HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER PLAYOFFS

SATURDAY’S RESULTS

SOUTHERN SECTION

GIRLS

SECOND ROUND

OPEN DIVISION

Pool Play

#1 Santa Margarita 2, #8 Corona Santiago 1 (Santa Margarita advances on aggregate)

#4 Oaks Christian 4, #5 Palos Verdes 2 (Oaks Christian advances on aggregate)

#3 Mater Dei 5, #6 Huntington Beach 0 (Mater Dei advances on aggregate)

#2 Redondo Union 0, #7 JSerra 0 (Redondo Union advances on aggregate)

DIVISION 1

Westlake 2, El Dorado 1

Rosary Academy 2, Great Oak 0

Orange Lutheran 4, San Juan Hills 0

Newport Harbor 1, Moorpark 0

Eastvale Roosevelt 2, Edison 1

Etiwanda 2, Anaheim Canyon 1

Harvard-Westlake 1, Garden Grove Pacifica 0

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 1, Capistrano Valley 0

DIVISION 2

Ayala 4, Beckman 0

Saugus 2, Temecula Valley 0

Portola 1, Crean Lutheran 0

San Marino 3, Rancho Cucamonga 0

Millikan 1, St. Genevieve 0

Warren 1, La Habra 1 (Warren wins 4-3 in shootout)

Alta Loma 0, Riverside King 0 (Alta Loma wins 3-2 in shootout)

Bonita 2, La Serna 1 (OT)

DIVISION 3

Valencia 1, La Mirada 0

Crescenta Valley 2, Oxnard 1

La Salle 1, Fullerton 0

Paloma Valley 1, South Hills 0

Quartz Hill 3, Sage Hill 2

La Canada 2, Costa Mesa 2 (La Canada wins 4-2 in shootout)

Flintridge Prep 4, Santa Monica 1

Simi Valley 2, Citrus Valley 0

DIVISION 4

Patriot 1, Monrovia 0

San Jacinto 2, Katella 0

Granite Hills 2, Temescal Canyon 1

Arcadia 2, Shadow Hills 2 (Arcadia wins 5-4 in shootout)

Laguna Hills 1, Tahquitz 0

Immaculate Heart at Redlands East Valley

Chino 1, Yucaipa 0

Arlington 1, Apple Valley 0

DIVISION 5

Anaheim 1, Ramona 0

Artesia 1, Channel Islands 0

Grand Terrace 2, Rancho Verde 1

Coachella Valley 1, Carpinteria 0

La Palma Kennedy 1, Santa Paula 0

Sultana 2, Lakewood 1

Del Sol 1, Cerritos Valley Christian 1 (Del Sol wins 5-3 in shootout)

Alemany 3, El Rancho 2

DIVISION 6

Adelanto 2, Beverly Hills 1

Ocean View 3, Desert Hot Springs 2

St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 1, Norte Vista 0

Palmdale Aerospace Academy 3, Mark Keppel 1

Arroyo Valley 4, Hemet 0

Segerstrom 3, Riverside Prep 0

Mayfair 2, Thacher 1

Grace 1, St. Monica 0

DIVISION 7

Nuview Bridge 2, Desert Mirage 0

Savanna vs. de Toledo, 2:30 p.m. Monday at Whitsett Soccer Complex

Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 2, Animo Leadership 1

Ganesha 4, South El Monte 3

Cate 3, Desert Christian Academy 0

Santa Rosa Academy 1, Saddleback 0

San Gabriel 2, Pasadena Marshall 1

Azusa 5, Oakwood 0

DIVISION 8

CAMS vs. Shalhevet, Monday at Mar Vista Recreation Center

Mountain View 3, Hawthorne MSA 1

Milken 5, Vistamar 0

Buckley 1, Indian Springs 0

Environmental Charter 2, Rosemead 0

Big Bear 5, Bishop Conaty Loreto 0

Miller 3, Downey Calvary Chapel 1

Webb 3, Vasquez 0

Note: Quarterfinals Feb. 18; Semifinals Feb. 21; Finals Feb. 27 or 28.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed hope for United States-brokered peace talks with Russia next week, but warned that Kyiv was being asked “too often” to make concessions and pressed his allies for “clear security guarantees”.

Zelenskyy’s speech at the annual Munich Security Conference on Saturday came as US President Donald Trump seeks to broker a deal to end Europe’s biggest war since 1945.

Ukraine and Russia, which ⁠invaded its neighbour in February 2022, have engaged in two recent rounds of talks mediated by Washington in Abu Dhabi, UAE, described by the parties as constructive but achieving no breakthroughs.

The three sides are due to sit down in Geneva, Switzerland, again this week.

In his speech, Zelenskyy said he hoped the trilateral talks in Geneva on Tuesday and Wednesday “will be serious, substantive” and “helpful for all of us”.

“But honestly, sometimes it feels like the sides are talking about completely different things,” Zelenskyy said.

“The Americans often return to the topic of concessions, and too often those concessions are discussed only in the context of Ukraine, not Russia,” he said.

The Ukrainian leader also argued that there would be a greater chance of ending the war if European countries had a seat at the negotiating table, something Moscow has opposed.

“Europe is practically not present at the table. It’s a big mistake to my mind,” he said. And Ukraine, he said, “keeps returning to one simple point”.

“Peace can only be built on clear security guarantees. Where there is no clear security system, war always returns,” Zelenskyy said.

Among the most contentious issues in the negotiations is Russia’s demand for a full withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the remaining parts of Ukraine’s eastern region of Donetsk that it still controls. Ukraine has rejected a unilateral pullback, while also demanding Western security guarantees to deter Russia from relaunching its invasion if a ceasefire is reached.

Zelenskyy, in remarks to reporters, said the US had proposed a security guarantee lasting for 15 years after the war, but Ukraine wanted a deal for 20 years or longer. He added that Putin opposes the deployment of foreign troops in Ukraine, as it would deter any future aggression by Russia.

Zelenskyy said Russia had to accept a ceasefire monitoring ‌mission ‌and an exchange of prisoners of war. He estimated that Russia currently has about 7,000 Ukrainian soldiers, while Kyiv has more than 4,000 Russian personnel.

He also acknowledged feeling “a little bit” of pressure from Trump, who on Friday urged him not to miss the “opportunity” to make peace and told him “to get moving”. Zelenskyy also called for greater action from Ukraine’s allies to press Russia into making peace, both in the form of tougher sanctions and more weapons supplies.

Trump has the power to force Putin to declare a ceasefire and ‌needs to do so, Zelenskyy said. Ukrainian officials have said a ceasefire is required to hold a referendum on any peace deal, which would be organised alongside national elections.

Zelenskyy also expressed surprise at Russia’s decision to change its delegation to the Geneva talks and said it suggested to ⁠him that Russia wanted to delay any decisions from being agreed.

The Kremlin had said the Russian delegation would be led by Putin’s adviser Vladimir Medinsky, a change from negotiations in Abu Dhabi, where military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov was in the lead. Ukrainian officials have criticised Medinsky’s handling of previous talks, accusing him of delivering history ⁠lessons to the Ukrainian team instead of engaging in constructive negotiations.

In his main speech at the Munich event, Zelenskyy also denounced Putin as a “slave to war”.

He drew parallels between the current talks and the 1938 Munich Agreement, when European powers let Hitler take part of the erstwhile Czechoslovakia, only for World War II to break out the following year.

“It would be an illusion to believe that this war can now be reliably ended by dividing Ukraine, just as it was an illusion to believe that sacrificing Czechoslovakia would save Europe from a great war,” he warned.

Arsenal‘s players rotate positions to make it difficult for opponents to pick them up. They aim to maintain the balance of the side while playing in this fluid manner. Zubimendi, like the others, vacates his position based on the movements of team-mates.

