Fin Graham won his fourth successive road race World Championship title as Great Britain’s Para-cyclists brought home nine medals from Belgium.
Graham, 25, launched an attack inside the final kilometre and held off France’s Thomas Peyroton Dartet to retain his C3 crown.
His victory came two days after he won time trial bronze in Ronse.
“To win a first world title back in 2022 was a dream come true, so to now be retaining that for the fourth year in a row, is something that I could never have imagined,” he said.
“To do it here in Belgium, with that crowd, was phenomenal. I was made to work for it; it was such a hard race.
“It has finished off a really good week for our squad. Retaining this title, as Paralympic champion, is very special. To race in the rainbow stripes for another year is still a pinch me moment. I’ll never get tired of looking down and seeing the rainbow bands.”
Earlier on Sunday, Sophie Unwin – with her pilot Jenny Holl – won bronze in the women’s B road race, while Morgan Newberry won the same colour in the C5 equivalent.
Those followed silvers for both riders on Friday in their respective time trials.
There was a bronze medal too for Archie Atkinson in the C4 road race, while Felix Barrow finished third in the T2 race.
On Thursday, Callum Russell became the first British man to win a World Championship hand bike medal when he won bronze in the H4 time trial.
While this road doesn’t sound real – it certainly is, there are a dozen over the world but for the UK – there is only one which leads to the ‘Holy Island’ – but some get stuck
At high tide the road is submerged and Holy Island becomes an island again(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
For many, this sounds like a made up road, something you may hear about but never see.
But for some living on the northeast coast of England – this isn’t a fairytale but the only road connecting to ‘Holy Island’. The Lindisfarne causeway is swallowed by the north sea twice every day and at certain parts of the day – you may not even be able to tell where it is located.
It sure is magical – but is very dangerous. For visitors, the disappearing act is part of the allure. The drive itself feels surreal: a strip of road gliding over glistening sands, marked by wooden poles that guide you towards the island.
The road leads to the ‘Holy Island’(Image: Getty Images)
At low tide, it looks like an open invitation; at high tide, it’s as if the road never existed. And it happens fast, the sea doesn’t creep in politely, it races across the sand and covers the tarmac in minutes.
“The Lindisfarne Causeway is unlike any other road in the UK. If you’re planning to drive it, always check the official tide timetable first – don’t rely on sat-navs. The sea comes in quickly, and once the water starts covering the road, it’s already too late, said experts at Show Plates World.
Why do people choose to go?
With Holy AIsland having so much history and charm – many run to the opportunity to visit and the tidal road is the only way. The island is home to the haunting ruins of Lindisfarne Priory which is birthplace to Lindisfarne Gospels and the well known castle.
Pilgrims travelled to the island for centuries and today, visitors are continuing the tradition – some travel by car while others walk across the tidal sands at a low tide.
The island has a lot to offer(Image: Flickr Vision)
However, besides the history of the island – it also offers sandy beaches that stretch on for miles, attracting huge flocks of migrating birds and the village pubs serve Northumberland seafood.
The island even produces its own mead, first brewed by monks hundreds of years ago. But for a lot of people, it’s just for the thrill the tidal road brings.
How long do you have before the road disappears?
The causeway is only safe to cross during low tide, usually for around seven hours between each high tide. That means two “safe windows” every day, published by Northumberland County Council. Locals swear by it, tourists sometimes ignore it and that’s when trouble strikes.
Many people each yet get stuck(Image: Getty Images)
Each year, unlucky or overconfident drivers end up stuck in the refuge box halfway across, waiting for the tide to drop or at worst, the coastguard to pluck them to safety.
It’s certainly a road trip you can never forget and one of the most unforgettable drives in Britain, but if you are travelling to Holy Island, make sure you check low tide times, otherwise you could end up stranded for a few hours
If you’re looking to get the most out of the final weeks of the summer, look no further than this road trip which stops at a number of coastal towns in one of the country’s most beautiful counties
One couple say they’ve cracked the perfect way to explore Cornwall’s stunning coastline (stock image)(Image: Teamjackson via Getty Images)
A travel influencer has shared her ultimate guide to exploring Cornwall’s stunning coastline, featuring seven gorgeous towns along the coastal county. Char, who runs the TikTok account CJ Explores alongside her husband Cory, has mapped out the perfect week-long road trip across North Cornwall in a video that’s prompted discussion among locals and tourists alike.
The couple have dubbed their itinerary the “Cornwall road trip you have to do ONCE in your life”, featuring a different town or village for each day of the week. Starting at Boscastle, the journey winds through breathtaking locations including Tintagel and Mother Ivey’s Bay before concluding in Newquay. Day two sees the duo recommend a visit to Tintagel, followed by stops at Port Isaac and then Padstow.
The beach at Bedrutheran Steps in Cornwall (stock image)(Image: 1111IESPDJ via Getty Images)
The adventure continues to Mother Ivey’s Bay, then Constantine Bay and Bedruthan Steps, before wrapping up at their final destination. Viewers have been quick to save the travel tips, with many gushing about Cornwall’s undeniable charm.
One follower reminisced: “I was very lucky to go to Cornwall every weekend as a child with my parents, and it is one of the most beautiful places.”
Another appeared to have already tested the route, sharing: “Just done it on my motorbike with my son. Beautiful part of the world.”
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Some suggested additional gems worth visiting, including St Michael’s Mount and Kynance Cove. However, numerous commenters have been unanimous in their response to one specific location that Char and Cory highlighted.
One forthright comment from a viewer simply stated: “Don’t come to Padstow”, a feeling that was shared by others. Another user responded: “We drove through it was the busiest place we went to last week.
“Must be such a nightmare being local, feel for you. It was a ridiculous amount of tourists.” Despite some comments on Padstow’s charm, the exasperation felt by residents is palpable.
Locals in Padstow fear the effects of overtourism on house prices (stock image)(Image: mick blakey via Getty Images)
The town’s growing appeal has sparked a housing crisis. Locals struggle to afford homes as overtourism drives up property prices or turns them into holiday lets. As of March, Rightmove reported the average house price in Padstow was nearly £700,000.
While not an isolated issue in Cornwall, Padstow faces becoming a “ghost village” during off-peak seasons according to Cornwall Live. Properties remain vacant in the colder months, owned by tourists who only use them as second homes in the warmer periods.
TWO married couples are dead after their British car veered off the road and smashed into trees in Germany.
The horrific accident happened shortly after midnight on Saturday near a highway in the Kassel district, north of Hesse in central Germany.
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The smashed-up car came to rest on its side among treesCredit: feuerwehr-reinhardshagen.de/
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Emergency services attended the scene but there was nothing they could do to save the occupantsCredit: feuerwehr-reinhardshagen.de/
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It’s not clear why the car left the roadCredit: feuerwehr-reinhardshagen.de/
The 32-year-old male driver and three female passengers aged 30, 31 and 32 all died at the scene despite the best efforts of German emergency services.
The vehicle had a British number plate, but The Sun understands UK officials have not been contacted for assistance in relation to the crash.
The car appears to have veered off the road at around 12:30am on Saturday.
It shot into a coppice of trees around 30m from the road, according to the Kassel police department.
One of the victims’ phones sent an automatic alert to the emergency services, who sent an ambulance to the scene.
Fire engines, more ambulances and police vehicles were all dispatched when the severity of the accident became clear.
