With so many natural spectacles packed into the U.S., planning sightseeing trips can be a conundrum — the choice is bewildering.
With this in mind, we’ve assembled a list of 10 must-visit-at-least-once landscapes that should be inked into your bucket list. These are places that have mesmerized tourists, stolen scenes in Hollywood movies and adorned millions of postcards — wild America at its most theatrical.
Our round-up includes a canyon in Arizona so vast that storms sometimes form inside it, a geothermal wonderland in Wyoming containing half the world’s geysers, a waterfall in New York that will leave you awe-struck (even if it does seem familiar) and a valley in California that’s home to some of the world’s most famous cliff faces.
Alaska claims two entries, thanks to an epic glacier and an extremely lofty mountain, while Oregon makes the cut thanks to a lake that’s surreally beautiful.
Advertisement
In Hawaii, there’s the coastline that wowed Steven Spielberg and a bizarre monolithic rock that caught his attention in Wyoming.
In New Mexico is a jaw-dropping desert that looks like it’s covered in snow.
1. Grand Canyon, Arizona
The Grand Canyon is one of the seven natural wonders of the world, and so deep it has its own weather systems (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
While there’s a postcard familiarity about the Grand Canyon, nothing beats experiencing the humbling majesty of the chasm in real life.
Carved by the Colorado River over millions of years (with rocks as old as two billion years old), the gorge, an uncontested entry on the seven natural wonders of the world list, has an immensity that’s almost difficult to comprehend.
Advertisement
A mile deep and up to 18 miles wide, and stretching for 277 miles, it’s one of Earth’s most jaw-dropping landscapes, and so huge that storms sometimes form within it.
The South Rim offers one of the best ways to experience the Grand Canyon. It’s open year-round and is where you’ll find viewpoints such as Mather Point or Yavapai Observation Station. The canyon is also a popular day trip from Las Vegas by helicopter.
Great place to stay: El Tovar Hotel (rooms from $270) is set directly on the canyon rim and is imbued with historic charm. It was built in 1905 as a cross between a Swiss chalet and a Norwegian Villa.
2. Yellowstone’s geothermal drama — Wyoming/Montana/Idaho
Old Faithful, which shoots hot water around 180 feet into the air, is one of around 500-700 geysers in Yellowstone National Park (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Thanks to a vast supervolcano lurking beneath the surface and heating the groundwater, Yellowstone National Park — which spans Wyoming, Montana and Idaho — is a geothermal adventure land, with around 10,000 hydrothermal features making it seem as if the land itself is breathing.
The 3,472-square-mile park features brightly colored hot springs, mud pots, travertine terraces and between 500 and 700 geysers (roughly half of the world’s total).
The most famous of these is Old Faithful in Wyoming, which blasts water up to 180 feet in the air around 20 times a day.
One of the best ways to view the park’s theatrics is to walk the boardwalks around Wyoming’s Upper Geyser Basin, home to Old Faithful and around 150 other geysers.
Advertisement
Great place to stay:Old Faithful Inn (rooms from $205, open May to October) oozes rustic simplicity — there’s no wifi or air conditioning, for example. But on the plus side, you’re within walking distance of the world’s most famous geyser.
Niagara Falls is a sight and sound you’ll never forget. Pictured is the epic Horseshoe Falls, which straddles the U.S./Canadia border. Goat Island, on the U.S. side, can be seen on the far left (Getty Images)
Around one million bathtubs of water pour over the edge of Niagara Falls every minute during peak flow. It’s a sight — and a thundering sound — that you’ll never forget.
Niagara comprises three waterfalls — the American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls, which are both in the U.S., and the vast Horseshoe Falls, which straddles the U.S./Canadian border.
Advertisement
The best way to experience the spectacle from the U.S. side is from the close-up viewpoints on Goat Island, which sits with the American and Bridal falls on one side, and the Horseshoe Falls on the other.
