In Novi Sad, in northern Serbia, tens of thousands of people gather to pay tribute to the victims of a tragedy that claimed 16 lives a year ago.
Since Serbia’s second-largest city’s railway station’s collapse on November 1, 2024, which became a symbol of enshrined corruption, regular student protests have erupted.
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Protesters initially demanded a fair investigation, but soon after that, they began demanding early elections.
Since Friday, students have been arriving in Novi Sad by car, bicycle, or foot, calling for the “largest commemorative gathering” on Saturday and others.
Thousands of people marched from Belgrade, stopping at about 340 kilometers (210 miles) south of the capital, and then moved on to Novi Pazar, which is located about 340 kilometers (210 miles) south. They had 16 days to complete the march.
Novi Sad residents greeted the marchers, waving flags and blowing whistles, many of whom were clearly moved.
At the Novi Sad railway station’s entrance, flowers are arranged next to the victims’ names [Alkis Konstantinidis/Reuters]
I’m trying to get justice, I say.
One of the victims was Dijana Hrka’s 27-year-old son.
She told Al Jazeera, “I want to know who killed my child so that I can have a little peace, so that I don’t keep going through hell.”
Hrka continued, “I’m seeking justice. No other mother would want to experience what I’m going through.
The prime minister resigned, his government fell, and a new one was formed as a result of the protests over the station’s collapse. However, nationalist leader Aleksandar Vucic has remained in office without fail.
Vucic frequently referred to demonstrators as being part of a foreign-funded coup, while SNS supporters pushed conspiracy theories, claiming that the train station roof collapse was an intentional attack.
Vucic apologized for saying things he now regrets in a rare gesture made during a televised public address on Friday.
“This applies to both protesters and students, as well as to others with whom I disagreed. Vucic apologized and demanded dialogue.
16 minutes of silence will be observed for 16 victims during the commemorative rally at the Novi Sad railway station on Saturday at 11:52 a.m. (10:52 GMT), the day the tragedy occurred.
Goran Vesic, a former construction minister, and thirteen others were charged in a criminal case involving the collapse.
A European Union-backed investigation into possible misuse of EU funds in the project is now being conducted in a separate anticorruption investigation.
Corruption is “sky high.”
The Belgrade Saint Sava church, home to the victims’ families, will host a mass for the victims on Saturday, according to the government’s decree that Saturday is a day of national mourning.
The EU delegation in Serbia issued a statement, “On this sad anniversary, we appeal to everyone to act with restraint, de-escalate tensions, and avoid violence.”
Serbian political analyst Aleksandar Popov claimed that “sky-high” corruption is a pressing issue that needs to be addressed.
He said, “We’re not talking about tens of millions of euros, but hundreds of millions of euros that have been spun through significant infrastructure projects, perhaps billions of euros.”
He continued, “This government and the president have taken control of all important state institutions, including the judiciary.”
How to create your own, organic identity is one of the first questions posed when creating a new football club.
For many, it takes years to develop. However, for Major League Soccer’s newest club, San Diego Football Club, there was a simple answer.
It was already present.
The Right to Dream football network, which was founded in Ghana as an academy before acquiring FC Nordsjaelland from Denmark and expanding into Egypt after being acquired by the Mansour Group, is what gave the team its culture.
The ever-expanding system of clubs and coaching schools was followed by San Diego, who would become the next one to join.
Head coach Mikey Varas stated to the boys at the beginning that while we might be an expansion team in the MLS, we have a lot of rich history with Right to Dream and it is our responsibility to carry on that legacy.
Every first-team coach’s job is about winning, but how we win and who we win with matter, Varas said, and I believe I was hired because we fully share that vision.
San Diego Football Club
With a record-breaking tally of points, wins, and away wins for an expansion team, Varas led the Californian side to the top of the Western Conference during his first season as a men’s head coach.
And he did it all while adopting a Barcelona style that was influenced by Pep Guardiola and Tito Vilanova.
Varas once said, “I adore football. Football is the best thing to do in life, in my opinion. The next best thing to do is to work in football if that’s not possible. And if that’s not enough, I believe having a strong football fan is the next best step.
And I am aware that there are many different ways to play football, and I respect each of them because they are of great value and allow you to win any way.
We experience this kind of exciting football deep within our hearts and DNA, which makes playing this game even more special.
