finally

As he watched the Boston Celtics play from the stands of TD Garden, one noise kept catching Adel Djellouli’s ear.

“This squeaking sound when players are sliding on the floor is omnipresent,” he said. “It’s always there, right?”

Squeaky shoes are part of the symphony of a basketball game, when rubber soles rasp against the hardwood floors as players jab step, cut and pivot and defenders move their feet to stay in front of their assignment.

Returning home from the game, Djellouli wondered how that sound was produced. And as a materials scientist at Harvard University, he had a way to find out.

Djellouli and colleagues slid a sneaker against a smooth glass plate over and over. They recorded the squeaks with a microphone and filmed the whole thing with a high-speed camera to see what was happening under the shoe.

In a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature, they described what they found. As the shoe works hard to keep its grip, tiny sections of the sole change shape as they momentarily lose then regain contact with the floor thousands of times per second — at a frequency that matches the pitch of the loud squeak we hear.

“That squeaking is basically your shoe rippling, or creating wrinkles that travel super fast. They repeat at a high frequency, and this is why you get that squeaky noise,” Djellouli said.

The grip patterns on the soles may also play a role. When researchers slid blocks of flat, featureless rubber against the glass, they saw a series of chaotic, disorganized ripples but didn’t hear squeaks.

The ridge-like designs on the bottom of your shoes may organize the bursts to produce a clear, high-pitched sound.

Other researchers have studied these kinds of bursts before, but this sneaker study examines friction happening at much faster speeds. And for the first time, it links the speedy pulses with the squeaking sound they produce.

These insights don’t just serve to satisfy the curiosity of a basketball fan. They could also help answer important practical questions. “Friction is one of the oldest and most intricate problems in physics,” wrote physicist Bart Weber in an editorial accompanying the new research. Yet, despite its practical importance, he wrote, “it is difficult to predict and control.”

Understanding friction better could help scientists better understand how the Earth’s tectonic plates slide and grind during earthquakes, for example, or to save energy by reducing friction and wear.

It could also help eliminate moments off the court when squeaky shoes can be a little awkward or embarrassing, such as in a quiet office hallway.

This research doesn’t offer a fix, though the internet has plenty of advice that may be risky, including rubbing soap or a dryer sheet on the soles. But some of the insights from the study could help to design squeak-free shoes in the future.

For example, one additional experiment found that changing the thickness of the rubber could make the squeak sound lower or higher in pitch. In the future, could we fine-tune our shoes to squeak in a pitch so high we can’t even hear it?

“We can now start designing for it,” said Weber, who is with the Advanced Research Center for Nanolithography and the University of Amsterdam, in an interview. “We can start making interfaces that either do it if we want to hear this sound, or don’t do it if we don’t want to hear it.”

Ramakrishnan writes for the Associated Press.

A HISTORIC lido that has been closed since 2022 will reopen in time for summer.

Hilsea Lido in Portsmouth has undergone a major facelift, costing around £7.75million.

And now the lido has announced that it will reopen on May 2, in time for the summer season.

Last year, Sea Lanes Brighton announced that they would be taking on the site and working with South Downs Leisure.

The upgraded lido now includes a refurbished pool, new changing rooms, benches, tables and a fountain.

There will also be a food and drink pop-up on site.

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The pool will be the Olympic standard 2.6metres deep and remain 67metres in length and 13metres wide.

Ahead of the launch, visitors can purchase a ‘Founder’ membership for £40 per month, which allows locals to swim and use the sauna as much as they like.

This membership is only available to the first 500 people though.

Normal membership fees are then £52 a month on a rolling contract for swim and sauna or £48 a month on a 12 month contract.

If you just want to swim, this will be £34 a month on a rolling contract or £32 a month on a 12 month contract.

Swim and sauna sessions are each £8, but if you fancy both you can pay to do both for £12.

The lido will be open between 6am and 9pm Mondays to Thursdays, 6am to 8pm on Fridays and 7am to 7pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

According to Portsmouth News, Judit Kollat, general manager at Hilsea Lido, said: “It is more than a pool, it’s a place with history and heart.

“We aim to create a vibrant hub for the local community, a centre for both mental and physical wellbeing.”

Councillor Steve Pitt at Portsmouth City Council added: “The reopening of Hilsea Lido will transform the north of the city, following the successful launch of the KGV Football Complex and ahead of the North Portsea Coastal Scheme finishing this year.”

The announcement about Hilsea Lido comes as the lido celebrates its 90th birthday.

Many people have taken to social media to express their excitement for the reopening.

One person said: “Can’t wait so many memories and I was a life guard there.”

Another added: “We’ll be over as soon as possible, we’ve watched the project from the beginning.”

The lido first opened in 1935 and at the time was known as the deepest lido in the UK, with a depth of 4.6 metres.

And over the years the lido has welcomed many celebrities including former James Bond, Sean Connery.

