Sweet potatoes vs yams: differences explained

1) They’re from different families

2) They’re different parts of their respective plants

3) They can look very different

4) They’re often grown in different places

5) They taste different

6) They’re nutritionally different

7) They’re cooked differently

Ben White has been ruled out for the rest of the season through injury in a significant setback to Arsenal’s bid for a Premier League and Champions League double.

White left the London Stadium with a brace on his right knee after he was substituted in the first half of Arsenal’s crucial 1-0 win against West Ham on Sunday.

Manager Mikel Arteta admitted in the immediate aftermath of the match that White’s injury “didn’t look good at all”, and Arsenal have now confirmed he will be unavailable for their final two league games, and their European final against Paris Saint-Germain on 30 May.

The injury is also set to end 28-year-old White’s World Cup prospects after he recently called time on his four-year international exile with appearances in England’s last matches against Uruguay and Japan.

A statement from Arsenal read: “Further to Sunday’s match at West Ham, subsequent assessments and specialist reviews have confirmed that Ben White has sustained a significant medial knee ligament injury, which will rule him out for the remainder of this season.

“Our medical team are now managing Ben’s recovery and rehabilitation programme, with everyone fully focused on supporting the aim of Ben being ready for the start of our pre-season preparations.”

White’s absence will provide Arteta with a selection headache at right-back for their pivotal games against Burnley, Crystal Palace and PSG with Jurrien Timber also sidelined.

Timber has been absent for two months with a groin problem, and it is unclear if he will be able to play a part in the run-in. Cristhian Mosquera would be expected to deputise, while Declan Rice has also operated as an emergency right-back this season.

PA

Pressure has undoubtedly built stress for Bompastor and that has come to the fore on occasions this season.

The 5-1 defeat by City was the catalyst for her comments on squad depth and the first hint that she was battling with club decision-makers.

She was defiant following a 2-0 win over Tottenham but admitted it had “been a difficult time” for her on a personal level.

She was later frustrated after a 3-1 defeat by Arsenal in the first leg of their Women’s Champions League quarter-final in which controversial decisions by the officials marred the tie.

Having failed to make up the deficit in the second leg at Stamford Bridge, Bompastor went one step further, receiving a red card as she questioned referees for a hair pull on Thompson by Arsenal defender Katie McCabe.

With emotions high at full-time, she pulled out her phone in a post-match interview with BBC Sport and replayed the incident to back up her complaints.

Bompastor has not used these frustrations as an excuse, admitting the season has “not been good enough”.

Asked if rival teams have narrowed the gap and if the Blues have stood still, Bompastor said: “Yeah. Everyone is working hard to make sure they catch up with us.

“This season has shown that. To be honest with you, this season from us is not good enough with our ambitions.

“I’m a manager that will always give clarity at the start of the season, saying we want to win the four titles. When I give you that clarity, I always give you the opportunity to question that.

“Other managers might just say ‘we try our best’, but at Chelsea this is not good enough. I’m not happy with the fact I can’t help the team more than I have this season.”

Bompastor already has one eye on the future after admitting she expected a “transitional” campaign.

The Blues have emerged as favourites to sign Manchester City’s star striker Khadija Shaw on a free deal in the summer, with the club hoping to be active in the window.

“We will review everything then look at the future with a lot of ambitions, but also solutions to be able to fight back to win the league,” said Bompastor.

“We have been already doing that for quite a long time. Some of the things that happened [this season], I’m not really surprised.

“We want to make sure next year we are fighting for the title again.”

A beach in East Sussex could reopen to the public almost 20 years after safety concerns shut access to the shore.

Newhaven West Beach was closed by French owner Newhaven Port and Properties in 2008 due to the “dangerous condition” of its cliffs.

James MacCleary, the Liberal Democrat MP for Lewes, presented a bill to parliament in an attempt to secure legal public access to the “beautiful sandy beach” on 28 April.

MacCleary said: “17 years ago, this beach was closed to the people of Newhaven. For generations, the West Beach was where children learned to swim, families spent their summer and memories were made. It was not just a stretch of sand; it was a part of life.”

He called on the government to “take this bill, adopt it, make it law and give Newhaven its beach back.”

Newhaven Port and Properties have previously rejected proposals to reopen the beach on health and safety grounds.

