boss

A Benidorm actress has share some exciting news about a potential new series of the much-loved ITV comedy

A much-loved Benidorm star has given fans a glimmer of hope about the return of the cult ITV comedy series.

Launching in 2007, the show captivated audiences as it charted the hilarious escapades of Brits basking in the sunshine at the Solana Resort. Over its glittering run, Benidorm scooped up numerous accolades including BAFTAs and NTAs, securing its status as a viewer’s delight.

Despite an all-star cast featuring Sheridan Smith, Siobhan Finneran, and Johnny Vegas, the show came to an untimely end after 11 years in 2018, much to devotees’ dismay.

Whispers of a revival have been circulating, spurred on by hints from the cast and even creator Derren Litten himself, reports OK!.

Sherrie Hewson, renowned for her portrayal of Joyce Temple-Savage, dropped a bombshell during her ‘An Evening With Sherrie Hewson’ on Sunday (July 6) in Barnsley. She revealed: “I do know ITV have got new scripts and they love them and think they are wonderful.”

Yet, she tempered expectations by stating: “The problem with Benidorm is that it’s probably one of the most expensive shows ever because it’s in Spain, we have a Spanish crew, we have a British crew, so it costs a fortune to make.”

Still, she remains optimistic, adding: “But it’s on twice a day every day and those ratings are still as high as they ever were, so I think it will [return].”

Fans loyal to Benidorm may just see their beloved characters gracing the screens once again thanks to ITV’s apparent adoration for the new material presented to them.

Sherrie hinted at good news: “And I think they [ITV bosses] love the scripts anyway and Derren said he laughed out loud when he wrote them so I don’t think there’s any question, it’s just when.”

In other news, Benidorm creator Derren Litten had fans buzzing in April when he announced that he is in negotiations with ITV about a potential revival of the fan-favourite show.

During a Facebook Live session reported by The Sun, Derren divulged some tantalising details: “Have I been talking to ITV in the last few months? Yes I have.”

He continued, giving fans a glimmer of hope: “Have ITV commissioned a special or a series at the moment? No. Might they in the next few weeks [or] couple of months? Yeah they might. They might.”

Derren concluded, aiming to uplift fans with anticipation: “So I hope that gives you [the fans] some hope, and I hope that gives you some idea of where we are,” indicating that the beloved sitcom may soon return to the small screen.

A BOSS has been branded as being “beyond diabolical” over the text messages they sent to an employee regarding her maternity leave.

Ben Askins, a UK career expert, regularly shares videos calling out questionable workplace behaviour to his social media sites.

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In a recent post, Ben highlighted an “ugly” response to a pregnant woman’s “reasonable” request for maternity leave where he branded her employer as being in “the top three of the worst bosses I’ve come across”.

Ben shared the text exchange to his TikTok account which has since notched up nearly 590,000 views.

The text message exchange begins with the pregnant employee confirming that her manager had received her “email about maternity leave requests for February”.

The boss then replied: “I saw it, and I wanted to talk to you about it.

“Is there any way you’d consider reducing how long you want to take?

“If you are sure you are going to go ahead with it, would you be open to discussing it all. I am just a bit worried about the costs from our side.”

Clearly taken aback by her manager’s reaction, the female employee tried to justify her reason for taking her legally-entitled maternity leave.

To help ease the situation, she offered to be as helpful as possible to the person who would temporarily filling her position.

She wrote in reply: “Oh ok, um I was kind of hoping to take as much time as possible.

“This is my first child and wanted to get as used to being as parent as possible, especially as my family lives quite far away.”

She added: “I will ensure all my responsibilities are handed over seamlessly and help interview for mat cover but I really do want to take the full amount.”

The boss though continued to badger his employee over the “burden” she was allegedly creating by going on maternity leave.

He wrote: “The challenge is that this is a small company, and it’s quite a burden to have to pay both your mat leave and your mat cover.

“I am just not sure how we can cope.”

The woman though continued to advocate for her rights and even offered to assist her employer while she was off on leave.

She said: “I appreciate that but this isn’t fair to put on me, I am happy to support but I am well within my rights to do this.

“I will try and support however I can, make sure everything is in place for a smooth handover and can also be on call for emergencies if that helps?”

The concerned employee then ended the message by saying: “Is my pregnancy going to be a problem for my role in the company?”

