special

DAVID Beckham kissed his wife Victoria on their “special” family holiday – without estranged son Brooklyn.

The former footballer, 51, took to his Instagram stories to give fans a sneak peek into the holiday as the Beckham clan visited Spain, France and Italy.

David and Victoria, 52, were joined on the trip by their children Romeo, 23, Cruz, 21 and 15-year-old Harper.

Also there were his mum Sandra, Victoria’s dad Tony and Romeo and Cruz’s girlfriends Kim Turnball and Jackie Apostel.

Their estranged son Brooklyn and his wife Nicola Peltz were of course noticeably absent from the trip.

In one snap that David uploaded, he and Victoria were seen enjoying a smooch while on a boat in Ibiza, Spain.

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Another showed the pair swimming in a stunning blue ocean as he penned: “Someone doesn’t love the ocean but she loved this moment.”

He posted individual pictures with Harper and his mum as he told them he loved them.

In one particular photo, the family are seen sitting around a table for dinner as David writes: “Family moments. Love you all.”

Brooklyn, 27, and his wife Nicola, 31, have been estranged from his family for the past three years.

While his family enjoyed their European holiday, he and Nicola posed up a storm in bed selfies as they were joined by their pet pooch.

The two were seen snuggled in their bed as they cuddled each other in one snap.

The chef released a bombshell statement in January and suggested public image and Brand Beckham was the biggest priority to his mum and dad.

He alleged that his mum cancelled making his wife’s wedding dress in the eleventh hour.

He claimed she was excited to wear one of Victoria’s designs and had to urgently find a new dress at the last minute.

He went on to say his mum called him “evil” for choosing to include his Nanny Sandra and Nicola’s Naunni on their table at the wedding because they didn’t have their husbands.

Brooklyn also claimed that his mum hijacked his wedding dance to dance “very inappropriately” on him and alleged she invited women from his past into his current life.

The former photographer said his parents cared more about keeping up with “Brand Beckham”.

Victoria said in an interview that when it comes to parenting, she has “always tried to protect” her children.

She told Emma Grede on her podcast: “Our children have had a very different upbringing to myself and David and I think the world is also a very different place now then to what it was when they were younger.”

The Beckham clan have made several attempts to lend olive branches to Brooklyn on social media, mentioning him on birthdays and special moments.

However, he’s remained firm on his decision to keep away from them as he continues his life in Los Angeles with Nicola.

In a brief online elegy for Dolly Parton, with whom she’d worked on the women-empowering film “9 to 5,” actor and famed liberal activist Jane Fonda made it a point to note that Parton cared about her queer fans.

“To her gay and trans fans, I want you to know that she loved you,” Fonda wrote. “You know that without me telling you.”

Indeed, we do.

Dolly meant something special to the LGBTQ+ community, in part because she represented an America where we are accepted — not just in big blue cities, but in one-room cabins in East Tennessee and in every rural, American-flag-flying corner of this big country.

Dolly was colorful and vivacious and unapologetic, and had more than a bit of drag queen in her. But she was also an unabashed ally with a country twang — a friend from the part of America where many queer people still instinctively put their guard up.

Of course, a country twang and queer acceptance can go hand in hand, and often do.

The Human Rights Campaign just last week cited a new U.S. Census Bureau analysis showing a record-high 12% of U.S. adults identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or gender diverse.

That’s more than 25 million people, and they live all across the country. Many sound like Dolly. Many are surrounded by loving, supportive family too.

Yet it remained important, particularly as LGBTQ+ rights have come under increasing attack, that Dolly — big, beloved, down-home Dolly — had our back too.

She wrote and sang the Oscar-nominated song “Travelin’ Thru” from the 2005 movie “Transamerica,” about a transgender woman and her son. She collaborated with her goddaughter Miley Cyrus on “Rainbowland,” a tribute to gay pride. And she made no secret of where she stood.

“I have some of everybody in my own immediate family and in my circle of employees. I’ve got transgender people. I’ve got gays. I’ve got lesbians,” she said in 2023. “I know and love them all, and I do not judge.… That’s who they are. They cannot help that any more than I can help being Dolly Parton.”

The LGBTQ+ community has watched in recent years as corporations and other supposed allies have backed away and gone quiet amid shifting politics and the Trump administration’s war on diversity, equity and inclusion and the transgender community.

But not Dolly. We saw her stand her ground, next to us. And that meant something. Dolly showed that you can appeal to the whole of America without throwing LGBTQ+ people under the bus.

She showed that you can stand behind LGBTQ+ people without twisting into socially awkward or politically damaging positions, no matter your audience. Sometimes it just takes plain language about accepting everyone as they are.

She showed that holding onto faith, patriotism and the American way of life doesn’t mean you can’t also hold space for LGBTQ+ people to live their own happy lives.

She showed that we are all more alike than we are different, and that it’s easier to see eye to eye when you aren’t looking past one another.

Dolly showed that a country star and all-American icon, beloved as much in rural dive bars as big city queer clubs, could transcend the bogus narrative that LGBTQ+ lives are a political issue rather than a part of our collective humanity — and that all of us can too.

Dolly represented the America that LGBTQ+ people love and remain loyal to, the open-armed, diverse, compassionate, take-people-as-they-come version of America that is still all of ours to enjoy if we just work for it a little — just like Dolly did.

Dolly loved LGBTQ+ people, and we loved her — in part because she showed us that our country still loves us too.

Jack Tucker descends from the rafters inside L.A.’s Montalbán Theatre like a kamikaze crash landing into his big moment. He’s flanked by fountain fireworks while a buff guitarist with a blond mullet and glittery spandex shorts wails on guitar to the tune of Lenny Kravitz’s cover of “American Woman.” With the garish gusto of a WWE wrestler, Tucker’s entrance as the ringleader of the show “Stamptown” electrifies the stage.

But the show truly starts when it falls apart with technical mishaps. Everything breaks, guns go off, an illusionist loses his clothes and jumps fully nude into the crowd — all within the first five minutes.

It’s a chaotic comedy world created by classically trained performers, including clowns, who’ve studied the art of physical humor and shredded the rule book. For more than 10 years the Stamptown troupe led by Tucker, the alter ego of comedian Zach Zucker, has created an insane asylum on stage — from Elysian Theater in Echo Park to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland. The show’s comedy thrives on failure, interruption and never actually getting to the “script.” This week the madness leaps from the stage to the screen as Stamptown premieres its first Netflix special Tuesday.

“This is a lot of people’s first time being exposed to this,” Zucker said, cracking a mischievous smile while sitting in a red velvet chair inside the empty Elysian Theater where his crew has performed “Stamptown” for years. “I have seen a man light his penis on fire 45 times in my show. I forget that when it comes to comedy, most people are used to seeing a person with one microphone stand still and talk.”

Filmed over the course of three performances during Netflix Is a Joke Fest in May, the spliced together “Stamptown” special directed by Rachel Lee Goldenberg and edited by show co-creator Dylan Woodley captures the chaos of clowning mixed with a cerebral roast of traditional comedy and plenty of playful danger. The result isn’t a piece of art but rather “a pile of art,” Zucker said.

“Our strength is being a ‘you gotta see it to believe it’ type of performance, but if I really had to boil it down, it’s a modern day vaudevillian variety show that features any and all alternative performances … our ethos is, ‘against all odds, this show works,’ ” Zucker said.

Zach Zucker tosses props in the air inside the Elysian Theater.

(Carlin Stiehl / For The Times)

On a recent afternoon, the lanky, mustachioed Zucker, wearing a T-shirt, ballcap and small hoop earrings, bears little resemblance to his comic alter ego who sports a tattered suit with gag props stuffed in every pocket. In real life, the New York native is a former baseball and basketball star athlete who went down an extremely different path to become “a bisexual traveling clown.” After enrolling in what he assumed would be an easy acting class during his senior year of high school, Zucker became obsessed with improv and comedy. His teacher advised him to check out the renowned improv troupe Second City. So he flew to Chicago to see the show “Spoiler Alert: Everybody Dies” featuring Tim Robinson, Sam Richardson, Timothy Edward Mason and more. “It changed my life,” he said.

