Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff at a gaggle with National Security Advisor Michael Waltz at the Stakeout Location in front of the White House in Washington, DC, in February. File photo by Annabelle Gordon/UPI | License Photo
May 11 (UPI) — A fourth round of nuclear talks between the United States and Oman have produced encouraging results for the Trump administration, a senior official told reporters Sunday.
White House envoy Steve Witkoff met with Iranian foreign ministries Accas Araghchi for three hours Sunday in Muscat. The talks were mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr al-Busaidi.
“The discussions were again both direct and indirect,” Axios reported the official said.
The news comes just days before President Donald Trump‘s scheduled trip to the Middle East this week.
The two sides are reportedly working through the technical elements of a potential nuclear pact.
Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the talks as “difficult but useful.” Both sides were guarded in their comments.
“We are encouraged by today’s outcome and look forward to our next meeting, which will happen in the near future,” the United States official said.
El-Busaidi said on X that the two sides discussed “useful and original ideas reflecting a shared wish to reach an honorable agreement.”
There is some question over how enforceable the current deal being discussed would be as Araghachi said before the meeting that civilian enrichment of uranium would not be subject to the new rules.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called on Iran to import enriched uranium instead, but Iranian officials pushed back and said the country’s investment in creating it runs deep.
“Enrichment is one of the achievements and honors of the Iranian nation,” Araghchi has said. “We have paid a heavy price for enrichment. The blood of out nuclear scientists has been spilled for this achievement.”
He was referring to Iranian scientists who have been killed during the course of the country’s enrichment program.
Many of Monday’s papers are leading on the government’s new plans to control the levels of migration into the UK. The Guardian says the prime minister is toughening rules in what it calls a “challenge to Reform [UK]”, which inflicted losses on Labour in the recent local elections. It states that adults such as spouses, siblings, parents and grown-up children who accompany foreign workers to the UK will be expected to pass an English language test, while care homes will be prevented from recruiting staff from abroad.
“Migrants must earn right to stay… and improve their English,” headlines the i Paper as it quotes Sir Keir Starmer saying new immigrants have to earn the “privilege, not right” to settle in the UK. The paper analyses this as the government “seeking to seize [the] narrative from surging Reform UK”.
The Times also goes with migrants needing to “earn their right to remain”, with those who pay their taxes on time, work in the public sector or have high-skilled jobs, or volunteer in the community, being “prioritised for residency rights”. Shadow home secretary Chris Philip says it is a “joke” to say the plans will be tough on criminal migrants.
“Migrants must wait ten years to become British”, the Daily Express says under what it calls a “crackdown”. It explains that automatic settlement and citizenship for anyone living in the UK for five years will also end. The paper hears from the Conservatives who accuse the government of “pretending to be tough” on the issue.
The Conservative response is also highlighted by the Daily Mail. It says the Tories have called the plans “laughable” for not including a cap on numbers and the paper adds that critics “immediately questioned” how success would be measured. The prime minister vows that “migration numbers will fall”, the paper adds, as it puts the other side of the political argument.
The Daily Telegraph focuses on another part of the wide-ranging proposals with the headline “Starmer to shut ECHR migrant loophole”. It says the white paper will “tighten legislation” that currently allow courts to grant asylum to what it calls “foreign criminals and illegal migrants” under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
The Sun leads on an exclusive which claims that while Starmer is announcing his crackdown on foreign criminals being granted asylum, Trinidadian rapper Bang Em Smurf – real name Daniel Calliste – is staying at a taxpayer-funded hotel while seeking asylum in the UK. The paper reports that the rapper – who is a “pal” of 50 Cent – has previously been jailed in the US “following a shootout”.
The Financial Times says Chinese companies are “accelerating a purge of foreign components” from their supply chains, and were “increasing efforts to source domestic inputs” to replace them with. This follows the “steep tariffs” slapped on China by the US. An analyst for research provider Rhodium Group says the tariffs increase Beijing’s desire to become self-sufficient – something Chinese President Xi Jinping pushed for in policies called “Made in China 2025”.
“I’ll face Putin to get peace”, reads Metro’s headline on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky agreeing to hold “direct negotiations” with his Russian counterpart. The paper says Zelensky accepted President Vladimir Putin’s peace talks offer after pressure from the US president – and hours after saying there would be no talks without a ceasefire first.
The Daily Mirror claims “weight-loss jabs ‘cut cancer risk'”, according to new research that suggests they could cut the risk by nearly half. One expert says it could “herald a new era of preventative cancer medicine”, the paper reports.
And finally, the Daily Star- keen as ever on a weather-related story – splashes a Photoshopped image of beach-ready seagulls – towel, sunnies and hat in tow – and the sub-headline “27C hotter than Malta”. It says a “two-week heatwave starts” is starting today and that Britain will be warmer than Mediterranean resorts including Malta. “Grab an ice cream!” it adds.
Despite being surrounded by a lush 140-acre woodland and ‘striking’ castle, this secluded stretch of golden sands has been named and shamed due to its ‘poor’ water quality
The beach used to have a stellar reputation(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
A ‘beautiful’ beach with sugar-like sand has slowly witnessed its reputation sink into the gutter. Tucked away on the south Cornish coast, with a ‘striking backdrop’ of the 200-year-old Caerhays Castle and its 140 acres of woodland gardens, lies the secluded family beach of Porthluney.
South-facing for maximum sunlight, the tiny cove – which is privately owned – has long been popular with Brits. On Trip Advisor, the beach has a slew of five-star reviews, with many describing the area as ‘lovely’ and ‘picturesque’.
However, most praise for the beach appears to be written several years ago, including one traveller who posted back in 2023: “I have visited this beach twice: once when the tide was right out and again when it was in. It is what beaches should all be about – with little rock pools and beautiful sand. Plus, very much a bonus, there’s a lovely cafe selling delicious food nearby.”
Others dubbed the beach a ‘beautiful’ spot that is perfect for a day of family fun. Even Visit Cornwall, the area’s official tourist board, states on its website: “There’s plenty of room for beach games and exploring the rocks on the west side at low tide. The beach is excellent for swimming.”
