Archive May 20, 2025

Spanish Group Appoints Ezekwesili As Advisor

Former Nigerian Minister of Education, Obiageli Ezekwesili, has been appointed as an advisor to the Club de Madrid, the world’s largest forum of democratic former presidents and prime ministers.

Club de Madrid, in a post on X, said, “On behalf of all of us, thank you @obyezeks for joining @ClubdeMadrid. Your leadership, vision, and commitment to democratic values are deeply appreciated. We are honoured to count on your voice as we work to advance inclusive democracy worldwide”.

Confirming the appointment of the Spanish group via her official X account, the Ezekwesili stated, “I accepted the invitation to become an advisor to @ClubdeMadrid – Club de Madrid, ‘ the world’s largest forum of democratic former Presidents and Prime Ministers, who leverage their individual and collective leadership experience and global reach to strengthen inclusive democratic practice and improve the well-being of people around the world'”.

The public policy expert and democracy advocate expressed her appreciation for the platform’s continued commitment to solving global challenges.

“As our global context becomes even more complex, the leadership vacuum delays solutions to ‘ global public Bads. ‘ I therefore deeply appreciate how these former leaders of democracies around the world continue to dedicate themselves to helping solve our global challenges and amplify opportunities for cooperation. Delighted to support”, she said.

READ ALSO: My Presence At Pope’s Inauguration Not Political – Obi

Established in 2001 and headquartered in Madrid, Spain, the Club de Madrid comprises over 100 members from more than 70 countries.

All members are former heads of state or government, offering their expertise pro bono to support current leaders, civil society, and institutions across the globe.

The organisation focuses on strengthening democratic institutions, reClub de Madridsolving political conflicts, and promoting good governance.

It also convenes Annual Policy Dialogues and Policy Labs, creating platforms for high-level exchanges on pressing global issues.

In April 2025, its Policy Dialogue addressed the reform of global financial governance to better align with shared democratic values.

Rebekah Vardy shares jaw-dropping bar tab from husband Jamie’s wild Leicester send-off

Rebekah Vardy’s husband, Jamie Vardy, partied up a storm as the striker bid farewell to Leicester City after calling it a day in front of the home fans at the King Power Stadium on Sunday

Rebekah Vardy joked that her husband and his teammates were ‘absolute animals’ after his wild Leicester City send-off (Image: Instagram)

Rebekah Vardy joked that her husband and his teammates were “absolute animals” after his wild Leicester City send-off on Sunday. The former England star called it a day in front of the home fans at the King Power Stadium on Sunday after announcing he was leaving the club earlier this year.

To thank the striker, 38, for his impressive tenure at Leicester City after scoring 200 goals in 500 games, a huge surprise party was laid on in his honour. Sharing the bar tab from Jamie’s bash, Rebekah, 43, who has recently been ordered to pay nemesis Coleen Rooney almost £1.2 million for the Wagatha Christie trial costs, reckoned the revellers were “absolute animals” as she captioned the bill with three laughing emojis.

READ MORE: Rebekah Vardy downs pints with Leicester fans after agreeing huge Coleen Rooney payout

Rebekah Vardy shared the jaw-dropping drinks tab from her husband's farewell bash
Rebekah Vardy shared the jaw-dropping bar tab from her husband’s farewell bash(Image: Instagram)

Included in the lengthy drinks list are 38 Tequillas, 66 Baby Guinnesses, 41 Jagermeisters, 52 Grey Goose vodkas, multiple glasses of Sancere wine, and numerous ‘S*** house Specials’, which are a heady mix of vodka and Red Bull.

Sharing a snap of the bespoke cocktail list, Rebekah also revealed a selection of Vardy-themed tipples, including an Electric Vardy, which is described as a spicy margarita.

Posting other photos from the party, Rebekah, wearing a slinky red dress and matching heels, hugs her husband as his pals cheer before they all become merry, bidding farewell to the footballer in a room strewn with blue and gold balloons and huge pictures of the Foxes hero.

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Jamie Vardy cocktail list at party
There were a whole host of Vardy-themed cocktails on offer (Image: Instagram)

Jamie is set to leave relegated Leicester City this summer after being linked to a surprise move with Crystal Palace. However, despite being 38, he isn’t hanging up his boots just yet. The Premier League and FA Cup winner has made it clear he’s keen to keep playing, and Crystal Palace have emerged as a potential new home for him.

Rebekah was spotted drinking beer with the Leicester City fans last week after finally agreeing to pay Coleen £1.19 million of her legal costs after the bitter battle at the High Court.

Jamie Vardy farewell party
The venue was strewn with blue and gold balloons and huge pictures of Jamie(Image: Instagram)

The mum-of-five is yet to comment on having to shelling out the cash to her arch nemesis, 39. However, she looked like her legal woes were the furthest thing from her mind when she rocked up to see Nottingham Forest take on Leicester City in a game, which ended 2-2.

