A Jethro Tull rock star has died following a string of health issues, the band’s singer has announced.
Mick Abrahams, who was a founding member of Jethro Tull and guitarist in Blodwyn Pig, has died. The news was announced on the Jethro Tull’s official website, as the tribute was credited as written by Ian Anderson, the band’s singer.
The announcement, dated as December 21, read: “It is with great sadness that we learned yesterday of the passing of Jethro Tull founding member Mick Abrahams. Mick had endured worsening ill health for the last 15 years leaving him finally unable to perform or interact socially to any degree. I spoke to Clive Bunker from the Choir of Southwark Cathedral to get confirmation that the reports earlier in the day were, in fact, correct. And, yes – Clive had received a phone call from Mick’s family to communicate the sad news.
Mick Abrahams, who was a founding member of Jethro Tull and guitarist in Blodwyn Pig, has died.
The news was announced on the Jethro Tull’s official website (Getty Images)
” Mick was vitally important to the early Tull formation out of the ashes of The John Evan Band and McGregor’s Engine, the blues band he formed with Clive Bunker in the Luton/Dunstable area.
“As a strong vocalist and experienced, powerful and lyrical guitarist, Mick commanded the stage in his rendition of Cat Squirrel at the Marquee Club and every show we did together – even when we supported Cream on one occasion! As his party piece, Mick continued to add to and develop those musical ideas into a tour de force display of his instrumental talents for the rest of his performing days”.
Martin Barre, who joined the band following Mick’s departure, paid a touching tribute to his “friend and mentor”.
He said: “My friend and mentor Mick Abrahams has passed. He was so nice to me and that is something I will never forget.
” What a magnificent guitar player who gave us so much. Rest in peace. “
Ian Anderson also posted a tribute on the band’s website, fondly looking back at how Mick” commanded the stage”.
The message read:” It is with great sadness that we learned yesterday of the passing of Jethro Tull founding member Mick Abrahams. “
” Mick was vitally important to the early Tull formation out of the ashes of The John Evan Band and McGregor’s Engine, the blues band he formed with Clive Bunker in the Luton/Dunstable area.
“As a strong vocalist and experienced, powerful and lyrical guitarist, Mick commanded the stage in his rendition of Cat Squirrel at the Marquee Club and every show we did together – even when we supported Cream on one occasion”!
Bronwen Maddox, the director of the Chatham House, identifies the obstacles that are stopping the “new Middle East” project of Donald Trump.
Donald Trump, president of the United States, celebrated his 20-point peace plan at a gala two months ago, but it has since fallen into phase one.
While Trump’s ceasefire slowed the horrific Israeli bombing of Gaza, according to Bronwen Maddox, director of Chatham House, one of the world’s leading think tanks, “that doesn’t mean we have a plan for the future,” she claims.
The Football Association has charged Coventry City and Southampton with the scenes following Saturday’s 1-1 draw at St Mary’s.
Before others got in the way, Sky Blues manager Frank Lampard appeared to exchange words with Saints players during a brawl between several players and staff from both sides.
Ephron Mason-Clark’s goal gave Coventry a half-time lead before a hectic second-half opening gave way to a game-changing opening.
The Sky Blues were reduced to 10 players after Jay Dasilva received a straight red card for a careless challenge two minutes into the game before Nathan Wood equalized for the hosts nine minutes later.
Coventry missed out on an opportunity to finish eight points clear of Coventry in the championship standings due to the draw.
According to an FA spokesperson, “both teams allegedly failed to ensure that their players and/or technical area staff did not act inappropriately and/or provocatively after the final whistle.”
The Libyan army’s Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, has been killed in a plane crash in Turkiye while returning from an official visit to Ankara.
Turkish officials said the private aircraft, which was heading back to Tripoli on Tuesday, requested an emergency landing due to an electrical failure just minutes after takeoff, but then lost contact.
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The crash, which also killed four senior Libyan military officials and three crew members, has sent shockwaves across Libya, where General al-Haddad was seen as a unifying figure amid deep political divisions. The Libyan government has announced three days of national mourning.
Here is what we know so far:
Who was Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad?
General al-Haddad was Libya’s chief of the General Staff, the highest-ranking military officer in the country’s armed forces.
