The owner of more than 100 Burger King franchises in Wisconsin has been ordered to pay more than $1 million in fines after officials found over 1,500 violations of child labor laws.

Cave Enterprises, LLC, has been ordered by Wisconsin officials to pay $237,000 to child workers and a $828,000 penalty to the state, Fox 6 Now reported.

Wisconsin officials launched an investigation into Cave Enterprises, LLC, after 33 separate complaints were filed from 2023 to 2025, alleging violations of child labor and wage laws, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

Cave Enterprises, which operates 105 franchises of the fast food chain across the state, was found to have violated Wisconsin child labor laws at least 1,656 times.

At least 600 kids were involved in the company’s infractions.

“It was still shocking even to our investigators to see that out of 105 locations around the state, violations were found at 103 locations, involving over 600 minor workers,” said Amy Pechacek, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Secretary.

“This is the largest case that we have seen of youth working violations in modern history. We have quite honestly not seen anything to the depth and breadth of what this audit uncovered,” Pechacek added.

The state says it found that 593 children ages 14 and 15 were allowed to work at the Burger King franchises without a child labor work permit, which is required by the state.

The investigation also found that 627 teenage employees worked shifts of six hours or longer without a meal break, violating state law.

The state found violations at locations in Menomonee Falls, Oak Creek, Oconomowoc, Waukesha, West Bend, West Allis, Kenosha, Beaver Dam and Racine, according to Fox.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, blamed Republican lawmakers for eroding child labor laws in the state.

“After years of Republican lawmakers working to get rid of Wisconsin’s basic child labor law protections, I’m proud my administration is working to do the opposite by making sure bad actors are held accountable for taking advantage of kids in the workplace,” Evers said in a statement.

The Independent has contacted Cave Enterprises for comment.

A PAIR of contestants on Ant and Dec’s Limitless Win went home without a single penny after incorrectly answering a question about a chocolate bar.

Friends Abbi and Amy entered the show hopeful to take home some money to spend and save for the future.

But their enthusiasm was rapidly dashed as they failed to stay on the ladder after only the second question.

Fuelled by the motivation of getting their first easy question right – what’s the maximum number a person can roll on two standard dice – the ladies looked up at the screen as the killer chocolate question popped up.

Read aloud by Dec, he asked them: “If the two chocolate bars in a standard 50g pack of Twix were laid end to end, what would the total length be in centimetres?”

As early on quiz show questions go, this one was incredibly tough.

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Abbi and Amy looked to one another baffled, and commented on how the size of Twix bars keeps shrinking so it’s hard to keep up.

One of them noted that they had actually measured the size of a KitKat before, which they were trying to mentally envision to use as a point of comparison.

“The KitKats were around 11 centimetres, I feel like it’s a bit bigger than that,” they discussed, agreeing 11 sounded too small.

Dec added pressure, reminding them: “Remember, one over and it’s game over. Exact answers bank you cash.”

After not knowing what else to think and beginning to second guess themselves the duo locked in 22, estimating 11 centimetres per Twix.

Abbi and Amy had only £1k in the bank as they waited with anticipation to see if they got the answer correct.

But the studio’s lights flooded with red, and they were both sent home empty handed.

“Ah, you’ve gone over so it’s game over,” said a shocked Ant.

“What was the answer, what was the exact answer please,” he continued, asking for the correct answer to appear for all to see.

The correct answer was 19 centimetres.

Voicing how they were “gutted”, the audience gave them a round of applause before they left the stage.

Would you have got it?

Limitless Win is airs at 8pm on ITV.

Manchester City have not won a Premier League game at Anfield in front of fans since Pep Guardiola’s appointment in 2016, but in the eyes of many they need to change that record today to keep the title race alive.

Arsenal’s victory over Sunderland yesterday leaves City staring at the prospect of finishing the weekend nine points adrift. In a Premier League where gimme fixtures are scarce, and with 13 games to go, it would probably be premature to declare it done and dusted but City’s chances would be remote.

City’s form is just as worrying as the points deficit to Arsenal. They have won just one of their last six league games, fading badly in second halves and conceding leads, with two points thrown away at Spurs last Sunday.

