Senator Remi Tinubu, the wife of President Bola Tinubu, on Monday, led the distribution of 10,000 professional kits to midwives and nurses in the South-East geopolitical zone of the country, as part of efforts to enhance healthcare delivery across Nigeria.
The event, held in Enugu State, marked the final phase of a nationwide distribution of kits to midwives under the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), a programme aimed at strengthening frontline healthcare support.
“I am delighted to be in Enugu State to officially flag off the distribution of 10,000 professional kits to midwives in the South-East states—namely Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo—with Enugu being the chief host today,” she said.
She said the kits, which include branded scrubs and pairs of crocs, are part of a broader plan to equip midwives for effective delivery.
“This event is to complement the ongoing Federal Government training exercise for 120,000 frontline health workers nationwide. I have been told that 60,470 workers have already completed their training,” she noted.
According to her, the RHI has so far procured 60,000 branded scrubs and 60,000 pairs of crocs.
“Since the initial launch in January 2025, we have distributed 50,000 scrubs and 50,000 pairs of Crocs to five geopolitical zones—namely North Central, North East, North West, South-South and the South-West.
“Today, we are in Enugu to distribute the remaining 10,000 each of the Crocs and scrubs,” she added.
She also revealed that the project has been made possible through the “generous support of an anonymous global partner, dedicated to improving health outcomes for our citizens”.
In addition to the kit distribution, Mrs Tinubu announced a grant to support women petty traders in the state. “In the spirit of today’s event, the Renewed Hope Initiative will be presenting an additional grant of ₦50 million to the First Lady of Enugu State, with the sum of ₦50,000 each to support 1,000 women petty traders in Enugu State to recapitalise their existing businesses,” she revealed.
READ ALSO: Nigeria To Reduce Maternal Mortality Rate By 20% In 2027 — FG
Mrs Tinubu further disclosed plans to launch a new health campaign on Tuesday. “Tomorrow I’ll be launching the Free-to-Shine triple elimination campaign for HIV/AIDS, Syphilis and Hepatitis here in Enugu State.
“This initiative aims to promote healthier mothers, reduce new HIV infections amongst women of reproductive age, eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS, and provide treatment to children born with HIV,” she said.
She noted that since its inception in 2023, the Renewed Hope Initiative has provided targeted interventions in agriculture, economic empowerment, education, health and social investment to uplift families across Nigeria.
“The RHI recognises that the demands of the health profession require not only skill and compassion but also the right tools and kits to encourage our midwives as they serve others.
Khan Younis, Gaza – In the ruins of his home in Khan Younis, 75-year-old Shaker Safi gently thumbs through fading photographs of his son Mohammed’s sporting career.
Medals, trophies, team huddles, and group photos of young athletes coached by Mohammed now serve as a haunting memorial to a dream destroyed by war.
On November 15, 2023, Mohammed Safi – a football coach and physical education teacher – was killed in an Israeli air strike.
He had spent years building a legacy of hope through sport, training at schools and community clubs, and transforming underdog teams into local champions.
A graduate in physical education from Al-Aqsa University, Mohammed was the head coach of Al-Amal Football Club in southern Gaza and was widely admired for his work nurturing young talent aged between six and 16.
“My son dreamt of representing Palestine internationally,” Shaker says, surrounded by remnants of his son’s accolades. “He believed sport could lift youth from despair. But war reached him before he could reach the world.”
Mohammed Safi’s father, Shaker Safi, shows an image of his deceased son holding a football trophy. Mohammed, who was a junior football coach and umpire, was killed in an Israeli air strike in November 2023 [Mohamed-Solaimane/Al Jazeera]
Now displaced, Mohammed’s wife Nermeen and their four children – 16-year-old Shaker Jr, Amir, 14, Alma, 11, and Taif, 7 – live with the painful void created by his death.
The children cling to their father’s last football and coaching notes as keepsakes.
Nermeen, an art teacher, gently wipes away Taif’s tears when she asks, “Why did they take Daddy from us?”