After taking up comedy classes and street performances on the East Coast, Zucker quickly transitioned to working in theater and eventually moved to L.A. at 18 to pursue comedy, interning at Upright Citizens Brigade. He scrubbed toilets in exchange for free improv classes. It was at UCB where he first crossed paths with celebrated clown teacher Philippe Gaulier, whose former students include Sacha Baron Cohen, Rachel Weisz and Geoffrey Rush. The wily, frizzy-haired Frenchman with red-framed spectacles taught Zucker everything he knows about clowning.

“Our strength is being a ‘you gotta see it to believe it’ type of performance, but if I really had to boil it down, it’s a modern day vaudevillian variety show that features any and all alternative performances … our ethos is, ‘against all odds, this show works,’” Zach Zucker said.

(Carlin Stiehl / For The Times)

“Philippe is by far my greatest influence,” Zucker said. “There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about him or that I’m not actively implementing all the lessons he taught me as a man and as an artist.”

One of those lessons became the ethos of “Stamptown”: “If you’re having fun, maybe we like you. If you’re not having fun, for sure we hate you.”

Inspired by his wisdom, Zucker moved to France for two years to study with Gaulier. It was there that he met his future “Stamptown” collaborator Jonny Woolley, a Canadian performer who became the show’s sound tech, adding to the menagerie of aural mayhem through sound effects that punctuate the show’s every move.

“There’s a lot of different ways of approaching clowning, but ultimately, for us, it’s more of a philosophical approach to making art than it is like a rigorous set of rules or styles. It’s just being a lovable idiot,” Woolley said.

The name “Stamptown” is a tribute to the place where they learned their artform: the town of Estampes (which loosely translates to “Stamp”) in France where they studied with Gaulier, who died this year before the special was filmed.

Though he‘s known for his offbeat humor, Zucker’s brain is firing on a perpetual metronome. He’s snapping his fingers incessantly during our interview while describing the comedic timing of each show, which grooves like a jazz band on stage.

”Sometimes there’s a few different rhythms that I’m balancing at once. I can really zone in on what is the most fruitful at the moment while still keeping these other balls in the air,” he said. “Thankfully we’re not always pushing a message. Sometimes it is just about entertaining the crowd at all costs.”

Before “Stamptown,” Zucker was performing with Norwegian friend and fellow clown Viggo Venn as “Zach & Viggo,” a side act in the original variety show Zucker started with his friends in 2017 in Melbourne called “Midnight Madness” that eventually turned into “Stamptown.”

Working with Venn, Woolley and Woodley, Zucker devised the show to include a rotating cast of clowns, and comedic performers from around the world, including L.A. Staples in the local clown community include the slapstick of clown kingpin Chad Damiani playing a janitor, comedic actor Natalie Palamides as a comedy nepo fetus birthed by Riki Lindhome of “Garfunkel and Oates” and the riotously robotic gyrations of Courtney Pauroso as fembot temptress Vanessa 5000.

“‘Stamptown’ is extraordinary; it’s finely calculated nonsense,” said actor Neil Patrick Harris, a longtime friend and supporter of Zucker who appears on the Netflix special, in a statement to The Times. “Each performance is unique — stand-ups colliding with circus artists, and improvisers swapping talents and fluids, even the stagehands’ utter chaos and running gags, a ridiculous fever dream … it’s absurdly genius.”

The international performers who have become part of the “Stamptown” universe run the gamut from jugglers to steel drum players to acrobats to pianists. Trans comedian Jordan Gray is extremely unafraid to bare it all, including her soul, when behind the piano. The physicality of the performances goes beyond regional references and punchlines that might get some laughs in one country but not in others. Venn says it’s clear that at their core people tend to share the same sense of humor.

“It was fascinating to us to see that in Australia and France and England and the U.S., they really laugh at the same things if it’s like a deeply human kind of failure,” Venn said. “That’s the beauty of this show.”

Zach Zucker sits inside the Elysian Theater in Los Angeles.

(Carlin Stiehl / For The Times)

A tangled web of masterfully timed sound effects has unintentionally become the heartbeat of “Stamptown” . With Woolley now living full time in London, the duties for the U.S. shows were recently passed down to fellow performer Jeremy Elder, who did the sounds for the Netflix special tapings. He says the show is at its best when they throw out the game plan for the night, even while filming for Netflix.

“I think it’s as soon as we went off script, the audience could feel that. In the final product, we planned so much, but once you’re in the room with people it’s a very clown-like sentiment to just roll with what the audience is feeling,” Elder said.

While traditional stand-up is Netflix’s bread and butter for comedy programming, this form of comedy is mostly a target for mockery in “Stamptown” to show how limiting it is compared with the physical comedy of clowning. The one caveat, Zucker says — a clown is by far the most embarrassing brand of comedian you can be.

“It’s not cool, you don’t do this to be cool,” he said, laughing. “The whole point is that with all the love and fantasy and pleasure of your life, you have to step in a bucket of s— over and over and over and enjoy it. ‘Isn’t it awesome how I humiliate myself for you?’ And you embrace it.”

Games are won and lost on special teams.

Precision and execution on punts and kickoffs can pin teams in their own end zones, stopping drives before they even get started.

Electric returners can flip the field and change the trajectory of a game in one play.

And a big foot can mitigate the pressure of a two-minute drill and create scoring opportunities as far as midfield.

No one may understand that more than UCLA coach Bob Chesney, who served as the special teams coordinator at King’s College from 2003-04 and at Johns Hopkins from 2005-08.

Chesney’s emphasis on the third phase of the game followed him from his time in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., to Westwood, where he incorporates special team periods throughout every practice.

While some coaches have specialists practice by themselves or use special teams periods sporadically through practice, Chesney ensures that everyone is involved, using players to distract kickers during field-goal attempts and returns, with the Bruins shouting, spraying water and running at specialists to simulate game-like scenarios.

In a game often decided by thin margins, special teams could be what pushes a team over the edge or what holds it back.

Let’s take a closer look at the changes Chesney and his staff have made to UCLA’s special teams personnel and how the group could fare in 2026.

Before analyzing the personnel, one of the biggest additions to the unit came in special teams coordinator Drew Canan, who followed Chesney from James Madison to UCLA and has led Chesney’s special teams units during the last 13 seasons.

UCLA’s Mateen Bhaghani hits a game-winning field goal with four seconds left against Maryland at Rose Bowl on Oct. 18.

(Harry How / Getty Images)

Kicker Mateen Bhaghani is arguably one of the highest impact Bruins returnees.

He has played 34 games across two years at UCLA and one season at California in 2023. During his three-year career, Bhaghani has hit 44 of 53 of his field-goal attempts and 71 of 71 extra points.

Despite his consistency, Bhaghani was not on the 2026 Lou Groza Award preseason watch list, an honor presented annually to the best college kicker in the country.

“That motivates me, but I don’t focus on it too hard,” Bhaghani said. “Seeing those types of things, I definitely feel like I could be one of those dudes, but I kind of ignore it. And I feel like this season I’ll show why I should be on that list, if not win it.”

The San Diego native has started all 24 of UCLA’s games during his two seasons in Westwood, nailing 36 of his 44 field-goal attempts, including five out his nine attempts from at least 50 yards.

Punter Chase Barry, who spent three seasons at UCLA and one at Oklahoma State, is back in Westwood. He was Bhaghani’s holder in 2024, helping the kicker hit 20 field goals, which led the Big Ten and ranked No. 11 among all kickers nationally.

