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A UK campsite with a large children’s play park and an adult-only area has been named the best in the UK.

St Helens in the Park in North Yorkshire has been named the best campsite of the year by the AA Caravan & Camping Awards.

The 36-acre site sits on the edge of the North York Moors National Park, making it a great spot to use as a base when hiking.

After visiting, an AA inspector said St Helens was an “immaculate park with pods and terraced pitches close to North York Moors.”

At the park itself, there are five grass pitches, 18 hardstanding pitches, 22 fully serviced pitches and 27 adult-only pitches.

It then has four amenity blocks, two of which are unisex and there is a 24-hour launderette on-site too.

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For those travelling without kids, there is even an adult-only area thanks to some clever tree divides.

For visitors with children, there is a large play area though, with picnic benches.

And if you aren’t the biggest fan of camping out in a tent, then the campsite also has some camping pods, all of which have electricity.

Two also have an en suite shower room and kitchenette.

If that still isn’t luxury enough, then opt for the fully furnished lodge.

For something to eat and drink to warm you up, there is the Hitch & Brew cafe, which is open in the high season.

The cafe offers full English breakfasts, lunches and snacks such as homemade cakes.

It even serves alcohol until 10pm.

The cafe also runs themed nights, such as burger nights, curry nights and pizza nights, made fresh in the on-site pizza oven.

The campsite has a Store Cupboard shop as well, to top up on supplies such as milk and bread.

If you want to leave the campsite and explore a bit more, then there are a number of pubs and restaurants not too far away.

For example, the Walkers Fish Restaurant and Ye Olde Forge Valley Inn are both just a five minute drive away.

The campsite is located on Dawnay Estate, which sprawls across 7,500 acres and features numerous country walks.

On some walks, visitors may even spot some alpacas or donkeys.

Visitors can also take a wander to The North Yorkshire Water Park with a zip line, climbing wall, kayaking, pedalos, Park Runs and open water swimming.

The water park is also home to AquaPark – an inflatable obstacle course that sits on the water, ideal for summer days.

For somewhere further afield to explore, Scarborough is only eight miles away, and there is a bus that goes straight from outside the caravan park.

St Helens in the Park was inspected for quality and commitment to customer satisfaction by AA expert inspectors.

Simon Numphud, managing director at AA Media, said: “British caravan and camping has never been more inspiring with parks across the country offering something truly special, from peaceful rural escapes to unforgettable coastal views.

“This year’s winners highlight the incredible variety and quality of outdoor stays in the UK, where passion, creativity and care combine to give holidaymakers experiences they’ll treasure. Congratulations to all the winners and their teams.”

Pitches are available from £23.50 per night.

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For more campsite inspiration, one of the UK’s best campsites that has its own private beach and splash park – and it’s super affordable.

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The plant’s last external lines were severed in September in attacks that Russia and Ukraine blame on each other.

Repair work has started on damaged off-site power lines to Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant following a four-week outage, the United Nations nuclear watchdog has confirmed.

The work began after local ceasefire zones between Ukrainian and Russian forces were established to allow the work to proceed, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said in a post on social media platform X on Saturday.

“Restoration of off-site power is crucial for nuclear safety and security,” Grossi said.

“Both sides engaged constructively with the IAEA to enable complex repair plan to proceed.”

The Russian-appointed management of the occupied plant, in one of the war’s most volatile nerve points in southeastern Ukraine, confirmed the maintenance work, saying it was made possible by “close cooperation” between the IAEA and Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom.

The Russian Defence Ministry will play a key role in ensuring the safety of the repair work, the plant said on Saturday via its Telegram channel.

The plant is in an area that has been under Russian control since early in Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and is not in service, but it needs reliable power to cool its six shutdown reactors and spent fuel to avoid any catastrophic nuclear incidents.

It has been operating on diesel generators since September 23, when its last remaining external power line was severed in attacks that each side blamed on the other. The IAEA has repeatedly expressed alarm about the nuclear plant, which is the biggest in Europe.

