“It is with a very heavy heart that I have decided to close the business”

A popular patisserie and cafe has taken to social media to announce the sad news that it will close at the end of the month.

Chef Daniel Duckett announced on social media that after eight years, he would be closing Lazy Claire Pattisserie. He said, “it is time to bow out”, and that he would be shutting the doors of the East Belfast bakery.

Over the years, the classic French patisserie became famous for its incredible baked goods. Customers could get their hands on delicious eclairs, croissants and pain au chocolat.

It picked up a number of accolades over the 8 years and, most recently, was named runner-up in Northern Ireland’s very first best croissant competition.

Daniel, who is originally from Alabama, moved to Northern Ireland, became a chef, and later trained in Paris. He then returned to Belfast with the dream of setting up an authentic French patisserie in the city.

He has attributed the struggle to finding a chef to work with in the business. He stated that “this has been a challenge and it still remains the same challenge eight years in”.

He added that “it is with a very heavy heart that I decided to close the business”. He let his followers know that the business would close its doors “at the end of this month”.

Speaking to his followers, he said, “it’s really hard to say goodbye to our customers”. Adding that “I am really proud of what I’ve made” and “it is a legacy that I will never forget”.

He urged his regular customers to come into the store on the Castlereagh Road before it closes, on February 28, to “say goodbye”. Reassuring viewers, he said, “Keep an eye out. Who knows what will happen in the future”.

The video ends with Daniel saying, “one final thank you from the depths of my heart” and “it’s been a privilege to bring pastries to you”.

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A pregnant Co Armagh woman was killed in a “prolonged assault”, a murder trial has heard. Natalie McNally, 32, was killed at her home in Lurgan a week before Christmas in 2022.

Stephen McCullagh, 36, of Woodland Gardens in Lisburn, has denied murdering his girlfriend, Miss McNally, who was 15 weeks pregnant with their child.

McCullagh sat in the dock at Belfast Crown Court between two prison guards on Tuesday during the second day of his trial.

Following a break for lunch, the state pathologist for Northern Ireland was called to give evidence.

Dr James Lyness confirmed he carried out a post-mortem on Ms McNally’s remains at the Northern Ireland Forensic Mortuary on December 21, 2022 and conducted a second examination the following day.

He told the jury of six men and six women that he believed Ms McNally was subjected to a “prolonged assault” and that it was “likely” the 15-week male foetus she was carrying “died as a result of the assault.”

When asked by Mr MacCreanor what he considered to be the cause of Ms McNally’s death, Dr Lyness replied: “The cause of death in this case was given as compression of neck, stab wounds of neck and blunt force trauma of head.”

The pathologist then gave a detailed forensic descriptions of the multiple injuries Ms McNally sustained which included three stab wounds to her neck as well as compression injuries to her neck “suggestive of having been caused by fingertips.”

He also outlined five lacerations to her head and said this blunt force trauma was likely to have been caused by a weapon.

Dr Lyness noted other areas of multiple bruising to her scalp and face caused as a “result of blunt blows such as punches.”

In addition, the medical witness spoke of other injuries to her wrists and forearm which he said “could have been caused by blunt blows including if she had raised her arms to protect herself.”

He added: “Additional bruises on the backs of the hand may have been caused if she had punched a hard surface but could also have been the result of blunt blows in an attempt to protect her body.”

When asked to summarise his findings, Dr Lyness said it was a “complex case” and that it was “difficult to be certain of the exact fatal sequence from the autopsy findings.

“Both the neck compression and the stab wounds to the neck could have caused her death on their own.”

Also citing the seriousness of the head wounds, Dr Lyness told the court, “it would seem reasonable to conclude that the compression of the neck, the stab wounds to the neck and the blunt force trauma to the head all contributed to the fatal outcome.”

Earlier on Tuesday, a police officer who attended the scene of Natalie McNally’s murder described how he saw a dog bowl filled with blood beside her head.

After being called to give evidence at Belfast Crown Court, the police officer confirmed he attended Ms McNally’s address on the evening of December 19, 2022.

