Note: According to Neil Postman, our society has become saturated with information, leading to a state of meaningless abundance where we are unable to discern what is truly significant or irrelevant, resulting in a lack of understanding about what matters most. This glut of information can ultimately lead to a disorientation and disconnection from the world around us, causing us to lose touch with meaningful experiences and relationships.

This news digest offers a concise summary of the key stories, trends, and insights from both mainstream and alternative media sources, providing readers with a comprehensive understanding of the current state of affairs across various information landscapes. By covering a broad range of topics and perspectives, this digest aims to inform, educate, and inspire readers to stay ahead of the curve in today's rapidly changing world.

Mainstream Media Insights

Note: It is essential to remain critical of what you read in mainstream media because it presents a filtered reality that reflects the vision of the anointed - those who claim to have the solutions to society's problems. By questioning and verifying information, readers can cut through the spin and gain a more accurate understanding of the world, rather than relying on a one-sided narrative.

Trump wants to restore constitutional order and common sense.

In the first month of his presidency, Democrats launched a veritable blizzard of lawsuits against Donald Trump and his new administration.   By my count, a staggering 92 civil actions have been filed in various courts so far. There will be more, to be sure.   Many involve Trump’s executive orders on immigration policy, personnel decisions, dismantling unnecessary agencies, and the efforts by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to identify and eliminate government waste, fraud and abuse.   These lawsuits have one common denominator. They seek to deprive the chief executive of his core responsibility to direct employees and control departments within the executive branch of government. The obvious objective is to debilitate Trump politically.   I WAS A WHITE HOUSE LAWYER AND I FOUND TRUMP'S WAY AROUND THE LEFT'S LAWFARE ROADBLOCKS Having lost the election, Democrats now want to nullify the result by rendering the victor impotent and powerless to govern. Predictably, they have sprinted to the federal courts to obtain restraining orders and injunctions.   Like adolescents whining about their report card, they are begging judges to intervene.   The judicial results so far have been mixed. Trump has netted some important wins and experienced several setbacks. But that was expected. It is early still. Lower courts do not make enduring decisions. The justices of the U.S. Supreme Court do. They are the final arbiters of the law and guardians of our rights.   They act as sentinels standing vigil over our Constitution.   It is the primary role of the highest court to interpret the meaning of that esteemed document, as explained in the landmark 1803 case of Marbury v. Madison.  The Supreme Court defines the parameters of power – what a president or Congress can and cannot do within the confines of our Constitution. Under Clause 1 in Article II, presidents are granted broad authority to supervise and manage the executive branch. It is their "vested" power. This includes making decisions on how money is allocated by various departments, hiring and firing, and the auditing of accounts and expenditures.   THE MOST REVOLUTIONARY MONTH OF ANY MODERN PRESIDENCY By force of statutes passed by Congress, Trump is empowered to delegate those duties or authority. He has done so through his signed executive orders. This is sound stewardship born of common sense.   Many in the Trump-hating media accuse him of plunging the nation into a "constitutional crisis." The benighted pundit class claims he is shredding the Constitution . As usual, their pronouncements are overwrought and uninformed.   In truth, Trump is doing exactly what any responsible president is obligated to do within our constitutional structure. He is serving the public’s interest, which is his solemn duty. He is acting in a fiscally prudent manner, ensuring that your tax dollars are spent wisely and effectively.       This means, for example, no more squandering taxpayer money on divisive DEI policies, counterproductive energy schemes, extravagant foreign expenditures, progressive slush funds doling out grants like free candy, and senseless "woke" ideology gift-bags to leftist allies. The list is a long one.  Lest we forget, this was Trump’s mandate. He ran on the promise of ending a bloated and metastasized administrative state commandeered by unelected, career bureaucrats accountable to no one. He vowed to clean house, reduce the swollen workforce, and institute budgetary integrity, restraint, and fiscal correctness.   RADICAL TRANSPARENCY IS THE SECRET TO TRUMP’S EARLY SUCCESS Already, the scourge of misspent payments and financial excess has been exposed for all to see. With remarkable transparency, DOGE uncovered hundreds of billions of dollars in its "war on waste." So far, the public is substantially grateful. Despite denunciations in the liberal media, most citizens support slashing both the size of government and its profligate spending, according to a recent Harvard CAPS/Harris poll. A stunning 70% are convinced that "government expenditures are filled with waste, fraud and inefficiency," while 77% heartily endorse what DOGE is doing.   While Americans are cheering the success of Trump’s cost-cutting, Democrats are jeering fiscal sanity. Are they in favor of frittering away your hard-earned dollars? By their lawsuits opposing DOGE audits in favor of the reckless status quo, it would seem so. How can this be? The answer is quite simple.  Without thought, Democrats reflexively assail anything that Trump does, even if it makes perfect sense. Stealing a page from their earlier vindictive lawfare crusades against him, they counterattack with more lawsuits. Logic and reason escape them.    THE SUPREME COURT MUST BRING GAVEL DOWN ON ACTIVIST JUDGES HAMSTRINGING PRESIDENT TRUMP All the while, they are oblivious to public opinion. The aforementioned Harvard/Harris poll found that the approval rating of Democrats has cratered to a scant 36%. This is due, in large part, to the 66% who want them to "join the mission of cutting government waste" that Trump is leading.   God forbid that the party which once stood for a decentralized government with limited powers might return to its sensible roots. Instead, the so-called "Party of the People" disregards the people.   For decades, the administrative state has grown exponentially while expanding and weaponizing their power, often against the American people. Democrats, who played an instrumental role in creating this intractable fourth branch of government, now have a vested interest in its perpetuity.   As a consequence, the U.S. bureaucracy has morphed into a behemoth that our Founders could never have envisioned . They would be mortified at its unconstitutionally abusive complexion.      With a national debt that exceeds $36 trillion, it is high time that a president had the courage to wrest control over a rogue bureaucracy and put the government on an Ozempic diet. There are way too many employees doing too little. Some jobs are redundant, if not superfluous. Trimming them along with their budgets will save billions of dollars. HOW TRUMP, AG BONDI CAN PERSUADE DEMOCRATS TO ABANDON LAWFARE The Framers of our Constitution deliberately devised a system of government with a "vigorous" chief executive who would act in the best interests of the people and to secure their privileges. "Energy in the executive is a leading character in the definition of good government," wrote Alexander Hamilton in Federalist No. 70.   Conversely, he reasoned that a feeble executive invariably produces bad government. We have witnessed plenty of bad government in the hands of an enfeebled president over the last four years. His successor now endeavors to right the ship of state with a course correction demanded by the electorate. The wishes of "We the People" should not be ignored. Yet, that is precisely what Democrats are doing.   Here again, Hamilton offers an intuitive explanation. "Men often oppose a thing merely because they have no agency in planning it, or because it may have been planned by those whom they dislike." The regrettable result is that "the great interests of society are sacrificed to the vanity, to the conceit, and to the obstinacy of individuals…"  President Trump is energetically and quite properly exercising the power vested in him by the Constitution.    CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION District court judges who reject his authority over the executive branch may find their rulings rejected by the Supreme Court. Eventually. Why? Because it is not the role of judges to decree policy decisions or render political edicts that conform to their own partisan beliefs.    Far from a "constitutional crisis" as Trump critics howl, this is how our government is supposed to operate in a constitutional republic.  The Supremes are there to serve as the ultimate backstop.   When judges misinterpret the law and hand down erroneous decisions – especially those involving the president – such cases tend to work their way through the appellate process and land inexorably at the nation’s highest court for final determination.   Democrats may delude themselves into believing that their early victories are incontrovertible or otherwise permanent. They are mistaken.   The jurisprudence on presidential authority over executive functions is squarely on Trump’s side as he fights to restore constitutional order and a government grounded in common sense. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM GREGG JARRETT...

Source: Fox News

Axios.

The international order forged after World War II is imploding, squeezed on all sides by the return of strongmen, nationalism and spheres of influence — with President Trump leading the charge. Why it matters: Trump is openly scornful of international institutions and traditional alliances. Instead, he sees great opportunity in a world dominated by superpowers and dictated through dealmaking. Between the lines: Trump's approach is based, according to U.S. officials, in "realism" — and the belief that "shared values," international norms and other squishy concepts can never replace "hard power." "The postwar global order is not just obsolete," Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared at his confirmation hearing last month. "It is now a weapon being used against us." Where the U.S. once helped enforce global norms, such as on trade, Trump is undercutting them. Trump's first term posed newfound threats to 20th-century alliances and structures — NATO, the World Trade Organization, even the UN. A second Trump term could render them virtually obsolete. Zoom in: The frailty of the rules-based order was exposed this week on the preeminent global stage built to support it. At the UN General Assembly on Monday, the U.S. voted against a resolution condemning Russia for invading Ukraine on the third anniversary of the war. It was the first time since 1945 that the U.S. sided with Russia — and against Europe — on a resolution related to European security, according to the BBC's James Lansdale . Nearly all other Western leaders see Russia as a rogue state and an aggressor. Trump sees a potential partner. Data: PassBlue ; Map: Axios Visuals Zoom out: For Europe, which has relied on the U.S. to guarantee its security for the last eight decades, this isn't just a wakeup call: It's an existential challenge that throws the entire transatlantic alliance into question. Germany's conservative leader Friedrich Merz said after his election victory Sunday that his "absolute priority" is to rapidly strengthen Europe so that it can "achieve independence from the USA." "I would never have believed that I would have to say something like that on television," Merz admitted. "But after Donald Trump's statements last week, it is clear that the Americans ... are largely indifferent to the fate of Europe." Trump officials have expressed open contempt toward Europe on a range of issues beyond collective defense, including trade, migration, free speech and culture. "The European Union was formed in order to screw the United States. That's the purpose of it, and they've done a good job of it," Trump said in the Oval Office this week as he floated 25% tariffs on EU goods. "There's a new sheriff in town," Vice President Vance announced in a fiery speech in Munich this month that painted globalism as the downfall of European society. The big picture: In today's multipolar world, the U.S., Russia and China are all racing to secure their strategic interests and solidify — or expand — their spheres of influence. Russian President Vladimir Putin dreams of reconstituting the Soviet bloc and has tried to do so by force — invading Ukraine and meddling in elections across the Western world. China, an economic and military superpower under Xi Jinping, is watching Ukraine carefully as it ponders whether to invade Taiwan and cement Xi's legacy through "reunification." Trump, meanwhile, has broken sharply with his predecessors by calling for the expansion of U.S. territory — potentially to include Canada, Greenland, the Panama Canal and even the Gaza Strip. He's also floated grand bargains with both Beijing and Moscow on everything from trade to nukes. This is great power competition in its purest form, and it's the direction that Trump — to the deep consternation of small and mid-sized countries — seems intent on taking the world. The bottom line: What's old is new again. 80 years ago, three great powers — the U.S., U.K. and the Soviet Union — gathered in what is now Russian-occupied Crimea to decide the fate of a European continent ravaged by war. There at Yalta, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Josef Stalin set the terms for what ultimately led to the Iron Curtain, fueling the decades-long Cold War. "I think that's Donald Trump's mindset. It's certainly Putin's mindset. It's Xi Jinping's mindset. It's not Europe's mindset," former MI6 chief Alex Younger warned last week. "That's the world we're going into."...

Source: Axios

My family gave their lives for me.

My grandfather was born in South Carolina in 1921 and was forced out of school in the third grade because there was no need for an "educated Black boy."  He never learned to read or write, but he had a photographic memory and a spirit of resilience. When I was young, he told me, "You can be a victim, or you can be victorious – but you cannot be both."  Growing up in poverty and being raised by a single mother has given me a profound appreciation for those who paved the way so that I could be where I am today.  HUD TERMINATES OBAMA-ERA HOUSING RULE THAT TRUMP WARNED WOULD 'DESTROY' HOME VALUES During the times of segregation, my mother could not drink from a water fountain, stay in a hotel or swim in a public pool with a White person.  As I think about Black History Month, I cannot help but think about how I have benefited from my family’s sacrifices – and I know I am not the only one.  Their strength and tenacity paved the way for me to persevere in my life.  As the longest-serving Black senator in U.S. history and the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, I have seen firsthand that poverty does not discriminate. Sadly, people from all different races and walks of life struggle to afford basic necessities like food and shelter. It’s our responsibility to keep lifting these folks up – no matter their background, their family history or where they live.  I have developed a plan – built around three legislative proposals of mine – to empower underserved communities like the one I grew up in. By boosting affordable housing, growing small businesses and bolstering my Opportunity Zones initiative, a tool for encouraging investment in distressed areas of the United States, we can positively impact the lives of hundreds of millions of Americans.  Housing has long been a cornerstone of wealth-building in America. Yet today, too many families, especially in low-income and working-class communities struggle to access it.  While the national average for homeownership is 65.7%, we need to close the homeownership gap between low- and high-income households. In 2023, just 47% of households in the lowest-income group were homeowners, compared to 81% in the highest-income group.  This gap directly results from outdated policies and a housing market that has become increasingly unaffordable to the very people who need it most.  My legislation, the "ROAD to Housing Act," will tear down outdated barriers and unlock billions to make homeownership affordable again.  We must expand access to small-dollar mortgages, redefine manufactured housing and modernize public housing. When families own their homes instead of renting them, they build generational wealth and close the wealth gap. We must ensure this opportunity is available to everyone.  Another tool for economic mobility is entrepreneurship.  I know this firsthand.  When I was starting my small business, I went to a bank and looked for an opportunity to get a loan. My best asset then was a 1990, 10-year-old car with 253,000 miles. One would not consider that an asset, perhaps a liability, but it was my only means of transportation.  In those days, people could get a character loan, and because of that loan, my financial life changed, and my American Dream became a reality.  Had I not gotten that loan, I might not be where I am today.  Unfortunately, others have not had the same blessing.  Expanding capital access and reducing regulatory burdens on community banks, which are critical to supporting local and small businesses, will empower first-time and non-traditional entrepreneurs.  My legislation, the "Empowering Main Street in America Act," aims to enhance capital access for a wider spectrum of entrepreneurs, particularly those in underserved communities, including rural/non-metropolitan areas.  My bill has strong support from my fellow Republicans on the Senate Banking Committee because it seeks to streamline regulations for small and newly public businesses that are looking to grow while also fostering new investment avenues for Americans eager to do business locally.  CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION I believe that when businesses flourish, entire communities prosper. Access to capital should not be reserved for the privileged few.  Financial inclusion means ensuring that people who pay their bills responsibly have this reflected on their credit scores, making it easier for them to obtain a loan or take out a mortgage. My legislative efforts have pushed for common-sense reforms because the process of determining a person’s creditworthiness is outdated and not holistic.  When we find the right opportunities, better things will come.  Through my Opportunity Zones initiative, we have unlocked nearly $85 billion in investments for distressed communities. This program successfully encourages long-term, sustainable growth in disadvantaged communities without gentrifying them or displacing the people it aims to help. By renewing the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" and the Opportunity Zones initiative, we will ensure that we continue to drive investments into areas that need them most.  The celebration of Black history should not be limited to a single month; it is deeply rooted in our country’s past, and we should cherish it every day.  The forgotten men and women of this country gave President Donald Trump a mandate. It’s our moment to fight for them and look out for low-income and working-class communities across this country.  CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM SEN. TIM SCOTT...