Pep Guardiola could welcome back Ruben Dias to add some ballast to his defence, but it would be a risk to return from injury in a game of this magnitude.

There is plenty riding on the game for Liverpool too, who watched Chelsea and Manchester United win yesterday in the race for Champions League football.

Arne Slot’s team have scored 15 goals in their last four games in all competitions, with Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz beginning to strike up a fruitful partnership.

Dominik Szoboszlai will deputise at right-back, something City could look to exploit with Antoine Semenyo. The key selection decision for Slot is whether to bring Curtis Jones into a true midfield three, or stick with a 4-2-3-1 shape with a front four of Mohamed Salah, Ekitike, Wirtz and Cody Gakpo to tear into a vulnerable City defence.

Goals have been in short supply for Erling Haaland of late, and there have been suggestions that City should start him on the bench for this one. Surely not?

Full team news on the way shortly. 

Lindsey Vonn, 41, said she was willing to risk everything to become the oldest Alpine skiing medallist.

Not even rupturing the ACL in her left knee racing nine days before the event was going to stop the 41-year-old American.

“As long as there’s a chance,” she said after arriving in Italy, “I will try.”

Hers was the most-anticipated event. It would have been even without the drama of the injury in Switzerland.

Even if you are not the biggest Winter Olympics fan, you probably know her name.

She came out of retirement last year at the age of 41, chasing the dream of a second Olympic gold to add to her 2010 downhill title.

Could her body cope? Not only with the fresh injury, but racing on a right knee that was rebuilt from an injury in 2013.

There was shock and despair in Cortina when she crashed 13 seconds out of the starting gate.

The fall may have been softened by the mandatory safety airbag that inflated after losing control, but screams could be heard from Vonn after landing awkwardly at high speed.

And in a repeat of the scenes witnessed nine days earlier in Crans-Montana, she was taken to hospital on a stretcher dangling from the bottom of a helicopter.

Medics will now be assessing the long-term damage caused following surgery on her broken left leg.

It could be a dramatic and horrific end to the career of one of the most successful female skiers of all time.

Read more:
Water cannon and tear gas fired at Olympics protesters
Opening ceremony crowd ignored plea not to boo

And questions will be asked whether the American team should have allowed Vonn to compete and whether it was a risk too far.

A generation of Manchester City supporters had not experienced a winning feeling at Anfield – but all that changed on a highly dramatic Sunday evening.

Trailing 1-0 to Liverpool in the 84th minute, it was turning into a theme familiar for the Citizens faithful until captain Bernardo Silva and the ice-cool Erling Haaland both netted in the dying stages to hand Pep Guardiola’s side a memorable victory.

City supporters were riotous when Rayan Cherki rolled in a third into an empty net from just inside his own half, but the goal was eventually ruled out by the video assistant referee (VAR).

It mattered little as they stayed well after the final whistle to celebrate their side’s triumph – only a third in the league since 1981.

It was also result that keeps City in the title race. Just.

Boss Pep Guardiola joked afterwards about their last victory at Anfield five years ago, which came behind closed doors during Covid restrictions, saying: “That doesn’t count, right?”

But this brilliant turnaround meant City are only six points adrift of leaders Arsenal with 13 games to play, having been staring at a nine-point deficit in the closing stages.

“It is so difficult, Anfield is Anfield – the tradition, the history and the crowd,” added Guardiola. “It always looks smaller, tighter here and the pitch doesn’t look like Etihad Stadium – and the players that they have, and everything.

“Of course we would be disappointed and all the questions would be over and over [about the title race] but six points is better than nine. It is still a lot considering how strong Arsenal are in all departments.

“The last 10 games, from my experience, it is so difficult. The important thing is to try to be there and improve because the second half was not good enough again.

“All we can do is breathe down the neck of Arsenal and being there, try if they go slip [up] and use it.”

TWO couples were brutally axed from the Love Island All Stars villa tonight after being voted the least popular pairings by the public.

Host Maya Jama returned to the villa and revealed Curtis and Kyra and Konnor and Imani were the unlucky foursome to get the boot.

Lucinda and Sean, and Sher and Scott narrowly avoided the chop after an explosive Movie Night having been voted the next least popular pairings.