Porthluney Beach has been awarded a ‘Brown Flag Award’ for two consecutive years(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
However, Porthluney has recently been named and shamed, after winning an unwanted ‘Brown Flag Award‘ for the second consecutive year. UK travel firm holidayparkguru.co.uk granted the beach the tongue-in-cheek gong as part of its ‘top of the plops’ guide.
The company analysed official data from the Environment Agency to figure out which beaches had the worst water quality. While not endorsed by any government body, the ‘awards’ shed light on some of the UK’s grubbiest seas. The firm has even offered to send Porthluney a ‘tasteful’ brown flag with a poo emoji to ‘warn swimmers’.
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The beach has been offered its very own ‘poo’ flag
“Some of the worst water cleanliness readings were found at beaches at popular resorts including Blackpool, Weston Super Mare, and Bognor Regis,” explained holidayparkguru.co.uk. “This doesn’t necessarily mean the whole beach is ‘poor’ for bathing – it is sometimes just one section of beach.
“The water quality readings are based on readings taken in the warmer months (i.e. May 15th to September 30th). The sea is less likely to be clean in winter, as it rains more which leads to more unpleasant stuff overflowing into rivers and into the sea.”
The Brown Flag Awards – full list of winners
Winners of the Brown Flag had to score the lowest possible ‘poor’ rating from the Environment Agency’s water quality tests. This may be due to levels of bacteria such as e-coli from sewage and other waste. In alphabetical order by county, the winners are:
Porthluney in Cornwall
Coastguards Beach, Erme Estuary in Devon (Poocomer for 2025)
Lyme Regis Church Cliff Beach in Dorset (Poocomer for 2025)
Southsea East in Hampshire
Deal Castle in Kent (Poocomer for 2025)
Dymchurch in Kent (Poocomer for 2025)
Littlestone in Kent
Blackpool North in Lancashire
St Annes North in Lancashire
Heacham in Norfolk
Weston Main, Weston Super Mare Sand Bay, and Weston Super Mare Uphill Slipway in Somerset
Dunster Beach in Somerset
Blue Anchor West in Somerset (Poocomer for 2025)
Bognor Regis, Aldwick in Sussex
Worthing Beach House in Sussex (Poocomer for 2025)
Tynemouth Cullercoats in Tyne and Wear
Littlehaven Beach in Tyne and Wear (Poocomer for 2025)
Scarborough South Bay in North Yorkshire
Bridlington South Beach in East Riding of Yorkshire
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TheBridgertonicon, 32, packed on the PDA with the gorgeous model, 24,making a loving public appearance just two days after going Instagram official reported The Mail.
Luke, who plays Colin Bridgerton on the show, opted for a classic black suit and an unbuttoned matching shirt.
Antonia shimmered beside him in a sculpted mono-shoulder purple long length gown.
The Netflix icon appeared in very happy spirits as he was snapped and spoke to TV fans on his way inside the event.
Much like her famous boyfriend, Antonia is also in the entertainment industry.
The talented star is in fact a dancer, who has worked on some top TV shows, she has performed on both Dancing on Ice and Greece’s Got Talent.
Antonia is also an Influencer and boasts nearly 16K followers and she was first linked to Luke last year.
During tonight’s awards ceremony, the Bafta reality prize went to Channel 4‘s The Jury: Murder Trial, beating the hit BBC psychological series The Traitors.
Luke Newton’s girlfriend Antonia Roumelioti looks super hot as she shows off her dance moves
Ariyon Bakare has won the best supporting actor gong at the Bafta TV Awards for his role playing Morris De La Roux in BBC drama Mr Loverman.
The BBC also won the sport award for its coverage of the Paris 2024 Olympics and an award in the live coverage category for Glastonbury Festival.
Best specialist factual went to BBC Two‘s Atomic People, which heard from those who witnessed the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has fired the nation’s top copyright official, Shira Perlmutter, days after abruptly terminating the head of the Library of Congress, which oversees the U.S. Copyright Office.
The office said in a statement Sunday that Perlmutter received an email from the White House a day earlier with the notification that “your position as the Register of Copyrights and Director at the U.S. Copyright Office is terminated effective immediately.”
On Thursday, President Trump fired Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, the first woman and the first African American to hold that position, as part of the administration’s ongoing purge of government officials perceived to oppose the president and his agenda.
Hayden named Perlmutter to lead the Copyright Office in October 2020.
Perlmutter’s office recently released a report examining whether artificial intelligence companies can use copyrighted materials to “train” their AI systems and compete in the same market as the human-made works they were trained on.
The report, the third part of a lengthy AI study, follows a review that Perlmutter began in 2023 with opinions from thousands of people including AI developers, actors and country singers.
In January, the office clarified its approach as one based on the “centrality of human creativity” in creating a work that warrants copyright protections. The office receives about half a million copyright applications per year, covering millions of creative works.
“Where that creativity is expressed through the use of AI systems, it continues to enjoy protection,” Perlmutter said in January. “Extending protection to material whose expressive elements are determined by a machine … would undermine rather than further the constitutional goals of copyright.”
The White House didn’t return a message seeking comment Sunday.
Democrats were quick to denounce Perlmutter’s firing.
“Donald Trump’s termination of Register of Copyrights, Shira Perlmutter, is a brazen, unprecedented power grab with no legal basis,” said Rep. Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.), the top Democrat on the House Administration Committee.
Perlmutter, who holds a law degree, was previously a policy director at the Patent and Trademark Office and worked on copyright and other areas of intellectual property. She also previously worked at the Copyright Office in the late 1990s. She did not return messages left Sunday seeking comment.
O’Brien writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Sophia Tareen in Chicago contributed to this report.
Brian White scored on a header in the 70th minute and the Vancouver Whitecaps rallied to tie LAFC2-2 on Sunday to extend their unbeaten streak to 11 games across all competitions.
The Whitecaps (8-1-3) lead all MLS teams with 27 points and hold a five-point edge over Minnesota in the Western Conference. They are 6-0-5 during the streak.
On the tying goal, second-half substitution Ali Ahmed headed the ball into the center of the box and White headed it into the net. White also scored in the 26th minute to pull Vancouver within a goal.
White is tied for the MLS goals lead with eight and has 13 goals across all competitions. He returned to the lineup Sunday after missing a victory last week over Real Salt Lake because of a tight hamstring.
Mark Delgado opened the scoring for LAFC (5-4-3) in the eighth minute, and Denis Bouanga connected on a penalty kick in the 19th.
