A “predatory” serial sex attacker was left free to murder two women because police and court blunders saw him released on bail allowing him to prey on other victims.
The Metropolitan Police, British Transport Police (BTP), and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) are all face serious questions over how Simon Levy was allowed to grope, rape and murder women between February 2023 and August 2025, after he was found guilty of murdering two women and raping a third on Friday.
The timeline of his escalating crimes reveals a string of errors where officials failed to stop a dangerous predator who was already a registered sex offender.
Levy, of Tottenham, north London, was found guilty by a jury at the Old Bailey on Friday for murdering Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo, 53, and Sheryl Wilkins, 39, five months apart last year.
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The 40-year-old suffocated both women in sexually motivated attacks, with Ms Valencia-Trujillo found in a largely abandoned block of flats on the Aylesbury estate in south-east London, and Ms Wilkins behind a car park wall near Tottenham High Road, north London.
He was also convicted of two counts of rape and assault occasioning grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, as well as non-fatal suffocation over a brutal sex attack in January 2025, which the victim survived.
The car park was also where Levy carried out the January rape, which left the victim unconscious with a broken collarbone.
Levy had already been sentenced for 11 counts of sexual assault at an earlier trial (Metropolitan Police)
The timeline of Levy’s offending reveals successive blunders from the Metropolitan Police, the British Transport Police (BTP) and prosecutors.
Members of the victims’ families burst into tears as the verdict was delivered after the jury deliberated for 13 hours.
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Levy was brought into police custody for questioning on September 4 and charged soon after.
Prosecutor Will Martin said his desire to sexually assault women was “on the verge of compulsive or pathological”.
Speaking outside the Old Bailey, Detective Chief Inspector Neil John, from Scotland Yard, said: “Simon Levy is a dangerous and predatory offender. His crimes were calculated, cruel and deeply disturbing.
“Throughout the trial, he has shown complete disregard for the victims and victim-survivor, despite being fully aware of the lasting and devastating impact of his actions.”
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Flanked by Ms Wilkins’s two sisters and the daughter of Ms Valencia-Trujillo, he appealed for any more victim-survivors of Levy who have yet to come forward to contact the police.
Ms Valencia-Trujillo’s children described her as a “big character” and “full of life”. She became a grandmother in 2024 and was said to be a “much-loved” member of the community with a love of salsa-dancing.
Mother-of-four, Ms Wilkins’ family said she was a much-loved woman and was missed every day by those who knew her.
Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo (Metropolitan Police)
Jurors heard that Levy was already a registered sex offender. He sexually assaulted two women in 2018 and was jailed in 2021.
He assaulted a prison officer while in jail in 2022, then once released groped a woman on the Tube in October 2023, three more in October the following year, and beat and raped another in January 2025, before he murdered Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo in March 2025.
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He then sexually assaulted six more women on the Tube – one in March, three in April and two in May 2025, before he murdered Sheryl Wilkins in August last year.
Sheryl Wilkins (Metropolitan Police)
Jurors saw through his claims that all the contact had somehow been accidental on wobbly or crowded trains, or after he became partially sighted in May 2024.
He would grope the young women he had chosen as victims, with some reacting angrily when they realised what had happened.
One called him a pervert and emptied a can of coke over him, while another shouted at him not to touch her.
He was convicted of 10 counts of sexual assault on the Tube, and an 11th at Brixton prison, by a jury at Inner London Crown Court on February 4.
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An Old Bailey jury reached verdicts after deliberating for 13 hours.
Levy, who wore sunglasses in court, made no reaction as the verdicts were delivered.
At the time charges were laid, Commander Clair Kelland, who leads the Met’s Public Protection Team, said: “As the lead for public protection at the Met, one of our main priorities is to better protect women and girls.
“The investigation into Simon Levy is one of great complexity. We are working closely with partners across relevant boroughs, including Haringey and Southwark, to encourage reporting and raise awareness of the support we can provide to victim-survivors.
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“Whether you are a victim-survivor, or someone with information, we urge you to come forward and speak to us.”
Simon Levy, 40, was arrested on September 4 (Metropolitan Police)
Levy was found guilty by a jury at the Old Bailey on Friday (Metropolitan Police)
His victims spoke of their shock at learning of his other crimes, with one, who cannot be named for legal reasons, telling the court: “After reporting the sexual assaults, it wasn’t long before I learned that my attacker was already known to the police for sexual violence and is a convicted sex offender.