For perhaps the most awe-inspiring encounter, board the Maid of the Mist electric boat tour, which will take you right into the mist of the falls.
Great place to stay:The Giacomo is set in a restored Art Deco tower just minutes by foot from Niagara Falls State Park and the bridge to Goat Island.
This Yosemite Valley image was taken from Tunnel View, with El Capitan on the left, Half Dome in the distance (center) and Bridalveil Fall on the right (Getty Images)
Few would argue that Yosemite Valley delivers some of the USA’s most iconic scenery.
Within this seven-mile-long glacial valley, which sits within Yosemite National Park, monolithic El Capitan (3,000 feet) and Half Dome (4,700 feet) rise dramatically from the valley floor, and Yosemite Falls, the tallest waterfall in North America, cascades 2,425 feet down a vast cliff face into Yosemite Creek.
One of the most breathtaking places to drink in the valley’s majesty is Tunnel View, just outside the Wawona Tunnel on State Highway 41.
It’s a vista made famous by the work of legendary photographer Ansel Adams, from where you can see El Capitan, Half Dome and Bridalveil Fall.
Advertisement
Great place to stay:Yosemite Valley Lodge (rooms from $350) is in the heart of the valley, close to Yosemite Falls.
Denali, as seen from Reflection Pond in Denali National Park (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Denali (formerly Mount McKinley) is North America’s highest peak at 20,310 feet — but also one of the world’s great vertical ascents: from base to summit, the Alaskan behemoth measures 18,000 feet.
It’s a sight to behold, though famously elusive, with clouds often cloaking the summit.
Advertisement
The mighty mountain sits around 90 miles from the entrance to Denali National Park and Preserve, which is near the small town of Denali Park on the eastern edge.
As private cars are banned beyond the 15-mile mark, better views of Denali are offered by Denali National Park bus tours, which venture further in and feature a trained naturalist who both drives and provides narration.
Great place to stay:Grande Denali Lodge (rooms from $280) is about 1.5 miles from the park entrance and offers sweeping mountain views.
Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the U.S. — and has some of the clearest water in the world (Getty Images)
Behold America’s deepest, and most surreal, lake.
Crater Lake fills the caldera of a mammoth volcano that collapsed 7,700 years ago, and plunges to a depth of 1,943 feet. And the dazzling water is among the clearest on Earth. With no rivers in or out, it’s topped up only by rain and snow.
Adding to the otherworldly vibe is Wizard Island, a lone volcanic cinder cone at the west end that rises to 755 feet.
You’ll get the best photographs from the 33-mile road that loops the caldera, but taking to the water on a boat tour is also a must.
Advertisement
Great place to stay:Crater Lake Lodge (rooms from $280) is perched dramatically on the rim of the caldera, with showstopping views as standard.
The Na Pali Coast — so dramatic it was used as a filming location in Jurassic Park (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
It’s no exaggeration to say that this landscape is truly cinematic — after all, it has the stamp of approval from Steven Spielberg.
The director used the serrated emerald cliffs of the Na Pali Coast as a stand-in for “Isla Nublar” in Jurassic Park.
Advertisement
In the movie, we see a helicopter carrying Dr. John Hammond and guests flying towards the shoreline’s seemingly razor-sharp ridges — this part of the coastline is so steep that road-building is completely thwarted. A fact that’s helped to preserve its lush, primeval look.
A helicopter tour is the gold-standard way to see the cliffs, but you’ll also get a great view from the water. Ground-level views are available via the Kalalau Trail.
Great place to stay:Hanalei Colony Resort (rooms from $350) is set by the beach, just minutes from the Na Pali Coast.
Devils Tower gives one section of rural Wyoming a startling look (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Devils Tower is one of America’s most startling natural sights, an 867 foot-high rock monolith in a rural area near the Black Hills of Wyoming that will stop you in your tracks.
