acting

Ukrainian skeleton racer Heraskevych says 2006 Winter Olympics ‘acts as propoganda for Russia’ after IOC decision.

The Court ⁠of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) began hearing Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych’s appeal on Friday, with a decision expected later in the day on whether he can return to competition at ⁠the Milano Cortina Olympics after his disqualification over his “helmet of remembrance”.

The 27-year-old was removed from the Olympic programme on Thursday when the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation jury ruled that imagery on the helmet — depicting ⁠athletes killed since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 — breached rules on political neutrality at the Games.

Heraskevych is seeking reinstatement or at least a CAS-supervised run, pending a decision by sport’s highest court in advance of the final two runs set for Friday evening.

“I’m pretty positive about how it went,” he told reporters outside the office of CAS ‌in Milan following his appearance before the court. “I hope the truth will prevail, and I know that I was innocent.”

The racer said he was now getting threats from Russians and blamed the IOC’s decision for that.

“I believe that these Games now and this act of the IOC also serves as an instrument of propaganda for Russia,” Heraskevych said. “I still receive a lot of threats from the Russian side.”

The IOC, whose president, Kirsty Coventry, met Heraskevych on Thursday in a last-ditch effort to break the impasse, has ⁠allowed the athlete to keep his credentials despite his disqualification, so he can ⁠stay at the Milano Cortina Games.

“For me, sitting down with Vladyslav and his dad, the conversation was extremely respectful,” Coventry told a news conference on Friday. “After that, I asked the disciplinary commission to re-look at not pulling his accreditation, out of respect for him ⁠and his dad. I thought that was the right thing to do.”

The case has dominated headlines in the first week of the Olympics.

CAS Secretary-General Matthieu Reeb ⁠could not say exactly when they were likely to reach a ⁠decision, despite the tight schedule.

“We hope to have a final decision announced today, but it’s difficult for me to say when,” Reeb told reporters. “Obviously, we know the schedule of the competition, and it is an objective for CAS to be able to run the decision ‌before the start of the race, but we don’t know how long the hearing will take.

“We have only one arbitrator from Germany, and she will be in charge of this case. We have participants attending in ‌person, ‌like the IOC, the athlete is here, the father of the athlete is here.

“We have a representative of IBSF attending remotely. The athlete is also assisted by legal counsel speaking from Kyiv.”

Rodriguez calls for healing ‘wounds left by political confrontation’ while announcing notorious El Helicoide prison to shut down.

Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez has announced an amnesty bill that could lead to the release of hundreds of prisoners, her latest major reform since the US military abducted the country’s President Nicolas Maduro and his wife earlier this month.

“We have decided to push ahead with a general amnesty law that covers the whole period of political violence from 1999 to the present day,” Rodriguez said on Friday.

Speaking at a gathering of justices, magistrates, ministers, military officials and other government leaders, the acting president said the National Assembly would take up the amnesty bill with urgency.

“May this law serve to heal the wounds left by the political confrontation fuelled by violence and extremism,” Rodriguez said in the prerecorded televised event.

“May it serve to redirect justice in our country, and may it serve to redirect coexistence among Venezuelans,” she said.

Rodriguez also announced the shutdown of El Helicoide, a notorious secret service prison in Caracas, where torture and other human rights abuses have been documented by independent organisations.

El Helicoide, she said, will be transformed into a sports, social and cultural centre for the surrounding neighbourhoods.

Rodriguez made her announcement before officials whom former prisoners and human rights watchdogs have accused of overseeing El Helicoide and other detention facilities.

The Venezuelan-based prisoners’ rights group Foro Penal estimates that 711 people are in detention in facilities across Venezuela over their political activities. Of those, 183 have been sentenced, the group said.

Foro Penal President Alfredo Romero welcomed the planned amnesty but said it must apply to all prisoners “without discrimination”.

“A general amnesty is welcome as long as its elements and conditions include all of civil society, without discrimination, that it does not become a cloak of impunity, and that it contributes to dismantling the repressive apparatus of political persecution,” Romero wrote in a post on social media.

Foro Penal has calculated that some 302 prisoners have been released by Rodriguez’s government in the aftermath of the abduction of Maduro by the US.

The organisation later released a video clip on social media of what is said showed the moment that human rights worker Eduardo Torres was released from prison on Friday night, following his detention since May 2025.

