The remaining four teams continued their journey to the next checkpoint in Georgia

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Two stars from Race Across the World encountered difficulties during the most recent instalment of the BBC programme.

The popular travel competition features five adventurous teams undertaking the journey of a lifetime, covering more than 12,000km across southern Europe and Central Asia. They must pass through seven checkpoints en route to Hatgal in isolated northern Mongolia.

Without mobile phones or internet connectivity, and equipped solely with the equivalent of the airfare to fly the route, they must depend on resourcefulness, determination and the generosity of strangers to cross the finishing line first.

After the departure of cousins Puja and Roshni last week, the remaining four teams pressed on with their expedition to the next checkpoint on Thursday (23rd April). They were required to travel to Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi – amongst the world’s most ancient continuously occupied settlements.

As they departed Halfeti, the teams faced a crucial choice. They could either head north towards the Black Sea coastline, or venture east through Türkiye’s parched interior, reports the Mirror.

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Competition frontrunners Harrison and Katie saw their lead reduced to fewer than ten hours, with the pursuing teams detecting a chance to capitalise.

Following their departure from the checkpoint, Harrison and Katie became the only team to travel north, searching for their first homestay of the race, and undertaking an arduous 14-hour overnight bus journey that could provide them with a vital edge. In contrast, the remaining three teams headed east, encountering challenging bus connections that forced one duo to change their route to remain competitive.

As the episode progressed, the journey began to affect Mark, who suddenly became unwell – bringing his and Margo’s journey to a temporary standstill, just 200km from the checkpoint in Georgia.

“I’m not feeling too good, I must admit,” Mark stated, with his sister-in-law responding: “You’re the priority. Even if we lose like, you know, hours.”

She continued: “There’s no point in me sitting in the hotel while you’re ill, is there?” Margo subsequently ventured out to explore the local surroundings alone, while Mark rested in bed.

“We came here mainly, Akhaltsikhe, for Mark, but now it’s going to be Margo’s day. I am sorry Mark’s sick. It’s disappointing in race terms, and I do fear we’re going to be trailing in fourth place,” Margo revealed.

“Not a lot we can do about it, so I’m not going to get upset about it. I’m just going to go and eat some dumplings and drink some wine, because if you can’t do anything about it, you’ve just got to live your best life.”

Back at the hotel, Mark remarked: “I’m feeling pretty ropey this morning. I had TT troubles all night. Tummy trouble. So, I haven’t slept at all.

“It is frustrating. I would have loved to get to Tbilisi this evening. I don’t think that’s going to happen, but we wait and see if I can recover.”

Despite encountering difficulties, Mark and Margo successfully surged to the front of the pack for the first time at the midway stage, while former leaders Katie and Harrison dropped to the bottom of the rankings.

Race Across the World is available to stream on BBC iPlayer

According to the RSPCA eight out of 10 dogs don’t cope well with being left alone. This can manifest in behaviours including destroying furniture, going to the toilet inside, or endless barking

While some dogs cope with being left at home alone quite happily, and may take the opportunity to have a quiet nap, ready to awake full of energy when their owners return home, for others it’s much more difficult. According to the RSPCA, eight out of 10 dogs display some signs of separation-related behaviour, also known as separation anxiety.

This can manifest in a number of ways, including destroying furniture, annoying the neighbours with endless barking, whining, or howling, or going to the toilet indoors, as well as a number of other sings which are less easy to spot.

One vet has said there are three common mistakes many pet owners make when leaving their furry friends at home alone which are actually making their separation anxiety worse. Amir Anwary, who has almost one million followers on TikTok, laid out his advice on the social media platform.

Opening his video, Amir said: “I’m a veterinarian and I had a client bring her dog into the vet clinic today who was struggling with severe separation anxiety. There were a few things that this owner was doing that was actually making her dog’s separation anxiety a lot worse. So these are three mistakes pet owners make when dealing with their dogs that have separation anxiety that you should not be making.”

The first mistake many pet owners make is thinking that separation anxiety is bad behaviour and punishing and disciplining their dogs for it.

Amir said: “If you see your dog displaying any sort of destructive behaviour, whether it is biting shoes, burying in the garden, they’re peeing all over the house when you’re gone, or they’re doing anything like that, in most cases it is not them being naughty, it is that they are struggling with severe anxiety. They don’t need to be punished, they need to be helped.”

The second mistake Amir said pet owners make is treating leaving and returning back home as “very emotional events”. “When you leave your house and you go to your dog and you say ‘I’m so sorry, oh my God, I have to go now, you’re going to be fine’, you already make them sad,” he said.