The car was on its side and wedged between two trees when crews arrived.
Emergency workers only discovered there was a car full of people when they removed the roof.
All four people were pronounced dead at the scene after being pulled from the wreckage.
Those who worked on the victims were immediately supported by the specialist mental health workers.
Moment driver ploughs into parked cars before crashing against wall & fleeing
A fire department spokesperson said: “The situation on scene was that a car was lying on its side, wedged between several trees.
“Initially, we assumed there were only two people in the wreckage.
“A crew was therefore dispatched to explore the wider area to search for any occupants who might have been ejected during the impact.
“At the same time, the vehicle was stabilized and a technical rescue using hydraulic rescue equipment was initiated.
“Shortly after the start of operations, we identified another person in the back seat.
“Once we had almost completely removed the roof, we discovered another person in the car.
“The emergency doctor checked the vital functions of the occupants, but unfortunately could only confirm that all of them were dead.”
Reflecting on the night’s horrors, the spokesperson said: “This high number of deaths is an extraordinary operation for our Reinhardshagen Volunteer Fire Department.
“For some of the emergency personnel, it is the first time they have been confronted with death in this way.
“Therefore, a great deal is being done to help us process these images.
“We will also discuss this among ourselves and within families, because not everyone can easily shake off what they have seen.”
The Lake District route passes by some of the national park’s most beautiful villages and stunning landscapes
The UK’s top road trips have been revealed(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Summer is the ideal season for a road trip, and what better place to explore than the stunning landscapes right in the north-west of England?
The UK’s top five road trips have been unveiled, with a breath taking route in the Lake District clinching third place. It was only outdone by Scotland’s North Coast 500 and a coast-to-coast loop in Cornwall. Digital car finance lender Carmoola has teamed up with renowned travel expert Gemma Logan of The Brighton Bucket List to reveal the best road trips in the UK.
The beautiful Lake District route showcases some of the national park’s most picturesque villages, as well as offering views of the region’s majestic fells and stunning lakes.
The Lake Distict route offers vies of the regions lakes and fells (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Covering approximately 80-100 miles depending on the chosen route, it begins in Windermere and takes you through Grasmere, Keswick, Coniston and Borrowdale before looping back to Windermere.
While it can be completed in three to four hours of continuous driving, it’s best savoured over two to three days, allowing ample time to fully explore the area.
This road trip is perfect for outdoor enthusiasts and hikers, but it also offers a fantastic opportunity for people to appreciate the beauty of the Lake District from the comfort of their car. Gemma commented: “We’ve seen a major shift towards slower, more meaningful travel.
“Road trips offer freedom, flexibility, and the chance to uncover hidden gems along the way – all while travelling on your own terms. They’re no longer a backup plan – they’re the way people want to travel.”
Another road trip easily accessible from Greater Manchester that made it into the top five is a scenic route through the stunning Yorkshire Dales and Moors.
This 120-mile journey begins in Skipton, taking you through Grassington, Malham, Hawes, Helmsley and back to Skipton, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Equally, if you want to explore more of Wales, the Coastal Way is a fantastic chance to see some of the country’s more beautiful scenery. The Coastal Way runs for about 180 miles down the entire length of Cardigan Bay.
Driving by, you can glimpse the peaks of Snowdonia and expanses of blue ocean. There is Michelin-starred food found along the way, making it the perfect drive for food-lovers.
Even better for those who don’t have a car or who would prefer to go without – much of this road trip can actually be done on foot or by cycling.
Leeds, amid the cacophony, pinned passive, panicky Everton back in the first half, every tackle bringing supporters to their feet – especially a crunching challenge by Ethan Ampadu that left Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall prone on the turf.
If there was a worry for Leeds and Farke, it was that their dominance in the first half brought no reward, their attack a blunt instrument despite their superiority, with only one of their 12 shots on target.
Could they maintain that intensity after the break? The answer was no.
Instead, Leeds showed other qualities they will require this season as they dug deep, did the dirty work – albeit with little or no threat from a dreadful Everton – and eventually claimed the win with that dramatic late twist.
New Leeds keeper Lucas Perri was given a comfortable introduction as Everton left him virtually unemployed apart from one low shot from Carlos Alcaraz in the closing stages, which he saved comfortably.
Everton introduced new loan signing Jack Grealish with 20 minutes left, but this was a performance beyond rescue and redemption – an illustration of why Moyes has expressed his concerns about the lack of new arrivals, with acquisitions needed at right-back, on the right side and in the central midfield position.
Moyes clearly feels France under-21 striker Thierno Barry is a raw work in progress, but it is hard to see how he could have delivered anything worse than the performance Beto served up at Elland Road.
Leeds, in contrast, will be buoyed by the sheer exuberance and energy that poured down from the stands into Farke’s players. One game only, yes, but the surge of belief and optimism this result and performance will deliver is vital.
Antiques Road Trip star Angus Ashworth has recalled a heartwarming moment in his career
Antiques Road Trip star Angus Ashworth left a guest “in tears” with a valuation after his wife’s cancer battle.
The BBC antiques expert and auctioneer, who currently appears on The Yorkshire Auction House, admitted that emotions often run high when dealing with the estate of a loved one who has passed away.
In an exclusive chat with the Express, Angus shared some touching experiences with owners of antiques.
He explained that while he often witnesses “incredible” reactions, there have been those who are “just in it for the money” over the years.
Angus revealed: “We’ve had a lot of good reactions. It’s usually people that are not doing it for the money. They’re doing it because they’ve got to clear the house, so they’ve never really considered the value. It’s just part of the process, then all of a sudden you tell them they’ve made £10,000.
“There’s been several like that where they’re absolutely speechless. We’ve had some incredible reactions. People genuinely do break down into tears,” reports the Express.
Angus Ashworth left one client in tears(Image: BBC)
“On the telly, a chap’s wife was badly ill [with cancer] and he wanted to raise enough money to get a second-hand stairlift put in to help her mobility.
“He was hoping to raise £2,000 because that’s what he needed for the stairlift and we made him £9,000. He just couldn’t comprehend it.”
The TV auctioneer went on: “You’ve always got to be mindful when you step into a house. You’ve got to read the room, and read the client. Everybody’s situation is different – some of them, it’s very straightforward and businesslike.
“But what you’ve got to remember is even if something is not saleable, and doesn’t have a commercial value, it has a sentimental value. I’ve always gone by the mantra that whenever you talk about something, you’ve got to remember it belonged to somebody’s late father, mother, brother.
“That might be their prize item. You can be enthusiastic about something, just because it’s not [worth much commercially]. There’s a lot of empathy that’s got to be given, put yourself in their shoes.”
Angus is known for appearing on Antiques Road Trip(Image: BBC)
He added: “I suppose that’s partly why people get us in – because we can take a non-attached approach to it, we can just do the job. But there are odd stories you get where you go, ‘Ugh, that’s tough’.”
Angus then recalled meeting a woman who was moving to Spain to start a new life after her son had died.
“I’d not long had children at that point and I was [holding back tears]. Every once in a while you’re just… taken aback,” he said.
Angus further shared: “A slightly different one that hasn’t aired yet was a military veteran who was badly injured and suffered very badly with PTSD, and we were the first people he’d let in his house for 15 years. That was a different sort of emotional.
