Oh, and naturally, he couldn’t resist a pop at Timothée Chalamet, either

Sinners’ musical performance brought the film’s most memorable scene to life live on stage

There was a rare Oscars tie while presenting the award for Best Live-Action Short Film (‘it’s ironic that the short film Oscar is going to take twice as long,’ he then joked)

There was some awkwardness as producers tried to cut Two People Exchanging Saliva’s acceptance speech, but they prevailed

Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans roped Channing Tatum into one memorable comedy sketch

Sinners director and writer Ryan Coogler celebrated his Best Original Screenplay win by celebrating the work of Sinners’ sprawling cast

Billy Crystal began the ‘in memoriam’ tributes by leading a star-studded homage to Rob Reiner

Jimmy Kimmel wasn’t on stage for long, but managed to take a series of shots at Donald Trump and his administration

You could hear a pin drop after All The Empty Rooms’ win for Best Documentary Short, as the team behind it made an important point about gun violence

Mr Nobody Against Putin’s team then had a timely message for the whole world about ‘complicity’ and its effects on society

There’ve been plenty of performances of Golden over the course of awards season this year, but the rendition at the Oscars was perhaps the most ambitious yet

After winning Best Original Song, an emotional Ejae reflected on how far she’d come

Unfortunately, after Golden won Best Original Song for KPop Demon Hunters, one of its songwriters was cut off by producers, leading to widespread groaning from the studio audience

Michael B Jordan beat stiff competition from Timothée Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio to win his first Oscar, and the reaction from everyone around him was just wonderful to behold

Paul Thomas Anderson then saw out One Battle After Another’s Best Picture win with a message for his fellow nominees

But not before…

And finally, Conan O’Brien’s final sketch of the night referenced the final moments of One Battle After Another

State Pensioners will see a 4.8% increase from April 2026, with the amount depending on when you retired and your National Insurance record

State Pensioners across the UK will see a financial uplift in 2026 as new payment rates come into effect from April.

The State Pension rises at the beginning of every new tax year in April, and the rate of increase is determined by the highest of three factors – known as the ‘triple lock’. These are the consumer price index (CPI) measure of inflation (measured for September in the previous year), average wage growth between May and July of the previous year, or 2.5 percent.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed the new rates from April, with the State Pension set to rise by 4.8 percent in line with average wage growth – the highest out of the triple lock factors, above inflation and the 2.5 percent minimum floor for increases.

This 4.8 percent increase means that pensioners who receive the full new State Pension will be £575 better off per year from April 6 when the new rates take effect.

However, as the UK’s State Pension system is divided into two schemes – basic and new – the amount that pension payments will increase from April 6, 2026, depends on when you retired and your National Insurance record, reports the Express.

1. Basic State Pension

Men born before April 6, 1951, and women born before April 6, 1953, receive the basic State Pension and will see their pensions increase by 4.8 percent from April.

This means the full basic State Pension will rise from £176.45 to £184.90 per week, giving pensioners a weekly payment increase of £8.45.

Over a full year, this would equate to a total of £9,614.80 in pension payments (up from £9.175. 40), providing those receiving the full rate an additional £439.40 annually.

Naturally, you need to have a certain number of qualifying years of National Insurance to receive this full amount. For men, this is typically 30 qualifying years if you were born between 1945 and 1951, or 44 qualifying years if you were born before 1945.

For women, you’ll require 30 qualifying years if you were born between 1950 and 1953, or 39 qualifying years if you were born before 1950.

If you have fewer than the full number of qualifying National Insurance years, then your basic State Pension will be less than £184.90 per week from April 2026.

2. New State Pension

Men born on or after 6 April 1951, and women born on or after 6 April 1953, are eligible to claim the new State Pension once you reach State Pension age, which is currently 66.

People claiming this pension will also see their payments increase by 4.8 percent from April, with the full rate rising from £230.25 per week to £241.30 in 2026.

Over a full year, this amounts to a total of £12,547.60 in pension payments (up from (£11,973), giving pensioners on the full rate an extra £574.60 annually.

HM Treasury stated: “Thanks to our commitment to the pension Triple Lock for this parliament, pensioners on the full new State Pension across the UK are set to receive an extra £575 a year, which they’ll start seeing from April 2026.”

3. Pension Credit

The standard minimum guarantee for Pension Credit is also increasing by 4.8 percent from April. This benefit provides additional funds to those over State Pension age and on a low income to assist with living expenses.

From April, the single weekly rate will rise from £227.10 per week to £238, giving claimants an extra £10.90 each week, or £566.80 more per year.

The joint weekly rate is increasing from £346.60 per week to £363.25 from April, providing claimants with an additional £16.65 each week, or £865.80 extra annually.

HELEN Mead’s survey of that ambrosia known as mushy peas hit the spot (The Press, March 13).

I entirely agree with her verdict. My favourite, too, of this gourmet delicacy is Tesco’s own. I love them with fish cakes or fish fingers and a fleet of chips moored alongside. I hope they have them in heaven and I hope I’m going there. The dish deserves such a ‘peaon’ of praise.

I wonder what really posh mushy peas taste, and look, like?

I’ve never sampled Fortnum and Mason’s and not likely to. Couldn’t afford the tin, let alone the contents.

The common or garden ‘mushies’, especially if purchased from the big shop at Askham Bar, are just right for ordinary folk like you and me, the ‘salt & vinegar of the Earth’.

In any case they’re probably called by a more exotic sounding name at F&M such as ‘purée de petits pois’, which I had to look up.

Try that out in your local ‘chippie’ and see what happens.

Ordering fish and chips with mushy peas (and a few scraps) in French elevates this rightly popular dish to a whole new level, ie ‘posh’. I think the Romans introduced them, as they were responsible for so much else, eg, potatoes, autobahns, tobacco, Lego, spaghetti, baths and pizzas (famous for its leaning tower).

I consider fish fingers or fishcakes, chips and mushy peas as a health food. Maybe not so good for the body but excellent for the morale which must have positive physical side-effects. (Not yet available on the NHS).

Derek Reed,

Middlethorpe Drive,

York

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Thousands of homes are being built with zero thought to infrastructure

RE the Press headline ‘Construction starts on 314 new homes.

Whenever I see such headlines one thing always springs to mind: 314 new homes; let’s say on average three people per home. So approximately 1,000 people.

Please tell me what GP surgery is going to take all these people? Which dentist? In some cases which school? What shops? How will the local roads cope?

Thousands of homes are being built with zero thought to infrastructure.

Are more GPs and dentists being built to accommodate this influx of people?

I think/know not.

Craig Wilson,

Tuke Avenue,

Tang Hall,

York

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Fly tipping and misuse of litter bins will become more of a problem

WITH the restrictions on people taking waste to the recycling centre in Hazel Court, James Street, ( from Monday March 2) and with the facilities only open to pre-booked appointments so it begins.

It’s not unusual to see people placing household rubbish into litter bins, I often see it, but now I’m noticing bin bags being placed into the paper recycling, large green bins in St John’s Street car park.

I’ve never had any serious delays using Hazel Court, although I had the luxury of not going evenings and weekends when you expect it to be busy.

I foresee fly tipping and misuse of litter bins becoming more of a problem.

To help rather than hinder recycling why not re-open the centre on Wednesdays and make Monday to Friday open for anyone without booking, only implementing pre-booking on weekends and bank holidays.

Why not try to work with the population of York rather than handicap them at every opportunity?

D M Deamer,

Penleys Grove Street,

Monkgate,

York

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