Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been ordered to go on trial on suspicion of plotting a coup d’etat after failing to win re-election in 2022.
Bolsonaro, a far-right former army captain who presided over Brazil from 2019 to 2022, is accused of five crimes, including an alleged attempt to obliterate the democratic rule of law violently. He has called the accusations against him “grave and unfounded” and “grave and unfounded.”
A five-judge panel on Wednesday unanimously decided to trial Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro could receive a lengthy prison sentence, further isolating him, if he is found guilty in the court proceedings, which are anticipated later this year. A political heir has not been named by him.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is in charge of the case, clipped dramatic footage of Bolsonaro’s supporters storming government buildings in violent scenes just one week after the president’s inauguration in January 2023.
In part to try to sabotage the electronic voting machines in Brazil, Bolsonaro added, as part of his campaign against the election he lost.
Teresa Bo, a journalist from Buenos Aires, recalls the obscene and bloody scenes from Bolsonaro’s supporters’ inauguration in the capital Brasilia in January 2023.
Around 1,500 people were detained in the capital, according to her, “a week after Lula was sworn in, we saw thousands of supporters of President Bolsonaro storming buildings in Brazil.”
Bolsonaro voluntarily sat silently in the first row of the Supreme Court’s hearing on Tuesday, an echo of his ally, US President Donald Trump, who was at trial for the same thing last year, in a session at which the pair were charged with a charge against him and seven of his closest allies.
In order to stifle Lula’s declining popularity and pressure Congress to pass an amnesty bill in favor of him and his jailed supporters, Bolsonaro organized a beachfront rally in Rio de Janeiro in the days leading up to the landmark court hearing.
After two independent polling companies discovered that only between 20 and 30 000 people turned up, some allies speculated that the demonstration would attract more than a million backers.
Despite a ruling from Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court forbidding him from running for public office until 2030 for his efforts to discredit the country’s voting system, Bolsonaro has vowed to run for president once more next year.
Bolsonaro’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis as president has drawn in-depth legal scrutiny.
James Arthur has endured a rocky career following his X Factor win after controversial comments saw the star’s fans and radio stations turn against him
James Arthur will be performing at a Teenage Cancer Trust gig(Image: Getty Images)
Former X Factor star James Arthur’s career has been rocky to say the least, but the singer has climbed his way back to the top.
The 37-year-old star is ready to take to the Royal Albert Hall stage for tonight’s Teenage Cancer Trust gig. But it was almost so very different for the musician from Middlesbrough. In 2013, he admitted he had been an “idiot” following a homophobia row. It came a year after he won the ninth season of ITV talent contest The X Factor.
Article continues below
After his debut single, a cover of Shontelle’s Impossible, was released by Syco Music and went straight in at number one on the UK Singles Chart, the future looked bright for James. However, he almost lost it all following the controversial comments.
James Arthur has experienced a turbulent career(Image: Redferns)
James had been forced to cancel tour dates at the time due to being diagnosed with “acute exhaustion”. However, he provoked huge antagonism when he responded to jibes from underground rapper Micky Worthless, by calling him a “f***ing queer” in a rap. James also used the words “scrubber”, “peasant” and “motherf**ker” to insult the up and coming musician, with Lucy Spraggan later sharing a bitter text exchange between the pair.
Critics immediately launched an online petition to demand the singer was removed from an upcoming X Factor line-up. The petition gathered more than 9,000 signatures, and some fans even requested refunds on his album – which all served to send James into depression at the time.
He also quickly apologised, saying: “I’m extremely disappointed in myself for being so naïve with the diss track I made. I assure you homophobia is something I do not believe in.”
A year later, as he was trying to rebuild his career, his single Get Down failed to enter the UK’s top 40. He went on to have a massive go at his PR team before taking aim at Simon Cowell. In a shocking final fall from grace, James was the fired by a seething Simon.
He decided to keep his head down and, in 2016, James admitted he had a “humongous breakdown.” Looking back, James explained: “I was lost. I look back on the character that I was then and I’m embarrassed. I’m embarrassed about how I behaved and how negative my perspective was and how I handled the pressure.
“Looking back now it’s clear to see it was a mental illness issue that I had and again I just dealt with everything in completely the wrong way. It’s great to be in my mind and be conscious again and be looking forward to just focusing on music and all the positive stuff that’s going on.”
Slowly, James has been rebuilding his career and now is riding the wave of success once again. He returned with a new chart topping album in 2024 and his arena tour won the plaudits.
Article continues below
His recent single titled ADHD is part of his determination to destigmatise mental health issues. He has also been involved in a series of impressive collaborations with the likes of Kelly Clarkson.
