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BRITISH telecom firm Vodafone has beaten tech billionaire Elon Musk in the mobile phone space race.

The breakthrough will make the UK the first to connect calls to standard handsets via satellites.

Reuters

Vodafone has beaten tech billionaire Elon Musk in the mobile phone space race[/caption]

It means calls can switch between space and normal mast networks automatically.

And users stuck in remote locations such as mountains or out at sea can also use the tech to connect to broadband internet to get a signal.

Unlike current satellite phones, users will not need a special dish, terminal or more expensive handset.

Vodafone boss Margherita Della Valle yesterday revealed she had made a call using the tech to an engineer in a remote mountain region of Wales “which had never had a phone signal”.

The achievement comes 40 years after the UK’s first mobile phone call — made at midnight on January 1, 1985, by Michael Harrison to his father Sir Ernest, the founder of Vodafone.

Vodafone invested in AST SpaceMobile in 2018.

There are five satellites it works with, allowing the firm to test mobile broadband connectivity directly to existing smartphones at peak data transmission speeds.

AST SpaceMobile operates the only mobile broadband network in space that works directly with standard smartphones for multiple users.

And it means Vodafone is ahead of Musk, whose Starlink network has so far only managed text messages in tests connecting regular phones to low Earth orbit satellite constellations.

Ms Della Valle said the breakthrough would mean everyone will “be connected, no matter where they are”.

She went on: “This will help close the digital divide, supporting people to keep in touch with family and friends, or work, as well as ensuring reliable rural connectivity in an emergency.”

After further testing, the service is set to be rolled out by the end of the year before expanding into Europe.

Vodafone said the tech will be available only to its customers. It is yet to determine the pricing of packages but will “aim to make it accessible”.

A spokesman said users would have to be outdoors, rather than underground, to be able to use the service.

Tim Peake, the first British astronaut to visit the International Space Station in 2015, welcomed the move.

He said: “I can appreciate the value in being able to communicate with family and friends from remote and isolated locations.”

Normal calls and video messages work by pinging a signal from a phone to a radio on a mast.

The signal then travels via underground cables or fibre networks to the closest tower mast to the recipient, which then pings it to their phone.

The new tech will send the signal to a satellite then back to a gateway before switching to the normal network.

LOVE island All Star fans were left scratching their heads tonight as bombshell Danielle Sellers made her shock entrance alongside Sammy Root – with many admitting they had no idea who she was.

Even Love Island’s voice over star Iain Stirling confessed: “I work on this show and I had to Google her …”

Rex

Danielle Sellers is a bombshell in this year’s All Stars series[/caption]

ITV

Sammy Root and Danielle entered the Love Island All Stars tonight[/caption]

In a series first, the new arrivals were sent straight to the Hideaway and given the power to invite two islanders for a surprise sleepover.

Sammy chose Elma and Danielle set her sights on Curtis, leaving the rest of the villa stunned as they had no clue who had picked them.

Inside the Hideaway Danielle, who originally appeared on the show in 2017, reintroduced herself to Curtis, saying: “I came on it eight years ago, so long time for me.”

But fans were still none the wiser, taking to X to voice their confusion.

One wrote: “who the hell is danielle?”

Another added: “No offence to danielle, i’m sure she’s a lovely girl but all stars is supposed to be memorable islanders & those that made a big impact. I fully don’t remember her and i’ve watched every series.”

A third joked: “Is there any video evidence of danielle in the villa because I genuinely can’t find any.”

Danielle was on Gabby Allen’s season and Gaby told the group: “She’s a really nice girl”.

As the night unfolded, Ekin-Su was left fuming over Curtis being invited to the hideaway, questioning why another girl had picked him when they were “closed off.”

Meanwhile, Curtis himself was left bewildered, repeating how confused and speechless he was.

However, the pair later got to know each other and Curtis appeared to warm up to Danielle.

He admitted about Ekin-Su: “I didn’t even know the girl (before the show)”

He later told the boys: “She felt very comfotable to be around, but I don’t know what that means to tell you the honest truth.”

Eroteme

BACK in the 1990s, you could hardly open a glossy mag without seeing tennis star Anna Kournikova’s athletic figure sprawled over the pages.