May 11 (UPI) — The United States was added to an international human rights watchlist on Sunday over Trump administration attacks targeting civic freedoms.
CIVICUS, an international human rights monitor, said it added the United States due to “the Trump administration’s assault on democratic norms and global cooperation.”
As reason, it listed President Donald Trump‘s “unprecedented executive orders designed to unravel democratic institutions, rule of law and global cooperation” as well as its slashing of federal funding for organizations supporting those in need, the dismantling of USAID and reversals on justice, inclusion and diversity.
It also highlighted the Trump administration’s crackdown on pro-Palestine protests through arbitrary arrests and student visa cancelations
“This is an unparalleled attack on the rule of law in the United States, not seen since the days of McCarthyism in the 20th century,” Mandeep Tiwana, interim co-secretary general of CIVICUS, said in a statement.
“Restrictive orders, unjustifiable institutional cutbacks and intimidation tactics through threatening pronouncements by senior officials in the administration are creating an atmosphere to chill democratic dissent, a cherished American ideal.”
The United States being added to the watchlist comes as the Trump administration has come under mounting criticism over its attacks on American democratic institutions.
It has been accused of ignoring due process rights in arresting and shipping hundreds of migrants to a notorious mega prison in El Salvador and has been condemned for its repeated attacks of the judicial system — from calling for judges who rule against it to be impeached to arresting another on allegations of impeding an immigration-related arrest.
CIVICUS also highlight the Trump administration’s attacks on press freedom as reason for its inclusion the list.
It pointed to the White House now determining which media outlets have access to presidential briefings and banning reporters covering political sensitive topics as proof.
“The Trump administration seems hellbent on dismantling the system of checks and balances, which are the pillars of a democratic society,” Tiwana said.
Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir — On Saturday morning at Fateh Kadal, a densely packed neighbourhood on the sloping embankment of the Jhelum river in Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir’s largest city, 62-year-old Hajira wrapped a cotton scarf with a brown paisley design around her shoulders.
With her face muscles tense and sweat beading across her upper lip, she sat on the cement floor of a government-run grains store.
“Can you make it quick?” she called to the person manning the store.
Hajira comes to the store every month to submit her biometric details, as required by the government to secure the release of her monthly quota of subsidised grains, which her family of four depends on.
But this time was different. The past few days have been unprecedented for residents of Indian-administered Kashmir. Drones hovered overhead, airports were shut down, explosions rang out, people were killed in cross-border fire and the region prepared for the possibility of an all-out war.
“He made me stand in the queue,” she said, flinching from knee pain, referring to the store operator. “But there’s uncertainty around. I just want my share of rice so I can quickly return. A war is coming.”
Then, on Saturday evening, Hajira breathed a sigh of relief. United States President Donald Trump announced that he had succeeded in mediating a ceasefire between India and Pakistan.
“I thank Allah for this,” Hajira said, smiling sheepishly. “Perhaps he understood that I didn’t have the means to endure the financial hardship that a war-like situation would have caused.”
On Sunday morning, Trump went a step further, saying in a post on his Truth Social platform that would try to work with India and Pakistan to resolve their longstanding dispute over Kashmir, a region both countries partly control, but where they each claim the part the other administers.
Political analyst Zafar Choudhary, based in the city of Jammu in southern Indian-administered Kashmir, told Al Jazeera that New Delhi would not be happy about Trump’s statement. India has long argued that Pakistan-sponsored “terrorism” is the primary reason for tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
However, “Trump’s offer underlines the fact that Kashmir remains central to India-Pakistan confrontations”, Choudhary said.
And for Kashmiris, the hope stemming from the fragile pause in fighting between India and Pakistan, and Trump’s offer to mediate talks on Kashmir, is tempered by scepticism borne from a decades-long, desperate wait for peace.
A Kashmiri family watches as projectiles fly over the sky in Indian-administered Kashmir, Saturday, May 10, 2025 [Rafiq Maqbool/AP Photo]
‘Never been more frightened’
Hundreds of thousands of Kashmiris stood in the direct line of fire between India and Pakistan in recent days.
As the neighbouring nations launched missiles and drones at each other, communities in Indian-administered Kashmir near the de-facto border with Pakistan also witnessed cross-border shelling on a scale unseen in decades, triggering an exodus of people towards safer locations.
The shadow of conflict has stalked their lives for nearly four decades, since an armed rebellion first erupted against the Indian government in the late 1980s. Then, in 2019, the government scrapped Indian-administered Kashmir’s semi-autonomous status amid a huge security crackdown – thousands of people were imprisoned.
On April 22, a brutal attack by gunmen on tourists at Pahalgam left 26 civilians dead, shattering the normalcy critics had accused India of projecting in the disputed region.
Since then, in addition to a diplomatic tit-for-tat and missile exchanges with Pakistan, the Indian government has intensified its crackdown on Indian-administered Kashmir.
It has demolished the homes of rebels accused of links to the Pahalgam attack, raided other homes across the region and detained approximately 2,800 people, 90 of whom have been booked under the Public Safety Act, a draconian preventive detention law. The police also summoned many journalists and detained at least one for “promoting secessionist ideology”.
By Sunday, while a sense of jubilation swept through the region over the ceasefire, many people were still cautious, doubtful even, about whether the truce brokered by Trump would hold.
Just hours after both countries declared a cessation of hostilities, loud explosions rang out in major urban centres across Indian-administered Kashmir as a swarm of kamikaze drones from Pakistan raced across the airspace.
Many residents raced to the terraces of their apartments and homes to capture videos of the drones being brought down by India’s defence systems, a trail of bright red dots arcing across the night sky before exploding in midair.
As part of the emergency protocols, the authorities turned off the electricity supply. Fearing that the debris from drones would fall on them, residents ran for safety. The surge of drones through the night skies also touched off sirens, triggering a sense of dread.
“I don’t think I have ever been more frightened before,” said Hasnain Shabir, a 24-year-old business graduate from Srinagar. “The streets have been robbed of all their life. If the prelude to war looks like this, I don’t know what war will look like.”
