night

July 12 (UPI) — The U.S. military said late Sunday ithad completed a new wave of attacks against Iran, as world leaders raised fears that a fragile cease-fire would collapse and the conflict could widen beyond the region.

The Sunday attack was the second consecutive night that the United States had attacked Iran and was the fourth round in a week, prompting retaliatory strikes from Tehran against regional U.S. military assets following each operation, as the two sides battle over the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping route.

U.S. Central Command said its forces had completed the wave of strikes, claiming to have hit dozens of targets with precision munitions with the intent to “degrade Iran’s ability to continue attacking international shipping flowing through the Strait of Hormuz.”

Iranian air-defense systems, coastal radar sites, missile and drone capabilities and small boats were among the targets attacked by U.S. fighter jets, naval assets and aerial and sea drones on Sunday, CENTCOM said.

“The Strait of Hormuz is a vital maritime corridor for global trade,” CENTCOM said in a statement.

“Iran does not control it.”

The announcement of the operation’s conclusion came hours after CENTCOM said it had begun and after the U.S. military refuted Iran’s claims that it had closed the vital waterway in response to what it characterized as violations of the 25-day-old U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding that established the shaky cease-fire.

“The Strait of Hormuz is open to all vessels seeking to lawfully transit the international waterway,” CENTCOM declared. “U.S. forces are positioned and prepared to ensure that freedom of navigation remains available despite unwarranted Iranian aggression, harassment, threats, and arbitrary declarations. Iran does not control the strait.

“Traffic is flowing.”

Late Sunday, Iranian media reported explosions near Sirik and west of Bandar Abbas in the country’s south during the second night of U.S. strikes, which came shortly after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeted what it called American military assets in Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.

As CENTCOM announced the completion of its strikes, state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting reported that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was targeting U.S. bases in Jordan.

Those attacks drew condemnation from the Gulf states and warnings from world leaders that events were spiraling quickly.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry said it is “following with deep concern the recent incidents that are further escalating the regional tensions.”

Islamabad, which mediated the memorandum of understanding, “reiterates its strong support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all brotherly countries in the region, and urges all sides to exercise restraint, take immediate steps towards de-escalation, and uphold respective commitments under the [MOU].”

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres on Sunday similarly expressed “deep concerns” over what he called a “serious escalation & renewed military confrontations in the Gulf, including the Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the attacks by the U.S. on Iran, and the attacks by Iran on targets in the neighboring countries.

“These attacks must all stop,” he said, warning that “a return to full-scale hostilities would have catastrophic consequences — for the peoples of the region, for international peace & security & for the global economy.

“I urge Iran & the U.S. to urgently resume negotiations & to address outstanding issues through diplomacy,” Guterres said.

The fighting comes as the two sides were negotiating the implementation of the MOU, with the Strait of Hormuz appearing to be a sticking point.

The United States resumed striking Iran on Wednesday after Iran attacked three commercial ships in the vital chokepoint. The Trump administration is seeking to regain freedom of navigation through the strait, while Iran seeks to maintain control over ships transiting it.

NESTLED in the Surrey Hills you can stay on a converted Great Western Railway carriage.

The Carriage Ely is in Little Downham, Cambridgeshire and is made up of two carriages – Paddington and Penzance.

The carriages used to run on the rail tracks up and down the country but now sit in the middle of the countryside as a B&B.

The carriage has previously featured on the Channel 4 TV show George Clarke‘s Amazing Spaces as well.

Inside Paddington, you will find nods to the carriage’s original role, with overhead luggage racks and original tables and chairs.

But unlike the glaring sunshine you’d get on your daily commute, this carriage has roller blinds to shut out the light when you want to.

Read more on travel inspo

ALL IN

I found the best value all inclusive London hotel… just £55pp with free food & booze

CHEAP BREAKS

UK’s best 100 cheap stays – our pick of the top hotels, holiday parks and pubs

The carriage also has a kitchen so you can rustle up your evening meals and breakfast.

And then in the other carriage – Penzance – you’ll find a sofa bed, as well as more original seats and tables.

The carriage also has a lounge area with wood flooring and a Smart TV.

Other original features have been kept across the carriages too such as the windows, classic glass sliding doors and even safety signs.

And for those who have always had the urge to push a big red button in their life, they can do so by pulling the original red emergency lever.

Outside of the carriage there is a small garden with a fire pit and patio.

There’s even a hot tub for the ultimate relaxation.

And if you really want to amplify your train experience, you can order an afternoon tea to be delivered to you, with scones, jam, cream, cakes and several sandwiches – all served with a big pot of English Breakfast of course.

It costs from £180 per night to stay in the carriage, with a minimum stay of two nights.

One recent visitor said: “Just WOW, just as expected lovely location, great accommodation, friendly owners.

“We had the afternoon tea on arrival – excellent. Will definitely stay again.”

Another visitor added: “Fantastic place to stay, so different and such a tranquil setting, loved the hot tub, plus all the little touches, dressing gowns, slippers, biscuits, chocolates, canned drinks plus fresh milk.”

The carriage is also only a five-minute drive from the city of Ely, where you can head to the cathedral or even Oliver Cromwell’s House.

If you want to spend even more time outdoors, head to The Fens where there are a number of walking and cycling trails.

My dinner course is served. It is a Campbell’s-inspired soup can, lightly angled so strands of broccoli are peeking out. I lift the can to uncover a slow-braised short rib and mashed potatoes. An American dish to represent an American artist, here Andy Warhol.

The room is overtaken with projections, scenes of bustling New York traffic paired with bachelor-pad-like guitar riffs. Shown on a wall above a dinner table is a selection of Warhol silkscreens. It’s a Friday night in West Hollywood, and I’m surrounded by a mix of out-of-towners and those celebrating an anniversary. And while this is a special occasion, we’re urged to get a little messy with our food — to use our hands, to paint with a salad, to draw on a cookie.

The main course: A tomato soup can? “7 Paintings” is an immersive event that occasionally hides dishes in artist-inspired presentations.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Play is the primary side dish at “7 Paintings,” a tech-infused dinner theater that aims to be a crash course in fine art. That selection of veggies paired with multiple mini cups of colorful dressings? Guests are encouraged to mix and match the vinaigrettes into a mess of hues, a nod to abstractionist Jackson Pollock. And yellowfin tuna with dashes of avocado and taro chips? That’s an edible tribute to Banksy, of course. What does raw fish have to do with stenciled street art? It’s bold, heavily angled and has a short shelf life? Maybe? Perhaps don’t overthink it.

Even the paper is edible.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

“Have you ever eaten a painting before?” says Nadine Beshir, the Dubai-based creator of “7 Paintings.” “We try to get people out of their comfort zones and eating paper. I want to bring out the child in them.”

“7 Paintings,” held at Sunset House L.A. through the end of August, is the latest example of immersive dining to arrive in this city. These experiences often involve guest participation and are accentuated with advanced multimedia technology and sometimes theatrical elements.

Worldwide, there have been standouts. For instance, Eatrenalin at Germany’s Europa-Park, a dining room-meets-ride where participants are whisked around the space on trackless “floating chairs,” has just received a coveted Michelin star. Ibiza’s Sublimotion has similar haute ambitions, pairing 12 diners together in a room that will come alive with otherworldly projections and performers. At times, diners will win don virtual reality headgear.

But tech-driven immersive dining experiences have never quite taken off in Los Angeles as a trend. Last year, the Gallery, where fantastical cityscapes and projections surrounded downtown L.A. diners, stood just a couple months before the concept was abandoned.

“7 Paintings” pairs food with art and music. It’s “fun dining, not fine dining,” says its founder.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Bartender Luca Famulari shakes a cocktail at the immersive dining event.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

“The economics of a restaurant are not the same as the economics of theater and the challenge of combining the two lies in thinking outside the box with respect to pricing and cost structure, such that the customer perceives high value from both the food and the experience,” says the Gallery co-founder Daren Ulmer.

Entrepreneurs keep aiming for that careful balance. “Le Petit Chef and Friends” is currently running at Tangier at downtown’s Hotel Figueroa, an event in which a fully animated film is projected on our plates and tables. Long-running pop-up event Fork N’ Film leans more dinner and movie, pairing dishes directly inspired by what is happening on screen. Upcoming films include “Ratatouille” and “Lilo and Stitch.”

The field comes with challenges. “The costs are very high,” says Joanna Garner, an immersive designer and former creative director with experiential art firm Meow Wolf. Garner has been experimenting herself with communal, immersive dinner events, and her next, the flirtatious “Please Open Your Mouth,” is set for July 11. (No tech there, as Garner is after a more sensual, adult-focused gathering.) Tickets for her event are $150 and a spot in the “7 Paintings” dining room runs $175, priced on par with a number of city’s most acclaimed restaurants.

There is also the reality that all public dining is in some fashion immersive, usually requiring varying combinations of engagement, communication and presentation. And then, are all these added elements distracting?

An animated Mona Lisa sits on the wall as guests enjoy their meals. Throughout the dinner, the painting provides factoids on various artists.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Throughout “7 Paintings,” for instance, an animated Mona Lisa, situated on the wall next to the main dinner table, will provide brief biographical details of each artist represented.

“Being able to nail the food, and nail the story, those are two very difficult threads to weave,” Garner says. “I do think, ultimately, people come to a dinner table to talk to the people at the table and to have intimate experiences. To have an experience where you’re constantly being taken away from the food, I’m not so sure if that’s what people are looking for.”

Food is framed as a star of “7 Paintings” but tasting it is just one component. At one point, we must uncover a cheese course in a tiny treasure chest, the code for the lock hidden in the projections (don’t stress, it’s not a hard puzzle). Beshir highlights the Pollock-inspired salad course, which is accentuated with a jazz soundtrack, as the thesis of the evening.

1

2

1. A guest uses a silicon brush to apply sauces onto an entree, a nod to abstractionist Jackson Pollock. 2. Projections fill up the dining table during meals.

“This course is really about getting people to free their minds from preconceived ideas,” Beshir says. “Like, you have to eat with a fork and knife, or the salad comes and then the dressing. No, the dressing comes and then the salad, and it’s trying with big brushes to paint the way he did. A lot of people do not understand Abstract Expressionism, and they think it’s people just splashing colors around. But when you understand the link between the rhythm of the music and painting, you live it. We give you time to paint with your salad dressing.”

In L.A., Beshir has partnered with nightlife impresario Kim Kelly, who is plotting a “Sleep No More”-inspired walk-around theatrical show for the Sunset House venue later this year. “7 Paintings,” however, is fully seated, and purposefully a little silly. Beshir and Kelly have been evolving it during its L.A. run, recently adding a stronger painting component by giving guests their own canvas to work on throughout the evening. Each night crowns a winner.

“Everyone comes over to look at their art,” Kelly says. “It just kind of changed the whole thing, to be honest. People are now being creative throughout the entire evening. Instead of just watching and occasionally painting, you’re now painting the whole time.”

As for what, perhaps, soba noodles with edamame and mushrooms have to do with Pablo Picasso, or why Salvador Dali gets an unexpected dessert course of a white chocolate potato souffle, Beshir clarifies the goal of the evening. While the animated Mona Lisa will provide backstories on each painter, this isn’t an educational night. “It’s fun dining, not fine dining,” Beshir says.

And by the end of my night, strangers were socializing, showing off their painted cookie creations, sharing Banksy tidbits and asking for recommendations on various vinaigrette combinations. Ultimately, it’s an evening of discovery, packed with surprises like finding an entire course hidden under a canvas.

Darryl Mayes of Charlotte, N.C., left, and Taylor Smith of North Hollywood, right, uncover their course.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

“We try not to have too much sophistication, like fried ants or something. I’m personally very adventurous in how I eat, but if I want to have this in 100 cities around the world, I cannot be too meticulous.”

And Beshir has big goals.

“I want this be your movie and dinner thing,” Beshir says. “I want people to be waiting for our next show, and to be able to afford to come every couple months.”

And to come home not with leftovers, but perhaps a painting of their own.

America’s semiquincentennial came and went, and the Disneyland Resort marked the occasion with a transformation of its now-classic Soarin’ ride. Gone, for now, is Soarin’ Over California and Soarin’ Around the World. In their place is Soarin’ Across America, a lightly patriotic-themed journey from coast to coast.

There are flyovers of nationalistic symbols such as the Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore National Monument and the Washington Monument, but the majority of its dozen locations are national parks, making Soarin’ Across America a love letter to America’s natural and diverse beauty. And it felt like a four-and-a-half-minute celebration.

Soarin’ Across America has the strongest scene of any of the three attraction films, which envelop riders as they ascend in the sky on a hang glider simulator. That’s its opening, a shot of a rocket launch at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. We start level with the spacecraft, and then follow its journey into the clouds. Being this close to a liftoff, and feeling the sensation of rising with it, creates an inspiring, rousing moment. As in any Soarin’ film, we are promised the great outdoors, but here we get magnificent ingenuity.

Is it the best Soarin’? I’d still rank Soarin’ Over California as No. 1, as it has a sort of goofball charm, such as tumbling skiers or a golf ball flying toward the audience. But Soarin’ Across America is a worthy successor. It takes a more patient approach, as the ride now seems to linger longer over certain locales, allowing us to take in the majesty of the Grand Canyon West or vibrancy of the Louisiana bayou without distraction. I appreciated the tonal shift, which makes it stand on its own and doesn’t try to force itself to capture the original’s whimsy.

A coastal scene from Soarin’ Across America.

(Disney Parks)

I also enjoyed the new smells. When hovering near the Hawaii coast, for instance, the tropical fragrances that wafted over guests seemed to reflect the gummy fruitiness of a mai tai. (No, that wasn’t just me longing for an afternoon break at Trader Sam’s.)

I went in with a bit of skepticism, and I’m relieved to say my fears weren’t realized. Well, fully realized. This is a divisive time in American history, and cultural works are increasingly viewed through a political lens. When announcing the attraction, Disney did so with symbolism of the American flag, a bald eagle and the Statue of Liberty, art that was admittedly bright and welcoming, but also could be read as giving it an uncomfortable, chauvinistic sheen.

• Share via Close extra sharing options

Not everyone in 2026 may be excited with a flight simulator that serves as a cheerleader for America. And I still question the inclusion of Mount Rushmore, which has a long, controversial history, and has been a fascination of President Trump’s. But aside from that scene, and some odd red, white and blue sparkler-like fireworks visible in the New York Harbor, which curiously distract from a view of the Statue of Liberty, Soarin’ Across America doesn’t lay on the jingoism. At least until the final moments, when we see an American flag in the sky above Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle.