The boss then responded: “Not at all! Your pregnancy is absolutely fine by me, we are a family company.”

However, they then continued: “[J]ust not ideal timing for me that is all. But if you are not going to help out and reduce the time then nothing really further for us to talk about I guess.”

As Ben read out the series of text message in the video, he couldn’t help interject with his own comments about the situation, calling the manager out for their “disgusting” behaviour.

Ben also claimed the boss in this case was “fully aware of what he’s doing”.

He said: “He’s trying to use guilt to basically get her to kind of waive her rights [to take the full length of maternity leave]… because you can then sort of go, ‘Oh no, she agreed with it.”

Ben also added the woman’s request was perfectly “reasonable” and noted she had gone above and beyond by offering additional assistance in regard to the recruitment and handover to her replacement.

The expert also added that it was not the woman’s “problem” the business may struggle financially due to her leave entitlement and it was her right to take maternity leave.

Ben said: “That is not her f**king problem, that is your problem.

“If she’s not an equity holder, she’s not a director in the business, it’s not her company, that is a YOUR problem.”

The clip has gained a lot of attention, along with nearly 1,000 comments, many outraged by the behaviour of the boss.

One person wrote: “This is the kind of boss that makes you start looking for another job while you’re on leave.”

Another added: “She should not even have to justify anything.”

A third said: “The gaslighting and guilt is beyond diabolical.”

Others took issue with the manipulative language used by the boss in the text exchange.

One commenter said: “’Not ideal timing for me.’ Yea, I mean sheesh, couldn’t think of your boss while conceiving your baby?”

Another asked: “Did they just suggest she get an abortion for the sake of the company’s bottom line?!?”

While a third posted: “’If you’re not going to help out’ is an insane thing to say especially after she already stated she’s more than happy to arrange cover and everything else before she leaves.”

From the video, it is unclear what jurisdiction the worker was in, but many commentators noted that maternity leave was a legal employment right in a number of countries, including Australia, and the employee may have grounds to take legal action.

One commentator wrote: “Wow… save this, go to an employer lawyer. Get settlement, enjoy!”

Another opined: “This is a slam dunk mat discrimination case. Employers need to understand that claim awards are potentially unlimited.”

Other commentators used the opportunity to relate their own horror stories about requesting maternity leave.

One person wrote: “I had a line manager refuse to discuss it with me because ‘your baby could still die right up until the end’.”

Another commentator added: “My old manager tried to convince me to have an abortion… they wondered why I didn’t want to go back after having my baby.”

While a third said: “My old boss tried to tell me I only got half maternity time with my second child cos I’d already done the full maternity bonding time with my first.”

While most comments expressed outrage by the response of the boss, there were some commentators who said they understood where the employer was coming from.

One reply said: “Whilst he’s being improper, you can’t avoid the fact that small companies will avoid employing women of childbearing age to reduce costs.”

Another commentator said: “For small businesses, maternity leave – even if protected by law – can have a massive impact on the company, especially if it’s not performing well financially.”

Someone else posted: “[S]o many companies like this don’t like hiring young women because the potential for taking maternity leave is high.”

One comment from a disheartened female worker gained more than 1,600 likes which said: “We’re judged by society if we don’t want kids and then punished by work when we do.

“We’re judged for working 9-5 and having a career with kids but then also judged if we stay home full time with kids. Women can’t win.”

Under the Fair Work Act, all employees in Australia are able to get up to 12 months unpaid parental leave, if they have completed at least 12 months of continuous service with their employer.

The Paid Parental Leave scheme is run by Services Australia which provides financial support to eligible working parents to take time off work so they can care for a newborn or recently adopted child.

Some employees are able to receive parental leave payments from the Australian Government Parental Leave Pay, while others will get employer funded parental leave payments.

In some cases, it is possible a person can receive both.

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While Wane grapples with his own issues, notably a lack of time on the field with his players, there are still plenty of things for their autumn opponents to sort out before they board the flights for the ‘Old Dart’.

Firstly, a coach needs to be appointed, after long-standing boss Mal Meninga left his role to take up the position at new NRL franchise Perth Bears, who do not enter the competition until 2027 but for whom an entire roster needs to be raised.

Then there are the logistics, which still need fixing if former captain Brad Fittler’s interview with Australian radio station 2GB is to be believed, citing a need to sort accommodation, training facilities, kit and other tour essentials.

