Pope Leo XIV has turned down Donald Trump’s invitation to join his so-called “Board of Peace”, a senior Vatican official said.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, told reporters on Tuesday that the Pope had a number of concerns about the initiative and that he “will not participate” as a result.

“For us, there are… some critical issues that should be resolved,” he said. “One concern is that at the international level it should above all be the UN that manages these crisis situations. This is one of the points on which we have insisted.”

Mr Trump has invited a number of world leaders to join the board, originally conceived as a body to supervise the ceasefire in Gaza and coordinate the Strip’s reconstruction following the conflict between Hamas and Israel.

Its scope has since been expanded, with Mr Trump saying it would be well-placed to address a range of global disputes. Some see it as an effort by the US president to establish and alternative multilateral forum to the United Nations, which he has repeatedly criticised as not being fit for purpose.

It was Cardinal Parolin who earlier confirmed that the Pope had been invited to join the board by Mr Trump. He said in January that “the Pope has received the invitation, and we are considering what to do; we are looking into it.”

He said at the time that the invitation to join the board “requires some time to answer” and that the request “will not be to participate financially” because “we are not in a position to do so”.

Mr Trump claims the Board of Peace has already committed more than $5bn (£3.67bn) to help rebuild Gaza.

But there have been concerns over the board’s line-up, with European governments expressing surprise that Mr Trump had invited Russia’s Vladimir Putin, who has waged war on Ukraine since February 2022.

Arab states have also expressed anger at the inclusion of Benjamin Netanyahu, citing the Gaza war that has resulted in the deaths of 72,000 Palestinians.

And there have been concerns about the prominent role of former UK prime minister Tony Blair – one of the first names announced by Mr Trump in connection to the initiative. Mr Blair is expected to sit on the board’s founding executive despite longstanding criticism over Britain’s involvement in the Iraq war.

Despite the controversy, dozens of countries – including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Hungary, and the United Arab Emirates – have committed to joining the board.

Roadworks are due to take place on Radcliffe Road, Darcy Lever from today, Tuesday (February 17) until Thursday (February 19) this week.

The roadworks will be in place as United Utilities undertake essential repair works at the junction of Radcliffe Road and Long Lane, Darcy Lever.

The works involve excavating both the footpath and sections of the road in order to repair a water main leak.

The location of the roadworks within Darcy Lever (Image: Google Maps)

Cllr David Meehan said: “I reported an issue here in early February and now it has been assessed by United Utilities.

“Please allow extra time for your journeys and take care when travelling through the area.

“United Utilities are going to do their best to minimise disruptions.

“Thank you for your patience while these necessary repairs are completed.

A set of temporary traffic lights will be in place to make sure traffic can continue to flow smoothly despite the works, but it is expected that there will be no diversions and bus routes will remain as normal.

The junction between Long Lane and Radcliffe Road where the roadworks are taking place (Image: Google Maps)

Both sections of the road will need to be excavated as well as the footpath.

The issue came to the attention of United Utilities after Cllr Meehan reported the leak to the council.

The council looked into the issue and decided it would be within the jurisdiction of United Utilities.

The works are considered to be ‘essential’ by United Utilities.

Cllr Meehan said: “It wasn’t gushing or anything, it was just a sort of wet road.”

The other end of Radcliffe Road was the site of roadworks in January, where emergency works had to be undertaken due to a collapsed culvert.

The work order has been issued for the dates of February 17 to February 19.

This, alongside works on Church Street, left residents concerned that two of the entrance roads into the small town were blocked.

These works ended up being completed ahead of schedule, however.

The school’s work is getting harder, nestled as it is in an area where politics has long failed its residents. Westminster slogans have long been left unmet. In east Durham’s former pit villages, things never got better, they’ve never taken back control and Horden, along with neighbouring Blackhall and Easington, was never levelled up. A once proud, close-knit community has been left to the vagaries of absentee landlords, rising deprivation and residents who often don’t want to be here.

Residents say they could not be happier after their street was blocked off to traffic.

Walker Avenue in Great Lever was blocked off towards the end of last month at its junctions with Cotefield Avenue and Lynsted Avenue.

The council initially said at the end of 2024 that it would block off the road following complaints that it was a hotspot for “dangerous driving”.

On January 23, an “experimental” Prohibition of Driving Order was put in place on the street, with very large concrete blocks being placed in the middle of the road to prevent vehicles from going through.

It is set to be in place for “a period not exceeding 18 months”, with the closing date for objections to the scheme being July 23 this year.

Resident Stephen Leyland said: “I welcome them, they are definitely slowing traffic up immensely. The area is not as busy.

Stephen Leyland (Image: Newsquest)

“In the summertime, some of these young racers used to come down at a hell of a speed.

“It is a good idea, I would like them to stay permanently. It is worth the very minor inconvenience of having to drive around.”

