Six backcountry skiers have been found alive, with 10 others still missing, following an avalanche in Northern California on Tuesday, amidst a powerful winter storm moving through the state.

Search and rescue teams were deployed to the Castle Peak area, northwest of Lake Tahoe, after a 911 call reported an avalanche with individuals buried.

Ashley Quadros, a spokesperson for the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, confirmed the six located skiers were awaiting rescue and had been instructed to “shelter in place as best they can” while specialist ski teams reached them.

She added that 46 emergency first responders are currently working to reach the group.

The group included four ski guides with 12 clients, Quadros said.

The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call at about 11:30 a.m. from someone reporting an avalanche with people buried, Quadros said.

The sheriff’s office, the sheriff’s Search & Rescue team and a crew with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection combed the area of Castle Peak, which is northwest of Lake Tahoe, Quadros said.

California is being walloped this week by a powerful winter storm carrying treacherous thunderstorms, high winds and heavy snow in mountain areas.

According to the Sierra Avalanche Center of the Tahoe National Forest based in Truckee, the area in the Central Sierra Nevada, including the Greater Lake Tahoe region, was facing high avalanche danger in the backcountry with large slides expected to occur Tuesday and into Wednesday.

The dangerous conditions were caused by rapidly accumulating snowfall piling on already fragile snowpack layers coupled with gale-force winds.

Several ski resorts around Lake Tahoe were fully or partially closed due to the extreme weather. The resorts along highways have avalanche mitigation programs and were not expected to be at as high of a risk as the backcountry where travel in, near, or below the avalanche terrain was strongly discouraged, the center said.

“It’s particularly dangerous in the backcountry right now just because we’re at the height of the storm,” said Brandon Schwartz, Tahoe National Forest lead avalanche forecaster at the center.

Experts rely on people who witness an avalanche or its aftermath to know when and where an avalanche has occurred, Schwartz said.

Castle Peak, a 9,110-foot (2,777-meter) peak in the Donner Summit area of the Sierra Nevada, is a popular backcountry skiing destination. In the nearby town of Soda Springs, at least 30 inches (76 centimeters) of snow had fallen in the last 24 hours, according to the Soda Springs Mountain Resort.

Forecasters said the western slope of the Sierra Nevada in northern Shasta County — including portions of Interstate 5 — and parts of the state’s Pacific Coast Range could see up to 8 feet (2.4 meters) of snow before the storm moves through late Wednesday.

The storm wreaked havoc on roadways spanning from Sonoma County to the Sierra Nevada. Traffic was halted temporarily in both directions on I-80 near the Nevada state line due to spinouts and crashes, the California Department of Transportation reported.

In January, an avalanche in the region buried a snowmobiler in snow and killed him, authorities said. Each winter, 25 to 30 people die in avalanches in the U.S., according to the National Avalanche Center.

The old Belfast Met building at Whiterock is currently being demolished

A 77-unit social housing development has been approved for Whiterock Road, West Belfast.

Elected members of the the Belfast Planning Committee on Tuesday (February 17) unanimously approved a mix of 26 semi-detached houses and 51 apartments, as well as a new children’s centre, new car parking, a new substation, landscaping, open space and access at the former Belfast Metropolitan College Campus, Whiterock Road, Belfast.

The applicant is Newpark Developments Ltd, Omagh Road, Dromore, Co. Tyrone.

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The site is a former school and college, which consisted of two buildings, one containing the Whiterock Children’s Centre on the eastern portion of the site and the other building is a boxing club on the western portion. The old building is currently being demolished.

A similar application was presented and approved by the Planning Committee in December 2024. The key difference between applications is the amalgamation of apartment block A and the children centre to create an additional 15 apartment units. All other housing units and apartment blocks B and C remain unchanged.

Statutory and non-statutory consultees supported the proposal, and the council received no third party representations. Council officers recommended the application for approval.

The council officer planning report states: “The site is within the settlement limits for the city and un-zoned “white land” within the most recent version of draft Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan 2015.

“The site is a suitable location for housing being within a generally residential area; the proposal would make effective use of previously developed land; i.e. site of a former school/college building. The height, scale and massing of the proposed buildings are in keeping with the surrounding area.

“The proposal would provide dedicated in-curtilage and off-street parking, the site is in a highly sustainable location with access to public transport.”

It adds: “The proposal is for social housing in the form of two storey semi detached housing and apartment blocks. The proposal will provide quality housing that will add to the variety of housing stock offered in this location.”

