After a primary campaign filled with twists, turns and scandal, the election to determine California’s next governor has narrowed to two candidates: Xavier Becerra, a Democrat and veteran of California politics, and Steve Hilton, a Republican immigrant and ally of President Trump.

The two have similar origin stories as the sons of working-class immigrants — both even worked construction jobs to earn money as teenagers — but they have vastly different visions for California’s future. If elected, Becerra promises to solidify many of the state’s liberal policies and its opposition to Trump; Hilton pledges to reverse course by cutting taxes, ending regulations and shrinking state government.

The race is open because after two terms at the state’s helm, outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom is blocked from running again. He has endorsed Becerra and is considering a run for president in 2028.

In a state where Democratic voters outnumber Republicans by nearly a two-to-one margin, Hilton has acknowledged his campaign is an uphill battle. Since the primary he has focused on reaching out to independent voters and making the case that after 16 years of Democratic control, poverty and wealth inequality in California have only worsened.

As the Nov. 3 general election nears, both have begun articulating their agendas, courting voters and lobbing attacks at one another.

Here’s more about the two candidates, along with their stances on a few top issues.

Xavier Becerra

Top job: U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services
Biggest splash: As California attorney general, sued the Trump administration roughly 120 times.
Particulars: Becerra, 68, lives in Sacramento with his wife, Dr. Carolina Reyes, and they have three adult daughters. Born in Sacramento, he is the son of Mexican immigrants: His mother was a clerical worker and his father picked vegetables, worked in construction and had other jobs. He is a Democrat.

Once considered an underdog among the many Democrats vying to replace Newsom, Becerra shot to the top of the polls after former Rep. Eric Swalwell dropped out of the race after he was accused of sexual assault and misconduct. In the scandal’s aftermath, several of Swalwell’s campaign advisors jumped to Becerra’s team. Voters in search of a new candidate said they were drawn to Becerra’s calm demeanor and decades of experience in government.

He finished first in the June 2 primary with 28.1% of the total vote. Under California’s top-two primary system, all candidates were listed on the same ballot, regardless of party, and first and second place finishers advanced to the Nov. 3 general election.

A steady, if inconspicuous, presence in California Democratic politics over the years, Becerra is largely perceived as a risk-averse candidate who would continue the status quo if he is elected.

The son of working-class Mexican immigrants — his mother was from Guadalajara and his father was born in Sacramento but raised in Tijuana — Becerra grew up in Sacramento with three sisters. In high school, Becerra convinced a classmate to hand over their unused application to Stanford University rather than throw it away. He filled it out and was accepted, becoming the first in his family to attend college, and graduated with degrees in law and economics.

Following a brief period doing legal aid work in Massachusetts while his wife finished medical school, Becerra returned to California to work as a legislative staffer for former state Sen. Art Torres and a deputy attorney general. Within a few years, he was recruited to run for a San Gabriel Valley Assembly seat.

Though he boasts a long resume in California electoral politics, Becerra went decades without a challenging election fight — until this year. Backing from a group of powerful Latinos helped him win his first Assembly race and, two years later, an open U.S. House seat, which he would hold for 24 years.

In 2017, Gov. Jerry Brown appointed Becerra as state attorney general to fill the vacancy left by Kamala Harris’ election to the U.S. Senate. He quickly became a top legal foe of the first Trump administration, suing more than 120 times over issues including immigration enforcement, protections for clean air and endangered species, and the Affordable Care Act.

Four years later, President Biden nominated Becerra to lead the sprawling Department of Health and Human Services and he was narrowly approved by the Senate. He faced criticism in the role for keeping a low profile during the nation’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign and for his oversight of tens of thousands of migrant children in federal custody who crossed the border without a parent or guardian. A New York Times investigation found that as a result of scaled-back vetting processes, many of the children ended up working, often in dangerous jobs at factories, farms and construction sites.

Becerra has defended his record at HHS, arguing that the Trump administration had left the agency ill-equipped to care for so many children and disputing the number of unaccompanied minors who were “lost.”

The candidate is linked to — but not accused of any wrongdoing in — a corruption case involving two former advisors and a lobbyist who siphoned $225,000 money from one of Becerra’s campaign accounts. Sean McCluskie, Becerra’s former chief of staff; Dana Williamson, a Democratic advisor and former chief of staff to Newsom; and lobbyist Greg Campbell have all pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges and are awaiting sentencing.

Since the primary, Becerra has kept a low profile with few public events. After Hilton criticized his opponent’s absence from the campaign trail and challenged him to debate, Becerra’s spokesperson Jonathan Underland said he “is building a coalition of Californians ready to elect a governor who won’t bring Trump’s chaos to their front door” and that he will debate Hilton.

Steve Hilton

Top job: Senior advisor to British Prime Minister David Cameron
Biggest splash: Fox News commentator
Particulars: Hilton, 56, was born in England and lives in the Bay Area town of Atherton with his wife, Rachel Whetstone, who worked as a public relations executive for Google, Uber, Facebook and Netflix. They have two children. He is a Republican.

With Trump’s backing, Hilton consolidated enough Republican support to finish second in the primary with 24.6% of the vote. The president’s endorsement, though, is a double-edged sword in California, where Trump is deeply unpopular.

Hilton has said he is “deeply honored” to have his endorsement. Since the primary, however, he has made overtures to independent and Latino voters, arguing that even if they dislike Trump, voters should choose him if they are dissatisfied with California’s progress on affordability, homelessness and other issues.

“We may not agree about national politics, but I think we can agree that we need change in California, and I’m going to bring that change,” he said during a July press conference.

Hilton has sought to keep the spotlight on Becerra’s handling of the child migrant crisis, releasing video interviews with a whistleblower and teenagers who said HHS released them to traffickers who forced them to work and did not intervene to stop sexual abuse.

Born in London to parents who fled conflict in their native Hungary, Hilton began a career in politics with Britain’s Conservative Party after graduating from Oxford University. He was a close friend and advisor to David Cameron, who served as the U.K.’s prime minister from 2010 to 2016.

In British politics, Hilton earned a reputation as a zany but genius marketer who pushed the Conservative Party to embrace same-sex marriage and climate-friendlier policies. He was satirized on the BBC political sitcom “The Thick of It” as Stewart Pearson, the Tories’ “eco-friendly, media-savvy, blue-sky-thinking” communications director. He was an early supporter of Brexit, the U.K.’s withdrawal from the European Union.

Hilton and his family moved to California in 2012 after his wife, Rachel Whetstone, was promoted to lead global communications at Google. In the Bay Area, he became a visiting scholar at Stanford University and co-founded CrowdPac, a nonpartisan political fundraising platform. He left the company after his support for Trump stirred controversy.

For six years, he hosted “The Next Revolution,” a weekly Fox News show which Trump regularly tweeted clips from. On the show, Hilton lambasted lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic and called for an investigation into alleged voter fraud after Trump lost the 2020 election.

Hilton became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2021 and last year renounced his British citizenship. Before running for governor, he founded Golden Together, a policy institute focused on researching issues like housing costs, homelessness and the state’s business climate. He has written several books that explore his ideas of “positive populism,” the role businesses play in social influence, and the “failures” of California government.

Housing

Fixing one of California’s most pressing issues — a severe housing shortage and sky-high prices — has been a rare point of unity in the governor’s race. During the primary, all major candidates agreed on the need to reduce roadblocks to homebuilding and permitting.

If elected, Becerra has said he would declare California’s housing shortage a state of emergency and direct his administration to identify ways to reduce the cost of building. He would expand the state’s down payment assistance program for first-time buyers and supports blocking institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes.

Becerra promised to continue Newsom’s legal crusade against cities that do not plan or build enough housing under state law. He has endorsed Proposition 1, an $11.25-billion affordable housing bond, and Proposition 37, a $25-billion down payment assistance program.

Hilton argues that layers of rules of permits have effectively halted construction of smaller and more affordable starter homes. He plans to prioritize construction of new 1,000-square-foot homes by fast-tracking their approval, reducing fees and placing a moratorium on new housing regulations.

