From zombie apocalypses to Jedi Knights, now is definitely the time to look to the stars. 

And if Denis Villeneuve’s jaw-dropping sequel to Dune, which is currently in cinemas and stars Timothee Chalamet, isn’t enough to whet your sci-fi appetite, our experts have rounded up 25 of the best futuristic dramas to watch on-demand right now.

There are huge monsters, tense psychological thrillers and plenty more to sink your teeth into… 

Silo

The remains of humanity live deep underground in Apple’s finely acted mystery

Year: 2023

Certificate: 15

Watch now on Apple TV+

Shows with fantastical mysteries at the centre can be frustrating things. The classic example is Lost, which went on for 121 episodes before coming to a conclusion that wholly satisfied no one. The problem comes when the characters and world are less interesting than the mystery of the show, but that’s not the case with Silo. 

Based on a series of books (unlike Lost, which the writers made up as they went along) Apple’s show takes us into a silo-dwelling society deep under the planet’s surface, where the remains of humanity cower from what they believe to be a ruined and toxic surface. Are they being told the truth, though? That mystery feels very important at the start, but the more you get to know the characters, especially gruff engineer Juliette (beautifully and precisely played by Rebecca Ferguson), the less you’ll worry about what’s going on up top. Silo becomes more of a murder mystery than a fantastical mystery, and one that’ll grip you more with each passing episode. The wider and very fine cast includes David Oyelowo, Iain Glen, Harriet Walter and Tim Robbins and, once you reach the end, you’ll be especially glad to know that Silo will be back for series two. (Ten episodes) 

The Last Of Us

HBO’s epic, post-apocalyptic drama about a father-daughter bond

Year: 2022

Certificate: 15

Watch now on Sky

Watch now on NOW

It sounded like the last thing any of us needed – another post-apocalyptic drama about zombies, and one adapted from a video game, at that – but HBO’s The Last Of Us was a stunning surprise. It was grisly, yes, and full of desperate characters; but, unlike the relentlessly depressing Walking Dead, proved to be a show about hope, with two very likeable characters at its centre. 

Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian) plays grieving father-figure Joel, who shepherds teenager Ellie, who is immune to the zombie-causing fungus, on a journey across the US. Ellie is played by rising Brit Bella Ramsey (Game Of Thrones), in a star-making performance that takes on real punch as the show evolves, venturing across a ruined world that’s realised with scale and detail. If you’re unsure if it’s for you, give it until part three – that’s when the tone really becomes clear. (Nine episodes) 

Halo

Action-packed sci-fi series based on the hit videogame

Year: 2022-

Certificate: 15

Watch now on Paramount+

Full of armoured supersoldiers slugging it out with invading alien races intent on subjugating all of mankind, the Xbox game series Halo was never short on spectacle. The first series of this TV spin-off captured that nicely but also managed to squeeze in a degree of unexpected characterisation as it laid out the political, personal and scientific shenanigans going on behind the death-defying antics of heroic soldier Master Chief (Pablo Schreiber). 

The action-packed end result felt like a heady mash-up of the Battlestar Galactica revamp and the Tom Cruise film Edge Of Tomorrow. Series two carries that vibe forward as Master Chief and his Spartan team hunt for the alien artefact known as the Halo. (Two series) 

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Ewan McGregor plays the Jedi master in this visually stunning Star Wars show

Year: 2022

Certificate: 12

Watch now on Disney+

Disney must have had a lot of faith in this six-parter as they chose, rather cheekily, to launch it on the same day as the return of Netflix’s Stranger Things. The big-budget series started life as a film project and has a big-screen feel, with Ewan McGregor reprising his role as Kenobi in a story set a decade after Star Wars: Revenge Of The Sith – as the grieving, isolated Jedi watches over young Luke on Tatooine. 

Hayden Christensen also returns as Darth Vader, but he was never the world’s most dynamic actor, and the show’s secret weapon is actually Homeland’s Rupert Friend as one of Vader’s Jedi hunters. Overall, the series turned out to be chiefly a feast for the senses rather than anything more substantial, but it certainly builds out the Star Wars universe in eye-catching and light-hearted style and, sometimes, that’s exactly what you want. (Six episodes) 

Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters

Generation-spanning sci-fi series set in the world of King Kong and Godzilla

Year: 2023

Certificate: 15

Watch now on Apple TV+

Stretching from Godzilla (2014) to Godzilla vs Kong (2021) with more still to come, the movies that make up the MonsterVerse franchise are huge affairs in every sense, charting what happens when gigantic creatures cross paths with humble humans. One of the films saw San Francisco reduced to a smouldering ruin and that’s where this exciting, conspiracy-packed ten-part spin-off TV show begins as school teacher Cate (Anna Sawai) discovers her family’s connection to the mysterious Monarch organisation, which has seemingly been tracking the monsters for decades. 

Kurt Russell brings Hollywood swagger to proceedings as former army officer Lee Shaw, with his son Wyatt Russell entertainingly playing a younger version of the same man in flashback sequences set in the 1950s. The real stars here, though, are the monsters – the first sequence in which one is revealed is jaw-dropping. As ever, Apple has spared no expense in bringing this particular vision to the screen. (Ten episodes) 

Invasion

Earth is visited by an alien species that threatens the very existence of humanity

Year: 2021

Certificate: 15

Watch now on Apple TV+

Engrossing drama about an alien invasion in which the focus isn’t initially on the big screen theatrics of the supernatural beings – although there are fireballs and deaths aplenty – but on how humans, already dealing with issues in their own lives, cope with this latest challenge. 

For Aneesha (Golshifteh Farahani) the invasion happens just as she’s learned about her husband’s infidelity, while Japanese space worker Mitsuki (Shioli Kutsana) has to battle state secrecy to find out what’s happened to her astronaut lover and Sheriff Jim Bell Tyson (Sam Neill) is on his last working day when the pesky extraterrestrials make their presence felt. Over in London there’s a Lord of the Flies-style scenario when a bus full of children end up alone in a massive quarry. 

Series two opens four months into the invasion, and everyone’s lives are well and truly upset, so what follows looks more like what you’d expect of an alien invasion show, as characters such as haunted soldier Trevante strive to find hope for humanity. There’s a touch of the movie Arrival in the opening episodes, too, and if you’re left wanting more by the finale, then there’s good news – Invasion will be back for series three. (Two series)

Foundation

Epic sci-fi drama based on the novels by Isaac Asimov

Year: 2021

Certificate: 15

Watch now on Apple TV+

Isaac Asimov’s Foundation novels charted the fall and rise of galactic powers over centuries, and what marked them out was the way they hinged around academia, rather than armadas. That academia was a predictive behavioural science known as ‘psychohistory’ devised by Hari Seldon, who tried to steer the galaxy away from hundreds of years of apocalyptic darkness. 

He’s played in Apple’s epic show by Jared Harris, and the other star of this show is the special effects – they are truly awe-inspiring, especially in the moments when one empire is falling and the other, led by Seldon, is rising. Fans of the books will notice a lot of differences in the show, but then Asimov did write the first of them in the 1940s. A second run has been ordered. (One series)

12 Monkeys

Mind-bending sci-fi adventure following a man to the past to save the future

Year: 2015-2018

Certificate: 15

Terry Gilliam’s cult classic is reimagined as a TV series, following a prisoner sent back in time to try to stop a plague from decimating the future population, with only the 12 Monkeys of the title as a cryptic clue. 

Aaron Stanford (Pyro in the early X-Men movies) stars as the time-hopping prisoner Cole (the Bruce Willis character from the movie) in a show that over four series takes time to indulge the strangeness of the premise, while still delivering sci-fi action, thrills, and not forgetting a dash of romance – a big part of the original. 

