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Archive March 31, 2025

‘LIV dozen will provide extra challenge to McIlroy’s Augusta ambitions’

Images courtesy of Getty
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How much of a threat do the leading LIV Golf League players pose to Rory McIlroy’s quest for his first career Grand Slam?

Who else could possibly refuse the Northern Irishman the title he so desperately desires if Scottie Scheffler fails to win the upcoming Masters for the third time in four years?

If it isn’t another Scheffler success or Rory glory, then LIV might be celebrating at Augusta, in all likelihood. The breakaway tour will host 12 competitors for the first major of the year.

The world no. 1 shot a second-round 62 to finish second to Min Woo Lee in Houston last week, showing his best golf of the year.

McIlroy also completed what have proved to be very promising competitive preparations for the one major that he is yet to master.

He finished fifth overall after completing his two PGA Tour victories in 2025. He only managed two weekend 64s.

Rahm looking to improve his wedge game

The 35-year-old is currently recovering from a sore elbow and fine tunings his preparations to be hidden from the public. LIV’s top stars this week compete on the circuit’s most challenging course.

Bryson DeChambeau is one of them, who won the US Open last June after beating a sluggish McIlroy.

Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Tyrrell Hatton, Joaquin Niemann, Brooks Koepka, Tyrrell Hatton, and Joaquin Niemann are LIV contenders who will be desperate to refute the widely accepted theory that the limited field, 54-hole shotgun start team format played on LIV is detrimental to major chances.

When Rahm won the 2023 Masters, he still played on the PGA Tour, and he hoped that his switch to LIV would help bring some sort of reunification of men’s professional golf.

The Spaniard must show that he can still reach the heights that earned him his second major crown two years ago as the wait gets longer.

Rahm, the LIV individual champion from the previous year, is now second only to Niemann in the standings overall. He has won four of their four matches so far in 2025. Since finishing second in the inaugural season opener in Riyadh in February, the 30-year-old has finished in the top six in every category.

However, he needs to improve his scoring accuracy because he is frustrated. He recently admitted, “I have not played my best.” In my wedge game, I haven’t felt as at ease as I would like, which is evidenced by my experience.

You need that component of your game if you want to compete and win, and especially win majors.

His 150-yard accuracy will be important when LIV play at Doral this week. The arduous and reliable Miami test from Donald Trump appears to be the kind of warm-up the breakaway circuit candidates need.

Cameron Smith, a potential LIV threat at Augusta, commented, “Basically all the things that make a golf course hard are right here.”

Twelve months prior, DeChambeau shot 65-73 to share the Masters’ halfway lead, seven under par at Doral to tie for seventh. His best Augusta performance to date tied for sixth place with him.

It provided the framework for McIlroy’s most agonizing defeat, winning the US PGA Championship the following month and then triumphing at Pinehurst to place him in the top spot.

The big-hitting American, however, only tops LIV once this year. DeChambeau will need to find form in this week.

Koepka has long enjoyed a reputation for reserving his best form for grand slam events, becoming the only golfer to do so while playing the LIV schedule, the 2023 US PGA.

In shoddy tournaments, the five-time major champion struggles to find motivation. Koepka is showing signs of improvement after placing second at LIV’s most recent tournament in Singapore.

The best in the world, Niemann?

Phil Mickelson, a three-time Augusta champion, claims Niemann is currently playing the best golf in the world. Following wins at Pebble Beach and Players last month, McIlroy should beg to differ with that ostensibly misguided assertion.

But the Chilean’s qualities are unquestionable. After winning the Saudi International at the end of last year, he won in Singapore by five shots and three in Adelaide.

The 26-year-old placed third in a separate Asian Tour event held in India in February. I think I’ve gained more experience playing against the best players in the world, Niemann said.

And I’ve gained a lot in the last year. Yes, I feel different.

It seems increasingly absurd for him to never post a major top 10 ranking, despite his best performance in the big four championships in 16th place at the 2023 Masters.

Hatton will be eager to recapture his impressive early-season form in Florida this week because the Englishman has been largely unproductive since winning the Dubai Desert Classic in January.

The form line for Europeans who have won that prestigious tournament is encouraging, with Danny Willett (2016) and Sergio Garcia (2016) both coming out on top before the Green Jacket was draped on their shoulders.

Hatton, however, has not attended any LIV events since 2025, and will need a boost as he tries to surpass his best Augusta result so far, which was a share of ninth last year.

The 33-year-old maintains his position in the top 20 on a circuit that does not receive any world ranking points. And if he can control his notorious temper, he undoubtedly has qualities to contend with at Augusta.