“So your dog is assuming that something absolutely terrible is going to happen. And then you arrive back home and you’re so happy to see them – ‘hello boy!’ – and you’re super joyful, now they think that they’ve survived this absolutely terrible thing.

“The more you do this, the more you reinforce the behaviour that being left alone at home is something terrible that they need to survive. So take the emotion out of you leaving and you getting back home.”

And the third mistake is avoiding professional help. “So many pet owners think their dog’s anxiety is going to get better over time,” he said.

“Go to someone with anxiety and ask them if their anxiety gets better over time without help. It gets worse, guys, it gets worse.

“There are professionals out there, behaviourists that can help you. Veterinarians can prescribe medical treatments that can help a lot with dogs suffering with anxiety, so make sure you seek some form of treatment.”

How to deal with separation anxiety in dogs

The RSPCA has provided a number of tips of how to help a dog suffering with separation anxiety. These include:

• Make sure they have exciting things to occupy themselves while you’re out. A long-lasting chew, or a ball stuffed with treats the animal has to work to get out are ideal.
• Take them for a walk before you leave so they have a chance to go to the toilet and exercise. Leave a gap of half an hour between when you get back from the walk and when you leave, and make sure they are fed.
• Minimise disturbances by closing the curtains, putting them in a quiet room, or leaving the TV or radio on to muffle noise from outside.
• Get a dog sitter or dog walking service to keep your pet company.

President Donald Trump’s administration has reclassified medical marijuana, which is already licensed in most states, as a less dangerous drug.

The order signed Thursday by the nation’s acting attorney general is a first step toward broader federal acceptance of one of the nation’s most commonly used drugs.

The action could facilitate new research on medicinal uses and make the marijuana industry more profitable. But it does not legalize marijuana under federal law.

Here are some things to know about the issue:

What’s the federal policy on marijuana?

Possessing marijuana is a federal crime punishable by fines and prison time. Selling or cultivating marijuana is a more serious offense, punishable by prison sentences of five years to life, depending on the quantity of the drug. That will not change under the new Department of Justice order.

Rather, the order changes the way that state-licensed medical marijuana is regulated by the federal government.

It shifts medical marijuana from a Schedule I controlled substance — alongside drugs such as heroin and LSD that have a high potential for abuse and no recognized medical use — to the less strictly regulated Schedule III, alongside substances such as ketamine and some anabolic steroids. Schedule III drugs are defined as having moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.

Marijuana that’s sold for recreational purposes — even in states that legally allow it — will remain a Class I drug under Thursday’s order. But the Department of Justice has scheduled a hearing June 29 to consider a general reclassification of marijuana to Schedule III.

What does reclassification mean for cannabis shops?

Federal income tax deductions for business expenses aren’t available to enterprises involved in “trafficking” any Schedule I or II drug.

Changing medical marijuana to a Schedule III drug could save millions of dollars for businesses licensed to sell it by allowing them to claim tax deductions for expenses such as advertising, marketing, rent and labor costs associated with sales.

But many licensed businesses sell cannabis both for medical and recreational purposes, making it hard to distinguish which costs could be tax-deductible.

“In a lot of ways, it’s kind of nonsensical because these medical products are the same cannabis, the same methods of creation,” said Chicago attorney Irina Dashevsky, who oversees cannabis-related business for the Greenspoon Marder law firm.

“From a business perspective, there’s a lot of complications,” added Rachel Gillette, a Denver attorney who leads that cannabis industry practice at the Holland & Hart law firm. “It just makes it extremely messy.”

Also unclear is whether the tax deductions will apply only from the date of the order. The Justice Department has recommended that the Treasury Department apply them retroactively to the full tax years for which businesses operated under a state medical marijuana license.

Public views of marijuana generally have grown more positive over time, though not among everyone. Support for marijuana legalization rose from just 23% in 1985 to 64% last year, according to polling from Gallup.

That’s down slightly from 70% support just a couple years earlier, primarily because of declining enthusiasm among Republicans. Support among Republicans for legalizing marijuana dropped from 55% to 40% since 2023, Gallup said. By comparison, support shifted only slightly among Democrats, from 87% to 85% during that same period, and inched down from 69% to 66% among independents.

More than 20 Republican U.S. senators, several of them staunch Trump allies, signed a letter last year urging the president to keep marijuana a Schedule I drug. They asserted that marijuana remains dangerous and argued that reclassifying it would “undermine your strong efforts to Make America Great Again.”

