This race marks the return of legendary American skier Lindsey Vonn, six years after her retirement from the sport.
Downhill is the 41-year-old’s speciality and she’s won a record 45 World Cup races in this event, plus her only Olympic gold medal in 2010.
We will have to see how much of an affect crashing in the final World Cup downhill before the Winter Olympics hinders Vonn’s bid.
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Keep an eye out for her superbly-named compatriot Breezy Johnson, who is the 2025 world champion.
The host nation will be hopeful of at least one podium place, although World Cup champion Federica Brignone only returned to action in January, nine months after breaking multiple bones in her left leg and tearing her ACL during a giant slalom crash at the Italian Championships.
Bergamo native Sofia Goggia took downhill silver four years ago despite suffering a knee injury just 23 days before the event.
Cross country skiing: Men’s skiathlon (11:30-12:50)
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It’s a fifth Winter Olympics for Britain’s Andrew Musgrave, whose best Olympic result is seventh in the skiathlon in 2018.
In this event, competitors complete 10km using the classical technique before changing skis and doing 10km using the freestyle technique.
Johannes Hosflot Klaebo is the world champion and this could be the first of a bobble-hatful of golds for the Norwegian at these Games.
Snowboard: Women’s big air qualification (18:30-20:45)
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Britain’s Mia Brookes has every chance of becoming Britain’s youngest Winter Olympic medallist for 78 years.
The rider from Cheshire has just turned 19 but has already won back-to-back big air World Cup titles and comes to Italy fresh from winning medals in the X Games.
But she will face a stacked field, including Japan’s Kokomo Murase, Reira Iwabuchi and Mari Fukada, who formed a clean sweep of the medals at last year’s World Championships.
Austria’s Anna Gasser is aiming to win the event for the third Games in a row at the age of 34.
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Maisie Hill, whose career was almost ended by a horrific training accident three years ago, will be Britain’s other representative.
Figure skating: Team (20:55)
The team figure skating competition concludes with the men’s free skate.
The USA won gold after the Russian team was demoted in Beijing in a protracted saga that delayed the medal ceremony by over two years.
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The USA are the reigning World Team Trophy champions and won three of the four individual events at last year’s World Championships but Japan and Georgia will be pushing them hard.
He targeted businesses just days after getting a suspended sentence for similar offences
A prolific criminal targeted businesses in a spree of raids in Cambridge just days after getting a suspended sentence for similar offences. Robert Rust, 38, was given a suspended four-week jail term at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court for burglary and theft offences on March 19.
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Days later, he stole a locked bike from racks at Cambridge Railway Station overnight, on March 21 to 22. He then tried to break into Dino’s Barbers, in Green End Road, Chesterton, in the early hours of March 22.
He was unsuccessful and instead broke into the Mermaid Chinese Takeaway next door, stealing a tip jar containing £10. Later the same day, Rust stole a locked e-bike from the bike racks at Parkside Pools.
He then targeted the Co-op, at Cambridge North Railway Station, four times in April, where he stole meat, alcohol, vapes and chocolate. Rust was identified from CCTV footage and arrested by officers in Maitland Avenue on Thursday (April 9).
On Friday (April 10), Rust pleaded guilty to three counts of theft, two counts of burglary, attempted burglary, theft of a pedal cycle and theft of a conveyance other than a motor vehicle or pedal cycle at Cambridge Magistrate’s Court. Rust of Minerva Way, King’s Hedges, Cambridge, was jailed for six months.
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DC Sam Andrews, who investigated, said: “Rust causes nothing but misery for residents and businesses of Cambridge with his repeated burglaries and thefts. He clearly isn’t learning and we will continue to do everything in our power to bring him to justice so long as he continues offending.”
I’m a Celebrity South Africa viewers admitted they love the “evil” addition of the wall splitting the two camps.
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As the second week arrives for the celebrities in the I’m a Celebrity spin-off, the existing campmates were in for a surprise as they were joined by two new celebrities.
The Royal Express then arrived at the platform, with the campmates eager to see which new faces will be joining them. It was then revealed that Harry Redknapp and Jimmy Bullard were entering the camp.
Taking their place on the thrones, the pair were introduced as the Lion King (Harry) and the Rhino King (Jimmy), with them taking it in turns to create their new teams.
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With the new teams chosen, it was up to Adam Thomas and Craig Charles to fight for glory on behalf of Jimmy, as Ashley Roberts and David Haye worked hard for Harry.