The whole thing fits together like a puzzle that rewards the patient viewer. It’s strictly for sci-fi fans who can enter into the spirit of its frequently flabby logic, but enjoyably bonkers, especially its way out there and hugely satisfying finale. (Four series)

Black Mirror (Series Six)

The unnerving anthology series returns with five disturbing one-off tales

Year: 2023

Certificate: 18

Watch now on Netflix

Written by British satirist Charlie Brooker, Black Mirror has delivered some of the most gloriously disturbing standalone TV tales of recent decades (if not ever…). In the sixth series, Brooker’s five tales cover everything from TV nightmares and high-tech missions to parallel universes, and the cast list for it all is impressive. 

Look out for Hollywood A-lister Salma Hayek and Rob Delaney in the Netflix-spoofing story Joan Is Awful, John Hannah in Loch Henry – which delves into a small Scottish town’s very dark secrets – and Aaron Paul and Josh Hartnett in Beyond The Sea, a tense, spacebound and feature-length adventure set in an alternative 1969. Two further tales remain – Mazey Day, which tracks a starlet (The Rising’s Clara Rugaard) dogged by paparazzi, and Demon 79, a sepia-toned northern English story set in 1979, about a sales assistant with an understandable axe to grind. 

Now, be warned that this time around the general slant leans towards horror so, if you want an easier time of it, choose Joan Is Awful or Beyond The Sea, the first of which is actually quite funny. The best of them all is Loch Henry, but be prepare to be disturbed… (Five episodes) 

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Rollicking prequel to the original sci-fi series that’s packed with great stories

Year: 2022-

Certificate: 15

Watch now on Paramount+

The creators of this prequel to the original 1960s series really understand what it takes to make a good Star Trek show. They’ve taken the starry-eyed wonder of the original and blended it with the dark and witty tone of recent series, a mix that’s at its most potent in the lead character, Christopher Pike (Anson Mount). The captain of the Enterprise looks like a typical western hero – we even first meet him at his ranch in Montana, horseriding and dodging work calls – and Mount has form in that genre, too (see Hell On Wheels on Amazon Freevee). Yet Pike is a man plagued by dark visions, and carries those with him on missions to exotic worlds that will inspire and surprise. 

Strange New Worlds sets a seriously high standard throughout, from its cinematic special effects to its acting, to the surprisingly bold storytelling choices as it goes on. The first series tells a gripping story that brings all of its characters to vibrant life, while series two continues in terrific form – featuring a crossover with the animated Star Trek comedy Lower Decks, more of a certain James T Kirk, and a breathtaking musical episode. (Two series) 

Hello Tomorrow!

The Morning Show’s Billy Crudup sells lunar dreams in this sci-fi dramedy

Year: 2023

Certificate: 12

Watch now on Apple TV+

Imagine the 1950s, but not as we know it – with cars that hover, black and white video phones, and travelling salesmen selling the dream of living the high life on the Moon. Is everything as it seems in this portrait of Americana, though? 

The Morning Show’s Billy Crudup stars as one of the salesmen, a man who seems to have it all together on the surface with that slick smile and easy manner, but has regrets about his past eating away at him inside. A chance encounter one day gives him a chance to rectify one regret, while Apple’s series also broadens out to show us the lives of the other sellers (one played by The Simpsons’ Hank Azaria) and the hopeful customers who buy their timeshare dreams.

Like Apple’s Severance, this is a show that pulls you in with its concept and extraordinary look, but keeps you with its characters and central mystery. There’s a touch of Glengarry Glen Ross to the thorny camaraderie between the salesmen, and a touch of The Twilight Zone to everything else. (One series)

The Mandalorian

Sci-fi meets Western in the first live-action Star Wars TV spin-off

Year: 2019

Certificate: pg

Watch now on Disney+

The first live-action Star Wars TV spin-off had a lot to live up to, and gave us plenty to enjoy with its western-style action, delightfully sweet sidekick and a rousing end credits theme that’s up there with the best western soundtracks. 

Our hero comes from a group called the Mandalorians, who were originally a noble warrior people – a bit like medieval knights – until the evil Empire scattered them across the universe, forcing them to scratch out a living as bounty-hunters. When we meet ‘Mando’ (Pedro Pascal), he’s every inch the mysterious stranger, and it doesn’t look like anything can get to him – but then he meets sweet little ‘Baby Yoda’. 

This show is precision-engineered to be something the whole family can watch and has a wry sense of humour that the Star Wars movies don’t always manage. (Three series)

Severance

Dystopian workplace drama starring Adam Scott and Patricia Arquette

Year: 2022

Certificate: 15

Watch now on Apple TV+

Apple’s first ‘must-see’ show since Ted Lasso is a drama directed by Ben Stiller that unfolds at a dystopian office where workers have no memory of their lives outside – and vice versa. It’s got style, secrets, the intelligence to pay off its premise and a great cast led by Adam Scott and Britt Lower as two of the workers. 

From their point of view, the moment after they step into the lift to go home, they step out to start a new shift. As the audience, we get to see some of what they don’t, but the higher-ups – including a boss played by Patricia Arquette – definitely know things we don’t and that, along with this show’s singular sense of style, keeps you hooked. (One series)

Extant

Halle Berry headlines a cerebral sci-fi mystery series

Year: 2014

Certificate: 15

Watch now on Prime Video

When astronaut Molly (Halle Berry) returns to earth after a 13-month solo stint on a space station, she finds herself inexplicably pregnant. Her hunt for answers is just one of the engines powering this intricate and involving science-fiction puzzle. It also touches on issues about just what makes someone human and the rights of machines to control their own destiny as Molly’s husband’s AI creations jostle for their own space in the world. 

Berry’s performance is excellent across the 26 episodes that make up the two series of the show, but there’s fantastic support too from the likes of ER’s Goran Visnjic and The Walking Dead’s Jeffrey Dean Morgan. (Two series, Freevee via Amazon) 

Under The Dome

Science-fiction mystery based on a novel by Stephen King

Year: 2013-2015

Certificate: 15

Watch now on My5

Inexplicably, an entire town is sealed inside a huge impenetrable dome. That’s the plot of The Simpsons Movie, too (released six years prior), but unlike the Simpson family who manage to escape their dome, the inhabitants of the town of Chester’s Mill really are stuck and remain so, no matter how much they shoot at their transparent prison or attempt to bulldoze their way through it. It’s bonkers but rather fun if you leave your brain outside your own rational thought bubble. The series is based on a novel by Stephen King, which he says he first started in 1976, then set aside until 2007. (Three series) 

Electric Dreams

Sci-fi anthology series inspired by the stories of Philip K. Dick

Year: 2017

Certificate: 15

This bold and ambitious sci-fi anthology series of stand-alone episodes – mini-movies if you like – is inspired by the short stories of Philip K. Dick, the prolific US author whose work has inspired movies such as Blade Runner, Total Recall and Minority Report. 

The series is packed with a wealth of talent, both in front of and behind the camera (its executive producer is Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston), with different writers and directors bringing their visions to the screen over ten stories.. While the imaginative tales veer off in all directions, the unifying theme of the series is that of the nature of humans, says Philip K. Dick’s daughter Isa, one of the co-producers. ‘It’s ten mini-movies, all set in different worlds with different tones, but each focuses on what it is to be human,’ she said. 

