Several athletes – including American star Noah Lyles – were caught up in a crash between two buggies at the World Athletics Championships, causing Jamaican sprinter Andrew Hudson to get glass in his eye.

Footage of the incident ahead of the athletes’ 200-meter semifinal shows the buggies colliding at a junction outside the stadium in Budapest, Hungary. Two pedestrians narrowly avoided being caught in the collision, while a volunteer fell out of the cart after the impact.

Hudson, the Jamaican champion over 200 meters, appeared to be in pain after the incident and later explained how shattered glass had got into his eye.

“I feel like it all happened in slow motion,” the 26-year-old said, according to Reuters. “Unfortunately, I was sitting on the side where another buggy crashed into us. I was directly impacted. They got most of the glass out. My eye is pretty blurry right now.”

The race involving Hudson and the other athletes on the cart, due to be the first of the men’s 200-meter semifinals, was moved to the end of the schedule.

Hudson finished fifth in a time of 20.38 seconds but was given a discretionary place in the final as a result of the eye injury. He was later sent to the hospital as a precaution, according to a statement from the local organizing committee.

“The driver of the vehicle involved in the crash has been given two days’ rest and the traffic rules have been tightened further by the organising committee,” the statement added.

“The previous speed limit of 19 km/h has been reduced to 15 km/h and physical separation between lanes on the routes has been introduced. From Friday morning, traffic marshals are on hand to help at intersections.”

American Lyles, who was crowned 100-meter world champion in Budapest last week, was also involved in the collision but said he was unharmed. He went on to win his race in a time of 19.76 seconds, the fastest of the three semifinals.

“As [the carts] just got closer, there was a miscommunication of who was going to stop,” Lyles said in an interview with NBC. “They both decided that neither of them were going to stop, so they just ended up t-boning right into each other.

“Thankfully, I had no issues. Unfortunately, Andrew Hudson did seem to get some glass in his eye which was the hold-up. I think everybody was really worried about him.”

The 200-meter final, which will also feature Americans Erriyon Knighton and Kenny Bednarek, takes place at 3:50 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday.

Vanessa Bryant, the late Kobe Bryant’s wife, announced the date on Thursday when the Los Angeles Lakers will unveil a statue honoring the former NBA superstar.

Bryant revealed that the team with which her husband played his entire career will first display the statue on February 8, 2024 – significant as the five-time champion wore jersey numbers 8 and 24.

“As you know, Kobe played his entire 20-year NBA career as a Los Angeles Laker,” Bryant said while sitting in front of the now iconic jersey numbers in a video posted at 8:24 a.m. on Thursday morning.

“Since arriving in this city and joining the Lakers organization, he felt at home here, playing in the City of Angels.
On behalf of the Lakers, my daughters and me, I am so honored that, right in the center of Los Angeles, in front of the place known as the house that Kobe built, we are going to unveil his statue so that his legacy can be celebrated forever.”

The Lakers said the bronze statue will be set at Star Plaza outside of Crypto.com Arena ahead of that night’s home game.

According to the team, Kobe took part in “initial planning of the anticipated statue” before his untimely death on January 26, 2020.

Bryant, 41, and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna Maria Onore Bryant, were among nine people killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.

The Lakers also said the statue “is the first in a series of physical tributes to honor his legacy.”

“Kobe Bryant was one of the most extraordinary athletes of all time, and one of the most iconic individuals in the history of Los Angeles,” Jeanie Buss, Los Angeles Lakers Governor, said.

“There is no better place for Kobe to be honored with a statue than here, at the center of our city, where everyone can celebrate him and be inspired by his incredible achievements.”

Bryant will be the seventh Lakers icon to be honored with a statue, joining Elgin Baylor, Chick Hearn, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal and Jerry West.

Bryant was an 18-time NBA All-Star over his legendary career during which he won five NBA titles.

Known for his ‘Mamba Mentality,’ he is the Lakers’ all-time leader in regular season games played, points, three-pointers made, steals and free throws made, while owning franchise playoff records for games played, points, three-pointers made and free throws made.

Spanish soccer chief Luis Rubiales has refused to resign from his position as Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president following a week of fierce criticism after video showed him placing an unwanted kiss on a star player of Spain’s winning Women’s World Cup team.

