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Gethin Jones’ rugby career past and engagement heartbreak as he starts job away from TV

Published

5 hours ago

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Wales Online

The BBC Morning Live presenter was a talented rugby player before walking away from the sport

TV presenter Gethin Jones is loving his new job as Team Wales’ chef de mission for this year’s Commonwealth Games, with the BBC star admitting he “could not be more proud” to be appointed to the role.

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The 48-year-old previously served as team attaché at the 2018 Games on the Gold Coast and, having gone back to university to complete a Master’s degree in Sports Directorship, will now be the team’s figurehead at this year’s Games in Glasgow, which kicks off in July.

In the role, he will be responsible for leading and motivating athletes and support staff as well as representing Wales at official functions and acting as a spokesperson for the team.

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While he is best known for fronting shows like Morning Live, however, Jones is no stranger to sporting environments having been a fearless rugby player before quitting the sport and moving into TV.

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He previously played as a scrum-half for Welsh-speaking side Clwb Rygbi Cymry Caerdydd and admits that he nearly turned professional, having had trials with Sale Sharks before walking away from the sport.

“I quit rugby for Blue Peter,” Jones previously told Rugby Journal. “I probably finished playing too young.

“It was 12th April 2004, and I remember that because I went back and played for Clwb Rygbi, and we won the district cup final at the Principality Stadium in front of about 5,000 people. It was special, and every year there’s an anniversary where we all bring our tankers that we won in that match to drink out of.

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“I was 26 and that was around the time I started television and so had to quit rugby, not because I was worried about getting smashed up, it was just the nature of the job to travel all the time so never being able to train or be available for matches.”

The presenter later featured for the Rest of the World in an all-star Rugby Aid match against England in 2015, and was named man of the match, but has not played since.

“I’ve dined out on it ever since,” he said. “Rory Lawson and me were playing scrum-half and I played nine minutes, sidestepped a prop, and it looked good on telly. Celebrity man of the match – how bad is that!?”

“I miss smashing people legally. I know that sounds weird, but you do need a bit of a release which is why the gym is still important to me. And also, everyone says this, but there’s this special friendship that you have with people.

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Jones still has plenty of connections to the rugby world, counting Wales internationals Jamie Roberts, Jonathan Davies and George North among his friends, with the latter moving into his flat during the coronavirus lockdowns.

He has also recently sparked romance rumours after being pictured cosying up to Sky Sports presenter Pien Meulensteen – the daughter of former Premier League manager Rene Meulensteen – during a birthday skiing trip in France.

It came after rumours linking him romantically to Morning Live co-presenter Helen Skelton were dispelled, with the pair nothing more than “work friends”.

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However, Jones is no stranger to having a partner in the public eye, having previously been engaged to world-famous Welsh singer Katherine Jenkins.

The couple met while he was competing on Strictly Come Dancing in 2007, and got engaged four years later, but ultimately did not tie the knot as they split up at the end of 2011.

The split left both of them devastated, with Jenkins admitting she was “in pieces” after the break-up and Jones revealing that he had a “bad bout of depression” in the aftermath.

“I remember doing BBC Radio 5Live and going into the toilet at 5.30am going ‘alright, come on, just focus for the next three hours and then you can go back to being sad again’,” he previously told The Mirror’s ‘Outdoor Minds’ podcast. “I definitely had a bad bout of depression during that time.”

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Meet the OAPs (old age protesters) getting arrested for activism

Published

5 minutes ago

on

11 March 2026

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Meet the OAPs (old age protesters) getting arrested for activism

Retirement used to be a time when you’d kick back and relax. Not so for the boomers spending their golden years getting nicked in the name of ‘intergenerational justice’

“I thought, ‘this is going to be huge. There’s not a person on the planet who doesn’t know Stonehenge’,” says Rajan Naidu, recounting the time when he and fellow Just Stop Oil protestor Niamh Lynch sprayed the iconic prehistoric structure with orange powder (a non-toxic blend of cornflour and food colouring). It was a stunt that went viral.

Naidu was 73, Lynch 21 – at opposite ends of their lives but united in their commitment to a cause they cared about. Afterwards, they sat silently, crosslegged by the stones in the warm June air. Time seemed to slow right down. And then they were arrested. The action didn’t stop there. It continued in every piece of press coverage, every social media post, every conversation, in their eventual acquittal.