“He got us because we’ve got the military connection and he felt he could let us in – that was a massive step for him. It’s not always about people who are deceased. It’s a unique job.”
He concluded: “Then you get clients where it’s all about the money and they’re there to the penny, saying ‘You didn’t quite get what we were thinking’. Auctions are like that – some things will do better than expected, some things will do worse.”
Antiques Road Trip airs on BBC One and BBC Two. The Yorkshire Auction House is available to stream on Discovery+
A TEENAGER has died after a car she was travelling in crashed into a tree on a rural road in the early hours of yesterday morning.
The woman, 18, tragically passed away when the silver Renault Clio – which she was a passenger in – collided with a tree after veering off the road in Hartlepool at 4.18am on Thursday, Cleveland Police said.
A 26-year-old man, who was driving the vehicle, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving as well as other driving offences.
He remains in police custody at this time.
The tragic crash took place on a road known locally as Greatham Back Lane, which connects the A689 to Greatham village.
Police said the woman suffered fatal injuries in the collision and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Her family have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers.
Cops are now looking to witnesses or anyone who may have CCTV or dashcam footage of the silver Clio in the village to come forward.
You can contact Cleveland Police on 101, quoting reference number 148268.
Alternatively, you can upload footage directly by following this link.
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Police are appealing for any witnesses of the crash to come forwardCredit: Google Maps
The recordings of vehicles considered to be breach the rules are then sent to a human agent for verification, who can then issue motorists abusing the rules with a fine.
Signs and enforcement for the new carpool only lanes on the ring road also started at the beginning of May.
They aim to encourage commuters to travel into the city in groups of at least two, hoping to reduce congestion and emissions from vehicles.
The car sharing lanes are on the far left of the four-lane carriageway in both directions of what is one of the busiest ring roads in Europe.
These exclusive lanes were initially introduced for the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympic Games last summer, designated for athletes and staff to use as priority vehicles accessing the city.
Hidalgo, who has launched various anti-car measures for the city, confirmed they would remain after the conclusion of the games, and instead be used for car sharing in peak congestion hours.
These hours 7am to 10:30am and 4pm to 8pm on weekdays.
On weekends and public holidays, all lanes are open to any vehicle.
Public transport operators, emergency service vehicles, taxis, and cars for people with reduced mobility are also permitted to use the carpool lanes at any time.
President of Automobile Association, Edmund King, told the Daily Mail: “Britons driving to Paris this summer might be forgiven for not understanding a new addition to French road signs – the diamond with a blue background.
“Some might think it is a sign to the ‘diamond district’ in Paris, which is around Place Vendôme and Rue de la Paix, but it is not – it is a sign denoting a car sharing lane.”
That year, the world seemed cursed. Naira was crashing against the dollar, and the price of a 50 kg bag of rice was nearing ₦50,000. Politicians, crisscrossing the country ahead of the general elections, offered no real answers to kidnappings, terrorist killings, and gunmen violence.
At Christ High Commission, a church in Ekiti, South West Nigeria, preparations for what many believed would be the rapture intensified. A pastor declared the end of the world, and members began to arrive from Kaduna, Kabba, Benin, and across the country.
“We saw it in the time of Noah,” said Badakin, a member of the church who went with his entire family.
Now, over three years later, many followers are still camping with the pastor as the date for the rapture keeps changing. An expert is now warning that the exercise could end tragically for all involved, as the pastor’s actions are consistent with those who usually eventually end up committing suicide or mass murder, as we have seen happen in similar cases across the continent.
For this group, the rapture was not a metaphor. The church, to them, was literally a high commission, a gateway to heaven. The pastor, Ade Abraham, was consumed with the idea. In Kabba, where he first founded his church, he carefully prepared members.
“He taught us how to be worthy, the things the Bible teaches about sin – how to be holy in career, marriage, and worship,” said Dare Ikuenayo, who served as the church’s choir master.
As members arrived in Ekiti, they camped in a gated compound in Araromi Ugbesi, a village in Ekiti East Local Government Area. The property, once a Cherubim and Seraphim Church, housed a residential apartment where Pastor Abraham lived, an auditorium that served as the church hall, and a modest hostel that accommodated communal dining and meetings.
There, at least 40 people, including workers who left their jobs, students who abandoned school, and a corps member who fled service, lived in daily anticipation of the rapture.
“His [Pastor Abraham’s] own son, who had just spent one month at NYSC, was withdrawn to come and wait,” said Badakin, referring to the compulsory National Youth Service for Nigerian graduates.
“His second son, who was in 300 level in FUTA, also came down…My daughter in Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, just finished her second semester examination in the second year,” Badakin continued. “On the second day, we all converged in Omuo … before Kaduna people came to meet us there.”
A prophet’s unravelling
Pastor Abraham had only finished primary school when a relative took him from Omuo-Ekiti, his hometown, to Kaduna. He lived there for many years, learned welding and married Mary, the woman who would later follow him to Kabba, a town in Kogi State, North Central Nigeria. In Kabba, he began as a farmer, then moved into selling electrical appliances. Eventually, he founded a church.
He built the church alone, said some Kabba residents who spoke with the Nigerian online newspaper ICIR in April 2022. “He can start any house from the scratch, roof it, put the electrical appliances and do the plumbing without any assistance.”
Although it is unclear if he went beyond primary school, Pastor Abraham conducted his services in English. For members who struggled with the language, he used an interpreter.
He was “too smart,” said one Kabba resident to ICIR. To his wife, Pastor Abraham was a caring man, the kind of “man every woman will love to have as a husband.” To the congregation, he was a strict and disciplined pastor. On Sundays, he locked the door at 8:00 a.m., so that no one could come in once the service had begun.
“His ministry was different from other pastors,” Dare told me on the phone. “I went to his church because I believed what he believed. I believed Jesus, righteousness, holiness.”
Pastor Abraham would later establish a branch in Kaduna, where he appointed Badakin as pastor.
“Mostly, the teaching in Kabba was about the rapture and the preparation,” said Badakin.
“I saw Christ live, and I held Him live, and I felt Him live.”
Pastor Abraham and other campers in Araromi Ugbesi Photo Credit: BBC Yoruba/Edited with Gemini
A botched rapture
At the camp, preparations went beyond prayers. Pastor Abraham assigned members the roles they would play in the Kingdom of Heaven.
“I was selected among those who would coordinate work,” Anike, the pastor’s older sister and ex-church member, told me. “They said I wouldn’t work but would be paid. They said my office would be to the left.”
Villagers narrated how Pastor Abraham drove to the market several times and loaded his vehicle with tomatoes and other foodstuffs. Campers would cross the road to gather firewood, which they used to cook behind the hostel. In a video recorded at the camp in 2022, large cooking pots blackened from repeated use could be seen.
“You could not go out to buy food,” said Badakin.
Everyone bore the pastor’s surname, residents told me in the village. “If you asked, one might say, ‘My name is Joke Abraham.’ “
The day of the rapture, however, kept changing.
“He [Pastor Abraham] said whenever we heard the humming of a big vehicle in the middle of the night, we should hold any child we wanted to take along, climb onto the vehicle, and we would find ourselves in the Kingdom of Heaven,” said Anike.
“He once told us we were going the following week. But when the week arrived, he shifted it, saying some [of the campers] had done things Baba frowned at.”
And Pastor Abraham is not the kind to joke with sin.
