Takaichi took office last October and rumours of a snap election began circulating almost immediately but observers expected the government to first pass the 2026 budget by March. Takaichi decided not to wait.
“I’m putting my future as prime minister on the line,” she said at a press conference after dissolving the lower house of parliament and calling the general election for 8 February. “I want people to decide directly whether they can entrust the management of the country to me.”
Analysts said the call for a snap election was mainly intended to use Takaichi’s strong popularity to bolster the LDP and reinforce the new coalition’s grip on power.
According to a new opinion poll released by The Asahi Shimbun over the weekened, the LDP is likely to surpass the 233-seat threshold needed for a majority on its own, improving on its current 198 seats. The ruling bloc together is projected to get over 300 seats.
Ahead of the election, however, the yen this week fell to near a two-week low, signalling distress in the economy that could affect the outcome.
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Sanae Takaichi speaks during a press conference in Tokyo on 19 January 2026 (AFP via Getty)
Why does this election matter?
Takaichi is Japan’s first female prime minister. Her approval ratings have been strong since she took power, averaging above 70 per cent. She stands apart from her predecessors by commanding exceptional backing among younger voters, with more than 90 per cent of Japanese voters aged 18 to 29 showing support for her in several polls.
The LDP currently holds 198 of the 465 seats in the lower house after a poor showing in the 2024 general election under Shigeru Ishiba, making it overly dependent on Ishin. Analysts say Takaichi is seeking to win the LDP-Ishin coalition a clearer majority.
A big win for Takaichi may mark a major shift in Japan’s politics, Prof Margarita Estevez-Abe from Syracuse University, who specialises in Japanese politics and political economy, tells The Independent.
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“It will break the political ‘conventional wisdom’ that the LDP needs the electoral cooperation of Komeito to win. The LDP will learn that right-wing populism is the correct winning strategy. Any push toward the centre will vanish from within the LDP,” she says.
Komeito, Estevez-Abe notes, is “the political wing of the Soka Gakkai, which functions as an extremely well-organised political machine” and the LDF relied on it for decades to win elections.
Japanese Communist Party chair Tomoko Tamura, Democratic Party for the People leader Yuichiro Tamaki, Centrist Reform Alliance co-leader Yoshihiko Noda, Liberal Democratic Party president Sanae Takaichi, Japan Innovation Party co-leader Fumitake Fujita, Sanseito leader Sohei Kamiya, Reiwa Shinsengumi co-leader Akiko Oishi pose during a panel discussion at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo on 26 January 2026 (AFP via Getty)
It was long believed the LDP would not be able to win in urban regions without the help of Soka Gakkai, she says. “It was primarily for this reason that the LDP kept Komeito as a junior coalition partner for so long.”
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If Takaichi can turn personal appeal into votes for her party, the LDP will more than offset the losses from cutting ties with Komeito.
But this will come at a price: the loss of a moderate partner will likely weaken Japan’s centre-left forces.
“Cutbacks on welfare benefits for the elderly and increased defence spending will be much easier in a political environment where the centre-left loses much significance,” Estevez-Abe explains.
There are other risks. Any loss of ground could damage the prime minister’s agenda and her standing at home and overseas.
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“Despite Takaichi’s popularity, support for the LDP remains in the 30 per cent range, reflecting ongoing public concerns,” Yuko Nakano, associate director of the US-Japan Strategic Leadership Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, says.
“Additionally, if the public perceives that Takaichi is prioritising politics over policy, this could have negative effects at the ballot box. Opposition parties, including Democratic Party for the People, which previously agreed to cooperate with the LDP on the timely passage of the budget, have already begun criticising her decision as putting economic priorities on the back burner.”
Sanae Takaichi speaks at an election campaign rally in the Akihabara area of Tokyo on 27 January 2026 (Getty)
What do the main parties stand for?
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Liberal Democratic Party:Japan’s ruling party was formed in 1955 by the merger of two conservative parties and quickly became the country’s dominant political force, promoting political stability and a pro-US orientation during a period of uncertainty following the Second World War.
