As a regular Sainsbury’s shopper, I switched to Lidl for one simple item that’s sweeter, juicier and better value for money.

Whilst Sainsbury’s is my usual port of call for the weekly shop, there are certain food items I make a beeline for elsewhere. For chicken breasts, Caesar dressing and salad, it’s got to be Marks and Spencer.

When it comes to fruit and veg, Sainsbury’s generally offers decent quality at a fair price.

However, after comparing packs of one particular fruit from both Sainsbury’s and Lidl, the latter came out on top for taste and freshness, even several days past its best-before date.

The fruit in question? Pre-packaged pomegranate seeds. Fruit is a staple of my weekly grocery haul, and it’s crucial to choose high-quality produce as it can go off rather quickly.

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There are plenty of tricks for prolonging the life of your fruit, but you’re always better off buying as fresh as possible.

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality on offer at budget supermarket Lidl, especially given previous experiences with mouldy blackberries and raspberries on their shelves.

The pre-packaged pomegranate seeds from Lidl are sweet, juicy and packed with flavour, far surpassing those from Sainsbury’s.

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What’s more, I’ve found that Lidl’s pomegranate still tastes great a couple of days beyond the best-before date printed on the pack.

Not only do they win on quality and taste, but Lidl’s pomegranate seeds also come in cheaper than Sainsbury’s. Whilst Sainsbury’s charges £1.50 for an 80g pot and £2.65 for a 240g pot.

Lidl sells a 200g pot of pomegranate seeds for just £1.39.

And it will take place in a matter of days.

Excited? Well, after this latest season, we definitely are.

Revealing what fans can expect, a show insider revealed to The Sun: “Last year’s Married at First Sight U.K. may be over, but there’s still unfinished business between the experiment’s couples.

“In this dramatic, emotional reunion special, familiar faces return for a dinner party at which some celebrate romance, while others are forced to face old tensions.

“One husband confronts his ex-wife over a shocking revelation, while a former bride finds herself at the eye of the storm, as she’s pulled into the centre of another couple’s conflict, sparking a fiery showdown.

“Secrets spill and alliances shift in a night that proves truth always finds its way to the table.”

When is the MAFS UK 2026 reunion?

The series last aired in October last year.

This special episode will take place on March 1 at 9pm, per reports.

Like the main series, the one-off episode will be available to watch on E4 and the Channel 4 website.

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It’s set to have a runtime of 90 minutes.

Sarah and Dean, Divarni and Julia-Ruth, Maeve and Joe, Steven and Nelly, Anita and Paul, Rebecca and Bailey, Ashley and Grace, Keye and Davide, Abi and John, Leisha and Reiss, April and Leo, and Leigh and Leah all tied the knot, to varying degrees of success.

All of them, each receiving advice – and not particularly listening to – from experts Mel Schilling, Charlene Douglas and Paul C Brunson.

Many fans are keen to know whether these contestants make it to Final Vows and are still in a relationship. Well, you’ll just have to wait.

Police said more than 4,000 people had applied for their latest student officer recruitment campaign, with 65.6% from a Protestant background, 26.7% from a Catholic background and 7.7% undetermined

Any return to 50:50 recruitment to the police force in Northern Ireland would be a “mistake”, DUP leader Gavin Robinson has said.

In his weekly email to party members, Mr Robinson also said there had been an “absence of sustained and wholehearted leadership” from republicans to challenge barriers to Catholics joining the PSNI.

New PSNI recruitment figures this week showed that the percentage of new Catholic applicants to join the force was at its lowest in more than a decade.

Police said more than 4,000 people had applied for their latest student officer recruitment campaign, with 65.6% from a Protestant background, 26.7% from a Catholic background and 7.7% undetermined.

That prompted fresh concerns about representation within the force.

Between 2001 and 2011, there was a 50:50 recruitment initiative which meant there was one Catholic recruit for every one person from a Protestant or other background.

Mr Robinson said there had been a “predictable” call for the return of 50:50 since the latest recruitment figures were released.

He said: “That would be a mistake. It would reintroduce discrimination and undermine merit. Representation cannot be built by excluding capable applicants from other backgrounds.”

