“This difficult decision has been made following a recent review of branch performance and operational priorities.
“We are working hard to support colleagues affected and are seeking, where possible, to redeploy and retain them within the business.
“We’d like to thank all our customers for their support at the branch. We have a number of other branches across Yorkshire which will continue to provide the outstanding service Travis Perkins is renowned for.”
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Travis Perkins opened in 12,000-square feet premises on Charter Road, at Ripon Business Park, in 2005.
In a trading update last month, the company said it “continued to experience challenging trading conditions” and declining revenue.
The first quarter update for the period to 31 March 2026 said group revenues are down 1.7 per cent on a like-for-like basis.
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In the Merchanting segment revenue was down 2.3 per cent as construction activity levels “remain subdued”.
Heavyweight cult hero Allen is targeting the biggest win of his career tonight when he takes on Filip Hrgovic at the Eco-Power Stadium in Doncaster
Dave Allen reckons he could have been a genius if he hadn’t been bashed in the head for a living.
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Heavyweight cult hero Allen is targeting the biggest win of his career tonight when he takes on Filip Hrgovic at the Eco-Power Stadium in Doncaster. He knows he will have to use his brains as well as his brawn if he is to cause an upset against the dangerous Croatian. But despite suffering bad beatings at the hands of David Price, Frazer Clarke and Tony Yoka, Allen insists his mind and body are as sharp as ever.
“The honest truth is, there are 10 pro boxers in our gym and I’ve been hit less than all of them over the last five years,” he said. “I’ve sparred probably 100 rounds max in five years and I’ve had three fights that I’ve been hit back in; I feel fresh. I’ll only stop when either my coaches or my mum say I’ve had enough or if I can’t compete at a certain level anymore.
“But I’m still passing medicals and I did an IQ test about six weeks ago. I think I’m in the top three per cent so it’s all good. My IQ was 132 which is very, very good. I think Mensa is 150 so maybe I could have been there if it wasn’t for the boxing.” But despite his bravado, Allen knows he will be up against it when he trades with Hrgovic.
“From the outside looking in, it’s a bit of a mismatch on paper,” he admitted. “I would say we have a world-class operator with a domestic-level heavyweight, but the domestic-level heavyweight has shown glimpses of being able to compete with a guy like this. So Hrgovic should win, but don’t be surprised if the underdog causes the upset.
“I’m in better shape now than I’ve been for the last 10 or 15 years. And with that, my hand positioning’s been better in sparring, my hands are in the right place, I’ve been bending my legs, I’ve been moving at the waist and my hips. I’ve not felt this good for a very long time and I don’t think I’ve ever boxed better, so I’m well up for it.
“I’ve faced lot of different problems over the years and lot of it’s been self-sabotage, a lot of it’s been my own doing. But I really, really think now I’m on the straight and narrow now.”
Former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has become a leading pundit with the BBC
Wayne Rooney has transitioned from being one of the most talented players of his generation to an emerging punditry career. In fact, Manchester United’s all-time leading scorer has made such an impression since moving into analysis that he has been chosen for the BBC’s coverage of this summer’s World Cup.
After joining the BBC in 2025, he rapidly adapted to life in the studio. Now a familiar presence on Match of the Day, Rooney will have the opportunity to shine for the Beeb in his most significant assignment yet, covering matches for the forthcoming tournament, which is being hosted across Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Get MEN Premium now for just £1 HERE – or get involved in our United WhatsApp group by clicking HERE. You can also join our United Facebook page by clicking HERE and don’t miss out on our brilliant selection of newsletters HERE.
Before that, however, he will be stationed at Wembley Stadium for the FA Cup final between Chelsea and Manchester City on Saturday. MEN examines Rooney’s punditry journey to date.
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Wayne Rooney’s tears during a live broadcast
Rooney revealed his emotional side when he was brought to the brink of tears on the BBC after his younger brother, John, orchestrated Macclesfield’s historic FA Cup triumph over Crystal Palace in January.
John was let go by Everton at the age of 12. He subsequently played for Chester, Wrexham, Stockport, Oldham and Macclesfield. He accepted his first managerial role with the Silkmen last summer before delivering one of the greatest FA Cup upsets of all time.
The emotion was evident in his older brother. As the siblings embraced at the final whistle, Rooney’s voice wavered as he told the BBC: “I’m actually getting emotional. To see my younger brother achieve this, he’s not long been in management.
