President Bola Tinubu has congratulated The Remo Stars Football Club on winning the 2024–2025 Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL) title, describing the achievement as “a proud moment” for Ikenne, Ogun State, and Nigeria’s sporting community.
In a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Monday, Tinubu praised the team’s resilience, perseverance, and commitment to excellence, noting that their triumph comes just four years after their promotion to Nigeria’s top football division.
He particularly admired the team’s courage in staying focused after enduring three previous seasons of narrowly missing out on the title.
The President expressed optimism that Remo Stars’ journey would inspire other Nigerian clubs to pursue success with renewed determination and optimism.
He also commended the club’s owner and chairman, Mr Kunle Soname, for his visionary investment in grassroots football development.
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He noted that the construction of a state-of-the-art stadium in Ikenne has played a pivotal role in providing a solid foundation for the growth of sports, not just in Ogun State but across Nigeria.
“Mr. Soname’s commitment to grassroots football development is a model for others to follow,” the statement read.
With the NPFL title secured, Remo Stars will now represent Nigeria in the CAF Champions League.
President Tinubu urged the team to maintain the same “undaunting spirit, focus, and excellence” as they step onto the continental stage.
The President called on Nigerian football fans across the country to rally behind Remo Stars as they carry the nation’s hopes into African competition.
The ISIL (ISIS) group has killed five Kurdish fighters in an attack in eastern Syria’s Deir Az Zor, the group’s news agency has reported, underscoring concerns about its resurgence.
Farhad Shami, spokesperson for Syria’s Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), confirmed to Reuters news agency on Monday that five of its members were killed in the attack, which he described as “one of the deadliest” against the group in a while.
Deir Az Zor city was captured by ISIL in 2014, but the Syrian army retook it in 2017.
The ISIL group once controlled vast swathes of Syria and Iraq – including Raqqa, about 160km (100 miles) east of Aleppo and Mosul, in northern Iraq – imposing hardline rule over millions of people.
Former ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi had declared a caliphate over the two countries in 2014 before he was killed in a raid by United States special forces in northwest Syria in 2019 as the group collapsed.
At its peak, the group ruled over an area half the size of the United Kingdom and was notorious for its brutality. It beheaded civilians, slaughtered 1,700 captured Iraqi soldiers in a short period, and enslaved and raped thousands of women from the Yazidi community, one of Iraq’s oldest religious minorities.
A coalition of more than 80 countries, led by the US, was formed to fight the group in September 2014. The alliance continues to carry out raids against ISIL’s hideouts in Syria and Iraq.
The war against the group officially ended in March 2019, when US-backed and Kurdish-led fighters of the SDF captured the eastern Syrian town of Baghouz, which was the last sliver of land ISIL controlled.
The group was also defeated in Iraq in July 2017, when Iraqi forces recaptured Mosul. Three months later, ISIL suffered a major blow when the SDF took back the Syrian northern city of Raqqa, which was the group’s de facto capital.
Celebs Go Dating returns later this year for a new series, with the likes of Christine McGuinness, Love Island’s Olivia Hawkins and Kerry Katona among the announced line-up
A host of celebrities are taking part in the new series of Celebs Go Dating(Image: Channel 4)
There’s said to be a “last minute addition” to the line-up for the new series of Celebs Go Dating. It was previously announced that celebrities such as Christine McGuinness and Kerry Katona will be looking for love on the E4 show.
Last week, six celebrities were named as part of the line-up for the next series of the dating show, which is set to air later this year. It was also announced at the time that the cast would be “whisked away” to Ibiza during their first week. The singletons will be guided by returning coaches Anna Williamson, Paul C. Brunson and Dr. Tara Suwinyattichaiporn. Tom Read Wilson will be on hand for support and comedian Rob Beckett with provide commentary once again.
Made in Chelsea star Sam Prince (left), pictured with his ex Yasmine Zweegers (right), has reportedly joined the new series of Celebs Go Dating(Image: Instagram)
Filming is thought to be underway already and it’s been reported this week that reality TV star Sam Prince, 28, has now joined the line-up. He’s best known for appearing on Made in Chelsea, having made his debut on the show in 2017.
Sam once had a relationship with co-star Inga Valentiner, before more recently dating fellow cast member Yasmine Zweegers. It was however announced in November last year that Sam and Yasmine had ended their romance.
