Mystery

When the 53rd Telluride Film Festival kicks off Friday high in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, its lineup will span family rupture and sumo wrestling, AIDS and rock stardom, with films touching on astronomy, Rupert Murdoch and extraterrestrial biker gangs — a typically wide-ranging mix for a festival that likes to keep audiences guessing.

For festival director Julie Huntsinger, the films share less a theme than a feeling. “Tenderness is something that I see in a lot of the movies,” she says. “This is a very heartbreaking, tender year.”

Telluride’s intimacy is part of its peculiar power. Smaller and scruffier than the annual film events of Venice, Toronto or New York, the four-day festival has no competition or juried prizes and keeps its lineup secret until the last minute. Celebrities trade red-carpet formality for jeans and flannel, while audiences crisscross town between screenings in a high school auditorium, a Masonic lodge, the county courthouse and half a dozen other spaces pressed into service for the week.

For a festival that can feel this homespun, its awards-season footprint is remarkably large. Last year, five of the 10 eventual best picture Oscar nominees screened there: “Hamnet,” “Bugonia,” “Sentimental Value,” “The Secret Agent” and “Frankenstein.”

This year there are fewer obvious awards heavyweights in the mix, at a time when prestige and independent films have become harder to finance, distribute and sell to audiences. Then again, Telluride has never depended entirely on known quantities; films such as “Slumdog Millionaire” and “Moonlight” arrived with relatively modest expectations and left as major contenders.

“It’s such a quintessential Telluride lineup,” Huntsinger says of this year’s eclectic program. “They kind of always feel that way because they’re so handmade.”

Among the more than 40 films in Telluride’s main program are new works from major directors such as Martin McDonagh, Werner Herzog, Mike Leigh, Danny Boyle and Paweł Pawlikowski. This year’s Silver Medallion tributes — the festival’s signature career honorees — will go to filmmaker Andrew Haigh and actors Sandra Hüller and John Malkovich, who will make his first trip to Telluride.

John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell in Martin McDonagh’s “Wild Horse Nine”

(Diego Araya Corvalan / Searchlight Pictures)

Haigh, whose films include “All of Us Strangers,” “Lean on Pete” and “45 Years,” returns with “A Long Winter,” adapted from a Colm Tóibín novella and relocated from the Pyrenees to the American Rockies in the 1950s. Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Caitríona Balfe, Kit Connor and Fred Hechinger star as members of a struggling family that begins to unravel after the mother disappears.

Huntsinger calls Haigh deeply humanist. “I don’t know how Andrew is so skilled at getting these performances but that is truly his gift,” she says.

Malkovich comes to Telluride with the dark comedy “Wild Horse Nine,” the latest from McDonagh, writer-director of “The Banshees of Inisherin” and “In Bruges.” Malkovich and Sam Rockwell play veteran CIA operatives who, after helping destabilize Salvador Allende’s government in 1973 Chile, head to Easter Island on a more personal assignment.

“It’s my favorite thing that McDonagh has ever done,” Huntsinger says. “He’s quite incisive. It is a timely film. And Malkovich is extraordinary.”

Hüller returns after a breakout 2023 Telluride, where she brought both “Anatomy of a Fall” and “The Zone of Interest.” She has another two films in the lineup this year: Markus Schleinzer’s “Rose,” in which she plays a woman passing as a male soldier during Europe’s Thirty Years’ War, and Pawlikowski’s “Fatherland” as Erika Mann on a journey back to postwar Germany with her father, the author and Hitler critic Thomas Mann.

Huntsinger seems as taken with Hüller herself as with her artistry — “so much intelligence and compassion for human beings,” she says.

Sandra Hüller and Hanns Zischler in the movie “Fatherland.”

(Agata Grzybowska / Mubi)

Elsewhere, Ira Sachs’ “The Man I Love,” starring Rami Malek, Tom Sturridge and this year’s guest director Rebecca Hall, looks back at New York’s queer creative community during the AIDS crisis. In Simon Stone’s “Elsinore,” Andrew Scott plays “Chariots of Fire” star Ian Charleson, who took on the role of Hamlet at the National Theatre while dying of AIDS. Scott’s performance is already generating early awards-season attention.

Huntsinger hopes audiences won’t overlook Arthur Harari’s “The Unknown,” an uncanny body-swapping drama starring Léa Seydoux that uses its genre premise to explore questions of identity and selfhood. “It is really dense and obtuse but I think it is rewarding and I hope people take up the challenge,” she says.

Telluride has long emphasized nonfiction and this year is no exception. Among the higher-profile entries are “Pete Townshend: Behind Blue Eyes,” a portrait of the Who guitarist and songwriter, and Nanette Burstein’s “Carl Sagan: We Are Made of Star Stuff,” about the astronomer and science communicator. The slate also includes Bryan Fogel’s endurance-sports documentary “The Row”; Pegah Ahangarani’s Iran-focused “Rehearsals for a Revolution”; and Mark Cousins’ 16-hour “The Story of Documentary Film.”

“Everest: The Other Side,” from filmmakers Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, follows mountaineers Hilaree Nelson and Jim Morrison as they prepare to climb Everest’s north face and attempt an unprecedented ski descent. Chin and Vasarhelyi won an Oscar for 2018’s “Free Solo,” their nerve-shredding chronicle of Alex Honnold’s ropeless ascent up El Capitan.

Huntsinger calls the new film “an even more complex, emotional, deep and profound examination of what we call the call of the wild.” After seeing it, she says, she ran into Chin and blurted out, “I’m so glad you’re alive.”

The looming subject of artificial intelligence will also get its own moment in Telluride. A conversation called “The Humanity Dilemma” will examine what the festival calls the “species-level event” of AI’s rise and whether an AI-dominated future is inevitable. “I’m very worried about AI,” Huntsinger says.

For all the films Telluride has announced, the one that might generate the most chatter is still under wraps.

While Telluride routinely reserves “TBA” slots for popular repeat screenings, it has occasionally used them to spring an unannounced title on audiences — as it did last year with “Frankenstein.” This year it has set aside a prime Sunday night slot for just such a surprise: a world premiere involving, Huntsinger says, some “very known names.”

“Do not miss it,” she teases. “You just won’t see this one coming and your jaw will be on the ground for the entire length of the film.” Beyond that, Huntsinger falls back on the festival’s unofficial motto: “Underpromise, overdeliver.”

Inevitably, there will be guessing. One possibility is “The Social Reckoning,” a follow-up to “The Social Network” directed by its Oscar-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin. This one’s about Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen and Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz and stars Jeremy Strong, Mikey Madison and Jeremy Allen White. It’s due from Sony on Oct. 9. The film was still undergoing reshoots in mid-July.

Huntsinger volunteers one thing: The mystery film is not Alejandro González Iñárritu’s “Digger,” a gonzo satire starring Tom Cruise, Hüller, Riz Ahmed, John Goodman and Jesse Plemons. She says Iñárritu — whose last film, “Bardo,” had a rocky reception on the 2022 festival circuit — was adamant that the decision wasn’t about avoiding festivals.

“As I understand it, there’s a big twist that he would like audiences to discover as close together as possible,” she says of “Digger,” which premieres in London Sept. 22 before opening Oct. 2.

Two of last year’s biggest Oscar contenders, “Sinners” and “One Battle After Another,” also skipped fall festival launches, raising questions about how essential such festivals — Telluride among them — remain to an awards campaign.

Huntsinger understands why a studio might hesitate to expose a film to scrutiny months before release. “The stain can happen if something gets savaged very far ahead of a release,” she says. “There’s a lot at stake.”

But she isn’t convinced the model is broken. She still believes the smaller, more challenging films Telluride tends to champion have “genuine shots” in the Oscar race.

“Getting selected is the prize,” Huntsinger says.

After all the strategizing and prognosticating, what no one can predict is which films will actually connect once audiences arrive.

“I don’t know what people are going to fall in love with,” Huntsinger says. “People have become like cats rather than dogs. You just never know what they’re going to go for.”

I still remember the moment when I heard “Cien Años” for the first time. I can vividly recall the haunting aftertaste, the glorious specificity of the experience.

