OVER THE PACIFIC OCEAN — The 112 passengers on this Southwest Airlines red-eye from Honolulu to Los Angeles were the last in the airline’s more than 54-year history to scramble for a seat on board.
Before dawn on Tuesday, Southwest ended its quirky (or anxiety-inducing, depending on the traveler) open-seating policy in favor of assigned seats for all customers as the carrier that prided itself on marching to its own drum becomes more like its rivals, under pressure to increase revenue.
The change means that all Southwest passengers will know exactly where they will be sitting before they board, and some of them will pay more than $70 per leg to have a new, roomy spot up front. Prices vary.
CNBC flew on the last open-seating flight and hopped on one of the first with seat assignments to talk to passengers and crew about how they felt about the change. Their feelings were mixed.
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“It’s overdue, honestly,” said Lisa Tate, 33, a teacher from Honolulu, who was traveling to Atlanta via Las Vegas on Monday. “I like the reassurance that I can sit with my loved ones. It makes the situation less stressful.”
Vicki Economou, a 68-year-old based in Houston, who is in the process of retiring from running a family restaurant, felt otherwise. “Now they’re like everybody else, and nothing is setting them apart,” she said.
Economou said she might consider flying other airlines after years of Southwest loyalty because she doesn’t want to pay for seats.
“I’m not real happy about it,” she said. “I think that there are people that are getting money hungry.”
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Read more about Southwest’s changes
‘If you can’t beat them, join them’
Several Southwest flight attendants in Los Angeles said they were relieved about the change. One told CNBC that she is so happy she wants to cry because having customers roam up and down the aisle looking for a seat was stressful for crew members.
Other airline employees greeted the last open-seating passengers with applause though, serving them coffee and handing out commemorative bag tags and other souvenirs.
Southwest has been training employees for months, including offering suggestions on clear announcements that remind customers, especially in the early stages of assigned seating, how boarding will work.
CNBC heard some of the first eight-group boarding calls moments after landing at Los Angeles. Gate agents reminded customers several times that seats were assigned and told them where on their boarding passes they could find that information. Customers lined up next to the posts that used to designate the boarding groups just hours before, though the numbers were no longer there.
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Digital boarding screens showing two lanes are already installed and will replace the metal stanchions at airports to instruct travelers when they can get on according to the new boarding order.
A new Southwest Airlines boarding sign at Los Angeles International Airport debuted Jan. 27, 2026.
Leslie Josephs/CNBC
Until Tuesday, Southwest was the the last U.S. carrier to board customers with an open seating policy that meant passengers could pick any seat they wanted once they got on the plane. Flyers would get assigned an A, B or C group and then a number to line up at the gate, and the higher the boarding group and number, the better their shot of getting a coveted aisle or window seat, largely depending on when they checked in.
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The end of open seating is a casualty of today’s consumers, who Southwest executives have said are looking for more certainty on where they’ll sit as the airline’s once Texas-only network now sprawls from Hawaii to Costa Rica.
Eighty percent of Southwest customers prefer an assigned seat, market research found, CEO Bob Jordan told analysts in July 2024, when the airline announced the change.
The new seating policy comes after a push from investors who are hungry to see the airline capitalize on fees and catch up to rivals’ profit margins.
It’s not the only policy Southwest is changing. Less than a year ago, the airline ended its “two bags fly free” policy for all passengers and began charging for checked luggage. Bag fees brought in $5.5 billion for U.S. carriers in the first nine months of 2025 alone, according to the Transportation Department.
There are exceptions for big spenders on all fronts, as is the case with other airlines. Customers with certain credit cards, elite status or those who buy the most expensive tickets can forgo some fees and select the best seats.
Some of the first passengers to fly with assigned seats on Southwest Airlines on the new policy’s debut day Jan. 27, 2026.
