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ACTRESS Sydney Sweeney rings the changes as she poses for an office shoot.

The US star, 27, who has recently dyed her blonde hair darker, reclines on the floor while she pretends to make a landline phone call.

Capture Media Agency

Capture Media Agency

Sydney also leans back on a desk and stretches a leg out on a chair in photos for footwear brand HeyDude’s latest campaign.

The White Lotus star believes comfy shoes are the most important part of an outfit.

She said: “I always believe that when you feel comfortable and confident, that is when you’re going to feel beautiful.

“I feel the most beautiful when I am confidently myself.”

She is engaged to businessman Jonathan Davino, 41, with the pair packing on PDA in a recent loved-up snap which left her fans gutted.

Sweeney and Davino met in 2018, and the couple got engaged in February 2022.

The smitten duo produce films together, including last year’s summer smash hit Anyone but You. 

Sydney, who stars in Euphoria, has branded her future husband her “producing partner” and said it’s great to work with someone who knows her well.

The pair are said to be planning a small and intimate wedding in Chicago in the summer, although nothing is confirmed.

DOZENS of people have been killed after soldiers loyal to exiled tyrant Bashar al-Assad launched a surprise ambush on the army of Syria’s new rulers.

Ongoing clashes between the two sides have marked the worst violence since Assad’s brutal regime was toppled by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in December.

AFP

Members of Syria’s new authorities’ security forces gather in Sanamayn[/caption]

Getty

Search and sweep operations are being expanded to track down remnants of the deposed Bashar al-Assad regime[/caption]

Fighting broke out when Assad loyalists ambushed military forces after they tried to detain a wanted person near the coastal city of Jableh.

A civilian witness called the attack “planned and prepared”, saying that the gunmen were firing “indiscriminately” at civilians.

Mustafa Kneifati, a security official in Latakia, said: “Several groups of Assad militia remnants attacked our positions and checkpoints, targeting many of our patrols.”

Syria’s new security forces have since carried out extensive campaigns seeking to root out Assad loyalists from his former bastions.

More than 200 people have been killed since the fighting broke out, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

In addition to around 140 killed in apparent revenge attacks in the villages, the dead include at least 50 members of Syria’s government forces and 45 fighters loyal to Assad.

Forces loyal to the new government stormed the villages of Sheer, Mukhtariyeh and Haffah near the coast, killing 69, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen TV also reported the attacks on the three villages, saying that more than 30 men were killed in the village of Mukhtariyeh alone.

Another 60 people were killed in the town of Baniyas, including women and children, the observatory said.

Syria’s state news agency SANA reported that many fighters went to the coast seeking revenge for recent attacks on government security forces.

The official said the actions “led to some individual violations and we are working on stopping them”.

A curfew has now been imposed until Saturday in the coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus.

Local media reported that a security operation was launched in Assad’s hometown of Qardaha, near Latakia, “against loyalists of the former regime.”

Damascus also sent reinforcements to the coastal cities of Latakia and Tartus and nearby villages that are home to Assad’s minority Alawite sect and make up his longtime base of support.

Under Assad, Alawites held top posts in the army and security agencies.

The new government has blamed his loyalists for attacks against the country’s new security forces over the past several weeks.

There have also been some attacks against Alawites in recent weeks

The civil war that has been raging in Syria since March 2011 has left more than half a million people dead and millions displaced.

The new government has pledged to unite Syria after 14 years of civil war.

Dozens of exiled fighters from the militant Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched a surprise offensive against Vladimir Putin’s ally President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December.

This marked the conclusion of a regime notorious for its brutality, including chemical attacks, mass detentions, and the decimation of Syrian cities.

But challenges remain as Syrians celebrate, but hopes rise for a democratic future after years of war.

His fall not only signals the collapse of a dynastic dictatorship but also underscores the cost of clinging to power through terror.

Bashar al-Assad has left behind a shattered nation.

He decimated Syria’s infrastructure, fractured its society, and plunged millions into despair.

