TK Maxx shoppers are “running” to stores after spotting a “gorgeous” vase online. The product has gone viral on TikTok, with shoppers desperate to find them in their local shop.
The product, a glass vase featuring artwork from Sarah J Maas ‘ A Court of Thorns and Roses, is priced at £5.99. TikToker @manonsbookshelves shared a clip of the vase in store.
The caption on the post read: “I found this stunning ACOTAR vase at TK Maxx and I’m absolutely obsessed. What do you guys think”? Text overlaying the video read: “Found this on a trip to TK Maxx! “!
The video racked up more than 697.5k views, as well as more than 58k likes and over 300 comments. Among them, one person said: “Omg I need”, and a second wrote: “Literally the best purchase! And only £5.99”!
A third shopper added: “Aww that’s amazing”, while a fourth said: “Omg I haven’t read ACOTAR yet but I’m so tempted”. Another just wrote: “Bro stop gimme gimme gimme”.
Many more comments praised the product, as well as the book itself. One person said: “I am running”, and a second commented: “The way I would buy this so fast”. A third added: “You’re JOKING how stunning”, and a fourth penned: “It’s so beautiful! Love how it’s clear”.
One person simply said: “So you’re telling me I need to go TK Maxx got it”, while a second wrote: “These are gorgeous”! A third commented: “Running not walking to TK Maxx” and another said: “I NEEEEED that ACOTAR one omg”.
Others discussed how much the books meant to them, with one person writing: “Oh my gosh I NEED this. This is the book I was proposed with”. Another said: “I need these!!! Finished these books ages ago it seems but they pulled me out of a pit I will forever be grateful for”.
However, others were disappointed they might not be able to get their hands on the vase. One person said: “My TK Maxx is broken”, and a second added: “I didn’t see them in mine”.
A third shopper commented: “My TK Maxx could never (I’m so jealous)”, and a second said: “Literally went there to get this and it wasn’t there”. Another claimed: “I couldn’t find them in mine”.
The vase is not currently available on the TK Maxx website, but shoppers can search their local stores for stock. You can find your nearest store here.
The Senate has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct by-elections to fill the vacant seats in Edo Central and Anambra South Senatorial Districts.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced this during plenary on Tuesday, officially declaring the vacancies.
The upper chamber had declared the Edo Central seat vacant in 2024, following the inauguration of Monday Okpebholo as Governor of Edo State in December, after his election.
Similarly, the Anambra South seat has remained unoccupied since the passing of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah in July 2024.
Ifeanyi Ubah
READ ALSO: Saraki Cautions Akpabio Against Politicising Call For Due Process In Senate
INEC had previously stated in January 2025 that it was awaiting a formal request from the Senate before proceeding with a by-election for Anambra South.
Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Anambra State, Elizabeth Agu, reiterated this during a stakeholders ‘ dialogue organised by the International Press Centre (IPC) in Awka, the state capital.
A historian and a chef discover a 1, 000 year-old Arab cookbook from Baghdad and how its recipes reached southern Spain.
A historian and a chef go on a culinary journey through history to discover the roots of Arab cuisine and its influence on the food and flavours of today. Kotoz is a researcher in Arab food history, and Fadi Kattan is a renowned Palestinian chef.
They travel around Europe in search of recipe manuscripts from the days of the old Arab dynasties and empires. They start this first episode in the Finnish capital, Helsinki, where they find The Book of Dishes, the oldest known Arabic cookbook.
It describes ninth-century rivalries, including a singer-musician called Ziryab, who fell out of favour in the court in Baghdad and fled to Cordoba in Muslim al-Andalus. He brought his knowledge of music, the arts, fashion, and cookery with him to Spain and is famous for a stew called Green Tafaya.
Islamabad, Pakistan – Separatist fighters say they have attacked and seized a train in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan, taking hundreds of people hostage.
Railway sources confirmed to Al Jazeera that more than 400 passengers were on board the nine coaches of the Jaffar Express when it was attacked on Tuesday while travelling from the provincial capital of Quetta to the northern city of Peshawar.