In recent years, a funding scandal has weakened its standing and cost it majorities in both chambers of the parliament. Under Takaichi, the party has attempted to regain public trust with economic relief proposals including a temporary suspension of the consumption tax on food.
LDP supporters attend a campaign rally with Sanae Takaichi in Himeji, Japan, on 29 January 2026 (Getty)
Japan Innovation Party: The right-wing Ishin, as it’s popularly known, presents itself as a “reformist, next-generation party” focused on breaking with traditional Tokyo-centric politics.
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When Komeito quit the ruling coalition, Takaichi brought in Ishin, the third-largest force in the parliament, to form the government.
Headed by Osaka governor Hirofumi Yoshimura alongside businessman Fumitake Fujita, the party sits to the right of Komeito ideologically. As a partner in the ruling alliance, the party has backed a distinctly conservative agenda: strengthening Japan’s military, maintaining male-only imperial succession, and speeding up the restart of offline nuclear reactors.
Centrist Reform Alliance: Started on 22 January by former rivals Komeito and Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, it positions itself as an alternative to Takaichi’s conservative government, campaigning on cost-of-living relief led by a permanent zero consumption tax on food, tighter rules on political funding, and support for low- and middle-income earners. While ideologically mixed and widely seen as a pragmatic, temporary alliance, it promotes more moderate policies on nuclear power, social issues and governance than the ruling coalition.
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Sanae Takaichi waves during an election campaign rally in Himeji on 29 January 2026 (Getty)
Democratic Party for the People: The centre-right party, headed by Yuichiro Tamaki, positions itself somewhere between the conservative LDP and the opposition left. Formed in 2018 by the merger of the Democratic Party and the Party of Hope and reorganised again in 2020, it argues for “policy-first” politics.
“We’ve sought a new form of politics that prioritises policy over political manoeuvring, placing the lives of the people and the economy first,” Tamaki claimed after the election was announced.
Japanese Communist Party: The left-wing party promotes economic equality, a robust welfare state and pacifism, while rejecting military expansion and nuclear energy. The party traces its origin to 1922 when it functioned underground and outside the law. It was formally legalised after the World War.
Now led by Tomoko Tamura, the party argues that Japan should loosen what it sees as an overly dependent relationship with the US and roll back the disputed security laws.
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Yoshihiko Noda of Centrist Reform Alliance greets supporters at an election campaign rally in Yokohama on 28 January 2026 (REUTERS)
Sanseito: The right-wing populist party is campaigning on a “Japanese First” agenda, combining strong nationalism with opposition to globalism, immigration, and what it sees as elite-driven policies. The party led by Sohei Kamiya rose to prominence by tapping into public anger against economic stagnation, inflation, overtourism, and rapid social change.
It’s pushing for stricter immigration controls, tougher defence policies, tax cuts, and selective welfare focused on Japanese citizens, using anti-establishment messaging and social media to mobilise younger, disillusioned voters.
Conservative Party of Japan: After Japan passed the LGBT Understanding Promotion Act in 2023, novelist Naoki Hyakuta and journalist Kaori Arimoto launched the party in opposition.
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The party says that it seeks to “protect Japan’s national polity and traditional culture”, and is defined by a far-right nationalist outlook, including a tendency to downplay the country’s wartime actions, notably the Nanjing Massacre in China.
Reiwa Shinsengumi: The left-leaning, anti-establishment party was founded in 2019 by former actor-turned-lawmaker Taro Yamamoto. It focuses on social justice and inclusion, advocating policies like scrapping the consumption tax, opposing nuclear power, raising wages, introducing basic income, rolling back Japan’s 2015 security laws, and strengthening protections for people with disabilities as well as animals.
It also strongly opposes constitutional changes that it says will expand the powers of the state.
The party gained attention by electing lawmakers with severe disabilities, prompting accessibility reforms in the parliament.
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Hirofumi Yoshimura, Osaka governor and leader of the Japan Innovation Party, delivers a campaign speech in Kobe on 27 January 2026 (Getty)
How many candidates are in the fray?
