Archive May 20, 2025

McCullum calls on England to improve ‘humility’

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As England prepares for the year that will determine his reign as head coach, head coach Brendon McCullum has urged them to improve their “humility.”

Before a memorable series at home to India and away in Australia, England play a one-off Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge on Thursday.

After a challenging winter, they continue to do so. McCullum’s team won a test series in New Zealand with a score of 2-1, but they lost in Pakistan by the same score, and they had to endure miserable white-ball matches.

The media’s comments have frequently been subjected to scrutiny. Fast bowler Mark Wood admitted they can be “a little dumb,” while director of cricket Rob Key stated in March that the players needed to “stop talking rubbish.”

New Zealander McCullum said on Tuesday, “It’s not just about what you do on the cricket field.” How do you carry yourself? It’s how you interact with the general public. You send the message, I believe.

In 2022, McCullum and England’s captain, Ben Stokes, took over and immediately changed the game. England won 10 of their subsequent 11 Test victories, including one win in 17 before the McCullum-Stokes regime.

England has a habit of producing shoddy performances despite being second in the world. Each of their previous three series finales, which included defeats to Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and New Zealand, ended in disastrous fashion.

Since taking over those teams at the beginning of the year, McCullum hasn’t improved their limited-overs results. At the Champions Trophy in February, England lost every game.

People were enthralled by the way we played, McCullum, a former New Zealand captain, said.

They felt a sense of belonging to that group and were enthralled by the freewheeling nature of cricket, I’m guessing.

The perception of the England team and some of the comments they make in the media are factors in the inconsistent results.

Former England captain Kevin Pietersen criticized them for not getting enough training during the Champions Trophy, who criticized them for their love of golf.

Stokes claimed that the notion that their training is impacted by too much golf was “utter rubbish,” while Wood claimed that he was irritated by an external narrative that reads “golf, golf, golf, golf.”

Any unrest between England and some of their supporters might have been fueled by media coverage. Ben Duckett and Harry Brook have a reputation for making awkward quotes.

McCullum agrees with Key’s suggestion that players should make their public comments more cautious. Instead of collective orders being given to the group, instead of individual conversations between management and players have taken place.

We just need to be a little smarter when making some of our comments, McCullum said. What you say in that dressing room frequently contradicts what you anticipate being said in a public forum.

We just have to be aware of that, smart enough to make sure we make sure we make sure we make sure we don’t lose touch with the English people when we have the chance.

related subjects

  • England Men’s Cricket Team
  • Cricket

UPDATED: MPC Retains Interest Rate At 27.5%

The first-quarter’s economic parameters, including the interest rate of 27.50 percent, have been kept by the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Monetary Policy Committee.

After the committee meeting on May 19 and 20, CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso made the announcement.

The committee decided to keep the MPR at 27.50% and the asymmetric corridor at + 500/-100 basis points at its 299th and 20th February 2025 meeting.

The deposit money bank cash reserve ratio was 50.0 percent and the merchant bank’s ratio was 16%, while the liquidity ratio was 30.0 percent, respectively.

Read more about CBN’s non-resident BVN for Nigerians living in the diaspora here.

Cardoso made reference to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) inflation rate of 23.71 per cent while revealing the MPC’s decision on Tuesday.

The annual inflation rate for April 2025 decreased from 24.23% in the previous month to 23.71%, according to the NBS.

The inflation rate for the largest portion of the inflation basket, food inflation, increased slightly from 21.9 per cent in March to 21.26, primarily as a result of the price of some commodities like maize, wheat, yam, and wheat.

Cardoso, CBN Governor,

The CBN governor praised the Federal Government for putting forth measures to boost food supply and intensify the fight against insecurity, especially in rural communities, while stating that food inflation remained moderate in April.

The MPC urges security organizations to maintain the momentum while the government offers farmers the protection they need to boost local food production, he said.

