Hamas has handed over four female Israeli soldiers, while 200 Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons have been released in the second such exchange under the fragile ceasefire in Gaza.

Karina Ariev, 20, Daniella Gilboa, 20, Naama Levy, 20, and Liri Albag, 19, were all stationed at an observation post on the edge of the besieged strip; they were seized by Hamas fighters who overran their base during the attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. A Palestinian source told Reuters that one of the soldiers was being held by Islamic Jihad.

In a clear show of force on Saturday morning, dozens of masked and armed Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants gathered in Palestine Square in Gaza City, where Red Cross vehicles pulled up to carry out the transfer.

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The women, wearing khaki-coloured military-style clothing, were walked by Hamas fighters onto the stage, where they gave thumbs-up gestures and peace signs, and smiled and waved at the crowd as thousands cheered.

The women were later transported to Israel by the Israeli military. Crowds of ecstatic supporters gathered at Beilinson-Schneider hospital, just outside Tel Aviv, welcoming the arrival of the four there by helicopter by chanting: “The people of Israel live.”

The director of the hospital later said the medical conditions of the hostages were stable.

Israel then released at least 70 Palestinian prisoners who will not be allowed to return to Gaza or the occupied West Bank, according to Egypt’s state-run TV broadcaster Qahera, which said they had arrived on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with Gaza.

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The remainder of the 200 detainees were met by massive crowds of flag-waving relatives and well-wishers who crowded the buses that came out of Israel’s Ofer prison.

The US State Department has said it is “critical” that the ceasefire holds and all hostages are safely returned to their families.

The department added in a statement: "The United States celebrates the release of the four Israeli hostages held in captivity for 477 days.”

Yusra Hussain, mother of Ahmad Hussain, 48, a prisoner set to be freed on Saturday, said there was confusion among the families over reports some of the detainees would be deported by Israel immediately upon release.

“We can’t believe he will be released until we see him. All we hope for is peace,” she said. In Hostages Square, the rallying point for relatives of the Israeli captives, family members, friends and supporters burst into tears, clapped, and hugged each other as the news broke that the four were free.

Carrying a sign reading “We are waiting for you!” Tamar, who is in the same military unit as the four women, told The Independent they were “smiling from ear to ear” but also worried about the fifth Israeli female soldier, Agam Berger, 20, who remains in Gaza.

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Later Ms Albag’s family released a statement saying they felt a “wave of relief and joy” envelop them after “477 long, unbearable days of nerve-wracking waiting.”

Ms Ariev’s family spoke of seeing “her smile that once again fills us with light” while Ms Levy’s family said: “We are overjoyed and moved to see Naama standing strong and returning to us.”

The families also thanked all those who campaigned for the hostages’ freedom and called for the release of the remaining captives. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents the families, said their release serves “as a painful reminder of the urgency to bring back the 90 hostages still in Gaza”.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office reiterated his government’s commitment to the return of all the hostages and the missing, as he welcomed the release of the four on Saturday.

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Meanwhile, crowds gathered around the release point for the Palestinian detainees, anxiously waiting for news. The 200 Palestinian prisoners freed on Saturday as part of the exchange include members of Islamic Jihad, Hamas, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), some of whom are serving life sentences for deadly attacks in Israel.

Among those released is one of the longest-serving Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, Mohammad Al-Tous, 67, who has spent 39 years behind bars according to Palestinian media. Another prisoner released was Mohammed Bargouthi, 25, from near Ramallah. He said he “could not describe my feelings of happiness” after being released in year eight of a nine-year sentence for shooting at settlers.

“I’m standing with my family, my loved ones,” he said. “I hope to free the rest of the prisoners.”

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The four Israeli soldiers released on Saturday were captured on 7 October 2023, when Hamas militants stormed southern Israel, taking around 250 hostages and killing more than 1,200 people. That triggered Israel’s devastating offensive in Gaza, which Palestinian officials say has killed over 47,000 people and displaced more than 90 per cent of the population.

The four soldiers were taken from the Nahal Oz base near the border with Gaza when Palestinian militants overran it, killing more than 60 soldiers there. The women had all served in a unit of lookouts charged with monitoring threats along the border.

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Following the release of the four on Saturday, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said Hamas has not abided by the ceasefire agreement to release Israeli civilians first.

A senior Hamas official said the group has informed mediators that civilian hostage Arbel Yehoud will be released next Saturday, after Israel said she was supposed to have been released this Saturday.

The fragile deal – which has so far held, quieting airstrikes and rockets and allowing for increased aid to flow into the tiny coastal territory – is aimed at winding down the deadliest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and the militant group.

Meanwhile, president Donald Trump’s White House has instructed the US military to allow the supply of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, a source told Reuters. The widely expected move comes after the Biden administration had paused due to the possible impact they may have on Gaza.

The latest figures on children in Gaza have also emerged, with UN agencies saying more than 13,000 have been killed, an estimated 25,000 injured and at least 25,000 hospitalised for malnutrition, the Associated Press reported.

