MARY Portas rose to fame as the Queen of Shops thanks to her documentaries and best-selling books – and of course her iconic Lego-esque red bob.

But the 63-year-old, who has raised £30million for Save the Children, debuted a new look on Wednesday after being appointed OBE for services to retail, broadcasting and charities.

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Fans likely did a double take after seeing her accept the honor at Windsor Castle, with the television personality embracing her natural gray hair in a longer cut.

After appearing on Channel 4’s Richard & Judy chat show in 2005, Mary has appeared regularly on primetime television and secured lucrative deals through books, TV and private engagements.

She ran four series on the BBC between 2007 and 2010, before jumping to Channel 4 with Mary Portas: Secret Shopper, which followed a similar format.

Most of her TV work sees Mary visiting both independent shops and major chains in an attempt to improve their fortunes with her expert advice.

She rose to prominence for her expertise in visual merchandising and retail strategy, which manifested during her television career.

But it wasn’t all sunshine and roses for the Watford-born presenter.

In 2019, she split from her fashion consultant wife, Melanie Rickey, describing the divorce as “completely awful” in an interview. The guard.

“I got divorced, I had to sell my childhood home, I had to reset my family with this young son, find another home and figure out how things were going to work,” she candidly shared.

After 17 years together, the couple were forced to sell their £5 million home in London’s posh Primrose Hill and move into separate houses nearby.

At the same time as her marriage broke down, lockdown hit and cost Mary’s consultancy business “hundreds of thousands” of pounds.

Mary ditched the bob during the Covid-19 pandemic after discovering she couldn’t go to the hairdresser to maintain her electric color during lockdown.

For a long time, my red bob was ‘me’. When I was Queen of Shops, that haircut defined me

Maria Portas

“My red bob was ‘me’ for a long time,” she shared on Instagram in May last year.

“When I was Queen of Shops, that haircut defined me.

“But then came Covid, and no visits to the hairdresser, and the bob grew out and the color faded.

“At first I panicked a bit; who was I without the bob?

“But then I realized that this was actually an opportunity for the outside of me to change to reflect what was happening inside.

“When my hair started to change in the first dark days of Covid, I had written Work Like A Woman, I started writing Rebuild and I had changed so much of my personal mindset.

“And so I embraced my new look.”

She urged others to “play, experiment, try new things and have joy” as they grow older.

“Find the look on the outside that matches the richness of all the layers on the inside,” she said.

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President Biden, marking the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, said he would push for a ceasefire in Gaza and more humanitarian aid for the territory, noting that many American Muslims were mourning family members killed there.

The war has inflicted “terrible suffering” on the Palestinian people, Mr. Biden said in the paper rack, which was released Sunday evening, adding that “more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed, most of them civilians, including thousands of children.” In addition, nearly two million people have been displaced and need food, water and shelter, he said.

Mr Biden’s comments were part of a tradition of US presidential statements marking religious holidays, but they had added political significance given the opposition of many Arab Americans to US support for Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.

In a measure of the war’s potential electoral significance, more than 100,000 voters in Michigan’s Democratic primary last month registered their ballots as “uncaptured.” That signaled dissatisfaction with the war among Arab Americans, but also among some young voters and progressives, who found themselves in a state of struggle.

Noting that the United States is dropping aid by air, Mr. Biden reiterated the U.S. commitment to build a temporary pier on the Gaza coast, and work with Israel to expand land aid deliveries expand.

Since October 7, when Hamas led an attack on Israel that authorities there say killed about 1,200 people, the number of trucks entering Gaza daily carrying food and other humanitarian aid has fallen by about 80 percent, according to U.N. data.

“The United States will continue to work nonstop to achieve an immediate and lasting ceasefire for at least six weeks as part of any deal that releases hostages,” Mr. Biden said, referring to about 100 hostages which were seized by Israeli authorities on October 7. say they remain in captivity in Gaza.

“We will continue to build a future of long-term stability, security and peace,” he said in the statement, which also condemned a “terrible resurgence of hatred and violence against Muslim Americans.”

Robert Downey Jr. finally won the illusive Oscar in the Actor in a Supporting Role category for Oppenheimer after host Jimmy Kimmel made a very awkward quip about his drug use.

The 58-year-old veteran actor – who has acted for over five decades –  took home the Academy Award over stiff competition including Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction, Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon, Ryan Gosling, Barbie, and Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things.

The talented star took to the podium to showcase his signature wit and even joked about his ‘terrible childhood’ while accepting the honor.