More than 1,200 candidates are contesting for the 465 lower house seats, with 289 decided in local districts and 176 through a proportional representation system that sees voters cast a separate ballot for a party in larger regional blocs, allowing smaller parties to win seats based on their overall support.
The LDP is fielding the most candidates followed by the Centrist Reform Alliance, Ishin, and Democratic Party for the People.
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Tetsuo Saito, leader of Komeito, at an election campaign rally in Kobe on 27 January 2026 (Getty)
What might a victory for Takaichi signal?
A recent Kyodo News poll suggested that Takaichi’s coalition was on track to secure a majority in the lower house. The survey projected the coalition to win 233 or more of the 465 seats, strengthening the mandate for the prime minister to press ahead with her fiscal and policy agenda.
Analysts warn that a victory for Takaichi may usher into a “new hawkish, anti-welfare and xenophobic era”.
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Takaichi will need allies in the upper house and, without Komeito out of the coalition, her only options are right-wing parties such as Ishin and Sanseito, Estevez-Abe notes. These partners are likely to push for hawkish, nationalist, and anti-welfare policies, meaning there may be few checks on extreme or risky government actions, she says.
“In sum, if Takaichi wins,” she argues, “the market might become the only brake left to stop her government from engaging in follies.”
Vernon Kay is currently hosting his new BBC show, Do You Know Your Place?, alongside The Traitors star Paul Gorton
Olivia Wheeler Content Editor Screen Time
22:02, 25 Feb 2026
Vernon Kay has disclosed that he and his wife Tess Daly spent considerable time discussing her choice to leave Strictly Come Dancing last year.
The BBC radio presenter appeared alongside Joe Swash, Rob Rinder and Jordan Banjo on ITV’s Loose Men in November, where the panel explored the significance of making major decisions together in relationships.
Vernon explained on Loose Men back in November: “It’s a team effort, a relationship is when two become one,” he began.
“It’s important that you make those big decisions together, or at least, make a decision and then share it.
“We had a big one recently in our household, and we sat and shared it for quite a while which is what you have to do when something has been in your life for so long, like Strictly Come Dancing.
“You have to sit and make a decision and share it, and come up with how, what, where, when, why.”
Last year, Tess and her co-host Claudia Winkleman revealed they would be departing Strictly Come Dancing following the conclusion of the 2025 series.
Vernon publicly backed his wife straight away after the announcement, resharing news reports on his Instagram Stories and posting a fan’s illustration of Claudia and Tess, with the caption: “What a fantastic duo they have been.”
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Vernon, who assumed Ken Bruce’s BBC Radio 2 programme in May 2023, has been wed to Tess since 2003, with the pair raising two daughters.
Several weeks following her Strictly declaration, Vernon demonstrated his support for Tess again when she collected her MBE honour in November. She was honoured in the King’s Birthday Honours for services to broadcasting and collected her award at Windsor Castle on 12 November.
Vernon commemorated the milestone with a touching tribute posted on Instagram. He said: “Huge congratulations Tess, since we met your drive, dedication, focus and professionalism in how you work and live is a huge inspiration.
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“You deserve your MBE today. 21 years at the helm of Strictly Come Dancing is a record for any female in entertainment telly. Let’s pop those corks!”. Tess responded to his supportive words with several red heart emojis.
Do You Know Your Place? airs on BBC Two, weekdays at 6.30PM.
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The airport has confirmed the new system will come into effect from midnight on March 26, allowing drivers to enter and exit the car park without stopping at barriers or pay stations.
Announcing the change, a spokesman said: “We’re introducing a new barrierless parking system, so you can simply drive in and out without stopping.
“No barriers. No queues. No pay stations.
“Your vehicle will be recognised automatically, and you can pay after your visit – online, by phone, or via Auto Pay.
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“This change takes place from 00:01 on March 25, 2026.
At the time, Manchester Airport said the changes would “streamline the drop-off and pick-up process, making it quicker, more convenient, and stress-free”.