The Associated Press news agency reported earlier this week that the IAEA is proposing to restore external power to the plant in two phases, quoting a European diplomat briefed on the proposal by Grossi. A Russian diplomat confirmed some aspects of the plan.

Both diplomats spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the confidential negotiations publicly.

During the first phase, a 1.5km-radius (1-mile-radius) ceasefire zone would be established to allow repair of the Dniprovska 750-kilovolt line, the main power line to the plant that has been damaged in an area under Russian control.

During the second phase, a second such ceasefire zone would be established to repair the Ferosplavna-1 330-kilovolt backup line, which is in area under Ukraine’s control.

Grossi held talks with both Kyiv and Moscow last month. He met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on September 29 at the Warsaw Security Forum, following meetings in the Russian capital with President Vladimir Putin on September 25 and Rosatom Director General Alexei Likhachev on September 26.

The IAEA warned that if diesel generators fail, “it could lead to a complete blackout and possibly causing an accident with the fuel melting and a potential radiation release into the environment, if power could not be restored in time”.

Ukraine’s foreign minister accused Russia on Sunday of deliberately severing the external power line to the station, to link it to Moscow’s power grid.

A top Russian diplomat this month denied that Russia had any intention of restarting the plant.

Al Jazeera Director General Sheikh Nasser bin Faisal Al Thani says ‘protecting journalists is protection of the truth.’

The Director General of Al Jazeera Media Network has stressed the importance of protecting journalists working in conflict zones and called for more solidarity between media organisations and human rights groups.

In his first public address since he was appointed director general of the Doha-based network last month, Sheikh Nasser bin Faisal Al Thani said on Wednesday that Al Jazeera has made the protection of journalists a firm priority and the network conducts training and mentorship of its journalists to ensure this.

“The press has never been a party to the conflict, but has been a tool for getting information to the people,” Sheikh Nasser told the Conference on The Protection of Journalists in Armed Conflicts, a two-day event held in Doha, Qatar.

He said it is critical to ramp up measures to safeguard journalists in war zones. “Otherwise, war crimes will remain unwritten” about.

He called for the implementation of human rights regulations and enhanced solidarity among media organisations and human rights organisations.

“Silencing free speech will not stop the truth,” Sheikh Nasser said. “Protecting journalists is protection of the truth itself.”

‘Journalists are being killed’

The first day of the conference comprised several sessions, where speakers included journalists who had reported in conflict zones, such as Al Jazeera’s Gaza bureau chief Wael Dahdouh, who was wounded in an Israeli attack on Gaza in late 2023.

Dahdouh has campaigned to raise awareness of the unsafe conditions for journalists working in Gaza since Israel launched its war on the Palestinian territory on October 7, 2023.

At least 300 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza during the two-year war, according to the Shireen Abu Akleh Observatory. This includes 10 journalists from Al Jazeera.

“Journalists are being killed and genocide is being committed against them,” Dahdouh told the conference.

Other speakers included legal experts and workers associated with nonprofit organisations that work for the safety of journalists, such as Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). A spokesperson for the International Criminal Court (ICC) also spoke at one of the sessions.

The discussions focused on attacks against journalists and the imprisonment of journalists in Gaza and around the world.

Several speakers throughout the day highlighted the importance of treating journalists like civilians. Speakers added, however, that international law provisions that lay down safeguards for civilians might not apply similarly to journalists. They pressed on the need for international laws that specifically focus on safeguarding journalists and media organisations.

“The civilian can go away from the combat field but the journalist has to stay. To assimilate the war journalist with the civilian is not right,” Omar Mekky, the regional legal coordinator for the Near and Middle East Region for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said.

Speakers also asserted the importance of countries stepping in and putting pressure on the governments that are targeting journalists.

The conference will continue for its second day on Thursday.

Talks aim at ending nearly two years of war in Gaza, with Israel’s leader expressing hope that the captives still being held there would be released in a matter of days.

VIOLENT abusers are to be made to stay inside “restriction zones” for the first time under new laws. 

