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Curtis Stone On Hong Kong’s Food Scene And Why He Packs Dirty Laundry In His Carry-On By Forbes Travel Guide Editor Jennifer Kester

June 27, 2024

When Curtis Stone isn’t in the kitchen at his restaurants Maude and Gwen in L.A. or Woodend in Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Maroma, A Belmond Hotel, Riviera Maya in Mexico, the celebrity chef traverses the globe seeking culinary inspiration for his TV show Field Trip with Curtis Stone.

You can see his food-filled adventures when the third season premieres July 2 on Peacock. But you can also get a taste of it with a new Hong Kong episode — Field Trip ’s first Asian destination — that’s already streaming on PBS. “This is one of the most fascinating places in the world to eat,” he said during the hourlong special.

We talked to the genial Australian chef about eating his way through Hong Kong, where he’s traveling next and why he only packs dirty laundry in his carry-on.

Why did you decide to go to Hong Kong for your first Field Trip episode in Asia?

I’ve been to Hong Kong before and I couldn’t wait to return. There is so much history there and an incredible confluence of the old and the new.

What do you like to eat when you’re in Hong Kong? 

Everything and anything. I lean into finding ingredients and dishes I can’t get anywhere else. Regional dishes are also key to my choices. Some highlights for me were learning the centuries-old technique for making tofu at Kung Wo Beancurd Factory and trying the sweet version, which I had never tasted; watching chef Vicky Cheng of Vea rehydrate the dried seafood we purchased on Des Voeux Road West and use French technique to make a Michelin-starred dish; and the Ping Yuen chicken prepared by chef David Lai at his restaurant, Neighborhood.

What inspired you about Hong Kong’s culinary scene?

The diversity of the culinary scene is so inspirational. Eating dim sum in a local spot, frog legs at a hot pot joint, street food and then, Michelin restaurants. There is something for everyone.

I’d love to get to a few more fine dining restaurants on my next trip. The Chairman and Wing , Vicky Cheng’s other restaurant, were just included on the World’s 50 Best list, and I’d like to check them off.

We traveled in April, and I’d plan my next trip in another season to experience different ingredients. Hong Kong’s Wine and Dine Festival is scheduled for October. It’s an epic culinary showcase for all epicureans to experience and enjoy Hong Kong’s amazing food scene during one event.

What’s one dish from the episode that you still think about? 

ArChan Chan of Ho Lee Fook restaurant took me to a neighborhood dim sum spot that she frequents on her days off. The dim sum master at Saam Hui Yaat has been creating the perfect har gao [shrimp dumplings] for the past 40 years. He is literally tucked away in this room folding hundreds of these snacks a day. ArChan showed such deference for his craft as well. It was wonderful to see the respect shown to an older generation in the kitchen.

What surprised you about Hong Kong’s dining scene? 

As I was saying, I was pleasantly surprised about the generational component of the culinary scene. We met a few people who had other careers before returning to Hong Kong to support the family business. Renee So left a career in finance to support her father in growing his tofu business. She used her real-world savvy to expand operations at Kung Wo Beancurd Factory and hasn’t looked back.

Mr. Lee is making shrimp paste with his father. They are one of two makers on Tai O baking these bricks of paste in the sun. It’s an ingredient essential to Cantonese cooking, and it’s a dying art.

Aside from eating, what else did you enjoy doing in Hong Kong? 

I really enjoyed my time in Tai O, the fishing village on Lantau Island. It was like nothing I had ever experienced before and felt like being on a movie set. People living in stilted houses, fishermen selling their catch from their boats, women hanging laundry from balconies and men slamming mah-jongg tiles. It’s a life completely reliant on the water.

It was the first location we shot during this episode. We walked the streets on our way to meet the shrimp paste maker and by happenstance met Po Po, a woman in her 80s who was separating the whites and yolks from duck eggs and curing them in the sun. I pulled up a stool and she schooled me — that was all organic and just an incredible experience for me. 

We also visited the Sai Kung peninsula with its live seafood markets and waterfront restaurants. I just wasn’t aware of all the nature in Hong Kong. Many of us think of the skyscrapers, neon and bustling city life, and of course, there is the shopping and museums. But nature is, quite honestly, in its backyard.

Where are you traveling next? 

I had some business in Amsterdam and, since [my sons] are on break, we spent some time there this summer, with a pit stop in Paris — my oldest wanted to see the Eiffel Tower. Then, we are off to Sweden for a spell.

Do you have a wellness routine while traveling? 

Walking more than anything else. Seeing a city on foot, even with an incredible underground, is the way to go. It also makes me feel a bit like a local and you find more hole-in-the-wall and hidden spots when you’re not zooming past them in a taxi or an Uber. 

What do you pack on your carry-on? 

Dirty clothes. I know it sounds insane, but I travel so often and prefer to only take a carry-on to hustle through the airport and avoid lines. My trick is to take clothes that I don’t need to worry about getting crumpled and wrinkled and have everything laundered and pressed at the hotel when I get to my destination. Obviously, that’s not something I do when I’m with my family, but it is kind of genius for business travel.

What are you working on next?

I’m hoping to get back to Australia soon and shoot more there. It’s always been a mission of mine to expose people to my roots and have them get to Oz to travel. There are parts even I haven’t been to yet. It’s such a rich culture and vast area to explore.

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HIS Ala Moana Branch

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1450 Ala Moana Blvd

Honolulu, HI 96814

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About the business.

We are the Japan Experts! HIS Hawaii specializes in connecting Japan and Hawaii, offering a full range of travel services with friendly, knowledgeable service. Plus, don't miss our selection of unique gifts that bring the distinct cultures of Japan and Hawaii right to you. Find experiences that last a lifetime with HIS Hawaii, your travel experts! …

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When you need that something to make your vacay say hey! Traveling to Japan makes it so much fun and less stressful with the help from HIS as not only they have fun travel packages, flight and all the usual bookings to complete your travel plans but so much more than you realize. Relocated from Don Quijote to Ala Moana Center right outside Makai Market beside the escalator which I do love as it's a bit more spacious and does offer some Japanese snacks and various merchandise, the staff here is friendly though some does give a feeling of bleh... As soon as I book my flight what you need to do immediately is reserve a WiFi device as it gets sold out very fast as is very much needed whenever you're doing a search for train routes and is amazing with unlimited data and are able to connect multiple devices. Plans go by 7, 14, 21 and 30 days for the basic though I always go with the Premium which comes insurance and external batter for just $5-$10 extra. As we come out of Covid the airport transfer I used to purchase in advance here is no longer available not by HIS but offered by the vendor in Japan so I'll decided that upon arrival but one thing that will certainly change is the JR Rail Pass which will drastically increase +70% and with the incredible yen rate I've decided to purchase the rail pass before the huge increase. You do need to bring your passport to purchase JR Rail pass and the increase will take place Oct 1st 2023 so get it in September and you're able to hold on to it for 90 before you need to redeem it in Japan. Follow them on Instagram @hishawaii as they to have a link to their site with all information and JR Rail prices as well and even some activities in Japan or any advice you may need regarding Japan. Thank you!

See all photos from Irene M. for HIS Ala Moana Branch

We've used the pocket wifi from HIS for several of our trips and it works great! The battery life is about 8 hours, so you should get an external battery so you won't be stuck without data. Reserving, picking up and returning the device was super easy and hassle free. I'd suggest you reserve it early as it looks like they do sell out since it seems like many people are going to Japan now. Just a heads up, I mistakenly thought it would work in Korea, but it didn't. It just works in Japan.

1-22-23 Never knew about this Travel agency until I read Yelp Elite Jo's review. Looking at center stage at Ala Moana it is on the left a few doors down from Cookie Corner. 4 of us went in to purchase rail tickets: hubs, myself, Bud & his mom. We met with Daniel. He was very polite, full of knowledge and shared insights on our travel plans. We decided on the 5 day Kansai Area Pass. We purchased enough for 6. He printed out pages that we will turn in at a Japan train station. He explained the reserved seats process if we all wanted to be seated together. There were no chairs in front of his station at the back of the store so he kindly carried 2 chairs for Bud and I to sit on. It seemed like his station was where payments were taken. It was a bit of a hassle for the gentleman in front of his station to go in and out from his own desk but we kept saying gomenasai. There is one more desk at the front of the shop seated by a woman. She had several sales from walk-ins buying things like slings(bags) by guys and other items as there is a variety of merchandise for sale. You can hear English as well as Japanese being spoken. It took pretty much an hour to purchase our passes. I'm so glad I stopped at Yomie's first cuz by the time we passed again they were closing up. You can even order WiFi units to be delivered to your hotel in Japan. Earlier Daniel even offered suggestions for hotels close to the station cuz every step counts when you have a full schedule with kiddies and seniors. Need help with planning your vacation to Japan? You might be very happy to meet with Daniel too. You can email him also.

See all photos from Gail U. for HIS Ala Moana Branch

Now that Japan is now open you might of went to Kaheka St and looked for HIs which was next to Don Quijote like me and found that they moved. Well they moved to Ala Moana Shopping Center on the ground floor near the Makai Market Food Court. So you want to go visit the land of the rising sun. The land where there is so many things to do, see and eat. Hmmmm sake and sushi, how could you go wrong?!?!?! Well let's say this is your first time or you have questions on what to do, how to get to places, etc. the people here probably can help you to see if you need to buy the rail pass, which one and so forth. You can also get a pocket wifi so you will always be connected. You will be able to access your apps like Google maps, Line to call your friends and family for free. Download and use the Transite app to see when and where the trains are running. I highly suggest getting a backup battery charger as it would be so junk to run out of juice and get lost. So come over here to get your Japan on!

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Even if we aren't going on a HIS tour, we wanted to rent their pocket WIFI, but it was all sold out. I tried to order it through their site for pick up in Japan but being a "dinosaur ", had a difficult time or was on a wrong site. Went to Mika Hibi at Ala Moana and she was so patient helping me do the on line rental. I forgot that I needed the address of our Tokyo Hotel but she was able to figure it out before I finally found it. She was so professional and pleasant. The WIFI rental of 2 units was also very reasonable compared to what my brief research found. I will definitely recommend them!

