Month: May 2025

Twisted creators on YouTube are taking advantage of Peppa Pig’s popularity, leaving children at risk of viewing inappropriate content. The platform removed two worrying examples after being contacted by The Mirror

With its wholesome storylines documenting everyday family life, Peppa Pig is a children’s TV staple. And there was much excitement recently when fans were treated to the arrival of a new member of the family – a baby girl piglet named Evie.

But while the show itself is universally trusted by parents, watching it on YouTube can be a different matter. As a hugely popular cartoon for kids, Peppa Pig has been a target for twisted YouTube creators over the years. This week, a search by The Mirror found a clip called ‘MLG Peppa Pig (PARODY)’ within seconds, which showed the character holding a machine gun. Made eight years ago, it has been watched 18 million times. A second disturbing creation called ‘Peppa does Drugs’ showed the pig snorting cocaine.

In response to our investigation, a YouTube spokesperson told us “We’ve removed both videos from YouTube and terminated a channel for violating our child safety policies, which we rigorously enforce. Neither of the videos shared by The Mirror have ever appeared in the YouTube Kids app, our recommended experience for younger viewers.

READ MORE: ‘I named my baby Evie before the Peppa Pig announcement – now I’m scared she will be oinked at’

“Our teams remain vigilant, and will continue to take further actions as needed.” While YouTube maintains its main platform is not for children, research suggests 80 per cent of 3 to 17 year olds in the UK regularly watch it nonetheless, mainly on their phones and devices.

The tech giant says it prohibits content targeting young minors and families, which contains inappropriate themes, with videos flagged and reviewed using a combination of human reviewers and AI. YouTube places age restrictions and warnings on graphic content that doesn’t violate guidelines but is inappropriate for users under 18 years of age.

Professor Sonia Livingstone, a social psychologist at the London School of Economics and expert on child online safety, told the BBC back in 2017: “It’s perfectly legitimate for a parent to believe that something called Peppa Pig is going to be Peppa Pig.

“And I think many of them have come to trust YouTube… as a way of entertaining your child for ten minutes while the parent makes a phone call. I think if it wants to be a trusted brand then parents should know that protection is in place.”

The so-called ‘Dark Peppa’ videos first surfaced in 2017, when an investigation by BBC Trending unearthed hundreds of YouTube videos that appeared to be episodes of Peppa Pig and Thomas the Tank Engine, but were actually parodies with inappropriate themes.

One video appeared to be an episode of Peppa Pig featuring a dentist with a huge syringe. Peppa’s teeth got pulled out, and distressed crying could be heard on the soundtrack in the fake clip. Parent and journalist Laura June stumbled across the episode when she was looking for something for her three-year-old daughter to watch on YouTube.

“This is not like a video of an animated Peppa Pig getting high with Snoop Dogg (that is also available) made for adults to laugh at,” she said. “These videos are for kids, intentionally injected into the stream via confusing tags, for them to watch instead of legit episodes of beloved shows.”

While some of the videos use the characters in more innocent ways, others appear to be deliberately designed to trick children into watching disturbing content. One channel called “Toys and Funny Kids Surprise Eggs” had a landing page with a picture of a toddler alongside official-looking pictures of Peppa Pig, Thomas the Tank Engine, the Cookie Monster, Mickey and Minnie Mouse and Elsa from Frozen.

However, many of the videos on the channel at the time had titles like “BABY HULK BITES BABY ELSA”, “NAKED HULK LOSES HIS PANTS” and “SPIDERBABY CUTS ELSA’S DRESS”. Some of the darker ones also depict violence and frightening situations.

YouTube said that users can flag any problematic content by clicking on the “… More” button underneath a video and clicking “Report”.

The BBC report led to the channels highlighted in the investigation being removed – including the one containing the video of fake Peppa visiting the dentist. The company also suggested that parents use the YouTube Kids app, which has a much higher bar for content allowed on the platform.

Parents are able to block specific content, set the age level of videos and report videos. YouTube also blocks search queries that are vulnerable to returning mature results.

The Mirror contacted Hasbro, the makers of the Peppa Pig, for comment.

FRANCESCO ACERBI was the oldest player on the pitch in Inter Milan’s memorable Champions League semi-final win over Barcelona.

But he defied his veteran 37 years and centre-back defensive instincts to grab a dramatic 93rd-minute equaliser at the San Siro.

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So yes, it may well have been Davide Frattesi who was the one who actually scored the winning goal to set up Saturday’s final showdown with PSG.

But Inter head to Munich still thanking their old-timer for keeping their Champions League dream alive, desperate to be crowned Kings of Europe for the fourth time.

And not only did Acerbi’s superb striker’s finish epitomise a bonkers two-legged tie against Barcelona.

But that cute, near-post effort to get in front of Ronald Araujo and find Wojciech Szczesny’s top corner may well be his own personal crowning moment of a career that has seen it all. 

Born in the outskirts of Milan in February 1988, Acerbi is now 90 minutes away from completing the circle by leading I Nerazzurri to European glory. 

But his road to the San Siro – the site of his goal that will live long in the memory of all Inter fans – is far longer than the 15 miles from suburban Vizzolo Predabissi.

And it features battles on the pitch with the world’s best strikers but more importantly off the pitch, too, with cancer, depression and alcohol. 

JOURNEYMAN CAREER

Acerbi started out in Serie C at Pavia in 2006 and even featured in the semi-professional Serie D on loan at Renate.

A loan to Spezia’s youth team followed before permanent spells at Reggina, Genoa and Chievo, where he eventually made his top-flight debut. 

AC Milan came calling in 2012 and he was briefly team-mates with the likes of Robinho and Mario Balotelli.

But after just six months of struggling for minutes, he was sold to Genoa, who immediately loaned him back to Chievo.

It wasn’t until Acerbi signed for Sassuolo in 2013 that he finally had stability, spending five seasons there before four at Lazio.

He initially joined Inter on loan in 2022-23 where he was reunited with ex-Lazio boss Simone Inzaghi and made the move permanent the following summer. 

That transfer took his tally to 14 spells with ten different clubs.

FRAN THE MAN

Acerbi scored an all-important header against bitter rivals and former employers AC Milan in April 2024.

That helped his side to a 2-1 win which saw them confirmed as Serie A champions for the 20th time.

A year earlier, towards the end of his loan season, Acerbi came in for huge praise for his performance in the Champions League final.

Inter were ultimately beaten 1-0 by Manchester City but the Italian centre-half managed to keep Erling Haaland quiet and off the scoresheet. 

HEALTH STRUGGLES

However, Acerbi’s toughest challenges have come away from football.

His father died during his short stint at AC Milan, triggering depression which led to him turning and even relying on alcohol to numb the pain and suffering. 

Then upon signing for Sassuolo in 2013 at the start of the next season, Acerbi was diagnosed with testicular cancer. 

A regular health check-up flagged unusual blood test results and he immediately underwent surgery to remove the tumour. 

But having returned to training and competitive action, he failed an anti-doping test. 

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Acerbi denied taking any banned performance-enhancing drugs and it transpired the irregular hormone levels were because the cancer had come back again. 

As a result, the defender had two months of chemotherapy at the start of 2014.

But Acerbi actually credits the two bouts of cancer for “saving” him from the depression and alcoholism.

He candidly explained to La Repubblica in 2019: “After my father died, when I was playing for Milan, I hit rock bottom. 

“It was as if I’d forgotten how to play, or why I was playing. I started drinking and, believe me, I’d drink anything. 

“It might seem like a terrible paradox, but the cancer saved me. I had something new to fight against, a limit to overcome. 

“It was as if I got to start life all over again and saw the world in a way I’d completely forgotten. I stopped being scared. 

“I was thinking to myself, ‘What will you do if it comes back again?’ ‘I’ll face it again,’ I replied.

“Chemotherapy was like stepping into a parallel world, the entrance to which is closer than you could possibly think, so you never leave it again. It’s a world of pain and of courage.

“I think having that illness improved me as a person, cancelling out remorse and regret. 

“I became an observer of my surroundings. I eliminated the superfluous, the negative, but also the illusions. I stopped dreaming big and started to focus on simple targets.”

EURO HERO

Incredibly, Acerbi made his senior Italy international debut later in the same year he underwent the chemotherapy. 

But by 2019, he had still only managed to add two further appearances – one in 2016, one in 2018 – before being brought back into the fold by Roberto Mancini.

And while Acerbi won’t go down as one of the all-time great Italian defenders with the likes of Paolo Maldini, Fabio Cannavaro, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini et al, he was awarded the top Order of Merit in Italy after being part of the Euro 2020-winning squad.

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He set up the extra-time winner against Austria in the round of 16 then was an unused sub in the quarters, semis and final, where the Azzurri beat England on penalties. 

Acerbi, though, has not added to his 34 caps since 2023 and pulled out of the squad in March 2024 after allegations he made racist comments to Napoli’s Juan Jesus during a Serie A match earlier that month.

A Serie A sports judge dismissed the case, citing a lack of evidence, as Acerbi escaped punishment – a decision furious Napoli labelled “astonishing”. 

BARCA DRAMA

Acerbi hit the headlines for all the right reasons, though, with his goal against Barcelona – four months on from marrying Claudia Scarpari, the mum of his two daughters.

Inzaghi deployed him in the Harry Maguire role – throwing the big centre-back up front in the desperate hunt for a goal.

And just like the Manchester United man against Lyon, Acerbi came up trumps.

Incredibly, that was his very first career goal in European football in his 66th appearance across the Champions League and Europa League. 

To make the finish even more impressive and remarkable, the left-footed 6ft 4ins unit scored with his right foot. 

So it was no wonder he ripped his famous black-and-blue shirt and then his underlayer off in sheer unbridled delirious delight to reveal his tattooed torso.

Acerbi’s many inkings will tell their own stories.

But the image of the seasoned and battle-scarred pensioner unsure how to celebrate his magic moment other than jumping gleefully on to his knees punctuates a truly turbulent tale of football with the most emphatic of exclamation marks.

Now can he write one more chapter in his rollercoaster novel at the Allianz Arena?