I had moved from Buenos Aires to Los Angeles, and somehow managed to make a living writing about Latin music. I‘d seen Los Tigres del Norte in concert, shared a lengthy conversation with Vicente Fernández outside the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim, and spent months poring through the songbook of José Alfredo Jiménez. But listening to the 1953 recording of “Cien Años” by Mexican legend Pedro Infante was a game changer — an existential milestone that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

I was in my home office, researching a story about the golden era of Mexican music. “Cien Años” played on, the elusive contours of its melody floating in the afternoon air. Three minutes and 33 seconds later, when it ended, you could hear a pin drop. I sat still for a few minutes, transfixed. Then I played it again. And again. Ten, 15, 20 times in a row.

A composition by Rubén Fuentes and Alberto Cervantes, the song wasn’t just another lilting ranchera from the 1950s — that much was clear. On the contrary, it felt like an otherworldly manifestation from the gods above, as if a UFO had landed in the Mexican capital decades ago, and an advanced race of extraterrestrials left this artifact behind as some sort of exquisite offering — a reminder of everything that could be but wasn’t.

There‘s the matter of that sinuous electric guitar intro, halfway between tropical psychedelia and merry-go-round anthem. Then, the main melody: forlorn, hallucinogenic. Infante’s aristocratic delivery collides head on with the brutal indifference of the girl he will carry on loving for the rest of his embittered existence. His voice, so soft and fragile, could belong to both man and woman; the universal scar of romantic rejection.

Clearly there was a mystery attached to this evergreen standard that people got to see on the big screen in 1954, when Infante performed it in the film “Cuidado Con El Amor.” The song also reminded me of Schubert — maybe a page off “Winterreise,” the romantic song cycle composed in 1827.

Had I accidentally discovered a supernatural portal where time and space didn’t exist, one where random phenomena of blinding beauty could materialize on this plane without any logical explanation?

To figure out why “Cien Años” still resonates, I decided to consult with a few notable singer-songwriters.

First I thought of Spanish rock star and longtime Los Angeles resident Enrique Bunbury, who himself traffics in the diffuse territories of the ominous and esoteric. I sent him a rambling voice memo, trying to convey my bewilderment as best as I could. True to his character, he replied with a terse but eloquent text.

“I apologize for the delay in responding, as I was busy promoting my new album,” he wrote. “I have to agree that Pedro Infante’s version has an incredibly evocative air to it that is not common in rancheras. This may be related to the classical violin training of Rubén Fuentes, who was also an arranger. Alberto Cervantes, on the other hand, was a bolero guy. I imagine he contributed the intense Acapulco scent that emanates from this song. I’m so sorry that my ignorance on this subject will probably not be of great help in your inquiry.”

I marveled at Bunbury’s humility, but agreed with him that the mystery was far from solved.

Maybe a young Mexican singer could shed some illumination, I thought, before sending a somewhat incoherent email to Silvana Estrada. I was right to assume that the 29-year-old prodigy behind 2025’s “Vendrán Suaves Lluvias” — one of the most spiritually devastating albums of the decade, and the second best album of last year — would have something to say.

“This is one of the most gorgeous boleros in the Mexican repertoire,” Estrada replied.

“I always thought the Pedro Infante version was mind-boggling. There is something in the string arrangement that sounds a bit impressionistic to me, but also profoundly Mexican, with the trumpets doubling the violin lines. There’s also a sense of maximalism that sums up the old Mexico as a time of splendor. And when I think of this song, I think of something splendid.”

At least now I knew that I was not alone in my overwhelming passion for this strange little gem. But neither Bunbury nor Estrada had addressed the eerie supernatural vibe that emanates from the recording — the feeling that when “Cien Años” was recorded somewhere in Mexico City, Pedro and company connected with another dimension.

I was scheduled to interview Mexican American singer Lila Downs the following day, and I decided to bring this up at the end of our chat. She was sitting down in her stately Oaxaca home when we connected over Zoom, and smiled widely the moment I brought up my metaphysical query.

“I’ve experienced a similar feeling with other songs that I’ve performed,” she said. “It’s like they transport me to a más allá [a far beyond], a certain undefined something that doesn’t belong in my own era. ‘La Llorona,’ in fact, connects me to something that is not even human — a force that exists in the shape of waves. It’s the essence of the very mystery that music itself evokes in all of us.”

Downs pointed out an important detail: that “Cien Años” could not have emerged from any country other than Mexico.

“Our subconscious is loaded with the spirit of the ancestors,” she added. “There is a deep connection with the cosmos in Mexico. I’ve seen it in anthropology books; this vision of art as a healing agent that facilitates spiritual growth.”

I was finally ready to put the matter aside, when I spoke to Gepe. The Chilean singer-songwriter has crafted many tracks that have a timeless, soulful quality to them. “Desastre,” a lovely tune released in 2024, feels almost as unearthly to me as “Cien Años.”

I asked him to listen to the song.

“That intro is definitely striking,” he told me in the first of many voice memos. “It has a psychedelic tinge that didn’t really exist in the 1950s. It reminds me of someone like Peter Drake and his slide guitar playing, which had more of a Hawaiian sound. I think it’s beautiful that such a short intro can leave you with more questions than answers. That’s part of the magic, isn’t it?”

Gepe made an astute observation: that my life-changing experience with “Cien Años” was not due to a single factor. It was a layered, complex combination of different details.

“You have this incredible, hypersensitive performance by Pedro, coupled with a timeless arrangement which was definitely ahead of its time,” he explained. “The cinematic, almost Hawaiian touch on the guitar, but also a strong affinity to the bolero aesthetic — there’s a subtle softness in the maracas, so that the voice can grow and shine with so much sweetness.”

And then, he told me the one thing that brought it all together.

“It’s funny, because you keep saying that this song sounds like it landed from another world, but there’s a stark contradiction in that statement,” he said. “Pedro’s delivery is so marvelous and sensitive, that it goes beyond male or female — it sums up the human experience in all its subtlety and aching beauty. I think what happened here was that the composers, arrangers, musicians and Pedro got together in a studio and created something so immense and luminous that it ended up transcending its own sense of time.”

A former Emmerdale actress is apparently returning to the ITV soap for a mystery new storyline.

Former Emmerdale actress Ali Mylon is making a comeback – years after her previous stint. The actress’ management team have let slip that the actress is filming with the ITV soap very soon.

She was on the soap briefly back in 2017 as a hotel guest who had a row with Eric Pollard. Her character was furious when she accused Eric of spying on her while she was getting dressed in her hotel room.

Now, it’s been revealed Ali is heading back to the show. It’s not known if she will play the same character or a new one. Her management posted on Facebook and Instagram: “NEWS Non stop client @alimylon is to make a return @emmerdale. She begins filming this month.

“Ali recently appeared @callthemidwife.official Her credits include @coronationstreet, Just Act Normal (The Forge Entertainment), We Are Not Alone (Big Talk Productions), and Peaky Blinders (Tiger Aspect).”

Her other credits include stints in Coronation Street, Peaky Blinders and Call the Midwife.

Meanwhile, spoilers for next week on the ITV soap reveal Serena Sugden’s [Casey Al-Shaqsy] taken aback by DS Thea Ramsden’s [Chelsea Edge] plan. In the police interview room, Ramsden relishes in the emotional pain she’s inflicting on a villager. A flashback soon reveals there is more going on.

An arrival in the village brings accusations with devastating consequences. Elsewhere, Sarah Sugden [Katie Hill] and Charity Dingle [Emma Atkins] keep up their lie about Dr. Todd’s murder, but Sarah spirals as she feels guilty about her crime.

As the day of Dr. Todd’s [Caroline Harker] funeral arrives, Sarah’s guilt spikes, especially when Ds Ramsden arrives to speak with Charity about some anomalies in her statement about Dr. Todd’s death.

As Charity is escorted to the police station, Sarah is wracked with guilt. At the station, Charity panics when her account of fighting off Todd is questioned.

Sarah decides it’s time to confess, and Serena fears this will lead to them both being locked up. Also next week, Vinny Dingle [ Bradley Johnson ] tells Kev Townsend [Chris Coghill] he’s decided to postpone proposing to Lewis Barton [Bradley Riches].

Vinny is soon worried when he’s left thinking Kev may have overheard his private conversation with Gabby Thomas [ Rosie Bentham ]. Kev swears secrecy, leading to Vinny opening up to him.

But when Kev reacts angrily about Vinny’s confession, Vinny thinks he’s made a big mistake in speaking to Kev. Finally, something is clearly weighing heavily on Gabby’s mind.

