As a thank you to families who have supported the Maya’s Law campaign, launched by Maya Chappell’s great aunts Gemma and Rachael, a pancake party was held in Consett on Sunday (February 16).

Defenceless Maya, two, died in Newcastle’s RVI days after being violently shaken by her mother’s new partner, Michael Daymond, at their home in Shotton Colliery in September 2022.

Gemma Chappell (left), Rachael Walls (centre) from the Maya’s Law campaign and Jemma Bushby from Creative Kitchen HQ (Image: RACHAEL WALLS/GEMMA CHAPPELL)

Daymond was later jailed for life, while Maya’s mother, Dana Carr, received a nine-year sentence for allowing her daughter’s death.

Gemma Chappell (left), Rachael Walls (right) from the Maya’s Law campaign and Jemma Bushby (centre) from Creative Kitchen HQ (Image: RACHAEL WALLS/GEMMA CHAPPELL)

The campaign is calling for the introduction of a Child Risk Disclosure Scheme (CRDS), alongside stronger multi-agency information sharing, to close gaps in the safeguarding system, and a petition hit 100,000 signatures last month.

The cooking event on Sunday at Creative Kitchen HQ was also about keeping conversations going around safeguarding, Gemma said.

Creative Kitchen HQ boss Jemma Bushby, who has supported the campaign from the outset, said she was keen to bring families together while creating a relaxed space to talk about the importance of protecting children.

Children cracked, mixed, poured and flipped their way through the session, each making their own pancake batter before cooking them.

Maya’s Law pancake event (Image: RACHAEL WALLS/GEMMA CHAPPELL)

They then decorated their creations with fruit and sweet treats, resulting in what organisers described as “lots of chocolate-covered smiles”.

Young attendees also had the chance to practise pancake flipping with mini pans and design their ultimate pancake creations.

Maya’s Law pancake event (Image: RACHAEL WALLS/GEMMA CHAPPELL)

Maya’s Law pancake event (Image: RACHAEL WALLS/GEMMA CHAPPELL)

The party was part-funded by Maya’s Law, helping to reduce costs for local families.

Maya’s Law pancake event (Image: RACHAEL WALLS/GEMMA CHAPPELL)

Maya’s Law pancake event (Image: RACHAEL WALLS/GEMMA CHAPPELL)

With a petition now surpassing 110,000 signatures and North East MPs backing calls for a parliamentary debate, organisers say community events like the Pancake Party are an important reminder of the people behind the campaign.

One organiser said: “This campaign is about giving Maya a voice.

“Days like this are about bringing families together, building life skills and reminding everyone why safeguarding matters.”

The new service will operate in the early hours of the morning on certain weeknights

A university has launched a new shuttle bus service to bring students home safely after a night out in town.

Queen’s University Belfast’s Get Home Safe service launched on February 11, and offers students free transport home from Kremlin and Limelight to the Holyland area every Wednesday and Thursday night, with pickups at 12am and 2am.

The pilot initative is delivered in partnership with SOS Bus NI, and is part of the wider Queen’s safety programme, which also includes its PSNI-backed drink check initative to combat drink spiking, and campus safety events.

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The new service directly responds to concerns raised by students regarding late-night travel, and aims to provide a safe, reliable way to get home, while supporting a safer night-time economy in the city.

Each shuttle bus fits seven students, and to access the service, they will simply need to show the driver their student card. Students will be picked up at Kremlin and Limelight, with the service going from there to the Holylands area. The pilot scheme is in place from now until the end of April.

Speaking to Belfast Live, the president of Queen’s University Students’ Union, Amy Smith, said the new service is a proactive measure to ensure student safety. She said: “It makes sure students have a great night out and don’t have to worry about how they get home.

“It’s also great as the bus is free which is helping with our cost of living priorities. We know the cost of living is a current crisis for our students, so we would never want them to worry about that and compromise that over their safety.

“All students have to do is have their student card, or have their student card on the app. If they show that to their driver, they’ll let them on then the driver will bring them home safety.

“It’s going to provide a lot of reassurance to students. Rather than reacting to a crisis, it’s just preventing things that could happen in the future.”

Queen’s University’s Neighbourhood Engagement Officer, Ryan Rankin, said the new service is directly responding to concerns students have expressed. He said the selected venues came based on student demand, but that if there is demand for other venues, the university will take this on board.