He said: ‘Thank you, thank you. Ah — thanks, Sam, thanks, fellas. You only flubbed one line. I’d like to thank my terrible childhood and The Academy, in that order.

‘I’d like to thank my — veterinarian — I meant wife, Susan Downey over there. She found me a snarling rescue pet and you loved me back to life. That’s why I’m here. Thank you.’

The talented actor went on talk about how much he needed his role in Oppenheimer while thanking director Christopher Nolan and castmates Emily Blunt and Cillian Murphy.

He continued: ‘Here’s my little secret. I needed this job more than it needed me. Chris knew it, Emma made sure that she surrounded me with one of the great casts and crews of all time, Emily, Cillian, it was fantastic. 

‘And I stand here before you a better man because of it. What we do is meaningful, and the stuff that we decide to make is important. So, back to my publicist — my agent, Phillip Raskin is here and Andrew Dunlap, my den mother joy Feeley, thank you. 

‘I want to thank my stylist, in case no one else does. Thanks, Erika, thank you very much. And I’m just going to say this. My entertainment lawyer Tom Hanson, or 40 years, the half of which he spent trying to get me insured and bailing me out, thanks, bro. Avery in India, this one’s for you.’

One noticeable omission from his acceptance speech was Mel Gibson who he has previously credited with his comeback when he helped him land a role in 2003’s The Singing Detective.

Gibson’s, now 68, fall from grace began in 2006, when the actor was pulled over for speeding. After the police on the scene found an open bottle of alcohol in Gibson’s vehicle, the Braveheart actor launched into an angry tirade filled with anti-Semitic slurs and sexist overtones towards the arresting officer.

In a police report leaked by TMZ, Gibson allegedly shouted to the arresting officers: ‘“F*****g Jews. . . The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world.’

Gibson issued apologies through his publicist and in an interview with Diane Sawyer, during which he described his behavior on the night of his arrest as ‘despicable.’

The actor/director later pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor drunken-driving charge and was sentenced to three years probation.

It may not have been a wise decision to thank Gibson who famously used those anti-Semitic  slurs as Oppenheimer follows the story of American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the development of the atomic bomb which was used during World War II amid the Holocaust.

 In Oppenheimer Downey Jr portrays as Rear Admiral Lewis Strauss, a retired Naval officer and high-ranking member of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC).

Earlier in the evening, Jimmy Kimmel roasted Robert’s manhood and past drug use in his bombshell opening monologue.

The host, 56, returning for the fourth time, left the A-listers grinning and cringing in equal measure as he took to the stage.

Downey Jr. 58, who is nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Oppenheimer was stony-faced as Kimmel made a crass joke at the start of the ceremony – referring to the reformed coke addict’s past addictions.

He said: ‘And Robert Downey Jr., one of the highest points of his career. But Robert has been’ – as RDJ pointed at his face, leading Kimmel to add: ‘Was that too on the nose or a drug motion you made?

‘But look at him, he’s so handsome, so talented, he’s won every award there is to win. Is that an acceptance speech in your pocket or do you just have a very rectangular penis?’

The joke fell flat as RDJ looked somber while staring at the camera while fans slammed Kimmel for his ‘bottom of the barrel’ jokes about substance abuse.

Downey Jr. had previously spent time behind bars in 1999 after a long period of substance abuse which stifled his career.

He added: ’20 years ago, Robert played the villain, and correct me if I have this wrong, in a movie where Tim Allen turns into a dog, right? And if you ever decide to remake that film, I have just the guy to play Tim Allen. 

The actor’s legal troubles began in 1996 when he was stopped for speeding and authorities found of heroin, cocaine and an unloaded .357 caliber Magnum. A year later, he skipped a court-ordered drug test and spent nearly four months in the Los Angeles County jail.

Following this, he then skipped another drug test and was sentenced to three years of prison in 1999. During this time, Downey Jr. served 15 months in state prison in Corcoran, California.

A few months after his release, he was arrested on Thanksgiving weekend for alleged cocaine and Valium possession and being under the influence of drugs.

The valium charge was eventually reduced to a misdemeanor, he pleaded no contest to the remaining charges and avoided more jail time.

In 2001, he was found walking bare foot around Culver City, Los Angeles, and was arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of drugs.

Following year of substance abuse, arrests, rehabs and relapse, Downey made a full recovery and has since gone on to achieve global recognition.

Moments later, the film also earned the coveted honor Outstanding Film Editing as Jennifer Lame took home her first Academy Award.

The film dominated the visual categories as Hoyte van Hoytema also took home Outstanding Cinematography. 