Leslie Josephs/CNBC
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“What it shows is that Southwest has basically said if you can’t beat them, join them, and I actually think this is going to be a positive move for Southwest,” said Henry Harteveldt, founder of the Atmosphere Research Group travel consulting firm. “This is a positive move for both what travelers want and for Southwest’s revenue and profitability. One reason why Southwest has struggled to attract more frequent travelers and poach customers from other airlines is its lack of assigned seating.”
Stock flies higher
Investors are already excited for the top-performing airline stock.
Southwest told investors on Thursday that it expects earnings to more than quadruple this year from 2025 to an adjusted $4 a share, at least, more than what analysts expected, sending shares surging by almost 20%, the biggest one-day percentage gain since 1978.
The stock is up more than 53% over the last 12 months through Thursday’s close.
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Other initiatives could be on the way, but Southwest declined to provide details this week.
“We’re not done,” Southwest CFO Tom Doxey said in an interview after the carrier reported results. CEO Bob Jordan told CNBC last month that Southwest is exploring airport lounges.
On Thursday, however, Jordan acknowledged in an interview that this year’s expected spike in profits “would be difficult to duplicate in 2027” because it would be a comparison of two years with the same policies.
All aboard
The airline’s original plastic boarding cards have long been replaced with digital boarding passes, but customers for years set alarms to check in at the earliest moment they could — 24 hours before a flight — to make sure they got the best possible spot in line.
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Comedian Adam Mamawala’s Southwest check-in alarm went off during a set in September 2022.
“I’ll tell you why,” he told the audience. “Tomorrow, at exactly 8:10, I’m flying home on Southwest,” he said. “You think I am going to end up in the C Group because I’m doing a show? Are you kidding me? I’m checking in right now.” He informed the audience that he got A51, and the crowd cheered. (He said he missed a Southwest check-in during a show the previous year and didn’t want it to happen again.)
Assigned seating is the last of the major policy shifts Southwest, which carries more customers in the United States than any other airline, has announced in the last two years.
The last Southwest Airlines passengers to fly without seat assignments line up at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu on Jan. 26, 2026.
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Leslie Josephs/CNBC
Southwest in 2024 reached a settlement with activist investor Elliott Investment Management, which had called for management changes and noted in one presentation that the carrier had long eschewed what are now airline industry standards: restrictive basic economy tickets, baggage fees, premium products and seat assignments. Elliott declined to comment.
But there might be some growing pains for the airline as customers adapt to the changes.
Mamawala said he’s become a “loyal Delta man” because he flies the carrier more frequently now and that he has an American Express card that gives him access to the lounge at LaGuardia Airport.
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But he still flies Southwest on occasion.
“Frankly I’m surprised that so many Southwest devotees are seemingly heartbroken,” he said. “We’re moving from chaos to order.”
James Sefton, 65, and his wife Ellen, 66, were killed when a booby trap device exploded under their car
A fresh appeal for information has been made over the killing of a former police officer and his wife by a car bomb in 1990.
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James Sefton, 65, and his wife Ellen, 66, were killed when a booby trap device exploded under their car in Belfast. It happened on Wednesday June 6 after the couple had left their home on Lyndhurst Gardens and driven towards Belfast city centre.
Mr Sefton, who was driving, was fatally injured and died in the Mater Hospital. Mrs Sefton was critically injured and transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital. She died the following day.
The new appeal for information has been made by the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) which is probing the murders at the request of the Sefton family.
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Assistant commissioner Amanda Logan, who is leading the commission’s investigations team, said the family is seeking the truth around what happened.
She said even the smallest detail could help.
“It’s over 35 years since James and Ellen were killed,” she said.
“Their family is seeking the truth about what happened and we believe there is someone out there who may hold the vital piece of information that could make a difference to the investigation. Even the smallest detail could help us understand what happened and why.”
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Ms Logan added that the suffering of the Sefton family was “representative of the pain of so many victims, survivors and families”.
“People are still suffering, deprived of information and with no accountability,” she said.
“Our job at the commission is to try to deliver answers for people who have been searching for them for decades.”