A group of 30 strangers bonded under the influence of this style, which made them superior to Western Conference giants like the Seattle Sounders, the Vancouver Whitecaps, and both Los Angeles clubs.
However, the fresh start for staff and players seemed advantageous despite everyone having to form relationships with team-mates during the pre-season, frequently through card games and the odd trip to watch the San Diego Padres play for Major League Baseball.
Anders Dreyer, a midfielder, said: “It was nice to enter a dressing room where everyone wanted to be.
“Sometimes you come to a club with history, and there is stuff left over from the previous season,” says one player who wants to leave.
However, there was a group of players who would only desire to travel with us.
San Diego Football Club
One of the players who was aware of Right to Dream was Danish midfielder Dreyer, who had previously played for Anderlecht and faced Nordsjlland there.
His involvement with the San Diego team in his native country influenced his decision to join the MLS club despite having no idea what it was like to play there.
I’ve always played Nordsjaelland, and I’ve always thought, “That would be nice to play like this.” And I adore playing that kind of game.
“The Right to Dream approach to the way we play just makes it easier to perform and to join the team and show your self.”
Because having a certain style makes everyone on the team more successful because they are aware of what they must do when they have a chance, in my opinion.
Dreyer appears to be one of the players in this model who has most accomplished. Lionel Messi is the only midfielder at Inter Miami with more goals this year than Lionel Messi’s 39.
October 18
It is this opportunity to write brand new history that has appealed to so many of San Diego Football Club’s staff and players, in a city that is one of the most passionate about football in the whole country.
San Diego Loyal, a USL team that disbanded in 2023, and the NWSL team San Diego Waves, both of which were in the Californian city, have given the area a sense of community.
We have everyone arriving in a parking lot before games, people are bringing beer, and we kind of throw this party, according to Steve Cabrera, chairman of Frontera SD, a San Diego supporters’ group.
“That’s when people see that, and they then see that it transfers to the game where we’re all as one, singing and chanting for the club, and bringing energy to the club.”
The fan base will grow as the team pushes the boundaries and aims to surpass Chicago Fire as the only expansion team to win the MLS Cup.
However, Right to Dream and San Diego are long-term hopefuls and want to make a long-term commitment to MLS’s elite.
According to Varas, “it’s crucial that we develop a sustainable project.”
We take a deep dive into the jaw-dropping list of lust-worthy places Taylor Swift and her fiancé Travis Kelce get to call home and their property portfolio is beyond incredible
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Taylor has built up an incredible property portfolio with homes in a number of different cities(Image: taylorswift13/Twitter)
She may have grown up on a humble Christmas tree farm, but today Taylor has a mind-boggling property portfolio worth an estimated £120m. From a palatial New England seaside retreat to swish homes in Los Angeles and New York, she has no shortage of pads for hosting friends, family and, of course, fiancé Travis.
But not to be left behind, the NFL maestro also owns several houses across the US, and as PR expert Lynn Carratt says, “Between them they’ve got all bases covered, so they can get away from everything together, or they can be right in the middle of things if they want. In that, we take a look at the lust-worthy lineup of places Taylor and Travis get to call home, way, they’re able to use their properties to control how much – or how little – the public sees of them.”
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As well as already having an eye-wateringly valuable set of homes between them, the pair were reportedly spotted hunting for a new abode in Cleveland, Ohio, where Travis grew up. According to sources, they recently checked out a six-bedroom mansion set in over 60 acres, which is kitted out with its own recording studio. It also has a pool, a huge patio for outdoor entertaining and a wine cellar. Whether or not they snap up the £14m property remains to be seen, but here we check out their other impressive digs…
TRIBECA, NYC
In 2014, Taylor bought two penthouses – one of which was owned by Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson – and converted them into one enormous duplex. Located in a building on Franklin Street, the property now has a total of 10 bedrooms and 10 bathrooms spanning more than 8,000 square feet.
Worth around $50million, the apartment has a billiards room and a grand staircase, while Taylor’s Insta shots have shown rustic, cosy décor with lots of exposed wood. One of her most prized decorations is a photo of her opera singer grandmother, Marjorie Finlay, who inspired the track Marjorie on her 2020 Evermore album.
But in 2023, the property had a brush with disaster after a fire broke out in the white marble kitchen. Taylor was writing the song Us with Gracie Abrams at the time, and when they heard a thud in the early hours they assumed it was one of the star’s three cats.
