Maureen Lipman, who plays Evelyn Plummer on Coronation Street, has revealed details about her romantic relationship with her fiancé, David Turner, but the couple may not get married until the year is up.
Coronation Street icon Maureen Lipman has opened up about her hesitations to walk down the aisle with her recent fiancé, despite announcing their engagement last year.
The actress, who was first in love with her late husband in 1974 with the award-winning actress in 1974, later expressed her dislike of marriage after her partner’s death in 2021.
Yet, it seems the Corrie star had a change of heart about romance after David Turner asked for her hand in marriage.
In a sincere interview with the Guardian, Dame Maureen reflected on what life has taught her, saying, “Life is trying to teach me to stop worrying about the bags under my eyes and concentrate on someone else.”
Maureen Lipman gave a candid interview where she discussed her relationship(Image: PA)
She expressed concern about their wedding, but she is unsure about how to focus on their relationship.
Continue reading the article.
She stated, “God knows how we’ll manage to have a wedding since David has 9, 000 cousins, and I’ve got four.” We might just have been married for a certain amount of time.
Beyond her personal revelations, Dame Maureen has cemented her status as a beloved figure in British entertainment, gracing both stage and screen in some of the nation’s most prestigious productions, reports Leicestershire Live.
Before joining the cast of Coronation Street as Evelyn Plummer in 2018, Dame Maureen was already a seasoned actress with roles in Doctor Who and The Pianist, and even earned a BAFTA nomination for her role as Trish in the beloved film Educating Rita.
Maureen Lipman has appeared in a huge number of TV and film roles(Image: Getty Images)
This year marks her seventh year on the cobbles, but recently she announced a brief break from playing Tyrone Dobbs’ grandmother on the ITV soap.
Dame Maureen started out on the show in 2002 as a different character, but she quickly became a regular in 2018.
Continue reading the article.
Evelyn made the courageous choice to return to school to study law last year, according to viewers.
She informed her friends and family on the street that she would be moving to live in student residences because she wanted to fully immerse herself in the university lifestyle.
In his first interview since joining Manchester City in 2021, Jack Grealish remarked, “It’s a dream come true to be a part of this club.”
It’s fair to say that City’s dreams had come true since City paid a record fee of £100 million to bring in England’s midfielder from Aston Villa.
Grealish has won three Premier League titles since then, and he was instrumental in City’s Treble victory in his second season there.
However, his experience in Manchester has become more of a nightmare over the past two years.
Grealish has only made 17 Premier League starts in two seasons, with a lack of minutes cost him a spot in England’s Euro 2024 squad, a combination of injuries and subpar performances.
Grealish was a unused substitute on ten occasions during the second half of the campaign as the dethroned champions City endured their worst season under Pep Guardiola, which saw them struggle to earn a Champions League spot.
The ideal moment to end one’s journey
Since having a mixed debut season in sky blue, Grealish’s future at City has never really been resolved.
In his third season, he appeared a shadow of himself, despite the critics’ disapproval.
After missing out on City’s matchday squad for their final, must-win Premier League game, Grealish’s fourth campaign came to an end.
Grealish’s time is running out, given City’s interest in playmaker Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders’ signing.
Both parties have acknowledged that it is time to step down, and the England international is likely to be left out of City’s squad for the Fifa Club World Cup in the United States later this month.
Both Grealish and the City board still respect him for his approach and popularity within the squad as well as his playmaking ability.
However, there is now consensus that this is the right time to move forward, especially given Guardiola’s declaration that he wants a smaller squad for the following term.
Grealish and Grealish are in agreement. He thinks it would be best for him to concentrate on his future and sign with a new club after a difficult season both indoors and away.
Where might Grealish go next with two more years on his contract, that raises a possibility.
The player has a choice, but he also has preferences.
Grealish prefers a permanent new home and a break from the past, as Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford did last season.
City would approve a loan, but they’d rather sell to avoid paying Grealish’s wages and recover a portion of the $100m investment. They accept that their payment for him will not be as good as it was.
Given that former clubs Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle, Everton, and former club Villa have all been linked with him, Grealish would of course be willing to stay in the Premier League.
He wants to continue playing at the highest level that Newcastle and Spurs can offer next season, ideally in the Champions League.
Grealish also said moving to the continent is possible, noting that Napoli, Barcelona, AC Milan, and AC Milan are all mentioned, though the former’s initial interest has since waned. Inter Milan and Borussia Dortmund both appear to be viable options.
