Olympic ice describes the uniform ice surface specified for international competitions, including the Winter Olympics.

Skilled technicians are responsible for making and maintaining the ice and they are are known as ‘ice masters’.

The team is tasked with ensuring the surface is optimal for the athletes to compete on in sports such as curling, ice skating and ice hockey.

The ice hockey arena in Milan-Cortina was built from scratch for the men’s and women’s matches following delays, concerns and last-minute building works.

But how do they make the ice for the rink?

It all starts with five centimetres of insulation laid down on the concrete floor. A vapour barrier is placed on top of the insulation, before engineers lay mats containing glycol on top to keep the ice cold.

Boards and glass walls are then placed around the rink and then roughly two inches of water is added above the mat – this is when the ice sheets are created.

The surface is painted white and sealed, with ice hockey markings and logos added.

Finally, the rink is topped with three to four centimetres of water to create the playing field. Temperatures are kept between -5 and -4C.

Resurfacing machines, colloquially known as Zambonis, are sent out regularly to shave away ice and form a new smooth layer.

Ice master Mark Messer, who is overseeing the long track speed skating said the hardest part is “working with a new system for such a high profile event, with little time for preparation”.

He added that although ice has been made on temporary settings, it has not been done on this scale for an Olympic Games.

Milan-Cortina will be the first time a temporary venue has been used for long track speed skating at a Winters.

Firefighters from Scarborough and Filey responded to the incident in Raincliffe Woods, Scarborough at 8.49pm on Monday (February 9).

A service spokesperson confirmed that most of the vehicle’s occupants were out prior to fire crews arrival.

They added: “However, one casualty was being prepared for extraction from the vehicle but self extricated after a medical assessment.

“Crews provided scene safety.

“The incident was left in the hands of paramedics and police.”

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli military strikes on Monday killed three people west of Gaza City, according to the hospital where the casualties arrived.

Shifa Hospital reported the deaths amid the months-old ceasefire that has seen continued fighting. The Israeli army said Monday it is striking targets in response to Israeli troops coming under fire in the southern city of Rafah, which it says was a violation of the ceasefire. The army said it is striking targets “in a precise manner.”

The four-month-old U.S-backed ceasefire followed stalled negotiations and included Israel and Hamas accepting a 20-point plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump aimed at ending the war unleashed by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack into Israel. At the time, Trump said it would lead to a “Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace.”

Hamas freed all the living hostages it still held at the outset of the deal in exchange for thousands of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel and the remains of others.

But the larger issues the agreement sought to address, including the future governance of the strip, were met with reservations, and the U.S. offered no firm timeline.

Top UN official concerned over Israel’s West Bank decision

The United Nations top official on Monday expressed concern about the Israeli security cabinet’s decision to deepen the country’s control over the occupied West Bank.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is “gravely concerned” and warned that the Israeli decision could erode the prospect of a two-state solution, spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said in a statement.

“Such actions, including Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory are not only destabilizing but – as recalled by the International Court of Justice – unlawful,” he said.

Israel ’s security cabinet on Sunday approved measures that aim to deepen Israeli control over the occupied West Bank and weaken the already limited powers of the Palestinian Authority.

Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the measures would make it easier for Jewish settlers to force Palestinians to give up land, adding that “we will continue to bury the idea of a Palestinian state.”

Israel captured the West Bank, as well as Gaza and east Jerusalem, in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians want all three territories for a future state.

Rafah crossing improving, official says

The Palestinian official set to oversee day-to-day affairs in Gaza said on Monday that passage through the Rafah crossing with Egypt is starting to improve after a chaotic first week of reopening marked by confusion, delays and a limited number of crossings.

Ali Shaath, head of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, told Egypt’s Al-Qahera News that operations at the crossing were improving on Sunday. He said 88 Palestinians were scheduled to travel through Rafah on Monday, more than have crossed in the initial days since reopening. Israel did not immediately confirm the figures.

The European Union border mission at the crossing said in a statement Sunday that 284 Palestinians had crossed since reopening. Travelers included people returning after having fled the war and medical evacuees and their escorts. In total, 53 medical evacuees departed during the first five days of operations.

That remains well below the agreed target of 50 medical evacuees exiting and 50 returnees entering daily, negotiated by Israeli, Egyptian, Palestinian and international officials.

Shaath and other members of the committee remain in Egypt, without Israeli authorization to enter the war-battered enclave.

The Rafah crossing opened last week for the first time since mid-2024, one of the main requirements for the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. It was closed Friday and Saturday because of confusion around operations.

Palestinian officials say nearly 20,000 people are seeking to leave Gaza for medical care unavailable in its largely destroyed health system.

