TRIBUTES have been paid to ex-Manchester City player and coach Steve Fleet who died aged 87.
The goalkeeper was recently diagnosed with pancreatic and liver cancer.
He played for Bolton Wanderers as a schoolboy, joined City as an amateur in 1953.
After retirement her joined coaching at Stockport County in 1970, including a brief stint as caretaker manager before returning to City coaching its young stars.
MOSCOW has attempted to blame British spies for staging the North Sea tanker crash after a Russian captain was arrested.
Pro-Putin propagandists have attempted to shift the blame by pushing a wild conspiracy theory.
Shipping company Ernst Russ confirmed today that the captain of the Solong container ship – now in custody – is Russian.
Panic sparked after his vessel rammed into the Stena Immaculate – a US military ship – off the coast of England.
The Russian captain has not been named by Humberside police but was arrested “on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the collision”.
The horror collision ignited dramatic fires on both ships and raised fears about whether it was an attack.
Putin‘s puppets have pushed a crazed conspiracy theory that British spies were to blame for the horror crash.
Russian media commentator Vladimir Kornilov said: “How predictable everything is with the British.
“The arrested captain of the Portuguese dry cargo ship Solong, which rammed an American military tanker off the coast of England just before the [war] negotiations between Russia and the USA, of course, turned out to be a Russian citizen.”
The conspiracy theorist even attempted to claim Moscow would be blamed and said “London would definitely look for a ‘Russian trace’”.
He added: “Something tells me that this whole accident was organised under this ‘trace’.”
Another Kremlin propagandist, Sergey Mardan, also peddled the mad idea.
He said: “There are many interesting coincidences and details in this case.
“Pentagon fuel, a tanker flying an exotic American flag for the merchant fleet, and now a Russian captain.
“The location of the emergency should also be taken into account – the territorial waters of Great Britain.”
Plenty of unanswered questions remain, including why anti-crash systems failed.
Shadow transport minister Jerome Mayhew said the nationality of the Solong’s captain raises “further questions” about the incident.
He said: “Where military assets are damaged it is vital that motives are fully investigated to exclude foul play.
“The nationality of the captain of the Solong raises further questions about potential motivation that the Government must now get to the bottom of.”
The shipping company confirmed the rest of the crew were Russian and Filipino.
One sailor from the Solong remains missing but is presumed dead.
Cops are continuing to speak to those involved to understand what happened after the vessel collided with US-flagged tanker Stena Immaculate.
Salvors are readying themselves to get onboard the tanker this morning, with “no visible flames” present, according to HM Coastguard.
The statement added: “Only then will it be possible to carry out comprehensive damage assessments.”
The White House has also not ruled out foul play, according to a senior official.
More questions have been raised after it emerged that a July 2024 inspection in Dublin found the vessel’s “emergency steering position communications/compass reading” unreadable.
Inspectors found a total of 10 deficiencies, including “inadequate” alarms, survival craft “not properly maintained” and fire doors “not as required.”
A LANDMARK documentary about Michael Jackson is being made by the BBC – in the same year he would have reached his 65th birthday.
The series comes from 72 Films, who are the same production company who gave us shows on the likes of Jimmy Saville, Donald Trump, Elon Musk and The Kardashians.
Likely to air on BBC Two, it will take a comprehensive look at the life story of a man still considered to be the King of Pop, who died in 2009 aged 50.
It will touch on his many incredible achievements as well as the controversies that overshadowed his life in later years.
The announcement comes just days before Channel 4 air Leaving Neverland 2.
It’s a sequel to Leaving Neverland which was made in 2019 and revolved around Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who alleged that they were befriended and then abused by the singer.
The second series will follow their journey since then as they try to take their cases through the US courts.
A TV insider said: “The BBC documentary is neither intended as a hatchet job, nor a glowing fluff piece about Jackson, it’s intended to look at the phenomenal figure in the round.
“The production team behind the show have a reputation for taking a deep dive into the stories of hugely important global figures, and this is likely to be one of the most eagerly anticipated biographies of Jacko.”
Almost every TV show about Jackson tends to inspire a passionate response, particularly from his army of devoted fans.
When Leaving Neverland aired it saw his devotees claim the allegations were fabricated.
They even protested outside the head offices of Channel 4, where editors originally conceived the project.
Several documentaries were made rebutting the claims and the Jackson estate sued HBO for distributing the film.
It remains to be seen how strong the response will be to the BBC documentary, which is likely to air later this year or early next year.
EASTENDERS viewers could not get over an interesting sign in the Minute Mart as Bianca Jackson went shopping.