He has proposed changing the California Environmental Quality Act to limit lawsuits that slow down or stall new home development. He’s also criticized the state’s “density bonus” law, which allows developers to increase the scale of housing projects if they include a certain percentage of affordable units.

“We’ve got to allow ourselves to build outwards, not just upwards, and we’ve got to end the bias against single family homes,” Hilton said at a March forum hosted by the California Assn. of Realtors.

California’s notorious cost of living

Hilton has promised to deliver $3 gas, slash utility bills by half and make Californians’ first $150,000 in earnings tax-free (an increase from his earlier proposal of $100,000). He said he can do all this by taking “a sledgehammer to our bloated, bureaucratic nanny state” and rolling back climate policies, which he blames for increased energy costs.

To lower gas prices, he has proposed increasing domestic oil production and cutting regulations on refineries.

Becerra would address the cost of living “by standing up to price gouging and unjustified rate hikes, expanding help with childcare and essential costs, and using the power of the state to lower prices where the market has failed.”

He does not specify how he would achieve those goals but touts his experience challenging anticompetitive practices among hospital systems as attorney general and negotiating more affordable prescription drugs for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries as HHS secretary.

Though he previously promised to freeze home insurance rates and utility costs, Becerra appears to have backtracked after Hilton and insurance industry representatives questioned whether it is legal.

Healthcare costs and coverage for undocumented immigrants

Early in his campaign, Becerra pitched himself as a “healthcare governor” who would lower costs and expand access to medical care by drawing on years of experience writing and implementing major healthcare laws. He was criticized by other Democrats during the primary for not committing to state-sponsored single-payer health care; Becerra said he supports nationwide Medicare for all.

Becerra’s 12-point healthcare plan includes expanding CalRx, the state’s generic drug manufacturing program, expanding access to telehealth appointments and investing in robust, community-based programs to screen for and prevent diseases.

After years of expanding Medi-Cal coverage for undocumented immigrants, Newsom and lawmakers last year froze enrollment to stem increasing costs. Becerra has said he would reverse the cuts, arguing that it is more cost-effective to provide regular care than push uninsured people into emergency rooms.

In a video posted to Facebook in early June, Hilton promised to eliminate “free healthcare to citizens of other countries who shouldn’t even be here.” He said he would lower costs by increasing competition among health insurance companies and stop consolidation in the healthcare industry.

As an aspiring young quarterback at Muleshoe High in the early 2000s, Lincoln Riley attended a football camp at Texas Christian University, run by a coach known even then as a mastermind of defense, a man whose ideas and 4-2-5 scheme would one day be disseminated across college football.

Gary Patterson had just been elevated from defensive coordinator to head coach at TCU, a job he would occupy for the next two decades. Around the same time, his staff saw something in Riley. They talked briefly about giving him a shot at safety on Patterson’s vaunted TCU defense.

“Needless to say,” Riley told The Oklahoman in 2018, “it didn’t turn out.”

But a quarter-century after first crossing paths at that camp, it’s now the young quarterback giving the old ball coach a chance to prove himself.

When USC announced it was hiring Patterson as Riley’s defensive coordinator in January, ears perked up across college football. On one hand, Patterson, 66, is a freshly minted College Football Hall of Famer and one of the great defensive minds of the modern era. On the other hand, he hasn’t led a college football team since 2021, when he was forced out at TCU, and a lot has changed in the sport since. Not to mention it’s been more than 25 years since Patterson last served as a coordinator.

Those were fair concerns, considering all that’s riding on Riley getting it right with Patterson, his third defensive coordinator in five seasons. But after seven months with him on the job, you won’t find anyone at USC — players, coaches or administrators alike — with an ounce of distress over Patterson’s stamina.

“I think I would have had more reservations had I not known him,” Riley said. “But that fire still burns very, very hot.”

That much was obvious in the spring when Patterson jumped into the middle of a tackling circuit to teach proper technique, and ended up running through the whole drill. He even delivered a blow at the end.

“He knocked the guy back,” said safeties coach Paul Gonzales, who coached with Patterson for a decade at TCU. “For a 60-year old guy, he still got some pop.”

USC defensive coordinator Gary Patterson watches practice in March.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Riley is betting big on that translating to the Trojans’ defense this fall. Over his four seasons as USC’s coach, there’s no mistaking what’s held Riley back from reaching the same heights at USC as he had at Oklahoma. The Trojans finished 124th, 104th, 87th and 65th in yards allowed per play during those years.

At TCU, Patterson’s defenses finished No. 1 in yards allowed five times during a 10-year stretch. Yet in the second half of his tenure at TCU, there was a noticeable decline, as his defenses finished in the top 25 of that same category just twice.

It was during that time that Riley’s offense went toe-to-toe with Patterson’s defense on numerous occasions. Riley, who was in his first head coaching job at Oklahoma, got the better of Patterson in each of their four meetings, piling up at least 498 total yards each time out.

“There was never anyone who was more of a pain to gameplan for or try to move the ball against than this guy,” Riley said.

During his five years away from coaching, Patterson said he actually spent more time studying the game than he had at TCU, where he was often consumed with other responsibilities. After consulting briefly at Texas and Baylor, Patterson took a job with an Amazon college football show, he says, primarily for the subscription service that came with it. Every Sunday morning, he’d watch whatever college game he wanted, just to stay fresh.

When he did return to coaching, Patterson didn’t just want to install the same scheme he used at TCU. So he closely studied Ohio State and Indiana’s defenses, which gave up a combined 32 touchdowns last season — seven fewer than USC’s defense (39). He took cues on how both clamped down better than anyone else in the red zone, where they each allowed opponents to convert touchdowns just 37% of the time.

“All I did was do football,” Patterson said. “I mean, it’s like getting married. I mean, it’s like I got nothing else. I wasn’t doing anything else.”

Those habits haven’t changed at USC. When other assistants took time for vacation this summer, Patterson stayed in the facility. He wanted to hone in on how to install his defense for a second time this fall. So he came in every day before 7 a.m., in a mostly empty office — just to beat the traffic.

“You want to change things, it’s a full-time job,” Patterson said. “It’s not one of those things that you do 70 or 80% of your time.”

It also gave him time to get to know his new players, each of whom have been summarily stunned by their veteran coach’s vitality.

“I don’t know how old he is, but he‘s out there like he’s 30,” linebacker Desman Stephens said. “He‘s still being active with us. He’s showing us drills. Like, if he want it done right, he gonna show you the exact way how to do it.”

So far, at USC, Patterson has had his hands on just about every detail of the defense. Which is precisely what Riley envisioned after watching him coach at TCU — and why he wasn’t worried about the game passing Patterson by.

“He was such a hands-on head coach,” Riley said. “He wasn’t a head coach just kind of doing a practice schedule, doing the speech, getting out early. He didn’t just straight CEO this thing, right? He was still calling defense, still game planning. He was very involved in every aspect of that program through all those years.”

USC defensive coordinator Gary Patterson fist bumps linebacker Desman Stephens during practice on Aug. 5.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

He won’t have to do that at USC. And Patterson seems perfectly fine with that.

But while others still wonder if he can make a successful return to college football, with a scheme that hasn’t been tested since 2021, Patterson is pretty confident his decades of experience count for something, too.

“It’s an advantage for me compared to somebody that’s 30 years old and doesn’t have kids, never been married, doesn’t know what it’s like to grow somebody up and raise a family and do things,” Patterson said.

“This is, I think, my 45th season. … “There’s not a lot of guys in this profession of the age where you can go back to all the things that I’ve learned through all the years.”

Aug. 10 (UPI) — A former lawmaker from Nonthaburi province, which is still reeling from last week’s school shooting, was arrested Monday after allegedly storming a local government office and shooting a local administrator dead, according to local reports.

The alleged gunman has been identified by police as former Nonthaburi MP Chalong Riewraeng and the victim as Pol. Col. Thongchai Yenprasert, president of the Nonthaburi Provincial Administrative Organization, the Bangkok Post reported.

