DRAMATIC footage has captured the moment a F-35 fighter plane spiraled out of control and exploded into a fireball.

Video showed the $81 million aircraft rotating as it hurtled toward the ground in Alaska.

X/sentdefender

X/sentdefender

The plane exploded into a fireball[/caption]

The F-35 Lightning II jet, which can reach speeds of 1,200 mph, crashed at the Eielson Air Force Base during a training mission on Tuesday.

The pilot ejected after suffering an in-flight malfunction, officials said.

Footage shared on social media showed the plane heading toward the ground.

Thrusts from plane engines could also be heard in the clip.

The jet had lost control and was rotating and spinning rapidly.

As the plane smashed onto a runway, it burst into flames, producing a huge fireball.

The explosion could be seen behind one of the engines of another fighter jet.

Orange flames could be seen within the mushroom-shaped plumes of smoke.

Meanwhile, the pilot could be seen parachuting away from the plane.

Paul Townsend, the commander of the 354^th Fighter Wing at the US Air Force, said the pilot is safe.

He was rushed to a local hospital for checks.

“Our people are our most important resource, and we are committed in ensuring their safety and security,” he told reporters.

US Air Force chiefs have launched an investigation.

The F-35, produced by Lockheed Martin, is a leading stealth fighter jet.

On top of reaching top speeds of Mach 1.6, the planes can carry both Joint Air-to-Surface stand-off missiles and long-range anti ship missiles.

Electronic warfare systems installed on the jets can track enemy movements, jam radars, and mitigate attacks.

In 2017, president Donald Trump described the F-35 as an “invisible” plane.

“You literally can’t see it,” he gushed.

“It’s hard to fight a plane you can’t see.”

While Trump has highlighted the benefits of the jet, his new best pal Elon Musk has voiced criticisms on X.

F-35 DEBATE

Musk described the F-35’s design as s**t.

And he agreed with commentators who say drones are the next level of warfare.

Musk shared a video that showed a formation of small drones and said: “Meanwhile, some idiots are still building manned fighter jets like the F-35.”

The Tesla tycoon has cozied up with Trump in recent months and is spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency.

The advisory body is aiming to make around $2 trillion of savings.

But the cost of an F-35 jet has proved to be a contentious issue within the Pentagon and on Capitol Hill.

In 2021, the price of a fighter jet was approximately $135.8 million.

Now, the cost has been cut to around $81 million.

But, defense chiefs have to ensure the F-35 remains capable of responding to the evolving security challenges in the world.

Upgrades are being made to the F-35 engine, radar and weapons and this package costs around $16.5 billion.

X/sentdefender

X/sentdefender

Plumes of smoke can be seen billowing into the air[/caption]

Getty

The F-35 Lightning II plane can reach top speeds of 1,200 mph[/caption]

A WOMAN has revealed how she globetrots staying in stunning homes in incredible locations for a fraction of the usual cost – by swapping houses with other keen travellers.

Patsy Winters has exchanged homes 45 times to date, visiting more than a dozen countries without having to pay a penny for accommodation.

Jam Press

Patsy was inspired to try house swapping after watching the popular Christmas film, The Holiday[/caption]

Jam Press

Patsy has exchanged homes 45 times to date, visiting more than a dozen countries[/caption]

Jam Press

She signed up for HomeExchange, a website allowing users to advertise their homes and match with people in different cities[/caption]

The 43-year-old, who lives in Dublin, estimates she has saved up to £15,000 with her clever travel hack, meeting like-minded people online who want to visit the Irish capital.

And it means that she has been able to travel in style, often staying in incredible houses.

“Sometimes I arrive in these properties and just can’t believe it,” Patsy, an environmental scientist, told Luxury Travel Daily.

“I have stayed in many properties that are of a quality I would never be able to afford to rent – and definitely not as regularly as I do.

“For example, I had an exchange in Paris for the Rugby World Cup, and it was a gorgeous apartment by Sacré Cœur, in the building which was the original department store of Paris.

“I went a few days early to enjoy the atmosphere and the city.

“I probably wouldn’t have if I was paying the premium prices that these big events attract.

“I also went to Budapest in December for the Christmas markets and had a gorgeous apartment for free at a peak time in the city.

“I’ve also had beautiful characterful cottages in the Lake District and the Cotswolds, which are expensive areas of the UK to visit.”