He said that when he arrived at Silverwood Green, members from the Ambulance Service were at the scene along with other police officers.

Under questioning from Crown barrister Charles MacCreanor KC, the witness confirmed he then entered Ms McNally’s home.

The officer said he saw McCullagh in the hallway who was “very upset, he was crying.”

He said that after McCullagh was “led out” and taken to a police car by another officer, he walked up the stairs and observed Ms McNally’s feet at the top of the staircase.

When asked if he saw Ms McNally at the top of the stairs, the sergeant replied “I did” then said “she was lying on her back.”

He continued: “Her head was in the living room which was on the first floor. She was lying on her back with her feet protruding over the stairs.

“She was slightly raised on the left-hand side by a cushion, and her left arm was up against the wall.”

When the police officer was asked if blood was visible, he said: “Yes, there was blood visible around her neck. I noticed a puncture wound.

“There was bloo,d which was in a dog bowl. It looked almost like it had been used to collect the blood.”

Mr MacCreanor then asked the sergeant if he observed a small black-handled knife in the living room and he confirmed he saw this item lying on the floor “some distance away from the deceased’s head.”

He added that he also saw some blood “on the wall closest to the knife” then confirmed he “went no further than the top of the stairs” before exiting the property.

Mr MacCreanor then asked the witness if he was aware of the arrest of McCullagh at the scene at 11.40pm.

The sergeant confirmed this was the case and that McCullagh was taken into custody to Banbridge PSNI station.

The trial continues.

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The victim told police that she felt like a prisoner in her own home

A stalker who made a false 999 call saying his former partner had died has been jailed. David Williams, 48, began persistently messaging, texting, and calling the victim, as well as loitering outside her house in Peterborough, from August 12, 2025.

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire Police said: “They had been in a relationship which ended in June last year and the victim told officers Williams’ behaviour was frightening her and she felt like a prisoner in her own home.”

Williams was arrested and given bail conditions not to contact the victim or go near her house. However, officers were called to the victim’s address on August 29 after an argument between Williams and the victim was overheard.

Williams was removed by officers and the victim told them he had turned up at her house with letters and a necklace a few days before. He had also made a hoax call to 999 saying she had died, which led to paramedics attending her house.

Williams, of Lincoln Road, was arrested again on August 31 and called the force’s control room in September to say he had breached his bail conditions and texted the victim because she was ill. He also stalked her when she visited Peterborough City Hospital and made two hoax calls to police asking them to check on her welfare.

Williams, was jailed for 12 months having pleaded guilty to stalking and persistently making use of a public communication network to cause annoyance/inconvenience/anxiety on Wednesday, February 18, at Peterborough Crown Court . He was also handed a 10-year restraining order preventing him from contacting the victim.

DC Tisha Morris, who investigated, said: “This sentence reflects the seriousness of the prolonged distress caused by Williams’ actions. Stalking has a profound impact on victims, often leaving them feeling unsafe in their own daily lives.

“The victim showed great courage in reporting Williams to the police and I hope the sentence provides her with reassurance and makes clear that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated”

Members and guests had a choice of two walks.

Claremont Rambling Club had another great day out on Sunday, February 22.

Members and visitors revisited one of their favourite spots – Gartmorn Dam Country Park and Nature Reserve near Alloa.

It was a mild and sunny if slightly breezy day, with rain appearing only a while after the walks had finished – as often happens!

There was a choice of a 10-mile walk around the reservoir and through woods and along cycle tracks or a shorter six-mile walk, both taking more or less circular routes although in opposite directions.

Both were comparatively easy walks on fairly level ground, although after the recent wet weather there were quite a few muddy patches underfoot, which just added to the fun.

The day out started with a morning coffee stop in Morrisons, Alloa, and ended with a thoroughly enjoyable social hour in The Old Brewery in Alloa before the club bus took the walkers back to EK.

Anyone interested in finding out more about the club can go to https://claremontramblers.co.uk or the Claremont Ramblers Facebook page.

