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.”
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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.
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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.
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“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.
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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 M2 has been closed near Ballymena following a vehicle fire.
The affected area has seen the major road closed from the junction of the Raceveiw Rd in the direction of the Larne roundabout.
Authorities have been contacted for more information.
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Drivers are advised to avoid the area if possible and should seek an alternative route at this time.
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Wolves delivered a significant blow to Aston Villa’s Champions League aspirations with a 2-0 victory at Molineux, a result that also saw them surpass Derby County’s record-low Premier League points tally.
Second-half goals from Joao Gomes and Rodrigo Gomes secured only Wolves’ second win in 29 games, taking their season total to 13 points and moving them beyond the meagre 11 points posted by the Rams in the 2007-08 season, thus avoiding the notoriety of being the worst-ever Premier League team.
The defeat was particularly galling for Unai Emery’s side, coming against local rivals and extending their poor record at Molineux.
Villa’s woeful display saw their top-four hopes take another hit.
Having been in the title race as recently as January, their form has dramatically declined, with just one win from their last five games, leaving them now looking over their shoulder at the chasing pack rather than challenging at the top.
Villa had not won at Molineux since 2020, so, despite their respective positions in the table, the visitors knew this was not going to be an easy game.
The weather did not help, with rain lashing down and affecting both sides’ ability to move the ball around.
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Still, it was Villa that looked the most likely initially and they fashioned several good chances in the first half.
The first came after six minutes when Morgan Rogers played a brilliant ball for Ollie Watkins to race on to, but the striker took too long to get his shot away and it was blocked by Yerson Mosquera.
From the resulting corner, Pau Torres found himself in yards of space near the penalty spot but could not make a clean connection with his header.
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Rodrigo Gomes scored the second eight minutes into second half stoppage time (Bradley Collyer/PA Wire)
Jose Sa was tested for the first time in the 17th minute as Douglas Luiz produced a rasping volley from Matty Cash’s cross, but it was straight at the goalkeeper.
Villa could not find that early goal and the level of their performance slipped alarmingly as the match went on.
They were punished just after the hour as Wolves scored with their first shot on target.
They won the ball in midfield, Jackson Tchatchoua was given too much space to send in his cross, which Adam Armstrong laid off for Gomes to power the ball into the roof of the net.
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It was the only real moment of quality in a poor game.
Villa tried to get something out of it in the final 30 minutes, but the closest they came was when Ian Maatsen thrashed an effort straight at Sa.
Their best chance came in the seventh minute of stoppage time when a loose ball fell to Amadou Onana, but Sa got enough on the ball to allow Mosquera to clear off the line.
Then, with the game in the final throes, Wolves sealed the three points with a breakaway goal, Rodrigo Gomes converting from 12 yards.
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This result will not change the outcome of Wolves’ season but there were wild scenes of celebration at the end while Emery stormed down the tunnel in disgust.
Neil Sedaka, the legendary songwriter behind hits including “(Is This the Way to) Amarillo”, “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do” and “Love Will Keep Us Together,” has died. He was 86.
The New York-born songwriter was reportedly rushed to hospital in Los Angeles this morning.
In a statement to Variety, Sedaka’s relatives said: “Our family is devastated by the sudden passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather, Neil Sedaka.
“A true rock and roll legend, an inspiration to millions, but most importantly, at least to those of us who were lucky enough to know him, an incredible human being who will be deeply missed.”
With spring just around the corner, many people are wondering when is the best time to start cutting their lawns again.
Now we are coming to the end of February, many Brits are looking forward to longer days and hopefully some warmer and brighter weather. With quite a few regions of the UK experiencing days without sunshine, many of us are desperate for spring to begin.
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However, as the weather does start to get better, many homeowners will now need to pay more attention to their gardens. While the winter months have allowed Brits to forget about their outdoor maintenance, the warmer seasons will soon have our lawns resembling a jungle if it isn’t looked after properly.
With many avid gardeners quite happy to start tackling the job, many of us are unsure of when is the best time to get the lawnmower out. In fact, many experts warn cutting the grass too early could actually be extremely harmful to your lawn and could ruin it for the year.
This is because mowing the lawn during the colder months can cause lasting damage to the grass as it struggles to thrive in freezing temperatures, reports Devon Live. Therefore, as we move into early spring, our grass will be concentrating its energy on developing a stronger root system so it can flourish throughout the warmer seasons.
