ring

A man shared how he went through a horrifying flight experience, and it was all down to the piece of jewellery he had been constantly wearing since the start of this year

A man was left vowing to “never” wear a piece of jewellery again after he was denied boarding a plane thanks to it. Wearable smart rings have become all the rage as an alternative to the sometimes clunky smart watch. But when Daniel Rotar noticed his ring wouldn’t come off his finger just before he was meant to board a flight, he was left incredibly stressed.

Sharing a picture of the ring stuck on his finger, he wrote on X: “Ahhh…this is…not good. My Samsung Galaxy Ring’s battery started swelling. While it’s on my finger. And while I’m about to board a flight. Now I cannot take it off, and this thing hurts”.

He shared another picture, writing: “You can see the battery expanding. Not great for something that’s now stuck to my finger”.

Some asked how long he’d had the device, and Daniel explained he bought it in January 2025. Some Samsung rings retail for £399, depending on the model.

He wrote: “Had it since January 2025. No clue on the battery health (never checked it and not even sure if that’s visible in the app).

“I think it definitely had some battery issue before, as it stopped lasting for more than 1.5 days. When I first got it, it was close to the advertised seven days, so I even stopped charging it regularly because of this. When it swelled, it had no battery juice left in it”.

Somebody shared that the same thing happened to them with a smart ring, saying: “I cut it off with a Dremel. If you do this, be sure you do not cut the battery, and slide a file underneath so you don’t slice your finger. I just saved you four hours in urgent care! Good luck”.

Another urged: “Go up to the nearest restaurant and tell them you need a stick of butter warmed for 30 seconds. Finger the butter and then wiggle that thing off”.

One man seethed: “This is so messed up. It’s one thing for a battery in a phone or even smartwatch to expand like this (at least you can take it out of your pocket or off your wrist), but a ring…very glad to see you got it removed ok”.

Daniel then shared an update, saying: “I was denied boarding due to this (been travelling for 47 hours straight, so this is really nice). Need to pay for a hotel for the night now and get back home tomorrow”.

He also shared that he “was sent to the hospital, as an emergency,” and “the ring got removed”.

“You can see the battery all swollen. Won’t be wearing a smart ring ever again,” he fumed.

Someone wrote: “Dude, I’m sorry you had to go through this”. Daniel said he was just glad his finger was “fine”.

Another person suggested they should be designed with a gap in them instead to get on and off easier.

A spokesperson for Samsung said: “The safety of our customers is our top priority. This is an extremely rare case, and we are in direct contact with Mr Rotar to retrieve the product and learn about the concerns”.

A DRUG kingpin arrested while partying at an Ibiza nightclub for a £20million drug ring he ran with his ex-girlfriend has been jailed.

The couple from Merseyside plotted to smuggle over 300 kilos of drugs in two lorries in the summer of 2022.

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Eddie Burton, 23, from Liverpool was jailed for 19 years at Canterbury Crown Court on Friday, September 26.

His glam ex-girlfriend, Sian Banks, 25, was sentenced to five years in February of this year.

Burton had been living in mainland Europe in 2022 when two lorries were intercepted at Dover Port containing heroin, cocaine and ketamine.

The first of those lorries was stopped by Border Force on July 3 and the second was intercepted the following month on August 12.

Overall, officers discovered a whopping 307 kilos with an estimated street value of £20million.

Burton’s fingerprints were found on both the drug packages as well as the modified fuel tank that was used to conceal them.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) launched a huge manhunt for Burton who was living between the Netherlands and Spain after he left the UK in 2021.

Burton was put in cuffs by Spanish police in August 2023 at the Pacha nightclub in Ibiza for unrelated drug dealing offences.

He had been using an alias to avoid being caught at the time but was extradited to Germany and charged with drug offences before he was returned to the UK in March last year.

Following that, Burton pleaded guilty to four counts of importing Class A and B drugs.

According to the MailOnline, Burton was involved in drugs from an early age and started dealing them at 10 years old.

Those who knew him said he was engaging in serious criminal activity while he was still at primary school and weren’t surprised by his life’s trajectory.

Whereas Banks had a love of luxury holidays and high-end goods with a fondness for men with money, according to those who knew her.

She was arrested in December 2023 before she pleaded guilty to seven charges including importing Class A drugs and money laundering earlier this year.

She had visited Burton in the Netherlands and Spain on a monthly basis between June 2022 and October 2023.

Her phone had also revealed that she had twice smuggled cocaine and ketamine into her luggage after visiting Burton in Amsterdam in August 2022.

Messages were also uncovered between the pair two days after the first lorry was intercepted.

They showed that Banks had flown to the Netherlands and helped prepare the first shipment of narcotics.

One of the messages to Burton revealed Banks was concerned her fingerprints were on the bags of ketamine.

He replied: “You’ve never been nicked or had ye prints took anyway so doesn’t matter.”

It was also discovered that banks had sold scam Covid-19 travel documents during the pandemic.

NCA Senior Investigating Officer John Turner said: “Burton, with Banks’ help, attempted to smuggle huge quantities of harmful drugs into the UK, believing he could operate with impunity overseas.

“Banks held a crucial role in the criminal enterprise, laundering the illicit profits and acting as the UK-based facilitator for the multi-million pound drug importations.

“The drugs, had they reached their final destination, would have had a destructive impact on our communities, fuelling violence and exploiting vulnerable people throughout the supply chain.”

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EDDIE Hearn and his wife are allegedly living separate lives with the boxing promoter moving “abroad” and recently being spotted without his wedding ring.

Viewers were also quick to point out the boxing promoter’s wife’s absence from his recent tell-all Netflix documentary.

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Although the couple remain married, their relationship has grown increasingly distant, reports Mail Online.

Eddie, 46, now spends most of his time in his luxurious Monaco home, while former beautician, Chloe, resides at the Hearn family’s estate in Ingatestone, Essex.

While Eddie resides in sunny Monaco for six months of the year, reportedly due to tax reasons, his wife occupies a smaller property away from the main house on the grand estate.

It is believed that the pair’s two teenage children travel between the two residences, regularly paying visits to their father.

However, beyond living in separate countries, the chairman of Matchroom sport also appears to not be wearing his ring in his new Netflix tell-all documentary.

The new show has captivated audience as it follows the famous father-son duo in their bid to take their heavyweight sports promotion company to the next level.

Yet, viewers were quick to spot both the absence of his wife of 13 years and a wedding band on his finger.

Eddie, who represents stars including Anthony Joshua and Canelo Alvarez, doesn’t appear to wear the band in the show or in the publicity photos taken ahead of its release.

Due to not being seen in public for months, whether or not Chloe is wearing her ring remains unknown.

The sports promoter’s wife has only been spotted once this year on March 31 when she resigned as a director from Matchroom’s charity foundation.

The following day, Eddie filed papers with Companies House confirming his relocation to Monaco.

However, despite this, friends of the pair reportedly remain adamant that the marriage remains robust and they are still very much together.

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A spokesperson for the couple said: “Rumours around the status of Eddie and Chloe’s marriage are untrue. They are still very much together.”

A source close to the family confirmed this, adding: “Eddie and Chloe may spend a lot of time apart but that’s down to the differing demands on them for business and family reasons – and they remain very much together.”

Another friend echoed these statements, explaining that the couple do lead increasingly separate lives, however, they remain strong as a couple and have no plans to change that.

The friend said that they are very different people with very different demands, as he fronts a huge business, while she is the primary carer to their girls.

Another source close to the Hearn’s also said that Eddie and Chloe are made for each other, adding that they have a modern relationship.

Prior to choosing to live in separate homes, the couple has always remained confident about their differences.

In a 2015 joint interview at Chloe’s Brentwood beauty salon, she described being married to Eddie as meaning in practice, learning to do everything on your own.

Eddie then chimed in, describing her as a boxing widow.

Eddie also recently shared a post to Instagram of him being welcomed to Kamani Living, a luxury real estate company based in Dubai.

This could suggest that the promoter is looking to make more investments in the Middle East.

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IF you think you are good at spotting tiny details, this latest visual brainteaser might just put you to the ultimate test.

