Mexican drug kingpin Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada has been sentenced to life in prison in the US, following a plea deal last year when he admitted to trafficking millions of kilograms of cocaine. El Mayo led one of Mexico’s most violent drug cartels, the Sinaloa Cartel, for about four decades.
Published On 21 Jul 202621 Jul 2026
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The prisons minister has resigned from the government, the BBC has been told.
Lord James Timpson was appointed to the role in July 2024 after leaving his job as CEO of the Timpson group, a business which provides key cutting and shoe repair services and employs hundreds of former prisoners.
His arrival in government was greeted with much fanfare by some in the Labour Party and described as “radical” and “innovative”.
But in a departing statement on Monday, seen exclusively by the BBC, Lord Timpson said he was stepping down and it was an “honour” to serve in the post.
His statement did not give a specific reason for resigning, but it is understood he feels he has done as much as he can in the role.
Prisons in England and Wales were at crisis point, reaching almost full capacity, when he first entered Sir Keir Starmer’s government.
He oversaw the controversial early release scheme which saw tens of thousands of inmates let out to create more space in jails.
His critics will argue prisons continue to be violent, drug infused and overcrowded, while probation officers still report being overworked and unable to cope.
But figures do show assaults against staff and self-harm in prisons are falling.
Lord Timpson said in his resignation statement that he had left “our prisons and probation service in a much healthier and happier state than two years ago”.
He added: “I’m proud to have become the longest-serving minister in this role for 15 years. I’m also proud that 75% of prisons and 90% of probation teams are now performing better than when I started.
“Self-harm, violence and assaults on staff are all down, and fewer people are leaving prison without a home to go to, a measure of dignity I care about deeply.”
He also pointed to the Women’s Justice Board he established, saying he “believe[s] most women should not be in prison at all” and “diverting them away from custody, helping them with often chaotic, damaged, and addicted lives, is one of the changes I’m proud to have achieved”.
His critics may question why he is leaving before the Sentencing Act 2026 is enacted in September, when more people are expected to be released early and further criminals will serve their sentences in the community.
A source in the Ministry of Justice told the BBC: “We’re gutted he’s going but the new person is going to have their work cut out to get their head round what’s round the corner.”
Stokes has been named in Durham’s 15-man squad for their County Championship fixture against Northamptonshire, which starts on Friday, but his England future is uncertain.
Botham himself had a reputation as a player who played hard on and off the field.
The 70-year-old said players of his era “used to love going out for a drink” but said they “weren’t quite so obvious” compared to the current generation.
England were dogged with allegations of a drinking culture during the 2025-26 Ashes tour, which they lost 4-1.
Before the Ashes, white-ball captain Harry Brook was punched by a nightclub bouncer in Wellington on the eve of a one-day international against New Zealand.
As a result, England imposed a midnight curfew on all players and staff.
“In Australia, they go down 2-0. What did the team do? Go to Noosa for five days and everyone knows what happened,” said Botham.
“The other night, I was amazed. And what I can’t get my head around is what the security bloke is doing there if he and they know they shouldn’t be there after midnight? He shouldn’t have to overrule him [Stokes], because it shouldn’t happen.”
Former England skipper Botham, who scored 5,200 runs and took 383 wickets in 102 Tests, said he would not be shocked if Stokes quits cricket completely if he is removed from his position.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if Ben was to lose the captaincy, he probably might walk away from the game. But I just don’t know,” added Botham.
“I don’t know where it will go now. I just think something will happen, whichever way it is.
“To be honest with you, it was an unnecessary procedure and one that I think he’ll regret.”
“DON’T go cheating!” the bartender tells me after I sloshed a bit too much vodka in the cocktail mixer.
He was right — my pisco sour ends up being more punchy than I’d planned.
I’m not sure I’ll be working as a bartender in Lima any time soon.
Thankfully the city has more than enough of them, with the Peruvian capital often named a top food and drink destination.
The place may be nicknamed Lima La Gris (from the large grey clouds that frequent the sky) but the city is certainly colourful when it comes to both gastronomy and architecture.
One of its brightest districts is the vibrant and noisy Barranco.
Often referred to as among the world’s coolest neighbourhoods, the bohemian area is popular with surfers heading to the beach and art lovers adding to the hundreds of muralled walls.