They must remain in certain areas, monitored by GPS tags, with potential jail time for a breach. 

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Current laws ban thugs from an area — normally around a victim’s home. 

Campaigners say that restricts victims’ freedoms, as they feel safe only when they stay in their exclusion zones — and not when elsewhere. 

Probation services will enlist victims to draw up a list of locations offenders are allowed to visit. 

The Ministry of Justice move came after lobbying from campaigners. It may be introduced as part of the Sentencing Bill going through Parliament. 

Victims’ minister Alex Davies-Jones said it “will strengthen safeguards”. 

Announcing the change, Minister for Victims and Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Alex Davies-Jones said: “Through our Plan for Change, we’re putting victims first. 

“This move will strengthen safeguards for victims.

“I’ve heard firsthand how this innovative approach will give them the peace of mind they deserve and rebuild their lives without fear.”

Diana Parkes CBE and Hetti Barkworth-Nanton CBE, who are co-founders of the Joanna Simpson Foundation, said: “For far too long, victims have had to reshape their lives to avoid their offenders.

“Exclusion zones have made victims feel trapped as though they are the ones serving a sentence, with the victim carrying the weight of someone else’s crime. 

“This announcement from the Ministry of Justice is the much-needed change that has long been called for and is a powerful step forward.

“By placing restrictions on offenders instead, this will now give survivors the freedom they deserve to live, move and heal without fear. “

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The latest talks in Istanbul were followed by more prisoner exchanges, but yielded no breakthrough in ending the war.

Russian forces are pushing to create “buffer zones” along the border with Ukraine, the Kremlin has said, as fighting rages on in the wake of a third round of peace talks that again failed to yield any progress towards a ceasefire, in a fourth year of war.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the comments during a briefing on Thursday, signalling that Russia had no intention of de-escalating its war on Ukraine following a brief meeting Wednesday between delegations in Istanbul that lasted just 40 minutes.

Negotiators in the Turkish city discussed further prisoner swaps, but remained far apart on a ceasefire and a proposed face-to-face meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, sought by the latter.

At a news conference in Istanbul following the talks, Vladimir Medinsky, the head of the Russian delegation, said an exchange of prisoners had been carried out on the Ukraine-Belarus border, with about 250 people returned to each side.

More than 1,000 Ukrainians returned

Zelenskyy confirmed the exchange, saying in a post on social media that Wednesday’s prisoner swap – the ninth stage of an exchange process agreed to by the parties in Istanbul – meant that more than 1,000 Ukrainian prisoners had been returned under the agreement.

“For a thousand families, this means the joy of embracing their loved ones again,” Zelenskyy said, adding that many of the prisoners had been in captivity for more than three years.

“It is important that the exchanges are ongoing and our people are coming home,” he said.

“We will continue doing everything possible to ensure that every one of our people returns from captivity.”

Drone and missile attacks

Following the brief meeting in Istanbul, Russia and Ukraine continued their air attacks against each other, with Russian drones and missiles targeting Ukrainian territory overnight and casualties reported in Russia.

Russia launched 103 attack drones and four missiles at Ukraine overnight, killing three people in the Kharkiv region, Zelenskyy said in a social media post on Thursday. More than 10 others were wounded in Cherkasy, including a 9-year-old child, he added.

He noted that, just a day earlier, Ukraine’s delegation in Istanbul had reiterated its “proposal for an immediate and full ceasefire”.

“In response, Russian drones struck residential buildings and the Pryvoz market in Odesa, apartment blocks in Cherkasy, energy infrastructure in the Kharkiv region, a university gym in Zaporizhzhia,” he said.

“We will make every effort to ensure that diplomacy works,” he added. “But it is Russia that must end this war.”