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President Trump’s tariff strategy has been thrown into turmoil after a U.S. court issued a rare rebuke blocking many of the import taxes he has threatened and imposed on other countries.

In a ruling issued late Wednesday, a three-judge panel for the U.S. Court of International Trade declared that the Trump administration had wrongly invoked a 1977 law in imposing his “Liberation Day” tariffs on dozens of countries and they were therefore illegal. It also extended that ruling to previous tariffs levied on Canada, Mexico and China over the security of the U.S. border and trafficking in fentanyl.

The Trump administration immediately said it would appeal, putting the fate of the tariffs in the hands of an appellate court and potentially the Supreme Court. The ruling doesn’t affect Trump’s first-term levies on many imports from China or sectoral duties planned or already imposed on goods including steel, which are based on a different legal foundation that the Trump administration may now be forced to make more use of to pursue its tariff campaign.

It’s unclear just how fast Wednesday’s ruling will go into effect, with the court giving the government up to 10 days to carry out the necessary administrative moves to remove the tariffs. But if the decision holds, it would in a matter of days eliminate new 30% U.S. tariffs on imports from China, 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico and 10% duties on most other goods entering the U.S.

Those tariffs and the prospect of retaliatory ones have been seen as a significant drag on U.S. and global growth and eliminating them — even temporarily — would improve prospects for the world’s major economies.

There is uncertainty over whether the ruling represents a permanent setback to Trump’s push to reshape global trade or a mere impediment. Trump and his supporters have attacked judges as biased and his administration has been accused of failing to fully comply with other court orders, raising questions over whether it will do so this time.

A White House spokesperson dismissed the ruling as one made by “unelected judges” who should not have the power “to decide how to properly address a national emergency.” Trump has invoked national emergencies ranging from the U.S. trade deficit to overdose deaths to justify many of his tariffs.

“Foreign countries’ nonreciprocal treatment of the Unites States has fueled America’s historic and persistent trade deficits,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement. “These deficits have created a national emergency that has decimated American communities, left our workers behind, and weakened our defense industrial base — facts that the court did not dispute.”

If the ruling isn’t reversed or ignored, one of the consequences could be greater fiscal concerns at a time when bond markets are questioning the trajectory of the U.S.’s mounting debt load. The Trump administration has been citing increased tariff revenues as a way to offset tax cuts in his “one big, beautiful bill” now before Congress, which is estimated to cost $3.8 trillion over the next decade.

U.S. importers paid a record $16.5 billion in tariffs in April and Trump’s aides have said they expected that to rise in the coming months.

Major trading partners including China, the European Union, India, and Japan that are in negotiations with the Trump’s administration must now decide whether to press ahead in efforts to secure deals or slow walk talks on the bet they now have a stronger hand.

Deal doubts

Also thrown into doubt would be the outlines for a trade deal that Trump reached with the UK earlier in May. That potential pact calls for the imposition of a 10% U.S. tariff on all imports from the UK that would be null and void if Wednesday’s decision endures.

“I don’t know why any country would want to engage in negotiations to get out of tariffs that have now been declared illegal,” said Jennifer Hillman, a Georgetown Law School professor and former WTO judge and general counsel for the U.S. Trade Representative. “It’s a very definitive decision that the reciprocal worldwide tariffs are simply illegal.”

Hillman and other legal experts pointed out that Trump has other legal authorities he can draw on. But none would give him as broad powers as those he invoked under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA.

A provision of the 1974 trade act gives presidents the power to impose tariffs of up to 15% for up to 150 days, though only in the event a balance of payments crisis, which Trump may not want to declare given the current nervous state of bond markets, Hillman said.

Trump could also invoke other authorities to impose tariffs on individual sectors or countries, as he did in his first term. In recent months, he has already used national security powers to impose duties on imported steel, aluminum and cars and launched seven other investigations pertaining to things like pharmaceuticals, lumber and critical minerals.

“The Trump administration’s toolbox won’t be completely empty,” Dmitry Grozoubinski, director of ExplainTrade and author of the book “Why Politicians Lie About Trade” said in an interview on Bloomberg Television. But as for IEEPA, “if they comply with this ruling that takes that toy out of the toy box.”

More uncertainty

Wednesday’s ruling came in two parallel cases brought by a conservative group on behalf of a small business and U.S. states controlled by Democrats.

“This ruling reaffirms that the President must act within the bounds of the law, and it protects American businesses and consumers from the destabilizing effects of volatile, unilaterally imposed tariffs,” said Jeffrey Schwab, senior counsel for the conservative Liberty Justice Center, which brought one of the cases.

For many other businesses, it brought the prospect of yet another sharp turn in U.S. tariff policies and more short-term questions and headaches.

Southern California-based Freight Right Global Logistics has several shipments on the water now for clients all over the U.S., carrying goods largely from China. Those containers are filled with everything from toys to robots, and it’s very uncertain what the tariff burden will be for those shipments when they land, said Freight Right Chief Executive Robert Khachatryan.

Khachatryan fielded questions Wednesday evening from his clients on potential refunds, which tariffs will be removed, and what would be the effective dates.

“We are working hard to answer customers questions but the reality is that there is not enough information out there yet,” he said. “Tomorrow we’re going to be all over the place figuring out what this means in practice.”

Donnan, Larson and Curtis write for Bloomberg News.

In something of a grand gesture, Caleb Williams stood at a lectern Wednesday to explain that excerpts from an upcoming book were old news. A year after scheming to avoid playing for the Bears, he is committed to turning around the franchise.

Leaping from the USC campus to the top rung of the NFL draft a year ago, Williams aspired to be like John Elway and Eli Manning.

Just not in the way one might expect.

Sure, he wanted to lead a team to multiple Super Bowl titles like those two quarterbacks, whose career statistics were remarkably similar. Both played 16 years in the NFL for only one team — Elway with the Denver Broncos and Manning with the New York Giants — and both passed for 50,000 yards and 300 touchdowns.

But Williams, egged on by his father, is described in American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback by ESPN journalist Seth Wickersham as entertaining creative ways to spurn the team that held the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft.

Just like Elway and Manning had done.

Elway proclaimed his refusal to play for the Baltimore Colts after they drafted him first overall in 1983, leading to a trade to the Broncos. Manning refused to play for the San Diego Chargers after being drafted first overall in 2004, forcing a trade to the Giants.

However, Williams was unsuccessful in his effort. The Bears drafted him and he pledged his allegiance to them while enduring a rocky rookie season in which he was sacked more than any other NFL quarterback and the team struggled to a 5-12 record.

Yet he felt compelled to hold a news conference at the Bears training camp in Lake Forest, Ill., to explain why he entertained thoughts of spurning Chicago and instead landing in, say, Minnesota. Williams admitted he and his parents discussed ways to dodge the Bears.

Williams couldn’t speak for his father. Carl Williams told Wickersham that “Chicago is the place quarterbacks go to die,” and consulted with Manning’s father, Archie, a former NFL quarterback who had helped strategize his son’s trade from the Chargers to the Giants.

But Williams made it clear he is all in with new Bears head coach Ben Johnson and the franchise’s commitment to turning around its fortunes. He said he changed his tune about Chicago after meeting with Bears brass ahead of last year’s draft.

“After I came on my visit here, it was a … deliberate and determined answer that I wanted to come here,” Williams said. “I wanted to be here. I love being here.”

“I wanted to come here and be the guy and be a part and be a reason why the Chicago Bears turn this thing around.”

“This thing” is a franchise that hasn’t posted a winning record since 2018 and whose all-time leading passer is the middling Jay Cutler. The Bears’ most renowned quarterback is Sid Luckman, who helped them win four NFL championships in the 1940s while passing for a paltry 14,686 yards in 11 seasons. They won one more pre-Super Bowl title, in 1963, and have won only one of the LIX (59) Super Bowls, in 1985.

No wonder Carl Williams was against his son — a Heisman Trophy winner at USC in 2022 — getting locked into what amounts to a five-year rookie contract with Chicago. That son, now a 23-year-old man, said he no longer responds unquestioningly to his father’s marching orders.

“I shut him down quite a bit,” Williams said. “He has ideas and he’s a smart man and so I listen. I always listen.

“I’m very fortunate to be in this position in the sense of playing quarterback, but also very fortunate to have a very strong-minded father. We talk very often, my mom and my dad are my best friends, so being able to have conversations with them to understand that everything they say is also portrayed on me.”

Wickersham’s book will be published in September. Another excerpt describes Williams as becoming enamored with the idea of playing for Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell after they had a predraft meeting.

But the overriding theme of his four-minute opening statement at the news conference was that he is focused on becoming the best quarterback possible for the Chicago Bears. He’d prefer that everyone just forget that he had misgivings a year ago.

“We are here focused on the future,” he said, “we are here focused on the present and really trying to get this train going, picking up steam and choo-chooing along.”

May 29 (UPI) — The U.S. Treasury Department Thursday sanctioned a Philippines-based computer infrastructure company and its administrator for allegedly providing services for sites involved in cryptocurrency scams.

Treasury said Funnull Technology and administrator Liu Lizhi provides infrastructure for hundreds of thousands websites allegedly involved in the scams known as “pig butchering.”

“Today’s action underscores our focus on disrupting the criminal enterprises, like Funnull, that enable these cyber scams and deprive Americans of their hard-earned savings,” Deputy Treasury Secretary Michael Faulkender said in a statement.

The sanctions were imposed in close cooperation with the FBI.

The Treasury described the “pig butchering” scams as Southeast Asian organized crime using victims of labor trafficking to scam millions of unsuspecting people worldwide.

“The scammers leverage fictitious identities, the guise of potential relationships, and elaborate storylines to deceive victims into believing they are in trusted relationships. The scammers then steal victims’ assets by convincing them to invest in virtual currency through a fake website designed to look like a legitimate investment platform that reflects significant, but fabricated, returns on the investment,” the Treasury said.

When victims stop paying more into the scam, the Treasury said the scammer “will abruptly cease communication, taking the victim’s entire investment with them.”

Funnull’s role, according to the Treasury, is to buy IP addresses in bulk from major cloud services companies and then sell them to cybercriminals to host the scam web platforms.

