Lindsey Vonn, 41, said she was willing to risk everything to become the oldest Alpine skiing medallist.

Not even rupturing the ACL in her left knee racing nine days before the event was going to stop the 41-year-old American.

“As long as there’s a chance,” she said after arriving in Italy, “I will try.”

Hers was the most-anticipated event. It would have been even without the drama of the injury in Switzerland.

Even if you are not the biggest Winter Olympics fan, you probably know her name.

She came out of retirement last year at the age of 41, chasing the dream of a second Olympic gold to add to her 2010 downhill title.

Could her body cope? Not only with the fresh injury, but racing on a right knee that was rebuilt from an injury in 2013.

There was shock and despair in Cortina when she crashed 13 seconds out of the starting gate.

The fall may have been softened by the mandatory safety airbag that inflated after losing control, but screams could be heard from Vonn after landing awkwardly at high speed.

And in a repeat of the scenes witnessed nine days earlier in Crans-Montana, she was taken to hospital on a stretcher dangling from the bottom of a helicopter.

Medics will now be assessing the long-term damage caused following surgery on her broken left leg.

It could be a dramatic and horrific end to the career of one of the most successful female skiers of all time.

Read more:
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And questions will be asked whether the American team should have allowed Vonn to compete and whether it was a risk too far.

A generation of Manchester City supporters had not experienced a winning feeling at Anfield – but all that changed on a highly dramatic Sunday evening.

Trailing 1-0 to Liverpool in the 84th minute, it was turning into a theme familiar for the Citizens faithful until captain Bernardo Silva and the ice-cool Erling Haaland both netted in the dying stages to hand Pep Guardiola’s side a memorable victory.

City supporters were riotous when Rayan Cherki rolled in a third into an empty net from just inside his own half, but the goal was eventually ruled out by the video assistant referee (VAR).

It mattered little as they stayed well after the final whistle to celebrate their side’s triumph – only a third in the league since 1981.

It was also result that keeps City in the title race. Just.

Boss Pep Guardiola joked afterwards about their last victory at Anfield five years ago, which came behind closed doors during Covid restrictions, saying: “That doesn’t count, right?”

But this brilliant turnaround meant City are only six points adrift of leaders Arsenal with 13 games to play, having been staring at a nine-point deficit in the closing stages.

“It is so difficult, Anfield is Anfield – the tradition, the history and the crowd,” added Guardiola. “It always looks smaller, tighter here and the pitch doesn’t look like Etihad Stadium – and the players that they have, and everything.

“Of course we would be disappointed and all the questions would be over and over [about the title race] but six points is better than nine. It is still a lot considering how strong Arsenal are in all departments.

“The last 10 games, from my experience, it is so difficult. The important thing is to try to be there and improve because the second half was not good enough again.

“All we can do is breathe down the neck of Arsenal and being there, try if they go slip [up] and use it.”

TWO couples were brutally axed from the Love Island All Stars villa tonight after being voted the least popular pairings by the public.

Host Maya Jama returned to the villa and revealed Curtis and Kyra and Konnor and Imani were the unlucky foursome to get the boot.

Lucinda and Sean, and Sher and Scott narrowly avoided the chop after an explosive Movie Night having been voted the next least popular pairings.

Viewers felt the wrong people went home.

One wrote on X: “U guys had one f**king job get Lucinda and Sean off my screen.”

Another said: “Lucinda and Sean should be sitting there not Imani and Konnor.”

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A third vented: “How’s Lucinda and Sean in the villa? This is obviously a fix.”

The departing pairings said an emotional goodbye to their co-stars before debriefing with Maya.

They reflected on a “chaotic” Movie Night before being grilled on their connections with other stars and each other.

Curtis praised Millie’s “great morals” and admitted his feelings for her were “deeper than I anticipated.”

Though she ditched him for American Zac, he couldn’t bring himself to badmouth his love rival.

He said: “I’d love to say some horrible stuff but I really can’t.”

His partner Kyra said of the huge twist that saw USA stars descend on the villa.

She said: “I think we brought lots of USA confidence.”

Of her connection with Tommy, she went on: “Tommy’s the most amazing and incredible guy. I soon realised we were on a different page and I was fortunate to meet Curtis and we had that spark.”

