Roberto De Zerbi has been named as the new Tottenham boss on a five-year contract, tasked with saving them from a Premier League relegation despite a number of supporters’ groups having urged Spurs not to appoint him.

Tottenham parted ways with Igor Tudor “by mutual consent” on Sunday after a disastrous seven-game spell that lasted just 44 days and left the north London club in dire straits, only one point and one place above West Ham in the Premier League relegation zone and in real danger of dropping out of the top flight since 1977.

They are winless in their last 13 Premier League games, their longest run without a top-flight success in 91 years and endured an embarrassing 5-2 capitulation against Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 clash before a futile second-leg success served as their only win under Tudor, who was a left-field appointment when he replaced Thomas Frank in February.

But the club has opted for ex-Brighton and Marseille coach De Zerbi, who left the Ligue 1 side in February. It was initially thought that the 46-year-old was only happy to join Spurs at the end of the season, once he knew their league status, but has had a change of heart and will become head coach immediately to try and steer them away from the drop. He has signed a long-term deal, with no relegation clause.

A Tottenham statement said: “We are pleased to announce the appointment of Roberto De Zerbi as our new men’s head coach on a long-term contract, subject to work permit.”

In a statement accompanying Tottenham’s announcement, De Zerbi insisted he is committed to the club’s “ambition for the future”. The Italian lasted less than two seasons in his previous two spells at Brighton and Marseille, and he has been immediately thrown into a relegation battle.

“I am delighted to be joining this fantastic football club, which is one of the biggest and most prestigious in the world,” said De Zerbi. “In all my discussions with the club’s leadership, their ambition for the future has been clear – to build a team capable of reaching great achievements, and to do that playing a style of football that excites and inspires our supporters. I am here because I believe in that ambition and have signed a long-term contract to give everything to deliver it.

“Our short-term priority is to climb the Premier League table, which will be the complete focus until the final whistle of the last game of the season. I’m looking forward to getting out on the training pitch and working with these players to achieve that.”

De Zerbi developed a reputation for possession-based, attacking football while in charge of Benevento and Sassuolo in his homeland before a spell at Shakhtar Donetsk was cut short by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. He joined Brighton and secured European football for the first time in the Seagulls’ history during his first season in charge – ultimately reaching the last 16 of the Europa League during the following campaign.

That success saw him linked with managerial vacancies at giants such as Barcelona, Manchester United, Liverpool and Bayern Munich but his relationship with Brighton hierarchy completely broke down, leading to a mutual parting of ways at the end of the 2023-24 season.

He then joined Marseille, finishing second in Ligue 1 in 2024-25 but leaving by mutual agreement in February 2026 after a Champions League exit in the league phase and a 5-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain domestically.

When he was linked with the Spurs job, three Tottenham fan groups urged the club not to make the appointment, due to the Italian having backed controversial Marseille forward Mason Greenwood during his time in charge.

Ex-Manchester United attacker Greenwood was charged in October 2022 with one count of attempted rape, one count of controlling and coercive behaviour and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm over allegations relating to a young woman after images and videos were posted online.

The Crown Prosecution Service dropped the charges in February 2023 owing to a “combination of the withdrawal of key witnesses” and due to “no realistic prospect of conviction”. Greenwood has since resumed his career and joined Marseille in 2024.

In November, De Zerbi described Greenwood as a “good guy” who had paid a “heavy price” and added: “It saddens me what happened in his life, because I know a totally different person than the one who was described.”

Tottenham fan groups Proud Lilywhites, Spurs Reach and Women of the Lane all started a “No to De Zerbi” campaign due to the Greenwood association.

Proud Lilywhites said at the time: “We’ve seen the reports linking Roberto De Zerbi with the Tottenham job and honestly, it doesn’t sit right. As Proud Lilywhites, we care deeply about this club, not just what happens on the pitch, but what Tottenham stands for off it. This isn’t just about results or style of football. It’s about values, identity, and the kind of people we choose to represent us.”

In a statement following De Zerbi’s appointment, Proud Lilywhites said: “Whilst we disagree with the managerial choice, in terms of culture and competence, we will continue to support the players without pretending to be comfortable with the appointment.

