A woman has urged people to avoid wearing certain colours during Chinese New Year celebrations, warning that the year of the Fire Horse brings unique superstitions

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Chinese New Year commences this Tuesday (17th February), and individuals have been cautioned against wearing a particular colour to mark the occasion. The 15-day celebration, also referred to as the Lunar New Year and the Spring Festival, is observed across various Asian cultures, including Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese communities, and signifies the beginning of a new year according to the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar.

Numerous cities throughout the UK will be staging events to mark Chinese New Year over the coming fortnight, but one woman on social media has encouraged people to pay attention to some particularly significant guidance ahead of the festivities. Rachel, who hails from Canada and Hong Kong, suggested that people should steer clear of wearing one particular colour for the remainder of 2026 once Chinese New Year arrives, as it could represent misfortune.

In a TikTok video, Rachel clarified that whilst 2026 is the year of the horse, it’s more precisely the year of the fire horse. This indicates that fire, and consequently the colour red, is already “at its peak” this year – and donning red could push the balance too far in one direction.

Red is conventionally regarded as a fortunate colour in Chinese culture, and numerous Chinese New Year decorations are typically bright shades of red because it’s thought to ward off malevolent spirits. However, 2026 actually represents an unusual year where red isn’t considered fortunate.

Numerous elements of Chinese culture also emphasise balance, so if you introduce more fiery shades to a year already characterised by the fire horse, you risk going overboard and could potentially turn your year into a catastrophe.

Rachel explained: “I know everyone’s telling you that red is THE lucky colour, especially in Asian cultures, but you need to know that 2026 is the year of the fire horse. Fire is already at its peak, so if you wear red, it’s almost like you’re adding gasoline to the fire. It could lead to burnout, bad tempers, and arguments.”

To “stay lucky” in this unpredictable year, Rachel instead suggests wearing shades that counterbalance the fire. This means it’s the year for natural hues like dark greens or browns.

She continued: “To stay lucky this year, you will need to balance out the heat. For example, this year it’s actually recommended to wear earth or wood colours. Think earth tones like beige, cream, or brown, to ground the energy. Or you can do wood tones like sage or forest green to keep the fire stable.”

For optimal fortune in 2026, Rachel revealed there are even particular shades you can wear depending on your zodiac sign. But for those simply wanting to prevent a Chinese New Year catastrophe, steering clear of red is sufficient.

Additionally, black or white garments should be avoided at any festival gatherings you’re planning to attend. These shades are associated with mourning, and since Chinese New Year is a joyous occasion, these two colours must never be worn.

Viewers of Rachel’s video expressed uncertainty about the festival and the appropriate customs to observe. Nevertheless, many emphasised that avoiding black or white attire is more crucial than steering clear of red, so if red is your only option for local festivities, that will be acceptable.

One viewer commented: “If you wanna wear red, then wear it, who cares. Follow traditions. If people say its unlucky, then it is. I trust her because my local temple also says the same thing. To avoid wearing red.”

Another contributed: “Just don’t wear black or white, people. You’ll be fine. If you’re concerned, just wear something red. Like a scarf, a woven bracelet, or shoes.”

There are numerous other activities to avoid during Chinese New Year as well, including consuming porridge for breakfast or starting a laundry cycle in the washing machine. And on the initial day of festivities on Tuesday (17th February), hair washing should be avoided – so ensure you’ve bathed this evening!

The China Highlights website clarified: “Hair must not be washed on Chinese New Year’s Day, as it is seen as not a good thing to ‘wash one’s fortune away’ at the beginning of the New Year. Avoid cutting hair on this day, as it is believed that it might bring misfortune to uncles.”

He pressed: “You’re still prepared to have the Economy Minister go to China, a regime that drips in blood, that crushes dissent, that is a humanitarian abuser, that oppresses Christians – you’re happy to have a member of your party shake the bloody hand of Beijing, but give false reasons why you won’t attend the White House?”

Danny Cipriani’s ex-wife Victoria Rose O’Callaghan is selling a string of his items on Vinted two years after their explosive split.

The former England rugby player, 38, was married to the model-turned-neuroscience-practitioner, 44, for two-and-a-half years before announcing their split in November 2023.

