Ellie Kildunne scores a hat-trick on her 50th England appearance in an emphatic victory over Wales at the Principality Stadium in the Women’s Six Nations.
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The mass demonstration on Saturday was the latest in a wave of nationwide protests that have gripped parts of the country since the arrest of Ekrem Imamoglu on March 19. The now ex-mayor, considered a key rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was detained on corruption and terrorism charges. The terrorism charge was initially dismissed by the court.
A letter from Imamoglu was read out at the rally to loud cheers from the crowd. “I have no fear, you are behind me and by my side. I have no fear because the nation is united. The nation is united against the oppressor”, the letter said. “They can put me in jail and try me as much as they want, the nation has shown that it will crush all traps and plots”, it added.
The government rejects accusations from critics that the move against Imamoglu was politically motivated, insisting that the judiciary is independent and free of political interference.
This week, Erdogan denounced the rallies. “Those who spread terror in the streets and want to set fire to this country have nowhere to go. The path they have taken is a dead end”, he said.
Those demonstrating in Istanbul’s streets on Saturday had an opposing view: “We must speak out against injustice and unlawfulness. I am 25 and have only known one government – I want to see change”, a protester told Al Jazeera. “A state is strong only when it’s fair, but I am not hopeful. The judiciary is not independent”, said another one.
Imamoglu’s detention, and later formal arrest over the corruption charges on March 23, prompted nationwide protests despite assembly bans, police crackdowns, and legal prosecution by authorities.
“They’ve detained hundreds of our children, thousands of our youths … arrested hundreds of them”, said Ozgur Ozel, the leader of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) that organised the protest. “They only had one goal in mind: to intimidate them, terrify them, make sure they never go out again”.
Nearly 1, 900 people have been detained since March 19, and pro-government media reported Friday that public prosecutors had requested up to three years imprisonment for 74 of them.
“For many people here, this is not just about but about democracy, especially for students. Attending the rallies is a way for them to show resilience and protect their freedoms for their future”, said Al Jazeera’s Sinem Koseoglu, reporting from the protest.
Police kept their distance at Saturday’s rally with no new arrests reported. Ozel called for the immediate release of Imamoglu, as well as for other political prisoners, including Selahattin Demirtas, a former presidential candidate and founder of the pro-Kurdish Peoples ‘ Equality and Democracy Party, or DEM.
“In Turkiye, we envision presidential candidates will not be imprisoned”, added Ozel.
Last Sunday, hours after he had been formally arrested, Imamoglu won a symbolic primary to be the CHP’s candidate in a presidential election currently scheduled for 2028, but which is likely to take place earlier. Ozel noted they would begin collecting signatures for Imamoglu’s release and also to demand an early election.
 , The declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu has continued to generate mixed reactions. On Channels Television’s Politics Today programme, former Agriculture Minister Audu Ogbeh warned that bringing a former service chief to replace an elected governor is sending a wrong signal that Nigerians still desire military rule. The former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said it is unfair for the president to suspend Governor Siminalayi Fubara and retain the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), who are both actors in the political crisis.
 , Enjoy the excerpts:
What is your stance on the decision of President Bola Tinubu?
I think that the use or declaration of states of emergency is something that we should avoid as much as possible. It’s a very dangerous trend because it is definitely not going to be always fair and just. It will always leave a bitter taste in the mouths of those affected and a certain sense of victory and triumph in the minds of those who think they have won. In a country where ethnicity is a serious matter, and where we need to be a bit cautious about what we do, it is something we should apply only very sparingly. That’s my reaction.
What we saw in Ekiti, what we saw in Plateau State under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, can you compare it with what we are seeing in Rivers State?
Well, on each of these occasions, I was chairman of the party. The President had more information than I had. Therefore, making comments on how precarious he thought the situation was at the time would be difficult for me. What I think we should do after this one is that we must avoid the use of this provision as much as possible. I think that the president is a well-informed individual, powerful enough to organise a group of persons with sufficient moral and social authority to sit down with the main actors and resolve some of these issues before they get to the point of proclamations of states of emergency. We all know that the ethnic tinderbox in Nigeria is very easy to inflame. We don’t want fights, we don’t want riots, and we don’t want assassinations.