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“To get to the fourth round of the FA Cup and beat a Premier League team in Crystal Palace, I’m so proud of him. He looked calm – I don’t know how. It’s such an achievement what he’s done today. Absolutely superb.”
Wayne Rooney’s BBC salary
Rooney’s promising start in the punditry world has reportedly secured him a lucrative broadcasting agreement. Reports indicate the former Everton striker penned a two-year deal with the BBC valued at around £800,000 – positioning him amongst the corporation’s highest-paid football pundits on approximately £400,000 annually.
That remarkable sum puts him narrowly behind Match of the Day legend Alan Shearer. The ex-Newcastle United icon collected between £440,000 and £444,999 last year, according to BBC figures.
BBC executives were understood to be eager to secure Rooney following his impressive performance during Euro 2024, where his candid and perceptive commentary resonated with viewers.
The ex-England star already possesses a substantial bank balance, however. During his playing days, Rooney is reported to have earned in excess of £300,000 per week.
Factor in highly profitable sponsorship deals with the likes of Nike, Coca-Cola and EA Sports, and his overall fortune is estimated to be in the region of £127m, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package
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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.
Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.
The initial top line emerging from the Trump-Xi summit in Beijing was that while the two leaders had talked trade, technology and the US war in Iran, the most potentially hazardous issue was Taiwan. The Chinese foreign ministry reported that the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, told the US president, Donald Trump, that “the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations”.
Handled properly, China’s statement said, relationship between China and the US will remain stable. “If handled poorly”, Xi told the US president, “the two countries will collide or even clash, putting the entire US-China relationship in an extremely dangerous situation.”
A White House statement didn’t mention Xi’s warning over Taiwan, instead focusing on the two leaders’ agreement that the Strait of Hormuz must be kept open and the importance of China buying US agricultural produce and curtailing the flow of fentanyl precursors into the US.
In other words, the two sides’ reports neatly reflected their respective priorities.
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So, despite the warm words and bonhomie at the subsequent banquet at which the two leaders raised glasses to each other over lobster, beef ribs and Beijing roast duck, there is clearly the potential for a serious misunderstanding over Taiwan. Last week a bipartisan group of senators sent a letter to the US president urging him to sign off on a US$14 billion (£111 billion) package of arms to Taipei. If he proceed with this, it would seriously hamper any efforts the two leaders might make to stabilise relations between the two countries.
The problem, write international affairs specialists Nicholas Wheeler and Marcus Holmes, is that the two sides come at the issue from completely different directions. For the US, continuing to provide Taiwan with state-of-the-art US defence weaponry is about deterring Chinese aggression. For China, US arms sales to Taiwan are themselves an aggressive move.
The situation is fraught with possibilities for misunderstanding. But surely this is what summits are for, argue Wheeler and Holmes. They recall the crisis in 1983 sparked by a US military drill that the Soviet Union convinced themselves was a preparation for a real nuclear strike by the US. It was Ronald Reagan’s realisation that “maybe they are scared of us and think we are a threat” which led him to develop warm relations with the next Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, precipitating a new era in arms control.
Maybe this week’s summit could help the pair to – as Xi put it – “make 2026 a historic, landmark year that opens up a new chapter in China-US relations”.
Where would this new era leave Taipei? Distinctly nervous, you’d have to think. As Trump prepared to leave for Beijing, he commented that he was planning to discuss US arms sales with Xi – which, as Andrew Gawthorpe notes – breaches one of the Six Assurances that has been part of America’s policy towards Taiwan since the 1980s.
Gawthorpe, an expert in US foreign policy at the University of Leiden, cautions that the Trump administration breaking one of these promises could embolden Xi to press Trump on the other five, which include a US commitment on Taiwanese sovereignty.
The fact is, Gawthorpe concludes, if US arms sales to Taiwan are on the table now, they a likely to stay there, which could prove perilous for Taiwan if the US wants any major concessions, say on China’s support for Iran.
Xi talked about his hope that the summit could work towards “a new paradigm of major-country relations”. The importance of this bilateral relationship was a theme the Chinese president returned to several times in the meeting, at one point referencing what he called the “Thucydides trap”, which refers to the stresses that occur when a rising power challenges an established one. (You may recall Canadian prime minister Mark Carney made reference to the revered Greek historian in his widely praised Davos speech in February.)