He added: “Limelight is a very popular student location, and we wanted to pick another location in the city centre which is popular, and somewhere students would maybe otherwise walk to, which is Kremlin.

“We are listening to feedback and if feedback comes back with different venues that would work, we will certainly take that on board in the future.”

SOS Bus NI CEO, Micky Murray, said they are happy to team up with Queen’s University for the initative, and hopes it provides reassurance for students.

He said: “We want to make sure students get home safely during the week on those nights there is no late night public transport.

“We’re hearing straight from students that this initative which only launched last week is making them feel safer, helping them feel more comfortable when they’re out as there is a fear of being assaulted or being a victim when out when travelling home in the early hours of the morning.”

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Netflix’s upcoming live-action reboot of the iconic Scooby-Doo franchise has reportedly found its first star in a horror legend to play the role of Daphne Blake

A highly anticipated Netflix reboot of an iconic mystery franchise has reportedly secured its first lead.

Deadline has confirmed that actress McKenna Grace is the first star to be cast in the streamer’s upcoming live-action Scooby-Doo series from Berlanti Productions.

Sources have said she will portray Daphne, the resourceful redhead who joins booksmart Velma, perpetually hungry Shaggy and team leader Fred as they solve spooky mysteries as Mystery Inc.

Midnight Radio, Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television’s reboot of the beloved animated series, which began in 1969, was confirmed to be in development last spring.

Josh Appelbaum (Heads of State) and Scott Rosenberg (Jumanji) are penning the currently untitled series based on the mystery-solving teens and their talking dog created by Hanna-Barbera, reports the Express.

The eight-episode drama will relaunch the franchise with a brand new origin story for the Mystery Inc gang, including their first encounter with their cowardly pooch Scooby and the haunted case that brought them together.

A synopsis via Deadline reads: “During their final summer at camp, old friends Shaggy and Daphne get embroiled in a haunting mystery surrounding a lonely lost Great Dane puppy that may have been a witness to a supernatural murder.

“Together with the pragmatic and scientific townie, Velma, and the strange, but ever so handsome new kid, Freddy, they set out to solve the case that is pulling each of them into a creepy nightmare that threatens to expose all of their secrets.”

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Actress Grace certainly possesses sufficient horror credentials to tackle ‘Danger Prone’ Daphne, having recently appeared in the hit slasher sequel Five Nights at Freddy’s 2.

She also holds a significant role as Phoebe Spengler in the revamped Ghostbusters franchise and previously starred as Theodora Crain in the acclaimed supernatural drama The Haunting of Hill House.

Grace will also feature in the forthcoming Scream 7, which will witness the return of Matthew Lillard to the franchise, a fellow Scooby star who has portrayed Shaggy in live-action and has voiced him in numerous films and series.

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Beyond horror, Grace is also recognised for roles in The Handmaid’s Tale and Regretting You, and will be portraying Maysilee Donner in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, arriving in cinemas this November.

Daphne was previously portrayed by Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Sarah Michelle Gellar in the two films which also featured Lillard, plus Freddie Prinze Jr as Fred and Linda Cardellini as Velma.

Netflix’s untitled Scooby-Doo series does not yet have a release date.

The polite and chivalrous world of curling was dragged through the mud this week, rocked by a cheating scandal and cries of foul play. Sweden’s Oskar Eriksson accused Canada’s Marc Kennedy of cheating; the latter was so incensed by the accusation that he went on an expletive-laden rant in his opponent’s face, only for videos to emerge supporting the Swede entirely.

World Curling eventually stepped in, attempting to calm the controversy with additional umpiring measures, which caught out Canada’s women’s team and Britain’s men, before backing off again, returning to the status quo of players largely self-refereeing.

That gentleman’s agreement was in place for Tuesday’s penultimate round of group stage matches, and although spectators watched eagerly for any sign of illegal double-touching, there was no flinging of cheating allegations or mutterings of suspicion.

Instead, under the lights in Cortina’s Curling Olympic Stadium, was something much simpler: good old-fashioned sporting nationalism.

The match of the night was Italy against the US, with both still in with a chance of making the semi-finals. The US sat in fifth place, with a 4-3 record; Italy a place behind and with three wins and losses each. The old arena had the feel of the San Siro, with crowds of Italian ultras banging on the wooden slats and stamping on the metal grates underfoot at every stone thrown.

