Madagascar has sworn in army leader Colonel Michael Randrianirina as president, just days after a military takeover on the back of a popular rebellion that sent President Andry Rajoelina fleeing into exile.
Nicole Kidman’s busy schedule has been a ‘healthy coping mechanism’ for the star following her split from husband of almost two decades, Keith Urban. The couple’s separation was revealed earlier this month, with the singer reportedly having moved out of their Nashville house.
According to insiders close to the pair, Nicole and Keith were not living together for most of the summer, despite celebrating their 19th wedding anniversary at the end of June. Nicole was said to have been fighting for the marriage, but Keith was “done” and his friends felt their divorce was “inevitable”.
It is rumoured he is already dating someone new. Despite the split, Nicole has kept busy with her recent Vogue interview and her appearance at Paris Fashion Week with daughters Sunday Rose, 17, and Faith, 14.
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She also has two shows coming out, Scarpetta and Margo’s Got Money Troubles, as well as the sequel to Practical Magic.
One relationship expert has said Nicole’s busy schedule has been a healthy way for the star to deal with the end of her marriage.
Relationship expert Susie Kim said of Nicole’s busy schedule: “I think it really helps to keep busy and reconnect with or keep engaged with all of the things that you love.”
Speaking to nine.com.au, the expert added: “Usually during the break-up, you’ve invested less time in some of the things that you’ve loved, or maybe you’ve lost contact with some of your friends.”
In a recent interview, Hollywood actress Nicole admitted she has always been a risk taker and confirmed she will learn from her ways after the pair’s split was confirmed after 19 years together.
Nicole said: “Taking a risk is what I’ve always done. You get back up and you try again and you learn.”
Speaking to Vogue, she went on: “Literally walk away from it because it will fell you. It will destroy you.”
Despite her words, Nicole made sure to steer clear of directly talking about her marriage breakdown. However, she stressed the importance of “ride-or-die friendships”.
A source had previously revealed the anxious feeling Nicole had had due to her separation from Keith.
A source told People the Aussie star had: “Been stressed [for months] because she knew the separation would eventually become public and she was dreading [the public’s response].”
The source went on: “She’s surprisingly level-headed and calm. Now that it’s out she’s just focused on what’s ahead and her girls.”
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2025 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
Venue: Indonesia Arena, Jakarta, Indonesia Date: 19-25 October
Great Britain’s Harry Hepworth and Jake Jarman hope to use their “good rivalry” to push each other to success at the World Artistic Gymnastic Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Hepworth, who won bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and reigning vault world champion Jarman will compete on the world stage for individual medals despite being close Team GB team-mates.
“It’s a good rivalry,” Hepworth told BBC Sport. “It’s not toxic in any way and I think that’s what has helped us get to where we are now.
“We just push each other. We are both doing insanely difficult vaults and understand how hard it is to perfect them.”
Jarman will bid to defend his title by building on his performance at May’s European championships, which saw him score a near-perfect 15.2 for his first vault.
He hopes to contain his “excitement” this time round, which he admits affected the execution of his second vault in that competition and cost him his third European vault title.
“That competition was a bit of a learning curve for me,” he said. “It was the first time I had nailed a vault like that in an event final.
“Normally, I tell myself to settle down and bring the energy levels down for the next performance, but that time round it was a bit of a shock.
“I was overwhelmed by excitement, so for my second vault my legs went to jelly and I took a couple more steps than I needed to.
“I need to iron out the smaller mistakes. I have to be a perfectionist when it comes to training these vaults.”
No team competition takes place at the world championships following an Olympics year, so individual medals only are stake.
Jarman and Hepworth are part of a strong six-man team that will compete across all six apparatus in Jakarta.
Three-time European floor champion Luke Whitehouse features, along with Olympian and former parallel bars world champion Joe Fraser, 10-time major championship medallist Courtney Tulloch and Alex Yolshin-Cash, who will compete at his first senior world championships.
In the women’s team, Olympians Ruby Evans and Abi Martin will be joined by British all-around champion Alia Leat and Shantae-Eve Amankwaah, who are making their senior world debuts.
Martin is one to watch for all-around, while Evans prefers floor and vault.
Elsewhere, Ireland’s Olympic pommel horse champion Rhys McClenaghan will miss the competition after undergoing shoulder surgery.