By cutting your grass too early, you will be damaging this process which will result in a lackluster garden for the rest of the year. So when is the best time to start mowing the lawn in 2026 to achieve a luscious green garden?
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Overall, experts generally agree the temperature will have sufficiently increased enough to make mowing safe by March 15.
Urging gardeners to not start cutting their grass too early, Gardeners’ World presenter Monty Don previously explained the issue on his blog.
He wrote: “Cutting too early during the colder months can damage your lawn, as grass doesn’t thrive in low temperatures. By mid-March, the weather in most parts of the UK has warmed enough to make mowing beneficial.”
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However, the gardening expert does warn Brits not to put their lawnmower on the lowest setting on this first cut. Don explained: “The grass will need mowing in March but do not cut it too short. Just give it a light trim for the rest of this month.
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“This will encourage good root growth and as a result the grass will be a lot healthier and better able to resist summer drought.”
For those wanting to get their best results out of their garden in 2026, Don also shared some handy tips and tricks for households to follow.
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He said: “To get a ‘good’ lawn you have to think positively. Put your efforts into healthy grass rather than fighting perceived ‘problems’ like daisies, moss, ants, worm-casts, moles, plantains, dandelions and fairy rings. Nine times out of ten if the grass is healthy then everything else will look after itself.
“The best grass likes very well drained soil. Moss, for example, is always a symptom of poor drainage, made worse by shade. Unfortunately even the best prepared soil becomes compacted by matted roots, rain and, especially, normal family use.
“The answer is to work on it at least once a year by sticking a fork in the ground and wiggling it about and repeating the process every 6 inches or so.”
Following the fork method, Don recommends creating a mixture equal parts sieved topsoil, sharp sand and sieved leaf mould or compost.
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He added: “If you do not have these things to hand then just sharp or silver sand will do the job. Spread it across the area you have pricked and brush it in with a stiff broom, filling the holes with the mixture. This will help drainage and feed the grass.
“It is also worth giving the lawn a good scratch with a wire rake. This will get at all the overwintering thatch and moss, and let light and water get to the soil and to the roots of the grass. Put the debris on the compost and then mow. It will look a little bald for a week or so but will grow back thicker than ever.”
You drive into Efrat, and you feel like you’re in small-town USA. There’s a supermarket, coffee shops, tidy roads and American families pushing buggies.
The two main differences? Firstly, the flags are Israeli. Secondly, we’re in the occupied West Bank, a half-hour drive from Jerusalem.
Efrat is a settlement, set up on Palestinian land more than four decades ago. According to international law, its very existence is illegal – a ruling that Israel has long rejected and ignored.
Image: US consulate personnel in Efrat. Pic: AP
We’re here because Efrat has been the pilot for a new project that, like so much in Israel, has delighted some and enraged others.
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Officials from the American Embassy have come here for one day to create a “pop-up” consulate to serve the thousands of US citizens who live here.
It’s a move that’s never been done before.
Image: Pic: Reuters
Around 4,000 people in Efrat – that’s about a third of its population – are US citizens. And as we watched, a decent chunk of that number came to a community centre, clutching passports, documents, small Stars and Stripes flags and paperwork.
For those residents, it’s a very welcome new initiative – applications that used to involve a day spent in Jerusalem were now being sorted in one visit. But for others, this is another step along the road towards settlements being legitimised and the West Bank being annexed.
Image: Yonatan Marcus, the municipality’s chief of staff
‘It’s a game-changer’
We meet Yonatan Marcus, the municipality’s chief of staff. He’s originally from New York state, and says he’s hugely proud that Efrat has been picked to be the trailblazer for this. He offers credit to both President Donald Trump and to Mike Huckabee, America’s ambassador in Israel.
“I think it’s a game-changer – a real change. It comes from a real love. It’s unbelievable. Ambassador Huckabee’s love for this country and caring for this country, for the people here, and his love for America,” he says.
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“He knows that if America and Israel are together, it makes both countries stronger. Doing these acts and providing these services comes from understanding our history and our instinct for survival,” he beams.
Image: Michael and Roxanna Weinberger
‘We don’t see Arabs as our enemies’
The Weinbergers are here with their documents. Michael and Roxanne, along with three children. He’s originally from New Jersey, she from Oregon, and both still have deep affection for their homeland. But they love their lives here, on a settlement set on a West Bank ridge.
“I can probably name more congressmen than Knesset members,” says Michael. “I feel love for both places. Biblically, Israel has a strong meaning for us, but when the US beat Canada at the Winter Olympics I was very excited.”