The formation, created around 50 million years ago when molten rock erupted from below and cooled into distinctive hexagonal columns, has long attracted tourists — it became America’s first national monument in 1906. However, most will know it from Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind, where it was used to striking effect as the point on Earth where aliens want to make contact with the human race.
For eye-popping up-close views, there’s a 1.3-mile trail that loops the base. Want to see what the view from the top is like? There are around 200 routes — but you’ll need to be an expert climber.
Great place to stay:Devils Tower Lodge (rooms from $200 per night) is just a few minutes from the monument’s base.
Mendenhall Glacier in Alaska is not just breathtaking, but easily accessible (Getty Images)
Mendenhall Glacier is vast — around 27 billion tons of ice stretching 13 miles from the mountainous Juneau Icefield to a lake dotted with icebergs. And it’s on the tourist trail, remarkable for being so easily accessible.
While many glacier visits require plane, helicopter or boat trips, followed by adventurous climbing, Mendenhall is an easy 12-mile drive from nearby Juneau city. Once there, tame trails lead to viewpoints with breathtaking vistas. You can even take to the water — guided kayak tours offer the chance to paddle among the icebergs.
There’s also the bonus of Nugget Falls, which plunges into the lake from a height of 377 feet, and the chance to spot wildlife, including black bears and eagles.
Advertisement
Incorporate the Visitor Center into your visit to learn about the glacier’s dramatic retreat since the 18th century.
White Sands National Park is 275 square miles of ‘snowy’ sand (Getty Images)
Snow in the desert? At White Sands National Park, you’d be forgiven for thinking so.
The park, which sits within the northern part of the Chihuahuan Desert, is 275 square miles of brilliant white powdery gypsum sand, and looks for all the world like an Arctic landscape.
However, in the summer you can expect highs of 100F. Remarkably, because gypsum doesn’t absorb heat very efficiently, it’s possible to walk barefoot across the dunes even in strong sunshine.
The Dunes Drive loop, which begins just beyond the main park entrance off U.S. Route 70, between Las Cruces and Alamogordo, is one of the most rewarding ways to experience the spectacle, especially at sunset. It’s a paved route, and there are several parking areas from which you can step directly onto the snowy grains.
Great place to stay: Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces (rooms from $180) is around one-hour’s drive southwest of the park.
The bins will be for food and garden waste, paper and card, dry recyclables such as glass, metal and plastics, and general non-recyclable rubbish.
In some areas, paper and card may still be collected with other dry recyclables, reducing the number of bins to three.
Ministers say this will provide different local authorities with the flexibility to deliver services that work best for their communities.
Advertisement
From 31 March 2026, bin collections across England will change.
The goal is good: more recycling, less landfill. The risk is real: more bins, new rules, new schedules.
Simpler in theory. Overwhelming in practice.
This account is here for one thing: less confusion at home.
— Bintime | Bin-day reminders (@Bintimeapp) March 1, 2026
Advertisement
New rules in England mean up to 4 bins in use for households
Circular economy minister Mary Creagh said: “We are ending the bin collections postcode lottery and making it easier for people to recycle wherever they live.
“Simplifying these rules will cut out carbon, clean up our streets, and help bring pride back into our communities.
“We will continue to work hand-in-hand with local areas to deliver these changes and ensure there’s more recycled content in the products we buy.”
The new system is part of the government’s wider efforts to build a circular economy, keeping resources in use longer and reducing waste.
Advertisement
Previously, local authorities set their own rules around bin types and what materials could be collected, leading to a patchwork of different systems across the country.
The government now aims to standardise collections to ensure more high-quality material can be processed domestically for reuse by manufacturers to make new products.
Officials say the changes could also cut carbon emissions by reducing the amount of rubbish that gets burned.
To help councils roll out the new scheme, the government has provided £340 million in funding.
Advertisement
Can you get fined for putting bins out early?
How to check your local bin rules
To support some local authorities with area-specific delivery challenges, the government said additional support will be provided, such as agreed transitional arrangements, allowing a later implementation date.
