kuna gida kuna shirye-shiryen dare, bayan sallar isha’i. Rayuwarku na cike da kalu-bale, amma aƙalla kuna tare da iyalan ku. kwatsam, ba tare da gargadi ba, mahara dauke da makamai suka mamaye kauyen ku.
Suna baku umarni da ihu har baku iya gane me suke fada.
Tsoro ya ratsa jikinku. Kuna gudu cikin duhu, zuciyar ku tana bugawa tare da fatan tsira, kuna ta addu’a. Amma duhun dare be baku abin da kuke fata ba. Yan ta’addan sun gan ku, kuma Suka fito da ku!
Daga wannan lokacin, rayuwa kamar yadda kuka sani ta canza muku gaba ɗaya.
Wannan Jigon na #BirbishinRikici ya bada labarin Huaraira da kwanakin da tayi a tsare.
KATY Perry’s new love Justin Trudeau was seen making a “subtle nod” to their new romance with his Halloween costume.
Katy, 41, and former Canadian Prime Minister Justin, 53, were first linked together in July, shortly after her split from Orlando Bloom, 48.
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Katy Perry is enjoying a romance with former Canadian Prime Minister Justin TrudeauCredit: Not known, clear with picture deskJustin wore this shark Halloween costume which was a ‘subtle nod’ to KatyCredit: Instagram/ @justinpjtrudeauKaty famously had sharks as backing dancers for her 2015 super bowl performanceCredit: Getty
Since then things have been heating up between the new couple, which included them being spotted kissing on her yacht earlier this month..
Now, in sweet nod to his new girlfriend, Justin paid homage to her with his Halloween costume.
Sharing an Instagram post of his spooky outfit, he was dressed as a shark while his son Hadrien, 11, as a wounded surfer.
He wrote: “Ready for Halloween with Hadrien!”
Justin added: “We built the costume together – a little father-son Halloween teamwork.”
What was great about the costume is that it is a sweet nod to Katy’s Super Bowl halftime performance in 2015, when the backup dancers became a meme in their shark outfits.
GOING PUBLIC
Justin’s Halloween costume comes just days after he seen out in public with Katy for the first time – as they left a strip club.
The pair stepped out together in Paris last weekend for the singer’s birthday
On Saturday, they looked smitten with each other and in struggled to keep their eyes off each other.
The birthday girl was seen adoringly glancing over at Justin while the exited the venue, while carrying red roses in her hands.
In a video from the moment the pair were snapped, paparazzi serenaded Katy as they crooned “Happy Birthday” to celebrate her 41st birthday.
Earlier this month, Katy, who has been on her Lifetimes world tour, took to the stage in London when she broke her silence on the romance rumours with Justin.
Addressing the crowd, the pop star said: “London, England, you’re like this on a Monday night after a whole day at work and a whole day at school?
“No wonder I fall for Englishmen all the time… but not anymore.”
The quip came days after photos emerged of Katy and Justin kissing aboard her 78ft yacht, the Caravelle, off the coast of Santa Barbara, California.
In the snaps, a shirtless Trudeau could be seen with his hand on the star’s bottom as the two shared a private moment.
Sources told The Sun the pair have been secretly dating since the start of the summer.
“They haven’t been able to spend a lot of time together as she’s on tour, but they’re constantly in contact — always FaceTiming and messaging each other,” an insider said.
Justin revealed he made the costume with his sonCredit: Instagram/ @justinpjtrudeau
BUDDING ROMANCE
The Sun revealed earlier this month that the pair are “constantly in contact” after they went public with their romance.
Relationship rumours began to swirl in July after singer Katy and Justin were seen dining together at the swanky Le Violon restaurant in Montreal, Canada.
It came a month after Katy announced she had split from Brit actor Orlando.
At the time, neither Katy nor Justin commented on the romance claims.
Our source said: “He’s a bit of a geek and can’t believe someone as famous and glamorous as Katy is interested in him, whereas she’s flattered such a respected politician wants to date her.”
Katy and Trudeau were pictured on her yacht, the 78ft Caravelle, off Santa Barbara in California, last month.
Nov. 1 (UPI) — At least nine people died and more than 25 were injured in a stampede at a private Hindu temple in India’s southern state of Andhra Pradesh on Saturday morning.
The stampede happened when around 25,000 worshippers crowded into Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in the Srikakulam district on Ekadashi, a sacred holiday. On Saturday, there are usually 3,000 parishioners, the Times of India reported.
The deceased included eight women and one boy, and two of the injured were in critical condition.
“The heavy rush of devotees led to overcrowding, resulting in injuries to many devotees, who were immediately rushed to nearby hospitals,” an official said, according to Xinhua.
Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has ordered an investigation into what happened at the 12-acre temple.
Organizers failed to inform the police in advance, which prevented adequate security, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said, according to News 18, a network co-owned by CNN.
The government will pay $2,500 to the families of the deceased and $563 to those of the injured, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said while noting that he was “pained by the stampede.”
Ekadashi means 11 in English and corresponds to the 11th day of every fortnight in the Hindu Lunar Calendar. During the holiday, devotees fast and offer prayers to Lord Vishnu.
On April 30, seven people died and six were injured when a newly constructed rain-soaked wall at Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy at Simhachalam temple in Visakhapatnam collapsed.
On Jan. 6, six people were killed and others injured in a stampede in Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh at a counter to distribute tickets for a special event at Lord Venkateswara temple at Tirumala.
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
The U.S. Navy is continuing to build up its forces in the Caribbean amid reported claims that an attack on Venezuela could be imminent. The Ticonderoga class guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg is now in the region, a U.S. Navy official told The War Zone. The Gettysburg adds to a current force of eight other warships deployed as part of enhanced counter-narcotics operations also aimed at Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. In addition, as we have previously reported, the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group has also been ordered to the region, but is not expected to arrive for at least another week.
The Gettysburg is the second cruiser to take part in the operation, joining the USS Lake Erie. The vessels in this class bring a great deal of additional firepower and other capabilities to the flotilla now arrayed in the Caribbean. You can read more about the status of America’s dwindling fleet of cruisers here.
News about the Gettysburg deployed to the Caribbean comes as the Miami Herald on Friday reported that U.S. strikes on targets inside Venezuela “could come at any moment.”
“Sources told the Herald that the targets — which could be struck by air in a matter of days or even hours — also aim to decapitate the cartel’s hierarchy,” the publication reported. The outlet added that it is unclear if that means taking out Maduro. The Venezuelan leader was indicted in a New York federal court in 2020, during the first Trump presidency. He and 14 others, including several close allies, were hit with federal charges of narco-terrorism and conspiracy with the Colombian FARC insurgent group to import cocaine. There is now a $50 million bounty for his arrest.
Department of Justice
The Herald story follows reporting on Thursday by the Wall Street Journalthat the Trump administration “has identified targets in Venezuela that include military facilities used to smuggle drugs.”
While the Journal says that President Donald Trump hasn’t made a final decision yet on ordering strikes against land targets, anonymous officials told thepaper that “a potential air campaign would focus on targets that sit at the nexus of the drug gangs and the Maduro regime.”
The potential targets under consideration “include ports and airports controlled by the military that are allegedly used to traffic drugs, including naval facilities and airstrips, according to one of the officials,” the publication added.
The Trump administration has identified targets in Venezuela that include military facilities used to smuggle drugs, according to U.S. officials, if Trump decides to move forward with airstrikes https://t.co/CBWbPqIf9Q
The president replied “no” when asked by reporters on Friday aboard Air Force One if it was true he is weighing whether to attack military sites in Venezuela. He said “no” again when asked if he had decided on the matter.