It was in fact a candle falling over, and a video shared by Gracie showed Taylor putting out the fire while joking, “What do I do about this? I think we’re going to die… Our purses are ruined, and our shoes, and the whole room I think.” Clearly a fan of ultra-trendy Tribeca, Taylor also bought a three-storey townhouse next door in 2017, which has four bedrooms, a home cinema, gym, a glass-enclosed rooftop atrium and even its own bar. Not too shabby!
WATCH HILL, RHODE ISLAND
Taylor reportedly splurged $17million in cash on a spectacular Colonial-style mansion known as High Watch in 2013. It was once owned by a socialite called Rebekah Harkness, who inspired Taylor’s 2020 song The Last Great American Dynasty.
Overlooking the beach and comprising 12,000 square feet, it has eight bedrooms, a large pool, over five acres of grounds and a music studio. As the setting for several of her star-studded Independence Day parties, dubbed ‘Taymerica’, the pad has played host to everyone from Gigi Hadid, Cara Delevingne, Selena Gomez and Karlie Kloss to Bradley Cooper, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds.
At one of her legendary bashes in July 2016, actor Tom Hiddleston – Taylor’s boyfriend at the time – was famously pictured wearing a T-shirt adorned with the words ‘I heart T.S.’ Recent reports suggest the property could serve as a venue for Taylor and Travis’s nuptials, and Annie Zaleski, author of Taylor Swift: The Stories Behind the Songs, says, “It would be an amazing place for a wedding. It’s such a beautiful space, and you can imagine all the photos with the ocean in the background. Immediately you know they would be gorgeous.”
Further fanning the flames of speculation, the house is currently being renovated – apparently to the tune of $1.7 million. The upgrade, due for completion by the end of this year, will include a new bedroom suite, extra bathrooms and a modified kitchen.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
One of her earliest property purchases in 2009, Taylor paid around $2million for a multi-level penthouse on Nashville’s Music Row, so-called HQ of America’s country music scene. She then spent 18 months renovating the three-bedroom pad, which she once said was “Tim Burton-Alice in Wonderland-pirate ship-Peter Pan” inspired.
It features floor-to-ceiling windows with views across the city and out to the Great Smoky Mountains beyond. Social media snaps and her Miss Americana documentary have provided a glimpse into the condo’s unusual décor, including colourful wallpaper, a six-foot rabbit, chandeliers and even a koi pond in the living room. It also has a human-sized birdcage lined with pillows and blankets which Taylor has called the “most comfortable place in the world.”
Another quirky artefact was said to be a framed photo of the infamous moment Kanye West crashed her Best Female Video acceptance speech at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. She is said to have written on the photo in gold ink, “Life is full of little interruptions.” The walls are adorned with pictures of friends and family too, and Taylor once said, “I need to have pictures of people I love everywhere.” In her bedroom, she apparently picked “everything white and fluffy,” with vintage mirrors and tiered white curtains at the windows.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
Taylor’s most impressive home may be the Goldwyn estate in Beverly Hills, which she purchased in 2015 for $25 million. Since then, she has painstakingly renovated and restored the property to its original 1930s condition in honour of its namesake, the director and producer Samuel Goldwyn.
Located in the hills behind the Beverly Hills Hotel, the estate includes a main 10,982 square-foot mansion with six bedrooms, several guest apartments and staff accommodation, plus a library, cinema room and gym. Outside, there is a swimming pool and tennis court, and two acres of gardens which provide the perfect chillout spot whenever she and Travis are in town.
In 2017, Beverly Hills City Council approved Taylor’s request to designate the estate an historic city landmark, meaning it cannot be radically altered even if she decides to move on. But somewhat alarmingly, when actress Zoë Kravitz and her mum Lisa Bonet temporarily stayed there during the LA wildfires, they were forced to take out one of Taylor’s bathrooms after losing a pet snake in its interior.
“We’re ripping up the tiles, we’re scratching the walls,” Zoë said. “We completely destroyed Taylor’s bathroom. And there was just this moment where I was like, ‘Either we destroy her bathroom, or I have to tell her there’s a snake somewhere in her house.’” Thankfully, Taylor was said to have seen the funny side of the debacle.