Households can check how and when the new rules will apply in their area by visiting the government’s website.
Enter your postcode to check the rules for your area.
More than £78 billion has been allocated to councils in England for this financial year, including funding for introducing weekly food waste collections for all households.
Advertisement
The government has introduced an extended producer responsibility scheme, which requires packaging producers to cover the costs of recycling or waste management.
Recommended reading:
Deposit return scheme coming to supermarkets in 2027
It also plans to launch a deposit return scheme in 2027.
This will see shoppers pay a small deposit when buying drinks in plastic bottles or metal cans, which they will receive back when returning the empty containers to retailers.
Advertisement
What do you think about the new bin rules in England? Let us know in the comments.
The promoter took in Wales’ Six Nations victory over Italy ahead of signing Henry Pollock to his talent agency
Promoter Eddie Hearn has spoken about the experience of watching Wales’ Six Nations victory over Italy earlier this month, saying the patriotism surpassed anything he’d seen in a big sporting event.
Advertisement
Steve Tandy’s side ended their three-year wait for a victory in the tournament, finishing the campaign with a 31-17 win over the Italians. Hearn was in Cardiff watching that day, prior to signing England international Henry Pollock to his Matchroom Talent Agency.
Speaking on the Big Jim Show with former Scotland international Jim Hamilton, Hearn explained that he had expected to be watching Pollock in Paris on the final day of the tournament – but ending up at the Principality Stadium instead.
“I think the day before, I looked at the Six Nations line-up of games and I thought I was probably going to England-France, because that looked like the game,” he said. “No, we’re going to Wales.
“I’ve sold that stadium out with AJ (Anthony Joshua) a couple of times. It is a phenomenal stadium and the people down there are mad for it.
Advertisement
“He was like, ‘Have you ever been to the Millennium Stadium for rugby?’. I’m like ‘No,’. ‘Oh you wait’.
“So I look at the league table and Wales are down the bottom. Italy are just above them. Look at the points, a victory means nothing. A defeat means nothing.
“You’re stone-dead last. I asked is this a big game? It’s always a big game. They said you know Wales haven’t won in three years in the Six Nations.
“I was like ‘is anyone going?’ It’s rammed. Go in there. The Millennium Stadium is a very special stadium because it’s right in the middle of the city.
Advertisement
“Everyone is kind of there and it’s starting to build up. They said wait until the national anthem comes on. I’ve done other boxing in Wales, there’s Welsh fighters and it’s always a great atmosphere. I was looking around during the national anthem and I like people watching in situations like that.
“I’ve never felt such patriotism as what I saw. I’ve been to Ryder Cups, I’ve been to Super Bowls where they play the American national anthem. But this was like tears-to-your-eyes stuff, like hairs on your arms standing up.
“I was just thinking, f**k, you guys haven’t won for three years, you’re bottom of the league. This feels like you’re about to win the Six Nations. The roar, just how pleasant it was.
“I’m looking at the customer. Corporate boxes, I get it. But down there is granddad, he’s like 95 and his son’s there and his grandsons are there. This is institutional.”
Advertisement
Hearn, one of the most recognisable faces in sport, also admitted that watching the match made him feel old – because the son of one of his former clients was playing.
“It’s quite mad because when I went to the Wales game the other day, (James) Botham was in the team,” he said. “I used to represent Liam Botham and his dad when I started work.
“I was 21 and that made me feel very old that it was Ian’s grandson and, worse, it was Liam’s son in the Wales team.”
Children have the least control over the planet’s future, but will also be the most affected as it changes. They may well feel the mental toll of the “futility gap”: when individual actions feel meaningless against broader societal inaction on the climate crisis.
Promoting healthy psychological agency – the belief that we are in control of our lives – is fundamental here. There are things that we can do to combat the climate crisis. Children should be supported so they don’t lose hope.
Together with our colleague Kariũki Werũ, we’ve created a guide to how adults can help support their healthy psychological development.
