WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has delivered the State of the Union. Now the challenge for him is to make that message stick.

His address Tuesday was a declaration of pride in the achievements of his still-young second term, as he boasted of an economic renaissance at home while he’s imposed a new world order abroad. Trump is getting his first opportunity to test drive that midterm year message later this week, when he travels to Texas, where the Latino voters whose shift toward Trump in his successful 2024 reelection campaign highlighted how he had reshaped the Republican coalition.

The White House aims to promote that message to a broader electorate that’s largely disenchanted with Trump’s job performance, while a looming conflict in the Middle East threatens to shift focus from his domestic priorities. Trump also has a proclivity to go off-script during political rallies, such as during a speech last week in Rome, Georgia, asserting he’s “solved” affordability when high prices remain a chief concern for voters.

Still, the themes of economic prosperity and a more secure America that Trump emphasized in his 108-minute speech Tuesday will underpin the broader narrative he and his fellow Republicans will seek to sell to voters this November. A slew of Cabinet officials — including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins — blanketed the airwaves Wednesday, promoting the highlights from Trump’s address.

“This is going to be setting the tone for the following year,” Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., who has close ties with Trump, told The Associated Press.

Presidents often travel immediately after delivering the State of the Union to amplify their agenda. President Joe Biden, for instance, went to swing states such as Wisconsin and Pennsylvania the day after his speech in the last two years of his term.

Vice President JD Vance will be first to hit the road with a Thursday visit to a Wisconsin factory. Trump won’t leave the Washington area until Friday, when he heads to Texas, to talk about the economy and energy policies just days ahead of the state’s March 3 congressional primaries. On the day after the State of the Union, the president will spend much of his time participating in meetings at the White House, including policy sessions and a sit-down with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

But Trump — who wove a series of made-for-social media surprises into his address — is known for being able to command attention in a fractured news environment, and he’s likely to find other ways to break through aside from the usual post-State of the Union blitz.

“Donald Trump is a master at the big moments, so he obviously cares a lot about how the speech goes, but what he cares a lot about are the clips that get replayed over and over again from the State of the Union,” said Austin Cantrell, who served as an assistant White House press secretary in Trump’s first term.

Cantrell, who’s now with the Chattanooga, Tennessee-based firm Bridge Public Affairs, said: “I don’t expect this to be some Aaron Sorkin-esque, perfectly choreographed post-State of the Union media fan-out.”

Six years ago, it was Trump’s move to award conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor, that surprised the audience. Tuesday’s address — record-breaking in its length — included similar attention-grabbing moments. He said he’d give the same honor to Connor Hellebuyck, goaltender for the U.S. men’s hockey team, fresh off winning a gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina, Italy. Trump called Hellebuyck and his teammates into the House chamber, where they were greeted with applause.

White House says Trump will get out on the trail for his party

Trump also used his speech to roll out new proposals to address affordability concerns, while castigating Democrats for opposing policies he said have led to a more prosperous, safer America. Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, in Democrats’ response, argued costs remain high for many Americans and families are still struggling under Trump’s policies.

Trump called on both parties to “protect American citizens, not illegal aliens,” and pushed for measures to limit mail-in ballots and tighten voter identification rules, while warning about the dangers of unchecked, illegal migration.

“I do think a lot of the success outlined in the State of the Union will be a part of the Republican message in the fall,” Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., another close Trump ally, told the AP, pointing to the GOP’s achievements on tax policy and border security. “As far as the president is concerned, I think he’ll be anxious to get on the road and talk about the success.”

Senior White House officials have promised that Trump will travel the country regularly until the midterms. He so far has hit critical battleground states such as Michigan, Pennsylvania and North Carolina on his economy tour, but he also traveled to reliably conservative Iowa and the congressional district of former Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. He has boosted candidates — in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, he bantered with Republican Michael Whatley and promoted his Senate run — while sometimes veering far away from the economic points the trips are meant to emphasize.

