MODEL Bruna Biancardi can’t decide if she should play for shirts or skins. She posed in black lingerie while draped in a white shirt.   Bruna, split from Brazilian footballer Neymar, last year, although the pair are back on speaking terms. In a post on Instagram, the footballer 32, who shares six-month-old daughter Mavie with Bruna, wrote: “Today is this wonderful woman’s day!!! May God guide and light your path… U r amazing… Congratulations beautiful.” Hinting they are finally on better terms after their separation, she replied: “Cutie. I will even follow you back.” She turned 30 this week and posed with a cake covered in strawberries. Neymar signed for Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal in a GBP77.6million deal from Paris Saint-Germain last summer. He has so far played just five times for Al-Hilal, after suffering a devastating knee injury while on international duty last October. Doctors have already ruled the forward out for the rest of the season, which could mean that he never plays for Al-Hilal again. According to German outlet Bild, Neymar wants to join Inter Miami. David Beckham‘s MLS franchise have a number of Neymar‘s former Barcelona team-mates on their books, including Lionel Messi. | ↑ |
BILLIONAIRE philanthropist Julia Rausing has died of cancer aged 63. She passed away peacefully on Thursday morning surrounded by her family, pals said.  Julia was the wife of Tetra Pak heir Hans Rausing, who has now lost two wives to cancer. The couple had donated GBP330million in more than 1,000 grants, including GBP50million to UK charities annually, through the Julia and Hans Rausing Trust which they co-founded.  | ↑ |
A RETRO Fiat 500-style boat has taken to the waters and it’s available to rent for an eye-watering price. The flashy floater will set you back GBP1,000 for the day and costs a whopping GBP96,000 to buy.    Although the boat isn’t made by Fiat, with its glossy paint, striking sky-blue colour, replica headlights and windscreen wipers the Car 500 Off-Shore closely resembles the motor. Inside, it features a more water-resistant interpretation of the 500’s retro dash layout, as well as lots of leather and stainless steel. It seats up to five, and comes in two colour schemes – the blue-and-white Puglia Edition, or peachy pink Miami Edition. You can rent a Car 500 Off-Shore in two locations – Positano, Italy and Miami, Florida and is a popular choice for pricey yet romantic proposals.
A special marriage package is available to buy and sees smitten couples enjoy their surroundings with champagne, music and a professional photographer to capture the moment. But the quirky vessel might not be suitable for those with a need for speed. Although the Fiat-500 can reach up to 100mph the floating Fiat travels at a leisurely pace of 28mph. Anyone who fancies one of their own must have deep pockets as the models are sold for GBP96,000. This is nearly GBP80,000 more expensive than a Fiat 500 car which sells for roughly GBP16,800. The boat weighs just 550kg and is 4.74 meters long with a 1.7 m beam. Its features include LED lighting, a bilge pump, a digital dashboard, a complete stereo system, a shower, fog lights, an optional sunshade. Boat rental company Positano Boats who hire out the vessels write in its description: “The first 500 Off-Shore to sail the Amalfi Coast’s sea. “Experience “La Dolce Vita” aboard this special 500! “Perfect for an unforgettable boat ride, a romantic sunset tour or an unforgettable marriage proposal in front of Positano!” The site also states the floating 500 is “More than a Boat, and no Less than a Car” and hopes it will “inaugurate a new way of cruising.” Fiat UK boss Damien Dally told Top Gear: “There truly is nothing more La Dolce Vita in life than this.” He added: “The Fiat 500 is a design recognised the world over, but I must admit I never thought I’d see that iconic silhouette floating on the Amalfi Coast.”   | ↑ |
LABOUR binned papers that would have shown the address where “two homes” Angela Rayner claimed to live in 2014. The party said it has “disposed of” the application she filed then to become a parliamentary candidate for the party in 2015.  A spokesman yesterday said it was erased some time ago in line with data protection laws. It would have revealed where the now deputy leader had claimed to be living and been important to the ongoing police probe. Greater Manchester Police are looking into accusations Rayner broke electoral law by providing a false address to authorities. Separate tax issues may also be under investigation but the force is not disclosing details. Ms Rayner has maintained that during the 2010s she lived at her former council house in Vicarage Road, Stockport. Neighbours say she was rarely there. Photographs and social media posts show that she was, instead, frequently at her then husband Mark’s address at nearby Lowndes Road. Ms Rayner has denied wrongdoing but has refused to publish legal advice from the period which she claims exonerates her. Journalists had been asking Labour to see her selection papers while trying to become Labour’s candidate for Ashton-under-Lyne at the 2015 election. It initially refused, but last night confirmed: “The document is no longer held and had been disposed of, in line with legal data protection requirements.” Ms Rayner has promised to resign if found to have broken the law. Giving a false address on the electoral roll is an offence under the Representation of the People Act 1983. | ↑ |
TEMPERS flared on the touchline as a West Ham coach was sent-off during their clash with Bayer Leverkusen. The freshly-crowned German champions emerged triumphant as tonight’s 1-1 draw earned them a 3-1 aggregrate victory and a place in the Europa League semis.  
The visitors headed to the London Stadium with a 2-0 aggregate lead for the Europa League quarter final second leg. Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen remained unbeaten in all competitions this term but they found themselves behind early doors in the East End. Michail Antonio got the Hammers off to a dream start as he broke the deadlock on 13 minutes. However, the blood and thunder clash then saw tensions boil over just before the half hour mark. Suddenly, several members from both the West Ham and Leverkusen benches started pushing and shoving and dishing out the verbals on the sidelines. Eventually, the referee dished out a red card to David Moyes’ coach Billy McKinlay. A member of the away side’s staff was also dismissed. However, while the officials were sorting out that trouble, more erupted back on the pitch. CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS Goalscorer Antonio and opposition star Jonathan Tah were suddenly going head-to-head, sparking another melee between the players. Alonso attempted to try and restore order and subbed off Odilon Kossounou. But the game remained on a knife-edge throughout the rest of the first half. The Hammers huffed and puffed for a way back but Jeremie Frimpong’s late leveller even denied them the consolation of becoming the first side to beat Leverkusen. That comes after Moyes hit out at Alonso and his staff following the first leg as he labelled them a “disgrace”. Hammers duo Lucas Paqueta and Emerson were suspended for tonight after picking up their third yellows in the competition last week. The Brazilian midfielder picked up the booking for a rash challenge on Amine Adli. Leverkusen’s players and bench were furious over the tackle, surrounding the referee and pushing Paqueta. After the game, Moyes fumed at the reaction from the soon to be Bundesliga champions, saying: “He will be a huge miss but I thought their bench was a disgrace. “He [the referee] got surrounded. I thought it was disgraceful and was really disappointing. “Did they get him booked? I think so. You should let the referee make the decision and not the way they reacted to the incident. “I thought it was a rule all the way through. We would not all run off and surround him. “It was a poor thing for them to do and they are a good side and they didn’t need to react like that.” | ↑ |
IT’S the saucy new reality dating show that promises hot romances and explosive rows. And in a first look at E4‘s Love Triangle shows it’s very much going to be a case of love and war as six singletons try and find their match.   Personal trainer Danika, 30, can be seen raging and gesticulating wildly across the dinner table in a tense clash as her co-stars sheepishly watch on. She fumes: “I don’t understand who you think you are. I’m telling you now you’re never coming for me.” Described by producers as “bubbly and vivacious”, Danika hasn’t had a proper date for years. She comes from a big family with many siblings, nieces and nephews, so she is looking for someone who is family-oriented, has a good sense of humour and good chat. It remains to be seen what prompts Danika to kick off, but whatever it is seems to shock teaching assistant Jasmine, 22, as well. She is seen clasping her hand to her open mouth in the dramatic trailer. Jasmine grew up without most of her fingers on her right hand, and has developed a thick skin as a result. Her type is tall, dark, and handsome, but she is also looking for a mature and kind-hearted person who will accept her for who she is. In another scene, DJ Lloyd, 31, looks forlorn on a sofa as he breathes out and rolls his eyes when he’s told “you are the most shallow person I’ve ever met in my life.”   The womanising music lover plays in clubs and bars around the world and is attracted to tall girls with great bodies. He also likes confident women who have a good sense of humour. A sort of Married At First Sight/Love Is Blind hybrid, the programme follows six single Brits hoping to find a love match between just two potential suitors and a series of text messages. Known as the ‘Pickers’, the six will have to choose one partner each in order to meet on a blind date before moving-in together in a bid to fast track their romance. However, the partner who wasn’t picked will eventually move in to something that is set to cause a nightmare for the Pickers. It is hoped that the show will prove a rival to other current dating smash hits such as Love Island and Celebrity Ex On The Beach.  | ↑ |
TWELVE people have been chosen to serve as jurors in the upcoming criminal trial against former President Donald Trump on the third day of proceedings. The selection process will still continue into Friday as six alternate jurors will be needed before the trial can move forward.   As of Thursday afternoon, one alternate has been chosen. “We have our jury,” said Judge Juan Merchan after the jurors swore to decide the case in a “fair and impartial manner.” The jurors were instructed by Merchan to not discuss the details of the case with anyone else. Trump was present in the courtroom in Manhattan, New York, staring at the sworn-in jurors as they left. Merchan believes the court is on track to begin opening statements on Monday. The news comes after two jurors who were previously selected earlier this week had to be excused. One of the jurors, a woman, expressed concerns about being identified publically and how it would affect her ability to remain impartial. “Aspects of my identity have already been out there in public. Yesterday alone, I had friends and family push things to me,” she told the court today. “I don’t think at this point that I can be fair and unbiased.” The other juror, a man, was excused after prosecutors said they discovered information about him being potentially involved in a corruption investigation in the 1990s. After being questioned by attorneys in front of the judge, the man was ultimately dismissed. The excused jurors were replaced later in the afternoon when a group of 96 Manhattan residents entered the courtroom. About half of them were immediately excused when they said they couldn’t be impartial in the trial and another nine were dismissed for reasons that weren’t revealed. Those who remained were given a 42-question assessment to help lawyers determine their feelings about Trump. ‘A MESS’Trump spoke to reporters after court was dismissed for the day, saying that he was supposed to be on the campaign trail but instead “I’ve been here all day,” calling the case an “unfair trial.” He then held up a stack of news stories that he claimed were critical of the case. “The whole thing is a mess,” he said. More to follow… For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos Like us on Facebook at TheSunUS and follow us on X (formerly Twitter) at @TheUSSun | ↑ |
THEY had a decent go but there was to be no miracle in Italy. Not like in Istanbul in 2005 or against Barcelona. And so there was no happy ending in Europe for departing Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.     Ultimately, the worst performance of his spell as manager, seven days earlier at Anfield, was enough to see his team ejected from the quarter-finals of the Europa League, a competition they seemed destined to win. Yet while many thought Liverpool’s name was on the trophy, Atalanta rubbed it out. Mo Salah got Liverpool’s fans dreaming with a seventh minute penalty but ultimately, they did not have enough against Gian Piero Gasperini’s team who, admittedly, found it difficult to approach this leg with a 3-0 lead. But they did enough to win and now, Klopp must focus on his final six games as manager, all in the Premier League, starting with Fulham away on Sunday. As expected, Liverpool – buoyed by that early goal – had plenty of possession but when they really needed to, were unable to create too many clear-cut chances. Had Liverpool reached the final of the Europa League in Dublin on May 22, you can only imagine how many fans would have flocked to Ireland by land, sea and air. It would surely have numbered over 100,000. But here, Klopp’s final game in Europe was watched by just 750 fans – along with a few who sneaked into home areas. Atalanta, who had former Arsenal defender Sead Kolasinac at the back and former West Ham striker Gianluca Scamacca, celebrated their greatest ever achievement by reaching the last four. CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS Initially, the omens looked decent for Liverpool. In that 4-0 win over Barcelona in the 2019 Champions League semi-finals, the Reds took the lead after seven minutes through Divock Origi and they did it again to lead with exactly the same amount of time on the clock. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross hit Matteo Ruggeri’s arm and after a VAR check, Mo Salah sent keeper Juan Musso the wrong way from the spot. Featuring in his hybrid role where he drifts from right-back into midfield, the fit-again Alexander-Arnold caused Atalanta a few problems. He had the most first half touches (60), most passes (44) and also had a couple of shots. Looking extremely nervous and not quite sure how to approach the situation, Atalanta were forced into hurried clearances by booting the ball into nowhere – and this was in the first 30 minutes. There were only a couple of difficult moments at the back for Liverpool in the first half as Atalanta struggled to get forward. Alisson pulled off a spectacular save to prevent Virgil van Dijk from scoring an own goal but it would not have counted because of an offside. Teun Koopmeiners also drilled a shot past Alisson but as he went to celebrate in front of the ultras in the Curva Nord, the flag was once again raised. Before half-time, Salah wasted a terrific chance and in the first half of the season before he suffered a couple of injuries he would have stuck this away. Salah had scampered through on goal but with the keeper just to beat, he lifted a weak shot wide. 
 As Liverpool pushed forward, Atalanta created a few more chances and midfielder Ederson squandered a decent opportunity but delivered a tame sidefoot into the arms of Alisson. So, this proved to be Klopp’s last ever European game in charge of Liverpool and it was his most disappointing result by some distance. The win over Spurs in the 2019 final in Madrid takes pride of place, obviously. Although when it comes to heartbreak for Klopp, the capital of Spain has always loomed large. Klopp lost two finals against Real Madrid, in Kiev and Paris. His team also suffered two exits in the knockout stages to Real while there was also the 2020 last 16 loss to Atletico Madrid. They were all in the Champions League while Klopp suffered defeat in the 2016 Europa League final to Unai Emery’s Sevilla. Klopp has always claimed that the loss in Basel gave Liverpool the fire to push on and they certainly did that. Now, Klopp will hope his team can rediscover their form and still, somehow, scrap for the League. And if they do somehow hold aloft the Premier League aloft on May 19, it will be Klopp’s greatest ever achievement. By then, no-one will be remembering this loss in Lombardy.  | ↑ |
A TEEN tried to kill two pupils at a public school with a hammer he had bought for the “zombie apocalypse”, a jury heard today. The lad, 17, who cannot be named, claimed he was “sleepwalking” when he launched his attack.  Two of the victims, then aged 16 and 15, were taken to hospital in life-threatening conditions and will never fully recover, it was said. Exeter crown court heard the alleged attacker planned to kill the boys while they slept in a shared dormitory at Blundell’s School in Tiverton, Devon, last June. Prosecuter James Dawes KC described the “bloodbath” that ensued. He said: “The defendant decided to put into action a plan that he had been fomenting in his head for some time. “The boys were asleep and they both had their heads on pillows. He smashed the hammer into their heads as they slept — multiple times. “He also hit arms and backs. He didn’t just use the flat end of the hammer, he used the claw as well. “These blows smashed their skulls. Blood went everywhere. The scene has been described as horrific by those who saw it.” He added: “Astonishingly, they both survived. Sadly, neither of them will ever be the same again.” Housemaster Henry Roffe-Silvester, 38, who went to investigate the noise, managed to seize the hammer but was also seriously injured. The defendant later told a senior pupil he had been “dreaming”. He denies three counts of attempted murder. The trial continues. | ↑ |
LUKE LITTLER has crashed out on Night 12 of Premier League Darts in Rotterdam. The teenage sensation was beaten 6-3 by former World Champion Michael Smith in the quarter-finals. And tonight’s final will see Bully Boy take on Nathan Aspinall after the Asp knocked out World No1 Luke Humphries. BEST DARTS BETTING SITES FOR UK PUNTERS IN 2024 Follow all the action with our live blog below… | ↑ |
THE mum of murdered soldier Lee Rigby said expanding a charity in his name helped her get back from rock bottom. Lyn, 57, said she felt suicidal and at her lowest point laid by Lee’s grave on a freezing, wet night.   She said: “There was nowhere for me to lick my wounds and rebuild. “I was determined to change that for others.” Now she is focused on celebrating his life and helping other bereaved military families through the Lee Rigby Foundation. It has just opened two respite holiday units for grieving families in Kent, adding to the one the charity has in Wales. Lyn said: “Lee would be proud his life is being honoured by doing something good for others.” For Lyn it’s a way to keep her son’s legacy alive to make sure Fusilier Lee is never forgotten. The Foundation plans to open more caravans in the north and south of the UK for those in need. Lyn opened up about feeling suicidal. She explained: “I didn’t think I could carry on. I just wanted to die and be with Lee. “When I hit my lowest point, I found myself lying beside Lee’s grave. “It was a freezing cold winter’s night with wind and rain crashing round me, but all I could feel was the pain of losing Lee. “If I could have climbed in that grave that night to be with him, I would have. “There was nowhere for me to run to when I hit rock bottom. I was determined to change that for others.” Lyn cut the ribbon on the eight-berth and six-berth caravans – named Riggers Retreat and Drummers Retreat – last month and the holiday homes can be booked via the Lee Rigby Foundation. The charity was gifted the two new caravans by well-wishers Susan Massey and Billy Whitfield. They saw a newspaper article about the foundation’s holiday home in Wales – and stepped in to help. Off-duty Lee, 25, was mown down and killed in the street with knives and meat cleavers by ISIS extremists Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale in a terror atrocity. He was walking home to his barracks in broad daylight when his killers – both later sentenced to life – struck. | ↑ |
AFTER weeks of entrepreneurs competing to win Lord Sugar’s approval, the winner of The Apprentice for 2024 has been announced. Audiences were shocked after hearing who the business mogul selected as the lucky finalist.    Gym owner Rachel Woolford has now secured a GBP250,000 investment from Lord Sugar himself, after going head to head with pie maker Phil Turner. Her competitor became infamous over the course of the BBC show for failing nine challenges in a row – but still making it to the final. Phil’s progress created a fix row and several fans even swore off watching the last episode, complaining that it was clear he was being set up to win. In contrast Rachel stayed out of the public eye, barely even appearing on screen until the third installment of the show. However, Rachel believes her anonymity on the series was actually the superpower that allowed her to swoop in and get awarded the grand prize. The Leeds local shared: “To come out a winner is beyond my wildest dreams – I was just a girl from Leeds, and now I’m going into business with Lord Sugar. “I went into The Apprentice promising myself that I would just be myself, and not turn it on in any way in front of the cameras, throw anyone else under the bus or be b**chy. “I wanted to prove that you don’t need to be the loudest voice and screaming at the others. “For that, people saw me as a bit of an underdog, but my main values in business, and in life, is that you don’t have to shout to get your point across. “I wasn’t getting any airtime in the beginning because I wasn’t talking over people. “But it worked out, as I was instead busy making little actions here and there to show up in the task and impress Lord Sugar. “ The Apprentice winner is never going to be the one causing the drama, the one trying to get all the attention in the room, Lord Sugar appreciates someone who can remain calm and not pass the blame.” | ↑ |
THE Apprentice 2024 has been filled with high drama and boardroom action. But Lord Alan Sugar has now had his final say, after turning to one lucky finalist and saying, “You’re hired!”  Who won The Apprentice 2024?On April 18, 2024, boutique fitness studio owner Rachel Woolford was crowned the winner of The Apprentice 2024. She went up against pie maker Phil Turner in the show’s nail-biting grand final. After a last impassioned pitch from each of the two finalists about why they should become his business partner, Lord Sugar said: ““Let me conclude here. “This is a very tough decision, I’ve got to say because I’ve got two very, very credible people in front of me.” He went on: “I’ve got Rachel who claims she’s making money and that she’s going to make even more when she gets the second gym up and running but gyms are, with all due respect, two-a-penny. “Specialist pies are not and it’s a market that I’m very interested in but how can I be interested in it if there’s no light at the end of the tunnel. “There’s a loss-making business at the moment which you tell me is going to turn around and be okay and that’s my dilemma.” Finally turning to Rachel he said: “It’s very, very hard for me. I’m having trouble here. “But my gut feeling is telling me that, Rachel, you’re going to be my business partner.” What does Rachel Woolford do now?After learning of her win, Rachel said: “To take part in the process has been incredible and to come out a winner is just something beyond my wildest dreams. “I was twenty-four years old when I started North Studio. “I was just a girl from Leeds and now I cannot believe it, I’m going into business with Lord Sugar and he’s investing in me.” Rachel has used the investment to open up a second North Studio gym in Harrogate. She also continues to run her original studio in Leeds.  What does the winner of The Apprentice get?The Apprentice offers one of the biggest prizes on television. Every year the lucky winner gets a GBP250K investment into their business idea and a 50/50 partnership with Lord Sugar. The deal has resulted in Lord Sugar handing out over GBP3M to a string of successful businesses. When the show first started the prize was a GBP100K salaried job within Lord Sugar’s company.  Who is the most successful winner of The Apprentice?Season 8 winner Ricky Martin is deemed the most successful winner ever of the Apprentice so far. He was crowned champion in June 2012 and has since successfully set up and expanded his own specialist recruitment consultancy using the investment from Lord Sugar. Hyper Recruitment Solutions focuses on mid-level to senior appointments for the science and technology industry worldwide and was recently reported to have assets of GBP2.26m. The Apprentice biggest moments THE Apprentice has been a fan favourite ever since it burst onto the box in 2005. Here we take a look at five of the biggest moments over the years on the hit BBC One show. Tim Campbell – Former London Underground transport manager Tim Campbell won the first series of the reality show in 2005. He is now one of Lord Sugar’s aides on the show. Sarah Lynn and James White – For the first and only time in the show’s history, both finalists were crowned winners in 2017. Amy Anzel – Season 16’s fired candidate Amy Anzel was BANNED from the final celebration show, after a tit-for-tat exchange over Lord Sugar’s mocking tweets. Michelle Dewberry – Telecoms consultant Michelle Dewberry won the second series of the show in 2006. However, after winning a six-figure job with Lord Sugar she lasted just four months before she sensationally quit. Selena Waterman-Smith – We’re used to tensions running high in the boardroom, but in 2015 a disagreement between two candidates spilled over – for the first time – into a physical bust-up. Events manager Selina Waterman-Smith was given a verbal warning by show bosses for her role in an off-camera scrap with Charleine Wain. | ↑ |
EVEN during a bad series of The Apprentice, every episode has one great moment that cuts through all the idle boasting, backstabbing and blah blah blah. On last night’s final it was provided by Raj, who had such a cosmically brilliant idea for Phil’s pie empire nothing and no one was going to stop her sharing it with us all.   “Sorry,” she began, demanding total hush after four attempts to interrupt the blokes: “I know I’m not on branding but I’ve got an idea for a name. “Phil My Pie.” Come again, luv. “Phil. My. Pie.” A suggestion that, in terms of killing a meat brand, could probably have been beaten only by Piegasm, Pork Trap or Phil My Hole. Filled or not, though, Raj gave focus and momentum to an Apprentice series that has been struggling ever since week one, when we learned the BBC’s “diverse and inclusive” line-up contained not a single candidate from Scotland, Wales nor Northern Ireland, but did feature a toxic bigot called Asif Munaf, who’d called Zionism a “Godless satanic cult”. He refused to go without a fight as well, and by the time the anti-Semitic stench finally cleared, in week three, it was already obvious this 18th series was a tainted brand lacking the golden characters and tasks that had turned it into one of the greatest reality shows of all time. Only one episode, in fact, could be described as a cast-iron classic, the home shopping channel task, in week nine, which had Raj gazing into the camera, like a cult member, saying, “wow, wow wow wow,” and “wow” again. The absolute banker for The Apprentice usually, of course, is the penultimate episode of interviews with Linda Plant, Claude Littner and Lord Sugar’s other “trusted advisers”. Indeed, normally, it’s an absolute bloodbath, with two of last year’s semi-finalists, Dani Donovan and Victoria Goulbourne, even leaving Karren Brady’s room in tears. This time round, however, everyone except the heroic Claude Littner, was pulling their punches or indulging the sob stories and almost going out of their way to flatter egos that needed absolutely no flattering, least of all Tre’s. I cannot say for sure, obviously, if some mental health zealot at the BBC knobbled them in order to spare the precious little lambs’ feelings, but it’s a huge mistake if they did. Because it all just adds to the feeling I’ve had since week one that the best days of The Apprentice have come and long since gone and it should be put out to grass before the BBC ruins the show and the happy memories it’s provided.
Before the dawn of that sad day, however, Lord Sugar had to pretend he’s got the new Bill Gates on his hands at the final, where it was Phil’s prestige pies versus Rachel’s chain of “inclusive” Yorkshire gyms. A classic old Britain versus new Britain encounter that forced you to take sides and had me backing Team Phil all the way and even beyond the eye-watering moment Raj shrieked: “My pie’s collapsing.” You didn’t need to be a psychic, either, to sense that Lord Sugar fancied a part-share in a Harrogate gymnasium about as much as he fancied starting every day by doing a bums and tums class with Jeremy Corbyn. Only a fool, then, could possibly have lost the GBP250,000 prize money. Luckily for Rachel, Phil was that fool and effectively sealed his fate when he told Sugar, of all people: “There’s more to running a business than profit.” A huge shame, as I’ve not seen anything quite as stirring, this series, as the opening words of Phil’s pitch to his fellow pie magnates at that final. “Let me take you back to 1933 Bognor Regis, that is when the first Prestige pie was crafted.” Phil, you had me at Bognor. Unexpected morons in the bagging areaWINNING Combination, Omid Djalili: “Near Newcastle, what Tyneside town sits at the eastern end of Hadrian’s Wall?” Ola: “Cornwall.” Celebrity Mastermind, Clive Myrie: “In August 2023, which German football club signed Tottenham and England striker Harry Kane?” Poppy O’Toole: “ Leicester City.” The Weakest Link, Romesh Ranganathan: “In celebrities, which Australian entertainer was best known for his comic character Dame Edna Everage?” Guz Khan: “Madge from Coronation Street.” Romesh: “In Australian geography, which precious metal goes before Coast in the name of a city in Queensland known for its beaches?” Charlie Hedges: “Ivory.” Random irritationsTHE pitiful sight of BBC1’s terminally compromised Have I Got News For You desperately trying to defend Angela Rayner, rather than doing its satirical job. The Sky Planner losing its mind over Live At The Apollo “with the awesome Sindhu Vee”. The absolute political farce of Labour’s Ed Balls interviewing Labour’s Ed Miliband on the hopelessly biased Good Morning Britain. And that foghorning oaf Big Zuu using his BBC1 propaganda trip to Mecca to claim: “There’s a beautiful side to Saudi Arabia.” ’Cos there’s another side that murders journalists and executes gay people and women’s rights campaigners, so I’ll give it a miss, ta. TV name of the week. Courtesy of ITVBe’s Love Island Games, I now know the Australian version not only has an Islander called Grant Crapp, it’s also got a Callum Hole as well. So you can’t pretend you don’t know exactly where the show’s heading.  AT the start of Channel 4’s two-part How To Be A Man, host Danny Dyer was stumped by his own question: “Is there a war on masculinity? Fack knows.” So he went off to interview a toxic TikToker called Ed Matthews, which was “fackin’ weird”, followed it up by talking to MP Ben Bradley, who was asked: “Are we all being tarred with the same fackin’ brush?” And then visited a men’s refuge. An experience Danny, right, described as “a fackin’ revelation”, but still left him wondering: “If we should just tell men to be fackin’ men.” Finally, 27 F-bombs after it started, Danny felt ready to address the big question again: “What’s the answer to all of this? I don’t know the fackin’ answers.” So there’s another two hours of my life I fackin’ ain’t getting back. GREAT TV lies and delusions of the week. Love Island Games: “I’m Maya Jama and this is what you’ve been waiting for.” Pointless Celebrities, Alexander Armstrong: “David (Potts) and Georgia (Steel), you’re going to have to come back and play again, please. We’d love that.” And Celebrity Bake Off, Adam Hills: “I’m really glad I’m a comedian.” Though you’ve got to admire his optimism. LOVE Island Games, Callum Hole: “I am very spontaneous. What’s the word? Not monogamy. It’s the thing where you do the same thing every week. What’s the word? Monopoly? Motobulously?” Moronically. Lookalike of the week THIS week’s winner is Hannah Waddingham and Van from Human Resources. Sent in by Bailey James. TV GoldCHANNEL 4’s Night Coppers. A new BBC sitcom called Mammoth, on Beeb Two, which actually managed to make me smile not once but twice. And the slow-burning brilliance of Blue Lights, which I still think made a big mistake killing off its best character, Gerry Cliff, at the end of the first series and has to pay jarring lip service to wokery during episode five of the second. But it remains superbly written and acted and as darkly funny as the great city of Belfast itself (Monday, 9pm, BBC1). Great sporting insightsJAMIE REDKNAPP: “At The Masters, someone will miss a six-foot putt that nine times out of ten they’d score.” Clinton Morrison: “Anything can happen but I don’t think it will.” And Lee Hendrie: “It’s all about who comes out on top of that left-hand side on the right-hand side.” (Compiled by Graham Wray) It’s all about greed EVER since the weekend, ITV’s been crowing about the 5.3million viewers who watched the last-ever episode of Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway. Why? At the turn of the decade it boasted 11million, then two things happened. At roughly the same point BBC1 was getting its act together, with Michael McIntyre’s Big Show, The Wheel and Gladiators, Takeaway fell headfirst into the product placement trap and started monetising almost every single part of the format. The hosts could still charm their way through a lot of it and there were always moments of brilliance, like Ding Dong, That’s My Doorbell. But as a direct result of the network’s greed, the show became lazy, bloated, celeb-driven and very occasionally unpleasant, as you possibly noticed with Saturday Get Out Of Me Ear: The Revenge, which was a hidden-camera torment without taste, humour or end. Irony always survives, though, and the boys brought the curtains down with their own audience-dedicated version of McFly’s It’s All About You, featuring lyrics so cheesy and at odds with ITV’s true priority they can’t really complain if someone finishes it off for them. Terms and conditions still apply. It’s sod all about you.
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WEST HAM almost ended Bayer Leverkusen’s incredible unbeaten season but suffered Europa League quarter-final anguish. Typical West Ham, many fans will have uttered on their way out.
  A miracle was needed and for some time after Michail Antonio’s early goal felt like it could come. But Leverkusen sub Jeremie Frimpng then fired home a deflected leveller on the night after 89 minutes to clinch a 3-1 aggregate triumph for the newly-crowned German champions. But while David Moyes’ side made a good go of it, this was another night where a limited squad and lack of options came back to bite the Hammers. West Ham managed just one of the three goals they needed against the newly crowned Bundesliga champions – who had not lost in 43 games across all competitions before last night. Their remarkable three-year European tour is over and only a superb end to the Premier League season can bring about a fourth year. Unlike Xabi Alonso, and just like last week, Moyes did not have anyone to send on to push this effort the extra mile. Questions should and will be asked about the decision to let Said Benrahma and Pablo Fornals leave without replacements in January. While Moyes was without Lucas Paqueta and Emerson Palmieri through suspension, the Scot was able to welcome Jarrod Bowen back from injury. 
