Angela Jackman KC, a partner at Irwin Mitchell, representing the veterans, said: “The Scheme makes no allowance for Dismissed or Discharged Payment to potentially thousands of enlisted personnel who say they were subjected to discrimination and harassment, including disciplinary proceedings, which forced them to resign.

An avalanche — a mass of snow moving down a slope — happens most often in the wilderness. Watching for forecasts, bringing the proper gear and getting training to prepare for them can help with outings, according to the National Avalanche Center.

Each winter, about 25 people on average die in avalanches in the United States, the center says, adding, “Some days are dangerous and some days are not.”

Here’s a look at avalanches, how they occur and some tips on how to stay safe:

How do avalanches occur?

It generally takes just two ingredients to create dangerous conditions: A slope of 30 degrees or more and layers upon layers of snow.

Extra pressure on top of that snowpack from weight, wind, rain, heavy snow or motion can cause some of the layers to shear off and slide downhill.

Sometimes a slide happens in the form of loose snow, called a sluff. Sluffs account for only a small percentage of deaths and property damage from avalanches, according to the Sierra Avalanche Center.

Other avalanches are made up of slabs, which happen when a large layer of snow breaks away. Those account for most fatalities.

Another kind of avalanche occurs when wind creates a cornice of snow that hangs over a ridge or the edge of a steep slope. The overhang can collapse suddenly, catching anyone underneath or on top of it by surprise, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.

What triggers an avalanche?

Movement, rapidly changing weather, wind — any one of these things can set off an avalanche. But experts say 90% of slides that cause an injury or death are triggered by the victim or a companion.

That means people who ski, snowmobile, snowshoe or enjoy other winter backcountry activities should check the avalanche forecast before they head out and make sure they have the right safety gear.

Most ski resorts have avalanche protocols or mitigation systems. Often that means checking snowpack stability. Remote detonations are also used to trigger slides intentionally and remove risky buildup before skiers are allowed on the slopes, said Chris Lundy, an avalanche specialist with the National Avalanche Center.

How can one avoid an avalanche?

Don’t think for a second that you can outrun one. Dry slab avalanches typically reach speeds up to 80 mph (129 kph) within seconds, according to the Sierra Avalanche Center. Wet avalanches usually travel around 20 mph (32 kph).

By comparison eight-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt set a record of just under 28 mph (45 kph) in the 100-meter dash in 2009 — and that was on a flat track, not a snow-covered slope. Most people caught in avalanches are on the slope when they occur.

The better plan is to make sure you’re not in a place where one is at risk of occurring. Outdoor enthusiasts can check forecasts at regional avalanche centers or www.avalanche.org.

If you do venture out, it’s a good idea to use the buddy system and be versed in wilderness first aid. Experts say three pieces of gear are essential: an avalanche beacon or transceiver, which sends location signals to others; a shovel to test snowpack or dig out companions; and a thin, folding pole to poke into the snow in search of anyone buried. An avalanche airbag backpack that inflates after the skier pulls the trigger giving the person a chance to stay above or close to the surface during an avalanche.

What were some recent avalanches?

On Jan. 5, an avalanche in California’s Sierra Nevada buried a snowmobiler in snow and killed him, authorities said. The snowmobiler was initially reported missing but then was found under the snow several minutes later, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

In June 2025, a skier died after being caught in an avalanche on Alaska’s Mount McKinley, North America’s tallest peak. The Denali National Park and Preserve said the skier and his climbing partner, a snowboarder, triggered the avalanche high on the 20,310-foot (6,190-meter) peak while descending a slope.

That March, a snowmachiner riding on the backside of a popular winter recreation area about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southeast of Anchorage, triggered an avalanche after riding over a weak layer of snow that was buried under newer snow, according to the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Center. He was buried about 10-feet (3-meter) deep in the slide that measured about 500 feet (152 meters) wide.

Earlier that month, three heli-skiers were killed. That accident happened when they were caught in an avalanche near Girdwood, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Anchorage. Heli-skiing is a type of backcountry skiing that involves using a helicopter to access remote areas and slopes of fresh snow.