FOREST HILLS, NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
In 2011, Taylor purchased an historic mansion within the gated Northumberland Estate in Nashville’s exclusive Forest Hills neighbourhood. It cost $2.5million, but Taylor generously gave the house to her parents Andrea and Scott, who moved with her to Nashville when she was 14 and trying to grow her music career.
Set in six acres, the property comprises a main house of 5,600 square feet with four bedrooms, as well as an additional guest house and outdoor pool. The main residence is known for classic Southern features such as stately columns and vaulted ceilings, while there are also marble fireplaces and herringbone wood floors.
LEAWOOD, KANSAS
Travis’s main home is a stunning, 17,000 square-foot mansion in an upscale area of Kansas called Leawood, located around 20 minutes from the Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium. Famously, its lush gardens, winding paths and romantic gazebo provided the backdrop for his proposal to Taylor in August.
Inside the opulent property there are six bedrooms, a cinema room, gym and sauna, plus a wine cellar and bar, while there are three acres of grounds featuring a large pool and hot tub, a tennis and pickleball court and a miniature golf course.
Travis has reportedly also been adding the ultimate ‘mancave’ to the house, carving out a 396 square-foot underground den which will house an indoor golf simulator. He bought the secluded gated property in Tomahawk Creek Estates for $6million in October 2023, when his newly-official status with Taylor meant the pair needed more privacy than his previous pad in Briarcliff West, Kansas City home could offer.
It’s unclear whether Travis has now sold that property, but it was similarly impressive, with seven bedrooms, a pool and gym. Elsewhere, Travis and his family also own an apartment in Orlando, Florida, where his mum Donna spends most of her time. Situated in palm tree-lined Baldwin Park, it’s a more modest affair, with two bedrooms, a wrap-around balcony and shared pool.
A famous farmer and host of Channel 5’s Our Yorkshire Farm, Amanda Owen, recently shared a funny anecdote about her daughter Annas.
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Amanda Owen has revealed how she jokingly threatened her daughter with “adoption”(Image: @yorkshireshepherdess/Instagram)
Amanda Owen has revealed how she jokingly threatened her daughter with “adoption” after being snubbed over one of her literary projects. Amanda, a celebrity farmer best known for her appearances on shows such as Channel 5’s Our Yorkshire Farm, resides at the remote 2,000-acre Ravenseat Farm in Swaledale, Yorkshire.
Amanda, whose popular @yorkshireshepherdess Instagram account boasts an impressive following of more than 500,000 people, is also a mum of nine children, Raven, Reuben, Miles, Edith, Violet, Sidney, Annas, Clementine, and Nancy with ex-husband Clive.
Speaking to James Fisher on the Country Life podcast, Amanda recently opened up about her writing career, which includes The Yorkshire Shepherdess trilogy and her recent foray into children’s books, Christmas Tales from the Farm.
It prompted her to share an anecdote about her daughter, Annas, and her amusing response when asked whether she’d read her mum’s book, but it seems that’s how Amanda wants “it to be”.
Amanda responded, “Well, your kids must love the fact that you’ve written a book.” Have you read the book, Annas, I asked you to say that yesterday. ‘, and she went, ‘ Nah’.
“And I said, “Why?” She said, “Well, I’m in it, I kinda know it,” and she went. And that’s how I want it to be, too. I simply stated that I would adopt you if you didn’t pass any of the questions on the back of the quiz.
In related news, Amanda admitted back in August that she worries about her children as she shared details about a certain “extreme” activity they enjoy at their sprawling rural home.
She revealed that some of them had engaged in “extreme hide and seek” as per their description. She went on to say that their home has “even got a cave,” and that there are places to climb as well.
Amanda remarked that their family is “blessed” because they have so much space to enjoy, but she still worries about them, saying it’s “absolutely joy” to be able to give her children that freedom.
She told the Darlington and Stockton Times: “Yeah, course I do. You want to keep your child safe, of course. But danger comes in many forms, whether it’s vehicles, fast-flowing rivers, things with teeth and hooves, or even through a small screen.
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“I wouldn’t teach or support it, but you can’t live your life being risk-averse, but who knows where the danger is coming from?” Simply put, you must understand how to live your life and also understand how to live it.
We must be “fearless” in life, Amanda continued, saying that we must be someone who “steps forward” rather than “shies away”.
