KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia launched over 270 drones at Ukraine overnight, killing at least five people, Ukrainian authorities reported on Saturday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, made an unannounced visit to the United Arab Emirates, as Kyiv seeks to use its drone expertise to help Arab states blunt Iran’s attacks.

Two people were killed and at least 11 more were injured in a nighttime Russian drone strike on Odesa, according to the head of the region, Serhii Lysak. According to Lysak’s Telegram posts, the attack damaged a maternity hospital and private houses in the major Black Sea port city.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the “massive” strike involved more than 60 drones.

“Last night, the Russians launched a massive strike on Odesa. There was no military purpose whatsoever — this was pure terror against ordinary civilian life,” he said Saturday on X. He added that port and “critical” infrastructure was also damaged, as well as business premises.

Two men died and two more were injured early on Saturday in Kryvyi Rih, Zelenskyy’s hometown in central Ukraine, after a Russian drone hit an industrial facility, regional head Oleksandr Gandzha said in a Telegram update. He did not specify what the industrial building was.

One person was killed overnight in the Poltava region, also in central Ukraine, as Russia struck unspecified industrial sites there, regional authorities reported on Saturday.

According to Ukraine’s air force, Russia launched 273 drones at Ukraine during the night, 252 of which were downed or electronically jammed.

Also on Saturday, Zelenskyy and Emirati state media reported on a meeting between the Ukrainian President and his Emirati counterpart, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to discuss regional security amid the Iran war.

Last week, Zelenskyy revealed that Kyiv is helping five countries in the Middle East and Gulf region — the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan — counter Teheran’s drone strikes on their territory.

“For Ukraine, this is also a matter of principle: terror must not prevail anywhere in the world. Protection must be sufficient everywhere,” Zelenskyy commented on X following his meeting with the Emirati leader.

He added they had discussed “the security situation in the Emirates, Iranian strikes, and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which directly affects the global oil market”.

Ukraine has quickly grown into one of the world’s leading producers of cutting-edge, battle-tested drone interceptors that are cheap and effective. They are playing a key part in its defense against Russia’s more than 4-year-old full-scale invasion.

In return for its aid to Gulf countries, Ukraine is seeking more high-end air-defense missiles that they possess, and that Kyiv needs to blunt Russia’s attacks.

Police continue to search for missing 18-year-old Declan Berry

Potholes at the site of a fatal car crash were filled in within 40 hours of the tragedy, locals said, describing the road as “deteriorating into a mess”. A teenager died, one is missing and three were taken to hospital after a car mounted a riverbank on North Brink, Wisbech, and plunged into the River Nene at about 8.20pm on Tuesday, March 17.

A resident who lives next to the crash site in Cambridgeshire said she was stunned at the sight of two council vehicles arriving before 9am on Thursday to fix potholes. She said one area was so bad that motorists had been driving on the wrong side of the road to avoid it.

“There was a huge pothole in the middle of the road, which is now filled in,” she told the Express. “I’m guessing if you’d hit that at speed, it really would not have done your car any good whatsoever, and it’s not that far away from where the car hit the bank. But that’s completely filled in now.”

The resident said the whole lane was closed and full of police officers on the Wednesday because it was a crime scene, adding: “It was terrible.” Eden Bunn, 16, from Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire, died in the crash and her body was recovered a day later.

Police are searching for 18-year-old Declan Berry, believed to have been driving the Volkswagen Polo, which has been recovered from the river. Two 16-year-old girls and an 18-year-old boy managed to escape and were taken to hospital.

But on Thursday before 9am, the council had “suddenly managed” to get two large tarmac-spraying vehicles onto North Brink, the resident said. “All the cordons were still up because the road was closed, but the council had got in to fill in the potholes, which is really odd because they’re not filling potholes in anywhere else,” she said.

“It is just dodgy. It just seems unreasonable that they should suddenly rush these two vehicles in to fill in the potholes after such a horrific accident.”

While residents had reportedly been informed in advance about fibre optic works, which would cause road closures, the woman said they were given no warning about works to fill in potholes. The neighbour said the road has deteriorated due to long-running closures on the main A-road, Barton Road, which had diverted traffic onto country lanes for over a year.

“So, all the traffic’s been going down this little tiny country track that’s down the side of the river, and of course, the road’s just completely disintegrated,” she said. She claimed the “huge potholes” were between six to eight inches deep.

“I’ve seen people changing tyres and things like that on the side of the road,” she said. “The road’s just broken away, and you can see where cars pull up onto the banks to get around each other. The whole road was just deteriorating into a mess.”