Spotted in the away end, sporting a Leicester shirt with a pair of designer sunglasses perched on her head, beer in hand, Rebekah looked happy and relaxed as she smiled for a selfie next to a fan.

Jamie Vardy farewell bash
The end of an era!(Image: Instagram)

She was also pictured in the crowd watching the match as Jamie tried to score his 200th goal the Foxes in a game, which had both sets of fans up on their feet.

After the match, Rebekah posed with her husband and the couple’s kids, who were proudly sporting Leicester City shirts as they supported the footballer, who confirmed that he will leave the club at the end of the season.

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Hannah Spearritt shows off new life with family in Costa Rica after quitting fame

S Club’s Hannah Spearritt has been living in Costa Rica over the last few months after moving to the country from the UK with her husband and two children earlier this year

Former S Club member Hannah Spearritt has teased that she’s embracing “new beginning” after leaving the UK just months ago. The singer moved to Costa Rica with her family earlier this year and has been sharing updates since then.

It was announced last year that Hannah, now 44, and her husband Adam Thomas were planning to live abroad with their two children, aged six and four. Hannah, as reported by the Sun at the time, had previously said about the prospect: “That’s the dream, to move to Costa Rica and buy some land or a farm and live the simple life with the girls.”

Hannah is said to have been inspired to set up the cafe Earth & Fire in Twickenham in 2022 after visiting Costa Rica four years prior. The business however reportedly didn’t end up opening and the property was later put up for sale.

It was said to be the “latest in a sequence of setbacks” prior to her relocating abroad. Hannah is said to have faced homelessness in 2023 and she dropped out of S Club’s reunion tour that same year. Her exit from the tour came after bandmate Paul Cattermole’s death weeks prior and Hannah said that her health contributed to the decision.

Hannah Spearritt has been living in Costa Rica with her family over the last few months(Image: hannahspearrit/Instagram)

Earlier this year, Hannah confirmed that she had arrived in Costa Rica. She said in January: “Well … we finally made it to paradise. Beautiful country, beautiful people.” She’s shared updates on Instagram since and her bio reads: “Prepper, survivalist and creator now living the uninhibited jungle life.”

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This morning, Hannah shared a photo of herself on a terrace overlooking a forest. She told her followers: “Looking out to new beginnings.. at our new #home! Next on the menu is to learn permaculture… and have a laugh at ourselves filming the planting of the fruit forest!”

Hannah teased that she’s embarked on a “new chapter” in a post on the platform just days ago. She wrote in a message to fans: “A little spirit. A little soil. And a whole lotta soul. New chapter blooming – messy, magical and more … ‘me’.”

Hannah Spearritt leaning against a balcony overlooking a forest.
The former S Club member has shared updates after moving to the country earlier this year(Image: hannahspearrit/Instagram)

And earlier this month, she gave a glimpse at the landscape of the community where the family have been living. She shared footage of a stream within a woodland and suggested that it was her “garden” in the accompanying caption.

Alongside the video, she wrote: “That’ll do for a garden…!!! The camera cannot even capture the sheer wonder of this place, the beauty leaves you speechless… And it’s even spring fed… so pure, you can swim in it… or drink it!”

Last month, she posted about the climate. Hannah shared footage of her kids swimming in a lake before showing a separate clip of rainfall. She said: “All in the same day! #rainseason is starting … but at least we can still swim in the river in 90 degrees before it rains! Truly spectacular country.”

A stream in the middle of a woodland in a video shared by Hannah Spearritt.
She’s posted about her new life and community on Instagram in recent months(Image: hannahspearrit/Instagram)

In one of her first posts since arriving, Hannah told her followers in February that the area had helped her “recover from a challenging year”. She made the comment in the caption of photos, which included one of her beside her kids on a walk in the province of San José.

She wrote at the time: “Morning walks down to the waterfall… trying to keep up with the little legs! I’m putting together a little reel of this magical place that has really helped me recover from a challenging year and I’ll put the link in with it so you can enjoy it too if u like.”

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Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold’s luxe Madrid life from famous pals to £11m homes

From a swanky neighbourhood with tight security and private mansions to famed restaurants boasting some of the best cuisine in Spain, Madrid is a great place for a top footballer to live

The star has been dating moel Estelle Behnke since October last year (Image: Offside via Getty Images)

Real Madrid is preparing to play host to a new England player, with Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold’s move to the Spanish giants expected to be announced any day. The 26-year-old star recently revealed he was leaving his boyhood club on a free transfer after his contract with this year’s Premier League champions expired.