Inflationary Pressures

However, the committee acknowledged that legacy structure factors, such as rising electricity prices, persistent foreign exchange demand pressure, and other, contributed to inflationary pressures. &nbsp,

READ MORE: TCN’s Re-Erecting Three Towers Along the 330kV Kainji-Birnin Kebbi Line

The Federal Government’s new policies were also reviewed by the MPC to boost local production, lessen foreign exchange demand pressure, and lessen domestic prices’ effects from higher rates.

Boxing world champion Shields ‘done’ with MMA

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After three fights with the PFL, boxing world champion Claressa Shields claims to be “done.”

Shields, 30, has won one fight in a row in MMA and is a multiple-weight undisputed champion. He has also won one fight in MMA since 2021, posting a 2-1 record.

The American claims she will now concentrate on boxing after her most recent MMA victory over Kelsey de Santis.

“It was enjoyable, but I don’t have the time to prepare for it.” To prepare for takedowns, it takes six to eight months. I broke my arm twice, despite my efforts and improvement. Shields told Ariel Helwani, “It was fun and I enjoyed every fight I did.

“I already excel in boxing, and to excel like that in MMA, I would need to train consistently for at least three to four years.

“It was a really strong MMA performance. It was enjoyable, but the work was too much.

Between her second and third MMA fights, Shields took a two-and-a-half-year break.

The Michigan native recently bolstered her world title collection with the undisputed heavyweight title.

Shields has won 16 fights and is currently the world champion in five different weight classes.

The Olympic gold medalist acknowledged that her family wanted her to concentrate on boxing, but that she did have aspired to become an MMA world champion.

She continued, “My family never wanted me to do it.”

related subjects

  • Mixed Martial Arts
  • Boxing

Love Island’s Jess White sparks concern after ‘bizarre’ waves of sickness

A former Love Island star has left fans concerned about her health. Jess White, who appeared on season 11 of the show last year, has shared her worries on social media, revealing she feels sick at least once a day.

Taking to TikTok, the reality star, 26, questioned whether her health was normal and explained that she says “I feel sick” once a day but feels better shortly after saying it. Lying in her bed with a cuddly toy, the retail manager from Stockport told fans she had a “genuine question” as she opened up about her issue.

In view of her 60,000 followers on the video-sharing platform, she captioned her post: “Me saying I feel sick every day for the 15th time.” She said: “So, this is a genuine question. Is it just me or is it normal to feel sick everyday? I actually swear I’ll probably say, ‘I feel sick,’ probably comes out of my mouth at least once a day.






Jess explained that she feels sick every day
(
jessamywhite/TikTok)

“And then I feel fine. Then I get this wave of ‘I feel sick,’ and that’s it, it’ll just clear. I’m never ever sick, I just feel sick all the time. It’s bizarre. The point now, if I don’t feel sick I’m like ‘Why don’t I feel sick? I’m gonna feel sick at some point’, then I feel sick. I can’t even explain it.

“Today I felt fine, I was like ‘I’m gonna eat something, I feel hungry,’ put a pizza in. Feel sick, can’t eat it. What does that mean?” Her post, which has been viewed over 97,000 times, was soon flooded with messages from her concerned followers.

“Get bloods done you may have low folic acid,” said one. A second went on to write: “Anxiety – this is me every day.” While a third follower commented: “I used to feel sick every single day when I was in high school and it was the worst thing ever! Get checked by your doctor could be low on something.”






Fans encouraged the reality star to visit her GP


Fans encouraged the reality star to visit her GP
(
jessamywhite/TikTok)

Meanwhile, another encouraged Jess to speak to her general practitioner to find out whether she can take medication to stop the feeling. The TV star found fame last summer after becoming embroiled in a love triangle with Harriett Blackmore and Ronnie Vint throughout the series.

Despite her antics in the villa racking up a lot of screentime, she was dramatically cut from the programme just before the final episode in a mass dumping. During one argument with Harriett, Jess was left enraged as she fumed: “I’m the prize.”