Da’Vine Joy Randolph emotionally kicked off the Oscars as she broke into tears as she earned the coveted Actress in a Supporting Role for The Holdovers.

The talented 37-year-old actress beat out stiff competition including Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer, Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple, America Ferrera, Barbie, and Jodie Foster, Nyad.

She had tears running down her face as she earned a standing ovation for her crowning moment as she began her speech by saying: ‘God is so good. God is so good. 

‘You know — I — I didn’t think I was supposed to be doing this as a career. I started off as a singer, and my mother said to me, go across that street to that theater department, there’s something for you there. And I thank my mother for doing that. 

‘I thank you to all the people who have stepped in my path and have been there for me, who has ushered me and guided me. I am so grateful to all you beautiful people out here. For so long, I’ve always wanted to be different, and now, I realize, I just need to be myself. And I thank you. I thank you for seeing me.’

Da’vine definitely did not forget where she comes from as she thanked her acing coach Ron Van Lieu.

She said: ‘Ron, I thank you. When I was the only Black girl in that class, when you saw me and you told me I was enough, and when I told you, I don’t see myself, you said, that’s fine, we’re going to forge our own path. You’re going to lay a trail for yourself. I’m so grateful to all the women who have been by my side, Colleen, Barbara, Tracy Brennan, Sarah Fargo. 

‘I have to give a special shoutout to my publicist. I know you said don’t say anything about your publicist, but you don’t have a publicist like mine. I’m forever grateful. I pray to god that I get to do this more than once. I thank you for seeing me. Have a blessed night. Thank you so much.’

In the film she portrays Mary Lamb who is the head cook at Barton Academy boarding school and is a bereaved mother. 

Da’Vine has proved to be unbeatable as she also earned major Awards Season wins at the Screen Actors Guild, Golden Globes, and Critics’ Choice Awards.

Cord Jefferson won in one of the most contentious categories Adapted Screenplay for his brilliant work on American Fiction.

The 42-year-old writer and director beat out Barbie, Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach, Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan, Poor Things, Tony McNamara, and The Zone of Interest, Jonathan Glazer.

During his acceptance speech Cord said: ‘that worked on the film. I’ve been talking a lot about how many people passed on this movie in discussing it, and I worry sometimes that sounds vindictive. I don’t want to be vindictive, I’m not a vindictive person anymore, I’ve worked really hard not to be, and it’s more a plea. A plea to acknowledge and recognize that there are so many people out there that want the opportunity that I was given.’

Original Screenplay was earned by Justine Triet and Arthur Harari for critically-acclaimed film Anatomy of a Fall. 

The duo beat out an impressive field including: The Holdovers, David Hemingson, Maestro, Bradley Cooper and Josh Singer, May December, Samy Burch (Story b Samy Burch & Alex Mechanik), and Past Lives, Celine Song.

The Zone Of Interest from The United Kingdom earned International Feature Film over Io Capitano, Italy, Perfect Days, Japan, Society of the Snow, Spain, and The Teachers’ Lounge, Germany. 

The second award of the night was Animated Short Film and it was given to  WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko.

Sean Ono Lennon made sure to give a special shoutout at the end of his speech for mom Yoko as he said: ‘Thank you, my mother turned 91 this February, and today is mother’s day in the UK, so, could everyone please say happy mother’s day, Yoko? Thank you so much. Thank you.’

Early in the show, the crew from Poor Things earned a trio of awards. 

Make-up and Hairstyling went to Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier and Josh Weston for their work on the Yorgos Lanthimos flick.

Poor Things also won Outstanding Achievement in Production Design as James Price and Shona Heath were recognized for Production design while Zsuzsa Mihalek earned it for Set Decoration. 

The film also earned the coveted award for Outstanding Achievement in Production Design as Holly Waddington was recognized.

Visual Effects was taken home by Godzilla Minus One with Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi and Tatsuji Nojima earning the honor.

 The team beat out impressive teams including The Creator, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, and Napoleon.

The 96th Academy Awards honors the best films of 2023 – with the glittering ceremony held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. 

The most hotly anticipated movies of the past year – Barbie and Oppenheimer – lead the nominations. 

Oppenheimer has bagged 13 nods, including best picture and best actor for Cillian Murphy – who is favorite to win the major category after scooping a BAFTA, a Golden Globe and SAG award for his role as physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer.

The impressive total – which also includes best supporting actor and actress for Robert Downey Jr. and Emily Blunt, as well as best director for Christopher Nolan – is just one nomination short of the all-time record set by Titanic in 1998.

Last year’s other smash hit movie – Barbie – was nominated for eight awards, but also fell victim to notable snubs from the Academy.