“Staying silent is not the answer. But choosing when and where to be vocal matters. Managers come and go. Executives come and go. Players come and go. Fans remain. We are the constant in this club. We will continue to represent the views of our members to the club, alongside the other supporter associations. This is not noise or reaction. It is a considered position, and it is not going away.”

Standing in their way, though, is Jamaica, still reeling from the shock resignation of manager Steve McLaren. He hung up his coach’s whistle in November after overseeing a humiliating 2-0 defeat by Curacao, also missing out on automatic World Cup qualification. But the Reggae Boyz have been in fine form since replacing him with Rudolph Speid. They are unbeaten in five, most recently beating New Caledonia 1-0.

Stockton Council has announced this will affect various roads in Thornaby as part of a temporary traffic regulation order.

Starting from April 7, several roads will undergo temporary closures, as outlined in a drafted order available for viewing on the council’s website.

Provisions are also in place to introduce a one-way system on Baysdale Road, Thornaby, and temporarily revoke the prohibition of driving restrictions on Bassleton lane, Thornaby.

The order may continue in force for a maximum period of eighteen months.

Stockton Borough Council propose to make an Order under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, the Highway Authority being satisfied that access to the said road should be prohibited because works are being or are proposed to be carried out on or near the road.

• For more notices affecting YOUR area, visit our Public Notice Portal – Public Notices from The Northern Echo ( publicnoticeportal.uk ).

The police and emergency services will be informed of the closures prior to the works commencing.

Access for pedestrians and emergency services will be maintained through the works.

Bus services will be affected.

The restrictions and roads affected are specified in the draft Order and plans which can be viewed on the Council’s website (Traffic Orders).

Weather maps show snow could fall in Belfast, Manchester and Glasgow on Sunday, with the Met Office warning of unsettled wet and windy conditions across the UK over the Easter weekend.

Meteorological projection charts indicate snowfall will arrive in certain regions of the UK during the prolonged Easter break.

The ECMWF weather model indicates some flurries will strike the extreme north of Scotland on Friday afternoon – though more extensive snow is likely later during the weekend.

The ECMWF charts for Sunday depict snow descending on Belfast, Manchester and Glasgow around noon, with intermittent wintry showers anticipated throughout northern England and Northern Ireland, while substantial snow blankets western areas of Scotland.

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The Met Office has warned Brits to anticipate “unsettled” conditions throughout the Easter weekend, with an “increasing likelihood of wet and windy weather” for certain regions, reports the Mirror.

Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Steven Keates, said: “As we head into Good Friday and Easter Saturday, the weather is expected to turn more unsettled, with spells of rain at times, some of which could be heavy. This will be followed by sunny spells and showers, with the driest conditions likely towards the southeast of the UK.”

“It is also likely to become windy at times across all areas, particularly in exposed north-western locations. While there remains some uncertainty in the detail at this point in time, there is a strong signal for wet and windy conditions to continue into the Easter Weekend.” BBC meteorologists have also indicated that blustery and damp weather is expected.

The BBC prediction states: “Stronger winds could develop during the Easter weekend, with gales possible across parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland as a vigorously deepening low pressure circulation approaches.

“There’ll be some heavy rain, and it could also turn wet in Wales and the north and west of England as a frontal system edges across. Southern and eastern England may stay dry until late in the day or overnight.

“Sunday will be a chillier and showery day, with frequent and often wintry showers across northern and western Scotland. Sunny spells could be interrupted by sharp showers elsewhere. Southern and eastern England should see the fewest showers and the most sunshine.”

England were beaten by Japan at Wembley as the team, without Harry Kane, lacked much of a spark with Thomas Tuchel yet to beat a team ranked inside the world’s top 20

As Wembley send-offs go, this felt more like a tearful farewell.

The only blessing is that this time at least the World Cup is not just around the corner. Otherwise England would be in real trouble. Thomas Tuchel brought back most of England’s big guns and yet actually raised more questions than answers in a flat and disjointed performance.

It also served as a timely reminder that England without Harry Kane look pedestrian, blunt and toothless. Kane missed England’s final Wembley warm-up with a foot injury and they look a pale of their best without their talisman, leader and main goal threat.