Imani joked natural gingers stuck together when asked about her initial connection with Jack.

She said: “He did not communicate well with me at all. I’ll be honest.”

Imani then praised “very sweet and kind” Konnor, who was called “wholesome” by Maya.

Curtis then made Maya blush when he coyly said he and Kyra were “definitely going to have some fun is all I’m going to say.”

Our thoughts are with those who have lost a loved one

Announcing the passing of a loved one in local news media is a long standing tradition and we are proud of the trust placed in us to make these important announcements. Every notice published to our newspaper and news site also appears on funeral-notices.co.uk – the UK’s number one site for death notices and memoriams. Every notice remains online forever providing friends and families with a lifelong tribute to their loved one, a safe place online to share memories, add tributes, photographs and make donations in memory.

Each week we pay tribute to the loved ones remembered in our area with a funeral notice and online tribute page. To read the latest announcements and add tributes to those from our area who have passed away, or to create a funeral notice yourself, click here . Alternatively, you can create a notice by calling our team on 01482 908084.

Here are a selection of notices published earlier this week.

Death Notices

Sheila (Formerly Crick) ASH

(Formerly Crick) Passed away peacefully on 29th January 2026. Beloved wife to David , loving Mother to Debbie and Joanne, adored Nanna to Rhianna and a cherished Daughter, Sister, Auntie and Mother in Law. Funeral service to be held at Cambridge Crematorium, West Chapel on Monday 16th February 2026 at 3.15pm. Please join us afterwards at The Fulbourn Institute Sports and Social Club. Family flowers only. Donations can be made to Arthur Rank Hospice.

Eric Stanley COULSON

Passed away peacefully on Thursday 15th January 2026, aged 82 years. Much loved husband to the late Jill. Dad to Karen, Jane and Helen. Adored Grandad to Sarah, Emma, Rachel, Jamie, Abigail, Megan and William. Great Grandad to Evie, Aoife, Ivy and Maeva. He will be sadly missed by all his family and friends. The service will take place at Cambridge Crematorium, West Chapel, on Tuesday 17th February at 11.15am. Family flowers only, but donations if desired for the benefit of Arthur Rank Hospice Charity may be made via his InMemory page at www.peasgoodandskeates.co.uk or sent c/o 617 Newmarket Road Cambridge CB5 8PA 01223 415255

Sylvia FREEMAN

Of Primrose Croft Care Home. Passed away peacefully on Friday 23rd January 2026 aged 84 Years. Ex RAF Flight Planner and Navigator, beloved wife and mother. She will be greatly missed. Funeral service to be held at 1:30pm on Thursday 12th February 2026 at Arbory Trust Natural Burial Ground. Any enquiries to 617 Newmarket Road, Cambridge, CB5 8PA 01223 415255

Carol Elizabeth HARDING

17th December 1961-21st December 2025, Formerly of Romsey Town, late of Bar Hill, Cambridge, passed away peacefully, aged 64 at Addenbrooks Hospital. Celebration of her life at Mill Road Baptist Church on 20th February at 2:00pm. Children welcome, no flowers by request.

Elizabeth (“Liz”) HEWSON

(“Liz”) of Bottisham. Passed away peacefully on Monday 26th January 2026, aged 72 years. Beloved wife to Nick and much loved mum of Dawn and Gail, mother-in-law to Phillip and Nigel. A dear grandma to Charlotte, Isabelle, Elliot and Leo. Funeral service to be held at Cam Valley Crematorium, Great Chesterford (CB10 1RP) on Tuesday 17th February at 2:00pm. Family flowers only please but donations may be made payable to Dementia UK and left at the service or sent care of Southgate of Newmarket Funeral Directors, 25 Duchess Drive, Newmarket, CB8 8AG.

Raymond George JOBLING

Funeral on Tuesday 10th February 2026 at 10:15am in Cambridge Crematorium, West Chapel. Family flowers only. Any donations to Arthur Rank Hospice & The British Heart Foundation. Please join us after the service at Beach Social Club, Waterbeach, CB25 9NJ.

