Three skiers died in the tragic incident at the Val-d’Isère ski area.

Three skiers died after a huge avalanche hit a popular ski resort in the French Alps.

Two Brits and a French skier were killed in the Val-d’Isère area, the resort’s tourist office confirmed. The avalanche struck at around 11.30am this morning, Friday, February 13, sweeping six skiers away in an off-piste area of the Manchet Valley, according to the Albertville prosecutor’s office.

The French skier who died was skiing alone, while the other five people were part of a group accompanied by an instructor. “The two other deceased and the injured person are British nationals. They belonged to a group of five skiers accompanied by an instructor. The instructor is unharmed,” said prosecutor Benoît Bachelet, reports the Mirror.

The injured British skier was taken to Bourg-Saint-Maurice after managing to escape despite initially being buried under the snow. A probe into the incident has been opened.

The Val-d’Isère tourist office offered “sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims” and urged skiers to stick to secure, marked areas of the resort. It noted that the avalanche risk had been rated 4 out of 5 this morning.

The Savoie prefecture issued a warning on X, advising against “off-piste activities, ski touring and snowshoeing” and urging “mountain enthusiasts to strictly comply with the instructions given by professionals and the safety services of the slopes”.

Storm Nils brought very heavy snowfall as it swept through France yesterday, with 60 to 100 cm of fresh snow recorded, according to France’s weather service Météo France. The forecaster had placed Savoie under red avalanche warning for the whole day and several ski resorts in the Alps closed fully or partially.

Météo France service warned the snowpack would be “very unstable” in Savoie today, especially above 1800–2000 m altitude”. “Avalanches can therefore be easily triggered by a skier or hiker and may mobilise very large volumes of snow,” it said.

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Hull City issued warnings to fans inside the MKM Stadium after discriminatory chants were directed towards Chelsea, with arrests made during the FA Cup tie

Chelsea’s victory over Hull City in the FA Cup was marred after discriminatory chanting resulted in supporters being arrested inside the stadium. The Championship side issued warnings through their PA system to halt chants during the first half, whilst messages appeared on screens throughout the venue, after the discriminatory “rent boy” chant was aimed at the Premier League outfit.

Fans at the MKM Stadium were reminded that discriminatory chanting constitutes a criminal offence and CCTV was being monitored throughout the ground. During the second half, further announcements informed supporters that action had been taken, including arrests.

Tigers boss Sergej Jakirovic expressed his disappointment at the chants from fans, reaffirming that there is no place for discrimination, reports. He said: “Didn’t hear that. This is not the place for this, in the stadium or in public as well.

“It’s not good, for sure. The stadium is not a place for that and this is the reason why there are arrests.”

READ MORE: Raheem Sterling blocked from Feyenoord training just a day after joining clubREAD MORE: How to watch every FA Cup game on TV this weekend – TV channels and full schedule

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In a statement published in 2023, Chelsea welcomed the Crown Prosecution Service’s decision that classified the term “rent boy” as a homophobic slur and hate crime. It came after the Football Association (FA) marked the chant as a specific rule breach.

“Chelsea Football Club welcomes the FA’s decision to class the homophobic chant directed at our supporters as a breach of FA rules which could lead to disciplinary action being taken,” the statement began.

“This follows the decision of the Crown Prosecution Service to class this hugely offensive chant as a hate crime. “The ‘Rent Boy’ chant is intolerable and has no place in football or anywhere else.

“That opposition clubs can now face disciplinary action if their supporters engage in this discriminatory and offensive behaviour is a step in the right direction. Everyone who chooses to participate in this chant must know their actions have consequences.

“Alongside our No To Hate campaign, we will continue to work with the FA, the CPS, opposition clubs, and our own LGBTQI+ supporter group Chelsea Pride in the pursuit of positive change. There is plenty more work to be done, but we won’t rest until football is a game where everyone feels welcome.”

Hull had issued a warning to supporters on Thursday that “chanting of a homophobic, racist or discriminatory nature is entirely unacceptable and will not be tolerated”.

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They cautioned fans that anyone caught engaging in such conduct would face serious consequences, including immediate removal from the ground, a banning order and criminal prosecution.