The couple had had been dating for 11 months before tying the knot in an intimate ceremony in April 2021.

At the time of their split, Danny shared: ‘Whilst we’ve had some wonderful times together, we’ve also recognised we’re on different journeys and whilst this is sad news, it’s also a new chapter for us both to pursue our own happiness. I only wish the best for Victoria and her children.’

However, the pair then went on to trade barbs publicly in the wake of their marriage breakdown, with Victoria saying she felt ‘knifed in the heart’ after he publicly announced their breakup ‘without prior notice.’ He also once said their relationship was built on ‘lies’ and ‘deceit’.

Just over two years since they went their separate ways, Victoria is trying to make some cash on her ex-husband’s sporting memorabilia.

Around 40 items from Danny’s playing past have been listed on Vinted account, with some on sale for as much as £280. The proceeds from each sale are being donated to charity.

On her page, Victoria wrote the following to prospective buyers: ‘Hey! Mostly personal kit archive of former England international Danny Cipriani.

‘Over the course of his career, Danny accumulated a huge amount of match-issued, tour, and squad-worn rugby gear from England, Sale Sharks, and international fixtures, much of it personalised, signed, or linked to specific games and milestones.

‘These are genuine player items gathered over years at the top level of the sport, now being released piece by piece for collectors and fans. Designer wear is all authentic.’

She then clarified that Danny – whose career saw him play for the national team for a decade and with clubs including Wasps, Sale Sharks and Gloucester – had formally relinquished ownership of the items to her during their divorce proceedings.

Victoria also said that her decision to sell them simply came after she felt she’d held onto them for too long, rather than wanting to get rid of them over ill will towards her ex.

Last year Victoria explained that she was set to sell her ex-husband’s personal items in an effort to move on from their split.

She claimed that he’d shown no interest in collecting the items from her home and had contacted him about removing them countless times.

‘For months, actually, years, I’ve been paying for storage, holding onto boxes of Danny’s career, memorabilia, kits, medals, and personal items,’ she wrote online.

‘Not because I wanted to. But because I genuinely believed, at some point, he’d want to collect them. That he’d care enough to take responsibility for his own history. He didn’t.

‘In our most recent court appearance, he was once again offered the chance to collect it all. No obstacles. No drama. Just take what’s his. And he declined.’

In an interview with The Sun last year, she also said Danny had walked out on their marriage ‘with no explanation’.

‘I do not know to this day why Danny left. There was no row, no red flags. I’ve still got his toothbrush, his clothes, underwear – he only took a few jogging bottoms,’ she said.

‘We were sat on the sofa watching telly and he stood up and said, “If I go now can I come back?”.

‘Danny took a lot of drugs and had mental health issues, so I tried to just go along with him. I just said “OK” and he left.’

Danny had previously admitted to taking cocaine, a crystallised toad psychedelic and to having so many magic mushrooms he became convinced Victoria was trying to kill him.

Days after he walked out of their home, Danny announced their split on Instagram.

However, in 2024 he told the same publication that their relationship was built on ‘lies’ and ‘deceit’.

He claimed his wife had made multiple claims about her life before him, including that she was headhunted by M15, had a multi-million-pound inheritance and once was in love with a drugs cartel boss.

A drunk driver killed his friend while trying to show off his powerful BMW by driving on the wrong side of the road.

Mariusz Kosinski, 37, was seen driving on the wrong side of the street in Evesham, Worcester, before losing control and flipping his car onto its roof.

The court heard how other drivers heard screeching tyres as Kosinski overtook dozens of vehicles, barrelling down the road before attempting to overtake a car.

It was then that he lost control and his BMW went into a spin before flipping over and landing on its roof on a grass verge.

Kosinski’s mirror dashcam caught him screaming in Polish: ‘F***! He is dead, mate! I killed the dude. F***! Buddy! I killed him!’

His passenger and friend, Pawel Czubacki, 40, died in the passenger seat despite the efforts of emergency services who rushed to the scene.

Kosinski had filmed his speedometer hitting 80mph before he crashed on the A46 on July 27, 2024.