Josephine Ann KNIGHT

Of Fulbourn, passed peacefully away on 7th January 2026, aged 86 years. Dearly loved wife of the late Michael. Wonderful mother to Philip and Elisabeth, mother-in-law to Lisa and Chris. Devoted nanny to Olivia, Matthew and Laura. She will be sadly missed by all her family and friends. Funeral service to be held at St Vigor’s Church Fulbourn on Tuesday 10th February at 11:00am followed by interment at Fulbourn Cemetery. Family flowers only please, but donations if desired for the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association may be left at the service, or sent via Josephine’s in memory page, by visiting www.cefuller.o.uk or sent c/o 23 Hall Street, Soham, Cambridgeshire, CB7 5BN. Telephone 01353 720 439

Colin MARSHALL

Of Stapleford, Cambridge. Passed away suddenly at home on Saturday 10th January 2026, aged 86 years. A deeply loved family man, friend and colleague. Colin will be greatly missed by all. Funeral service to be held at 12 midday on Wednesday 18th February 2026 at Cam Valley Crematorium. Donations, if desired, to the benefit of Scottish Youth Hostel Association (SYHA) may be made at the service or online via Colin’s personal InMemory page at www.peasgoodandskeates.co.uk All other enquiries to 617 Newmarket Road, Cambridge, CB5 8PA 01223 415255

George WHITE

Of Cambridge Passed away peacefully at home on 11th January 2026, aged 88 years. A loving husband to Valerie, a devoted father to Denise and Sean, a much-loved father-in-law to Hazel, and a wonderful grandfather to Ashley, Chloe, Jake, Molly and Evie, and a proud great-grandad to Ada and Frank. He will be forever in our hearts. The funeral service will be held on Thursday 26th February at Cambridge City Crematorium, East Chapel, at 1.30pm. Family flowers only, please. Donations to Arthur Rank Hospice may be left after the service or forwarded to: Richard Stebbings Funeral Service Ltd Kendal House Cambridge Road Impington Cambridge CB24 9YS Tel: 01223 232309

Roy WHITEROD

Announcing the sad passing of Roy on 7th January 2026. Funeral to be held at Cambridge Crematorium (West Chapel) Tuesday 17th February 10.15. Motorcycle cortège to leave Silver Street Ely 9.15.

To add your own tributes to the loved ones from our area, or to publish a notice for your loved one, visit funeral-notices.co.uk. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of those we have lost.

Following a visit to Gaza in January, the UN undersecretary general, Jorge Moreira da Silva, called the level of destruction there “overwhelming”. He estimated that, on average, every person in the densely populated territory is now “surrounded by 30 tonnes of rubble”.

This staggering level of destruction raises urgent questions about how, and by whom, Gaza should be rebuilt. Since 2023, a variety of reconstruction plans and other initiatives have tried to imagine what Gaza could look like when the conflict ends for good. But which of these visions will shape Gaza’s future?

The Israeli government’s Gaza 2035 plan, which was unveiled in 2024, lays out a three-stage programme to integrate the Gaza Strip into a free-trade zone with Egypt’s El-Arish Port and the Israeli city of Sderot.

AI renderings show futuristic skyscrapers, solar farms and water desalination plants in the Sinai peninsula. The plan also shows offshore oil rigs and a new high-speed rail corridor along Salah al-Din Road, Gaza’s main highway that connects Gaza City and Rafah.

The US government has proposed a similar futuristic vision for Gaza. Its August 2025 Gaza Reconstitution, Economic Acceleration and Transformation Trust plan shows a phased series of modern, AI-powered smart cities developed over a ten-year time frame. The plan, which would place Gaza under a US-run trusteeship, suggested that poor urban design lies at the heart of “Gaza’s ongoing insurgency”.

The latest iteration of this vision was unveiled by Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, at the recent World Economic Forum in Davos.

He presented slides showing Gaza reconstructed as a “Riviera” of the Middle East, with luxury beachfront resorts, gleaming tower blocks, residential zones and modern transport hubs. Kushner suggested it was “doable” to complete the construction of a “new” Rafah city in “two to three years”.