How has marijuana use changed?

The medical use of marijuana already is allowed in 40 states and Washington, D.C. Over the past dozen years, the number of jurisdictions legalizing recreational marijuana for adults rose rapidly to 24 states and Washington, D.C.

As more states have embraced marijuana, more people have used it.

More than 64 million Americans ages 12 and older — 22% of people — used marijuana during the previous year, according to a 2024 national survey by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. That was up from 19% of people in 2021.

Reclassifying marijuana could cause that figure to grow.

Dr. Smita Das, an addiction psychiatrist at Stanford University, said cannabis use disorder has been on the rise in the U.S.

“We’ve already had kind of a decrease in risk perception related to cannabis over the years with the state legalization, both for medical and recreational purposes, and this will probably just add to that,” Das said.

___

Associated Press medical writer Laura Ungar contributed to this report.

Singer D4vd’s phone was filled with a “significant amount” of child pornography, prosecutors have claimed, as more details come to light in the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.

D4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, is accused of killing Rivas Hernandez, whose body was found in the trunk of the musician’s apparently abandoned Tesla in a Hollywood tow lot last September.

The 21-year-old singer was in a sexual relationship with Rivas Hernandez, and he turned to murder when she threatened to “expose his criminal conduct and devastate his musical career,” the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said in a Monday press release.

Prosecutors alleged during a court hearing Thursday that D4vd had a “significant amount” of child porn on his phone, according to several news outlets. That is part of the 40 terabytes of evidence prosecutors said they had.

D4vd was arrested last week and charged Monday with murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and his lawyers have vowed to “vigorously defend David’s innocence.”

The singer is accused of engaging in three or more acts of “substantial sexual conduct” with Rivas Hernandez between September 2023 and September 2024, several news outlets have reported, citing official documents.

Rivas Hernandez, of Lake Elsinore, California, was first reported missing in February 2024. She was 13 years old at the time.

Her family reported her missing several times over the following months before she vanished for good in April 2025. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said the teen was last seen entering D4vd’s Hollywood Hills home.

”I am a parent of three children, and a parent’s nightmare is a situation where your daughter goes out one night and never comes back,” Hochman told reporters at a news conference Monday.

Rivas Hernandez’s dismembered and decomposed body was found months later, on September 8, 2025 — the day after what would’ve been her 15th birthday — inside the Tesla trunk.

Her autopsy, which was made public Wednesday, revealed that she died from “multiple penetrating injuries.” D4vd used a “sharp instrument” to murder Rivas Hernandez, prosecutors have claimed.

The teen’s autopsy was limited by “extensive postmortem changes,” according to the Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office, which noted in its report that her body was so degraded her eye color couldn’t be determined.

D4vd went viral on TikTok in 2022 with his hit song “Romantic Homicide,” which reached No. 4 on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. His last two U.S. tour stops and his European leg were canceled amid the investigation into Rivas Hernandez’s death.

The musician is currently being held without bail. A preliminary hearing to determine whether there is enough evidence to bring the case to trial is set for May 1. Prosecutors are yet to decide whether they will seek the death penalty in the case.

Fire crews are battling a massive blaze mere hours after the fire service issued an urgent wildfire warning for the weekend

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Fire crews are battling a wildfire in Aberdeen mere hours after the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) issued an urgent bushfire warning for the region across the coming weekend.

Six firefighting appliances and specialist vehicles were dispatched to the brushfire at nature reserve Kincorth Hill on Thursday evening, April 23.

Emergency services rushed to the nature reserve, known locally as ‘The Gramps”, after receiving calls that alerted them to the fire shortly after 6pm. Smoke could be seen stretching for miles over the Scottish city, while nearby residents took to social media to report they were “choking” on the fumes and the smell of burning, according to The Sun.

The cause of the blaze is not yet known.

A spokesperson for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: “We’ve received a call regarding an incident at Gramps on Kincorth Hill in Aberdeen.

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Crews were still at the scene in Aberdeen two hours later, according to an update shared by the SFRS at 8:40pm advised nearby residents “to keep their windows and doors closed as a precaution”.

The Gramps overlooks Scotland’s ‘Silver City’, and offers panoramic views of the city, the North Sea, and the surrounding countryside.

Mere hours before the wildfire broke out, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), in conjunction with the Scottish Wildfire Forum (SWF), issued wildfire warnings for large areas of Scotland for the coming weekend, spanning Western Scotland and “Central and Eastern Scotland.