I’ll take it. The vibe throughout is one of restraint. When we glide near a Maine lighthouse, the film seems to pause, allowing the rocky coast and long-standing structure to be the stars. A dip across the American plains takes us above a herd of bison, but by and large movement is kept to a minimum (here the scent is of grassy freshness, which I’m betting is not what a bison smells like). A train in the Ozarks, for instance, comes to us rather than the film rushing to trace its path.

Filmed primarily with helicopters and drone shots, Soarin’ Across America utilizes CGI, courtesy of Industrial Light & Magic, less than Soarin’ Around the World, and primarily on scene transitions when we appear to fly next to a bird. This is an attraction that leans more National Geographic, that is it is unobtrusive and unstaged, than past iterations of Soarin’. While some may miss more active visuals, I appreciate that each Soarin’ film takes a different approach. Long term, it will allow Soarin’ Across America to serve as a snapshot in time, of an America at a certain point in history.

Soarin’ Across America shows aerial vistas across the United States, and it’s arriving at a divisive moment in our nation’s political history.

(Disney Parks)

And that’s already true. For when the film takes us down in front of the Washington Monument, we can off in the distance ever-so-slightly glance at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, caught before its current Trump adminstration remodeling. Depending on your point of view, it can be unintentionally uncomfortable or amusing to see a locale before it became a political lightning rod. But that’s sort of the appeal of the Soarin’ films. They’re glimpses of not just a moment in time, but of a constantly changing world.

In that sense, there’s something relatively quaint about Soarin’, especially for our fast-paced, thrill-focused world. Soarin’ was groundbreaking when it debuted in 2001, but today we have venues like Las Vegas’ Sphere and Inglewood’s Cosm, whose spherical screens are higher definition and can even create the illusion of movement. Soarin’ Across America charms — all four of my rides last week ended in audience applause — by simply being a calming, relaxed journey that stokes our sense of adventure.

This week in SoCal theme parks

Disneyland Park has now welcomed more than 1 billion guests.

(Christian Thompson / Disneyland Resort)

• Disneyland: More than 1 billion served. The Disneyland Resort over the weekend welcomed its 1 billionth guest. The distinction went to 8-year-old Andres Robles, who with his family was treated to a VIP tour of the park. Disneyland has updated its population sign atop the Disneyland Railroad’s Main Street Station. To help put into context how unfathomably large 1 billion is, it’s worth noting that it took Disneyland, which in recent years has been drawing around 17 million attendees, nearly 71 years to reach that number.
• The Cenobites are coming to Universal Studios Hollywood. The latest addition to this year’s Halloween Horror Nights has been revealed, and it’s a haunted house based on the “Hellraiser” franchise. Pinhead actor Doug Bradley will reprise his role for the walkthrough attraction by voicing the character’s representation in the house. Halloween Horror Nights is set to launch Sept. 3.
• Don’t miss this look into Disney history. PBS SoCal will on Friday, July 17, show the documentary, “Bob Gurr: Living by Design.” It’s a revealing look into the life of a key early Disneyland designer, as Gurr created the look and feel of the Haunted Mansion “Doombuggies,” the original Autopia cars, the bobsleds of the Matterhorn and, of course, the first Disneyland Monorail. Before you watch, get to know the colorful, outspoken Disney legend.
• A Disneyland deal for Anaheim residents. Good news for those who live near the Disneyland Resort. For a limited time from July 20 through Aug. 8, Anaheim residents will have access to a locals-only deal. Adult one-day tickets will start at $71, while child tickets will be $50. Park-hoppers for adults will sell for $104 while child tickets will remain $50. It’s a significant savings and a great way to see the start of the park’s Halloween season. The tickets go on sale July 16.

The best thing I ate at the parks

The al pastor pork chop at Lamplight Lounge.

(Todd Martens / Los Angeles Times)

One of Disneyland’s best dishes is currently available at Disney California Adventure’s Lamplight Lounge, its Pixar-decorated pub-like outpost. It’s a sliced al pastor pork chop served with cheese polenta, pineapple relish and a spicy red chili butter sauce ($32). The pork is soft, the polenta creamy and it carries just enough heat to give it a bit of an edge. While filling, it’s surprisingly not too heavy, and Lamplight is always a lively spot to take a break from the parks. I only wish the place had a non-hazy IPA.

Your questions answered

Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle on a crowded 2019 day.

(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Hi Todd, we went to the park [Sunday] and it was empty: walk on to Cars, walk on to Indy. Thirty minutes for Guardians. Everything else was down to about 5 [minutes] besides Tiki Room because it’s a 15 min show. Are they struggling this summer? I haven’t seen a day like that at Disney since I was a kid.
— Jake from Riverside

Disneyland has been unseasonably comfortable this summer (read: less people). And the Fourth of July holiday week was kind of a breeze, with low wait times at most attractions at both parks.

But I wouldn’t says struggling, as I have seen busy days in recent weeks and Sunday was particularly unique. Mexico and England were playing a much-buzzed-about World Cup match, which no doubt kept crowds at bay. But it’s true that Disneyland this summer has, on a whole, been more pleasant, crowd-wise, than in year’s past.

Ultimately, I attribute the potentially lighter attendance to a combination of factors. One, the park has likely hit the peak price it can currently offer guests (fingers crossed this is true, as I don’t think most Disneyland fans can absorb another yearly price hike right now). Two, the aforementioned World Cup is drawing away potential attendees. And three, everything is more expensive today, forcing families to choose between, say, an afternoon at Dodger Stadium or a day at Disneyland. It’s increasingly untenable to do both.

And people are hungry for different, approachable ticket options. Last week, for instance, Disneyland unveiled a new evening ticket deal for all guests. The $59 offer allows attendees to enter either Disney California Adventure at 5 p.m. or Disneyland at 7 p.m. Available Sundays to Wednesdays through Aug. 5, all dates sold out in six days, unless Disneyland allots more tickets for the deal.

Tell us your stories. Ask us your questions.

Have a theme park tale to share? Whether it was a good day or less-than-perfect day, I would love to hear about it. Have a question? A tip? A fun photo from the parks to share? Email me at todd.martens@latimes.com. I may feature your note in an upcoming newsletter.

Ride on,

Todd Martens

P.S.

Universal Studios Hollywood first began exploring a high-speed coaster more than a decade ago.

(Todd Martens / Los Angeles Times)

Universal Studios Hollywood’s new Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift is set to open soon, and while many are excited, I’m curious to hear from those who live near the theme park. Universal has emphasized how it has instituted a number of noise-mitigating factors, from placing pea gravel in the tracks to building sound walls and creating shields designed to capture rider screams.

Theme park rides, however, can still be loud. If you’re in one of the neighborhoods surrounding the park, drop a line at todd.martens@latimes.com and let me know if Universal’s efforts have been enough, or if the coaster is a disruptive presence.

The Love Island villa welcomed Movie Night as secrets were exposed, but viewers ‘spotted’ a problem

It didn’t take long for fans to flock to social media with their complaints.

Fresh drama erupted in the Love Island villa on Sunday evening (July 5) as the notorious Movie Night descended upon the ITV2 reality programme.

The twist enables the Islanders to assemble in the garden and view a giant screen displaying video footage from across the series. It’s during this event that private discussions are laid bare and startling romantic encounters are completely unmasked.

It provides the contestants with an opportunity to uncover whether their partners and romantic interests have been wholly honest, and discover what fellow Islanders have been remarking about them while they were away.

This year’s Love Island Movie Night sparked especially heated rows, particularly for the boys who stayed faithful following Casa Amor yet still snogged and chatted up the bombshells.

The selection for the Movie Night footage featured scandalous headings such as ‘The Affair’, ‘Mamma Mica’, ‘The Princess Jasmine Diaries’ and ‘Samraj Like It Hot’, reports OK!.

It was ‘The Affair’ that thrust Jasmine and Lorenzo’s developing bond into the limelight, leading Kavan to announce, “It’s all there, the affair is clear”. Yasmin also wasted no time in telling Lorenzo, “You don’t have a leg to stand on”.

Mica was next to appear on the big screen, and she promptly faced criticism as the islanders witnessed her burgeoning romance with Samraj unfold. The jaw-dropping scenes left Priya doubting everything as she confessed to other islanders, “I look like a mug all the time.”

‘Samraj Like It Hot’ once more placed Mica and Samraj at the centre of attention, courtesy of their developing romance. As Mica tried to justify herself, Priya remained unconvinced and said, “That’s so dishonest of you.”

Yet Mica and Samraj weren’t the sole islanders to come under fire as Kavan drew parallels between his and Jasmine’s situations following their choices during Casa Amor.

Immediately standing her ground, Jasmine told Kavan, “I did not do the same thing”, which didn’t land well, and the friction escalated.

Despite all the expected fireworks, some Love Island fans grumbled as the ITV programme broke for adverts just minutes into Movie Night.

Heading to X, one Love Island fan exclaimed: “Hydration break and ad break at the exact same time, alright man #loveisland.”

A second stated: “A break!? Seriously!? #loveisland #loveislanduk”, while a third chimed in: “BREAK ALREADY?? #loveisland.”

“Break after break after break, this is why there’s so much unused footage, mate #LoveIsland #LoveIslandUK,” commented one viewer.

“AFTER A 10MIN AD BREAK?! ANOTHER ADVERT?!!! ITV R U TAKING THE P*** ?? @ITV #LoveIsland #LoveIslandUK,” asked another, while another echoed the sentiment: “Did we not just come back from a break?! #loveisland #loveislanduk.”

Love Island airs on ITV2 and ITVX

MEXICO CITY — Mexico once again enjoyed a night of celebration with its fans, this time after defeating an old nemesis — the knockout stage of the World Cup.

El Tri won its first knockout match at a World Cup since 1986, beating Ecuador 2-0 on Tuesday night at the majestic Azteca Stadium packed with 80,824 fans.

From 1994 to 2018, Mexico failed to win a World Cup knockout game and, in 2022, failed to advance past the group stage — its worst showing at a World Cup since 1978.

“Bringing joy to the fans is the best thing that can happen to us,” Mexico coach Javier Aguirre said after the win. “Our duty is to give it our all on the field. Our duty is to defend our crest and represent our country with dignity.”

Thanks to an expanded 48-team World Cup format with a knockout round of 32 teams and a formidable home-field advantage, Mexico achieved a goal that had seemed impossible.

Mexico players celebrate after the World Cup round of 32 win over Ecuador in Mexico City on Tuesday.

(Fernando Llano / Associated Press)

Ecuador, which finished second in the South American World Cup qualifiers, put up a strong fight, bombarding the Mexican team with crosses, albeit without much organization.

Fans roared their approval for the Mexican national team, which took a lap of honor after the match, as the crowd sang “El Rey” and other songs to express their love for their team.

Julián Quiñones scored the first goal for Mexico in the 22nd minute on a counterattack, while Raúl Jiménez added the second in the 31st minute, in a match where El Tri had numerous scoring opportunities against an Ecuador side that did not appear to be well-organized defensively despite having advanced after defeating Germany in the group stage. The victory over Germany helped Ecuador become one of the third-place finishers to advance to the knockout round.

Mexico will play one more match in Mexico City, facing the winner of the England versus the Democratic Republic of Congo match to be played Wednesday in Atlanta. Mexico’s round of 16 game is scheduled for Sunday. The team is one step away from matching its best World Cup performance — a run to the quarterfinals it achieved in 1970 and 1986 when Mexico hosted both tournaments.

El Tri is now 4-0 in World Cup matches and has yet to concede a goal, both firsts for the Mexican national team.

Tuesday night’s showdown with Ecuador was delayed by an hour because of lightning.

The Ecuadorian team complained before the match that their fans had not received the tickets required by FIFA and that Mexican fans made noise all night outside the Ecuadorian team’s hotel — a common practice in Latin America designed to prevent the opponent from getting a good night’s sleep the night before a decisive match. Finally, Ecuador’s coach, Argentine Sebastián Beccacece, complained about the logistics of the trip to Mexico, claiming it involved long journeys that were an undue burden for his team.

Frustration flared up throughout the match, with both teams briefly crowding the sideline after a hard foul.

When Ecuador could not earn shots on target and time was running out during the second half, Piero Hincapié ran toward forward Santi Giménez and covered his mouth while speaking.

The referee saw the exchange and stopped play, calling for video review. Once he confirmed Hincapié’s action, the referee issued a red card and the Ecuador player became the second player this World Cup for violating FIFA’s restriction against players covering their mouths during heated exchanges. Since Ecuador lost, Hincapié will serve his red-card suspension during the team’s next international match.

FIFA established the new rule to prevent players from trying hide use of offensive language.

Paraguay’s Miguel Almirón was the first player to get a red card for the infraction against Turkey earlier in the World Cup.

Other players have covered their mouths while speaking to opponents during the World Cup, but a red card is only issued if the conversation occurs during a confrontation or heated exchange.

Mexican football fans did their best to give Ecuador a sleepless night ahead of their World Cup match in the round of 32 in Mexico City.

From midnight until the early hours of the morning, dozens of fans gathered outside the Westin Hotel in Santa Fe, an upscale area on the outskirts of the capital, using loudspeakers, horns, and motorcycles to disturb the visiting team’s rest.

Team hotel serenades are a deeply entrenched, highly polarising tradition in Latin American football. While they began as a passionate way for fans to rally behind the home team, they have increasingly evolved into a psychological weapon designed to rob visiting players of a good night’s sleep.

After the incidents in Mexico City, the Ecuadorian football federation said on Tuesday it had filed a formal complaint with organisers.

“Such conduct stands in stark contrast to the principles of fair play, equity, and unity that a World Cup should embody,” the federation, known as FEF, said in a statement.

“The FEF respectfully calls upon the competent authorities to pay greater attention to these events and to adopt the necessary measures to safeguard the safety of our players, coaching staff, and fans.”

The fan ambush, organised on social media, added to a chaotic arrival for Ecuador. The disruption capped off a gruelling logistical nightmare for the South American team, which had deliberately planned a last-minute Monday night arrival to mitigate the effects of Mexico City’s 2,200-metre (7,300-foot) altitude.

To combat the physiological toll of thin air, sports scientists generally recommend two contrasting approaches: an extended acclimatisation period of at least two weeks, or the “fly-in, fly-out” method — arriving as close to kick-off as possible before acute symptoms set in.

That is the route that teams from the major sports leagues in the United States use when they come to play in Mexico City.

But Ecuador’s journey from Columbus, Ohio, was plagued by delays from the start. Ecuador coach Sebastián Beccacece complained that their flight was delayed by more than three hours, though he did not specify whether he had factored in the two-hour time difference between the cities.