Fittler ruled himself out of the job, citing his media commitments, and the most recent links have suggested Cameron Smith, another former Kangaroos, could take it on.

Regardless of who picks up the baton, Wane expects high-quality opposition come October.

“I hope they are in some disarray, that would perfect! Any help I can get the better,” Wane joked.

“But, they’ve got a great team, some great players to pick from, they’ll be competitive and whoever the coach is so when they come over here in October they’ll be ready to play.

“If we can have a full stadium to make it as harsh as we can at Wembley, that’ll do for me.”

The recent State of Origin representative series – which will come to a head on 9 July in Brisbane – is locked at one game each between New South Wales and Queensland, and has helped the England coaches get a flavour of what to expect.

“I’m Whatsapping my staff, Lee Briers and Andy Last, during the game with things I want them to clip up – I look at it a different way,” Wane added.

“I’ve watched the Origin five or six times now and I can’t wait for the next one.”

BBC Radio Leicester’s Foxes commentator Owynn Palmer-Atkin:

The agreement between Leicester City and Ruud van Nistelrooy to terminate his deal at the club should not come as a surprise to many.

This always felt like a case of when, not if.

Relegation from the Premier League, five wins from 27 games in all competitions and record runs without a goal at home – it doesn’t scream success for the Dutchman.

However, the timing and behaviour around the decision have to be questioned at the very highest level.

It’s been over a month since the end of the season and double that since relegation back to the Championship was confirmed. In every press conference, Van Nistelrooy told the media that no conversations about his future had started. I think he knew his fate.

But that does not make it acceptable.

Fans have a right to question the timing, too. Leicester City are clearly grappling with financial issues; they may well have been waiting for the new Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) financial year on July 1.

But the agreement underpinning this agreement can always have a date in July. Which begs the question, why was this decision not made earlier? The fans deserve an explanation for that.

This is another critical moment for the club. The search for a fourth manager in 12 months, the pre-season beginning on Monday and the Championship opener six weeks from this weekend.

They have to get the next appointment right.

On the pitch, Southgate’s legacy will always be those agonising near misses, with the finger being pointed in his direction for conservative tactics, especially when early leads and domination ended with defeat to Croatia in the World Cup last four, as well as that defeat on penalties to Italy at Wembley.

For someone so often portrayed as “too nice” – something mistaken for his basic decency – Southgate showed steel as a player and again as a manager.

Even before he was appointed as the permanent manager, caretaker boss Southgate effectively signalled the end for Wayne Rooney’s England career by dropping the captain and record goalscorer for a World Cup qualifier in Slovenia before he was eased aside.

Sterling’s time with England ended after the 2022 World Cup, while Jack Grealish was cut from the Euro 2024 squad.

Southgate’s relationship with England’s supporters fluctuated, from the adulation between 2018 and 2021 to the toxicity of a night at Molineux in June 2022 when the personal abuse was such that it had a profound impact on the manager.

England’s Euro 2024 campaign, a somewhat joyless and mediocre affair in which much of the goodwill for Southgate had been diluted, also saw the manager pelted with empty beer cups and jeered by fans after a goalless draw with Slovenia in Cologne.

It was poor payback for what Southgate had given those England fans, only adding to the sense that this was an era drawing to a close, and perhaps the manager would not be sorry to see the back of it.

England flickered fitfully in Germany, reaching the final which ended in the familiar pain of defeat at Spain deservedly won 2-1.

It was a disappointing conclusion, making for a natural end to his time as England manager in which Southgate had made players and supporters dream again.

Once the short-term disappointment eased, it was right that Southgate should be judged with total respect, and befitting of his reign that he should have his investiture moment.

Middlesbrough have appointed ex-Luton Town manager Rob Edwards as their new head coach.

Edwards, 42, moves to the Riverside Stadium on a three-year deal as the replacement for Michael Carrick, who was dismissed earlier this month.

He led Luton to the Premier League in 2023 but could not avoid relegation from the top flight 12 months later and was then dismissed by the Hatters in January when they were 20th in the Championship.

His job is now to improve a Boro team who ended last season in 10th place, four points outside the play-off spots.

“It’s a real privilege to be given the opportunity to be head coach of this great football club,” Edwards told the club website., external

“It’s something that’s not lost on me, how big this is, how important this is, and what it means to people. There is an amazing fanbase.”

