Celebrity SAS fans have been left reeling over one ‘celebrity’ as they claim the choice to have a convicted drug smuggler as a contestant on the show is ‘disgusting’
Michaella McCollum is one of the celebrities on this year’s Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins(Image: PA)
Michaella first made headlines as one half of the so-called Peru Two after she and Melissa Reid were arrested at Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima, Peru, on 6 August 2013.
Fans have been left reeling over one ‘celebrity’ as they claim the choice to have Michaella McCollum as a contestant on the show is ‘disgusting’(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
Last week, Michaella appeared on ITV’s This Morning and was met with criticism. Fans of the show took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share their thoughts on the celebrity lineup. One person wrote: “The bookers for @thismorning #thismorning and #CelebritySAS should hang their heads in shame for booking a drugs mule. How on earth does that give them celebrity status!! And what message does it send to young people? Shocking.”
Another person penned: “Hey, @Channel4, how come this criminal is being allowed to profit from her drugs mule crime on the ‘celebrity’ edition of SAS Who Dares Wins?” While a third added: “#thismorning I don’t consider a convicted drug smuggler to be a celebrity, which is a fair enough reason for Michaella McCollum not to be a contestant on #CelebritySAS”.
Michaella first made headlines as one half of the so-called Peru Two(Image: PA)
Another unhappy fan wrote: “I’ve never missed a series, but I’m sitting this one out. Having a convicted drug smuggler classed as a celebrity is disgusting and sends the wrong message to young kids, plus it’s insulting to the others taking part.”
Ahead of appearing on the show, Michaella opened up on how she has changed and grown as a person. She said that signing up for the show was able to help her take back control of her life.
She told the Mirror: “I feel like in my younger days, I made lots of mistakes, so then I was really cautious of doing things, because I didn’t want to mess up again. I didn’t want to mess up, I didn’t want to make any more mistakes.
Ahead of appearing on the show, Michaella opened up on how she has changed and grown as a person(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
“But we can’t live life like that, because we’re always going to make mistakes, we’re always going to make bad choices, obviously not as bad a choice as I made previously, but it’s okay to make a mistake.
“I had got to the point where I was just refusing to do a lot of things because I was scared. What if I mess it up? What if I take this job and it doesn’t work out? What if I move to this place and it doesn’t work out? I was just a little bit afraid of making those decisions. I felt stuck. So I guess that was the main thing for me, to try and learn to overcome that.
“I was at the point in my life where I was just stuck in my comfort zone, and I thought this is a good way to break those barriers and do the things that scare me, and maybe that will help me in the future with decisions and just different things in life.”
Midsomer Murders fans were left distracted as they noticed a familiar face from the Inspector Morse series
Midsomer Murders: Kevin Whately cameos as Jeremy
Midsomer Murders viewers found themselves thoroughly distracted on Tuesday evening after Kevin Whately popped up in a repeat episode of the ITV series.
The star, renowned for portraying Lewis in both Inspector Morse and the ITV spin-off Lewis, stepped into the shoes of murder suspect Jeremy in the John Barnaby drama.
Within moments of the episode beginning, fans flocked to Twitter to express their excitement over the Inspector Morse crossover.
@NickStevenson63 wrote: “So… when worlds collide; Inspector Lewis in Midsomer Murders. It was bound to happen sooner or later given the number of strange and bizarre deaths in this otherwise quiet corner of Oxfordshire.”
@Suzy_H14 begged: “They can’t kill #Lewis #MidsomerMurders,” reports the Express.
Midsomer Murders(Image: ITV)
@ghostheart__ observed: “Lots of Morse/Lewis links in this episode of #MidsomerMurders – firstly Kevin Whately who was obviously Lewis in Morse/Lewis, Jane Bertish who was in Morse episode The Wolvercote Tongue and Alexander Hanson who was in Lewis episode Generation of Vipers.”
@dennison_shelly continued: “Fabulous collection of musical theatre actors in tonight’s #MidsomerMurders and the universe-bending inclusion of Lewis aka Kevin Whately. Excellent fun.
“Lewis better not get killed off in tonight’s #MidsomerMurders that’d just be too weird,” @neiltheshaker posted.
@samjcstuff revealed: “My brain is not computing Lewis appearing in #midsomermurders.”
Kevin portrayed Robert “Robbie” Lewis in Inspector Morse from 1987 to 2000, and in Lewis from 2006 to 2015.
Midsomer Murders: Kevin played Jeremy in the ITV drama(Image: ITV)
In a 2023 interview, Midsomer Murders’ lead actors Neil Dudgeon and Fiona Dolman graced the This Morning sofa to discuss the show’s milestone 50th episode.
The on-screen couple shared a light-hearted conversation with hosts Alison Hammond and Craig Doyle about the enduring appeal of the series.
“So what’s the secret to your on-screen success?” Alison inquired, prompting Neil to quip: “Sexual chemistry.”
He elaborated: “I think we’ve just got on very well right from the start, didn’t we?”.
