The King’s Trust Awards this year’s red carpet carpeted with George Clooney as inspirational young people celebrated in the annual event at Buckingham Palace.
At this year’s King’s Trust Awards, George Clooney was presenting the show. The glitz of Hollywood and British Royalty were a part of Buckingham Palace’s annual celebration of inspiring young achievers.
Amal Clooney, 47, and George, 64, made a surprise appearance with them. They appeared exactly as George, who donned a navy suit and a crisp white shirt with a white shirt on the side. His wife chose a chic white clutch bag and pencil dress, which made her smile.
Joanna Lumley, a makeup artist, posed in a dark blue suit with a cream scarf. Anna Williamson, a celebrity go-getter, donned a stunning floral red and white short dress with floated sleeves to add color to the occasion.
Reality TV stars like Jamie Laing and Sam Thompson both looked smart on arrival, and Kate Garraway also looked amazing in a patterned gown.
Additionally, the sports stars were active. On the red carpet, newly-married Sir Gareth Southgate stopped for photos. The former England manager donned a light gray suit and a dark blue tie as he made his official debut. Stuart Broad, a cricket player, also attended to support the sport.
On Wednesday, the Royal Family explained how King Charles met with award winners in both the UK and the global categories in a heartfelt message on social media.
The King’s Trust Awards are praised for young people who have improved their chances of living and made a positive impact on their local communities.
Khaman Maluach used to have the unattainable dreams while wandering through Kawempe, a depressed suburb close to Kampala, in his day-dreams.
The 18-year-old’s name echoed through the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Wednesday night as the player’s name was announced as the 10th pick overall in the 2025 National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft.
After beginning the sport at age 13, Maluach’s talent has already made him compete in South Sudan at the Fiba World Cup and the Olympic Games. He was forced to wear Crocs his first games.
Even so, the 7’11” center posed for a picture on stage with NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who was clearly moved by his expression and his tears.
Maluach said, “I didn’t think I was going to cry.”
“But everything was just going through my head, my entire journey, my people, and the continent I represent,” he said.
I had faith in myself. In my dreams, I had a mental illness. It demonstrates that you can win, regardless of what the odds are.
The teenager had a special suit jacket with lining that displayed the flags of South Sudan and Uganda.
Joy had erupted when he returned to his home country in Entebbe, Uganda, where his family is based.
As they heard his name called, his mother, Mary Aweng, his older brother Majok Madit Maluach, and other siblings performed a heartfelt prayer.
Visa problems
Due to a South Sudanese travel ban that affects South Sudanese citizens, Maluach’s family planned to be by his side with him.
Only his sister Agum Madit, who lives in Australia, was able to attend the New York event.
Maluach’s coach from the program that initially screened him at the Solid Skills Academy in Kampala was also scheduled to attend.
That was incredibly unfortunate. “Coach Wal Deng told BBC Sport Africa, “It has taken some of our joy.”
“But we’re still so proud of him,” he said.
It resembles a dream that is actually real. This is an incredible thrill given how far he has come since learning the fundamentals of basketball and since joining the NBA.
Maluach’s standing in the US appears to be secure right now.
He had an F1 visa, the standard US student visa, that he had obtained after signing with Duke University, which was suspended in April for South Sudanese nationals.
While Maluach waited the NBA Draft, Maluach’s F1 status had already reverted to a tourist visa.
He will now be drafted and will transition to a P1 visa, which is typically granted to professional athletes competing in major US sports.
A meteoric rise
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Maluach’s family fled to neighboring Uganda to escape conflict and was born in Rumbek, South Sudan, in 2006.
Basketball only became a sport after a boda boda (motorcycle taxi) rider encouraged him to pursue it because of his height after being raised by his mother alongside six siblings in Kawempe.
Last year, Maluach told BBC Sport Africa that the closest court was an hour away and that I didn’t even have shoes.
Deng and Aketch Garang, the local coaches, quickly identified his potential, though.
He “lerned so quickly,” Deng claimed. Aketch said, “I told him, this kid would be the next big thing.”
Maluach’s first significant step toward the global stage was a scholarship to the NBA Academy Africa in Dakar, Senegal, within a year.
The teenager attributes his “level up” to competing against the best talent in the continent.
Through his participation in the 2023 Fiba World Cup, he was 16 years old and playing for South Sudan’s national team, helping them win their first Olympic medal.
