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Arne Slot has good memories in Marseille. It was here in 2022 when his Feyenoord side held on to secure a place in the Europa Conference League final.

On the eve of this week’s game in the bowels of the Stade Velodrome, he was asked about those memories. He was also bizarrely and rudely asked about Xabi Alonso’s links to the Liverpool job.

Any noise surrounding the future of the Liverpool boss was quietened by a trademark European away performance from his side, who added Marseille to Eintracht Frankfurt and Inter Milan as the teams they have beaten on their travels this season.

Their unbeaten run of 13 matches (W7 D6) in all competitions may have been uninspiring for the large part but it is the longest ongoing streak of any team from Europe’s big five leagues. In itself, credit must be due for that. Liverpool last lost a game in November.

Crucially for Slot, it was a first win in a game that Mohamed Salah started for Liverpool since November 4, when they beat Real Madrid in the Champions League. It now looks like a line has been firmly drawn after Salah’s interview at Leeds and both player and manager can move on for the betterment of the football club.

The reality is that both need each other. Pre-match, Slot told TNT Sports: “The moments when I didn’t play him, I was trying something different. We have missed goals from all the ball possession. If there’s one player in the history of Liverpool that can score goals, it’s Mo Salah.”

It was a night where Salah did not add to his club record of 46 Champions League goals for Liverpool, even though he really should have when he fired wide in the second half, but the assurance with which Liverpool played in a 4-2-2-2 setup will leave Slot delighted and may well give him food for thought for the coming weeks.

“It says a lot about how big a professional he [Salah] is that he can be away for more than a month with a different team and be so fit to play 90 minutes for us after one day of training,” said Slot. “He was so close to a goal. It would usually be a goal from him, but it didn’t harm us because we scored three.”

Cabin crew adopt a specific safety posture with hands on their thighs during critical flight phases – and there’s an important reason behind it

For most flyers, those brief minutes before takeoff and after landing pass by in a blur — heads buried in mobile phones, half-watching the safety demonstration, or simply killing time until the aircraft reaches cruising altitude. However, for cabin crew members, these seemingly routine moments represent the most dangerous stretches of any flight, demanding razor-sharp attention, rigorous protocols and a meticulously rehearsed physical stance that passengers often notice but seldom comprehend.

Throughout these critical periods, flight attendants are vigilantly scanning the cabin to guarantee everything is properly secured. Travellers must remain seated with seatbelts fastened, tray tables tucked away and seats in the upright position, enabling the crew to devote their complete attention to safety matters.

Aviation experts confirm this elevated level of alertness is crucial, as the vast majority of incidents take place during takeoff and landing.

In conversation with Travel + Leisure, Katherine Drossos, a qualified flight attendant and in-flight supervisor at Cirrus Aviation Services, outlined the importance of these crucial moments. “During the critical phases of flight, specifically takeoff and landing, cabin hosts ensure the cabin is fully secure and passengers are seated, briefed, and prepared. This allows full focus on safety during the most sensitive portions of the flight,” she says.

Part of that groundwork involves the safety briefing, which details seatbelt usage, oxygen masks and life jackets. However, once the demonstration wraps up and the plane starts climbing or descending, travellers might notice something else: cabin crew seated bolt upright in their jump seats with their hands positioned firmly on their thighs or tucked underneath their legs, reports the Express.

While many assume they are merely “sitting on their hands”, Drossos clarifies the stance is deliberate. “What passengers often interpret as cabin hosts ‘sitting on their hands’ is actually a deliberate brace-ready position. Cabin hosts sit upright in the jump seat with feet flat on the floor and hands secured on their thighs or beneath the legs,” she explains.

“This posture stabilises the body, minimises the risk of injury during sudden movement or turbulence, and ensures hands are immediately available to respond if an evacuation or safety action is required.”

While precise hand positioning may differ based on airline protocol or aircraft model, the objective stays the same. Drossos points out that the stance is engineered to maintain “stability, alertness, and immediate readiness during the most critical phases of flight”.

The physical stance is merely one element of the procedure. While seated, cabin crew simultaneously undertake a silent mental rehearsal of emergency protocols.