A White House spokesperson further pushed back on any assertion that an attack was imminent.
“Unnamed sources don’t know what they’re talking about,” Anna Kelly, a White House spokesperson, told The War Zone. “Any announcements regarding Venezuela policy would come directly from the president.” Kelly did not answer our questions about when that decision might take place or what targets, if any, have been identified.
A U.S. official we spoke with on Friday morning was not aware of any imminent plans to attack Venezuela.
“While it does not appear that such an attack would take place in the coming hours, the U.S. military will be ready to execute at the POTUS’ direction,” said the official. “We are poised to execute any orders given to us.”
While Trump has stated that he is eyeing land strikes on drug targets in Venezuela, so far, attacks have been limited to what the Pentagon asserts are drug smuggling boats. Several strikes have resulted in multiple deaths of suspected drug smugglers.
Earlier today, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out a lethal kinetic strike on yet another narco-trafficking vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO) in the Eastern Pacific.
Regardless of the timing of a large-scale attack, U.S. Navy vessels appear to be sailing closer to Venezuela. Satellite imagery shows that the Wasp class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima and an unidentified Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer have come closer than 125 miles from La Orchila, one of Venezuela’s outlying islands. The U.S. Navy official we spoke with declined to confirm the specific location of the Iwo Jima or any other vessels.
In another potential sign of future operations, the U.S. just closed airspace off the Puerto Rican coast, designating it “National Defense Airspace.” Pilots not adhering to the notice to airmen (NOTAM) are subject to being intercepted, detained and having criminal charges levied against them.
The NOTAM is adjacent to José Aponte de la Torre Airport, home to a significant deployment of forces, including F-35s. You can read more about the airport’s role in the ongoing operations in our story here.
This appears to be a ‘corridor TFR’ supporting military operations operating out of Puerto Rico into the Caribbean and back.
These are typically used when there is a high amount of traffic expected. https://t.co/7oZadNszc7
Meanwhile, as the U.S. continues to build up forces in the region, the Pentagon is assessing what, if any, resources will be deployed to provide humanitarian relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Melissa. The storm was a Category 5 hurricane when it slammed into Jamaica and Haiti, causing tremendous destruction.
U.S. Southern Command on Friday announced that Joint Task Force-Bravo deployed to Kingston, Jamaica, “on a mission to provide humanitarian and disaster relief assistance following Hurricane Melissa,” the command said in a statement.
“Three CH-47 Chinooks from the 1st Battalion, 228 Aviation Regiment, carried 40 service members and supplies as part of the initial effort to provide immediate, lifesaving and humanitarian support,” the statement continued. “The advance team will set up operations in Kingston to prepare for the arrival of additional personnel and equipment via three UH-60 and two HH-60 Blackhawks. Upon arrival, they will provide ongoing U.S. disaster relief assistance missions requested by the government of Jamaica.”
“Historically, U.S. military capabilities are needed most in the critical early stages of a disaster relief operation, when fewer resources, capabilities and disaster-response experts are available to help victims and impacted communities,” SOUTHCOM added.
The ships and troops of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Readiness Group (ARG)/22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), already in the region as part of the counter-narcotics mission, could also potentially be deployed for relief efforts. In addition to more than 4,000 Marines and sailors, the ships in the ARG/MEU have Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) hovercraft, CH-53, UH-1 and MH-60 helicopters, MV-22 Osprey tilt rotor aircraft and AV-8B Harrier II attack jets that could be beneficial in any crisis response.
A landing craft, air cushion (LCAC), assigned to Assault Craft Unit 4, departs from the well deck of the Wasp class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) while underway in the Caribbean Sea, Oct. 15, 2025. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Andrew Eggert) Seaman Andrew Eggert
While these units have responded to post-storm relief efforts in the region in the past, no tasking has yet been made for Melissa, the official told us.
“It is too early to say if the 22nd MEU will be deployed for any humanitarian relief efforts,” the official posited.
Regardless, assigning assets for relief efforts will not affect the counter-narcotics operation, SOUTHCOM said.
“SOUTHCOM is mission-ready to support both missions as required,” Army Col. Emanuel Ortiz, a SOUTHCOM spokesman, told us.
While it is publicly unknown what Trump’s plans are concerning Venezuela or Maduro, the addition of the Gettysburg is one more asset the president can call on should he decide to attack.
Update: 2:43 PM Eastern –
The Navy provided us with a comment about what the Gettysburg will bring to the table.
“As a Ticonderoga class cruiser, the USS Gettysburg (CG 70) brings a versatile suite of capabilities to support naval operations. These cruisers are designed as multi-mission surface combatants, capable of contributing significantly to Air Warfare (AW), Undersea Warfare (USW), Naval Surface Fire Support (NSFS), and Surface Warfare (SUW) efforts.
The Gettysburg can effectively support carrier strike groups, amphibious forces, or operate independently as a flagship of surface action groups. Equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles, the vessel provides long-range strike warfare options. Furthermore, some Aegis cruisers, including the Gettysburg, have been upgraded with Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) capabilities. Advances in Standard Missile technology, coupled with the Aegis combat system, enhance the anti-air warfare capabilities of Ticonderoga class cruisers, providing precision accuracy across a wide range of altitudes. During its deployment to the Caribbean, the USS Gettysburg could leverage these capabilities in support of the U.S. Southern Command mission, Department of War-directed operations, and the president’s priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect the homeland.”
Update 3:55 PM Eastern –
The military on the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago, located less than 10 miles from the Venezuelan coast, has boosted its readiness status, a local newspaper reported.
“The Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (TTDF) has been placed on high alert, with all soldiers and Coast Guard officers ordered to report to their respective bases by this evening,” The Express newspaper reported. “A memo circulated to members yesterday stated that the TTDF has been moved to State One Alert Level—the highest level of operational readiness.”
The War Zone cannot independently confirm that claim.
Tensions between the two nations have soared over Trinidad and Tobago’s support for the U.S. That includes a recent visit by the Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer USS Gravely. A U.S. Navy official confirmed to us that the Gravely left that nation yesterday after a port call for joint military training.
It also appears that the MV Ocean Trader – a roll-on/roll-off cargo ship modified to carry special operators and their gear – has left Puerto Rico for an unknown destination. Navy officials and U.S. Special Operations Command have declined to comment on this vessel. The ship, which TWZ first reported on back in 2016, has been something of a ghost since entering service, popping up in hot spots around the globe.
The Ocean Trader has been spotted several times in various parts of the Caribbean in the past few weeks.
MV Ocean Trader, chartered by the Military Sealift Command for the U.S. Special Operations Command that supports Special Operations Forces as a mothership leaving Ponce, Puerto Rico – October 31, 2025 SRC: TW-@MichaelBonet8pic.twitter.com/80HocPjWZL
Deluxe prints and special guests await at November’s best screenings in Los Angeles, including masterpieces by Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Ridley Scott.
The Israeli military’s top lawyer, Major-General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, has resigned after admitting to leaking footage showing the gang rape of a prisoner at the Sde Temain prison facility in August last year.
The video of the rape had originally been leaked to the press in early August in the midst of a right-wing backlash following the arrest of a number of soldiers for the rape of a Palestinian prisoner.