In June 2016, former mayor of Newhaven Steve Saunders said: “I am disappointed at NPP’s decision not to reopen the beach at this time and not being able to give the good news that everyone was hoping for. The people of the town are naturally angry and frustrated at its continued closure, and I completely sympathise and share in these understandable views.

“I have tried hard with officers and colleagues at Newhaven Town Council to reach a compromise solution with the Port Authority, which would see this well-loved facility available for everyone to enjoy again.”

Elsewhere, an island in Montenegro will reopen to tourists this summer after a five-year dispute over beach access.

Sveti Stefan, an island on the Budva Riviera, is set to welcome back guests from July following a settlement between the Montenegro government and island leaseholders.

The popular island was forced to close in 2021 amid a decade-long legal battle over beach access for locals.

Read more: The best beach in the world for 2026 has been named

Greggs is popular among countless people but for workers, it’s sometimes a different story. A Greggs employee has shared a “new pet peeve” unlocked by demanding customers – and fellow staff members agree

A Greggs employee has revealed a “new pet peeve” that’s been “unlocked” by frustrating customers, sparking discussion among fellow staff members. Working in customer service can prove challenging at times, and having to consistently interact with members of the public isn’t for everyone.

Certain customers have a tendency to be discourteous and demanding, others relish the chance to demean people simply carrying out their duties, and some can be unpredictable and eager to lodge complaints. One Greggs employee has revealed the customer behaviours they find most draining.

Greggs is a firm fixture on Britain’s high streets, beloved by people across all age groups thanks to a wide-ranging menu featuring classic favourites such as the enduring sausage roll, steak bake, and cheese and onion pasty; alongside its sweet offerings including biscuits and donuts, plus the popular vegan sausage roll, salads, sandwiches, pasta and more.

The bakery enjoys a dedicated following and it’s estimated that approximately 2.5 million sausage rolls are sold across the UK every week, totalling roughly 140 million a year.

Taking to Reddit, one employee was eager to reveal the reality of working behind the counter rather than queuing in front of it.

In a post titled “New pet peeve unlocked; customers telling me how to do my job”, they sarcastically wrote: “‘Did you use the correct tongs to pick up my vegan roll? You used the yellow ones but I’m pretty sure they are for vegetables.’”

They went on: “Also; I’m trying to put together a customer’s large order that’s like 10 steak bakes and 40 sausage rolls and they’re constantly asking me why I haven’t prepared their cup of tea yet.

“Also also; tell them the total price of their sausage roll and latte; ‘£3.40? Is that including the latte?’ Oh no sorry I forgot to charge you for the latte because as we all know a single sausage roll costs £3.40.”

In the comments section, other Greggs staff members were eager to share their own experiences and thoughts. One said: “Welcome to customer service! These people will never stop… just smile and wave.”

Another said: “My favourite one is when they’ve got a reward on the app they don’t want to use but they don’t let you know ahead of time so you can advise them to switch it off so it doesn’t redeem so they get the free one. I had someone ask today if I could add the free one back onto their app and they’d pay for it instead.”

A third commented: “I hate customers who blatantly know they didn’t order something and then demand you get it for them. Half the time they expect the item for free and it’s like ‘well no?’”

A fourth added: “When they say ‘I want this baguette with a latte and this sandwich with this coke’ as if we control what items the system pairs up in a deal.

“Like, it automatically puts everything into the best value, I don’t choose which combination of deals you have.”

Greggs was established in Newcastle over 80 years ago by John Gregg. His ambition was to supply fresh egg and yeast to households across the northern city, carrying out deliveries by pushbike.

10 years on, he launched Greggs of Gosforth – minus the bicycle – where he produced fresh bread and baked goods. The high street continues to feature a Greggs outlet to this day, although it has evolved considerably over the decades.

According to the Greggs website: “With over 2,000 Greggs in the UK, the important stuff still matters to us. We’re hard-working, but above all else we’re family; and it doesn’t matter who you are, where you are from or what your favourite bake is, when you come into our shops, you’re part of the family too.”

Airlines have dramatically escalated flight cancellations for May, new figures reveal, as the industry grapples with soaring jet fuel prices and concerns over potential shortages.