“A flight delay, then the transfer to the hotel — it ended up being a nine-hour journey; we took three hours longer than scheduled,” Beccacece said. “But the team is doing well and is excited — obviously facing an opponent that posted good results in the group stage.”

Additionally, the team landed at Felipe Ángeles International Airport, located 65 kilometres from their hotel. The squad was forced to navigate the trek to Santa Fe through Mexico City’s notoriously heavy traffic, which was further paralysed on Monday by heavy night rain.

Since its opening in 1967, Pirates of the Caribbean has stood as an anchor at Disneyland, a statement piece that has defined the direction of the park.

And that remained true last week when Walt Disney Imagineering unveiled a new audio-animatronic pirate. It’s wow-inducing. It’s also narrative-wrecking. And it fundamentally shifts the vibe of the attraction’s early scenes.

The high-tech pirate, we can bet, is just a small preview of the park’s next-gen toys. Because when changes come to Disneyland, they often hit Pirates of the Caribbean first. Over a half-century ago, the robotic figures of Pirates were a symbol of Disneyland’s technological ambitions, dazzling audiences with characterized but lifelike movements. With the ride, Disneyland made it clear that as the world advances, so, too, would the park.

As culture shifted and the lecherous buccaneers of the ride began to look more like symbols of sexual harassment, they would be forced to undergo some welcome personality adjustments. A redheaded victim of sex trafficking would transform into one of the ride’s most striking characters, and a number of rides from the Jungle Cruise to Splash Mountain would eventually undergo similar reassessment.

For Pirates of the Caribbean, after all, is the attraction that defined the Disneyland template. Its mastery is that it is a series of larger-than-life dioramas constructed around an abstracted narrative where themes of greed, lust and intemperance take precedence over a plot with a firm beginning, middle and end. And thus it made sense for Imagineering, the outfit of the company responsible for theme park experiences, to unveil its latest tech-driven master work on the ride.

A new animated pirate on Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean shifts from living to dead using projection technology.

(Todd Martens / Los Angeles Times)

Reaction, however, has been less than enthused. Disneyland’s own social media accounts are flooded with pointed critiques, but even if we consider that social media tends to lead with gripes, some of the park’s most ardent fan sites have referred to the reimagined scene as a gutting. Why so much hullabaloo over a single robot? If we allow that Disneyland is a place that generations make pilgrimages to, then Pirates of the Caribbean is its most sacred temple. Handle with care.

There is, of course, a series of stages most Disneyland fans go through with any major changes, and it’s usually one of shock or confusion followed by acceptance and eventually new nostalgia. And Disneyland’s recent attraction updates have by and large been winners, as evidenced by the lovely Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, the exploratory Adventureland Treehouse and the bewitching Snow White’s Enchanted Wish.

This one, however, is more complicated.

Where once was a foreboding skeleton frozen in time atop a treasure and swords, there is now an animated figurine built with the latest in projection technology. The latter transitions from living to dead, caught in a perpetual loop with each glimpse of the cavern’s “cursed treasure,” which it continually lifts and drops. The pirate is placed after the ride’s two dips in a gold-filled room among the winding, mysterious underground chambers that help set its tone.

Dead pirates fill the caverns of Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean.

(Todd Martens / Los Angeles Times)

Since the attraction’s opening, the only living beings in this portion were a lone seagull and maybe a stray sea critter or two. It is here where the mystique of Pirates of the Caribbean is set, and guests are placed in the active role of piecing together the time-shifting narrative. Story is hinted at rather than fed to us. We hear tales of the hexed fortunes found in the caves via ghostly narration, but see only its after-effects — skeletons locked in a chess battle or standing behind the wheel of a crumbling ship.

The centerpiece treasure room, where our new pirate is found, has long been a breathtaking scene. Previously, a now decayed body sat atop a mountain of wealth, an empty, soulless figure done in by selfish pride. It was disquieting, and a bit ghoulish. Stray, soft musical notes underscored the tragedy. Further on, a trapped pirate quietly transitions from living to dead via an old theatrical mirror illusion, and the boats float into a city filled with battles and buffoonery.

Gone is the subtlety. A somber tableau is now relatively loud, as our eyes no longer take in the full set but zero in on a bright and at times lively figurine. I cannot deny that it is an impressive piece of technology. On the multiple rides that I took Monday morning, I overheard two teens describe it as “pretty cool” and watched as a young child excitedly shouted to his mom and dad that the figure’s face was changing.

The caverns of Pirates of the Caribbean set a foreboding tone.

(Todd Martens / Los Angeles Times)

Such reactions are no doubt what Imagineering is hoping for. Part of the job of stewarding a classic attraction, after all, is ensuring it maintains an appeal to future generations. But I believe two things can be true. The new pirate may captivate some audiences and it can also stylistically and tonally clash with the attraction. This is the right tech, perhaps, for a more animated experience, one such as the in-development “Coco” ride coming to Disney California Adventure. Unfortunately, in Pirates it’s misplaced. Worse, it’s distracting, as we’re immediately drawn to its movement, grunts and quick-transitioning face.

I lament losing what was there. Projected figures, even the best of them, such as this one, are still media and can still gleam with light. And while the original Pirates of the Caribbean designs by Marc Davis were exaggerated, they were brought back to reality by Blaine Gibson, who sculpted them with bold, hardened features that made them at once heightened but believable. They may have been cartoonish, but they weren’t actual cartoons, and this figure is too much of a contrast, its comic-like excess feeling less relatable, less human. And that says nothing of its snort-like laughs, which reminded me too much of the huffs and puffs of the ride’s donkeys.

It also raises more story questions than it answers. Why, for instance, aren’t the other skeletons caught in a loop? Sometimes more is said by saying less, and this feller leans silly in a portion of the ride that calls for spooky. Ultimately, it just feels unnecessary, a symptom of our often exhausting, tech-obsessed, digital-drenched age where new, needless tools are shoved in our faces daily.

Thankfully, the rest of the attraction serves as a reminder that no computer wizardry can out-class old-school theater. Theme parks should evolve with the times, but sometimes it takes artful restraint to not mess with what’s already timeless.

This week in SoCal theme parks

• Disney California Adventure turns Soarin’ Over California into Soarin’ Across America. The makeover will be unveiled July 2, just in time for the Fourth of July holiday and the celebration of America’s semiquincentennial. While Soarin’ Across America is already open at Florida’s Walt Disney World and I’ve written about the patriotic re-imagining, I’ve waited to see it in the flesh and will have impressions next week.
• Fireworks! If you’re looking for them this weekend, our theme parks have got you covered. Disneyland, of course, has an annual Fourth of July show with patriotic music, and the park will be running “Disney’s Celebrate America! — A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky” Friday through Sunday. If you’re heading to Knott’s, be sure to check out the park’s free-to-visit Independence Hall, a replica of the Philadelphia landmark that will be offering guided tours Friday and Saturday, while Six Flags will feature fireworks Friday through Sunday. Universal Studios Hollywood will on Friday and Saturday debut a new Fourth of July-themed fireworks show.
• Shattered glass on Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift. Fans are eagerly awaiting the opening of Universal Studios Hollywood’s new “Fast & Furious”-inspired coaster, and word spread via social media recently that a panel of glass on one of the ride’s sound barriers had shattered. Universal declined to comment, but sources familiar with the ride characterized it as an “installation error” that shouldn’t delay the public launch of the ride, which is expected by mid-summer. I reached out to California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health’s Amusement Ride & Tramway Unit (Cal/OSHA), which monitors the state’s theme park attractions. A spokesperson said the situation was looked into but did not warrant further evaluation.
• Plan your perfect theme park day. The L.A. Times has unveiled a new feature. Now you can save must-try spots from our local guides and build your own personalized list. Or perhaps you’d like to browse my mega-project “Every Southern California theme park ride, ranked” and create an itinerary for your next visit.

Tell us your stories. Ask us your questions.

Have a theme park tale to share? Whether it was a good day or less-than-perfect day, I would love to hear about it. Have a question? A tip? A fun photo from the parks to share? Email me at todd.martens@latimes.com. I may feature your note in an upcoming newsletter.

Ride on,

Todd Martens

P.S.

Visitors tie paper tags bearing wishes onto trees in the courtyard of the Broad as part of an exhibition dedicated to Yoko Ono.

(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)

Theme parks often are about the power of imagination, allowing us to play pretend in heightened, alternate worlds. And I had theme parks on my mind while I traversed the Broad’s excellent current exhibit dedicated to Yoko Ono.

What, perhaps you wonder, does Ono have to do with theme parks? “Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind” documents the entirety of the artist’s career, and much of her early work centers on play. Real, philosophical play, essentially the idea that through creativity, fantasy and a bit of silliness, we can all see the world differently.

Whether it was communicating with her audience while in a bag (1964’s “Bag Piece”), an antecedent to Meow Wolf’s “Experience Tube,” or offering instructions to count stars, tally our wrinkles, drop off peas on a morning walk, attach wishes to a tree or create fictional maps of our neighborhoods, much of Ono’s career was dedicated toward building community and connections through playfulness and imagination.

It’s freeing work, and a reminder that a little frivolity via participatory art — and that’s really what theme parks and so-called immersive entertainment provide — is a necessary ingredient for happiness.

THERE’S nothing better than a day on the beach – and your hotel is right around the corner.

Well, these are some of the highest-rated beach hotels with thousands of reviews on Tripadvisor and solid ratings – not to mention they’re all under £100 per night.

The View Hotel, Eastbourne

One of the highest-rated beach hotels in England on Tripadvisor is The View Hotel in Eastbourne.

It’s literally steps away from the beach – and those with a room at the front can get incredible coastline views.

To make the most of the beach, make sure to head to the hotel’s Vista Bar Cafe on the seafront where you can munch on fish and chips or indulge in afternoon tea.

On Tripadvisor, it has a rating of 4.5 with over three thousand top reviews with some visitors have calling it the “perfect hotel” and another said it’s an “Eastbourne delight”.

STAR BUY

Luxury holiday spots that are dirt cheap – with 5-star hotels for 3-star prices

BOOK IT

UK fairytale villages that look like children’s picture books with stays from £20

A double room at The View Hotel for two adults can be booked from £98 per night.

Hotel Pelirocco, Brighton, England

You won’t be getting a standard stay at the Hotel Pelirocco – the quirky spot in Brighton calls itself England’s “most rock n roll hotel”.

Inside it has themed rooms that are based on the likes of Star Wars, Leigh Bowery, Dolly Parton and David Bowie.

Its location means it has easy access to Brighton’s pier, lanes and it’s a one-minute walk to the beachfront.

On Tripadvisor the hotel has a rating of 4.6 with over a thousand ‘excellent’ reviews.

One guest said it’s “not to be missed” and that they’d “seen pictures online but these do not do the hotel or room justice!”

A room at the Hotel Pelirocco in Lord Vader’s Quarter for two adults can be booked from £94 per night.

The House at Ramsgate, Kent, England

The seaside resort of Ramsgate has sandy beaches, vintage ice-cream parlours and shellfish stalls.

If you want to make the most of being by the seaside, check out The House at Ramsgate.

The boutique hotel is inside a Georgian building with sea view and harbour view rooms that range from cosy queen rooms to family suites.

There’s an on-site bar and restaurant too that’s open seven-days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

On Tripadvisor, the hotel has a rating of 4.7 with 754 overwhelmingly positive reviews and guests have called it an “absolutely gorgeous hotel” with “beautiful views”.

A Queen Room at The House at Ramsgate for two adults starts from £95.

Hotel Miramar, Bournemouth, England

Hotel Miramar in Bournemouth describes itself as the ‘best sea view hotel in Bournemouth’ – so it’s ideal for a coastal escape.

Inside are plenty of rooms and suites, some of which have sea views and you can reach the beach by foot in under 10-minutes.

It has a fine dining restaurant called No 43 and the Ocean Bar and Terrace is the must-sit spot for evening meals.

On Tripadvisor, it has a rating of 4.4 and 1,500 top reviews.

One visitor called it a “charming seaside stay” and the beautiful building with pillars and balconies as “stunning”.

A standard double room at the Hotel Miramar for two adults starts from £99.

Llandudno Bay Hotel, Wales

In the “Queen of Welsh resorts” is the Llandudno Bay Hotel.

It sits right on the promenade so you won’t get much closer to the sea than that.

Rooms vary from single sea view rooms all the way to king rooms which have huge bay windows overlooking the beach.

According to the hotel manager, you might even spot a dolphin from your room and dogs are welcome at the hotel too.

The hotel has a rating of 4.2 and over a thousand positive reviews.

Some guests describing it as “just perfect” – another described the views as “stunning”. Double or Twin Room for two adults starts from £90 per night.

Cardigan Bay Guest House, Aberystwyth, Wales

Sitting on the Aberystwyth seafront is The Cardigan Bay Guest House.

The spot offers simple stays and some rooms have huge beach facing bay windows with accommodation ranging from single rooms to a three-bedroom apartment.

On Tripadvisor it has a rating of 3.8 out of five – one visitor called it a “lovely little guesthouse”.

A double room with private bathroom at Cardigan Bay Guest House for two adults starts from £60 per night.

The Ship Inn, Tresaith by Marston’s Inns, Wales

Tucked away in the Welsh town of Tresaith is The Ship Inn pub which also has four rooms all with views across Cardigan Bay.

It sits on the Welsh coastal path and is minutes away from Tresaith Bay which is considered one of the nicest beaches in the country which has a waterfall that drops directly onto the sand.

All four rooms have en-suites and as the pub is just downstairs, pop down anytime for a hearty meal before bed.

On Tripadvisor it has a rating of 3.8 with 236 ‘excellent’ reviews.

One visitor called it a “lovely little traditional hotel right next to the beach” another described it as being “simply perfect”.

A double room with at the Ship Inn for two adults starts from £78 per night.

Carnoustie Golf Hotel and Spa, Scotland

On the outskirts of Dundee is the enormous Carnoustie Golf Hotel and Spa.

It has 96 luxury en-suite rooms, three separate 18-hole golf courses and a spa with a heated swimming pool, Jacuzzi, sauna, steam room and a 15-station gym.

Thanks to its coastal location, front-facing rooms have sweeping views of the North Sea.

On Tripadvisor, the hotel has a rating of 4.1 out of five with over a thousand ‘excellent’ reviews.

One described it as being “posh without being pricey” and as having “beautiful views that don’t disappoint”.

A standard double room at the Carnoustie Golf Hotel and Spa for two adults starts from £94 per night.

Millport Pier Hotel, Millport, Scotland

On the Isle of Cumbrae is a family-run hotel in the quaint seaside town of Millport.