Source: Fox News

Fans have deduced the reason why Molly- Mae dealt a blow with the latest Maebe fashion drop.

Start of Brightcove Player End of Brightcove Player WHEN Molly-Mae Hague’s debut collection for her clothing line Maebe dropped in September last year, it sold out in just 24 minutes. Fans were desperate to get their hands on the most coveted items in the range – which was pitched as “redefining contemporary womenswear ” – and took to social media in their thousands to boast about their buys. Molly-Mae Hague has been dealt a fresh blow with her clothing range Maebe’s latest Daily Errands drop Instagram/mollymae Maebe The launch of the casual line had been delayed due to a delivery issue, but eventually took place at 7pm on February 27th[/caption] Maebe Prices include the £75 for the Straight Leg Joggers and £85 for the Collared Sweatshirt[/caption] Maebe As of 10am on the morning after the launch, the majority of items were still available to buy in all sizes from 2XS to 4XL[/caption] However, celebrations were somewhat short-lived, as many customers complained about one item in particular – a £140 oversized blazer – and the fabric they said bobbled within minutes. Molly-Mae opened up about the fabric disaster on her Netflix documentary, but things went from bad to worse when she prepared to launch her latest drop – the highly-anticipated tracksuit – in early February. Taking to the Instagram Stories of Maebe’s page , Molly-Mae explained that “due to an expected delivery issue of our full size range… we have had to postpone our much anticipated launch”. “While we don’t have a confirmed release date just yet, the team are working to resolve this as quickly as possible,” she said at the time. ”Thank you for your patience – we promise they’ll be worth the wait.” The Daily Errands line – featuring the tracksuits – dropped on February 27th at 7pm. Items that had been tipped to sell out include the Straight Leg Joggers, £75, which could be paired with the Collared Sweatshirt, £85. There’s also a Mid Length Hoodie, also £85, Wide Leg Joggers for £75, and a fitted shirt for £50. However, on the site the next morning , on February 28th, almost all of the separates were still available to buy in all sizes, from 2XS up to 4XL. And in the comments section of an Instagram snap of Molly-Mae modelling the mocha two-piece to announce the launch, many fans were quick to point out that the prices had stopped them from purchasing. Start of Brightcove Player End of Brightcove Player “I personally think this pricing is crazy for running errands in! It’s just a tracksuit,” one sighed. “Not paying 85 for a top and 75 for bottoms for everyday wear – just wow !!!!” another raged. “£170 on a tracksuit???? Are you for real? Lmaoooo,” a third laughed. “I love the pieces they look so nice but this is majorly overpriced in my opinion,” someone else wrote. “It’s a shame but I can’t justify £160 on a tracksuit.” “Those prices.. no,” another said. Fabulous' Deputy Fashion Editor on Maebe Abby McHale , the Deputy Fashion Editor at Fabulous, has shared her candid thoughts on Maebe… “LOVE Island isn’t synonymous with grown-up sophisticated style but it will be no surprise to fans of Molly-Mae Hague that this is the theme of her first fashion range. The 25-year-old influencer and mum to one-year-old Bambi has done everything possible to shed the villa image – swapping bikinis and lip fillers for comfy clothes and barely there makeup.    Recently, she’s even ditched her Love Island fiance, and father of her child, Tommy Fury – amid allegations of infidelity. So it was inevitable that her exclusive clothing collection, maebe, would be as far removed from glamorous bodycon party dresses as possible.  From that perspective, it certainly does not disappoint.  The range, which dropped last night (Sunday) at 7pm on Molly’s new website maebe.co.uk , was tipped to sell out almost straight away. It features tailored oversized blazers, sharp shirts and denim – all in Molly’s signature neutral palette.  A passion project, as she calls it, which has been two years in the making, Molly said she wanted to bring some luxury to her fans, without the price tag. She said she poured her heart into creating “high-quality pieces” at an “accessible price point.”  Accessible? I’m not so sure – the range varies from £35 to £140 so is pricier than the mainstream high street. But it is a price it seems her followers are willing to pay, even if it is a stretch for their budget.  One fan commented on the maebe Instagram saying: ‘I can already feel my bank account emptying’, with another echoing the same thought, saying, ‘I’m going to have no money left.’ A seasoned influencer, Molly knows how to lure her followers in – even before the brand launched yesterday the maebe account on Instagram had over 800k followers.  And at a sold out pop up event in London last week she gave some lucky fans a sneak peek of the collection, hyping fans in the run up to the event with come-ons like “maebe it’s just not worth missing.” Afterwards, she wrote to her 8.3 million followers, saying:  “I don’t think I’ll ever get over today. Meeting so many of you and celebrating maebe Store has been one of the best days of my life! I can’t put into words how grateful I am for every single one of you who are on this journey with me.” Molly, who is from Hitchin, Hertfordshire, knows that the key to her success is her fans – she has built up a loyal following and they are obsessed with her style so much that they want to be just like her. So now she’s giving back to her ‘community’, allowing them to access clothes designed by her. However, she’s also a shrewd businesswoman. Arguably the most successful contestant to come out of the villa to date, she’s already had six figure clothing deals and a successful beauty range.  She knows that for her fashion brand to be a true success she needs to attract a wider market.  That’s probably why she chose to partner with premium digital magazine Sheer Luxe to have the first exclusive look. This signals who she wants this brand to be associated with – the stylish woman in her mid twenties and upwards, who wants to splash the cash occasionally and prioritises style and comfort. The vibe is less is more – a capsule collection of luxury items that you can mix and match – unlike when she was creative director of fast fashion brand Pretty Little Thing between 2021 and 2023.  Molly describes her brand as being “inspired by my own journey into womanhood and motherhood.”  That comes through in the pieces – they are timeless, sleek and wearable but with a luxe edge.  The campaign was shot in what looks to be a stately home – the whole vibe is giving wealth, but with clothes that are just about affordable to the masses.  And whilst the designs aren’t groundbreaking, they are smart and, for many, worth the investment.  Standout pieces in the collection include the oversized blazers and the seam front jeans – these are sure to be sellouts. However, other pieces, like the knits and basic tops for example, you can find similar in shops such as H&M and Zara.  In the campaign images featuring Molly herself she looks somewhat glum – and who can blame her after the shock split from Tommy Fury last month – but it’s clear that things are looking up for her.  This project will be a welcome distraction and she is once again in control of the narrative, with this brand marking the start of the next chapter of her life. Molly-Mae 2.0 has arrived.  Now in her mid twenties and a mother (she was 19 when entering the Love Island villa), she’s clearly a career driven young woman with big ambitions – and will slot in quite nicely with the fash pack.  She’s already been mingling with A-list models at Paris Fashion Week, having been invited to the L’Oreal show alongside Kendall Jenner and Cara Delevigne.  And we all know of another Hertfordshire girl who went from pop culture icon to front row royalty. Who’s to say Molly-Mae Hague can’t be the next Victoria Beckham? Anything is possible these days.” “I bought a whole jogger set today for less than you are selling 1 thing sorry.” “You need to reconsider your prices,” someone else urged, tagging Molly-Mae. There were some people who took the plunge and ordered from the Daily Errands range though, with one calling the tracksuit “incredible and iconic”. “The brown is 10/10, would be PERFECT for autumn,” another gushed. Molly-Mae’s sister Zoe Rae was among those who purchased the new tracksuit, as she took to her Instagram Stories to share her basket – into which she’d added two pairs of joggers, two fitted shirts, the collared sweatshirt and the hoodie. Her total was a whopping £420. “I’m a happy girl and also a very proud one,” Zoe wrote over the top of a screenshot of her basket. Molly previously said that the criticism she’d received for the Maebe jacket – which she blamed on a fabric mixup – had “massively knocked” her confidence. “It makes me feel crap,” she sighed. “It’s my worst nightmare. I want people to love it, and I want this to be a huge success.” In addition, the same fabric – which was different to the one that had been signed off on – was used to produce two coats in later collections. googleoff: all £170 for a tracksuit??? Are you for real? LMAO! Shocked Instagram commenter googleon: all The error meant that Molly-Mae and her team had to pull thousands of items, with Maebe suffering a massive £500,000 loss. The latest blow surrounding Maebe comes amid rumours Molly-Mae has reunited with ex-fiancé Tommy Fury – the father of her daughter Bambi. Molly-Mae and Tommy, both 25, left fans completely stunned last August after they announced the end of their relationship on social media. However, lately the Love Island stars have been dropping clues left right and centre that they have reunited, which included spending Valentine’s together. They hired a babysitter to take care of their daughter Bambi, so they could get some alone time. Despite Molly-Mae’s friends and  family not being happy  about them giving it another go, Tommy hopes their trip is another step towards getting their relationship back on track. Molly-Mae’s sister Zoe was among those to purchase from the new range, adding £420 of stock into her basket Instagram/zoerae Her first Maebe drop sold out completely in just 24 minutes instagram/maebe The fresh Maebe blow comes amid rumours of a reunion between Molly-Mae and ex-fiancé Tommy Fury instagram...

Source: The Sun

The left still clings to gender craziness despite 80% of Americans opposing it.

What will it take for the left, and their representatives in blue state governments, to stop the gender insanity and admit defeat?  Despite President Donald Trump’s election and the promised return to normalcy on gender issues, some states are refusing to adapt to the obvious "vibe shift" that has happened across the country.  Wisconsin Democrat Gov. Tony Evers supports a budget proposal that would get rid of gendered terms in state laws. Father would be "natural parent." "Mother" would be replaced by the atrocious "inseminated person." Evers argues that changing the words for "mother" to something disgusting like "inseminated person" is just a way to have "legal certainty that moms will be able to get the care they need."  MAINE HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS DEALS WITH NEW TRANS-ATHLETE CONTROVERSY AS STATE'S POLICY COMES UNDER FIRE The Biden administration had previously changed the word for mother to "birthing person" and introduced it in their 2022 fiscal year budget. The added insult is that they featured it in a section about maternal mortality.  Everyone knows this is a political statement, not a medical or even a legal one. No doctor will encounter a pregnant woman and not understand how to give her care even if she chooses male pronouns for herself. Biology remains constant, no matter what the left pushes.  Meanwhile, Maine Democrat Gov. Janet Mills is ignoring a Trump Executive Order that prohibits boys from playing in girls’ sports. It’s not up for debate. Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a letter to Gov. Mills pointedly noting, "Where federal and state law conflict, states and state entities must follow federal law — not because we live in a dictatorship, but because the Constitution requires states to follow the supreme law of the land." Bondi also sent letters to officials in California and Minnesota.  But even setting aside the actual law, allowing biological boys to participate in girls’ sports is a lopsided issue in American discourse, with a great majority, as much as 80% in some polls, saying that boys should not be allowed into girls’ sports. Governors still pushing the idea of biological boys competing against biological girls are representing a shrinking sliver of the American population. The rest of us know it’s wrong.   CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION The Maine House has also taken the extraordinary step of censuring Maine state Rep. Laurel Libby, who posted a picture of a biologically male athlete who won the state championship in women's pole-vaulting. Libby is not allowed to speak on the House floor nor vote over the social media post. This kind of bullying has been standard to literally shut down any conversation on the topic so they don't inflame that 80%.  Charlamagne tha God, the leftist talk show host of "The Breakfast Club," wondered, "Why are folks still talking about trans athletes? Like that is a losing talking point. America’s not with it, and they keep making a micro a macro with that conversation. It impacts such a small, small group of people, but it makes a whole lot of people think folks lack common sense. So why are they even having that conversation?"  It’s because the activists won’t give up. They don’t care that the great majority of Americans don’t support their extremist views. They’ve gotten used to getting what they want through tantrums and name-calling over the last four years, and they think they can force their way into a win now.   However, the election has made it more likely that people will tell them, "No." People are tired of being bullied into accepting increasingly unhinged terminology and behavior. They’re tired of having to accept lies and the erasure of women.  What the activists are going to find is that the Trump administration is ready to fight them, and that fight will be on behalf of most Americans. Blue state governors need to decide if calling women an "inseminated person" is worth it.  CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM KAROL MARKOWICZ...

Source: Fox News

The fans were gobsmacked by the sight of people, a dog, and a parrot living under one roof.