Just the optics of leaving Washington can help telegraph to voters that a president cares about connecting with them. Edward Frantz, a historian at the University of Indianapolis, said Herbert Hoover — an engineer, self-made millionaire and technocrat — believed he could solve the nation’s ills by working with his team in isolation and rarely leaving Washington. That led to a perception among voters that Hoover simply didn’t care, because they didn’t see him connecting with Americans.

“If you think about a call and response … the call is the State of the Union, and if you really do care about being in touch with others, then what’s the response?” Frantz said. “The best way to be able to see that is by hitting the road.”

How Americans feel about Trump has remained relatively stable throughout his second term, making it unlikely that one speech will meaningfully shift the way he’s perceived. His approval rating has changed very little during his second term, Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research polling has found, falling only slightly from 42% in March 2025 to 36% in early February.

Nevertheless, the annual address offers Trump the chance to reframe his message, just as it has for presidents who came before him.

Presidential historian Timothy Naftali pointed out that in 1996, Bill Clinton used his State of the Union to set the themes of his Democratic reelection campaign. After George W. Bush’s midterm drubbing in November 2006, the Republican struck a noticeably more conciliatory tone toward the new Democratic leadership that had just taken charge on Capitol Hill.

“The State of the Union, they’re less important than they once were because with a president like Trump, he’s always available,” said Naftali, a senior research scholar at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. “But the State of the Union is an opportunity to reset the president’s agenda or to reaffirm it, and resetting an agenda in the social media era is different from resetting it in previous times.”

___

Associated Press polling editor Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux contributed to this report.

The first Ukrainian drone production factory started operations in Suffolk on Wednesday in a boost for Britain’s defence industry.

Ukrainian firm Ukrspecsystems started work on Wednesday after investing £200m into sites in Mildenhall and Elmsett, expected to create up to 500 British jobs at the sites and the wider UK supply chain.

Luke Pollard, minister for defence readiness and industry, said: “Ukrspecsystems’ new factory is a vote of confidence in UK support and underlines the deepening cooperation between our nations’ defence industries.

“This investment will create up to 500 new jobs in the East of England, drive defence as an engine for growth, and help Ukraine defend itself against Putin’s aggression.”

The UK has previously ordered over 80 SHARK and Mini-SHARK drones from Ukrspecystems’ factories in Ukraine, and hailed the plant opening as a “clear demonstration” of the 100 Year Partnership between the two countries.

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The firm, founded in 2014, produces a variety of drones, which have caused almost $3 billion in damage to Putin’s war machine since February 2022, according to the British ministry of defence.

Valerit Zaluzhnyi, the Ukrainian ambassador to Britain, said on Wednesday the plant represented an expansion of cooperation between the two countries.

“Ukraine is fighting a war amid constant missile strikes, infrastructure destruction and threats to production facilities. Therefore, the launch of production in the UK has a deep strategic logic,” he said on social media.

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“This is not a shift of the centre of gravity away from Ukraine. It is an expansion of our joint capabilities and the creation of a second line of defence that guarantees continuity of production.”

Zaluzhnyi said the centre of engineering expertise would remain in Ukraine while production would be integrated into Britain’s defence industry.

Ukraine’s defence industry has grown fast during the four years of the war with Russia. Its production capacity is estimated at $50–55 billion this year, meeting more than 50% of the Ukrainian army’s needs.

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Kyiv is also now preparing to resume exporting materiel and services for the first time in four years.

Davyd Aloian, deputy secretary of Kyiv’s National Security and Defence Council, said last week that the country could export several billion dollars worth of goods and services in 2026, with a “significantly higher” potential than pre-war exports allowed.

Ukrspecsystems said on its website that it was working in the UK as part of the 1Force consortium, jointly with British Eagle Eye Innovations Ltd and Digital Concepts Engineering Ltd.

Crispin Glover, best known for starring in the Back To The Future franchise alongside Michael J. Fox, has been accused of battery and assault. He lawyer said the star denies the ‘baseless allegations in the strongest possible terms’

Crispin Glover has been accused of battery and assault. The 61-year-old Back To The Future actor – who played George McFly in the time travel trilogy – has denied allegations of battery, fraud, wrongful eviction, malicious prosecution, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, with the claims made in a lawsuit filed from a former girlfriend.

