Former TOWIE star James Argent has been pictured performing back on stage days after it was revealed he was arrested in Spain over an alleged assault on his girlfriend.
He made a return to the spotlight on Friday night at a charity bash. He was handed a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, after admitting to pushing Nicoline during an argument during their trip to La Cala de Mijas.
Dressed in a dinner suit with bow tie, he performed with The Arg Band at a glitzy charity boxing gala. The ex-TOWIE favourite, 36, was all smiles as he took to the stage at the Wickers Charity Ball in London, crooning for a packed crowd raising funds to tackle knife crime.
Arg was seen waving his arms in the air as he sang into a microphone ( CLICK NEWS AND MEDIA)
Putting the recent drama on the Costa Del Sol behind him, he put on a high-energy show to a packed crowd.
A source said: “Arg didn’t address his recent troubles. He just did the gig like he normally would.”
Fans danced along to his set and queued up for selfies with the reality star-turned-wedding singer, who was pictured posing with a few of them.
Arg posed for photos with fans at the event ( CLICK NEWS AND MEDIA)
Argent returned to work for the first time since news of the assault came to light.
Following the news, he broke his silence earlier this week. He said: “I haven’t relapsed. I am still three years and four months clean and sober. I am devastated by what’s happened.”
Spanish police this week confirmed the reality star was arrested for “an alleged crime of domestic violence” against Nicoline.
Arg dances with a guest at the charity ball as her belts out a song ( CLICK NEWS AND MEDIA)
He appeared before the Court of Violence against Women, in Fuengirola, and was handed a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, for a gender violence offence.
Former Miss Sweden Nicoline, 32, was on a getaway with him in Mijas, near Malaga, Spain, on May 5 when a diner at a nearby restaurant witnessed a commotion from across the road.
James performed with his band Arg Band at the charity gig on Friday night ( CLICK NEWS AND MEDIA)
Sobbing in the street after the altercation with the Towie star, she told a passerby: “I can’t believe what’s happened… we planned to have a family.”
The witness said they saw Arg throwing clothes off the balcony and heard him screaming in the house before he ran out with a bag.
Arg and Nicoline in happier times ( real_arg/Instagram)
James, 37 – also known as Arg – has kept a low profile since news of the incident broke.
Towie suspended Argent from filming in October 2014 when he failed a drug test. He later attended rehab before returning to the series.
But he has regularly been an inpatient at centres due to his issues with drug addiction and in an interview in November he said he’d been clean and sober for three years.
He’d been dating Nicoline, 32, since last summer after meeting in Marbella. Following police action, he has been banned from contacting the former Miss Sweden for two years.
For confidential support, call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Freephone Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or visit womensaid.co.uk If you or your family have lost a friend or family member through fatal domestic abuse, AAFDA (Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse) can offer specialist and expert support and advocacy. For more info visit www.aafda.org.uk
Real Madrid have signed defender Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth in time to play in the Club World Cup after the Spanish giants activated his £50m release clause.
The 20-year-old has signed a five-year deal which will allow him to debut at the newly expanded tournament in the United States.
Both clubs confirmed the move with Madrid saying that one-time Spain international Huijsen will officially join on 1 June.
Their first match of the Club World Cup is against Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal on 18 June.
The fee will be paid in three instalments, with Huijsen’s two former clubs set to receive a slice of the fee – Juventus are due 10% and Malaga 5%.
Huijsen has chosen Real and will return to Spain where he grew up, playing for Costa Unida CF academy in Marbella and Malaga’s youth team.
Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso, who is set to replace Carlo Ancelotti as Real manager, has been instrumental in the decision to sign the defender and prioritised signing a young centre-back.
Huijsen joined Bournemouth from Juventus last summer for a fee of £12.6m.
The Netherlands-born defender has made 34 appearances in all competitions for the Cherries this season, scoring three times.
Huijsen is set to become Madrid’s second signing from the Premier League this summer, with Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold also set to move to the Spanish capital.
Huijsen was subject of an international tug-of-war between the Netherlands, where he was born, and Spain, where he was raised.
He opted to play for Spain, and made his debut for the 2024 European Championship winners against the Netherlands in March 2025.