The Daily Mail reports that Sam will now be looking for love on Celebs Go Dating, with a source saying that he’s “the perfect contestant”. The source told the outlet: “He’s had a string of failed relationships and now as he reaches his late 20s, he’s keen to learn the error of his ways. “
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The source added that Sam’s romance with Yasmine began shortly after his relationship with Inga ended and caused “huge upset” in the Made In Chelsea cast. The source said: “There have certainly been situations that Paul will need to analyse and hopefully give Sam the necessary feedback he needs to grow. “
It comes after six celebrities were unveiled as part of the line-up for the fourteenth series of Celebs Go Dating last week. They included reality TV star Christine, 37, and former Atomic Kitten member Kerry, 44, who’s done the show before.
The news comes following an announcement over the line-up, which includes Christine McGuinness, last week(Image: Channel 4)
They will join the “brand-new agency” alongside Too Hot To Handle’s Louis Russell, Love Island star Olivia Hawkins, 29, and S Club member Jon Lee, 42. Whilst the Chase’s Mark Labbett, 59 – who is also known as ‘the Beast’ – is set to join the agency at a later date.
E4 has also teased what to expect from the upcoming series. It’s promised “a whirlwind of romance, emotional and revealing heart-to-hearts, and the usual unexpected twists and turns”.
And teasing the “new twist” of the cast going abroad for the first week, E4 said: “Away from the pressures of fame, family, and everyday responsibilities, they’ll be staying together in a glamorous villa – no distractions, no excuses, just time to focus on themselves and make genuine connections. “
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The broadcaster added: “But can a holiday romance turn into something real? Will sparks fly under the sun, or will paradise prove to be anything but smooth sailing? “
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Meghan Markle has finally spoken out about releasing a memoir, similar to her husband Prince Harry’s tell-all book Spare, and given her thoughts on running for political office in a rare podcast interview
The Duchess of Sussex has opened up in a new interview (Image: Getty Images for TIME)
Meghan Markle has finally given her verdict on whether she would release a tell-all memoir or run for political officer in a surprise new interview. The Duchess of Sussex has given her first ever podcast interview with Jamie Kern Lima, the founder behind beauty brand IT Cosmetics, and opened up about a range of topics, including her career, her children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet and her relationship with husband Prince Harry.
The podcast interview comes as speculation has swirled that Meghan could follow in the footsteps of Harry by releasing her very own tell-all book like the controversial, Spare. At the same time, there have also been reports that Meghan would one day want to dip her toe into politics, and possibly even run for office.
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Meghan during a podcast with beauty brand founder Jamie Kern Lima
But during the chat, host Jamie asks Meghan, who has already written a children’s book called The Bench, if she would release another book. And she revealed: “Yes, maybe, for sure. ” However, she added: “And then, you know, I think people are often curious if I’m going to write a memoir, but I’ve got a lot more life to live before I’m there. ” When asked if she would ever run for office, and she told the host: “No. Never. Oh, God. No I’m not interested in that. “
She also revealed that she has not used the name ‘Markle’ since she got married, after admitting in her Netflix show With Love, Meghan that she now goes by the name Meghan Sussex now – in a nod to her royal title.
Meanwhile, Meghan also confessed that she is ‘done’ with having to prove herself to people as she knows she’s knows the “kind of human I am”. She said: “We spend so much of our lives trying to prove something, to prove that you’re enough, you have to prove that you’re pretty enough, you have to prove you’re smart enough, you have to prove that you’re a good wife or a good friend.
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Meghan broke down in tears during the podcast
“And I was like ‘I am just so done with the proving game and if you can’t see it, I don’t need to prove to you why that’s your loss. I know that I’m a great friend, and I know the kind of mum I am, and I know the kind of human being I am, and I know how I show up. And I love being able to be that person with the people that I love. “
At another point in the interview, Jamie asks Meghan, who is make-up free, about her hopes for her children, specifically Lilibet. And Meghan replied how she hoped they would feel like “no-one has ever loved someone more than the way our mom loved us. “
She then explained how she has created email addresses for her children where she will send them messages each night before she goes to bed, with the intention of letting them see these emails when they are older – something she heard about doing from a friend.
Meghan told the podcast: “I thought it was such a great time capsule to create for them and so I created for the kids these email addresses that I will give them at some point. Before I go to bed, every night, I email them” and she explained these emails contain pictures “you’re not going to frame”, their report cards, and memories from their childhood.
Meghan with husband Prince Harry (Image: Netflix)
And breaking down in tears as she said she would give them these emails when they hit 16 or 18, she said: “Here’s everything and every moment that I wanted to tell you how much I love you and how proud I am of you – and it’s making me emotional.
