet flight to Belfast departed at 10:25pm.
Around 100 people were booked onto the original flight which was cancelled.
One passenger, Martine Murray, said: “There has been a complete blackout of communication.
Another passenger, Natasha Dovbijenko, revealed that the hotel easyJet provided was very dirty as well.
Passengers were arranged a two-night stay at a nearby hotel, with the airline adding that other passengers who had sought alternative transport or accommodation would be reimbursed.
EasyJet launched a rescue flight to the airport last nightCredit: Enfidha-Hammamet Airport
The original flight was cancelled due to a “technical issue and was unable to operate” according to the airline.
A spokesperson for the airline said: “We have been doing everything we can to support our customers, providing hotel accommodation and meals and we will be reimbursing expenses that may have been incurred.
“As alternative flight options including with other carriers are very limited at this busy time of year, we will be operating an additional direct flight from Enfidha to Belfast this evening and providing onward transfers home where needed.”
“The welfare of our customers is our highest priority and we are very sorry for the inconvenience caused.”
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
Ukrainian drone attacks on targets deep inside Russia have spurred President Vladimir Putin to allow the government to temporarily seize what it deems commercial critical infrastructure that is not sufficiently protection against such strikes. This follows Russia’s move earlier this year to allow private companies to purchase their own air defense systems to protect their own facilities. Beyond calling for increased defenses, the decree signed by Putin also warns that the government will take over facilities that don’t make needed repairs quickly enough once they have been hit.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree allowing the government to temporarily take control of critical infrastructure if private owners fail to protect it from Ukrainian drone attacks or rebuild it after strikes.
Given the threat to vital economic infrastructure, “we must take measures, we must ensure our own safety,” he added.
Putin’s decree does not specify what actions these facilities are required to take to provide better protection against Ukrainian drone attacks. As we have written about frequently, due to the demands of the battlefield and repeated Ukrainian attacks across a growing portion of Russia, the Russian military already has a shortage of air defense systems. So it’s not clear how much equipment, and of what capabilities, is even available for private firms to purchase. However, the civilian counter-drone industry in Russia is flourishing. Back in May, Russian authorities authorized private companies “to purchase heavy weaponry to defend industrial facilities against drone attacks,” the RBC news website reported at the time, citing sources linked to the Defense Ministry.
“The new system will allow companies to procure anti-aircraft artillery systems, turrets, radar equipment, specialized vehicles and electronic warfare systems,” the outlet added. “In order to promptly provide newly formed mobile fire groups with everything they need, the relevant decisions were recently adopted at the state level.”
In addition, some refineries have already built metal cages around their facilities to help protect against drone attacks.
Russia Puts Cope Cages on Oil Storage Tanks
The Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia’s oil refineries and Black Sea ports are having a dramatic effect on the Russian economy.
“In the four weeks through Aug. 23, overseas crude flows fell to 3.46 million barrels a day,” Bloomberg news reported, citing tanker-movements data it compiled. “Shipments had previously risen as the strikes on Russia’s refineries left more crude available for export, but that increase is now unwinding, after drone hits on oil tankers cut shipments from the Black Sea.”
“Meanwhile, strikes on Russian oil and gas processing plants continue to be an almost nightly occurrence, sending crude processing rates tumbling and creating domestic gasoline supply issues,” Bloomberg explained. “Falling Russian crude shipments come on top of Kremlin-imposed bans on overseas shipments of key refined products, including most gasoline, diesel and jet fuel supplies, which are further reducing inflows to Moscow’s war chest.”
Ukraine’s two-pronged drone strikes on Russia’s refineries and Black Sea shipping hamper Moscow’s oil flows, while refinery crude processing tumbles, writes @JLeeEnergyhttps://t.co/BI3OVPrkJ4
Ukraine, as we noted earlier, has also targeted Russian logistics infrastructure belonging to major online retailers, such as Amazon-style retail giant Wildberries, to increase the financial pain on other sectors of the Russian economy.
“Ozon, Russia’s second-largest online retailer, is now next in Ukraine’s crosshairs,” CNBC reported. “Shares of the company plunged nearly 30% on the Moscow Exchange on Monday after it reported drone strikes in southern Russia, which brought the number of facilities targeted in the last three days to six.”
❗️Ukrainian attack drones struck an Ozon logistics center near Tyube in Russia’s Dagestan overnight, extending the wave of strikes on logistics infrastructure into the North Caucasus. The facility handles large volumes of goods for Ozon across the region. Footage from the attack… pic.twitter.com/vL3Cv7vmtd
Overnight on Monday, Ukraine continued striking inside Russia, attacking the Afipsky Refinery and Gas Separation Units at the Astrakhan Gas Processing Plant, according to the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff. The extent of the damage is still being clarified.
“Afipsky Refinery is one of the large oil refining facilities in the Krasnodar region,” the general staff noted. “The project capacity is 6.25 million tons of oil per year. The plant produces, among other things, diesel, gasoline components, and is involved in supplying the Russian occupation army.”
