Emmerdale cast member Paula Lane has announced that she’s pregnant, with the actor expecting another baby with her partner, as revealed in a post on social media today
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FRANKIE Bridge has raised eyebrows after saying “you’re dead to me” in a scathing post after appearing to ‘snub’ former bandmate and friend Rochelle Humes.
The Loose Women panellist, 36, took to TikTok to share the damning video, showing her sipping on a glass of rosé wine.
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A caption written over the clip read: “You’re so quiet…
“Thanks, you said something five years ago and I’ve just realised you’re actually dead to me.”
Frankie then added below: “Takes me a while, but once you’re dead you’re dead.”
The Sun has contacted a representative for Frankie for comment.
Mum-of-two Frankie and presenter Rochelle, 36, shot to fame together at just 12-years-old in pop group S Club Juniors.
Frankie and Rochelle then joined girlband The Saturdays in 2007, going on to enjoy a string of huge hits including Issues, Ego and What About Us.
The Saturdays – also made up of Vanessa White, Una Healy and Mollie King – have always insisted their decision to go on indefinite hiatus in 2014 wasn’t down to them falling out.
Speaking to HELLO! previously, Frankie explained: “We never fell out. We never really officially broke up or anything, so the option [to get back together] has kind of always been there.”
But last month The Sun revealed an apparent ‘feud’ between Frankie and Rochelle, after they gave each other the cold shoulder at Wimbledon.
As guests of sponsor Evian, the pair were invited to watch the tennis in a suite in the sought-after hydrangea building nearCourtOne.
But while they mingled with other celebrities and guests just yards away from one another – they failed to actually interact with each other.
An insider told The Sun: “It was clear the women were keeping their distance. They sat on opposite sides of the suite and kept to themselves.
“While Frankie posed for pictures with S Club’s Rachel Stevens, Rochelle took selfies with her husband Marvin and his I’m A Celebrity campmate Sam Thompson.
“It was a shame because having the two girls from The Saturdays together for a mini-reunion was exciting for everyone there.
“Even though they were pleasant to each other when they did brush shoulders, they didn’t spend any extra time together than they had to, in between being amicable while passing each other en route to watch the tennis.”
While Frankie has taken the “never say never” approach to a potential Saturdays return and Una, 43, has admitted several times she’s ready to perform with the girls again, Rochelle previously insisted she “highly doubts” it will happen.
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Business correspondent
BBCFormer sub-postmaster Lee Castleton is suing the Post Office and Fujitsu for more than £4m in damages over the Horizon IT scandal, court documents reveal.
Mr Castleton is one of the most high-profile of hundreds of sub-postmasters who were wrongly convicted after faulty software said money was missing from their branch accounts.
He became the first individual to take legal action against both organisations and this is the first time full details of a complex compensation claim have been made public.
The Post Office said it could not comment on ongoing legal proceedings but was “engaging fully” in the process.
Mr Castleton was portrayed by actor Will Mellor in the hit ITV drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office. The former sub-postmaster was awarded an OBE for services to justice in recognition of his tireless campaigning.
Speaking to the BBC about his £4,487m claim he said: “I want it to be made public. This is what they did to me and my family.
“It’s not about the money. What matters to me is that I get vindication from the court.”
In 2007, Mr Castleton lost a two-year legal battle against the Post Office after it pursued him to recover £25,000 of cash it alleged was missing from his branch in Bridlington, East Yorkshire.
When his legal insurance ran out, Mr Castleton represented himself in court and was landed with a bill of £321,000 in legal costs which he couldn’t pay and declared bankruptcy.
His was the only civil claim the Post Office brought against a sub-postmaster.
The official inquiry into the scandal heard evidence that the Post Office knew Mr Castleton would likely be made bankrupt by the action but wanted to make an example of him to dissuade others from pursuing claims.
The court documents reveal that in Mr Castleton’s case his quantifiable financial losses include:
He’s also seeking general damages – these are losses that can’t be measured in pounds and pence. They include:
“When your life, as well as your family’s, has literally been ruined it results in a substantial claim,” said his solicitor Simon Goldberg, from Simons Muirhead Burton.
“The reason it’s so startling is that it’s the first time that the forensic details of a sub-postmaster’s claim been made public. Like many others, Lee has a very complex case, and the figures have been calculated by experts who are leaders in their field,” he said.
Mr Castleton has never applied to the relevant compensation scheme after losing faith in the fairness of the process. He wants a judge to decide what he is owed and to have “justice” through the courts.
His legal team allege that the Post Office’s decision to pursue a civil claim against him was an “abuse of process of the court.” And that the eventual judgment against him was obtained by fraud.
They also all claim the state-run institution conspired with Fujitsu to pervert the course of justice by “deliberately and dishonestly” withholding evidence.
This included knowledge of bugs and errors as well as the issue of remote access – the ability of some Fujitsu employees to access sub-postmasters’ branch accounts without their knowledge.
The Japanese owned company developed the software and is responsible for operating and maintaining the Horizon IT system.
Mr Castleton was one of the 555 sub-postmasters who took part in the landmark court case against the Post Office and won.
Both sides agreed to end the legal dispute. But Mr Castleton claims the settlement doesn’t apply to his current claims as well as alleging it was obtained by fraud.
Specifically, he argues the Post Office concealed the true reason why the former Fujitsu software engineer, Gareth Jenkins, wasn’t called as a witness at the trial.
Mr Jenkins provided testimony in a number of prosecutions. But in 2013, the Post Office was warned that he had failed to disclose information “in plain breach of his duty as an expert witness”.
The sub-postmasters weren’t told about the concerns as they fought their case.
Mr Castleton is seeking both the civil judgement and the bankruptcy order against him to be set aside on these grounds.
A Post Office spokesperson said: “We recognise the devastating impact of the Horizon IT Scandal on former postmasters like Mr Castleton. Post Office today is committed to doing all we can to help those affected get closure.