But where was Russia in all this? Stefan Wolff, professor of international security at the University of Birmingham, observes that any stabilising of relations between Washington and Beijing is likely to come at Moscow’s expense and will certainly be a blow to Vladimir Putin’s aspiration to restore his country to great power status.
So as not to be left out, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced as Xi and Trump toured the Temple of Heaven in Beijing (an honour that has yet to be afforded to Putin) that preparations are underway for the Russian president to visit China “very soon”.
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Still best friends? Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping at celebrations to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Sino-Japanese war, September 2025. EPA/Alexander Kazakov/Sputnik//Kremlin pool
That’s not to say that Putin’s “no-limits friendship” with Xi is at threat, writes Wolff. But he observes that “the Xi-Trump summit is a party to which Putin was not invited”, which “indicates that his efforts to make his presence felt have largely failed”.
It hasn’t been a great week for the Russian president, all things considered. On May 9, what has traditionally been a red letter day for Vladmir Putin – Russia’s Victory Day celebration – proved to be something of a damp squib.
Ukraine’s recent successes in long-range drone attacks, one of which successfully struck a luxury high-rise apartment block less than ten miles from Red Square, prompted Putin to scale back the parade. What is usually a showcase of Russia’s military might, parading tanks, ballistic missile launchers and an array of other state-of-the-art weaponry in front of invited world leaders, was reduced to a march past with a couple of Putin allies and assorted second world war veterans.
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Russia-watcher Jennifer Mathers of Aberystwyth University has examined the Victory Day parades since the Ukraine war begin in 2022 and believes they reflect Russian national morale. This year’s, she says, saw Russia looks “fearful, diminished and isolated”.
With all the attention – understandably – on the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks, little has been written about the Caspian Sea. But the world’s largest landlocked body of water has played an important role in both the Iran and Ukraine wars.
During the Ukraine war, Iran used it to supply Russia with Shahed drones, now Russia is returning the compliment. The two countries have also found it useful in avoiding western sanctions on trade in all manner of other goods.
Hydrangeas are one of the few garden plants that can naturally change flower colour depending on soil conditions. While many gardeners assume the colour is fixed when they buy the plant, certain varieties can shift from pink to blue or purple over time.
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According to Jo McGarry, gardening expert at Caragh Nurseries, the secret lies in the soil.
Jo said: “Many people are surprised to learn that hydrangea colour is directly linked to soil pH. In acidic soil, the blooms turn blue, while alkaline soil encourages pink petals. Purple shades appear when the soil is close to neutral.”
Why do hydrangeas change colour?
The colour change happens because acidic soil makes aluminium more available to the plant. This affects the petals’ pigments, changing the shade of the blooms.
Jo said: “Only certain hydrangeas respond this way, particularly macrophylla and serrata varieties. White hydrangeas generally stay white regardless of soil conditions.”
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Can gardeners safely change the colour of hydrangeasthemselves?
Gardeners can gradually change soil conditions to encourage different blooms in several ways, but Jo warns against more old-fashioned methods involving rusty nails.
She said: “Burying rusty nails in the soil to turn hydrangeas blue is something gardeners have talked about for years, but it isn’t the safest or most effective option. Sharp metal hidden in borders can become a hazard for people and wildlife. They also provide too little soluble iron to impact petal colour.”
Instead, she recommends safer soil treatments that work more reliably over time: “Using ericaceous compost, coffee grounds, or aluminium sulphate is a much better approach for gardeners wanting blue hydrangeas. These methods gently increase soil acidity without creating unnecessary risks in the garden.
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“For pink hydrangeas, the soil needs to be more alkaline. Adding garden lime can help raise the pH and reduce aluminium uptake. This encourages pink blooms to develop. A fertiliser with higher phosphorus levels can also help limit aluminium absorption and support stronger pink colouring.”
How long does it take for hydrangeas to change colour?
Gardeners shouldn’t expect instant results, as Jo said: “Hydrangeas usually take at least one growing season to show noticeable colour changes. The process requires patience because the soil conditions need time to affect developing buds.”
She also advised gardeners to test their soil before making major adjustments: “Testing your soil pH first is always worthwhile because overcorrecting can stress the plant and affect nutrient uptake. Small gradual changes tend to give the healthiest and most consistent results.”
Hoping to repeat Bucks Fizz’s heroics in Dublin is this year’s UK entrant Look Mum No Computer, real name Sam Battle, with his song Eins, Zwei, Drei, who will perform in Saturday’s grand final at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria, having appeared in Thursday’s semi-final.