Treasury said Funnell is linked to the majority of virtual currency investment scam websites reported to the FBI.

U.S. victims, Treasury said, have lost over $200 million with an average loss per person of $150,000.

The Treasury alleged that in 2024 Funnell bought a repository of code used by web developers and “maliciously altered the code to redirect visitors of legitimate websites to scam websites and online gambling sites, some of which are linked to Chinese criminal money laundering operations.”

According to Treasury the Lizhi, a Chinese national, is an administrator of Funnell involved in tasks allegedly including “assigning domain names to cybercriminals, including domains associated with virtual currency investment fraud, phishing scams, and online gambling sites.”

Billionaire and Tesla chief Elon Musk has stepped down from his role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), in which he was charged with reducing federal spending, as he nears the maximum limit for his tenure as a special government adviser.

His departure comes just after his first major public disagreement with President Donald Trump over the administration’s much-touted tax-and-spending budget bill, which was passed by the Republican-controlled US House of Representatives on May 22 by a single vote.

In a post on X on Wednesday, Musk said his time with the administration had “come to an end”.

“I would like to thank President Donald Trump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,” the SpaceX founder wrote.

As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending.

The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 29, 2025

Musk, who was appointed by Trump to lead DOGE, has seen his tenure in the White House marred by controversy, in particular sparked by his attempt to dismantle the US Agency for International Development (USAID), an agency dedicated to distributing foreign aid.

With Musk’s departure, what will become of DOGE? And what legacy does the Tesla CEO leave behind?

How long was Musk at DOGE?

Musk’s term as a “special government employee” in the Trump administration meant he was only entitled to serve for 130 days in any 365-day period, and is barred from using government roles for any monetary gain.

Musk’s term has lasted just over four months, a few days short of the maximum legal limit.

In late April, Musk said he would soon shift his focus back to his own business enterprises and that his “time allocation” at DOGE would “drop significantly” starting in May.

However, Musk did note that he would spend “a day or two per week on government matters for as long as the President would like me to do so, as long as it is useful”.

Why does Musk disagree with Trump’s tax-and-spending bill?

In a clip from an interview with news channel CBS’s Sunday Morning programme, released on Tuesday, Musk revealed he was “disappointed to see the massive spending bill”.

According to him, the wide-ranging budget bill, also known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill”, increases the budget deficit and undermines his work at DOGE.

“I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful. But I don’t know if it can be both. My personal opinion,” Musk told journalist David Pogue.

On Wednesday, Trump staunchly defended the bill. “We will be negotiating that bill, and I’m not happy about certain aspects of it, but I’m thrilled by other aspects of it,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “That’s the way they go.”

The budget bill spans more than a thousand pages and outlines various domestic policy goals favoured by the Trump administration.

Among its provisions are measures that extend tax cuts introduced during Trump’s first presidential term in 2017. The bill also boosts funding for Trump’s proposed “mass deportation” initiative and for security along the US-Mexico border.

The disagreement over the tax-and-spending bill was one of several challenges Musk has encountered during his time at the White House.

What else has Musk disagreed with the Trump administration about?

Musk ran afoul of several Trump officials during his stint at the White House, including the president’s chief trade adviser, Peter Navarro, whom he called a “moron” over Trump’s sweeping increase in trade tariffs across the globe. Musk has also stated publicly that he would be more in favour of “predictable tariff structures”, in addition to “free trade and lower tariffs”.

In April, the SpaceX founder expressed hopes for “a zero-tariff situation” between the US and Europe. Instead, Trump has threatened to impose a 50 percent tariff on imported goods from the European Union unless the two sides can agree to a trade deal. 

What will happen to DOGE now?

Trump established DOGE by executive order the day he was sworn into office on January 20. With Musk’s departure, it’s unclear what fate awaits the agency, as Trump has yet to appoint anyone to replace him.

Musk was given a mandate to reduce federal funding, which included downsizing the government’s workforce, terminating government contracts and attempting to close down entire agencies. In February, he and Trump both claimed they had unearthed billions of dollars worth of fraud related to diversity and climate schemes within the government. This was proved to be largely untrue or misleading.

In his post on Wednesday, Musk said: “The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”

However, Colleen Graffy, a former US diplomat and professor of law at Pepperdine University in California, said DOGE’s future was on shaky ground. “The power of DOGE came from the world’s richest man, Musk, having the ear of the world’s most powerful person, Trump,” she told Al Jazeera. “DOGE will likely struggle along for a while, but without Musk, and with pending court cases against it, its days are numbered. It would be a poisoned chalice appointment for anyone to take. Trump’s tax cuts will dwarf any savings.”

What will Musk’s DOGE legacy be?

Musk’s role in the Trump administration has sparked a large amount of controversy.

He has overseen major reductions in the number of federal employees and the dismantling of multiple government-funded programmes – moves that have drawn widespread criticism.

“Elon Musk’s DOGE was like one of his rockets exploding soon after liftoff, thereby demonstrating how not to do things,” Graffy told Al Jazeera.

“The difference is that for one, the learning experience is paid in money; for the other, the price is paid in human lives,” she added.

A major point of criticism directed at Trump and Musk centred on their decision to severely scale back USAID’s operations.

By late February, the main offices of the agency in Washington, DC, had been essentially shut down.

Following the dismissal of roughly 1,600 employees and the placement of approximately 4,700 more on leave, staff were given just 15 minutes to gather their belongings and exit the building.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio later revealed that 83 percent of all contracts managed by USAID had been closed.

In March, a federal judge in Maryland stated that DOGE had “likely violated” the US Constitution by attempting to dismantle the agency. The judge authorised a temporary injunction to stop DOGE from proceeding with USAID-related staff reductions, building closures, contract terminations, or the destruction of USAID materials.

Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen, a consumer rights advocacy group, described DOGE as a “mantra of destruction”.

“The legacy of Elon Musk is lost livelihoods for critical government employees, hindered American education, loss of funding for scientists and the violation of Americans’ personal privacy, all in the service of corrupt tech-bro billionaire special interests,” she told Al Jazeera.

“The carnage is even more horrifying internationally, as Musk’s chainsaw will lead to the pointless and needless deaths of likely millions of people in the developing world.”

Max Yoeli, senior research fellow in the US and the Americas Programme at Chatham House, said Musk’s brief tenure has “irrevocably altered US government”.

“DOGE’s weakening of state capacity and disruption of America’s research and development ecosystem pose lasting risks to US economic prospects and resilience, even as courts still grapple with legal issues his approach raised,” Yoeli told Al Jazeera.

A BODY has been discovered amid a major hunt for a schoolgirl who fell into the water whilst out on a walk with her dad.

Emergency crews had been frantically searching for the 13-year-old who vanished under the water at Baitings Dam yesterday afternoon.

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A cordon was put in place at the reservoir in Ripponden, West Yorkshire, after cops were called at around 1.20pm on Wednesday.

Search teams worked around the clock in an attempt to find the youngster, with two RIBs (rigid inflatable boats) spotted at the site this morning.

The teenager, from Halifax, had been posing for pictures with her dad when she tragically fell into the 140ft-deep water.

It is understood she hit the water after falling roughly 30ft from the parapet of the dam.

Local resident Sue Ferris helped comfort the girl’s family, who told her that the youngster had a “bright future“.

The 80-year-old said: “She had just got into grammar school, they told me.

“She wanted to walk round the reservoir with her dad because it was half term, but the rest of the family didn’t want to go.

“It was just dad and daughter at the reservoir when she fell in. The rest of the family came after the accident.

“Dad had been taking photographs, according to a witness, and he also heard dad screaming and shouting her name after she fell in – but he did not go into the water.

“He had some kind of heart problem and was clutching his chest soon afterwards and was taken away by ambulance.

“They were very proud of her. She had a really bright future.”

Mrs Ferris, who has lived in the same house overlooking the reservoir for 20 years, slammed officials for a buoyancy aids around the water.

She added: “It is disgraceful that there are no life rings anywhere on the parapet.

“Yorkshire Water added the white metal railings on top of the stone structure some years ago now.

“But it only adds about half a foot to the barrier height and actually helps people to climb onto the wall.

“It gives them something to grip on to.

“All it is doing is helping people to stand on the wall.”

Four West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue crews were sent out to the dam on Wednesday, assisted by Littleborough crew.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service also confirmed they sent officers from their Hazardous Area Response Team.

Speaking on Wednesday, a West Yorkshire police spokesperson said: “Shortly after 1.17pm this afternoon police were called to a report a girl had fallen into water at Baitings Dam near Ripponden.

“Emergency services are currently on the scene, with searches ongoing to locate the girl.”

US envoy Thomas Barrack praises interim government in Damascus, calls for ‘dialogue’ between Israel and Syria.

The United States envoy to Syria says the conflict between Israel and Syria is “solvable” as he visited the capital, Damascus and praised the interim government, as the political and economic thaw between the nation and Western powers continues apace.

Thomas Barrack, who raised the flag over the US ambassador’s residence for the first time since it closed in 2012 amid Syria’s civil war, said solving the issues between Syria and Israel needed to start with “dialogue”.

“I’d say we need to start with just a non-aggression agreement, talk about boundaries and borders,” he told journalists on Thursday.

In recent months, the US has begun rebuilding ties with Syria under its new administration.

Earlier in May, the US also lifted sanctions on the country in a surprise announcement, offering a nation devastated by nearly 14 years of war a critical lifeline. The European Union followed suit days later.

Barrack said that Syria would also no longer be deemed by the US as a state sponsor of “terrorism”, saying the issue was gone “with the [former President Bashar al-Assad regime being finished”, but added that the US Congress still had a six-month review period.

“America’s intent and the president’s vision is that we have to give this young government a chance by not interfering, not demanding, by not giving conditions, by not imposing our culture on your culture,” Barrack said.

Reporting from Damascus, Al Jazeera’s Mahmoud Abdel Wahed said the warming ties between Syria, the US and other Western countries were a “major shift in the political dynamic of the region”.