“You could not begin to understand the horror I felt at hearing this.”
An Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) spokesperson said: “Our independent investigation began in January following a voluntary conduct referral from the force, relating to alleged failures by two officers in his management following his prison release on licence in February 2023.
“We are investigating the management of Simon Levy from his first conviction in September 2021 up to his arrest in September 2025.
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“We are examining whether action could or should have been taken to prevent his reoffending, and if all officers involved in his management followed policies, procedures, and training.
“We are also assessing whether any learning, whether individual, force-wide, or nationally or other changes should be implemented in light of the events under investigation.
“At this stage, we have served a gross misconduct notice on a police constable and a misconduct notice on a detective sergeant, which means that the actions of those officers are under investigation.
“The serving of conduct notices does not necessarily mean disciplinary proceedings will follow.”
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People can contact the Metropolitan Police’s incident room directly on 07751 700 330 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal prosecutor fired last year over critical comments he had written as a private citizen about President Donald Trump sued the Justice Department on Friday, saying his termination violated his First Amendment rights.
Will Rosenzweig was two weeks away from trying a multimillion-dollar Medicare fraud case when a blog he had written years earlier covering a broad range of topics was publicized online by a conservative political commentator who also included a screenshot of Rosenzweig’s LinkedIn account and tagged senior Justice Department officials for their awareness.
Less than three hours after the post, the lawsuit says, Rosenzweig received an email signed by then- Attorney General Pam Bondi informing him that he had been fired. The news came as Rosenzweig was out of town with his family observing the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashana.
A lawsuit filed in federal court in Miami, where Rosenzweig worked as a federal prosecutor for five years, seeks reinstatement to the job as well as a court order declaring his firing unlawful. The complaint says Rosenzweig was a highly respected prosecutor who received “consistent praise and awards” and was so highly valued in his office that he was told just weeks before his firing that he would be getting a special parking spot.
The blog Rosenzweig had written had been defunct for over six years at the time of his firing and included his thoughts on travel, sports and other “apolitical, anodyne topics,” in addition to critical observations about Trump and other political candidates, the lawsuit says. The comments that the conservative commentator, Natalie Winters, chose to highlight in her post on X specifically highlighted his thoughts on Trump, according to the complaint, which says the firing was a direct assault on Rosenzweig’s free speech rights.
“The Department’s conduct rests on a single premise: a citizen must forever refrain from criticizing the government and its leaders to remain eligible to serve it,” the lawsuit says. “That rule would force every American who might one day serve to choose between speaking freely now and working for the government later. Conditioning public employment on political loyalty, where a party card rather than merit opens the door to a government job, is a way of life in Havana and Caracas. It has no place here.”
A Justice Department spokeswoman declined to comment, citing pending litigation.
A mother and father have been pictured for the first time after they were charged over the death of their one-year-old son from ‘severe malnutrition’.
Police were called after Maero Johnson was rushed to hospital, where despite the best efforts of staff he passed away in the early hours of August 23, 2023.
The baby died from ketonic hypoglycaemia and severe malnutrition, a Home Office postmortem confirmed.
The condition is typically caused by long periods without food or a viral illness. It most commonly affects toddlers and young children.
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A second child was also found by Merseyside Police officers to be ‘neglected and underdeveloped’.
Adam Johnson, 26, and Kylie Smith, 25, both of St Helens, have been charged with causing/allowing the death of a child, child neglect and possession of a Class B drug, cannabis.
Johnson and Smith are scheduled to appear at Liverpool Magistrates Court on August 13.
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Kylie Smith, 25, has been charged with causing/allowing the death of a child, child neglect and possession of a Class B drug, cannabis
Adam Johnson, 26, of St Helens, has also been charged for the same crimes
Police were called after Maero Johnson (pictured) was rushed to hospital, where despite the best efforts of staff he passed away in the early hours of August 23, 2023
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Pictured: Mother and father charged after one-year-old boy died from ‘severe malnutrition’ and second child found ‘neglected’
Sir Cliff Richard, 85, shows his silly side in jazzy attire as he shares pictures from his travels for his 2027 calendar – and there’s even a tribute to his late friend Cilla
A teaser for Sir Cliff Richard‘s 2027 calendar has dropped with a look at the singer’s silly side as he posed in an array of wacky looks from exotic locations.