It has been reported that the US and Israeli visions are heavily influenced by US-based economics professor Joseph Pelzman’s economic plan for Gaza. This plan, Pelzman said on a podcast in 2024, would involve destroying Gaza and restarting from scratch.

In contrast to the US and Israeli visions, the February 2025 Gaza “Phoenix” plan includes input from the people of Gaza. It has a much stronger focus on maintaining and reconstructing the existing buildings, culture and social fabric of the enclave.

The plan was developed by a consortium of international experts together with professionals and academics from Gaza, the West Bank and the Palestinian diaspora, and suggests a reconstruction and development phase of at least five years.

Other plans from the Arab world take a more technocratic view of reconstruction, but still have a short timescale for reconstruction. These include a five-year plan by the United Arab Emirates-based Al Habtoor Group, which promises to grant 70% of ownership in the holding company that will manage Gaza’s reconstruction to the Palestinians.

Feasibility of rebuilding Gaza

So, how feasible are these different visions and how inclusive are they for the people of Gaza? Rebuilding cities after war takes time and money, and also requires local resources. Even in China, a country with plentiful resources and abundant skilled labour, major new cities are rarely completed in less than 20 years.

And in Gaza rebuilding will be complicated by the fact that there are now 61 million tonnes of rubble there, as well as other hazardous debris such as unexploded munitions and human remains. This will need to be removed before any reconstruction can commence, with the UN estimating that clearing the rubble alone could take as long as 20 years.

For comparison, the Polish capital of Warsaw experienced a similar level of destruction during the second world war and it took four decades to rebuild and reconstruct the city’s historic centre. The time frames for reconstruction outlined in all of the plans for Gaza are far shorter than this and, even with modern construction methods, are unlikely to be feasible.

The US and Israeli visions also fail to include Palestinians in the planning of Gaza’s future, overlooking any need to consult with Gazan residents and community groups. This has led critics to argue that the plans amount to “urbicide”, the obliteration of existing cultures through war and reconstruction.

Reports that suggest Gazan residents will be offered cash payments of US$5,000 (£3,650) to leave Gaza “voluntarily” under the US plan, as well as subsidies covering four years of rent outside Gaza, will not have alleviated these concerns.

At the same time, the US plan does not propose a conventional land compensation programme for Gazan residents who lost their homes and businesses during the war. These people will instead be offered digital tokens in exchange for the rights to redevelop their land.

The tokens could eventually be redeemed for an apartment in one of Gaza’s new cities. But the plan also envisages the sale of tokens to investors being used to fund reconstruction. The Council on American-Islamic Relations, the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organisation in the US, says the “mass theft” of Palestinian land through the token scheme would amount to a war crime.

With their emphasis on community engagement and the repair and renewal of existing structures, the Phoenix plan and the other Arab-led visions are at least a step forward. But without a fully democratic consensus on how to rebuild Gaza, it is difficult to see how the voices of the Gazan people can be heard.

Whichever vision wins out, history shows that post-war reconstruction succeeds when it involves those whose lives have been destroyed. This is evidenced somewhat ironically by the US Marshall Plan, which funded the reconstruction of many European economies and cities after the second world war, and involved close engagement with civil society and local communities to achieve success.

Shaun Evans, Romola Garai and the cast of new MI5 thriller Betrayal discuss filming as the drama starts of ITV

ITV‘s fresh drama Betrayal launches on Sunday, February 8, taking over from After the Flood in the prime-time slot.

The thriller, featuring Shaun Evans, Romola Garai, Zahra Ahmadi and Nikki Amuka-Bird, examines trust, truth, and the personal price of secrets within today’s intelligence community.

This compelling four-part thriller unfolds within MI5’s world, delving into the delicate, complex network of human connections where loyalty and betrayal intersect.

A synopsis reads: “At the heart of the story is John Hughes (Shaun Evans), a mid-career MI5 officer navigating a rapidly evolving intelligence landscape while struggling to keep his personal life intact. On a hunch John meets a British Iranian man with links to the Stockport gangland who claims he has intelligence about a plot on UK soil.

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“Before he can share intel, the informant is executed, and John kills the assassin in self-defence. John soon finds himself under internal investigation, facing scrutiny from his superiors, including Simone Grant (Nikki Amuka-Bird), while his partner Claire (Romola Garai) grapples with the secrecy that defines his world.