After Pedro Neto’s goal separated the two teams in the first half, the Portuguese winger added two more strikes in the second to seal his hat-trick, whilst Estevao also got on the scoresheet.

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County Hall, at Aykley Heads in Durham City,  is scheduled to close earlier than originally planned, with all council staff and services expected to be relocated by July. 

Council officials said the earlier move will save around £350,000 in building running costs, ongoing maintenance and repairs, and speed up the development of the new Aykley Heads Innovation District. 

Cabinet members and councillors part of the Reform-led local authority will relocate to the Rivergreen Centre, which will be the main base of council operations. The site, which formerly housed the Atom Bank headquarters, is currently undergoing major redevelopment after it was bought by the council for £11 million in 2023 

County Hall, Durham. (Image: Stuart Boulton)

Opposition councillors will be temporarily relocated to the nearby Salvus House offices until February 2027. 

Full council meetings from September will be held at Spennymoor Leisure Centre until the Rivergreen building is available, which will house a brand new council chamber. Committee meetings will be scheduled across Salvus House, The Light, Green Lane, and Spennymoor Education Centre.

Demolition work on the existing County Hall site, which opened in 1963, is expected to start in March 2027 when it is handed over to Muse, the council’s joint venture partner. 

The public-private partnership, supported by Durham University, is expected to create thousands of new jobs and to become a regional hub for research and innovation. 

A new cultural venue inside the former Durham Light Infantry (DLI) Museum and Art Gallery called ‘The Light’ is due to open later this year. 

Andrew Husband, Reform council leader at Durham County Council. (Image: Sarah Caldecott)

Speaking after signing the partnership agreement with Muse last year, council leader Andrew Husband said: “Aykley Heads will deliver thousands of quality jobs for our residents and will be a significant driving force for County Durham’s future economic growth, as well as that of the wider North East.”

Phil Mayall, managing director at Muse, added: “Aykley Heads will provide a high-quality environment to encourage the growth of existing businesses and attract others to the region.

“It will also help to balance out the city core by revitalising the area, creating a vibrant and exciting new employment destination.”

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — An au pair who schemed with her employer-turned-lover to kill his wife and another man received a 10-year prison sentence on Friday.

Prosecutors had recommended Juliana Peres Magalhães walk free after she pleaded guilty to a downgraded manslaughter charge in the February 2023 killing of Joseph Ryan. Instead of being tried for second-degree murder, she became their star witness, testifying that she had fatally shot Ryan as Brendan Banfield was fatally stabbing his wife, Christine, in the couple’s bedroom.

Brendan Banfield was convicted by a jury this month of aggravated murder in the deaths of his wife and Ryan.

“I know my remorse cannot bring you peace,” Magalhães told the victims’ families on Friday, wiping away tears and muffling sobs. “I hope you can someday understand that I really did not believe his plan would actually happen.”

Instead of sentencing her to time served, Judge Penney Azcarate delivered the maximum possible sentence to the woman from Brazil.

“Let’s get it straight: You do not deserve anything other than incarceration and a life of reflection on what you have done to the victim and his family. May it weigh heavily on your soul,” the judge said.

At Banfield’s trial, Magalhães testified that she and the IRS agent created an account in the name of his wife, a pediatric intensive care nurse, on a social media platform for people interested in sexual fetishes. Ryan connected with the account and agreed to meet for a sexual encounter involving a knife.

Magalhães, then 22, said she and Brendan Banfield took the couple’s 4-year-old child to the basement, and then found Ryan surprising Christine Banfield with a knife in the couple’s bedroom. She said Brendan Banfield shot Ryan and then began stabbing his wife in the neck. When she saw Ryan moving, Magalhães said, she fired the second shot that killed him.

The au pair wasn’t arrested until eight months later, and hasn’t left jail since. Prosecutors raised concerns that if she were to be allowed bail, she would flee to Brazil or be deported by immigration officials before they could finish their case. She didn’t talk with investigators for more than a year, until she changed her mind as her trial date approached.

“I lost myself in a relationship, and left my morals and values behind,” Magalhães told the judge.

“You were texting and speaking to Joseph Ryan, encouraging him to bring a knife and ultimately, through the phone conversation, getting his consent, knowing all along you were bringing him to his death,” the judge responded.