By dropping into a deep position against Chelsea, Bukayo Saka opened up space on the right flank to allow Zubimendi to push into this area. Rice, the far-side midfielder, filled in at defensive midfield, ensuring Arsenal‘s shape remained similar, only with different players arriving in each zone.

It is unusual to see a defensive midfielder make such adventurous runs off the ball but it appears to be the next step on from the more popular use of roaming full-backs, such as Riccardo Calafiori, Nuno Mendes and Marc Cucurella.

The logic is that the players often tasked with marking defensive players are unlikely to defend them as closely. Finding defensive players who possess attacking quality to contribute in the final third is a rarity but Zubimendi has the skillset to punish teams in this way.

Defences set up in a low block will often drop even deeper when faced with a winger or forward trying to run in-behind. It leads to space opening up in front of the defence, rather than in the box.

Arsenal spend large parts of the game looking to unlock deep defences. This allows Zubimendi to arrive into a position to receive a pass, without being picked up, before executing on the idea he has in his head immediately. This could be a precise through ball or a dinked chip over the top – riskier passes that pose new questions for deep defences.

Alternatively, when Zubimendi sits at the base of midfield, Rice is free to push up and rotate with the attackers, knowing there is protection behind him.

And the England man will likely feel safe to play freely after seeing his 5ft 9in team-mate beat 6ft 6in Newcastle striker Nick Woltemade to a header earlier this season.

Meanwhile, Zubimendi’s willingness to shoot from distance provided Arsenal with the much-needed opening goal against Nottingham Forest and Sunderland, after which more space opened up for the Gunners with their opposition forced to play more adventurously.

Arteta said “if the space is not in one place, it will be somewhere else” – and against deep defences, long shots have become an increasingly viable tactic this season.

Signing Zubimendi, therefore, could not have been more timely.

“A generation ago, midlife might have been a bit of a snore, right? You have your job you’re going to be in for your whole career. You have your house in the suburbs … I don’t think established adulthood is that established anymore,” author Emily Nemens told me from her home in Princeton, N.J., before heading out on a cross-country book tour. “It’s much more pressurized and uncertain.”

This is the foundation of the former Paris Review editor’s sweeping and exquisite sophomore novel, “Clutch,” which features an ensemble cast of five women — all 40, give or take, and longtime friends — who reunite in Palm Springs, each at their own trying crossroads.

Nemens is no stranger to writing group dynamics; her critically acclaimed debut novel, “The Cactus League,” is structured in interlinked stories. She wrote it while juggling a distinguished career at literary quarterlies and making a name for herself as an artist. In the 2010s, her watercolor portraits of U.S. congresswomen went viral for their commentary on political portraiture and the “power suit.” At the time, women made up only 17% of Congress. Her new work also draws on politics — “Clutch” is set in an era shaped by the Dobbs decision and the state of women’s health in America.

The Times talked to Nemens about favoring friendship on the page, bodily autonomy and her influences including California artist Wayne Thiebaud — whose painting “Supine Woman” is featured on the cover of her novel.

This Q&A was edited for length and clarity.

When did the idea for “Clutch” first come to you?

I went to Palm Springs with my girlfriends. The dynamics, the friction of getting people together who love each other a lot but haven’t seen each other for quite a long time was eventful and felt like something to write about.

On your inspiration for the novel: You’ve previously mentioned Mary McCarthy’s novel “The Group,” which has also been cited as a precursor to “Sex and the City.” How far have we come since “The Group” was published in 1963? How about “Sex and the City” in the late ‘90s? “

McCarthy was writing in the ‘50s and ‘60s about the ‘30s and “The Group” was meant to highlight all the progress women had (and hadn’t) made in this new society, new economy, new technologies, birth controls coming on. There’s a certain amount of new liberation that came purportedly in the ‘30s, purportedly in the ‘60s, purportedly in the ‘90s. I mean, progress is certainly being made. You and I can get birth control and have our own credit cards, but there’s also a lot of things that don’t feel great. A reigning plotline in “Clutch” is about reproductive freedom in Texas in the 2020s and just how devastating that was for so many people who care about bodily autonomy, and that doesn’t feel very different than it did in the 1930s.

“Clutch” puts a cast of millennial girlfriends front and center.

Yeah, I’ve read a lot of books I admire about singular protagonists. A woman rebelling from a marriage or striking out from the role of motherhood or otherwise trying to find meaning. These novels about a singular quest. And I just kept coming up against that and thought: What happens when you try to build the infrastructure of friendships on the page?

We get intimate access to each of these five women — a writer, litigator, ENT physician, an actor turned politician and a consultant turned caretaker. All of them live in various parts of the country, including California, Texas and New York. It must have been hard to balance so many perspectives, plotlines and an omniscient narrator on top of it all.

I broke a lot of rules with that third ping-ponging perspective. Sometimes perspectives shift within a page, within a scene, moving rapidly and gleefully between points of view, and using that omniscient voice to steer us around — that was fun. I was cognizant of balance and understanding the lazy-Susan of it. Making sure I was spinning all the way around the table and touching each piece in each storyline.

Why midlife?

I love a bildungsroman as a novel conceit and as a framing device. But, sometimes, moving beyond that realization of the adult you want to be and actually being that adult is harder and more complicated and maybe more interesting, at least as I am and perceive it right now.

You’ve worked as an editor in some of the literary world’s most prestigious posts, notably at the Paris Review. Do you miss it since pivoting toward your own writing and teaching?

Making magazines was a thrill and a gift and exhausting. In that order. Not every editor is quite as catholic with a little c, as ecumenical, as excited about such a range of writing as I am. I wanted to see not one style of writing, but a broad range of writing that I felt had both ambition and execution.

One of the things that’s hard about being an editor, particularly an acquiring editor, is how often you have to say no. As a teacher now, I never say no. I say “yes.” Instead, I ask: What else can this be doing? That attitude adjustment is glorious.

Back to “Clutch,” what does female friendship mean to you? Do you see your friends’ qualities in these five women?

Female friendship has been such a gift. I don’t have children, I have a really supportive partner and I have this wonderful, creative professional life, but I can’t imagine it without my friends. There are certainly flints of autobiography and different friends in different characters — they’ve read it and liked it, and if they saw themselves, they were pleasant about it.

Tell me about the painting on the cover of the book. It really speaks to what these women are going through.

Getting the rights to the painting was a real coup! It’s called “Supine Woman” by Wayne Thiebaud. It was painted in 1963 — its own little Easter egg is that it came out the same year as “The Group.”

It depicts a woman dressed all in white who is lying on the floor. You’d assume from the pose that she’s sleeping, except her eyes are wide open, and in this frightened or startled expression. To me, it’s indicative of what the women in “Clutch” are going through. This is that moment right after you get knocked down, right before you get up again and that emotional tenor proceeds for a lot of the novel.

Lancaster is a London-based writer of fiction, fashion editorial and screenplays.

The Mirror’s data team has crunched the numbers and found where in the country has the highest concentration of pubs – see if your hometown has made the cut in our rankings

The pub capital of the UK has been crowned, and it’s a beautiful part of the country with cosy inns and rolling hills.

It’s been a rough year for the pub trade. Many are facing increasingly tricky futures. A report by UK Hospitality has warned that six venues will close every day this year without support – a total of more than 2,000. That far outstrips the 378 that closed in 2025, according to the Institute for Licensing. The British Beer and Pub Association worries pubs will need to sell an extra 1.3 billion pints of beer a year to offset surging taxes.

However, as gloomy as the overall picture is, there are still thousands of incredible pubs across the country, and areas where the trade is, if not booming, then thriving in a relative sense.

The Mirror’s data team has crunched the numbers and found that the drinkers in the Derbyshire Dales are more well stocked with pubs than anywhere else in England and Wales. The rural council has a total of 152 pubs and bars within its borders, according to our analysis of government data.