Wahed explained that as Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani continues to meet representatives from Western countries and officials from the European Union and the United Nations, it will bring “a lot of benefits” for the new Syrian administration and the Syrian people.

“This is some kind of recognition of the new leadership – giving a chance to the new leadership to boost its economy, to bring more Western investment to help the government rebuild war-torn Syria,” he added.

Syria-Israel relations

Since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and Israel’s subsequent occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights, the two countries have had a fraught relationship.

Shortly after al-Assad was deposed in December following a lightning offensive by opposition fighters, Israel seized more Syrian territory near the border, claiming it was concerned about the interim administration led by Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Israel has carried out frequent attacks in Syria both during the al-Assad rule and since his ouster.

During a meeting between US President Donald Trump and al-Sharaa in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, earlier in May, the US leader urged al-Sharaa to normalise relations with Israel.

While al-Sharaa has not commented on possible normalisation with Israel, he has supported a return to the terms of a 1974 ceasefire agreement that created a United Nations buffer zone in the Golan Heights.

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Thursday sharply limited the reach of environmental impact statements in a victory for developers.

The justices said these claims of the potential impact on the environment have been used too often to delay or block new projects.

“A 1970 legislative acorn has grown over the years into a judicial oak that has hindered infrastructure development under the guise of just a little more process. A course correction of sorts is appropriate,” said Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, speaking for the court.

He said procedural law has given judges and environmentalists too much authority to hinder or prevent development, he said.

“Fewer projects make it to the finish line. Indeed, fewer projects make it to the starting line. Those that survive often end up costing much more than is anticipated or necessary,” he said. “And that in turn means fewer and more expensive railroads, airports, wind turbines, transmission lines, dams, housing developments, highways, bridges, subways, stadiums, arenas, data centers, and the like. And that also means fewer jobs, as new projects become difficult to finance and build in a timely fashion.”

In a unanimous decision, the high court ruled for the developers of a proposed 88-mile railroad in northeastern Utah which could carry crude oil that would be refined along the Gulf Coast.

In blocking the proposal, judges had cited its potential to spur more drilling for oil in Utah and more pollution along the Gulf Coast.

Bordeaux-Begles prop Jefferson Poirot has been given a two-week ban for an altercation with Northampton’s Henry Pollock after the Champions Cup final.

Poirot was cited for grabbing the throat of the England and Lions flanker as tempers boiled over after the final whistle had blown to confirm his side’s 28-20 win at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.

Poirot will miss the final two games of Bordeaux’s regular season.

Tournament organiser European Professional Club Rugby said Poirot “accepted that he had committed an act of foul play that warranted a red card”.

A statement added: “The independent disciplinary committee upheld the complaint and it determined that the offending was at the low-end of World Rugby’s sanctions and four weeks was selected as the appropriate entry point.

“Taking into account the player’s guilty plea, his good disciplinary record and his full co-operation with the disciplinary process, the committee decided to reduce the sanction by the maximum of 50% before imposing a two-week suspension.”

May 29 (UPI) — A South African mother who sold her 6-year-old daughter was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday.

Racquel “Kelly” Smith was sentenced to life in prison for trafficking her daughter, Joshlin, and 10 years in prison for kidnapping her.

Smith’s boyfriend Jacquen Appollis, and their friend Steveno van Rhyn were also handed the same sentences.

“There is nothing that I can find that is redeeming and deserving of a lesser sentence than the harshest I can impose,” Judge Nathan Erasmus said in court.

Joshlin vanished Feb. 19, 2024, from the town of Middelpos in South Africa’s Western Cape. She has still not been found.

Witnesses testified in court that Smith sold her daughter for $1,100 to a traditional healer called a Sangoma who sought out the girl due to her eyes and skin.

“We will not rest until we find [out] what happened to Joshlin. We are continuing day and night looking for her,” Western Cape police commissioner Thembisile Patekile told local news outlets.

Judge Erasmus said the case left the Middelpos community “fractured.”

According to the BBC, Smith and the other defendants showed no emotion when their sentences were read out at trial in the Saldanha community center.

More than 30 witnesses testified in the eight-week trial.

Lourentia Lombaard, a neighbor and friend of Smith’s, testified that Smith admitted to her that she sold Joshlin.

A local pastor testified he heard Smith talk of selling her children in 2023 for $1,100 each, but she said she was willing to accept $275 each.

This latest twist in the Trump trade tariff drama has many people asking what it means for the UK’s deal with the US.

The answer is actually not as much as you might think.

For a start, the tariffs that the US court has ruled illegal do not include those on cars, which make up the bulk of what the UK exports to the US, and steel and aluminium, which are the other UK industries most affected.

UK exports of cars are currently attracting 27.5% tariffs while steel and aluminium are hit with 25% tariffs – the same as every other country. Wednesday’s ruling has not changed that.

And although the UK has done a deal with the US to reduce car tariffs to 10% and steel and aluminium tariffs to zero, that deal is yet to come into force.

Sources at Jaguar Land Rover told the BBC that these tariffs were costing them “a huge amount of money” and pushed back on the notion floated by the car industry trade body, the SMMT, that they could run down current US inventories before feeling the pain of the tariffs.

The government said it was working to implement the deal as quickly as possible and that Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds would press the case for speedy implementation when he meets US representatives at a meeting of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development think-tank in Paris next week.

The ruling does block Trump’s imposition of blanket tariffs of 10% on other UK goods entering the US – such as products like salmon and whisky. So how that part of the tariff deal will pan out remains uncertain.

British exporters’ sigh of relief at tariffs being stopped could be short-lived as the White House has said it intends to appeal the decision.

There are also other mechanisms for the President to impose tariffs – through different provisions in trade acts or pushing them through congress.

The UK announced its trade deal with the US to some fanfare, but there are question marks as to how much better off the UK will be than other countries if it turns out that the President is prevented from imposing swingeing tariffs on others by either the courts or his own legislature.

Perhaps the most corrosive effect of all is yet another wild card being thrown into an already unpredictable game of international trade stand-off.

It makes it hard for businesses to plan, to invest, with any confidence.

WASHINGTON — President Trump issued a series of pardons on Wednesday, awarding them to a former New York congressman, a Connecticut governor, a rapper known as “NBA YoungBoy,” a labor union leader and a onetime Army officer who flouted safety measures during the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump’s actions mixed his willingness to pardon prominent Republicans and other supporters, donors and friends with the influence of Alice Marie Johnson, whom Trump recently named his pardon czar after he offered her a pardon in 2020.

He commuted the sentence of Larry Hoover, a former Chicago gang leader serving a life sentence at a supermax prison in Colorado. Hoover was first imprisoned in connection with a murder in 1973, and was convicted of running a criminal enterprise in 1998, but later renounced his criminal past and petitioned for a reduced sentence. He remains incarcerated on state charges.

Louisiana rap artist NBA YoungBoy, whose real name is Kentrell Gaulden and whose stage moniker stands for “Never Broke Again,” also received a Trump pardon.

In 2024, he was sentenced to just under two years in prison on gun-related charges after he acknowledged having possessed weapons despite being a convicted felon. Gaulden also pleaded guilty to his role in a prescription drug fraud ring in Utah.

Gaulden’s and the other pardons were confirmed Wednesday evening by two White House officials who spoke only on condition of anonymity to detail actions that had not yet been made public.

In a statement posted online, Gaulden said, “I want to thank President Trump for granting me a pardon and giving me the opportunity to keep building — as a man, as a father, and as an artist.”

He said this “opens the door to a future I’ve worked hard for and I am fully prepared to step into this,” and thanked Johnson.

Trump has spent the week issuing high-profile pardons. Video released by a White House aide showed Johnson in the Oval Office on Tuesday, as Trump called the daughter of Todd and Julie Chrisley of the reality show “Chrisley Knows Best” to say he was pardoning them.

Their show spotlighted the family’s extravagant lifestyle, but the couple was convicted of conspiring to defraud banks in the Atlanta area out of more than $30 million in loans by submitting false documents Their daughter, Savannah Chrisley, addressed the Republican convention last summer and had long said her parents were treated unfairly.

Also Wednesday, Trump pardoned James Callahan, a New York union leader who pleaded guilty to failing to report $315,000 in gifts from an advertising firm and was about to be sentenced.

And the president pardoned former Connecticut Gov. John Rowland, a Republican who served from 1995 to 2004 and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for charges related to concealing his involvement in two federal election campaigns.

He also pardoned Michael Grimm, a New York Republican who resigned from Congress after being convicted of tax fraud. Grimm won reelection in 2014 despite being under indictment for underreporting wages and revenue at a restaurant that he ran.

Grimm eventually resigned after pleading guilty and serving eight months in prison. Last year, Grimm was paralyzed from the chest down when he was thrown off a horse during a polo tournament.

Yet another Trump pardon was issued for Army Lt. Mark Bradshaw, who was convicted in 2022 of reporting to work without undergoing a COVID-19 test.

Alice Marie Johnson was convicted in 1996 on eight criminal counts related to a Memphis-based cocaine trafficking operation. Trump commuted her life sentence in 2018 at the urging of celebrity Kim Kardashian West, allowing for Johnson’s early release.

Johnson then served as the featured speaker on the final night of the 2020 Republican National Convention, and Trump subsequently pardoned her before more recently naming her his pardons czar.

Weissert writes for the Associated Press.

Nestled between two rugged cliffs in Yorkshire above the North Sea – a nice stroll in Staithes feels like you’ve stumbled upon some idealised version of coastal living

A delightful UK fishing village has recently been dubbed one of Europe’s ‘hidden gems’. In a fresh compilation by European Best Destinations, Staithes in North Yorkshire was featured alongside Pico Island in the Azores, the vibrant villages of Villajoyosa in Spain and the floating houses of Lake Bokod in Hungary as one of the continent’s 18 most unique and underappreciated attractions.

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting, as I did recently, you’ll certainly comprehend why. Tucked between two craggy cliffs overlooking the North Sea, a leisurely wander in Staithes feels like you’ve chanced upon an idyllic depiction of coastal life.

READ MORE: Award-winning gut health brand cuts 25% off ‘life changing’ bloating-busting sachet

I was even fortunate enough to experience a bit of picture-perfect sunshine during my brief yet memorable visit, writes the Mirror’s Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas.