Data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows 296 departures from UK airports were cancelled this month as of Tuesday, representing 0.75 per cent of the total scheduled flights. This marks a significant increase from just 120 cancellations reported six days prior.

However, the outlook for the peak summer travel period appears more stable. Week-on-week schedule reductions for June remain limited at 48 fewer outbound flights, following the cancellation of 0.2 per cent of services. July has seen a reduction of 31 flights week-on-week, while August shows a minimal decrease of just four flights.

Around 13,000 flights were cancelled globally in May, resulting in two million fewer available seats, analyst Cirium previously revealed.

While this figure might appear significant, it constitutes a mere 1.5 per cent reduction in total worldwide aviation capacity, saysThe Independent’s Simon Calder. These cancellations are primarily driven by the high price of jet fuel, rather than any supply shortages.

German carrier Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines account for a substantial proportion of these grounded services, with both airlines opting to cancel flights as a cost-saving measure. In the UK, some Lufthansa operations have been affected, though this often means passengers are re-routed, for instance, those planning to fly from Glasgow to Frankfurt may now depart from Edinburgh.

Heathrow Airport has recorded just over 100 cancellations. However, these are not new disruptions but rather extensions of previously planned operations to airports in the Gulf region, where resumption dates have been further delayed.

However, airports are set to ease regulations, allowing airlines to cancel flights without forfeiting their allocated “slots” – the scheduled times for take-off or landing – should fuel scarcity prevent them from operating.

Below is a list of how airlines are responding, in alphabetical order:

Aegean Airlines

The Greek airline expects suspended Middle East flights and a spike in fuel prices to have a “notable impact” on its first-quarter results.

AirAsia X

The Malaysian airline’s executives said the company had cut 10% of flights across the group, with a surcharge of about 20% on fuel in general.

Air France-KLM

The airline group said it planned to increase long-haul ticket prices to address surging fuel costs, with cabin fares set to rise by 50 euros ($58) per round trip.

The group’s Dutch arm KLM cancelled more than 150 European flights due to the rising cost of jet fuel.

The Dutch airline will not operate 80 return flights out of Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport over the next month.

The flights are “currently no longer financially viable to operate” due to rising kerosene costs, said KLM.

Air Canada

Canada’s largest carrier plans to trim four of its 38 daily flights to New York due to higher fuel prices. The four flights to JFK International Airport will be cut from 1 June to 25 October 2026.

Air India

The Indian carrier said it would revise its fuel surcharge from a flat domestic surcharge to a distance-based grid. It said surcharges on international routes did not compensate for the exponential ⁠rise in fuel prices.

Airline Operators of Nigeria

Nigeria‘s government moved to cap jet fuel prices and allow airlines to purchase supplies on credit, in an effort to avert widespread flight disruptions caused by escalating fuel costs.

A government document, seen by Reuters, indicates that the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has set price limits for aviation fuel.

Nigerian airlines temporarily suspended a planned nationwide shutdown of flight operations, which was set to begin on April 20, after the government intervened amid crippling fuel prices. The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), an industry body representing a dozen primarily domestic carriers, had warned they would halt services from April 20, citing that surging jet fuel costs had rendered operations unsustainable.

Air New Zealand

The airline said on 7 April it would slash flights through May and June and hike fares, having been one of the first to announce broad increases to ticket prices when the conflict broke out. It also suspended its full-year earnings forecast due to fuel market volatility.

Air Transat

The Canadian airline said it would reduce planned capacity by 6% from May until October this year, with cuts expected on routes to Europe and the Caribbean and its service to Cuba remaining suspended until October.

Akasa Air

India’s Akasa Air said it was introducing a fuel surcharge ranging between 199 and 1,300 Indian rupees ($2 to $14) on domestic and international flights.

Alaska Air

The U.S. airline said it would increase fees for the first checked bag by $5 and by $10 for the second on its North American flights, as well as for its Hawaiian Airlines unit. It hiked prices for a third checked bag from $50 to $200.

The carrier withdrew its full-year profit forecast as the sharp rise in jet fuel prices put pressure on margins.

American Airlines

The U.S. carrier said it would hike checked baggage fees by $10 each for the first and second checked bags and by $150 for the third checked bag on domestic and short-haul international flights. It also trimmed certain ⁠benefits for economy passengers.