Another stay that sticks out for Patsy was in Guadeloupe, where her temporary home was a large, open-plan villa with a sea view and private pool.

She said: “I remember my sister and I arriving in the house, looking out at paradise and thinking ‘this is too good to be true’.

“The house was so gorgeous that we almost felt we were missing out when we went off exploring the island.

“We deliberately came home early a few evenings so we could have a dip in the pool and just relax with the view.”

Meanwhile in Martinique, the front of the apartment she was staying in opened directly to the sea, allowing her a private cove to swim in.

She added: “Some of the properties in Panama were amazing too.

“One was in an extensive tropical garden with a pool.

“There was a thatched oval summerhouse with hammocks by the pool, where you could lie reading in the evening while fireflies danced around.

“Another one of the Panama houses was a large house in the mountains, with wrap around verandas looking out on the jungle.”

Beating January blues

Not only has she enjoyed incredible experiences, Patsy has also been able to save a huge amount of money with her house swaps.

She said: “I have saved a lot of money over the years.

“I begin every January looking at city breaks for the early months of the year – the best way to beat the January blues.

“All I have to do is book the flight, and I can stay for extra days at no extra cost.

“I do up to eight times a year.”

She also finds she is able to stay in a city for longer by house swapping, without the high price of hotel fees.

Patsy was inspired to try house swapping after watching the popular Christmas film, The Holiday.

In the blockbuster, Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz’s characters trade their respective homes – one a Surrey cottage, the other a Los Angeles mansion – for the holiday period.

The plot sparked an idea for Patsy to have her own getaway worthy of a Hollywood movie plot without breaking the bank.

Patsy said: “I didn’t really consider house swapping as a way to travel [before watching the film].

“The movie put the idea in my head and I started to do some research.”

She signed up for HomeExchange, a website allowing users to advertise their homes and match with people in different cities in order to swap dwellings for a break.

On the site, you can either do direct swaps with people equally interested in your home, or you can offer them ‘points’ in exchange, which they can use to book other properties.

Patsy’s bright and airy two-bedroom Dublin house has proved very popular.

Patsy added: “Now, I get messages almost every day, so I visit the website most days to reply.

Jam Press

On the site, you can either do direct swaps with people equally interested in your home[/caption]

“I also spend some time seeing what homes are available in places I might like to visit.

“I did seven exchanges where I travelled in 2024, and welcomed other guests to my house.”

To date, Patsy has swapped houses with people in Zanzibar, Prince Edward Island, Costa Rica, Panama, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Milan, Madrid, Malaga, Budapest, Munich, Prague, Paris, the Cotswolds, the Lake District, New Forest, Yorkshire and one within Ireland.

Of her travels, she said: “The most unusual destinations stand out.

“My very first exchange was to a house in Costa Rica.

“It was outside a little local village in the heart of the jungle and I was surrounded by nature and local culture.

“I’m not a ‘sun holiday’ type – I would be bored lying beside a pool for a week – so I normally do a lot of activities when I’m away, especially hiking.

“In Martinique and Guadeloupe, both homes had amazing sea views and a walk to the beach.

“There are many spots on those islands where you can snorkel to unbelievable coral reefs right from the beach.

“I saw several turtles grazing very early in the morning – it was really amazing, like something in a nature documentary.”

Jam Press

Patsy’s bright and airy two-bedroom Dublin house has proved very popular[/caption]

A trip to Panama last summer was another highlight for Patsy, who stayed in four different properties across the country to get a full experience.

While there, she stayed in one home built on stilts in the sea where fish swam under the house.

She said: “Zanzibar was unbelievable too.

“I stayed on a side of the island with much less tourism.

“The house was on the beach, and it was the picture of paradise – white sands, blue waters and palm trees, and very few people, other than the locals working on their seaweed farms.”

Patsy has met some of the people who have stayed in her home, answering their questions about Dublin and offering advice on how to make the most of the city.

She has a base on Clare Island in County Mayo, allowing her to offer her Dublin home up regularly.

Using the website is like a “community” experience, with people doing their best to accommodate one another’s dates and requirements.

As for 2025? Patsy said: “The world is my oyster and I can be very spontaneous.

“I am often inspired by the messages I get so I have no definite plans yet.”