The pop veteran, 85, has been releasing his annual poses since the seventies and regularly outsells the likes of the former One Direction star and Taylor Swift.
This calendar marks the 49th edition of Sir Cliff’s annual offering, which includes a shot of him sporting a tuxedo T-shirt holding a ‘his lordship’ mug.
Sir Cliff leaned into the psychedelics of the 60s and 70s, sporting a funky rainbow T-shirt and round yellow-tinted sunglasses, posing in front of a series of vibrant bottles.
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The latest edition of the calendar also includes a tribute to Sir Cliff’s late friend Cilla Black, who passed away aged 72 in 2015.
A teaser for Sir Cliff Richard’s 2027 calendar has dropped with a look at the singer’s silly side as he posed in an array of wacky looks from exotic locations
Sir Cliff leaned into the psychedelics of the 60s and 70s, sporting a funky rainbow T-shirt and round yellow-tinted sunglasses, posing in front of a series of vibrant bottles
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The latest edition of the calendar also includes a tribute to Sir Cliff’s late friend Cilla Black, who passed away age 72 in 2025
Sir Cliff, who was wearing a tie dye jacket and shorts, stood at the back of the boat with the name ‘Cilla’ and two glasses of champagne.
Sir Cliff and Cilla had a very close, long-lasting friendship, from when they first became friends in the 1960s, when both were among Britain’s biggest pop stars.
Their friendship lasted for around 50 years and continued well beyond their chart success into their television careers.
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They spent time together in Barbados, where both owned homes, and were also seen dining together in places like Marbella, which are likely where Sir Cliff’s snaps for this year’s calendar were taken.
Speaking about the calendar, Sir Cliff said: ‘My favourite pastimes are travelling and spending quality time with friends and the pictures in the 2027 calendar are a small snapshot of some wonderful times in May and June this year in various locations.
‘I am delighted to be sharing these with you in my 2027 calendar, of which, I am so proud. It might be a bit early but a happy 2027 to you all.’
Sir Cliff’s total calendar sales since 1979 are reportedly around the £2million mark – beating the likes of David Beckham.
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His 2022 release was the best-selling of any music star’s calendar, according to Calendar Club, which had Elvis Presley in second, followed by Styles.
Sir Cliff was reading a book titled It’s Great To Be Young which he authored
Sir Cliff’s 2026 calendar is now available here
Sir Cliff and Cilla had a very close, long-lasting friendship, from when they first became friends in the 1960s, when both were among Britain’s biggest pop stars
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In one image, Sir Cliff proves he knows exactly how to give his fans exactly what they want, by offering up two images of himself sat on a chair in front of the sea.
Danilo Promotions, which tracks sales of all calendars, put Sir Cliff’s 2024 in fourth, with Taylor Swift top. Harry Styles didn’t make the top five.
In 2023, the singer left fans disappointed when he announced that he would be breaking with tradition by not stripping for his calendars going forward.
Fans had become accustomed to him posing topless, as he did in a swimming pool in 2022.
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‘I suspect I have done my final topless photo for my annual calendar… it’s time to gracefully exit the Chippendales market,’ he said.
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Sir Cliff Richard, 85, shows his silly side in jazzy attire as he shares pictures from his travels for his 2027 calendar – and there’s even a tribute to his late friend Cilla
Manchester United’s transfer business is not over this summer, and scouts have watched an enticing prospect to improve the club’s forward line
20:32, 07 Aug 2026Updated 20:32, 07 Aug 2026
Manchester United reportedly scouts watched on as Shakhtar Donetsk forward Kaua Elias scored a perfect hat-trick on Monday. The 20-year-old sparked his side’s 5-1 thrashing of Kudrivka in Lviv and put in a convincing performance in front of some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
The young striker has scored 12 goals and provided three assists in 39 appearances in his short time at the club, having joined from Fluminense in 2025. The Premier League sides are set to face competition from AC Milan and Porto.
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Rossoneri chiefs are said to be weighing up a bid. Elias’ representatives have already received ‘concrete signals’ from interested parties.
United’s scouts were tasked with observing Elias up close after assessments of his recent performances. It is claimed that Old Trafford bosses were told that the Shakhtar ace holds the ‘potential to develop into a top-level centre-forward’.