“John’s efforts to save his marriage are complicated by his inability to let the case go. And when he meets Mehreen Askari-Evans (Zahra Ahmadi), an intelligence operative who is tasked with taking over John’s duties, he finds an unlikely ally. As John becomes increasingly convinced of the involvement of a hardline faction of the Iranian regime, he also starts to worry there are enemies closer to home. But can he identify the target and avert the attack before it’s too late?”

Betrayal takes place in Liverpool, with filming locations spanning Liverpool and Manchester, and numerous cast members have praised both cities and their breathtaking scenery, reports the Liverpool Echo.

Discussing the experience of shooting locally, Shaun Evans, who portrays intelligence officer John Hughes, commented: “I spend a lot of time in Liverpool because my family are all there, so to be up north was brilliant. They were a really funny, hard-working crew, and to be seeing parts of Liverpool in a way that I hadn’t seen them, having access to certain parts of the city, that was just amazing. A very special time in my life.”

Romola Garai shared similar enthusiasm: “I had a very nice little apartment right by the docks, so I’d go on walks and go to all the museums, which was great. It was a city I don’t know very well, so it was a real treat to explore the food scene and galleries.”

Zahra Ahmadi, who portrays intelligence operative Mehreen Askari Evans, has also discussed the striking architecture and rich musical heritage she discovered whilst filming her scenes. Speaking about shooting in Liverpool and Manchester, she said: “I loved it. I’d worked in Manchester before for quite a considerable amount of time and I’m a big fan, but I had only ever been to Liverpool once (and only for a week) before Betrayal I was working that whole time, so I didn’t get to know it at all really. But what I do remember fro that week was how every single Scouser I met was really engaged, eloquent and energised which I loved.

“This time round however, I got more time to explore, and I’d never realised what a beautiful city it was. The architecture is stunning, and then of course there’s the musical history and the food scene too, which is incredible. I ate the most amazing cauliflower dish that blew my mind – Maray’s Disco Cauliflower – you need to try it..”

Betrayal starts on ITV1 and ITVX at 9pm on Sunday, February 8.

Four young children, including one with severe autism, were evacuated safely, but many of the family’s belongings were destroyed or damaged.

A fundraiser has been launched for a Dublin family of six after a fire destroyed their one-bedroom apartment in the early hours of this morning.

The incident occurred in Dublin 8 at around 2am. According to a GoFundMe set up by an extended family member, the family were woken by smoke alarms and had to flee immediately with their four young children.

“Their home and belongings have been devastated,” the fundraiser said, reports DublinLive. “Clothes, shoes, furniture, toys, baby items and essentials are now smoke-damaged or burned, leaving the family with very little that is safe to use.

“Key household items, including beds, mattresses, sofas, tables, wardrobes and other furniture, have all been affected. One of the children and Jordan have suffered burn injuries. One of the children has severe autism, and the entire family is understandably traumatised.”

The fundraiser added that the family, who were already living in severe overcrowding, will now need to be rehoused and will require support to set up a new home once suitable accommodation is found.

Funds raised through GoFundMe are intended to help the family through the immediate emergency and assist them in rebuilding their lives. More than €2,000 has been donated so far.

CRAIG PAWSON had no choice but to rule out what would have been Manchester City’s third goal against Liverpool.

Credit to Craig, he was waiting to see what happened when Rayan Cherki sent the ball towards an unguarded net in stoppage time with City 2-1 up.

Dominik Szoboszlai pulls Erling Haaland back but Craig waits to see if Haaland can still get to the ball.

That doesn’t happen, so when Haaland then pulls Szoboszlai back, that is stopping the Liverpool player from preventing the ball from going into the net.

No advantage had been signalled.

So once VAR John Brooks calls Craig across he has no choice – he has got to look at the first offence, the denial of a goal-scoring opportunity.

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Craig was correct in law. People will be saying ‘why didn’t he just give the goal?’.

But Haaland’s pull-back stopped the Liverpool player from clearing the ball.

For City’s penalty, Craig got that absolutely spot on. 