Spain manager Luis de la Fuente, who gave Huijsen his international debut, says the defender is “ready” for the move to the Bernabeu.
“I see him – if nothing gets in the way – as capable of playing for any team,” De La Fuente told BBC Sport.
Cherries stand to quadruple their money
Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter
Tiago Pinto, Bournemouth’s president of football operations, was crucial in the signing of Huijsen.
The Portuguese joined the Cherries from Roma in 2024, where he was general manager.
He was key in landing Huijsen, having watched the former Roma defender on loan at the Stadio Olimpico that season.
Those with knowledge of the negotiations say Pinto knew he could exploit Juventus’ need to sell players.
This is despite one source in Turin saying they thought Huijsen could become “world class” even when he started out in their academy teams.
Bournemouth ended up signing Huijsen for £12.6m, in a deal potentially rising to £15m.
After an injury to team-mate Marcos Senesi, Huijsen broke into Bournemouth’s starting XI and hasn’t looked back.
He was exceptional on his third Premier League start, scoring a towering header in a 1-0 win over Tottenham at Vitality Stadium in December.
He has been an ever-present in Andoni Iraola’s defence since.
Huijsen can meet Real Madrid demands
Guillem Balague
BBC Sport Columnist
@GuillemBalague
What has become very clear, not just at Real Madrid but at all the top teams, is that there are players that cannot last a whole season and cannot play three games in a row.
It is nothing to do with training or bad preparation, it is just the physical demands.
Real feel there are some areas of the team that need reinforcements and central defence is one of them.
In Huijsen, they see someone that can maintain the level of the Premier League, who has the physicality to deal with it and is still developing.
British police say they have charged three Iranians with suspected espionage for Iran’s intelligence services from August 2024 to February 2025.
The police said in a statement on Saturday that the three men were charged with offences under the National Security Act following a major counterterrorism investigation.
Mostafa Sepahvand, 39, Farhad Javadi Manesh, 44, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 55, were accused of conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service between August 14, 2024, and February 16, 2025, the police said, adding that the foreign state to which the charges relate is Iran.
The three men are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court later on Saturday.
Commander Dominic Murphy, from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said the men were arrested two weeks ago. “These are extremely serious charges under the National Security Act, which have come about following what has been a very complex and fast-moving investigation,” he said.
Sepahvand was also charged with carrying out surveillance, reconnaissance and open-source research, intending to commit serious violence against someone in the United Kingdom, police and prosecutors said, while Manesh and Noori were also charged with engaging in surveillance and reconnaissance, with the intention that serious violence against someone in the UK would be carried out by others.
A fourth Iranian national, 31, who was also arrested and detained as part of the investigation, was released with no further action on Thursday.
The arrests took place on the same day that five other Iranians were detained by police as part of a separate counterterrorism probe, in what the UK’s Home Secretary Yvette Cooper called some of the biggest investigations of their kind in recent years.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had previously said he was “disturbed” to learn that Iranian citizens had been arrested by the British authorities.
The UK has placed Iran on the highest tier of its Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS), which aims to boost the UK’s national security against covert foreign influences.
French rapper Werenoi has died at the age of 31, hours before he was due to perform a concert, local media reports. Werenoi, whose real name is Jeremy Bana Owana, was confirmed to have died by the artist’s producer Babs.
He wrote on X: “Rest in peace my brother I love you!!!” French music news outlet chartsinfrance.net reported the rapper was hospitalised after going into cardio-respiratory arrest.
Owana was admitted into intensive care, but sadly died in the early hours of Saturday morning. Relatives and industry figures, including Fred Musa (Skyrock) have shared tributes to the rapper.
Radio host Musa wrote on X: “My condolences to his loved ones…” He shared Werenoi’s producer’s post.
Werenoi performs on stage during the 40th edition of the Francofolies de La Rochelle music festival
The star won Album of the Year at French music awards Les Flammes in 2024. He didn’t appear in person to accept his award, instead sending a video message of himself.
He could be seen with a cast on his arm. He told fans he had been the victim of a “serious injury”, adding: “It’s just postponed, we’ll see you soon.”
Werenoi, who boasts more than 6.7 million monthly listeners on Spotify, went on to release a number of popular tracks. They include Scarface, Solitaire, Laboratoire, Chemin d’or and Ciao featuring Ninho.