Rubiales spoke at an RFEF Extraordinary General Assembly on Friday and said he will “fight to the end.” In a defiant speech, he described the kiss as “mutual” and spoke of “unjust” campaigns and “fake feminism.”

Rubiales was filmed forcibly kissing Spain star Jennifer Hermoso – who helped La Roja win its first Women’s World Cup title on Sunday in Sydney – on the lips after she collected her winners’ medal, an act which the 33-year-old World Cup winner later said she “didn’t like” and “didn’t expect.”

On Monday, Rubiales admitted he had “made a mistake,” but criticism continued to pour in throughout the week from the soccer world and Spanish politicians, including Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, who said the apology for what he called an “unacceptable gesture” was “not enough.”

On Friday the embattled president issued a staunch defense of his actions at the final, saying: “Everyone there – even some of them my family, my daughters – the desire that could have been there in that kiss is exactly the same that could have been as giving a kiss to one of my daughters. No more, no less.

“It was a spontaneous kiss … It was spontaneous, mutual, euphoric and with consent, which is the key. This is the key to all of the criticism, of all of the campaign which has been mounted in this country: that it was without consent. No. It was with consent.”

On Wednesday, following strong criticism of Rubiales’ kiss from journalists, politicians, and campaign groups, Hermoso said that Spain’s Association of Professional Soccer Players (FUTPRO) and her agency TMJ would be “defending my interests and acting as spokespersons on this matter.”

Then on Thursday, global governing body FIFA said that it had opened disciplinary proceedings against Rubiales as he may have violated the game’s “basic rules of decent conduct.”

Rubiales also said that he was in “no position of dominance” during the kiss and that he had wanted to console Hermoso, who had missed a penalty to put Spain 2-0 ahead during the final.

“When Jenni first showed up, she lifted me up from the ground. She grabbed me by the hips, by the legs, I don’t remember well,” he said. “She lifted me up from the ground – and we almost fell down.

“And when she put me down on the ground, we hugged each other. She’s the one who picked me up in her arms and she pulled me into her body. We hugged and I told her, ‘Forget about the penalty. You were fantastic, we wouldn’t have won this World Cup without you.’ She replied to me, ‘You are awesome.’ And I said, ‘A small peck?’ And she said, ‘OK.’

“Then the peck happened during all of this celebration with her patting me on the side a few times and then excusing herself with one more hand on the side and going off laughing. That’s the whole sequence. That the whole world understood, that the whole world thought was an anecdote, and above all, she said was an anecdote and nothing more.”

While acknowledging he needed to apologize for his actions, Rubiales described calls for his resignation as a “witch hunt.”

More to follow.

Just under 700,000 homes and businesses are without power in parts of Michigan and Ohio early Friday as a forceful round of severe thunderstorms has brought heavy rains, strong winds and at least one confirmed tornado to the region.

The storms marched from southern Michigan into Ohio overnight, threatening powerful wind gusts of up to 85 mph, hail up to 1.5 inches in diameter and possible tornadoes. Northern portions of Ohio are under flood watches until 8 a.m. ET Friday due to excessive rainfall.

A large and “extremely dangerous” tornado was confirmed near Williamston, Michigan, in Ingham County at about 9:30 p.m. Thursday, according to the National Weather Service Offices in Detroit and Grand Rapids.

No life-threatening injures were reported in Ingham County, according to Rob Dale with the county’s emergency management office. Fewer than 10 non-life-threatening injuries were sustained on the interstate, he said.

“Everyone in a house or a building was fine,” Dale said, noting that the roof of an assisted living center collapsed but everyone inside was safe and uninjured. Officials plan to reassess damage in the county during daylight hours.

The storms left 400,000 people without power in southern Michigan and nearly 300,000 in the dark in northern Ohio overnight, according to tracker PowerOutage.us.

A powerful gust of 70 mph was reported in Detroit Thursday night.

The storms come on the heels of an earlier round of heavy rainfall that wrapped up in southern Michigan and northern Ohio Thursday morning, bringing 7 to 8 inches in some places.

The earlier downpours halted incoming flights at the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport on Thursday and overnight flooding prompted closures of roadways. About 18% of flights originating at the airport were canceled on Thursday, though the roadways were reopened later in the day.

An area of showers and thunderstorms in the Caribbean Sea could develop into a tropical system as soon as Sunday, posing a risk to Florida and the Gulf of Mexico coast early next week.

Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center are watching the disturbed weather near Central America, which is expected to track north this weekend through the Caribbean Sea toward the Gulf of Mexico, where it could form the Atlantic Ocean’s tenth tropical system this year.

A tropical depression or named storm could develop late this weekend or early next week if the currently disorganized showers and thunderstorms consolidate into one swirling mass with a defined center.

As of Friday morning, the National Hurricane Center said there is a high chance of this happening within the next seven days.

Who should pay attention? Nothing has formed yet, so it’s too early to pinpoint an exact track. But Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, Cuba and the northern Gulf and Florida coast should monitor the forecast in the coming days. The direction and strength of the upper-level steering winds around this system will dictate where it will move and how quickly.

How soon could it form? A tropical depression or storm could form as early as Sunday or Monday.

When could it affect the US? If a tropical system does develop, it could affect the US as soon as Monday if it is pulled northward by strong steering winds. Weaker steering winds would lead to a slower track and impact midweek.

How strong could it get? It’s still too soon to tell how strong this system could get – or how fast it could strengthen. But it will be tracking through the warmest waters in the entire Atlantic basin – a vast source of energy for a developing storm. Exceptionally warm water can provide storms the fuel needed to strengthen and sometimes undergo rapid intensification.

Sea surface temperatures are record warm in the Gulf of Mexico and extremely high across the northwestern Caribbean Sea. Water temperatures need to be around 80 degrees Fahrenheit to sustain tropical development, and portions of the Caribbean and Gulf are well above that threshold.

A hurdle to development: Warm water isn’t the only factor at play. This potential tropical system would also need upper-level winds to cooperate. High wind shear – the wind’s change in direction or speed with altitude – can tear a developing storm apart.

How much wind shear this potential system faces is a critical factor in its formation and final strength. One forecast model shows more wind shear, limiting its development. Another shows less wind shear, allowing the system to develop.

Either way, wind shear may decrease for a time early next week across the far northern Caribbean and eastern Gulf of Mexico, allowing any system that forms to hold together.

Franklin to strengthen and approach Bermuda

Meanwhile, out in the central Atlantic, Franklin is on track to pass near Bermuda as a hurricane after slamming Hispaniola with flooding rainfall and strong winds.

The storm will track away from Hispaniola and Turks and Caicos through Friday night before making a turn to the north on Saturday. The storm is expected to strengthen into a hurricane over the weekend as it enters an area of low wind shear and very warm water.

Small variations in Franklin’s track through the weekend will determine exactly how close it gets to Bermuda when it make its closest pass Monday and Monday night.

Franklin’s winds and rainfall will extend beyond its center. Tropical-storm-force wind gusts are possible across Bermuda early next week as Franklin makes its closest approach. A few showers and thunderstorms are also possible across Bermuda as Franklin passes.

Taiwan’s government on Thursday said it will from this month allow Chinese tourists and business people to visit again as it seeks to resume exchanges halted by the Covid-19 pandemic and extend an olive branch to Beijing.

China, which has been gradually resuming permission for its nationals to visit a host of popular tourist destinations including Japan, has yet to add Taiwan back on its approved list.

In 2019, China halted individual tourism permits for Taiwan amid rising tensions over the democratically governed island that Beijing claims as its sovereign territory.

Taiwan’s China policy-making Mainland Affairs Council said that business people from China will be allowed from Monday to apply for short term visits such as for attending exhibitions, and will from September 1 allow Chinese who live in third countries to come as tourists.

Tour groups from China will be limited to 2,000 arrivals per day, but the actual date from when this will begin will depend on the reaction of the Chinese government, the council added in a statement.

“We hope the mainland side will also take steps and meet us halfway to facilitate the promotion and implementation of the plans,” it said.

There was no immediate reaction from China to the announcement.

Taiwan’s government has been trying to improve relations with China starting with less sensitive issues like tourism, but China has instead blamed Taiwan for problems, including a slow resumption of direct flights.

Tourism is not a mainstay of Taiwan’s tech-oriented economy, but the island is an increasingly fashionable destination for mainly Asian tourists attracted by its renowned food scene, history and mountains.

Taiwan has set a target of 6 million tourist arrivals this year.