Start of Brightcove Player End of Brightcove Player EASTENDERS fans have been left gobsmacked upon learning 11 people, a dog and a parrot live under ONE roof. Earlier this month, the huge Queen Vic explosion threw Walford residents’ lives into disarray. BBC EastEnders fans spotted an issue involving the Knight family[/caption] BBC The clan have been left homeless after the Queen Vic explosion[/caption] BBC Sonia invited the family to stay with her – after the death of murderer ex Reiss[/caption] Current landlord George Knight and his family were left without a home. Although Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy) invited the clan to stay with her, fans soon saw an issue. In addition to Sonia, daughter Julia and sister Bianca (Patsy Palmer), the Knight/Carter family mean 11 people are now living at No.25. The new arrivals include George (Colin Salmon), Elaine (Harriet Thorpe), Gina (Francesca Henry) and Kojo (Dayo Koleosho). From the Carter side are Linda (Kellie Bright), Johnny (Charlie Suff), as well as children Ollie and Annie. Also present in the household are pet dog Tyson and the parrot Jasper. A fan wrote on X: “So your telling me all of these people (except Anna who I’m fairly confident is staying at Juniors) including a dog and a baby are all living under one roof? “25 Albert Square is the new Slater house.” Another penned: “I have questions. The Carter family moving in with Sonia, just how many bedrooms does that house have!!” While a third chimed in: “What’s Sonia Doing? comforted martin’s second ex wife stacey and offered her house to lindas (now homeless) family.” Start of Brightcove Player End of Brightcove Player Sonia’s former fiancee Reiss Colwell (Jonny Freeman) – who lived at No.25 – died in the explosion. The murderer, who killed comatose wife Debbie last year , arrived as Sonia was giving birth in the Vic’s ruins. Bianca shoved Reiss away, only for a bath to fall from above and crush him to death. Meanwhile, Sonia’s ex-husband Martin Fowler (James Bye) tragically lost his life. Most devastating soap deaths SOAP viewers are frequently left heartbroken after watching some of their favourite characters bite the dust. Here is a list of the most devastating deaths that have taken place in soapland over the years. EASTENDERS Barry Evans – Evil Janine ( Charlie Brooks ) lured her trusting fiance to Scotland for a quickie marriage after learning he was dying.  Her plan to inherit Barry’s fortune was thwarted when Barry told her that the doctors had mixed up his medical files.  Furious that she was no longer set for a windfall, she pushed Barry off a cliff after telling him their love was “fake”.  Bradley Branning – Bradley was accused of killing Stacey Slater’s rapist Archie Mitchell ( Larry Lamb ) after he punched him twice on the night he died.  He was spotted in the Square by a police woman who chased him up a fire escape. Bradley lost his balance and tragically plunged to his death.  CORONATION STREET Tina McIntyre – Tina was getting it on with Peter Barlow – despite him being married to Carla Connor. When she threatened to reveal the truth, Carla’s brother Rob got into a physical altercation with her. Tina lost her footing and fell off a balcony – then warned Rob she was going to tell the cops he pushed her. In a panic, Rob brutally clobbered her over the head with a metal pipe. Molly Dobbs – Molly was one of the victims in Corrie’s 2010 tram crash, alongside Ashley Peacock (Steven Arnold). Married to Tyrone (Alan Halsall), Molly had been having an affair with Kevin Webster (Michael Le Vell) in the months before her death. This resulted in the birth of their son, Jack (Kyran Bowes), who was named after Jack Duckworth. As fate would have it, Kevin’s wife Sally (Sally Dynevor) was by Molly’s side in her final moments. Sally was stunned as Molly confessed Kevin was Jack’s father, before dying of her injuries. Vera Duckworth – Having appeared regularly in Corrie since the 1970s, there was no denying Vera Duckworth was an iconic character. Alongside her husband Jack, the pair formed one of the soap’s most beloved couples. Viewers were heartbroken when Vera was killed off in 2008, being discovered having passed away peacefully in her chair. Liz Dawn, who played Vera, made a brief return two years later for Bill Tarmey’s exit as Jack. Paul Foreman – Fans were heartbroken when Paul Foreman succumbed to his illness after battling motor neurone disease. Introduced in 2018 as David Platt’s (Jack P. Shepherd) cellmate, he later embarked on a romance – and marriage – with vicar Billy Mayhew. The MND storyline was announced in 2023 – with the expectation it would result in the character’s death. EMMERDALE Sarah Sugden – After the family got into financial problems, Sarah’s son Andy ( Kelvin Fletcher ) decided to make some quick cash from an insurance company by setting fire to the Sugden barn. He didn’t realise his mum was inside the building, and she got trapped in the blaze. Nine villagers – The shocking 1993 plane crash episode brought in 18 million viewers for Emmerdale. Mark Hughes was killed by a falling wall, Archie Brooks was burned by jet fuel, Elizabeth Pollard was killed by debris and newcomer Leonard Kempinski died in a car crash caused by the crash.  Five other non-recurring characters from the village also died.  HOLLYOAKS Carmel McQueen – The talented singer died in shocking scenes when a train crashed into a her family’s car. Carmel managed to free her cousin Theresa from the rubble – but got stuck in it herself. Moments later the train exploded and Carmel died in the arms of her family members, promising to be their guardian angel. He stayed behind to rescue true love Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner), only to be crushed by a steel beam. The fruit and veg flogger later succumbed to his injuries as a heartbroken Stacey watched on. It has since been revealed Martin and Sonia’s daughter Bex (Jasmine Armfield) will return to Walford for her dad’s funeral. EastEnders continues on BBC One and iPlayer. PA The Knight family arrived on the Square in 2023[/caption]...

Source: The Sun

Gene Hackman's wife was found dead in a Santa Fe estate.

A criminal investigation into the death of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, launched Wednesday after New Mexico authorities found the couple and one of their dogs dead in their Santa Fe home. Detectives believe that the circumstances surrounding the death of Hackman and his wife, a classical pianist, are suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation. Officials confirmed no external trauma was seen on either Hackman or Arakawa, and the case remains open pending autopsy and toxicology results.  In a search warrant affidavit obtained by Fox News Digital, officials revealed that Arakawa's body was found decomposed with bloating on her face and mummification in her hands and feet. Hackman was also found to have the same signs of decomposition as his wife.  Former NYPD cold case investigator Joseph Giacalone questioned the color of the skin on the decomposed bodies, which wasn't noted in the search warrant affidavit. GENE HACKMAN AND WIFE'S DEATHS CALLED 'SUSPICIOUS,' BODIES SHOWED SIGNS OF ‘MUMMIFICATION’ "Was the house really hot? Did they have a lot of clothes on? The heat can get the bodies into those stages faster," Giacolone said.  "You have different stages that you look for, like the liver mortis, which is the purple-ing of the body, and what we call the dependent areas you could tell by how long somebody has been dead. This is all approximate stuff." He added, "How long have the bodies been there? You can generally determine this based on the stiffness that you see. So, from an investigator's standpoint, there are clues. This is something, ultimately, the medical examiner or medical legal investigator will weigh in on. But detectives generally have a good idea about what they're looking at." When two Santa Fe County patrol deputies arrived at the scene, they walked to the front of the residence and found the front door ajar. They did not observe any signs of forced entry into the home, according to the warrant. GENE HACKMAN'S DEATH MOURNED BY HOLLYWOOD: ANTONIO BANDERAS, GARY SINISE, FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA REMEMBER STAR After officers entered the residence, they immediately observed a bathroom to the left of the front door. The door to the bathroom was opened, and they discovered the body of Hackman's wife lying on the floor. An orange prescription bottle was also found near Arakawa. The prescription bottle appeared open, with pills scattered on the countertop. Former forensic death investigator Joseph Scott Morgan spoke about the ongoing investigation on "America Reports" Thursday.  "We've heard about pills being scattered about, and pills being scattered about and pills being ingested are completely different," Morgan said.  Morgan said he was also interested to know more about the space heater which was found nearby Arakawa's body, in addition to a test for the carboxyhemoglobin levels.  GENE HACKMAN DEAD AT 95: HIS LIFE IN PHOTOS "Not just on Mr. Hackman and his wife, but also, I would imagine, somebody involved in veterinary medicine will also attend to this dog as well, to see if there is any carbon monoxide in their system regardless of what the fire department says about what was there and what wasn't there," Morgan said. GENE HACKMAN, WIFE FOUND DEAD AT SANTA FE ESTATE: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE PROPERTY "You have to be very thorough, very painstaking in this case. They'll do full-body X-rays, they'll do exhaustive external examinations before they ever do a full autopsy." WATCH: NEW DETAILS IN GENE HACKMAN DEATH, PILL BOTTLES FOUND ON SCENE Dr. Michael Baden, former chief medical examiner of New York City , forensic pathologist and Fox News contributor, explained that authorities are likely waiting for a toxicology report which would include testing for carbon monoxide poisoning.  "It looks like they died of some kind of toxicity," Baden said. "I think carbon monoxide is the first thing they have to look for in the autopsy because if it's carbon monoxide in the body, it wouldn't go away." LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS Baden explained that carbon monoxide is "so tightly bound to red blood cells, that it'll stay there for years." He also noted a major indication of carbon monoxide poisoning is "the color of the skin."  "A pink color of the skin makes it obvious right away that it's carbon monoxide poisoning, but in a decomposing body, you couldn't see that color very clearly," Baden said. With regard to the mummification process, different variables can come into play, including weather. Baden said the process can happen anywhere from a few days to a week or so due to higher temperatures. Authorities most likely didn't note any skin changes due to the decomposition stages of the bodies. "The decomposition really changes the color of the skin," Baden said. Questions still remain about how two of the dogs survived without their owners to care for them. It's unclear how long Hackman and Arakawa had been dead when officials discovered their bodies, but the search warrant affidavit indicated their two dogs were "healthy" when authorities found the animals. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER Maria Dello, a dog trainer and nutritionist, explained to Fox News Digital that the German-Shepard breed would never harm their owner, especially under these circumstances. "They would protect them. You know, these dogs, they would die for you," Dello said. "They're such loyal companions. They live for their owners." The deceased dog was found near Arakawa's body in a closet of the bathroom, but two healthy dogs were also on the property. One was running loose, while the other was seen near Arakawa's body. "If I had to speculate, the one that died was probably elderly," Dello said. "They're tough dogs. They're used in the military." During their investigation, the sheriff's department did not discover any visible trauma. They have not ruled out the couple being victims of a double homicide, suicide, accidental death or natural causes. Dello noted, "You can't live with three German-Shepards and someone enter your house – wouldn't happen." Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza confirmed with Fox News Digital separately that the gas company and fire department additionally responded to make sure there were no toxic fumes that would endanger the deputies during their search. The New Mexico Gas Co. is working with the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department in the investigation....

Source: Fox News

Apple and app developers have a responsibility to keep kids away from adult content.

At 15, I downloaded Grindr, uploaded a photo of my bare chest, and created a profile with a fake alias. Initially uncomfortable, my curiosity grew as I encountered usernames like '"looking for young" and "discreet hookups only." Seeing LGBTQ+ sexuality displayed so openly was a relief and made me realize, Oh, there are gay people everywhere. Months of deleting and redownloading Grindr culminated one night after a long day of school, dance and homework. The Grindr notification sounded , and the guy I chatted with the night before was back online, suggesting we meet. Despite my hesitation, his "now or never" pleas led me to crawl out of my bedroom window. My parents were supportive and open-minded when raising my younger sister and me. They did almost everything right, according to many trusted parenting experts , by granting me freedom and lessening restrictions as I grew into an older teenager. I also know that the reverse of this, commonly known as helicopter parenting, can drive a wedge between kids and their parents, leading to rebellion . Because of these widely accepted truths, I believe the urge to explore sexuality as a teen is natural.  So why do many LGBTQ+ kids seem to find that independent exploration online instead of offline?  Teenagers who identify as heterosexual are not only allowed to explore their sexuality openly and comfortably but are celebrated for doing so (e.g., nearly every adolescent film and television show of the last 75 years). But in 2023, one-fourth of high schoolers in the U.S. identified as LGBTQ+ , according to data from the Centers for Disease Control. Of that one-fourth, many are likely in school environments that make them feel unsafe when exploring as openly as their heterosexual counterparts. And they are outnumbered. I believe this to be a large reason why LGBTQ+ teens turn to the online world for exploration and connection — like I was clearly craving when I snuck out of my house — leading to queer teens being 3 times more likely to experience unwanted or unsafe interactions online.   That night ended when I saw the guy's truck turn down my street. I hid behind a bush, deleted the app after his messages and stayed off Grindr until college. After hearing about experiences like this, most people feel lost and confused about who to blame. Was it Grindr’s fault for allowing a minor to weasel their way onto an adult hookup app? The parents that didn’t know the app was downloaded? What about Apple, which couldn’t prevent the adult-only app from being downloaded by a 15 year old? To answer this, I think about who I would blame if my puppy, Stormy, suddenly got sick from a chemical in her newest chew toy. I would first wonder why the toy didn’t go through thorough safety testing; then I would ask why a store allowed it on the shelves in the first place. This logic is missing when tech executives continue to shift the blame back and forth between the app itself and the app marketplace . Both the Apple App Store and Grindr were responsible for my safety. A lot has changed for better and worse about Grindr since my time on the app. Just this year, the company established new safety and privacy features . Grindr also has seen more users speaking openly about a diminished user experience.   Apple just released new child safety features for the Apple App Store. But it is not enough. While not showing and advertising apps rated as inappropriate to kids is an important step, it does not account for developers who mis-rate their apps. Apple claims their app store is a “safe place for kids ,” but in a report I worked on with my colleagues at Heat Initiative and ParentsTogether Action , we found 200+ risky or inappropriate apps in the Apple App Store rated as appropriate for kids as young as 4. What is the fix for this? SEE ALSO: Apple's child safety changes put more of the onus on app developers I still believe that Apple’s App Store will continue to be a risk for youth unless it implements third-party reviews of app ratings. Just like movies , television programs , and video games , these experts would assess the risk to children and give an age rating in the best interest of kids – not the best interest of Apple or the app developer. Big Tech must be held accountable for building safe products and services. Clearly, app store marketplaces still have serious changes to make, but the tech companies developing these apps must design them with safety as the top priority. This includes thorough ways of verifying age, especially considering many of these apps are accessible without a mobile app . Lives depend on it. As we continue navigating tech safety, we have to balance new measures with privacy concerns. Adding additional steps like ID verification is an uncertain act for many LGBTQ+ youth in the Trump era. Basically, we have to ensure our data is protected from entities who could hurt us . So, whether it’s a mother, like Kristin Bride, who lost her son after he was cyberbullied on anonymous apps he got off of the App Store or the queer teens assaulted after sneaking out to meet someone they met on a hookup app , Big Tech’s negligence is contributing to harm, and it must stop. Lennon Torres is an LGBTQ+ advocate who grew up in the public eye, gaining national recognition as a young dancer on television shows. With a deep passion for storytelling, advocacy, and politics, Lennon now works to center the lived experience of herself and others as she crafts her professional career in online child safety at Heat Initiative , aiming to bridge the gap between online safety and LGBTQ+ representation through intentionally inclusive strategies. Lennon’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennon-torres-325b791b4/...

