It comes after a police cordon was in place near Postern Gate Wetherspoons in Piccadilly earlier on Friday (March 6).

North Yorkshire Police said a man remains in custody following the alleged incident.

In a statement on Friday afternoon, a police spokesperson said: “We received a report of a serious sexual assault in York earlier today.

“Enquiries are at a very early stage. One man has been arrested, and remains in custody at this time.”

Victoria Beckham’s husband and children turned up to support her at a Paris Fashion Week show, just days after Brooklyn ignored the family’s messages of love on his birthday

Victoria Beckham‘s husband and three of her children all came to support her at a Paris Fashion Week show amid the ongoing estrangement from her eldest child, Brooklyn.

Victoria jetted to Paris to showcase her Fall/Winter collection of women’s ready-to-wear looks. Among the audience for the Friday (6 March) show were her husband David Beckham and their children Romeo, Cruz and Harper. Unsurprisingly, Brooklyn was nowhere to be seen.

Former footballer David dressed in a black suit with a gold chain, while Romeo went for a more casual look of brown cargo trousers and a leather jacket. Third son Cruz wore a purple and green cardigan, while daughter Harper wore a black gown. The family, along with Cruz’s girlfriend Jackie Apostel, headed into the event early.

READ MORE: Romeo Beckham’s girlfriend Kim risks very awkward run-in with his ex at swanky celeb bashREAD MORE: Cruz Beckham hopes to reconcile with brother Brooklyn as he issues public message

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Victoria’s family event comes just days after Brooklyn celebrated his 27th birthday. The aspiring chef marked another year on the planet on Wednesday (4 March), as did his family, who posted messages of love to social media, despite his warning not to.

Both David and Victoria posted a pic of themselves with Brooklyn to their social media. David added the words: “27 today. Happy Birthday Bust. We love you x.” Victoria said: “Happy Birthday Brooklyn. We love you so much.”

Their words defied the wishes Brooklyn laid out in a legal letter last summer. The letter reportedly told David and Victoria not to tag or reference him on social media.

While he has blocked their accounts, making it impossible for them to tag him, they have continued to reference him. But their posts went publicly unacknowledged by Brooklyn.

Refusing to acknowledge any of their tributes, Brooklyn instead reposted a video on Wednesday in which his wife, actress Nicola Peltz, 31, presented him with a box of doughnuts, with balloons spelling out 27 seen in the background.

Captioning the post, she wrote: “Happy birthday baby… I hope all your dreams and wishes come true! you light up every room you walk into and anyone who knows you loves you… you’re the most special human and I love being your wife. I love you I love you I love you.” Responding to her, he wrote: “I love you baby girl.”

After sending the letter to his parents, Brooklyn went nuclear on his family in a seething Instagram statement in January, in which he accused them of trying to sabotage his relationship with wife Nicola Peltz and insisted he had no plan to reconcile with them.

However, Cruz, who also posted a message of love on Brooklyn’s birthday, has said he hopes to reconcile with his brother. The musician was asked if he had a message for Brooklyn on Thursday night. He replied simply, “Happy Birthday”. When he was then asked if he’d spoken to Brooklyn, he did not answer but said he ‘hoped to’ repair their troubled relationship.

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A passenger on the train was treated for minor injuries after the crash

Police have released an update after a driver was killed in a train crash at a level crossing in Cambridgeshire. British Transport Police (BTP) were called at around 10.15am on Tuesday, March 3, to reports of a crash involving a train and a car at Dimmocks Cote level crossing in Ely.

Officers and paramedics responded. A person – the driver of the vehicle – was pronounced dead at the scene.

A BTP spokesperson said: “Officers believe they have identified the deceased, and work continues to inform his next of kin. The incident is not being treated as suspicious. There was no one else in the vehicle.

“Another person who was a passenger on the train received treatment for minor injuries. Enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of what happened.

“Any witnesses who haven’t already spoken to police are asked to text BTP on 61016 quoting the reference 198 of 3 March.”

The FA Cup quarter-final draw could confirm some major clashes as the fifth-round of the competition takes place over the weekend.