When the forecourt system was rolled out, Manchester Airport’s landside operations director Sue West said: “Here at Manchester Airport we’re always looking for ways to make our passengers’ lives easier.
“By removing barriers in our drop-off and pick-up zones it will speed up the process and make it feel seamless.”
However, the barrierless system has proved controversial, sparking debate among Bolton residents.
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Yasmin Qureshi has voiced her concerns over the barrierless drop-off system (Image: Office of Yasmin Qureshi MP)
Yasmin Qureshi raised the issue in Westminster after receiving complaints from constituents who were fined £100 at the airport.
The penalties followed confusion with payment systems, with some unable to complete payment despite “genuine attempts to do so”.
She said: “The current system is unfair, confusing and punitive. It does not work for passengers, and it is time for a change.
“The aim of a barrierless system is to keep traffic moving, but we have to be honest about the human reality.
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“A parent unloading luggage at 5 am or a carer helping an elderly relative to the terminal door is not thinking about an online payment later that day.
“They should not receive a penalty notice in the post just because there is no clear or simple way to pay at the time.”
The penalties followed confusion with payment systems, with some unable to complete payment despite “genuine attempts to do so”.
In response, a Manchester Airport spokesperson said: “Dropping passengers off at Manchester Airport is free if drivers use the drop-off area at JetParks One.
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“This is served by regular shuttle buses that take passengers to the doors of our terminals in just a few minutes.
“For those that want to be able to drop passengers off on our forecourts, we offer a service that lets drivers pay £5 for five minutes.
“This is cheaper than is offered at most comparably sized airports and our analysis shows it allows most people more than enough time to drop passengers off, thanks to our barrierless exits which remove bottlenecks.
“People can, however, stay for longer at a small extra charge – that rate is also cheaper than at most comparable airports.
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“Space in our drop-off and pick-up zones is finite so charging to use them helps make sure they are available to people who need them and function efficiently while also helping us manage traffic on our road network.”
The new barrierless system at the T2 multi-storey car park comes into force from March 26, with drivers urged to ensure payment is made by midnight the following day to avoid a charge.
Artificial intelligence is accelerating a global economic revolution that began back in the 1970s. Researching the impacts of AI on different sectors of society highlights an important parallel moment in history: the creation of the “service economy” in the US.
In 1972, amid a period of global turmoil, a group of OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) economists sought to reinvent how nations thought not only about wealth but the very purpose of society. They did this by proposing a broad new category of commerce: services.
It seems hard to imagine now, but until then economists had perceived and measured trade largely in terms of goods alone. Money was made by exchanging tangible, physical products (wheat, guns, butter). To become a rich nation, the wisdom went, you needed to add unique value to your raw materials (crops, iron) by turning them into more complex products (processed foods, steel) that gave you a competitive advantage over other countries.
Instead, this new category of services lumped together a diverse range of “intangible” jobs and social goods – from teaching and driving trains to social housing and water – in a huge new economic basket. It suggested there could be common standards by which to trade in them globally, creating metrics that offered a new source of wealth for investors.
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While it would be two decades until the General Agreement on Trade in Services became a cornerstone of the newly formed World Trade Organization in 1995, the reimagining of jobs and social goods as tradeable services had an immediate effect on nations around the world. It spurred a new wave of private enterprise, and changed how and why essential societal activities were provided.
It also enabled the rise of the generalist boss and the creation of the “CEO class”. To run complex sectors from public transport to healthcare required accepting a view of management as a skill divorced from the specifics of the activity being managed.
Statistics and benchmarks became more important than the particulars of the task at hand, since they determined how services were valued in the market. Consulting firms supercharged this new era of key performance indicators, audits, rankings and standardised workflows.
While trade unions and the public sometimes resisted these changes through strikes and street protests, they were largely unable to stem the tide. Many governments came to see their role less as providers of public goods, more as managers of services outsourced to the private sector. This dramatic shift in how global trade operates set the scene for how we view and measure AI today.