Roxanne is more emphatic. I ask which country has her heart, and she has no doubt. “My heart is here but I am still very much an American. As an American Jew there is no good answer because both places feel like home.”
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They see Efrat as a town that unites more than it divides. “People from outside think ‘oh, every Arab and Jew hates each other’, but that’s not the case,” Michael says.
“We don’t see Arabs as our enemies. We want to have some future together. We could have some future together. In this region we have coexistence groups, and there is a desire for that.”
Image: Efrat’s mayor Dovi Shefner
West Bank compared to the Falkland Islands
Inside, we talk to the town’s mayor, Dovi Shefner – more forthright, more anxious. Proud that the American officials are here, but also nervous about the future.
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“We want peace, but all the years, and especially after October 7, we know many of them want to kill us and throw us from our land. We want to live in peace, but when someone tries to kill you, you don’t wait for them to kill you. You fight.”
The West Bank, he tells me, belongs to Israel, as written in the Bible, and he draws a parallel between this territory and the 1982 war to regain the Falkland Islands. “No British citizen knew where it was, but it was the centre of their lives. You had to fight for it.”
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Efrat is calm, neat and tranquil. But settlements like this are desperately controversial and divisive. We leave and drive to Bethlehem, just down the road.
Image: Ahmad al Nawawreh
‘The situation has deteriorated further’
Ahmad al Nawawreh is cooking falafel (warm and delicious) when we meet him. He smiles easily, talks willingly, and worries when we ask him about the effect of American support for the nearby settlements.
“The situation has deteriorated further,” he says. “Nothing has improved. On the contrary, their behavior has become even more aggressive. The settlers claim that Trump supports them, which seems to embolden their actions. It feels as though both we and our land are being taken from us.
“They are continuously violating our rights. Not long ago, they stole livestock belonging to local residents, and have also vandalised public property. There is no sense of brotherhood or goodwill here. Everything feels strained and unjust.”
One year after he was Tasered, beaten and arrested by police in Buffalo, New York, a 56-year-old refugee from Myanmar was picked up by Border Patrol agents from a local jail and dropped off outside a Tim Horton’s coffee shop before he was found dead on the street one week later.
Video surveillance footage shows a white van dropping Nurul Amin Shah Alam in a shopping center parking lot more than an hour after the shop had already closed. He wasn’t wearing shoes, only the orange booties that were issued by the jail.
Cameras never showed him entering the shop, and he wasn’t seen again until five days later, when a woman called 911 to report his body on the street more than five miles away.
A timeline of events before his death on the streets of Buffalo before punishing winter weather are now raising critical questions about local law enforcement’s handling of his case and their cooperation with federal immigration authorities who failed to notify his family that he was no longer in custody.
Buffalo residents mourned the death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a nearly blind Rohingya refugee who was found dead on the street five days after Border Patrol officers dropped him in a parking lot outside a closed coffee shop (REUTERS)
New York Attorney General Letitia James says her office is reviewing legal options. Members of Congress are also demanding investigations.
February 15, 2025
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Shah Alam, a member of Myanmar’s persecuted Rohingya minority, arrived in the United States as a refugee in December 2024 with his wife and two sons.
Two months later, on the morning of February 15, 2025, he had wandered into a person’s backyard in the Riverside neighborhood.
After buying a curtain rod, he mistakenly entered the person’s property, according to the Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo, which represented Shah Alam.
According to body-worn camera footage of the incident, officers can be heard shouting out “what are you doing” and repeatedly ordering him to drop the rod in his hands. “Put it down or you’re going to get Tased,” one officer shouts.
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Bodycam footage from Buffalo police show the moment they encountered Shah Alam in a woman’s backyard in February 2025 (Buffalo Police Department)
Shah Alam was arrested and later indicted for felony assault, burglary and criminal mischief charges. He remained in jail for more than a year (Buffalo Police Department)
He then sticks the rod into the snow and stands beside it while officers continue to order him to place it on the ground. He then places his hand out in front of the officers while they threaten to fire their Tasers, which they point at him throughout the incident.
Shah Alam, who is speaking Ruáingga throughout the incident, then appears to raise the rod to defend himself, and the officers fire.
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Once on the ground, one officer calls Shah Alam a “f****** a******” and punches him in the head.
An officer later says Shah Alam bit the officers..
“He’s gonna be injured. I don’t know how bad,” an officer says. “He got hit by all four [Tasers] and still came at us with the f****** poles. He almost got shot.”