The puzzle shows a dazzling grid of colourful rings, and lurking among the glittering chaos is a single prize engagement ring.

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The engagement ring has been designed to blend almost seamlessly with the surrounding jewels. 

However, somewhere among the sparkly mix of rings lies just one special design: a diamond set in a gold band.

This sparkling stumper isn’t as straightforward as it sounds. 

The creators at image editor experts Remove Background have challenged players to find it in under 15 seconds..

Some smug puzzle pros claim to have spotted it in the blink of an eye, while others admit they spent minutes staring before finally giving up.

Experts say that challenges like this can give your brain a mini-workout, sharpening attention to detail and boosting focus. 

Are you able to spot it or will you be left scratching your head?

Time is tight, but if you ace this task, you must have 20/20 vision.

It might seem a bit daunting at first, but the key is to carefully examine each element of the scene.

You might wish to start from the bottom right corner of the image and work your way up.

Did you manage to spot the hidden ring? If so, congratulations!

Still struggling? Don’t worry as there will be a solution image at the bottom.

Fancy giving a go at more brainteasers? Check if you have a high IQ by trying to find the hidden elephant in just eight seconds.

This mind-boggling brainteaser has even the most professional puzzlers scratching their heads in pursuit of the answer.

Everyone can spot the elephant but the challenge is to count her legs.

Still up for one more? This tricky optical illusion has left puzzle-lovers questioning the quality of their eyesight.

Finding the hidden baby rhino buried in this group of elephants is a challenge – can you do it in less than ten seconds?

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LAS VEGAS — Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez walked alongside his wife and one of his daughters to the makeshift stage in a giant tent a few feet from Allegiant Stadium, the venue where he had just lost for the third time in his professional career.

Visibly affected by more than just the marks left on his face, Álvarez acknowledged that Terence Crawford was superior to him. He made no excuses, but he seemed to be signaling that his body was telling him that his time as a boxer was running out.

During the final rounds, Álvarez’s frustration was evident. He lowered his hands, shook his head and on several occasions appeared resigned. Despite having had a great training camp, his 35 years of age, 20 of them as a professional, were evident.

Yes, Crawford is 37, but Álvarez completed 26 more fights than Crawford entering their bout Saturday night.

Terence Crawford punches Canelo Álvarez during an undisputed super middleweight championship boxing match in Las Vegas Saturday.

(David Becker / Associated Press)

“Sometimes you try and your body just can’t take it anymore,” Álvarez said. “That’s my frustration. Maybe I can’t understand Crawford, but my body just can’t take it anymore. I tried, but it just wouldn’t let me continue. And you have to accept that.”

Álvarez lost the super middleweight title bout by unanimous decision, with the judges scoring it 116-112, 115-113 and 115-113 before a record announced crowd of 70,482.

Álvarez acknowledged that he landed blows on his opponent, but none with the cleanliness and power that would have changed the course of the fight.

“I hit Crawford, but I didn’t land any clean blows with all my strength,” lamented Álvarez.

Despite his difficulty, the Guadalajara native reiterated that he never gave up in the ring.

Is this the beginning of the end for Álvarez? Perhaps. But early retirement seems unlikely … especially when he continues to be a box office magnet. The latest proof is in the $47,231,887 in gross revenue generated by ticket sales at Allegiant Stadium, according Live Gate.

The Canelo-Crawford fight became the biggest box office draw in the history of the Las Vegas venue, and with 70,482 fans in attendance, it was the most attended boxing event in U.S. history, surpassing Ali-Spinks II.

Crawford stripped Álvarez of his World Boxing Council (WBC), World Boxing Assn. (WBA), International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Organization (WBO) belts.

After the fight, Álvarez raised his right arm in triumph. But he didn’t declare himself the winner as he did following his loss to Dmitry Bivol in 2022.

Álvarez accepted his defeat against a vastly superior opponent who made his win look easy.

Canelo Álvarez punches Terence Crawford during an undisputed super middleweight championship boxing match in Las Vegas Saturday.

(David Becker / Associated Press)

On the other hand, upon hearing the verdict, Crawford knelt in the ring before raising his arms to celebrate the victory.

“I knew I had won when the final bell rang. This is not my plan, it is God’s plan. I am just carrying out his mission,” Crawford said.

Emotional, he remembered his team and the people who have accompanied him.

“When they doubt me, they doubt my team. They thought they couldn’t take me where I wanted to go because they’re not from a big city and they don’t have recognition,” Crawford said. “But here we are, making history. I’m at the forefront, and behind me comes a new generation.”

Although he celebrated intensely, Crawford did not belittle Álvarez, acknowledging the quality of the former champion.

The win is a milestone for Crawford. He is now the first male boxer to be the undisputed champion in three different divisions in the era of four belts. With an undefeated record of 42-0 and 31 knockouts, he stands at the top of his generation.

“It wasn’t easy. It just looked that way, but it wasn’t. He’s definitely the best opponent I’ve ever faced,” Crawford said.

After confirming his third defeat, Álvarez’s gaze was not that of a man who knew he would receive more than $100 million for stepping onto the canvas at Allegiant Stadium. His gaze was that of someone whose body had reminded him that the end of a celebrated career was closer than he thought.

Terence Crawford reacts after the final bell of his fight with Canelo Álvarez, not pictured, in their undisputed super middleweight title fight Saturday in Las Vegas.

(Steve Marcus / Getty Images)

He appeared with the serenity of a man who, although hurt, knew how to recognize the greatness of his opponent.

“I tried everything I could and trained very hard, and he deserves all the credit. Tonight I gave it my all, but I can’t understand his style,” Álvarez said.

Crawford saw Álvarez’s frustration firsthand. Around the sixth round, Crawford knew he had to take another step to completely control the fight because he felt Álvarez adapting to the bout’s rhythm, so he pressed his style harder and overwhelmed Álvarez.

Everything he did was part of the plan he developed during his training camp. Although Crawford wanted to be more active, his coaches reminded him to be disciplined and patient.

Much was said about the difficulties he might face in moving up two weight classes, but the American insisted that he did not feel physically disadvantaged against Álvarez.

“People exaggerated that. He and I are practically the same size,” Crawford said. “I’m a little taller, my arms are longer. The difference is minimal. So when they said, ‘Canelo is huge,’ it seemed disrespectful to me. Tonight you could see that we were evenly matched.”

When asked if what complicated things most for him was Crawford’s speed, movement, or power, Álvarez responded: “Everything. He has it all.”

For the first time since 2018, Álvarez is no longer a world champion.

“I feel like a champion no matter what happens. Win or lose, I still feel like a champion,” Álvarez said. “You have to accept defeat and accept everything. I’m going to keep going.”

When asked whether Floyd Mayweather Jr., who handed him his first professional defeat in 2013, was better than Crawford, Álvarez responded no.

“I think Crawford is much better than Floyd Mayweather,” Álvarez said.

Álvarez recounted gathering his family in the locker room to explain the importance of accepting both victory and defeat.

Canelo Álvarez kisses his wife, Fernanda Gomez, after losing to Terence Crawford (not pictured) in their undisputed super middleweight title fight on Saturday in Las Vegas.

(Steve Marcus / Getty Images)

“My children and my wife were a little sad, but I told them that’s the way it is. It’s not a defeat, it’s a lesson,” Álvarez said. “You have to accept both sides of the coin. That’s what I want to teach them, that you learn as much when you win as when you lose.”

Visibly moved, he spoke of his newborn daughter, just 1 month old, who was waiting for him at their hotel.

Álvarez avoided giving clear details about his next steps and gave himself time to reflect. His future decisions will involve his family, who accompany him in victory and defeat.

The loss to Crawford won’t trigger Álvarez’s immediate retirement, as he has a four-fight contract worth around $400 million with Turki Alalshikh and Riyadh Season, but he could change his strategy in scheduling opponents.

“I want to see what happens in the future. There will definitely be good things,“ Álvarez said. ”I won just by being here.”

Although his legacy is already assured with a career spanning more than 20 years, multiple titles in different divisions and victories over big names, this loss marks a turning point. The question will be how he reacts, whether he will seek immediate revenge or takes another path.