As the season opener looms, Bhaghani is less focused on the technical side of his game and is placing more emphasis on sharpening the psychological side so that he can thrive under pressure.

“It’s all mental. The tougher I can sharpen my mental game to where it doesn’t matter what’s going on around me, I can go in there and make that kick. That’s what I feel is most important,” Bhaghani said. “Just being in pressure situations, it’s not as much technique and tweaking stuff like that right now. I feel like that’s more for the offseason. Whereas as we get closer to the season, I just focus on hitting a pure ball and working with the operation.”

Bhaghani proved his aptitude in high-pressure situations when he hit a 23-yard game-winning field goal against Maryland on Oct. 18 with two seconds remaining.

In addition to training mental toughness and familiarity with personnel, Chesney’s emphasis on special teams in practice has prepared Bhaghani for a high-impact year heading into his senior season.

UCLA coach Bob Chesney directs players during a preseason workout on Aug. 6.

(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)

“Coach Chesney has been a blessing, special teams-wise. He’s always there for me, and he has a clear line of communication in terms of where we should kick, when we should kick,” Bhaghani said. “The culture that he’s brought to special teams as the heartbeat of the team, it’s important, and every team needs to implement that.”

Bhaghani said that freshman long snapper Giancarlo Cereghino — who was tabbed as the top long snapper in his class by 247Sports — would probably be the starting long snapper on field goals, and that the first-year player had been snapping well throughout preseason.

Fifth-year long snapper Salem Abdul-Wahab will most likely handle long-snapping duties for punts after doing so in all 12 games last year.

The biggest change in the special teams department will undoubtedly come at punter, where the Bruins lost their starter from 2025 in Will Karoll, who transferred to Texas Tech in the offseason.

Karoll punted 44 for times on a 43.5-yard average, with 13 downed inside the 20-yard line and just two touchbacks.

The Bruins added Sam Houston transfer punter Curtis Gerrand, who will probably start against Cal after an impressive spring and preseason camp.

At Sam Houston, Gerrand played in all 12 games as a true freshman, punting 64 times for a 43-yard average, including a long of 72 yards, and placed 22 punts inside the opponents 20-yard line.

Rounding out the punter room is sophomore Lennox Miller. The Sydney, Australia, native did not see any game action during his true freshman season at UCLA, but he was ranked as the ninth best punter in his class by Chris Sailer Kicking and a three-star recruit by ESPN. However. Miller will again have a tough time seeing game action in 2026 with the likes of Gerrand and Barry ahead of him.

In the kicking department, following Bhaghani is freshman Mateo Orosco, who probably will not play unless Bhaghani is injured, but was praised by Chesney during preseason camp.

“These two kickers are pretty good. They’re fun to watch and they’re going to battle the whole way through and I’m excited to just watch,” Chesney said. “You know how good Mateen is, but Mateo will be under him and watch this and follow, and just have that to learn from, it’s pretty exciting to watch those two go.”

Bruins on deck

Here are all UCLA games and exhibitions scheduled to be played this week across all sports:

MONDAY, AUG. 24

Men’s soccer vs. CSU Bakersfield, 7 p.m.

THURSDAY, AUG. 27

Women’s soccer at Stanford, 7:30 p.m.

FRIDAY, AUG. 28

Men’s water polo at Cal (exhibition), 5 p.m.

Men’s soccer vs. Denver, 7 p.m.

Women’s volleyball vs. Long Beach State, 7 p.m.

SATURDAY, AUG. 29

Men’s water polo vs. Saint Mary’s in La Jolla (Triton Invitational), 9:20 a.m.

Men’s water polo vs. Bucknell in La Jolla (Triton Invitational), 4 p.m.

Women’s volleyball vs. Long Beach State, 5 p.m.

SUNDAY, AUG. 30

Women’s soccer at Santa Clara, 1 p.m.

In case you missed it

Undrafted James Madison star Trent Hendrick commits to UCLA thanks to court ruling

UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava learns, and builds, on his experiences

UCLA defensive back Cole Martin embodied Bob Chesney’s values before meeting the coach

UCLA Unlocked: Bruins’ defense has nowhere to go but up under Bob Chesney

Derek Carr, UCLA football’s new special advisor, sees a winner in Bob Chesney

Have something Bruin?

Do you have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future UCLA newsletter? Email newsletters editor Houston Mitchell at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

In early results from the special election runoff to complete the congressional term of disgraced former Rep. Eric Swalwell, state Sen. Aisha Wahab was in the lead late Tuesday by a narrow margin.

Wahab (D-Hayward) is competing against Melissa Hernandez, president of the Bay Area Rapid Transit Board and the former mayor of Dublin.

According to Associated Press results, Wahab had 51.0% of the vote to Hernandez’s 49.0% as of 10:11 p.m. with 62% of votes counted.

Swalwell’s District 14 seat has been vacant since he resigned in April amid sexual assault allegations, which he has repeatedly denied.

Wahab and Hernandez were the finalists in the June 16 special primary, in which the top two finishers regardless of party affiliation advanced to Tuesday’s special election.

The two also will compete, once again, in the fall in a slightly redrawn district for a full term that begins in January 2027.

Both versions of the district are contained entirely within Alameda County in the East Bay. The current district includes Hayward, Livermore, Pleasanton and Union City, as well as parts of San Leandro, Fremont and Dublin.

The two candidates are both Democrats, but Wahab leans more progressive, while Hernandez is generally considered the more moderate candidate.

Earlier this summer, Wahab initially emerged as the clear front-runner. She placed first in both the June 16 special primary for the partial-term seat and the June 2 primary for the full-term seat — leading Hernandez by more than 20 percentage points in both races.

But the race became much more competitive after the pro-Israel lobbying group American Israel Public Affairs Committee funneled millions into campaign materials designed to defeat Wahab, who has publicly criticized Israel’s military actions in Gaza and called the humanitarian crisis there a genocide. Hernandez has said she supports Israel’s right to defend itself, but neither candidate has made the conflict a core part of their campaign.

United Democracy Project, a super political action committee backed by AIPAC, spent $1.2 million on the race in August in support of Hernandez and in opposition to Wahab, according to Federal Election Commission records. Another group, Bold America, which has received funding from United Democracy Project, has recently spent about $1.7 million supporting Hernandez.

In total, around $3.7 million in outside funding has been spent to promote Hernandez’s campaign since mid-July, compared to around $400,000 spent in support of Wahab’s campaign during the same time frame.

Over the course of the campaign, Hernandez has more than doubled Wahab’s fundraising and spending. However, both candidates ended July with roughly even amounts of cash in the bank.

Times staff writer Clara Harter contributed to this report.

ARIANA Grande left fans stunned after bringing out a special guest for a ‘mesmerising’ duet on the second night of her London tour shows.

The singer and actress, 33, is performing at The O2 for the UK leg of her Eternal Sunshine Tour.

On the second night, Ariana had a big surprise for the audience as Wicked co-star Cynthia Erivo joined her on stage.

The pair portray Glinda and Elphaba respectively in the smash-hit musical films.

An onlooker told The Sun: “The crowd absolutely lost their minds when Cynthia came on stage for the Wicked reunion.

“Cynthia and Ariana couldn’t stop beaming as they were reunited to sing For Good.

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GRANDE FINALE

Ariana admits she’s ‘overwhelmed’ on stage as she kicks off O2 residency

“It was almost the end of the concert and everyone was shocked.”

They then went onto sing another song Called Get Happy/Happy Days Are Here Again

It comes after Ariana revealed she felt “overwhelmed” with emotion on stage as she thanked her fans for their support.

At the opening night of the UK leg of her Eternal Sunshine Tour, the American singer said: “London, I love you so much.

“As you know, London is my final stop on this tour.

“And I just wanted to say I’m going to savour every last second of these last ten shows with you guys. As this is one of my favourite places in the world.”

His NFL playing career is over, but Derek Carr is far from done with football.