“We did,” Fiona concurred. “Neil was already cast, so I had an audition, and I had to go in and read with him.
“And yeah, I think we clicked right from the beginning.”
Reflecting on their long-running partnership, Fiona added: “We’ve done it for 12 years now which means all that kind of fear that you have as an actor when you join something and you have to pretend you have an intimate relationship with someone that you’ve never met, that’s all just gone now, hasn’t it?”.
“It is great, I always said we should have had Fiona in the show anyway,” Neil, who plays John Barnaby, interjected.
Fans can catch up with Midsomer Murders on the ITV Hub.
Hulk Hogan, who died Thursday at 71, was a star in pro wrestling, perhaps the star, through its two biggest popularity booms in the mid 1980s and the late 1990s. But after being the biggest star in, there was a lot of controversy along the way and his career ended in a hail of boos.
Hogan burst onto the scene in the 1982 movie “Rocky III,” where he played a pro wrestler called Thunderlips, who was taking on Rocky Balboa in a match for charity. He appeared on “The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson” and caught the eye of Vince McMahon, who was planning on buying the then-World Wrestling Federation from his father and taking it nationwide, He was looking for a star to build the promotion around. Hogan was wrestling for the American Wrestling Assn. and was growing frustrated that they never gave him the promotion’s championship, which usually led to making more money.
McMahon bought the WWF and started poaching talent from around the country. Hogan signed in late 1983, breaking his AWA contract and no-showing several dates. McMahon quickly put the championship on Hogan, who came into the ring to the song “Real American,” tore off his T-shirt, told his fans to “train, say your prayers and take your vitamins,” and vowed to defeat the heel of the month because “Whatcha gonna do, King Kong Bundy or Paul Orndorff or Kamala or Roddy Piper, when Hulk Hogan and Hulkamania run wild on you.”
It was a formula for success for many years, lifting pro wrestling to the mainstream with appearances on MTV and NBC, where WWF filled in for “Saturday Night Live” every six weeks and drew better ratings, all with Hogan headlining.
In 1989, Hogan tried to branch off into movies, produced by McMahon. They all flopped. “No Holds Barred.” “Suburban Commando.” “Mr. Nanny.” The persona that worked so well in the ring did not translate onto the big screen like it later did for wrestling stars such as Dwayne Johnson and Dave Bautista.
In 1991, Dr. George Zahorian III was convicted of illegally supplying anabolic steroids. Zahorian also served as the ringside doctor for WWF matches in Pennsylvania. At his trial, it was revealed that Zahorian had supplied steroids to the WWF and its wrestlers. Hogan, hoping to end discussion that he was on steroids, appeared on “Arsenio Hall” in 1992 and said that he has only used steroids on three occasions, all under doctor’s care to rehabilitate muscle injuries.
The outcry was immediate, with wrestlers coming out to says Hogan was lying. Fans, who could see how well-built these stars were, were disillusioned that Hogan would lie. His popularity began to wane and he began to get booed at some appearances. Hogan took a leave of absence from the company.
A much-smaller Hogan returned in 1993 to team with his friend Brutus Beefcake to take on Ted DiBiase and Irwin R. Schyster at WrestleMania in Las Vegas. Little did fans know that the plan was for Hogan to end the show as champion once again. When Hogan came out to aid Bret Hart, who had just lost his title to Yokozuna due to having salt thrown in his eyes, Yokozuna’s manager, Mr. Fuji, made an impromptu challenge to Hogan to wrestle him for the title “right now.” Hogan won the title in about one minute.
However, Hogan and McMahon has miscalculated the public’s desire to see Hogan again, especially in the top spot. The reaction was lukewarm at best and Hogan made sporadic appearances until losing the title to Yokozuna that summer. Hogan left WWF and started wrestling in Japan.
In 1994, Hogan signed with the now-World Wrestling Entertainment’s main rival, World Championship Wrestling. He lifted the profile of the company and drew several strong pay-per-view buy rates, but at live shows, fans seemed to be tiring of the trademark red and yellow gear and Hulkamania. WCW’s popularity was on the decline again when it was time for something no one thought they would ever see.
Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, two of WWE’s biggest stars, had signed with WCW and presented themselves as “invaders from a big wrestling company up north.” Fans had been dying to see a feud between WWE and WCW, and Nash and Hall, under the guidance of booker Eric Bischoff, were hinting that that was happening. They promised to unveil a mystery third man at the July 1996 “Bash at the Beach” show.
Nash and Hall came to the ring without the third man at that event, promising their ally would be along soon. They started wrestling Sting, Lex Luger and Randy Savage and cheated to get the upper hand, knocking Luger out and injuring Sting. They were about to destroy Savage, when Hogan walked out in the red and yellow gear. Here to save the day again.
Hulk Hogan and Dennis Rodman were briefly aligned after Hogan turned heel and started the New World Order.
(Paula Illingworth / Associated Press)
The crowd was shocked when Hogan turned on Savage and announced himself as the third man. He told the fans they could go to hell. Fans began pelting the ring with garbage as Hogan announced the formation of the New World Order.