“We cannot comment on ongoing legal proceedings but are engaging fully in the process.”
Fujitsu declined to comment to the BBC.
The Stream examines how Bangladesh handles political uncertainty a year after youth protests toppled Sheikh Hasina.
We explore how Bangladesh is navigating political uncertainty one year after youth-led protests ended Sheikh Hasina’s long rule. In 2024, young Bangladeshis took to the streets, demanding change and forcing a political reckoning. A year later, the country sits in a delicate balance. We examine what the future looks like through the eyes of its young people.
Presenter: Stefanie Dekker
Guests:
Apurba Jahangir – Deputy press secretary in the interim government of Bangladesh
Ifti Nihal – Content creator
WASHINGTON — The State Department is proposing requiring applicants for business and tourist visas to post a bond of up to $15,000 to enter the United States, a move that may make the process unaffordable for many.
In a notice to be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, the department said it would start a 12-month pilot program under which people from countries deemed to have high overstay rates and deficient internal document security controls could be required to post bonds of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000 when they apply for a visa.
The proposal comes as the Trump administration is tightening requirements for visa applicants. Last week, the State Department announced that many visa renewal applicants would have to submit to an additional in-person interview, something that was not required in the past. In addition, the department is proposing that applicants for the Visa Diversity Lottery program have valid passports from their country of citizenship.
A preview of the bond notice, which was posted on the Federal Register website on Monday, said the pilot program would take effect within 15 days of its formal publication and is necessary to ensure that the U.S. government is not financially liable if a visitor does not comply with the terms of his or her visa.
“Aliens applying for visas as temporary visitors for business or pleasure and who are nationals of countries identified by the department as having high visa overstay rates, where screening and vetting information is deemed deficient, or offering citizenship by investment, if the alien obtained citizenship with no residency requirement, may be subject to the pilot program,” the notice said.
The countries affected will be listed once the program takes effect, it said.
The bond would not apply to citizens of countries enrolled in the Visa Waiver Program and could be waived for others depending on an applicant’s individual circumstances.
Visa bonds have been proposed in the past but have not been implemented. The State Department has traditionally discouraged the requirement because of the cumbersome process of posting and discharging a bond and because of a possible misperceptions by the public.
However, the department said that previous view “is not supported by any recent examples or evidence, as visa bonds have not generally been required in any recent period.”
Lee writes for the Associated Press.
Moussa Mara, the prime minister for eight months in 2014-2015, has been charged with ‘undermining the credibility of the state’.
A former prime minister of Mali has been charged with “undermining the credibility of the state” following a social media post about his visits to political prisoners, according to a prosecutor.
Moussa Mara held the post of prime minister for a brief eight months from 2014 until 2015. He was previously summoned for questioning following a July 4 post on X in which he spoke of visiting the prisoners and promising to ensure them justice.
“As long as the night lasts, the sun will obviously appear!” he wrote and added, “We will fight by all means for this to happen as soon as possible!”
Mara remains in jail with a trial scheduled for September 29. His lawyers condemned the proceedings in a statement on Friday.
Mara’s arrest is the latest in a crackdown on dissent by Mali’s military rulers following the country’s first pro-democracy rally since soldiers seized power nearly four years ago.
Abdoulaye Yaro, a close associate of the former prime minister, told The Associated Press news agency that Mara was arrested after a cybercrime prosecutor ordered his detention pending trial for expressing compassion for people jailed for political beliefs.
His lawyer, Mountaga Tall, said on X that the former prime minister faces charges including undermining state authority, inciting public disorder, and spreading false information.
Mara’s legal team is contesting the charges and detention, Tall said.
Since orchestrating two coups in 2020 and 2021, General Assimi Goita has led Mali. In June, he was granted an additional five years in power, despite the military government’s earlier promises of a return to civilian rule by March 2024.
The move followed the military’s dissolution of political parties in May.
Mali, a landlocked nation in Africa’s semi-arid Sahel region on the southern fringe of the Sahara desert, has been embroiled in political instability that swept across West and Central Africa over the last decade.
As Justin Timberlake bid farewell to his Forget Tomorrow world tour, he got candid with fans about his health.
The “Mirrors” and “SexyBack” pop star, 44, on Thursday revealed in a heartfelt Instagram post that he powered through his circuit of live performances as he battled a “relentlessly debilitating” bout of Lyme disease. The singer, who faced backlash for his low-energy performances in recent weeks, said in his lengthy caption that sharing his health issues was to help him “shed some light on what I’ve been up against behind the scenes.”
The Grammy-winning singer and actor went in depth about the disease’s mental and physical toll. Although he said he was “shocked” by the diagnosis, he said it provided some clarity.
“At least I could understand why I would be onstage and in a massive amount of nerve pain or, just feeling crazy fatigue or sickness,” he continued. “I was faced with a personal decision. Stop touring? Or, keep going and figure it out.”
The Mayo Clinic defines Lyme disease as an illness “caused by borrelia bacteria” that humans can get if they are bitten by an infected tick. Symptoms of Lyme disease can include joint stiffness, muscle aches and pains, fever and headache. Antibiotics are used to treat the disease.
Timberlake, amid the “fleeting stress my body was feeling,” said he opted to continue with his tour. “I’m so glad I kept going,” he said.
Pushing through with the tour, which began in April 2024 in Vancouver and ended Wednesday in Turkey, allowed Timberlake to prove his “mental tenacity,” he said. The singer said he would also work to be “more transparent about my struggles” with fans.
Throughout his tour, Timberlake faced a handful of personal and public obstacles. In October 2024, he announced the postponement of several shows to recover from bronchitis and laryngitis. That same month, he also abruptly called off a concert in Newark, N.J., because of an injury.