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Soldiers are seen in a vehicle with damaged windows as authorities extended the curfew in the cities of Latakia and Tartus in northwest Syria[/caption]

EPA

epa11946984 Syrian security forces stand on a tank as they take part in an operation following attacks carried out against Syrian security forces[/caption]

Reuters

Syrian army personnel travel in a military vehicle as they head towards Latakia to join the fight against the fighters linked to Syria’s ousted leader Bashar al-Assad[/caption]

Getty

Fighters with the new Syrian government sit in a truck bed on March 7, 2025 in Baniyas, Syria[/caption]

THE future of Boots is again uncertain following a £7.8billion takeover of its US owner by a private equity firm.

Pharmacy giant Walgreens Boots Alliance announced late on Thursday it had been acquired by Sycamore Partners at $11.45 (£8.85) a share.

Alamy

Boots’ future is again uncertain following a £7.8billion takeover of its US owner by a private equity firm[/caption]

The price demonstrates a 90 per cent collapse in market value since the merger between Boots and Walgreens a decade ago.

It is understood Sycamore wants to keep the US retail business and sell or spin off the Boots international arm, including its No7 beauty brand.

Walgreens executive chairman Stefano Pessina, who engineered the Walgreens Boots Alliance creation, is rolling over his 17 per cent stake and investing more cash to maintain a minority stake.

It is thought Mr Pessina will spearhead a break-up of the company, which could see Boots listed on the stock market or owned separately with him still involved.

Walgreens has twice tried to sell Boots in the last three years.

Most recently it was placed with a £6billion price tag, but an auction was axed after bidders balked at the price.

Russ Mould, of analysts AJ Bell, said: “Sycamore is unlikely to keep Boots once the takeover completes.”

Boots has around 1,800 shops and more than 50,000 employees, all of whom will now face an uncertain period.

LLOYDS I.T. CULL

LLOYDS has warned 6,000 UK staff in its IT department their jobs are at risk — while it plans to create an IT hub in India with 4,000 workers.

The bank is restructuring so the employees have to reapply for their jobs.

Lloyds did not say how many redundancies there would be, but said its plans include 1,200 highly skilled IT jobs in the UK.

HOME COST DIP

HOUSE prices unexpectedly fell 0.1 per cent in February after a 0.6 per cent rise in January, Halifax said.

Analysts expected an increase as mortgage rates are stabilising.

Halifax said the fall was because a rush to complete purchases before stamp duty changes in April was fading.

Average prices rose 2.9 per cent annually, to £298,602 in February.

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A HEARTBROKEN boyfriend has paid a touching tribute to his late girlfriend after her shock death.

“Beloved” Cardiff teacher Emily Rose Browning, 24, suffered a fatal cardiac arrest in her sleep in December last year.

MEDIA WALES

Emily Rose Browning and her boyfriend Jack Weston were together for six years before she died[/caption]

MEDIA WALES

The teacher, 24, suffered from a cardiac arrest in December last year[/caption]

MEDIA WALES

Jack has shared a heartfelt tribute to his late girlfriend[/caption]

Emily had just secured her first permanent job as a teacher and she and her boyfriend Jack Weston, 27, were just starting their lives together in Cardiff.

The pair had been together for six years, after meeting at a Cardiff student night out, and they had since made plans to get engaged.

However, over Christmas, Jack found Emily’s body in bed after she suffered a fatal cardiac arrest in their home in Pontcanna.

In an emotional tribute to his late girlfriend, Jack shared: “I remember when I first met Em back she just stood out to me a bit.

“She had what her dad calls the Ems effect, which was just that lasting impression on everyone she met, always putting a smile on people’s faces.

“She wasn’t not the centre of attention, but you always knew she was there and that was just something that I miss so dearly.”

Jack, from Worcester, was in the third year of his medical degree when Emily moved to Cardiff to study Criminology in 2017.

The pair saw each other on and off and Jack admitted he’d asked her out a few times before she’d said yes on May 16, 2018.

After spending the rest of their time in together at university, studying, and attending festivals, they moved in together in the summer of 2023.

Jack said one of his favourite things about Emily, who was from Midsomer Norton. was her sociability and that she could get on well with anyone – even if they’d just met.

With her social skills, love for kids, and interest in how minds can be shaped, the ones who knew her said Emily was going to be a fantastic teacher.

