French far-right leader Marine Le Pen said on Wednesday that the US has “clearly made a mistake” in attacking Iran, Anadolu reports.
“What I see is that the United States clearly made a mistake, thinking the Iranian regime would fall within a few days. It has not fallen. The Iranian regime is extremely strong,” Le Pen, head of the National Rally (RN), told France Inter radio.
She said Trump’s war goals are “erratic” and questioned the ultimate objective of the conflict, adding that “no one knows” what he seeks to achieve.
Le Pen underscored that the war has affected several Gulf countries and caused a heavy imbalance in energy supplies.
“Russia is Hungary’s energy supplier,” and “Ukraine hinders Russia’s oil supply to Hungary,” she added.
The National Rally leader described Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban as a “symbol of resistance” to the European Commission.
“It is perfectly natural that I come to support our allies during electoral situations,” she said, stressing that she does not interfere in Hungary’s internal affairs.
Regional escalation has continued to flare since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing so far over 1,300 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.
Netflix has confirmed Bridgerton’s fifth season is currently in production but fans aren’t happy about the direction of the hit period drama
Bridgerton fans fume ‘big mistake’ as Netflix confirms season 5 leads(Image: NETFLIX)
Bridgerton season five will officially focus on middle daughter Francesca with Hannah Dodd taking the lead in Netflix’s popular period romance drama.
Dodd will be starring alongside Masali Baduza as Michaela Stirling, marking the first time the hit streaming series will spotlight a same-sex couple.
The upcoming instalment, which is currently in production, will be set after the death of Francesca’s husband John Stirling (played by Victor Alli) as she begins to explore her complex feelings for his outgoing cousin.
A synopsis confirms: “The fifth season of Bridgerton spotlights introverted middle daughter Francesca.
“Two years after losing her beloved husband John, Fran decides to reenter the marriage mart for practical reasons.
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“But when John’s cousin Michaela returns to London to tend to the Kilmartin estate, Fran’s complicated feelings will have her questioning whether to stick to her pragmatic intentions or pursue her inner passions.”
A first-look teaser for the upcoming season has given fans a tantalising glimpse of the pair together, giving each other a tender glance as inspiring music swells.
While countless fans are thrilled to see Fran and Michaela’s romance develop, others have criticised the decision to delay Eloise Bridgerton’s (Claudia Jessie) storyline to season six.
In Julia Quinn’s original novels, 28-year-old Eloise finds love in the fifth book, To Sir Phillip, With Love, after exchanging letters with widower Sir Phillip Crane, played by Chris Fulton in the TV adaptation.
“Big mistake it should have been Eloise next, no buzz here l’m sorry to say,” one viewer fumed on X, adding a shrug emoji.
Someone else exclaimed: “BIG Mistake! should’ve been Eloise first, Fran should’ve had time to grieve.”
Another said: “im actually mad because wdym im not seeing [Eloise’s] season till 2030.” A third wrote: “THEYRE DOING FRANCESCA BEFORE ELOISE?? WHATTT.”
The conversation continued on Reddit, where one user reasoned: “I’m not sure how to feel about this I’m excited for them and their story but honestly what are they going to do with Eloise for another season, i just can’t see what they do with her.”
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This lets members watch live and on-demand TV content without a satellite dish or aerial and includes hit shows like Bridgerton.
“I mean great but I have mixed feelings. I just really wanted Eloise to be the next,” another agreed.
Though someone else argued: “Ayyy, my girls!! So excited to see them lead, I know it’s going to be a fantastic season! Hopefully they can advance Eloise’s plotline as well, like how Fran’s story got a headstart in S3.”
Production starting this spring indicates the next season should arrive on Netflix at some point in 2027.
Hopefully that also means fans won’t be waiting too long before Eloise finally gets her time to shine.
Experts say people should be checking their passports immediately to make sure they are still valid, as the window for standard renewals is already beginning to tighten. With Easter Sunday falling on April 5 this year, travellers who have not yet checked their passports may already be close to the usual processing deadline for standard applications.
According to official government guidance, most UK passport applications are usually processed within three weeks or less, although travellers are advised to apply well before their trip whenever possible. A standard adult passport renewal currently costs £94.50 when applying online, while applications submitted using a paper form cost £107.
However, if you leave this too late, urgent processing services mean prices rise sharply. The government’s Premium one-day passport service, used for urgent adult renewals, now costs £222, more than twice the price of a standard online application.