The shooting reportedly occurred at about 11 a.m. local time at Yenprasert’s office in Mueang, the provincial capital district just north of Bangkok, The Nation reported.

Officers arrived at the scene to find Yenprasert and his driver suffering from gunshot wounds. Both were transported to Pranangklao Hospital where Yenprasert later died.

Police said Riewraeng called a TV anchor mid-broadcast and admitted to firing five shots at Yenprasert, the Bangkok Post reported.

The shooting comes days after a 14-year-old student allegedly killed eight people and wounded more than 30 others at Debsirin Secondary School, just outside downtown Bangkok in Nonthaburi, before turning the weapon on himself.

This is a developing story.

A small boat has crossed the English Channel carrying 230 people, the largest-ever recorded number to make the journey in a single vessel.

The boat arrived in the UK on Saturday, when a total of 258 migrants on four boats made the crossing.

The 230 people on one boat breaks the previous record from July when 165 people made the crossing on a single vessel.

A Home Office spokesperson said this latest incident demonstrated the “reckless and dangerous tactics employed by criminal gangs… who continue to put lives at risk by cramming ever greater numbers of people onto unseaworthy vessels”.

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Years ago, at the height of his success, Anthony Jeselnik couldn’t sleep. It was making him crazy. Hoping to find relief, the comedian sought help from a therapist he assumed would guide him back to a healthy sleep schedule. Instead, he encountered an apathy that stunned him.

“So what?” he recalls her saying. “So what if you don’t sleep? If you wake up, read a book. Find ways to be productive in your loneliness.”

Anthony Jeselnik grows earnest when he talks about his love for books.

(Ariana Drehsler / For The Times)

The advice resonated. Today, the comedian is still reading alone, only now he has a dog — and an audience. A lifelong reader, Jeselnik has transformed his literary habit into a popular online book club, Jeselnik Book Club, where he recommends novels and invites discussion on his YouTube channel. His first video, posted in January and reviewing Jim Thompson’s “The Getaway,” garnered over 31,000 views. Each month, he chooses a novel and offers it up for discussion.

“My goal was to curate and give people their best shot at enjoying reading,” he says. It’s a valiant effort, considering that reading has been in a steady decline. Last year, it was reported that the number of American readers had declined by 40% over the previous two decades.

“People will say, ‘Oh, I don’t like reading books.’ You’re choosing the wrong books,” says Jeselnik, his voice likely ringing with his signature snark because he, for the most part, knows otherwise. In 2022, bestselling writer Isaac Fitzgerald, who recently released the anticipated “American Rambler: Walking the Trail of Johnny Appleseed,” witnessed the power of a Jeselnik recommendation.

“It helps with the masculinity crisis in that reading is masculine. It is a masculine thing to do,” Anthony Jeselnik argues, advocating that young men trade online conspiracy forums for literature.

(Ariana Drehsler / For The Times)

“A friend texted me that Anthony Jeselnik, a comedian whom I loved — but had never met nor interacted with — shouted out his love of my memoir, ‘Dirtbag, Massachusetts,’ on his podcast. I was thrilled,” Fitzgerald says. “At my events, both in Chicago and throughout the rest of that year, more and more people in my signing lines told me they’d heard of the book from Jeselnik’s podcast. I was also buoyed by how many of the people in the signing lines were young men.”

Since then, despite Jeselnik’s self-proclaimed loner status, Fitzgerald and Jeselnik have struck up a friendship. “The man is a real lover of books, with excellent taste and, unsurprisingly, confidence in his convictions,” Fitzgerald says. Earlier this year, the author held a book launch event for “American Rambler” at Skylight Books in Los Feliz. Jeselnik hosted. “I think he may have single-handedly invented a new way to do literary events. I don’t know what to call it … a literary roast?” Fitzgerald says. “Everyone laughed for an hour straight.”

In a sun-drenched luxury apartment above Hollywood Boulevard, Jeselnik explains that he mostly avoids the press — because he says he’s become weary of cancel culture and identity politics, conversations that have mired comedy.

Still, he welcomes the chance to discuss books, his voice swelling with excitement at the mention of authors Emily St. John Mandel and Ottessa Moshfegh — both personal favorites. Almost an hour into the conversation, the comedian reveals that he has Joan Didion’s author photo tattooed on his chest. His hand rests on his heart as he evangelizes her writing — a surprisingly tender moment of sentimentality from a comedian who has made a career out of stinging misanthropy.

“She has the cleanest prose. I think she’s the best writer of all time,” Jeselnik says. “I’ve read all of her novels, a lot of her essays. Her book about her husband dying is one of the most heartbreaking books.”

In fact, Didion is a natural match for the comedian. He is renowned for his precise and restrained use of language, delivering provocative truths about people’s ugliest impulses and asking the audience to laugh at them.

In the comedy world, Jeselnik has become legendary for his razor-edged one-liners, each joke ending with a dark reversal. He’s gained a reputation as the provocative bad boy of comedy with irresistible charm. Over the course of his career, he has enjoyed toying with this stage persona, which he jokes is that of a “borderline psychopath.” His roast of Donald Trump catapulted him to stardom, and he has released five hourlong comedy specials, the most recent of which, “Bones and All,” debuted in 2024. On Instagram, he has over 1 million followers.

“I was trying to be the devil onstage and somehow ended up as likable anyway,” he says of his storied career. This interests him in literature too — transcending reputation through good art. “Edgar Allan Poe wrote these books about psychopaths and killers. Authors do not equal their persona.”

“I’m trying to make reading cool again,” Anthony Jeselnik says. “Reading is a solitary act in the way that stand-up comedy is a solitary art form.”

(Ariana Drehsler / For The Times)

Jeselnik’s book club recommendations are eclectic and literary — the kind of titles name-dropped in MFA writing workshops and met with impressed nods at dinner parties. Most recently, he recommended “Stoner” by John Williams, “Dept. of Speculation” by Jenny Offill, and “Paradais” by Fernanda Melchor. He curates his recommendations painstakingly, choosing brisk reads of around 250 pages that he hopes will hook new readers.

“I’m trying to make reading cool again,” Jeselnik notes. “Reading is a solitary act in the way that stand-up comedy is a solitary art form.”

He hopes his fan base embraces a life of reading. Similarly, in 2025, comedian John Mulaney also began recommending books on social media. “There are so few books for guys that are literary. There’s a lot of John Grisham and Jack Reacher, but there’s not something literary that a guy can sink his teeth into,” Jeselnik says. “If it’s well written, and the writer is great, then I’ll go on any kind of journey they take me on. I don’t always understand everything that I read, either. But reading a great writer, it’s like listening to classical music.”

With anti-intellectualism in comedy on the rise, he says his book club stands as an antidote to the manosphere. Young men passing time on conspiracy theory-infested corners of Reddit should instead pick up a novel, the comedian argues. “It helps with the masculinity crisis in that reading is masculine. It is a masculine thing to do,” he says. “The Hemingways of the world were out there. It used to be a badass thing to be a writer, and a brave thing to put your thoughts onto the page and publish them.”

The comedian has been a voracious reader since childhood. When he was in a Montessori school, the teachers discovered that reading would soothe Jeselnik. “I could go sit in a corner, and you can be a juvenile delinquent reading juvenile delinquent books.” Reading gave him a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that followed him into early adulthood — a penchant he would like to stoke in his fans.

Early on, when Jeselnik discovered Bret Easton Ellis’ work, it felt revelatory. “Once you got outside of the curriculum, it was revolutionary to me to read Bret Easton Ellis; to read about sex, gay sex, to read about drugs, and people, young people, doing this was fascinating.”

Starting a book club felt like a natural progression for Jeselnik’s decadelong career, he explains. “In terms of how I do things and my approach to stand-up, instead of doing a podcast, having a book club seems like a natural extension of that.” There’s an earnestness in his appreciation of great literature that translates to his videos. “You can tell that I like the book and want people to enjoy it at the same level.”