The governor of the Krasnodar region, Veniamin Kondratiev, acknowledged the attack.
“Debris from a drone fell on the territory of the Afipskaya railway station,” he stated on Telegram. “Sadly, two people were killed. I express my deepest condolences to the families. Two more people were injured, and I wish them a speedy recovery. In addition, at least 10 private homes were damaged in the village of Afipsky. A fire broke out in one of them. A fire also occurred on the territory of a refinery. Firefighters and emergency services are currently working at the scene.”
❗️Ukrainian attack drones struck Russia’s Afipsky oil refinery in Krasnodar region overnight, setting the facility on fire. The refinery has an annual crude processing capacity of 9.1 million tons. Debris from the attack also reportedly damaged a railway station. The Afipsky… pic.twitter.com/ao6TWgmR8y
Russia isn’t alone in worrying about Ukrainian drone strikes. Financial Times reporter Christopher Miller noted on X that the Trump administration asked Kyiv not to strike Moscow, St. Petersburg or northern regions of Russia Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, “when the U.S. would send a plane carrying a senior-level official to the Russian capital.”
On Tuesday, a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III strategic airlifter arrived in Moscow, reportedly ferrying CIA Director John Ratcliffe. You can read more about that in our initial story here.
Scoop @FT: Trump administration officials last week requested that Kyiv not strike Moscow, St Petersburg and nothern regions of Russia with its long range missiles and drones on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday when the US would send a plane carrying a senior-level official to the…
Ratcliffe was visiting as the U.S. struggles to end Russia’s full-on invasion of Ukraine and the Iran war, though “the reason for the visit wasn’t immediately clear,” The Wall Street Journal noted. “The U.S. has collected intelligence showing Russia’s early preparations for a possible military mobilization in Ukraine and plans for testing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s resolve.”
Analysts said Ratcliffe could meet with Putin to deliver a warning, the newspaper noted.
“It could be to say, ‘We know what you are thinking about doing, and you better not,’” Beth Sanner, a former U.S. deputy director of national intelligence for mission integration, told the Journal. “It could also be about the Iran ceasefire and putting someone else in the discussion,” she said, adding Ratcliffe might also touch upon the Kremlin’s support for Iran following a new U.S. sanctions campaign against the regime.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe made a surprise visit to Moscow, U.S. officials said, his first publicly known trip to the Russian capital. https://t.co/F664tBiV8h
Ukraine is making some small advances in the southern section of the front while Russia continues to put heavy pressure on the Donetsk region in the east. Here are some key takeaways from the latest Institute for the Study of War assessment.
Sumy: Russian forces continued offensive operations in northern Sumy Oblast on August 23 and 24 but did not make confirmed advances.
Kharkiv: Russian forces continued offensive operations in northern Kharkiv Oblast, near Borova, Kupiansk and in the Velykyi Burluk direction on August 23 and 24 but did not advance as Ukrainian forces counterattacked.
Donetsk: Ukrainian forces recently advanced in the Slovyansk direction. Russian forces continued attempts to isolate Ukrainian forces in Mykolaivka (east of Slovyansk), and attacked in the Dobropillya tactical area, the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area, Pokrovsk, Novopavlivka, and Oleksandrivka on August 23 and 24 but did not advance.
Zaporizhia: Ukrainian forces recently advanced in the Hulyaipole direction and in western Zaporizhia Oblast.
Kherson: Neither Russian nor Ukrainian forces reported ground activity in the Kherson direction on August 24.
NEW: Ukrainian forces appear to be conducting a concerted suppression and destruction of enemy air defenses (SEAD/DEAD) campaign against Russian air defense assets in Russian border regions as part of their broader campaign targeting Russian economic and military assets within… pic.twitter.com/JDDH5iUoUn
— Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) August 25, 2026
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered some positive news Tuesday about badly needed air defense systems and interceptors.
“We received confirmation regarding several Crotale air defense systems and missiles for them. And AIM missiles, which we use to shoot down enemy missiles. And a little more Patriot missiles have arrived,” Zelensky told reporters. He did not offer specific figures.
Zelensky added that Ukraine had received confirmation from the United Kingdom regarding the production of SCALP long-range missiles.
“We will act. I believe this is a strong positive and a strong decision,” Zelensky said.
Zelensky also said Ukraine expects to receive a schedule for the Freya domestic air defense interceptor initiative within seven to 10 days, including information on meetings and areas where cooperation with defense companies is currently blocked.
Zelensky says Ukraine received some Patriot missiles, AIM missiles and confirmation of several Crotale air-defense systems with missiles. He called the AIM missiles “very important” and said the Patriot delivery remains small: “We need more.” #Ukrainepic.twitter.com/beDn71SLlM
Earlier this month, we told you about two drone-related incidents at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany that represented the most serious threats yet in the wave of small drone incursions that have plagued Europe for the past few years. German police said an explosive-laden drone was located on the ground near a Ukrainian Antonov An-124 Condor cargo jet and that there was a midair collision between an object and another cargo aircraft.