The witness appeal will involve distributing posters and an organised leaflet drop in the areas relating to the investigation.
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Tanya Petrie was a former pharmacy technician at the prison
Husna Anjum Senior Live News Reporter and Abigail Neep
00:46, 25 Feb 2026
A woman has been jailed for smuggling drugs into prison in what was called a ‘criminal conspiracy’. Tanya Petrie, 61, is a former pharmacy technician at HMP Bristol.
Hailing from Worle, Weston-Super-Mare, she was caught after police caught her retrieving a package from a residential wheelie bin in Somerdale Avenue in Bristol. She then attended the prison, where police say she was detained, searched and subsequently arrested on suspicion of being part of a conspiracy to take prohibited items into prison.
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Bristol Live reports Petrie was found guilty by a jury at Bristol Crown Court on Thursday, February 12, of conspiring to bring or convey a list A prohibited article into prison and sentenced to six years behind bars. She previously pleaded guilty to conveying a list B prohibited article into a prison.
She was sentenced on Monday, February 16, to six years and three months in prison. After being arrested at work, Petrie was searched while in custody and Petrie informed officers at Avon and Somerset Police that she had a package on her person and handed the officer a cling-film wrapped package.
Officers say this was later discovered to contain four packages of class B drugs, two packages of class A drugs (cocaine) and tobacco. Following further investigative enquiries, police believed that Petrie had made an earlier trip to Somerdale Avenue on the morning of October 9, 2023.
In an interview, Petrie revealed that she had taken money from the wheelie bin which she used to purchase SIM cards from a local garage. She then snuck this into the prison and gave it to a prisoner.
Officers conducted in-depth data analysis and identified two phone numbers which were being used within the prison. The phone was linked to prisoner Kyle Joyner, 32.
Officers discovered that Joyner had been using the phone to contact one of the occupants of the property in Somerdale Avenue, Casey Collins, 23, from Knowle West. Collins was responsible for placing the item in the wheelie bin that Petrie collected in October 2023.
Joyner, Collins and Petrie were all charged in the summer of 2024. Joyner and Collins pleaded guilty to conveying listed A prohibited items into the prison in January 2025 and were jailed for three years and two years and four months respectively.
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For Joyner, this sentence will be served in addition to his existing prison sentence of eight years and eight months.
Senior Investigating Officer, DI Tim Seaman from the Serious and Organised Crime Team, said: “This case shows the proactive and determined work carried out by our team and our partners to uncover and dismantle a criminal conspiracy operating both inside and outside the prison walls.
“By working closely with colleagues at HMP Bristol, HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) Counter Corruption and the Regional Prison Corruption team within the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit, we were able to swiftly identify the actions of a member of staff who was abusing her position of trust to smuggle dangerous drugs and illicit items into the prison.
“Such actions enable organised crime, fuel violence, and undermine the hard work of honest staff who dedicate themselves to running secure and rehabilitative environments.
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“This investigation sends a clear message: our investigations into organised crime will identify those who facilitate organised criminality and we will work tirelessly with our partners, and use every tactic available to bring those involved in corruption to justice – regardless of their role or position.”
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The rapper, who arrived at the stadium nearly three hours before the 7.45pm kick-off, joined the Swansea ownership group last July and made his way to south-west Wales after being at the Winter Olympics, where he served as Team USA’s honorary coach as well as a special correspondent for broadcaster NBC.
The Port of Middlesbrough, which is owned and operated by AV Dawson, has now been handed an improvement notice by the HSE.
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The notice, issued on December 16, states the company failed to ensure risk assessment and system of work measures were implemented during the transport, handling and storage of steel pipes.
The full notice states: “You have failed to make and give effect to such arrangements as are appropriate, for the effective control and monitoring of your preventive and protective measures, by failing to ensure that the measures identified in your risk assessment and system of work document were being implemented during the transport, handling and storage of steel pipes on December 8, 2025.”
The firm must comply with the notice by March 13.
An AV Dawson spokesperson said: “We are cooperating fully with the ongoing HSE investigation and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.”