It’s an intense time for relationships (Picture: Getty)
On May 18, Venus (the planet of love and pleasure) moves into Cancer (the sign of emotions and intimacy), so expect your love life to intensify.
It’s time to feel all the feelings, let them surface, be vulnerable, express yourself honestly, and seek to build bonds that can’t be broken. Vulnerable, open dialogue is the currency of relationship building and should be your priority with those you wish to build relationships with.
No time for games or hide and seek. Show up, be present, talk openly, ask for clarity. Let your heart lead you. Even if all goes awry, you can say you were truthful and you found out exactly where you stood.
Let’s see what you need to acknowledge and express using the unique forecasting system from my Zodiac Love Match deck to give you a full and frank love forecast covering what you need to know.
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Looking for deeper insight about your love life? My wonderful new Zodiac Love Match oracle deck has a unique colour-coded system to help you create insightful, full love readings whatever your situation.
Or, come join my magical, mystical tarot club, free for a whole month when you sign up using this link.
Aries
March 21 to April 20
Time to find out for sure if they’re in or out (Picture: Kerry King)
Tarot cards for Aries for Venus in Cancer: Libra, Set A Deadline, Abundance
Meaning: You deserve a full, active, mutually loving and supportive love life. If that is not what is being served… then get up and leave the table. You have been dealing with the hot and cold treatment for a while, and the inconsistency is unsettling and makes you feel insecure. It plays on your fears. And it’s not about you, actually, it’s about them.
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Set a deadline for yourself. Be objective about the treatment (not words) you’ve received and ask if you would do the same to them (the answer will be ‘no’). You need abundance in your relationships, someone who is equally high energy and passionate and ready to give their all across all areas of life. Half-hearted, on/off, inconsistent situations are not right for you. It’s time to reconsider.
Tarot cards for Taurus for Venus in Cancer: Cancer, Trust Your Heart, Temptation
Meaning: Commitment is extremely important to you in your love life because you crave certainty and stability. And, yet, deep deep down you too sometimes yearn for something else, and temptation can call upon you and distract you from your current fayre.
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Look this feeling in the eye. What tempts you? What feels ‘outside’ of what you already have? And can that be incorporated or activated where you already have a bond? Listen to your heart on this. Is this a passing whim, a nudge to bring something new into your love life, or a genuine heartfelt attraction elsewhere that you can no longer deny? This is the time to answer this question.
You can build your dream life (Picture: Kerry King)
Tarot cards for Gemini for Venus in Cancer: Leo, Manifest Your Life, Power Couple
Meaning: Absolute power couple vibes are what you’re focused on this Venus in Cancer transit. You are taking control and telling yourself, or your partner, exactly what your vision of love is. And it’s more than just sex, passion or romance… you want an ally, a ‘ride or die’, a person you can build an empire with and enjoy a fabulous, luxurious, exciting life with.
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The person you pick for a partner will represent the most important choice you make in your life. So, be shrewd, smart, knowing and intuitive. Tell your person your hopes and dreams, share your visions and ideas. Understand their ambitions and goals. Does this all align? Can you come together to build a dream life you can both contribute to and take rewards from, beyond the flirtations and attractions? If so, it’s time to start building!
Tarot cards for Cancer for Venus in Cancer: The Ex, Don’t Drink The Poison, Solitude
Meaning: A clear message from the cards as Venus moves into your sign: don’t look back! Or at least look back objectively, without the rose-tinted glasses, and see how lucky you are to be out of certain scenarios. This is a time to celebrate how far you’ve moved on, what you’ve overcome, the wisdom and experience you’ve gained and used, and the amazing potential ahead for you in love.
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If you’re single, that’s okay. Enjoy the freedom and independence. Love is always possible, as and when you wish for it. You are endlessly attractive and charming. If you’re looking for someone, then just look ahead, not back. Your past is not a place to revisit for a partner.
If you’re attached and wondering ‘is this it?’… find peace and truth in your own mind, not their version of things. Listen to your gut instinct, obey your intuition, think about how you truly feel. This is a season for truth and clarity.
It’s okay to loosen the reigns of control (Picture: Kerry King)
Tarot cards for Leo for Venus in Cancer: Pisces, Take The Crown, Universal Love
Meaning: Power dynamics are often a ‘thing’ in your relationships as your Leo nature is naturally authoritative, desiring of respect and admiration, and dare I say a bit bossy… but there’s a softer side to you coming out this Venus in Cancer season, a more intuitive, fluid and go-with-the-flow version that is actually restful and relaxing to you. It’s not easy always being on top, in charge, leading the way, right?