“He was a man of dreams, not politics,” Nermeen says. “He wanted to become an international referee. He wanted his master’s degree. Instead, he was killed for being a symbol of life and youth.”
Mohammed Safi is one of hundreds of athletes and sports professionals who have been killed or displaced since the war began.
According to the Palestinian Olympic Committee, 582 athletes have been killed since October 7, 2023, many of them national team players, coaches, and administrators.
Mohammed Safi’s wife and children are not only dealing with his death, but also displacement created by the war on Gaza [Mohamed-Solaimane/Al Jazeera]
Sports replaced by survival
For those who remain alive in Gaza, survival has replaced sporting ambition.
Yousef Abu Shawarib is a 20-year-old goalkeeper for Rafah’s premier league football club.
In May 2024, he and his family fled their home and took shelter at Khan Younis Stadium – the same field where he once played official matches.
Today, the stadium is a shelter for displaced families, its synthetic turf now lined with tents instead of players.
“This is where my coach used to brief me before games,” Yousef says, standing near what used to be the bench area, now a water distribution point. “Now I wait here for water, not for kickoff.”
His routine today involves light, irregular training inside his tent, hoping to preserve a fraction of his fitness. But his dreams of studying sports sciences in Germany and playing professionally are gone.
“Now, I only hope we have something to eat tomorrow,” he tells Al Jazeera. “The war didn’t just destroy fields – it destroyed our futures.”
When he looks at the charred stadium, he doesn’t see a temporary displacement.
“This was not collateral damage. It was systematic. It’s like they want to erase everything about us – even our games.”
Playing organised football out in the open is not a practical option in Gaza anymore. Instead, Yousef Abu Shawarib does fitness training in a tent at Khan Younis Stadium [Mohamed-Solaimane/Al Jazeera]
Hope beneath the rubble
Still, like the patches of grass that survived the blasts, some hope remains.
Shadi Abu Armanah, head coach of Palestine’s amputee football team, had devised a six-month plan to resume training.
His 25 players and five coaching staff had been building momentum before the war on Gaza. The team had competed internationally, including in a 2019 tournament in France. Before hostilities began, they were preparing for another event in November 2023 and an event in West Asia set for October 2025.
“Now, we can’t even gather,” Shadi says. “Every facility we used has been destroyed. The players have lost their homes. Most have lost loved ones. There’s nowhere safe to train – no gear, no field, nothing.”
Supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross, the team had once symbolised resilience. Training sessions were more than drills – they were lifelines. “For amputees, sport was a second chance,” Shadi says. “Now they are just trying to survive.”
Shadi himself is displaced. His home, too, was bombed. “The clubs I worked for are gone. The players are either dead or scattered. If the war ends today, we’ll still need years to bring back even a fraction of what was lost.”
He adds, “I coached across many clubs and divisions. Almost all their facilities have been reduced to rubble. It’s not just a pause – it’s erasure.”
This multi-purpose sporting venue in Khan Younis used to host basketball and volleyball games until the Israeli military demolished it by aerial bombing. In more recent times, it was repurposed as a refugee shelter, but has since been evacuated [Mohamed-Solaimane/Al Jazeera]
A systematic erasure
The scope of devastation extends beyond personal loss.
According to Asaad al-Majdalawi, vice president of the Palestinian Olympic Committee, Gaza’s entire sporting infrastructure is on the brink of collapse. At least 270 sports facilities have been damaged or destroyed: 189 completely flattened and 81 partially damaged, with initial estimates of material losses in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
“Every major component of Gaza’s sports system has been hit,” al-Majdalawi told Al Jazeera. “The Olympic Committee offices, sports federations, clubs, school and university sports programmes – even private sports facilities have been targeted. It’s a comprehensive assault.”
