If you thought the past year has been toxic, there is far worse to come

The Welsh Rugby Union has a long and, by now, pretty remarkable history of turning difficult situations into catastrophes.

It goes back decades. There was the attempt to seize 51% of the clubs in 1996; the player strikes; plans to force Welsh rugby down to four professional teams in 2023, followed by the inevitable retreat to five; more threats of player action and the all out civil war of the Roger Lewis era.

If there is one thing the WRU has consistently been able to guarantee in the professional game, it is chaos.

JOIN OUR WALES RUGBY FACEBOOK PAGE Latest news, analysis and much more

To be fair, the current administration inherited an appalling situation from the disastrous reign of former CEO Steve Phillips.

The finances were already in a parlous state, and the relationship between the union and the four professional men’s clubs was barely holding together.

Although, strictly speaking, that last point is not entirely fair. The WRU does have an excellent relationship with one of the four clubs, given it owns Cardiff

Which brings us to the question that now hangs over Welsh rugby; how does the WRU and its CEO Abi Tierney get itself out of this mess?

The financial numbers appear to point inexorably towards reducing the number of professional teams but the problem of money is not a new one.

The Oakwell report of 2022 identified many of today’s structural problems years ago, as did other external consultants before them. The WRU commissioned the advice, listened to it, and then largely ignored it.

The union, it seems, has always preferred to believe that it knows best, but it has become incapable of devising a coherent plan and, more importantly, sticking to it.

Take Dave Reddin. He arrived with considerable fanfare and championed a two-team solution, accompanied by a dossier intended to make the case.

Yet the WRU subsequently retreated from that position, having apparently rediscovered an inconvenient fact: it is contractually committed to provide four teams in the United Rugby Championship until 2028.

So, if the WRU could not simply reduce the number of Welsh teams, perhaps it could replace them.

At various stages we heard about American involvement while Ealing Trailfinders, London Irish and South African outfit the Cheetahs were mentioned as a possible replacement for a Welsh side.

The details changed, but the underlying message remained the same; somehow, someone else might solve the problem.

At one point, the WRU reportedly paid Portas Consulting £800,000 for expert advice on the future of the sport.

And yet, many months later, Welsh professional rugby appears to be back where it started: four clubs, a financial crisis and a governing body that still seems unable to settle on what it actually wants to do with them.

By XANTHA LEATHAM, EXECUTIVE SCIENCE EDITOR

Published: 07:56 BST, 9 August 2026 | Updated: 18:55 BST, 9 August 2026

If it feels like your home has suddenly become overrun with flies, you’re not imagining it.

Horrified Britons have complained of an ‘invasion’, with many sharing hilarious videos of themselves trying to swat the insects away.

Experts have revealed the recent warm weather speeds up a fly’s life cycle, allowing populations to explode in a matter of days.

With the summer holidays in full swing, the increased presence of barbecues, picnics, overflowing bins and sugary drinks means homes and gardens have become an irresistible feeding ground.

Advertisement

And it could be about to get even worse thanks to a recent decline in the number of wasps – which prey on the insects – across the country.

‘I feel like I’m going mad,’ one person said on TikTok. ‘They’re so jarring. I’m trying to cook and you’re swarmed by an army of them in your own home.’

Another complained: ‘These flies are taking the p***. Why are there so many?’

While another added: ‘I think I’m going insane at this point. We can’t have the back door open without being swarmed by flies.’

Advertisement

‘I feel like I’m going mad,’ one person said on TikTok (left). ‘They’re so jarring. I’m trying to cook and you’re swarmed by an army of them in your own home.’ Another (right) added: ‘I think I’m going insane at this point. We can’t have the back door open without being swarmed by flies’

Gardening expert James Higgins, from Grass247, says there are several simple ways to stop the pests ruining your summer.

His first tip is to use scented candles containing citronella, which helps mask the smell of food while producing an aroma that flies dislike.

Advertisement

Candles scented with lavender can also help deter the insects, although he said pet owners should avoid pine essential oils because they can be toxic to dogs and cats.