Our approach acknowledges the severity of climate change while grounding children in hope. We aim to transform feelings of helplessness into self-efficacy – a belief that they can take action.
Advertisement
At home
To protect a child’s emotional wellbeing and talk about climate facts, adults also need to learn how to talk about climate change with children. This should involve adults listening, learning together and using language appropriate to their child’s age and comprehension. Schools and communities could help parents by providing tips for these conversations.
Monitoring a child’s online activity can safeguard them from traumatic news. Parents can emphasise progress and solutions, and help their children spend time experiencing and enjoying changing weather and the environment.
At school
Schools, educational methods and children’s relationships with teachers and their classmates are core influences on the development of their psychological agency. To promote climate resilience, this could mean moving beyond traditional rote learning towards age-appropriate “critical climate education”. This means empowering students to question existing systems and imagine fundamental transformations, rather than feeling defeated by the status quo.
Nature-based outdoor learning can further strengthen this development. It can both boost mental health and transform abstract climate concepts into tangible experiences. Learning outdoors can stimulate constructive climate conversations, and directly link human actions to environmental and sustainable solutions. Outdoor observations and investigative projects bridge the gap between learning and action.
The world online
Digital climate learning is a powerful catalyst for modern education. It offers interactive and global perspectives on the climate crisis. But it must be managed to address internet “filter bubbles” – when algorithms show viewers only information that aligns with their past interests. This can risk isolating and overwhelming children with repetitive content that affects their wellbeing. When used correctly, digital tools can expand a child’s perspective on climate solutions beyond their local environment.
Advertisement
Blended together
Effective climate education can combine digital learning with hands-on, real-world experiences. When this is supported by educators and caregivers who act as guides – while also leaving enough space for children to explore and create independently – children are able to benefit from both realistic and balanced education. Pioneering programs are blending classroom science with digital tools and outdoor experiments to turn student ideas into tangible community projects.
On a wider scale, climate education needs to bridge the gap between personal responsibility and collective power. The climate narrative should shift its focus from asking “what is wrong?” to “what can we do?” This will empower children with a sense of agency rather than climate anxiety. Social media is a key place where this change can happen.
When used with adult guidance and digital literacy, it can lead to constructive dialogues and evidence-based action. A moderated and positive use of digital tools can help children connect their own awareness to the world around them and drive action on a larger scale to truly tackle the climate crisis.
This can ultimately allow children to share their climate change knowledge and inspire actions among family and friends. They can go on to become influential at school and in their community.
Schools can work together with families, communities and leaders to create a supportive environment for learning about climate. _ Such approach could bridge the gaps between scientific climate facts and real-life experiences by providing the emotional care and practical skills needed to empower_ the climate generations to build a sustainable future together.
The force have warned members of the public to avoid the area
Olivia Beeson UK & World News Reporter
00:55, 31 Mar 2026Updated 01:22, 31 Mar 2026
Residents are being evacuated due to a security alert in Lurgan with the town centre ‘completely closed off’.
The alert has been issued in the early hours of Tuesday, March 31, just before 12.30am. It is in place in the Church Place area of the County Armagh town.
According to PSNI an evacuation operation is underway. Cordons are in place and members of the public have been asked to avoid the area.
Advertisement
Lurgan Town Hall has been opened for those who have been evacuated.
Carla Lockhart MP posted a statement online that said: “There is currently a serious security alert in Lurgan town centre, centred around the police station, involving a suspicious vehicle.
“The town centre has been completely closed off and is likely to remain so for a significant period of time. This will inevitably cause major disruption to the area, and we ask everyone to avoid the vicinity and follow all guidance from authorities.
“For those affected, Lurgan Town Hall has been opened to provide refuge and support for anyone who has been evacuated.
Advertisement
“This is not something anyone wants to see in our society today. The situation is deeply concerning, and I would strongly urge anyone who may have any information to come forward and report it to the PSNI immediately.
