Traditional promotion and relegation to and from the top-tier Prem will be scrapped from the start of the 2026-27 season after landmark changes to English rugby were voted through.

Instead of earning a play-off shot at replacing the Prem’s bottom side by finishing top of the second-tier Champ and meeting the top flight’s minimum standards, ambitious clubs will instead apply to join and be judged across a range of criteria.

Bids will be assessed on standard of play, finances, investment potential, infrastructure and how their geographical base could help spread the Prem’s appeal, among other factors.

The league hopes to expand to 12 teams, from its current 10, for the 2029-30 season.

Any team wanting to play in the Prem will need to complete a campaign in the Champ before being considered.

Teams could also be demoted out of the top flight if they fail to perform on the pitch or engage fans, but only “if a stronger, viable candidate exists”.

“It’s long been clear that the previous system was not delivering the financial sustainability or long-term confidence the professional game needs,” said Mike McTighe, the chair of the Men’s Professional Rugby Board.

“We know there will be scrutiny, and rightly so. The proof will be in delivery: in improved stability, in renewed investor confidence, in tangible benefits to the women’s game and in sustained support for community rugby.”

A trio of top-tier teams – Wasps, London Irish and Worcester – went bust in the 2022-23 season, causing concerns over the long-term sustainability of the league.

However, the purchase of Newcastle, who have finished bottom of the top division for the past three seasons, by energy drink giant Red Bull last summer was a significant vote of confidence.

Plans to move towards a franchise-style model had already been floated at the time of Red Bull’s takeover and league officials believe the new system will attract more outside investment, reducing the reliance most clubs have on benefactor owners.

“We are now firmly on the path to a more prosperous and brighter future for Prem Rugby,” said league chief executive Simon Massie-Taylor.

“Our vision is to become the best league in the world – for fans, players and investors in current and future Gallagher Prem clubs – and these important changes throughout the game will help us achieve this.”

The US Supreme Court told Donald Trump on February 20 that the tariffs he has used to try and bend the world to his will are unlawful. Tariffs are taxes and it is not for the president to impose them. According to the US constitution, Congress holds the power of the purse.

Trump relied on the terms of a 1977 law designed to address national emergencies, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, to impose the majority of his tariffs. The court held that this law did not provide Trump with the legal authority to impose them.

In a post on social media following the court’s decision, Trump called the justices who ruled against him a “Disgrace to our Nation”. And he has subsequently announced that he will rely on another law, section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act, to impose worldwide tariffs of 15%.

But even if Trump’s use of that law survives legal challenge, these tariffs would be time limited. The act says that after 150 days the tariffs would continue only if Congress says so. Trump disagrees, saying in his State of the Union address on February 25 that “congressional action will not be necessary”.

Trump is a would-be “strongman” leader. Like all strongmen, his aim is to concentrate political power in himself and those closest to him. Since returning to the White House in January 2025, Trump has preferred to rule by way of executive order rather than through the legislative process. He has done so despite his Republican party controlling both houses of Congress.

Strongmen want to rule without the interference or oversight of legislatures and courts. But Trump has discovered that, in a constitutional democracy that is governed by the rule of law, the Supreme Court will not allow that to happen.

Resisting strongman rule

Trump is not the only western leader to experience push back from a top court when seeking to bypass the legislature. In 2019, Britain’s then-prime minister Boris Johnson wanted to fulfil his political promise to “get Brexit done” unfettered by parliament.

He advised the queen to suspend parliament for five weeks in the lead up to the UK’s “exit day” from the EU. The UK’s Supreme Court ruled unanimously that this advice was unlawful because, in the UK, parliament is sovereign. Parliament has two constitutional roles: to pass legislation and to hold the government to account.

The court held that Johnson and his ministers were constitutionally required to explain and justify their policies, decisions and actions to parliament and to answer parliament’s questions. Parliament must be free to exercise its constitutional functions, the court said, especially in times of great change.

The UK and the US have vastly different constitutions. But when faced with strongmen tactics, the supreme courts in both countries have stepped in to uphold the constitutional role of the legislature.

The function of legislatures in a democracy, US Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch declared on February 21 after invalidating Trump’s tariffs, is “to tap the combined wisdom of the people’s elected representatives, not just that of one faction or man”.

In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (another would-be strongman leader) and his justice minister, Yariv Levin, have embarked on a programme of judicial reform in recent years to strengthen the power of the executive in relation to the judiciary.

The Israeli parliament passed amendments to the country’s quasi-constitutional Basic Laws in 2023, which aimed to limit the power of the courts to review ministerial decisions. These reforms have caused a constitutional crisis.

Protests were staged against the reforms across Israel in 2023, and military reservists threatened to not report for service. The protests ended abruptly with the October 7 terrorist attacks in southern Israel later that year.

