Month: April 2025

A MISSING young child was found walking on a busy motorway just metres from moving cars.

Emergency services were called at around midday on April 7 to reports of the child wandering on the hard shoulder of the M25 near Brasted, Kent.

A Kent Police spokesperson said: “Kent Police was called at 12.07pm on April 7, 2025 to concerns for the welfare of a young child seen on the hard shoulder of the M25 near Brasted.

“A member of public assisted the child who was reported to have gained access to the hard shoulder from a nearby property.

“Patrols visited the property and spoke to the child’s family who had also been searching for him. Welfare checks were made and safety advice was provided.”

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Jordan Chiles screamed in relief. Tears welled in her eyes as she stuck her uneven bars dismount.

When it mattered most, the Olympic gold medalist delivered at the NCAA semifinals in Fort Worth, Texas, on Thursday night. She posted a score of 9.975 on the uneven bars to put her in position to win another title in the event as No. 5 UCLA held first heading into the final rotation, with less than two-tenths of a point separating four teams.

Needing their beam routines to connect after Emily Lee posted a sub-9.70 score, the Bruins went to work. Led by senior Emma Malabuyo’s meet-high 9.975 beam score, UCLA outpaced top-seeded Louisiana State to secure the fourth and final spot in the NCAA championship final, finishing with an overall score of 197.5250.

No. 4 Utah took first Thursday with a 197.7625.

“I might cry again,” Chiles told ESPN after the meet at Dickies Arena. “I believed in this team from the very beginning. There’s so much pride, so much joy, so much fun in the atmosphere. I knew this was our year.”

Chiles became NCAA uneven bars champion for the second time, while Brooklyn Moors secured her first NCAA title in floor exercise with a 9.9625. The Canadian graduate student lifted UCLA to a 49.5250 first-rotation score for an early lead. The Bruins counted five scores on floor above 9.86, three of which landed at 9.90 or higher.

UCLA will compete for the national title against No. 2 Oklahoma, No. 7 Missouri and Utah on Saturday at 1 p.m. PDT (ABC) as it tries to win its first national championship since 2018.

US State Department cable reveals that social media posts could lead to screening of visa applicants for national security threats.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered the State Department to review the social media accounts of foreign applicants for United States visas who have visited the Gaza Strip in the past 18 years, according to an internal cable seen by the Reuters news agency.

The cable covers all immigrant and non-immigrant US visas – including students and tourists – of people who have spent “any length of time in an official or diplomatic capacity” in Gaza on or after January 1, 2007.

Employees and volunteers at nongovernmental organisations will also be subjected to US screening.

If the social media review uncovers any “potential derogatory information relating to security issues” then the US visa application will be submitted for an interagency investigation into whether the applicant could pose a national security risk, according to the cable.

The cable was signed by Rubio, who previously told the media that his office has revoked more than 300 visas since the start of this year. They include student visa holders who have criticised Israel’s war on Gaza, even though the US Constitution protects the freedom of speech of anyone in the US regardless of their visa status.

The Trump administration has previously said the students’ actions pose a threat to US foreign policy. The president has also taken the fight to universities themselves, which have been the site of major protests since the war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023.

Trump’s latest battle is with Harvard University. The president froze more than $2bn in federal funding to the university, after it refused to make policy changes requested by his administration.

They include repealing affirmative action in the admissions process, screening for students who may be “hostile to American values and institutions”, and addressing anti-Semitism on campus.

Earlier this week, the Department of Homeland Security said Harvard may be ineligible to host international students over its “radical ideology” and supporting “foreign visa-holding rioters and faculty [who] have spewed anti-semitic hate”.

THE UK’s largest energy supplier has issued a fresh warning to 41,000 customers ahead of a huge electricity meter switch off.

Households still using Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) meters must upgrade to a smart electricity meter by the end of June to avoid being disconnected or trapped paying extortionate rates.

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RTS-dependent electricity meters will stop functioning after June 30, 2025.

Octopus Energy, which previously managed approximately 60,000 RTS meters, has now revealed in an update to The Sun that around 41,000 meters still need to be replaced before the June deadline.

The company stated that roughly half of the affected customers have already booked an appointment to upgrade their meters.

However, this leaves approximately 20,500 households yet to take action.

Nearly one million customers relied on RTS meters before the planned switch-off was announced in 2023.

According to Ofgem’s most recent statistics, shared with suppliers, 415,000 meters across the industry still require replacement.

These meters were commonly used by customers on Economy 7 and other multi-rate tariffs, offering cheaper electricity rates depending on the time of day.

The devices rely on the RTS which broadcasts a signal alongside the long-wave channel for BBC Radio 4.

This signal is then picked up by the meter and used to switch the electricity rates at different times of the day.

Some RTS electricity meters can also automatically turn heating and hot water systems on and off during certain hours.

However, when the RTS signal is switched off these meters will no longer function as intended.

This means that from June, these meters could be left jammed on peak time electricity rates depending on when the RTS signal dies.

This could lead to huge bill hikes for households affected by the switch-off.

It could also leave those with heating systems controlled by RTS on or off permanently.

Suppliers have been racing to get their customers moved to smart meters before the deadline in recent weeks.

This week, Octopus Energy unveiled its ‘RTS Regional Tour’, aimed at ensuring remote customers can transition to smart meters on time, no matter their location.

As part of the initiative, the supplier’s engineers will visit areas such as Skye, Shetland, and Orkney later this month.