This week at Doral will be the next step in determining the best way to prepare for the year’s initial major.

And this seems to be LIV’s most significant tournament of the year in terms of the wider golfing landscape. Top athletes have a right to feel they can compete anywhere if they play well at Doral, even though the layout is much flatter than the Masters’.

When they arrive at Augusta National, a positive week would strengthen their credibility as legitimate threats.

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Kanye West says he regrets getting Kim Kardashian pregnant in shocking new interview

Kanye West, the controversial rapper, admitted he regrets getting his ex wife Kim Kardashian pregnant with their four children after making a wild new claim about her.

Kim Kardashian and ex Kanye West are at war with each other(Image: Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)

Kanye West has shocked with his latest statement as he admitted he regretted getting ex wife Kim Kardashian pregnant. The controversial rapper took part in an unhinged interview where he claimed he “didn’t want to have children” with Kim.

They were married for six years from 2014 to 2021 and share four children – North, 11, Saint, nine, Chicago, seven, and Psalm, five. However, the pair have clashed since their divorce and last month things severely heated up when West shared and later deleted threatening texts.

Continue reading the article.

He declared he was ready to “go to war” with Kim and branded her Kardashian family a “mob”. Reality TV star Kim is said to have taken legal action against her former husband after he dropped his new track with Diddy and their daughter North.

Now, West had made an even wilder claim against his ex wife and children. Speaking in a shocking YouTube interview with DJ Akademiks, he said: “That was my fault.

Kim and Kanye share four children
Kim and Kanye share four children(Image: Instagram)

After spending the first two months with her, I decided against having children with her, but that wasn’t God’s plan. West remarked on the “nuclear” conflict between the former couple over their children, saying, “I don’t have ownership of my children’s names or at least 50-50.”

How does it become joint custody, then? Kim reportedly complained about the track to West, and he is said to have filed a lawsuit to “protect” North from having any ties to Diddy.

It came after he shared a song with Sean “Diddy” Combs about their 11-year-old daughter North. He denies that he is currently imprisoned and waiting to be tried for his charges of sex trafficking, racketeering, and prostitution.

The Jesus Walks hitmaker went on to share alleged screenshots of the former couple’s text messages in which Kim pleads with her ex to ‘stop’, claiming she has copyright of North’s name.

West also issued a public threat to Kim and her famous Kardashian family, who he referred to as a “mob”. Comparing getting visitation rights to see his four children to being ‘in jail’, he fumed: “DONT WANT TO JUST ‘SEE’ MY KIDS. I NEED TO RAISE THEM.

Kim Kardashian with kids
Kanye claims he wishes he didn’t get Kim pregnant(Image: Instagram/ @kimkardashian)

I need to know where they go to school, who their friends are, who’s housing they are in, and whether my dangers wear a visor and a visor. THE KARDASHIAN MOB HAS TAKEN ALL OF CESREX RIGHTS FROM ME.

He continued, “Visiting my kids is like visiting.” I’m in prison and I don’t care if I live, die, or go to jail, or I’m free, or I care about anything these ***y A*S celebrities have to say.

Sources have claimed that Kim, who divorced West in 2022, has instructed lawyers to deal with the incident and is working to have the track removed from X.

Continue reading the article.

Kim is said to have issued legal cease-and-desist letters to her ex-husband insisting that he stops the release of the record. The Daily Mail reported that an emergency legal hearing took place with Kanye, who didn’t attend, choosing to delay the record.

However, the song is currently doing the rounds on social media which has angered the reality star turned trainee lawyer. The controversial rapper had been banned from X, formerlly Twitter, after a series of racist and anti-Semitic rants but has been let back onto the platform.

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West African Juntas Impose 0.5% Levy On Goods From Nigeria, Other ECOWAS Nations 

A new 0.5% levy has been proposed on imported goods from Nigeria and other member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

They are seeking to fund a new three-state union after leaving the larger regional economic bloc, according to a statement.

The trio’s official statement stated that the levy was agreed on Friday and will start in effect right away.

Humanitarian aid will not be affected by it, but it will be imported from outside the three nations, according to the statement.

Without providing specifics, it said it would “finance the activities” of the bloc.

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The move puts an end to free trade between West African states, which have for decades fallen under the ECOWAS, and highlights the tension between the three Sahara Desert-facing influential democracies like Nigeria and Ghana in the south.