He also had the best-selling record in France in 2023, with the album Carre. He also achieved success in 2024 with Pyramide.
The rapper, of Cameroonian descent, last shared a video on Instagram on May 1. Fans have flocked to his most recent post to share their devastation.
One wrote: “Rest in peace the goat one of the best gone too soon courage to the family.” Another added: “It reminds us that all this money, this life, this luxury – well the day we are no longer there is nothing, let’s make the most of life may God protect you all.”
Another fan shared their thoughts, writing: “My sincere condolences, may his soul rest in peace.” Someone else wrote: “Condolences, thank you for your work, what you have offered us has been sublime over the past few years, thank you for everything.”
The rapper was confirmed to have died by his producer
Werenoi was due to play at Azar Club in Lyon, France tonight. The event description read: “French rap’s number one, Werenoi, is coming to the Azar Club in Lyon for an exclusive showcase on Saturday, May 17th.
“Werenoi has just released his new album, and for this first edition of JACKPOT, you’ll be among the very first to experience it live. A unique evening, designed to make an impression, in one of the most iconic clubs on the Lyon scene.”
Seven years after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tied the knot, royal biographer Tom Bower reveals how he thinks the ‘turmoil’ surrounding them has put pressure on the Sussexes’ marriage
Harry and Meghan are marking seven years of marriage this week(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made the front pages all around the world with their kiss on the steps of St George’s Chapel after being pronounced husband and wife. The romantic, picture-perfect moment was seen as the start of another joyous royal union – attracting the same levels of public adoration as Prince William and Kate Middleton before them.
But, seven years on, royal biographer Tom Bower says the reality is proving to be very different. The ex-BBC journalist, who is midway through his second book on the couple, sums up the time since May 19, 2018 as an “unpredictable, tumultuous rollercoaster”. Tom says: “When the nation, and the world, saw them at St George’s Chapel, they thought, ‘This is bliss’. It was seen as a most wonderful image, something terrific for the royal family and terrific for Britain.”
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The couple married at St George’s Chapel in May 2018(Image: Getty Images)
He goes on: “Harry has always been besotted by Meghan, and of course they are now both devoted to their children.”
Harry, 40, and Meghan, 43, had announced their engagement around six months earlier, after a romantic proposal with a custom three-stone ring – made using diamonds owned by the Prince’s late mother, Princess Diana.
The wedding came just a few weeks after another joyous royal occasion, the birth of William and Kate’s third child, Prince Louis. Even as the day approached, however, the couple found themselves embroiled in some rather unpleasant family dramas.
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Meghan’s father, Thomas Markle Sr, admitted he had lied to his future son-in-law over claims he had staged paparazzi photos in exchange for payment a few weeks before the ceremony.
While there is no doubt the pair were, and still are, very much in love, ex- investigative journalist Tom believes the writing was already on the wall for the direction their marriage would take.
He claims: “The guest list showed where it was all going. It was full of Hollywood stars, and Meghan’s family weren’t there. Everything that was clear on that day has transpired – there has been a break-up of a family, and a move back to Hollywood.”
Meghan’s mum, Doria Ragland, was the only member of Meghan’s family in church(Image: AFP/Getty Images)
The couple welcomed their first son, Prince Archie, on May 6, 2019, while they were very much working royals and relations with William and Kate were seemingly good.
The couple congratulated Harry and Meghan on the birth with a funny message saying: “Welcome to the sleep deprivation club.”
Just a year later, it all changed. Harry and Meghan announced they were stepping back as senior members of the royal family to work to become independent, “while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen”.
It was explained that they would split their time between the UK and North America. Tom says: “In the beginning, Harry found it terrific and Meghan clearly loved it.
“It was a great adventure. He had amazing freedom in the sunshine, paddling in the Pacific, embracing fatherhood and everything. So I think that at this stage, it was going well. But then their reality changed. The issue of their ties with the UK and Harry’s family became apparent, and Harry found that very, very difficult.”
The family of four are now based full-time in California
The couple sat down with US presenter Oprah Winfrey to share their experiences in 2021. And Tom says the money they made from Harry’s explosive memoir, Spare, and their Spotify and Netflix deals, has no doubt given them huge financial security.
