WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department plans to drastically slash the number of U.S. embassies and consulates in Africa that can process visas for foreigners seeking to come to the United States.
The almost 50 U.S. embassies and consulates that are processing visa applications will be reduced to 20 in the coming weeks, according to three U.S. officials and an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press. There is not yet a set date for the change, but it is expected in June, according to the officials, who were not authorized to comment to the media and spoke on condition of anonymity.
On a conference call last Friday, U.S. diplomats, including consular chiefs, were told the U.S. would be scaling back its visa services across Africa, according to one of the officials who was on the call.
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Under a directive approved by Secretary of State Marco Rubio last week, the State Department will reduce consular operations in all but 20 “hubs” in Africa, according to the officials and the memo.
Visa processing in Africa has already been affected by a travel ban on certain countries as well as a requirement for applicants to post up to $15,000 bond in order to apply and more recently by restrictions caused by the Ebola outbreak.
The new rules mean that a citizen of a non-hub country will have to travel to one of the 20 approved sites, which could pose formidable travel challenges and costs.
Consular sections in non-hub countries will stay open but be limited in the services they can offer. They will still be able to assist American citizens with passport renewals and emergency consular requests as well as special national interest cases and diplomatic visa applications.
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The State Department did not address the specific issues in the memo but said it “is constantly evaluating its overseas operations in order to deploy taxpayer resources in a way that advances America’s priorities as efficiently and effectively as possible.”
It said this “includes a visa process that maintains rigorous standards of security screening and vetting and aligns resources and operational capacity with America’s national interests.”
According to the memo, the 20 hubs to remain open for all processing are: Abidjan, Ivory Coast; Accra, Ghana; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Cape Town, South Africa; Dakar, Senegal; Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania; Djibouti, Djibouti; Johannesburg, South Africa; Kampala, Uganda; Kigali, Rwanda; Kinshasa, Congo; Lagos, Nigeria; Lome, Togo; Luanda, Angola; Malabo, Equatorial Guinea; Monrovia, Liberia; Nairobi, Kenya; Port Louis, Mauritius; Praia, Cape Verde; and Yaounde, Cameroon.
When police seized Darren Cox’s phone they found he also had videos of other women and a young girl, all in a state of undress.
A man has been put on the sex offenders’ register after he was caught filming a female in a supermarket changing cubicle.
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When police seized Darren Cox’s phone they found he also had videos of other women and a young girl, all in a state of undress.
Cox, 49, of Lanark Road, Carstairs, appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court this week.
He admitted filming females at Sainsbury’s in Hamilton and other unknown locations between February and April 2024.
The court heard Cox was caught when a female shopper realised a phone had been placed on top of the cubicle she was in.
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The horrified woman confronted him and the police were contacted.
Officers viewed the supermarket’s CCTV which showed Cox going into a fitting room carrying two pairs of trousers and two t-shirts.
The woman he filmed was seen entering an adjacent cubicle.
Kevin Morrow, prosecuting, said 20 videos of adult women in a state of undress in fitting rooms were found on Cox’s phone.
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Police also discovered that he had filmed a girl thought to be aged between 10 and 12 years old as she changed in a cubicle.
Apart from the woman who caught him, none of his victims have been identified.
Mr Morrow told the court that Cox was “tearful” and apologetic when police officers quizzed him about his behaviour.
The fiscal said: “He admitted he had been watching people and videoing them in changing areas.
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“He claimed he didn’t know the girl he filmed was so young and deleted that video as soon as he realised.
“The accused said his wife had been going through a ‘horrendous’ time and he had been her carer. There had been all sorts of issues.
“He told police he had been ‘flaming stupid’ and wanted to apologise.”
Sheriff Liam Murphy said it was clear from a statement provided by the victim who caught the accused that his actions have had a “significant” impact on her.
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The sheriff told Cox: “Be under no illusion, you have pleaded guilty to a serious offence.”
Sentence was deferred until next month for background reports, an electronic tagging assessment and a risk assessment.
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Parking bays and waiting restrictions will also be introduced – with the new measures covering 20 locations in the area.
The new scheme was approved by highways bosses following concerns by locals, which included parking close to junctions, parked vehicles restricting other traffic from making manoeuvres, and risks to pedestrians.