Italy’s quartet gesticulated to the fans to up the volume even more; the US’ Aidan Oldenburg opted to play the villain, encouraging the boos and jeers. American Daniel Casper did himself no favours when he slipped and fell on his backside on the ice; shouts of “It-al-ia” drowned out the standard “U-S-A” that accompanies any sporting event.

With all that happening on the next sheet over, Team GB tried to get on with things.

The Beijing silver medallists have found themselves in a tighter corner than they would have expected going into this tournament. This had looked like a must-win game before results went in their favour earlier on Tuesday, with the USA – who GB face in their final round robin game – and Germany losing.

That good fortune gave them a little more breathing room tonight, but it was hardly the position anyone thought the reigning world champions would be in.

And they made a poor start, with an error by Bruce Mouat with his first stone allowing Canada to go 2-0 up after the first end. A double takeout by Canada in the second end restricted GB to just one point, before Mouat responded in kind in the third end to keep within reach of Canada’s 3-1 lead.

open image in gallery

Kennedy was disappointed in the fourth end as he called for the measuring compass to come out, to determine which side was closer to the house, and Eriksson may have derived some satisfaction from the result: Britain took two to level proceedings.

Kennedy made a major error in the fifth end, knocking his own stone out of play to leave GB lying three up, but skip Brad Jacobs snuck back in, drawing into the middle to gain a point and put Canada back in front, 4-3 at the break.

A beautiful stone by Mouat, nestled on the button, meant GB went ahead for the first time in the game in the sixth end, with Canada’s mistakes – this time an error by Jacobs – allowing them back in.

But momentum rapidly swung the other way. In the seventh end a pile-up of errors meant Mouat had to take out three stones, and he only managed one. Jacobs – the 2014 Olympic champion – made up for his earlier clanger with a brilliant final throw, lodging dead in the centre of the house, to score three.

With Canada 7-5 up going into the final three ends GB’s mistakes started to pile up. Canada sat four up inside the house and Bobby Lammie landed a crucial yellow short of the rings, with Mouat drawing too short as well and failing to put pressure on Jacobs’ final shot. Another point to Canada extended their advantage to 8-5.

Pandemonium erupted as Italy cemented an 8-5 win over the USA, which helpfully overshadowed GB conceding 9-5 after the ninth end.

It leaves the 2022 silver medallists hanging on by a thread after four defeats, needing to beat the USA in their final round robin clash on Wednesday, and hoping that other results will go their way in order to squeak into the semi-finals.

Canada waved to their faithful high up in the stands, while GB snuck away, dreams of defending or improving on that medal dented, if not crushed entirely.

Late Dawson’s Creek star James Van Der Beek renewed his wedding vows with his wife, Kimberly, days before his death in an intimate ceremony

James Van Der Beek and his wife Kimberly sweetly renewed their wedding vows just days before his death. The Dawson’s Creek star died aged 48 on February 11 after being diagnosed with colorectal cancer.

The couple reportedly had an intimate ceremony prior to his death. They were said to have been supported by friends and family. James and Kimberly share six children: Olivia, 15, Joshua, 13, Annabel, 12, Emilia, 9, Gwendolyn, 7, and Jeremiah, 4. They first tied the knot in August 2010. It’s now been said that one of the actor’s final acts was to renew their vows.

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Wife Kimberly told People Magazine of the moving moment. She said: “We decided two days beforehand, and our friends got us new rings, filled our bedroom with flowers and candles, and we renewed our vows from bed.”

She went on to call the moment “simple and beautiful and moving”. She revealed loved ones were able to watch along on Zoom.

Music was provided by one of the couple’s close friends, Porangui. The last song for the service was a rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

Just days later, Kimberly was announcing her husband’s death. In a heartbreaking statement to her followers she said at the time: “Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning.

“He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace. There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity and the sacredness of time. Those days will come. For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend.”

It wasn’t the only move James made in the weeks before his death. He also secured his family home, with the help of famous pals. A month before he died, the actor bought a £3.5million ranch for his large family to call their own.

The property in Texas boasts 36 acres of land. The pricy purchase came after the family moved from Los Angeles to Spicewood, Texas, in 2020. At the time, they had opted to lease the property initially.