Its star Margot Robbie was not nominated for best actress, while Greta Gerwig was not nominated for best director.

Another surprise saw America Ferrera nominated for best supporting actress over her role in Barbie, with pundits saying her character’s impassioned speech on feminism had sealed the deal. 

Barbie’s other nominations include best picture, best supporting actor for Ryan Gosling and two nods for best song – including Gosling’s famed ‘I’m Just Ken.’ 

The second most-nominated movie was Poor Things, a graphic art house movie starring Emma Stone that has wowed critics but so-far failed to set the box office alight.

Stone plays a sex-crazed young woman, with her performance wowing critics. She previously won best actress in 2017 for her performance in La La Land. 

For best actor in leading role Bradley Cooper and Cillian Murphy are set to duke it out for the award. Colman Domingo, Paul Giamatti and Jeffrey Wright received nominations as well.

Leonardo DiCaprio was not recognized for his acting on Killers Of The Flower Moon.

Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things took home 11 Oscar nominations and Killers of the Flower Moon landed 10.

Annette Bening, Lily Gladstone, Sandra Huller, Carey Mulligan and Emma Stone have been nominated for best actress in a leading role.

Gladstone is the first Native American nominated for best actress, for her performance in Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon – and is the favorite in the category thanks to her wins at the Golden Globes and SAG Awards,

What Was I Made For by Billie Eilish and I’m Just Ken performed by Ryan Gosling from Barbie received their expected nominations for best original song. 

Sterling K. Brown, Robert De Niro, Robert Downey Jr., Ryan Gosling and Mark Ruffalo received nominations for best actor in a supporting role.

Emily Blunt, Danielle Brooks, America Ferrera, Jodie Foster and Da’Vine Joy Randolph received nominations for best actress in a supporting role.

Joy already has  Golden Globe, Bafta, Critics Choice and Screen Actors Guild awards and is favorite for an Oscar for her performance as a bereaved cook in The Holdovers.

Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer were nominated for best directing, snubbing Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. 

Gerwig was nominated for best director in 2018 for her solo directorial debut, Lady Bird. Only three women have won Oscars for best director – Kathryn Bigelow, Chloe Zhao and Jane Campion.

Though Nolan is regarded as the big-budget auteur of his era, he’s never won an Academy Award, nor have any of his films won best picture. 

Bradley Cooper was not nominated for directing Maestro but he was recognized for his acting in that bio movie.

American Fiction, Anatomy of a Fall, Barbie, The Holdovers, Killers of the Flower Moon, Maestro, Oppenheimer, Past Lives, Poor Things and The Zone of Interest landed best picture nominations.  

The 96th Academy Awards will be held on March 10 at 7 pm ET/4pm PT live on ABC, hosted for a fourth time by Jimmy Kimmel. 

GOOGLE may be one of the largest internet companies in the world, but its futuristic Silicon Valley office is still plagued by terrible WiFi.

The connectivity in the tech giant’s new chic, eco-friendly offices in San Francisco is so bad that staff have to go outside just to use the internet.

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The “Bay View” building in California was built at great expense to house staff working on Google’s latest artificial intelligence projects.

The tech giant said at the time that they had created a “prototype for the workplace of the future” with their design.

But the bizarre circumstances leave employees with no choice but to take their laptops outside to get their work done.

And despite Google’s valuation of $1.7 trillion (£1.3 trillion), managers would tell staff to go to a nearby cafe to get reliable WiFi connections.

Employees blame the problems on the undulating canopy roof, which is equipped with steel pipes and solar panels to fully supply the building with electrical energy.

They say the shape swallows the signal, like “the Bermuda Triangle,” according to Reuters.

Google was very proud of its eco-friendly building and even wrote a book extolling the virtues of its Silicon Valley office.

“Since Google was founded in 1998, we have relentlessly pursued this ethos of putting the user first,” reads a line in the publication.

“It’s a people-centered mindset that applies to the way we approach our products and services, but also extends to the way we design our physical spaces and places.”

The building offered ‘flexible places designed to inspire innovation, big ideas and community’ and was the epitome of efficient working.

In addition to open spaces, plenty of benches, an on-campus hotel, a laundry room and bicycles to charge phones, the building also had eco-friendly features.

It was designed by British architect Tom Heatherwick, who turned the BT Tower into a luxury hotel.

A Google spokesperson told Reuters that “we have been experiencing WiFi connection issues in Bay View” and that the company was working on a fix.

Bad WiFi isn’t the only fire Google has had to put out lately.