UCLA announced this week that it has hired Carr as a special advisor to football coach Bob Chesney, and that the four-time Pro Bowl quarterback will assist with the Bruins’ offensive staff in game-planning strategy.

“Coach Chesney is a leader of men,” said Carr, who was at Dodger Stadium on Monday evening and was on the field before the game. “So many guys get hired just based on scheme. This is a guy who stands up in front of the room and leads.”

It might seem a bit random, Carr joining UCLA’s staff. He played at Fresno State, then with the Raiders in Oakland and Las Vegas before finishing his NFL career in New Orleans. But there’s a connection.

Darrick Yray, UCLA football’s general manager, formerly was an offensive assistant and assistant director of football operations at Fresno State. He and Carr got to know each other there.

After attending his first team meeting at UCLA, Carr texted Yray and said, “You’ve got a real one” in Chesney.

“You can feel his presence,” Carr said of Chesney, hired in December after his rise to coaching prominence at Holy Cross then James Madison. “You can feel the team respond to him. … It wasn’t so much what he said, it was how he said it. He was so demanding of the team, yet so encouraging.

“He can demand, demand, demand, but also love them at the same time, to the point where they’re like, `OK, Coach, whatever you want.’”

Carr played 11 NFL seasons, finishing with 41,245 yards passing and 257 touchdowns. He remains the Raiders’ all-time leader in passing yards, passing touchdowns and completions. He retired in May 2025.

Coaching was always in his plans. His brother, Darren, is head football coach at Bakersfield Christian High, and Derek helped coach the quarterbacks there last season. Their brother, David, the quarterback picked No. 1 overall by the expansion Houston Texans in 2002, is Bakersfield Christian’s offensive coordinator.

“I have so much knowledge and things built up that I just want to give to these kids,” Derek Carr said of his interest in coaching in high school and college. “Just like my brother did for me.

“When I got to high school, I was ahead. When I got to college, I was ahead. When I got to the NFL, I was ahead. Because my brother poured into my life. That’s what I feel I want to do for the next generation, too.”

Profile

RON UNZ

* Born: Sept. 20, 1961, Los Angeles

* Residence: Palo Alto

* Current position: Full-time candidate for governor, on leave from managing his small software company.

* Education: Bachelor’s degrees in physics and history, Harvard University. Phi Beta Kappa. Recipient of a Churchill Science Fellowship to Cambridge University in England, where he studied quantum gravitation under Stephen Hawking.

* Career highlights: In the late 1980s, Unz took a leave of absence from Stanford University, where he was enrolled in a Ph.D. program in theoretical physics. He worked as an associate at a New York City mortgage finance company. In 1988, he founded Wall Street Analytics Inc., a financial services software company.

* Family: Unmarried

The Record

Ron Unz has no public record and brings an unusual, if not unique, background to his quest for California’s top public office. He has a strong record of academic and intellectual achievement. His IQ has been estimated at 214–what one expert calls “one in a million”–and as a teen-ager he won first place in the national Westinghouse talent search competition for a paper on black holes. He is a physicist as well as an expert on the Spartan naval empire.

After working for a New York City mortgage finance company, Unz founded his own small firm that sells specialized computer programs to Wall Street firms. The firm has become highly successful during the last six years and has made Unz a wealthy man.

Although he has no political experience, he says he has long had an interest in politics and has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to conservative think tanks and causes.

Unz says his years in the business world have prepared him well to govern California. “In terms of the sectors of the American economy that create wealth, I have more experience than the other four candidates together, times a factor of a few,” he said.

The Speech: In His Own Words

I believe that the Republican Party stands for clear principles and firm ideas–smaller government, lower taxes, fewer regulations and traditional values–and that Pete Wilson stands for nothing except his political ambition.

Over the past three years, Pete Wilson and the Democrats have enacted the largest state tax increase in American history, deepening our recession and destroying jobs. Pete Wilson and the Democrats have led our Golden State to the brink of ruin. A choice between Pete Wilson and the Democrats means no choice at all for the people of California.

Unlike Pete Wilson, I have not abandoned the mainstream of the Republican Party . . . and its basic principles. . . . Under Ronald Reagan, these were the ideas which swept the nation and the world. I am the Republican candidate for governor.

Unlike Pete Wilson, my affiliation with the Republican Party is not hereditary: I come from a family of Democrats. But when that former Democrat Ronald Reagan transformed the Republican Party into the party of the ordinary working people of America, it became my party.

Unlike Pete Wilson, I didn’t attend an elite prep school, but received my education in the public schools of Los Angeles, back when they still provided an outstanding education for all of our children, rich and poor alike. It was this education which provided me with the tools of opportunity I needed to achieve economic success. But today, I am disgusted by the decay of our school system.

Unlike Pete Wilson, I don’t believe we should raise taxes again and again, until our entrepreneurs and small businesses are faced with some of the highest tax rates in America, driving our jobs and prosperity to other states. . . .

Unlike Pete Wilson, who has been on government and political payrolls for almost 30 years as a lifelong career politician, I come from the private business sector, the part of our economy which actually creates the wealth, provides the jobs and pays the taxes. I understand the value of money and the long hours required to earn it. I reject the waste that is routinely accepted by the special interest politicians who don’t understand what it’s like to earn a living in the real world.

Unlike Pete Wilson, who has little or no comprehension of the industries of tomorrow, I come from a scientific and technological background. I know that California’s future prosperity cannot be based merely upon jobs to build and maintain Pete Wilson’s endless array of future prisons.

I know that the high-technology industries of tomorrow such as computers, telecommunications, biotechnology and the entertainment industry can be the foundation of California’s prosperity. I see that the widespread adoption of telecommuting could make our freeway traffic jams a thing of the past. . . .

My grandparents came to California in the 1920s and 1930s as poor European immigrants, willing to work hard to provide a better life for their children.

I am a native-born Californian who remembers the hope and optimism and endless sense of possibility which the California Dream once meant to us. Our state has the finest climate, enormous natural beauty, and tremendous scientific and technological resources unequaled any place in the world.

The primary obstacle on our road to recovery is the deep failure of our own overgrown state government. Join with me in overcoming this one obstacle, and together we can restore the Golden State which we all remember.

The government plans to enact a special law this year to designate special zones for investment projects related to artificial intelligence (AI), the presidential chief of staff said Monday, as Seoul seeks to accelerate their implementation.

Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik unveiled the plan at a press briefing following a meeting presided over by President Lee Jae Myung to assess progress on the projects.

The Lee administration announced the “three megaprojects” in late June that outlined plans for large-scale investments in a semiconductor production cluster, physical AI and AI data centers in regional areas.

Under the chip cluster project alone, the two leading chipmakers — Samsung Electronics Co. and SK hynix Inc. — have pledged to invest a combined 800 trillion won (US$564.9 billion), marking the single-largest investment plan to date in the southwestern city of Gwangju and the surrounding Honam area. The initiative also includes large-scale investments in Chungcheong Province and the southeastern Yeongnam region.

Through the envisioned special law on megaproject zones, the government will help streamline licensing and approval procedures, as well as environmental impact assessments, the chief of staff said.

The special law will also allow the government to swiftly establish infrastructure for electricity and water supplies, as well as living conditions for workers, including transportation, housing and education, Kang said.

At the start of the meeting, Lee urged the government to make every effort, including through deregulation, to implement the investment initiative as soon as possible.

Lee said all necessary administrative steps should be pursued simultaneously to shorten the time needed to implement the initiative while stressing that regulations should also be improved to ensure the implementation can be carried out as quickly as possible.

“We are in a situation where we must go beyond being speedy and move with the speed of lightning,” the president said.

He also instructed officials to transfer the functions of a military airport in Gwangju to other temporary facilities by 2028 to facilitate the speedy transformation of the regional airport into a semiconductor production hub.