You know, deep down, you can take the crown and take accountability when it comes to it, but in love and romance you don’t need to. You both serve the relationship equally, this thought has been a game changer for you. And what it leads to is more universal, all-encompassing, equal and surrounding sense of love and support and appreciation… which is bliss! Who knew it was so easy to activate. Just step back and let it be.
Release the chatterbox within (Picture: Kerry King)
Tarot cards for Virgo for Venus in Cancer: Gemini, Open The Book, Happy Ever After
Meaning: The route to your happy ever after in love this Venus in Cancer season is via communication; a lot of it, non-stop chatter in fact! Be like your fellow Mercury twin, Gemini, and talk about everything, to everyone, with the usual filters on hold. Ask weird questions, say how you really feel, suggest something new, request feedback, pay compliments, start up small talk with strangers you see often, ask people how their day is going, share some news.
When you push past first impressions or your own assumptions about others, you are opening the book to write new stories that come from a shared chemistry. No amount of overthinking, projection or assumption can replace this magical alchemy. Open yourself up to it. Somehow, in some weird way, your own romantic happy ever after will come from one of these conversations, so talk it up!
You need someone that can give as good as they get (Picture: Kerry King)
Tarot cards for Libra for Venus in Cancer: The Soul Mate, Serve The Relationship, Spiritual Connection
Meaning: You are ruled by Venus, the goddess of love, and known as the best lover in the zodiac — lucky you, or rather lucky partners! You need a soulmate in your life, a person who can match your powers and charms, as well as challenging and even besting you sometimes, and being able to give you the space you sorely crave. This person needs to read you like a book. And vice versa.
What makes such a bond really work is that neither of you are selfish, you understand that you both play a role, have to pull together, and serve the relationship first (vs yourselves). But if that is not how things feel, or have felt recently, then it’s time to talk.
If you’re single and looking then make a vision board for ‘soulmate’ – what does that mean to you? This is the vibration you need to set. A spiritual connection is the result of thinking about your relationship in this way. A bond that is built on true understanding of the whole person, vs just the lover. Talk deeply, seek to understand, align on how you serve the relationship and let love flow.
Tarot cards for Scorpio for Venus in Cancer: The Free Spirit, Take The Crown, Smooth Sailing
Meaning: You need to talk about space. You need to establish realistic expectations and habits around each other’s necessary independence, as well as how you both expect the other to ‘be there’ (because I guess we all want someone to prioritise us). It’s good to feel like a free spirit, and it’s important to feel like someone is there for you — the question is how do you do both? But it can be done!
Take the crown here, take ownership for activating this conversation or, if you’re single, thinking about your own past experiences here. Intimacy but also independence. Both matter. If you can walk this line, find this balance, crack this nut, then your relationship will be smooth sailing. Control and possessiveness are the curse of all Scorpio folk and if you can tame this beast, then your love life could be virtually issue-free. What bliss! It’s worth this homework.
Friends to lovers, or lovers to friends? (Picture: Kerry King)
Tarot cards for Sagittarius for Venus in Cancer: The Best Friend, Spill The Tea, Smooth Sailing
Meaning: The appearance of the Best Friend card alongside Spill The Tea could be a direct message that you’ve developed deeper feelings for a friend (or maybe someone has towards you… folk are always falling in love with you, after all).
Or, maybe this is something you need to spill the beans on this Venus in Cancer season? It’s been brewing for a long time, and I think things will go better than you fear and will lead to smooth sailing again in the relationship — be that towards more romantic waters, or back into easy friendship. The tension has reached a peak. Time to air your true thoughts, see what they think, talk about it.
Alternatively, maybe you and your partner have reached a more ‘friendship’ vibe in your relationship and you want to talk about it. Sometimes we all just need companionship and the pressure-free energy is welcome. Sometimes though, we need to feel our partner wants us and sees us above and beyond ‘just a friend’. Decide how you feel and share it. Ask for clarity. Put the spark back into your interactions. Don’t sail on blindly. Chart the course to where you want to go.
This needs to be worked through (Picture: Kerry King)
Tarot cards for Capricorn for Venus in Cancer: Aquarius, Heal Heartbreak, Uncharted Territory
Meaning: You are a believer in the phrase ‘keep calm and carry on’, but this Venus in Cancer transit, something bubbles up inside that threatens to overwhelm you. An emotion, maybe even from long ago, that is so powerful it cannot be calmed down or suppressed or ignored.