Last month, the internet giant had to respond to a viral post claiming that Gmail is being shut down.

The wild hoax was spread on X – formerly known as Twitter – leading to fears that millions could lose their precious emails.

Just days earlier, Google was forced into another humiliating apology after admitting that its woke AI technology “missed the mark” on historical facts.

And the US search giant was last night fixing its image generation tool, amid claims that it refused to create images of white people even when explicitly asked to do so.

Seeing their furry friend reach Crufts is a moment of pride and joy for any owner. But for those who have rescue dogs, it’s even more special.

Among the rescues participating this year, takes place at Birmingham‘s NEC between March 7-10. is Spaniel Beau from East Yorkshire, who was rescued from ‘terrible circumstances’ by the RSPCA.

The adorable pup – along with 36 other dogs – was found malnourished, dehydrated and surrounded by faeces in Gilberdyke in 2019, but will now compete in the famous dog show.

Before he was adopted, he had ‘never been outside’ and ‘never done anything’, so this is a huge achievement for the dog.

RSPCA Inspector Tom Hutton, who adopted Beau, told the story BBC news: ‘I think this will be the ultimate moment for both of us, from where he came from to now, where he is now.

“Walking around there on national television, competing with some really tall dogs. You couldn’t make it up.’

Indie, a type of greyhound known as Sloughi, is also among the animals that beat the odds and made it to Crufts.

She was found injured, starving and abandoned two years ago after being severely abused.

“Indie was really malnourished and we could see all her ribs and she had cigarette burns on her butt,” her owner Nadiyah Storey explained.

Adding: ‘She was so scared of people and she had been bitten by other dogs so she had purple spray to cover her wounds.

‘It is likely that she was used in the game trade along with hunting dogs.

“Every time we went to pet her, she flinched because she thought she was going to be hit.”

Nadiyah, from Hexam in Northumberland, first looked after Indie before deciding to give her a forever home and adopt her.

Now she is bursting with pride as the puppy will run on the green Crufts runner today.

Indie will compete alongside other dogs in a team of eight as part of the Eclipse Flyball Club, based in Morpeth.

It comes after the team became one of 16 to win their qualifying events last year.

During the event, the dogs must jump over four obstacles, which activate a fly box to release a ball.

They must then return over the same obstacles without dropping the ball, while trying not to collide with the other team’s dog.

Nadiyah recalled, “We’re used to training dogs, but we’ve never had a dog that was so afraid of being touched, so that was so difficult.

‘We took her to a Flyball club to get her socialized and she slowly progressed and then her journey to Crufts began.

‘She’s still reserved around strangers, but once she gets to know them, she’s great. Indie wasn’t very good at Flyball at first, but we stuck with it and she got better and better and here we go to Crufts.

‘Some people at Crufts breed their dogs and sell them for thousands of pounds, so it will be great to have little free Indie there.’

She said they are “so proud of her” and that they “never thought something like this would happen.”

Meanwhile, Buddy, another rescue dog, went from not being able to be in the same room as his owner to running around the agility arena together.

He will also try his luck on the green carpet and compete in the Agility Novice Cup today at 8.15 am.

Buddy’s owner Seb Thomas, from Bridgwater, Somerset, took him in in 2018 after finding him on a Facebook rescue site.

“I went up to him, he was running away from us, growling at our other dogs, so I thought that looked like a challenge, let’s give it a try,” he said ITV News.

The proud owner recalled: ‘He had a lot of problems, skinny little thing, terrible coat, a bit biting, and now he is happy and hardly leaves our side.

‘He will do anything we want and is almost the perfect companion. It has been many years of hard work, but very worth it.’

Seb works full-time at a car dealership and uses the agility training in his spare time.

He revealed that it is a ‘huge achievement to have qualified’ and that all they can wish for is to ‘have fun on the day’.

Adding: ‘A little rescue dog who gets 15 to 20 minutes of agility training a week, in addition to his exercises, to get up there and compete against some of the guys who probably do it a lot more than us. I think it will be fantastic, so that’s huge.

“My only ambition was to one day make a grand final with him and we did it, so I’m over the moon about that.

“We’ve done everything we wanted and if we do anything else, I’m made up.”

Every year the international dog show Crufts sees thousands of puppies of all shapes and sizes come from all over the world to one place to take part in a variety of competitions and shows.

Owners and pets will compete in categories such as agility and obedience from Thursday, with the world-class Best In Show title awarded on Sunday.

Crufts has been around since 1891 and is currently organized by The Kennel Club – it is considered the most prestigious dog competition in the world.