With 11-time Olympic medallist Simone Biles absent from the USA team, veteran gymnasts Leanne Wong, Joscelyn Roberson and Skye Blakely are joined by 17-year-old Dulcy Caylor.
Wednesday, 22 October
12:00-15:30 – Men’s all-around final on iPlayer/BBC Sport website
13:00-15:30 – BBC Two
Thursday, 23 October
12:00-15:30 – Women’s all-around final on iPlayer/BBC Sport website
13:00-15:30 – BBC Two
Friday, 24 October
07:30-12:30 – Individual apparatus finals on BBC Two, iPlayer and BBC Sport website
Saturday, 25 October
Injured Northern Ireland captain Simone Magill is one of several absentees for the Nations League promotion play-off with Iceland.
There is a return for experienced defender Sarah McFadden, fellow defender Toni-Leigh Finnegan, and forwards Kerry Beattie and Casey Howe.
San Diego-born forward Leyla McFarland, who plays for Durham, has earned a first senior call-up, as has Glentoran midfielder Mia Moore.
Laura Rafferty and Ellie Mason join Magill in missing out through injury, while fellow key defender Rachel Dugdale announced her retirement from football in September.
Burnley midfielder Brenna McPartlan is also missing for the play-offs, while the Irish FA said Glentoran’s Demi Vance and Cliftonville defender Kelsie Burrows “both confirmed they were unavailable” for the play-off.
Tanya Oxtoby’s side secured a shot at reaching League A for the first time by finishing second in their Nations League group behind Poland.
Iceland, on the other hand, were third in a League A group containing France, Norway and bottom side Switzerland.
Losing Magill is a blow to Oxtoby, with the Birmingham City forward picking up a hip injury after a strong start to the WSL2 season.
Magill played a key role in Northern Ireland’s second-place finish in their Nations League group and had scored two goals in as many matches for the Blues this season.
After the retirement of Dugdale, and injuries to Rafferty and Mason, McFadden’s return to the Northern Ireland set-up is timely after a long-term injury and the birth of her second child.
The 38-year-old, who has won 106 caps, will provide valuable experience in a youthful defence for the play-off.
Her Durham team-mate McFarland, 25, has earned a first senior call-up after she represented Northern Ireland on several occasions at youth level.
Midfielder Moore, 18, scored 12 goals as Glentoran won the Women’s Premiership title on the final day against rivals Cliftonville.
Left-back Demi Vance, who was a key part of Northern Ireland’s journey to Euro 2022, had fallen out of favour under Oxtoby and had not featured since September 2024.
In May, Vance had said she was “always be fit, ready and available to play” if recalled by Oxtoby, but the IFA said the 34-year-old, along with Cliftonville captain Burrows, had made themselves “unavailable” for the play-off.
Oxtoby said the youthful make-up of her squad for the Iceland play-off was “exciting”.
“We have a very young group this time around who are all very excited to be part of the set-up,” said the Australian.
“We’ve done a lot of work in the background to make sure they feel ready when they come in.
Goalkeepers: Jackie Burns (Calgary Wild), Maddy Harvey-Clifford (Crusaders Strikers), Kate Smith (Lisburn Rangers).
Defenders: Rebecca McKenna (Birmingham City), Rebecca Holloway (Birmingham City), Sarah McFadden (Durham), Toni-Leigh Finnegan (Aberdeen), Abi Sweetlove (Linfield), Natalie Johnson (Nottingham Forest).
Midfielders: Joely Andrews (Hearts), Nadene Calwell (Glentoran), Mia Moore (Glentoran), Aimee Kerr (Glentoran), Louise McDaniel (Burnley), Megan Bell (Linfield), Caragh Hamilton (Nottingham Forest).
The Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN) has confirmed that the second phase of the 2025 Ardova Handball Premier League will take place in Lagos from November 26 to December 6, 2025.
According to a statement signed by the HFN General Secretary, Monica Otumala, on Friday, the top-tier league—proudly sponsored by Ardova PLC—will be staged at two venues: the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Institute of Sports, Surulere, and the Rowe Park Sports Centre, Yaba.
Teams are expected to arrive in Lagos on Tuesday, November 25, with a crucial Technical Meeting scheduled for the same day. Matches will kick off on Wednesday, November 26, and run through to Saturday, December 6, when the season’s champions will be crowned. Teams will depart on Sunday, December 7, 2025.
