KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Russian drone attack on Ukraine’s southern port city of Odesa killed two women and a toddler, authorities said Monday, while Ukrainian long-range drones targeted Russia’s key Black Sea port for oil exports.

The nighttime attack on Odesa heavily damaged an apartment block, killing the women and a 2-year-old child, officials said. Rescuers working under floodlights pulled four people from the rubble.

Eleven people were hospitalized, including a pregnant woman and two children — the youngest less than a year old, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post on X.

Russia has pounded civilian areas of Ukraine since it invaded its neighbor just over four years ago, killing more than 15,000 people, according to the United Nations.

It has also taken aim at Ukraine’s power grid, and the Russia overnight barrages also hit energy infrastructure in the Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Dnipro regions, Zelenskyy said.

More than 300,000 households were without electricity in the northern Chernihiv region after distribution facilities were damaged in attacks, according to the regional power utility.

Over the past week, Russia has launched at Ukraine more than 2,800 attack drones, nearly 1,350 powerful glide bombs and more than 40 missiles of various types, according to Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy expressed concern in a weekend interview with The Associated Press that the Iran war is draining stockpiles of weapons that Ukraine needs to defend itself, especially American-made Patriot air defense systems that can stop missiles.

Zelenskyy said Monday that the country’s partners “need to strengthen air defense together so that the interception rate of drones and missiles continues to increase.”

With U.S.-led peace efforts stalled, Zelenskyy added: “Russia has no intention of stopping” its invasion.

Ukraine has fought back by developing its own long-range drones, which now reach targets some 1,500 kilometers (900 miles) inside Russia.

Ukraine has used them recently to hammer Russian oil facilities as Moscow looks to boost its exports after the Trump administration gave it a temporary waiver from sanctions to ease supply constraints. Kyiv officials complain that Russia will use the additional revenue on new weapons to hit Ukraine harder.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said that air defenses downed 50 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Krasnodar Gov. Veniamin Kondratyev said that eight people, including two children, were injured in a series of Ukrainian drone attacks on Novorossiisk, one of Russia’s largest Black Sea ports. The attack damaged six apartment buildings and two private houses, he said.

Unconfirmed media reports said the drones targeted the Sheskharis oil terminal at the Black Sea port.

Last week, Ukraine’s drones struck oil facilities in the Gulf of Finland, in northwest Russia.

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Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Iran and the US have been presented with a framework drawn up by Pakistan, with the proposal outlining a two-stage approach including a 45-day ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz

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A potentially groundbreaking two-phase ceasefire proposal that could see the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz may come into force as early as today, reports suggest.

according to sources. The proposal sets out a two-stage strategy, featuring a 45-day cessation of hostilities and the reopening of the crucial Strait of Hormuz, two officials confirmed to the Associated Press.

Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, is understood to have been in discussions with US Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. According to the framework, face-to-face negotiations would take place in Islamabad, with between 15 and 20 days allocated to work towards a comprehensive agreement.

The development comes as oil markets reacted sharply on Monday, with West Texas Intermediate – the US benchmark – increasing by 1.86 per cent to exceed $112 per barrel, while Brent – the international benchmark – surged beyond $110.

On Sunday, Axios reported that the US, Iran and regional intermediaries were in discussions regarding a 45-day ceasefire forming part of a two-stage initiative to bring the conflict to a close. However, commentary published on Monday by Tasnim, an outlet affiliated with the IRGC, suggested a 45-day truce “under the shadow of war” has no place in Iran’s policy, reports the Mirror.

The commentary indicated Tehran has consistently rejected temporary ceasefires as they leave the door open for renewed aggression, maintaining that a suspension would enable the US and Israel to reorganise and rearm while keeping Iran vulnerable.

The statement added that, according to Iran’s position, the conflict can only conclude with concrete assurances preventing future US and Israeli attacks, and noted that the Strait of Hormuz would not revert to its previous conditions.