But it comes at a cost – the most significant being Harry’s relationship with his brother and father.
Add to that his recent High Court case over his security while in the UK, and his comments about the King no longer speaking to him, and they are essentially in a marriage surrounded by intense turmoil, Tom warns. He claims: “It’s been an unpredictable, tumultuous rollercoaster, which is not what they expected.
“Harry’s lost relationships with his family in England, and I think he is now a very lonely prince. But what is brilliant about them is they conceal the turmoil that they go through, such as with the court case on security in London. Harry is troubled, but Meghan can’t help with that in any way. She doesn’t want to be involved in Harry’s battle with his family.
“She’s focused on their life in California with the children and building her brand. Everything that’s happened since their wedding has put a huge strain on them – but Meghan’s a consummate performer and knows how to ignore criticism and present herself looking immaculate and smiling.”
Meghan launched her As Ever brand earlier this year(Image: Jamie Kern Lima/YouTube)
Now that things are hopefully settling down they will, no doubt, be hoping for a smoother next seven years of marriage. Harry’s priority, reckons Tom, should be on enjoying his time with Meghan, six-year-old Archie and daughter Lilibet, three – and finding his purpose.
What that might be, he says, is impossible to predict – insisting: “I’ve never for a moment thought they would end their marriage.
“Instinctively, I think the marriage is sound because they have a lot in common and clearly have endless intensive conversations about their fate, which binds them.
“The marriage was ideal because he wanted to be saved, he needed help. Meghan is a sort of mother and lover, and that was what he needed. They both want to be loved, and they both love their children.
“They have a big enough house to have their own space from each other, and Harry will go off and do his things – for example attending an event in New York without her – and vice versa. They don’t feel that they have to be together all the time.”
The foursome are now very much divided, Tom says(Image: Getty Images)
They have weathered a great many storms together in their first seven years of marriage.
If history is to be an indicator of their future together, Harry and Meghan may face more bumps in the road – but they will do so united, for better or for worse.
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Tom adds: “I’d be hugely surprised if she didn’t stay loyal to Harry – it would be completely contrary to everything we’ve seen of her. It’s impossible to predict exactly what the future holds. Other than Harry writing another book or Meghan writing about her experiences, they need to find their purpose.
“The real problem for them is what does Harry do? He’s 40, hasn’t an official role and he has lots of enemies. Not being close to his family leaves a hole – his focus must be on filling that in California, with Meghan.”
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has commenced the reconstruction of three collapsed towers along the 330kV Kainji–Birnin Kebbi transmission line.
Announced in a statement issued on Saturday by General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, TCN said it has mobilised three separate contractors to the site, and each has been assigned to rebuild one of the fallen towers. This strategy, she said, is intended to accelerate the repair process and ensure the prompt restoration of power transmission.
To mitigate the impact of the outage on Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (Kaduna Electric) and its customers, alternative supply routes have been activated,” Mbah explained.
She added that Sokoto and Birnin Kebbi are currently receiving between 6MW and 7MW of bulk power through an alternate 132kV line: the Mando-Zaria-Funtua-Gusau-Talata Mafara-Sokoto-Birnin Kebbi line, fed from the Mando Transmission Substation.
“TCN appreciates the patience and understanding of the affected communities as contractors work assiduously alongside our supervising engineers to rebuild the towers and restring the 330kV line,” she said.
“We regret the inconvenience caused and remain committed to restoring full supply as quickly as possible.”
The company reaffirmed its commitment to the integrity and reliability of Nigeria’s power transmission infrastructure.
On Thursday, May 8, 2025, residents of Kebbi and Kaduna States and surrounding areas experienced a major power outage following the tripping of the 330kV Kainji–Birnin Kebbi transmission line. The outage caused significant disruption to the electricity supply across the region.
Kaduna Electric confirmed the incident in a statement signed by Abdulaziz Abdullahi, Head of Corporate Communication, and shared on the company’s official X (formerly Twitter) account.
The statement read: “Outage on 330kV Kainji–Birnin Kebbi Line: We sincerely wish to apologise to our esteemed customers in Birnin Kebbi for the outage currently being experienced. The outage is due to the collapse of three transmission towers near Yauri town.