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In her resignation statement on Friday, Tomer-Yerushalmi blamed pressure from the right-wing on her rape investigation for her decision to leak the footage, claiming that she was countering “false propaganda directed against the military law enforcement authorities”.
In the leaked footage, soldiers can be seen grabbing and leading away a blindfolded Palestinian prisoner before surrounding him with riot shields to obscure the rape.
“For 15 minutes, the accused kicked the detainee, stomped on him, stood on his body, hit him and pushed him all over his body, including with clubs, dragged his body along the ground, and used a taser gun on him, including on his head,” the original indictment stated.
According to medical information obtained by the Israeli daily Haaretz, the victim suffered a ruptured bowel, severe anal and lung injuries, and broken ribs as a result of the assault. He later required surgery.
What happened to the soldiers?
At least nine soldiers were detained in connection with the man’s rape. All but five were released relatively quickly.
In February, the remaining soldiers were indicted for “severely abusing” the detainee, but not raping him. The trial is ongoing.
A United Nations commission, reviewing the change of indictment and other instances of Israel’s use of sexual and gender-based violence, determined that the decision to downgrade the indictments, despite the evidence, “will inevitably result in a more lenient punishment” if there is a conviction.
Why weren’t Israeli politicians calling for accountability?
Because they determined that doing so was somehow unpatriotic.
A number of Israel’s far-right politicians, including Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, were among those who stormed the Sde Teiman prison in protest at the arrest of the soldiers for rape.
Israel’s hard-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir appeared to address Tomer-Yerushalmi directly in July 2024, writing in Hebrew, “The Military Advocate General, take your hands off the reservists!” he said, referring to the soldiers accused of rape.
Ben-Gvir’s fellow traveller on the far-right, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, was equally active on social media at the time, writing that the alleged rapists should be treated like “heroes, not villains”.
Israeli minister of National Security and far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir called upon Major-General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi to halt her investigation into the soldiers accused of rape ([Ahmad Gharabli/AFP]
Returning to social media during the furore following the rape, Smotrich chose to ignore the credible accusations of rape and instead called for “an immediate criminal investigation to locate the leakers of the trending video that was intended to harm the reservists and that caused tremendous damage to Israel in the world, and to exhaust the full severity of the law against them”.
How have the critics reacted to Tomer-Yerushalmi’s resignation?
Many of the loudest voices in defending the alleged rapists were equally vocal in welcoming the resignation of the woman responsible for sharing evidence of that rape.
Writing on social media hours after Tomer-Yerushalmi’s resignation, Smotrich accused her and much of Israel’s judicial system of rank corruption, as well as launching what he called an “anti-Semitic blood libel” against their military.
Ben-Gvir was no less critical of Israel’s judicial system in the leaking of the footage, writing: “All those involved in the affair must be held accountable.”
Both ministers are active supporters of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ongoing attempts to weaken the judiciary and reduce its political oversight.
Have other crimes been committed at Sde Teiman against Palestinians?
At least 135 of the mutilated bodies returned to Palestinian officials in Gaza by Israel last week as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal, had been held at Sde Teiman, documents that accompanied each corpse showed.
Several of the bodies had been left with blindfolds on, and some had their hands still tied behind their back. One had a rope around its neck.
The same UN report that examined the reduced indictment against the soldiers also noted that detainees at Sde Teiman – including children – were regularly shackled, forced into stress positions, denied toilets and showers and beaten.
Some were subjected to sexual violence, including the insertion of objects, electric shocks and rape.
Tanzania’s ruling Party of the Revolution (CCM) has dominated the country’s politics ever since its independence over 60 years ago. Incumbent President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Africa’s first female head of state, is widely expected to cruise to victory on October 29th.
In January 2025 CCM confirmed Hassan as its presidential candidate. In practice, the race is uncompetitive: Hassan’s two main competitors have been barred from standing. Tundu Lissu, charismatic opposition leader and 2015/2020 candidate of the opposition Chadema party, as well as Luhaga Mpina of ACT-Wazalendo, were both disqualified. With Hassan all but certain to win, 16 minor-party candidates who barely campaigned will fill the remainder of the ballot.
Vice-President under the late John Magufuli, Hassan reversed some of his hardline measures early on, by reopening political space and rejoining international vaccine efforts. She focused on completing mega infrastructure projects (such as roads, railways, and power) and has generally been credited with steady economic growth. Even with this, what remains undeniable is that her administration has returned Tanzania to an authoritarian style of government later in her term.
The Election Campaign Environment & Democratic Integrity
The campaign season took place under very tight restrictions and accusations of bias, with Chadema and ACT-Wazalendo effectively excluded, CCM ran largely unopposed nationally. State authorities reportedly attacked critics and journalists, by giving pro-CCM coverage nearly 24/7 while enforcing regulations to silence dissent.
For example, internet and social media were also tightly controlled: in the week before the vote Tanzania effectively banned “X” (formerly Twitter) for ordinary users, and on election day a nationwide internet blackout was reported.
For many Tanzanians and international observervers the process couldn’t be seen as anything but undemocratic. State security forces were omnipresent at rallies and polling stations; any public protests were swiftly banned. When small crowds gathered outside campaign events they were dispersed with force, and police warned that posting “inciting” political content online could lead to arrest.
Key Challenges and Threats
The election day triggered unrest in several major cities. Hundreds of young protesters took to the streets sometimes clashing violently with police. In Dar es Salaam and Mwanza demonstrators set buses and police posts on fire and security forces responded with tear gas and gunfire. Human-rights monitors reported that at least five civilians were killed (with some reports saying up to ten).
With dozens of unexplained disappearances of opposition figures and journalists in recent years, Hassan’s administration ordered an investigation into alleged abductions last year, but no official results were released. Prominent Chadema members remain on trial for “treason,” and several smaller opposition candidates were arrested in the final days just before the election. Combining these practices with the low turnout in urban areas especially among youth, suggests further loss of faith in the Tanzanian political system. All together, these threats mean that even a smooth tally would not resolve underlying tensions.
Regional & International Outlook
Regional bodies, such as observers from the African Union, the East African Community (EAC), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) were present during the vote. The AU dispatched a 72-member mission led by former Botswana President Masisi and Nigeria’s ex-foreign minister Onyeama. In practice these delegations will issue preliminary statements after the vote and full reports in the coming weeks.
However, international reactions have been mixed. Most western observers have voiced sharp criticism: a statement by European Parliament members called Tanzania’s election “neither free nor fair,” and urged its global partners to defend democracy. While the U.S. and EU members’ embassies had previously expressed concern about the campaign environment, neither imposed sanctions.
By contrast, major developing powers have maintained a low profile. China and Russia, both deeply engaged economically in Tanzanian infrastructure and mining projects, have largely stuck to their policy of non-interference.
Signing a $1.4 billion deal with China for railway work and a $1.2 billion uranium mining agreement with a Russian firm this year, neither Beijing nor Moscow publicly commented on the vote, focusing instead on stable relations and continued investment. African neighbors similarly avoided direct criticism; the emphasis has been on observing procedure rather than questioning the outcome.
Future Scenarios & Implications
In the short term, this will bring continuity of policy: infrastructure projects under construction can proceed, and Tanzania’s economy, is likely to keep growing moderately, especially by investment from China and Russia, which see Tanzania as a strategic hub.. By sidelining credible opposition, the government sacrifices long-term political accountability and invites heavier criticism from human-rights NGOs.