More news about that situation emerged today.
German investigators uncovered a third drone and suspected military explosives thought to be connected to the attempted attack on Leipzig airport, the Guardian reported, citing local media.
“The drone was discovered in Kabelsketal, just to the west of the airport, along with about 50g (1.8oz) of a suspected military explosive on 14 August, 10 days after the unsuccessful sabotage,” the publication stated. The office of the prosecutor general, which is leading the investigation, declined to comment on Tuesday. But the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said the government would soon provide information about who it believed was behind the drone attacks.
“They will pay for this,” Merz said, stopping short of naming a suspect, before a cabinet meeting in Brandenburg. He added that the government was “working intensively on this together with the security authorities and we will present our findings and comment on them shortly.”
“Intelligence sources cited by the broadcasters NDR and WDR and the newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung said they suspected the involvement of Russian intelligence in the attempted attack,” the Guardian added. Moscow has denied involvement.
Leipzig airport is a cargo and military logistics hub used by NATO and Ukraine’s Antonov Airlines for transporting military supplies. As we noted in our initial piece, the Condor, in particular, represents an unsurprising target for Russia. Ukraine’s An-124s are a source of national pride and a big flying symbol of the country’s defiance and survival. They also provide much-needed revenue to Ukraine and strategic airlift to support the conflict. Ukraine’s An-124s have long provided charter cargo services for western militaries, companies and NGOs. Since the war began, Antonov Airlines An-124s have been used to deliver war materiel bound for Ukraine.
🚨 🇩🇪 LEIPZIG: ES WAR OFFENBAR NICHT NUR EINE DROHNE
Der Fall am Flughafen Leipzig/Halle wird immer brisanter.
Nach gemeinsamen Recherchen von NDR, WDR und Süddeutscher Zeitung gibt es inzwischen Hinweise darauf, dass rund um den Flughafen mehrere Drohnen, Sprengstoff und… pic.twitter.com/G76gKMwfJw
Britain has signed a partnership with Ukraine to jointly develop artificial intelligence tools for defense and security, ”giving British researchers access to a Ukrainian battlefield data platform used to train military AI systems,” Reuters reported.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Zelensky signed the agreement in Kyiv, making Britain the first international partner to access Ukraine’s Avengers AI Labs, a government statement said.
Avengers Labs “was built around an annotated dataset of 5 million battlefield images, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said earlier in August, largely drawn from the military’s DELTA combat system – a domestically developed battlefield management and situational-awareness system,” the outlet added. “The platform uses data collected from cameras and sensors across Ukraine’s battlefield, including information on tanks, artillery systems, drones and other military targets.”
The Ukrainian ministry said “AI models trained on the data were already being used in an automated target-detection system that analyses more than 100,000 drone video feeds each month and can identify about 70% of enemy targets in real time,” Reuters noted.
The UK became the first foreign nation to gain access to Ukraine’s vast trove of battlefield data in a deal designed to train artificial intelligence models and develop fresh military capabilities https://t.co/qXzTu4UMWA
Fast forward to today and many of those tanks that survived combat “now mostly sit idle, hidden in forests and collecting cobwebs,” according to a New York Times report. “The $10 million machines, procured with great fanfare, proved no match for cheap drones that now dominate the battlefield. Yet Ukraine still maintains them and trains soldiers to use them, while trying to imagine new ways to deploy them.”
“We’re making virtually no use of armored vehicles,” Oleksandr Syrskyi, who until last month was Ukraine’s top general, said recently, the newspaper noted. “This raises the question: How can we neutralize this advantage enjoyed by drones and give our armor a new lease on life?”
The situation has changed so drastically that tanks are being used largely as tractors to tow damaged equipment, the Times proffered. Some of the troops are now more involved with drones than tanks. Newer recruits to a unit that was among the first to receive donated armor “have never even touched a tank. Among them was Korzhyk, 33, who joined the brigade in 2025 and spends his days repairing ground drones in a dark workshop,” the publication added.
❗️Western tanks once coveted by Ukraine now mostly sit idle as cheap drones dominate the battlefield, NYT reports. The 33rd Mechanized Brigade keeps its German-made Leopards hidden, maintained and ready, but combat orders have largely stopped. Tanks are sometimes used to tow… pic.twitter.com/lGaIWnxSv8
❗️Ukrainian MiG-29MU1 fighter using American guided aerial bombs GBU-39 destroys positions of Russian UAV operators in the Belgorod region. pic.twitter.com/y5up0Oyb2m
Ukraine’s mid-range drone attacks against Russian logistics have proven quite successful; however, the following picture shows not every that not every strike resulted in complete destruction. As you can see, a Hornet one-way attack drone got stuck in the windshield of a truck in occupied Crimea.