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The huge rectangular mass of concrete and glass — the tallest building in the city — dominates the skyline, towering 150 meters above colonial homes with its 542 luxury rooms and majestic views of the city and the sea.

The Selection La Habana hotel in Havana, managed by Spanish chain Iberostar, has yet to be inaugurated but it is already the target of criticism — and not only for its unusual shape.

Cubans are questioning the government’s allocation of millions of dollars towards luxury tourism while the island grapples with a severe economic crisis and tourism numbers plummet to historic lows.

“All that money could have been spent to build hospitals and schools,” lamented Susel Borges, a 26-year-old artisan, as she looked up to the towering edifice, known to locals as the “K and 23 building” because of its location.

Located near the legendary Habana Libre hotel and the iconic Coppelia ice cream parlor, the new hotel is part of a government plan to build a dozen luxury establishments — mainly in Havana — that did not stop even during the COVID-19 pandemic and while existing luxury hotels remained largely unoccupied.

For decades, tourism drove the Cuban economy, generating annual revenues of up to $3 billion. But in December, Cuban authorities said only 2.2 million tourists visited the island in 2024, a decrease of roughly 200,000 from 2023 and significantly lower than the 4.2 million tourists who visited in 2019.

Cuba has long appealed to tourists attracted by the mystique of a Communist-run island which, at least to visitors, appears frozen in time thanks to a plethora of 1950s autos and towns mostly free of the kind of commercial development seen elsewhere in the Caribbean.

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The government attributes the decline in tourism to a “perfect storm” of factors including supply shortages, a severe energy crisis causing massive blackouts and a lack of personnel, due to emigration and low wages. Furthermore, the island is grappling with a surge in U.S. sanctions, including restrictions on travel by U.S. citizens, a ban on cruise ships and other measures specifically designed to stifle the growth of Cuba’s tourism industry.

Canada - which sends more tourists to Cuba than any other country - recently told its citizens to “exercise a high degree of caution in Cuba due to shortages of basic necessities including food, medicine and fuel.”

“Tourism is gone,” said Julio García Campos, driver of a shiny red 1951 Pontiac with an original engine. “Tourists used to line up to get on one of these!” he said, recalling a bygone era when the island was bustling with American and European travelers following a removal of sanctions by then-President Barack Obama.

When Barack Obama became president, the tourism industry blossomed. The barriers imposed by Washington on vacations to the island began to tumble, and airlines launched busy networks of flights across the Florida Straits to enable “people-to-people contacts” to flourish, as prescribed by the White House.

The new Selection La Habana, like all other hotels in Cuba, is state-owned and operates under GAESA, a conglomerate belonging to the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces that has often been criticized because of the opacity of its businesses. As a military-run operation, it is exempt from audits by the Comptroller General’s Office and has not disclosed the amount it invested in the 40-story hotel.

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Cuban economist Pedro Monreal notes the “incongruity” of investing capital in the tourism sector when very little is being allocated to strategic areas such as agriculture.

"With food insecurity a concern, it’s troubling that agricultural investment lags significantly behind tourism investment, remaining 11 times lower,” Monreal noted last year on social media.

Architects also expressed little enthusiasm for the new hotel, pointing at its disruptive appearance within the environment, its excessive height violating urban regulations and tall glass windows that are ill-suited for a tropical climate.

“This building serves as a perfect example in our classes of what should not be done in terms of bioclimatic design,” said Abel Tablada, an architect and university professor, adding it's "unforgivable" that the little money available to the Cuban state has been allocated to a building that does not add value to the city.

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I heard them long before I saw them. I was making my way to St Brigid’s Well, a peaceful shrine beneath ancient oak trees in Kildare. But between the cawing of crows and the squelch of mud underfoot, I heard chanting, the clang of tambourines, and a steady drumbeat.

I’d expected to see people placing items on the old stone shrine but instead, I’d stumbled upon a group of pagan women (and one barefoot man) holding a ritual. They circled a fire, throwing rose petals onto the flames, and sipped ceremonial wine as they called in the sacred spirits. And they let me join in.

This is St Brigid’s Day.

Ask most people what they associate with Ireland, and St Patrick’s Day is probably top of the list. But I’ve lived in Ireland for 17 years, and when 17 March rolls around, I usually want to get the hell out of Dodge. Call me a buzzkill but I’m just not into the crowds, the noise, the American college students puking (or worse) on my doorstep.

However, two years ago, Ireland decreed a new bank holiday. And this one was dedicated to the country’s only female patron saint – Brigid. A year ago, I knew nothing about her. But last February, on St Brigid’s weekend, I travelled around Ireland to create a podcast about this mythological figure. I learnt about the woman who turned lakes into beer, who is the patron saint of both fugitives and bees, and who is finally getting her turn in the spotlight.

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I kicked things off at a candlelit concert in St Brigid’s Cathedral in Kildare town, a 30-minute train ride from Dublin. Over the course of the evening, some of Ireland’s coolest female singers performed in the church’s nave, their voices echoing under the vaulted ceiling.