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Services on steroids
At its core, AI technology is about seeing patterns across data that, due to scale and complexity, we humans cannot. Acting on what AI tells us can, for example, save lives through early detection of cancer. Yet within that promise, how AI is sold today looks very much like services on steroids.
The services revolution helped create common standards and means of valuation across different sectors of society. Today, when politicians and CEOs speak of AI, it is usually in terms of universal models that can be applied to almost anything, regardless of context or human values.
This understanding is only possible in a society in which many of the sector-specific challenges of, say, health services and utility companies are ironed out and glossed over by those operating and investing in them. The services approach has enabled this.
Amid strategies of mass data capture and subscription services, there is the assumption that only the private sector can be a provider – and that the solutions are largely the same. AI is the lucrative but badly defined tool with which mainly US providers are seeking to drive home their existing competitive advantage.
But this leaves us with an important question from history.
CNBC.
Who benefits?
Looking for parallels between what we see as AI today and the creation of the services economy points to the classic question, cui bono? Who benefits?
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The invention of trade-in-services greatly expanded the range of activities in which financiers might speculate. Through pension funds and private shareholding, many people’s personal wealth grew rapidly as a result.
But it has also led to the rise of large multinational corporations, for example in energy and water utilities. Anger over rising prices and exorbitant CEO bonuses in these sectors are in part a consequence of the services revolution.
The present approach to AI is following a similar, but much-accelerated, path. The rollout of AI has not only made a small group of companies extraordinarily rich and powerful, it has created a global sovereignty crisis.
To use and regulate AI wisely requires being clear-eyed about whether we are talking simply about technology, or a broader political project. Given the evidence of the services revolution, we believe it is time to look beyond the hype and examine more rigorously what AI actually means for different sectors of society – and what exactly it is trying to achieve.
With many people looking for medicines in supermarkets, the Money Saving Expert has shared a way to pay less and save money.
Amber O’Connor and Eilidh Farquhar Trainee Trends, Showbiz and Lifestyle Writer
21:16, 25 Feb 2026
Martin Lewis has shared a handy way shoppers can pay less for medication when shopping at a pharmacy or supermarket. With prices of medicines rising over the years, the money saving expert has revealed a ‘hidden’ code that Brits need to look out for.
With many medicines claiming to do the same thing, it can be hard for shoppers to choose which tablets will work best for them. And with branded items receiving more advertisement, quite a few of us choose them over cheaper alternatives.
However, the MoneySavingExpert website has revealed that people could be paying half the price if they checked the ingredients rather than the brand name. The website advises: “It’s important to realise you can often save big by buying an identical pill, just in different packaging. Some tablets are half the price of their doppelgangers.”
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In order to make sure you aren’t overspending on your non-prescription medication, which is usually sourced for cold, flu, allergies or pain relief, shoppers are advised to look out for a nine-digit identification code on the packaging, reports the Express.
The money saving tool’s guidance states: “How to spot which tablets are identical. Check the ‘PL number’ on the packet. It’s a unique licence number given to a particular drug made by a particular manufacturer.”
This ‘hidden’ code is usually found under the distributor’s information on the back or side of medicine packets. Martin Lewis also highlighted the nine-digit code in a variety of TV shows.
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In a previous appearance on This Morning, he shared that branded doesn’t always guarantee that you are getting the best. He explained: “If they have an identical PL code, which is on the back of the packet, they are the same tablet.
“Not the same active ingredient—the same tablet. “Big pharmaceutical companies spend millions of pounds promoting this, ‘Go with the name you know.’ And that’s just baloney in most cases.”
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To prove his point he compared a £1.85 product with a branded £4.99 medicine, both of which had the same PL code. He added: “This happens all over the place”.
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Many people on social media were blown away by this money saving tip, with the clip racking up over 2,000 likes when it was uploaded on Facebook.
Thousands of people also flooded the comments section, with one person who worked in a pharmacy explaining that most shoppers wouldn’t listen when they gave this advice.