Another surprising trick is to make your garden more attractive to bees.

‘When you want to get rid of flies, a natural way is actually to attract other insects – especially those that aren’t as bothersome in the garden, such as bees,’ he said.

‘Flies will avoid bees, so planting bee–friendly plants will not only help your garden’s ecosystem, but will also keep any flies out of your garden.’

Advertisement

Bee–friendly flowers include lavender, verbena and catmint, he explained.

Meanwhile, encouraging wildlife such as spiders and frogs can also help because they feed on flies and other garden pests.

Horrified Britons have complained of an ‘invasion’, with many sharing hilarious videos of themselves trying to swat the insects away

For people looking for a more immediate solution, he recommends hanging sticky fly traps near areas where the insects are most active.

Advertisement

Flies often land to rest before searching for a snack, making the traps particularly effective if they are replaced regularly.

The insects are attracted to exposed food, overflowing bins, pet waste and standing water.

So keeping outdoor bins tightly sealed and clearing away leftover food after eating can make gardens and homes much less appealing to them.

Experts also recommend regularly cleaning barbecues and outdoor dining areas to remove food residues that attract flies.

Advertisement

While flies are mostly a nuisance, they can carry bacteria picked up from waste and transfer it onto food and surfaces.

By doing this they can spread dozens of serious diseases including food poisoning and salmonella.  

How to keep flies out of your home and garden

Light a citronella candle: Citronella helps mask food smells and produces a scent that flies dislike.

Plant bee–friendly flowers: Lavender, verbena and catmint attract bees, which flies tend to avoid.

Advertisement

Encourage natural predators: Spiders, frogs and some birds all feed on flies, helping to keep numbers down naturally.

Hang fly traps: Sticky fly tape or traps placed away from seating areas can catch flies before they reach your food.

Keep bins tightly closed: The smell of rubbish is one of the biggest attractions for flies, especially in hot weather.

Clear away food quickly: Don’t leave barbecue leftovers, fruit or sugary drinks sitting outside after you’ve finished eating.

Advertisement

Clean your barbecue: Grease and food residue can continue attracting flies long after the cooking has finished. 

Get rid of standing water: Bird baths, buckets and clogged gutters can attract insects, so empty or refresh water regularly.

Pick up pet waste: Dog mess is a major breeding and feeding site for flies, particularly during warm weather.

Use mesh screens where possible: If you’re entertaining indoors, fly screens on doors and windows can stop insects following you inside.

Advertisement

Liam Delap restored parity from the penalty spot shortly before half-time, but missed a golden opportunity moments later to put Chelsea ahead. The striker made amends after the break, converting another penalty to give the visitors the lead. Chelsea, however, were unable to see out the game. JDT struck twice in the closing stages to turn the contest around, only for Mykhailo Mudryk’s cross to be turned into his own net by Antonio Glauder as Chelsea snatched a late equaliser.

The item is believed to have been an unexploded WWII device, police said

A Cambridgeshire man who discovered a “suspicious device” at a nature reserve while with his family said it was a “close call”. Cambridgeshire Police confirmed a “suspicious device” was discovered at Fen Drayton Lakes at about 11am on Sunday, August 9.

The item is being treated as an unexploded WWII device, the force said. Locals were warned to “avoid the area” and the nearby guided busway was closed between Swavesey and St Ives while emergency services responded.

Will Rixon, 42, from Stapleford, found the item while out with his wife and two young children at Fen Drayton Lakes. During their trip, he spotted a “bit of metal sticking out of the dirt”. He said he was “curious” about what it was so he “pulled at it” and it “all just came out” because all the dirt surrounding it was “bone dry”.

Mr Rixon sent his children about 50 metres away from the “suspicious device” after pulling it from the earth. He then searched Google with an image of the device, and the results said “it might be an explosive”, according to Mr Rixon.

He rang the emergency services immediately and they rushed to the location. After inspection, experts from Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) were called to the scene.

Mr Rixon continued: “In the meantime, my wife had gone to the other end to block off to make sure no other walkers came from the opposite end of the path.” The 42-year-old was then told to leave the scene with his family.

