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Pregnant Nicola Roberts reveals she had secret surgery at 22 weeks to ‘keep her baby in’ as she counts down to birth

NICOLA Roberts has revealed she underwent secret surgery at 22 weeks into her pregnancy.

The Girls Aloud singer, 40, is currently expecting her first child with fiancé Mitch Hahn and is set to give birth in the coming months.

As she counts down to giving birth, Nicola Roberts has revealed she underwent secret surgery 22 weeks into her pregnancy Credit: Instagram/ @nicolaroberts
The mum-to-be revealed that the procedure was done to ‘keep the baby in’ as she shared the news in a post Credit: Getty

In a new post, Nicola shared a myriad of pictures from the last week, and revealed she had actually recovering after undergoing a medical procedure.

Sharing that she had surgery to “keep the baby in” at 22 weeks, Nicola didn’t expand on what had gone on, but did say she was in recovery mode.

The singer wrote to her page: “Some pics I took this week.. Hasn’t it been so nice to really feel spring..

“I’ve been under instruction not to do much since I had the surgery at 22 weeks to help keep baby in.

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The Girls Aloud star is set to give birth in the next month and has been winding down ahead of the new chapter Credit: Instagram/ @nicolaroberts
She is expecting the little one with fiancé Mitch Hahn Credit: Instagram/lilnicola

“Hitting that 34 week mark was a big relief. I now only have a few weeks left. Safe to say, this last bit is not the easiest is it?!

“In one breath, it will be nice to feel more comfortable again but I will also really miss my bump and having this tiny little thing in there”.

In her carousel of pictures, Nicola snapped a selfie in bed with a hot drink as she displayed her blossoming bump.

Whilst another showed the Moses basket she has prepared ahead of the little one’s arrival, with other snaps giving a glimpse into the pregnant star’s relaxed week at home.

Nicola didn’t reveal which surgery she had undergone or why, but there are several procedures which can be carried out mid-pregnancy to prevent problems further down the line.

The singer revealed on Christmas Day that she was set to become a mum for the first time.

At the time, she said in a sweet post: “Mitch and I have had the most magical Christmas Day sharing the most precious news with our families.

“We’ve been keeping a secret. We are five months pregnant!

“We can’t wait to meet our little one in the spring.”

She has been dating businessman and semi-professional footballer Mitch since 2022, with the pair getting engaged two years later.

In April, she reunited with her Girls Aloud co-stars and a number of famous pals for a Bridgerton themed baby shower.

She will have no doubt been getting some parenting advice from her fellow bandmates, who are all doting parents themselves.

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Trump: Israel, Lebanon to extend cease-fire for 3 weeks

April 23 (UPI) — President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that Israeli and Lebanese diplomats agreed to extend their cease-fire by three weeks in talks held at the White House.

The announcement came after the president hosted the countries’ ambassadors for negotiations along with Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michael Issa.

“The Meeting went very well!” Trump posted on Truth Social.

“The United States is going to work with Lebanon in order to help it protect itself from Hezbollah. The Ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon will be extended by THREE WEEKS.

“I look forward in the near future to hosting the Prime Minister of Israel, Bibi Netanyahu, and the President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun. It was a Great Honor to be a participant at this very Historic Meeting!”

During an Oval Office press conference on Thursday evening, Trump announced that Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would both be visit Washington in the next few weeks, though it was unclear if the trips were to occur at the same time.

“They actually like each other, Lebanon and Israel,” Trump said.

U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa thanked Trump and Rubio for arranging the rare meeting between Lebanon and Israel.

“This is 60, 70 years in the making and today is really a historical day,” he said.

“I’m going to keep going, working for a peace that we hope we’ll get it as soon as possible.”

Earlier Thursday, a senior White House official told The New York Times the ambassador-level negotiations originally expected to take place at the State Department. Israeli officials confirmed the meeting with The Times of Israel.