Ahead of the most recent series of All Stars, it was rumoured that Jess would be leaving the North West and heading out to South Africa for the series. She took to social media to hint she was heading on a trip after undergoing a makeover at a salon.






Despite feeling sick, Jess explained that she's never physically sick


Despite feeling sick, Jess explained that she’s never physically sick
(
ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Speaking to her hairdresser, she said: “I just want to be shocked. I know I’m really dark but a long time ago I was really really blonde. I’m not saying I want to be beach blonde but I feel like I’ve been this colour for years and I just want something different.”

When asked how long her foreign trip would be, she replied: “I don’t know yet, it depends.” However, she ultimately didn’t make the final casting.

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Taylor Swift finally releases Reputation (Taylor’s version) for iconic TV moment

Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor’s Version), which is set to feature on the album Reputation (Taylor’s Version), features on the new season of the Handmaid’s Tale

After years of waiting, Taylor Swift has finally given fans the first look at Reputation (Taylor’s Version). Her followers went into meltdown when a brand new version of Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor’s Version) featured in the latest episode of Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale.

Taylor, 35, has been releasing re-recorded versions of albums from earlier in her career in recent years following a dispute over her back catalogue. The most recent to be released was 1989 (Taylor’s Version), which came out in 2023.

She has yet to announce a release date for her new version of the album Reputation, originally released in 2017, after previously teasing the project. Fans are hoping that she shares some news at next week’s American Music Awards.

Ahead of the awards ceremony though, the singer-songwriter showcased Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor’s Version) during the latest episode of Hulu’s the Handmaid’s Tale. The ninth episode of the show’s sixth season, which is set to be its final season, aired on Sunday night in the US.

The track featured in the opening scene of the episode, which saw June Osborne (played by Elisabeth Moss) lead an uprising against the Commanders. The handmaids were seen united as the music played at the start of the episode.

Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor’s Version) featured in a scene on the Handmaid’s Tale recently in which June Osborne (played by Elisabeth Moss, front) led an uprising (Image: Hulu)
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Fans shared excitement on X. One wrote: “Literally losing my mind over look what you made me do Taylor’s version being randomly dropped last night.” Another said: “OMG! This is the perfect song choice, and it sounds so good.”

A third wrote: “Taylor Swift giving Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor’s version) to Handmaid’s Tale is literally so bad*** and iconic I can’t cope.” Someone else commented: “Couldn’t have picked a better song or Artist for the intro!!!!”

Taylor previously teased the track in a snippet on Apple TV+ docuseries The Dynasty: New England Patriots last year. Whilst a Delicate (Taylor’s Version) is said to have briefly appeared on Prime Video’s The Summer I Turned Pretty.

Taylor Swift in a black jumper and beanie hat.
Fans shared their excitement ahead of Taylor, pictured, releasing Reputation (Taylor’s Version)(Image: Getty Images)

The Handmaid’s Tale star Elisabeth, who is also an executive producer on the show, which is based on Margaret Atwood’s novel of the same name, has addressed using Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor’s Version). She spoke to Billboard about being able to use Taylor’s music in the show.

Elisabeth shared that she had wanted to use one of her songs for some time. She said: “I’ve been wanting to use a Taylor song for many years on the show and we finally found the perfect spot for a track from her, and I’m so glad we waited because there could not be a more perfect song for a more perfect moment.”

She added: “Taylor has been such an inspiration to me personally. As a Swiftie myself, and I think I can speak for [co-star] Yvonne [Strahovski] and our entire cast as well, who are all Swifties, it’s such an honor to be able to use her music in the final episodes of our show.”

The sixth season of the Handmaid’s Tale is being released through Prime Video and Channel 4 in the UK. The fourth episode is set to be released on Saturday.