Staff are friendly and knowledgeable. Would recommend if you're going to Japan. Book your pocket Wifi ahead of time.

Located between the food court and center stage in the Ala Moana Shopping Center. We got lucky when we went to get our rail pass fir Japan. He took the time to calculate the best deal for us. FYI if you're goingv Japan, you'll need a copy of your passport and dates of travel and where you are going. Rail vouchers can be purchased 90 days before you travel to Japan.

My reason for giving HIS Ala Moana two starts is because the service there were terrible! Except for my first time buying the JR line pass, the lady that helped me was very helpful and nice. I would've given this place a one start but because of my first time experience, I rate it two starts. When I went back to the store for the Osaka Universal studio tickets and to asked a few questions. The guy that worked there turned me away and literally told me he have no time! He said he was helping other clients and have no time for me. Unbelievable! There are so many way for him to say that's he's busy and I'm wailing to wait.... This is so disappointing. I would not recommend anyone to go to HIS again, I don't want anyone to experience what I went through.

Purchased rail passes here. I appreciate that they still serviced me despite being 15 minutes before they were closing.

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Hokkaido + Aomori Food & Foliage Tour 2024

Feast on fun! See Japan’s Great North this autumn!

Hokkaido and aomori, a brilliant combination.

Fully guided and including 23 delicious meals, a free pocket WiFi router, and much more, this carefully crafted itinerary has everything from picking Aomori’s famous apples fresh at the orchard, reveling in stunning scenery at Nakano Momijiyama “Maple Tree Mountain”, and even learning first-hand cooking tips from a local fisherman’s family. There’s a fireworks show, superb local ice cream in Hakodate, a hands-on glass blowing experience in Otaru, and free time to explore Japan’s bustling metropolis of Tokyo. Plus much, much more!

A special highlight of this tour is TWO nights at Hoshino Resorts’ spectacular 5-star luxury resort Aomori-ya . Dedicated to regional Tsugaru culture, this incredible destination features distinctive touches like an “Aomori Apple Juice Fountain” where you can drink your fill of the prefecture’s famous juice, plus specially designed illumination in the onsen baths that make you feel like you’re floating in another world and an extravagant buffet dinner that will have you going back for seconds, thirds, fourths, and more! Watch a preview video of this truly unique accommodation and see why Aomori-ya is an absolute can’t-miss location.

Marvel at spectacular wide-open natural vistas and featuring multiple nights at deluxe, relaxing  onsen  (hot springs) hotels, this tour is the perfect way to visit Japan’s Great North this autumn.

Destination Highlights

Sapporo – Otaru – Shiraoi – Date – Lake Toya – Hakodate – Aomori City – Hirosaki – Lake Towada – Oirase Stream – Hachinohe – Tokyo – and more!

Tour Includes

9 nights extraordinary accommodations – 23 memorable meals – Onsen (Hot Springs) – WiFi router – HNL Airport Lounge – Unique activities & experiences – and much more!

Full Package $4,990 (Adult) / Land Package $3,990 (Adult)

Hokkaido + Aomori Food & Foliage Tour 2024

Tour Details

9 NIGHTS / 10 DAYS IN JAPAN

For a detailed look at the many activities and destinations you’ll visit, download our written itinerary (PDF file) .

Or see the short summary below!

Itinerary Summary

Tour Flyer (PDF Download)

Tour itinerary (pdf download), application form (pdf download), terms and conditions form (pdf download).

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Major Democratic Donors Ask Themselves: What to Do About Biden?

Some floated interventions and wondered about how to reach Jill Biden. Others hoped the president would bow out of the race on his own. Many came to terms with the low chances that he will do so.

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By Theodore Schleifer ,  Kenneth P. Vogel and Shane Goldmacher

Theodore Schleifer and Kenneth P. Vogel reported from Washington, and Shane Goldmacher from Atlanta.

The Democratic Party’s perennially nervous donor class descended into deep unease on Friday, as some of the wealthiest people in America commiserated over President Biden’s weak debate performance and puzzled over what, if anything, they could do to change the course of the race.

There were discussions with political advisers about arcane rules under which Mr. Biden might be removed from the ticket against his will and replaced at or before the Democratic National Convention, according to a person familiar with the effort.

In Silicon Valley, a group of megadonors, including Ron Conway and Laurene Powell Jobs, were calling, texting and emailing one another about a situation they described as a possible catastrophe. The donors wondered about whom in the Biden fold they could contact to reach Jill Biden, the first lady, who in turn could persuade her husband not to run, according to a person familiar with the conversations.

A Silicon Valley donor who had planned to host an intimate fund-raiser featuring Mr. Biden this summer decided not to go through with the gathering because of the debate, according to a person told directly by the prospective host. Another major California donor left a debate watch party early and emailed a friend with the subject line: “Utter disaster,” according to a copy of the email.

In group chats and hushed discussions, some wealthy Democrats floated interventions, others hoped Mr. Biden would have an epiphany and decide to exit on his own, and still more strategized about steering dollars to down-ballot candidates. The most optimistic donors wanted to wait for polling to see the scope of the fallout.

The crisis in the donor class — outlined in interviews with almost two dozen donors and fund-raisers, many of whom insisted on anonymity to discuss their private conversations — could not come at a worse moment for Mr. Biden. Former President Donald J. Trump has outraised him in each of the last two months , erasing the president’s once gaping financial advantage and opening one of his own.

By Friday evening, many donors were coming to terms with the unlikelihood of finding a viable alternative, even as some acknowledged diminished enthusiasm and grumbled about the Biden team’s lack of communication to major fund-raisers in the 24 hours after the debate.

Compared with small online donors, major donors require more maintenance, but those personal relationships can yield big dividends in pivotal moments, like the one Mr. Biden is facing as he confronts a wave of worry from Democrats about his political strength. The donor class is being closely watched for signs of whether he can ride out the doubts.

While the Biden campaign briefed some members of its national finance committee on Friday morning in Atlanta, other members were aghast that they had received almost zero outreach from campaign headquarters.

Reid Hoffman, one of the Democratic Party’s most influential donors, wrote in an email to friends on Friday evening that he had been inundated.

“I got a lot of emails in the last 24 hours asking whether there should be a public campaign to pressure President Biden to step aside after his (very) bad debate performance last night,” he wrote in the email, which was seen by The New York Times. “It certainly delivered a blow to the mood among donors and organizers.”

Cash is a sudden priority for the Biden campaign.

After opening a $100 million advantage over Mr. Trump a couple of months ago, the Biden campaign and the Democratic National Committee entered June with $212 million in the bank, compared with $235 million for the Trump operation and the Republican National Committee.

The Biden campaign had hoped to close the gap through a major fund-raising push in the 72 hours after the debate. The scramble coincided with the typically lucrative end of the second-quarter filing period, when campaigns rush to raise cash and project momentum.

Mr. Biden’s team planned a series of fund-raisers on Friday and over the weekend featuring the president and the first lady, as well as Vice President Kamala Harris and celebrities in wealthy enclaves including Manhattan, the Hamptons and Park City, Utah.

If nothing else, the shaky debate performance cast a shadow over those events and led to concerns about diminished hauls.

The Biden campaign pushed back on any financial concerns, announcing that from Thursday into Friday morning it had raised $14 million in online donations, which are typically smaller than those from major donors. The hour after the debate — from 11 p.m. to midnight — was the single best hour of Mr. Biden’s re-election campaign, the campaign said. Combining the online flurry with hauls from in-person events, the campaign said it had raised a total of $27 million on debate day through Friday night.

The grumbling and strategizing by major donors played out in a rolling series of conference calls, text debates and Signal chats that started soon after Mr. Biden opened his mouth onstage in Atlanta on Thursday evening, and continued until late Friday. Some described the communications in tones that resembled a virtual group-therapy session.

“This is an immediate response to a disappointment,” said Craig Kaplan, a lawyer and major Democratic donor in New York.

During a weekly Friday morning Zoom call with major New York donors, Mr. Kaplan urged participants to prioritize giving to congressional and state races.

“The importance of the down ballot is heightened,” he said in an interview, by the perception of weakness at the top of the ticket. He added that he did not intend to abandon Mr. Biden.

Stephen Cozen, a Democratic donor who considers the president a friend, said he had tried to talk down donors who were urging a Biden intervention.

“He deserves the opportunity to reflect and say: ‘I still think I can do this. I still think I am the best choice,’” or to conclude that he’s not the best option, Mr. Cozen said, recounting his counsel. “That’s his decision. And I will stick with him until he makes it.”

In the upper crust of Democratic society, there was a gap between public and private communications.

Publicly, few were willing to brook any criticism of the president.

But privately, major donors were pondering matters that seemed like fan fiction just days ago, wondering to one another about which party elder — Barack Obama? Nancy Pelosi? Chuck Schumer? — might have the political juice to persuade Mr. Biden to stand down.

And they debated which Democrat might be best to replace Mr. Biden, with Govs. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Gavin Newsom of California among the more popular prospects.

Some donors argued that the debate’s significance was being exaggerated.

“He had a poor performance,” said Robert Wolf, the former chairman of UBS Americas, “but a 90-minute debate doesn’t offset 3 ½ years of his presidency, so I will be in there fighting for Biden.”

Chris Korge, the finance chairman of the Biden Victory Fund, said “now is the time we put our head down and fight as hard as we can.” He added, “Donors will never quit on Biden.”

Mr. Hoffman, effectively the leader of Silicon Valley Democrats, said he believed it was a mistake to pressure Mr. Biden, in part because it wouldn’t work. “Joe is our nominee; any decision to step aside is up to him and his family, period,” he wrote. “If anything, a public effort might compel the Bidens to try to prove the doubters wrong.”