However, James was keen to call the property their own to help provide a stable environment for his family after his death. According to Realtor.com, the home was bought for $4.76 million in an off-market deal on January 9. Among it’s amenities are a number of cabins, a pool and a large back yard.

James’ final weeks were said to see the star grow weaker. Speaking to Daily Mail, a source said that despite his public optimism, James realised time was running out.

“James was on hospice for several weeks and he was rail thin when he passed,” they said. “He was mostly in bed because he was very weak, and he was not eating.”

They added his deterioration was growing increasingly harder to watch in his final days. They said: “He was in hospice, they held his hand and were there for him, of course.”

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The DWP has confirmed that it plans to complete migration of claimants on income related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) to Universal Credit by March

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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recently confirmed its intention to complete the transition of claimants on income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) to Universal Credit by March.

Minister for Social Security and Disability, Sir Stephen Timms, also stated that part of this migration process will involve ESA claimants moving to the Universal Credit Health Element.

Welfare reforms set to be implemented in April aim to address these ‘perverse incentives’ by introducing a lower Universal Credit Health Element rate of £217.26 per month for new claimants, compared to the higher rate of £429.80.

Those with the most severe, lifelong conditions, those nearing end of life, and all existing Universal Credit health claimants will continue to receive the higher rate. The change does not affect existing claimants, only new applicants.

Sir Stephen’s remarks were made in a written response to Labour MP Amanda Martin, who queried whether claimants with disabilities, receiving the Personal Independence Payment ( PIP ) and legacy work-related benefits, will be “treated as new claimants for the purposes of the proposed changes to the Health Element of Universal Credit when they are migrated”.

The Portsmouth North MP also questioned whether claimants on legacy benefits transitioning to the Universal Credit system would “see a reduction in their income as a result of these proposed changes”, reports the Daily Record.

The DWP Minister responded: “The Department plans to complete migration of ESA claimants to Universal Credit by March 2026. As part of this ESA claimants will be migrated to the Universal Credit Health Element. To protect any claimants who have not migrated by April 2026 we intend to mirror as closely as possible the changes made in Universal Credit in the ESA rates.

“Changes to the ‘support component’ and the two disability premia (severe and enhanced disability premium rates) will reflect changes to Universal Credit LCWRA ( Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity) rates for existing claimants.”

He added: “Including these commensurate measures aims to give fair treatment for all customers moving onto Universal Credit from income related ESA, regardless of their point of migration.”

The DWP has previously stated that nearly four million households will receive an annual income increase estimated at £725 under new legislation designed to reform the welfare system.

Changes outlined in the Universal Credit Act will aim to rebalance the core payment and health top-up within Universal Credit. The Act will result in the Universal Credit standard allowance rising permanently above inflation, totalling £725 by 2029/30 in cash terms for a single person aged 25 or over. According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), this represents the largest permanent real terms increase to the main rate of out-of-work support since 1980.

The Universal Credit Act The DWP has announced a rebalancing of Universal Credit health and standard elements to address what it calls a ‘fundamental imbalance in the system which creates perverse incentives that drive people into dependency’. The Act recently received Royal Assent.

In addition to these changes, the DWP has introduced significant new measures, giving those receiving health and disability benefits the right to try work without fear of reassessment. This new ‘Right to Try Guarantee’ applies to individuals with a disability or health condition – such as those recovering from illness – who wish to return to work now their health has improved.

All current recipients of the Universal Credit Health Element and new customers with 12 months or less to live or who meet the Severe Conditions Criteria will also see their standard allowance combined with their Universal Credit health element rise at least in line with inflation every year from 2026/27 to 2029/30.

John Higgins is into the quarter-finals of the Players Championship after an impressive 6-1 win over Neil Robertson, a victory which has seen an incredible statistic emerge from the Wizard of Wishaw’s epic career.

The Scot knocked in breaks of 133, 84 and 70 on his way to a comfortable win, in which he was really good but the Australian struggled to find anything like his best form, seemingly having an issue with his tip.

The four-time world champion snuck into the 16-man event after Ronnie O’Sullivan decided not to take up his place in the tournament and is looking to make the most of it, taking on either Chris Wakelin or Xiao Guodong in the last eight.

That contest will, incredibly, be Higgins’ 155th ranking event quarter-final, a monumental amount of success since he turned professional in 1992.