There are 78 days between this game and England’s opening World Cup fixture against Croatia on June 17 and this will be a wake-up call and brutal reality check all rolled into one.

England have yet to beat a team in the top 20 under Tuchel and any thoughts that they might go onto rule the world this summer seem somewhat fanciful. Japan are ranked 19th, England are fourth but were given a proper schooling and they could not beat Uruguay last Friday and were beaten by Senegal last summer.

READ MORE: England player ratings as Arsenal ace struggles but midfielder stands up in Japan lossREAD MORE: Why England’s opponents have sacked their manager 72 days before 2026 World Cup

As soon as they have played anyone halfway decent they have come up short and, rather worryingly, Croatia are 11th in the FIFA rankings. The problem was that England simply tried to squeeze as many of their best players into the same line-up and yet it looked horribly unbalanced.

It showed that Phil Foden and Cole Palmer probably cannot play in the same starting XI and England ended up with a raft of No10s but none of them looked capable of playing like a real No9 let alone a false one. Foden started as the false nine but it was another night of frustration for the out-of-form Manchester City forward who was hooked before the hour.

Palmer was given licence to roam, Anthony Gordon was on the left while Morgan Rogers started centrally but then drifted to the right. But they all got lost in the mayhem.

And, lo and behold, England’s best early opportunity came from a Palmer set-piece. Japan could not clear and England’s players queued up to try and get a shot in. But they were all blocked. All this effort, all this talent and all this planning. And you are relying on set-pieces. You could sense the frustration in the Wembley crowd.

Japan’s fans took up a huge chunk of the stadium because they sold out their allocation in a sell-out crowd. They helped create a real buzz and atmosphere – and they soon had even more to cheer about. It was Palmer who clumsily lost possession, robbed in midfield by Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma who spread the ball wide to Keito Nakamura.

Japan winger Nakamura had so much space in England’s right hand channel it was embarrassing and also talked to a lopsided, unbalanced and ill thought out formation.

Where was the right side? There was no-one manning the right wing and Ben White had gone AWOL at right back. This was a really bad night for White. Nakamura stormed forward, cut the ball back for Mitoma who was storming into the box and he steered a low shot – which got a nick off Nico O’Reilly – and flew into the bottom corner.

Elliot Anderson crashed a shot off the top of the crossbar as England tried unsuccessfully to find a way back into the game. But Tuchel’s men looked vulnerable in defence. Ayasa Ueda saw a shot deflected against the bar. Ritsu Doan saw another effort blocked by Jordan Pickford’s legs.

England went through a raft of changes and Marcus Rashford came on and made a difference again – but even he could not save Tuchel from defeat.

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Death in Paradise is over once again with fans having to wait until December for its Christmas special.

The BBC has confirmed it will broadcast not just one but two popular shows in Death in Paradise‘s slot this week.

Death in Paradise series 15 came to an end last week with DI Mervin Wilson (played by Don Gilet) getting acquainted with his cheeky niece Eloise Clarke (Avah Cotterell).

Viewers have since been questioning what will be shown instead in the beloved cosy crime drama’s time slot, with the BBC now revealing the return of two programmes.

This Friday (3 April) will see the comeback of long-running satirical news quiz Have I Got News For You, presented by actor and comedian Roy Wood Jr, at 9pm.

He will be accompanied by satirist and writer Armando Iannucci, journalist Anushka Asthana, as well as team captains journalist Ian Hislop and comedian Paul Merton.

Following Have I Got News For You at 9.30pm, which would typically be halfway through a fresh Death in Paradise episode, comes the debut of sitcom The Young Offenders series five.

The Irish comedy-drama chronicles the misadventures of teenagers Conor MacSweeney (Alex Murphy) and Jock O’Keeffee (Chris Walley) who become entangled in petty crimes and unexpected romances.

The Young Offenders, which is adapted from the 2016 film of the same name, was originally inspired by real-life events, following one of the largest cocaine seizures in Irish history in 2007.