A group of Kashmiri women wait for transportation to leave the area after overnight shelling from Pakistan at Gingal village in the Uri district, Indian-administered Kashmir, Friday, May 9, 2025 [Dar Yasin/AP Photo]
A fragile ceasefire
Hours after the ceasefire was announced on Saturday, India accused Pakistan of violating the truce by shelling border regions. Residents across major towns in Kashmir were on their toes, once again, after drones reappeared in the skies.
One of the worst-affected places in Kashmir these days is Uri, a picturesque town of pear orchards and walnut groves close to India’s contested border with Pakistan.
The village is surrounded by majestic mountains through which the Jhelum river flows. It is the final frontier on the Indian-administered side before the hills pave the way to Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Parts of Uri saw intense shelling, forcing the residents to leave their homes and look for safety. On May 8, officials told Al Jazeera that a woman, Nargis Bashir, was killed in her car as she and her family tried to flee the border region, like thousands of others, after flying shrapnel tore through the vehicle. Three of her family members were wounded.
Muhammad Naseer Khan, 60, a former army serviceman, was huddling in his room when Pakistani artillery fire hit a nearby military post, with metal shrapnel shards blasting through the walls of his house. “The blast has damaged one side of my home,” Khan said, wearing a traditional blue shirt and a tweed coat.
“I don’t know if this place is even liveable,” he said, his bright blue eyes betraying a sense of fear.
Despite the ceasefire, his two daughters and many others in his family who had left for a relative’s house, away from the disputed border, are sceptical about returning. “My children are refusing to return. They have no guarantee that guns won’t roar again,” he said.
Suleman Sheikh, a 28-year-old resident in Uri, recalled his childhood years when his grandfather would talk about the Bofors artillery gun stationed inside a military garrison in the nearby village of Mohra.
“He told us that the last time this gun had roared was in 1999, when India and Pakistan clashed on the icy peaks of Kargil. It is a conventional belief here that if this gun roared again, things are going to get too bad,” he said.
That’s what happened at 2am on May 8. As the Bofors gun in Mohra prepared to fire ammunition across the mountains into Pakistan, Sheikh felt the ground shaking beneath him. An hour and a half later, a shell fired from the other side hit an Indian paramilitary installation nearby, making a long hissing noise before striking with a thud.
Hours after Sheikh spoke to Al Jazeera for this report, another shell landed on his home. The rooms and the portico of his house collapsed, according to a video he shared with Al Jazeera.
He had refused to leave his home despite his family’s pleas to join them. “I was here to protect our livestock,” Sheikh said. “I didn’t want to leave them alone.”
Unlike the rest of the Kashmir Valley, where apple cultivation brings millions of dollars in income for the region, Uri is relatively poor. Villagers mostly work odd jobs for the Indian Army, which maintains large garrisons there, or farm walnuts and pears. Livestock rearing has turned into a popular vocation for many in the town.
“We have seen the firsthand experience of what war feels like. It is good that the ceasefire has taken place. But I don’t know if it will hold or not,” Sheikh said, his face downcast. “I pray that it does.”
People walk at a open market, a day after the ceasefire between India and Pakistan in Srinagar, in Indian-administered Kashmir, Sunday, May 11, 2025 [Mukhtar Khan/AP Photo]
‘How long must this continue?’
Back in Srinagar, residents are slowly returning to the rhythm of their daily lives. Schools and colleges continue to remain closed, and people are avoiding unnecessary travel.
The scenes of racing drone fleets in the skies and the accompanying blasts are seared into public memory. “Only in the evening will we come to know whether this ceasefire has held on,” said Muskaan Wani, a student of medicine at Government Medical College, Srinagar, said on Sunday.
It did, overnight, but the tension over whether it will last remains.
Political experts attribute the general scepticism about the ceasefire to the unresolved political issues in the region – a point that was echoed in Trump’s statement on Sunday, in which he referred to a possible “solution concerning Kashmir”.
“The problem to begin with is the political alienation [of Kashmiris],” said Noor Ahmad Baba, a former professor and head of the political science department at the University of Kashmir.
“People in Kashmir feel humiliated for what has happened to them in the last few years, and there haven’t been any significant efforts to win them over. When there’s humiliation, there is suspicion.”
Others in Indian-administered Kashmir expressed their anger at both countries for ruining their lives.
“I doubt that our feelings as Kashmiris even matter,” said Furqan, a software engineer in Srinagar who only gave his first name. “Two nuclear powers fought, caused damage and casualties at the borders, gave their respective nations a spectacle to watch, their goals were achieved, and then they stopped the war.
“But the question is, who suffered the most? It’s us. For the world, we are nothing but collateral damage.”
Furqan said his friends were sceptical about the ceasefire when the two countries resumed shelling on the evening of May 10.
“We all already were like, ‘It is not gonna last,’” he said, “And then we heard the explosions again.”
Muneeb Mehraj, a 26-year-old resident of Srinagar who studies management in the northern Indian state of Punjab, echoed Furqan.
“For others, the war may be over. A ceasefire has been declared. But once again, it’s Kashmiris who have paid the price – lives lost, homes destroyed, peace shattered,” he said. “How long must this cycle continue?”
“We are exhausted,” Mehraj continued. “We don’t want another temporary pause. We want a lasting, permanent solution.”
Just as Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Dina (Isabela Merced) find themselves cornered by numerous infected inside an abandoned warehouse in the latest episode of “The Last of Us,” their reliable friend Jesse arrives in the nick of time to save them.
But mutant fungal zombies are not the only roaming threat in the world in HBO’s postapocalyptic thriller, and the trio immediately find themselves trying to evade attacks from the local militia as well as a mysterious cult.
Over a couple of video calls — including one in which he was surrounded by what looked like the lush natural world of the show — actor Young Mazino discussed his character Jesse’s rescue mission to Seattle as well as how “The Last of Us” has further propelled his rising profile in Hollywood. As for what happens in Episode 5, Mazino sums up the usually laid-back Jesse’s feelings as Ellie and Dina pepper him with questions about his unexpected arrival: “He’s pissed.”
“He’s really pissed off that they’re there to begin with,” Mazino says in a video call. “He knows the stakes. He knows how serious it can get. There’s a lot of s— on his mind but … for him, it’s about getting everyone to safety, surviving and then the emotions come later. Then we can hash it out.”
A patrol coordinator in their Jackson, Wyo., settlement, Jesse has an on again, off again relationship with Dina — “a situationship,” as Mazino calls it. After the horde of infected attacked Jackson, he became a member of the council that leads the community.