 The England man’s return, having trained just once after a back injury, notched up the faint hopes of a famous comeback – as did Leverkusen’s raucous celebrations after winning the Bundesliga title on Sunday. Pre-match pyro and talk of Sevilla two years ago had the home support at their loudest early on. With that backing, West Ham showed more attacking intent in the opening ten minutes here than across the entire first leg – and it paid off. Odilon Kossounou, one of three Leverkusen changes from last Thursday, had already picked up a daft yellow for cutting down James Ward-Prowse before handing the Hammers the ball to halve the deficit. His terrible clearance was collected by Tomas Soucek to get things going, Bowen cut in from the right and lifted an inviting cross into the middle where Antonio rose easily above Kossounou to head in past Matej Kovar. The Leverkusen keeper was scrambling minutes later too, just holding on to a deflected effort from Mohammed Kudus before stopping another Antonio header. Kovar was diving left and right – with one of his stops even leaving Moyes on his back in the technical area. Kudus picked out Bowen alone at the far post but his effort from yards out was stopped by Kovar’s boot. West Ham had been targeting Kossounou and getting so much joy that Alonso hooked him after just 28 minutes. Alonso insisted that there would be no hangovers from their beer-fuelled title party, but his players hardly looked sober at times in the first half. The Hammers had Leverkusen on the ropes, but were close to losing their heads. As Spanish ref Jose Maria Sanchez was sending off two coaches, West Ham’s Billy McKinlay and Sebastian Parrilla from Leverkusen, Antonio and Jonathan Tah sparked a massive brawl after the Hammers striker tried to delay a free-kick.  Calm was restored for a spell afterwards and the Hammers kept creating chances, forcing mistakes from a team chasing invincibility. Edson Alvarez’s shot was frustratingly blocked by Antonio before Coufal’s follow-up was saved. Having already made one change in the first half, there were two more from Alonso at the break. It was his bench which had made all the difference a week earlier and the Spaniard was counting on it again. By contrast, Moyes did not even fill every spot on his bench, with six academy kids named among the substitutes. It was going to need an almighty effort from the Hammers to keep this up, having already lost Nayef Aguerd to an ankle injury before the break. The changes improved Leverkusen, but Antonio was still a threat going the other way and was denied a string of good shouts for a free-kick. As more decisions went against West Ham, and the referee needlessly imposed himself on the second half, the hope drained away from the home support just as the energy was leaving the legs of those left out there. Nonetheless, Frimpong’s lucky leveller was a cruel way for Euro elimination to be confirmed There was little West Ham could regret from the second-leg, their late collapse in Leverkusen – conceding that second goal – was the real killer.   | ↑ |
WILL the Tory party have any MPs left by the end of the year? With the number of by-elections of late triggered by bad behaviour, it feels like a general election happening in slow motion one seat at a time.    With Labour looking set to take back Blackpool South on May 2, like they have with a slew of other seats so far, the results are more than matching the polls. With the latest astonishing allegations levelled at Mark Menzies — last heard from in 2014 cavorting with a Brazilian rent boy and attempting to buy drugs — the Lancashire MP becomes the latest to lose the Conservative whip and face calls to stand down. The mind boggles at why he allegedly needed to give the “bad people” he had fallen in with GBP6,500 from party funds. But whoever thought it was a good idea to appoint him the PM’s personal trade envoy to Colombia was clearly an idiot, or having a laugh. The story seems less from the 1990s-era of Tory sleaze and more from the Little Britain send-up of disgraced MP Sir Norman Fry standing at the bottom of his country house drive with his family, attempting to explain away his latest far-fetched misdemeanour. But that stench of wrongdoing is starting to engulf the Government in a similar fashion to the end of the Major era — and history would suggest it is only going to get worse. Desperate to talk about anything other than Angela Rayner, Labour’s Sir Keir Starmer was quick off the mark to ask why it took Conservative HQ “so long to act and whether they’ve reported this to the police, who it seems to me should be involved”. Which is some astonishing brass neck given how the party handled the disturbing allegations of criminality made about their former Chief Whip Nick Brown two years ago. Legal reasons prevent me from sharing the details yet, but they are of the most serious nature and there would be genuine public outcry were they to ever see the light of day. At no point did anyone in Labour HQ pick up the phone to the rozzers, so spare me the faux outrage. Instead, Labour hid behind an opaque internal process that resulted in Brown announcing he would stand down at the next election and allowing the whole sorry saga to be brushed under the carpet . . . for now. Out of its miseryBut when did hypocrisy ever stop a politician? Some 18 MPs remain suspended, with eight from the Tories and seven from Labour.
Plenty on both sides have already been booted out or jumped before they were pushed. Yet is this a particularly rotten bunch of MPs, more so than another generation? You could be forgiven for thinking so when looking at the number of suspended or ejected since 2019 for pinching, ogling, taking pictures of their own honourable members, snorting coke, lying or far darker allegations. But I’m not convinced. The bad behaviour was always there, but standards are so much higher now.  Clearing out the dung from the Westminster stables is never going to be pretty, but thankfully MPs are not able to get away with the bullying and seediness that I am convinced they did for hundreds of years. The sleaze was always there, but we should welcome the fact it is now called out. However, none of this helps Rishi Sunak’s premiership, as the music has stopped on the Tories’ watch. Having lost the benefit of the doubt, the trust of millions of voters and any semblance of balance from broadcasters and commentators, expect every Tory wrong’un to get their name up in lights. The whiff of decay coming off the tired party, 14 years in, will cloud everything. That is the way power works, when you are on the way down, they queue up to give you a shove to speed things up. Which is why I hear there is a growing drumbeat inside 10 Downing Street to put this government out of its misery. Be in no doubt that the majority view in Team Sunak remains to go long, see what happens, let the economy turn and the benefit of tax cuts be felt in voters’ pockets. October, or even late November, remain the PM’s preferred options. But those contemplating June or July are growing in number — and stature. I am told Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden has vocalised this school of thought, telling pals the party could be heading to an extinction level event if things continue to go this badly for much longer.
Fewer comparisons are being made to the Conservatives’ tonking in 1997, where they were reduced to a rump of just 165 seats. Instead, more and more ministers mutter about 1993, where the Canadian Conservatives lost power and were whittled down to just two MPs. Asked by some Tory MPs this week whether there really is time to turn things around, Sunak’s deputy chief of staff Will Tanner replied: “Only time will tell.” If that’s the best even Sunak’s closest advisers can muster, then perhaps Dowden is right. Suella and Truss, besties again  PEACE in our time? On the dying day of Liz Truss’s doomed premiership she fired Home Secretary Suella Braverman for leaking. That prompted one of the cattiest resignation letters in modern history, with leaky Sue all but calling for Truss to walk as well – which she did some 24 hours later. Braverman publicly accused the short-lived PM of “hoping that things will magically come right”, not being a serious politician and “pretending we haven’t made mistakes”. So imagine my surprise to see the pair all smiles and hugs at the launch party for Truss’s score-settling – and surprisingly best-selling – tome Ten Years To Save The West. “We’ve always been besties really”, Braverman told me through a fixed grin.  ANGELA Rayner has been hiding from pesky hacks asking lots of awkward questions as the old bill probe her housing saga. But I hear she is going struggle to avoid the spotlight on Wednesday. For reasons that will become clear, Starmer’s number two, will be box office – next week’s PMQs is due to be a battle of the deputies. As Boris Johnson found out to his detriment, misleading the House is a career-ending offence. Ange’s statements on the whole bizarre affair have opened up more intrigue than answers so far, so she will need to pick her words next week very, very carefully…  | ↑ |
ANCIENT humans lived in lava tubes inside cave systems around 7,000 years ago, according to a new study. The lava tube in question is called Umm Jirsan and is located in Saudi Arabia.   A new study about the lava tube was published this month in the journal PLOS One. “Our results reveal repeated phases of human occupation of the site ranging from at least the Neolithic through to the Chalcolithic/Bronze Age. “Pastoralist use of the lava tube and surrounding landscape is attested in rock art and faunal records,” the researchers wrote. A pastoralist is a term to describe someone who raises livestock. It’s often used to describe nomadic herders or ancient farming practices. Long-lost cave art supported the scientist’s claims that those living in the lava tube were farming certain kinds of animals. Sheep and goats can be identified as well as long-horned cattle. The art was left inside the lava tube as well as bones from these animals. Lava tubes are formed when flowing lava from a volcano moves beneath the hardened surface of a lava flow. Once the lava dissipates a new cave formation can be left behind. This is what happened in the case of Umm Jirsan and researchers aren’t sure when the last lava flowed there. The lava tube in question has horizontal passages that are about 4,859 feet long. “The lava tube does not appear to have served as a permanent habitation location, but rather as a site that likely lay on herding routes and that allowed access to shade and water for passing herders and their animals,” the researchers explained in the study. “Prior to this, as well as during pastoral periods, the lava tube was likely also linked with hunting activities, which probably remained a cornerstone of local economies into the Bronze Age.” Today, the practice of using lava tubes for shelter is still said to occur in the same region, according to Live Science. | ↑ |
A MASTERCHEF contestant had a disaster after burning his dish TWICE during tonight’s show. This evening’s instalment of the BBC show saw three make it through to this week’s quarter final.    The contestants were first challenged with cooking a dish with a basic every day ingredient in just one hour and 20 minutes. John Torode and Gregg Wallace then asked them to make a salad – but create their own Caesar dressing. Half way through Rawdon had to re-cook his croutons after burning them in the oven. Moments later Greg told the contestants: “There’s something burning in here… there’s something very angry.” Rawdon opened his oven door and shouted: “Oh it’s me!” Greg and John both gasped: “Woah!” “I’ve done it again,” Rawdon confessed. “Second set of croutons burnt.” Those watching at home were shocked at the blunder happening not one, but twice. One wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Croutons are well and truly cremated!” Another chimed in: “Yeah he’s going home isn’t he.” A third added: “Who burns croutons this much. Last episode it was burned crackers.” “This man can’t even cook toast,” A fourth tweeted. Unfortunately it saw Rawdon leave the competition. It’s not the first time that a huge mishap happened on MasterChef. Earlier this week fans claimed a contestant’s fish start was “still swimming” when they served it up to the judges. He was eliminated after serving rare tuna. One viewer wrote on X: “The fish is still swimming.” Another agreed, saying: “Tuna that was still swimming and venison that was still grazing. I know that fuel prices are bonkers, but surely they can afford to turn the hob up for a bit longer than that.”
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EASTENDERS fans have been left fuming after the soap was cancelled tonight. The BBC show usually airs from Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm but the scheduling shake-up means there will be no new episodes until next week.   Instead, the BBC aired a double bill episode last night, which concluded the soap’s episodes for the week. People at home were annoyed by the change, complaining that they are missing out on their Thursday night entertainment. One person questioned: “Where the hell’s EastEnders?” Others complained that the show that filled its slot has nowhere near as large of an audience. Someone hit out: “I thought there would be a good reason for EastEnders not being on tonight but no just making for bloody garden rescue like seriously!” A second added: “Me trying to understand why Eastenders has been replaced with Garden Rescue tonight.” Last night’s episode saw Jay Brown deal with the shocking aftermath of Nadine’s pregnancy revelation. Earlier in the week, sex worker Nadine (Jazzy Phoenix) reappeared in Jay’s ( Jamie Borthwick) life again to tell him that she’s pregnant with his child. As EastEnders fans know, Jay was hiring Nadine because of her resemblance to his late wife Lola Pearce Brown (Danielle Harold). But last night, after months away, she returned asking Jay to meet her at The Albert as she had news. “I’m pregnant,” she said bluntly. “26 weeks. I checked the dates – and it’s yours.” Shocked by the news, Jay simply got up and walked out horrified, but this is not the type of thing you can keep secret for long and last night, Jay realised he needed to open up to his family. Elsewhere in the episode, the Beales gathered to remember Lucy, and Elaine supported Yolande ( Angela Wynter) who has been sexually assaulted by Pastor Clayton ( Howard Saddler). Fans watched Yolande grow increasingly uncomfortable around Pastor Clayton after he touched her too intimately without her consent. Although the pair were uneasy around each other, Yolande later believed she had made a mistake in calling him out after he manipulated her to think it was all in her head. After gaining their friendship again, things appeared to be going well at the church, but he assaulted her once more. Pastor Clayton attacked Yolande in the kitchen of the Community Centre during last night’s episode. The episode also included flashback accounts of women who had previously been sexually assaulted by Pastor Clayton, revealing this was hardly his first offence. With no new episode to follow up on these dramatic scenes tonight, viewers will have to wait four days to find out what happens next. The Beeb has teased that next week Yolande will struggle to move on from the assault and her relationship with Patrick (Rudolph Walker) will be strained. EastEnders facts and figures THE beloved British soap has been captivating audiences for decades. EastEnders follows the lives of the residents of Walford as they navigate love, loss, family drama, and community struggles. Here’s the latest on:
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RYAN GARCIA launched a foul-mouthed press conference rant before his fight with Devin Haney. Garcia challenges for his first world title on Saturday in New York against long-time rival Haney.  But in the build up to the pay-per-view bout, the American, who has admitted struggling with his mental health in the past, has acted erratically online and in the media, causing concern over his wellbeing. Garcia’s behaviour showed no signs of changing just two days before the fight when he began trading verbal jabs with someone from the crowd. He said: “Where’s you mama at, baby? Where’s your mum? Oh, I’m gonna go flirt with your mama, ooh. “She’s probably fine as f***. I want some of your mama, I want your mama now. Your mama probably in my DMs. “Yeah, f*** you motherf***er. Don’t talk before I f*** you up. Yeah, that fear coming in your mouth like a b***h. “I’ll put my d*** in your mouth, b***h.” Haney then interrupted: “Something is wrong with this motherf***er.” Earlier in the week, the two clashed during a photoshoot at the top of the Empire State Building.  CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS As a result, they were BANNED from throwing the first pitch at the Mets game amid fears of another heated incident. The fighters also skipped the usual face-off to end the press conference and will instead go head to head at the weigh-in. Haney’s dad and trainer Bill threw doubt over whether Garcia would make the 140lb super-lightweight limit. So Garcia agreed to a $50,000 bet that he will do so successfully.  | ↑ |
OCHE fans showed better than ever they have a love ‘n Paton relationship with their favourite Premier League Darts presenter. Emma Paton‘s admirers sent arrows to the heart of the Sky Sports star – by roaring their approval every time she came into shot on Night 12.    Viewers were delighted by the Rotterdam response as Emma dazzled in a white trousersuit. “The crowd cheering every time Emma Paton is in the picture is brilliant,” said one observer. Another posted: “Thursday night Premier League Darts and the Gorgeous Emma Paton – stuff the Football.” A third wrote: “WOW WOW!!!!!! Emma Paton looking absolutely incredible and so sexy in this white outfit!! Absolutely stunning!!!” And a fourth noted: “It’s every time the camera pans on her.” Emma was a national-level 400m sprinter before becoming a Sky journalist in 2012. Now she’s giving Luke Littler a run for his money in terms of popularity. And while The Nuke, 17, was crashing out 6-3 in his quarter-final opener to Michael Smith, Emma was cracking it with her latest stylish look. She rang the changes by wearing bell bottoms and a matching sleeveless top. Emma’s X-factor with the Dutch crowd was not lost on Sky pundit Wayne Mardle alongside her. The former world championship semi-finalist, 50, posted on X: “The audience want to see more of @MissEmmaPaton apparently…and less of Webby (Mark Webster) and I.” The 30-year-old replied with three crying-with-laughter emojis. And fans piled in to tell Mardle he was spot-on with his analysis. “That was hilarious mate!” said one, and “Emma couldn’t hold her laugh in,” claimed another. A third stated: “Emma is a babe, fact!” And as approval for Mardle’s message poured in, another viewer asked: “Wayne, are you trying to set a record for the most liked post ever?”    | ↑ |
SYDNEY SWEENEY has had a meteoric rise to fame and is drop dead gorgeous, but that is not enough to impress one Hollywood producer. Carol Baum, who lectures at a US university, said of the film star: “There’s an actress who everybody loves now: Sydney Sweeney. I don’t get Sydney Sweeney . . . She’s not pretty, she can’t act. Why is she so hot?”   Baum, who produced Eighties thriller Dead Ringers and Nineties hit Father Of The Bride, made the comments during a film screening. She told the audience that she had watched Sydney’s rom-com, Anyone But You, on a plane and found it “unwatchable”. Representatives for Sydney, who also produced the 2023 film, starring Glen Powell, hit back: “How sad that a woman in the position to share her expertise and experience chooses instead to attack another woman. “If that’s what she’s learned in her decades in the industry and feels is appropriate to teach, that’s shameful. “To unjustly disparage a fellow female producer speaks volumes about Ms Baum’s character.” Here we show why Sydney is rightfully one Hollywood’s hottest properties. Swooney bod‘She’s got style, elegance and sex appeal – the whole package’ – by Clemmie Fieldsend LIKE blonde bombshell Marilyn Monroe before her, Sydney knows what she is doing when it comes to fashion. As a general red carpet rule she makes the most of her tiny waist and bigger bust in corseted or low-cut, figure-hugging dresses.   At this year’s Vanity Fair Oscar Party she slipped into a plunging, white satin gown that bore a striking resemblance to the Some Like It Hot star’s iconic dress. The gown was actually worn by Angelina Jolie to the Academy Awards 20 years earlier. So big shoes that Sydney successfully filled. But Sydney hasn’t always been so confident with her curvy figure. She told Glamour magazine that she was insecure about her “big boobs” in high school and planned to have a reduction once she turned 18. She is thankful her mum talked her out of the op, saying her breasts are now her “best friends”. She is nowan expert at tasteful decolletage, never flashing too much or wearing garish styles to grab headlines. She’s just nailing it with glam gowns which complement her shape and, more importantly, make her feel good. I love her dress code. She’s got elegance, style and sex appeal. And, unlike Baum, she encourages other women to embrace their bodies and feel empowered – what’s not to love. Sydney has said: “Flaunt what you got. Own it. Love them.” That sense of self awareness and maturity in your twenties isn’t something to be sniffed at. It doesn’t hit most women until they are in their forties, or even older. Sure, she looks a knockout and scientifically near perfect, but it is the conviction that comes with embracing how she looks that gives her the wow factor. And if she’s teaching that to younger or older women, then good for her. Swooney face‘Her proportions fit the golden ratio’ – by Miranda Knox WHILE Baum reckons Sydney is unattractive, science says she is wrong. Experts claim the actress has a “golden ratio” face, meaning she is more attractive to the human eye.  Plastic surgeon Onur Gilleard, who has studied the science behind what makes a face aesthetically pleasing, says Sydney is practically perfect. The co-founder of New You Harley Street says her facial features are symmetrical and closely aligned with perfect harmony and proportion. He says: “The ideal facial proportions, which can be applied both horizontally and vertically, are referred to as the golden ratio. “The length of the forehead should match the length of the nose, which in turn should equal the distance between the bottom of the nose and the chin. “Ideal lip dimensions include a width 1.6 times that of the nose and a ratio of the vertical height of the upper lip to that of the lower lip of 1:1.6. “The ideal chin position is considered to be 1mm behind the vertical line dropped from the upper lip. “Finally, high, well-defined cheekbones are a significant indicator of female beauty. “When analysing Sydney’s face, nearly all of her facial features adhere to these golden ratios, which is why she is referred to as a ‘classical beauty’.” Swooney roles‘Versatile star’s name will be in lights a lot longer than Baum’ – by Dulcie Pearce SYDNEY is not just a pretty face. Having seen several of her big – and small – screen performances, there is no doubt that she has the ability to fill them.   One that really stuck with me was her portrayal of Reality Winner, a real-life whistle-blower, who released US government intelligence and whose four-year sentence was the longest ever imposed in a federal court. The entire film is a re-enactment of the FBI interview that took place in a sweaty, disused bedroom in Reality’s house. Without a scrap of make-up, her hair tied back and wearing an unflattering outfit, Sydney is hypnotising in the role. While the film didn’t do much at the box office, it won her critical acclaim. And let’s not forget her scene-stealing turn as eye-rolling Olivia Mossbacher in the first series of Sky’s comedy-drama series The White Lotus. The spoiled, revengeful daughter act earned her an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series in 2022. In fact, she was up for two Emmy Awards that year, having also been acknowledged for her role as promiscuous teen Cassie Howard in drama Euphoria. And no genre is off limits, as the versatile actress plays a nun in this year’s gorefest, Immaculate, and was chosen to star in the music video for Rolling Stones single Angry, from their recent album Hackney Diamonds. She may have dipped her toe in the world of Marvel, with the disastrous Madame Web, but at her age she is allowed a few duffs. Not many, though, if women like Baum are on the warpath, doing down the looks and ability of her own sex. But Sydney’s name will be in lights a lot longer.   | ↑ |
AN EXPERT binman has warned Brits of the lesser-known rule which could land them with a GBP50,000 fine and jail time. Many people are often subject to fly-tipping on their very own property and end up being the one’s who have to pay for it.   Fly-tipping remains a common issue up and down the UK as people look for quick and effortless ways to get rid of their rubbish. More often than not, it contains objects and products that can’t be wasted at certain places, such as dumps, or be quickly disposed of. This often leads to high piles of rubbish abandoned in the middle of nowhere – and sometimes on your own property. And according to John Wheeldon from Wheeldon Brothers, an independent recycling business, this could land you with a hefty fine. “Many people don’t realise the legal consequences of fly-tipping on private property,” he said. “Under Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, landowners can be fined up to GBP50,000 and face imprisonment if waste is illegally dumped on their land.” He continued: “One lesser-known rule about fly-tipping is the responsibility landowners have to remove waste that has been dumped on their property. “If they fail to do so, they can face legal actions, regardless of their involvement in the dumping.” Just last year alone, a total of GBP784,923 was paid in fines for fly-tipping, according to Defra figures, from both offenders and victims. But in order to help prevent more people from falling into the same trap, Wheeldon has encouraged landowners to take extra steps to prevent fly-tipping. “This includes implementing security measures like CCTV surveillance and securing access points to discourage potential violators,” he said. The expert also warned that people should be careful when hiring contractors for property maintenance or renovation projects. “Making sure contractors dispose of waste properly at licensed facilities can reduce the risk of violating fly-tipping laws,” Wheeldon explained. Wheeldon added how actions are required at both local and national levels for the fly-tipping issue is to be resolved. He suggested that launching initiatives to inform the public about waste disposal laws and enforcement actions is key in tackling this ongoing issue. Earlier this month, a fuming woman slammed council jobsworths after they fined her GBP400 when she reported fly-tipping behind her home. Julie Hancock, from Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, complained about the mounting rubbish behind her house and three months later was slapped with the hefty penalty. And in March, it was announced that millions of Brits could be forced to pay GBP40 to have their rubbish taken away after a huge bin collection change was announced. Residents living in a dozen council areas have been left fuming over the change to their brown garden waste collections. Waste collection rules HOUSEHOLD waste must be disposed of correctly if you are to avoid hefty fines and potential prison sentences. In the UK, household waste can include:
Most household waste can go in the bins provided by your local council, but other waste collection services can also be provided. This includes the collection of recycling, garden waste or food waste, as well as special collections for large waste items such as sofas or fridges. However, if your local council can’t collect your waste, there are a number of options available to you. You can:
If you are caught fly-tipping or give your waste to someone who cannot legally take it and you did not do the necessary checks on them, you are at risk of a fixed penalty notice and a fine. You could even be prosecuted and have to pay a higher penalty if you fail to pay your penalty notice on time or if you’ve previously had a penalty notice for a similar offence. You can find out more via the Gov.uk website. | ↑ |
A SELF-PROCLAIMED hippie made the bold decision to grow out her armpit hair after taking up a nomadic lifestyle. Mya Loftus took the leap into hairy life after deciding she spent too much time, effort, and money on something she didn’t really need to do.   The 26-year-old from Virginia explained that negative feedback online isn’t a factor that stops her from being comfortable in her own body. “I believe in staying true to myself and not letting others dictate how I should look or feel. I’m perfectly content with who I am,” Loftus said. Mya decided to grow out her body hair four years ago after she realized she was spending too much money on razors. The shaving process, she felt, also wasted too much water. On top of hairy armpits, she lets her leg hair grow now that she is embracing her natural self. The free-spirited woman explained that she wants to challenge societal norms and throw away unrealistic standards she’s been following her whole life. Mya shows off her ever-growing locks across her social media, hoping to prove to other women that they shouldn’t be afraid of their own body hair. “The process of razors is expensive, and [I] just didn’t want to spend my time or energy on shaving or waxing,” she said. “I believe my hair has energy since my body creates it, it’s magical. “It’s also about feeling comfortable in my own skin and rejecting unrealistic beauty standards.”
Mya explained that her hair journey has also involved a lot of learning and unlearning from the stigmas she’d been taught growing up. “I was told from a young age by family that women/girls must get rid of their hair,” she said. “There were times when I felt self-conscious about what people might think but I’ve learned to prioritize my own feelings and confidence over other’s opinions. “Embracing my natural hair has been a journey of self-discovery and empowerment for me.   “It’s about accepting myself the way I am, regardless of expectations. “All bodies are unique in their own way. Hairy or not, you are meant to be loved.” | ↑ |
ASTON VILLA booked their place in the Europa Conference League semi-finals after beating Lille over two legs. The tie was decided by a penalty shootout – but there was some drama before the decisive penalty…  Why was Emi Martinez not sent off after being shown two yellow cards?Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez avoided being sent off during Villa’s dramatic win at Lille despite being booked twice by the referee. The Argentine was first shown a yellow card in the 39th minute for timewasting and then was shown another during the penalty shootout. The second booking was for goading the crowd after Martinez saved Lille’s first spot kick from former Tottenham star Nabil Bentaleb – and in celebration, he turned to the French fans, and hit them with a ‘shush signal’.
However, the World Cup winner remained on the pitch because yellow cards collected during normal time and extra time do not carry over to the penalty shootout. IFAB law 10 states that: “Warnings and cautions (YCs) issued during the match (including during extra time) are not carried forward into kicks from the penalty mark (KFPM). “A player who receives a YC during both the match and the KFPM is not sent off.” Martinez went on to save the decisive penalty from Andre to send Villa through to the semi-finals. What’s been said?Speaking post-match, Martinez said: “It’s been hell of a ride all my career. I’m a believer and I’m a hard worker and it was my destiny to win here again. “I’ve got a reputation for time wasting but the other goalkeeper was doing the same but I got booked. There was no ball on the penalty spot so I was asking the ball boy for one. I don’t understand the rules. “I always say all in my career, I owe my team-mates in those moments, even when we were watching Real Madrid last night the manager was saying we might go to penalties and in those moments I own my box. “This group of players and the managers are special, the owners get involved as well, they are always behind us. It feels like we are going to do something special. “I don’t know if it’s Champions League or if it’s Conference League but we try to do everything we can to push the football club.” | ↑ |
CHLOE Sims has revealed the future of House Of Sims after her huge feud with her sibling co-stars Demi and Frankie. The sisters jetted over to the US to OnlyFans reality show, which premiered on the platform last year.   Former Towie stars Chloe, 42, Frankie, 28, Demi, 27, and their brother Charlie, 31, left the UK and the ITVBe show in 2022 in a bid to break America. Despite the success of their first series, back in January The Sun revealed that the trio are in a secret feud, which resulted in the youngest sisters returning to Essex. Chloe, who is also currently in the UK, exclusively told The Sun: “We’re just about to go into preproduction for series three, when I go back.” Despite falling out with her sisters, it sounds like the pair will be returning as well. When asked if Demi and Frankie will be in the next series, Chloe confirmed: “Yes, of course.” She added that the trio “aren’t friends”, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t be on the show. Chloe explained: “We’re not actually at the moment, but we’re all apart of House of Sims, so they’ll be on it. “But what will go down, I don’t know.” The argument resulted in the girls removing all traces of each other on their Instagrams. Their brother Charlie, who stars on the series with his fiancee Georgia Shults, 31, has remained in LA and Chloe still talks to him. A source told us in January: “Chloe’s fallen out with her sisters big time. “They’ve gone their separate ways after a huge fight broke out in LA, where they’d been filming the show. “Chloe’s decided to stay out there while Frankie and Demi have left her and headed back home to Essex to pursue their own careers.” House of Sims, which now airs on Netflix, has had two series so far. The bust up can be seen on the latest series. Chloe rages at her sisters: “You’re rude to me, you’re both f****** users! “You’re my sisters? I don’t think so.” It ended in Chloe throwing a drink at Demi’s face. Last month Chloe admitted that she didn’t intend to throw drink at her sister.  | ↑ |
ICELAND shoppers are thrilled about a new snack box spotted in the freezers and say it’s “just like Maccies”. An excited Facebook user took to the platform to share news of the new tasty treat – and it’s inspired by a family favourite restaurant chain.  The post was captioned: “NEW TGI Fridays Snacking Box spotted in ICELAND!!” The box contains Cajun onion rings, chilli cheese bites, mozzarella sticks and a honey BBQ dip and could be yours for just a fiver. The post – which showed a picture of the delicious-looking snacks – racked up more than 200 likes and 39 comments. One person wrote: “The chilli cheese bites are just like the maccies ones btw,” while another said: “These would be good for the week we are at urs.” A third tagged a friend who replied: “Sold,” but a fourth wasn’t keen on the idea commenting: “Nahhhh no a bitta me am afraid xox”. MORE TASTY ICELAND FOODAnd the snack box isn’t the only TGI Friday product on offer as we told how Iceland has launched a new food range inspired by the chain. Shoppers are going crazy over the new products that they spotted on the freezer shelves. The retailer – specialised in frozen goods – has revealed a wide variety of products from hash brown dogs to cheesecakes. Shoppers have been spotting different treats in Iceland with a TGI Friday marking on the packaging. The affordable prices start from as low as GBP2.75 for garlic breads and chicken tenders and go up to GBP6 for bigger meals like beef brisket. For fans of TGI Friday chain, favourite dishes can be brought to your home for cheaper as Iceland also launched a meal deal. The retailer has advertised two mains and two sides bundle for only GBP10. Or, you can even swap sides for desserts if you have a sweet tooth. Loyal customers have been rushing to try the new range, with some saying “I need these!” | ↑ |
A MUM whose two sons were murdered by her ex-partner has joined forces with Spice Girl Mel B to campaign to keep children safe from domestic abusers. Claire Throssell lost sons Jack, 12, and Paul, nine, when her ex deliberately set fire to his house during a contact visit with the boys in 2014.   Her harrowing story is highlighted here — as The Sun backs Melanie’s campaign for urgent reforms in the family court system to ensure women fleeing abusive relationships are listened to more. Melanie, 48, a patron of anti-domestic abuse charity Women’s Aid who fled her own abusive ten-year marriage, wants judges to receive training from independent experts on domestic abuse. And she is calling on courts not to assume contact with children should be granted to an ex-partner if the relationship has been an abusive one. Claire, 51, from Penistone, South Yorks, suffered years of abuse before her ex-husband, Darren Sykes, killed her sons and himself in the blaze. The 44-year-old lured the boys into the attic with toys and sweets before setting 14 petrol fires across the house. He barricaded all doors and windows with furniture so firemen could not reach them until it was too late. Brave Claire is now campaigning to stop unsafe child contact with domestic abusers. She told The Sun: “Almost ten years ago now my life ended, and my existence began, all in just 15 minutes. “The abuse was like a tap. It began with a trickle, then a drip, then it overflowed. I was drowning. “It covered all four categories of physical, emotional, sexual and financial abuse. ‘Narcissist and stalker’“You end up with layers taken off you until you have no idea who you are or how you came to be trapped. “All you know is that you love your children and you need to protect them.” Her ex’s controlling behaviour began from the moment they met in a Wakefield shop. Claire said: “When we first met, he bombarded me with roses and gifts. “He could be charming when it suited but above all he was persistent — he wouldn’t take no for an answer. “I didn’t know about love-bombing then. It was the behaviour of a narcissist and a stalker. “He abused me for 14 of the 18 years we were together. It started with controlling behaviour. “He wanted to know where I was all the time and would make constant digs about my job, my friends, my clothes, my weight. “As it ramped up, he took away everything, my ID, my passport, my bank account, my confidence. “He tracked my movements and often locked me in the house. I learned not to say I was going out. I just grabbed my keys and ran.
