We have waited for England to click in this tournament. This win was not perfect but it was undoubtedly their best of the tournament so far.

Jacks is in the middle of the best form of his career – a run that gives England serious threat.

His runs, in addition to his 2-23, were match-winning and won him the player-of-the-match award for the fourth time in this competition.

But Jacks may not have been able to pull off the heist without 21-year-old Ahmed, whose six from the second ball he faced brought the chase to life in his first World Cup match.

His second, hit off the vastly experienced Santner, effectively sealed the deal.

Ahmed, who also took a wicket with his first ball, was picked for the conditions here. Can England really leave him out next week?

The big issue that remains is the form of Jos Buttler. He was out for a two-ball duck – his fifth single-figure score in a row.

Phil Salt also nicked off in the first over while Brook made 21, Jacob Bethell 21, Tom Banton 33 and Sam Curran 24 – all contributions but not match-defining scores.

Jacks and Ahmed ensured that will not be the focus, however. England may face India in Mumbai next week. What an occasion that would be.

Angel on the Green, in Bishopthorpe Road, is back open after a two-month closure while work was carried out at the venue.

The pub, which opens as a café during the day, has been given a new open plan look created by knocking through walls inside the building.

Carrying out the work in the Victorian building was no easy feat, said the pub’s general manager, Bella Brunton, who praised the contractor, Elvington Park Builders.

“They were absolutely fantastic,” she said of the firm that carried out the work. “I’d like to say a big thank you to Tim and the rest of his team – they smashed it out of the park.”

The Angel on the Green team ahead of the reopening on Friday (February 27) with general manager Bella Brunton, back right (Image: Dylan Connell)

Inside Angel on the Green, in Bishopthorpe Road, York, which has reopened after a major renovation (Image: Dylan Connell)

The refurbishment comes as the Angel approaches its 10th anniversary, after opening in December 2016.

Bella said the pub had been planning the refurb for the past two years and felt the time was right after returning to a healthy financial footing following disruption caused by the pandemic.

“It’s really improved,” she said of the upturn in trade. “And now we want to celebrate that – and make it even better.”

The Angel will be celebrating its reopening on Friday (February 27) with back-to-back live music from 4pm.

Angel on the Green, in Bishopthorpe Road, York, which has reopened after a major renovation (Image: Dylan Connell)

Bella said the reopening will come as good news to regulars who have been left with no option but to drink elsewhere since the Angel closed on New Year’s Eve.

She did, however, add that the closure failed to stop many regulars from stopping at the pub to look in at the work.

“We felt like we were in a zoo – in a good way,” she said of the large number of people stopping to look in the window. “It’s good that everyone is so interested in what we’re doing.”

Pub’s regulars at ‘the heart of what we do’, says manager

Bella said a strong community has been created around the pub, which resulted in some regulars fearing it would lose its “Angel-vibe” if it was refurbished.

“But quite a lot of people have said it’s still got that same feel which is nice,” she said, adding that the pub’s regulars are at “the heart of what we do”.

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The pub is a community venue, owned by a group of York residents and run by local staff, “who are all integral to the Angel”, according to Bella.

She said the team has been “working their socks off” to get the venue ready for its opening night.

Customers can expect the same high standards, she said, but “amplified”. “We’re working to do everything to the best of our ability so that when people do come in, they feel a sense of trust.”

The four teenagers, aged between 18 and 19, chased their victim and repeatedly struck him with a machete, leaving him with damaged bones and a fractured skull as he lay helpless on the ground

A baby-faced gang of teenagers repeatedly struck a boy with a machete, raining down blow after blow as he lay helpless on a pedestrian crossing.

The four pals chased their victim through Hemlington, Middlesbrough, in the early hours of April 29 last year before launching a “truly horrific and brutal attack” on the 17-year-old.

Wayne Boyd, 19, Kaya Azhar, 18, Leon Keenan, 18, and Tyler Bradley, 18, stood trial in December for their role in the horrific beating. Two of the group were convicted of attempted murder and the other two of wounding with intent, under joint enterprise.

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On Friday, Bradley and Boyd appeared at Teesside Crown Court to be sentenced for attempted murder. Keenan and Azhar arrived from prison to be sentenced for wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

A fifth defendant, 18-year-old Ebony Watt, joined the boys in the dock as she was found guilty of perverting the course of justice.