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

In 2022, a satellite image emerged showing unusual fighter-like ‘shapes’ with a very loosely similar appearance to the stealthy J-20 at a remote Chinese airbase. Three years later, another image appeared showing a broadly similar, but also distinctly different-looking object at a different airport in China. The mystery of these ‘airframes’ now seems to be at least partially solved with new pictures of a mock-up being used for airfield firefighting training.

Images of the aircraft fire trainer in question are now circulating on social media, but where or when they were taken is not immediately clear. Markings seen on the tarmac are different from what is present on the aprons at Lintao Air Base, where the ‘shapes’ were spotted back in 2022, as well as at Jining Qufu Airport, where the other object was spotted in 2025.

The overall design of the vaguely J-20-like aircraft fire trainer also aligns more with the object that previously appeared at Jining Qufu Airport. Both share a distinct modified diamond-like delta planform, as well as canards, and twin vertical tails. It is worth noting that the ground-level images we have now also show a cockpit configuration that is more representative of the newer J-35. Regardless, the articles seen at Lintao had differently shaped wings and longer, more slender noses.

In general, aircraft fire trainers can be anything that loosely represents a desired class of aircraft – fighter, airliner, etc – and can range from specially built systems to repurposed old aircraft hulks. Training aids of this kind are designed to offer a readily reusable way to add realism to airfield firefighting drills. They are in widespread use globally by national militaries and civilian fire departments. The shapes previously seen at Lintao could still serve some other purpose as full-scale mock-ups, or decoys, as well.

The emergence of the firefighting trainer also comes as the People’s Liberation Army Air Force’s (PLAAF) fleet of real J-20s continues to expand, something TWZ explored in detail earlier this year. The PLAAF may have some 500 J-20s in service now, with examples assigned to at least 14 operational units and three training bases, according to one estimate. There are projections that the total fleet could grow to 1,000 airframes by 2030 if production of the jets continues apace. This is inclusive of all variants, including a two-seat version that first broke cover in 2021.

The growing size of China’s fleets of J-20s, as well as other more modern fighters, can only increase demands for training, both for pilots and ground crew, as well as maintenance and sustainment requirements. Ever larger numbers of routine day-to-day sorties raise the risk of crashes and other accidents just as a matter of course.

Also, while the object spotted at Jining Qufu Airport in 2025 now seems pretty definitively to have been a firefighting trainer, a steady stream of new, real advanced aircraft designs have been emerging in China in recent years. This includes crewed and uncrewed types with a multitude of shapes and sizes, ranging from the J-36 and J-XDS next-generation fighters to various sleek combat drones to several types of pilotless flying wings. New Chinese aviation developments do have a history of emerging suddenly, as TWZ has often been the first to report.

As China’s fleets of more advanced operational aircraft continue to expand in scale and scope, we can expect to see similar growth in the infrastructure and other assets necessary to support their operations, including new aircraft fire trainers.

Special thanks to Andreas Rupprecht, an expert on Chinese aviation and contributor to this website, who goes by @RupprechtDeino on X, for bringing this to our attention.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

They were two killings that rocked the rap world.

In 1996, Tupac Shakur was gunned down off the Las Vegas Strip. Then, less than a year later, Christopher Wallace, aka Biggie Smalls or the Notorious B.I.G., was killed in a drive-by shooting in front of the Petersen Automotive Museum on Wilshire Boulevard.

The two killings have long been tied together in popular culture.

Now, a detective says the investigation into Wallace’s death helped lead police to the suspect on trial in Las Vegas in Shakur’s slaying.

Duane “Keffe D” Davis, a onetime Compton gang member, is accused of orchestrating the Sept. 7, 1996, killing of Shakur. Prosecutors say the killing was rooted in a war between Southside Crips-Burris Street, led by Davis, and Mob Piru, a gang long associated with Death Row Records. Shakur was closely affiliated with the record company.

Authorities say Davis was in the car with his nephew, who grabbed the murder weapon and fired the fatal bullet.

On Wednesday, former LAPD Homicide Det. Daryn Dupree said Davis set out his role in Shakur’s killing in detail in 2008 to a joint LAPD federal task force that was formed to investigate Wallace’s murder.

To force Davis’ cooperation, Dupree said investigators gathered evidence that Davis, now 63, had sold a large quantity of PCP through his home, exposing him to a potential life sentence and leaving his family open to charges.

The task force questioned Davis about a car he owned that was similar to the one used in Wallace’s L.A. killing. Davis was given a proffer agreement, according to Dupree, meaning he agreed to provide information in exchange for possible benefit.

Davis said he knew about the Smalls shooting and then indicated, “we did the other one,” Dupree testified. That statement, he said, shifted investigators’ focus to the Shakur killing.

“We were talking about Christopher Wallace,” Dupree said. “We didn’t ask him any questions about Tupac. He offered that on his own.”

In a second interview, Dupree testified Davis stated that his nephew Orlando Anderson had been jumped, spurring Davis and cohorts on a hunt for revenge against Shakur.

The attack on Anderson occurred at a Mike Tyson fight earlier on the night of Sept. 7 in Las Vegas, according to Clark County prosecutors. Earlier in the trial, video was shown of Shakur’s entourage attacking Anderson, allegedly in retaliation over a chain that Anderson had previously stolen.

“They went looking for Tupac, Suge and anybody who was involved basically in the beatdown of Mr. Anderson,” Dupree said. Death Row Records boss Marion “Suge” Knight was in the car with Shakur the night he was killed.

When they found Shakur, the former detective testified, Davis “had the gun at first, but they came up on the passenger side,” where Knight was seated, “so he could not shoot across the driver. So he handed a gun to Dre in the back seat.” Deandre “Big Dre” Smith was among those in the white Cadillac in addition to Davis and Anderson.

“Davis said Deandre Smith was afraid to shoot,” Dupree testified, so “Anderson grabbed the gun and shot across Mr. Smith into Mr. Knight’s car.”

Davis told the task force they used a .40-caliber handgun, according to testimony.

Prosecutors said they would begin playing all five hours of the interviews to jurors on Thursday.

Dupree said Davis was signed up as a confidential informant in March 2009. He said Las Vegas police were not aware of the secret conversations at the time.

Dupree testified that Davis told investigators that former rapper and music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs had been involved in targeting Shakur and Knight through East Coast drug dealer Eric “Von Zip” Martin.

He testified that Davis pledged to rekindle his relationship with Martin to gather evidence. But Martin had cancer, and that was not possible, Dupree said. Martin died in 2012.

Combs was never connected to the Shakur case and has denied ever being involved. Others have questioned Davis’ credibility on this and other points.

The Times in 2008 published a story suggesting a Combs link to Shakur’s killing. But it later retracted the story, saying it was based on documents that appeared to have been forged.

Prosecutors in Davis’ trial say the motive was straight revenge for the beating of Anderson, and that Martin allegedly gave Davis a gun. But they have made no allegations against Combs, who has long denied any role or connection to Shakur’s killing.

Michael Sanft, Davis’ defense attorney, told jurors in opening statements there would be no evidence linking his client to the shooting. Sanft noted that previous investigations did not take his client’s statements seriously because they were not credible. The defense attorney, in an unusual move, repeatedly undermined his own client’s credibility, saying Davis’ memoir, “Compton Street Legend,” where he talks about the Shakur killing, was a work of fiction for money and his client wasn’t in Las Vegas.

Under cross-examination, Dupree said Davis faced a life sentence in the PCP case and that his wife and family were in jeopardy because of it, so he needed to help authorities.

He said that LAPD Det. Greg Kading, the task force leader, left the department after investigating the Shakur and Smalls cases and published a book in 2011 that revealed Davis’ interview.

Dupree said the task force was trying to determine if money was really offered to kill Shakur. He said they were trying to build a racketeering case. “This is trying to solidify that Death Row Records was built on narcotics and Bad Boy Records.”

Dupree said he personally did not doubt Davis when he talked about Anderson killing Shakur.

“I knew he loved his nephew.”

For all the notoriety of the rapper killings, neither has yet led to convictions.

Wallace was leaving a music industry party at the Petersen Automotive Museum on March 9, 1997, sitting in the front passenger seat of a Chevrolet Suburban, when his killer pulled up alongside in a dark Chevy Impala.

As the SUV idled at a stoplight, the gunman opened fire, hitting the 24-year-old four times. He was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead shortly after 1 a.m.

