Yet he showed no urgency to put the rebound into the net.

First Delap raised his arm to celebrate, then appealed to the officials, before collecting the loose ball and having a shot blocked by the recovering Phillips.

Premier League record goalscorer Alan Shearer, speaking on BBC One during commentary of the game, said: “Goodness me. What is Delap doing?

“It is as if he is thinking, ‘I have all the time in the world’. He ambles to it and he takes his time. What are you waiting for?

“Liam Delap has not had a good four minutes. He has given it away twice and missed a sitter. Delap has been poor and he has been given the opportunity tonight. Delap looks very lazy, his performances have to improve.”

Delap, though, recovered impressively from the error to finish the match with three assists as Pedro Neto’s hat-trick and an Estevao Willian strike sent eight-time FA Cup winners Chelsea into round five.

And he was able to joke about the bizarre moment afterwards as he told BBC One: “I swear on my life I almost ran off [the pitch].

“I thought it went in and then I was waiting for the ref to blow his whistle. Obviously, I should have waited for the ref to blow his whistle. It’s silly from me but yeah, crazy.”

The former Manchester City striker has started just two of Chelsea‘s last nine Premier League games, but was handed a chance by Liam Rosenior, with in-form forward Joao Pedro dropping to the bench.

And despite Delap’s misjudgement, the Blues boss praised the forward for his response and part in the success.

The ball he played to Neto for the opening goal in the 40th minute was the first pass he had completed in the final third, having lost possession eight times beforehand.

His second assist for Estevao came after some brilliant hold-up play, while he teed up Neto for the second time at the MKM Stadium with a powerful drive into the box.

Rosenior called Delap’s performance “top” and said: “To be a number nine, especially in a system that we play, it’s not always about yourself.

“It’s about bringing other people into play. It’s about sometimes making sacrifice runs so other players get the space.”

And former Blackburn and Newcastle striker Shearer added: “Delap recovered well from that start and has been instrumental in the win. He deserves a lot of credit for that.”

Ex-Manchester City defender Micah Richards hopes Delap can now “replicate that in the Premier League”.

“I think Liam Delap’s game was brilliant,” he told BBC One. “What I liked about it, is when Hull set up in this five, Delap was thinking if he could get into the space.”

While Delap must wait for his next goal, former Spurs and Manchester City midfielder Michael Brown added on BBC Radio 5 Live: “Delap can do anything. He is like a throwback and is that all-around number nine.

“He is very effective when he is on his game. He is good in the air, he can hold the ball up well, he can defend and he can finish.

“I think he is another outlet. Chelsea now have a plan B if they want to use it and that could be an option.”

Local reports indicate that the man is in a critical condition after being blasted by cops in Paris.

A man has been shot by cops after an attempted knife attack at a famous landmark in Paris.

The man had reportedly lunged towards officers with a the knife near the Arc de Triomphe shortly after 6pm local time today, Friday, February, 13.

Local media reported that one police officer had been left with serious injuries, but official reports have since confirmed the officer only suffered minor injuries during the incident. Officers were given orders to shoot following the attempted attack on a fellow officer, reports the Daily Star.

An official said the man was hospitalised after earlier reports said the suspect was shot dead at the scene. However, he is reportedly in a critical condition, according to LeParisen.

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Sources say the suspect was “already well known” to the cops. He suspect lives in Seine-Saint-Denis and is reportedly is registered with Micas (individual administrative control and surveillance measure).

The incident reportedly took place as the city held its Rekindling of the Flame ceremony, a daily service to honour the Unknown Soldier and French war victims.

The Charles de Gaulle-Étoile and surrounding Metro stations have also been shut down for security reasons, The Mirror reports.

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The National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor’s Office released a statement: “Following the events that occurred on February 13, 2026 in Paris, the National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor’s Office has taken up these facts and opened a preliminary investigation.”

The Arc de Triomphe is one of Paris‘ most famous sites, and sits atop the busy Champs-Elysees avenue.

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Glasgow contestant Mags returned to face the Chasers 11 years after her memorable appearance on The Chase.

On Friday night (February 13), ITV audiences watched as host Bradley Walsh welcomed contestants Carla, John, Christopher, Lucy and Margaret onto Beat The Chasers.

During the repeated episode, which originally broadcast last year, the participants each took on the formidable quiz masters including The Sinnerman, The Beast, The Governess, The Menace, The Vixen and The Dark Destroyer in their quest to secure a cash prize.

One contestant, however, was already familiar to Mark ‘The Beast’ Labbett, having previously faced him in 2014 during an appearance on The Chase. This follows after viewers were left reeling this week.

When Glasgow contestant ‘Mags’ made her way down from the studio audience for her turn, she revealed to Bradley that any winnings would go towards purchasing a new car.

After correctly answering three questions, Mags had the opportunity to compete for a minimum prize of £3,000, reports the Daily Record.

READ MORE: ITV fans ‘can’t wait’ as Eve Myles’ new chilling mystery drama drops trailerREAD MORE: ITV The Summit Warren’s romance with Katie Price and where you’ve seen him before

But as Mark Labbett prepared to present his offer, she greeted the ITV star with: “Hello again.”

Mark responded: “You look familiar.”

Mags confirmed she’d previously encountered The Beast, prompting Bradley to ask her to share details of her memorable appearance on the ITV programme more than ten years earlier.

Remembering her question, she recalled: “Which bird is poetically known as Mavis? I got the answer right! It was Thrush.”

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Bradley responded: “I took the mickey?” Mags continued: “Yeah, I was asked to explain how I knew it, so I said, ‘It’s just something I picked up’”

The live audience erupted into laughter as Bradley echoed her comment from her initial appearance on the quiz show, asking: “Are you known in your area as Thrush lady?”

She responded with: “No, but I might be after this!” Ultimately, the contestant was offered the opportunity to play for £75,000.

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However, she chose to challenge four chasers in an attempt to win £40,000.

Following a tense 60 seconds, Mags triumphed over the chasers, earning a standing ovation from the quiz masters.

Commenting on her victory, Bradley couldn’t resist making a light-hearted remark, stating: “You’ve absolutely thrushed them!”

For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new Everything Gossip website‘.

Beat The Chase is available to watch on ITVX.

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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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.

**For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website**

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.