Alisson clattered Matheus Nunes and it was a nailed-on penalty – Liverpool can have no complaints.

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The major factor was whether the ball was still in play. 

It was so the referee had no choice but to give the penalty.

Liverpool claimed Marc Guehi should have been sent off for pulling Mo Salah back on the edge of the box at 0-0.

But there was a covering defender so it was not a red card offence in my opinion.

A major property development in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter is set to be Northern Ireland’s first build-to-rent scheme, with hopes it will revitalise the facilities expected of future rentals throughout the region going forward.

The controversial Loftlines project is continuing at pace, with the first tenants expected to move in within the next few weeks. The wider development is made up of 778 apartments across three blocks, and is a joint venture between Lacuna Developments and Watkin Jones.

The build to rent element of the development is backed by a £150m investment from Legal & General, and includes 627 one, two, and three bedroom homes on the site. It also features a wide range of facilities and amenities, including a concierge service, gym, pet washing facilities, private dining rooms, and podcasting studios.

READ MORE: New Belfast city centre apartment complexes to help address NI housing shortage’READ MORE: New Belfast City Centre social housing waiting list shows around 4,000 interested parties

It’s expected that properties available as part of the built to rent development will be available from this summer. The first properties to be completed as part of Loftlines will be 81 social homes at Dargan House, owned and managed by Clanmil Housing Association, through an investment of £18.6m, with the first tenants moving in weeks from now.

Speaking to Belfast Live, Head of Operations and Asset Management at Legal & General, Nisha Kerai, gave us a taster of what can be expected at the build to rent site.

She said: “Build to rent should really be called build for renters, because that’s essentially what we try to do. It’s a professionally managed rental community. We thought about all the inconveniences of renting and how we might rectify that for a purpose-built offering for renters.

“For example, at Loftlines we have work from home spaces. You may be in a one bedroom apartment as a couple and need a little bit of space, so having a spillover without having to add that second bedroom to your rental load for the month would be helpful for lots of people now working from home.

“We try to include a gym in all of our communities, and having the convenience and ease of being able to work out on your doorstep without having to think about the commute, I think those things all add to the community aspect. We have things like a concierge service, so there are staff on site, if you need maintenance done, there’s someone there to help, you don’t have to wait a week for someone to arrive.”

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Tenancies that will be offered at the site range from six months to five years, with Nisha saying flexibility is key. As for the pricing, she said that has not yet been finalised, but promised it will be “competitive” based on current prices within Belfast.

“From a tenancy perspective, we like the idea of flexible living. Life changes and life happens, if you’re tied into a one-year contract it can be cumbersome to come out of that,” Nisha said.

“You don’t want your life decisions to be based on a tenancy agreement you signed. We offer anything from a six month to a five year tenancy. We do have that flexibility for people to leave, and we like to track the reasons for leaving as well to make sure that they’re not leaving for anything that we’re doing incorrectly or that there might be areas for us to improve.

“Quite often the reasons for leaving are that people are buying a home, and I’m quite happy with that because actually, while you’re renting and while you choose to rent, why not rent in a place that’s purpose-built for you, then when you’re ready or you’re expanding your family or changing city, it might be that you need to move on.

“The rental sector is largely competitively priced because it’s such a demand and supply related market, if we come in and have really expensive rents, it wouldn’t work. It will naturally be competitively priced using lots of the prices already on offer within the city.

“We’re aiming for people to see value in renting with us and seeing the ease and convenience of everything physical and service-led as being part of what they’re buying into.”

Nisha said when build to rent schemes appear in a city, they usually increase the demand for better amenities and facilities in more rental buildings. For example, in parts of England, the build to rent model has become the standard for many city centre rentals.

Unqiue amenities on offer at Loftlines include a pet washing service on the ground floor, to rinse away any muck and dirt after walks, based on demand from the rise in pet ownership. Nisha said they worked alongside the RSPCA to formulate their pet policy, including on getting guidance on the right apartment size for pet welfare.

She said they have found people who live in such BTR developments value networking and community, with the use of the communal work from home, content creator studios, and dining rooms on site exacerbating this.

“We have one or two private dining rooms on site across most assets and they’re generally booked up most weekends,” Nisha said.