The victory places Crawford on a historic pedestal alongside Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, becoming the third linear champion in four divisions and the second boxer to achieve undisputed status in three categories, something only Henry Armstrong had achieved in 1938 in a different era of boxing.

“It means a lot because they always said I fought nobodies. Well, what can they say now? I did everything I said I was going to do,” Crawford said. “I moved up two divisions, faced the undisputed champion, and took all his titles. That’s greatness.”

When asked to compare himself to Mayweather, Crawford was respectful.

“Floyd was the best of his era. I am the best of mine. There is no need to compare us,” Crawford said.

The event was attended mostly by Mexican fans who hoped to see Álvarez further cement his legacy. But they left having witnessed a great performance by Álvarez’s opponent.

The fans booed Crawford, who made his walk to the ring dressed in an outfit inspired by the 1995 film “Desperado,” starring Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek, accompanied by live music and guitar in hand.

At the end of the fight, the same fans applauded him, recognizing his great performance against the defeated champion.

Terence Crawford displays his title belts after defeating Canelo Álvarez (not pictured) in an undisputed super middleweight title fight by unanimous decision.

(Harry How / Getty Images for Netflix)

“It was part of my outfit. The outfit was inspired by the movie ‘Desperado.’ As you can see, I had the guitar and everything,” Crawford said. “My great childhood friend, Jacinto Robles, was the one who performed a song and acted tonight. … As I said, I also have Mexicans and Latinos on my side. It’s been a beautiful night.”

Unlike many other fighters, Crawford says little, is reserved but intense when he goes after his opponent, avoids theatrics and gets straight to the point. Defeating Álvarez in front of his fans, dominating most of the rounds and becoming just the third person to defeat Álvarez is more than enough to shout about with pride, but he didn’t.

Crawford waited until the end of Álvarez’s media appearance in the giant tent to return the Mexican’s belts handed to him in the ring. He could have done this privately in the locker room, but he did it in front of media and the Álvarez family as a sign of respect, extending his hand to his rival.

“When I signed the contract, I already knew I was going to beat him,” Crawford said. “It’s no surprise to me. It’s a surprise to all of you because you don’t believe me. But I always knew I could do it.”

This article first appeared in Spanish via L.A. Times en Español.

For decades, men in many countries were expected to spend two or even three months’ salary on a diamond engagement ring. This notion – and the iconic status of this gem – did not come about by accident.

The story goes back to 1870, when an Oxford University dropout named Cecil Rhodes set off to try his luck in the Cape Colony – modern-day South Africa, then a key British domain.

Seeing the burgeoning diamond mining sector there, he began renting water pumps to diamond prospectors to prevent flooding of the mines. Then, over the next 20 years, Rhodes and his partner Charles Rudd proceeded to buy out hundreds, and then thousands, of small mines and “claims” – landholdings believed to contain diamonds – often for a pittance when their owners faced bankruptcy. Most miners were small operators, and Rhodes and Rudd had access to serious financial capital – notably the Rothschild banking empire – through their connections in London. As the two partners combined claims into larger mining units, overhead costs were reduced, and operations became more profitable.

The partners incorporated as De Beers Consolidated Mines, De Beers being the name of one of the mines they took over. By 1888, the company had a near-monopoly of South African claims and active diamond mines. With diamonds making up more than 25 percent of South African exports in 1900, De Beers became a powerhouse of the country’s economy, controlling some 90 percent of the world’s total diamond supply. Rhodes himself became a leading imperial figure, serving as prime minister of the Cape Colony from 1890 to 1896.

De Beers was founded upon the racist policies of South Africa, which at the time was ruled by a white minority. The diamonds were extracted by Black miners earning subsistence wages, while De Beers’s white, European-origin shareholders enjoyed the profits.

Following Rhodes’s death in 1902, control of De Beers ultimately passed to German-born entrepreneur Ernest Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer used a combination of financial incentives, strategic pressure, and diplomacy to persuade diamond suppliers in other countries to sell exclusively through the London-based and De Beers-owned “Central Selling Organization” (CSO), which in the 1930s became the unified sales channel for virtually all the world’s pre-cut diamonds. This enabled De Beers to stockpile diamonds, strictly control the release of stones to the global market, and effectively control prices – thereby creating an illusion of diamond scarcity worldwide.

Meanwhile, De Beers sought to enhance global demand for diamonds. In 1946, the company hired NW Ayer, a Philadelphia-based advertising agency, which one year later came up with the legendary slogan, “A diamond is forever”. This reframed the diamond and, specifically, the diamond engagement ring, as a symbol of “eternal love”. Through mass advertising, product placements in films, and celebrity PR – for example, lending jewellery to actors for major events – the campaign transformed the diamond market in the US, Europe and Japan.

Lasting 64 years, until 2011, this campaign was an astounding global success, with Ad Age magazine naming “A diamond is forever” as the top advertisement slogan of the 20th century. De Beers had manufactured a social norm, with the diamond engagement ring becoming almost mandatory in every developed market. While previously, a fiance might give a locket, a string of pearls, or a family heirloom to his intended, the number of American brides with a diamond ring climbed from 10 percent in 1940 to some 80 percent in 1980. In Japan, this figure rose from less than 5 percent in 1960 to 60 percent by 1981.

By the early 1950s, a diamond ring typically cost about $170 – about $2,300 in today’s money. De Beers advertisements initially suggested spending one month’s salary on an engagement ring, but by the 1980s, they were posing the question: “How can you make two months’ salary last forever?” Consumers appeared undeterred by the fact that a diamond’s resale value was typically just 50 percent of its original retail price (in contrast to gold, which has an “official” benchmark price set twice-daily).

By the time Marilyn Monroe sang “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend” in 1953 and the James Bond film “Diamonds Are Forever” was released in 1971, the diamond had become an icon.

‘Cartel behaviour’

By the late 1970s, De Beers was annually distributing some 50 million diamond carats, with sales of more than $2bn in the US alone.

But as the 1980s rolled around, problems started to emerge for the company.

De Beers came under increasing scrutiny as the anti-apartheid movement gained momentum in Europe and the United States. Reports of its working conditions were shocking: low pay for mineworkers, minimum safety training and crowded dormitory housing surrounded by barbed wire and security checkpoints. This negative publicity put De Beers firmly in the spotlight as one of the prime beneficiaries of apartheid.

De Beers had already fought off allegations of “cartel behaviour” from the US Department of Justice. But in 1994, the company was indicted by a US grand jury on price-fixing charges. The company was barred from doing business in the US, where its executives could no longer set foot for fear of arrest.

In the late 1990s, reports that the diamond trade was financing brutal civil wars in Angola, Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo further soured consumer sentiment.

Rebel groups targeted “alluvial” diamond mines – relatively easy-to-extract surface deposits, often in riverbeds – selling stones into the informal “grey” market and using the profits to buy weapons. The phrase “blood diamonds” entered the lexicon as investigative articles depicted enslaved children with pickaxes and shovels. De Beers was accused of turning a blind eye, if not outright complicity. The company’s sales declined more than 20 percent in two years, from about $5.7bn in 1999 to $4.45bn in 2001, with other diamond suppliers such as Angola’s Endiama and Russia’s Alrosa equally affected.

But since the early 1990s, changes had been afoot at De Beers. Facing pressure from South Africa’s newly elected African National Congress (ANC), it had introduced better conditions and wages for its mainly Black mineworkers. At the same time, Black South Africans also began to occupy some management roles.

Meanwhile, the US indictment meant the company had no choice but to terminate its CSO in 2000, ushering in competition from other producers. Diamond prices, no longer set and dictated by the CSO, became more volatile, subject to fluctuating demand, economic cycles, and geopolitical conditions.

To counter the blood diamond backlash, De Beers helped implement the “Kimberley Process” in 2003, through which diamond dealers can trace the origin of diamonds and authenticate “clean’’ diamonds with a microscopic stamp.

Not forever?

Today, natural diamonds may have lost some of their allure with the rise of “lab-grown” stones and “diamond simulants” such as cubic zirconia, which are up to 90 percent cheaper than the mined variety and often distinguishable from the real thing only by experts using specialised equipment.