READ MORE: Ninja’s ‘powerhouse’ air fryer is now £130 off in the Amazon Spring Sale
James Arthur has endured a rocky career following his X Factor win after controversial comments saw the star’s fans and radio stations turn against him
James Arthur will be performing at a Teenage Cancer Trust gig(Image: Getty Images)
Former X Factor star James Arthur’s career has been rocky to say the least, but the singer has climbed his way back to the top.
The 37-year-old star is ready to take to the Royal Albert Hall stage for tonight’s Teenage Cancer Trust gig. But it was almost so very different for the musician from Middlesbrough. In 2013, he admitted he had been an “idiot” following a homophobia row. It came a year after he won the ninth season of ITV talent contest The X Factor.
Article continues below
After his debut single, a cover of Shontelle’s Impossible, was released by Syco Music and went straight in at number one on the UK Singles Chart, the future looked bright for James. However, he almost lost it all following the controversial comments.
James Arthur has experienced a turbulent career(Image: Redferns)
James had been forced to cancel tour dates at the time due to being diagnosed with “acute exhaustion”. However, he provoked huge antagonism when he responded to jibes from underground rapper Micky Worthless, by calling him a “f***ing queer” in a rap. James also used the words “scrubber”, “peasant” and “motherf**ker” to insult the up and coming musician, with Lucy Spraggan later sharing a bitter text exchange between the pair.
Critics immediately launched an online petition to demand the singer was removed from an upcoming X Factor line-up. The petition gathered more than 9,000 signatures, and some fans even requested refunds on his album – which all served to send James into depression at the time.
He also quickly apologised, saying: “I’m extremely disappointed in myself for being so naïve with the diss track I made. I assure you homophobia is something I do not believe in.”
A year later, as he was trying to rebuild his career, his single Get Down failed to enter the UK’s top 40. He went on to have a massive go at his PR team before taking aim at Simon Cowell. In a shocking final fall from grace, James was the fired by a seething Simon.
He decided to keep his head down and, in 2016, James admitted he had a “humongous breakdown.” Looking back, James explained: “I was lost. I look back on the character that I was then and I’m embarrassed. I’m embarrassed about how I behaved and how negative my perspective was and how I handled the pressure.
“Looking back now it’s clear to see it was a mental illness issue that I had and again I just dealt with everything in completely the wrong way. It’s great to be in my mind and be conscious again and be looking forward to just focusing on music and all the positive stuff that’s going on.”
Slowly, James has been rebuilding his career and now is riding the wave of success once again. He returned with a new chart topping album in 2024 and his arena tour won the plaudits.
Article continues below
His recent single titled ADHD is part of his determination to destigmatise mental health issues. He has also been involved in a series of impressive collaborations with the likes of Kelly Clarkson.
READ MORE: Ninja’s ‘powerhouse’ air fryer is now £130 off in the Amazon Spring Sale
If a rebel motion to remove former Rugby Football Union executive Bill Sweeney is rejected on Thursday, interim chair Bill Beaumont warned that the organization would fall into months of “rancour and disruption.”
A group of clubs, led by those competing in the second-tier Championship, have forced a decision regarding Sweeney’s leadership.
They claim that the organization has lost touch with the grassroots game, citing Sweeney’s salary, which has significantly increased as a result of a pay raise and bonus program in the wake of the RFU’s record-setting losses.
A rival motion from the RFU promises to decentralize decision-making and rebuild club funding and support in the region.
Former England captain Beaumont accused those trying to remove Sweeney of running a campaign that had been, at times, “deeply regrettable, with demonstrably deceptive claims, especially around the game’s finances.”
“All of this playing out publicly has detracted from so many of the brilliant things happening in English rugby, including the strong men’s Six Nations performances, the focus on our Red Roses, who are building a home World Cup,” he continued.
However, RFU executives bear the brunt of the blame for the upheaval, according to Whole Game Union, who has organized the rebellion.
The game’s hostility and disruption was only brought on by their indolence and unwillingness to consider and address the issues that participants, club members, and referees’ organizations have raised over the course of several years, the statement said.
Additionally, it revealed that it has suggested structural changes to the RFU’s membership, which consists of 1,200 clubs and stakeholders, to give the organization’s wider membership more control over key decisions and leaders.
The changes would require a 66% majority to pass at the RFU’s annual general meeting in the summer.
If they were to be rejected, the RFU’s remodelled structure would conflict with the standards set by funding organizations Sport England and UK Sport, which support rugby union and the staging of major events.
As Billy Horschel’s golf ball disappeared into the hole, the American celebrated by sprinting, leaping, swearing and chucking his club.
It was an electrifying and animated move that became the signature moment of TGL’s debut season.
That downhill, snaking and ultimately successful putt helped land Horschel and his Atlanta Drive team-mates Patrick Cantlay and Justin Thomas victory against the franchise known as New York Golf Club.