It was also said that Elias would slot into United’s system well. He is said to have been described as ‘highly compatible with United’s press-heavy, fast-transition system’.
But United will not necessarily have it all their own way, with Arsenal reportedly monitoring the striker for several weeks. Elias is said to be open to a move to an elite European league.
Michael Carrick may have a vacancy in his forward line with only Benjamin Sesko recognised as an out-and-out forward among the senior squad. Joshua Zirkzee is also set to leave the club with interest from Serie A side Juventus.
Friday saw goalkeeper Altay Bayindir join Celta Vigo on an initial loan. The La Liga side can make the Turkey international’s move permanent for £3.5m.
Thousands of Man United fans upgraded their matchday last season. This is how they did it.
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Official premium experiences at Old Trafford are available now for the 26/27 Premier League season. Make it easier than ever to turn a regular fixture into something genuinely unforgettable.
Earlier this year, Levy, 40, was found guilty by a jury at Inner London Crown Court of groping 10 women on the Tube and an 11th while in prison.
Details of this trial can now be reported after his conviction at the Old Bailey.
The offences took place between April 2022 at the prison, followed by the Tube assaults between 24 October 2023 and May 2025.
He had already been convicted of sexually assaulting two women in 2018, which was why he was in prison in 2022.
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The sex offender had lost sight in one eye in an attack in May 2024 and played on this, claiming that his partial sight made him unsteady on his feet and all contact was accidental on these crowded trains.
Levy’s tactic was to tie a jumper or hoodie around his waist, strap his arm down, and then back towards his victim with his hand fully or partially covered so he could grope them.
One of the Tube assault victims told the court: “It wasn’t long before I learned that my attacker was already known to the police for sexual violence and is a convicted sex offender.
“You could not begin to understand the horror I felt at hearing this.
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“How could a male who does this so often and so brazenly be allowed to repeat his attacks?
“Knowing this made me feel even more unsafe, the possibility that I could encounter Simon Levy again made me fearful and the idea that he would harm more women and that there would be many more victims was unthinkable.”
During the sentencing hearing in June for the Tube attacks, Judge Michael Evans told Levy : “You were on the Tube for one purpose only, to sexually assault women.”
Levy was convicted of 11 counts of indecent assault, including grabbing the prison guard in 2022, and given an extended sentence consisting of a six-year jail term plus a three-year period on licence.
It’s Friday night and that means you could be minutes away from becoming a multi-millionaire. Below you’ll find the winning numbers for tonight’s Euromillions and Thunderball draws. The Euromillions jackpot for Friday, August 7 is worth a life-changing £94m.
The Euromillions draw occurs every Tuesday and Friday, with tickets priced at £2.50. This includes automatic entry into the UK Millionaire Maker draw, which creates new UK millionaires every week.
The maximum jackpot can climb to €190m (roughly £167m).
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The Thunderball game also took place this evening at 8pm. The winner of this draw pockets £500,000 if they match five numbers along with the crucial Thunderball number.
How many numbers do you need to win?
Those who have got two numbers or one number and two lucky stars or better, are the winner. Players must match all five main numbers and two lucky star numbers to claim the jackpot.
In May 2022 Joe and Jess Thwaite, from Gloucester, became the UK’s biggest-ever Euromillions winners after netting £184m with a lucky dip ticket. Their record did not last long, though, after another UK winner came forward in July 2022 to claim a jackpot of £195m.
However they have not gone public. Prior to Mr and Mrs Thwaite’s win the previous record was held by an anonymous winner who scooped £170m in October 2019. On June 4, 2021, a ticketholder in the UK scooped the £111m jackpot in the Friday-night draw, matching all seven numbers to become the country’s ninth-biggest lottery winner ever at that stage.
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In June 2019 a single ticketholder in the UK won £123m in the Tuesday night Euromillions draw. It was the third-biggest Euromillions jackpot in the UK since the draw launched in 2004. It meant they instantly became as rich as Fifty Shades of Grey author E. L. James (£127m) and Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page (£125m).
June 2023 was a lucrative month for UK players with a ticketholder bagging a £117.1m jackpot on June 2 while another winner scooped the £55m jackpot on June 20. Euromillions is played in nine European countries.
The winning numbers for both draws can be found below:
Mohammed Al Masri, 25, has been jailed for eight years after tricking a young mum into getting into a taxi and raping her after a night out in Manchester
A predator who “posed as a good Samaritan” before tricking a young mum into getting into a taxi and raping her after a night out in Manchester has been jailed.
