5 days agoNews TopicsComments Off on Forgotten ITV presenter to return to screens with brand new show – 12 years after final hosting gig
A FORGOTTEN ITV presenter is returning to screens with a brand new show – 12 years after her first hosting gig.
Kate Thornton has delighted fans as she revealed her epic TV comeback to ITV1.
Former X Factor host Kate Thornton has announced her first series for ITV in years[/caption]
She’s bagged her very own royal programme, which will kick off in October[/caption]
The trained journalist was the original host of The X Factor before she was replaced by Dermot O’Leary in 2007.
After axe Kate went on to be a relief presenter for ITV’s This Morning and Lorraine.
In recent years she’s been a regular host on Greatest Hits Radio.
But now Kate’s return to ITV has been revealed – with the star bagging her very own Royal programme.
Billed as The Royal Beat with Kate Thornton, it will see the host feature various royal expert guests – from royal newspaper editors to former Palace insiders where together they will discuss all of the recent news surrounding the royal family.
The show, which will kick off in October, will run for 10 episodes, each lasting 60 minutes.
Speaking about her new show, Kate said: “I’m thrilled to be bringing The Royal Beat to ITV and ITVX at a time of incredible change for our Monarchy.
“On every episode, we’ll be joined by those that work closest with the royal family to bring you genuine insight on the work they do and explore what really happens behind closed doors in the House of Windsor.
“I think viewers will come away with a deeper understanding of the family and the machine that sits behind it to better understand why the Royals mean so much to us as a nation.”
Last December Kate delighted fans when she returned to TV to take part in the BBC’s Hit List game show.
5 days agoNews TopicsComments Off on We run Britain’s ‘cheapest chippy’ where £1 will get you a whopping portion of fries – but you’ll have to be quick
YOU will be able to get a whopping portion of chips for just £1 at Britain’s “cheapest chippy” but you’ll have to be quick.
The fish and chip shop in the heart of the Norwich, Norfolk, has said it will provide a special offer next month, cutting its regular price by nearly 70 per cent.
The offer comes as the restaurant celebrates its 100th birthday[/caption]
The fish bar was named one of the 40 finalists in the takeaway category at The National Fish and Chip Awards 2023.[/caption]
The special offer will run for just one week[/caption]
Grosvenor Fish Bar on Lower Goat Lane turns 100 next month and is creating this discount to celebrate the momentous occasion.
Couple Duane Dibartolomeo, 65, and Christian Motta, 56, have been at the helm of the restaurant since 2012.
Christian previously worked there when he was a teenager while his dad Mauro, who passed away in 2022, ran it.
The Grosvenor dates back to 1924 when a hardware store was turned into a café serving fish.
Fast forward to 2024 and it is a thriving takeaway and restaurant that offers much more than just traditional fare.
Customers can also enjoy specials such as cod tacos, squid rings with aioli and even their take on an afternoon tea called High Sea.
The restaurant received a refresh earlier this year which included new furniture and vibrant artwork.
Christian said: “When my dad ran the chippy it was always very traditional with five things on the menu and Artex on the walls.
“When we took it on we wanted to bring it up to date and we like to introduce new things to keep customers interested.”
To celebrate its century of operation, the chippy is discounting its regular portion of chips from October 7 to 13.
Instead of the normal £3 price, diners will be able to enjoy the chips for just £1.
The deal will not be available, however, for deliveries.
Speaking about why the business has stood the test of time, Duane said: “We do our take on tradition and are reliable – you know you are going to get a good meal.”
“You can get a meal for the cost of a coffee and sandwich in other places.”
Naitonal Fish and Chip Awards 2024
The best fish and chip shops were honoured this year at the esteemed National Fish and Chip Awards. The awards celebrated excellence throughout the fish and chip industry both on home shores and for the first time this year, international ones too.