He made the commitment to play for Duke after earning MVP honors at the 2023 Basketball Without Borders Africa camp and MVP honors in the Basketball Africa League.
Five years after taking the first step in front of a court, Maluach is gearing up for a remarkable journey that has been based on perseverance and faith.
After being chosen by the Houston Rockets and then immediately traded to the Phoenix Suns, he declared, “It’s a day I’ll never forget.”
Deng ginned proudly while observing from a distance.
It’s “really rare to see him go from learning the fundamentals to the highest level.”
capturing Africa’s best in the best way
Images courtesy of Getty
Maluach is aware of his position in the community beyond the court.
He said, “I want to change the way people perceive Africa.”
“I’m considering showing them fantastic locations in Africa like Kigali, Senegal, and safaris.” What they see on television is different from the cultures and people we have.
The Phoenix center is eager to launch.
He said, “I’m going to learn how to navigate the league, how to improve, and how to maintain consistency all year.”
“I’m excited to sport the Suns jersey with the word “Maluach” on the back.”
Although Cooper Flagg, Maluach’s Duke teammate, may have been the top draft pick, Maluach has kept his lofty goals of inducting into the NBA Hall of Fame.
He hopes to play alongside those same idols as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid, and he has already modeled his game on them.
He said, “I firmly believed in myself before anyone else.” Let the rest be left to God.
We’ve compiled the biggest stories of the day in this Thursday’s Mirror Daily Digest, from William and Kate being targeted by activists to Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom’s “split.”
(Image: Getty Images)
Welcome to the Mirror’s Daily Digest, where we pull together all the best stories of the day from our News, Showbiz, Sport teams and more. This Thursday, we’re featuring everything from Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom’s rumoured ‘split’, to the upcoming 35C scorcher bound for the UK.
After a nine-year relationship, Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom “SPLIT”.
Early this morning, our Showbiz team reported that Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom have ‘split’ after nearly a decade of their on–off relationship.
The couple have seen ups and downs since they first dated in 2016, having gone Instagram official in May 2016 when Katy shared a funny photo of herself and Orlando dressed in bathrobes on the steps of the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Cannes, France.
They separated for a little over a year before ending their relationship in early 2017, but they soon reconnected in 2018 and made the announcement that they would tie knots in 2019. They moved in together that same year. Eight white diamonds in a floral pattern surround her ring in the middle.
Read the entire story here.
Continue reading the article.
Nearly 20 children were hurt in the ‘terrifying’ river plunge as a “évit area’ warning was issued.
(Image: Facebook)
Our UK News team reported just after noon that more than a dozen children have been injured after a double decker bus plunged into a river in a terrifying crash.
Five people have been taken to hospital by ambulance – including the driver – and people were asked to avoid the area after the sixth form college bus left the road near Eastleigh in Hampshire. Around 14 children, with less serious injuries, were treated at the scene.
“It must have been terrifying, and my thoughts are very much with the children and the bus driver, who must have had a terrifying experience,” said Inspector Andy Tester of Hampshire Constabulary.
Read the entire story here.
As more thunderstorms brutally end 35C scorchers, UK weather maps turn a dark red.
Striking weather maps have shown widespread downpours and storms are set to end the UK’s next sizzling heatwave.
Temperatures were so warm – and for a prolonged enough period of time – that a heatwave was officially recognised over the past week. The mercury hit 32.2C in west London on Thursday, the hottest day of the year so far. Forecasters have confirmed more scorching weather – with highs of 35C – is on the cards, but it now appears this spell will be short-lived.
By Wednesday, July 2, a band of low pressure will cause thunderstorms and rain, as well as low temperatures. Mid- and southern Wales, as well as parts of the Midlands through Wednesday night and into Thursday morning, are likely to experience the heaviest downpours.
Read the entire story here.
Kate Middleton and Prince William attacked by activists who claimed their pet was “ridiculous.”
The Kensington Royal account shared a photo of the Prince with Orla and her adorable new puppies(Image: Instagram/princeandprincessofwales)
This afternoon, our Royal team shared the story that the Prince and Princess of Wales have been targeted by animal rights activists who have called them “out of touch” for breeding their pet dog.
The couple was criticized for “churning out a litter” by PETA activists who claimed that dogs are already in need of new homes at animal shelters.
