death

Colombian folk music icon Totó La Momposina, known as the “Queen of Cumbia,” has died. She was 85.

The Colombian Ministry of Culture announced the lauded vocalist’s death Tuesday morning.

“Today we bid farewell to the eternal Totó. (1940-2026) To the eternal teacher who traveled the entire world to the rhythm of cumbias, porros, mapalés, and bullerengues born in the heart of our land,” the ministry wrote in an X post. “To the eternal Momposina who spoke of the traditional music of the Caribbean, empowered it, and enriched it for decades to write an entire chapter in the cultural history of our country.”

In an Instagram post from the artist’s official account, her children provided a cause of death.

“With profound sorrow, we, her children Marco Vinicio, Angelica Maria, and Euridice Salome Oyaga Bazanta, announce the passing of our mother, Sonia Bazanta Vides, better known as Totó la Momposina, surrounded by her family in Celaya, Mexico, on Sunday, May 17. Cause of death: myocardial infarction,” the post read.

The children also touched on the enduring legacy that their mother left behind.

“Totó was a woman who, with her voice and extraordinary dedication, carried the culture and memory of the Colombian people to the far corners of the world. Her joy, light, wisdom, talent, generosity, and many other virtues touched the lives of countless people,” they continued in the post. “She shared with the world the music, culture, dances, and essence of Colombia’s Caribbean coast. Her name will forever remain in the memory of those who admired her, accompanied her and loved her.”

Born Sonia Bazanta Vides in 1940 in the Colombian town of Talaigua Nuevo, Totó la Momposina was born to a family with Afro-Colombian and Indigenous roots. Her music was renowned for incorporating the percussive and melodic instruments unique to her cultural identity. Both of her parents were amateur musicians and she began performing on stage at the age of six.

Her musical taste and sound was informed by the Afro-Indigenous rhythms of the traditional mapalé, chalupa, porro, bullerengue and cumbia genres that originated in Columbia and which she studied by visiting musicians in neighboring villages throughout her youth.

After moving to the Colombian capital of Bogotá in the 1960s, she immersed herself in the city’s music scene and began performing as part of a group. Totó la Momposina moved to Paris in the 1980s to study music at the Sorbonne University.

When Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez received the Nobel Prize in literature in 1982, she accompanied him to Stockholm and was among several Colombian artists to perform at the ceremony.

Hot on the heels of some international recognition, Totó la Momposina released her debut solo album “La Verdolaga” in 1983. She would later catapult to greater worldwide fame after she formed an artistic relationship with English musician Peter Gabriel. Under Gabriel’s Real World Records label, Totó la Momposina released her 1993 album “La Candela Viva,” which received international acclaim and a formative text in the cumbia and bullerengue genres.

In 2011, she was award record of the year at the 12th annual Latin Grammy Awards, alongside Calle 13, Susana Baca and Maria Rita for the track “Latinoamérica.” The singer also received a Latin Grammy lifetime achievement award in 2013.

The recent Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has resulted in a rising death toll, reaching 118 fatalities on Monday, May 18, which is a significant jump from the 80 deaths recorded just two days earlier. This outbreak is the 17th recorded Ebola virus epidemic in the DRC and has been described as a matter of international emergency by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Patrick Muyaya, the DRC government spokesperson, announced that two additional health zones have been identified as impacted by the virus. These include Nyankunde in the Irumu territory of Ituri province. A suspected case has also emerged in Goma, the chief town of North Kivu.

The outbreak is now affecting multiple geographic areas, including Mongwalu, Rwampara, Bunia, Nyankunde in Ituri, as well as Butembo-Katwa and Goma in North Kivu. 

Butembo, a commercial town in North Kivu, was severely impacted during the Ebola Zaire strain outbreak from 2018 to 2020. Goma, which has been under the control of the M23 rebels since early 2025, serves as a significant regional transit hub on the border with Rwanda and Uganda.

The Bundibugyo Ebola strain, noted as the 17th epidemic in the DRC, was declared on May 15. Complete sequencing of the viral genome confirms that it is a genetically distinct variant from previous Bundibugyo outbreaks in 2007 and 2012, originating directly from an animal reserve, according to Jean-Jacques Muyembe, director of the DRC National Institute of Biomedical Research.

On May 17, after the WHO declared the epidemic an international public health emergency, the British organisation Oxfam also estimated that the global number of infections currently stands at 400.

One of the former stars of Death in Paradise has issued an update about another of his crime shows

Ben Miller has shared a major update about one of his crime dramas.

The actor, previously known for his detective role in the BBC’s Death in Paradise, now leads the ITV crime show Professor T, playing a brilliant criminology professor living with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) who assists police in cracking cases.

Since launching in 2021, the programme has aired four series, with additional episodes already confirmed to be on the way. During an appearance on The One Show, Ben let slip a “spoiler alert”, revealing that a sixth series was in production too, reports the Express.

Presenter Roman Kemp asked about the show’s future, noting that numerous viewers had been asking when Professor T would return.

“It is coming back,” Ben replied. “I think the autumn is the season. Yeah, so we’ve got season five that will hopefully be coming out in the autumn. I mean, spoiler alert. We’re actually working on season six.”

Roman and co-host Alex Jones appeared delighted, with Roman exclaiming: “Wow! Double spoiler alert.”

Professor T sees Ben play Jasper, who assists police in solving complex cases and puzzles. The series also stars Frances de la Tour as Jasper’s domineering mother.

Last year it was confirmed that it would be back on ITV for a fifth instalment, with Ben saying at the time: “I’m beyond thrilled that we will soon be breaking ground on a fifth series of Professor T.

“Working with such a talented cast and crew is a joy that even a heavy woollen suit can’t stifle, and I can’t wait for audiences to see the treats we’ve got in store for them in series four later this year, when the Professor tackles his most baffling case yet: romance.”

The actor, well known for portraying cantankerous detective Richard Poole in Death in Paradise, added: “The fact that audiences worldwide have embraced the show so warmly is hugely rewarding, and we’re already brimming with ideas to make Series 5 even more quirky, heartfelt, and surprising.

“Here’s to another season of baffling crime, dreaming spires, and ironing that tweed…”

Sharing an update on Instagram after filming wrapped last summer, he said: “Last week we wrapped Season 5 of Professor T!

“Another few months spent filming with the most hard working crew and cast who give their all to this show. It’s always a pleasure.”

The One Show broadcasts on BBC One at 7pm on weekdays.

BBC One’s crime comedy Death Valley is back for a hotly anticipated second series, and a whole lot of new ‘whodunnits’ that need to be solved

Death Valley has made its eagerly awaited return for a second series.

BAFTA-winning performer Timothy Spall stars alongside Gwyneth Keyworth in the comedic murder-mystery programme, portraying the improbable pairing of actor John Chapel, formerly her hero as TV detective Caesar, and determined detective Janie Mallowan.

Filmed and set in Wales, Death Valley’s debut series launched in May 2025, smashing records with the largest overnight viewership for a new scripted programme in five years.