“It’s for them to be able to look back and go ‘gosh she has loved us so much’. And that is I think the best part about being a mom. ” She added: “It’s not about the grandeur of the gesture, it’s about I see you, I’m nuturing you and I see you so deeply. And I’m just so proud of them. ” She then joked as she wiped away tears: “I wasn’t expecting that one. They’re just so great. This is why it’s nice to have no make-up on. “
In the same interview, she also gushed over husband Prince Harry and described how supportive he has been as she has set up her business, As Ever, calling him a ‘fox’ as he’s “very very handsome” and saying they will be married ‘forever’.
She added: “H, that man loves me so much and you know, look what we’ve built. We have built a beautiful life and we have two healthy beautiful children. I always think about it, when you get the end of Super Mario Bros, the final final level and what’s the goal in Super Mario.
“It’s to slay the dragons and save the princess. And that’s my husbad, he just out there and constantly doing whatever he can to to make sure our family is safe and protected and that we are uplifted – and still make time for date nights. “
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Reminiscing about the early days of their romance as they kept their relationship under wraps, Meghan added: “You have to imagine, at the beginning it’s all butterflies – but then we immediately went into the trenches together. Right out of the gate, like six months into dating. So now seven years later, when you have a little bit of breathing space, you can just enjoy each other in a new way. And that’s why I feel like it’s more of a honeymoon period for us now. “
Ryan Reynolds has become one of the biggest A-list stars in Hollywood, as well as a hugely successful businessman, however he was unlucky in love before meeting wife Blake Lively
Ryan Reynolds may be enjoying Wrexham FC’s recent promotion, but here’s everything you should know about his personal life(Image: Paul Greenwood/REX/Shutterstock)
Ryan Reynolds is once again the pride of Wrexham after the club clinched an extraordinary third consecutive promotion to the Championship. This achievement propels the Welsh club into a whole new league, with Reynolds and co-owner Rob McElhenney now just one more promotion away from realising their Premier League dream. It’s been an expensive endeavour, with both men investing millions into the team since their surprising takeover in 2021.
Reynolds has developed a deep affection for Wales and considers it one of his greatest accomplishments, alongside his Hollywood success and business ventures that have amassed him a fortune worth hundreds of millions. Here’s everything you need to know about the Wrexham FC co-owner’s life and career.
Humble beginnings
Ryan Reynolds in the film Van Wilder(Image: Unknown)
Ryan Reynolds was born in October 1976 in Vancouver, British Columbia, as the youngest of four brothers in an Irish Catholic family. At the tender age of 13, he developed a passion for acting and started securing roles in various TV shows, including the Canadian series The Odyssey and Nickelodeon’s Hillside.
After landing minor roles in several series, Reynolds’ big break came with the 2002 National Lampoon film Van Wilder, which marked the start of his rise to stardom. Despite a few early film roles that didn’t quite hit the mark, he found his footing in Hollywood through successful romcoms such as Just Friends, Definitely, Maybe and The Proposal.
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His lead role in the DC superhero film Green Lantern was widely panned, with the movie becoming one of the biggest box-office flops in cinema history. However, he made a triumphant return with the blockbuster hit Deadpool, which raked in an astonishing $782. 6million on a budget of just $58million, making it one of the highest-grossing R-rated films ever.
The sequel was equally well-received, and further franchises have followed.
Net worth
According to reports, the 46-year-old actor currently boasts a net worth of more than $400 million, supplementing his Hollywood career with savvy entrepreneurial and investment moves.
In addition to his box office successes, Reynolds has been busy in the boardroom over the past five years or so, acquiring up to a 20 per cent stake in Portland-based Aviation Gin and transforming it into a recognised brand on both sides of the Atlantic. Drinks giant Diageo snapped up the company in 2020 in a deal worth just over $600million.
Two years ago, he made a hefty profit when he sold his significant share in telecoms company Mint Mobile to T-Mobile. The deal, valued at $1. 35billion, netted him a cool $300million plus.
In 2024 alone, Reynolds is thought to have raked in a staggering £79m from acting, with much of his success stemming from the Marvel blockbuster Deadpool and Wolverine. His family film IF and documentary Welcome to Wrexham are also believed to have contributed significantly to his earnings.
Reynolds and McElhenney have invested over £20m into Wrexham but have seen a substantial increase in the club’s turnover. They’re also set to benefit from an additional £8m in television revenue due to promotion.