John Szymik, chief executive of Octopus Energy Services, said: “Octopus has boosted its service capability to offer fast-tracked assistance and ensure that no one is left without heating.

“Whether you live in a city or on a tiny island, our ‘RTS Regional Tour’ is about showing up for every customer and making sure they’re not left in the cold.

“Switching to a smart meter not only ensures continued heating and hot water access – especially for those using electricity for storage or panel heaters – but also unlocks a range of benefits, from smart tariffs and cheaper energy periods to better control over energy use”

Alongside warnings from Octopus Energy, over 65,000 E.ON Next customers are now being encouraged to step forward and arrange the installation of a smart meter.

Meanwhile, EDF has also issued warnings to 60,000 of its own customers, advising them to take the same action.

How do I know if I have an RTS electricity meter?

YOU’LL be able to tell if you have a meter that relies on the RTS quite easily.

The oldest RTS-powered meters have a switch box labelled “Radio Teleswitch” located next to the physical electricity meter.

Others may have the RTS switch box included within the electricity meter as a single box on the wall.

If you’re unsure about the type of electricity meter in your home – call your supplier as they’ll usually have this information on hand.

RTS is also sometimes called dynamically teleswitched (DTS).

What’s the alternative to RTS?

Smart meters offer the same features as RTS in that they can record the different prices at different times of day offered by Economy 7 tariffs.

They work using a digital signal and can also show your energy usage in real time, something many users find useful for reducing it and saving money.

Smart meters are being rolled out by suppliers across the country and around 36million households have one, though they are not without issues.

Around one in ten are thought to be “dumb” according to recent data from Ofgem.

Issues include a broken display and trouble connecting to the network in some areas, while many first-generation smart meters have outdated technology, though this is unlikely to be an issue with ones fitted now.

Suppliers should make efforts to fix smart meters that are not working, but you may have to make meter readings in the meantime to ensure accurate bills.

Monitors—the part of the smart meter that shows readings and usage—less than 12 months old should be replaced or fixed for free.

You can ask your supplier for a traditional meter instead, but as smart meters are replacing them, they are not obligated to give you one.

Can I keep my RTS tariff?

Suppliers have been told by Ofgem that they must take reasonable steps to ensure they are on a like-for-like tariff after moving to a smart meter.

In some cases where this isn’t possible, they must work with the customer to agree an appropriate tariff.

There may be more smart meter-only tariffs available to some customers that could save them money.

If you haven’t been contacted by your supplier already, you don’t need to wait for a letter asking you to switch, you can contact them directly.

An Ofgem spokesperson said: “We expect suppliers to consider a range of innovative solutions to ensure their RTS customers get on to a metering and tariff arrangement appropriate for them.

“Smart meters are the best replacement for RTS meters – giving consumers more control of their energy usage and opening access to new money-saving tariffs – however, customers should speak to their supplier to understand the options that are available.”

The US president says prospect of a trade deal with the EU is ‘100 percent’, praising the Italian prime minister as ‘fantastic’.

US President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni have expressed optimism about a possible United States-European Union tariffs deal as the two leaders met at the White House, as economic uncertainly roils the market.

Meloni has cast herself as the only European who can de-escalate Trump’s trade war, and she has highlighted their conservative common ground, declaring that she wants to “make the West great again.”

“There will be a trade deal, 100 percent,” Trump declared on Thursday, while Meloni said she was “sure” they could reach a deal.

The two leaders struck a warm tone during a working lunch and a meeting in the Oval Office, with Trump hailing the 48-year-old Italian leader as “fantastic”.

‘Banking on Meloni’

Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher, reporting from the White House, said European leaders “are banking on Meloni” to make the bloc’s message to Trump “sound a little bit better”.

Meloni is the first European leader to visit the Republican since he slapped 20 percent tariffs on EU exports, which he has since suspended for 90 days.

The Italian leader said Trump had accepted an invitation to visit Rome in the “near future” and that he might also meet European leaders there.

“Even if we have some problems between the two shores of the Atlantic, it is the time that we try to sit down and find solutions,” she said.

Meloni highlighted their shared views on immigration and “woke” ideology and added: “The goal for me is to make the West great again, and I think we can do it together.”

But while Trump expressed confidence about an eventual deal with the 27-nation bloc he has accused of trying to take advantage of the US, he said he was in “no rush”.

“Everybody wants to make a deal – and if they don’t want to make a deal, we’ll make the deal for them,” Trump added.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Federiga Bindi, professor at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, said that Meloni is in a challenging position balancing the interest of Italian voters while also trying to please the whole European bloc.

“I think Meloni is trying to apply the lessons from [former Italian Prime Minister Silvio] Berlusconi. Just like she is today, he was an outcast of European politics. [Berlusconi] leveraged his relationship with George W Bush,” Bindi explained.

“Berlusconi managed to pull it. I am not sure if Meloni can manage to pull it [with Trump]. What’s different is that Berlusconi had a real friendship with Bush, which is pretty impossible to have with Trump.”

‘Get smart’

Trump repeated his criticisms of Europe, saying it needed to “get smart” on immigration and boost defence spending on NATO.

Russia’s war in Ukraine also remained a touchy subject, with Trump telling Meloni that he was “not a big fan” of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Meloni has been a staunch ally of Zelenskyy since Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country in 2022, most recently calling Moscow’s attack on the city of Sumy “horrible and vile”.

