Some MPs have divided the internet after they were filmed dancing in parliament even as the crisis in the Middle East rages.
Parliamentarians, including the Speaker of the Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle, gathered in Portcullis House on Wednesday morning while Strictly Come Dancing stars Angela Rippon and Alex Kingston showed them some moves.
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The event was meant to promote how dancing can boost health and wellbeing, but others have slammed the gathering for being insensitive.
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Since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Saturday, Tehran’s retaliatory strikes have pulled the whole of the Middle East into disarray.
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The UK is currently weighing up how to defend its own military base in Cyprus following an Iranian drone attack.
Keir Starmer has already given the US permission to use its British bases to target Iran, too.
International affairs aside, MPs have also come under scrutiny this week after the independent expenses watchdog announced their basic salary will rise by 5% to £98,599 in April.
So people have, naturally, been questioning the timing of this dance lesson while clips of jubiliant MPs have been repeatedly on social media.
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The Commons Speaker, Lindsay Hoyle and Angela Rippon lead a dancing class in Parliament’s Portcullis House with MPs. So while global conflicts rage and the UK endures a cost of living crisis, it’s heartening to see our MPs having a dance. FFS.pic.twitter.com/V4Ze6Rm1cF
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The Commons Speaker, Lindsay Hoyle and Angela Rippon lead a dancing class in Parliament’s Portcullis House with MPs. So while global conflicts rage and the UK endures a cost of living crisis, it’s heartening to see our MPs having a dance. FFS.pic.twitter.com/V4Ze6Rm1cF
At a time when war is brewing in the Middle East and the mood in the United Kingdom feels increasingly fractured, seeing MPs ballroom dancing feels tone-deaf. https://t.co/uhsqhF8Pr2
","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Bianco Zhivago","author_url":"https://twitter.com/Bianco_Zhivago","cache_age":86400,"description":"First. Optically, this looks bad. At a time when war is brewing in the Middle East and the mood in the United Kingdom feels increasingly fractured, seeing MPs ballroom dancing feels tone-deaf. https://t.co/uhsqhF8Pr2— Bianco Zhivago (@Bianco_Zhivago) March 4, 2026\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"Bianco Zhivago on Twitter / X","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/Bianco_Zhivago/status/2029185634665951322","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"uk","name":"U.K.","link":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk","locale":"en_GB"},"originalEdition":"uk","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isMobile":false,"isAdsFree":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"69a84c35e4b0b7f2ce604ec1","entryPermalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/mps-split-social-media-by-dancing-in-parliament-with-strictly-stars_uk_69a84c35e4b0b7f2ce604ec1","entryTagsList":"social-media,iran","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"isShopping":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"uk.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc140cf94592c45d7390c","disabledWithMapiEntries":false,"overrides":{"all":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4"},"whitelisted":["56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439","56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529","570278d2e4b070ff77b98217","57027b4be4b070ff77b98d5c","56fe95c4e4b0041c4242016b","570279cfe4b06d08e3629954","5ba9e8821c2e65639162ccf1","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e","5b35266b158f855373e28256","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2","60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","60d0de02b627221e9d819408"],"playlists":{"default":"57bc306888d2ff1a7f6b5579","news":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","politics":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","entertainment":"56c6e7f2e4b0983aa64c60fc","tech":"56c6f70ae4b043c5bdcaebf9","parents":"56cc65c2e4b0239099455b42","lifestyle":"56cc66a9e4b01f81ef94e98c"},"playerUpdates":{"56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439":"60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b":"60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529":"60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced":"60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e":"60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2":"60d0de02b627221e9d819408"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"16b0ecc6-802c-4120-845f-e90629812c4d","clickToPlayPlayer":"823ac03a-0f7e-4bcb-8521-a5b091ae948d","videoPagePlayer":"05041ada-93f7-4e86-9208-e03a5b19311b","defaultPlaylist":"2e062669-71b4-41df-b17a-df6b1616bc8f"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":2},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":0},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"69a84c35e4b0b7f2ce604ec1","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-uk"},"tags":[{"name":"Social Media","slug":"social-media","links":{"relativeLink":"news/social-media","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/social-media","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/social-media"},"relegenceId":4993943,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/social-media/"},{"name":"Iran","slug":"iran","links":{"relativeLink":"news/iran","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/iran","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/iran"},"relegenceId":3686717,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/iran/"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"signInUrl":"https://login.huffpost.com/login?dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffpost.com%2Fentry%2Fmps-split-social-media-by-dancing-in-parliament-with-strictly-stars_uk_69a84c35e4b0b7f2ce604ec1%3Fhp_auth_done%3D1","cetUnit":"buzz_body","enableIncontentPlayer":true,"bodyAds":["
At a time when war is brewing in the Middle East and the mood in the United Kingdom feels increasingly fractured, seeing MPs ballroom dancing feels tone-deaf. https://t.co/uhsqhF8Pr2
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Entirely normal behaviour when the world is at war. My parents shared fond memories of the newsreel coverage of Chamberlain and Churchill jitterbugging in the Parliamentary dance class of 1940. https://t.co/3lPl3nYEg2
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Entirely normal behaviour when the world is at war. My parents shared fond memories of the newsreel coverage of Chamberlain and Churchill jitterbugging in the Parliamentary dance class of 1940. https://t.co/3lPl3nYEg2
Latest scenes from Parliament. Given the enormity of what is happening in the world presumably it will go viral, globally, and not in a good way as a neat symbol. Meanwhile, British defence spending is only 2.4% of UK GDP. https://t.co/LHvfc77VIF
","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Iain Martin","author_url":"https://twitter.com/iainmartin1","cache_age":86400,"description":"Latest scenes from Parliament. Given the enormity of what is happening in the world presumably it will go viral, globally, and not in a good way as a neat symbol. Meanwhile, British defence spending is only 2.4% of UK GDP. https://t.co/LHvfc77VIF— Iain Martin (@iainmartin1) March 4, 2026\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"Iain Martin on Twitter / X","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/iainmartin1/status/2029220926986801374","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"uk","name":"U.K.","link":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk","locale":"en_GB"},"originalEdition":"uk","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isMobile":false,"isAdsFree":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"69a84c35e4b0b7f2ce604ec1","entryPermalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/mps-split-social-media-by-dancing-in-parliament-with-strictly-stars_uk_69a84c35e4b0b7f2ce604ec1","entryTagsList":"social-media,iran","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"isShopping":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"uk.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc140cf94592c45d7390c","disabledWithMapiEntries":false,"overrides":{"all":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4"},"whitelisted":["56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439","56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529","570278d2e4b070ff77b98217","57027b4be4b070ff77b98d5c","56fe95c4e4b0041c4242016b","570279cfe4b06d08e3629954","5ba9e8821c2e65639162ccf1","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e","5b35266b158f855373e28256","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2","60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","60d0de02b627221e9d819408"],"playlists":{"default":"57bc306888d2ff1a7f6b5579","news":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","politics":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","entertainment":"56c6e7f2e4b0983aa64c60fc","tech":"56c6f70ae4b043c5bdcaebf9","parents":"56cc65c2e4b0239099455b42","lifestyle":"56cc66a9e4b01f81ef94e98c"},"playerUpdates":{"56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439":"60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b":"60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529":"60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced":"60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e":"60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2":"60d0de02b627221e9d819408"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"16b0ecc6-802c-4120-845f-e90629812c4d","clickToPlayPlayer":"823ac03a-0f7e-4bcb-8521-a5b091ae948d","videoPagePlayer":"05041ada-93f7-4e86-9208-e03a5b19311b","defaultPlaylist":"2e062669-71b4-41df-b17a-df6b1616bc8f"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":2},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":0},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"69a84c35e4b0b7f2ce604ec1","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-uk"},"tags":[{"name":"Social Media","slug":"social-media","links":{"relativeLink":"news/social-media","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/social-media","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/social-media"},"relegenceId":4993943,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/social-media/"},{"name":"Iran","slug":"iran","links":{"relativeLink":"news/iran","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/iran","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/iran"},"relegenceId":3686717,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/iran/"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"signInUrl":"https://login.huffpost.com/login?dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffpost.com%2Fentry%2Fmps-split-social-media-by-dancing-in-parliament-with-strictly-stars_uk_69a84c35e4b0b7f2ce604ec1%3Fhp_auth_done%3D1","cetUnit":"buzz_body","enableIncontentPlayer":true,"bodyAds":["
Latest scenes from Parliament. Given the enormity of what is happening in the world presumably it will go viral, globally, and not in a good way as a neat symbol. Meanwhile, British defence spending is only 2.4% of UK GDP. https://t.co/LHvfc77VIF
Some social media users said it was time to “lighten up” and suggested voters actually like seeing their politicians prove they know how to have fun on occasion.