From the beginning, police said they struggled to get leads and cooperation.

As The Times reported back in 1997, “although more than 1,000 people were said to be at the party, police said they had few eyewitnesses and even fewer solid leads … Detectives said they are investigating whether Wallace’s death is linked to bicoastal tensions within the rap world, but had nothing solid to go on.”

Despite many theories and a long LAPD investigation, the case remains unsolved.

There have been numerous books, documentaries and civil litigation that make allegations, but police said they could never build a case.

In 2017, an LAPD detective told The Times: “The shooter is most likely dead. You cannot ask him who paid him.”

ROD Stewart has sparked concern for his health as he pulled out of a second concert in a week over a mystery medical issue.

It’s been revealed 81-year-old rocker has pulled out of his August 9 gig at the Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati.

This comes after he cancelled a string of concerts earlier this year due to health setbacks.

The organisers of the event announced the shocking news yesterday – the day of the gig.

They confirmed Rod was undergoing an “unforeseen but minor medical procedure.”

The venue shared a statement on social media, which said: “Due to an unforeseen but minor medical procedure that required prompt attention, Rod Stewart’s performance tonight in Cincinnati has been postponed.

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“Rescheduling is currently underway, with additional information to follow on Tuesday.

“All previously purchased tickets will be honored for the rescheduled date.”

They claimed Rod is expected to be back tearing up the stage soon.

“Rod is expected to make a quick recovery and looks forward to returning to Cincinnati,” said the Riverbend Music centre.

One fan wrote: “I hope he’s okay,” followed by a praying hands emoji.

“Praying he’s doing well the concert hasn’t been cancelled just postponed,” penned another fan.

This isn’t the first time the Scottish-born star has left his fans feeling concerned.

Back in June the hitmaker was forced to pull out of a gig in California, due to a respiratory infection that later triggered a bout of laryngitis.

Just a week later, Rod stopped midway through his Utah concert and was seen using an oxygen tank onstage after nearly passing out.

Following the sad news, Rod also postponed his concerts at Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado in June, citing vocal rest.

He has repeatedly told fans that while he is winding down large-scale global arena touring, he has no intention of fully retiring from music or performing altogether.

Rod Stewart, who is married to TV personality Penny Lancaster, shot to fame in 1971 following the release of his debut album, Every Picture Tells A Story.

His biggest hits include Maggie May, Sailing and Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?

Over his six-decade career, he’s sold over 250 million records worldwide, been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, and received a knighthood in 2016.

One day after a LIV Golf players-only meeting failed to produce a resolution, CEO Scott O’Neil announced Wednesday that a lead investor plans to fund the tour beyond this season and that the golfers will become the majority equity holders in the league.

The LIV Golf board of directors approved the term sheet, O’Neill said, giving the league new life after the Saudi Public Investment Fund decided in April to cease its financial backing at the end of the current season. The PIF had backed LIV Golf since its inception in 2022, spending an estimated $6 billion.

O’Neil, who made the announcement at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J., the site of this week’s tournament, did not identify the investor or terms. He said the league hopes to finalize the transaction in September and that “our next chapter will make our players the majority equity holders in LIV Golf, a first for a major global sports league.”

“LIV Golf has an agreement in place with a lead investor, signed by the investor and approved by the board, to anchor the transaction and play a key role in supporting the path forward for the league’s next era, driven by and for the players,” O’Neil said in a statement. “We’re also seeing strong interest from more than a dozen additional parties to potentially serve as minority investors, creating a multi-partner model built for long-term stability and growth.”

The players-only meeting on Tuesday at Trump National came soon after O’Neil and other LIV Golf executives spoke to the players. The only player to speak at length with the media after the meeting was Richard Bland, who told the Athletic that Bryson DeChambeau had led the discussion to follow O’Neil’s lead, but that nothing definitive had been determined.

“We’re in this together. We’re fully backing Scott,” Bland said. “I think probably in the next two to three weeks we’ll have a bigger picture. We’re just in that kind of stage at the minute that we’re positive with what’s going on, but we just need everything to be fully signed off so you can go forward.”

O’Neil said in June that LIV Golf needed to secure roughly $300 million from outside private equity or institutional investors to sustain operations through 2027 and beyond. He has been pitching “LIV 2.0” with a streamlined business model.

“What we don’t have is a lot of time,” he said in June. “So we’re very urgently out there talking to those who are interested. We like the pool, but we have to get this done through the summer.”

It appears O’Neil might have met the deadline, although questions remain unanswered. LIV has been mulling whether to cancel its Team Championship on Aug. 27-30 at the Cardinal in Plymouth, Mich., the final tournament of the season. The purse is $40 million, cash that instead could be earmarked for 2027.

O’Neil said that making players the majority equity holders “gives the league the foundation to keep growing the game worldwide…. In the meantime, our focus is on delivering a great week for fans and players at Bedminster and finishing the 2026 season strong.’’

IMAGINE sunbathing on the white sand beaches of Barbados, or watching the sun set with a cocktail in Bali… and you paid less than £100.

The Wowcher £99 Mystery Holiday has long been an exciting way to travel, with a lucky dip of over 100 destinations.

But a mystery trip doesn’t have to only mean a city break or European destination.

You could actually land yourself an incredible long-haul holiday to places like the Caribbean and New York.

There are even hols to far-flung spots like Thailand, Japan, Costa Rica and The Bahamas available, too.

The odds of landing a long-haul holiday have now increased, with Tier 1 holiday odds up by 33% and Tier 2 odds up by 67%.

HOT RIGHT NOW

Wowcher holiday and hotel deals – from UK spa breaks to trips abroad for £99

OH WOW

Wowcher launches £99pp Christmas Market Mystery Holiday – with Disneyland & New York

This means that your chance of landing that once in a lifetime holiday are higher than ever.

So what are these tiers? Wowcher Mystery Holidays are split up into Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 destinations.

You are assigned assigned a holiday from one of these tiers through a randomised draw.

Tier 1 offers luxury and long haul holidays while Tier 2 offers three and four night package and all inclusive holidays. Tier 3 is for two-night city or beach breaks.

Tier 1 odds are now up 33% – meaning you are more likely than ever to land a luxurious, long haul holiday.

Tier 2 odds are up 67% – meaning you are also more likely than before to land a package or all inclusive holiday.

Which holidays could I land in the draw?

Here are all the destinations split up into Tiers 1, 2 and 3.

Tier 1 Holidays (up 33%)

Seven-night, 4* hotel breaks available in:

• The Maldives, Thailand, Bali, Barbados, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Japan, Orlando, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Jamaica, St Lucia, Mauritius, Costa Rica, Cape Town, South Korea, Puerto Rico, Tampa, Chicago, Washington, Calgary, Bermuda, and The Bahamas.

• Three night, 4* breaks in: New York, Toronto and Boston

• Or a five-night, 4* break in Miami.

Tier 2 Holidays (up 67%)

Four-night breaks with breakfast in:

• Venice & Lake Como, Prague & Budapest, Rome & Venice, Lisbon & Barcelona.

Three nights (varying all inclusive or B&B basis) in:

• Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Tenerife, Benidorm, Sicily, The Algarve, Turkey, Zante, Santorini, Rhodes, Halkidiki, Corfu, Crete, Malta.

Plus the following special package breaks:

• 3 Night Disneyland Paris Holiday with park tickets & breakfast

• 3 Night Iceland with Northern Lights & breakfast

• 3 Night Holiday to Swiss Alps Bernina Express Rail Tour from Milan

• 3 Night Holiday to Geneva Chocolate & Cheese Train Experience

• 3 Night Rome City Break B&B with Vatican Tour & breakfast

• 3 Night Athens City Break B&B with Acropolis Tour & breakfast

Tier 3 Holidays

Two night city or beach breaks available in:

• Madeira, Vienna, Brussels, Zadar, Prague, Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm, Bratislava, Tallinn, Paris, Nice, Monaco, Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Bremen, Athens, Budapest, Dublin, Rome, Venice, Naples, Bologna, Lake Garda, Lake Como, Florence, Pisa, Verona, Milan, Trieste, Bari, Riga, Vilnius, Luxembourg, Agadir, Marrakech, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Krakow, Warsaw, Lisbon, Porto, Algarve, Bucharest, Barcelona, Costa Brava, Costa Blanca, Costa Dorada, Costa Del Sol, Malaga, Alicante, Salou, Palma, Seville, Valencia, Madrid, Mallorca, Ibiza, Sicily, Malta, Katowice, Cinque Terre, Salzburg, Tirana, Rimini, Sorrento, Sarajevo, Zagreb, Belgrade, Kaunas, Wroclaw, Bilbao, Santander, Benidorm, Marseilles, Cannes, Lyon, Nantes, Nuremberg, Gdansk, Helsinki, Geneva, Brindisi, Bergamo, Genoa, Turin, Corfu, Crete, Istanbul, Sofia, Varna, Sunny Beach.