This follows Donald Trump’s profanity-laden warnings directed at Iran and its infrastructure should it fail to reopen the crucial shipping lane by his specified deadline of “Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time” (1am BST Wednesday).

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“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran,” he posted on Truth Social on Sunday. “There will be nothing like it!!!”

He seems to have pushed back the deadline once more, having originally set it for Monday (April 6) after declaring on Saturday (April 4) that Iran had “48 hours” to reach an agreement. That previous deadline had already been postponed by 10 days last month.

At the same time, Iran has launched strikes on infrastructure sites in adjacent Gulf nations and issued warnings about potentially blocking another vital waterway – the Bab el-Mandeb Strait near the Arabian Peninsula.

The Met Office said temperatures in York are due to rise from Tuesday (April 7).

Forecasters expect highs of 18C in York on Tuesday, rising to 21C on Wednesday.

Blue skies and sunshine are expected in the city on Monday afternoon, into Tuesday and Wednesday.

Thursday is, however, predicted to see temperatures fall back to 13C, the Met Office said.

There is also rain forecast throughout Thursday.

Later in the week, the Met Office expects temperatures to sit around 12C with clouds expected on Friday and Saturday, making way sunny intervals on Sunday.

The forecast comes after Storm Dave brought strong winds which caused disruption across York and North Yorkshire at the weekend.  

Asking a woman about a pregnancy she hasn’t explicitly confirmed is an absolute no-no, but just that happened to Emmerdale’s Isabel Hodgins.

Isabel and partner Adam Whitehead recently welcomed their beautiful baby, a daughter named Georgie Grace, who was born on February 11.

Taking to Instagram, the two announced the birth with a reel, showing Isabel in the throes of labour, before cutting to an adorable black and white snap of her cuddling her brand new bundle of joy just a few weeks later.

Amid keeping fans up to date on her mothering journey, Isabel recently shared a further reel, detailing her return to the gym that was flooded with warm and supportive comments.

@sandrahicks839 commented: ‘Isabel, you are an amazing mum and mother, I think its wonderful that you want to do this, take your time, because this is your time now, lots of love from a big fan.’ @lorrainewilson7874 added: ‘Go mama. Slow and steady though. Your body grew a wee human and birthed her’

@janette.adair.31 said: ‘Go girl go…you are smashing motherhood, take care small steps’, while @ajd2701 wrote: ‘You look fab, I remember having my son and I decided I wanted to be fit and healthy so I could play football with him, run around and play all the silly games he wanted to’.

Fellow soap stars, Catherine Tyldesley and Brooke Vincent also commented, posting: ‘Go on momma!’ and ‘go on my love’ respectively.

Not all of her interactions were as soft and sweet, though.

Isabel took to Instagram and posted a selfie to her story, captioned: ‘Had someone come up to me in the gym today and ask when I’m due…slightly awkward for both of us when I said I had her 7 weeks ago.’

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Big no-no.

Fans, as ever, flooded the post to support the new mum: ‘Happened to me! Awkward! But I smiled! It was there for a very good reason’, said one, with another adding: ‘Oh my goodness I’ve done that!! I was very embarrassed.’

Isabel keeps fans updated

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Isabel has been incredibly active on social media, detailing her new reality as a mum, with fans loving the super sweet content she shares.

Last week, Isabel created an adorable reel, taking fans through a morning with Georgie, captioned: ‘Mornings with my little miss’.

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Giving viewers an insight into her new daily routine, Isabel showed her gorgeous daughter wriggling on the bed, plenty of nappy changes, feeding and a couple of outfit swaps.

A host of Isabel’s co-stars flooded the comment section with kind words and lovely messages, with Danny Miller, who plays brother in law, Aaron Dingle, said: ‘Oh hello!!’, to which Isabel replied with a slew of laughing face emojis. 

Lawrence Robb, who plays Mackenzie Boyd, wrote: ‘Song choice’, with clapping emojis, while Laura Norton, who plays Kerry Wyatt added: ‘Unreal’.