High-profile relationships and Hollywood divorce
Ryan Reynolds with his wife Blake Lively(Image: 2025 Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA)
Reynolds has had a series of high-profile relationships, including engagements and marriages to some of the world’s most famous women.
In 2004, he proposed to fellow Canadian Alanis Morissette, who he met at Drew Barrymore’s birthday party two years earlier. Despite parting ways in 2007, with Morissette attributing the pressures of fame as a contributing factor, they have remained close friends.
After his break up with Morissette, Reynolds started dating actress Scarlett Johansson, and the couple got married in a private ceremony in Vancouver the following year. However, their A-list status and busy schedules led to a short-lived marriage, and they separated in 2010.
Scarlett Johansson, who was just 23 when she got hitched to Ryan Reynolds, shared that their union suffered due to their hectic careers. Spilling the details to Time Out, she said: “We work and then go home – I’d just stare at the wall for a few hours before I got to sleep. “
Reynolds, no stranger to Hollywood romance, has been linked in the past to stars like Sandra Bullock, Melissa Joan Hart, and Charlize Theron.
It was upon meeting Blake Lively on the Green Lantern set that Reynolds’ luck in love turned around. The pair hit it off, leading to their 2012 wedding, enshrining them as one of Tinseltown’s cherished power duos, complete with four kids.
Their nuptials initially took place at Boone Hall Plantation in Mount Pleasant, a venue with a slavery past. They caught flak for this choice and later made a profound apology, admitting they were “deeply and unreservedly” sorry.
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The duo also had a more intimate, hush-hush second ceremony at their abode, though the date remains under wraps. Renowned for their banter, including an instance of Lively hilariously suggesting a fan bin her boyfriend at a Wrexham match, and Reynolds cheekily telling footballer Ollie Palmer to stay modest around his missus.
The sweethearts were spotted at Saturday’s game, witnessing Wrexham’s march towards promotion against Charlton.
Vicky Pattison, who is presenting the brand new E4 dating show, The Honesty Box, made the comment to Rylan Clark on an episode of his Air Rylan chat show on YouTube
Vicky Pattison recently appeared on Rylan Clark’s chat show, Air Rylan(Image: Getty Images for the NTA’s)
Vicky Pattison has let slip the cheeky five-word warning she tosses at her hubby, Ercan Ramadan, just to “keep him on his toes”.
The 37-year-old recently paid a visit to Rylan Clark’s YouTube talk show, Air Rylan. In the show, celebs cosy up to the BBC Radio 2 presenter in a mock-up of plane seats for a good old natter.
Vicky, who’s lighting up the screens on E4’s The Honesty Box, said ‘I do’ to TOWIE star Ercan Ramadan in Marylebone Town Hall, before they swooped off to Italy for a luxurious shindig the next month.
In the witty segment, Rylan asked the former Geordie Shore star if she was heading home, to which she replied by joking that she was preparing for her “third wedding”, referring to the event as a “homecoming” in Newcastle.
Vicky currently stars in the E4 dating show, The Honesty Box(Image: SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Rylan recalled she’d already had an Italian wedding, but Vicky clapped back: “I did, and also in Marylebone, and then I thought, ‘You know what? May as well get the hat-trick’. “
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When Rylan quizzed why she’d fancy three trips down the aisle when one did the trick for him, Vicky said: “I always say to Erc, I was like, ‘You’re just my first husband’, just to keep him on his toes! “.
Rylan, who once exchanged vows with his ex-husband, former policeman and Big Brother’s Dan Neal, chimed in: “Yeah, absolutely. Well, he needs to be on his toes with you”.
Stirring up another revelation, Vicky previously spilled that their honeymoon was put on hold. Mere days after tying the knot, she jetted off to Cyprus to shoot The Honesty Box.
Vicky married TOWIE’s Ercan Ramadan in Marylebone Town Hall(Image: Getty Images for BFC)
Reality star Vicky has revealed that plans for a romantic honeymoon have been put on hold for now, as she’s had to dive straight into promoting her new show.
She reflects: “When the time is right, no doubt we’ll have something really lovely, but for now, my focus has definitely got to be my career. “
Her husband has been her rock, being described by Vicky as her “number one fan” and “super supportive”. In fact, she feels she couldn’t have created her latest show without his support.
Teasing about plans to expand their family, Vicky expressed a hope that children will “come along soon” followed by family holidays complete with “all-inclusive water parks” – a “different adventure” altogether.
Vicky, who was on Geordie Shore and later Judge Geordie, also shared her contentment with married life, insisting she doesn’t “envy single people at all”.