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The exact nature of the victim’s injuries – as well as the impact the attack had on him – are unknown, as he refused to cooperate with the police investigation.

But Home Office pathologist Dr Jennifer Boulton, who carried out a report on the injuries, told the trial that the victim was struck so hard with the machete, it damaged his bones. He suffered a fractured skull in the attack and underwent further surgery on his arm, reports Teesside Live.

The 17-year-old had been out shopping with a friend at the Viewley Centre that afternoon before meeting up with Watt and two other women, the court heard. The teenage boys went back to Watt’s home, where a disagreement broke out between the victim and one of the girls later that night.

Jolyon Perks, prosecuting, said the victim and his friend then left Watt’s home. Watt messaged her friend Wayne Boyd saying: “They’re walking and coming back. Hurry up. Fast time.”

Boyd then contacted Bradley. The two teens, along with Keenan, turned up at Watt’s home – but the victim and his pal had not returned, as Watt feared. They did return shortly after midnight and Watt then messaged Boyd and Azhar: “They’re here. Come now fast”.

Azhar arrived on a scooter and the other three travelled on an e-bike, the court was told. The victim then fled, but was chased by the group, who first began attacking him on a balcony on Elmhurst Gardens. In CCTV footage, Azhar was seen “encircling” the boy on an electric scooter. The victim leapt over the balcony before the men chased him down Cramlington Close.

CCTV captured Azhar carrying a “zombie knife” and Bradley and Keenan were also armed with large knives. The victim’s friend ran another way, and the pack pursued their victim across the Viewley centre car park. When the victim fell on the pedestrian crossing on Hemlington Hall Lane, Mr Perks said the attackers pounced.

Nearby residents “heard the victim’s screams” and shouted at the attackers to stop. The victim managed to drag himself over a fence into the Phoenix Park estate where people came to his aid before emergency services arrived.

Mr Perks said Azhar did not take part in the attack, but stayed close to the men before messaging Watt that he wanted to come back to her house. In a message to Azhar, Watt told him to hide his knife in a hole in her garden fence “cos if bobbies come, I’ll get the blame”.

In one text message, Bradley said the police “drones were up” and that he was “going to jail” – prompting him to turn off his mobile phone. Boyd messaged friends asking if anyone could supply him with some trainers to swap into, before checking into a hotel on Acklam Road, with Bradley. Each of the four were found and arrested over the course of the next few weeks.

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Mitigating for Bradley, Paul Newcombe asked the court to consider a suspended prison sentence, saying: “He has behaved completely out of character.” Judge Francis Laird disagreed, adding: “He has 17 convictions for 47 offences, how can this be out of character?”

Mr Newcombe told the court that his client’s previous convictions were for “minor violence”, with him once throwing a creme egg at a McDonald’s worker and hitting a female shop worker.

Jonathan Gittins, representing Boyd, said: “He has not found life inside easy. He regrets his actions everyday. He wishes he had walked away. He knows he’s let his family down, particularly his mother who is in court”. Boyd suffered “a difficult childhood and has ADHD” the court heard.

Brian Russell said that his client, Azhar, made “very poor decisions” that night when he took a zombie knife to Watt’s home and “joined in with events”. But Mr Russell said that Azhar did later show the police where he hid his weapon, and forensic tests then proved he didn’t use it in the attack. The barrister said: “He’s learnt a tough lesson” having made “stupid and disastrous decisions”.

Keenan’s barrister said he “wasn’t carrying a knife but accepts he was convicted as part of a group attack”, adding: “Most 17-year-olds receive guidance from parents who tell them not to go out with knives – he didn’t have that guidance.”

Ebony Watt “was pregnant at the time” and the father of the child “had taken his ex-girlfriend on holiday to Turkey,” barrister Lee Goodchild said. “She is attracted to the wrong people – she is without strong figures in her life”. The court heard that Watt is homeless and “sofa-surfing”.

Judge Francis Laird said: “This was a truly horrific and brutal attack. He was fortunate to have escaped with his life”.

For the attempted murder of the boy, Bradley was handed a 17-year extended sentence, made up of 14-years in prison and three-years on extended licence in the community. He will serve two-thirds of the prison component before the parole board can consider if it is safe to release him.

For the same offence, Boyd was handed a 16-year extended sentence, comprising of 13 years in custody and three years on extended licence. He will also serve two-thirds of the prison component before the parole board can consider if it is safe to release him.