The next week, Hogan, now wearing black and white, got pelted with garbage again. But the heel turn worked. WCW began beating WWE in the ratings for the first time. Pro wrestling was on another hot streak, being watched by more people each week (around 13 million) than at any time in history.
The hot streak lasted until 1998, when fans grew tied of the NWO. Hogan left WCW in 2000. He returned to WWE briefly and had a memorable WrestleMania match with The Rock, before leaving again in a money dispute.
Hogan made appearances with other wrestling companies after that, and even returned to WWE to be inducted into their Hall of Fame in 2005 and had what turned out to be his final match for WWE in 2007. He was signed by the TNA promotion after that to put them on the map, but never really gained any traction there.
In July 2015, many media outlets ran excerpt of racial slurs made by Hogan on a leaked sex tape recorded in 2007. In the recording, he is heard expressing disgust if his daughter ever dated a Black man, hoping that he would at least be a basketball player worth millions, dropped a racial slur toward Black people repeatedly and said he was “a racist, to a point.”
Once the recordings went public, the outrage was immediate. Hogan apologized, saying he used “language that is offensive and inconsistent with my own beliefs.” WWE removed him from its Hall of Fame and terminated the legends contract with him, though Hogan always maintained he resigned. Mattel stopped production of all toys featuring Hogan. His public appearances were few and far between and not well-received. Hogan gave an interview on ABC in which he asked for forgiveness, saying his racism was learned from his neighborhood while growing up in Tampa, Fla., and that racial slurs were commonly used there. Not many believed him.
Three years later, Hogan appeared backstage at a WWE event to give an apology to the wrestlers for his remarks. Afterward, several wrestlers expressed disappointment with Hogan, saying he didn’t apologize for the remarks but warned them instead to be careful what they say because someone could be taping them without their knowledge. The WWE reinstated him to the Hall of Fame.
Hogan began appearing on WWE shows again, but there were almost always pretaped appearances. He hosted WrestleMania 37 in 2021, and was booed. His final live appearance was Jan. 6 this year, when he appeared on the first “Monday Night Raw” on Netflix. It was at the Inuit Dome, and when Hogan came out, he was booed strongly by the crowd. Hogan seemed caught off guard, and after plugging his new beer, went backstage. He blamed the booing on his support for Donald Trump, even though others on the show who also support Trump weren’t booed when they appeared.
It was a sad ending for a man who make pro wrestling what it is today. What will Hulk Hogan be remembered for 50 years from now? It would be interesting to hop in a time machine and find out.
Starting July 21, the streaming service will offer its first original program from ABC News with senior political correspondent Rachel Scott and international correspondent James Longman as co-anchors.
The short-form program, called “What You Need To Know,” will be taped each morning and made available to Disney + users on demand starting at 6 a.m. Eastern, ABC News announced Monday.
ABC News international correspondent James Longman.
(Heidi Gutman / ABC)
The title was originally used for the ABC television network’s afternoon edition of “Good Morning America,” now known as “GMA 3.”
The new program is another opportunity for ABC News to reach younger consumers who have abandoned traditional TV for streaming. The news division has its own 24-hour free streaming service, ABC News Live.
“This new effort expands ABC News’ significant footprint on Disney+, allowing us to reach and connect with new and diverse audiences,” ABC News President Almin Karamehmedovic said in a statement.
The program will be a quick-paced compendium with short segments that range from “breaking headlines and the day’s biggest stories to entertainment buzz and viral videos.”
“What You Need to Know” will be the first network anchor role for Scott, a Los Angeles native and rising star within ABC News. Scott, 32, raised her profile during the 2024 presidential campaign when she delivered tough questioning to President Trump at the National Assn. of Black Journalists’ convention in Chicago.
The appearance led to death threats against Scott, who needed security in the days that followed.
Scott was also honored by the White House Correspondents Assn. for her coverage of the assassination attempt on Trump in Butler, Pa.
Longman, 38, has been a foreign correspondent for ABC News since 2017. He will co-anchor “What You Need to Know” from London, where he is based.
Longman, who is gay, has reported on the challenges facing LGBTQ+ people in oppressive regimes around the world.
He recently wrote a memoir, “The Inherited Mind,” which traces the history of mental illness in his family.
CHICAGO — Bobby Jenks, a two-time All-Star closer and World Series champion with the Chicago White Sox, has died, the team announced Saturday. He was 44.
The White Sox said Jenks died Friday in Sintra, Portugal, where he was being treated for adenocarcinoma, a form of stomach cancer.
Jenks helped the White Sox win the 2005 World Series, saving four games in six appearances during the postseason. He was an All-Star in each of the next two seasons while saving 41 games in 2006 and 40 in 2007.
He retired 41 consecutive batters in 2007, matching a record for a reliever.
“He was embarrassing guys, good hitters, right away,” former White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko said in a video tribute.