Jeselnik, 47, imagines his comedy career is winding down. Thankfully for his fans, he has other creative ambitions. “I’d love to take a crack at either short stories or writing a novel.”

He reflects on the trend of comedians who, later in their careers, seek new legitimacy. “You see a guy like Jim Carrey: the last thing he wants to do is make anyone laugh anymore. He wants to be taken so seriously,” he says. Jeselnik believes his stage persona spared him from that particular crisis of self. “People are afraid of me. Fans who approach me are careful because my stage persona is borderline psychopath,” he says. “I don’t feel that same need to be taken seriously. I think I am taken seriously.”

His comedic sensibility explores cruelty, shock, transgressions and antiheroes — and it’s also what continues to draw him to literature. “I love bank robbers. I love the idea of the villain winning. That is revolutionary to me. You’re raised on TV, and things have to be wrapped up in half an hour, and the moral has to hold,” Jeselnik says. “I love that books don’t have to play by those rules.”

Connors is a culture journalist in L.A. She covers books, food, entertainment and offbeat Los Angeles. She’s currently at work on a book of essays about tourism in all its forms.

ANYONE heading to two of the UK’s busiest airports are being warned of major travel disruption until the end of the day.

Trains between central London and both Heathrow and Gatwick airports are are currently disrupted due to train issues.

A tunnel closure between Hayes and Harlington and Heathrow has caused problems this morning.

There are currently no Elizabeth Line trains between the west London station and Heathrow terminals 4 and 5 and there are also a number of delays on other lines heading to Paddington.

National Rail has said that the tunnel has been closed for safety reasons.

The Heathrow Express is also currently running on a reduced service, with two trains per hour from London Paddington instead of four.

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Disruption is also expected until the end of the day.

The tunnel closure is reportedly due to a water leak on the line.

Tickets are being accepted across the Piccadilly Line as well as numerous different buses.

There are two tunnels that link the airport to the main trainline, but with only one remaining open, trains have to wait at the tunnel to get in or out of the airport.

It is bad news for anyone heading to London Gatwick Airport as well, as there has been a fire beside the track causing delays to rail services between London and the South East.

The fire has caused damage to the overhead signalling cables and currently passengers are being asked to allow an extra 30 minutes for their journey to the airport.

Currently, services between London Victoria and Eastbourne are suspended along with Gatwick Express services.

Thameslink services which run between Three Bridges and Bedford are also suspended.

A Gatwick Express statement says: “You should travel on alternative Southern or Thameslink services towards your destination.

“If you’re travelling towards a different London terminal to normal, you will be able to change trains at stations along the route, such as Haywards Heath, Gatwick Airport, or East Croydon, for a train towards your destination.

“Alternatively, you can use London Underground to travel between stations once you’ve arrived in the London area.”

MIAMI — Kyle Stowers tripled, singled and drove in two runs before exiting because of left hamstring discomfort in the fifth inning, and the Miami Marlins beat the Angels 12-3 on Sunday.

Griffin Conine homered twice and Javier Sanoja had two singles and three RBIs for the Marlins. Miami’s Otto López had two infield singles, giving him 46 multi-hit games.

Stowers grimaced as he rounded first after his two-run single capped a six-run fifth that put the Marlins ahead 10-2. He was immediately replaced by pinch-runner Leo Jimenez.

Sanoja hit a two-run single and Conine added a two-run drive against Angels reliever Shaun Anderson before Stowers’ single.

Conine went deep again with a shot over the wall in right against position player Tyler Heineman to lead off the eighth.

Michael Petersen (2-2) threw a scoreless fifth for the win. Marlins starter Ryan Gusto was pulled after four innings of two-run ball and 60 pitches. Gusto gave up three hits and struck out four.

The Marlins (60-59) erased a 1-0 deficit with a three-run first against Angels starter Grayson Rodriguez (3-5).

Stowers tripled and scored on a wild pitch. An errant throw to third by Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel attempting to get Xavier Edwards out allowed him to score for a 2-1 lead. Owen Caissie capped the scoring with an RBI single.

The Angels (45-73) narrowed the gap on José Siri’s solo blast in the third. Siri hit a fastball from Gusto over the wall in center for his seventh homer.

Sanoja’s RBI single in the fourth made it 4-2.

Zach Neto put the Angels on the board with a run-scoring double in the first.

Rodriguez completed four innings. The right-hander gave up four runs and four hits. He walked four and struck out eight.

Typhoon Dolphin struck eastern China, including Shanghai, with winds up to 150 km/h, prompting more than one million people to evacuate their homes. The storm disrupted flights and transport while bringing heavy rain, flooding and the risk of landslides across the region.

Voting postponed in seven of 11 Poonch division constituencies as boycott calls and violence mar the region’s legislative elections.

Islamabad, Pakistan – Voting is under way in the third and final phase of Pakistan-administered Kashmir’s Legislative Assembly elections, but just four of the 11 constituencies originally scheduled to vote are going to the polls due to unrest in the region.

More than 800 polling booths in Bagh and Haveli districts of Poonch division in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), as the region is known, opened at 8am (03:00 GMT) on Monday and will close about 5pm (12:00 GMT). About 460,000 people are registered to vote.

AJK Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, who belongs to the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), is defending his seat in Haveli.

In Bagh, two former prime ministers are in the fray – Sardar Tanveer Ilyas of the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party against Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan of the Muslim Conference.

Elections in the remaining seven constituencies, five in Poonch and two in Sudhnoti district, were postponed last week over security concerns. Officials said a new polling date will be announced in the coming days.

The postponement came after weeks of protests by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a local pressure group demanding the abolition of 12 seats in the regional legislature reserved for displaced Kashmiris living elsewhere in Pakistan.

Violence during the JAAC-led protests killed more than 50 people, according to residents and rights groups. The government has not shared an official death toll but said at least seven police and paramilitary personnel have been killed.

The JAAC, which has called for a boycott of the legislative elections, was banned by the authorities in June under “antiterrorism” laws.

The authorities have also banned international media from reporting from the region. Their reporters were told this month to leave and seek clearance from the government before returning to Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

Monday’s vote is the last of the three-phase polls for the 53-member Legislative Assembly.

The Mirpur division voted on July 27, and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN), which governs Pakistan, won nine of its 13 seats. The PPP took four. Polling in the Muzaffarabad division and 12 refugee constituencies across the country took place on August 2 with the PMLN winning 15 seats and the PPP six.

Election authorities recorded a turnout of 46 percent in the first phase and 53 percent in the second – both below the more than 60 percent recorded in 2021 and 2016.

The scaled-back vote reflects months of unrest centred on Poonch division, the JAAC’s stronghold, where an intermittent internet shutdown has stretched beyond 50 days.

PHOENIX — It’s no secret that the Dodgers haven’t played their best baseball over the last nine days. But during their 4-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday, they exacerbated the trend.

Dodgers starter Justin Wrobleski remained in a rut, giving up four runs (three earned) in 3⅓ innings. The two-run homer he surrendered to Diamondbacks switch hitter Ketel Marte in the first inning was the ninth home run he has given up in three starts.

Before his recent struggles, Wrobleski hadn’t surrendered more than three homers in a three-game span this season.

He left a fastball belt-high to Marte, who entered Sunday with a .913 OPS against left-handed pitchers. Marte lined it into the Diamondbacks’ bullpen in the left-field corner.

After Wrobleski’s last start, manager Dave Roberts said the Dodgers (70-48) would look into whether the left-hander might be tipping pitches, but he said before the game Sunday that those suspicions seemed “unfounded.”

“I’m just not good enough right now,” Wrobleski said. “It’s kind of what it comes down to. It’s really frustrating. Execution just hasn’t been as good. I feel like [Sunday] just wasn’t good enough. And, again, I’ve got to be better. … I’m not the type to give up. So I’m ready to bear down. This is kind of where you can go two ways, and I’m excited to keep working, and I’m excited for my next one.”

While Wrobleski clearly wasn’t at his best, giving up six hits and three walks, mistakes on defense didn’t help his cause.