Ryan’s mother, Deirdre Fisher, told the court that her son, born days before Christmas, was her “greatest gift.” Three years after his killing, she can’t bear taking down their Christmas tree. An urn with Ryan’s ashes sits in front of the decoration.

“I say good morning to him each day when I turn on the tree’s lights,” she said. “But of course that’s not Joe sitting there. He can’t say ‘I love you’ back.”

Sangeeta Ryan described her nephew as “inquisitive, curious, smart, charming and so dang talkative.” She said he loved martial arts and role-playing with his friends. She also noted that he had moved in with his octogenarian grandmother to care for her.

“His sudden murder devastated his grandma — she could no longer live in the family home without Joe,” his aunt said. The woman quietly moved away, hoping to avoid her memories and the reporters knocking at the door.

Christine Banfield’s relatives attended Friday’s hearing. A judge has said Banfield will be sentenced in May.

A recent study showed that Mars was warm and wet billions of years ago. The finding contrasts with another theory that this era was mainly cold and icy. The result has implications for the idea that life could have developed on the planet at this time.

Whether Mars was once habitable is a fascinating and intensely researched topic of interest over many decades. Mars, like the Earth, is about 4.5 billion years old and its geological history is divided into different epochs of time.

The latest paper relates to Mars during a time called the Noachian epoch, which extended from about 4.1 to 3.7 billion years ago. This was during a stage in solar system history called the Late Heavy Bombardment (LHB). Evidence for truly cataclysmic meteorite impacts during the LHB are found on many bodies throughout the solar system.

Two obvious scars from this era on Mars are the enormous Hellas and Argyre impact basins; both are well over a thousand miles across and each possesses enough volume to hold all the water in the Mediterranean with room to spare.

One might not imagine such a time being conducive to the existence of fragile lifeforms, yet it is likely to be the era in which Mars was most habitable. Evidence of landforms sculpted by water from this time is plentiful and include dried-up river valleys, lake beds, ancient coastlines and river deltas.

The prevailing climatic conditions of the Noachian are still a matter of intense debate. Two alternative scenarios are
typically posited: that this time was cold and icy, with occasional melting of large volumes of frozen water by meteorite impact and volcanic eruptions, or that it was warm, wet and largely ice-free.

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Signs of ancient life may have been found in Martian rock – new study

Brightening Sun

All stars, including the Sun, brighten with age. In the early solar system, during the Noachian, the Sun was about 30% dimmer than it is today, so less heat was reaching Mars (and all the planets). To sustain a warm, wet climate at this time, the Martian atmosphere would have needed to be very substantial – much thicker than it is today – and abundant in greenhouse gases like CO2.

But when reaching high enough atmospheric pressure, CO2 tends to condense out of the air to form clouds and reduce the greenhouse effect. Given these issues, the cold, icy scenario is perhaps more believable.

One of the main science goals of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover, which landed spectacularly in February 2021, is to seek evidence to support either of these two scenarios, and the new
paper using data from Perseverance may have done just that.

Perseverance landed at the Martian location of Jezero crater, which was selected as the landing site because it once contained a lake. Views of the crater from orbit show several distinct fan-shaped deposits emanating from channels carved through the crater walls by flowing water. Within these channels are abundant deposits of clay minerals.

The new paper details recent analysis of aluminium-rich clay pebbles, called kaolinite, located within one of the ancient flow channels. The pebbles appear to have been subjected to intense weathering and chemical alteration by water during the Noachian.

While this is perhaps not surprising for a known ancient watery environment, what is interesting is that these clays are strongly depleted in iron and magnesium, and enriched in titanium and aluminium.

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Are we the Martians? The intriguing idea that life on Earth began on the red planet

This is important because it means these rocks were less likely to have been altered in a hydrothermal environment, where scalding hot water was temporarily released by melting ice caused by volcanism or a meteorite impact.

Instead, they appear to have been altered under modest temperatures and persistent heavy rainfall. The authors found distinct similarities between the chemical composition of these clay pebbles with similar clays found on Earth dating from periods in our planet’s history when the climate was much warmer and wetter.