“St Brigid, I’m discovering, can be all things to all people,” said Lisa Lambe, a folklorist and singer with flame-red hair, as she took to the stage before singing old Gaelic love songs. “A pagan goddess, a saint, and an empowering symbol of female leadership.”

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Outside, the tail end of a theatrical parade wrapped up, finishing in a fiery display of dance. I’ve seen a fair few St Patrick’s Day parades over my years in Ireland, from tiny village processions to the huge events in Dublin with American high school bands and cheerleaders turning blue in the cold. But this one was different.

Read more: Honouring darkness and death – why you should be celebrating Halloween the Irish way

Aerial performers and dancers twirled inside giant hoops dotted with lit candles. Huge crescent moon-shaped lanterns glowed from within, looking like ancient Viking boats as they passed by the crowds. There were no corporate buses, no brass bands, no bystanders spilling beer on my feet as they watched.

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This year, the same parade will be in Maynooth (45 minutes from Dublin) but similar gigs will be taking place in and around Kildare, including a “Tiny Deck” concert with musicians performing on a barge as it floats up the Grand Canal. They’re even letting the men join in, with artists like Bob Geldof performing at a concert called He For She: An Evening For Equality (presumably the title #NotAllMen was taken).

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There are loads of events all around Dublin to mark the occasion, too. City landmarks like the General Post Office will be illuminated with an illustration of Brigid, her long hair undulating on the pillars that bear bullet holes from the 1916 Easter Rising. There will be gigs, markets, and at least three events featuring the word vulva – the Proud Vulvas are walking in the parade, there’s a Vulva Stories art installation in the Temple Collective and you can even make your own felted vulva in a workshop, which is the only time you’d want to hear “matted wool” and “vulva” in the same context.

In short? It’s a festival that’s all about females. Which is just what the campaigners were after when they first pitched the idea of St Brigid’s Day becoming a bank holiday.

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“It’s really time that we honoured a woman, specifically Brigid, in the same way Patrick is honoured,” Laura Murphy told me last year – she’s a poet who successfully campaigned with Herstory to mark the day properly. “Their mission was to illuminate the stories of female role models.”

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That was something I thought about a lot on my journey. As I met women celebrating in various ways – from the nun weaving a Brigid’s cross to the organiser of a bike parade whose dragonfly costume was made from old yoga mats – I kept thinking of the strong, ballsy females I have learned about since I moved here.

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Women like revolutionary and suffragette Maud Gonne, dismissed too often as simply the unrequited love of WB Yeats. Or the revolutionary Constance Markievicz, who famously told women during the Rising to “dress suitably in short skirts and strong boots, leave your jewels and gold wands in the bank, and buy a revolver”. And now Brigid, who some believe was Ireland’s first recorded abortionist.

As someone with a deathly phobia of snakes, I’m glad Patrick got rid of all the buggers. But if I’m dedicating a weekend to the celebration of a sacred Irish figure, I’d choose Brigid every time.

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How to do it

St Brigid’s Day is on 3 February. Fly to Dublin with Aer Lingus, and learn more at ireland.com

Where to stay

The Hendrick is a short walk from the parade route in Dublin.

Read more: The best Ireland road trips to discover the Emerald Isle

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If the temperature drop has you dreaming of après fondues and cosy chalets, a family ski holiday to child-friendly resorts in Andorra, Finland and Slovakia could be on the cards for your winter break.

As ski season starts, winter sports enthusiasts are gearing up to return to freshly powdered pistes and frosted wonderlands – and there’s no need to leave the kids at home.

The keenest skiers start early, so family-favourite ski spots with gentle terrain, wide nursery runs and patient ski schools can be ideal for little legs to get the hang of the slopes their first few times around.

While skiing in the school holidays can be a pricey pursuit, a late-season February half-term package can ferry the whole family to kid-centric resorts from Italy’s Abruzzo to Les Contamines in France without breaking the bank.

Here are the family-friendly winter destinations that toddlers, teens and in-betweens will love, to inspire your next ski holiday with the whole clan.

Read more: The best luxury ski resorts for a five-star skiing experience

Les Contamines, France

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Best for: Budget breaks

At the foot of Mont Blanc, Les Contamines is a quiet and traditional resort with 120km of varied slopes above 1,200m altitude, suitable for all abilities of skiers. Families will particularly enjoy the dedicated beginners areas, Ludopark fun runs, evening snowshoe outings and cruisy blues of the Loyers and Nivorin slopes in the heart of the village – often open for torchlight descents during the school holidays – followed by rich fondues in traditional Mongolian yurts.

How to ski in Les Contamines

With Action Outdoors, families can spend seven nights at the Les Contamines UCPA centre on a “Ski Full Time Beginners” package for £914pp. A Les Contamines lift pass, 10 sessions of ski instruction, skis, boots and shared airport transfers are included in the cost. An indoor climbing wall, games room and in-house spa promise to entertain youngsters while complimentary packed lunches save families from splashing out at piste-side restaurants. Departs 15 March 2025.

Return flights from London Stansted to Geneva airport from £60 with easyJet in March.