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That works out as the equivalent of 25 for every 10,000 adults living there.

That’s the highest rate for any local authority in England and Wales, excluding two areas where extremely low population numbers skew the figures – the City of London (188 pubs and bars, equivalent to 132 per 10,000 adults) and the Isles of Scilly (six pubs, equivalent to 29 per 10,000).

Westminster has the next highest number of pubs relative to its drinking-age population. The London borough’s 407 boozers works out as 23 for every 10,000 resident adults.

Powys also has 23 per 10,000 adults with a total of 259 pubs.

That’s followed by Pembrokeshire with 21 per 10,000 adults, then four council areas with 18 pubs for every 10,000 adults – Westmorland and Furness, North Yorkshire, Gwynedd and Ceredigion.

You can see how many pubs there are for every 10,000 adults in each council area in the country by using our interactive map.

London councils fill the top 10 list of areas with the most pubs relative to their geographic size.The City of London’s 188 pubs and bars works out as the equivalent of 169 for every square mile (with the area famously known as “the Square Mile” being slightly larger than a square mile).

Westminster’s 407 pubs is equivalent to 49 every square mile. In Islington, there are 40 pubs every square mile, while in both Camden there are 29, in Hackney 22 and in both Kensington and Chelsea and Hammersmith and Fulham there are 20 every square mile.

Liverpool has the highest density of pubs outside of London. The city’s 502 boozers works out as nearly 12 for every square mile, the 11th highest ratio in England and Wales.

Manchester’s 432 pubs work out at nearly 10 per square mile. Portsmouth’s 139 pubs are nine per square mile, Blackpool’s 114 pubs are also nine per square mile, Norwich’s 127 are eight per square mile, as are Brighton’s 244 pubs and Bristol’s 321.

Wales and England’s 25 pub capitals

1. Derbyshire Dales
2. Westminster
3. Powys
4. Pembrokeshire
5. North Yorkshire
6. Westmorland and Furness
7. Gwynedd
8. Ceredigion
9. Carmarthenshire
10. Staffordshire Moorlands
11. South Hams
12. Denbighshire
13. Monmouthshire
14. North Devon
15. Cotswold
16. East Lindsey
17. West Devon
18. High Peak
19. Malvern Hills
20. Herefordshire, County of
21. Shropshire
22. Isle of Anglesey
23. Calderdale
24. Great Yarmouth
25. Amber Valley

The ancient settlement of Chiavenna, in Lombardy, near Italy’s border with Switzerland, was once well known among travellers. “Lovely Chiavenna … mountain peaks, huge boulders, with rippling miniature torrents and lovely young flowers … and grassy heights with rich Spanish chestnuts,” wrote George Eliot in 1860.

Eliot wasn’t the only writer to rhapsodise about this charming town. Edith Wharton described it as “fantastically picturesque … an exuberance of rococo”. For Mary Shelley it was “paradise … glowing in rich and sunny vegetation”, while Goethe described it as “like a dream”.

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS

SATURDAY’S RESULTS

CITY SECTION

GIRLS

QUARTERFINALS

DIVISION I

#1 El Camino Real 45, #9 Garfield 28

#4 Eagle Rock 50, #5 Arleta 34

#3 San Pedro 47, #6 Grant 38

#2 Granada Hills Kennedy 53, #7 Verdugo Hills 41

DIVISION II

#1 Harbor Teacher 58, #8 Larchmont Charter 19

#5 West Adams 30, #4 Triumph Charter 27

#3 Santee 43, #11 South East 38

#2 North Hollywood 51, #7 New West Charter 49

DIVISION III

#8 Diego Rivera at #1 Washington Prep

#4 LA Marshall 47, #5 Sun Valley Poly 20

#3 San Fernando 44, #11 Animo Robinson 30

#2 Gardena 40, #7 Crenshaw 24

Note: Semifinals Feb. 21; Finals Feb. 27-28.

SECOND ROUND

DIVISION IV

#1 Maywood CES 36, #16 Huntington Park 33

#9 Smidt Tech 31, #8 Magnolia Science Academy 25

#12 Wilmington Banning 52, #5 Foshay 20

#13 Lincoln 42, #4 LA Wilson 37

#19 Franklin at #3 WISH Academy

#11 Bravo 39, #6 Marquez 35

#10 Panorama 61, #7 Contreras 31

#18 South Gate 48, #2 Sun Valley Magnet 38

DIVISION V

#1 LA Roosevelt 33, #17 Horace Mann UCLA 19

#9 Los Angeles at #8 Camino Nuevo

#12 Discovery at #5 Torres

#20 Sotomayor 39, #4 Chavez 25

#3 Vaughn 40, #14 Animo Bunche 19

#11 Monroe 57, #6 Lake Balboa College Prep 26

#10 Port of LA 54, #7 Aspire Ollin 33

#18 East College Prep at #2 Legacy

Note: Quarterfinals Feb. 19; Semifinals Feb. 21; Finals Feb. 27-28.

SOUTHERN SECTION

GIRLS

SECOND ROUND

OPEN DIVISION

Pool A

#9 Rancho Christian 73, #8 JSerra 71

Pool B

#10 Fairmont Prep 63, #7 Lakewood St. Joseph 51

Pool C

#11 Oak Park 67, #6 Corona Centennial 44

Pool D

#4 Mater Dei 52, #12 Redondo Union 45

Note: Third round pool play games Feb. 18 at higher seeds; Quarterfinals Feb. 21; Semifinals Feb. 24; Finals Feb. 28 at Toyota Arena.