Viewers felt the wrong people went home.

One wrote on X: “U guys had one f**king job get Lucinda and Sean off my screen.”

Another said: “Lucinda and Sean should be sitting there not Imani and Konnor.”

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A third vented: “How’s Lucinda and Sean in the villa? This is obviously a fix.”

The departing pairings said an emotional goodbye to their co-stars before debriefing with Maya.

They reflected on a “chaotic” Movie Night before being grilled on their connections with other stars and each other.

Curtis praised Millie’s “great morals” and admitted his feelings for her were “deeper than I anticipated.”

Though she ditched him for American Zac, he couldn’t bring himself to badmouth his love rival.

He said: “I’d love to say some horrible stuff but I really can’t.”

His partner Kyra said of the huge twist that saw USA stars descend on the villa.

She said: “I think we brought lots of USA confidence.”

Of her connection with Tommy, she went on: “Tommy’s the most amazing and incredible guy. I soon realised we were on a different page and I was fortunate to meet Curtis and we had that spark.”

Imani joked natural gingers stuck together when asked about her initial connection with Jack.

She said: “He did not communicate well with me at all. I’ll be honest.”

Imani then praised “very sweet and kind” Konnor, who was called “wholesome” by Maya.

Curtis then made Maya blush when he coyly said he and Kyra were “definitely going to have some fun is all I’m going to say.”

Our thoughts are with those who have lost a loved one

Announcing the passing of a loved one in local news media is a long standing tradition and we are proud of the trust placed in us to make these important announcements. Every notice published to our newspaper and news site also appears on funeral-notices.co.uk – the UK’s number one site for death notices and memoriams. Every notice remains online forever providing friends and families with a lifelong tribute to their loved one, a safe place online to share memories, add tributes, photographs and make donations in memory.

Each week we pay tribute to the loved ones remembered in our area with a funeral notice and online tribute page. To read the latest announcements and add tributes to those from our area who have passed away, or to create a funeral notice yourself, click here . Alternatively, you can create a notice by calling our team on 01482 908084.

Here are a selection of notices published earlier this week.

Death Notices

Sheila (Formerly Crick) ASH

(Formerly Crick) Passed away peacefully on 29th January 2026. Beloved wife to David , loving Mother to Debbie and Joanne, adored Nanna to Rhianna and a cherished Daughter, Sister, Auntie and Mother in Law. Funeral service to be held at Cambridge Crematorium, West Chapel on Monday 16th February 2026 at 3.15pm. Please join us afterwards at The Fulbourn Institute Sports and Social Club. Family flowers only. Donations can be made to Arthur Rank Hospice.

Eric Stanley COULSON

Passed away peacefully on Thursday 15th January 2026, aged 82 years. Much loved husband to the late Jill. Dad to Karen, Jane and Helen. Adored Grandad to Sarah, Emma, Rachel, Jamie, Abigail, Megan and William. Great Grandad to Evie, Aoife, Ivy and Maeva. He will be sadly missed by all his family and friends. The service will take place at Cambridge Crematorium, West Chapel, on Tuesday 17th February at 11.15am. Family flowers only, but donations if desired for the benefit of Arthur Rank Hospice Charity may be made via his InMemory page at www.peasgoodandskeates.co.uk or sent c/o 617 Newmarket Road Cambridge CB5 8PA 01223 415255

Sylvia FREEMAN

Of Primrose Croft Care Home. Passed away peacefully on Friday 23rd January 2026 aged 84 Years. Ex RAF Flight Planner and Navigator, beloved wife and mother. She will be greatly missed. Funeral service to be held at 1:30pm on Thursday 12th February 2026 at Arbory Trust Natural Burial Ground. Any enquiries to 617 Newmarket Road, Cambridge, CB5 8PA 01223 415255

Carol Elizabeth HARDING

17th December 1961-21st December 2025, Formerly of Romsey Town, late of Bar Hill, Cambridge, passed away peacefully, aged 64 at Addenbrooks Hospital. Celebration of her life at Mill Road Baptist Church on 20th February at 2:00pm. Children welcome, no flowers by request.