Andrea Platania, travel expert at Transfeero, says the weeks leading up to Easter are a common moment when travellers suddenly realise their documents may need attention. It is then a race against time to make sure they can still travel.
He says: “Easter trips often creep up on people. Many families book their flights weeks or even months earlier, then only check their passports when they start preparing for the journey.”
According to Andrea, discovering a passport issue close to departure can quickly complicate travel plans. “Renewing a passport is normally straightforward if you give yourself enough time,” he says. “But when travellers realise just a few weeks before departure that their passport has expired or does not meet entry requirements, the situation becomes much more stressful.”
Because standard applications can take around three weeks to process, travellers who are planning to leave the UK around the Easter period may now be close to the point where urgent services become the only realistic option. Urgent passport services require travellers to attend an appointment at a passport office.
The Premium one-day service can provide a renewed passport within hours of the appointment, but the convenience comes at a significantly higher cost. Andrea says this situation is surprisingly common during busy travel periods.
“People often assume passport renewals can be sorted out quickly at the last minute,” he explains. “But if the departure date is already approaching, travellers may find themselves forced to use urgent services that cost far more than the standard application.”
He advises travellers to treat passport checks as one of the very first steps when planning any international trip. He said: ” “When you start looking at flights and accommodation, that is the moment to check your passport. If it needs renewing, doing it early keeps the process simple and affordable.”
He also notes that some countries require passports to remain valid for several months beyond the date of travel, meaning a passport that appears valid may still not meet entry rules, warning: “That is another detail people often overlook. A passport might technically still be valid, but it may not meet the entry requirements of the country you are visiting.”
With Easter travel approaching quickly, Andrea says travellers who have not yet checked their passports should do so as soon as possible. “A quick check today can prevent a lot of stress later,” he says. “If your passport needs renewing, acting early helps you avoid both the pressure and the much higher cost of urgent processing.”
THE OSCARS is back for another year, and will see the crème de la crème of Hollywood clamouring to snatch one of those famous golden statues.
But despite the prestigious nature of the Academy Awards, they don’t always guarantee an A-list life forever in Tinseltown – as these past winners have found out…
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Mo’Nique
Mo’Nique was riding high in her career when she scooped the Best Supporting Actress gong for PreciousCredit: AlamyHowever, shortly after winning the gong, the actress says she was ‘blacklisted’ from HollywoodCredit: Getty
Let’s kick off our look at forgotten Oscar winners with Mo’Nique, who claimed she was “blacklisted” after her win at the Academy Awards.
When she won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 2010 for her performance in Precious it was her acceptance speech that got people talking, which began: “First, I would like to thank the Academy for showing that it can be about the performance and not the politics.”
Mo’Nique was referring to a fallout which started long before the Oscars.
It came when she refused to travel the world to promote the film – against the advisement of director Lee Daniels and producers Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey – despite the movie having “Oscar buzz”.
Following this fallout, Mo’Nique declined to thank filmmaker Lee during her acceptance speech, leading to a HUGE Hollywood feud – during which the actress alleged that he had “blackballed” her from the industry.
And shortly after winning the coveted statue she practically vanished from Tinseltown.
The star has since reflected on being a victim of so-called “Oscarscurse” – where stars suffer bad luck in their career after winning an Academy Award.
Speaking to CNN in 2020, Mo’Nique said: “I believe winning that Oscar award, just as Hattie McDaniel, she said, ‘I felt like I was cursed instead of winning something that should be congratulated’.
“That award was something that I did not ask for, but because I didn’t respond the way people thought that I should have responded, as Lee Daniels said, I was blackballed.”
Mercedes Ruehl
Mercedes Ruehl won the Academy Award for The Fisher King in 1992Credit: AlamyThe actress returned to the stage after the movie roles failed to pour in after her Oscar winCredit: Getty
At the 1992 Oscars, Mercedes Ruehl was having the time of her life after scooping the Best Supporting Actress gong.
Despite her movie The Fisher King being led by Hollywood heavyweights Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges, Mercedes was the one who took home that coveted gold statue.
But even though she won such a huge award, the movie roles failed to pour in after her night of glory and the actress “vanished” from Hollywood.
Reflecting on the “curse” of winning such a top prize, she told the HuffPost: “It’s hard to get a job after that.
“People think you want more money.”
Instead, Mercedes returned to the stage and went on to win a Tony award the same year as her Oscar – she has remained a fixture of Broadway ever since.