They wrote: “I work in a well-known pharmacy. We tell people of the price difference in pain meds and hay fever stuff mostly, and it’s amazing how many people dare not buy the cheaper own-brand stuff. It can make about £12 difference in some cases. Branding really works.”
With another person adding: “I worked in a pharmacy for years trying to get people to buy the store’s own cheaper brand, but most customers would say only the branded medicines worked!!”
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A third also shared that they have not taken on Lewis’ advice, writing: “Used to buy expensive hayfever tablets for my daughter. Now buy Wilkinson’s own, same PL code and only 89p a box.”
This was followed by another social media user adding: “I’m always baffled when people buy expensive branded paracetamol or ibuprofen. let’s hope more people take heed of this video and start buying medicines more sensibly.”
As of Wednesday, visitors to Britain will need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA), which is form of digital permission to travel, first introduced in October 2023.
They cost £16 and permit multiple journeys to the UK for stays of up to six months over two years or until the holder’s passport expires, whichever is sooner.
Those without an ETA will not be able to board their flight, ferry or train.
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UK visitors urged to be ‘travel-ready’ following ETA introduction
Enforcement of this new border system for visitors to the country is “vital”, a minister has said.
ETAs aim to “strengthen the UK’s border security,” according to Home Office minister Mike Tapp.
Mr Tapp is now urging anyone planning a trip to the UK to “ensure they are travel-ready”.
He commented: “The ETA scheme is a vital part of our work to strengthen the UK’s border security, helping to deliver a more efficient and modern service that works for both visitors and the British public.
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“I’d urge anyone wanting to travel to the UK to ensure they are travel-ready and have the right permission, to make their journey much smoother.”
What is an ETA?
An electronic travel authorisation lets you travel to the UK for tourism, visiting family or certain other reasons for up to six months, GOV.UK explains.
Most visitors travelling to the UK need an ETA or a visa, but what exactly you need depends on your nationality and why you’re coming to the country.
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GOV.UK shares you usually need an ETA rather than a visa if you’re from Europe, the USA, Australia, Canada or certain other countries.
Find out if you need one, or need to apply for one via the GOV.UK website.
Who is exempt from an ETA when travelling to the UK?
British and Irish citizens, including dual nationals, are exempt from the ETA requirement.
But due to the introduction of the border system, dual British citizens will now need a valid British passport to travel to the UK.
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Ukrainians can now extend their stay in the UK by applying up to 90 days before their permission expires – triple the current window.
The Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme is being expanded by two years, giving Ukrainians in the UK ongoing sanctuary from Russia’s illegal war. pic.twitter.com/MhgSF8ZL87
Alternatively, they can pay £589 for a certificate of entitlement, which can be applied for on the GOV.UK website to prove they have right of abode in the UK.
Some dual nationals have said enforcement of ETAs is being brought in at short notice and was poorly communicated.
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There are fears that holidays or work trips could be affected if people cannot get a passport or certificate of entitlement in time.
The Home Office previously said public information advising dual nationals to carry the correct documentation has been available since October 2024, and a “substantive communications campaign” has been running since 2023.
Are you a dual national? Let us know how you have been affected in the comments below.
A second-grade basketball game in Pennsylvania erupted into a postgame brawl and arrests after an argument between an assistant coach and her father and members of the opposing team escalated.
Brittany Ortiz, 38, of Malvern, and her father, William Stanley, 70, of Paoli, face multiple charges, including assault on a sports official, stemming from the alleged February 1 incident at Holy Child School in Rosemont, according to Lower Merion police.
The alleged altercation left the opposing coach, his wife and the coach’s 3-year-old daughter injured, the victims told authorities.
The dispute allegedly started when Ortiz began shouting and cursing during the game, which involved 7- and 8-year-old players in the Malvern Basketball League, which is not associated with the Catholic school. This sparked a verbal argument with the opposing team’s assistant coach.
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Stanley joined his daughter in arguing with the opposing head coach, according to the affidavit of probable cause, NBC 10 Philadelphia reports.