Elizabeth (“Liz”) HEWSON

(“Liz”) of Bottisham. Passed away peacefully on Monday 26th January 2026, aged 72 years. Beloved wife to Nick and much loved mum of Dawn and Gail, mother-in-law to Phillip and Nigel. A dear grandma to Charlotte, Isabelle, Elliot and Leo. Funeral service to be held at Cam Valley Crematorium, Great Chesterford (CB10 1RP) on Tuesday 17th February at 2:00pm. Family flowers only please but donations may be made payable to Dementia UK and left at the service or sent care of Southgate of Newmarket Funeral Directors, 25 Duchess Drive, Newmarket, CB8 8AG.

Raymond George JOBLING

Funeral on Tuesday 10th February 2026 at 10:15am in Cambridge Crematorium, West Chapel. Family flowers only. Any donations to Arthur Rank Hospice & The British Heart Foundation. Please join us after the service at Beach Social Club, Waterbeach, CB25 9NJ.

Josephine Ann KNIGHT

Of Fulbourn, passed peacefully away on 7th January 2026, aged 86 years. Dearly loved wife of the late Michael. Wonderful mother to Philip and Elisabeth, mother-in-law to Lisa and Chris. Devoted nanny to Olivia, Matthew and Laura. She will be sadly missed by all her family and friends. Funeral service to be held at St Vigor’s Church Fulbourn on Tuesday 10th February at 11:00am followed by interment at Fulbourn Cemetery. Family flowers only please, but donations if desired for the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association may be left at the service, or sent via Josephine’s in memory page, by visiting www.cefuller.o.uk or sent c/o 23 Hall Street, Soham, Cambridgeshire, CB7 5BN. Telephone 01353 720 439

Colin MARSHALL

Of Stapleford, Cambridge. Passed away suddenly at home on Saturday 10th January 2026, aged 86 years. A deeply loved family man, friend and colleague. Colin will be greatly missed by all. Funeral service to be held at 12 midday on Wednesday 18th February 2026 at Cam Valley Crematorium. Donations, if desired, to the benefit of Scottish Youth Hostel Association (SYHA) may be made at the service or online via Colin’s personal InMemory page at www.peasgoodandskeates.co.uk All other enquiries to 617 Newmarket Road, Cambridge, CB5 8PA 01223 415255

George WHITE

Of Cambridge Passed away peacefully at home on 11th January 2026, aged 88 years. A loving husband to Valerie, a devoted father to Denise and Sean, a much-loved father-in-law to Hazel, and a wonderful grandfather to Ashley, Chloe, Jake, Molly and Evie, and a proud great-grandad to Ada and Frank. He will be forever in our hearts. The funeral service will be held on Thursday 26th February at Cambridge City Crematorium, East Chapel, at 1.30pm. Family flowers only, please. Donations to Arthur Rank Hospice may be left after the service or forwarded to: Richard Stebbings Funeral Service Ltd Kendal House Cambridge Road Impington Cambridge CB24 9YS Tel: 01223 232309

Roy WHITEROD

Announcing the sad passing of Roy on 7th January 2026. Funeral to be held at Cambridge Crematorium (West Chapel) Tuesday 17th February 10.15. Motorcycle cortège to leave Silver Street Ely 9.15.

To add your own tributes to the loved ones from our area, or to publish a notice for your loved one, visit funeral-notices.co.uk. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of those we have lost.

Following a visit to Gaza in January, the UN undersecretary general, Jorge Moreira da Silva, called the level of destruction there “overwhelming”. He estimated that, on average, every person in the densely populated territory is now “surrounded by 30 tonnes of rubble”.

This staggering level of destruction raises urgent questions about how, and by whom, Gaza should be rebuilt. Since 2023, a variety of reconstruction plans and other initiatives have tried to imagine what Gaza could look like when the conflict ends for good. But which of these visions will shape Gaza’s future?

The Israeli government’s Gaza 2035 plan, which was unveiled in 2024, lays out a three-stage programme to integrate the Gaza Strip into a free-trade zone with Egypt’s El-Arish Port and the Israeli city of Sderot.

AI renderings show futuristic skyscrapers, solar farms and water desalination plants in the Sinai peninsula. The plan also shows offshore oil rigs and a new high-speed rail corridor along Salah al-Din Road, Gaza’s main highway that connects Gaza City and Rafah.