To mark Prince William’s birthday last week, a new picture of him surrounded by Orla and her puppies, taken by Kate, was released to mark the occasion. The previously unseen photo was accompanied with the message: “Happy birthday! Love C, G, C, L, Orla and the puppies” – with the initials referring to the fact it was a private message from Kate, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Peta suggests that the royal couple should have adopted a pet, similar to how the King and Queen treated Moley from Battersea Dog and Cats Home.
Read the entire story here.
Everyone was warned by HMRC to keep £400 in cash at home.
Many people are rethinking keeping money at home as digital fraud is at record highs and banking problems are getting worse. In light of recent economic uncertainty and recent cyberattacks on businesses, banknote circulation has increased significantly in the Bank of England despite fewer cash transactions.
Continue reading the article.
However, the majority of people are unaware of how much can be safely stored at home. Proxy Coupons’ CEO, Fred Harrington, claims he has seen how digital flaws impact consumer behavior. Finding that sweet spot where you can have enough cash to handle a real emergency without endangering yourself is what Fred said. The majority of people either ignore it or don’t even consider it.
Read the entire story here.
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The government’s Medicaid program, which is funded by the United States Supreme Court, has been withdrawn from South Carolina’s ability to fund the nonprofit healthcare provider Planned Parenthood.
The three liberal justices on the nine-member court dissented, with the three on Thursday’s ruling expressing ideological disagreement.
A lower court’s decision was overturned, preventing Republican-controlled South Carolina from preventing a regional branch of Planned Parenthood South Atlantic from utilizing the state’s Medicaid program.
Planned Parenthood has drawn opposition from South Carolina’s Republican leadership because it allows abortions.
The Supreme Court’s decision supports Republican-led states’ efforts to defraud the provider of public funds for reproductive healthcare.
The issue was whether Medicaid recipients could bring legal action to quashed US law’s requirement that they could seek medical care from any qualified and willing provider. The federal and state governments jointly administer Medicaid, which is intended to provide low-income people with healthcare.
Numerous Republican-led states have implemented nearly total bans on the procedure since the Supreme Court in 2022 overturned its landmark Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide. Some states, like South Carolina, forbid pregnancy terminations after six weeks.
In Charleston and Columbia, South Carolina, Planned Parenthood South Atlantic provides physical exams, cancer and diabetes screenings, pregnancy testing, contraception, and other services to hundreds of Medicaid patients annually.
In 2018, the state was sued by the Planned Parenthood affiliate and a Medicaid patient named Julie Edwards. Republican Governor Henry McMaster had issued a directive to stop Planned Parenthood’s participation in the state Medicaid program a year earlier, stating that any abortion provider deemed unqualified to offer family planning services.
South Carolina was sued by the plaintiffs in violation of a law from 1871 that allows citizens to challenge state officials’ illegal behavior. According to them, the Medicaid law protects what they called the “deeply personal right” to pick a doctor.
The disputed Medicaid provision in this case does not meet the “high bar for recognising private rights,” according to the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, which is supported by the Alliance Defending Freedom conservative legal group.
Prior to this decision, a federal judge upheld Planned Parenthood’s claim that Medicaid recipients had the right to file lawsuits under the 1871 law and that the state’s decision to defund the organization violated Edwards’ right to pick a qualified medical provider at his discretion.
The plaintiffs’ attorneys were also sided with by the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals, which is based in Richmond, Virginia, in 2024.
On April 2, the Supreme Court heard the case’s arguments.
The Supreme Court has three times heard the case. At a later time in the case, the court in 2020 rejected South Carolina’s appeal. In response to a ruling the justices made regarding the rights of residents of nursing homes, it ordered a lower court to consider South Carolina’s arguments in 2023.
After weeks of painstaking testimony in the high-profile trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs, legal teams will enter a pivotal moment of the proceedings Thursday as they deliver closing arguments.
Both sides have said their climactic summations will last several hours each, as the fate of the once-powerful music mogul hangs in the balance.
Prosecutors say Combs, 55, masterminded a decades-long pattern of wrongdoing that saw him and an inner circle of employees carry out crimes including forced labor, arson, bribery and witness tampering.
The famed producer coerced two women — the singer Casandra Ventura and later a woman who testified under the pseudonym Jane — into years of drug-addled sex with paid escorts, prosecutors say.
