Maggie Driscoll (Pauline McLynn) has been hiding a major secret in Coronation Street, and tonight’s episode saw it finally catch up with her.

It was the day of Jim McDonald’s funeral, and Ben Driscoll (Aaron McCusker) was keen to support new friend Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson).

However, it was clear that Maggie wasn’t comfortable with Ben’s attendance at the funeral, and it was later confirmed why.

Steve and Ben were joined in the Rovers after the service by two of Jim’s former army friends, which immediately set Maggie on edge.

Wanting them out of her pub, she tried to urge Ben to get them to leave by pointing out that he had a hospital appointment early the next morning, but he wasn’t having any of it.

This led to her fears being confirmed when one of Jim’s friends found her outside, and made it clear that he recognised her.

Though he promised not to rock the boat, Maggie was clearly rattled when he revealed that he knew she had once lived in Belfast and had an affair with Jim.

Maggie has clearly kept this a tight secret for many years, but how far will she go to continue to keep it hush hush?

There is a lot at stake for Maggie, as it is set to be revealed in due course that Jim McDonald was actually Ben’s father, making him Steve’s half-brother.

Already, Maggie has realised the dangers of keeping her secret, having witnessed grandson Ollie Driscoll (Raphael Akuwudike) take Steve’s daughter Amy Barlow (Elle Mulvaney) on a date.

However, it certainly isn’t below Maggie to meddle, and she threw up obstacles wherever possible to sabotage Ollie and Amy’s budding incestuous romance.

Though at first she disapproved of Ollie’s interest in barmaid Lauren Bolton (Cait Fitton), Maggie has now taken to pushing them together, managing to orchestrate it so that Amy walked in on the pair kissing and promptly ended things with Ollie.

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Maggie likely breathed a sigh of relief after that, but now her guard is back up after tonight’s confrontation.

Will she be able to keep her secret from her loved ones for much longer? Or could someone be set to expose her lies?

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Since starting a war with Iran caused oil and gasoline prices to spike, President Donald Trump has pivoted from a focus on keeping energy prices low to painting high oil prices as a positive.

The about-face comes as Trump’s team has struggled to offer a clear plan for opening up the critical Strait of Hormuz so that tankers full of oil and natural gas are no longer stranded.

“The United States is the largest Oil Producer in the World, by far, so when oil prices go up, we make a lot of money,” Trump said Thursday on his social media site.

It was only last month, in his State of the Union address, that Trump had bragged about gas prices at $2.30 a gallon, a figure that has since soared more than 50% to a national average of $3.60 a gallon, according to AAA.

The flip-flop shows Trump’s political interests at home are suddenly at odds with his desire to flex America’s muscles on the global stage. It comes at a precarious time for Trump’s party, ahead of November midterm elections. Trump has said that high gas prices helped him defeat his predecessor, Joe Biden. But he told reporters on Saturday that he had no worries about the rising costs that could influence voters this year, and create pressure for him to end the conflict prematurely.

The investment bank Goldman Sachs on Thursday said that based on its forecasts and historic experience, higher oil prices would cause inflation to be higher, growth to be slower and the unemployment rate to increase by the end of the year.

Benchmark oil prices have swung violently with Trump’s shifting statements and as most tankers avoid traversing the Strait of Hormuz. On Thursday, the global crude oil benchmark price jumped to $100 a barrel.

“The swings in Brent crude oil prices over the past several days are eye-catching and odds are volatility will remain because of the absence of a timeline for when the conflict will deescalate and when the Strait of Hormuz, which is effectively closed, will see traffic begin to recover,” analysts at the consultancy Oxford Economics concluded on Wednesday.

The president has given a series of contradictory messages about his plans to address this issue. He said in a Monday news conference that the Strait of Hormuz “is going to remain safe” well after it was identified as a danger zone, claiming that the presence of the U.S. Navy and insurance for tankers would keep things secure.

By Tuesday, he said on Truth Social that Iran would face “Military consequences” that would be “at a level never seen before” if it placed mines in the Strait of Hormuz, later stressing that the U.S. military was blowing up Iran’s mine-laying ships.