Mr Robinson said Catholic applicants should be praised.

He added: “They strengthen policing, and they strengthen our society. Those republicans who wish to see more Catholics join the police must also be prepared to face the legacy of decades spent distancing themselves from policing.

“You cannot question the legitimacy of the police for a generation and then express surprise when recruitment reflects that history.

“Until that contradiction is confronted, claims of support will continue to be met with scepticism.”

Mr Robinson said “chill factors still existed for Catholic applicants to the police in Northern Ireland”.

He added: “Pretending otherwise helps no-one. But acknowledging that reality cannot be where the discussion stops. For too long, there has been an absence of sustained and wholehearted leadership within republicanism to challenge those barriers directly.

“It was an appalling abdication of leadership that it was 20 years after the PSNI was formed before Sinn Fein ’s leadership attended a passing-out parade or a recruitment event. The time for tokenism is over. Leadership on policing requires consistency and visibility.”

Sinn Fein MLA and Policing Board member Linda Dillon said it is “imperative” that the PSNI is representative of society.

She said: “For this reason the PSNI need to listen to young people from a Catholic, nationalist, republican background to identify the barriers preventing them from joining them.

“Sinn Fein opposed the decision to withdraw 50:50 recruitment, its removal has negatively impacted on the recruitment and retention of officers, specifically from the Catholic/nationalist community.

“The political mishandling by the British government in failing to implement legacy arrangements under the Stormont House Agreement has also had a negative effect.

“The PSNI must strive to deliver a modern and representative policing structure, across all levels of the police service, including specialist units, that is as diverse as the community it serves and commands maximum public confidence.”

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PC Ryan Davis suffered horrific injuries after Richard Quinn, 49, and his son Alex, 20, repeatedly stamped on him. CCTV shows the Quinns’ attacking another man in the centre of Hereford

A thug father and son battered a police officer as he tried to stop them attacking another man.

PC Ryan Davis suffered horrific injuries after Richard Quinn, 49, and his son Alex, 20, repeatedly stamped on him. CCTV shows the Quinns’ attacking another man in the centre of Hereford on March 29, 2024.

PC Davis, who was in plain clothes, was on patrol in the city to protect women and girls from assaults. Footage shows him stepping in to stop a man being repeatedly punched after the Quinns’ attacked him on Union Street.

The Quinns’ quickly turned their attention to PC Davis and repeatedly stamped on him before strangling him on the ground.

PC Davis suffered a dislocated and broken ankle, broken lower leg, multiple fractures and face lacerations including damage to an eye. PC Davis’ colleagues were also attacked by Richard Quinn’s wife Carolynn, who was also with her husband and son. She was convicted of two counts of assault of an emergency worker.

Richard Quinn, 49, of Hereford, was convicted of assault causing grievous bodily harm against PC Davis and a separate assault.He was jailed for four years and three months at Hereford Crown Court on Friday (20/2).

Alex Quinn, 20, of the same address, was sentenced to three years and ten months at a young offenders’ institute for the same offences. After the sentencing hearing, PC Davis revealed the trauma he is still suffering today as a result of the attack.

The 34-year-old officer said: “While I am pleased that justice has been handed out today, I have already been serving my sentence, having spent the past 21 months recovering from this cowardly and brutal attack – and there is still more recovery time for me to get through as I slowly rebuild my life.

“This horrific attack changed who I am. I have struggled with PTSD ever since.

Their actions have put me through so much physical and mental pain, and I really don’t recognise the person I was before it happened. “It left me fearful to go out and I have suffered recurrent flashbacks to the events of that night.

“I feel I have been left to suffer by perpetrators who have shown no remorse.

“Nobody should go out to work and expect to experience anything like this, but I would like to thank my colleagues and West Mercia Police and the Federation for their help and support along the way.”

She later decided to research female entrepreneurs and activists in the country, and “came across this really amazing, tenacious individual who lives in the north-west of Iran, who rides a motorcycle, as the only female motorcycle rider in the region, and she’s delivered 400 kids as a midwife”.

Fakhrul Islam torched the Seventy One Indian in Breck Road, Poulton, in the early hours of December 8, 2024, causing extensive damage to the business and causing it to close its doors until this week.

