Category News

Claudia Winkleman’s ‘chronic’ problem that needed ‘so many operations’

By in Entertainment News, News

The Traitors host has been open about her health issues in the past

Claudia Winkleman will be stepping back into The Traitors’ castle as she welcomes famous faces to take part in the ultimate mind-bending game. However, away from the camera, the star has been dealing with a major health issue that affects her life every day.

The 53-year-old has been quite open and honest about her health struggles in recent years, including an ongoing battle with a chronic health condition – severe myopia. According to the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB), myopia is a “refractive error” that means light is not focused correctly onto the back of the eye, and vision is not clear.

The mum-of-two opened up about her struggles on Gabby Logan’s ‘The Mid Point’ podcast about the lengths she has gone to correct the issue with surgery. She said that her vision has fluctuated dramatically from short-sightedness to long-sightedness, creating significant reading challenges, reports Surrey Live.

Claudia said: “I’ve had lens replacement. I’ve had so many operations on my eyes. I had a lens replacement in my left eye because my astigmatism was so bad, but I was minus 16, that was 14 years ago, and then I had a little fiddle with it, but because I was so short-sighted by then, fixing it I’m now long-sighted, so I can’t really read anymore.

“I can with glasses, I’ve got plus 2.5 but I can’t read The Bee Sting with those glasses and that light.”

Known for her long-standing job on Stricly Come Dancing, Claudia confessed during the How To Fail podcast that her lifelong history of eye complications has meant she has “always had terrible eyesight.” She continued: “I’ve had a couple of operations since then because I was just banging into walls. But now I wear lenses or glasses or whatever.”

Claudia’s vision difficulties have previously prevented her from carrying out basic presenting duties that most TV hosts take for granted, including reading from the autocue. She previously said: “I can’t even begin to tell you how blind I am, it’s embarrassing.

“I can’t read the autocue. My eyes have deteriorated so badly, I’m not meant to drive. I am doing the wrong job.”

Article continues below

Despite her ongoing sight struggles, Claudia has maintained an upbeat outlook whilst remaining a beloved fixture on British telly, bringing joy to viewers across the nation. Claudia will host the first celebrity version of The Traitors on BBC One, which starts on October 8 at 9pm on BBC One.

Ethiopia claims Eritrea is readying to ‘wage war’ against it

By in News, World News

Ethiopia has accused Eritrea’s government of working with an opposition group based in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region to prepare for a military offensive, underscoring concerns of renewed conflict in the region.

Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos made the claim in a letter appealing to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, cited by the AFP news agency and Ethiopian media on Wednesday.

Recommended Stories

list of 3 itemsend of list

In the letter, Timothewos claims there is clear “collusion” between Eritrea’s government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), a once-dominant political force in Ethiopia that fought a two-year civil war with Addis Ababa, ending in 2022.

“The collusion between the Eritrean government and the TPLF has become more evident over the past few months,” said the letter, quoted by AFP. “The hardliner faction of the TPLF and the Eritrean government are actively preparing to wage war against Ethiopia.”

In the letter, Addis Ababa also accuses Asmara and the TPLF of “funding, mobilising and directing armed groups” in the northern Amhara region, where the federal army has been facing rebels for several years.

The message speaks to deteriorating relations between neighbouring Ethiopia and Eritrea, which have a decades-long bloody history.

After Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993, a border war erupted between the two Horn of Africa countries from 1998 to 2000, leaving tens of thousands dead.

Relations thawed in 2018 after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power, with the Eritrean army supporting Ethiopian federal forces in the 2020-2022 Tigray War.

Since the conflict ended, relations have again taken a belligerent turn, with Asmara accusing its landlocked neighbour of eyeing the Assab port on the Red Sea in southeastern Eritrea.

Abiy has repeatedly expressed hopes for Ethiopia to regain sea access, lost legally after Eritrea’s independence.

Timothewos, in his letter to Guterres, said Addis Ababa wants “to engage in good faith negotiations with the government of Eritrea” and has a vision of “shared prosperity through integration that preserves the territorial integrity and sovereignty of both states”.

He accused Asmara of trying “to justify its sinister machinations against Ethiopia by claiming that it feels threatened by Ethiopia’s quest to gain access to the sea”.

Peter Kay broke down in tears as his ‘world collapsed’ before emergency surgery

By in Entertainment News, News

Peter Kay has opened up about the moment he realised he needed emergency surgery after being struck down by agonizing kidney stones and said the ordeal left him in tears.

Peter Kay has shared the terrifying moment he discovered he needed emergency surgery after being struck by excruciating kidney stones — an ordeal he described as feeling like his “world collapsed.”

The much-loved Bolton-born comedian, 52, recounted the painful episode during a train journey from London to Wigan, explaining that what started as a stomach ache rapidly turned into one of the worst experiences of his life.

The Max and Paddy star revealed his symptoms began on Friday, and by Sunday his lower right back was “throbbing,” prompting him to seek medical help.

In his new book, Peter Kay’s Diary, he wrote: “I didn’t feel well at all, so I did what anybody would do in the situation — I looked up my symptoms with Dr Google. It was looking like a kidney stone.”