The two countries agreed to a 10-day cease-fire agreement after a first round of talks in Washington, D.C., on April 17, which was the first meeting between Israel and Lebanon in decades. The truce is shaky, though, as Israeli airstrikes have occurred since then, with Hezbollah responding with its own rocket fire.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. speaks during a Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions hearing on the Department of Health and Human Services proposed fiscal year budget for 2027 in the Dirksen Senate Office Building near the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo

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Governor’s race wildly unpredictable two weeks before Californians receive ballots

The most unpredictable California governor’s race in recent history took another set of dizzying turns on Monday, with former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra surging after former Rep. Eric Swalwell dropped out in the face of sexual assault and misconduct allegations, and former state Controller Betty Yee ending her bid.

The race to replace termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom is the first in a quarter of a century with no clear front-runner and a sprawling field of candidates who have been jockeying for the attention of Californians, who are just beginning to pay attention to the campaign two weeks before ballots arrive in their mailboxes.

“I certainly could not have imagined the twists and the disturbing turns that this race has taken,” Yee said as she announced she was dropping out. “But through it all, my values and my vision for California has never wavered.”

A poll released Monday by the state Democratic Party — its first since Swalwell (D-Dublin) dropped out — showed Becerra’s support jumped nine points to 13%, placing him in a tie with Tom Steyer, the billionaire hedge fund founder turned environmental warrior. Former Rep. Katie Porter of Orange County saw a slight bump to 10% from 7%, while the remaining Democrats in the contest were mired in the low single digits.

The party began the surveys out of concern that Democrats could be shut out of the governor’s race because of California’s unique primary system, where the top two vote-getters in the June 2 primary move on to the November general election regardless of political party.

“I continue to believe there are too many Democrats in the field,” California Democratic Party Chairman Rusty Hicks told reporters Monday. “My call for candidates to honestly assess the viability of their candidacy and campaigns still stands, especially if you are stalled in the single digits, seeing financial resources dry up and/or are failing to pick up additional support.”

Hicks and other party leaders and allies had unsuccessfully urged low-polling candidates to reconsider their candidacies before the filing deadline in an attempt to cull the field and avoid splintering the Democratic vote. Though most did not name candidates who they thought should think about their viability, Yee was widely believed to be among them.

Yee became emotional as she said on Monday that she decided to withdraw from the race because she wasn’t able to raise the resources necessary to compete in the state. She also said her message of competency and experience wasn’t resonating among voters who were seeking a fiery foil to President Trump, not “Boring Betty,” as she dubbed herself. Yee said she would assess the field before making an announcement on whether she would endorse one of her fellow Democrats.

Becerra was another candidate believed to be a target of party leaders’ efforts to shrink the field. But he held on and apparently benefited from Swalwell’s downfall.

“I’m not the richest candidate, I’m not the slickest candidate, but I am the guy that’s got you,” Becerra said, rallying supporters in Los Angeles on Saturday.

The audience was filled with members of labor groups backing the longtime politician, and Becerra told them he’d serve as a “union man” in the governor’s office.

Pro- and anti-Becerra forces tussled outside the town hall after two people, who declined to identify whom they were working for, passed out fliers highlighting critical media investigations of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services during the migrant crisis when the agency was led by Becerra.

Pro-Becerra attendees grabbed the fliers and told the men to go away, prompting a security guard to intervene.

The question is whether Becerra, who also served as state attorney general, a member of Congress and a state Assembly member, can raise the funds necessary to compete in a state with some of the nation’s most expensive media markets. And he was tied in the state party poll with a billionaire who dumped an additional $12.1 million of his own money into his campaign last week.

Steyer’s total investment in his bid reached $133 million, according to the California secretary of state’s office. He also received the endorsement of Our Revolution, a progressive political organization founded by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

“We’ve never endorsed a billionaire — but Tom Steyer is using his position to upset the system,” the group posted on X on Monday. “As Our Revolution executive director Joseph Geevarghese told @theintercept, ‘He’s been a partner in the movement. Most billionaires have used their wealth and privilege to lock in the status quo. Tom is doing the opposite.’”