Jack said “how proud” he was of his “stunning” girlfriend when she finally managed to get her first permanent as a teacher at Gladstone Primary.

After completing a master’s in Criminology, working at various schools as a supply teacher, and finishing her PGCE it took 10 to 12 interviews for her to secure her place as staff at the Cardiff school.

In a heart-wrenching moment after she died, Jack asked to see the classroom that Emily had decorated, which is still laid out in the same way as when she was teaching.

Jack believes she had a lasting impact on the children she taught for the four or five months she spent with them.

The young kids were initially confused about where their teacher had gone, according to Gladstone Primary School’s headteacher Paula.

She said often the youngsters will look at the graveyard across from the school and say to eachother “Miss Browning’s over there.”

Jack shared that he knew for sure that Emily was “the one” and has faced some of the hardest times of his life since she passed.

He said he thinks about her from waking up to going to sleep and says it’s painful going to sleep in an empty bed.

After she died, Emily’s family, including Jack, set up a fundraising page to build a memorial garden at the Gladstone Primary School to remember her.

Only 10 days after the GoFundMe was launched, an incredible £17,000 was raised in her honour.

Friends of the young teacher are taking part in a range of physical challenge including half marathons, bike rides and triathlons – raising awareness and donations to the cause.

Even Emily’s parents are doing the Three Peaks Challenge where the participant attempts to climb the highest mountains of England, Scotland and Wales within 24 hours.

Jack said he feels proud of the fundraiser and said that it’s nice to do something with Emily’s family that keeps her memory alive.

If you want to contribute to Emily’s family’s GoFundMe appeal, click here.

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Jack said Emily was ‘always putting a smile on people’s faces’[/caption]

MEDIA WALES

She had just started her first permanent job as a teacher[/caption]

MEDIA WALES

Friends and family have raised more than £18,000 since she passed away[/caption]

NATASHA JONAS and Lauren Price are headlining a jam-packed night of all-women’s boxing in the illustrious Royal Albert Hall RIGHT NOW!

The night’s main event will be a huge unification fight between British rivals Jonas, 40, and Price, 30 for three world titles, including the women’s IBF, IBO and WBC welterweight belts.

The blockbuster undercard featured Caroline Dubois defending the world championship against Bo Mi Re Shin, plus Olympic silver medallist Karriss Artingstall picking up a huge win over Raven Chapman.

• Fight-time: 7pm GMT
• TV Channel: Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Showcase

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Follow our live blog below…

SAM Thompson sparked concern with his latest podcast episode – as fans claimed he “looks and sounds so low”.

It came after Zara McDermott, 28, spent the night chatting and dancing with Emily in Paris star Lucien Laviscount, 32,

YouTube

Sam Thompson wasn’t himself during the podcast record[/caption]

YouTube

The reality star is being supported by fans following his break up[/caption]

The Mega Agency

Zara McDermott looked incredible in white on the Brits red carpet[/caption]

Sam, who split from Zara in December, was sat a few tables away from his ex during the ceremony.

Downbeat Sam, 32, needed cheering up as he recorded Staying Relevant with co-host Pete Wicks, who read out supportive messages from fans.

One said: “Oh Sam!!! You looked and sounded so sad!!! I really feel for you my lovely, you are such a wonderful human and normally keep everyone so upbeat, but this was so sad to see, I really wanted to give you a big hug!!

“Pete you are an amazing friend and really helped him through it even though you could tell he didn’t want to laugh!!

“You are sooo loved Sam, and you will find someone else who deserves to be with you!! Make sure they are as special as you are!”

Another added: “I don’t like seeing Sam this sad, please come back to your chirpy self soon, we love you Sam.”

Someone else added: “I listened on Monday and it made me sad hearing how low Sam sounded.

“Sending lots of love and hugs to you Sam. Hope your feeling brighter.”

Another said: “Big hugs for Sam, it was so hard watching him looking so sad with no get up and go,  pete and the team it’s great your all there for him.”

Someone else comented: “Behind you Sam, don’t like seeing you down! Pete really great you are carrying your best friend through this.”

Zara’s split from Sam after five years together was confirmed in December, with the former Strictly star later revealing she had moved out of their Fulham home.