Among the fallen are high-profile athletes like Nagham Abu Samra, Palestine’s international karate champion; Majed Abu Maraheel, the first Palestinian to carry the Olympic flag at the 1996 Atlanta Games; Olympic football coach Hani al-Masdar; and national athletics coach Bilal Abu Sam’an. Hundreds of others remain injured or missing, complicating accurate assessments.
“This is not just loss – it’s extermination,” al-Majdalawi says. “Each athlete was a community pillar. They weren’t numbers. They were symbols of hope, unity, and perseverance. Losing them has deeply wounded the Palestinian society.”
He warns that beyond the immediate human toll, the interruption of sports activities for a year and a half will result in physical, psychological, and professional regression for remaining athletes. “You lose more than muscle and skill – you lose purpose.”
A lone grandstand remains partially intact in an otherwise completely destroyed Khan Younis football stadium. The venue, once a popular cultural and social hub of the Khan Younis sports community, has now become a shelter for thousands of internally displaced Gazans [Mohamed-Solaimane/Al Jazeera]
A global silence
Al-Majdalawi believes the international response has been alarmingly inadequate. When Gaza’s sports community reaches out to global federations, Olympic bodies, and ministers of youth and sport, they’re met with silence.
“In private, many international officials sympathise,” he says. “But at the decision-making level, Israel seems to operate above the law. There’s no accountability. It’s like sport doesn’t matter when it’s Palestinian. The global and international sports institutions appear complicit through their silence, ignoring all international laws, human rights, and the governing rules of the international sports system,” he says.
He believes that if the war ended today, it would still take five to 10 years to rebuild what has been lost. Even that gloomy timeline is based on the assumption that the blockade ends and international funding becomes available.
“We have been building this sports sector since 1994,” al-Majdalawi says. “It took us decades to accumulate knowledge, experience, and professionalism. Now, it’s all been levelled in months.”
As the war continues, the fate of Gaza’s sports sector hangs by a thread. Yet amid the ruins, fathers like Shaker Safi, athletes like Yousef, and coaches like Shadi hold on to one unyielding belief: that sport will once again be a source of hope, identity, and life for Palestinians.
Yousef Abu Shawarib, who has lived as a refugee at Khan Younis football stadium since May 2024, hopes to survive the war and once again play football on these grounds [Mohamed-Solaimane/Al Jazeera]
Vogue Williams, who is now married to Made in Chelsea’s Spencer Matthews, has spoken about her first marriage to former Westlife singer Brian McFadden on occasion
Vogue Williams spoke about her divorce from Brian McFadden on a podcast recently(Image: Getty Images)
Presenter Vogue Williams has spoken about her divorce from Brian McFadden. She’s opened up about the aftermath of their separation whilst reflecting on her growth as she approaches her milestone 40th birthday this year.
Vogue, now 39, was married to former Westlife member Brian, now 45, from 2012 to 2017, though their separation was announced two years prior. She has since spoken about her ex-husband on occasion, including having written about their marriage in her new autobiography Big Mouth.
She spoke about him again whilst a guest on a podcast in an episode released last month. Vogue told host Bryony Gordon that she thought she had “ruined” her life by getting divorced from Brian at the age of 31.
Speaking about her fortieth birthday later this year, Vogue said: “I think I’m excited about it because remember like … remember being liked 19 or 20, you think that 40 year olds were just really old and battered, but then when you actually get to it, you’re like ‘this is a really nice moment’.”
She continued on the Life of Bryony podcast: “I think in your thirties, you’re trying to figure stuff out a little bit more. Because I remember … I was divorced at 31. I was like ‘basically that’s it I’ve ruined my life. I’m never gonna have kids. I’m never gonna do what I always wanted to do’.”
Vogue Williams (right) has spoken about her divorce from Brian McFadden (left) a decade on from their separation(Image: Getty Images)
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Vogue, who now has three children with her husband Spencer Matthews, whom she married in 2018, added: “And then you see how your life actually starts to unfold, and that’s why I think it’s exciting to move into your forties.”