Shocked witnesses told police how his black BMW 330d had sped past 14 cars and two motorbikes before the smash.

A breathalyser test revealed Kosinski had 80mcg of alcohol per 100ml of breath – more than twice the legal limit of 35mcg.

Kosinski, of Evesham, has been convicted of causing death by dangerous driving and was jailed for ten-and-a-half years.

Jailing him at Worcester Crown Court, Judge Nicholas Cartwright said Kosinski deliberately ignored the rules of the road.

He added that in doing so showed a disregard for the safety of other road users while ‘showing off’.

The judge also banned Kosinski from driving for 13 years.

Detective Constable Danny Somner, of West Mercia Police, said: ‘We are pleased to get this conviction and sentencing for Kosinski today whose appalling driving resulted in the tragic death of his passenger and put many other motorists at risk of serious harm that day.

‘It would be easy to think that what happened was just a one-off lapse of judgment or moment of madness.

‘However, the footage recovered from Kosinski’s dashcam showed his usual driving was risky and dangerous, so it is right he is behind bars and has been handed a lengthy ban from the roads.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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Andrew was acting as a UK trade envoy during the time

Newly released documents linked to the deceased paedophile Jeffrey Epstein include photographs showing Andrew Mountbatten‑Windsor alongside an unidentified woman.

One image, thought to have been taken during an official trade visit to China in 2010, shows Andrew seated next to a Chinese model and actress while serving as the UK’s trade envoy. The woman has since been identified as Miya Muqi.

The photograph, reportedly taken inside a Beijing restaurant, also features two other men at the table. A second image shows Andrew on a boat with another woman, both wearing life jackets across their laps, reports Express.

The photographs are understood to have been forwarded to deceased paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, accompanied by a remark in which Andrew allegedly used a derogatory term to describe the women.

According to The Times, the former Duke wrote: “We have dinner on Sunday in Beijing with this p.”

Andrew, 65, has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to his association with the convicted sex offender. The images form part of a tranche of newly released material, including emails, disclosed last month.

Three million pages, 180,000 images and 2,000 videos were posted publicly, including one shocking photo in the latest Epstein files, which shows Andrew, on all fours, kneeling over a woman who is lying on the floor with her arms flat out beside her.

Andrew maintains his position as eighth in line to the throne despite no longer holding his royal titles and honours, of which he was stripped last year by his older brother, King Charles.

He was booted from Royal Lodge earlier this month, though he is currently living on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.

Residents have been evacuated from their homes in Abergwnyfi, Neath Port Talbot, after police received a report of illegal weapons found within a property. A 51-year-old man has been arrested.

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Residents have been forced to evacuate their homes in a quiet Welsh village after police deployed a bomb disposal unit to the scene.

Officers descended on a street in Abergwynfi, Neath Port Talbot, following reports that a substantial quantity of illegal weapons had been discovered inside a property. Emergency services have urged the public to avoid the area whilst they manage the ongoing situation.

South Wales Police confirmed a 51-year-old man was taken into custody on Sunday evening, after the alarm was raised at approximately 9.30pm. Stunned residents revealed they were ordered to leave their homes just before 6am this morning.

A substantial multi-agency operation has been witnessed, comprising police officers, paramedics and a bomb disposal robot.

According to official government guidance, bomb disposal robots – formally known as Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) robots – are remotely controlled devices engineered to detect and safely disable explosive hazards whilst maintaining personnel at a secure distance, reports Wales Online.

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A force spokesperson stated: “Officers attended an address on Commercial Street, Abergwynfi, Neath Port Talbot following a report at around 9.30pm yesterday (Sunday, February 15) of a significant number of illegal weapons having been found within the property.

“A 51-year-old man from Blaengwynfi has been arrested. A scene is currently being held at the property whilst searches are carried out with multi-agency support. An increased policing presence will be seen in the area whilst an investigation is ongoing.

“Residents of nearby properties have been evacuated where possible as a safety precaution. Trained partnership agencies are supporting this process. Please avoid the area to allow the emergency services access.”

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Traffic monitoring data from the AA indicates congestion on High Street, the principal route leading to Commercial Street, where the cordon has been established.