“I want to utterly and unequivocally condemn what has happened tonight in Lurgan. Our thoughts are with everyone impacted, and we hope for a safe and swift resolution.
“Please stay safe and look out for one another.”
A spokesperson for PSNI said in a statement posted on X: “Members of the public are asked to avoid the Church Place area of Lurgan due to an ongoing security alert, this morning, Tuesday 31st March.
Advertisement
“Cordons are in place, and an evacuation operation is due to get underway. An update will follow in due course.”
An unknown projectile struck the tanker’s starboard causing a fire to the vessel, UKMTO reported, with the crew accounted for and safe and no environmental impact reported
Tannur Anders UK & World News Reporter and Peter Hennessy UK & World News Editor
02:52, 31 Mar 2026
An oil tanker has gone up in flames after being hit by a projectile off the coast of Dubai.
United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported on Monday, 30 March that an unidentified projectile had struck their tanker starboard, igniting a fire on the vessel. The incident follows Iran’s approval of a plan to impose tolls in the Strait of Hormuz.
Advertisement
The incident near the strait is under investigation and it remains uncertain who executed the strike.
Vessels, particularly oil tankers, have been the target of strikes near the Strait of Hormuz, causing widespread disruptions in oil markets and at petrol stations.
The transit of tankers through the strait has been a contentious issue since the Middle East conflict began over a month ago.
US-Israeli forces targeted several key sites in Iran at the end of February, and Iran has retaliated by targeting sites across the Middle East, including vessels traversing the Strait of Hormuz.
Advertisement
Approximately one fifth of all globally traded oil passes through the strait.
UKMTO confirmed that the crew are accounted for and safe, and no environmental impact has been reported.
The strike occurred shortly after the Iranian Parliament’s Security Commission approved a plan to impose tolls in the Strait of Hormuz.
Advertisement
On Monday, a member of the National Security Commission declared that the plan had been approved. Among other provisions are the “safety of naval vessels”, environmental issues and the prohibition of passage for US and Israeli vessels.
The plan also incorporates a toll system and the enforcement of Iran’s sovereign role in the area.
Callum Edwards, 27, was found with messages on his phone which revealed he was involved in the supply of both class A and B drugs
02:00, 31 Mar 2026
A drug dealer was found to be involved in supplying both cocaine and cannabis after police seized his phone and found messages to customers. He later claimed he was selling drugs in order to fund his own addiction.
Advertisement
Callum Edwards, 27, of Merthyr Tydfil, was a passenger in a car stopped by police on January 14, 2024, on the A465. It was initially believed by police that the vehicle had been involved in the transportation of drugs into Parc Prison in Bridgend.
A sentencing hearing at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on Monday heard the defendant’s mobile phone was seized along with a small amount of cannabis. Don’t miss a court report by signing upto our crime newsletter here.
When the phone was checked there were found to be various messages which showed Edwards was involved in the supply of cocaine and cannabis.
Prosecutor Tom Roberts said the defendant fielded requests from drug users to supply up to 1.75g of cocaine and up to 3.5g of cannabis at a time.
Advertisement
In a basis of plea, the defendant accepted he sold drugs to friends and trusted associates, and did so to fund his addiction to cannabis.
Edwards, of Maple Crescent, Trefechan, later pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of class A and B drugs.
The court heard he was of previous good character.
In mitigation, it was said that the defendant had “taken responsibility” for his actions.
Advertisement
He began using drugs in 2023, starting with cannabis before also using cocaine.
The defendant was said to have suffered a brain injury after he cracked his head during an accident on a bicycle.
Recorder Paul Lewis KC sentenced Edwards to 21 months imprisonment, suspended for two years.
The defendant was also made subject to a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement and ordered to carry out 100 hours unpaid work.
Advertisement
Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here. We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice.