The paper concludes that these kaolinite pebbles were altered under high rainfall conditions comparable to “past greenhouse climates on Earth” and that they “likely represent some of the wettest intervals and possibly most habitable portions of Mars’ history”.

Furthermore, the paper concludes that these conditions may have persisted over time periods ranging from thousands to millions of years. Perseverance recently made headlines also for the discovery of possible biosignatures in samples it collected last year, also from within Jezero crater.

These precious samples have now been cached in special sealed containers on the rover for collection by a future Mars sample return mission. Unfortunately, the mission has recently been cancelled by Nasa and so what vital evidence they may or may not contain will probably not be examined in an Earth-based laboratory for many years.

Crucial to this future analysis is the so-called “Knoll criterion” – a concept formulated by astrobiologist Andrew Knoll, which states that for something to be evidence of life, an observation has to not just be explicable by biology; it has to be inexplicable without it. Whether these samples ever satisfy the Knoll criterion will only be known if they can be brought to Earth.

Either way, it is quite striking to imagine a time on Mars, billions of years before the first humans walked the Earth, that a tropical climate with – possibly – a living ecosystem once existed in the now desolate and wind-swept landscape of Jezero crater.

A Gogglebox star was absent from the latest episode of the Channel 4 show

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A popular Gogglebox star was conspicuously absent during the latest episode, and their family promptly provided an explanation.

The enduring Channel 4 programme returned to screens on Friday evening (February 13) for another instalment. Back offering their opinions on recent television were favourites such as Pete and Sophie Sandiford and Ellie and Izzi Warner.

The Plummer brothers, Tremaine, Twaine, and Tristan, who joined the show in 2016, also made a return. However, instead of the usual trio, only Tremaine and Tristan were present on the sofa.

Prior to the episode airing, the brothers explained Twaine’s absence on Instagram. In the video, they said: “It’s just the two T’s today as Twaine left us to go on holiday. So we’ve got a new member of the team now,” before introducing their adorable dog.

The post was captioned: “Meet the new member of the team… @trissy101 @trem_vi Brand new #Gogglebox tonight at 9pm on @channel4.”, reports the Mirror.

Fans quickly filled the comments section with messages of support, and even Twaine responded, saying: “Wish I was there,” accompanied by sad face emojis. Another person wrote: “Enjoy the holiday you are missed tonight.”

Another fan remarked: “Happy Friday looking forward to watching you tonight. Hope he’s gone somewhere that’s sunny and dry.”

A third follower declared: “He’s another good-looking Plummer I’m glad you’re back with us we don’t see enough of you guys.”

The Plummer brothers made their Gogglebox debut a decade ago – and it didn’t take them long to become firm favourites with viewers. Over the years, the brothers – who are based in Bristol – have had fans in stitches thanks to their witty banter and one-liners and comical takes on the telly highlights.

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Beyond the television programme though, Tremaine – who is the eldest of the three siblings – hosts a breakfast radio show on Bristol’s Ujima FM. Tristan has pursued a professional footballing career from 2007 as well, alongside other brother Twaine.

Meanwhile Gogglebox welcomed several fresh faces to its line-up last year, including Jake and Calum from Glasgow and the Gordon family from Surrey.

Additional new stars featured the likes of married couple Andrew and Alfie from the Cotswolds and mother-and-daughter-in-law duo Sara and Lara from Yorkshire.

Gogglebox airs every Friday at 9pm on Channel 4.

It appears the planned meeting did not go ahead, as Epstein did not end up flying to the Libyan capital

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Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor spoke to a Libyan contact to help arrange a meeting for Jeffrey Epstein with the country’s dictator Colonel Gaddafi in Tripoli, emails appear to show.

Messages within the latest release of the US Department of Justice’s Epstein files, from the autumn of 2010, show the disgraced financier contacted royal aide David Stern saying “i want to go to tripoli lets organize with pa”.

The paedophile then sends another email to Mr Stern, writing: “people that have seen the father, have asked me if i want to meet him as he does not know where to put his money as opposed to what to do with it, currencies etc, I wondered if Pa should make the intro instead.”

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The emails were first unearthed from the Epstein files by Channel 4 News, which reported “the father” refers to the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi – who was overthrown and killed in 2011 – to distinguish him from his well-known son Saif.