The SFRS warning states: “Western Scotland: starting Thursday, 23 April, there is a very high risk of wildfire. From Friday, 24 April to Sunday, 26 April, the warning will increase to an extreme risk of wildfire.

“Central and Eastern Scotland: from Friday, 24 April to Sunday, 26 April there will be a very high risk of wildfire. “

Head of Prevention and Protection for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service deputy assistant chief officer Kenny Barbour said: “Wildfires have the potential to destroy property, landscapes and wildlife, which is why it is so important that members of the public use extreme caution under these conditions.

“People living in the impacted areas should avoid lighting outdoor fires and be mindful that one spark can spread, causing a large amount of damage. Remember, there’s no such thing as a harmless fire.”

Mr Barbour added: “Share wildfire warnings with your family, friends, and visitors. And if anyone spots a large outdoor fire, please report it immediately by calling 999, providing your location, and any other relevant information so we can respond quickly.”

Wildfires are usually sparked by humans, with only a spark needed to start a wildfire. A cigarette butt out of a car window or coals from an unextinguished campfire are prime examples of intended fire starters.

BBC Scotland weather presenter Gillian Smart echoed concerns from Scottish fire crews, confirming that conditions this week are ideal conditions for wildfires.

“The current dry spell – combined with strong sunshine at this time of year, and the brisk winds we’ve had at times this week – make for a dangerous mix in terms of wildfire risk,” she said, as per the BBC.

“All of these factors can really dry out vegetation.”

She added: “Spring generally presents ideal conditions for wildfires, with the combination of new growth and typically drier ground. And with high pressure remaining in charge into next week, and very little rain in the forecast, the risk will be ongoing.”

Last month, the Scottish government warned that the northern nation was facing a grim wildfire season, with a ban on campfires and barbecues introduced in early April to the Cairngorms National Park in the Scottish Highlands in an attempt to reduce the fire threat.

Peter McGee has applied for planning permission to build a two-storey extension at the Griffin pub on Bader Avenue and Newton Avenue, Thornaby.

It is proposed to extend the “public house and retail development”, which also includes a Morrisons Daily store and a Pizza & Co takeaway, with five retail units at the ground floor, nine offices on the first floor and a reconfigured car park and service yard.

“Careful consideration has been given to the proposed development in terms of scale, character and general external appearance in order to ensure that the established street scene and local setting is respected and not unduly compromised,” says Rod Hepplewhite, principal planning consultant for Prism Planning, the developer’s agent, in a planning statement.

He said the car park would be “reconfigured and extended” to 51 spaces, including six accessible spaces, with an extended services area, storage for 14 bicycles and a new access from Bader Avenue to serve pub customers.

“The existing access from Newton Drive is to be widened and improved and a new access to the south is to be created, providing car parking for the retail units and the offices,” he added.

The developer says the site is the “preferable location” for the proposals, with no vacant units at other nearby shop parades, with three empty units in Thornaby town centre described as too large for the businesses.

It says the development will have a “positive economic impact” and provide construction, contractor, manufacturing, fit-out and retail work, describing the development as “visually attractive” and “a safe, inclusive and accessible building”.

The statement adds: “The proposed development will add to the vitality and vibrancy of the locality and provide enhanced local facilities for the local population… The surrounding area is lacking local facilities such as hairdressers, barbers, chemists, florists, greengrocers, butchers, bakers/confectioners, café or bookmakers.

“The proposed building, representing an extension to the existing buildings, is of a design and appearance in tune with and sympathetic to the existing buildings… It is not considered that the proposed building would have an adverse impact on the character and appearance of the surrounding area.”

It says neighbouring areas passed the “overshadowing to gardens and open spaces test”.  It also argues the scheme would not harm road safety or traffic, adding: “It is not considered that the proposed development would be a significant trip generator and that the proposed commodious parking arrangements would be more than adequate.

“Overall, it is considered that there are no adverse impacts associated with the proposed development which would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits of the proposal.”

Village ward Councillor Mick Moore has objected to the plan on grounds including loss of privacy overlooking into back gardens and rooms, loss of natural light to nearby properties, overdevelopment of a small car park, traffic and parking on surrounding estate roads “as access to the rear of the shopping precinct will be restricted” and “due to the loss of parking bays on the Griffin car park”.

He said previous similar applications had been rejected on these grounds, while the developer’s statement said the company previously put in plans for a two-storey extension with three shops and 21 “self-contained residential units” in 2021, but that proposal was withdrawn.