When these problems began, in fairness to the president, he did call the Rivers State gentleman to the villa once. That didn’t seem to work. We should, as soon as possible, even before the six months pass, the president should find solid individuals in River State, men, women and youths to sit down and ask them to mediate in this matter and find out exactly where the problems lay and appeal particularly to the two warring persons. Rivers State is bigger than any individual. We as a country and as countrymen are not interested in watching a situation where Rivers State and the entire Niger Delta will go up in flames. Nigeria has lived off the Niger Delta for 40 years. We appreciate what they’ve done for Nigeria because their oil has been fuelling our expenditure. Nobody wants a crisis in the Niger Delta.
When the matter came before the National Assembly for voting, I would like to suggest to the National Assemblymen to install a capacity in the future for individual voting because someday, 10 to 20 years from now, their children and grandchildren and researchers would like to find out how individuals voted on a particular bill. Hays and nays do not give us a clear picture of the position and the moral authority of individual senators or members of the House. Nobody should hide under a shadow. If you want a vote, say so. If you don’t want it, say so. These hays and nays are a camouflage and don’t work. I was a Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly in Benue State between 1979 and 1982. So, if issues like that came up, and we wanted to know who stood in what position on a bill, we did counted ourselves.
Are you worried because there are those who say the constitution is silent on whether the president can suspend any elected members as in the case of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Mrs Ngozi Odu, and the House of Assembly members?
Well, I must say that the decision of the President should not overrule the vote of the people who made that individual governor. The people of Rivers voted for somebody, the people of Plateau voted for somebody. If that person is not doing the right thing, is it morally right for an individual to have the authority to remove him from office? That’s something that the nation should debate, and that’s something that needs to be amended or corrected.
As an elder statesman, how do you think the president should have handled this for those who have accused him of bias in this matter?
A president is a man who should have sympathy. The job of the president is a superhuman assignment. That man, every day of the week, must be ageing like a month because of the kinds of problems that come before him. So, sometimes, it’s almost impossible to imagine the pressure he goes through. However, I suggest that a reconciliation committee should be set up as soon as possible. And that in the future, when such a situation arises, these individuals who are the warring factions should be brought before senior citizens of the state and told the plain truth.
There’s always somebody who is doing far more or far less than he or she should, and there’s always somebody who is too aggressive for the rest of the crowd. I think the people of Rivers – senior citizens should have the courage to say to such a person, if you did this, it is wrong, if you didn’t do that, it is wrong but removing an elected person is something that may not exactly rhyme with political and democratic ideas because that’s to say that after an election, the archbishop of the state or the chief imam of the state or the oldest traditional ruler there can say to the governor: ‘ We don’t want you anymore’. And he packs his luggage and goes. After all, the president did not vote in the state. That’s something that we need to look into. I mean, it’s a very tricky matter.
If you were in the president’s shoes, what would you do?
I’ll tell you what I would have done. One more meeting wouldn’t do any harm to the larger committee of elders of Rivers State to let them hear the arguments of both sides. So that by the time you say, look, if you can’t check yourselves, I may have to take a more drastic decision, the whole world will know that you tried very hard.
I know a president is a person under superhuman pressure, and having met with them once, and the matter didn’t go well, he opted for what appears to be the immediate solution. On the other hand, the fact that one is an appointee of his and the other is an elected person makes it unfair to remove the one you didn’t appoint and do nothing about the one you’re appointed. I think that’s one of the arguments that people are putting forward. But in the future, elders and party members should be able to get involved in dealing with these matters.
There are those who are afraid of what a more autocratic leader could use the Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution to do. What do you think we need to correct urgently?
Well, if certain sections of the constitution are beginning to show themselves as problematic, we should begin to think of constitutional amendments because the only forum that can handle that is the National Assembly. People should submit memoranda. On the other hand, do we just leave it as it is, hoping that the president will always be fair and balanced in these decisions? As I said, a president is a man or woman under terrible pressure. However, removing somebody who was elected by an entire state by a sentence from one individual elsewhere may look a bit tricky and not to say unjust, so it’s something that Nigeria should begin to debate after this.
We understand that the administrator of Rivers State has officially resumed duty. If you were to advise Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, what would you be telling him tonight?
Well, he has an assignment. He should carry on quietly, listen to all sides, find out what the grievances are, and be fair and just as far as is humanly possible. The only other thing that I’m asking is: Why is it that each time there is this suspension of a governor, a military person is put back in place? Do we miss military rule, or are we suggesting that civilians are incapable of governing themselves?