Fakhrul Islam (Image: Lancashire Police)

While the restaurant was closed and empty at the time, staff members from the restaurant and another family who lived above had to be helped by quick-thinking staff from the nearby Cube nightclub, who heard the alarms go off, spotted the flames and raced to the rescue.

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Islam, who wore a blonde wig to try to disguise himself, was tracked down following an investigation which tracked his movements on the night through CCTV and vehicle movements.

Seventy One, Breck Road, Poulton (Image: Lancashire Police)

Despite him initially denying the offence, claiming he was driving around as part of his work as a taxi driver, Islam pleaded guilty to arson in the face of the evidence compiled.

The 37-year-old, of Hemingway, Blackpool, was sentenced at Preston Crown Court earlier this week to seven years and six months in prison.

During sentencing, the Judge described the incident as a revenge attack motivated by ill feelings between Islam and the restaurant’s new owners.

Seventy One, Breck Road, Poulton (Image: Lancashire Police)

DC Alexa Taylor, of Blackpool CID, said: “I welcome this sentence, which reflects the gravity and reckless disregard for life that Islam showed that morning when he carried out this arson attack.

“I would also like to thank and acknowledge the heroic actions of the staff members from the Cube whose selfless and courageous intervention undoubtedly saved many lives during this incident.”

One train journey takes a staggering 167 hours to complete, with the railway spanning eight time zones to make it the longest in the world

The longest direct train journey in the world stretches a staggering 5,771 miles and takes almost a week to complete. Passengers on board the train undertake a mammoth journey through eight time zones.

The Trans-Siberian Railroad claims the title of the longest single rail system in the world. It connects east and west Russia, running from Moscow to Vladivostok.

To travel the length of the railway, it takes approximately 167 hours and requires no passenger changes. Heading east from Moscow, the train crosses the country to the Pacific Ocean.

There are even non-stop train options, so all passengers remain on board throughout the seven days. If you prefer to get off and explore the local surroundings, passengers can opt for the stopping service.

However, this takes between 14 and 20 days to complete. The Trans-Siberian railway runs through cities such as Moscow, Yaroslavl, Chelyabinsk, Omsk, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, Ulan-Ude, Chita, Khabarovsk, and Vladivostok.

There’s also the Trans-Manchurian line, which runs through northern China to Beijing, and the Trans-Mongolian, which heads to Beijing but passes through Ulan Bator.

A famous train on the Trans-Siberian railway is Rossiya (the Russia), which has second-class sleepers, third-class open-plan sleeper bunks, and a restaurant car.

Passengers can pay for four tickets to ensure sole occupancy of a four-berth compartment, even if they’re the only ones travelling. The bunks convert to seats during the day, with toilets and washrooms at the ends of the corridors.

Many tourists who travelled the route chose not to start or end their journey in Russia. Tourists once began in London and made their way to Moscow before boarding the Trans-Siberian Railroad.

Once in Vladivostok, tourists could then head to Korea, Japan, or China without taking a plane. National Geographic also ran tours along the route, offering tourists the chance to travel on “one of the world’s most legendary railways.”

They described the journey: “Set out on an epic train journey across one-third of the world, travelling from Vladivostok, Russia to the heart of Moscow along the legendary Trans-Siberian Railway.

“From the Mongolian steppe to Lake Baikal’s remote shores to the snow-capped Ural Mountains, trace the history of tsars, exiles, and Mongols in the comfort of our luxury train, the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express. Encounter remote cultures and the unique architecture of Siberia’s wooden cottages and Moscow’s onion domes.”

Tours like these have been halted, yet the train is reportedly still being used by Russians. The UK Government warn against all travel to Russia.

Official advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office says: “FCDO advises against all travel to Russia due to the risks and threats from its continuing invasion of Ukraine, including security incidents, such as drone attacks, and Russian air defence activity, lack of flights to return to the UK and limited ability for the UK government to provide support.”

Pharmacist Mike Wakeman says regularly waking at 3am could be down to what you’re eating, and specific nutrients including magnesium may help support better sleep

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If you find yourself frequently waking up at 3am, staring at the ceiling when you should be sound asleep, you’re not alone. It’s a frustrating experience, especially if you have a busy day ahead and need to be well-rested.