Jesse has come to the rescue, but “he’s pissed,” says Young Mazino.
(Liane Hentscher / HBO)
Mazino describes Jesse as “a pretty happy-go-lucky guy” in the earlier episodes of the season, as well as “a bit of a Boy Scout.” But as audiences see in Episode 5, he’s also a capable fighter proficient in firearms and equipped with key survival skills. Mazino says co-star Gabriel Luna (who plays Tommy) joked that Jesse is a “gentle monster.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” says Mazino. “For these people to survive up to that point, you do have to have a bit of that savagery and be able to turn that on. It’s just a matter of being able to switch it back off.”
Much like Jesse, Mazino exudes a quiet, gentle spirit through the screen of a video call. He references the stories of Anton Chekhov, the artistic philosophy of Pablo Picasso and anime like “Jujutsu Kaisen.” (“If ‘Vinland Saga’ existed in this world, Jesse would really f— with that manga” because of its themes, Mazino says.) He’s as game to discuss a dream blunt rotation among the Jackson community members as he is to contemplate the Asian diaspora in a postapocalyptic world.
“He’s so chill and mellow,” Ramsey says of her castmate. “I got to know him quite well and he’s so perceptive and so thoughtful about everything. I feel really lucky to have gotten to know him more than just the chill, mellow guy that everyone sees on the surface.”
The respect is mutual. Mazino calls Ramsey “an extraordinary individual” whose work ethic is No. 1 on the call sheet. One vivid memory: standing underneath some PVC pipes with Ramsey on set and enjoying a moment in artificial rain together.
“I was soggy and wet every day for hours on end,” Mazino says of filming the show’s Seattle-set episodes. “And as soon as you’re about to dry, they wet you down again. What helps is having someone like Bella Ramsey, who maintains this levity. So despite being wet and soggy and miserable all day, being miserable with someone that’s just as miserable and wet as you really helps.”
“The Last of Us” marks Mazino’s highest-profile project yet. After years of trying to make it as an actor, Mazino got his breakout role in the 2023 limited series “Beef,” where he portrays a slacker who falls for his older brother’s road-rage nemesis. His performance earned him an Emmy nomination.
His familiarity with “The Last of Us” initially stemmed from watching YouTube videos of the game’s story scenes. But before meeting showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann for the project, Mazino bought a used PlayStation 4 to play through the key moments of Jesse’s story.
Young Mazino calls “The Last of Us” a rare opportunity.
(Jennifer McCord / For The Times)
“When I told Craig I played through the game hoping he would be pleasantly surprised, he was like, ‘I wish you actually didn’t play the game at all,’” Mazino says.
Preparation for the role included going “crazy at the gym for a few months,” Mazino says. He also received weapons training and learned to ride a horse.
“I’ve been on many sets in the last 10 years and I’m aware of how rare this kind of opportunity is,” Mazino says. “My expectation for writing and storytelling became very high after ‘Beef,’ and I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to find something to match that. But ‘The Last of Us’ came my way and I love getting to explore different facets of myself through character.”
Jesse has a soft spot for Ellie, whom he initially meets as a prickly outsider cut from similar cloth, Mazino says. Both are loners who’d rather avoid the spotlight — particularly at parties. But Jesse also recognizes Ellie’s inner fire and potential.
“Jesse finds Ellie so interesting and amusing and endearing,” Mazino says. “To be this small, petite girl and have so much vitriol and fire and angst. I think Jesse wants to help Ellie harness all that intense energy that she has and put it to good use.”
The pair also share an attraction to Dina, who is a bit more social and warm and seemingly carefree. And though Jesse did not seem to mind Ellie and Dina sharing a drunken kiss at a party in an earlier episode, the couple’s relationship has since grown more romantic and intimate.
Mazino believes Jesse has been fully aware that Ellie and Dina have been dancing around their feelings for each other.
“I think Jesse’s the type of person that understands that love is love, and it’s not something you can cage or latch on to,” Mazino says. “I think the healthy form of love is to allow it to flourish. .… Love is a spectrum … and maybe he recognizes that Dina is not somebody he may necessarily want to be exclusively with forever together. But there is love.”
Mazino insists that Jesse cares less about Ellie and Dina’s developing romance than he does the fact that Dina has followed her lover into a war zone.
“Love eludes common sense and rationality a lot so he’s just trying to be the level-headed one through and through,” says Mazino.
Jesse (Young Mazino) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) have different opinions about revenge.
(Liane Hentscher / HBO)
Jesse clearly opposes the Ellie revenge tour that has brought them to Seattle, and Mazino says their differing philosophies stem from Jesse’s appreciation for the community of Jackson. Because he was able to find a home in Jackson, Jesse’s response to loss is to grab onto what remains.
“I think he serves as a perfect reflector off of [Ellie for] how one copes with death and murder and violence,” Mazino says. “Some people, all they see is red and they want the revenge. But the other side of that choice is savoring what’s remaining and what’s precious to you.”
Ellie, he adds, is “all about revenge, revenge, revenge for someone she lost. But Jesse wants the opposite of that. He wants to maintain what they still have, knowing how fleeting it is to be alive in this world.”
While the world of “The Last of Us” is bleak, Mazino and his castmates found ways between takes to escape the heaviness. One form of relief: a shared love of music. Mazino, Luna, Merced and Ramsey all play guitar.
“We all brought a guitar without even telling each other,” Mazino says. “There was always a guitar on set or we would steal one from the set and get in trouble. We’d have jam sessions. Somebody would be playing some tune or a song, and if we knew it, we join in [or] we’d learn it.”
Mazino says that they all had eclectic tastes and traded songs “like Pokémon.” (Mazino’s contributions included Daniel Caesar, Frank Ocean and “some R&B stuff.”)
“It’s so difficult to maintain a heavy energy for 12 to 16 hours a day,” he says. “It really helps to have people that are able to laugh and crack jokes and be light and to play music … so a guitar is a lifesaver on a set like that.”
Young Mazino says Jesse is a “person that understands love is love.”
BOSTON — A Tufts University student from Turkey who was seized on a street by federal immigration agents has returned to Boston after being released from a Louisiana immigration detention center where she was held for more than six weeks.