Takeaway of the Year
1st: Ship Deck – Caerphilly, Wales
2nd: Yarm Road Fish and Chips – Darlington, County Durham
3rd: The Fish Works – Largs, Scotland
Restaurant of the Year
1st: Knights Fish Restaurant – Glastonbury, Somerset
2nd: Pier Point Restaurant – Torquay, Devon
3rd: Noah’s – Bristol
Field to Frier
Bells Fish and Chips – Durham, County Durham
Drywite Young Fish Frier of the Year
Jamie Russo from Redcloak Fish Bar in Stonehaven, Scotland
Newcomer of the Year
Redcloak Fish Bar – Stonehaven, Scotland
Employee of the Year
Jamie Toland – Taylors, Greater Manchester
Mobile Operator of the Year
Jojo’s Fish and Chips – Stafford, Staffordshire
Multiple Operator of the Year
Bells Fish and Chips – Durham, County Durham
Environment and Sustainability Award
Whiteheads Fish and Chips – Hornsea, East Yorkshire
5 days agoNews TopicsComments Off on Keir Starmer denies being ‘King of the Freebies’ amid row over bagging tickets and clothes
SIR KEIR Starmer has today hit back at accusations he was “King of the Freebies” as he defended his VIP Arsenal tickets.
The Prime Minister insisted it was “common sense” for him to sit in football hospitality seats after declaring more than £100,000 of gifts.
Sue Gray is also at the centre of a growing pay row[/caption]
The intervention comes as he insists he is “completely in control” of his government amid the Sue Gray pay deal row.
He was also forced to admit that he was the one running the country after being left red-faced by a slew of stories about his most powerful aide.
A dossier revealed his declarations include tickets for his favourite club Arsenal along with suits and spectacles from Labour donor Lord Alli worth £18,000.
The multi-millionaire Peer also gave clothes worth £5,000 of high-end clothes to his wife Lady Victoria.
The PM said he didn’t think it as “fair” that “the taxpayer who’s going to have to pick up the tab for the extra security” if he sits in the stands.
Sir Keir has had to move seats after having season tickets since they moved to the Emirates stadium where he sits with his son and friends.
He told ITV News: “So I’ve taken up the offer to sit elsewhere in the stands so I can still see Arsenal play because I’ve been going for many, many years to see them on a regular basis, and I intend to continue to do so when I said.”
The Prime Minister who will look to move on from the freebie controversy at next week’s party conference also side-stepped questions about why he didn’t pay for his own suits.
He said: “The important thing in all of this is that we follow the rules, which is really important to me and make the declarations so that everything is transparent.
“I’m utterly focussed day in day out actually on how we make the economy work for everyone , how do we get the health service in the place that we need it.”
He was also pressed on why there are people in government so upset with the Number 10 operation that they release details of Sue Gray’s salary.
It emerged yesterday that she is being paid £3,000 more than the PM’s £167,000 salary.
He said: “I’m completely in control. I’m focused and every day the message from me to the team is exactly the same, which is we have to deliver.
“We were elected on a big mandate to deliver change, I am determined that we are going to do that.”
5 days agoNews TopicsComments Off on Britain can take lead role in Europe’s immigration crackdown, says Italy’s interior minister
BRITAIN can take a lead role in cracking down on Europe’s immigration crisis, Italy’s interior minister has declared.
Matteo Piantedosi told The Sun Italy’s huge reduction in migrant arrivals could serve as a blueprint for other European nations – including post-Brexit Britain.
Italy’s interior minister Matteo Piantedosi[/caption]
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer with Italian PM Giorgia Meloni on Monday[/caption]
He also highlighted his country’s new deal with Albania to process migrants outside Italy’s borders as a potential game-changer for the rest of the continent.
With the upcoming meeting of G7 interior ministers, which will include Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, the Minister wasted no time calling on the UK to step up.
He declared: “The results we are achieving, in terms of a strong reduction in irregular entries, can be consolidated and strengthened with the support and cooperation of European partners in the projects we are carrying out with African countries.
“The UK could play a key role in this regard.”
Mr Piantedosi attributed Italy’s 65 per cent drop in migrant arrivals to a series of financial agreements with Libya, Tunisia, and Algeria.
And while the migrant processing centre in Albania will not open until later this year, the Italian Government is confident the initiative will act as a strong deterrent.
The minister said about the deal: “This is an innovative model that could contribute to opening a new chapter in the management of migratory flows in line with current international standards and guarantees: faster repatriations, reserving refuge and international protection only for those who truly qualify.
“We are organising to implement accelerated border procedures not only with centres in Albania but also with others already operational in Italy.”
Fifteen EU members, led by Denmark, recently wrote an open letter to the European Commission backing the outsourcing of migration.
And Sir Keir Starmer – who faces significant pressure to stop small boat crossings – also said he was open about pursuing a similar scheme as he held talks with his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni in Rome earlier this week.
He insisted that unlike the “gimmick” Rwanda plan, which he scrapped, this deal would not prevent successful asylum seekers from returning to Britain.