Staithes is the very town that birthed world explorer Captain Cook, but it now boasts a range of artistic shops, inviting pubs and top-notch restaurants. One fantastic way to reach this destination is to trek a few miles along the dramatic North Yorkshire coastline from Saltburn.

From this vantage point, you can gaze down at the quaint fishing cottages nestled below, before descending into the village to explore its offerings.

Immediately, you’ll observe a strong focus on arts and crafts in the area – a nod to its history as home to the Staithes Group, a collective of 19th-century painters attracted by the town’s fishing traditions and maritime lifestyle. While modern life has evolved, the artistic vibe remains intact.

In the local Staithes Gallery, I found myself captivated by contemporary artworks inspired by coastal living. The town is also peppered with quaint gift shops and subtle public art installations.

Despite its compact size, Staithes is far less crowded than neighbouring Whitby and even quieter than Robin Hood’s Bay, another charming fishing village just along the coast.

This allowed me to leisurely stroll down to the harbourside where the Cod and Lobster pub provides an opportunity for a swift pint overlooking the beach and, reportedly, some excellent seafood.

One of the town’s charms is how it’s bisected by the Staithes Beck river, offering a picturesque walk along the beach before ascending the steps and rounding the corner, all while remaining waterside with the cliffs in full view.

There’s also a climb back into the cliffs on the north side of the river, affording stunning views of the town, beach and sea.

I lodged a brief car journey away in Whitby, but if you’re considering an overnight stay, there’s an abundance of bed and breakfasts available, some situated right next to the beach. I’d definitely recommend spending the night if possible.

We have numerous charming seaside locations in Britain that perhaps we don’t appreciate enough – Staithes might just be the most delightful of them all – so it’s heartening to see that recognition is now coming from beyond our shores.

A United States trade court has ruled that President Donald Trump’s global reciprocal tariffs are illegal, finding that the president overstepped his authority by imposing the import levies last month. Wednesday’s ruling could throw Trump’s sweeping trade policies into disarray, experts say.

The Court of International Trade in New York ruled that an emergency law invoked by Trump during his “Liberation Day” announcement in April does not give him unilateral authority to impose certain tariffs. Instead, the court ruled, that power resides with Congress.

It also extended this ruling to previous tariffs levied earlier this year on Canada, Mexico and China over the fentanyl opioid crisis as well as security at the US border.

Trump has consistently promised Americans that his tariffs will draw manufacturing jobs back to the US, and shrink the country’s $1.2 trillion goods trade deficit with the rest of the world.

He has argued that the US’s large trade deficits with other countries amount to a national emergency, particularly regarding China, giving him the right to invoke emergency measures. But the court disputed that, arguing the US has run a trade deficit with the rest of the world for 49 years.

“The court does not pass upon the wisdom or likely effectiveness of the President’s use of tariffs as leverage,” a three-judge panel said in the decision to issue a permanent injunction on the blanket tariff orders issued by Trump since January.

“That use is impermissible not because it is unwise or ineffective, but because [federal law] does not allow it.”

On April 9, Trump imposed a 10 percent across-the-board tariff on all imports, plus higher reciprocal rates for countries with which the US has large trade deficits. He later paused or lowered those, but kept the 10 percent baseline tariff in place.

Wednesday’s ruling, if it stands, would blow a hole through Trump’s strategy to use tariffs to wring concessions from trading partners, experts say. It also creates uncertainty around trade negotiations and agreements with the European Union and China, as well as other countries.

But the Trump administration, some experts say, might explore new ways to impose tariffs even if it loses the current case.

What has the court ruled?

The three-judge panel was ruling on a lawsuit filed by the nonpartisan Liberty Justice Center on behalf of five small businesses which import goods from countries targeted by the duties. To date, at least seven lawsuits have been filed challenging Trump’s trade policies.

On Wednesday, the court invalidated all of Trump’s tariffs since January which were rooted in the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), a 1977 law meant to address “unusual and extraordinary” threats during a national emergency.

“The Worldwide and Retaliatory Tariff Orders exceed any authority granted to the President by IEEPA to regulate importation by means of tariffs,” the court ruling stated.

The judgement affects levies imposed on April 2, including the baseline 10 percent tariff and higher, so-called “reciprocal” duties on many countries, but not the sectoral tariffs that Trump had imposed earlier.

The ruling left in place any tariffs that Trump issued using his Section 232 powers from the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, including his 25 percent tax on most imported vehicles and parts, as well as on all foreign-made steel and aluminium.

The judges gave the government 10 days to carry out the necessary administrative moves to remove the affected tariffs.

How has the Trump administration responded to the ruling?

Minutes after the announcement of the ruling, the Trump administration filed a notice of appeal and questioned the authority of the court.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, White House spokesperson Kush Desai said US trade deficits with other countries constituted “a national emergency that has decimated American communities … and weakened our defence industrial base”.

“It is not for unelected judges to decide how to properly address a national emergency,” Desai added.

Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff for policy, also hit out at the ruling with a post on X claiming “the judicial coup is out of control”.

The Justice Department, which is headed by US Attorney General Pam Bondi, a Trump appointee, said the lawsuits should be dismissed because only Congress, not private businesses, can challenge a national emergency declared by the president under the IEEPA.

How have world markets responded?

Financial markets responded positively to the ruling, with the US dollar rising in value against the euro, yen and Swiss franc.

In Europe, the German Dax rallied by 0.9 percent at the start of trading on Thursday, while the UK’s FTSE 100 index of shares ticked up by 0.1 percent.

Stocks in Asia also climbed on Thursday, while the price of Brent crude – the global price benchmark for Atlantic basin crude oils – climbed 81 cents, or 1.25 percent, to $65.71 a barrel.

Most economists agree that eliminating Trump’s tariffs would improve prospects for the world’s major economies.

What steps could the Trump administration take now?

The Trump administration has 10 days to complete the process of halting tariffs, although the introduction of most reciprocal tariffs has been shelved until later in the summer anyway.

It’s not yet clear if the White House will respond by suspending its emergency powers after July 9, when the reciprocal tariffs pause is set to end.

For now, the trade court ruling will most likely be appealed at the US Court of Appeals in Washington, DC, and — if needed — after that, the US Supreme Court. It is unclear how long this process could take.

Meanwhile, Trump can still unilaterally launch import taxes of 15 percent for 150 days on nations with which the US runs large trade deficits, in line with Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974.

The White House may also begin to explore other laws to enable it to force through Trump’s trade policies.

According to Mona Paulsen, assistant professor in international economic law at the London School of Economics, “Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 could be option”.

This would allow Trump to raise duties up to 50 percent above existing charges on imports from countries that “discriminate against US commerce”.

“Rather than wipe out Trump’s trade plans, I think yesterday’s ruling will see the White House use more and more ambiguous trade laws,” Paulsen told Al Jazeera.

How does the ruling affect new trade deals?

The trade deal that Trump reached with the United Kingdom on May 8 has been thrown into doubt following the trade court ruling.

That agreement, which has not yet been finalised, imposed a 10 percent tariff only on all imports from the UK.

“A lot of governments will wait and see what happens now,” said Paulsen, suggesting that trade partners may now have a stronger hand in negotiations with the US.

Brits hoping to see the likes of sharks, eels and angelfish may want to check out a huge new £1million aquarium display that’s just opened in the UK

Brits looking for fun days out with the kids on those gloomy rainy days may want to head down to a huge new aquarium in the UK complete with a shipwreck model and sharks.

That’s because SEA LIFE Great Yarmouth recently opened the doors to a brand new £1million aquarium display, and it’s pretty impressive. For a start, it’s home to over 30 marine species including blacktip reef sharks, moray eels, tangs, and angelfish. One major highlight is the 250,000-litre Ocean Tank and Tunnel where you can walk right under the fish and sea creatures, or get up close thanks to the specially created immersive viewing windows.

Oh, and keep an eye out for the impressive shipwreck habitat where all sorts of marine life is hiding in the nooks and crannies. The whole shipwreck was inspired by HMS Gloucester, a royal warship which sank off the Norfolk coast in 1682. The shipwreck itself was discovered by two divers in 2007, but it wasn’t until 2021 that the full public reveal was announced.

Other highlights also include an immersive interactive experience where you can see and hear crashing waves, with the aim of leaving you feeling like you’re completely submerged in the ocean’s depths.

There’s plenty more to explore across the attraction too, with SEA LIFE playing host to animals such as penguins, crocodiles, rays and green sea turtles. Ticket prices for SEA LIFE start from £16 per adult when booked online up to two days in advance – you can find out more at visitsealife.com.

Of course on a sunnier day, you may also want to leave time on the itinerary for a trip to Great Yarmouth beach. With miles of golden sands, a bustling promenade lined with restaurants and shops, and swim-friendly waters, it’s a firm favourite with sunseekers in the summer, but also makes for a lovely scenic stroll on those days where it’s a little too chilly to get into the sea!

It’s worth noting that it can get quite busy during the peak holiday seasons, so if you’re not tied to school holiday dates, it might be worth planning a trip when it’s slightly quieter. One happy holidaymaker did just that and shared their experience on Tripadvisor, writing: “What a wonderful walk on the beach in the sunshine. Such a clean beach. Out of season was ideal for us. We parked at the end of the road near the Premier Inn and walked down the beach to the shops. Such a lovely day and beach.”

This summer, there will be heaps of fun for families too including a Wheels Festival across June 21-22, the annual free fireworks on the Golden Mile on Wednesdays from July 23 to August 27, and fireworks displays every Tuesday near Hemsby Beach from July 23. You can find out more at visitgreatyarmouth.co.uk.

Do you have a travel story to tell us? Email us at [email protected].

A MASSIVE European waterpark has opened a new year-round outdoor pool – and it comes with a massive swim-up bar.

The outdoor pool Svømmepøl is n the Rulantica water world at Europa-Park Resort in Germany.

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It measures around 660sqm and sits inside a Nordic-style ‘volcanic landscape’.

The 32C heated pool is in the ‘Dynstrønd’ area of the park and is the largest open-air pool in Rulantica to date.