This number sounds mammoth enough without context, but it is an even more stunning achievement when considering that there have only been 456 ranking events in snooker history.

The 1974 World Championship is deemed the first ranking event in snooker, played a year before Higgins was born.

That means the Wizard has been to at least the quarter-finals in more than a third (33.99 per cent) of ranking tournaments ever played.

Higgins has played in 339 ranking events himself, which means he has been to at least the last eight in 45.72 per cent of ranking tournaments he has competed in.

No player has appeared in as many ranking quarter-final as Higgins and he is still going strong at 50 years old, ranked number five in the world.

After comprehensively beating Robertson, he said on Channel 5: ‘Really enjoyed it, I’ve not beaten Neil the last few times we’ve played. He played below par, not the way he normally plays, but I was happy with the way I played.

‘Without a doubt, with Ronnie not turning up, it gave me a free roll. Delighted to beat Neil, I hold him in such high regard, it’s a great win for me.’

He added in a post-match press conference: ‘I try to take the positives from beating guys like [Mark] Selby at the Tour Championship, Judd [Trump] at the Masters, and then Neil, because they’re three guys that are holding such high regard in the game.’

Higgins has long been a tinkerer when it comes to equipment and technical intricacies, making a couple of tweaks ahead of his trip to Telford.

‘The last two or three days before I came down I played for two or three days with Stephen Maguire,’ he said. ‘I changed the cue diameter [to 29mm from 30mm], I went back to years ago.

‘I’m trying something as well, I’m normally really on the cue, I’m trying to be not as strong on the cue, it’s giving me more power. If you’re too rigid you can’t get through the white, I’m trying something else and it seems to be working.’

Higgins is eyeing up a 34th ranking title this week, but is also adding another string to his immense snooker bow, by stepping into punditry and commentary duties for the new-look Channel 5 coverage of the Players Championship.

‘I look forward to it,’ he said. ‘I’m getting older in the game, it’s something new, I’ll try it.

‘I’m only practicing an hour a day anyway to keep my eye in. Looking at four walls, that’s the hardest part at these events, it’s using your time wisely. I’ll enjoy it.’

Higgins will be in the commentary box on Wednesday before returning to action on Thursday afternoon against either Wakelin or Xiao.

Also on the opening afternoon of the Players Championship, Mark Allen downed Wu Yize 6-3, setting up a quarter-final against either Mark Selby or Jack Lisowski on Friday night.

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The Moon crossed the Sun’s path on February 17, causing what is known as an annular solar eclipse. The Sun was not covered completely, but the Moon blocked enough of its light to leave a fiery ring. Unless you’re deep in the southern hemisphere, you won’t have noticed.

However, astrologically speaking, eclipses have effects regardless of who is watching. In astrology, an ancient tradition that lacks scientific grounding, eclipses are regarded as being powerful and politically significant celestial events. They are traditionally associated with the destiny of rulers – and some astrologers think Donald Trump is no exception.

Astrologers interpret the meaning of eclipses through horoscopes, celestial maps that locate the Sun, Moon and planets within the 12 signs of the Zodiac that encircle our solar system. During the eclipse, the Sun and Moon were at the edges of the sign Aquarius, a position astrologers associate with endings and shakeups.

This, alongside various other factors including Trump being born during a lunar eclipse in 1946, has led some astrologers to suggest that the eclipse could mark the start of a severe crisis for the US president – even his death.

Predictions like this come around fairly often, and Trump has outlasted many of them before. But these extreme forecasts follow a very old script. For thousands of years, eclipses have been treated as political events, read as omens about kingdoms and their rulers.

Bad omens

Eclipses have been connected with the fate of rulers since at least ancient Mesopotamia, around 4,000 years ago. Keen observers there, in what is now modern-day Iraq, kept lists of phenomena they believed were linked to specific outcomes.

“If a lizard gives birth in the walkway of a house, the household will fall” and “if a white partridge is seen in the city, commercial activity will diminish” are two examples. But one omen has long outlived the others: “if there is an eclipse, the king will die”.

With such high stakes, ancient astronomers invested in systematic observation, record-keeping and calculation to predict eclipses with ever-greater accuracy. This enabled the so-called “substitute king” ritual, where royals tried to avoid their fate by temporarily making someone else king until an eclipse passed.