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John Lewis insists near 7% pay rise is not compensate workers for what could be another year when their bonus is scrapped

Around 65,000 workers at John Lewis are to get an inflation-busting pay rise in April.

The John Lewis Partnership, which spans department stores and Waitrose supermarkets, said shop floor pay will rise by nearly 7%, or the equivalent of £1,600 a year for a full time worker. Staff at the high street giant are known as partners because the business is owned by its employees.

However, there is no word yet on whether they will get a partner bonus this year – having not received one since 2022. Jason Tarry, the partnership’s chair, has said: “We are committed to paying a bonus as soon as we possibly can.”

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A spokesperson said the announcement of the pay rise was unrelated to the bonus, which will be decided by the Board in March. Under former Tesco bigwig Mr Tarry – and managing director Peter Ruis – the business has been attempting to revive its fortunes after suffering heavy losses in recent years.

John Lewis said 99.6% of its partners will benefit from a pay rise, worth a total of £108million. From April 1, those working on the shop floor across John Lewis and Waitrose will receive a 6.9% increase – with minimum hourly rates rising to £13.25 UK-wide, and £14.80 at stores within the M25.

Rates of pay increase to £14.31 per hour for partners who gain enhanced skills and take on specialist roles, rising to £15.98 within the M25. The increases are in part a reflection of the higher statutory National Living Wage from the start of April, when the rate for workers aged 21 and over will go up 4.1% to £12.71 an hour.

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Helen Webb, chief people officer for the John Lewis Partnership, said: “Our Partners are the heartbeat of our business. This £108m investment is about putting more money into their pockets month-in, month-out. This pay growth demonstrates a sustained commitment to Partner pay, consistent with previous years.

“This ensures that the rewards for our Partners’ hard work are built into their monthly pay as we continue to invest in the future of the Partnership.”

In addition to the baseline pay, workers at Partnership also get discounts at John Lewis and Waitrose. The firm says it also offers up to a 12% pension contribution, discounted rates to its network of hotels across the UK, up to £275 towards subsidising personal development and leisure activities such as theatre and live events, subsidised meals, and a wide ranging health and wellbeing offer including options for self-referral to physiotherapy and counselling.

The Partnership announced in September that losses for the six months to the end of July nearly tripled to £88million. Bosses blamed a hit from restructuring costs as well as new tax and regulatory charges. The group operates 36 department stores and more than 300 Waitrose supermarkets.

The incident has been reported on Wilkinson Road on the Oldhams Estate in Astley Bridge this morning, February 17.

Eyewitnesses say that at least two United Utilities tankers are on scene, with water said to be “cascading” down a set of steps on the road.

United Utilities’ website describes the issue as a “leak”, that it is investigating the problem, and that it will provide updates as soon as it can.

It states: “We’re sorry for the inconvenience and will be out to get this repaired soon.”

One resident who lives nearby said: “This morning the water pressure was low, then two tankers turned up.

“The water is cascading down the street.”

A spokesman for United Utilities said: “We have a team working in the area working to repair a leak on a water main.

“We brought in our ‘water on wheels’ tankers to maintain supplies for customers in the area while work is completed. We’re working hard to get everything back to normal as soon as possible and apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

After Benfica’s clash against Real Madrid was halted over alleged racist comments made towards Vinicius Jr, former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg’s remarks on the matter did not go down well

Mark Clattenburg’s reaction to alleged racism towards Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr has received strong criticism on social media. The former Premier League referee was providing punditry for Amazon Prime alongside Alan Shearer for the Champions League play-off clash.

Alvaro Arbeloa’s side broke the deadlock shortly after half-time, with Vinicius Junior scoring what went on to be the winning goal in spectacular fashion. The winger bent a shot into the top corner and celebrated enthusiastically by dancing in front of a corner flag.

As he was given a yellow card for his celebration, the Brazilian claimed he had been racially abused. Referee Francois Letexier reacted by activating UEFA’s anti-racism protocol, resulting in a prolonged 10-minute stoppage in play.

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Sharing his perspective on the situation, Clattenburg implied that Vinicius reporting the alleged remarks had made life ‘very difficult’ for the referee.

He said: “As a referee, I have had this situation before when players have reported a racial comment on the field of play.

“All he (the referee) can do is make the report. Afterwards, then Uefa will look into this. As a referee it is very difficult in this situation.”

