praises

A British tourist has praised a hotel for taking action against guests who try and hog empty sunbeds by reserving them with towels. She said she witnessed something that was worth highlighting

Many of us relish a holiday abroad, but one issue that never fails to cause a headache is the notorious sunbed wars. One woman recently claimed she witnessed the drama firsthand, reportedly in Greece, and couldn’t speak highly enough of the way the hotel handled it.

The British tourist, known as WelshTaiTai on TikTok, shared footage of what unfolded during her sun-soaked holiday. While most of us cherish the chance to travel, the age-old habit of reserving sunbeds can quickly spiral into chaos, rows and wholly unnecessary stress when you’re supposed to be unwinding.

It’s hardly a new debate either. In previous years, images have surfaced of holidaymakers literally camped out to stake their claim on a sunbed.

In the video, she described some guests as being “naughty”, claiming there’s a sign at her hotel clearly stating that sunbeds must not be reserved. It politely requests that guests refrain from leaving towels on the beds to stop others from using them.

Yet some guests chose to ignore the rule, prompting the hotel to reportedly take matters into its own hands. Staff are said to have gathered up all the offending towels and draped them over a wall, freeing up the sunbeds for other guests to enjoy.

Alongside the clip, she wrote: “POV: You wake up early for the perfect pool day only to find every sunbed ‘reserved’ with a random towel and nobody in sight. Then the hotel staff start removing the abandoned towels and suddenly people appear from nowhere acting shocked.

“If you’re not actually using the sunbed… you don’t own it. Simple.”

The clip has racked up hundreds of views, with many viewers quick to share their thoughts in the comments section, offering a wide range of opinions.

One wrote: “Wish every hotel would do this.” Another added: “Needs to be carried out in every hotel. I look for reviews and if this happens, I won’t book.”

A third chimed in: “Give those staff a raise. Just back from Majorca, where people were out at 5.30am reserving beds. Their towels were in the pool by 6.30am when the cleaners arrived to sort the beds etc. These guys are heroes.”

Meanwhile, a fourth remarked: “I would book a hotel purely on this rule.” Yet another observer noted: “Need more of this. You work 52 weeks and spend three weeks trying to get a sunbed.”

Others described it as “excellent” that the hotel had taken action to put a stop to “sunbed wars”, with many agreeing the policy should be adopted far more widely.

What you need to know

If this is news to you, hotels are well within their rights to prevent guests from reserving sunbeds, and many already have policies in place to tackle the problem.

Various methods are employed by hotels to address the issue. Some instruct staff to remove unattended towels, while others encourage guests to use booking apps to ensure fair access.

Such measures exist to stop guests from “hogging” beds — an all-too-familiar frustration that nobody wants to deal with while on holiday.

JEFF Brazier has shared a sweet tribute to his granddaughter and heaped praise on youngest son Freddy after he became a first time dad. 

Freddy, 21, and girlfriend Holly Swinburn welcomed their daughter in March and, despite the on/off nature of their relationship, it seems proud pops Jeff, 46, isn’t losing out on quality time with the tot. 

The presenter took to Instagram to post a photo of little Isla Jade, whose name is a sweet nod to Freddy’s mum the late Jade Goody, taking a nap on his chest. 

Jeff wrote: “I don’t know that I could love her more.

“A weekend to celebrate our special girl and her Mum and Dad who are doing a great job. She’s perfect.”

Hunky Jeff was keen to prove he’s still got it after becoming a grandad in his forties, stripping off to his pants and poking fun at the new title recently. 

family goals

Why Jeff Brazier is determined to be the best grandad ever at 46

STILL GOT IT

Jeff Brazier strips off to his pants after becoming a grandad at 46 years old

He joked: “Get dressed with Grandad??!!”

And his words of praise for Freddy and Holly come after The Sun revealed Freddy and Holly are in a “solid place” after the new dad “stepped up”. 

An insider said: “Freddy and Holly are in a really solid place right now, they’ve taken the time to work through things properly rather than rush it.

“They’ve had their ups and downs, but that’s actually brought them closer, they understand each other a lot better now.

“There’s a real sense they’re stronger as a couple this time around, more grounded and more focused on what matters.”

They continued: “They’ve both made an effort to communicate better and not let small issues spiral into bigger problems.

“Freddy has really stepped up recently, and Holly has seen that change in him which has helped rebuild trust.”

Our source added: “Those around them feel like they’re more united now, especially with everything going on in their lives.

“It’s less about proving anything to anyone and more about quietly making it work this time.”

Caracas, May 5, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez called US President Donald Trump a “man of action” and reiterated her commitment to long-term relations with Washington during a ceremony at Miraflores Palace on May 1.

Rodríguez received a delegation of US officials and business executives led by Jarrod Agen, executive director of the Trump administration’s National Energy Dominance Council.

“Please tell President Trump, who is a man of action, that in Venezuela there are men and women of action, but also of their word,” she told the US guests during a televised broadcast. “And we have made a commitment to build solid, long-term relations between the US and Venezuela.”