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I’m sitting with Naidu (main picture) in the community cafe of The Old Print Works in Birmingham as he recounts all this. It’s mid-November, a fortnight since he, Lynch and Luke Watson, another activist who filmed the Stonehenge protest, were cleared of causing a public nuisance. Rain taps on the large old windows, while reggae wafts through the space. We tuck into steaming piles of chickpea curry. With his warm smile, white beard and colourful cardie, he’s not how the media might have you picture a protestor: young, shouty, looking for trouble. But he’s part of a recent wave of older protesters shifting those stereotypes.

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“Everybody is a potential activist,” Naidu tells me, cradling his coffee. “Everybody has concerns about the world, things they’d like to put right.” Fairness, he says, is an instinct we have from childhood. Growing up in London, where his family moved from India when he was a toddler, Naidu recalls his parents’ generosity, his father’s respect for others, no matter who they were, and his mother’s kindness. He spent his life working and volunteering in education, reforestation, mental health support, with stints at the Post Office and in factories. Only in his late 60s did he get involved in the kind of non-violent civil resistance that would see him led away in handcuffs “many times”.

It used to be a given that when you hit retirement age, you’d earned the right to put your feet up. Do some gentle gardening, join a choir, go on a cruise. But spending the night in a police cell, surely not? There had been grannies at Greenham Common, those silver-haired civil rights leaders, but they were generally the exception. Largely, protest was seen as the preserve of students, not pensioners.

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And yet in campaigns for disability rights, against library closures and historic building demolitions, or opposing the rise of the far right, older people are taking a stand. I’ve been to meetings for these causes where I, at 42, am one of the youngest in the room. The advanced age of placard holders was particularly notable at 2025’s Lift the Ban demonstrations that called on the government to reverse its ban on the protest group Palestine Action. Of 523 people arrested in August, more than 50% were over 60.

One of them was 75-year-old Jonathon Porritt CBE. “I think this is genuinely unique in terms of the history of social movements and campaigning of this kind. I don’t think there’s been that sort of demographic story before,” the lifelong environmentalist and former leader of the Green Party explains.

At 73, Porritt retired from his job focused on corporate sustainability, frustrated with the slow pace of change, and returned to the front line of politics. At the time of writing, he’s been arrested twice at Lift the Ban events and counting. We chat over Zoom from Chichester, where he is on a book tour for Love, Anger and Betrayal, a collection of interviews with young Just Stop Oil campaigners.

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Perhaps it’s inevitable that a generation who came of age at a time of optimism that they would make the world a better place are looking around and seeing work to be done. Porritt, a former teacher, is driven by “intergenerational justice”, the idea that meeting our needs must not come at the expense of our descendants’ ability to meet theirs.

Everybody is a potential activist. Everyone has concerns about the world

Too many older people, he says, “don’t seem to care at all about what is going to happen to young people in the future. That really does anger me, I’ll be honest, because we’ve made an appalling mess of everything,” he adds. “I don’t expect everybody to go and glue themselves to motorways to demonstrate how much they care about the climate, but I do expect them to be more respectful of and supportive of people who are taking those kinds of direct actions to focus politicians on the true nature of the crisis.”

Trudi Warner feels similarly compelled by a sharp sense of responsibility. Warner made headlines and became the inspiration for Defend Our Juries, the group behind the Lift the Ban campaign, after she was prosecuted for contempt of court sitting outside a climate activists’ trial holding a sign that read: “Jurors: you have an absolute right to acquit a defendant according to your conscience.” The charges were eventually dropped. It was with “some trepidation” that Warner, a retired children’s social worker, stepped up as an activist. “I was schooled in obedience,” she says, closing her eyes in concentration before opening them wide. “But it was something I had to do.”

The strategy of sitting with a sign is less physically demanding than other forms of protest such as marching, Warner notes. And though it can take up to eight hours of sitting before an arrest is made – a feat of endurance – older people tend to have spare time. Porritt points out that while the threats of legal sanctions are “still scary, undoubtedly”, they don’t weigh on him as they might other, younger people with fledgling careers or dependent children to consider. But there are real sacrifices, risks and consequences. Tim Hewes, a 73-year-old retired dentist and priest, spent six weeks imprisoned on remand accused of conspiring to shut down the M25 motorway during 2022 Just Stop Oil protests, as chronicled in his book, Finding Beauty Behind Bars.