Wrobleski could have gotten out of the first before giving up a home run, but baserunner Geraldo Perdomo successfully broke up a potential double play, crossing in front of shortstop Mookie Betts’ sight line as he tried to throw around him.

Kiké Hernández reacts after striking out in the first inning Sunday against the Diamondbacks.

(Rick Scuteri / Associated Press)

“Very weird play, but it’s not obstruction,” Roberts said. “But next time, I think we’ve just got to throw through because it wasn’t impeding, but it sort of was intentional.”

The next inning, Wrobleski fielded a sacrifice bunt from Ryan Waldschmidt, but his throw to first was high and wide, allowing a run to score and putting Waldschmidt into scoring position.

“That’s a play that he’s got to make,” Roberts said.

Later in the inning, though the run would have likely scored anyway, the usually strong relay combination of center fielder Andy Pages and Betts ended with Betts throwing over catcher Ben Rortvedt.

The Dodgers’ offense, in the meantime, went down in order in the first two innings. Betts made the best contact, but his opposite-field fly to the warning track found leather.

The rest of the way, the Dodgers tightened up their defense, and their bullpen shut down the Diamondbacks (63-56). The Dodgers’ lineup strung together hits to score on Pages’ third-inning double and Kyle Tucker‘s sixth-inning triple. But they still lost for the eighth time in nine games.

“This series it was very clear that we weren’t hitting the fastball and we were exposing ourselves to the changeup with the secondary, specifically,” Roberts said before the Dodgers left for L.A., where they’ll open a seven-game homestand against the Kansas City Royals. “Are the Royals going to exploit the fastball that we’re not hitting and the changeup below? I don’t know. But we have to make adjustments. I think for me that’s sort of what I see as a group — we’re just not making adjustments.”

Here are three other takeaways from the Dodgers’ 1-5 road trip:

Hitting into double plays

The Dodgers have grounded into an MLB-leading 99 double plays, including one in the eighth inning Sunday.

Part of that has to do with how often the Dodgers get on base. Entering Sunday, they led the majors in on-base percentage (.339). But hitting into double plays has been a major culprit behind the Dodgers’ recent offensive struggles.

“It’s not age,” Roberts said. “It’s not about putting guys in motion, because you start doing things just to do things. And when a guy swings and misses and gets thrown out by 10 feet, that’s a bad process.

“You have to layer it on who the hitter is, the contact ability; who the pitcher is, the swing-and-miss rate; who the runner is. So there’s a lot of people that can look at the rate that we hit into double plays and have thoughts, but they’re not thought through.”

Roberts pointed instead to the batter’s approach at the plate.

“My thought is our guys need to do a better job at understanding what the pitcher is trying to do,” Roberts said.

Back end of the bullpen

Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz delivers in the ninth inning against the Diamondbacks on Saturday.

(Mike Christy / Getty Images)

Setup man Tanner Scott and closer Edwin Díaz were not available out of the bullpen after pitching Friday and Saturday.

Scott’s velocity has fluctuated over the past week, but Roberts said the Dodgers haven’t yet found an explanation for the trend.

Díaz recorded blown saves in each game. Still, Roberts noted his intensity Saturday, after Díaz gave up the lead with back-to-back triples.

“I don’t know if it’s just, you want to be perfect, you’re trying to get your feet under you, you’ve been in rehab mode a lot,” Roberts said. “But this is something I think can be a springboard for outings to come.”

For the Dodgers’ bullpen to function effectively, they need Díaz to turn around his injury-disrupted season (10.80 ERA in 12 appearances).

Home sweet home

Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal delivers against the Chicago Cubs on Aug. 4.

(Michael Reaves / Getty Images)

For the first time, the Dodgers are set to roll out their new one-two punch of two-time Cy Young winners. Tarik Skubal is scheduled to make his home debut at Dodger Stadium on Monday against the Royals, followed by Blake Snell’s return from the injured list Tuesday.

“On one side of it, you feel it as the home team because you feel the confidence of who you’re running out there,” Roberts said. “But on the other side, it seems daunting when you look at the probables and you see these Cy Young guys back to back. It’s a lot to take in as an offense. So it feels really good to have those two guys on our side.”

Along with right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto at the top of the rotation, the trio has the potential to be even more impactful in the postseason.

“I think you have to win with starting pitching,” Roberts said of the playoffs. “You really do. I know in ‘24 we did it a different way, but starting pitching is kind of your backbone.”

Aug. 10 (UPI) — The U.S. military said it blocked an additional 20 ships from reaching or leaving Iran’s ports, as prospects for a resumption of negotiations on ending the war look bleak.

U.S. Central Command announced in a statement Sunday that its blockade has redirected 55 commercial vessels, up from 35 on Aug. 2. It has also disabled two vessels and boarded two others.

The U.S. military resumed its blockade of Iran’s ports on July 14 amid a resumption in fighting between Washington and Tehran over control of the Strait of Hormuz.

The United States is seeking to regain freedom of navigation of the vital energy trade route that Iran has claimed control of since the war between the two erupted in late February.

The Trump administration has said a restoration in a freedom of navigation is necessary for negotiations on ending the war to enter the next phase focused on Iran’s nuclear program. However, Iran is fighting to maintain control of the strait that it seized.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi told reporters Sunday that while intermediaries were in contact concerning negotiations, no talks would be resumed until the United States ended what he called violations of a June memorandum, the semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported.

The June memorandum of understanding sought to lay the foundation toward end-of-war talks but differences over control of the Strait of Hormuz opened a new chapter in the war. The United States has been enforcing its blockade of Iran’s ports to coerce it to open the strait.

Aragchi said that while Iran was not in negotiations with the United States, talks were underway with Oman on establishing new maritime routes through the Strait of Hormuz.

The foreign minister’s remarks came as U.S. President Donald Trump told Axios that the United States was willing to allow the economic pressure of its blockade to further weigh on Iran’s economy rather than ordering new attacks.

“We are low-keying it,” he said, while stating, “We are only semi-negotiating with them. We are just watching Iran with its huge inflation and the they fact that have no money.”

Gaza Health Ministry says hospitals receive bodies of two Palestinians as Netanyahu rejects Trump plan to end war.

Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed at least one person as Palestinian health authorities have confirmed another death after a body was recovered from beneath the rubble in the war-shattered enclave.

Israeli forces shot and killed one Palestinian east of Deir el-Balah in central Gaza on Saturday, the Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported, quoting medical sources.

The Gaza Ministry of Health confirmed on Sunday that hospitals had received the bodies of two Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks, including one recovered from the rubble.

At least five people, including children, were wounded in Israeli attacks in the southern cities of Khan Younis and Rafah on Saturday, QNA reported.

Local sources said several people were wounded when an Israeli tank opened fire on tents sheltering displaced people in Khan Younis. Among them was a woman who was critically wounded. A girl was seriously wounded by Israeli army fire in the al-Mawasi coastal area of Rafah.

Israeli artillery also shelled areas east of Khan Younis, and Israeli fire wounded several more people in the al-Mahatta area of Gaza City’s Tuffah neighbourhood.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said the overall death toll since Israel launched its genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza in October 2023 was 73,386 with 174,250 wounded.

The remains of many people killed in Israeli attacks are still buried under rubble, and those deaths are uncounted, the ministry added. Ambulance and Palestinian Civil Defence crews remain unable to reach them.

Since a “ceasefire” took effect in October, the Health Ministry has recorded 1,258 people killed by Israel, 4,139 wounded and 807 bodies recovered from the rubble of destroyed buildings.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel has rejected United States President Donald Trump’s 15-point plan for Gaza, telling a cabinet meeting that Israeli forces “will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed”.

The rejection follows a similar position taken last week by the US-led Board of Peace, which said an Israeli withdrawal would only proceed once Hamas’s disarmament is complete, leaving both the ceasefire’s terms and any timeline for Israel’s exit from Gaza unresolved even as casualties continue to mount.