In many ways, raising a baby gorilla is very similar to nurturing human newborns, says Chad Staples, a father of four and the director of Mogo Wildlife Park, a small private zoo in the town of the same name on Australia’s southeastern coast.

In the early months, Kaius slept in Staples’ bedroom, and the zookeeper regularly fed him milk and changed his diapers – a difficult task to perform on a primate that’s much stronger than a human baby and able to grip with both his hands and feet.

“With a baby, you’ve only got to deal with some little hands that might help, but with a gorilla, he was really right into making it very difficult,” he said. “I just laughed I thought, ‘Oh my goodness.’”

As he got older, Kaius would cling to the zookeeper’s back as they walked around the zoo.

Then on Friday, Staples watched with wonder – but mostly relief – as 10-month-old Kaius shared a breakfast of sweet potatoes and tomatoes with G-Anne, an unrelated 42-year-old female gorilla, who for now seems happy to assume parenting duties in the zoo’s gorilla house.

“It makes me so happy to see the two of them together now,” Staples said. “It’s been a hell of a journey.”

A new baby

Kaius was born at the wildlife park last October to first-time parents, 10-year-old mother Kipensi and 17-year-old father Kisane, a hulking silverback weighing some 220 kilograms (485 pounds).

Newborn gorillas are typically smaller than full-term human babies, and at 2.2 kilograms (4.85 pounds), Kaius seemed to be doing well – until Kisane, a giant compared to his tiny newborn, took the infant from his mother.

“It was terrifying because you just wondered if he was going to do something stupid,” Staples said. “He was actually holding the baby quite gently. But you know, Kaius was just over 2 kilos … so it’s just this huge size difference.”

For 14 hours, zoo staff tried to coax Kisane to give the baby back – offering food that he’d need two hands to grip and moving females – Kipensi and her mother Kriba – into different areas of the gorilla house so he’d follow them and put the baby down.

“We’re not really ever going to know why but I like to think that maybe dad just tried to get involved because he saw that there was something wrong with mom,” Staples said.

Kipensi had failed to pass the placenta, a concern for veterinarians who worried about the risk of infection, and she didn’t demand her partner return the baby, as Staples said she might have been expected to do in the wild.

Eventually, Kisane put down the baby and zoo staff rushed in to grab him. By then, the infant was hungry, so they fed him a bottle and attempted to give him back to his mother and grandmother the next day.

“They basically walked straight over to him, looked at him and then walked away,” Staples said. “And then they proceeded to step over him to get food and were sort of interested but not interested like we really had expected.”

Zoo staff had intended to feed him and try again, but when Staples picked him up, he said, “his demeanor changed.”

“He’d lost color, looking very dull in the eyes, and so we rushed him up to the vet block, and he proceeded to crash quite quickly.”

A fight to stay alive

Kaius, then still just a day old, was diagnosed with sepsis pneumonia.

“He crashed probably half a dozen times where he was basically revived and you know, shots of adrenaline and all this stuff to get his little body going again,” Staples said.

“The vets were talking about euthanasia. Doctors were talking about him probably not making it through the night.”

So Staples sat up all night with the tiny gorilla sleeping on his chest.

“That was what gave him the most comfort and actually got his heart rate and breathing under control, just that skin to skin contact and feeling the heartbeat like he would from his mom.”

Then Kaius started getting better – and growing.

The diapers were abandoned when they started going outside more, then came the process of introducing other zoo workers, so Kaius wouldn’t get too attached to his main carer.

Kaius moved from Staples’ house – which is inside the zoo – to the gorilla enclosure, in a pen neighboring G-Anne, his new adoptive mom.

The aim was to get the two of them to interact enough that they would eventually share an enclosure. But resettling a baby gorilla comes with tremendous risk.

His biggest fear? “The gorilla would just kill him. Because that’s happened with gorillas and chimps around the world,” Staples said.

Two days in and those fears have receded as G-Anne has taken to her new role.

“She’s a beautiful girl and she’s always shown signs that she wanted this as much as what we did,” he said. “I’m not worried about that anymore. You know, it’s always in the back of your head. You know, what if? But not like it was.”

For now, the pair will spend some time together before Kaius is ready to make his public debut at the zoo, which also houses a giraffe, zebra, lions, tigers and lemurs.

Staples says Kaius seems to recognize him and he hopes the connection lasts.