Кожен камінь несе у собі унікальну енергію, яка резонує з характером і потребами вашого знака Зодіаку. Обираючи свій талісман, ви знаходите не просто прикрасу, а вірного помічника. Камені-талісмани – це не просто прикраси, а потужні провідники енергії, які допомагають розкрити потенціал кожного знака Зодіаку. Вони мають здатність притягувати удачу, гармонізувати емоції та навіть захищати від […]

  Клематис — багаторічна рослина з яскравими та великими квітами. В перекладі з грецької мови слово «клема» означає «лоза». Існує біля 300 різновидів клематисів. Кожен з них потребує особливих умов вирощування та догляду для пишного цвітіння. Як вирощувати різні сорти Сорти «Вітіцела», «Тексенсіс», «Тангутіка», а також інші з квітами великого розміру та з насиченим темним […]

Фото: Getty Images У РФ заявили про масову атаку дронів Вночі в аеропорту Пулково запроваджували план Килим через переліт частини дронів з Тверської в Ленінградську область. Низку областей РФ вночі атакували ударні безпілотники. Начебто було знищено 104 дрони. Про це повідомляє Міноборони РФ. Зазначається, що ліквідовано 47 дронів над територією Курської області; 27 — над […]

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A MYSTERIOUS glitch has bricked Garmin watches with a ‘blue triangle of death’ that stops users being able to track their exercise.

The issue causes watches to be frozen with only a blue glowing triangle present on a black screen.

Garmin

Garmin has yet to confirm the cause of the issue[/caption]

Reuters

The glitch appears to be affecting Garmin watch owners worldwide[/caption]

Users cannot move away from this screen, or access their usual features.

“Exercise seems pretty pointless today with @GarminUK blue triangle of death,” one user wrote on Twitter.

“Apparently a software update caused lots of peoples’ to malfunction.”

Another added: “My Garmin Forerunner is about as useful as a brick at the moment.”

On Reddit, users were equally in uproar.

“It’s unacceptable that it started last night and I didn’t know until it happened to me at 10am today,” a user wrote.

“I could have avoided a factory reset entirely had they sent us a single email or even put a notification in the app, or in my morning report, or anything!”

A second Reddit user added: “This is textbook on how to ruin a company’s reputation and potentially lose thousands of customers.”

The issue appears to be affecting Garmin watch owners worldwide.

Customers believe a recent automatic software update prompted the glitch.

However, Garmin has yet to confirm the cause.

“We are aware of an issue causing some devices to be stuck on the start up screen or a blue triangle,” the company wrote in a warning banner on its website’s support page.

“To resolve this, press and hold the power button until the device turns off, then power it back on, and sync with the Garmin Connect app or Garmin Express.”

A simple switch off and on again seems to solve the problem, according to Garmin.

Although there are several users who say this doesn’t work.

If this doesn’t resolve the issue, Garmin has told users they will need to complete a factory reset of their watch.

A factory reset will delete all the data stored on the device, including Garmin Wallet data, apps, watch faces, body battery data, and some step count data.

Each Garmin watch has different instructions on how to complete a factory reset.

Garmin has laid out how to factory reset each device here.

The Sun has contacted Garmin for comment.

Getty

A simple switch off and on again seems to solve the problem, according to Garmin[/caption]

MORE than half of Brits eat the same meals every week, with roast dinners, pizzas, and spaghetti Bolognese most frequently rustled up.

A poll of 2,000 adults revealed 44 per cent are ‘bored’ of the mealtime merry-go-round but lack inspiration for new dishes to cook.

Anthony Devlin/PinPep

Four in 10 (43 per cent) would be more likely to try new recipes if they were easy to make[/caption]

SWNS

More than half of Brits eat the same meals every week, with roast dinners, pizzas, and spaghetti Bolognese most frequently rustled up[/caption]

Four in 10 (43 per cent) would be more likely to try new recipes if they were easy to make, while 29 per cent would be driven by their desire to mix up the same old routine.

While 53 per cent describe themselves as carnivores, just seven per cent are vegetarian and only two per cent are vegan.

That said, 63 per cent said they are open to a ‘flexitarian diet’ where vegan and free-from alternatives are occasionally used instead of meat and dairy.

Other frequently devoured meals on a weekly basis included chicken curry, fish and chips, as well as shepherd’s or cottage pie.

The research was commissioned by NOMO, which has teamed up with Sunday Brunch chef Simon Rimmer to mark its fourth year of Flexi-Feb.

It encourages the nation to inject variety into their meal repertoires by introducing substitutes from the free-from aisle or adding whole foods, like lentils, which help to reduce meat and dairy intake.