The junction of Salisbury Street, Bacon Beaconsfield Street and Ribblesdale Road is one of the areas to be affected.
(Image: Bolton Council)
But the junction between Goldsmith Street, Bridgeman Street, and Higher Swan Lane will be discussed at a further meeting.
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The scheme as a whole received 120 objections, including one petition which contained 265 signatures, though this was counteracted by 286 letters of support.
The scheme was discussed at the meeting of the Executive Cabinet Member Highways, Transport, Planning and Development
Council officer Joe Fox said: “There were 21 separate locations across Rumworth which we identified as needing some parking intervention.
Swan Lane (Image: Newsquest)
“We sat down with ward councillors one to one and went through it line by line, discussing specific issues, and came to an agreement with councillors on what to do.
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“This report schedule sets out some slight amendments to the original proposal, which in most cases is trimming back some of the restrictions.”
The scheme came about due to ‘concerns’ that were raised about ‘obstructive parking in various locations around Rumworth (ward)’.
This is ‘causing concerns about vehicular and pedestrian movement and creating health and safety risks.’
Residents are raising concerns over the blocked street (Image: Public)
The new rules will prevent parking in certain areas in an attempt to manage traffic and support pedestrians.
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Cllr Ismail Ibrahim said: “I looked at the restrictions and generally I’m supportive.
“The only one I have real concerns about is the one around Goldsmith Street, Bridgeman Street, and the bottom of Higher Swan Lane.
“I just feel it’s not been looked at in the manner it should be.
“Road safety has to come before traffic, and what we’re doing here is we’re actually increasing the speed of traffic upon the entry point of Goldsmith Street.
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“There was a collision there just last week. Whenever a vehicle comes down Higher Swan Lane they can’t see past the junction of Goldsmith Street. When the cars are parked at the bottom they actually act as a buffer and it slows the traffic down.
The section of Goldsmith Street, Bridgeman Street, and Higher Swan Lane – the junction is at the bottom right of the image. (Image: Bolton Council)
“This point is used as a pedestrian crossing by many of the children and parents in the area, and I just feel that it’s not been taken into consideration as it should be.
“Also there is an issue in relation to the double yellow lines that they’ve put outside the church hall.
“Where are hearses supposed to park when they’ve got funerals? Because it’s just outside and all around the church.
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Back (Image: Newsquest)
“The lines don’t resolve traffic flow, they create a problem – you’re displacing and creating traffic at the same time.
“We need to be looking at improving this area, but this particular proposal doesn’t meet the objectives.
“I would prefer to defer the decision to ensure we find the right solution.”
The report had stated the double yellow restrictions were proposed to that junction due to ‘obstructions and visibility issues.’
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The parking causes chaos with oncoming traffic (Image: Public)
Mr Fox responded to Cllr Ibrahim’s concerns: “I think the way to tackle this is to look at site meetings.
“I would suggest we defer it. I know it’s frustrating, but I think we should try getting it right first time.
“But I think we can isolate just those items in the review, so we don’t need to defer the whole thing.”
Officers Jon Dyson and Ian Mulholland discussed whether the report could be substantially approved except for the Goldsmith/Bridgeman/Higher Swan Lane junction.
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The officers confirmed it could.
Cllr Ayyub Patel added: “The whole idea about the junction improvement and safety Traffic Regulation Orders s are there for the safety of the pedestrians and road users.
(Image: Bolton Council)
“I feel the officer’s recommendations are correct. I think we should defer a decision about that area and approve the rest.”
Cllr Sue Haworth said: “I’m very happy to support Cllr Ibrahim, who wants to defer the items that cover the double yellow lines at Bridgeman Street, Goldsmith Street, and the road outside St Philip’s Church.
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“I looked through all of this and Back Bowness Road and Swan Lane – I know the road markings had faded in recent years.
“My question is – if the lines become faded, does that mean the restriction order immediately ends? Because the orders can’t operate without lines.”
(Image: Bolton Council)
Mr Fox responded to Cllr Haworth: “The legal order remains. It doesn’t cease, it’s just that the lines need repainting. It will only change if we legally revoke the order, which is another legal process in itself.”