Biden fund-raisers were hearing from plenty of people — one received a Facebook message from a business school friend whom he hadn’t heard from in over a decade — but precious little from the campaign itself. On Thursday around noon, members of the Biden financial brain trust descended on Atlanta for what was expected to be a valedictory gathering, the summer meeting of the several-hundred-strong National Finance Committee.

Fund-raisers at the Atlanta Ritz-Carlton were treated to presentations on campaign tactics and issues, according to materials distributed to donors in advance, plus a debate debrief. But many members of the finance committee — away on vacation, deterred by the inability to attend the audience-free debate or unable to make it on short notice — skipped the meeting altogether.

Meanwhile, the president and first lady tried to project normalcy to donors.

On Friday afternoon, Jill Biden was in New York for a reception entitled “Writers, Wit and Wisdom,” while Ms. Harris was in Park City for her own high-dollar event. Mark Gilbert, a Democratic fund-raiser who hosted her in Park City, said the debate had not dampened enthusiasm.

“Not only were there no cancellations, we received numerous calls asking if it were too late to attend,” Mr. Gilbert said.

Mr. Biden himself appeared on Friday in Manhattan with Elton John at the Stonewall Inn, followed by an L.G.B.T.Q.-focused fund-raiser at the Hammerstein Ballroom at Manhattan Center. On Saturday, he was set to travel to the Hamptons for an event at the home of the billionaire Barry Rosenstein, who said he was preparing for more than 200 attendees, more than double his expectations. Later on Saturday, Mr. Biden was scheduled to attend a fund-raiser at the home of Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey.

Biden’s fund-raising at the end of Pride Month is chock-full of cameos from celebrities and those with ties to the L.G.B.T.Q. movement, including a garden party on Saturday in Los Angeles featuring a performance from Idina Menzel.

Still, Friday ended without a clear sense of what exactly donors could do about Mr. Biden. The best that some could muster was gallows humor — a meme, a GIF or a sense that things could always be worse.

“No one’s bailing,” said Steve Phillips, a prominent Democratic donor in California. “Everyone’s resigned to the situation.”

Lauren Hirsch , Liam Stack and Olivia Bensimon contributed reporting.

Theodore Schleifer writes about campaign finance and the influence of billionaires in American politics. More about Theodore Schleifer

Kenneth P. Vogel is based in Washington and investigates the intersection of money, politics and influence. More about Kenneth P. Vogel

Shane Goldmacher is a national political correspondent, covering the 2024 campaign and the major developments, trends and forces shaping American politics. He can be reached at [email protected] . More about Shane Goldmacher

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John legend to release new ‘it’s good’ food and travel app.

The app is reportedly a direct competitor against Yelp and Google Reviews.

By Mya Abraham

Mya Abraham

R&B Reporter

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John Legend is expanding his talents into the tech world with the announcement of his new food and travel app, It’s Good .

The company, co-founded by Legend and Mike Rosenthal — a tech entrepreneur who co-founded the luxury hair-care company, Ouai with his wife, Jen Atkin — came up with the idea over four years ago. Together, they’ve garnered $5 million from investors and the beta app is currently invite-only .

The app prides itself as “a more curated and personal recommendation engine than existing platforms such as Yelp and Google Reviews,” according to the Wall Street Journal , and only allows for recommendations.

André 3000, Robert Glasper, Jill Scott, And More To Headline Blue Note Jazz Fest: Black Radio…

“My friend always reach out to me for ‘my list’ of restaurants in the cities I’ve visited,” wrote the EGOT winner . “With It’s Good, we sought to create a trusted community for food-lovers to recommend their favorite spots and discover new ones through a user-friendly platform that’s easily shareable and beautiful.”

Rosenthal added, “For years, I’ve dreamed of a platform built specifically for those trusted connections, to help me travel , or find a new local favorite. I’m so proud of what we’ve built, and I’m so excited for what we have coming.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by John Legend (@johnlegend)

The It’s Good app joins Legend’s other business ventures including his wine brand, LVE, and skin-care line, Loved01 .

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Woman debunks airport food rumour and reveals how you can save money as you travel

Julia ferraro's 'favourite travel hack' has blown the minds of social media users.

Olivia Burke

We've all heard the whispers about taking food through the airport and, for the most part, people have taken it as gospel.

Instead of chancing it and getting a load of funny looks while you hold the queue up in security, Brits reluctantly brave one of the eateries in the terminal and end up forking out a small fortune to refuel before their flight.

Even a simple bottle of water will cost you an arm and a leg in the airport, so spare a thought for big families who have multiple mouths to feed.

But according to this woman, you should dismiss all the things you think you know about travelling with food.

Julia Ferraro has debunked the longstanding myth that you can't take a packed lunch with you on a flight, explaining that taking her own grub with her is her 'favourite airport hack' while travelling through Europe.

The TikToker , from the US , shared a clip of a scrumptious sandwich that she had grabbed before entering the airport and detailed the usual itinerary she and her husband follow before catching a flight across the continent.

She said: "I don't know who started the rumour that you can't think food through airport security, but whenever we're travelling through Europe we find a cute sandwich shop and bring them to eat on the plane.

"Sometimes we do cheese and salami and sometimes have a charcuterie onboard too."

So not only does she bring food, she brings a feast .

Explaining her travel hack further, Julia wrote in the caption: "Never having to pay for a over priced three day old sandwich at the airport is winning. This is especially useful on shorter flights that don't serve food!

"We also like to bring a bag of fruits and veggies to snack on too."

What a revelation - and social media users seemed to think so too.

One commented: "So true, you just shouldn't bring food that has a strong smell. Those sandwiches looks soo good!"

Another wrote: "So much cheaper than the plane!"

A third added: "As a mother to two young boys I had to do this so we could save money. Made a focaccia. Sons are adults now and ask me to make them one when flying."

While a fourth joked: "I started that rumour because people bring stinky food."

Obviously, you should check the rules of the airport you are travelling from and to regarding food on flights.

Holidaymakers can 'carry meat or dairy products with you as long as they are for your own personal consumption' while journeying through the EU, according to Your Europe.

It adds: "This also applies to plants or plant products, such as cut flowers, fruit or vegetables as long as they have been grown in an EU country and are free from pests or disease.

"In this context, the EU includes the 27 EU countries, Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino, and Switzerland."

Julia claimed that she has 'never been told to throw away my food at security' when traveling out of Canada or any country in Europe.

Putting this into context for a UK traveller, let's use Gatwick Airport as an example.

According to the travel hub's website , passengers are allowed to take drinks in their hold luggage, while cakes, fruit, vegetables, sandwiches and all solid foods can be a part of your hand luggage.

However, it states that the 'container carrying these foods must not exceed 100ml in size, regardless of the amount inside', while foods in sauces or with a high liquid content will not make it through security.

Happy snacking people - just leave the soup at home.

Topics:  Food And Drink , Hacks , Travel

Olivia is a journalist at LADbible Group with more than five years of experience and has worked for a number of top publishers, including News UK. She also enjoys writing food reviews (as well as the eating part). She is a stereotypical reality TV addict, but still finds time for a serious documentary.

@ livburke_

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HIS JAPAN PREMIUM FOOD & TRAVEL in LONDON

• Address 212 Shaftesbury Ave West End, London WC2H 8EB Tottenham Court Road (google map)

(+44) 020 7484 3311

(+44) 020 7484 3336

• [Mon - Sat] 11:00-20:00

[Sun and Holiday] Closed

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[Mon - Fri] 09:30-18:00

[Sat, Sun, UK Holidays] Closed

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Travel Consultation (upon reservation only)

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Shop introduction

We offer Japanese sake, tea and other groceries carefully selected by our hands to promote authentic Japanese food and culture.

Our shop is located in West-End where tourists and shoppers always visit.

Please feel Japanese culture and producers' passion through our products!

Many of our products are directly imported from Japan by our original shipment.

Please come visit us!

HIS JAPAN PREMIUM FOOD & TRAVEL in MADRID

• Address Calle de la Escalinata, 1, 28013 Madrid, Spain (google map)
• Tel (+34) 662 676 950
• [Mon - Fri] 11:30-14:00 / 15:00-20:00
• [Sat, Sun and Public Holidays] Closed
• Rice, Mochi
• Sake and Green tea
• Tel (+34)915 597 000
• Email [email protected]

[Mon - Fri] 10:00-14:00

[Sat, Sun, Public Holidays] Closed

• @japanpremiumesp

Our shop is at the heart of Mardid, 1 minute from Metro Opera and 3 minutes from Plaza Mayor on foot, where you can drop by while you are on the sightseeing.

Our collection of Japanese sake, tea, ready meals and other authentic foods enables to easily enjoy Japanese food in Spain.

We offer you a space not only for the Japanese food, but also we would like you to feel like you are travelling to Japan.

Japanese staff will always welcome you and consult with you both in Japanese and Spanish, and help your shopping.

We are always here for your assistance, please visit our shop to feel Japanese cultures!

HIS JAPAN PREMIUM FOOD & TRAVEL in BERLIN

• Address Leibnizstrasse 5910629 Berlin Germany (google map)
• Tel (+49)-030-2097-6787
• [Tue - Sat] 10:00-19:00
• [Sun,Mon and Public Holidays] Closed
• Japanese Tableware
• Tel only mail
• Email [email protected]

[Mon - Fri] 9:00-15:00

• @japanpremiumdeu

We have created a place in the German capital Berlin where we can present the original taste of Japan with the sale of Japanese food and promotion of the Japanese regions. Originally this branch was opened with a focus on traveling to Japan, now you can not only get advice about travel destinations in the Japanese region, but also about regional culinary specialties and ingredients.

We are particularly proud that, in addition to the well-known foods, we also have special products in our range that are characterized by unusual ingredients and manufacturing methods and can hardly be found at other suppliers.

In addition, we have more than 100 different types of sake - from the far north to the deep south and from different regions of Japan. Come visit us!