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Though the prospect of doing press interviews filled her with dread, Warner came to realise that the visibility of older people like herself – former priests, rabbis, war veterans – was powerful.

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“It’s harder for the media to trash us,” she says. Their presence lends the climate and peace movements a credibility, a gravity, a sense that what they’re demanding is mainstream. The calm that older people have brought to the climate and peace movements is distinctive, too. “It’s counter cultural,”adds Warner, “because in our culture, everybody’s rushing about all the time, being noisy, being attention seeking.”

When Union, the northern school for creativity and activism, launched a call out for their first ever residency aimed at ‘elders’, due to take place in January 2026, it was booked out. Union, which had offered similar programmes for early and mid-career people, devised this partly in response to demand, partly to the rise they’d noticed in older activists. The organisation explores the role that ‘elders’ can play, how they might “hold the space” for others, as director Adrian Sinclair puts it, and what they want from this stage.

It’s not a young people’s movement. It’s not an old people’s movement. It’s a people’s movement

“What’s my legacy? What do I pass on? Those questions are important to older people.” There is also a wellbeing element to it. Studies show that a longer, healthier life isn’t just about staying active or eating well, it’s about having purpose and finding social connection, too.

Back in Birmingham, three young men in hoodies recognise Naidu from his Stonehenge coverage and ask if they can join us to chat. They are fans, full of admiration and full of questions, which Naidu answers graciously.

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“When you see me, you see this old man,” he says. “I don’t define myself in this.” But he is reluctant to talk about himself, instead talking about the “beloved community” that Martin Luther King Jr described, a community that forms through shared values, and about friends of all ages and backgrounds who have greeted him as he emerged from police stations, in the cold and dark, with a hug and a snack.

“It’s not a young people’s movement. It’s not an old people’s movement. It’s a people’s movement.”

Main image by Jaskirt Dhaliwal-Boora

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Wishaw residents to be given chance to create community projects over next 10 years

Published

12 minutes ago

on

11 March 2026

By

Daily Record

The council will soon be asking Wishaw locals to help shape their community priorities over the next decade.

Wishaw residents are set to be given the chance to create community projects for the next 10 years.

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The council will soon be asking Wishaw locals to help shape their community priorities over the next decade.

Your views will guide what NLC will focus on with local communities and partners across the public and voluntary sector, including Police Scotland, Scottish Fire & Rescue Service, NHS Lanarkshire and Voluntary Action North Lanarkshire.

As the council gets ready for this next stage, NLC are shining a light on projects that the public helped bring to life over the past few years.

These included the new outdoor gym in Overtown and the new King George V Community Garden in Wishaw.

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The council state: “A new outdoor gym in Overtown is giving local residents a free and accessible space to stay active and enjoy exercising outdoors. The project was shaped through community engagement, with residents highlighting the need for more opportunities to support health and wellbeing in the area.

“The new equipment provides a welcoming space for people of all ages to build fitness, spend time outside and connect with others in their community.

“The outdoor gym has already been well received and is becoming a popular addition to Overtown’s local amenities, reflecting ongoing investment in spaces that encourage healthier, more active lifestyles.

READ MORE: North Lanarkshire Council writes off almost £3.6 million in taxes

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“The new King George V Community Garden in Wishaw was officially launched as part of Mental Health Awareness and Green Health Week, offering a welcoming space for residents to connect with nature and support their wellbeing.

“The garden was created through close collaboration with local groups, who helped shape a space designed for relaxation, community activity and outdoor learning.

“The launch event brought together partners, volunteers and community organisations who have played a key role in bringing the project to life.

“Their involvement has helped create a garden that not only enhances the local environment but also provides meaningful opportunities for people to come together, support their mental health and enjoy time outdoors.

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“The project reflects ongoing investment in community‑led spaces that promote wellbeing, connection and a healthier lifestyle for people across Wishaw.”