This was in the second of the best of three final series. The victors came from 3-0 down (a point is awarded for each hole won) to triumph 4-3 to take an unassailable 2-0 position.
Such a dramatic finish was exactly what the Tech-infused Golf League needed – the sort of climax envisaged by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy when they bought into the idea of a raucous indoor simulator version of the game.
The decisive putt, which involved a number of dramatic breaks, could be seen as a metaphor for an opening season that was far from straightforward.
There were technical glitches, blowout matches, necessary rule changes and a mixture of reactions from golf fans. But somehow the TGL eventually hit its target.
Played largely on Monday and Tuesday evenings, this was all about attracting viewers. It began promisingly with more than 900,000 in the US tuning in for the initial match in January, but audiences tapered off to eventually average around the half-million mark.
The early contests lacked a competitive edge. The players seemed to struggle with the concept – there was an awkwardness between a competition worth $21m in prize money and an environment that made it seem a hit-and-giggle event.
In one match Woods misunderstood a distance instruction by 100 yards and laughed it off. Imagine that in a tour event. It wouldn’t happen. TGL’s competitive credibility undoubtedly took a hit with that moment.
The tactic of playing the ‘hammer’ to make a hole worth double points did not work initially but became a more effective tool once the rules were adjusted to allow for three ‘hammers’.
This dimension ultimately became a crucial factor in deciding the title and brought a welcome edge to proceedings.
TGL created the sort of buzz that has been the target of the breakaway LIV tour. The Saudi-based circuit, now in its fourth season, has only enjoyed limited success in that regard – most notably with their Adelaide tournament.
Horschel’s histrionics were straight out of the LIV playbook but did not seem out of place once TGL reached its play-off stage. The unalterably dead-pan Cantlay was a constant reminder that there was underlying serious business afoot.
It was Cantlay’s chip against Cameron Young one hole after Horschel’s dramatic putt that sealed Atlanta Drive’s victory.
“It would be great for golf if this were to succeed,” LIV’s Phil Mickelson observed on social media.
“The golf fan is the most loyal fan in sports – buy a ticket, walk miles and see a fraction of the action. But this could allow the golf fan to buy a ticket, sit down and watch all of the action just like other sports.
LIV players are not currently eligible for TGL because it is backed by the PGA Tour. That could change if a deal is done between the two rival tours and LIV’s Brooks Koepka attended the match between Jupiter and The Bay on 25 February.
The start of the first of the two deciding matches on Monday was delayed by an overrunning Women’s NCAA basketball game on ESPN2, which tells us of TGL’s standing in the bigger sporting picture.
Nevertheless, it will return. Investment is deep for a project that boasts 11 of the world’s top 15 golfers. The 1500 seat 250,000 square feet Sofi Centre venue on the Palm Beach State College campus cost $50m to build.
And there are already thoughts of adding a second venue on America’s west coast, although that would likely be years down the line.
“We’re in the middle of an expansion process now,” said Mike McCarley, the TMRW executive who co-founded the project with Woods and McIlroy.
“When exactly we make that decision – there’s no timeline on it necessarily,” McCarley added to the Palm Beach Post.
“We’ve had potential expansion team owners at every single match this season coming to visit us. Some of them, multiple times. Some of them have a lot of questions, a lot of feedback.”
TGL already has the backing of leading American sports investors, who are behind the six teams that competed.
They include the Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank (Atlanta Drive), John Henry and the Fenway Sports Group (Boston Common), New York Mets owner Steve Cohen (New York Golf Club), former Milwaukee Bucks owner Marc Lasry (The Bay Golf Club) and David Blitzer, who joined Woods’ group that owns Jupiter Links.
“We really like those team owners that are operators of other sports teams and other professional leagues in their communities,” McCarley said.
“But we got a lot of really interesting diverse people domestically and internationally. They can kind of take a look and see what it looks like going forward.”
Former tennis great Serena Williams is co-owner of the Los Angeles team and her involvement prompts consideration over whether TGL missed a trick by not including some of the LPGA’s top stars, such as Nelly Korda and Lydia Ko.
Like LIV, TGL may struggle to win over traditional die-hard golf fans with its raucous environment, which is in stark contrast to the more genteel way golf is usually played.
But the new league was not brought in for the benefit of that constituency. It is there to broaden golf’s base.
Significantly, the players seem to have enjoyed it and deem it worth incorporating into their early season schedules.
“Obviously it is a little bit of a challenge with everything we’ve got going through the year with our own schedules, but I don’t think anyone has ever walked away and said ‘this felt like a burden’,” Horschel stated after collecting his share of the $9m winners’ spoils.