DIVISION 1

#1 Ventura 50, Bishop Montgomery 40

Windward 64, #8 Flintridge Prep 49

#5 Valencia 81, Mira Costa 56

Troy 61, #4 Brentwood 48

#3 Moreno Valley 69, St. Bonaventure 39

#6 Orange Lutheran 55, Marlborough 48

#7 Villa Park 58, Santa Margarita 45

#2 La Salle 48, St. Anthony 42

DIVISION 2

Portola 44, #1 Glendora 34

#9 Saugus 57, Heritage 50

312 Summit 47, #5 Yucaipa 34

Camarillo 54, #4 Rancho Cucamonga 42

#3 Crescenta Valley 56, #14 Chino Hills 34

#11 San Clemente 72, Rolling Hills Prep 59

Dos Pueblos 52, #7 San Juan Hills 45

#2 Rosary Academy 63, Riverside King 50

DIVISION 3

Murrieta Valley 64, #1 Lynwood 61

#8 St. Monica 78, Arcadia 57

#12 Trabuco Hills 58, #5 Segerstrom 45

#4 Oxnard 37, #13 Aliso Niguel 34

#14 Mark Keppel 54, El Modena 31

#6 Leuzinger 72, #11 Shadow Hills 66

#7 St. Margaret’s 65, #10 Riverside Poly 34

Canyon Country Canyon 54, #2 Wiseburn-Da Vinci 39

DIVISION 4

#1 Long Beach Jordan 36, Lancaster 32

#9 La Canada 41, #8 Yorba Linda 27

#5 Eastside 42, Gabrielino 23

Anaheim Canyon 39, Knight 26

#3 El Dorado 64, #14 Ontario 29

#6 Long Beach Wilson 56, Westlake 49

#7 Pasadena Poly 66, Shalhevet 44

#2 Marina 54, #15 Holy Martyrs 47

DIVISION 5

#16 Sunny Hills 48, #1 Tesoro 19

#9 Bishop Diego 55, Fullerton 44

Torrance 53, #5 Fountain Valley 26

#13 Godinez 50, Heritage Christian 41

Whitney 40, #3 Santa Ana Foothill 33

Oakwood at YULA

#7 Burbank Burroughs 51, #10 Culver City 23

Carter 45, #2 Western Christian 42

DIVISION 6

#16 San Jacinto 65, #1 Carpinteria 43

Immaculate Heart 44, #9 Costa Mesa 39

Savanna 41, #5 Redlands 28

#4 Palm Desert 45, #13 Santa Monica 29

Hillcrest 52, #14 Notre Dame Academy 20

Rowland 57, #11 Liberty 41

#10 Sante Fe 48, #7 Hart 23

Warren 41, Silver Valley 39

DIVISION 7

#16 Foothill Tech 55, #1 Fillmore 35

Laguna Hills 45, Capistrano Valley Christian 40

#12 Rosemead 54, Desert Christian Academy 42

Patriot 74, Villanova Prep 40

#3 Canoga Park AGBU 45, #14 Nogales 44

Ridgecrest Burroughs 45, #6 Barstow 21

La Palma Kennedy 47, Long Beach Poly 46

Cajon 42, Garden Grove 25

DIVISION 8

Yucca Valley 61, #1 Cobalt 44

University Prep 45, #8 Norwalk 39

Orange 44, #12 Coachella Valley 40

#13 Riverside Notre Dame 51, #4 Santa Ana Valley 45

#14 Schurr 49, Mesa Grande Academy 23

#6 CAMS 49, #11 South El Monte 42

#10 Chadwick 47, #7 Victor Valley 44

#15 Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 57, #2 Riverside North 35

DIVISION 9

#16 Vista del Lago 44, #1 NOVA Academy Early College 18

#8 Santa Clarita Christian 53, #9 Victor Valley Christian 34

#5 Channel Islands 37, #12 Jurupa Hills 31

Desert Hot Springs 48, #4 Temple City 37

La Sierra 46, Faith Baptist 38

#6 Redlands Adventist 55, #11 Newport Christian 32

#10 Sierra Vista 48, #7 San Gabriel 32

Western 48, Santa Maria Valley Christian 38

(Quarterfinals Feb. 18; Semifinals Feb. 21; Finals Feb. 27 or 28)

“In the interest of the country, we must remain united.” Bangladeshi Prime Minister-in-waiting Tarique Rahman urged opposition parties to work with the incoming BNP government after its landslide victory in the first elections since Sheikh Hasina’s ouster.

Medical sources say Israeli forces killed five Palestinians in southern Khan Younis and four in northern al-Faluja.

Israeli forces have killed at least nine Palestinians in new attacks across Gaza, in yet another violation of the United States-brokered “ceasefire” in October, according to medical sources.

The attacks on Sunday came as the Israeli military launched several attacks on southern Lebanon, targeting what it called warehouses used by the Hezbollah armed group.

In Gaza, a source at the Nasser Hospital told Al Jazeera Israeli forces killed at least five Palestinians in the southern city of Khan Younis.

The attack took place beyond the so-called “yellow line”, where Israeli troops are stationed in Gaza, the source added.

The other four Palestinians were killed when Israeli forces attacked a tent for displaced people in the al-Faluja area of northern Gaza, a source at al-Shifa Hospital said.

There was no immediate comment from Israel.

The Israeli military, however, said in a statement early on Sunday that it struck a building in an unspecified part of northern Gaza shortly after several armed fighters entered the structure.

At least two of the fighters were killed, it said.

The Israeli military also said it killed another person in Gaza on Sunday who allegedly crossed the yellow line and posed “an immediate threat” to its forces there.

It did not provide evidence for its claims.

In Lebanon, the Israeli military said it struck warehouses used by Hezbollah for storing weapons and launchers in the southern parts of the country.

The Israeli military and Hezbollah, which began attacks on northern Israel in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza in 2023, agreed to a ceasefire in November 2024.

There was no immediate comment from Lebanon on Sunday’s attacks.

According to authorities in Gaza and Lebanon, the Israeli military continues to launch near-daily attacks despite agreeing to halt the fighting.

In Gaza, Israel has violated the US-brokered “ceasefire” more than 1,500 times since it came into effect on October 10. At least 591 people have been killed and 1,590 wounded since then.

In addition to the near-daily killing of Palestinians, Israel also severely restricts quantities of food, medicine, medical supplies, shelter materials and prefabricated houses from entering Gaza, where some 2 million Palestinians – including 1.5 million displaced – live in catastrophic conditions.

Israel launched its genocidal war on Gaza on October 8, 2023, with support from the US, killing 72,032 people, wounding some 171,661, and destroying 90 percent of the territory’s infrastructure.

The United Nations estimates it could cost more than $70bn to rebuild Gaza.

In Lebanon, the Israeli military launched more than 10,000 air and ground attacks in the year since it agreed to halt hostilities, according to the UN.

The organisation’s rights office said in November last year that it verified at least 108 civilian casualties from Israeli attacks since the ceasefire, including at least 21 women and 16 children.

At least 11 Lebanese civilians were also abducted by Israeli forces during that time period, the office said.

In its opening credits, Oscar-winning director Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights” self-identifies as “based on the novel by Emily Brontë.”

Yet as Fennell has proved in a slew of interviews about the already polemical film, released Friday, the relationship between Brontë’s Gothic epic and its latest adaptation is more complicated than that.

Penned by a young female author perpetually adrift in the dark world of fantasy, “Wuthering Heights” is a transgressive novel today and was exponentially more so at the time of its publication in 1847. Its protagonists are vengeful, and its romances — including Catherine Earnshaw (Cathy) and Heathcliff’s — are ridden with violence, both psychological and physical. While Fennell’s film anchors itself in Brontë’s narrative landscape, it also takes creative liberties in service of approximating the director’s personal experience reading it as a teen.

Whereas Brontë’s novel contains “mere glimmers of physical intimacy,” Fennell’s picture is erotic, laden with steamy scenes inserted from the director’s imagination.

“They’re part of the book of my head,” Fennell recently told The Times. “I think they’re part of the book of all of our heads.”

Some book purists beg to differ with Fennell’s interpretation. Well in advance of the film’s release, the director was criticized for casting her former “Saltburn” collaborator Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff, who is repeatedly described throughout Brontë’s novel as non-white. Brontë fans have also accused the director of reducing a complex work rife with social critique into a popcorn romance.

Perhaps anticipating such backlash, Fennell in a recent interview with Fandango explained her decision to enclose the film’s title in quotation marks, saying, “You can’t adapt a book as dense and complicated and difficult as this book.”

“I can’t say I’m making ‘Wuthering Heights.’ It’s not possible,” the director said. “What I can say is I’m making a version of it.”

Here are seven ways Fennell’s interpretation of “Wuthering Heights” differs from its source material.

Fennell’s Heathcliff is white

Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights” leaves Heathcliff’s racial identity ambiguous, with characters referring to him as a “gipsy brat,” “lascar” and “Spanish castaway” at different points throughout the novel. But one thing is clear: He is not white.

As the Lousiana State Unversity professor Elsie Michie writes in the academic journal article, “From Simianized Irish to Oriental Despots: Heathcliff, Rochester and Racial Difference,” Heathcliff’s racial othering is how “he becomes, for others, a locus of both fear and desire.” In other words, Heathcliff’s role in the novel, and thus his fraught romance with Cathy, is predicated upon his non-white identity.

Fennell’s film instead relies on class differences — and a meddling Nelly (to be discussed later) — to form the rift between its love interests.

Cathy’s brother dies young

When Mr. Earnshaw presents a young Cathy with her companion-to-be early in the film, she declares that she will name him Heathcliff, “after my dead brother.”

For the remainder of the film, Brontë’s character Hindley Earnshaw is subsumed into Mr. Earnshaw. Rather than Hindley, it is Mr. Earnshaw who devolves into the drunk gambling addict whose vices force him to cede Wuthering Heights to Heathcliff. Mr. Earnshaw’s abuse of young Heathcliff in the film makes the latter’s revenge plot more personal than his book counterpart’s against Hindley.