Walking down the street is a feast for the eyes with men playing guitars outside multi-coloured houses, while cyclists zoom past with wetsuits on.
With more than 200 pieces of artwork across the neighbourhood, it feels more like an open-air art gallery.
And the city is fast making a name for itself when it comes to food, with many award-winning restaurants also found here.
One of those is Mayta, a World’s 50 Best Restaurants winner in Miraflores, made up of structured wood and concrete blocks.
While the seven-course tasting menu was tempting, I didn’t have four hours to kill, so opted for the à la carte.
I started with the fresh and zingy limey ceviche before I filled up on their take on paella with a crispy rice parcel surrounding shrimp.
For something a little more wallet-friendly, in the Miraflores neighbourhood, I found Parque Kennedy, known for its huge number of street vendors selling cheap snacks.
For around a fiver, my hands were quickly filled with herbal “emoliente” drinks that stave off hangovers, picarones (sweet doughnuts made of squash) with honey and chicharron pork sandwiches.
Peruvians love massive portions, I soon found out. And I was told that the best way to work off all the food would be to hit the waves, of course.
But with my surf skills lacking, I instead opted for a bike tour of the city, taking in the spectacular coastline, as well as the famous Love Park.
Inspired by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi, sculptor Víctor Delfín built a wall of tiles, surrounding the famous El Beso sculpture of couples embracing.
Peru’s huge exports of coffee and chocolate mean you can barely walk five minutes without spotting a chocolataria.
As a self-professed choc expert, I was extremely smug after one cocoa class, naming all of the regions I tasted correctly.
A few hours away, Peru’s tiny second city of Arequipa, in the shade of the Misti volcano, is even more overlooked than Lima, yet the food is just as incredible.
My favourite way to spend the morning was jogging in the main central square, watching the sunrise over the Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa.
That running was preparing my body for yet more fantastic restaurants.
There was the vibey 13 Monjas (13monjas.com), with huge portions of Peruvian inspired pasta and Chica (chicha.com.pe) with yet more huge portions of fish tacos.
Yet there was one thing missing from my trip to Peru so far — and that was a cuddle with a llama.
Leaving the cosmopolitan cities, I went in search of the fluffy animals through the Colca Canyon region.
We sped through arid deserts, barely seeing a soul, bar a few locals by an abandoned train track.
Ears popped as we climbed the mountains across Lord Of The Rings-esque epic landscapes.
I was warned to expect some altitude sickness and I was certainly unsteady on my feet as we hit 4,900 metres.
It’s a few hours into my journey that I gasp as I finally see them — a traffic jam of wild llamas and alpacas.
Lazily grazing on the side of the road like oversized sheep, they seemed non-plussed as they sauntered over the road in front of us.
But just seeing them wasn’t enough for me. I wanted to get up close and personal.
Our abode for the night was in the village of Sibayo with a local family who had lived in the area for generations.
It was here that we were joined by a farmer, who excitingly told us we would be going on a llama walk.
It was only as we got up close that I realised quite how tall they were, some towering over my mere 5ft 5in height.
But my excitement never dwindled.
We walked across the beautiful river as they followed me like I was their leader.
I couldn’t resist a ruffle of their heads, with their ears cutely flipping up whenever we stopped.
Returning to our lodges, the evening was spent learning how to knit and dance.
The warm hospitality was evident throughout the stay, with free bracelets and shots of alcohol while listening to music and even a hot breakfast bag before leaving.
By the end of our stay, there were hugs all around, with our guide telling us how he always feels sad saying goodbye to tourists.
A feeling that is mutual it seems from the full guestbook of goodbyes.
I wasn’t ready to return to cold England that’s for sure – but a bag full of local coffee and alpaca socks certainly helped.
It’s a tight three-way race at the top, with a second helping of “Beef,” which won eight Emmys for its first serving, barely ahead of Richard Gadd’s “Baby Reindeer” follow-up, and a suburban noir with abundant heart from Steven Conrad, the maker of “Patriot.”
Glenn Whipp says, “ ‘DTF St. Louis’ is the standout limited series, a murder mystery in form that’s really about suburban loneliness, particularly the isolation that can cripple middle-aged men.”