Cambridgeshire Council said it carries out regular inspections and it has previously repaired a number of potholes along the route. It said to minimise disruption, the council carried out further repairs last week while the road was closed, as soon as it was appropriate to do so, and that since the road was already closed, there was no requirement to notify residents.

A Cambridgeshire County Council spokesperson said: “Following the tragic incident on North Brink in Wisbech St Mary our thoughts and sympathies remain with the families and friends of those involved. Whilst there is an ongoing police investigation, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further. We’re assisting the police with their investigation.”

Cambridgeshire Police declined to comment given that an investigation is ongoing.

Following the departure of hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly in the latest series, this week the show has announced the departures of professional dancers Karen Hauer, Nadiya Bychkova and now Luba Mushtuk.

In a statement posted to Instagram, the BBC show shared “a heartfelt thank you” to Luba, acknowledging “her outstanding contribution” to Strictly.

The statement continues: “Since joining in 2016 as an assistant choreographer and stepping into the professional dancer line-up two years later, Luba has been a valued member of the team – bringing professionalism, creativity, and her quality expertise year after year.

“Respected both on and off the dance floor, she has consistently delivered unforgettable routines, captivating audiences with her remarkable talent and signature elegance.

“We are incredibly grateful for her dedication to the programme and for always going above and beyond—whether through the care and commitment she showed her celebrity partners or her warmth and kindness behind the scenes.

“Luba has been, and always will be, a much-loved member of the Strictly family, and we wish her every success in the future.”

Luba has been a part of Strictly for 10 years and released her own statement about her exit on Instagram: “With a heart full of gratitude, the time has come for me to step away from Strictly Come Dancing.

“I am deeply grateful for the past 10 years on this beautiful show!

“Thank you for the amazing opportunity and the unforgettable memories.

“It has truly meant the world to me.

“Now it’s time for me to follow my dreams beyond the show, and I’m excited for what the future holds.”

Luba confirmed she would still be performing on the Strictly Professionals tour: “I can’t wait to see you all on the Pro Tour and I’m really looking forward to it for one last time.”

Fans call out BBC for “very strange” and “fishy” agenda amid axing of professionals

Commenting on the show’s official announcement about Luba’s exit, one fan said: “The agenda is ‘fishy’ I mean why would the two main presenters leave suddenly and announce it mid series ?

“Then all these lovely popular dancers being let go . It’s very strange .”

Another fan said: “I’ve hit the like button out of respect for Luba. Not the Strictly producers.

“You’re going to have to let us in on your strategy for this mass cull because loyal viewers like myself root for all the pros and I have really struggled to understand why they are doing this xx”.

Strictly Come Dancing’s longest-serving professional dancers

Someone else commented: “The show will lose it’s traditional and faithful audience base with too many changes of popular dancers along with Tess and Claudia going.

“Younger people won’t be rushing home on a Saturday teatime to make sure they’re in for Strictly, or take the time out their week to watch it back on iplayer.”

This person commented: “Strictly please can we stop announcing any more pros leaving cause my heart can’t take it ❤️”.

A fan accused the BBC of ruining the show: “What in gods name are you doing BBC – I almost hope this is your way of saying the show is going to end because you’ve ruined it for those that have watched for years.”

TV presenter Helen Skelton, who has competed on the show, commented on Luba’s post: “Thank you for your support and kindness during my time.

“Those eyes😍 love and hugs. Here is to turning the page x”.

Top 5 most iconic Strictly performances

Another former contestant on the show, Karen Carney, who is a pundit and former England footballer, said: “Thank you for being so kind and supportive to me on the show.

“It was so great to get to know you and I’m excited for you and your next adventures ❤️

“big love Luba ❤️”.

Newsquest has contacted the BBC for comment.

Who is your favourite Strictly professional? Let us know in the comments below.

A research team led by scientists at Northumbria University has revealed the cause of Saturn’s changing spin rate, a question that has baffled scientists for decades.

By using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to observe the planet’s northern lights in unprecedented detail, the team discovered a self-sustaining cycle of heat and electrically charged particles powered by the aurora itself.

Professor Tom Stallard, lead researcher and professor of planetary astronomy at Northumbria University (Image: Supplied)

Saturn has long puzzled astronomers.

In 2004, data from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft suggested that the planet’s rotation rate was shifting over time—something not thought possible.

Professor Tom Stallard, lead researcher and professor of planetary astronomy at Northumbria University, said: “What we are seeing is essentially a planetary heat pump.