Cathy meets Edgar Linton as an adult

In Brontë’s novel, Cathy and Heathcliff first encounter their neighbors, the Lintons, after an outdoor escapade gone awry. Cathy gets bitten in the ankle by an aggressive dog and stays at the Lintons’ for a few weeks to heal.

Cathy sustains a similar injury in the film, but this time, she’s an adult woman, who falls from the Thrushcross Grange garden wall after attempting to spy on its grown residents Edgar and Isabella. (In the book, the two are siblings. Here, Isabella is referred to as Edgar’s “ward.”)

Aside from providing some comic relief, Fennell’s revision also fast-tracks the marriage plot that severs Cathy and Heathcliff.

Nelly is a meddler, and a spiteful one

Whereas Brontë writes Nelly as a largely passive narrator, Fennell abandons the frame narrative structure altogether and instead fashions the housekeeper into a complex character with significant control over Cathy’s life.

It is she who ensures Heathcliff overhears Cathy as she laments how marrying him would degrade her, causing him to flee Wuthering Heights and leave Cathy to marry Edgar. Nelly’s ploy comes shortly after Cathy demeans the housekeeper, claiming that she wouldn’t understand Cathy’s predicament given she’s never loved anyone, and no one has ever loved her. Thus, Nelly is characterized as vengeful toward Cathy — although, as the latter lies in her death bed, the two share a brief moment that complicates their relationship to each other.

Regardless, Fennell gives Nelly and Cathy’s relationship psychological depth that Brontë’s novel doesn’t seem to afford them.

Cathy and Heathcliff have sex (and a lot of it)

Brontë’s Cathy and Heathcliff never explicitly (in the text) consummate their professed undying love, save for a few kisses just before Cathy breathes her last.

Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights,” on the other hand, grants them an entire Bridgerton-style sex montage — they even get hot and heavy in a carriage. It’s nearly impossible to keep count of the “I love you”s exchanged during the pair’s rendezvous.

These smutty sequences certainly validate the Valentine’s Eve release.

Isabella is a willing submissive

One particular still of Alison Oliver’s Isabella is already making the rounds online, and for good reason. The shot, which depicts the young woman engaging in BDSM-style puppy play, is a stark contrast to Brontë’s characterization of Isabella as a victim of domestic violence.

In Brontë’s book, Isabella marries Heathcliff naively believing he might shape up into a gentleman and flees with their son when she realizes that is out of the question. In the film, Heathcliff is clear from their first romantic encounter that he does not love Isabella, will never love her and pursues her only to torture Cathy — and the young woman still chooses to be with him.

There is no second generation

Perhaps Fennell’s most glaring diversion from her source material is her complete omission of the second half of Brontë’s novel, which centers on a second generation comprised of Cathy and Edgar’s daughter Catherine Linton, Heathcliff and Isabella’s son Linton Heathcliff and Hindley and his wife Frances’ son Hareton Earnshaw.

In her introduction to the Penguin Classics edition of “Wuthering Heights,” Brontë scholar Pauline Nestor writes that many literary critics interpret the novel’s latter half as “signifying the restoration of order and balance in the second generation after the excesses and disruption of the first generation,” while others contend the violence that stains Cathy and Heathcliff’s relationship is bound to be replicated by their children. Either way, the structure of Brontë’s novel encourages readers to interpret each half through the lens of the other.

Fennell’s film instead ends where Brontë’s first act closes, hyper-focused on Cathy and Heathcliff. In the same way the doomed lovers see each other, Fennell figures them as the center of the world.

The site is an ancient ring fort perched on a hilltop in County Donegal, offering panoramic views and steeped in Irish legends dating back centuries

The Inishowen peninsula isn’t merely the location of Ireland’s most northerly point, but also hosts one of the country’s most captivating monuments, perched atop a hill in Donegal.

The Grianán of Aileach attracts numerous visitors to Ireland, shrouded in mystery as the 6th or 7th century ring fort is steeped in folklore and legend.

Standing majestically on an 800-foot hilltop, the monument historically served as the Royal residence of the Northern Uí Néill, a dynasty descended from a legendary Irish monarch.

Constructed from robust, thick dry-stone walls, it provides breathtaking panoramic views. While much of the structure underwent restoration in 1870, it’s believed to have been initially built during the 6th-7th century, with the earthworks themselves tracing back to 1700 BC.

Legends

Research indicates the fort may have been originally built before AD 800 by an ancient Irish king, Áed Oirdnide, king of Cenél nÉogain. He governed what would have been a modest kingdom situated within the Inishowen peninsula.

From this imposing hilltop, he would have commanded views across his own lands whilst simultaneously surveying the new Donegal territories now under his control. Essentially, the structure functioned as a political declaration and a means to assert additional authority.

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Another tale traces the fort’s origins back to the era of the Tuatha de Danann, a mythical race said to possess supernatural powers, also referred to as the Fae Folk. The Dagda, one of the revered and divine chieftains of the Tuatha, shares a particular link with this ancient location.

Legend has it that following the death of his son Aodh, the Dagda built a stone fortress to serve as both burial place and memorial. The Metrical Dindshenchas, an ancient Irish manuscript, is thought to explain the site’s name, lending credence to this tale.

The Setting

From the fort, there are sweeping views across both Lough Foyle and Lough Swilly, and locals claim that on particularly clear days, you can glimpse up to five of Ulster’s nine counties.

One impressed guest said: “This ring fort was the most impressive one I’ve ever seen. The views from here highlight why it would have been constructed in this location. They are beautiful. The structure is in very good condition. I stood in the middle and just turned around to appreciate this site.”

Whilst the panoramas from the modest peak are stunning, perched at 250 metres above sea level, there’s virtually nothing surrounding it apart from unspoilt countryside. The only nearby facility is the visitors’ car park, making for a straightforward stroll to the main attraction.

Another visitor said: “This is a beautiful landmark and well worth a visit. Thankfully, the monument is now open, and we were able to go early in the evening. They also have a wishing well that our kids were able to throw money into. Well worth a visit.”

Local attractions

If you fancy a pit stop during or after your journey, the liveliest spot in the vicinity is Londonderry. Located just a 15-minute drive from The Grianán of Aileach, it boasts numerous restaurants, pubs and cafes where you can grab some food.

Alternatively, if you’re enjoying the countryside and prefer somewhere more off the beaten track for refreshments, venture towards Newtown Cunningham. Here you’ll discover several eateries, including Scarpello and Co, Coyles Bar and Restaurant and Kate’s Kitchen.

Should you wish to continue your adventure, just an eight-minute drive from the monument will take you to Inch Wildfowl Reserve along the coast. This stunning location features a magnificent 8 km wilderness walk and hosts an impressive array of wildfowl and geese.

The 120-acre National Trust site near Masham features 18th-century grottos, waterfalls and ruins hidden within ancient woodland on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales

In North Yorkshire, near the market town of Masham, lies an expansive woodland haven brimming with hidden gems that stretch back to the 18th century.

Hackfall Woods stands as a magnificent 120-acre expanse of ancient forest, attracting visitors with its enchanting atmosphere and stunning views. The Woodland Trust-owned site holds grade 1 listed status, owing to its 18th-century remnants and historic garden features.

Perched on the fringe of the picturesque Yorkshire Dales, Hackfall nestles within a dramatic and rugged gorge carved by the River Ure.

Following years of neglect and deterioration, the woodland has been carefully restored to its original splendour, now welcoming keen walkers and explorers across Yorkshire.

History

Whilst today Hackfall appears as an untouched wilderness, it was actually carefully crafted to achieve this wild aesthetic by a renowned landscaper in 1731.

John Aislabie bought the estate and, working with his son, reimagined it as a seemingly natural landscape dotted with decorative features for visitors to admire.