Salzburg, Austria — “Optimism doesn’t mean pretending everything is fine,” the Belarusian flutist and political activist Maria Kalesnikava said in this year’s Salzburg Festival keynote address. “It means deciding to step up and act, even in the face of uncertainty.”

Picture-perfect, Mozart-drunk Salzburg can’t pretend everything is fine. Temperatures are rising and normally rainy Salzburg now worries about water shortage and the environmental ravage of over-tourism. The artistically and culturally exceptional six-week Salzburg Festival, which began mid-July with a two-week Ouverture Spirituelle this year titled “miserere” (mercy), is facing its own political and administrative turmoil and uncertainty.

Salzburg’s worries are our worries; its triumphs can be ours as well. Los Angeles and the Salzburg Festival have been cultural and political soulmates for close to a century, beginning when playwright, director and filmmaker Max Reinhardt, who co-founded the Salzburg Festival in 1920, found mercy in L.A. as refuge from the Nazis.

Reinhardt’s star-studded 1934 music-theater production of “Midsummer Night’s Dream” at the Hollywood Bowl offered a template for spectacle in the young amphitheater, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s participation crucially reinforced a young orchestra’s early venturesome ambition following an avant-garde Bowl season the previous summer that nearly bankrupted the Bowl. Over the next decade this Salzburger’s influence on Hollywood dramaturgy would become legend.

L.A. has reciprocated by sending our visionaries to Salzburg, where director Peter Sellars and conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen, for instance, have been given the license and means to inspire a reinvention of musical and theatrical thinking. L.A. arts patrons Betty Freeman and Richard Colburn provided important support for Salzburg during their lifetimes that included commissioning new work.

Gustavo Dudamel conducts Strauss’ ‘Alpine Symphony’ with the Vienna Philharmonic at the Grosses Festspielhaus in Salzburg Aug. 25, 2024.

(Marco Borrelli / Salzburg Festival)

Gustavo Dudamel, L.A. Phil’s optimist these 17 seasons, has long been a Salzburg regular as well, and he arrived last week just in time to take up Kalesnikava’s challenge. Her proclamation of optimism comes on the heels of her having been released in December from a brutal Belarusian prison for supporting an opposition candidate running against the country’s authoritarian leader.

In Dudamel’s case, his life has been turned around by the recent earthquakes that devastated Venezuela just two weeks after his last concerts in Walt Disney Concert Hall as L.A. Phil music and artistic director. His activities this summer now revolve around partnering with the United Nations Development Program to gather global support for Venezuela’s recovery, which is estimated at $6.7 billion.

Although little noted, Dudamel’s buoyant World Cup halftime appearance with 20 members of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra and 20 from the New York Philharmonic was as a FIFA fundraiser supporting children affected by global crises, in this case earthquake relief in Venezuela. Dudamel has further turned his last Hollywood Bowl program as L.A. Phil music director into a benefit on Aug. 23.

Prophetically, Dudamel had months ago been invited to close this summer’s Ouverture Spirituelle by leading the Vienna Philharmonic in Mahler’s Second Symphony, known as the “Resurrection.” One way to think about Mahler’s extravagant 90-minute exercise in his search for life’s meaning is as an exercise in attaining optimism in the face of tragedy.

“Rise again, yes, you shall rise again,” Mahler extols in a final ecstatic climax, and it is with the “Resurrection,” which includes chorus and a pair of vocal soloists, that Dudamel began his “Gracias Gustavo” L.A. Phil season last fall. Raising roof, the message was clear: optimism is the native language of Walt Disney Concert Hall.

In Salzburg, where Dudamel’s two Vienna Philharmonic performances were dedicated to the people of Venezuela, those lines took on obvious new meaning. Earlier in the day, Dudamel gave a public talk with a lively German journalist, Marco Frei, in which he described himself as a “resurrectionist” in more ways than one.

The symphony has been a been a musical and spiritual guide for him since his boyhood. He became so excited about a new sense of freedom he feels in the second movement that he leaned back in his chair and kicked his white sneakers in the air.

After the talk, I walked with Dudamel back to his hotel as he displayed a different, more solemn passion describing the toll the earthquakes have taken on El Sistema, the Venezuelan youth program that has been behind his educational activism in L.A.

“At least 140 members of the El Sistema staff and educators were killed or are unaccounted for,” Dudamel said, and that’s not counting what may have happened to a great many children and their families. But remarkably, Dudamel noted, in places where few structures remain, the nucleos (the small El Sistema community schools) are surprisingly still standing. They have become centers for food, aid and shelter.

In Salzburg, Dudamel indulged the Vienna Philharmonic’s incomparable lushness, those plush strings, glowing winds, golden brass, voluminous timpani. The symphony received mixed reviews, with critics complaining of a lack of transparency, argument and depth. Had they been in Disney Hall, they would have had it all.

But here Dudamel became more simply an architect of awe, unfazed by Mahlerian uncertainty as he worked his way to an inevitable cosmic grandeur unfazed by uncertainty. An enthralled audience left opening its collective wallets. Ushers stood at all the exits of Great Festival Hall with baskets for donations for Venezuela. I did not see a single member of the audience leave without throwing in a bill or several.

Dudamel’s “Resurrection” might also be read as a message from L.A. to Salzburg. In the spring the festival board dismissed its artistic director of the past decade, Markus Hinterhäuser, saying there is a difference in vision. Hinterhäuser’s penetrating and uncompromising vision is what has made the modern festival matter. Hinterhäuser has implied political meddling.

It is a huge festival, with more than 200 performances. Last year’s audience exceeded 200,000, with visitors from 88 countries. The arts as a vehicle for coming together can be cliché. In Salzburg, sharing becomes essence, not the kind of narcissism that appears to be adopted by our upcoming LA28 cultural Olympiad, in which Angelenos are invited to submit entrees that show off our goods rather than a cultural exchange.

Over 100 artists have protested Hinterhäuser’s removal, including two Nobel Prize laureates. Hinterhäuser is also an insightful pianist, and he joined baritone Matthias Goerne in a chilling performance of Schubert’s existential song cycle, “Winterreise.” Hinterhäuser got thunderous ovations.

Salzburg’s future is anyone’s guess, but even with Hinterhäuser on the sidelines, this summer is still his festival, meaningful as ever.

A new production of “Carmen” could not be darker, nor more brilliant. It is the latest project of conductor Teodor Currentzis, who has worked extensively with Peter Sellars in Salzburg and elsewhere, and who brings electricity to every moment with his Utopia Orchestra and Choir. Argentine choreographer Gabriela Carrizo makes her debut directing opera and utilizes her alarmingly vibrant Belgian dance company, Peeping Tom. Performing in a vast empty space, two gripping singers — Asmik Grigorian plays an understated Carmen as a survivor in a hostile society, while Jonathan Teltelman’s Don José is unable to cope with that society — turn Bizet’s opera into revelatory existential theater in which survival is toleration.

A scene on the moon in director Yuval Sharon’s magical new production of Janacek’s neglected opera “The Excursions of Mr. Broucek to the Moon and the 15th Century” at the Bregenz Festival.

(Daniel Ammann / Bregenz Festival)

Something similar happens in “Faust, Part 1,” in which the actors spend the entire four hours in a new production by German director Ulrich Rasche walking against the direction of of a revolving disc. To remain in front of the audience, they must remain in motion. They’re dressed in modern business attire, but as they bare their souls, they bare their torsos as they step against forces that prevent progress. The backdrop is brightly illumined screens that hurt your eyes.

This, however, can serve as a reminder of a “Faust” staged by Reinhardt at the Pilgrimage Theater (now John Anson Ford Theater) when it was designed to look like the gates of ancient Jerusalem in 1935. Practically all of Hollywood celebrity showed up for what was the theatrical event of the season.

I asked Lukas Crepaz, who directs the Salzburg Festival’s administrative and business operations, whether it would be possible and whether there still is time for the Salzburg and L.A. to collaboration on an opera production. He said yes, if funding could be found. In fact, the L.A. Phil will mount in February “One Morning Turns Into an Eternity,” a Salonen/Sellars essay in intensity from Salzburg last summer.