Translation: Our colleague from @proveaong Eduardo Torres has been released from prison, human rights defender, former political prisoner.

Families and rights advocates have long demanded that charges and convictions against detainees who are considered political prisoners be dropped.

Government officials – who ⁠deny holding political prisoners and say those jailed have committed crimes – report that more than 600 people have been released from prison, but they have not been clear on the timeline and appear to be including prisoners released in previous years.

This beloved BBC series is a must-watch for fans of cosy comedy-dramas and beautiful scenery

Fans of Scottish-set programmes or simply cosy comedy-dramas shouldn’t miss this beloved BBC series that proved a massive hit throughout the 2000s.

This recommendation follows others discovering a “masterpiece” period crime drama, a show hailed as Netflix’s “finest”, and a murder mystery favourite from a “master” writer, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Monarch of the Glen debuted at the dawn of the new millennium, enchanting viewers with its warm-hearted comedy-drama format. The BBC programme chronicles young restaurateur Archie MacDonald (portrayed by Alastair Mackenzie) as he attempts to revitalise his childhood residence in the Scottish Highlands.

Archie found himself drawn back to Scotland from his hectic London restaurant career after discovering he’d inherited his family’s Highland titles and property, becoming the Laird of Glenbogle.

He subsequently made the difficult choice to abandon his metropolitan existence and begin anew whilst managing the crumbling estate, alongside its enormous debts and dealing with Glenbogle’s temperamental workforce.

Archie had the support of his partner Justine (Anna Wilson-Jones), whose decision to accompany him to Scotland meant she too relocated for their relationship. Throughout the series, viewers keenly followed Archie’s journey to determine whether he could ultimately transform the estate into a profitable venture, despite numerous challenges blocking his progress.

The series has garnered glowing praise on IMDb, with one viewer awarding it 10/10 in a review headlined “Excellent series, quirky, charming”. They wrote: “The writing is very consistently good, the characters appealing (their quirks and foibles make them even more so), and the scenery of the Scottish highlands is just lovely.”

Another highly-rated review declared: “Amazing, makes you fall in love with Scotland and its people.”

The reviewer expanded: “I love the values expressed through the show: honesty, faithfulness, character, faith, friendship, hard work, dependability, and above all forgiveness and reconciliation. I love how the themes are developed and I love the beautiful Scottish scenery.”

A third top-rated review hailed Monarch of the Glen as a “great series”, concluding: “Overall I’d give it 10/10 though for the drama/acting and of course Scottish scenery.”

Another fan declared: “The series, “Monarch of the Glen” is the best that telly has had to offer in a very long while.”

They continued: “The scenery is just as much the star of the show yet it is not used as an excuse for slack plot standards. Indeed it is part and parcel of the plot.”

The programme was loosely based on Sir Compton Mackenzie’s Highland Novels, though whilst the books were set during the 1930s and 1940s, the BBC adaptation took a more modern approach. Nevertheless, the programme takes its name from the opening novel in the series, The Monarch of the Glen, which references the renowned painting of the same title by Sir Edwin Henry Landseer.

Monarch of the Glen spanned seven series altogether and was filmed across numerous stunning locations, including the Cairngorms, Badenoch and Strathspey.

Meanwhile, Ardverikie House provided the main setting for the castle featured in the programme, with additional filming occurring around the south-east shore of Loch Laggan where the property is situated.

Alongside Mackenzie and Wilson-Jones, Monarch of the Glen boasted a stellar cast including beloved The Good Life actor Richard Briers, Emmy Award-winner Susan Hampshire, Human Traffic’s Lorraine Pilkington, Taggart’s Alexander Morton, Holby City’s Dawn Steele, fellow Holby City veteran Hamish Clark, and Downton Abbey creator-turned-performer Julian Fellowes.

Monarch of the Glen represents Fellowes’ most substantial acting role to this day, portraying Lord Kilwillie across 24 episodes.

Fellowes has previously appeared in productions such as Aristocrats, Sharpe, Our Friends in the North, and Kavanagh QC.

Monarch of the Glen is streaming on BBC iPlayer now

**For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new ** Everything Gossip ** website**

KATIE Price’s fantasist husband Lee Andrews has dropped another wild claim after describing himself as a ‘billionaire’. 

Former glamour model Katie, 47, tied the knot with “real gentleman” Lee – who claims to be a Dubai-based businessman – on Sunday. 