Click here to book yourself a £99 Wowcher holiday.

So how does it work when you actually book one?

When you book your holiday, you get to choose the exact dates that work for you – so no need to worry about not being able to get the time off.

You also get to pick the UK region you would like to fly from, so you won’t have to trek across the country to another airport.

And if you don’t land the holiday you were hoping for? No problem.

You’ll still enjoy a two night break at minimum with return flights included, staying in at least a three-star hotel – which is well worth the money itself!

And when you’re floating along in a gondola in Venice, posing with the Eiffel Tower in Paris, or chilling on the beach in Barcelona for only £99…

You can’t complain, even if you do bag somewhere closer to home.

To know Japanese filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s work is to feel his love for danger.

Inexplicable malevolence, dread-filled moods and worrisome behavior haunt his genre-speckled oeuvre, from 1997’s unnerving serial-killer freak-out “Cure” through his vengeance-fueled internet cautionary tale “Cloud” from two years ago.

“What makes for good movies is a plot driven forward progressively through things that actively happen,” the 71-year-old director says recently over Zoom from his home in Tokyo, using a translator. “Audiences need to be drawn to this idea of: What will happen next?”

His fans don’t necessarily get an explanation for the unease Kurosawa sometimes generates, but it’s part of the draw. That mindset has made him a horror maestro for over three decades. Outside that genre, he enjoys a reputation for being an acutely psychological chronicler of contemporary anxieties, as in his award-winning 2008 drama of job loss and family secrets, “Tokyo Sonata.”

Now, though, Kurosawa has not only made his first film set prior to Japan’s modernizing Meiji era — a category of feudal period dramas known as jidaigeki — but an old-fashioned murder mystery to boot, complete with solutions to satisfy the most die-hard Agatha Christie reader.

Masahiro Motoki in the movie “The Samurai and the Prisoner.”

(Janus Films)

“The Samurai and the Prisoner,” which Kurosawa adapted from Honobu Yonezawa’s acclaimed 2021 novel (it recently premiered at Cannes), unfolds during the fractured Sengoku period in the 16th century, the same era as one of his favorite jidaigekis, “Throne of Blood,” directed by his unrelated namesake, Akira Kurosawa. In a besieged mountainside castle, rebellious Lord Murashige (Masahiro Motoki), trying to consolidate disparate clans of warriors, engages in a battle of wills with his nemesis’ emissary, Kanbei (Masaki Suda), whom he’s imprisoned. But when a succession of murders threatens to undermine his leadership, Murashige turns to his crafty hostage for help.

The result, broken up into seasons and marked by an impending sense of doom, is a multipart puzzle box as intricately folded and tucked as the traditional clothing on display. But it’s also a savvy, deliberative portrait of leadership in a fractured time, with a unique takeaway: Knowing oneself is as essential to the job as knowing who one’s friends and enemies are.

Kurosawa had always wanted to make a jidaigeki — the furthest he’d ever gone into the past was his World War II film “Wife of a Spy” — and yet creating one from scratch sounded too difficult and expensive. But the book’s scenario of a put-upon samurai leader compelled to unravel a series of puzzles to keep his castle’s unity appealed to his taste in a particular crime-solver: someone representing a wider system of responsibility and codes, rather than the classic American private eye.

“I’m drawn to police detectives, not private detectives,” he says, pointing to the duty-bound, badge-wearing protagonist in “Cure,” a Criterion-anointed classic now held in the same pantheon of serial killer tales as “Seven” and “Manhunter.”

“Police are part of an organization, with orders from above that make them responsible for figuring out the crime. If they could, they’d love to live their life peacefully without conflict, but they can’t because of their profession.” He considers his disinterest in gumshoes working on their own a quintessentially Japanese perspective. “Why try to solve a mystery and in the process end up in all these horrible situations, when you can just quit?” he asks with a wry smile.

Masaki Suda in the movie “The Samurai and the Prisoner.”

(Janus Films)

In “Samurai,” Murashige hews closer to someone overwhelmed by responsibility. Says Kurosawa, “Murashige is neither a police or private detective. It’s that he is in a minor position of power, but to maintain order, he must let go of that power to solve the mystery. It’s not curiosity leading him. The chain of mysteries is a trial he must go through.”

It’s a gauntlet made thornier whenever Murashige, who believes in mercy over violence, engages with Kanbei, chained in a dungeon but with a dangerous mind nonetheless. “In that era, hierarchy was incredibly important, very visible,” says Kurosawa. “If one person is standing, the rest must be kneeling. With Kanbei and Murashige, there is always a shifting of the power, and when they begin to see eye to eye, suddenly we don’t know who holds the power.”

To play the wily Kanbei, Kurosawa enlisted his young “Cloud” star Suda, whom he calls a genius. Directing Suda was its own destabilizing experience, he says.

“He had an almost demonic, devil-like quality and it was hard to tell if the lines he was saying as Kanbei were truths for the character or complete lies — or if he didn’t know,” recalls Kurosawa. “It was mesmerizing to me, his words becoming something that we increasingly can’t trust.”

His interest in Murashige, meanwhile, a real-life tactician fictionalized here as an under-the-gun leader presented with myriad problems, poses the question: Did Kurosawa make a film about directing films? “I never thought about that, but that might be,” he considers. “I’m constantly having to ask things of people, ordering people around, sometimes negotiating. But filmmaking is something I love. There are times when I wish I could escape those scenarios, but I can’t. I’m always held back by that sense of responsibility. That’s how I’ve been working for decades. It’s the first time I’m probably saying that out loud, but the various contradictions I hold within myself as director are reflected in Akira Murashige.”

Yuriko Yoshitaka, left, and Masahiro Motoki in the movie “The Samural and the Prisoner.”

(Janus Films)

Kurosawa is a late bloomer as an auteur. His breakthrough, “Cure,” hit Japanese theaters when he was 42. But he’d been directing features since 1983, first, Japan’s homeground adult movies called “pink films,” then, in the 1990s, direct-to-video yakuza gangster films known as “V-cinema.” (That’s “V” as in video.)

“It was a good training ground,” he remembers. “They had to be under 90 minutes, had limited shoot days, had to use certain actors, had to have scenes with yakuza. I learned that when you keep to the constraints you’re given, there’s also a kind of freedom. I had no personal interest in yakuza but I had to think: What’s the most unique yakuza I could come up with?”

With V-cinema behind him, Kurosawa came to exemplify the J-horror phenomenon with 2001’s “Pulse,” an ultra-disturbing, early tech apocalypse about online ghosts that was infamously bought by Harvey Weinstein and held from American release for years so it could be remade. Moving on from the trauma of his Hollywood flirtation, he’d distinguish himself with festival awards and a varied career.

But Kurosawa isn’t exactly precious about his filmography. “If possible, I’d love to forget all of my past works and go forward with new films with a completely fresh perspective,” he says. “However, I realize that often I’m repeating past themes. I think of this as something that’s very unfortunate.”

That doesn’t mean he won’t ever return to the horror genre, which he still likes and tries to keep up with. “I have a feeling viewers wouldn’t find scary what I find scary,” he worries, with a smile. “But it excites me that young directors are exploring the genre’s possibilities.”

Kurosawa can sound philosophical about the challenge each new film represents. Making one means coming from “a place of zero, from nothing.” As he puts it, “What one wants to do is a pretty unstable concept. You could want something today and not tomorrow. So instead of chasing that, I should be considering: What is correct?”

There is a professorial tone to Kurosawa. He taught for 18 years at Tokyo University of the Arts, including to future Oscar winner Ryusuke Hamaguchi (“Drive My Car”).

“I’ve probably said something similar to my students,” he acknowledges, adding that he and Hamaguchi were closer to likeminded friends than to student-teacher. “But in filmmaking, he never listened to a single thing I said. I would tell him to make adjustments and he was always concrete in what he wanted to do. And I thought that was very admirable.”