He said that at the time “it just felt like I found some unusual thing” and believed it was “very unlikely to be a bomb” but “the police came and said it might be”.

He said “in retrospect, I wish I had been faster than I was”, adding “you never expect these things to happen to you”. He said he feels it was a “close call”.

He wondered whether the dryness lowered the level of the soil and made the device more visible. Describing how it looked, Mr Rixon said: “It was like a foot and a half long”. He said it looked like a “section of very old pipe”.

Cambridgeshire Police said that the busway has since reopened.

To understand the 127 Yard Sale, it helps to start on a back road in rural Ohio, where a 12-foot rooster statue towers before a red barn. Alternatively, route to a two-lane stretch in Tennessee, where a vendor’s sign propped inside an open casket promises a “killer deal.”

For nearly 700 miles — stretching along Highway 127 in southern Michigan down to Lookout Mountain Parkway, Alabama — the nation’s longest yard sale winds through open farmland, mountain bluffs and small towns.

Along the four-day route, tables hold a mix of everyday attic clear-outs and true oddities.

Shoppers sift through classic roadside fare like vintage tools, mid-century furniture, milk glass and car parts, mixed with items you would be hard pressed to find anywhere else. Over the years, vendors have set up everything from Victorian wheelchairs and antique farm machinery to full-sized replica dinosaurs and even a vintage embalming table.

“Every year, people ask me, ‘What is it like?’” Josh Randall, the director of media relations for the 127 Yard Sale, told The Independent. “It’s one of those things where, until you experience it yourself, it’s very hard to put into words because it’s on such a massive scale. People think yard sale, they think the Saturday morning kind of thing. But because it’s so big, it’s like you’re going to an event. You’re not just going to a yard sale.”

The event’s origins trace back to 1987, when Mike Walker, then county executive of Fentress County in Jamestown, Tennessee, hatched a plan to lure vacationers off major interstates. The goal was to redirect tourist traffic onto two-lane back roads, giving small rural communities along Highway 127 a chance to show off their local businesses, parks and regional culture.

The local experiment quickly caught on. Neighboring communities across Kentucky, Ohio and surrounding states wanted to be part of it, eventually expanding the route into the six-state corridor it is today.

“Over the following years, Ohio was added to it, Georgia down into Alabama, and eventually the last portion that was added was into the southern portion of Michigan,” Randall said. Next year, he added, marks the sale’s 40th anniversary.

Spanning nearly 700 miles, the event is so vast that even those who run it struggle to capture its magnitude. With no single entry point or gate count to rely on, organizers estimate that participation climbs into the hundreds of thousands, driven by more than 10,000 vendors spread across all six states.

Navigating the sale requires patience and a willingness to abandon strict schedules. Because traffic slows to a crawl through the heavy vendor clusters, driving Highway 127 means surrendering to the pace of the road.

“You might show up somewhere and think you’re going to be there for ten minutes,” Randall said, “and the next thing you know, you’re talking to a vendor and you’re there for two hours.”

For Randall, that unhurried pace is precisely what gives the sale its staying power. Having traveled the entire 700-mile corridor multiple times, he sees the event as a rare reprieve from an increasingly digital world.

“Today, so much of our lives is digital — we’re on social media, we’re doing email,” he said. “Actually being in person and talking to other human beings face-to-face is becoming more of a unique thing. People spend a lot of time talking, and there’s a real community aspect to it.”

That desire to talk to actual people mirrors a broader trend in the explosion of second-hand shopping and secondhand culture. In recent years, thrifting and vintage hunting have transformed what used to be a weekend hobby into a massive secondary economy, fueled in large part by social media creators, digital resellers and content creators looking for unique pieces.

The 127 Yard Sale Facebook community alone has grown to more than 199,000 members, serving as a year-round online home base where shoppers post wish lists, vendors share photos of incoming merchandise and property owners rent out booth spaces for about $25 per day.

Yet while platforms like TikTok, Instagram and online marketplaces have introduced a younger generation to the thrill of second-hand treasure hunting, Randall notes that digital hype can only take you so far.