One of the strongest episodes is The Hood Maker, written by Matthew Graham (Life On Mars), a futuristic tale about the war between normal human beings and a race of telepathic mutants. Holliday Grainger and Richard Madden lead the cast. Look out too for The Impossible Planet, which stars Geraldine Chaplin as a 342-year-old deaf woman living on the planet Fomalhaut IX who visits Earth, a ruined planet that hasn’t been inhabited for hundreds of years after becoming extinct in the year 2400. It will make you think. (One series)

The Lazarus Project

A secret organisation with the ability to turn back time finds its newest recruit

Year: 2022-

Certificate: 15

Watch now on NOW

Watch now on Sky

Sky’s time-loop thriller pulls you in very swiftly indeed with its exciting premise, and holds you with its unpredictable characters, fast-paced action and witty asides. The Lazarus Project is a top-secret organisation that, using the scientific theory of gravitational singularity, has the ability to rewind time whenever the world comes to an end. The series is the brainchild of writer Joe Barton – the creator of the Anglo-Japanese crime drama Giri/Haji – who was struck by how fortunate it is that the world has so far managed to avoid an apocalypse: ‘I thought it unbelievable that mankind hadn’t destroyed itself by accident at various times, and started to wonder why.’

Caroline Quentin stars as Wes, the leader of the Project, and her team includes Archie (Vigil’s Anjli Mohindra) and George (I May Destroy You’s Paapa Essiedu). Series one sees George pulled into the bewildering world of the Project, and the second run opens with a succinct round-up of what happened: ‘Things got out of hand. I did some bad things – but I did them for a good reason.’ The stakes in series two include the pursuit of a rival group who have an actual time machine, and it plays with the same addictive mix of pace, action and wit. (Two series) 

Bodies

Four detectives probe the mystery of a dead body over four timelines

Year: 2023

Certificate: 15

Watch now on Netflix

Four detectives, four timelines, one body – as concepts go Bodies has a seriously good one. But the intrigue doesn’t end there – the detectives must all investigate the same murder to save Britain’s future. The series is based on a mind-bending graphic novel with a carefully defined plot and the show has been designed as a limited series, so these eight episodes are all there will ever be. 

The body is found in an East London alley by the four detectives at different points of British history: in the Victorian era, the Second World War, the present and the future, and the investigations all unfold in parallel. There’s a lot to set up in the first episode as you might imagine, but you’ll quickly become so engrossed you’ll need to know how it all pieces together, and how future overlord Elias Mannix  (Stephen Graham) fits into it all. Among the detectives, wartime inspector DS Charles Whiteman goes on a particularly intriguing journey. But the actor who plays him, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, says he had to be talked into that pencil moustache. (Eight episodes) 

Westworld

Reinvention of the 1973 sci-fi western movie set in the ultimate theme park

Year: 2016-2022

Certificate: 18

The first series of HBO’s reboot of the 1973 sci-fi western movie was a stone-cold classic, and told a complete story across ten parts as theme park robot Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood) took control of the destiny set for her by her creator, Dr Ford (Anthony Hopkins). The dystopian premise is brilliant; Westworld is a dark Disneyland inhabited by amazingly life-like robots where humans can live out their cowboy fantasies of shootouts, murder and hot romance. But a malfunction means the robots remember everything that has happened to them, triggering a rebellion. 

The first two series, for which Thandie Newton and Evan Rachel Wood both won awards, are the best. In series three and four it became more of a thoughtful action thriller and, while it never quite reached the very high watermark set at the start, Westworld remains one of the most exciting and visually stunning series to hit TV in a long time. (Four series)

Dead Ringers

Rachel Weisz delivers chilling twin performances in this TV remake of the 1988 film

Year: 2023

Certificate: 18

Watch now on Prime Video

There’s a list of things that can get you awards attention as an actor, and playing identical twins in a boldly disturbing drama is pretty high up that list. Rachel Weisz has done a superb job with it in Dead Ringers, a gender-flipped remake of the 1988 movie of the same name, which starred Jeremy Irons and was, in turn, very loosely based on the real-life gynaecologist twins Stewart and Cyril Marcus. 

There are two threads running through this. One is the consequences of the personal differences between the two sisters Elliot and Beverly, and what happens when an actress comes into one of their lives; the other is the ideas the show has about how pregnancy and women should be treated in society. The sisters are pushing at the boundaries of that with a new birthing centre, and are seeking funding to do it – but will they manage to keep their ethics along the way? That’s a significant question in this dreamlike series, but it’s really the sibling relationship that’s more important. Whatever part is in focus, though, the thing that keeps you mesmerised is Weisz’s unsettling but very clearly defined twin performances. (Six episodes) 

Extrapolations

An all-star cast for this apocalyptic climate-change drama

Year: 2023

Certificate: 15

Watch now on Apple TV+

Apocalyptic stories are often dramatic affairs, full of sudden change and big decisions. What’s unsettling about Apple’s climate-change drama is how its characters adapt to the slow-motion destruction of the world, shrugging their shoulders as one species then the next slides into memory, and as their daily lives become ever less easy.

The series tracks the impact of rising temperatures from 2037 to 2070, and does so with both an impressive budget and cast – Meryl Streep, Diane Lane, Sienna Miller, Matthew Rhys and Heather Graham are among them (actors love a drama with a cause), with Game Of Thrones’ Kit Harington as a tech titan who seems to be doing very well out of it all.  

That corporate side of the story is chillingly believable, but it’s the human stories that keep you watching, even through the understandably preachier moments. (Eight episodes)

Humans

Synthetic humanoids rebel in a gripping sci-fi drama

Year: 2015-2018

Certificate: 15

Watch now on Channel 4

This show, a big hit for Channel 4 when it launched in 2015, didn’t look particularly sci-fi, despite its central characters being ‘synths’ – perfectly formed synthetic lifeforms with jewel-green eyes. The result was a series that explored what it means to be human that didn’t just appeal to sci-fi fans. 

It’s set in a parallel present, a world where synths are the latest must-have gadgets and servile home helps and carers. But a small number of them are capable of consciousness – they have thoughts and feelings that are forbidden of their kind – and it is this group, and their allies, that we follow as they fight for a new future for their kind. 

Colin Morgan started on the road to ditching his tweeny Merlin fanbase, playing the son of the synth’s inventor who is part synth himself, one of a gang of conscious synths that includes Gemma Chan’s gentle Anita/Mia and Emily Berrington’s feisty Niska. (Three series)

Andor

Multi-stranded Star Wars spin-off centred on a rebel in hiding

Year: 2022-

Certificate: 12

Watch now on Disney+

This is a Star Wars show for people who don’t like Star Wars shows. Created by Bourne writer Tony Gilroy, Andor is a dramatically credible account of life at the sharp end of rebellion and is, essentially, a prequel to the brilliant movie Rogue One – which Gilroy also co-wrote, and was in itself essentially a sci-fi take on The Magnificent Seven. 

Diego Luna (Narcos: Mexico) stars as Cassian Andor, a rebel in hiding, in a series that starts slowly but builds up and out in ways you don’t expect. In some places it becomes a workplace comedy drama set at Imperial intelligence, where the bureaucrats fight among themselves. It’s also a spy action thriller, with a particularly thrilling sideline in jail breaks, and it’s also a dark political drama about the consequences of fighting the system, hinged around a terrific performance from The Honourable Woman’s Genevieve O’Reilly as Mon Mothma. 

That last element has the feel of the US House Of Cards, which is no coincidence – Beau Willimon, who created that show, wrote several episodes of Andor. A second and final series is on the way, but probably not until 2024. (One series)

Brave New World

Classy retelling of Huxley’s dystopian chiller, with a starry cast

Year: 2020

Certificate: 15

Timing, they say, is everything, so to broadcast a series about a dystopian world from which people are desperate to escape, in the middle of a global pandemic, was possibly a little unfortunate. 

This nine-part series, based on the 1932 Aldous Huxley novel of the same name,  was originally shown on Sky in October 2020 and cancelled soon after. But now, post-pandemic, it definitely merits another viewing. 

Jessica Brown Findlay, Lady Sybil in Downton Abbey, is excellent in the leading role of Lenina Crowne, a lower-class worker whose adventures in the Wild Lands while on a date with the higher status Bernard Marx (Harry Lloyd) leads them both to question just how perfect their ‘perfect’ world actually is.