HIS JAPAN PREMIUM FOOD & TRAVEL in FRANKFURT AM MAIN

• Address Wallstrasse 3, 60594 Frankfurt am Main Germany (google map)
• Tel (+49)-69-2566-6691
• [Sun and Public Holidays] Closed

Our Frankfurt store is located in a more than 300-year-old house in the Sachsenhausen district, which is famous for its many apple wine bars. To be able to offer rice from Japan and other special foods.

In addition to more than 100 different types of sake with Japanese shochu, craft gin and whiskey, we also have a variety of high-quality spirits. Try this together with apple cider!

HIS JAPAN PREMIUM FOOD & TRAVEL in MUNICH

• Address: Waltherstraße 33, 80337 München Germany (google map)
• Tel: (+49) 89 1225 2292
• [Tue - Sat] 11:00-19:00
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With 3 stores in Germany following Berlin and Frankfurt We have opened a store in Munich.

Like other shops, Japanese "food" and "travel" to Japan We aim to be a shop that is loved by the locals as a place to connect. Not to mention sake and tea, but until now in Munich We are planning to prepare special foods that were not sold. We look forward to your visit.

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NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

Glastonbury 2024 day 2 highlights from expensive eats to Sir Michael Eavis singing

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Glastonbury festival day two has come to a close – and what an incredible time at Worthy Farm it has been!

The day kicked off with rain, travel disruption on the trains, and a tractor fire causing road closures.

Festivalgoers were then shocked by the price of the breakfast menu items which were on par with London prices and included a £15 sandwich.

Keep up with day 3 of Glastonbury on our latest live blog here

Despite the rocky start, things got better as people travelled from across the country to the festival and made it in time to see new father Joe Wicks  lead thousands in a morning workout.

The sun was shining as more rumours began to swirl about surprise acts and the possibility of an intimate Coldplay gig for local fans.

The founder of the festival, Sir Michael Eavis, delighted audiences with a few songs at The Park Stage and one couple got married, and another took part in a handfasting ceremony at the festival.

The sun set as fans settled into some of the acts of the evening, and prepared for the larger stages to open up on Friday.

Scroll down or click here to go straight to our live updates

The iconic Pyramid Stage is set to welcome  Dua Lipa to the stage tomorrow with headliners Coldplay and  Sza  following her lead this weekend- but there’s so much more to the historic festival than  the big names .

We’re going to be keeping you up to date with everything from artist antics to the rumours of who will be making a surprise appearance, with reporter Danni Scott on the ground for her first-ever Glasto!

Get ready for  the next three days of music , celeb spotting, and the weird and wonderful world of Glastonbury 2024.

• 5d ago What channel is Glastonbury on?
• 5d ago Glastonbury’s food prices outrageously revealed to be the same as London
• 5d ago Fans travelling to Glastonbury by train face disruption
• 5d ago Aerial shots show sheer scale of crowds at Glastonbury

Dua Lipa’s headline act will have ‘incredible surprises’

Dua Lipa is set to headline the festival on Friday night – and it’s set to be a good one!

In an interview with Variety , Warner Music’s Max Lousada teased that the Houdini singer has some tricks up her sleeve.

‘This show is going to have some incredible surprises and some unexpected moments – she’s just going to bring the party to Friday night.’

He didn’t elaborate on what surprises fans might anticipate but did he say that this festival is a huge step in the Don’t Star Now singer’s career.

‘The great thing about festivals is, you’re playing to audiences you haven’t necessarily played to before. For Dua, this is going to be a step change and a key moment in her career,’ he said.

Max then revealed that performing at this festival has always been a dream for Dua.

‘This was always one of her big aspirations. From the moment we signed her, she was like, “I want to headline Glastonbury”, so I’m thrilled for that dream to come true.’

Huge Hollywood stars expected at ‘secret’ new venue

Glasto celebrity hotspot The Rabbit Hole may have closed its door – but there’s a new kid in town.

According to The Sun , Soho House has launched a swanky new pop-up at Worthy Farm called Hideout.

The venue, which boasts a separate and super-exclusive VIP area, serves delectable cocktails for those sick of pints and dirty burgers.

It is even adorned withSoho House’s scented candles to make you forget your miles away from decent plumbing and a proper bed.

The publication claims Hollywood stars including Florence Pugh, Russell Crowe, and James Corden will pay Hideout a visit.

Paloma Faith reveals she’s ‘hassled’ by ‘entitled’ people in VIP

Paloma Faith has slammed the VIP tents at festivals and revealed that she’s far more comfortable in the ‘normal’ sections.

The star who is set to light up the the Pyramid Stage on Sunday night told The Sun : ‘It is weird – when I am in the VIP area I get hassled left right and centre.

‘Everyone in there feels entitled but in the normal bit everyone leaves me alone and they just want to talk to me like a normal person.

‘In the VIP area they are like, “We deserve this”, but they are not giving me the money that they spent on the ticket.’

The star added that despite not having the best time in VIP, she was ‘so excited’ to be back at the festival.

‘I’ve not done Glastonbury in eight years and I feel so excited.

‘I am almost going to combust.

‘It is one of the absolute best memories of my career, playing at Glastonbury.’

The Only Love Can Hurt Like This singer will be taking to the main stage from 13:45 – 14:45 on Sunday, June 30.

Festivalgoers tie the knot

Two festivalgoers, Aaron and Awel Fox tied the knot at Glastonbury today after dating for seven years.

‘It’s the best place in the world,’ said Aaron when asked why the couple chose the festival as their venue.

‘We came to see a handfasting five years ago and we said we’d like to do it,’ Awel added.

‘It’s always something that I’ve wanted to do,’ her new husband chimed in.

‘And we love it here so it’s special to us,’ the bride concluded.

The pair aren’t the only ones to have this idea as there have been other reports of proposals, handfasting ceremonies, and more weddings set to take place this weekend as couples celebrate the festival in romantic ways.

Emily Eavis praises 88-year-old father as ‘better than ever’

Sir Michael Eavis may be in his ninth decade of life, but he wowed fans earlier today with a stunning vocal performance at the Park Stage.

The founder of Glastonbury’s daughter praised her father and told PA News Agency: ‘It’s the best start for me to see him on the stage and his voice sounded better than ever.’

She revealed that his age was not a concern when it came to his performance: ‘No, he was raring to go.

‘He’s had a few rehearsals and he was really up for it.

‘It’s just so good to see him out there and receive all that love.

Emily concluded that the whole experience was ‘wonderful’ as her father was celebrated by the huge audience that gathered to hear him sing.

Coldplay secret show rumoured at an intimate venue

Coldplay is one of the major headliners of the festival, set to take to the pyramid stage for the fifth time on Saturday night.

While fans can’t wait for this exciting moment, it has been rumoured that they might be taking to the stage ahead of this major gig.

A local venue called Cheese and Grain in Frome is currently hosting huge crowds and queues as fans believe that the band will be performing there ahead of the festival.

Trucks and vans with the band’s gear were spotted at the venue with a sign around the car park saying that a private event was taking place today per NME .

Of course, this may just be a rumour or perhaps the band are just rehearsing there, but this venue has been used by Paul McCartney in 2022 and the Foo Fighters in 2017 for surprise gigs ahead of Glastonbury in the past.

Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis performs on stage

Sir Michael Eavis delighted festivalgoers by taking to the stage on Thursday afternoon with his band.

The founder was cheered on by the audience as he arrived and giggled to himself saying ‘God damn,’ according to our reporter in the audience.

In a moving moment, he gave a rendition of Frank Sinatra’s My Way, and was joined by the crowd who sand along with him.

Much to the delight of the crowd he also crooned Suspicious Minds by Elvis Presley. Both performances earned a thundering round of applause for the creator of the festival.

Couple ties the knot in handtying ceremony after getting engaged at Glastonbury last year.

Sian Barklem, 25 and Johnjo Smith, 24, took part in a handytying ceremony in the Healing Fields at Glastonbury today.

The Liverpudlian couple told PA News Agency that the festival is their ‘favourite place on earth’ and the same location where they got engaged last year during Sir Elton John’s headline act.

The couple were officially married just months after their engagement but wanted a ceremony at Glastonbury to share with their friends.

‘We got married in September but we had decided that we wanted to do this in Glastonbury this year, to celebrate with our friends and a year from our engagement as well.

‘Glastonbury is a very special place because it’s our favourite place on Earth, so it’s very special that we can celebrate our marriage and our relationship on these special grounds and with all our friends, who we always come with,’ said Sian.

Following the ceremony, she revealed that they kept holding hands for hours afterwards.

‘We’ve kept our hands tied together for a couple of hours but it’s not very practical being at a festival and having our hands tied so we’ve just taken it off now,’ she said.

What channel is Glastonbury on?

For those who are sitting at home and wanting to know how to tune into all of the best that Glastonbury 2024 has to offer – you’re in luck!

The BBC has gone all out this year and created a mammoth amount of coverage with a dedicated Glastonbury channel on BBC iPlayer, which will stream performances as they happen.

The Glastonbury Channel II has also been launched which will collate highlights from across the weekend.

The main acts won’t perform until Friday, June 28 which is when the TV coverage will begin.

BBC’s The One Show will help kick off the coverage on Friday at 7pm, with a celebration of Glastonbury through the years, then linking to the live 2024 event.

But the Glastonbury channel is currently live on iPlayer, playing highlights of events in years gone by.

Sir Michael Eavis thought he would turn down knighthood

Glastonbury Festival founder Sir Michael Eavis has said he thought he would turn down his knighthood.

Speaking to the Glastonbury Free Press as this year’s music event gets underway, he revealed: ‘I actually always thought I’d turn it down if I was offered it, because I already liked being me.’

Sir Michael, 88, who was knighted in April, added: ‘It’s (the festival) all going from strength to strength.

‘It’s so important that this festival stands for something.

‘That’s the guts of the event, really. It’s why we’ve backed the CND (Campaign For Nuclear Disarmament) since 1981.’

Among the new venues this year at Glastonbury is Terminal 1, described as a ‘re-purposed airport celebrating migration’.

Sir Michael said it is ‘dealing with the issue of immigration’.

