Turkish student Rumeysa Ozturk says she will continue to pursue her case

A Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University in the United States has returned to Boston after spending more than six weeks in an immigration detention centre in Louisiana in what her lawyers call a politically motivated crackdown on free speech.

Upon arrival at Boston Logan International Airport, Rumeysa Ozturk told reporters on Saturday that she was excited to get back to her studies during what has been a “very difficult” period.

“In the last 45 days, I lost both my freedom and also my education during a crucial time for my doctoral studies,” she said. “But I am so grateful for all the support, kindness and care.”

A federal judge on Friday ordered her release pending a final decision on her claim that she was illegally detained.

Ozturk, 30, was detained on March 25 when immigration officials arrested her in Massachusetts, revoked her student visa and transferred her to the detention facility in Louisiana.

Supporters believe Ozturk, a Fulbright scholar from Turkiye, was targeted for having co-written an opinion article in her student newspaper, calling on Tufts University to acknowledge Israel’s war on Gaza as a genocide.

A genocide case against Israel is under way at the International Court of Justice. Last week, the former EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell accused Israel of committing genocide.

Ozturk was joined by her lawyers and two of Massachusetts’s Democratic members of Congress, Senator Edward Markey and Representative Ayanna Pressley.

“Today is a tremendous day as we welcome you back, Rumeysa,” Markey said. “You have made millions and millions of people across our country so proud of the way you have fought.”

Ozturk’s lawyers say her visa was revoked without notice and she was not allowed to contact legal counsel for more than a day after her arrest.

Appearing in court via video on Friday, Ozturk spoke of her deteriorating health, including severe asthma attacks in detention, and her hopes of continuing her doctoral research on children and social media.

US District Judge William Sessions granted Ozturk bail, saying she presented no flight risk or danger to the public. He found that her claim of unlawful detention raised serious constitutional questions, including potential violations of her rights to free speech and due process.

Ozturk’s case highlights a practice that has become common under President Donald Trump’s administration. Foreign students have been arrested and hundreds of their student visas revoked for their pro-Palestine views.

Mahmoud Khalil, who led the protests against Israel’s war on Gaza at Columbia University in New York, was among the first students detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on March 8. He remains in custody.

The Trump administration has been accused of conflating criticism of Israel as anti-Semitism.

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson previously accused Ozturk, without evidence, of supporting Hamas, which has been designated as a “terrorist” group by the US.

Ozturk denied any wrongdoing and said she will continue to pursue her case. “I have faith in the American system of justice,” she said.

Her legal battle continues in Vermont while immigration hearings proceed separately in Louisiana, where she may participate remotely.

Videos of her arrest, which show masked plainclothes officers taking her from a street in the Boston suburb of Somerville, Massachusetts, went viral and sent a chill across US university campuses.

Her lawyers at the American Civil Liberties Union argued that her arrest and detention were unlawfully designed to punish her for speech protected by the US Constitution’s First Amendment and to chill the speech of others.

Pressley, who with two other Democratic members of Congress from Massachusetts visited Ozturk while she was in custody, said she was held in “squalid, inhumane conditions” and denied proper medical care for worsening asthma attacks.

Jennifer Aniston ‘furious’ with cops for sharing address as home rammed by alleged stalker

Friends actress Jennifer Aniston is said to be considering selling her LA home due to now feeling unsafe after the police shared where she lived in a crime report

Jennifer is considering moving(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Jennifer Aniston is “furious” with the police for sharing her LA home address as her front gate was rammed by her alleged stalker, reports claim. The Friends star is reportedly considering moving from the $21 million property now, as she feels unsafe after her alleged stalker tried to drive through her gate.

Jimmy Carwyle, who is from Mississippi, allegedly smashed his car through gate before being held at gunpoint by a security guard until Los Angeles police arrived. However, the police then identified the block of her Bel Air home in its crime report which has meant that fans have been showing up trying to meet the star.

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Jimmy Wayne Carwyle appeared in court last week
Jimmy Wayne Carwyle appeared in court last week(Image: Getty Images)

The MailOnline reported that a source said: “Jen is furious with the LAPD for releasing where she lives. They gave her exact block address. Since the incident she has had fans coming to her gate, hoping to get a glimpse of her.

“She has hired extra private security but she is considering moving because she no longer feels safe. She expected more discretion from the police. This was her dream home but now everyone knows where she lives.”

Another source said: “Jen is extremely shaken up. She was home when this happened and she believes the police may have exposed her to further risk.” Carwyle has since been charged with felony stalking, vandalism and threatening bodily harm and will face up to three years in jail.