Source: Mashable

The suspect brother's alibi could bolster his insanity defense.

The Princeton, New Jersey, man known as a star student in high school who is now accused of killing his brother and a family cat likely had a mental health breakdown that ultimately destroyed his family, according to a legal expert. Matthew Hertgen, 31, is accused of murdering his 26-year-old brother, Joseph Hertgen, in the family's Princeton apartment, allegedly with a knife and golf club. He is also charged with animal cruelty related to the death of a cat. One of Matthew Hertgen's friends from Toms River High School told Fox News Digital that he has "nothing bad to say" about the former soccer player, who went on to study at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. Joseph Hertgen also played soccer at Toms River before he was recruited to the University of Michigan. "He was just a cool kid who played soccer, got good grades, funny," the friend said, adding that "Matt was a cool guy" and the recent news "just doesn’t sound like him." PRINCETON PREPPY ACCUSED IN BROTHER'S GRUESOME MURDER HEADS TO COURT: WHAT TO KNOW But that was about 14 years ago, when both Matthew and Joseph had their whole lives ahead of them. One high school yearbook page shows that Matthew Hertgen, along with another female classmate, were voted "Best All Around." More recently, Joseph was working as an analyst at Locust Point Capital in Red Bank at the time of his death. Matthew's professional career remains unclear.  In May and September of last year, Matthew shared some disturbing graphic poetry as well as strange abstract artwork on his Facebook profile. PRINCETON MAN SHARED EERIE POEMS ON SOCIAL MEDIA BEFORE ALLEGEDLY KILLING FORMER STAR ATHLETE BROTHER, CAT "These are brilliant individuals. The intellectual ability is there," attorney Daniel Gotlin of Gotlin & Jaffe in New York told Fox News Digital of the Hertgen brothers, but he added that Matthew "obviously" had some "mental health issues." Gotlin, who is not involved in the Hertgen case, successfully tried a mental health defense in 2014 while representing a man accused of fatally stabbing his mother. He believes Matthew's public defenders will consider an insanity plea for the 31-year-old suspect, which would ensure that he is kept in the custody of a mental health facility rather than prison until and if he is determined not to be a threat to society. SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER "There's absolutely no doubt he's got a phychiatric disorder," he said. "I don't know what kind of physical evidence they have on him, but if [prosecutors] have got a good case, you've got to look at a psychiatric defense." Gotlin believes it is "very unlikely this guy would see the light of day" if he were to be committed to a mental health facility. PRINCETON MAN ACCUSED OF KILLING FORMER STAR ATHLETE BROTHER, CAT WITH GOLF CLUB, KNIFE NEAR IVY LEAGUE SCHOOL The defense attorney noted the possibility of schizophrenia, which typically appears in men when they are in their late teens and early 20s through their late 20s. Hertgen appeared virtually for a remote pretrial detention hearing in Mercer County on Thursday morning. His family was not in attendance. WIFE OF MURDERED MINNESOTA PASTOR CHARGED IN ALLEGED PLOT TO KILL HUSBAND ON MISSION TRIP: CHURCH Assistant deputy public defender Jason Matey, assistant prosecutor Tim McCann and Judge Amber Gibbs ultimately decided to reschedule for March 6 to allow both prosecutors and the defense more time to gather discovery, or information about Hertgen's case. Princeton police initially responded to a 911 call on Feb. 22 around 11:16 p.m. reporting a fire and a dead body at the Michelle Mews Apartments complex. Upon arrival, police found Matthew Hertgen, who was determined to be the 911 caller, in the residence along with his brother's body, which "exhibited signs of blunt force trauma and lacerations," the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office said in a press release. Police believe Matthew may have ripped out his brother's eye and tried to eat it, a law enforcement source told the New York Post. Authorities have yet to describe any kind of motive related to Hertgen's murder charges. NEW ORLEANS ‘BOURBON STREET HUSTLER’ SUSPECT IN SUPPER BOWL REPORTER'S DEATH MAY BE TIED TO 2ND FATALITY: POLICE Gotlin said that while it's uncommon for people from affluent families to descend into a mental health crisis that ends in death, it is not unheard of. He mentioned the case of Luigi Mangione, the suspect accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December on a sidewalk in Manhattan. Mangione graduated valedictorian from the Gilman School, a private all-boys high school in Baltimore, in 2016. He went on to receive his bachelor's and master's degrees in computer science from the University of Pennsylvania in 2020. "It's not common, but the best example of it is Luigi Mangione. He grew up, went to the best schools, private schools … and he's obviously mentally ill," Gotlin said. "There's no question about it. People get sick. Mental illness is something, unfortunately, the medical industry hasn't really conquered." Joseph Hertgen was pronounced dead at the scene, and his autopsy results are pending. Local and state officials are investigating the 26-year-old's death as a homicide. An investigation into Joseph's death is ongoing. ...

Source: Fox News

We have expert-tested soundbars that will upgrade your TV setup.

Building a home entertainment system that checks all the boxes takes time. Likely, if you're reading this, you've found the right TV for you , set up smart lights for ambiance, and now, you're ready for the next step: investing in a soundbar. A good soundbar can make watching a movie in your living room feel more, for lack of a better word, cinematic. When it comes to finding the soundbar that can do that for you, however, the path is a little less straightforward. While it's entirely possible for you to dive into figuring out what exactly Dolby Atmos is or understanding the pros and cons of a subwoofer, you can save yourself a lot of time by seeing what the experts have to say. SEE ALSO: 10 Sundance movies you should know about now Ty Pendlebury tests and researches TVs and home entertainment tech for CNET, a sister site of Mashable also owned by Ziff Davis. He's been testing audio-visual equipment, including soundbars, for over 20 years. "I reckon I’ve reviewed over 100 soundbars in my time," Pendlebury wrote to Mashable. When creating CNET's guide for the best soundbars , he tested soundbars in the CNET AV Lab , using several different types of media including movies, music, and games, to determine which soundbars sound the best. Below, we've combined Pendlebury's testing results and expertise alongside Mashable's most recent soundbar reviews to select three of our top picks for the best soundbars. Is it worth getting a soundbar? Built-in TV speakers are typically located at the back of the TV, pointing down, which isn't the best position for optimal sound quality. At the most basic level, soundbars fix the issue by directing the sound outward toward the room. So what does that fix cost? Soundbars can run anywhere from as low as $75 to easily over $1,500. Obviously, that's a wide range, but most of the selections in Pendlebury's guide, and the soundbars we've tested at Mashable in past years, fall in the the $200 to $700 range. To simplify your search, we'll be pulling picks that sit roughly in the low, middle, and high points of that range. SEE ALSO: How to watch the Oscars this weekend: Which streaming service do you need? Ultimately, opting for a soundbar lets you improve the audio experience of your TV, while costing significantly less than investing in an entire speaker system . How to choose a soundbar Beyond price, soundbars have a few more features worth considering, but that doesn't mean the buying process requires you to be versed in a ton of tech terminology. In fact, Pendlebury told Mashable, "Thankfully, buying a soundbar is a lot easier now than it used to be," due in large part to most having an HDMI connection, which allows for the easiest plug-and-play experience with your TV. Along with connections, here are a few more features you'll see highlighted with soundbars on the market these days: Dolby Atmos Dolby Atmos is essentially the name of a type of spatial audio designed to deliver a three-dimensional audio experience. To clear up a couple of misconceptions off the bat: In the same way not all headphones with active noise cancellation perform equally, not all soundbars with Dolby Atmos will give the same sound performance across the board. Our upgrade pick, the Sonos Arc Ultra, comes with Dolby Atmos. Credit: Sonos Perhaps even more important to note is that while Dolby Atmos offers a more immersive sound, it's not exactly the same experience as getting true surround sound. "The biggest misnomer about soundbars right now is that if it has a Dolby Atmos sticker, it can do surround sound, especially if the soundbar is only $200," Pendlebury explained. "It needs dedicated speakers if it’s going to do surround sound. While height is easy to replicate, sound is literally bounced off the ceiling. I’ve never heard sounds coming from behind me in a speaker that sits under the TV. Dedicated surrounds provide the best experience." Subwoofers and surround sound As Pendlebury explained, to achieve true surround sound or exemplary bass sound, you'll need dedicated equipment. Simply put, you'll need multiple speakers. If you want true surround sound, you'll want to take that into account when determining where your budget may sit for a soundbar. For instance, even though our upgrade pick, the Sonos Arc Ultra, provides excellent sound designed to be immersive, it can't achieve the same surround sound that it would without dedicated speakers to help it out. SEE ALSO: Razer BlackShark V2 Pro review: The best gaming headset I've ever used The same goes for subwoofers — a soundbar on its own can have great bass playback, but the best way to achieve the home theater experience is to get a subwoofer. While none of our picks below have one included, they all have compatible ones available for additional purchase. That said, our alternative budget pick, the Vizio 2.1 soundbar, does come with a six-inch subwoofer and two wired satellite speakers. Connection types As mentioned above, most soundbars these days offer HDMI connections, making it incredibly easy to get your setup going. However, you might prefer to also have Bluetooth or WiFi connectivity. As with many other device types, Bluetooth offers a simple way for you to connect to a soundbar and stream audio from devices like your phone, but as Pendlebury explains, WiFi offers a distinct benefit "as it means you can stream Spotify, for example, without running your battery down -- like you would with Bluetooth."  Smart features Smart features , like voice assistance integration, are also relatively commonplace these days (see: our Bose pick literally having smart in the name). Still, the execution isn't all the same. While even the most budget-friendly picks can work with AirPlay, more mid-range options may give you flexibility on how your soundbar is integrated into your smart home, and even, as with the Sonos Arc Ultra, can be used independently as smart speakers, even when the TV isn't on. SEE ALSO: Rate your favorite smart home gear for a chance to win a $250 Amazon gift card We also want to note that soundbars exist for computer setups, but for the purposes of this guide, we chose our top picks based on TV selections . (If you're looking for some audio options for your computer, you can check out our guide to the best Bluetooth speakers ). Best soundbar for most people Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose Smart Soundbar $499.00 at Amazon Shop Now Why we like it Check out our full review of the Bose Smart Soundbar. The Bose Smart Soundbar isn't the cheapest option out there, but for folks who want more than the bare minimum features, it's a great option with powerful sound that doesn't demand a ton of space on your media console. "For most users, I think this soundbar hits the sweet spot in terms of features, sound, and value for the dollar," wrote Mashable contributor Timothy Beck Werth in his review of the soundbar. Beck Werth tested the soundbar with TV shows, music, and movies, and found that the Bose soundbar offered a far superior experience than the built-in speakers on his TV. The bass sounded pronounced without losing clarity, while everything from music to F1 races sounded balanced. Perhaps best of all, Beck Werth reported, "For TV shows, I was able to turn off closed captions for all but the most accent-heavy shows." Bose's AI Dialogue Assist feature also helped clarify vocals even more, offering hope to anyone who's become a little more reliant than they would like on closed captions. SEE ALSO: The Bose QuietComfort earbuds are a decent budget option from the premium brand This performance is thanks to the five different transducers (including two that point upwards to bounce sound off the ceiling) and central tweeter. Again, if you're looking for more than the bare minimum, you'll find that in the inclusion of Dolby Atmos, which Beck Werth said made the sound quality "really [sing]," where it was available. While there's a lot to praise, it is worth noting this soundbar doesn't come with a subwoofer, but you can connect your own or purchase one down the line, giving it some solid upgrade potential. As for your connection options, this mid-range pick offers plenty, with connectivity available through HDMI, WiFi, Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay, Google Cast, and Spotify Connect. And as it's a smart speaker, it also works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. The previous generation of this soundbar, the Bose Smart Soundbar 600, is CNET's top pick for the best compact Dolby Atmos soundbar . As it was phased out last fall with the release of this soundbar, we recommend opting for the newer version, which is easier to find in stock. Best budget pick Opens in a new window Credit: Roku Roku Streambar $129.99 at Amazon Shop Now Why we like it Check out CNET's full review of the Roku Streambar. The Roku Streambar is CNET's top pick overall for the best soundbar (and an Editors' Choice award recipient), but despite the accolades, it's available at an incredibly budget-friendly price. If you're shopping for your first soundbar or simply looking to upgrade your sound system while spending less than $150, the Roku Streambar is your best bet. Alongside an upgraded sound system, opting for this soundbar will give you access to the 4K Roku streaming interface, giving you an easy way to watch all your favorite streaming services , from Netflix and YouTube to Disney+ and Hulu. The included remote makes navigating the Roku interface especially easy, and it can work to turn your TV on and off. While combo products often mean that something is sacrificed in the process, Pendlebury called the Roku Streambar the answer "if you want to be able to hear your TV better , particularly vocals, and also enhance its streaming capabilities," especially if you don't already have a streaming device in your setup. (If you do already own a streaming device, the Vizio 2.1 soundbar is another great option that clocks in under $200 and comes with a subwoofer). The four internal speakers may not offer absolute top-of-the-line sound (the bass could be better on this soundbar), but you'll find that it offers a noticeable boost to the quality and depth of the sound from your TV, especially with dialogue. The Streambar's compact size (it clocks in at 14-inches wide) means that while it can't compete with soundbars that simply have the space to create a fuller sound, it's not a bad trade off for folks who are short on real estate for speakers in their TV setup. Plus, if you decide you want to upgrade the sound profile, you can purchase a Roku subwoofer for $130 (and still be spending nearly $250 less than you would on the also subwoofer-less Bose Smart Soundbar). Alongside the HDMI connection that works with your TV's HDMI ARC or Optical outputs, the Roku Streambar is also compatible with Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay, Google Home, Alexa, and of course, Roku Smart Home. Best upgrade pick Opens in a new window Credit: Sonos Sonos Arc Ultra $999.00 at Amazon Shop Now Why we like it Check out our full review of the Sonos Arc Ultra. We know — this soundbar sits firmly on the high end of the price spectrum, but we wouldn't be including it if we didn't think it was worth the price. The Sonos Arc Ultra is a true upgrade pick, offering some of the highest-quality sound for under $1,000 you can get. As Mashable contributor Timothy Beck Werth put it in his review: "While a single soundbar can't compete with the booming speakers you'll hear in a movie theater, this speaker gave me the closest match to that experience I've ever had in my living room." The Arc Ultra achieves that feat through its impressive hardware, which includes 14 drivers and 15 Class-D digital amplifiers. Of course, it also comes equipped with Dolby Atmos and the brand's Sound Motion technology. All of this comes packed in a package much bigger — and much more sleek looking — than something like the Roku soundbar, meaning that you'll want to make sure you have space cleared on your media console. The result is that even without a subwoofer or any peripheral speakers, Beck Werth said he could "feel the bass in my chest. It really felt like sandworms were exploding out of the desert all around me," as he watched Dune . SEE ALSO: How to watch 'Dune: Part Two' at home: Where is it streaming? This is the level of sound quality you'd expect from a soundbar that's twice the price of our top pick for most people and nearly eight times the price of our budget pick. But naturally, that's not where our praise for it stops. Despite delivering top-of-the-line performance, it's incredibly easy to use, plugging and playing via HDMI just as well as our less expensive picks. With "a single tap on my phone screen," Beck Werth was able to sync the soundbar to his TV and remote, with the Sonos app helping him connect Spotify, Amazon Music, and Alexa with just a bit more effort. Beyond the initial setup, the Sonos app can also be used to activate Trueplay, which helps you get the absolute most out of your speaker by adjusting the audio based on the layout and acoustics of the room the speaker is in, so you don't have to fiddle endlessly with audio settings. And when your TV is off, you can use the Arc Ultra as a smart speaker via voice control. But if you'd rather not have the mic on 24/7, Sonos also included an option to toggle that off. So what's the catch? Obviously, you're paying for what you get, but beyond that, we really didn't have many issues with the Arc Ultra. The last thing we can stipulate is that even for as good as it sounds, it won't replace a setup with dedicated speakers and subwoofers to create true surround sound, but that's less a knock against Sonos and more a reality of any audio setup....