The series maintained a robust average of 4.6 million viewers over 28 days, and amongst Welsh audiences, Death Valley claimed the top comedy spot across all channels and platforms throughout 2025.

Given the programme’s triumph, it came as little shock when plans for a second series were swiftly revealed, with Death Valley series two now scheduled to debut on Sunday, 17 May at 8:15pm on BBC One. Audiences can also stream the complete box set on iPlayer from the same date, reports the Express.

The second series resumes several months following the conclusion of series one. Janie has secured promotion to Detective Inspector and finds herself more overwhelmed than ever, with administrative duties mounting faster than she can manage them.

Complicating matters further, she’s been avoiding John since discovering he’s been romantically involved with her mum, Yvonne (Melanie Walters), and the pair are compelled to make amends when DCI Barry Clarke (Steffan Rhodri) enlists John’s assistance to crack a murder investigation.

They must set aside their complicated personal relationships when tasked with examining a suspicious death within a community service group, following the fatal plunge of one of its members from atop a crumbling castle.

The latest series of Death Valley also sees John hesitantly return to the acting world, appearing on the set of a grand Welsh fantasy television production, though another killing soon demands attention.

Additional murders occur in a seaside fishing community, at an eco-friendly commune, and within a rugby club, as John and Janie persist in delivering justice throughout the mid-Wales area.

Throughout the series, there’s also an impressive roster of guest appearances, featuring Outlander’s Mark Lewis Jones, Game of Thrones legend Owen Teale, and Killing Eve’s Alexandra Roach.

Jane Horrocks (Here We Go, Chicken Run) also appears in the programme alongside Hammed Animashaun (Black Ops, SNL UK), Alexandra Roach (Killing Eve, Bodies), Roisin Conaty (After Life, Last one Laughing), Jim Howick (Ghosts, Here we Go), Asim Chaudhry (People Just Do Nothing), Lynn Hunter (Pushers & End of the Fxx World), Rhiannon Clements (Small Prophets, Pushers), Mike Bubbins (Mammoth) and Liz Carr (Silent Witness, Good Omens).

Death Valley series 2 launches on Sunday, 17 May at 8:15pm on BBC One and iPlayer.

Brian Lindstrom, a filmmaker whose documentaries shined a light on society’s underdogs and inspired social change, has died. He was 65.

Lindstrom’s wife, author Cheryl Strayed, confirmed the news on Instagram Friday.

“Brian Lindstrom died this morning the way he lived — with gentleness and courage, grace and gratitude for his beautiful life,” she wrote. “Our children, Carver and Bobbi, and I held him as he took his last breath and we will hold him forever in our hearts. The only thing more immense than our sorrow that Progressive Supranuclear Palsy took our beloved Brian from us is the endless love we have for him.”

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, PSP is caused by damage to nerve cells in areas of the brain that control thinking and body movements. The rare neurological disease progresses rapidly.

Strayed, who penned the bestselling memoir “Wild,” which was later adapted for the big screen and starred Reese Witherspoon, announced just weeks ago that Lindstrom had been diagnosed “with a serious, fatal illness.”

Lindstrom was born Feb. 12, 1961. The son of a bartender and a liquor salesman, he was raised in Portland, Ore. — which he and his family still called home.

He was the first member of his family to attend college, which he paid for by taking out student loans, landing work-study jobs and working summers in a salmon cannery in Cordova, Alaska. During a 2013 TEDx Talk, Lindstrom said that after he’d exhausted all the video production classes at Portland’s Lewis & Clark College, his professor Stuart Kaplan gave him a gift certificate to a class at the Northwest Film Center. There, Lindstrom made a short film about his grandpa that landed him a spot in the MFA program at Columbia University.

It was a train trip with his grandpa that inspired Lindstrom to tackle challenging topics with a lens that restored dignity to his subjects. His grandpa was a binge-drinker, and on day three of the trip, he woke up with a hangover and was missing his dentures. Lindstrom, only 5 at the time, noticed the way other passengers treated him and his grandpa differently.

“I think what my films are about is that search for my grandfather’s dentures, the humanizing narrative that bridges the gap between us and them and arrives at we,” he said.

Lindstrom said he returned to Portland after film school and “did several projects with the Northwest Film Center that had me putting a camera in the hands of kids on probation, homeless teens, newly recovering addicts, hard-hit people who had hard-hitting stories to share.”

“Those projects taught me so much about the transformative power of art, and they gave me permission I felt in my personal films to ask people if I might follow them, so that an audience could better understand what they were going through, and by extension, better understand themselves,” he said.

Lindstrom’s 2007 award-winning cinéma-vérité-style film, “Finding Normal,” followed long-term drug addicts as they left prison or detox and tried to rebuild their lives with the help of a recovery mentor.

“What I’m most proud about is that ‘Finding Normal’ is the only film to ever be shown to inmates in solitary confinement at Oregon State Penitentiary, and not, I might add, as a punishment,” Lindstrom said.

In 2013, he released “Alien Boy: The Life and Death of James Chasse,” a documentary that illuminated the life of a man who grappled with schizophrenia and examined his death, which happened in police custody. Discussing the film with LA Progressive in 2018, Lindstrom said that he doesn’t make films for audiences.

“I make them for the people in the film. It is my small way of honoring them,” he told the outlet. “That doesn’t mean I don’t delve into dark areas or that I ignore that person’s struggles. I’m much more concerned with trying to achieve an honest depiction of that person’s life than I am with any potential audience reaction.”

Lindstrom’s work aimed to inspire empathy and humanize those suffering in the margins of society, but it also catalyzed policy change. His acclaimed 2015 documentary, “Mothering Inside,” followed participants in the Family Preservation Project (FPP), an initiative helping incarnated moms establish and maintain bonds with their children.

Midway through filming the documentary, the Oregon Department of Corrections announced it planned to nix funding for the FPP. Lindstrom hosted early screenings of the film, which inspired grassroots advocacy that reached then-Gov. Kate Brown, who subsequently signed legislation that restored funding. The film’s release also helped make Oregon the first state in the U.S. to pass a bill of rights for children of incarcerated parents.

Partnering with Strayed, Lindstrom made the documentary short, “I Am Not Untouchable. I Just Have My Period,” for the New York Times in 2019. The film highlighted the experience of teen girls in Surkhet, Nepal, and the menstrual stigma they faced. Most recently, the filmmaker released, “Lost Angel: The Genius of Judee Sill,” which examined the folk-rock singer’s life from her traumatic childhood and drug-addled adolescence through her rise in the Laurel Canyon music scene and untimely death.

Lindstrom, discussing “Judee Sill” and his style as a filmmaker, told Oregon ArtsWatch, “It’s the chance to kind of focus on the question: What does it mean to be human? The person that the film is about, what can they teach us, what can we learn from them? What can they learn from themselves?”

In 2017, Lindstrom received the Civil Liberties Award from the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon for his work advancing civil rights and liberties. That same year, he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Lewis & Clark College.

In Strayed’s post announcing Lindstrom’s death, she described their more than 30-year partnership as a stroke of “tremendous luck.”