But the PM signalled he was more interested in learning about the Italian Government’s work preventing migrants from reaching its shores.
On his country’s strategy, minister Piantedosi stressed it was not just about stopping migrants at the border but “offering viable alternatives”.
He said these include returning migrants to their countries of origin and “helping them reintegrate through logistical and financial assistance.”
In the long run, he said, Italy is rolling out broader initiatives, like the Mattei Plan, which aims to provide tangible development support for the countries of origin and transit of migrant flows.
Sir Keir announced on Monday Britain is set to add £4million to Meloni’s initiative to help stem irregular migration.
Pressed on his plans today and whether he needs a deterrent, Sir Keir said his focus will be on “dismantling the gangs” through “coordinated international efforts”.
He told ITV he will also ensure “those who enter the UK illegally are swiftly returned to their countries of origin”.
5 days agoNews TopicsComments Off on iPhone owners warned over iOS 18 text glitch that is causing app to crash – and the only fix has a devastating result
IPHONE owners must be wary of a new iOS 18 text glitch that results in significant data loss when users try to fix it.
The bug is triggered by a particular message sent from Apple Watch users and forces Apple’s Messages app to crash repeatedly.
If someone using iOS 18 on an iPhone replies to that watch face message via a thread, the glitch will be triggered[/caption]
A threaded message is one that is a direct reply a previous message, and is a good way to revisit something said earlier in a chat[/caption]
Apple Watch lets owners share their watch face with their contacts over Messages or Mail, directly from the wrist-bound device.
But if someone using iOS 18 on an iPhone replies to that watch face message via a thread, the glitch will be triggered.
A threaded message is one that is a direct reply a previous message, and is a good way to revisit something said earlier in a chat.
They are commonly used in group chats, and grew popular on WhatsApp before Apple introduced them to its Messages app.
Once the glitch is triggered, the Messages app will be essentially unusable for both the Apple Watch and iPhone user.
iPhone owners are not able to open other conversations in the app due to the platform repeatedly crashing.
The only way to ‘break the curse’, so to speak, is to delete the thread from each device.
This will requires deleting the conversation history from both devices, including attachments like photos, videos and voice notes.
It can devastating to lose all that data, but unfortunately, it is the only known fix.
And restoring the deleted thread through an iCloud backup of your messages will only reintroduce the crash-bug.
It’s important to note that the glitch is only present with iPhone operating on iOS 18.
Iterations of iOS 17 and the upcoming iOS 18.1 will not trigger the bug.
One of the upsides of waiting a few days or weeks to download a big system update is that the software that follows something like iOS 18 typically has all the bugs ironed out of it.
However, the iOS 18.1 update is not yet available, and is expected to roll out to iPhones in October.
iOS 18 supported devices
Not all iPhone models are getting iOS 18 – but these ones are:
The 2024-2025 English Premier League campaign will resume on Saturday with some mouthwatering games across England as the new season heats up. The first game that will go down in the English Premier League matchday five is a London derby between West Ham United and in-form Chelsea football club. After that, six games will go […]
5 days agoNews TopicsComments Off on The Federal Reserve is finally lowering rates | Here’s what consumers should know
The Federal Reserve has cut its benchmark interest rate from its 23-year high, with consequences for debt, savings, auto loans, mortgages and other forms of borrowing by consumers and businesses.
5 days agoNews TopicsComments Off on Incredible flying saucer jet boat created with an interior fit for aliens – and it glows like a UFO at night too
AN inventor has gone viral on YouTube after making his very on UFO-style jet boat.
The incredible creation even glows in the night like an ominous extraterrestrial visitor gliding across water.
Flying saucer jet boat goes at over 30mph[/caption]
slick sliding doors much like you would expect on a UFO[/caption]
At night it gives an eerie glow[/caption]
Genius craftsman Tran Long Ho, from Vietnam, come up with the wild idea.
Hour-long footage, which has already been watched more than 10million times on YouTube, shows the crafty creator build the unique boat from beginning to end, and takes it for a ride on the waters too.
As well as looking like a flying saucer commonly depicted in Hollywood movies, he’s added hexagonal shapes with neon lighting.
There are even slick sliding door panels.
On them, he’s inscribed a message reading: “The Universe is vast and life is endless.”
Inside, we see a number of controls but there’s only enough room for one.