It also has several features including geysers, water mist and an infinity area.

In addition, there is a rock cave with bubbling water loungers and a discovery tour with mascot ‘Snorri’ – perfect for little ones.

There is a swim-up bar called ‘Svømme-Bar’ too – which seats 150 guests.

The pool is then surrounded by sun loungers and Nordic vegetation.

Visitors can also get to the outdoor swimming area from the indoor area.

Europa-Park’s owner, Ronald Mack, said: “With ‘Svømmepøl’, we are expanding Rulantica’s year-round offering with a spacious and fascinatingly designed outdoor pool that promises both relaxation and adventure.

“The numerous details and special features create an impressive bathing experience and once again set new standards in innovative water attractions,” reports EAP Magazine.

The pool even took an entire week to fill.

Rulantica first opened in 2019 and in total spans 32,600sqm with 14 themed zones based on Nordic legends including Rangnakor.

There are 50 slides and attractions in total, as well as a wave pool and two swim up bars.

There are a number of other experiences available at the waterpark including evening DJ sets and private relaxation booths and saunas.

Rulantica is operated by Europa-Park, which sits just next door to the waterpark.

There is even a free shuttle that runs between the two attractions.

Tickets to enter Rulantica cost £38.50 and tickets to enter Europa-Park cost £54.

Back in February, Europa-Park celebrated its 50th anniversary and with it, opened a new ride.

Featuring the park’s mice mascots Ed and Edda, the ride is a train journey with an interactive gaming element.

The ride is based on the upcoming film, ‘Grand Prix of Europe‘ – a cartoon film that stars Ed and Edda voiced by Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Gemma Arterton.

Visitors can ride on ‘Grand Prix EDventure’ with Ed and Edda’s racing crew and take a trip across Europe.

There was also a £75million indoor tropical waterpark that nearly opened in the UK.

Plus, the first look at huge new £200million indoor waterpark opening in the UK with aquadrome and adventure zone.

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Long before Clayton Kershaw donned No. 22 and Fernando Valenzuela wore No. 34, another number told fans it was time for Dodger baseball: 76.

Union Oil Co., the 76 gasoline brand’s former owner, helped finance Dodger Stadium’s construction. The brand’s current owner, Phillips 66, remains a major sponsor. Through six World Series titles, orange-and-blue 76 logos have been a constant presence at Chavez Ravine. They tower above the scoreboards and grace the outfield walls.

So when 76 recently posted on Instagram that it had begun sponsoring L.A.’s rivals in San Francisco — with an orange-and-blue logo on the center field clock at Oracle Park — some Dodgers fans weren’t pleased.

“THE BETRAYAL,” one fan wrote on Instagram.

“bestiessss nooooo,” another lamented.

76 was unfazed, responding: “Still a bestie, just spreading the love!”

Strange as the reactions may sound, it’s not unheard of for long-lived ad campaigns to take on a life of their own, evolving from paid promotions to cultural touchstones. Outside Fenway Park in Boston, Red Sox fans have fought to preserve the massive Citgo sign, with its logo of a Venezuelan-owned oil company.

Nor is it shocking that Houston-based Phillips 66 would market itself through another baseball team. The 76 gasoline brand, after all, evokes the patriotism of 1776 — a clever marketing ploy. And what’s more American than Major League Baseball?

Still, the timing of Phillips 66’s decision to start sponsoring the Giants is intriguing.

Since last summer, nearly 30,000 people have signed a petition urging Dodgers ownership to cut ties with the oil company. California is currently suing Phillips 66 and other oil and gas companies for climate damages, accusing them of a “decades-long campaign of deception” to hide the truth about the climate crisis.

Climate activists protest outside Dodger Stadium before a game May 15, 2025, calling on the team’s ownership to drop Phillips 66 as a sponsor.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

The Sierra Club Angeles Chapter held its third protest at Dodger Stadium before a game against the Athletics on May 15. Activists cloaked in sackcloth marched outside the parking lots. One played a bagpipe.

“It was a bit hard for the fans to comprehend,” organizer Lisa Kaas Boyle acknowledged.

Still, she believes the cause is righteous.

A former environmental crimes prosecutor and a co-founder of the Plastic Pollution Coalition, Kaas Boyle lost her home in the Palisades fire. She’s also a Dodgers fan, having caught the bug from her husband, whose 89-year-old mom grew up cheering for the team in Brooklyn. She has a special place in her heart for Kiké Hernández.

So when the Dodgers joined other sports teams in pledging $8 million to wildfire relief, she felt the organization was “speaking out of two sides of its mouth.” She pointed to a study concluding that the weather conditions that helped drive the Palisades and Eaton fires were 35% more likely due to climate change.

“If you really care about us fire victims, you wouldn’t be promoting one of the major causes of the disaster,” Kaas Boyle said. “If you really care, you wouldn’t be boosting their image, greenwashing it through baseball.”

At least one member of the Dodgers ownership group cares about presenting a climate-friendly image.

Tennis star Billie Jean King posted on Facebook, Instagram and X in the fall promoting a climate summit being held next week at the University of Oxford, co-hosted by an arm of the United Nations. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres has called on all countries to ban fossil fuel advertising.

So, what does King think of the 76 ads at Dodger Stadium?

Hard to say. Her publicist didn’t respond to my request for comment.

Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas scratches a message in the dirt near second base at Dodger Stadium on May 18, with a 76 logo on the outfield wall in the background.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The Dodgers also declined to respond. Same goes for the Giants and Phillips 66.

So why is the oil company “spreading the love” to the Bay Area?

Again, hard to know for sure. But Duncan Meisel has a theory. He runs the advocacy group Clean Creatives, which pressures ad agencies to stop working with fossil fuel clients. And he suspects that lawmakers and regulators based in Sacramento are less likely to attend a baseball game in L.A. than in nearby San Francisco.

“If you’re 76, and you’re worried about decision-makers in California, that’s where you’d want to be,” he said.

Indeed, Phillips 66 may have reasons to be worried.

The company plans to close its Los Angeles County oil refinery this year — a troubling sign of the economic times for Big Oil as California shifts toward electric cars. Lawmakers are also weighing a “polluters pay” bill that would require fossil fuel companies to help pay for damages from more intense heat waves, wildfires and storms.

Phillips 66, meanwhile, was arraigned this month on charges that it violated the U.S. Clean Water Act by dumping oil and grease from its L.A. County refinery into the local sewer system. (It pleaded not guilty.) That followed a win for climate activists in March, when state Senate Majority Leader Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach) wrote to Dodgers controlling owner Mark Walter, urging him to dump Phillips 66.

Hence, perhaps, the newfound relationship with the Giants.

“That’s why you advertise,” Meisel said. “If you’re a company like Phillips 66 that’s under threat from political and cultural pressures in California, it’s hard to get a better deal than sponsoring a local sports team.”

If you look closely, you can see the 76 ad on the digital clock high above the center field fence at San Francisco’s Oracle Park on May 4 (Star Wars Day, hence the Stormtroopers).

(Jeff Chiu / Associated Press)

It’s not just California turning up the heat on Phillips 66. Executives have been battling a pressure campaign from Elliott Investment Management, which won two seats on the company’s board last week.

As Elliott ramped up the pressure on Phillips 66 earlier this year, executives announced an expanded sponsorship deal with their hometown ball club — another Dodgers nemesis, as it happens, the cheating Houston Astros.

Phillips 66 now sponsors the home run train atop the high left-field wall at Houston’s Daikin Park (formerly Minute Maid Park). The train is filled with 25 oversized baseballs, each representing a special moment in Astros history — yes, including the World Series title they stole from the Dodgers.

As Phillips 66 brand manager John Field said in an April news release: “Sponsorships like these are more than just fun — they’re a strategic investment.”

Fun and strategic, sure, if you’re mainly invested in oil industry profits. If you care about watching baseball games in safe temperatures, without choking on wildfire smoke, you might reach a different conclusion.

One thing’s for sure: Fossil fuel companies will keep pumping money into baseball so long as teams let them. The Astros, Texas Rangers and Cleveland Guardians all wear jersey patches sponsored by oil and gas companies.

In California, meanwhile, Phillips 66 will keep reminding Dodgers fans how much they love looking at 76 logos — a playbook so successful it once inspired a campaign to save the rotating 76 balls above gas stations.

“This is a heavy play on Americana,” Roberta J. Newman said.

A Yankees fan and professor in New York University’s Liberal Studies program, Newman wrote the fascinating book, “Here’s the Pitch: The Amazing, True, New, and Improved Story of Baseball and Advertising.” There may be nobody with a better understanding of the cultural and political power of baseball-linked advertising.

The former 76 gas station in the Dodger Stadium parking lot, seen in 2003.

(Alex Gallardo / Los Angeles Times)

When a brand like 76 associates itself with the Dodgers — through special ticket deals, joint promotions with the team charity and TV commercials starring Vin Scully — it’s engaged in “meaning transfer,” Newman said.

“Your positive associations of the Dodgers will become positive associations with 76,” she said.

Most fans won’t drive away from Dodger Stadium and immediately choose 76 over a rival gasoline station. But in the long run, they’ll have good vibes when they see the orange-and-blue logo. It’ll feel familiar, friendly.

If that sounds nuts — well, you might want to tell business executives they blew $1 trillion on ads last year.

“People might think, ‘Oil is terrible. But 76 is the Dodgers,’” Newman said.

Now it’s the Giants, too — not that Newman thinks the dual loyalty will hurt the company. As one Instagram user, a Giants fan, wrote: “Hey Dodger fans, it’s OK! … 76 is a California icon and tradition from North to South!”

Fair enough. Wildfires are getting bigger and more destructive up there too.

This is the latest edition of Boiling Point, a newsletter about climate change and the environment in the American West. Sign up here to get it in your inbox. And listen to our “Boiling Point” podcast here.

For more climate and environment news, follow @Sammy_Roth on X and @sammyroth.bsky.social on Bluesky.

From Gary Klein: As the Rams went through organized-team activities on Wednesday, the players on the field were not the most compelling storyline.