JavaScript must be enabled in your browser to play this video.
Moves may be dictated by financial constraints.
Finances remain the main challenge, with City and Grealish on the same page regarding a departure. Compromission will be necessary.
Few clubs in the world of football would be able to match the £300,000 earned by Grealish per week at City.
The two Premier League clubs that could potentially sign the 29-year-old are undoubtedly Manchester United and Liverpool, but neither one of them are interested in him.
Could there be a financial agreement between Manchester City and Grealish to make way for an exit if the pair choose to stay together until 2027?
A permanent stay at the boyhood club Villa is unlikely, even if Grealish received a significant pay cut.
Since missing out on Champions League football, Villa are focused on lowering their wage bill over the summer rather than increasing it, with their wage ratio of 91% in 2024.
Despite being a former Villa fan favorite, it is still unclear whether or not he is the type of player that Unai Emery wants him to be.
Newcastle would likely be the best option in terms of wage capacity, even though they don’t have a lot of profit and sustainability rules (PSR) headroom to play with when paying a transfer fee. However, a cut would still be necessary.
Spurs have long been linked with Grealish, but the over £330 million in unpaid transfer fees that are due this summer could stymie their summer investment.
Everton would have to pay Grealish’s current wage, once more.
It would be difficult for AC Milan and Napoli to sign Grealish’s former City team-mate Kevin de Bruyne on a free transfer in order to meet his wage demands while Barcelona’s interest has waned because of their financial problems and focus on other recruitment issues.
This brings us to the loan scenario, which is probably the most likely choice for either party. This would likely result in City paying a sizable portion of his wages or paying a sizable loan amount, giving those mentioned above the opportunity to strike a deal off the rails.
Perhaps a suitor could afford to pay him a sizable sign-on fee in exchange for a drop in his wages if City decided to take a significant hit on the £100m they paid for Grealish four years ago.
Saudi Arabia may be the only option if Grealish wants to keep or even raise his current salary.
Freddy Brazier has revealed that he will undergo rehabilitation in Spain. The 20-year-old Jade Goody and Jeff Brazier’s youngest son, who is 20 years old, has been “smoking” since he was 12 years old and will seek medical care to “get clean.”
He stated on his Stories, “I’ve decided to cut down and I want to go to rehab in Marbs because I don’t want to take getting clean seriously in England.”
I’ve been smoking since I was 12 years old, and it’s time to stop. It was a poor coping mechanism that led to an addiction that I relied on to keep myself sane and somewhat okay.
A boxing gym is what I found to be a rehab facility. I’ve found someone I want to know, and I’m happy that I have a good group of friends. I also want to [get out and enjoy myself.
“I want to be clean so I can live happily, have good relationships with people, and care for my entire family,” he said, “but I also want to be clean so I can choose a side.”
He continued, “I haven’t been able to feel loved properly because I have never loved myself, and it starts now.” I want to pursue boxing, and I want to be happy, sane, and in good company with my father and Nana.
“My Nana and my father tell me a new story every day.” It is now becoming boring. Have a productive rest of the week, he said, “Mind your business.”
(Instagram/jeffbrazier)
After it became known that Freddy had moved in with his maternal grandmother Jackiey Budden after leaving his dad’s family home, concern has grown for him over the past week. Freddy and Jeff’s sweet bond, which was aired on the BBC’s Race Across the World last year, was well-known. However, it appears that Freddy’s attraction to mother Jade’s mother has deteriorated their relationship. Fans have been concerned about Freddy’s posting of photos with his gran, but he posted “all the things he hates” in his life in a single post this week.
Freddy claimed that he had “family issues” and that he disliked his “relationship with weed” and “step parents” and that he “didn’t know how to love because I’ve never felt loved.”
Just one day before Jade Goody’s birthday today, the TikTok was shared on Wednesday. The late Big Brother icon, who passed away at the age of 27, would have celebrated his 44th birthday.
Under Freddie’s post, one TikTok user wrote, “Ah man, this is gonna be sad to watch.” One person suggested, “Go home son, this is not what your mother wanted for you sweetheart,” while a third wrote, “Sending you love Fred!” Watched you in Race Across the World andamp; you have a lot of potential.
Freddy appears to be skipping Bobby’s 22nd birthday celebrations on Monday because he is also strained with his big brother. After Freddy’s absence, the party felt a sense of “sadness,” according to The Sun, where Bobby is alleged to have spent time with stepmum Kate and Jeff instead.