I think people having a pop at the MPs doing this need to lighten up. It’s a light hearted event on a very serious subject and all the best to them … even the dad dancers https://t.co/Uj6tThxSUj
","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Richard Short","author_url":"https://twitter.com/EHOinExile","cache_age":86400,"description":"I think people having a pop at the MPs doing this need to lighten up.It’s a light hearted event on a very serious subject and all the best to them … even the dad dancers https://t.co/Uj6tThxSUj— Richard Short (@EHOinExile) March 4, 2026\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"Richard Short on Twitter / X","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/EHOinExile/status/2029213074503127446","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"uk","name":"U.K.","link":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk","locale":"en_GB"},"originalEdition":"uk","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isMobile":false,"isAdsFree":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"69a84c35e4b0b7f2ce604ec1","entryPermalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/mps-split-social-media-by-dancing-in-parliament-with-strictly-stars_uk_69a84c35e4b0b7f2ce604ec1","entryTagsList":"social-media,iran","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"isShopping":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"uk.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc140cf94592c45d7390c","disabledWithMapiEntries":false,"overrides":{"all":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4"},"whitelisted":["56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439","56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529","570278d2e4b070ff77b98217","57027b4be4b070ff77b98d5c","56fe95c4e4b0041c4242016b","570279cfe4b06d08e3629954","5ba9e8821c2e65639162ccf1","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e","5b35266b158f855373e28256","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2","60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","60d0de02b627221e9d819408"],"playlists":{"default":"57bc306888d2ff1a7f6b5579","news":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","politics":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","entertainment":"56c6e7f2e4b0983aa64c60fc","tech":"56c6f70ae4b043c5bdcaebf9","parents":"56cc65c2e4b0239099455b42","lifestyle":"56cc66a9e4b01f81ef94e98c"},"playerUpdates":{"56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439":"60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b":"60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529":"60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced":"60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e":"60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2":"60d0de02b627221e9d819408"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"16b0ecc6-802c-4120-845f-e90629812c4d","clickToPlayPlayer":"823ac03a-0f7e-4bcb-8521-a5b091ae948d","videoPagePlayer":"05041ada-93f7-4e86-9208-e03a5b19311b","defaultPlaylist":"2e062669-71b4-41df-b17a-df6b1616bc8f"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":2},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":0},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"69a84c35e4b0b7f2ce604ec1","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-uk"},"tags":[{"name":"Social Media","slug":"social-media","links":{"relativeLink":"news/social-media","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/social-media","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/social-media"},"relegenceId":4993943,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/social-media/"},{"name":"Iran","slug":"iran","links":{"relativeLink":"news/iran","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/iran","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/iran"},"relegenceId":3686717,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/iran/"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"signInUrl":"https://login.huffpost.com/login?dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffpost.com%2Fentry%2Fmps-split-social-media-by-dancing-in-parliament-with-strictly-stars_uk_69a84c35e4b0b7f2ce604ec1%3Fhp_auth_done%3D1","cetUnit":"buzz_body","enableIncontentPlayer":true,"bodyAds":["
I think people having a pop at the MPs doing this need to lighten up. It’s a light hearted event on a very serious subject and all the best to them … even the dad dancers https://t.co/Uj6tThxSUj
Disagree with the takes implying this is indicative of why people don’t like politics. Look at the politicians people have warmed to – Farage, Rayner, Johnson (remember the zip wire), Polanski, Spencer: they’re politicians not afraid to show they have fun. The reason people… https://t.co/wAStrvHCAC