TUI will offer city breaks to the Basque Country destination from Manchester Airport this spring, with flights taking under two hours

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has introduced a new city break destination to its spring line-up, located in a region of Spain that’s increasingly catching the attention of Brits and boasts a distinctive charm.

For those weary of the Spanish Costas and seeking to avoid the typical crowded tourist locales, Northern Spain is emerging as an alternative for Brits keen to explore a different side of the country. The Basque Country alone witnessed a 40% surge in visitors last year, although this still only equates to 182,000 tourists annually – a mere fraction compared to Southern Spain.

Bilbao, nestled in the heart of the Basque Country, serves as an excellent introduction to this part of Spain, offering a chance to immerse oneself in the area’s unique beauty and culture.

This spring, TUI will be providing city breaks to Bilbao from four major UK airports: Bristol, London-Gatwick, London-Heathrow, and Manchester. With flights from the UK clocking in at around two hours, it’s perfect for a long weekend or mini break.

In a Lonely Planet article, one travel writer wrote: “When your plane banks toward Bilbao Airport for the final approach, the lush forest passing below looks nothing like the Spain you thought you knew.”

This region’s climate and landscapes are vastly different from the arid, sun-drenched south, offering milder conditions that provide relief from summer heatwaves. Between March and April, daytime temperatures hover around 17C, whilst throughout summer months they reach approximately 26C, as the south frequently swelters in mid-30s heat.

The area also receives greater rainfall than its southern counterpart, lending the surroundings a vibrant green appearance.

Situated along the Nervión River’s banks, Bilbao’s most beloved area is its historic quarter, known locally as Casco Viejo. Featuring vibrant buildings from medieval periods, an impressive cathedral, and the stunning neoclassical Plaza Nueva, packed with bars and eateries, it makes for an ideal short break location.

By contrast, the Guggenheim Museum, with its distinctive Frank Gehry-designed facade, stands apart from everything else in the city, yet attracts visitors with its extensive contemporary art collection. Even without stepping inside, it’s worthwhile passing by to admire its titanium-covered exterior gleaming in the sunlight.

Beyond its cultural attractions, Bilbao is renowned for its vibrant culinary scene, and whilst exploring the streets, you’ll discover numerous pintxos bars. A northern variation on tapas, pintxos consist of bite-sized bread portions topped with ingredients ranging from jamón to seafood or cheese, secured together with a cocktail stick.

Another renowned product of Northern Spain is its Rioja wines, which perfectly complement a serving of pintxos. You can indulge in a day trip to nearby vineyards, or simply pop into one of the numerous wine bars for a tasting session.

TUI’s offers feature a 7-night stay at the 4T NYX Hotel Bilbao by Leonardo Hotels on a room only basis from £583 per person. The price is based on two adults sharing a Double or Twin Comfort Room, departing from London Gatwick on 14th April 2026 with hand luggage only.

Alternatively, you can reserve a seven-night holiday at Hotel Sirimiri on a room-only basis from £451 per person. The price is based on two adults sharing a Double or Twin Standard Room, departing from London Heathrow on 21st April 2026 with hand luggage only.

Prices are subject to availability and may vary. For more information, visit the TUI website or download the official app.

One of Cole Palmer’s friends has vowed to get the Chelsea star to Manchester United and claims he ‘belongs’ at Old Trafford.

Palmer, a United fan growing up, joined Chelsea in a £40m deal from Manchester City in 2023.

Despite supporting the Red Devils, it was the blue half of Manchester who poached Palmer at the age of eight and took him through the club’s academy to the first-team.

But Palmer only made 19 Premier League appearances for Man City before selling him to Chelsea, where he has become one of the biggest stars in world football.

Palmer enjoyed a sensational first season at Stamford Bridge, scoring 27 goals and making 15 assists – the most of any player in the Premier League.

England caps soon followed – Palmer scored in England’s Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain – and he was named the Premier League Young Player of the Season.

Palmer was slightly less effective last season but still scored 18 goals in all competitions to help the Blues qualify for the Champions League, win the Europa Conference League and then lift the Club World Cup trophy.