Meanwhile, some youth activists have threatened further protests, declaring that Tanzanians are shifting into active citizens. Should street violence or international pressure grow, the election’s aftermath will set the tone for Tanzania’s next chapter. A smoothly managed outcome could cement CCM rule for years, but if the polls are viewed as a coerced victory it may instead erode trust in government and fuel future crises. Tanzania’s 2025 election shows how fragile stability without competition is. Unless the political space reopens, the country risks trading short-term order for long-term disillusionment.
Gogglebox favourites Jenny and Lee took to Instagram to share a Halloween prank
Gogglebox favourites Jenny and Lee took to Instagram to share a Halloween prank (Image: Channel 4)
Gogglebox fans were all quick to say the same thing as Jenny Newby and Lee Riley shared a Halloween prank.
Taking to Instagram on Friday 31 October, Jenny and Lee posted a hilarious video to their account, which boasts an impressive 873K followers, which was also shared on Gogglebox’s page.
In the clip, it sees Jenny with a white blanket over her head pretending to be a ghost while she wears her glasses on top of the costume.
Instructing Jenny in the video, Lee says: “I don’t know… why you’ve got your glasses on that?” to which Jenny replies: “Cos I can’t see without them!”
A giggling Lee then hands Jenny a jar of sweets, insisting: “Here, now there’s the goodies… right? I’ll take the lid off, right, just wait for the kids to come and shout ‘here’s your sweets, trick or treat! Trick or treat!'”
To which the two repeat ‘trick or treat’ and ‘here’s your sweets’ before Lee hilariously declares: “You just keep doing that… I’m off in now. You’ve only got a couple of hours to wait.”
However, Jenny is quick to insist: “I ain’t standing here like this! Where are you?” as she attempts to reach out and go back indoors while still wearing the costume.
As Jenny attempts to find the door, Lee can be heard hysterically laughing in the background as he adds: “Happy Halloween everybody!”
Responding in the comments, the duo’s 873K followers were all quick to say the same thing.
One person said: “You two” with laughing emojis, a different account put: “I love these two, very natural!”, another wrote: “These two” with laughing emojis while a different account added: “Love you two.”
Elsewhere, another fan put: “You two crack me up” with laughing emojis while another account wrote: “Jenny is hilarious without even trying to be funny. Her innocence makes her hilarious”.
A different follower commented: “You two are the best can’t stop laughing at Jenny’s glasses” while another added: “Love’s these 2 so much hilarious.”
Jenny and Lee have been Gogglebox staples since 2014, where they joined during series four.
They weren’t the only Gogglebox duo sharing Halloween videos as Annie and Ronnie also shared a fun video too.
Gogglebox continues on Friday nights at 9pm on Channel 4.
It has been two weeks since world leaders gathered in Sharm el-Sheikh and declared, once again, that the path to peace in the Middle East had been found. As with previous such declarations, the Palestinians, the people who must live that peace, were left out.
Today, Israel holds the fragile ceasefire hostage while the world is fixated on the search for the remaining bodies of its dead captives. There is no talk of the Palestinian right to search for and honour their own dead, to mourn publicly the loss.
The idea of reconstruction is dangled before the residents of Gaza. Those who call for it from abroad seem to envision just clearing rubble, pouring concrete, and rehabilitating infrastructure. There is no talk of rebuilding people – restoring their institutions, dignity, and sense of belonging.
But this is what Palestinians need. True reconstruction must focus on the people of Gaza and it must begin not with cement but with the restoration of classrooms and learning. It must begin with young people who have survived the unthinkable and still dare to dream. Without them – without Palestinian educators and students at the centre – no rebuilding effort can endure.
Reconstruction without exclusion
The plans for governance and reconstruction of Gaza currently circulating are excluding those Palestinians most affected by the genocide. Many aspects of these plans are designed to control rather than empower – to install new overseers instead of nurturing local leadership. They prioritise Israel’s security over Palestinian wellbeing and self-determination.
We have seen what such exclusion leads to in the Palestinian context: dependency, frustration and despair. As scholars who have worked for years alongside Palestinian academics and students, we have also seen the central role education plays in Palestinian society.
That is why we believe that reconstruction has to start with education, including higher education. And that process has to include and be led by the Palestinians themselves. Palestinian educators, academics and students have already demonstrated they have the strength to persevere and rebuild.
Gaza’s universities, for example, have been models of resilience. Even as their campuses were razed to the ground, professors and scholars continued to teach and research in makeshift shelters, tents, and public squares – sustaining international partnerships and giving purpose to the most vital part of society: young people.
In Gaza, universities are not only places of study; they are sanctuaries of thought, compassion, solidarity and continuity – the fragile infrastructure of imagination.
Without them, who will train the doctors, nurses, teachers, architects, lawyers, and engineers that Gaza needs? Who will provide safe spaces for dialogue, reflection, and decision-making – the foundations of any functioning society?
We know that there can be no viable future for Palestinians without strong educational and cultural institutions that rebuild confidence, restore dignity and sustain hope.
Solidarity, not paternalism
Over the past two years, something remarkable has happened. University campuses across the world – from the United States to South Africa, from Europe to Latin America – have become sites of moral awakening. Students and professors have stood together against the genocide in Gaza, demanding an end to the war and calling for justice and accountability. Their sit-ins, vigils and encampments have reminded us that universities are not only places of learning but crucibles of conscience.
This global uprising within education was not merely symbolic; it was a reassertion of what scholarship is about. When students risk disciplinary action to defend life and dignity, they remind us that knowledge divorced from humanity is meaningless.
The solidarity they have demonstrated must set the tone for how institutions of higher education approach engagement with and the rebuilding of Gaza’s universities.
The world’s universities must listen, collaborate and commit for the long term. They can build partnerships with Gaza’s institutions, share expertise, support research and help reconstruct the intellectual infrastructure of a society. Fellowships, joint projects, remote teaching and open digital resources are small steps that can make a vast difference.
Initiatives like those of Friends of Palestinian Universities (formally Fobzu), the University of Glasgow and HBKU’s summits, and the Qatar Foundation’s Education Above All already show what sustained cooperation can achieve. Now that spirit of solidarity must expand – grounded in respect and dignity and guided by Palestinian leaders.
The global academic community has a moral duty to stand with Gaza, but solidarity must not slide into paternalism. Reconstruction should not be a charitable gesture; it should be an act of justice.
The Palestinian higher education sector does not need a Western blueprint or a consultant’s template. It needs partnerships that listen and respond, that build capacity on Palestinian terms. It needs trusted relationships for the long term.
Research that saves lives
Reconstruction is never just technical; it is moral. A new political ecology must grow from within Gaza itself, shaped by experience rather than imported models. The slow, generational work of education is the only path that can lead out from the endless cycles of destruction.
The challenges ahead demand scientific, medical and legal ingenuity. For example, asbestos from destroyed buildings now contaminates Gaza’s air, threatening an epidemic of lung cancer. That danger alone requires urgent research collaboration and knowledge-sharing. It needs time to think and consider, conferences, meetings, exchanges of scholarships – the lifeblood of normal scholarly activity.
Then there is the chaos of property ownership and inheritance in a place that has been bulldozed by a genocidal army. Lawyers and social scientists will be needed to address this crisis and restore ownership, resolve disputes and document destruction for future justice.
There are also the myriad war crimes perpetrated against the Palestinian people. Forensic archaeologists, linguists, psychologists and journalists will help people process grief, preserve memory and articulate loss in their own words.
Every discipline has a role to play. Education ties them together, transforming knowledge into survival – and survival into hope.