The government earlier designated the military airport as the site for the envisioned chip cluster.

The ultimate goal of the investment initiative should be to distribute the pillars of growth across the country and make regional areas new centers of future industries, the president insisted.

“I hope that benefits from achievements garnered through the capabilities of the entire community will not be limited to certain companies or regions,” Lee said.

He said the following year should be a “golden time” that will open up a totally new world for South Korea depending on “how we prepare,” urging officials to make every effort.

Kang said that the government plans to complete the transfer of the Gwangju military airport’s functions to temporary facilities by 2028.

The government will also kick off the implementation of the investment projects in the Chungcheong and Yeongnam regions this year, worth 246 trillion won and 107 trillion won, respectively, he said.

Copyright (c) Yonhap News Agency prohibits its content from being redistributed or reprinted without consent, and forbids the content from being learned and used by artificial intelligence systems.

OLIVIA Attwood’s plan to beat Pete Wicks’ ‘friends to lovers’ curse has been revealed as the couple’s romance becomes ‘special and serious’.

Pete, 37, has long been close to various high profile women, but it seems his relationship with ITV golden girl Olivia, 35, is far different from the rest.

Pete and Olivia’s eight-year-long friendship has recently developed into a romantic relationship, and there’s a clear sign that she is keen to protect herself from the “friends to lovers to exes” arc that Pete has often become embroiled in.

In a bid to ensure their relationship doesn’t end in the same way as his splits from other high profile women, Olivia has protected herself by doing one key thing.

Olivia hasn’t hard-launched Pete on social media, and is clearly letting him do all the leg work – with her keen to focus on herself, her career and the empire she is building.

Although there have been very subtle hints here and there, like when they went on a staycation together, and when they walked their dogs in the same place – Olivia has been reluctant to reveal, outright, that they are in a relationship.

LOVED UP

Pete Wicks opens up on ‘magical’ holiday with Olivia Attwood after passionate snog

LIV-ING LIFE

Olivia Attwood strips to pink bra & thong as she makes cheeky joke to stylist

Pete hard-launched their relationship on July 16, with Olivia not returning the favour with a blatantly obvious post since.

Unlike Liv, he’s also spoke candidly about his romance – with his pal Sam Thompson on their Staying Relevant podcast.

Last week, Sam cheekily asked Pete: “You were on your holidays?”

“Yes, I hadn’t seen Liv for two and a half weeks, so I went to see Liv,” replied Pete.

He quickly added: “Don’t make this a thing,” with Sam jokingly feigning shock.

“So I went to see Liv, it was wonderful to see her, been two and a half weeks. We had a fabulous time. I have really hurt my back because I was backflipping off boats.

“We went for lovely dinners, we went to clubs, we drank a lot, it was magical in probably the best way to describe it.”

Olivia has however only posted a video on TikTok, which features her and Pete’s dogs being fed on a rooftop, with Pete’s tattooed arm coming into shot momentarily.

She also shared a photo of their dogs together on her Instagram stories, which Pete reposted to his and penned: “Hard launch no.2.”

Speaking to The Sun about Olivia’s decision to keep things as private as possible, a source revealed: “What they have right now is special.

“Because her other relationships have played out so publicly, she’s making a conscious effort to keep it close to her chest.

“She’s aware that in the industry she’s in, people want to know details, but this time she wants to keep something back, to herself.

“It’s serious and a more grown up relationship.”

In contrast, PeteHe has also said rather a lot about Olivia, which is something he would never normally do with girlfriends.

Throughout his several years of fame, Pete has gotten close to a number of stunning reality stars.

In his days on The Only Way Is Essex, Pete was close to Chloe Sims, with them publicly known as “best friends”.

Pete and Ella Rae Wise also had a close bond on Towie, with them even referring to one another as “special friends”.

He also struck up a very close relationship with Maura Higgins, which transitioned from a long-time friendship into a private romance.

But they parted ways after she publicly spoke about their romance while appearing on I’m A Celebrity, and later worried that he might have been “messing around behind her back”.

Meanwhile, Olivia was in a relationship with Bradley Dack for an on-and-off period of 10 years, from when they first met in 2015 until their final split in January 2026.

Olivia and Pete met in 2017 at the Specsavers Awards in London, which was six years before she married Brad.

On the night she and Pete met, they were seated at the same table and spent the entire night chatting and joking around.

They remained friends for years before they launched their radio show, The Sunday Roast, on KISS FM.

But things heated up between them in 2025 when they went on holiday to Ibiza, and people started to get suspicious of their bond.

At the time, photos emerged of Liv and Pete looking close and cuddling on a yacht, which sparked rumours they were more than friends.

It was later revealed, following Olivia’s marriage split, that Bradley had long suspected something.

“He’s suspected things for the past year but she’s always denied it,” a source told The Sun in March 2026.

When cosy pictures of the pair on an Ibiza yacht trip first sparked rumours of something more than friends, Olivia brushed off speculation by saying: “I think it’s to be expected when you’ve got two straight people working together.”

She added at the time: “It happened when I first joined Towie and Pete and I became very close. We spent a lot of time together and there was a rumour mill spinning back then.”

Olivia had always downplayed her friendship with Pete, and even branded him “repulsive” two years before they got together.

Speaking on Olivia’s podcast Olivia’s House with her ex Bradley, the pair discussed some of the listeners’ dilemmas.

One listener shared how they were worried about how their boyfriend was texting one of their female friends every day.

Olivia shared her thoughts on the situation and said: “I am very sceptical about female and male relationships when they are both straight.

“I just feel like one side would always let it be more.

“One exception to this rule is Pete. No because we both find each other repulsive.

“But at the same time, Pete and I are friends. We don’t talk every day.”

She added: “I don’t like it personally.”

The BBC aired a special tribute to Bonnie Tyler on Saturday, July 25, just weeks after the Welsh singer’s death at the age of 75, leaving fans in floods of tears

BBC viewers have been left devastated and in floods of tears following a heartfelt tribute to Bonnie Tyler.

The iconic Welsh singer died aged 75 on July 8 at a hospital in Portugal, with a statement from her family and team saying they were “heartbroken” to announce her “unexpected” death, reports Wales Online.

The star, who split her time between South Wales and her home in Faro, Portugal, had been due to embark on a European tour later this year but was hospitalised in May.

Bonnie was initially said to be stable and recovering well from her surgery, but less than 24 hours later, she was placed into an induced coma.

In the wake of her passing, the BBC announced a special tribute programme would broadcast on Saturday, July 25. It showcased highlights from her 50 year career, including interview segments and electrifying performances.

Tuning in to the show on BBC Two, viewers were moved to tears. One fan wrote: “What a distinctive voice Bonnie Tyler had. It’s a heartache is a banger. Even if I can only hear it’s a hard egg.”

Another said: “Bonnie Tyler was brilliant.” A third wrote: “Crying at Bonnie Tyler at the BBC, RIP Queen.”

The BBC had earlier announced: “This special tribute compilation celebrates the great Bonnie Tyler’s incredible 50 year career, as fans come to terms with the sad news of her death earlier this month.

“The only Welsh performer to have a US Number 1, Bonnie’s distinctive husky vocals and powerful performances made her one of Britain’s best-loved and most enduring artists.

“This collection from the BBC archive showcases some of her biggest and very best moments from over the decades.”

Bonnie Tyler’s funeral and celebration of live service will also be available for fans to watch in an online broadcast. The service will be held at St Mary’s Church in Swansea on August 17, and will be streamed on the singer’s website.

Bonnie Tyler at the BBC is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

The hidden-gem comedy is returning with a one-off special later this year, it’s been announced.

A “perfect British comedy” is set to make its return with a one-off Christmas special.

Greg Davies’ sitcom The Cleaner is returning to screens, the BBC has confirmed.

The Taskmaster star will return as crime scene cleaner Paul ‘Wicky’ Wickstead in the special, The Cleaner in Italy.