READ MORE: Police found cannabis plants worth £150,000 when they raided house in Wishaw

*Don’t miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.

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I Entered The Manosphere. Nothing Could Prepare Me For What I Found.

Published

25 minutes ago

on

11 March 2026

By

I Entered The Manosphere. Nothing Could Prepare Me For What I Found.

When I came up with an idea for a novel back in 2018 about a troubled mother and son, I needed to find an angle. I needed to find something to bring conflict and drama into the lives of these two poor souls. I tried a few different angles; I had them, first of all, trying to navigate the aftermath of a nuclear strike on Scotland but it was terrible – like a fanfiction version of The Road.

Next, I had the boy, Jamie, being found dead in his room and his mother trying to piece the story of his dodgy online life together to try and find out why. I knew right away with that one that killing off a main character in the first couple of pages wasn’t the way forward. While reading an article about a new online community known as incels, as I tore my hair out over the book, I knew I’d found my hook.

Incel is short for Involuntary Celibate. Generally, it means a person, almost always a man, who regards themselves as being involuntarily celibate because they are unable to attract a romantic or sexual partner. For some incels, they say this is because of how they look; because they aren’t tall enough, because they have a weak chin or because their eyes aren’t positioned in what they believe is the most desirable position on their face.

For others, they say it’s because women aren’t attracted to them because they are of low status – because they aren’t high-status, alpha ‘Chads’ (think of the opposite of an incel, a successful, tall, handsome, promiscuous man.)

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I dove headfirst into researching the world of incels. I watched documentaries, read articles, books and papers on the subject and scoured their forums to pick up their terminology.

Having been on the internet for a long time, I consider myself pretty much unshockable and desensitised but even I felt harrowed and uneasy, disgusted even, by what I read in their online spaces.

Their hatred towards women was so visceral and frightening. They detailed their deranged and violent fantasies, involving women they knew, sometimes even family members. They lauded mass shooters, even hailing one of them as a sort of quasi-deity. They spoke to each other as if they hated each other, almost as much as they hated themselves.

It was hard to feel sorry for them. I thought to myself that these guys were beyond help. But something kept me coming back to reading through their forums. After a while I began to think, ‘How have they ended up like this?’

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I began to delve deeper and began reading lengthy posts where young guys opened up about their home lives, childhoods and mental health. Time and time again, these boys would write of their upbringings which were littered with abuse, poverty, bullying, loneliness and often learning difficulties. To me, it painted a bleak picture of lost boys searching in the wrong places for a bit of human interaction.

And ready to prey on these boys were far more sinister men. These men encouraged the boys to blame their problems on women and to seek retribution for it. They detailed ways in which to make the women they may encounter in their day to day lives uncomfortable.

They were egging on these obviously very vulnerable boys, luring them deeper into their toxic worldview until they had them, essentially, brainwashed; fully malleable and compliant, ready to do whatever the men wanted out of fear of being ostracised from the only community they had or of being blackmailed. If this was what I was seeing being written on public forums, it’s hard to even comprehend what might be going on in their private messages to one another or what was happening in other, less accessible parts of the internet.

While their troubled childhoods and desire to be part of a community might go some way towards explaining their online behaviour, it can’t excuse it. These boys need to help themselves if they really do want to break away from these toxic online environments. I suppose this is easier said than done and in an ideal world it would be as simple as that.

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But in the world we live in, where misogyny isn’t just confined to dark corners of the internet but is instead rampant and ever present, I believe it’s down to men to help tackle the problem.

Good male role models are in short supply. The ones that are out there struggle to cut through the noise made by the likes of Andrew Tate who present a cartoonish, ridiculous version of masculinity which, to a thirteen year old boy, looks like the coolest and most aspirational thing ever. But role models don’t have to be celebrities or influencers.

As men, we should be doing our best to set good examples for the boys and other men in our lives, to show them a positive version of masculinity. We all have friends, brothers, cousins, colleagues and classmates who maybe look to us for guidance. While we’ll all have acted in ways we’re not proud of and we’ll all have said things which make us feel a sharp pang of guilt when we are reminded of them, we’re all more than capable of trying to be better than that.

As I wrote my novel, I grew more and more interested in men in general. I pondered over what a makes a good man and still can’t quite come up with an answer.