The Premier League itself does not have an official gambling partner, but Uefa announced its first formal gambling sponsor last summer.

According to data from Uefa’s European Club Finance and Investment Landscape report, gambling firms are also the most common sponsors of top division clubs in Belgium, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, and Russia.

The top industries for shirt sponsorships across top divisions in Europe are:

In the Championship, gambling is also the most popular category of shirt sponsor with six clubs – Burnley, Middlesbrough, QPR, Stoke, Sunderland, and Watford.

There are no gambling sponsors on shirts in League One and League Two. The most common industries in those divisions are energy, automotive, and food and drink.

Three Scottish Premiership clubs – Celtic, Dundee United and Rangers – are sponsored by gambling firms.

April 18 (UPI) — On this date in history:

In 1506, the cornerstone was placed for St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

In 1775, U.S. patriot Paul Revere began his famous ride through the Massachusetts countryside, crying out “The British are coming!” to rally the minutemen.

In 1906, an earthquake estimated at magnitude-7.8 struck San Francisco, collapsing buildings and igniting fires that destroyed much of what remained of the city. Researchers and historians concluded that about 3,000 people died in the quake and its aftermath, and roughly 250,000 were left homeless.

In 1912, three days after the sinking of Titanic, her survivors arrived in New York City aboard the RMS Carpathia.

In 1923, the original Yankee Stadium opened in New York. The stadium was demolished in 2010 after it was replaced a year prior by the new Yankee Stadium.

File Photo by Monika Graff/UPI

In 1942, Lt. Col. James Doolittle led a squadron of B-25 bombers in a surprise raid against Tokyo in response to the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

In 1945, U.S. journalist Ernie Pyle, a popular World War II correspondent, was killed by Japanese machine-gun fire on the island of Ie Shima in the Pacific.

In 1949, the Republic of Ireland formally declared itself independent from Britain.

In 1968, McCulloch Oil Corp. paid $2.24 million to buy London Bridge, which was sinking into the Thames under the weight of 20th century traffic. The oil company rebuilt the bridge bloc by block over Lake Havasu in Arizona.

In 1980, Rhodesia became the independent African nation of Zimbabwe.

In 1983, the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, was severely damaged by a car-bomb explosion that killed 63 people, including 17 Americans.

In 1992, an 11-year-old Florida boy sued to “divorce” his natural parents and remain with his foster parents. The boy eventually won his lawsuit.

In 2002, former U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., revealed that at least 13 civilians were killed by his U.S. Navy unit in a Vietnamese village in 1969.

File Photo by Ezio Petersen/UPI

In 2007, more than 125 people were killed in a suicide car-bomb explosion near a Baghdad market.

In 2014, an avalanche on what is known as a particularly dangerous route to the top of Mount Everest in the Himalayas killed 16 Sherpa guides.

In 2018, the first movie theaters in Saudi Arabia opened with a public screening of Black Panther.

In 2024, police arrested more than 100 protesters at Columbia University for refusing to leave a large pro-Palestinian encampment on campus. The incident sparked more protests at the school and other campuses across the country.

File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI

Police handout

Family handouts

‘Selfish people putting others at risk’

‘Ineffective, unsafe and unfit’

MANILA, Philippines — Nora Aunor, who became one of the biggest stars of Philippine cinema during a career that spanned seven decades, has died.

Aunor died Wednesday, according to social media posts from her children. She was 71. No further details on the cause or place of her death were immediately given.

Filipina actor Lotlot de León said on Instagram that her mother “touched generations with her unmatched talent, grace, and passion for the craft. Her voice, presence, and artistry shaped a legacy that will never fade.”

De León said funeral plans and other details will be shared later.

In a statement released Thursday, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Aunor “was our consummate actress, singer, and film producer.” He praised the performer for her “golden voice” and her “genius,” which he said was a “gift to the Filipino nation.”

Aunor, born Nora Cabaltera Villamayor to an impoverished family in eastern Camarines Sur province, sold water in a train station in her hometown in her youth. She first gained fame in her teens as a singer in the 1960s before moving on to movies. She amassed more than 200 credits in film and television that included many classics of Philippine cinema, and won dozens of acting awards.

Memorable roles included 1976’s “Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos” (“Three Years Without God”), 1984’s “Bulaklak sa City Jail” (“Flowers of the City Jail”) and 1995’s “The Flor Contemplacion Story.”

She swept acting awards in the country for her performance in 1990’s “Andrea, Paano ba ang Maging Isang Ina?” (“Andrea, How Is It Like to Be a Mother?”) and won lead actress at the Asian Film Awards for her portrayal of a midwife in 2012’s “Thy Womb.”

Aunor was still acting as recently as last year, starring in the film “Mananambal” (“The Healer”) and appearing on the TV series “Lilet Matias, Attorney-at-Law.”

Aunor was named a National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts — the country’s biggest honor for actors — in 2022. In 2014, then-President Benigno Aquino III had denied her the honor because of a previous drug arrest in the U.S., provoking broad outcry.

Aunor’s lawyer said the 2005 arrest at Los Angeles International Airport came because of a pipe found in a bag she did not pack, noting she was traveling with four assistants at the time. The charges were dropped in 2007 after she completed a diversion program, her lawyer said in 2014.

Aunor was married to actor Christopher de León from 1975 until 1996. She is survived by their children Lotlet, Ian, Matet, Kiko and Kenneth de León.

Times staff writer Alexandra Del Rosario contributed to this report.