It had earlier said it expected a $400m increase in first-quarter expenses due to fuel prices.

Asiana Airlines

The South Korean airline will slash 22 flights between April and ​July due to the ⁠fuel cost increase, Newsis reported.

British Airways

IAG – which owns British Airways, Aer Lingus and Iberia of Spain – is talking of “pricing adjustments to reflect these higher fuel costs”. A spokesperson said: “We are not seeing jet fuel supply interruptions, but fuel prices have risen sharply and, despite our hedging strategy, which gives some shorter-term mitigation, we are not immune to the impact.”

However, The Independent’s Simon Calder has reassured customers “not to fret”.

“BA will not come after you for more cash, and the airlines can charge only what the market will bear. And judging from some of the prices on offer, that isn’t a lot,” he said.

IAG company also warned its profits will be hit as it expects to spend about €2bn (£1.72bn) more than planned on fuel this year. But Chief executive Luis Gallego said IAG does not believe there will be “any interruption for the summer” in terms of jet fuel supplies.

Cathay Pacific

The Hong Kong airline said it would cut some flight from mid-May until the end of June, cancelling about 2% of its scheduled passenger flights, while its budget airline HK Express was cutting around 6% of flights.

The carrier previously said it would hike its fuel surcharge by 34% across routes from April 1 and review them every two weeks.

The airline raised HK$2.08 billion ($265.58 million) from three-year fixed-rate notes at a yield of 3.78%, according to a term sheet seen by Reuters on Wednesday.

Cebu Air

The Philippines-based airline said the sharp rise in fuel prices was a key concern and it would continue to review its pricing and network strategies to mitigate the impact.

China Eastern Airlines

The airline said it would raise ⁠fuel surcharges for domestic flights from 5 April, with flights of 800km and below hit with a 60 yuan ($9) surcharge and a 120 yuan surcharge for flights over 800km.

Delta Air Lines

Delta said it would cut capacity by around 3.5 percentage points from its original plan and raise fees for checked ​bags in an attempt to offset soaring ⁠jet fuel costs, with an increase of $10 on first and second checked bags and a $50 increase on the third.

The U.S. ‌airline pulled all planned capacity growth for the current quarter and forecast profit below Wall Street expectations. Delta CEO said it would hold off on updating the full-year outlook given uncertainty over how long the fuel price spike would last.

Easyjet

EasyJet Holidays told customers they can be confident their holidays will “go ahead as planned” without extra surcharges.

CEO Garry Wilson said on Saturday, 25 April: “We know that holidaymakers may have questions about what recent global events might mean for their travel plans this summer, so we are giving our customers absolute peace of mind that no surcharges will be added to their flights or package holidays.”

EasyJet had previously warned of a bigger half-year pre-tax loss of between £540m and £560m ($731m and $758m), including £25m in extra fuel costs in March.

CEO Kenton Jarvis previously said European consumers should expect higher ticket prices towards the end of summer, when existing fuel hedges come to an end.

Frontier Airlines

The U.S. airline is reviewing its full-year forecast as fuel prices have increased significantly since it issued the outlook.

Greater Bay Airlines

The Hong Kong-based company said it would raise fuel surcharges on most routes from 1 April, while keeping them unchanged on mainland China and Japan routes.

Its surcharge for flights between Hong Kong ‌and the Philippines will more than double, the carrier said.

Hong Kong Airlines

The airline said it would raise fuel surcharges by up to 35% from 12 March, with the sharpest increase on flights between Hong Kong and the Maldives, Bangladesh and Nepal, where charges would rise to HK$384 ($49) from HK$284.

Indigo

India’s biggest airline said it would introduce fuel charges on domestic and international flights from 14 March, including a charge of 900 rupees for flights to the Middle East and a charge of 2,300 rupees for flights to Europe. The company is also lobbying the Indian government to cut fuel taxes, sources told Reuters.

Jet2

Britain’s biggest holiday company has vowed not to surcharge summer holidaymakers due to rising jet fuel costs.

Speaking on Friday, chief executive Steve Heapy said: “Holidaymakers should have every right to book their hard-earned break in the sun, without worrying about being hit with additional costs, and they can have that complete assurance when they book a flight or holiday with Jet2. Customers booking with Jet2 know that they are locking in their price without additional cost surprises later.”