The Millport Pier Hotel has 10 rooms from standard doubles to suites and panoramic views of Newtown Bay and Millport Bay.

On Tripadvisor, the Millport Pier Hotel has a rating of 4.3 with one visitor saying it is a “wee diamond of a place” and one of the “best wee hotels ever.”

A double room at the Millport Pier Hotel for two adults starts from £90 – and it include breakfast.

Bayview Bed and Breakfast, Stonehaven, Scotland

The location is unmatched at Bayview Bed and Breakfast, especially in its ocean view rooms that look out across the North Sea.

Not to mention that each room is self-contained with a private entrance so it won’t even feel like you’re staying at a hotel.

Some are right on the beachfront and they come with private terraces along with little bistro sets so you can enjoy the views all day.

However guests say that if you want to the best views, book the penthouse apartment.

On Tripadvisor, the hotel has a rating of 4.7 out of five. One visitor even wrote in their review: “I really didn’t want to come home.”

You can book a double room with private entrance for two adults from £85 per night.

As one of the biggest techno DJs in the world, Charlotte de Witte never has her feet on the ground for long. But she comes back to L.A. as much as she can.

In Sunday Funday, L.A. people give us a play-by-play of their ideal Sunday around town. Find ideas and inspiration on where to go, what to eat and how to enjoy life on the weekends.

“Since I started, L.A. has been one of those very important cities. You really want to hit it as a beginning artist. It’s where everything is centered and everything is happening,” De Witte said during an interview at the Grammy Museum in November. She was here celebrating the release of her self-titled album debut. “L.A. made a difference for me.”

Throughout her years partying and performing in L.A., she’s played clubs such as Sound and Exchange LA. Then she grew to larger spaces like the Shrine and City Market, where she played open-to-close sets.

In the past, when things haven’t been as hectic, De Witte has enjoyed many of L.A.’s unique cultural offerings. Here are a few of her favorite things to do on a Sunday in the city.

9 a.m.: Coffee at Maru downtown

When I’m staying around downtown, I like to go to the Arts District and stop by Maru for a coffee. They also make great matcha and pastries. Whether it’s to-go or you’re just hanging around for a bit, great coffee is the best way to start the day!

11 a.m. Roller skate from Venice to Santa Monica

If we have a little bit more time to enjoy L.A. on tour, we always go to Venice. It’s such a unique place to be, but it’s also a very chill place. You’re in L.A., which is a huge city, but because you’re also next to the ocean it’s more calming for the mind and soul. When I’m on tour, I’m always in big cities, in the middle and the heart of where everything’s happening, and I could miss some peace and quiet, because I live in the countryside at home in Lisbon. Venice is that bright, sweet spot in the middle, where you have the more relaxing presence of the water and the beach, but still connected to Los Angeles.

Noon: Lunch at Gjusta

My manager is a big fan of Gjusta. He goes there all the time, wherever he is staying, so I think it kind of rubbed off on me.

2 p.m.: Facial treatment at Formula Fig in Culver City

A facial treatment is one of my favorite self-care moments when I’m on the road. It helps me relax and keeps me feeling fresh. The area around the Culver City location is also really nice for a walk or to grab a drink or a bite.

4 p.m.: Cruise around L.A. with an old-school Manx Beach Buggy

Manx Beach Buggies are an amazing buzz! I recently had the chance to take one for a spin around the city with my wonderful friends at Race Service, the car culture hub on Venice Boulevard in Mid-City. They had an event at Living Room. People from all over the U.S. drove there with their cars. It was incredibly fun, and it felt very, very L.A.!

6 p.m.: Dinner at Dudley Market

I am kind of into wine, especially natural wines. In Portugal, we are doing a lot with wines. Actually, we are building our own vineyard, so it’s important to us to learn more about natural winemaking. Dudley has amazing food and a great wine selection, and it’s also in Venice, so it’s perfect.

11 p.m.: Night out in a rough and sweaty warehouse like Aurora

As a DJ, I obviously have to end my night on the dance floor. It’s such a primal feeling to go clubbing, to all come together and dance to a beat. To feel this in your chest, it’s an experience that human beings have been doing throughout history. Because of the time that I spent on the dance floor, but also the time that I spent on the other side as a DJ, I would really argue that clubbing is essential in everyone’s life. It’s also self-care. During my last stay in L.A. — the week I released my debut album — I played five shows during a three-day period. I enjoyed all the sets, but to end the day with a deep dive into the night, Aurora Warehouse is a great venue.

For a second day in a row, the United States has launched strikes on Iran, once again citing an attack against a commercial vessel as a motivation.

Saturday’s renewed attacks are the latest indication that a Middle East ceasefire, established as part of a June 17 memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran, might be at breaking point.

In a statement, US Central Command (CENTCOM), which directs military action in the Middle East, explained that the latest attacks came “at the Commander in Chief’s direction”.

“CENTCOM forces launched strikes today in direct response to continued Iranian aggression against commercial shipping,” the command centre wrote.

“U.S. military aircraft targeted Iranian military surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense sites, drone storage facilities, and minelayer capabilities.”

Explosions were reported in southern Iran, around the village of Tahrui, near the port of Sirik, which was also the focal point of Friday’s US attacks. State media also indicated that Qeshm Island had been hit.

Responses to cargo ship strikes

Saturday’s strikes against Iran followed a similar playbook to Friday’s.

Early on Saturday morning, at about 4:30am Eastern US time (08:00 GMT), the Panama-flagged tanker Kiku was travelling through the Strait of Hormuz when it was reportedly hit by an unidentified projectile.

No crew members were injured, and no leakage was reported from its cargo.

CENTCOM said the ship had been carrying more than 2 million barrels of crude oil when it was hit by a “one-way attack drone”.

The website MarineTraffic.com indicates that the tanker left the Al Shaheen oilfield on Thursday and is due to dock in Fujairah, in the United Arab Emirates, on Sunday.

A similar sequence of events prompted Friday’s volley of US attacks.

In that case, a Singapore-registered container ship, the Ever Lovely, was struck by a drone as it sailed through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday. No one on board was injured, and the boat continued on its travels.

But US President Donald Trump denounced the drone strike on Friday as a “foolish violation” of the June 17 memorandum.

By that evening, the US and Iran had exchanged fire, with the US targeting the area around Sirik, and Iran hitting US military installations in the Middle East.

CENTCOM referenced Friday’s actions in announcing the latest round of strikes.

“After yesterday’s U.S. strikes in response to the Iranian attack on M/V Ever Lovely, Iran was given a chance to honor the ceasefire agreement,” CENTCOM wrote.

Iran “elected not to”, it added, citing the Kiku drone strike. CENTCOM also maintained that commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a sticking point in ceasefire negotiations, would continue, with US military backing.

“U.S. forces remain vigilant, lethal, and ready,” CENTCOM said in its statement.

Controlling the strait

Central to the latest round of fighting is control over the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for maritime traffic. Nearly 20 percent of the world oil supply passed through the narrow waterway in peacetime, as well as significant quantities of fertiliser and natural gas.

But after the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, launching the present-day war, Tehran moved to shut down traffic through the strait, which sits between its shores and Oman’s.

Iran’s decision sent global fuel prices skyrocketing, and that generated pressure, both domestic and international, for the Trump administration.

The June 17 memorandum was designed to provide relief. Though it was a prelude to further negotiation, the deal called for the US, Iran and their allies to “declare the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon”.

It also outlined a 60-day period during which time Iran was to make its “best efforts” at allowing commercial traffic to transit through the Strait of Hormuz at no charge.

That part of the memorandum specified that Iran and Oman, the two countries that border the strait, would determine “future administration and maritime services” in the waterway.

But continued fighting in Lebanon has prompted Iran to threaten the strait’s closure once more.

Then, there is the question of the memorandum’s terms. Experts say the US and Iran have come to different understandings of how the June deal should be enforced.

Al Jazeera correspondent Resul Serdar Atas explained that Iran believes it should be allowed to restrict commercial traffic that does not have prior clearance to pass through the strait.

“Article Five of the memorandum of understanding, according to the Iranian officials, is clearly saying that any ship, whether it’s going through the Iranian territorial water or the Omani territorial water, has to be in full coordination with the Iranian authorities,” he said.

“But that is not understanding of Americans. The Americans are saying, ‘Well, if it is going through the Omani territorial waters, they do not need to coordinate with the Iranian authorities.’”

That, in turn, is leading to a disagreement over who is violating the terms of the ceasefire. The US sees Iran as violating the agreement by interfering with commercial vessels, while the Iranians perceive the US as breaking its commitment to stop fighting.

“That is the pattern,” Serdar Atas said. “For Americans, keeping the Strait of Hormuz open is quite important for the stability of the global economy. But for Iran, the Strait of Hormuz being under Iranian control is the ultimate deterrence and the biggest leverage.”

Tit-for-tat ‘could get out of hand’

Some of the hostilities are a result of the high level of distrust between Iran and the US, according Hassan Ahmadian, a professor at the University of Tehran.

He noted that Iran’s insistence that ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz receive its clearance could be read as a defensive action.

“I think the Iranians will not let go of this because obviously they want only commercial ships, according to the MoU, to pass through the strait. So any ship that doesn’t coordinate might be a military one, might carry military stuff,” Ahmadian said.

He believes that the latest flurry of US attacks may prompt Iran to halt any deliberations with the Trump administration as they seek to cement a peace deal.

The US side, meanwhile, is likely to face pressure from rising oil prices as the result of the renewed fighting, according to Harlan Ullman, a retired US naval officer and chairman of The Killowen Group, a global advisory firm.

Still, Ullman warned that the latest exchange of fire could spiral into an escalation in violence, rendering the memorandum of understanding moot.

“The agreements are very, very fragile, and this tit-for-tat could get out of hand,” Ullman said.

“If prices go up, as I suspect they will, that will be a moderating influence, and I think the United States will consider that rising oil prices are not good, and it will probably continue the negotiations.  But right now, who knows?”

NEW YORK — David Clayton-Thomas, the lead singer of Blood, Sweat & Tears, whose husky, high-strung tenor on “Spinning Wheel,” “And When I Die” and other hits helped make the so-called brass rock band among the most popular acts of the late 1960s, has died at age 84.

Spokesperson Eric Alper said that Clayton-Thomas died peacefully Wednesday at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. Alper did not cite a specific cause of death.

Clayton-Thomas was a onetime street fighter and petty thief from Canada who briefly became a rock superstar, the front man of a nine-member group that sold millions of records and won two Grammys for “Blood, Sweat & Tears,” which beat out the Beatles’ “Abbey Road” for best album of 1969. Calling out amid a jazzy parade of horns, keyboards and percussion, Clayton-Thomas’ urgent shout was a signature voice of the era, preaching love on the Motown cover “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy,” a lasting legacy on Laura Nyro’s “And When I Die” and a cool head on his own “Spinning Wheel.” Meanwhile, Blood, Sweat & Tears helped inspire a wave of horn-led bands, among them Chicago, the Electric Flag and Ten Wheel Drive.

“A lot of the guys [in Blood, Sweat & Tears] would play a Broadway show matinee, then go up to Harlem and play Latin music or R&B and funk at night, or come down to the Village and play pure jazz the next night,” Clayton-Thomas told Bestclassicbands.com in 2023. “I was just a blues player: Give me three chords and I’ve got a song.”

At its peak, Blood, Sweat & Tears’ appeal was so broad it helped lead to the band’s downfall.

Hip enough to perform at the 1969 Woodstock festival, where they were among the highest paid acts, they also were known enough to the establishment to tour Eastern Europe the following year on behalf of the State Department. When Clayton-Thomas and other band members denounced the Communist regimes on the other side of the Cold War, Rolling Stone’s David Felton wrote that “the State Department got its money worth.” Counterculture Yippies would turn up at a 1970 Blood, Sweat & Tears show at Madison Square Garden, carrying obscene banners outside and dumping manure by the front gate.

The band had practical reasons for going along with the government: Clayton-Thomas, who had allegedly wielded a gun at his girlfriend, had been denied a green card and faced deportation. But after topping the charts in 1970 with the album “Blood, Sweat & Tears 3,” their appeal soon faded. A burned-out Clayton-Thomas left the group in 1972, and neither he nor the remaining musicians ever regained their old stature. Blood, Sweat & Tears would continue recording over the next few years, and even briefly reunited with Clayton-Thomas, who went on to release more than a dozen solo albums and tour on his own for decades.

Beginning under a licensing agreement reached in 1984, Clayton-Thomas toured as “Blood, Sweat Tears” for 20 years with a revolving roster of bandmates. A 1994 Times review of a show at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano reported that “BS&T’s formula has legs, that its music has withstood the test of time. Indeed, in a world full of today’s pop harmonic minimalism, the sound of trumpets, trombones, guitar and sax backing a singer somehow seems fresh, even if it has been around for so long,” and Clayton-Thomas “still has all the enthusiasm and buzz-saw roughness that gave his voice its distinctive quality way back when.”

In 2005, BS&T re-formed (without Clayton-Thomas, who continued his solo career) and has toured since with various lead singers.

Clayton-Thomas was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1996. “Spinning Wheel,” covered by everyone from James Brown to TV star Barbara Eden, was voted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame a decade later.

Born David Henry Thomsett on Sept. 13, 1941, in Kingston upon Thames, near London, and raised near Toronto and Ottawa, he was the son of a Canadian World War II veteran and of a pianist-entertainer who helped inspire her son’s interest in music. Thomsett was lucky to have the chance. He fought violently with his father, was living in the streets by his mid-teens and by age 20 was serving time in a reformatory for vagrancy, assault and other crimes.

An old guitar, left behind by a fellow inmate, changed his life. He taught himself to play and began spending extensive time in the early 1960s around Toronto’s Yonge Street music “strip,” where peers included the American rockabilly star Ronnie Hawkins, a mentor to Robbie Robertson and other future members of the Band and a guide for Thomsett early in his career.

Eager to reinvent himself, he changed his last name to Clayton-Thomas while leading his own groups. In the mid-’60s, he released such albums as “Sings Like It Is” and had a hit single with the antiwar rocker “Brainwashed.” He would also befriend a rising star, Joni Mitchell, whose childlike “Circle Game” helped inspire “Spinning Wheel,” and the venerable John Lee Hooker, who would indirectly contribute to Clayton-Thomas’ breakthrough in the U.S.

The band Blood, Sweat & Tears, including David Clayton-Thomas, far right, from the documentary “What the Hell Happened to Blood, Sweat & Tears?”

(Sony Music Archives)

Hooker had encouraged Clayton-Thomas to move to New York, where the American bluesman had an engagement at the Cafe Au Go Go in Greenwich Village. When Hooker unexpectedly departed for a tour of Europe, club owner Howard Solomon needed a replacement and recruited Clayton-Thomas.