Read more: How to nail the perfect short ski break in Chamonix

St Johann, Austria

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Best for: Family-friendly chalets

There are 210km of groomed pistes and toboggan rides awaiting broods visiting the alluring St Johann resort, 60km from Salzburg. Think famed schnitzel at cosy huts, slopes for both seasoned and shaky skiers and the tranquil family area of Hahnbaum, with its mini-cross course for kids, in this enchanting Austrian Tirol ski destination. Off-piste, Murmi’s Kinderland indoor playground, indoor climbing walls at Koasa Boulder and water slides at Panorama Badewelt promise to entertain little ones.

How to ski in St Johann

Inghams is providing a seven-night half-board holiday to Sporthotel Austria in St Johann, three minutes’ walk to the Harschbichl gondola, from £889pp including return flights from London Gatwick, airport transfers and daily après-ski snacks. There are two children’s playrooms, a sun terrace and cosy lounge bars to unwind in as a family after a day on the slopes. Departs 15 March 2025.

Read more: This popular Austrian resort is full of wonders beyond the slopes

Andermatt, Switzerland​

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Best for: Rest and relaxation

Andermatt’s fun slopes, toboggan runs and slope-side family car parks make the rising Swiss ski resort a wonderland for groups with children. The Nätschen-Gütsch-Sedrun area offers a welcome range of gentle green and blue slopes for beginners with plenty of cruisy terrain. Traditional wooden chalets meet luxury hotels in the town’s centre and – midway up the Gütsch-Express – the Matti Bear Cave restaurant provides family-friendly après for those with kids.

How to ski in Andermatt

Ski Solutions is offering a four-night B&B holiday to The Chedi in Andermatt from £2,145pp including return flights, rail transfers and access to world-class wellness facilities that feature heated swimming pools, hot tubs and saunas for parents to enjoy while the kids are at ski school. Views of the Swiss Alps, Andermatt Village and Schöllenen Gorge are a beautiful bonus at this hotel, just a six-minute walk from the Andermatt Gondola. Departs 3 April 2025.

Read more: The winter break to invigorate your soul with yoga, spas and Aperol spritz

Soldeu, Andorra

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Best for: Ski schools

A family trip to Soldeu in Grandvalira, Andorra’s largest ski area, features 210km of slopes easily accessible for all ages, including a dedicated “Snow Garden” for children between three and five years old, under the guidance of some excellent ski and snowboard schools. The tree-lined valley’s relaxed atmosphere and quaint accommodation will suit holidaymakers with little ones, and kids under six fine-tuning their ski skills are entitled to free lift passes across the ski area.

How to ski in Soldeu

Crystal Ski Holidays has seven nights at the Hotel Galanthus and Spa in Soldeu, half board, from £1,503pp. Return flights from London Gatwick, 20kg checked luggage per person, transfers and one free spa entry per person are included in the offer. A daily shuttle also ferries families into the heart of Soldeu Village. Departs 16 February 2025.

Read more: Learning to ski as an adult isn’t as scary as you think

Ruka, Finland

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Best for: Winter activities

A winter wonderland for the whole family, Ruka in northern Finland sees 200 days of snow blanketed across 24km of slopes and 159km of cross-country skiing trails. The Rosa & Rudolf Family Park features wide slopes, six magic carpets and a tubing hill, complete with charming elf houses along the Rudolf Run and an outdoor fireplace for grilling sausages. Skiing aside, a Ruka itinerary includes snowmobiling, husky sledging, Northern Light hunting and reindeer sleigh rides for guaranteed festive fun at Christmas.

How to ski in Ruka

Baltic Travel Company features a four-night “Ski Holiday in Northern Finland” in Ruka from £1,295pp, B&B, including return flights from London Heathrow, 23kg of luggage per person, transfers and three-star accommodation. A three-day ski pass and ski equipment rental of skis, poles and ski boots for complete beginners or active skiers are also included in the price. Daily departures between October and April.

Read more: How this Finnish ‘sauna capital of the world’ helped me recover from burnout

Jasna, Slovakia

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Best for: Great-value skiing

Jasna, Slovakia’s largest ski resort, and in the Tatra Mountains, has 50km of steady slopes running down two sides of Mount Chopok for a great-value classic ski getaway. Easy pistes, peaks above 2,500m and affordable bowls of spicy goulash at slope-side restaurants make the Slovakian ski resort an inviting destination for families. A fenced area, Maxiland, also offers safe skiing for children and beginners away from more experienced skiers.

How to ski in Jasna

Jasna Adventures is providing seven-night half-term packages to Riverside Apartments from €741pp (£626) for a one-bedroom apartment that sleeps four, half board, including six days ski hire, private lift shuttles, two-course dinners and a winter gala barbecue. Departing 15 February 2025 for British and Irish half-term guests.

Return flights from London Luton to Poprad airport from £31 with Wizz Air in February.

Read more: Swap the Alps for Slovakia’s Tatras mountains

Beaver Creek, Colorado, USA

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Best for: An American adventure

Beaver Creek in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains has a relaxed rhythm of gentle glade runs, rolling forest pistes and sun-soaked on-slope restaurants. Picture cruising down blues that all abilities will enjoy, wood-fringed nursery slopes and an efficient lift network connecting 54km of runs, all complemented by luxury lodgings. Better still, come Christmas, torchlit parades, sleigh rides and twinkling ice rinks greet visitors to Beaver Creek – you can even expect a visit from Santa.