In other lido news, a new ‘floating park’ with sauna and lido to open in popular London district – in huge £5billion upgrade.

Plus, an English lido forced to close after 50 years set to finally reopen next year.

DANNIELLA Westbrook has finally revealed the full extent of her recent surgery makeover after undergoing a full face, neck and brow lift.

The former soap star underwent multiple facial surgeries weeks ago in Dubai and was spotted looking swollen and bruised as she emerged from surgery.

But now the ‘results’ have been revealed with Danniella sharing a slew of new snaps post-surgery but ever the perfectionist, the star couldn’t resist adding a filter or two to the images before she posted them online.

The star’s new images featured a helping hand in order to enhance her appearance even more post-surgery.

The axed EastEnders star could be seen posing on a towel as she enjoyed the Dubai heat.

Wearing a blue bikini, Danniella showed off her filtered face and her body in the images.

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She pulled a series of sultry poses in which evidence of her recent nose operations could be seen thanks to some slight bruising still visible around the nostril area.

In another image, Danniella opted to wear a pair of glasses as she laid back and relaxed in the sunshine.

The 52-year-old, has been on a journey to rebuild her face after historic drug abuse, with this surgery following on from a nose operation last June.

Danniella had a full face, neck and brow lift in addition to a lip and nose reconstruction.

Following the operation, she left the facility in a wheelchair with a facial compression garment wrapped around her head.

A full recovery for a face, neck and chin lift can take up to nine months.

The surgery was performed by Danniella’s trusted Surgeon Dr Parviz Sadigh, who has carried out operations on her in the past.

Danniella became hooked on drugs at the age of 14 after beginning to take cocaine after shooting to fame as Sam Mitchell in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders.

The former star estimates that she has spent a whopping £250,000 on cocaine in her lifetime and was using at least five grams a day throughout her entire pregnancy with son, Kai.

Danniella was addicted to drugs throughout the 1990s and early 2000.

She then managed to stay clean before a number of relapses including in 2017 – the year after she last appeared on EastEnders.

Her latest known drug relapse was in 2021.

This abuse led to the collapse of her nose and cheekbones, with her septum – the cartilage that separates the two nostrils – falling out.

Last summer, Danniella went under the knife for a surgery to reconstruct her nose, with cartilage from her rib being used to fix her nose.

At the time, the star admitted she was hoping to rebuild her face so that she can kick start her acting career once again.

On the day of her surgery, she said: “Big day for me heading down for a very long surgery right now to rebuild my face.

“Then I can get back to work.”

A MASSIVE expansion of the UK’s biggest train station has finally been given the green light after years of controversy.

London Liverpool Street Station welcomes nearly as many as 100million passengers a year.

However, for years there have been plans to upgrade some of the station’s dated features as well as make it larger after record passenger numbers.

And the City of London Corporation has now approved plans for the redevelopment of Liverpool Street Station.

It confirmed that it would “improve central London’s connectivity to the rest of the country [and] make the local area a much more enjoyable place to visit, work in and travel through.”

The new plans – predicted to cost £1.2billion – include more shops and cafes, as well as better pedestrian and cycle paths and parks.

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More office spaces will be part of a new 318ft tower block being built over the main concourse.

Upgraded facilities such as more ticket barriers, lifts, escalators and toilets, and wider train platforms, are also part of the plans.

It hopes it will eventually double in capacity, with up to 200million passengers.

It won’t be anytime soon, however – works could start by 2029, and be finished by 2036.

Chairman of the City of London Corporation Planning and Transportation Committee, Tom Sleigh, said: “Everyone likes an upgrade, and this astonishing improvement to Britain’s busiest train station is just that; a major improvement by every measure.

“The soaring Brick arches and bold architecture will cement Liverpool Street’s status as a modern temple to transport.”

Policy Chairman of the City of London Corporation, Chris Hayward, added: “This redevelopment of Liverpool Street station is a major step forward for the Square Mile.”

If the proposals go ahead, work would start at the beginning of 2029 and last seven years, with the new station completed by mid-2036.

The long-discussed plans have caused controversy in the past, with previous plans even including a rooftop pool although this has now been scrapped.

And there are fears that the upgrade works could cause a “decade of chaos” due to closed platforms.

This would affect passengers travelling to airports like London Stansted, as well as those using the Elizabeth Line.

London Liverpool Street Station is the UK’s busiest, recording a record 98million passengers from 2024/25.

In second is London Waterloo, which has nearly 28million fewer passengers.

It’s not the only huge train station expanding – London St Pancras plans to double passenger numbers to 60million.

The station is home to the Eurostar, and will eventually welcome Virgin’s European trains when they launch as well.

And here’s a large train station in the UK that was inspired by Italy – and has been named one of the best.

Princess Andre has shared that filming has wrapped on the second series of her ITV2 reality show The Princess Diaries, with the series expected to return in spring

Princess Andre has delivered a significant announcement regarding the future of her ITV2 reality programme. The 18-year-old followed in her famous parents’ footsteps by landing her own ITV series last summer.