Neighbour Raja Khan said: “I think it is great. It has definitely calmed the street down with traffic, because the young drivers were just speeding up and down.

“In that sense, I have no issue with it at all. They probably need to make it more attractive but that is minor.”

Fellow resident Roy Bentley said he would like the council to put another concrete block in the middle of the other two, but that otherwise it is “brilliant” and “fantastic”.

He added: “The traffic used to fly down the road all the time, it was like a racetrack.

“It is the best thing they ever did.”

Sally Price (Image: Newsquest)

Sally Price added: “I think it is a very good idea, cars used to speed up here.

“They used to come up really, really fast, especially at night, it used to frighten me to death.

“That was why it happened originally, people said they wanted some deterrent.”

Muzamal Hussain has been particularly affected by poor driving on the street, with his garden wall having been knocked down by a driver a few months ago.

He said: “I think it is a brilliant idea, it has made the road a lot safer, and I think the majority of people are in favour of keeping the road closed.

“People were using it as a racetrack.”

Residents could not be happier about their road having been blocked off (Image: Newsquest)

Other residents echoed the sentiments that there was a lot of speeding on the road, with some saying that there need to be signs at each end of the Walker Avenue to say that that it is a no through road.

One resident was sceptical about the new installation, however. She said: “I think they’re absolutely ridiculous.

“You get a lot of people coming up to them and then having to reverse back.

“There are no signs saying no through road.”

Though she did say that drivers used to use the road at high speeds.

Another resident, who wished not to be named, added: “I am really happy with them, cars were zooming down before them.”

The man also claimed to be five years younger than he actually was.

A former teacher who lied about graduating from Cambridge University has been banned from teaching. A professional conduct panel meeting was held by the Teaching Regulation Agency to investigate allegations against Nicholas Martin.

A meeting on November 11, 2025, heard allegations that Mr Martin, 43, acted in an “unacceptable professional conduct” while head of sixth form at St Edwards School in Cheltenham. The panel also looked at “certain discrepancies” that appeared in his application for a deputy head post at the school.

The application, made on February 14, 2025, said that Mr Martin was born on December 17, 1987, when he was really born on November 17, 1982. It also claimed that Mr Martin achieved a masters from the University of Cambridge, and that he sat as a magistrate once a month.

Mr Martin qualified as a teacher in 2006 and was employed as a teacher at the Cheltenham school in the same year. He was promoted to head of sixth form in 2024 after applying for the role. He applied for the deputy head position, but was not successful.

After this, the school noted that they had a different birth date for Mr Martin on record, compared to his 2025 application. Mr Martin was questioned about the birth date, and he said that there the 1982 date was “incorrect” and he had asked the school to correct it for a “number of years”.

Further checks were made by the school against his 2024 application for the head of sixth form position. This showed a date of birth of November 17, 2012.

The report said: “Mr Martin’s responses to the date of birth issue caused greater scrutiny and checks to be made against the information he supplied in both the 2025 and 2024 applications.” The school then asked Mr Martin for a copy of his degree certificate for his masters from Cambridge.

The report said that Mr Martin provided a certificate that he “purported” to be a copy of a degree certificate. The school checked with the University of Cambridge, which confirmed he had not attended the university.

The school also checked with the HM Courts and Tribunal Services if Mr Martin sat as a magistrate, but the organisation confirmed it had “no record” of a Nicholas Martin. A disciplinary hearing was held by the school on March 31, 2025, and Mr Martin admitted that he “acted dishonestly”.

The report added: “He accepted he had provided a false date of birth, had fabricated a certificate to further his earlier false declaration about his qualifications and had not sat as a magistrate for a number of years.”

After the TRA’s investigation, it found that Mr Martin was in breach of teaching standards and that his actions “fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession”. Mr Martin has been banned from teaching, but the decision could be reviewed from February 5, 2028.

A spokesperson for St Edward’s School said it is “aware” of the TRA’s decision. The spokesperson added: “The individual concerned is no longer employed by the school. Once concerns were identified, the school followed its established procedures and referred the matter to the appropriate authorities.

“We fully supported the process that followed. The welfare and education of our pupils is always our highest priority, and we expect the highest standards of professionalism and integrity from all staff.”

The Tesco Grape and Berry Medley, sold in 230g packages, is being pulled from shelves after salmonella was found during testing on specific use-by dates of 16 and 17 February 2026.

Customers who have bought the potentially affected product are being advised not to consume it.

The Food Standards Agency said there was presence of salmonella in the product.

A statement issued by the Food Standards Agency stated: “As a precaution. Tesco is recalling the specific date codes of Tesco Grape& Berry Medley 230G due to the detection of salmonella during testing, which may make the product unsafe to eat.”