“While seated, cabin hosts also conduct a silent safety review, mentally walking through emergency procedures, identifying exits, and confirming evacuation commands and responsibilities,” Drossos explains. This guarantees they are entirely ready to respond immediately should anything go awry.

The technique shot to prominence after a flight attendant known as @_hennylim went viral on TikTok for demonstrating the routine. In her clip, she displayed two crew members boarding the plane, getting into their jump seats, securing their seatbelts and positioning their hands underneath their legs.

She characterised the stance as the “bracing position”, outlining that it requires sitting upright with palms facing upwards, thumbs tucked in, arms loose and feet planted firmly on the floor. The objective, she noted, is to limit movement and minimise injury should an unexpected impact occur.

Passengers are not obliged to adopt the identical brace position, but aviation professionals recommend staying alert during safety demonstrations, studying the safety card, keeping seatbelts secured and ensuring seats are in the upright position during takeoff and landing. While it might appear straightforward, the manner in which flight attendants sit demonstrates comprehensive training and continuous alertness — a discreet yet crucial aspect of keeping everyone on board secure.

People who are scared of flying have been issued a message from a pilot with years of experience as he made an announcement in a video on social media addressing the “common” problem

Scared of flying? If the answer is yes, you are certainly not alone. In the UK, statistics estimate around 1 in 4 people (25%) experience some fear of flying, ranging from mild anxiety to severe aviophobia.

With numerous surveys indicating about 10% of people have intense fear, one pilot has issued an important message to those who worry about flying. In a post on Instagram, where he boasts 394,000 followers, the pilot shared a clip which read the words: “I’m not afraid of flying, I’m afraid of feeling trapped on the plane… If you think that, you need to know.”

He claimed many people feel anxious on a plane, but it has nothing to do with flying itself, but more the sensation of “being trapped”.

The pilot continued: “That feeling is very common, and it’s important to understand where it comes from. There is something important you need to know.

“On an airplane, you are not immobilised. When the seatbelt sign is off, you can stand up, go to the bathroom, stretch or walk a few steps down the aisle.

“Moving your body reduces that feeling of confinement, much more than people expect. Even small movements help your nervous system understand that you still have freedom to move.”

He claimed the cabin air is constantly renewed and the pressure is controlled at all times, so there’s no need to worry about “running out of air”.

However, if the anxiety continues, he urged: “You don’t have to handle it alone, you can talk to the cabin crew, ask for water, or explain how you’re feeling. That support helps more than you might imagine.”

Meanwhile in the caption, he concluded: “That trapped feeling doesn’t mean danger, it means your nervous system wants control. Even though your body urges you to escape, you are safe and supported the entire flight.

“Learning how to calm your breathing and shift your focus can reduce that panic and help you feel more in control in the air.”

How to get over the fear of flying:

Educate yourself: Learn more about flight safety then it should minimise your own fears.

Relaxation techniques: Try deep breathing or any distraction methods, whether it’s watching a movie or listening to music.

Get help: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can assist you with your fears by talking about it.

Medication: A doctor might prescribe anti-anxiety meds for occasional use or regular treatment.

Talk to the crew: Let flight attendants know you’re nervous as they can offer reassurance.

The Stranger Things finale included a few Easter Eggs, but only one is the real clue to what The Duffer Brothers’ new spin-off will be about.

The finale episode of Stranger Things has arrived and fans are already picking it apart to find clues for an upcoming spin-off. Since the finale aired on Netflix last week, The Duffer Brothers have confirmed which Easter Egg viewers should look out for that will be an important clue to the series they do next.

One popular fan theory, which had been quickly gaining traction, was that Hopper and Joyce would have their own show when they move to Montauk, a real town that partially served as the inspiration behind the creepy experiments we see in Stranger Things.

However, in an interview with Deadline, The Duffer Brothers clarified that this was simply a cheeky Easter Egg about Stranger Things’ original name, as it had originally been a supernatural drama called Montauk back in 2015 before the location was changed to the fictional Hawkins, Indiana.

“There’s no Montauk spinoff,” Ross Duffer confirmed. “That was more of a wink to the fans, deep-cut fans that know that the show started as Montauk.”