With Isabel celebrating her first mothers day this year, Adam curated a beautiful tribute on Instagram for her, posting a carousel of images, alongside a heartfelt caption.

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‘Your first Mother’s Day,’ he began.

‘As if I didn’t already think you were amazing…but watching you become Georgie’s mum has opened my eyes even more. The love, patience and strength you show every day is incredible. We’re so lucky you’re ours.’

Emmerdale viewers recently saw Isabel’s alter-ego, Victoria Sugden, decide to head to Portugal for a fresh start with step-mum, Diane Sugden (Elizabeth Estensen) and son Harry, after the guilt of killing half-brother, John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth), and blackmail from Joe Tate (Ned Porteous), saw her give up her share of farmland to him.

MORE: Viral Emmerdale star confirms social media break ahead of wedding

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It comes as multiple professional dancers are set to leave the BBC dance show ahead of the 2026 series

Carlos Gu has said the stars of Strictly Come Dancing are like ‘a family’ as multiple professional dancers are set to leave the show ahead of the 2026 series.

While not asked directly about the departures, the reigning champion, who lifted the coveted Glitterball trophy with former footballer Karen Carney during the final of the BBC One dance show’s 2025 series, has spoken for the first time since a number of departures were announced.

With months to go until Strictly 2026, a number of professional dancers have been confirmed to be leaving the long-running entertainment show, which is also looking for new hosts after Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman said their goodbyes to Strictly at the end of the last series back in December.

Last week, Michelle Tsiakkas was flooded with support as she confirmed her axe from the long-running entertainment show. The professional dancer, who joined the BBC One dance contest back in 2022, was rumoured to be among those set to leave the popular programme this year.

The rumours were further fuelled when she pulled out of the upcoming tour, which, as mentioned, will see a number of the show’s pro dancers hit the road this April and May for a string of shows, including two performances in Salford, at The Lowry Lyric Theatre, and four performances at the London Palladium.

Michelle’s exit announcement came after it was first revealed that Karen Hauer and Nadiya Bychkova will be leaving Strictly. Karen announced last weekend that she was leaving the show after 14 years, marking the end of her reign as the longest-serving professional, and days later, Nadiya announced her departure after nine years. Then, Luba Mushtuk also confirmed her departure from the show.

Speaking to the Mirror, Carlos said when asked about the friendships made on Strictly: “We’re honestly a family, we always check in on each other. I have a few very close friends like Amy [Dowden], Katya [Jones] and Nikita [Kuzmin]. The work can be hard, but if you have great people around you, with brilliant energy, it makes the job a lot easier. The judges are great, too. I’ve known Shirley [Ballas] and Motsi [Mabuse] for over two decades, because they used to compete.”

He was also asked about the hosts vacancy, and whether it’s a role he could fulfil: “Ha ha, I could never be a host. But I do like judging – in the nicest possible way – so maybe I’d make a good judge one day.

“Tess [Daly] and Claudia [Winkleman] were iconic, irreplaceable almost, but the show carries on. I’d like it if we could go back to when the show first started with Bruce Forsyth and have one male, one female. I like that combo. Janette [Manrara] and Aljaž [Škorjanec] would be my top choice.”

Andrew Garfield has responded to speculation about a potential return to the world of Marvel in the forthcoming Spider-Man sequel.

The actor, 42, played Peter Parker in The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), later reprising the role alongside Tom Holland’s iteration of the character in the 2021 crossover movie Spider-Man: No Way Home.

It has been speculated that Garfield could again team up with Holland in the new film Spider-Man: Brand New Day, set to hit cinemas in July.

Appearing on Capital FM’s Breakfast Show this week, Garfield was presented with a still from the Brand New Day trailer, in which Holland’s Spider-Man is seen jumping at a group of enemies.

Fans had speculated that the large empty space under Holland’s character would, in the final film, be filled with other incarnations of the character. (In the past, Marvel Studios has been known to edit shots in trailers to conceal the inclusion of certain surprise characters.)