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The design was cleverly conceived to showcase the pre-existing panoramas and natural characteristics, amplifying the area’s inherent beauty.

Yet following their considerable efforts, Hackfall endured decades of abandonment and disrepair, before being purchased in 1932 by an owner who stripped the site of its trees. The structures had fallen into disrepair, and flooding had worn away the once-stunning water features.

In 1989, the Woodland Trust stepped in to save the site, securing it on a lease of nearly 1,000 years, with support from organisations including the Hackfall Trust and English Heritage.

Since that time, this magnificent woodland has been formally designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, alongside recognition as ancient semi-natural woodland.

It continues to attract visitors from throughout the country, eager to witness the waterfalls, sculptures and historic ruins.

One visitor recounted their experience on TripAdvisor, writing: “Hackfall is a beautiful and peaceful woodland brimming with nature, trees, plants, birds, wildlife, streams, ponds, castle ruins, great views on a hillside alongside the River Ure. It’s a super place for peace and quiet, for individuals, for families, suitable for all ages to explore and get away from it all.”

Wildlife

Nature enthusiasts are guaranteed a memorable experience at Hackfall, renowned for the remarkable diversity of species that inhabit the area.

From bird life to flora and insects, the woodland is bursting with biodiversity, and countless sightings have been documented here, particularly by dedicated birdwatchers.

The website showcases an extensive array of creatures visitors might encounter, from kingfishers to dippers, grey wagtails and woodpeckers. Guests can also anticipate spotting stoats, foxes, badgers, butterflies and little lemon slugs.

Access

Given the challenging landscape, featuring numerous steep footpaths, Hackfall is only suitable for those confident navigating steps and inclines, as wheelchair access isn’t available.

The woodland offers up to four entry points, with the two most frequented located at the top of the site and featuring the steepest routes.

To access these, you’ll need to start from the minor road linking Grewelthorpe to Masham. The entrance has no barriers, and as you follow the trail, you’ll quickly discover it’s a gentle gradient with a handful of steps.

Free parking is available nearby at the Woodland Trust car park, situated roughly half a mile before Grewelthorpe Village. Some walkers alternatively opt to park in the village of Masham.

Bear in mind there are no toilet facilities within the woodlands themselves, with the closest public toilets located back in Masham. While this is typical for most woodland rambles, visitors will be delighted to learn that not only are they welcome, but their dogs are too.

People are witnessing the demise of Wales, a country that have enjoyed Six Nations success and Grand Slam victories over the past two decades.

The dedicated fans will try to stick by their beloved side through thick and thin but it has proved a turbulent time since the 2023 World Cup.

Wales have lost 22 of the past 24 internationals, which included an 18-match losing sequence, with the only two victories coming against Japan.

There have been 12 straight Six Nations defeats, a record now stretching back 1,072 days to when Wales beat Italy in Rome in March 2023.

And there are very few home comforts, with Wales having not won a match in Cardiff in the tournament for four years since defeating Scotland in February 2022. That was 1,464 days ago.

It has also been the manner of humbling home defeats in recent times, with heavy record losses to England (68-14), Argentina (52-28) and South Africa (73-0).

Even the loss to New Zealand in November, which has been held up as Wales showing some green shoots of recovery, was a 52-26 loss.

Despite the results, captain Dewi Lake has extolled the Principality Stadium surroundings.

“It is our ground, the best stadium in the world and we are excited to be back home,” said Lake.

“Our goal with our game on the pitch is to get the fans involved, to give them life and energy because that feeds back onto us.”

Wales need to back up those rousing words with actions.

Feb. 13 (UPI) — A restructuring of the Department of Health and Human Services will see two top people leave ahead of the midterm elections, unnamed officials familiar with the decision told media outlets Friday.

HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill and General Counsel Mike Stuart are expected to soon leave the agency, sources have reported to Axios, Politico and CNN.

“They are being offered jobs within the administration but will not be remaining in their current positions,” one source told Politico.

O’Neill is the second-in-command behind HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and is the interim leader of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. He has boosted anti-vax messaging, allegations of Medicaid fraud and the United States leaving the World Health Organization.

On Thursday, Kennedy announced that Chris Klomp, deputy administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, would become chief counselor in charge of overseeing all Health and Human Services Department operations. Before joining the administration, he was a health tech executive and venture capitalist.

Kennedy also promoted Kyle Diamantas, deputy commissioner for human foods, and Grace Graham, deputy commissioner for policy, legislation and international affairs, to senior counselors for the Food and Drug Administration. They will also keep their current positions. John Brooks will also be a senior counselor at Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services while keeping his job as chief policy and regulatory officer.

The moves are intended to focus attention on Make America Healthy Again policies, like dietary guidelines changes, eliminating artificial food dyes and improving healthcare affordability.

“What basically happened was that HHS Secretary Kennedy, and also the White House, realized that we want to be most efficiently and most effectively implementing that policy and moving the needle on these issues that we see as very clear and unambiguous wins for us,” the White House official told Politico. “And obviously the polling and such is very clear on these topics as well.”

Powerful storm batters Mozambique’s Inhambane a day after killing at least 41 people in Madagascar.

Cyclone Gezani has hit Mozambique’s southern coastal province of Inhambane, killing at least four people, according to officials.

The toll in Mozambique on Saturday came a day after the cyclone tore through Madagascar, killing at least 41 people and leaving a trail of destruction across the island.

The AFP news agency, citing meteorologists, said the storm lashed Inhambane with winds of up to 215km per hour (134mph).

It brought down trees and power lines, leaving more than 13,000 people without power, the national electric company said.

Water supplies were also cut off in several districts of the city of Inhambane.

The city is home to some 100,000 people.

Mozambique has been hit by frequent weather-related disasters that ‌scientists say have been exacerbated by climate change.

The Southern African country is only just recovering from severe flooding that affected more than 700,000 people and damaged more than 170,000 homes in recent weeks, according to the United Nations Office for the ⁠Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

In Madagascar, the government declared a national emergency and said the storm had caused an estimated $142m in damage.

In addition to the deaths, at least 427 people were injured, and some 16,300 were displaced, according to officials.

The eye of the cyclone passed on Tuesday over Madagascar’s second-largest city, Toamasina, which has a population of 400,000, leaving it devastated.

The Indian Ocean island’s leader, Colonel Michael Randrianirina, said about 75 percent of the city had been destroyed.

Tania Goosens, the World Food Programme’s (WFP) Madagascar director, said on Friday that “the scale of destruction is overwhelming” in Toamasina. “The authorities have reported that 80 percent of the city has been damaged,” she told reporters.

“The city is running on roughly 5 percent of electricity, and there is no water,” she said, adding that the WFP’s office and one warehouse “were also completely destroyed”.

KATE Cassidy has posted a Valentine’s Day tribute to the late Liam Payne – declaring him her “best friend from afar”.

The social media star had been dating Liam for two years before his sudden death in October 2024 – and despite his passing, she makes sure to remember him on key dates.

This Valentine’s Day, Kate shared a never-before seen photograph of the pair in happier times.

The polaroid snap shows Kate sitting on Liam’s lap as they pose for the picture in somebody’s garden.

She simply noted: “Happy Valentine’s Day to my best friend from afar.”

Kate and Liam dated for from October 2022, through to the time of his death in October 2024. He was 31 years old.

STAR’S AGONY

Kate Cassidy in tears as she returns to UK home she shared with Liam Payne

‘LOUIS IS RIGHT’

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The One Direction star died after a horror fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, where he was due to attend his old bandmate Niall Horan’s show.

Kate had been holidaying with him in the country, but had returned to their home in Florida alone to look after their dog, Nala, just two days before the tragedy.

Kate has been left heartbroken by the loss, and continues to remember him by sharing photos, videos and memories on special occasions, including his birthday.