“We loved each other and our kids with deep devotion and true delight. He was a stellar husband. He was the most magnificent dad. He was a man whose every word and deed was driven by kindness, compassion, and generosity,” she wrote. “He saw the goodness in everyone. He believed that we are all sacred and redeemable.

“His work as a documentary filmmaker was dedicated to telling stories of people who, as he put it, ‘society puts an X through.’ He erased that X with his camera and his astonishing heart.”

Strayed’s memoir — which followed her as she hiked 1,100 miles along the Pacific Crest Trail in the wake of her mother’s death, a battle with drug addiction and divorce from her first husband — concludes with a happy ending. She finished the months-long hike and sat on a white bench near the Bridge of the Gods, a stone’s throw from the spot where, she writes, she’d marry Lindstrom four years later.

“His greatest legacy is Carver and Bobbi, who embody everything good and true about their father. Their extraordinary grace, courage, and fortitude during this harrowing time was unfaltering and grounded in the undying love Brian poured into them every day of their lives,” she wrote. “We do not know how we will live without him. We’re utterly bereft. We can only walk this dark path and search for the beauty Brian knew was there. It will be his eternal light that guides us.”

A Death in Paradise star has given fans a major career update.

A Death in Paradise favourite is teaming up with a Strictly star for a sinister mystery drama.

Ralf Little joined BBC‘s Death in Paradise in January 2020 as the anxious DI Neville Parker, whose romantic life was rather unlucky.

However, when he bid farewell in 2024, Neville departed hand-in-hand with DS Florence Cassell (Josephine Jobert), sailing towards a happy ending.

Two years following his exit, Little is preparing to feature in Channel 4‘s forthcoming psychological thriller, Hunting Alice Bell, described as a “whodunnit with shades of family drama and social satire”.

Based on its official synopsis, the six-episode drama promises to be considerably darker than what Death in Paradise viewers have come to expect from Little.

Hunting Alice Bell centres on the eponymous character, a former nurse and the romantic partner and accomplice of a “notorious anesthetist serial killer”.

She now resides in the UK under a fresh identity, but when Fran Da Silva is accused online of being Alice Bell, “her happy family life implodes into a wave of mob hate”.

The synopsis adds: “Then she discovers she’s not the only woman to suffer this fate. Fran and the other accused women band together to fight back and clear their names.

“But as they battle to prove their innocence, what if one of the group is lying – and is the real Alice Bell?”

Few details are known about Graham Hunter, the character Little will play, with additional information about his involvement in the Channel 4 series remaining under wraps.

He’ll be accompanied by Nightsleeper’s Alexandra Roach as Fran, Sherlock and Strictly Come Dancing favourite Amanda Abbington as Julie, Mobland’s Emily Barber as Vanessa, and Shaun of the Dead legend Simon Pegg as Dr Jason Nash.

Hunting Alice Bell, which will explore the “devastating effects” of rumours, is scheduled to broadcast later this year, though no specific release date has been announced.

Co-creator David Baddiel remarked, “Technology has created a whole new spin on the idea of mistaken identity.

“We are told that in the present culture, anyone can be who they want to be. But that also means that anyone can have who they are taken away from them: the hive mind can decide who you are.

“This happens to the five women in Hunting Alice Bell: in a world where identity is very fluid, they have lost control of theirs.”

Death in Paradise is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

Gogglebox star Ken Harwood from County Durham has died aged 77 following a short illness, with Channel 4 and fans remembering the beloved TV personality as a “legend”

The Gogglebox family is mourning the devastating loss of beloved former cast member Ken, but what do we know about the cherished TV personality?

Ken made his debut on the enduring Channel 4 series in 2021 during the opening episode of series 17, appearing alongside his wife Anne – and the pair swiftly captured viewers’ hearts.

The County Durham duo graced our screens for five series before departing in 2022. Tragically, this week brought news that Ken had passed away following a brief illness, at the age of 77.

But what’s the story behind Anne and Ken’s enduring marriage? And what touching moment did Ken create during their Gogglebox debut? Here’s what we know about Ken.

Born in Consett, County Durham in 1948, Ken dedicated three decades to working as a postmaster before transitioning into local council work. He eventually stepped back from public life in 2013, reports Chronicle Live.

While details about Anne remain relatively private, she shared more than half a century of marriage with Ken. Their inaugural appearance on the programme featured a particularly heartwarming scene when Ken surprised Anne with a stunning bouquet of roses.

During the episode, Anne graciously accepted the gorgeous arrangement, exclaiming: “God they are beautiful.” Ken then revealed there were 50 roses, representing each year of their life together.

Anne responded: “You have put me to shame now with a card and roses, and I got you nothing. But you have me and that’s all you need.”

In a separate episode, Anne had viewers in stitches with her brilliant reaction to Ken’s ill-timed sneezing bout. As the sneezes began, Anne attempted to halt them by reciting a rhyme, where each sneeze supposedly brought him something special.

Anne reckoned Ken had bagged a wish, a kiss, a letter and something better. But then she drew a blank on how it continued. In the end, she quipped: “Oh hell, here we go.”

Gogglebox announced Ken’s passing on Friday (May 15). In their statement, they shared: “Ken will be dearly missed by his wife Anne, sons Simon and Ross, daughter-in-law, Elle, grandchildren Freya and Tristram, and all who knew him.”

They added: “There will be a tribute to Ken at the end of Channel 4’s episode on Gogglebox tonight.” As word spread of the devastating news, fans poured out their grief. One wrote: “Sad news.” While another commented: “Rest easy legend.”

Gogglebox airs every Friday at 9pm on Channel 4

It’s early in the morning, and Birmingham baseball coach Matt Mowry is at the supermarket looking through the flowers section before classes begin. He’s engaged in an unseen, often undervalued duty as a coach — providing comfort to players and their families.

One of his players, 16-year-old sophomore outfielder JJ Rodriguez, lost his father, Anthony, 53, on a Saturday morning last month when he died in his sleep at home. Mowry is looking for a bouquet of flowers to present to JJ’s mother, Nancy, before his first game back.

There are no easy answers how to help a family dealing with grief. Mowry went through his own tragedy in 2022 when his wife, Amy, died of cancer. He prays for her before each game, looking up to the sky while grasping his wife’s necklace, then kissing a ring that has her fingerprint tattooed on it.

The message Mowry told JJ: “Times are going to be tough There’s moments you’re going to break down. It’s OK. You don’t have to hide it.”

The reason No. 1-seeded Birmingham doesn’t open the City Section Open Division baseball playoffs until Thursday is because Anthony’s funeral is Wednesday, and players and coaches will be there to provide support.

Anthony Rodriguez, the father of Birmingham baseball player JJ Rodriguez, died last month.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles)

JJ missed a couple days of school and one game after his father’s death. He wanted to be alone and was skeptical about coming back any time soon.

“He would message me and tell me coming here and being around my teammates would make me more comfortable and get my mind off things,” JJ said of Mowry. “I wanted to be alone a little bit because my mind was not in the right place. But the day I came back, I learned these guys are my family.”