Over the past two years, the diamond industry has been hit by a “perfect storm” of cheaper synthetic stones, weak consumer demand in the US and China, sanctions against Russia and, more recently, high US tariffs. This has had a widespread adverse impact: the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) reported that rough diamond imports dropped 35 percent in 2024, with overall trade declining by 25 percent year-on-year (from $32.5bn to $24.4bn) – and in the Indian gem processing hub of Surat, at least 50,000 diamond workers were rendered jobless in 2024. At least 80 diamond workers in India have died by suicide in the past two years.

In 2011, the Oppenheimer family sold its interest in De Beers to the London-based mining corporation Anglo American, another major shareholder, for just over $5bn. De Beers is now once more up for sale, again with a $5bn price tag, as Anglo American seeks to exit the declining diamond market in favour of copper, iron ore and rare earth minerals.

Despite the volatile market conditions, total global consumer diamond sales were valued at approximately $100bn in 2024, with the average price of $6,750 for a diamond ring in the US, according to the Natural Diamond Council – about 1.3 months’ standard wage in the United States, but about eight months’ worth of the global median income. For those of greater means, London’s Harrods reportedly has a 228.31 carat, pear-shaped diamond available to view by private appointment – with a price estimated to be in excess of $30m.

This article is part of “Ordinary items, extraordinary stories”, a series about the surprising stories behind well-known items. 

Read more from the series:

How the inventor of the bouncy castle saved lives

How a popular Peruvian soft drink went ‘toe-to-toe’ with Coca-Cola

How a drowning victim became a lifesaving icon

How a father’s love and a pandemic created a household name

How Nigerians reinvented an Italian tinned tomato brand

How a children’s chocolate drink became a symbol of French colonialism

Liam Hemsworth is ready to give marriage a second chance, now with Australian model Gabriella Brooks.

The “Hunger Games” actor and Brooks are engaged, the latter announced early Friday morning. Brooks revealed the news on Instagram, sharing photos of herself embracing Hemsworth — younger brother of “Thor” star Chris Hemsworth — and snaps of a shimmering seashore and her cushion-cut engagement ring. Brooks captioned her photos with an emoji of a white heart.

The ring featured in Brooks’ post is the same piece that sparked engagement rumors a few weeks back. People reported that the model was seen showing off the ring on her left-hand ring finger as she joined Hemsworth and his brothers for a getaway in Ibiza, where they celebrated Chris Hemsworth’s 42nd birthday.

Brooks, 29, and Hemsworth, 35, are engaged nearly six years after they began dating. They were first seen together in December 2019, just months after Hemsworth filed to divorce “Hannah Montana” star and singer Miley Cyrus. (The exes, who had been on-and-off since they started dating in 2009, got married in December 2018 and announced their separation in August 2019.)

“I wish her nothing but health and happiness going forward,” he said of Cyrus in a statement at the time. “This is a private matter and I have not made, nor will I be making, any comments to any journalists or media outlets.”

Since connecting, the pair of Australians have flaunted their relationship at public events including the Australian Open and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The couple has, of course, hit multiple red-carpet premieres over the years, including those for Liam Hemsworth’s film “Poker Face” and Chris Hemsworth’s “Limitless,” “Extraction 2” and “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.”

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement may have kicked off a major earthquake in the real world this week, but it hasn’t put serious seismic activity into the lives of the spouses-to-be: They were spotted out Thursday night in a luxury box catching — wait for it — a college football game, where Swift took her new engagement ring out for a test drive.

It was the first game of the 2025-26 NCAA season for the hometown University of Cincinnati Bearcats, the Kelce brothers’ alma mater, who lost to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Cornhuskers by a field goal at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. The bros (Jason was there too) were rooting for the Bearcats, obviously, with Travis rocking a street-art emblazoned Cincinnati cap and his older sibling sported a more traditional college typeface on his chapeau.

Swift rocked a denim miniskirt, according to People, with a white sweater, white boots, green nails and, oh yes, that massive engagement ring. The Old Mine Cut diamond ring was designed by Travis Kelce and New York City-based jewelry designer Kindred Lubeck, according to myriad media reports.

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While experts who talked to People put the size of the stone at between 5 and 10 carats and guesstimated its value as anywhere from $125,000 to $5 million — which is quite the range — folks who talked to Page Six said it likely came with a $1-million price tag. Basically, nobody knows the value of a custom-made, vintage-style ring with a one-of-a-kind hand-etched diamond that is currently sitting on the ring finger of a global pop star. Go figure.

“It’s my engraved pieces that put me on the digital map,” Lubeck told VoyageJacksonville in 2024. “I started making reels showcasing my work and people started noticing. Eventually, I started getting requests for me to make engagement rings.”

The Neptune Beach, Fla., native has described herself as a goldsmith specializing in hand engraving who got started working part time with her jeweler dad in her hometown during the pandemic lockdown.

“Basically, I take very small, sharp instruments and cut away bits of metal, usually on the sides of rings, into a particular design,” she said. “People just go crazy for it when I post it online.”

No kidding: On Friday, Lubeck appeared to be sold out of every big-ticket ring she had been offering on her website, though a handful of sub-$20,000 designs were still in stock. (Swifties, where you at? A bunch of them can be had for less than $5,000! And they’re not even “distressed.”)

The Grammy-winning “Love Story” pop icon and the Kansas City Chiefs tight end announced the beginning of their engagement era on Tuesday in a joint Instagram post.

“Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married,” Swift captioned photos from the garden engagement, which actually took place a couple of weeks earlier.

Kelce’s dad told a Cleveland news station the same day that Travis had popped the question at home in Lee’s Summit, Mo., after months of planning, right before the two headed out for dinner. Before they left, Travis told Taylor, “‘Let’s go out and have a glass of wine.’ … They got out there, and that’s when he asked her, and it was beautiful,” Ed Kelce said.

He added with a happy shrug, “I don’t know how much I’m supposed to say, but I don’t care!”

But Vice President JD Vance definitely cares — about the effects this pairing might have on the NFL this season.

“I will say as a football fan — as a Cincinnati Bengals fan — I hope that the NFL does not put a thumb on the scale for the Kansas City Chiefs just because Travis Kelce is now getting married to maybe the most famous woman in the world,” the veep told USA Today this week.

“You guys can’t sort of have this, ‘I’m worried they’re going to have a Super Bowl wedding’ thing this season. Can’t do it. The Kansas City Chiefs have to follow the same rules as everybody else.”

So in the case that the NFL’s “deep state” turns romantic and favors the Chiefs in this pigskin-tinted love story, Vance is urging fans to be ready to act.

“I think all football fans should be willing to push back on the NFL,” he said, “and say, ‘Look, you guys got to be fair.’”

Fair enough.

Times staff writer Alexandra Del Rosario contributed to this report.

DARREN TILL goes head-to-head with ex-UFC champion Luke Rockhold in a colossal fight for the MFB Bridgerweight title THIS WEEKEND.

Manchester’s AO Arena hosts the high-stakes bout with professional MMA fighter Till taking on former UFC Middleweight champion Rockhold.

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Till boasted a UFC record of 18-5-1 and has since transferred his skill to the Misfits ring.

The Liverpool born fighter, 32, has won his first two fights since making his Misfits boxing debut, convincingly defeating Anthony Taylor by TKO and Darren Stewart by unaminous decision.

“The Gorilla” will be eager to continue his form with a win over Rockhold and is favourite for the bout.

American retired MMA star Rockhold makes his much anticipated boxing debut on August 30.

The 40-year-old star is most remembered for becoming the seventh UFC Middleweight champion in UFC history just over a decade ago.

It will be a tough challenge for Rockhold as he makes the transition into boxing, but he will be hoping for a strong underdog victory against the in-form Till.

When is Till vs Rockhold?

• Till vs Rockhold will take place on Saturday, August 30.
• Streaming for the event begins at 7pm BST.
• The ring-walks for the main event will be approximately at 10pm BST.
• The bout will take place in Manchester at the AO Arena.