There’s also Hollywood royalty on board with Demi Moore playing Linda, the mother of John The Savage, and enough imaginatively designed furniture to distract from the occasionally dodgy dialogue. (One series)

War Of The Worlds

Contemporary reimagining of the HG Wells alien-invasion classic

Year: 2019-2022

Certificate: 15

Watch now on My5

Watch now on Disney+

This is no tired rehash of the HG Wells alien-invasion story but confidently charts its own way. First, the similarities: aliens invade and start wiping out much of humanity and, just like in the Wells version, these invaders have a weakness. That’s where the similarities end, though, and a dramatic big reveal between series one and two turns all expectations around. 

This is a genre show that is big on atmosphere and, despite its weighty sci-fi ideas, it really focuses on its characters, who are well defined and developed and have been brought together across Europe and Britain by the invasion. 

The cast is headed by Gabriel Byrne’s weary, hangdog neuroscientist hero Bill Ward, and the series was written by Brit Howard Overman, who won a BAFTA for his superhero comedy-drama Misfits. The show also wraps its story up neatly and tidily at the end of its third and final series. (Three series)

 

While Mr. Abbas was determined to appoint Mr. Mustafa, a longtime insider within the authority’s highest ranks, he still held final consultations with Arab countries before signing a presidential decree tasking Mr. Mustafa with putting together of a new government, one of the Palestinian That, officials and the European Union diplomat said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to communicate with the media.

Mr Abbas could change his mind, and a decision to appoint Mr Mustafa will only be final if Mr Abbas signs a decree. After the president of the Palestinian Authority appoints a prime minister, that person has three weeks to form a government, but can take another two weeks if necessary, according to the Palestinian Basic Law.

At the end of February, Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh submitted the resignation of his cabinet, citing the need for a new government that “takes into account the emerging reality in the Gaza Strip.” Mr Shtayyeh’s government has continued as an interim government.

Hamas led a deadly attack from Gaza on Israel on October 7, and Israel has responded with heavy bombing and an invasion, vowing to break the group’s hold on the enclave. But these events have raised difficult questions about how a post-war Gaza will be governed and rebuilt.

The Palestinian Authority has limited administrative powers in the West Bank. In 2007, the country lost control of Gaza to Hamas during a power struggle.

The United States has been that calling for reforms the widely unpopular Palestinian Authority in recent months, in the hope that it could eventually take over the reins of governance in Gaza after the war. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected such a role for the Authority.

Much of the Palestinian public views the Palestinian Authority as tainted by corruption, mismanagement and collaboration with Israel. With no functional parliament within the authority-controlled areas, 88-year-old Abbas has long ruled by decree and exerts great influence over the judiciary and prosecution system. There have been no presidential elections in the Palestinian territories since 2005, and no parliamentary elections since 2006.

While the Biden administration has not told Mr. Abbas who to appoint as prime minister, it has made clear that it hopes for an independent figure who is acceptable to ordinary Palestinians, the international community and Israel, according to Western diplomats who spoke about the issue. condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

In the Palestinian Authority, the prime minister is supposed to oversee the work of the ministries, but Mr. Abbas often intervenes in decision-making, according to analysts.

Nasser al-Qudwa, a former foreign minister whose name had been mooted as a possible prime minister, said Mr Mustafa’s appointment would represent “no real change”.

“It would replace an employee named Muhammad with another employee named Muhammad, while Abbas continues to hold all the cards. What is the change?” said Mr. Qudwa, a fierce opponent of Mr. Abbas who is also known as Abu Mazen. “Abu Mazen wants to maintain the status quo. He wants to keep all power in his own hands.”

In addition to serving as an adviser to Mr. Abbas, Mr. Mustafa, an economist trained at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., heads the Palestine Investment Fund, whose board is appointed by the authority’s president. He previously served as Minister of Economy and Deputy Prime Minister of the authority.

For weeks, Mr Abbas has indicated that he wants to appoint Mr Mustafa. In January, he sent Mr Mustafa to the World Economic Forum’s annual conference in Davos, where heads of state and foreign ministers meet to discuss global affairs.

At the conference, Mr Mustafa said he thought the Palestinian Authority could improve its governance. “We don’t want to make excuses for anyone,” he said in an extensive conversation with Borge Brende, the forum’s chairman. “The Palestinian Authority can do better when it comes to building better institutions.”

Any future Palestinian prime minister will likely face enormous challenges, including potentially trying to reconstruct the devastated Gaza Strip and improve the government’s credibility.

Jehad Harb, a Ramallah-based analyst, agreed that Mr Mustafa’s appointment would be an indication that Mr Abbas has no intention of giving up power, but he said any judgment on a new government would have to be made reserved until the public knows the identity of its ministers. , and how much authority and independence they can exercise.

“It is possible that there is an opportunity, but we can also see a missed opportunity, as we usually do,” he said.

A heated debate broke out on Good Morning Britain as guests clashed over whether motherhood is ruining women’s careers.

Broadcaster and mother-of-two Narinder Kaur said that ‘mothers need to be at home’ because they ‘can’t have both’, while fashion designer and mother-of-three Savannah Miller argued that women ‘can do both’.

The debate comes after singer Lily Allen admitted having children ‘ruined’ her career and rejected the idea that women can ‘have it all’.

Agreeing with the Smile singer, Narinder said that a woman having children and a successful career is ‘a myth’.

She added: “I want to pat Lily Allen on the back for being completely honest. I think she has triggered a lot of mothers who believe in the myth that you can have it all, but you can’t.

‘You absolutely cannot have a successful career and raise children. It’s a lie because if you want to be a fully present mother and meet their physical and emotional needs, you have to be a stay-at-home mom.”

Savannah disagreed, saying that women can balance motherhood and career, but they must “make sacrifices.”

She said: ‘I don’t believe we can have everything, we have to make sacrifices. However, it is very harmful to tell your daughters that they will have to choose between being a mother or having a career.

‘Also telling your sons that this is what you expect from your wife or girlfriend when they give birth – that they are just going to put their careers on the shelf and yours is more important – is, quite frankly, disgusting.

‘I want to raise boys who go out into the world to support women. Why is a man’s career given more value than a woman’s? I do not feel like it.’

The fashion designer revealed that she was a ‘flexible worker’ when she had children and had people around her who could help.

She said: ‘I had people from my village help me when I couldn’t get to the school gate and I would put my children to bed every night, read them a story and go back to my laptop. It is very damaging to tell women that their careers do not have the same value as men’s.’

Narinder disagreed and said, “We don’t have to be Superwoman, we have to be mothers at home with our children. Unfortunately, this world is not made for two working parents and as a mother I believe that the mother should be at home with the children.’

Viewers rushed to X, formerly known as Twitter, to leave their thoughts on the controversial topic.

One person said: ‘Lily Allen’s comments highlight the need for more discussion and support around the challenges parents face in the workplace. It’s not about ‘having it all’, it’s about finding a balance that works for you.’

Another said: ‘How is this even a debate? A career isn’t really a sacrifice for having children. Have some damn perspective.”

Someone else said: ‘It’s impossible to be 100% committed to a job and 100% committed to raising children.

‘Women seem to be obsessed with proving they can do anything, but they can’t! I am a stay at home mom and am ashamed that I made that choice! I think your career needs to be put on hold to raise your child.”

A fourth said: ‘They don’t ruin a career, but if you are the main childcare provider, or even share equally with your partner, having children limits your ability to continue rising through the ranks!

‘I’ve often felt like I’m not giving, both at work and as a mother, the juggling guilt is real!’

The debate comes after Lily Allen admitted her two daughters ‘totally ruined’ her pop career because she chose to prioritize them over work, insisting: ‘You can’t have it all’.