Nuno replaced Steve Cooper in December 2023 and kept Forest up, the club surviving on the final day of the 2023-24 season.

They suffered a four-point deduction for breaching profit and sustainability rules but finished 17th.

Forest were last season’s surprise package as they challenged for the Champions League spots and sat in the top four for the majority of the campaign.

They dropped out of contention after two wins in their final seven games but qualified for the Europa Conference League play-off stage.

Former Wolves and Tottenham head coach Nuno also took them to the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time since 1991, where they lost 2-0 to Manchester City.

Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis said: “Nuno has made a great impact and performed very well during his time with us so far.

“He has demonstrated that he maximises player performance and is an expert at developing players, whilst also embedding our young talent into the first team set-up.

“We enjoy a strong and solid relationship together and, above all, we share the same dream and ambition of writing a new history for Nottingham Forest, competing in the Premier League and in Europe and winning trophies for our great club.”

Loughborough Lightning head coach Vic Burgess says her side have had a “target on their backs” all season as they aim for a historic third consecutive Netball Super League title.

Lightning visit London Pulse in the major play-off semi-final on Friday (20:00 BST) at Copper Box Arena, looking to seal a seventh Grand Final spot in eight seasons.

The defending, three-time champions are the only side to beat Pulse at the Copper Box this season and Burgess says Loughborough “will treat the game as our final”.

“We want to bank our space in that Grand Final as early as possible so we have to give it everything,” Burgess told BBC Radio Leicester.

Pulse and Lightning finished first and second respectively in the Super League table, with the winner of their ‘major’ semi-final progressing automatically to the Grand Final on 6 July.

The loser still has a second chance to reach the showpiece game, hosting the winner of Friday’s ‘minor’ semi-final between third-placed Manchester Thunder and fourth-placed London Mavericks the following weekend.

Ryanair has singled out the UK as among the worst countries in Europe for air traffic control-caused flight delays – as the airline demanded the European Commission take action

Ryanair has launched a withering attack on air traffic control delays in the UK and a number of other countries.

Boss Michael O’Leary claimed a “scandal” of short staffing and mismanagement had caused widespread disruption for the airline and passengers. He singled out air traffic control in the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Greece.

Mr O’Leary said it “can no longer be tolerated”, as he called on the European Commission to intervene.

Ryanair stepped up its attack by comparing the five countries with five others with, it said, the best track record on delays. The Irish airline said 3,380 of its flights last year were impacted by delays on UK air traffic control, soaring to 35,100 in France. Yet that compared with just 210 in Slovakia that had delays, and only 70 in Ireland.

Mr O’Leary branded operators in France, Spain, Germany, Greece and the UK “hopelessly mismanaged”. He went on: “The difference is that these are protected state monopolies, who don’t care about customer service, they don’t care about passengers, and they don’t care about their airline customers either. Every year they are short-staffed and they are responsible for over 90% of Europe’s flight delays, which adds an extra 10% to aviation emissions in Europe.

Mr O’Leary added: “Ryanair, our customers, and our passengers are fed up with these avoidable ATC delays, which are imposed on us every Summer by the French, the Germans, the Spanish, the Greeks and the British. All that is necessary to properly manage their ATC service is to recruit and train sufficient air traffic controllers, just as the Irish, the Danes, the Dutch, the Belgians and the Slovakians have already shown.

“It is time for this European mismanagement and incompetence to end, or for ATC services of France, Germany, Spain, Greece, and the UK to be opened up to the competition.”

Ryanair last week issued a warning to holidaymakers after travel chaos at several airports in Portugal meant that hundreds were left stranded at departure gates. The budget airline said more than 270 passengers have missed their flights over the past two weeks due to extensive queues and chronic understaffing at border control.

The worst delays are being felt in Faro, Lisbon and Porto airports, with wait times reportedly stretching to a staggering two and a half hours. In a statement, Ryanair called the situation as “completely unacceptable”, calling on Portugal’s new government to sort out the staffing crisis.

Ryanair placed the blame with airport operator ANA, accusing it of failing to prepare adequately for the annual summer travel surge.

CHILLING new audio reveals the moment OceanGate’s founder fired the company’s operations director who voiced safety concerns about the ill-fated Titan sub.