As reported by PEOPLE magazine, the filing details an alleged “disturbing series of incidents in which Jane Doe was essentially held captive and used for sex and free labor by Mr. Glover under false pretences”.

He is also accused of violating California’s civil rights law, known as the Bane Act.

Mr Glover has denied the allegations, with his lawyer claiming that he was the victim of an unprovoked felony assault by Jane Doe at his Los Angeles residence.

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Glover’s accuser, known as Jane Doe and described as a model from the UK, alleged she met the actor on social media 11 years ago. She claims while she considered him “a friend” at the time, he made “strange advances” in his messages, urging her to move to Los Angeles.

They are said to have met in person eight years later in Dresden, Germany, where she alleges he showed her “several items of Nazi memorabilia” he’d collected.

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Glover is accused of “grooming” her, and promising “a new life where she could start over and have a career in the entertainment industry through some sort of business relationship with him”, as well as a home and a job if she moved to LA as his assistant in 2024.

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She has alleged that once she arrived in California, she was “in a disturbing situation where Mr. Glover wanted to control her actions and track her whereabouts and basically serve him as a live in girlfriend/sex slave”.

In the lawsuit, Jane Doe alleges she “relied entirely on Mr. Glover’s promises for money and shelter”.

He’s accused of locking Doe – who describes herself as a “practicing Muslim” – out of the home when she left to go to a mosque, and she claimed when she returned assuming it had been an empty threat, he “wanted her to find a new place to with”, evicting her “without notice or warning of any kind”.

As well as being rendered “homeless”, Doe has alleged Glover assaulted her when she attempted to get back into the home to receive her cats and belongings.

She has accused him of attacking her, “grabbing her neck and choking her in a headlock, leaving a visible wound and scar on her neck”. Elsewhere, she has accused him of filing a “false police report” describing her as an “unlawful intruder”, and filing a restraining order against her, while allegedly still contacting her to try and renew their sexual relationship.

In the complaint, the restraining order petition is described as “malicious” and “fraudulent”, while Doe insists the filing was “swiftly dismissed for failure to prosecute”.

Glover’s representative said in a statement: “Mr. Glover denies these baseless allegations in the strongest possible terms. The reality is that on March 2, 2024, Mr. Glover was the victim of an unprovoked felony assault by Jane Doe at his Los Angeles residence. Mr. Glover called LAPD, which came to the scene, investigated, and arrested Jane Doe.

“These facts are documented by law enforcement records and by the restraining order filed by Mr. Glover against Jane Doe at that time.

“Mr. Glover intends to vigorously defend himself and pursue all available relief.

“He is confident the judicial process will expose this lawsuit as a meritless fabrication.”

Doe is seeking a jury trial, and wants general and special damages, plus punitive and exemplary damages, as well as lawsuit costs, attorney fees, and other relief to be determined by a court.

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A pharmacist has warned people the UK has been hit with a medication shortage. Even popular medicines like statins and aspirin could “disappear from shelves”

Millions of people around the world take medication, and it’s super important they use it correctly at all times. However, recently, the UK and Ireland has been hit with a medicine shortage, and it’s even impacting common medications like statins and aspirin.

A pharmacist, known as Pharmacist Anum, recently drew attention to the issue in a candid video explaining exactly what’s happening, and it’s expert advice worth knowing. With so many people relying on medication to aid their health, it’s a subject they need to be clued up on so they understand what’s going on and why they could experiencing issues at pharmacies.

It’s not the first piece of advice she’s shared recently either. Just weeks ago, she also drew attention to vital information people need to know about taking statins.

In the clip, Pharmacist Anum said: “Have you recently been told that your medication is out of stock at your pharmacy? We’re having nationwide stock supply issues here at the moment, and let me explain why.

“Unfortunately, what used to be short-term, sporadic stock supply issues are now becoming long-term and regular issues. We’re even seeing common, everyday medications going out of stock, such as aspirin.”

Explaining why this is happening, she added: “Firstly, is global manufacturing issues. So here we rely quite heavily on overseas drug manufacturers to get our medications from.