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Mohammed Al Masri, 25, told the “vulnerable lone woman” he would take her home in an Uber, but instead took her back to his HMO where he subjected her to a terrifying attack in December last year.
Officers arrested him moments after the attack as the victim had managed to send her live location to her boyfriend via WhatsApp, who then alerted the police.
On Friday, a judge sentenced Al Masri to eight years in prison at Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court and ruled him to be a dangerous offender, the Manchester Evening News reports.
The victim, in her 20s, had been out drinking with a friend in Manchester city centre on December 21 last year, the court was told.
At the end of the night, they “went their separate ways” and the woman tried to get a taxi, Lewis Hazeldine, prosecuting, said.
“She was followed by the defendant and an associate,” Mr Hazeldine said. The men “offered to get her an Uber home”, and she saw them type her postcode into the Uber app and was therefore “satisfied they were taking her home”, the prosecutor said.
But as soon as she got into the car, she began “to feel unsafe” and the effects of alcohol, saying her “head was starting to spin”, he added.
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The Uber driver told police she “fell asleep on the defendant’s shoulder” and later “with her head in his lap”. She had the “presence of mind” to share her live location with her boyfriend, the court heard.
Rather than take her home, the men took her to the house of multiple occupancy (HMO) in Abbey Hey, Gorton, where Al Masri was living. The victim was so intoxicated, she had to be “lifted and carried out of the taxi by the two men” and was taken to the defendant’s bedroom, Mr Hazeldine said.
Victim ‘jumped into arms’ of female officers after terrifying attack
Al Masri told the woman “she was safe” that her boyfriend was “on his way to collect her”.
After falling asleep on the bed, the woman became aware that Al Masri was raping her. She said the other man was in the room, at the end of the bed, and believes he was recording the attack on his mobile phone.
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After seeing her live location, the woman’s boyfriend rang 999 and officers rushed to the address on Gordon Street, Abbey Hey, in the early hours of December 22. She was “extremely distressed” and “jumped into the arms” of the female officers who responded, the court heard.
Al Masri accepted he had had sex with the woman but told police it was consensual and that she had initiated it.
Al Masri, of no fixed address, denied one count of rape but following a trial was last month found guilty by a jury, on a majority of 10-2.
‘I remember thinking: I am going to die’
In a statement read to court on Friday, the victim said: “It should have been a night I remember for all the right reasons. However, now, it is a night I never want to think about.
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“I will never forget the fear that I felt when this man took me to his house. I had no idea who he was. I had no idea where I was. I genuinely questioned if I would leave this place with my life.
“There were so many thoughts running through my mind when I arrived at his house. However, this man tried to reassure me and tell me that I was going to be safe and my boyfriend was coming. This was all a sick lie.
“I don’t remember much of what happened in the room. I don’t want to remember. I do, however, remember how I felt. I remember not being able to move my body because I was so frozen with fear. I remember thinking: ‘I am going to die.’”
The victim added: “The next thing I remember is the police entering the room and I have never felt relief like it. I knew I was going to live. This was not the end of what happened to me. I feel like this was only the beginning.
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“After it all happened, I felt like I was a zombie. I could not speak to anybody. I was numb. I was emotionless. I felt nothing. I couldn’t interact with my children and felt like I was unable to be a real mum.”
Keith Harrison, defending Al Masri, said he was a “political refugee from the Assad regime” in Syria and that he had been granted five years leave to remain, which expires in 2029. He said he was “not a person who is work shy” and that he had worked both in Syria and in the UK. He said he had no previous convictions and described the offence as a “one-off”.
‘Al Masri posed as a good Samaritan but his motives were far more sinister’
Judge Recorder Alexandra Simmonds said there were “elements of abduction” as the woman was “deceived her into thinking she was being taken home”.
She said the victim was “in a vulnerable state” and was “in no condition to make any free and informed decision about sexual activity”.
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The victim also had to suffer the “degradation and humiliation” of the presence of the second man, the judge added.
In addition to his sentence, Al Masri was made subject to notification requirements for life, a 10-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) and a restraining order. He may be deported but that would be a “matter for immigration, not this court”, his barrister said.