Executive member Nadeem Ayyub approved 20 of the new restrictions, deferring a decision on the Goldmsith Street junction to a later date.
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Full list of where parking restrictions will go and why
Junction of Salisbury Street with Back Beaconsfield Street: Visibility and obstruction issues.
Melbourne Road at its junction with Willows Lane and its junction with Back Willows Lane North: Obstructions and visibility issues.
Willows Lane staggered junctions with Constance Road on the northern side, and with Brandwood Street on the southern side: Obstructions and visibility issues.
Willows Lane staggered junctions with Roland Road on the northern side, and with Croston Street on the southern side: Obstructions and visibility issues.
Willows Lane at its junction with Broomfield Road: Obstructions and visibility issues.
Willows Lane at its junctions with Caledonian Street on the northern side and with Church Avenue and with Back Church Avenue on the southern side: Current restrictions are insufficient to deter on street parking obstructions which is also affecting visibility.
Back Willows Lane North at its junction with Penarth Road and at its southern bend: Visibility issues and detrimental impact on movement of traffic,
Quebec Street staggered junctions with Wellfield Road on the western side, and with Burnaby Street on the eastern side: Obstructions and visibility issues.
Ribblesdale Road at its junction with Swan Lane: Obstructions and visibility issues.
Ribblesdale Road at its junction with Pike Road: Obstructions and visibility issues.
Back Bowness Road south-eastern side between Swan Lane and Pike Road: Narrow Street and inconsiderate parking are causing detrimental and health and safety impact on traffic movement, particularly for emergency and refuse vehicles, and blocking back door accesses to houses on this side of the road.
Penarth Road and Back Penarth Road, intersections with Melbourne Road: Obstructions and visibility issues.
Ryley Avenue at its junction with Back Wigan Road: Obstructions and visibility issues.
Hawthorne Road has been reported to have a number of issues, namely the following: • Its junction with Willows Lane has been the subject of several accidents due to obstructions at the turning points, lack of signage and white markings that designate priority have faded away. • Opposite to Hawthorne Street, at the gate (main entrance) of Al Jamiatul Islamiyah – Bolton Darul Uloom, this space is subjected to continuous obstructions especially during school 4 drop-off and pick-up times, putting the life of children and their families at risk. Lack of school signage is also encouraging drivers to drive at a dangerous speed.
Ryley Avenue junction with Wigan Road, is also the subject of traffic obstructions for the traffic leaving or entering Hawthorne Road impacting movement and inhibiting visibility splay, increasing the risk to vulnerable road users.
Rasbottom St between Baldwin Street and Back Baldwin Street North A request has been put forward by businesses to convert certain areas to limited waiting restrictions and provide at least one Loading Bay.
The staggered junction of Cannon Street with Stanny Way Close (eastern side) and Cannon Grove (western side) has become the subject of double parking causing major traffic obstructions. Its proximity to Deane Road has exacerbated the problem as queues of traffic build up along Cannon Street with very little movement due to the obstructions. The staggered junction needs protection from inconsiderate parking.
Sandon Street at its junction with Back Sandon Street West has very short waiting restrictions on its western side. The narrowness of the street and inconsiderate parking opposite the junction and to the north of the junction create obstructions to the turning traffic entering and egressing Back Sandon Street West. The junction needs better cover of protection.
Auburn Street/Rutland Street junction has become the subject of double parking causing major obstructions to moving turning traffic. The site needs to be protected from double parking and turns protection.
Caroline Street at its junction with Bridgeman Street is subjected to a lot of obstruction detrimentally impacting traffic movement particularly delivery HGVs and other large vehicles, moving in and out of the western corner business, (mill), putting not only vehicles and drivers at risk, but also pedestrians, and in particular vulnerable people. The junction needs protection that will facilitate a safe movement of HGVs and large loading vehicles.
Turning traffic at Broadhurst Street at its junctions with Back Rumworth Street, Rumworth Street, Back Brandon Street North and Nebo Street is witnessing a lot of obstructions causing frustration for motorists and compromising the health and safety of pedestrians and forcing vulnerable people to use the carriageway to bypass the obstructed pavements at these locations. The junctions need protection so that visibility is not inhibited and safety is not compromised.