“Saturn’s aurora heats its atmosphere, the atmosphere drives winds, the winds produce currents that power the aurora, and so it goes on.

“The system feeds itself.”

Research in 2021 led by Professor Stallard identified upper atmospheric winds as the source.

These winds, not actual rotation, were producing electrical currents that distorted the auroral signals and gave the illusion of a variable spin rate.

The team’s latest study, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, used JWST to observe Saturn’s northern auroral region over a full Saturnian day.

By examining the infrared signature of the trihydrogen cation, a molecule in Saturn’s upper atmosphere that acts as a thermometer, the team mapped temperature and particle density at higher resolution than ever before.

These patterns matched predictions from computer models—but only if the primary source of heat was located at the site of the auroral emissions.

This confirms that Saturn’s aurora directly heats the atmosphere, powering winds that produce the currents responsible for the aurora in a continuous feedback loop.

Professor Stallard said: “For decades, we knew something strange was happening with Saturn’s apparent rotation rate, but we could not explain it.

We then showed it was being driven by atmospheric winds, but we still did not know why those winds existed.

“These new observations, made possible by JWST, finally give us the evidence we needed to close that loop.”

The findings have broader implications, suggesting a two-way relationship between Saturn’s atmosphere and its magnetosphere—the enormous region of space shaped by the planet’s magnetic field.

Professor Stallard said: “This result changes how we think about planetary atmospheres more generally.

If a planet’s atmospheric conditions can drive currents out into the surrounding space environment, then understanding what is happening in the stratospheres of other worlds may reveal interactions we have not yet even imagined.”

The study was a collaboration between researchers in the UK and US, including teams from Boston University, the University of Leicester, and Aberystwyth University.

Jeremy Clarkson has spoken out on rumours he’ll move away from his Oxfordshire farm to Wales, after his former Top Gear co-star Richard Hammond relocated to Abergavenny

Advertisement

Richard Hammond’s move to a six-bedroom Georgian manor house in Abergavenny, Wales, has reportedly left some locals “agitated” amid fears that his former Grand Tour co-presenter Jeremy Clarkson could follow him there, potentially leaving his celebrated farm behind.

Jeremy is currently based in Oxfordshire, where he runs Diddly Squat Farm in Chadlington and The Farmer’s Dog pub in Asthall. However, the Abergavenny Chronicle has reported that some Welsh residents are concerned that once the farming celebrity “gets wind of just how lovely Abergavenny and its wider environs are” from Richard, he might be tempted to snap up a property in the area.

A spokesperson for Not In Our Backyard (NOB) commented: “Apart from the occasional sighting in the frozen aisle at the local supermarket, Mr Hammond has kept a very low profile.

“Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of Mr Clarkson. Since he has set up camp at Diddly Squat Farm, Chipping Norton has turned into an absolute circus.”

Nevertheless, the Clarkson’s Farm host has moved to quash the rumours in his latest newspaper column, taking a characteristically sharp swipe at his former Top Gear co-star’s well-documented accident-prone reputation in the process.

Writing in The Sun, Jeremy said: “Residents in the pretty Welsh town of Abergavenny said this week that after Richard Hammond bought a house in the area, they were ‘fearful’ that I’d do the same thing.

“Well relax, boyos, because why would I want to live near Richard Hammond?

“The roads are dangerous enough as it is without having to worry about him coming round the corner, on fire and on his roof.”

Advertisement

The dig references Richard enduring multiple severe car accidents while filming for both Top Gear and The Grand Tour, which he appeared in alongside Jeremy and James May, including a life-threatening crash while driving a Vampire Dragster in 2006.

Though the threesome mutually chose to conclude their profitable TV partnership, which lasted 22 years, back in 2024, they remain friends and champion each other’s individual ventures.

Richard recently spoke about their present relationship, telling the Oxford Mail: “We still talk. We always used to be asked that a lot, but we were together so much filming that the only way to spend more time together would have been to marry one another, really.

“We had time to go home, unpack, catch up, remember where you lived, and we were all together again, so we never got into the habit of massively socialising together.

“We do as we’ll meet up at parties and events and always shall, obviously, as you don’t spend nearly 25 years working with people and not become friends.”

There are few things better than a cold slice of pizza for breakfast. But as delicious as scarfing down cold pizza is, there’s also a risk of food poisoning if you aren’t careful.

Food poisoning is caused by eating food that has become contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, fungi or viruses. Although most people know that food poisoning can be caused by poorly cooked foods or risky food preparation habits, improperly stored leftovers are also a key cause. It’s therefore extremely important you take care when storing leftovers to avoid harming your health.