Be like an Aquarius and speak your truth, clearly and honestly and with pure intent. You need to be heard. This is a heartbreak that still bothers you, that has created scar tissue which needs to be healed and soothed. If it’s related to your current relationship then take your time, seek solitude, and process your feelings before speaking to your partner. If it’s about the past then gather your confidant, your journal, your mirror… and unload the emotions.
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This takes you into uncharted territory as you’ve carried this open wound for a long time. What will you be without it? How will life and trust and connection change after you’ve processed it at last? I promise it will all get better. You don’t have to carry this weight any longer. Put it down. Heal and move on.
Tarot cards for Aquarius for Venus in Cancer: Taurus, Say Goodbye, Fading Feelings
Meaning: Folk always accuse Aquarians of being aloof or cool when it comes to emotions, but you feel very deeply and honestly. You are aware of your emotions but can also control them to allow you to handle situations and move forwards in the most rational way possible. You know you need to talk about fading feelings, about losing the spark, about worrying that your lust or interest in passion has waned somehow, things just aren’t what they were.
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It doesn’t mean the end of anything. It can be a new beginning. But it does mean something has to give. A false front needs to collapse and reveal what really lies behind it. A habit or pattern in your own love language or relationship dynamics has outstayed its usefulness and needs replacing. Time for some maintenance. Reignite what has been lost or broken. Get back that loving feeling.
Stormy weather can be beneficial down the line (Picture: Kerry King)
Tarot cards for Venus in Cancer: Sagittarius, Give In To Desire, Stormy Weather
Meaning: Venus in Cancer stirs everything up in your romance realm, maybe creating some stormy weather, but at least that means passions are still running high. Sometimes, the silence or apathy is much more deadly in close relationships. Give in to your desires. Follow your heart. Pursue passion. Act how you feel, with your heart firmly on your sleeve. Why not? What’s to lose? If they only bought into your ‘performance’ then it was never sustainable anyway.
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Be like Sagittarius and flow with your authentic selfhood and needs, and you won’t step far wrong. Plus, the right people will fall in line beside you. Let a little storm clear the air. Let the clouds lift and the sun shine through again on a new, reformed landscape of love. Sometimes you have to break a few eggs…
Kerry King has been reading, teaching and creating tarot for 30 years. Join her magical, exclusive Tarot Club for forecasts, predictions, lessons and readings straight to your inbox. Enjoy one month free for all Metro readers (no lock-in or commitment) over on Patreon.
Your daily Metro.co.uk horoscope is here every morning, seven days a week (yes, including weekends!). To check your forecast, head to our dedicated horoscopes page.
At 8.16am on August 10 2019, a post appeared on the online forum 4Chan: “[D]ont ask me how I know, but Epstein died an hour ago from hanging, cardiac arrest. Screencap this.”
ABC News broke the story that financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein had died in prison, 38 minutes later.
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4Chan is an anonymous forum with no fact-checking mechanisms, so it’s impossible to know who the anonymous poster was and how they knew. But the ambiguity over what happened to Epstein, and who knew what and when continues to fuel conspiracy theories – including, the QAnon conspiracy narrative that the world is run by an elite cabal of child sex traffickers.
Now, as the US Department of Justice has slowly released the information it has on Epstein in the Epstein files, these conspiracy theorists are saying: “We told you so.”
In this episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast, Art Jipson, a sociologist at the University of Dayton in Ohio who researches social movements and extremism, explains what happened when a real-life criminal case collided with an online community built on conspiracy theories.
“Fringe spaces were already primed and focused on Epstein,” says Jipson. “I think his death did not create a narrative, it accelerated it.”
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This episode of The Conversation Weekly was written and produced by Mend Mariwany and the executive producer was Gemma Ware. Mixing by Eleanor Brezzi and theme music by Neeta Sarl.
Listen to The Conversation Weekly via any of the apps listed above, download it directly via our RSS feed or find out how else to listen here. A transcript of this episode is available via the Apple Podcasts or Spotify apps.
China’s ambassador to the UN criticised a proposed US-Bahrain resolution for the Strait of Hormuz blockade, stating that it would not be helpful.
The resolution calls for Iran to stop attacks and mining in the strait.