The BBC teased: “The hit comedy once again follows Wicky’s misadventures as a state-certified cleaning technician whose unusual day job involves scrubbing away the grisliest remnants of crime scenes.”

Alongside Greg, the cast will include Robert Webb, Peter Serafinowicz, Kevin Eldon, Tori Allen-Martin, Veronica Ferres, Zita Sattar, Milanka Brooks and Dylan Blore.

Filming has already begun, with Greg revealing: “I think Wicky has got to the stage in life where he only likes three things: his job, going to the pub and beer.

“To get the opportunity to force him to go to Italy on a hiking holiday is the perfect opportunity to test his breaking point. I can’t wait to show everyone how horribly wrong a holiday can go…”

Vivien Muller-Rommel, executive producer, also said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be back with Greg, our brilliant guest cast and our fantastic crew for this very special episode of The Cleaner.

“There’s a real excitement about this one, and everyone involved is determined to make it our funniest adventure yet. We can’t wait for audiences to see it.”

Ben Caudell, commissioning editor for the BBC, added: “As filming begins on this new The Cleaner special, it’s a pleasure to see Greg Davies return to one of his most memorable creations.

“Wicky has become a standout character in British comedy, and Greg’s ability to place him in extraordinary situations is always a delight.

“This one-off episode brings together a terrific cast and an inventive new setting, and we’re very much looking forward to sharing it with viewers over the festive period.”

The special episode follows Wicky reluctantly joining his girlfriend Ruth on a hiking holiday in the Italian dolomites with her friends.

However, after an accident, he faces the rest of the trip alone in a remote mountain hotel, and his boredom quickly turns to paranoia when he’s surrounded by an eccentric hotel manager, an array of peculiar guests and suspicious staff.

Fans previously hailed The Cleaner the “perfefct British comedy”, with one person writing: “Haven’t laughed so much in a long time. Just happened upon this little gem. Was in stitches within minutes….brilliant!”

One fan said they were “hooked” as another added: “The Cleaner is unexpectedly quirky and original. I have never seen anything like it. I laughed so hard that I had to pause the show to collect myself as I was losing the dialogue. Greg Davies is a comic genius.”

“Easily bingeable,” someone else wrote, as one person said: “Every episode a gem. Just one of the best TV series this year.”

The Cleaner is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

The warning comes as many Brits to prepare to go on their summer holidays

Holidaymakers have been warned to protect themselves against mosquitoes as health officials published new data on infections imported into the UK. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said diseases spread by mosquitoes, such as dengue fever and Zika virus, can be harmful for some people.

It urged travellers to use insect repellent, wear long sleeves and trousers and sleep under a treated bed net if necessary. People should also get any jabs they need for travel and check whether they need malaria tablets.

Dengue fever can feel similar to flu and symptoms include high temperature, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain and feeling sick. Chikungunya symptoms include fever, joint pain, headache, muscle pain, joint swelling and rash.

Most people with Zika suffer a mild illness, but it is serious in pregnant women and can cause stillbirth, miscarriage, problems with development and unusually small heads. Meanwhile, malaria can prove fatal, with symptoms including fever, vomiting and pain.

The UKHSA said eight Zika virus cases were reported from January to June 2026 – already above the seven cases recorded in 2025. Four of these were from Indonesia. Some 137 cases of imported dengue were reported in England from January to June this year, with South-East Asia and South Asia remaining the most common regions where people caught it. Some 27 cases were linked to travel to Thailand and 19 to the Maldives.

For comparison, the overall number of cases by the end of June last year was 161, though cases also tend to rise later in the year. A total of 59 chikungunya cases were reported from January to June this year, with Sri Lanka being the most commonly reported country of travel, accounting for 18 cases. There were 73 in the same period last year.

Meanwhile, 557 malaria cases were reported in England, Wales and Northern Ireland from January to May. Last year at the same point, there were 548. As well as mosquito-borne illnesses, there were 287 cases of typhoid and paratyphoid fever between January and June this year.

Typhoid and paratyphoid are caused by Salmonella bacteria, which is usually spread through contaminated food or water. Mosquitoes rely on standing water to lay their eggs. It then needs to be warm enough for the eggs to hatch, which can take just a few days if temperatures are high enough.

Dr Hilary Kirkbride, consultant epidemiologist and head of travel health at UKHSA, said: “Summer is a popular time to travel – don’t let illness spoil your holidays. Good preparation and planning is important for a safe and enjoyable trip.

“Check the TravelHealthPro website for the latest health advice for your destination, including which vaccines you may need and any important medications, such as anti-malarial tablets.

“To protect against mosquito-borne infections, use insect repellent, cover exposed skin and sleep under a treated bed net where needed. For enteric fever and other stomach bugs, make sure you take good food and water hygiene precautions.

“Even if you have visited a country before, you do not have the same level of natural protection against infections as permanent residents, so it is important to take precautions every time you travel.

“And if you are pregnant or trying to conceive, there are special precautions you should take, so please speak to a doctor, nurse or local travel clinic before planning your trip.”

Natalie Hitchins, Which? head of home products and services, said: “If you’re travelling somewhere that has mosquitoes, it’s worth checking that your repellent will actually do the job before you go.

“Which? tests found that while some repellents provided effective protection for almost 10 hours, some trendy alternatives failed to prevent bites for longer than a few minutes.

“Look for products containing active ingredients such as Deet, Icaridin (picaridin) or PMD, rather than relying on marketing claims alone.

“Insect repellent can help protect against mosquito bites, but it should be used alongside – never as a replacement for – any vaccinations or medications recommended by a healthcare professional.”

President Lee Jae Myung said Tuesday the experience of understanding North Korean-born citizens in South Korea will become a “special asset” to prepare for a future shared by the two Koreas.

Lee made the remarks in a written address delivered by Lim Woong-soon, the second deputy director of the National Security Office, in commemoration of the day for North Korean defectors, which falls on July 14.

“The experience of understanding and trusting one another in a new community will lay the foundation for social integration and serve as a valuable asset in preparing for a future in which South and North Korea live together,” Lee said.

“We will establish lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula and move steadily toward shared prosperity for the two Koreas,” the president said, adding that he will make all-out efforts to usher in a future of “coexistence and cooperation” beyond conflict and confrontation.

During the speech, Lee consistently referred to North Korean defectors as “bukhyangmin,” or people whose hometown is North Korea, a new term adopted by the unification minister earlier this year. The ministry is using “North Korean-born citizens” to refer to the North’s defectors.

Meanwhile, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young underscored at the event that it marked the first year to commemorate the third anniversary under the newly adopted reference, noting the term “North Korean defectors” implies discrimination and exclusion.

Tuesday’s event in Goyang, northwest of Seoul, was attended by some 1,000 people, including North Korean-born citizens and those who helped them settle into South Korea.

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Don Iwerks, an Academy Award-winning special effects pioneer whose innovations transformed film and Disney theme parks, died peacefully Thursday at the age of 96, the Walt Disney Co. announced.

For Disney and his own studio, Iwerks Entertainment, Iwerks helped develop technologies and techniques like Circle-Vision, the 360-degree camera behind “America the Beautiful” and other early Disney attractions, and the 3-D effects used in attractions like Captain EO and the Star Tours ride.

“There was a ‘can-do’ attitude I learned from Walt and my father,” Iwerks said, according to a statement shared by the Disney Co. “Walt gave everyone a feeling that they were creating things that others had never thought of before, of being a part of history.”

Born July 24, 1929, Iwerks received his first camera at age 14 as a gift from his father, animator Ub Iwerks.

The elder Iwerks met fellow artist Walt Disney when both men were teenagers working at a Kansas City, Mo., art studio. They would go on to work together at the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, where Iwerks designed and animated “Plane Crazy,” the first Mickey Mouse cartoon.