General al-Haddad worked within the United Nations-recognised Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli to bring together competing armed factions.
Al Jazeera’s Malik Traina said people in Libya were mourning al-Haddad, whom he said was a key figure in efforts to unify the country’s fractured military. “He really was someone who tried to build up the military institutions, especially in western Libya, a place that is divided with powerful armed groups and militias controlling vast areas of land,” Traina, reporting from Tripoli, said.
“You have powerful armed groups, militias controlling different parts of land. They hold a huge influence on the government. He refused to let these militias hold sway on the government,” Traina added, and was seen as “someone that people could rally behind and support to try to bring some kind of unity to Libya.”
General al-Haddad had served in that post since 2020 and was seen as a key figure in efforts to unify Libya’s divided military structures, a crucial element of broader attempts to stabilise the country, which descended into chaos following the toppling of its long-term leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
Al Jazeera’s Traina said General al-Haddad was one of the first military officials who joined the rebel forces in the revolution that toppled Gaddafi.
Libya is currently divided between the internationally recognised government based in Tripoli and the rival administration in the east led by military commander Khalifa Haftar.
“He was a very charismatic and strong leader. General Mohammed was someone who was respected by all sides,” Al Jazeera’s Traina said. “He was someone who believed in the rule of law, always talked about values of democracy, and wanted to transition Libya into civilian rule.”
Al-Haddad’s death is being mourned in the eastern part of Libya governed by a rival administration, including Haftar, who expressed sorrow and offered his condolences.
During his Turkiye trip, al-Haddad held talks in Ankara with Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler, and his Turkish military counterpart, Selcuk Bayraktaroglu. Ankara has cultivated close military and economic ties with the Tripoli-based administration, but recently, Ankara has moved to strengthen relations with the eastern administration led by Haftar.
Turkey’s Chief of General Staff General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, right, poses for a photograph with Libyan Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad during their meeting in Ankara, Turkiye [Turkish Defence Ministry via AP Photo]
What do we know about the plane crash?
Burhanettin Duran, Turkiye’s head of communications, said the Dassault Falcon 50 jet departed Ankara Esenboga Airport at 17:17 GMT on Tuesday, bound for Tripoli.
At 17:33 GMT, it notified air traffic control of an electrical malfunction and declared an emergency, according to his statement. The jet was 37 years old, according to flight tracking site Flightradar24.
Controllers directed the aircraft back towards Esenboga and initiated emergency protocols, but it vanished from radar at 17:36 GMT while descending to land, and communication was lost, Duran said.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said had earlier reported that the plane requested an emergency landing while flying over Ankara’s Haymana district.
Yerlikaya added that the wreckage was later located near Kesikkavak village in the area. Search and rescue teams reached the crash site after operations were launched by the Interior Ministry.
The Interior Minister later said that authorities had recovered cockpit voice and flight data recorders, collectively known as black boxes. An investigation is under way to “fully clarify” the cause of the crash, he told reporters in Ankara.
Investigations into the cause are continuing with the participation of all relevant agencies, Duran said. Turkiye has appointed four prosecutors to lead the probe, and Yerlikaya noted that 408 personnel were deployed for the search and recovery effort.
A group of military officials from Libya is carrying out inspections at the crash site, according to Turkish state news agency Anadolu.
(Al Jazeera)
Were other people killed in the crash?
Yes. All people on board died in the crash. In addition to al-Haddad, seven others died in the crash, including four senior Libyan military officials and three crew members.
Among the Libyan officials killed were:
General al-Fitouri Ghraibil, head of Libya’s ground forces.
Brigadier General Mahmoud al-Qatawi, director of the Military Manufacturing Authority.
Muhammad al-Asawi Diab, senior military adviser.
Muhammad Omar Ahmed Mahjoub, a military photographer.
What are the reactions to al-Haddad’s death?
Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah described the incident as a “tragic loss”.
“This great tragedy is a great loss for the nation, the military establishment, and all the people,” he said. “We have lost men who served their country with sincerity and dedication and were an example of discipline, responsibility, and national commitment.”
In a statement from the eastern Libyan armed forces, commander Haftar expressed “deep sorrow over this tragic loss” and offered condolences to General al-Haddad’s family, tribe, and city, as well as “to all the Libyan people”.
What’s next?