Instead, the supermarket chain is urging people to return it to any Tesco shop for a full refund.

The company has also issued a public recall notice to ensure customers are fully informed of the reasons behind the product recall and the steps they should take if they have already bought the product.

In a public notice, Tesco added: “Symptoms caused by Salmonella usually include fever, diarrhoea and abdominal cramps.

“If you are experiencing these symptoms, you should stay away from work, school or nursery until you have stopped having symptoms for at least 48 hours to avoid passing it on to others.

“Action taken by the company Tesco is recalling the above product and has issued a recall notice to alert customers.”

The Food Standards Agency (FSA), which keeps the public up-to-date on food product recalls, has also issued public advice.

In some cases, the agency issues what it describes as a ‘Food Alert for Action’, which provides local authorities with details about specific consumer action to be taken.

A school bus driver has died after the vehicle, transporting 40 students home, was involved in a horror crash that left it on its side with pupils climbing out the roof

A school bus driver has died after the vehicle carrying 40 children flipped over.

The bus was transporting children from St Paul’s High School in Bessbrook, Northern Ireland when it was left on its side on Tuesday afternoon, February 17.

Quinn Coaches, the company of the bus, have given their condolences as they announced the death of the “deeply respected” driver.

A statement posted online said: “We are deeply saddened to confirm that one of our drivers was involved in a road traffic accident whilst transporting school children today. Despite immediate emergency response, our dear colleague sadly passed away. “Our first thoughts are with his family, friends, and fellow colleagues during this incredibly difficult time. He was a respected and experienced member of our team, and he will be greatly missed.”

Emergency services attended to the vehicle on the Tullyah Road shortly before 3:45pm. Pupils were seen by eyewitnesses climbing out of windows and the roof.

The school confirmed that no students were injured.

“We are relieved to confirm that no children were injured during the incident. The safety and wellbeing of our drivers and passengers is always our highest priority,” the Quinn Coaches spokesperson added. “We are fully cooperating with the relevant authorities as part of standard procedure. We kindly ask that the privacy of the driver’s family and the school community be respected at this time.”

Dáithí Murray, principal of St Paul’s High School in Bessbrook, said in a letter to families: “We appreciate that this will have caused a significant shock to pupils who experienced the incident.”

The headteacher added that pupils affected by the incident would be supported by members of the Education Authority’s Critical Incident Response Team and on site on Wednesday.

Mr Murray added: “The thoughts and prayers of the St Paul’s community are extended to everyone affected by this serious incident today.”

Newry & Armagh MLA Justin McNulty said all the children have walked away relatively unscathed and that the incident could have been much more serious. He added: “A school bus transporting children from St Paul’s High School to Whitecross crashed on the Tullyagh Road. Thankfully around 40 of them all walked away from the scene, and are home. A few of them had minor injuries but nothing serious.

“There are still concerns about the well-being of the driver, and my thoughts and prayers are with him and I’m hoping that he will be OK. This could have been very much more serious. When an incident involves a school bus crash, you hope the worst hasn’t happened. Thankfully, the children have all walked away relatively unscathed.”

“Because you didn’t want people to see or read what you said. Then, the reaction of Vinicius is telling me that something not right happened. We still don’t know what was said. Vinicus can tell us his side, and Prestianni, I’m sure, will not tell us what he actually said, because I saw at one point Kylian Mbappe confront him, and he said, ‘I didn’t say anything’.

Michael Carrick will look to continue his unbeaten start to this spell as Manchester United boss when his side travel to face Everton next week

Michael Carrick and Manchester United are enjoying an extended break from action with no FA Cup engagements. Having been knocked out of the competition by Brighton when Darren Fletcher was in charge, United were left without a fixture at the weekend with all eyes instead on their next Premier League match with Everton.

United will have had 13 days between fixtures by the time they’re next in action since their 1-1 draw against West Ham. When United do get back in the swing of things, Michael Carrick will be hoping to maintain his unbeaten run having orchestrated five matches without loss so far, including wins against Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham.

As things stand, he is in the job until the end of the campaign, but thanks to his impeccable start, there are already plenty of calls for him to be installed beyond the summer.

One manager who has been mooted as a potential replacement is Luis Enrique. But the suggestion of him taking over has now been batted away by a club legend. Mirror Football brings you the latest updates from Old Trafford

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Luis Enrique possibility shot down

United icon Wayne Rooney was asked who he’d like to see permanently succeed Amorim and he threw his weight behind Carrick. The England hero also played down the impact a manager like PSG head coach Enrique would have.

“I think with Luis Enrique, I’ve been there and we’ve tried different managers. We tried [Jose] Mourinho and [Louis] van Gaal,” said Rooney on The Overlap Fan Debate.

“Then we tried the likes of [Erik] ten Hag and [Ruben] Amorim and they don’t work. I just think Carrick makes sense. I felt that from the minute I knew he was going in.