","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Luke Tryl","author_url":"https://twitter.com/LukeTryl","cache_age":86400,"description":"Disagree with the takes implying this is indicative of why people don’t like politics. Look at the politicians people have warmed to – Farage, Rayner, Johnson (remember the zip wire), Polanski, Spencer: they’re politicians not afraid to show they have fun. The reason people… https://t.co/wAStrvHCAC— Luke Tryl (@LukeTryl) March 4, 2026\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"Luke Tryl on Twitter / X","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/LukeTryl/status/2029164841861095819","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"uk","name":"U.K.","link":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk","locale":"en_GB"},"originalEdition":"uk","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isMobile":false,"isAdsFree":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"69a84c35e4b0b7f2ce604ec1","entryPermalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/mps-split-social-media-by-dancing-in-parliament-with-strictly-stars_uk_69a84c35e4b0b7f2ce604ec1","entryTagsList":"social-media,iran","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"isShopping":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"uk.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc140cf94592c45d7390c","disabledWithMapiEntries":false,"overrides":{"all":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4"},"whitelisted":["56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439","56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529","570278d2e4b070ff77b98217","57027b4be4b070ff77b98d5c","56fe95c4e4b0041c4242016b","570279cfe4b06d08e3629954","5ba9e8821c2e65639162ccf1","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e","5b35266b158f855373e28256","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2","60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","60d0de02b627221e9d819408"],"playlists":{"default":"57bc306888d2ff1a7f6b5579","news":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","politics":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","entertainment":"56c6e7f2e4b0983aa64c60fc","tech":"56c6f70ae4b043c5bdcaebf9","parents":"56cc65c2e4b0239099455b42","lifestyle":"56cc66a9e4b01f81ef94e98c"},"playerUpdates":{"56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439":"60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b":"60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529":"60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced":"60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e":"60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2":"60d0de02b627221e9d819408"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"16b0ecc6-802c-4120-845f-e90629812c4d","clickToPlayPlayer":"823ac03a-0f7e-4bcb-8521-a5b091ae948d","videoPagePlayer":"05041ada-93f7-4e86-9208-e03a5b19311b","defaultPlaylist":"2e062669-71b4-41df-b17a-df6b1616bc8f"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":2},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":0},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"69a84c35e4b0b7f2ce604ec1","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-uk"},"tags":[{"name":"Social Media","slug":"social-media","links":{"relativeLink":"news/social-media","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/social-media","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/social-media"},"relegenceId":4993943,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/social-media/"},{"name":"Iran","slug":"iran","links":{"relativeLink":"news/iran","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/iran","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/iran"},"relegenceId":3686717,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/iran/"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"signInUrl":"https://login.huffpost.com/login?dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffpost.com%2Fentry%2Fmps-split-social-media-by-dancing-in-parliament-with-strictly-stars_uk_69a84c35e4b0b7f2ce604ec1%3Fhp_auth_done%3D1","cetUnit":"buzz_body","enableIncontentPlayer":true,"bodyAds":["
Disagree with the takes implying this is indicative of why people don’t like politics. Look at the politicians people have warmed to – Farage, Rayner, Johnson (remember the zip wire), Polanski, Spencer: they’re politicians not afraid to show they have fun. The reason people… https://t.co/wAStrvHCAC
Meanwhile others took the chance to joke about U-turns…something Keir Starmer has become very famous for, having chalked up more than a dozen since being elected in July 2024…
A new scientific study suggests that returning rescued wildlife to natural habitats does not always end in success. In some situations, animals released after time in captivity face serious risks, and the wild can become what researchers describe as a “death trap.”
The findings appear in the journal Global Ecology and Conservation. The research was carried out by primatologist Professor Anna Nekaris OBE of Anglia Ruskin University along with collaborators from the conservation group Plumploris e.V. and the University of Western Australia. Their work examined the fate of Bengal slow lorises (Nycticebus bengalensis) that were released in Bangladesh.
Slow Lorises and the Illegal Pet Trade
Slow lorises are known for their large eyes and gentle looking faces, features that have unfortunately made them popular in the illegal wildlife trade. Because of this demand, they rank among the most heavily trafficked primates in the world.
All slow loris species are listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as Critically Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable. Their threatened status means they are frequently rescued and later released as part of conservation efforts aimed at rebuilding wild populations.
Tracking Bengal Slow Lorises After Release
Despite these good intentions, the new research shows that release programs can sometimes end tragically. Scientists fitted nine Bengal slow lorises with radio collars and followed their movements after releasing them into a national park in northeastern Bangladesh. The park has been used for previous wildlife releases.