Keenan was handed a 50-month sentence for wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Kaya Azhar was sentenced to 48-months jail, for wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. For perverting the course of justice, Ebony Watt was handed a two-year community order.

“Giving you a very short custodial sentence would do immeasurable harm to you and your daughter” the judge said to Watt, who must attend 25-rehabilitation days and undertake a six-month mental health treatment requirement.

The path, which runs from North Street Gardens to Ouse Bridge, closed on Friday, February 27 and is set to be shut for further three weeks.

A City of York Council closure notice stated the closure was due to structural defects.

The path is set to remain closed until just before midnight on Friday, March 20, or whenever it is made safe, whichever is earlier.

It comes after the council earmarked £130,000 for an assessment of the walkway which first shut in January last year.

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The funds come as part of council spending plans for the coming financial year.

The closure was extended in August and September and the route was also blocked off.

A report on the council’s budget plans stated the funds would help find a longer term solution to problems with the walkway.

Steve Wragg, the council’s asset management lead, previously said the project was challenging due to the extent of the damage and location of the path.

The official said: “The walkway has been closed on safety grounds for a number of months after structural issues were found.

“These funds will ensure that we can carry out further structural assessments and review what repair options are available.

“We apologise for any inconvenience and ask that people do not to attempt to access the walkway due to the safety concerns.”

The 29-year old died after being struck by a bullet fired at police during a riot in 2019

Attempts to have the cases thrown out against nine Derry men accused of offences linked to the death of Lyra McKee were refused today.

The 29-year old died after being struck by a bullet fired at police during a riot in the Creggan area of Derry on April 18, 2019. A total of ten men from the city were charged with a range of offences and a trial commenced at Belfast Crown Court in May 2024.

Three defendants were charged with murdering Ms McKee, possessing a firearm and ammunition and other linked offences including rioting and both possessing and throwing petrol bombs.

They are not alleged to have fired the gun used to kill Ms McKee but with intentionally encouraging or assisting the gunman on a joint enterprise basis.

The trio are Paul McIntyre, 58, from Kells Walk, 25-year old Jordan Devine from Bishop Street and Peter Cavanagh, 37, from Mary Street – all of whom deny the charges against them.

Their co-accused were charged with offences including rioting and throwing petrol bombs.

They are Christopher Gillen, 45, from Balbane Pass, Joseph Campbell, 25, from Gosheden Cottages, 33-year old Patrick Gallagher from John Field Place, Jude McCrory, 28, from Gartan Square, Joseph Barr, 37, from Sandringham Drive, and 57-year old Kieran McCool from Ballymagowan Gardens.

A tenth defendant, 58-year old William Elliot from Ballymagowan Garden in Derry, passed away in England in last February.

The Crown closed its case against the defendants last year and following this, legal teams representing the remaining nine defendants launched ‘no case to answer’ applications. The defence submitted this on the grounds that none of the defendants have a case to answer based on insufficiency of evidence.

The question for the court, which was sitting without a jury, was whether it is convinced that there are no circumstances in which it could properly convict on the evidence.

As she gave her detailed ruling at Belfast Crown Court today where Ms McKee’s loved ones sat in the public gallery, trial judge Mrs Justice Smyth said: “Having considered all of the evidence I do not consider that there are no circumstances in which I could properly convict any of the defendants charged with murder.”

Regarding the remaining defendants, Mrs Justice Smyth said that whilst there were “weaknesses in the identification evidence”, she said: “Having considered the evidence as a whole, I do not consider that there are no circumstances in which I could properly convict any of the defendants charged with the remaining offences.”

Prior to outlining her conclusion, Mr Justice Smyth said the defendants could be divided into two groups. The first were “masked individuals” alleged to have been involved in the riot – namely McIntyre, Cavanagh, Devine, Gillen and Campbell.

The “unmasked individuals” accused of assisting or encouraging the masked individuals to riot are Gallagher, McCrory, Barr and McCool.

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The senior Judge said the prosecution case was “based on circumstantial evidence” including footage from MTV who were making a documentary about Saoradh and who were filming in Derry on the afternoon and evening of April 18.

Other strands of evidence included identification/recognition evidence from PSNI officers at controlled viewings, evidence from imagery analysts and bad character evidence.