Palestinians who returned to Gaza in the first days after the crossing reopened described hourslong delays and invasive searches by Israeli authorities and an Israeli-backed Palestinian armed group, Abu Shabab. Israel denied mistreatment.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said on Monday that five people were killed over the previous 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 581 since the October ceasefire. The truce led to the return of the remaining hostages — both living captives and bodies — from the 251 abducted during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war.

Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the attack. Israel’s military offensive has since killed over 72,000 Palestinians, according to the ministry, which operates under the Hamas-run government and is staffed by medical professionals. The U.N. and independent experts consider it the most reliable source on war casualties.

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Magdy reported from Cairo and Metz from Jerusalem. Sally Abou AlJoud reported from Beirut

Find more of AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

Filmmaker Michael Bay is suing Formula 1 team Cadillac for $1.5 million, alleging his creative ideas were used without permission in their recent Super Bowl commercial.

The 19-page lawsuit, filed on Friday in the Los Angeles Superior Court of California, claims Cadillac F1’s principal owner and CEO, Dan Towriss, appropriated Bay’s concepts before he “abruptly decided to go in a different direction.”

Cadillac, in a statement to The Associated Press on Monday, acknowledged meeting Bay but stated: “it became clear he couldn’t meet our timeline, and there ultimately wasn’t a path forward.”

The team expressed confusion over the claim, adding: “It’s unclear why he’s bringing this claim since the concept and creative were already developed and we were only exploring him as a director.” Cadillac remains “confident this will be resolved appropriately” and still “admire Michael Bay’s creative brilliance and would welcome the opportunity to work together in the future.”

The Super Bowl commercial, broadcast on Sunday, featured the unveiling of a new car alongside excerpts from John F Kennedy’s famous “We Choose to Go to the Moon” speech.

Bay’s lawsuit further details that he had shown Towriss a seven-minute clip from Transformers 3 where he had previously used the JFK speech, noting that “Towriss was thrilled.”

However, Towriss has insisted that Bay was never going to be hired to work on the creative side of the commercial. “Our reaction is that we have a lot of respect for Michael… [but] disappointed he chose to do that [file a lawsuit],” Towriss said. “Certainly all the creative [work] was done well in advance of ever speaking with him. We were wanting to talk to him about a role as director, not taking creative ideas from him.

“The group, Translation [creative agency], that we worked with did an excellent job developing all that, so we are confident it will be resolved amicably. From our standpoint, last night was a huge success and we are very proud of the work that was done, and that’s all I can say on it.”

Cadillac joined Formula 1 as the sport’s 11th team this season with Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez as its drivers. They will appear in Bahrain for testing this week, before the first grand prix of the season in Australia on March 8.

The Hoops landed six new signings in January, with free agent Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain checking in after deadline day

Frank McAvennie has called on Martin O’Neill to introduce a surprise element in Celtic’s defence.

The Hoops welcomed six new signings in January, including free agent Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who joined after the transfer deadline.

Julian Araujo and Tomas Cvancara have both made an immediate impact, while Junior Adamu kept Celtic’s Scottish Cup hopes alive with a dramatic last-minute debut goal. Joel Mvuka also joined on loan but only lasted 45 minutes in his first start.

However, one player who has slipped under the radar is Benjamin Arthur. The 20-year-old Brentford novice completed a last-minute loan move but wasn’t included in Saturday’s matchday squad against Dundee.

The English powerhouse has already drawn comparisons to Virgil van Dijk from Dundee manager Steven Pressley, who worked with the young player during his tenure as head of player development at Brentford, reports the Daily Record.

Parkhead legend Macca believes the towering centre-back – who has made three appearances for Brentford – should be thrown into the mix straight away.

Speaking on the Let Me Be Frank podcast, McAvennie said: “See these players they brought in? They are all good players and you’ve got to get them in the team because we need them.

“In my opinion, we need this boy from Brentford to come into this team because the boys are not good enough at the back – for me.

“The chances that are getting created against Celtic, I’ve never seen so many. Keeper saves them and because we win, it’s another clean sheet.

“But the chances… a good striker would’ve buried a few of them. We’re getting dominated against teams now. I don’t care how old he is, he’s 6ft 4, get him in the team.

“If he’s playing for a Premier League club, get him in the team. We brought Van Dijk up, nobody knew who he was and he went straight into the team. He was a colossus.”

McAvennie reckons the inexperienced defender should be given the nod ahead of Liam Scales, arguing the Irishman has made one too many errors.

He continued: “I think he could be a good player but he’s got to learn. How many chances have come off Liam and people have missed them?”

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Tom made repeated trips to the doctor but says his symptoms were ignored

A dad’s crippling stomach pains dismissed by a GP as the result of “drinking too many fizzy drinks” turned out to be a rare and incurable form of cancer. Tom Hayman, 28, said he was told he was probably suffering from acid reflux despite months of pain, rapid weight loss and repeated trips to the doctor.