Brittany Ortiz and her father, William Stanley, were arrested after a verbal dispute with the opposing team during a second-grade basketball game escalated into a physical altercation (Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office)
After the game, Ortiz continued her argument with the opposing coach and his wife in the gym hallway. Witnesses told police that she grabbed the coach’s wife by the hair and slammed her to the ground, causing her head to strike the floor. This resulted in a concussion, a scalp contusion and clumps of hair being pulled out, according to the criminal complaint reviewed by the outlet.
As the opposing coach attempted to intervene, Stanley allegedly struck him in the head, while Ortiz kicked him in the inner thigh and attempted to kick him in the groin, according to the report. The coach was holding his 3-year-old daughter during the attack, who became hysterical, urinated on herself and got a bruise on her leg.
The opposing coach sustained bruising to his inner thigh.
Ortiz was charged with assault on a sports official, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, disorderly conduct and harassment. Her unsecured bail was set at $10,000, with a preliminary hearing set for March 5. Her attorney told NBC10 that he plans to review the evidence and will “vigorously defend” her.
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Stanley later turned himself in to authorities, NBC10 reported. His attorney, Nathan J. Schadler, told the outlet that Stanley maintains his innocence and was taken to the hospital with broken bones and a head injury.
“We will be doing our own investigation and speaking to people who were there,” Schadler said. “My client asserts his innocence, and it was my client’s family who called 911 and asked the police to show up in this matter.”
The Independent has contacted Schadler and the Malvern League for comment.
Draper said he was “really proud” to make a winning return to the tour following “a lot of down moments [during] the last eight months”.
Seeking to build on the victory over the 68th-ranked Halys, Draper made an assured start on serve as he lost just two points across his opening four games.
But he crucially failed to take his first two break points in the 11th game, before Rinderknech seized his opportunity to clinch the opening set in the following game.
Draper was the first to come under pressure in the second set as he withstood three break points to restore parity at 3-3 but, from the brink of trailing by a set and a break, he reset impressively.
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The Briton lost just one point over his next three service games and would not relinquish control of the tie-break after winning four of the first five points.
However, it was Rinderknech who forced the breakthrough in the deciding set – with that proving enough to secure a quarter-final meeting with Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev.
A third man, an 18-year-old driver of the car, suffered serious injuries and has been transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast.
The three men were returning home to Derry having gone to Asda in Strabane when the tragedy occurred at around 11.15pm on the R236 road. The Vauxhall Corsa collided with a Volvo FH 500 lorry towing a cattle trailer on the main Lifford-Derry road.
Local curarte Fr Damien Nejad attended the scene at around 1am and administered the Last Rites to one of the young men at the scene.
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“It was very, very sad,” Fr Nejad said. “I said a prayer over the body of a young man. There is just shock in the area. It is shocking that this could happen here.”
Already dark clouds in the small village of St Johnston felt blacker on Wednesday morning as news broke of the death of the two young men. One of the young men was pronounced deceased at the scene, while the other died a short time later at Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry.
Derry-based cleric Fr Michael Canny met with the bereaved families on Wednesday. “Their family and their friends are in total shock,” he said. “This is a close knit community that sticks together, but nevertheless their lives are now going to be changed forever. We also pray for the young man in hospital.”
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“Our thoughts and the thoughts of most of the people in the city are with the families who are totally devastated to have received this news last night.”
The Shantallow Community Centre opened its Youth Wing to offer support. Grief counsellors were also on site for assistance. A spokesperson said: “Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with their families and everyone who loves them.”
The collision occurred close to the Presbyterian Church and the manse house, at a known blackspot for collisions. Local Presbyterian Minister Rev Craig Wilson said: “It’s terrible. We have families devastated and the loss of two teenage lives is desperate. We heard the sirens going on Tuesday night.”
The road was closed for a technical examination by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators, who arrived at around 10.30am on Wednesday. Local diversions were put in place and a dark cloud hung over the village.
Donegal County Councillor Gary Doherty said the incident was “an absolutely devastating tragedy”.