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Is being a good man just not doing bad things?

Is the bar for us that low?

Is it just as simple as being a good person?

I began to ask myself if I could say, hand on heart, that I am a good man. The answer to that is – I don’t know. But I do know I want to be a better man. I implore you to ask yourself the same.

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Hermit by Chris McQueer (Wildfire, £18.99) is out now.

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Five-digit code backed by Martin Lewis that every mobile phone user should dial now

Published

37 minutes ago

on

11 March 2026

By

Daily Record

Martin Lewis has urged everyone with a mobile phone to dial a five-digit code and screengrab the result

It’s so rare that you’ll know someone who doesn’t own a mobile phone these days. These little squares have become a vital component of daily life, which is why it can be all the more annoying when they get stolen.

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The devices that feel like that our whole lives are in, can be snatched in the blink of an eye and be a major inconvenience. And with technological advancements, it’s easier for thieves to target bank accounts.

But there are ways owner can protect their devices, as well as important information and one way to do this is by using a simple code. The useful tip has been backed by finance guru Martin Lewis, who previously explained why every phone owner should dial it as soon as, reports the Express.

The Money Saving Expert founder shared this advice on his ITV show in 2025, following reports at the time that phone thefts have surged by 40 percent, as criminals increasingly target individuals’ financial information via their mobile devices.

He stressed the importance of immediate action to secure handsets against unauthorised access in the event of theft, thereby reducing the risk of thieves draining bank accounts through stolen phones.

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Martin advised viewers to modify key settings on iPhone, Samsung and Google phones for enhanced protection, including text message settings.

Speaking on his March 11 episode of Martin Lewis Money Show Live last year, he said: “Mobile security tips – thefts are up 40 percent in London but they’re going up right across the country too.

“Now the crucial thing, they’re not just trying to nick your phone, some of them are trying to access your financial data from your phone.”

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“You have to protect yourselves on this, folks.”

Martin recommended the use of remote tracking apps such as Apple’s Find My, Samsung’s SmartThings or Google Android’s Find My Device to locate stolen phones and suspend payments.

He further suggested enabling biometric features like fingerprint ID sign-in on both mobile devices and banking apps, and emailing oneself a screenshot after dialling the provided code.

Martin advised: “Now, this one sounds a bit peculiar. Dial *#06# to get your IMEI image then take a screenshot and save it.

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“That’s what you’ll need to provide to the police if your phone is stolen. Screenshot it and assuming you can access your email not just on your phone, I would just email it to yourself so you’ve got a copy somewhere.”

Lastly, Martin emphasised that ‘possibly the most crucial’ tip is to ensure two-factor authentication does not appear on your lock screen.

He explained: “Many people have that appear on their lock screen so when your phone’s locked, the code still appears. You don’t want that. It means if someone gets your phone they can get the code. So what you need to do to prevent that is turn off your ‘preview notifications’. It will still tell you you’ve had a message but it won’t display your code on your message. Everyone please do that one. It’s a nightmare if you’ve not done it.”

The Martin Lewis Money Show Live episode from March 11, 2025, is still available for viewing via ITVX.

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Love Pies? Aldi’s New Job Could Make You Their Official Pie Tester

Published

45 minutes ago

on

11 March 2026

By

Love Pies? Aldi’s New Job Could Make You Their Official Pie Tester

Aldi is serving up the role of pie-tester to celebrate the launch its Specialbuy range of 13 pies, which is now available across all stores.

The Pie Tester will play a pivotal role in understanding the desirability of each pie, assessing everything from the crust quality and filling consistency to the flavour balance and overall harmony of the ingredients.

Their insights will be shared with customers to help guide them when making that crucial pie-purchasing decision and will be used to help inform the selection of Aldi pies in the future.

To be considered, pie-lovers simply have to provide a short summary of what makes them suitable for the position. As a thank you for their efforts, the final candidate will also be treated to a year’s worth of free pies. To apply, they should visit the Aldi website here.

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Julie Ashfield, Chief Commercial Officer at Aldi UK said: “At Aldi, we take our pies very seriously. Our range has been carefully crafted to appeal to Britain’s love of pies, combining high-quality baking with much-loved local flavours.