The US government has proposed a similar futuristic vision for Gaza. Its August 2025 Gaza Reconstitution, Economic Acceleration and Transformation Trust plan shows a phased series of modern, AI-powered smart cities developed over a ten-year time frame. The plan, which would place Gaza under a US-run trusteeship, suggested that poor urban design lies at the heart of “Gaza’s ongoing insurgency”.

The latest iteration of this vision was unveiled by Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, at the recent World Economic Forum in Davos.

He presented slides showing Gaza reconstructed as a “Riviera” of the Middle East, with luxury beachfront resorts, gleaming tower blocks, residential zones and modern transport hubs. Kushner suggested it was “doable” to complete the construction of a “new” Rafah city in “two to three years”.

It has been reported that the US and Israeli visions are heavily influenced by US-based economics professor Joseph Pelzman’s economic plan for Gaza. This plan, Pelzman said on a podcast in 2024, would involve destroying Gaza and restarting from scratch.

In contrast to the US and Israeli visions, the February 2025 Gaza “Phoenix” plan includes input from the people of Gaza. It has a much stronger focus on maintaining and reconstructing the existing buildings, culture and social fabric of the enclave.

The plan was developed by a consortium of international experts together with professionals and academics from Gaza, the West Bank and the Palestinian diaspora, and suggests a reconstruction and development phase of at least five years.

Other plans from the Arab world take a more technocratic view of reconstruction, but still have a short timescale for reconstruction. These include a five-year plan by the United Arab Emirates-based Al Habtoor Group, which promises to grant 70% of ownership in the holding company that will manage Gaza’s reconstruction to the Palestinians.

Feasibility of rebuilding Gaza

So, how feasible are these different visions and how inclusive are they for the people of Gaza? Rebuilding cities after war takes time and money, and also requires local resources. Even in China, a country with plentiful resources and abundant skilled labour, major new cities are rarely completed in less than 20 years.

And in Gaza rebuilding will be complicated by the fact that there are now 61 million tonnes of rubble there, as well as other hazardous debris such as unexploded munitions and human remains. This will need to be removed before any reconstruction can commence, with the UN estimating that clearing the rubble alone could take as long as 20 years.

For comparison, the Polish capital of Warsaw experienced a similar level of destruction during the second world war and it took four decades to rebuild and reconstruct the city’s historic centre. The time frames for reconstruction outlined in all of the plans for Gaza are far shorter than this and, even with modern construction methods, are unlikely to be feasible.

The US and Israeli visions also fail to include Palestinians in the planning of Gaza’s future, overlooking any need to consult with Gazan residents and community groups. This has led critics to argue that the plans amount to “urbicide”, the obliteration of existing cultures through war and reconstruction.

Reports that suggest Gazan residents will be offered cash payments of US$5,000 (£3,650) to leave Gaza “voluntarily” under the US plan, as well as subsidies covering four years of rent outside Gaza, will not have alleviated these concerns.

At the same time, the US plan does not propose a conventional land compensation programme for Gazan residents who lost their homes and businesses during the war. These people will instead be offered digital tokens in exchange for the rights to redevelop their land.

The tokens could eventually be redeemed for an apartment in one of Gaza’s new cities. But the plan also envisages the sale of tokens to investors being used to fund reconstruction. The Council on American-Islamic Relations, the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organisation in the US, says the “mass theft” of Palestinian land through the token scheme would amount to a war crime.

With their emphasis on community engagement and the repair and renewal of existing structures, the Phoenix plan and the other Arab-led visions are at least a step forward. But without a fully democratic consensus on how to rebuild Gaza, it is difficult to see how the voices of the Gazan people can be heard.

Whichever vision wins out, history shows that post-war reconstruction succeeds when it involves those whose lives have been destroyed. This is evidenced somewhat ironically by the US Marshall Plan, which funded the reconstruction of many European economies and cities after the second world war, and involved close engagement with civil society and local communities to achieve success.

Shaun Evans, Romola Garai and the cast of new MI5 thriller Betrayal discuss filming as the drama starts of ITV

ITV‘s fresh drama Betrayal launches on Sunday, February 8, taking over from After the Flood in the prime-time slot.