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Cleveland Police previously said the HSE was leading the investigation.
The HSE probe remains ongoing.
AV Dawson previously said its thoughts were with the man’s family and friends.
The White Company officially launched its new concession inside Barkers Department Store in Northallerton, opening its doors yesterday (February 23).
Located on the first floor of Barkers High Street store, the new space showcases a curated selection of The White Company’s “signature collections, including homeware, clothing and accessories”, joining a line-up of established retail names.
The concession is open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5.30pm, and Sunday from 10am to 4pm.
Pictures reveal the perfectly curated unit kitted out with luxury items and clothing, ready for shoppers to enjoy as the spring season approaches.
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The White Company, Northallerton (Image: THE WHITE COMPANY)
The White Company, Northallerton (Image: THE WHITE COMPANY)
The White Company, Northallerton (Image: THE WHITE COMPANY)
Guy Barker, director at Barkers Department Store, said: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome The White Company to Barkers.
“This is a brand we have admired for many years, and we have been working closely with their team for some time to bring this concession to our store.
“As a family-owned independent department store, we are always looking to enhance our offering for customers and bring premium brands to the heart of Northallerton.
The White Company, Northallerton (Image: THE WHITE COMPANY)
The White Company, Northallerton (Image: THE WHITE COMPANY)
The White Company, Northallerton (Image: THE WHITE COMPANY)
The White Company, Northallerton (Image: THE WHITE COMPANY)
“The White Company is synonymous with quality, style and timeless design, and we are confident it will be a wonderful addition for our customers and for the town as a whole.
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“We look forward to seeing the new concession thrive and to welcoming both new and existing customers to experience it.”
To celebrate the launch of the new store, customers can enjoy a complimentary tote bag when they spend £50 or more, while stocks last.
Fans just got their first look at Outlander season eight after Starz dropped a video from the final series
Neela Debnath Screen Time Reporter
00:01, 25 Feb 2026
Content cannot be displayed without consent
Outlander fans have been sent into meltdown after US network Starz released a snippet from one of the episodes ahead of the official premiere next week.
In the short, minute-long clip, Jamie Fraser (played by Sam Heughan) is talking to his son-in-law Roger MacKenzie (Richard Rankin) after the pair are reunited following the MacKenzies’ return to the past at the end of season seven.
Jamie tells Roger: “There’s a man by the name of Cunningham. He helped open the new trading post. I’d be curious to ken what ye might think of him, anything ye might learn.”
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Roger listens to Jamie and nods in agreement as Claire and Brianna MacKenzie (Sophie Skelton) walk into the room and she updates her mother on the children.
Brianna mentions her daughter Mandy MacKenzie’s (Rosa Morris) heart surgery: “She was on antibiotics for a while, had a few checkups but other than that…”
“Children are remarkable. Listening to her heart you’d never have known anything was wrong,” Claire responds.
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Brianna reveals the children have at last gone to sleep after their long journey back to the correct time zone after they were initially reunited with Roger in 1739.
Jamie tells Roger and Brianna: “I still canna believe it, the sight of you here. We weren’t even sure if the letters would reach ye when we left them at the bank.
Outlander returns in trailer for the final season
“There was an inheritance, I suppose. We thought you should ken what had become of us.”
Claire adds: “We never would have dreamed you would have used them to find your way back to us.”
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Roger raises a toast and poignantly says: “To coming home. To family. Slàinte.”
Many fans took to the comment section to share their thoughts about the footage as one person posted: “They’re all together again,” alongside crying and heart eyes emojis.
While a second said: “I hope to god they filmed the “hello the house!” Scene. Best reunion ever! (Since Claire and Jamie obvs) [sic].”
A third commented: “I know this math won’t make sense to everyone, but seven seasons were too few, and two more weeks to wait is too much!”
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While on YouTube, one fan said: “The last droughtlander is almost over… now it’s time for the final chapter.”