Channel 4 and More 4 will be broadcasting the action over four days, if you want to see Indie, Buddy and Beau on the infamous green carpet.

A giant ancient sea lizard has been discovered by paleontologists and it’s a strange new species.

The lizard has dagger-like teeth and is thought to have lived towards the end of the dinosaur era.

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This new species, now extinct, is called Khinjaria acuta.

It grew to about 27 feet long, making it about the size of an orca.

Experts say the fearsome species is a new addition to a group of ancient beasts called mosasaurs.

Today, Komodo dragons and anaconda are the remaining relatives of these sea lizards.

A study on the new beast has been published in the Cretaceous research log.

The study was led by Dr Nick Longrich from the University of Bath.

‘Some mosasaurs had teeth for piercing prey, others for cutting, tearing or crushing.

“Now we have Khinjaria, with a short face full of huge, dagger-shaped teeth.

“This is one of the most diverse marine faunas ever seen anywhere in history, and existed just before the marine reptiles and dinosaurs became extinct,” he said.

Remains of the sea lizard were found in a phosphate mine southeast of Casablanca, Morocco.

A skull and part of a skeleton were discovered at the site.

A wide range of marine predators are thought to have lived in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Morocco around the time of Khinjaria.

“What’s remarkable here is the sheer diversity of top predators,” Longrich said.

“We have several species that grow larger than a great white shark, and they are apex predators, but they all have different teeth, which suggests they hunt in different ways.”

Professor N.E. Jalil from the Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle also worked on the research.

“The elongation of the posterior part of the skull, which housed the jaw muscles, indicates a terrible bite force,” they said.

The honeymoon is almost definitely over Married at first sight couple Becca Haley And Austin Reed.

In We weekly‘s exclusive sneak peek of the Wednesday, February 28, episode, Austin, 32, claims Becca, 31, is responsible for the way his behavior looks bad to viewers.

“I care about how you feel, but I think it’s unfair to characterize me as this horrible person,” Austin tells his wife during an argument in their apartment in Denver, Colorado.

Becca immediately denied that she was trying to make Austin seem like a “terrible person.” She emphasizes, “I talk about what a great person you are.”

Becca and Austin were matched by the MAFS experts in season 17, which premiered on Lifetime in October 2023. Although they had an instant attraction on their wedding day, things took a detour after the honeymoon.

Once back home in Colorado, Becca and Austin had candid conversations about religions and family planning, which revealed opposing views. Becca was raised Jewish but is currently agnostic, which contradicts Austin’s belief in Christianity. Next, Becca admitted that she was indifferent to the idea of ​​having children, but noted that she might change her mind if her partner really wanted children, which Austin does.

The different perspectives didn’t sour the couple’s bond as they reached compromises. However, their lack of intimacy has proven otherwise. Throughout the entire experiment, Austin hasn’t been ready to take their physical relationship beyond making out – much to Becca’s dismay.

After returning home from the cast’s retreat, their relationship rocked even more when they experienced “miscommunication” during a disagreement. Becca was upset that Austin said off camera that he didn’t see them training after Decision Day. She later told the experts about their problems, claiming he was hesitant to move on and dismissive of her feelings.

On Wednesday’s episode, Austin reaffirms that he is not the bad guy in the situation.

“It’s like: I have an opinion and if I express it and it’s not the same as yours, it’s automatically considered combative,” he tells Becca in the newspaper. preview. “So, am I combative now? … The words you use to describe me are not with certainty the words used to describe me. I’ve never been called that before.”

Becca noted that Austin isn’t combative at the moment, but said she doesn’t know how else to classify his actions.

“Those words are important,” Austin adds. ‘That’s what millions of people will see of me [when the show airs].”

However, Becca states that Austin seems more hurt by the “optics” than the actual meaning of her comments.

“I care about both, Becca,” he says. “Did I say something that would make you look bad in any way? Ever on camera? … You make me look bad, though.”

Married at first sight season 17 airs on Lifetime Wednesdays at 8pm ET.

Pinstripe is something I’ve definitely mentioned in this column, and not too long ago. But since then, pinstripe pants have become the one thing that, if you add to your wardrobe, will instantly make many of your own clothes look spring 2024.

They’re not exactly a must-have – even if we weren’t too old for that prescribed approach to clothing – more of a one-step look-changer, if you’re into tailored trousers.

A pair of high or mid-rise pinstripe stripes with loose legs are the sartorial equivalent of the new rug that will instantly make your room look more modern; or that hairstyle that somehow freshens up your entire face and takes ten years off.