The online space helps build anticipation, but it ultimately serves to feed the real-world experience.

Influencers and content creators now travel the route to document their journeys in real time, drawing viewers into a culture centered on tactile discovery — sifting through physical crates, bargaining over old tools or vintage fashion and connecting directly with the seller.

Beyond individual sellers clearing out attics, the event provides an essential economic lift to small towns along the route. One indoor antique mall in Chattanooga, Tennessee, recorded four-day sales totals during the event that eclipsed its entire previous month’s revenue.

Revenue aside, most people come for the simple joy of the drive.

“You get to experience something you wouldn’t normally,” Randall said.

Throughout Love Me Tender, French director Anna Cazenave Cambet’s new film about a mother’s fight for custody of her child, the audience is reminded of the body at the centre of the story – that of Clémence Delcourt (Vicky Krieps). The camera is almost cloyingly close, presenting her body in lingering shots that offer opportunities for the audience to connect with her real, visceral experience.

It is this body that we follow through the story. From the opening shot of Clémence in the pool to the ending on a bike, hers is a body constantly in motion, with a kind of restless energy. It is no wonder that she feels the need to keep moving: Clémence separates from her husband, and leaves him and her son after realising she is attracted to women.

Clémence tells her ex-husband she has started dating women, and he responds that her son no longer wants to see her. The film follows Clémence’s battle for access to her son and the heartbreak it causes. It’s an adaptation of the autofictional novel, Love Me Tender (2020) by Constance Debré.

At the heart of this film is a tension between being yourself and the demands of society, whether that be the roles of mother or the homophobia still present. Clémence is painted by her ex-husband and her son’s school as “ill” and “violent” and her sexuality is linked with incest and paedophilia. This is nothing new in terms of queer experience. By highlighting these attitudes – and the emotional pain they cause – the film suggests that they should be challenged. At the same time, however, the way the film is shot and paced seems to uphold ideas and stereotypes of queer representation in film.

Clémence is often isolated, both literally and figuratively. We follow her swimming and writing, and when she is with others, she often appears disconnected from the group in some way. She is “othered” throughout the film. This perhaps reflects her isolation, but it also singles her out as different.

A misdirect in the opening of the film also establishes the tone: we see the physical experience of queerness and queer sex as she meets and has an encounter with a woman at the swimming pool. Shortly after, we see Clémence outside, video-calling her son with his father. At this point, there is no clarity about what is happening. Viewers may assume she is being unfaithful, and therefore a protagonist who we are not supposed to morally align with. Even so, the performance from Krieps is striking; I found myself drawn into her emotional world and the sense of solitude that pervades the film.

When Clémence does have sexual encounters with other women, they are often low-lit and tightly shot, creating a feeling of something hidden. While it may be a way to simulate intimacy, it also suggests that queer experience is something to be hidden or something shameful.

The distinction between these scenes and the scenes with Clémence’s estranged son are striking. He appears to be the opening up of her world, and the viewer is left with uncertainty as to what is exactly is happening. We are never shown the father’s argument for why he has been coercing his son into not seeing his mother other than assumed homophobia.

Clémence is shown as promiscuous, unstable, constantly moving between housing and partners, and unable to connect to others. While this may reflect some queer experiences, it’s a frustratingly persistent trope in films. It does, however, raise the question of whether art should reflect real life or offer something else. Should queer viewers see themselves and their struggles reflected or look for hope?

Despite Love Me Tender being an adaptation, there would have been ways to film this that didn’t retread old ground in queer imagery. Given that it is a film about a woman trying to do things her own way, to push against expectations, the visuals do not seem to agree. They were, as the film is, impressive, engaging and compelling, but overall, Love Me Tender left me feeling a mix of emotions. What the viewer is left with is a sense of sadness, anger at the unjust situation, and a recognition that queer experience continues to be difficult for many.

This article features references to books that have been included for editorial reasons, and may contain links to bookshop.org. If you click on one of the links and go on to buy something, The Conversation UK may earn a commission.