How to ski in Beaver Creek

WeSki has seven-night packages to The Pines Lodge, Beaver Creek, including return flights from London Heathrow, transfers and a superior room with two queen beds from £2,099pp. Travellers will stay a seven-minute walk from the slopes, and the whole family will have access to swimming pools, hot tubs and ski hire on-site. Departs 4 February 2025.

Read more: Can you hit both slopes and waves in the same weekend?

Abruzzo, Italy

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Best for: La dolce vita

The Abruzzo region, to the east of Rome, boasts not only the 3,000m peaks of the Appenine Mountains and a pretty solid snow record, but a ski season from December to April that welcomes families for half the price of some of the big-name resorts in the Italian Alps and Dolomites. Beginners slopes in Aremogna offer wide blue runs while the beginner’s ski school area at the base of Roccaraso-Pizzalto teaches youngsters technique, safety and how to master the dreaded button lift.

How to ski in Abruzzo

Ski Abruzzo is offering a six-night half-term ski holiday at the family-friendly Hotel Trieste, Roccaraso, half board, from €2,175 (£1,838) for a family of four. Return transfers from Naples airport, three-course evening meals and daily guest shuttles to the ski slopes are included in the cost. Departing February 2025 half-term.

Return flights from London Luton to Naples airport from £71 with easyJet in February.

Read more: Lesser-known ski resorts to book for half term and Easter to avoid the crowds

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On a night of mistakes, the first was the worst but not the costliest. And for that, Abdukodir Khusanov could thank Robert Sanchez. The £33m defender’s Manchester City career may yet be defined by the opening few minutes but a traumatised figure ultimately ended a winner.

First impressions can prove deceptive, and he must hope so, but Sanchez, 17 months into a seven-year contract, again looked a liability whose latest blunder allowed Erling Haaland to score in a turnaround. City, seemingly beginning with the potential to descend into crisis, ended up victorious to leapfrog Chelsea.

If Noni Madueke’s goal may haunt Khusanov, the scale of the missed opportunity should haunt Chelsea. They had not beaten City since the 2021 Champions League final, not scored in eight of their previous 10 meetings. But gifted a goal by vulnerable opponents with a newcomer enduring the debut from hell, they failed to capitalise on City’s fallibility.

Instead, their toxic combination of a high defensive line and a lack of pressure on the ball allowed Josko Gvardiol to equalise. Sanchez’s second glaring mistake in as many games permitted Haaland to put City ahead. The Norwegian sent Phil Foden galloping through a hole where the Chelsea defence were supposed to be to add a late third.

For City, the team who led in Paris on Wednesday and lost by two goals, it was a neat role reversal. A fourth win in five league games suggests they are capable of conjuring results. Not by being a coherent side at the peak of their powers, because flaws are still all too apparent, but in Haaland –who has six goals in his last six outings – and Foden, with six in four league matches, they possess match-winners. The side showed character and their leveller indicated Pep Guardiola has found a way to compensate for his midfielders’ inability to run.

Perhaps this match was a microcosm of Chelsea’s season. They got into a promising position and then let it slip. They have only won one of their last seven league games. They could rue a lack of ruthlessness and poor decision-making at both ends. “Luckily they didn't punish us for 2-0,” said Guardiola, citing the moment when Cole Palmer overhit a pass to Nicolas Jackson when it seemed simpler to set the striker up for an easy finish. “Cole is so generous.” But Sanchez was the prime offender.

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“Robert for sure is completely aware that he has to do better,” said Enzo Maresca, who suggested he will decide this week whether to select Filip Jorgensen instead of the Spaniard. “The first one who is aware he is making mistakes is Robert.” And when Ederson arrowed a long ball forward and Haaland turned Trevoh Chalobah, the Norwegian’s chipped finish was brilliant, but also rendered easier because, for reasons best known to him, Sanchez had left his line and stranded himself in no-man’s land.

For £25m, Chelsea have saddled themselves with one of the worst goalkeepers in the league. For £1.2bn, Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali have a team who always seem to need four new players and who appear short of leadership and a clinical instinct.

Their failings should serve as a relief to one of City’s new defenders. When Kyle Walker said his farewell to Manchester City on Friday, he thanked them for making his dreams came true. When Khusanov introduced himself to the Etihad Stadium, was living a nightmare.

Within three minutes, he had given a goal away. Within four, he had the earliest booking for a Premier League debutant since 2018 after gifting Chelsea possession a second time and then hacking down Palmer.

“It is not easy for him,” said Guardiola. “He didn’t make one training session with us and then to play against Jackson and Cole and Madueke and [Jadon] Sancho. He doesn't speak English so I didn't speak to him. I have to learn Russian or Uzbek to communicate with him.”