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

BASEBALL

City Section

San Fernando 8, Legacy 2

San Pedro 2, Bell 1

Sylmar 10, Marshall 5

Verdugo Hills 1, Palisades 0

Southern Section

Apple Valley 3, Hesperia 0

Arlington 3, Valley View 1

Arrowhead Christian 3, Ontario Christian 2

Big Bear 12, Hesperia Christian 11

Bolsa Grande 4, Rancho Alamitos 1

Brentwood 5, Campbell Hall 3

California 2, El Rancho 1

Camarillo 1, Oxnard Pacifica 0

Canyon Springs 5, Vista del Lago 2

Cerritos 18, Whitney 1

Charter Oak 13, Hacienda Heights Wilson 2

Citrus Hill 3, Orange Vista 2

Coachella Valley 16, Yucca Valley 5

Compton 4, Dominguez 0

Cornerstone Christian 9, Calvary Baptist 4

Corona Centennial 5, Eastvale Roosevelt 1

Corona Santiago 1, Corona 0

Crossroads 2, Windward 1

Crossroads 3, Windward 0

Culver City 16, Beverly Hills 0

Desert 5, Silver Valley 2

Duarte 7, Nogales 2

Edgewood 14, La Puente 1

El Dorado 3, Crean Lutheran 0

Foothill Tech 8, Grace 7

Ganesha 8, Pomona 0

Glendora 1, Flintridge Prep 0

Hart 9, Castaic 8

Hawthorne 11, Compton Centennial 1

Heritage Christian d. Malibu, forfeit

Indio 10, Twentynine Palms 0

La Serna 6, Whittier 3

La Sierra 6, Jurupa Valley 1

Leuzinger 31, Morningside 1

Liberty 4, Paloma Valley 3

Loma Linda Academy 17, Desert Chapel 6

Long Beach Poly 5, Paramount 0

Maranatha 3, Whittier Christian 1

Miller 11, Pacific 1

Monrovia 3, South Pasadena 0

Moreno Valley 9, Hemet 5

Norco 10, Riverside King 0

Northview 3, Covina 0

PACS 21, Victor Valley Christian 2

Palm Desert 6, Xavier Prep 1

Patriot 7, Rubidoux 0

Oak Hills 13, Ridgecrest Burroughs 6

Oaks Christian 5, Westlake 4

Oakwood 9, Buckley 2

Orange Lutheran 1, Santa Margarita 0

Oxnard 2, Village Christian 0

Paraclete 5, Highland 2

Pioneer 3, Glenn 2

Providence 4, Chadwick 1

Rancho Christian 3, Hillcrest 2

Rancho Verde 16, Perris 6

Redlands 4, Citrus Valley 3

Redlands East Valley 10, Cajon 1

Rio Hondo Prep 3, Pasadena Poly 2

Riverside North 5, Heritage 0

Riverside Poly 3, Lakeside 0

Riverside Prep 25, University Prep 1

Royal 2, Bellflower 0

San Bernardino 5, Indian Springs 4

San Juan Hills 1, Trabuco Hills 0

San Marino 3, La Canada 1

Santa Monica 3, Lawndale 2

Saugus 4, Golden Valley 2

Sierra Vista 7, Azusa 3

Simi Valley 4, Santa Barbara 1

Sonora 6, Savanna 0

St. Paul 7, Santa Fe 0

Sultana 7, Serrano 1

Temecula Valley 4, Chaparral 3

Thacher 16, Bishop Diego 4

Thousand Oaks 8, Newbury Park 7

Trinity Classical Academy 14, Faith Baptist 0

Troy 3, Esperanza 0

Valencia 7, Canyon Country Canyon 4

Valley Christian 5, Woodcrest Christian 3

Victor Valley 14, Barstow 1

Viewpoint 2, Milken 1

Vista Murrieta 5, Great Oak 2

Warren 1, Lakewood 0

West Covina 3, Rowland 0

Yucaipa 8, Beaumont 6

Intersectional

Granada Hills 3, West Ranch 2

New Roads 5, Westchester 1

Public Safety Academy 8, Redlands Adventist Academy 7

SOFTBALL

Southern Section

AAE 12, Excelsior Charter 11

Alhambra 14, Montebello 4

Anaheim Canyon 5, Esperanza 3

Arcadia 5, Muir 4

Archer 14, St. Pius X-St. Matthias 2

Arlington 10, Vista del Lago 0

Azusa 17, Nogales 14

Beaumont 17, Redlands East Valley 0

Big Bear 14, CIMSA 4

Bonita 11, Claremont 0

Brentwood 13, Crossroads 3

Burbank 18, Pasadena 2

Burbank Burroughs 14, Hoover 0

Cajon 5, Citrus Valley 2

California 9, Whittier 1

Calvary Baptist 22, Packinghouse Christian 5

Canyon Country Canyon 6, West Ranch 2

Capistrano Valley 5, Aliso Niguel 3

Castaic 11, Golden Valley 9

Cathedral City 9, Banning 1

Cerritos 8, Glenn 2

Charter Oak 21, Hacienda Heights Wilson 0

Crescenta Valley 13, Glendale 0

Duarte 20, Baldwin Park 4

El Rancho 8, Santa Fe 7

Faith Baptist 21, PACS 3

Flintridge Prep 11, Mayfield 7

Foothill Tech 14, Santa Barbara 4

Gahr 7, La Habra 3

Ganesha 14, Workman 0

Garden Grove Pacifica 5, Cypress 2

Grace 13, Bishop Diego 2

Indio 12, Twentynine Palms 2

Jurupa Valley 11, La Sierra 1

Lakeside 12, Perris 2

La Mirada 3, Beckman 0

Lancaster 16, Knight 3

Lawndale 12, Beverly Hills 1

Lennox Academy 12, Compton Early College 1

Liberty 11, Paloma Valley 5

Mark Keppel 14, San Gabriel 0

Moreno Valley 16, Rancho Christian1

Newport Harbor 18, Corona del Mar 2

Northview 13, Covina 7

Oak Hills 13, Apple Valley 2

Ontario Christian 6, Arrowhead Christian 4

Patriot 21, Rubidoux 4

Providence 18, Pasadena Poly 5

Quartz Hill 13, Eastside 3

Rancho Verde 21, Citrus Hill 0

Ramona 21, Norte Vista 0

Riverside Poly 11, Orange Vista 5

Riverside Prep 10, University Prep 4

Rio Hondo Prep 19, Westridge 9

Riverside North 11, Heritage 9