The results were stark. Only two of the nine animals survived after returning to the forest. Three died within just 10 days of release, and four more died within six months. Researchers recovered four of the seven bodies, and all showed evidence that they had been killed by other slow lorises.
Territorial Conflicts and Venomous Bites
Slow lorises are extremely territorial animals. They are also the only venomous primates in the world, using specialized teeth to deliver a toxic bite. The animals recovered during the study had obvious bite wounds on the head, face, and digits, indicating that deadly territorial encounters were responsible for their deaths.
The research also revealed that animals kept in captivity for longer periods tended to survive for fewer days after release. In addition, the released lorises moved around more and appeared more alert than wild Bengal slow lorises normally do.
The two animals that survived traveled across larger areas than those that died. This pattern suggests that survival depended on leaving established territories and avoiding confrontations with resident lorises.
Rethinking Wildlife Rescue and Release
Large and charismatic animals such as big cats often receive intensive monitoring after they are released. In contrast, many smaller species are not closely tracked, meaning the outcomes of their releases frequently remain unknown.
The researchers stress that successful wildlife releases require careful planning. Evaluating the suitability of the release site and the condition of each animal is essential. Detailed habitat assessments, long term monitoring, and rehabilitation guidelines tailored to each species can improve the chances of success.
Senior author Anna Nekaris OBE, Professor of Ecology, Conservation and Environment at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, England, and head of the Little Fireface Project, said: “It’s assumed that returning confiscated or rescued animals to the wild is always a positive conservation story. Our research shows that for highly territorial species like slow lorises, releasing them into areas that are already densely populated can be a death trap.
“Many rescued endangered species are often released because the public expects it, but for animals such as the Bengal slow loris, this is not always the best course of action. Without fully understanding the animal’s behaviour, its time spent in captivity and the density of resident populations at the release site, reintroductions may do more harm than good.”
Lead author Hassan Al-Razi, the team leader of Plumploris e.V. Bangladesh, said: “Rescue and release have become an increasingly common practice in Bangladesh. Many wild animals, including slow lorises, are rescued and subsequently released back into the wild.
“However, in many cases, these releases are conducted inappropriately. For forest-dwelling species, release sites are often selected based on logistical convenience rather than ecological suitability. As a result, certain forests have effectively become dumping grounds for rescued animals and are no longer appropriate release sites.
“Although our research has focused on the Bengal slow loris and demonstrated the consequences of such practices, we believe similar patterns likely affect many other species.”
The American president said “this is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with” after Starmer initially refused to let the US use British bases to launch their attacks amid concerns the strikes broke international law.
The PM eventually changed his mind after Iran began bombing countries across the Middle East, putting British lives at risk.
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Trump’s Oval Office comments mark a new low in the so-called “special relationship” between America and the United Kingdom.
Referring to the UK military base at Diego Garcia, he said: “That island… It’s taken three, four days for us to work out where we can land there, it would have been much more convenient landing there as opposed to flying many extra hours, so we are very surprised.
“This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with.”
🚨 WATCH: Donald Trump again attacks Keir Starmer and the UK’s immigration policy
\"The UK has been very, very uncooperative… they are ruining relationships, it’s a shame… windmills are ruining their country… you have Sharia courts adjudicating law\" pic.twitter.com/YctAFJde2Z
","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Politics UK","author_url":"https://twitter.com/PolitlcsUK","cache_age":86400,"description":"🚨 WATCH: Donald Trump again attacks Keir Starmer and the UK’s immigration policy\"The UK has been very, very uncooperative… they are ruining relationships, it’s a shame… windmills are ruining their country… you have Sharia courts adjudicating law\" pic.twitter.com/YctAFJde2Z— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) March 3, 2026\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":748,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/amplify_video_thumb/2028884728707784705/img/H1OSX0qO-hlJHATH.jpg:large","thumbnail_width":1342,"title":"Politics UK on Twitter / 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🚨 WATCH: Donald Trump again attacks Keir Starmer and the UK’s immigration policy
“The UK has been very, very uncooperative… they are ruining relationships, it’s a shame… windmills are ruining their country… you have Sharia courts adjudicating law” pic.twitter.com/YctAFJde2Z
Trump’s comments are just latest criticism he has aimed at Starmer since America and Israel’s attacks on Iran began at the weekend.
In an interview with the Telegraph on Monday, the president said he was “very disappointed” in the PM.