What TV channel is Till vs Rockhold on and can it be live streamed?

• Till vs Rockhold will be broadcast live on DAZN.
• The whole fight card will stream live on DAZN in over 200 countries across the globe via a DAZN subscription.
• If you are not currently a DAZN member, then monthly and annual subscription options are available to watch over 185 fights a year across boxing, bare knuckle boxing, MMA and kickboxing.
• An Annual Super Saver subscription is a one-off payment of £119.99 / $224.99 for 12-months access (£14.99 / $19.99 per month if paying in monthly instalments).
• A Monthly Flexible pass, which can be cancelled at any time, is £24.99 / $29.99 per month.
• Alternatively, SunSport’s live blog will bring you round-by-round updates from the huge card.

Who else is on the card?

Here are all the bouts taking place in Manchester:

Subject to change

• Darren Till vs Luke Rockhold; Bridgerweight
• Tony Ferguson vs Salt Papi; Middleweight
• Dillon Danis vs Warren Spencer; Light heavyweight
• Joey Essex vs Numeiro; Middleweight
• Ty Mitchell vs Sean Hemphill; Super middleweight

CAT Deeley has taken off her wedding ring as she was seen for the first time since her split with Patrick Kielty, and trip with a male friend. 

Cat and Patrick – who share sons Milo, seven, and James, five – announced that they were separating last month. 

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Now photos show This Morning host Cat, 48, without her ring on her wedding finger. 

The TV presenter has instead swapped it onto her right hand, in a nod to this new chapter of her life. 

Cat was spotted without the bling on her left hand while stepping out to run errands in a very chic outfit. 

She had a crisp white shirt on and denim jeans, and wore her hair down in loose waves. 

The mum-of-two clutched onto her purse while out and about near the former couple’s marital home. 

Cat looked sunkissed following her recent trip to Spain with a hairdresser pal. 

The star was seen out for dinner with a male friend in Sitges, Spain on August 2 – just days after she and Patrick, 54, split. 

Onlookers told the Daily Mail how the presenter looked “crestfallen” during the “difficult time”. 

The snaps obtained by the publication show Cat without her wedding ring as she and hairdresser pal Ben Skervin tucked into dinner at restaurant Chiringuito de Garraf.

Ben is a celebrity hairstylist and has worked with the likes of the Spice Girls, Mariah Carey and Madonna. 

A fellow diner said: “Cat looked a bit down and a touch crestfallen, not her usual spritely self, which is understandable given her marriage split.

“Her accent was recognisable to a number of Brits at the restaurant, which is popular with celebrities, and she had interacted with a few British kids also dining there

“She clearly needed to be around her nearest and dearest during such a difficult time.”

Cat was a no-show at the funeral of Patrick’s mother in March, his family “knew the marriage was over”. 

One said: “Whatever rockiness was going on in the marriage, something as momentous as his mother’s funeral, you would make up even temporarily and just put your ‘best face’ on as we say in Northern Ireland.

“Cat obviously knew how close Patrick was to Mary and she should have come to be by his side, a hand on his shoulder as he buried his mother. 

“The fact that she stayed in London and presented This Morning on the day, it’s not been forgotten.

At the time of Mary’s funeral, Cat insisted she’d stayed in London to be with their sons Milo, seven, and James, five.A spokesman for Cat told the Mail: “Cat remained at home to be there for her two young children before and after school on this very sad day.”

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ICONIC UFC octagon girl Brittney Palmer is no stranger to setting pulses racing on social media.

But her recent Instagram photo dump sent her followers into an absolute tizzy.

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Palmer strutted her stuff around the UFC octagon for nearly TWO DECADES and built a massive following on social media on the back of it.

And she recently wowed her 1.1million Instagram followers with selfies in her underwear and an extremely revealing top in a car.

The 38-year-old stunned as she struck a variety of poses for the camera.

Palmer’s accompanying caption for the post read: “Buckle up. #IYKYK.”

Scores of the artist and model’s followers flooded the comments section, with one saying: “Hey sexy mama.”

Another said: “Glowing.”

And another said: “Stunning.”

One remarked: “Just beautiful.”

SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET £50 BONUS WHEN YOU JOIN

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Another chimed in: “OMG, Brittney, very beautiful.”

Palmer began her octagon girl career all the way back in 2007 and was truly part of the UFC furniture.

But she announced her retirement from the role in December 2023 after scooping yet another Ring Girl of the Year award.

She said: “Thank you, everyone. I truly am honoured to accept this award.

“Thank you to the UFC. Fighters Only, and all the fans who voted for me.

“Well, there’s no better time to say it. But after 16 years with UFC, I’ve decided to retire.

“This weekend will be my last event, and I’m so absolutely grateful for this unforgettable experience.”

Nagasaki’s Immaculate Conception Cathedral was rebuilt in 1959 after being almost completely destroyed in the explosion.

Twin cathedral bells will ring in unison in Nagasaki for the first time in 80 years, as the Japanese city commemorates the moment the United States decimated it with an atomic bomb eight decades ago.

Crowds are set to gather at Nagasaki’s Immaculate Conception Cathedral on Saturday morning, as the church’s two bells will ring together for the first time since 1945.

The US dropped an atomic bomb on the southwestern port city of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, at 11:02am local time, three days after it dropped a nuclear weapon on Hiroshima.

About 74,000 people were killed in Nagasaki, while 140,000 were killed in Hiroshima.

On August 15, 1945, Japan surrendered, marking the end of World War II.

The church in Nagasaki, widely known as Urakami Cathedral, was rebuilt in 1959 after it was almost completely destroyed in the monstrous atomic explosion, the hypocentre of which was just a few hundred metres from the religious building. Only one of two church bells was recovered from the rubble.

But, funded by Catholics in the US, a new second bell has been constructed and restored to the tower. It will chime on Saturday for the first time in 80 years at the exact moment the bomb was dropped.

Nearly 100 countries are set to attend this year’s commemorations in Nagasaki.

Among the participants will be a representative from Russia, which has not been invited since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Israel, whose ambassador to Japan was not invited to the memorial last year over the country’s war on Gaza, is also expected to attend.

“We wanted participants to come and witness directly the reality of the catastrophe that a nuclear weapon can cause,” a Nagasaki official said last week.

Spearheading the fundraising campaign for the new church bell was James Nolan – a sociology professor at Williams College in Massachusetts, whose grandfather participated in the Manhattan Project, which developed the US’s first nuclear weapons.

While doing research in Nagasaki, a Japanese Christian told him he would like to hear the cathedral’s two bells ring together once again.

Inspired, Nolan embarked on a yearlong series of lectures about the atomic bomb across the US, primarily in churches, ultimately raising approximately $125,000 to fund a new bell. It was unveiled in Nagasaki earlier this year.

“The reactions were magnificent. There were people literally in tears,” Nolan said.

The cathedral’s chief priest, Kenichi Yamamura, said the bell’s restoration “shows the greatness of humanity”.

“It’s not about forgetting the wounds of the past but recognising them and taking action to repair and rebuild, and in doing so, working together for peace,” Yamamura told the AFP news agency.

Hulk Hogan, who died Thursday at 71, was a star in pro wrestling, perhaps the star, through its two biggest popularity booms in the mid 1980s and the late 1990s. But after being the biggest star in, there was a lot of controversy along the way and his career ended in a hail of boos.

Hogan burst onto the scene in the 1982 movie “Rocky III,” where he played a pro wrestler called Thunderlips, who was taking on Rocky Balboa in a match for charity. He appeared on “The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson” and caught the eye of Vince McMahon, who was planning on buying the then-World Wrestling Federation from his father and taking it nationwide, He was looking for a star to build the promotion around. Hogan was wrestling for the American Wrestling Assn. and was growing frustrated that they never gave him the promotion’s championship, which usually led to making more money.

McMahon bought the WWF and started poaching talent from around the country. Hogan signed in late 1983, breaking his AWA contract and no-showing several dates. McMahon quickly put the championship on Hogan, who came into the ring to the song “Real American,” tore off his T-shirt, told his fans to “train, say your prayers and take your vitamins,” and vowed to defeat the heel of the month because “Whatcha gonna do, King Kong Bundy or Paul Orndorff or Kamala or Roddy Piper, when Hulk Hogan and Hulkamania run wild on you.”