“So I played him a couple songs on the guitar,” Clayton-Thomas told Bestclassicbands.com. “He said, ‘Do you have a band?’ I said, ‘Sure,’ and went out into Greenwich Village looking for anybody carrying a guitar case or even looking like a musician, and we put together a little band and we opened there that night. We ended up staying there for several months.”

Around the same time, session man-producer Al Kooper was looking to form a jazz-rock group and was joined by such musicians as guitarist Steve Katz, drummer Bobby Colomby and horn players Randy Brecker and Jerry Weiss. They called themselves Blood, Sweat & Tears, releasing the debut album “Child Is Father to the Man” early in 1968. Although praised by Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner as “a fine, exemplary group,” members were torn between those allied with Kooper and those who thought his vocals too weak to attract a substantial audience.

By the end of the year, Kooper and others had departed, and the band was seeking a new singer. After Judy Collins saw Clayton-Thomas perform, she recommended him to Colomby.

“I got home and just a couple of days later, Bobby Colomby called me up and said, ‘Hey, Kooper’s gone. We got four guys left out of the nine. And we still got a record contract with Columbia. Do you want to come down and try out for the band?’ ” Clayton-Thomas told Bestclassicbands.com. ”I said, ‘You’re damn right.’ I knew [bassist] Jim Fielder real well and I knew they were superb musicians. So I was on the next plane. We had a rehearsal that afternoon, an audition, and it was instant magic. We just knew right off the bat.”

Clayton-Thomas is survived by his daughters, Ashleigh Clayton-Thomas and Christine Graham.

Italie writes for the Associated Press.

A WHOLE load of UK holiday parks will be cheaper this summer thanks to the new Government initiative.

From today until September 1, there will be the Great British Summer Savings tax cut across UK attractions.

In addition to days out and meals, holiday parks will also be cheaper this summer.

The scheme means there will be between a five and 20 per cent tax cut on days out across the UK .

All 39 Haven holiday parks will be participating in the scheme, as well as three Butlin’s resorts.

For Haven, it doesn’t matter whether you have already booked a holiday or book it in the coming weeks – you will still make savings.

Read more on travel inspo

GO ON

All the little-known websites for cheap or FREE tickets to gigs, theatre & festivals

CHEAP BREAKS

UK’s best 100 cheap stays – our pick of the top hotels, holiday parks and pubs

Across the parks, kids’ meals will be cheaper and those who purchase a Play Pass as a part of their booking will also get a £7.50 voucher per child which can be use for any of the activities at Haven’s parks.

Simon Palethorpe, CEO of Haven, said: “Summer is a time for making memories, and that’s why we’re giving back up to £5 million to our guests and owners as part of the Government’s Great British Summer Savings initiative.

“We know household budgets remain under pressure, and we want to help our holidaymakers enjoy more of what matters – whether that’s a hole-in-one on the Crazy Golf, a leap of faith off The Jump tower or another shot to hit the bullseye in the Archery.”

In the summer holidays you could head to Haggerston Castle between August 24 and 28 for £435, working out at £27.19 per person per night, based on a family of four.

The holiday park is located near Berwick-upon-Tweed in Northumberland and is on a historic estate.

At the park you can head to a large indoor swimming pool with its own waterslide, or outside try out Aerial Adventure.

There’s also a Wetherspoons onsite for cheap tipples.

If you want to head away sooner than this, you could visit Haven Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park, which is Britain’s oldest holiday park.

Not too far from Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, the holiday park has direct access to the beach.

You can also head to the family activity hub onsite with off-road 4×4 mini karts.

There’s also both indoor and outdoor pools.

A four-night stay between July 6 and 10 costs from £169 – which equals just £10.57 per person, based on a family of four.

Butlin’s Minehead, Skegness and Bognor Regis will also participate in the scheme.

A Butlin’s spokesperson said: “We’re pleased to support the Great British Summer Savings initiative by passing on the temporary VAT reduction where eligible.

“Families visiting our resorts will enjoy savings on Day Visits and children’s meals across a range of our dining venues during the campaign period.”

Away Resorts has also confirmed to Sun Travel that it will be participating in the scheme – all children’s food at Away Resorts will be reduced, even including kids eat for £1 for now less than £1.

The resorts are also discounting show tickets.

Away Resorts still has lots of availability for the coming weeks as well as the summer holidays.

For example, you could stay at Tattershall Lakes in the Lincolnshire countryside.

The holiday park has both indoor and outdoor pools and is a great place to cool down in the head as you can head paddleboarding or jet skiing.

There’s also adventure golf, a high ropes course, zip-lining and even axe throwing.

A three-night stay between July 3 and 6 costs from £291 – which works out at £24.25 per person per night, based on a family of four.

Alternatively, if you wanted a holiday park break during the school summer holidays, you could head to Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire.

The holiday park is surrounded by forest and rolling hills and even has hot tubs.

As for things to do at the site, you can hire bikes and head off on a cycle.

And nearby, you could try out a round of golf at Worksop Golf Club & Clumber Park Lodges.

A three-night stay between August 13 and 16 costs from £420 – which works out at £35 per person per night, based on a family of four.

Center Parcs told Sun Travel: “While we welcome measures to support the hospitality and leisure sector, the majority of the VAT reductions announced are targeted at day attractions and therefore don’t apply to us here at Center Parcs.

“However, throughout the summer we have introduced our ‘Kids eat for £2’ promotion across our village restaurants during the summer holidays, which provides an even greater saving for guests.”

Over the period, Park Holidays are reducing their kids’ menus cost from £7.95 to £7.45.

Parkdean Resorts declined to comment.

Families will also be able to save money on children’s meals, cinema tickets, theatre shows, soft play centres, theme parks, museums and zoos.

There will also be free bus travel for children in England across August.

Sun Travel has contacted Park Holidays UK and Bluestone National Park Resort to see if they are participating.

Prices correct at the time of publication.

Lakers get Cameron Carr

From Broderick Turner: In the first round of Tuesday night’s NBA draft, the Lakers made a trade with the New York Knicks, acquiring Cameron Carr, who the Knicks had selected with the 24th overall pick.

The Lakers then took guard Sergio De Larrea from Spain with the 25th pick and traded him to the NBA champion Knicks, along with cash considerations. The Lakers went to Spain recently to watch De Larrea work out.

Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka didn’t talk about the trade because the NBA had not made it official as of late Tuesday night. Carr was in New York at the draft, but he also didn’t speak with the media.

In need of athletic wing players on a team that could have up to nine free agents, the Lakers got one with 21-year-old Carr.

The 6-foot-5 Carr averaged 18.9 points per game at Baylor, 5.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists. Carr shot 49.4% from the field and 37.4% from three-point range.

Continue reading here

NBA draft order with pick-by-pick selections

Clippers select Keaton Wagler

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: After a three-day visit to L.A., Keaton Wagler found his new home.

The Clippers picked Wagner fifth overall in the NBA draft Tuesday at Barclays Center, using the franchise’s highest draft pick since 2009 on the former Illinois guard. During a hectic draft process in which some top players don’t speak to the team that ultimately picks them, Wagler said the Clippers showed consistent interest and communicated with him and his agent, giving him confidence he could hear his name called early during Tuesday’s loaded first round.

“I’m just super excited to get out there,” Wagler said. “They have a great front office and coaching staff and players, and I just can’t wait to get out there and get going.”

The 6-foot-6 guard was named Big Ten freshman of the year after averaging 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. Under-recruited out of high school, the Kansas native held college offers from schools including Oral Roberts, DePaul and Murray State before starring at Illinois.

When NBA Commissioner Adam Silver read Wagler’s name aloud, he hugged everyone at his table, walked between two smoke towers and grabbed a Clippers hat with a bedazzled team logo before shaking Silver’s hand.

Continue reading here

NBA draft order with pick-by-pick selections

Dodgers rout the Twins

From Maddie Lee: Chuckie Robinson hadn’t recorded a hit yet as a Dodger. As the third-string catcher, joining the major league squad midseason, his main focus had to be the defensive side. Anything on offense was a bonus.

Because of a rash of injuries, he was the only Dodgers catcher available Tuesday. And in the fourth inning, Robinson stepped up to the plate and lined a single into shallow left field, moving Alex Call to third, and setting up Shohei Ohtani for a sacrifice fly.

That’s how the Dodgers routed the Twins 12-3 on Tuesday, with contributions from up and down the lineup. And that’s how the Dodgers (51-29) have claimed the best record in the majors, despite injuries to key players.

“The depth,” first baseman Freddie Freeman said when asked what that record reflected. “We’ve got really good depth, we’ve got really good players, guys that care. Doesn’t matter what’s happening; we’ve got a lot of guys injured right now, and you’ve got guys stepping up, making big plays, big at-bats.”

Freeman himself went three for five with a pair of doubles and two RBIs on Tuesday. But Robinson, with starting catcher Will Smith still on the injured list with a neck injury and backup catcher Dalton Rushing temporarily unavailable after a concussion scare Monday, also had two hits and brought in a run with a sacrifice bunt.

Continue reading here

MLB clears Dodgers’ Dr. Neal ElAttrache after link to Conor McGregor steroids report

Dodgers box score

MLB standings

Angels defeat the Orioles

Rookie right-hander Ryan Johnson gave up one hit over six scoreless innings, Nolan Schanuel hit an early two-run home run and the Angels beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-1 on Tuesday night.

In his third career start, Johnson (1-2) carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning before Jeremiah Jackson hit a line drive single to center with one out. Johnson allowed one walk with career highs of eight strikeouts and six innings, while throwing 90 pitches.

A second-round draft pick by the Angels in 2024, Johnson earned his second career win against a Baltimore offense which combined to score 18 runs over its previous two games.

Continue reading here

Angels box score

MLB standings

World Cup: Matt Freese took different path to become U.S. goalie

United States goalkeeper Matt Freese.

(Kelvin Kuo / Los Angeles Times)

From Kevin Baxter: Playing in goal for the U.S. men’s national soccer team is a little like playing right field for the Yankees. You’re following a long line of great players, making the comparisons — and the high expectations — unavoidable.

Matt Freese is the latest to be thrown into that crucible. But he considers that pressure to be a privilege, not a problem.

“I wouldn’t say it’s intimidating, I would say it’s inspiring,” he said before the U.S. training session Tuesday morning in Irvine. “It’s a long line of goalkeepers that I’ve looked up to for my whole life — and there were some before my life as well.”

Two games into this summer’s World Cup he’s certainly held his own with that group, giving up just one goal for a team that’s unbeaten and already through to the next round. However Thursday’s group-stage finale with winless Turkey will be far from meaningless for Freese since his first start for the U.S. came against Turkey 55 weeks ago, bringing his whirlwind international team career full circle.

Continue reading here

Click here for complete TV schedule, groups and players to watch

Full World Cup coverage

Tuesday’s World Cup results

Group K
Portugal 5, Uzbekistan 0
Colombia 1, Congo DR 0

Group L
England 0, Ghana 0
Croatia 1, Panama 0

Today’s World Cup TV schedule

All times Pacific
Noon, Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Qatar, FS1, Telemundo
Noon, Switzerland vs. Canada, Fox, Telemundo
3 p.m. Morocco vs. Haiti, FS1, Universo
3 p.m., Scotland vs. Brazil, Fox, Telemundo
6 p.m., Czechia vs. Mexico, Fox, Telemundo
6 p.m., South Africa vs. South Korea, FS1, Universo

World Cup Group standings

Group A
Country, W-D-L, Goal Differential, Points
x-Mexico, 2-0-0, +3, 6
South Korea, 1-0-1, 0, 3
Czechia, 0-1-1, -1, 1
South Africa, 0-1-1, -2, 1

Group B
Canada, 1-1-0, +6, 4
Switzerland, 1-1-0, +3, 4
Bosnia-Herzegovina, 0-1-1, -3, 1
Qatar, 0-1-1, -6, 1

Group C
Brazil, 1-1-0, +3, 4
Morocco, 1-1-0, +1, 4
Scotland, 1-0-1, 0, 3
Haiti, 0-0-2, -4, 0

Group D
x-United States, 2-0-0, +5, 6
Australia, 1-0-1, 0, 3
Paraguay, 1-0-1, -2, 3
Turkiye, 0-0-2, -3, 0

Group E
x-Germany, 2-0-0, +7, 6
Ivory Coast, 1-0-1, 0, 3
Ecuador, 0-1-1, -1, 1
Curacao, 0-1-1, -6, 1

Group F
Netherlands, 1-1-0, +4, 4
Japan, 1-1-0, +4, 4
Sweden, 1-0-1, 0, 3
Tunisia, 0-0-2, -8, 0

Group G
Egypt, 1-1-0, +2, 4
Iran, 0-2-0, 0, 2
Belgium, 0-2-0, 0, 2
New Zealand, 0-1-1, -2, 1

Group H
Spain, 1-1-0, +4, 4
Uruguay, 0-2-0, 0, 2
Cape Verde, 0-2-0, 0, 2
Saudi Arabia, 0-1-1, -4, 1

Group I
x-France, 2-0-0, +5, 6
x-Norway, 2-0-0, +4, 6
Senegal, 0-0-2, -3, 0
Iraq, 0-0-2, -6, 0

Group J
x-Argentina, 2-0-0, +5, 6
Austria, 1-0-1, 0, 3
Algeria, 1-0-1, -2, 3
Jordan, 0-0-2, -3, 0

Group K
x-Colombia, 2-0-0, +3, 6
Portugal, 1-1-0, +5, 4
Congo DR, 0-1-1, -1, 1
Uzbekistan, 0-0-2, -7, 0

Group L
England, 1-0-1, +2, 4
Ghana, 1-0-1, +1, 4
Croatia, 1-0-1, -1, 3
Panama, 0-0-2, -2, 0

x-clinched round of 32

The top two teams in each group plus the next eight best third-place teams advance to the next round.

Note: The U.S. is locked into a July 1 knockout stage game against the third-place team from either Group B, E, F, I or J at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

This day in sports history

1910 — James Braid wins his fifth British Open with a four-stroke victory over Sandy Herd.

1911 — John McDermott becomes the first American-born winner of the U.S. Open when he beats Michael Brady and George Simpson in a playoff. McDermott finishes two strokes better than Brady and five strokes better than Simpson.

1913 — John Henry Taylor wins his fifth and final British Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club at Hoylake, England.

1922 — American Professional Football Assn. is renamed the National Football League.

1922 — Charter NFL club Chicago Staleys renamed Chicago Bears by team founder, owner and head coach George Halas.