There are plenty of events taking place ahead of the main Twelfth of July celebrations
It’s just a few weeks until the main Twelfth of July celebrations across Northern Ireland, but there are plenty of events lined up between now and then.
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The main parades to mark the 336th anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne take place on Monday, July 13, as The Twelfth falls on a Sunday this year.
Ahead of then, however, there are plenty of family fun days, parades, charity events and much more lined up, taking place right across Northern Ireland.
Full list of pre-Twelfth events across Northern Ireland
BELFAST
Friday, 19th June – Tour of the North Parade.
Friday, 26th June – Sandy Row District LOL No.5 Arch Opening.
Friday, 26th June – Clifton Street Arch Opening.
Saturday, 27th June – Whiterock Parade.
Sunday, 28th June – 36th Ulster Division LOL 977 Service – St Mary Magdalene Parish Church, Donegal Pass.
Wednesday, 1st July- Ballymacarrett District LOL No.6 Somme Parade.
Wednesday, 1st July – Queen Victoria Temperance LOL 760 Somme Parade, Sandy Row.
Wednesday, 1st July – Thiepval Memorial LOL 1916 – Somme Parade.
Tuesday, 2nd July – Annual Shankill Banner Parade.
Wednesday, 8th July – Ballynafeigh District LOL No.10 Annual Parade.
RATHFRILAND
Friday, 10th July -Family fun day – Rathfriland
Sunday, 12th July – Open air religious service in Church Square, Rathfriland at 6.30pm.
COOKSTOWN
Sunday, 28th June – Drumnacross Guiding Star LOL 304 service, Drumnacross Orange Hall.
Sunday, 28th June – Tamlaghtmore Ark of Safety LOL 469 service, Tamlaghtmore Orange Hall
Sunday, 5th July – Joint Church Service LOL 199, 270, 304, 661, 686 – Orritor Presbyterian Church.
Sunday, 5th July – Ballybriest Purple Star LOL 277 Church service, Lissan Parish Church.
Sunday, 12th July – Cookstown District LOL No.3 Church service, Derryloran Parish Church, Cookstown.
Sunday, 12th July – Tullycoll Rising Sons of William LOL 767 service, Tullycoll Orange Hall
LARNE
Saturday, 20th June – Parade – Cairncastle Orange Hall
CASTLEDERG
Friday, 3rd July – BBQ & Fireworks –Ardbarron Orange Hall.
Tuesday, 7th July – Charity 5K Fun Run.
Thursday, 9th July – District Sports Night –5 a side football and tug of war at Darragh Park, Castlederg.
Friday, 10th July -BBQ & Bonfire– Kilclean Orange Hall.
Sunday, 12th July – Orange Arch dedication following refurbishment.
BALLYMENA
Saturday, 27th June Mini Twelfth & Fun Day- Cullybackey.
KILREA
Saturday, 11th July – Vintage Rally in Kilrea.
Saturday, 11th July- BBQ & Dance in Killygullib Orange Hall.
Sunday, 12th July – Wreath Laying Service at Kilrea War Memorial.
Sunday, 12th July – District Church Service St Patricks Church of Ireland.
AUGHNACLOY
Sunday, 14th June Roughan True Blues LOL 1031 Orange Service.
Sunday, 21st June Loughan LOL 1020 Orange Service.
Sunday, 28th June Dergina True Blues LOL 897 Orange Service.
Sunday, 5th July Mulnahunch Lily of Clonaneese LOL 96 Orange Service.
Sunday, 12th July Annahoe District LOL No.6 Dedication of Memorial Bannerette, Aughnacloy Presbyterian Church.
NEWTOWNHAMILTON
Saturday, 20th June – Annual District Mini-12th at 7.30pm.
Thursday, 2nd July – “Songs of Praise” – 2nd Newtownhamilton Presbyterian Church, at 7.30pm (collection for charity).
Friday, 10th July – “Family Fun Night” – Demonstration Field, Castleblayney Road, commencing at 7pm.
Sunday, 12th July – Boyne Anniversary Service – 2nd Newtownhamilton Presbyterian Church at 3.30pm.