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, who is also running for governor, accused Steyer of hypocrisy for the hedge fund he founded profiting from investments in private prisons being used to house ICE detainees, and Steyer calling for the abolishment of ICE.

Steyer got “rich investing off the ICE infrastructure he now wants to abolish,” Mahan posted on Instagram.

Steyer, who sold his stake in the hedge fund in 2012, has said he ordered the company to divest from the private prison company and has repeatedly expressed remorse about his former firm’s ties with the detention company.

Mahan also appeared Monday at a Hollywood production lot to announce his proposal for a special fund to lure sporting events, concerts and other productions to California as part of his plan to help the struggling film and television industry.

An independent effort supporting Mahan has also raised roughly $11 million since Swalwell left the race.

Mehta reported from Los Angeles and Nixon from Sacramento. Times staff writer Dakota Smith contributed to this report.

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As oil prices plunge below $91 after weeks, a new Hormuz crisis emerges | Oil and Gas News

Brent crude falls more than 9 percent after Iran said it will reopen the strategic waterway, only to shut it down again over US blockade of its ports.

Oil prices have plummeted to their lowest point in weeks after Iran said the Strait of Hormuz was open for passage during a ceasefire in Lebanon, and United States President Donald Trump said he expected to ⁠reach a deal to end the war soon.

Brent crude, the international benchmark, fell more than 9 percent to $90.38 a barrel on Friday, taking it below $91 for the first time since March 10.

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The plunge came after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the strait was “completely open” and would remain so for the duration of the 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, which took effect on Friday.

Hailing Tehran’s announcement, Trump declared the waterway “ready for business and full passage,” but said the US Navy’s blockade of Iranian ports would remain in “full force” until the sides reached a peace deal.

On Saturday, however, Iran rowed back on its decision to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, warning that it would continue to block transit through the key waterway as long as the US blockade of Iranian ports remained in effect.

The announcement came after Trump said the blockade “will remain in full force” until Tehran reaches a deal with the US, including on its nuclear programme.

Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil passes through Hormuz and further limits would squeeze already constrained supply, driving prices higher once again.

Amid the escalation, Pakistani officials say they are trying for more talks between the US and Iran ahead of the April 22 ceasefire deadline.

Meanwhile, ship tracking data displayed by MarineTraffic earlier on Saturday showed a significant uptick in vessels crossing the strait, which is located between Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Oman.

“It’s busy out there, the busiest I’ve seen it since the Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed at the beginning of the war,” Michelle Wiese Bockmann, an analyst at maritime intelligence firm Windward, said in a post on X.

“Last night there were few ships taking the risk but overnight there seems to have been a change.”

While Iran allowed a limited number of vetted ships to transit the waterway since the start of the war, traffic has remained at a trickle compared with pre-conflict levels.

The near-total closure of the strait has triggered one of the worst energy shocks in history, driving up fuel prices and prompting governments to roll out emergency measures.

Oil prices have swung wildly since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, hitting a post-conflict peak of $119 a barrel on March 19.

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Tourists to endure up to eight WEEKS of travel chaos as airlines axe flights

Airlines could face ‘an existential crisis’ in just a few weeks’ time if the Strait of Hormuz crisis continues, an aviation expert has said, amid warnings that more flights could be cancelled

British tourists could face up to eight weeks of cancelled flights and airport chaos this summer as major airlines grapple with imminent fuel shortages, experts have warned.

European giants KLM and Lufthansa announced yesterday that they would be axing hundreds of flights due to the soaring cost of jet fuel – while Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), warned that European airports have only “six weeks or so” of supply left due to shortages caused by the Strait of Hormuz crisis.

The warnings have new sparked fears of disruption just before the busy summer holiday season, with airlines set to slash more routes and cut back on schedules if the crisis goes on.

READ MORE: EasyJet boss warns of summer price hike after £25million hit from jet fuel costsREAD MORE: KLM and Lufthansa CANCEL hundreds of flights as fuel cost soar amid Iran war

One aviation expert said that the period between now and mid-June could prove crucial, as airlines could face an “existential crisis” if the global oil shock has not by subsided by then.