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READ MORE: Strathaven beer lovers urged to be quick so as not to miss out on returning festival

A new article offering an apocalyptic vision of humanity’s future with artificial intelligence has gone viral and caused stock prices to tumble in major tech and financial firms.

“The 2028 Global Intelligence Crisis,” published Sunday by Citrini Research, strikes a doomsday tone about the looming threat of AI to white-collar work, and what could potentially lead to a “global intelligence crisis.”

“For the entirety of modern economic history, human intelligence has been the scarce input,” wrote Citrini Research in the report. “We are now experiencing the unwind of that premium.”

It continued: “Machine intelligence is now a competent and rapidly improving substitute for human intelligence across a growing range of tasks. The financial system, optimized over decades for a world of scarce human minds, is repricing. That repricing is painful, disorderly, and far from complete.”

Citrini Research was founded by James van Geelen, who co-authored the post with Alap Shah, known for running AI-focused investment fund, Lotus Technology Management. The small research firm, which started in 2023, is one of the top finance blogs on Substack, according to The Wall Street Journal.

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The authors noted the article was not a prediction, but a hypothetical situation as if it were June 2028, and posed the question of whether “our AI bullishness continues to be right…and what if that’s actually bearish?”

Despite the cautionary note, the article spread like wildfire Monday. Shares in software firms that utilize AI – Datadog, CrowdStrike and Zscaler – each dropped more than 9 percent.

IBM, which has an integrated AI development studio Watsonx, also saw its stock drop 13 percent, in its worst one-day performance since 2000.

American Express, KKR and Blackstone, all mentioned in the Citrini post, also fell, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Share in DoorDash fell 6.6 percent Monday after the article called the delivery app a “poster child” for how new AI technology would disrupt businesses that profit from so-called “interpersonal friction.”

Citrini suggested that in the future, AI agents would help drivers and customers navigate food deliveries at a much lower cost.

DoorDash co-founder Andy Fang responded to the report by saying that that he believes “agentic commerce will be transformative to the industry” – referencing shopping powered by AI agents acting on customers’ behalf.

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But with it, his company will need to evolve in ways to work for both AI agents and customers. “The ground is shifting underneath our feet, and the industry is going to need to adapt to it,” he wrote on X.

AI has been driving global financial markets for the past couple of years, though experts have questioned whether its a stock market “bubble” due to overconfidence from investors. Bubbles are dangerous as prices become disconnected from the value of the companies, meaning they can suddenly collapse without warning.

The AI boom can be felt throughout industries, though some young people worry AI will take away entry level jobs. A 2025 report from think tank the Brookings Institution suggests AI adoption has led to employment and firm growth, but not widespread job loss.

The fears of AI disruption are “happening sooner than most folks anticipated,” Jordan Rizzuto, chief investment officer for investment strategy research firm GammaRoad Capital Partners, told the Journal. “Such is the nature of an accelerating technology.”

Global stocks were also lower on Monday due to fresh uncertainty over U.S. trade policy. Over the weekend, President Donald Trump said he would increase his global tariff rate to 15 percent, after the Supreme Court ruled his sweeping global tariffs were unlawfully imposed.

Children brought in handmade ‘thank you’ cards after finding out that the library would be closing

A Cambridgeshire library that opened more than 100 years ago has closed due to fire risk concerns. The library in Waterbeach closed on Saturday, February 21.

Waterbeach Library had been lending books since 1922, but failed a fire inspection three years ago. Mike Richmond, chair of the volunteers who run the facility, said the group had been hoping to get a replacement building on the same site but “time ran out to do that”.

The group is now looking at other temporary locations. The library is run by a team of volunteers, who have been lobbying local authorities for funding for a replacement building for the past three years.

In September 2025, they presented a petition signed by hundreds of local residents asking Waterbeach Parish Council to support the service continuing. Waterbeach Parish Council has been contacted for more information.

The library has more than 14,000 books per year borrowed by more than 1,300 members. Locals who used the library have shared their sadness about the closure.