“Our thoughts, first and foremost, are to the family and friends of the young lads who have lost their lives and also to the other young lad who is in hospital,” the Sinn Féin representative told Donegal Live.
“The entire community in St Johnston and across east Donegal is in complete shock. This was a quiet Tuesday night and people woke up to go to work not thinking that something like this would come to their own doorstep.
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“The fact that we are talking about two teenagers losing their lives, the fact that they are so young, makes it even more profound.”
Councillor Doherty said that St Johnston is a “very close knit community” and the tragedy left a dark cloud over the village.
“East Donegal is intertwined with our neighbours in Derry and Tyrone given the proximity and people will know someone connected,” he said. “There are members of our community who know the leds and the sense of shock is just devastating.”
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Foyle MP Colum Eastwood said this was a “profound tragedy”. He said: “Today and the days ahead will be unimaginably difficult. But I know that people in Derry and Donegal will offer them every possible support to get through this.”
The Donegal Coroner, Dr Denis McCauley, was notified and post mortem examinations will take place in due course.
Gardaí are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the collision to come forward. A spokesperson said: “Road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) and were travelling in the area between 10.45pm and 11.45pm on Tuesday 24th February 2026 are asked to make this footage available to investigating Gardaí.
“Anyone with information is asked to contact Letterkenny Garda Station on (074) 9167100, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.”
The JD Sports Bar will open on Friday, March 6, and aims to become the go-to spot for live sport, games, and socialising with friends in the town.
The bar is kitted out with five new pool tables, two snooker tables, and three virtual darts lanes.
JD Sports Bar say they will also have Sky Sports and TNT Sports. (Image: JD Sports Bar)
In a Facebook post the Northumberland Street bar said: “Welcome to the new home of game nights.
“We have five brand new pool tables, two brand new snooker tables, three brand new virtual darts lanes, custom seating design, the list goes on!!”
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The post also mentions eight “massive” built-in media wall screens.
The bar is kitted out with entertainment options including five new pool tables. (Image: JD Sports Bar)
They also promoted ice-cold beers, next-level cocktails, good music and good vibes, adding that this isn’t just another bar opening, this is a sports bar when you can have fun with your friends whilst enjoying drinks.
The bar will open at 12pm and show sport on Sky and TNT.
The news has been met with excitement from people in the community. (Image: JD Sports Bar)
The news has been met with excitement from people in the community, with social media users quick to share their support.
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One Facebook user said: “Looks absolutely mint, it’s definitely something needed for Horden.”
Another wrote: “Looks amazing, absolutely unrecognisable.”
Their social media page describes it as “the best place to catch every game. Whether you are here for the action or the rivalries, or just good times with friends – we’ve got you covered.”
On test, the quality shone through. The Dryrobe Advance is reliably waterproof, windproof and lined with a cosy synthetic ‘lambswool’ material that provides instant warmth and comfort when you get out of winter water and feel the cold bite.
This robe is roomy enough to get changed under in chilly, windy conditions too, but is on the bulky side, so I’d size down if you’d like to wear it as a coat.
There are plenty of pockets, plus a waterproof hood. The waterproof outer material is a tough nylon that feels made to last and doesn’t let an inch of rain or a breath of wind through. This robe ticks the sustainability box too, using recycled materials throughout as well as ECO Durable Water-Repellent (DWR), which is a plant-based coating that delivers weather resistance without harmful chemicals.
If you’re more of a dog-walking or city street-donning Dryrobe wearer, the brand has just launched the brand new Nexus. It’s more waterproof (30,000mm) and more breathable than the Advance (and consequently more expensive), but it is also more tailored, making it more of a hybrid between a winter coat and a changing robe.
On first test, after a cold plunge bath outside on a chilly 3C morning, it performed excellently, keeping me snug and warm. We will publish a full review after further testing.
Key specifications
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Waterproof level: 25,000mm
Outer material: Recycled nylon
Lining: Recycled polyester
Colours available: 16
2. Best Value Changing Robe: Passenger Escapism Recycled Robe