As the director of hit movies The Odyssey, Dunkirk and Interstellar, Christopher Nolan is well acquainted with telling dramatic stories.

But one little-known episode from his own family’s past was as dramatic as any Hollywood movie script – when his older brother was accused of having been the hitman behind a transcontinental gangland assassination.

In the legal fallout from the case, Christopher himself personally intervened to beg a judge to show his troubled brother mercy, never-before-seen documents reveal.

And in an extraordinary coincidence it was alleged that his ‘hitman’ brother used the codename ‘Oppenheimer‘ – which 15 years later would be the title of the film for which Christopher won an Oscar for Best Picture, the Daily Mail can reveal for the first time.

Details of his heartfelt plea on behalf of his brother have emerged as Christopher is being tipped for numerous Oscars for The Odyssey, his hit adaptation of the epic ancient Greek poem by Homer.

The bizarre case unfolded 16 years ago when Christopher was already one of cinema’s most exciting emerging film talents – and now newly obtained documents shed new light on what happened as well as on the director’s close involvement with his brother’s bizarre legal case.

Matthew, 57, is the eldest of the three Nolan brothers but has led a very different life to Christopher, 56, and Jonathan, 50.

They were all born in London to dad Brendan, an advertising executive from Britain, and their mother Christina, who is American, meaning the brothers are all joint UK and US citizens.

Matthew was wanted for aggravated kidnapping, use of a false document and aggravated homicide, in other words, murder

Christopher pictured at the 96th Annual Academy Awards after winning Best Picture for Oppenheimer

Advertisement

All three were educated at the elite Haileybury school in Hertfordshire, where fees are now £50,000 a year, but after that Christopher and Jonathan headed for Hollywood.

Christopher has since won two Oscars and a Golden Globe – so far – and has been internationally lauded for his films like Interstellar and his gritty reboot of the Batman franchise.

Jonathan meanwhile is an in-demand producer who has been nominated for an Academy Award for the 2000 movie Memento and helped to create the hit HBO series Westworld.

Matthew took an altogether different route and became a property developer in Chicago. But in the 2000s he ran into financial difficulties and in 2009 filed for bankruptcy, his life starting to fall apart.

What happened next was shocking: in March of that year a judge in Costa Rica signed off on an extradition request for Matthew related to the death of Robert Cohen, 63, a Florida accountant whose body was found in 2005 in the Central American country.

Matthew was wanted for aggravated kidnapping, use of a false document and – incredibly – aggravated homicide, in other words, murder.

According to the Costa Rican police, a wealthy gem trader named Robert Breska had ‘hired Matthew to kidnap and torture Cohen’ over a dispute involving a missing $7million’.

Mr Breska allegedly told Mr Cohen to meet Matthew in San Jose in Costa Rica, claiming he was a ‘multimillionaire’ and a member of the Oppenheimer jewel dynasty.

The allegations from the Costa Rican authorities, as detailed in Judge Mason’s summary, grew even darker from there.

They claimed that, on March 6, 2005, Matthew agreed with Luis Alonso Douglas Mejia, a Costa Rican man who was later convicted over the murder, to ‘execute the plan to kidnap the victim’.

The judge’s memorandum states that, in its extradition request, Costa Rica claimed that Matthew and Mejia carried out the kidnapping by ‘forcing Mr Cohen into Matthew’s car’.

The extradition request stated that Matthew ‘violently’ took Mr Cohen from the parking lot and prepared the plan to keep him ‘hidden in an isolated area of a solitary beach’.

The ‘mission’ was to end Mr Cohen’s life, the document stated.

An extradition request was put in for Matthew, related to the death of Robert Cohen, a Florida accountant, who is pictured with his daughter Alisha Cohen

But Judge Mason refused the extradition request on the charges of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated homicide, calling the evidence of Matthew’s involvement ‘unsupported and unsubstantiated’.

According to Judge Mason’s summary, there was ‘competent evidence’ that Matthew was with Mr Cohen at the moment he was kidnapped, including surveillance camera footage from a hotel where both men were staying.