Source: Mashable

Gene Hackman's health regime was revealed as a pal says the star's wife put him on a lean diet.

Start of Brightcove Player End of Brightcove Player LEGENDARY actor Gene Hackman was put on a “strict” lean diet by his pianist wife before he passed away in his sprawling New Mexico home . Cops in Santa Fe revealed the star, 95, was found dead alongside wife Betsy Arakawa, 65, and their dog in their plush $3.8 million mansion. Getty Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa at the 60th Golden Globes[/caption] Splash The last picture of Hackman and his wife, from March 2024[/caption] BackGrid Gene and Betsy were found dead at his $3.8million home[/caption] Authorities now believe the couple may have been dead for weeks before their bodies were discovered , with one of them showing signs of “mummification”. A close pal of the Oscar-winning star has now revealed that his wife put him on a “strict” health regime. Doug Lanham, a close friend and former business partner, told TMZ that a health-conscious Betsy made sure Gene was “eating right” and was always following a lean diet plan. He added: “Betsy took it so seriously, Doug says Gene was only able to sneak a cheat meal when they were out golfing.” Mr Lanham said that Gene used to visit Jinja Bar & Bistro – a restaurant he once owned – to have a meal. However, he only ordered halibut or rice-paper salmon rather than a big steak because of the strict diet Betsy had put him on, according to the longtime friend. Hackman was  last seen publicly  with Betsy in March 2024 at a restaurant in Santa Fe. He appeared frail as he used a cane and grabbed onto his wife’s arm for support when walking. The couple were on a dinner date in Santa Fe, New Mexico, heading into Pappadeaux’s restaurant. The Hollywood legend had celebrated his 94th birthday just weeks before his last pictures were taken. Earlier in the day, the couple were also seen visiting a local Speedway store, where Gene bought a cup of coffee and an apple pie. Mystery still surrounds the shock deaths as the pair were found in separate rooms and one of their dogs was dead while the others miraculously survived, Sheriff Adan Mendoza said. Start of Brightcove Player End of Brightcove Player A heartbreaking 911 audio captured the moment a caretaker discovered the bodies  of Gene and Betsy on Wednesday afternoon . Deputies rushed to the couple’s mansion at around Wednesday afternoon and saw both of their bodies, which had been dead for some time. Cops have now labelled their deaths “suspicious” because the door to their home was found open but there was no sign of forced entry, according to the  affidavit . A Santa Fe detective reportedly said a dead woman, believed to be Betsy, was found in a state of decomposition. Cops said she was found near a prescription bottle “opened with pills scattered on the counter-top” and “no obvious signs of a gas leak”. This investigator added Gene was found fully clothed, with his sunglasses next to his body, in a wet room, suggesting he could have fallen suddenly. Officials have warned that any official update on the cause of   Hackman’s tragic death   may still take a painfully long time to emerge. It is believed to have taken an agonising 12 hours to formally identify the couple, with their deaths only being confirmed Thursday morning. It comes as… The star was  found dead alongside his wife Betsy Arakawa  and their pet dog at their home in Santa Fe, cops said. Gene was last spotted with his wife in 2024  just weeks after his 94th birthday Cops have not revealed the acting legend’s cause of death but say  there are no signs of foul play Police also said an  “active investigation” has been launched  into the couple’s shocking death Tributes to Gene and Betsy  pour in from fellow Hollywood actors and stars Gene made a haunting  comment on his “fear” of death The actor’s pal revealed how he went from the  least likely to succeed at school  to a two-time Oscar winner Gene had a “difficult” relationship with his kids and  lost touch with his son The  police statement  has been released in full How Gene  met his second wife , who he was married to for 34 years, at the gym Gene’s daughter suggests the pair could have been  poisoned in a gas leak Prince William  called the actor a “true genius” in a touching tribute Police have said they don’t suspect any foul play was at hand but have been unable to provide any official answers as of yet. Investigators said they did not find a suicide note and there were no blatant signs of trauma to their bodies. A new theory suggests Gene could have suffered a sudden collapse that might have led to his tragic death. Chris Ramirez, spokesperson for the New Mexico medical investigator’s office, told The Sun confirmation from the medical examiner’s office could still take anywhere between four to six weeks. But the legendary actor’s daughter, Elizabeth Jean Hackman, told  TMZ  they believe the couple may have died from toxic fumes which caused carbon monoxide poisoning. Although authorities have rejected the claim, saying no traces of carbon monoxide were found inside the house. In a statement, Gene Hackman’s family said: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy. “He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us he was always just Dad and Grandpa. “We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss. “Elizabeth, Leslie and Annie Hackman.” Heartbroken daughters Elizabeth and Leslie were seen grabbing breakfast together at a Denny’s restaurant on Thursday morning. Youngest daughter Leslie revealed she hadn’t spoken to her dad in the months before his tragic death . Mega Elizabeth (L) and Leslie Hackman (R) have been seen for the first time since dad Gene Hackman’s mysterious death[/caption] Getty Gene Hackman with wife Betsy and his daughters Leslie and Elizabeth in 1996[/caption] HEARTFELT TRIBUTES Floods of messages  from fellow Hollywood stars and even royalty have poured in to remember the acting legend and his special career. Prince William said he was “so sad” to hear the heartbreaking news about Gene and his wife. The future king said: “Hackman was a true genius of film who brought each and every character to life with power, authenticity and star quality.” American actor  George Takei  said Gene’s work “will live on forever”. Takei said: “We have lost one of the true giants of the screen. Gene Hackman could play anyone, and you could feel a whole life behind it. “He could be everyone and no one, a towering presence or an everyday Joe. That’s how powerful an actor he was.” The great filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, who worked with Gene in the 1974 film The Conversation, remembered him as a “great actor”. Coppola said: “The loss of a great artist, always cause for both mourning and celebration: Gene Hackman a great actor, inspiring and magnificent in his work and complexity. “I mourn his loss, and celebrate his existence and contribution.” Gene’s Superman co-star Valerie Perrine called the actor a “great”. Perrine said: “He was a genius and one of the greatest to grace the silver screen. I had the honour of working with him on Superman.” Fellow Hollywood star Antonio Banderas also left a touching tribute this afternoon. Banderas, who starred alongside Hackman in 1995 film Desperado, said on X: “A very sad day for the cinema’s family. “My deepest condolences to friends, family and cinema lovers.” A STELLAR CAREER Hackman’s breakout moment was in Bonnie and Clyde in 1967, where he played Buck Barrow. But, he was known for starring in Superman movies, and hit films like Mississippi Burning and Unforgiven. He played the supervillain Lex Luthor in Superman, Superman II, and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. Hackman also starred in the hit movies Runaway Jury, The French Connection, The Royal Tenenbaums, Unforgiven, and The Conversation. In 1972, he scooped the Best Actor gong for his role as Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle in The French Connection. He appeared in the movie’s sequel in 1975. In 1993, Hackman won the Best Supporting Actor award for his role in the western flick Unforgiven. Hackman played Little Bill Daggett in the film that also starred Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, and Anna Thomson. Unforgiven scooped four Oscars, including Best Picture. Hackman appeared in four westerns during the 1990s. The others were: Geronimo: An American Legend, Wyatt Earp, and The Quick and the Dead. But, he also appeared on stage. Hackman’s last Broadway appearance came in 1992 when he played Roberto Miranda in the play Death and the Maiden. When he quit acting, it was feared that the decision was linked to stress. He admitted he struggled to balance family life with the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. Hackman wasn’t just a film star; he starred in TV series such as Brenner and The F.B.I. But after his final role, he left the bright lights of Hollywood and moved to New Mexico. He was rarely spotted and liked to enjoy Wendy’s drive-thru meals. In his later years, he suffered from minor health problems. In 2012, Hackman was struck by a car when riding his bike. He was rushed to a Miami hospital with serious injuries. “Gene’s fine,” his agent Susan Madore said at the time as she downplayed any fears. “Just a few bumps and bruises.” The incident happened eight years after his final movie role. And, it was just weeks before he turned 82....

Source: The Sun

Ruben Amorim's Man Utd system is being spoiled by Bruno Fernandes' Steven Gerrard syndrome.

Start of Brightcove Player End of Brightcove Player MANCHESTER UNITED are looking to find a silver lining in their woeful season by winning the FA Cup but will need to beat Fulham in the fifth round on Sunday to move a step closer to that goal. The Red Devils beat Ipswich 3-2 earlier this week despite being down to ten men, but are still flattering to deceive in many ways. Getty On today’s Tactics Exposed we break down why Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-3 is not working[/caption] Reuters Bruno Fernandes’ ‘Steven Gerrard syndrome’ is both a blessing and a curse for United[/caption] EPA Rasmus Hojlund will need a big turnaround to prove he is the solution at Man Utd[/caption] A young, talented Portuguese manager could prove a huge thorn in the side of Man Utd when Marco Silva ‘s Fulham visit Old Trafford . The Cottagers have gone under the radar for how good a season they are having, sitting in the top half of the table. Meanwhile, Man Utd’s various shortcomings have been well-documented with Ruben Amorim ‘s system still failing to get the best out of this squad. So how might the ex-Sporting boss look to tackle the next match against Fulham? Our latest episode of Tactics Exposed, in association with Betfair , will hopefully have the answers to all your questions. Why is 3-4-3 not working? Amorim’s 3-4-3 system worked wonders at Sporting Lisbon , winning two Portuguese titles and many other accolades. So why is it yet to translate over to England ? We took a range of questions from fans about Man Utd’s tactics ahead of their clash with Fulham The simple answer to start with is that many of these players have never played the system before. Manuel Ugarte , Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt to a lesser extent are the only players familiar with the system, and the lack of specialists in various positions including central midfield and wing-backs are a huge issue. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS So why does Amorim insist on playing 3-4-3? Well the idea is quite simple: Because the wing-backs provide overloads in all positions on the pitch. When defending, you have a back five, when in possession, you have a four-man midfield instead of two, and when attacking, you have a front five. Start of Brightcove Player End of Brightcove Player Before signing Patrick Dorgu , United lacked a specialist wing-back. Amad Diallo was tried out there before he was moved into the front three, Alejandro Garnacho did not work there, while Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui are not quick enough to excel. At Sporting the system worked so well because there was a lot of trust given to players. We should note this was often against sides who many would consider inferior opposition, which is not a luxury as readily extended into the Premier League. Ultimately, as Amorim has warned, it will take time. Players have been left isolated by moving out of their positions Another reason this system is failing is that players are moving out of position, leaving them overloaded instead of the opposition. For example, if a long ball is played into the right channel for Rasmus Hojlund to run on to – which prompts a wing-back, one of the tens and a midfielder to step up – when possession is conceded back to the opposition they end up being overloaded and exposed on the other side of the pitch. This happened five or six times against Ipswich, where Ugarte moved out to right wing-back to get the ball, but the wing-back was out wide, so he did not get the ball. Fulham will doubtless look to block the passing lane off which will then leave them outnumbered in trying to find passing solutions. This all comes from the simple fact United players are not being utilised properly when building up. Is Bruno Fernandes overrated? We looked at whether Fernandes is doing too much at Man Utd Our latest episode of Tactics Exposed, in association with Betfair , has given us the chance to directly answer some of your questions. And one of the most heavily debated stars in the Premier League is Bruno Fernandes, as seen with Roy Keane’s explosive argument with Ian Wright earlier this week. The raw numbers tell a story of Fernandes being the star man of Man Utd’s team, with six goals and seven assists in the Premier League and 23 goal contributions across 39 games in all competitions this season. However, as is always the case in football , you have to look a bit deeper to find the real answer, which can often have more than one truth. In one sense, the stats are completely right and you can’t fault his effort. But in his duty as club captain, Fernandes is actually taking on too much responsibility and is therefore disrupting Amorim’s system which is actually quite rigid with defined roles for a number of players. Fernandes has recently been the left-sided midfielder in the central pivot after moving back from one of the two attacking midfield roles. But that has created its own new problem. In the system, the central centre-back, two central midfielders and striker should generally remain in a set position. But Fernandes is suffering from something I will dub “ Steven Gerrard syndrome”, where he is trying to do everything and putting the team off balance. While it means he gets on the ball a lot and has a heat map across the entire pitch, Fernandes’ effort ends up creating an overload which favours the opposition. Against Ipswich he would often move into the back three, therefore creating a four, which paired with Ugarte drifting out wide it ends up allowing the opposition to have many extra numbers in attacking areas. So how do you fix this issue? As we mentioned earlier, it comes down to trust. Most teams defend in a 4-4-2 shape, and if Fernandes remains disciplined by staying in his area, it can open passing lanes and create the overloads the Amorim system is designed to create. Of course there is the argument Fernandes is only doing too much because those around him are not pulling their weight. Again, this may be true, with many United players seemingly playing in a cowardly manner and lacking courage. Fernandes needs to learn to trust his team-mates more by handing them more responsibility, but at the same time they need to step up their game to get near the 30-year-old’s level. Rasmus Hojlund is not the answer, is he? We also looked at how Hojlund could yet come back at Man Utd Our third comment on this edition of Tactics Exposed, in association with Betfair , dismisses United’s frontman Hojlund as not being up to the standard required. The answer, like with Fernandes, is deeper than the surface level numbers show us. His profile, a big, quick player who is handful for defenders, would indicate a player who should be perfect for the system. But goals are simply not coming for the 22-year-old. Hojlund’s last Premier League goal came on December 7, 13 league games ago. Yet the Dane has found himself to be an increasingly isolated figure by being forced to often battle a box of four players around him – usually being two defenders and two defenders. Even the likes of Erling Haaland would struggle against those odds. Watching him shows he is making lots of runs into the channel and running along the line of the defence, but he is simply not getting the ball in areas where he can be dangerous. Joshua Zirkzee ‘s spell as a No10 and the lack of true wing-backs have hurt the service for Hojlund. You have to feel sorry for him, and it is no surprise he looks like a broken man. His main challenge now is to shake off his current form and clear lack of confidence and find a way to be more effective in his runs by conserving energy . Man Utd need another striker to help Hojlund, whether that new ace plays alongside Hojlund or simply gives him a chance to be out of the first team for a bit by taking some of the pressure and workload off of him. In their 2-1 midweek win against Wolves, Fulham ironically scored two goals typical of Amorim’s system – both came from their number nine, Rodrigo Muniz. The first goal saw Muniz battle off two defenders to lay it off to one of the attacking midfielders before the ball was played to attacking wing-back Ryan Sessegnon , who scored. In the second half, the ball was played into a wide position with the No10 dropping into space before the No9 was played in on goal with a diagonal run. Another perfect Amorim goal. It stands to reason that Fulham could match Man Utd’s 3-4-3 this weekend, like they matched Wolves, and show them how it is done. Man Utd ratings vs Ipswich as Maguire saves the day after Onana makes case to be WORST ever signing MANCHESTER UNITED eased their fears of the drop in a topsy-turvy relegation six-pointer with Ipswich. The Red Devils triumphed 3-2 despite playing the second half with ten men. A major cock-up from Patrick Dorgu and Andre Onana saw Ipswich take a third-minute lead through Jaden Philogene. Then, after United had recovered to lead 2-1, Dorgu saw a straight red card for a poor challenge on Omari Hutchinson. Philogene scored again to level it before the break only for Harry Maguire to nod in to be United’s saviour. But who was United’s best player on the night? Here, SunSport’s Phil Thomas reveals his Manchester United player ratings…...