Following their exit from the ECOWAS bloc, the three countries, each led by military juntas that recently emerged as rulers in 2023, had established the Alliance of Sahel States as a security agreement.

With plans to expand military and financial integration, including introducing biometric passports, this alliance developed into an aspirational economic union over time.

The three countries left ECOWAS last year, citing allegations that the bloc had not adequately supported them in their efforts to combat Islamist insurgencies and address insecurity.

Rebekah Vardy’s net worth as she takes rival Coleen to court again over Wagatha costs

Rebekah Vardy’s legal battle with Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy is still ongoing as Jamie’s wife contests the decision to overthrow Coleen’s legal team’s handling of the case.

Rebekah Vardy may not be done with the Wagatha Christie court drama(Image: Future Publishing via Getty Images)

As she prepares to take Coleen Rooney to court again over the eye-watering Wagatha costs, Rebekah Vardy’s bank balance could be set to take another hit.

At a hearing in November of last year, the 43-year-old’s attorneys argued that Coleen’s legal team’s alleged “deliberately understated” her costs, leading to a reduction in the amount of legal costs due to her rival.

Rebekah is now contesting the ruling, which was based on a judge’s earlier finding that no misconduct had been made. Rebekah launched a libel lawsuit against the Liverpudlian after her infamous tweet, and Wayne Rooney’s wife and the couple went to war in court. Coleen consistently refuted this claim, saying that her Instagram account was the source of reports being leaked to the press.

The actors have had to dig in as the legal bills stack up, with Rebekah and Coleen claiming to have spent £1, 833, and 906.89 in a row. Rebekah’s attorney, Jamie Carpenter KC, claimed the outrageously high cost includes a bill for one of Coleen’s legal team to stay at the opulent Nobu Hotel. Rebekah’s attorney claims that the bill included “substantial dinner and drink charges as well as mini bar charges.” Mr. Carpenter remarked that Coleen’s team added every expense to the trial’s total, using an unfair method.

Coleen had accused Rebekah's Instagram page of leaking information to the media
Coleen had accused Rebekah’s Instagram page of leaking information to the media(Image: Getty Images)
Rebekah subsequently launched a libel case against
Rebekah subsequently launched a libel case against her WAG rival(Image: Getty Images)

Rebekah reportedly has a personal net worth of around £3 million. She has since delved her toes into reality TV, appearing on the well-known ITV series I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in 2017 and Dancing on Ice in 2021. Rebekah is reportedly richer than her long-standing adversary Coleen, who reportedly has a fortune of £15 million. She reportedly received £1. 5 million last year for her appearance on I’m A Celeb.

Rebekah took a step back from the spotlight for a while in search of some solitude after the release of the Disney documentary Coleen Rooney: The Real Wagatha Story. She soon returned, though, sharing images of her lavish lifestyle via social media posts from lavish vacations in LA and the United Arab Emirates.

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Mr. Carpenter had accused Coleen of “deliberately deceiving” the court by underestimating the time and costs involved in the case. Rebekah’s attorney argued that she shouldn’t be required to pay “expert fees” in the amount of £117,500 plus VAT, which were invoiced after the 2021 initial budget was agreed.

Rooney’s representative, Robin Dunne, claimed that “there has been no misconduct” and that it was “illogical to say that we have misled anyone.” Senior Costs Judge Andrew Gordon-Saker ruled in October that the case against Mrs. Rooney’s legal team was “not appropriate” because it was “on balance and, I must say, only just.”

Meghan Markle breaks silence after scathing allegations from Prince Harry charity boss

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry’s wife, and the pair’s charity continue to stir up a furious feud.

Meghan has posted on Instagram as the charity row intensifies(Image: Netflix)

As her husband’s bitter charity row drags on, Meghan Markle has made a direct statement about the UK.

Prince Harry is at the centre of a huge storm surrounding Sentable, a charity he founded nearly a decade ago in honour of his late mother Princess Diana. Last week the Duke sensationally resigned from the organisation he’s poured his heart into for years, over a brutal boardroom battle which saw other trustees and his co-founder, Prince Seeiso, quit in unison.

According to a shocking claim made by Harry and Seeiso, Dr. Sophie Chandauka, the chairwoman of the charity’s board, was sued after its trustees asked her to resign. She has since responded with a string of vile allegations, including those who left the organization, who have all vigorously refuted them. Harry has been personally attacked by Chandauka, who even criticized the Sussex brand. Harry’s team has not yet responded directly to the allegations, according to sources close to the Duke.