ROYAL HILLSBOROUGH
Saturday, 20th June – Gala Ulster Scots evening in Star of Maze Hall, Kesh Road, Maze.
Thursday, 25th June -Classic Vehicle Run.
Friday, 26th June -Opening of the arch in Royal Hillsborough village.
Friday, 26th June -Battle of the Bands in Royal Hillsborough Orange Hall.
Saturday, 11th July – A Joyful Journey with Lambeg drums at Arthur Street Orange Hall.
Monday, 13th July – Festival at the Fort.
BALLYMONEY
Sunday, 12th July – Ballymoney District LOL No.16 are holding their Annual District Church Parade and Service in St. Patrick’s Parish Church at 6pm.
MAGUIRESBRIDGE
Thursday 9th July – Mini Twelfth Parade – Brookeborough.
Saturday, 11th July – Enniskillen Town Bands Eleventh Night parade – Enniskillen.
PORTGLENONE
Thursday, 2nd July – Vintage Vehicle run, 7.00pm The Square, Portglenone. Proceeds in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Nurses.
BALLYMARTIN
Wednesday, 1st July – Somme Commemoration – Annalong.
Friday, 3rd July – Tractor & Vintage Car Run – Ballyvea Orange Hall.
Andy Burnham remains committed to an orderly transition of power in early September, despite growing expectations that Sir Keir could announce a timetable for his resignation as early as today, a senior source has told the Manchester Evening News.
The MEN understands a handover in early September is the preferred option, with Mr Burnham expected to meet Labour MPs over the coming weeks as the party maps out its next steps.
It is understood Burnham’s team would like time to work with civil servants ahead of a transfer of power.
In its statement, Taiwan’s agriculture ministry said authorities would focus on “sustainable agricultural development and stable income for farmers”, and “continue to guide the atemoya industry toward diversified processing”, including by producing frozen fruit products, puree and wines.
However, it seems likely that all three IPOs will materially reshape the markets. JP Morgan estimates some $410bn in passive buying from the index inclusion of major AI IPOs. “At index level, the increased weights of the newly included companies would come at the expense of the weights of the companies they replace as well as the biggest tech companies like Mag 7,” the “magnificent seven” tech firms, wrote Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou, an analyst at JP Morgan, in a research note published in mid-May.
Officials in Russia-occupied Crimea suspended civilian gasoline sales Sunday as Ukraine ramped up attacks on fuel supplies on the Black Sea peninsula.
The Russia-appointed Crimean governor Sergei Aksyonov said that overnight Ukrainian strikes killed four people and wounded 28. He later wrote on social media that local gas stations would halt all sales to non-state companies and individuals for an undefined period.
“Fuel will be sold only to government agencies that ensure the functioning and security of the Republic of Crimea,” Aksyonov said. “I ask everyone to remain calm and to only trust official sources of information.”
Ukrainian forces have repeatedly targeted fuel supplies to Crimea in recent weeks, triggering the worst energy crisis in the region since it was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.
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A satellite image shows fire and smoke rising from oil tanks, after what Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said was an attack on an oil depot in the city of Kerch, Crimea, 21 June 2026 (Reuters)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a statement Sunday that a Crimean oil depot, as well as an oil transport facility in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region were among the targets. He described the attacks as part of Ukraine’s “long-range sanctions” against Russia’s energy infrastructure.
“Russia understands only strength, and our long-range strength is certainly working for peace,” he wrote.
Russian officials in Krasnodar reported earlier Sunday that a drone strike sparked a fire at a Black Sea oil terminal in the village of Chushka. They said that Ukrainian attacks struck a ferry, killing one person.
A drone footage shows fire and smoke rising from buildings, in what Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said was an attack on an oil depot in the city of Kerch (Reuters)
Motorists struggle to find fuel
The Crimean peninsula has had periodic fuel shortages from Ukrainian strikes before, but the current crisis is the worst since its 2014 annexation.
At the end of May, authorities restricted the sale of gas to 20 liters (5 1/3 gallons) per vehicle owner per week, using prepaid coupons. Those were snapped up immediately following their release on an official messaging app channel, and motorists lined up for hours, waiting to refuel.