If that was said with a smile, Khusanov seemed on a different wavelength from his teammates, as if unable to judge the distance from them. For Chelsea’s goal, he needed to head the ball 10 yards back to Ederson. It rolled around three, intercepted by Jackson, who squared for Madueke to tap in. “We started horrific,” said Haaland, not trying to sugarcoat it. “It’s almost like we start with minus one goal.” Khusanov was not alone in struggling.

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But he looked stunned, shellshocked. His has been an extraordinary journey to become the first Uzbek to play in the Premier League. This was excruciating for a trailblazer. At times, his new colleagues tried not to pass to him. Then they sought him out, as if trying to. The sympathy vote extended: many of the crowd gave Khusanov a standing ovation when substituted, and Guardiola a consoling hug as he took mercy on his new recruit by removing him. He had lasted 53 minutes, but the first few will prove hard to forget.

City’s other debutant offered more encouragement. Omar Marmoush’s finest moments came with a caveat: he was usually offside. He had a first-minute shot. Later, he converted the rebound after Sanchez parried a shot by Ilkay Gundogan, but he had made his run too early. Which, given his pace, he did not need to. But when he whistled a shot just past the post, it showed the sharpness of a man in form. “He makes unbelievable movements,” said Guardiola.

Marmoush offered a threat; others brought still more. Foden hammered a shot against the post. Half an hour later, City were level, courtesy of their third highest scorer.

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The goal was remarkable, a moment in open play where their two most advanced players were their full-backs. Gundogan dropped deep to chip a pass over Chelsea’s high defensive line. Matheus Nunes raced on to it; when his shot was blocked, Gvardiol converted the rebound.

As the left-back had made a similar run a minute earlier, when shooting wide, it was a clear tactic of Guardiola, using Gvardiol’s formidable engine to compensate for the immobility of the midfield.

City used Gundogan and Bernardo Silva almost as quarterbacks, their full-backs becoming running backs. Gvardiol was arguably the man of the match. And yet, in their own ways, it was all about Sanchez and Khusanov.

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Liverpool head coach Arne Slot was impressed with an “almost perfect” performance in the 4-1 over Ipswich which maintained their six-point lead at the top.

Cody Gakpo scored twice after Dominik Szoboszlai and Salah, with his 100th Premier League goal for the club at Anfield, scored in front of a new record league attendance of 60,420.

They were 3-0 up at half-time and coasting and had they not eased off they would have scored more, with the only blip being Jacob Greaves’ late consolation.

“It’s been a few times we have played a home game and conceded a goal at the start. Today is the way you want to start a game,” he said.

“We were aggressive, dominant for 85 minutes, they had hardly been in our half.

“It is a counter-attacking threat with the wingers they have but we managed to control that so because of the amount of work we put in.

“At the end, we are all all disappointed conceding from a corner, the first one this season, but for 85 minutes it was almost a perfect performance against a team that plays a low block.

“That’s not always easy but the way we did it was really good.”

Salah reached yet another of his many landmarks with his 19th league goal of the season but it was off the ball which pleased Slot, with the Egypt international racing back over the halfway line in the second half to snuff out an attack.

“Mostly about Mo it’s his contract or his goals and now it’s his defensive work rate. I think that stood out,” added the Reds boss.

“But if you look at almost all the times we have lost the ball, I saw a reaction off many players.

“It’s so difficult to control a counter-attack and the only way to do so is what Mo did in this moment and other players in different moments. That’s why I was pleased with the performance today.”

Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna was pleased with the way his team responded to being 3-0 down at the interval.

“A difficult game. A difficult position to be in at half-time and also a frustrating position,” he said.

“We started the game well but then from little we found ourselves a goal down and then a few goals down.

“We take a lot of positives from the second half. We managed the game pretty well and finished the game strong. We made some mistakes but if we take the lessons in the right way we can be stronger.”

McKenna is hoping a knee injury to Wes Burns is not as serious as it looked when he was carried off in the first half.

“We have our fingers crossed but the knee looks swollen. We hope it is not as bad but it looks serious,” he added.

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Mikel Arteta has called on the Football Association to overturn teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly’s hugely controversial red card in the 1-0 win at Wolves.

The 18-year-old Lewis-Skelly became the third youngest player to be dismissed in Premier League history when he was shown a straight red card by Michael Oliver in the first half for taking down Matt Doherty in his own half.

The decision has been met with disbelief by pundits, with Alan Shearer calling it “one of the worst decisions that I’ve seen in a long time”.

Arteta said he was too “fuming” to comment on it, but wants the decision overturned in the same way Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes was let off following a red card against Tottenham earlier in the season.

“I am absolutely fuming but I leave it with you,” he said. “I think it is that obvious that we don’t need any comment today and hopefully the right thing will happen.

“Hopefully we don’t need to (appeal the decision) and if we have to, there is a really good precedent, what happened with Bruno this season as well.

“OK, we were in a position that we shouldn’t be in, at least let’s be in a position that we should be in for the next few weeks and allow that player to continue to his job.”

The Gunners overcame adversity to win the game through Riccardo Calafiori’s 74th-minute goal, four minutes after the hosts had also been reduced to 10 men when Joao Gomes was sent off.