1928 — John Farrell beats Bobby Jones by one stroke in a 36-hole playoff to win the U.S. Open.

1947 — Jim Ferrier wins the PGA championship by defeating Chick Harbert 2 and 1 in the final round.

1958 — Brazil, led by 17-year-old Pele, beats France 5-2 in a semifinal of the World Cup. With Brazil up 2-1 in the second half, Pele scores three consecutive goals.

1968 — Joe Frazier stops Mexican challenger Manuel Ramos in 2nd round TKO at NYC’s Madison Square Garden in his first heavyweight boxing title defense.

1968 — Canada’s Sandra Post beats Kathy Whitworth by seven strokes in a playoff to become the first non-U.S. player and rookie to win the LPGA championship.

1980 — The Atlanta Flames relocate to Calgary, Alberta. The NHL team keeps the name “Flames.”

1990 — Criminal Type becomes the first horse to win consecutive $1 million races after capturing the Hollywood Gold Cup. He had previously won the $1 million Pimlico Special on May 12.

1991 — The NHL’s Board of Governors adopts instant replay.

1992 — NBA Draft: LSU center Shaquille O’Neal first pick by Orlando Magic.

1995 — Stanley Cup Final, Meadowlands Arena, East Rutherford, NJ: New Jersey Devils beat Detroit Red Wings, 5-2 for a 4-0 series sweep; Devils’ first Stanley Cup finals appearance.

1998 — NBA Draft: Pacific center Michael Olowokandi first pick by Los Angeles Clippers.

2000 — Rick DiPietro is the first goalie drafted No. 1 when the New York Islanders select the 18-year-old star from Boston University at the NHL Draft.

2001 — Karrie Webb, 26, captures the LPGA Championship by two strokes to become the youngest woman to complete the Grand Slam.

2004 — NBA Draft: Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy power forward Dwight Howard first pick by Orlando Magic.

2010 — John Isner outlasts Nicolas Mahut in the longest match in tennis history. Isner hits a backhand winner to win the last of the match’s 980 points, and takes the fifth set against Mahut 70-68. The first-round match took 11 hours, 5 minutes over three days, lasting so long it was suspended because of darkness — two nights in a row. Play resumed at 59-all and continued for more than an hour before Isner won 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (3), 70-68.

2010 — John Wall is selected as the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft by the Washington Wizards, and a record number of Kentucky teammates follow him. Four more Wildcats are among the top 30 selections, making them the first school ever to put five players in the first round.

2011 — NHL Draft: Red Deer Rebels (WHL) center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins first pick by Edmonton Oilers.

2013 — Bryan Bickell and Dave Bolland score 17 seconds apart in the final 1:16 of the third period and the Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup with a stunning 3-2 comeback victory in Game 6 over the Boston Bruins.

2016 — NHL Draft: ZSC Lions (NLA) center Auston Matthews first pick by Toronto Maple Leafs.

2018 — Harry Kane scores a hat trick to propel England to its most emphatic World Cup victory and into the knockout stage. With John Stones heading in twice and Jesse Lingard curling in a shot, England beats Panama 6-1 and scores its most goals ever in a World Cup game.

2022 — American Katie Ledecky wins the 800m gold medal in 8:08.04 at the World Swimming Championships in Budapest; completes 400/800/1500m treble for unprecedented 4th time at a single worlds.

2024 — The Florida Panthers win their first title in franchise history defeating the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 in Game 7. MVP: Connor McDavid (Oilers C).

Compiled by the Associated Press

This day in baseball history

1936 — Rookie Joe DiMaggio hit two homers in the fifth inning and added two doubles in the New York Yankees’ 18-4 victory over the St. Louis Browns.

1950 — Wes Westrum of the New York Giants hit three home runs and a triple in a 12-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

1955 — Harmon Killebrew hit his first major league homer, off Billy Hoeft at Griffith Stadium, but the Detroit Tigers beat the Washington Senators 18-7.

1962 — Jack Reed, a substitute outfielder, hit a homer off Phil Regan in the 22nd inning to give the New York Yankees a 9-7 win over the Detroit Tigers in a game that lasted 7 hours, 22 minutes. It was the only homer Reed hit in the majors.

1968 — Jim Northrup tied a major league record by hitting two grand slams in one game as the Detroit Tigers beat the Cleveland Indians 14-3.

1983 — Don Sutton of the Milwaukee Brewers became the eighth pitcher in major league history to strike out 3,000 batters. Sutton’s 3,000th victim was Cleveland’s Alan Bannister in a 3-2 win over the Indians.

1984 — Oakland’s Joe Morgan hit his 265th home run as a second baseman, breaking Roger Hornsby’s career home run record for that position. Morgan’s homer off Frank Tanana was the 267th of his career and led the A’s to a 4-2 win over Texas.

1993 — Carlton Fisk of the White Sox, plays his 2,226th and final major league game, surpassing Bob Boone’s record of 2,225 for most games caught.

1993 — The Marlins obtain OF Gary Sheffield and P Rich Rodriguez from the Padres for P Trevor Hoffman, Andres Berumen and Jose Martinez.

1994 — Jeff Bagwell hit three homers, two in one inning to tie a major league record, as the Houston Astros beat the Dodgers 16-4.

1997 — Randy Johnson of the Seattle Mariners struck out 19 batters — one short of Roger Clemens’ major league record for a nine-inning game. He became the first AL left-hander to fan 19, but the Oakland Athletics won 4-1.

2002 — Both starters in the first game of the Angels-Texas doubleheader — Joaquin Benoit and Aaron Sele — threw 96 pitches, 53 strikes and 43 balls. Benoit and the Rangers won 8-5.

2003 — Brad Wilkerson hit for the cycle, going 4-for-4 with four RBIs, in Montreal’s 6-4 win over Pittsburgh. It was the first cycle in the majors this season and was performed in sequence — single, double, triple and homer.

2014 — Brothers B.J. and Justin Upton tied the major league record for brothers homering in the same game as teammates, accomplishing the feat for the fourth time, in Atlanta’s 3-2 win over Houston. Other brothers who had homered in the same game four times were Jeremy and Jason Giambi for the Oakland A’s and Vladimir and Wilton Guerrero for the Montreal Expos.

2015 — Pavin Smith homered and drove in three runs and Brandon Waddell turned in another strong College World Series pitching performance, leading Virginia over Vanderbilt 4-2 for the school’s first baseball national championship.

2017 — Three Oakland A’s players, Matt Olson, Jaycob Brugmand and Franklin Baretto, hit their first career home run in a 10-2 win over the White Sox.

2019 — The Yankees tie a record belonging to the 2002 Rangers by homering in their 27th straight game on their way to defeating the Blue Jays.

2018 — The Dodgers set a National League record with seven solo home runs in an 8-7 win over the Mets.

2021 — The Chicago Cubs throw the first combined no-hitter in franchise history beating the Dodgers 4-0. It was the seventh no-hitter of the season.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

When the creators behind Universal Studios Hollywood’s soon-to-open “Fast & Furious” coaster discusses the attraction, they speak of it not only as the most grown-up, intense ride at the park, but also as one of the most extreme coasters in Universal‘s global portfolio. That means, in theory, a ride as vaunted as its Florida coasters Jurassic World VelociCoaster and Stardust Racers.

For riders, some of the perception of danger will come from the coaster’s location. Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift is set on a hill between the park’s upper and lower lots. It will careen over, under and around guest escalators, and take attendees on a journey that includes multiple inversions and speeds of 72 mph, making it the fastest coaster at any Universal park. A particularly unique facet is the ability for its cars, each meticulously designed after a real vehicle, to rotate 360 degrees.

Plenty of coasters have the capacity to spin, but Universal has been hyping the high-speed “drift” sensation of its cars. Each ride vehicle will have distinct programming along the coaster’s 4,100 feet of track, and the hope is to create the feel of a stunt car just barely maintaining its control.

I like a coaster, but I’m also, I’ll admit, a tad squeamish. Hollywood Drift is expected to open by mid-summer, and at the time of writing, only Universal stakeholders had been on the attraction. Jon Corfino, the park’s lead creative executive, was one of those riders, so as he gave me a tour of the coaster, I pressed him to describe what the experience is like. Here’s what I learned.

So Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift is intense. But just how intense is it?

A loop on Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift.

(Todd Martens / Los Angeles Times)

The late, great theme dark designer Eddie Sotto once devised a simple formula for what makes a good coaster: Fear minus death equals fun. I wanted to ask Corfino just how scared I would be. Answer: Pretty frightened. Probably.

“It’s a high level of intensity, absolutely, for sure,” Corfino says.

And yet Corfino tried to calm my nerves. Hollywood Drift, he explained, is designed to feel relatively slick — polished, if you will.

“I’ve ridden coasters that I would say are high intensity, but they’re very aggressive,” he says. “They’re very rough. But if you look at what we tried to achieve here, it’s that you’re in a [car] vehicle. It’s very smooth. It’s not something that would be not natural for a car, if that makes sense.”

Well, except for the whole going upside down part. Based on Corfino’s assessment, we can expect some white knuckles, as Hollywood Drift will lift riders off their seats at multiple points.

“You definitely feel you’re coming out a couple times, and not the least of it is when you’re upside down,” Corfino says. The coaster will utilize a lap restraint that extends from the top.

“You’ll be holding on,” he says. “When you’re upside down, you’re holding on.”

What about the drops?

Unversal Studios’ Hollywood’s Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift is set to open this summer.

(Todd Martens / Los Angeles Times)

Corfino didn’t pinpoint the exact steepness of the drops on Hollywood Drift, but riders will encounter one immediately after launch. When exiting the show building, designed to look like a warehouse garage, Hollywood Drift will take a sudden dip off a cliff. The sharp drop is one of many.

Riders will encounter, for instance, a so-called “bunny hop,” which is typically a series of small hills that provide airtime. But Hollywood Drift will play with riders’ expectations through its terrain. Those mid-ride hills are “actually pretty darn steep,” Corfino says. And then before the ride ends, riders will go up, over and under Universal Studios’ most recognizable feature (except perhaps Stuart the Minion): its escalators.

“When you go up over the loop, that’s very steep. You’re coming straight down over the stairway and then underneath the stairway,” Corfino says.

How real are the cars?

The minicars of Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift.

(Todd Martens / Los Angeles Times)

The coaster will feature four heavily detailed miniature cars as ride vehicles. These four-seaters — mimicking a Dodge Charger, Mazda RX-7, Nissan Skyline GT-R and Toyota Supra — all come complete with working taillights. And each has its own distinct sound effects, engine and brake noises that match their real cars. Guests will hear brakes each time the vehicle drifts or turns.

The minicars aren’t complete tiny re-creations. The odometers in the coaster cars, for instance, are for show only.

“The truth is I was really laboring,” Corfino says of the accuracy of the coaster cars. “They all have realistic sound effects, and when you hit the bottom, the big launch, I wanted to hear the NOS kick in. But you’re going so fast, at 72 mph, and with the wind, you’re not hearing anything. Quite frankly, your vision is even kind of shaky because you’re going so fast.”

That sort of attention to detail is what separates a Universal or Disney coaster from so much of the industry — even if riders will be clutching their restraints too hard to notice the discrepancies in each car’s engine roar.

I’m eager to get on the ride. I will, however, pretend I didn’t hear Corfino say that thing about “shaky” eyesight.

This week in SoCal theme parks

Dataland is now open in downtown Los Angeles. Theme park fans should give it a look.

(Carlin Stiehl / For The Times)

• “Stranger Things” lives at Halloween Horror Nights. Universal Studios Hollywood’s trickle of announcing haunted houses for its Halloween event continues. After unveiling a “Sinners” house earlier this year, Universal has added “Stranger Things” to the roster. “Stranger Things” is no outsider to the festivities, but this house will be themed specifically to the show’s fifth and final season. Expect, of course, some Demogorgons and other nasty creatures. Halloween Horror Nights is set to launch on Sept. 3.
• Theme park fans, pay attention to this new museum. Now open in downtown Los Angeles is Dataland, which was described by this outlet as a “25,000-square-foot immersive, environmental, generative, multisensory AI arts museum.” While there’s much to discuss and debate regarding the center’s use of AI, Dataland’s inaugural exhibition, “Machine Dreams: Rainforest,” is the kind of all-encompassing, wrap-around display theme parks are known for (I’d argue Dataland is, in fact, more indebted to theme parks than the world of fine arts, but that’s another column). No doubt those in the immersive space are paying close attention as to how Dataland is received.
• “Toy Story 5” has arrived, in theaters and at the Disneyland Resort. Fans of the “Toy Story” franchise will want to make their way to Disneyland’s Pixar Place Hotel, where a second-floor exhibit features drawings and sculptures from the new film. And for hotel guests, coming July 2 is the “Disney Poolside Splash Bash,” a pool party with music, trivia and appearances from Jessie, Bo Peep and Woody. If you’ve seen the movie, I encourage you to check out Amy Nicholson’s review of the work. She found, perhaps, that the toys have overstayed their welcome.
• Bag checks and metal detectors arrive at CityWalk. Universal Studio’s theme park adjacent shopping and dining area is home to a couple should-be cultural institutions: the Los Angeles outpost of Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville and one of the finer Imax theaters in the nation. Now getting to either comes with an extra hurdle, as Universal has placed CityWalk within the theme park’s security zone. Prepare for bag checks, metal detectors and extra time if you’re heading to a sold-out screening of Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey.” The local film community, as reported by The Wrap, is having a fit.

What I’m thinking about

A media image distributed by Adobe and Walt Disney Imagineering is designed to show how AI software can be used in the design process.

(Adobe / Walt Disney Imagineering)

Generating attention this week was an announcement from Adobe and Walt Disney Imagineering, the creative arm of the company responsible for theme park designs, regarding a new AI partnership. AI is a term I generally believe is rightfully viewed with skepticism, especially when it comes to creative work. As a writer, I view utilizing AI to help craft a story as strictly forbidden; journalism, after all, is a storytelling art. But I’m not above tools that can help accelerate tedious aspects of the process, such as using AI to help transcribe an interview.

So places in which Adobe’s Firefly Foundry could, say, transform drawn 2D renderings into potential 3D models seem not entirely troublesome, especially for an industry in which one of the most time-consuming aspects is the build. And yet there were components of the announcement, as well as the press materials distributed with it, that made me cringe. The generation of on-demand, on-brand assets, for instance — one of the promised abilities of the software — is a job for an artist, not a computer.

And Adobe and WDI proved my point. Accompanying the press release was an image of Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion ride vehicles, the Doombuggies, as re-imagined by the program. A perfect, coffin-like design from Bob Gurr was now bedazzled with garish, grotesque imagery that had little similarity with anything in the Haunted Mansion. That the two companies viewed something this amateurish as a prime example of what the software could achieve should raise an eyebrow.