One person wrote on a Facebook post that the news was ‘very sad’, highlighting that it is “such a loss to the village”. Another said: “I had so many happy times in the library, I am sorry you are closing. Thank you for everything.”

Mike, chair of Waterbeach Library Volunteers, said that he feels “general sadness and disappointment” about the closure of the “very popular” library. “Lots of children would be coming in around the end of school,” he added. Mike continued: “We have had handmade thank you cards from some of the children who come in, which is really sweet of them.”

Good afternoon and welcome to live coverage of the 2026 T20 World Cup Super Eights Group Two match between England and Pakistan in Pallekele. Kandy must be among England’s favourite homes from home, not just for its beauty – they have won four games on the bounce there this year in bilaterals against the hosts and then again versus Sri Lanka in their first match at this stage on Sunday. At times during that victory, in comments sections, social media, on TMS and on the ICC’s world feed used by Sky, there was something more than disquiet about England’s performance with the bat. Rage at slipshod batting during the Ashes and a general impatience with Brendon McCullum has not been diluted by the switch in formats. If anything it seems to have redoubled.

And yet England won comfortably, once again proving Sir Geoffrey Boycott’s old adage about it being foolish to judge a pitch until you have seen both sides batting on it to be as perceptive as ever. England have triumphed in a couple of nippers against Nepal and Scotland and were beaten by West Indies who have been magnificent so far and are, with South Africa, streets ahead of everyone else, including the hosts India. Given that Pakistan vs New Zealand was a washout, though, victory for England today would all but guarantee a semi-final place with a game to spare. How they then overcome one of the titans from Group One can be left for another day.

Victory over Pakistan, a team they have beaten in all three previous meetings at the T20 World Cup and in the past five bilaterals in succession, is not a given even if they will be playing on a fresh pitch today rather than Sunday’s tacky strip. The opener Sahbizada Farhan is the tournament’s leading runscorer with 220, including an unbeaten hundred in his last innings plus a 47 and 73 before that. Beneath him, however, no other batsman has accumulated a hundred runs across their four completed matches while England’s Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks, Phil Salt, Sam Curran and Harry Brook have all managed that, albeit in five. England have not been able to collar finger-spinners in the tournament so far and in Usman Tariq (see below), Mohammad Nawaz, the Bertie Bassett Saim Ayub, plus the leggies Abrah Ahmed and Shadab Kahn, they have quite the battery.

The big worry remains England’s greatest white-ball batsman, Jos Buttler, who has scores of 26, 21, three, three and seven so far. Having said that, in Pallekele last month he made a swashbuckling 17, then 39 and 25 in England’s three victories and the left shoulder wiggle that tells us all about his intent and confidence was present on Sunday. He may not regain his swagger today and score heavily but it is far too soon to write him off. England were given the day off on Monday after their exertions in sweltering humidity the night before. But Buttler insisted on having a net and, encouragingly, found the middle of his bat. 

Calling it “one of the toughest decisions” she has ever had to make, she said stepping away from the role was necessary to protect her health. “Sometimes it’s OK to put yourself first,” she added. “In this situation, I had to put my health first. I’m better for it, but I’m sad — really sad.”

England captain Harry Brook reaches his first century in T20 internationals off 50 balls and becomes the second England player to score a hundred in a T20 World Cup chase, following Alex Hales’ 116 v Sri Lanka in 2014.

MATCH REPORT: Stunning Brook century leads England into semis

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The decision by the US Supreme Court to rule most of Donald Trump’s “liberation day” tariffs illegal will have far-ranging consequences for the president’s economic agenda. Although the administration will find other ways to increase tariffs, their usefulness as a weapon of economic warfare will be diminished. And the issue – among the most unpopular of the president’s economic policies – will cause him serious political damage.

Trump’s first move following the ruling has been to impose a 15% tariff on all imports. Imposed under a little-used law, the tariff rate is fixed and time-limited to 150 days before needing congressional approval. It would take only a few Republicans to block its extension. And the midterm elections are looming.