Yesterday, at the meeting in Istanbul, the proposal for an immediate and full ceasefire was reiterated to the Russian side. In response, Russian drones struck residential buildings and the Pryvoz market in Odesa, apartment blocks in Cherkasy, energy infrastructure in the Kharkiv… pic.twitter.com/Ax9Q0xEM6z

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 24, 2025

In Russia, emergency officials in the Krasnodar region on the Black Sea said debris from a falling drone struck and killed a woman in the Adler district near the resort city of Sochi, while a second woman was seriously injured, the Reuters news agency reported.

NOT going through these 15 checks before you go on holiday could land you with a huge bill.

It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of heading off on a break.

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But research by BOXT has found one in Brits have returned home to be hit with an unexpected home emergency – with the average repair bill totalling a massive £390.

Some of the common culprits include break-ins, boiler problems, mould, flooding and fires.

If you want to avoid being landed with a hefty bill, these are the 15 things you should be checking for before you head off on your travels.

Check for fire risks

An estimated 35,000 house fires happen in the UK every year.

Here’s how to protect your home while you’re away.

Look at your electricals

Electrical fires are one of the most common causes of house fires in the UK.

You’re particularly at risk when you go away on holiday, and the main culprits are often tumble dryers, chargers and toasters.

Sam Starbuck, home expert at HomeServe, says: “It’s worth unplugging things like TVs, audio systems, Wi-Fi routers, kitchen appliances like coffee machines and toasters, dishwashers, and washing machines, all of which can use power when on standby and, in some cases, cause an electrical fire.

“Fridges and freezers can usually be left running, unless you’re going to be away for an extended period. Just make sure they’re working properly before you go.”

You should also check for overloaded plug sockets and ageing wiring.

Move mirrors and glassware

Another fire risk is sunlight reflecting off everyday items in your home.

Avoid putting magnifying mirrors, mirrored display trays or even glass ornaments near windows as these can concentrate sunlight into a beam hot enough to ignite curtains, furniture or carpet.

Kara says: “Before you head off on holiday, it’s worth doing a quick sweep of your home to make sure anything reflective is moved away from window ledges or sunlit spots.

“It takes just a minute to reposition a mirror, but the damage from a fire could be devastating.”

Don’t leave things charging

You should avoid leaving electronics to charge while they’re away, especially ones with lithium-ion batteries.

This type of battery can be found in most rechargeable devices such as power banks, e-bikes, vapes and smart watches.

If left unattended they can overheat and start fires.

Kara says you should always store these types of electronics in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and flammable materials.

Never throw these devices in the rubbish or your standard recycling bins, as these batteries can ignite if they’re crushed or damaged.

Check your curtains

You should avoid draping curtains or blinds over radiators or plug sockets, as this can also create a fire risk.

Thief-proof your home

Another major risk while you’re away is falling victim to a break-in.

These are the steps you can take to try to prevent it…

Safeguard your garden

Stop thieves from being tempted to steal from your garden by storing your tools and equipment in a locked shed or garage.

You could also add certain features like a gravel pathway to deter intruders as the sound of footsteps crunching on gravel could alert homeowners.

Plus, planting thorny bushes near your fences can act as a natural barrier.

Secure your doors and windows

Mark Hodgson, chairman of Tremark and vice president of The Association of British Insurers, says you should invest in high-security door locks.

You could also consider installing deadbolts.

Don’t forget about your windows too – you can upgrade your window locks to make it harder for people to enter.

You could also apply security film to your windows to make them shatter-resistant.

Mark your valuables

You can use UV light to mark your valuables and it won’t show up under normal lighting.

“This technique not only makes it easier to identify stolen items, but also signals to potential thieves that the property is traceable, serving as a strong deterrent,” Mark says.

“Items such as electronics, tools and expensive garden equipment should be labelled accordingly.”

Get a security camera

Installing a security camera or doorbell device can serve as a deterrent for thieves.

Plus, it can let you monitor your home while you’re away.

You might even be able to use a “decoy” security camera that looks genuine but isn’t operational.

Avoid plumbing and boiler disasters

If you’re way from home for a while, it can cause issues with your heating and plumbing.