San Bernardino 15, Indian Springs 5

Santa Ana Foothill 5, Troy 4

Santa Ynez 15, Carpinteria 7

Saugus 5,. Valencia 4

Schurr 10, Bell Gardens 0

Serrano 18, Hesperia 2

Sierra Vista 14, Garey 4

Sultana 19, Ridgecrest Burroughs 1

Thousand Oaks 10, Newbury park 0

Valley View 16, Hemet 1

Viewpoint 8, Harvard-Westlake 2

Villa Park 9, Sunny Hills 6

Western Christian 17, Downey Calvary Chapel 2

Yorba Linda 19, Crean Lutheran 0

Yucaipa 18, Redlands 2

Yucca Valley 15, Coachella Valley 5

Intersectional

Desert Mirage 24, Borrego Springs 7

The group that seized power in Afghanistan in 2021 is removed from Russia’s list of banned ‘terror’ organisations.

Russia’s Supreme Court has suspended its ban on the Taliban, which it had designated for more than 20 years as “a terrorist organisation”. The latest move is aimed at normalising ties with the de facto rulers of Afghanistan.

Thursday’s ruling – prompted by a request from the prosecutor general – is effective immediately, Judge Oleg Nefedov announced, according to Russia’s Tass news agency.

The move in favour of the group that seized power in Afghanistan in 2021 follows years of gradual rapprochement with Moscow, despite a turbulent history dating back to the Afghan Civil War of the 1990s.

More recently, shared security interests – including the fight against ISIL (ISIS)’s regional affiliate, ISKP – have drawn Russia and the Taliban closer.

Last year, President Vladimir Putin described the Taliban as an “ally” in counterterrorism efforts, while his envoy to Kabul announced plans to delist the group.

Moscow, which has hosted Taliban officials for several forums in recent years, is also looking to use Afghanistan as a transit hub for gas exports to Southeast Asia.

“Moscow will continue its course on developing political, trade and economic ties with Kabul,” Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in October last year.

Other Asian countries have also improved ties with the Taliban in recent years, though no state has moved to fully recognise it.

In 2023, Kazakhstan took the group, which has banned girls’ education and restricted women’s movement, off its list of “terrorist organisations”. Kyrgyzstan followed suit last year.

China, India, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Iran are among nations with embassies in Kabul, with Beijing becoming the first in 2023 to appoint an ambassador after the Taliban’s takeover.

VIEWERS will see the horrifying moment Chris Hughes WEES in a giant cat litter tray in tonight’s episode.

Last night, Celebrity Big Brother viewers were left feeling sick when Love Island star Chris, 32, weed in a cat litter tray in a teaser clip for Friday’s instalment.

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Shown as an exclusive clip during Late and Live after the main show last night, Chris and Jojo Siwa, 21, could be seen dressed as cats.

In the clip, Chris asked Jojo if she could block the door so that he could have a wee in the giant cat litter that was on the floor in the bathroom.

Jojo, who was dressed in a fluffy ginger cat suit, then got up out of her seat and moved towards the door.

Chris explained how he had “stage fright” because she was looking over at him.

“Close your eyes,” she told him.

Moments later, Chris had pulled down his black and white cat suit and was weeing in the litter.

Spurts of urine could then be seen hitting the pebbly surface of the cat litter.

After having a wee, Chris covered the urine covered pebbles of cat litter with clean pebbles as he used his hand.

Reacting to the clip that was shown on Late and Live, one person on X said: “Ehm, yeah, Chris just did a wee in the middle of the bathroom, in a giant litter box, dressed as a giant cat, in front of JoJo Siwa.”

“What on eeeearth? To be fair though, this is the sort of Classic Big Brother content that we all come for,” penned a second.

A third person then wrote: “I’ve seen it all now. That was disgusting of Chris to pee in that cat litter tray, while JoJo watched. Gross.”

“Why did Chris piss in a litter tray then cover it up with his hands and NOT wash his hands,” said a fourth.

A fifth person added: “Seeing Chris go for a wee in a litter tray and covering it with his hand is so disgusting, evict him immediately.”

While a sixth defended the gross act and said: “This is actually hilarious. Chris is a fantastic housemate idc.”

Celebrity Big Brother 2025 line-up

Celebrity Big Brother is back for a brand new series, with a whole host of stars set to live it up in the famous compound.