Aldi looking for pie-tester

“Our Pie Tester will have the enviable task of tasting and reviewing the range to help us understand which flavours really hit the spot. If you’re passionate about pastry and serious about sampling, we want to hear from you. No previous pie-tasting experience required!”

On sale now are Steak & Ale, Chicken & Mushroom and Cheesy Bean pies, to elevated options like Venison & Merlot, Hog Roast, Stuffing & Apple, and BBQ Pulled Pork pies, shoppers are urged to act quickly to avoid missing out, with pies in stock for a limited time only.

The deadline for applications is Friday 27th March 2026.

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More information can be found on Aldi’s website.

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Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei injured in strikes which killed his father | World News

Published

51 minutes ago

on

11 March 2026

By

Mojtaba Khamenei. File pic: AP

Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei was wounded in the US-Israeli airstrikes which killed his father.

The 56-year-old assumed the top position after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the initial strikes on Iran, but has not been seen in public since.

Mojtaba Khamenei had been lightly wounded in the strikes but continued to operate, an Iranian official told Reuters.

The new supreme leader has long been a secretive figure within Iran and has not given any public statement since being appointed by an assembly of Iranian clerics on Sunday.

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Mr Khamenei lost his father, mother, wife and other relatives during the Israeli airstrike on 28 February.

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People hold placards with an image of Mojtaba Khamenei in Tehran. Pic: WANNA/Reuters

Speculation has been mounting about the health of the new supreme leader, with Yousef Pezeshkian, the son of Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, referring to reports that he had been injured.

In a post on Telegram, he said: “I heard news about Mr Mojtaba being injured. I asked friends who were in contact. They said, thank God, he is healthy and there is no problem.”

Mojtaba Khamenei. Pic: Reuters
Image:
Mojtaba Khamenei. Pic: Reuters

A state television anchor also appeared to confirm rumours that Mr Khamenei had been hurt, describing him as a “janbaz” or “wounded veteran” of the Ramadan War, the name Iran has given to the conflict.


Mojtaba Khamenei ‘is a hunted man’ from the start

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‘Target for ​elimination’

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) backed the relative unknown as the new supreme leader, viewing him as a more pliant version of his father, who would support their hardline stance.

It’s likely the younger Khamenei has sought to keep a low profile due to the risk of further US-Israeli strikes.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel ⁠Katz said last week that any leader appointed by ⁠the current Iranian leadership ​would “be an unequivocal target for ​elimination”.

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Read more:
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Iranian footballer changes her mind on asylum in Australia

Mojtaba Khamenei is the second-oldest son of the late supreme leader, and a hard-line conservative who served in the Habib battalion of the IRGC during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, allowing him to build support within its ranks.

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He has also been linked to the violent suppression of protests in Iran.

Although he studied in the holy city of Qom, he was only a mid-ranking cleric, not a senior ayatollah like his father.

Mojtaba Khamenei, alongside his father. Pic: Reuters
Image:
Mojtaba Khamenei, alongside his father. Pic: Reuters

He bears a strong resemblance to his father, and wears the black turban of a sayyed, indicating his family traces its lineage back to the Prophet Mohammad.

By allowing Mr Khamenei to inherit the role, the assembly of experts has, in effect, created a dynasty, a move that defies the tradition of selecting the next supreme leader on credentials alone.

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US President Donald Trump had previously branded the selection of Mojtaba Khamenei as supreme leader as “unacceptable”.

“We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran,” he said.

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Cheltenham Festival 2026: Results, winners, race card and latest odds on day one

Published

57 minutes ago

on

11 March 2026

By

Cheltenham Festival 2026: Results, winners, race card and latest odds on day one

The ‘Greatest Show on Turf’ is upon us as thousands descend on Gloucestershire for the 2026 Cheltenham Festival.

There are 28 races to enjoy across four days, from the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday to the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday, in what is considered the highlight of the global horse racing calendar.

Day one opened with a bang as Old Star Park maintained his unbeaten record over hurdles after battling back to get his nose in front and claim the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

The Willie Mullins-trained Kargese became only the second mare since 1980 to secure the Singer Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase as she made all to foil market leaders Lulamba and Kopek Des Bordes.