“But the first day that gets booked up in the whole year is usually Christmas Day. When you’re in a rental apartment, quite often people leave and go to their family homes or bigger homes, and I love the fact that even if you’re in a one bed flat, you can host your friends or family in the building.”

Although the £175m Loftlines scheme will help alleviate Belfast’s housing shortage, while bringing more people to live in the city centre, critics have hit out and how the site will alter the city’s skyline.

Nisha said location is “a really strong indicator for us as to whether we invest or not” in developing a new site. With the Titanic Quarter becoming a growing hub, with people travelling to work here, she hopes Loftlines will work hand in hand with this.

She said: “Everything the Titanic Quarter are doing is really on par with where we would like to locate our buildings. When you look at demographics, often people who live there work within a five mile radius.

“People being able to live somewhere convenient and easy is important, but on top of that, people need somewhere to get their coffee in the morning, and they want to be able to buy their bread and milk and whatever else. So it’s about somewhere that you can live that is also convenient for work and it is also convenient for all the kind of entertainment we also need.

“In a market where global talent is flying around and looking for various cities across the world, how do we offer something that translates not only for the local community and they see value in it, but also to other talent across the world that might need to be attracted.

“I know there’s lots of progress happening with various industries coming into Belfast and I’m sure they will want both the local and global talent pools. So having the offering there really supports in delivering some of those other things, I think all of them work in harmony.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

It bodes well for Bruce Mouat and Jen Dodds that they conquered the world and Olympic champions to seal their spot at the top of the curling mixed doubles rankings.

The duo swept Italy’s Stefania Constantini and Amos Mosaner aside 9-6 in a convincing end to their round robin exploits and secured themselves as the number one team with eight wins from nine games in Cortina.

Mouat and Dodds were handed their first defeat by the hands of Switzerland on Sunday afternoon in a tense 7-6 battle.

Italy do not just have eyes thrust upon them as the host country, but as reigning Olympic and world champions, the pressure is a large as the Dolomites they are playing at the foot of.

And for Constantini, it also means playing in the town she grew up in, born and raised in Cortina d’Ampezzo herself.

The Italian duo won every game on their way to Olympic and world gold but even with the crowd on their side, Mouat and Dodds silenced the Italian roars on Sunday night.

open image in gallery

“That was an amazing game tonight,” said Dodds. “The crowd was amazing and we always knew it was almost going to be a third player for them and they didn’t disappoint. I love playing in these environments and coming out with a win makes it even more special.

“We knew when it came into the second half that it would be a battle of the power plays and we just controlled ours really well and put them under a lot of pressure. We got a few misses from them in theirs to help.”

Victory means that Mouat and Dodds will hold the privilege of the deadly ‘hammer’ going into the playoffs, a tactic so crucial in the shorter and faster paced format of mixed doubles that it can control the entire game.

Mouat and Dodds will face a wait to find out who they will go toe-to-toe the semi-finals at 4.05pm UK time, with a final session of games still to be played, but one crucial question does remain: will they be playing for gold or bronze?

“We are exactly where we want to be going into the semi-finals at the top of the table and we know that we just need to rest and recover now before tomorrow’s final,” said Dodds.

“We take confidence from it and we want to play with the hammer which we had been saying all week,” added Mouat.

“I now want to play Switzerland again because we can beat them this time. But whoever we get, we will be happy and we’ll be playing well tomorrow.”

Four years ago, Mouat and Dodds walked into the Beijing Ice Cube as world champions and the ones-to-watch as the mixed doubles event made it’s Olympic debut.

And it was all going relatively smoothly until the knockout stages saw them edged out by Norway in a tense thriller in the semi-finals.

What followed in the bronze medal match was a moment to forget for the childhood best friends as they fell to a devastating 9-3 loss against Sweden and were forced to concede after just six ends.

But with eight wins and the all-important hammer now to their name going into the final stages, Milano Cortina 2026 is the time for remedy, and Monday will be the decider.

TNT Sports on discovery+ will be the go-to destination in the U.K to watch everything of Milano Cortina 2026 live all in one place, with over 850 hours of action from every sport, venue, and medal event.