Regarding the identification evidence, Mrs Justice Smyth said she was “satisfied” a member of the PSNI’s Major Investigation Team showed footage of suspects to officers in the Waterside District Support Unit because those officers “had specialist knowledge of dissident Republicans suspected of the disorder and the killing of Lyra McKee.”

She told the court she did not accept that the evidence established bad faith or that the purpose of showing the footage was to falsely identify any individual.

However, she added: “That does not in any way justify what can only be regarded as deeply disturbing behaviour by an experienced police officer who displayed an unhealthy desire to identify the perpetrators at any cost.”

Deeming this a breach in her ruling, Mrs Justice Smyth determined this identification evidence was not admissible because the “egregious breaches rendered the recognitions of masked individuals unreliable.”

After concluding her ruling and rejecting all the ‘no case to answer’ applications, Mrs Justice Smyth said all the evidence in the case “must be considered as a whole” and that “final conclusions” about the weight of all the evidence “cannot be determined at this stage of the trial.”

Following this, she addressed the defence to enquire whether any of the defendants wanted to give evidence. Mark Mulholland KC, representing McIntyre, said he needed a little time to consider today’s ruling and consult with his client.

He suggested indicating to the court administratively on Monday when the trial will be in position to reconvene. After other defence barristers took the same stance, Mrs Justice Smyth agreed to this defence request.

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In a tribute from Queen Camilla, read out by Revel Horwood, she paid tribute to the friendship between the hosts, saying: “I have often thought that Strictly is not so much a show about dancing as about friendships: the bonds forged, the struggles overcome and the joy shared in undertaking a joint endeavour.

One camp expresses cautious optimism, hoping the negotiations will prevent another conflict, and evoking memories of the eight-year Iran-Iraq war and the more recent 12-day escalation war with Israel, which left more than 1,200 people dead and more than 6,000 injured in Iran. Twenty-eight people were killed and dozens injured in Israel in the hostilities.

Two of Hollywood’s oldest studios may be consolidating into one. In a shocking twist after a monthslong bidding war, Paramount has emerged as the apparent victor in the fight to acquire Warner Bros.

Netflix, who backed away from the deal Thursday, had hoped to win the movie studio and its vast film library. Paramount wants it all: Movies, cable networks and news.

Almost 10 years ago, Hollywood’s big six became the big five when Disney bought most of 20th Century Fox. Now the big five looks like it’s destined to become the big four, including Universal and Sony, and the business of Hollywood moviemaking is one again in a time of profound transition.

Here’s what we know, what we don’t and some burning questions.

Why did Netflix bow out of the fight?

Simply put, it was no longer “financially attractive,” the company said.

In December, Netflix had reached a deal to acquire some of Warner Bros. Discovery’s assets: Their library, movie studio and HBO. Almost immediately Paramount, who months earlier had expressed interest in purchasing Warner Bros., initiated a hostile takeover bid for the whole company, which culminated in a $31 per share offer this week. Netflix, whose previous offer was $27.75 per share, declined to counter.

“We believe we would have been strong stewards of Warner Bros.′ iconic brands,” Netflix’s co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters said in a joint statement. “But this transaction was always a ‘nice to have’ at the right price, not a ‘must have’ at any price.”

Warner had repeatedly backed the deal it struck with Netflix right up until Thursday evening, when its board continued to recommend Netflix even while calling Paramount’s bid, valued at about $111 billion including debt, “superior.”

David Zaslav, the chief executive of Warner Bros. Discovery, said in a statement that they’re excited about, “the potential of a combined Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery and can’t wait to get started working together telling the stories that move the world.”

What are Paramount’s plans with Warner Bros.?

Paramount Skydance chairman and CEO David Ellison has said that he would like to grow their combined slate to more than 30 movies a year, keeping Paramount and Warner Bros. as stand-alone operations.

In documents filed to the Securities and Exchange Commission last month, Paramount said, “Our priority is to build a vibrant, healthy business and industry — one that supports Hollywood and creative, benefits consumers, encourages competition, and strengthens the overall job market.”

They’ve also said they would look for ways to save some $6 billion through job cuts in “duplicative operations.”

Executives at Paramount have argued that merging with Warner will allow it to compete with bigger rivals particularly in the streaming space and bring larger content libraries for its customers.

How is Hollywood responding?