Provincial spokesperson Shahid Rind said an emergency had been declared at a major hospital in Sibi city, 160km (100 miles) southeast of Quetta, after reports of “intense firing” at the train.
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) separatist group claimed responsibility for the attack, saying in a statement that six military personnel had been killed. It added that security personnel were among those taken hostage and warned of retaliation if security forces carried out an operation.
There was no immediate comment by Pakistan’s military.
(Al Jazeera)
The 1, 600km (994-mile) train journey from Quetta to Peshawar takes more than 30 hours to complete with more than 30 stops along the way.
The train service was resumed in October after a two-month halt due to a BLA-claimed attack on the track in Balochistan.
The province, which is rich in minerals and natural resources, has been home to a decades-long conflict between the government and ethnic Baloch separatists, who demand secession from Pakistan.
In recent years, there have also been attacks against Chinese interests and nationals working in projects in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a $62bn development initiative. The attacks by the BLA and other groups have continued despite a number of military operations.
BLA ‘ gaining strength ‘
In January, a security report by the Islamabad-based think tank Pak Institute of Peace Studies (PIPS) warned that the situation in Balochistan was “alarming”.
It said there were more than 150 attacks last year, up by a staggering 119 percent compared with the year before.
Last month, at least 18 soldiers were killed in a BLA attack in Balochistan’s Kalat city.
Muhammad Shoaib, a security analyst and an academic, said BLA attacks had surged not just numerically but also in “lethality”.
“The organisation has gained strength over the past few years. It has enhanced its capability on many fronts: propaganda, recruitment, target selection, intelligence and adaptability”, Shoaib told Al Jazeera, adding that the BLA has been able to spread its message through social media and attract educated youth.
“Put simply, it has learnt the art of staying in the news and keeping state apparatus engaged in multiple fronts”, Shoaib added, noting that there were signs that the BLA’s recruitment is on the rise.
“Now it can dedicate more resources and personnel for operations”, Shoaib said.
Manila, Philippines – Almost three years after leaving the presidency, former President Rodrigo Duterte has been arrested by Philippine authorities in Manila, upon the request of the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague, which is investigating allegations of “crimes against humanity” committed during his six years in power.
Duterte was immediately taken into police custody on Tuesday at the Manila international airport following his arrival from Hong Kong, in a move hailed by human rights groups as “a critical step for accountability in the Philippines”.
His trip to Hong Kong over the weekend had whipped up speculation that he would evade arrest.
The arrest on Tuesday marks the first time that a leader in the Philippines will be facing a case before an international tribunal. The arrest is especially rare since the Philippines is not a member of the ICC any more — Duterte withdrew the Philippines from the international court in 2019 — and so is not obligated under international law to detain someone who has a warrant against their name.
The decision by the government of current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr also represents an about-turn since Marcos Jr has previously rejected the ICC’s jurisdiction over the Philippines.
So what is Duterte accused of, what prompted the Marcos government to arrest him, how has Duterte responded, and what’s next for the ex-president?
What’s the charge against Duterte – and what prompted the ICC investigation?
The ICC has yet to issue an official statement on the specific charge against Duterte.
The Hague-based court has been investigating allegations of “crimes against humanity” committed by Duterte since 2018, when he was still in power. It briefly suspended its work in 2021 upon the request of the Philippine government but resumed its investigation in 2023.
Duterte ran for president in 2016 on a single issue of fighting crime in the Philippines.
During his campaign and later on as president, he repeatedly urged police to “kill” drug suspects, or encourage suspects to fight back in order to justify the deadly shootings.
After taking office on June 30, 2016, he , immediately launched his deadly campaign described by the country’s Catholic leaders as a “reign of terror”. Over his six years in office, more than 7, 000 people were killed in official anti-drug operations, according to police records.
But human rights advocates said the death toll numbered more than 30, 000, including those killed by unknown suspects, some of whom later turned out to be police officers.
Not all cases were covered in the complaint filed before the ICC. But human rights advocates and lawyers of the victims ‘ families managed to compile evidence from a few hundred cases that were submitted to The Hague court.