Elsewhere on the podcast, Vogue said that she considers herself to have been “too young” to get married to Brian, having been 26 at the time. She told Bryony that she “wasn’t mature enough” then but was “in love” with the singer.
In an interview published last month, Vogue told the Times when she thought the marriage was at risk. She said: “Maybe not long after we got married. Probably just before. I knew that it probably wasn’t the greatest of relationships, but I was very young.”
She suggested that it’s “hard to admit defeat” in any relationship and told the outlet that she found it “embarrassing” at the time. She said that it was “such a big failure” and noted that her separation from Brian was “very public”.
She is now married to Spencer Matthews, with the couple having celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary yesterday(Image: Getty Images for BAFTA)
Vogue added that she found it “mortifying” to be divorced in her early thirties and that it was far from where she had hoped that she would be at that age. She said that she had wanted to be married with kids at 30, “not divorced and single”.
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Years later though, she’s now married to former Made in Chelsea cast member Spencer, with whom she shares three children. The couple celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary yesterday after tying the knot back in 2018.
Reflecting on the milestone, Vogue wrote in a post joint post with her husband on Instagram last night: “7 years married today. 3 kids, two dogs and a whole lot of fun.”
Bruce Willis’ family have rallied around him since the Die Hard actor was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in February 2023, and his wife has now opened up about his work
Bruce Willis’ wife has written about the methods the Hollywood star used to keep acting while he was suffering from frontotemporal dementia(Image: WireImage)
Bruce Willis’ wife, Emma Heming Willis, is shedding light on how the Hollywood icon managed to continue working on set even after his health started deteriorating because of frontotemporal dementia (FTD). In her upcoming book The Unexpected Journey, which is set to be released on September 9, 2025, Emma shares intimate details about the measures that were taken to keep Bruce in front of the camera while his cognitive abilities declined.
According to reports, some of the tactics directors used included shortening his dialogue and feeding him lines via an earpiece, which was discreetly operated by a close friend on set.
These behind-the-scenes accommodations allowed the Die Hard legend to complete roles in films like Assassin (2023) and the Detective Knight trilogy (2022–2023), even though he was being increasingly impacted by FTD, which is a degenerative disease that affects cognition and speech
Bruce Willis’ wife has written about the methods the Hollywood star used to keep acting while he was suffering from frontotemporal dementia
Willis’s diagnosis was first made public in 2022 when his family announced he was suffering from a language disorder called aphasia. In February 2023, they confirmed the condition had progressed into FTD. Since then, Bruce has stepped away from acting.
Emma told fans on Instagram that she wrote her book to help other families facing similar situations. She shared: “I really wrote the book that I wish someone had handed me the day we got our diagnosis with no hope, no direction … not much. Today life looks different for me and our family because I was able to put support into place.
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“This isn’t a memoir, it’s a self-help guide for caregivers, written to hold space for our heartbreak and our healing.” During Bruce’s final years of working, directors began to alter his roles so that he would be able to make it through shooting.
In a 2020 email, Out of Death director Mike Burns asked writers to “abbreviate his [Willis’] dialogue so that there are no monologues”.
The actor’s shooting schedules were also adjusted so that his workdays were limited to four hours when possible, and he did not film for more than two consecutive days.
On set, crew members noticed that Bruce seemed confused and often struggled to remember lines or his purpose in a scene. They were particularly troubled by one moment during White Elephant, when he reportedly asked, “I know why you’re here, and I know why you’re here, but why am I here?”
Despite the challenges, some collaborators still held high opinions of his work. Paradise City director Chuck Russell praised Bruce’s efforts, saying he “brought his A-game”. But others, like White Elephant production supervisor Terri Martin, said, “He just looked so lost… He always tried his best.”
Emma has reflected on the early days of Bruce’s condition developing, sharing: “As his language started changing, it [seemed like it] was just a part of a stutter, it was just Bruce. Never in a million years would I think it would be a form of dementia for someone so young.”