It was a formula for success for many years, lifting pro wrestling to the mainstream with appearances on MTV and NBC, where WWF filled in for “Saturday Night Live” every six weeks and drew better ratings, all with Hogan headlining.

In 1989, Hogan tried to branch off into movies, produced by McMahon. They all flopped. “No Holds Barred.” “Suburban Commando.” “Mr. Nanny.” The persona that worked so well in the ring did not translate onto the big screen like it later did for wrestling stars such as Dwayne Johnson and Dave Bautista.

In 1991, Dr. George Zahorian III was convicted of illegally supplying anabolic steroids. Zahorian also served as the ringside doctor for WWF matches in Pennsylvania. At his trial, it was revealed that Zahorian had supplied steroids to the WWF and its wrestlers. Hogan, hoping to end discussion that he was on steroids, appeared on “Arsenio Hall” in 1992 and said that he has only used steroids on three occasions, all under doctor’s care to rehabilitate muscle injuries.

The outcry was immediate, with wrestlers coming out to says Hogan was lying. Fans, who could see how well-built these stars were, were disillusioned that Hogan would lie. His popularity began to wane and he began to get booed at some appearances. Hogan took a leave of absence from the company.

A much-smaller Hogan returned in 1993 to team with his friend Brutus Beefcake to take on Ted DiBiase and Irwin R. Schyster at WrestleMania in Las Vegas. Little did fans know that the plan was for Hogan to end the show as champion once again. When Hogan came out to aid Bret Hart, who had just lost his title to Yokozuna due to having salt thrown in his eyes, Yokozuna’s manager, Mr. Fuji, made an impromptu challenge to Hogan to wrestle him for the title “right now.” Hogan won the title in about one minute.

However, Hogan and McMahon has miscalculated the public’s desire to see Hogan again, especially in the top spot. The reaction was lukewarm at best and Hogan made sporadic appearances until losing the title to Yokozuna that summer. Hogan left WWF and started wrestling in Japan.

In 1994, Hogan signed with the now-World Wrestling Entertainment’s main rival, World Championship Wrestling. He lifted the profile of the company and drew several strong pay-per-view buy rates, but at live shows, fans seemed to be tiring of the trademark red and yellow gear and Hulkamania. WCW’s popularity was on the decline again when it was time for something no one thought they would ever see.

Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, two of WWE’s biggest stars, had signed with WCW and presented themselves as “invaders from a big wrestling company up north.” Fans had been dying to see a feud between WWE and WCW, and Nash and Hall, under the guidance of booker Eric Bischoff, were hinting that that was happening. They promised to unveil a mystery third man at the July 1996 “Bash at the Beach” show.

Nash and Hall came to the ring without the third man at that event, promising their ally would be along soon. They started wrestling Sting, Lex Luger and Randy Savage and cheated to get the upper hand, knocking Luger out and injuring Sting. They were about to destroy Savage, when Hogan walked out in the red and yellow gear. Here to save the day again.

Hulk Hogan and Dennis Rodman were briefly aligned after Hogan turned heel and started the New World Order.

(Paula Illingworth / Associated Press)

The crowd was shocked when Hogan turned on Savage and announced himself as the third man. He told the fans they could go to hell. Fans began pelting the ring with garbage as Hogan announced the formation of the New World Order.

The next week, Hogan, now wearing black and white, got pelted with garbage again. But the heel turn worked. WCW began beating WWE in the ratings for the first time. Pro wrestling was on another hot streak, being watched by more people each week (around 13 million) than at any time in history.

The hot streak lasted until 1998, when fans grew tied of the NWO. Hogan left WCW in 2000. He returned to WWE briefly and had a memorable WrestleMania match with The Rock, before leaving again in a money dispute.

Hogan made appearances with other wrestling companies after that, and even returned to WWE to be inducted into their Hall of Fame in 2005 and had what turned out to be his final match for WWE in 2007. He was signed by the TNA promotion after that to put them on the map, but never really gained any traction there.

In July 2015, many media outlets ran excerpt of racial slurs made by Hogan on a leaked sex tape recorded in 2007. In the recording, he is heard expressing disgust if his daughter ever dated a Black man, hoping that he would at least be a basketball player worth millions, dropped a racial slur toward Black people repeatedly and said he was “a racist, to a point.”

Once the recordings went public, the outrage was immediate. Hogan apologized, saying he used “language that is offensive and inconsistent with my own beliefs.” WWE removed him from its Hall of Fame and terminated the legends contract with him, though Hogan always maintained he resigned. Mattel stopped production of all toys featuring Hogan. His public appearances were few and far between and not well-received. Hogan gave an interview on ABC in which he asked for forgiveness, saying his racism was learned from his neighborhood while growing up in Tampa, Fla., and that racial slurs were commonly used there. Not many believed him.

Three years later, Hogan appeared backstage at a WWE event to give an apology to the wrestlers for his remarks. Afterward, several wrestlers expressed disappointment with Hogan, saying he didn’t apologize for the remarks but warned them instead to be careful what they say because someone could be taping them without their knowledge. The WWE reinstated him to the Hall of Fame.

Hogan began appearing on WWE shows again, but there were almost always pretaped appearances. He hosted WrestleMania 37 in 2021, and was booed. His final live appearance was Jan. 6 this year, when he appeared on the first “Monday Night Raw” on Netflix. It was at the Inuit Dome, and when Hogan came out, he was booed strongly by the crowd. Hogan seemed caught off guard, and after plugging his new beer, went backstage. He blamed the booing on his support for Donald Trump, even though others on the show who also support Trump weren’t booed when they appeared.

It was a sad ending for a man who make pro wrestling what it is today. What will Hulk Hogan be remembered for 50 years from now? It would be interesting to hop in a time machine and find out.

LAS VEGAS — Manny Pacquiao pushed back against his doubters, the odds and even Father Time on Saturday night — and nearly made some history.

But Pacquiao, in the end, fell just short on the judges’ scorecards as Mario Barrios escaped with a majority draw to retain the WBC welterweight championship. Two judges scored the bout a draw, and judge Max DeLuca awarded Barrios a 115-113 victory.

The Associated Press scored the fight 115-113 in favor of Pacquiao.

“I thought I won the fight,” Pacquiao said.

Barrios landed more total punches (120-101), according to Compubox, but Pacquiao had the edge in power shots (81-75).

Pacquiao, enshrined into the International Boxing Hall of Fame last month, was trying to break his own record for oldest welterweight champion. He was 40 when he emerged victorious in a 2019 split decision over Keith Thurman. This also was the first appearance in the ring in nearly four years for the 46-year-old Filipino, following a loss by unanimous decision to Yordenis Ugás.

Barrios, a 30-year-old from San Antonio, was a -275 favorite at BetMGM Sportsbook. He hoped to bounce back from a split-decision draw on Nov. 15 against Abel Ramos, but didn’t exactly come away with an emphatic victory in improving to 29-2-2. The heavily pro-Pacquiao crowd loudly booed the decision.

“It was an honor to share the ring with him,” Barrios said. “This is by far the biggest event I’ve had to date, and we came in here and left everything in the ring. I have nothing but respect for Manny.

“His stamina is crazy. He’s still strong as hell and his timing is real. He’s still a very awkward fighter to try to figure out.”

Mario Barrios, left, and Manny Pacquiao pose for photos in the ring after fighting to a majority draw in Las Vegas on Saturday.

(John Locher / Associated Press)

Pacman (62-9-2) moved swiftly around the ring from the beginning, often looking more like the younger champion who captured 12 world titles in eight divisions. He began to be take control in the seventh, landing several big left hands to win the following three rounds on two cards and two on the other.

But Barrios was the better fighter at the end, coming out more aggressive knowing he might be in trouble with the judges. All three, in fact, awarded Barrios each of the final three rounds.

“I didn’t think the fight was getting away from me, but I knew I had to step it up to solidify a win,” Barrios said.