That prompted Starmer to hit back in the Commons, telling MPs: “President Trump has expressed his disagreement with our decision not to get involved in the initial strikes.
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“But it is my duty to judge what is in Britain’s national interest. That is what I’ve done, and I stand by it.”
In another dig at the US president, Starmer said: “This government does not believe in regime change from the skies.”
Trump responded in an interview with The Sun in which he said the PM “has not been helpful”.
“I never thought I’d see that,” he said. “I never thought I’d see that from the UK. We love the UK.”
He added: “It’s not going to matter, but [Starmer] should have helped… he should have.
“I mean, France has been great. They’ve all been great. The UK has been much different from others.”
Trump continued: “You’ve seen the secretary general of NATO, the great things he said, Mark Rutte, he’s great.
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“No, they’ve all been pretty much great other than…we think Keir’s was just very different.”
The president said the spat over Iran meant “it’s just a much different kind of relationship that we’ve had with your country before”.
Luke Thompson’s character was confirmed to be queer during the show’s third run, where he was seen engaging in trysts with both men and women.
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Benedict is Bridgerton’s first openly queer lead character, and his coming out scene took the show’s writers into new territory.
“I am capable of caring for you, just as I have cared for women I have known who are of the Ton,” he told Yerin Ha’s character, Sophie, in season four’s sixth episode, which premiered on Netflix last week.
“Just as I have cared for some men whom I have known intimately,” he added. “And I refuse to be at all ashamed about that.”
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Since the episode’s release, showrunner Jess Brownell has explained why it was “hugely important” to her that this scene be included.
“I think any queer person knows that no matter who you end up with, queerness is a part of your identity,” Jess told Business Insider. “It never goes away. And I think one of the messages of this show every season is that the only way to truly be loved is to be your true self.”
After Benedict’s coming out, Sophie assures him: “Love is always a thing to be proud of. The world needs more of it.”
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Benedict and Sophie in the Bridgerton season four finale
LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX
But to Jess, there was never any doubt about how the character would react.
“Sophie is someone who’s been through so much and has lived in the downstairs world and been friends with people of all different classes,” she claimed. “And I do think she’s probably encountered people of different sexualities.”
“There is a really harmful and untrue stereotype that bisexual men are actually just gay men. More often, we see bisexual men ending up in media in homosexual-presenting relationships,” Jess told Variety last year.
“And it felt fresh and important to see a bisexual man ending up in a heterosexual-presenting relationship and still owning the fact that he is still queer.”
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Benedict is not the only queer character in the world of Bridgerton.
At the end of Bridgerton’s third outing, Francesca is introduced to her husband John’s female cousin, Michaeala Stirling.
Fans of Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton book series will know that in the novels, this character is written as a man called Michael, with whom Francesca finds love after John suddenly dies.
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However, he has been gender-swapped for the TV adaptation, with Michaela being played by Masali Baduza.
All four seasons of Bridgerton are available to watch on Bridgerton now.
Rachel Reeves looked as though she was enjoying herself as she took aim at Labour’s political opponents while delivering her Spring Statement.
With no new policies to announce, the chancellor decided to use a decent chunk of her time at the despatch box attacking Reform UK, the Conservatives and the Green Party.
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“The Tories left our country, our people and our allies exposed: They had no plan and no intention to fund their pledge to spend 2.5% of GDP on defence,” she said.
“Reform would go one step further by ditching our allies and siding with Russia, while the Green Party wants to take us out of Nato and jeopardise our alliances.
“So let me be clear: It is Labour and only Labour that can provide social justice, national security and fiscal responsibility.”
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In another section, she dismissed Reform as “a Tory tribute act” following the defections of the likes of Robert Jenrick and Suella Braverman.
“They may have changed the colour of their rosettes, but the British people won’t forget that they are the exact same people that wrecked our public services and wrecked our public finances in the last Tory government,” she said.
“The same people, the same policies and the same disastrous outcomes for working people.”
But behind the political knockabout, the chancellor must know that the fate of the UK economy – and perhaps even the Labour government – depends on the outcome of the latest war in the Middle East.
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The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) may have forecast that inflation will come down, but that was before the US and Israel’s bombing of Iran sparked an energy crisis which has seen gas prices soar in the past 48 hours.