The audio clip was obtained by Netflix and has been used in its documentary Titan: The OceanGate Disaster.

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American businessman Stockton Rush, who would go on to be one of the victims of the Titan disaster, can be heard David Lochridge in the clip.

Lochridge had raised concerns around the safety of the submersible ahead of its doomed voyage.

Rush tells him: “I don’t want anybody in this company who is uncomfortable with what we are doing. 

“We’re doing weird s*** here. I’m definitely out of the mold, I am doing things that are completely non-standard.

“I’m sure the industry thinks I’m a f****** idiot.

“That’s fine, they’ve been doing that for years. And I’m going to continue on the way I am doing.”

A woman can be heard saying: “We need David on this crew, in my opinion we need him here.”

Lochridge says Rush’s remarks left him “a tad let down” and “pretty gutted”. 

 “This is the first time on paper I’ve ever put any health and safety concerns,” he adds.

“You know every expedition we have had, we’ve had issues.”

Rush concedes the point, and Lochridge asks him: “Do you now want to let me go?”

But Rush bluntly replies: “I don’t see we have a choice.”

Rush would later die on board the Titan alongside Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood, Suleman Dawood and Paul-Henri Nargeolet.  

The vessel imploded during a June 2023 expedition that initially prompted a major rescue operation.

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Speaking to filmmakers, Lochridge said: “To me it was just sheer arrogance.

“I didn’t know what to say, but I was blown away that at this point they were willing to play Russian roulette.”

Lochridge was fired back in 2018 after he had worked at the firm for three years.

In one email to an associate, he expressed fears that Rush would be killed, the MailOnline has reported.

“I don’t want to be seen as a tattle tale but I’m so worried he kills himself and others in the quest to boost his ego,” he said.

“I would consider myself pretty ballsy when it comes to doing things that are dangerous, but that sub is an accident waiting to happen.”

Lochridge would go on to inform the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of Titan’s safety issues after he was fired.

He reportedly got a settlement and release agreement from OceanGate’s lawyers after flagging these concerns with OSHA.

How the Titan tragedy unfolded

By Katie Davis, Chief Foreign Reporter (Digital)

FIVE men plunged beneath the surface of the North Atlantic in a homemade sub in a bid to explore the Titanic wreckage.

Four passengers paid £195,000 each to go on the sub, with the fifth member of the trip being a crew member.

But what was supposed to be a short trip spiralled into days of agony as the doomed Titan vanished without a trace on June 18, 2023.

The daring mission had been months in the making – and almost didn’t happen at the hands of harsh weather conditions in Newfoundland, Canada.

In a now chilling Facebook post, passenger Hamish Harding wrote: “Due to the worst winter in Newfoundland in 40 years, this mission is likely to be the first and only manned mission to the Titanic in 2023.

“A weather window has just opened up and we are going to attempt a dive tomorrow.”

It would be his final Facebook post.

The following morning, he and four others – led by Stockton Rush – began the 12,5000ft descent towards the bottom of the Atlantic.

But as it made its way down into the depths, the vessel lost all contact with its mother ship on the surface, the Polar Prince.

It sparked a frantic four-day search for signs of life, with the hunt gripping the entire world.

There was hope that by some miracle, the crew was alive and desperately waiting to be saved.

But that sparked fears rescue teams faced a race against time as the passengers only had a 96-hour oxygen supply when they set out, which would be quickly dwindling.

Then, when audio of banging sounds was detected under the water, it inspired hope that the victims were trapped and signalling to be rescued.

It heartbreakingly turned out that the banging noises were likely either ocean noises or from other search ships, the US Navy determined.

Countries around the world deployed their resources to aid the search, and within days the Odysseus remote-operated vehicle (ROV) was sent down to where the ghostly wreck of the Titanic sits.

The plan was for the ROV to hook onto the sub and bring it up 10,000ft, where it would meet another ROV before heading to the surface.

But any hopes of a phenomenal rescue were dashed when Odysseus came across a piece of debris from the sub around 1,600ft from the Titanic.

The rescue mission tragically turned into a salvage task, and the heartbroken families of those on board were told the devastating news.

It was confirmed by the US Coast Guard that the sub had suffered a “catastrophic implosion”.

Frank took charge at Brentford in 2018, after his initial spell as assistant boss, and guided them into the Premier League, winning the Championship play-off final at Wembley in 2021 and establishing them as a top-flight club on a small budget.