After a stint at his own animation studio, Ub returned to Disney as a special effects engineer, pioneering techniques like the 360-degree motion-picture camera.

“He was absolutely my inspiration because he was technically minded. He made my childhood and formative years one of the greatest times of my life,” Don Iwerks told The Times in 1998.

The Iwerks family moved to the San Fernando Valley in 1936, where Don graduated from Van Nuys High School in 1947.

He served as a photographer in Germany during the Korean War and joined his father at Disney following his 1952 discharge from the U.S. Army. An allergic reaction to chemicals used to develop film led to his transfer to the company’s Studio Machine Shop, where he spent the next 34 years.

Don spent three months in the Bahamas manning underwater cameras for the 1954 Disney film “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.” He then worked as the camera technician on “A Tour of the West,” an original Tomorrowland attraction at the soon-to-be opened Disneyland. The immersive 360-degree film was shot on the Circarama camera system his father invented.

Together, Don and Ub developed technologies like the “endless loop” system that enabled a single film print to run for up to 10,000 performances with minimal intervention and refinements to the photography processes used in “Mary Poppins” (his favorite of the Disney films) and other movies.

His own hands were used as the model for those of the Abraham Lincoln Audio-Animatronics figure in “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln,” which opened at Disneyland in 1965. The “Iwerks Hands” now appear on similar figures at Disney parks around the world, according to his family.

In 1986, he co-founded Iwerks Entertainment, which soon became a major player in the film and theme park industries. The company specialized in large-format films and created the 3-D projection system used in the Terminator rides at Universal Studios parks in Hollywood and Florida.

His innovations were honored with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ honorary Gordon E. Sawyer Award and an Academy Scientific and Technical Award, among other prizes.

“It’s very obvious that computers are playing a big role in motion pictures today. The digital technology in film is able to put elements of scenes together on a film and have them look lifelike. It’s hard to know where that will go,” Iwerks said in a 1998 interview.

“My view is that technology should support a good story and add to it. Technology for technology’s sake?” he said with a shrug. “You still need good films.”

Iwerks is survived by his wife of 54 years, Betty; his sons, Larry and John; John’s wife, Chris; his daughter Leslie, and great-nephew,Mike, both of whom have also worked for Disney, according to an obituary shared by his family. His daughter Tamara preceded him in death.

“Like his father, he was a humble genius, a consummate problem solver, and delighted in sharing knowledge, encouraging others, and approaching every challenge with confidence and grace,” his family said in the statement from Conejo Mountain Funeral Home in Ventura.

Both Don and Ub Iwerks are commemorated in a storefront window on Main Street U.S.A. in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Located above the Main Street Bakery, the window is a lasting tribute to a family who made some of the park’s magic possible.

“Iwerks-Iwerks Stereoscopic Cameras,” the lettering reads. “No Two Exactly Alike.”

July 10 (Asia Today) — A special counsel team on Thursday sought a 13-year prison term for Han Hak-ja, leader of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, commonly known as the Unification Church, over allegations involving improper ties between religion and politics.

The team led by special counsel Min Joong-ki made the request during the final hearing in Han’s trial at the Seoul Central District Court. Han has been charged with violating the Political Funds Act and other offenses.

The special counsel asked the court to sentence Han to five years in prison on the political funds charge and eight years on the remaining charges.

“Han and others used vast financial resources to unlawfully and improperly use public authority in an effort to expand religious interests and influence and realize the integration of religion and politics,” the special counsel team said.

The team said the alleged crimes “directly violated the spirit of the Constitution and damaged representative democracy.”

“Han and others, as top leaders of a religious organization, privately used donations voluntarily made by believers and improperly colluded with political forces in an attempt to influence South Korea,” the team said.

The special counsel also sought prison terms for other defendants being tried with Han.

For a former chief of staff identified only by the surname Chung, the team requested four years in prison on the political funds charge and six years on the remaining charges.

For Yun Young-ho, former head of the church’s world headquarters, the team sought one year and six months in prison on the political funds charge and two years on the remaining charges. The team requested three years in prison for Yun’s wife, identified only by the surname Lee.

Han is accused of conspiring with Yun and others to deliver 100 million won, about $66,000, in political funds to People Power Party lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong in January 2022.

She is also accused of involvement in delivering gifts to former first lady Kim Keon Hee through Jeon Seong-bae, a religious figure known as Geonjin, while seeking favors related to church affairs in 2022.

Han also faces allegations that she embezzled church funds and ordered Yun to destroy evidence in October 2022 in preparation for a police investigation into allegations that she gambled overseas.

Han arrived at the court at about 9:29 a.m. wearing a black jacket and white pants and using a wheelchair. She did not answer reporters’ questions, including whether she had given gifts to Kim.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260710010003980

STACEY Solomon made it a real, er, family affair on Sunday as she headed to Silverstone for the British Grand Prix with her husband Joe Swash and her ex, Dean Cox.

The TV personality shares eldest son Zachary, 18, with Dean, whom she had a romance with as a teenager.

Before heading to the F1 event, Stacey told fans she was going on a ‘special date day’ with husband Joe.

And when they arrived to Silverstone, the star filmed herself walking in as she explained that the couple had also brought along her dad – a big racing fan – for the fun.

“It’s not a date day without bringing your dad,” laughed Stacey as she dubbed Joe a ‘third wheel’.

She then revealed that it wasn’t just her dad who was there, but her ex Dean, too.

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“Do you know who is really important to bring on a date day with your husband? Your last baby daddy and his wife,” said Stacey as she filmed herself with Dean.

Laughing, she panned the camera through the group and said: “Zach’s dad, Zach’s stepmum, my dad are all on this date with us.”

“Gooseberry,” said Joe as he interjected while laughing.

As well as Zach, Stacey is a mum to son Leighton from another previous relationship, and shares three children with Joe.

She has maintained a strong co-parenting relationship with Dean since they welcomed Zach as teenagers.

He even appeared on her TV show, Stacey & Joe, for a one-off as they discussed her teen pregnancy.

The racing reunion comes just days after Stacey revealed their son Zach has headed off to America for the summer.

The teenager has moved stateside to take part in Camp America, with his famous mum admitting it ‘hurt her heart’ to drop him off at the airport.

She said in an Instagram post: “It hurt my heart to drop you off this morning but I know you’re going to have the best time ever, and that camp is so lucky to have our Zachary in their lives for the summer.

“Good luck my darling boy. To the moon and stars and back again.

“Please tell me why I really wanted him to do this experience & I am so happy for him but also so my gut is in knots??”

The Other Bennet Sister fans were delighted to hear the BBC had commissioned a three-part Christmas special.

The Other Bennet Sister fans have all made the same demand ahead of the festive special.

Fans of The Other Bennet Sister were delighted when the BBC announced a three-part Christmas special, following the triumph of the opening series.

Adapted from Janice Hadlow’s celebrated novel, The Other Bennet Sister centred on Mary Bennet (played by Ella Bruccoleri), the frequently ignored middle sister from Pride and Prejudice.

The concluding episode saw Mary agreeing to marry Tom Hayward (Dónal Finn), though the happy couple may face some obstacles ahead.

The Other Bennet Sister became the most-watched debut drama across all UK platforms and streaming services since May 2025, drawing 7.3 million viewers within its initial 28 days.

Jane Tranter, Executive Producer, said: “We always hoped audiences would fall in love with Mary Bennet’s story, but the response to The Other Bennet Sister has exceeded even our most optimistic expectations.”

The programme’s popularity led directly to the festive special, and here’s everything we know about it thus far.

Who is in The Other Bennet Sister Christmas special?

Ella Bruccoleri is set to reprise her role as Mary, alongside “a host of other familiar faces from the series”.

After learning about the festive special, supporters rushed to social media with one unanimous request, as there was a particular breakout star they were desperate to see return.