“He would call me constantly when I was at work and would pull love-bombing stunts with flowers. People thought it was romantic. “It reached a crescendo after my dad died, the only person who he couldn’t charm or bully. “I was five months pregnant with Jack. Nothing can prepare you for holding your baby in your arms. “It was love at first sight. I would rub their backs and sing to them when they had nightmares. “But he would not compromise. He would never get up in the night to change their nappies. “He told me I was the worst mum in the world. He was jealous of my love for the boys. “One thing kept me going — the kids. He would physically abuse me at night and then I would get them up with a smile in the morning. “How lucky I was to have Jack and Paul as rays of light in a dark world.  “Jack was quiet and wanted to be a musician. Paul was a cheeky chappy and full of energy. “They were two beautiful boys with smiles that made the sun look dull. “But the person who made life worse for them was someone who should have loved them the most.” With her boys seeing more and more of her ex’s abusive behaviour, Claire decided to leave him for good in April 2014. She and the boys moved in with her mother, and Claire originally agreed to shared custody. But in June when a very upset Paul told a teacher that his dad had hurt him in the past, Claire applied for an emergency residency order to stop shared custody. JUDGES MUST BE TRAINED BY Mel B JUDGES need to wake up and learn about domestic abuse – the family courts can be as bad as the abusers. Time after time, women who have survived domestic abuse tell us at Women’s Aid that going to the family courts can be as bad as the abuse they have experienced from their ex. Going to court should not be terrifying for women who have already been bullied within in an inch of their lives, but survivors are scared for a good reason. As Claire tells us, she warned about what her abusive ex-partner was capable of, but a judge told her she had to hand her boys over. It is sickening that this can happen and that despite the Government’s own Harm Panel Report in 2020 saying what needs to change, hardly anything has changed. We know that around 60 per cent of child arrangement cases in England and Wales feature domestic abuse, yet many judges don’t understand and call it “parental conflict”. It’s not conflict, it’s abuse. Women who are scared for their children’s lives are called troublemakers or accused of being manipulative. Prevent tragedies Judges need training, urgently – and not training they have written themselves – but expert domestic abuse training from charities who work with survivors. At least one woman a week this year will be killed by a current or former partner. Domestic abuse is a life and death issue, and judges need to understand the issue inside out to protect women and children from dangerous abusers. I’m a Spice Girl and a TV presenter, but I am also a Women’s Aid patron and a survivor of a ten-year abusive marriage. I want to use my voice to make a change on behalf of the many whose voices are not listened to. I will shout from every platform I have until survivors of abuse are safe. This is exactly why I have set up a petition for judges to have training to protect survivors in the future, and prevent future tragedies. Listen to us, listen to Claire’s story and look at the photos of her beautiful boys, Jack and Paul, and let’s change this for once and for all. No survivor of abuse should be frightened that a judge will back an abuser and put her and her children in danger. The divorce was finalised in October, and with her ex becoming more and more threatening, Claire made a request to stop him seeing the boys. The court ordered a report into the children’s welfare and scheduled a hearing for November. But Claire said: “The court ordered a Section 7 report into the boys’ welfare but then let him see them without it. He was a monster in plain sight.” On October 22, 2014, Claire’s worst fears came true. Her ex used an unsupervised meeting with the boys to lure them into the attic before setting the house on fire.
Although the court had granted him five hours with the boys, it took just 15 minutes to kill them. Claire said: “At 6.30pm I had a knock on the door. I knew something was wrong. “It was a policeman whose kids went to the boys’ school — everyone knows everyone in this village. “He stepped into the light and his face dropped. I said ‘What’s he done?’. “He said, ‘Come with me’. The police car raced through traffic lights with its lights flashing. “This isn’t going to end well, I thought. We stopped outside resus and I saw Paul’s little body bouncing off the bed as they did CPR. “The doctor said, ‘We’re going to let him go now’. It sounds stupid, but I said, ‘Go where?’. “This golden-haired little boy who loved running, who loved life, who ran before he walked. I said, ‘You can’t go Paul, you have to stay’. ‘Brought to silence’“His beautiful blue eyes went grey. The light really did go out. The nurse closed his eyes. His hair was wet with my tears. “I said, ‘I love you Paul, I won’t let this happen to anyone else’. “I wasn’t allowed to touch him, he was crime scene evidence.” Jack suffered 56 per cent burns trying to save Paul from the fire. Claire said: “He went back for his brother. Jack looked after Paul, and Paul looked after Jack. It was Jack’s hand Paul felt last in life. “Jack told the fireman cradling him, ‘My dad did this and he did it on purpose’. “That boy had the heart and courage of a lion. “He fought for five days. We talked about Paul in the present tense as Jack could still hear. “All I could do was read to him. His machine would calm down, his heart rate would smooth out.
“He went into surgery on October 27 and was in for 17 hours. The nurse came out and took my arms. “He had gone into cardiac arrest from sepsis. I watched for 40 minutes as they tried to save him. “The monitor turned into a straight line like in films. His huge heart and spirit had gone. “His hands had been destroyed and there was no part of him I could hold. Jack had been due to have his welfare interview with children’s welfare service Cafcass the day he died. Shortly before killing the boys, the abuser had behaved aggressively towards a female Cafcass worker and barricaded her in an office. But the fatal contact meeting was still permitted. A case review later found that “they couldn’t have predicted the harm” — despite Claire’s constant warnings that the abuser could kill. She is now campaigning to end Practice Direction 12, which states that it is in children’s best interest to have contact with both parents. Claire said: “I next saw the boys at the funeral home. “I rested my hands on their coffins and said, ‘Things are going to change. I love you’.
“The whole of Penistone came to the funeral. This bustling market town was brought to silence. “Everyone made a three-deep circle of love which only broke when the boys were carried into the church. “You see the shock on their faces. How can this happen? It happens every day. “But Jack and Paul have not been the last. It should not take ten years for things to change.” Claire has already won a change in the law so children can be recognised as victims of domestic abuse. But she said courts have a deep “pro-contact” culture which puts the children of abusers in danger. She added: “Two women a week die, more than 50 children since Jack and Paul. “My abuser escaped justice. I’m serving a life sentence and I’ve done no crime. “But I can get that brave 12-year-old’s dying words out there. I owe it to the boy who protected his brother and me.”  BACK THE CAMPAIGNMel wants judges to receive training from independent experts on domestic abuse. And she is calling on courts not to assume contact with children should be granted to an ex-partner if the relationship has been an abusive one. | ↑ |
ISRAEL is set to hold off on its revenge for Iran’s thwarted drone and missile blitz — in return for the green light to finally smash Hamas in Gaza. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s price is believed to be US and allied backing for a final showdown in Rafah, the terror group’s last stronghold, a source revealed.    The West fears a humanitarian catastrophe in the Strip, but with the Middle-East on a knife-edge US president Joe Biden believes a blitz on Iran could trigger World War Three. A move against Hamas would dash its chief Yahya Sinwar’s dream of sucking Israel into a regional war. He masterminded the October 7 attacks which detonated the current crisis, is believed to be hiding in Rafah among 1.4million and tops Israel’s Hamas “kill list”. A former Israeli government advisor told The Sun: “The Americans are our main ally and clearly don’t want this to turn into a wider war. “But Israel knows it’s totally justified in responding to Iran and sources tell me it is using its restraint as leverage to get the go ahead to finish the job in Gaza. The mission since October 7 has always been to destroy Hamas and save the 100 or so hostages. Israel’s revenge on Iran may yet be a dish best served cold.” How Israel could launch ‘revenge’ strike on IranBy IONA CLEAVE ISRAEL’s war cabinet has drawn up plans for a “strategic but painful” revenge attack after Iran’s unprecedented missile and drone blitz – but world leaders fear the outbreak of an “uncontrollable war”. From a fighter jet blitz on Tehran’s nuclear facilities to strikes on IRGC bases or attacks on its regional terror proxies – The Sun pointed to five major ways Israel may choose to hit back at its enemy. Last Saturday night, Iran attacked Israel with a wave of hundreds of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones – the first ever direct attack by Tehran on its enemy. Israel’s Iron Dome defence system and its allies warplanes – including the UK’s RAF Typhoons – shot down 99 per cent of the projectiles. The aerial attack was a major departure from what has been a long-running shadow war between the two states and sparked the grim possibility of an all-our war across the region. Israel has vowed a “significant response” in revenge for the 110 ballistic missiles, 36 cruise missiles and 185 attack drones – which Jerusalem saw as a “declaration of war”. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu called off an immediate retaliation after US President Joe Biden pushed for restraint and warned him to “think carefully” about his next move. But Israel states it reserves the right to strike Iran “at a manner and time” of its own choosing and told the UN that Iran has “crossed every red line” in its attack. Jonathan Conicus, senior fellow at the The Foundation for Defense of Democracies and former IDF officer, said this is the “opening act” of Israeli-Iran relations. He told The Sun: “Iran for the first time stepped out of the convenience and protection of the shadows, and decided to take on Israel directly, and by doing so, of course, Iran presents itself as a target as well. “How will Israel retaliate? And how will Israel carry a message to the Iranians that they have definitely crossed one bridge too far?” As the world braces for Israel’s response, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres told an emergency Security Council meeting on Sunday: “The Middle East is on the brink. “The people of the region are confronting a real danger of a devastating full-scale conflict. Now is the time to defuse and de-escalate.” PM Rishi Sunak condemned Iran’s attack as “reckless” and called for calm, while a joint statement from G7 earlier this week also urged caution, fearing a “catastrophic escalation”. But the question on everyone’s lips is how will Israel choose to respond, could it attack on Iran and what would the scale or intensity be. Iran launched more than 320 cruise missiles and drones on Saturday to avenge an Israeli strike on Syrian capital Damascus on April 1 which killed top commanders Israel’s missile defence backed by US, British, French and Jordanian fighters stopped 99 per cent of them. Senior Israeli officials have admitted that an attack on Iran’s fortified nuclear sites has been “on the table” since. Iran last night warned that its hand was “on the trigger” to attack Israel’s nuclear sites in response.   UK AND US ANNOUNCE NEW IRAN SANCTIONSBRITAIN and America have announced new sanctions against the “ringleaders” of Iran’s military following the missile and drone onslaught on Israel. Seven individuals and six entities such as the country’s operational command centre have been targeted after helping Iran conduct ‘destabalising regional activity’. Those named are subject to a travel ban and an asset freeze with the organisations listed will have an asset freeze. The intervention comes after more than 400 sanctions have already been imposed on Iran including the Revolutional Guard. The joint move from the UK and US is a direct response to the attacks at the weekend where RAF jets helped shoot down some 300 Irainian drones and missiles. The sanctions have been imposed on the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Navy and the Khatemolanbia Central Headquarters who are responsible for the command of the country’s armed forces. The IRGC Navy were embroiled in taking hold of the civilian MSC Aries in international waters and also threatened military action against Israel. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “The Iranian regime’s attack against Israel was a reckless act and a dangerous escalation. “Today we have sanctioned the ringleaders of the Iranian military and forces responsible for the weekend’s attack. “These sanctions – announced with the US – show we unequivocally condemn this behaviour, and they will further limit Iran’s ability to destabilise the region.” Lord Cameron, who is currently in Capri, Italy, to meet his G7 counterparts, said the sanctions demonstrate the UK’s and US “unequivocal condemnation” of the Israel attack. He added: “At a time of great tension in the Middle East, Iran’s decision to launch hundreds of drones and missiles towards Israel carried with it a serious risk of thousands of civilian casualties and wider escalation for the region “The sanctions announced today alongside the US demonstrate our unequivocal condemnation of Iran’s attack on a sovereign state. “The MSC Aries and its crew should be released immediately, and Iran should halt its reckless and unlawful behaviour. Further escalation is in no one’s interest.” Washington targeted 16 people and two entities in Iran who produce engines for the drones deployed in the assault on Israel. US president Joe Biden said: “Less than a week ago, Iran launched one of the largest missile and drone attacks the world has ever seen against Israel. “Together with our allies and partners, the United States defended Israel. We helped defeat this attack. And today, we are holding Iran accountable – imposing new sanctions and export controls on Iran. “The sanctions target leaders and entities connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran’s Defence Ministry, and the Iranian government’s missile and drone programme that enabled this brazen assault. “As I discussed with my fellow G7 leaders the morning after the attack, we are committed to acting collectively to increase economic pressure on Iran. “And our allies and partners have or will issue additional sanctions and measures to restrict Iran’s destabilising military programmes.” | ↑ |
NEED help choosing what to wear this spring? Fabulous’ team of fashion experts are sharing their top recommendations. Tracey Lea Sayer, Abby McHale, Clemmie Fieldsend and Emily Regan reveal their top choices, which are all available at high street prices.  Long-line waistcoast, River Island, GBP45Tracey Lea Sayer, 52, Fashion DirectorWHILE spring always makes me feel like a wardrobe refresh, I stopped buying into faddy fast fashion trends years ago. Two kids and a massive mortgage put a stop to my Saturday afternoon shopping sprees.  These days I am much more restrained and picky about what I spend my hard-earned cash on. To make my new season edit, a piece needs to do three things. It has to work well with pieces I already own, while also adding a new season spin. And it has to make me want to wear it all the time. Step forward the suit vest, or long-line waistcoat to you and me. Named as Vogue’s “most wanted item” this spring and seen on my Instagram feed more than any other single piece, the longline waistcoat is the season’s biggest hit. What I love about this fresh new garment of tailoring is that it is so versatile. It can sharpen up a look and be worn over a crisp white shirt for work. It goes great with jeans over a white T-shirt at the weekend for a trip to the pub. Heck, I would even get my arms out and wear it with nothing underneath to my friend’s wedding in July with the matching wide-leg suit pants, strappy sandals and a cute micro bag. Who even am I? Don’t say Steve Davis. Oh god. Am I showing my age? Quilted jacket, Tu at Sainsbury’s, GBP32Abby McHale, 29, Deputy Fashion EditorI LOVE a jacket for this time of year, whether that is a blazer to throw on and make any outfit look smarter or my beloved trench coat that goes with everything in my wardrobe. However, for this season, I’m upgrading my outerwear of choice with a quilted version.  Seen all over the high street, they are perfect for this time of year. Worn simple with jeans and a T-shirt or over a dress, there are many ways you can get your wear out of a jacket like this. Boho has had a resurgence this year, thanks to designers such as Chloe and Ralph Lauren, with their SS24 collections showcasing this style. And this jacket fits into the bohemian look perfectly. Luckily, you also don’t have to break the bank to get one, with this version from Tu at Sainsbury’s costing GBP32. I love the monochrome colourway and subtle floral pattern – it will be a great addition to my wardrobe.  Midaxi skirt, Marks & Spencer, GBP35Clemmie Fieldsend, 33, Fashion EditorIN the early Noughties, I thought slipping on a white midi skirt with a halterneck top and a knitted shrug was the height of sophistication. Now, scrolling through high street websites, I see the look is back.  And instead of recoiling in horror at my past, I am actually quite glad it has returned. Whether it is the nostalgia of what I thought was dressing like an adult or the fact that simple and clean fashion is reigning supreme, I can’t wait to start wearing one again – but this time a slightly longer length. Inspired by designer brands Chloe and Khaite, white, ankle-grazing midaxis have no limits. They look great with trainers or loafers for now and barely-there sandals for when the sun shines. I love, firstly, the price and the look of this style from M&S with its box-pleat design that flatters the tummy area while creating a waist. And the great thing about white is that it really is a blank canvas, so you can build a look around it with whatever your style is and with whatever you have in your wardrobe. For me, that is monochrome classics such as a shirt, T-shirt or crew neck jumper, or with smatterings of leopard print, grey and navy. Topped with a tailored blazer of any hue, it is an easy style builder that makes getting dressed feel effortless. I might even dust off a halterneck but I will be leaving the shrug in the past.  Tie-front blouse, H&M, GBP14.99Emily Regan, 24, Fashion AssistantI COULDN’T be happier that the high street has jumped onto TikTok’s “Copenhagen cool girl” fashion trend. The Copenhagen blouse is the must-have item for this season, with designer brand Ganni leading the way.  Due to Scandi labels and influencers living in the puffy top with bow detailing, UK and budget brands have begun to embrace the style. This top taps into another viral trend, Coquette, which is all things feminine and romantic. My budget doesn’t quite stretch to spending GBP135 on the Ganni poplin version, but thankfully H&M has a dupe for less than GBP15. Pair it with jeans and colourful trainers for a relaxed and effortless look. And when it is warm, you could style it with a pair of shorts or dress it up with a maxi skirt and heels for a special occasion. Plus, if you are worried about the gaps in between the ties, this still looks lush with a bralet or good old camisole layered underneath. I know that I will be reaching for this all summer long – so be quick, it is sure to sell out soon.  | ↑ |
VICTORIA and David Beckham flew by private jet to the south of France to celebrate her 50th, The Sun can reveal. The family was then taken by chauffeur-driven car to a GBP200-a-head hilltop restaurant in Saint-Paul de Vence — a favourite with Hollywood stars.    Posh and Becks — and their four children, plus Victoria’s parents Jackie and Tony — were then flown back to Luton airport. A source said: “David chose somewhere incredibly remote where they knew the family wouldn’t get papped. “The restaurant regularly hosts A-list celebrities during the Cannes film festival so none of the Riviera locals bat an eyelid when they see a celebrity. “Victoria had an amazing fine wine-fuelled afternoon, soaking up the rays al fresco, overlooking the Med and enjoying her favourite white fish. “It was the perfect intimate family celebration and she felt suitably spoiled.” The Spice Girl is now gearing up for her lavish milestone birthday dinner at a private members’ club in London on Saturday night. She will be joined by around 40 family and friends, including Gordon Ramsay, Eva Longoria and fellow Spice Girls Mel B and Emma Bunton. But she has been ordered to remain in her moon-boot, which she is wearing as the result of a foot injury sustained in the gym. Meanwhile, the Wannabe singer posed without the boot in pictures for a magazine. Fashion designer Victoria reclined in a dress on a chair in pics for Elle Spain. In an interview for the magazine, she tells how she and “inspirational” husband David, 48, “laugh at each other”. She added: “That’s what it takes to be happy.”     | ↑ |
NAILING a more sophisticated style has been a natural progression for Olivia Attwood. The former reality star rose to fame in 2017 on Love Island, where she spent most of her time half-naked in a bikini.   But these days, Olivia says that she’s stopped dressing for men and cares more about what other women think of her. “Around, and before, my Love Island era, I was a Monster girl, working for the energy drinks brand, and working in the grid girl scene, so I used to dress a lot more for boys,” she recalls. “I was younger and it was all about being as naked as possible, and it was bright colours. But now I dress for girls and seek compliments from girls, not from men.” These days, Olivia, 32, believes that, to be successful, you must look the part. The documentary maker, who fronts her own ITV shows Getting Filthy Rich and The Price Of Perfection, says: “Maturing in style has been an unconscious thing for me. The way you dress tells a story. It may sound cheesy, but I believe in the term ‘dress for the job you want’. “I used to dress like a reality star because I wanted to be one and I wanted to be on Love Island. “But now I’m making documentaries, so I want to look cool, respectable, and I never want to look too loud or too busy. “I am more mindful of where I’m going and what type of impression I would give people, I think.”
Olivia, who is also a panellist on ITV’s Loose Women, adds: “I used to let the hair, make-up and clothes do the talking, whereas now I let my mouth do the talking.” ‘Push boundaries’That’s not to say that Olivia, who lives with her footballer husband Bradley Dack, now spends her life in a twinset and pearls. On the contrary, the white lace catsuit she wore to this year’s Brit Awards proves she’s still more than happy to flash the flesh — and nipples — when she sees fit. Unfortunately, the star — who has 2.2million Instagram followers — came under fire for her bold fashion choice, with it branded “tacky trash” and “garbage”. Olivia, who is proud to be her own stylist, says of the backlash: “People still get really upset over nipples, and I was naive to that. I thought freeing the nipple wasn’t that much of a big deal. “I chose this edgy outfit and styled myself, so I can’t blame anyone else.” The star reveals she had planned to protect her modesty, but decided to show off her expensive new breasts instead. She says: “I had a second boob job. I’ve got nice perky nipples, why am I going to cover them?” She admits: “I put nipple stickers on and it really ruined it. “So I let my nipples go on show instead. I did wear a jacket, but people were really divided over it, which surprised me. “And it’s not even men that were negative, it’s the women.” Olivia refuses to be upset by trolls who mocked her style, insisting: “To me it’s not a big deal. I wouldn’t go to the shops like that, but the Brits to me are art, it’s pushing boundaries.” Part of Olivia’s charm is her reluctance to conform, and last year, ahead of her wedding to Bradley, she held a funeral-themed hen do in Ibiza as she said “RIP to the girlfriend era”.
Guests wore all black, while Olivia also styled herself in a black lace suit, leading to her being hailed an “icon” by fans. But the star confesses she committed some serious fashion crimes in her youth. She says: “I did every trend, like the Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie era. I owned 15 Juicy Couture tracksuits. I did the thong out the jeans and I lived in a crop top.”   On the tattoo she had done illegally with fake ID as a teen, Olivia adds: “I even have the ‘tramp stamp’, but it’s so low down you would never see it. “I printed out a picture of Nicole Richie’s tattoo, which came out the bottom of her bikini, and told the tattoo artist to copy it.” Olivia’s mum Jen has been a big style influence and has taught her a few vital rules. She says: “I hate the whole ‘dress your age’ thing. My mum wears ripped jeans and Yeezys and hoodies. I love anyone who pushes those boundaries, like Cher, Kylie Minogue or Kim Kardashian. Society has told us that if you are wearing a skirt, you are trying to be attractive to someone else, whereas maybe you are just wearing a skirt because it’s hot. “We don’t care about men wearing shorts. We see their wrinkly knees all the time and no one gives a s**t. I will wear a mini skirt till I’m 80. “My mum used to say, ‘Do boobs or legs’, and I used to say, ‘Ooh, shut up!’. But yeah, you do have to choose. I think that’s how you make it look cool — you have to offset one or the other.”
Olivia is an ‘It Girl’ ambassador for online retail marketplace AliExpress and says that, alongside her TV career, she wants to keep making waves in fashion. She adds: “I’ve been part of the launch for this new shop, where I pick out pieces of clothing and people can buy them from my recommendations. “Fashion is so much fun to me so I hope I never lose that. It’s something that brings me joy.”
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GYM owner Rachel Woolford was crowned winner of The Apprentice last night — and put it down to keeping her mouth shut in front of Lord Alan Sugar. Rachel, 28, landed the mogul’s GBP250,000 investment after going head-to-head with pie maker Phil Turner in the final of the BBC1 show.   The win surprised many viewers as the series’ underdog barely appeared on screen until the third episode. Rachel said: “To come out a winner is beyond my wildest dreams. I was just a girl from Leeds, and now I’m going into business with Lord Sugar. “I went into The Apprentice promising that I would just be myself, and not turn it on in any way in front of the cameras, throw anyone else under the bus or be bitchy. “I wanted to prove that you don’t need to be the loudest voice and screaming at the others. “For that, people saw me as a bit of an underdog. But my main values in business, and in life, is that you don’t have to shout to get your point across. “I wasn’t getting any airtime in the beginning because I wasn’t talking over people. “But it worked out, as I was instead busy making little actions here and there to show up in the task and impress Lord Sugar.
“You can’t be a wallflower — you do have to know how to speak up and defend yourself. But keeping your head down and working hard is the key.” Rachel battled it out with 18 candidates, including fellow fitness fanatics, dentists, doctors, and a former garage music star in the 11-week series, which was watched by an average 6.9million viewers each episode. Lord Sugar, 77, picked her from 18 candidates with the help of advisors Tim Campbell and Baroness Karren Brady in a series watched by an average 6.9million viewers. He announced: “It’s very hard for me, but my gut feeling is that Rachel, you’re going to be my business partner.”
Rachel, who runs gym brand North Studios in Leeds and Harrogate, is engaged to be married. She said: “I did get plenty of interesting messages online, but I definitely won’t be taking any of them up. “I was flattered to get some nice compliments in my DMs, though.” Beaten finalist Phil, 37, from Bognor Regis, was looking for backing for family business Turner’s Pies.  | ↑ |
BRITAIN’S army of tradesmen and women have taken a massive GBP14,000 hit to their earnings in the past year, figures reveal. The average income for white van grafters dropped 17 per cent from GBP82,821 to GBP68,474.  But it still pays to have a trade, as wages are well above average annual earnings of GBP34,953. Bricklayers, window cleaners, tilers and plasterers have been the worst affected by a slowdown in pay. Average income for brickies fell by 17 per cent from GBP80,993 in 2022 to GBP67,465 last year, window cleaners saw turnover drop seven per cent to GBP38,410, while plasterers and tilers were down six per cent to GBP54,902 and GBP63,182. Plumbers got GBP84,090, three per cent less, and electricians GBP75,883, five per cent lower. Experts say the falls are due to people delaying home renovations to save money. DIY chains B&Q, Travis Perkins and Wickes, which enjoyed post-lockdown booms, have all warned of tough times. Builders are still the top earners, down one per cent to GBP114,353. Dryliners made GBP105,832, 12 per cent up, as the quicker alternative to traditional plastering flourishes. Labourers’ earnings went up by ten per cent from GBP35,801 to GBP39,540. Tradespeople in Grays, Essex, earn the most with an average of GBP115,445. Those in Worcester earn least, on GBP61,269. Bea Montoya, of insurer Simply Business, said: “We encourage consumers to continue turning to their local tradespeople when in need of work.” 
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A FRENCHMAN who fended off the Sydney knife attack killer has been granted permanent residency in Australia. Hero Damien Guerot, 31, was nicknamed Bollard Man after security footage showed him warding off Joel Cauchi with a plastic barrier post.   His actions — with pal Silas Despreaux, who was not seen on camera — saved lives in an attack that left six dead and a dozen more wounded. Guerot was also filmed brandishing a plastic chair as he ran toward Cauchi behind Police Insp. Amy Scott. Guerot along with fellow French national and work colleague Silas Despreaux were with Scott when she ended Cauchis rampage with a fatal shot. Despreaux, like Guerot, had chased Cauchi and threw a pole at the killer but didnt seem to appear on footage posted on social media or broadcast by the news. Builder Guerot’s temporary work visa had been due to expire in July until Australia’s PM Anthony Albanese intervened. He said: “I say this to Damian — you are welcome to stay for as long as you like. This is someone who we would welcome becoming an Australian citizen, although that would be a loss for France. “We thank him for his extraordinary bravery.” But Guerot had mixed emotions. He said: “It’s just unbelievable. But how can I be also happy when many people and families are very sad for their loss?” His French friend Despreaux is already a permanent resident of Australia. Who did Joel Cauchi kill at Bondi Junction Westfield shopping centre?Cauchi stabbed five women and one man to death. The victims are:
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WITH his adoring wife of 33 years by his side, Warwick Davis felt like a superhero. But now the Tenable host, 54, and his two children must adjust to life without his “favourite human” Samantha, whose death at the age of 53 was announced yesterday.   In an emotional tribute to the actress and charity founder, Warwick called her his “most trusted confidante and ardent supporter”, adding that her backing was “like having a super power”. He wrote: “Her passing has left a huge hole in our lives as a family. “She was a unique character, always seeing the sunny side of life. “She had a wicked sense of humour and always laughed at my bad jokes.” Fans of Harry Potter star Warwick sent condolences over Samantha’s March 24 death, the cause of which was not disclosed. Those who knew her praised her boundless optimism and philanthropic endeavours. The tragedy comes after Samantha survived a near-fatal battle with sepsis in 2018 as she recovered from decompression surgery on her spine. Warwick said the scare ensured they “never take life for granted now” and that they were “living each day as if it were our last”. However, it also seemed to mark the beginning of a decline in Samantha’s health and, in recent years, her mobility worsened. ‘Pride in her family’Warwick added: “I appreciate and cherish every moment that Sam and I spend together.” The mum of two had planned her funeral while lying in intensive care, and recalled thinking her only life regret was that she “hadn’t given Warwick and the kids enough time”. After recovering, she spoke about the “really horrendous” pain she suffered, but revealed that it was “the best thing” to happen to her because she had “been given a second chance” at life. She said: “I was like, ‘Wow, I’ve got to change this’. We’re all so busy rushing around and working too hard, life is so crazy for everybody. I’ve now slowed down. “I’m not going to miss a second with my family and I’m so grateful to everybody.” The positive outlook was typical of Samantha, who had the most common type of dwarfism, achondroplasia, and faced many challenges.  She and Warwick — who married in 1991, three years after meeting on the set of fantasy film Willow — lost their first child, Lloyd, when he was just nine days old. The tot had inherited dwarfism from both parents and his lungs had not formed properly. Samantha told how the grief “hit us like a train”, but said they took comfort in knowing medics had “learned a lot” from their son which could help other families of kids with dwarfism. She added: “We gave him everything we could. At Lloyd’s funeral, I was proud. I was his mum and how lucky was I? “I had the best nine days ever. You have to turn it round like that.”
The couple endured more heartache in 1993 after Samantha miscarried at 20 weeks with son George. They later had children Annabelle and Harrison, now 27 and 21. Warwick said: “The losses shaped our family dynamic. We love Annabelle and Harrison all that more because they’re here with us.” Much of Samantha’s time was dedicated to her children, with pal Sam Carlisle writing online: “More than anything, you could see the pride she had in her family.” Samantha and Warwick founded charity Little People UK In 2012, which offers friendship and support to families affected by dwarfism. Warwick hailed his wife for helping people with the condition become confident and independent. In yesterday’s tribute, he added: “She had time for everyone and a genuine listening ear.” The longing to inspire others led Samantha and Warwick to appear on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories in 2015. Samantha is also credited with being the driving force behind her husband’s TV career. Warwick said: “Without Sammy there would have been no Tenable quiz show, no Willow series, no Idiot Abroad series 3.” Samantha would often post about Warwick online, uploading happy anniversary photos from around the world. And she would share his loyal fans’ comments and videos.  On a post marking their 32nd wedding anniversary, she wrote: “Love you more than anything and so proud to be your wife! My best friend and my world.” The couple’s last photo together showed them beaming in a hotel room in October, with Warwick praising his “beautiful wife”. But he didn’t always need to declare his feelings with words. Ahead of Samantha’s passing, he claimed they understood each other on a level few were lucky enough to know, adding: “Without sounding too spiritual, we feed each other’s souls. “We don’t always need to say what we’re thinking, we just know it.”  Kind, funny and determinedBy Sam Carlisle SAMMY DAVIS had a big personality, brimming with kindness and humour. It was an honour to know someone so determined to help others. Nothing was too much trouble, despite the fact her condition meant she was often in pain. She told me how important starting Little People UK was to her. She wanted to use her experience to make life better for all disabled children and their families. Warwick was the love of her life. What an extraordinary life. Go well, Sammy and, as you always signed off on your messages, love and hugs. | ↑ |
IT was one of the first mass school shootings to shock the world. The Columbine killings resulted in the deaths of 13 people before the two killer teens, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, turned their guns on themselves.    Now, 25 years on, a daughter of one of the heroes who saved hundreds of pupils at the US high school has spoken out. Computer and business teacher Dave Sanders, 47, was fatally shot after guiding children away from Harris and Klebold during their 15-minute killing spree. Since then, survivors have shown their love for Dave by visiting his daughter, Coni, and introducing her to their own children — who would not have been born had the two killers’ plan to murder hundreds of students not been thwarted.
Speaking to The Sun, Coni, 50, reveals: “I didn’t realise it until I was at the memorial a few years ago and these people walked up to me and handed me their baby. “Like, ‘Why am I holding your baby? I don’t know who you are’. And they said, ‘Can we have a picture?’ ‘His influence went far beyond the classroom’“I’m thinking, I have no idea what’s going on right now. And they said, ‘This baby exists because of your dad,’ and I almost dropped the baby. “But you know, it was then that I really started thinking — generations from now, they’ll never know they exist because of what he did. “He was a teacher for 24 years and his influence went far beyond the walls of the classroom and the bounds of the playing fields that he coached in. He has left a mark on the world.” The softball coach wasn’t even supposed to be in school when Harris, 18, and Klebold, 17, started their deadly assault. Coni reveals: “It was my grandmother’s birthday. He was supposed to go to lunch with my mom, my aunt and my grandmother.” Instead, before lunch the killers turned up at school with a semi-automatic pistol, a pump-action shotgun and other weapons hidden beneath their trench coats. A pipe bomb they threw into the car park and the huge explosives placed in the cafeteria all failed to detonate. Undeterred, the pair started firing at pupils, first killing 17-year-old Rachel Scott as she lay on the ground. Dave and two janitors told the students to leave the dining area and began to secure as much of the school as possible. But as the teacher walked down the hallway giving instructions, Harris fired bullets into the father-of-four’s head, neck and torso. From there the shooters headed to the library, where most of the pupils were killed, including disabled 16-year-old Kyle Velasquez.