In February this year, Kate was seen in tears as she visited the UK home she once shared with the singer.

“I’ve been sitting outside of the house that I used to live in with Liam for the past 45 minutes just in my car and it’s just really hard to wrap my head around the fact that I’m not pulling in the driveway and going home to him being there,” she said.

“You really just never know what life is going to bring. Life can bring you plenty of happiness and plenty of joy, I’ve experienced it all.

“But I’ve never felt this much pain.”

When facing criticism for her public heartache, Kate hit back by reminding fans that he was a “real person in her life” and she can grieve how she wants.

In December last year, in retaliation to another fan who said they “wanted her to move on and stop talking about him”, she declared she will always love him.

Posting a video in tears, Kate said: “I want to make something clear. Whoever I end up with in my future will have to accept the fact I will always love Liam, I will always talk about Liam I will always laugh about Liam, I will always cry about Liam.”

She said she normally pays no mind to critical comments but this topic really riled her.

“Let me tell you something, Liam Payne was my boyfriend,” she continued. “He wasn’t just this famous figure to me. It hurts so bad because I am just criticized all the time for speaking about my boyfriend that passed away, the person that I loved and still do love.

“I would never settle for anyone in this lifetime who did not feel comfortable enough with me speaking about Liam.”

A Cotswolds local has shared her five favourite spots to go for a bite to eat when you’ve completed your long country walk and need something hearty and delicious

Who can resist a hearty pub lunch after a refreshing walk, soaking up the stunning natural beauty around them? It’s simply an unbeatable experience.

It feels like a well-earned treat, and there’s nothing quite like the satisfaction that comes after a good bout of exercise. That’s why a local woman from the Cotswolds has shared her top picks for a pub lunch if you’re visiting the area, but she warns that you “must” book in advance to avoid disappointment. Ali listed five of her favourite local eateries, all of which sound absolutely delightful and are worth checking out sooner rather than later.

1. The Kingham Plough, Kingham

Ali enthused: “My all-time favourite pub in the Cotswolds. Incredible roasts, consistently great food, faultless service and one of the prettiest villages around.”

A recent Tripadvisor review reads: “We had a lovely dinner with family and friends. The food, especially the more sophisticated dishes, was very good, the ambience pleasant, and the service enjoyable.”

2. The Lamb, Shipton-under-Wychwood

“Outstanding food and such good value evenings (think chicken night, curry night, etc). They also own a few other brilliant Cotswolds pubs that are just as good,” Ali noted.

A recent Tripadvisor review reads: “Roast Chicken – best I’ve ever had (obviously apart from my wife’s and mother’s). It’s really very exceptional. I would go as far as saying I would travel to the Lamb just to eat the roast chicken. Fabulous deal on Thursdays – an entire roast chicken plus trimmings for £30.”

3. The Fox at Oddington, Oddington

Ali praised it, writing: “A Daylesford-owned pub and a local favourite – especially on Thursday nights. Amazing pizza, beautiful interiors and a great atmosphere.”

One glowing Tripadvisor review gushed: “Wow! What a pub… the vibes are on point as soon as you walk in the door. We went on a busy Friday evening without a booking, and after having a drink in the bar, we were seated at a table by James, who was an outstanding host!”

“The food was absolutely superb, we had steak tartare, and the nduja scotch egg for starters, both amazing, then had the Fox double burger and beef bourguignon.

“Hands down the best burger I have ever tasted, and the beef was amazing, both were generous portions, great value for money. The service was great the whole time. Shout out to James, who was great to chat with and looked after us!”

4. The Bull, Charlbury

Ali described it as: “Recently named one of the best pubs in the UK. The menu might look a little intimidating, but trust me – the food is fantastic. Pie night every Thursday.”

One Tripadvisor reviewer shared: “We had a great lunch at The Bull! It is somewhat full of Londoners in rust-coloured corduroy, but that didn’t spoil what was a lovely lunch!”

“You do need to book as it’s extremely popular. Be prepared that it is incredibly dark with only candles for lighting, but all in all, we had a lovely meal – the plates are small, but deceivingly filling! The staff are really nice, and the atmosphere is cosy, lighthearted and easy.

“One word of caution – if you order a Bloody Mary, it may blow your head off!”

5. The Chequers, Churchill

Ali said: “Clarkson’s local and currently undergoing a refurbishment. Reopening mid-March in a stunning village location – one to watch for great food and atmosphere.”

A recent Tripadvisor review reads: “We had a lovely meal at The Chequers. The food was genuinely excellent – fresh, well-cooked, and full of flavour, with a great menu choice. What really stood out, though, was the staff. They were incredibly attentive without being overbearing, friendly, and made us feel very welcome throughout our visit.

“Everything came out promptly, and nothing was too much trouble. It’s clear they really care about the quality of both the food and the customer experience. We’ll definitely be returning and would happily recommend The Chequers to others.”

Which pub would you fancy visiting if you found yourself in the Cotswolds? Share your thoughts in the comments below…

A Cotswolds local has shared her five favourite spots to go for a bite to eat when you’ve completed your long country walk and need something hearty and delicious

Who can resist a hearty pub lunch after a refreshing walk, soaking up the stunning natural beauty around them? It’s simply an unbeatable experience.

It feels like a well-earned treat, and there’s nothing quite like the satisfaction that comes after a good bout of exercise. That’s why a local woman from the Cotswolds has shared her top picks for a pub lunch if you’re visiting the area, but she warns that you “must” book in advance to avoid disappointment. Ali listed five of her favourite local eateries, all of which sound absolutely delightful and are worth checking out sooner rather than later.

1. The Kingham Plough, Kingham

Ali enthused: “My all-time favourite pub in the Cotswolds. Incredible roasts, consistently great food, faultless service and one of the prettiest villages around.”

A recent Tripadvisor review reads: “We had a lovely dinner with family and friends. The food, especially the more sophisticated dishes, was very good, the ambience pleasant, and the service enjoyable.”

2. The Lamb, Shipton-under-Wychwood

“Outstanding food and such good value evenings (think chicken night, curry night, etc). They also own a few other brilliant Cotswolds pubs that are just as good,” Ali noted.

A recent Tripadvisor review reads: “Roast Chicken – best I’ve ever had (obviously apart from my wife’s and mother’s). It’s really very exceptional. I would go as far as saying I would travel to the Lamb just to eat the roast chicken. Fabulous deal on Thursdays – an entire roast chicken plus trimmings for £30.”

3. The Fox at Oddington, Oddington

Ali praised it, writing: “A Daylesford-owned pub and a local favourite – especially on Thursday nights. Amazing pizza, beautiful interiors and a great atmosphere.”

One glowing Tripadvisor review gushed: “Wow! What a pub… the vibes are on point as soon as you walk in the door. We went on a busy Friday evening without a booking, and after having a drink in the bar, we were seated at a table by James, who was an outstanding host!”

“The food was absolutely superb, we had steak tartare, and the nduja scotch egg for starters, both amazing, then had the Fox double burger and beef bourguignon.

“Hands down the best burger I have ever tasted, and the beef was amazing, both were generous portions, great value for money. The service was great the whole time. Shout out to James, who was great to chat with and looked after us!”

4. The Bull, Charlbury

Ali described it as: “Recently named one of the best pubs in the UK. The menu might look a little intimidating, but trust me – the food is fantastic. Pie night every Thursday.”

One Tripadvisor reviewer shared: “We had a great lunch at The Bull! It is somewhat full of Londoners in rust-coloured corduroy, but that didn’t spoil what was a lovely lunch!”

“You do need to book as it’s extremely popular. Be prepared that it is incredibly dark with only candles for lighting, but all in all, we had a lovely meal – the plates are small, but deceivingly filling! The staff are really nice, and the atmosphere is cosy, lighthearted and easy.