Mr Ho started the building process with a simple flying saucer-shaped sand mould for the top section.
He creates a hard shell by adding a thin layer of concrete onto it.
Then he applies sheets of fibreglass and epoxy that form the eventual body of the jet boat, and repeats the process for the bottom half.
As the powerboat takes shape we also see him install solar panel segments and LED lights.
And of course, a grey lick of paint.
The contraption can reach speeds of 31 mph, according to Vietnamese news site Tuoi Tre News.
Commenters on YouTube have reacted in amazement at the video.
“Never in my life have I seen so much talent in one individual. You are a gift to all mankind,” one user wrote.
“If he can build something so sophisticated in his backyard, imagine what he can do with a fully equipped workshop,” another said.
A third added: “I am a retired engineer with 73 years. This video brought me back to when I was a young boy.”
Mr Ho has made quite the name for himself online as inventor.
Other videos on YouTube show him building a yacht and even restoring cars.
It’s not clear how much the flying saucer jet boat cost to make but on a different project he revealed he spent about £612.
Mr Ho inside the flying saucer[/caption]
Video watch by more than 10million on YouTube[/caption]
Only space for one person inside[/caption]
FAMOUS UFO INCIDENTS
The ‘Night of the UFOs’ is among many famous unexplained encounters with strange objects in the sky that have happened down the years.
Perhaps the most striking was a video known as the ‘Tic-Tac’ – which showed an unidentified object being pursued by fighter planes.
While flying off the coast of California 2004, two pilots from the USS Nimitz on a routine training mission spotted an object “shaped like a 40ft Tic Tac sweet”.
Then in 2005, a veteran pilot of an F/A – 18 fighter aircraft witnessed a raft of strange objects in the sky during a training exercise off the coast of Florida.
The two videos were sensationally released by the Pentagon in 2017.
Tragically the pursuit of UFOs has also claimed lives, notably that of US Air Force Captain Thomas Mantell.
He died after being sent to chase a mysterious object in his fighter aircraft in 1948.
Other encounters with the air force include a claim that UFOs disabled weapons at a nuclear base.
Captain Robert Salas said the bizarre incident unfolded in 1967 while he was the on-duty commander of a secret underground launch control facility at Montana’s Malmstrom Air Force Base.
US forces based in Britain also had an encounter with a strange glowing in the sky in Rendlesham Forest in Suffolk.
Two airmen, Staff Sgt Jim Penniston and Airman John Burroughs, claim they got so close to a triangular craft they actually touched it.
Earlier this year, US military documents were released showing how a warship was shadowed by two “ball of light” UFOs deepening the mystery around the case.
5 days agoNews TopicsComments Off on Fears of BOMBS being snuck into everyday gadgets sparks global security alert as airlines ban pagers after Israeli blitz
ISRAEL’S pager blitz has sparked fears that bombs could be snuck into everyday gadgets.
Thousands were injured and dozens were killed by Mossad agents after they twice surprised terror group Hezbollah with hidden explosives.
One walkie-talkie exploded inside a house in Baalbek[/caption]
A man shopping Tuesday was hit by an exploding pager[/caption]
Flyers departing Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport are now prohibited from having pagers or walkie-talkies on them[/caption]
Lebanon’s Civil Aviation has now banned pagers and walkie-talkies from being taken on aircraft departing from Beirut.
That ban includes both carry-on and checked luggage and any found by security will be confiscated.
Ex-military intelligence officer Philip Ingram said there could be “panic around the world” with airports and planes now more vulnerable than before.
An Israel-style mass quantity attack would pose a major threat for airports screening tens of thousands of passengers a day.
Aviation expert Jeff Price said a terror group might struggle to use the same volume as a organised spy agency but, like Israel, they could use everyday items to hide explosives.
And authorities will now be looking shore up their systems and keep air travel safe.
Mr Ingram told The Sun: “Governments will be asking their airports and other places if their X-Ray machines and other scanning machines if they could pick up these things [explosives].
“It will have people thinking and thinking hard about wider security issues.”
He said only a percentage of devices were checked and they were looked at by human operators, who make mistakes.
Counter-intelligence spies will now be searching through sensitive supply chains to their countries to see if they would be vulnerable.
“As soon as you get a novel style of attack that has been successful in this stage, every government around the world will be sitting going: ‘right, let’s add another piece into our contingency to make sure we’re looking for this.”