Here’s my advice as a microbiologist for staying safe when eating your favourite cold leftovers.

Leftover pizza

You can get food poisoning from cooked pizza in a number of ways. Whether that’s because some of the ingredients are raw, undercooked or spoiled, or if the pizza has touched a surface with germs on it (including being handled by someone who hasn’t washed their hands).

Surprisingly, the dried herbs and spices that people often sprinkle on their pizzas (such as basil, pepper and oregano) can also be susceptible to microbial contamination. This contamination can occur during the harvesting and production phases, or due to improper storage by consumers. Some of the foodborne pathogens that can potentially survive on dried herbs include bacteria that can cause food poisoning, including Salmonella, Bacillus cereus and Clostridium perfringens.

Even if these dried herbs have been sterilised by the heat of a freshly baked pizza, if left at room temperature for too long after cooking these or any of the other pizza toppings, can provide the perfect snack for potentially harmful germs.

So if you’re a cold pizza lover, the best way to reduce your risk of food poisoning is to ensure any leftovers are refrigerated within two hours of being delivered or cooked. This should mean the pizza is safe to have cold for breakfast.

Once in the fridge, the leftover pizza needs to be stored covered (to avoid contamination from airborne germs) and eaten within two days. Note that putting leftover food in the fridge only slows bacterial growth, which is why leftovers should be eaten within two days maximum.

If the pizza is left at room temperature for more than a few hours, germs will grow quickly. This can make the pizza unsafe to eat the next day – no matter how tasty it might still look or smell.

Leftover chicken

Cooked chicken is highly perishable once cooled. Its high water and nutrient content and low acidity favours the growth of food poisoning bacteria, especially if it isn’t stored correctly after cooking.

It’s also important you only save chicken for leftovers if it has been cooked properly. If there’s any trace of blood in the cooked chicken’s juices, do not eat it – and certainly don’t save it for later.

This is because raw chicken may be contaminated with the food poisoning germs Campylobacter, Salmonella or Clostridium perfringens, so thoroughly cooking your chicken is essential.

If even a tiny amount of the chicken under-cooked, food poisoning germs still present within the tissues can start growing even when the meat is stored in the fridge. These germs may not be detectable by smell or sight.

To stay safe, once you’ve removed your cooked chicken from the oven or rotisserie packaging, any that you aren’t planning to immediately eat should be covered and refrigerated as soon as possible after cooling. Ideally, it should spend no more than two hours at room temperature.

Cooked chicken can be stored for up to three days in the fridge. But again, if you notice blood in any part of the chicken, you absolutely should not eat it – whether cold or reheated – as this indicates it has been under-cooked and may be contaminated with germs.

Leftover rice dishes

Leftover rice dishes of any kind – whether that’s fried rice, burritos or risotto – have a major food poisoning risk. This is because uncooked rice can contain spores of Bacillus cereus, a common food poisoning bacteria that prefers starchy foods.

Although Bacillus cells are killed by the heat of cooking, their spores are heat resistant and can survive. If a cooked rice dish is then left at room temperature for more than two hours, the Bacillus spores have time to develop into bacteria and multiply. These spores are also able to release toxins into the cooked rice, which can potentially cause severe vomiting and diarrhoea lasting up to 24 hours.

If cooked rice needs to be saved, it should be covered once cooked, cooled quickly, then refrigerated for no more than 24 hours.

Cooked rice can be eaten cold, but only if has been cooled quickly after cooking and stored as quickly as possible in the fridge. It’s also best to consume cold cooked rice within 24 hours as B cereus spores can germinate during longer storage periods.

Left over canned foods

To safely store canned leftovers, it’s essential they’re covered and refrigerated to avoid contamination from airborne germs.

It’s considered safe to store the food in the original can as this has been sterilised in processing. But for flavour reasons, you might want to transfer it to a covered plastic or glass container.

Highly acidic foods, such as canned tomatoes, can be stored refrigerated for five to seven days. Low acidity canned foods, such as meat, fish, fruit, vegetables and pasta, can only be stored for up to three days. Acidic foods last longer because the acid inhibits the growth of food poisoning bacteria.

Leftovers can be safe to eat cold. Just make sure you refrigerate them as quickly as possible after cooking and consume within a day or two.