On Wednesday, Trump’s Energy Secretary Chris Wright briefly posted that the U.S. Navy had escorted a tanker through the strait — later deleting the false claim.

After initially downplaying the need to tap strategic reserves, Trump by Wednesday said the U.S. would join with other countries and release oil to lower prices, with the administration later saying it would draw down 172 million barrels. The coordinated release among countries is unlikely to bring down oil prices, so much as stabilize the market.

“Such a move will slow rather than stop rising oil prices and offer a temporary salve to the searing burn of rising gasoline prices,” said Joe Brusuelas, chief U.S. economist at the consultancy RSM.

The White House also said it may waive Jones Act requirements to use U.S.-flagged ships to move goods between U.S. ports, a temporary move that White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said could “ensure vital energy products and agricultural necessities are flowing freely to U.S. ports.”

Wright, the energy secretary, took to television on Thursday to acknowledge the conflict was causing “a significant disruption” in short-term gas prices, but sought to emphasize the long-term benefits of an Iran that no longer poses a threat to the U.S. and Middle Eastern nations.

Trump on Wednesday had said “the straits are in great shape” and said he thought oil companies should use them. But on Thursday, Wright could not provide a timeline on when the U.S. Navy might escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, the bottleneck causing the price spike.

“It’ll happen relatively soon, but it can’t happen now,” Wright told CNBC. “We’re simply not ready. All of our military assets right now are focused on destroying Iran’s offensive capabilities.”

___

Associated Press writer Collin Binkley contributed to this report.

The woman told police that on the night Ms McNally was murdered, she and her partner had spend the evening together in his flat and that he fell asleep watching the World Cup Final on TV

A witness in the Natalie McNally murder trial told a jury today that her and her former partner “did not sit down and plan out any sort of alibi.”

The woman, who can’t be named due to a reporting restriction, spend a second day giving evidence at Belfast Crown Court.

The jury of six men and six women have already heard that the man charged with murdering 32-year old Ms McNally has denied it was him and has instead pointed the finger of blame at a former boyfriend of hers.

Ms McNally was 15 weeks pregnant when she was beaten, stabbed and strangled in her Silverwood Green home in Lurgan on the evening of Sunday December 18, 2022.

The father of her unborn child, 36-year old Stephen McCullagh from Woodland Gardens in Lisburn, has been accused of and has denied her murder.

Ms McNally’s ex-partner gave evidence at the trial earlier this week and flatly rejected suggestions he was involved in her murder.

Also called to give evidence was his now ex-girlfriend who was living with him in his flat in December 2022.

She spend a second day being cross-examined by defence barrister John Kearney KC who asked her about statements she made to the PSNI.

The woman told police that on the night Ms McNally was murdered, she and her partner had spend the evening together in his flat and that he fell asleep watching the World Cup Final on TV. She also told police she went to bed and that he followed her into the bedroom at some point later.

Asked why she didn’t tell the police about watching a Harry Potter film after the football or getting up in the middle of the night to go to the toilet in a statement made on December 20, 2022, she replied: “I really didn’t go into that much detail because I didn’t understand what was going on.

“I didn’t even know someone was dead at this point.”

Mr Kearney also questioned the woman about a second statement she made to police two days later and “differences” in the two.

The witness said the second statement to police was made “in the middle of the night” and just after her partner had been arrested on suspicion on murdering Ms McNally.

She said she was “not in a good state at this point” and her memory “wasn’t great.”

Asked if she and her partner had discussed the Sunday evening and had “sat down and compared notes” prior to his arrest, she replied: “No.

“I knew he had not done this, so in my brain I did not think there was any chance of him coming and getting arrested. He asked me ‘do you think they are accusing me of doing this?’ and I said ‘no, don’t be ridiculous, you didn’t do this, there’s no chance of you getting arrested’ so I was very much in shock when he was arrested.

“There was no talk of what went on that night between us. I did not think he was going to get arrested. We did not sit there and plan out any sort of alibi.”

The witness also confirmed she told police she had deleted Ms McNally’s number from her partner’s home.

Asked why she had done this, the witness said “I didn’t want him talking to other women.”