“He almost flogged some, even those who were older than him,” Anike continued.
By April 2022, concern had started to grow outside the camp. A man whose sister and two children were inside began reaching out to journalists for help. His sister had taken the children to the camp without their father’s consent and had even sent a WhatsApp message to her son abroad, urging him to return home in time for the rapture.
When the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) spoke with one of the campers, she said, “We are not coming back.”
The member, who sought anonymity, had pulled out of school to join the team. “… it’s hard to accept that I won’t attend school anymore and rapture is coming soon,” she said.
As one of the many chosen days neared, members of the group began to sell their belongings. The pastor himself, according to Anike, sold his three cars.
Pastor Ade Abraham Photo Credit: Vanguard Newspaper/Edited with Gemini.
Media reports would, however, bring the entire journey to a halt. It rattled Pastor Abraham. Some people believed his intention was to fleece his followers; others thought his followers were simply stupid. The police arraigned him over the ₦310,000 he had asked each member to pay into his account before coming to camp. The pastor would later describe the payment to journalists as “a sacrifice,” while Anike told me it was meant to grant them a pass at the gate of heaven.
The dark side of faith
Faith that refuses to listen or acknowledge other people’s views could be interpreted as delusion, Chioma Onyemaobi, a clinical psychologist, told me.
Suicide bombers belong here, and charismatic preachers divorced from reality: Maitatsine. Jim Jones. Credonia Mwerinde and Joseph Kibweteere, who in 2000 orchestrated a similar camping that ended in mass death.
Pastor Abraham shares many similarities with Joseph Kibweteere. Like him, he preached an apocalyptic end, when only members gathered at a spot would be saved. Like him, he set multiple dates for the end of the world, each passing without event. And like Kibweteere, his transformation didn’t fully take shape until he encountered Anabel, his choirmaster’s wife, after which his visions became more urgent.
Anabel’s careless prophecies eventually “scattered” the Kabba church, Badakin revealed.
The making of “God”
The man who arrived in Araromi Ugbesi in August 2021 was no longer the one who had founded a modest church in Kabba. He had seen death, the death of a member’s son right inside his church.
The man who arrived in Araromi could lie. He had taken a church member’s wife and sent his own away. He had demolished the church he built alone, abandoned his home, and fled his base.
Above all, the man who arrived in Araromi was no longer a man. He believed himself “God”.
In Kabba, Pastor Abraham had told his followers he was the leader of the end-time revival. But in Araromi, he wasn’t just a messenger anymore. He spoke of a Kingdom of Heaven where he would be king.
The pastor was born Prince Adelegan Fasiku, and was the fifth and last child of a wife of Oba Abraham Fasiku, then Olomuo, ruler of Omuo-Ekiti Kingdom.
“He [Pastor Abraham] said, ‘Those of you still calling Jesus, Jesus has finished his own work,’ ” Anike told me in her late husband’s house in Araromi.
She spoke not with the affection with which one speaks of a younger brother, the one to whom you passed your mother’s breasts. Rather, she spoke with the tone of one who has been betrayed: “The bond of siblinghood is broken between us.”
“He said he saw the heart, and I made sure my heart was one with him,” said Anike.
“When he arrived, he told me never to call him Ade, so I called him ‘Father.’ “
In the Araromi church, no one mentioned the name of God, Anike told me. “Instead, we called ‘Baba’. He said he was Baba and his wife was Oluaye.”
“The moment we entered the church, they would lock the door behind us.”
“There were three red seats (arms made of iron) in front, where no one was allowed to sit. You must bend over while walking past them. He said they belonged to the elders.”
Recounting his encounter with Pastor Abraham, Rev. Taiwo Adewunmi, the immediate past chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in the LGA, told me in his office: “He never mentioned Jesus. He would say, ‘Baba.’”
“That was when we began to see that things were going wrong,” said Badakin. “The name of Jesus was no longer mentioned.”
He also used a different Bible from the standard one. Perhaps most surprising, however, was how easily his members, the same people he had once groomed in scripture and trained to be Christians, embraced his new doctrines.
When he became involved with Anabel, his choirmaster’s wife, under unclear circumstances, some of his members revolted. But when he was chased out of Kabba for refusing to let go of her, some members left with him.
“Some are still with him,” Dare, Annabel’s husband, told me. “The moment you believe someone, you believe them.”
Disappointed, however, some ex-members of Christ High Commission in Kabba no longer go to church, according to Dare.
After a botched rapture
More than three years after the botched rapture, many are still camping with Pastor Abraham in Ekiti, including Anike’s daughter and her husband, whom the pastor had brought from Benin.
Badakin’s three children are still camping with Pastor Abraham. One was a medical sales representative, who arrived at the camp in his official car.
“We’ve been to so many places to see what we can do, but at the end of the day, we’re still waiting for the court,” said Badakin, who believes it was God who got him out.
While a case is in court and the group has been driven from their original location, they’ve found shelter nearby. I visited their new camp, a modest bungalow owned by one of Pastor Abraham’s relatives in Kota, a neighbouring town to Araromi. His son told me the person who could have spoken with me was attending a meeting, and his father was too busy to entertain yet another journalist.
“There is something called delusional narcissism,” Chioma, the psychologist, told me. “People with narcissistic personality disorder can be delusional in the sense that they perceive the world differently (fantasy world). So now he [Pastor Abraham] is dragging people into this fantasy, or rather, the delusion he has created, and from the story, it doesn’t look like he is letting go.”
Disaster looming
On March 17, 2000, after multiple failed apocalyptic prophecies, Joseph Kibweteere and other leaders of the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God gathered their followers for a party in Kanungu, a town in the Western Region of Uganda. They had purchased 50 litres of sulphuric acid. Shortly after the members arrived, a massive explosion rocked the compound, killing all 530 people in what has been described as mass murder or suicide.
Anike believes their own rapture might have ended the same way.
“I’m only grateful we did not take off on the chosen day,” she told me. “Who knows whether we would have been set ablaze?”
But danger still lurks.
People suffering from narcissistic personality disorder or delusions have the tendency to commit suicide, said Chioma.
And in November 2023, when Pastor Abraham resurfaced in the press, he appeared to hint at it: “The prophecy is that I have concluded my job and I am on my way to the one that sent me.”
“I hope he isn’t too delusional to commit mass murder,” said Chioma. “But then, persons with narcissistic personality disorder or delusions have the tendency to commit suicide. If things like depression, despair, challenges, and failure are in the picture, then we have to be worried because suicidal thoughts are not far away.”
Rev. Taiwo believes anyone who’s not registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission or any of the recognised religious associations in the country should not be allowed to own a church.
When asked, Badakin said Christ High Commission was never registered. Pastor Abraham had moved from the Living Faith Church, also known as Winners’ Chapel, to the Church of God of Prophecy, where he headed a branch, Badakin revealed. It was when a crisis divided the branch that he went with some members to start his own.
A news report may have saved most of the 40 members of Christ High Commission from a disastrous end, but the fate of the few still camping is uncertain.
Some of the most sought-after road trips that Brits are keen to embark on this summer have been revealed for the ultimate staycation – from the stunning Scottish Highlands to the world-famous Lake District
Snowdonia National Park in Wales(Image: Getty Images)
The summer is in full swing, with many families looking for their next holiday getaway – but that idyllic location could be closer to home than you think.