Another option: The Bregenz Festival, also in Austria, has just staged a new production by Yuval Sharon of Janacek’s little-known opera, “The Excursions of Mr. Broucek to the Moon and the 15th Century.”

Sharon — who was responsible for the fabulous excursions of his L.A. experimental company, the Industry — supplies his characteristic wit, imagination and insight into a hard-to-please opera about a beer-besotted philistine landlord, who comes to no good in his drunken dreams of going to the moon and back in history, as he does as an angry old man stumbling home from the bar or sitting watching TV (Sharon’s invention).

L.A. optimism may matter more to Austria this summer than it does to L.A. We have two years to step up and act, even in the face of uncertainty.

Welcome to our Who am I? game.

The rules are simple. Each day there’s a new footballer and the challenge is to guess who they are in as few attempts as possible.

After each wrong guess you unlock a new clue. The fewer clues you need to get the right answer, the more points you score.

Three is a good score, four or five points is exceptional.

So take part and return for more tomorrow.

Today’s player and clues set by BBC Sport’s Flora Snelson.

After more quizzes? Go to our dedicated Football Quizzes and Sports Quizzes pages and sign up for notifications to get the latest quizzes sent straight to your device.

Footage shows Brazilian player Jacy Maranhão falling into the players’ tunnel after jumping over advertising boards while celebrating a goal in a Brazilian league match. To make matters worse the goal was ruled offside.

Pakistan-administered Kashmir is facing its biggest political crisis in years, with deadly protests ahead of a final round of voting in regional elections.

Al Jazeera’s Ava Warriner explains why the wider territory is divided and what’s driving the latest unrest.

PRINCE HARRY has given his royal seal of approval to 2024 Britain’s Got Talent winner Sydnie Christmas.

He told Syd he “felt every word in the back of his throat” after she performed Tomorrow from Annie and Frank Sinatra’s My Way in front of him at David Foster’s charity gala in Canada over the weekend.

Both tracks have poignant lyrics about overcoming difficulties and being beaten down, which is rather apt for Harry, who has endured setback after setback recently.

Speaking from Canada, Syd told me: “When I was on stage, I joked about meeting his dad before adding, ‘Sorry he couldn’t make it. He sent me instead’.

“Oh my god – I say such silly things when I’m nervous, but Harry started laughing.

“When I got down off stage he just came forward and gave me a big cuddle.

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“And he went, ‘Sydnie, I felt every word. I really felt that in the back of my throat’.”

Revealing how the fifth-in-line to the throne ditched royal protocol, Sydnie continued: “He just went in for the hug and I was like, ‘Why not?’.”

Next week, the singer drop her new single Spirit, taken from her second album The Artist, which is due out on October 2.

Teasing the record, Syd said: “This is going to be different from what people know me for.

“I’m just trying to progress and make music that hopefully people like.

“The dream is just to continue touring and making music.

“It’s sounds so simple, but it’s difficult in this day and age.”

Denise has a Tiny secret

DENISE WELCH has revealed that US band Tiny Habits soundtracked Matty Healy and wife Gabbriette Bechtel’s first dance at their wedding last month.

The folk-pop trio were joined by Matty’s mum, Loose Women star Denise, during their show at London’s St Pancras Old Church on Friday when she let slip the news.

Clearly she’s a big fan now too, as she stayed for the gig and posed for a photo with the group afterwards.

The band, made up of Judah Mayowa, Cinya Khan and Maya Rae are good friends with The 1975 frontman Matty, who provided background vocals on their recent single, Anything He Was.

It will feature on their second studio album, Keepers, which is due out on August 28.

Tiny Habits met while at university in Boston and have since gained more celebrity fans in Marcus Mumford, Noah Kahan and Phoebe Bridgers.

They’re clearly doing something right.

Madge and Kylie set for 102nd top ten hit

POP legends Madonna and Kylie Minogue are on course for a big hit with their new single, Love Sensation.

Official Charts has revealed the track is currently at No8 in the midweek update.

If its popularity continues, it will become the 102nd Top Ten that the pop stars have scored between them – Madge’s 65th and Kylie’s 37th.

They debuted the tune, a remix of a song from Madonna’s Confessions II album, at WorldPride in Amsterdam earlier this month, right.

Meanwhile, Sam Fender and Olivia Dean are set to stay at No1 for a 21st week with Rein Me In, with only Shakira’s Dai Dai challenging them for top spot.

Usher: ‘I don’t do doubles’

USHER has been forced to hit back at claims that he had a body double perform on stage for him during his MetLife Stadium show in New York.

The Burn singer’s fans were up in arms after his concert, claiming the man on stage singing was not Usher.

Posts about the claims started to go viral yesterday, with Usher forced to clarify it was him, writing: “How y’all come up with this? AI ain’t that advanced.”

It’s not the first time we’ve seen this recently.

Last month, a Blue fan got in touch to complain they didn’t think Simon Webbe had been performing with the band during a gig in London.

After a quick – and comical – conversation with their manager, we managed to clear up that it was the real Simon on stage.

Specsavers, anyone?

Taika moment to go offline

TAIKA WAITITI’S upcoming sci-fi film, Klara And The Sun, is set in a world with no internet.

But the Hollywood director admits he struggles to limit his time online – despite his best efforts.

Taika, below, told us: “When I’m writing, I tend to hang out too much on it, but you’ve got to really make an effort and go somewhere where there is no wi-fi – or just unplug the router and force it upon yourself.”

He added of the film, based on the best-selling book by Kazuo Ishiguro: “It’s set in the near future where we’ve ended up abusing our power with the internet and technology so much that they actually had to turn it off.

“No internet or AI – all the robots are analogue and not connected to anything at all. Basically, robots that are dumb.”

I’d love some internet breaks at times, but alas showbiz never sleeps.

Fans’ joy at long Weeknd

THE WEEKND has done a U-turn on his announcement early last year that he plans to retire – insisting he will keep performing “for ever.”

The Blinding Lights singer, inset, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, had said he wanted to put his alter-ego to bed, but in Stockholm on Saturday, he made it clear his current tour has reinvigorated his love for music.

Ad-libbing during one of his tracks, he sang: “I’ll never disappear. I love this too much to ever disappear.

“I tested retirement a little bit, and I don’t like the way it feels. Imma be here for ever with you.”

That will be music to the ears of fans who didn’t manage to get tickets for his five Wembley Stadium shows and two concerts at Dublin’s Croke Park in the next fortnight.

Published on
10/08/2026 – 7:43 GMT+2

Oil prices rose in early trading on Monday as market participants weighed mixed signals from the US and Iran, with concerns that a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could take longer to materialise.

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Futures for international benchmark Brent crude for October delivery gained 1.04% to $84.42 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate futures for September advanced 0.83% to $78.83 a barrel.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards insisted on Sunday that they would not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the US complied with a list of demands.

Tehran insists on retaining control of the waterway – through which a fifth of world oil and LNG pass – after the war and wants to charge tolls for passage, which Washington has pushed back against.

Attacks in the strait, which was free to transit before the war, led to the collapse of an April ceasefire, and mediators have urged both sides to return to the terms of a subsequent June memorandum that set out a path for peace talks.

Iran on Saturday released a list of conditions for reopening the strait, including an end to the war on all fronts, the lifting of a US counterblockade of Iranian ports, the end of sanctions, the release of frozen assets and compensation for wartime damage, the Tasnim news agency reported.

Those conditions echoed the terms of the June agreement, which included a provision to create a $300 billion reconstruction fund for Iran.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Sunday that their strategy was to maintain their blockade “until the enemy accepts all our conditions… the strait is now actually a theatre of war for us and not just a waterway”.

For his part, US President Donald Trump said in an interview: “We are low-keying it.”

“We are only semi-negotiating with them,” he was quoted as saying. “We are just watching Iran with its huge inflation and the fact they have no money.”

“It will work out,” he added. “It’s like a chess game.”