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He appeared in court last week in LA where he was wrapped in a blanket. He will stay in custody while he undergoes psychiatric tests. It has been reported that after the crash, the alleged stalker said he was suffering from back pain before then being taken to hospital for appropriate treatment.

His wife Julia said she was “shocked” by how he looked as she said: “It doesn’t even look like him. He’s not there. He believes he is Jesus Christ and she was supposed to be his queen. Mental illness is real.”

Julia has claimed that her husband is struggling but maintains he is a “great guy”. She explained he has tried to meet Jennifer three times after becoming infatuated with the star.

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Julie said she last saw her husband in September, which was the day he drove to California where he hoped he would meet Jennifer. Social media posts have emerged since the incident but have not been confirmed to have come from Jimmy.

These included posts where it was claimed Jennifer was his “bride” and another which was posted in October alleged that he referred to her as “Jennifer Aniston Carwyle”.

‘We’d definitely come back’ – English rugby’s big day out in Cardiff

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The Principality Stadium was rocking on Saturday as more than 50,000 fans attended a full-throttle club rugby derby in the heart of Cardiff.

But something was different; both sides came from over the border.

It was the first time an English Premiership game had been held at Wales’ national stadium, and the fans turned up in their numbers.

With an attendance of 51,095, the occasion drew at least 20,000 more spectators than Welsh rugby’s domestic showpiece event, Judgement Day, held a few weeks earlier.

The streets and pubs surrounding the Principality Stadium were packed with Bristol and Bath fans, soaking up the sun and matchday atmosphere.

He added: “I’m very thankful to both sets of fans for coming out in their numbers for a record crowd for us.

‘It felt like a Test match’

On the pitch, the rugby was intense and frenetic, as you would expect from two of the Premiership’s highest scoring sides.

Bristol eventually won an enthralling fixture 36-14, boosting their hopes of a top-four finish.

“I’ve had the privilege to play in this stadium and so many players would love to and never get the chance,” Lam continued.

“To come with your club-mates, to put a Bristol jersey on and to come out and play in that sort of stadium, in that sort of atmosphere, is an experience they won’t forget.”

Bath will return to Cardiff on 23 May, hoping for a better result when they face Lyon in the European Challenge Cup final.

Head coach Johann van Graan said: “The occasion was magnificent, credit to Bristol for the off-field stuff they put on show.

Ellis Genge celebrates Bristol team-mate Gabriel Oghre's tryRex Features

Judgement Day attendance decline

Having secured a bonus-point win and a club-record attendance of 51,095, it is safe to say the day will be deemed a success for Bristol.

In contrast, last month’s Judgement Day double-header between the four Welsh regions attracted a crowd of just 28,328.

This was the lowest attendance of the nine Principality Stadium occasions, although it was 8,000 more than turned up when the event was switched to Cardiff City Stadium last year.

In 2016, there was a crowd of 68,000 for Judgement Day at the Principality Stadium.

Being held on the Easter weekend, the timing of the late scheduling in the season and general apathy towards Welsh rugby have been floated as reasons to explain the loss of 40,000 supporters in nine years.

Ospreys head coach Mark Jones hopes it remains, if crowds of old can be coaxed back.

“The concept is the right one, where you have a day where everyone comes together and celebrates Welsh rugby with the talent we have and way we can perform,” said Jones.

“We need to work out how we get 60,000 in there like we used to, that’s the challenge.

“The selfish side of me says open it up, make tickets £1, fill the place out and get them in love with rugby.

“But I know electricity is not free and you have to pay people to staff it and make money, so I get it.”

Bristol will return for another fixture here on 28 March, 2026, a double-header with both the men’s and women’s sides taking to the field.

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  • Welsh Rugby
  • Rugby Union
  • Bath
  • Bristol

Bangladesh bans activities of Awami League, the party of ousted PM Hasina

The interim government of Bangladesh has banned all activities of the party of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted last year after a student-led uprising.

The interim cabinet, headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, decided to ban the Awami League under the Anti-Terrorism Act, Bangladesh’s law affairs adviser, Asif Nazrul, said late on Saturday.

The ban would remain in place until the trial of the party and its leadership over the deaths of hundreds of protesters at the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) is completed, the government said in the statement.

Awami League’s student wing, Bangladesh Chhatra League, was banned in October after being labelled a “terrorist organisation” for its role in violent attacks on protesters during the uprising.

Thousands of protesters, including supporters of a newly formed students’ party, had been taking to the streets in Dhaka for days to demand a ban on the Awami League.