“I could never imagine what this was going to be,” the reigning BMW PGA champion added. “I remember coming into the arena in November and walking out and I was just in awe. I couldn’t imagine what I was seeing.
“I described it like a football player walking into Mercedes-Benz Stadium right about to play, a basketball player walking out – Steph Curry walking out at Oracle Arena, stuff like that.
The Duchess of Edinburgh addressed politicians at a summit in Brussels today to describe the “corrosive impact” of web-based exploitation and sent a message to tech companies demanding urgent action
The Duchess of Edinburgh addresses a summit on online child sexual abuse(Image: Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)
The Duchess of Edinburgh last night called for tougher action to combat online child sexual abuse. Sophie, 60, described the “corrosive impact” of web-based exploitation and the need for tech companies to act “urgently” to curb the risk.
Addressing European politicians at a summit in Brussels, Belgium, she added: “Today, children everywhere in the world are not only falling victim to adults wishing to groom them but are exposed to an enormous amount of dangerous, harmful and inappropriate content including material on suicide, self harm, eating disorders, violence and pornography — all with consequences that can prove devastating. In the UK, the introduction of the Online Safety Act in 2023 placed new duties on social media companies to protect users, particularly children, against harmful content. But neither the UK’s government nor that of any one country can do it alone.
Article continues below
Sophie addressed European politicians at a summit in Brussels(Image: Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)
“Technology companies are in a uniquely powerful position to promote positive change in developing services that are safe by design and proactive in addressing online harm [with] safety features built in at the outset.“It will take a collective effort by all, including governments, technology companies, regulators, legislators, civil society and law enforcement to make it happen.“We must also listen to the young people themselves who I know are keen to be the architects of their futures. By understanding how and why they interact online and amongst their community, it will help shape our responses.”Directly addressing the audience, she continued: “It is in your hands, as the task of the utmost and urgent importance, because the lives and future of millions of children around the world will be affected by what you decide or what you decide not to do. “Therefore I implore you now, on behalf of the children of today and tomorrow, to redouble your efforts so that they are empowered to learn, to play, to grow and to thrive in our world.” Sophie attended the event, held by the European Parliament, in her role as patron for children’s charities the NSPCC and Plan International UK.
Sophie was joined at the event by Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips(Image: Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)
She was joined by Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips, who told a panel of abuse victims and representatives from the European Commission: “I’m very very sad to say that in the last 20 years, I have seen the situation with child abuse worsen.
“In the UK, it is estimated that up to 840,000 adults pose a sexual risk to children and 7.5 per cent of children will have been sexually abused by the time they are 16 years old.“These statistics are very important for us to understand the scale and nature of child sexual exploitation and abuse. And as the Duchess of Edinburgh pointed out – we forget every single report is a child – these are real children’s lives and they are being abused in the most horrific ways.”The joint visit comes after an alarming probe by the Internet Watch Foundation found over 300,000 web pages containing X-rated images and videos of minors in 2024 – the worst year on record. Category A images – considered the most serious abuse material – rocketed by 22 per cent in the same period.Victims of child sexual exploitation are typically targeted in their own homes by offenders across the globe. Many are blackmailed into sending images of themselves, tragically resulting in some taking their own lives. More than 7,000 Sexual Communication with a Child offences were recorded by police last year alone – up 89 per cent since 2017.
The NSPCC’s CEO Chris Sherwood, who also attended the gathering, said: “There has never been a more important time for international leaders to be working in tandem to tackle online child sexual abuse and exploitation.“We desperately need this unity of purpose and action to take place on a global scale, as we know offenders can be causing harm from anywhere in the world. Every single day our Childline service hears from children and young people across the UK about the devastating impact grooming, sharing of sexual abuse material, harmful content and blackmail can have on their lives.
“And we know the problem is only growing, particularly with the rapid expansion of generative AI which is giving offender communities new way to abuse large numbers of victims with ease. Robust enforcement of the UK’s Online Safety Act is vital, but to tackle the scale of the challenge we face we also need political leadership on the global stage.
“At the same time there must be collective scrutiny of the platforms and sites who, for too long, have let children be harmed under their watch and evaded accountability. We all – governments, regulators and civil society – have a role to play in keeping children safe online and we must work together to make it a reality.”
Article continues below
The Online Safety Act’s illegal codes of conduct came into effect last week, requiring platforms to proactively tackle illegal content including extreme pornography, child sexual abuse and terror-related material. At the start of the year, the government vowed to make new laws to tackle AI-generated child sexual abuse online images – a growing crime. If green-lit, we will become the first country in the world to make it illegal to possess, create or distribute AI tools designed to generate child sexual abuse and to possess AI ‘paedophile manuals’ which teach people how to use the tech to sexually abuse youngsters.