We take a look at Taylor Swift’s incredible 20-year career so far as the wedding of the decade is scheduled for the pair. Despite her love of singing, the megastar previously stated that she wanted to work as a stockbroker, but thankfully for the millions of fans worldwide, she finally accepted the position.
Tess Daly is focused on restoring her marriage when she leaves Strictly Come Dancing after learning that her husband, Vernon Kay, has never seen her.
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Tess Daly is set to spend more time with her husband Vernon Kay (Image: Instagram)
She shocked the nation when she dropped the bombshell that she will be quitting Strictly Come Dancing after 21 years on the show. Tess Daly’s surprise decision came just eight weeks after her husband of 22 years Vernon Kay said he never misses a Strictly episode – so that he knows Tess is OK.
The BBC Radio 2 presenter explained that he has the dance show playing wherever he is, even if he is working. Vernon, 51, revealed, “I rarely go out when Strictly’s on because I want to make sure everything’s alright. If I’m working, I have it on at the side of the stage.”
But sources say Tess – who shares daughters Phoebe, 21, and Amber, 16, with Vernon – is now looking forward to having more time to see her family. A source says, “Strictly is a real whirlwind – it is chaotic and they don’t have much time together.
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Vernon has understood and is aware of this. Tess has been a member of Strictly for a long time, but it has been heartbreaking for her to miss out on family time because it’s so difficult for her to balance work and family.
“They’re seeing her taking time away from work briefly as their fresh start – a chance for her and Vernon to have some space for their relationship. Once Strictly has stopped, she can have so much more family time, more holidays, more special time with the kids and for work opportunities. It’s going to be very positive for them as a couple.”
Tess, 56, and Vernon, 51, have enjoyed one of the strongest marriages in showbiz, having first set eyes on each other at a BBC Christmas party in 2001. They had plenty in common as they both moved from modelling careers into TV presenting.
Vernon eventually went on one knee a year later, despite Tess’ earlier admission that the initial spark was immediate and intense. While visiting Tess’ parents’ Stockport home on Christmas Day, he asked her out.
In Horwich, Bolton, where Vernon was born, he and his wife were married in 2003 at Vernon’s neighborhood church, St Mary’s. While Vernon went for a white suit and pink shirt to go with a strapless A-line gown, Tess chose a white suit.
However, the couple encountered a scandal that threatened to break their marriage seven years later, with two children. Rhian Sugden, a glamour model, and Vernon were the only women to discover that he had been sending risqué messages to.
Tess and Vernon survived the scandal, but it came back five years later because it was claimed that Rhian and the presenter had allegedly exchanged emails. Vernon claimed he had told Tess everything and that there had never been anything “inappropriate” in their exchanges.
Thankfully, the pair successfully rekindled their relationship by renewing their secret vows. Tess remained silent at the time about the reports, but later admitted in 2017 that marriages are still “work in progress.”
The source claims, “They work hard on their marriage and they’ve got to because it’s tough. It’s tough being with someone in the showbiz world. It’s tough having that spotlight on you all the time. They need a little downtime without the cameras on.
She has learned to trust him once more, and it has been difficult for them to do so. He has tried to earn his trust, and it has been earned. However, they are currently strong, and after Strictly, they will spend a lot more time together.
The source concludes, “It is in some ways a new beginning. She’s been on the show for so long, so it’s going to be different for them. It can only be a good thing because they have more time to grow as a couple and spend together.
Although both Tess and Vernon have successful careers in the spotlight, there are costs to doing so. Tess revealed earlier this year that she works every day and even on vacation.
As a film student, Amber decides her next steps while Phoebe, her oldest child, has already flown the nest and is currently deciding between London and Dubai. And sources claim that once Tess leaves Strictly, they’ll have less to juggle, so they’ll have more time together.
Tess, who co-owns Naia Beach’s high-end swimwear line, made an apparent display of her strong work ethic in March when she stated, “Recently, I took the girls to Dubai. I was constantly improving the brand. When there is work to be done, I’m the type of person who feels a little let down lying on a sunbed.
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She continued, “We are busy trying to put all those hats on, because that’s what we do,” adding that it’s all part of the juggle. Since becoming a mother, I’ve been working hard for that ideal balance throughout my entire career. It’s challenging. Every mother I’ve met has a “Wonder Woman” because of how diligently they work.
Tess loves her job, the sources claim, but “I think this is going to be good for her and Vernon and they’re going to have more time together.”
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