Despite never reaching a final of a grand slam singles tournament, the Russian was in such demand she was the highest-earning female player in 2000.

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BackGrid

Anna was spotted at Bal Harbour in Miami being pushed along in a wheelchair by family and friends, with her right foot clad in an orthopaedic boot[/caption]

https://www.instagram.com/annakournikova/

Anna and kids celebrate partner Enrique Iglesias’ birthday[/caption]

One of her endorsements that year saw her in a sports bra on billboards next to the line “only the ball should bounce”.

But since quitting the game in 2003, aged just 21, due to back problems, she has become something of a recluse, living behind 16ft walls at the beach-front mansion in Miami she shares with her pop star partner Enrique Iglesias and their three children.

So it came as a shock to fans this week, to see Anna photographed in public for the first time in nearly three years.

And it seems the 43-year-old has not shaken off the injuries that prevented her career on court reaching its full potential.

Anna was spotted at Bal Harbour in Miami being pushed along in a wheelchair by family and friends, with her right foot clad in an orthopaedic boot.

‘I love being a mum’

Smiling by her side were her two daughters, Lucy, seven, and five-year-old Mary.

The image provided a brief window into the happiness that motherhood has brought the star, who also has Lucy’s twin brother Nicholas, since she turned her back on fame.

It is a world away from her years as a teenage sensation when she once joked that “every country I visit, I have a different boyfriend and I kiss them all”, following rumours she was seeing two Russian ice hockey stars at the same time.

I did feel pressure when people were saying things like, ‘You’re too pretty, you can’t play’, or whatever.

Anna Kournikova

At the peak of her fame, she could not go anywhere without being photographed, and could not chat to a man without being romantically linked to him.

And her reluctance to go out in public is understandable, given that a stalker once tried to get on to her property.

Talking about her previous worldwide fame, she told The Sun in 2019: “It’s really strange, it feels like it happened to me but it didn’t happen to me because it was such a long time ago.”

And she confessed that all the attention she received had made her anxious.

She said: “Being in the spotlight since I was a child was really hard.

“I did feel pressure when people were saying things like, ‘You’re too pretty, you can’t play’, or whatever.

“I would get so nervous and get anxiety on the court, I wouldn’t be able to move.”

Anna was last seen by fans when she shared a photo of her family celebrating Mother’s Day and Enrique’s 47th birthday in their back garden in May 2022.

It was becoming a mum to twins Nicholas and Lucy in December 2017 that truly sealed her move away from public view.

Having seen every part of her life pored over as a teenager, Anna did not announce their birth until a full month later.

Since then there have been the occasional images of her children posted on social media.

They include a cute video of her three children driving a toy red Range Rover around the tennis court at her house.

She said: “I love being a mum.

“I absolutely wanted to have children, whether I had my own or adopted.”

But Anna and Enrique give so little away that they have not even confirmed a rumoured marriage.

She wears a huge sparkly ring on her wedding finger and calls herself Anna Kournikova Iglesias on her Instagram page.

Enrique once referred to Anna as his wife.

I’m like a menu at an expensive restaurant — you can look at me, but you can’t afford me.

Anna Kournikova

He also said in 2022: “We haven’t gotten married in public, but that doesn’t mean we are not married.

“We have been together for such a long time, for half of our lives.”

For many, Kournikova was a poster girl for unfulfilled talent.

Doug Seeburg - The Sun

Berlei

Anna turning heads with a billboard bra advert in 2000[/caption]

She was the first of the Russian women to make it big on the tennis circuit, paving the way for stars such as Maria Sharapova.

When Anna was five, her mum Alla sold her television in order to buy he girl a tennis racket — and within five years she had secured a place at a prestigious academy in Florida.

She turned professional aged 14 and the following year reached the fourth round of the US Open, losing to eventual champion Steffi Graf.

But it was making the semi-finals of Wimbledon in 1997 aged 16 — which would be her best grand slam result in the singles game — that sent her into the sporting stratosphere.

Her 44-inch legs, blonde hair and perfect smile were a godsend for advertisers and in 2001 she earned £7million from sponsorship deals alone.

It was no surprise that FHM magazine named her the sexiest woman on the planet in 2002.