Sally Gethin told the Daily Mail: “The worst case scenario is if this carries on for six to eight weeks and the shortages start really biting. This could pose an existential crisis to airlines – even if they slap on fuel surcharges they still won’t recoup the cost.

“You could be looking at tens of thousands, potentially hundreds of thousands, of flights being cancelled globally. It could affect holiday companies as well, although consumers will be protected if their trips are covered by ATOL.”

The Mirror has approached all of Britain’s largest airlines and airport operators to ask whether they are preparing contingency plans for jet fuel shortages. Simon Calder, a travel journalist, reassured holidaymakers today that Mr Birol’s warning was “a mile off” but accepted prices of foreign holidays are likely to rocket this summer. He told Channel 5’s Matt Allwright Show families should look at holidaying in the UK, such as at Bournemouth, instead.

On Thursday, easyJet chief executive Kenton Jarvis said all the airports it serves are “operating as normal”.

He went on: “We only ever in this industry have three to four weeks visibility (of jet fuel supplies), and that is the same as it was pre-crisis.

“We have visibility to the middle of May, and we have no concerns.

“What we’re seeing is airports and fuel suppliers working well to bring jet fuel to the airports.”

Chancellor Rachel Reeves told the BBC yesterday that Britain has “no issues with supply at the moment” in jet fuel, diesel or petrol as she left a meeting of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington DC.

The IMF this week urged countries to manage energy demand by adopting measures such as subsidising public transport and promoting remote work to combat a surge in energy costs caused by the conflict.

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Nine major airlines that have cancelled flights as fears Europe will run out of fuel in WEEKS due to Iran war

OFFICIALS have warned that there is just weeks of jet fuel supplies left before airlines start running out.

Earlier this week, the head of the International Energy Agency warned that vital supplies remain blocked by conflict in Iran – as a result, many airlines have already started axing routes.

Certain airlines, like Norse, have started cutting back on flight routes Credit: GC Images
British Airways has axed one route completely from April 24, 2026 Credit: Getty

The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is holding up major supply chains which has led to a huge hike in fuel costs – and shortages.

ACI Europe, which represents European airports, said the key trade route must open within three weeks or fuel reserves will run drastically low.

In response, a number of major airlines have been cancelling flights in preparation for shortages – with thousands affected.

Here are the major eight airlines that have already cut back on their routes…

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United Airlines

United Airlines said that five per cent of flights would be cancelled in the second and third quarters of 2026.

With up to 5,000 flights a month – working out to around 4,000 domestic and 800 international routes – this means it affects around 250 flights a month.

United Airlines has the world’s largest airline fleet with more than 1,075 aircraft.

Scandinavian Airlines

SAS was the first major airline in Europe to axe flights because of of the cost of fuel going up.

It said in mid-March that it would cancel 1,000 flights throughout April.

Lufthansa

Lufthansa‘s subsidiary airline CityLine is to cease operations due to both the Iran crisis and ongoing strike action.

The division ran business flights between European airports but will ground its entire fleet of 27 aircraft. 

Flight routes typically connected London to Frankfurt and Munich.

It will also cut six planes from its international fleet after the summer holiday season, warning that the cutbacks could last into winter.

Lufthansa will cease operations of CityLine due to the conflict Credit: Getty

KLM

Dutch airline KLM has cancelled 160 flights for the coming month, but has said it will affect less than 1 per cent of its schedule

The airline insists there is no shortage of jet fuel, saying the move is purely down to spiralling costs.

A KLM spokesperson said: “Passengers affected by these changes will be rebooked onto the next available flight.

“KLM expects a busy May holiday period and is making sure passengers can travel to their holiday destinations as planned.”

Cathay Pacific

Cathay Pacific has confirmed that two per cent of passenger flights will be cancelled from May 16 to June 30.

This will affect a number of regional routes, as well as longer-haul connections to destinations across Australia and South Asia.