JJ has become an important part of his team, starting in left field while batting No. 9 in the order. The Patriots won their first West Valley League title in 20 years and are trying to win their sixth City title under Mowry.

JJ and his mother have appreciated the emotional support, allowing them to try to heal from their sorrow.

His mother told him, “Be strong for everyone else. Your dad will always be proud of you.”

There’s a candle in the room where his father was found.

“I sometimes go there and be alone at night and talk to myself,” he said.

Before games, JJ says a prayer and thinks of his father.

“Every game,” he said. “It’s for you, Dad.”

On May 23, the City final will take place at Dodger Stadium.

Imagine the thrill for players of the two teams who reach the final. They’ll get to walk the infield, put some grass in their pockets, look up into the stands, hang out in the dugout of the two-time defending world champions.

For JJ, his father won’t be able to watch him. Or maybe he will. Every day is a step forward to healing. It’s hard, but he’s got a coach watching over him.

“I talked to him about what my son went through in the same situation,” Mowry said. “I had him get back out with the guys and be there whether he practiced or played.”

JJ is back and thankful to his baseball family.

TOWIE star Jake Hall was battling crippling debts of nearly £1.5million before his tragic death in Majorca last week.

The 35-year-old reality TV personality was found dead in an Airbnb after running through a single-glazed glass door.

It has now emerged the artist had been struggling financially after his fashion company collapsed, according to the Daily Mail.

Companies House shows his business, Prevu London Limited, went into liquidation in 2025 owing around £1.49million.

The company reportedly owed £181,581 to HMRC, as well as a £1.1million loan to an Essex-based property business.

Prevu London also racked up hundreds of thousands of pounds in debts to other unnamed creditors.

TOWIE’S LOST BOYS

Crippled by drugs & crushed dreams… dark side of the Towie fame machine

TRUE TRAGEDY

I knew REAL Jake Hall who called me ‘second dad’… why his death is so shocking

PLUCKED from obscurity and then dropped when fans lose interest, men in reality TV shows often fare worse than their female counterparts.

While women regularly earn a fortune from brand endorsements, the guys can find themselves struggling after they are no longer on our TV screens.

Now the untimely deaths of The Only Way Is Essex cast members Jake Hall and Jordan Wright within a few months of each other has raised fears that ITV is failing in its duty of care for former reality TV stars.

Jake, 35, died last week in a Spanish villa following a night of partying while Jordan, 33 was found dead in a ditch in Thailand in March.

A TV insider told The Sun: “The tragic deaths of Jake and Jordan have raised some serious red flags.

“No one is blaming ITV but there is definitely a pattern which emerges time and time again on all reality shows.

“Measures were put in place a number of years ago but it doesn’t seem to be enough.”

Artist and designer Jake, who joined Towie in 2015, had been living in Spain.

He was found dead in a pool of blood in a villa in Majorca last Wednesday morning after he seemingly crashed through a window.

A police source said witnesses described Jake as “agitated”, possibly from “alcohol and other substances he may have consumed”.

He had a number of struggles in recent years, from losing his fashion brand Prevu to being hit with a restraining order by ex-girlfriend Misse Beqiri, a model and the mother of his eight-year-old daughter River.

Yet right from the start of his telly career, Jake was open about being uncomfortable with fame.

Shortly after his debut on Towie, Jake said on This Morning: “The privacy part has been quite difficult because everyone knows your life within days of being on the show.”

Jordan, from Basildon, Essex, also admitted he struggled with life in the spotlight.

The former firefighter said: “I had an enjoyable career for six years before I resigned to pursue a life in the limelight of reality TV — a choice that left me hugely unfulfilled, stagnant and lost.

“People think it’s glitz and glamour but the truth is very far from public perception.

“I really struggled.

“When I left I lost a huge part of myself and my sense of purpose.”

Jordan returned to firefighting in 2023 but he struggled to settle and in December moved to Thailand where he was looking forward to a “very exciting year ahead”.

He shared his new life with his 21,500 Instagram followers, but in March was found dead face down in a drainage canal on the island of Phuket.

CCTV footage appeared to show Jordan pacing erratically outside a hotel before bolting out of the complex shortly before his body was found.

Unfortunately, the two deaths were not Towie’s first.

In January 2021, Mick Norcross took his own life, aged 57.

The Sugar Hut owner and businessman had joined the show with his son Kirk, who now runs a waste removal business.

Addiction has also taken hold of a number of cast members, including James Argent, who suffered two near-fatal overdoses at home.

Arg’s drug binges cost him his relationship with co-star Lydia Bright, his job on Towie and other high- profile TV work.

Last year he was in trouble after pushing his former Miss Sweden partner Nicoline Artursson down some steps on holiday in Spain.

He admitted an offence of gender violence and was given a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

Jake and Jordan’s deaths sent shockwaves through fans of Towie and its stars.

Charlie King, who was on the show in 2012 and 2013, has faced his own demons since he left the programme but believes his fellow cast members must “take responsibility”.

He told The Sun: “Reality stars in general are seeking something — whether it’s fame, attention or validation.

“It’s a two-way street — stars want to appear on the shows for that lifestyle and experience, and shows need the participants.

“I can’t say Towie gave me the best support when I finished on the show.

“I remember feeling lost and redundant, trying to navigate a life post the show and still having eyes on me.

“It was hard.

“I missed the show deeply and all that came with it.

“I think access to a counsellor or therapy in those first months or years after appearing is always a good idea.

“But I also don’t think it’s fair to point the finger at these shows for how individuals live their lives after — we have to take responsibility.”

Charlie added that producers offer much better support for their on-screen talent these days and that ITV “isn’t afraid to pull out cast members if they think it’s getting too much or they need a breather, which is great to see”.

Following his stint on Towie, Charlie was diagnosed with body dysmorphia and had a botched nose job.

Other lads from the show have also gone under the knife in a quest for perfection.

Bobby Norris is now almost unrecognisable after having a full deep plane facelift, neck lift and lower eyelid surgery.

James Lock has also battled body dysmorphia and says he has spent around £100,000 on getting work done.

On rival ITV show Love Island, telly bosses brought in a revised set of welfare measures in 2021, including “comprehensive” psychological support, after former stars Sophie Gradon and Mike Thalassitis took their own lives.

Their relatives blamed a lack of support from the show for contributing to their mental anguish.

Love Islanders are offered a minimum of eight therapy sessions when they return home.

They also get advice on coping with their finances.

But unlike Love Island, Towie cast members often appear on the show for years at a time.

A number of its former stars, including Yazmin Oukhellou and Tommy Mallet, have praised the support they have received while on the show — but what happens when the cameras stop rolling?

A telly insider revealed: “When women finish on a reality show, brand deals, an influencing career and other avenues are open to them — but it’s very different for men.

“They can get club PAs but that involves late nights and lots of booze.

“Some people like Jake or Tommy launch a career in fashion, but many struggle to achieve the dizzy heights they once enjoyed.”

Women, meanwhile, have made millions off the back of Towie, thanks to very successful business models.