Now, they’re festival peers — both had films at Cannes this year — and Kurosawa’s cinematographer on “Samurai” was Sasaki Yasuyuki, who had previously worked with Hamaguchi. Kurosawa takes the opportunity for a friendly jab. “I thought, ‘I’m going to steal him away from Hamaguchi.’ And I was successful!”

Now, when he meets younger fans and budding filmmakers, their enthusiasm excites him, though it seems to cause him some consternation. Apparently, a lot of people pirate his films so they can be completists. “They tell me this happily,” he says. “I have mixed feelings about this, because they shouldn’t be doing that, but there’s a sparkle in their eye, and I have to accept they really wanted to see my films. So while carrying these complex feelings, I tell them, ‘Thank you.’”

Kurosawa is also of two minds regarding what he frequently hears from Japanese film students, that their goal is getting into top festivals, winning awards and securing global recognition.

“Maybe they need to interrogate what’s in front of them more closely,” he says. “I question it a bit.” He pauses. “I want to say, ‘Have you thought about making a 90-minute yakuza film first?’”

BUSTED’S James Bourne has revealed he’s still ‘not out of the woods’ in a rare health update amid a mystery illness.

The star was forced to withdraw from the McFly Vs Busted tour in September last year due to his health.

In April, he revealed he was having surgery to “extend his life” in a worrying health update, and now he’s issued another one.

In a new post on X, James wrote: “As I’m taking a break from the gram, I’ll be posting an update soon about what’s going on with my health in my Spotify bio.

“It’s a long story. Still not out of the woods yet. Thanks for your support and patience.”

The update comes a month after James, 42, gave his only interview to The Sun to talk about a new project he was determined to finish despite his on-going health battle.

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On July 1 he released new album Murder At The Gates, which he created for a brand new musical with legendary American playwright Steven Sater.

He said: “I didn’t want my health to stop me from promoting this project because I’ve put 13 years of my life into it.

“There was a fear of not finishing it. But I knew I had to finish it and give this to the people.

“There’s like a few people that have been waiting for it. There are hardcore fans who show to up for everything – and I have been speaking about this for a long time.

“It feels so good to now have this as a finished product. And it’s the first album I’ve ever produced. So I’m proud of it.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ANDY Carroll and Lou Teasdale have sparked rumours they’re back together after re-sharing loved up snaps on Instagram.

The Sun exclusively revealed earlier this week that the pair had ended their relationship again after she struggled to forgive him for breaking a promise he had made to her and a showdown in Ibiza.

It looked like this time it was for good as they unfollowed one another on Instagram and removed all pictures of each other from their grids.

But in a mysterious turn of events, Andy, 37, and Lou, 42, have re-followed each other on the social media platform again.

Not only that, but all of their photos together have reappeared on their respective pages, sparking rumours of a reconciliation.

The Sun have contacted Andy and Lou’s representatives for a comment.

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An insider told us at the start of the week: “Things came to a head between Andy and Lou after he flew to Ibiza without her – and broke his sobriety.

“He was partying and having fun, which is fine but she just didn’t expect him to be drinking.

“Andy had promised he wouldn’t touch booze to try and save their relationship, so this feels very disrespectful.

“Lou flew out to Ibiza with some friends but couldn’t talk any sense into him.

“He is struggling with the fact it’s over, but she feels like he’s had enough chances now.”

Footballer Andy and Lou began dating in the summer of 2024 – following his split from wife Billi Mucklow – and have had a rocky relationship since.

In June last year, we reported Andy was twice quizzed by police over bust-ups with Lou during a break on Greek party island Mykonos.

At the time, Andy was accused of being “very drunk” as onlookers claimed he shouted he was “done” with Lou.

However, Lou stood by him as the couple brushed off the controversy.

They claimed the situation was “blown out of proportion” in a joint statement, which read: “Whilst having a private dinner in a restaurant on a quiet holiday in Mykonos, we had a heated discussion of the sort that most couples have had on occasion.

“It quickly became apparent to the police that there was no reason for them to be there.

“We went outside the restaurant with them together as they insisted they wanted to ‘look after’ us.

“As far as we are concerned, the situation has been blown out of all proportion by an interested member of the public. No one was arrested, and no one was charged with anything.”

They added: “We are very happy, in love and looking forward to our future together, and we are disappointed that a private disagreement has become a public matter.”

The couple split again in August of last year and at the time, Andy opened up about his ongoing booze issues.

In August, Andy said he was fighting to save the relationship – and confirmed they had been rowing about his drinking.

He said at the time: “Things have been difficult for me and I’m going through a divorce.

“Some of our rows have been about alcohol, as Lou has been teetotal for 14 years and I have a beer or wine at dinner and a drink after the game, but it’s not a problem in my life.

“I’m a professional footballer and that’s not the case. I play sport every single day so my level of fitness is really good. I play football every day so I’m fit.”

Lou garnered fame for famously being the hairdresser and make-up artist to One Direction and now has 5.4 million Instagram followers.

Andy married Towie star Billi Mucklow in 2022 but two years later, it was announced the couple were divorcing.

He shares three children with Billi, and has two from a previous relationship.

Lou is a mum to 14-year-old daughter Lux Atkin from a previous relationship.

Streaming service Netflix has started early production on your next thrilling TV obsession

Another bestselling thriller is coming to screens soon.

Netflix has lined up an adaptation of Lucy Clarke’s bestselling thriller The Surf House with a familiar name behind the scenes.

No casting has been announced just yet, but the upcoming drama is being helmed by director Ed Lilly, who was behind episodes of major TV titles such as Industry and Tell Me Lies.

Clarke’s novel is set in Morocco and follows a woman named Bea seeking sanctuary amongst a community of travellers.

However, Bea’s travels soon take a dark turn when she uncovers a sinister secret at the heart of the commune.

A synopsis via Deadline reads: “The Surf House is set high on the cliffs of Morocco and is based in a sanctuary for surfers and travellers chasing sunshine and waves.

“But the idyll hides a dark mystery, and when Bea washes in, seeking refuge after a dangerous encounter in Marrakesh, she soon gets caught in the current.

“A woman her age – who stayed in the same area, walked the same beaches, met the same guests – disappeared one year earlier, vanishing without trace, and her last known whereabouts was The Surf House.”

Author Clarke is quickly becoming a household name for thriller fans, with Deadline’s report describing her as a “British Liane Moriarty” (author of Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers).

Two of her novels, The Castaways and No Escape, have already been adapted by Paramount+, the former starring Sheridan Smith.

Another book, The Hike, has also been optioned by Urban Myth Films, which is backed by Studiocanal, so a big screen adaptation could be imminent.

In the meantime, The Surf House is shaping up to be another must-watch thriller for Netflix based on the original novel’s rave reviews from readers.

One Goodreads user gushed: “This is the perfect thriller. It had everything going on. The scenic beach front hostel in Morocco as the setting was amazing.”

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Another wrote: “I felt like I could not put this one down. I needed to keep reading to see what was going to happen. Also the last 60 percent has several twists and turns. Once I thought I had it figured out it kept changing up on me.”

“I could not get enough of this book,” someone else said. “I am going to buy all of this author’s books now. Such a perfect 5 star for me.”

And a final fan recommended: “If you like fast paced thrillers, multiple mysteries wrapped up in one story all in the back drop of a gorgeous destination and travel setting then this is absolutely for you.”

Netflix’s The Surf House does not yet have a release date.

The heartwarming murder mystery starring Hugh Jackman is on Amazon Prime Video to stream now

Amazon’s Prime Video is releasing the ideal film for those missing Clarkson’s Farm following the conclusion of Season 5.

The Sheep Detectives is a charming murder mystery film that arrived on the streaming service back on June 24, reports the Express.

The film centres on a flock of sheep assisting a bumbling police officer in solving the murder of their cherished shepherd George Hardy (portrayed by Hugh Jackman).

Expect unruly, talking sheep and abundant countryside chaos that makes Jeremy Clarkson’s Easycare sheep appear positively angelic. The Sheep Detectives features an impressive ensemble including Succession’s Nicholas Braun, Nicholas Galitzine from Purple Hearts and Masters of the Universe, Booksmart’s Molly Gordon, The Whale’s Hong Chau, and Emma Thompson.