Premier League leaders Arsenal and their title rivals Manchester City are still involved in all four competitions this season. Their Carabao Cup final at Wembley is coming up in a couple of weeks, but will Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola see their sides progress in the FA Cup as well?

Arsenal will travel to League One side Mansfield Town on Saturday, before Manchester City go to a Newcastle United side who are also battling on multiple fronts under Eddie Howe this season – with the Magpies determined to win a first FA Cup since 1955.

Elsewhere, Liverpool are through after gaining revenge on Wolves after their 2-1 defeat at Molineux in the Premier League, while Wrexham and their Hollywood owners will welcome Chelsea, having knocked out Nottingham Forest in the fifth round.

When is the FA Cup fifth-round draw?

The draw for the fifth round will take place from approximately 7:05pm GMT on Monday 9 March, before the match between West Ham and Brentford. It to be shown on TNT Sports 1, discovery+ and the TNT Sports YouTube channel, live from the London Stadium.

FA Cup fifth-round draw ball numbers

1. Fulham or Southampton

2. Port Vale or Sunderland

3. Newcastle United or Manchester City

4. Leeds United or Norwich City

5. Mansfield Town or Arsenal

6. Liverpool

7. Wrexham or Chelsea

8. West Ham United or Brentford

FA Cup fifth-round TV schedule

Saturday 7 March

12:15: Mansfield Town v Arsenal, live on TNT Sports 1 and discovery+

17:45: Wrexham v Chelsea, live on TNT Sports 2 and discovery+, BBC One and iPlayer

20:00: Newcastle United v Man City, live on TNT Sports 1 and discovery+

Sunday 8 March

12:00: Fulham v Southampton, live on TNT Sports 2 and discovery+

13:30: Port Vale v Sunderland, live on TNT Sports 1 and discovery+

16:30: Leeds United v Norwich City, live on TNT Sports 1 and discovery+

Monday 9 March

19:30: West Ham United v Brentford on TNT Sports 1 and discovery+

FA Cup remaining match-days

Quarter-finals: From Saturday 4 April 2026

Semi-finals: From Saturday 25 April 2026

Final: On Saturday 16 May 2026

A sweeping and rich movie based on historical events that’s been celebrated by fans as ‘one of the last truly great epics ever made’ is available to watch at home.

The 1987 classic holds an impressive 86% rating from critics on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, as well as 88% from audiences who call it ‘a masterpiece’.

Based on a remarkable true story, The Last Emperor is acclaimed filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci’s Oscar-winning dramatisation of China’s eleventh and final monarch of the Qing dynasty: Emperor Puyi.

After being captured by the Red Army as a war criminal in 1950, Puyi recalls his childhood from prison, remembering a lavish youth in the Forbidden City, where he was installed as emperor of China aged just two in 1908.

However, as revolution swept through the country the child-king was forced to abdicate, ending two millennia of imperial rule, although he was initially permitted to stay living in the Forbidden City.

In 1919, Scottish scholar and diplomat Reginald Johnston arrives at the palace to serve as Puyi’s tutor and teach him subjects outside of his strict Confucian education, like mathematics, political science and English, for the first time.

The Last Emperor is adapted from Puyi’s own 1964 autobiography, which also covered his later political imprisonment and rehabilitation under the Chinese Communist Party.

It stars John Lone, Peter O’Toole, Joan Chen, Ying Ruocheng, Victor Wong, Dennis Dun and Ryuichi Sakamoto and was the first Western film to be granted permission to film by the People’s Republic of China in Beijing’s Forbidden City.

‘Absolutely loved it! One of my favourite movies, I strongly recommend it,’ praised fan Sem M in an audience reaction on Rotten Tomatoes, while George L claimed: ‘The best movie I have ever seen.’

‘It’s a spectacularly beautiful film. Many of the professional film critics’ reviews criticise the “plot”, not recognizing that the movie is a historical narrative of the vastly changing culture of more than a billion people,’ he added.

The film was also described as ‘visually magnificent’ and ‘a film that everyone should watch’ by other fans.