As the stars were tied to bungee ropes, they dug through mud to find golden nuggets. It was then revealed that Adam and Craig had collected more, and therefore won.
Upon returning back to their respective camps, tensions ran high as the Rhinos cheered loudly as they celebrated. With only a tall screen separating them, the Lion camp couldn’t hide their disappointment.
When it got to dinner time, Mo Farah had to be stopped as he tried to help the winning camp to cook their food, with Adam rubbing it in by adding: “That’s what winning tastes like”.
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David admitted he would have been “disappointed” if they hadn’t tried to get under his skin before Gemma attempted to comfort him.
On X (formerly known as Twitter), viewers admitted they love how “evil” the wall between the two camps is. @jesstwigg7 wrote: “That wall in the middle of camp is so evil I love it” as @catbunnyswift added: “the absolute shock from the lions hearing the rhinos im cryinggg”.
@song_covers01 penned: “This #ImACeleb is psychological warfare. Hearing the other camp celebrating and then smelling the food later is dire”.
Anthony Joshua has been training with Oleksandr Usyk after his car crash and Usyk has predicted the outcome of the proposed November fight against Tyson Fury
Oleksandr Usyk is convinced Anthony Joshua will beat Tyson Fury and go on to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
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Joshua has been working alongside Usyk since making his comeback to the gym following a near-fatal car accident last December. The Briton intends to compete in July before ultimately resolving his decade-long rivalry with Fury in November. Joshua has not defeated a recognised boxer since stopping Otto Wallin nearly three years ago.
He subsequently knocked out MMA fighter Francis Ngannou before being brutally beaten by Daniel Dubois at Wembley. Joshua then stopped YouTuber Jake Paul last Christmas.
However, Usyk, who has triumphed over both Joshua and Fury on two separate occasions, is confident he can guide the former champion back to the summit.
“I know Anthony can do it because I look at how he is training; he’s a machine,” he said. “But I think he needs help and we are all people who support AJ. I am a football fan and sometimes my team loses, but I don’t say, ‘They’re bad’, I say, ‘These things happen and you must work harder’.”
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“But sometimes people who support a team or a fighter, and they lose, they are negative. They are not fans, they are talking bulls***. We must help each other and if we don’t, we are not people, we are animals. I think he is ready to fight but he needs some time because he has a problem with his body after the crash.”
Fury stepped into the ring for the first time since his rematch loss to Usyk when he secured a points victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov last weekend. Usyk, who will put his world title on the line against kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven next month, added: “It’s good that Tyson won. I was nervous in the first few rounds because Makhmudov landed some shots.
“I don’t know how Anthony beats Tyson. I’m not a good predictor so I don’t know if he knocks him out, but I believe AJ will do it.” Fury invited Joshua to share the Tottenham ring with him following his comeback victory but was rebuffed by his fellow Brit. However, his promoter Eddie Hearn remains confident a deal will be struck.
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“We received the contract at the end of last week for two fights,” he said. “We’ve been going back and forward and my instruction from AJ is to make the fight and that’s what we’ll be trying to do. In the next two weeks, he will be signed off physically to return to proper full-time training.
“The deal we’ve been offered is not to fight Tyson Fury straight away; we expect him to be out in July and then to fight Fury in November.”
EXCLUSIVE: The Scottish Labour leader gave a commitment to meeting the 2030 anti-poverty targets.
21:00, 14 Apr 2026Updated 21:57, 14 Apr 2026
Anas Sarwar promises to lift over 100k children out of poverty if elected
Anas Sarwar has promised to lift over 100,000 Scots kids out of poverty if he becomes First Minister.
He said a Scottish Labour Government would hit legally binding targets to slash poverty levels by 2030.
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The Glasgow MSP also insisted he can still win the Holyrood election despite being over twenty points behind the SNP in the opinion polls.
With just over three weeks to go, Sarwar is facing the biggest challenge of his political career in turning around a massive SNP lead.
But with around four in ten Scots still not sure how they will vote on May 7th, he believes it is all to play for.
In an interview with the Daily Record podcast Planet Holyrood, Sarwar said the Nationalists can be toppled.
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“The people who decide this election are the people that vote in this election. Opinion polls are a snapshot of a sub-section of the population.
“People should vote for what they want to happen on May 7th and after 20 years of SNP government, I’m arguing we need change and give me five years to do things differently here in Scotland.”
He also spoke of his commitment to hitting the tough statutory target set by Holyrood on combating child poverty.