Obasanjo did it twice, in fact, thrice, and we have it again. What’s the logic? This is why, in the first place, this whole imposition of a state of emergency should be avoided. It was not done in Borno during Boko Haram, even though to every sense and degree, the situation there was far more chaotic than we have now. When Boko Haram was running riots, that’s all, but it’s up to the president. Since the constitution doesn’t say you can only pick this or that person, the president is free to do so, but it’s also sending a funny signal that civilians can’t do the job themselves. That’s not a good one. That’s why civilians themselves should be more responsible. Elected individuals should behave themselves and not carry on as if it’s a holiday and that they can do as they wish because they are sending the wrong signal to society.
Max George has celebrated a major milestone in his recovery after undergoing heart surgery earlier this year. The 36-year-old singer, best known as a member of the boy band The Wanted, was rushed to the hospital in December after his mother noticed he had turned blue.
Tests revealed that his heart was dangerously weak, and he was fitted with a pacemaker just before Christmas. After a period of rest and rehabilitation, Max has made a strong return to the stage and is now touring the UK in Jeff Wayne’s The War of the Worlds alongside his girlfriend, Maisie Smith.
The couple’s highly anticipated arena tour kicked off in Hull and will continue across cities including Liverpool, Nottingham, Birmingham, and London, concluding on April 20.
Max takes on the role of Parson Nathaniel, while Maisie plays his on-stage wife, Beth. Ahead of the first performance, Max shared a clip on social media showcasing his stage makeup, revealing himself covered in fake blood and bruises, which would surely surprise anyone unfamiliar with the character he portrays. He captioned the post, “Stage time…”
For a while, it was unclear if Max would be able to participate in the production due to his health struggles, but he confirmed last week that he would indeed be performing throughout the tour.
He posted on Instagram, saying, “It’s been a long road since December… but we got here! Currently in rehearsals for Jeff Wayne’s The War of the Worlds, and it’s gonna be EPIC. Another arena tour to tick off the bucket list… including the Co-op Live Arena in my hometown for the first time.”
Max took time to reflect on the tough journey he’s been through in the past few months, admitting that his recovery had been “rough” at times. However, he emphasized how grateful he was to be feeling better and ready to hit the road again, adding: “I’m back to my best and will be performing throughout the whole tour”.
He also shared how special it was for him to be performing with Maisie, saying: “Getting to do this with Maisie is an experience I’m sure I’ll never forget.” Their relationship has grown over time, as the couple met in 2020 while competing on Strictly Come Dancing but didn’t begin dating until two years later, during the live tour.
Maisie, 23, has been by Max’s side throughout his recovery, offering unwavering support during his second heart operation in February. The additional surgery forced Max to cancel a live show with The Wanted’s new two-member lineup, which includes bandmate Siva Kaneswaran.
Max expressed his disappointment to fans, explaining: “My second heart op has just set me back a little bit with my recovery, and I’m just not going to be well enough in time”.
The singer reassured fans that he would be rescheduling the canceled performance and that he and Siva would be “working out when we’re gonna do it”. He also expressed his gratitude for the support he’s received, adding: “Siva’s been awesome, as always, and we can’t wait to get this venture going”. Although Max acknowledged his setback, he remained upbeat, telling fans, “It’s a bummer, but I’ll see you very, very soon. Love you”.
Through it all, Maisie has been his steadfast companion, and Max made sure to acknowledge her support, saying their experience on tour together is something he will cherish.
After weeks of speculation, a Love Island star has ended rumours of a relationship split. Whitney Adebayo and Lochan Nowacki’s pairing had been question earlier this month after fans thought they had spotted clues there was trouble in paradise.
The couple met and fell head over heels for each other on the ITV2 programme in 2023 and have gone from strength to strength since leaving the villa as runners-up. However, after regularly appearing on each other’s social media, fans recently noticed how Lochan was nowhere to be seen at the premiere of Whitney’s latest venture called Inside, which has her team up with the Sidemen in a new show.
Despite the speculation, Whitney has now moved to confirm the couple are still an item. She took to Instagram to share a loved-up video of the pair pouting to the camera. Over the top of the video, she shared a voice note in which she revealed: “First the first time in 27 years, I can honestly say I’m in a happy, loving relationship.”