‘I’m so glad I can cross this one off my unseen list. It was a fantastic film. Given the grandeur of the camera as it moves around China’s Forbidden City, I really wish I had seen this one on the big screen. It was breathtaking,’ praised John E, while it was also called ‘the best, greatest epic movie ever made’.

The Washington Post praised the movie as ‘a remarkable achievement’, while Peter Bradshaw’s five-star review for The Guardian added: ‘There’s no doubting its spectacular richness and heartfelt, deeply satisfying storytelling.’

Running at the time of its release, Todd McCarthy’s review for Variety described The Last Emperor as ‘constantly absorbing and tremendously interesting’.

It would go on to win a very impressive nine Oscars – every single one it was nominated for – including best film, best director, best adapted screenplay, best score and awards for its costuming and art direction.

The Last Emperor also took home three Baftas from 11 nominations (including one for O’Toole), four Golden Globes – as well as nomination for Lone’s central performance – and a Grammy for its score.

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This comes after Bolton West MP Phil Brickell was appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary in the Ministry of Justice.

The former financial crime investigator says he intends to focus on several key areas across the justice system as part of his new position.

Mr Brickell said: “I’m honoured to have been appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary in the Ministry of Justice.

“This means I’ll be working closely with the Justice Secretary and Ministers to deliver vital government reforms, including the Hillsborough Law, which will put a stop to government cover-ups, and the Courts and Tribunals Bill, which will fix the broken court system left by the Tories and deliver timely justice for victims.

Phil Brickell was elected MP for Bolton West in 2024 (Image: Office of Phil Brickell MP)

“I’ll continue being a strong voice for Bolton West in Parliament and look forward to supporting the government as we deliver on our manifesto commitments.”

Before becoming an MP, Mr Brickell had worked for NatWest as a financial crime investigator, and since his election, he has continued to be vocal on the subject.

He has frequently spoken about the impacts of money laundering, “dark money”, corruption and the use of some shops on the high street as fronts.

Mr Brickell’s roles since his election have included chairing the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Anti-Corruption and Responsible Tax.

During a Westminster Hall debate, Mr Brickell said shop laundering criminal money represents one of the biggest threats to high streets like those in Bolton, Horwich and Westhoughton.

Mr Brickell said there had been an “explosion” of cash-intensive businesses laundering dirty money on high streets in recent years.

He said that criminal activity like this is used to fuel the drugs trade, drain the public finances and drive law-abiding businesses out.

Mr Brickell has previously proposed creating an Economic Crime Fighting Fund to try to tackle offences like these.

His new role will see him work as part of a team at the Ministry of Justice led by Secretary of State David Lammy MP.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — An asteroid that NASA used for target practice a few years ago was nudged into a slightly different route around the sun, findings that could help divert a future incoming killer space rock, scientists reported Friday.

It’s the first time that a celestial body’s orbit around the sun was deliberately changed. The asteroid that NASA’s Dart spacecraft slammed into was never a threat to Earth.

“This study marks a notable step forward in our ability to prevent future asteroid impacts on Earth,” the international research team wrote in Science Advances.

The changes were slight — reductions of just one-tenth of a second and one-half of a mile (720 meters) to a solar lap spanning two years and hundreds of millions of miles (kilometers), according to the scientists.

“Even though this seems small, a tiny deflection … can add up over decades and make the difference between a potentially hazardous asteroid hitting or missing the Earth in the future,” lead author Rahil Makadia, of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, said in an email.

For any save-the-planet tests, “the key isn’t delivering a huge shove at the last minute. The key is delivering a tiny shove many years in advance,” he added.

Launched in 2021 on the world’s first planetary defense exercise, the Dart spacecraft deliberately plowed into Dimorphos, which orbits a bigger asteroid, Didymos, as they circle the sun together. The space agency quickly determined that the 2022 strike trimmed the smaller asteroid’s orbit around its bigger companion.

But it took until now for scientists to confirm, based on observations from around the world, that the impact cut the duo’s travel time around the sun by 0.15 seconds. With each solar orbit lasting 769 days, that’s a real-time slowdown of just over 10 micrometers per second, shrinking the asteroids’ 300-million-mile (480-million-kilometer) orbit by 2,360 feet (720 meters).