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Social networks have been abuzz with requests and advice on where to find fuel, and authorities launched a hotline for tourists in the area who have found themselves trapped.
(AP)
Some motorists bring their own gas from Krasnodar and elsewhere via the Kerch bridge, but they are restricted to carrying 100 liters (about 26 1/2 gallons) per vehicle. Some speculators are selling gas at double the market price.
In a rare public acknowledgment, the Kremlin has recognized the scope of the problem and promised to address the issue quickly.
However, Ukraine’s successes have highlighted its ability to inflict painful damage on Russia and change the course of the conflict while Moscow’s advances recently have ground to a near halt. On June 11, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine reached its 1,569th day, surpassing the duration of World War I.
Sex workers have found ways to bolster their income (Picture: Metro/Lily/Melissa/Ariel)
Ariel Anderssen, 49, has been in the adult industry for 25 years, and in that time she’s amassed a property portfolio that will make your eyes water.
She’s a sex worker in a looser sense of the word, fulfilling men’s niche requests on OnlyFans and raking in the cash as a bondage model.
‘Men typically come to me if they can’t find their kink represented widely in porn,’ Ariel tells Metro. ‘So, I’ve pretended to be eaten by a monster under the bed, and I do submissive stuff where I pretend to be auctioned off to the highest bidder.’
Charging £100 for a five-minute OnlyFans video, or £270 for 30-minutes, means she earned £228,000 last year. It’s enabled her to purchase eight properties so far, and she intends to purchase 11 in total.
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And she’s just one of multiple sex workers future-proofing her income in this way, with OnlyFans creators telling Metro they’re buying up property for passive income.
Ariel bought her first flat in 2007 at 29 – a one-bedroom for £140,000 by the Tube station in Ealing. It’s now worth £260,000.
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‘I was just going to live in it but then I met my husband and after two years we bought a house together,’ Ariel explains. ‘I was scared my relationship wouldn’t work out because we hadn’t lived together before, so I rented the flat out instead.’
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Ariel Anderssen with her husband at one of their properties (Picture: Ariel Anderssen)
In the 20 years since, the flat hasn’t sat vacant for more than three days, and Ariel makes £1,1300 a month from the rent. ‘That was going to be my pension pot initially,’ she adds, ‘but then I thought living off £12,000 a year in retirement didn’t sound great – could I double it?’
So, in 2016, Ariel purchased a two-bed flat in Wolverhampton for £67,000 (now worth £90,000). But once she read a book on property investing, she set herself a challenge to buy one more flat every two years.
‘I’d always thought you need to get the smallest mortgage you can and pay it down, but the book said to do a 25% deposit, get an interest-only mortgage for the rest and keep buying properties,’ Ariel says. ‘It sounded terrifying but that’s what I started doing.
‘As you buy more, you can save the deposit for the next one much faster because of the rent coming in.’
The bondage model bought a two-bed maisonette in Telford in 2018 for £80,000 (now worth £105,000) and a two-bed flat in Barry, South Wales, for £127,000 in 2021 which is now worth £144,000.
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When Covid hit people started buying more porn from Ariel, increasing her income and enabling her to buy her three most recent properties mortgage-free.
Ariel getting stuck in with renovating one of her recent property purchases (Picture: Ariel Anderssen)
This includes two two-bed flats in Peterborough, the first bought for £105,000 in 2023 (now worth £120,000), and the second bought for £140,000 in 2024. Then Ariel took the plunge and bought a three-bed house in Newcastle for £68,000 in 2025 (worth £83,000 after renovations).
This is all in addition to her three-story Georgian home in the Welsh Borders, which she purchased with her husband for £300,000 11 years ago.
Why are sex workers building property portfolios, how easily can they get a mortgage?
Will Sharman, an MBNM mortgage broker, has assisted multiple self-employed individuals, including adult OnlyFans creators, in securing mortgages.
‘Wealthy creators buying property is a smart strategy,’ Will tells Metro. ‘OnlyFans income has a finite window and real platform risk. A policy change or algorithm shift can wipe earnings overnight.
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‘Property offers passive income, capital growth, and a long-term asset that doesn’t depend on continued content creation. It’s exactly what any financial adviser would recommend to someone with high, front-loaded, volatile earnings.’