It appears Mr Stern then consulted Andrew, in a reply dated the following day, October 8 2010, writing: “He is thinking about the best approach and will discuss with me when I see him next on 17th Oct in Hong Kong (he is leaving today for Asia).”

The former Duke of York made an official visit to China in October 2010 and was the UK’s trade envoy at the time.

Later emails from “The Duke”, signed “A”, to Epstein’s address say “I will call you later this evening after I have had my chat with my Libyan contact to see what we can arrange for you in Tripoli.”

The same day, November 4 2010, “A” follows up to Epstein writing “Libya fixed. Call me whenever.”

The emails come as Thames Valley Police on Wednesday said it had held discussions with specialists from the Crown Prosecution Service about allegations that Andrew shared confidential reports from his role as the UK’s trade envoy with Epstein.

It appears the planned meeting did not go ahead, as Epstein did not end up flying to the Libyan capital, Channel 4 News reported.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been contacted for comment.

British holidaymakers seeking long-haul winter sun can expect better value this year, with new data revealing tourist items are cheaper in two out of three popular destinations compared to last year.

A Post Office Travel Money report identifies Asia as offering the best value, with seven of the top ten most affordable locations.

Vietnam’s Hoi An stands out as the most budget-friendly for UK visitors among 30 destinations analysed. Its coastal city costs have fallen by 10.9 per cent since last autumn, driven by minor local price drops and the weakening dong currency.

South Africa’s Cape Town, where a basket of 10 tourist staples was 8 per cent higher than in Hoi An, was ranked the second cheapest destination after a 0.3 per cent year-on-year fall in costs.

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The goods analysed include a cup of filter coffee in a cafe or bar, a small bottle or tube of insect repellent, and a three-course evening meal for two adults with a bottle of house wine.

Local prices in third-placed Bali, Indonesia, have risen by 10.8 per cent since last autumn, but an 11.3 per cent fall in the value of its currency – the rupiah – against the pound means costs have dropped by 0.5 per cent for visitors from the UK.

Mombasa, Kenya, was ranked fourth, with Tokyo, Japan, taking fifth place.

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Laura Plunkett, head of travel money at the Post Office, said: “Although sterling has fallen from its high point earlier this year and there are concerns about possible volatility this autumn, it’s important to note that it is stronger against most currencies than a year ago.

“Furthermore, local prices are stable in most of the destinations we surveyed, with falls in over 40 per cent of them, so the prospects for winter sun holidaymakers look bright – especially in many Far Eastern and Caribbean countries where a combination of these factors means reduced prices for British travellers.”

Malinin had come in for some criticism at these Games, particularly around his performance in the team event, in which he was outscored by Kagiyama in the short program before errors in the free skate – in which he had not originally been expected to compete – almost allowed Japan to scoop gold.

Reacting to the pressure, Malinin’s team took him out of the Olympic bubble to train 35 miles away in Bergamo before the men’s event as they hoped it would help him reset.

And his cleaned-up performance in the individual short program – finishing five points ahead of the field – seemed like that that of a man in no mood to lose his two-and-a-half-year unbeaten competition streak.

His lead into the free skate was ominous – this is where Malinin dominates. At the Grand Prix Final, he was third after the short but still finished 30 points clear of the field after the free, landing seven quads.

Usually, he has such an advantage because of a deadly combination of fearlessness and ability. His program for the free skate has a much higher technical score than any of his rivals, and judges will give extra credit for ambition while also rewarding with a higher component score.

But this was a timid routine. The quad axel subbed for a single, a quad loop reduced to a double. Dreams, turned to rubble.

On his quad salchow, he only executed a double, then fell. Reality hit, just like the ice.

Malinin’s free skate was the 15th best of the night. It earned just 156.33 points, more than 40 behind Shaidorov.

He performed a backflip for the crowd’s entertainment, but it seemed like a forlorn call to the good times of only last week.

In the team event he had also landed the first legal backflip at an Olympic Games since US champion Terry Kubicka in 1976 – after which it was banned for safety reasons.

Thanks in part to skaters like France’s Surya Bonaly – who performed the move illegally but successfully at Nagano 1998 – the backflip is now legal again.