He faced widespread condemnation for that analysis on X (formerly Twitter), with numerous viewers expressing their disapproval. @AdamJoseph wrote: “Mark Clattenburg, get a clue. Saying Vinicius Junior has ‘made it difficult’. He can celebrate scoring in front of the crowd.

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“There is NOTHING wrong with that. In no way does it justify or legitimise alleged racist abuse. This shouldn’t have to be said.”

@AlexisIsKavkas tweeted: “Clattenburg’s comments on TNT are absolutely disgraceful. TNT need to get the mic away from him, he is digging a deeper hole for himself, he isn’t giving enough importance to what was said to Vini.”

@MikeHal08477906 shared: “Honestly, I can’t see Mark Clattenburg being invited onto another show after his antics about Vini Jr. I could feel Alan Shearer cringing through my television and I wonder if he told the director to shut him up.”

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@RussMCR also said: “Mark Clattenburg has had a stinker,” whilst @jonsheaa simply penned: “Mark Clattenburg? Are you okay?”

The match was halted for approximately 10 minutes before play eventually resumed, with the Real Madrid squad returning to the pitch after initially departing. The exact words directed at Vinicius that triggered the interruption remain unclear, but the allegation came after Gianluca Prestianni had covered his mouth while confronting the Madrid man.

Shearer, who was serving as a pundit alongside Clattenburg, said: “We don’t know what’s been said to him. We can see Jose Mourinho down there and he’s gone speaking to Real Madrid staff and Vini Jr himself to calm him down.

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“It’s such a shame, isn’t it? We should be talking about an excellent piece of skill and how he produced a piece of magic which this game needed.”

Following the pause in play, Vinicius was met with jeers from Benfica fans every time he touched the ball. He initially refused to re-enter the pitch but later rejoined the rest of the Real Madrid team.

In the final moments of the match, Benfica manager Mourinho was given his marching orders, in a separate incident, after receiving two yellow cards in rapid succession. In added time, Vinicius was also struck in the head with a bottle of water, thrown from a member of the home fans.

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SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — State legislators in New Mexico launched an investigation Tuesday into past activity at a secluded desert ranch where financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein once entertained guests and whether local authorities looked the other way.

A bipartisan, four-member panel of state House representatives is investigating allegations that the ranch may have facilitated sexual abuse and sex trafficking. New Mexico lawmakers also say they want to know why Epstein was not registered as a sex offender after pleading guilty in 2008 to soliciting prostitution from an underage girl and whether there was corruption among public officials.

Democratic state Rep. Marianna Anaya of Albuquerque, a member of the truth commission, urged people during a news conference Tuesday to come forward with information about any abuse at the ranch linked to Epstein and other people who may have it possible.

“That perpetrator could not act alone. They could not run a sex ring alone, they could not commit these types of financial crimes alone. So we know as a commission that enablers must also be held accountable, including the state itself, if needed,” said Anaya. “If you do want to share, we’ll be here and we will be operating with confidentiality.”

Revelations of ties to Epstein have led to the departure or ousting of multiple high-profile people in recent days.

Epstein purchased the sprawling Zorro Ranch in New Mexico in 1993 from former Democratic Gov. Bruce King and built a 26,700-square-foot (2,480-square-meter) hilltop mansion with a private runway.

The property was sold by Epstein’s estate in 2023 — with proceeds going toward creditors — to the family of Don Huffines, a Republican candidate in Texas for election to the office of state comptroller. In a social media post on X, Huffines said the property has been renamed San Rafael Ranch after a saint associated with healing and that his family plans to operate a Christian retreat there.

Huffines said any request by law enforcement for access would be met with immediate and full cooperation.

Epstein killed himself in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial in 2019 on charges that he sexually abused and trafficked dozens of underage girls.

Truth commission chairwoman and state Rep. Andrea Romero of Santa Fe has said that several survivors of Epstein’s abuse have signaled that sex trafficking activity extended to the ranch, which is about 35 miles (56 kilometers) south of Santa Fe.

“We’ve heard years of allegations and rumors about Epstein’s activities here. But unfortunately, federal investigations have failed to put together an official record,” Romero said Tuesday. “This truth commission will finally fill in the gaps of what we need to know.”

Commission members also include retired FBI agent and Republican state Rep. William Hall of Aztec and former district attorney and Rep. Andrea Reeb of Clovis. State House legislators who were present voted unanimously on Monday to create the commission with subpoena power and a budget of over $2 million.