Harold Russell
Harold Russell (centre) won the Best Supporting Actor gong for The Best Years of Our LivesCredit: AlamyHarold was the first non-professional actor to win an OscarCredit: Getty
Harold Russell’s Oscars tale is very different to the others.
The late star lost both his hands in World War II and had them replaced by hooks.
Harold had never acted before when he played the role of Homer Parrish in The Best Years of Our Lives in 1946.
He was cast after the director of the film saw him in Diary of a Sergeant, an Army film about rehabilitating war veterans.
Despite his lack of acting experience, Harold proved to be a huge hit in The Best of Our Lives, and he won not one, but TWO Oscars for his role.
At the 1947 Academy Awards he was awarded the Best Supporting Actor and a special Honorary Academy Award for bringing hope and courage to fellow veterans.
Harold was also the first non-professional actor to ever win an Oscar.
But despite all this glory, he took a step back from acting and didn’t appear in another film until 1980.
Instead, he decided to get a business degree and devoted his life to charity.
Speaking about why he didn’t continue his Hollywood career, he told the Los Angeles Times in 1996: “Wyler (the director) told me I should go back to college because there wasn’t much call for a guy with no hands in the motion picture industry.
“I figured he was right. [In the handful of roles I’ve taken since then,] I always play a disabled veteran.
“And this is what Wyler said, ‘After a while they’re going to run out of ideas’—and he was absolutely right. How many times can you play the same role?”
Harold died in 2002 at the age of 88.
Roberto Benigni
Italian actor Roberto Benigni scooped the Best Actor gong and Best Foreign Film at the 71st Academy Awards in 1999Credit: AlamyThe actor is seen here at the Venice Film Festival in 2021Credit: Getty
Next up we have Italian actor Roberto Benigni, whose double Oscar win in 1999 caused quite a reaction.
The star won two gongs for the foreign film La Vita è Bella (Life is Beautiful), taking home the statues for Best Actor and Best International Feature Film – as he directed the movie too.
The film was the first non-English speaking picture to win the Best Actor award.
But Roberto, who was up against Tom Hanks, Ian McKellen, Nick Nolte and Ed Norton for the award, faced a huge backlash for his “over the top” reaction to winning the coveted gong.
He was seen climbing over audience seats to accept the award, which was slammed as being “chaotic”.
Roberto was also criticised for his “disingenuous” acceptance speech, where he appeared to make light of winning such a huge award.
“This is a terrible mistake. I used up all my English!” he joked, upon being handed the award.
Despite his big win, the actor retreated back to his native-Italy to make films instead of in Hollywood.
Speaking about life as a two-time Oscar winner, Roberto once told The Guardian: “The most important thing is to continue to be yourself.
“The day after the Oscars, you have to get on with your life. To be honest and true to yourself. I could have made a small film and kept all the money from Life is Beautiful. Instead, I spent more money than I had on Pinocchio, a very risky film.”
The actor is referring to his 2002 movie Pinocchio, which was only released in Italy and received mixed reviews from critics, with one calling it “the worst movie ever made”.
Marcia Gay Harden
Marcia Gay Harden won the Best Supporting Actress award for Pollack in 2000Credit: AlamyThe actress later called her win ‘disastrous on a professional level’Credit: Getty
Marcia Gay Harden beat the odds to scoop the Best Supporting Actress award for Pollack in 2000.
Critics were also shocked that Marcia won the Oscar as she hadn’t been nominated for any other major award in the run-up to the ceremony.
Despite the actress’s huge win, her movie career stalled and she headed back to the small screen.
Reflecting on being a victim of the “Oscar curse”, Marcia once told the LA Times: “It’s disastrous on a professional level.
“Suddenly the parts you’re offered and the money become smaller. There’s no logic to it.”
Mira Sorvino
In 1996, Mira Sorvino was the toast of the OscarsCredit: AlamyHowever, these days she is best known for Romy and Michele’s High School ReunionCredit: Getty
Mira Sorvino
Fans of the quirky movie Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion may be surprised to know that the film’s co-leading actress, Mira Sorvino, actually won an Oscar before starring in the cult classic movie.
A few years before, the actress won a huge amount of praise when she played a prostitute in Woody Allen’s Mighty Aphrodite.
She wowed so much, she scooped the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1996 for the role.
Despite going on to star in Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion the following year, the movie roles after that failed to pour in and she has switched her focus to TV.