Ethan Rowley was serving time for serious sexual offences when he attacked a fellow prisoner with boiling water

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A teenage prisoner who is already serving a 21-year sentence has had his time behind bars extended after throwing boiling hot water on the groin of another inmate.

Nottingham Crown Court heard how the victim was attacked by Ethan Rowley, then 19, in the shower block at HMP Nottingham on November 8, 2024.

At the time, the teen was on remand awaiting trial for serious sexual offences, which Derby Crown Court handed to him as 21 years in summer last year, reports Nottinghamshire Live.

Now, he will serve an additional nine months for the seemingly motiveless attack which left his victim with burns over his body and skin hanging off his genitalia and legs.

Judge Michael Auty KC said: “You are currently serving a sentence of 21 years which for someone of your age is exceptional.

“The circumstances surrounding this offence are that while serving at HMP Nottingham in the shower block you threw scalding, if not boiling, water over the victim.

“It caused his skin to blister, some of the skin was left hanging off his legs and groin area and caused damage to his genitalia.

“It is not entirely clear what the overall effects were because, as often happens with prisoners, he did not comply with the prison or give a victim personal statement.”

Samantha Warner, prosecuting, said the victim entered the shower block where Rowley was already in a cubicle.

The prosecutor said the defendant got out, dried, dressed and left before returning a short while later.

Miss Warner said: “The victim was in the shower and saw the defendant was holding a blue mop bucket.

“There had been no interaction between them until this point.

“The defendant then threw the contents of the mop bucket towards the victim which landed mostly on his groin and leg area and rendered him in immediate and excruciating pain.

“Bits of skin were falling off and he began blistering.

“He left but other prisoners brought him back to the shower and drenched him in cold water while the defendant was pulled from the netting over the landing.

“The victim was taken to the QMC for treatment where he had suffered burns to his chest, thighs, right arm and blistering to his genitalia.”

Rowley, now 20 and of HMP Swinfen Hall, and from where he appeared over a video-link into court, pleaded guilty to a charge of throwing a destructive substance with intent to burn, maim, disfigure, disable and do grievous bodily harm.

In July last year he was handed the 21-year sentence for raping two different women in Derbyshire and has two other previous convictions for violence.

Gregor Purcell, mitigating, said: “I have no doubt it would have been pretty unpleasant blistering and it is undoubtedly painful and deliberate harm caused by him.

“He is a young man who is already facing an extremely long period inside for someone of his age.”

The horror brawl erupted aboard a Jet2 plane flying between Turkey and Manchester last week, and one passenger has now revealed how the chaotic scenes took shape

A “shocking and frightening” brawl that broke out aboard a Jet2 flight started when a bald man asked passengers a bizarre question, one person on the plane has claimed.

In a now viral video shared last week, people were seen trading punches in an all-out brawl aboard a flight travelling from Antalya, Turkey to Manchester, with one passenger seen allegedly hurling racist insults at someone recording the altercation on their phone. The dramatic exchange, during which two people were seen grabbing at the phone and another passenger’s face culminated in airline bans for two of the people involved.

Another passenger has explained what the scuffle – which eventually drew in an entire crowd, including a woman who rose from her seat, and shouts of “get back” from others – began with one man’s drunken question.

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An insider told the Daily Mail the chaos was started by a bald man, who appeared to have recently undergone a hair transplant. The 21-year-old said he had loudly started asking passengers whether they wanted to listen to music, describing both his and a fellow traveller’s behaviour as not “normal” as it appeared they had been drinking.

They said: “Some people said yes because he was already being so loud. I think him and another bloke had definitely been drinking before or on the flight because their behaviour just wasn’t normal.”

The source, who preferred to remain anonymous, said the man eventually became so disruptive that cabin crew were forced to step in and ask him to turn the music down. They added the man failed to stop when asked however, and shouted back at the Jet2 staffer.

They said he ended up “swearing and shouting”, adding: “She went and got her supervisor but he was being so rude, just swearing and shouting at her, I’ve not seen anything like it.”