READ MORE: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s team hit back at Sentebale as fierce row escalates

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And now, as one ex charity trustee warns they are concerned for Harry’s ’emotional welfare’ after his ‘heartbreaking’ decision, his wife Meghan has broken her social media silence after Dr Chanduka’s shocking claims over the weekend. Sharing a photograph of a lemon cake, Meghan, who recently released her cooking and lifestyle show on Netflix, wrote: “Our family tradition. Mothering Sunday in the UK.”

The short caption alludes to her time in the UK before the couple quit as working royals in favour of a life in the States. Meghan, mum to Archie and Lilibet, last returned to the UK in September 2022, when she and Harry attended the funeral of his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth. Prince Harry has made a handful of visits to his own country in the years since their bombshell departure, the last time being in Septembers 2024 for the WellChild awards.

The Duke will struggle to find his purpose as a result of sources close to him saying he is “lonely” in Montecito, California, and that he is “lonely” there as of Friday. They even assert that the Duke has “never spoken to his family in years” and that he is “beginning to look like Meghan’s Spare.” Prince Harry’s friend, who has been identified as one of his friends, told The Sun, “He misses his family terribly, but no one is reaching out to him anymore.” He only wants to have a beer with the men, but only his friends, who are also Meghan’s friends, are his friends.

The file photo dated 12/04/24 of the Duke of Sussex with Sentebale chairwoman Sophie Chandauka
Sentebale chairwoman Sophie Chandauka has accused Prince Harry of ‘harassment and bullying at scale’(Image: PA)

It comes as Dr Sophie Chandauka has accused Prince Harry of “harassment and bullying at scale” in a bombshell interview with Sky News. She also accused the Duke of having “unleashed the Sussex machine” on her. However, a source with detailed knowledge of Senabale has claimed Dr Chandauka herself has been accused of bullying staff as well as manipulating the minutes of board meetings. According to this source, one report currently under examination by the Charity Commission will include concerns raised over Chandauka’s governance as well as her “manipulation of minutes to endorse her false claims of bullying and misogyny”, The Times reports.

Royal sources have since refuted Dr. Chandauka’s recent accusations about Prince Harry, calling these most recent comments “deflections” and claiming that Harry’s resignations were the “direct result of the chair’s mismanagement.”

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French court bars far-right leader Le Pen from public office

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen was sentenced to prison and barred from running for office after being found guilty of defrauding the European Union.

Le Pen used more than 3 million euros ($3.3 million) to pay her National Rally party members, according to the Paris court ruling.

The chief judge’s ruling in sentencing stipulated that the nationalist politician would be barred from running for office for five years as of the moment. Additionally, a four-year prison term was set for the RN, who was also fined $2.16 million.

The court considered whether a person who had already been found guilty of a crime or not, as well as the possibility of reoffending, when a candidate ran for president, according to presiding judge Benedicte de Perthuis.

According to opinion polls, the ruling threatens to force Le Pen to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race, where she is currently the frontrunner.

Prosecutors had accused the nationalist leader of seeking her “political death.” She is expected to challenge the decision, which could lead to a contentious legal argument.

Before the sentencing was over, she strode out of the court and fled.

a striking far-right face?

The French far right’s prospects and landscape would change if Marine Le Pen were to lose, according to Natacha Butler of Al Jazeera’s Natacha Butler in Paris courtroom. Jordan Bardella, the current RN president, is most likely to succeed her.

She continued, “But he is much younger and not the same kind of dominant force as Marine Le Pen.” Some claim that he would likely find the 2027 race more difficult because he is not the figure that so many people in France are familiar with.

Some claim that “a fresh face may be what’s needed.”

Jordan Bardella, the leader of the Rassemblement National (RN) political party, is the party’s president. (File: AFP)

Additionally, 12 parliamentary assistants, eight other RN members who were formerly elected as members of the European Parliament when the funds were defunded, and eight others who received wrongful verdicts were sentenced to a number of years in prison.

Nationalists quickly reacted in support of the RN leader.

According to Bardella, the “unjust” verdict had “executed” French democracy.

Eric Zemmour, Le Pen’s radical right rival, criticized the sentence and argued that the RN leader had the right to speak up to the electorate.

Despite Moscow’s frequently urging other nations to not interfere with their own internal affairs, the Kremlin also criticized the decision.

According to spokesman Dmitry Peskov, “more and more European capitals are going down the path of violating democratic norms.”

Viktor Orban, the prime minister of Hungary, who portrays himself as a leader of “patriotic” EU states, expressed support for Le Pen by writing:  Je suis Marine! on X .