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The most serious charge of racketeering — which includes the existence of a criminal enterprise that committed a pattern of offenses — could send Combs to prison for life. He also faces two charges of sex trafficking and two more for transportation for purposes of prostitution.
But Combs denies it all: his lawyers have argued the artist’s relationships were consensual and have sought to convince jurors that many of the witnesses who testified were doing so for reasons including financial gain or jealousy.
Along with alleged victims, government witnesses included former assistants and other employees, as well as escorts, friends and family of Ventura, and a hotel security guard who said he was bribed with $100, 000 in a paper bag.
Law enforcement officials and a forensic psychologist were also among the 34 individuals to take the stand.
Combs opted against testifying on his own behalf, a common strategy of defense teams who are not required to prove innocence, only to cast doubt on government allegations of guilt.
The government’s evidence included thousands of pages of phone and text records, and hours of testimony involved meticulous readings of some of the most explicit and wrenching exchanges.
Many of those records appear to indicate distress on the part of the alleged victims. But a lot of the messages also show affection and desire — texts the defense underscored again and again.
Jurors have seen video evidence of the sex parties prosecutors say were criminal, while the defense has exhibited exchanges they said imply consent.
Also in evidence are reams of financial records — including CashApp payments to escorts — as well as flight and hotel records.
Deliberations up next
Since early May the proceedings have gripped the Manhattan federal courthouse where they’re taking place.
And though electronics — that includes phones, laptops, and even AirPods — are barred from the building and must be left with security, dozens of influencers and content creators have buzzed around the courthouse’s exterior every day, delivering hot takes to eager social media fans.
Combs is incarcerated and does not enter or exit the courthouse publicly. However, some of the famous witnesses and witnesses, including members of the music mogul’s family and figures like rapper Kid Cudi, who claimed Combs’ entourage tore his car, do.
Friday’s marathon closing arguments are anticipated to be over.
Jurors have a slim chance of starting deliberations that afternoon, but legal experts predict that the panel of citizens will have the case on Monday.
Then the world waits as 12 New Yorkers consider the fate of a man whose storied status as a dynamic starmaker is now in jeopardy.
On Thursday, President Bola Tinubu announced that he had authorized a personnel audit and skills gap analysis for the entire Federal Civil Service to increase the federal workforce’s capacity.
At the Federal Capital Territory’s Abuja, Tinubu made the disclosure at the International Civil Service Conference.
The President claimed that the right people were needed to fill the appropriate roles in Nigeria in order to ensure the high-performance culture it deserved.
Therefore, he urged the relevant stakeholders to make sure the exercise was finished as soon as possible so that the targeted reforms could be implemented and the full benefits of improving the civil service could be realized.
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By putting the right people in the right roles, “we can only guarantee the high-performance culture our country deserves.”
To increase capacity, I have authorized a thorough personnel audit and skill gap analysis for the Federal Civil Service.
“I urge all accountable stakeholders to prioritize the successful completion of this crucial exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, and to realize the full benefits of a more agile, competent, and responsive civil service,” he said.
He claims that the civil service is essential to the delivery of the renewed hope agenda and that the role of civil servants is crucial.
He claimed that the new minimum wage, the associated salary adjustments resulting from the new minimum wage, and the Pension Bond Scheme’s approval, among other things, were policies that reflected the commitment of his administration to the workforce.
In order to meet the demands of both the present and future, Tinubu argued that innovation was necessary to make the Nigerian civil service more globally competitive.
He claimed that every reform his administration pursues is fueled solely by accurate, reliable data, which he called the “new oil.”
“Data is the new oil, and the value of it rises as more it is refined and responsibly shared,” explains the statement. Therefore, I instruct all ministries, extra-ministerial departments, and agencies to rigorously capture information, comply with the Nigerian Data Protection Act of 2023, make it available for public use, and adhere to the highest standards for privacy and data protection, the President continued.
He added that Nigeria was unwaveringly committed to partnerships that went beyond national borders to advance technology and promote civil service as a beacon of hope and progress for all countries.
Rejuvenate, Innovate, and Accelerate, the first conference with the theme, “is timely, apt, and compelling. It embodies our shared desire to reimagine and reposition the civil service.
Innovation is still essential to maintaining the civil service’s dynamic, digital, ethical, and global competitiveness in today’s fast-paced, constantly evolving world of technology. He continued, “An innovative civil service ensures that we meet today’s needs and overcome the challenges of tomorrow.”