Sex workers can struggle to get mortgages though, because lenders want stable, verifiable income, according to Will. ‘OnlyFans income is unusual enough to trigger extra scrutiny under anti-money laundering rules, and some lenders have informal policies around industries they consider reputationally sensitive, which can mean a discreet decline.’
He adds: ‘But OnlyFans creators’ work is legal, the income is taxable, and they are entitled to exactly the same access to financial services as anyone else.
‘The friction they face isn’t a reflection of anything wrong with them. It’s institutions being slow to catch up with how people legitimately earn a living in 2026.’
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‘I rent to people in need’
Dominatrix Melissa Todd, 49, also has eight properties to her name.
‘When I entered the sex industry aged 19, I liked to torture myself with worry about what on earth I’d do when I “got old”,’ Melissa tells Metro.
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So, she began buying up property after charging her wealthy clients up to £20,000 for her sex worker services, which include spanking, bondage and ‘headmistress school’.
Her first purchase was when she was 19, before she entered the world of sex work, using money she made as a care assistant. It was a three-bed with a huge garage and garden for £41,000 in east Kent, where all her properties are, in Thanet and Medway.
Melissa buys her homes outright, which are collectively worth around £2,000,000, and she’s never had any issues purchasing with sex work funds. She currently has seven tenants in situ, but has previously let her properties to sex workers who find it harder to rent.
Melissa Todd posing in a window in one of her homes (Picture: Melissa Todd)
David Smith, partner and specialist in residential property law at Bishop & Sewell, tells Metro sex workers and OnlyFans models can struggle to rent because most residential tenancies have a clause prohibiting work or operation of a business from the property.
‘An Onlyfans model would find themselves at risk of breaching this if they were shooting films in the premises,’ he explains. ‘It’s common to find clauses prohibiting immoral use and, while such clauses were historically targeted at prostitution, they would likely be breached by filming sexual content as well.’
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David adds courts have been harsh on sex workers and OF creators because they believe it’ll lead to the property’s reputation being ‘tainted’.
So Melissa helps out sex workers in a bind. ‘I also prefer to rent to people on benefits, the homeless, the self-employed,’ she explains. ‘Partly because I feel like a horrible human being for being so wealthy, and helping people makes me feel less guilty. I also charge vastly under market rates.’
In total, Melissa earns about £5,000 a month from her properties, but she has no plans to purchase other homes in the future – although she encourages other sex workers to do so.
‘Invest your cash while it’s coming in thick and fast,’ she adds. ‘It’s getting harder to make money from porn, and I suspect it will get harder still.’
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‘Estate agents told potential buyers who I was’
Lily Phillips, who famously had sex with 101 men in a single day, has acquired two properties at the age of just 24 – one is her home in Cheshire and the other a rental property in Derbyshire, near her hometown.
‘I bought my rental property outright at 20 for £110,000,’ Lily tells Metro. ‘It’s a small house but I get £700 a month from it. I purchased it purely for investment purposes.’
She doesn’t disclose her identity to her tenants and it’s her parents who manage the tenancy for her.
Lily owns two properties and lives in one, while renting out the other (Picture: Lily Phillips)
But when Lily bought her £1,025,000 Cheshire home — a Georgian four-floor, five-bedroom house — with cash in July 2025, her privacy was invaded by estate agents.
She’d moved there after living in Kensington and Chelsea for three years, looking for somewhere ‘homey’ where she could walk her dog and not have to worry about getting any ‘trouble’.
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‘When my neighbours moved in they told me the estate agent had said, “Lily Phillips is living next door, she’s a porn star, we need to disclose that for legal reasons”,’ Lily says.
The living room inside Lily Phillips’ Cheshire home (Picture: Lily Phillips)
Property lawyer David clarifies it’s legal to declare to a potential buyer that the neighbour is an OnlyFans model but giving their name is a breach of GDPR.
‘I question whether an agent should have disclosed this, it depends on what she was doing and whether it would affect them,’ David says. ‘Many agents massively over interpret their duties to disclose material information.’
Lily’s neighbours weren’t put off by it, but she was taken back by the invasion of her privacy.