There was also ‘competent evidence’ that the car Mr Cohen was driven away in was the Toyota 4Runner Matthew had hired.

‘What is lacking is evidence that Breska retained Matthew as a ‘hired killer,’ the judge wrote, ‘that Matthew planned to kidnap and murder Cohen, that Matthew was aware of, let alone ordered, Mejia’s actions, or that Matthew engaged in any violent act.’

The judge did however approve the extradition request based on use of a false document, in this case for using a fake British passport to open a bank account in Costa Rica.

The British embassy in Costa Rica verified that the passport, which was in the name of ‘Matthew Francis McCall’, was fraudulent, the document states.

All of that led to Matthew being arrested while attending a hearing in his personal bankruptcy case, and began the next bizarre chapter in his story: his attempt to break out of prison.

He was indicted in October 2009 on five counts related to materials found in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Centre (MCC) in Chicago, a troubled and overcrowded skyscraper with a history of complaints about the conditions.

Court documents state that prison guards ‘recovered approximately 31 feet of braided roping material, a similarly braided harness, a metal clip from a pen cap, and a broken piece of a razor blade hidden in the defendant’s bar of soap’.

Officers at the MCC were ‘successful in opening a locked pair of handcuffs with the metal clip,’ the documents stated.

Images of the materials were included in the court file and show a long piece of rope and the metal clip next to a ruler.

The plot appears to have been fanciful: the MCC is a 28-storey skyscraper which has never seen an escape before.

It is located in a busy area of Chicago, meaning any escape through a window would be highly visible, and the windows themselves are narrow slits.

According to court papers, Matthew was accused of using code words to talk to another person about his escape, using terms like ‘beach party’ to describe it.

In one note to the other inmate at the MCC, referred to as ‘Individual B’, Matthew alluded to his extradition in Costa Rica.

Jonathan (right), pictured alongside his brother Christopher (left), is an in-demand producer who has been nominated for an Academy Award for the 2000 movie Memento

He said: ‘You are right about my situation. If they get me down to the Southern Cross, I won’t be coming back.’

In another note to Individual B, Matthew appeared to talk about rappelling out of a window of the MCC and have somebody else pick him up.

He said: ‘My thought was tape the window, crack, mount rope w/ rope sleeve and rope bag . . . rappel to street + friends . . . . trigger man runs the op from parking garage.’

The prosecution filing said that Matthew also bragged about being able to get out of his handcuffs in 15 seconds.

And it was at this point that iconic director Christopher took a direct involvement in his brother’s legal troubles.

The black sheep brother’s lawyers pleaded for leniency and included letters to the court from his wife, children and Christopher, whose hit movie Inception was due to come out a month later.

In his letter, Christopher said that the situation was ‘heartbreaking’ and that missing the death of their father from cancer while in prison had been ‘awful’ for Matthew.

‘I believe that the shame and hardship his incarceration has brought [him] means that his punishment has already been substantial,’ Christopher wrote.

Dated June 28, 2010, Christopher’s letter said it was a ‘mystery and a shock’ why his brother was in such a situation.

He said that during his time at school, having an older brother at the same establishment was ‘no small source of comfort to’ given the ‘Darwinian environment of an English Catholic boarding school’.

Christopher wrote: ‘My brother supported me during this time with a loyalty that I have to believe would still characterise his attitude towards helping those who might need him.

‘He looked out for me without regard for himself, and I believe this suggests the depth of his commitment to family.’

While Matthew was in prison their father ‘lost his battle with cancer’, Christopher wrote.

He said: ‘My older brother was extremely close to our father, and whilst Matt’s situation was a confusing and heartbreaking one for my father to face, his love for his eldest son never wavered.

‘I am convinced that whatever else might be said about the effect of Matt’s imprisonment, his not being able to be present at our father’s death bed, not being able to say goodbye to the father he respected and loved so much, has been an awful punishment for him.’

Christopher said that the whole episode had ‘focused his [Matthew’s] mind on the important realities of his life’, meaning his family.