In a statement issued following the hearing, Anna Mackenzie, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Mohammed Al Masri posed as a ‘good Samaritan’ when he offered to help the woman get a taxi home after a night out, but his motives were far more sinister.
“The way he targeted a lone woman who he believed would be vulnerable through alcohol was both calculating and insidious. Al Masri’s vile actions have had a lasting impact on the woman. I truly hope today’s sentence will help her move forward knowing that without her bravery and support, this dangerous man would still be in our community.”
The two made wild Alaskan salmon cakes with a white bean, apple and arugula salad for what they claimed was $4.91 per serving or $19.64 for a family of four.
Towards the end of the episode, a receipt showed how much each ingredient cost to use in the recipe. For example, the amount of avocado mayo in the recipe cost 40 cents. But as Maryland-based Washington Post columnist Monica Hesse pointed out in a new article, no one can walk into the grocery store and buy 40 cents’ worth of mayo.
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Hesse calculated that the true cost of all the ingredients if she only had pantry staples in her kitchen, such as oil and seasonings, would be $73.46, or $18 per person, at her nearest chain grocery store.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has vastly underestimated the cost of ingredients while presenting a recipe on his new cooking show, which is centered on healthy, affordable meals (Getty Images)
While Hesse said the health secretary’s math is “a perfectly standard practice in pricing out a recipe, and RFK Jr. has suggested we do what feels entirely reasonable to a financially flush shopper: Buy the $14 jar of avocado mayo, use one scoop to make salmon patties, save the rest for other recipes.”
She also acknowledged “that kind of practical thinking is not helpful to a parent who has $20 in cash to get them to tomorrow’s paycheck.
“Safeway does not let you walk in, scoop some mayo out of a jar and pay one dollar at the cash register. You have to buy the whole thing.”
The cost of groceries went up 2.7 percent in June from the year before, according to the Consumer Price Index, which the government uses to track the cost of goods and services over time.
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Kennedy shared a recipe for salmon cakes that he said cost under $5 a serving, but the true cost was over three times more expensive (Getty Images)
Sixty percent of Americans said they are struggling with the rising cost of living, according to a new report by the McKinsey Institute for Economic Mobility and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Of those respondents, nearly 90 percent cited groceries and food as their top cost concern.
Trump’s agriculture secretary, Brooke Rollins, was mocked earlier this year for suggesting that Americans eat “a piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli, corn tortilla and one other thing” as a low-cost meal.
“Private jets and tax breaks for them and their rich friends, and one piece of broccoli *AND* a tortilla for you!” Chasten Glezman Buttigieg, the husband of former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, wrote on X at the time.
The Trump administration’s meal suggestions are in line with new dietary guidelines that advise Americans to eat more protein and vegetables and less whole grains.
Shania Twain has suffered a rare career flop with the release of her latest album.
The country music legend, 60, released her seventh studio album Little Miss Twain late last month, with the disc becoming the lowest-charting release of her career.
It debuted at a dismal No. 131 on the Billboard 200 with just 12,000 copies sold.
It’s a dramatic drop from her last studio album, 2023’s Queen of Me, which debuted at No. 10.
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Prior to that, Twain reached No. 1 on the charts with 2002’s Up! and 2017’s Now.
Throughout the course of her career, Twain has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling artists of all time.
Shania Twain has suffered a rare career flop with the release of her seventh studio album
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The album, titled Little Miss Twain, debuted at No. 131 on the Billboard 200 with just 12,000 copies sold
In interviews to promote the project, the singer admitted that Little Miss Twain is far more personal and less commercial than her previous work.
Speaking to Billboard Canada, Twain said that the album focuses a lot on her childhood and contains, ‘a lot of things that I wouldn’t normally write about as a commercial songwriter’.
She also admitted that she was nervous to release the record due to its deeply personal subject matter.
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‘I’m full of anxiety and excitement at the response but even if you find one lyric that speaks to you or makes you feel something I’ll be happy,’ she wrote on Instagram.
‘The emotional journey on this album was a true rollercoaster and there were moments where I felt like I was sitting with my younger self while my mother looked over me. It was very painful at times, but telling some of these stories out loud was also incredibly healing, and then there was the fun and laughter,’ she continued.
‘Thank you for going into the next chapter with me – it’s not easy to evolve as an artist and keep your people with you but you’ve been loyal and supportive through it all.’