“Once I’m close, he really pushes his face into mine and big beautiful breaths, holds on tight, you know, tries to kiss, all these sorts of beautiful things,” Staples said.

“I do hope that there’s a bond there for his life. It’d be pretty special.”

A Yellowstone National Park visitor who was allegedly under the influence as he traveled off-trail in one of the park’s thermal areas has been banned from the park as he faces federal criminal charges in the incident, prosecutors announced.

Jason Wicks, a 49-year-old resident of Hillman, Michigan, was arraigned Wednesday on charges of off-trail travel and being under the influence “to the degree he was a danger to himself or others,” the US District Attorney’s Office in Wyoming said in a news release. He has pleaded not guilty.

Wicks was charged with thermal trespass and being under the influence of alcohol dangerous to self or others, according to court documents.

As part of the conditions of his release, Wicks is banned from Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks until the case is resolved, prosecutors said.

A trial date has yet to be set and the investigation is still underway, according to the release.

Yellowstone National Park officials cautioned that the ground in thermal areas is fragile and thin, with scalding water beneath its surface, the release said. and beneath the surface there is scalding water, the release says. Visitors are therefore asked to stay on boardwalks and trails and be extremely cautious around thermal features.

“Hot springs have injured or killed more people in Yellowstone than any other natural feature,” the park warns.

TikTok doesn’t only cater to those seeking the newest dance trend or funniest comedy skit. I put a stint of endless scrolling to good use by using the app to decide the itinerary for my latest vacation.

Off the coast of West Africa, Tenerife is the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands and home to Spain’s tallest peak, the 3,718-meter-tall (about 12,200 feet) active volcano Mount Teide.

I already knew about Tenerife’s plentiful beaches and vibrant nightlife, but could TikTok help me choose the best activities and places to visit to make a five-night trip fulfilling?

The hashtag #TravelTok has more than 11.4 billion views on TikTok and #TravelTikTok has 39.3 billion, so there’s no doubt that the app is a popular tool for vacation inspiration and planning.

Unlike travel advisory sites, the social media app hosts short videos of users’ travel experiences and recommendations accompanied by dynamic sounds and filters.

While user-generated content can provide a more accurate portrayal of what a place might be like, it can also overhype a rather mundane location or attraction.

After searching through TikTok for videos relating to #tenerife, #teneriferecommendations and #tenerifecostaadeje – with Costa Adeje being the coastal area of the southern province Adeje in which I was staying — this is what I ended up doing.

Tourist train tour of Costa Adeje

Several TikToks recommended a scenic walk through Costa Adeje with one video in particular from @laurenjaneknox highlighting a tourist train tour around the local area. I opted for the intriguing train ride, which cost 9 euros ($9.87) for what was a 45-minute journey.

While it was not a real train on tracks, the vehicle was styled like one and had three shaded, open-air carriages for passengers. The “train” jolted and its bell rang as it went along the roads of streets lined with palm trees, bars, restaurants and resorts before turning back at Port Colon in what was an immersive experience. Tenerife’s mountain terrain was always in the backdrop as locals and tourists alike gave us a welcoming wave as we passed by.

Verdict: TikTok, you did good. Conventional travel guide books were not showing me this. I did see the train ride advertised on a poster in the area, but that was way after I had done it. Travel guides move fast, but TikTok moves faster.

Siam Park

This waterpark in Costa Adeje was repeatedly recommended by TikTok users, most of whom shared their views from their floating pool rings as they drifted along the Lazy River. Even as a non-swimmer, I felt like I had to join them.

The hype seemed plausible as Siam Park is listed as the world’s number one in Tripadvisor’s Travelers’ Choice list of best amusement parks & water parks.

Although many TikTok users recommended going early in the morning to avoid endless queues, I opted for the park’s night event, which runs Thursday to Saturday in summer. The wait times for rides were short, the wave pool was not overcrowded, and a beach lounge DJ played Spanish music as lights and fire lit up the park.

It felt like a fiesta on a private beach or a scene out of a teen movie. While it was thrilling, the park felt like a dark maze with little guidance in terms of navigation. So, like TikTok users said, early morning is probably the best time for a tourist to first experience the amusement park.

Verdict: While I appreciated TikTokers tips on how to best enjoy the park, this location is so popular I didn’t need the app to find it. Since I was attending the first Siam Park Night event of the year, the event didn’t even come up on TikTok until after I had already been, but it still beat the travel guides.