Three has always tended to be at the cheaper end of the scale among the major phone networks, and the customers we surveyed seem to be in agreement. Three’s value satisfaction score of 78 per cent is better than O2, Vodafone and EE, although it’s a distance behind our award-winning virtual networks: Tesco Mobile, Lebara and Giffgaff.

At the time of writing, Three was offering a cut-price deal which made its 60GB per month plan as cheap as its 1GB plan, albeit the 60GB deal is for two years instead of one, with annual price increases included.

The £25 per month unlimited data deal is also at the cheaper end of the scale, especially compared to its major network rivals. The 5G Home Broadband deals start from £23 per month for unlimited data, too, which isnicely competitive.

Three also offers data-only SIMs, which you can use in laptops or tablets that don’t need to make phone calls or send texts, starting from only £9 per month.

Speed

Score: 3.5/5

The speeds on offer from Three are largely fine, with almost three-quarters of the customers we surveyed saying they were satisfied with the network’s performance.

A paucity of 5G coverage might be holding it back. Regulator Ofcom’s latest report pegs Three’s outdoor 5G coverage at between 39 per cent and 71 per cent of premises, which is a wide margin that’s poorer than that of EE (86-89 per cent) and O2 (70-76 per cent).

Reliability

Score: 4/5

Three customers are largely satisfied with the network’s reliability, with 83 per cent giving it the thumbs up. Data coverage was the weak spot here, with only 64 per cent satisfied. That probably reflects what we noted above about the lack of 5G coverage, although the merger with Vodafone should help rectify that.

Customer service

Score: 3.5/5

Three’s customer service was the best rated of all the major networks, according to the customers we surveyed. Just over three-quarters (76 per cent) are happy with the ease with which they can get through to support, and 74 per cent are happy with the quality of the support.

Roaming

Score: 3/5

Roaming isn’t a given on all of Three’s plans. The cheapest ‘Lite’ plans don’t include roaming, for example, and you must pay £2 a day to unlock your allowances in Europe, and up to £7 a day in other destinations. If roaming is important to you, then it’s probably best to look at the more expensive ‘Value’ and ‘Complete’ plans.

This approach probably explains why only 57 per cent of Three customers in our survey said they were satisfied with the roaming value they’re receiving.

A travel expert has warned tourists about several activities that could land them in trouble with police on Benidorm beaches, sharing it’s not worth it because your wallet will be lighter

Advertisement

If you’re planning a trip to Benidorm this year for some sun-soaked relaxation, there are several important things to bear in mind – or risk a hefty fine. To avoid leaving the resort significantly out of pocket, you’d be wise to heed Frank the Stagman’s cautionary advice.

He revealed that vendors flogging cocktails on the beach have been slapped with fines, and purchasing from these sellers could land you in hot water, too. They may look fun, cute, and get you a little bit tipsy, but he urged people to take his advice seriously. Frank warned these cocktails are “illegal” and you risk being “fined very heavily” for consuming them.

“Another thing that I’ve noticed the police fining people for is smoking, vaping, and drinking on the beach,” he disclosed.

He explained that bringing drinks onto Benidorm’s beaches means “you’re banging trouble with the police here,” particularly if they’re sourced from illicit vendors.

“And you’ve got it in a cup, it’s not like you can pretend you’re not drinking,” he added, suggesting that getting caught will almost certainly result in a penalty.

“Smoking and vaping are the same, doesn’t matter if it’s smoke, vape, makes no difference,” Frank cautioned.

Frank emphasised it’s crucial to understand “the police have been enforcing it”. He noted: “Whether they’re gonna keep on top of it the way they have been already, which seems to be quite hectic down here, is another thing.”

In the comments section, people expressed bewilderment and sought clarification about the offences attracting fines. One bewildered commenter wrote: “Read every comment and still don’t know if you can be fined for a non alcoholic drink.”

Frank responded confirming you can, describing it as “unbelievable”.

A holidaymaker currently in Benidorm shared: “Haven’t seen any police at all on the beach in the old town, also didn’t know the people selling the cocktails were illegal, good job I never wanted one.”

Another visitor vented their frustration: “Best to go somewhere else people getting mugged people getting fined and pickpockets I don’t know why people go there.”

An exasperated traveller warned: “My advice is don’t go to Benidorm because you can’t enjoy yourself on the beach, stay away.”

One person questioned: “Why have the police not stopped the illegal sale of cocktails on the beach?” A TikTok user explained: “They are stopping it by fining people for buying it. This is how the sale of contraband cigarettes was stopped in Italy.”

Lighting up on the beach could result in a fine of up to €2,000, while consuming alcohol on the sand carries a penalty of €754.