Source: The Sun

Jeff Bezos slammed Washington Post's latest opinion shake-up as a terrible tragedy.

Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos was criticized by liberal commentators after his Wednesday announcement of major changes to the paper's opinion section, with critics accusing him of bending the knee to President Donald Trump. The New Yorker's David Remnick joined MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Thursday to discuss the Post and said, "This is a terrible tragedy. This is the paper of the Pentagon Papers and Watergate and so much more." "And Jeff Bezos bought The Washington Post for half the price of his boat, and he has treated it like a rubber dinghy, and it is a terrible tragedy," Remnick continued. He argued that Bezos was "throwing up his hands and kissing the ring of the president of the United States," out of fear of the president, "who is behaving himself as an incipient authoritarian." Bezos announced on Wednesday that the Post opinion page would be completely revamped, focusing on "writing every day in support and defense of two pillars: personal liberties and free markets." The opinion editor for the paper, David Shipley, also stepped down. WASHINGTON POST OWNER JEFF BEZOS WANTS MORE CONSERVATIVE OPINION WRITERS AT PAPER: REPORT The Post's publisher and CEO, William Lewis, also issued a statement on the changes on Wednesday, saying, "This is not about siding with any political party. This is about being crystal clear about what we stand for as a newspaper. Doing this is a critical part of serving as a premier news publication across America and for all Americans." The Post came under fire after Bezos stopped the editorial page from endorsing former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024 over Trump, prompting several staffers to leave the paper. The paper endorsed former President Biden in 2020 and Hillary Clinton in 2016.  Former Washington Post editor Marty Baron also slammed the Post during a conversation on "Morning Joe" Wednesday, when host Joe Scarborough asked him to talk about the shake-up, which he said was shocking. "I’m in favor of free expression. You know, it’s right there in the First Amendment. And news organizations have always honored free expression by having a variety of points of view on their opinion pages." Baron said.  "But Bezos now is just shutting that down. And he’s saying that only his point of view is going to be represented on those pages. And that really is a betrayal of the heritage of the Washington Post. And I think a betrayal of the very idea of free expression," he added. WAPO COLUMNIST CALLS OUT JEFF BEZOS' ‘BULLS--- EXPLANATION’ ON NON-ENDORSEMENT: ‘BENDING THE KNEE’ TO TRUMP Axios founder Jim VandeHei told "Morning Joe" that Bezos was among multiple owners of media companies who were "buckling." "I’m surprised he didn’t just shut down the opinion page," VandeHei told MSNBC. "Put all your money into reporting if you want to be the ‘Paper for all of America’ – which is the way he’s been describing it. You probably need a lot of reporters in America to do the job. And so the idea of, kind of, replicating the Wall Street Journal or The Economist and then also saying, ‘Hey, if you don’t agree with our opinion, there’s no way you’re going to be on the pages.’ It just sounds weird." CNN's Abby Phillip had two panelists on during her show Wednesday night who said Bezos' latest announcement was just part of the problem.  "I now use the hashtags #broken Times and #brokenPost. The headlines in both papers, I think, are constantly off, constantly trying to soft-pedal what‘s going on," Jeff Jarvis, a professor at Stony Brook University, said.  "We are in the middle of a totalitarian fascist coup in this country. And when we don‘t call it that, when we soft-pedal it, when we don‘t have a real discussion about it — at least here I can say those words, we can have that discussion, but you will not see those words in The New York Times or The Washington Post," he continued. Another panelist, Touré, an author on Substack, agreed and added, "if we were being honest, there should be a breaking news banner on CNN and MSNBC all day long, ‘We are in dictatorship right now.'" WASHINGTON POST UNION, STAFFERS REVOLT OVER DECISION NOT TO ENDORSE A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, BLAME BEZOS Jarvis also reflected on Bezos' focus on personal liberties and free markets. "It’s a ridiculous word game that’s going on here. I mean, who doesn‘t believe in individual liberties? Who doesn‘t believe in free markets? Until a month ago, we lived in a democracy, in capitalist country. Now we‘re in an oligarchy and a plutocracy, and things have changed," he said.  Jarvis added, "He‘s signaling that he’s going to use these kinds of made-up words to say, ‘I‘m with Trump.’ And as you said, it‘s his paper. He owns it. He can drive it in the ground, which he’s doing, having lost 300,000 subscribers after not endorsing Kamala Harris. It’s his choice, but it’s an important institution in this country that he’s destroying." The move also prompted criticism from prominent Democrats, including California Sen. Adam Schiff.  "In the guise of advancing ‘personal liberty’ the Washington Post will constrain the liberty of its editors to publish opinions not advancing its owner’s business interests," Schiff tweeted.  CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE "Turns out democracy dies in the hands of oligarchs," Rep. Morgan McGarvey, D-Ky., said. Politico's Michael Schaffer wrote in a column for the outlet's magazine on Wednesday that democracy was "dying in darkness," a reference to The Washington Post's slogan. "In personally announcing that he was dramatically re-orienting the editorial line, and in fact wouldn’t even run dissenting views, Bezos added another sharp example to a narrative that represents a grave threat to the Post’s image: The idea that its owner is messing around with the product in order to curry favor with his new pal Donald Trump, who has the power to withhold contracts from Amazon and other Bezos companies," Schaffer wrote.  The Washington Post did not immediately respond to a request for comment. ...

Source: Fox News

The best new beauty products are tried and approved by a beauty editor.

I TRY tens, if not hundreds, of beauty products every month – but they’re not all created equal. These are the best beauty editor launches of this month. Tara Ledden Beauty Editor Tara Ledden with this month’s best beauty launches[/caption] At the minute, everywhere I look, I see cherries. Pinterest predicted the fruit would be a major theme this year, and it seems the social media site was right. Cutesy cherries adorn supermarket pyjamas, celeb bikinis and, now, beauty products. GLOSSIER Glossier’s Balm Dot Com has taken social media by storm[/caption] Glossier Black Cherry Collection, from £16 SHOP HERE Glossier Black Cherry Collection, from £16 , contains cherry-red shades of blush, lip liner, eyeliner and, my favourite, the lip balm. It smells (and tastes) like tart cherry sweets, while delivering a universally flattering dark-berry tint that’s both hydrating and long-lasting. ELEMIS This viral cleanser melts away make-up[/caption] Elemis Pro-Collagen Black Cherry Cleansing Balm, £49 BUY NOW Another viral sensation, Elemis Pro-Collagen Black Cherry Cleansing Balm, £49 , is a limited-edition, upgraded version of the brand’s bestselling cleanser. The cherry, almond and vanilla scent is so addictive, and makes removing my make-up feel like a treat rather than a chore. soap & glory This is the latest edition to my bodycare routine[/caption] Soap & Glory Limited Edition Cherry Wild Refreshing Body Wash, £4.99 BUY NOW Soap & Glory Limited Edition Cherry Wild Refreshing Body Wash, £4.99 , is the latest cherry-themed product to make it into my routine. It lathers well, leaves my skin feeling clean and moisturised, and the cherry scent is subtle enough not to be cloying or synthetic.  BEST NEW PERFUME DIOR BEAUTY Take your favourite Miss Dior perfume on the move[/caption] Dior Miss Dior Mini Miss Solid Perfume, £67 BUY NOW Another major theme this month has been perfume. My favourite of the lot is Dior Miss Dior Mini Miss Solid Perfumes, from £58 , which I mistook for tinted lip balms when they landed on my desk. Thankfully,  I clocked the scents before they got near my lips. Available in three classic Miss Dior fragrances, you wind up the bullet and rub on to pulse points – genius! This spritz is perfect for spring Fenty Beauty Parfum Hair + Body Mist, £43 BUY NOW Fenty Beauty Parfum Hair + Body Mist, £43 , shares the same rose, musk, tangerine and magnolia notes as Rihanna’s debut perfume, but it’s lighter and more subtle than the original spicy scent, which makes it perfect for spring. JO MALONE Take a chance on rose with this delicate cologne[/caption] Jo Malone London Taif Rose Cologne Intense,  £112 for 50ml EDP BUY NOW I’m usually not a fan of rose scents –  I generally gravitate to more unisex, fresh fragrances –  but from first sniff, I’ve been obsessed with Jo Malone London Taif Rose Cologne Intense,  £112 for 50ml EDP . The rose comes from the Taif mountains in Saudi Arabia, where the cool climate means the rose isn’t at all heavy. Plus, adding coffee and amber gives it a warming, invigorating twist that’s anything but old-fashioned, and makes it more gourmand than floral.  BEST NEW MAKE-UP When it comes to make-up, larger-than-life, voluminous lashes are here to stay. BENEFIT This mascara sweeps lashes to new heights[/caption] Benefit Badgal Bounce Mascara, £27 BUY NOW Benefit Badgal Bounce Mascara, £27 , has an innovative double-sided brush so you can load up your lashes with the ultra-black pigment right from the root, then comb it through to ensure there are no clumps. I’ve been using it most days, and there’s an adorable mini version that has become a mainstay in my handbag. RABANNE Boost lash health with this volumising mascara[/caption] Rabanne Rockstar Mascara, £29 BUY NOW Just as volumising, Rabanne Rockstar Mascara, £29 , contains conditioning castor oil to keep lashes strong and boost growth, and the XXL fibre brush has 600 bristles to catch every lash. The one-step process makes it slightly quicker to apply than Benefit’s, but the latter’s smaller brush means you’re less likely to accidentally get mascara on your nose or brow bone.  Why do women lose hair in winter? Anabel Kingsley, Consultant Trichologist and Brand President at Philip Kingsley spoke exclusively to Fabulous. You can experience increased hair fall in winter for many reasons, such as due to dietary changes, illness, stress levels and compromised scalp health. We do know that dandruff and a flaky scalp are more common in winter, which in turn can increase hair fall. People also tend to shampoo less often in the winter, which can lead to the illusion you are losing more hair than usual. The more days you leave between cleansing your scalp, the more hairs you will see when you do as they accumulate. Another thing to note is that winter is flu season, and high fevers usually cause hair shedding. Due to the nature of the hair growth cycle, you don’t notice hair fall straight away – it takes from six to 12 weeks for it to occur. BEST NEW SKINCARE Wildsmith Skin is one of the most under-rated British skincare brands. Every beauty editor I know loves it, but it flies under the radar outside of beauty circles. So, consider this my attempt to change that. The brand launched not one, but two treatment mists this month, and they’re both phenomenal. WILDSMITH SKIN Refresh on the go with these innovative mists[/caption] Wildsmith Super Treatment Mists, £40 each SHOP HERE Wildsmith Super Energising Treatment Mist, £40 contains uplifting daisy, lemon balm, bergamot and camomile alongside hyaluronic and amino acids to hydrate and brighten skin. Wildsmith Super Moisturising Treatment Mist, £40 contains the same hyaluronic and amino acid blend, as well as comforting rose, neroli and calendula to soothe reactive, irritated skin. I use them interchangeably, both on a clean face after cleansing, but also over make-up during the day when my face starts to feel tight or dry. If you have  a beauty-obsessed teen in your life (or maybe you’re spending as much time on TikTok as Gen Z), you may have already heard about the next two new launches.  BYOMA Flood your skin with moisture while evening tone and texture[/caption] Byoma Phyto-Mucin Glow Serum, £14.99 BUY NOW Byoma Phyto-Mucin Glow Serum, £14.99 , is the vegan alternative to the snail slime K-beauty trend. If you can get past the slimy texture, it’s a real powerhouse. Fear not, once on skin it isn’t sticky, and it hydrates while evening out tone and texture – I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t benefit from slotting it into their routine. I’ve been struggling with dry skin this month, and the morning after I first used the serum my skin immediately felt better – so I’ve been using it twice a day since. the ordinary Moisturise, soften and increase skin luminosity[/caption] The Ordinary Multi-Active Delivery Essence,  £10.60 BUY NOW The Ordinary Multi-Active Delivery Essence,  £10.60, also suits all skin types. Glycerin, propanediol and glycogen work together to moisturise, soften and increase luminosity, and the water-like consistency pairs well with all skincare formulations, so you won’t have to change your  routine. It’s also been clinically proven to double the penetration of The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%, £5 – given niacinamide is my favourite skincare active, it’s a perfect match! ...