The next day, he was arraigned in Buffalo City Court and held on bail set at $25,000. A federal immigration detainer alerting federal authorities he was in custody was issued after his arrest, according to the Erie County District Attorney’s Office.
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May 2025
Shah Alam remained in the local jail, and a grand jury indictment followed four months later.
He was indicted for felony assault, burglary and criminal mischief charges.
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Shah Alam was due to be sentenced in March after pleading guilty to reduced charges. For reasons that are still unclear, sheriff’s deputies released him from custody and handed him over to Border Patrol (via REUTERS)
His bail was lowered to $5,000, but Shah Alam’s family decided to keep him in the jail where they could visit him, fearing that Immigration and Customs Enforcement would pick him up and send him to a detention center outside of Buffalo, or deport him.
Earlier this month, Shah Alam agreed to plead guilty to reduced charges of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree and one count of criminal trespass in the third degree, according to District Attorney Michael J. Keane.
His sentencing was scheduled for March 24.
“My decision was the result of a comprehensive evaluation of his conduct, criminal history, acceptance of responsibility, medical condition, time served in pre-trial custody, and the proposed resolution,” Keane said in a statement shared with The Independent. “I also considered the significant collateral consequences that would result from a felony conviction — including mandatory deportation.”
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Shah Alam was reported missing after law enforcement failed to notify his family that he was released, and family and friends canvassed Buffalo for several days (AP)
February 19
Shah Alam’s guilty plea did not make eligible for ICE detention or removal from the country, according to his attorneys.
At 5:25 p.m. February 19, sheriff’s deputies at the Erie County Holding Center handed him over to Customs and Border Protection officers, according to a timeline from the Buffalo Police Department.
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Keane, the district attorney, was not aware of his release into immigration custody until the day he died, he said.
When Border Patrol agents picked him up, they shortly realized he wasn’t supposed to be deported. Officers instead offered him “courtesy ride” to a Tim Horton’s coffee shop, which was “determined to be a warm, safe location near his last known address,” according to a statement from the agency.
On February 19, after determining that Shah Alam was not deportable, Border Patrol officers dropped him off at a closed Tim Horton’s coffee shop on Niagara Street (AP)
He showed no signs of distress, mobility issues, or disabilities requiring special assistance, the agency said in a statement.
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His family was not contacted.
Video surveillance footage obtained by The Washington Postand Buffalo’sInvestigative Post shows Shah Alam exiting a white van in a shopping plaza after 8 p.m., more than an hour after Tim Horton’s had closed for the night.
The van leaves one minute after dropping him off.
He walks slowly past the coffee shop’s drive-through window, which was open, and pulls the black hood of his jacket over his head, according to the video. Footage does not show him trying to enter.
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Six minutes after leaving the van, the man walks away through a parking lot then disappears from view. He never made it home.
February 22-24
Shah Alam’s Legal Aid Bureau attorney Benjamin Macaluso filed a missing persons report on Sunday with the Buffalo Police Department, according to police.
Macaluso said he was “unable to confirm his client’s current location despite contacting federal authorities,” police said.
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The next day, police launched an investigation and mistakenly determined that Shah Alam was in federal custody — and then closed the case. The detective handling the case corrected the error four hours later.
Buffalo police briefly closed the missing persons case after believing he was in federal custody — three days after Border Patrol officers left him outside Tim Horton’s (via REUTERS)
On Tuesday, police issued a missing person poster on social media.
That night, police began canvassing the area, including previous known addresses as well as local hospitals and shelters.
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Between his arrest and release, Shah Alam’s family had moved across town, roughly five miles away from where he was dropped off.
February 25
According to police, a woman called 911 at 8:29 p.m. Tuesday to report an “unresponsive male wearing a dark parka and khaki pants who appeared not to be breathing, with his hands described as gray in color.”
She said the man was moving three hours earlier but, when she passed by the same area that night, he was still on the ground “and no longer moving, at which time 911 was contacted,” according to police.
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Buffalo Fire Department personnel arrived on the scene and initiated chest compressions. Buffalo Police officers also administered Narcan. Emergency responders pronounced him dead.
Shah Alam was more than five miles south of where Borders Patrol officers left him.
Community members and loved ones buried Shah Alam two days after he was found dead roughly five miles from where he was last seen by Border Patrol officers (REUTERS)
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Advocates and elected officials are demanding answers and investigations to examine the failures that led to Shah Alam’s death (REUTERS)
February 26
According to police, Shah Alam’s family was notified of his death by the Erie County Medical Examiner’s Office shortly after 10 a.m. Wednesday.