She was amongst the first to arrive at the awards in a bid to avoid an awkward run in with Sam.

Our insiders at the bash revealed Sam arrived on the carpet some time later looking sheepish.

His sister Louise was also at the ceremony and shared footage of herself getting ready before arriving.

Splash

Lucien Laviscount spent the evening with Zara at the awards ceremony[/caption]

Instagram

Sam and Zara McDermott broke up last year[/caption]

JUDD TRUMP trounced injury-hit Hossein Vafaei 5-0 in their quarter-final clash at the World Grand Prix.

Walking wounded Vafaei reached his first ranking tournament quarter-final of the season despite “playing with one hand” and a “numb tongue”.

But the Iranian was ultimately dispatched by Trump, who had breaks of 145, 108, 115 and 146 in an outstanding display of potting in 64 minutes.

Vafaei, who is playing through the pain of a spinal problem, scored just 31 points in the match.

Trump set up a semi-final with Stuart Bingham, who overcame a slight injury himself from 4-2 down to beat Mark Selby 5-4.

And fans think the world No.1 produced one of the best performances of his career.

One wrote: “That’s got to be a record for two of the highest breaks by the same player in a match?”

But Jimmy White and Ronnie O’Sullivan both made consecutive maximum breaks in an exhibition match in 2009.

Yet a 146 is not seen very often – it was the 37th in professional snooker history and the first Trump has made.

Before losing to Trump in the last-eight, Vafaei revealed the crippling pain he is suffering in his neck and shoulder due to a problematic disc in his upper spine.

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The Prince of Persia – who had acupuncture pre-match to cure the agony – said: “Honestly, I’m playing with one hand right now. My neck and shoulder, I’m in so much pain.

“I’m always fighting for my fans. I was thinking, if I would pull out, what would I do? Sit on the chair and watch them?

“At least I can go out there and try and see what happens. Honestly, I am in so much pain.

“It’s unbelievable. When I’m in my chair, my hand is shaking, my left arm is completely numb.

“I have to continue with the acupuncture. They put electricity on top of the needles. It gives a shock to my nerves.

“I haven’t had time to get a MRI. I have done a CT scan. I have to do treatment and exercises.

“After this tournament, I’ll go back to Iran and see the Olympic team doctor.”

Follow the World Grand Prix in SunSport’s live blog.

Vafaei was parachuted into the draw of the World Grand Prix last Saturday when O’Sullivan pulled out due to medical reasons.

He added: “After Yushan, I had to go to Shanghai and then Chengdu to renew my contract with my sponsor.

“Then all of a sudden, they emailed me to say ‘are you ready?’ I had time.

“My visa for Hong Kong was ready. Happy days. I was not happy for my friend Ronnie.

“I hope he is healthy. I don’t want anything bad to happen to him.”

Shaun Murphy knocked out John Higgins 5-3 and will face Neil Robertson in the last-four.

Robertson also beat Xiao Guodong by the same scoreline on Friday.

MILLIONS of women are financially much worse off than their male counterparts – just because of gender.

This disparity starts in childhood and continues to old age.

Shutterstock

Millions of women are financially much worse off than their male counterparts[/caption]

Here Mel Hunter looks at ways to close the gap.

CHILDHOOD

GIRLS start missing out early, with boys getting £3 a week pocket money on average from parents, compared to £2.50 for girls, according to research by Starling Bank.

This 20 per cent extra leaves boys £26 a year better off.

Meanwhile, the bank found that girls’ toys cost five per cent more than boys’ toys, on average.

Young females are also exposed to the idea they are irresponsible with money, with derogatory terms such as “girl maths” swirling round online.

HOW TO FIX IT: If you have daughters, talk about money with them.

Get them saving up for toys they want so they build good habits early on.

Set a good example around the house, too.

For instance, if you are with a partner of the opposite sex, then share money responsibilities equally.

Financial adviser Lisa Conway-Hughes – you can follow her @misslollymoney – says: “Be aware of conversations about money that go on in your house.

“Try to make them positive.

“Prepare your daughter for facing bias.

“Teach girls as well as boys that it is important to invest.”