While Lorraine Ali calls “Half Man” “the series to watch in this race,” not all of her Buzzy buddies are as enthusiastic: “I fear that ‘Half Man,’ Richard Gadd’s aggressively unpleasant follow-up to ‘Baby Reindeer,’ will get a knee-jerk nomination here,” says Kristen Baldwin, “but that vote would be better spent on PBS’ superb adaptation of ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ or Riz Ahmed’s ‘Bait.’ ”
Tracy Brown says, “Recent trends suggest this race might come down to voters’ appetites for bleak British miniseries” such as “Half Man,” but “ ‘Adolescence’ co-creator Jack Thorne’s ‘Lord of the Flies’ adaptation was a bit more in my lane so I’ll give it the edge.”
The twice-cooked “Beef” isn’t to all the panelists’ tastes, either. Matt Roush says it “left me cold but probably has a better chance than the streamer’s terrific historical drama ‘Death by Lightning.’ ”
More predictions: Limited / TV movie actor | Limited / TV movie actress
1.“Beef”
2. “Half Man”
3. “DTF St. Louis”
4. “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette”
5. “All Her Fault”
6. “The Beast in Me”
7. “Bait”
8. “Lord of the Flies””
Los Angeles Times
Lorraine Ali
1. “Half Man”
2. “Bait”
3. “DTF St. Louis”
4. “All Her Fault”
5. “The Beast in Me”
“ ‘Half Man’ is the series to watch in this race, but what should you watch on your screen at home? ‘Bait,’ which follows a struggling British Pakistani actor (Riz Ahmed) as he auditions to become the next James Bond. Is the world ready for a brown Bond? Not really. Hilarity ensues.”
Freelance Critic
Kristen Baldwin
1. “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette”
2. “Beef”
3. “The Beast in Me”
4. “DTF St. Louis”
5. “All Her Fault”
“I fear that ‘Half Man,’ Richard Gadd’s aggressively unpleasant follow–up to ‘Baby Reindeer,’ will get a knee-jerk nomination here, but that vote would be better spent on PBS’ superb adaptation of ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ or Riz Ahmed’s ‘Bait,’ a surreal blend of showbiz satire and immigrant-family comedy.”
Los Angeles Times
Tracy Brown
1. “Beef”
2. “DTF St. Louis”
3. “All Her Fault”
4. “Lord of the Flies”
5. “The Beast in Me”
“Recent trends suggest this race might come down to voters’ appetites for bleak British miniseries. I wouldn’t be surprised if ‘Baby Reindeer’ creator Richard Gadd’s ‘Half Man’ is among the nominees, but ‘Adolescence’ co-creator Jack Thorne’s ‘Lord of the Flies’ adaptation was a bit more in my lane so I’ll give it the edge.”
Blavity
Trey Mangum
1. “Half Man”
2. “Beef”
3. “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette”
4. “All Her Fault”
5. “DTF St. Louis”
“ ‘Love Story’ was the talk of the town when it first premiered, but the last few episodes seemed to have landed softly with the majority of people. I think later entries ‘Beef’ and ‘Half Man’ are immediately dominating conversations, and at the right time.”
TV Insider
Matt Roush
1. “Half Man”
2. “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette”
3. “Beef”
4. “DTF St. Louis”
5. “All Her Fault”
“Not the strongest field this year, though Richard Gadd’s ‘Half Man’ and Ryan Murphy’s ‘Love Story’ seem unstoppable. The offbeat ‘DTF St. Louis’ might be a spoiler. Season 2 of Netflix’s ‘Beef’ left me cold but probably has a better chance than the streamer’s terrific historical drama ‘Death by Lightning.’ ”
Los Angeles Times
Glenn Whipp
1. “DTF St. Louis”
2. “Beef”
3. “Half Man”
4. “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette”
5. “All Her Fault”
“ ‘DTF St. Louis’ is the standout limited series, a murder mystery in form that’s really about suburban loneliness, particularly the isolation that can cripple middle-aged men. The cast — Jason Bateman, David Harbour, Linda Cardellini, Richard Jenkins and Joy Sunday — is superb. Emmy noms for all!”