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Bruce’s children have opened up about the emotional effect his diagnosis had on them, with his daughter Tallulah in particular admitting the seriousness of his situation hit home to her when she imagined her wedding day and realised her father would no longer be able to deliver a speech.
“It was devastating,” she sighed. “I left the dinner table, stepped outside, and wept in the bushes.” Despite that heart breaking realisation, Tallulah added: “There’s painful days, but there’s so much love.”
EXCLUSIVE: Love Island star Shakira Khan has spent a huge amount of clothes, beauty products and other essentials to ensure she’s villa-ready – and has opened up about her thoughts on sex in the villa
Shakira is more than ready for the villa(Image: shakirakhan16/Instagram)
Love Island’s Shakira Khan, 22, has lit up the villa as the 12th series kicks off with the usual mix of drama, romance, and jaw-dropping twists. But before the cameras start rolling, Shakira’s been busy preparing in true style – dropping over £2,000 on clothes, beauty must-haves, and other essentials to ensure she’s villa-ready from day one.
“I wasn’t messing about,” she tells us exclusively. “I’ve got three suitcases packed with everything I might need. I even bought things last year just in case.” Clearly, this isn’t Shakira’s first rodeo when it comes to being camera-ready, and she’s pulling out all the stops to make an impact. Away from the glitz and glamour, Shakira’s real-life job is as a children’s entertainer, specialising in kids’ parties dressed as Disney princesses.
Asked which princess she relates to most, she’s quick to pick Princess Jasmine: “She’s rebellious, strong, knows what she wants, and she’s adventurous – definitely Jasmine.” Her career has also seen her rubbing shoulders with some pretty high-profile clients. “I’ve hosted parties for Premier League footballers, reality stars, and other big names,” Shakira admits. “Can’t say who, though – NDAs and all that! But trust me, we’ve seen some big houses.”
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The Love Island cast are entering the villa tonight(Image: ITV)
With ITV confirming they’ll show any villa sex scenes this year, we couldn’t resist asking Shakira about her stance on intimacy in the villa. “I’ve talked to my mum and dad about it – it’s a big no-no,” she says firmly. “Personally, I wouldn’t do it anyway. Eight weeks isn’t that long for me.”
Love Island fans, get ready. Shakira’s arrival promises plenty of fun, fierce energy, and maybe a little bit of drama – but when it comes to love, she’s playing it cool.
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But playing it cool could lead to heartbreak as a new bombshell arrives in tonight’s episode. One Love Island star has already been dumped from the villa before the show even airs. Those tuning in this evening will see a cruel twist as one Islander is sent packing – just moments after arriving in the villa. It has been revealed that one girl will be sent packing this evening after the instant arrival of a bombshell.
Shakira is a children’s entertainer(Image: shakirakhan16/Instagram)
Just yesterday, it was announced that Toni – a VIP waitress who works in one of Las Vegas’ fancy hotels – would be entering the villa. Asked what she was looking for, she said she needed “someone that can make me laugh – I’m super outgoing. And someone that’s quite active. Maybe one day we could start our own family together.
“It’s time to try something new! I have some British friends and they’re pretty charming. I think all Americans love a good accent. British men are just more polite, with better manners.”
Now, her arrival will mean that one of the initial Love Island stars will be axed within hours of arriving. With filming already underway, the person has been sent packing from the villa – with it set to air this evening during the launch show.
“This girl will be sorely missed as was already proving to be a big character. The was absolutely gutted to leave. But the series has twists and turns at every stage and this isn’t the usual dumping viewers might expect after a bombshell arrives,” a source told The Sun.
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“Executive producer Mike Spencer-Hayter has promised drama for the tenth anniversary and this format point will not disappoint.”
Love Island 2025 begins tonight at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.
Average attendances in the Women’s Super League dropped by 10% last season compared with the previous campaign.
According to Deloitte’s Sports Business Group, which highlighted the drop in a report released on Monday, “this has been put down to a lack of international football drawing attention to the domestic game”.