EARLY CAREER

THE cost-of-living crisis has disproportionately affected women, research suggests.

According to the Young Women’s Trust, 36 per cent of young females have taken on more debt in the last 12 months, compared to 28 per cent of young men.

Women aged 21 to 29 are typically paid 1.3 per cent less than men, which means men can typically get on the housing ladder a year earlier than women.

Young women are also hit by the “pink tax” where they pay nearly 40 per cent more for essential toiletries than men.

HOW TO FIX IT: If you have spare cash, invest some of it, although make sure you have around three months’ salary in savings first.

Only 34 per cent of women aged 18-24 invest, compared to 64 per cent of men.

Lisa says: “If you are saving for five years or more your money is going to perform better by investing.”

To swerve the pink tax, study prices, find the cheapest products and, if necessary, buy things aimed at fellas.

THE CARING YEARS

WOMEN who care for kids or relatives see the gender pay gap widen, with men aged 40 to 49 paid 9.1 per cent more than women.

Females are a third more likely to provide unpaid care or childcare than men, while almost three-quarters of part-time workers are women.

It means women earn less and therefore have less to save, invest or put in a pension.

They may also stop National Insurance contributions, which affects their state pension.

Divorce can also cost women more, with women often not dividing pension assets, according to Scottish Widows, which means they can miss out on an average of £77,000 in retirement.

HOW TO FIX IT: Couples with caring responsibilities should make decisions together to ensure no one is worse off.

If one is not working, the other could contribute to their partner’s pension to even things up.

Use any support available to help women work, including Universal Credit, free childcare for pre-school kids and tax-free childcare for under-12s (or under-17s if they have a disability).

There is also the Holiday Activities and Food Programme for children who get free school meals.

Women who take time out to care for children should check they have enough NI Credits for their pension.

Check how much you’ll get at gov.uk/check-state-pension.

Make sure you’re contributing to a pension throughout your working life.

Anyone aged 22 or over who earns £10,000 a year or more will be automatically enrolled in a work pension scheme, but that won’t apply if you are on a zero hours contract or are self- employed.

You can still set up a pension yourself and pay into it each month.

If divorce is a possibility, make pensions part of the discussion.
Susan Hope, of Scottish Widows, says: “Some may prioritise keeping the family home, but this could be at the expense of a fair pension share.”

You can get free information from the Money and Pensions Service (maps.org.uk).

LATER LIFE

ON average, women live to 82, while for men it is 78, but they have much less money to survive on.

Scottish Widows Women and Retirement Report 2024 found that the average woman is on track to have a pension pot around £100,000 smaller at retirement than men, which is roughly a third smaller.

Women are also more likely to be in “digital poverty” than men, meaning they do not have the means to access many of the best online deals, from shopping to price comparison sites, and also cannot access the knowledge and skills to change things.

HOW TO FIX IT: If you have gaps in your National Insurance record, check if you can use credits to plug the holes.

You can also buy back missing NI years from 2005 to 2016.

But hurry as the deadline is April 5 and this process can take time. Track down any old pensions. There is £31billion in unclaimed funds.

The Government has a free pension tracing service, which you can visit at gov.uk/find-pension contact-details.

It’s also vital to get all the help you are entitled to, including pension credit, attendance allowance and carer’s allowance.

Despite a recent surge in claims, pension credit is still going unclaimed by many who need it most, with older households on low incomes missing an average of £2,677 a year.

It tops up your weekly income to £218.15 if you’re single or your joint weekly income to £332.95 if you have a partner.

The threshold may rise for those getting other benefits like carer’s allowance or attendance allowance, meaning more people are eligible than they think.

Pension credit can also open the door to other support including housing benefit, cost of living payments and council tax reductions.

Call Independent Age’s free helpline on 0800 319 6789 for a benefits check.

On average, callers are entitled to £4,000 more support than they realised.

To get help accessing the internet and learning online skills for free, see goodthingsfoundation.org/find-support.

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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says he has no issue with Jack Grealish enjoying a night out, so long as he can deliver on the pitch.

Three smartphone makers are launching cut-price versions of their flagship devices but experts say their biggest battle might be over AI features.