The thriller, featuring Shaun Evans, Romola Garai, Zahra Ahmadi and Nikki Amuka-Bird, examines trust, truth, and the personal price of secrets within today’s intelligence community.

This compelling four-part thriller unfolds within MI5’s world, delving into the delicate, complex network of human connections where loyalty and betrayal intersect.

A synopsis reads: “At the heart of the story is John Hughes (Shaun Evans), a mid-career MI5 officer navigating a rapidly evolving intelligence landscape while struggling to keep his personal life intact. On a hunch John meets a British Iranian man with links to the Stockport gangland who claims he has intelligence about a plot on UK soil.

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“Before he can share intel, the informant is executed, and John kills the assassin in self-defence. John soon finds himself under internal investigation, facing scrutiny from his superiors, including Simone Grant (Nikki Amuka-Bird), while his partner Claire (Romola Garai) grapples with the secrecy that defines his world.

“John’s efforts to save his marriage are complicated by his inability to let the case go. And when he meets Mehreen Askari-Evans (Zahra Ahmadi), an intelligence operative who is tasked with taking over John’s duties, he finds an unlikely ally. As John becomes increasingly convinced of the involvement of a hardline faction of the Iranian regime, he also starts to worry there are enemies closer to home. But can he identify the target and avert the attack before it’s too late?”

Betrayal takes place in Liverpool, with filming locations spanning Liverpool and Manchester, and numerous cast members have praised both cities and their breathtaking scenery, reports the Liverpool Echo.

Discussing the experience of shooting locally, Shaun Evans, who portrays intelligence officer John Hughes, commented: “I spend a lot of time in Liverpool because my family are all there, so to be up north was brilliant. They were a really funny, hard-working crew, and to be seeing parts of Liverpool in a way that I hadn’t seen them, having access to certain parts of the city, that was just amazing. A very special time in my life.”

Romola Garai shared similar enthusiasm: “I had a very nice little apartment right by the docks, so I’d go on walks and go to all the museums, which was great. It was a city I don’t know very well, so it was a real treat to explore the food scene and galleries.”

Zahra Ahmadi, who portrays intelligence operative Mehreen Askari Evans, has also discussed the striking architecture and rich musical heritage she discovered whilst filming her scenes. Speaking about shooting in Liverpool and Manchester, she said: “I loved it. I’d worked in Manchester before for quite a considerable amount of time and I’m a big fan, but I had only ever been to Liverpool once (and only for a week) before Betrayal I was working that whole time, so I didn’t get to know it at all really. But what I do remember fro that week was how every single Scouser I met was really engaged, eloquent and energised which I loved.

“This time round however, I got more time to explore, and I’d never realised what a beautiful city it was. The architecture is stunning, and then of course there’s the musical history and the food scene too, which is incredible. I ate the most amazing cauliflower dish that blew my mind – Maray’s Disco Cauliflower – you need to try it..”

Betrayal starts on ITV1 and ITVX at 9pm on Sunday, February 8.

Four young children, including one with severe autism, were evacuated safely, but many of the family’s belongings were destroyed or damaged.

A fundraiser has been launched for a Dublin family of six after a fire destroyed their one-bedroom apartment in the early hours of this morning.

The incident occurred in Dublin 8 at around 2am. According to a GoFundMe set up by an extended family member, the family were woken by smoke alarms and had to flee immediately with their four young children.

“Their home and belongings have been devastated,” the fundraiser said, reports DublinLive. “Clothes, shoes, furniture, toys, baby items and essentials are now smoke-damaged or burned, leaving the family with very little that is safe to use.

“Key household items, including beds, mattresses, sofas, tables, wardrobes and other furniture, have all been affected. One of the children and Jordan have suffered burn injuries. One of the children has severe autism, and the entire family is understandably traumatised.”

The fundraiser added that the family, who were already living in severe overcrowding, will now need to be rehoused and will require support to set up a new home once suitable accommodation is found.

Funds raised through GoFundMe are intended to help the family through the immediate emergency and assist them in rebuilding their lives. More than €2,000 has been donated so far.