She said she was initially told Ms McNally was a “platonic friend who he had lived with in the past, like a flatmate-type situation” but that over time she felt “there was a bit more to the relationship than he originally told me.”

The witness also confirmed that on the evening of Sunday December 18, 2022, while her boyfriend slept on the sofa she checked his phone and found “a very small amount” of messages between him and Ms McNally.

She said she never saw any messages between the two “of a sexual nature” but felt there was more to their relationship than she had been told.

The witness was then shown a document which detailed a series of messages between her now-ex partner and Ms McNally which were exchanged on December 18, 2022 and were retained on Ms McNally’s phone.

Asked by Mr Kearney if those were the messages she saw, the witness said her partner deleted messages “so I may not have seen all of this.”

Mr Kearney then asked her to read through the messages and at this point the clearly upset witness said “I don’t remember reading all of these and I don’t really want to read these.”

After the defence barrister continued referencing messages in the document, Mr Justice Kinney intervened and said: “Mr Kearney, this witness has made it clear that she finds these messages distressing.”

She was then asked if she was “sitting beside him” when he was messaging Ms McNally that Sunday and she said: “I saw him texting someone turned away from me and that’s why I ended up going through his phone.”

At that point, the witness said “can we not talking about these text messages” then asked if she could set down the document.

The witness was also asked about a statement she made to police on March 1 this year claiming her partner had been abusive during their relationship.

She refused to answer any of these questions on the grounds she could incriminate herself but did say “I feel current events have nothing to do with things that happened three years ago.”

At hearing.

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Louise was the daughter of the late Belfast blues musician Rab McCullough and inspired his song Louisiana Woman

A Belfast woman who died in the US has been remembered as “a bright light” whose generosity, loyalty and spirit “left a lasting mark on everyone fortunate enough to know her”.

The family of Louise McCullough, daughter of the late Belfast blues musician Rab McCullough, have spoken of their heartbreak following her sudden passing in New York last week at the age of 48.

Louise, who lived in America for nearly two decades, died suddenly while out shopping in New York last week.

READ MORE: ‘Forever our Fairy Godmother’: Fermanagh murder victim remembered as shining lightREAD MORE: ‘A tragedy beyond words’ – Tributes to Co Armagh schoolboy after death following illness

Born and raised in Belfast, she was the daughter of Rab and Marion McCullough and grew up surrounded by music, alongside her older brother James and younger brother Robert, within a close-knit extended family in West Belfast.

In a tribute to Louise, her family described how she moved to New York around 18 years ago, building a life and a wide circle of friends. For several years she lived in Charleston with her brother James before returning to New York six months ago, settling in Westchester.

She worked in the beauty industry as a highly accomplished aesthetician and worked with major brands including Estée Lauder, where she regularly ranked among the top sales performers thanks to her “intuitive way” with people.

Her family described her as a “chip off the old block” as she shared a close bond with her father and proudly stood by his side when his music enjoyed a revival in the United States during the 1990s.

Rab’s best-known song, Louisiana Woman, was inspired by Louise and reflected the close relationship between father and daughter. He affectionately referred to her as his “voodoo child”.

The tribute continued: “She had a natural gift for making people feel seen and valued. Kind and instinctively empathetic, she seemed to know when someone needed encouragement or support. A natural people person and a good judge of character, Louise had a rare ability to sense when someone was struggling.

“In the days since her passing, the family say they have been overwhelmed by messages from both sides of the Atlantic from people sharing memories of Louise and the many quiet acts of kindness she carried out throughout her life.”

Her brother James said the family have been deeply moved by the stories now being shared about the impact she had on people’s lives.

He said: “She was the type of person who would help anyone. We’ve always known that but now we’re hearing so many stories about the ways she lifted people up when they were struggling.”

Friends added that when Louise noticed someone feeling low, she would often take them by the hand and lead them onto the dancefloor. She once gave her mountain bike to a homeless man because “she felt he needed it more than she did”.

The tribute continued: “The deep empathy Louise showed to others was something that ran through generations of the family.