Brentford finished 10th in the 2024-25 Premier League season, seven places and 18 points above Tottenham, who ended in 17th spot and won just 11 of their 38 games in the competition.

Australian Postecoglou was sacked 16 days after leading Tottenham to victory in the Europa League final, their first major trophy for 17 years.

One of the first issues facing Frank, if appointed in north London, would be the future of captain Son Heung-min.

“I still have one more year left on the contract,” Son said on Tuesday to Korean agency Yonhap.

“Rather than saying anything at this moment, I think we should all wait and see what happens.”

This is a team Bellamy has built in his image. They are daring, adventurous, unafraid to lose in the pursuit of glory.

To sit back and play for a draw is not in their make-up, Bellamy said beforehand, and Wales backed that up with a momentous performance to roar back from 3-0 down to level.

Harry Wilson’s penalty, Sorba Thomas’ composed low strike and Brennan Johnson’s header had Belgium rattled and Wales dreaming.

Kevin de Bruyne had the final say to secure a 4-3 win for Belgium, but Bellamy could not help but smile when he was asked for his thoughts.

“I don’t like losing. I understand the game, but how you lose is more important,” he said.

“Who are you as a person? Who is your team? I see that and I’m beyond proud. We’re a good team.

“I understand results, I really do, but football means more to me than that. It always has done. I’d rather try something great and fail than do nothing and succeed.”

Tottenham’s decision to sack the man who guided them to a first trophy since 2008 will divide opinion across their fanbase.

He becomes the fourth Spurs manager – after Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte – to lose his job since Pochettino was sacked in November 2019, less than four months after taking them to the Champions League final.

Postecoglou’s reign began in spectacular fashion, despite the exit of the club’s all-time leading scorer Harry Kane to Bayern Munich.

Spurs set the pace in the early stages of the 2023-24 Premier League season by taking 26 points from their first 10 games, with former Australia boss Postecoglou winning three consecutive manager of the month awards.

But five defeats in their final seven matches cost them a spot in the Champions League 12 months ago, and things continued to unravel – Europe aside – in 2024-25.

Postecoglou, who was initially praised for the attacking style he implemented, was forced to defend himself from criticism for sticking to his principles and had to contend with a catalogue of injuries to key players.

Aside from their run to the Carabao Cup semi-finals, where they were thrashed 4-0 by Liverpool after taking a slender one-goal lead to Anfield, they have struggled in domestic competition.

Since 6 November 2023, Spurs have collected 78 points from 66 top-flight games – the 16th best record in the Premier League.

They scored 64 goals last season – as many as fourth-placed Chelsea, and more than Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest in sixth and seventh – but conceded 65, with only Wolves and the relegated trio of Leicester, Ipswich and Southampton shipping more.

Rangers chief executive Patrick Stewart, who led the head coach search along with Thelwell, said Martin was the “standout candidate”.

The Ibrox club spoke to former Real Madrid assistant manager Davide Ancelotti and former Feyenoord manager Brian Priske, while former manager Gerrard and ex-Ajax head coach Francesco Farioli were among those also linked with the post.

“Our criteria were clear: we wanted a coach who will excel in terms of how we want to play, improve our culture, develop our squad, and ultimately win matches,” Stewart said.

“This appointment is about building a winning team and a strong culture. He is no stranger to our club, we expect success and Russell knows that. We are excited for his leadership.”

Thelwell suggested Martin’s time in the Premier League “has sharpened his approach, both tactically and personally”.

Giving an insight into what a Rangers team under Martin will be like, he added: “His teams play dominant football, they control the ball, dictate the tempo and impose themselves physically. They press aggressively and work relentlessly off the ball.

“These are all characteristics that we believe are required to be successful at home, away and abroad.”

MICHAEL Schumacher’s former boss has given rare insight into the F1 legend’s condition – 12 years after the skiing accident that changed his life.

While the German seven-time world champion, now 56, hasn’t been seen in public since 2013, his Benetton manager says he speaks often with Schumacher’s family.

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Flavio Briatore, 75, led the Benetton F1 team during Schumacher’s breakthrough years, playing a key role in his first two world championships.

Briatore appeared to confirm to an Italian newspaper that Schumacher is bed-bound, amid scarce details of his condition due to the family’s commitment to privacy.