Jenks saved 173 games for the White Sox from 2005 to 2010 before finishing his career with 19 appearances in 2011 for the Boston Red Sox. For his career, he was 16-20 with a 3.53 ERA and 351 strikeouts in 348 appearances, all in relief.
“He and his family knew cancer would be his toughest battle, and he will be missed as a husband, father, friend and teammate,” White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. “He will forever hold a special place in all our hearts.”
Jenks began his career with the Angels, who drafted the hard-throwing right-hander in the fifth round of the 2000 amateur draft. He was eventually placed on assignment and picked up by the White Sox.
He is survived by his wife, Eleni Tzitzivacos, their two children, Zeno and Kate, and his four children from a previous marriage, Cuma, Nolan, Rylan and Jackson.
“As a teammate,” said former White Sox outfielder Aaron Rowand, “he was the best.”
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attended a mourning ceremony on the eve of the Muslim holy day of Ashura.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has attended a religious ceremony in Tehran, making his first public appearance since the 12 days of conflict between Israel and Iran.
The 85-year-old leader appeared in a video aired by state media on Saturday, which showed dozens of people attending an event at a mosque to mark Ashura, the holiest day of the Shia Muslim calendar.
In the footage, Khamenei is seen waving and nodding to the chanting crowd, which rose to its feet as he entered the mosque.
State TV said the clip was filmed at the Imam Khomeini Mosque in central Tehran.
Khamenei has avoided public appearances since the start of the fighting on June 13, and his speeches have all been prerecorded.
The United States, which joined in the Israeli attacks by bombing three key nuclear sites in Iran on June 22, had sent warnings to Khamenei, with US President Donald Trump saying on social media that Washington knew where the Iranian leader was, but had no plans to kill him, “at least for now”.
On June 26, in prerecorded remarks aired on state television, Khamenei rejected Trump’s calls for Iran’s surrender, and said Tehran had delivered a “slap to America’s face” by striking a US airbase in Qatar
Trump replied, in remarks to reporters and on social media: “Look, you’re a man of great faith. A man who’s highly respected in his country. You have to tell the truth. You got beat to hell.”
Iran has acknowledged that more than 900 people were killed in the war, as well as thousands injured. Iran’s retaliatory missile attacks on Israel killed at least 28 people there.
Since then, Iran has confirmed serious damage to its nuclear facilities, and denied access to them for inspectors from the United Nations’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The IAEA’s inspectors had stayed in the Iranian capital throughout the fighting, even as Israel attacked Iranian military sites and killed several of the country’s most senior commanders and top scientists, as well as hundreds of civilians.
However, they left after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a law suspending cooperation with the IAEA on Wednesday.
IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi on Friday stressed “the crucial importance” of dialogue with Iran to resume monitoring and verification work of its nuclear programme as soon as possible.
Iran was holding talks with the US on its nuclear programme when Israel launched its attacks. The US has been seeking a new agreement after Trump pulled the US out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which Tehran signed with world powers in 2015.
Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi separately said on Thursday that the country remains committed to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), dismissing speculation that Iran would leave the international accord.
COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — Djordje Mihailovic and Calvin Harris scored four-minutes apart in the first half and the Colorado Rapids beat the Galaxy2-0 on Wednesday night in a game delayed two hours due to weather.
Colorado (7-8-4) snapped a three-game losing streak.
The Galaxy (1-13-5) lost to the Rapids for the first time since May 6, 2023.
Mihailovic headed in Sam Vines’ cross for his eighth goal of the season to end Colorado’s a 261-minute goal drought. Harris, in his first start of the season, scored his second goal in 12 appearances.
Harris nearly made it 3-0 in the 55th on a shot that hit off the post.
Rookie Nico Hansen, standing in for the injured Zack Steffen since May 17, recorded his third clean sheet in just seven starts.
Ruth Gibbins has shared her pride at her late brother Liam Payne’s appearance on Netflix’s Building the Band, which was filmed before his tragic death
06:52, 26 Jun 2025Updated 07:07, 26 Jun 2025
Liam Payne’s sister shares ‘immeasurable pride’ over late brother’s final TV appearance(Image: BANG Showbiz)
Liam Payne’s sister Ruth shared her “immeasurable pride” after seeing her late brother in his final TV appearance. The late One Direction star, who tragically passed away at 31 last year after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina, features as a judge in the forthcoming Netflix series called Building the Band.
His sister Ruth Gibbins said she was “heartbroken” that he won’t have the opportunity to see himself on the show. Ruth shared on her Instagram Stories: “I didn’t know whether to share this, but it felt odd when I’ve raved about Liam’s work and achievements for the past 15 years.
Liam’s sister Ruth shared her pride over his last TV appearance(Image: Instagram)
“I’m heartbroken he never got the chance to see how brilliant he is in this show. He knew he had done a good job, we all told him this when we were at filming, but watching it back, wow!”.
Gibbins added: “You’re a star Liam, you always were and always will be. There are a range of emotions I felt watching this, but one of the main ones is immeasurable pride, always. Miss you more every day.”