Both sides said they would be interested in a rematch.

“I hope this is an inspiration to boxers that if you have discipline and work hard, you can still fight at this age,” Pacquiao said.

Sebastian Fundora (23-1-1, 15 KOs) retained his WBC super welterweight title when Tim Tszyu (25-3) didn’t come out for the eighth round in the co-main event. Fundora floored Tszyu with a left hand in the first round and dominated the action with 118 power punches, according to Compubox, by repeatedly backing down the Australian.

“I’m the bigger guy,” said Fundora, who led 69-63 on all three judges’ cards. “Everyone says I’m a bully in the ring, so I thought I should start really bullying these guys. I just kept working on aggression my whole career and we’ve just been adding.”

It was a big week for Fundora, who was accepted into Harvard and then won the rematch with Tszyu. The first fight on March 30, 2024, was much closer, with Fundora emerging with a split-decision victory.

The Coachella, Calif., resident also had been the WBO champion, but that organization stripped him of his belt for not fighting mandatory challenger Xander Zayas.

Anderson writes for the Associated Press.

If you’re a fan of taking your holidays onboard luxury cruiseliners to travel the world and experience far flung destinations, you might want to pay more attention to the type of jewellery you choose to take with you

Cruises are an increasingly popular way to enjoy a trip away from home to visit multiple destinations during one holiday. You only have to unpack once and get to enjoy all the onboard amenities, activities and fine dining right on your cabin doorstep every day.

You could be an experienced cruise traveller or be considering the option for your next vacation but it seems there’s a whole lot more that goes on behind the scenes than you might expect.

When it comes to choosing what accessories you take with you, it may, or may not – depending on your preference – pay to be wary of packing a certain type of jewellery.

According to one cruise worker who sailed the seas for 10 years, if you wear a black ring or jewellery with a pineapple theme, you could be approached by people with a preference for a particular type of lifestyle.

Lucy Southerton, 28, from Birmingham has plenty of knowledge about what goes on in the darker corners of the huge ships and has shared her experiences on her YouTube channel Cruising as Crew.

In one video from 2023, she claims that “swinging is a popular pastime” onboard the floating hotels – and suggests it could be because cruises offer an “enclosed population of people”.

Couples who enjoy swapping sexual partners, use certain techniques to identify other potential companions onboard, according to the former cruise worker.

One of them is by displaying the upside down pineapple symbol in some way. “Some people put the upside down pineapple on their cabin door,” Lucy says. “Some people wear an upside down pineapple like a hat or brooch.”

But there’s also a more “inconspicuous” way to alert others to your desires than dangling a spiky fruit from your person – and that’s by wearing a black ring on your right hand, apparently.

Although as Lucy points out, this more subtle sign can have its issues. “Imagine if you went up to someone and you’re like [in a suggestive voice], ‘Hey, I can see that black ring on your right hand,’ and they’re like, ‘Yeah it’s just a black ring on my right hand’. You can never really be sure whether that’s just something they like to wear, or if it’s a signal,” she warns.

According to Lucy, the third signpost that someone is a swinger open to offers is a male and female sign with “a third gender sign in there”. She also shares an “embarrassing story” about how she came to realise the significance of the pineapple. Revealing that a long time ago she used to work in a ship’s spa, she said a couple came in for a couple’s massage.

When she went back to the treatment room after they had got dressed to tell them about aftercare such as drinking plenty of water, she noticed they were both wearing silver upside down pineapple necklaces. “They weren’t like this bright yellow upside down. They’ve very subtle, very, very nice,” she recalls. “And I was like, ‘Oh I love your necklaces. I think it’s so cute that you’re both wearing matching necklaces. That’s really sweet, but why the pineapple? Like what does that represent to you in your relationship?’.”

The couple who she had built up a rapport with after treating them a few times, burst out laughing. “They were like, ‘Look, we’re swingers and this is how people can identify us as swingers,’.” Intrigued, she went on to have a conversation about it with them where they told her the terminology used within the community.

Apparently, a unicorn is a woman who wants to swing on her own and swing with another couple. “They’re basically like mythical creatures,” she says the couple informed her. “They don’t exist and if you find one then you’ve hit the jackpot.”

A rhino is a single man willing to swing, while a mermaid is a married woman who wants to swing with a couple on her own. The word ‘play’ means sex, so you may say you don’t play on the first date. Rainbow means they don’t discriminate on gender and will swing with “everyone and anyone”. While ‘DDF’ is drug and disease free.

Comments on Lucy’s video, which has had over a million views, were suitably amusing. “Thanks for the info on the up side down pineapple. I will be placing a sticker of one on my brother and sister in laws cabin door on our upcoming cruise. Boy will they be surprised:),” joked one.

Another shared: “I’ll never forget the amount of attention I got in the buffet on my first ever cruise – I bought shorts that had loads of little pineapples in all different directions – I innocently thought they were just ‘nice and summery’ – how wrong I was… Ha!”

A third wrote: “Jee whizz, I will have to make sure my pineapple earrings are pointing up,” while a fourth revealed: “My partner bought me a nice black ring for Valentine’s Day. Damn…I’ll have to have a chat with her.”

Jake Paul appeared to be taking the biggest risk of his unique boxing career by stepping in the ring with Julio César Chávez Jr., a former middleweight champion and his most accomplished opponent by far.

At least it seemed like a risk — until a lifeless Chávez meekly waited until the ninth round to mount any offense, dismaying a crowd desperate for him to hurt the famous YouTuber-turned-pugilist.

Paul shrugged it all off and rolled to another victory. After all, he’s the star of every show.

Paul beat Chávez by unanimous decision Saturday night at the Honda Center in Anaheim, dominating the early rounds before weathering Chávez’s late rally for his sixth consecutive win.

Paul (12-1, 7 KOs) had little trouble from the 39-year-old Chávez (54-7-2), controlling the majority of the bout in front of an ardently pro-Chávez crowd in Southern California.

“I love that he brought a good fight at the end, and I think the fans got a good fight to see him come out, put some punches on me,” Paul said. “It makes me better. I had to elevate tonight and rise to a different level. I’m glad the fans got to see me get punched in the face a little bit.”

Even with his famous father shouting furiously at ringside, Chávez fought tentatively and tepidly against Paul, who patiently controlled the ring and landed just enough to win rounds. Chávez looked lifeless at the start, barely throwing a punch until late in the fourth round of their cruiserweight bout at Honda Center.

Chávez first mounted a discernible attack in the sixth, and he delivered several exciting shots in the ninth, finally exhibiting the skills of a long boxing career.

But he couldn’t seriously damage Paul, who jumped on the ropes in celebration after absorbing several flurries in the 10th and final round. The crowd booed Paul after the bell, and he cursed at them.

“All the boos are awards,” Paul said. “It was flawless. I think I only got hit about 10 times.”

Julio César Chávez Jr., right, punches Jake Paul during their cruiserweight boxing match on Saturday at the Honda Center.

(Etienne Laurent / Associated Press)

The judges scored it 99-91, 98-92 and 97-93 for Paul. The Associated Press also favored Paul 97-93.

Chávez, who had fought just once since 2021, is best known for failing to maximize the potential in his father’s genetics. He is still the most credible boxer to share the ring with Paul, who is now 5 1/2 years and 13 bouts into his lucrative fight career.

“I thought I lost the first five rounds, so I tried to win the last rounds,” Chávez said. “He’s strong, a good boxer (for) the first three, four rounds. After that, I felt he was tired. I don’t think he’s ready for the champions, but he’s a good fighter.”

Paul has successfully leveraged his Internet ubiquity and his own hard work to become a force in the business of boxing, if not in traditionally important bouts. He has founded a busy promotional company and flirted with mixed martial arts while becoming arguably the most prominent combat sports athlete in the world.

But Paul had mostly fought mixed martial artists and fellow online celebrities, and he took his only loss in February 2023 when he stepped in against actual boxer Tommy Fury, whose fame also exceeds his ring skills.

“I don’t really care what people say at the end of the day, because every single time I just prove myself more and more,” Paul said. “And that’s slowly turning the tide.”

