UK - The Independent

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1. Shakespeare expert Ian McKellen brands Hamnet ‘improbable’ fiction: ‘I don’t quite get it’

   ‘I’m not very interested in trying to work out where Shakespeare’s imagination came from, but it certainly didn’t just come from family life,’ the British thespian said

2. Royal Mail blames poor weather and sickness for delayed deliveries

   Royal Mail will reportedly clear parcels first if they build up quickly and block walkways in delivery offices

3. Wigan appoint Gary Caldwell as new manager following FA Cup defeat by Arsenal

4. Wayne Rooney says referees are over-reliant on VAR

   Kavanagh and his assistants were criticised for their performance in the FA Cup tie at Villa Park.

5. Step into spring with Peper Harow’s luxury socks

   Crafted using natural materials, they’ll keep your feet comfy in all seasons

6. Cabinet Office probes Labour group over journalists’ smear campaign as pressure grows on PM to investigate

   Labour Together, which helped the prime minister’s election to become party leader, reportedly paid £36,000 for the probe

7. Female pensioner left with 10 XL bullies weighing up to 190kg before mauling, court told

   Esther Martin, who was 68 at the time, was killed in February 2024

8. Year of the Horse: The meaning of the Lunar New Year symbol for 2026

   In the Chinese zodiac, a different animal is honoured every year

9. Presidents Day 2026: Here's what's open and closed on the holiday

   Government offices, the stock market and schools are closed Monday in observance of Presidents Day, but most big retailers are open

10. Germany will keep supporting Lebanon after UN peacekeepers leave, the German president says

    Germany is seeking to assure Lebanon that it will support the Lebanese government even after pulling out German troops deployed as part of U.N. peacekeepers along the Lebanon-Israel border when their mission ends later this year