“Her grandmother Minnie was another strong influence in her early life and is remembered for her ability to make people feel special and valued.”

Louise’s death has brought echoes of the response that followed Rab McCullough’s passing in 2021, when countless people came forward to say how much his music and wisdom had meant to them.

Her friend Blánaid said: “Louise loved her designer clothes, but she was more at home with the downtrodden and those battered by life.

“She had more interest in the beggar on the subway than the dude in a Ferrari on Fifth Avenue. Louise had a deep sense of social justice and immense empathy for people suffering anywhere in the world. Her generosity of spirit had no bounds.”

Despite the distance, Belfast always remained home. She was proud of her ‘Andytown’, Belfast, and her Irish roots.

Louise is survived by her mother Marion, her brothers James and Robert, sister-in-law Cathy, nieces, aunts, uncles and the wider Walsh and McCullough families.

The family said that in recent weeks Louise had been making plans to return home permanently to be closer to her mum and family.

They were all excited to be reunited and to spend quality time together. Family members say Louise had been on the phone to her mum every day, and texting friends full of excitement about the next chapter of her life and looking forward to reconnecting with loved ones in Belfast, particularly her mother, her brother Robert and her nieces and nephews.

Her family say their greatest comfort and ‘only solace’ at this difficult time is the thought that she is now be reunited with her father and grandmother.

Arrangements are in motion to bring Louise home to Belfast later this week. She will be laid to rest beside her father in Milltown Cemetery. Funeral arrangements will be announced in due course by O’Kane’s Funeral Directors on Donegall Street.

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It was more Wimbledon than the tiki-taka football conceived in Unai Emery’s homeland of Spain. But the Villa manager will not mind, with his team recording a hard-fought and needed win after worrying results in their previous four games.

Watkins’s goal was Villa’s first shot on target, which points to their problems not being totally solved with one victory in the hostility of Stade Pierre-Mauroy. They need to improve on their composure in the final third of the pitch or risk getting overtaken in the race for the Champions League places over the next two months.

Yet a win is a win, with another cause for optimism being John McGinn’s return from injury to make an appearance off the bench. Watkins also desperately needed his goal, having gone this season without scoring in the Europa League, nor in any game since January.

This was a reminder to Thomas Tuchel, the England manager, that he is the best option as Harry Kane’s back-up at the World Cup despite others staking a claim for that place, not least his Villa team-mate Tammy Abraham.

Perhaps a bigger test will be against Manchester United at the weekend, when Villa can climb back to third with a win. United will be a different proposition to Lille, who fielded their oldest team in a European game with an average age of 29.

It was also a sweet evening for Emiliano Martínez, who was mercilessly jeered by Lille fans who did not forget his gamesmanship during a Europa Conference League tie two years ago. He received a second yellow card in the penalty shoot-out of that match, but not a red card due to rules. His antics in the World Cup final against Les Bleus means he will always be “Public Enemy No 1”, as one French publication branded him.

Martínez produced his best to deny Soriba Diaoune, while also keeping an effort from Matias Fernandez-Pardo out.

Watkins’ goal came just after the hour mark when Konsa launched the ball forward from his own half, with Emi Buendía flicking on for Watkins to head over Berke Özer. It meant a 100th win for Emery as Villa manager, the fastest of a Villa manager to reach that milestone.

More to follow…

The owner of an award-winning fish and chip shop has warned chippies will close if customers don’t start to eat alternatives to cod.

Andrew Arnold, who runs Railway Street Fisheries in Pocklington, near York, claims cod has become too expensive and cheaper fish such as pollock could keep chippies in business.

He explained the price of cod and haddock has risen sharply, with a 45lb (20kg) box of cod costing £110 in December 2024 now priced at £330 – a 200 per cent increase.

Haddock and chips is now sold in his shop for £12.50 up from £8.50 in December 2024.

Mr Arnold believes “people’s mindset is going to have to change” and suggests customers order cheaper varieties, such as Norwegian pollock, which he insists tastes just as good.

“The traditional fish and chip shop is going to go, if we don’t diversify and do different things,” he told the BBC.

“I can sell pollock at £10.50 and still make a reasonable profit on it.”