Here’s what to do to prevent it…

Switch your boiler to ‘holiday mode’

Some boiler systems have a “holiday mode” or “away mode” that you can use when you’ll be out of the house for a few days or more.

The setting turns off your central heating to conserve energy but keeps essential heating functions such as frost protection and minimal hot water circulation active.

This can stop you having issues like frozen pipes or stagnant water while also saving you from wasting energy.

Adam Knight, lead engineer at BOXT, says: “Running the boiler for a short period could help prevent components from sticking or seizing, particularly if you’re away for extended periods of time.”

Turn off your stop tap

If you’re going away for more than three days, you should make sure to switch off your water supply.

This can protect you against surprises such as damp, floor damage or burst pipes.

The stop tap is usually located under the kitchen sink but it might also be in a kitchen cupboard, a downstairs toilet, a utility room or garage, basement, or under the stairs.

Turn the tap clockwise to switch off the water supply and anti-clockwise to turn it back on again.

Make sure you always turn slowly and gently to avoid damaging the valve.

Avoid pesky pests

The last thing you want is to come home to a pest infestation.

You’ll want to make sure you do these things…

Get rid of food scraps

Rats and mice can do a surprising amount of damage to your home – and they love finding food scraps in bins or crumbs under the sofa.

Kara Gammell says: “Rats can gnaw through almost anything, including concrete and metal.

“They’ve been known to cause flooding by chewing through pipes.”

You can avoid this problem by clearing away clutter, getting rid of food scraps, keeping your bins tightly shut and sealing up gaps and holes in your home.

Protect your car too

Rats can also nibble their way through car engines and fuel hoses and damage headlights.

Make sure you park away from rubbish or food sources and use a garage if possible.

Also keep your car’s interior clean and food-free.

Prevent mould

Another common issue that can happen while you’re away is mould growth.

Here are the areas you should keep an eye on…

Bathrooms

This is perhaps the most obvious area where mould can grow.

Check your bathroom for any signs of mould starting to appear before you go, such as black, green or white patches on your walls.

Another tell-tale sign is a musty smell.

Washing machines

Hudson Lambert, mould expert at Dryzone, says there are plenty of “less obvious” hotspots for mould that you might not think to check.

For example, if you’re washing your clothes at lower temperatures (below 40C) then mould can survive in your machine.

Make sure to regularly wash your washing machine and check for signs of mould before you go away.

Behind furniture

Mould behind furniture can be caused by condensation on the wall.

You should check behind sofas, bathroom mirrors and radiators that aren’t in use for signs.

Los Angeles school police will set up a safety perimeter around campuses and school events — including graduations — to keep federal immigration agents away from students, employees and families, school officials said Monday.

The announcement by Supt. Alberto Carvalho comes amid widespread immigration raids in Los Angeles — including one on Monday at a Home Depot adjacent to Huntington Park High School — after a weekend of isolated but intense downtown clashes between police and protesters, some of whom set self-driving Waymo cars on fire and threw rocks and fireworks.

The move is among the most notable actions taken by the nation’s second-largest school district, whose leaders said at a news conference Monday that they will deploy their own police force to protect students and their families so they can enjoy in peace the many graduation ceremonies that will unfold this week as the school year concludes Tuesday.

“We stand strongly on the right side of law,” Carvalho said. “Every student in our community, every student across the country, has a constitutional right to a free public education of high quality, without threat. Every one of our students, independently of their immigration status, has a right to a free meal in our schools. Every one of our children, no questions asked, has a right to counseling, social emotional support, mental support.”

President Trump reversed a Biden administration policy that largely exempted schools and other potentially sensitive areas such as churches from immigration enforcement. In recent days, federal agents also have not targeted local schools. But in April federal agents were turned away by staff at two elementary schools.

Carvalho did not rule out the potential for a standoff involving school police if federal officers attempted to enter a school or an off-campus school event — such as a graduation ceremony — without a judicial warrant.

“I think that would be a preposterous condition,” Carvalho said. “But then again, we have seen preposterous actions taken recently by this administration. We are prepared for everything,” Carvalho said, adding that he’s in consultation on contingency plans with L.A. Mayor Karen Bass.