The researchers said all the boulders and other debris flung off Dimorphos in the crash provided as much push to Dimorphos as the spacecraft itself — a doubling of momentum. Last summer, a U.S.-Italian team estimated that 35 million pounds (16 million kilograms) of rock and dust were ejected.

The good news is that even with the change in the asteroids’ course, Earth remains safely out of their way for the foreseeable future. That’s why this rubble-packed system was picked for the mission, said Steven Chesley of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, who took part in the study.

“While it is just a single experiment, it is nonetheless an important data point that will be relevant to any future asteroid deflection missions,” Chesley said in an email.

Scientists expect to learn even more about the impact’s aftermath when the European Space Agency’s Hera spacecraft reaches the asteroids in November. Dimorphos is 525 feet (160 meters) in diameter. Fast-spinning Didymos is 2,560 feet (780 meters) across with, according to the latest study, 200 times more mass than its sidekick.

Unlike Dart, Hera will not strike but will tag along for months of surveying. A pair of small experimental probes will peel away and attempt to land.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

The Wales prop produced a moment of magic in the Six Nations clash in Dublin

Rhys Carre delighted and amazed Wales fans in equal measure with his remarkable try against Ireland in the Six Nations.

With Steve Tandy’s side seemingly set to be heading into half-time 12-3 down in Dublin, the Saracens prop raced in for a score from 30-odd metres to make it a two-point game at the break. As well as capping a spirited Welsh first-half performance, the try stunned many watching both at home and in the Aviva Stadium.

In the coaching box, attack coach Matt Sherratt couldn’t hide his smile, while coach Dan Lydiate was also grinning as he handed the front-row a water bottle.

Two more men delighted by the score were former Wales internationals Dan Biggar and Jamie Roberts, with both working for ITV as pundits.

“I think if you were a betting man, you’d have maybe Rhys Carre to score tonight from a free-kick or tap penalty,” said Biggar. “But not in the way he scored this.

“This is absolutely brilliant. Great from Tomos Williams to keep the game going the same way.

“When you’ve got an athlete like this in your team… he does Tadhg Furlong on the outside, sells a ridiculous dummy and shows some real pace to get in.

“Just a brilliant score for Wales and Rhys Carre.”

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Former Wales centre Roberts added: “It’s an incredible score from a loosehead prop from 30 metres out. Unbelievable.

“The thing I love most about this try as well is Wales had a scrum free-kick around halfway, the clock was in the red. But they had the bravery to go multi-phase, seven or eight phases, and they manufactured space on the edge.

“Usually you see back-rows finishing this try. For a prop to finish this. Special player, special moment.”

Biggar joked that the distance would be “45 metres” by Saturday, with Irish legend Brian O’Driscoll quipping that French try-scoring sensation Louis Bielle-Biarrey would need to “watch his back now!”

Posting on X, former Wales international Tom Shanklin noted that previous Wales coaches Warren Gatland and Wayne Pivac had dropped Carre over fitness concerns.

“What a try by Carre,” said Shanklin. “Can you believe they didn’t think he was fit or good enough for international rugby,” complete with a laughing emoji.

Roberts was also delighted with the Welsh defensive efforts from the first-half, hailing them as the best Wales had produced in the last year.

“We talk about attack,” said Roberts. “That is the best defensive half of Welsh rugby I have seen in a year or two.

“The impact, the stopping power on the gainline. We spoke about the Irish back-five and how powerful they are in the carry, just the ferocity they’ve been met with by that Welsh defence.

“Unbelievable in that first-half and it’s keeping them in this match.”

Former President Barack Obama took aim at Republican leadership in Washington in his speech at Rev. Jesse Jackson’s memorial service.

From former presidents to an NBA Hall of Famer to prominent church pastors, stories of the Jackson’s influence on politics, corporate boardrooms and picket lines loomed large Friday at the celebration honoring the late civil rights leader.

Thousands of people gathered at a church on Chicago’s South Side to pay a final public tribute to Jackson.

Obama said Jackson’s presidential runs in the 1980s set the stage for other Black leaders, including his own successful 2009 presidency and re-election.