Upon arrival at Logan Airport, Rumeysa Ozturk told reporters Saturday she was excited to get back to her studies during what has been a “very difficult” period.
“In the last 45 days, I lost both my freedom and also my education during a crucial time for my doctoral studies,” she said. “But I am so grateful for all the support, kindness and care.”
A federal judge ordered Ozturk’s release Friday pending a final decision on her claim that she was illegally detained following an op-ed she co-wrote last year criticizing her university’s response to Israel and the war in Gaza.
Ozturk said she will continue her case in the courts, adding, “I have faith in the American system of justice.”
She was joined by her lawyers and two of Massachusetts’ Democratic members of Congress, Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Ayanna Pressley.
“Today is a tremendous day as we welcome you back, Rumeysa,” Markey said. “You have made millions and millions of people across our country so proud of the way you have fought.”
Appearing by video for her bail hearing the previous day, Ozturk, 30, detailed her worsening asthma attacks in detention and her desire to finish her doctorate focusing on children and social media.
U.S. District Judge William Sessions in Vermont ruled that she was to be released on her own recognizance with no travel restrictions. She was not a danger to the community or a flight risk, he said, while noting that he might amend the release order to consider any conditions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, in consultation with her lawyers.
Sessions said the government offered no evidence for why Ozturk was arrested other than the op-ed.
The U.S. Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review did not respond to an email message seeking comment Friday.
Ozturk was one of four students who wrote the opinion piece last year in campus newspaper The Tufts Daily. It criticized the university’s response to student activists demanding that Tufts “acknowledge the Palestinian genocide,” disclose its investments and divest from companies with ties to Israel.
On March 25 immigration officials surrounded Ozturk in Massachusetts and took her into custody. She was then driven to New Hampshire and Vermont and flown to a detention center in Basile, La.
Her student visa had been revoked several days earlier, but she was not informed of that, her lawyers said.
Ozturk’s lawyers first filed a petition on her behalf in Massachusetts, but they did not know where she was and were unable to speak to her until more than 24 hours after she was detained. A Massachusetts judge later transferred the case to Vermont.
A State Department memo said Ozturk’s visa was revoked following an assessment that her actions “may undermine U.S. foreign policy by creating a hostile environment for Jewish students and indicating support for a designated terrorist organization.” Ozturk co-authored an op-ed that found common ground with a group that was temporarily banned from campus.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said in March, without providing evidence, that investigations found that Ozturk engaged in activities in support of Hamas, which the U.S. has designated as a terrorist group.
Last week a federal appeals court upheld Sessions’ order to bring Ozturk back to New England for hearings to determine whether her constitutional rights, including free speech and due process, were violated, as her lawyers argue.
Immigration proceedings for Ozturk, initiated in Louisiana, are being conducted separately in that state and Ozturk can participate remotely, the court said.
Ngowi and Rush write for the Associated Press and reported from Boston and Portland, Ore., respectively. AP writers Kathy McCormack and Holly Ramer in Concord, N.H., and Michael Casey in Boston contributed to this report.
Match of the Day 2 looks at the events that led to Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis confronting manager Nuno Espirito Santo on the pitch after his side’s 2-2 Premier League draw with Leicester at the City Ground.
May 11 (UPI) — The Qatari Royal Family has planned to gift a super luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet to President Donald Trump to be used for Air Force One and for his own private use when his presidency ends, reports said Sunday.
The gift is expected to be formally announced when Trump visits Qatar next week, according to the reports. Trump toured the plane when it was parked at the West Palm Beach International Airport in February.
A Qatari representative, however, told Axios that while reports of Trump being gifted a jet were “inaccurate,” Qatar’s Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Department of Defense are discussing the possible temporary use of an aircraft as Air Force One.
If it is gifted, the jet could become the most valuable gift ever from a foreign government to the United States, ABC News reported. Its $400 million estimated price tag surpasses the estimated $250,000 cost of constructing the Statue of Liberty — which was gifted to the United States from France.
But the expected acceptance of the gift by Trump raises questions of its legality, raising the possibility that the president could face scrutiny for bribery or violating the emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution.
The Emoluments Clause prohibits federal officials from accepting gifts, payments or other benefits from foreign governments without the consent of Congress but there is debate as to whether it applies to elected officials. According to Cornell’s Legal Information Institute, the interpretation of the clause has never been litigated before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Lawyers for the White House reportedly expect accepting the gift to draw scrutiny and have drafted an analysis for U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, which concludes that it is legal for the U.S. Defense Department to accept the gift and then to later hand it over to Trump’s presidential library for his private use when he leaves office.
The Trump administration is looking to the precedent set by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in handling the ethical considerations of accepting a retired presidential aircraft.
The Reagan Library boasts a 90,000-square-foot exhibit hangar that permanently displays a Boeing VC-137C aircraft with the tail letters SAM 27000, which entered service as Air Force One under President Richard Nixon.
Though the plane was used by each president until George W. Bush, it is best known in relation to Reagan and was gifted to his library when it was decommissioned in 2001. Reagan died in 2004.
The difference between the use of the two gifts that could pose a challenge for Trump is that the Reagan Library immediately installed it for permanent display while Trump is reported to be planning to continue using it for personal travel.
Trump currently owns a Boeing 757 that dates to the early 1990s. The jet was originally operated by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen before Trump purchased it in 2011.
Two new Air Force One planes have been in the works since at least 2018 when the Air Force awarded a $3.9 billion contract for two modified Boeing 747-8 planes that were expected for delivery by 2024.
Trump told ABC News in 2019 that he wanted to change up the traditional baby blue and white pattern chosen by former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy in the 1960s to a new color scheme that resembled that of his private jet.
Boeing started modifying the first of the two aircraft in February 2020 and the second in June 2020. According to a 2022 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the company had completed major structural modifications on the first aircraft and is now preparing it for wiring installations.
However, at the time, Boeing struggled to find workers to complete the modifications because of a “competitive labor market” and “lower-than-planned security clearance approval rates.” The Air Force later lowered security clearance standards to make it easier to find workers.
Last week, Defense One reported that Boeing has told the Air Force it can deliver the new jets by 2027 if the government loosens some requirements.