❗️Ukrainian kamikaze drone “Hornet” failed to detonate and got stuck in the windshield of a Russian truck on the highway to occupied Crimea. pic.twitter.com/ybhakjWpBg
DOWNTON Abbey and Harry Potter star Dame Maggie Smith left a £16million fortune to her two actor sons, probate records published nearly two years after her death reveal.
Dame Maggie, who played Professor McGonagall in the Harry Potter films, passed away in September 2024Credit: AlamyDame Maggie Smith left a £16million fortune to her two actor sonsCredit: PA:Press Association
Her will divides the bulk of that fortune equally between her sons Christopher Stephens, who works under the stage name Chris Larkin, and Toby Stephens.
She also left her West Sussex farmhouse, Douglas Lake Farm at Fittleworth, to a family trust she had set up with the two brothers in 2019.
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The five-bedroom house, where she raised her sons and lived for more than 40 years, sits on a secluded plot with barns, a stable and a vineyard.
Born Margaret Natalie Smith in Ilford, Essex, in 1934, she was brought up in Oxford and made her stage debut at the Oxford Playhouse aged 17.
Her role as Violet Crawley in six series of ITV’s Downton Abbey won her three Emmy awardsCredit: AlamyDame Maggie Smith and her son Toby Stephens in 2005Credit: Alamy
She won her first Oscar in 1970 for playing the teacher in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, and a second in 1979 for California Suite.
She was made a Dame in 1990 and her other films included A Room with a View, Sister Act, Gosford Park and The Lady in the Van.
A generation of children knew her as Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films, a role she played across a decade from 2001 to 2011.
Her role as the acid-tongued Violet Crawley in six series of ITV’s Downton Abbey from 2010 won her three Emmy awards and a fresh television audience around the world.
In all she won two Oscars, seven Baftas, four Emmys, three Golden Globes and a Tony award, and was appointed a Companion of Honour by the late Queen in 2014.
King Charles and Queen Camilla also paid tribute, saying: “As the curtain comes down on a national treasure, we join all those around the world in remembering with the fondest admiration and affection her many great performances, and her warmth and wit that shone through both off and on the stage.”
Harry Potter co-star Daniel Radcliffe, said: “I will always consider myself amazingly lucky to have been able to work with her, and to spend time around her on set. The word legend is overused but if it applies to anyone in our industry then it applies to her. Thank you Maggie.”
Hugh Bonneville, who played her son in Downton Abbey, said: “Anyone who ever shared a scene with Maggie will attest to her sharp eye, sharp wit and formidable talent.
“She was a true legend of her generation and thankfully will live on in so many magnificent screen performances.”
They said: “An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end.
“She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother.”
She married the actor Robert Stephens in 1967, the father of her two sons, and after their divorce married the playwright Beverley Cross in the mid-1970s.
Mr Cross wrote the musical Half a Sixpence and the screenplays for the fantasy adventure films Jason and the Argonauts and Clash of the Titans.
Her will directs that any copyright, royalties and unpublished works she inherited from him after his death in 1998 should be shared out separately.
The proceeds are split equally between his daughter Philippa Maughan, his son Shaun Cross and her own two sons.
She signed the will in September 1996, when Mr Cross was still alive and named as her main beneficiary, but he died 18 months later.
The full value of everything she owned came to £16,003,613, with debts and expenses of just over £26,000 taken off to reach the final figure.
Speaking in a magazine interview in 2019, she was dismissive of the two roles that had made her famous to a new generation of viewers.
She said: “It wasn’t what you’d call satisfying. I didn’t really feel I was acting.”
She added that she was grateful for both jobs, which between them introduced her to millions of filmgoers who had never seen her on stage.
Dame Maggie once summed her life up by saying: “One went to school, one wanted to act, one started to act and one’s still acting.”
August 25 is an incredibly painful day for the Rohingya. It marks the anniversary of the 2017 genocidal campaign by the Myanmar military. Babies and young children were thrown into fires. Women and young girls were systematically gang-raped and mutilated. Entire families were slaughtered as they fled. Others were trapped inside their homes and burned alive. More than 700,000 of our people were forced to flee to Bangladesh.
The Rohingya, who are an ethnic Muslim-majority group who speak their own language from the Indo-Aryan family, have long faced discrimination and persecution in Myanmar.
Today, about 1.2 million Rohingya remain trapped in camps in Bangladesh, while a new wave of persecution is forcing more Rohingya from their homes in Rakhine state. Others are risking their lives at sea in a desperate search for safety.
In this desperate situation, there is a ray of hope raised by international justice proceedings in Argentina and the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Still, the international community is falling short in fulfilling its commitments to ensure accountability and protect the Rohingya.
The genocide never stopped
Over the past two years, the balance of power in Rakhine has dramatically changed. The Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic Rakhine armed group, now controls most of the state, including the main Rohingya areas in the north. But the brutality and persecution Rohingya face have not ended.