His death was determined to be “health related in nature,” according to a spokesperson for the city. The medical examiner has not yet determined a cause or manner of death.
Lorna’s husband lost his battle with cancer just before Valentine’s Day
21:20, 27 Feb 2026Updated 21:20, 27 Feb 2026
Lorna Luxe reached out to her fans to thank them for their ongoing support in the wake of her husband John Andrews’ death. John had been battling stage four adrenal cancer, after the disease returned in 2024.
Announcing his death, Lorna said: “My beautiful, brave John died yesterday. I am heartbroken. We were together to the very end, at home, in our own bed and holding hands which is exactly what he wanted.”
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On Friday, the 43 year old influencer took to Instagram and wrote: “I’m checking in. I’ve been quiet on here but I promise I’m reading your messages and comments daily. They’re real comfort. Thank you for being so kind and taking time to message me, it means more than you will ever know.”
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This comes after she posted a message on the social media platform informing her fans that she was planning to take a break from social media but insisted that she will still be reading their heartfelt messages.
Lorna’s husband lost his battle with cancer just before Valentine’s Day. And while the world was posting images and messages of their gifts or adoring messages, Lorna paid an emotional tribute to her beloved husband.
In the emotional post she said “today is the hardest.” She added: “To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides and I think I got to experience that.”
Moments before Valentine’s Day Lorna revealed that she had received a package addressed to her late husband, which made her giggle, as it allowed her to remember his sense of humour.
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The contents of the package were three cards, one was of a drawing of a man sitting on a toilet, accompanied by a caption that read: “Happy Valentine’s. This was me picking this card.”
On another card was John’s face which was superimposed onto Cupid. And this caption read: “Be mine, Valentine.” And the third card was a picture of the Mona Lisa with Lorna’s face morphed on to it. The caption on Lorna’s card said: “You’re a work of art.”
Speaking about the cards fondly she said: “I’ve been opening mail and this big envelope addressed to John arrived a couple of weeks ago, so I opened it. Legendary behaviour here John, it was the chuckle I needed.”
At the time of her husband’s passing she took to Instagram to share the sad news with her legion of fans who have grown to love Lorna and John since sharing their opulent lives on social media.
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She explained: “My beautiful, brave John died yesterday. I am heartbroken. We were together to the very end, at home, in our own bed and holding hands which is exactly what he wanted.”
She added: “The last conversation we had I asked him how he was feeling and he replied ‘rough but in love’ and that was so him, to the point and choosing to put aside his fears to make me feel cherished and loved. “
She then said: “John and I were so grateful to the district nurses who came daily to support us and make him comfortable. Anna was his favourite nurse and the kindness she showed him was beyond, she was a real life angel.”
Lorna continued: “We couldn’t have had those last few days together at home without that care and my mum who has been with us keeping me strong when I needed to stay strong for John.
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She concluded her post saying: “John you are a class act and I will love you forever.”
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday that the U.S. is in talks with Havana and raised the possibility of a “friendly takeover of Cuba” without offering any details on what he meant.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House as he left for a trip to Texas, Trump said Secretary of State Marco Rubio was in discussions with Cuban leaders “at a very high level.”
“The Cuban government is talking with us,” the president said. “They have no money. They have no anything right now. But they’re talking to us, and maybe we’ll have a friendly takeover of Cuba.”
He added: “We could very well end up having a friendly takeover of Cuba.”
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Trump didn’t clarify his comments but seemed to indicate that the situation with Cuba, a communist-run island that has been among Washington’s bitterest adversaries for decades, was coming to a critical point. The White House did not respond to requests for more information Friday.
The president also said that Cuba “is, to put it mildly, a failed nation” and “they want our help.”
His remarks came two days after the Cuban government reported that a Florida-registered speedboat carrying 10 armed Cubans from the U.S. opened fire on soldiers off the island’s north coast. Four of the armed Cubans were killed, and six were injured in responding gunfire, according to Cuba’s government. One Cuban official also was injured.
Cuba has been on Trump’s mind since at least early January, after U.S. forces ousted one of Havana’s closest allies, Venezuela’s socialist President Nicolás Maduro. Trump suggested in the aftermath of that raid that military action in Cuba might not be necessary because the island’s economy was weak enough — particularly in the absence of oil shipments from Venezuela that stopped after Maduro was taken into custody — to soon collapse on its own.