Speaking on ITV’s The Assembly, Gary Lineker opened up about his son George’s cancer battle as a baby and reflected on feeling ‘lucky’ that he survived
Gary Lineker on ITV’s The Assembly
Gary Lineker has candidly opened up about his son’s cancer battle, revealing he initially “wasn’t given much chance”, during an interview on ITV’s The Assembly.
The ex-footballer, 64, is one of the celebrities appearing in the new four-part series of The Assembly, which sees stars quizzed by a group of interviewers who are autistic, neurodivergent or learning disabled, with no topics off the table.
Gary was asked about how he felt when his eldest son George was diagnosed with cancer as a baby, with the dad-of-four becoming emotional as he reflected on the extremely difficult time.
“That was really tough – it changes you,” he admitted. “He was only two months old. We got told he had leukaemia, he wasn’t given much chance.”
Gary Lineker appears on ITV’s The Assembly
“It was really awful. We were in the hospital for around seven months with him,” Gary went on to add. “But we were the lucky ones, because there were other parents in there that lost their kids so we felt quite fortunate in the end. It was really scary.”
Gary shares four sons, George, Tobias, Harry and Angus, with his ex-wife Michelle, who he split from in 2006 after 20 years of marriage.
The pundit reflected on the ways in which he and ex Michelle coped with George’s cancer diagnosis, also adding: “I felt I needed to talk about it. Michelle, she would bottle things up. But ultimately we got a good ending.”
Elsewhere in The Assembly, Gary spoke about his suspension from the BBC in 2023, admitting that the media frenzy that followed “upset” him at the time, but the support he received from colleagues was “beautiful”.
Gary’s son George had cancer as a baby
“It was a crazy week and it upset me,” he added. “I had all the press outside my house every minute of the day, for about five/six days. It got a bit silly but it was actually also lovely because the backing I got from the people I work with was beautiful.”
Gary was temporarily removed from Match of The Day in 2023 after being accused of breaching BBC impartiality guidelines, due to a tweet he shared criticising the UK government’s immigration policy.
Fellow pundits including Ian Wright, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards all stood in solidarity with Gary and said they would not be appearing on MOTD in the wake of his suspension.
After several days, the dispute was resolved with Gary back on MOTD. Tim Davie, BBC’s Director General, released a public statement at the time, saying the BBC has a “commitment to impartiality” as well as “freedom of expression”.
The Assembly: Gary Lineker airs Sunday 11th May at 10pm on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player
This Norfolk village is ideal for avid walkers and wildlife enthusiasts, with close proximity to the largest seal colony in England and a National Trust Nature Reserve
Blakeney is lined with gorgeous flint cottages, the classic home of local fishermen(Image: CambridgeshireLive)
One north Norfolk village has been named among the best seaside spots in England in a guide created by travel experts. The guide was created by Condé Nast Traveller and is considered “the essential summer-holiday guide to England’s best seaside towns”.
It is no surprise that Blakeney made the list. The village is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and makes for an ideal base to explore the north Norfolk Coast. Though, according to Condé Nast Traveller, calling the area between Blakeney and its neighbour Cley ‘seaside’ is somewhat of a stretch.
That’s because, today, Blakeney and nearby Cley have marshland where the sea used to be. Still, the village is home to an impressive nature reserve filled with local wildlife and migratory birds as well as impressive views of uninterrupted coastline.
Blakeney Point is accessible by boat and by foot, though you should check seasonal restrictions(Image: CambridgeshireLive)
A bustling commercial port for several centuries, Blakeney imported a wide range of goods, including timber and coal, and exported corn and wool. Today, the quay is mostly used for leisure activities, including walking, sailing, and birdwatching.
The Blakeney National Trust Nature Reserve at Blakeney Point is accessible by boat trip and is a great place for walking and spotting seals and diverse birdlife. Blakeney Point is a breeding site for seals and their pups, born during November to early January, It is also home to the largest seal colony in England with thousands of seal pups born annually.
The Point is the result of a longshore drift across the River Glaven and is continuously evolving with the tides. These conditions are evidently perfect for the growth of samphire – a sea vegetable with a salty flavour – that is a local delicacy.
If you want to avoid a boat trip, the Point can also be accessed on foot from Cley-next-the-Sea, but visitors are encouraged to check seasonal restrictions (in place to protect nesting birds and fragile habitats). There are typically restrictions on accessing the Point by foot in the summer.
As an alternative, travellers can watch the seals by boat from Morston Quay. Avid hikers and birdwatchers will find endless sources of intrigue and the secluded atmosphere creates an enhanced sense of escapism. Keep an eye out for ringed plovers, oystercatchers, brent geese and common teal.
The village has all the comforts of a classic English seaside town, including pubs, art galleries and charming hotels(Image: CambridgeshireLive)
That said, those keen on getting closer to the water shouldn’t be discouraged by the abundant marshland. To the west of the village in Holkham, travellers will find a “superb beach” and Wells-next-the-Sea has a “bucket-and-spade strip”.
For more adventurous beachseekers, Cley and Salthouse have pebbled shores that stretch for a few miles. Wells is home to a line of beach huts and also joins the expansive strand of Holkham to create one of the UK’s finest beaches. According to Condé Nast Traveller, the coast “fell asleep a couple of centuries ago and is just beginning to wake up” – which is the main reason for its appeal.
In the village, travellers will come across quaint flint cottages, traditionally the home of local fishermen. In addition to reflecting the area’s fishing heritage, they add a distinct charm to the community.
While Blakeney is less commercialised than other ‘seaside’ destinations, there are still plenty of places to eat and stay as well as pubs and art galleries to explore. The Blakeney Hotel has been a fixture of the village since opening in 1923 and Morston Hall, Cley Windmill and The Wiveton Bell are other great accommodation options.
On the outskirts of the village, travellers will find the historic St Nicolas Church – built sometime between the 13th and 15th century. The bus stop at St. Nicolas Church also happens to be the starting point of the Blakeney Freshes Coastal Walk.
Gunnar Henderson hit a two-run homer during Baltimore’s four-run sixth inning, and Maverick Handley got his first two career RBIs in the Orioles’ 7-3 victory over the Angels on Sunday.
Zach Eflin (3-1) pitched five innings of two-run ball in his return from a monthlong injury absence for the Orioles, who took two of three in this weekend series between last-place clubs. Baltimore finished its trip by winning for only the second time in eight games.