“If I close my eyes,” he told Corriere della Sera, “I see him smiling after a victory.

“I prefer to remember him like that rather than him just lying on a bed. Corinna and I talk often, though.”

Briatore’s update follows a claim by his ex-wife Elisabetta Gregoraci, who said: “Michael doesn’t speak, he communicates with his eyes.

“Only three people can visit him and I know who they are.”

Claims that Schumacher can no longer speak were echoed by his son Mick in a 2021 Netflix documentary about his father’s life.

The 26-year-old driver said: “I think dad and me, we would understand each other now in a different way now.”

In the 2021 documentary, Corinna gave a rare update, revealing Schumacher is still undergoing rehabilitation and is “different, but here” following his life-changing injuries.

In April, Schumacher signed a charity helmet with help from Corinna.

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The helmet will be auctioned to raise money for Stewart’s charity Race Against Dementia.

Johnny Herbert, Schumacher’s teammate at Benetton between 1994 to 1995, described the signature as an “emotional” moment.

He told FastSlots: “It’s wonderful news that Michael Schumacher signed Jackie Stewart‘s helmet. It was a wonderful moment.

“We haven’t seen something emotional like this in years, and hopefully, it’s a sign. 

“Hopefully, Michael is on the mend. It’s been a long, horrible journey for the family, and maybe we’ll hopefully see him in the F1 paddock soon.”

Schumacher is one of the most successful F1 drivers of all time, winning world titles in 1994, 1995 and five consecutive years from 2000 to 2004.

He also racked up 71 fastest laps and 155 podiums during his racing career.

When asked who the greatest driver of all time is, Briatore told Corriere de Sera: “I don’t know who the greatest is, because we’ve had Schumacher, Senna, Alonso.

“Now, the number one is definitely (Max) Verstappen. I have two cars at Alpine, so I would like to have two Verstappens.”

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Harry Wilson says the style of play under Wales boss Craig Bellamy suits him as the team continue to collectively strive to fill the void left by Gareth Bale’s retirement in January 2023.

Fulham forward Wilson and his Wales team-mates host Liechtenstein in Cardiff on Friday before facing Group J favourites Belgium in Brussels three days later in their quest to reach the 2026 World Cup.

READ MORE: Wales’ Wilson eyes more history against Belgium

Baxter has taken a more hands-on role coaching the side since long-serving assistants Rob Hunter and Ali Hepher were dismissed after the defeat at Gloucester.

That loss was the nadir of a season which saw Exeter lose all four of their European games and win just four league matches – two of them against Saracens and Northampton who were without many of their international stars.

But in recent weeks Exeter have improved and had chances to win the game, against a Sale side who knew victory would secure a fourth play-off campaign in the past five seasons.

“A lot of teams need a dedicated start point – that Gloucester game was a dedicated start point for us,” Baxter added.

“No player can come into my office when I’m talking to them and go ‘everything was fine, I don’t know why we’re reacting’.

“You need that sometimes, you don’t need anybody having any second doubts that what’s on the field isn’t good enough.

“We had that and now things are changing, and you can feel a change. But I think we probably needed that and we needed someone to go ‘this is not good enough, things have to change’ and that’s what’s happened.”

The Slovak leader has repeatedly accused judges and prosecutors who probe his allies of political bias.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has criticised a judge who convicted the governor of the country’s central bank in a corruption case.

Reacting to the conviction of Petr Kazimir, his former finance minister, the combative premier suggested on Friday that the verdict was politically motivated, and that Specialised Criminal Court judge Milan Cisarik should be investigated for criminal acts.

Since returning to power in 2023, Fico has torn down police and prosecutor units set up to investigate corruption during his previous years in power between 2012 – 2020.

Kazimir was found guilty and fined 200,000 euros ($226,500) on Thursday for bribing a tax official during his tenure as finance minister in Fico’s previous government. Claiming that the longstanding charges were fabricated, he denied any wrongdoing and said that he plans to appeal.

“The judge’s decision raises the question whether it should have served political aims of the opposition to damage the ruling parties, because even a law faculty student must see fatal nonsense in the verdict,” the Slovak leader said on Thursday.

“I cannot shake off the feeling that it is justified to look at potential suspicion that the judge committed multiple criminal acts and at what the ruling was supposed to serve.”