Malinin became the first to land it at the Games on only one foot and did the flip again in the short program.

But really, none of that mattered. And after the scores came in, Malinin went straight to Shaidorov to congratulate him.

This is Kazakhstan’s first Winter Olympic gold medal since Lillehammer 1994, when Vladimir Smirnov won the men’s 50km cross-country skiing. That was 10 years before Shaidorov, 21, was born.

After a slight slip on the quad lutz, Shaidorov kept his head when all about were losing theirs and produced two clean quad techniques of his own.

All hail the new Quad God.

He is expected to say: “We are not the Britain of the Brexit years anymore”

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Europe must relinquish its overdependence on the United States, Sir Keir Starmer is to tell a major defence summit grappling with antagonism from President Donald Trump.

The Prime Minister will also argue for the UK to move closer to the European Union, saying turning inwards such as in the Brexit years would amount to a “surrender” of control in a perilous era for geopolitics.

Sir Keir is rubbing shoulders with around 50 world leaders at the Munich Security Conference, where he has already met with Germany’s Friedrich Merz and France’s Emmanuel Macron.

The leaders have also met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss efforts to end the conflict between Ukraine and Russia as the four-year anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion nears.

European defence and the future of the transatlantic relationship are on the agenda at the conference, at a time when America’s commitment to Nato has been called into question.

Tensions flared over Mr Trump’s recent threat to take over Greenland from Nato partner Denmark, and insults directed at various leaders.

In his speech to the summit on Saturday, the Prime Minister will call for a more European defence alliance and greater autonomy for the continent.

Sir Keir will say that this should be underpinned by stronger ties between Britain and the EU.

He is expected to say: “We are not the Britain of the Brexit years anymore.

“Because we know that, in dangerous times, we would not take control by turning inward – we would surrender it. And I won’t let that happen.

“There is no British security without Europe, and no European security without Britain. That is the lesson of history – and it is today’s reality too.”

The Prime Minister will praise the US’s contribution to European security and say it remains a key ally.

But as Mr Trump’s administration has upended the international order and denigrated traditional allies in Europe, the bloc must reduce its dependence on the US and take more responsibility for its own defence, Sir Keir will suggest.

All eyes will be on whether US secretary of state Marco Rubio will take a similar approach to vice president JD Vance, who at last year’s gathering made waves by criticising European countries, including the UK, over free speech and immigration.

Mr Rubio pointed to a “new era in geopolitics” before his arrival.

The Prime Minister was allocated a seat next to the US secretary of state at the Ukraine meeting, although Mr Rubio had not arrived by the time the press left the room for the private talks to commence.

In his speech, Sir Keir will say: “I’m talking about a vision of European security and greater European autonomy, that does not herald US withdrawal but answers the call for more burden sharing in full, and remakes the ties that have served us so well.”

He will highlight Europe’s failure to make the most of its defence capabilities and call for closer UK-EU defence co-operation “to multiply our strengths and build a shared industrial base across Europe which can turbocharge our defence production”.

It comes after talks on Britain joining the EU’s new 150 billion euro (£130 billion) Security Action for Europe (Safe) rearmament fund were reported to have broken down at the end of last year, as the price for entry was thought to be too high.

“Europe is a sleeping giant. Our economies dwarf Russia’s, 10 times over,” Sir Keir will say.

“We have huge defence capabilities. Yet, too often, all of this has added up to less than the sum of its parts.

“Across Europe, fragmented industrial planning and long, drawn out procurement mechanisms have led to gaps in some areas – and massive duplication in others.”

The Labour leader will also hit out at Reform UK and the Green Party – “the peddlers of easy answers on the extreme left and the extreme right”.

He will add: “It’s striking that the different ends of the spectrum share so much. Soft on Russia and weak on Nato – if not outright opposed.

“And determined to sacrifice the longstanding relationships that we want and need to build, on the altar of their ideology.

“The future they offer is one of division and then capitulation. The lamps would go out across Europe once again. But we will not let that happen.”

Sir Keir’s trip to Germany comes after a tumultuous few weeks domestically, with his premiership rocked by controversy surrounding the appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US despite his ties to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.