Around 21% of kids are currently in poverty and the Government has a target of this figure falling to below 10% in four years.
Another 110,000 children need to be taken out of poverty for the target to be met and Sarwar has promised to do it.
“Our ambition is to meet our child poverty reduction target in the next Parliament. That would lift around 100,000 kids out of poverty. “
He added: “I am confident, but it’s hard work. It’s ambitious, but that’s what you should expect from your government in Scotland. And so I believe we can achieve that.”
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He said his anti-poverty strategy is less about topping up benefits and more about tackling “structural” issues that stop people from working.
Sarwar said he will boost tax-free childcare for parents, introduce breakfast clubs in all primary schools, create 9,000 apprenticeships and give young people the skills they need.
He also said he will reduce school meal debt, help tenants save on rent and tackle the scandal of child homelessness.
Sarwar said of hitting the target: “I think for too long the SNP argument has been that the one route to lift kids out of poverty in this country is purely through welfare, or by setting up another public sector quango. That’s not what I fundamentally believe.
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“I think the best route of lifting children out of poverty and giving our young people a chance is by giving them the adequate skills, giving them access to a well paid job.
“It is a programme that lifts people out of poverty.”
He added: “If you’re giving me the choice, do you give a young person a welfare payment, or do you give them a skill and a job? I will always choose [to] give them a skill and a job because that’s how you defeat structural property and lift families out of poverty and have social mobility.”
Sarwar’s wider approach is to back deliverable policies and go further, such as on cutting income tax, if the economy grows.
But the Scottish Labour leader has faced claims his manifesto is too cautious and does not present a bold alternative to the SNP.
He said: “It is an honest manifesto about our ambitions and of course we want to go even beyond our ambitions if we meet our growth targets. But I’ve deliberately taken an approach in this election campaign and in this manifesto. People have heard big promises from politicians that they haven’t delivered.
“I’m going to give the kids the teachers, the classroom assistants, the apprenticeships, the skills, the jobs they need, so we can confront the big challenges facing our country. So this is a manifesto that is about fixing the mess, getting the basics right in this country, but also building institutions that will last in the longer term.”
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Sarwar knows he has a mountain to climb if he is to win, not only eating into the SNP’s lead but also winning back votes from the right wing Reform.
He said: “Reform have accepted they can’t win this election. You heard that from Nigel Farage directly yesterday. They never could win the election, but at least they’re now accepting they can’t win this election.
“All Reform can be is noise in this election and trying to divide us. So they don’t offer change, they can only stop change.
“The SNP can’t offer change because they’ve had 20 years. If they had a good idea, they would have implemented it by now.”
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He added: “Am I pretending to you that I can deliver utopia in five years? No, I’m not. But can I promise you that you’ll have a First Minister that shares your ambition and your aspiration, that you will have a government that works as hard as you do, and that we will leave this country a better place than we found it? Absolutely.”
A possession order was granted by Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court for 34A Cecil Street after extensive attempts were made to provide support to the tenant, the local authority said.
Through its Community Safety Partnership work, the council worked closely with Greater Manchester Police and local partners to enforce the order, with the aim of protecting the wellbeing and safety of neighbouring residents.
The council received numerous reports of anti‑social behaviour connected to the tenant at the property. The behaviour included intimidation, nuisance incidents and an assault on a neighbouring resident. Residents also reported feeling distressed and unsafe as a result.
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Multiple steps were taken before court action was pursued, including warnings, an anti‑social behaviour injunction, a notice of seeking possession and referrals for support. Despite these interventions, the behaviour continued.
In a statement, Wigan Council said: “We have a duty to protect residents from persistent anti-social behaviour.
“This possession order was only taken after extensive attempts to offer support and secure positive change.”
A region in Scotland has been revealed as the cheapest in the UK.
Alexander Smail Tourism Writer and Vicky Shaw, Press Association Personal Finance Correspondent
00:01, 15 Apr 2026
The areas in Scotland where home buyers get the most and least for their money have been revealed by property experts. An iconic city was revealed to be the most expensive destination in the country for prospective buyers, while a beautiful coastal region was named the cheapest.
On Wednesday, April 15, Zoopla carried out analysis to reveal where purchasers can get the most bang for their buck in different locations across the UK. The property website examined how much the equivalent of a sheet of A4 paper in floorspace would cost in each area.
According to Zoopa, Argyll and Bute is the region of Scotland where prospective buyers can get the most for their money. The experts revealed that the average cost of an A4-sized piece of floorspace in the area is just £74, which also makes it the most affordable destination in Britain.