This comes after Chris told Jojo that something she did turned him on amid their increasingly flirty moments in the house.

During Thursday night’s episode, the housemates made their way into the Diary Room to nominate two fellow housemates.

As they sat round the couch to wait their turn, many of the housemates played a memory game as they listed one item each what they would get from a supermarket.

The person would then have to remember each item from the entire group as they went along.

When it was Jojo’s turn, she left everyone stunned as she remembered everything seamlessly.

Chris was taken aback and congratulated her on her impeccable memory skills.

He then remarked: “That was really good, really well remembered. That’s a big turn on, that.”

Jojo looked completely confused by her pal’s words as he repeated: “A big turn on, that.”

The pair have become good friends since Chris stepped in to defend her after Mickey Rourke’s homophobic slur earlier in the series.

Since this, their friendship has gone from strength to strength.

They can now often be seen cuddling in bed, drawing secret messages on each other’s hands, and getting cosy with one another on the sofa.

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Social media posts have warned for more than a month that President Donald Trump would declare martial law on April 20, which typically means suspending civil law while the military takes control of civilian functions such as courts.

But many of the posts appeared to conflate martial law with the potential invocation of the Insurrection Act of 1807, which was mentioned in a recent executive order.

“I just learned about this executive order (section 6-b) which says Trump will invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807 on April 20th which will (amount) to declaring martial law,” a Reddit user posted on March 19. “That’s the end of the USA.”

The narrative spread beyond Reddit to Facebook posts and videos shared on TikTok, X and Threads.

Trump’s January 20 executive order declared a national emergency at the US southern border and required the defence and homeland security secretaries to submit a report on border conditions within 90 days. The report should include “any recommendations regarding additional actions that may be necessary to obtain complete operational control of the southern border, including whether to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807”, the executive order said.

April 20 is the 90-day deadline.

Invoking the Insurrection Act would allow Trump to direct federal military personnel to enforce federal law at the US southern border. But legal experts told PolitiFact it would not amount to martial law. They said they do not see a clear path for Trump to lawfully implement martial law in the way it’s commonly understood. Trump, on his part, has not publicly discussed martial law.

In a statement to PolitiFact, the Defense Department said the agency is working with the Homeland Security Department to develop the requested report on the southern border conditions.

PolitiFact contacted the Homeland Security Department and the White House and received no response.

What would the Insurrection Act invocation allow?

Invoking the Insurrection Act temporarily suspends another US law that forbids federal troops from conducting civilian law enforcement.

A president can invoke the law after determining that “unlawful obstructions, combinations, or assemblages, or rebellion” against the federal government make it “impracticable to enforce” US law “by the ordinary course of judicial proceedings”. In those cases, the Insurrection Act would allow the president to direct federal troops “as he considers necessary to enforce those laws or to suppress the rebellion”.

The Insurrection Act is broadly written and does not define terms such as “insurrection” or “rebellion”. In 1827, the US Supreme Court ruled that the authority to decide whether a situation represents an acceptable reason to invoke the Insurrection Act “belongs exclusively to the President”.

Chris Edelson, an American University assistant professor of government, said the law provides a “limited authority for the president to use the military to respond to genuine emergencies – a breakdown in regular operational law when things are really falling apart”.

The act was invoked when southern governors refused to integrate schools and during the 1992 Los Angeles riots, after four white police officers were acquitted in the roadside beating of a Black man, Rodney King.

Experts expressed doubt that the situation at the US southern border constitutes a breakdown or obstruction of federal law that would necessitate the use of the Insurrection Act the way the law was intended.

Tung Yin, a Lewis and Clark Law School professor, said it’s hard to see how immigrants coming into the country illegally were obstructing state or federal laws.

Obstruction is “more like an invading army or maybe such severe riots that the government has lost control”, he said.

Martial law, on the other hand, typically refers to imposing military law on civilians.

Edelson said the Insurrection Act “does not allow the president to completely replace regular authorities with military authority”.

Chris Mirasola, University of Houston Law Center assistant professor, said military law is more stringent and has fewer protections for people than civilian law. US constitutional protections would not disappear if the Insurrection Act were invoked, Mirasola said.

Yin said that when a president uses the Insurrection Act to call on the military to enforce civilian law, “that might seem like ‘martial law’ to a layperson. But it’s not a military government, which might be what people generally think of.”

Can Trump impose martial law at the southern border?

In a 1946 ruling, the US Supreme Court wrote that the term martial law “carries no precise meaning” and said it wasn’t defined in the Constitution or an act of Congress.

Edelson said because of this, “At the federal level, it’s not clear that presidents can declare martial law at all.”

Mirasola said some other countries’ constitutions include provisions that outline when a president can declare martial law, but the US Constitution lacks such detail.

Still, martial law has been declared before. The US imposed martial law in Hawaii for three years after the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. President Abraham Lincoln also declared martial law in certain parts of the US during the Civil War. President Andrew Johnson restored civilian law.

At that time, the Supreme Court “more or less found that martial law could only be declared in an active war zone”, Mirasola said, citing an 1866 Supreme Court ruling that held that martial law cannot be imposed unless civilian courts aren’t open and functioning.

For that reason, Mirasola said he could see no legal or constitutional basis for Trump to declare martial law to control the southern border, which “is not an area of active hostilities, notwithstanding how the administration continues to talk about the actions of cartels”.