Across the nation, there’s a collection of stunning destinations just waiting to be explored, and what’s more, they’re super easy to get to. Forget getting to the airport hours before your flight, ditch the 23kg packing limit, and avoid the stress, as staycations are dominating the summer holidays this year.
A new study from Škoda found that a whopping 83% of Brits are keen to explore more of the UK this summer, with many opting for driving holidays over trips abroad. The research also found that a number of these holidaymakers are prepared to drive more than 1,000 miles to reach their desired destination in the UK.
Rannoch Moor in the Scottish Highlands(Image: Getty Images)
The benefits? Travellers are able to stop and look at the sights whenever they desire, choose what time to leave, and have no luggage limits. In addition, it’s a more adorable way to travel rather than catching a flight ot taking the train, especially if you have a big family, and you don’t need a passport!
With this in mind, Škoda has revealed the most desired summer road trip locations for this summer. From meandering up the Snowdonia National Park to taking a fresh water dip in the Lake District – there’s a staycation to suit everyone, no matter how adventurous you are.
One of the top locations to visit is the Scottish Highlands, home to some seriously spectacular landscapes. The breathtaking scenes are home to the mythical Loch Ness, not to mention the restaurant scene for foodies and towering mountains for intrepid explorers.
One traveller raved: “We spent our last few Junes travelling around Scotland with long days and plenty of wildlife… Considering your route, the Cairngorms are fab for red squirrel, red deer, eagles, grouse etc. We saw all of these plus some in the glens of the eastern Cairngorms earlier this year. If you’re headed up to Lossiemouth, seals, dolphins, gannets (esp if your route brings you near Troup Head). We saw a few dolphins at Burghead this June and folk around said a pod of orca were hanging about as well. Moray Firth usually have dolphins as well. Essentially, you can’t go wrong!” Another who drove the North Coast 500 hailed it “an amazing bucket list trip”.
The Lake District is no well-kept secret, known for its fresh water lakes, historic towns, and mountains that it’s become another favoured spot for summer staycations. It’s an England national treasure, and in fact, it’s now considered a world treasure, having been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
One tourist who drove the famous Hardknott pass between Eskdale and Duddon Valley raved: “Views to die for,” while another added: “Amazing drive, I have driven some great roads here and in the USA. This drive is up there with the best of them.”
Keswick, Derwentwater in the Lake District National Park of England(Image: Getty Images)
A trip to the Yorkshire Dales is certainly one to add to the list. Whether you’re looking for a scenic hike, a steam train journey, or just plenty of breathtaking historic sites, museums, farms, and breweries, it has something for everyone.
Here’s the top 10 staycations recommended to visit this summer for your next road trip:
CANTON, Ohio — Vice President JD Vance used a speech in his home state on Monday to promote the GOP’s sweeping tax-and-border bill as a small group of protesters outside a northeast Ohio steel plant brandished signs critical of the administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.
Vance spoke to a crowd of steel workers in neon green, orange, yellow and red hard hats and safety glasses gathered inside a rolling mill at Metallus Inc. in Canton, about 60 miles from Cleveland. It was his second trip this month as chief promoter of the hodgepodge of conservative priorities that Republicans have dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
Echoing themes expressed at an industrial machine shop in West Pittston, Pa., Vance said American workers should be able to keep more of their pay in their pockets and U.S. companies should be rewarded when they grow. He highlighted the law’s new tax deductions on overtime and its breaks on tipped income.
Vance decried Democrats — including U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes, whose competitive House district he was visiting — for opposing the bill that keeps the current tax rates, which would have otherwise expired later this year.
The legislation cleared the GOP-controlled Congress by the narrowest of margins, with Vance breaking a tie vote in the Senate for the package that also sets aside hundreds of billions of dollars for Trump’s immigration agenda while slashing Medicaid and food stamps.
The vice president is also stepping up his public relations blitz on the bill as the White House tries to deflect attention from the growing controversy over Jeffrey Epstein.
The disgraced financier killed himself, authorities say, in a New York jail cell in 2019 as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges. Trump and his top allies stoked conspiracy theories about Epstein’s death before Trump returned to the White House and are now reckoning with the consequences of a Justice Department announcement earlier this month that Epstein did indeed die by suicide and that no further documents about the case would be released.
Vance insisted that the administration of President Trump isn’t trying to cover up information from the investigation that’s in the public interest.
Vance said Trump asked Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi to release all “credible information” but that the process “takes time.” The Justice Department has asked for grand jury transcripts to be made public, but a judge in Florida has rejected that bid while requests remain pending in New York.
Vance said Trump, who was an acquaintance of Epstein before they had a falling out, wants “full transparency” in the case and alleged that prior administrations went “easy on this guy.” A few heads could be seen nodding amid the crowd.
Questions about the case continued to dog Trump in Scotland, where he on Sunday announced a framework trade deal with the European Union.
Asked about the timing of the trade announcement and the Epstein case and whether it was correlated, Trump responded: “You got to be kidding with that.”
“No, had nothing to do with it,” Trump told the reporter. “Only you would think that.”
The White House sees the new law as a political boon, sending Vance to promote it in swing congressional districts that will determine whether Republicans retain their House majority next year.
In a navy jacket and white shirt unbuttoned at the collar, Vance leaned into folksy word choices and characterized the administration’s immigration crackdown as an effort to keep gangs trafficking deadly fentanyl out of the country.
Vance’s decision to visit Sykes’ district comes as the National Republican Congressional Committee has named her narrowly split district as a top target this cycle. His northeastern Pennsylvania stop was in the district represented by Republican Rep. Rob Bresnahan, a first-term lawmaker who knocked off a six-time Democratic incumbent last fall.
A spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee called his visit “another desperate attempt to lie to Ohioans about the devastating impact the Big, Ugly Law will have on working families,” in a statement.
In the statement, Katie Smith said Sykes “fought tooth and nail against this disastrous law.”
Polls before the bill’s passage showed that it largely remained unpopular, although the public approves of some individual provisions such as increasing the child tax credit and allowing workers to deduct more of their tips on taxes.
This year’s meeting is being held on Friday 25 July and Saturday 26 July, with roads closing at 10:00 BST on Friday and 09:00 on Saturday.
Practice and qualifying sessions for all classes will take place on Friday, followed by two scheduled races, the first Supertwin and Supersport outings.
Twelve further races are scheduled for Saturday, including the Open race, further Supersport and Supertwin events, Moto3/125cc, Classic Superbike and the feature ‘Race of Legends’.
Also on the card are a Supermono class within the Supertwins race, Junior and Senior Support races, Junior and Senior classic races, Supersport 300 and Lightweight Supersport
A high quality entry includes Burrows Engineering/RK Racing rider Conor Cummins, KTS Steadplan Racing’s Jamie Coward, who was named man-of-the-meeting in 2024, and Northern Ireland’s Paul Jordan, who rides for Jackson Racing.
Other notable riders are Republic of Ireland challengers Mike Browne, Michael Sweeney and Derek McGee, plus customary English visitors Phil Crowe and Dominic Herbertson, Manx duo Joe Yeardsley and Marcus Simpson and Finland’s Erno Kostamo, a regular at the North West 200 and Isle of Man TT.
Ex-Moto GP rider and North West 200 race winner Jeremy McWilliams returns to compete in the Supersport, Lightweight Supersport and Classic Superbike classes.