A small vessel encountered difficulties off the coast of Cork and as two men attempted to stay afloat, a staggering 1.5 tonnes of cocaine was subsequently recovered from the sea.

Since its premiere in 2018, fans have been unable to resist lauding the sitcom, with some dubbing it “Irish comedy at its finest”.

One viewer remarked: “An absolute gem. I loved the film but this is far better.”

They added: “Give them both a watch you won’t regret it!”

Another labelled it as “utter genius” before stating: “The best Irish comedy since Father Ted. It’s a must see.”

Another individual commented: “Hard not to binge! Every episode had me in stitches.”

They continued: “I’m not usually one for comedy but this show is gold.”

While another enthusiast contributed: “Just brilliant! What else can be said, loved it.”

Have I Got News For You returns on Friday, April 3, at 9pm, and The Young Offenders season five premieres at 9.30pm on BBC One.

Katie Nicholl, the former Mail on Sunday Mail Royal Editor, and Rebecca English, the Daily Mail’s current Royal Editor, were repeatedly asked where information about Prince Harry had come from. They said they, or their sources, were on the fringes of his social circle. And his friends talked.

The Covid variant BA.3.2 has been detected in 23 countries, including the UK

A new Covid-19 variant has been detected in the UK, health officials have confirmed. The BA.3.2 variant, dubbed the ‘Cicada’ variant, is currently being monitored, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

The latest UKHSA data, which looks at positive Covid tests between February 16 and March 1, shows two per cent of cases in England are the BA.3 variant. However, experts warn the new strain is ‘expected to become the dominant strain’ in the UK.

The latest variant has been confirmed in 23 countries since it was first detected in November 2024, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It was declared a ‘variant under monitoring’ by the World Health Organization (WHO) on December 5, 2025.

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According to the WHO, a ‘variant under monitoring’ needs prioritised attention due to characteristics that may pose an additional threat compared to other strains of the virus. Despite this, officials say it is not believed to cause more severe disease or different symptoms to currently circulating Covid strains.

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How concerning is the ‘Cicada’ Covid variant?

BA.3.2 is descended from the Omicron variant, which emerged in late 2021. It also carries 70 to 75 genetic changes in its spike protein, the part of the virus that helps it get into cells, according to the CDC, suggesting that the it might evade immunity or that the vaccine may not be as effective against it.

However, the WHO says ‘currently approved COVID-19 vaccines are expected to continue providing protection against severe disease’, despite its differences to circulating strains.

“Overall, available evidence suggests that BA.3.2 poses low additional public health risk compared with other circulating Omicron descendent lineages,” the WHO report added.

It said in December last year that ‘there are no clinical or epidemiological data to suggest that BA.3.2 infection is associated with increased disease severity, diagnostic failure or reduced susceptibility to available antivirals compared with other Omicron descendent lineages’.

It added that the new variants ‘pronounced immune-escape profile’ – its potential ability to evade immunity – warrants continued monitoring from Covid experts.

Will Covid cases rise in the UK?

The latest UKHSA data shows Covid is currently circulating at baseline levels, with positive tests and hospital admissions remaining stable.

Prof Ravi Gupta, of Cambridge University, who advised the UK government during the pandemic, told The Mirror: “This is different from the [Covid-19] viruses we have been dealing with for the last two years.”

Prof Gupta said: “It has been found in the UK, has been increasing in prevalence and I would expect it to become the dominant strain. BA.3.2 is undergoing testing right now. We have been looking at it in terms of immune evasion and the immunity that we’ve all got.”

He added: “Some people have done analysis on this suggesting it may be more prevalent among young children. Children get infections all the time but this might be something to do with the fact that they have never been exposed to Covid vaccines.

“So this is something we’re looking at in the lab to try and work out why. The problem with this is that it is an infection that spreads fast. Eventually it ends up in someone who is vulnerable.”

Symptoms of the new variant are expected to be the same as circulating Covid strains. According to the NHS, these include:

• a high temperature
• a new, continuous cough
• a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
• shortness of breath
• feeling tired or exhausted
• an aching body
• a headache
• a sore throat
• a blocked or runny nose
• loss of appetite
• diarrhoea
• feeling sick or being sick