“I have a professional, moral responsibility to protect our kids, protect our workforce, ensure the sanctity, the protection of our buildings and their extension,” Carvalho said. “That means the school buses, the transportation of kids to school and graduation ceremonies. Nothing should interfere with that, and I will put my job on the line to protect a 5-year-old, an 11-year-old, an 11th grader or a soon-to-be graduate.”

But there are limits. Officials acknowledged that they are not legally allowed to interfere if officers arrive with a judicial warrant, which are relatively rare. All school staff — not just the school police — have received training in how to interact with immigration agents, especially to limit their access to campus and children.

Defenders of Trump’s goals counter that public employees should assist in supporting immigration laws against those who are not legally authorized to live in the United States.

For the school system, the immigration furor put a chill on a normally celebratory time — graduation season. The federal actions prompted a detailed, concerned and sometimes furious response from school district leadership.

“As I looked out at the horizon from my office this morning, I saw gray clouds over Los Angeles,” Carvalho said as he opened his remarks. “Those gray clouds could mean a lot of things to a lot of people. I interpreted them as clouds of injustice, clouds of fear, intimidation — clouds that seek to scare the best of us into dark corners.”

About 100 high school graduations and end-of-year culminations were scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, with graduation events continuing through June 16.

L.A. school police lack the manpower to encircle every campus and school-event venue, but when officials learn of potential immigration enforcement activity, the plan is to put one patrol car in front of a campus and another in motion around the site.

At graduation ceremonies outdoor lines to enter venues are to be minimized. And families can remain inside for as long as necessary should agents initiate a raid outside or in the neighborhood.

Where possible, a virtual option would be provided for families to watch a graduation ceremony online.

Said Carvalho: “I’ve spoken with parents who’ve told me that their daughter would be the first in their family to graduate high school, and they’re not going to be there to witness it, because they have a fear of the place of graduation being targeted. What nation are we becoming?”

Carvalho said there is confirmation so far of six or seven school district families that have been affected by raids and arrests. In one case, a student was detained with his father and transported from L.A. to Texas. The district has not identified the student or school out of privacy concerns.

A fourth-grader who attends Torrance Elementary — in a neighboring school district — and his 50-year-old father were taken into custody on May 29 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — and will soon be deported, a federal official said.

The father and son entered the U.S. illegally in 2021, according to the federal government.

The superintendent also noted talk of student walkouts. He said that students’ right to protest would be respected but he asked families to urge their children to remain on campus for safety reasons.

Carvalho also advised families to update their contact and emergency information with their school. And families also should prepare backup plans should caregivers be taken into custody.

Summer school starts on June 17 and runs through July 16. Carvalho said more campuses would be opened for classes to minimize travel from home to school and more school-funded transportation would be provided.

District leaders have frequently been circumspect in their words about the Trump administration — critical, to be sure, but somewhat careful. But there was little caution Monday.

School board member Nick Melvoin demanded the removal of the National Guard and compared Trump’s heavy-handed response in Los Angeles to his delay in halting rioters who sought to prevent the peaceful transfer of power from Trump to President-elect Joe Biden on Jan. 6, 2021.

Board member Rocio Rivas said there had been raids in the last few days in Boyle Heights, MacArthur Park, Lincoln Heights, Pico Union, Cypress Park, “just to name a few.”

“Our families are now forced to live in fear, looking over their shoulders on the way to school or their child’s graduation. This is just simply wrong. It is also very, very cruel,” Rivas said.

Said board member Tanya Ortiz Franklin: “This isn’t about keeping our community safe. This is about a backwards belief about who belongs and who should be pushed out, locked up and shut up.”

School board President Scott Schmerelson reached for a wider perspective.

“This is supposed to be the happiest time for our kids and their parents, and it’s a very sad time, but we have to remember too our kids have accomplished a lot,” Schmerelson said. “They are graduating and are trying to keep a positive attitude.”