There was a slew of rumoured male admirers, including Brazilian footballer Ronaldo, who she gave a kiss to at the 1998 French Open, and Australian ­tennis star Mark Philippoussis.

She played up to her reputation as a heartbreaker by commenting: “I’m like a menu at an expensive restaurant — you can look at me, but you can’t afford me”.

The most infamous story surrounded a love triangle involving two ­Russian ice hockey stars.

Anna was said to have been in an on-off relationship with Sergei Fedorov after meeting him in 1999 when she was 17.

But his team-mate Pavel Bure also made a move in 2000, with The Sun revealing that diners had seen him propose to her with a pink rose in a Miami restaurant.

In the end, Anna chose Sergei.

A marriage certificate in Moscow appeared to show that the couple tied the knot in 2001.

Anna always denied getting married, but Sergei insisted they had been man and wife.

He said in 2003 after what he said was their divorce: “I loved her but she had her own plans.”

It was meeting Enrique, 49, the son of Spanish crooner Julio, in late 2001 when she played his girlfriend in the video for his song Escape, that changed everything.

In 2002 she announced her retirement from tennis, having struggled with a long-standing injury.

She said: “My back really forced me to stop.

“It got so bad I couldn’t tie my shoes, literally. I would be in excruciating pain.”

While Anna never reached the heights it was believed she would, she was twice the women’s doubles champion at the Australian Open.

Explicit emails

By 2004 she was also at odds with her mum Alla, who had orchestrated much of her early career.

Alla and dad Sergei launched legal action to get their daughter out of the Miami pad which they claimed to own.

The tennis star then counter-sued and a secret settlement was reached.

I’d love to appear in something like Sex And The City or Friends.

Anna Kournikova

A year later homeless man William Lepeska, who had a history of violence, was arrested at a swimming pool near her home, shouting, “Anna, save me”.

He had got the wrong house.

Lepeska, who was ordered by a court to stay away from Anna, had also sent her sexually explicit emails.

Afterwards, Anna bulked up her security, bringing in bodyguards, and her public appearances lessened.

There had been talk of her going into acting or presenting following her retirement from tennis.

She enjoyed a cameo in the 2000 Jim Carrey movie Me, Myself & Irene and said: “I’d love to appear in something like Sex And The City or Friends.”

But apart from stints as a workout coach on reality show The Biggest Loser in 2010 and 2011, Anna did not pursue the numerous opportunities offered to her.

It is clear she values privacy more than fame.

Given the last photo she posted of herself on social media was in 2021, there is little chance she is going to talk publicly about her latest injury.

But with a loving family around her, nowadays she can just block out what the world has to say about her and how she is looking.

Getty Images - Getty

At five, Anna’s mother sold their TV to buy her a tennis racket, leading to a spot at a prestigious Florida academy[/caption]

Getty - Contributor

Anna shares a Miami mansion with her pop star partner Enrique Iglesias and their three children – the couple seen here in 2010[/caption]

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Ніжний домашній кекс із ванільними й шоколадними нотками. Простий рецепт, ідеальний для затишного чаювання чи сімейного десерту! Інгредієнти: 150 г м’якого вершкового масла 200 г цукру щіпка солі 1 ч. л. ванільного цукру (або ваніль) 3 яйця 150 г сметани (або густого йогурту/кефіру) 250 г борошна 10 г розпушувача 2 ст. л. какао-порошку 2 ст. […]

  На головний мозок впливає багато факторів, в тому числі те, що людина їсть і п’є. Деякі напої можуть негативно позначатися на його стані. Детальніше про це розповімо в нашому матеріалі. Солодкі напої Фруктові соки, газована вода, квас – всі ці напої небезпечні для мозку. В першу чергу тим, що в них високий вміст цукру. […]

The fire broke out directly in front of Etihad, as thousands of fans were evacuated less than two hours before ...

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THE expanded Champions League has delighted and confused fans in equal abundance so far this season.

More teams and more matches – plus a league table to contend with – have left many fans wondering what exactly is going on.

AP

Liverpool are already into the hat for the Champions League Round of 16 draw – but have will have to wait to find out who their opponents are[/caption]

There is just one round of matches to play after Wednesday’s fixtures, with all remaining games set to take place on January 29.

But then what?