Paul hadn’t fought since last November, when he beat Mike Tyson in a much-hyped bout that couldn’t live up to improbable expectations from fans who didn’t understand the simple realities of Tyson being 58 years old.

Chávez was away from the ring for three years before his return late last year, but Paul’s invitation brought him back again — along with the thousands of fans who eagerly bought tickets in perpetual support of their champion.

Chávez has fallen to innumerable lows during a lengthy boxing career conducted in the shadow of his father, one of the most beloved athletes in Mexican history. The son has failed drug tests, served suspensions and egregiously missed weight while being widely criticized for his intermittent dedication to the sport.

He still rose to its heights, winning the WBC middleweight title in 2011 and defending it three times. Chávez shared the ring with generational greats Canelo Álvarez and Sergio Martinez, losing to both.

Chávez even lost in 2021 to Anderson Silva, the former UFC champion and rudimentary boxer who lost a one-sided ring decision to Paul one year later.

Jake Paul, left, punches Julio César Chávez Jr. during their cruiserweight boxing match on Saturday at the Honda Center.

(Etienne Laurent / Associated Press)

Paul’s career as the world’s most popular pugilistic sideshow could change soon: His financial potency makes it almost inevitable that he will be invited to fight under a sanctioning body’s aegis, which means he could likely book a bout against an elite boxer whenever he chooses.

“We’ll see,” Paul said when asked to name his next opponent. “There’s a long line, so they’ve got to wait in line. Take a ticket.”

Paul then said he would have no problem beating Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, who retained his two cruiserweight title belts with a close unanimous decision over Cuba’s Yuniel Dorticos in the final undercard bout.

Earlier, 43-year-old former UFC star Holly Holm returned from a 12-year absence from the boxing ring to dominate previously unbeaten Yolanda Guadalupe Vega Ochoa.

New Jersey welterweight Julian Rodriguez earned a thrilling victory in the waning moments of the 10th and final round, staggering Avious Griffin with a sneaky left hand and eventually knocking the previously unbeaten Griffin sideways into the ropes for a stoppage with 5 seconds left.

Beacham writes for the Associated Press.

LAS VEGAS — Ilia Topuria continued his ascension up the pound-for-pound ladder with a major statement via a vicious first-round knockout of Charles Oliveira to win the vacant lightweight championship Saturday night at UFC 317.

Topuria used a sharp right hand to set up a devastating left hook that dropped Oliveira to end the bout at the 2:27 mark of the opening round, fulfilling his prediction of a first-round KO while sending the announced crowd of 19,800 into a frenzy.

“I always say I represent the new generation of mixed martial arts,” said Topuria, who closed a -400 favorite at BetMGM sportsbook.

Topuria (17-0), who now has 10 first-round finishes to his credit, moved up to the 155-pound weight class following a successful campaign in the featherweight division last year. He claimed that belt with a second-round knockout of Alexander Volkanovski and defended his title by finishing Max Holloway in the third round of an October bout in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Topuria, who came in ranked fourth on UFC’s pound-for-pound list, joined nine others who have held a UFC belt in two weight classes. He is the first undefeated fighter to become champion in two UFC divisions.

“I think tonight was his big night,” UFC CEO and president Dana White said. “We have a star on our hands.”

Oliveira (35-11), who has the most finishes in UFC history, was hoping to become the first fighter to win the lightweight belt on separate occasions.

Fellow lightweight Paddy Pimblett was in the audience and summoned to the ring, where a heated exchange led to Topuria shoving the eighth-ranked contender and igniting a rivalry from years ago.

“If you’re ready, I’m here,” Topuria shouted to Pimblett before he entered the ring.

White wasn’t happy with Pimblett getting in the ring, knowing the history of bad blood between the two.

The two have been at odds for some time, after they came to blows when Pimblett threw a bottle of hand sanitizer at Topuria’s head in 2022.

“That was a heavy knockout, I’ll give you that,” Pimblett said to Topuria. “But you will never knock me out.”

Replied Topuria: “I’m going to submit you.”

In the co-main event, flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja (30-5) successfully defended his belt by applying a rear-naked chokehold to defeat Kai Kara-France (25-12) at the 1:55 mark of the third round.

It marked the second time the fighters met, nine years after their quarterfinal clash on the reality show “The Ultimate Fighter,” also won by Pantoja, but by unanimous decision.

Pantoja, who closed a -250 favorite and extended his win streak to eight fights, won the title two years ago when he beat Brandon Moreno by decision, and has now defended his title successfully four times.

Ilia Topuria celebrates after defeating Charles Oliveira in a lightweight title fight at UFC 317 Saturday in Las Vegas.

(John Locher / Associated Press)

The 35-year-old Brazilian was joined in the ring after his victory by No. 12 Joshua Van, who put on a show of his own.

Van (15-2-0) defeated No. 1 contender Brandon Royval (17-8-0) in a slugfest in which both fighters displayed incredible boxing skills. Van, who closed a -120 favorite, used an overhand right to drop Royval before closing out the bout with a severe ground-and-pound to secure the unanimous decision.

The 419 combined significant strikes landed were the third most in a UFC fight, and the most in both a three-round bout and a featherweight clash.

Moments after Pantoja’s win, Van challenged Pantoja with both standing nose to nose before exiting the octagon.

Other matches from the main card:

In a lightweight bout, No. 9 Beneil Dariush (23-6-1) survived a first-round knockdown to defeat No. 11 Renato Moicano (20-7-1) via unanimous decision.

In a bantamweight battle, Payton Talbott (10-1-0) used a much-improved ground game to register a unanimous decision over Felipe Lima (14-2-0).

Ramirez writes for the Associated Press.

Alex Caruso is an NBA champion!

Of course, Caruso already had a ring before he and the Oklahoma City Thunder closed out the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night. His first one came with the Lakers after the slightly shortened 2020 season and a postseason played entirely in the NBA bubble in Orlando during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Now I got a real one,” Caruso told reporters following the Thunder’s 103-91 victory over the Pacers. “Now nobody can say anything.”

He was joking, of course, making reference to the trolls who try to diminish the Lakers’ title from five years ago because of the unique circumstances under which it was won.

That Lakers team had an average age of nearly 29 and was led by LeBron James, who was 35 years old upon winning his fourth NBA championship.

This Thunder team is led by league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is 26 and — like the rest of his Oklahoma City teammates, except for Caruso — hadn’t won an NBA title until now. Their average age is 25.68 years, making them the youngest NBA champion team since the 1977 Portland Trail Blazers.

“I think just because of the way the team is constructed now versus the team I had in 2020, it was much harder with this team just because of the experience [level],” Caruso, 31, said. “… I think through the playoffs, this team grew up and learned on the fly. Most teams have to learn through losses and learn though defeat, and I think this team learned through success. And it’s a unique capability to be able to do that for 21- to 27-year-old kids.

“For me, I’ve seen greats do it, so I knew the way, I knew the mindset. But to see these guys do it, man, it’s really cool to see it in person, and I’m so happy for the guys just to be able to figure it out and be able to get this done.”

Caruso was a valuable player off the bench en route to both of his NBA championships, averaging 6.5 points per game in 2020 and 9.2 this season. He scored 20 points in three different games during the 2025 season, including twice during the Finals; his high score during the 2020 campaign was 16 points.

He signed with the Chicago Bulls as a free agent during the 2021 offseason and was traded to Oklahoma City for guard Josh Giddey last summer. Caruso’s previous championship experience was also valuable after Sunday’s game, when Caruso had to give his teammates a crash course on popping champagne to celebrate the victory.

“We didn’t do it all at the same time until like the third try,” Caruso said of popping the corks. “I tried my best when we got in there, I was like, ‘All right, let’s get a head count, let’s make sure everyone’s here before we do the first one.’ And through the learning experience of taking the foil off, undoing the metal and having the cork ready, there was like three or four guys that popped their corks. And then it happened again. …

“We went through the process a couple times and eventually we got everybody on the same page. But, yeah, it was a good first try. We’ll get some rest, reset, try to go again next year and see if we can do it again, and we’ll be better.”