“If there is an issue with the manufacturers, in say China or India, that can reflect the supply here. Secondly, the UK regulates medication prices, and the NHS often gets medications at a rock bottom price.

“When there’s a shortage of medications, manufacturers are likely to prioritise other countries where they can get more profit from selling their medication. Another issue is Brexit and logistics.

“Ever since Brexit, there have been added regulatory and supply chain pressures. Finally, just an increase in demand for some medications.

“Some medications, such as ADHD medications or weight loss medications, we’re seeing prescribed more than ever. Drug companies may not be able to keep up with the demand, therefore causing delays.”

Sometimes shortages are not just pharmacy-related issues, as they can form a part of a much bigger problem. In fact, it can be global, which is perhaps why some medications appear to be “disappearing from shelves”.

Since the video was posted, people have shared all sorts of personal stories. Many seem to have been impacted by the problem.

One said: “My medication was out of stock from March 2025 until January this year and was supposed to be back in stock after just two months.”

Another added: “Out of stocks are rife!” A third replied: “I was at the pharmacy today and they didn’t have any pain medications or support bandages.”

Meanwhile, a fourth also commented: “Yes, my statins are out of stock.” One other pharmacist also shared their thoughts, adding: “Omg this! It’s so difficult to manage when this occurs, especially right now with so many medications out of stock.”

What is happening to medication?

It’s been reported that medication shortages in the UK and Ireland are worsening, and have become a problem recently. This has been a result of manufacturing issues, raw material shortages and increased demand.

Commonly affected drugs include ADHD medication, HRT, antidepressants and insulin. Reports have also claimed Northern Ireland has been particularly affected due to logistical issues.

Other medications reported to be in low supply include co-codamol and low-dose aspirin. As well as this, pharmacists have also logged significant shortages in satins, such as atorvastatin.

As of early 2026, they continue to face immense pressure due to record medication demand and supply chain constraints, which include medications like statins. If you’re concerned about your medication at all, speak to your pharmacist or GP for further advice.

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An application for the erection of 53 residential units, including 43 houses and 10 apartments was to be heard this month

A decision on a major residential development at the former site of a prep school in the Upper Newtownards Road area of East Belfast has been delayed after a fire on the site.

An application for the erection of 53 residential units, including 43 houses and 10 apartments, at Cabin Hill, Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast BT4 was supposed to be heard this month, but has been pushed back after a fire at a building on the site.

The site is the grounds of the former prep school Cabin Hill, and is partly occupied by several derelict school buildings, including a listed building. The application also involves plans for the creation of access, internal roads, landscaping and associated works. The applicant is Fermac Properties and Tealstone Developments Limited.

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At the February meeting of the Belfast City Council Planning Committee at City Hall, DUP Alderman James Lawlor successfully proposed deferring the application for a month. He said: “I understand there was a fire at the site on (February 15). There has since been information provided to officers, but I don’t think members have been given time to appropriately consider that, including an asbestos report.”

A Planning official said: “Officers became aware there had been a fire at the site, and we have been contacting the applicant, who confirmed the building in question was one of the outbuildings at the back of the site, which is proposed to be demolished anyway.

“They submitted an asbestos report, (ie) an environment report, which confirms there was no evidence or sign of asbestos. This site has planning permission to demolish the building in question anyway.”

The application has been recommended by planning officials at City Hall for approval. The planning report on the application states: “The proposal is within the development limits of the city and is a sustainable location for new housing. (It) would result in a loss of a small area of open space, but additional open space is to be provided as part of the scheme.

“As such, the principle of housing at this location is acceptable. The density of the proposal is less than the guidance band but taking account the low density of the surrounding area and the previous permission for conversion of the listed building to apartments, this is on balance acceptable.

“The overall design, height, scale, massing, layout, and road configuration is considered to be acceptable and compliant with planning policy. There is a Tree Preservation Order on the site, but adequate mitigation measures would be in place to ensure no trees are lost or damaged during the construction phase if planning permission is granted.”