Former glamour model Sam Faiers owns global collagen brand Revive and is worth £9million, and Gemma Collins is now a huge TV star with £7million in the bank.

Lucy Mecklenburgh — famed for throwing drinks on cheating Mario Falcone — now owns a thriving fitness brand and shows off her happy life on social media.

But there have also been a number of male Towie successes too.

Mark Wright landed I’m A Celebrity and Strictly at a time when Z-listers were reportedly banned, as well as enjoying a stint on US TV.

Now a radio DJ, he is married to actress Michelle Keegan, and the couple live in a £3.5million Essex mansion with one-year-old daughter Palma.

Joey Essex also became a huge breakout star.

These days he is worth at least £10millon thanks to a lucrative reality TV career, savvy personal branding and business ventures.

Another success story is Tommy Mallet, who launched luxury footwear and apparel brand Mallet London and more recently Ctrne trainers.

Tommy, Joey and Mark are living up to Towie’s theme tune The Only Way Is Up — and fans will hope there will be more men from the show who enjoy similar success.

ITV was approached for comment but declined.

Brandon Clarke, a former first-round draft pick who spent all seven of his NBA seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies, has died. He was 29.

His agency, Priority Sports, confirmed the news Tuesday on social media. No cause of death has been disclosed.

“Everyone loved BC because he was always there as the most supportive friend you could ever imagine,” the agency wrote. “He was so unique in the joy he brought to all of those in his life. It’s just impossible to put into words how much he’ll be missed. We love you, BC.”

Born in Vancouver, Canada, Clarke played basketball at Desert Vista High School in Phoenix, Ariz., before spending two years at San Jose State and one at Gonzaga. He was selected at No. 21 overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2021 NBA draft but he was traded to the Grizzlies weeks later.

Clarke played in 309 games for Memphis but only two this past season because of injuries. Clarke averaged 10.2 points and 5.5 rebounds during his career.

“We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke,” the Grizzlies said in a statement. “Brandon was an outstanding teammate and an even better person whose impact on the organization and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten. We express our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”

NBA commissioner Adam Silver also released a statement.

“We are devastated to learn of the passing of Brandon Clarke,” Silver said. “As one of the longest-tenured members of the Grizzlies, Brandon was a beloved teammate and leader who played the game with enormous passion and grit. Our thoughts and sympathies are with Brandon’s family, friends and the Grizzlies organization.”

A preliminary hearing the murder case against David Anthony Burke, the 21-year-old singer better known as D4vd, will go forward at the end of June, setting a timeline for when more detailed evidence about the gruesome murder and dismemberment of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez will become public.

Burke — who prosecutors say sexually abused the teen for a year before stabbing her to death and mutilating her corpse last year — will face the hearing on June 29, attorneys said during a brief hearing Tuesday morning.

After the singer’s arrest in April, his legal team pushed for an immediate preliminary hearing — where a judge determines if prosecutors have enough evidence to bring a case to trial — but they backed off after prosecutors began turning over what they have described as a massive amount of digital evidence linking Burke to the teenager’s brutal slaying. Burke has pleaded not guilty in the case.

The hearing is expected to last at least five days. A status conference hearing will take place on June 17.

Questions about the singer’s connection to Hernandez’s grisly end have circled since last summer, ever since her badly decomposed and dismembered body was found in the trunk of a Tesla linked to Burke. Late last month, prosecutors filed a nine-page brief laying out what they believe to be Hernandez’s final moments and Burke’s alleged horrific actions after her death.

In the filing, prosecutors said Burke stabbed Hernandez to death inside a Hollywood Hills residence after she threatened to go public about the ascendant singer’s continual sexual abuse. After killing her, Burke ordered a chainsaw, a “burn cage,” a shovel and other implements he used to dismember her remains in his garage, prosecutors alleged last week.

The motion also laid out the dramatic steps Burke went to in order to continue his relationship with the teen. In February 2024, Hernandez was reported missing to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department by her parents, who were concerned about her involvement with Burke, according to the filing. Hernandez went home and had her phone taken away, but Burke allegedly paid a junior high school student $1,000 to give her a new device so they could stay in touch.

Prosecutors also said they found images of Hernandez naked and performing sex acts on Burke’s phone, according to the document. Deputy Dist. Atty. Beth Silverman said in court last month that search warrants turned up “a significant amount of child pornography” on Burke’s devices.

Burke’s lawyers have not commented on their defense strategy.

Matt’s family say he often struggled to emotionally switch off from football, and that negative comments on social media had begun to have an impact on his mental health.

He found breaking bad news to players about their place in the squad or future plans particularly difficult emotionally, according to Debbie.

“Matt always felt so bad having to let someone down,” she explains. “There would be tears, they might have shouted at him, and the player’s family and the fans could sometimes be negative towards him too.

“He and other staff members would make the decisions but, because he had to deliver the news, the emotional burden all came down on to him.

“Matt was there for everybody and he hated letting people down. He looked out for everyone else, but sadly not himself.”

In the summer leading up to his death, Matt had been appointed manager of Burnley in the third tier.

But Matt’s family say he wasn’t happy with the way the club was being run. WSL side Leicester City made it known they were interested in hiring Matt.

BBC Sport understands Burnley turned down an offer from Leicester to buy out the rest of Matt’s contract. Matt then resigned, but the move to Leicester never came to pass.

Burnley placed Matt on gardening leave, meaning he was unable to work or talk to other clubs for a period of three months.

Burnley declined a request to comment from BBC Sport on the nature of Matt’s departure from the club.

In a pre-inquest review hearing last week, Debbie alleged that Burnley “bullied” Matt. The inquest was adjourned indefinitely.

Burnley said they were “aware of an ongoing legal process and will not be making any comment at this time”.

Debbie believes the time Matt was unable to work contributed to a deterioration in his mental state.

“He wasn’t allowed to say goodbye to his players or tell them why he left,” Debbie says. “That had a huge impact on him.

“He was finding it hard, [worrying about] how he would provide for the family. I was working three jobs just to get us through.

“I think he felt like a bit of a failure.”

Rights groups warn that the bill makes the death penalty easier to impose and strips fair trial protections.

Israeli legislators have approved a bill to establish a special tribunal with the power to impose the death penalty on Palestinians accused of involvement in the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023.

The bill passed 93-0 in Israel’s 120-seat parliament, the Knesset, late on Monday.

The remaining 27 legislators were absent or abstained from voting.

Israeli and Palestinian rights groups warn that the bill will make the death penalty too easy to impose while also doing away with procedures safeguarding the right to a fair trial.

Muna Haddad, a lawyer with Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, told Al Jazeera that the bill intentionally lowers the legal protections to a fair trial to secure the mass conviction of Palestinians.

“The bill explicitly permits mass trials that deviate from standard rules of evidence, including broad judicial discretion to admit evidence obtained under coercive conditions that may amount to torture or ill-treatment,” Haddad said.

“This constitutes a severe violation of fair trial guarantees that falls well short of international law requirements.”