When his mother Jade passed away from cervical cancer in 2009, Freddy was just four years old. After enduring such a trauma, Jeff put his heart and soul into raising Freddy and Bobby and making sure they both had a stable childhood.
Sam Thompson, a Made in Chelsea star, revealed to the Mirror how difficult his 250-mile run and cycle for charity was as he nearly had to give up.
Sam Thompson has revealed just how hard his Match Ball Mission was(Image: Getty Images)
Sam Thompson has told how he bravely defied medics who told him to quit after just one day as he completed his massive Soccer Aid challenge against the odds. The star revealed to the Mirror how there were talks about him being “medically discharged” on Monday because of his debilitating injury.
He explains that “on day one, I was crying into my physio’s arms because I was so worried that I would end up being that person who carried this out and received medical treatment.” I was like “no,” even though they were discussing doing that.
At the conclusion of the first marathon, the star’s calf muscle completely ripped off. He described how his leg “completely gave up” at one point when describing the full extent of the injury.
Sam was delighted to cross the finish line(Image: Getty Images)
As he crossed the threshold with donations to UNICEF reaching a staggering £1, 516, 433.22, he admitted, “I just got into a fast hobble and that just about worked.”
Sam was delivering the soccer aid for the UNICEF match ball from Stamford Bridge in London, where it was played this year, to Old Trafford in Manchester. 261 miles total was traveled.
Continue reading the article.
He said, “I’m taking double codeine and paracetamol… I’m not going to lie, it hurts a lot,” as the Mirror led him to the nearby hotel for an ice-bath.
He claimed yesterday morning that the Prime Minister called him “inspiring” and gave him a lot of cheer.
Sam suffered a horror injury(Image: Getty Images)
I’ve seen the footage of Sam running with that injury, Sir Keir said, “I tell Sam that he is doing a fantastic job.” I pay tribute to him in full, and I applaud his actions, particularly if he has a problem. I’ll do everything in my power to help soccer, and it’s always good.
And Sam continued, “I can’t believe he knows my name. It is utterly insane. It’s amazing how many people are watching us on UNICEF and Soccer Aid as a whole. It’s just so powerful, even the Prime Minister, if he hasn’t even heard of this challenge.
As Sam crossed the line in a puddle of tears, his sister Louise, her fiance Ryan Libbey, and their son Leo were all present.
He continued, “Oh, mate, she’s just been so patient.” She and Ryan have endured this entire five days without a hitch, which is what family is all about.
He was cheered on by sister Louise(Image: Getty Images)
Of course, the main focus is on the charity, which it will always be. However, this also demonstrates how important family and friendship are. Although it sounds very corny, having a core group of friends nearby makes it possible to do anything.
Continue reading the article.
On day two of his extended bike ride, Sam experienced spells of torrential rain as well as his inner demons. He has been very open about his mental health, including a late diagnosis of autism. However, a number of well-known friends have helped him along the way.
TV hosts Josie Gibson, Chris Hughes and Jamie Laing have all supported him during the dark times. But his reunion and pep-talk with best mate Pete Wicks is especially spurring him on. He says: “I’m so blown away by people’s generosity.It’s all going to Unicef ‘s work for kids around the world. I’ve seen it firsthand and know the difference it will make.”
READ MORE: Vet tells dog owner ‘prepare for the worst’ but 89p-a-day ‘improved condition 100%’
Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan was enjoying the fruits of his highly lucrative investments in cryptocurrency by renting a posh New York townhouse for $40, 000 per month. However, his 17-bedroom Manhattan home was converted into a torture chamber, where he spent 17 days being held by kidnappers.
In an effort to break into Carturan’s Bitcoin wallet, which allegedly contained some $ 28 million worth of cryptocurrency, John Woeltz and William Duplessie, Carturan’s captors, who wanted access to his cryptocurrency accounts, used brutal tactics. They threatened him with a chainsaw, shocked him with electrical wires, and hung him from the roof of the building, among other torture measures.
They forced him to use crack cocaine when everything else failed. In the end, they failed. Carturan escaped the townhouse after more than two exhausting weeks, and Woeltz and Duplessie were later detained and charged with kidnapping and assault.
William Duplessie appears in Manhattan Criminal Court on May 30, 2025, as a preliminary indictment is being prepared to be filed. [Jefferson Siegel/Pool via Reuters]
One of the most recent “wrench attacks,” including what are known as “crypto kidnappings,” that combine high-tech cybertheft with traditional thuggery, was Carturan’s ordeal, which was one of the most recent. They have been occurring in a number of nations around the world.