His self-diagnosis proved accurate. “Fast forward twenty-four hours and my suspicions were confirmed via a CT scan at the local hospital. It turned out I had a big stone blocking the exit of my right kidney,” he said, reports the Manchester Evening News.

The doctor then delivered the alarming news that he required immediate surgery. “He reassured me but said I needed emergency surgery to remove the kidney stone, which would also involve having a stent fitted up my urethra (Franklin) in order to maintain my kidney functions.”

As the pain intensified, the comedian’s famed wit was pushed to its limits. “Kidney stone pain is legendary, and I was starting to sob and make the occasional high-pitched whining sound. Like when you fire an air rifle at a dog’s testicles.”

The Car Share favourite was informed that surgeons would deploy a tiny laser-equipped camera to “blast the kidney stone to smithereens.”

However, it was only when the urologist explained how they would access the kidney that Kay truly panicked.

“Oh my God, he means he’s going in through the hole at the end of my penis,” he recalled in horror. “My world collapsed. Red lights flashed in my head. He can’t go up there — it’s out of bounds, private land. Area 51. A camera won’t fit up there, let alone one carrying a laser. Was this guy on glue?”

Fortunately, the television personality said doctors successfully removed the stone, before admitting he was “weeping” in agony once the general anaesthetic wore off.

In September, Kay postponed two performances in Nottingham due to another “routine kidney procedure.”

The 52-year-old had been scheduled to appear at Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena on Sunday and 6 October.

Article continues below

A statement from SJM Concerts, posted by Kay on his social media platforms on Monday, confirmed the decision had been taken “following medical advice.”

‘Do you want a player to die on court?’ – Tennis stars wilt in China heat

By in News, World News

Novak Djokovic threw up, Alexander Zverev poured sweat out of his shoe, and Emma Raducanu quit her match with dizziness – and the bad news for the world’s top tennis players is that more baking weather awaits them in China this week.

Denmark’s Holger Rune called the temperatures of more than 30C (86F) and humidity soaring past 80 percent at the Shanghai Masters “brutal”.

Recommended Stories

list of 4 itemsend of list

“Do you want a player to die on court?” Rune was heard asking this week in the fierce conditions.

The 24 Grand Slam winner Djokovic labelled it “very challenging physically” on Tuesday as he battled the heat and an ankle injury scare to reach the quarterfinals.

The ailing 38-year-old crouched over frequently in between rallies against Spain’s Jaume Munar and vomited on court.

After one unforced error, Djokovic dropped to the court and remained splayed out as a medic rushed over, before regathering himself to win in three battling sets.

The draw has opened up for the Serb after world number one Carlos Alcaraz withdrew before the tournament to rest, and defending champion Jannik Sinner retired from his match on Sunday with cramp.

Zverev, ranked three in the world, was beaten on Monday, having had to pause during his defeat to change his shoes because sweat was pouring out of them.

Spectators at the centre court wafted fans and wore cool packs on their foreheads to counter the suffocating humidity.

Novak Djokovic pauses for breath during a match at the Shanghai Rolex Masters on October 7, 2025 [Hu Chengwei/Getty Images]

The main court in Shanghai has a roof, but it remains open and would only be closed if it rains – there is no prospect of that for the remainder of the tournament.

Rune called on the men’s governing body, the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), to introduce a heat rule at events such as the Shanghai Masters.

The ATP said in a statement that player safety was its top priority, and it was considering such a policy.

Currently, decisions affecting play to do with weather conditions, including heat, lie with the on-site ATP supervisor, in coordination with on-site medical teams and local authorities, it said.

Conditions felt marginally less oppressive on Wednesday in Shanghai, but forecasts were still for highs of 29C (84F).

Temperatures are set to rise again in the coming days and peak on Sunday, the day of the final, at an estimated 32-33C (90-91F).

France’s Arthur Rinderknech, who reached the quarterfinals on Wednesday, said it was not only the players who were suffering.

“It was as hard for the ball boys, for the umpire, for the fans, everybody was always like this – blowing air to the face because it was really hot,” he said.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia reacts during the match against Jaume Munar of Spain in the Men's Singles round of 16 match on day 9 of the 2025 Shanghai Rolex Masters at Qi Zhong Tennis Center
Novak Djokovic takes on fluids while his team tends to him during the match against Jaume Munar [Lintao Zhang/Getty Images]

The conditions are equally punishing in Wuhan, central China, where top women’s players are competing.

Temperatures are above average for this time of year in both cities.

Scientists have consistently warned that human-driven climate change is resulting in more frequent and intense weather events worldwide.

The difference between Wuhan and Shanghai is that the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has a heat policy.

At the WTA Wuhan Open on Tuesday, former Grand Slam champions Emma Raducanu and Jelena Ostapenko retired from their matches.

Raducanu had her blood pressure and other vitals checked before retiring with dizziness from her first-round match.

World number two Iga Swiatek called on organisers to take player safety into account when scheduling matches on the outdoor courts, where there is no roof.