In a departure from standard Israeli judicial practice, which typically prohibits courtroom cameras, the bill mandates the filming and public broadcasting of key moments in the trials on a dedicated website.

This includes opening hearings, verdicts and sentencing.

Haddad warned that this provision effectively “transforms proceedings into show trials at the expense of the accused’s rights”.

“The provisions governing public hearings… violate the presumption of innocence, the right to a fair trial, and the right to dignity,” Haddad explained. “The framework effectively treats indictment as a finding of guilt, before any judicial examination has begun.”

Israel has been holding an estimated 200-300 Palestinians, including those captured in the country during the October 7 attacks, who have not yet been charged.

The Hamas-led assault on Israeli communities along Israel’s southern fence with Gaza killed at least 1,139 people, mostly civilians, according to an Al Jazeera tally based on official Israeli statistics. About 240 others were seized as captives.

Israel’s subsequent genocidal war on Gaza has killed at least 72,628 Palestinians, including at least 846 since a United States-brokered “ceasefire” came into effect last October.

The war, which United Nations experts say could amount to genocide, has left the Palestinian territory in ruins.

Several Israeli rights groups – including Hamoked, Adalah and the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel – said on Monday that while “justice for the victims of October 7 is a legitimate and urgent imperative”, any accountability for the crimes “must be pursued through a process which includes rather than abandons the principles of justice”.

The bill is separate from a law passed in March that approved the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of murdering Israelis, a measure harshly condemned by the international community and rights groups as discriminatory and inhumane.

That law applies to future cases and is not retroactive, so it could not apply to the October 2023 suspects.

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said the new law “serves as a cover for the war crimes committed by Israel in Gaza”.

The International Criminal Court is probing Israel’s conduct of the Gaza war and has issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant, as well as ‌three ‌Hamas leaders who have all since been killed by Israel.

Israel is also fighting a genocide case at the International Court of Justice.

It rejects the allegations.

Caracas, May 11, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Venezuelan Attorney General Larry Devoe has opened an investigation into the death of Victor Hugo Quero Navas in state custody in July 2025.

“The investigation aims to clarify the facts in a timely and impartial fashion,” Devoe’s statement, published on Thursday, read. “There will be a prompt exhumation of [Quero’s] body in accordance with Venezuela’s penal code.”

Quero’s case drew headlines in recent days following reports that a request for amnesty under the Amnesty Law approved in February was denied, only for Venezuelan authorities to reveal that he had passed away months earlier.

On May 6, attorney Moisés Gutiérrez from the Human Rights and Democracy Coalition NGO informed that the Second Control Court in Caracas had denied amnesty for Quero due to the charges against him, which reportedly included terrorism, criminal association, and conspiring with foreign agencies, falling outside the scope of the Amnesty Law.

Gutiérrez argued that Quero, a 51-year-old Caracas businessman and retailer, was in a situation of “enforced disappearance,” having had no contact with relatives or a lawyer of his choice since being arrested in early January 2025.

On May 4, Public Ombudswoman Eglée Lobato met Quero’s mother, Carmen Teresa Navas, and vowed to “activate institutional mechanisms” to provide information on her son’s judicial case.

However, last Thursday, Venezuela’s Prison Ministry issued a statement disclosing that Quero had died on July 24, 2025, due to an “acute respiratory failure” following a “pulmonary thromboembolism.” Authorities added that he had been detained in the Rodeo I prison in the outskirts of Caracas since January 3, 2025 and was admitted to a hospital with “gastrointestinal bleeding” ten days before his death.

The Prison Ministry reported that Quero was buried on July 30, 2025, and that he had provided no next-of-kin information nor had any visits from relatives. Nevertheless, his mother made multiple documented visits to Rodeo I, only to receive no information on her son’s whereabouts.

The 82-year-old Navas was taken to Quero’s grave on Thursday and demanded a DNA test to confirm her son’s identity. She lamented having spent more than a year visiting the prison and judicial institutions without any answers. There was likewise no public information on any hearings in Quero’s case.

During an October visit to the Ombudsman’s office, Navas was informed of the charges against Quero and that he remained in Rodeo I, despite the fact that he had reportedly died three months earlier.

Following the latest revelations, multiple NGOs have accused Venezuelan judicial institutions of recurring human rights and due process violations. The Justicia, Encuentro y Perdón organization called for an “independent and exhaustive investigation” under the Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death.

Lavoe and Lobato took office in April following a parliamentary selection process. Their respective predecessors, Tarek William Saab and Alfredo Ruiz, have yet to comment on Quero’s case. 

Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez did not address the case explicitly but vowed to take action against “deviations in the justice system.”

“The deviations in the penal justice system exist,” she said during a televised event on Saturday. “I have information and call for action against judges who charge fees to grant amnesty. This must stop.”

Venezuela’s February Amnesty Law grants a blanket amnesty for crimes committed in contexts of political violence since 1999. The law excludes serious human rights violations, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.

According to Venezuelan officials, more than 9,000 people have benefited from amnesty in recent months. A majority of them were not imprisoned but were still facing trial or parole-type measures.

In April, Rodríguez created a commission on penal justice reform, headed by Devoe, referring to “evils that persist” in the judicial apparatus and calling for a “truly humane justice system.” Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, also a member of the commission, said authorities were investigating issues of prison overcrowding and systematic trial delays.

Rodríguez had served as vice president since 2018, while Cabello took over as interior minister in August 2024. In 2021, Cabello headed a parliamentary commission tasked with undertaking a “judicial revolution.” However, complaints of prison overcrowding and poor conditions, as well as due process violations, continued.

Edited by Lucas Koerner in Caracas.

LORNA Luxe rewore her wedding dress to the BAFTA TV Awards in a touching tribute to her late husband – three months after his sad death.

The popular influencer was left heartbroken in February when her husband John passed away aged 64 following a battle with adrenal cancer.

But in a touching tribute, Lorna, 43, opted to wear her wedding gown to the annual event in London, keeping her husband close in her thoughts as she continues to figure out life without him.

Earlier in the week, Lorna had shared on TikTok that she was keen to wear her dress, as it also tapped into the awards’ theme of sustainability, but it was a little loose around her rib cage which was off putting.

But on Sunday, Lorna took to Instagram to show off her glam red carpet look and was wearing the dress, which featured a satin bodice, thin straps and a chiffon drape coming from the cleavage and down around the hips to become the skirt.

Lorna tagged her hair and make up team in the video, and also added: “I’m so chuffed I got the dress altered with @abigailwestrupbridal it fits like a glove.”

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MARTIN Short has revealed daughter Katherine’s death has been a ‘nightmare for the family’ & opens up about her mental health.

The Only Murders in the Building star was left heartbroken in February when his eldest daughter was found dead.

The 42-year-old was found dead inside her Hollywood Hills home after a call was made to police about a potential suicide.

Now on CBS News Sunday Morning, Martin, 76, gave an emotional interview about her passing, and the years she spent battling with her mental health.

He said: “You know, it’s been a nightmare for the family, but the understanding that mental health – and cancer, my wife had – are both diseases.