Jetblue Airways

The U.S.-based low-cost carrier said it was increasing fees for optional services such as checked baggage as it experiences “rising operating ⁠costs”. Baggage prices will rise by either $4 or $9, it said.

Joanna Geraghty, CEO of the U.S.-based low-cost carrier, told employees in a memo seen by Reuters that the carrier would not consider bankruptcy this year, even as rising jet fuel costs threaten its financial recovery. The company entered a $500 million debt financing agreement, according to an SEC filing.

Korean Air

The South Korean carrier will enter emergency management mode from April, as rising oil prices weigh on costs, a source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The airline plans to implement phased response measures based on oil price levels, and step up company-wide cost efficiency to offset surging fuel costs.

Lufthansa

Lufthansa Group announced on Tuesday 21 April that it will cancel 20,000 flights over the next six months to save 40,000 metric tonnes of jet fuel, which it said had doubled in price.

It said it has axed “unprofitable” short-haul flights operated by its regional subsidiary Lufthansa CityLine, reducing the entire group’s capacity by one per cent in available seat kilometres this summer.

Lufthansa CityLine has hubs in Frankfurt and Munich. The first 120 daily flight cancellations took effect on Monday and will continue through the end of May. The airline said affected passengers have been notified.

The group has also permanently removed the 27 Lufthansa CityLine aircraft from operation. Some routes have also been cancelled in their entirety, including from Frankfurt to Bydgoszcz and Rzeszów in Poland, as well as Stavanger in Norway, meaning they have been temporarily removed from the flight schedule.

Norse Atlantic

Low-cost Norwegian airline Norse Atlantic has cancelled its flight route between London Gatwick and Los Angeles due to the rise in fuel prices.

Pakistan International Airlines

The carrier said it would raise domestic flight fares by $20 and international fares by up to $100, citing higher fuel surcharges.

Qantas Airways

Australia’s Qantas said it had delayed a planned A$150m ($106m) buyback and was raising its estimated fuel bill for the second half of 2026 to A$3.1bn-A$3.3bn, from a previous A$2.5bn forecast.

Ryanair

Ryanair’s chief executive, Michael O’Leary, has warned that several European airlines could face significant financial difficulties and potential failures if jet fuel prices remain high throughout the summer season.

Despite the volatile market, O’Leary affirmed that Ryanair is ‘the best insulated, most hedged airline in Europe’ and committed to not imposing price increases or fuel surcharges on its customers.

SAS

The Scandinavian airline said it would cancel 1,000 flights in April because of high oil and jet fuel prices, after cancelling a “couple hundred” flights in March.

SAS, which had already increased flight prices, said that even if it tried to absorb the rising fuel costs, the price surge would still be a blow to the aviation industry.

Spirit Airlines

Spirit Airlines ceased operation on Saturday 2 May after efforts to save the struggling budget carrier fell apart.

While customers with flights booked can expect refunds, Spirit is not providing any help in booking alternative travel plans. Several of Spirit’s competitors have offered capped ticket prices “specifically for Spirit customers who now need to rebook cancelled flights,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said.

Duffy claimed during a Saturday press conference that Trump officials had made “a significant effort” to keep the airline afloat.

“There was a number of ideas being floated on how the government could step in and be helpful to Spirit Airlines,” Duffy said. “The president was like a dog on a bone trying to figure out a way to keep Spirit afloat.”

President Donald Trump had discussed a potential bailout of the airline after it found itself in bankruptcy proceedings for the second time in less than two years — and as the price of jet fuel skyrockets amidst the war in Iran.

Spring Airlines

The budget Chinese airline said it would raise fuel surcharges on domestic flights from 5 April, with details to be announced later.

Southwest Airlines

The American carrier forecast second-quarter profit below estimates as margins were dented by high fuel prices. It previously said it would hike checked baggage fees by $10 for the first and second bags, raising costs to $45 for the first bag and $55 for the second.

TAP

The Portuguese airline said its price hikes would partially mitigate the impact of fuel ‌price changes on its revenue.

Thai Airways

The Thailand-based carrier said it would raise fares by 10% to 15% to address rising fuel costs.