Notably, the former ‘NSYNC frontman carried on with his slate of shows last year after his DWI arrest in the Hamptons in June 2024. He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of impaired driving, his driving privileges were suspended and he was sentenced in September to 25 hours of community service at a nonprofit of his choosing. He was also required to make a public safety announcement about the dangers of impaired driving.
After sharing his health update, Timberlake reminisced on his touring experience, continuing his post in his own comments section. He thanked supporters for their “energy and love” and the crew and artists who joined him on the road. Though performing live is “sacred” to the “Suit & Tie” music star, he said the status of his stage career remains unclear.
“I honestly don’t know what my future is onstage but I’ll always cherish this run! And all of them before,” he wrote. “It’s been the stuff of LEGEND for me.”
He ended his post sending love to his actor wife Jessica Biel and their two children. His caption accompanied a carousel of behind-the-scenes photos.
Former Times staff writer Nardine Saad contributed to this report.
It’s not always possible to take a holiday, but sometimes the yearning to be somewhere else, to leave the pressures of daily life behind, is too hard to ignore. Last bank holiday weekend, with a 13th birthday to celebrate and a row of suns on the weather app, we found a solution. Our family of four, plus two of my sons’ friends, would drive two hours west, to Devon. We’d stay by the sea, go cycling and swimming, play Perudo and sit around a campfire, eating birthday cake. And be home the next day. We’d be 24-hour party people. Only less rock’n’roll, more rock pools and bacon rolls.
The catalyst was discovering Brandy Head on a Google Maps scroll. Like a mini youth hostel, sleeping six, with one double bed, two twin bunks, a shower room and an open-plan living, dining and kitchen area, this boxy little building sits on the clifftops between Sidmouth and Budleigh Salterton, accessible only on foot. Perched nearly 60m above sea level, its terrace is the big selling point, enjoying such gull’s-eye views of the sea that it feels like surfing a very tall wave every time you step on to it.
Those views now bring a steady stream of guests to Brandy Head, but in the past they brought the RAF – the building was originally put up in 1940 as an observation post for the top secret Gunnery Research Unit based at RAF Exeter. Apparently, it was here that Prof Sir Bennett Melvill Jones perfected the revolutionary aircraft gunnery sight that helped give allied air forces superiority on D-day. Restored from dereliction five years ago by Nell and Sam Walker, tenants of neighbouring Stantyway Farm, in partnership with their landowner, Clinton Devon Estates, Brandy Head opened as a hikers’ hut in 2021.
Not only would a stay steeped in military history entertain the boys but it was also close to Haldon Forest Park for mountain-biking, and two beaches for swimming, paddleboarding and a dependable supply of ice-creams.
We stopped at Haldon Forest Park on the way – and the boys and my husband, Richard, collected their pre-booked bikes and sped off along the park’s trails to hurtle over jumps, bridges and boardwalks. I swerved pedals in favour of hiking boots and headed to Canonteign Falls, another find from map scrolling, just 15 minutes’ drive away.
Home to what the website describes as the highest waterfall in south-west England, Canonteign is a collection of lakes, woodland walks and gardens with a cafe and adventure playground. Its showpiece waterfall was created in the late 19th century, but the real magic lies beyond it, in the fern garden, planted in Victorian times. Largely forgotten, it has been restored by the current owners and the fern expert Julian Reed, and forms an atmospheric glade where children hunt for fairies.
It was hard to leave this otherworldly spot, but there were boys to collect, and once reunited it was a half-hour drive to the sea, the back of the car a happy, flat-batteried fug of post-ride exhaustion. Snaking down lanes fizzing with cow parsley and red campion, and through thatched villages festooned with bunting, it felt less like we were driving to the coast and more like driving into the 1950s.
Nell had left instructions for collecting the keys near Stantyway Farm’s honesty cafe, a former Royal Navy warship container now stocked with tea, coffee, homemade flapjacks, squash and dog biscuits. It’s possible to leave cars here and walk in along a slightly longer route, but we carried on to the end of the lane, from where it’s a 10-minute walk up the fairly steep coastal path to Brandy Head.
“This is awesome,” said Alex, one of my sons’ friends, spotting a display of bullets fixed under a plastic tabletop on the building’s terrace, evidence of the ammunition testing that was also carried out here during the second world war. “I’m in the top bunk,” said my newly teenage son Owen, racing to bag his spot. No sooner had we put our supplies in the kitchen and slumped on the sofa than a head popped round the open doorway. “Ooh, can we have a look inside?” As Nell had warned us, visiting walkers are almost as much a feature of a stay here as the terrace is. The South West Coast Path runs along the front of the building and, while a good proportion of its hikers make up Brandy Head’s bookings, others stop to fill up water bottles from the outdoor tap, or to rest on the benches. If you’re looking for seclusion this is probably not the place, but, as a quirky overnight stay, it added to the charm.
“Beach time,” announced Lucas, another friend, when the walkers had left, sliders on, towel slung over his shoulders, chivvying the others out of the door. Turning east, it was a gentle 20-minute walk to Ladram Bay, a holiday park with a handy grocery store, a chip shop and a perfect little arc of public beach where we hopped over pebbles to swim in the bracing, briny cool.
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After bowls of warming chilli and slices of birthday cake back at Brandy Head, we piled into the field behind the building and lit the firepit, set up there for guests to watch the sunset. “This place is cool,” the boys agreed, before heading back inside to play cards.
The next morning we drank tea on the terrace at sunrise before the day’s walkers arrived, listening to skylarks and blackbirds. We walked to Budleigh Salterton, through the River Otter Estuary nature reserve, keeping an eye out for otters, beavers and sandpipers. We watched the boys whoop as they caught the chilly swoosh of more waves – and ate pasties from a kiosk on the beach before driving home.
That evening by the firepit, though, Richard and I sat listening to waves breaking far below in the fading light. As hares leapt across the field in front of us, it was comforting to think that Stantyway Farm’s wildlife-friendly approach has meant that land once used to prepare for war was now nurturing habitats for cirl buntings and peregrines. And those humans lucky enough to visit – even if just for one night.