The members of the student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami party also prominently took part in the protests.

A mass uprising that began with student-led protests in July last year led to the ousting of Hasina, who had ruled Bangladesh with an iron fist for 15 years.

Up to 1,400 people may have been killed during three weeks of protests against Hasina and her government, according to a February report by the United Nations human rights office. Hasina and many of her senior party officials have been accused of murder and other offences as a result.

In his announcement, Nazrul also said the cabinet expanded the scope for trying any political parties involving charges of killing during the protests.

The change to the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act clears the way for the Awami League to be tried as a collective entity for alleged crimes committed during its time in power.

The move to ban the party came hours after Nazrul said a Truth and Reconciliation Commission would be formed to underscore national unity. The latest move, political analysts say, will elude the unity needed for a smooth transition of power in this South Asian nation of 170 million people.

The National Citizen Party convener, Nahid Islam, who is also a student leader, applauded the government decision.

But the Awami League, founded in 1949, dismissed the decision as illegitimate, posting on its official Facebook page: “All decisions of the illegal government are illegal.”

Hasina has been living in exile in India since August 5, with her official residence in Bangladesh also stormed by protesters soon after she left.

Earlier this month, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia returned to Dhaka after four months of medical treatment in the British capital, London, raising pressure on the interim government to set a date for national elections.

Big Brother star ‘dreading’ holiday with mum amid shock Motor Neurone Disease battle

Big Brother star Imogen Thomas has opened up about the heartbreaking impact of her mum’s Motor Neurone Disease diagnosis — and in an exclusive interview, admits she’s now “dreading” their upcoming holiday to Italy as her condition worsens.

Imogen Thomas has opened up about the heartbreaking impact of her mum’s Motor Neurone Disease (Image: Hoda Davaine/Dave Benett/WireImage)

Big Brother star Imogen Thomas has shared the heartbreaking reality of her mum’s ongoing battle with motor neurone disease, admitting during an exclusive chat with OK! that sadly, she’s “dreading” an upcoming holiday as her mother’s condition continues to worsen.

The Welsh model, 42, revealed in an exclusive chat with us, that her mum Janette was diagnosed with the progressive neurological disease in 2023, and although she’s “OK right now,” the impact on her daily life has been devastating.

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Imogen Thomas and children
Imogen is mum to Ariana, 12, and Siera, 10(Image: WireImage)
Imogen Thomas and mum
Imogen told us that her mum’s battle with Motor Neuron Disease has impacted life in a serious way(Image: imogen_thomas/Instagram)

“Her right side has gone now, so it’s dead,” Imogen shared, speaking candidly about how the illness is affecting her family right now. “I go home a lot, now. I’m home once a month to Wales, for four days at a time.”

In an emotional moment, the former Miss Wales revealed she’d booked a trip to Italy for herself and her mum after bidding on it at a motor neurone disease charity event – but now the excitement has been replaced by worry.

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“We’re going on holiday soon. I bid for a holiday at a MND charity event, so she and I could go to Italy in June, but now I’m dreading it because the circumstances and how she feels have changed,” she admitted. “But we are trying to stay positive.”

The mum-of-two, who shares daughters Ariana, 12, and Siera, 10, with ex-partner Adam Horsley, might be known for her glam appearance and social media presence – but says dealing with her mum’s health has shifted her priorities and grounded her.

Despite everything going on behind the scenes, Imogen’s life hasn’t slowed down. She recently returned from a family holiday to Turkey, continues to build her property portfolio, and is in a steady relationship with her banker boyfriend of two years. But she admitted the emotional toll of her mum’s illness looms large.

Imogen Thomas and Nikki Grahame
Imogen rose to fame on Big Brother in 2006, alongside pal Nicky Grahame(Image: REX/Shutterstock)

Imogen is still as outspoken and candid as ever, opening up about motherhood, cosmetic surgery, and her future plans – including a possible third boob job, this time a reduction, due to back pain and discomfort. But when it comes to her girls, she’s adamant she’d discourage them from following in her footsteps with surgery. “I’d do everything to avoid it, because I know they would regret it,” she said, adding, “I really don’t want them to.”

The reality star and Miss Wales 2003, who rose to fame on Big Brother in 2006, says she has no regrets about her time on the show and would even go back, telling us: “I loved it, and if they asked me to go on it now, I would.” But for now, her focus is firmly on her family – and being there for her mum, one day at a time.