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And there was further success for the females in the feature race as Lossiemouth enhanced her existing superstar mare status with a stirring success in the Unibet Champion Hurdle.

Friday’s Gold Cup has been left wide open after Galopin Des Champs was ruled out and then Fact To File was not declared, leaving Jango Baie, Gaelic Warrior and The Jukebox Man all vying for favouritism. Here’s everything you need to know…

Thousands will descend on Cheltenham Racecourse

AFP via Getty Images

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When is Cheltenham Festival 2026?

The meeting runs for four days, beginning Tuesday, March 10, 2026, and running until Friday, March 13, 2026.

There are seven races each day at Prestbury Park, with the first at 1.20pm and the last at 5.20pm.

Cheltenham Festival 2026 race card and results

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Ladies Day (Wednesday, March 11)

13.20: Turners Novices’ Hurdle

  1. King Rasko Grey 11/1
  2. Act Of Innocence 10/1
  3. Zeus Power 50/1
  4. Soldier Reeves 150/1

14.00: Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase

15.20: Cross Country Steeple Chase

16.00: Queen Mother Steeple Chase

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16.40: Grand Annual Steeple Chase Challenge Cup

GG

St Patrick’s (Thursday, March 12)

13.20: Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle

14.00: Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase

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14.40: Pertemps Network Final

15.20: Ryanair Steeple Chase

16.40: TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase

17.20: Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup

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St Patrick’s Day is celebrated at the course on the third day of the Cheltenham Festival

AFP via Getty Images

Gold Cup Day (Friday, March 13)

14.00: County Handicap Hurdle

14.40: Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Steeple Chase

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15.20: Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle

16.40: Festival Hunters Chase

17.20: Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle

The Cheltenham Roar heard coming around the bend

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Champion Day (Tuesday, March 10) results

13.20: Supreme Novices’ Hurdle

  1. Old Park Star 15/8f
  2. Sober Glory 9/2
  3. Mydaddypaddy 6/1

14.00: Arkle Novices’ Chase

  1. Kargese 7/1
  2. Kopek Des Bordes 11/8
  3. Lulamba 11/10f

14.40: Handicap Steeple Chase

  1. Saratoga 10/1
  2. Winston Junior 5/1
  3. Klycot 40/1
  4. Pourquoi Pas Papa 16/1
  1. Johnnywho 18/1
  2. Jagwar 3/1f
  3. Quebecois 10/1
  4. Blow Your Wad 14/1
  1. Lossiemouth 7/5f
  2. Brighterdaysahead 7/2
  3. The New Lion 3/1

16.40: Juvenile Handicap Hurdle

  1. Madara 3/1f
  2. Will The Wise 10/1
  3. Moon D’orange 25/1
  4. Downmexicoway 9/1

17.20: National Hunt Novices’ Chase

  1. Holloway Queen 12/1
  2. King Of Answers 22/1
  3. One Big Bang 11/1
  4. Union Station 28/1

Cheltenham Festival 2026 weather forecast

The Festival is expected to kick off with sunny skies and little rain on Tuesday, according to Accuweather, though the Met Office are forecasting more cloudy conditions.

Conditions are likely to worsen, with rain expected on Wednesday and Friday, between a slight respite on Thursday. Temperatures are predicted to peak at 15C on Friday for the Gold Cup.

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Self-employed people and landlords in Lanarkshire urged to ensure they are ready for major change to tax system

Published

1 hour ago

on

11 March 2026

By

Daily Record

The new system means sole traders and landlords earning more than £50,000 will need to keep digital records and send quarterly updates to HMRC, instead of filling in an annual tax return.

Self-employed people and landlords in Lanarkshire are being urged to ensure they are ready for a major change to the tax system.

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Charity Advice Direct Scotland, which runs the free service taxadvice.scot, said its advisers are on hand to help those struggling to get to grips with new HMRC rules.

Around 780,000 people across the UK, including tens of thousands of Scots, are making the switch to the ‘Making Tax Digital’ system from April 6. A further 970,000 people will be required to join the scheme in 2027.

The new system means sole traders and landlords earning more than £50,000 will need to keep digital records and send quarterly updates to HMRC, instead of filling in an annual tax return.