Brandy Head Observation Post sleeps six people and costs £180 for one night and £120 for each subsequent night
The brother of late NFL star and U.S. Army Ranger Pat Tillman is being held in custody in connection with a vehicle driven into a Northern California post office.
The San Jose Police Department said in an email to The Times on Monday that 44-year-old resident Richard Tillman was booked on charges of arson after he allegedly drove a car into the Almaden Valley Station Post Office at around 3 a.m. Sunday and caused the box lobby area to catch fire.
The fire was extinguished and no injuries were reported.
According to to the Santa Clara County Sheriff Office’s inmate locator, Richard Tillman is being held on a $60,000 bond and has a court hearing scheduled for Wednesday.
“The motive and circumstances are still under investigation,” the SJPD said.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which is leading the investigation, said in a statement emailed to The Times that it is looking into the incident “as a potentially intentional act.”
NBC Bay Area reported that the suspect told officers on the scene that he is Pat Tillman’s brother. The station also reports that the suspect live-streamed the incident on social media.
A third Tillman brother, Kevin, released a statement Monday.
“Our family is aware that my brother Richard has been arrested. First and foremost, we are relieved that no one was physically harmed,” Kevin Tillman stated. “We have limited information at this time but we are in communication with local authorities and are providing as much background and context as we can.
“To be clear, it’s no secret that Richard has been battling severe mental health issues for many years. He has been livestreaming, what I’ll call, his altered self on social media for anyone to witness. Unfortunately, securing the proper care and support for him has proven incredibly difficult — or rather, impossible. As a result, none of this is as shocking as it should be.”
In the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, Pat Tillman famously walked away from a three-year, $3.6-million contract offer from the Arizona Cardinals to enlist in the Army, along with Kevin.
On April 22, 2004, Pat Tillman was killed by friendly fire in the province of Khost, Afghanistan. Richard Tillman spoke at his brother’s public memorial service on May 4, 2004, at the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden.
Last week, the San Francisco Chronicle reports, Richard Tillman had posted an 11-minute video onto YouTube in which he stated he would “take down the system,” including the U.S. government. His YouTube channel has since been removed, the Chronicle reports, but previously contained several videos “posted in recent months documenting his own apparent unraveling.”
ROUBAIX, France — As statements go, it’s a big one.
A towering mural in France of the Statue of Liberty covering her eyes is racking up millions of views online with its swipe at President Trump’s immigration and deportation policies.
Amsterdam-based street artist Judith de Leeuw described her giant work in the northern French town of Roubaix, which has a large immigrant community, as “a quiet reminder of what freedom should be.”
She said “freedom feels out of reach” for migrants and “those pushed to the margins, silenced, or unseen.”
“I painted her covering her eyes because the weight of the world has become too heavy to witness. What was once a shining symbol of liberty now carries the sorrow of lost meaning,” de Leeuw wrote in a July 4 post on Facebook, when Americans were celebrating Independence Day.
Her depiction of the Statue of Liberty, a gift from the French people in the late 1800s, has inspired some sharp criticism.
Rep. Tim Burchett, a Republican lawmaker from Tennessee, wrote in a post on X that the work “disgusts me.” He said he had an uncle who fought and died in France, where U.S. forces saw combat in both World War I and World War II.
In an interview with the Associated Press, de Leeuw was unapologetic.
“I’m not offended to be hated by the Donald Trump movement. I am not sorry. This is the right thing to do,” she said.
The town stood by the work, with its deputy mayor in charge of cultural affairs, Frédéric Lefebvre, telling broadcaster France 3 that “it’s a very strong and powerful political message.”
Since returning to the White House amid anti-immigration sentiment, Trump has launched an unprecedented campaign that has pushed the limits of executive power and clashed with federal judges trying to restrain him. People from various countries have been deported to remote and unrelated places like South Sudan and the small African nation of Eswatini.
Polling by Gallup released last week showed an increasing number of Americans who said immigration is a “good thing” and decreasing support for the type of mass deportations Trump has championed since before he was elected.
The mural in Roubaix is part of an urban street culture festival backed by the town. Roubaix is one of the poorest towns in France. It was economically devastated by the collapse since the 1970s of its once-flourishing textile industry that used to attract migrant workers from elsewhere in Europe, north Africa and beyond.
Plazy writes for the Associated Press. AP journalists Ahmad Seir in Amsterdam and John Leicester in Paris contributed to this report.
LAS VEGAS — The Thomas & Mack Center public-address announcer called it the “main event” at the NBA Summer League, with Lakers’ second-year guard Bronny James and Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg at the center of it all.
The fans didn’t have to wait long for the moment they all came to see when Flagg, the first overall pick in the draft out of Duke, defended against James from the start of the game.
The atmosphere was electric until the end, with Flagg’s Mavericks pulling out an 87-85 win after James missed a three-pointer seconds before the final buzzer.
“It’s Summer League and everyone is going to come out for the first game,” James said. “Like, it’s going to be a crazy atmosphere, no matter what. So I just try to embrace it.”
Neither put on a shooting exhibition, but the fans didn’t seem to care.
James had eight points, missing six of eight shots. He also had two rebounds and two assists in 20 minutes and 51 seconds.
Flagg had 10 points on five-of-21 shooting, missing all five of his three-point attempts. He had six rebounds, four assists and one block.
Still, James was impressed.
“He’s great,” James said. “I watched him all in college. He’s an amazing player. So I have a lot of respect for him. He’s going to be special.”
Early in the game, James came off a screen with Cooper trailing and arriving too late, giving James just enough time to launch a jumper that settled into the net.
Lakers guard Bronny James, left, controls the ball in front of Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg during the Lakers’ Summer League loss Thursday.