A second person reflected what many others were thinking when they posted: “Ugh I’m not ready [sic]” and a crying eyes out emoji.
Someone else added: “It’s gonna be so fun seeing them together again, even if this show is ending it’s still gonna be fun to watch!! [sic].”
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Outlander’s final series will be arriving on March 6 for those in the USA and on March 7 for British fans, with a total of 10 episodes airing weekly.
Outlander season 8 will premiere on Starz in the USA on March 6 and on MGM+ via Prime Video in the UK on March 7
**For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website**
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It tops up a claimant’s income to a guaranteed minimum level which is currently £227.10 if you’re single or £346.60 if you’re a couple. It can also open the door to other benefits such as help with health and housing costs.
However the rules state someone who is part of a couple will not qualify if their partner is under pension age, currently 66. Lib Dem MP Liz Jarvis questioned the rule asking of the impact it has on those in a “mixed age” relationship but on a low income.
In a letter to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions she asked “what assessment” their Department had made “of the potential impact on levels of pensioner poverty among mixed-age couples of the requirement that both members of a couple must have reached State Pension age in order to be eligible for Pension Credit or pension-age Housing Benefit.”
However, in reply, Stephen Timms, the Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions, said the rules were “important”. In a written reply, he said: “Ensuring that individuals can get into, progress and stay in work is important in helping them to continue saving for their own retirement and contribute to the wider economy.
“The requirement for mixed-age couples to seek financial support from the working-age social security system until both members of the couple reach State Pension Age ensures that, once in receipt of Universal Credit, the younger partner can access the same employment support that is available for customers below State Pension Age, including dedicated employment support for customers over the age of 50. The pension-age partner is placed in the no-work related requirements group.
“The Government recognises the critical role Universal Credit has to play in tackling poverty and making work pay and is taking important steps to support people with their living costs. For the first time ever, we have introduced a sustained above inflation increase to the Universal Credit standard allowance for all claimants. From April 2026, this will see the standard allowance uprated by 3.8%, followed by a further 2.3%.”
Prior to 2019 couples who were mixed age – where one was a pensioner and the other under pension age – could choose to claim either Pension Credit or working age benefits. Then in 2019 the government changed this so they would be treated as a “working age” couple for means-tested benefits.
At the time Age UK criticised it as “unfair” warning it would have a serious impact on pensioners with a younger partner. It warned it would put pensioners in a situation where they would be better off living alone and claiming Pension Credit than living as a couple receiving Universal Credit.
And earlier this year Independent Age, a later in life financial hardship charity, called on the government to end the rule. It said goverment figures showed that affected couples could be losing around £5,900 a year, with some losing as much as £7,000.
Independent Age Chief Executive, Joanna Elson CBE said: “Our helpline received a call from a 79-year-old who was unable to claim Pension Credit because their partner is 59. Under the mixed-age couples rule, they will have to wait until they are 87 before they can access this life-changing financial support.
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“The UK Government has created a flawed system where two people of the same age can be treated completely differently just because one has a younger partner.” The charity is urging the UK Government to reverse the mixed-age couples rule, to enable couples to claim pensioner benefits once the older partner reaches State Pension age.
She added: “The mixed-age couples rule is unfair and must end. It is wrong that older people on a low-income with younger partners are locked out of vital financial support, forcing them to wait years for entitlements like Pension Credit. Independent Age supports couples where the younger partner is in low-paid employment or unable to work due to health conditions, or due to caring for their older partner. This rule risks pushing more older people into deep financial hardship.
“Who you fall in love with and choose to spend your later years with should not determine how much financial support you receive. Far too many older couples are forced to live on tiny incomes because of this rule. It’s time for the UK Government to reverse it.”
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What’s in store for you today? (Picture: Metro.co.uk)
Although the Moon is in Gemini this morning, it’s not long until it enters sensitive, intuitive Cancer overnight.
There’s also the beginning to Mercury Retrograde to look forward to tomorrow — very much a ‘calm before the storm’ type energy.