Ingram said firms would also now be searching through their business partners and supply chains to check if it could be taken advantage of.
“I suspect it [being sabotaged] might put them out of business completely because no one’s going to use that shipping company if they can’t control and keep security over goods that are in transit.”
Walkie-talkies were used as explosives on Wednesday[/caption]
Price said safety measures can’t pick up every prohibited item that goes through security as it is a “numbers game”.
The aviation security expert said: “You put so many [bombs] into a system, and it just increases your chances of something getting through.
“Even with the best technology and the best detector personnel out there, you’ll put enough stuff through a lot of different areas and at one point in time something is is frankly bound to get through.”
Price said a tiny minority of people are able to sneak guns, knives, and even drugs through current screening methods.
“The problem is we don’t know how many we’re missing,” he said.
“The more we detect the more we can presume that there’s been misses in the past.
“We know that things get missed. There’s no 100 per cent detection.”
But he did back current checks being stringent enough to stop any coordinated attack as spies and cops would also be working to foil it.
Price said that even if someone was able to try and board a plane they would still have to make it past people on lookout and scanning machines.
And current security methods and and technology are now also being improved with AI technology, he said.
“We haven’t had a major aviation accident in a long time,” he said.
“It’s still considered the safest form of travel.”
Mossad was only able to carry out the attack after a long period of planning and preparing for the operation.
The speed of shipments increased recently after the group’s leadership pushed to stop members using cellphones and use pagers, which the Israelis could compromise.
Hezbollah is a “criminal organisation” and uses a number of fronts to buy and sell the weapons and resources the group needs.
These fronts are called “monkey firms” by the Israelis.
Mossad was able to penetrate Hezbollah’s supply chain, possibly with its own “monkeys”, and completely fool Hezbollah.
A senior Lebanese security source said the group had ordered 5,000 beepers made by Taiwan-based Gold Apollo, which were brought into the country in the spring.
But Gold Apollo told media in Taipei today the specific order was manufactured by BAC Consulting KFT in Budapest.
Gold Apollo boss Hsu Ching-kuang said BAC asked to manufacture their own pagers with the company’s trademark and they were paid from a mystery Middle Eastern bank account, NPR reports.
BAC Consulting chief executive Cristiana Bársony-Arcidiacono confirmed to media that her company worked with Gold Apollo.
But said, “I don’t make the pagers. I am just the intermediate.”
At some point during the manufacture, the devices were modified by Israel’s spy service with a small amount of explosive.
The AR-924 pager is described as being “rugged” and contains a rechargeable lithium battery with 85 days of battery life.
Their longevity would be important in Lebanon which has suffered major power outages.
Pagers also run on a different wireless network than mobile phones, making them more resilient in emergencies and harder for Israel to hack digitally.
The affected pagers were only delivered to Hezbollah recently.
Reports now claim Mossad set up shell companies to build the devices themselves.
But the New York Times reported BAC is an Israeli shell company, one of at least three used by spies to mask their identity.
BAC took on ordinary clients for whom they produced ordinary pagers.
Pagers sent to Hezbollah, however, contained the explosive PETN.
Rockets fired from southern Lebanon are intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome[/caption]
A Lebanese Middle East Airlines plane parked at Beirut International Airport[/caption]
The coin enthusiast explained: “There is only one of these known to have survived from a trial run of several hundreds according to the Royal Mint.
“This means the 1954 is also extremely rare penny, the last one sold in 1991 for £23,100.
“It’s likely worth even more now with inflation accounted for.”
He added that there is also an “MS 63 version of the coin which could be worth up to £60,000″.
The post was flooded with nearly 500 comments, with millionaire hopefuls asking if the dates on their pennies were significant.
One asked: “I have a 1918 penny is it worth anything”.
The poster replied: “No”.
Another bragged: “i have this coin”.
But the TikToker wasn’t convinced, quipping: “Doubt it”.
These are not the only coins that could make their lucky owners a huge profit.
A 2p with a subtle wording mistake – “New Pence” instead of “Two Pence” – could be worth around £1000.
Meanwhile, 50p coins decorated with a cartoon high-jumper for the 2012 London Olympics have been selling for as much as £142 and £216.
Another coin designed for the Games – which was minted with horizontal lines mistakenly etched into it – can fetch an enormous £3000 at auction.
It’s also worth checking the £2 coins lurking in your loose change, as a specific cat design could mean they’re worth over 100 times they’re usual value.