Tell us your stories. Ask us your questions.

Have a theme park tale to share? Whether it was a good day or less-than-perfect day, I would love to hear about it. Have a question? A tip? A fun photo from the parks to share? Email me at todd.martens@latimes.com. I may feature your note in an upcoming newsletter.

Ride on,

Todd Martens

P.S.

Changes are coming to Disneyland’s classic Autopia ride.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Disneyland’s classic Autopia attraction is facing a deadline. The Disneyland Resort has already stated that the gas-powered minicars of Autopia would be on the way out in early 2027. Disneyland officials confirmed just a few weeks ago that the park has an agreement with the California Air Resources Board to retire the current engines next year. No closing or reopening date has been announced, and no details on the new cars have yet been released.

But, thanks to new reporting from environmental reporter (and former Times staffer) Sammy Roth, it’s been revealed that the theme park faces a strict deadline to begin making the switch. In a recent edition of Roth’s Climate Covered Goggles, the writer noted that due to an agreement with the board, Autopia in its current form must shut down by Feb. 1, 2027.

While that doesn’t shed any clarity on when the ride may reopen with refreshed vehicles, it at least provides a timeline as to how long it will likely exist in its current form.

REALITY TV star Kim Kardashian showcases a dazzling new look — striking platinum hair.

She has covered her flowing black tresses with an edgier bob wig.

Kim, 45, was wearing huge sunglasses and a floor-length coat on a night out in Beverly Hills, California, as she debuted the blonde revamp.

It was a marked change from the US star’s last public outing — cheering on Brit boyfriend Sir Lewis Hamilton, 41, at the Monaco Grand Prix two weeks ago.

Kim has been hilariously mocked by F1 ace Kimi Antonelli after stealing his towel at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Whilst supporting her boyfriend Lewis Hamilton, who lost out to winner Kimi, at the race, the reality star picked up and used a towel reserved for the Mercedes driver following the race.

‘PEOPLE ARE WORRIED’

Inside Britney’s ‘lonely’ life as pals reveal fears for ‘lost’ star

happy for you

Dua Lipa shares stunning snaps from her and Callum Turner’s Sicily wedding

This sparked fury online, with Kim seemingly unaware that the towel was for the driver as she used it to wipe her sunglasses while walking through the paddock.

But now, 19-year-old Kimi has made light of the misunderstanding in a hilarious TikTok video, which was shared to the official Mercedes page.

In the clip, Kimi is seen asking around for his towel, before washing his hands and having nowhere to dry them.

“Hey, have you seen my towel?” the sportsman asks the camera.

Fans in the comment section of the video couldn’t hold back their laughter, with one writing: “hmm I wonder if kim k knows anything?”

“She thought it said KIM not KIMI,” said another.

A third joked: “Keeping up with Kimi’s towel”.

Towel or not, Kimi bagged his fifth-consecutive race win at the coveted Grand Prix last week, beating out Kim’s Ferrari driver boyfriend, who was close behind in second.

The controversy around the Pride Night protest by three San Francisco Giants pitchers continues to grow.

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) entered the fray Tuesday, demanding answers from Major League Baseball after it issued warnings to Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker about writing on their uniforms. The players added a Bible verse on their specialty caps for the night.

In a letter addressed to MLB commissioner Robert Manfred, the Republican senator also accused the league of “a pattern of discrimination … against baseball players who profess their Christian faith.”

“I write with grave concern over your reported decision to issue a formal warning to three Major League Baseball (MLB) players for publicly expressing their Christian faith,” Hawley says in his letter. “MLB has said this is a content-neutral policy and that MLB ‘respect[s] players’ right to free expression.’ But this is dubious, given that MLB is openly promoting a political viewpoint and possibly compelling adherence to that viewpoint.”

The Missouri senator referenced the league’s “sweeping, judicially manufactured exemption from the federal antitrust laws” as justification for his inquiries.

A number of other Republican politicians also called out MLB for its actions, including North Carolina Rep. Greg Murphy, Florida Atty. Gen. James Uthmeier and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

“Trump won we don’t have to do this anymore,” Vice President JD Vance wrote on social media.

The San Francisco Giants’ pride logo is displayed on the scoreboard at Oracle Park before its Pride Night game against the Chicago Cubs.

(Scott Marshall / Associated Press)

In Friday’s Pride Night game against the Chicago Cubs, Roupp, the Giants’ starting pitcher, wore a hat with “Gen 9:12-16” written alongside the rainbow “SF” logo. Relief pitchers Brubaker and Walker also added similar references to the Old Testament passage about rainbows being a “covenant between God and every living creature” on their caps. (Fellow Giants pitcher Sam Hentges chose to wear a cap with the team’s standard logo instead of the Pride Night version.)

“That’s just kind of something I believe in, and I stand firm in that,” Roupp told reporters after the game. “I’m thankful we live in a country where, you know, we have the freedom to believe what we want … and express what we want.

“The verse says … the rainbow is a symbol of God’s covenant to us, and us as believers to stand firm in that,” he added after confirming he never had previously inscribed it on his cap before. “There’s no hate at all. It’s just what I stand for and what I stand in. I believe in God, and that’s me.”

Rainbows have been associated with LGBTQ+ pride since the rainbow flag was introduced by activists and artists in San Francisco in the 1970s. The verse Roupp mentions often is cited by Christian conservatives in their effort to “reclaim” the rainbow’s symbolism. (Former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw added the same Bible verse to his Pride Night cap last season.)

Following the Pride Night actions of Roupp and his fellow Giants pitchers, the team’s fans, members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies expressed their hurt, anger and disappointment in the players and the organization. The Giants have a history of supporting the LGBTQ+ community and causes.

The MLB issued the players who added inscriptions to their caps a warning Monday for violating the league’s uniform policy.

“To be clear, this routine verbal warning not to wear the hat in future games is not disciplinary and had absolutely nothing to do with the content of the message,” MLB clarified in a widely reported follow-up statement issued Tuesday.

“We respect players’ right to free expression. However, writing of any kind, with any message, is prohibited per Major League Baseball’s Uniform Regulations which provides in part that, ‘(a) Player may not write, attach, affix, embroider or otherwise display nicknames or messages on apparel or playing equipment…’. We have given the same warning numerous times in the past to players for messages such as ‘Dad’, ‘Happy Mother’s Day, I Love Mom,’ and names of family members.”

A number of fans expressed anger and disappointment after the actions by pitchers for the Giants, a team with a history of supporting the LGBTQ+ community and causes.

(Scott Marshall / Associated Press)

The Giants have not addressed the fallout beyond their statement following the game Friday.

“The San Francisco Giants are proud to support Pride Night and the LGBTQ+ community. Baseball should be a place where everyone feels welcome, respected, and valued,” the statement provided to numerous outlets reads. “We also respect that individuals may make personal choices about participating in team activations. We understand that the choices by individual players has caused pain and anger to many in the LGBTQ+ community and we are sorry for that. Those choices do not change our organization’s commitment to inclusion, belonging, and creating a welcoming environment for all. We remain grateful to our fans, partners, employees, players and coaches who help make Pride Night a meaningful celebration.”

The team was among the first in professional sports to host an HIV/AIDS awareness game in the 1990s and the first MLB team to incorporate the Pride rainbow in its on-field uniforms for its Pride game in 2021.

California state Sen. Scott Wiener has continued to call out both the Giants and Republican politicians regarding the Pride Night protest and the aftermath.

“MAGA leaders like JD Vance and Josh Hawley are now glomming on and declaring an anti-LGBTQ culture war, in an attempt to bully MLB from enforcing its rules,” Wiener wrote in an lengthy post on social media, calling them out for their “Bigotry against LGBTQ people.”

“This isn’t an issue of religious freedom. People have a right to whatever religious beliefs they want — even if those beliefs dehumanize other people — but they don’t have a right to hijack their employer to promote those hateful beliefs at a job-related event.”

Amid the first days of grief after Alex Vesia and his wife lost their newborn daughter last fall, Vesia noticed something as he watched the World Series on television. He paused the broadcast, then checked the video, then texted another player to make sure.

51.

Dodgers teammates wore his number on their caps. So did players from the Toronto Blue Jays.

“It was awesome,” Vesia said. “It was a very heartwarming moment.”

Moving.

Touching.

And, under baseball’s rules, illegal.

Who knew, really, until this week? Three pitchers from the San Francisco Giants wrote the name of a Bible verse on their Pride Night caps and, amid an uproar, Major League Baseball said it had warned the players that “writing of any kind, with any message” on any playing apparel is not permitted. The issue, the league said in a statement, was not what they wrote on their caps but simply that they wrote on them at all.

Said MLB in the statement: “We have given the same warning numerous times in the past to players for messages such as ‘Dad’, ‘Happy Mother’s Day, I Love Mom’ and names of family members.”

To its credit, the league did not enforce the rule when Vesia’s number started appearing on caps in the World Series. But, if you’re going to draw a line on enforcement, where should you draw it?

In San Francisco, the actions of the Giants’ pitchers were widely condemned.

“They were in for a rude awakening with the response, and it wasn’t just from the gay community,” Giants broadcaster and former pitcher Mike Krukow told KNBR, the team’s flagship radio station. “It was from the Northern California community that supports the gay community.”

In response to media inquiries, and as first reported by Outsports, MLB confirmed it had warned the three players. I asked the league whether warnings had been issued in two other instances in which players had written on their caps, including Clayton Kershaw last year writing the same Bible verse on his Pride Night cap that the Giants’ pitchers wrote this year. MLB declined to comment.

“I got chastised by the league when I put Charlie [Kirk]’s name on my hat last year, because a man was murdered in cold blood,” Dodgers pitcher Blake Treinen told me, “and now these gentlemen who are relievers in San Francisco are getting chastised by the league for putting a Bible verse on their hat. It’s crazy to me.”

Treinen said league officials had told him the rule is strictly enforced.

“I straight up asked Clayton last year, ‘Did they call you when you put that on your hat?’” Treinen said. “He said, ‘No.’”

The Pride caps feature team logos decorated in the colors of the rainbow, a symbol long associated with the gay community. In the Bible verse cited by the pitchers (Genesis 9:12-16), the rainbow represents “the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures.”

That the league would warn players against writing a Bible verse on their caps ignited a wave of conservative outrage, from Vice President JD Vance to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley fired off a letter to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, alleging apparent discrimination “against baseball players who profess their Christian faith” and threatening the league’s antitrust exemption. Assistant U.S. Atty. Gen. Harmeet Dhillon said on national television that players might be able to file a claim for employment discrimination.

That is complete nonsense. This is what you want: When employees raise an issue to their employer, the employer listens and addresses their concerns.

In 2023, the year after five Tampa Bay Rays players declined to wear rainbow logos for Pride Night, Manfred said the league would no longer compel players to do so.

“We have told teams, in terms of actual uniforms, hats, bases that we don’t think putting logos on them is a good idea just because of the desire to protect players: not putting them in a position of doing something that may make them uncomfortable because of their personal views,” Manfred said then.

Teammates congratulate Freddie Freeman after his walk-off home run gave the Dodgers a 1-0 win on June 5, when the Dodgers held their annual Pride Night. Blake Treinen, the winning pitcher that night, elected to wear his regular Dodgers cap instead of the Pride version.

(Katelyn Mulcahy / Getty Images)

Manfred said the Pride Night celebrations could go on, however a team wished to stage them — or not, in the case of the Texas Rangers, the only one of the 30 MLB teams that declines to hold a Pride Night. And the league still sells Pride gear on its website for all teams, including the Rangers.

In the cases of the Giants and Dodgers, MLB grandfathered each team’s long-running use of a rainbow logo on the cap, with this accommodation to players: If you don’t feel comfortable wearing the Pride cap, just wear your regular cap.

That is what Treinen and outfielder Alex Call did when the Dodgers celebrated Pride Night. That is also what a fourth Giants pitcher did.

“My job is to abide by the rules,” Treinen said. “Ultimately, the only rule we have is to wear our team-issued uniform. So that’s what I chose to do.”

To Treinen, the decision over whether to wear a Pride cap is not about passing judgment on anyone else but about what he sees as the push “to force something on people that you know that is controversial to their faith — and, in fact, straight up against their faith.”

He expressed his support for the Giants pitchers.

“Kudos to those men over there who are standing strong in their faith,” he said. “It’s a sad thing to corner someone and try to make them feel bad about their convictions.”

I respect Treinen for explaining his viewpoint. To me, wearing a Pride cap for one night does not diminish your faith at all. It might sharpen your convictions. More important, it signals a welcome to everyone in the community that buys the tickets and broadcast subscriptions that help pay your salary.

“I think a few people made it about themselves and not about the community,” San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie told the Bay Area Reporter.

We always proclaim the life lessons of sports. One of them: Sometimes you have to put the team’s interests ahead of your own.

The UK has an incredible range of places to camp, from national parks to unspoilt coastline, so where should you pitch your tent or drive your motorhome this summer? Research has shown the ultimate spot to enjoy the great outdoors

A ‘Summer on a Shoestring Index’ has been created to show the best-value money places to camp in the upcoming months, and the winning destination has some of the country’s best beaches as well as inexpensive spots to pitch up.

Devon beat competition from Cornwall, the Scottish Highlands, and many other beautiful UK regions to be named the UK’s best-value destination for a campervan staycation this summer.

The index, put together by Camplify UK, took into account factors including the price per day for a caravan pitch, tourist board ratings, nearby activities, and the proximity of inexpensive places to eat. Devon also topped the list thanks to its number of National Trust Properties, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and National Parks, all of which offer inexpensive days out for families.

Camping pitches in Devon can be found for as little as £14 a night, and according to Camplify 85% of campsites in the county offer stays for under £20 a night while still maintaining a rating of at least 8.5. For rural escapes, Dartmoor National Park is an incredible choice, offering untamed open moorland and deep river valleys where wild ponies roam.

Devon destinations include the beach towns of Woolacombe and Croyde, and National Trust sites such as Baggy Point and Lydford Gorge make for inexpensive days out. There’s also the North Devon National Landscape to explore, an area of outstanding natural beauty that includes rocky coves, waterfalls, and soft sand dunes.

A recent ranking of the Best Beaches in Europe for 2026 included three in Devon. These included Woolacombe Beach at number 8, which beat beaches in the Canaries and Portugal to get a top ten ranking. Trebarwith Beach came in at number 17, while Bigbury Beach in South Devon ranked at 23.