Ali Abdul Basit had evaded justice after fleeing to Venice, then Dubai and then Egypt, after stabbing Michael Afonso-Peixoto to death in Thornton Heath, south London
01:36, 31 Mar 2026Updated 01:42, 31 Mar 2026
Advertisement
A teenager who stabbed a man to death was snagged after throwing a cigarette butt from a car window at the scene.
This had Ali Abdul Basit’s DNA on, and detectives were eventually able to trace the teen and arrest him in connection with Michael Afonso-Peixoto’s death. Basit, though, fled to Venice, then Dubai and then Egypt in a desperate bid to dodge justice.
But the 19-year-old thug now faces jail after being convicted of manslaughter and robbery. The court had heard Basit was one of five men who waited in a car, jumping out to attack Mr Afonso-Peixoto. The 27-year-old victim had been “tricked” into thinking he was meeting someone to sell cocaine in Thornton Heath, south London.
Mr Afonso-Peixoto was being driven by his girlfriend Charley Smith and the men also robbed her car at knifepoint. However, four our of the five men were identified by DNA left on cigarette butts they discarded as they waited for the couple, the Old Bailey was told.
Crispin Aylett, KC, prosecuting, said: “Michael had been stabbed twice in right shoulder, once on his left side, stabbed to the front of his chest and the knife entered his heart.
“The wound quickly proved fatal and he bled to death on the driveway of the house where he had collapsed. For four of the five men in the BMW those thoughtlessly discarded cigarette butts were to prove their undoing. Each had left traces of DNA on one of more of the cigarette butts.”
Advertisement
The fifth assailant has never been identified, My London reports. Basit was cleared of murder, but convicted of manslaughter and robbery after a three-week trial. Three other men; Zak Baako, 30, John Budal, 20, and 23-year-old Omari Peat stood trial at the Old Bailey at the end of 2024.
But Basit, Mitcham, south London, fled justice for 18 months before he was eventually arrested, upon his return at Luton Airport. While he was away, the Metropolitan Police “compiled an extensive amount of evidence, including phone data” as they investigated the death.
Advertisement
The court heard Mr Afonso-Peixoto’s family was of Portuguese descent and ran a business supplying electrical parts called ‘Mikes Electrix’ but also sold drugs on Snapchat as ‘Mario Deals’. He was in a relationship with Ms Smith, despite also being in a long-term relationship with the mother of his child with whom he lived.
Basit was remanded in custody ahead of sentence on May 22. Baako, who was found guilty of murder, was sentenced to life with a minimum of 28 years in prison. Budal, who was cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter and robbery, was sentenced to nine years in prison while Peat was handed a four-year prison sentence.
Extreme online content and personalities are triggering racist, misogynistic and hateful behaviours among pupils, according to a major poll of over 10,000 teachers
Extreme online content and personalities are triggering racist, misogynistic and hateful behaviours among pupils, according to a major poll of teachers.
Advertisement
The survey of more than 10,500 National Education Union (NEU) members also found staff linked social media use to loss of concentration (71%), mental health impacts (67%) and sleep deprivation (66%) among students.
The findings come as Keir Starmer this weekend declared war on addictive algorithms and promised parents he would take urgent action to deal with online harms.
Among the stark findings, the NEU poll revealed more than half of teachers (56%) think extreme online content is leading to misogynistic behaviour among pupils, while a similar proportion (52%) believe it is leading to racist behaviour. More than two in five teachers also said homophobic or transphobic (45%) content and conspiracy theories or misinformation (43%) were influencing their pupils.
Children in secondary schools were around twice as likely to express hateful views, the survey found.
Spiralling content online is also linked to a rise in teachers facing abuse, with nearly two-thirds having experienced verbal assaults from pupils in the last year, the poll found. Nearly one in 10 (9%) teachers said they had experienced sexualised comments from pupils in the past year. This jumps sharply to 19% in secondary schools.