The 38-year-old singer and actress said she believes women should decide whether to put their children or their careers first, saying she chose the former.

‘My children ruined my career. “I love them and they complete me, but in terms of pop stardom they’ve totally ruined it,” she told the BBC Radio Times podcast.

“I get really annoyed when people say you can have it all, because honestly, you can’t.

‘Some people choose their career over their children and that’s their prerogative, but my parents were quite absent when I was little.

“I feel like it left some nasty scars that I don’t want to repeat on mine.”

Lily’s father is actor Keith Allen, 70, who left her film producer mother Alison Owen, 63, when Lily was four.

Lily has now said that she has ‘chosen to take a step back and focus on my children’ and she is glad she did because ‘they are quite versatile.’

The Smile singer shares two daughters Ethel Mary, 12, and Marnie Rose, 10, with her builder ex-husband Sam Cooper, 45, but released her last studio album No Shame in 2018.

Lily now lives in New York with her children and new husband, Stranger Things star David Harbour, 48, who she married in 2020 and has turned her hand to acting.

What is really the better smartwatch operating system?

New Delhi: It all started when Google introduced its Wear OS in 2014, loaded on the Samsung Gear Live and the LG G Watch. Apple wasn’t far behind when it launched its Apple WatchOS the following year, alongside its first Apple Watch. Since then, fans have been divided over which OS is better, and for those who still don’t know which OS is better for them, here is a detailed comparison of the two.

Apple Watch operating system

Apple Watch OS, or watchOS, is the operating system designed for the Apple Watch. It is based on iOS, the operating system used by iPhones, and was first released on April 24, 2015, along with the Apple Watch. Over the years, Apple has updated the WatchOS, allowing users to perform various tasks on their Apple Watch, such as calling, texting, and reading emails. Some of the features of Watch OS include quick access to Siri, sleep tracking, SOS, emergency detection, and customization options. Apple WatchOS is available in 45 languages, with updates delivered via over-the-air (OTA) updates, which require an iPhone 5 or later with iOS 8.2 or later and within 30 feet of the phone.

Google WearOS

Wear OS, formerly known as Android Wear, is a version of Google’s Android operating system designed specifically for smartwatches and wearables. Launched in 2014, it integrates Google Assistant technology (now Gemini) and mobile notifications into a smartwatch form factor by pairing with mobile phones running Android version 6.0 “Marshmallow” or newer, or iOS version 10.0 or newer with limited support Google’s link application. Wear OS supports several connectivity options such as Bluetooth, NFC, Wi-Fi, 3G and LTE, along with features such as voice control with the ‘OK Google’ hotword, gesture-based input and a range of applications. The platform offers customizable watch faces in round, square and rectangular styles and is supported by hardware manufacturers such as Asus, Fossil, LG, Samsung, Huawei and others. Wear OS also offers features like notification syncing, voice control, Google services integration (Google Assistant, Gmail, Google Maps), support for third-party watch apps, and a variety of tiles and apps for customization.

When choosing between Apple watchOS and Google Wear OS, the choice largely depends on your device compatibility, voice assistant preferences, interface customization, and app support. Anyway, feel free to consider some of the key differences listed here:

• Compatibility: Apple watchOS is exclusive to Apple Watches and requires an iPhone for installation and optimal functionality. Google Wear OS, on the other hand, is compatible with a wide range of smartwatches from different manufacturers and works with both Android and iOS devices.
• Voice assistants: Apple watchOS uses Siri, while Google Wear OS supports the Google Assistant. Both assistants offer similar functionalities, but personal preference may determine which one you prefer.
• Interface customization: Both operating systems allow users to customize their interfaces with different watch faces and tiles. Apple watchOS offers unique features such as the Walkie-Talkie function, while Wear OS offers ample options for customization via different watch faces and bands.
• Application support: Apple generally has a more extensive selection of apps designed for watchOS, but Wear OS is quickly catching up with its own library of popular smartwatch apps. Users can explore available apps on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store to see which platform offers the applications they want.

The latest Apple Watch Series 8 currently runs WatchOS 10 and features advanced health tracking, an ECG app, fall detection and more!

On the other hand, the Google Pixel Watch 2 is powered by WearOS 4 with a multipath health sensor, new safety features and more.

It has been ten years, not two, since the start of the war in Ukraine. And once you understand that, you can start thinking about it clearly. What is Britain’s interest in this conflict? Why are so many in politics and the media cheering the carnage that has devastated Ukraine, the country they claim to love and admire? What did Ukraine gain from it? What can Ukraine and its people possibly gain from it?

All I ask is that you use your mind instead of your emotions. Let’s start with what happened ten years ago. It should be shocking.

In 2014, Ukraine had a rough but functioning democracy. This worked because the country was almost evenly divided between the east and west. Power shifted from one side to the other and in 2010 Viktor Yanukovych won the presidential election with 12.5 million votes, beating his closest rival, Yulia Tymoshenko, with 11.6 million votes.

Unlike the previous elections in 2004, no one seriously contested the outcome. So in February 2014, Yanukovych was the legal head of state, with two years left in his term.

If, as we all say, we believe in democracy, then this is an almost sacred fact. The widespread and justified disgust over the invasion of the US Capitol by Trump supporters on January 6, 2021 is based on the belief that power rests on ballots and not violence.

There is no clearer distinction between democracies and the rest. The losers must respect the result. If they dispute it, they should use legal methods. But generally speaking, if they don’t like the person in power, they have to wait until the next election.

There is hardly a politician or commentator in Britain who has not said this at some point in his or her life. It’s called “loser consent.” Our ordered lives depend on it and we cannot betray it here or abroad.

But now we come to the big exception. In February 2014, a violent gang infiltrated and came to dominate the originally genuine democratic protests in the Ukrainian capital Kiev.

There is much darkness to these bitter days, including the mysterious shootings of mob members. Let’s say there is a serious dispute about who was responsible, but it has not yet been resolved.

In a leaked (and undisputed) telephone conversation, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet told EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton that there was “increasing understanding” that “behind the snipers was not Yanukovych, but someone from the new coalition’.

A UN report (published on July 15, 2014) concluded that 103 protesters and 20 police officers were killed in these events. I believe at least some of the demonstrators were armed, and the deaths of twenty police officers indicate quite heavy violence on the part of the demonstrators.

Amid all this bloodshed, two serious attempts were made to reach a peaceful, lawful outcome. The first was destroyed, perhaps deliberately, when protesters responded to it on Tuesday, February 18, by setting fire to Yanukovych’s party headquarters. On the night of Thursday, February 20, the foreign ministers of Germany, Poland and France flew to Kiev to conclude a deal with the controversial Ukrainian president.

On February 21, that deal was signed by the president and three leading members of the anti-Yanukovych opposition, in the presence of the three EU ministers.

Yanukovych offered a rewrite of the constitution to suit the opposition; a new government; early presidential elections (by December 2014); and an impartial investigation into the violence (which there never was). All parties refrained from using force.

But that Friday evening, the deal was presented to the crowd in the Maidan, an unelected body with no constitutional or democratic authority. They certainly did not represent the eastern part of the country.

Their leaders rejected the proposal and threatened to “take up arms and go to Yanukovych’s residence” if he did not resign by the next morning. The opposition leaders who had signed the deal crumbled and made no effort to defend it against the screaming anger of the crowd.

Yanukovych, whose security protection had melted away, left Kiev. But he did not resign or leave the country. A recent book by highly respected Ukrainian historian Serhii Plokhy shows beyond doubt that the elected president was still in office and in Ukraine when parliament voted to depose him. The vote was illegal because the parliamentarians did not have the votes required by the constitution. But they continued anyway.