“He’s a real calming influence. I think we’re sometimes quick to overlook what’s right here in front of us and say, ‘We’ve got this manager from Turkey or Spain who is going to come in and do this.’

“But actually they’ve got no interest in the football club. At least this will give the foundations for the club to keep building. The infrastructure will be back at the football club.”

Club address Jurgen Klopp suggestion

In other managerial news, the agent of iconic Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp dropped a groundbreaking revelation on Monday when he claimed both Chelsea and United offered the German a job after he left Anfield.

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Klopp bid farewell in 2024 after a trophy-laden eight years. His agent, Marc Kosicke, claimed that both the west London club and United later inquired about Klopp. But the 58-year-old insisted he would never manage another English club besides Liverpool.

However, the Manchester Evening News reports United have denied approaching Klopp. They state that United rebuffed the idea that they ever inquired about the manager either personally or through an intermediary. Chelsea are also thought to have submitted a denial.

Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package

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Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games this season, an increase of up to 100 more.

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CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Ami Nakai and Japanese teammate Kaori Sakamoto upstaged Alysa Liu and the rest of the “Blade Angels” from the U.S. to take the lead after the short program in the women’s figure skating competition at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Tuesday.

Nakai rode her opening triple axel to a career-best 78.71 points, while Sakamoto was right behind with 77.23 as she chases just about the only gold medal she has yet to win. Liu was third with 76.59, keeping her within range of the top step of the podium.

Things didn’t go quite so well for the rest of the American team.

Isabeau Levito lost a level on her step sequence and wound up eighth with 70.84 points, while three-time reigning U.S. champ Amber Glenn likely had her medal hopes dashed when she doubled up a triple loop, making the jump invalid and worth no points.

Glenn, trying to hold back tears as she stepped off the ice, was in 13th place with 67.39 points.

Mone Chiba gave Japan three women capable of stacking the podium when the women’s free skate on Thursday wraps up the figure skating program at the Winter Games. She scored 74.00 points.

Germany sweep in two-man bobsled

Germany swept the medals in the two-man bobsled race in a show of absolute dominance. It was the second Olympic sweep in bobsled history; the other was by the Germans, also in two-man, at the Beijing Games four years ago.

And leading the way was Johannes Lochner, who got his first gold medal while posting the biggest Olympic two-man winning margin in nearly a half-century. The U.S. was the closest to thwarting the sweep; Frank Del Duca and Josh Williamson were fourth.

Snow postpones women’s slopestyle snowboarding

The Olympic final for women’s snowboarding slopestyle was scrubbed off Tuesday’s schedule due to a heavy snowstorm in Livigno.

The slopestyle final was scheduled to start at 1 p.m. local time, but organizers said it was called off. A new date for the final has not been announced.

It delays New Zealander Zoi Sadowski-Synnott’s attempt at a repeat. She qualified first on Sunday — an opening round that was moved up a day because of the storms rolling in.

Italian men back on top in speedskating pursuit

Italy’s Davide Ghiotto, Andrea Giovannini and Michele Malfatti beat U.S. world record-holders Casey Dawson, Emery Lehman and Ethan Cepuran by 4 1/2 seconds to win the men’s team pursuit gold medal in speedskating.

Buoyed by raucous cheering from the home crowd at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium, the Italian men finished in 3 minutes, 39.20 seconds to give their country its first Olympic title in this event since the 2006 Turin Games.

The United States started the final well and led for the early stages. But the Italians charged ahead over the closing laps, extending their advantage. When it ended, Ghiotto, Giovannini and Malfatti raised their arms and pumped their fists.

Canada collected its second consecutive Winter Games title in women’s team pursuit when Ivanie Blondin, Valerie Maltais and Isabelle Weidemann — the same athletes who won gold four years ago in Beijing — finished in 2:55.81, nearly a full second ahead of runner-up Netherlands.

Late surge lifts France to gold in biathlon relay

France went from last place on the first leg to being first on the final lap to secure the country’s first Olympic gold medal in men’s biathlon relay.

World Cup champion Eric Perrot, skiing the final leg for France, missed two shots in his last standing shooting bout and was only seven seconds ahead of Norway’s Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen as they headed out to ski tracks packed with fresh snow.

Perrot stayed ahead of Christiansen and took his team of Fabien Claude, Emilien Jacquelin and Quentin Fillon Maillet across the line first, in a time of one hour, 19 minutes and 55.2 seconds.

Norway’s Oftebro earns second Nordic combined gold

Norway’s Jens Luraas Oftebro won his second Nordic combined gold medal in a week, taking the large hill ski jump and 10-kilometer ski race. Johannes Lamparter of Austria earned his second silver in Italy and Ilkka Herola of Finland won bronze.

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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics