In the first two-day Ashes Test since 1921, England suffer a crushing defeat in Perth’s first Ashes Test in 2025, with Travis Head’s blistering century as the team’s remarkable eight-wicket victory comes to an astonishing eight-wicket victory.
Head leads Australia to a crushing defeat of England in the match report.
After fears that Gemma Collins’ agonising “gallbladder attack” could have been brought on by fat jabs, she is now “microdosing” weight-loss drug Mounjaro since losing an impressive 3½st.
The TOWIE star, 44, temporarily came off the medication – which was originally designed to combat type 2 diabetes – after she was left in “excruciating” pain in August. Gemma, who has dropped from a size 26 to a size 20 since starting the weight-loss injections a year ago, revealed how “she fell to the floor” in pain while celebrating fiancé Rami Hawash’s birthday at a race track.
A scan revealed she was suffering from gallstones, which have been linked to Mounjaro use, but the star now plans to follow the new trend of taking smaller doses of the drug in a bid to stay trim.
READ MORE: Gemma Collins says she’s ‘free’ as weight loss jab puts end to struggle many suffer withREAD MORE: Gemma Collins slams ‘skinny people’ for taking weight loss jabs in sad confession
Because I had a gallbladder attack in August, I had to put a stop to the jabs, but they’ve since assured me that it’s not actually related to Mounjaro, Gemma said. I’ve really been managing what I’ve been eating, and I’ve given it a rest. However, I believe I will begin microdosing because I believe that some people don’t experience all the side effects of microdosing.
“Patient safety is Lilly’s top priority,” according to a spokeswoman for Eli Lilly, the maker of Mounjaro. “We actively monitor, evaluate, and report safety information for all our medicines to [regulatory agency] MHRA.”
The Mounjaro (tirzepatide) Patient Information Leaflet warns that gallstones is a common side effect of tirzepatide when used for weight management (may affect up to 1 in 10 people), and that cholecystitis (infection of the gallbladder) and gallstones when used for type 2 diabetes, are uncommon side effects (may affect up to 1 in 100 people). Anyone experiencing side effects when taking any Lilly medicine should consult their doctor or other healthcare professional, and should ensure that they are getting genuine Lilly medicine.”
Gemma has praised the weekly injections as “life-changing” and “reduce the user’s appetite.” “I’ve lost about 31st and kept it off. She simply said, “I feel good.” I’ll never appear thin,” she said. I don’t want to appear thin. Not who I am, is it? However, it’s about maintaining health. Therefore, everything is heading in the right direction.
From the initial dose of 2.5 mg, the GC continued to increase her dosage incrementally. 15 mg per week is the recommended maximum dose.
She said, “I went up to the maximum dose.” “But I preferred 2.5 mg.” Therefore, I’m going to start microdosing right away. Gemma was 23st when she first started getting the injections, but she weighed 23st.
She said, “I’ll always love my food, but the injection stops me.” I couldn’t eat two or three roast dinner portions. I didn’t lose anything for six weeks, but I was being lazy, making no scrambled eggs, and having a Twix for breakfast.
Your body adapts to it after you are initially exhausted. Although I’m not in a rush to lose 6st from my heaviest, I’m still trying to lose it. I’m acting responsibly.
“I’ve been big for a long time. And actually at first I was so shocked by the rapid weight loss. It was weird for my mind. When I looked in the mirror, I looked so different. And I was like, ‘Woah, am I ready for this?’”
Gemma asked cosmetic surgeon Dr. Simon Ourian about having her face’s fat “sucked out.” She now hopes to have the “Ozempic face,” which depicts people who have lost a lot of weight in the jaw area.
She remarked, “Dr. Ourian said some people just have weight on their faces; some do not. So, kindly, give me an Ozempic face. I’m all for it if that were to happen to me.
After her dearly beloved mother Joan was admitted with pneumonia, Gemma described last week as the “toughest week of my life.” In 2016, Joan was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ, a condition where the lining of breast tissue develops cancer. Additionally, a petrified Gemma was forced to call an ambulance in May of last year because her mother had stopped breathing.
Gemma said, “Mum and Dad are living with me now,” just before Joan’s most recent hospitalization. Last year, my mother experienced numerous health issues. Because they claimed she had heart failure and that they weren’t going to resuscitate her, it was truly shocking. Hold on a minute, I said. Last night, we were eating dauphinois and mussels. Simply put, it was bizarre.
Gemma said it was wonderful that her parents moved in so that they could spend more time together. She continued, “My mother has always said she wants us to live together.”
Gemma and Rami, who got engaged in February of 2024, are engaged to the wedding. Although the wedding was initially postponed because of a number of family illnesses, Gemma has promised that it will “absolutely” take place in 2026.
Bangladesh was shaken by a low-magnitude tremor a day after a serious earthquake struck the capital, Dhaka, killing at least 10 people.
Disaster management official Ishtiaqe Ahmed, who updated earlier tolls from Friday’s magnitude 5.5 earthquake, reported on Saturday that “a few hundred were hurt while the casualties have reached 10”.
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Dhaka and the nearby districts experienced widespread destruction and panic as a result of Friday’s earthquake.
Another minor jolt was reported on Saturday at 10:36 a.m. (04:36 GMT), according to Omar Faruq of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department.
The meteorologist told AFP that Ashulia, north of the capital, was at the epicenter of the 3.3 tremor.
Aftershocks are common following powerful earthquakes, but some in Bangladesh are concerned about even greater disasters.
“I don’t feel safe yet because Ashulia experienced another jolt this morning. Shahnaj Parvin, who lives close to the epicenter of Friday’s earthquake and has never been in the same situation before, speculated that we might be the next.
She claimed that dozens of her neighborhood’s homes have developed cracks.
When the tremor struck, Parvin continued, “I was hanging my children’s clothes on the washing line.”
To coordinate relief and rescue operations, the government has activated Bangladesh’s emergency operation center.
The country of 170 million people are earthquake-prone due to Bangladesh’s geography, according to Rubayet Kabir of the Meteorological Department’s Earthquake Observation and Research Centre.
After any significant earthquake, Kabir predicted that there would be some minor tremors. Bangladesh has been vulnerable for a while, he told AFP, “but there hasn’t been a major earthquake in the last 100 years or more.”
A Dhaka resident named Shadman Sakif Islam told Al Jazeera on Friday that a “massive shake” started to occur as the earth shook as a result of “small ripples” he noticed in his coffee.
He continued, “My chair and the table started shaking wildly, and I spent ten to fifteen seconds staring blankly at what was happening.”
The resident continued, “I’ve never felt this in my entire life; I felt like going on a boat and riding massive waves one after another.”
The annual return of Fairytale of New York on the radio and in shops signals the start of the festive season for millions of us. But for Louis Lillywhite, this Christmas classic holds a deeper significance.
He was just 14 when his mother, Kirsty MacColl – who sang the hit duet with Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan – tragically lost her life in a devastating speedboat accident.
Inititally, people were shocked at what seemed to be a tragic accident that cut Kirsty’s life short just a week before Christmas. The incredible singer-songwriter was struck by a speedboat as she ascended off Mexico’s coast on December 18, 2000. At the age of 41, she was at the height of her career, having just released her critically acclaimed album, Tropical Brainstorm.
But since her shock death, her family members have fought hard to find out what really happened to the incredible musician, as allegations of a cover-up continue to persist.
READ MORE: ‘Mum’s tragic speedboat death gives me flashbacks 25 years on’ says Kirsty MacColl’s son
Kirsty had nearly severed her left leg and a portion of her chest as a result of a distressing coroner’s report.
Now, as the 25th anniversary of Kirsty’s death looms, with unresolved questions about the circumstances and who was responsible for the tragedy – questions that may now never be answered.
Louis, the son of Kirsty MacColl’s ex-husband and record producer Steve Lillywhite, has poignantly spoken about his mother to the Daily Express.
Louis and his older brother Jamie, then 15, were diving with their mum when the speedboat entered the protected marine area over the reef they had just explored and crashed into them. Although Jamie’s oxygen tank was clipped, their beloved mother was instantly killed when the boat’s propeller struck her.
The speedboat that killed his mother was owned by the family of wealthy Mexican businessman Guillermo González Nova, who ran the Comercial Mexicana supermarket empire. José Cen Yam, a 26-year-old employee at Nova, claimed he was at the controls and moving at a slow speed.
He was found guilty of culpable homicide and handed a sentence of just two years and 10 months behind bars. However, he avoided jail by a paltry £61 fine, which led to claims he had agreed to accept responsibility in exchange for money from his superiors.
According to MacColl’s family, witnesses who disputed who was driving the vessel and claimed that it was moving much faster than the vessel’s stated speed have long been believed to be a cover-up. Their “Justice for Kirsty” campaign halted legal proceedings after running out of options within Mexico’s justice system.
“I believe that Yam was the fall guy,” Louis asserts. “No one was actually held accountable for what occurred.” He continued to express his frustration, stating: “We spent many years as a family trying to get justice. If it had saved just one person, I’m happy about how we raised awareness, but what we would have liked was some accountability. It was never about money, it was about someone taking responsibility.
They called us “money grabbing,” which only fueled my desire to try harder to hold someone accountable. But we were dealing with the richest man in the most corrupt country..”.
He described the horrific day as “such a traumatic event” and “a lot of what happened is still a blur to me.”
” What I can say is it was really grim. I can recall being in the water while meditating on that trip to Mexico and thinking, “Where is Jamie? ” He and I have spoken about it from time to time and I still have flashbacks. It was and continues to be so. We could only have been in the water a few minutes afterwards before they got us out. I really don’t recall a lot.
Louis recently sought therapy, which he claims has improved his ability to deal with the horrific events of that day, after years of bottling up his pain. When you are a 14-year-old boy, you don’t want to talk to a stranger about the worst thing that has happened to you, “he continues.
“I eventually decided to try it when I started to notice patterns of behavior in my 20s.” I have had a lot of therapy since and that has helped. “
Louis has worked hard to get over his fear of the sea, despite his mother’s tragic passing. I really struggled with swimming or going on boats or diving but I have found therapy very useful for that. He claims that I’ve even driven a boat and snorkeled once more.
” Mum really loved the sea and she would have been gutted if I was missing out on a beautiful thing. “
The story is continued by his 70-year-old father, Steve, who reveals that Kirsty had a career as a marine biologist. He was residing in New York with his second wife Patricia Galluzzi when he received the devastating phone call from Kirsty’s musician boyfriend, James Knight, who was holidaying in Mexico with them but wasn’t in the water at the time.
It shocked me so much. I just thought, ‘ Oh s*** ‘ and was desperate to get to the boys but there were no flights that evening from New York, “he recalls”. I called Island Records owner Chris Blackwell, who gave me a private jet ride down.
No tears, just total shock as the boys and James, who were watching cartoons on the bed when I entered the hotel room, were there. James was only 26 and was closer to my age. It is so horrendous to imagine what they witnessed that day and they have never really spoken to me about what they saw”.
The reality really started creeping inside their Ealing family home when they returned to London. Steve recalls: “Kirsty had put the Christmas tree up and there were presents under it. We played her music and made an effort to have a good Christmas by returning to the house in Ealing, which was difficult.
In 2023, the Ealing Civic Society installed a green plaque at the property and recording studio that Kirsty and the boys once called home. Louis was present at the unveiling ceremony and lives nearby.
His brother Jamie, a music manager who previously represented singer Ellie Goulding, now lives in Los Angeles with his wife and son.
Louis recalls, “It was lovely to go back to the house again to get the green plaque.” It was such a party house back then, music always playing, people coming and going all the time.
“You’d come downstairs for school and there would be Boy George sat at the kitchen table. But the new owners are lovely and have done the old place up really nicely. It is much smarter now than when we lived there.”
Following their mother’s death, Louis and Jamie were raised by their mum’s partner James at the Ealing family home, alongside their father Steve. They worked together, according to Louis. We were okay. “
Steve continues, “James is a good bloke, and Kirsty and I were perfect for them.” I was glad she had found a new partner. We have spent Christmases together, and I still meet up with him while I’m in London.
Louis also celebrated his mother’s passing in May 2017 with Jean Newlove, who passed away at the age of 94, after losing his mother. Jean campaigned tirelessly for justice for her daughter.
He claims that “my grandmother was very close to me and a great inspiration.”
” Losing a parent is one thing but losing a child is another thing entirely and my grandmother was on a mission. It gave her a purpose, and if I had to give the cause more weight, I felt compelled to do so.
Kirsty hailed from folk music royalty. She was the child of Ewan MacColl, a prominent figure in the 1960s folk revival in the UK, who founded the first-ever folk music club, The Ballads and Blues Club.
His tunes have been covered by numerous artists over the years, with one of the most successful being Roberta Flack’s rendition of his beautiful ballad, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.
With a number of hits, including her rendition of Billy Bragg’s song A New England and There’s a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He’s Elvis, as well as joint ventures with bands like Simple Minds and The Smiths, Kirsty eked out a successful career for herself.
However, it was her 1987 duet with the late Shane MacGowan on The Pogues ‘ Fairytale of New York, the Christmas number one that never was (it peaked at number two in the charts) that cemented her place in pop music history.
Steve Lillywhite, who produced the Celtic punks ‘ album, was the catalyst for the creation of their Christmas single. The Pogues loved the song so much that they decided to keep them, and his wife, Kirsty, did the same.
Now, Steve has come full circle as Warner Bros Music requested him to produce the new live mix version.
He said, “It was recorded at Barrowland in Glasgow and you can hear all these Scots shouting “Kirsty, Kirsty, Kirsty,” which I kept in because they loved her up there with her name and red hair.
I’m not sure I want this version to reach number one, despite the fact that I have never produced a Christmas number one. It’s about a pair of losers, it’s the underdog song and so maybe it is better if it doesn’t in a way?
Louis, who turns 40 next year, is about to reach the death of his mother. Earlier this year, he attended the annual gathering at the Kirsty MacColl bench in Soho Square, London, where devoted fans congregate to commemorate her birthday on October 10.
He continued, “It was wonderful talking to all the fans about mum and her music this year because it was our 25th anniversary.” I always go. It keeps her memory fresh,” she said.
This Christmas, Louis will be in Bali, where Steve now lives. The song she is most renowned for is a Christmas song, but at least it isn’t one that makes you cringe, he said. I have been in pubs in Ireland and Fairy Tale has come on and the whole place just turns into a party. It sends out positive vibes.
” When one of my mum’s songs comes on the radio it is a double-edged sword for me though, but it is always wonderful to hear her voice again. I’m still a fan of her records. Tropical Brainstorm is my favourite album. When she wrote it, she had her old energy back, which I’m hoping for myself.
Despite receiving more than $ 20 million in reportedly funding for schools, the Safe Schools Initiative (SSI) has been criticized by the Northern Christian Youth Professionals (NCYP) for its “weak visibility and poor impact.”
The organization made its point in a statement released on Friday that Isaac Abrak, its chairman, signed.
The NCYP claimed that the recent spate of school shootings in northern Nigeria rekindled concerns about the SSI’s ability to protect less-vulnerable communities.
The “Northern Christian Youth Professionals (NCYP) expresses concern about the recent wave of attacks on schools in northern Nigeria, which have led to tragic killings and widespread kidnapping of innocent students.
“$20 million raised, schools still retaliate. The Safe Schools Initiative (SSI) and its partnership with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) are at risk due to these heartbreaking events, the statement read partially.
READ MORE: Abduction: School Counters Niger Govt., Denies Claim Of Prior Warning.
The group recalled Bola Tinubu’s request to recruit forest-side community members into the Forest Guard to protect schools following the abduction of more than 200 students from Kuriga, Kaduna State’s government primary and secondary schools in 2024.
The NCYP accepted the SSI’s announcement to work with the NSCDC, which it later disputed despite its initial proposal.
The group claimed that urgent questions were raised by the ongoing attacks.
What part did the partnership between the Safe Schools Initiative and NSCDC play in protecting the attacked schools? “the association inquired.
In a Maga, Kebbi State, gunmen kidnapped 26 schoolgirls on Monday during an attack. In another of the biggest school kidnappings in recent years, gunmen stormed St. Mary’s Primary and Secondary School in the Niger State on Friday, abducting 315 students and staff.
In response, NCYP also enquired about the preventive or reactive measures being put in place in the recent tragic kidnappings at St. Mary’s School in Agwara Local Government Area and the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State.
NCYP raised questions about how funds have been handled since the SSI was founded following the 2014 Chibok abduction.