BBC research found the 12 WSL clubs in total averaged 7,366 in 2023-24, compared with 6,662 in 2024-25 – an average decrease of 704.
Why has there been a drop?
One of the main reasons behind the fall in attendances last season was the relegation of Bristol City in 2023-24.
Despite losing all their homes games as they made an immediate return to the Championship, they were backed by an impressive home support at Ashton Gate, which they shared with the men’s team.
They had the fifth-highest average home attendance in the WSL – 6,974 – behind the big four of Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United.
A crowd of 8,749 watched their relegation-confirming loss to Manchester City, while a bumper 14,138 attendance saw a 2-0 defeat by Manchester United in November.
Bristol City were replaced in 2024-25 by top-flight newcomers Crystal Palace, who averaged 1,779 across the season – 5,195 fewer than the club they replaced.
Palace played the majority of their games at the VBS Community Stadium, which they shared with men’s National League club Sutton United.
Which clubs’ attendances decreased?
Of the 11 remaining WSL clubs, five had their average attendance drop between 2023-24 and 2024-25 – Arsenal, Aston Villa, Everton, Manchester City and Manchester United, which includes three of the top four.
Aston Villa and Manchester United had by far the biggest drop-offs, with both clubs’ attendances falling by 33%.
For Villa, the move to playing all their WSL games at Villa Park – compared with only five the season before – does not look to have paid off, though they also spent the majority of the recent campaign in a relegation battle.
Manchester United played the same number of WSL games at Old Trafford in both seasons – two – and in 2023-24 those games attracted attendances of 43,615 and 28,737. In 2024-25 it was 8,761 and 31,465, with the former in their opening game against West Ham.
However, they also had a fall in attendances at their main stadium, Leigh Sports Village, with an average of 4,562 last season compared with 5,353 the season before.
Manchester City had the next biggest decrease of 8% – despite going from one to three matches at their bigger Etihad Stadium – followed by Everton at 5.5% and Arsenal at 4%.
Arsenal, considered a success story in the league for the way they have managed to attract record numbers to Emirates Stadium, played nine of their 11 home games there last season compared with six the previous one.
Yet while they did not hit the heights of the previous campaign when they broke the WSL attendance record and had two sell-outs at the Emirates, the figures were still impressive, with five matches attracting more than 35,000.
Which clubs’ attendances increased?
Liverpool showed remarkable growth from the previous season, with their attendance increasing by 54%, boosted by holding three games at Anfield compared with one the previous year.
Building on their impressive fourth-place WSL finish in 2023-24, their average gate grew from 4,550 to 7,023 last season, with a season-high 17,484 turning out for their match with Manchester City in October.
The only other club to hit double figures for percentage growth were Tottenham, who despite finishing second from bottom last season, had their average attendance increase by 24% – from 4,317 to 5,332. They took their tally of matches at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium from two to three.
Do Lionesses affect WSL crowds?
All WSL clubs experienced a significant attendance boost in 2022-23 off the back of Euro 2022, where England lifted their first major women’s trophy in front of record crowds.
The majority of clubs also had increases in 2023-24, which followed England’s run to the Women’s World Cup final in Australia.
But, after Great Britain failed to qualify for the 2024 Olympics, last season was the first time in three years that the WSL campaign did not benefit from following an international tournament where there had been home success.
Yet it is also important to look at the competitiveness of the league. Chelsea were odds-on title favourites in 2024-25 from an early stage – after it went down to the wire in 2023-24 – which might have affected the appetite of fans from other top-four clubs, who all faced their own struggles during the campaign.
Speaking about attendances on Radio 5 Live’s Women’s Football Weekly podcast last month, WSL Football chief executive Nikki Doucet said: “I think a lot of times it depends on kick-off times. A lot of times it depends on are we in a men’s international break and how are we maximising those moments or not?
“It depends which clubs are really building that community, and some are on a further journey than others.