Reminiscent of the hours after the Netflix deal was announced in December, there isn’t much public chatter from those inside the industry yet, but with several awards shows in the near future, including the Actor Awards Sunday, the relative silence is poised to break soon.

The Paramount news broke as promotion is happening for Warner Bros’. latest movie, “The Bride!” Filmmaker Maggie Gyllenhaal told The Associated Press Friday that she didn’t feel prepared to speak to the deal specifically, but she did offer praise for the studio that supported her film.

“I was reading tweets about it as I woke up this morning,” Gyllenhaal said. “I don’t have a position but I do feel really deeply supported by (Warner Bros. Motion Pictures Chairs) Pam (Abdy) and Mike (DeLuca) and I feel that they have been taking a slightly different route than most of the other people around them. They’ve been supporting films that are actually about something while at the same time, I think, encouraging the filmmakers who are making them to reach as big of an audience as possible. That combination is very specific and very precious.”

The current state of Paramount movies vs. Warner Bros.

Warner Bros., among the most filmmaker friendly studios operating, has had a banner year with major blockbusters and critical successes. This year they collected 30 Oscar nominations thanks to “Sinners,” “One Battle After Another” and “Weapons.” Paramount films received zero.

In 2025, Warner Bros. movies (including “A Minecraft Movie,” “Superman” and “Sinners”) also accounted for 21% of the domestic box office; Paramount’s market share was only 6%, driven largely by “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning,” which didn’t even place in the top 10 (it was 11th).

In November, Paramount pledged to up its 2026 theatrical output to at least 15 movies. Before the Skydance merger, the studio was more regularly releasing eight movies a year.

Though Paramount’s less than stellar 2025 has been attributed to the previous regime, Skydance has also not had the smoothest run at the box office, and its biggest hits have centered around Tom Cruise, with “Top Gun: Maverick,” its only billion-dollar film, and six “Mission: Impossibles.” It’s attempts to restart the “Terminator” franchise were less successful.

While Warner Bros. has succeeded with a combination of original and franchise films, Paramount’s slate is decidedly more franchise heavy with intellectual property like “Transformers,” “Scream,” “Sonic the Hedgehog,” and “Paw Patrol” in their arsenal.

Is this a better outcome for movie theaters?

Cinema United, the trade organization representing movie theaters, was vehemently opposed to a Netflix-owned Warner Bros. for fear of what it might mean for movie theaters. Exhibition and box office has not fully recovered since the pandemic — previously the annual domestic box office would regularly surpass $11 billion. Since 2020, it’s only exceeded $9 billion once.

But consolidation is also a concern. Although Paramount has an established background in theatrical distribution, Cinema United worried about that outcome as well, which they explained in a statement to the Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing in early February.

“If Paramount or another major studio ends up displacing Netflix as the buyer, our concerns are no less serious,” the trade organization wrote. “A combination of Paramount and Warner Bros., for instance, would consolidate as much as 40% of each year’s domestic box office in the hands of a single dominant studio.”

In theory, a guaranteed 30 films a year would be a good thing for movie theaters, assuming they all go to theaters and it’s not a combination of theatrical and streaming titles as has happened with a Disney-owned 20th Century Studios. But some are skeptical that will pan out.

Hollywood historian and author Mark Harris wrote on Bluesky that “the idea of a Paramount-WB merger producing 30-40 movies a year is an absurd fiction.” He predicted that first Warner Bros. will become the “classy” label within Paramount, “then it will become the specialty or streaming label. Then it will die.”

Will HBO Max and Paramount+ combine?

This remains unclear. It’s possible there will be a bundling situation as with Disney+ and Hulu.

What will happen to the studio lots?

With Paramount taking on billions in debt and equity for this deal to go through, many are wondering what will happen to the two California studio lots, especially in a moment where productions are rarer and rarer in California.

The storied Paramount lot on Melrose in Los Angeles has 30 stages on 65 acres, hosting productions from “Sunset Boulevard” to “Forrest Gump.” Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank sits on a 110-acre lot with 31 soundstages and 11 exterior sets, where productions have included “My Fair Lady,” “Gilmore Girls” and “Friends.” Both are historic sites in their own right. Warner Bros. also has a massive studio in the U.K., in Leavesden.

Will regulators approve the deal?

That remains to be seen. The U.S. Department of Justice has already initiated reviews, and other countries are expected to do so, too.