(Ryan Stetz / NBAE via Getty Images)
James struck again, drilling a three-pointer over Cooper, drawing cheers from the fans.
James switched and took on the challenge of defending Cooper in the post, drawing more cheers.
Flagg missed his first two shots, and it was clear the fans wanted him to keep shooting. His first basket was off a breakaway dunk, leaving the fans shaking their heads and cheering.
James and Cooper continued their duel in the second quarter, with a couple of plays showcasing the intensity of their battle.
James, who is 6 feet 3, took on the 6-9 Flagg in the post, Flagg waving his teammates away as he tried to face the challenge alone. James stole the ball but was called for a foul, his look at the referees incredulous as the fans booed.
On the next possession, Flagg scored on a fadeaway over James, drawing more cheers as Flagg slapped hands with his teammates on the bench.
“I’m a pretty small guard,” James said. “So if I get switched down there I have to stand my ground somehow. That’s why I weigh like 215 [pounds] and I got to stand my ground down there and make sure I’m not getting bullied anywhere.”
Late in the game, the Lakers got a scare when Dalton Knecht buckled his knees while trying to score on a layup.
“Both of my legs cramped,” said Knecht, who had 15 points, “and I airballed the layup.”
Flagg shot a late airball, but he blocked a shot by DJ Stewart with 1:09 left.
The game came down to James to win it for the Lakers, but his missed three with 3.7 seconds left sealed the Lakers’ fate.
“Yes, I want him to fill that responsibility at the end of the game,” said Lindsay Harding, Lakers assistant coach and Summer League coach. “I want him to have the ball in his hands and I’m going to live and die with whatever shot he takes. It was the decision he made. It was a good shot. I’ve seen him make it before.”
James made another positive step in his efforts to improve his conditioning.
“I felt good,” James said. “I felt I could have knocked some more shots down, but it is what it is. You’re not going to make them all. I felt my effort on the defensive end was good and that’s what I’m focusing on this year.”
Former “Love Island USA” contestant Cierra Ortega has spoken out after her abrupt departure from the villa on Sunday following the resurfacing of posts containing a racial slur.
Ortega, who left just one week from the finale of the hit Peacock show’s seventh season, addressed the incident on Wednesday.
“Now that I’ve been back in the U.S. for about 48 hours and I’ve had the chance to process,” she said in a video posted on Instagram, “I now feel like I’m at a space where I can speak about this without being highly emotional because I am not the victim in this situation.”
“Love Island” commentator Iain Stirling broke the news during Sunday’s episode, stating that the 25-year-old Angeleno had left the show to deal with a “personal issue” that arose. Though it was not explicitly stated why Ortega had left, she had recently faced backlash over social media posts that resurfaced containing a racial slur against Asian people.
She used the slur in 2020 on TikTok and in 2023 on Instagram to describe her own appearance.
Ortega initially remained silent on the issue, with her parents taking to addressing the controversy themselves. In a statement Sunday on Ortega’s Instagram story, they said the backlash had resulted in “one of the most painful weeks of our lives.”
“We’ve seen the posts, the headlines, the hurt and the hate,” they wrote, adding that their daughter had been subject to threats and “cruel messages.”
“It’s uncalled for. And no one deserves that kind of hate, no matter what mistake they’ve made,” they continued.
Ortega chose to address the situation via an “accountability video” in addition to a written statement.
“While I was in the villa, there were some posts that resurfaced from my past where I was very naively using an incredibly offensive and derogatory term. And before I get into the details, I want to first start by addressing not just anyone that I have hurt or deeply offended, but most importantly, the entire Asian community. I am deeply, truly, honestly, so sorry,” she said.
“I had no ill intention when I was using it, but that’s absolutely no excuse because intent doesn’t excuse ignorance … this is not an apology video. This is an accountability video.”
She continued by insisting that the “lesson was learned” and, in an additional post made to her Instagram story, said c she was “genuinely ashamed” of her actions.
“Once again, to the Asian community, I am deeply sorry for my thoughtless mistake and the harm it caused,” she added.
Just a month prior to Ortega’s departure, another contestant faced a similar debacle. Yulissa Escobar left the villa by the season’s second episode due to her use of racial slurs against Black people during a podcast conversation
In response, Escobar also took to Instagram on June 6 to make an apology: “I want to apologize for using a word I had no right in using. … The truth is, I didn’t know better then, but I do now.”
Long Beach City College football coach Brett Peabody has agreed to resign following backlash from a profane direct message he sent to an online publisher who is critical of President Trump.
On the day of Trump’s inauguration in January, Peabody sent a private message to Aaron Rupar, who has nearly 1 million followers on X. Rupar, in turn, made the message public.
“You’re done you sorry fascist scumbag, hope you get held accountable for the bulls— that yiu e spread. Justice is in the horizon kiddo,” Peabody’s direct message read. He then added “you’ve*” to correct his own typo.
Rupar shared the message on his X account and added, “I get lots of threatening DMs but I usually don’t get them from head coaches of college football programs.” That post has been viewed 1.2 million times and reposted by 4,200 users as of Wednesday.
Records obtained by the Long Beach Post show that Peabody has agreed to resign. Emails the Post obtained indicate Peabody was placed on paid administrative leave in February and a month later he agreed to resign at the end of the year.
Peabody will remain on paid leave through December and will be paid a six-month severance of approximately $60,000, according to a settlement agreement obtained by the Post.
Marques Cooper was named LBCC acting head coach in March. Cooper had been the defensive coordinator and has been an assistant coach at Azusa Pacific, El Camino College and Santa Monica City College.
Peabody told the Long Beach Post in January that sending the message to Rupar was “dumb” and “was clearly not the best decision.” He apologized to LBCC, saying the tone of the post was “harsh and regrettable,”
“It was not a threat in any way, shape or form,” Peabody said. “If you read it, I’m not sure how it could be construed as a threat. … I’d like to see journalists held at a higher standard.”