Dolphin and whale-watching cruise

Some TikTokers also mentioned Tenerife’s Monkey Park or Loro Park (for parrots), but I instead opted for another frequently namechecked animal activity: a dolphin and whale-watching boat ride.

I booked a two-hour trip for around 13 euros ($14.26). The boat left from the port of Los Cristianos into the North Atlantic Ocean and the crew made it clear that we would not be chasing or disturbing the wildlife and would turn the engine down or off when near them. I saw several short-finned pilot whales, some of whom swam right next to the boat. They were really cute.

I didn’t see any common dolphins or any of the other aquatic animals the crew said we might encounter. But they did warn us. Overall, the experience was fun, with many people dangling their legs over the side of the boat, although it did rock quite heavily.

Verdict: A win for TikTok. Well, a fraction of one anyway – and I’m not just saying that because I only got half of the experience. While many videos told me to go on the boat ride, they never told which out of the dozens available I should pick. Traditional travel guides saved the day, listing the best ones to choose.

Playa Amarilla

With a name meaning “Yellow Beach,” this place was an aesthetic wonder, which explains why it came up on TikTok.

This is not the typical sandy beach common on the island. Instead, this small but grandiose area was adorned with volcanic black rocks, with a rocky cove and a yellow mountain where visitors sunbathed on layers of yellow geological formations despite very windy conditions.

The small mountain also had trails offering great views of the beach, its clear waters and surrounding area. The beach included quirky features, such as small, seemingly abandoned, boats and a colorful fish mosaic.

Verdict: Kudos to TikTok for this one. It was stunning. Was it as mesmerizing as the edited TikToks made it seem? No comment, but if that’s what TikTokers need to create to get me there then I won’t complain. For scenic gems like this, TikTok is all you need.

Luuma

I was staying at an all-inclusive resort, but this TikTok-recommended restaurant looking out onto Fañabe Beach in Costa Adeje proved worth a visit.

It offered a glass of pink sangria with grapefruit for 3.75 euros ($4.11) – a much sweeter version of the traditional beverage.

I accompanied the drink with a hot pan of saucy vegetarian paella and Canarian potatoes with garlicky “mojo” sauce.

TikTok made no mention of the fact that I’d constantly have to wave away mosquitoes once the food arrived or that bird droppings along the exterior might dampen the experience for some diners sitting along the edge, but the sunny and breezy dining experience was worthwhile.

Verdict: TikTok got the job done. Maybe not to the best of its ability – it was a nice spot, but I struggled to see why it was the chosen one when there are many like it on the island. But, hey, it saved me scrolling through the endless restaurant lists online – I’m quite indecisive.

Fiore

From the moment I arrived at this restaurant I understood why TikTok users had raved about it. The entire venue was decorated with flowers, and featured a table for two with swings for seats.

The lights, encased in a wooden cage design, hung down from rope, and the white wooden seats had pink cushions on them.

Two tree-like features came up from the ground in the barn-like restaurant, which played early 2000s music and pop anthems. It was a feast for the eyes. I went for an Italian classic, carbonara, which was creamy and tasty – the place was clearly not just for show.

Verdict: Okay TikTok, I see you. You outdid yourself here. I’ll admit, I was sceptical, since I know you like to focus on looks. But this was the full package: food, aesthetics and ambience. This was a good trust exercise. Any plans like this will be placed in your hands going forward.

Playa de Las Américas

A common recommendation on TikTok, Playa de Las Américas is the heart of south Tenerife’s bustle. Its Veronica Strip was lined with bars and club-like pubs from which tourists spilled onto the street at night.

Workers offered drink deals as I walked past their already-brimming venues. The area is also home to the island’s Golden Mile, featuring shops, restaurants, bars, a waterfall, a playground, hair-braiding and caricature artists. It could not be missed.

Verdict: Really and truly, I did not need TikTok for this one. Plenty of travel guides are quick to spill the beans about the island’s party central. But don’t get me wrong. I appreciate the sounds and edits that gave me a heads-up before I arrived on the party vibe that I could expect.

Hard Rock Café

TikTok was filled with videos of the lit-up, towering structure that is Tenerife’s Hard Rock Café. It dominated the Golden Mile.