Just after noon, with armed police teams outside the school, Harris and Klebold took their own lives. Injured Dave was in a classroom bleeding heavily from his wounds. As he lay there he proudly showed students pictures of his family that he kept in his wallet. Realising the situation was desperate, teachers and pupils placed a sign in the window telling those outside someone was “bleeding to death”. But the police feared it was a trick by the shooters and it wasn’t until 3pm that a paramedic reached Dave. By that time he was dead. Dave, who coached girls’ basketball and softball teams, wanted to give a final message to his four daughters. Coni says: “His last words were, ‘Tell my girls I love them.’ “That could have meant so many things. It could have meant his athletes. It could have been my mom and my sisters.” There was a lot of anger within the community about the slow response of the police — but Coni doubts her father would have wished to live with the injuries he had sustained. She says: “After talking to the coroner, he was not going to live a good life based on his injuries. “One went in through his shoulder and out through his mouth. He would not have lived a life coaching and teaching. ‘Your brain is just stuck like it was yesterday’“So I almost feel like it was the right thing to happen, that if he survived it would not have been a survival that would have been good for him.”    In the immediate aftermath, Coni admits she felt annoyed that Dave had put himself in harm’s way. She says: “We had some anger towards him, like, how could you do that — run towards danger?’ “And over the years, we’ve come to determine that he was in the right place at the right time.” That’s because he saved so many young people — but his absence still weighs heavily on the family. Coni, who works as a therapist, reveals: “It’s interesting to think about the past 25 years because it feels like just yesterday. “There’s something we refer to as trauma time where you can remember, at this minute, what I was doing the last time that I saw him. “Your brain is just stuck in that like it was yesterday. “The last time I saw him, he told me that he loved me, and to be nice to my sister. “He hugged me and I think I looked back at that as it was so bizarre. “I remember thinking at the time, wow, that was a hug. Because it was always kind of the coach’s pat.”
The senseless slayings shocked the world, with countless books and documentaries made in an attempt to understand the killers. Many issues have been blamed, from the shoot-’em-up video games the pair played to the bullying they reportedly experienced. None of the theories have done anything to stem the tide of fatalities in the United States. So far in 2024, alone more than 200 people have been killed in mass shootings, while 4,994 in total have died from gun violence — 355 of children or teens. Earlier this month the Colorado House of Representatives passed a bill to ban the sale or transfer of assault weapons — but there are doubts it will pass through the state’s Senate. Banning the kind of automatic weapons wielded by Harris and Klebold has so far been prevented by the US consitution’s Right to Bear Arms. It was, though, illegal to sell the high school students weapons because they were underage and Mark Manes, who provided much of the arsenal, was sentenced to nine years in prison. Two years ago the US President Joe Biden increased restrictions on gun ownership nationally by bringing in tougher background checks on anyone aged under 21 wishing to buy a gun. Coni is doing her bit to stem the tide of hate and misery that has gripped America for so long. She studied psychology and spent seven years working in a mental health hospital on low pay before being able to dedicate herself to helping disaffected young people. Inspired by her father, she now works in the same justice system ‘diversion program’ that Harris and Klebold had been placed on. The pair had both been arrested prior to the attack for breaking into a van and were given anger management sessions as part of the scheme. Coni, who lives in Littleton not far from Columbine High School, reveals: “I’ve even had some clients come in and said, like, ‘man, if I had a gun, I would have shot up my school.’ “You know, like, because there’s just so much pain and grief in adolescence.” She concludes: “And so this is how I carry on his legacy.”   | ↑ |
IT is a rare example of when an American remake is arguably better than the British original. Over nine laugh out loud series’, viewers fell in love with The Office US’s collection of lovably flawed characters inside the Scranton branch of paper supplier Dunder Mifflin.   Though the sitcom ended 11 years ago, it’s been ever-present on streaming platforms like Amazon, and now Netflix, keeping its popularity at an all-time high. And now six members of its cast have reunited for a hilarious new advert for the AT&T Business Next Level Network. Show favourites Rainn Wilson, Jenna Fischer, Kate Flannery, Craig Robinson, Brian Baumgartner, and Creed Bratton might leave their corporate alter-egos behind in the ad but they still share plenty of their characteristics. Notable omissions from the ad are John Krasinski – who played Fischer’s fiance Jim Halpert and is married to Hollywood star Emily Blunt in real life – and Steve Carell, who played hapless Office manager Michael Scott. Dwight Schrute star Wilson plugs the fictional service “Sleep With Rain” – a pillow containing two speakers that pump out his dulcet voice. He says: “For years, my voice has been putting people to sleep — my mom, my wife, my therapist — so I decided to cash in.” The Office’s warehouse worker Darryl Philbin [Robinson] then asks: “Rainn-bow, ready for launch?” Fischer, who played receptionist Pam Beesley, chirpily says “Happy launch day” as she arrives with balloons. Wilson says: “By bringing more sleep to the world, I may just bring about world peace.” It’s then revealed Robinson is the brand’s chief technology officer while Fischer is its social media manager. Viewers learn Kevin Malone star Baumgartner is head of product, while Meredith Palmer actress Flannery is a blunt no nonsense “fixer”. She says: “I don’t care about the pillow. I’m just here for the internets.” In yet another comical turn, the Sleep With Rainn team gets locked out of the room they’re using to launch the product and try everything to get back inside. Though eventually successful, their efforts cause a power outage, which is when the real world purpose behind the ad is revealed: AT&T Internet Backup can help them get back up and running. Earlier this year another Office star, who doesn’t feature in the advert, revealed a film adaptation could be in the works.  Melora Hardin, famous as businesswoman Jan Levinson, has even discussed plot ideas with show executive Greg Daniels, who is overseeing a reboot. Insiders say that writer Greg, who remains close to the show’s stars, has discussed show options with Netflix and NBC brands. Melora teased that follow-ups are being created by Greg, who she regularly talks to about potential plots. Speaking about the reboot, she told The U.S. Sun: “That is up to Greg, because he is the maestro. I would certainly show up. I think a lot of us would. “I don’t know about Steve – you can ask him – but I think he would. It would be super fun. “But I think it’s going to have to be something special because otherwise why do it? “We’ve already done an incredible series that people are watching and re-watching, and for generations. It’s just still living and very iconic… “I think Greg probably feels like it has to be something that really excites him.”  | ↑ |
MARTIN Lewis urged shoppers to beware of a common scam when buying a household essential – it could save you GBP100s. The Money Saving Expert revealed the helpful hack on Wednesday’s episode of his podcast.  He invited people who have worked in shops, or the retail sector to write in with any cost-cutting tips and tricks. One fan got in touch with a shocking insight into buying and selling curtains. She contacted The Martin Lewis Podcast and explained: “I used to work in fabrics and furnishings. My tips for buying curtains is that shops will often say you need to buy curtains two or three times the width of your window. “Yes, they do look better with more gather but it’s not actually needed, that’s about aesthetics, that’s great if you’ve got pots of money but actually one-and-a-half times is enough. “Plus, if you buy with a thermal or blackout lining, they will last longer, it also insulates your home better.” Martin said: “That could save some serious amounts of money. Curtains are incredibly expensive.” “Going for one-and-a-half times the width could have a material impact on your finances,” he joked. Curtains can cost up to GBP3,000 if they are made to measure and of a premium quality, so this tip could really help shoppers pocket some extra pennies. And, choosing the right material could help reduce bills in the winter. It comes as the MSE also revealed a genius trick to avoid Spotify’s imminent price rises. The popular music streaming giant recently announced that subscriptions are rising by up to GBP2 per month. Mr Lewis also issued an urgent warning to Subway fans to act now or lose their loyalty points. Customers have weeks left to use their points before Subway shakes up its rewards scheme. Martin Lewis: Money Saving Tips
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THE NEXT time Simon from Surrey pours out his heart to talkSPORT about the woes of supporting Manchester United, spare a thought for ‘Steven’ from Coventry. ‘Steven’ is not his real name. We are keeping his identity secret to spare the shame and indignity of being outed as a Coventry City supporter.  Because unlike United in recent years who may have been a bit crap, the Sky Blues really have been to s***ville and back. Which is why there should be no debate about who I and the rest of the country should be rooting for on Sunday when the two teams meet at Wembley in their FA Cup semi-final. Being ‘sent to Coventry’ is a metaphorical punishment. But being temporarily ghosted by pals is nowhere near as extreme as having to stay there and support the city’s football team. ‘Steven’ is just one of hundreds if not thousands of helpless victims unable to escape this miserable addiction — like eating toilet paper (yes, people do do it). ‘Steven’ moved away and found a new life with a successful career but still couldn’t shake the drug of watching the Sky Blues. One day in 2016 he took a mate with him to see City play at Cambridge, appropriately in the FA Cup. ‘Steven’ was hoping to turn his pal into a fan like him and imagined them enjoying memorable boy time together on road trips to and from games. Firming up their friendship by celebrating famous victories in the pub and on long car journeys with a mix tape blaring away. But things went wrong when League Two Cambridge stuck four goals past League One Cov, with Luke Berry scoring them all. CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS ‘Steven’ noticed a change in his mate, who seemed more distant, different somehow. Finally the ‘friend’ came clean and confessed that he would prefer to support Cambridge instead — and he still does. ‘Steven’ also got done for speeding on the way home (three points is still three points, son) and Coventry were relegated to League Two at the end of the season. Still the nightmare went on. The following season ‘Steven’ went with his dad to see City play Yeovil in League Two. He told me (in a disguised voice): “We were outclassed and outplayed. I had now seen City lose in the Premier League, Championship, League One and League Two. I made a point of going to the home game later that season as we had finally picked up form — we lost 6-2.” Coventry went 51 years without a promotion season between 1967 and 2018. Since winning the 1987 FA Cup courtesy of Gary Mabbutt’s knee, there have been three relegations, one administration, countless humiliations and years of frustration. Home games played in entirely different cities, ownership strife, fan protests and being forced to groundshare with London rugby club Wasps. After plummeting out of the Premier League in 2001, there have been 13 different full-time managers — but even Sky Blue diehards lose count when you ask.  In that same period Manchester United have won six Premier Leagues, two FA Cups, five League Cups, the Champions League, Europa League and Club World Cup. But they haven’t won the league for 11 years and have American owners they don’t particularly like. Heartbreaking. There are more like ‘Steven’. ‘Mark’ drove from home to Oldham one night and broke down on the M6 en route. He arrived at half-time with City 1-0 up. They lost 2-1. One of ‘David’s’ first dates with his new girlfriend was to see Coventry at home to non-league Worcester City in the FA Cup first round. What a way to impress a girl. City were knocked out by the Conference North side 2-1. ‘David’ and his new beau were two lovebirds among 8,000 devotees on a blustery Sunday in November 2014. There is at least a happy ending. ‘David’ is soon to wed that loyal lady who can see beyond his obvious weakness and will dedicate her life to caring for the man of her dreams. ‘David’ tells me he will be at Wembley on Sunday cheering on the love of his life in full kit. Why FA Cup changes are GOOD NEWS By Martin Lipton THE FA and Premier League should have done the deal to scrap FA Cup replays years ago. No doubt traditionalists will moan but it is right that the competition has finally been brought into the 21st century. Ending replays will bring extra sharpness and excitement to the ties, with the knowledge that there will be a winner, whether in 90 minutes, extra-time or penalties. If big guns have a bad day, they are more likely to pay the price. Replays after draws give them a fall-back they do not deserve. Giving the FA Cup total and absolute priority over four weekends – and ensuring there is no competing match on the day of the Final – will enhance the profile of a competition that was in danger of falling out of the spotlight. And as long as the FA ensures a better split of the prize money fund, weighting it more towards the earlier rounds, and potentially a similar move with TV match money, there should be few losers. Read more on the FA Cup by clicking here. THE END OF THE MAGICTHE dear old FA Cup is being forced to make room for boring group stage European matches. Sorry, that should read, boring ‘Swiss-style format’ European matches. There’s a difference apparently. I love the third-round replays because I am a bit of a dinosaur and watching the big clubs cock it up at home then lose away is cracking entertainment. But that’s not the issue. Bringing forward the FA Cup final to the penultimate weekend of the domestic season means the oldest cup competition in the world is now robbed of its grand finale place in the calendar. Yes, it has happened before but that doesn’t mean it’s OK. Even though the Cup is normally dominated by the elite teams, the likes of Crystal Palace and Hull can enjoy a huge day out and a puncher’s chance of victory. The Premier League is scrapping games the night before to allow build-up to the big occasion next season. But there might be some the day after. Thus making the FA Cup final merely a bridging tournament as the title race hots up. RIP FA CUP.  CLOCK UPWATCHING Gabriel Jesus petulantly toss the ball away and mouth off to the referee in the final, frantic few minutes of Arsenal’s 1-0 Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich, something struck me. Instead of booking tetchy footballers for such unsportsmanlike acts, why don’t refs just knock 30 seconds off whatever stoppage time is left? The Gunners were desperate for an equaliser on Wednesday night and every second was precious. If the losing team knows that any outburst like that will cost them on the clock, it will soon put an end to it. ALL DUN?THE goalless draw for Rangers at Dundee means they are now without a win in three games. It has blown the Scottish title race wide open. Such drama north of the border. Who on earth do you think might win the Premiership instead of them? | ↑ |
A LOTTO winner has told how she slammed the caller congratulating her on her win. Anne, from Heald Green, Greater Manchester, said she wasn’t interested and tried to hang up as she was told the good news.   And when the lottery sent her an email, the mum-of-two thought that was “a scam” as well. Anne, who did not want to share her surname, said: “I told my daughters and they said don’t click on anything and don’t give any bank details.” But Anne, a chairperson for her local village hall, got an inkling she may be in luck when she saw her phone number on an email. When the Postcode Lottery arrived on her street brandishing cheques that Anne peeped around the hedge to see what all the fuss was about. She recalled: “There was a lovely party atmosphere when they were here in the street. “I peeped round the hedge and saw the cheques, I was trying to see the amount as they opened them.” DREAM BIGHow to enter the People's Postcode Lottery: You can sign up to join People’s Postcode Lottery at postcodelottery.co.uk or by calling freephone 0808 109 8765. People’s Postcode Lottery is an ongoing GBP12 monthly subscription lottery where paid tickets are automatically entered into all prize draws. You can buy up to three tickets to play in the draws. Each ticket is based on your chosen postcode. Anne, along with nine other winners scooped GBP100,000 and says she was shocked and delighted when it all turned out to be true. She plans to donate GBP10,000 to the village hall and other charities, including to a Multiple Sclerosis therapy centre which supports people like her husband. Other winners on Greenhythe Road were neighbours Roy and Julie. They say the GBP100,000 cheque couldn’t have come at a better time, as their boiler packed it in that day. Julie said of her win: “When they emailed us and phoned we thought we may have won about GBP1,000. “When we kept seeing all the noughts as the cheque was pulled out of the envelope I kept saying ‘Oh My God, Oh My God.” Neighbour Tracy Mellor, 54 – a longtime People’s Postcode Lottery player – says her win is thanks to her late dad Peter “shining down” on her.
She burst into tears as she was handed a cheque for GBP100,000. Incredibly, she had just cancelled Peter’s own ticket two weeks prior. She said of her “bittersweet” win: “That’s me dad, that.” | ↑ |
EMILIANO MARTINEZ received a second yellow card in Aston Villa’s gripping penalty shootout against Lille – but still escaped an early bath and then ended up as the hero. The World Cup-winning goalkeeper was booked in the first-half of the tense Conference League quarter-final showdown for time-wasting.    And he was shown another early in the shootout for goading fans after saving Lille’s first penalty courtesy of ex- Tottenham star Nabil Bentaleb. Martinez turned to the French fans and hit them with a “shush”. The referee brandished the red, leaving fans to wonder what happened next with no goalkeeper for the spot-kick showdown. But the match official quickly withdrew the sending off, leaving fans baffled. But that didn’t stop fans from being baffled, with one taking to X to say: “I need an explanation, Martinez has just been sent off for a second bookable offence in a penalty shootout then waved away and continues. Another wrote: “Martinez got sent off then not sent off is that what happened?” A third added: “He already got a yellow but is allowed to keep on playing??” It turns out there’s a very good reason Martinez did not head down the tunnel. CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS That’s because of a little-known rule that states yellow cards are WIPED OUT between the end of extra-time and penalties. So Martinez survived, and would go on to save the crucial penalty with Villa leading 4-3. Benjamin Andre had to score, but the Argentine parried it away. The ex- Arsenal man quickly turned to face the Lille fans to continue what fans called his “s***housery”. But the ref again intervened, checking Martinez was glued to his line when Andre struck the ball. After a quick VAR check, Martinez was deemed to have been a good boy on this occasion and Villa marched on to the semi-finals in dramatic manner. Leading 2-1 from the first leg at Villa Park, the Premier League side were stunned as Lille went 1-0 up to level the tie after just 15 minutes. And with just 15 minutes to play, they went 2-0 up to move to the brink of a Conference League semi-final spot. But Matty Cash scored with less than five minutes to play to take the game to extra-time and, ultimately, penalties. 
After the win, Martinez said: “It’s been hell of a ride all my career. I’m a believer and I’m a hard worker and it was my destiny to win here again. “I’ve got a reputation for time wasting but the other goalkeeper was doing the same but I got booked. There was no ball on the penalty spot so I was asking the ball boy for one. I don’t understand the rules. “I always say all in my career, I owe my team-mates in those moments, even when we were watching Real Madrid last night the manager was saying we might go to penalties and in those moments I own my box. “This group of players and the managers are special, the owners get involved as well, they are always behind us. It feels like we are going to do something special. “I don’t know if it’s Champions League or if it’s Conference League but we try to do everything we can to push the football club.” On his goalkeeper’s bizarre heroics, Aston Villa boss Unai Emery said: “Emi Martinez is very important for us, he has his personality and his personality in the dressing room is very important. “He’s a leader every day with the players. He’s really brilliant, his mentality is brilliant, he has his personality when he plays as well. “In the game he was fantastic and in the penalty shootout he was fantastic to save two and I’m very proud of him and very proud of my players.” | ↑ |
ASTON VILLA took a bit of mauling from a club nicknamed The Mastiffs! But Unai Emery’s boys showed true British bulldog spirit to battle back when they seemed dead and buried.     And it was Emi Martinez who turned out to be the dog’s b***ocks with two penalty saves to deny Nabil Bentaleb and Benjamin Andre. That was enough to send Villa through to their first major European semi-final for 42 years and how the Argentine goalie lapped it up. As Villa’s joyous players went to their travelling army of fans Martinez waved his No.1 shirt at Lille fans to remind them why he is the world’s top-rated goalie. For the French it was a re-run of his World Cup heroics from Qatar 2022 when Martinez used every dirty trick in the book to unnerve their national side. He was at it again last night, chucking the ball away before diving to his left to save Bentaleb’s opening spot kick for Lille. Then bizarrely Martinez was shown a SECOND yellow card for goading the Lille fans packed behind his goal. But he was able to remain on the pitch as cards are reset at the start of any shoot-out. And after Leon Bailey had his penalty saved, it was Martinez who came to the rescue to save Lille’s fifth penalty from Andre to prove he is the top dog! BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKER Lille thought they had this tie in the bag after Yusuf Yazici and Benjamin Andre struck in each half to leave Villa reeling. But with three minutes remaining Lille keeper Lucas Chevalier made a hash of dealing with Lucas Digne’s cross. 
And though sub Jhon Duran’s first attempt was blocked the ball landed at Matty Cash’s feet and the Polish Cafu rifled home with the help of a deflection. As the tie spilled into extra-time Villa thought they had won it when Chevalier palmed out Bailey’s shot and Douglas Luiz headed towards the empty net. But somehow Chevalier recovered to claw the ball off the line. Villa have still never won a competitive match in France in four attempts but they will not care after coming out on top here.   Emery has now won his last EIGHT quarter-final ties in Europe, going on to lift the trophy on four occasions. However Lille boasted the best home record in France and have only lost once in their impressive Stade Pierre Mauroy Stadium this season, against Reims back in September. As promised, the Ultras packed behind Villa’s goal in the first half gave Martinez a verbal battering as they booed and jeered his every touch. And they almost raised the roof when the Villa No.1 was booked six minutes before the break for taking too long over a goal-kick.   Revenge came swiftly for the baying home crowd as Lille swept into the lead after 16 minutes. Leny Yoro spread Villa’s defence with a stunning crossfield pass to Gabriel Gudmundsson wide on the left. The Swede cleverly cut the ball back beyond Villa’s defensive line and Yusuf Yazici drilled a low left-footer past Martinez from the edge of the box. It was a sensational finish from the Turkish international and it rocked Villa who were rarely at the races. The visitors almost fell further behind when Martinez came to the rescue, taking one in the face as he crucially blocked Benjamin Andre’s point blank header.   Martinez continued after treatment but Nicolo Zaniolo had to be replaced by Morgan Rogers after damaging his hip following a collision with Andre. With tempers fraying, rival bosses Unai Emery and Paulo Fonseca were both booked for bickering at each other. Villa hadn’t managed a single shot during a troubled first half but that changed just before the hour when Matty Cash rifled a shot into the side net. But it was nowhere near enough and Villa were left with a mountain to climb when Lille doubled their lead to seize control of the tie after 67 minutes. Haraldsson whipped in a corner and Lille skipper Andre rose in front of Cash to flick home a header off the far post. Emery immediately sent on Leon Bailey for the ineffective Diaby. But it took Cash’s late strike to finally throw Villa a lifeline, which they took in the most dramatic fashion possible. | ↑ |
WNBA star Skylar Diggins rose to prominence after being selected as the third overall pick during the 2013 WNBA Draft. As Skylar continues to make strides in women’s basketball, many want to know more about her husband, Daniel Smith.  Who is Skylar Diggins’ husband, Daniel Smith?Daniel was born in South Bend, Indiana on July 16, 1991. He is the son of Vicky and Robert Smith. His father was a businessman and his mother worked in a broadcasting station. He finished Clay High School and went on to attend the University of Notre Dame. While he was studying, he played football, and at the time, he was very successful and won a lot of his games. He suffered an ankle fracture and had to stop playing in the meantime. That was the moment that he decided to focus on his passion for art. He began his art career by selling his artwork online atsonsoftyce.com. Later on, he designed logos for some clothing brands. He now owns Doperman Studios in Dallas, Texas, and his work has also been shown at a music and art festival called Life is Beautiful. His art career has earned him a lot of wealth. He now enjoys a luxurious life through his net worth of $400 thousand dollars. When did Skylar Diggins and Daniel Smith get married?Skylar and Daniel have been together since 2014. He likewise graduated from a South Bend high school and went on to study at Notre Dame, where the couple first started dating. In June 2016, Smith proposed to Skylar during one of his art exhibits. The pair tied the knot in April 2019. Their wedding was held at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. After getting married to Daniel, she changed her jersey name to Diggins-Smith on the court. Skylar showed off her jersey on Instagram, captioning it: “Diggins, a two-time WNBA All-Star and guard for the Dallas Wings, will now go by “Diggins-Smith.”  To this day, Skylar refers to Daniel a “the biggest part of my support system.” Do they have children?Since tying the knot, the pair have welcomed two children. In 2019, Skylar gave birth to her son, Seven. The couple chose the name for biblical reasons. She and Daniel have decided to keep their son away from the limelight as they do not wish to disclose their son’s identity. They welcomed a daughter in 2023, however, they have yet to announce her name to the public. In an interview with Essence, Skylar revealed Daniel takes care of the children while she tends to her busy schedule during basketball season. “My husband [is] the one that takes care of the kids when I’m on the road, when I have to do things,” she told the outlet. “So it’s a blessing having a husband who wants to be so hands-on.” Though she had a packed itinerary, Skylar said she always knew she wanted to be a mom. “I always knew that I wanted a kid while I was playing because I want my kids to see me play,” she said. “I think that that stuff is intangible, you know. When they see you really going after your dreams.” | ↑ |
SHOCKED fans can’t believe Ollie Watkins escaped a red card after an “elbow” left Lille’s Ismaily with a gruesome forehead swelling. The defender was cleared to carry on despite an egg-sized bruise – only to see Watkins’ Aston Villa reach the Europa Conference League last four after a controversial penalty shootout.   One viewer reacted: “Straight elbow from Watkins – course he isn’t sent off.” Another said: “Watkins just changed the shape of a man’s head???” Other responses included “ridiculous” …”that’s wild”… and “looks scary”. England striker Watkins was merely booked over the incident. And in the end Villa sneaked through to their first major European semi-final since 1982 after a dramatic night in France. Unai Emery’s men were 2-1 up from the first leg but fell 2-0 behind on the night and 3-2 overall – as Yusuf Yazici and Benjamin Andre struck. But Matty Cash pounced for an aggregate leveller on 87 minutes. Villa then won a jaw-dropping shootout 4-3 – with Emi Martinez the hero via two spot-kick saves but almost a villain courtesy of his second yellow card. Booked for time-wasting during the match itself, the Argentinian keeper was cautioned again for an apparent gesture at home supporters. But Martinez was able to stay on – because his first yellow card did not count once the tie went to a shootout. Nonetheless, Watkins avoiding a sending-off remained an equally-key moment for many fans. And some were even stunned Ismaily was able to continue. “He should have been taken off immediately,” one responded. “Jeez hope he’s good,” said another. And a few compared the size and shape of his injury to an egg or golf ball – before Lille were left with a headache following Villa’s triumph. | ↑ |
AN eye doctor has shared a common makeup mistake that’s ruining your lashes. Her science-backed tips help promote lash growth and protect the follicles from damage.  Dr. Jennifer Tsai, an optometrist, stressed the importance of investing in eye-safe health and beauty cosmetics. “Eye-safe cosmetics are formulated specifically for the eyes and rigorously tested to ensure they are gentle and non-irritating,” she explained. “Our eyes are particularly sensitive to allergens and eye-safe cosmetics are formulated with ingredients less likely to cause sensitivity or allergic reactions.” For those looking to hasten their lash growth with serums and treatments, Tsai advised them to pay attention to the basics first. “It starts with protecting your lashes and brows from damage. Avoid rubbing your eyes and be cautious when using eyelash curlers to prevent breakage,” she said. “Avoid waterproof mascara which can be difficult to remove and use gentle micellar-based makeup remover (like Lumify Eye Illumination’s Micellar Cleansing Water) to prevent pulling on your lashes.” Makeup fans, the expert said, should consider the ease of removal when it comes to their mascara. “Using waterproof mascara regularly can lead to lash breakage due to the harsh ingredients and difficulty with removal,” she said. Cutting the lashes to promote growth, she added, was a common myth. “Trimming the lashes does not directly promote lash or brow growth and can actually cause eye irritation due to the blunt ends,” she said. When she is shopping for lash treatments, she is intentional about avoiding harmful ingredients to the eyes. “Start with reading product labels and choose cosmetics specifically labeled as safe for use around the eyes,” she said. “You would be surprised to see what you find that is used in cosmetic products! Start with products labeled safe for sensitive eyes, such as Lumify Eye Illuminations Nourishing Lash & Brow Serum. Tsai explained that she avoids growth serums that contain prostaglandins and instead looks for those formulated with peptides, hyaluronic acid, and biotin instead.
Her laundry list of red-flag ingredients includes parabens, sulfates, formaldehyde, synthetic fragrances, and alcohol. “These ingredients can be irritating to the skin and may cause allergic reactions or other adverse effects,” she explained. “Prostaglandin analogs are a class of medications commonly used to treat glaucoma and also to promote lash growth, however, long-term use can lead to a potential side effect of orbital fat loss or a sunken eye appearance,” she added. “It’s important to note that not everyone who uses prostaglandin analogs will experience orbital fat loss and the degree of fat loss can vary among individuals.  “Factors such as the duration of use, the specific medication used, and individual predispositions may influence the likelihood and severity of this side effect.” When testing a new lash serum or eye cream, the expert recommended starting slow and patch-testing before upping the application frequency. Above all, she stressed that great lashes and great results take time. “Be patient! Lash and brow serums typically take time to show results, with noticeable improvements often occurring after several weeks of consistent use,” Tsai said. “Be patient and consistent with your application routine and avoid expecting instant results.”  | ↑ |
EMMERDALE has revealed its shock new villain as he claimed two further victims tonight. The village has just seen off killer Amit Sharma after his son Jai discovered his lies and enlisted Eric Pollard’s help to run him out of town.    Viewers had assumed Jai would be becoming a villain once more but tonight he fell victim to the new chaotic evil in the village – Eric himself. Last night he conned Kerry Wyatt out of her valuable necklace for cash, before stepping in and saving the day by paying for her daughter Amy’s wedding. But despite having the cash from the necklace sale to fund it, tonight Eric forced Kerry to sign a loan agreement to ensure she would pay him back for the cash that he stole from her. With no choice, Kerry agreed – but Eric was soon distracted when he discovered grandson Jacob Gallagher had been left devastated by Victoria Sugden dumping him. Victoria had been strong-armed into it by Jacob’s mum Leyla but Eric didn’t know that and didn’t care – he wanted revenge. He told her boss Jai about how Jacob had been dumped by Victoria and he wanted her to suffer. “She seems intent on destroying my family’s happiness so I’d like you to sack her,” he told Jai who told him it was ridiculous to expect him to sack her. “No, what is ridiculous is helping you with your father and exiling him from this village,” replied Eric. “And now it’s time to repay that favour quid pro co.” “I can’t sack Victoria, said Jai. “It’s unfair, that’s why.” But Eric was having none of it and he made his demands clear. He told Jai: “Life isn’t fair. Life is tough – cry me a river. There are some people who think they can swan through life leaving a trail of broken hearts behind them but not in this case baby. “I want her to suffer like my Jacob is suffering. And you will help me or I’ll tell Suni how his father really left this village.” Eric added: “I’m sure he’d like to find out about your little arrangement and you stealing his inheritance. EMMERDALE NEWS Everything you need to know about Emmerdale
“Let me know what to do.” Eric’s return to villainy has been a long time coming. | ↑ |
IF you’ve ever struggled to get your baby to stop crying, you’ll know how exhausting it can be. Rather than being offered a bit of sympathy, one mum was made to feel like the ‘world’s worst mum’ by her neighbour after her baby cried all night.   Having been mum-shamed, the heartbroken mum vented about the incident online. Posting on Mumsnet, the exhausted woman explained what happened and asked others for advice – having struggled with her poorly nine-month old. She told the forum that her daughter had been born with a nasty Strep B infection – causing her to spend a week in the ICU. Though the infection had gone, her little one had been constantly ill since she started nursery three months ago and had struggled to recover. The mum wrote: “She’s had every cold, cough and runny nose and hasn’t been sleeping great at night. This last week, my little one has been to the doctors twice and admitted to hospital with an extremely high fever which we now know is a viral infection. “Seeing her so poorly is heartbreaking and we as parents are doing our very best. To make matter even worse, the mum was being woken every hour by her little one with a soaring temperature. Understandably, everyone had been left exhausted and emotional. She’d become so desperate to have her little one settle that her baby had started sleeping beside her again, so the mum could look after her as soon as she stirred. While most of us would have been sympathetic to the mum, her neighbour decided to critique her parenting despite having no kids of his own. Continuing, the post read: “My neighbour knocked on my door this morning… He proceeds to complain about her crying and keeping him and his wife awake.” The nasty neighbour then pointedly told the mum to ‘seek support’, leaving the mum feeling like the ‘world’s worst mum’ as her baby has been ‘crying a lot’. Having down everything in her power to help her tot, the mum asked whether she was being ‘unfair’ (yes, you read that right). Naturally, most of the Mumsnet users sided with the exhausted mum. “Why ask if you are being unfair? Is there something that you could be doing to limit the crying, and not doing it? That would be unfair,” asked one shocked user. Others also dubbed the neighbour a ‘bully’ after leaving the mum in tears on her doorstep. Another added: “He is a stupid bully, he should be commiserating not playing the big I-am. “I would have looked at him, raised an eyebrow and closed the door.”   Some tried to empathise with both parties and even offered solutions for the exhausted mum. “They didn’t know that your baby is ill, for all they know you’re doing cry it out sleep training,” commented a third, saying: “I do also understand where they’re coming from. Is the cot away from the party wall?” To which, the mum revealed the cot was on the other side of the house. A fourth then suggested that the mum ‘reassure’ her neighbour that her daughter has just been unwell and that she is being well cared for. We don’t know whether we’d be this diplomatic in this situation.  How YOU can support Fabulous' Baby, Bank On Us campaign – Give money by donating here or by scanning the QR code. – Give clothing, toys and essentials to a baby bank, wherever you are in the UK. – Give your time volunteering. To find your nearest baby bank, visit Littlevillagehq.org/uk-baby-banks. | ↑ |
ISRAEL has shared a horror video showing the bloody dad of Hamas’ youngest hostage being kidnapped during the October 7 attacks. Yarden Bibas, the father of 10-month-old Kfir Bibas, can be seen dripping with blood as a Palestinian mob pummel him from head to toe.    Sandwiched between two men presumed to be Hamas terrorists on a motorcycle, angry men soon swarm the trio as they try and reach the helpless dad. The two men sitting on the bike with Yarden and a couple of others standing next to it angrily attempt to protect him from the onslaught, but Yarden’s head and hands are soon covered in blood. The crazed mob then attempts to take selfies with Yarden as the horrific ordeal escalates further. The video was shared by Israeli president Isaac Herzog as part of his demand to return innocent civilians to Israel. Taking to social media, he said: “The world must not remain silent in the face of such crimes. Bring them home now!” It came on the day of Hamas’ initial attacks on Israel where more than 1,160 people were killed during the mass slaughter. Herzog’s plea comes amid the ongoing fight to bring the Bibas family home, who are most notable for their youngest member, baby Kfir. Baby Kfir and his four-year-old brother, Ariel, were kidnapped alongside their mother and Yarden’s wife, Shiri, during Hamas’ assault into Israel last year. It was initially reported that Yarden surrendered himself to the gunmen in the hope that they would spare his wife and children. The video was taken shortly after his capture and despite the horrific abuse he endured, the dad is thought to still be alive in Gaza. However, the fate of his family remains unclear. Since October 7, Hamas and Israel have engaged in violent war that’s seen horrendous death tolls on both sides. Some of the hostages that Hamas took during their attack have been released as part of a prisoner exchange, yet many remain under their control. Some have even failed to make it out alive after dying in captivity, yet Israel remains certain that around 130 remain in Gaza. Included in that number, of course, is the Bibas family, despite Hamas’s military wing previously claiming that Kfir, Ariel and Shiri had been killed in an Israeli airstrike in November. These claims were never verified, however, and their fate remains unknown. In February, Baby Kfir was seen alive in Gaza for the first time in a haunting video taken hours after his kidnap. CCTV footage shared by the IDF shows the one-year-old, his brother Ariel and mum Shiri being taken by Hamas in eastern Khan Younis. It was believed that the mother and her two children had been taken by a Palestinian group separate from Hamas, possibly the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. But their status plunged into doubt once more when Israel later attacked Khan Younis in its mission to wipe out Hamas. One source of hope came from Nili Margalit, a hostage who spent 50 days in Hamas captivity before being released. She revealed that she was with Yarden when Hamas told him his family had been killed. Not long after their kidnap, it was feared that Kfir was being held captive as a “trophy” after Hamas allegedly traded him to other terrorists. The baby boy’s aunt, Ofri Bibas, begged for his immediate release ahead of the last day of November’s ceasefire.    | ↑ |
SHOPPERS are devastated as a beloved fashion store is set to close some of its stores in just hours. The luxury retailer – known for selling high quality clothes at fair prices – will shut 11 branches by tomorrow.  It’s thought 120 staff will lose their jobs after the brand fell into administration and there was no expectation the stores could be saved. Ted Baker revealed that in total 15 of its stores would be closing and 11 will be shut by April 1 – dealing a huge blow to shoppers. Four more stores will also close after notices were served before Ted Baker fell into administration, resulting in a further 100 redundancies. On top of the 220 in-store redundancies, 25 head office staff will also lose their jobs, Teneo said. Shoppers have taken to social media to share their reaction to the closures.