A petition to reinstate Peabody that was posted on change.org by LBCC players and associates of Peabody has 68 signatures. “Throughout his tenure with us, [Peabody] has demonstrated exceptional leadership, dedication, and a true, burning passion for helping athletes develop both their skills and character,” the petition reads.
Peabody took over as head coach at LBCC in 2013, leading the Vikings to conference titles and bowl wins in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019. Previously, he was head coach and an assistant at L.A. Harbor College and head coach at South High School in Torrance.
Business reporter
Getty ImagesRoyal Mail will start to deliver second-class letters on every other weekday and not on Saturdays to help cut costs, the industry regulator has said.
Ofcom said a reform to postal service was needed as people are sending fewer letters each year, so stamp prices keep rising as the cost of delivering letters goes up.
The changes mean second-class letters will be delivered either on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, or on Tuesday and Thursday, in a two-week cycle.
Royal Mail welcomed the changes, which will take effect on 28 July, but the move was criticised by MPs and consumer groups.
Under the current one-price-goes-anywhere Universal Service Obligation (USO), Royal Mail has to deliver post six days a week, from Monday to Saturday, and parcels on five from Monday to Friday.
Ofcom says Royal Mail will have to continue to deliver first-class letters six days a week.
“These changes are in the best interests of consumers and businesses, as urgent reform of the postal service is necessary to give it the best chance of survival,” said Natalie Black, Ofcom’s group director for networks and communications.
However, just changing Royal Mail’s obligations will not improve the service, she said.
“The company now has to play its part and implement this effectively.”
Royal Mail estimates it will take 12 to 18 months to implement the changes across its network.
It has been piloting the changes to delivery since February in 37 of its 1,200 delivery offices, and said it was “keen to move ahead with deployment as soon as possible”.
The regulator is also making changes to Royal Mail’s delivery targets.
The company will have to deliver 90% of first-class mail next-day, down from the current target of 93%, while 95% of second-class mail must be delivered within three days, a cut from the current 98.5%.
However, there will be a new target of 99% of mail being delivered no more than two days late to incentivise Royal Mail to cut down on long delays.
Royal Mail’s parent company, International Distribution Services (IDS), welcomed the Ofcom announcement, saying it was “good news for customers across the UK”, and that it would support a “reliable, efficient and financially sustainable Universal Service”.
Martin Seidenberg, IDS chief executive, said the changes follow “extensive consultation with thousands of people and businesses” to reflect their needs and the “realities of how customers send and receive mail today”.
However, consumer group Citizens Advice said Royal Mail had a “woeful track record of failing to meet delivery targets, all the while ramping up postage costs”.
Tom MacInnes, Citizens Advice director of policy, said Ofcom had “missed a major opportunity to bring about meaningful change”.
“Pushing ahead with plans to slash services and relax delivery targets in the name of savings won’t automatically make letter deliveries more reliable or improve standards,” he said
The regulator needs to force Royal Mail to give “paying customers a service that delivers,” he added.
The Liberal Democrats also criticised the changes, saying it was a “deeply worrying decision that could leave countless people who rely on these deliveries in the lurch”.
Its business spokesperson Sarah Olney said: “People need to know that their post will arrive on time so they can go about their lives, and this move flies right in the face of that.”
Ofcom “needs to step in and act by holding this failing service fully accountable”, she added.
The UK Greeting Card Association said “a Royal Mail that isn’t delivering, is a Royal Mail that will hold back Britain”.
Its chief executive Amanda Fergusson said: “Our members remain concerned that a reduction in the second-class service, would lead to a reliance on uncapped, unregulated first-class mail that is increasingly unaffordable for businesses and consumers alike.”
The number of letters Royal Mail delivers has fallen from a peak of 20 billion in 2004-05 to 6.6 billion in 2023-24.
However, the price of stamps has continued to rise. Since 2022, Royal Mail has hiked the cost of a first-class stamp from 85p to £1.70.
Despite pushing up prices, in 2023-24, Royal Mail made a loss of £348m.
This season of “Love Island USA” has lost yet another contestant after their past use of a racial slur resurfaced online: Cierra Ortega left the villa and will not return.
“Love Island USA” narrator Iain Stirling announced during the Sunday episode that Ortega, 25, had departed the hit dating competition series to deal with “a personal situation.” Though he did not provide additional details about her exit, Ortega recently landed in hot water for her repeated use of a slur for Chinese people — and often Asian people in general — after social media posts resurfaced online.
In an Instagram story from 2023 that made the rounds on Reddit and X, Ortega used the slur as she explained her Botox procedures, writing, “I love getting a mini brow lift to open up my eyes and get that snatched look.”
Another post that raised flags among critics was a 2020 TikTok video where Ortega uses a version of the slur to describe her smile in an Instagram caption. “Love Island USA” streamer Peacock and parent company NBCUniversal did not comment to The Times about the terms of Ortega’s exit, but the reality star’s parents spoke out online about “one of the most painful weeks of our lives.”
In a lengthy statement shared to Ortega’s Instagram story Sunday evening, her parents wrote, “We’ve seen the posts, the headlines, the hurt and the hate.” While acknowledging the outcry and upset around the resurfaced posts, Ortega’s parents alleged that their daughter has also been subject to online hate including threats and “cruel messages.” Ortega’s family, friends and supporters have been caught in the crossfire, they wrote: “it’s heartbreaking.”
The statement added: “It’s uncalled for. And no one deserves that kind of hate, no matter what mistake they’ve made.”
The missive also confirmed that “Cierra is not in the villa” and had yet to “process any of this or speak for herself.” Confident that Ortega will “face this with honesty, growth and grace,” her parents wrote that the reality TV personality will take accountability on her own terms.