“And sometimes with diseases, they are terminal and my daughter fought for a long time with extreme mental health, borderline personality disorder and other things as well.

Read More on Martin Short

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Devastated Martin Short steps out for first time since daughter’s tragic death

TRAGIC LOSS

Martin Short’s daughter Katherine was found dead after shooting herself aged 42

“And did the best she could, until she couldn’t.”

He then referred to his late wife Nancy, who passed away in 2010 after battling ovarian cancer, saying: “So Nan’s last words to me were ‘Mart let me go’ and she was just saying ‘dad, let me go’.”

Katherine’s official death certificate from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed she died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

The document also confirmed she had been cremated.

Authorities discovered Katherine behind a locked door inside the property.

A note was recovered at the scene, though its contents have not been made public.

Kyle Loftis, who started filming street racing with a point-and-shoot camera and went on to become a pioneer in car culture media, has died, his company confirmed Wednesday. He was 43.

“We are extremely saddened to share that Kyle Loftis, the founder of 1320video, passed away last night,” the company wrote in a statement posted on social media. “We are in a state of shock.”

No cause of death has been disclosed.

The Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office and Gretna Fire Department in Nebraska responded to Loftis’ home Tuesday night, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said in a statement emailed to The Times.

“Loftis was declared deceased; his death is not suspicious,” the spokesperson wrote. “Out of respect for privacy, we will not be releasing further details.”

According to his LinkedIn page, Loftis attended the University of Nebraska at Omaha from 2000-2005 and earned a bachelor’s degree in management of information systems.

It was there, Loftis said in a 2023 video on his company’s YouTube channel, that his interests in car stereos and photography evolved into a passion for street racing — in particular, capturing races in still photos and on video and making that media available to fans.

“I’m a hardcore ‘car nut’ that’s taken his love for cars and turned it into the most amazing ‘job’ of my life,” Loftis wrote on LinkedIn. “Through my business, 1320Video, I’m able to experience the craziest & best automotive events (fitting my tastes) and share them with millions of people around the world!”

Back in the early days, Loftis posted his work on message boards and sold it on DVDs. For nearly 10 years after college, he worked for PayPal while building his motorsports media business on his own time. He dedicated himself to 1320Video full time starting in January 2015.

Currently, 1320Video has nearly 4 million subscribers on YouTube, more than 6 million followers on Facebook and nearly 3 million followers on Instagram.

“Kyle’s passion for motorsports inspired millions of people around the world and we will never forget what he has done to grow our beloved sport,” 1320Video wrote. “Kyle was a beam of light at every gathering… his enthusiasm, kindness, and creativeness was contagious.

“Let us pray that Kyle is in a better place.”

Garrett Mitchell — the YouTuber and stock car racer known as Cleetus McFarland — posted a tribute to his longtime friend on Facebook.

“Completely shocked about the loss of Kyle,” Mitchell wrote. “The most influential person on my life. We’re crushed. Please pray for his Mother and close friends, they need it most.”

Indiana officials have disclosed the official cause of death for “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” star Nicholas Brendon, who died in March.

The Putnam County Coroner confirmed in a report shared with The Times on Tuesday that the actor, best known for portraying the loyal and wisecracking Xander Harris, died of atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease. Acute pneumonia and a previous myocardial infarction — a heart attack — were listed as contributing factors in his death.

Brendon died March 20, his family announced in a statement on his social media pages. The family said he died of natural causes, which was also confirmed by the coroner’s report. The report also noted that Brendon had “90% blockage” in his right coronary artery. He was 54.

“He was passionate, sensitive, and endlessly driven to create,” his family said on Instagram in March. “Those who truly knew him understood that his art was one of the purest reflections of who he was.”

Prior to his death, Brendon experienced multiple health issues. He was hospitalized in 2022 after he was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect and after suffering a cardiac incident. The “Criminal Minds” star also underwent multiple spinal surgeries to manage cauda equina syndrome, a rare condition in which nerve bundle in the lumbar or sacral spine are compressed or not functioning properly. His serious spinal injury was triggered by a fall in 2021 that required emergency surgery to prevent paralysis, his manager Theresa Fortier said in a statement at the time.

The coroner’s report described the scene of Brendon’s death, noting that because of the actor’s “declining health” Fortier had spent more time with him and notified authorities of his passing. The report confirmed there were no “obvious signs” of foul play and that “nothing seemed out of place or disturbed” in Brendon’s home, which appeared to be under renovation. Fortier told officials that the actor — a longtime smoker — was dealing with a “persistent” cough, complaining about chest pain and “self-medicating” with over-the-counter drugs prior to his death, according to the report. Brendon also declined further medical treatment.

According to the report, Brendon also had a “markedly enlarged heart,” “moderate” blockage in some of his left arteries and small bowel inflammation.

In addition to “Buffy” and “Criminal Minds,” Brendon was known for roles in the TV series “Without a Trace,” “Private Practice” and “Kitchen Confidential.”

Times staff writer Clara Harter contributed to this report.

Four months have passed since US Starfighters breached the Fuerte Tiuna Death Star, captured Darth Maduro and celebrations broke out all around the galaxy. Venewoks in the diaspora embraced a renewed sense that victory, this time, might be permanent. But back in the country, the Empire has managed to reorganize and adapt to the demands of Viceroy Trump and leading members of the Trade Federation. Darth Delcy, albeit disdained by many, is becoming stronger. The rebellion yearns for the return of Master Machado, who isn’t getting the Viceroy’s authorization to negotiate a proper matchup with Darth Delcy and subsequent terms of surrender.

It’s more evident by the minute that Darth Delcy’s plan is to avert the creation of the New Republic by giving the Empire a technocratic, trade-friendly outlook. The path between defeating Darth Maduro and dismantling the Empire has turned out to be treacherous. Master Machado has tried to reassert her leadership by visiting foreign galaxies, but can’t find a breakthrough with the Viceroy.

Delcykrats are trying to conduct a swift takeover of the layered system Darth Maduro inherited from the Emperor. Madurokis are being neutralized or quietly assigned to minor planets, as is the case of Grand Moff Padrino in Agraria. Grand Admiral González López and Envoy Plasencia, old friends of Darth Delcy, are making strides, one within the Imperial High Command, the other across intergalactic diplomacy. Grand Vizier Jorge, Darth Delcy’s cunning brother, is running the senate and recasting the new imperial order through the language of old Scarlet propaganda.

The new imperial order

In Carascant, to keep the Scarlet Coalition from fragmenting, Darth Delcy tries to keep the echo of Stormtrooper boots and official dismissals contained within Imperial Offices. She still has to contend with Diosdado the Hutt, whose power lies in coercion and galactic hunting squads. More than 450 rebellion prisoners, many captured on the Hutt’s orders, are still in Imperial detention centers.

Viceroy Trump looks unwilling to press the ruling Delcykrats as long as he gets unrestricted access to on-demand resources such as kyber crystals and beskar steel. As Darth Delcy’s power and appeal before the Trade Federation has grown, she has terminated initial gestures of reconciliation that were initially needed for appeasement. A new Death Star is in the works, and to build a superior weapon for durable rule, Darth Delcy knows time is her most valuable asset.