So, ahead of the potential heightened emotions and logistical complications these transits may bring, self care is key.
Ahead, you’ll find all star signs’ horoscopes for today: Wednesday February 25, 2026.
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Feeling social, spontaneous and ready to share things, just maybe not in a straight line. Conversations zip, ideas fly and your attention span is doing its best. This is a great day to brainstorm, connect or flirt with a fresh perspective. Just watch for scattering your energy like confetti, which is fun but messy. Write it down, follow up and don’t overthink everything.
Your mind is on money, values and a few tempting splurges, so keep an eye on your bank account. Conversations around finances or self-esteem may pop up, and you’re more flexible than usual about exploring new ideas. Just don’t let indecision sneak in. Trust your instincts but let logic have a seat at the table too. A thoughtful pause is worth more than buyers’ remorse.
With the Moon continuing its dance through your sign, you’ll feel extra chatty, curious, clever and restless. Emotions bubble up, but they’re wearing party hats and are light, expressive and eager to mingle. It’s a great day to share something, start a conversation or send that text you’ve been thinking about since last week. Say what you feel, then feel what you say and be yourself.
Finding emotional energy a touch distracting? Today, you’re feeling everything but processing it through thoughts. Memories, intuitions and inner dialogue swirl like a soft breeze through your psyche. Don’t rush to explain what’s going on, let your inner narrator take its time. Rest, reflect and be at ease with yourself. Your inner self knows the story and your mind is just catching up.
You may be feeling very curious, chatty and ready to chase shiny ideas. Your social sector is lit up, making this a perfect day to mingle, brainstorm or charm a crowd, whether digitally or otherwise. You’re magnetic without trying but do look to listen as much as you speak. With so many thoughts flying, don’t say more when you could say less. Stay sensitive to others’ vibes.
Your mind may be multitasking but your feelings are harder to pin down. Career thoughts, long-term plans and public image are in the spotlight, and you’re juggling them brilliantly. But beware of analysis overload, as feeling isn’t a flaw, it’s data too. Conversations with authority figures or collaborators could open doors, so listen to those powerful but subtle nudges, as well as logic.
Cosmic messages for Cosmic messages for Virgo today
Libra
September 24 to October 23
Big ideas, travel plans or spiritual ponderings may show up, and your heart is in the mood to wander, mentally and literally. Let curiosity guide you, but don’t forget to come back down to earth long enough to answer texts or finish what you started. Today, your balance comes not from stillness, but from graceful motion. Chase wonder but also pack sandwiches and a map.
Today’s lunar vibe highlights shared resources, secrets and soulful bonds, so expect thoughts about trust, intimacy or finances to surface. You’re ready to talk about the things most avoid, just try not to sting if someone can’t go as deep as you. Insight comes through conversation, so speak your truth with warmth. Mystery is still your magic, but clarity is your secret power move.
Your relationship zone is lit up like a dazzling disco ball. Conversations with partners, whether romantic, business or just brunch, may be fast, funny and revealing. You’re after great conversation and a little wordplay. Today, listening is just as appealing as speaking. Don’t shy away from emotional depth, as love or that brilliant idea could be just one sentence away.
Tasks, texts and to-do lists can multiply fast, but your sharp mind is up to the challenge. Today’s lunar energy highlights your work, wellness and routines, so it’s a great chance to rethink how you’re spending your time and energy. Try not to over-schedule yourself into a corner, as even the most efficient goat needs breaks. Multitask mindfully, communicate clearly and hydrate often.
Your brain is buzzing, your charm is at a peak, and your inner genius is ready to play. Creativity, romance and self-expression are in focus, so flirt with a new idea, text that intriguing someone or dive into a personal project. You’re not just thinking, you’re sparkling. Say yes to spontaneous joy and unexpected inspiration. Even so, don’t scatter your brilliance, instead focus your fun.