“Absolutely gutted, love Ted baker,” wrote one, “Very sad,” agreed another. A third said: “Oh no another one going it’s my favourite one.” A fourth remarked: “Such a shame. I have a lot of Ted Baker clothes. I hope there will be a sale.” “We need more affordable shops but the rents are so high that they will not come,” added a fifth. This is the full list of branches closing within days:
Benji Dymant, joint administrator said: “Ted Baker is an iconic British brand with strong partners around the world. “We would like to thank Ted Baker team members and partners for their ongoing efforts and support at this difficult time.” “These store closures, whilst with a regrettable impact on valued team members, will improve the performance of the business, as Authentic continues to progress discussions with potential UK and European operating partners for the Ted Baker brand to bring the business back to health. Ted Baker, which currently runs 46 branches across the UK and in Ireland, crashed into administration last month. No Ordinary Designer Label (NODL), owned by Authentic Brands Group (ABG) and trading as Ted Baker, appointed Teneo to oversee the administration process. John McNamara, chief strategy and transition officer for ABG, said the company had wished for a better outcome for employees. He added: “We remain focused on securing a new partner to uphold and grow the Ted Baker brand in the UK and Europe where it began.” As recent as February, ABG said it was exploring several cost-saving measures to shore up the company’s “soaring” costs. This followed ABG, which also owns Reebok and Juicy Couture, rescuing the high street brand as part of a GBP211million deal in 2022. It comes after years of turmoil in the group. Ted Baker started struggling in 2019 after founder Ray Kelvin quit his role following allegations of harassment. Several profit warnings, a statement advising the stock market company profits will be lower than expected, followed. And in 2020, the retailer said it would axe 160 jobs, branding 2019 a “challenging year”. Ted Baker isn’t the only retailer left struggling on the high street. Superdry plans to delist from the London Stock Exchange as the troubled fashion chain launched a restructuring plan and an equity raise.
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AN ex-Amish woman has revealed some of the natural methods she learned while in the lifestyle. Even though she ran away from the strict religious community at 17, she shared many fertilization tricks that work wonders with The U.S. Sun.   Naomi Swartzentruber, 43, ran away from the Swartzentruber Amish community in Michigan when she was 17 years old. Her father owned a saw mill and the family regularly grew their fruits and vegetables in a garden outside their home. Now a resident of Coolidge, Arizona, she still maintains some of her former way of life that was passed down through generations. Swartzentruber shared a few Amish fertilization hacks using kitchen leftovers with The U.S. Sun. “We loved having a clean garden,” she said. The author prioritizes a natural and holistic lifestyle without chemicals and additives. She even grows her cauliflower as shown by this TikTok video. LIQUID SOLUTIONSwartzentruber explained how her mom would make use of hearty foods like eggs and potatoes. “She would boil the water from the hard-boiled eggs and always pour that on the plants as well,” she said. Water from boiling eggs is full of calcium that plants need to grow. After peeling the eggs, instead of tossing the used eggshells, her mother would crack them and put them around plants for extra calcium. Potatoes are a common food grown in Amish communities and easy to cook. Sometimes, her mother would also pour the water from boiled potatoes. COFFEE GROUND GOODNESSAnother natural method her mother used incorporated a breakfast staple. She was perplexed by how often her mother would just toss them in the garden and “spread them around the plants.” “I don’t know if it was for fertilizer, bugs, but she thought worked,” Swartzentruber said. MANURE MAGICAnimals often had many nutritional benefits in their community, and sometimes they had to go straight to the source. Swartzentruber said they always put cow manure in the dirt as fertilizer every spring. Easy gardening tips to save money, maximize space, and repel pests*If you click on a link in this article, we may earn affiliate revenue.
They also used feces from horses to nourish their crops. The reason why it worked so well is because it was too acidic and thus wouldn’t burn in the sun. “It had to be common or from the shed where the cows stayed,” she added. “They would split that all over the garden and use it as a natural fertilizer.” In the middle of the fertilized dirt, Swartzentruber said they also often planted marigolds to deal with pests, like ants or aphids. A marigold a day kept the bugs away. She previously spoke to The U.S. Sun about Amish cleaning hacks and what led her from stripping to becoming a successful book author.  | ↑ |
MUSIC fans can now celebrate a true global artist who has been around for millions of years — Mother Nature. She has been given her own page on Spotify, boasting a biodiverse playlist including piggy noises and tropical birdsong.   Musical artists have been freely using sounds from the ecosystem for decades, effectively sponging off the planet. But now they can collaborate with an accredited artist — called “Nature” with she/her pronouns — and generate funds for conservation projects. Ellie Goulding is among artists already on board, with her track Brightest Blue remixed to feature Colombian rainforests. A new version of David Bowie’s Get Real also includes cries from hyenas and wild pigs, while London Grammar and Brian Eno are also on the new playlist. Launched ahead of Earth Day next Monday, it is part of the UN’s Sounds Right campaign which hopes to raise GBP32million. Other acts to have collaborated with Nature for the new initiative which launched yesterday ahead of Earth Day next Monday include V from the K-pop group BTS. Cathy Runciman, co-executive director of the music industry’s climate foundation EarthPercent, said: “It’s been fantastic to see so many brilliant artists excited to engage creatively with the sounds of nature and supportive of Sounds Right’s core objective to see that nature is fairly compensated for her musical contributions. “We know that many artists care deeply about protecting and restoring nature and it’s a privilege to launch these collaborations via the Feat. NATURE playlist and together generate positive impact for biodiversity. The popular music streaming giant recently announced that subscriptions are rising by up to GBP2 per month. Among those investments in recent years is the introduction of audiobooks. | ↑ |
DAVID GILBERT was “off my nut” when Luca Brecel sensationally became King of Sheffield last year. But the Angry Farmer claims World Snooker Tour have failed to promote the brilliant Belgian Bullet over the past 12 months.   Despite a difficult year in his private life, Gilbert, 42, qualified for the Crucible on Wednesday night, his tenth appearance at the world championships. He will play at 10am on Saturday morning against the defending champion, which was a nightmare draw as he wanted a few days off. Yet he feels Brecel, 29, should have been given more recognition by the governing body on social media and billboards – compared to the coverage awarded to the likes of Jack Lisowski and Stan Moody. Gilbert said: “You’re all hyping Jack Lisowski every day and the guy hasn’t even won it. He gets more coverage than Luca still. “I find that unbelievable how World Snooker give Lisowski so much focus. I like Jack. He’s a great player and he’s lovely to watch. “But we’ve got a boy here, who’s the loveliest kid in the world and has maximum flair. “He spends all his money. Lives like a playboy. He plays the game how kids want to play. “He should be the main focus of everything. CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS “I don’t watch snooker but I watched last year’s World Championship on my mate’s sofa as it happens. A bit off my nut, but I watched it. “I never really sit and watch snooker. Certainly not for the two weeks. I bombed out early, it was absolutely shocking. 
ALL THE LATEST FROM THE WORLD SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIP 2024 “My mate said: ‘I’m going to make you watch this for two weeks.’ “What Luca did last year was by far the greatest snooker thing I’ve ever seen. It was incredible. “He beat the best players. He beat a kid from far behind. How did that even happen? He did it his way and it was brilliant to see. “I’d love moments like that. But I don’t have Luca’s power. If I had his dough, I could probably spend the same levels as him. “How World Snooker haven’t had that boy as the main focus for every comp this year, I have no idea. 
“That’s nothing against Jack or anyone else. “I remember there was this table which had a face on it of this young lad, Stan Moody, this little Shaun Murphy lookalike. “Nothing against Stan but what are World Snooker doing? How is the kid on a picture of all champions? I didn’t even know who he was. Luca Brecel is the boy.” A World Snooker Tour spokesperson said: “We include a wide range of players in our content, often focussing on the best up-and-coming talent. “Last summer we invested significant resource in a special feature on Luca Brecel, shot on location in Belgium, including an interview inside his Ferrari. “We have run many other pieces of content about Brecel throughout the season including interviews and highlights videos. “And he is front and centre of our artwork going into the Cazoo World Championship.” Winners of the World Championship The last 10 champions:
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WHETHER they’re named after a relative or your favorite flower, choosing a name for your child is a big moment. One expectant mother was left less than impressed with her husband’s baby name pick.  In her viral Reddit post, social media user Beginning_Date1924 offered some background to the situation. The couple had decided to name their baby Stuart Jr. after her husband. However, once they found out they were expecting a girl, her partner suggested a name that would still pay homage to him. She described her husband’s suggestion as “the worst name ever for our offspring.” “My husband suggested Stuarta,” she revealed to her fellow Reddit users. “Apparently, his logic is that since Stuart ends in ‘t,’ we can just add an ‘a’ to make it feminine.” The pregnant poster told her husband that Stuarta sounded more like a furniture brand rather than a person’s name. “She’d be endlessly correcting people and explaining its origin,” she wrote. However, her husband didn’t change his mind, explaining that he likes that the name still “honors” him and calling it unique. “I’ve suggested alternatives, feminine names that maybe share a similar sound or meaning to Stuart, names he’s mentioned liking in the past,” she said. She described “going back to the drawing board entirely” but explained that her partner is “fixated on Stuarta.” The original poster highlighted some of her main concerns over the name choice. “I can’t imagine subjecting our daughter to a lifetime of awkward stares and endless questions about her ‘unusual’ name,” the soon-to-be mother explained. She also pointed out that the name Stuarta would not be easy during her daughter’s childhood years.
“I also worry about potential bullying and the impact it could have on her self-esteem.” She asked her fellow Redditors for both name suggestions and a “sanity check.” “Tell him he only gets one kid named after him, so if he goes with Stuarta now, he’ll never get a Stuart Jr.,” suggested one reader. “Stuarta sounds like a pharmaceutical product. It doesn’t have a decent nickname,” said another person. “For the sake of your daughter, stand your ground on this,” commented another Redditor. “Your husband is so fixated on this child’s name having to be honorary to him that he will subject your daughter to a life of misery?” asked a fourth social media user. | ↑ |
AMAZON is offering a free upgrade to millions of Fire TV owners and it can improve your home aesthetic. The new feature is thanks to Amazon’s artificial intelligence updates and can be personalized to your liking.   Amazon is introducing a new AI Art feature to its Fire TV devices. The update lets users create their own AI art masterpieces that can then be used as TV backgrounds. Whether you want a medieval-style painting or something more futuristic displayed in your living room, all you need to do is access the AI feature. “Whether you’re inspired by classic watercolors, oil paintings or colorful dreamscapes, you can now bring your artistic imagination to life using just your voice, your Fire TV, and a new feature powered by artificial intelligence (AI),” Amazon explained. You can use your voice to create your own artwork by talking to Alexa. The smart home assistant connected to your Fire TV will follow your instructions. To get started, ask Alexa to open the Ambient Experience on your Fire TV. Next, give the assistant a prompt such as “Alexa, create a background of a medieval castle on Mars.” Then sit back and watch as the AI conjures up your desired image on your Fire TV Screen. The feature relies on a fine-tuned version of Amazon’s Titan Image Generator model. ” You can even personalize your creations by selecting additional modifiers in a range of artwork styles, such as pixel art, oil painting, watercolor, colored pencil, Cubist, and others. “Once you’re happy with your creation, you can use your unique image as a background on your Fire TV and save it to your Amazon Photos account,” Amazon said. This AI feature is available now for certain Fire TV owners in the US. You’ll need a Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Gen) or Fire TV Omni QLED Series to access it. “As with any new feature, we invite customers to experiment with AI Art and share feedback as we continue to refine this new feature. “After creating an image, you can give a “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” to let us know what you think and share more about your experience,” Amazon added. The tech giant also provided the following list of questions you can ask the AI:
Where to buy an Amazon Fire TV Stick*If you click on a link in this boxout, we may earn affiliate revenue. AMAZON unveiled the first Fire TV Stick back in 2014 and since then has released various versions, the newest being the Fire TV Stick 4K Max. There are several places you can pick up a Fire Stick including:
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LUKE LITTER is out of the Night 12 of the Premier League darts after he was beaten by Michael Smith. Smith triumphed 6-3 over the teenage sensation as he recorded a fourth victory over him in the competition.   And that was enough to send the 33-year-old into the semi-finals in Rotterdam. The Bully Boy had missed a match dart to hand the 17-year-old a chance. However, Littler could not take out 80 as Smith came back to hit double six. The high-quality bout saw both players hit four 180s. And both Smith and Littler also averaged over 100. It was the ace that took Ally Pally by storm over the festive period that just edged out his rival on average, 102.32 to 100.34. However, it was the veteran’s superior checkout percentage that secured his passage into the last four. Littler had topped the table at the start of the night ahead of Humphries. CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS Third-placed Michael van Gerwen is still seeking a record fifth nightly win under the current format. Full report to follow… THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY.. The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheSunFootball and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunFootball. Inside Littler's massive rise LUKE LITTLER has taken the darts world by storm since exploding onto the scene at the PDC World Championship. The Nuke reached the final on his Ally Pally debut at just 16 years of age – smashing records along the way. He has since joined Jude Bellingham on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list. And the teenage titan even had to snub an invite from the WWE. The Sun exclusively revealed that Littler is plotting to create a fitness empire. He is also cashing in away from the Oche thanks to an Instagram side hustle. And he’s even the face of a brand new cereal. Check out all of our Luke Littler stories here. | ↑ |
GEMMA Atkinson opened up about her relationship with Strictly fiance Gorka amid ‘rocky patch’ rumours. The 39-year-old returned to work yesterday on air after welcoming their son Thiago in July last year.   Gemma and Gorka, who met during the 2017 series of the BBC One competition, also share four-year-old Mia. Her radio co-host Mike Toolan was keen to know how she was coping with the young ones while Gorka is away on tour. Gemma said on Hits Radio: “He’s away for five weeks now who knows where, he’s all over the shop. “It is tough and it isn’t – it takes a village they say with kids and I’m very fortunate that me Mum and me sister are very close by. “But it’s all me and Gorka have known, so sometimes it is easier for me to get into the routine with the children whilst he’s not here and then he comes back and ruins the routine. “But he’s nice to have around the house!” The mum-of-two admitted that there is one thing in particular that she misses when he’s not around – his cooking. She added: “Gorka is a fantastic chef and really good in the kitchen so the hardest thing is I have to make me own meals now which is awful isn’t it?! “And the school run is manic because I have to get Thiago sorted and if he does a poonami I have to deal with it now whereas Gorka could step in while I sorted Mia. “So, I feel like I need to be an octopus but it’s fine it’s only two!” At the start of the year Gorka was busy on the Strictly tour, and then shortly after took on his role as judge on Spanish TV show Bailando Con Las Estrellas. The programme recently wrapped up, meaning that Gorka won’t have to travel back and fourth to Spain anymore. Despite missing him, Gemma doesn’t mind the distance. She previously said: “If I’m with someone 24/7, I get really bored of them and they do my head in.  “Even looking at the back of their head can annoy me! I love my own space, and whenever he’s on Strictly, I see it as my time on my own with Mia and Thiago. Mia sleeps in my bed and it’s so nice. “Some women message me and say: ‘How do you cope? He’s never there!’ I mean, come on. There are army wives who don’t see their partners for months, so a couple of weeks here and there is nothing. “He flies out on the Friday and his flight home on Sunday lands at 10am. So, compared to Strictly, it’s actually very easy. “And it’s bizarre how you can feel so connected, even though you’re physically apart. It’s six years now, but I still miss him when he’s away and we still have things to talk about when we’re together.” Back in February the pair looked incredible on a rare date night after ‘rough patch’ rumours. It came shortly after the couple were said to be battling ‘tension’ due to Gorka’s work commitments. Gemma took to her Instagram story to break her silence on the rumours, insisting that they were ‘not true’. She responded to a fan who asked if she’d seen them, saying: “Yes we did see them stories. There was a few floating around weren’t there which is news to us. “It is what it is isn’t it. Happens all the time dunnit. It’s not true.” She continued: “I think it’s because it was made out he’s working away a lot. He goes away Friday afternoon and comes back Sunday mornings. “He’s hardly bloomin’ overseas is he. Crikey it’s less than 48 hours if anything it gives me a bit of peace at weekends. No offence Gorks.” Clarifying her remarks, she added: “Well he is overseas but you know what I mean.” Gemma and Gorka started dating in 2017. The pair got engaged in 2021.  | ↑ |
THE highly anticipated album by Taylor Swift, titled The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD) is only hours away – and the first single has been revealed. The Grammy-winning artist revealed on Thursday that the lead single from her upcoming album The Tortured Poets Department, is Fortnight featuring Post Malone. “I’ve been such a huge fan of Post because of the writer he is, his musical experimentation and those melodies he creates that just stick in your head forever,” Swift wrote on Instagram. “I got to witness that magic come to life firsthand when we worked together on Fortnight.” A music video for the single will be debuting at 8 pm ET on Friday after the release of the album hours earlier. This is yet the first of two songs Taylor will be featuring another artist on in her album. Florence + The Machine’s Florence Welch collaborated with her on the song Florida!!!, which is also on TTPD. Swift announced the upcoming album in her speech after winning the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album for 2022’s Midnights. This project is her 11th studio album. TTPD will be available to stream at midnight. Follow our The Tortured Poets Department live blog for the latest updates… | ↑ |
USAIN BOLT made a surprise visit to Burnley’s training ground on Wednesday afternoon. The eight-time Olympic gold medallist, 37, attended the Under-21s’ 4-3 win over Stockport because Che Gardner, the son of Bolt’s close pal Ricardo, turned out for the visitors.  The Clarets posted a picture of Bolt smiling on social media in front of the slogan: “It’s a way of life.” Jamaican Bolt, the holder of world records in the men’s 100m and 200m, retired from athletics in 2017. The avid Manchester United fan had trials himself with Borussia Dortmund and Central Coast Mariners and is good friends with ex-footballer Ricardo who made over 400 appearances for Bolton and spent 11 years in the Prem. Bolt and Gardner Snr have become pals over the years and the sprinter tries to watch Che in action wherever possible. He attended an Under-15 game between Blackburn – where Che was on trial – and Burnley in March 2023. Gardner’s son Che is a first-team scholar for Stockport County and made a brief late cameo in the game on Wednesday. Only this month, a Jamaican wonderkid broke Bolt’s Under-17 400metre record. Eight-time Olympian champion Bolt set the record 22 years ago – long before he became a sprinting sensation. CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS The legend set a time of 47.33 seconds which has now been beaten by his compatriot, Nickecoy Bramwell. The 16-year-old was competing at the 51st Carifta Games at the Kirani James Athletics Stadium in Grenada. And despite being plagued by a number of injury niggles, he broke Bolt’s record by running 47.26 seconds. | ↑ |
A FIVE-year-old boy who died in a horror road accident has been named as Teddy Hickman. He was in the rear seat of a Ford Focus when it collided with a motorcycle in Oxfordshire on Sunday.   He died at the scene on the B4011 in Blackthorn, near Bicester, shortly after 2pm. The KTM biker, in his 40s, was taken to hospital with serious injures. The car driver, a woman in her 30s, and a child, nine, suffered minor injuries. In a heartbreaking statement, Teddy’s family said he was “the kindest soul”. They added: “He was the most beautiful little boy inside and out with the cheekiest smile. “He was funny, loved to play tricks and so very clever. “Teddy had the kindest soul, the most caring little boy who we will forever be proud of, the greatest privilege of our lives. “He was loved by so many and brought immense joy to all our lives from the day he was born. “We would ask for time and privacy to grieve the immeasurable loss of our little boy.” Thames Valley Police have appealed for witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage to come forward. | ↑ |
ARSENAL are stepping up plans to sign a world class forward in the summer after their Champions League heartbreak. The Gunners crashed out in the quarter finals on Wednesday night without landing a meaningful blow on Bayern Munich in a drab second-leg 1-0 defeat at the Allianz Arena.    After a first leg 2-2 draw at the Emirates, Mikel Arteta’s side had just three shots on target in Munich as Bayern defender Joshua Kimmich fired in the 63rd minute winner. And SunSport understands that the Arsenal hierarchy recognise that Arteta’s squad currently lacks an attacking focal point and clinical edge in the final third. Arteta has rotated the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz in a central striker role this campaign, keeping Arsenal in the hunt for the Premier League title with six games left. However, that is the position that has ultimately cost them in Europe. And the North London club are ready to act quickly in the market to rectify that problem with an acceptance that it is needed to reach the next level. Havertz – a GBP65m signing from Chelsea last June – started against Bayern before Jesus was thrown on in the second half, but neither had a meaningful impact. Jesus has just eight goals in all competitions this term, while Havertz has 10. Arsenal have previously been interested in landing a traditional No.9, with Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres monitored.   However, SunSport understands Arteta is now keen on bringing in a more versatile, modern forward, one who can influence games down the middle as well as from out wide. Newcastle’s Alexander Isak, 24, and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, 20, are players of interest, as is Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, 28, but his age remains a sticking point. Arsenal’s plan to strengthen will not just focus on attacking areas, but to provide general depth – something which they currently lack and has led to their recent drop in form. SunSport understands that the Arsenal hierarchy are concerned with the fatigue that has hit several star names at this stage of the season, highlighted in Sunday’s 2-0 loss to Villa. The likes of Jesus, skipper Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Ben White, Jorginho and Takehiro Tomiyasu have all carried niggling injuries and played through the pain without a much-needed rest period or chance for recovery this season. Arteta rarely rotates, mainly due to the fact he does not trust fringe players like Fabio Vieira, Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah or Reiss Nelson to step in and make an impact. The Spanish coach has previously admitted he wants a squad of 22 elite players he can consistently swap in and out, much like Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, something Arsenal hope to achieve over the next few windows.   | ↑ |
FORMER Love Island host Laura Whitmore has seen her Prime Video show, Date My Mate, axed after one series. The programme saw singletons put their romantic affairs in the hands of their pals using an exclusive dating app, helping them swipe, match and message their way to a meet up.   It is the latest blow for the presenter after ITV announced it had axed her Sunday programme, Laura Whitmore’s Breakfast Show, A TV insider said: “Love Island is a distant memory and she has ceased hosting her weekend show on ITV1, so this is a rather disappointing hat-trick of farewells. “Laura seems to have tried a variety of projects after leaving the villa, including chat shows and documentaries, but it seems even the familiar territory of a dating show isn’t a safe bet.” Laura, who is married to Love Island narrator Iain Stirling. stepped down as show host after three years, in 2022, citing “conflicting projects” as a contributory factor. That year she began providing the voiceover on six-parter, Date My Mate. As it was on a streaming service its viewing figures are unclear. Then in 2023, Laura started hosting her Sunday morning chat show on ITV1, where she was joined by a series of celebrity guests. But ITV announced in February that it was being replaced – by Farmhouse Breakfast hosted by Jimmy Doherty alongside celebrity chef Shivi Ramoutar. Last year she also made three-part documentary series, Laura Whitmore Investigates . . . which looked at sensitive subjects that predominantly affect women — cyber stalking, rough sex and incels. The show first aired on ITVX then this year on ITV1, when between 96,000 and 146,000 watched. It remains to be seen if that will return for a second series — but I won’t be holding my breath. Prime Video declined to comment. G’Wed hits the G-spot LOVE Island has competition – from comedy series G’Wed. The new series, which follows a group of Liverpudlian teenagers, was crowned the second-highest streamed show of the year behind the six-week-long ITV dating show this week. Nearly 5million viewers tuned in to watch the series, which launched earlier this year. The streaming news comes at the right time for the broadcaster, which is next month celebrating the UK premiere of another series set in the Orphan Black universe. Starring Keeley Hawes and Krysten Ritter, Orphan Black: Echoes follows Lucy, a lab-created woman who wakes up with no memory. The full box set of the drama will be available to stream on ITVX from May 16. SI: NECK HAS BEEN ON LINE SIMON COWELL is surprised he has not lost his head after years of his Britain’s Got Talent winners entertaining at the Royal Variety Performance. The media mogul jokes to The Sun’s TV Mag, free with the paper tomorrow: “Sometimes I think, ‘Oh God, if this act wins and they perform in front of the royals . . .’ In the olden days, I probably would have been beheaded.” Simon is also working on three new shows, one of which “goes back to where we started – people who are undiscovered”. He added: “Since The X Factor came off-air and you look at the amount of UK artists who’ve broken globally, you can see (its) impact. “I still have that strong urge to find or help new artists, “I’m working on something along those lines.” | ↑ |
AN aesthetic expert has shared her top skincare techniques to combat anti-aging. She revealed her best money-saving tips to slow down the biological clock.  Jordan Harper, a certified aesthetic nurse and founder of Barefaced, shared the anti-aging advice. The professional explained that the main cause of aging is exposure to the sun. “It’s estimated that 90% of skin aging is from sun exposure so protect yourself from the sun and minimize exposure,” she said. “The most affordable anti-aging product [is] sunscreen and sun avoidance.” She adds a complementing antioxidant alongside her daily SPF that works in conjunction with the beauty product. “I love vitamin C serum twice daily. Wearing during the day under your sunscreen can boost the SPF efficacy by an estimated 11 times,” Harper explained. “This also helps to fight free radical damage from environmental factors.” Harper’s choice of antioxidant is the best-selling Barefaced Liquid Gold, a powerful vitamin C and multi-vitamin serum. “We chose a 15% L-ascorbic acid as our hero ingredient in Liquid Gold because it is the most well-researched vitamin C available,” Harper explained. “Unlike vitamin C derivatives, which have to go through a conversion process to become active to start working on the skin, L-ascorbic acid starts working immediately upon application. Jordan stressed that despite the ingredient’s efficiency, all L-ascorbic acid serums aren’t created equal. “Just like a quarterback can’t win games without the rest of the team, the same thing applies for L-ascorbic acid vitamin C serums — formulation is key to an effective product,” she said. While most vitamin C serums can be harsh and stripping, Barefaced’s formulation includes elements to nourish and hydrate the skin. “Traditional vitamin C serums that are water-based can be drying. Ours is a micro-emulsion making it more hydrating for the skin,” Harper said.