Have there been any other crypto kidnapping arrests made elsewhere?
Yes . According to French prosecutors, on May 31 a top figure in France’s cryptocurrency industry was attempted to be kidnapped by 26 people.
The police’s investigation into the “attempted kidnapping by an organized gang” of Paymium’s daughter and grandson on May 13 and “other unsuccessful plans,” including a failed attempt on the same targets the day before, and another attempt on June 2 near the western city of Nantes culminated in this investigation.
In connection with the Paris attack, the Paris public prosecutor’s office reported that “eighteen people have been placed in pre-trial detention, three have requested a deferred hearing, and four have been placed under judicial supervision.” The suspects range in age from 16 to 23.
In recent months, France has been the target of numerous attacks on well-known crypto entrepreneurs. However, kidnappings involving crypto-linked activities have also taken place in other nations.
A masked gang in Paris, France, near the location where a woman’s dog was attempting to kidnap her daughter and grandson [Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters]
Where else have people been kidnapped using crypto?
In central France in January, a group of criminals abducted David Balland, cofounder of the cryptocurrency firm Ledger, and his wife in addition to the recent attempted kidnappings in Paris.
The kidnappers sent Ledger a video of the mutilation in a particularly gruesome turn of events: they cut off one of Balland’s fingers. However, the French gendarmerie released both victims within two days.
In that case, nine suspects are the subject of a criminal investigation.
The wife of Stephane Winkel, a crypto investor and influencer, was kidnapped from the couple’s Belgian residence in December 2024. After her kidnapper allegedly crashed his car during a dramatic police chase, she was saved.
High-profile kidnappings of crypto executives and traders have also occurred in Canada and Australia, where they were forced to pay ransoms worth between $40, 000 and $1 million in digital assets.
The recent spate of crypto kidnappings is not yet clear about any connection.
Describe cryptocurrency.
The very first cryptocurrency was Bitcoin, which was introduced in January 2009 and started trading. People can use alternative payment methods and central banks thanks to this type of money exchange. With hundreds of millions of users worldwide, it is now a functioning, decentralized financial system.
In 2009, a transaction involving Bitcoin, valued at $ 0.004 per Bitcoin, was made. Bitcoin’s price ended yesterday at nearly $ 101, 576 per bitcoin, or nearly $ 2.5 trillion more than it was in 2009.
Internet libertarians, who believed that money should be free from government interference, initially favored the use of the digital currency. The price has quickly increased, and it quickly gained more mainstream acceptance.
Donald Trump, president of the United States, recently announced plans to mint a number of cryptocurrencies, making them eligible for a “Crypto Strategic Reserve,” increasing their value even more.
Although cryptocurrency thefts are not new, they have always involved hacking digital accounts that have large amounts of the currency. For instance, online thieves stole $ 570 million from Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, in 2022, according to estimates.
However, as Bitcoin and other digital assets’ value rises, criminals are shifting their focus from online hacking to actual-world extortion, through kidnappings and torture.
How do criminals use cryptocurrencies to target victims of kidnappings?
Victims are not difficult to locate.
Some crypto tycoons, many of whom are young men, regularly show off their wealth on social media or at conferences to make it easier for thieves to find targets.
Despite the 2016 Kim Kardashian kidnapping incident, many people have continued to flaunt their wealth. The US reality TV star was robbed of millions of dollars worth of jewelry in her hotel room in Paris. The men, who were later caught and given prison sentences, were later referred to as the “grandpa robbers” due to their ages.
There is little to distinguish them from the fabulously wealthy like the Kardashians, despite the fact that that was not a crypto attack.
However, large crypto-asset holders who are more cautious about displaying their wealth on social media and in public have been exposed to criminal activity as a result of data breaches at cryptocurrency exchanges.
In May 2025, Coinbase Global reported that hackers had managed to extort thousands of customers’ personal information, including the addresses of almost 70, 000 of them in the previous few months, putting them at risk of being attacked or extorted.
Criminals have also bribed insiders at crypto exchanges for customer data, besides hacking crypto millionaires’ accounts for this kind of information. Then, using this information, kidnappings or home invasions can be conducted against the highest-value targets.
Why are there more and more crypto kidnappings?
Kidnapping is one method of obtaining money from a digital wallet as opposed to a traditional bank account.