“What we need is to urge both sides to engage in serious and good-faith negotiations that can resolve the issue. So passing a resolution at this stage, we don’t think is going to be helpful,” China’s UN envoy Fu Cong said, according to the Pass Blue news portal, which reports on UN news.
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“We don’t think the content is right, and the timing is not right,” Mr Cong said.
A similar US-backed draft resolution was vetoed by Russia and China last month, who argued it was biased against Iran.
Vishwam Sankaran16 May 2026 03:50
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War worsens Lebanon’s economic crisis
Ayman al-Zain watched on a recent afternoon as a bulldozer cleared the rubble of what used to be his sports clothing store, which was one of dozens of buildings destroyed in Israeli strikes against the Hezbollah militant group.
With a nominal truce in place that has reduced but not halted the fighting, Al-Zain tried to assess whether to rebuild the shop in Beirut’s southern suburbs that he once hoped to pass down to his kids. But it’s unlikely he will be able to do so anytime soon, and not only because of the fear of more airstrikes.
“Everything is expensive,” he told The Associated Press. “If I want to open a new store and get mannequins, hangers and some accessories, the prices are very different than before.”
Alex Croft16 May 2026 03:00
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UAE accelerates oil pipeline project to bypass Strait of Hormuz
The UAE is set to boost the construction of a new oil pipeline which will allow it to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
The project would mean Abu Dhabi’s oil exports are no longer at the mercy of Iranian blockade, with Tehran claiming it retains full control over the strait.
The project will allow it to double its export capacity through Fujairah, the government’s Abu Dhabi media office said on Friday.
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Alex Croft16 May 2026 02:00
Malaysian vessel passes through Strait of Hormuz, shipping data shows
A support vessel owned by Malaysian firm Vantris Energy, formerly known as Sapura Energy, passed through the Strait of Hormuz, shipping data showed on Friday.
It becomes the fourth ship linked to the country to transit the waterway since the outbreak of the US-Iran war.
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The Sapura 1200 was among seven ships that the Malaysian government had sought permission from Iran to clear the strait, which has been mostly closed off since the conflict broke out in late February disrupting global energy supplies, two sources told Reuters news agency.
The ship made its way through the strait, hewing close to the Iranian coastline, before heading for Oman, entering the Muscat port, LSEG data showed.
Malaysia’s prime minister Anwar Ibrahim said in March Iran would allow Malaysian vessels to pass through the strait after holding talks with Iranian officials.
Alex Croft16 May 2026 01:01
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Republican gives stark message to Americans reeling over rising gas prices: ‘That’s life’
Republican representative Jim Jordan had a blunt message for Americans regarding current gas hikes, saying it’s because of “the world we live in.”
In a CNN interview with Kaitlin Collins, the Ohioan congressman argued that the rising cost of gas as a result of war with Iran is an acceptable price to pay for fighting Tehran.
The US has killed several high-ranking Iranian officials during the conflict, although they are yet to achieve regime change as figures have been readily replaced, with Mojtaba Khamenei succeeding his father as supreme leader.
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Jordan was asked to explain his ongoing support for Trump and the United States war against Iran, which has resulted in gas hitting a high of $4.53 per gallon.
Alex Croft16 May 2026 00:02
Trump says all of Iran’s navy now at ‘bottom of the sea’
President Donald Trump has once again insisted that Iran’s military power has been severely depleted as a result of the US-Israeli war on Iran.
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“They have no navy, they have no air force, it’s all destroyed,” he said on Friday.
“Their air force is destroyed, but yet they’re not going to be game. Iran’s foreign minister said the Strait [of Hormuz] is not open to commercial shipping only if they cooperate with the Iranians.
“They’re not going to be game. You know who’s talking a big game?The fake news media. If you read the New York Times, you would think that we’re losing militarily.
“Think of it, they have 159 ships, everyone is now in the bottom of the sea, every one of them is gone.”
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US intelligence reports suggest that Iran’s military capacity remains robust.
(Reuters)
Maira Butt15 May 2026 23:38
Trump doubles down on comments about American’s financial situation
President Donald Trump has doubled down on comments about not being concerned about the financial plight of Americans as a result of the Iran war.
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Asked about the continuing pocketbook pressures faced by everyday consumers as a result of the war he started more than two months ago, Trump told reporters on Tuesday: “I don’t think about American financial situation — I don’t think about anybody. I think about one thing: We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon.”