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This Morning star reveals ex-pal’s ‘cruel’ blow right after she split from love rat fiancé

This Morning star and best-selling author, Michelle Elman, opened up about her friendships in her new book, Bad Friend: Why Friendship Breakups Hurt and How to Heal

This Morning star reveals ‘cruel timing’ of ex-pal who ended friendship right after engagement ended(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

This Morning star and life coach Michelle Elman formed an immediate rapport with her fans in the first few pages of her newest book as she shared details of the painful friendship breakups she experienced throughout her life. One painful moment saw a long-term friend cut ties with her a day after she publicly announced the end of her engagement.

In early 2024, the best-selling author revealed to her loyal Instagram fans that she got engaged to her partner, whose identity she never revealed, after dating for three years. Her happiness was short-lived when she learned he was cheating on her. She discovered the heart wrenching news from the woman he cheated on her with as the person was actually already following her on social media.

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Michelle Elman
Michelle went through a public breakup last year after she discovered her fiancé was cheating on her(Image: Instagram)

Michelle said at the time: “She’s a lovely woman, and she didn’t know, and you’ve got to love his taste in women. You’ve got to laugh. We’re laughing and crying a lot over here.”

The woman showed proof of the infidelity, with receipts and emails, and her relationship quickly crumbled before her eyes as she suddenly found herself navigating life as a single woman who was dealing with the aftermath of an unforgivable betrayal.

However, the demise of her engagement wasn’t the only blow to her life at the time as a pal soon popped up to end their friendship despite Michelle already suffering through a turbulent time.

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In an exclusive interview with Mirror Online, Michelle opened up about the shock text she received in what she called ‘cruel timing’ from her former friend.

Michelle Elman
The star revealed a former friend ended their friendship a day after she publicly announced she broke up with her fiancé

The painful friendship breakup is of the many things Michelle divulged in her new book, Bad Friend: Why Friendship Breakups Hurt and How to Heal, and in her conversation with us she went into further detail on the ‘weird timing’ of her ex friend’s text.

In the second page of her new book, which was five years in the making, Michelle wrote: “I have always said that a friendship breakup can be as painful as a romantic one but I finally have the proof.

“The day after I publicly announced the ending of my engagement online, one of my friends that I have known since we were eleven ended our friendship, and it hurt more than what I was going through romantically.”

When asked to expand on what happened between her and the friend, Michelle told us the mystery person “hadn’t replied to her in six weeks” before she was faced with the unanticipated end to their relationship.

Cover of Bad Friend: Why Friendship Breakups Hurt and How to Heal
The painful friendship breakup is of the many things Michelle divulged in her new book

She revealed: “I publicly announced my engagement. I then publicly announced the breakup three weeks later. Even though it happened the day after, I announced it three weeks later, and she sent me a text the next day. It was very weird timing. Very cruel timing.

“It was a very public breakup, and there’s no way she wouldn’t have known about it. I have a private [Instagram] account. Oh, I used to before but the breakup kind of deleted that account. I had a private account and I had a public account. There’s no way she wouldn’t have seen it.

“But choosing this timing, especially when you waited six weeks, is something I can’t understand.” Thankfully, she regained her faith in humanity when former friends reached out to her to check if she was doing okay.

She added:” No matter how things ended, even if, and with some of the friends, it was really bad fights, no matter what hurtful thing had been said, like the love and care you have for a person was still there. Some of these people I’ve not spoken to in five years, and just sent me a text, and they were was like,” hey, just want to check on you. I hope you’re okay”.”

In her new book, Bad Friends, Michelle explores female friendships as she helps readers understand the ups and downs of platonic relationships and how to handle things when it goes wrong.

The author is known for her being a direct person, which is seen in her book, but her honesty didn’t come without hurtful comments from others. She said: “You get penalised for being a direct person, I’m a very direct woman, because I believe that’s the way you should be, and it’s taken many years to be that way.

“But as a result, the names I get called are direct, rude, harsh, aggressive. I’ve even had abusive thrown at me, and I’m not abusive in any means, but I’m also not a person who you can walk all over.”

Michelle first got the idea for Bad Friend in 2019 after struggling through a friendship break up. Throughout the course of working on the book, she saw three friendship end – one of which occurred this year.

“I literally was like, ‘Again?!'” she laughed before explaining how she added a disclaimer in the introduction of her book, telling readers in the very first sentence: “I am not sure I am healed enough to write this book. And yet I am writing it anyway because it needs to be said: friend- ship breakups suck.”

Bad Friend: Why Friendship Breakups Hurt and How to Heal by Michelle Elman is published in hardback at £20 by Renegade Books on 8 May 2025*

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