If that ends up feeding through into people’s bills, Labour will pay a huge political price.
The same goes for the OBR’s forecasts on economic growth, as well as government borrowing and national debt.
A prolonged conflict in the Middle East, and the accompanying economic turmoil which would ensue, would blow another huge hole in the already-stretched public finances.
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With unemployment set to be higher than expected this year and the tax burden set to hit another post-war high, yet more economic uncertainty is the last thing the chancellor needs.
“This government has the right economic plan for our country,” Reeves insisted.
“A plan that is even more important in a world that in the last few days has become yet more uncertain.
“With the unfolding conflict in Iran and the Middle East, it is incumbent on me and on this government to chart a course through that uncertainty, to secure our economy against shocks and protect families from the turbulence that we see beyond our borders.”
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She may have talked a good game, but the chancellor knows that events thousands of miles away have the potential to destroy her economic plans and plunge the government into political crisis they may not recover from.
Modern neuroscience often describes the brain as a collection of specialized systems. Functions such as attention, perception, memory, language, and reasoning have each been linked to specific brain networks, and scientists have typically studied these systems separately.
This approach has produced major breakthroughs. However, it has not fully explained a central feature of human thinking: how all these separate systems come together to form a single, unified mind.
Researchers at the University of Notre Dame set out to address that question. Using advanced neuroimaging, they examined how the brain is organized overall and how that organization gives rise to intelligence.
“Neuroscience has been very successful at explaining what particular networks do, but much less successful at explaining how a single, coherent mind emerges from their interaction,” said Aron Barbey, the Andrew J. McKenna Family Professor of Psychology in Notre Dame’s Department of Psychology.
General Intelligence and Connected Cognitive Abilities
Psychologists have long observed that skills like attention, memory, perception, and language tend to be linked. People who perform well in one area often perform well in others. This pattern is known as “general intelligence.” It influences how effectively individuals learn, solve problems, and adapt across academic, professional, social, and health settings.
For more than a century, this pattern has suggested that human cognition is unified at a deep level. What scientists have lacked is a clear explanation for why that unity exists.
“The problem of intelligence is not one of functional localization,” said Barbey, who also directs the Notre Dame Human Neuroimaging Center and the Decision Neuroscience Laboratory. “Contemporary research often asks where general intelligence originates in the brain — focusing primarily on a specific network of regions within the frontal and parietal cortex. But the more fundamental question is how intelligence emerges from the principles that govern global brain function — how distributed networks communicate and collectively process information.”
To explore this broader perspective, Barbey and his team, including lead author and Notre Dame graduate student Ramsey Wilcox, tested a framework known as the Network Neuroscience Theory. Their findings were published in Nature Communications.
The Network Neuroscience Theory Explained
According to the researchers, general intelligence is not a specific ability or mental strategy. Instead, it reflects a pattern in which many cognitive skills are positively related. They propose that this pattern stems from how efficiently the brain’s networks are structured and how well they work together.
To evaluate this idea, the team analyzed brain imaging and cognitive performance data from 831 adults in the Human Connectome Project. They also examined an independent group of 145 adults in the INSIGHT Study, funded by the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity’s SHARP program. By combining measures of brain structure and brain function, the researchers created a detailed picture of large-scale brain organization.
Rather than tying intelligence to a single brain region or function, the Network Neuroscience Theory views it as a property of the brain as a whole. Intelligence, in this framework, depends on how effectively networks coordinate and reorganize themselves to handle different challenges.
Barbey and Wilcox describe this as a major shift in perspective.
“We found evidence for system-wide coordination in the brain that is both robust and adaptable,” Wilcox said. “This coordination does not carry out cognition itself, but determines the range of cognitive operations the system can support.”
“Within this framework, the brain is modeled as a network whose behavior is constrained by global properties such as efficiency, flexibility and integration,” Wilcox said. “These properties are not tied to individual tasks or brain networks, but are characteristics of the system as a whole, shaping every cognitive operation without being reducible to any one of them.”
“Once the question shifts from where intelligence is to how the system is organized,” Wilcox noted, “the empirical targets change.”
Intelligence as Whole Brain Coordination
The findings supported four main predictions of the Network Neuroscience Theory.
First, intelligence does not reside in a single network. It arises from processing distributed across many networks. The brain must divide tasks among specialized systems and combine their outputs when necessary.