In a statement, Libya’s Government of National Unity announced a three-day mourning period, during which flags will be flown at half-staff across all state institutions, and all official ceremonies and celebrations will be suspended.
Austria’s former defence attache to Libya, Wolfgang Pusztai, said the death of al-Haddad was “very significant” and a major blow for Dbeibah.
“Al-Haddad hails from Misrata, an important merchant city about three hours east of Tripoli, just like Dbeibah, and the key role of al-Haddad was to ensure the loyalty of the mighty militias of the city of Misrata to the government,” Pusztai told Al Jazeera.
“Misrata is the most important military power in western Libya, and this might really trigger some problems for Dbeibah, if this loyalty is broken in the future.”
Libya’s Presidential Council has appointed General Salah Eddine al-Namrush as the acting chief of staff for the Libyan army until General al-Haddad’s replacement is announced.
Pigeon Lady, the actress behind Home Alone’s Pigeon Lady, has revealed that she feels “invisible” in later life because of her significant health issues over the holiday season.
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Despite a career packed with acclaimed performances, the Dublin born actress revealed that work dried up after she turned 70(Image: Andy Schwartz/20th Century Fox/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)
The star behind the much-loved Pigeon Lady in Home Alone 2 has revealed the heartbreaking reason she stopped getting acting jobs.
Irish screen star Brenda Fricker is best known as the gentle stranger who helps Kevin McCallister during his New York adventure. She appeared alongside Macaulay Culkin in the 1992 festive hit Home Alone 2, playing the lonely woman who befriends pigeons in Central Park.
Her character famously saves Kevin by turning the birds on villains Harry and Marv, played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern. But Fricker has said the iconic role did not protect her from being overlooked as she got older.
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Despite a career packed with acclaimed performances, the Dublin born actress has admitted that work dried up after she turned 70. In an interview with The Times, she said she felt she had become invisible. “They don’t write for old women,” she said. “Shakespeare wrote for old women, but none of the young writers do. None.
“There are so many wonderful people around… interesting women with history and stories. Remember these words when you turn 70: you become invisible. Richard Harris said that to me while sitting on the rocks looking out over the Atlantic Ocean and it stuck in my head. On my 70th birthday I thought, ‘He’s wrong, I feel great.’ A week later I knew exactly what he meant. It’s weird.” The actress added: “So it’s not that I’m out of work for any other reason there are no parts to do.”
In 1990, Fricker became the first Irish actress to receive an Oscar. For her role in My Left Foot, she won Best Supporting Actress. Her acting work included roles in Albert Nobbs, Angels in the Outfield, A Time Kill, Veronica Guerin, Inside I’m Dancing, and So I Married an Axe Murderer.
The actress has publicly acknowledged her declining health in recent years. She claimed that she is currently being treated for several ailments, which have largely kept her in bed.
The now 80-year-old told The Guardian in September that she is constantly in pain and exhausted. She said, “I’m out of breath just talking.” Never in my life have I experienced fatigue. Weary . Will I ever regain my height? I’m passing away horribly. Every day, I’m just dying in pain. I’ll probably live to be 100.
Fricker revealed that reality TV provides her with comfort when she is struggling to find sleep. She claimed to be inspired by watching The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. It is superior to sex, they say. Better than drinking, I think. She continued, “I just adore it.”
Despite being part of one of the most loved Christmas films of all time, Fricker has admitted she does not enjoy the festive season.
Speaking to Radio 1 in 2021, via The Independent, she said Christmas can be a lonely time. “I would be lying if I said it would be a nice and happy Christmas because I’m old and I live alone,” she said. “It can be very dark. I turn the phone off and put the blinds down. I do pre record some good programmes and I have my dog and I get myself through it that way.
“I don’t want to be sounding kind of negative but it is a different kind of Christmas, that’s all. While I don’t find Christmas all that difficult, what I do find difficult is New Year’s Eve.”
If you are spending Christmas by yourself and need someone to talk to, you can contact Age UK, The Salvation Army or Mind.
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Palestinian Christians fear that Israeli violence and settlement expansion will squander their place in Bethlehem’s Christmas celebrations. Nida Ibrahim of Al Jazeera reports from Bethlehem, where Jesus’ birthplace is threatened by illegal settlements.