‘They’re taking the approach that we can solve it,’ he added.

‘We can be friendly to these unfortunate people in the boats.

‘It’s demonstrating, the whole festival is, really, that you can get on with your neighbour. And they’re putting all of that into a show. Isn’t that amazing?’

Sir Michael is expected to give his traditional musical performance today, covering a series of classics with his band.

Last year hundreds of fans chanted ‘Michael!’ as the veteran organiser was wheeled on to The Park Stage in an office chair, as he recovered from an operation on his leg.

Glastonbury merchandise includes £75 hoodie

Business is already booming at the Glastonbury merchandise stall – despite prices as steep as £75 for a hoodie and £55 for a sweater.

There were small queues dotted about snapping up merch yesterday, but as more festivalgoers arrive fans’ keenness increases to make sure they bag the souvenir from the event that they want.

The line of festival merch booths, which are signposted by the banner ‘official festival t-shirts’ with hands pointing downwards, also sell swag on behalf of the Worthy Farm headliners, which include Dua Lipa , Coldplay and  SZA .

And it’s Dance the Night singer Dua, 28, who may raise eyebrows with the merch on offer from her team, for it all appears to be regular merch for her latest album, Radical Optimism, and its current accompanying European tour, rather than anything Glasto-specific.

T-shirts, selling for £35, have Dua on the front and the name of the tour on the back, and are available in black or white, while a £55 black sweater has a picture on the front and tour dates on the back.

However, the most expensive item – on sale for £75 – is a grey-brown hoodie with a small pink and green written logo on the front, which appears to be the name of her song Illusion, and no other discernable design feature.

Winding queues continue on platform at Paddington

Photos from London’s Paddington station this afternoon show that the travel build-ups continue after train delays this morning.

Revellers starting their journeys from the capital down to Somerset for Glastonbury have been pictured standing in a line that snakes back and forth along the platform at Paddington.

Temporary barriers have been put in place to squeeze the maximum number of people into the space, reminiscent of airport queues for security.

There are also staff in hi-vis jackets on platform eight to help assist travellers, with one already dressed for the occasion in a pink cowboy hat.

Reports of a tractor on fire causing road closures

X account Travel Somerset issued an update on road closures around Worthy Farm, after a vehicle fire.

It was then claimed the vehicle was actually a tractor, leaving one person branding it ‘Peak Glastonbury’.

‘Peak Glastonbury: our shuttle bus is stuck down a country lane because a tractor is on fire. Or as the driver put it: “For those of you from London, they’re the things that transport the flour to make the bread for your smashed avocado on toast”,’ Nick wrote.

Peak Glastonbury: our shuttle bus is stuck down a country lane because a tractor is on fire. Or as the driver put it: “For those of you from London, they’re the things that transport the flour to make the bread for your smashed avocado on toast” 😭😭. — Nick Reilly (@NickJWReilly) June 27, 2024

Joe Lycett’s producer Chris Sawyer was also caught up in the chaos, sharing video clips that showed the ‘problem’ escalating as a fire engine arrived to help douse out the flames, joining two police vehicles and an ambulance already on the scene.

‘This is insane!’ one passenger was heard gasping as the vehicle, which looked to be a small lorry and was already engulfed in flames and smoke, then had its fire spread to the tree above it.

‘The fuel is on fire and pouring down the hill but that’s probably fine I’d say,’ joked Chris in the caption of one of his clips, as the firefighters started hosing down the vehicle’s fire.

Luckily, they were on the way to Glastonbury again before too long, with the busload of would-be festivalgoers cheering as Chris confirmed: ‘We move!’

Who is rumoured to play ‘secret sets’ at Glastonbury?

As well as the earlier mentioned reports that Kasabian are set to surprise fans with a shock performance, a whole host of acts are rumoured to be taking to the stage.

We know for sure that fans will be treated to headline sets from the likes of  Dua Lipa ,  Coldplay , and  SZA , with  Shania Twain  performing in the traditional Sunday Legends slot, but who else could be making an appearance?

Some fans are convinced Girls Aloud will drop in  thanks to a suspicious gap in their touring schedule , while others have noticed The Killers might have space to attend, or Kings Of Leon, who are already in the UK for their British Summer Time show on Sunday.

Fans are also keeping their fingers crossed for Taylor Swift, who is making her way around the country on her ERAs Tour… we’ll keep our fingers crossed.

You can find a full list of rumoured acts here: All the Glastonbury 2024 ‘secret act’ rumours for surprise festival set | Metro News

Last year saw the  Foo Fighters  pop in to play a few songs, with past secret sets including the likes of Lady Gaga, Pulp, George Ezra, Mumford and Sons, and Radiohead’s Thom Yorke.

The NHS shares tips on staying safe in the heat as the sun peeks back out

The festival comes amid planned industrial action by junior doctors, with NHS Somerset sharing tips on how to ‘stay well’ during periods of hot weather to help ‘ease pressure on health and care’.

‘We know that services will be under pressure this week,’ Dr Bernie Marden, chief medical officer for NHS Somerset, said.

‘With Glastonbury Festival also taking place this week and expected warm weather, we are sharing a few reminders about simple steps people can take to look after themselves, and stay healthy and well.’

As the temperatures increase, it is important to, according to NHS guidance:

• Keep out of the sun at the hottest time of the day, between 11am-3pm
• If this is not possible, wear appropriate clothing, like a hat, seek shade and apply sunscreen
• Drink plenty of fluids like water and diluted squash, but swap sugary drinks for sugary free alternatives
• Limit alcoholic drinks, which can make you more dehydrated

Glastonbury’s food prices outrageously revealed to be the same as London

Food in Worthy Farm, Somerset, this weekend is set to be outrageously high – matching that of London, in fact.

After the price of a pint was branded ‘criminal’ at £6.50 , it turns out that a toastie isn’t that much more.

There’s an impressive 300 food vendors and 100 bars dotted across the site this year, but you may want to scour around for the best deal, especially as the extortionate breakfast prices have been revealed.

‘Was listening to some clown on radio this morning who has got a food and refreshment stall at Glastonbury. He seems to think £9.50 is fair price for a cheese toastie. What a f**king rip off!’ Matthew fumed on X.

According to LadBible , other meals will be just as expensive, with fries ranging from £4 to £7, burgers more than £10, loaded nachos up to £13 and burritos between £9.50 and £12.

Who is playing at Glastonbury today?

The second day of Glastonbury is in full swing, and while it may be a while before the Pyramid Stage hosts headliners   Dua Lipa , Coldplay, and  Sza , with the legends slot taken up by none other than Shania Twain, there’s still plenty happening around Worthy Farm today.

Across the weekend there are  heaps of 00s icons  like  The Feeling , Scouting For Girls, and  Avril Lavigne  as well as British newcomers  Caity Baser  and  Baby Queen .

From Dove and Shygirl on the Levels stage, to Scarlett O’Malley part of the Firmly Rooted line-up and Lady Shaka on the Lonely Hearts Club stage, Thursday is jam-packed.

You can find a full line-up list of who is playing at Glastonbury on Thursday here: Who is playing at Glastonbury today, Thursday, June 27? | Metro News

Could there be an answer to single-use tents?

200,000 people are expected to hit Worthy Farm for Glastonbury Festival, and many will be pitching  pop-up tents for the first and last time.

However, there may be a solution to avoiding the sea of leftover tents that are abandoned every year: cardboard tents.

And not to worry, they won’t disintegrate into papery mush when it inevitably rains, as the two-person tent is made of a water-resistant cardboard that can still be recycled, because it has no special coatings – just fewer surface holes.

Tayla Evans, 21, developed her cardboard creation, called EnviroTent, to help tackle the issue of ‘tent trash’.

‘The UK festival scene is amazing,’ she said. ‘But it’s also an annual source of single-use plastic pollution, and increasingly, that is something people feel rightly uncomfortable about. Festivals should be guilt-free and fun.

‘I would love festival organisers to think really carefully about how we can help festival goers avoid tent trash – that is what EnviroTents is all about.’

The Nation’s PE Teacher Joe Wicks touched down in Glastonbury to lead a bustling workout session

New father Joe Wicks took his famous workout routines to Gateway stage at Glastonbury on Thursday morning to get festivalgoers up and raring to go.

Thousands flocked to catch the upbeat workout session which included running on the spot, Spider-Man lunges and squat jumps.

This comes a year after he led 2,000 attendees at Park stage, turning the activity into a somewhat annual tradition.

‘I want to bring fitness to the festival, get people moving and give everyone a big smile to start their weekend with,’ he told PA.

‘People that have done my lockdown workouts will be here today. I love doing these events you know, I don’t need to be here doing this, but I actually love it.’

And the Body Coach, who gained millions of followers over lockdown, has high hopes for hitting Glastonbury’s famous Pyramid Stage next year. ‘I’m hoping if I get in their good books and I deliver a great session maybe they say ‘look bring it to the Pyramid – let’s make it an epic first ever HIIT work on the Pyramid Stage,’ he added.

His newborn son Dusty, who he shares with wife Rosie, was born just ten days ago and is his fourth child alongside  Indie, five, Marley, three, and Leni, one.

‘I’m so happy, I’m so content because I feel like my family is complete now,” he gushed about the new addition

‘He’s cute, Rosie is good, the baby’s good, I’m just not getting much sleep – so I need this workout to give me some energy.’

Joe will return to the Park stage for another fitness session on Friday at 10am, to put more festival-goers through their paces.

Glastonbury goers offered ‘vegan alternatives to cocaine’ and laughing gas to enjoy festivities

The annual musical festival has started with its usual chaotic energy after one stall perched at Worthy Farm appeared to be selling an alternative for any environment and health conscious party-goers looking to enhance their experience.

That’s right, for those not in the know, the notorious drug is not vegan-friendly since it is created by ripping rainforests apart. It’s production has been linked to deforestation in Colombia.

But botanical brand Karmaceuticals has the solution.