Antidemocratic violence was thus followed by lawlessness. The offer of early elections was brushed aside (were the crowd afraid their faction would lose them?). For example, a mob overthrew a legitimate head of state. And here comes the shocking test. Western countries, including Britain, should have condemned this action. Normally they are vigilant defenders of justice and democracy all over the world, right? But in this case they approved the coup.

The then Secretary of State, William Haag, made a completely incorrect statement in the House of Commons on March 4, 2014. He said Yanukovych had been deposed “with the very large majorities required by the constitution.” This is simply not true. And so the future Lord Hague’s next claim that ‘it is wrong to question the legitimacy of the new authorities’ has seriously misled Parliament.

I have discussed this with Lord Haag. After it became clear that he could not properly defend his actions, he stopped answering and fell silent. Pathetically, an awkward letter I sent to his official address was returned to me, adorned with a sticker stating that he was not known there. If we had a real opposition in this country he would never have been able to get away with this. But we don’t do that.

The events of February 2014 divided Ukraine and started a nasty little war in the east of the country, in which (among other tragedies and horrors) many civilians died at the hands of the Ukrainian military. The disgusting Russian invasion of two years ago, indefensible and barbaric, was the second phase of the war, not its beginning.

Of course, I don’t know who was behind Yanukovych’s overthrow. There were all kinds of Western politicians and intelligence services hanging around Kiev at the time. And the West has flagrantly betrayed its own principles by condoning and forgiving the unpleasant event. But of course that does not prove that any Western country supported the coup against Yanukovych.

Yet I believe that any outside force that supported this coup is as guilty of aggression and warmongering as Russia’s Putin. Think about that as you listen to all those loud, safe voices demanding that we continue to fuel this war, where Ukrainians are dying every day for democratic principles that we do not, in fact, support.

Tragic porn star Kagney Linn Karter opened up about her hopes for the future in a poignant interview with Louis Theroux recorded at the height of her career.

The adult film actress, 36, is believed to have shot herself at her home in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, last week.

Ms Karter’s body was found at her address by her mother on February 15, Parma Police Department revealed. The force is continuing to investigate her death but told media there are ‘no signs of foul play’.

Broadcaster Theroux first tracked the world of male porn performers in 1998, many of whom were gay-for-pay straight men earning tens of thousands from gay porn studios.

He returned to the subject in the 2012 BBC documentary Twilight of the Porn Stars,  meeting performers from both sexes struggling to make ends meet thanks to the rise of free online porn.

He arrived at the LA home of Ms Karter, who was living with her boyfriend Montae Weathers – who described himself as her ‘full-time assistant’.

When asked what this involved, Montae said: ‘I give my input on what I believe that… you know… she should probably refrain from doing.

‘Like… for example… her agent called today and asked her if she wanted to do a boy-girl scene, but after the boy-girl scene, five guys come along and ejaculate over her…’

Montae told Theroux he advised against it but ‘she said she was gonna do it… you know.’

When Theroux asked Ms Karter about the scene, she appeared defensive and said she was surprised her boyfriend had mentioned it.

‘He didn’t want talk about it,’ she said. ‘So I’m actually surprised he mentioned it to you guys, ‘cos baby you won’t even talk with me about it.

‘You saying that I can’t do it cuts us out of two grand.

‘That cuts us out of money so that we can go on vacation and do nice things for ourselves, so that I can provide you with the clothes you put on your back, Montae.’

As Theroux tried to calm tensions, Ms Karter appeared even more resolute.

‘I know what’s best for us because I’ve been running this train for a long time now,’ she said.

‘Monte doesn’t understand that the reason that I do certain scenes is not because I am just a big whore. Getting five loads on my face is because I know that that’s the type of scene that might possibly win me an award.’

Theroux then interjected and said that as an outsider, it appeared Montae was ‘taking a lot’ by watching his girlfriend performing sex acts with others.

But Ms Karter gave this short shrift, pointing out that her work supported them both.

‘Montae gets to have lots of days off where he plays videogames all day too,’ she said.

‘Montae gets whatever he wants, he has a really good life that I provide for him. So, Montae has it easy.’

Theroux then waits in the house while Ms Karter performs a live webcam show. Her boyfriend is filmed wiping a kitchen bench with a cloth.

After the show is over, Theroux asks her how it went.

‘It was good, I made 100 bucks,’ she says.

He then asks her about her plans for the future. Poignantly, she talks about hoping to retire someday and settle down with Montae.

‘I definitely want to do like another seven years,’ she says. ‘By then, I think Montae and me will retire.

‘Everything I choose to do is just… to secure a better future for us. I’m always thinking about the future.

‘Sometimes it’s wearying, and I tell Montae, “I’m sorry that I’m always so concerned about money”. But for me, it’s really important that one day I won’t have to do this anymore.’

Montae then adds that many of the female performers in the industry don’t have a ‘ten-year plan’.

‘It’s more about getting their paycheck, going to buy the new Cristian Leboutins that they can fit on their feet. It’s not like that with her.’

Theroux concludes the segment by observing that Ms Karter brought an ‘incongruous professionalism to her commitment to extreme porn’.

‘It was hard not to worry about the toll it might take on her relationship,’ he added.

Speaking after her death, TV interviewer Louis Theroux remembered Ms Karter as a ‘kind and thoughtful’ person who was ‘v[ery] honest’.

‘My thoughts are with her friends and family,’ he posted on X, formerly Twitter.

It is thought that Ms Karter left Los Angeles in 2019 – the planned retirement year she described in Theroux’s 2012 documentary – to return to her roots in Ohio. 

A GoFundMe page was said up by pole dancing instructors Rachel and Megan to pay for Ms Karter’s memorial, which has so far amassed over $21,000 (£16,585).

The women described how Ms Karter first came to their dance studio in Cleveland, Ohio, in November 2019, and rose to the top of her class before starting a studio of her own.

They said: ‘She immediately warmed to the studio and all the students with an effortless grace… She spent so much time at the studio, sometimes taking five or six classes per week, and threw herself into her training. 

‘Watching Kagney flourish in an environment that made her feel confident and happy was a true joy.’

The women described their pride when Ms Karter graduated from their school and set up her own pole dancing studio.

‘Business ownership is no easy task, but Kagney never shied away from the challenge,’ they said.

‘Her students and staff remember her incredibly fondly, both as an intelligent and intuitive instructor and as an owner who did all she could to build a little community of her own, something of which she could be proud… The best version of herself.

‘Unfortunately, despite all of her many impressive accomplishments and talents, Kagney struggled with mental health issues as the years passed by. 

‘Even in her darkest days, however, she still showed up to the studio, always ready to learn, contribute, better herself in whatever small way she could manage.’

They said they last saw her during a class on February 7, just over a week before she took her own life.

‘More than her beauty, her lovely dancing, her singing, her dazzling performances… Kagney was kind. Kagney was generous. As cold as the world could be, Kagney brought with her a light,’ they said.

Ms Karter started in the pornography industry in the early 2000s and starred in films such as the Official Silence of the Lambs Parody and Not Married with Children XXX.

The star was nominated several times for Adult Video News awards, including in 2011 for top female performer of the year. In 2010, she was nominated as best new starlet. 

Commenters flooded under her last social media post as one said: ‘Kags. Love you forever.’ 

‘Jesus, this is sad,’ another wrote.  

The adult star had previously had a public spat with signer Chris Brown in which she claimed that he paid her $2,500 to be an escort.

In 2015, Karter made the claims on Twitter and posted X-rated pictures, which eventually got her account suspended, according to TMZ. 

Brown for his part, denied ever meeting or contacting her.

She moved from Los Angeles to Ohio in 2019 and got involved with pole dancing fitness studios. 

Karter opened a pole dancing studio of her own in Akron called Alchemy Pole Fitness.  