According to ONS figures, the average price of a takeaway fish and chips in 2026 is £11.02 – a 10 per cent increase on last year when the average was £10.06.

To keep up with inflation, a growing number of chippies have started frying alternative species such as pollock, hake from South Africa and hoki from New Zealand, according to Andrew Crook, the president of the National Federation of Fish Friers.

But fish merchant Nathan Godley, from Grimsby, who supplies food to fish and chip shops, doesn’t think selling alternative fish will help and believes British people just love cod and haddock.

“In the long term, you’ve just got to pay the price, I think,” he told the broadcaster.

He said there aren’t enough fish being caught and sent to chip shops, which is why the price has soared.

In September 2025, scientists warned fishermen will need to catch less cod in British waters in order to protect the species.

The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), a Denmark-based independent body which advises the government on managing fish stocks, found the cod population in almost all of Britain’s waters was so depleted that none should be caught next year for the species to recover.

Russian despot Vladimir Putin has had a longstanding cooperation with Iran’s top leaders, including supplying them with weapons and purchasing weaponry from the Middle East country

Vladimir Putin’s “hidden hand” is likely helping Iran in its war against the US and Israel, the UK defence secretary has said.

UK Defence Secretary John Healey said Iranian forces that targeted a base in Iraq where some British troops were “have hallmarks” of how Russian have carried out operations against Ukraine. He said this could be seen in how Iran used its drones.

Tehran sold “Shahed” attack drones to Russia in the opening months of Moscow’s war full-scale war in Ukraine. Moscow, which has been a long-time ally of Tehran, developed their own version of the drone and have reportedly assisted Iran as it faces relentless bombardment from the US and Israel.

READ MORE: Donald Trump tells Iran they should NOT attend World Cup for ‘own life and safety’READ MORE: Kim Jong-un and teen daughter test fire new pistols at North Korean shooting range

Healey told reporters during a visit to the UK’s Permanent Joint Headquarters: “No one will be surprised to believe that Putin’s hidden hand is behind some of the Iranian tactics, potentially some of their capabilities as well.” The defence secretary said it was likely the link between Russia and Iran “not least because the one world leader benefitting from the sky high oil prices at the moment is Putin.”

Oil prices have spiked across the world after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important shipping lanes. US President Donald Trump has not been able to resolve the issue, despite having a large naval presence off the coast of Iran.

Healey added Putin “is clearly likely to welcome this war more than anyone else,” reports Sky News. Lieutenant General Nick Perry, the chief of joint operations who oversees UK military operations across the globe, said there was “definitely” a link between Russia and Iran.

He told Healey: “We have definitely seen the Iranian tactics of the use of their drones learnt from Russians – flying them much lower so they are more effective.” The Lieutenant added: “There is no doubt [the Iranian] tactics have changed.”

Drones were said to be causing the most damage across the Middle East on the Iranian side. It also includes an Iranian-linked drone that struck a Royal Air Force base in Cyprus.

The RAF Akrotiri base was hit by a one-way attack drone at 12.03am local time on March 2, in incident Secretary Healey described as an example of the “dangerous and indiscriminate attacks” carried out by Iran and its proxies. The drone was identified as a Shahed drone, which cannot carry a large warhead and while it is capable of killing an individual, it would be unlikely to cause damage to large buildings.

Healey said parts of the device are now being investigated to see if they include Russian parts. He added: “We will update you on the findings from that.” He confirmed that while there had been reports of US casualties. there had been none that were said to be British.

Plans to build a new reservoir in Cambridgeshire have taken another step forward. Anglian Water is planning to create the Fens Reservoir between Chatteris and Doddington.

The area has been identified as one of “several nationally strategic resource options” required to address the “deficits in future public water supply”. Anglian Water has submitted a planning application to Fenland District Council for part of the reservoir works.

The plans seek permission for the continued use of 29 monitoring boreholes in land north of Chatteris of the A142 and east of the A141 Isle of Ely Way in Chatteris. A borehole is a shaft to access underground sources such as water.