As the AA has consolidated its control, evidence has mounted of mass killings and targeted attacks on civilians, documenting what Rohingya communities have been warning of.
Rohingya also face forced recruitment, forced labour, detention and severe restrictions on movement. Sexual violence, a hallmark of the Rohingya genocide, is continuing under AA authority.
Rohingya in Rakhine report that the violence and oppression they now face from the AA is just as brutal as the Myanmar military’s ethnic cleansing in 2017. Taken together, we see these abuses as part of a deliberate strategy to drive Rohingya from their homes and continue their erasure from Myanmar.
The same anti-Rohingya racism that drove decades of persecution by the Myanmar military is also at the heart of the AA’s treatment of the Rohingya. The perpetrators may have changed, but the dehumanisation and denial of our identity and rights continue.
The AA is completing what the Myanmar military started. Rohingya are being driven from their villages and prevented from returning, while their land is confiscated and new Rakhine settlements are built on it, sometimes by Rohingya coerced into forced labour. The possibility of return is being destroyed in real time.
Nowhere safe to go
More than 150,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since late 2023, just as international humanitarian funding for refugees is being slashed. Learning centres in Cox’s Bazar have closed and essential services are being cut. Children who fled genocide are growing up without education or hope for their future. Others were born in the camps and have never known a life outside them. The international community is allowing an entire generation of Rohingya children to be abandoned.
Rohingya are being forced to choose between continuing persecution in their homeland and hunger, insecurity and an increasingly desperate existence in camps.
For those forced to flee, there is often no safe route to protection. The very people forcing Rohingya to flee are often involved in and profiting from their trafficking as they try to escape. In July, two boats carrying more than 500 Rohingya, including children and young people, sank after leaving Rakhine. No one would put their children on such a dangerous journey unless staying was even more dangerous.
Meanwhile, there is growing anti-Rohingya sentiment in countries that host them as refugees. Governments talk about Rohingya returning home while more are being forced out and the land they would return to is being taken. We want to go home. But we want to go home with our rights: citizenship, equal rights and the right to return to our own land.
Nine years of impunity
For nine years, the Myanmar military leaders responsible for genocide against Rohingya have faced no real consequences. The architects of the genocide remain free, while the same military has gone on to commit atrocities against communities across Myanmar. Accountability is not only about the past. It is about stopping the violence happening now and preventing further atrocities.
The world cannot repeat the same failure with the Arakan Army. We have seen this pattern before and know where it leads. The longer the Myanmar military and AA are allowed to act with impunity, the closer we come to the complete erasure of the Rohingya from Rakhine.
Rohingya survivors and organisations have spent years documenting crimes, giving evidence and fighting for accountability. We had to pursue justice on the other side of the world because governments and international institutions failed to deliver it.
That fight is finally producing results. My organisation, the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK), brought a universal jurisdiction case in Argentina which has resulted in international arrest warrants for 22 Myanmar military officials and three civilians, including the military government’s leaders Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and General Soe Win, for genocide and crimes against humanity. We are also pursuing reparations for Rohingya survivors.
A judgement is also expected in the coming months in the genocide case brought by The Gambia against Myanmar at the ICJ.
Rohingya are getting closer to justice in international courts but at the same time are being pushed further from our homeland. Legal progress means little if Rohingya continue to be killed, forced out and stripped of the land to which they hope one day to return.
We have fought for years to get this far. Now governments must act. Every possible pressure point must be applied.
States must enforce the Argentinian arrest warrants whenever those wanted enter their jurisdictions, and Interpol must act on Argentina’s request for red notices. Governments must impose coordinated targeted sanctions on the AA and the Myanmar military, alongside restrictions on arms, aviation fuel and revenue streams that enable further atrocities. Maximum international pressure must be applied on the AA to end its persecution of Rohingya and ensure our protection and equal rights.
The United Nations Security Council must act. The United Kingdom, as penholder on Myanmar, must push for an urgent council meeting on the atrocities taking place in Rakhine and the continued failure to protect the Rohingya.
Governments must restore and increase humanitarian funding for Rohingya in Bangladesh and Rakhine, facilitate cross-border aid and pressure the Myanmar military and the AA to end restrictions on humanitarian access.
Governments must pursue every available route to justice and accountability for crimes by the Myanmar military and the AA. They must also be ready to respond to the forthcoming ICJ judgement.
Justice and accountability delivered years too late will mean nothing if there are no Rohingya left in Myanmar.
Justice is not only about what happens in courtrooms. For Rohingya, it means being able to return to our villages and our land. It means restoring the citizenship and rights that have been taken from us. Above all, it means being able to live freely and as equals in Myanmar, without ever again facing persecution and genocide.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly moving back across the pond, six years after their dramatic exit from the Royal family stunned Americans and Britons and exposed scandal in Buckingham Palace.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will return to British soil along with their two young children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, for an extended period starting this month, People reported last week. While the pair’s decision may be unsurprising to some, Prince Harry and Meghan made clear in 2020 that their personal Brexit was because of several factors, ranging from severe scrutiny by the British media to alleged racism and bullying from the royal family.