Otumala urged all participating clubs to begin preparations early and ensure completion of all documentary registrations ahead of the competition.
READ ALSO: Yamal Set To Return As Wounded Barca Start Clasico Countdown
“The Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN) is pleased to inform you that the 2nd phase of the 2025 Ardova Handball Premier League will take place from November 25 to December 7, 2025, in Lagos State,” she said.
“Participating teams must make all necessary arrangements to plan their arrival and departure within the stated period, and all documentary registrations of players must be completed on or before November 10, 2025,” Otumala added.
The Safety Shooters and Safety Babes, both owned by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), currently lead the men’s and women’s divisions respectively after the first phase of the league, which was held in Benin City, Edo State, in July.
In the men’s category, Safety Shooters sit atop the table with 28 points and a +97 goal difference, narrowly ahead of COAS Shooters, who also have 28 points but a lesser +50 goal difference. Rima Strikers of Sokoto occupy third place with 25 points, while defending champions Tojemarine Handball Club follow in fourth with 24 points.
Hansi Flick’s side were hammered 4-1 by Sevilla before the international break and must regroup before facing Real Madrid on October 26.
Midfielder Pedri Gonzalez said Barca’s performance in Seville was the team’s worst under Flick, and since then Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo have suffered injuries to deepen their plight.
However Yamal and Fermin Lopez returned to training this week and are expected to be fit to face Girona, while Raphinha is also nearing a return.
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Teenage star Yamal missed the thrashing by Sevilla and then Spain’s World Cup qualifiers with the recurrence of a groin problem, but should feature against Girona in a derby clash.
Yamal’s expected return is a welcome boost for Barca ahead of a busy period, with a Champions League match against Olympiacos following on Tuesday ahead of the Clasico.
Joan Garcia, Gavi and Marc-Andre ter Stegen are longer-term absentees and Flick’s options remain thin, without much room for rotation.
The coach was careful not to further reduce the morale of his players after their collapse at Sevilla.
“It’s one match and we lost it, and we have to keep going on,” said the coach, praising his team’s second half display after an especially poor first period.
It was Barcelona’s first defeat of the season, leaving them two points behind leaders Real Madrid, but not their first bad performance.
Barca drew 1-1 at Rayo Vallecano in August, after which Flick blasted the team and suggested they had got too big for their boots after winning a domestic treble last season.
“Ego kills success,” warned the German coach, hoping to refocus his players’ minds.
It seemed to work as even without teenage star Yamal, they secured several wins, but then after he got hurt again against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, came their heavy defeat at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan.
Barca started last season superbly but then collapsed in November and December, allowing Atletico Madrid to overtake them at the top of the table.
Flick will be keen for his team to avoid a similar backslide this season, and hosting Girona, 18th in a derby, is a good opportunity for his team to get back to winning ways.
The game will take place at the Olympic stadium on the city’s Montjuic hill, with Barca’s rebuilt Camp Nou home not yet ready to open amid a series of delays.
“I’m really looking forward to going back to Camp Nou, with all our fans,” said midfielder Frenkie de Jong, after renewing his contract until 2029 on Wednesday.
“I don’t know the date, but we can’t wait.”
Real Madrid face Getafe on Sunday, hoping in-form striker Kylian Mbappe has recovered from an ankle problem.
Villarreal, third, host Real Betis while Atletico Madrid welcome Osasuna.
Getafe midfielder Milla has been his team’s key weapon this season, providing five assists — no player in the top flight has more. The Madrid minnows host rivals Los Blancos in a derby clash and if they are to take anything from the game Milla will likely have to play an important role.
4 – Liga matches Barca have conceded first in
7 – matches unbeaten for Atletico Madrid
28 – yellow cards for Sevilla, the most in the top flight
Friday (all times GMT)
Oviedo v Espanyol (1900)
Saturday
Sevilla v Mallorca (1200), Barcelona v Girona (1415), Villarreal v Real Betis (1630), Atletico Madrid v Osasuna (1900)
Sunday
Elche v Athletic Bilbao (1200), Celta Vigo v Real Sociedad (1415), Levante v Rayo Vallecano (1630), Getafe v Real Madrid (1900)
Monday