“One word of caution – if you order a Bloody Mary, it may blow your head off!”

5. The Chequers, Churchill

Ali said: “Clarkson’s local and currently undergoing a refurbishment. Reopening mid-March in a stunning village location – one to watch for great food and atmosphere.”

A recent Tripadvisor review reads: “We had a lovely meal at The Chequers. The food was genuinely excellent – fresh, well-cooked, and full of flavour, with a great menu choice. What really stood out, though, was the staff. They were incredibly attentive without being overbearing, friendly, and made us feel very welcome throughout our visit.

“Everything came out promptly, and nothing was too much trouble. It’s clear they really care about the quality of both the food and the customer experience. We’ll definitely be returning and would happily recommend The Chequers to others.”

Which pub would you fancy visiting if you found yourself in the Cotswolds? Share your thoughts in the comments below…

Most UK visitors will need a key document to enter the UK, but this will depend on your nationality and reasons for travel

Travellers regularly encounter changes in regulations when navigating international borders. Now London Heathrow Airport has issued a reminder regarding new rules coming into force in days

Under the changes an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), will be a legal requirement for certain people from this month. This £16 fee allows travellers to enter the UK for tourism, family visits, and other purposes for up to six months.

On X, formerly Twitter, the major airport said this week: “Starting 25 February, whether your final destination is the UK or you are connecting via Heathrow, eligible visitors will need an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation). Find out more on http://GOV.UK.”

While most UK visitors will need an ETA or visa to enter the UK, this will depend on your nationality and reason for travel. For instance, an ETA is generally required if you’re coming from Europe, the USA, Australia, Canada and certain other countries.

Each person travelling is required to have an ETA, including babies and children. So, for a family of four, you’ll likely need to pay £64 in total, while a family of six will typically pay £96. Visitors can apply for an ETA on behalf of other people.

Anyone who has a British or Irish passport, or has permission to work, live or study in the UK, will not need an ETA. According to official Government advice, other exemptions include:

It’s important to remember that having an ETA does not guarantee entry to the UK. Those with a criminal record or who have previously been denied entry should consider applying for a Standard Visitor visa instead.

Beyond this, the UK Government highlights exactly what can and can’t be done with an ETA. For instance, the ETA allows:

Meanwhile, these five things are not permitted with an ETA:

• Staying in the UK for longer than six months
• Doing paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person, unless you’re doing a permitted paid engagement or event or work on the Creative Worker visa concession
• Claiming public funds (benefits)
• Living in the UK through frequent or successive visits
• Marrying or registering a civil partnership, or giving notice of marriage or civil partnership – a Marriage Visitor visa is needed

Visitors can apply for the £16 ETA online or via the UK ETA app. To do so, they must have a passport, an email address, and a payment method, including Apple Pay and Google Pay. The payment is non-refundable once an application has been made.

For more information, head to GOV.UK here.

UCLA senior Jordan Chiles remains unstoppable on the floor exercise.

A week after reviving her Prince routine to honor fans during a meet at Minnesota, Chiles seamlessly transitioned back at Pauley Pavilion to her energetic routine set to a medley of hits by icons Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder and Tina Turner. The result was a crowd-pleasing perfect 10, firing up the Valentine’s Day home crowd and helping seal No. 4 UCLA’s 197.725-196.975 win over No. 9 Michigan.

It was Chiles’ fourth straight 10 on floor and fifth perfect score this season.

The Bruins (9-2, 5-0 Big Ten) entered the meet averaging a team score of 197.404 and remained consistent, delivering modest improvement that has proven hard for Big Ten opponents to beat.

UCLA opened the competition on the vault.

Tiana Sumanasekera tied a career-best with a 9.9. Katelyn Rosen scored a 9.875, Chiles a 9.825, Ashlee Sullivan a 9.850, Riley Jenkins a 9.775 and Madisyn Anyimi a 9.750.

The Wolverines (5-3, 2-3) led 49.325 to 49.225 after the first rotation.

The Bruins pulled ahead on the bars, taking a 98.725-98.250 lead.

Nola Matthews, Chiles and Sullivan all scored 9.925 marks, while Sumanasekera posted a 9.90 and Ciena Alipio and Sydney Barros both scored 9.850.

UCLA maintained a 148.075-147.725 lead after the beam rotation.

Alipio and Barros scored a 9.9, while Chiles scored a 9.875, Rosen a 9.850, Jordis Eichman a 9.825 and Sumanasekera a 9.775.

The Bruins closed with their showstoppers on the floor exercise.

Chiles notched her 10; Alipio scored a 9.950; Barros, Rosen and Sumanasekera earned 9.900 marks; and Sullivan scored a 9.875.

UCLA competes at unranked Illinois on Feb. 22 before returning home for a Big Fours meet on Feb. 27 against Ohio State, Iowa and Maryland — all ranked in the top 25.

Feb. 14 (UPI) — Two Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are on administrative leave after investigators said evidence does not match their stories after one shot a Venezuelan man in Minneapolis.

The suspended agents’ names have not been released, and they might be fired and charged with crimes for allegedly lying about the circumstances leading up to the shooting on the night of Jan. 14 after investigators with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota finish their review of the incident.

“A joint review by ICE and the Department of Justice of video evidence has revealed that sworn testimony provided by two separate officers appears to have made untruthful statements,” McLaughlin said in an email to Fox News Digital.

“Both officers have been immediately placed on administrative leave pending the completion of a thorough internal investigation,” she said, while referring to the agents’ statements as “false.”

An ICE agent shot Sosa-Celis in the thigh after he allegedly fled an attempted traffic stop and eventually exited his vehicle at an apartment complex.

The agent and Sosa-Celis were treated at a nearby hospital, and Sosa-Celis, Aljorna and Gabriel Alejandro Hernandez-Ledezma were arrested.

U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen on Thursday filed a motion to dismiss criminal charges filed against Julia Cesar Sosa-Celis and Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna, both of whom are Venezuelan and were accused of beating a pursuing ICE agent with a snow shovel and the handle of a broom.

The agents’ statements were “materially inconsistent” with evidence that recently was discovered, Rosen said.

A federal judge agreed and granted the motion to dismiss on Friday.

Tbut there are still some places where you can get a drink for less than £5.

The cost of a pint continues to creep upwards. Tracking down a boozer flogging pints for under a fiver has become nearly impossible, yet certain spots still won’t leave your wallet crying.

A report from takepayments has uncovered which UK cities offer the most wallet-friendly drinking experience. The research examined 34 major UK cities against 16 affordability measures, encompassing housing, transport, wages, and discretionary spending (such as the cost of a pint).

Each location received a score out of 10 for overall affordability, identifying where Brits can enjoy the cheapest tipple.

Derby emerged as the nation’s most affordable city for a beverage, with pints priced at a mere £3.60. That’s a bargain when you fancy unwinding after a day discovering what the city has to offer – and there’s loads to see.

Situated in the East Midlands within Derbyshire and hugging the River Derwent, Derby serves as an ideal starting point for venturing into the picturesque British countryside, boasting numerous walking routes and cycling trails, reports the Express.

Among the finest is the Vicar Wood & Mackworth loop accessible from Markeaton Park. This 6.1km ramble takes roughly 90 minutes, beginning at the Mundy Playcentre car park.

Winding through farmland and parks, it’s ideal for families. There’s also Calke Abbey – a dilapidated stately home boasting sprawling gardens and a remarkable natural history collection.

Originally an Augustinian Priory, the property was acquired by Sir Henry Harpur in 1622. The estate remained in the family for generations, and from 1924 onwards, Calke was left largely untouched, though it underwent gradual modernisation.

Today, the National Trust has preserved the house much as it was, offering a fascinating glimpse into life from a bygone era.

After exploring the residence and grounds, visitors can stop by the on-site cafe and gift shop – ideal for picking up mementos.