Source: The Sun

I am a mum of five on benefits and I am facing forever debt because I skip eating so my kids can have heating.

Start of Brightcove Player End of Brightcove Player SIPPING a cup of tea while nibbling on half a piece of toast with a single slice of banana, Stef Hammond wonders how she will manage to get her family through another day. Wrapped in three jumpers, a beanie, and gloves, the 45-year-old mother knows that this modest breakfast will likely be all she can afford until dinner. Supplied Stef Hammond is a single and living off Universal Credit[/caption] Supplied She also works 16 hour shifts as a carer[/caption] Supplied The mum-of-five is in debt due to sky rocketing energy bills[/caption] Living in a four-bedroom council house in Grantham with her three daughters, aged 20, 16, and 15, and her nine-year-old son, while her eldest son, 23, has moved out, Stef isn’t a “super scrooge” or “money miser.”  She’s simply one of the 6.27 million people in Britain on Universal Credit , trapped in the painful “eat or heat” dilemma. This week, it was announced that energy bills will rise for millions of households this spring . The energy regulator Ofgem confirmed the new price cap, set to take effect on April 1, 2025. For those not on a fixed deal, the average dual-fuel bill will rise from £1,738 to £1,849 per year, an increase of £111, or £9.25 a month. “I was in floods when I heard this. I choose between heating and eating daily now,” the mum-of-five tells Fabulous . “I’ve been going without all winter just to make sure the kids have their meals, uniforms, clothes, and their needs paid for. “I can’t remember the last time I had three meals a day. As a mum, I make that sacrifice. This price hike is a body blow for me, I’m often left in tears worrying.” She continues: “I’m already relying on food banks and the Bread and Butter Thing charity to ensure there’s food in the cupboard. This latest hike is crippling for single mums like me.  “I don’t know what I will do. It’s leaving me forever poor, in forever debt.” Start of Brightcove Player End of Brightcove Player The Bread and Butter Thing is a community scheme that provides affordable food to families who are struggling.  It offers a low-cost weekly shop filled with essentials – fresh produce, fridge items, and cupboard staples.  “I go once a week and pay the big family fee of £17.50. I come home with six full shopping bags of fruit, vegetables, meat, and food I’d never be able to afford otherwise, ” Stef explains. “I even get a free cuppa and biscuit. It’s warm at the hub, and I don’t feel so alone. We’re all worried sick “Everyone is talking about how to cope with the gas and electric price hikes. “We’re all worried sick. Without food banks and the Bread and Butter Thing, I wouldn’t be able to turn the heating on. I refuse to let my children suffer.” Stef survives on £1,400 a month in Universal Credit, which includes £450 in housing benefit. “I work one 16-hour shift a week as a carer. It’s an overnight shift, starting at 3 p.m. and finishing at 9 a.m.,” she says.  googleoff: all Every day, my reality is choosing between eating or heating. This price hike feels like a tax on the poor. Stef Hammond, 45 googleon: all “It’s the only work I can get that fits around my children’s school schedules. “I’ve always worked, surviving on full-and part-time jobs in cleaning, housekeeping, and carer shifts.  “I’m not complaining. I live from hand to mouth, with nothing left over at the end of the month.  “My reality is that my Universal Credit and 16 hours a week of work don’t cover food, bills , or travel.  How do I calculate my energy bill? BELOW we reveal how you can calculate your own energy bill. To calculate how much you pay for your energy bill , you must find out your unit rate for gas and electricity and the standing charge for each fuel type. The unit rate will usually be shown on your bill in p/kWh.The standing charge is a daily charge that is paid 365 days of the year – irrespective of whether or not you use any gas or electricity. You will then need to note down your own annual energy usage from a previous bill. Once you have these details, you can work out your gas and electricity costs separately. Multiply your usage in kWh by the unit rate cost in p/kWh for the corresponding fuel type – this will give you your usage costs. You’ll then need to multiply each standing charge by 365 and add this figure to the totals for your usage – this will then give you your annual costs. Divide this figure by 12, and you’ll be able to determine how much you should expect to pay each month from April 1. “Every day, my reality is choosing between eating or heating. This price hike feels like a tax on the poor. I won’t survive it. “It’s going to put me in ‘forever debt,’ and that’s why I’m speaking up.” With four children at home, Stef spends £130 a week, or £520 a month, on top-up gas and electricity, which she says “eats credit.”  She explains: “It means I can’t properly budget. I can’t let the kids go cold, but if the electric meter runs out, anything in the fridge or freezer will spoil.” Supplied She thanks The Bread and Butter Thing for helping her out with her food supply[/caption] Her council house rent is £450 a month, and despite only buying discounted yellow-label and own-brand groceries, she spends £450 a month on food. She budgets £100 for her children’s uniforms and clothing needs.  “I’m behind on my internet bill and repaying debt. The current bill is £145 a month,” she adds. Since the pandemic and the rising cost of living , Stef is now £6,000 in debt, owing money on rent, council tax , and water bills, and has had to seek a Debt Relief Order.  Pretending to have eaten That leaves her with £1,545 in outgoings each month. “Between my Universal Credit payments and my 16-hour shift, I have no spare cash.  “I never buy new clothes for myself. I spend a tenner a month to top up my phone, and that’s it.  “My kids are my world, and they come first. It means I pretend I’ve eaten or just have a cuppa so they can be fed.” Stef says: “I never buy new clothes for myself. I love charity shops, but even items that cost 50 pence are sometimes out of my budget.  googleoff: all We don’t have savings to fall back on, and this energy hike is soul-destroying Stef Hammond, 45 googleon: all “It feels like the 1920s during the Great Depression , but this is the reality of being a single mum of five in Britain in 2025. Nothing has changed in a century. That’s terrifying.” Stef, who cooks everything from scratch to save every penny, says she can’t afford a car and has to walk everywhere, often unable to afford the bus.  “I only buy yellow-label items at the supermarket – the cheapest options and own-brand products,” she says. “I know when Morrisons and Aldi put out their discounted products. “A chocolate biscuit is a treat, but even then, it has to be the own-brand version. Supplied Stef doesn’t have any savings to fall back on[/caption] Supplied She is limited to ingredients but tries to cook all her meals from scratch[/caption] “I’m not moaning. I’m just trying to share the story of what mums like me are going through up and down the country.  “Price hikes hit us the hardest. We don’t have savings to fall back on, and this energy hike is soul-destroying. “I wish some of the Ofgem officials would come and live with me for a week, live on my budget, and see what the price hikes mean to real people living in poverty.” Stef is desperate for help as she is buried in debt.  “My kids will never go without. I’ve asked for debt advice, and advisors are scratching their heads. I will survive on my cuppas and leftover toast.  “It’s what a mum does for her kids. I am begging the government now to tell me how to make ends meet.” 4 ways to keep your energy bills low Laura Court-Jones, Small Business Editor at Bionic shared her tips. 1. Turn your heating down by one degree You probably won’t even notice this tiny temperature difference, but what you will notice is a saving on your energy bills as a result. Just taking your thermostat down a notch is a quick way to start saving fast. This one small action only takes seconds to carry out and could potentially slash your heating bills by £171.70. 2. Switch appliances and lights off  It sounds simple, but fully turning off appliances and lights that are not in use can reduce your energy bills, especially in winter. Turning off lights and appliances when they are not in use, can save you up to £20 a year on your energy bills 3. Install a smart meter Smart meters are a great way to keep control over your energy use, largely because they allow you to see where and when your gas and electricity is being used. 4. Consider switching energy supplier No matter how happy you are with your current energy supplier, they may not be providing you with the best deals, especially if you’ve let a fixed-rate contract expire without arranging a new one. If you haven’t browsed any alternative tariffs lately, then you may not be aware that there are better options out there....

Source: The Sun

Start time, hosts, performances and nominations for the BRIT Awards.

Start of Brightcove Player End of Brightcove Player WITH the biggest names in music heading to London, the BRIT Awards 2025 is set to be a star-studded night.  And now, two more performers have just been added to the lineup for the 45th annual ceremony this weekend. Here’s what you need to know about the event. Jack Whitehall is back on hosting duties after some time away JM Enternational Where and what time can I watch the BRIT Awards 2025? The BRITs will be held at the O2 Arena and will air live in prime time on Saturday night (March 1) at 8:15pm on ITV1, ITVX , STV, and STV Player. The good news is that it’s completely free to watch in the UK.  Plus, the ceremony will also be available to stream on YouTube , TikTok , Twitter , and Facebook . For viewers in the US, the show will be broadcast live on ITV1 at 3:15pm ET / 12:15pm PT, with streaming available on ITVX.  American fans can also watch by using a VPN , which allows access to platforms like ITV1 and ITVX on a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or smart TV—even from outside the UK.   Who is performing at the BRITs in 2025? On 26 February 2025, British jazz band Ezra Collective and singer Jorja Smith announced that they’ll be taking the stage at this year’s BRIT Awards.   The 2023 Mercury Prize winners will be performing alongside a star-studded lineup, including Jade, Lola Young, Myles Smith, Sabrina Carpenter , Sam Fender , Teddy Swims, and The Last Dinner Party.  However, Shaboozey and Charli XCX unfortunately had to pull out of the event.   Ezra Collective are up for four awards this year, making them one of the most nominated acts of the night . Start of Brightcove Player End of Brightcove Player Speaking ahead of Saturday’s big show, the band’s drummer Femi Koleoso shared his excitement: “Honestly, the opportunity to play at the BRITs is so precious.  “I grew up watching the BRITs; I think about performances from Gorillaz and Skepta; and those moments, when I was sat as a teenager in my room, really were massive for me as wanting to become a musician. “So I’m honoured to play, because it’s an honour, but I’m honoured that we get the opportunity to give this moment to the teenage versions of Ezra Collective that will be watching. Ezra Collective are joining Jorja Smith this year on stage Alamy “Absolutely can’t wait to make you all dance on Saturday night. God bless you all, peace.” Meanwhile, Jorja Smith shared her excitement for the performance by reposting the official BRITs announcement on her Instagram . She captioned it: “Let’s go, ” with a string of love hearts and tagged Ezra Collective in the story. One Direction band members have reportedly said no to reuniting at the BRITs Getty Images Following the tragic death of Liam Payne last year, rumours have been flying around about the potential reunion of One Direction to pay tribute to the late singer-songwriter. However, The Sun reported that  One Direction rejected an offer to reunite at the BRIT Awards. Who is hosting the event? English comedian and TV personality Jack Whitehall is set to return as host of the BRIT Awards for the fifth time, marking his comeback after last hosting in 2021.   Before the main event, Harriet Rose and Munya Chawawa kicked things off with The BRITs 2025: The Warm-Up on February 27.  The Last Dinner Party have snagged several nominations Araya Doheny / Getty Images Special guests included Jade, Jack Whitehall, Danny Jones , Rachel Chinouriri, and Confidence Man.   On the big night, BRITs 2025: Live From The Red Carpet will be hosted by radio and TV presenter Sian Welby , who previously revealed this year’s nominees, alongside broadcaster and cultural commentator Zeze Millz .  The red carpet show will go live from 5:30pm on the BRITs’ official Instagram and Facebook.   Charli XCX has been nominated for five awards at the BRITs Getty Images Once the stars have hit the stage, KISS FM presenter Henrie will be chatting with the night’s winners, while Radio 1 presenter Jack Saunders, armed with his AAA pass, will be catching up with all the celebs attending.   In addition to the red carpet team, Grimegran, the undisputed nan of the grime scene, is stepping in at 86 years old, bringing her biscuit tin and a pot of tea to interview the artists live from the red carpet. Can the public go to the Brit Awards? General sale tickets went live at 10am on December 16. As of now, there are still a few tickets left priced at £310, available through the O2 Arena and AXS website. But they’re not expected to last much longer.   The BRIT Awards’ official ticket page has already been taken down, so if you’re hoping to grab a last-minute seat, you’ll need to act fast. Brit Awards 2025 nominations in full Album of the Year Charli XCX – Brat The Cure – Songs of a Lost World Dua Lipa – Radical Optimism Ezra Collective – Dance, No One’s Watching The Last Dinner Party – Prelude to Ecstasy Artist of the Year Beabadoobee Central Cee Charli XCX Dua Lipa Fred Again Jamie xx Michael Kiwanuka Nia Archives Rachel Chinouriri Sam Fender Group of the Year Bring Me The Horizon Coldplay The Cure Ezra Collective The Last Dinner Party Best New Artist English Teacher Ezra Collective The Last Dinner Party Myles Smith Rachel Chinouriri Song of the Year Artemas – i like the way you kiss me The Beatles – Now and Then Bl3ss & Camrin Watson feat. Bbyclose – Kisses Central Cee & Lil Baby – BAND4BAND Charli XCX feat. Billie Eilish – Guess Chase & Status and Stormzy – Backbone Coldplay – Feelslikeimfallinginlove Dua Lipa – Training Season Ella Henderson feat. Rudimantal – Alibi Jade – Angel of My Dreams Jordan Adetunji – Kehlani KSI feat. Trippie Red – Thick Of It Myles Smith – Stargazing Sam Ryder – You’re Christmas To Me Sonny Fodera, Jazzy & D.O.D – Somedays International Artist of the Year Adrianne Lenker Asake Benson Boone Beyonce Billie Eilish Chappell Roan Kendrick Lamar Sabrina Carpenter Taylor Swift Tyler the Creator International Group of the Year Amyl and the Sniffers Confidence Man Fontaines D.C. Future and Metro Boomin Linkin Park International Song of the Year Benson Boone – Beautiful Things Beyonce – Texas Hold ‘Em Billie Eilish – Birds of a Feather Chappell Roan – Good Luck, Babe! DJO – End of Beginning Eminem – Houdini Hozier – Too Sweet Jack Harlow – Lovin On Me Noah Kahan – Stick Season Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen – I Had Some Help Sabrina Carpenter – Espresso Shaboozey – A Bar Song (Tipsy) Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone – Fortnight Teddy Swims – Lose Control Tommy Richman – Million Dollar Baby Alternative/Rock Act Beabadoobee The Cure Ezra Collective The Last Dinner Party Sam Fender Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Act Central Cee Dave Ghetts Little Simz Stormzy Dance Act Becky Hill Charli XCX Chase & Status Fred Again Nia Archives Pop Act Charli XCX Dua Lipa Jade Lola Young Myles Smith R&B Act Cleo Sol Flo Jorja Smith Michael Kiwanuka Raye...