When questioned about the comments on Friday, the US leader said: “It’s a perfect statement. I’ll make it again. Everybody agrees.”
Maira Butt15 May 2026 23:33
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Watch: Jimmy Fallon skewers Trump’s China visit with dig over Iran war parallels
Jimmy Fallon skewers Trump’s China visit with dig over Iran war parallels
Alex Croft15 May 2026 23:00
At least six killed, including paramedics, in Israeli strike on civil defense center in southern Lebanon
At least six people were killed, including three paramedics, and 22 were wounded in an Israeli strike on a civil defense center in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese state news agency said on Friday.
It comes as a ceasefire was reportedly extended for another 45 days.
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Maira Butt15 May 2026 22:55
What makes undersea cables in the Strait of Hormuz so important?
Subsea cables are fibre-optic or electrical cables laid on the sea floor to transmit data and power.
They carry around 99 per cent of the world’s internet traffic, according to the ITU, the United Nations specialized agency for digital technologies.
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They also carry telecommunications and electricity between countries, and are essential for cloud services and online communications.
“Damaged cables mean the internet slowing down or outages, e-commerce disruptions, delayed financial transactions … and economic fallout from all of these disruptions,” said geopolitical and energy analyst Masha Kotkin.
Gulf countries, particularly the UAE and Saudi Arabia, have been investing billions of dollars in artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure to diversify their economies away from oil.
Both nations have established national AI companies serving customers across the region – all reliant on undersea cables to move data at lightning speed.
The squad are attempting to break the long-standing 1993 all-282 Munro relay record of 11 days, 20 hours and 16 minutes – with the gruelling 24/7 challenge set to end on Sunday evening.
A pair of intrepid local explorers are part of a crack team who are preparing to break an extra-special relay record to traverse all of Scotland’s Munros faster than any other group.
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The seven-strong bunch of Scottish and English fell runners – named the Fellkour Squad – includes Benjamin van Dijk from Bridge of Allan and Sam Fisher from Dunblane, as well as Alastair Thornton from nearby Alva.
The squad are attempting to break the long-standing 1993 all-282 Munro relay record of 11 days, 20 hours and 16 minutes.
They have been running 24/7 since May 7 through all conditions – including snow, rain and harsh winds – and are currently on course to complete the record attempt on Sunday on the Isle of Skye.
Travelling the length and breadth of Scotland, the challenge has taken the team through some of the country’s most remote landscapes as they attempt all 282 Munros.
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On day nine of the challenge, they bagged their 212th Munro, Moruisg – known for its prominence, rising above upper Glen Carron.
The team will see the finish line as they complete the final Munros on the rocky ridges of the Black Cuillin, whose highest point is Sgurr Alasdair at 991.99 metres (3,254 feet), on the Isle of Skye late on Sunday evening.
Upon completion, the team will have covered approximately 1,600 kilometres (1,000 miles) of mountain running and 120,000 metres of ascent, that’s equivalent to climbing Mount Everest 13 and a half times from sea level.
The scale of the challenge reflects the demands of completing all 282 Munros and the 33-year-old record in Scottish fell running.
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You can follow the team’s brutal efforts towards the finish line on their tracker here.
The man was taken to Hairmyres Hospital, where medical staff describe his injuries as life-changing and he is in a stable condition.
Police are appealing for information after a 68-year-old man was found seriously injured in the High Blantyre area of South Lanarkshire, around 11pm on Sunday, May 3.
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The man was taken to Hairmyres Hospital, where medical staff describe his injuries as life-changing and he is in a stable condition.
Officers are carrying out extensive enquiries to establish the circumstances surrounding how the man came to sustain his injuries.
It is believed he was within the High Blantyre area between Friday and Sunday, May 1 and 3, and police are appealing to anyone who may have seen him during that time to come forward.
The man is described as white, around 5ft 11in, medium build, with short, dark hair. When last seen he was wearing a light blue shorts and t-Shirt.
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Detective Inspector Ally Thom said: “We are working to piece together the man’s movements over the course of the weekend and to establish exactly what has happened.
“I would ask that motorists with dash-cam footage, and residents with private CCTV or doorbell cameras in the area of Millheugh Place, Larkfield Drive, Moray Place, Nairn Street, Priestfield Street, Waverley Terrace and Main Street, to please review their recordings, as they may have captured something which could assist our investigation.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland via 101, quoting incident number 2339 of Monday, May 4, 2026.
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