While Epstein never faced charges in New Mexico, the state attorney general’s office in 2019 confirmed that it was investigating and had interviewed possible victims who visited the ranch.

In 2023, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez ordered an investigation into financial businesses utilized by Epstein and their legal obligations, resulting in agreements with two banks that dedicate $17 million to the prevention of human trafficking, according to a spokesperson for Torrez’s office.

Prolific thief Adam Gosling, 39, casually stole dozens of drinks from the shelves of a Greggs store in west London on 38 different occasions over the course of six weeks

This is the moment a brazen thief stuffed his bags with drinks from Greggs before later returning to clear shelves.

Adam Gosling, 39, nicked nearly £2,000 worth of food from the popular bakery chain’s store in Greenford, west London, on 38 occasions between December last year and February 10. Gosling has been spared jail after he appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates Court earlier today.

Metropolitan Police video shared the moment Gosling was arrested by officers who quickly hauled him into one of their vehicles. They later uploaded several instances where Gosling stole numerous items from the shelves before casually walking out as though he had done nothing wrong.

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Gosling targeted items in thefts that ranged from £12.30 to £100 per visit and, on several occasions he hit the same shop multiple times in a single day. Over the course of six weeks, Gosling is estimated to have stolen goods worth £1,817.50.

Greggs staffed logged the thefts after they realised many items had vanished from their shelves. The Metropolitan Police’s Greenford Broadway safer neighbourhood team said one man, nicknamed “Hamster” by staff, had been the “most prolific” thief.

The defendant, who the court heard was homeless, pleaded guilty to 38 counts of theft from a shop. Chairwoman of the magistrates bench Judy Gregg sentenced him to four months suspended for one year.

“This result is the direct outcome of strong partnership work with Greggs staff, who have been exceptionally proactive in recording offences and supporting our investigation,” police community support officer James Tupman wrote after he was charged. “The volume of thefts had a significant impact on the business and our officers worked tirelessly to gather evidence, identify the offender and put long-term measures in place to prevent reoffending.”

Superintendent Sean Lynch, who leads neighbourhood policing in Ealing, said: “We are committed to tackling issues that have a real impact on businesses and communities – including shoplifting. In the last year, theft offences have fallen by 8.3 per cent in Ealing and 9.5 per cent across the Met as a whole.

“While we recognise there is more to do to continue to drive down crime, our officers will continue to work with their communities and businesses to tackle repeat offenders and bring them to justice.”

Gosling told The Mirror after he appeared in court: “Well I took drinks and I apologise wholeheartedly to Greggs and I’ll never do it again. I really mean that. The remorse I have is unbelievable and if I had a chance to say sorry to them I would go do it straight away.

“I’m going to make sure that people I know who do it are going to stop as well. This is the start of my new life and I’ll make sure there’s no new problems with Greggs.”

She was crowned NI’s top young chef after impressing judges during the regional heat

A young aspiring chef from Belfast is celebrating after being crowned the regional winner as part of a national competition to find the UK’s top young chef.

Hanna Asish won a spot in the final after impressing the judges during the regional heat, hosted at Belfast Met’s Titanic Quarter.

Hanna, 14 and from Our Lady and St Patrick’s College in East Belfast, beat tough competition from local students and will now head to London this March to represent Northern Ireland in the UK-wide Springboard FutureChef 2026 final.

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Now in its 27th year, Springboard FutureChef is the UK’s largest school culinary competition, with a long list of successful alumni, including Poppy O’Toole, the self-titled ‘Potato Queen’ of Instagram, Tom Hamblet, winner of Masterchefs the Professionals and Young MasterChef finalist, Bobby Odu, the owner of Bobby Bakes.

Throughout the competition, participants are mentored and judged by all-star Springboard FutureChef Champions and supporters, with Lead Judge for 2026 being the multi-award-winning Chef, Chantelle Nicholson.

Hanna blew judges away with her main course of Manor Farm, thyme butter roasted chicken, herb and sesame crusted chicken lollipop, hasselback comber baby potatoes, tender stem broccoli and carrot puree, followed by Granny Smith apple and baked oats crumble with aerated vanilla custard and pannacotta and baby toffee apple for dessert.

Speaking about the impressive win, Hanna said: “This has been such an amazing competition and overall experience. I can’t believe I’ve won. My mentor Garreth has worked so hard with me in preparation for today, helping and guiding me, as well as teaching me the culinary skills I needed to prepare my meals today. So excited to have won and now going to London to represent Northern Ireland at the UK finals”.

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