The “long-term” monitoring of the boreholes is important to the overall reservoir project. The applicant said the boreholes will help “understand the groundwater conditions in proximity to the location of the future Fens Reservoir”.

The plans said the boreholes will help to understand how the conditions respond longer term, while allowing for seasonal variation and external factors such as extreme weather events. It will also provide information on the effect proposed engineering works may have on the environment.

Anglian Water seeks to retain the boreholes for four years. It added: “Once the boreholes have provided sufficient information they shall be decommissioned and the ground at surface level reinstated to the satisfaction of the landowners.”

The Fens Reservoir is one of two proposed as nationally significant, with other plans to create a reservoir in Sleaford. Anglian Water has partnered with Cambridge Water for the Fens Reservoir.

It is hoped the reservoirs will improve water resources for more than three quarters of a million homes in some of England’s most water-stressed areas. The Fens Reservoir is set to supply 87 million litres a day to 250,000 homes and is hoped to be completed by 2036.

A Ryanair flight from Lisbon was forced to divert to Newcastle after being unable to land at Manchester Airport due to strong winds and severe weather conditions

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A Ryanair flight was forced to divert from a UK airport after a failed attempt at landing.

The Ryanair service heading to Manchester was forced to reroute to Newcastle, after seemingly struggling to touch down amid fierce winds. The aircraft, travelling from Lisbon, appeared to make multiple landing attempts before altering its trajectory.

Information from flight monitoring platform Flightradar24 reveals the plane looping above Manchester Airport and subsequently over Lancashire before turning northwards towards Newcastle, where it seemingly landed successfully on its initial approach. In a post on X, Flightradar24 confirmed the flight was ‘diverting away after multiple approaches’, noting the pilot’s meteorological report ‘indicates showers and gusty winds’.

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Large swathes of Britain have been subject to a 15-hour weather alert for powerful winds and torrential downpours today, with gusts reaching up to 70mph predicted.

Earlier today, an easyJet service bound for Edinburgh Airport was redirected to Manchester Airport following a mid-air emergency declaration prompted by turbulent weather conditions and strong winds. EasyJet confirmed that winds at Edinburgh were ‘outside the limits of the aircraft’, adding that coach transport back to Edinburgh has been arranged for passengers, reports the Manchester Evening News.

This occurred against the backdrop of a yellow wind weather warning blanketing much of Scotland today, remaining active until 8pm this evening. Weather experts predict gusts of 50-55mph across Scotland and England, whilst certain coastal stretches and areas in the lee of elevated terrain could experience gusts reaching 60mph or potentially 70mph in isolated spots.

An easyJet spokesperson commented: “Flight EJU7835 from Amsterdam to Edinburgh this morning was required to divert to Manchester due to winds gusting outside the limits of the aircraft and so we have arranged onward coach transfers to Edinburgh for customers. The safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is our highest priority and whilst this was outside of our control, we are sorry for the inconvenience caused by the weather.”

“Never give up, that’s the moral of the story,” Sean O’Driscoll, owner-breeder, said. “He’s won 12 races [more than any other horse O’Brien has trained] and been placed five times. My son John has never seen him win. He told me a couple of weeks ago he couldn’t come but a couple of days ago he said he could make it! I said ‘no, you’d better stay away!’ So, John, this is for you.”

He added: “He lost his way chasing. Joseph rang me one day and said, ‘I think maybe you should send him to another yard, they can freshen him up’. I said, ‘Are you politely telling me that I should take him away from the yard?’ To which he replied, ‘No, I’m not’. So I said, ‘Well, he’s not going anywhere’. Joseph is an amazing trainer.”

Keep trying might also be something of a motto for Jonbon, Nicky Henderson’s chaser who has never been out of the first two in 28 starts, one of the most remarkable records in the game. He kept that record intact in the Ryanair Chase and probably set one for finishing second for a fourth time at the meeting but, like Home By The Lee, he will also need to go a fifth time if he is to win one.

Ultimately, yesterday, he had no answers for Henry de Bromhead’s Heart Wood, runner-up to Fact To File in the race last year but, with the ante-post favourite taken out because of the ground, a good 10-length winner this time.