And since this is the kind of fashion magic we all appreciate – buy one pair of pants and breathe new life into your entire wardrobe – pinstripes are everywhere.

Duty requires me to start with the new look of the block, because it will be catnip for some, but not for me. I’m of course talking about cargo pants: pants with large square pockets mid-thigh, which are currently at the top of the pants list.

There’s no reason to miss them based on age – I’ve never been keen on them, even during the first wave in the 1990s – and they can be flattering. If you’re in doubt, Me+Em has a beautifully cut pair (£250, meandem.com) in navy blue with a pinstripe with ventilated (side split) hems – all the better to show off your boots, trainers or sling block heels at the back – and I would snap them in if the flap pockets weren’t there.

The label also has a narrow fit cropped pinstripe (£195), which might work better if you’re petite, otherwise I’d opt for the classic flowy shape with pleat at the front and pay as much as you can afford, because these are the LBD of pants and you’ll have them forever. Forget the black pants for now: the smart money is all on pinstripe and denim.

The ones the fashion front row is drooling over are gray Italian wool with a pinstripe from Jigsaw (£220, jigsaw-online.com). They are not cheap, but they are well cut, long and slim, with two pleats in the front and perfectly draped. For trousers with pleats it is important that you hardly notice the pleats and that they should lie flat.

This pair has a matching jacket (€350), which these days we have to think of not as part of a suit, but as part of a matching set, which can be worn separately or together.

For my money, navy is the smarter option and Marks & Spencer has a more affordable navy pair, less flowy but still the right shape (£79, marksandspencer.com) with a matching jacket (£119) and Zara has a good, slim style with mid-rise (£69.99, zara.com). If you wear your pinstripe pants on their own, and most of us will, the real appeal is that they can be dressed up or down (though they’re always dressier than jeans).

You can dress them down with a denim shirt, a button-down cardigan in one color, or a lightly tucked-in gray or black turtleneck (very Phoebe Philo, the chic designer the fashion set loves).

They also look good with a fitted sweater. And don’t be afraid to wear something with a pattern, like a horizontal striped knit; if it is graphic and simple, in two or three colors, it will work.

Pinstripes are tailor-made for the office, but you don’t have to wear them with a boyfriend shirt and shiny black loafers. A navy blue sleeveless tank top over a crew neck blouse is an easy everyday work look and pinstripes look great with navy blue and cream sneakers.

For an extra chic office look, wear any plain cropped jacket over a fitted white T-shirt, or a four-pocket bouclé jacket over a narrow polo collar.

These trousers are just as easy to dress up for the evening if you wear them with a nice white blouse with long sleeves (in summer up to the elbow) or a silk shirt with an open neck, plus jewelry and heels.

Or you can wear them with a lace-trimmed layered top under a matching jacket, although this will feel a bit wintry until well after Easter.

Finally, a word about the fit: a sleeveless vest with pinstripe trousers is a stylish summer evening look for those who are not afraid to expose their upper arms.

I’m not into the Taylor Swift look, but give it a try if you have Jennifer Aniston’s arm definition.

From tough weather and tricky terrain to overcrowding, a fleet of pilots have revealed some of their least favorite airports in the world.

A Reddit post titled “pilots, what's your least favorite airport?” quickly gained traction within the primarily US-based aviation community, with New York's La Guardia topping the list.

Explaining why many pilots hate La Guardia, one pilot wrote: 'Just a complete pain from 5,000 meters until you get to the gate. Unfortunately it doesn't stop there. The airport is packed. The food sucks and it's ridiculously expensive. There are people everywhere. It's old.'

The Redditor added that leaving the airport was just as annoying, with lines on the runway and “complicated taxi instructions.”

Another airline captain agreed with the sentiments, adding that in addition to being “insanely busy,” La Guardia also had “short runways,” which meant that “you were close to other planes and that the ramp area was tight.”

His other nomination in the worst airports category was Chicago for its “ridiculously long taxi experience.”

Another pilot in the conversation agreed with Chicago's O'Hare International Airport as one of the top contenders.

Speaking about the transport hub, he said: 'The controllers forget to adjust the distance between aircraft when the runways and taxiways are covered in ice.

'On the third go-around on a flying day you want to strangle someone.'

On the other hand, he added, “The ground controllers are some of the best and can be very entertaining, which is good because you'll be listening to them for a while.”

However, his vote for worst airport went to Southwest Oregon Regional Airport.

He wrote: 'There really shouldn't be an airport here in my opinion.

“Any place where a single ship in the water can force you to kick half the passengers off the plane was not properly planned.