However, fans who had been to see Stranger Things spin-off play The First Shadow on London’s West End spotted a few other Easter Eggs in the finale, with Henry Creel’s origin story reportedly being a crucial clue to the real spin-off.

During the season 5 finale, we learn Henry found a rock inside a scientist’s brief case that gave him powers and connected him to The Mind Flayer. This adds more context to the play, as The First Shadow previously revealed he went missing in the desert and came back changed by what he found there.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Matt Duffer confirmed: “I’ve been pinned down and forced to blow this already, so I might as well tell you. There’s lingering questions about the rock and where the rock came from [in Henry’s story in the finale] and the scientist and all of that.

“Because we had said that there is something in the finale that is going to connect to the spinoff. The spinoff is not about rocks or mining the rocks, but I would say that’s the loose end that’s not that’s not tied up that will be tied up.”

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He went on to explain that there would be “an entirely new mythology” but that the spin-off “does connect and will answer some of the lingering questions”, adding: “It’s not specifically about the Mind Flayer or the Upside Down, but hopefully it provides some answers to that at least those lingering questions related to Henry’s memory.”

The show creators also told Variety that they would start working on the spin-off from Monday, January 5, with Matt revealing: “You don’t understand. My favorite part of the show is working on it. It’s not releasing it — that’s just stressful, no matter how it goes when you release it.

“It’s maybe my least favorite part of the process. I like the creative part. I like making it. So, we’re actually really excited, and it’s very exciting to work with a clean slate: completely new characters, new town, new world, new mythology.”

As well as the new spin-off, an animated series featuring the original Stranger Things characters has also already been confirmed. It will be called Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 and is reportedly set to come out some time in 2026.

Stranger Things seasons 1 to 5 are available to stream in full on Netflix now.

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HOLLY Ramsay has finally revealed the all-important role her dad, Gordon, had during her wedding to Adam Peaty.

The TV chef’s middle daughter wed her Olympian beau in a beautiful Bath Abbey ceremony on 27 December.

And aside from walking her down the aisle, Holly, 26, says her dad naturally took control of the day’s food too.

“Dad has been extremely involved in the food,” she told British Vogue ahead of the big day, explaining that he and the team at London’s Savoy Grill designed the menu.

The menu included a dish Gordon, 59, is very famous for, a traditional beef Wellington matched with wine pairings.

But later in the day, Holly took more creative control with late-night party dishes of spicy vodka pasta and fries.

jetting away

Holly Ramsay reveals honeymoon destination with Adam Peaty – and who is paying

clap back

Holly Ramsay defends dad’s savage wedding speech & swipe at Adam’s family feud

Doting dad Gordon may appear tough on the small screen, but Holly says he “couldn’t stop crying” in the lead-up to her big day.

“Dad cries every time I talk about the wedding,” she said.

Holly, who is the first of Gordon’s six children to get married, continued: “The other day I was asking him which car he and I would take to the church, and he welled up immediately.”

Alongside emotional support, Gordon and his wife Tana have also forked out for the couple’s luxurious honeymoon.

Spending their first weeks as newlyweds in sunny Mauritius, Holly explained that it was a “wedding gift” from her famous parents.

While things have all been tight-knit in the Ramsay corner, the lead up to the wedding was full of drama after Adam uninvited his parents – Caroline and Mark.

It came after his feud with his mum is thought to have exploded last year when she was not invited to Holly’s hen do.  

While it is not known why she wasn’t on the Soho Farmhouse hen do guest list, Holly’s mum Tana and close friend Victoria Beckham were amongst the attendees.

The snub came after Adam’s Budapest stag do, following which Adam’s brother James was arrested over allegations he had sent threats to the Olympian during the trip.

While he was later bailed, a source said at the time that Adam felt his mum was “enabling his brother’s actions rather than pushing him to deal with his demons.”

The only notable member of his family present at the wedding was Adam’s sister, Bethany.

During the wedding, Gordon delivered a fiery speech that appeared to be a dig towards the Peatys, saying his wife Tana “will be a good mum to them both”.