The 23-year-old struggled with form and fitness earlier in the current season and reports claimed Palmer was missing Manchester.

It was even suggested Palmer would be ‘open’ to joining his beloved Manchester United, with a return to Man City out of the equation, especially while Pep Guardiola is still in charge.

Chelsea tried to dismiss speculation Palmer could leave the club, insisting he is one of three ‘untouchable’ members of Liam Rosenior’s squad.

But Palmer has continued to be linked with a move and one of his friends has made it his mission to get him to Manchester United.

Manchester-based rapper Tunde spent some time with Palmer during his holiday to Dubai this week as some Chelsea players were given time off ahead of the business end of the season.

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Tunde uploaded two pictures of him and Palmer together with the Instagram caption: ‘Bro from early.

‘1 day I will get CP to UTD back home where he belongs. Go ask him who his favourite team is.’

Following a frustrating start to the season, Palmer has looked back to his best in recent weeks, scoring a first-half hat-trick against Wolves.

Asked about Palmer’s future at Stamford Bridge last month, new Chelsea boss Rosenior said: ‘Is he untouchable, is he happy? Yes and yes.

‘It’s simple, Cole Palmer is an incredible player like many players in the group. Cole is here, he’s very happy and I can’t wait to see him back on the pitch.

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‘Cole is very happy. I’ve had numerous conversations with him. Our thoughts are on how we can make this team better, how he can improve and how I can help him.

‘He loves being here and he wants to be a Chelsea player.’

Former Chelsea captain Ruud Gullit certainly hopes Palmer stays put, telling Gambling Insider earlier this week: ‘I don’t know what’s going on with Cole Palmer. Nobody seems to know.

‘If he continues to be in and out of the Chelsea team, then that suggests that something is going on behind the scenes and it’s not just his fitness issues.

‘It’s possible that he’s still a little bit injured and that’s affecting his form, but only Liam Rosenior and the medical staff know the true story.

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‘We haven’t heard Cole’s side of the story yet, so we’re in the dark with what’s going on with him.

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‘I really hope he doesn’t leave Chelsea in the summer – I want him to have his chance to win big trophies at Stamford Bridge.

‘We can only speculate at the moment, so let’s see what happens between now and the end of the season.’

But there are those who would like Palmer to be on the move, with Louis Saha insisting he would be a brilliant signing for his former club Manchester United.

‘It would be incredibly exciting to see Cole Palmer at Manchester United,’ Saha told CasinoHawks. ‘He is just a terrific player.

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‘If he does think about going back to Manchester again, I’m sure that he’s going to be exciting for United fans.’

For now, Palmer will hope to help Chelsea finish in the top-four – they arefifth with 12 games remaining – and enjoy a deep run in the Champions League.

Chelsea, who thumped Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup last time out, return to Premier League action on Saturday against Burnley.

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

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NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. stock market ticked higher on Wednesday, led by its most influential stock, Nvidia.

The S&P 500 rose 0.6% and pulled a bit closer to its all-time high set late last month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 129 points, or 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.8%.

Nvidia helped lift the market and climbed 1.6% after Meta Platforms announced a long-term partnership where it will use millions of chips and other equipment from Nvidia for its artificial-intelligence data centers.

“No one deploys AI at Meta’s scale,” Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said. Because his company is the most valuable on Wall Street, Nvidia’s stock was the single most powerful force pulling the S&P 500 higher.

That performance demonstrated the upside of AI development for the U.S. stock market. But investors have also focused on the potential downsides recently, which has led to sharp swings for Wall Street. Worries are rising, for example, about how much companies like Meta are spending on AI and whether they can make back their huge investments through higher profits and productivity in the future.

Meta’s stock fell as much as 1.7% before recovering and rising 0.6%.

Another worry is that if AI succeeds in creating tools to do complicated tasks more cheaply, companies in industries as far flung as software and legal services and trucking logistics could see their businesses get undercut. That has pushed investors to suddenly and aggressively punish stocks of companies seen as under threat, and analysts have likened it to a “shoot first-ask questions later” mentality.