Preserving memory
As Gaza tries to move on from the genocide, it must also have space to mourn and preserve memory, for peace without truth becomes amnesia. There can be no renewal without grief, no reconciliation without naming loss.
Every ruined home, every vanished family deserves to be documented, acknowledged and remembered as part of Gaza’s history, not erased in the name of expedience. Through this difficult process, new methodologies of care will inevitably come into being. The acts of remembering are a cornerstone of justice.
Education can help here, too – through literature, art, history, and faith – by giving form to sorrow and turning it into the soil from which resilience grows. Here, the fragile and devasted landscape of Gaza, the more-than-human-world can also be healed through education, and only then we will have on the land once again, “all that makes life worth living”, to use a verse from Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish.
Rebuilding Gaza will, of course, require cranes and engineers. But more than that, it will require teachers, students and scholars who know how to learn and how to practise skilfully. The work of peace begins not with cement mixers but with curiosity, compassion and courage.
Even amid the rubble, and the ashlaa’, the strewn body parts of the staff and students we have lost to the violence, Gaza’s universities remain alive. They are the keepers of its memory and the makers of its future – the proof that learning itself is an act of resistance, and that education is and must remain the first step towards sustainable peace.
The views expressed in this article are the authors’ own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.
Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has been declared the winner of the country’s presidential elections amid deadly unrest which the opposition say has left hundreds of protesters dead.
HALLOWEEN season is in full swing with partygoers across the country dressing up in their scariest get-ups this weekend to enjoy the most terrifying time of the year.
However, it’s also an opportunity for people to wear their sexiest, raciest outfits as they brave the Autumn chill in next-to-nothing ensembles.
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Celebrities are no different as many famous faces have donned risqué costumes over the years.
Let’s take a look at the sexiest Halloween outfits ever from Maura Higgins as Julia Roberts’ iconic film character in Pretty Woman to Ashley Roberts as Madonna…
Maura Higgins as Pretty Woman
Maura Higgins dressed up as Julia Roberts from Pretty WomanCredit: Splash
Back in 2021, Maura channelled her sexiest Julia Roberts look from Pretty Woman.
Fans of the hit film will remember the character of Vivian Ward donning the iconic sexy white and blue dress with knee-high leather boots.
Maura wore a pretty identical dress as she showed off her tanned legs and midriff, with plenty of underboob showing.
The Love Island finalist donned a platinum blonde wig with a black hat as she went full glam with a sexy red lip.
Ashley Roberts as Madonna
Ashley Roberts wore Madonna’s iconic sexy cone leotardCredit: Instagram
The Pussycat Doll channelled another legend in the form of Madonna this week, namely from her Express Yourself performance as part of her Blond Ambition world tour in 1990.
Ashley looked as sexy as ever as she recreated Madonna’s iconic pink cone bra leotard look, which was originally designed by Jean Paul Gaultier.
She teamed it with a pair of black loose-fit trousers and the singer’s iconic high-pony with a braid wrap-around.
Ashley went for a bold make-up look with a red lip and dark eyelashes as she showed off her sexiest Halloween look yet.
Megan Barton Hanson as Disco Demon
Megan Barton Hanson exposed her body as a ‘Disco demon’Credit: annalingis/Instagram
Who would have thought anybody could make a ‘Disco Demon’ look good? Well Megan can!
She’s no stranger to showing off her stunning body in daring outfits but in 2020, she threw it all out of the water with her most risqué look ever.
Megan posed totally nude apart from a pair of towering heels and silver body paint in saucy snaps as a ‘Disco Demon’.
Her eye-popping display featured glitter and mirror shards over her chest which enhanced her cleavage.
Her boobs and stomach were painted in splashes of silver and sequins, with matching devil horns perched on her head.
Maya Jama as Jessica Rabbit
Maya Jama looked sexy as Jessica RabbitCredit: Instagram
Maya donned her sultriest look in 2020 when she dressed as Jessica Rabbit for the Celebrity Juice Halloween Special.
The ITV star wore the legendary red sequined gown which perfectly synched her waist in all of the right places as her cleavage threatened to spill out.
The presenter showed off her pins with a very high leg split as she posed seductively in snaps on Instagram.
She brought her outfit together with some suede purple gloves as she paid homage to the iconic cartoon character with a red wig and face paint.
Georgia Steel as Catwoman
Georgia Steel donned latex to be CatwomanCredit: Instagram
In 2024, Georgia embraced a Catwoman-inspired look which left us all in shock, donning a tight latex cat suit.
She showed off her toned legs and cleavage in the racy suit which she paired with matching black latex gloves and a sexy face mask.
Georgia posed in sultry snaps as she looked out into the distance in her naughty costume.
Myleene Klass as Wonder Woman
Myleene Klass dressed up as Wonder Woman last yearCredit: Instagram
Last Halloween, Myleene made sure all eyes were on her as she posed in a very sexy Wonder Woman look.
She stunned in the barely-there costume as she showed off her toned legs in the stunning fit.
The Loose Women star wandered through the woods in a video clip as she got into character of the female superhero.
Tallia Storm as Cowgirl
Tallia Storm left little to the imagination in her costumeCredit: Getty
Singer Tallia proved how much of a Beyonce fan she was when she dressed as a sexy cowgirl for the Kiss Haunted House Party last year.
She wore a blue sexy latex bra with white knickers and cut-out latex pants held up with a blue belt.
She accessorised with a red collar and cuffs, a white cowgirl hat and a pair of red boots.
Tallia brought her look together with a Renaissance sash as she posed seductively for the camera.
Alex Scott as Grace Jones
Alex Scott looked unrecognisable as Grace JonesCredit: Instagram
Strictly Come Dancing star Alex channelled icon Grace Jones from the 1986 film Vamp.
Britain’s 5,000 year old stone circle Stonehenge pictured Dec. 2018 near Amesbury. On Friday following a 10-day trial at Salisbury Crown Court, Oxford University student Niamh Lynch, Rajan Naidu and Luke Watson were acquitted on charges of causing a public nuisance. File Photo by Facundo Arrizabalaga/EPA
Oct. 31 (UPI) — Three activists with “Just Stop Oil” were acquitted Friday by a British court for spraypainting Britain’s ancient Stonehenge site.
Following a 10-day trial at Salisbury Crown Court, Oxford University student Niamh Lynch, Rajan Naidu and Luke Watson were acquitted on charges of causing a public nuisance.
Naidu, 74, and Lynch, 23, along with Watson, 36, were taken into custody last summer after spray-painting the ancient site at Stonehenge — the prehistoric megalithic structure — the color orange to protest the country’s ongoing use of fossil fuels.
Stonehenge sits in southern England roughly 88 miles southwest of the country’s capital London.
The incident took place as thousands were expected to descend on the area the next day for the summer solstice, the earliest in 228 years since 1796.
The three climate activists denied all charges in the ongoing global protest against use of fossil fuels.
They cited “reasonable excuse” in their defense under articles of free speech part of the European Convention on Human Rights.
“If individuals disagree with what our government is doing on certain matters they are entitled to protest,” stated Judge Dugdale.
Tens of thousands of people marked the first anniversary of a train station roof collapse in the Serbian city of Novi Sad, observing 16 minutes of silence for the 16 victims of the tragedy. Many blame the tragedy on government negligence and corruption.
“Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,” arguably the finest work in August Wilson’s 10-play series chronicling the African American experience in the 20th century, is set in a boarding house in Pittsburgh in 1911. The Great Migration is underway, with millions of Black Americans moving from the rural South to the industrial North and Midwest in search of opportunity and freedom.