But scans later revealed the true cause – a neuroendocrine tumour that began in his pancreas and spread to his liver. The plumber, from Warrington, Cheshire, had been feeling unwell since the summer of 2024 but claims his symptoms were repeatedly brushed aside.

He was “fobbed off” each time, being told there was “nothing to worry about” as at the time he was only 27, which his GP told him was “too young to have cancer”. His fiancée Mary Cooper, 28, said the GP even laughed at the suggestion of cancer despite seeing a “dramatic and alarming” change in Tom.

She added: “He’s a 6ft 5ins lad who loves his food – but all of a sudden, it was like he started forgetting to eat. He just didn’t want food. If he did eat, he’d get really bad stomach pains. He also started to lose a lot of weight.”

Despite fearing something was seriously wrong, Tom spent around six months going back and forth to his GP surgery with no answers. Mary said: “They were just fobbing us off with things like ‘you drink too many fizzy drinks’.”

Doctors initially suggested acid reflux – something Tom had suffered with before. Mary added: “The doctor thought it was acid reflux, but this was coming from his liver area. “I knew it wasn’t right for him to be doubled over in pain. Tom was worried it was something sinister – but the doctor laughed and said he wouldn’t have cancer at his age.”

She claims the GP suggested he undergo scans only because Tom appeared anxious. The tests, carried out at Warrington Hospital, changed everything. Mary said: “A day later, they rang to say they’d found something on his liver.”

Further tests in London confirmed the devastating diagnosis – a neuroendocrine tumour that had already spread, along with a blood clot on Tom’s liver. The couple were referred to Clatterbridge in May 2025 and have been researching treatment options ever since.

Mary said: “Tom felt like he was not being listened to and almost mocked. Hearing the word cancer was overwhelming. It was all a bit of a blur, to be honest. We were both crying and the next thing we were thinking was – how are we going to tell our family and friends?

“What is his life going to be like now? We couldn’t take in anything that was said during that appointment because our worlds had just stopped. I can’t explain the feeling. It was just sadness and anger. There was a wave of emotions.

“You think about the future and buying a house, getting married, having more children – but you’re asking whether these things are ever going to happen.”

With no cure available in the UK, the family’s hope now lies overseas in Germany, where doctors offer dendritic cell therapy, a form of immunotherapy designed to help the body fight cancer. Mary said Tom found out about the treatment through social media.

After reaching out to hospitals abroad and sharing Tom’s medical notes, discussions about treatment options began. The family are aiming to raise £50,000 which would cover medical fees, travel, accommodation, and time away from work while Tom focuses on getting better.

Despite everything, Mary says Tom remains positive – even when his health dips. She said: “He believes that if he thinks positively, then positive things will come. “He takes everything in his stride.”

Their son Ronnie, four, is unaware of the seriousness of his dad’s illness – but senses when something is wrong. Mary said: “He doesn’t know what’s happening, but he has seen when Tom’s not unwell, which upsets him. We’re just trying to keep life as normal as possible for him.”

Mary said she hopes sharing Tom’s story will raise awareness – particularly among young people whose symptoms may be ignored. They have launched a fundraiser to cover treatment costs.

To donate visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/hope-for-tom-supporting-his-cancer-treatment-in-germany

BBC Breakfast shared a heartbreaking story on Tuesday after a young woman’s tragic death

BBC Breakfast star Sally Nugent made an emotional announcement on Tuesday (February 10), as a guest was left in tears.

The latest edition of the hit morning programme saw Sally deliver the latest news from across the UK and around the world, while her co-star Jon Kay shared political updates live from Downing Street.

Sally was joined in the Salford studio by Carol Kirkwood, who delivered regular weather forecasts, while John Watson handled the sports segment.

Later in the show, Sally announced the death of a 21-year-old, who sadly passed away from sepsis six years ago. Bethan James’s grieving parents are now campaigning for better training to diagnose one of the UK’s biggest killers.

“The parents of a young woman from Cardiff who died after sepsis wasn’t spotted early enough are calling for better training to diagnose the condition,” Sally said.

“Bethan James was 21 when she died six years ago after life-saving treatment was delayed. It comes as a BBC investigation finds sepsis awareness training is still not mandatory at most hospitals in Wales, despite being one of the UK’s biggest killers.”

A pre-recorded segment was then played, in which Bethan’s parents emotionally recounted their daughter’s symptoms.

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Emergency services were called to the A177 Durham Road near Thorpe Thewles, Stockton on Monday (February 9), just after 5.20pm.

It is understood the road was closed for a short time while the ambulance service treated two people. One was taken to hospital.

The circumstances of the crash are not yet known.

A spokesperson for the North East Ambulance Service said: “We attended a road traffic collision on the A177 in Thorpe Thewles just after 5.20pm today (February 9).

“A paramedic crew arrived at the scene and assessed two patients.

“One patient was discharged at scene and the other taken to hospital.”

Cleveland Police has been contacted for more information.