Building the Band debuts on Netflix on July 9 and presenter AJ McLean has assured that the series is “unlike anything you have ever seen before”.
Ruth shared her thoughts on Instagram
The Backstreet Boys singer stated last month: “Today’s most talented singers in the world will audition for each other and choose their own bandmates before ever seeing them.
“Our judge and mentor Nicole Scherzinger, and guest judges Kelly Rowland and the late Liam Payne, are from some of the biggest bands of all time. This show is all about one word: chemistry. And believe me: in a band, you really need some good chemistry.”
Liam had finished filming for the programme – which features singers aiming to form a band despite being kept in separate booths so they can’t see each other – several months before his tragic passing last October.
Liam will be on Building the Band(Image: Netflix)
A summary for the series explains: “All they [the contestants] have to go on is musical compatibility, connection, chemistry and merit … with incredible performances, compelling drama, and one big goal – to find the next great music band – the stage is set for an unforgettable experience.”
Meanwhile, Liam’s mate DJ Fat Tony recently disclosed that he attempted to “help” the star with his addiction “demons”.
The 59-year-old musician – a recovering addict who has been sober for 18 years – told The Times Magazine: “I tried to help Liam Payne with his demons. He was incredible – a really close friend.
“There were so many amazing times where he got clean and sober. Not everyone makes it. It’s a real shame what happened, falling off the balcony. I’m devastated by it.
“Addiction is a big part of our industry. People see being sober and clean as more problematic than being drunk and high. They’ll help you on that drink and drug journey, but not on the sober journey.”
FIRE-BREATHING US Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley may just have given himself the chance to finally unlock the suitcase that has remained off for limits nearly 11 years.
After experiencing a second successive Ryder Cup defeat at Gleneagles in 2014, Bradley vowed never to unpack his case until he finished on a winning USA team.
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Keegan Bradley won the Travelers Championship on SundayCredit: Reuters
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After losing the Ryder Cup in 2014, Bradley vowed never to unpack his case until he finished on a winning USA teamCredit: Getty
That looked increasingly unlikely as the man from Vermont failed to play his way back onto the team, was controversially snubbed for a wild card in 2023, and was then installed as US captain a year ago.
But exactly a year to the day after he was asked if he wanted to take on the Ryder Cup captaincy, he clinched a victory that handed him a whole new dilemma.
But after his dramatic win in the Travelers Championship, he admitted he would have to take a “pretty hard look” at whether he should be on his own team.
That propelled him to a career high seventh in the world rankings, and catapulted him from 17th to ninth on the Ryder Cup qualifying list.
Only the top six qualify automatically. But the question now is whether Bradley, 39, can afford NOT to pick himself, unless his form falls off a cliff between now and September 26, when the battle with Europe begins at Bethpage Black in New York.
No-one can doubt Bradley’s passion for the Ryder Cup. Or anything else.
Bradley is set to become the Ryder Cup’s first player-captain in 62 yearsCredit: Reuters
He has become famous for the sort of frenzied celebrations that followed his latest win – letting out a massive roar, screaming a few obscenities at the adoring New England crowds and chest bumping caddie Scott Vail.
When he calmed down, a sheepish-looking Bradley confessed: “I kind of lost it again there, didn’t I? I might be in trouble with my mom for using some bad words.”
Keegan Bradley set for Ryder Cup job that hasn’t existed for 62 years after stunning PGA Travellers Championship win
It would not be the first time.
Despite being known for his fiery nature, Bradley shocked plenty of people with his outburst in the USA’s President Cup team room, shortly after holing the winning putt in their victory over the Internationals last year.
He roared: “I’ve been doubted my whole f***ing life, That’s when I do my best work. We are gonna go to Bethpage to kick their f***ing ass.”
Bradley later claimed he was surprised that comment was broadcast on Netflix’s Full Swing series. Really?
They did not hold back from showing the stunned reaction of the entire Bradley family when he missed out on a wild card pick from Zach Johnson two years ago, with the out of form Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler picked ahead of him.
Maybe the memory of how the Scottish crowd taunted Bradley over his exaggerated pre-shot routine – a dozen or more club twirls, and backing away from his ball a few times before pulling the trigger – counted against him.
And his volatile on-course antics, which once saw him in a World Match Play face-off with Migel Angel Jimenez that had to be defused by a rules official, has also raised a few eyebrows.
Off the course, Bradley is a completely different animal – a devoted family man who dotes on wife Jillian and their two sons.
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Bradley has formed a close friendship with basketball legend Michael JordanCredit: Getty
Bradley was their original brand ambassador when the range of Jordan golf shoes was launched, and he still wears them now. Do not be surprised if golf nut Jordan is one of the US cheerleaders at Bethpage Black in September.
Bradley, 39, insists he will not surrender the US captaincy, “under any circumstances”.
But he admitted the possibility of doubling up – and leaning more heavily on vice-captains Webb Simpson, Brandt Snedeker, Kevin Kinsner and Jim Furyk to look after the off course stuff – is now a real possibility.