Duterte has repeatedly defended his actions as president. As recently as last October during a Senate hearing, he said that he offers “no apologies, no excuses” for carrying out the drug war.
During the same hearing, he also admitted under oath that he maintained a , “death squad” of gangsters to kill other criminals while he was the mayor of the southern Philippines ‘ Davao City. Some of those cases were also included in the ICC complaint.
Former Philippines ‘ president Rodrigo Duterte (centre) is seen inside the Villamor Airbase in Manila after arriving from Hong Kong on Tuesday]Handout Photo/AFP]
Has the Marcos Jr government changed its views on the ICC?
Until Duterte’s arrest on Tuesday, Marcos Jr had repeatedly rejected the ICC’s jurisdiction over the Philippines and on the Duterte case, famously saying that he considers the international body “a threat” to the country’s sovereignty.
In July 2023, just a year into his presidency, he categorically declared that the Philippines “will not cooperate” with the ICC “in any way, shape, or form”, after the ICC announced the resumption of its investigation of Duterte.
Then, in early 2024, he was quoted as saying, “Let me say this for the 100th time. I do not recognise the jurisdiction of ICC in the Philippines. The Philippine government will not lift a finger to help any investigation that the ICC conducts”.
Marcos Jr would reiterate the same line during his visit to Germany in March 2024 and at a meeting with foreign correspondents in Manila in April of the same year.
Yet, the political equation that undergirded that position on the ICC has changed.
When Marcos Jr sought the presidency in 2022, he ran on a ticket with Duterte’s daughter, Sara Duterte, winning a landslide victory on a promise of continuing the elder Duterte’s policy.
But their alliance began to crumble when supporters of the Duterte family called for Marcos Jr’s ouster, following the arrest of Apollo Quiboloy, an influential pastor and spiritual adviser of former President Duterte.
Their political union finally broke up, after Vice President Sara Duterte was investigated for alleged misuse of millions of dollars in government funds, and was impeached by Marcos Jr’s allies in Congress in late 2024.
Since then, the two camps have been engaged in an all-out political combat ahead of midterm elections in May.
On Tuesday morning,  , Marcos Jr’s office said it had received an official copy of the warrant of arrest “for the crimes against humanity” from the ICC a few hours earlier.
“He’s now in the custody of authorities”, the government statement said, noting that Duterte is “in good health”.
In a statement posted on Facebook, President Marcos’s chief legal counsel, Juan Ponce Enrile, said the Philippine laws “have nothing to do” with Duterte’s current legal problem.
“His legal problem is caused by laws enforceable by the ICC. His lawyers should endeavor to secure a copy of the ICC charges against him so that they will know why he was ordered to be arrested by the ICC”, he said.
How has Duterte responded to his arrest?
“You will just have to kill me if I will not comply”, Duterte was caught saying in a video clip, talking to police officials who arrested him as soon his plane landed in the Philippine capital on Tuesday.
In another video posted on Instagram by Duterte’s youngest daughter, Veronica Duterte, the former leader was seen asking authorities, “What is the law and what is the crime that I committed”?
“Explain to me now the legal basis for my being here, as apparently I was brought here not of my own volition. It’s somebody else’s”, he added.
In a statement, Salvador Panelo, Duterte’s former legal adviser, described the arrest as “unlawful”, saying that the former president was “deprived of legal representation at the time of his arrest”.
Senator Ronald dela Rosa, an ally of Duterte and his former top police enforcer, has also questioned the arrest, filing an emergency case before the Supreme Court.
What’s next for Duterte?
In a statement sent to Al Jazeera, the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) said Duterte’s detention “marks an unprecedented step towards justice” for thousands of victims of the drug war.
“Duterte’s arrest is the beginning of accountability for the mass killings that defined his brutal rule”, ICHRP chairperson Peter Murphy said.
Rise Up, a group of women whose family members or children were among those killed in the drug war, also welcomed the arrest and promised to “stay vigilant and see through” the prosecution of Duterte.
“We call for and support the expeditious surrender and transfer of custody of Duterte to the ICC”, the group said.
It is still unclear when Duterte will be turned over to The Hague.