Additional sources • AFP

The 90-minute train journey south-west from Budapest to the spa town of Balatonfüred unveils a landscape that segues from gritty industrial compounds to long sweeps of golden sunflowers and fields of pale grain. The carriage is pleasingly retro, with thick velour upholstery; windows that open, awkwardly, with a stiff metal lever; and a bushy eyebrowed conductor replete with ticket machine slung over his shoulder.

But the real retromania is yet to come. Arriving at Balatonfüred station, I board a 1984 DAF bus, painted an almost audacious shade of green. From the open-air rear, I take in the view over Lake Balaton, central Europe’s largest freshwater lake, often referred to as the “Hungarian Sea”.

A spa resort town since the late 18th century, Balatonfüred is a popular place for sailing and swimming, while the hilly countryside to the north is great for mountain bikers and hikers. It’s also home to hundreds of wineries, many of which have traditionally been difficult to access – especially without a car. The bus I’m on – the hop-on, hop-off 46° Balaton Borbusz that launched this summer – has changed all this, by taking visitors on day trips to local vineyards.

It’s the brainchild of Virág Szabó, who has spent summers in the region since childhood. “The idea first came to me when I was travelling in South Africa, on the vintage wine tram that runs between Stellenbosch and Franschhoek,” she says. “I couldn’t believe that nobody had thought to do something similar here.” The 46° moniker is a reference to the fact that this area occupies the same latitude as Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhône.

She found the bus in the Netherlands and, by May this year, had signed up 22 wineries along two distinct routes – one focused on better-known growers and the other on more remote ones. Since then, seven more have joined and many more are eager to get involved. “I have three criteria. Is the wine good? Are there nice views? And is the winery able to offer some form of hospitality?” she says. Many of the wineries are family-owned and run, with no previous thought of opening up to visitors. Very little of Hungary’s wine is marketed, and only around one-third is exported. Less still has it ever been the stuff of tourism.

The bus departs Balatonfüred about every two hours from 11am, with the final drop-off at 9pm and the option to visit four wineries. Guests can either choose these in advance or pick en route – and, if the bus returns for you and two hours have flashed by before you’re ready, you can simply ask to be collected two hours later. While tourism in Hungary is booming, with Budapest the country’s primary draw, the Borbusz hopes to lure visitors further afield, offering an alternative insight into the country – and the chance to meet local people. Originally, it was planned to run only until September – but will now operate until mid-October, thanks to its early popularity.

Our first stop is Mórocz Pince (“pince” is the Hungarian for “cellar”), reached via a moderately steep, rocky path from the main road. Founded by former musician Tamás Mórocz, it produces between 4,000 and 5,000 bottles each year, with traminer and merlot rosé among its specialities. “During Soviet times, the emphasis was on quantity, for exporting to eastern bloc countries, rather than quality,” he says. “Fortunately, that’s no longer the case.”

Although just 38, Mórocz has been making wine for 15 years. “I wanted to approach it differently,” he says. “In a way that was lighthearted, irreverent and down to earth.” One way he’s achieved this is through his labels, with each vintage given a different theme. The 2025 bottles show photos, taken from family albums, of his grandfather, who introduced him to wine. “He died in 2012, so he doesn’t know he’s famous,” says Mórocz, with a smile. Over charcuterie platters on the terrace, with rows of vines and the expanse of the lake as a backdrop, it feels less like a tasting, and more like we’re drinking and chatting with friends – and the wine is delicious.

We continue on, and some of the group jump off at another winery, Balogh, just down the hill from Mórocz. But Szabó has told me about the charismatic owner of Gazdag Pince, and I’m keen to meet him, so I remain on the bus for another 15 minutes as we pass neatly combed vineyards and pretty villages. “We only make wines that we want to drink,” says Gábor Gazdag, welcoming us to his winery. “I used to play badminton, but then I got too fat, and I started worrying about being bored in retirement. I wasn’t interested in hunting, fishing or collecting stamps – but I like wine, so I bought this land. It’s a hobby for me.”

For Gazdag, this may be a way to stave off lethargy in older age; for János Fogl, at next door’s Madaras Pince, “it’s my life”. Szabó tells me that Fogl – who has been making wine since 1994 – is a genius, cross-breeding grapes to create unique varieties that shouldn’t work in this region. Shaded under a vine-tangled trellis, we start with a cherry liqueur before moving on to a dizzying selection of wines. Each time I think we’re finished, Fogl shuffles off to his cellar and produces another bottle.

Music spills from the Borbusz speakers as we travel back, picking up passengers – couples and groups of friends – from other wineries along the way. Everyone is in an unmistakably ebullient mood; this will almost certainly turn to somnolence later.

The Seattle Reign and Angel City played to a 2-2 draw after visiting Angel City (7-7-4) rallied late in the second half Sunday.

With Angel City down 2-1 in the 72nd minute, Evelyn Shores — who entered as a substitute in the 69th — played a long ball to Prisca Chilufya, who also entered in the 69th. Chilufya finished with ease.

The Reign (7-7-4) fell behind in the 32nd minute when 20-year-old Angel City defender Gisele Thompson got around Seattle’s defense and slotted a shot past goalkeeper Claudia Dickey.

Seattle equalized in the 50th minute when Sally Menti collected a precise pass from Mia Fishel and fired past goalkeeper Angelina Anderson. Two minutes later, Menti set up Fishel for a powerful strike.

The former Trump lawyer, who worked on the presidential immunity case and oversaw approval of the president’s disputed White House ballroom project, will replace David Warrington on September 1.

United States President Donald Trump has named White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf as his next White House counsel, elevating a longtime legal ally to one of the administration’s most important legal positions months before November’s midterm elections.

The former Trump lawyer, who worked on the presidential immunity case and later oversaw approval of the president’s disputed White House ballroom project, will replace David Warrington on September 1, with Warrington leaving the administration for the private sector. Scharf will also hold the title of assistant to the president, moving from a role overseeing the administrative work of the Oval Office to serving as the White House’s top lawyer.

Trump praised Scharf on Truth Social as “Tough, Strong, and Smart” and pointed to his background as a federal prosecutor and his work representing Trump in several legal cases.

From Trump’s legal team to the White House

Scharf joined Trump’s legal team in 2023 and worked on the federal election interference case brought by former Special Counsel Jack Smith. He was part of the team when the case reached the Supreme Court, which ultimately ruled in 2024 that presidents have broad immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts.

Scharf’s ties to Trump stretch further back. During the president’s first term, Scharf worked on the confirmation of federal judges, including Supreme Court Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, according to The Associated Press news agency.

After Trump returned to office in January 2025, Scharf became White House staff secretary, managing documents reaching the president and regularly appearing alongside him during executive-order signings. The role has placed Scharf close to the process through which many of Trump’s major policy decisions have been implemented.

Scharf’s role in the ballroom controversy

Scharf has also been closely involved in one of the Trump administration’s most controversial projects.

Trump appointed Scharf chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission in July 2025. The commission later approved Trump’s $400m White House ballroom, planned on the site of the demolished East Wing.

The project has become part of a wider legal argument over the limits of presidential authority. The AFP news agency reported on Saturday that a federal appeals court upheld an order stopping aboveground construction, ruling that such a major alteration to the White House requires explicit congressional approval. Trump said he would take the case to the Supreme Court.

Scharf had previously maintained that the planning commission had authority over construction but not the demolition that preceded it.

A sensitive moment for the White House

The White House counsel advises the presidency on legal and constitutional issues, reviews legislation and executive actions, and helps coordinate the administration’s response to lawsuits and congressional investigations.

Scharf takes over at a particularly sensitive time. Democrats have pledged to investigate Trump and his administration if they gain control of Congress in November’s midterm elections, according to AP.

His appointment also continues a pattern of Trump elevating lawyers who previously represented him. Todd Blanche, who defended Trump in his criminal cases, was confirmed as attorney general on Saturday. D John Sauer, who argued Trump’s presidential immunity case before the Supreme Court, was appointed solicitor general, while former Trump lawyer Emil Bove was initially given a senior Justice Department post before being confirmed to a federal appeals court.