He said: “This changes the story a little bit. I never would have thought about playing if I hadn’t won. This definitely opens the door to play.
“I don’t know if I’m going to do it or not, but I certainly have to take a pretty hard look at what’s best for the team and we’ll see.
“I never really planned on playing. I really wanted to just be the captain. I really felt strongly about that. I want to serve the guys. They asked me to do a job. I want to do it to the best of my abilities.
“Now, with the amazing vice captains that I have, and I have a better perspective of playing in the Presidents Cup and being around a lot of the guys, I feel a lot more comfortable if I went that route.”
“It’s still only June, so we’ve still got a long ways to go. This definitely changes things a little bit, and we’ll all get together and figure out the best way to do this.”
The Princess of Wales has pulled out from a planned attendance at Royal Ascot.
Catherine, who is making a gradual return to public life after her cancer diagnosis last year, is trying to find the right balance as she fully returns to public engagements, according to royal sources.
The princess was said to be disappointed to miss the sporting occasion in Berkshire, where she would have appeared in the carriage procession.
She was due to attend on Wednesday with her husband the Prince of Wales and the King and Queen.
Racegoers had been hoping to see Catherine as William was named as one of the figures awarding race prizes during the second day of the meet.
Kensington Palace confirmed she would not be attending the races.
The princess was last seen smiling and joking with other royals on Monday during the Order of the Garter service in Windsor.
Recently her public appearances have increased with attendances also at Trooping the Colour and a visit to the V&A East Storehouse museum in London.
Catherine revealed in January she is in remission from cancer after making an emotional return to the hospital where she received treatment.
She announced her diagnosis last March before she revealed in September she had completed her chemotherapy, saying: “Doing what I can to stay cancer free is now my focus.”
Catherine did not attend Royal Ascot last year, saying at the time she had been “blown away” by the messages of support she had received since her diagnosis and had been “making good progress” but was “not out of the woods yet”.
The event, one of the highlights of the summer social calendar, is taking place over five days at the Berkshire racecourse and is expected to draw more than 250,000 spectators.
With Los Angeles reeling from immigration sweeps and unsettled by nightly clashes between protesters and police, Mayor Karen Bass was asked by a reporter: What she did she have to say to President Trump?
Bass, standing before a bank of news cameras, did not hold back.
“I want to tell him to stop the raids,” she said. “I want to tell him that this is a city of immigrants. I want to tell him that if you want to devastate the economy of the city of Los Angeles, then attack the immigrant population.”
After taking office in 2022, L.A.’s 43rd mayor carefully avoided public disputes with other elected officials, instead highlighting her well-known penchant for collaboration and coalition-building.
The high-profile Democrat, who spent a dozen years in Congress, largely steered clear of direct confrontation with Trump, responding diplomatically even as he attacked her over her handling of the Palisades fire earlier this year.
Those days of tiptoeing around Trump, and avoiding head-to-head conflict, are over.
Bass is now sparring with the president and his administration at a perilous moment for her city and possibly for democracy.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers point non-lethal weapons at protesters.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
At the same time, the tumultuous events of the past week have given her a crucial opportunity for a reset after the Palisades fire, recalibrating her public image while leading her city through another historic crisis.
“Having two moments of crisis during the first six months of this year has really tested her mettle as mayor,” said GOP political strategist Mike Madrid, a long-standing Trump critic. “I think it’s fair to say she did not perform to expectations during the fires. I think she’s considerably improved during the current situation.”
Since agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal authorities fanned out across the region, searching for undocumented immigrants at courthouses, car washes and Home Depot parking lots, Bass has accused Trump of creating a “terrible sense of fear” in her city.
Bass said Trump is on track to waste more than $100 million on troops who were neither requested nor needed. On multiple occasions, she said Trump wrongly gave credit to the National Guard for bringing calm to downtown L.A. on Saturday, when those troops had not even arrived yet.
In many ways, Trump has emerged as the ideal foil for a mayor who, for much of the past six months, had been on her back feet.
In the immediate aftermath of the Palisades fire, which erupted when she was out of the country, Bass struggled to show a command of the details and was savaged by critics over what they viewed as her lack of leadership. Months later, she released a budget that called for the layoffs of 1,600 workers, drawing an outcry from labor leaders, youth advocates and many others.
Bass has been quicker to respond this time around, announcing a nightly curfew for downtown, warning of consequences for those who vandalize or commit violence and spelling out the real-world impacts of the ICE arrests on her constituents.
The pushback reached a crescendo on Thursday, when — with just a few hours notice — Bass assembled more than 100 people from religious, community, business and civic groups to denounce the raids. It made for a potent tableau: a multi-ethnic, multiracial crowd of Angelenos cheering on the mayor as she declared that “peace begins with ICE leaving Los Angeles.”
An ICE agent during a news conference in Los Angeles.