Among the list of newcomers are double Southern 100 Supertwins winner Rob Hodson, Republic of Ireland riders Brian McCormack and Kevin Keyes, and former British Superbike and National Superstock competitor Franco Bourne.
1 of 2 | Jihyang Kim escaped from North Korea in spring 2012 when she was 19 years old. Today, she is a Fulbright scholar pursuing her master’s degree in the United States. Photo courtesy of Jihyang Kim
July 21 (UPI) —The following account was presented by Jihyang Kim at a recent forum of the North Korean Young Leaders’ Assembly held at the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation in Washington, D.C. The assembly is an annual event gathering young North Korean escapees to engage with the U.S. executive and congressional branches, think tanks and NGOs.
My name is Jihyang Kim. I escaped from North Korea in the spring of 2012, when I was 19 years old. Today, I stand before you not only as a Fulbright scholar pursuing my master’s degree in the United States, but also as a survivor — and a witness — of the brutal realities of life under a communist regime. I want to share with you how the ideology of communism stripped me and millions of others of our basic rights, dignity, and dreams.
1: North Korea – A life determined by the state
Growing up under North Korea’s totalitarian rule, I was taught that the state came before the individual, that loyalty to the regime was more important than personal dreams and that questioning the system was dangerous.
As a young girl, I dreamed of becoming a novelist. I was fascinated by literature and wanted to study Japanese to read detective novels in their original language. Despite being the top student in my class, I couldn’t apply for the language school because my family couldn’t afford the required bribe. In North Korea, merit is meaningless without political loyalty or financial backing.
This was my first clear experience of how the system worked — not for the people, but against them. The promise of equality under communism was a lie. Instead, I saw corruption, oppression and injustice. That cognitive dissonance planted the seed of rebellion in me. I began to question the system I had been raised to worship.
The second turning point came in 2009, when the North Korean regime implemented a disastrous currency reform. Overnight, our savings became worthless. I still remember seeing the old bills scattered in the market like trash. Inflation soared and food vanished. My family starved. I lie on the cold floor, too weak to move, and decided to risk everything for a chance at life. I realized if I stayed, I would die, anyway, not with dignity, but in silence.
2: China – Escaping the regime, entering another cage
Crossing the border into China did not mean freedom. It meant becoming stateless — an invisible person with no rights, no protection and no home. I was no longer hungry, but I was no longer human, either. The Chinese government does not recognize North Korean defectors as refugees, so we are hunted like criminals, deported if caught. I became one of the many North Korean women sold into forced marriages, treated as property and silenced through violence.
At 19, I watched university students — my peers– walk past me in the streets. I didn’t envy their clothes or phones. I envied their freedom to dream. I heard villagers joke about “buying” North Korean brides and brag about beating them if they tried to escape. I lived in fear, not only for myself, but for my baby. I became a mother in China, but I could not offer my son legal protection, education or safety. I was a mother in name, but powerless in reality.
3: Still trapped in the system’s shadows
Today, I’m grateful. I am studying in the United States, supported by countless people who believe in me. But I have not forgotten the millions still trapped under the same system that nearly destroyed me. North Korea’s regime continues to control every aspect of its citizens’ lives: movement, thoughts, speech, even love.
In China, over 10,000 North Korean women remain trapped in forced relationships, their human rights violated daily (North Korea Human Rights Information Center, 2023). In 2017, South Korean news media reported that 20% of these women are forced into online sexual exploitation. Worse still, around 10,000 children born to these undocumented women have no legal identity. They cannot go to school, receive medical care or even prove their existence. These are not isolated tragedies. These are the long shadows cast by communist authoritarianism.
4: Why this matters
People often ask me why I risked my life to escape. My answer is simple: because I wanted to live with dignity. Under communism, I was denied that right. The ideology promised equality, but delivered only fear, hunger and silence. It punished ambition, crushed individuality and destroyed families.
What I experienced is not just a personal story — it is a warning. Communism, when weaponized by dictatorship, erases the human spirit. It uses beautiful words like “justice” and “equality” to hide systems of control and cruelty.
I am no longer a voiceless girl hiding in a dark room. I am here to speak for those who still cannot. I am here to tell you that the victims of communism are not just numbers in a textbook. They are children who starve, women who are sold and dreamers who are silenced.
I survived. And now, I speak — not because I am brave, but because silence is complicity.
Thank you.
Jihyang Kim, a North Korean escapee and Fulbright scholar, was born in Hyesan, Ryanggang Province. She escaped from North Korea in 2012, driven by the famine and skyrocketing inflation that followed the country’s disastrous currency reform. After fleeing to China, where she lived as a non-person and suffered exploitation for several years, she managed to reach South Korea in 2016. Despite only having an elementary education, Jihyang excelled academically in South Korea, earning numerous awards. In college, she championed social integration between South Koreans and North Korean escapees. Jihyang is passionate about education, which she believes is the foundation for personal and community transformation. She is preparing for the opportunity to empower North Korean youth with high-quality, democratic education after reunification.
One of the underrated luxuries of living in Los Angeles is how easy it is to make a quick escape. With nothing more than a full tank of gas and an overnight bag in the trunk, you’re only a few hours from pine-scented trails, fog-wrapped coastlines and sun-soaked desert hideaways. If you’re traveling with a dog, even better: California is dotted with towns that don’t just allow pets — they basically roll out the red carpet for them.
Los Angeles is a dog town, no bones about it. In this weeklong series, we dig into the obsession.
My dog Charlie has been my steadfast companion since I brought him home in 2021: a calming presence when I’m racing to meet a deadline, and a blur of excitement the moment he senses we’re heading out the door. Traveling with him now isn’t just routine — it’s part of the joy.
We’ve taken more than a dozen weekend getaways together: some mapped out with military precision, others sketched out over coffee. Along the way, Charlie has darted into waves, waddled down wooded trails and stretched out like a tiny emperor beneath cafe tables, soaking up the scene.
Over time, I’ve picked up a few practical tips that help make the journey of traveling with a dog smoother:
• Call ahead to confirm pet policies. Just because a spot was dog-friendly once doesn’t mean it still is. (My favorite bookstore in Ojai, for instance, no longer allows pups due to overcrowding.) It’s worth checking on weight limits, extra fees and room restrictions — details that may not be listed online.
• Pack a few familiar comforts. Charlie never travels without a half-dozen of his favorite squeaky toys. A cozy bed, treats and even a dog-approved playlist (he’s partial to ‘90s teen pop) can go a long way in making your pup feel at home.
• Plan for pit stops. Every dog has their limit on the road; Charlie’s is about two hours. That’s when he starts getting antsy and throwing side-eye that clearly says, “Stretch time!” Before you head out, map a few good stops: scenic rest areas, cafes with outdoor seating or quick walking trails to help burn off some energy.
Once the essentials are covered, the only thing left is choosing your backdrop. Here’s a short list of destinations around the state that strike the right balance: beautiful, accessible and dog-loving. Whether you’re chasing salty breezes, crisp mountain air or just a patio brunch with water bowls on standby, these eight California getaways are sure to charm you and your furry friend.
Road trips make for a great holiday, but if you don’t check these things before you leave, it can get expensive.