The company was spotted selling tiny bottles of the strange concoction at the festival , describing their product as a ‘tool’ to ‘help you be your best authentic self and boss Glasto weekend like an absolute legend’.

It boasts to help with the ‘over-consumption, over-stimulation and burn-out’ as a result of the non-stop jubilations.

If that isn’t quite your cup of tea then you can try your hand at laughing gas balloons – coming in a range of colours.

Festivalgoers were spotted with the special balloons while surrounded by several GoldWhip cannisters that offer ‘nitro-infused creations’.

In short, there’s no end to the fascinating, and bizarre, ways to add an extra layer of enjoyment to the five-day extravaganza.

MORE : Who is playing at Glastonbury today, Friday, June 28th?

MORE : Latest Glastonbury 2024 weather forecast sees temperatures nosedive

MORE : How to watch Glastonbury 2024 on TV? Full schedule, channel info and radio coverage

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'I know how to do this job': A defiant Biden rejects calls to end his bid for president

WASHINGTON — Amid calls for him to bow out after a disastrous debate performance , a defiant President Joe Biden vowed Friday he will beat Donald Trump in the November election, making clear he has no plans to end his reelection campaign.

"I know I'm not a young man − to state the obvious," Biden said near the end of a campaign rally in Raleigh, North Carolina. "Folks, I don't walk as easy as I used to. I don't speak as smoothly as I used to. I don't debate as well as I used to. But I know what I do know: I know how to tell the truth.

"I know right from wrong. I know how to do this job. I know how to get things done. And I know, like millions of Americans know, when you get knocked down, you get back," Biden said, prompting loud applause from supporters.

Biden took the stage to chants of "four more years" following performances by rappers Fat Joe and E-40. From the outset of his remarks, Biden set out to dispel any notion that he might terminate his bid for president following Thursday night's rocky debate.

"I'm here in North Carolina for one reason: because I intend to win this state in November," Biden said. "If we win here, we win the election."

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

Biden displayed much more energy and spoke clearer than the debate, when he struggled to put together coherent sentences, got lost in his answers and failed to rebut many of Trump's falsehoods. In his speech Friday, Biden slammed Trump as a morally corrupt liar.

"Now folks, I don't know what you did last night, but I spent 90 minutes on the stage debating a guy who has the morals of an alley cat," Biden said, reciting a line he delivered during the debate.

Biden said he guesses Trump broke "a new record for the most lies told in a single debate," singling out above all the former president and presumptive Republican nominee downplaying his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

"His biggest lie: He lied about how he had nothing to do with the insurrection on Jan. 6. We all saw it with our own eyes. We watched it on television," Biden said.

"Donald Trump will destroy our democracy. I will defend it," Biden said.

During Thursday night's debate hosted by CNN, Biden's voice was hoarse and raspy from the start. He stumbled over words and had to correct himself with numbers. He was sometimes hard to follow. On one occasion, the president appeared to lose his train of thought, stopped speaking and concluded − confusingly − with the line, "we finally beat Medicare."

While Trump talked, Biden often looked his way with a blank stare and his mouth open.

His performance led to calls from anonymous Democratic lawmakers, pro-Biden columnists and other Trump critics for Biden to step aside to let someone else run as the Democratic nominee.

Ahead of Biden's rally in Raleigh, a Biden campaign adviser told USA Today that Biden does not plan to drop out of the race and is committed to taking part in a second debate against Trump. Biden's allies in Congress, including House Majority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., pushed back at Democratic anxieties and said Biden should stay the course.

First lady Jill Biden, wearing a black dress featuring the words "vote," defended her husband's debate performance as she introduced him.

"What you saw last night on the debate stage was Joe Biden: a president with integrity and character, who told the truth. And Donald Trump told lie after lie after lie," Jill Biden said.

Democratic North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Biden ally, also gave a vigorous defense of the president.

"Here's one thing I know to be true: When the fate of our country was hanging in the balance with a Donald Trump presidency, Joe Biden saved this nation with his victory in 2020. We must do it again in 2024."

Reach Joey Garrison on x, formerly Twitter @joeygarrison.

Money blog: Rival to Netflix launching in UK from Fox - and it's free

Welcome to the Money blog, your place for personal finance and consumer news and tips. Leave a comment on any of the stories we're covering below.

Tuesday 2 July 2024 13:55, UK

• Popular electric car 'has potential fault that could pull it onto wrong side of road'
• Morrisons and Heinz team up to offer free meals
• Rival to Netflix launching in UK from Fox - and it's free
• NatWest and Lloyds hike fees for some current accounts
• Thinking about switching energy supplier? These are the cheapest tariffs available right now

Essential reads

• Women in Business : 'We don't get invited to golf' - The women who coordinated pregnancies to start virtual cancer care business and raised £5m
• What are your rights if your holiday is disrupted by wildfires?
• Basically... What is income tax?
• Money Problem : 'I hired a car via EasyJet but they are directing my complaint to someone else - what can I do?'
• How to split housework fairly with your partner
• Best of the Money blog - an archive

Ask a question or make a comment

A free streaming service to rival the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+ is being launched in the UK by Rupert Murdoch's Fox Corporation.

The service called Tubi will be funded by advertising and provide personalised streaming.

It already operates in North America where Fox said it has attracted 80 million active users.

More than 20,000 films and TV episodes will be on offer, Fox said, "one of the largest and most diverse content libraries in the UK".

While no specific titles were listed Fox said users can expect blockbusters, original stories and hidden gems.

Is it any good?

It depends who you ask. 

It has a pretty bad 2.3 score on Trustpilot - but it's a relatively small sample at 66 reviews.

A PC Mag review was way more positive - rating it "excellent" with four stars out of five.

They said: "Tubi is a free, ad-supported video streaming service that features a delightfully large and frequently updated library of movies and shows. There's no reason not to give it a try."

Drawbacks were said to include no ad-free options and the 720p streaming resolution cap.

Read more on this story here ...

In the eastern Aegean, the islands of Chios and Kos experienced dangerous fires yesterday - with blazes raging on Kos for a second day today amid tinderbox conditions and unusually strong winds.

The Greek prime minister has warned his country faces another dangerous summer for wildfires.

Beyond the human tragedy these blazes can cause, there's a knock-on effect on tourism in the country.

So what are your rights if your holiday is disrupted by the fires? We've got a quick explainer here…

What if I have a package holiday and face cancellation or disruption?

The Foreign Office is not currently advising against travel to Greece, and with the majority of the country and its surrounding islands unaffected, holidays are still going ahead.

But holiday operators do have the right to cancel holidays for situations out of their control.

If the company you booked your package holiday with cancels your trip, the Competition and Markets Authority says customers are entitled to a refund within 14 days of the cancellation date.

Alternatively, they should be offered a replacement holiday of the same or better quality, or a lower-grade holiday with a partial refund.

If something goes wrong while you're away on a package holiday, Citizens Advice recommends getting in touch with the company or travel agent you booked with as soon as possible.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) advised package holiday customers during last year's wildfires they may be entitled to a partial refund for a trip cut short due to wildfires, depending on several factors including what services were included and how much of the holiday had already been taken.

Will my insurance cover any issues?

This depends on a few things - including when you took out the policy, who you took it out with and what the exact terms and conditions are.

If your policy includes trip disruption or natural disaster cover, you should be covered if you have to cut short or cancel your holiday due to wildfires, according to the ABI.

Natural disaster cover isn't included in every policy, so read the T&Cs carefully.

You're unlikely to be covered if you took out the policy or booked the trip to a specific area affected by wildfires after they were known about. You also won't be covered if you travel against Foreign Office advice.

If you have booked a package holiday with an operator and it comes with an Atol certificate, you'll have extra protections, although you'll still need insurance for health and accident cover.

If you've booked the separate parts of your trip yourself, you're more reliant on insurance and will need to make sure you've got a policy in place that would cover you for wildfires and other natural disasters such as floods and storms.

What are my rights if my flight is cancelled?

Your flight is covered by UK law if it departs from a UK airport, arrives at a UK airport on a UK or EU airline, or arrives at an EU airport on a UK airline.

Under UK law, if your flight is cancelled the airline must either give you a refund or book you on an alternative flight - either with them or a rival airline.

Each airline will have its own cancellation policy for customers.

If your flight is cancelled within 14 days of travel - and you can prove it was the airline's fault - you are entitled to compensation. However, extreme weather and other "extraordinary circumstances" mean the airline can get out of paying.

And if I cancel the holiday myself?

If the Foreign Office doesn't advise against travel to a wildfire-affected country or area then under normal booking conditions, you'd be ineligible for a refund.

However, you could speak to your travel agent or holiday company if you're particularly concerned. They may offer a change of dates or destination - but there's no guarantee.

Some holiday accommodation will allow refunds until a certain date - so just check the details of your booking first.

By Sarah Taaffe-Maguire , business reporter

The rate of price rises is slowing but consumers are still shopping "more cautiously" at J Sainsbury plc, the company that owns Argos and the Sainsbury's chain of supermarkets announced today. 

"Unseasonal" wet weather in recent weeks dampened some sales.

Argos sales were down a worse-than-expected 6.2%, particularly purchases of consumer electronics, most notably gaming sales. 

As a result, J Sainsbury plc was the biggest share price faller on the FTSE 100 index of most valuable companies with a 4.34% tumble. Overall the index was down 0.38% on Tuesday morning while the larger FTSE 250 list was 0.15% down.

The strength of the euro still means the pound buys less than for the majority of the last month - £1 = €1.1778. Sterling is also down against the dollar, around levels seen six weeks ago. One pound buys $1.2630. 

Bad news for motorists as the oil price is at a two-month high - a barrel of Brent crude oil costs $89.90. It's still below last year's September high point of $98.36. 

A popular electric car sold in the UK has a "potentially significant" issue that could veer the driver into oncoming traffic, research has found.

Consumer group Which? says it discovered issues with the MG4's lane-assist technology while testing it on public roads.

It said the system, which is designed to keep the car in lane, twice pulled the car onto the wrong side of the road, with the tester having to use a "significant amount of force" to steer it back.