Since there is no third-party financial institution to safeguard the funds held in a digital wallet, hackers simply need to gain access to a cryptocurrency account password.
Transactions on an open-ledger blockchain, the system that makes cryptocurrencies possible, are also permanent, meaning they are irreversible.
Additionally, thieves don’t need to bring the stolen cryptocurrency with them, unlike they do with cash, jewelry, and gold. Money can be moved from one account to another in just a few clicks.
Additionally, cryptocurrency is much easier to launder because it can do so without traditional law enforcement, making it a popular choice for online drug dealers.
Therefore, criminals have a greater opportunity to gain immediate access to vast wealth if they can force a victim to give up their account, leading to an increase in physical attacks and kidnappings.
Can you protect yourself from a crypto kidnapping?
Yes, that’s possible. According to a report from NBC News, at least three insurance providers that offer services to cryptocurrency investors are developing kidnap and ransom (K&, R) policies specifically for abductions.
Fear of violence was a central topic at this year’s Las Vegas Bitcoin Conference, according to Becca Rubenfeld, chief operating officer of AnchorWatch, a crypto insurance company that plans to launch K&, R protection later this year.
They are tense, Rubenfeld told NBC, “They’re]cryptocurrency holders are. “I’m not saying that because I’m trying to sell insurance,” he said, “but overall, the mood is very good for me.”
Ransom insurance and kidnapping are not typical topics for prominent corporate executives.
What other security measures do crypto investors take?
Security experts are also advising investors to avoid sharing information about their crypto holdings with friends online and to use pseudonyms and updated digital wallet addresses for each transaction.
According to European Commission Chairman Ursula von der Leyen, the United States “deeply regrets” the sanctions being applied to four judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio placed sanctions on four judges, who the US claims are “illegitimate and baseless” with regard to the US and its allies, on Thursday.
Von der Leyen responded to the news on Friday, stating that the Hague-based court possessed “full support” from the EU.
Von der Leyen stated on X on Friday that the ICC “gives victims a voice” and “the holds perpetrators of the world’s gravest crimes to account.” It must be free to take any pressure off of it.
Volker Turk, the head of the UN’s human rights divisions, described the US decision as “profoundly disturbing.”
“Attacks against judges for the performance of their judicial functions, at national or international levels, go against the principles of the US’s longstanding rule of law and equal protection of the law,” Turk said.
He continued, calling for the removal of the sanctions, adding that “these attacks are deeply corrosive of good governance and the proper administration of justice.”
The court, which represents the 27 EU member states’ national governments, was described as “a cornerstone of international justice” by Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, and stressed that its autonomy and integrity must be safeguarded.
The Commission firmly supports the @IntlCrimCourt & and its employees.
The ICC gives victims a voice and demands that those responsible for the world’s most serious crimes are held accountable.
It must be self-assured and free to act.
We will always support international law and its enforcement.
The court’s decision to launch an investigation into alleged war crimes committed by US troops in Afghanistan led to the US State Department’s release, according to the US State Department.
Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, Luz del Carmen Ibanez Carranza of Peru, Reine Alapini-Gansou of Benin, and Slovenian Beti Hohler are the four sanctioned judges.
Slovenia, a member of the EU, “rejects pressure on judicial institutions” and urged the EU to use its blocking statute.
Slovenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a post on X that “a citizen of an EU member state will propose the immediate activation of the blocking act.”
The mechanism allows Brussels to impose sanctions against European businesses that the EU considers to be unlawful. In the past, Washington has used the power to thwart trade agreements with Cuba and Iran.
Slovenia regrets the US government’s recent sanctions against 4 judges from the @IntlCrimCourt, including one from Slovenia. Courts must act in the name of the law and justice, not by pressure on judicial institutions or by influencing judicial operations. … pic. twitter.com/xhwBj8XeMz
The judges are now included in a list of people who have been specifically sanctioned by the US. Any US assets they may have will be blocked, and they will be placed on a screening service that is used by many banks around the world to make it difficult for those who have been sanctioned to hold bank accounts, open bank accounts, or transfer money.
Since Trump took office for a second term on January 20th, the US has placed restrictions on an ICC official for the first time.
Trump issued a broad executive order shortly after taking office that slapped anyone who participated in ICC investigations. Critics warned that broad language like that could obstruct the flow of justice by preventing witnesses from presenting evidence.
However, according to Trump, such measures were required by the 2024 arrest warrants issued for former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Netanyahu.