The distinction belongs to a certain NFL star player who potentially could be on the roster by training camp.

Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who helped the Rams win Super Bowl LVI, remains in play as a possible addition to a Rams team regarded as a Super Bowl contender, coach Sean McVay acknowledged after practice.

The Dolphins have made it known that they were open to trading Ramsey, who signed an extension in 2024 and is due to earn $24.2 million this season, according to Overthecap.com.

“We certainly haven’t closed the door on that,” McVay said when asked about Ramsey. “But there hasn’t been a whole lot of dialogue as of late…. We’ll see if that changes, but these things can happen quickly.”

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NBA PLAYOFFS RESULTS

All Times Pacific

Conference finals

Western Conference

No. 1 Oklahoma City vs. No. 6 Minnesota
at Oklahoma City 114, Minnesota 88 (box score)
at Oklahoma City 118, Minnesota 103 (box score)
at Minnesota 143, Oklahoma City 101 (box score)
Oklahoma City 128, at Minnesota 126 (box score)
at Oklahoma City 124, Minnesota 94 (box score)

Eastern Conference

No. 3 New York vs. No. 4 Indiana
Indiana 138, at New York 135 (OT) (box score)
Indiana 114, at New York 109 (box score)
New York 106, at Indiana 100 (box score)
at Indiana 130, New York 121 (box score)
Thursday at New York, 5 p.m., TNT
Saturday at Indiana, 5 p.m., TNT*
Monday at New York, 5 p.m., TNT*

*if necessary

DODGERS

From Jack Harris: Given the shorthanded state of the Dodgers’ current pitching staff, losses like Wednesday are the ones that hurt the most.

Seeking to end their East Coast trip with a three-game sweep against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field, the Dodgers got a productive five-inning, one-run start out of Clayton Kershaw in his third outing back from offseason foot and knee surgeries.

They had a late-game lead on a day an ominous rainy forecast never came to fruition.

Most of all, they had most of their top current relievers available, able to call upon names they trusted over the final few innings.

Dodgers relief pitcher Alex Vesia walks to the dugout after the eighth inning against the Cleveland Guardians Wednesday in Cleveland. (David Dermer / Associated Press)

Such a perfect alignment has been rare for the Dodgers lately. Which means, when it does come around, “we’ve got to win these games,” manager Dave Roberts said.

Instead, the Dodgers lost 7-4 to the Guardians on Wednesday, wasting Kershaw’s five-inning outing with a five-run meltdown in the bottom of the eighth inning.

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Dodgers box score

MLB scores

MLB standings

ANGELS

From Benjamin Royer: The hope was that the Angels could use Tuesday’s ninth-inning rally to muster up something worth talking about at the plate.

On Tuesday, Yoán Moncada homered. Taylor Ward singled. Luis Rengifo brought home a run with a line drive up the middle. Despite falling a run short, stringing a few hits together showed that the Angels could build off each other to produce runs.

However, instead of breaking through as an offense, the Angels were shut out by the Yankees 1-0 on Wednesday night, securing a sweep and turning the Angels’ eight-game win streak of weeks past into more of a blip on the radar than a sign of life.

Catcher Logan O’Hoppe struck out looking to end the game on a breaking ball well off the strike zone. After the game, O’Hoppe was adamant that it was a ball, as was manager Ron Washington, but said it’s just part of the game and “out of our control.”

Regardless, the Angels were scoreless entering their final three outs again — Angel Stadium playing home to an offense in need of a pulse check

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Angels box score

MLB scores

MLB standings

UCLA SOFTBALL

UCLA’s bid for a 13th national championship begins Thursday with a familiar opponent at the Women’s College World Series.

The Bruins (54-11) face Oregon at Devon Park at 6:30 p.m. (PST) on the first day of a double-elimination tournament featuring Florida, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Texas Tech.

Two finalists will play a best-of-three series to determine the NCAA softball champion beginning June 4.

The matchup between UCLA and Oregon will be the 131st meeting between current Big Ten teams and former Pac-12 rivals. The Bruins have dominated the series with 97 wins.

The teams played once previously in the World Series in 2015, with UCLA winning, 7-1.

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GALAXY

Substitute Ousseni Bouda scored in the 74th minute, and the San José Earthquakes extended the Galaxy‘s MLS-record season-opening winless streak with a 1-0 victory Wednesday night.

Bouda slipped between two defenders and got his third goal of the season on a precise pass from fellow substitute Preston Judd for the Quakes, who ended a four-game losing streak in the California Clasico rivalry.

The defending MLS Cup champion Galaxy (0-12-4) are edging toward historic ignominy after dropping yet another game at the stadium where they went unbeaten in 2024 and won their league-record sixth title in December.

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GOLF

From Jad El Reda: Saint Monica Prep students Macayla Story, Johnnie García and Nicolás Vallejo received life-changing scholarships thanks to golf.

Story vividly remembers the moment she received the acceptance letter. She was in Palm Springs when her mother called to tell her that a large envelope had arrived. The envelope contained a letter informing her she would be receiving the $125,000 Chick Evans Scholarship, a program supported by the Western Golf Assn. that will allow her to attend a university without having to worry about housing costs or tuition for four years.

“When I came back, I opened it with her by my side. I showed her the letter and she started crying. It was an incredible moment,” Story told L.A. Times en Español.

Story traveled to Chicago to work as a caddie for two months at Skokie Country Club, and Garcia and Vallejo did the program locally with Los Angeles Country Club. All they were guaranteed was pay for their work and a chance to apply for the lucrative scholarships.

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TRANSGENDER ATHLETES

The U.S. Justice Department has launched an investigation into whether California, its interscholastic sports federation and the Jurupa Unified School District are violating the civil rights of cisgender girls by allowing transgender students to compete in school sports, federal officials announced Wednesday.

The Justice Department is also throwing its support behind a pending lawsuit alleging similar violations of girls’ rights in the Riverside Unified School District, said U.S. Atty. Bill Essayli, who oversees much of the Los Angeles region, and Assistant Atty. Gen. Harmeet Dhillon, who heads the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

Transgender track athletes have come under intense scrutiny in recent months in both Jurupa Valley and Riverside, with anti-LGBTQ+ activists attacking them on social media and screaming opposition to their competing at school meets.

Essayli and Dhillon, both Californians appointed under President Trump, have long fought against transgender rights in the state. Their announcements came one day after Trump threatened to withhold federal funding from California for allowing transgender youths to participate in sports.

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USC-NOTRE DAME POLL

Let’s hear from you. Could a smoother path to the College Football Playoff be worth losing the Notre Dame-USC rivalry? Vote here and let us know. Results announced next week.

NHL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE, RESULTS

All times Pacific

Conference finals

Western Conference

Central 2 Dallas vs. Pacific 3 Edmonton
at Dallas 6, Edmonton 3 (summary)
Edmonton 3, at Dallas 0 (summary)
at Edmonton 6, Dallas 1 (summary)
at Edmonton 4, Dallas 1 (summary)
Thursday at Dallas, 5 p.m., ESPN
Saturday at Edmonton, 5 p.m., ABC*
Monday at Dallas, 5 p.m., ESPN*

Eastern Conference

Metro 2 Carolina vs. Atlantic 3 Florida
Florida 5, at Carolina 2 (summary)
Florida 5, at Carolina 0 (summary)
at Florida 6, Carolina 2 (summary)
Carolina 3, at Florida 0 (summary)
Florida 5, at Carolina 3 (summary)

* If necessary

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

1946 — Two-year-old fillies Chakoora and Uleta become the first thoroughbreds to complete a transcontinental flight. They’re flown from New York to Inglewood by the American Air Express Corp., a 2,446-mile trip that lasts 20 hours due to bad weather.

1968 — European Cup Final, Wembley Stadium, London: Bobby Charlton scores twice as Manchester United beats Benfica, 4-1; first English club to win the trophy.

1971 — Al Unser wins his second straight Indianapolis 500 with a record mark of 157.735 mph and finishes 22 seconds ahead of Peter Revson. The pace car, ridden by Eldon Palmer, crashes into the portable bleachers and injures 20 people.

1977 — A.J. Foyt becomes the first driver to win four Indianapolis 500s and Janet Guthrie becomes the first woman in the race. Guthrie is forced to drop out after 27 laps with mechanical problems.

1977 — Australian Sue Prell first female golfer to hit consecutive holes-in one; 13th and 14th holes at Chatswood Golf Club, Sydney.

1980 — Larry Bird beats out Magic Johnson for NBA rookie of year.

1983 — After three second-place finishes, Tom Sneva wins the Indianapolis 500 by 11 seconds over three-time champion Al Unser.

1985 — 29th European Cup: Juventus beats Liverpool 1-0 at Brussels.

1988 — Rick Mears overcomes an early one-lap deficit, then overpowers the rest of the field on the way to his third Indianapolis 500 victory. Mears gives team-owner Roger Penske an unprecedented seventh victory and fourth in five years.

1990 — Stefan Edberg and Boris Becker, the top two seeds, are bounced in the first round of the French Open by two European teenagers, the first time the top two men’s seeds are eliminated in the first round of a Grand Slam tournament. Edberg is swept easily in straight sets by 19-year-old Sergi Bruguera of Spain, and Becker loses to 18-year-old Yugoslav Goran Ivanisevic.

1991 — 35th European Cup: Red Star Belgrade beats Marseille (0-0, 5-3 on penalties) at Bari.

1993 — Wayne Gretzky’s overtime goal gives the Kings a 5-4 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Western Conference finals. The Kings become the first NHL team to play the full 21 games in the first three rounds.

1998 — Eighteen-year-old Marat Safin, ranked 116th in the world and playing in his first Grand Slam tournament, beats defending champion Gustavo Kuerten, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the second round of the French Open.

2005 — Dan Wheldon wins the Indianapolis 500 when Danica Patrick’s electrifying run falls short. Patrick is the first woman to lead at Indy, getting out front three separate times for a total of 19 laps. But Wheldon passes her with seven laps to go and easily holds on.