Those who are eligible will also need to use specialist computer software to create, store and correct their records, and send the quarterly updates.

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Advice Direct Scotland said eligible taxpayers should start preparing for the changes immediately, if they have not already done so, and urged anyone requiring help to get in touch.

The charity said moving to digital recordkeeping could make managing tax easier in the long run, by reducing errors and saving time.

It also means less time spent searching for paperwork at the end of the tax year, as records can be updated by business owners as they go.

Andrew Bartlett, chief executive of Advice Direct Scotland, said: “This is a major change for self-employed people and landlords in how they manage their finances, and anyone affected should take action now.

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READ MORE: Court fine for cocaine binge knife yob after ‘extreme alarm’ in pub

“It promises to be a positive move, as going digital can simplify recordkeeping, reduce the stress of tax season, and free up time to focus on business development.

“But with the April 6 deadline fast approaching, now is the time to check if you are among those affected and take action. Don’t leave it to the last minute.

“These types of changes can feel overwhelming, but don’t worry. Advice and support is available at taxadvice.scot, or by calling 0800 756 3381.

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“If you’re unsure, don’t struggle on alone. Asking for help is the smart move to stay ahead.”

READ MORE: Police found cannabis plants worth £150,000 when they raided house in Wishaw

*Don’t miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.

And did you know Lanarkshire Live had its own app? Download yours for free here.

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Raworths of Harrogate appoints Karl Dembecki as partner

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1 hour ago

on

11 March 2026

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Raworths of Harrogate appoints Karl Dembecki as partner

Karl joins from London-based legal firm Russells, where he headed up its Private Wealth team for the last six years.

Rachel Tunnicliffe, Head of Private Client Services at Raworths said: “Karl’s superb communication skills and empathetic approach make him an ideal fit for the firm.

“His existing client portfolio will give our talented team the opportunity to apply their outstanding legal knowledge to a range of issues.

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“In addition, the expertise we offer from our wider private client and commercial specialists will be extremely beneficial to Karl’s clients.”

Karl Dembicki said: “Over the years I’ve been fortunate to build a strong private client practice, including several household names across the worlds of media and entertainment for whom I have acted as a trusted adviser on personal and estate planning matters.

“Many have chosen to continue working with me and have already transitioned their work to Raworths following my move to Harrogate, which reflects the trust developed over the years.

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Since 2024, the Trusts, Wills and Estates team has been led by joint heads Alison Walker and Sam Jenner, enabling Rachel Tunnicliffe – the former Head of Trusts, Wills and Estates who led the team for a decade – to expand her other leadership roles as Senior Partner at Raworths and Head of Private Client Services.

Rachel added: “Alison and Sam have proven themselves to be an inspirational leadership duo – taking the team forward by nurturing our next generation of talent whilst growing its client portfolio.

“With their continued leadership and Karl on board – we can continue to grow our reputation as a centre of excellence for clients, wherever they are based.”

Raworths provides integrated commercial and private client services and employs more than 70 people at its single centre base in Harrogate, including 25 in Trusts, Wills and Estates.

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Man jailed after third strike for knife crime offences

Published

1 hour ago

on

11 March 2026

By

Cambridgeshire Live

He was found guilty following a trial

A man has been jailed after picking up a third conviction for knife crime offences. Raul Maretic-Ramon, 23, was jailed for two and a half years on Monday (March 9) at Cambridgeshire Crown Court after he previously denied threatening a person with a knife in Cathedral Square, Peterborough.

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He was detained by Peterborough City Council enforcement officers and arrested by police. He later admitted to being in possession of cannabis.

Maretic-Ramos, of Manor Gardens, Stanground, Peterborough, denied threatening a person with an offensive weapon in a public place but was found guilty following a trial at Cambridge Crown Court in December. He appeared at the same court on Monday (9 March) and was jailed for 30 months.

Police Constable Jordan Pleyer said: “Maretic-Ramos threatened the victim in the middle of the afternoon, and we believe it was witnessed by young people. Possessing a knife is dangerous for the carrier and others, and we have seen the tragic consequences too many times. I am glad the sentence reflects the severity of the offence.”

Police have urged anyone with information about someone carrying a knife to report it to the police online or call 101. In an emergency always call 999.

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