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Argyll and Bute is situated on the west coast of Scotland, and covers the second-largest administrative area of any Scottish council. It is home to 23 inhabited islands, and is renowned for its spectacular scenery and beaches and its wildlife spotting opportunities—with golden eagles and red deer calling the region home.
The largest settlement in Argyll and Bute is the town of Helensburgh, which is home to a population of around 13,000 people. This is followed by Oban and Dunoon, with the former renowned for its acclaimed seafood restaurants and easy access to many of Scotland’s beautiful islands.
On the other hand, Edinburgh was named by the experts at Zoopla as the area of Scotland where you get the least for your money when purchasing a home. The average cost of an A4-sized piece of floorspace in the capital is £204, according to the research – £130 higher than in Argyll and Bute.
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Edinburgh is a popular place to live due to its history, culture, attractions, and beautiful architecture. The city also hosts the famous Edinburgh Festival Fringe each August, which is the largest and most renowned performing arts festival in the world and features tens of thousands of performances.
In England, the sum of £200 would get home buyers in Westminster the equivalent of just a quarter of a sheet of A4 paper in floor space. Meanwhile, in Burnley in Lancashire, this amount would stretch to more than two full sheets typically according to the analysis by Zoopla.
Elsewhere, home buyers in major cities such as Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Liverpool, Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Newcastle and Cardiff could buy a full sheet of A4-sized floor space for £200. Meanwhile, in Yorkshire, an A4-sized floor space in York will set buyers back around £209 typically.
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Executive director at Zoopla Richard Donnell commented: “Our analysis shows that the gap between what £200 gets you in Westminster versus what it buys in the North West is not just a number—it is the difference between a sliver of a page and two full sheets of paper.
“That is the true scale of Britain’s housing divide, and it is something every buyer and homeowner should understand as they plan their next move.”
See below for the full list of the most and least affordable locations in areas across the UK according to Zoopla, showing the average cost of an A4-sized floorspace.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department on Tuesday asked a federal appeals court to throw out the seditious conspiracy convictions of Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders who were sentenced to prison terms for leading members of the far-right extremist groups in attacking the U.S. Capitol to keep President Donald Trump in office over five years ago.
The request by the Justice Department would go a step further and erase all the convictions for the extremist group leaders, including Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, who didn’t receive pardons last January.
The move to abandon the convictions represented a stunning reversal from the Biden administration, which hailed the guilty verdicts as a crucial victory in its bid to hold accountable those responsible for what prosecutors described as an attack on the heart of American democracy. It’s part of the Trump administration’s continued efforts to rewrite the history of the Jan. 6 attack and downplay the violence carried out by the mob of Trump supporters that left more than 100 police officers injured.
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In court filings, prosecutors asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to vacate the convictions so that the government can permanently dismiss the indictments.
“The government’s motion to vacate in this case is consistent with its practice of moving the Supreme Court to vacate convictions in cases where the government has decided in its prosecutorial discretion that dismissal of a criminal case is in the interests of justice — motions that the Supreme Court routinely grants,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing signed by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.
Juries in Washington, D.C., convicted the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders of orchestrating violent plots to stop the peaceful transfer of power after Trump’s 2020 election loss to Democratic President Joe Biden.
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The department’s dismissal request also includes the convictions of Oath Keepers members Kelly Meggs, Kenneth Harrelson and Jessica Watkins and Proud Boys members Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl and Dominic Pezzola.
Other extremist group members, including former Proud Boys national chairman Enrique Tarrio, received pardons from Trump on the first day of his second term in the White House.
Rhodes was sentenced to 18 years in prison after he and several lieutenants were convicted in one of the most consequential cases arising from the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters.
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Prosecutors said Rhodes and his followers stockpiled guns for possible use by “quick reaction force” teams at a Virginia hotel, but they never deployed the weapons.
Nordean’s attorney, Nicholas Smith, said they are grateful to the Justice Department for its “wise decision” in seeking dismissal of the convictions.
“We don’t want a precedent that says that any physical confrontation between protesters and law enforcement means a crime akin to treason, such as seditious conspiracy,” Smith said.
LK Bennett, founded back in the 90s, entered administration in January, with John Noon and Mark Firmin of Alvarez & Marsal Europe LLP appointed joint administrators.
Immediately following their appointment, the LK Bennett brand and related intellectual property were sold to US firm Gordon Brothers, which also owns Laura Ashley and Poundland.