Meghan, during the couple’s memorable tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, spoke plainly of her experience among the royals: “I just didn’t want to be alive anymore. And that was very clear and real and frightening.”
King Charles III is aware of the plans for his son and Meghan‘s U.K. return and “welcomes the opportunity to see more of the Sussex family in a private and personal capacity,” People reported. The spouses are also said to retain their property in the affluent Santa Barbara enclave of Montecito, and vacation home in Portugal while also making a “private, non-royal” home in Britain. This retrospective tracks the early years of the highly scrutinized pair’s relationship, the fallout from their royal exit, their media ventures and more.
When Harry met Meghan
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend a Wheelchair Tennis match during the Invictus Games 2017 at Nathan Philips Square in Toronto, Canada.
(Vaughn Ridley / Getty Images)
“Personally, I love a great love story.”
That’s what Meghan Markle, formerly of “Suits” fame, told Vanity Fair in October 2017. By then, more than a year of media speculation and rumors surrounded the L.A.-raised actor and activist’s romance with Britain’s Prince Harry, younger brother to Prince William and the second son of Charles and the late Princess Diana, who was killed at age 36 in 1997 after the car she was in crashed while fleeing paparazzi in Paris.
Meghan and Prince Harry kindled a romance in 2016 at that year’s edition of his veteran-centered Invictus Games, held in Orlando. Markle quickly found herself in the beloved “bad boy” Royal’s orbit — including the tireless swarm of tabloids and paparazzi who have captured almost his every move from childhood. The pair was already subject to media frenzy early in their relationship, prompting Harry via Buckingham Palace to plead with reporters to respect his then-girlfriend’s privacy and to condemn the “outright sexism and racism” in online comments. Markle had also remarked early on that she was disheartened that so much coverage of her romance focused on her ethnicity.
News of their engagement in 2017 further raised eyebrows among the public and even more so with established British tabloids, including the Daily Mail, which had once described the pair’s relationship as a “VERY unlikely romance.” In the context of the longstanding (and almost exclusively white) British monarchy, Meghan was an outsider: American, mixed-race (she is half white and half Black), an outspoken public figure and a divorcée (she was previously married to film producer Trevor Engelson).
Prince Harry and Meghan married in May 2018 and were named Duke and Duchess of Sussex. At the time, Prince Harry was sixth in line to the British throne. During the wedding ceremony, the Rev. Michael Bruce Curry heralded the pair’s union with calls for justice and equality — amid the country’s early steps into leaving the European Union — and made references to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
“When love is the way, there’s plenty of room for all of God’s children,” Curry said during the ceremony. “When love is the way, we actually treat each other — well, like we are actually family.”
Between the newlyweds and the British royals, family ties proved only so strong.
Buckingham Palace faces a new era of controversy
As new parents, the Duchess and Duke of Sussex pose with their newborn son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, at Windsor Castle on May 8, 2019 in England.
(WPA pool / Getty Images)
Marrying into British royalty did not shield Meghan from criticism, speculation and attacks by the press — it appeared to have the opposite effect. Sound familiar?
British tabloids and several media personalities continued taking aim at Meghan, portraying her as a rude “trailer trash” personality amid a rumored riff with Princess Kate and using racist imagery to mock the arrival of her firstborn son, Archie, in 2019. The public ridicule remained ceaseless, but alleged tension was also brewing behind palace walls.
Less than a year after their first heir’s arrival, the Duke and Duchess announced in a shocking personal statement in 2020 that they would step down as senior members of the royal family and would work to become financially independent. They also announced at the time that they would split their time between the U.K. and North America. A year later, the spouses announced they would not return to royal duties. Shortly after, they memorably shed light on their decision in a bombshell CBS interview with Oprah Winfrey, unleashing a disturbing look into their life as members of the royal family.
Meghan claimed that while pregnant with Archie, she and her husband were informed their son would not have the title of prince or princess, which she said deviated from longtime protocol, and would not be entitled to security. The actor also implied that during discussions about her son’s title, there were “also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born.”
“They were concerned that if he were too brown, that that would be a problem?” Winfrey asked.
“If that’s the assumption you’re making,” Meghan replied, “I think that’s a pretty safe one.” She did not identify the person who made the remarks: “I think that would be very damaging to them.”
Winfrey later clarified that Harry said neither his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II or his grandfather Prince Philip “were a part of those conversations.”
Meghan also spoke about her struggles with her mental health while part of the royal family. She revealed that she was suicidal while pregnant with Archie, citing isolation and helplessness amid ceaseless attacks by the press.
“I just didn’t want to be alive anymore. And that was a very clear and real and frightening constant thought,” she said, adding that she went to the palace’s corporate institution for help. “I was told that I couldn’t, that it wouldn’t be good for the institution.” At the time of the interview, Harry and Meghan revealed they were expecting a baby girl. Lilibet was born June 2021.