Coming second on Camplify’s list was neighbouring county Cornwall, which also has lots of free and inexpensive days out for families. Like Devon, its also known for its spectacular beaches, with some compared to the Caribbean. Kynance Cove on the Lizard Peninsula, as its turquoise waters and white sands could easily be found on a far-flung island.

For outdoorsy breaks, Cornwall is famous for surfing, especially towns such as Newquay whose beaches are considered some of the best in the UK in which to catch a wave.

Rounding off the top three was the Scottish Highlands, the perfect spot for camping among wild scenery, and waking up to views of mountains and glacial valleys. You’ll find plenty of well-equipped campsites in the region, although unlike England, wild camping is legal in Scotland if you’re in a small tent and ensure you leave no trace when you pack up the next day.

Those camping in motorhomes or bringing caravans still need to ensure they book a pitch at a campsite or other designated area. Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) offer a stay the night scheme, where self-contained campers can park cheaply overnight in their car parks, with spaces on a first come, first served basis..

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

LOVE Island Australia’s Gabby McCarthy, the reality star with the show’s biggest ever boobs, has almost fallen out of her skin-tight dress.

The buxom lass, 22, took to Instagram to share a series of pictures from her night out as her grey and white dress struggled to contain her 34G chest.

She took pictures of herself sitting on a hotel bed as well as standing in front of a luggage trolley.

Gabby posed up a storm as her boobs glistened, thanks to the oil she put on them.

The zip on her dress went up as far as it could go as she nearly had a nip-slip.

In one snap, Gabby got on her knees on the bed as she stared seductively into the camera.

READ MORE ON GABBY MCCARTHY

Busty display

Love Island’s Gabby with show’s ‘biggest boobs’ sips cocktail in low cut top

glam gab

Love Island’s Gabby with show’s ‘biggest ever boobs’ almost bursts out of bikini

She captioned the post: “In your dreams.”

Her followers flocked to the comments section as one gushed: “SHE THE BADDEST AND SHE KNOWS IT!!! Stunning as per Queen Gabs.”

Another person commented: “Ooh I’m obsessed.”

Somebody else said: “You are not from this Earth I swear.”

Yet another asked her: “You just get hotter?”

While a fifth added: “Actually unreal,” with love heart eyes emojis.

This isn’t the first time she’s threatened to spill out of her dress and it certainly won’t be the last.

Back in February, she left little to the imagination in a short black dress.

She posted the sizzling pic which accentuated her natural curves.

Gabby accessorised with shades, silver jewellery and knee-high boots to complete her look.

She shot to fame on the seventh series of Love Island Australia which aired last year.

She appeared as the very first bombshell on day one and immediately caused a stir with her confident personality.

The content creator was enjoying a connection with Jotham Russell but after their relationship fell apart, she decided to quit the show.

While on the show, she was accused of lying about surgery after claiming her boobs were natural.

Fans of the programme spotted old photos of her modelling trainers and lingerie and began doubting her chest was as natural as she claimed.

One person wrote on Reddit: “I thought they were natural until I saw pictures of her a few years ago being a b-c cup at best.

“Unpopular opinion, but I believe she has teardrop implants. Natural boobs jiggle and move a lot when you’re walking and running but hers are way more ‘stiff’. Her surgeon did an amazing job making them look natural though.”

Another wrote: “I admit I was searching for the truth on her boobs, only cuz she claimed they were natural. Sparked a bit of debate amongst friends.

“Hard one to call. They look fake to me and don’t believe weight gain caused them to grow.”

During her introduction video, she said: “My name is Gabby, I’m 21 years old and I’m from the Gold Coast.

“I get this question every single day of my life, my boobs are natural guys!

“If I want a guy, then I always get him. I’ve got the teeth, I’ve got the face, I’ve got the body, and I’ve got the boobs.”

One of the most devastating moments in world history will be brought to life on Disney+ by a beloved star of The Night Manager and Marvel blockbusters

It’s shaping up to be one of the year’s most gripping docudramas.

BBC The Night Manager star Tom Hiddleston will be playing time detective in an immersive new historical series coming to National Geographic and Disney+ later this year.

Pompeii: Out of Time will reunite the iconic Marvel star with Loki executive producer Kevin R Wright for the three-part series that promises to lift the lid on the explosive historical moment.

The first-look trailer has given fans a glimpse of Hiddleston stepping into his new role as he makes the case that the eruption of Vesuvius wasn’t just a catastrophic day of death and destruction.

His latest series will feature an eye-opening investigation into those who may have survived the blast, brought to life with immersive and thrilling dramatisations.

Along for the journey is a team of ancient Rome experts, from archaeologists and historians to geologists and disaster experts, who will uncover remarkable real-life stories that challenge assumptions people have about the fateful day in 79 AD.

A teenage apprentice, a powerful businesswoman and a mysterious Praetorian Guard are all vital pieces of the puzzle as Hiddleston steps back in time to explore the hours before and during Vesuvius’ eruption in what is shaping up to be an essential watch for any history buff. A synopsis from Disney+ teases: “As the volcano awakens and the countdown to catastrophe begins, the evidence converges in a gripping race against time to uncover who survived, who perished, and what determined their fate.”

Hiddleston says in a statement: “The ancient world has compelled my imagination and curiosity for as long as I can remember: I’ve been fascinated by it all my life.

“Classical Antiquity is the foundation and cornerstone of Western and European culture. To visit Pompeii is to feel the distance of the 2,000 years between now and then compress. The past becomes the present; the past feels so close. Tangible, honest and real.

“Our relationship with the past is alive — studying who we were in order to understand who we are. Pompeii is a gateway for that conversation. It’s a privilege to host this visually immersive and dynamic series.”

He added: “Pompeii is often remembered for how its story ended. But by looking closer, we can uncover the details of people’s lives, the choices they made, and the moments that came before the city was buried.

“To revisit the final hours of those ordinary people, caught in an extraordinary moment, and to help bring these remarkable human stories back into the light, is a genuine honour.”

The upcoming series is already generating excitement amongst fans, with one user commenting below the trailer on YouTube: “Omg this seems so interesting.”

“This is absolutely fascinating — Pompeii is an incredible place, and this approach brings its story to life in a very powerful way,” someone else replied, adding they’re “really looking forward” to tuning in.

Get Disney+ for £3.99 for three months

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

£5.99

£3.99

Disney+

Get Disney+ here

Disney+ is offering a discounted subscription at £3.99 per month for three months when signing up by May 6. This provides cheaper access to hit series like Rivals, Only Murders in the Building and The Bear, plus countless titles from Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar and more.

“I want to see it NOW!” another fan exclaimed, and a final fan wrote: “For someone who’s survived Ragnarok, Tom Hiddleston couldn’t be better suited for this doc. Looking forward – or back – to it.”

Mark your calendars, as all three episodes will be available to stream in just over a month’s time.

Pompeii: Out of Time with Tom Hiddleston premieres Thursday, 23rd July on National Geographic and Disney+.

When Jon Corfino was among the first to test ride Universal Studios Hollywood’s new high-speed “Fast & Furious”-inspired coaster, it was the culmination of a convoluted decade-plus journey filled with uncertainty. For before any track was laid, before the ride was even associated with “Fast & Furious” or any film franchise, Corfino, the park’s lead creative executive, didn’t know whether a coaster could even exist.

Universal Studios Hollywood is landlocked, constructed around a working film studio, meaning space is at a premium. And then there’s the problem of noise. Coasters, historically, are loud, and film productions necessitate a quiet environment. The theme park is also nestled against a neighborhood full of homes and apartments.

To make it work at all, the coaster would need to stand on a relatively steep hill, winding over, under and around escalators between the park’s upper and lower lot. It extends significantly beyond guest-accessible areas, visible even from nearby Ventura Boulevard. “It wouldn’t be your first choice,” Corfino says of the topography. “But in a way, it makes it more dynamic that we were able to do it.”

He continues, “Everything we do is a bit of invention.”

When discussion on the project first began a decade or so ago, Universal Studios Hollywood was far from a thrills park. While the Wizarding World of Harry Potter was nearing completion and would open in 2016 — a full-scale re-creation of a fictional world that would alter the tenor of the park — the vast majority of Universal rides were designed to place guests inside the world of stories they had already seen on the screen. Or to let them “ride the movies,” as Steven Spielberg once coined. The park’s portfolio was also dotted with stunt and animal shows.

Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift will reach speeds of 72 mph and take riders through multiple inversions.

(Todd Martens / Los Angeles Times)

Universal was once heavily dedicated to pulling the curtain back on how movies were made. A coaster simply didn’t fit the vibe.

“It was never a thought,” Corfino says of his earliest days at Universal back in the 1990s. “It was a different ethos. We were going to take you behind the scenes and show you stuff. But during the epic transformation of bringing in ‘Potter,’ and immersing you in different environments, it became more of a reality.”

And so began the process of looking for a franchise to associate with the coaster, one that would still make sense with Universal’s inside-the-movies mindset. At the time, there already was a “Fast & Furious” segment on Universal’s behind-the-scenes tram tour (now shuttered, a replacement is expected to be unveiled in 2027).

“You go through a lot of ‘what ifs,’” Corfino says. “I can say, one of the earlier ‘what ifs’ was ‘what if this,’ in terms of brand. We already had one [‘Fast & Furious’ attraction] on the backlot, but we didn’t know what else we were going to be doing, so you go through a lot of different ideas. But it was early on that we said, ‘This brand speaks to it.’”

The view of Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift from Universal Studios Hollywood’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

(Todd Martens / Los Angeles Times)

Fast & Furious, the street racing mega-franchise that’s celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, works in part because Universal could theme the coaster around cinematic stunts. Before guests board the ride, they will walk through a twisting queue area that will focus on prop cars with installations designed to show how movie magic is brought to life. Guests will be prodded to scan QR codes to further go behind-the-scenes, that is if they’re not distracted watching the coaster, which will launch directly above them and then go on a journey through multiple inversions on the side of a hill.

And then there was another problem: Would it be too loud? Before land was moved, Universal placed speakers on the old special effects and stunt buildings to see how noise traveled down the hill. “We did recordings all over the place and really established a baseline on which to design,” Corfino says.

Ultimately, the tracks would be complemented with multiple sound walls and shields, the latter clear structures designed to block coaster rumbles and audience screams. And because the cars can rotate 360 degrees, Universal can in theory direct rider yells away from the studio below and the neighborhood nearby. What’s more, the actual track has been filled with pea gravel, designed to minimize nose from any reverberations.

“It’s incredibly quiet,” Corfino says. “We were able to do that by putting materials inside portions of the track to deaden the sound. I’m not sure we would have needed it, but it was important to do the right thing. It’s pea gravel and rocks. It’s quieter than I ever thought it was going to be.”

VP of Universal Creative Jon Corfino, who led the creative development of the Fast & Furious coaster, photographed in 2019.

(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

A 72-mph coaster with 360-degree rotation and multiple loops and inversions that’s relatively muffled? Perhaps. I can only say that as I watched test cars speed by me last week from an upper lot lookout, the soundtrack from the Jurassic World water ride below was certainly louder.

An opening date for the coaster has not yet been set, but it’s soon. The other week the Universal website briefly posted June 26 as a launch date, and while that was once a targeted day, it will not be the coaster’s grand opening, which is now expected after the Fourth of July holiday (the coaster will be open intermittently for tech rehearsals for some time before its official date).

But Corfino is willing to make one promise. “Given the physical realities of putting this on the side of a hill,” he says, “this is the best view in Hollywood.”

That is, if you’ll be brave enough to keep your eyes open to take it all in.

Universal Studios Hollywood first began exploring a high-speed coaster more than a decade ago.

(Todd Martens / Los Angeles Times)

This week in SoCal theme parks

• Los Angeles loves a parade. Head to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on Saturday evening for the Art Parade, which is designed to showcase L.A.’s thriving creative community with a colorful procession down Museum Row. Of particular note: Experiential art firm Meow Wolf, which is in development on its first-ever Los Angeles installation, will be participating. Meow Wolf’s L.A. exhibit, influenced equally be sci-fi and cinema, is on target for a winter opening.
• Disneyland history is Los Angeles history. The Autry Museum of the American West has a new exhibit, “Life, Liberty and Los Angeles.” As part of the show, which highlights how SoCal reflected and contradicted our nation’s founding ideals, guests will come across a 1967 Autopia vehicle from Disneyland. Now perhaps a bit quaint, the ride once exemplified our region’s dreams of an open freeway. Autopia is due next year to be remade with electrical vehicles.
• Plan a tour of Walt Disney’s former Los Feliz home. Disney and his family in the 1930s lived in a storybook mansion. Keepers of the house have announced that it will be open on a few select Saturdays this summer for tours. Though a private residence, tours are led by Disney expert Dusty Sage, who oversees the Micechat website and fan community. I’ve been inside, and can report the house is full of unique design quirks as well as a number of only-in-SoCal historic tales.
• A lively night at Downtown Disney. Head to Downtown Disney on Friday at 5 p.m. for Yardfest 2026, an evening to honor the music and traditions of historically Black colleges and universities. Expect performances from the Texas Southern University Ocean of Soul Marching Band near the area’s live stage, which itself has a unique design paying homage to famed Black architects, as well as specialty food offerings and Mickey Mouse in his drum major outfit.

Ride report

Knott’s Berry Farm has a new show inside the Calico Saloon dubbed “Spirits and Shenanigans.” The production is part of the park’s summer offerings.

(Todd Martens / Los Angeles Times)

Today’s report is on a show. It’s summer season at Knott’s Berry Farm, which means a new storyline for its popular Ghost Town Alive!, a heavily improvised, actor-led experience that unfolds like a live-action role playing game. New this year is a hootin’ and hollerin’ good time of a show in “Spirits and Shenanigans,” which takes place in the Calico Saloon inside the park’s historic Ghost Town.

At 25-minutes, the production centers on the fictional husband-and-wife bar proprietors, who sing of leaving Illinois to open the spot, as well as its boot-tapping, can-can dancing staffers. Just ever-so-slightly risque with a bit of a patriotic feel, it’s a fast-moving ode to drinking holes and the sense of local community they provide. Expect tap dancing as well as numbers that will turn the entire stage into a drum kit. So if you’re heading to Knott’s this summer, “belly up to the bar,” as they sing, and grab a Boysenberry IPA and one of the few inside seats for this lively, can’t-miss production.

Tell us your stories. Ask us your questions.

Have a theme park tale to share? Whether it was a good day or less-than-perfect day, I would love to hear about it. Have a question? A tip? A fun photo from the parks to share? Email me at todd.martens@latimes.com. I may feature your note in an upcoming newsletter.

Ride on,

Todd Martens