Garfield described the suggestion as a “bit of a reach, to be honest”.

“Like, what do you mean there’s room for other characters? It’s literally just space underneath Spider-Man,” he said.

“There’s room for more characters in every frame of the film, probably.”

When pressed on the subject, Garfield continued to downplay the suggestion – while noting his own refusal to deny that he would feature in the film.

“This is absolutely ludicrous, conspiracy-theory-level attempt at investigative journalism,” Garfield joked, adding: “You notice that I didn’t say I’m not in it, though.”

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While the involvement of Garfield – and original Spider-Man star Tobey Maguire – is yet to be confirmed, the trailer for Brand New Day gave fans a glimpse at many of the characters returning to the franchise.

This includes Zendaya’s “MJ” Jones-Watson, and Ned Leeds, played by Jacob Batalon. The film will follow on from the events of No Way Home, in which everyone in the world had Peter Parker’s secret identity wiped from memory.

Mark Ruffalo will appear as his long-running Marvel character Bruce Banner, aka the Hulk, while Jon Bernthal will play Frank Castle (aka Punisher), a character he previously played on his own TV series.

Sadie Sink (Stranger Things) is also set to appear in the film, playing a character rumoured to be X-Men’s Jean Grey.

Check supermarket opening times for Easter Monday including Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Lidl, Aldi, Co-op and M&S

This bank holiday weekend, shoppers have noticed considerable changes across supermarkets, including reduced trading hours and store closures on Easter Sunday. If your supplies are running low after the festivities and you’ve had your fill of chocolate, it’s advisable to check when your nearest shop is open this Easter Monday to avoid any unnecessary inconvenience.

We’ve compiled a comprehensive list of trading hours for Tesco, Co-op, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Lidl, and Aldi, amongst others, so you can plan ahead when restocking your cupboards.

Below are the opening hours for supermarkets across Wales this Easter Monday. For the biggest stories in Wales, sign up to our daily newsletter here.

Tesco

On Easter Monday, most Tesco stores will operate on reduced hours from 8am to 6pm, although Express stores will maintain their standard opening hours of 7am to 11pm. You can check your local Tesco’s opening hours here, reports Wales Online.

Co-op

Co-op will be open during their usual hours of 7am to 10pm or 11pm this Easter Monday, depending on the store. You can check here for details of your local store.

Asda

On Easter Monday, Asda stores will be open from 8am to 10pm, though this may vary by store. You can check if your local shop is open here.

Morrisons

Morrisons will be operating on reduced opening hours this Easter Monday, with most stores in Wales open from 7am to 8pm. You can check if your local store is open here.

Sainsbury’s On Easter Monday most larger stores will be open from 8am to 8pm while Sainsbury’s Local stores are generally expected to run as normal. You can check if your local store is open here.

Lidl

Opening times at Lidl will vary on Easter Monday so it is recommended you check your local branch’s details. You can find more information here.

Aldi

On Easter Monday the majority of Aldi stores will be open with reduced hours from 8am to 8pm. However this may vary by store. You can find the opening hours of your local store here.

M&S Food

Marks and Spencer’s opening hours differ across the UK so shoppers are advised to check their nearest branch. You can find more information here.

Waitrose

Waitrose will also have reduced bank holiday opening hours this Easter Monday.

They will be open from 9am to 6pm. However convenience alternatives including stores that feature in service stations will be open from 7am to 10pm. You can find your local store’s opening hours here.

The town also has regular markets with a wide range of items on offer

It’s not just our university and stunning architecture that we’re known for here in Cambridgeshire, we also have some pretty great places to live. Several Cambridgeshire towns have grown in popularity in recent years as more affordable places for London commuters to live – and let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to live here?

One of these towns is St Neots in the beautiful Huntingdonshire countryside. With the idyllic River Great Ouse running alongside and stretches of breath-taking countryside nearby, the town is attractive to nature lovers as well. These two factors combined make it an ideal place to live.