“The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement responding to the spouses’ interview. “The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.”
Royal fallout
Prince Harry with Meghan, standing behind Prince William and Kate, during the funeral service for Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.
(WPA pool / Getty Images)
In addition to Harry and Meghan’s self-demotion, Buckingham Palace faced tragedy and additional criticism in the following years. Prince Philip died in April 2021 and long-reigning Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022 at age 96. Prince Harry and Meghan both attended the queen’s funeral, but under close watch by the British media.
Charles ascended to the throne after Queen Elizabeth’s death, marginally moving up Harry and his children with Meghan — the children later received their royal titles of prince and princess. — in the line of succession to the British throne.
When 2023 arrived, so did a fresh batch of revelations about the Windsors. Prince Harry published his memoir, “Spare,” providing readers an unflinching look at his family but an even more unforgiving description of the paparazzi. In the book he recalled needing to ask his grandmother’s permission to propose to Meghan, wrote that older brother Prince William had “been pretty discouraging about my even dating Meg” and accused queen consort Camilla of making shady deals with the press.
Months after the memoir’s publication, Prince Harry and Meghan were asked to vacate their British home of Frogmore Cottage on the grounds of Windsor Castle. Reportedly, King Charles began the eviction process the day after his son published the memoir.
Meghan, left, and Chrissy Teigen in an episode of Netflix’s “With Love, Meghan.”
(Jake Rosenberg / Netflix)
As Meghan and Harry moved to separate themselves from the royal family and from life in the U.K., they settled down in California in the affluent neighborhood of Montecito and into new business ventures. Among their earliest post-palace endeavors was the creation of multimedia company Archewell Productions, which in September 2020 inked a multiyear deal with Netflix to produce series, docuseries, documentaries and other programming.
For Netflix, the spouses have put forward numerous projects, including documentary series and reality shows “Harry & Meghan,” “Heart of Invictus” and cooking show “With Love, Meghan.” The pair opted last year to maintain its relationship with the streaming giant, signing another multiyear, first-look deal.
Additionally the ex-royals’ Archewell Audio inked a multiyear deal with Spotify to produce podcasts and shows for the platform in a deal that was reportedly worth $20 million. Archewell Audio released a 30-minute holiday special in 2020 and one audio series — “Archetypes” — hosted by Meghan in August 2022. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex‘s podcasting endeavor at Spotify ended in 2023.
Unsurprisingly, Prince Harry and Meghan, who have also busied themselves with various philanthropic causes, faced backlash for their Spotify departure. Meghan was also accused of faking some “Archetypes” interviews.
In addition to big-swing media ventures, Meghan launched a lifestyle and food business that had undergone multiple name changes. She initially launched her brand under the moniker American Riviera Orchard, specializing in artisan jams she notably gifted to celebs, including Kris Jenner, Chrissy Teigen and Mindy Kaling. She later rebranded the line to As Ever, following a minor roadblock with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
“I was figuring it out in real time,” she told People of the naming debacle in 2025. She also said she now sees herself “as an entrepreneur and a female founder.”
According to recent reporting, Meghan can add “actor” back into that description. She is reportedly in talks to join the third season of Guy Ritchie’s Netflix series “The Gentleman.” That would be her first acting gig since the end of “Suits” and marrying into the royal family.
WE all know to take good care of your passport, but what happens if someone steals it?
One couple missed out on their holiday and lost thousands of pounds when their passport was stolen at a busy train station.
Having a passport stolen can be very costly for BritsOne couple missed out on their holiday on the Eurostar after having their documents stolenCredit: AFP
Talking to The Telegraph, Reverend Bruce Johnson and Sarah Johnson said they had their passports stolen in London St Pancras.
The couple were heading to Amsterdam when they discovered their travel bag with their documents had been nabbed.
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Usually, Brits can opt for a premium one-day service for passport renewals if there is a problem with their documents, for example if it is damaged.
But, this service cannot be used when a passport is lost or stolen.
In this case, it requires extra checks from the “Lost, Stolen and Recovered” team at HM Passport Office.
The quickest option for anyone with a stolen passport is the one-week Fast Track service.
As the couple were heading on their holiday on the same day, their plans were completely ruined.
Rev Bruce Johnson told the publication: “After speaking to the Home Office plus the Dutch embassy, they wouldn’t accept our other forms of ID, such as driving licences.
“So we had to go home – and lost the whole holiday.”
Eurostar refunded the couple’s tickets, but the loss of everything else from accommodation to train and taxi fares and replacement passports has cost them £2,219.
You cannot use the one-day premium service for stolen or lost passportsCredit: Getty
The couple’s travel insurance policy did not cover passport theft either.
Having a passport stolen is not uncommon – the Passport Office reported that almost 370,000 passports were reported as lost or stolen in the UK in 2025 by November.