It comes as Twain has faced criticism from both age and body-shamers in recent months after wearing a string of scantily-clad outfits while opening for Harry Styles in London.
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The sex symbol has also admitted to dealing with her own insecurities and struggling with her changing appearance.
It comes as Twain has faced criticism from both age and body-shamers in recent months over her racy wardrobe
Twain sparked an online firestorm after delivering a lingerie-clad performance while on tour with Harry Styles in June
The Come On Over hitmaker wore another lingerie-style outfit for a promotional appearance last month
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‘I go from being this young, stunning figure, beautiful skin, everything’s in the right place to a time in my life where I couldn’t look in the mirror because all I could see were imperfections and not wanting to be that curvy thing,’ she told People magazine in July.
Over the years, the singer has learned to accept menopause and let go of trying to control her changing body.
‘It is well-being first, always, to becoming an older woman and now looking in the mirror, no problem. I’m like, I just have to get over this because every day that goes by, I’m getting older; the dips and bulges and the sags are just getting more and more prominent,’ she asserted.
‘I’m not trying to be 30. I’m not trying to be 25, and I won’t be ever again. That’s my own fault for not looking in the mirror when I was younger, and shame on me. I encourage everybody: enjoy yourself the way you are right now and love it,’ she explained.
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‘Vanity is not worth torture. I’m just learning every phase that I go through, and I adapt.’
Throughout the course of her career, Twain has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling artists of all time. (Pictured in 1999)
Twain has dealt with trolling over her raunchy outfits while on tour with 32-year-old Styles.
Most recently, she sparked an online firestorm after a TikTok clip from her June 26 performance at London’s Wembley Stadium went viral.
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She was singing her 1999 hit Man! I Feel Like a Woman! while wearing a revealing black lace dress and executing low crouches. At one point during the provocative number, she almost suffered a wardrobe malfunction.
TikTok users were quick to criticise the ensemble, with some branding it ‘tacky’ while another said that Twain was ‘too talented and beautiful for this’ and needed a new stylist.
But Twain said that she refuses to let external comments or societal standards affect her.
‘My body is not shameable. That courage comes with time and maturity. Body shaming is nothing that’s going to affect me,’ she said.
With a location in Harrogate and Helmsley, the flower fields are a peaceful place to enjoy nature.
The flower field grows a range of plants throughout the year and changes with the seasons.
As well as pick-your-own flowers, the Flower Belt has a café and bar to have some drinks while watching the field.
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What is the Flower Belt like?
The Flower Belt’s website reads: “Nestled in the rolling countryside of Ryedale, North Yorkshire, The Flower Belt is a pick-your-own flower and pumpkin farm offering visitors a unique, hands-on experience with nature.
“Owned and run by the Wainwright family who have farmed this land since 1962, the farm celebrates a deep-rooted passion for growing beautiful, seasonal produce.
“From vibrant tulip fields in spring to wildflowers and towering sunflowers in summer, and a pumpkin patch in autumn, The Flower Belt offers a changing landscape throughout the year.”
Visitors are able to simply take a walk through the fields or handpick flowers to create their own bouquet.
Described as an “unforgettable” experience, you will be able to enjoy views of the North York Moors.
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After walking through the fields, you can stop off at the Honey Tap to enjoy a coffee, tea or hot chocolate.
In the afternoon, the café serves pizzas from simple margheritas to a pizza topped with prosciutto, ricotta, sun-dried tomatoes, and pesto.
On a hot day, you can grab an ice cream or a sweet treat ranging from brownies and rocky road to a slice of cake.
What do visitors think of the Flower Belt?
Reviewers on Tripadvisor have praised the area for being “lovely” and “superb”.
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One reviewer said: “Stumbled across the Flower Belt on the way to Helmsley and it was a lovely surprise!
“Beautiful site and very quiet when we went (late September) – and I thought good value (£7 to pick a jar of wildflowers).
“It was a lovely way to spend an afternoon.
“Unfortunately, pizza wasn’t being served (otherwise we would have stayed longer) but we would come back again.”
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Another reviewer said: “A stunning location, particularly on a beautiful summers evening.
“Food was lovely, locally brewed ale was spot on, the views were spectacular.
“Really look forward to returning at some point in the not too distant future.
“Congratulations to all involved!”
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Would you ever visit the Flower Belt? Let us know in the comments.
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