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A taste of the foul language can be seen in the video, which shows the man calling someone behind a phone camera a “Muslim mug” and a “f***ing mug” some time after the initial incident, when the same man allegedly swore at the cameraman’s mum. He told the Mail the disruptive passenger had “kept on asking me if I wanted to fight”, adding: “But then he called me a Muslim mug.”

The insider added the fighting started soon after, with fellow passengers accusing the man of “being racist” as others pulled out their own phones to film the chaos.

He said: “This is when everyone began shouting and fighting, some more people were filming now and people were just asking him: ‘Why are you being racist?’” The video captures other passengers intervening, with one pushing the man away, and and another placing his companion in a headlock.

The disruption only ended, he said, when the plane was forced to divert and land in Brussels, with police taking 20 minutes to board and detain the man and another male passenger.

The Daily Mirror has approached Jet2 for comment.

Sunday was a dramatic day in the three-way battle for the Scottish Premiership title.

First up, Celtic came from two goals down to snatch a 3-2 victory at Kilmarnock – with Julian Araujo scoring the winner in the seventh minute of stoppage time.

Then there was a six-pointer between Rangers and Hearts at Ibrox. Twice the away side took the lead, only for a Youssef Chermiti hat-trick to transform the game and give Danny Rohl’s side a 4-2 win.

It left the three teams separated by just three points: Hearts on 57, Rangers on 55 and Celtic on 54.

Celtic have a game in hand, away at Aberdeen on 4 March, which could leave the trio within two points of each other.

There are several close two-team title races across Europe.

In France, there is just one point between Lens and Paris St-Germain.

And in Spain, Real Madrid are two points behind Barcelona with a game in hand.

But in both those leagues there is a sizeable gap to third place.

Can any other European league rival the drama of Scotland? BBC Sport has picked out the five closest title battles.

Izzy Hammond was involved in a high-speed crash at the Formula E Evo Series influencer event in Saudi Arabia

Izzy Hammond thinks she may have sustained a concussion following her terrifying crash at the Formula E Evo Series influencer event in Saudi Arabia. The 25 year old lost collided sideways with a barrier in Jeddah.

The high-speed impact obliterated her car, scattering wreckage across the circuit. The frightening episode came two decades after her father Richard’s Top Gear accident, when his 288mph jet-powered dragster crashed, leaving him in a medically induced coma for a fortnight.

Thankfully, Izzy was able to emerge from her accident relatively unharmed. The influencer even managed to provide health updates herself to her 284,000 social media followers. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter

Following the collision, Izzy indicated she needed to “sleep off a concussion” whilst also mentioning she had a “sore neck.”

She said: “Hi guys. I don’t know if you saw but I crashed the f*** out of my car.

“Yeah, massive apologies to my team, Lola. They’ve been so amazing and I returned the favour by putting their car into the wall sideways and destroying it. So that’s not great.

“How did I do it? I don’t think I had enough heat in my tyres so I was trying to break, and I was trying to turn, with no heated tyres and it all just went, a little bit, t**s up and I hit the wall at 24Gs.

“My neck hurts a little bit, but I am absolutely fine so thank you for everyone that’s concerned. I’m fine, this stuff happens.

“Now I can say I am a proper racing driver. I have had a monumental crash. I’m going to bed now and sleep off my concussion, but bye.”

In a follow-up video, she provided further details about how the incident unfolded. Izzy explained: “I crashed in quite dramatic fashion and I’m really sorry. I want to officially state, on the record, that I am so sorry Lola, I really didn’t mean to ruin your car.

“When I was sat at the wall, I looked to my left and I saw a bit of car on the track. I did not even know what part of the car it was.

“I’m really, really sorry. My bad. I didn’t think I got enough heat in my tyres in my warm-up lap. So what I would normally do on that corner just did not work for me basically.

“I was breaking and I was turning at the same time and I was only going in one direction and that was the wall, unfortunately. In qualifying I had the best time, qualifying was great.

“At no point did I think I was going to put it into the wall, I was pretty confident and then it all went a little bit wrong. But, I’m alive, the car is less alive, but I had a great time.

“Yeah the boys on my team are ridiculously good. They are like, actually, properly good at racing. So, that’s fine, they’ve won it, I was just here for fun, for the drama.”