Using a flat-rate tariff means that some countries that settled earlier and got a better deal – including the UK – are now worse off, while others that had a higher tariff rate imposed on them have, at least for now, benefited. It also could mean that those that pledged to invest hundreds of billions in the US economy – including Japan and the EU – may now question whether their commitment still stands.

Trump’s ability to threaten instant retaliation to any country that crosses him will also be constrained by the other two legal routes he can use to raise tariffs. Both provisions would require time-consuming, detailed investigations into specific industries or countries, and rates once fixed cannot as easily be changed.

The domestic political fallout from the Supreme Court decision is also substantial. Two thirds of the US public disapprove of Trump’s tariff policy, with large sections believing that his tariffs are inflationary.

Democrats are already calling for the money raised to be returned to consumers. And businesses, including small firms hit hard by the tariffs, are suing the government. If the US government can no longer rely on the income from tariffs – which rocketed to US$287 billion (£211 billion) this year – it would put further pressure on the fast-growing federal budget deficit. This is already US$2 trillion and projected to rise to US$3 trillion by the 2030s, as a result of Trump’s large tax cuts.

Nor have Trump’s tariffs achieved their objectives. The trade deficit was slightly larger in 2025 than the year before, with US$1 trillion more goods being imported than exported. Tariffs have not boosted jobs: manufacturing employment fell by 80,000 and unemployment is up to 4.3% compared to 4% in January 2025.

The bigger problem for the president is the overall performance of the economy. The Republicans have only a narrow majority in the House of Representatives, and most observers are predicting that the Democrats will gain control in November. Trump’s ratings on his performance on the economy have been slipping, with 55% now disapproving. And 65% disapprove of his handling of inflation.

He now faces an uphill struggle in the State of the Union address to convince the public that the economy is back on track under his leadership.

Weak growth and high inflation

There is still debate over how much the tariffs have contributed to inflation, but the US economy is only growing at 2.2% a year, its slowest rate since 2020.

Inflation is the main concern of US voters, with figures putting the rate at 2.9% – well above the Federal Reserve target of 2%. Estimates by economists suggest that companies are increasingly passing on the cost of tariffs to consumers, which may well be driving inflation. Recent job figures may have provided some more positive news, but voter worries about high prices may be hard to shift.

Trump’s next battle is for control of the US Federal Reserve. This independent agency sets short-term interest rates and manages the US currency – Trump wants it to sharply cut interest rates to boost the economy. But Fed chair Jerome Powell is reluctant to cut rates too quickly when inflation is not yet contained.

Powell’s term is due to end in May, and the president has nominated a new chair, Kevin Walsh, who backs his policy of more interest rate cuts. But he will need to convince a majority of the other 11 members of the Fed’s Open Market Committee to go along with these.

Trump, as well as being openly critical of Powell, also fired (in an unprecedented act) Fed governor Lisa Cook, a supporter of Powell who was appointed by President Joe Biden. This decision is being challenged in the Supreme Court, and in a preliminary hearing several judges appeared to be sceptical of its legality – including Brett Kavanaugh, a conservative who voted in favour of Trump in the tariff case.

Financial markets could wobble if Trump succeeds in taking political control of the Fed. Its independence is seen as vital for ensuring non-partisan and credible management of interest rates and inflation. But if Trump does force the Fed to cut rates further, this could add to the inflationary pressures and damage the Republicans’ path to retaining power in the midterms.

After one year back in power, Trump’s failure to deliver his promised transformation of the US economy (and especially to tackle inflation) is having serious political consequences that could damage his freedom of action. The Supreme Court’s ruling has thrown US tariff policy into turmoil and weakened the president’s ability to dictate to other countries on both economic and political issues.

If the Supreme Court also backs the independence of the Federal Reserve, Trump’s bid for complete control of US economic policy will face another major setback. But the most important limit on the president’s powers would be a defeat for the Republicans in the midterm congressional elections in the House of Representatives, leading to a divided Congress that will no longer rubber-stamp Trump’s policies.