While visiting Hong Kong on Saturday, Duterte had commented about the impending arrest, saying, “If it’s really my fate in life, that’s okay, I will accept it. There’s nothing I can do about it”.
In an interview with Al Jazeera before the arrest was announced, lawyer Maria Kristina Conti, who represents some of the families of the victims, said it was crucial for Filipinos to witness the resolution and prosecution of the case “so that it will not happen again”.
“If you do not put it on record, this could be subject to historical revisionism in the future”, she warned.
Former Strictly Come Dancing contestant Iwan Thomas has shared that he had to rush his five-year-old son to the hospital following an accident.
The 51-year-old Olympic sprinter posted a picture of his eldest child, Teddy, recovering in hospital after undergoing surgery for a broken arm. Despite the ordeal, Teddy remained in good spirits, even managing to smile while his arm was wrapped in a sling.
Iwan, who competed on the BBC dance show in 2015, spoke about his son’s incredible resilience. “We couldn’t be prouder of Teddy”, he wrote. “He’s already faced so many challenges in his young life, and now this – yet he never complains. He just carries on, showing nothing but kindness and love to those around him.
” Children have an extraordinary ability to bounce back, and their strength humbles me every single day. Teddy, you inspire me to be a better person. Thank you for all the lovely messages of support. “
Iwan shared a photo of his son Teddy in hospital (iwanrunner/Instagram)
Iwan previously starred on Strictly Come Dancing (BBC/Ray Burmiston/Matt Burlem)
Following Iwan’s post, his fans and followers alike sent their well wishes to his little boy”. You got a proper tough little soldier on your hands there my brother wishing him a speedy recovery, “one shared”. Oh the poor little love, I hope he recovers fast. “
Someone else added:” Teddy is a little champion, hope he is safe and well now. “While another one of Iwan’s fans commented:” Awh bless his little soul. What a brave little boy. “
This isn’t the first time Teddy has faced a health scare. In 2018, Iwan revealed that his son had been admitted to intensive care just hours after birth due to a severe breathing difficulty.
Iwan’s fans sent Teddy well wishes (iwanrunner/Instagram)
The Strictly star shared pictures of his son in a hospital bed (iwanrunner/Instagram)
Teddy was diagnosed with Group B Streptococcus, a common bacterial infection, and spent the first ten days of his life in the hospital before making a full recovery.
Iwan and his wife, Anna, are also parents to two younger boys—three-year-old Dougie and one-year-old Bowie. Since retiring from professional athletics in 2006 due to injury, Iwan has made numerous appearances on reality television.
Alongside competing on Strictly, he has featured on ITV’s Through the Keyhole, Celebrity MasterChef, Total Wipeout, The Real Hustle, and the quiz show Eggheads.
Last year, Olympian Iwan opened up about his mental health struggles and suicidal thoughts as he revealed Prince Harry’s pivotal role in his recovery. The Welsh sprinter who won silver at the Atlanta games in 1996 spoke out as he releases a brutally honest account of his depression, which left him considering taking his life.
Iwan Thomas and Prince Harry at the Heads Together barbecue at Kensington Palace in London (PA)
The athlete also suffered from a serious bout of depression, speaking about how he struggled to get out of bed and felt” numb”. Now an advocate for mental health, he wants to help others. He said:” Breaking that record, everything happened really quickly for me but also everything was taken away quickly.
“All sorts were coming my way, a Madame Tussauds ‘ waxwork, MBE, accolades left right and centre. I thought, ‘ This is cool, I’ll have years left in me yet’. The reality was that that was as good as it was ever going to get”.
A pivotal moment for him was in 2016 when he met Prince Harry at a Heads Together event, the mental health initiative set up alongside Prince William and Princess Kate. “It was the weirdest thing. I was there flipping burgers with Prince Harry”, he said.
“I hadn’t ever really spoken about depression or dark times. I suddenly just opened up to him. It was very bizarre but because he was a stranger I felt I could talk to him. He’s been through so much himself, it was easy to talk to him. It opened that tin and allowed me to talk to other people”.
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