However, she said it hasn’t always been easy and explained how she had to “unlearn toxic traits” in order to ensure she didn’t lose her man. She captioned the upload: “Chapter 3 – Healing Love. Thank you for being you, happy birthday my love @lochan_nowacki”.
And fellow Love Island stars were quick to pay tribute to the pair in the comments section. Millie Court said: “You guyssss,” with a number of crying face emojis.
Chloe Burrows also wrote: “God this is f***ing cute”, while Lochan added: “Nawwwww you I love this and you baby! Getting ya man emotional on his bday! Now get your ass over here so we can celebrate! I appreciate you always”.
Whitney’s latest project, Inside, brought together a diverse group of influencers, reality stars, and online personalities, who will face a variety of challenges in a competition for a £1 million prize.
The series was produced by the popular British YouTubers, the Sidemen, and challenged its contestants to outwit and outlast their competitors in a series of tasks designed to test their teamwork, strategy, and endurance.
The contestants had compete in these tasks while under constant observation, with penalties for mistakes and rewards for success.
Last week, Whitney appeared to have quit social media following racist abuse over the new TV show. Following her appearance on the show, Whitney took to social media to hit back at the vile trolls who had been targeting her online and making horrifying comments.
She said: “I’d like to take the time and address something important after the airing of Inside on Netflix. I was a contestant on the show, where the goal was to win a million pounds while navigating the challenge of saving and spending money. I was a ‘spender’ by nature, which added some fun and drama to the show, but it’s important to remember that everything you saw was a part of the game, designed for entertainment.”
“I’ve received a mix of reactions – some positive, some negative. But what I’ve encountered more than anything is the reality of racism. I understand that being in the spotlight briny criticism, but what I’ve experienced the past few days goes beyond criticism”, she wrote.
“This evil, hatred and pure racism and should not be tolerated. The hateful messages, the death threats, and the unjust treatment I’ve received are not only hurtful, but they also serve as a reminder that racism is still very much embedded in British culture”.
Megan Fox is believed to be in a “good place” according to those close to the actress, following the end of her turbulent relationship with rapper Machine Gun Kelly in December last year. Earlier this week, MGK, announced the birth of his newborn daughter on social media as he posted a black and white video of him gently stroking his daughter’s hand as she clutched his finger.
The post was accompanied by a message that read “She’s finally here!! our little celestial seed”. In the background, fans heard an instrumental song that he had composed with close pal and rocker Travis Barker.
And while MGK, whose real name is Colson Baker, was quick to share the happy news with his fans, Megan is yet to post. According to those close with the Hollywood star, 38, and her ex, the pair are “so happy to be parents together”, despite Megan calling time on their four year relationship.
The source told US Weekly: “No matter how they’ve felt about each other, they have always wanted to have a child together. They have both been communicating and are in a good place”.
Following the birth of her daughter, this has seemingly pushed her painful and public split from MGK to the back of her mind according to pals, as she is finally enjoying being in the bubble of being a new mum.
And this perhaps is the reason as to why Megan remains determined to focus her attention on co-parenting with MGK with ease. Friends close to Megan also revealed to various US publications that she will not attempt to rekindle their romance any time soon.
A source told US Weekly: “MGK would like to reconcile, but Megan is firm in her decision to move on. She does not see a future with him anymore. She doesn’t want to put herself in the same position again with him anymore. She wants to break the cycle”.
Back in 2022, the rapper popped the question during a romantic trip to Puerto Rico. And Megan could not contain her excitement as she told fans at the time: “In July of 2020 we sat under this banyan tree. We asked for magic”.
She added: “We were oblivious to the pain we would face together in such a short, frenetic period of time”. She then added that they had been “intoxicated off of the love” and “laughed more than]she] ever imagined possible”.
But things soon turned sour for the pair as in 2023, she had wiped any memory of MGK from her Instagram account, leaving many to fear that her relationship had come to an end.
But by the end of May that year, they appeared to have reconciled and laid to rest their differences. However, by March the following year, while on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Megan candidly revealed that rumours of her engagement being called off were in fact true.
She admitted: “What I can say is, that is what I refer to as being my ‘ twin soul, ‘ and there will always be a tether to him no matter what.
” I can’t say for sure what the capacity will be, but I will always be connected to him somehow. Beyond that, I’m not willing to explain. “
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