Ortega left “Love Island” a month after contestant Yulissa Escobar faced similar backlash. Escobar was out by the season’s second episode amid social media outcry over her use of a slur for Black people. Video posted on Reddit and TMZ showed Escobar using the slur during a podcast conversation. Escobar apologized for using the slur, writing in a statement that she “used it ignorantly, not fully understanding the weight, history, or pain behind it.”
Until Ortega breaks her silence on the controversy, her parents said they have a request for supporters and critics alike: “We’re simply asking for compassion. For patience. For basic human decency.”
The “Love Island USA” Season 7 finale will air Sunday on Peacock.
Recording star Connie Francis says she is on the mend after a recent trip to the hospital to address some “extreme pain.”
The “Stupid Cupid” and “Lipstick on Your Collar” singer, who rose to fame in the late 1950s and early ‘60s, informed fans on Facebook that she is receiving care after undergoing tests and exams. “Thank you all for your kind thoughts, words and prayers,” she wrote Wednesday.
Earlier Wednesday, the 87-year-old “Pretty Little Baby” singer wrote on Facebook that she went to the hospital to learn more about the cause of her pain, which she said prompted her to call off an upcoming Fourth of July performance, her latest cancellation in recent weeks. Francis’ posts this week did not disclose much information about her condition, but a previous Facebook update provided some insight.
A week prior to her hospitalization, Francis announced on Facebook that she had been dealing with “pelvic pain on the right side” and underwent tests to determine “that this is due to a fracture.”
“It looks like I may have to rely on my wheelchair a little longer than anticipated,” she wrote, adding that she had to pull out of a then-upcoming performance.
Francis gave followers more information about her health in March, telling them in another Facebook post that she uses a wheelchair to avoid putting “undue pressure on a troublesome painful hip” and that she was awaiting stem cell therapy at the time.
Francis has spoken openly about her personal afflictions over the course of her career. She told the Village Voice in 2011 that she had been committed to several mental institutions in the ‘80s. She said she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after she was misdiagnosed with other mental health conditions, including bipolar disorder, ADD and ADHD.
The singer, also known for “Where the Boys Are” and “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool,” recently had her music go viral on TikTok as users use her “Pretty Little Baby” for videos.
“I’m still astounded by the popularity of ‘Pretty Little Baby,’” she said last week, thanking the A-listers who have used her hit in their social media videos.
Influencer Liver King says he still has his sights on Joe Rogan, even after he was arrested in Texas earlier this week for making online threats toward the popular podcaster.
The 47-year-old social media personality known for his carnivorous and “primitive” lifestyle was released from Travis County Jail Wednesday afternoon on $20,000 bail, officials confirmed to The Times. He was arrested Tuesday in Austin on suspicion of one count of misdemeanor terroristic threat. Court records show that the influencer — born Brian Johnson — must stay at least 200 yards away from and must not contact Rogan and his family. Johnson is also prohibited from possessing firearms and must undergo a mental health evaluation within a week of his release.
Johnson addressed his release and its terms in a video posted Thursday to his Instagram and Facebook pages. Standing on a vibrating exercise plate, Johnson seemingly hints at plans to confront Rogan — namedropping a Hollywood star to sidestep mentioning the podcaster’s name — while respecting the terms of his restraining order.
“If anybody knows where Seth Rogen is — the other version of him that rhymes with ‘blow’… where his family’s gonna be today, if you can let my team know so that we can stay away from them,” he said, before immediately walking back his request.
“Don’t do anything to their family,” Johnson continues, before contradicting himself and asking fans again to alert him and his team if they are near anyone with “the last name Rogan.” He pans the camera down to display his ankle monitor and rambles about his plans to appear at the state capitol building.
He adds, naming the wrong celebrity: “I’m picking a fight. Who’s it with? Seth Rogen. It’s with Seth Rogen. What’s it for? Family.”
Neither representatives for Johnson nor Rogan immediately responded to The Times’ request for comment on Friday.
Liver King booking image.
(Austin Police Department)
A spokesperson for the Austin Police Department told The Times on Wednesday that detectives learned Tuesday morning that Johnson, 47, had “made threats against the “Joe Rogan Experience” host on his Instagram profile.” Detectives reviewed the posts and saw that Johnson was en route to Austin, where Rogan lives, “while continuing to make threatening statements,” the spokesperson said.
Detectives contacted the podcaster who claimed he never interacted with Johnson and felt threatened by Liver King’s online posts. The spokesperson said officials obtained an arrest warrant for Johnson and detained the social media star at an Austin hotel.
Johnson on Monday posted an Instagram video of himself bear-crawling as he calls out Rogan: “I challenge you man-to-man to a fight.” Johnson rambled in his video about his weight, the stakes of this would-be battle and the “real tension” he has with Rogan. Johnson continued to post Instagram videos — some still name-dropping Rogan and some filmed while he’s in a shower — throughout the day, even after he arrived at the hotel in Austin.
Johnson’s Instagram account also posted several lengthy videos documenting the moments prior to his arrest Tuesday. In one clip, Johnson can be seen getting dressed in a burgundy sweatsuit, including a hoodie featuring a design that essentially pits his brand logo against that of the “Joe Rogan Experience.” Videos also see Johnson haphazardly picking up dishes and various items — including a screwdriver and a multi-tool — as he instructs someone off-camera to keep recording.
A second video shows Johnson huddling and praying with his family in the hotel room before officers escort him down a hallway and into an elevator. In another video posted to Johnson’s account, the person off-screen explains to the influencer’s wife that her husband will be “in and out” and will “need to see a judge before he is dismissed.” They exit the hotel and approach the law enforcement vehicle, where officers are seen securing Johnson into the back seat.
In court documents reviewed by The Times on Friday, a detective noted that Johnson’s social media posts featured “long rants that didn’t appear to make much sense.”
“Affiant knows that behavior such as that can indicate some sort of mental health episode, indicating that Brian Johnson could be a danger to himself and others,” the detective wrote before detailing other videos from Johnson that raised concern.