Nearly one in five female teachers (19%) said they had experienced misogyny in classrooms, while 13% of Black teachers reported being racially abused by pupils. One teacher told the survey: “Racist and homophobic language learned online is becoming normalised in school.”
Advertisement
More than half of teachers (55%) also said social media use was leading to bullying and harassment within schools. One teacher told the poll: “Bullying no longer stops at the school gate. It is relentless and follows them home.”
Another said: “Constant fallouts from group chats that begin at home and explode in school the next morning.” And another teacher added: “Friendship groups are breaking down because of online gossip and rumours spreading rapidly.”
Almost all (98%) of the teachers said they’d support strict regulation of tech firms to protect children from addictive algorithms. The Government has launched a major consultation looking at whether to introduce a social media ban, restrictions on addictive appsor overnight curfews.
In an interview with the Sunday Mirror, Mr Starmer said the next generation “won’t forgive” the Government for failing to tackle the social media wild west. The PM declared war on addictive apps, saying: “Addictive algorithms, clearly to my mind, shouldn’t be permitted.
Advertisement
“This is the platforms trying to get children to stay on for longer, to get addicted. I can’t see that there’s a case for that, and therefore I can see we’re going to have to act.”
It comes after a Los Angeles jury found that Meta, which owns Instagram, Facebookand WhatsApp, and Google, owner of YouTube, intentionally built addictive social media platforms that harmed a 20-year old woman’s mental health.
NEU General Secretary Daniel Kebede said: “Addictive social media algorithms are feeding our children harmful content on a daily basis. That content is having clear negative effects – with educators reporting racist and misogynistic behaviour by young people, influenced by what they have seen online.
“Other impacts reported by our members – on students’ mental health, personal development, and learning – are deeply concerning. This is not a problem that schools or parents on their own can fix. The vast majority of teachers and support staff back stricter regulation of tech firms to protect young people.
Advertisement
“Each day that we continue in the present situation comes with a cost, whether it is bullying, worsening mental ill-health, eating disorders, or disengagement from learning. We cannot allow this generation or any other to become victims of big tech profit margins.”
A government spokesman said: “These figures are deeply concerning, and underscore the need for strong action to keep our kids safe online. We have introduced some of the toughest online safety laws in the world. Platforms now have a legal duty to remove illegal content for all UK users and to protect children from harmful material, including pornography, violent and abusive online content.
“We have also published strengthened guidance to make it even clearer that schools should be mobile phone-free and have launched a public consultation considering stronger measures, including a social media ban or curfew for children.”
::: The NEU conducted an online survey of 10,578 teacher members and 3,230 support staff members in state schools in England, Wales and Northern Ireland between February 5 and 16.
This is the second new addition the zoo has welcomed in the last few months
A Cambridgeshire zoo has welcomed a ‘rare’ new addition, in the form of a possum. Only a few months ago, Hamerton Zoo in Steeple Gidding, Huntingdon, welcomed Clawdia, a new baby sloth to the zoo. Now it has welcomed Peanut, a female Golden Tasmanian Possum. Peanut was born to dad Piglet and mum Pansy.
A zoo spokesperson said: “He has been growing in the pouch for the last five months but only started emerging out the pouch last week, appearing to be a very confident and inquisitive joey so far!”
Advertisement
A Tasmanian gold possum is a rare colour variation of the common brushtail possum found in Tasmania. The colour comes from a genetic mutation that reduces dark pigment.
The zoo spokesperson added: “It looks striking, but it can make them more visible at night, which isn’t always ideal when you’re trying to avoid predators.
“Other than that, they’re just like regular brushtail possums; always on the lookout for food like leaves, flowers, fruit, and the occasional insect. We are excited to watch Peanut bloom, just like the flowers that she eats!”
![Tom Lee & Raoul Pal: "A CRASH Is Coming, Then Bitcoin Explodes To $250K" [2026 Prediction]](https://wordupnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/1774925538_hqdefault-80x80.jpg)
You must be logged in to post a comment Login