St Neots Railway Station connects the town to London King’s Cross, Peterborough, Horsham via London Bridge, Redhill, and Gatwick Airport. A train from St Neots to King’s Cross takes under an hour, so it’s the perfect location for commuters who want a slower pace of life.

St Neots is also only a 10-minute drive from Paxton Pits Nature Reserve, which is a beautiful 78-hectare nature area of lakes, meadows and woodland. The reserve has accessible trails that are popular with dog walkers and a visitor centre where you can indulge in a coffee or ice cream after a walk.

You will also find Grafham Water, about 15 minutes from town, which is a reserve known for its incredible views and walks. It is England’s third-largest reservoir and has a nine-mile track where visitors can ride a bike or take a gentle stroll.

According to Huntingdonshire District Council, St Neots is “the county’s fastest growing town”. It has a population of over 30,000 people.

It even has its own market, which has been hosted at St Neots Market Square since the 12th century. There is the Charter Market every Thursday and a farm and craft market on the second and fourth Saturday of each month.

At the farm and craft market, you can find everything from locally reared meat, poultry and game to chutneys, pickles and preserves. There are also plants, flowers, handmade soaps, cards, textiles and wooden crafts on offer.

Military planes – believed to be US Marine Corps Super Hercules – have now been spotted at Glasgow Airport.

Two US military planes have been spotted touching down at Glasgow Airport amid the war with Iran. The conflict has been raging on since February 28 when the United States and Israel launched a series of brutal strikes against Iran.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several other Iranian officials were killed in the initial strikes. Iran later responded with missile and drone strikes against Israel, US bases and other allied countries in the Middle East.

Military planes – believed to be US Marine Corps Super Hercules – have now been spotted at Glasgow Airport. Photographs, supplied from passengers ready to jet off on their holidays, show the two aircrafts on the tarmac yesterday afternoon.

This comes after US President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Iran’s bridges and power plants on social media. On his Truth Social page, Trump ordered Iran to “open the f**kin’ Strait [of Hormuz]” – through which around a fifth of the world’s oil and gas transits – or otherwise face hell.

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US military planes were also seen last month at the Scottish Government-owned Prestwick Airport – which has previously been a major hub for American forces jetting across the Atlantic. US Air Force cargo planes and massive C-17 Globemaster planes, as well as two C-130 Hercules from the Canadian Air Force, were pictured on the runway within days.

In February, our sister title, The Sunday Mail, revealed that US military flights had landed at Prestwick Airport 550 times in just 10 months. First Minister John Swinney followed this by saying he would consider banning US air force flights landing at the airport.

He said: “UK Government actions must be about de-escalating the situation, and I am also actively looking at what the Scottish Government can do to de-escalate the situation, including seeking urgent clarification from the UK Government about the military use of Prestwick Airport.”

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Scottish Greens external affairs spokesperson Patrick Harvie previously welcomed Swinney’s comment that he would consider banning the US military from using Prestwick.

He said: “There is frankly no need to wait till he has details on the precise missions of specific flights – information he may never get. If he accepts that the war is illegal, which he seems to, then he should be doing the responsible thing and blocking US forces now.

“There is no excuse for letting Donald Trump’s military use Prestwick as a base for his aggression. When US forces are using government-owned airports at the rate they are, then it is clearly providing assistance to operations that the First Minister knows to be illegal and profoundly dangerous.

“The Spanish government has already blocked the US military, and we should be doing the same.”

Prestwick Airport was previously used to welcome Air Force One during President Donald Trump’s visit to Scotland. It was also used by Vice President JD Vance during his visit.

Last month, Keir Starmer agreed to a request to allow US planes to use British military bases to strike Israeli sites. But the UK Prime Minister said the UK “will not join offensive action” in Iran, adding: “We all remember the mistakes of Iraq and we have learned those lessons.”

Glasgow Airport and the Scottish Government have been approached for comment.

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