Make sure your next road trip goes smoothly (Image: Patchareeporn Sakoolchai via Getty Images)
If you’re planning a summer road trip, it’s crucial to be clued up on the rules. Road trips can be a fantastic holiday and a summer staple, but they can also lead to financial woes if you inadvertently break any road laws, potentially leaving you thousands of pounds poorer.
Yell’s experts consulted Mark Hayes from HG Evans Garage Ltd, who boasts 44 years in garage services, about some of the lesser-known regulations that could trip up travellers this summer. The most common blunder people make is neglecting to check their tyre PSI.
Before heading out on any summer excursion, it’s essential to inspect your tyres, ensuring your tread depth exceeds the legal minimum of 1.6mm to dodge a hefty £10,000 fine.
Additionally, verify that the rubber is in good nick and that your tyre pressure matches the correct PSI.
Don’t forget to check your brakes too, to avoid earning three points on your licence and a £2,500 penalty.
Tire pressure is an important check(Image: Michael Hayward via Getty Images)
Ensure your brake fluid levels are up to scratch before hitting the road. If you suspect they might be faulty, get in touch with your local garage or service centre for help before setting off, reports the Express.
If you’re planning a full-blown road trip and towing a caravan or trailer, it’s vital to confirm your car has the appropriate towing capacity.
Knowing your route is equally important. Familiarise yourself with the journey and local roads, and keep a close watch on your clutch.
If your vehicle has clocked between 50,000 and 100,000 miles, it’s high time to have your clutch inspected to prevent any unexpected breakdowns.
This is particularly crucial if you frequently drive in hilly terrains.
Make sure you know your route(Image: Natalia Lebedinskaia via Getty Images)
Extreme heat can also wreak havoc on your car battery. If you’re aware that your battery is getting on in years, it would be wise to replace it ahead of any lengthy trips.
A replacement every three years is generally advised, and Hayes suggests avoiding numerous short drives during the summer, especially with multiple devices plugged in as this could deplete your battery at a much faster rate.
In hot weather, it’s recommended to check your car battery roughly once a week, particularly if it’s around three years old.
SACRAMENTO — In a common insult the Trump administration uses against dissidents of federal policy, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller called a California judge a “communist” after she blocked roving immigration arrests based on race alone.
The MAGA-embraced epithet from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s official press office in response, however, was hardly typical for a Democratic politician.
“This fascist cuck in DC continues his assault on democracy and the Constitution, and his attempt to replace the sovereignty of the people with autocracy,” the California governor’s office posted on social media. “Sorry the Constitution hurt your feelings, Stephen. Cry harder.”
Popular among the far right and the gutters of social media, the term is used to insult liberals as weak and is also short for “cuckold,” which refers to the husband of an unfaithful wife.
The low blow sanctioned by a potential 2028 presidential candidate set a new paradigm for the political left that has long embraced Michelle Obama’s “when they go low, we go high” motto to rise above the callousness of Trump and his acolytes.
It’s also an example of Newsom’s more aggressive social media strategy.
This week the governor posted memes of Trump with child molester and accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Shortly after the Department of Homeland Security detained and handcuffed U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla at a news conference in June, state Assemblymember Joe Patterson (R-Rockland) alleged on X that he would be treated the same way if he interrupted an event held by the governor.
“I’d politely ask you to leave,” retorted Newsom’s communications director, Izzy Gardon. “Though you do not deserve politeness in this moment for this grotesque tweet, you bald little man.” (Patterson later added “Bald little man” to his profile on the social media site.)
The governor defended the more combative posture at a recent news conference. He noted that Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, had used the word last month when he called Newsom “the biggest cuck in politics.”
“I don’t think they understand any other kind of language, so I have no apologies for standing tall and firm and pushing back against their cruelty,” Newsom said.
The governor said publicly said that the decision to militarize Los Angeles showed him that you can’t work with the president, only for him. With federal troops on the ground, his aides said, Newsom also wanted to stand up for California, concerned about what would happen if he didn’t.
The directive was to match the tactics emanating from the White House and meet Trump and his allies where they are. Forget the high road.
Over the last month, they’ve taken on more fights with Newsom’s critics, reacted more quickly to shoot down misinformation about the governor or California, challenged narratives they find to be untrue, or unfair, and taken many of their own shots.
“Sometimes the best way to challenge a bully is to punch them in the metaphorical face,” said Bob Salladay, Newsom’s top communications advisor. “These tactics may seem extreme to some and they are, but there’s a significant difference here: We’re targeting powerful forces that are ripping apart this country, using their own words and tactics. Trump and Stephen Miller are attacking the powerless like every fascist bully before them.”
Newsom’s aides say the strategy is working.
The governor’s personal social media accounts gained 2.3 million new followers, including over 1 million each on TikTok and Instagram, and more than 883 million views from June 6 to July 6, according to his tallies.
Podcasters and social media influencers, such as Fred Wellman and Brian Tyler Cohen, boosted the interest with their own posts about the governor. On TikTok in particular, there’s a growing ecosystem of people who make videos about his videos.
Newsom’s official state accounts also experienced an exponential rise in followers and engagement in June.
The attention bodes well for a politician considering a bid for president. His aides argue that the strategy benefits California by shutting down misinformation and helping people understand what’s really going on.
“The thing that he does so well these days is that he responds rapidly, and he responds rapidly in a way that’s very snackable to the average consumer of news,” said Karen North, a professor of digital social media at the USC Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism.
North pointed to the adage that “it takes a minute to say a sound bite, but an hour to explain why it is false.”
Republicans have been considered masters of sound bites for decades, and Democrats are often criticized for trying to explain the details of policies when people just want to hear the bottom line.
Newsom is breaking that mold, she said.
“He has emerged as the person willing and able to take on the president, but in some ways, they use the same playbook of quick, engaging responses that are easy for people to understand without any analysis,” North said. “Newsom has the advantage of playing defense as an offense. So when the president says something that is problematic to California or problematic to everyday citizens, Gavin Newsom is laser-focused and ready to strike back without any hesitation, and in a way that’s very simple and very engaging.”
In some ways, the governor learned the hard way after Trump used his platforms to label Newsom as “incompetent” and blame him for the Los Angeles wildfires in January. The president made a barrage of claims at news conferences and on the social media site Truth Social about dry reservoirs, the need to transfer more water from Northern to Southern California, a lack of forest management and empty fire hydrants that went viral, leaving Newsom on the back foot defending himself.
When Trump sent the National Guard into Los Angeles, the governor almost immediately went on the attack to counter the president’s claims that he deployed troops to control lawlessness that Newsom had allowed. The governor’s office said his June 10 speech, which framed Trump as unnecessarily invading an American city for his own political gain, received 41 million views.
Although Newsom’s aggression has received praise from some Democrats, it’s also a “a massive pivot from being a Bannon bro,” said Eric Jaye, a former senior advisor to Newsom turned critic who opposed his 2018 gubernatorial bid.
Jaye is referring to the “This is Gavin Newsom” podcast, where the governor flummoxed Democrats who thought he appeared too chummy with Trump campaign architect Steve Bannon, conservative personality Charlie Kirk and others close to the president.
Jaye credited Newsom with “a very quick turnaround,” which “saved himself.”
But now, with his amped-up social media presence, Newsom runs the risk of offending voters who miss respectful political discourse.