The statement included contributions from the following publicly reported sources: Private sector/business leaders: $10 million pledged as seed funding; Federal Government of Nigeria: About $10 million; additional FEC-approved support: $4.2 million; United States Government (USAID/Embassy): $2 million; and Qatar Government: $2 million.
The group claimed that although these contributions exceeded $20 million, “they did not have a visible impact on educational institutions.”
It demanded that the SSI release a detailed report outlining its activities, spending, implementing partners, emergency response plans, and impact assessments.
Transparency will reassure potential donors, spur investment in safer schools, and make interventions to protect girls in northern areas where cultural and security barriers make education fragile.
The Safe Schools Initiative must provide answers, demonstrate accountability for how much money is being used and how effective it is, and reevaluate its approach to accomplish its goals, according to the organization.
The group reaffirmed its call for President Tinubu to put the Forest Guard program into full effect and ensure that residents’ input is used to guide its operation.
There is no substitute for the vigilance, courage, and determination of parents protecting their children, according to the statement that community members were the most trustworthy defenders of their schools.
The group urged the president to “avoid establishing a bureaucratic institution” that was isolated from the communities it was supposed to protect.
The United States should support Nigeria’s community-based security efforts, NCYP urged.
The NCYP argued that terrorist attacks could not continue to harm children in Nigeria.
As England meekly surrendered in the Perth Stadium cauldron on Saturday, Travis Head’s makeshift opener smacked a 69-ball century to win the first high-speed Ashes Test.
Head slammed 123 in a 205-win innings as the hosts won by eight wickets on day one of the five-match series. Steve Smith and Marshall Labuschagne both had 51 and were on two.
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After lunch, the marauding pace pair Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc unleashed a stunning England collapse, leading to Head’s heroics.
With four wickets in as many overs, Boland and Starc left the visitors reeling, but they were 65-1 and extending an ominous lead.
Ben Duckett (28), Ollie Pope (33), and Harry Brook (23), all accounted for in 11 balls by a ruthless Boland, and Joe Root was ordered to pack up for eight more with two deliveries later.
England were flailing at 88-6 when Starc removed skipper Ben Stokes (2), and the veteran paceman had only managed to get a 10-wicket haul in his third start, a career-best 7-58.
Before being rolled for 164 at tea, England were only partially rescued by a crucial 50-run stand between Brydon Carse (20) and Gus Atkinson (30).
Usman Khawaja struggled back stiffness when they returned, with Australia signaling their intentions by sending in Head.
Head, who has opened nine times in Test cricket, quickly adapted to his destructive rhythm, scoring big sixes off Mark Wood and Carse.
He scored a half-century in 36 balls, passing 4, 000 Test runs in the process, making it look easy on him by mocking the struggles other batsmen faced on the bouncy track.
Jake Weatherald, the debutant, also launched an attack in an effort to emulate him, but it cost him, who was knocked out for 23 after Ben Duckett off Carse with a mistimed pull shot.
On the way to a 10th Test century, Jofra Archer was sent a six back over the head of an unruffled Head, who kept the pressure on.
He eventually sided with Carse, who had hoped for a bigger hit.
Australia regrouped with a paltry 123-9 lead in their opening innings, adding just nine before Carse removed Lyon for four as England’s 40-run lead was taken.
Stokes won the game’s opener by winning 5-23 off just 36 balls, giving England the first-ever Test win in Australia since the 2010-11 series.
They had all already lost on Starc for 172.
The 35-year-old’s ability to emulate his success in the second innings was stoked by the sold-out Perth Stadium crowd when he removed Zak Crawley in his first over.
Crawley was given a pair by the veteran, who jumped to his left in an incredible athleticism for a memorable caught-and-bowled.
At 59-1, Duckett and Pope made their way to lunch.
When they returned, Scott Boland started to notice his radar.
After Duckett edged to Steve Smith in the slips, Pope beat wicketkeeper Alex Carey, and Brook then performed the same to Khawaja.
Joe Root dragged a thick edge onto his stumps to cap a poor series start after a first-inning duck. However, the relentless Starc could not match him.
After that, Brendan Doggett cleaned Jamie Smith (15), Carse (15), and Archer (15).