The detective also wrote of their correspondences with Rogan, who spoke of Johnson’s alleged “significant drug issue” and said he feels “Johnson appears to be significantly unstable and seems like he needs help,” according to the court filing.
In true Hallmark fashion, “When Calls the Heart” co-stars Erin Krakow and Ben Rosenbaum found love on set. Now, the two are officially married.
The newlyweds, who have appeared in the period drama since the show premiered in 2014, confirmed their union Monday with a joint Instagram post of photos from their wedding, captioned with a simple infinity symbol.
Krakow, 40, and Rosenbaum, 38, first sparked romance rumors in 2023 when Krakow revealed on Instagram that they had adopted a dog, Willoughby, together. But it wasn’t until a year later that the two confirmed their relationship on Valentine’s Day.
The actors, who have kept their relationship relatively private, surprised fans with news of their nuptials.
“Y’all dropped a whole wedding like it was a Tuesday fit check,” one social media user commented. “Plot twist of the year!!”
But this isn’t the first marriage to come out of “When Calls the Heart.” Last September, co-stars Kevin McGarry and Kayla Wallace also wed.
“I’m still crying. My favorite pairing!” Wallace commented on Krakow and Rosenbaum’s post, adding wine and cheese emojis.
“Beautiful pictures, beautiful friends, beautiful husband and wife – xo,” McGarry wrote.
“When Calls the Heart” is Hallmark Channel’s longest-running original series and was recently renewed for a 13th season, scheduled to premiere in 2026. The release date has not yet been announced. Krakow stars as Elizabeth Thornton (and also serves as an executive producer) and Rosenbaum plays Mike Hickam on the popular western.
NEW ORLEANS — A panel of three federal appellate judges has ruled that a Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted in each of the state’s public school classrooms is unconstitutional.
The ruling Friday marked a major win for civil liberties groups who say the mandate violates the separation of church and state, and that the poster-sized displays would isolate students — especially those who are not Christian.
The mandate has been touted by Republicans, including President Trump, and marks one of the latest pushes by conservatives to incorporate religion into classrooms. Backers of the law argue the Ten Commandments belong in classrooms because they are historical and part of the foundation of U.S. law.
The plaintiffs’ attorneys and Louisiana disagreed on whether the appeals court’s decision applied to every public school district in the state or only the districts party to the lawsuit.
“All school districts in the state are bound to comply with the U.S. Constitution,” said Liz Hayes, a spokesperson for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which served as co-counsel for the plaintiffs.
The appeals court’s rulings “interpret the law for all of Louisiana,” Hayes added. “Thus, all school districts must abide by this decision and should not post the Ten Commandments in their classrooms.”
Louisiana Atty. Gen. Liz Murrill said she disagreed and believed the ruling applied only to school districts in the five parishes that were party to the lawsuit and that she would seek to appeal the ruling.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ order stems from a lawsuit filed last year by parents of Louisiana schoolchildren from various religious backgrounds, who said the law violates 1st Amendment language guaranteeing religious liberty and forbidding government establishment of religion.
The mandate was signed into law last June by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry.
The court’s ruling backs an order issued last fall by U.S. District Judge John deGravelles, who declared the mandate unconstitutional and ordered state education officials not to take steps to enforce it and to notify all local school boards in the state of his decision.
Law experts have long said they expect the Louisiana case to make its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, testing the conservative court on the issue of religion and government.
In 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a similar Kentucky law violated the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which says Congress can “make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” The high court found that the law had no secular purpose but served a plainly religious purpose.
In 2005, the Supreme Court held that such displays in a pair of Kentucky courthouses violated the Constitution. At the same time, the court upheld a Ten Commandments marker on the grounds of the Texas state Capitol in Austin.
Cline and Brook write for the Associated Press.
Erin Moriarty, the outspoken and righteous Starlight of “The Boys,” is speaking out about her health, specifically her ongoing battle with an autoimmune disorder.
Moriarty, 30, revealed to her Instagram followers on Friday that she was diagnosed last month with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disorder in which the thyroid becomes overactive. In the caption of her post, Moriarty expresses the positive effects of treatment but reveals the disorder could have been identified earlier “if I hadn’t chalked it all up to stress and fatigue.”
The “Jessica Jones” and “One Life to Live” actor shared a carousel of photos including text message exchanges with her parents. In one screenshot Moriarty tells her mother “I really need relief” as she details her discomfort. “I can’t live like this forever,” she writes.
“It’s not just fatigue — it’s an ineffable, system wide cry for help and I don’t know how long I can remain in this state,” Moriarty continues in her text to her mother.
Moriarty did not reveal too much about her symptoms, noting in her caption that “autoimmune disease manifests differently in everybody/every body.” According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of Graves’ disease can include “feeling nervous or irritable,” slight tremors of the hands or fingers, weight loss, menstrual changes and heart palpitations. Wendy Williams, Daisy Ridley and Missy Elliott have also spoken publicly about living with Graves’ disease.
“Within 24 hours of beginning treatment, I felt the light coming back on,” Moriarty said in her caption. “It’s been increasing in strength ever since.”
She did not reveal the details of her treatment, but Moriarty told her father in a text message, “I already feel a world of a difference” and that she has since been thinking, “‘Damn, this is how I’m supposed to feel? I’ve been missing out!’”
Since “The Boys” premiered on Prime Video in 2019, Moriarty has starred as superhero Annie January, a.k.a. Starlight, who possesses the power to fly and manipulate light. Without spoiling too much about the series, it now seems Moriarty knows what it’s like to lose her spark on- and off-screen — and how to get it back.
She concluded her post by urging followers to listen to their bodies and seek medical attention when something feels off. “If [your light] is dimming, even slightly, go get checked,” she said.
“Don’t ‘suck it up’ and transcend suffering; you deserve to be comfy. S—’s hard enough as is.”