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“We’ve had a lot of years of dealing with Cuba. I’ve been hearing about Cuba since I’m a little boy. But they’re in big trouble,” he said Friday.
Then, noting the exile community from the island living in the U.S., Trump said there could be something coming that “I think (is) very positive for the people that were expelled, or worse, from Cuba and live here.” He did not elaborate.
The U.S. has maintained a strict trade embargo on Cuba since 1962, the year after a failed, CIA-sponsored invasion of the island at the Bay of Pigs. Trump nonetheless indicated earlier this month that talks with Cuban officials were underway.
Cuba’s government confirmed earlier this week that it was communicating with U.S. officials following the shooting of the American boat. Rubio has said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Coast Guard are investigating what happened.
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An executive order that Trump signed in late January pledged to impose tariffs on countries providing oil to Cuba, threatening to further cripple a country already plagued by a deepening energy crisis, though U.S. authorities have since indicated that oil from Venezuela can be sold to Cuban interests in some cases.
Carlos Fernández de Cossío, Cuba’s deputy foreign minister, posted, then later deleted on Friday that “the US maintains its fuel embargo against Cuba in full force, and its impact as a form of collective punishment is unwavering.”
“Nothing announced in recent days changes this reality,” he wrote on X before the post was removed. “The possibility of conditional sales to the private sector already existed and does not alleviate the impact on the Cuban population.”
Meanwhile, 40-plus U.S. civil society organizations sent a letter to Congress on Friday asking that it “press the Trump administration to reverse its aggressive policy towards Cuba” and saying that efforts to cut oil shipments to the Caribbean island would spark a humanitarian collapse.
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Signees included the Alliance of Baptists, ActionAid USA and the Presbyterian Church.
“Policies that deliberately impose hunger and mass hardship on millions of civilians constitute a form of collective punishment, and as such are a grave violation of international humanitarian law,” the letter reads.
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Associated Press writer Dánica Coto contributed from San José, Costa Rica.
The Potted Lobster in Bamburgh is a popular choice for many, who often recommend booking in advance due to its high demand.
Guests frequently praise the fresh, high-quality seafood and creative specials.
One reviewer on TripAdvisor said: “This was our second visit after enjoying it so much at Christmas. (We are 150 miles away) There is a friendly, cosy atmosphere, the place is sparkling clean and the staff are friendly, helpful and attentive. Nothing is too much trouble and things happen without prompting. My meal of chowder followed by breaded salt and pepper squid as a main was outstanding.”
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Copper Kettle Tearoom Location: 21 Front Street, Bamburgh NE69 7BW Opening times: Sunday to Saturday: 10:00 – 16:00 Rating: 4.1
Copper Kettle Tearoom is often praised for its friendly and helpful staff.
The homemade cakes, scones, and sandwiches earn high marks for flavour and size.
The atmosphere is generally seen as cosy and inviting, particularly in the sunlit courtyard.
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One satisfied customer said: “Had a few hours on Thursday afternoon in Bamburgh and after looking at various places to eat, decided on Copper Kettle Tearoom and I am glad we did.
“Service was instant and I ordered a Cheese and Tomato Toastie with side salad and a drink.
“Very tasty and just enough for Me. Not likely to be in Bamburgh again (from London) but I will certainly highly recommend it to anybody I know whom may be in the area.”
The Lord Crewe Bamburgh Location: Front Street, Bamburgh NE69 7BL Opening times:
The Lord Crewe Bamburgh, for many travelers, offers a warm and charming atmosphere with its stylish decor and cozy bar.
Many reviewers praise the fresh seafood dishes.
One customer said: “We’ve been to Bamburgh many times and always popped in here for a few drinks in the late afternoon and early evening but never eaten in here for some reason.
“So this time we decided to give it a try. Glad we did. A really warm welcome with polite and smiling staff, not rushed at all.
“The scallop starter was delicious and the mains – sea bass fillet and fish pie were superb. The fish pie especially was really very good.”
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With these delightful dining options, Bamburgh continues to attract food lovers eager to enjoy a meal close to its breathtaking views and historical heritage.
Lindsey Chiswick, the Met’s lead for facial recognition, told the LDRS: “We are set to trial operator‑initiated facial recognition, an innovative tool which will help our officers take photos to help confirm the identities of people quickly and accurately, avoiding the need to detain people for longer than needed.