The programme documented the teenager’s everyday life, though mum Katie Price was conspicuously missing after she was allegedly prohibited from appearing in any footage for the show. Dad Peter, however, featured prominently alongside her brother Junior.

Princess has now provided an exciting development on the programme, called The Princess Diaries, after it was confirmed for a second run following strong viewing figures.

The teenager has disclosed that production has concluded, with her final day on set taking place yesterday. She posted an image of the show’s clapperboard along with a backstage photograph of her recording her to-camera segments for the series.

Princess wrote: “Last day of filming.” The programme is anticipated to return to television screens during the spring months. Her announcement follows her parents releasing an unusual joint statement in which they detailed their commitment to cease making disparaging remarks about each other online.

Peter and Katie established a legal arrangement whereby both promised to end their public criticism of one another following numerous acrimonious public disputes – an uncommon ceasefire for the frequently feuding former couple.

The Sun learned that Katie had spent months declining Peter’s persistent efforts to broker peace. Sources suggest their children, Junior, 20, and Princess, 18, are the motivation behind her ultimate decision to accept her former husband’s An insider revealed: “Pete’s team have been begging Katie to end this for good for months.”

As far back as November, they were calling Katie and her family to try to end the row. “She was resolute, she wouldn’t make peace with him. It was the children who made her realise she needed to draw a line in the sand. Katie has done this for them.”

Taking to Instagram, they both posted: “Katie Price and Peter Andre have decided to close the door on the past and move forward into a new chapter with positivity and respect. We are both focused on creating a calm and supportive environment for our children.

“We have reached a mutual agreement, both legally and personally confirming that neither of us will speak negatively about the other going forward. This decision reflects a shared commitment to our family and stability.”

The statement continued: “We want to stand united for our children. We are hoping this is a start of a positive relationship. We ask for understanding and support from both the media and the public as we move ahead.”

The unusual move comes just after Katie exploded at her former husband on her weekly podcast, accusing him of keeping her away from their daughter Princess as she launched her own reality TV show and making her look like the ‘baddie’.

Peter hit back by saying he had tried to stay silent for ‘sixteen years’ to ignore ‘repeated lies from my ex-wife and her family’. “That ends today,” he fumed.

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One of last year’s best action films is now ready for home viewing on Paramount+

A spectacular action movie sequel featuring an A-list Hollywood star has finally landed on Paramount+ at no additional cost to subscribers.

Potentially the final instalment in one of cinema’s most legendary franchises, the highly anticipated sequel left audiences stunned when it hit cinemas last year.

Following nearly 12 months of anticipation, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, marking Tom Cruise’s concluding performance as daring IMF agent Ethan Hunt, was added to Paramount+ on Sunday, 1st February.

Serving as a direct continuation of the seventh film in the franchise, Dead Reckoning, this thrilling spy adventure sees Ethan reuniting with Grace (played by Hayley Atwell), Benji (Simon Pegg), Luther (Ving Rhames) and various others to prevent Gabriel Martinelli (Esai Morales) from executing his plan to dominate the world’s population using a sinister AI called ‘the Entity’.

Anticipate plenty more gravity-defying stunts, intense espionage and a spectacular final confrontation in this essential action film that concludes an era with a monumental flourish, reports the Express.

Enthusiasts of the film have been singing its praises since its theatrical debut, so ensure Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning goes straight to the top of your streaming queue this week.

One IMDb user’s 10/10 review confessed: “There are no words which can describe this masterpiece.

“It has one of the most incredibly dynamic underwater and aerial stunts, edge of the seat moments. It was a sad, beautiful but hopeful goodbye to Tom as Hunt.

“One of the most powerful finale movies in the world. Cried throughout the movie. Real fans will love it.”

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Another viewer raved: “Honestly, this is one of the best films I’ve watched in a long time. From start to finish, it had me completely hooked – I was on the edge of my seat, heart pounding, palms sweating during the intense action sequences, and at other times, completely overwhelmed with emotion.

“The storyline was gripping and well-paced, with just the right balance of suspense, drama, and character development. The cinematography was stunning, capturing both the beauty of the locations and the intensity of the action in a way that pulled me deeper into the experience.”

The praise continued flowing on Letterboxd, where one user proclaimed: “The last fifty minutes of this and easily the best content of Mission: Impossible I have ever seen and it’s not even a debate.”

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“The plane sequence is not only the best stunt Tom Cruise has ever done, but it’s definitely the best in the series!!!! I was truly on the edge of my seat and my heart kept racing really hard.”

A final admirer concluded: “A truly awesome and epic finale to the franchise. Tom Cruise was born to be Ethan Hunt.

“I love everything about this final chapter in the Mission Impossible series. The stakes are higher, more developed characters, and more awesome action! The Final Reckoning has two of the most intense scenes in the whole franchise.”

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is now streaming on Paramount+.