He wrote: ‘Knowing my brother’s commitment to family, I believe that the shame and hardship his incarceration has brought on them means that his punishment has already been substantial.

‘I believe that he would seize upon a second chance to show that he is a man capable of good on behalf of his wife and children, and good on behalf of society as a whole’.

Matthew eventually pleaded guilty to two counts related to the escape attempt.

He was jailed for 14 months but given he had already been in prison for that time, he was released and given a two-year period of supervised release.

It seems Matthew was quietly released and not extradited to Costa Rica because the only charge against him at the time was the use of a false passport. The other claims of murder and kidnapping were unproven.

A spokesman for Costa Rica’s Public Ministry, which deals with legal matters, said some time later: ‘This evidence that the US judge considered was insufficient to link Mr Nolan with the crimes committed against Mr Cohen, is the same evidence used to condemn Mr Mejia here in Costa Rica.’

Christopher is pictured with wife Emma Thomas while attending The Odyssey photocall at the IET Building in London in July

The following year, apparently so upset by his treatment while in prison, Matthew sued the US government for medical malpractice and sued his guards at MCC.

Both of the cases were dismissed.

Mr Cohen’s family did not respond to requests for comment: they have previously said that they hoped Matthew would face justice.

The Daily Mail also approached Matthew and Christopher Nolan and the authorities in Costa Rica.

Lawyers for Matthew have previously said he was innocent of all the charges against him and that he is sorry for the Cohen family’s loss.

Tom Holland and Zendaya secretly married earlier this year, but they held a ceremony in Surrey this week to celebrate their love with around 250 of their closest friends and family

Tom Holland’s wedding to Zendaya was “full of love” and “charged with emotion” as the actor broke down in tears when he saw his bride walk down the aisle, a source has said.

The couple held a top-secret £500,000 celebration at the Beaverbrook estate in Surrey on Tuesday. The private event saw around 250 close friends and family members gather to celebrate Tom, 30, and Zendaya, 29, on their big day.

Among the big names said to have attended the festivities were Robert Downey Jr., Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner. It is believed that Tom’s brother, Sam Holland, served as the best man. While a strict no-phones policy was in place, a source has now given fans an insight into the nuptials.

According to an insider who spoke to The Sun on Sunday, Tom broke down in tears when Zendaya walked down the aisle. The source said the wedding and the ceremony “were the real deal” and the rumours surrounding other ceremonies only meant to keep people away from the venue so that they could celebrate with their loved ones.

The source claimed that at first, Tom and Zendaya were “annoyed” that Law Roach accidentally broke the news that they secretly married earlier this year, but then “they embraced it.” On March 1, while walking the red carpet at the Actor Awards, Law told Access Hollywood that the wedding “already happened” and that everyone “missed it.”

But then at the late July 2026 premiere events for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Law dismissed speculation about a second, larger public ceremony as “definitely not true.” According to the source, Tom and Zendaya now “laugh about it” – and Law was among the guests at the ceremony, during which “they were all loving life.”

“It was an incredible day full of love and charged with emotion,” the insider added. In an interview in June, Peter Parker star Tom described his partner as “my person” and said he feels “the happiest I ever have been” when he is with her.

He said: “So, for me, I found my person. She’s my best friend, and I’m the happiest I ever have been when I’m with her, but I also have never felt so supported and safe, ever. Period. Maybe when I was young with my parents and my dad was picking me up from school. Not to say that our relationship is like my mum and dad.”

The pair, dubbed Tomdaya, had faced intense scrutiny over their bond from the second they were both announced to be appearing in Spider-Man together. It wasn’t until years later that they confirmed their romance, in November 2021. Despite the intense interest in their romance, they have gone above and beyond to keep details of their relationship behind closed doors.

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

The European Union is considering further delaying the full rollout of its entry/exit system (EES) in order to avoid added complications at its borders, according to a report.

The EU finally introduced its new border security system in stages from October last year, replacing the old process of manually stamping passports with the registration of biometric details when travellers arrive in Europe.