Chief Envoy Rubio has reassured Master Machado that the galaxy first needs to stabilize and revive its economy before any transition can take place. Lately, however, the envoys that visit Carascant have said nothing about Republican reform, and a great deal about kyber crystals and the resumption of intergalactic travel.

The Empire does not need either Darth Maduro or Darth Delcy to prevail. It only needs the New Republic project to fail.

Master Machado has also witnessed how the regime restricts the activity of allies like Han Guanipa and Lando Armas, dropping threats every now and then. In the domestic senate, separatist opponents led by Count Capriles have failed to influence Imperial policy. A series of looming Imperial appointments, and the November referendum on Viceroy Trump, can determine Master Machados’ chances to a great extent.

Aligning the interests of the victors of the November referendum with those of the New Republic will be a challenge for rebel aides Mon Meda and Pedro Organa. They won’t just need to keep a level of coordination with allies of growing importance, but to safeguard Master Machado’s position before Viceroy Trump while keeping the new hope alive.

The struggle for Republican foundations

In the coming weeks, the Scarlet Coalition will be forced to appoint a new InterGalactic Banking Board (IGBB) and, even sooner, fill roughly two-thirds of the Imperial High Court. The figures chosen to lead these bodies could prove decisive in shaping the fate of Darth Delcy’s emerging Death Star project. A competent IGBB will be essential for the stabilization phase, key to aligning both the Trade Federation and the Galactic Senate behind the prospect of Venezuela’s economic rebound.

At the same time, a genuinely independent Imperial High Court could become the first meaningful check on Imperial power. The courts are also expected to oversee the Council of Electoral Battles, still controlled by Madurokis whom Darth Delcy has left untouched to avoid triggering her pending matchup with Master Machado. These two institutions will be critical to the third phase that Chief Envoy Rubio is purportedly pursuing, and might determine the success of Viceroy Trump’s plan after capturing Darth Maduro. Control over courts and the Battles Council will determine whether the final electoral contest—backed by the Trade Federation—can take place on credible terms.

The Rebel struggle will gradually shift toward navigating a far more intricate web of factions within a fragmented Trade Federation.

But Darth Delcy is expected to attempt cosmetic reshuffles rather than a transformative change of Imperial personnel. One unresolved question is whether forces aligned with Master Machado, such as national support and diplomatic pressure, will be enough to force a true transfer of power, or whether the Empire will once again adapt without changing.

The near future provides an opportunity for the new order to strengthen. The Trade Federation’s influence over Darth Delcy depends on Viceroy Trump’s grip on power, which will face its biggest challenge in the November referendum. The unchecked power the Viceroy currently has allows him to circumvent any criticism over Carascant. But change in the Trade Federation’s balance of power could make bipartisan support essential for the future of the New Republic.

The Trade Federation’s reckoning

Competing views in the Trade Federation on how to advance with the Empire’s transition will give more time and less scrutiny to Darth Delcy’s actions. It also provides an opportunity for Imperial Envoy Plasencia to bolster views which are more aligned with the Empire. For the Rebellion, the fallout from Viceroy Trump’s eroding grip on power hinges entirely on the alliances Master Machado has tried to forge.

These alliances will likely be essential to maintain pressure and decisively advance the New Republic’s agenda. Nonetheless, Viceroy Trump’s polarizing grip on the narrative has created deep seated resistance amongst potential allies. The struggle will gradually shift away from merely managing and appeasing Viceroy Trump and his Envoys, and toward navigating a far more intricate web of factions within a fragmented Trade Federation.

When Darth Maduro was defeated but no New Republic was allowed to emerge, the Empire did not dissolve, it adapted. Its new faces and colors are not signs of weakness but mechanisms of survival, designed to delay or prevent the formation of a New Republic. “Permanent victory” is an illusion. The Empire does not need either Darth Maduro or Darth Delcy to prevail. It only needs the New Republic project to fail.

What follows for Master Machado and the Rebellion is therefore not a triumphant return, but a sequence of calculated risks. The next chapter will depend on whether Master Machado returns as the leader of a Rebellion or as the effective architect of a New Republic. The Empire is determined to prevent her return or neutralize her immediately. If she returns solely as a symbol of resistance, Imperial forces will seek to frame her as a destabilizing threat to Viceroy Trump’s plan, increasing the risk of escalation against her.

If, however, her return becomes the centerpiece of a multilateral New Republic project backed by the Trade Federation, it would directly undermine Darth Delcy’s strategy. In that scenario, any move against Master Machado would signal to Viceroy Trump that Delcy cannot control the coalition she leads. At the same time, Master Machado’s movement can position itself as a more credible alternative for institutional reconstruction.

This shift, from diplomatic cover during resistance to an instrument of internal legitimacy, opens a narrow but meaningful window for the New Republic’s success.

The past 12o days show that Venewoks have not yet earned their Endor moment. As in the Star Wars movies, dismantling an Empire and building a New Republic will take a long and arduous journey. Normally the credits would unroll now, but the crisis continues and Darth Delcy’s intentions are crystal clear.

Ardal O’Hanlon was a firm favourite on Death in Paradise as DI Jack Mooney before leaving in 2020

Death in Paradise star Ardal O’Hanlon has taken a savage swipe at the show, three years after his exit.

The actor portrayed DI Jack Mooney in the popular BBC crime drama, after joining in 2017. And during his stint, he became a firm favourite with fans, who often dubbed him the programme’s ‘best’ detective.

However, in 2020, Ardal left the cherished Caribbean-set show after three years. During his appearance on The One Show this week, the Irish star reflected on his time on the programme.

Revealing how filming Death in Paradise inspired his new book, A Plot to Die For, Ardal said: “I did 24 episodes. It must have been at least 30 murders. I didn’t even have to read the script, I knew who did it.”

Ardal went on: “When I was there I was always trying to dream up imaginative kind of murders.” Although he then said he “loves” the show, Ardal made a savage swipe at it’s storylines.

“But you would be thinking to yourself, ‘have we not done this plot before?’ You know, someone falling off a balcony again!” as his co-stars and show hosts laughed along with him.

Ardal was previously asked whether Jack Mooney leaving the show was a mutual decision. He told the Mirror: “From day one, it was always going to be like three series.

“As it turned out, I ended up doing part of a fourth series as well, before the handover to Ralf Little’s character [Neville Parker]. So to be honest with you, like you just wouldn’t be fit to do any more than that.”

He added: “It’s very gruelling, and you’re away from home for a very long time. So, you know, that was always the plan, and there was really very little that was going to change my mind about that.”

Ardal also went on to say that he believes the reason for the show’s success is the constant rotation of detectives. He stated: “I think the secret of the show’s success is constantly changing the lead detective, you know, before people get bored with them.”

What’s more, despite enduring “very harsh” weather conditions during filming of the show, Ardal branded the experience a “lovely job to do”.

Death in Paradise airs on BBC One and iPlayer