“We also boosted Liquid Gold with additional antioxidants (kakadu plum, vitamin E, turmeric extract) making the formulation more powerful for brightening the skin.” Harper added that skincare users looking to invest in a more long-haul anti-aging routine can also turn to retinoids. “Retinoids are essential in any anti-aging routine to boost cellular turnover,” she explained. “The younger the skin, the quicker the cellular turnover. Retinoids help to keep the skin more youthful in appearance.” According to Medical Dermatology Associates, it takes cells an average of 28 days to reset, revealing a layer of fresh skin. As we reach our early 30s, the cell turnover rate slows down, with cell regeneration taking up to 50-70 or more days, causing a wrinkled, dry, and dull look. While retinol promotes the cell turnover process, skincare fans must invest a minimum of three to six months of consistent nightly application to see results.  | ↑ |
FILM fans were in awe today as an age-defying legendary actress celebrated her 78th birthday. Oscar-winner Hayley Mills was joined by former MP and This Morning favourite Gyles Brandreth, 76, on her special day.   The radiant pair beamed for a smiley photo that was shared to X, formerly Twitter. Gyles wrote: “Happy birthday to my brilliant and beautiful friend: Oscar-winning actress Hayley Mills. (Btw, her autobiography is gripping – highly recommended).” Fans rushed to send Hayley their well-wishes, with one writing: “WOW! Hayley’s looking fantastic! A very very Happy Birthday to you!” Another tongue-in-cheek post read: “How on Earth are you both looking so gorgeous and youthful – do you feed on the blood of the young?! Wonderful photo – happy birthday Hayley Mills.” A third said: “She is so beautiful…… always was…” Hayley’s screen career spans 65 years. She became a global star in her early teens thanks to her Oscar-winning turn in Pollyanna, for which she also won a Golden Globe and was nominated for a Bafta. Disney flick Pollyanna tells the story of an orphan who is sent to live with her wealthy aunt in a rural town and learns plenty of life lessons along the way. She also suffers a life-changing injury that threatens her jovial spirit. The following year, in 1962, Hayley was nominated for major honours again at the Baftas and Golden Globes, respectively, for her roles in Whistle Down the Wind and The Parent Trap. A third Golden Globe nod followed in 1964 for her performance in Summer Magic. She’s had countless TV, film and theatre roles since including a number of popular dramas in recent years such as ITV‘s Unforgotten, Wild At Heart and most recently a cameo in Death in Paradise.   Hayley overcame breast cancer 12 years ago, after a four year battle with the disease. She underwent surgery in 2008 and began chemotherapy but stopped after three sessions due to the side effects. She previously said: “It made me feel awful. I was more frightened of the chemo than the cancer. “I could feel it draining and killing me. I felt I was dying.” Instead she sought out alternative methods and made a drastic change to her diet, cutting out sugar, dairy and acidic foods. She also did lots of exercise and meditation. “It’s a big decision,” she said. “Most other routes are not endorsed. They offer surgery, chemo and radiotherapy – and that’s it. “When you step off that, you’re on your own because all those other things, they’d just say were a waste of time. So, you have to decide what route you’re going to take and be prepared to find something you can believe in 100 per cent.” In her latest TV role in Death in Paradise Hayley was brutally killed off with a knitting needle just minutes into her appearance. The Academy Award-winning actress played Nancy Martin, a nursing home resident who was enjoying a visit from her cousin Eloise (played Juliet Cowan), who was from the U.K. The episode began with Nancy enjoying a game of bingo at the nursing home, but she quickly clashed with her rival, Barbara (Ellie Haddington). After losing, Nancy stormed off, leaving Eloise and Barbara inside to finish playing. However, the camera then cut to Nancy alone on a bench where it became clear she was dead, having been stabbed with her own needle. Soon, Ralf Little’s DI Neville Parker and the Saint Marie police force were called in to solve the case, making for an exciting episode. While a murder at the beginning of the series is necessary to give Neville something to investigate, fans weren’t impressed with how little screentime Hayley was afforded. Taking to X to voice their disappointment, one fan said: “Death in Paradise, nooo. Why get an iconic actress like Hayley Mills to guest star then bump her character off after 2 mins?” “Hayley Mills getting a trip to the Caribbean for three minutes of acting. Good move!” another criticised. “I know they have not just killed Hayley Mills off in the first 5mins?” a third wary viewer asked. While a fourth said: “We’re getting flashbacks, right? Because having a British acting legend in the show just to kill her in the first 5 minutes is quite harsh otherwise…” Thankfully, fans were treated to flashbacks and Hayley returned periodically throughout the episode, but it was clear viewers would have liked to have seen more of her. Hayley Mills' most iconic roles Hayley Mills was began acting in 1947 when she began acting has gone on to have an impressive career.
Having Hayley Mills on the series was a dream come true for Ralf Little Ralf Little, who plays Never Parker, was thrilled to have The Parent Trap actress guest-star on Death in Paradise. During an appearance on The One Show ahead of the new season, Ralf admitted he was left “star-struck” by Hayley. Gushing about the actress, he said: “Hayley Mills is in episode two and Hayley Mills is just, sort of, an idol of mine, an absolutely legitimate living legend. He continued: “An Oscar winner, she was in Whistle Down the Wind when she was a kid, which is one of the most… it’s set exactly where I’m from in the Lancashire hills. I used to watch it with my grandparents. It’s a beautiful film. And she just came on set just this extraordinary legend, fabulous actor, and was just the most professional, nicest, easy-going person. It was what you aspire to. “She was probably one of the few people I’ve ever been star-struck by, and I got to do scenes with her,” Ralf admitted.  | ↑ |
AN EX-MANCHESTER UNITED star has told the club to “help” Marcus Rashford – and says that he would “love to see him in a better team”. The England international forward, 26, enjoyed the best season of his career last term when scoring 32 goals.   That earned him a bumper pay rise and a GBP325,000-a-week contract extension until 2028. However, since then he has struggled massively for form and has only found the net eight times this term. He was briefly axed from the squad in January after missing training following a night out in Belfast. And despite reconciling with Erik ten Hag, the winger continues to underwhelm on the pitch. Rashford faces a huge fight to secure a spot in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for Euro 2024 while speculation continues to rumble on over his future. Ex-team mate Wayne Rooney believes he should leave Old Trafford for a “fresh start” in order to rejuvenate his career as he “doesn’t look happy”. But German World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger, who was at the Red Devils when the attacker burst on the scene in 2016, has called on someone at United to help Rashford instead of flogging him. Speaking to Gary Neville on The Overlap, brought to you by SkyBet, he explained: “He’s still the player who can decide the games, but he doesn’t show it too many times because maybe inside he’s a little bit frustrated. CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS “First, he has to understand he can also be the example – you can handle frustration differently – but someone needs to tell him and speak with him. “It has to come from him, that’s very important. “Sometimes you have these coaches who tell you, stay left, stay right, but you need to understand, if you play for Pep Guardiola, you need to understand what he wants and then you have to do it. “You cannot just go to someone and say, ‘Hey, run faster’, you need to help him, and he needs to understand why.” Rashford has been linked with a Paris Saint-Germain move as a replacement for Kylian Mbappe, who is destined for a Real Madrid switch. But SunSport revealed that PSG made it clear they have NO interest in signing him. However, Schweinsteiger says he would be delighted to see Rashford with “better” players around him at another club. He added: “I would love to see him in a better team, where he gets the balls in the right moment. “I would love to see that because in the years past, you don’t really see that, so if he would play for a different team, maybe he would also increase his level a little bit more.” 
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WE all dream of having a little extra income, but how many side hustles would you be willing to take on? Rather than sticking to a steady 9-to-5, Grace Ryu decided to explore several side hustles and now makes over GBP77,000 per year.   Like many students, she’d struggled to afford university. Rather than just sticking to one job while she studied, the Texan saw this as an opportunity to try out various roles including being a ranch hand at a bull farm and working in a restaurant. While studying for her degree in recreation, park and tourism sciences at Texas A&M University, the savvy young woman already had multiple streams of income. After graduating in December 2021, she thought she’d settle into a nine-to-five in tourism and hospitality, so she picked up more restaurant shifts. However, the new graduate didn’t stay put for long. Eager to get some more downtime, Grace quit to become a live-in nanny for a family in New York during the summer of 2022. She explained: “I decided to become a full-time nanny so I could live in New York for a while. “But after two months, I decided to come home to Texas – and I still work seasonally as a part-time nanny for that family. “I wanted to try other things out – and pursue a career related to my major.” Having returned home, she then took a job in tech sales and even was promoted to account manager in January 2023. She still felt restless though. Over the eight months she worked at the firm, she built multiple streams of income on the side – none of which required her degree. “I became a dogwalker, and started creating content,” she said. “I got very ambitious about all these different things, and decided the best time to try them would be while I’m still young,” revealed the now 23-year-old. There was a major downside though. Continuing, she told press: “Balancing all these different things wasn’t working for me, though – and I was starting to feel burnt out.”   In March 2023, she then quit her job to become a full time freelancer. As she now has nine side hustles, Grace considers herself a User Generated Content (UGC) creator, influencer, TikTok partner, affiliate marketer, picnic planner, babysitter, dog walker, and digital product seller. The driven young woman will even rent out her parents’ house in Houston to make extra income. She said: “I’m currently living rent-free at my parents’ house – they moved to Korea and left it to me. “I now rent it out seasonally on AirBnB. “I make $8k (GBP6424.40) a month – I invest some of it…and I’d love to be a proper homeowner by the age of 27.” All these streams of income give her an impressive $96k (GBP77092.80) per year – and she uses the majority of the money to travel and fund her ‘shopping addiction’. She has, however, started planning for the future with the hopes of becoming a mum and potentially, opening a business. “I’d love to be a mum, and it would be much easier to do that without the traditional nine-to-five,” she added. “I also eventually want to become some kind of business owner, which is why I want so many passive streams of income.” Do I need to pay tax on my side hustle income?MANY people feeling strapped for cash are boosting their bank balance with a side hustle. The good news is, there are plenty of simple ways to earn some additional income – but you need to know the rules. When you’re employed the company you work for takes the tax from your earnings and pays HMRC so you don’t have to. But anyone earning extra cash, for example from selling things online or dog walking, may have to do it themselves. Stephen Moor, head of employment at law firm Ashfords, said: “Caution should be taken if you’re earning an additional income, as this is likely to be taxable. “The side hustle could be treated as taxable trading income, which can include providing services or selling products.” You can make profit of up to GBP1,000 a year tax-free via the trading allowance, but over this and you’ll usually need to pay tax. Stephen added: “You need to register for a self-assessment at HMRC to ensure you are paying the correct amount of tax. “The applicable tax bands and the amount of tax you need to pay will depend on your income.” If you fail to file a tax return you could end up with a surprise bill from HMRC later on asking you to pay the tax you owe – plus extra fees on top. | ↑ |
IF you’re looking for a product to strengthen your brittle nails, Amazon may have the answer. Shoppers have shared rave reviews about the budget-friendly beauty buy.  The cuticle conditioning product is designed to stop splits, chips, and cracks forming on your nails. Onyx Professional’s Hard As Hoof Nail Strengthening Cream is currently on sale for $7.94 from Amazon. The cream contains coconut oil, shea butter, safflower oil, urea, jojoba oil, calcium, beeswax, and vitamins A, B5, C, D, and E. Designed to be worn with or without nail polish, the product is said to help grow “longer stronger harder nails.” Manufacturers suggest massaging the cream into nail beds, cuticles, and the underside of the nails three times a day. The experts at Byrdie broke down the science behind using coconut oil to strengthen your nails. “Coconut oil’s fat content helps retain the oil’s natural moisture, which keeps your skin hydrated for a very long time,” they explained. “Use coconut oil two to four times a week to gain stronger and healthier nails.” The ingredient can be used to smooth out ridges that form on your nails. Coconut oil in its raw form can be used to hydrate your nail beds as well. According to the beauty professionals at 3CayG, shea butter also plays a vital role in the nail care process. “Shea butter contains fatty acids that help to lock in moisture and prevent nails from becoming dry and brittle,” they said. “It also helps to nourish and strengthen the nail bed, promoting healthy nail growth.” The ingredient can also help to soften and moisturize your nail cuticles. Amazon shoppers shared their thoughts on the cuticle cream in the review section. The best Amazon lifestyle deals for April 2024*If you click on a link in this article, we may earn affiliate revenue. Amazon offers great deals on fashion and beauty items, including shapewear and skincare essentials, with plenty of offers available now. We’ve listed some of the best below.
“I have genetically bad nails. Flat, brittle, and paper thin,” wrote one person. “They could never grow past my fingertips without peeling, breaking, or splitting. “I’ve taken every supplement under the sun, tried every cuticle oil and growth product on the market. This product is the only one that has helped.” Another impressed buyer called the cuticle cream a “holy grail” find for their nails. “I’ve been using this cream for a few months now and the change in my nails is magic,” the reviewer said. “They are so thick and healthy. I never ever thought I would have nails like this. I have to clip them once a week because of how fast they are growing.”  | ↑ |
AN average-looking family home has hit the market for a whopping GBP900,000 – but it’s hiding an amazing secret. The kooky property in Besthorpe, Norfolk, boasts six bedrooms, a 4,000 sq ft garden and massive open plan kitchen diner.    With solar panels, underfloor heating, electric gates and light-filled hallways, it has anything you could ever want. But its secret weapon is a private slide that allows kids to whizz from a gallery area to a bedroom and playroom below. It means kids – and even adults – can almost shoot straight into bed when its time to get your head down. Estate agents Harmony said: ”Any child will struggle to hide the excitement, perhaps even the adults. “This place offers the wow factor the moment you see it.” The property, close to the town of Attleborough, is a new build and offers easy access to the A11. The current owners only moved in in 2020. But it is the kid’s slide that really has house hunters talking. “Slide into a bedroom and within literal arm’s reach of the A11….where do I sign up?” one said. “As a kid I think I would have died of excitement having this in my room. Imagine the boasting at school,” another commented. Despite the funky slide feature, the decor wasn’t a hit. Posh white marble, oak beams, glass and lots of velvet furniture runs throughout the home. While LEDs light up the kitchen, which boasts brick features. One person slammed: “That’s a lorra velvet and marble!!” Another replied: “If the slide’s included I can overlook the marble and greige. “They’ll be taking the velvet with them.”         | ↑ |
REMEMBER the name… err, Flintoff. Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff is arguably England’s greatest ever all-rounder, up there with Ben Stokes and Ian Botham.     A destructive batsman, a match-changing, 90mph-plus bowler and the safest hands in the business. Who could forget his iconic 2005 Ashes series? Wistful fans drift back to that dreamy summer time and time again, especially after a disastrous winter in India. But The Barmy Army and Co can dream of a Flintoff 2.0 after Freddie’s 16-year-old son – representing his old man’s former county, Lancashire – tore bowlers to pieces on Thursday. Teenager Rocky, who only turned 16 ELEVEN DAYS AGO, was turning out for his county’s 2nd XI against Durham when he left supporters rubbing their eyes in disbelief. Coming in at No5, Rocky hit a sublime, 78-ball half-century and ended unbeaten on 50 not out. But that wasn’t what tugged at the emotions of the Lancashire and England faithful. It wasn’t even the fact he crushed three monster sixes. No, instead it was the manner in which he thumped the red ball over the rope. CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS Flintoff was famous for his short-arm pull and hook shots – none more famous than his attempts off Brett Lee way back in 2005, when he even took his eye off the ball storming towards his head at near-100mph speeds to add six more to the runs column. And, incredibly, it seems he’s been teaching Rocky his signature shot. The 16-year-old looked every inch his old man as fans were left with their jaws on the floor. Taking to X, one wrote: “Those shots look familiar.” Another pointed out: “Literally his dad’s pull shot.” A third posted: “Uncanny look of his dad’s best shot.” One asked: “Wow double of his dad… can he bowl?” Well, he didn’t in this match. But guess who did?  Big brother Corey, 18, also played in the game and bowled four overs in Durham 2nd XI’s first innings and, despite failing to trouble the wickets column, conceding just 19 runs. Coming in at No10, he scored a quickfire nine off 12 balls – briefly batting alongside his younger sibling. With the weather intervening, the match was eventually rained off as a draw. But England and Lancashire fans alike caught a glimpse of something magical.. and, hopefully, a sign of things to come. Who knows, Freddie himself could be commentating on his sons one day? The cricket legend has always been eyed up by broadcasters to do more TV work. Flintoff has endured months of agony recovering from his crash on the BBC One’s Top Gear – which left him with “life-altering” injuries, including scars on his face. But he’s defied the odds to take on multiple coaching roles in cricket, including with England’s senior team and The Hundred. Earlier this week, The Sun exclusively revealed Flintoff would return to our screens for a third season of his hit show Field Of Dreams. Freddie has just wrapped filming series two in India, which could air later this year or early in 2025. Then he will find another group of wannabe cricketers to star in the third outing, expected to shoot this autumn and expected to air in 2026. It’s believed rival broadcasters want to sign Flintoff up, but they’ll face competition from his first love, cricket. England supremo Rob Key even revealed he would be “stupid” to not consider Freddie for England’s head coach role one day. Flintoff has already mentored England’s white-ball side and he will lead Northern Superchargers in The Hundred this summer. The cricketing legend has been inked in to assist Matthew Mott at the T20 World Cup in June. | ↑ |
SCIENTISTS have discovered the remains of the world’s biggest snake that lurked in swamps 47million years ago. Fossilised remains of the ancient snake species dubbed Vasuki Indicus show the beast was terrifyingly even bigger than a T-Rex coming in at a whopping 50ft.  
 The super smart team of Debajit Datta and Sunil Bajpai found the vertebrae of the giant snake in an old coal mine in Gujrat, India. In the end, 27 relatively well preserved vertebrae was found still connected. Each one was roughly two and a half inches long and four inches wide. Meaning the length of the mega beast could’ve reached 50ft. Experts claim the snake is likely to have belonged to the Madtsoiidae species that lived across the southern Hemisphere millions of years ago. The interesting name of Vasuki Indicus was given to the snake by the two founders who took inspiration from a popular Indian legend. In Hindu folklore, Vasuki is a serpent king who possesses immense powers and strength. He is most commonly seen hanging around the neck of Shiva, one of the major gods in Indian folklore. Debajit Datta said: “[The name] is very symbolic. Vasuki is our king. “And this here, much like him, is an exceptionally large snake.” Scientists have claimed due to the mammoth size it was most likely a chilling predator that slowly slid along the earth preying on its enemies. It would have hunted in similar ways to a feared anaconda. Jesus Rivas, a New Mexico Highlands University biology professor said the snake could have evolved into living in swamps because of how big it was. He said: “In order to breathe, the snake would’ve needed to lift its rib cage, requiring a very big muscular effort to fight gravity. “But with [its body] in water, breathing was probably easier. And that’s why many large snakes today, like anacondas, are aquatic.” Vasuki Indicus has even been compared to the extinct Titanoboa – the largest confirmed snake known to man. Despite not existing for the past 60 million years, scientists do know it sized up at a total length of around 40ft and weighed a staggering 1,135kg. The remains of Titanoboa were also found in a coal mine site in the depths of a Colombian rain forest similar to Vasuki Indicus. Although the biggest snake still living today is a 200kg beast coming in at 26ft long, and with a head the size of a humans. This Northern Green Anaconda was found by TV wildlife presenter Professor Freek Vonk in remote Brazil. The colossal snake is far bigger than the previous biggest known species – the reticulated python, which averages 20ft 5ins long.   | ↑ |
MMA star Brendan Loughnane admits he had to pinch himself when he began training with Conor McGregor. But before long, he was on the receiving end of the UFC legend’s famously powerful left hand.   The two linked up in Dubai IN November when McGregor was preparing to make his return to the octagon. And Loughnane revealed it was a long time coming. He said: “It was a bit of a pinch me moment. “It was quite crazy because when I went to commentate in Dublin we’d never met at that point, I went down to the Forge and we met. “We were talking and I said, ‘It’s nice to finally meet you.’ And he said, ‘We’ve never met?’ He couldn’t believe it either. “We’d been talking back and forth on Instagram for a while and I said, ‘When you come to Dubai, let’s train.’ “And he did, he messaged me, we trained I think six weeks back to back, a couple of times at least five nights a week, sparring, training. And I really enjoyed it.” Loughnane, 34, returns to the cage on Friday in Chicago, coincidently against McGregor’s training partner Pedro Carvalho, 28. CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS And he does so having been knocked out in his last bout in June. So Loughnane wanted to experience McGregor’s feared southpaw left to knock some confidence into him. Loughnane said: “I did, yeah! And I did feel it, a good few times on the chin. “And to be honest, I was chin-checking anyway because of my last fight and I was thinking, ‘I wonder if this chin still works.’ “And there’s nothing like a McGregor backhand to see if it’s still happening and it’s still going and we’re still good.” Loughnane in 2022 won the Professional Fighters League season at featherweight, scooping the $1million cash prize. But he was knocked out by 2023 winner Jesus Pinedo, 27, and failed to qualify for last year’s knockout stages. So he returns with a vengeance this year in his season opener against Carvalho, coached by McGregor’s trainer John Kavanagh. And then Loughnane hopes to help McGregor, 35, in his UFC 303 return against Michael Chandler, 37, set for June 29. He said: “Obviously now I’m fighting one of John’s guys, that’s put a bit of a spinner in the works for this camp. “But after, I’d love to jump in to his Chandler camp and be around it in some capacity.” How does the PFL work? The PFL is MMA’s only seasonal format, consisting of qualifying and knockout stages. Stars in each division have two ‘regular season’ qualifying bouts with points earned per method of victory. The top four then progress to the ‘playoffs’ where it is win-or-go-home starting in the semi-finals. It sets up a finale of fights where the title belt and $1m cash prize are at stake. | ↑ |
ROAD laws are usually nothing to write home about and are a mundane part of everyday life. But there are some countries with pretty unique rules – including one where you have to win the lottery to drive.  FRANCEDriving while drunk is a serious offence – although many motorists under the influence still choose to get behind the wheel. So far no solution has been found to the problem, but France did attempt to limit the amount of drunk drivers on the road by introducing a new law. French motorists were previously required to carry an unused breathalyser in their car since 2013. Those who chose not to purchase one originally risked receiving a GBP10 fine. The sanction didn’t make it into the final version of the law so there is now no penalty. GERMANYRunning out of fuel is usually frustrating, but in Germany it can be a criminal offence. It’s illegal to run out of fuel on Germany’s highways. Authorities consider running out of fuel a preventable problem and say stopping on the side of a road that often has no speed limit is extremely dangerous. The fine for running dry can reach about GBP60. SWITZERLANDIn Switzerland there are peculiar rules about where you can wash your car – meaning most people have to take a trip to the car wash. Motorists aren’t allowed to wash their vehicle in their driveway or in front of their residence. The government prohibits Swiss citizens from dumping anything that could contaminate the water in the sewer system, including the soap used to wash cars. DUBAIIn Dubai camels are an important symbol and are held in high regard. This means if they’re on the road they have right of way and should be given space. CHINAChinese authorities cap new car sales by fuel type in a bid to limit air pollution and traffic congestion. In 2019, the Beijing Transport Commission allowed 60,000 new-energy vehicles and 40,000 piston-powered models onto the city’s roads. Drivers can enter a lottery system to win the right to buy a car; the odds of winning are about one to 500. SOUTH AFRICAUnlike in most countries, motorists in South Africa don’t need to have insurance when driving a car. This has lead to 70 per cent of cars in the country being uninsured. South African roads are often quite dangerous and car theft is a real problem meaning insurance claims could get complicated. BahrainAuthorities in Bahrain don’t mess around when it comes to traffic offences and can dish out jail sentences for most. Running a red light can see you spending up to six months in jail, paying a GBP1000 fine or both. Damaging property while running a red light is punishable by up to one year behind bars and a fine that can reach GBP6100. It comes as drivers were warned over a simple mistake when refuelling at petrol stations which could invalidate your car’s warranty. Callum Butler from ALA Insurance has warned that some actions my unknowingly void your car warranty, adding it was important to avoid common mistakes. One tip that would seem to be common knowledge but clearly isn’t, is never to refuel your vehicle while the engine is running as this is effectively mixing fire and fuel. Callum said: “Precaution is key, make sure to turn off the engine and wait for any residual heat to dissipate before refuelling. “This minimises the risk of fuel vapours igniting which could pose a serious fire hazard.” | ↑ |
THE United States has finally started to seek answers to one of the most asked questions on the planet – who wins between man and machine? Incredible details have emerged of the world’s first ever AI controlled warplane taking on a human piloted jet in a historic dogfight that saw both aircraft blasting through the sky at speeds of 1,200mph.   
 The insane test saw an AI powered modified F-16 – dubbed the X-62A – take on the same jet but with a human in the cockpit. Both powerful jets went “nose-to-nose” as they battled 2,000ft up in the air, say officials. The tests were conducted by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) alongside the US Air Force to learn about just how advanced artificial intelligence really is. Results of the intense air battles have been kept tightly under wraps but they were done to show how safe and effective autonomous fighter jets could be. Officials were also intrigued to see how close AI powered military jets are to operating safely in a complex war environment. In the end, 21 test flights were done for the project taking place between December 2022 and September 2023. Lt. Col. Maryann Karlen, deputy commandant of the test pilot school, explained how it all worked in a fascinating video on the historic dogfight. They said: “In September we actually took the X-62 and flew it against a live manned F-16. “We built up in safety using the manoeuvres – first defensive, then offensive, then high aspect nose-to-nose engagements where we got as close as 2,000 feet at 1,200 miles per hour.” THE AI FIGHTER JETSA few years ago, DARPA put on “AlphaDogFight Trials” that saw the AI generated algorithms go up against military aviators in a sequence of computer simulated battles. The revolutionary AI jets went undefeated across every test. Ever since that resounding success the agency’s program has evolved to include real jets. They chose military F-16 training vehicles known as the X-62A Variable In-flight Simulator Test Aircraft (VISTA) and put machine taught AI algorithms to the ultimate test in the skies. Soaring over Edwards Air Force Base in California, the AI jets began their training program by doing simple flight path tests. Col. James Valpiana, commandant of the Air Force Test Pilot School, said: “Beginning in December of 2022, that was the first application of machine learning agents to control the flight path of fighter aircraft.” Since then, the algorithm went through 100,000 lines of flight-critical software adaptations to maximise and improve the tools.
A press release after the findings were analysed said: “The X-62A team demonstrated that cutting-edge machine learning based autonomy could be safely used to fly dynamic combat manoeuvres. “The team pioneered new methods to train and test AI agent compliance with safety requirements, including flight envelope protection and aerial/ground collision avoidance. “As well as with ethical requirements including combat training rules, weapons engagement zones, and clear avenues of fire. Secretary of the US Air Force Frank Kendall labelled the tests as “transformational”. Kendall has told lawmakers that he plans on hopping inside an autonomous F-16 this year. To ensure complete safety in the skies there were humans on board the AI powered jets.
Although officials said they never had to activate the human control panels during the dogfights. The US plans on pumping billions into constantly improving and monitoring the initiative in the coming years. Kendall has previously praised the use of AI in war saying: “The critical problem on the battlefield is time. “AI will be able to do much more complicated things, much more accurately and much faster than human beings can. “The best pilot you’re ever going to find is going to take a few tenths of a second to do something. “The AI is going to do it in a microsecond.”    | ↑ |
COVENTRY CITY sprung a huge shock the last time they faced Manchester United – and two members of the Red Devils squad are still there. United meet the Sky Blues in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on Sunday.   Erik ten Hag’s side head into it as huge favourites against the Championship team that are managed by their former striker Mark Robins – who famously saved Sir Alex Ferguson’s job. United and Coventry were regular opponents in the Premier League throughout the 1990s. But they have barely met since the Midlands outfit were relegated from the top-flight in 2001. However, a major upset occurred when they last went head-to-head back in September 2007. That was when Old Trafford hosted a League Cup third round tie between them in front of over 74,000 fans. And it was Coventry that were left celebrating as they ran out 2-0 victors thanks to a brace from Michael Mifsud. It was a much-changed United line-up that night, which included future World Cup winner and Barcelona legend Gerard Pique. And, despite 17 years passing since then, two players in the United squad that night are still at the club today. CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS Veteran defender Jonny Evans, 36, rejoined on a free transfer following an eight-year absence last summer after spells at West Brom and Leicester. He will be hoping to do better than he and central defensive partner Pique did against Mifsud if he gets the nod at Wembley. Danny Simpson and Phil Barsdsley lined up either side of them at full-back, while the midfield four in front of them consisted of Anderson, John O’Shea, Lee Martin and Chris Eagles. Portuguese star Nani was in attack with infamous Chinese flop Dong Fangzhou and Polish international Tomasz Kuszczak made up the starting XI in goal. His back-up that night was Tom Heaton on the bench – and he is another who has returned to United in his latter years.  