Played by Patsy Palmer, Bianca heads into the local shop where she stops for a chat in the biscuit aisle with Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth).
As the two women speak, fans watching Tuesday’s episode at home became distracted with a sign for a Mother’s Day offer behind Bianca.
Standing in front of the biscuits, the sign over Bianca’s shoulder read: “3 for 2 on Mother’s Day chocolate.”
Fans reacted to the sign on Reddit, joking that people usually only had one mum.
“This made me laugh so much. Most people don’t have two mother’s let alone three so it’s a very niche market they’re aiming this promotion at 
,” wrote one person on the Eastenders subreddit.
“I saw that! It gave me a little chuckle 
,” replied a second.
But others commented that people often also buy Mother’s Day chocolates for the grandmothers, mother-in-laws and step-mothers.
“I fear this may be common sense, but you do know you can buy one mother multiple gifts right? Also mothers often have more than one child that needs to get them a gift 
,” commented a third.
Some Reddit users poked fun at the complicated family relationships on EastEnders, and that would mean characters are likely to have buy lots of presents every year.
“Let’s face it in Walford you got your mum, at least one step mum and at least another one of your dad’s affair partners,” wrote someone else.
And another added: “I mean, if you’re Peter Beale, you had Cindy, Mel, Laura, Jane…”
Patsy returned to Walford to play Bianca a character she last played in 2019 and first played in 1993.
THE beloved British soap has been captivating audiences for decades.
EastEnders follows the lives of the residents of Walford as they navigate love, loss, family drama, and community struggles.
Here’s the latest on:
EYE-catching fascinators, stylish dresses and tweed galore – Cheltenham Festival is back in full force for day two of racing.
Attendees braved the chilly weather in stylish ensembles for Style Wednesday, after the Gloucestershire racecourse changed the name from Ladies Day.
With the drinks flowing and the snow no longer falling, racegoers are making the most of their thrilling day of horse racing.
There’s also been some celebrity spotting to be had with royal style queens Zara Tindall, 43, and Princess Eugenie, 34, in matching burgundy.
They are joined by their husbands, former rugby champion Mike Tindall, 46, and businessman Jack Brooksbank, 38, who looked smart in suits.
Queen Camilla, 77, arrived in high spirits and was wrapped up in a brown coat and snug hat.
In true Cheltenham fashion, fashion-savvy racegoers have certainly not held back with their headwear, with many showcasing eye-popping fascinators and bold hats.
Ever since Queen Victoria reigned and visited the racecourse in the 1830s wearing a hat, women have paraded their best looks at the races.
Ladies Day was traditionally held on day two of Cheltenham Festival – but the centuries-old tradition was scrapped last year in a gender-neutral rebrand.
There were also a couple of changes in terms of the dress code – with people now encouraged to not only look for high-end fashion but also outfits put together for cheaper.
The awards panel also celebrates ‘slow fashion’, which includes vintage outfits, or those put together from charity shops or online resellers.
Meanwhile, men are also able to enter the best-dressed contest.
The Slow Fashion Style Awards are open from 10.30am to 2.30pm to all racegoers – who must head to the Style Pod in the Plaza to have their picture taken.
In 2024, a Cheltenham Racecourse spokesperson said: “This year we re-launched day two of The Festival as Style Wednesday to celebrate ‘fast horses, slow fashion’, encouraging racegoers to make more sustainable fashion choices, showcasing their unique and personal style, and to share the stories behind their amazing outfits with friends, family and on social media.
“This includes re-wearing outfits they already have in their wardrobes, purchasing timeless garments to wear again and again and also buying from retailers specialising in pre-loved clothing.”
Around 250,000 Cheltenham fans are expected to flock to the famous Gloucestershire racecourse for the four-day racing event, with day one kicking off in style.
Nestled in the heart of the Cotswolds, Cheltenham racecourse has hosted racing since 1815 and is one of the highlights in the racing calendar.
This year the Cheltenham Festival started on Tuesday March 11 and will run until Friday March 14.
St Patrick’s Day is the focus for the third day and Gold Cup Day is on Friday.
CHELTENHAM'S Ladies Day event on day two of racing is now known as Style Wednesday - and it's open to both men and women.
A Cheltenham Racecourse spokesperson said in 2024: “This year we re-launched day two of The Festival as Style Wednesday to celebrate ‘fast horses, slow fashion’, encouraging racegoers to make more sustainable fashion choices, showcasing their unique and personal style, and to share the stories behind their amazing outfits with friends, family and on social media.
“This includes re-wearing outfits they already have in their wardrobes, purchasing timeless garments to wear again and again and also buying from retailers specialising in pre-loved clothing.”