And that kept their title hopes alive as they cling on to Liverpool’s coat-tails, six points behind having played a game more.

“I’m extremely proud of the players,” the Spaniard added. “I mean, you can talk about our courage, you can talk about spirit, but as well about intelligence, the way they managed the game emotionally, it was unbelievable, especially with what we had to face and how they felt about it.

“All of them just faced the situation. We went to a second half and the only message was to go out there to win the game. That’s it.

“If somebody doesn’t feel it, don’t go and they certainly did it in a really convincing way.”

For Wolves, who had chances to lead when they had a man advantage, it was a fourth defeat in a row and they remain out of the bottom three on goal difference alone.

Boss Vitor Pereira, whose side have lost the last four games, says Gomes’ 70th-minute red card for two yellow cards was the decisive moment in the game.

“The moment he got the second yellow card was the moment of the game because we created two clear chances to score the first goal.

“After Arsenal have quality and it was difficult.

“Joao is a player he gives 100 per cent every match for the team, he is a team player, he wants to help.

“He is emotional, we spoke at half-time and I said, ‘You have a yellow card and you must be calm’. He said, ‘OK. I will control it’.

“I don’t want to speak about the yellow card, I must accept.

“But we played against Arsenal playing our game. This is the kind of the game where the result doesn’t reflect what happened on the pitch.”

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Pep Guardiola called Manchester City’s reaction to an early error from debutant Abdukodir Khusanov “amazing” as they recovered to beat Chelsea 3-1.

Khusanov, the 20-year-old signed from Lens for £33.6million, was badly at fault as Noni Madueke put the visitors in front just two minutes in, and moments later the Uzbekistan international was booked in a separate incident.

But Josko Gvardiol brought City level in the 42nd minute before Erling Haaland capitalised on yet another poor error from Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez to put City in front, before Phil Foden wrapped up the points late on, sending City into the top four as Chelsea’s recent poor run continued.

Khusanov, who speaks limited English and has barely trained with his new team-mates, was given a baptism of fire against Chelsea and looked at risk of being swallowed up early on, with a terrible header back towards Ederson swept up by Nicolas Jackson who squared for Madueke to tap in.

Khusanov picked up a yellow card moments later after losing the ball and fouling Cole Palmer, but he eventually settled down.

“He will take a lesson,” Guardiola said. “He’s so young, he’s come for many years. It’s not the best start of course, but dealing with Jackson, with Cole, with all these incredible players is not easy. And I love the reaction of his mates.

“He didn’t make one training session with us, he didn’t make absolutely anything because we came from Paris, so it was just recovery, recovery, recovery. And yeah, he will learn.

“He’s young, he will learn, I’m pretty sure. Take a lesson from that and the reaction from the team… the reaction was amazing.”

Khusanov was replaced in the 52nd minute by John Stones, a player Guardiola is keen to get back up to speed with Wednesday’s critical Champions League match against Club Brugge looming – for which City’s new signings are not eligible.

“I made the substitution mainly for the yellow card, not just for the mistake,” Guardiola said. “Especially I need John for Wednesday, because (Omar) Marmoush, Khusanov and Victor (Reis) cannot play. I need John and John came on for the rhythm.”

Chelsea have won just one of their last seven Premier League games, dropping out of the top four. They had chances to double their early lead, not least when Palmer went clear but overhit a pass to Jadon Sancho when the shot was on.

Instead the focus fell on Sanchez. The goalkeeper came off his line to try to meet a long ball from City stopper Ederson but only allowed Haaland to chip him and put City ahead just after the hour.

It was Sanchez’s second major error of the week after he failed to gather a cross to allow Wolves to briefly draw level on Monday, and fifth of the season that led directly to a goal – more than any other Premier League player.

“We trust Robert for sure but the first one that is completely aware he is making mistakes in this moment is Robert,” Enzo Maresca said.

“For sure, we continue to trust Robert. We trust Robert but now we have one entire week (until West Ham visit Stamford Bridge), we see the reaction and then we decide for the next game.”

Chelsea dropped to sixth, with Monday’s win over Wolves their only league success since they beat Brentford 2-1 on December 15.

“In my opinion we’re a better team than one month ago,” Maresca said. “These kind of games are going to make us better, we need to live this kind of experience. We can be third or sixth, every game can change it a little bit. We’re focused and trying to improve game after game.”

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Gypsy Rose Blanchard has hit back at claims about her family and whether investigators checked in on them.

The 33-year-old took to Instagram on Friday (January 24) to address a slew of false rumors. First, she hit back at a claim that Child Protective Services had to check in on her daughter, who she welcomed in January with her boyfriend Ken Urker.

“NO, CPS is not involved! (our baby is very safe and healthy),” she wrote, alongside a rolling eyes emoji, in her Instagram Story.

Blanchard then denied claims that she was “on any weight loss medication” and said that her stepmother Kristy “does not take care of [Blanchard’s] child” for her. She also said that the “baby in the pictures with Ken and [her] after [she gave] birth is NOT a doll or fake baby.”