Real Madrid has asked Liverpool to release Trent for free to make him available for Club World Cup which starts on June 14, with the player booed by some fans after announcing his departure from Liverpool. He threw a “Summer of 66” BBQ to say goodbye to his teammates and staff, held at the club’s training centre.

If the star makes his expected move to the Spanish capital city, a luxury lifestyle will await him. The 26-year-old player would follow in the footsteps of English players including David Beckham, who won the La Liga title in his final, fourth season with the club and Jude Bellingham, who signed a six-year contract with Los Blancos in 2023.

READ MORE: Trent Alexander-Arnold’s reaction to partying Liverpool fans says it all after Brighton defeat

La Finca sign
From Zinedine Zidane to Gareth Bale, many famous footballers have lived in La Finca(Image: Rowan Griffiths / Daily Mirror)

And when it comes to moving to Madrid, there is one luxury neighbourhood footballers look to – La Finca. Known as the city’s answer to Beverly Hills, homes in the stunning locale fetch up to a cool £11 million and are a mecca for footballers and their families.

This was where Cristiano Ronaldo called home when he played for Real Madrid for nine seasons, with La Finca offering large, luxurious villas with private pools and gardens. The exclusive gated community provides the utmost in privacy and security, a must for the most famous names on the planet.

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England star Jude Bellingham currently plays for Real Madrid and lives in the neighbourhood. The player resides in a £5.5 million, six-bedroom, 7,000 square foot mansion with his mum Denise, who cooks his meals and drives him to training.

Shoppers in Madrid
Salamanca is the home to many of Madrid’s designer stores (Image: Bloomberg via Getty Images)

A video posted by the footballer revealed a large outdoor pool, water feature, huge kitchen, home theatre and personal gym. His property boasts picturesque views over the swanky La Finca Golf Resort and mountain views.

“There are times when I go out to have a coffee near my house or go downtown to eat,” he told Real Madrid TV. “Then I go back home to rest for a while in the garden if it’s nice and sunny.

“If my friends are here, we go out to dinner and back home. It’s really nice. You meet people in the places you go to most. They don’t see you as Jude Bellingham the footballer, just Jude who comes to have a coffee and that’s great.

“The people I meet in the city look after me a lot. I feel at home.”

David Beckham playing
David Beckham spent four seasons with Real Madrid in the early ’00s(Image: Getty Images)

Over in the city centre, a 20 minute journey from La Finca, Madrid is filled with high-end eateries Trent could enjoy with his girlfriend of eight months, Instagram model Estelle Behnke. They include Mesón Txistu, which offers traditional Basque cuisine and is often frequented by Real Madrid stars and Asador Donostiarra, the preferred steakhouse of David Beckham when he played for Los Blancos which remains a favourite with the players.

BlackHaus, formerly known as Oh!, is a club and restaurant loved by Madrid’s rich and famous, while The Pacha nightclub is a city institution. And when it comes to shopping, footballers head to the Barrio de Salamanca neighbourhood.

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Everton midfielder Doucoure to leave this summer

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Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure has announced he will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the season.

The 32-year-old Mali player has made 165 appearances for the Toffees since joining from Watford for £20m in September 2020.

Doucoure has scored 21 goals for Everton, including a memorable winner in their 1-0 victory over Bournemouth when the club avoided relegation on the final day of the 2022-23 season.

He joins veteran midfielder Ashley Young and goalkeepers Asmir Begovic and Joao Virginia in leaving, while forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin, midfielder Idrissa Gueye and defenders Michael Keane and Seamus Coleman are also out of contract this summer.

In a video posted on social media, Doucoure said: “Hi Evertonians – just wanted to share this message with you that I’m going to leave the football club at the end of the season.

“After five wonderful years, my time at Everton came to an end.

“Everton means a lot for me. Obviously the past five years it’s been hard but I will always remember my time as a dream for me, to play for Everton Football Club.

“Obviously I’m sad to leave the club but I think the time has come for a new chapter for me and the club as well and I will always be grateful for what the club did for me.

“My best memory, I will say it will be the goal I scored against Bournemouth to keep the club in the Premier League. I think this is something I will always be proud [of]. It was a wonderful moment for me and my family and for the club as well.

“I will miss the fans. I will miss the football club. I just wanted to let them know that I gave everything every single time in training, in games.

“I was always proud to wear the shirts, always proud to play at Goodison Park.”

The midfielder looked emotional as he was substituted in the second half of Sunday’s 2-0 victory over Southampton – Everton’s final game at their Goodison Park home.

The Toffees will travel to Newcastle for their last match of the campaign this Sunday (16:00 BST) before relocating to their new Hill Dickinson Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.

Doucoure added: “I gave everything to win the most games I could and I will just miss the place, and I wish them all the best in the new stadium.

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  • Premier League
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