This is 62 per cent more than all of 2024.
Advice on the GOV.UK website reads: “You must cancel a lost or stolen passport as soon as possible.
“This will reduce the risk of anyone else using your passport or your identity. You can report a lost or stolen passport for someone else if they cannot do it themselves.”
Advice from the Post Office reveals that if your passport has been stolen, you won’t be able to get a replacement quickly.
It says: “You usually can’t use the one-day Premium Service to replace a lost or stolen passport. This is only for renewing an existing adult passport, where you still have your old one.
“In rare cases, such as a serious illness or bereavement, you may be able to get urgent help. If this applies to you, you’ll need to contact HM Passport Office directly to discuss your situation.
“If you need a replacement quickly, the 1 week Fast Track service is usually the fastest option.”
For the one-week fast track, the earliest time you can get an appointment is the day after you apply.
The new passport is delivered by courier a week afterwards.
This costs £192 for an adult passport and £156.50 for a child passport.
If you want to find out more about other passport rules, head here.
Bruce Forsyth’s former Wentworth mansion, once shared with widow Lady Wilnelia, has reportedly been left empty and deteriorating years after she sold it for £5.7million
07:08, 22 Aug 2026Updated 07:28, 22 Aug 2026
Bruce Forsyth died aged 89(Image: PA)
Bruce Forsyth‘s widow Lady Wilnelia has moved on from the lavish Surrey mansion she shared with the TV legend, but the once-glamorous property has reportedly been left abandoned.
The sprawling home, known as Straidarran, sits on the exclusive Wentworth Estate, where huge mansions owned by celebrities, sports stars and wealthy international buyers line the private roads.
Bruce lived at the property for decades before his death in 2017, aged 89, following a battle with bronchial pneumonia. Three years later, in April 2020, Wilnelia, 68, sold the mansion to a Bermuda-based businesswoman for a reported £5.7million.
But despite the hefty price tag, there appears to have been little visible activity at the property since the sale.
Locals say the home has been left largely untouched, with no obvious signs of residents or major refurbishment work.
Once the setting for Bruce and Wilnelia’s glamorous life, the mansion came packed with luxury features including a ten-seat cinema, swimming pool, tennis court, gym, library and wine cellar.
The gates still bear an “F” crest associated with Forsyth’s surname, while warning signs have been erected around the property.
One local said the situation was particularly unusual because overseas buyers on the estate often demolish older properties and replace them with new-build mansions.
“Normally overseas owners on the estate knock these old homes down and build a new one. So it is a very strange situation with Bruce’s old home, where seemingly nothing has happened since Wilnelia sold it six years ago,” they told The Sun.
The source claimed the only noticeable change had been the arrival of security following break-ins. They added: “The only thing I have noticed is that security is present there, the owners certainly aren’t, but that only followed break-ins.”
Security was reportedly stepped up after urban explorers targeted the property, with police confirming reports of break-ins to the publication.
Wentworth Estate manager James Perotin previously said the mansion was now being monitored around the clock. He said: “Security has been increased at Bruce Forsyth’s old house, there is now a van permanently on site, and it is monitored 24 hours a day.”
Perotin also suggested that some wealthy homeowners on the estate spend much of their time abroad, partly because of tax reasons, leaving some properties unoccupied for years.
Wilnelia, meanwhile, downsized after selling the family mansion and bought another home on the same estate for around £3million. The former beauty queen and Bruce were married in 1983 and remained together until his death.
Bruce, who entertained generations of viewers, became a household name through shows including The Generation Game and Play Your Cards Right, before becoming the face of Strictly Come Dancing. He presented the BBC dance show for a decade before stepping down in 2014.
Wilnelia, originally from Puerto Rico, was crowned Miss World in 1975. The couple shared a son, Jonathan Joseph, now 40, with Bruce’s entire estimated £15million fortune being left to his third wife rather than his six children.
In 2018, Wilnelia spoke about the final days she spent with Bruce before his death. She said she felt “lucky” that all the close family members managed to say goodbye.
In December, Tess Daly held back tears as Wilnelia sent her and Claudia Winkleman a sweet message before their Strictly Come Dancing exit. It was shown during the spin off show It Takes Two.
Tess had presented Strictly alongside Bruce from the show’s launch in 2004, with Claudia taking over in 2013. “Hello Tess and Claudia,” Wilnelia told the hosts.
“Sending you both my warmest wishes as you step into this exciting new chapter. Tess, you shared so many wonderful years on Strictly with Bruce and I know he would be so proud of you.”
She continued: “And Claudia, your sparkle and wit have brought so much joy to everyone. Thank you both for the laughter, the elegance and the heart you have given to the show.
“All my love and the very best for the future ahead.” Signing off on her husband’s famous catchphrase, she said: “Don’t forget, life is too short, so… keep dancing!” Tess replied: “What a woman! She’s just a goddess.”
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