Its budget airline HK Express is set to cut six per cent of flights due to increased costs.

Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand announced in March that it will be cutting back on flights over the next two months.

Chief Executive of Air New Zealand Nikhil Ravishankar said the airline would see roughly a five per cent reduction in its services which would continue until the beginning of May 2026.

This reduction equates to around 1,100 flights which in turn will affect 44,000 passengers out of its 1.9million.

Norse

Norse Atlantic Airways has removed all flights to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) from its summer schedule.

A spokesperson said: “Due to the continued increase in fuel constraint risks, fuel prices, and the resulting impact on our operating costs, we have had to make the difficult decision to suspend our LAX operations this summer, May to October.”

Norse operated a summer route from London Gatwick to LA.

British Airways

British Airways will drop its service from London Heathrow to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia permanently from April 24, 2026.

The airline had been operating a four flights a week service since November 2024.

BA said the terminating of the service was due to a shift in demand rather than fuel costs as hasn’t axed any flights because of that so far.

Virgin Airways

Virgin Atlantic announced earlier this month that it would be permanently scrapping its London flight to Riyadh from April 7, 2026.

It said some of the reasons were the “evolving situation in the Middle East” and “operating costs.”

Some airlines have increased prices to offset costs instead…

Rather than axing routes – other airlines have added surcharges or baggage fees…

  • Air France and KLM have have increased their round-trip fares by €100 (£87) on most of their long-haul flights– with an additional charge of €10 (£8.69) for a round trip in economy.
  • Virgin Atlantic confirmed it would do the same earlier this week – passengers in economy will pay an extra £50, in premium economy passengers will pay an extra £180 and anyone in business class will see flights cost an extra £360.
  • JetBlue has increased baggage fees by $4 (£3) for off peak, economy travellers. This will now be $39 (£30) – the cost peak economy travellers will be $49 (£37).
  • The low-cost Spanish Airline Volotea is adding maximum surcharge of €14 (£12.20) per person to flight bookings.

Here’s why you should book your summer holiday now – easyJet boss says.

And here are the European holiday destinations Brits are flocking to instead of Turkey and Egypt due to Iran crisis.

A number of airlines are cutting routes due to the conflict in the Middle East Credit: Alamy

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The Madison’s future confirmed just weeks after first season airs

Taylor Sheridan’s The Madison quickly proved to be a record-breaker just days after its debut.

The Madison has made itself at home on Paramount+ with the streamer now announcing its fate.

Famed for hits such as Yellowstone, Mayor of Kingstown and Landman, creator Taylor Sheridan dropped his latest Western drama The Madison last month on Saturday, March 14.

Starring Hollywood legends Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell, The Madison sees the Clyburn family experience a devastating tragedy which leads them to relocate to Montana in an attempt to heal from the events.

Even though it’s just been a matter of weeks since its premiere, Paramount+ has confirmed that The Madison has now been renewed for a third season, much to fans’ delight.

But given the drama’s quick rise to popularity, news of an early series renewal doesn’t come as too much of a surprise.

The Madison received a staggering eight million global views for its premiere episode in its first 10 days on Paramount+.

It’s officially been named as “Sheridan’s most-watched debut ever” with almost one billion minutes viewed during its first full week after release.

There was no doubt that it was going to return for a second series with filming for Seasons 1 and 2 completed back-to-back However, a Season 2 start date hasn’t yet been announced and until this is known, a potential release date pattern cannot be established for the upcoming third series.

When The Madison makes a comeback for Season 2, Matthew Fox won’t be returning as Preston Clyburn’s (played by Kurt Russell) brother Paul. They both died in the plane crash and while they have both featured in the flashbacks, only Russell will be returning for the second outing.

But going forward, this won’t be the case for series three with Russell already confirming his future absence from the show.

He told TV Insider: “This is a contained experience for me in the show, and I’m very happy about that. It’s been an incredible experience.”

The Madison is available to watch on Paramount+.

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