“On centre court, I think it’s a little bit cooler with the air conditioning and everything,” she said.

“But I hope the other matches will be scheduled at a time where girls can compete, rather than just die on the court.”

Temperatures above 30C forced organisers to put the WTA’s heat rule into effect on Monday, as play was suspended on the outside courts.

The heat rule was also in effect for part of Tuesday.

The policy allows players to take a 10-minute break between the second and third sets, and means the tournament can partially or fully close the centre-court roof to protect players.

The rule looks set to come into play repeatedly this week in Wuhan, where highs above 30C are forecast all week, including for Sunday’s final.

General views of Novak Djokovic of Serbia returns a shot against Jaume Munar of Spain in the Men's singles round of 16 match on Day 9 of 2025 Shanghai Rolex Masters at Qi Zhong Tennis Center on October 07, 2025 in Shanghai, China
The Qizhong Forest Sports City Tennis Center in Shanghai will stage the finals of the Shanghai Masters on Saturday and Sunday [Lintao Zhang/Getty Images]

Sudan Paramilitary Attack On Maternity Ward Kills Eight

By in News, Nigeria News

A drone strike by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces killed eight people in a maternity ward in the besieged city of El-Fasher, a medical source told AFP on Wednesday.

The attack, which occurred on Tuesday, also injured seven people in El-Fasher Hospital and “damaged buildings and equipment”, the health worker said on condition of anonymity for their safety.

It is the latest strike on healthcare facilities since the start of the war in Sudan in April 2023, between the RSF and the regular Sudanese army.

El-Fasher Hospital is one of the last functioning health facilities in the North Darfur state capital, where the paramilitary is waging its fiercest assault on the city yet.

READ ALSO: ICC Finds Sudan Militia Chief Guilty Of Crimes Against Humanity

El-Fasher is the only major city in the vast western region of Darfur the RSF has not yet seized, despite besieging the city since May 2024.

The UN has called El-Fasher “the epicentre of child suffering”, where mass starvation has taken hold and even the animal feed families have survived on now costs hundreds of dollars a sack.

The war in Sudan has killed tens of thousands of people and created the world’s largest hunger and displacement crisis.

Dolly Parton’s gut-wrenching realisation after losing soulmate husband who ‘suffered’

By in Entertainment News, News

They were married for nearly 60 but since the death of her rarely-seen husband Carl Dean in March this year, Dolly has been struggling with her health and her emotions

She’s one of the hardest working people in Hollywood, so when 9 to 5 singer Dolly Parton was forced to cancel upcoming gigs it was a clear sign that something was wrong.

Dolly recently told fans on social media that she was unable to rehearse and prepare for six Ceasars’ Palace shows, which were due to take place from December 4 to December 13, because of medical procedures.

And last night, Dolly Parton’s younger sister Freida alarmed fans when she said said she had been “up all night praying” for the singer as she faces ongoing health ‘challenges’.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Freida rallied fans to pray for her older sibling and wrote: “Many of you know she hasn’t been feeling her best lately.”

READ MORE: Stereophonics’ Kelly Jones cancels huge tour after suffering ‘mystery’ health issueREAD MORE: Gavin and Stacey unaired storyline turned a much-loved character into a huge villain

However, the country legend’s production manager, Olly Rowland, has settled concerns over Dolly’s illness.

He said: “It’s just the kidney stones, and the procedure she needs to resolve those. It looks like her sister posted, and it got quite a bit blown out of proportion, weirdly.”

As well as experiencing significant health challenges throughout her career, Dolly has been heartbroken since her beloved husband, Carl Dean, died in March 2025.

Dolly admits she’s been very emotional and has struggled to adapt to life without him after their 60 years together.

“Carl and I spent many wonderful years together,” she said on social media. “Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy.”

Dolly met Dean outside a laundromat on the first day she arrived in Nashville as an 18-year-old aspiring singer. Recalling their first meeting, she said: “I was surprised and delighted that while he talked to me, he looked at my face (a rare thing for me). He seemed to be genuinely interested in finding out who I was and what I was about.”

Two years later, on May 30, 1966, the couple exchanged vows at a private ceremony in Ringgold, Georgia. They were married for six decades but Carl kept himself out of the limelight, preferring to stay at home and live on their farm running his paving business.

He was dedicated to Dolly and once said he knew he was going to marry her the moment they met: “My first thought was I’m going to marry that girl,” Carl once said. “My second was, ‘Lord she’s good lookin.’ And that was the day my life began.”

But despite her heartbreak since his passing, the legendary country singer later said in an interview with Knox News that she was “doing better than I thought I would.”

Article continues below

“I’ve been with him 60 years,” she told the publication. “So, I’m going to have to relearn some of the things that we’ve done. But I’ll keep him always close.”

“I’m at peace that he’s at peace, but that don’t keep me from missing him and loving him,” Parton added, noting that Dean had “suffered a great deal. It’s a hole in my heart, you know, but we’ll fill that up with good stuff and he’ll still always be with me.”

READ MORE: Stacey Solomon’s robot vacuum that’s her ‘best friend’ for cleaning is now £86 off at Amazon