TUI

Europe’s largest tour operator TUI has reassured customers who have already booked their holidays that the price is fixed “with no fuel surcharges added.”

Neil Swanson, managing director of TUI UK & Ireland, said: “We understand that customers want both confidence and clarity when booking a holiday.

“Our teams are here to support people who are thinking about booking, and those who have already booked with Tui can be reassured that their holiday price is fixed, with no fuel surcharges added.”

TUI had previously cut its underlying operating profit forecast and suspended its revenue guidance, citing uncertainty caused by the ⁠Iran war, prompting its shares to fall by 2.6%.

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines has been the most severely impacted carrier, with over 3,000 flights cancelled, according to Cirium data.

This widespread disruption affects 23 routes, including Hurghada, Billund, and Leipzig, alongside various African and Middle Eastern destinations, according to The Sun.

SunExpress, a joint venture between Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa, said it would impose a temporary fuel surcharge of 10 euros per passenger from 1 May on ​routes between Turkey and Europe. The surcharge will apply to bookings made on or after 1 April for departures on or after 1 May.

T’Way Air

The ‌South Korean low-cost carrier said it planned to furlough some of its cabin crew without pay in May and June as part of measures ⁠to address the impact of the war.

United Airlines

The U.S. airline’s CEO Scott Kirby said ticket prices may need to rise by as much ‌as 15 to 20 per cent to offset a surge in jet fuel costs. The company already instated five fare increases late in the first quarter, along ⁠with higher baggage fees, which it said have started to offset rising fuel costs.

The carrier also forecast second-quarter and full-year profits below Wall Street estimates and said it expected to recover only 40-50% of the increase in fuel prices through fares and other revenue measures in the second quarter, `improving to 70-80% in the third and to as much as 85-100% by the fourth.

The U.S. airline previously said it would cut unprofitable flights over the next two quarters as it prepares for oil prices to remain above $100 until the end of 2027, CEO Scott Kirby said.

It is also increasing first and second checked bag fees by $10 for customers travelling in the U.S., Mexico and Canada and Latin America, it said in an e-mailed statement to Reuters.

Vietjet

The Vietnamese budget airline said it had adjusted flight frequency on selected routes due to potential fuel shortages.

Vietnam Airlines

The carrier plans to cancel 23 ‌flights per week across domestic routes from April, Vietnam’s aviation authority said, after the airline requested government assistance ​to remove an environmental tax on jet fuel.

Virgin Atlantic

The airline is adding fuel surcharges to fares but will still struggle to return to profitability this year, its CEO Corneel ‌Koster told the Financial Times.

Virgin Australia

Virgin Australia said it expected an increase in jet fuel cost of around A$30m-A$40m for the ​second half of this fiscal year, and a 1% reduction in capacity in the fourth quarter.

The airline previously said it was adjusting fares to reflect rising cost pressures.

Volotea

The Spanish low-cost airline introduced a new pricing policy linking ticket ‌prices to fuel costs, which could potentially add a post-purchase surcharge of up to 14 euros ($16.50) per passenger, per flight.

Westjet

The Canadian airline ​has cut seat capacity for June as costs soar, the Globe and Mail reported. The carrier will add a C$60 ($43) fuel surcharge to some bookings and combine flights as costs soar, the Canadian Press previously reported.

($1 = 0.8557 euros)

($1 = 92.6520 Indian rupees)

($1 = 6.8306 Chinese yuan renminbi)

($1 = 7.8319 Hong Kong dollars)

($1 = 1.3834 Canadian dollars)

($1 = 1.4118 Australian dollars)

($1 = 0.7389 pounds)

Ionela Filip, 34, is accused of conspiring to traffic young women into the UK, alongside her husband George Filip, and of conspiring to control prostitution for gain

A woman and her husband trafficked young women from Romania into the UK before directing them into prostitution, a court has heard. The couple are alleged to have made “tens and thousands of pounds” from the operation, which saw them employing 16 women as part of a prostitution ring.

Ionela Filip, 34, is accused of conspiring to traffic young women into the UK, alongside her husband George Filip, and of conspiring to control prostitution for gain. She is also accused of directing the women, setting up “provocative” advertisements and online accounts on websites, and of depositing thousands of pounds into her bank account.