There will be a draw next week – but with some teams already into the knockout phase, it’s not how it was before.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Champions League knockout draw and stages.

When is the Champions League knockout stage draw?

The main draw for the knockout phase takes place on Friday, February 21.

However, there is ALSO a draw taking place for the knockout phase play-offs.

Under the new league table format, which has 36 teams, the top eight teams in the table are automatically put into the Round of 16 and are seeded.

The bottom eight teams are eliminated from European competition, with no move into the Europa League like in previous years.

The next 16 teams – those that finished between 9th and 24th – then head into the knockout phase play-offs.

The teams that finished 9th to 16th will be seeded and drawn against teams that finished 17th to 24th (unseeded).

The draw for that round of games take place on Friday, January 31.

While Liverpool have already guaranteed qualification, fellow English sides Arsenal, Aston Villa and Man City still have it all to play for.

When does the Champions League knockout phase play-offs take place and when is the Round of 16?

Teams that finished in the top eight and automatically reached the Round of 16 have a little bit of a wait on their hands.

After the final league phase game on January 29, the likes of Liverpool and Barcelona will not play their Champions League last 16 games until March.

Those fixtures are scheduled to take place on March 4-5 and 11-12.

For the knockout phase play-offs, there is a slightly shorter wait – those two-legged games take on February 11-12 and 18-19.

MILLENIC ALLI is poised to join Luton Town in a €1.8million deal.

Alli, 24, has scored 12 times in all competitions for League One side Exeter City this season.

And now he will try to help Luton’s bid to avoid a second successive relegation with the Hatters second from bottom in the Championship.

Reared in Dublin, he lined out for St Francis and represented the DDSL in the Kennedy Cup.

After his family moved to England where he joined Bury’s youth academy before making waves in non-league circles.

He lined out for South Shields, Workington, Ashton United, Stockport, Chorley and Halifax before the Grecians signed him 12 months ago.

Meanwhile, Bohemians boss Alan Reynolds has hailed the quality of loan signing Kian Best.

Best, 19, has joined Bohs until the summer, when his Preston North End contract ends.

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The left-back made 12 Championship appearances and won five England under-19 caps, scoring on his debut against Romania, last season.

He featured in their opening game of this campaign too but, after Ryan Lowe stepped down after that game.

His only games under his successor Paul Heckingbottom came in the Carabao Cup.

But Reynolds believes he will prove a valuable addition. He said: “I am delighted to get Kian on board.

MANCHESTER United star Nicky Butt’s 50th birthday party is at the centre of a police probe after an alleged head-butt left a security guard with a suspected broken nose.

Cops are questioning witnesses and scouring CCTV footage from celeb haunt Soho Farmhouse, Oxfordshire.

PA

Ex-Manchester United player Nicky Butt’s 50th birthday party is at the centre of a police probe[/caption]

Getty

Gary Neville was at the event where an alleged head-butt left a security guard with a suspected broken nose[/caption]

Alamy

Fellow class of ’92 star Paul Scholes also attended[/caption]

Guests included David and Victoria Beckham, plus Class of 92 pals Paul Scholes and Gary Neville.

A source said: “There was blood everywhere. People were shocked.”

The clash followed an afternoon of drinking after 30 people moved on from the private dining room to a bar area at Soho Farmhouse near Great Tew, Oxfordshire.

Trouble is said to have flared between 7pm and 8pm after a man left the bar to go outside.

The security guard is said to have spotted the man relieving himself against a courtyard wall.

He approached the man and remonstrated with him.

It is alleged the man then snapped in a drunken fury and head-butted the guard.

Police said they received a report of the alleged assault at 9.15pm, around two hours after it happened and as the extent of the guard’s injuries became known.

Officers then turned up at the members-only club which also offers £800-a-night cabins.

A source said: “The guard went to have a word with the guy causing offence and was then head-butted in the face.

“There was blood everywhere and people were shocked as the guard came inside with his face in a total mess.”

The Beckhams — who have a £12million estate around the corner from Soho Farmhouse — returned home soon after the ­incident.

Butt, Neville, Scholes and their partners also left to be driven back to their homes near ­Manchester.

The wounded guard was taken to hospital for treatment to facial injuries.