It adds: “No affordable housing is proposed on the grounds of viability. The applicant’s viability assessment has been appraised by an independent quantity surveyor who concurs with the assessment.”

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Flament grew up in Belgium, but, finding no way into the French club system, moved to Loughborough University for its rugby programme, arriving as a lanky fly-half and initially playing for the university’s fifth team.

His decision to chase balls in Argentina, rather than CV padding in the UK, helped his frame bulk out and convert into a second row.

After Covid lockdown hit, shortly after making his Wasps debut in September 2019, Flament made another big call. He opted to head back to Belgium to train, rather than remain in the club accommodation he shared with, among others, now Bath number eight Alfie Barbeary.

“We could see borders locking down and the academy manager at Wasps said travel was only allowed for emergency reasons,” Flament remembers with a smile.

“I said, for me, this is an emergency – I don’t want to get stuck in the academy house in Coventry, I’m leaving tomorrow. I told Alfie, ‘Sorry, it’s really not negotiable!’”

There have been many stops in his career, but his focus has been singular.

“Professional rugby has always been my aim – all my choices in life were dictated by that goal,” he says.

“I was quite driven – I knew where I wanted to be and what I had to do to get there.”

One of the things he has left behind on the way is ‘Bob’ – a doubt-filled alter-ego who Flament feared could kill his dream.

“I realised in Argentina I had some potential in rugby, but that my personality was preventing me from reaching it,” says Flament.

“I guess I was a bit shy, a bit insecure and it was stopping me expressing myself in the real world, but also on the pitch.

“So I started writing things down and analysing myself.

“I tried to dissociate – the big, shy me would be called Bob, and the idea was that when I freed myself from Bob, Thibaud could be whatever he wanted to be, the best player he could be.”

There is a clip of Flament playing for Newman in Argentina., external Wearing four on his back, he hits a line, bursts into the opposition 22m, swerves left and drops the ball on to his instep, grubbering crossfield for his wing to score.

It is a passage of play devoid of Bob.

After breaking through into the Wasps team, French selectors applied another three-letter moniker to Flament, describing him as a UFO, such was his sudden, unexpected appearance on their radar.

They were quick to intercept him.

Flament was lying on a physio bed in Wasps’ treatment room, only a handful of first-team appearances under his belt, when his phone buzzed.

William Servat’s face appeared on the screen.

France’s forwards coach was calling to let Flament know he was in their thinking.

A little over 18 months later, having moved to Top 14 giants Toulouse, Flament made his France debut in November 2021.

Ever since, through the 2022 Grand Slam, the 2023 Rugby World Cup and 2025 Six Nations title win, he has been a regular for France’s biggest days.

The notorious Mexican drug lord “El Mencho” spent his final hours in a luxury villa with spacious rooms and manicured gardens – before being killed in an operation to capture him.

The feared drug trafficker, whose real name is Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, was injured in a military operation carried out by Mexican special forces on Sunday.

The 59-year-old leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, which is one of the nation’s most powerful criminal organisations, later died while being flown to Mexico City.

Pictures have emerged showing inside the villa located at the exclusive Tapalpa Country Club of weekend holiday homes, in the hills of Mexico’s western state of Jalisco.

‘El Mencho’ killing – as it happened

The exclusive gated area was where Oseguera Cervantes was spending time at the moment he was ambushed.

The two-floor home at number 39 has stone walls and a red-tiled roof, which provided a discreet hideout.

The images give a hint of the lifestyle of Oseguera Cervantes, showing rooms with sleek modern finishes and large windows – but also a messy kitchen, medicines and religious items.

In the kitchen, there are takeaway containers, mugs and other food items abandoned across the surface.

There are bottles and cartons of sriracha hot sauce, milk and water.

A wardrobe in a large bedroom has some neatly folded clothes and there are skincare products and perfume on a shelf.

Several containers of baby wipes were in a lower drawer.

Cabinets in one room were packed with treatments for a number of health conditions.

They included medicines for migraines, insomnia, acid reflux and fungal infections.

Vials of Tationil Plus, an antioxidant marketed for cellular protection, were found next to a dosage schedule in a freezer.