“The message he sent to a 22-year-old child of a single mother with a funny name, an outsider, was that maybe there wasn’t any place or any room where we didn’t belong,” Obama said. “He paved the road for so many others to follow.”

open image in gallery

Obama, joined by two other former Democratic presidents, Joe Biden and Bill Clinton, at a celebration of life for Jackson, received the loudest round of applause as the three entered the chamber.

“We are living in a time when it can be hard to hope,” Obama said.

“Each day we wake up to some new assault to our democratic institutions. Another setback to the idea of the rule of law, an offense to common decency. Every day you wake up to things you just didn’t think were possible.”

“Each day we are told by folks in high office to fear each other,” said Obama, referring to the current Republican leadership in Washington.

Biden, Clinton, and former Vice President Kamala Harris also spoke of their memories of Jackson and the legacy he leaves behind.

President Donald Trump, who praised Jackson on social media after he died and also shared photos of the two of them together, did not attend the service.

open image in gallery

Jackson died last month at age 84 after battling a rare neurological disorder that affected his mobility and ability to speak.

Family members say he continued coming into the office until last year and communicated through hand signals. His final public appearances included the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Jackson’s pursuits were countless, taking him to all corners of the globe: Advocating for the poor and underrepresented on issues including voting rights, health care, job opportunities and education.

He scored diplomatic victories with world leaders, and through Rainbow PUSH Coalition, he channeled cries for Black pride and self-determination into corporate boardrooms, pressuring executives to make America a more open and equitable society.

His son, Yusef Jackson, who runs the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, recalled how his father carried a well-worn Bible but also showed his faith by showing up to picket lines.

“He lived a revolutionary Christian faith rooted in justice, nonviolence and the moral righteousness,” Yusef Jackson said Friday.

“He was deeply involved in the political struggles of his time, but his gift was that he could rise above them. It’s not about the left wing or the right wing. It takes two wings to fly. For him, the goal was always the moral center.”

Brabyns Preparatory School has begun a ‘formal consultation’ with parents, staff and other stakeholders

A private prep school and nursery in Stockport has announced it will be closing part of its establishment as a consultation period has begun. The announcement came shortly after independent school Prestwich Preparatory School revealed that it will close by the end of term.

In a message shared on its website, Brabyns Preparatory School and Nursery announced that a ‘formal consultation’ began with parents, staff and other stakeholders on Friday, March 6.

The school revealed in its message that the nursery part of the establishment will not be affected by the potential closure.

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“Brabyns Preparatory School has today begun a formal consultation with parents, staff and other stakeholders on a proposal to close the Preparatory School at the end of the Summer Term,” the message reads on Brabyns’ website.

The message continued: “This proposal follows a prolonged period of careful review by the School and its Governors in response to a number of challenges facing the independent school sector in recent years. No final decision has been taken and the consultation process will allow the school community to share views before the Governors determine the next steps.

“The Governors recognise that this news will be very difficult for pupils, families and staff. Brabyns Preparatory School has been an important part of the local community for many years, and the immediate priority is to support pupils and colleagues with care and sensitivity during the consultation period.

“The Nursery, which continues to attract strong interest from families, is not affected by the proposal and is expected to remain open as an important part of the Brabyns community.

“Throughout the remainder of the academic year the school will remain focused on providing stability and continuity for its pupils while supporting families and staff through the consultation process.”

The £8,000-a-year Prestwich Preparatory School, on Old Bury Road, will close on March 27 due to the headteacher’s ill health and other ‘external influences’.

Headteacher Patricia Shiels wrote to parents this week, saying: “It is with a heavy heart that I announce the closure of Prestwich Preparatory School for medical reasons at the end of this term.

“I deeply regret having to make this decision, but my health has deteriorated and this has been exasperated by external influences, such as bureaucratic demands.

Like all other private schools, it has been a struggle with increased costs such as VAT. I have sought professional advice and at this time the only option is to cease trading.”

The school, which opened in 2004, has been beset by difficulties since it was downgraded to ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted in 2017. Since then it has struggled to maintain a good rating, and was told it ‘required improvement’ after an inspection last year.