Several profit reports from companies helped to lift stocks Wednesday. They continued what’s been a strong reporting season for the big U.S. companies in the S&P 500.

Cadence Design Systems climbed 7.6% after delivering both profit and revenue for the latest quarter that topped analysts’ expectations. CEO Anirudh Devgan credited what he called “the essential nature of Cadence’s engineering software,” even as investors worry about AI threatening to remake the industry.

Analog Devices rose 2.6% after likewise topping analysts’ estimates for profit and revenue. The chip company said it saw record orders during the quarter for its data center business.

Outside of earnings reports, Moderna jumped 6.1% after saying regulators at the Food and Drug Administration will review its flu vaccine candidate after earlier refusing to consider it.

They helped offset a 6.8% drop for Palo Alto Networks. The cybersecurity company reported a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected, but it gave profit forecasts for the current quarter and the remainder of its fiscal year that fell short of their estimates.

All told, the S&P 500 rose 38.09 points to 6,881.31. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 129.47 to 49,662.66, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 175.25 to 22,753.63.

In the bond market, Treasury yields ticked higher following reports on the U.S. economy that came in better than economists expected. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.08% from 4.05% late Tuesday.

One report said that industrial production improved last month by more than economists expected. Another said orders for computers, fabricated metal products and other long-lasting manufactured goods rose more in December than economists expected, when not including airplanes and other transportation equipment. A third report said homebuilders broke ground on more new homes in December than expected.

Such strong data could encourage the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates steady.

The Fed has put its cuts to interest rates on hold, but many on Wall Street expect it to resume later this year. The widespread forecast is that will come during the summer, after a new chair is scheduled to step in atop the Fed.

Minutes released Wednesday from the Fed’s last meeting, though, showed many officials want to see inflation fall further before they would support additional interest rate cuts this year.

Lower rates can give a boost to the economy and prices for investments, but that comes at the cost of potentially worsening inflation.

In stock markets abroad, London’s FTSE 100 climbed 1.2% after the latest update on U.K. inflation bolstered expectations that the Bank of England may soon cut interest rates.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 1% as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was reappointed by the parliament following a landslide victory for her ruling Liberal Democrats in a Feb. 8 election. The expectation is that she will push through policies to help the economy and markets.

Elsewhere in Asia, several markets were closed for the Lunar New Year holiday.

___

AP Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.

Plan 2 loans apply to students who started courses in England and Wales between September 2012 and July 2023.

Graduates from Northern Ireland will not be impacted by the UK Government’s freeze on the student loan repayment threshold, the Economy Minister has confirmed.

In the Autumn Budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the salary at which Plan 2 student loans must be paid back would be frozen at £29,385 for three years starting from April 2027.

Plan 2 loans apply to students who started courses in England and Wales between September 2012 and July 2023.

The repayment threshold is currently £28,470 for this plan, and a freeze would mean those earning above that amount will be making larger repayments on their student loans than if the thresholds had risen in line with inflation.

Graduates repay nine per cent of the amount earned above the threshold outlined in their plan, and Plan 2 loans are charged a rate of interest equal to Retail Prices Index inflation, plus up to 3 per cent on top based on earnings.

Responding to a question from the SDLP’s Sinéad McLaughlin, Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald said: “The policy in respect of student loan repayment is a devolved matter. I can confirm that the proposal to freeze repayment thresholds in England will not apply to borrowers from here.

“The repayment threshold here will see an inflationary increase from £26,095 to £26,900 in April 2026.”

SDLP Opposition Economy Spokesperson Sinéad McLaughlin MLA said: “Graduates across the water have been hit hard by the Chancellor’s decision to freeze repayment thresholds. I welcome the Minister’s commitment here not to follow suit with this damaging approach.

“Yet the impact of student debt still hangs over the heads of too many graduates. We need a university system that is fit for the future, one that properly invests in our universities and fully supports students.

“In that context, it is disappointing that the Minister’s higher education funding review will not conclude before the end of the mandate, effectively passing the buck on big decisions to a future Economy Minister. We need much more ambition and a better approach from the Executive, to ensure every young person has the fair future they deserve.”

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