2006 — Rafael Nadal passes Guillermo Vilas as the King of the clay courts and begins his pursuit of a second successive French Open trophy. Nadal earns his 54th consecutive win on clay, breaking the Open era record he shared with Vilas by beating Robin Soderling in straight sets in the first round at Roland Garros.

2011 — JR Hildebrand, one turn from winning the Indianapolis 500, skids high into the wall on the final turn and Dan Wheldon drives past to claim an improbable second Indy 500 win in his first race of the year.

2011 — Roger Federer sets another record by reaching the French Open quarterfinals, and Novak Djokovic closes in on a pair of his own. Federer extends his quarterfinal streak at major tournaments to 28 with a 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 victory over Stanislas Wawrinka. Djokovic maintains his perfect season to 41-0 and stretches his overall winning streak to 43 matches by beating Richard Gasquet of France 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.

2012 — Serena Williams loses in the first round of a major tournament for the first time, falling to Virginie Razzano of France 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3 at the French Open. Williams enters the day with a 46-0 record in first-round matches at Grand Slam tournaments.

2016 — Alexander Rossi wins the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500.

2021 — UEFA Champions League Final, Porto: Kai Havertz scores just before halftime to give Chelsea a 1-0 win over Manchester City in an all-English final; Blues’ second CL title.

THIS DAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

1916 — Christy Mathewson defeated the Boston Braves 3-0 for the New York Giants’ 17th consecutive road win.

1922 — The U.S. Supreme Court ruled organized baseball was primarily a sport and not a business, and therefore not subject to antitrust laws and interstate commerce regulations. The suit had been brought by the Federal League’s Baltimore franchise.

1928 — Bill Terry hit for the cycle to lead the New York Giants to a 12-5 win over Brooklyn at Ebbets Field. Terry became the first player in major league history to include a grand slam as part of the cycle.

1942 — New York’s Lefty Gomez, self-described as the worst-hitting pitcher in baseball, banged out four hits while pitching a 16-1 four-hitter against Washington.

1946 — Edward Klep became the first white to play in the Negro leagues in a game played in Grand Rapids. Klep pitched seven innings for the Cleveland Buckeyes against the American Giants in his debut with the Negro American League team.

1956 — Dale Long went hitless for the Pirates, ending his major league record streak of home runs in eight consecutive games. The Brooklyn Dodgers beat Pittsburgh, 10-1.

1965 — Philadelphia’s Richie Allen hit a 529-foot home run over the roof of Connie Mack Stadium off Chicago’s Larry Jackson in the Phillies’ 4-2 victory.

1976 — Houston’s Joe Niekro was the winning pitcher and hit a home run off his brother, Phil Niekro. The Astros beat the Atlanta Braves 4-1. It was the only home run hit by Joe in his 22-year major league career.

1990 — Oakland’s Rickey Henderson broke Ty Cobb’s 62-year-old American League stolen base record, but the Toronto Blue Jays still beat the Athletics 2-1. Henderson’s 893rd steal came in the sixth inning.

2000 — Oakland second baseman Randy Velarde turned the 10th unassisted triple play in regular-season history during a 4-1 loss to the New York Yankees. With runners on first and second in motion, Shane Spencer hit a line drive to Velarde who caught the ball, tagged out Jorge Posada (running from first) and stepped on second to beat Tino Martinez.

2002 — Roger Clemens recorded the 100th double-digit strikeout game of his career, fanning 11 in seven innings against Chicago. Nolan Ryan (215) and Randy Johnson (175) were the others to have 100 double-digit strikeout games.

2002 — In an article in Sports Illustrated former NL MVP Ken Caminiti stated that about 50% of current major league players used some form of steroids.

2003 — Colorado, behind Todd Helton’s three home runs and Ron Belliard’s five hits beat the visiting Dodgers 12-5. Helton added a single and drove in six runs.

2010 — Philadelphia’s Roy Halladay threw the 20th perfect game in major league history, beating the Florida Marlins 1-0. It was the first time in the modern era that there were a pair of perfect games in the same season. Halladay faced three Marlins pinch-hitters in the ninth. Mike Lamb led off with a long fly ball, Wes Helms struck out, and Ronny Paulino to hit a grounder to third for the 27th out. Halladay struck out 11 and went to either 3-1 or 3-2 counts seven times, twice in the game’s first three batters alone.

2013 — Chris Davis went 4 for 4 with two home runs, and the Baltimore Orioles overcame three homers by Ryan Zimmerman to beat the Washington Nationals 9-6.

2013 — Dioner Navarro had the first three-homer game of his career, connecting from both sides of the plate at Wrigley Field to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 9-3 win over the Chicago White Sox. Navarro drove in a career-high six runs and scored four times.

2014 — Diamondbacks pitcher Josh Collmenter faces the minimum 27 batters in spite of allowing three hits in a complete game shutout defeat of the Cincinnati Reds. The three Reds baserunners were erased on double plays.

2015 — Lewis-Clark State wins their 17th NAIA baseball title.

2021 — The Twins’ Josh Donaldson scored the two-millionth run in major league history.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

What: UEFA Champions League final
When: Saturday, May 31, 9pm (19:00 GMT)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany
Who: Paris Saint-Germain (France) vs Inter Milan (Italy)

How to follow our coverage: We’ll have all the build-up from 5pm (15:00 GMT) on Al Jazeera Sport.

The 2024/25 UEFA Champions League season concludes at the dazzling Allianz Arena in Munich as Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) meet three-time champions Inter Milan in the final of Europe’s premier club competition.

PSG will be appearing in just their second Champions League final, having lost their first to German side Bayern Munich in 2020.

For PSG manager, Luis Enrique, it is just the latest chapter in his record of climbing to new highs – first from release by Real Madrid, as a youngster, and then by winning the 2015 title treble at Barcelona as a coach, the club where he also made his name as a player.

Road to the final

PSG, backed by owners Qatar Sports Investments, booked their place in the Champions League final earlier in May. The Paris-based side beat Arsenal 2-1 at the Parc des Princes, winning their semifinal tie with a 3-1 aggregate scoreline.

Inter Milan beat Barcelona 7-6 on aggregate, with the second leg in Italy going to extra time despite the Spanish club leading in injury time in normal time.

How did PSG and Inter fare in their league seasons?

Inter Milan finished second in Serie A in a dramatic final round showdown with Napoli, who began the final day with a one point advantage.

Once Napoli won their final game against Cagliari to seal the league title, Inter’s title charge was over, despite a hard-fought 2-0 win against Como.

PSG were dominant in the 2024-25 Ligue 1 season, wrapping up the domestic title by an incredible 19 points – and that was despite slacking off towards the end of the season with three straight winless matches to end their campaign.

Their last outing, however, was the French Cup final, which resulted in a 3-0 win against Reims last Saturday.

Which French forward will prevail?

PSG’s gifted French forward, Ousmane Dembele, overcame a slow start to the season to reel off one of the greatest offensive performances in Europe this season.

In 50 appearances this season, the 27-year-old Dembele scored 32 goals – and he was huge part of an incredible 30-match unbeaten league run by PSG.

Inter Milan’s French international Marcus Thuram has netted 18 goals in 52 appearances this season.

Son of Lilian Thuram, a legendary French World Cup winner, Marcus was born in Italy, where his father was representing Parma at the time.

The 27-year-old has scored twice for France in 29 appearances for his country, and has proved a fine foil for Inter’s top scorer this season, Lautaro Martinez.

Where will the final be played

The 2024/25 UEFA Champions League final will take place at the Munich Football Arena.

The 75,000 seat venue, better known as Allianz Arena, is the home of current German Bundesliga winners Bayern Munich.

It’s the first time a German venue has held the Champions League final since 2012.

Have PSG ever played Inter?

This will be the first time that Inter and PSG meet in a competitive fixture.

The teams last played in a preseason friendly on August 1, 2023 at the Japan National Stadium in Tokyo. Inter won the contest 2-1 with Stefano Sensi scoring the game-winner in the 83rd minute.

Why did star player Hakimi leave Inter for PSG?

Current PSG defender Achraf Hakimi last played for Inter Milan in the 2020-21 season.

The Spanish-born speedy right-back, widely regarded as one of the best full-backs in the world, was a casualty of Inter’s huge cost-cutting drive caused, in large part, by the financial debts attributed to the COVID-19 shutdown period.

Hakimi appeared in 37 matches for the Italian giants, scoring seven goals and racking up eight assists as Inter won their first domestic league title since 2010.

Team News: PSG

Out: None
Doubtful: None

Enrique has a fully fit squad to choose from, no doubt boosted by the fact that PSG wrapped up the French top flight with six games to spare – thereafter managing the players’ workloads in the run-up to the final.

Team News: Inter Milan

Out: None
Doubtful: Bisseck (knee), Pavard (ankle), Zielinski (muscular)

Inter pushed champions Napoli to the wire in Serie A – which concluded last Friday – so will inevitably feel heavier in the legs.

Inter fullback Benjamin Pavard and striker Lautaro Martinez are both expected to be fully fit, with the latter having returned to the bench in recent matches.

“My wish is to have everyone available on Saturday evening,” Inzaghi said. “We’re going to approach the final in the best possible way.”

Possible lineups:

PSG: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Joao Neves, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz; Kvaratskhelia, Dembele, Barcola

Inter Milan: Sommer; Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Lautaro Martinez, Thuram

Form guide

PSG (all competitions, most recent first):

W-W-W-W-L

Inter Milan (all competitions, most recent first):

W-D-W-W-W

What the managers had to say

Luis Enrique, PSG manager: “It’s Inter Milan’s second final in three years. They’re ready. They’ve not made too many changes to their side. It’s a team that dominates from set pieces. It’s up to us to go into the final in the right frame of mind.

“We’ve grown a lot this season and the players have progressed a lot. I think the strength of the team is the most important thing. You learn something every day after many years of experience as a coach, and I’m improving all the time with this group.”

Simone Inzaghi, Inter Milan manager: “The players did something extraordinary. We played four amazing games against two world-class teams like Bayern and Barcelona. It was great to celebrate this achievement [reaching the final] here with our fans.”

What is the prize money

• Winner: €20m ($22.5m)
• Runners-up: €15.5m ($17.5m)