The court did not respond to Fico’s remarks. The For Open Justice (ZOJ) NGO warned: “Questioning a specific judgment through public statements by members of the government can also be perceived as indirect political pressure on the judiciary.”

Revenge

Fico fell from power in 2020 amid the scandal over the 2018 assassination of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak. The new government set up special units to investigate a suspected network of corruption around the former PM and his inner circle.

Fico routinely complained that the measures were politically motivated. On returning to power in late 2023, he immediately began tearing up the units and amended the criminal code to lower punishments for corruption.

Critics have accused him of becoming obsessed with exacting revenge on those involved in probes against his circle.

Kazimir, was the first of Fico’s former ministers to stand trial when he first faced the court in April 2023 accused of paying a bribe of 48,000 euros ($54,360) in 2017-18 to the chief of the country’s tax office, in connection with an audit of a number of private companies.

His term at the head of the National Bank of Slovakia ends on June 1, but he will stay on until a replacement is appointed.

VLADIMIR Putin will launch an assault on Lithuania next if he conquers Ukraine, an ex-CIA boss has warned.

The caution comes as Zelensky slammed the Russian despot for “stalling peace talks” following his dismal attempts to get to the negotiating table.

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David Petraus, a retired US general and director of the CIA, warned an attack on the Baltic state would not be an isolated event but part of a longer-term plan to test the West.

Speaking at the Policy Exchange Think-Tank in London, Petraeus said Lithuania has “featured prominently” in Putin’s speeches meaning he might turn on the NATO state for his next assault.

After mad Vlad has installed a “puppet leader to control all of Ukraine” there’s a strong chance he will turn his “focus on one of the Baltic states,” he added.

Taking aim at Trump, he said the US had dithered too much on “individual decisions” and was giving the Russian president too many second chances – causing immeasurable losses for Ukraine.

He said: “What we’ve seen is three incidences where the US President has threatened that in two weeks we’ll have to take a different approach. 

“We’ll see this time what actually happens. The US also temporised far too long over individual decisions such as M1 [Abrams] tanks.

“A blind man on a dark night could see it had to be the F-16 (a multi- role fighter aircraft).”

Ukraine responded yesterday saying: “The Russians’ fear of sending their ‘memorandum’ to Ukraine suggests that it is likely filled with unrealistic ultimatums, and they are afraid of revealing that they are stalling the peace process.”

The comments come after Trump issued Vlad with a two-week deadline for a ceasefire following Russia’s deadly attack on Ukraine earlier this week.

Trump said in the Oval Office on Wednesday: “I’m very disappointed at what happened a couple of nights now where people were killed in the middle of what you would call a negotiation.”

He added: “When I see rockets being shot into cities, that’s no good. We’re not going to allow it.”

When asked if Putin really wants to end the war, Trump replied: “I can’t tell you that, but I’ll let you know in about two weeks.

“Within two weeks. We’re gonna find out whether or not he’s tapping us along or not.

“And if he is, we’ll respond a little bit differently.”

One of the largest stumbling blocks which is delaying any peace deal is said to be over Putin’s desire to control his former Soviet states and keep them away from Nato.

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This includes Ukraine themselves with the Kremlin always saying Kyiv gaining access to the group is a complete no go under any circumstances.

Kyiv has repeatedly said that Moscow should have no say in its sovereign right to pursue Nato membership however.

He declared he will only call off the war in Ukraine if the West vows to keep its hands off Russia’s prized former Soviet states.

Putin even demanded he got the assurances in writing.

The Russian president said he wants a “written” pledge from Western leaders to stop Nato’s expansion to countries eastward, top Russian officials revealed to Reuters.

The eastward expansion refers to Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova and other former Soviet republics.

Putin is reportedly preparing for a major push to take more land in the north east.

Military analysts believe he is trying to press home his advantage and capture more Ukrainian land.

They warn that Putin only has a “four-month window” to get a breakthrough in Ukraine this year.

And this could be the beginning of Russia’s summer offensive targeting the border city of Kharkiv – the “fortress” city of Ukraine which put up the maximum resistance at the start of the invasion.

Reacting to the reports, German Chancellor Freidrich Merz predicted that peace was still a long way off.

He said: “Wars typically end because of economic or military exhaustion on one side or on both sides and in this war we are obviously still far from reaching that [situation].

“So we may have to prepare for a longer duration.”

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