Marisa Tomei
Film fans may be surprised to know that Marisa Tomei won an OscarCredit: Corbis Historical – GettyThe actress faced some backlash over her Oscar win, with a rumour going around that she was ‘given it by mistake’Credit: Getty
It may come as a surprise to film fans to find out that the actress won an Oscar in 1993 – but that is nothing compared to what happened on the actual night.
Shockwaves went through the prestigious ceremony when the relatively-unknown actress at the time scooped the gong for Best Supporting Actress, beating veteran stars like Joan Plowright and Vanessa Redgrave.
But it didn’t stop there, as poor Marisa, who won the award for her role in My Cousin Vinny, faced rumours that she had been given the Oscar “by mistake”.
Vicious gossip began to circulate that suggested that presenter Jack Palance had misread the envelope and mistakenly given the Oscar to Marisa instead of “its rightful owner”, Vanessa.
However, the Academy addressed the conspiracy theory and denied that she had been given it by “mistake.”
Speaking about the cruel rumour, Marisa once said: “That was really hurtful at first.”
Despite the fall out from her Oscar three decades ago, she has been nominated for two more since.
These days Marisa is best known for playing Spider-Man‘s mum in the famous franchise.
Carol Hutchins had been looking forward to a sunny break in the TUI Magic Life Hotel in Fuerteventura with her daughter, Layla, at the end of October, but she didn’t get further than the airport
Layla and Carol Hutchins had been looking forward to their holiday in Fuerteventura
A disabled woman has been left “very upset” after she missed her holiday to the Canary Islands because of her mobility scooter battery.
Carol Hutchins had been looking forward to a sunny break in the TUI Magic Life Hotel in Fuerteventura with her daughter, Layla, at the end of October. However, the mum-and-daughter duo’s dream trip ended at Manchester Airport, where staff told them Carol’s scooter couldn’t be loaded onto the plane.
Carol has been left “very upset” by the missed holiday and the fact that she’s over £1,000 out of pocket. There is no suggestion that TUI did not follow protocol. However, Carol and Layla’s experience serves as a warning to Brits travelling overseas with a mobility scooter.
A TUI spokesperson explained: “We’re sorry that Ms Hutchins wasn’t able to travel on her holiday, and we recognise how upsetting that must have been for her. This was due to them not having the required documentation and battery identification information for their electric mobility aid, which meant it couldn’t be cleared to fly under safety guidance. The TUI airport team supported her on the day and explored alternative options, which she chose not to accept.”
Carol booked her holiday to the sun-soaked Canary Islands at the TUI Doncaster store on 23 October 2025. As the booking was made within two weeks of departure, the travel agent called the welfare team while Carol was in the shop, to make sure the mobility scooter was added to the booking.
When a mobility aid is added to a holiday booking, customers receive the Conditions of Carriage, which include important instructions passengers must follow before their flight.
They state: “The battery or batteries should clearly be labelled showing the type and the watt-hour (Wh) rating. Failure to show this can lead to refusal of battery or batteries. Please carry the manufacturer’s operating instructions with you, which will help you and the airport staff to block the vehicle’s electric circuits and remove the battery if necessary.”
According to TUI, the Conditions of Carriage were emailed to Ms Hutchins four times as her booking was updated, and given twice again alongside ticket documentation.
When Carol and Layla arrived at Manchester Airport on October 29, her battery did not have any visible ID label, meaning airport staff could not legally clear it under safety regulations.
An on-site duty manager contacted the resort team in Fuerteventura to find an alternative mobility scooter she could use on her holiday.
However, according to Layla, Carol did not feel comfortable travelling without her own or with the idea that she might be without one for a period once at her destination.
According to TUI, Carol and Layla turned down the offer of two alternative flights and goodwill vouchers.
TUI’s website has a section that explains what customers on mobility scooters need to know and do before they travel.
Before flying with your electric mobility aid, you’ll need to:
Check your battery type and specifications
Provide battery details to TUI in advance
Bring manufacturer documentation to the airport
TUI accepts these battery types:
Non-spillable batteries (like AGM, Gel Cell, SLA)
Lithium batteries with specific watt-hour limits:
Single battery: maximum 300Wh
Two batteries: maximum 160Wh each
However, wet cell (spillable) batteries are not permitted on TUI flights.
Important pre-flight steps:
Share your device’s battery details with TUI as early as possible