In another incident on a narrow country road, the lane-assist tech steered the car towards an oncoming vehicle, again forcing the tester to manually intervene.

According to Which?, visibility was good in all cases and the wider road had a "clearly defined centre line, while the country road had a clearly defined edge line".

It said the incidents were noticed during testing outside of controlled lab conditions, and couldn't be repeated in subsequent tests.

The issues come despite MG4 boasting a five-star Euro NCAP score, which takes into account safety features such as lane assist.

A spokesperson for the assessment programme told Which? that manufacturers "have a responsibility to ensure that the vehicle performance seen on a test track is also reflected in on-road driving".

Meanwhile, MG told the consumer watchdog it was "aware of some inconsistencies relating to the lane-departure warning system", making it "oversensitive" in certain conditions.

"We have been working on a continuous improvement programme with the supplier and the relevant regulatory authorities," the company said.

"This has resulted in an improved calibration of the ADAS systems, which we are close to having approved. Once this has been completed, we will implement it as a full software upgrade at no expense to the customer."

MG added that customers can turn off the lane-assist function via the car's touchscreen menu - but it insisted it had received no safety-related reports.

Just 18% of companies in the UK are led by women, and while data suggests female entrepreneurs are on the rise, men still receive more funding and are entrusted with higher average loans to get them started.

In an eight-part series every Tuesday, Money blog reporter  Jess Sharp  speaks to women who are bossing it in their respective fields - hearing their stories, struggles and advice for those who want to follow in their footsteps by starting a business.

This week, she has spoken to Kelly McCabe, the co-founder of the UK's first virtual cancer care clinic Perci Health...

When Kelly and her co-founder Morgan Fitzsimons set up their business, they made an unusual decision - they sat down and planned when they'd both have children. 

It's a topic many men will never feel the need to discuss with their business partners, but as two women, it was something they realistically needed to think about. 

"We had a long conversation and made a decision that we would have children at different times so that one person would stay in the business to allow the other to take the time out they needed," Kelly said.

"Of course, you can't plan this thing perfectly, but we were fortunate enough that it kind of happened that way." 

Morgan was the first to have her baby and returned to work after a couple of months off, and Kelly gave birth six months later. 

A month after having her now nearly two-year-old son, Kelly returned to work and Perci Health has continued to grow ever since.

'Whether it was NHS or private care -  I saw the same problem'

Despite Perci Health being a virtual care clinic, Kelly's career background had nothing to do with app development - she started out in the NHS. 

One of the roles she had was helping people with cancer eat and drink while receiving treatment.

Working mostly with people with head and neck cancer, she supported them with tube feeding and their rehabilitation back to solid foods. 

After working in a similar area in private healthcare, she realised all cancer patients were experiencing the same problem.

"There was a universal experience at the end of treatment where you would have your final review with your cancer nurse or oncologist, and they would say 'see you again in six months or 12 months time'," Kelly said. 

"Patients would come back into our follow-up clinics with all sorts of problems they had been living with for six months or 12 months and no one was really managing them.

"They had just be grinning and bearing it, thinking it was just par for the course after having cancer." 

She decided to come up with an idea that would connect people living with cancer with professionals who could provide long-term support and optimise their wellbeing. 

Male investors in a male-bias sector 

With a plan in mind, she reached out to her friend Morgan, who had a background in digital marketing, and the pair got started working weekends and evenings to build their company.

When COVID hit, they made the decision to "just go for it", quit their jobs and put all their focus on the business. 

Their first round of funding came from family and friends, raising £500,000, which gave them enough to pay themselves a reduced salary and hire a small team. 

But more funding was needed, and they started reaching out to investors. 

With Kelly's clinical experience, the issue she was trying to solve in the health care sector seemed "obvious", but the first hurdle she faced was convincing others that it was "important enough to solve". 

"The challenges seemed very obvious to us, but they might not necessarily be obvious to investors, and I think that is particularly true if you're solving a problem that affects women," she said. 

"The majority of investors are still male... and when you are trying to describe yourself as a technology company, then sadly there is still a male bias in that sector."

"I'm really sad to say that it's kind of the old-fashioned things you think of, like a lot of them sell on the golf course or over lunch or going shooting, and we don't get invited to golf or to shoot. 

"You don't get many female-owned technology businesses, so that was a barrier." 

Pregnant, pitching and spotting red flags 

While meeting potential investors, Kelly was heavily pregnant and was "nervous" to explain her situation out of fear it would put them off investing. 

"When I had my first conversation with our now lead investor, I was 38 weeks pregnant, so we just did all the conversations on Zoom," she said. 

"She called and said 'we'd like to invite you in to meet the team and do a formal pitch. Can you do it next week?' and obviously I had to tell her I was heavily pregnant. 

"She could tell I was nervous about telling her... but she said she was sorry that I had to explain myself, and we could just delay the pitch. 

"We pushed it back about six weeks, but not all investors are that understanding, which is why I was so nervous to explain it." 

Unfortunately, Kelly said she was "definitely asked" in the early fundraising rounds if she was planning to have children. 

"The feedback from male investments clubs was that women don't know how they feel and may not return to work after having a baby or their motivation to run a business may change," she said.

"Early on, we were just looking for investment and we would have taken any partner, but now these are the red flags that we look for.

"There is some definite progress to be made."

In total, Kelly has raised £5m and still owns 40% of Perci Health. 

All the challenges

Away from the challenge of fundraising, Kelly also had to deal with life as a new mum, which brought its own challenges as a business owner. 

She explained how having children early in the company's life meant it was still "relatively fragile" and there wasn't the chance to take maternity leave knowing her job would be safe when she returned. 

"There was a bit of a juggle with that and needing to go back to work very quickly after the baby was born, and then the other challenge is childcare," she said. 

"You don't want to be taking too much money out of your business and you're rewarded with equity rather than a salary - but of course, equity doesn't pay for childcare." 

Kelly also found there was an "underestimation" of her abilities from male investors, and it was something she noticed in the choice of language used to describe her. 

"I believe women business owners are underestimated and that is evidenced by the fact that less investment goes to us, but there's research that shows women-owned companies are more profitable," she said. 

"The language they use is interesting. For example, I'm often described as a conservative CEO within the portfolio because I'm focused on financial preservation... but would my male counterpart be seen as such or would he be seen as having optimal control?" 

Kelly's advice

Kelly's top tip is to find a business partner, possibly even two, that can help your business grow. 

"Building a business alone would be significantly harder," she said. 

"Co-founders just help ease the burden when one of you needs to take time out, so find yourself a good business partner." 

She also recommended taking "a lot of time" to build a "strong network", which she said would help "protect you as your business grows". 

"There are a lot of female entrepreneurs or female business networks that are great. Morgan and I are members of lots of them," she added. 

"It's amazing how the amount of advice and support that we have been given for free from other women just wanting to help." 

She said it was important to have a "really thick skin and to be very persistent". 

"Even in the very best businesses, you get those 100 no's before you get that one yes," she added. 

Morrisons is offering shoppers a free jacket potato with Heinz Cheesy Beanz for the next fortnight.

The supermarket chain has joined forces with Heinz to bring back the popular "ask for Henry" initiative which began in 2022 to help people with financial costs during the cost of living crisis.

The complimentary dish is available every day at Morrisons cafes across the country and allows a customer one free jacket potato and beans per day. 

There is also no minimum spend required.

But customers will need to use the discrete phrase "ask for Henry" in order to receive it.

The offer ends on 14 July.

Nike plans to launch a cheaper trainer line in an effort to boost sales.

The sporting company's new range will be priced at around £79 or less and will be available in stores across the world, according to Reuters.

Nike has seen sales growth slow as it battles competition from Adidas, as well as the likes of On and Deckers' Hoka brand.

Last Thursday the company reported a sales decline in its latest quarter. 

Nike shares also slumped last Friday, ending the day down 19.98%, the biggest one-day percentage drop in the stock's history.

"This is likely a bid to secure some more price-sensitive consumers," GlobalData analyst Neil Saunders said.

Some NatWest customers with paid-for accounts have experienced a big change to their current account fees in the last few days.

The bank hiked the fee for its Reward Black account from £31 to £36 per month as of 28 June - an extra £60 per year.

Perks of the account include UK and European car breakdown cover, access to more than 1,000 airport lounges and worldwide family travel insurance.

For those with a Reward Platinum account, the fee has gone up to £22 from £20, equating to £24 extra throughout the year.

NatWest said increasing insurance costs were one of the drivers behind the fee increases, as well as the claim rate being reported by third-party providers.

It said it had previously frozen the cost of the accounts for five years.

People who hold silver or platinum club accounts with Lloyds are also experiencing a change to their fees from this week.

Club Lloyds Silver now costs £11.50 a month, up from £10 previously, while the platinum account has gone up from £21 to £22.50 a month.

Anyone looking to avoid the fee hike can downgrade their account to a free account or one with a lower payment. There's also the option to switch to another bank.

Basically… income tax is a levy on the annual earnings of a person or business.

It's the single most important source of revenue for the Treasury, accounting for about a quarter of total tax revenue.

The tax was first introduced by former prime minister William Pitt in 1799 to help pay for the Napoleonic wars.

It was abolished in 1816 but reinstated in 1842 – and has remained a part of the British tax system ever since.

What do I pay income tax on?

If you're employed, you'll pay tax on your annual income if you meet the earnings threshold (more on that later).

Self-employed people pay income tax on their profits, including from services sold through websites or apps.

Income tax can also be levied on other earnings including:

• Some state benefits
• Most pensions, including state pensions, company and personal pensions and retirement income
• Rental income, unless you're a live-in landlord
• Job benefits
• Income from a trust
• Interest on savings over your savings allowance

How much do I have to pay?

The amount of income tax you pay each year depends on how much of your earnings is above your personal tax allowance, and how much falls within each tax band.

Currently, the personal allowance sits at  £12,570  - that's the amount of income you  don't  have to pay tax on.