‘Her students and staff remember her incredibly fondly, both as an intelligent and intuitive instructor and as an owner who did all she could to build a little community of her own, something of which she could be proud, somewhere she could feel safe and wanted,’ said the GoFundMe. 

 For help, call Samaritans for free on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org

You may have spent years defining your idea of the perfect life partner. Perhaps one or two failed marriages have helped finesse your future list of dos and don’ts. Hold on to those thoughts, they are valuable and hard-learned.

But if you’re looking for love over 50, everything else you thought you knew about dating, you can forget. 

The landscape has drastically changed and you need to rethink your approach — everything from what you say about yourself, to how you judge his looks — and when to say nothing at all. But crack the code to the brave new world of online dating and you will succeed.

And the good news is, you’re not alone. The number of over-50s using dating sites has doubled in the last ten years, according to research, with one in six midlifers now actively looking for love online. 

Further studies reveal 43-58 year olds to be the most successful age group, with 72 per cent finding a romantic relationship as a result. Think about that for a second — it means that in midlife you’re far more likely to succeed than fail.

But, whether you like it or not, dating is now a numbers game and signing up to an app or a website really is the most effective way to meet the greatest number of men.

The more you’re exposed, the better your chances of finding a perfect match. So far, so logical. How you navigate these sites is the tricky bit, and preparation is key if you don’t want the only thing you gain to be a lot of wasted time. Unlikely as it sounds, science is your friend.

As a behavioural scientist who was lucky enough to find the man of my dreams when I was 50 (after making many mistakes along the way), I’ve gathered a wealth of knowledge and insight. I understand how the mind of a midlife singleton works, the mental baggage and habitual behaviour you may unwittingly log on with. 

I’ve been there, come out the other side, and have the relationship to prove the process is worth the prize.

This knowledge is what my successful online business, Dating Evolved, was born from. It allows me to help other midlife women use science to find the perfect long-term partner, via an online program, with a great record of happy matches.

Here’s how to crack the online dating code.

Boss the algorithms

First lesson? Don’t be gullible and just accept what you are given. Even younger women find the process of deconstructing online dating hard, in spite of growing up on a diet of digital dating speak. We midlife women need to take the lead and question what dating sites are serving up to us as ‘suitable men’.

Their selections are too often based on superficial physical characteristics or personality traits that don’t really matter in the long run and could be fabricated.

Swipe-based dating apps sound easy enough — swipe right if you like him and want to connect, left if you don’t, but they are essentially encouraging us to objectify others on the basis of how they look and a few superficial traits predicated on the appeal of good looks rather than compatibility. 

And if, as a midlife woman, you’re looking for real love, not just a good-looking hunk as you might have done in the past, then this might not be the right route.

Then there are more traditional dating sites, which use a lengthy series of questions to match users by feeding your data into an algorithm. 

The more active and popular you are (identified by the number of ‘likes’ you give and get and the number of messages you send and respond to) the more people get to see your profile and the greater will be your potential chance of success.

But these sites also want to make money, and the best way to do that is to keep you online, playing the game, potentially keeping other users busy and active too.

Your compatibility will be rated in terms of information that can be easily captured — height, hair colour, age, hobbies, job, self-rated attractiveness, salary, education, musical tastes, film and book preferences.

But none of these give you any idea of someone’s potential for being a good partner. Kindness, warmth, humour, honesty, loyalty or emotional stability can’t be measured by an algorithm. Factor into this that people aren’t always honest when answering these questions and it’s obvious that when it comes to matching you with someone who’ll make you happy, algorithms don’t work.

But you can get around them.

To fib or not to fib?

I don’t want to encourage anyone to lie on their profile. For the matching process to work, you need to engender trust, and even small fibs can hamper that.

That said, people do, and I confess that back in the days when I was online dating, I said I was divorced when I was only separated.

We’d been apart for years and the word ‘divorced’ felt closer to the reality of the situation. I wasn’t trying to dupe anyone.

I’m also aware that when you’re a midlife woman, age can be a thorny subject. So often men will set ridiculously low ceilings on age which can put you out of contention for being slightly the wrong side of a watershed (whether that’s 50, 60 or 70).

This means that if you’re 51, the computer will say no and simply won’t introduce you to each other, while if you’d been sitting next to each other at a dinner party in real life, your potential date wouldn’t even notice those extra few months.

But if you’re youthful and worldly and adventurous, shouldn’t you have the opportunity to put those attributes in front of the men who might be right for you? And would fibbing increase the chances of a genuine match that could be good for both parties?

If you do decide to bend the truth a bit, then accept that the men you’re interacting with might be doing the same. Just ensure you use up to date photos and reveal your true age as soon as you meet.

In return, you should expand your own criteria to give the good guys a chance. Yes, you must be non-negotiable about the factors that matter but there’s no need to be unreasonably inflexible on the superficial stuff like height and age.

Forget photo filtering

There’s no point trying to deceive with out-dated, touched-up or filtered images. You’re not aiming for social media ‘likes’ — the goal here is real-life love — and this is where midlife women can happily depart from the online habits of younger women, who use apps like TikTok that automatically filter their faces.

I suspect the man you’re hoping to meet knows a woman in her mid-50s is unlikely to have a washboard stomach or an entirely wrinkle-free face. The joy should come from embracing the fact — not having to pretend to be something you’re not.

Research shows you are more likely to get a response from a man who is right for you if you show your unique qualities rather than aim to portray a generic all-round attractiveness.

You’ll be more successful if a few men think you’re intriguing than if lots of men simply think you look great. Use professional photos or ask a friend to take natural shots rather than relying on selfies, and if you mention a hobby, include photo evidence to engender trust.

A group picture with friends will provide proof of social acumen, just ensure you are easily identifiable.

Pass on the players

The algorithm will prioritise sending you pictures and profiles of popular men. But don’t be seduced and contact the first men you see.

They will have been chosen because they are active online, which means there’s every chance they’re more interested in casual hook ups than long-term commitment.

There’s stiff competition for these guys too, because the site will be showing their profiles to all the newcomers like you. Ruthlessly flick past the chatty charmers and keep your options open for the quiet men that could be genuinely interested in you.

Your mission is to find the more suitable guys which the algorithm might not be launching into your orbit.

Ignore the photos

Try covering up the photo and first read his profile instead. If your chosen guy has made the effort to write a proper introduction it means he is likely to be serious about a relationship and you will glean far more useful information from reading this than just looking at a picture.

Face it, in real life, people look nothing like their photos anyway. And isn’t this the perfect opportunity to reassess what you think you find physically attractive? In your 20s, a balding man may have been a long way down your list, but now?

Keep the common sense from real life front of mind. If you met a lovely man in the pub who seemed kind and funny, but who didn’t tick all your ‘tall dark and handsome’ boxes, you’d probably compromise. Sign up to a site which offers plenty of space for profile information. 

You need to take responsibility for tracking down promising men, by scrutinising individual profiles. This won’t tell you everything you need to know, but you’ll find out a lot more than if you’re just swiping through pictures.

Make the first move

Forget every notion of sitting politely and waiting to be asked — other, younger, women won’t be. Consider yourself equally in the driving seat. Nobel prize-winning research into the science of ‘matching theory’ supports the idea that if you take the lead, you’re more likely to get a better quality match.

It is perfectly OK (if not applauded) for a woman to send the first message.

Take charge of your future and choose who you want to talk to, and accept that some rejection is part of the process.

It’s also very flattering for men to be approached. Some will appreciate you taking the lead.

No need to be nice

If you’re going to the effort to read a man’s profile and craft a clever personalised message in response, there’s no reason you should acknowledge the men who typically target all the new women on the site with an optimistic and generic cut-and-pasted ‘Hi, what are you up to?’.