The stellar line-up also includes Veep’s Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston from Breaking Bad, The I.T. Crowd’s Chris O’Dowd, One Battle After Another actress Regina Hall, Patrick Stewart, Game of Thrones’ Bella Ramsey, and Brett Goldstein.

Despite its fantastical concept, the film holds a 95 per cent Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and garnered glowing reviews on IMDb.

One viewer declared in their 10/10 review that The Sheep Detectives is “an absolute must see”.

The user explained: “The Sheep Detectives is a clever, charming, sweet, heartwarming and hilarious romp with a very intelligent script and an excellent ensemble cast (both the voice cast and the on screen live action actors).”

They added: “The biggest pleasant surprise of 2026 so far.”

A second reviewer gave the film a 9/10 rating, writing: “This is a brilliant piece of work. It is almost perfect and is the most fun I have had in the cinema this year. An absolute A+ movie. I can’t think of a single way this movie could be made better.”

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TV lovers can get 30 days’ free access to binge great shows like Clarkson’s Farm by signing up to Amazon Prime. Just remember to cancel at the end and you won’t be charged.

A third viewer also awarded 9/10 stars, commenting: “This is an amazing film that gets you emotional and talks about grief and how we handle things while also telling us and showing us how do we deal with the grief of losing loved ones when it happens to us?”.

Clarkson’s Farm favourite Kaleb Cooper sat down with lead actor Jackman to chat about the film, even introducing some lambs into the mix — which behaved impeccably for the X-Men legend, yet proceeded to kick the farmhand square in the face before defecating on him.

The much-loved Clarkson’s Farm star wrestled with a troublesome lamb before telling Hugh: “This is bad, you’re holding a sheep perfectly fine.”

Hugh quipped about the sedate lamb in his arms: “That’s because he knows he’s loved.”

The Sheep Detectives is streaming on Prime Video now

Clarkson’s Farm Season 5 is streaming on Prime Video now.

A BRIT music legend, 70, has been ‘admitted to hospital’ with a mystery illness as he reschedules gigs last-minute.

Bruce Foxton – the bassist and backing vocalist of The Jam – was set to play a gig in Kidderminster on Friday evening.

But in a post on social media, it was revealed Bruce had fallen ill and would have to reschedule the performance.

The post by AGMP Concerts read: “Due to illness, the Bruce Foxton concerts this weekend are being rearranged.

“Tonight’s concert in Kidderminster has now been cancelled. Tomorrow’s Lincoln show (Saturday 27th June) has moved to Friday 15th January 2027.

“Thanks for your understanding. We look forward to seeing you in the new year.”

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Meanwhile another post on X from a fan claimed: “Bruce’s show in Kidderminster tonight has been cancelled and not rescheduled due to the fact he has been admitted into hospital.

“Let’s hope it’s not too serious for this absolute legend.”

Bruce’s fans were quick to comment, with one writing: “Get well soon Bruce. Take a break sir, we’d prefer a happy healthy retired Bruce than a pushing himself to the limit to the detriment of his health Bruce.”

Another added: “Sending u my love Legend…TIME2RELAX NOW U WORKED YOUR A*** OFF….We have memories Bruce..enjoy your life now..we all love u and now time to enjoy your memories xx.”

A third commented: “Get well quickly Bruce. Such a great bass player, seen him in The Jam, Stiff Little Fingers and of course From The Jam.”

Bruce first came to prominence in the 1970s in The Jam before pursuing a solo career when the band broke up.

In 1990 he joined Stiff Little Fingers and was with the band until 2007, before he joined Rick Buckler and members of his tribute band, the Gift, to tour under the name From the Jam.

The Sun Online has reached out to a representative for Bruce for comment.

BBC fans can catch this one-off special before tuning into tonight’s World Cup match.

A BBC documentary takes a deep dive into how seven people “tragically perished”.

Fifa World Cup 2026 continues with France vs Iraq coverage kicking off from 9.30pm this evening, Monday, June 22, but there is more than just football on tonight.

At 8pm, viewers can tune into the hour-long documentary Millionaire Superyacht: Why Ships Sink on BBC Two.

The special takes a look at the intense storms of August 19, 2024 when the 54m superyacht Bayesian mysteriously sank off the coast of Sicily where seven people onboard died.

“As search and rescue teams scoured the coast for survivors, questions were asked”, the synopsis continues.

“Why did a multimillion-pound superyacht sink when others nearby didn’t?

“This documentary investigates what went wrong and what needs to be done to keep ships safe at sea.”

When the incident was taking place, all other vessels in the area mysteriously remained afloat but in that same year, aSea Story, a Red Sea dive boat, also capsized without warning.

Why Ships Sink features interviews with experts, including Bayesian’s former captain Stephen Edwards and Dr Sarah Martin who survived the Sea Story.

This documentary is part of a wider anthology series which takes a deeper look at why certain events happen.

BBC states that it delves into the “mysteries and science behind the stories that hit the headlines”.

BBC Two has previously looked at other memorable events, including “South Korea’s deadliest aviation disaster” and the three fatal shark attacks in Egypt in 2010.

Unfortunately, the “Why…?” franchise won’t be returning next Monday night as live coverage from Wimbledon will instead be shown.

Millionaire Superyacht: Why Ships Sink premieres on Monday, June 22, at 8pm on BBC Two.

Summer has barely begun, but Wowcher are already helping Brits to plan festive-themed escapes, with a £99 per person deal that could see you snag a bargain break to a destination such as Lapland

Wowcher’s mystery holidays have become a social media hit, with hundreds of videos circulating of Brits finding out their mystery sun-soaked beach or city break destinations.

But now the voucher site has given its mystery holiday packages a festive twist, offering a variety of Christmas market destinations across Europe, as well as the chance to snag a break in New York or Lapland for just £99 per person.

While most of us are looking forward to the upcoming sunny weather and planning activities for the six week school holidays, dedicated Christmas fans can already book a festive mystery holiday with Wowcher. The package includes a minimum two-night stay, return flights, and accommodation of at least three-stars.

And while the C-word is pretty far from our minds right now, the deal includes a number of destinations that will no doubt be more appealing once you’re in a festive mood. You could find yourself browsing Christmas markets in cities such as Paris, Rome, Prague, Vienna, Krakow, or Berlin.

A small number of lucky winners will find themselves in Lapland visiting Santa’s Village for a once-in-a-lifetime break, or staying under a glass dome and watching the stars in Finland. You may even find yourself all the way in New York, ice skating at the Rockefeller Center or watching the world-famous Radio City Christmas Spectacular featuring the Rockettes.

Booking your break is easy. Just choose the number of passengers and pay for your mystery holiday on Wowcher. You’ll then be sent a link to redeem your code, and can choose your airport region and travel dates. Get your camera ready, as you’ll no doubt want to film your reaction as your mystery destination is revealed on-screen.

However, with these kinds of breaks it’s worth remembering there are a number of terms and conditions attached, so make sure you read the fine print before you book. One thing to note if you’re not in the south east is that departures from non-London regional airports will incur a supplement of £40 per person.

Breaks are either two or three-nights long, and Wowcher promise a minimum of 40 hours at your destination when departing from London or Manchester, 36 hours from all other UK airports, and 60 hours for selected 3-night stays.

It’s worth remembering that these mystery holidays are a gamble, and while there are lots of positive reviews out there, not everyone ends up happy with their destination. Around November and December, you can also sometimes find cheap deals and book your own break, giving you more control over your destination.

Also, check the dates for Christmas markets in your destination. Some cities only have markets running on limited dates or on weekends, so if you travel in late-November or early-December, it’s worth keeping in mind that these festive events may not be open. However, you can of course still enjoy your destination without exploring a market.

Find out more about these festive mystery breaks or book online with Wowcher.

There are other companies that offer mystery holidays, such as the simply named mysteryholiday.co.uk.

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

The EastEnders actress leads the cast in the six-part psychological thriller

A gripping mystery drama featuring an EastEnders icon is now available to watch for free.

Little Disasters, previously described as a “complex psychological thriller with a mystery at its heart”, lands on Channel 5 tomorrow (June 14), after initially premiering on Paramount+ last May.

EastEnders favourite Jo Joyner, widely recognised for her iconic portrayal of Tanya Branning, heads up the cast alongside Hollywood star Diane Kruger.