There was a cloth with a logo of Mayorquin, a high-end jewellery boutique based in Jalisco’s capital, Guadalajara.

Religious items were pictured on a makeshift altar.

Figurines of Catholic saints included Mexico’s patroness, the Virgin of Guadalupe, and the patron of lost causes, Saint Jude Thaddeus.

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Violence breaks out after drug lord’s death

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A Bible passage asserting trust in God was handwritten on a white sheet of paper.

Oseguera Cervantes had tried to escape through the back garden of his home to a wooded hillside.

He was hit by gunfire during the pursuit and died of his injuries while being airlifted away, Mexican authorities said.

Former Chelsea star Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is backing his old club to dent Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes this weekend.

A dominant north London derby victory over Tottenham saw the Gunners open a five-point lead at the top once again last Sunday with 10 games left to play.

Manchester City do have a game in hand, however, with the two sides also set to meet in the Carabao Cup final in March.

Arsenal also head to the Etihad for what could be a season-defining match in April but there could be plenty more twists and turns before that date.

Mikel Arteta’s side have one of their toughest games of the run-in looming this weekend against Chelsea, who they dumped out of the Carabao Cup across two legs.

The Blues did hold Arsenal to a draw in the first Premier League meeting between the two at Stamford Bridge back in August, also holding City to a draw at the Etihad in January.

Arsenal have lost at home just once this season to Manchester United with City and Liverpool leaving with a point.

While Chelsea laboured to a draw at home to Burnley, last week, their former striker Hasselbaink is confident they will leave north London with at least a point.

The next game for Arsenal against Chelsea is the one, I don’t see them winning against Chelsea,’ Hasselbaink told Sky Sports.

‘Chelsea are a strange kind of team, they will go out to a big team and get a result, get a draw or get a win. They can do that. That’s just how they are. We have seen it.

‘I think that game for Arsenal will be so much harder than the Spurs game. Then maybe they [Arsenal and City] are both on the same points. Then we see who is up for it.’

Arsenal threw away a two-goal led against Wolves last week, leaving Molineux with a point three days before their derby showdown with Tottenham.

While Spurs are now being sucked into a relegation scrap, Hasselbaink did not give them any chance of landing a blow on their rivals.

And while sensing there could be a slip-up this weekend, he is still backing Arsenal to get over the line.

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‘I do think they are the favourites and I do think they are going to win it, they have the strongest squad,’ he said.

But I always saw them winning at Spurs. even with the pressure. I never thought Spurs would even get a draw, especially after the Wolves game because when Arsenal have a point to prove, the majority of the time they deliver.’

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The 30-year-old threw the woman a life ring before jumping into the river.

An inquest into the death of a man who lost his life after saving a woman from the River Lagan is set to take place this summer.

On the morning of May 5, 2023, Patrick “Paddy” Fearon spotted someone struggling in the River Lagan. Without hesitation, he threw a life ring and jumped in to try and save them.

The 30-year-old had recently moved to Belfast from Armagh for a data analyst job in the health service, having spent a number of years studying and working in Scotland.

A woman was rescued from the river and taken to hospital for treatment. Tragically, Paddy lost his life while ensuring another would survive. He had previously rescued his sister, Eisha, and their pets from a house fire when he was just 14.

Mourners at his funeral heard Mr Fearon had “died a hero saving a life”.

The passing of the popular young man, who endeared himself to all he met, tore a hole among his friends and family – and none more so than his mother, Linda, who at the time described Patrick as “a joy to have as a son”.

At a brief preliminary hearing at the Coroners Court in Belfast on Wednesday, a barrister said two items remained outstanding from the PSNI in relation to photographs of the scene and CCTV footage.

He added that from the coroner’s service perspective, disclosure “is almost very much complete”.

The court heard that a provisional witness list for the two-day inquest, scheduled for June 1st and 2nd, has also been provided.

Coroner Fiona Fee suggested a review of proceedings in late April, adding that it would be “very unorthodox” to change the hearing dates at this stage.

“I would be loath to move the hearing date for any outstanding lines of inquiry that could have been flagged up in advance,” she added.

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