With the Moon continuing in quicksilver Gemini, your shell of calm may feel more like a carousel of thoughts and feelings. Your home life, inner world or emotional landscape is buzzing with activity, memories, conversations and an urge to do some rearranging. Give yourself a chance to relax and doodle ideas. Talk it out, write it down or chat with someone who gets you.
Your daily Metro.co.uk horoscope is here every morning, seven days a week (yes, including weekends!). To check your forecast, head to our dedicated horoscopes page.
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The Preston boss clearly wasn’t having any of the hype surrounding Swansea’s celebrity investor
Preston North End boss Paul Heckingbottom claimed there was a ‘smell of weed’ in the tunnel during his side’s highly-anticipated clash with Swansea City.
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Swans investor Snoop Dogg was in attendance for the clash at the Swansea.com Stadium on Tuesday night, with his arrival attracting a record home crowd, and a huge atmosphere ahead of kick-off.
Snoop was introduced to the Jack Army around 15 minutes before the start of the game, and did his part in geeing up the home crowd.
What unfolded was a surreal night that few in attendance will ever forget.
However, visiting boss Heckingbottom clearly wasn’t all that fussed, and dismissed suggestions the hype around Swansea’s celebrity investor had an impact on the game.
Having seen his side go ahead through Daniel Jebbison in the 26th minute, the Lilywhites boss was frustrated by their inability to see the game out, with Liam Cullen coming off the bench to net a stoppage-time equaliser.
After it was suggested to him that his players were potentially walking into an ‘intense’ atmosphere, the North End boss said: “It wasn’t was it?
“It was quiet. We kept them quiet. That’s how we played. Our fans were the loudest.
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“We only let them have their occasion at the very end by conceding.
“So that’s the frustrating thing.”
Asked if he felt the atmosphere was potentially different to other games, he added: “I can’t tell. It’s only different for people who are here every week, isn’t it? It’s not different for us.
“We don’t play at Swans every week, so it’s no different for us.
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“We go away to Ipswich the other week, they were at it, their fans were at it, and that was noise all game.
“It was just a game for us and we kept, I felt, everyone quiet until the end.
“I think just the smell of weed in the tunnel is the only thing where we realised something was different.”
Newcastle are certainly enjoying life back at Europe’s top table.
Howe’s side are the top scorers in the Champions League with 26 goals, and have won six games in a single campaign in the competition for the first time.
It has been quite a turnaround in the last two-and-a-half weeks.
Howe was the first to admit he was not doing his job “well enough” after his side were booed off by a section of supporters following a 3-2 defeat against Brentford in the Premier League in their previous game at St James’ Park earlier this month.
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The Newcastle head coach embarked on some soul searching in the aftermath of the loss, while his players set out to “fight for the manager”.
Newcastle have won four of their last five games in all competitions since, and secured a place in the knockout stage proper.
Given the revenue gap between the Premier League and a number of clubs on the continent, and the competitiveness of the top-flight, outsiders may question whether that should necessarily come as a huge surprise.
Even beleaguered Tottenham Hotspur, who are hovering above the relegation zone in the Premier League, finished in the top eight of the league phase.
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Yet the manner of Newcastle‘s six Champions League victories against Qarabag, Benfica, PSV Eindhoven, Athletic Club and Union Saint-Gilloise were far from foregone conclusions.
Qarabag, for instance, had drawn against Chelsea and defeated Benfica, Eintracht Frankfurt and Copenhagen. Newcastle hammered the Azerbaijan Premier League champions.
Although Howe wanted more from his much-changed side in the 3-2 second-leg win on Tuesday night, Newcastle have shown they can battle the continent’s elite on their day.
Newcastle drew 1-1 against holders Paris St-Germain in the French capital last month and suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat at the hands of Barcelona in their opening game of the competition.
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No wonder, then, defender Dan Burn feels Newcastle can “compete with anybody” at their best.
“We’ve shown that, especially against Paris St-Germain, how good we can be,” he wrote in his programme notes.
“I think we elevate our game going into those games because there are bigger, better teams at this stage of the competition.”