Gregg T. Daniel, who has been making his way through Wilson’s decade-by-decade cycle at A Noise Within, has infused his revival of “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” with a sense of momentous transit. The characters who stop for a time at the boarding house owned and operated by Seth (Alex Morris) and his wife, Bertha (Veralyn Jones), understand that this is a way station, a place to collect oneself before continuing on the fraught journey to an unknown future.
Slavery didn’t end with the Civil War, as Herald Loomis (Kai A. Ealy) knows only too well. He has arrived at the boarding house with his young daughter, Zonia (Jessica Williams), in tow. For seven years, Loomis was held captive in Joe Turner’s chain gang, abducted for being Black, forced into hard labor and separated from his wife, whom he has been searching for since his release.
Loomis has a turbulent presence that casts an anxious pall over the boarding house, re-created with a background view of Pittsburgh’s bridges by scenic designer Tesshi Nakagawa. Bynum (Gerald C. Rivers), a conjure man who serves as a spiritual guide for the other residents, understands right away that Loomis is a man who has lost his song, the imprint of his soul. But Seth sees nothing but trouble from his new guest and tells Loomis he must leave by Saturday.
Kai A. Ealy and Jessica Williams in “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” at A Noise Within.
(Craig Schwartz)
The timing works out because Saturday is when Rutherford Selig (Bert Emmett), a peddler and touted people finder, is expected to return with news of the whereabouts of Loomis’ missing wife, Martha (Tori Danner). Before he can press on as a free man, Loomis needs to know what happened to his wife.
Life keeps racing ahead whether the characters are ready or not. Jeremy (Brandon Gill), a new resident who’s part of the construction team of a new bridge but would rather be exercising his considerable skill on the guitar, is being harassed by the police when off duty and exploited by a white man when on the job. He romantically takes up first with Mattie Campbell (Briana James), who comes to Bynum to see if he can mystically bring back the man that left her. But after Molly Cunningham (Nija Okoro) flirtatiously moves in and Jeremy loses his job, his amorous attention turns to her, leaving Mattie once again in the lurch, though Loomis has already noticed what a fine “full” woman she is.
Gerald C. Rivers and Brandon Gill in “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” at A Noise Within.
(Craig Schwartz)
Daniel’s production, put into sharper focus by Kate Bergh’s costumes and Karyn Lawrence’s lighting, is at its best in capturing the rhythms and rituals of daily life. The ensemble (full of A Noise Within Wilson alums) melds miraculously as the characters share meals, stories, musical ecstasy and fits of laughter. Wilson had a genius for depicting how people do and don’t get along when they haven’t much choice about the company they keep. Jones, who was so brilliant in Daniel’s production of “King Hedley II” at A Noise Within is just as luminous here as the calming force at the boardinghouse. Her Bertha is the kindly, nurturing counterweight to Seth’s badgering boisterousness, a quality Morris infuses with just enough avuncular affection.
The more time we spend with Gill’s Jeremy, Okoro’s Molly and James’ Mattie, the more we can appreciate the fine-drawn nature of their portraits. The revival has some acoustical static and moments of mumbling, but “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” grows more lifelike and absorbing with each scene.
The spiritual standoff in the play is between Ealy’s Loomis and Rivers’ Bynum, and both actors bring a muscular reality to a reckoning that can no longer be postponed. Daniel’s staging loses its grip during the more hallucinatory scenes between the characters. The natural is a good deal more theatrically convincing than the supernatural in this production. But Ealy intensely conveys the threat of Loomis’ angry-somber brooding and Rivers lets us see that the source of Bynum’s otherworldly power is his humane vision.
Bynum is a seeker as well as a seer, inseparable from the struggles of his people. He shares that living sense of heritage that Wilson, who died in 2005, made the principal subject of his art. This production of “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” seems like a gift from the other side, that mysterious, creative realm where history is spiritualized.
‘Joe Turner’s Come and Gone’
Where: A Noise Within, 3352 E Foothill Blvd., Pasadena
Democrats 66 party leader Rob Jetten reacts to the first results in the Dutch general election, in Leiden, The Netherlands, Wednesday. On Friday, a news agency declared Jetten the winner. He will likely become the next prime minister of the country. Photo by Robin Utrecht/EPA
Oct. 31 (UPI) — Rob Jetten, leader of the Dutch centrist-liberal D66 party, is likely to become the next prime minister of the Netherlands.
The election hasn’t been declared final, but analysis shows that the second-place Party for Freedom, led by Geert Wilders, can’t win. Wilders is a far-right, anti-Muslim candidate. D66 is 15,155 votes ahead of the Freedom party with 99.7% of votes counted.
Wilders complained that news analysis has decided the result so far and not the election council. “What arrogance not to wait for that,” the BBC reported. He has also claimed election tampering, posting on X: “No idea if all of this is true but it would be good if this were investigated.”
Jetten, 38, would be the youngest prime minister in Dutch history. He said Friday that the win was a “historic result for D66,” and he’s “very proud of that,” Politico reported. “At the same time, I feel a great responsibility to quickly start exploring options this week in order to form a stable and ambitious government.”
Now, he must create a coalition in the parliament then be elected by members. He will need at least three other parties to get the 76 seats needed for a coalition, the BBC said.
According to the BBC, the most obvious parties for coalition would be the conservative-liberal VVD, the left-wing Labour (PvdA)-GreenLeft alliance and the Christian Democrats. Dilan Yesilgöz, leader of the VVD, has said his party won’t work with the left.
Jetten said he wants a broad-based government from the center of Dutch politics and a coalition that represents the voters who backed other parties, BBC reported. The biggest issues in the country now are the housing shortage and asylum and migration.
Outgoing Prime Minister Dick Schoof was hand-picked by Wilders because his coalition partners wouldn’t support a far-right prime minister. Schoof predicted that it would be tough for Jetten to form a coalition. “I reckon I’ll still be prime minister at Christmas — I’d be surprised if it happened [by then],” BBC reported.
Tehran, Iran – President Masoud Pezeshkian unveiled a “Gen Z adviser” about a month ago, posing for a smiling photo with him that went viral online.
The adviser, Amirreza Ahmadi, told local media that he sees his mission as listening to the youth of Iran, “from Tehran to the borders of this country”, going so far as to share his mobile number.
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But he later blocked commenting on his social media profiles after criticism from users who claimed that Ahmadi did not “resemble” Gen Z Iranians, was using bots to boost his social media accounts, and had no established connection with youth groups or students demanding change.
The appointment appears to have been part of an effort by the moderate administration, which promised improved social freedoms and lifted sanctions during election campaigns, to connect with younger generations, who have been driving political change across Asia and globally.
Pezeshkian and his administration have struggled, though – partly as a result of indifference from many young Iranians to their overtures, and partly because many of the Iranian establishment’s more hardline factions have little interest in appeasing the youth.
Sanam Vakil, director of Chatham House’s Middle East and North Africa Programme, said the Iranian state is struggling to speak the language of a generation that grew up online and outside its ideological frame.
People in the Tajrish Bazaar after ceasefire between Iran and Israel, in Tehran, June 26, 2025 [Majid Asgaripour/WANA via Reuters]
As such, she added, its outreach “feels transactional rather than transformative and ultimately is directed to staving off unrest and protests”, while the hardline elite’s fear of losing control outweighs any concern about losing the young.