Like a museum, it featured a merchandise store, microphone beer taps and an array of rock and roll memorabilia. These included a floral dress worn by Madonna in the music video to her 1992 song “This Used to be My Playground”; a leather Harley Davidson vest signed by Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Billy Idol; and a velvet cape worn by Stevie Nicks on stage during her “Wild Heart” tour in 1983. Live music from the terrace blared across the street. I got a milkshake topped with a brownie and whipped cream.

Verdict: This is where my previous trust exercise with TikTok came in handy. The app was full of videos showing only the beautiful outside structure of the venue from behind a waterfall – but not the inside. They say don’t trust a book by its cover, but TikTok forced me to. Luckily, Hard Rock was great inside and out.

Papagayo Beach Club

This beach club on the Veronica Strip was recommended by TikTok users as the place to be to enjoy the island’s nightlife. How could I not go?

The open-air venue with two floors, including a beach hut-styled upstairs, provided a unique experience of dancing under the moon.

It stood out from other venues along the strip, which were much smaller, played British club music and were very sweaty.

Papagayo had cool fresh air, was playing Spanish music and had a smoking area that led out to the shore. The lack of ceiling allowed full view of firework effects in the sky above.

Verdict: TikTok was made for places like this. The quaint stuff. The quirky stuff. The “if you know, you know” stuff. This venue screamed “lights, camera, action.” It needed to be seen, not heard about. Without seeing the videos of this spectacle on the social media app, I highly doubt I would have known it was a cut above the rest.

The ‘lost pirate village’ of Masca

A visit to the Island’s tallest peak, Mount Teide, was a popular TikTok recommendation. But after my stargazing experience on the volcano was cancelled due to bad weather, I set my sights on another suggestion: Masca village.

Advertised on TikTok as a “lost pirate village,” Masca sits in the valley between Tenerife’s Teno mountains. It was beautifully picturesque, with souvenir shops selling cactus jam and fig marmalade. There were trails lined with cacti into which people had carved their names or initials, small homes and restaurants, a tiny church and friendly locals.

The only downside was that Masca is quite hard to get to, with drivers needing to navigate steep, twisting lanes to reach it. I took a taxi there – since there were no excursions that went exclusively to the village – but it was impossible to find one to take me back. Instead, I waited 90 minutes for a bus to the neighbouring town of Santiago del Teide before continuing my journey.

Tucked away, this place was too pretty to hide from TikTok. But surely TikTokers could have also given just a teeny-tiny warning about the tricky journey to get to it. TikTok might not tell you the how (this is where the traditional travel guides come in), but it will definitely tell you the what and the where – especially if it’s a best-kept secret.

A worker at my hotel was surprised that I knew about Masca and wanted to know how I did!

Verdict: TikTok, I’ll see you again on my next trip. But I won’t be loyal. While the app can be trusted to find the spots worthy of an Instagram post; used as a standalone, it’s bound to leave you confused or, in my case, stranded.

I would recommend every place TikTok took me to, especially the aesthetic masterpieces: the yellow beach, Fiore and Masca.

But my advice when following its tips on popular tourist activities, such as the boat ride: Pair it with a traditional travel guidebook that truly knows all about it.

The road to a marriage proposal can be a long and winding one. For two Slovakian athletes, the journey was exactly 35 kilometers long.

Both Dominik Černý and Hana Burzalova were in Budapest, Hungary, competing for their country in the race walking events for men and women at the World Athletics Championships.

The two races took place simultaneously on Thursday, with Černý finishing 19th in the men’s race with a personal-best time of 2:32:56, about eight minutes behind gold medalist Álvaro Martín.

But Černý had an altogether different golden moment on his mind.

When Burzalova crossed the line later with her season-best time of 3:02:47 in 28th position of the women’s race, she appeared shocked to find Černý on one knee with a ring in one hand in a touching proposal.

An exhausted and surprised Burzalova said yes, not before stopping the timer on her watch though. Černý celebrated with a fist pump to the sky after slipping the ring onto the 22-year-old’s finger.

The newly-engaged couple shared a kiss to mark the moment, with an arm aloft, before Černý – literally – whisked his fiancée away in his arms.

The couple posed for photos shortly afterwards, with Burzalova proudly showing off her new ring for the cameras.

They might have not won any medals in their respective race walking events, but both Černý and Burzalova will travel home with a much more meaningful memento.