Taking to Instagram, one fan said: “Best news ever! Please confirm Dónal being back as Tom.”

Another commented: “@donal.finn will be in it, right? RIGHT?!” A third shared: “I need confirmation that @donal.finn is part of this pleaseeeee.”

A fourth added: “Donal Finn better be there with Ella!!!!” A final viewer concluded: “Best news just hope Donal is in there with Ella too, love them both.”

Given that the Christmas special is set following Mary and Tom’s wedding, it seems highly probable that the Irish actor will make his return to the show.

He captured the hearts of viewers portraying the shy and awkward character, and has further kept fans captivated with his portrayal of the eccentric and charismatic James Moriarty in Prime Video’s Young Sherlock.

What is The Other Bennet Sister Christmas special about?

Tranter offered a tantalising glimpse of the festive episodes, saying: “These Christmas specials give us the chance to spend a little more time with characters audiences have taken to their hearts, and to explore what happens after the wedding bells fade and real life begins.

“Returning to the world of Mary Bennet with our brilliant partners at the BBC and BritBox feels like the perfect way to celebrate the success of the series and give viewers a treat this Christmas.”

While the precise plot is yet to be unveiled, the storyline will likely chart the newlyweds’ ups and downs as they adjust to married life – whether that involves navigating tricky in-laws or the prospect of starting a family – but viewers will simply have to sit tight and find out.

How long are The Other Bennet Sister Christmas special episodes?

While devotees had hoped for three feature-length episodes, the BBC confirmed the specials will follow the same format as the original series, with each instalment running at 30 minutes.

Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, added: “It’s been incredibly exciting to see Mary Bennet cause such a sensation in 2026, and we could not be happier to announce this new three-part Christmas gift to her millions of fans.

“Marriage was just the beginning for the no-longer-so-overlooked Bennet sister.”

Where will The Other Bennet Sister Christmas special air?

The specials will broadcast exclusively in the UK on BBC iPlayer and BBC One. Viewers in the US and Canada will be able to catch it exclusively on BritBox.

The Other Bennet Sister Christmas special will air on BBC One.

OLIVIA Attwood has revealed how Pete Wicks is making sure she doesn’t forget him while she’s partying in Ibiza.

The presenter shared a huge bouquet of red roses sent by Pete, along with a note saying they were to “make her feel better” as she battled a monster hangover.

The 36-year-old also admitted she was relying on an IV vitamin drip to nurse herself back to health on the party island.

The TV star is currently in Ibiza filming the latest series of Bad Boyfriends and is expected to be away for four weeks.

When she’s not filming, Olivia has been letting her hair down at some of Ibiza’s biggest superclubs.

Meanwhile, Pete, 37, has spoken publicly about their romance for the first time after the pair were pictured packing on the PDA during a recent holiday.

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Speaking on his Staying Relevant podcast with Sam Thompson, Pete opened up about the couple’s trip to St Tropez.

Joking about the loved-up snaps, Sam asked: “Question, if you don’t mind, why have I never been locked in an embrace with you in a pool?

“I’ve never been in that position with you before. You looked so comfortable and relaxed.”

Deliberately dodging the question, Pete replied: “I had a very, very lovely holiday.”

He added: “It was delightful. Switched off from the world as much as I could.

“We had lots of plans, we had lots of different things going on, we had a whole itinerary.”

Pete and Olivia are believed to have been dating since the presenter split from footballer husband Bradley Dack in January.

After their split, Olivia claimed Bradley had “lied and cheated” during their relationship and admitted she felt like a “f*****g idiot”.

The presenter was later linked to her radio co-host Pete after they were spotted kissing in March.

Since then, Olivia has admitted she would get married again.

Speaking on Gogglebox, she said: “I’ve decided now I am going to get married a few times, or engaged, because I like the ring.”

The Other Bennet Sister is returning for a three-part special this Christmas, with Ella Bruccoleri reprising her role.

Star of The Other Bennet Sister Ella Bruccoleri has revealed her fears for the hit period drama to return.

The Call the Midwife actress played Mary Bennet the BBC series, the over-looked middle sister of Pride and Prejudice.

Based on Janice Hadlow’s novel, The Other Bennet Sister followed Mary living a different life to her sisters, as she left Longbourn behind and travelled to London with her aunt and uncle.

After being forgotten in the original Jane Austen novel, this time, she stepped into her own story on her journey of self-discovery.

The Other Bennet Sister captured hearts of fans and proved to be the biggest launch of a new drama in the UK in a year, and is now set to return with a three-part Christmas special following its success.

However, just before the BBC confirmed its return, Ella admitted her nerves over the possibility of a second season.

She told Variety: “When something has felt really perfect and is being received in a lovely way, I’m a bit scared of touching it again.”

Following the season finale, which saw Mary receive her happy ending and getting married, she revealed her plans for her character.

Ella told the publication: “I can see them having this beautiful, equitable, quite progressive relationship for the time, where they both make decisions equally, and prioritize each other’s happiness. And I can see Mary continuing with her governessing.”

She continued: “It felt really important to me that Mary wanted to pass something on that she’d learned being a young woman, so I think she would want to pass that on in some way. I could see them being happy together and living a kind of bohemian London life.”

The Other Bennet Sister is now set for its return this Christmas, with the BBC having teased: “The final episode of the series saw Mary agreeing to wed Tom Hayward, but fans will be keen to know what challenges the future holds for the happy couple…”

In the announcement, Jane Tranter, Executive Producer and CEO of Bad Wolf, said: “We always hoped audiences would fall in love with Mary Bennet’s story, but the response to The Other Bennet Sister has exceeded even our most optimistic expectations.

“These Christmas specials give us the chance to spend a little more time with characters audiences have taken to their hearts, and to explore what happens after the wedding bells fade and real life begins.

“Returning to the world of Mary Bennet with our brilliant partners at the BBC and BritBox feels like the perfect way to celebrate the success of the series and give viewers a treat this Christmas.”

Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama also said: “It’s been incredibly exciting to see Mary Bennet cause such a sensation in 2026, and we could not be happier to announce this new three-part Christmas gift to her millions of fans.

“Marriage was just the beginning for the no-longer-so-overlooked Bennet sister, and it’s a joy to be working with Sarah, Janice and the Bad Wolf team to let viewers discover what comes next.”

Jess O’Riordan, Commissioning Executive of BritBox North America, added: “We know how much audiences have fallen in love with Mary Bennet, and we’re thrilled that her story isn’t over yet.

“We are so pleased Mary’s story will continue for three more chapters and to welcome audiences back into the world of The Other Bennet Sister this holiday season.”

The Other Bennet Sister is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

POP superstars Madonna and Kylie Minogue get into the groove as they film a comedy bar sketch for Madge’s special with Graham Norton.

Madonna, 67, invited Kylie, 58, to take part in the top-secret filming last month, having admired her career for over a decade, the Sun can reveal.

A source said: “Madonna and Kylie have long been fans of each other, so when Kylie got the call to make a cameo in the BBC special, it was a no-brainer. Rather than a performance, Kylie actually appears in the show in a light-hearted skit.

“She plays a barmaid, though, awkwardly, Madonna doesn’t like the drink Kylie gives her. It’s all very light-hearted.”

The Sun understands the pair have discussed hitting the studio together in the future.

The TV special, Madonna & Graham, airs tonight at 10.40pm on BBC One.

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It was filmed in Camden at Koko, where Madonna performed for the first time in the UK for just 200 people in 1983 when it was called the Camden Palace.

Graham said: “As a lifelong fan it is always a thrill to interview Madonna. But to meet her on the dance floor where she first performed in London over 40 years ago felt incredibly special.”

Kylie made a surprise guest appearance at Madonna’s The Celebration Tour in LA in 2024.

They performed Gloria Gaynor’s 1978 hit I Will Survive in a nod to Kylie’s 2005 breast cancer battle.