The threshold has been frozen since April 2022 and is set to remain at the current level until 2028 under plans announced by the Conservatives (Labour have not made any noises about changing this).

Combined with inflation, frozen tax thresholds can lead to something called "fiscal drag" - sometimes referred to as a "stealth tax" - when more people are dragged into paying tax for the first time or paying a higher level of tax.

We've more on that in a previous post from our Basically series...

Different tax bands determine what proportion of your income will be taken as tax each year (these are for England, Wales and Northern Ireland):

• Personal allowance  - if you earn  up to £12,570  you'll pay  no  income tax
• Basic rate  - you pay 20% tax on earnings between  £12,571 and £50,270
• Higher rate  - for earnings between  £50,271 and £125,140 , it's  40%
• Additional rate  - income of  £125,141 or more  attracts a  45%  tax rate

Scottish income tax bands differ slightly, with the addition of a starter rate, intermediate rate and top rate. Outside of the basic rate, the proportions also differ. You can read more about these on the Scottish government website  here .

How is the tax paid?

The majority of people will pay income tax through PAYE (Pay As You Earn) - the system employers and pension providers use to deduct income tax and national insurance contributions before wages hit bank accounts. This money goes directly to HMRC.

The amount paid is determined by a tax code - more on those in our explainer here...

If you're self-employed earning more than £1,000, or you're a very high earner, you'll likely have to pay tax through self-assessment which is done once a year.

Self-assessments are also needed if you earn over £2,500 from other untaxed income, such as tips or renting out a property.

What does the government spend income tax on?

As we mentioned previously, income tax is the biggest sources of revenue for the government, with the Office for Budget Responsibility predicting it'll raise a whopping  £302.7bn  in the 2024-25 tax year - up from £279.2bn the previous year.

It's not known exactly how the income tax portion of its revenue is spent, but overall, about two-thirds of the government's "day-to-day" spending goes on public services, such as the NHS, schools and prisons.

Around a quarter of all spending is on social security, such as Universal Credit and the state pension.

Read other entries in our Basically series...

We feature a lot of data on the changing prices of houses in the UK, but how do they compare to the rest of the world?

New data shows the UK ranked 37th for house price growth out of 56 countries analysed by Knight Frank for the Global House Price Index.

At 1.6% up over the year to the end of March, the UK underperformed (with the global average at 3.6%) but outstripped its European neighbours.

Only 11 countries saw prices fall, eight of which were European, with France (-5.2%) and Germany (-3.9%) feeling the effects of slower economic growth and high recent inflation.

Across all 56 markets, 82% saw annual price growth in the first quarter of the year - the strongest showing since the last quarter of 2022.

"Many markets are suffering from a lack of properties to sell as well as slow new-build delivery, leading to relatively healthy demand pushing prices to new highs," said Liam Bailey, Knight Frank's global head of research.

"In the longer term, however, only lower debt costs will sustain price growth."

With a 52% price increase, Turkey was at the top of the table by a huge margin - 36 percentage points - but there's more to this figure than meets the eye.

Consumer Price Index inflation in Turkey has risen 50% in the year to March, meaning in real terms house prices have actually fallen by 9.9%.

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Leader of Gaza's Al-Shifa Hospital accuses Israel of abusing Palestinian prisoners

TEL AVIV — One of Gaza’s top doctors accused Israel of abusing Palestinian prisoners hours after he was freed along with dozens of other detainees — a decision that sparked outrage and recriminations among right-wing lawmakers and Israel’s security establishment.

After more than seven months in Israeli detention without charge or trial, Dr. Muhammad Abu Salmiya , the director of Gaza City’s Al Shifa Hospital , was seen walking in the enclave along with 54 other freed Palestinians, many still wearing their gray prison uniforms. 

“When you seek treatment, you are tortured by the nurse and doctor, and this is against international conventions,” he told an NBC News crew in Gaza about his experiences in what he said was multiple Israeli prisons.  

“We have left the prisoners in a very difficult situation. What the prisoners are going through now has not happened in the history of the prisoner movement,” he added, surrounded by family, colleagues and well-wishers celebrating his return. 

In a separate statement by Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry, Salmiya said the Palestinian prisoners had been assaulted and insulted. Conditions behind bars were “tragic,” he said, adding there was a lack of food and drink.  

The Israel Prison Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Asked about torture allegations in the past, a Prison Service spokesperson said that it “operates according to the provisions of the law” and that “all basic rights required are fully applied.”

Inside Israel, the rare prisoner release set off a wave of anger and finger-pointing even among officials and agencies who are responsible for detentions, exposing how the conduct of the war in Gaza has deepened divisions within Israeli officialdom.

Itamar Ben Gvir , the country’s ultranationalist minister of national security, blasted the decision to release the prisoners as “security negligence” and demanded that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu block Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and the Shin Bet , Israel’s internal security agency, from “conducting an independent policy contrary” to the government.

Benny Gantz, a former member of Netanyahu’s defunct war Cabinet and one of his key rivals, said the mass release included militants who helped execute Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks on Israel , which killed 1,200 people and led to more than 240 people being taken hostage. 

Calling it “a moral and ethical operational error,” he said in a statement on Telegram that “whoever made the decision lacked judgment — and should be fired today.”

The Prison Service has not said in response to requests whether anyone suspected of involvement in the Oct. 7 attacks was freed.

In a statement, Gallant attributed the decision to the Shin Bet and the Prison Service, which is under the authority of Ben Gvir, the national security minister. 

Netanyahu’s office, meanwhile, called Salmiya’s release a “severe error and a moral failure.” In a statement, it said the decision to release him was made "without the knowledge of the political leadership or the heads of the organizations." It added that Netanyahu had ordered “a thorough investigation into how this happened” and that Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar was expected to present the findings within the next 24 hours.

 The Shin Bet answered the scalding criticism by laying blame on what it called the Israeli government’s inability to relieve prison overcrowding.

“For about a year now, the General Security Service has been warning in every possible forum, in writing and orally, about the plight of incarceration and the obligation to increase the number of incarceration places,” the intelligence agency said in a statement. “Without an immediate solution to the shortage of places of confinement, arrests will continue to be canceled and detainees will continue to be released.”

For months, Israeli officials had described Al Shifa, Gaza’s largest hospital, as a hive of Hamas activity and a prime example of its use of civilian infrastructure as “human shields” to mask its operations.

Israel’s military attracted international criticism when it laid siege to the sprawling hospital complex in November. Hospital administrators and Hamas denied that the facility had hosted military operations, and Israel’s attempts to justify its attacks on the hospital were met with skepticism.

Hospitals can lose their protection under international law if combatants use them for military purposes.

Over the past few months, advocacy groups have drawn attention to the plight of Gaza’s medical workers. In a statement last week , the U.N. Human Rights Office decried the “reported killing of 500 health workers in Gaza” since Oct. 7. 

More than 37,900 people in Gaza have been killed since Israel launched its offensive following the Hamas attacks, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry, which said last week that 310 health workers had been detained.

The killings and arrests — doctors and nurses are often held for months without charge — have been a cause of outrage among Palestinian leaders. 

“Israeli ministers and the opposition must apologize to doctors and health workers for arresting, torturing, and abusing them in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law,” Mustafa Barghouthi, the secretary general of the West Bank-based National Initiative, said in a statement.

Matt Bradley is a London-based foreign correspondent for NBC News and MSNBC.

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Talk about pitfalls of travel ball: cardinals legend yadier molina is now in cubs gear, share this article.

“Cursed image.” “A sin.” “Just threw up a little bit in my mouth.”

Each comment left under Talkin’ Baseball’s post on social media platform X is an apt description of baseball’s newest and strangest viral image: St. Louis Cardinals legend Yadier Molina wearing the gear of the Chicago Cubs.

It’s a jump scare the way Johnny Damon appeared cleanly shaven in a New York Yankees uniform after the former Boston Red Sox outfielder signed with the Yanks. But Molina, obviously, is retired from the game. This Cubs jacket, hat, shorts, and bag were more forced upon him: It is his son’s travel team, of which Molina is the coach.

See the image, shared by Talkin’ Baseball from protected Instagram account @louis_33:

Yadier Molina is coaching his son’s travel team who are the Cubs (via louis_33 / IG) pic.twitter.com/D1bTcVClKU — Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 30, 2024

Molina, one of the best catchers of all time, played all 19 MLB seasons with the Cardinals. During that time, he made 10 all-star games, won nine Gold Gloves and four Platinum Gloves, was a Silver Slugger, and was a two-time World Series champion.

Despite fairly pedestrian hitting numbers, Molina has as good a Hall of Fame case as any other catcher of his generation.

And to emphasize: All 19 of those seasons were with the Cardinals. The Cubs rivalry runs in Molina’s blood. But now the Cubs colors run on his uniform.

As good of a baseball player as he was, this is Hall of Fame father material right here.

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Phil Rosenthal Says His Food And Travel Show Is Moving To Netflix

Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal announced today that his food and travel show I’ll Have What Phil’s Having is moving from PBS to Netflix .

“I just want to thank you all for your support this year and I’m so happy you liked the food and travel show and I’ve gotten all your messages on social media asking are there going to be more shows. … I wish I had some information for you but…”, says in a video posted on Twitter. He then opens up a fortune cookie that reveals he will “begin a new journey – Exclusively with Netflix.”

Dear people, this is happening: pic.twitter.com/WtWnPLaNAQ — Phil Rosenthal (@PhilRosenthal) January 9, 2017

In the six-part series on PBS, Rosenthal traveled to Barcelona, Paris, Hong Kong, Italy and Los Angeles to sample local delicacies, which included a century-old egg and barbecued eel. Rosenthal told critics at TCA last year ahead of the show’s debut on PBS that it was about food’s power to unite and “expanding your mind a little bit.” His guests on the first season included Ray Romano, Martin Short, Allison Janney and comedian Dave Spector.

Netflix confirmed Rosenthal would be doing a show with the internet TV network, with more details to come at a later date. There was no immediate comment from PBS.

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