(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)
Bass said she had received reports of ICE agents entering hospitals, workers not showing up to their jobs, parents afraid to attend their own children’s graduations. An immigrant rights advocate said Trump had brought cruelty and chaos to Los Angeles. A church pastor from Boyle Heights said his parishioners “feel hunted.”
Trump and his administration have disparaged Bass and her city since the raids began. Stephen Miller, the president’s deputy chief of staff, accused Bass on X of using “the language of the insurrectionist mob” while discussing her city. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called L.A. “a city of criminals” whose law breakers have been protected by Bass.
Republicans have begun threatening reprisals against outspoken Democrats, including Bass, with some hinting at criminal prosecution.
Asked about Bass’ comments over the past week, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said ICE agents would not be “deterred from carrying out their mission.”
“We will not apologize for enforcing immigration law and carrying out the mandate the American people gave President Trump in November: Deport illegal aliens,” she said.
Fernando Guerra, who heads the Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University, said Angelenos fully expect their mayor to confront the president head on. Democrat Kamala Harris secured more than 70% of the vote in L.A. during last year’s presidential election, while Trump received less than 27%.
“I’m not surprised by what she’s doing,” Guerra said. “I would even suggest she push a little more. I don’t think there’s a cost to her politically, or even socially, to taking on Trump.”
Mayor Karen Bass speaks to the media at City Hall.
(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)
The mayor is regularly calling in to TV and radio stations, as well as securing prime-time hits on national cable shows. In appearance after appearance, she has warned that L.A. is becoming “a grand experiment” — a testing ground for Trump to see if he can usurp the authority of Democratic mayors or governors in other states.
On Tuesday, while addressing troops at Fort Bragg, Trump described L.A. as “a trash heap,” with entire neighborhoods being controlled by “transnational gangs and criminal networks.” Hours later, Bass clapped back on MSNBC, saying: “I have no idea what he’s talking about.”
Bass has spoken repeatedly about traumatized Angelenos who could not locate loved ones caught up in the ICE raids.
“For the most part, the people that have been detained have been denied access to legal representation,” Bass said during an appearance at the city’s Emergency Operations Center. “This is unprecedented.”
The raids, and their impact on families and children, are deeply personal for a mayor who cut her teeth organizing with immigrant rights activists decades ago.
Bass’ own family reflects the multiethnic nature of her city. Her late ex-husband was the son of immigrants from Chihuahua, Mexico. Her extended family includes immigrants from Korea, Japan and the Philippines. Immigration agents were recently seen making arrests outside her grandson’s Los Angeles school, she said.
The arrival of ICE, then the National Guard, then the U.S. Marines has caused not just Bass but several other Democrats to step out in ways they might have previously avoided.
Sen. Alex Padilla is removed from a news conference with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem at the Wilshire Federal Building.
(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)
U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, a soft-spoken political figure for decades, was handcuffed and forcibly removed from a news conference in Westwood on Thursday after interrupting Noem’s remarks.
Gov. Gavin Newsom recently accused Trump of a “brazen abuse of power,” calling him “unhinged” and filing a lawsuit to block the deployment of the National Guard — not a huge departure for Newsom, who relishes both confrontation and the spotlight.
Head-to-head accusations are much more out of character for Bass, who spent her first two years at City Hall boasting of her success in “locking arms” with her fellow elected officials on homelessness and other issues. In recent months, the mayor has praised Trump for the speedy arrival of federal resources as the city began cleaning up and rebuilding from the Palisades fire.
Long before winning city office, Bass prided herself on her ability to work with other politicians, regardless of party affiliation, from her early days as a co-founder of the South L.A.-based Community Coalition to her years in Congress.
Bass’ strategy of avoiding public spats with Trump during the first few months of his administration was no accident, according to someone with knowledge of her thinking who was not authorized to speak publicly. The mayor, that person said, viewed an extended tit-for-tat as an impediment to securing federal funding for wildfire relief and other urgent needs.
“That’s more her brand — to get things done with whoever she needs to get them done with,” said Ange-Marie Hancock, who leads Ohio State University’s Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity.
Mike Bonin, who heads the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at Cal State L.A., said he thinks that Bass’ career of building multiracial, multiethnic coalitions makes her uniquely suited to the moment.
Now that Trump has “all but declared war on Los Angeles,” Bass has no choice but to punch back, said Bonin, who served on the City Council for nearly a decade.
“I don’t see that she had any political or moral alternative,” he said.
The father and son duo wrote the screenplay together, with the film described as an “exploration of the relationships between fathers, sons and brothers, and the dynamics of familial bonds”.
May 30 (UPI) — President Donald Trump bid multi-billionaire Elon Musk farewell from his role as a senior adviser tasked with shrinking the government through program cuts and worker departures.
Musk, dressed in all black in a T-shirt, jacket, DOGE baseball cap and pants, appeared with Trump in the White House’s Oval Office, 130 days after beginning as a special government employee, including running the Department of Government Efficiency.
“Today, it’s about a man named Elon, and he’s one of the greatest business leaders and innovators the world has ever produced,” Trump told reporters about Musk, who is worth $421.2 billion, according to Forbes. “He stepped forward to put his very great talents into the service of our nation, and we appreciate it.”