Mike Wakeman, a researcher, pharmacist and the mind behind Evera Nutrition, explained that this isn’t an uncommon occurrence. For some people, it happens occasionally, whilst for others it’s more frequent, particularly during times of stress, hormonal changes or due to poor sleep habits.

Over time, he warned, it could impact energy levels, mood and metabolic health.

Mike said: “Although compounds associated with sleep, such as melatonin and GABA, usually peak around this time helping to keep us in deep sleep, this is also when the body begins preparing to wake, with levels of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline slowly starting to rise. If something disrupts the balance, it can trigger waking at this exact time.

“Nutrition matters because the brain runs almost entirely on glucose. If your diet doesn’t provide steady fuel (or key nutrients needed to regulate blood sugar and stress hormones), the body is more likely to trigger this overnight alarm system.

“If blood sugar drops too low while you’re asleep (which can happen after a high-sugar dinner, alcohol, or not eating enough protein, fibre, or healthy fats), the body releases cortisol and adrenaline to bring levels back up. Those hormones can jolt you awake, typically between 2am and 4am and make it hard to fall back asleep.

“Traditional sleep medications can force sedation – but they often alter natural sleep architecture and aren’t ideal for long-term use. Instead, many sleep specialists now advocate supporting the body’s own chemistry. It’s this gap that led myself and the team of scientists at Evera Nutrition to develop Evera Nutrition’s Deep Sleep formulation – a blend of magnesium, vitamin D, folate, L-theanine and calming botanicals designed to support melatonin production and regulate overnight stress responses.”

Vitamins can help you sleep better

Mike added: “Several vitamins and minerals now have clinical evidence linking them to better sleep. Magnesium has been shown to reduce early-morning waking and improve sleep efficiency in trials, while correcting low levels of vitamin D and folate has been linked to better sleep quality and longer sleep duration. These nutrients play key roles in regulating melatonin, calming the nervous system and stabilising the body’s overnight stress response. Clinical trials suggest the amino acid L-theanine can improve sleep efficiency and reduce nighttime disturbances by calming the nervous system and lowering stress-related brain activity.

“However, in the UK around one in five adults are vitamin D deficient, rising to 31% in winter and about one in six have persistently low levels. UK data also suggests more than one in 10 adults have magnesium intakes below recommended levels. Findings also show low blood levels of folate appear across many age groups.”

Herbs are good, too

Mike said: “Herbs such as chamomile, lemon balm and passionflower contain gentle plant compounds that can calm the nervous system and reduce nighttime stress responses that contribute to early waking. Tart cherry provides natural melatonin to support staying asleep and has been shown to extend sleep time in insomnia studies. Other botanicals like ziziphus (Chinese date seed) improved sleep quality in placebo-controlled trials and hawthorn and saffron appear to calm the nervous system and support mood-related sleep pathways.

“Together, they may help reduce early-morning waking by promoting deeper, more stable sleep and reducing overnight stress responses. New Deep Sleep from Evera Nutrition contains all of the above key nutrients and botanicals, which help to regulate sleep. Plus, it’s suitable for long-term use as there are no sleep cycle or sleep architecture disruptions that can often occur with commonly used medications.

“Alongside these key nutrients, foods such as tryptophan-rich proteins, omega-3 fats and complex carbohydrates may help prevent early-morning waking by supporting steady blood sugar, calming the nervous system and strengthening natural sleep hormone production.”

It was one of the most influential games of the PlayStation 1 era but how does Metal Gear Solid stand up almost three decades later? A reader is surprised to find out.

Alaska – Bering Sea. A submarine cuts through the murky ocean depths. Tonally and in terms of production values the score that plays infers that you’re watching a scene from a Hollywood action movie. But this isn’t a movie, although in many respects you get the impression that it wants to be. What I’ve described is the opening cut scene of Metal Gear Solid, a game that I adored many years ago. Since I still have my original twin disc copy of the game I thought I’d replay it from start to finish on a PlayStation 2 [presumably via The Essential Collection – GC]. Would this much revered classic be as good as I remembered?