“The circumstances within which presidents have invoked martial law and that the Supreme Court has understood martial law are incredibly narrow,” he said. “It would require an active hostility on US territory that prevents civilian legal proceedings from occurring.”

Experts said Trump’s suggestions about using military powers could be one reason for the martial law speculation: In October, Trump said “radical left lunatics” in the US “should be very easily handled by, if necessary, by National Guard, or if really necessary, by the military”.

In June 2020, during nationwide protests following the death of George Floyd, Trump said if governors didn’t deploy the National Guard to sufficiently “dominate the streets”, he would order the US military to “quickly solve the problem for them”.

Then there is his willingness to challenge constitutional precedent.

He is trying to end birthright citizenship by executive order; the move was blocked by multiple federal judges, including one who described the order as “blatantly unconstitutional”.

In mid-March, Trump said the US is being invaded by a Venezuelan gang and invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, an obscure law that was used to detain or deport foreign nationals from enemy nations without due process during wartime. The Supreme Court lifted a lower court’s order that temporarily halted deportations of Venezuelan migrants under the law. It did not rule whether Trump’s use of the law was constitutional.

Edelson mentioned the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol, and the fact that Trump pardoned about 1,500 people charged with crimes that day.

*Caryn Baird contributed to this report.*

Winning tip: Pier review, Worthing, West Sussex

For years, the elegant art deco southern pavilion at the sea end of Worthing Pier housed a dodgy nightclub. After Covid, it reopened, now owned by south coast restaurant business Perch, having been restored back to its 1930s glory. It’s like having lunch on an ocean liner. There’s a great menu, with plenty of the things you’d expect at a seaside cafe, and good service. I spent years working on arts, culture and regeneration projects to bring Worthing into the 21st century while respecting what makes the town special – it feels like this is everything we aimed for.
Dan Thompson

Window on to the Irish Sea, Anglesey

The Church Bay Inn (on Facebook), at Porth Swtan, Anglesey (Ynys Môn), commands stunning views over the Irish Sea. Its huge windows mean it is an atmospheric place to have a drink when the weather is bad, but when the sun shines the scene is glorious. There are various nooks and terraces and even a small garden with a hobbit hole and a boat to play in for the kids. It’s community owned and has a laid back, simple vibe with just a small range of well kept beer and bar snacks. Well worth a walk along the coast path to get to, or stay in the tiny village and enjoy the stunning unspoilt beach and beautiful walks nearby.
Esme

An Amble to the fish shack, Northumberland

After braving the North Sea crashing against the harbour walls and the wind blowing us in every direction, we stumbled across The Fish Shack on the harbour front in Amble, Northumberland. The whole bream, drenched in capers with the most beautiful lemon potatoes, was wonderful. And the mussels served in a spicy broth warmed us up perfectly. One of my favourite seaside discoveries ever.
Sophie Newbound

Wonderfully Welsh cafe, Pembrokeshire

We had walked the Wales Coast Path from Trewyddel to Poppit for several miles along dramatic cliffs high above coves and seals and rounding Pen Cemaes, the highest point on the Pembrokeshire Coast national park, at 175 metres. Then through a farmyard, down a steep lane and finally on to Poppit Sands beach and the wonderful Crwst cafe. I had a cheese and caramelised onion ciabatta toastie, with great Crwst home-roasted coffee. My friend had an enormous iced bun. Roedd pawb yn siarad Cymraeg – everyone spoke Welsh.
Catrin

Sea views and decent coffee, North Tyneside

The name says it all: The View. I won’t lie, I’m mainly drawn to this cafe cum restaurant overlooking Tynemouth’s Longsands beach for those panoramic sea vistas. But if I’m not lucky enough to get a window table I take solace in a jaunty dining booth resembling a beach hut, or I venture on to its stunning sea-view terrace. It does decent coffees, proper cakes, tasty brunch offerings and heartier meals including humungous servings of fish and chips. They’re licensed too, just in case some vino with a view floats your boat …
Eleanor Marriott

Where profs and surf dudes mingle, Co Derry

Former Chelsea and Real Madrid midfielder Claude Makelele speaks to BBC Sport pundit Nedum Onuoha about his playing career, relationship with Jose Mourinho and having a defensive midfield role named after him.

Watch Football Focus on Saturday at 12:00 BST on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website & app.

April 18 (UPI) — President Donald Trump has extended his federal government hiring freeze for another three months.

Trump signed a memorandum to bar civilian hirings through July 15 on Thursday.

“No federal civilian position that is presently vacant may be filled, and no new position may be created,” the memorandum states. The extension does not apply to the military or positions related to national or public security or the Executive Office of the President, the document states.

According to a White House fact sheet on the memorandum, if the hiring freeze is not extended and expires on July 15, agencies will only be able to hire one employee for every four that depart from federal service.

“The American people elected President Trump to drain the swamp and end ineffective government programs that empower government without achieving measurable results,” the fact sheet states.

Trump implemented the hiring freeze on his first day in office with the aim of shrinking the federal government and curbing wasteful spending.

Since returning to the White House on Jan. 20, his administration has also conducted mass firings of tens of thousands of federal employees with this same end in mind.

These are the key events on day 1,149 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Here is where things stand on Friday, 18 April:

Fighting

• Russia’s Ministry of Defence said its air defence systems destroyed or intercepted 71 Ukrainian drones over six Russian regions overnight, of which 49 were downed in the Kursk region.
• The ministry said it seized the village of Preobrazhensky in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, state news agency TASS reports.
• Kyiv’s air force said Russia launched five missiles and 75 drones at Ukraine overnight, out of which 25 were shot down and another 30 did not reach their targets due to electronic warfare measures.