The 38-year-old came through the ranks at United and was part of the squad between 2002 to 2010 but failed to make a first-team appearance. He spent six years at Burnley and won three caps for England prior to moving to Villa for two years before making his romantic comeback. Man Utd are LUCKY to be seventh in the table... one particular stat is terrible, say Dave Kidd By Dave Kidd THE frightening thing about Manchester United’s season is that they should really be LOWER than seventh in the Premier League. Even during their current run of one win in seven league matches, United’s results have been better than their performances. Erik ten Hag’s team deserved to lose each of their last three drawn games against Brentford, Liverpool and Bournemouth. On goal difference, United are ninth in the league, while only seven teams have scored fewer than their 47 goals. And if we give any credence to ‘expected points’, then that stat would have them 15th in the table. If Ten Hag’s men lose Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final to Championship side Coventry, it should not come as a major surprise. Click here to read Dave Kidd’s column in full. To read more from Dave Kidd, click here. | ↑ |
MANCHESTER UNITED and Chelsea are reportedly among the most dangerous grounds in the Premier League. A Freedom of Information request by freebets.com, via the Mail, claims there were 30 incidents logged during a one-year period with the Health and Safety Executive.   United had no less than three major reports logged during the undated time frame, with a carpenter managing to drill through his own thumb while fitting a door on a bar at Old Trafford. Another incident saw an employee taken to hospital with vomiting after suffering from smoke inhalation when protesting fans lit flares and smoke bombs. Meanwhile, a chef received an electric shock from a faulty light switch which was missing a button cap, sparking an unfruitful internal investigation. The report read: “He burnt the end of his finger and felt the current travel up his arm and across his chest. “He felt sick for a while and confused.” At Chelsea, a steward ended up with a spark from a flare in his eye. A fan waved it in his face after initially being asked to drop it. And another supporter then threw a full beer over the steward’s head in an attempt to put the spark out. Another incident at Stamford Bridge saw two fans hurt while slipping over as they left the ground after a game. Liverpool had two records as well, with one unfortunate fan suffering fractured vertebra during an organised abseil from the roof of Anfield. Meanwhile, a tour guide ended up with an injured nose after walking into a gantry shutter. At Sheffield United, a ball boy suffered a broken hand while getting a ball before a match. Bramall Lane also saw one fan break his jaw and require stitches to his knee after a fall from a gangway. Elsewhere, Man City reported a fan suffering from a broken finger after being pushed down a flight of stairs. A Crystal Palace fan ended up with a broken shoulder blade while falling during a goal celebration. And a student celebrating his graduation at a ceremony at Brighton’s Amex Stadium ended up cracking his head after attempting to slide down a railing. Worst incidents recorded A rundown of some of the incidents logged:
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NETFLIX has announced that The Witcher’s days are numbered as the fourth season goes into production. Fans began to fear that the fantasy series was coming to a close after the leading man announced his departure from the show in 2022.    Henry Cavill was replaced by Liam Hemsworth for the upcoming season, and the A-list actor has shared his excitement for playing the role of Geralt. He took to Instagram to announce the news, saying: “As a Witcher fan I’m over the moon about the opportunity to play Geralt of Rivia.” However, despite finding a new star for the central character, rumours that the fifth season will be The Witcher’s last have now been confirmed by the streaming giant. Netflix bosses have announced that season five will be filmed immediately after season four, and will see the conclusion of Geralt’s story. The Witcher series is based on The Witcher saga by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski and there are only three books left to adapt. Show creator Lauren Schmidt Hissrich shared that the plotline of the final two seasons will be drawn from Baptism of Fire, The Tower of the Swallow and Lady of the Lake. She went on to add: “It is with huge pride that we begin shooting our penultimate Season of The Witcher with a stellar cast, including some exciting new additions, led by Liam Hemsworth as Geralt of Rivia. “We’re thrilled to be able to bring Andrzej Sapkowski’s books to an epic and satisfying conclusion. It wouldn’t be our show if we didn’t push our family of characters to their absolute limit — stay tuned to see how the story ends.” The release date for season four has not been announced yet, but Netflix shared a recent picture of the cast preparing for filming by participating in a table read. A synopsis of the season has also been released, which reads: “After the shocking, Continent-altering events that close out season three, the new season follows Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri who are faced with traversing the war-ravaged Continent and its many demons apart from each other. “If they can embrace and lead the groups of misfits they find themselves in, they have a chance of surviving the baptism of fire — and finding one another again.” | ↑ |
A BARGAIN hunter has shared her top finds on Aldi shelves – and they are perfect for the warmer weather TIKtoker Ashleigh Money Saver shared the “absolutely delicious” range in a video walking through her local store.   Aldi’s newest addition is a range perfect for barbecues, featuring a range of kebabs including chicken and chorizo or garlic and herb for GBP3.99. She exclaimed “hopefully the summer will follow!” after displaying bargains for the warmer weather. Pork belly slices with different marinades were also available, with salt and chilli pork belly slices at only GBP3.49. To go alongside those weekend barbecues, the video shows Aldi’s new range of sauces including house burger relish at GBP1.29 and caramelised onion relish for the same price. With warmer evenings on the way, Aldi’s snack selection is perfect for appetisers or as Ashleigh suggests, for charcuterie boards. These include Italian crackers for only GBP1.49, and new Cheezios crisps come in sizzlin’ steak and fiery hot flavour along with Kentucky Smoked BBQ crinkle cut crisps for only GBP1.15. More healthy items in time for summer included a range of vegetable pastas, which Ashleigh believes “are really good for you and really affordable”. Options range from red lentil and bean fusilli, to green pea penne pasta, and chickpea fusilli – all now reduced to GBP0.89. According to the video the new Toxic Waste sour lemon and lime with strawberry slime ice lollies are perfect for kids at just GBP1.69. We’ve carried out a price comparison of products at different supermarkets. It’s always worth bearing in mind that prices can vary from day to day based on offers available that week. Asda kebabs are slightly more expensive, priced at GBP4.40 in the same flavours as shown in the video as well as Tesco’s sweet and smoky kebabs at GBP5.00. But, Iceland’s range of barbecue meat features a multi-buy price of 3 for GBP10 ranging from lamb and mint koftas to satay chicken skewers. For summer pasta salads, Tesco also have a range of healthy pasta options, with red lentil fusilli for GBP1.70 and spinach farfelle for a cheaper 75p . For snacking options Asda have similar price options to Aldi with smoked paprika and sour cream hand cooked crisps at GBP1.35 and doria Italian crackers for GBP1.19. One of final items that ‘Ashleigh Money Saver’ picks up are ice lollies, which she says are great “if you kids love the Toxic Waste foods as much as mine there are ice lollies”. Ice lolly deals at other supermarkets are similarly priced, including Iceland’s new Xtreme Chewits ice lollies for GBP2.50 and Sainsbury’s Rainbow lollies for GBP1.30. As you can see if you decided to fill your trolley at Aldi there are plenty of new summer bargains to try out, especially on the barbecue. As always, remember to check elsewhere in case we missed a cheaper price – there’s never a bad time to catch a bargain. How to save on your supermarket shopTHERE are plenty of ways to save on your grocery shop. You can look out for yellow or red stickers on products, which show when they’ve been reduced. If the food is fresh, you’ll have to eat it quickly or freeze it for another time. Making a list should also save you money, as you’ll be less likely to make any rash purchases when you get to the supermarket. Going own brand can be one easy way to save hundreds of pounds a year on your food bills too. This means ditching “finest” or “luxury” products and instead going for “own” or value” type of lines. Plenty of supermarkets run wonky veg and fruit schemes where you can get cheap prices if they’re misshapen or imperfect. For example, Lidl runs its Waste Not scheme, offering boxes of 5kg of fruit and vegetables for just GBP1.50. If you’re on a low income and a parent, you may be able to get up to GBP442 a year in Healthy Start vouchers to use at the supermarket too. Plus, many councils offer supermarket vouchers as part of the Household Support Fund. | ↑ |
CHLOE Sims has revealed the future of daughter Madison on the family’s hit reality TV show. Madison, 19, only features briefly in season two of the LA-based show, which has been picked up by Netflix.   And Towie legend Chloe has told us why she didn’t have a bigger role as well as lifting the lid on behind the scenes dynamics. In an exclusive interview with the Sun, she said: “Madison lives in LA with me, but she also comes back [to the UK]. I bring her back and forth. “She obviously comes home and spends time with her dad. She’s almost 19, so she’s got her own life, and she’s a little jetsetter – she flies back and forth. “She got her visa, and she lives in LA at her home, and she visits me quite a lot.” Chloe continued: “Madison’s got the choice. She filmed a little bit on House of Sims for season two, so she’s in it. “So, you can see a bit of her in that series, but I don’t want to – I’ve never forced Maddie to be on TV. “I don’t believe in that, so if she wants to, she can, and if she doesn’t, then that’s fine.” Chloe, 42, left Towie in 2022 with her siblings Frankie, 28, Demi, 27, and Charlie, 31, to sign a GBP1million contract with Only Fans TV in a bid to break America. The clan soon moved into a luxury Los Angeles mansion to film House of Sims, a Kardashian-style programme which debuted last May. After the success of their first series, the show will now hit streaming platform Netflix in just a matter of weeks. The Essex beauty told the Mail that she was proud to have produced the series alongside her brother Charlie and described it as one of the “biggest highlight of her careers”. “It’s not an easy journey, but it’s exciting, nerve-wracking, and keeps me on my toes,” she said. While Charlie told the publication: “I am delighted to have facilitated the acquisition of House Of Sims Season One between Netflix and OF TV. “I am proud that mine and Chloe’s producing debut has received recognition from a major platform such as Netflix, affirming that our creation is a perfect fit for their audience.” He added that he was excited for build a “successful relationship” with the Netflix going forward. Family feudEarlier this year we revealed that Chloe was embroiled in a feud with her sisters Demi and Frankie. Frankie and Demi jetted back to Essex while their older siblings remained across the pond. They even erased all traces of Chloe from their Instagram grids, a move she reciprocated. A source told us at the time: “Chloe’s fallen out with her sisters big time. “They’ve gone their separate ways after a huge fight broke out in LA, where they’d been filming the show. “Chloe’s decided to stay out there while Frankie and Demi have left her and headed back home to Essex to pursue their own careers.”  | ↑ |
SELLING Sunset star Chrishell Strause has been forced to slash the ticket prices of her live show by 57% after failing to sell half of tickets for her UK tour. The 42-year-old, who has appeared on the Netflix hit since 2019, is due to appear on stage at the London Palladium at the end of the month.   However, she has failed to sell out the Chrishell Strause Up Close & Personal on April 30. Tickets originally cost GBP59, but now the prices have been brought down to GBP25 and GBP15. Despite the prices being brought down, there is still over 500 seats left to fill, so Chrishell’s team have brought in a seat filling service to help sell them. The evening will be hosted by Jack Remmington and Ash Holme. Chrishell shared the news about her night on Instagram with her 3.9m followers. The star wrote: “LONDON will be to you SO soon!! “Grab your tickets with link in my bio if you haven’t & swipe to see my 2 VERY special guests! “Can’t wait! #London #LondonPalladium #upcloseandpersonal.” So many rushed to the comments section to share their excitement. One wrote: “All booked in! Can’t wait Another said: “Looking forward to it!! “I wish i could go Chrishell shot to fame in the early 2000s. The star played Amanda Dillon All My Children for six years until 2011. She’s also appeared in Body of Proof, Days of our Lives and Mistresses. Chrishell has been on Selling Sunset since 2019 as part of the main cast. The show is about the Oppenheim Group’s real estate agents and the properties they sell. Last year the show returned to our screens for another series. The actress has starred in Bling Empire and Dancing with the Stars. | ↑ |
HARRY has “burnt his bridges” for good after signing his US residency and leaving a “wake of nasty stories”, says The Sun’s royal photographer. The Duke of Sussex has finally cut ties with the UK after declaring “New Country/State Usually Resident” as America on official documents.    The dad-of-two, 39, listed his California mansion as his primary residence on Companies House filings in June last year. He had previously put Britain as his primary home.
It was revealed Harry changed his official status to a US resident on the exact day Meghan, 42, and himself were evicted from Frogmore Cottage. King Charles, supported by Prince William, ordered him to return the keys to his UK base. The Sun’s royal photographer, Arthur Edwards, dubbed the current state of affairs “inevitable” yet “a sad occasion”. “They’ve left a wake of nasty stories about the Royal Family, if he only realised he was part of it for many years. “Him and William were so close, they did everything together, they supported each other through everything. “ That rift now doesn’t seem possible to be healed and that’s very sad. “ Frogmore was a very small part of it, probably an excuse when he left the UK to make his home in North America. “By signing this document saying he’s now a resident of the U.S, he’s probably burnt his bridges but I live in hope. “I loved working with him. I thought he was someone really special. “I’m quite sad about it. But it seems inevitable, his two kids are American, his wife is American, he lives there, but it’s a sad occasion. “You could say good riddance because he’s been nothing but a thorn in their side but he is the prodigal son, and the prodigal son did return so I’ll keep my fingers crossed.” But fellow royal expert, Charles Rae, told The Sun’s Royal Exclusive show how the duchess “blew it” for herself and Harry. A timeline of Prince Harry and William's 'feud': Brothers 'at war'In 2018, the Sun told how “simmering tension” began when William questioned the speed of Harry and Meghan’s engagement. The first hints of friction reportedly came after William was introduced to Meghan when she was staying at Kensington Palace. Once she’d returned home to Canada, William and Harry sat down for a brother-to-brother chat. He knew Harry was already head-over-heels for her but it has been claimed he advised him to take it slowly. The younger prince reportedly didn’t take too kindly to the advice, with one royal source saying he “went mental”. Then in June 2019 Harry and Meghan officially split off from the charity they shared with William and Kate. The Royal Foundation will be divided between the Sussexes and Cambridges as the couples focus on their own separate charitable endeavours. Prince William and Prince Harry first established the Royal Foundation in 2009 before Kate joined two years later shortly after their engagement was announced. The trio would often appear together at events and the Foundation had huge successes with projects like the Invictus Games for injured veterans and the mental health Heads Together campaign. The Royal Foundation said the decision was made following the conclusion of a review into its structure – but added both couples will continue to work together in the future. Harry and Meg were living in close proximity to Kate and Wills within the Kensington Palace estate, but they switched to Frogmore Cottage in Windsor before baby Archie was born. The move further increased rumours of a fallout. Harry, 39, also hinted in his ITV documentary “Harry and Meghan, An African Journey” that he and his brother had grown apart. It came after Prince Philip called Meghan the “D.O.W” after the Duchess of Windsor — the American divorcee who led Edward VIII to abdicate. And he warned the late Queen to be “cautious” of Harry’s then bride-to-be, a royal author claims. Ingrid Seward revealed in new book My Mother And I that Prince Philip felt it was “uncanny…how much Meghan reminded him of the Duchess of Windsor“. In 2021, Harry and Meghan give their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey where Harry accused his dad of cutting him off financially. Harry then jetted back to UK to join William in unveiling a statue to their mother Princess Diana in the grounds of Kensington Palace. But sources claimed William didn’t want to attend the memorial amid their ongoing rift. In 2022, just before their grandmother the Queen died, sources claimed Kate acts as a “peacemaker” between the brothers. Last year Harry claimed his brother “knocked him to the floor” during an argument about Meghan. In his book Spare, Harry said William branded Meghan “rude” and “difficult” during a row. Harry alleged William “grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and … knocked me to the floor”. He said he was left with a visible injury to his back following the argument in 2019 at Nottingham Cottage on the grounds of Kensington Palace, where he was living at the time. In January this year, Harry flew in to be with Charles after the monarch’s shock cancer diagnosis. Harry flew back to the US the following day – without seeing Wills. Speaking to The Sun’s Royal Editor Matt Wilkinson, Rae claimed the Sussexes had potential to be hailed in the same way as Britain’s beloved Prince of Wales and Princess Kate. However when talking about the opportunity to be welcomed back by the Royal Family, he added: “I think that ship has sailed. “They were lorded at one time, there was great hopes for the pair of them. “I think she just threw it into their faces at the end.” ‘WOUNDED’Royal author Phil Dampier claimed “a lot can be read into” Harry’s choice to change his primary residence. He said: “As always with Harry a lot can be read into his actions. “Being ousted from Frogmore Cottage wounded him deeply. “Charles and William knew it had to be done to emphasise Harry and Meghan were outside The Firm but he probably still thought he could keep a base here. Now he’s shown he accepts his life is in the US.” The couple announced Megxit in 2020, when they stepped down as senior royals. They relocated to their GBP11million Montecito mansion in California with their son Archie. It boasts nine bedrooms and 16 bathrooms as well as a sauna, gym, games room and arcade. The couple can also enjoy a library, office, wine cellar and a five-car garage also feature. Outside there’s a large pool, tennis court, chicken coop and rose gardens to keep the family entertained. VISA ROWIt comes as Harry is fighting to stop the release of immigration papers after concerns were raised over his visa application. His case was sparked after Harry claimed in his memoir Spare he took coke, weed and magic mushrooms. The Heritage Foundation argue that releasing the documents will prove if Harry lied about his past drug use on his visa application. If the duke was dishonest, he could be in breach of US federal law and should lose his immigration status. But lawyers for the US government argued Harry’s drug claims in the explosive book “is not proof” he actually took them. And, the Department for Homeland Security, which oversees immigration, stated making Harry’s documents public would breach his privacy. The DHS has also claimed Harry still has a right to privacy even though he is a celebrity. Judge Carl Nichols asked officials to hand over the documents in March, saying their privacy argument was “insufficiently detailed”. The Heritage Foundation’s lawyer Samuel Dewey earlier accused the US government of “providing special treatment to celebrities” to enter the US. On Monday a US ambassador said Harry would not be deported from the US, whatever the outcome of the trial. Harry's visa rowPRINCE Harry is likely in the US on a temporary non-immigrant visa, possibly O-1 for extraordinary ability or E-2 Treaty Investor based on his US business interests. For the O-1, the application process involves two steps:
At the visa stage, the Duke of Sussex would have completed a DS-160 form. Part of this asks two questions, which must be answered:
If declared on the DS-160, and then formally at interview, Harry may be considered medically or criminally ineligible. Admissions in his book Spare would not be considered “formal” – but an interviewing officer could make them so by questioning him on his claims of drug use. If the prince admitted to any immigration officer that he had previously used illegal drugs, he would be ineligible to the US. Without exceptional circumstances, Harry would likely never be able to hold a green card or become a US citizen if he formally admits to using cocaine. If he denied use, an officer may conclude he was lying so he would struggle to obtain any US visa. Similarly, if he did not declare his previous drug use when he applied for his current visa, an officer may find he has already misrepresented. If deemed criminally ineligible, Harry would need to be recommended at an embassy interview for a Waiver of Inadmissibility. This can take months. Given the nature of the admissions and the compelling reasons for his entry, including large value contracts, Harry would probably be recommended for Waiver. The requirement for testing is unlikely because the drug use admission does not appear to be recent use. The Embassy must, for example, refer him for a medical examination if he had one or more alcohol/drug related arrests in the last five years, or two or more in the last 10 years. Due to press attention, an officer could use its discretion to order a medical to ensure he does not continue to use illegal substances. If you do not declare drug use, it can cause huge problems when trying to obtain future visas – although in reality, it is extremely uncommon for anyone who has not been arrested for drug offences to declare use or violation. There are no exceptions available for high-profile cases, but authorities can use their discretion to favour celebrities and “fast-track” decisions. Where an average person may have to wait months for a Waiver, Harry could potentially get it informally fast-tracked through contracts. O-1 visas have to be renewed every five years or less so Harry may soon have to decide whether to declare or not. The difference between Harry’s admissions and someone like Nigella Lawson is that his admissions in his book were not under oath so do not immediately render him ineligible, but very well can. Source: Attorney / Solicitor Kaitlin Davies at Davies Legal      | ↑ |
MANY people may remember sharing a box of Mingles with your friends and family. However to many people’s disappointment, they’ve been discontinued for some time.  What was Mingles Chocolate?Mingles Chocolate was a mixed variety chocolate box – with each being mint flavoured. They were made by Bendicks and sold in the UK from 2002. The chocolates were all made in the UK in a factory in Winchester. There were 5 different varieties of Mingles in each packet. They were packaged together in one box with the flavour depending on the colour of the wrappers. Here are the flavours you could get:
The varieties of Mingles were changed for Christmas 2007, and were then:
Why and when was Mingles discontinued?Mingles were discontinued in July 2011. Production at the Winchester plant came to an end on Friday July 29, 2011 after the last boxes were produced ready for Christmas. In April 2009 August Storck confirmed it was shutting the factory at the end of July and relocating production to Ohrdruf, its Eastern German plant. This would result in a loss of more than 80 jobs although it would continue to employ over 30 staff in Winchester to support marketing and sales of its brands in the UK. What is similar to Mingles Chocolate?Some may be disappointed to know that here are no exact copies of Mingles. However, there are plenty of mint chocolate products on the market. Here’s a look at some we can think of: Mint Aero You’re bound to have heard of mint Aero as it is potentially one of the most well known mint chocolates on the market. You can buy Aero in any of your local supermarkets or petrol stations. After Eight After Eight chocolates come individually wrapped in a rectangle box. The sweet treats are very moreish and you may find yourself reaching for more than one. Terry’s Chocolate MintYou’ll have heard of Terry’s Chocolate Orange but what about Chocolate Mint. The hint is in the name and you can expect the ball-shaped chocolate to have a minty flavour. How many calories in the UK's top chocolate bars?THIS is how many calories are in some of the UK's top chocolate bars:
Bendick’s Mint CollectionPotentially as close as you’re going to get to Mingles, you can try Bendick’s Mint Collection. You will find a variety of different mint flavoured chocolates all packaged in one box. Mint Matchmakers Matchmakers come in a few different flavours – with mint being one of them. They come in a stick like form and you may find yourself eating them until you’ve finished the box. You can also buy Matchmakers in a zingy orange flavour as well as salted caramel. Galaxy MintGalaxy chocolate has become a fan favourite over the years and you can now get it in a variety of different flavours. One of these is mint, which is arguably as popular as the regular type. You can also find Galaxy in flavours such a cookie crumble, caramel, salted caramel and honeycomb crisp. | ↑ |
A BUDGET-CONSCIOUS bride has shared a way she cut costs at her wedding that had her mother-in-law labeling it tacky. Not everyone was a fan of her nuptial nonsense and thought it was cheap and in poor taste.  A Reddit user shared negative feedback she received from her “super low budget” wedding. She explained in a post that due to being in their 20s, both sets of parents were against the union and didn’t provide much financial assistance for the couple’s special occasion. Her feelings were “a little hurt” because when my husband’s older sister got married a year prior both her divorced mother-in-law and father-in-law “went all out.” At the time of the event, the mother-in-law lived two hours away and had been dating her boyfriend “Chris” for about nine months. Due to distance, the newlyweds barely saw her and never met him, but both planned to attend. Redditors could understand wanting to cut costs for your wedding, but the way she did it was not favored by most. To save money, they separated the food situation at the wedding into two tiers. “If you were in tier one, you could pick from an Italian sausage, a steak, a hotdog, or a burger for dinner,” she explained. Only family and a few of their closest friends were considered tier one. Those in tier two were not so lucky. “If you were tier 2, it was just the burger or hot dog, and there was only enough cake for tier one,” she added. “Seriously, so disrespectful to anyone in tier two. Yikes. At least their friends and family know where they stand with the newlyweds now,” a Reddit user commented. The groom’s mother and her boyfriend went to get food during the reception and Chris asked for steak. Her husband overheard and explained the tiers, letting him know his mom was tier one but he wasn’t. Chris laughed and said it was okay, but the mother-in-law made a “big deal” about it. “She called us rude and tacky 3 times. My husband told her to stop causing a scene, and Chris said it was really okay, but she was clearly pissy,” the Reddit user explained in the post. The next morning she texted the pair that their “party” was embarrassing and that we were tacky. Her father-in-law and sister-in-law both agreed with her that they were “bad hosts.” The original poster explained that most wedding attendees understood they were saving money, and “didn’t have any complaints.” Because of the mixed reviews, she asked Redditors if she was an a**hole for how she handled the reception dining arrangement. Almost everyone was in agreement that it wasn’t a good look. “One of the nastiest and tackiest things I’ve ever heard of at a wedding,” one wrote. “WTF? This is the cheapest s**t I’ve ever heard. Bring a box cake. Box cakes are delicious. You’d have been better off having everyone bring their own meat since you were grilling. Pot luck style would have been even more fair,” another said. The best deals from Nordstrom's Spring Sale*If you click on a link in this article, we may earn affiliate revenue. Nordstrom’s limited-time Spring Sale has seen discounts of up to 50% on Menswear, Womenswear, Home and Beauty. The sale includes everything from designer brands like Tory Burch to household names like Nike — we’ve rounded up the best deals below.
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WITH the cost of everyday essentials going up and up, most of us are looking to save at the supermarket right now. One shopper, however, has divided the internet after they cleared the shelves of reduced bits at their local posh supermarket.   Though we all love a bargain, especially stumbling across a yellow stickered item while doing the weekly food shop. Instead of finding odd bits though, one shopper found fifteen discounted ready meals in Waitrose and decided to clear the shelf. Among the reduced selection was chicken breasts with bacon and cheese, meatballs, fishcakes, prawn spaghetti and even some schnitzels. That wasn’t all they grabbed, with the thrifty shopper also adding a pre-made chicken sandwich, milk, oranges and apples to their haul. Even more amazingly, they paid less than GBP2 for most of the items – despite being in Waitrose. Thrilled with their shop, they later shared pictures in the Yellow Sticker Shopping Tips, Tricks and Hauls group on Facebook and joked that they were the ‘winner’ this week. In the caption, they wrote: “5:00pm…the unhealthy winner.” GREEN WITH ENVY Unsurprisingly, it didn’t take long until other members of the group began to complain about the huge haul. One complained: “Wow…I wouldn’t have the room. If I did I’d be right in there…” Another moaned: “I’m usually the one who might be lucky and see one item amongst half a dozen left, that I might like, but then someone will be standing with a full shopping trolley full…” They added: “Yes, there will always be some greedy people.” Meanwhile, others couldn’t understand why they didn’t get similar discounts in their local Waitrose. “I never catch the deals – what are the times they do reductions?” a third revealed, with a fourth saying: “Our Waitrose only reduces stuff by about 50p.” SUPERMARKET SWEEP This didn’t stop the huge haul from going viral in the group though, with the anonymous post received over 180 like in less than 24 hours. In fact, most of the comments congratulated the savvy shopper about how many discounts they’d found in the posh supermarket.   “Yay!!! Great work!!! Get that haul in the freezer!!” excitedly wrote another Facebook user, to which a sixth said: “Naughty but nice, you can’t be good all the time… well done.” Some even defended the shopper, arguing that people shouldn’t be judged for bagging so many bargains at the supermarket. “Oooh look the green eyed jealousy crew lol…If u have nothing nice to say scroll on people,” pointedly wrote one member, adding: “No one knows other people’s personal circumstances.” TIMING IS EVERYTHING If you are planning to get some yellow label items during your next food shop, it’s best to work out what time the discounts are put on shelves. Every supermarket is different, so it’s worth speaking to staff whenever possible. Alternatively, the Fabulous team have put together this handy cheat sheet which will help make the most of the discounts in store.  When do supermarkets put out yellow-sticker bargains?The time supermarkets reduce their products vary across stores. Here’s a rough supermarket-by-supermarket guide: Aldi Aldi uses a red sticker to show reductions on fresh products such as bread, meat, fruit and vegetables. This is when they have reached the last day of shelf life. Red stickered items are most commonly found at opening and closing times. M&S Reduction times can vary from store to store but is most likely to occur near closing time. Asda Asda told Which? that yellow stickers are applied twice a day – in the morning and evening. Co-op Co-op told The Sun its reduced-to-clear prices are generally applied about four hours before the store closes. Lidl Lidl has a similar procedure to Asda and Aldi with reductions twice a day. However individual stores may opt to reduce prices throughout the day. Morrisons Shoppers online have said that Morrisons does the best bargains first thing in the morning. However, the store told Which? that there are no specific times for yellow sticker price cuts. Sainsbury’s Sainsbury’s told The Sun it’s at the store manager’s discretion whether to offer discounts. However, shoppers have reported that the best deals are in the evening from 6pm. Tesco Tesco has said there is no specific time for reduction, but again most people found that prices were reduced from 6pm. Waitrose As with most of the other stores, Waitrose shoppers have said the best reductions are found before closing. However the store stated that there is no specific time for yellow stickers to be applied. | ↑ |
DEAR DEIDRE: When I found out my daughter-in-law was pregnant, I was over the moon – until I’ve discovered she had sex with my husband. I’m 54, my husband is 53 and we’ve been married for 30 years. Our only daughter is 28 and she’s married to a woman of 30. From the moment we met her, she quickly became a part of our family and I could tell how happy she made my daughter. Both my husband and I really liked her and I never noticed that there was any attraction between them. My daughter and her wife went through three unsuccessful rounds of IVF, and we supported them as best we could. It was hard seeing them struggle with the news that yet another round had failed. Get in touch with the Dear Deidre teamEvery problem gets a personal reply from one of our trained counsellors. Fill out and submit our easy-to-use and confidential form and the Dear Deidre team will get back to you. You can also send a private message on the DearDeidreOfficial Facebook page or email us at: deardeidre@the-sun.co.uk The first two times, they transferred the embryos into my daughter. The third time it was my daughter-in-law. And when they announced five months ago that they were three months’ pregnant, we were thrilled. However, the jubilation came crashing down when a text from my daughter-in-law popped up on my husband’s phone. I couldn’t help but read through their messages. There was no mention of anything sexual, but the thread was about the baby and he kept referring to it as his. Now I’m left hurt and confused. Not only has he betrayed me, but our daughter too. Where do I go from here? Should I take my daughter aside? MORE FROM DEAR DEIDRE DEIDRE SAYS: As distressing as this may be, try not to jump to any conclusions. Your husband has been less than honest, but this may not be an affair. If their conversations aren’t sexual and only revolve around the baby, could it be possible that your husband agreed to be their sperm donor? While neither scenario is ideal, it would be best if you found the time to sit down and have an honest conversation with him. Explain to him what you found and tell him how hurt and confused you are. You need to get to the truth before approaching your daughter. Regardless of if it’s an affair or a sperm donation, your husband has gone behind your back and the only way forward is to work through it together. Relationship counselling will help. Contact tavistockrelationships.org (020 7380 1975). | ↑ |
SOME Samsung smartphone owners have been irritated over a significant decline in their Galaxys’ battery life. Many users are flooding online forums and social media with complaints of a sudden spike in battery.  The source of the frustration appears to be a recent software update that began rolling out to Samsung devices earlier this month. In a recent post on Reddit, one user asked, “Anyone noticed some kind of battery drain after One UI 6.1 update?” They specified that their phone is a Galaxy S23 Ultra, and this happened after the April Sec Update. They also shared some settings that their phone utilized such as 120hz, QHD+, adaptive brightness, adaptive charging, and light performance mode. “I know these aren’t the best settings to get better battery life, but it wasn’t draining this fast (63% as I’m writing this) before the update,” they said. Since going live on Reddit, the thread quickly gained momentum, garnering dozens of upvotes and more than 60 replies. “Oh hell yeah. S24 Ultra here. I used to get around 8% an hour down. Now it’s more like 11-13% an hour down,” one person said. “Same usage patterns. A cell tower is a block away,” they added. “On a Snapdragon 8 gen 1 (S23 fe, in this case), it’s horrendous,” a second user remarked. “Watching more than a few minutes of YouTube, it severely overheats and the battery drains like it had a leak,” they added. “It charges slower too since I updated. It’s so bad,” they continued. “Yeah my phone is living on battery saver mode,” a third user commented. “I used to get about 14hrs of SOT on my S23 before needing to charge. Now I get probably 10-12,” they added. Samsung has yet to officially acknowledge the issue or offer a solution. Samsung – a brief historyHere's what you need to know...
However, we have shared some battery optimization tips below. HOW TO PRESERVE SAMSUNG BATTERY LIFETo increase battery life, charge only up to 80% at night, some experts recommend. Also avoid fast charging when you can, as this could wear out your battery’s life in the long run. On top of this, users should avoid plugging and unplugging their devices in short amounts of time. While your device is charging, you should avoid using it, especially for activities like playing games or watching videos. | ↑ |
DEAR DEIDRE: Since I moved in with my girlfriend, my self-confidence has been ruined by her son. Every day he makes digs about my appearance, and as hard as I try to ignore it, it’s really starting to get me down. I’m 42, my girlfriend is 39 and she has a 17-year-old son from a previous marriage. When she first asked if I’d be open to living with her I was over the moon, but since the day arrived, he’s had it in for me. I’m no Adonis but I do eat healthily and I’m active. He is pretty impressive physically. He’s an avid gym goer and constantly obsesses about how much he’s lifting or the latest supplement he’s taking. Get in touch with the Dear Deidre teamEvery problem gets a personal reply from one of our trained counsellors. Fill out and submit our easy-to-use and confidential form and the Dear Deidre team will get back to you. You can also send a private message on the DearDeidreOfficial Facebook page or email us at: deardeidre@the-sun.co.uk At first, he started telling me how good the gym would be for me and said he could help me “shift the pounds”. Now he constantly insults me, calling me “fatty” and “chubster”, and always comments on what I eat. The more I complain, the more he does it. He’s making my life miserable and I’m at my wits’ end. MORE FROM DEAR DEIDRE DEIDRE SAYS: Your girlfriend’s son sounds immature and insecure. As he is growing into a man, he is putting you down to try and prove that he doesn’t need a new man around the house. If he hasn’t enjoyed a good relationship with his own dad, the development of you moving in will be particularly difficult. Talk to your girlfriend about what is happening and agree on an approach together. Perhaps you can both talk to him about boundaries so he sees you are united and also that you don’t want to assume the position of his father figure. The next time he criticises your physique, calmly explain you are happy the way you are and that you don’t need a live-in personal trainer. Being calmly assertive with him will help. My support pack Raising Self-esteem will help, too. | ↑ |
KATIE Price has splashed out on a new horse for daughter Bunny just weeks after being declared bankrupt for a second time. The mum-of-five failed to show up to the court hearing over her unpaid GBP762,000 tax bill last month as she was ‘dealing with some serious stuff’.   It hasn’t stopped keen equestrian Katie, 45, from gifting a new pony to her youngest daughter, nine, as she continues to encourage her to ride. A source told the Sun: “Neighbours saw the horse being delivered and how excited Bunny was. “Kate loves having a riding buddy in Bunny and knows how much she loves horses like she does. “She doesn’t see it as another animal to look after but just how happy it makes Bunny.” It isn’t the first time she’s treated one of her kids to a horse as Princess, 16, received one as a gift for her 7th birthday. The latest purchase comes after we revealed Katie is failing to cooperate with her bankruptcy case. She remains trapped in her 2019 insolvency, stemming from outstanding tax and mortgage payments. Despite the appointment of a trustee to assist in resolving her debts exceeding GBP3million, Katie’s unwillingness to help has led to the indefinite suspension of her discharge. The addition of a new pet is likely to raise eyebrows as it was only in February that her beloved horse Wallis was reportedly removed from her property by bailiffs. The GBP250,000 steed, which Katie bought back in 2009, was allegedly seized along with another horse. Meanwhile Katie recently horrified fans when she went out for a ride with Bunny without wearing a helmet. And it wasn’t for the first time, weeks prior to that some feared she could die if she were to have an accident without the correct protective gear on. Some of Katie’s critics are almost certain to be unhappy that she owns yet another animal after a spate of pet deaths at her Sussex mansion. Thirty-six thousand people have signed a petition to stop her having animals after the deaths of at least seven pets including five dogs.  | ↑ |
DEAR DEIDRE: My children may as well pay me because it’s clear that I’m nothing more than a maid to them. I spend every day picking up after them and no amount of nagging makes any difference. I’m 54 and I have two children. My daughter is 23 and my son is 24. I assumed it was something they would eventually grow out of. However, since they’ve both moved back from uni the house has never been messier. Every day, no matter how much I clean, there is always something left to do. Whether there’s food on the countertops, dirty washing all over their room, or even used plates, the house is always a tip. I’ve tried to ask them to help out, but every time I’m met with grief and it turns into an argument. The last thing I want to do is kick them out, but I’m starting to lose patience. Get in touch with the Dear Deidre teamEvery problem gets a personal reply from one of our trained counsellors. Fill out and submit our easy-to-use and confidential form and the Dear Deidre team will get back to you. You can also send a private message on the DearDeidreOfficial Facebook page or email us at: deardeidre@the-sun.co.uk DEIDRE SAYS: As twenty-somethings they are old enough to clean just as much as you. Sit them both down and explain how you feel. Be firm and tell them that if they’re planning on living with you, they need to contribute. They have got used to doing very little and will continue to do so unless you firmly draw a line. Create a rota, letting them have some say in what chores they do may help. My support pack Standing Up For Yourself explains how to calmly and firmly get your point across. MORE FROM DEAR DEIDRE | ↑ |
ALI CARTER needs to know when to go for reds on the baize and stop at reds on the runway. That is because the snooker star, 44, is also a qualified pilot.   Carter is seeded ninth at the 2024 World Snooker Championships at the Crucible where he faces Stephen Maguire in the opening round. And he will be dreaming of going one step further than he managed in 2008 and 2012, losing in the final twice to Ronnie O’Sullivan. The rival Essex potters pair have jostled and feuded for many years – from trophy cabinet digs and Snotgate drama to rude finger gestures and petty shoulder barges. But Carter has the perfect way to get away from all the noise and distraction by putting his head in the clouds… literally. The aptly-nicknamed ‘Captain’ has a licence to fly small aeroplanes. A keen visitor of air shows as a child, his passion took off in the noughties when he met snooker fanatic and Boeing 747 commercial pilot Mike Diggins who offered to give Carter lessons in his private plane. The former world No2 got up to speed quickly and logged the required hours to attain his licence – and now boasts his very own Cessna aircraft, taking son Max out for special father-and-son bonding time. Carter told WST: “I got into flying when I lost to Ronnie O’Sullivan in the World Championships and my snooker career wasn’t going the way I wanted it to. I slipped down the rankings and there was only six tournaments at the time. BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKER “I was looking at an alternative career. Mike asked if I fancied going up for a little fly. “I just went up for a few flights and before I knew it, I was doing more and more. “I fancied doing it so went to Southend and acquired my private pilot’s licence. “Snooker can take over your life if you’re not careful, I just loving come up here and getting away from it all, it’s a nice break. It’s a really good hobby.” But Carter admits he could fly into a dramatic career change when he stops playing snooker professionally. He has even toyed with the idea of joining easyJet as a pilot – and dreams one day of taking his seat in the cockpit of a jet. Carter added: “At the moment, snooker is very busy with so many tournaments, so many earning opportunities. “I can obviously earn more money as a snooker player than as a pilot at present but when that reverses I’ll be turning to the skies hopefully.”