The link between eclipses and the death of kings spread widely in the ancient world. Egyptian papyri show evidence of this belief, and Greek and Roman history is full of stories connecting eclipses with prominent deaths.

Roman historian Cassius Dio recorded a solar eclipse around the death of the first Roman emperor, Augustus, in AD14, during which “most of the sky seemed to be on fire”. In the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, the death of Jesus is also marked by darkened Sun.

In the medieval period, when Arabic chroniclers recorded eclipses, they usually noted concurrent deaths of rulers. And in Europe, a solar eclipse in 1133 was so closely associated with the 1135 death of King Henry I of England that it became known as “King Henry’s Eclipse”.

Premodern rulers often hired astrologers to interpret their birth charts – the horoscope cast for the moment they were born. Ideally, the astrologer would pick out an aspect of the chart they could say justified the ruler’s leadership and foretold a long and prosperous reign. This was useful astrological propaganda.

But rulers were less happy when astrologers did this without authorisation – especially if they forecast illness or death. Astrologers were expelled from ancient Rome on numerous occasions for doing just that.

In his book, Lives of the Caesars, Roman historian Suetonius recounted the fate of an astrologer called Ascletarion (or Ascletario). Ascletarion’s predictions of the Emperor Domitian’s imminent downfall in the first century AD prompted the angry emperor to order his execution.

More than 1,400 years later, an astrologer in Oxford was executed for predicting the death of the reigning English monarch, Edward IV. And in 1581, Queen Elizabeth I of England made it a felony to use horoscopes to predict her death or her successor.

Similarly in France, royal pronouncements in 1560, 1579 and 1628 prohibited astrological predictions about princes, states and public affairs. Around the same time, astrologers in Italy got into serious trouble for predicting the deaths of popes.

This was not just a matter of anxiety on the part of rulers. It was also a question of maintaining public order and political stability. State powers were concerned with the ability of astrological predictions to cause general chaos and even prompt protests and rebellions.

They were right to worry. In a time when astrology was taken very seriously, predictions could cause collective panic. During the so-called wars of the three kingdoms, a series of conflicts fought between 1639 and 1653 in England, Scotland and Ireland, astrologers’ radical political predictions about the fate of the English monarchy fed revolutionary sentiment.

One of these astrologers, Nicholas Culpeper, published predictions of the downfall of all European monarchies on the basis of a solar eclipse in 1652.

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Astrology left the world of universities and political courts in the 17th century, but astrologers did not stop making political predictions. In 1790s London, an astrologer called William Gilbert predicted the death of King Gustav III of Sweden. His prophecy was fulfilled a few months later.

And after his attempted assassination in 1981, the then-US president, Ronald Reagan, asked astrologer Joan Quigley whether she could have predicted it. She said yes. Quigley worked for the Reagans for many years, and claimed that she provided advice not just on personal affairs but also on matters of the state, including the best timing to make political announcements.

Although astrology is no longer counted as a science, it remains a player in contemporary politics. Whether or not eclipse predictions come to pass is almost besides the point. Historically, what made eclipses politically dangerous was the speculation often attached to them.

Strikes have been launched by US forces on three alleged drug smuggling boats in the eastern Pacific and the Caribbean, killing 11 people.

US Southern Command posted a video on X of Monday’s operation, along with a statement that “intelligence confirmed the vessels were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes and were engaged in narco-trafficking operations”.

The strikes are the latest in a series of controversial military operations which have brought the number of so-called “narcoterrorists” killed to at least 145 people since early September 2025.

Like most of the military’s statements on the 42 known strikes, US Southern Command said it targeted alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes.

It alleged the three boats were “operated by designated terrorist organisations”.

Two vessels carrying four people each were struck in the eastern Pacific Ocean, while a third boat with three people was hit in the Caribbean Sea.

The military posted videos showing the boats being destroyed.

Donald Trump said the US is in “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs.

In a post on X, US defence secretary Pete Hegseth praised the strikes: “Turns out President’s Day – under President Trump – is not a good day to run drugs.”

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The military has not provided evidence that the boats or people killed on Monday were involved in drug trafficking.

In January, the US launched a direct military attack on Venezuela, extraditing Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, transporting them both to New York to face narcoterrorism and other charges, which both deny.