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Police received the call last week when a parent dialled 999 because their child wouldn't go to school, and since asked Essex residents to be more considerate when making emergency calls

The Prince of Wales, one of the club's most high-profile supporters, was seen punching the air after Villa surged to victory at Besiktas Park, on a night that delivered their first major trophy in 30 years.

The camp had been due to take place in their capital city Kinshasa, with plans for an open training session and a send off event including the country's president Felix Tshisekedi.

Refresh your space with beginner-friendly updates that don't need lots of time, tools or even skills. Nicole Gray has 10 nifty projects perfect for the long weekend

AI sycophancy + spirituality = uh oh

Chris Kennedy was announced this morning, posed for pictures early this afternoon, but had dropped out by early evening for what the party said were 'personal and family reasons'.

Paris Fury has checked in with her daughter Venezuela's bridesmaid to see if she has sold her dress yet after revealing she was flogging the outfit.

British tourist Ethan Lacey, 20, from Castle Vale, Birmingham, is fighting for his life after reportedly falling from a moving truck in Thailand before the same vehicle then ran over his head.

The glossy Roman Calendar, bought by thousands of tourists every year, has become a cult souvenir thanks to its clean-cut models in black collars.

Revising for her end-of-year exams, my 13-year-old daughter has been reading about popular forms of entertainment in Elizabethan times.

Brits looking to sell their homes might feel as though they are living in Groundhog Day - and they wouldn't be wrong.

Catriona Ball's husband Lewis, 43, passed away in November 2024, within weeks of quitting his job as a manager at a medical technology company.

Nobu has a collection of Japanese-style restaurants and hotels around the world. But its newest venture - a 'first-of-its-kind concept for the brand' - will be closer to home.

by George Whittaker

Alpine Linux, one of the most recognizable non-systemd Linux distributions, is reportedly experimenting with an optional systemd compatibility layer, a move that has sparked intense discussion across the Linux community.

For years, Alpine has stood apart from mainstream Linux distributions by avoiding both glibc and systemd, instead relying on:

• musl libc
• BusyBox
• OpenRC as its init system

Now, growing software compatibility pressures, especially around desktop applications, containers, and enterprise tooling, appear to be pushing Alpine developers to explore new approaches.

Why Alpine Linux Avoided Systemd for So Long

Alpine Linux built its reputation around simplicity, security, and minimalism. Unlike many mainstream distributions, Alpine intentionally avoided systemd in favor of the lighter and more modular OpenRC init system.

This design philosophy made Alpine extremely popular for:

• Containers and Docker images
• Embedded systems
• Lightweight virtual machines
• Security-focused deployments

Its tiny footprint and reduced dependency chain became major advantages in cloud and container environments.

The Compatibility Problem Is Growing

Despite Alpine’s popularity, avoiding systemd has increasingly created compatibility challenges.

Many modern Linux applications now assume the presence of:

• libsystemd
• systemd APIs
• glibc-specific behaviors

This has become particularly problematic for:

• Desktop software
• Proprietary enterprise applications
• Monitoring agents
• Certain gaming and multimedia tools
• AI and container orchestration software

Historically, Alpine users often relied on:

• Compatibility layers like gcompat
• Flatpak containers
• Docker workarounds
• Manually patched packages

The growing complexity of those workarounds appears to be one reason compatibility discussions are intensifying.

What the Experimental Compatibility Layer Actually Means

Importantly, Alpine Linux is not replacing OpenRC with systemd.

Instead, the project appears to be exploring:

• Optional compatibility packages
• libsystemd support
• Improved API compatibility for software expecting systemd components

Experimental efforts already exist in the broader ecosystem. For example, unofficial projects have packaged portions of systemd, particularly libsystemd, for Alpine systems specifically to satisfy software dependencies without running full systemd services.

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Improvements are needed in the delivery of support for children with special educational needs in Essex.

A spacious six-bed home in Langham, Colchester with stables and leisure facilities has come on to the market. Take a look inside.

Improvements are needed in the delivery of support for children with special educational needs in Essex.

Braintree patients will be able to pick up medications around the clock after plans were approved for a new self-service prescription machine at a pharmacy.

Drivers have been issued a warning to expect heavy congestion this bank holiday.

A spacious six-bed home in Langham, Colchester with stables and leisure facilities has come on to the market. Take a look inside.