Israel’s Supreme Court struck down one amendment to the Basic Laws in early 2024, with all 15 justices convening for the first time in Israeli history. The court held that it had the power to review the Basic Laws and declared an amendment – that would have limited the court’s ability to review ministerial decisions – unlawful.

However, the ruling has not derailed Netanyahu’s plans to reform the Israeli legal system. In 2025, the Israeli parliament passed a law that introduces more political control over judicial appointments. A case challenging this law will be heard by the full bench of the Israeli Supreme Court in summer 2026.

Meanwhile, Levin is refusing to cooperate with the president of the supreme court, Yitzhak Amit, to make judicial appointments. The Israeli government is also seeking to dismiss the independent attorney-general, Gali Baharav-Miara, who has argued against the reform.

In his response to the recent decision in the US to strike down Trump’s tariffs, French president Emmanuel Macron said: “It is not bad to have a supreme court and, therefore, the rule of law. It is good to have power and counterweights to power in democracies.”

At a time when strongman tactics appear to be on the rise, the courts are providing the last line of defence against authoritarian rule.

A variety of airlines all have different restriciton on which backpacks are allowed on board free of charge

When travelling abroad, it’s vital that you ensure your hand luggage is compliant with your airlines rules. Failling to do this can lead to a very awkward situation where you’re forced to throw out parts of your hand luggage in order for your bag to be allowed to be taken on the plane.

Otherwise, you may find that you’re holiday has become more expensive before it’s even started, with many airlines charging extra for bringing baggage that exceeds limitations. Fortunately, an easy way of avoiding this annoying situation is purchasing a travel bag compliant with the majority of airlines hand luggage rules.

Currently, holidaymakers can grab the Taygeer Cabin Bag on Amazon for a 40% reduced price, going from £29.99 to £17.98. The key selling point of this travel bag is that it adheres to Ryanair’s cabin bags regulation.

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Currently, Ryanair allows all passengers to bring one free personal cabin bag, however, it must meet a maximum size of 40cm x 20cm x 25cm. Thankfully, the Taygeer Cabin Bag comes exactly in this size to allow all Ryanair travellers to bring their hand luggage without any issue.

However, if you’re travelling with a different airline you may face different restrictions on your hand luggage, some of which you can get with Taygeer. For example, its Easyjet Cabin bag meets the 45cm x 36cm x 20cm maximum restriction, as well as Lufthansa’s 55cm x 40cm x 20cm.

Many of these bags will also be compatible with other airlines that have similar restrictions, such as TUI (55cm x 40cm x 20cm), Jet2 (56cm x 45cm x 25cm), and Wizz Air (40cm x 30cm x 20cm). Taygeer’s Cabin bag comes equipped with underseat features, including a built-in wet pocket made of water-restistant materials.

It also has its own shoe pouch, making it easier to organise your carry-on clothes for your holiday, especially if it’s for a special occasion and you need to pack more than one pair of shoes. The bag also expands in order to allow you to more easily pack and organise all your hand luggage, including clothes, books, toileteries, and stationary.

While the current discount only applies to the black version of the bag, it is also available in other colours at varying prices, including pink, light blue, dark blue, grey, off-white, and green. Otherwise, you can opt for the Xkdoai Cabin bag which has been reduced from £20.99 to £16.99.

Similarly this bag is also compatible with Ryanair’s hand luggage restriction and comes in a wide variety of colours as well as compartments. If a backpack isn’t what you’re looking for, you can also grab the VSNOON Cabin Bag on Amazon for £9.97.

This travel bag is more similar to a duffel bag form factor and is more easily designed to be carried in your hands, which can be especially useful for moving through a busy airport while keeping all your personal belongings in your line of sight. Alternatively, if you want something a bit more premium, Antler is currently offering its own Chelsea Backcap In Taupe for a reduced price, going from £140 to £98.

This travel backpack features a back sleeve that allows it to easily slot over your suitcase handle while include a variety of compartments, such as 16.5 inch laptop pocket, and elasticated side pockets. People who purchased the Taygeer Cabin Bag Praised it for how convenient it is when travelling.

On shopper on Amazon said: “Perfect cabin bag.Adequate amount of pockets and opens up fully even though carries like a rucksack. Amazing colour.”

Another added: “Great rucksack, perfect size for ryan air underneath seat requirements, fits into their boarding check compartment easily. Lots of useful sections, some with zips & 4 handy compression straps, comfy to wear as a rucksack, would recommend, I bought the black version which looks smart”

A third said: “Surprisingly good quality for the price. It is an extremely good bag and absolutely perfect for airline cabin baggage and the sizes. It is amazing how much stuff you can actually get in it. Very happy with it.”

However, not everyone was fully satisfied with their purchase, with one user writing: “Maximum easyJet hand luggage size, and could fit masses of gear in. Very lightweight, which may be a good thing. I really like it, but it feels flimsy when loaded up and I could see the stitches starting to show the strain. So I don’t think it will last long sadly.”