Then, a video by CNBC’s Joe Kernan and Rick Santelli was shown that praises the Trump administration.
Musk claims to have identified more than $160 billion in federal spending cuts since Trump entered office on Jan. 20. That includes 56,000 employees terminated and 34 taking buyouts. There are plans to dissolve the Department of Education and cut health programs despite Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy‘s goal to Make Amerca Healthy Again. The Department of Defense and Homeland Security aren’t facing as severe cuts.
Musk initially predicted he could cut $2 trillion from the nation’s roughly $6.8 trillion federal budget. Despite the much lower number, Musk said he believes the savings will reach $1 trillion.
“It’s just a lot of work going through the vast expenses of the federal government and just really asking questions,” Trump said.
Musk said the president wants him to still help out.
“Elon is really not leaving,” Trump said. “He’s going to be back and forth. It’s his baby.”
Musk, who personally spent $277 million to bring Trump back to the White House, announced his departure Wednesday on X, saying the DOGE “mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”
During the public appearance with Trump, Musk said: “This is not the end, but the beginning. My role as a government employee has to end. It comes with a time limit.”
Musk said he will remain as an informal adviser and make trips to the White House. Plans are for him to maintain an office in the White House.
“The DOGE team is doing an incredible job and will continue to do an incredible job,” he said, noting most of the 100 workers will remain in government. “I look forward to being back in this room. Isn’t it incredible? “
He said loved the “gold in the ceiling” of the Oval Office.
Musk was presented with a special symbolic gold key to the White House.
Musk plans to focus more on his businesses: Tesla, SpaceX and artificial intelligence startup xAI, which now includes X.
Musk told reporters last week that he had worked in Washington, D.C., on his DOGE initiative “seven days a week, or close to seven days a week” during Trump’s first 100 days in office. He frequently traveled on Air Force One with Trump to the president’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., and recently to the Middle East.
This has meant less attention to his companies, including publicly held Tesla, the company that makes electric vehicles, solar panels/shingles and energy storage devices.
He said his efforts have been far more challenging than expected and DOGE had become “the whipping boy for everything.”
He also became at odds with Trump on Trump’s sweeping tax and spending cuts package going through Congress.
“I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,” Musk told CBS Sunday Morning. “I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don’t know if it can be both.”
Later Friday Trump was to head to Pittsburgh to praise a partnership between iconic U.S. Steel and its Japanese rival, Nippon Steel.
BBC News presenter Nina Warhurst has hit back at a viewer’s unsolicited critique regarding her accent and wardrobe choices after she was named as cover for Naga Munchetty
Shivon Watson Screen Time Reporter, Kiesha Dosanjh TV Writer , LeicestershireLive reporter and Lee Garrett
08:14, 16 May 2025
Nina Warhurst hits back as trolls criticise her appearance (Image: BBC)
BBC News presenter Nina Warhurst has clapped back at a viewer’s unasked-for critique of her accent and wardrobe. Recently stepping up to present BBC‘s News at One and occasionally appearing on BBC Breakfast, Nina responded to a harsh comment that emerged online.
Nina shared the viewer’s message on Instagram. The comment read: “Just wondering if @NinaWarhurst has an opinion on what constitutes TOO short a skirt for a 44-year-old. Anyway, it’s pleasing there’s a very positive move towards ‘received’ pronunciation.”
However, the broadcaster didn’t let the comment go unanswered. Alongside denouncing the viewer’s words, Nina also posted her own retort.
Nina hit back at trolls(Image: BBC)
In her response, she wrote: “When you briefly check back in with Twitter/X because surely it can’t be the stream of uninvited feedback from men that you remember… oh hi there. (Translation: if you’re gonna look like an old trout, it’s more acceptable if you don’t sound Mancunian. Noted.)”
This incident comes after Nina’s significant career shift from BBC Breakfast to the BBC News at One, although she still makes guest appearances on the morning show. The mother-of-three has been a key part of the Breakfast team for seven years, becoming a familiar face on the iconic red sofa and reporting from various locations, reports Leicestershire Live.
Upon announcing her new role in March, she stated: “I’ll be hanging up the high-viz and hairnet for a wee while as I join the BBC’s News at One.”
Nina didn’t hold back as she responded to trolls(Image: Twitter)
The presenter took a moment to reflect with her followers, recounting her initial emotions: “I was heavily pregnant, very nervous, and unbelievably excited to be offered a few shifts on the national broadcast treasure that is @bbcbreakfast. The job was made permanent as we came out of a lockdown and began looking around and wondering how we might pick up the pieces to heal and live again.”
She went on to express her gratitude: “It’s been a privilege to help support our audiences through this tumultuous time. I am always amazed by those who invite us in to share their stories.”
Recently, the host admitted she was in tears as she said farewell to BBC Breakfast. The journalist presented her last ever segment on the show , and couldn’t help getting emotional at the end of an era after joining in 2018.