“That imbalance keeps Iran locked in a politics of repression rather than renewal. I think the system will be locked between conflicting messages, narratives, and policies,” she told Al Jazeera.
Many of the people defying aspects of state controls are Gen Z youth, who are, like most Iranians, also crushed by the deteriorating economic conditions and rampant inflation amid corruption and mismanagement.
Testing the boundaries
With Israel and its Western allies openly touting regime change in Iran since the 12-day war between them in June, authorities say they recognise that public support is needed to get the country through difficult conditions, including reinstated UN sanctions and the lingering threat of war.
This forced some officials, mostly those in the more moderate or pragmatic camps, to advocate for dialling down some controls on social freedoms.
Former President Hassan Rouhani, a moderate camp leader, last week criticised hardline lawmakers and politicians for advancing legislation opposed by an overwhelming majority of Iranians, in a likely reference to the contentious issue of mandatory hijab.
The government has said it will not enforce the law.
A video recorded in downtown Tehran went viral online this week, showing young men and women, who disregarded the dress code imposed by the theological establishment, enjoying a street music performance.
After years of musicians defying a state ban on street performances, they have become increasingly common, but still face crackdowns if they get too much attention.
At least one of the band members had their Instagram account closed by Iranian authorities, with the police posting on the account that it was shut down by judicial order due to “publishing criminal content”.
The authorities have not publicly confirmed whether the band member could face further punishment.
Hardline conservative media outlets this week reported another crackdown in Tehran.
Ticket sales for a “disco that included naked women dancing with boys” in the Pakdasht area were stopped, and legal cases were opened against organisers, according to the state-run Fars news website, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
This was in reference to an electronic music event that had been running for weeks and was selling tickets legally after obtaining the required permits from the authorities.
Dancing in public spaces, especially when done by men and women together, are prohibited and at times, punished by Iranian authorities.
Drinking alcohol remains outlawed, as well, leading to some Iranians purchasing smuggled goods or dangerous homemade products. Alcohol tainted with ethanol and other chemicals continues to claim dozens of lives each year.
But some cafes and restaurants continue to hire DJs – and at times, serve alcohol – despite the restrictions.
In mid-September, authorities permanently shut down a major restaurant located in Tehran’s Nahjol Balaghe Park because a clip showed people dancing to music inside and because alcohol was allegedly served there.
Several clothing shops and other vendors have been shut down over recent weeks after they held events where young people danced in attendance.
In mid-September, authorities also cancelled a major public concert at Tehran’s iconic Azadi Tower that was initially conceived by the government as a demonstration of national unity.
The apparent contradiction between the positions of different factions within the establishment highlights the nature of Iran – with the government not necessarily having the final say in diffferent matters, and other forces, such as the Revolutionary Guard, able to defy government policy.
Hijab laws, online freedoms
The Supreme National Security Council has ordered authorities to stop heavily enforcing the controversial hijab law, which penalises women and men with prison time, being lashed or paying fines if the state determines their attire is improper.
Iranian woman, Bahareh, rides a motorcycle without a licence in Tehran on September 8, 2025 [Majid Asgaripour/WANA via Reuters]
Iran experienced months of deadly nationwide protests in 2022 and 2023 after the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who was arrested over her hijab.
However, some so-called “morality police” vans have been seen in cities across the country, even though Pezeshkian’s government said no budget had been dedicated towards it.
Another group defying the system in Iran are women riding motorcycles, as the state still won’t issue them motorcycle licences.
The government introduced legislation to allow women to ride, but it is stuck in a parliament dominated by hardline lawmakers after a record-low turnout in elections since 2020.
More women are riding motorcycles across the country, however, with hundreds filmed recently taking part in group rides in Tehran.
Pezeshkian’s government has also failed to honour another campaign promise: lifting draconian state bans on almost all global social media and tens of thousands of websites.
The government this week blamed Israel for the continued imposition of the tough internet restrictions, claiming that the controls would have been lifted had it not been for the June war.
Azadeh Moaveni, writer and associate professor at New York University, told Al Jazeera she does not believe any faction of the state enjoys broad support from the younger generation, as they haven’t been able to offer them anything substantial.
“Pragmatists within the state are just offering their own frustration, which is of zero value, and at best pointing out, as the president has, that he won’t enforce laws that the majority of the country opposes, like the hijab law,” she said.
Moaveni said the dynamic of loosening and tightening of social freedoms by the state to manage society was no longer working, partly due to the changes taking place in society and also because of the dire economic conditions and multiple ongoing crises reshaping daily life.
A former Strictly Come Dancing contestant has said they want to return to the BBC show
Anita Rani says she was “robbed” on Strictly(Image:
BBC
)
Anita Rani, the Countryfile star and former Strictly Come Dancing contestant, has confessed she’ll “never get over” her time on the dance show. The 48 year old telly favourite took part in the BBC competition a decade ago, narrowly missing out on the final by just two weeks.
She was partnered with professional dancer Gleb Savchenko during her stint on the show, which saw The Wanted’s Jay McGuiness and his partner Aliona Vilani take home the coveted Glitterball Trophy.
Soap stars Georgia May Foote of Coronation Street and EastEnders‘ Kellie Bright were the runners-up that year. However, Anita is still convinced she was “robbed” of a place in the final alongside Aliona.
In a chat with The Sun’s TV Magazine, she revealed: “I wish I could do it again – I think they should bring back ‘the robbed’! I’ll never get over it, I should have got to the final.”
During the semi-final, Anita found herself in the dreaded dance-off against BBC presenter Katie Derham. Despite giving it her all, it was Katie and her partner Anton Du Beke who progressed to the grand finale, reports Wales Online.
Anita confessed that she used to turn down reality shows like Strictly, but has recently decided to say “yes” if the “offer arise”. Since then, she’s appeared on popular programmes such as Celebrity Gogglebox, The Chase, and Blankety Blank.
She even hinted that she’d consider joining the cast of Celebrity Traitors if the BBC decides to commission a second series. Meanwhile, Anita and her dad Bal are gearing up for their appearance on Celebrity Race Across the World.
She added: “I used to say no to other reality shows, but now I’m like: ‘If an offer arises, why not?’ The Traitors, I’m A Celeb… But I’ll tell you what me and Dad want to do next – Antiques Road Trip. Let’s put that out there!”.
Before taking part in the travel programme, Anita confessed she wanted her father to enjoy “an adventure”.
She told the BBC: “We get on, he makes me laugh and if I ever want help in making a decision, dad’s the person I call.
“Also, I want dad to have the experience. It’s about my dad having an adventure – he’s never had one before. I think we’re competitive, but I think we’re just really keen to have an amazing experience and give it our best shot.”
The Woman’s Hour presenter reveals she’s currently in a “new era” following the “confirmation” of her fresh romance with partner Alex Lavery.
This comes two years following her separation from spouse Bhupi Rehal. The former pair had been wed for 14 years before they ended their marriage.
Following their break-up, she revealed to Love Sunday Magazine: “‘Life is good, I’m in a good place. I’m focusing on myself and my own wants.
“It’s nice to be able to think about the second phase of my life. I’ve been calling it Chapter Two.”
Tens of thousands of people are converging on the northern Serbian city of Novi Sad for a commemoration of the victims of a tragedy a year ago that killed 16 people.
Regular student-led protests have gripped Serbia since the collapse of the canopy at the newly renovated railway station in the country’s second largest city on November 1, 2024, which became a symbol of entrenched corruption.