Trump’s derogatory nicknames for his opponents, such as calling Newsom “Newscum” or Elizabeth Warren “Pocahontas,” have not appeared to cause the president much political harm. He embraced “lock her up” chants about Hillary Clinton in 2016 and constantly mocked Joe Biden before the former president dropped out of the 2024 presidential contest. Trump still won both races.
North said Trump also has the benefit of saying things that appear “passionate and reckless,” but people don’t believe he’s going to follow through.
As a potential presidential contender, the question is whether Newsom can use words such as “cuck” and say he wants to change laws to redistrict California to benefit Democrats in the midterm elections without worrying people and seeming too Trump-like to be palatable to voters who detest the president’s antics.
“It has to be disturbing to a lot of people if the new era of politics involves hostile personal attacks,” North said.
Times staff writer Seema Mehta contributed to this report.
The Narrow Road to the Deep North is set to premiere on BBC One this weekend. Here’s everything you need to know about the highly-anticipated series…
The Narrow Road to the Deep North stars Jacob Elordi and Odessa Young (Image: Amazon)
Much-awaited television drama The Narrow Road to the Deep North is poised to debut on BBC One this week.
The Australian miniseries, penned by Shaun Grant and helmed by Justin Kurzel, features Jacob Elordi, Odessa Young, and Ciarán Hinds in leading roles.
The five-episode series, adapted from Richard Flanagan’s acclaimed novel, initially premiered on Amazon Prime in Australia back in April, earning glowing praise from audiences and critics alike.
With The Narrow Road to the Deep North finally reaching British screens, we’ve compiled all the essential details about the programme, covering everything from its stellar cast to its compelling storyline….
The Narrow Road to the Deep North is made up of five episodes (Image: Amazon)
What is The Narrow Road to the Deep North about?
The Narrow Road to the Deep North draws its inspiration from Richard Flanagan’s novel bearing the identical title, reports the Express.
The drama follows Dorrigo Evans through three distinct chapters of his existence: his pre-war years before Second World War deployment, his harrowing experience as a prisoner of war in the Far East, and the decades that followed his return home.
Each timeline reveals fresh layers of Dorrigo’s passionate romance with Amy, his uncle’s wife.
The five-part drama explores the “cruelty of war, the tenuousness of life and the impossibility of love” as witnessed by an Australian medic turned prisoner of war.
The opening episode’s synopsis states: “While writing a speech for an upcoming book launch, renowned surgeon and celebrated war hero Dorrigo Evans is thrust back into memories of his time as a POW during World War II and of his brief, unforgettable love affair with Amy Mulvaney.”
The cast
Jacob Elordi and Odessa Young are set to captivate audiences in The Narrow Road to the Deep North, portraying the characters of Dorrigo Evans and Amy Mulvaney.
The star-studded cast also includes Olivia DeJonge, Heather Mitchell, Thomas Weatherall and Ciarán Hinds, alongside Show Kasamatsu, Taki Abe, Charles An and Akira Fujii.
Simon Baker, Masa Yamaguchi, Sean Murphy and George Simitzis are also part of the ensemble, joined by Jack McGreal, Rupert Bevan, Essie Davis, Dan Wyllie and Ewen Leslie.
Jacob Elordi in The Narrow Road to the Deep North (Image: Amazon)
How to watch
The Narrow Road to the Deep North initially premiered on Amazon Prime Video in Australia, following its debut at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival.
The BBC subsequently acquired the series for UK viewers, set to air on BBC One and available for streaming on iPlayer.
Episodes will start broadcasting from Sunday, 20 July at 9.15pm on BBC One. The series will continue to air weekly on BBC One, with episodes also accessible on iPlayer.
Tune into The Narrow Road to the Deep North every Sunday on BBC One at 9.15pm.
The Northumberland Coastal Route has been named as England’s best road trip, taking you to some of the most beautiful beaches in the country – and it’s just a road trip away from Newcastle
Northumberland is home to some of the UK’s best beaches(Image: Getty)
The North East boasts England’s top road trip, according to one travel blogger. If you’re looking for a last-minute trip that doesn’t necessarily involve getting into a plane and travelling thousands of miles away, this is a good alternative. You need a car, good company and a bathing suit.
Paul McDougal champions the Northumberland Coastal Route, stating it “isn’t the biggest, the most famous, or most dramatic road trip in England, but it’s absolutely my favourite”. However, the travel aficionado concedes he “might be a bit biased” as he hails from the region himself.
This road trip is still beautiful even when it rains(Image: Getty)
Nonetheless, once you see it for yourself, it won’t take you long to understand why. He also suggests starting the journey from Tynemouth and “hugging the coast as closely as you can”.
Departing from Tynemouth, just a stone’s throw from Newcastle, it’s a mere 10-minute drive to Whitley Bay. This seaside town is packed with traditional pubs and independent shops, and boasts a mile-long stretch of Blue Flag beach, reports the Express.
A half-hour drive from the bay will take you to Cresswell, a coastal village renowned for its sandy beach, which Visit Northumberland describes as “one of the best on the Northumberland coast for dog walkers and families looking for a day at the beach”.
Just shy of an hour further up the coast, you’ll find Craster, a fishing village nestled within the Northumberland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This designation makes it one of England’s 34 sites earmarked for conservation under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.
Visit Craster describes the village as “it is a popular destination for those seeking peace and quiet in a spectacular setting.” Just moments away lies Alnwick Gardens, cultivated by the Duchess of Northumberland back in 1996.
Whitley Bay is one of the many pretty stops along the route(Image: Getty)
Welcoming visitors to explore its grounds, the attraction boasts a mysterious “poison garden” housing roughly 100 lethal and hazardous plants, with standard adult admission priced at £18.95.
A mere 50-minute journey north from Craster brings you to Berwick-upon-Tweed, the ultimate destination on this scenic route. This charming town earned recognition as the Guardian’s “happiest place to live in Britain” for 2025, with Monty Python legend Michael Palin once describing it as: “It feels like somewhere where stories happen and where stories are told.”
Travellers are advised to savour the journey at a leisurely pace, allowing ample opportunity to immerse themselves in each location and experience the region renowned for its welcoming locals.
Moving abroad would put on ice any ambitions to play for England. Italy, who he also qualified for and who Louis now represents, would be tricky given the logistics.
All Lynagh’s chips would be on Aussie green and gold.
On Saturday, five years on from that video call, they pay out as he starts for Australia against the British and Irish Lions in Brisbane.
“We all sat down, he thought about it, spoke to all the relevant parties and made a sensible, mature and informed decision,” says Paul Burke, former Ireland and Harlequins fly-half and Lynagh’s director of rugby at Epsom College.
“He understood that his talent was recognised over here and that he had opportunities to stay in England, but he went with his heart, with what he wanted.
“It was a huge step out of his comfort zone, without his mum and dad, staying with his grandparents and establishing himself in a new environment.”
Lynagh travelled down under with baggage. His father Michael is a 24-carat, 72-cap Wallaby legend. Like Tom, he played fly-half. Michael was an ever-present on the touchlines of Tom’s school matches, quietly watching and supporting.
But it was an attitude, as much as inherited attributes, that marked Lynagh junior out to Burke.
“From the outset he was extremely talented,” Burke adds. “He was always going to be destined for greatness.
“He was a fantastic cricketer, an excellent footballer and a sublime rugby player.
“His functional movement and ability to read a game were very natural, but most of all it was his character and attitude.
“I said to him when he was leaving that it would hold him in good stead.”