Second, successful coordination requires strong integration and long-distance communication. Barbey described “a large and complex system of connections that serve as ‘shortcuts’ linking distant brain regions and integrating information across the networks.” These connections allow far apart areas of the brain to exchange information efficiently, supporting unified processing.
Third, integration depends on regulatory regions that guide how information flows. These hubs help orchestrate activity across networks, selecting the right systems for the job. Whether someone is interpreting subtle clues, learning a new skill, or deciding between careful analysis and quick intuition, these regulatory areas help manage the process.
Finally, general intelligence depends on balancing local specialization with global integration. The brain performs best when tightly connected local clusters operate efficiently while still maintaining short communication paths to distant regions. This balance supports flexible and effective problem solving.
Across both groups studied, differences in general intelligence consistently matched these large-scale organizational features. No single brain area or traditional “intelligence network” explained the results.
“General intelligence becomes visible when cognition is coordinated,” Barbey noted, “when many processes must work together under system-level constraints.”
Implications for Artificial Intelligence and Brain Development
The implications extend beyond understanding human intelligence. By focusing on large-scale brain organization, the findings offer insight into why the mind functions as a unified system in the first place.
This perspective may also explain why intelligence tends to increase during childhood, decline with aging, and be especially vulnerable to widespread brain injury. In each situation, what changes most is large-scale coordination rather than isolated functions.
The results also contribute to debates about artificial intelligence. If human intelligence depends on system-level organization rather than a single general-purpose mechanism, then building artificial general intelligence may require more than simply scaling up specialized tools.
“This research can push us into thinking about how to use design characteristics of the human brain to motivate advances in human-centered, biologically inspired artificial intelligence,” Barbey said.
“Many AI systems can perform specific tasks very well, but they still struggle to apply what they know across different situations.” Barbey said. “Human intelligence is defined by this flexibility — and it reflects the unique organization of the human brain.”
The research was conducted with co-authors Babak Hemmatian and Lav Varshney of Stony Brook University.
A super-tough microbe survived Mars-level impact forces, hinting that life might leap from planet to planet.
Date:
March 3, 2026
Source:
PNAS Nexus
Summary:
A famously resilient bacterium may be tough enough to survive one of the most violent events imaginable on Mars. In laboratory experiments designed to mimic the crushing shock of a massive asteroid impact, researchers squeezed Deinococcus radiodurans between steel plates and blasted it with pressures reaching 3 GPa (30,000 times atmospheric pressure). Even under these extreme conditions, a significant portion of the microbes survived.
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By simulating the crushing shock of a Mars asteroid impact, researchers found that a hardy bacterium can survive extreme ejection pressures. The discovery strengthens the idea that life could travel between planets inside impact debris. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com
The extremophile bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans can survive the pressures developed during ejection from Mars as a result of massive asteroid impact. Craters on the Moon and Mars show how frequently bodies in our solar system are hit by incoming material, and impacts are an important process in planetary history. Lily Zhao, K. T. Ramesh, and colleagues simulated the conditions under which a microbe might be hurled into space by the force of an impact, subjecting Deinococcus radiodurans to pressures of up to 3 GPa (30,000 times atmospheric pressure) by putting the cells between two steel plates and then hitting that steel sandwich with a third plate. Previous work has shown that the hardy microbe can withstand radiation and desiccation, making it a candidate for interplanetary survival. The authors were able to detect biological stress in the bacteria by reading out which genes were expressed at varying pressures. Samples exposed to 2.4 GPa began to show ruptured membranes, but the structure of the bacterium’s cell envelope help explain the survival of 60% of microbes. Transcription profiles suggest that the bacteria prioritized the repair of cellular damage in the aftermath of the impact. According to the authors, microorganisms can survive more extreme conditions than previously thought, including launch across space after major impacts, and life may be able to move between planets.
Story Source:
Materials provided by PNAS Nexus. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Cite This Page:
PNAS Nexus. “Blasted off Mars and still alive.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 3 March 2026. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260303082606.htm>.
PNAS Nexus. (2026, March 3). Blasted off Mars and still alive. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 3, 2026 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260303082606.htm
PNAS Nexus. “Blasted off Mars and still alive.” ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260303082606.htm (accessed March 3, 2026).