• Russian artillery shelling killed two and injured five others in the southern Ukrainian city of Nikopol, regional governor Serhiy Lysak said.
• The death toll from recent Russian mass attacks on Dnipro rose to three while 31 others were injured. At least 15 buildings were also damaged, according to Dnipro mayor Borys Filatov.
• A Russian drone attack in Ukraine’s southern region of Kherson killed two road workers, the region’s governor, Oleksandr Prokudin said.
• Ukraine’s top military commander, Oleksandr Syrskii, said Ukraine had gained small pockets of land amounting to about 16 square kilometres (6 square miles) near the Ukrainian settlements of Udachne, Kotlyne and Shevchenko, all of which are a short distance from the logistics hub, Pokrovsk.

Ceasefire

• The Russian-installed management of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant said the facility was attacked by Ukrainian drones despite a mutually agreed 30-day moratorium on energy strikes.
• Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Ukraine had violated the agreement daily, claiming a total of 80 strikes so far on energy sites. According to Moscow’s Defence Ministry, 10 attacks were carried out in the past day.
• Ukraine’s largest private energy producer DTEK said Russian drone attacks destroyed its energy infrastructure in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

• A Ukrainian delegation met with representatives from the United Kingdom, France and Germany in Paris to discuss a potential ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.
• Ukraine and the European countries also met with United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US special envoy Steve Witkoff in Paris to plead Kyiv’s case for an equitable ceasefire deal with Russia.
• Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that a meeting between the US, Ukraine and European countries in Paris was a chance for Witkoff to inform them about the status of ceasefire discussions.
• A Russian envoy said Russia’s President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with Witkoff was “extremely productive” but accused some countries of trying to disrupt the dialogue between the two countries.

Politics and diplomacy

• Ukraine and the US signed a memorandum of intent as an initial step towards the clinching of an agreement on mineral extraction in Ukraine, Ukraine’s first deputy prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko said.

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged putting “pressure” on Russia to end Moscow’s three-year war on Kyiv.
• President Zelenskyy also said Ukraine has evidence that China was supplying artillery and gunpowder to Russia.
• Zelenskyy said Russia has reduced strikes on Ukraine’s energy facilities but has started targeting civilian infrastructure instead.
• Zelenskyy also said Kyiv was prepared to buy at least 10 Patriot air defence systems from the US to protect itself from Russian attacks.
• Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zakharova said the use of a Taurus missile to strike Russia would be considered direct participation by Germany in the Ukrainian war. Her comments followed Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz’s comments expressing willingness to supply Kyiv with the missiles.

THIS Easter Weekend, shoppers have the chance to grab some premium Apple tech at a fraction of the usual price.

A fantastic eBay deal is offering the Apple AirPods Pro earbuds for just £76.

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Apple AirPods Pro, refurbished, £75.74 (was £100.99)

These noise-cancelling beauties typically cost £100.99, but if you enter the promo code MINTY25 at checkout they fall to just £75.74.

That’s not a bad price for a piece of Apple tech that were initially priced at £249 when they hit the market in 2019.

However, this offer is only runs on eBay until midnight on Easter Sunday, so those interested will need to act quickly.

This particular deal comes with two caveats, however.

Firstly, these are the older, first-generation model of AirPods Pro.

They’re no longer available to buy brand-new, since the arrival of the second-generation buds in 2022.

Secondly: they’re refurbished, meaning they’ve been pre-owned and are now being re-sold via eBay’s refurb outlet.

Refurbished products at eBay are examined and repaired to 100% functionality by vetted sellers or manufacturers.

Multi-point inspections are carried out on every product, and items are categorised by condition – in this case, they’re “excellent condition,” which means minimal wear-and-tear and full functionality.

These AirPods come with a year-long warranty, too.

To find out more, it’s worth reading our guide to refurbished tech, where we spoke to Mark Monte-Columbo, the Head of Refurb at eBay.

The AirPods Pro, despite being first-generation, still come sporting an impressive array of features.

With Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency mode, and Adaptive EQ, they deliver excellent audio performance tailored to your listening environment.

They’re equipped with dual microphones, motion and speech-detecting sensors, and the H1 headphone chip for seamless connectivity.

Needless to say – if you own an iPhone, iPad or Macbook, these will sync up like Romeo and Juliet.

Sweat and water resistance (IPX4) makes the AirPods Pro more durable, and the wireless charging case offers over 24 hours of listening time.

These refurbished AirPods Pro have been earning rave reviews from buyers on eBay.

“Fantastic set of wireless headphones,” one shopper writes. “The noise-cancellation feature totally shuts out all external disturbances.”

Another added: “They actually fit snug and the noise cancelling feature is pretty good – going to Transparency Mode is also brill.”

Picking up Apple tech like this for less than £100 is a pretty rare opportunity – even if it’s been pre-owned.

But with the offer expiring at midnight on Easter Sunday (20th April), shoppers don’t have long to snap up these bargain buds.

For an in-depth, expert verdict on these buds, read our Tech Editor Sean Keach’s AirPods Pro review.

Apple AirPods Pro, refurbished, £75.74 (was £100.99)

Head to our shopping refurbished page for more deals we’ve spotted on pre-loved products.