Middle-aged women are gold star experts when it comes to apologising and over-explaining when there is no need. Well, the rules of engagement have changed, the landscape is very different and in the world of online dating, you can put your own thoughts and feelings above all else.

Embrace the power of silence, and give yourself permission to say absolutely nothing to those men who have not put the effort in. And if you’ve been exchanging messages for weeks but things are not progressing, cut things off with ‘It’s been great chatting with you but I don’t feel we’re a good fit, I wish you all the best.’ Next!

It might seem brutal, but that’s how online dating works. I would, however, warn against rejecting someone for a small irritant, such as poor grammar (he might be dyslexic!) or a strong dialect.

More than one man

Although midlife women often tend to prefer to focus on one man at a time (because that’s how we did things in real life) it is perfectly acceptable to keep your options open and to be chatting online to two or three simultaneously. You can be pretty sure those men are doing the same, and this flexibility can cushion disappointment if one of them fizzles out.

For the best chance of success, your first message needs to show you have read his profile and are now responding to him specifically. Pick up on one aspect of his profile and entice him to look at yours.

Declaring your liking for another person increases your chance of generating reciprocal liking. Be on the alert for time-wasting men. On every site there are men who love to ‘chat’ but never take things further. So once you’ve exchanged four or five messages it’s time to meet (in person or on a video call) so you can decide if he has potential.

Good luck! 

As told to Louise Atkinson

For more of Dr Mairi’s dating advice, visit datingevolved.com and sign up for her free online masterclass How To Find Your Man In Midlife With Online Dating, exclusive for Inspire readers at datingevolved.com/InspireMasterclass

How to stand out from the crowd 

Instead of trying to appeal to all men, I recommend creating a personalised profile which highlights — and definitely doesn’t hide — all your points of difference.

Some men might run for the hills when they find out you’re an opera fanatic, a physics nerd or ‘mum’ to 15 guinea pigs, but the men who baulk at the real you are precisely the men you don’t want. 

Instead, own your idiosyncrasies and be confident that something about your carefully crafted profile will attract the man who’s right for you.

To filter out the players, include a line in your profile which describes something you’d really like to do (drink Merlot in a jazz club, see the sunrise on Kilimanjaro, watch all the Harry Potter films back-to-back).

Then ignore any generic ‘Hi!’ messages and focus on the men who respond to the specifics you have mentioned.

These are the ones who have paid attention — they have actually read your profile — and are more likely to be looking for a serious relationship.

A US fast food chain is to roll out a breakfast menu in a number of UK branches, delighting customers across the country.

New Kid on the Block, Popeyes, opened its first British restaurant three years ago, but has already won the hearts (and stomachs) of Brits who went crazy for the Louisiana-inspired menu.

The mouthwatering Southern-style menu prides itself on serving “the best fried chicken” and is known for its chicken sandwiches, original biscuits, Cajun gravy and signature Louisiana chicken pieces.

However, fans don't have to wait until lunch or dinner time to sink their teeth into Cajun-spiced food, as Popeyes has launched an extensive breakfast menu at UK locations today.

The menu puts a New Orleans spin on the country's favorite breakfast classics and features a whopping 22 items to choose from.

The star of the show is the tasty Big Cajun Breakfast Roll, available for £4.99.

The delectable sandwich features a sausage patty, a Cajun hash brown, a free-range egg and four smoked pork belly strips – layered with gooey American cheese, finished with a hint of Cajun ketchup and sandwiched in a toasted brioche bun.

The menu features all the British grab-and-go classics, including a vegetarian Egg & Cheese Muffin for £3.50, alongside bacon and sausage variations for the same price.

Additionally, the Bacon, Egg and Cheese Muffins and the Sausage Egg and Cheese Muffins can be doubled for just an additional 49 cents.

The breakfast menu also includes a great value Bacon Roll for just £1.99 for a limited time, meaning sarnie fans can get a Bacon Roll, Hash Brown and Drink all for less than £2.

Those who love a kick of signature New Orleans spices can also choose to customize their meal by swapping the ketchup for Cajun Ketchup and the traditional hash brown for a Cajun Hash Brown, at no additional cost.

All sandwiches and muffins come with a meal deal as standard, meaning breakfast lovers can take their chosen item to the next level with the addition of a Hash Brown (Traditional or Cajun), as well as a soft drink, tea or coffee for just £1 extra.

Popeyes also has those with a sweet tooth in mind, offering their Signature Louisiana Biscuit – a fluffy, flakey, creamy delicacy that some might compare to a British scone – in a variety of breakfast-friendly sizes.

This includes a cinnamon sugar cookie (€1.75), the original biscuit served with Nutella (€1.99), Hartley's Strawberry Jam (€1.99) or honey (€1.50).

Dave Hoskins, head of food at Popeyes, said: “Yes it is I'm delighted that we can roll out our delicious breakfast menu nationwide this month, including restaurants in Nottingham, Liverpool, Brighton, Cambridge, Reading, Cardiff and Plymouth, so more people can start their day with a taste of New Orleans.”

He added: 'We've designed our menu to shake up the UK grab-and-go breakfast scene, taking breakfast classics and elevating them with a pinch of Popeyes spice.

“From Cajun Rolls to Cajun Ketchup, we're excited for our fans to start their morning with a Popeyes breakfast and get life popping with a little Louisiana spirit.”

The full breakfast menu will be available nationwide from 11am today (February 20), which comes as Popeyes announced plans to double its estate by 2024 and open more than 30 new locations across Britain by the end of the year to open.

Brits are rushing home to their loved ones tonight, with more than a third of us looking forward to an evening of passion.

The Sun's exclusive Valentine's Day survey found that 38 percent of us expect sex on the most romantic day of the year, while almost seven in 10 will introduce a sex toy into the mix.

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Lucy Entwistle is among those looking forward to a buzz sensation, but for her, February 14 is no different from any other day.

The 36-year-old PE teacher from Darwen, Blackburn, admits she regularly uses sex toys in secret because her husband has never given her an orgasm.

She told The Sun: “I love my husband with all my heart. We were married for 18 months and had a whirlwind romance.

“Our marriage is perfect, but he can't give me an orgasm.

“I still enjoy sex with him because I love him and it helps bring us together, but I have to secretly use a sex toy to get over the finish line.”

Lucy admits that she “doesn't have the heart” to tell her husband that he can't give her an orgasm, so she often pretends.

“I know, I know, this is the worst thing a woman can do, but sometimes it's a necessary evil,” she adds.

“He puts a lot of effort into our act of love – and into his performance – and thinks it's world-changing sex.

'I don't have the heart to tell him otherwise. I don't want to hurt his feelings.'

Instead, Lucy regularly sneaks into the bathroom after they make love and secretly uses her bubbly girlfriend.

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“Other times I wait for him to go out with the boys,” she says.

“I have a secret stash of my favorite toys in my top drawer, and he's none the wiser.

“I don't think I'm the only woman doing this. Many of my friends do the same.

“We've all joked that we'll spend Valentine's Day with our most loyal and trusted partner: our vibrator.”

I still enjoy sex with him because I love him and it helps bring us together, but I have to secretly use a sex toy to get over the finish line

Lucy Entwistle

We surveyed 2,000 men and women aged 18 and over to find out how Sun readers will spend Valentine's Day.

It showed that we are still a nation of romantics; 63 percent of respondents say they will celebrate.

Of the 38 percent who expect happiness tonight, more than half expect it to be more adventurous sex.

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More than half (57 percent) make sex more exciting by wearing sexy underwear, while 30 percent like to find a corner outdoors.

More than a fifth (22 percent) like bondage, while 21 percent would like to have a threesome.

The country's threesome hotspot is Manchester, with 86 percent of the population claiming to have had a threesome.

Three quarters (75 percent) of pleasure seekers in Leeds have also enjoyed a threesome, putting it in second place.