Since then The Sun has unmasked him as a fantasist who faked celebrity links using AI-generated photos and recently talked about marrying two other women.

Now a YouTube video has resurfaced showing Lee starring in a US short film titled Altum Ratio, in which he plays a man grieving the loss of his wife. 

During the clip Lee is heard using an unconvincing American accent while giving his best performance.

Failed actor is just another title to add to Lee’s questionable CV, after he claimed to have once worked as the Director of Philanthropy at The Prince’s Trust (now The King’s Trust).

‘IT’S NOT ME!’

Katie Price’s hubby appears on escort site for £900 – but blames ‘angry ex’

BACKTRACKING

Katie Price’s husband DELETES fake pic with Kim Kardashian

Lee also shared images – since proven to be AI – of him working with Elon Musk and Kim Kardashian.

It’s been revealed shameless Lee told former girlfriends that he had studied at Cambridge University, and has a PhD in biotechnology science.

But The Sun has seen a response from the university explaining it could not find a record of Lee being registered as a student with a date of birth they had provided.

His LinkedIn profile says Lee has been a Member of the Board of Advisors to the Labour Party since 2015.

But a Labour source said: “We don’t have a board of advisors and he doesn’t work with us.”

The King’s Trust also confirmed Lee does not hold the role of Director of Philanthropy, and it has no record of him as a volunteer, or under the moniker Weslee Andrews, which he uses online.

Today Lee deleted an AI image of US reality star Kim, 45, from his Instagram profile.

The image appeared to show her at at event for Lee’s Aura Group business – but it’s disappeared from his grid.

A source close to Kim told The Sun: “Kim doesn’t know him, the photo is faked.

“This happens to her all the time – she’s never met or worked with this man.”

Yesterday, Lee was mocked for repeating the exact same proposal on Katie – that he did for another woman just four months ago.

He popped the question to fitness fan Alana Percival in September after they met in May on a Dubai beach.

Just a few months on, Lee picked the same private tub at Dubai’s Burj Al Arab hotel to propose to Katie.

Some have also accused Lee of giving Katie the same engagement ring that he gave to his ex-wife Dina Sari Taji.

Katie Price’s relationship history

We take a look back at the highs and lows of Katie Price’s relationship history.

1996-1998: Katie got engaged to Gladiators star Warren Furman – aka Ace – with a £3,000 ring. But their relationship didn’t make it as far as ‘I do’.

1998-2000: Katie described Dane Bowers as ‘the love of her life’ but she broke up with the singer after he allegedly cheated on her.

2001: Footballer Dwight Yorke is the father of Katie’s eldest child Harvey. He has had very little to do with his son throughout his life.

2002: Rebounding from Dwight, Katie famously had one night of passion with Pop Idol star Gareth Gates, allegedly taking his virginity.

2002-2004: Katie was dating Scott Sullivan when she entered the jungle for I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!. He threatened to “punch Peter’s lights out” when chemistry blossomed between her and Peter Andre.

2004-2009: The jungle romance resulted in Katie marrying Aussie pop star Peter. They had two kids, Junior and Princess, before their bitter split in 2009.

2010-2011: Fresh from her break-up with Peter, Katie enjoyed a whirlwind relationship and marriage with cage fighter Alex Reid. They split 20 months after their Las Vegas wedding.

2011: Katie briefly dated model Danny Cipriani… but it ended as quickly as it begun.

2011-2012: They didn’t speak the same language, but Katie got engaged to Argentinian model Leandro Penna in 2011. He later fled home to South America.

2012-2018: Wedding bells rang once more after Katie met Kieran Hayler in 2013. They eventually called it quits after a rocky marriage.

2018-2019: Katie moved on quickly with Kris Boyson. They had an on-off romance for one year and even got engaged. They split for good in 2019.

2019: Katie was linked to Charles Drury during her on-off relationship with Kris. Charles, who also dated Lauren Goodger, has always denied being in “official relationship” with her.

2020-2023: Car salesman Carl Woods took a shine to Katie in 2020. Their relationship was up and down for three years. They broke up for a final time last year.

2024-2026: After weeks of rumours, Katie confirmed her relationship with Married At First Sight star JJ Slater in February 2024. The pair split in January 2026 after two years together.

2026: Katie shocked fans when she revealed she had married Dubai-based businessman Lee Andrews after a 48-hour engagement and only knowing him a week.