For his part, Agen first referred to Trump as a “man of action” and claimed that US-Venezuela relations are currently moving at “Trump speed” and that the White House is looking to promote oil, gas, and mining investments in the Caribbean nation.

The public statements followed the signing of contracts with Overseas Oil Company and Crossover Energy Holding for oil and gas projects in Anzoátegui, Barinas, and Monagas states, with investments of up to US $2 billion planned. Venezuelan authorities provided no details about the ventures, with Rodríguez only stating that the natural gas output would be used to strengthen the country’s electricity generation.

According to Argus Media, the two corporations will “work with” Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA on extra-heavy crude projects in the Orinoco Oil Belt. Venezuela’s recent pro-business overhaul of the Hydrocarbon Law allows PDVSA to lease out projects in exchange for a portion of the output.

While Crossover Energy does not have a track record of any past energy initiatives, Overseas Oil is a subsidiary of Hunt Oil, a 90-year-old company founded by Texas magnate H.L. Hunt. Hunt Oil previously used its close ties to the George W. Bush administration to secure oil contracts in Iraqi Kurdistan following the 2003 US invasion.

The latest oil agreements follow major energy deals struck by Chevron, Eni, Repsol, and Shell under the favorable conditions of the reformed Hydrocarbon Law, which include expanded control over operations and sales as well as reduced taxes and royalties.

On May 1, the acting Rodríguez administration also signed a memorandum of understanding in the mining sector with the US’ Heeney Capital and Switzerland’s Mercuria Energy Group.

In a statement, Mercuria, one of the world’s largest commodity traders with a history of involvement in international mining projects, explained that it had entered into “a series of strategic offtake agreements” to purchase around $2.2 billion a year of Venezuelan bulk commodities and gold. 

“The transactions align with ongoing efforts by US authorities to encourage responsible foreign investment in Venezuela’s extractive industries and to facilitate offtake structures that prioritize supply to Western markets,” the communiqué read.

Mercuria and Heeney likewise expressed interest in aluminum, nickel, and ferrous products “opportunities” that could represent a further $3 billion in annual exports.

Heeney co-founder and partner Sean Pi, who signed the agreement on behalf of the foreign companies, thanked Trump for his “leadership” in defending US access to critical minerals. Pi testified before the US House of Representatives in February to back legislative initiatives deregulating and streamlining mining projects to bolster the US supply of critical minerals.

Venezuelan Mining Minister Héctor Silva hailed the deal a “first step for the strengthening of mining ties between the US and Venezuela.” The Venezuelan National Assembly recently approved a new Mining Law that establishes incentives for Western conglomerates to exploit the South American country’s vast mineral resources.

The US delegation for the energy and mining deals with Caracas arrived on board the first direct flight between the US and Venezuela. American Airlines will hold a daily Miami-Caracas connection and will add a second one beginning on May 21 due to high demand.

US Chargé d’Affaires in Venezuela John Barrett held a ribbon-cutting ceremony alongside Venezuelan Transport Minister Jacqueline Faría to mark the resumption of the direct flights. 

Addressing reporters, Barrett stated that the reestablished air connection was a “milestone” and a “clear sign that Venezuela is open for business.”

Caracas and Washington fast-tracked a diplomatic rapprochement in the wake of the January 3 US military strikes and kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro. Acting President Rodríguez has hosted several White House officials and touted investment opportunities for US corporations. For its part the Trump administration has issued sanctions waivers allowing select Western companies to participate in the Venezuelan energy and mining sectors but imposing control over Venezuelan export revenues.

Edited by Lucas Koerner in Caracas.

Coventry City boss Frank Lampard described his side’s promotion back to the Premier League after 25 years away as a “unique” achievement.

The Sky Blues secured a top-two finish in the Championship with three games to spare courtesy of a 1-1 draw at struggling Blackburn Rovers.

“To go and get promotion automatically as a non-parachute [payment] team with three games to go… these boys have managed to achieve something special and unique,” Lampard told Sky Sports.

“This is what it’s about. Coming here and getting a point at this stage isn’t easy.”

He added: “Doing this after 25 years… wow.

“The resilience to come back after losing in the play-offs (last season to Sunderland). We spoke in the summer about what we could do this season and whether we could finish third or fourth to get a home play-off in the second game which we didn’t do last year.

“It’s such a good feeling that the boys have managed to get it over the line.”

The former Chelsea and England midfielder, 47, took over at the CBS Arena in November 2024 for his first job outside the top flight since a season at Derby in 2018-19.

An emotional Lampard, who also credited the “incredible” job his predecessor Mark Robins had done, said he had “fallen in love” with the club during his time in the Midlands and ranked leading Coventry back to the top flight alongside his many accolades as a player.

“I’m proud of myself and the staff,” he said.

“We came into a bit of an unknown 15 or so months ago when we arrived in a people carrier.

“We’ve fallen in love and this is right up there with what I have achieved.

“I’m very proud to be the manager.”