Handley, the Orioles’ 27-year-old backup catcher, was playing in his fourth major league game. He drove in Emmanuel Rivera with a sacrifice fly in the fifth, and his sacrifice bunt brought in Rivera again in the sixth.
Matthew Lugo hit his first career homer as a pinch-hitter in the ninth for the Halos, who went 4-6 on their 10-game homestand.
Tyler Anderson (2-1) yielded one earned run over five innings for the Angels, who committed two errors and several other fielding gaffes.
Adley Rutschman got credit for an RBI triple in the first when Taylor Ward lost his simple fly ball in the sun. Ward atoned later in the first, driving in Jorge Soler with a double and scoring on Logan O’Hoppe’s single.
Ryan Mountcastle had an RBI single in the fifth after the Angels walked Tyler O’Neill to get to him.
Key moment
Eflin had rough spots in his first start since April 7, yielding five hits and two walks, but he struck out five and provided a decent outing for a team struggling with its patchwork rotation.
Key stat
Handley’s RBI sacrifice bunt was the Orioles’ first since 2021.
Up next
Yusei Kikuchi (0-4, 3.83 ERA) takes his ninth shot at winning a game for his new team when the Angels visit the Padres on Monday. Cade Povich (1-3, 5.55 ERA) pitches at Camden Yards on Tuesday when the Orioles host Minnesota.
Local residents have been warned by fire crews to keep all windows and doors shut while emergency services remain at the scene as they work on bringing the fire under control
Manor Park Centre, Sheffield
Firefighters have rushed to the scene of a huge industrial fire in Sheffield this morning.
At 12.50am on Monday, May 12 South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service were called the scene of a huge industrial fire. A number of crews and vehicles have been scrambled to the scene, including six fire engines and one aerial vehicle.
The fire service shared the following statement on X: “Six fire engines and one aerial vehicle are currently in attendance at an industrial fire at Manor Park Centre, Sheffield. Avoid the area if you can and keep windows and doors closed if you live nearby.”
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At this stage it is unclear what building is alight or whether any injuries have been reported.
The Mirror has approached South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and South Yorkshire Police for an update on this developing incident.
May 11 (UPI) — One person was killed and dozens more were injured Sunday in a collision between a tour bus and a stalled SUV on a Los Angeles County freeway, police said.
The tour bus was carrying 63 passengers when it collided with a disabled Nissan Pathfinder on State Route 60 near Hacienda Heights, an unincorporated area east of Los Angeles, according to a statement from the California Highway Patrol.
The Nissan erupted into flames after it was hit by the bus shortly after 5 a.m. EDT Sunday. The driver died at the scene, police said.
“As a result of the impact, the Nissan Pathfinder became fully engulfed in flames, trapping the occupant,” the CHP statement said.
The CHP statement said the bus was heading to Koreatown in downtown Los Angeles from Morongo Valley, about 110 miles east of the city when the collision occurred. The driver of the bus was identified as Sui Sheng Du.
Following the collision, the bus careened across multiple lanes of the freeway and crashed into a raised metal and wood guardrail on the shoulder of the highway.
Local media showed images and video of the crash. CHP said neither alcohol or drugs appeared to be a factor in the crash.
These are the key events on day 1,172 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Here is where things stand on Sunday, May 11:
Fighting:
Politics and diplomacy:
Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul, Turkiye, on Thursday “without preconditions” to achieve “lasting peace” and “eliminate the root causes” of the three-year conflict.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Russia to confirm an unconditional 30-day ceasefire beginning on Monday, saying Ukraine would then be ready to meet for direct talks with Russia.
United States President Donald Trump described the talks offer as a “potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine”.
On Saturday, Zelenskyy received the backing of Europe’s major powers and Trump for the unconditional 30-day ceasefire beginning on Monday.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his Russian and French counterparts that a “historic turning point” has been reached in efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war and Ankara was ready to host talks between the two warring parties, his office said.
Macron said Putin’s offer to start direct talks with Ukraine is “a first step but not enough”, arguing that an unconditional ceasefire that Kyiv and its allies have called for should happen first. Macron accused Putin of “looking for a way out, but he still wants to buy time”.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called Putin’s proposal for direct talks with Kyiv a “serious proposal” that is a step towards “lasting peace”.
Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said the US and Europe are collectively ramping up pressure on Russia to push through a ceasefire. “I think the American administration is also getting a little bit impatient with these Russian games,” Michal said, accusing Russia of dragging its feet in implementing a truce.
In announcing this new holiday, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said: “They were starting a new life in an unknown land and stayed to become an integral part of our country. I reconfirm my promise to inaugurate a new national holiday in 2023.”
The word girmit represented an Indian pronunciation of the English language word “agreement” – from the indenture “agreement” of the British Government with Indian labourers. The agreements specified the workers’ length of stay in foreign parts and the conditions attached to their return to the British Raj.
The colonial authorities promoted the sugar cane industry, recognising the need to establish a stable economic base for the colony, but were unwilling to exploit indigenous labour and threaten the Fijian way of life. The use of imported labour from the Solomon Islands and what is now Vanuatu generated protests in the United Kingdom, and the Governor Sir Arthur Hamilton-Gordon decided to implement the indentured labour scheme, which had existed in the British Empire since 1837.
The Leonidas, a labour transport vessel, disembarked at Levuka from Calcutta on May 14th 1879. The 498 indentured workers who disembarked were the first of over 61,000 to arrive from South and East Asia in the following 37 years. The majority were from the districts of eastern and southern provinces, followed by labourers from northern and western regions, then later south eastern countries, they originated from different regions, villages, backgrounds and castes that later mingled or intermarried hence the “Fijian Indian” identity was created. The indentured workers originated mostly from rural village backgrounds.
After five years of work in the cane fields, the British freed the girmits from bonded labour but did not offer them a passage back. So, most of them stayed back and by the mid-1980s their descendants through hard work and education have made a mark in Fiji dominating business and professional fields.
By this time Indo-Fijians made up 49% of the population but indigenous Fijians controlled land ownership. In April 1987, for the first time since independence in 1970, Fiji elected a multi-ethnic Fiji Labour Party to power supported mainly by Indo-Fijian voters but led by indigenous Fijian academic Dr Timoci Bavadra. Most of the Cabinet however were Indo-Fijians.