'It's fun to put large amounts of golf clubs in the overhead bin. Short runways and terrible instrument approaches.”

He named California's Inyokern Airport as his second least favorite airport because it has a “narrow runway in the middle of a missile range.”

As a result, he says, “the entire airspace is closed for most of the day. So if you're delayed, expect it to be six o'clock.'

To make matters worse, he says the area is being hit by severe turbulence.

The pilot continued, “I always heard of flights returning to LAX (Los Angeles International Airport) due to severe turbulence, but I never experienced this until my sixth flight there.

“When we were at a 60-degree angle and the contents of my flight bag were scattered throughout the cockpit, I finally understood what everyone was talking about.”

Like many other commentators, he also shared his distaste for the three largest airports – John F. Kennedy (JFK), La Guardia and Newark – that serve New York.

Along with other pilots' points, he says La Guardia is not favorable because “there is no train service from the airport to the city.”

For Newark, New Jersey, he complained about delays on the tarmac, while for JFK he said customs lines could stretch up to “four hours,” making flight connections difficult.

Other pilots complained that New York and New Jersey airports were hampered by weather delays.

Similarly, another pilot highlighted Canada's Toronto Pearson International for its temperamental weather.

They explained: 'Yes, this airport is huge… but as soon as it gets windy or an inch of snow falls, the whole building goes to shit.

'Cancellations and delays everywhere. Two days ago, 200 flights were canceled due to a bit of wind.

'Last week we landed five hours late because of some snow. When we landed, I counted at least twenty planes waiting at the gate, some of which had apparently been waiting for more than two hours. Not to mention the landing fees are insane.”

Other airports thrown into the thread included Aspen/Pitkin County Airport for its complex terrain, Mexico City for being “too busy,” and Florence Airport in Italy for being “built in the worst possible location, directly for a high mountain'.

One pilot interrupted the conversation with a neutral response and mused, “As an airline pilot, all I can really say is that almost every airport has its ups and downs.

'Airports with challenging flight paths often have stunning scenery to back them up, and airports located in metropolitan areas are often the easiest to get to and from and offer great services.

'Even those with weird and complex procedures require heightened awareness (and some interesting hand flying) to keep things running smoothly with an acceptable safety margin.

'I honestly think 'least favorite' airport mostly boils down to 'what's the most boring airport I've flown into, with the fewest redeeming qualities?'… but I'm having a hard time thinking of any airport I've ever visited I didn't like it, and I've been flying for almost a quarter of a century.

“Most of our objections in the aviation world are usually due to the lack of facilities at a particular airport, poor overnight hotels, crime, or scary van drivers.”

MIKEL ARTETA says Arsenal are dreaming of Champions League glory at Wembley in June – despite their poor record in the competition.

The Gunners have been defeated in their latest defeat SEVEN last 16 tapes.

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But ahead of Wednesday night's first leg of the same leg in Porto, boss Arteta declared: “It should be incredible to have that feeling, to lift that cup, in London on June 1.

“It's there. It's in our minds. It's a dream.”

Arsenal's last appearance was in the last eight of the Champions League 14 YEARS AGOwhile the club's only final came in 2006, when Arsène Wenger's ten men lost 2–1 to Barcelona.

Arteta warned: “There are a lot of things you should have the right to do before a final and in Porto we have a big obstacle ahead of us.

“You have been out of the competition for two or three months and you are facing a completely different phase.

“All the teams are top and there is little time to prepare for matches.

“The ball is rolling and you have to be ready because the teams are very prepared and dangerous. We are really looking forward to it.”

Arsenal failed to qualify for the competition from the end of the 2016–17 season until they finished as runners-up last season.

HOW TO GET FREE BETTS ON FOOTBALL

On their return to Europe's biggest stage, Arsenal topped the group with four wins from six.

Spaniard Arteta added: “It's great. We have earned the right to be here.

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“It's been years since we've been at the top in these types of competitions and fourteen years since we've been able to move to the next stage.

“That is the challenge, but we are going for it with confidence.”

Fabio Vieira has traveled to Portugal with the team and could feature against his former club, who have recovered from groin surgery.

But Thomas Partey has not been in danger, alongside Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Kai Havertz and Jorginho could feature after winning the Champions League in Porto with Chelsea in 2021 – Havertz scoring the only goal to beat Manchester City.

After a slow start since joining for £65m in the summer, striker Havertz has hit form.

Arteta said of the German's Euro glory: “It's probably the biggest highlight of his career. And also for Jorginho. It was incredible.”

ARSENAL NEWS LIVE: Stay up to date with the latest transfer news from the Emirates

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