A trial at Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday heard Ionela Filip played an “important and leading role” in the operation, which is alleged to have taken place between 2015 and 2022. Make sure you never miss Wales’ biggest updates by getting our daily newsletter.

Opening the case to the jury, prosecutor Matthew Cobbe said: “You will hear, on the prosecution’s case, that (Ionela and George Filip) worked closely together to put young women, typically Romanian young women, to work as sex workers throughout the UK.”

The court heard some of the locations where these women were based included Cwmbran, Aberdeen and Wolverhampton, with the operation based at addresses in Newport.

Mr Cobbe continued: “They generated tens of thousands of pounds in the process.”

The jury was told Ionela Filip was involved in creating some of the online profiles used to advertise sex workers and she dealt with messages from customers of those sex workers.

It is also alleged she directed others involved in the conspiracy, including her brother Alexandru Moco and friend Leonard Banica, as well as using her bank accounts for payments of expenses and to receive large amounts of cash.

Mr Cobbe said it was not the prosecution’s case that any of the women trafficked to the UK were “under duress” to work in the sex industry.

The prosecutor added: “Nevertheless, the unlawful work undertaken was on a very significant scale and the examination of their bank accounts demonstrate (the defendant) and her co-conspirators were generating a huge amount of cash.

The court heard George Filip, Moco and Banica have pleaded guilty to conspiring to traffic and control prostitution for gain.

In January 2025, arrest warrants were executed at properties in Bishpool View, Newport, and Conway Croft, Newport, and a number of arrests were carried out.

Ionela Filip was not arrested but she was detained in October upon arriving back in the UK.

She answered “no comment” to all questions, but provided a prepared statement in which she made a “flat out denial” of her involvement in the operation.

Mr Cobbe said: “The fact that others have entered acceptable pleas does not mean itself Ionela Filip is guilty but those pleas show this control of prostitution and trafficking was taking place.

“This case is squarely about where you can be sure Ionela Filip played her part.”

Filip, now of Friary Road, Birmingham, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of conspiracy to control prostitution for gain, four counts of conspiracy to traffic, two counts of transferring criminal property, and one count of removing criminal property.

The trial continues.

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This is the moment Donald Trump nearly jumps out of his skin as he mistook a bird for a deadly drone strike on the White House.

The US President was in typical Trump flow at the podium when he visibly jolts and starts staring at the sky.

‘Uh-oh’, he exclaims. ‘I thought that was a drone!’ to laughter from reporters.

‘They make ’em in all different sizes nowadays and can be very destructive as you probably heard’, he added to his own relief.

Trump quickly regained his composure before telling his crowd to sit down and stay calm.

Maybe the President was jumpy after reading Metro’s report that Russia is stockpiling hundreds of thousands of fibre-optic drones for a future assault on NATO and the Baltic States.

Ukrainian and Russian intelligence have shown that Vladimir Putin diverted huge numbers of next-generation FPV drones away from the Ukrainian front and into rear depots since late 2025.

The Kremlin may already have amassed up to 130,000 fibre-optic drones, a stockpile that could rise to 200,000 by the end of summer.

FPV drones are especially dangerous because they use hair-thin fibre-optic cables rather than radio signals, making them far harder to jam electronically by NATO defences.

Asked at the White House event if the ceasefire in Iran was still in place, Trump said it is ‘unbelievably weak’ and on ‘life support’ before talking about the recent peace proposal from Iran.

‘I would call it the weakest right now after reading that piece of garbage they sent us,’ Trump added.

‘I didn’t even finish reading it.’

It came as the cost of Trump’s Operation Epic Fury spiralled to ‘closer to $29 billion’, Congress heard because of ‘updated repair and replacement of equipment and general operational costs’.

Democratic Senator Mark Kelly said on the weekend that it’s ‘shocking how deep we have gone into these magazines.’

War Secretary Pete Hegseth fired back on social media saying Kelly was ‘blabbing on TV (falsely & dumbly) about a *CLASSIFIED* Pentagon briefing he received.’

‘The munitions issue has been foolishly and unhelpfully overstated,’ Hegseth claimed at Congress before adding ‘we know exactly what we have, we have plenty of what we need.’

MORE: Putin’s former schoolteacher reignites body double rumours by asking ‘is that you?’

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