Tara Stevens, from the vegan and free-from chocolate brand, said: “The vast majority of those polled regularly eat meat and dairy – but it doesn’t mean you can’t mix up a few meals a week to become more flexi.

“We’re all about inspiring people to try free-from alternatives or introduce whole foods into the meals they prepare.

“It can help people to cut back on meat and dairy intake whilst offering inspiration to experiment with the dishes they’ve become a little bored of from the mealtime rut.”

The study also found that despite 64 per cent consuming meat-based dishes all the time, with an average of eight meals a week containing meat, 47 per cent would be happy to switch things up if they tasted the same without meat or dairy in them.

And 23 per cent would be more inclined to try something new if it helped them to reach their health goals.

But 49 per cent of all respondents would be keen to challenge themselves to ‘Flexi February’ – with those open to switching two meals to become flexi each week.

Simon Rimmer, who has developed a ‘NOMO Creamy Choc and Raspberry Trifle’ to mark the month, said: “It is a complete myth that meals and desserts without meat and dairy lack taste.

“Nowadays there is an incredible array of substitutes – which are unbelievably good.

“You cannot tell the difference, yet many Brits don’t give them a chance, when they should.

“The research has shown many of us are lacking inspiration – but a quick trip down the free-from aisle is one of the easiest ways to vary dinners and desserts by tweaking the classics to make them a little more interesting without losing out on taste and flavour.

“It’s all about simple changes and you’ll be surprised at how much this can refresh familiar favourites – it’s as simple as using lentils in a Bolognese or using coconut milk in a trifle.”

Anthony Devlin/PinPep

Celebrity chef Simon Rimmer celebrates Flexi Feb with a showstopper trifle that was created with NOMO plant based chocolate and other alternatives[/caption]

LOVE Island fans are convinced Scott Thomas wanted Tina Stinnes to be dumped from the villa following the latest twist to rock the show.

Tina found herself at risk of being given the boot last night after being revealed as one of four ‘least popular’ islanders.

ITV

Love Island All Stars’ Tina Stinnes was at risk of being dumped on Tuesday night[/caption]

Together with Nas Majeed, Kaz Crossley and Montel McKenzie, Tina’s fate fell into the hands of the ‘most popular’ female and male islanders; Luca Bish and Elma Pazar.

Luca and Elma were told to send three out of the four home and they eventually chose to eliminate Nas, Kaz, and Montel.

This meant Tina was saved to return to the arms of her man Scott, but fans are certain he wasn’t delighted with the outcome.

As she arrived back in the villa with Luca and Elma, Scott looked up but failed to crack even the tiniest of smiles.

And it didn’t go unnoticed with eagle-eyed viewers at home.

Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, one said: “Why do I feel like Scott is fuuuuming they saved Tina, he now had to carry on pretending he likes her looool.”

Another added: “Scott’s gonna ditch Tina at the earliest opportunity.”

A third said: “I just don’t get that good vibe from Scott tbh with Tina at times it feels he still doesn’t want to be with her & is forced, which concerns me as I love both.”

And someone else added: “Sorry Tina but Scott’s heads gonna turn with this new bombshell apparently they already know each other in that way.”

Fresh from the mass cull, the villa is in for more drama as two new bombshells make a dramatic entrance.

Danielle Sellers and Sammy Root are heading in to cause havoc – and Danielle has already admitted to having her eye on Scott.

Ahead of her big comeback, the 2017 islander said: “I like Scott, Luca and Curtis so I’ll be pulling them for chats.”

The former Sun Page 3 girl made a play for Olivia Attwood’s villa partner Chris Hughes during her first stint and insiders fear Tina is now heading for heartbreak.

A source said: “Danielle is smoking hot and is the ideal age for Scott as he’s drifting apart from Tina after the explosive Vegas row with Luca.”

Meanwhile, Love Island fans will remember Sammy from series 10 in 2023. He won the show with his then-girlfriend Jess Harding.

However, the pair’s romance didn’t last, and they ended up splitting just three months after leaving the villa.

Sammy‘s arrival couldn’t have come at a better time for Elma.

The pair previously met on the Towie circuit and Elma is currently nursing a broken heart after Ronnie Vint ditched her for Harriett Blackmore.

• Love Island continues tonight, 9pm, ITV2/ ITVX

Eroteme