But the system has already faced calls to be scrapped after creating bottlenecks at airports, with a fifth of Brits now considering cancelling their European holidays this summer due to the chaos.

Industry sources told The Times that Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the commissioner responsible for negotiations over the EES with non-EU countries, has privately assured the checks will be paused.

Mr Tzitzikostas was said to be pushing to extend a derogation allowing officials to suspend the new checks past the existing deadline of 6 September for the full rollout.

And he was reported to have already made assurances to the UK that an extension is possible, having recently. met with transport secretary Heidi Alexander, according to the newspaper.

The department said last month that Ms Alexander had raised concerns about the EU’s new digital border check system with Mr Tzitzikostas during their meeting on 14 July.

Ms Alexander said in a statement at the time: “We want everyone to have the summer holidays they deserve – and yesterday’s meeting shows everyone is pulling in the same direction.

“I was reassured that the EU commissioner for transport understood the concerns of holidaymakers and recognised the need for us to work together.”

That came amid reports that passengers were missing their flights due to long queues, while Ryanair warned of “queue chaos” from the new system, which it said was not ready for full implementation.

They pointed to several popular airports including Spain’s Alicante, which they said was not ready for the checks due to “insufficient staff, kiosks and system readiness”.

Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández airport is now preparing for a £985 million upgrade including facilities to streamline EES checks.

The EU’s EES only became fully operational in April and applies to all 29 Schengen countries, most of which are EU member states, with further operations expected in the autumn.

The system requires travellers to register their biometric details, such as fingerprints and a photo, when they arrive in the EU, replacing the previous system of manually stamping passports.

EES is required for all non-EU passengers entering or exiting Schengen countries.

The British government has announced £20 million in new funding to increase the number of booths for passport checks at the country’s main gateway to Europe, the Port of Dover.

The majority of the new checks will be done in EU member states, but will take place in Britain for those using the ferry through the Port of Dover or taking the train into the EU, the government said.

Some of those who took part in violent anti-migrant protests in the town this week have attended the Sunday protest outside Barnham Camp in Suffolk amid plans it could house migrants

Anti-immigration protestors have gathered outside a former RAF base near Thetford where violence erupted earlier this week.

The Home Office announced in June that it was considering using Barnham Camp in Suffolk to accommodate people seeking asylum, sparking a series of regular protests at the site.

Campaigners have gathered again today (Sunday) with Union and St George’s cross flags as some demonstrators held placards which read “Barnham says no. Protect our community”.

Tensions flared in Thetford, Norfolk, earlier in the week, with one male police officer struck with a rock, while a female officer was bitten and another was spat at, police said.

Police in Norfolk said officers were “subjected to significant aggression” on Wednesday night amid three nights of unrest in the market town.

The force said on Saturday that Friday night in Thetford had been “largely peaceful”, although three people were arrested and a window was smashed.

Advertisement

Some of those who protested in the town this week included participants in the regular protests outside the former military site, the Guardian reported.

Norfolk Police were once again out to oversee anti-immigration demonstrators today at the RAF base protest. Some of those who protested in the town this week included participants in the regular protests outside the former military site, the Guardian reported.

Officers said they attended to “support the lawful right to protest while helping to ensure the safety of everyone involved and the wider public”.

A Suffolk Constabulary spokesperson added: “Policing protests requires us to balance the right of individuals to peacefully express their views with our responsibility to protect local communities, including protesters, residents and road-users.

“Our policing response will continue to be kept under review, informed by the latest available information and ongoing assessments of any potential risks to public safety.

“Previous protests at Ministry of Defence (MoD) Barnham have been peaceful, and we would like to thank all those involved for expressing their views in a lawful and respectful manner. We are confident that this positive approach will continue.”

The camp would accommodate men aged between 18 and 65 who have applied for asylum, according to Home Office plans which have yet to be approved.

No asylum seekers are yet housed at the site, which Suffolk Constabulary said is a training site for the Norfolk and Suffolk forces.

Police said some vehicles, such as buses seen on site, were used for training purposes and people on site include police, MoD employees and security staff.