Humberside Police said the woman, who was a passenger in a Ford Fiesta travelling down Roman Road (A166) in Stamford Bridge when she was involved in a crash with a white Mercedes, died at the scene yesterday (Wednesday, April 22).

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A force spokesperson said: “It is reported at around 2.30pm, a Ford Fiesta was travelling down the A166 and, for reasons that are still unknown, has driven into the opposing carriageway and collided with a white Mercedes van near the junction with Dolegate.”

The crash happened close to the A166 junction with Dolegate (Image: Google Maps)

They added: “Emergency services attended and the road was closed to allow them to work safely.

“The driver of the Ford Fiesta, an 81-year-old man, was taken to hospital for treatment to serious injuries.

“Enquiries remain ongoing to establish the full circumstances around the collision, and we would appeal to anyone who witnessed the incident or has dashcam footage to please contact 101 quoting log 280 of 22 April.”

The DWP has confirmed early state pension and benefit payment dates for May 2026 as the UK prepares for two Bank Holidays

The Department for Work and Pensions has announced the dates when millions of people across Britain should anticipate receiving their benefit and pension payments during the forthcoming bank holidays. Next month sees two bank holidays in the UK: the early May Bank Holiday, falling on Monday, May 4, and the spring Bank Holiday on Monday, May 25.

Because of these bank holidays, the DWP has confirmed that any payments scheduled for either date will be issued earlier than usual. GOV.UK states: “Benefits are usually paid straight into your bank, building society or credit union account. If your payment date is on a weekend or a Bank Holiday you’ll usually be paid on the working day before.”

Anyone expecting a payment on Monday, May 4, will receive their funds on Friday, May 1 instead.

Those awaiting their payment on Monday, May 25 should anticipate it arriving on Friday, May 22.

Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payments, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, and Attendance Allowance will all be distributed ahead of schedule, reports the Express.

Nevertheless, it is crucial to understand that these early Bank Holiday payments will not affect subsequent payment dates. These will continue to be issued on their regular schedule.

Should a payment fail to arrive on the anticipated date, claimants are encouraged to verify their bank account and online DWP account before getting in touch with the department.

Those needing to contact Universal Credit can ring their helpline on 0800 328 5644 from Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, excluding public holidays. The same applies to state pension payments, with anyone expecting theirs on Monday, May 4 receiving it on Friday, May 1 instead. Those anticipating payment on May 25will get it on May 22.

The day pensioners typically receive their payment is determined by the final two digits of their National Insurance number.

Those with numbers ending 00 to 19 are paid on Mondays, 20 to 39 on Tuesdays, 40 to 59 on Wednesdays, 60 to 79 on Thursdays and 80 to 99 on Fridays.

Proposals had been submitted to Hartlepool Borough Council planning department to provide the properties on 23.5 hectares of agricultural land to the north of Elwick Road and south of Worset Lane.

The outline application, from Hartlepool-based Cecil M Yuill, stated the scheme would be the third phase of the Quarry Farm housing development.

It also included a local centre comprising 400sqm of retail units and areas of open space.

In total 26 objections had been submitted to the council from residents raising concerns over the proposals.

Worries were voiced around “inadequate” road infrastructure, congestion, noise and traffic, impact on countryside, trees, fields and wildlife, and the lack of demand for the properties.

The application went before the local authority’s planning committee yesterday (Wednesday, April 22) for a final verdict after councillors previously twice deferred making a decision.

The panel decided by majority vote to approve the application, which was in line with recommendations from planning officers.

Their report stated: “It is anticipated that a scale of development could come forward that would achieve a satisfactory form that would not adversely impact upon the character and appearance of the surrounding area.”

The approval will be subject to the completion of a section 106 legal agreement securing more than £8million from the developer to mitigate the impacts of the scheme.

This includes more than £5million towards highway infrastructure, more than £1.4million for primary school provision and just under £1million for secondary education.

It will also ensure seven per cent of the properties provided are classed affordable homes.

The scheme will include two distinct parcels of residential development separated by an existing “local wildlife site” which will be retained and “enhanced” by the application.

Each section will feature a village green and a children’s play area.

Meanwhile a new vehicular entrance into the site will be taken from Elwick Road.

A statement from JW Planning said the development will provide “significant direct economic benefits for the town and its residents”.

It adds: “The introduction of additional population in this location will generate significant increased levels of expenditure in the town

“It will also provide a mix of high quality 2, 3 and 4 bedroomed houses, including a proportion of bungalows, in a high-quality landscaped setting which will meet the needs of present and future generations.”