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Protesters first demanded a transparent investigation, but their calls soon escalated into demands for early elections.
Students, who called for the “largest commemorative gathering” on Saturday, and others, have been pouring into Novi Sad since Friday, arriving by car, bicycle, or on foot.
Thousands marched from Belgrade for some 100km (62 miles) and other parts of the country, including Novi Pazar, about 340km (210 miles) south of the capital. It took them 16 days to finish the march.
Residents of Novi Sad took to the streets to greet the marchers, blowing whistles and waving flags, many visibly moved.
Reporting from the city on Saturday, Al Jazeera’s Milena Veselinovic said local residents have provided marchers with food and shelter.
She added the student organisers of the event have stressed they want it to be peaceful and only about the victims, rather than the country’s politics.
Flowers are laid under the names of victims at the entrance of the Novi Sad railway station [Alkis Konstantinidis/Reuters]
‘I am looking for justice’
Dijana Hrka’s 27-year-old son was among the victims.
“What I want to know is who killed my child so I can have a little peace, so that I don’t keep going through hell,” she told Al Jazeera.
Hrka added: “I am looking for justice. I want no other mother to go through what I am going through.”
The protests over the station’s collapse have led to the resignation of the prime minister, the fall of his government and the formation of a new one. But nationalist President Aleksandar Vucic has remained defiantly in office.
Vucic regularly labelled demonstrators as foreign-funded coup plotters, while members of his SNS party pushed conspiracy theories, claiming that the train station roof collapse may have been an orchestrated attack.
But in a televised public address on Friday, Vucic made a rare gesture and apologised for saying things that, he said, he now regretted.
“This applies both to students and to protesters, as well as to others with whom I disagreed. I apologise for that,” Vucic said and called for dialogue.
Saturday’s commemorative rally at the Novi Sad railway station will start at 11:52am (10:52 GMT), the time when the tragedy occurred, with 16 minutes of silence observed for 16 victims.
Thirteen people, including former construction minister Goran Vesic, were charged in a criminal case over the collapse.
A separate anticorruption probe continues alongside a European Union-backed investigation into the possible misuse of EU funds in the project.
‘Sky high’ corruption
The government has declared Saturday a day of national mourning while the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC), Patriarch Porfirije, is to serve a mass for the victims at the Belgrade Saint Sava church.
“On this sad anniversary, we appeal to everyone … to act with restraint, to de-escalate tensions and to avoid violence,” the EU delegation in Serbia said in a statement.
Aleksandar Popov, a Serbian political analyst, told Al Jazeera that “sky-high” corruption is a major issue in the country that needs to be addressed.
“We’re not talking about tens of millions of euros, but hundreds of millions of euros spun through large infrastructure projects, perhaps billions of euros,” he said.
“This government and the president have captured all key institutions of state, like the judiciary,” he added.
The protests have remained largely peaceful, but, in mid-August, they degenerated into violence that protesters blamed on heavy-handed tactics by government loyalists and police.
Andrew was stripped of his title as a prince on Thursday
Members of a US congressional committee investigating the Jeffrey Epstein case have intensified their calls for Andrew Mountbatten Windsor to answer questions about his links to the late sex offender.
King Charles stripped his brother of his “prince” title on Thursday, following months of pressure over Andrew’s ties to Epstein. Andrew has always denied wrongdoing.
At least four Democrat members of the House Oversight Committee have since renewed their calls for Andrew to testify – although the panel is controlled by Republicans, who have not indicated they would support the move.
Congressman Suhas Subramanyam told the BBC: “If he wants to clear his name, if he wants to do right by the victims, he will come forward”.
Andrew could appear remotely, have a lawyer present and could speak to the panel privately, Subramanyam said.
“Frankly, Andrew’s name has come up many times from the victims,” he told Radio 4’s Today programme on Saturday.
“So he clearly has knowledge of what happened and we just want him to come forward and tell us what he knows.”
He added: “No matter who it is – American or not – everyone should be looked at.”
Fellow committee memberRaja Krishnamoorthi told BBC Newsnight he would be willing to formally summon Andrewwith a subpoena – although he conceded this would be difficult to enforce while he was outside of the US.
He said on Friday: “However, if Andrew wishes to come to the United States or he’s here, then he’s subject to the jurisdiction of the US Congress, and I would expect him to testify.”
He added: “At the end of the day, we want to know exactly what happened, not just to give justice to the survivors, but to prevent this from ever happening again.”
“Come clean. Come before the US Congress, voluntarily testify. Don’t wait for a subpoena. Come and testify and tell us what you know.”
Congressman Stephen Lynch also told the BBC hearing from Andrew “might be helpful in getting justice for these survivors” but said the committee would be unable to subpoena him “as the situation stands”.
Meanwhile, Liz Stein – one of Epstein’s accusers – said Andrew should “take some initiative” and help US investigators.
She told BBC Breakfast on Saturday: “A lot of us are curious as to why he’s unwilling to cooperate and be questioned about his involvement with Epstein.”
“If he has nothing to hide, then why is he hiding?”
“We know he had a longstanding friendship with Epstein and that he was in his social circle – so he may have seen things during his involvement with Epstein that he could speak to.”
Another of Epstein’s accusers, Anouska De Georgiou, likewise told Newsnight Andrew should appear before Congress, saying “it would be appropriate for him to be treated the same as anybody else would be treated”.
Getty Images
Liz Stein said Andrew should step in and help investigators
It comes after UK trade minister Chris Bryant told the BBC Andrew should go to the US to answer questions about Epstein’s crimes if invited, “just as with any ordinary member of the public”.
Meanwhile, the police watchdog said it had approached the Metropolitan Police to ask whether there are matters it should be looking into, in light of media reports about Andrew.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct said it had contacted Scotland Yard’s Directorate of Professional Standards last week – which oversees internal investigations into misconduct – and had not yet received any referrals.
Reports emerged in mid-October that Andrew sought to obtain personal information about his accuser Virginia Giuffre through his police protection in 2011. He has not commented on the allegation.
Separately, new court documents published in the US on Friday showed that Andrew wrote in an email in 2010 that it would be “good to catch up in person” with Epstein, after he was released from prison for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
The pair were then pictured together in Central Park in New York in December 2010, in a meeting that Andrew later told the BBC was to break off their friendship.
Andrew’s ties to Epstein were at the centre of Thursday’s decision, with the Palace announcement stating: “These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him.”
“Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.”
In recent weeks, pressure had increased on the monarchy to resolve the issue of Charles’s brother.
In early October, emails which re-emerged from 2011 showed Andrew in contact with Epstein months after he claimed their friendship had ended.
A posthumous memoir by Virginia Giuffre was also released – repeating allegations that, as a teenager, she was forced to have sex with Andrew on three separate occasions, claims he has always denied.
And earlier this week, the King was heckled about the matter.
Although Andrew denies the accusations, the Royal Family considers there have been “serious lapses of judgement” in his behaviour.
As well as losing his titles and honours, he was ordered to move out of his Windsor mansion – Royal Lodge – and into a property on the King’s Norfolk estate, paid for by the monarch.
The BBC understands that he will not have to move out immediately, and could move to Sandringham as late as the new year.
On Saturday, a black Land Rover with a number plate ending DOY was seen leaving Bishops Gate near Royal Lodge just before 08:00 GMT.
Only a driver was in the vehicle as it left the grounds of Windsor Great Park. Andrew has previously been pictured driving a vehicle with the same private number plate.