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King Charles to send powerful message to Donald Trump with historic visit to Canada

King Charles and Queen Camilla visited Canada House on Trafalgar Square in Central London today ahead of their historic visit to Ottawa next week for the State Opening of Parliament

King Charles will “reinforce the power and the strength of the message” to Donald Trump that “Canada is not for sale” when he makes a historic visit to the country next week. Charles will travel to Canada for the first time as monarch when he flies to Ottawa with Queen Camilla on Monday to attend the State Opening of Parliament.

Ahead of their visit, the royal couple toured Canada House on Trafalgar Square where they were shown a giant map of the country’s historic sites. Ralph Goodale, the High Commissioner for Canada in the UK, said the visit would be significant in the wake of verbal aggression from the US president that Canada should become the 51st state of America.

King Charles and Queen Camilla on a visit to Canada House today(Image: Getty Images)

Mark Carney, the newly elected prime minister of Canada, told Trump that Canada was not for sale following the US president’s comments. Mr Goodale said: “The prime minister has made it clear that Canada is not for sale not, is not for sale ever, and I think he probably added five ‘nevers’ after that to make the point.

“The King as head of state will reinforce the power and the strength of that message and it is as I said before captured in our anthem. We are the true north, strong and free and we will stay that way.”

Charles and Camilla were welcomed on the steps of Canada House by two Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers before being shown inside to view a giant floor map of the country. “It’s brilliant, it really is,” said Charles as he walked across the map. “I wish I could bring it every time I go to Canada to remind myself where I’m going and where I’ve been.”

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Charles and Camilla stand on a map of Canada
Charles and Camilla stand on a map of Canada (Image: Getty Images)

Charles and Camilla will arrive in the Canadian capital on Monday afternoon, where they will undertake a community engagement in Ottawa. On Tuesday, the King will speak at the State Opening, the first time a British monarch has attended the event since the late Queen Elizabeth II did in 1977.

The royals’ visit marks the 100th anniversary of Canada House, which was opened in June 1925. Following in the footsteps of George V, who opened the building a century ago, Charles was presented with the key to Canada House.

Echoing the key given to his great grandfather, which was cast in Canadian bronze, silver and nickel, the King was given a key created by Morgan Asoyuf, an Indigenous Ts’myen Canadian artist.

Charles today was particularly taken with a map of the Torngat Mountains and Wood Buffalo national park where wood bison are being reintroduced. He pointed out Churchill in Northern Manitoba on the map and told the King: “I had my first audience with the [late] majesty in 2021 and she was speaking very fondly of visiting Churchill and seeing the polar bears.”

Charles is presented with the key to Canada House
Charles is presented with the key to Canada House (Image: Getty Images)

The Queen, wearing a cream crepe silk dress, in a floral print by Fiona Clare, was shown an area near Montreal and said she’d visited the area in Quebec previously on a family holiday saying “it was lovely”. Pointing to an area on the map, Robert Fry, the deputy high commissioner, told the Queen: “That was also where the battle of Quebec was fought when the British took over Canada from the French.”

The map features other sites of interest including battles fought during the 1812 war between the US and Britain, although these were not explicitly pointed out to the King and Queen. During a reception area where they greeted High Commission staff and Lyse Doucet, the Canadian-born chief international correspondent for the BBC.

The King with Lyse Doucet, the Canadian-born chief international correspondent for the BBC
The King with Lyse Doucet, the Canadian-born chief international correspondent for the BBC(Image: Getty Images)

Standing on a stage to present the key to Charles, Mr Goodale said: “Your presence here today launches your journey to Canada next week. This will be your 20th visit but your first as reigning monarch. Your dear mother Queen Elizabeth II often said to the delight of Canadians that a journey to Canada felt like coming home. We hope that you feel exactly the same way.”

Speaking after the visit, Chief Perry Bellegarde, a first nations advocate and Honorary President of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, said that the King’s “throne speech” at the opening of parliament next week was “a huge deal”. He said: “To have the head of state, the monarch, come, is huge. And to read the speech from the throne sends a very strong message that Canada is an independent sovereign country.”

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