Based on Sarah Vaughan’s bestselling novel of the same title, the series charts the decade-long bond between Jess (Diane Kruger), Liz (Jo Joyner), Charlotte (Shelley Conn) and Mel (Emily Taaffe).

The story follows four expectant mothers who were brought together with little in common beyond their due dates, yet have supported each other throughout the journey of motherhood, reports Wales Online.

As the synopsis reveals: “The world of seemingly perfect stay-at-home mother Jess begins to unravel when she brings her baby daughter Betsy to the hospital with a head injury she can’t explain.

“Her close friend and on-duty AandE doctor, Liz, must make the excruciating decision of whether to call social services.”

This pivotal moment sets off a chain of events that threatens to tear apart both their friendship circle and their individual families.

The Little Disasters cast also features Ben Bailey Smith from The Split, alongside Patrick Baladi (Line of Duty), Stephen Campbell Moore (The Gold), and JJ Feild (The Peripheral).

Discussing the programme, Jo previously revealed that this style of storytelling not only inspired her to accept the role, but is unlike anything she had previously encountered on television.

She said: “I know somebody who suffered with postnatal OCD and I had only recently found out about it myself. So, I thought it was a really great topic to explore actually.

“Any kind of postnatal depression must be horrendous, I was lucky I didn’t suffer from it myself. I can’t imagine having such intrusive thoughts about your own child and I think that was another brilliant thing to bring up but also serves well for a thriller, doesn’t it?”.

The six-part series remains available for streaming on Paramount+, but will also broadcast on Channel 5 from this weekend, with the opening episode debuting in the 9pm slot on Sunday, 14 June.

Predictably, viewers have wasted little time making their feelings known, with one writing: “Worth the binge! #littledisasters.”

Another commented: “#littledisasters is everything I needed…” Meanwhile a third added: “Good show, oh my days, the suspense got me.”

Little Disasters premiered on Paramount+, and will air on Channel 5 on Sunday, 14 June.

TRAIN fares in the UK are some of the highest in Europe, meaning even a short-distance day trip for Brits can be prohibitively expensive.  

But there is a way to save on high-cost rail travel, just as long as you’re willing to be flexible when it comes to your destination.

As someone who loves exploring the UK, I was delighted to hear about the Trainpal app and its ‘Lucky Train Trip’ promotion, allowing Brits to book train tickets to a mystery location for just £9.99. 

With an empty Tuesday in the calendar, and a desire to see parts of the country I hadn’t before, I thought I’d give it a go to see if it was worth it. 

It’s pretty simple to use.

Simply download the Trainpal app, scroll down to the Lucky Train Trip section before selecting where you want to travel from and on which date, and then the app does the rest.  

CHEAP DATE

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IT’S A WASHOUT

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There are some restrictions though when using this promotion.

The first is there are only two mystery destinations available to each customer per day.

So if you don’t like either of the two journeys you receive via the lucky dip, then you either have to wait until the next day to try again, or you have to pay full price to go somewhere you definitely want to visit. 

After drawing Gatwick Airport on my first attempt, I’ll admit that my confidence in the app was pretty low to begin with. 

However, my second spin drew the seaside town of Margate, which had some tickets listed online for as much as £40 return.

It seemed a no-brainer to accept, considering how much I’d save, particularly for such a sought-after destination. 

What’s more, this was during half-term and my train was rammed, but there are seemingly no restrictions on the promotion during holidays or weekends, meaning it’s not just good for weekday excursions. 

Margate itself more than lived up to its reputation as a seaside stalwart, particularly during the recent heatwave.  

I paddled in its refreshing blue sea water, absorbed some culture in the Turner Contemporary art gallery, and of course enjoyed some seaside refreshments. 

The Harbour Arms Micropub was my pick of the more traditional bars in the town.

As its name suggests, it overlooks the beach from the harbour, making it a perfect spot to enjoy a drink in the sun, especially with some pints available for less than £5. 

However, I was similarly impressed with Little Swift and its serving hatch, which offers takeaway slushie cocktails for as little as a tenner. 

Good seaside food was easy to find as well, with Peter’s Fish Factory so popular with the locals that they were already lining up around the block by the time I’d arrived for lunch.  

It’s easy to see why as well, with crispy scampi, perfect chip shop chips and a healthy portion of mushy peas setting me back no more than £13.  

I still had plenty of time to explore the many vintage shops in the town’s charming warren of backstreets, where Britain’s best museum for 2026, according to Time Out, the Crab Museum can also be found.  

After picking up a delicious real fruit ice cream from Follow the Swirl and playing on the games in one of the sea front’s many arcades, it was time to get my return train home.

And this brings me to one of the Trainpal promotion’s two main catches. 

The £9.99 only covers a one-way ticket, meaning travellers do have to fork out for their own return fare.

This set me back another £12, which wasn’t unreasonable, but had I been sent somewhere further afield, it could have been much less affordable. 

After playing around with the app on subsequent days to see how far away I could have ended up, I know that day trips from London to Chester are possible.  

One-way fares from Chester to London are as much £44, so not exactly cheap, although the £9.99 outbound fare does save almost £30 on the cost of a return trip.

So it does cut costs even without covering the return leg. 

Another issue is that the £9.99 offer is only available for one ticket, meaning anyone looking to take a spontaneous day out with a friend or family member will have to hope that their companion is also offered the same mystery destination via the app, or someone will have to pay full price.  

Nevertheless, I’d say for a one-off solo day out it was worth it.

I saved a bit of money on my train and ended up having a great time somewhere I probably wouldn’t have considered visiting otherwise. 

With a few more blanks in the calendar throughout the summer, I’m keen to try my luck again to see where I might end up. 

SIR Ranulph Fiennes and Bear Grylls most likely pop into your head when you think of adventurers. But now, you can add Wizz Air customers to that list.

And me. Last month, I was invited to join some competition winners on a flight to . . . who knows where?

As part of the Hungarian airline’s Let’s Get Lost promotion, 22 lucky travellers and their plus-ones were going on an all-expenses-paid trip, to a secret destination.

We were given five possible locations for our three-night adventure — Moldova, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Lithuania, Armenia and Albania.

Even after boarding the plane we were still none the wiser, all we had was a pre-provided packing list and a rough idea of the climate.

It was only once the flight had exceeded three and a half hours that we could guess it was Armenia. A tannoy announcement confirmed it, prompting a round of applause.

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I’ll be honest, Armenia was never on my radar as a holiday destination, but that’s exactly what made this trip so special.

Arriving in Republic Square, the heart of the capital city Yerevan, the Saturday evening atmosphere was electric with hordes of people enjoying live music alfresco.

We stayed in the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, perfectly located in the city centre of Yerevan.

A walking tour was the best way to get our bearings. We wandered the main streets past buildings made from pink volcanic stone, before reaching the Cascade Yerevan.

Made up of 572 steps (we took the interior escalator), this mighty landmark is a must-visit. From its peak, we had stunning views of the snow-capped Mount Ararat, now in modern-day Turkey.

A 30-minute drive away is Charents’ Arch, a monument dedicated to a much-loved poet in this region. The curved brick structure provides the perfect natural frame for the landscape and is a great photo spot.

The architectural highlight for me was the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin — the Mother Cathedral of the Armenian Church.

Remnants of it date back to the 4th century (Armenia was the first nation to adopt Christianity in 301AD), and it is the most ornate church I’ve ever seen.

The ruins of the 7th-century Zvartnots Cathedral are also worth a visit.

The whole place has an otherwordly feel, and with the hot sun beating down on us, it felt spiritual.

In just two days, we ticked off key landmarks, including Garni Temple and the Geghard Monastery, with lunches and dinners in between, accompanied by Armenian wine, which I would highly recommend.

With such a short time on the ground, this trip didn’t allow for loafing, but that’s the brilliance of a Wizz Air mystery getaway — cramming in all the best bits.

Our final evening was spent at Tavern Yerevan Riverside. The setting, grub and entertainment were truly amazing. Armenian wine was flowing while we tucked into khorovats, traditional Armenian barbecued meats scorched over an open flame.

While we had a curated itinerary, Yerevan can be navigated independently and you can tailor-make a cultural and/or foodie break.

After attempting, and failing, to say ‘shnorhakalutyun’ — Armenian for ‘thank you’ — throughout, I was advised that the French equivalent would also be appreciated.

So, merci Armenia — a destination I’d never planned to visit, but am so glad I did.