However, LK Bennett’s nine stand-alone and 13 concession stores were not included in the deal, leaving them at risk of closing.
Its website explains: “The LK Bennett stores were not included in the transaction and continue to trade under the Administration.”
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Full list of LK Bennett stores at risk of closing
The full list of LK Bennett stores at risk of closing is:
Stand-alone stores
Lower Guildhall Mall (Bluewater)
Canary Wharf (London)
Eastgate Square Shopping Centre (Chester)
Duke of York Square (London)
Harrogate
Knightsbridge (London)
New Bond Street (London)
Richmond
White City Westfield (London)
Concession stores
Arnotts (Dublin)
The Bentall Centre (Kingston upon Thames)
Brown Thomas (Dublin)
De Gruchy (Jersey)
Hoopers (Tunbridge Wells)
Hoopers (Wilmslow)
Jarrold (Norwich)
John Lewis (Edinburgh)
John Lewis (High Wycombe)
John Lewis – Oxford Street (London)
John Lewis (Manchester)
John Lewis (Oxford)
John Lewis (Cheadle)
LK Bennett shuts down its website
Online sales via the LK Bennett website have continued since the administration announcement earlier this year until now.
The website has now been shut down with a message reading: “Website and phone order now closed- Shop in store for a limited time.”
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Online orders already placed by customers will still be processed as normal, according to the website.
Customers can still access the website (at the time of writing), but only for information on topics like returns, size guides, and store locations.
Online shopping via the LK Bennett website is no longer available. (Image: LK Bennett)
The closure of the LK Bennett website follows a sale on all online items, with up to 80% off some products.
LK Bennett launches closing-down sale in all UK stores
LK Bennett has also launched a closing-down sale in all stores across the UK with up to 75% off, with “everything reduced”.
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RECOMMENDED READING:
A LK Bennett spokesperson said to Newsquest sister site, London Now: “There are some truly exceptional offers available across all categories.
“Everything has been reduced, including new season pieces.
“We anticipate strong demand and expect key styles to sell through quickly; we would like to thank our loyal customers for their support over the years and invite them to shop early to avoid disappointment.”
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Did you manage to grab yourself a bargain on the LK Bennett website before it closed? Let us know in the comments below.
Emily Coates plays teenager Katie in Channel 5’s new drama Missed Call
Joe Crutchley Screen Time reporter
22:22, 14 Apr 2026Updated 22:27, 14 Apr 2026
The actual age of the actress portraying Katie in Channel 5‘s Missed Call has emerged and it’s certain to astonish viewers.
The fresh drama launched this week and centres on Joanna Scanlan as Sarah Gleason, a mother whose daughter Katie (Emily Coates) participates in a school exchange to the South of France.
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Yet after Sarah fails to answer a late-night telephone call from Katie, her worry escalates when her daughter stops all contact.
While the school, supervising teacher and host family insist Katie is out with friends, Sarah’s maternal instincts suggest something more sinister, driving her to take matters into her own hands and travel to Saint-Michel in search of the truth.
The compelling drama returned to television on Tuesday (April 14) and tension mounted when Sarah presented police with a WhatsApp message Katie allegedly sent before it was mysteriously erased, reports the Mirror.
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Sarah then dedicated herself to uncovering what really happened, even visiting the location where Katie attended a gathering.
Regarding Katie actress Emily Coates, she’s well-versed in screen work. The performer has featured in productions including fantasy series Cursed and The Great. Emily also portrayed Rosa in the 2023 live-action version of The Little Mermaid.
However, it’s Emily’s true age that might surprise audiences. The accomplished performer is in fact 31, despite portraying a teenager in Channel 5’s Missed Call.
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The series synopsis states: “When British teenager Katie Gleason vanishes during a school exchange in southern France, her mother Sarah rushes to Saint-Michel seeking answers.
Met with evasive police and hostility from Katie’s powerful host family, the Morvans, Sarah launches her own investigation alongside local detective Lieutenant Virginie Taylor, exposing buried secrets, abuse, corruption, and trafficking within the tight-knit town.
“As bodies surface and suspicions reach influential figures – including Virginie’s father – alliances fracture. Betrayed and unravelling, Sarah learns that Katie may still be alive. Time is running out for them both and justice.”
The First Minister said: “Where we have the powers in Scotland, we will act – building on the support we already have in place to support people with the cost of living including abolishing peak rail fares, extending childcare provision and ensuring most people in Scotland pay less income tax than south of the border. ”
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