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Carter’s journey has not always been plain sailing, though. He was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 2003 and became very ill. The lifelong condition – which cricketer Jack Leach, TV star Sam Faiers and magician Dynamo all suffer from – sees parts of the digestive system become inflamed. Crohn’s requires expert potter Carter to monitor his diet closely, especially when travelling around the world for snooker. However, his health took further scary twists in 2013 and then again in 2014 when he overcame both testicular and lung cancers. After splitting up with Max’s mum Sarah, Carter had his second child, daughter Olivia, in 2010 with The Apprentice series six winner Stella English.          | ↑ |
DEAR DEIDRE: Since unexpectedly losing my daughter, my life has been in ruins, and now I am faced with the hard reality of paying for a funeral I can’t afford. All I want is for her to have a proper send-off, but my bank won’t approve a loan and now I don’t know what to do. I am her 62-year-old father and after losing my wife a few years ago, my daughter was all I had left. She was only 29 when she was involved in a fatal car accident. Hearing the news broke my heart and I have been struggling to cope ever since. As she was so young she had no money in place to cover the cost of a funeral, so it has all been left to me to organise. The trouble is, I have barely any income and my credit score couldn’t be worse. So planning and paying for her funeral has become an issue. I’m trying everything I can, but I am in a complete mess. Please help. Get in touch with the Dear Deidre teamEvery problem gets a personal reply from one of our trained counsellors. Fill out and submit our easy-to-use and confidential form and the Dear Deidre team will get back to you. You can also send a private message on the DearDeidreOfficial Facebook page or email us at: deardeidre@the-sun.co.uk DEIDRE SAYS: I am so sorry to hear about the death of your daughter. I can only imagine how hard this has been for you. You can find practical guidance through the Bereavement Advice Centre (bereavementadvice.org, 0800 634 9494) and any reputable funeral director. Also consider contacting an organisation called The Compassionate Friends, a self-help group of and for bereaved parents. It will understand how you feel and help you to find comfort (tcf.org.uk, 0345 123 2304). MORE FROM DEAR DEIDRE | ↑ |
THEY’RE the amateur sleuths who spend hours on the internet attempting to crack crimes – not always with the blessing of the police. But this new wave of armchair detectives have actually helped put away dozens of murderers, including the killer of an 11-year-old boy missing for almost three decades.   They have also snared a heartless murderer who dismembered his flatmate’s body and helped loved ones find the truth about a young student’s body found in a water tank at an LA hotel. Now true crime aficionados have the chance to show off their own detective work by taking part in the search for a killer – hiding 9,000 miles away at a remote research station in Antarctica. The fictional murder mystery in the new Spotify podcast series, Cold Tapes, centres on the death of 33-year-old behavioural scientist Andrew Fairfield. With each episode, listeners will look to piece the clues together and uncover the killer – with a real GBP10,000 prize on offer for the winner. As inspiration, we look at the dogged work of the most notable cases cracked by cyber-sleuths. Head in a bucketIn 2001, Ronald Telfer brought home a plastic bucket filled with concrete that he found abandoned at a Missouri truck stop. He was hoping to use it to feed his pigs but when he tipped out the contents he found what he thought were animal remains trapped inside. In fact, the grim discovery was the remnants of a human skull belonging to Greg May – who had been reported missing months earlier. Greg had been murdered by his close pal Doug DeBruin – who intended on selling the victim’s valuable Civil War antiques. With the help of his girlfriend, DeBruin dismembered the body and scattered it in various places, placing Greg’s head in the bucket and pouring in cement. After the skull was handed into Missouri police, cops hired a forensic sculptor to re-create Greg’s face. Enter Ellen Leach, a former supermarket worker who devoted her spare time to investigating cold cases from her home in Orange Grove, US. In 2004, Ellen spotted a photograph of Greg on Iowa’s Missing Person website and linked it to the forensic recreation she’d seen on another forum. Tips for armchair detectivesWhile there’s no set rules when it comes to investigating a cold case, amateur sleuth John Lordan has a rough plan he usually sticks to when making his videos. He says: “Initially I’ll do a media review, going through everything that’s publicly available. “If there’s any type of police material or statements that have been released, I’ll include all of them too. I’ll usually start without any direct contact with family, before hearing from them. “People may initially be upset and ask why I didn’t reach out first to ask them about it, but I’ve found information from the family can be the most biased yet.” Todd Matthews agrees and suggests the first step should always be to look through old newspaper articles, gathering all the public information you can together. Meanwhile, according to an online Jack The Ripper tour guide, a few simple tips to stick to include paying attention to small details, distancing yourself if you become too invested in the research – as that may cloud your judgement – and being adaptable, catering your research to each individual case rather than following one uniform method.  Coincidentally, Greg’s memorabilia started showing up at different auction sites months later and cops were able trace the seller – who was DeBruin. With Ellen’s groundwork, investigators were able to put both pieces of evidence together and convict DeBruin of first-degree murder and first-degree theft in 2005. Mum snares masked abductor    In 1989, 11-year-old Jacob Wetterling was cycling towards his local video store in Minnesota, with his younger brother and a pal, when he was abducted by a masked stranger. Police arrived on the scene within six minutes but the youngster was already gone and for the next 27 years, his case would go unsolved. But the family’s agonising wait for answers inspired mum-of-two Joy Baker to launch her own probe. The 57-year-old woman told The Sun: “Everyone was shocked and horrified and everyone wanted to help… it is so hard to describe what our state was like at that time.” As the case remained open, Joy created a blog in 2010 called “Where are you Jacob?” – dedicated to the boy who had been missing 21 years. She filled her content with archived police and newspaper files and attempted to discredit past theories. She discovered local law enforcement failed to follow up on credible leads, evidence was mishandled and key witnesses were never interviewed. Her research eventually led her to the case of another young boy who was abducted and assaulted by a masked man – just nine months before Jacob disappeared and only ten miles away. Now a man in his thirties the victim, Jared Scheierl, desperately wanted justice and teamed up with Joy to expose a string of unsolved sexual attacks on young boys which took place between 1986 and 1897. They mapped all the incidents which revealed an obvious cluster around the city of Paynesville, which they flagged to police. Through Joy’s work, the case went viral and tips came flooding in. In October 2015, advances in DNA testing since the late 80s meant evidence from the crime scene linked Jared’s attack to local man Daniel James Heinrich, now 59, who had originally been questioned by police over Jacob’s disappearance. He was a 100 per cent match. Tragically statute of limitations had expired on Jared’s case, meaning he couldn’t be tried for murder, although the law has since been changed. But Heinrich was charged with 25 counts of child pornography and jailed for 20 years in November 2016. Henrich confessed to the abduction, sexual assault and killing of the young boy and, as part of a plea deal, he revealed the location of Jacob’s remains which were buried in a field near Paynesville – where many of the other attacks took place. Dead woman in a tent  Todd Matthews began his own armchair sleuthing after hearing how his father-in-law discovered a woman’s dead body wrapped in a tent in 1968. The grim discovery in Georgetown, Kentucky, would later be dubbed the “Tent Girl” as the woman was never identified and the trail went cold. Todd, who died earlier this year, began his own detective work in the 1990s and previously recalled: “You couldn’t Google a filing cabinet then. The struggle was real, you had to get in your car and drive up there to get any material.” Due to the victim’s small frame, police assumed the “Tent Girl” was likely to be 13 to 16 years old. This clashed with Todd’s father-in-law’s memories who recalled her having painted nails, full breasts and a child’s nappy in her bag – suggesting she was an adult. Years later, with the birth of the internet, factory worker Todd was able to reach out to cold case forums and present his findings. Todd said: “Eventually I saw a listing from a woman looking for her sister who was last seen in December 1967 in the area… I just knew.” After sharing notes, the pair managed to have the body exhumed in 1998. DNA testing identified the tragic find was the woman’s sister – Barbara Ann Hackmann Taylor. Rotting corpse in water tank   In 2013, Canadian student Elisa Lam‘s naked body was found floating in a water tank on the roof of a hotel in downtown Los Angeles. The chilling discovery was made after guests complained about the smell and taste of the water at the hotel. Authorities later released CCTV footage of her in the lift – shortly before the last time she was seen alive – which sparked a stream of online conspiracy theories. The video showed her acting erratically and appearing to gesture a lot whilst also trying to hide. Amateur sleuth John Lordan recalled: “People had all these wacky theories, one person said they saw a ghost in the elevator, another said it was someone in military camouflage gear. Some were extremely disrespectful.” It prompted him to create a YouTube video about the case, aiming to debunk some of the theories. As he investigated further, Lordan dug out legal documents from a wrongful death lawsuit filed against the hotel by Lam’s family and shared his findings with his followers. He also visited the hotel himself and found there were only two ways up to the roof – an outside fire escape and an indoor stairwell that was supposedly shut off with an alarmed door. John explained: “The story was that the hatch [on top of the water tank] was closed when she was found, so how did that get closed? It had to mean someone was up there and put her in there. “But when we got to the legal documentation, we learned the hatch was actually off. There was a deposition specifically from the guy that found her, he’d got up there and saw the hatch was removed.” Through John’s findings and video recreations, Lam’s death was eventually ruled accidental by a US court. Don’t F*** With Cats  Possibly the most well-known wide-scale armchair probe was by a group of cat lovers who brought down sick Canadian murderer Luka Magnotta. The twisted killer, then 30, had courted internet infamy by circulating videos of himself killing kittens – even feeding one to a python. In 2010, Magnotta horrifyingly shared another video of himself suffocating two kittens in a plastic bag using a vacuum cleaner. For the next 18 months, internet sleuths tracked his online activity, in a bid to track him down. But in 2012, his crime spree escalated and he murdered his lover Lin Jun, a 33-year-old computer engineering student from China, and released video online of himself killing Lin and abusing his corpse. The cat-loving sleuths helped police nail the sick torturer and, in 2014, he was found guilty of killing Jun Lin, dismembering his body and posting his hands and feet wrapped in pink tissue to schools and political parties. The extraordinary case went on to inspire the 2019 Netflix series Don’t F**K With Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer.  | ↑ |
NEMANJA MATIC has admitted to accidentally leaking his own Manchester United transfer in 2017. The midfielder joined the Red Devils from Chelsea in a GBP40million deal.   However, fans knew all about it before it was formally announced after a picture of Matic wearing his new United training shirt circulated on social media. During an appearance on the Red Devils’ UTD podcast last year, Matic revealed all about how it got out. And he let slip that it was all his own fault. He said: “It wasn’t ‘someone’… I took the picture! “I took it, obviously not to put it on social media, but because I have a [WhatsApp] group with 50 people, more or less, from my village [in Serbia]. “In that group are the guys I grew up with. “To be honest, they were texting every two minutes [to ask me] ‘Is the deal done? Did you sign?’ “For two days, I didn’t reply to anything. But that day, I woke up and saw 70 messages. CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS “They sent me reports from newspapers saying the deal was done. So I sent them a selfie.” Matic added: “I was doing the medical test then and of course, they probably sent it [the selfie] to some friends. The power of social media did the job.” The deal was eventually announced by Man United the day after his photo leaked. Matic went on to play 189 times for the Red Devils during his five years at Old Trafford. He scored four times, including their goal of the season in 2017/18 for an effort against Crystal Palace. He quit United in 2022 to once again link up with Mourinho, who also managed him at Chelsea, in Roma. Matic stayed there one season before heading to Rennes in France but he was on the move again last summer as he switched to Lyon, where he has made ten appearances this term. However, Matic has also dropped a number of other explosive bombshells about United since his departure. Matic then revealed how Paul Pogba and Jadon Sancho were often late to training. And, one season in particular during his time there, players racked up a whopping GBP75,000 in fines for lateness. United legend Gary Neville then took aim at Matic for breaching confidentiality. He claimed it was the “biggest betrayal in the dressing room” following his “unforgivable” interview.  | ↑ |
IRAN says it might reassess its stance on nuclear weapons in an apparent threat to build an atomic bomb amid soaring tensions with Israel. The country warned it may pursue a nuclear weapon – and use it to carry out revenge – if Israel strikes at its nuclear facilities.     
Israeli officials have promised to respond to Iran’s unprecedented attacks on Israel launched at the weekend, which followed the Israeli military’s suspected air strike on Tehran’s consulate in Syria. A senior commander of Iran’s feared Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Thursday that Israeli threats against Iran‘s nuclear facilities could lead Iran to review its “nuclear doctrine”. Iran has always maintained its nuclear program is strictly for peaceful purposes – but the country is considered to be on the “threshold” of becoming a nuclear power. Experts say Iran is capable of building a nuclear bomb from one of its “covert” sites in as little as six months. Ahmad Haghtalab, the commander of the IRGC unit responsible for protecting Iran’s nuclear sites, said Israel’s threats “against Iran’s nuclear facilities make it possible to revise and deviate from the declared nuclear policies and considerations,” Tasnim reports. Iran said after launching more than 300 drones, rockets, and missiles at Israel – most of which were intercepted, according to Israeli military – that its attack had been “completely successful”. But Israel has vowed to respond, with airstrikes against Iran’s nuclear sites a potential option for retaliation. Haghtalab said: “Through passive defence measures, highly advanced facilities and equipment, as well as the dispersion of our country’s nuclear facilities across Iran’s vast territory, we are ready to face any threat from [Israel].” The IRGC commander warned that an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities would be met with an Iranian strike on Israel’s nuclear sites, insisting “our fingers are on the trigger of firing strong missiles to destroy the designated targets”. He added : “If [Israel] wants to take action against our nuclear facilities, we will respond by attacking its nuclear sites using advanced weaponry.” Haghtalab’s chilling warning comes after senior ex-Mossad official Zohar Palti said Israel was considering striking Iran’s nuclear facilities as a retaliation option following Iran’s missile and drone attack. Iran’s formidable Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has rapidly expanded his country’s nuclear program in recent years. Nuclear weapons expert Kelsey Davenport warned that Iran is now “sitting on the threshold of nuclear weapons” and “can build a bomb more quickly than at any point in its history“. She said Tehran could have enough weapons-grade uranium for a nuclear bomb in as little as six months. Ms Davenport estimated Iran would need less than a week to build an explosive device and could produce five or six in just a month from its “covert, undeclared sites” – which include a secretive underground lab currently under development near Iran’s Zagros Mountains. 
   Iran's Nuclear Sites IRAN, a formidable and dangerous world power, is home to a number of nuclear sites. It is thought to have active nuclear sites, research reactors and uranium mines. Arak plant – satellite pictures of this plant near the Iranian town of Arak surfaced over 20 years ago. It contains a heavy-water reactor with plutonium that can be used for nuclear bombs. Bushehr nuclear power station – this power plant is a combination of Russian and German engineering. It’s nuclear reactor is operating at 100% power and the site is home to enriched uranium, used for nuclear bombs. Gachin uranium mine – home to uranium ore concentrate, or yellowcake, which can be transformed into enriched uranium ready for nuke bomb assembling. Isfahan conversion plant – yellowcake is converted here into three dangerous substances. Hexafluoride gase used in the enrichment process, uranium oxide used to fuel reactors and metal used in the cores of nuclear bombs. Natanz uranium enrichment plant – this is Iran’s largest enrichment base. It’s made up of three underground buildings and is closely watched by the international community. Parchin military site – south of Tehran, this site is focused on research and the production of ammo, rockets and explosives. Concerns have been raised that it is also used as part of Iran’s nuclear weapon development. Qom uranium enrichment plant – a heavily fortified and initially secret facility where Iran carries out uranium enrichment. | ↑ |
ENGLAND Lioness Georgia Stanway has hinted at a future career change after showing off her talent as a tattoo artist. The attacking midfielder, 25, is one of her country’s top stars.    Stanway scored twice as England won Euro 2022 and also helped them reached last year’s World Cup final. Having starred for Blackburn Rovers and Manchester City, she now plies her trade for German giants Bayern Munich. Stanway has 14 goals in 51 games since joining them nearly two years ago. However, the fan favourite has indicated she could eventually make a career change. Appearing on BBC Sport’s Out Of Office, budding tattoo artist Stanway was given the chance to do her first inking on another person. She was all smiles as she drew a broken vase on someone’s leg. And Stanway proved she has the skills to become a tattoo artist when she eventually gives up football. The ace revealed all on Instagram, captioning the snap: “Never have I experienced SO many emotions!” BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKER Fans were certainly impressed by Stanway’s skills. One said: “So, when are you taking appointments?”   Another declared: “If you need to practice I’m here.” One noted: “Is there anything you can’t do? Looks so good.” Another added: “Well done, looks amazing.” Georgia Stanway's career stats Those numbers in full:
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THE Premier League Darts is heading into the final weeks – and the competition is hotting up with Luke Littler, Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen battling for top spot. Last year, Van Gerwen was victorious after beating Gerwyn Price in a thrilling final, marking the Dutchman’s seventh time winning the competition.  Despite losing to MVG in the final, the Welshman topped the standings after 16 weeks of action with a whopping 39 points. Luke Littler is making his Premier League debut this season after taking the world of darts by storm. The teen sensation has been the talk of the nation since he reached the World Championship final back in January. But how is the 17-year-old star faring in the Premier League?  PREMIER LEAGUE DARTS TABLE: LATEST STANDINGS AS EIGHT STARS BATTLE FOR HUGE GBP275K PRIZE Premier League Darts tableThe Premier League Darts points system works as follows: The winner on the night gets five points, the runner-up three points, and the two losing semi-finalists receive two points. Here are the current standings after Night 11 in Birmingham: 1 Luke Littler – 26pts Premier League Darts fixtures & resultsNight One – Utilita Arena, Cardiff – Thursday, February 1 Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
Night Two – Mercedes-Benz Arena, Berlin – Thursday, February 8 Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
Night Three – OVO Hydro, Glasgow – Thursday, February 15 Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
Night Four – Utilita Arena, Newcastle – Thursday, February 22 Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
Night Five – Westpoint, Exeter – Thursday, February 29 Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
Night Six – The Brighton Centre – Thursday, March 7 Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
Night Seven – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham – Thursday, March 14 – QF
Semi-finals
Finals
Night Eight – 3Arena, Dublin – Thursday March 21 – QF
Semi-finals
Finals
Night Nine – SSE Arena, Belfast – Thursday, March 28 – QF
Semi-finals
Final
Night Ten – AO Arena, Manchester – Thursday, April 4 – QF
Semi-finals
Final
Night 11 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham – Thursday, April 11 – QF
Semi-finals
Final
Night 12 – Rotterdam Ahoy, Rotterdam – Thursday, April 18 – QF
Night 13 – M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool – Thursday, April 25 – QF
Night 14 – P&J Live, Aberdeen – Thursday, May 2 – QF
Night 15 – First Direct Arena, Leeds – Thursday, May 9 – QF
Night 16 – Utilita Arena, Sheffield – Thursday, May 16
Play-Offs – The O2, London – Thursday, May 23
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RONNIE O’SULLIVAN rates Crucible foe Jackson Page as the best young player in world snooker right now. The Rocket battles the Welshman – 26 years his junior – in the first round of the World Snooker Championship next Wednesday and Thursday.   Only once in 20 years has O’Sullivan, 48, lost his opening match at the Crucible and he will be overwhelming favourite to progress. Page, 22, is mentored by Class of 92 graduate Mark Williams and is regarded as someone to watch over the coming years. When SunSport spoke with O’Sullivan about the next generation of cueists, the Valleys potter was forefront of his mind. The world No.1 said: “Jackson Page has benefited from Mark Williams. He has played with Mark, having come through as a junior. “He’d have learned a lot. From being around him and picking balls out. Mark has sharpened him up. “I didn’t realise he was only about 22. He looks a lot older than that. “When I was told his age, I was like: ‘There you go, that’s what happens when you have someone young around someone so good.’ “Jackson is still learning the job. He’s probably the only one with that background and those experiences mean he’ll hit the ground running a lot earlier. “You look at people like Luca Brecel, a great talent, amazing, but look how long it took him to hit the ground. “Until the age of 26-27-28. Maybe 10 years of getting beaten and beaten. But because he’s so talented, he has obviously got there in the end. “Jackson Page has got to that point a little bit earlier. He was probably a little bit raw when he first turned pro, like we all are. “Well, apart from John Higgins who was a different style of player. But we have all had to rein it in. “Me, I had probably had to rein it in more than Mark and John because I was really ultra-aggressive. “But Jackson Page has learned. Now he’s looking like the complete player. I think he’s ready to win tournaments.” O’Sullivan is in the bottom half of the 32-man draw and if he wins over the best of 19 frames, he will face either Barry Hawkins or Ryan Day in round two. The way the seedings have worked this year is that Luca Brecel, as the defending champion, goes into the pot as No.1. This means O’Sullivan is on collision course with world No.2 Judd Trump in the last four. Back on the subject of youth, O’Sullivan reckons the sport is totally different to darts and someone like oche wonderkid Luke Littler – who is only 17 years old – cannot emerge and smash up the elite. O’Sullivan said: “Snooker is a different sport. There are a lot of in-between shots, a lot of touch-and-feel. Subtleties to the game.  “I don’t think there will be a Luke Littler on the snooker circuit. Maybe from China as they have these academies now. “Like 50-100 kids there, training day-in, day-out, getting good coaching. There could be some great young talent from China. “But over in the UK, we don’t have academies anymore, we don’t have snooker clubs, we don’t have a grassroots system where they play in junior, amateur or Pro-Am events. “That’s what me, John and Mark did. We were always playing in competitions from the age of 10-11. “I played Willie Thorne in Pro-Ams when I was 12 or 13. He might have beaten me but by 14, I had played enough top amateurs and pros that I eventually beat him. “So, in my mind, I was thought I had the game to compete with these guys. At the age of 14. “I was learning that trade. But there aren’t those opportunities now in the UK. “I used go to down to the snooker club. There were about 20-30 players who could make 147s and I’d learn off them. “Kids these days, they might have a room where they practise on their own but they aren’t up close, watching the likes of John Higgins.” World Snooker Championship draw 2024Here is the full draw for the Snooker World Championship: Luca Brecel v David Gilbert Robert Milkins v Pang Junxu Ali Carter v Stephen Maguire Shaun Murphy v Lyu Haotian Mark Selby v Joe O’Connor Kyren Wilson v Dominic Dale John Higgins v Jamie Jones Mark Allen v Robbie Williams Judd Trump v Hossein Vafaei Tom Ford v Ricky Walden Zhang Anda v Jak Jones Mark Williams v Si Jiahui Ding Junhui v Jack Lisowki Gary Wilson v Stuart Bingham Barry Hawkins v Ryan Day Ronnie O’Sullivan v Jackson Page
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A SINGLE mum reckons age gap relationships are the way to go – admitting she’d date someone 25 years older. Jessica Rampant, 36, has gone out with someone 20 years her senior before and found the experience far better than seeing a younger guy.   The model, from Glasgow, would now ideally only consider starting a relationship with a man who has more life experience than her. She told us: “I want to settle down with someone older, who has no issues with his baby mama. “A person who is successful but quietly confident, very worldly and intellectual. “Someone who can teach me a thing or two. “I’ve met many men who are 65, well kept, look after themselves and have impressive jobs. 60s is the new 40s.” She added: “I know lots of 60+ men, who have taken great care of themselves, still have a LOT of life in them and are extremely calming as they have been through the mill so their advice and treatment of you is invaluable. “I’m not talking about Winston from Still Game here though.” Meanwhile, a woman dubbed the world’s hottest grandma reckons every woman should date a toy boy at least once. Gina Stewart, 52, is a self-confessed cougar and loves the fact that younger men shower her with praise But she also sees plenty of other benefits to courting someone many years your junior. The Aussie social media star told us: “I think younger can be good sometimes, for women of a certain age. “It may be a lot of fun, younger men have amazing stamina and vitality. “They can be good for a middle aged woman who wants to feel much more alive. “I know lots of younger men also love older women. “So lessons can be learned from this type of relationship for both males and females. “But sometimes it’s not so good for a long term relationship in general – although some work perfectly.” | ↑ |
NICOLA Sturgeon’s husband Peter Murrell has been charged in connection with alleged embezzlement of funds from SNP finances. Cops confirmed the 59-year-old was taken into custody this morning and was questioned by detectives as part of the Operation Branchform investigation.     Officers later confirmed Mr Murrell, the party’s former chief executive, has been charged amid the probe after he’d been quizzed for more than nine hours. He was snapped as he left Falkirk Police in what’s thought to be a cop car. SNP bosses confirmed Mr Murrell has quit the party. A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “A 59-year-old man has today, Thursday, 18 April, 2024, been charged in connection with the embezzlement of funds from the Scottish National Party. “The man, who was arrested at 9.13am today and had previously been arrested as a suspect on 5 April, 2023, was charged at 6.35pm after further questioning by Police Scotland detectives investigating the funding and finances of the party. “A report will be sent to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in due course. “The man is no longer in police custody. As this investigation is ongoing we are unable to comment further. “The matter is active for the purposes of the Contempt of Court Act 1981 and the public are therefore advised to exercise caution if discussing it on social media.” Operation Branchform was launched in July 2021 after allegations were made to officers earlier that year about the fate of GBP600,000 of donations made to the party. The long-running inquiry saw Nicola Sturgeon and husband Peter Murrell arrested nearly two years later in 2023, along with SNP MSP and former long-time party treasurer Colin Beattie. The police probe was launched into what happened to cash raised between 2017 and 2019 for an indy referendum campaign. Mr Murrell was arrested and released pending further inquiries on April 5 last year after being quizzed by officers. Police carried out dramatic raids on Ms Sturgeon and ex-SNP chief exec Mr Murrell’s Glasgow home, as well as SNP HQ in Edinburgh. – the week after Ms Sturgeon was replaced by Humza Yousaf as First Minister. Officers were seen carrying out boxes of evidence during the search of Ms Sturgeon and Mr Murrell’s home, where a forensics tent was pitched in front of their house. They seized various items including a GBP110,000 Niesmann+Bischoff campervan from Mr Murrell’s mother’s house in Dunfermline. On April 18 last year, Mr Beattie was then arrested at his home in Eskbank, Dalkeith, and was also later released without charge pending further inquiries. Operation Branchform timeline
On June 11, Ms Sturgeon was arrested, questioned, and then later released without charge pending further inquiries. She strenuously denied any wrongdoing. In July, Police Scotland’s outgoing Chief Constable Sir Iain suggested Branchform’s scope had been widened and was looking into “potential embezzlement” and “misuse of funds”. We told in January how an update from the Crown Office revealed at that point no decision had been taken about whether charges should be brought – two-and-a-half years after the investigation began. Ms Sturgeon has repeatedly denied wrongdoing or that the probe had anything to do with her announcing her resignation in February 2023. Scottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy said: “The announcement that Peter Murrell has been charged by Police Scotland is an extremely serious development in the investigation into the SNP’s finances. “As the police probe continues, it is now more important than ever that all SNP staff and politicians, past and present, fully cooperate. “The investigation, which has been going on for three years, appears to be reaching a conclusion and the SNP must commit to being fully open and transparent in this critical phase.” Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: “This is another incredibly concerning development in this long-running investigation. “It is essential that Police Scotland is able to proceed with this investigation without interference.” Mr Murrell ignored questions from the gathered media outside his home as he returned as he returned around 8.10pm. A spokesperson for the SNP said: “While this development will come as a shock, the police investigation remains ongoing and it would, therefore, be inappropriate to make any comment.” And Nats bosses also confirmed Mr Murrell has resigned his SNP membership. The First Minister’s official spokesman declined to comment. | ↑ |
A FASHION fanatic has urged people to run to Zara to pick up a GBP19.99 top – insisting it’s the perfect dupe for a GBP340 designer version. Ellie Butler is queen of the high street hauls and regularly picks up gems in the likes of Primark, H&M and even Sainsbury’s.   In a recent shopping spree, she bagged a selection of dresses, shorts and shirts from Zara that will be perfect for the warmer weather. But the blonde beauty – the girlfriend of Celtic’s Liam Shaw, currently on loan at Wigan Athletic – is most full of praise for a “gorgeous” one-shouldered knit top with a front knot detail on the sleeve. The size 10 fashionista, who is 5ft 7, picked up the ribbed asymmetric stone coloured top – which comes in XS-L – in a medium. She gushed: “This is gorgeous. Oh my God I’m actually in love with it. “It’s so comfortable, I think it’s so flattering. I can’t get over this detail. “It’s not see-through, I’ve not got a bra on. “I love this like neck/shoulder detail. I’m obsessed with this, I actually can’t cope. “Run for this top, GBP19.99. You pay that for a vest top, just a plain one.” No stranger to designer labels, footie WAG Ellie also insisted that her bargain buy is the perfect dupe for a GBP340 designer version by LA-based Cult Gaia, the Trista knit top. She added: “This is giving Cult Gaia, this is giving ‘this was a GBP250 top’. “But it was GBP19.99. “The quality is incredible. Just look at this look at the sleeve detail, this is Cult Gaia.” Elsewhere in store, our fashion team have spotted the perfect satin midi dress – it’s plus-size friendly and snatches in your waist. While there are countless items to choose from, the Fabulous desk have fallen in love with the GBP35.99 frock. With its ruched cowl neckline, twisted armholes and chic silhouette, the Satin Midi Dress will be a staple of your wardrobe for years to come. It’s not hard to understand why as the Zara dress has a gathered waist and side panels, which will highlight your curves while still being understated. The sleeveless gown is also made from lightweight polyester, so it is perfect for those hazy summer days. Even better, it is machine washable and will be ready to wear at short notice. | ↑ |
SUN Racing takes on Friday’s action certain of hammering in a few winners. Back a horse at the best price by clicking their odds below. LONGSHOT HASHTAG BOUM (2.20 Ayr) He won well at Market Rasen before another solid effort at Haydock last time. He relishes this trip on soft ground. THIEF BOSH (2.12 Newbury) He has been flying on the all-weather and has winning form over trip and track. METIER (3.45 Newbury) He won the Chester Cup last year and likes some cut in the ground. Templegate’s tipsFREE BETS – GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERSCommercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. Begambleaware.orgRemember to gamble responsiblyA responsible gambler is someone who:
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