A bedroom inside Lily Phillips’ Cheshire home (Picture: Lily Phillips)
‘It felt really invasive,’ she explains. ‘The buyers could’ve been anyone like a superfan who was obsessed with me and that’s why he wanted to move next door. It could’ve been someone who wanted to terrorise me, or who didn’t like what I do and wanted to make my life hell.
‘I found it ridiculous. I’m a normal human being, I just do an adult job. I don’t really work in the house. I’m not running around naked on the street. Everything is behind closed doors and in the privacy of my own home.’
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So, is it time the property market caught up to sex workers and their budding property portfolios? Probably.
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — A polarized Colombia gave conservative political outsider Abelardo de la Espriella a razor-thin lead in a runoff election that will be challenged in the coming days by the ruling party’s progressive candidate.
De la Espriella, a business owner and lawyer who earned U.S. President Donald Trump’s endorsement despite never having run for office, led progressive lawmaker Iván Cepeda taking 49.7% of the votes, with 99.9% of results released by electoral authorities. Cepeda, Petro’s ally, earned 48.7% support. Election officials have not formally announced a winner.
A victory by de la Espriella is expected to usher in policies that will reverse the agenda of outgoing President Gustavo Petro, including a controversial plan to hold parallel peace negotiations with illegal armed groups. Petro’s protégé, lawmaker Ivan Cepeda, had pledged to push forward that strategy and other social reforms if he won Sunday’s vote.
“I will govern for all Colombians,” de la Espriella, nicknamed “The Tiger,” told thousands of supporters as he stood behind bulletproof glass in the northern city of Barranquilla on Sunday night. But his conciliatory tone changed as he spoke.
“Pack your bags and prepare to exercise the opposition,” he added. “Make no mistake, Mr. Cepeda. You already know how fiercely the tiger roars.”
Speaking from Bogota after the vote count was tallied, Cepeda told supporters that his campaign considers the count “unofficial and non-binding” and that his team will challenge results from more than 30,000 voting stations. No recount has flipped the results of a presidential election in Colombian history.
“We will not allow … the rollback of the social gains we have achieved,” Cepeda said. “We will not allow democracy to be violated.”
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Petro also vowed to challenge the outcome. Sunday’s winner will begin a four-year term Aug. 7.
The two candidates pitched voters widely different strategies to prevent the South American country from experiencing the nonstop violence, such as car bombs, kidnappings, disappearances and forced displacements, that Colombians lived with in previous decades.
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De la Espriella, 47, promised a heavy-handed approach to crime-fighting, including drug trafficking. He also said he plans to end Petro’s attempts to establish dialogues with multiple armed groups — an effort that has largely failed — and build mega-prisons, emulating Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele’s aggressive policies. Those tactics have lowered homicide rates in the Central American country but have fueled accusations of human rights abuses.
De la Espriella holds dual Colombian and U.S. citizenship. He’s a Trump supporter and a member of the Republican Party.
“He Won, BIG!” Trump said on his social media platform.
‘It’s always the same violence’
Yolanda Hernández, who recycles trash for a living, voted for Petro in 2022, but cast her ballot for de la Espriella this time. While she acknowledged that Petro was unable to deliver on promises meant to help the poor because of congressional gridlock, she said Colombia cannot afford another four years under his vision for the country.
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“We want change in Colombia because it’s always the same violence, always the same thing,” Hernández, 49, said. “(Petro) said he was going to lower the cost of services, that he was going to lower the price of food, and everything is more expensive.”
Will Freeman, a fellow for Latin American Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, said Sunday’s result shows the country “has not shifted overwhelmingly or decisively” against Petro’s project or for de la Espriella’s outsider “iron fist showmanship.” Freeman added that the result also underscored Colombia’s regional divisions.
“It’s regional not just ideological polarization; or rather, the two overlapping,” he said. “Ironically, de la Espriella’s iron-fist message performed best in the core of the country, not the periphery, which bears the brunt of Colombia’s violence.”
Colombia’s illegal groups have more than 27,000 members.
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Last year, authorities recorded 14,780 homicides, the most since at least 2015, driven by clashes among illegal armed groups. Among those killed was conservative presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe.
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