Another added: “Great bag however disappointed with the stitching as a lot of it is frayed! If the stitching was intact I would definitely give it more stars….”

While a third said: “Very small so check the size before buying, we didn’t. Ok for a night away. Good quality bag.”

It was a night that saw a serious escalation in violence between Afghanistan and Pakistan, with Pakistan launching airstrikes in Afghanistan – including its capital city, Kabul. Other places struck were in Paktia and Kandahar provinces, the latter a stronghold and the birthplace of the Taliban movement.

A man has been arrested for a reported DUI outside of Nancy Guthrie’s home in Tucson, Arizona.

Guthrie, who is the mother of Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie, vanished at some point during the evening of January 31 and February 1, with the search for her dragging on ever since.

Last night, the driver allegedly passed Guthrie’s home “50 to 100 times,” before a press photographer tried to speak to him, according to NewsNation correspondent Brian Entin.

Entin says that the press photographer noticed a picture of the missing 84-year-old on the driver’s phone.

Officers from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department intervened shortly after and asked the man to step out of his vehicle.

According to Entin, the man was given a sobriety test and arrested at the scene.

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This development comes after newly-released footage revealed more about what occurred during the early hours of February 1, in the area surrounding Guthrie’s property.

A video, recorded by a Ring doorbell camera at a property near Guthrie’s home in the Catalina Foothills, appears to show 12 vehicles passing by. The footage was recorded between midnight and 6 am.

One vehicle passed in front of the property at around 2.36 am, about eightminutes after Guthrie’s pacemaker last synced with her cell phone.

According to Fox News Digital, the two properties are about 2.5 miles apart, which the outlet estimates is a 7-minute drive.

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Fox News Digital received the video from Tucson residents Elias and Danielle Stratigouleas. However, neither Elias nor Danielle had previously been canvassed by police.

Their home is outside the 2-mile radius in which residents were asked to hand over Ring doorbell footagefrom January 1 until February 2, although the outlet has since turned the video over to the authorities.

Investigators are currently probing a range of leads in the Nancy Guthrie case, including another video capture by a doorbell camera.

The footage was recorded at Guthrie’s home and appears to show a masked man lurking on her porch on the morning of her disappearance. Several other images taken by the camera have also been released by the authorities.

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However, sources familiar with the investigation told ABC News that one of the images of the suspect may have been taken on a day prior to Guthrie’s alleged abduction.

In response, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department told The Independent that any “suggestion that the photographs were taken on different days is purely speculative.”

Authorities are also investigating a series of ransom notes, sent to various news outlets, which contained demands for millions of dollars in Bitcoin in exchange for Guthrie’s return.

Savannah and her siblings have released several videos in response, telling the alleged kidnappers that they are willing to “pay.”

The identity of the alleged kidnappers remains unknown.

The family has since offered $1 million to anyone who provides information leading to Guthrie’s return, although Savannah acknowledged in a recent video that her mother “may already be gone.”

The Independent has contacted the Pima County Sheriff’s Department for further comment.

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The U.S. Embassy in Israel on Friday told its staff that it could leave the country and urged anyone considering departure to do so immediately, as the threat of an American strike on Iran looms.

U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee told embassy employees in an email that discussions with officials in Washington had led to a decision authorizing departures for those who wished to leave.

The email was recounted to The Associated Press by someone involved with the U.S. mission who wasn’t authorized to share details. Sent before 10:30 a.m., it urged staff considering departure to do so quickly, advising them to to focus initially on getting any flight out of Israel and to then make their way to Washington.

“Those wishing to take AD should do so TODAY,” Huckabee wrote, using an acronym for “authorized departure.”

“While there may be outbound flights over the coming days, there may not be,” he added.

Huckabee said that there was no need for panic, but for those desiring to leave, it was important to make plans soon.

The email came a day after Iran and the United States walked away from nuclear negotiations without a deal. Airlines such as Netherlands-based KLM have already announced plans to suspend flights out of Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport, and other embassies have also made plans for authorized departures from Israel and neighboring countries.

Australia on Wednesday “directed the departure of all dependents of Australian officials posted to Israel in response to the deteriorating security situation in the Middle East.” India and several European countries with missions in Iran advised citizens to avoid travel to the country as well.

On a town hall meeting Friday after the email was sent, Huckabee told staff that he was encouraging airlines to keep flying.

The departure authorizations signal a new level of contingency planning as a massive fleet of U.S. aircraft and warships mass in the Middle East.

Badr al-Busaidi, Oman’s foreign minister who is mediating in the negotiations, said that there had been significant progress made on Thursday, though officials from Iran and the United States haven’t announced steps forward.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday offered no specifics, but said “what needs to happen has been clearly spelled out from our side.”

___ Metz reported from Ramallah, West Bank.