The Life After Lock Up star concluded by sending a message to her followers who’ve fell for the tales.

“If anyone actually believes this BS, then your brain has been rotted by misinformation and clickbait with bias and hate-driven content,” she added. “God gave you a [brain], use it.”

Blanchard and Urker announced the arrival of their daughter, Aurora Raina Urker, earlier this month.

Urker took to his Instagram on January 1 to post a photo of Blanchard cradling their newborn in a hospital bed. In the image, the couple is seen gazing lovingly at their baby girl, dressed in a pink hat.

“Welcoming 2025 with the greatest gift of all,” he wrote in the caption.

Blanchard was released from prison in December 2023, after she pleaded guilty in 2016 to the second-degree murder of her mother, Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard, and served eight years of her sentence at the Chillicothe Correctional Center in Missouri.

An investigation later found that Blanchard was abused by her mother, who forced her to pretend she was suffering from leukemia, muscular dystrophy, and other serious illnesses.

After announcing her pregnancy in July 2024, Blanchard also shared a since-deleted YouTube video to address concerns that she’s unprepared to be a mother.

“I know that there are going to be people that feel like I’m not ready to be a mother, and I don’t know if anyone’s really ready to become a mother,” Blanchard said. “I don’t know anyone that said, ‘Okay, I’m ready. I’m doing this.’”

She noted that she felt “a shift” after discovering she was pregnant, and explained how “none of anything else mattered” besides the health of her then soon-to-be baby. However, Blanchard became emotional as she shared her hopes to give “all of the things” to her child that “I wished I could’ve had when I was little.”

“All the things that I wanted in a mother, I want to give to this baby,” she said. “I just want to be a good mother for my child. I want to be everything my mother wasn’t.”

Blanchard and Urker first met in 2018 while she was serving her prison sentence in Missouri. Although the pair were engaged in 2019, Urker called it off in 2020.

The rekindled couple were spotted in April getting matching dog tattoos and engaging in PDA. Speaking about their relationship status, Blanchard told TMZ at the time: “After reconnecting earlier this month, we realized that our love for each other is simply undeniable, and life is too short to not take a chance.”

Blanchard’s new relationship came just weeks after announcing her separation from ex-husband Ryan Anderson. She later filed a temporary restraining order against Anderson, who responded with his own restraining order against Blanchard.

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A woman has sparked a debate about “taking over” the living room in her house to watch a TV show that her husband doesn’t like.

In a recent post shared to the popular “Am I The A**hole?” Reddit forum, a woman explained how she likes to watch RuPaul’s Drag Race when it airs every Friday night. However, she lives “in a relatively small house,” so there’s only one place there to tune in.

“We do have an unfinished basement that currently contains an area for working out, an area for doing laundry, and then the rest is storage,” she wrote. “For context, I do not work on Fridays, but my husband does.”

She explained that her husband “doesn’t like” RuPaul’s Drag Race, so he feels like he needs to be in their basement during the hour and a half it’s on, which has caused some tension.

“It’s recently caused a lot of contention in our relationship because he feels that he shouldn’t have to be relegated to the basement on Friday nights after he works hard,” she continued.

She also clarified why she wants to watch the program right when it airs Friday night, adding: “I don’t like to record it and watch it later because I don’t want to see spoilers on social media which are nearly impossible for me to avoid.”

She concluded by sharing her belief that she “wasn’t being unreasonable” for wanting to watch one show on one night of the week for an hour and a half.”

She also said that she’s not “forcing” her husband to go into the basement when she watches the show, so he could go to the bedroom instead if he wanted to.

The Reddit post has quickly gone viral, with more than 2,400 upvotes. In the comments, many people came to the woman’s defense, agreeing she should be able to watch the show in her space when she wants and that her husband could do something else at that time.

“It’s his choice to sashay away, nobody is telling him where to go,” one wrote. “If he seriously can’t deal with you spending 90 whole minutes a week doing something you like that he’s not into, that’s a pretty s***ty husband tbh.”

“So he hates the show so much he couldn’t stand going to the bedroom or staying in the main room doing something else even with headphones?” another responded. “Whining about not controlling the entertainment once a week for only the weeks the show is airing new episodes sounds like picking a fight. He’s being dramatic. He could even go for a walk or spend time with friends.”

“‘Taking over the living room’....? ma’am you live there too- tell your husband to grow up and get a life if he can’t let you have an hour to yourself in your own home,” a third wrote.

However, other Reddit users said they understood why the woman’s husband was upset, especially if he wanted to spend Friday night doing something fun for him and his partner.

“After a long day/week of work, maybe he wants to spend some quality time with you, even watching TV together. Yeah, sure, he could go on his phone or computer, but maybe that’s not what he wants to do at that time every Friday,” one wrote. “I know you don’t want spoilers, but can you not go without social media for an evening and watch it the next day?”

“If this is an every Friday thing and he actively dislikes the show and feels unwelcome in the area he wants to relax after work, I think it’s a fair complaint,” another wrote.

“Record it and spend quality time with your partner! Real life is always a better choice than anything on a screen!” a third responded.

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