You are Solid Snake. Your mission: infiltrate a terrorist stronghold, free a couple of hostages and investigate a possible nuclear threat. Do this with the clothes on your back, a CODEC receiver/transmitter, a scope, and a packet of cigarettes. For this mission weapons and equipment are OSP – on-site procurement. In terms of real-world logic our hero’s initial loadout is ludicrous. However, starting out with close to no items in your inventory does turn the game into a big treasure hunt. And in this case that treasure is military hardware: thermal goggles, chaff grenades, C4 explosive, Stinger missiles…

Replaying Metal Gear Solid it took me a while to adjust to the top-down view that it uses, which when compared to the presentation of modern big budget games seems basic and regressive, but provided that you make use of the radar in the top right corner of the screen the gameplay of Metal Gear Solid still works perfectly. Nearly three decades have passed and yet Shadow Moses Island prevails as a wonderous gaming world to immerse yourself in. Who cares about blocky graphics when the interactive picture those graphics paint is so atmospheric and nuanced?

While you sneak around the overrun military base, patrolling enemies yawn, stretch, fall asleep, and follow any footprints in the snow that Snake makes. The warmth of an enemy’s breath shows up as mist. Make a guard suspicious and a question mark appears above their head. Alert a guard and their heightened awareness is indicated by the now iconic exclamation mark.

On this playthrough I surprised some mice in an air vent. Little exclamation marks appeared above the rodents’ heads when they saw me and scurried off. Half the fun of Metal Gear Solid, and the franchise overall, is discovering these quirky and innovative details.

This time around I had problems defeating each and every boss in this game, I expect due to a substantial lack of practise. But the rogue elements of Foxhound are so atypical and entertaining that even when they kill you it’s hard to resent them. The game certainly wouldn’t be the same without their presence.

For instance, Cyborg Ninja still made an impression on me, or rather his introduction did. Walking down a corridor littered with bleeding corpses flung this way and that you feel like you’ve mistakenly strayed into a survival horror game. This part of Snake’s mission flags up another recognisable trait of the Metal Gear franchise, for better or for worse: tonal inconsistency.

Those melodramatic cries on the cool-looking Game Over screen. SNAAAAKE! Are those outbursts meant to be funny? They made me laugh every time I heard them.

Then you’ll get characters that appear to fall in love over the space of an hour or so, having never met. Otacon and Sniper Wolf. This entirely one-sided romance is so phoney, and yet the game tries to tug on our emotional heart strings when one of them dies.

Snake himself seems like a decent bloke. A moral, modest underdog and so it’s easy to side with him. And then the expert operative tells Meryl that she’s got a great butt. Wow. With chat up lines like that Snake how can any woman resist you?

Predictably, since I haven’t attempted this sneaking mission for at least a couple of decades, I had trouble beating Metal Gear Rex near the end of the game. This boss battle has two phases. In-between the first phase and the second phase there’s a cut scene that you’re forced to watch again and again if you keep losing the fight. I couldn’t skip this moment, which made it seem like a sadistic punishment for dying.

After finishing Metal Gear Solid I wanted to play through the game again. To me that’s clear evidence of its quality. The good parts of Solid Snake’s PlayStation debut certainly outweigh what’s bad. But what’s bad about the game is bad with a capital B or rather misjudged to an extent that these flaws clearly stand out.

Saying that, even after recently experiencing them I can tolerate Metal Gear Solid’s annoyances because they’re counteracted with flashes of genius. The location of Meryl’s CODEC frequency. Homing in on your target in first person view with a Nikita remote-controlled missile. Psycho Mantis breaking down the fourth wall and messing with your game console. Cooling down and heating up the PAL card. What other game allows you to sneak around and fast travel inside a cardboard box?

All of that gaming gold is probably worth having to read your way through line after line of CODEC exposition. And sweet as she is, I wish Mei Ling would learn the value of concise verbal exchanges during an active mission. Yes, Mei Ling, I want to save. That’s kind of why I called you. No, please don’t tell me another Chinese proverb, unless it’s one about the benefits of radio silence.

By reader Michael Veal (@msv858)

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