He has given police a full statement and is said to be currently off work recovering from his injuries.

Thames Valley Police confirmed their attendance and investigation.

Nobody has been arrested so far.

Midfielder Butt turned 50 on January 21 and had invited a host of friends to the lunch party last Friday, January 24.

They included his teammates from the Class of 1992, a crop of exceptional young United talents who emerged that year and remain close friends.

The source added: “There were a few well-known faces there ­including some of the 1992 class and their wives and girlfriends, including Victoria Beckham.

“They were there for a lunch to celebrate Nicky Butt’s 50th birthday and the drinks were flowing all afternoon.”

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The class of ’92 were a cohort of youth players who ascended to the Man U first team in 1992[/caption]

soho farmhouse

The venue was celeb haunt Soho Farmhouse, Oxfordshire[/caption]

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Guests included David and Victoria Beckham[/caption]

The source added: “It’s the very last place you would expect to hear of that kind of behaviour going on.

“Soho Farmhouse is very upmarket and fashionable.

“This kind of incident is certainly not a regular occurrence there.

“The other guests and staff alike were all shocked about what happened.

“It ruined a lovely day.”

A police spokesman confirmed: “An assault at a business premises in Great Tew was reported to Thames Valley Police at about 9.15pm on January 24.

“It is alleged that a man assaulted a member of security.

“Thames Valley Police is conducting a thorough investigation, including taking a statement from and supporting the victim, obtaining and reviewing any CCTV available and taking witness statements.

“No arrests have been made at this time.”

The Class of 92 formed the nucleus of the Manchester United team which went on to win more than 20 trophies under legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Butt, Becks, 49, Scholes, 50, Ryan Giggs, 51, and brothers Gary Neville, 49, and Phil, 48, featured in a 2013 ­documentary about their rise and stellar careers.

A second series was made in 2016 and featured the ex-players — minus Beckham — buying Salford City FC.

Butt had been CEO of League Two Salford until quitting last year.

The six Class of 92 players ­collectively won an extraordinary 120 trophies between them — including two Champions Leagues.

Giggs lifted 35 trophies in 963 games for the Red Devils while Butt won 14 in 387 matches.

Beckham won 12 in 394 games, Gary Neville got 20 in 602 games and brother Phil, now based in the US, lifted 14 in 386 games.

Meanwhile, Scholes won 25 trophies in 718 games.

Former England captain Beckham and some of his four children are said to be regulars at Soho ­Farmhouse, which featured in the acclaimed Netflix documentary about him in 2023.

A Soho Farmhouse spokesperson declined to comment last night.

News Group Newspapers Ltd

PA:Press Association

Gary Neville captained Manchester United for many years[/caption]

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Paul Scholes is considered one of the best midfielders to play for the club[/caption]

Getty

David Beckham won many league titles with United, before transferring to Real Madrid in 2003[/caption]

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Butt playing in a Manchester United charity game[/caption]

Where the rich relax

ULTRA-exclusive Soho Farmhouse has been touted as a “hamlet of hedonism” and “the country retreat for people who would otherwise never go to the country”.

Deep in the Cotswolds, it is part of the international Soho House private members club and hosted Meghan’s hen party before her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry.

Free for editorial use

Soho Farmhouse has been touted as a ‘hamlet of hedonism’[/caption]

Reality TV queen Kourtney Kardashian and pop star Dua Lipa have visited.

Guest speakers have included ex-England and Liverpool footballer Jordan Henderson and actress Billie Piper.

Entry is strictly members-only, with a hefty price tag attached.

Rooms in the Grade II-listed farmhouse start at £295.

Cabins set in its 100 acres cost even more.

The rich and famous can relax at the luxury health club, heated pools, and country pub.

There is a “lazy lake” with sunken hot tubs, an infrared sauna, plus steam and ice rooms.

A “wellness barn” offers pilates, meditation, and fitness classes.

Punters also have access to manicures and pedicures, facials and massages.

Outdoor pursuits include horse riding, boating, clay shooting or tennis.

Guests can marvel at original artworks and tuck into food from top-tier Japanese cuisine to a classic Sunday roast.

Soho House owns a range of other swanky spots across the globe, including New York, Paris, Rome and Amsterdam.