Source: The Sun

Cops point to clues found near Gene Hackman's body as the tragic mystery deepens.

Start of Brightcove Player End of Brightcove Player HOLLYWOOD legend Gene Hackman may have suddenly collapsed after cops investigating his tragic death found a number of worrying clues. The 95-year-old actor, his wife Betsy Arakawa, 65 and one of their dogs were all found dead on Wednesday afternoon with their cause of death remaining a mystery . Getty Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa at the 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards in 2003[/caption] Getty Theories are continuing to swirl around what may be the cause of death for two-time Oscar winner Gene[/caption] Splash The last public picture of Gene and his wife Betsy taken March 2024[/caption] A search warrant conducted on Thursday determined the couple’s deaths were “suspicious enough to require a thorough search and investigation”. Gene was discovered fully clothed in a wet room off the kitchen with his cane laid out next to him, according to the warrant. Deputies believe the placement of the walking aid on the ground points towards the film star suffering a potential fall. It is still unclear what may have caused Gene – who was described by many as remarkably fit and active for a man of his age – to collapse by himself. Cops are also still trying to piece together if the couple’s death is thought to be related and if they can be linked to one singular cause. It comes as their bodies were found in separate rooms inside their $3.8million Santa Fe home . Betsy was discovered on the bathroom floor near to a space heater. Her body was said to have been found in a state of decomposition with noticeable bloating in the face and also “mummification in her hands and feet”. Experts have suggested the Santa Fe detective who first used the term mummification likely meant that the decomposition process had just advanced significantly. Gene’s body was also reported to have been in a concerning state when it was found with officials saying the couple may have died up to two weeks ago. Start of Brightcove Player End of Brightcove Player It reportedly took an agonising 12 hours to formally identify the couple due to the length of time they were left undiscovered. Deputies are currently looking into whether the space heater could have fallen onto Betsy and knocked her onto the ground. Cops later announced a prescription bottle of pills was located near to the 65-year-old classical pianist. Many tablets were scattered across the floor, they added. Investigators made a further grim discovery after locating the body of one of the couple’s German shepherds inside a bathroom closet just 10ft away from Betsy. Two other dogs managed to be safely removed from the property without any issues, police added. Other clues which could help to solve their cause of death include how officers found a door to their home open but no sign of forced entry, according to an affidavit . A suicide note also wasn’t found with no blatant signs of external trauma reported on their bodies, early autopsy results have shown. Getty The loved-up couple posing for a photo in 1986[/caption] AP Actor Gene Hackman with wife Betsy in June 1993[/caption] Splash Despite being aged 95, Gene was said to have been fit and healthy before his tragic passing[/caption] Officials added that carbon monoxide and toxicology tests are still pending. Chris Ramirez, spokesperson for the New Mexico medical investigator’s office, told The Sun it could still take up to six weeks for any answers to emerge. Santa Fe Sheriff Adan Mendoza has told   TMZ they are yet to rule out any possibility related to the tragic triple death. He said double homicide, suicide, accidental death or natural causes are still being spoke about. It comes as Gene’s youngest daughter has revealed she hadn’t spoken to her dad in the months before his tragic death. Leslie, 59, has lived in California for some time and said the long distance between her home and Gene’s New  Mexico  mansion meant they hadn’t seen each other recently. She added that her father was notoriously reclusive in his later years but always remained in good health thanks to Betsy. Leslie joined sister Elizabeth for breakfast on Thursday morning as they were spotted for the first time since Gene and their step mum Betsy were found dead. The heartbroken siblings were seen getting out of a grey SUV and walking into breakfast chain Denny’s in Burbank, California.  The pair were joined by third sister Annie in leaving a touching tribute to their beloved dad after his death was confirmed. They released a statement which read: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy. “He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us he was always just Dad and Grandpa. “We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss.” REMARKABLE CAREER Gene Hackman’s career took off with his role as Buck Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde in 1967. He went on to star in the Superman films and appeared in hits like Mississippi Burning, Unforgiven, Crimson Tide, and The Poseidon Adventure. In 1972, he earned the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle in The French Connection. Hackman received a second Academy Award in 1993, winning Best Supporting Actor for his role as Little Bill Daggett in the western Unforgiven, alongside Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, and Anna Thomson. The film won four Oscars, including Best Picture. Over his illustrious career, Hackman appeared in over 100 films. He was nominated for five Academy Awards, won two Oscars , earned two BAFTA nominations, and received three Golden Globe awards. You are not alone If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, chat on  988lifeline.org , or text Crisis Text Line at 741741. For those in the UK please call the Samaritans for free on 116123. Getty Gene Hackman with wife Betsy and his daughters Leslie and Elizabeth in 1996[/caption] Mega Elizabeth (L) and Leslie Hackman (R) have been seen for the first time since dad Gene Hackman’s mysterious death[/caption] Gene and Betsy pictured with their dogs in 2014...

Source: The Sun

The EU's chief diplomat warns that Putin doesn't want peace.

European leaders are weary of President Donald Trump’s push to secure a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia, with the European Union's top diplomat saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin "doesn’t really want peace." Trump on Thursday said his administration had been in "very good talks with Russia," though he did not expand on whether any tangible progress in ending Russia’s war in Ukraine had begun. Some NATO allies, as well as the U.S.'s decades-old partners, are increasingly frustrated with President Trump’s controversial comments about Ukraine in what has been perceived as a cost of Washington bettering ties with Moscow. "[The] U.S. is talking to Russia, and you have to establish contacts," EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas told Fox News Digital in a sit-down interview. "But right now, Russia doesn't really want peace.  UKRAINE ENTERS FOURTH YEAR OF WAR WITH RUSSIA: ‘CLOSER TO THE BEGINNING THAN WE ARE TO THE END’ "[Russia] … wants us to think that they can wait us out and that time is on their side, but it's not really so," she continued. "If we increase the pressure, economic pressure on them, but also political pressure, if we support Ukraine so that they would be stronger on the battlefield, then they would also be stronger behind the negotiation table." The warning comes as Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are set to secure a minerals deal on Friday in what some hope could eventually help ceasefire discussions. Trump has championed his ability to re-enter talks with Russia and his successful demands that NATO nations share more of the economic burden in securing Ukraine.  NATO allies did drastically ramp up their defense spending after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, but the stark reversal of U.S. policy in Ukraine between the Trump and Biden administrations has sent some European nations reeling. While some allies, like the U.K., are looking to prove to Trump that Washington and London have more shared values than not, other leaders, like the incoming chancellor of Germany, are looking to distance themselves from the U.S., a position Berlin has not taken since the fall of Nazi Germany at the end of World War II. Kallas, in speaking with Fox News Digital, also looked to remind the Trump administration of the important value of the NATO alliance and emphasized the only time Article 5 has been called in the 76 years since the alliance was formed was after the 9/11 attacks on the U.S. EU WARNS TRUMP AGAINST LETTING PUTIN DIVIDE THE US AND EUROPE: 'LET’S NOT DO HIM THE FAVOR' "In terms of … international security, we need to work together with the Americans, who have been our allies for a very, very long time," she said. "And we have been there for America." Kallas, who served as the first female prime minister of Estonia, pointed to the sacrifices that NATO troops made in aiding the U.S. fight in the War on Terror. "We, as Estonia, lost as many soldiers per capita as the United States," she said. "We were there for you when you asked for help.  "That's why it's painful to hear messages that, you know, we don't care about our European allies. It should work both ways," Kallas added.  The EU chief diplomat has repeatedly urged the U.S. and European nations not to let Putin succeed in dividing the West over Ukraine.  Ultimately, she argued that the U.S. needs to remain a steadfast partner with Europe in deterring Russian aggression because it is not only Putin that poses an active threat to the collective alliance. Kallas visited Washington this week to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and lawmakers about vital issues that affect the EU-U.S. security partnership, though her meeting with Rubio was canceled. The State Department did not confirm why the meeting was canceled without being rescheduled during her stay in Washington, though Kallas said that after positive discussions with Rubio at the Munich Security Conference earlier this month, she if confident communication will remain ongoing. "There’s a lot to discuss, from Ukraine to the Middle East, also what is happening in Africa, Iran – where we have definitely mutual interest to cooperate – and not to mention China as well," Kallas said.  "There are a lot of topics that we can do [work] together with our transatlantic partners."...

Source: Fox News

A planet was spotted by scientists.

In deep space , far beyond our solar system, astronomers have spotted loads of super-Earths , mini-Neptunes, and hot Jupiters . But only once have they found an "ultra-hot Neptune" — a Neptune -size world orbiting extremely close to its star. A year lasts under a day on this scorching planet, dubbed "LTT 9779 b." After discovering this curious world in 2020, scientists have now used the powerful James Webb Space Telescope to peer into the exoplanet's atmosphere and better grasp how such a world works. "Finding a planet of this size so close to its host star is like finding a snowball that hasn't melted in a fire," Louis-Philippe Coulombe, a researcher at the Université de Montréal's Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets who led the study , said in a statement. "It's a testament to the diversity of planetary systems and offers a window into how planets evolve under extreme conditions." SEE ALSO: A dramatic total lunar eclipse is coming. You don't want to miss it. LTT 9779 b, nearly 30 times Earth's mass, is certainly extreme. It's tidally locked to its star — like the moon is locked to Earth — meaning that one side of it incessantly seared by its star, while the other is dark and cooler. LTT 9779 b is nearly 3,630 degrees Fahrenheit (2,000 Celsius) on its dayside. That's hotter than lava . The research team peered at LTT 9779 b for 22 hours, using an instrument on the Webb telescope called a spectrograph to reveal the composition of the planet's exotic atmosphere. (Similar to a prism, spectrographs spread an object's light into a spectrum of colors, revealing what's present or not in a far-off place.) They found clouds very unlike ours (which are made of water vapor) composed of silicates, which are minerals that make up rocks on Earth. These clouds were on the planet's western dayside, as opposed to its hotter eastern hemisphere, suggesting that strong winds on LTT 9779 b transport atmospheric elements around the planet. A conception of LTT 9779 b, located 262 light-years from Earth in the Milky Way galaxy , can be seen below. It depicts how highly reflective mineral clouds condense on the "slightly cooler" western dayside, but then evaporate when the planet's potent winds push these clouds to the hotter eastern dayside. An artist's conception of the "ultra-hot Neptune" LTT 9779 b. Credit: Benoit Gougeon / Université de Montréal Scientific attempts to understand this profoundly rare — as far as we know — world are just beginning. "We haven’t finished piecing together the information about this planet yet," Jake Taylor, a scientist in the Department of Physics at the University of Oxford who also worked on the study, explained. "We are currently using observations from the Hubble Space Telescope and the Very Large Telescope to study the dayside cloud structure in more detail to learn as much as possible." To date, astronomers have confirmed 5,834 exoplanets , with thousands more awaiting confirmation. The Webb telescope's powerful abilities The Webb telescope — a scientific collaboration between NASA , ESA , and the Canadian Space Agency — is designed to peer into the deepest cosmos and reveal new insights about the early universe. It's also examining intriguing planets in our galaxy, along with the planets and moons in our solar system . Here's how Webb is achieving unparalleled feats, and likely will for decades to come : - Giant mirror: Webb's mirror, which captures light, is over 21 feet across. That's over two-and-a-half times larger than the Hubble Space Telescope's mirror, meaning Webb has six times the light-collecting area. Capturing more light allows Webb to see more distant, ancient objects. The telescope is peering at stars and galaxies that formed over 13 billion years ago, just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang. "We're going to see the very first stars and galaxies that ever formed," Jean Creighton, an astronomer and the director of the Manfred Olson Planetarium at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, told Mashable in 2021. - Infrared view: Unlike Hubble, which largely views light that's visible to us, Webb is primarily an infrared telescope, meaning it views light in the infrared spectrum. This allows us to see far more of the universe. Infrared has longer wavelengths than visible light, so the light waves more efficiently slip through cosmic clouds ; the light doesn't as often collide with and get scattered by these densely packed particles. Ultimately, Webb's infrared eyesight can penetrate places Hubble can't. "It lifts the veil," said Creighton. - Peering into distant exoplanets: The Webb telescope carries specialized equipment called spectrographs that will revolutionize our understanding of these far-off worlds. The instruments can decipher what molecules (such as water, carbon dioxide, and methane) exist in the atmospheres of distant exoplanets — be they gas giants or smaller rocky worlds. Webb looks at exoplanets in the Milky Way galaxy. Who knows what we'll find? "We might learn things we never thought about," Mercedes López-Morales, an exoplanet researcher and astrophysicist at the Center for Astrophysics-Harvard & Smithsonian , previously told Mashable....

Source: Mashable

To help you live longer, the 3 stretches to do every day.

Start of Brightcove Player End of Brightcove Player WHEN was the last time you gave your muscles a good stretch?  Although you might associate stretching with exercise warm ups and cool downs, it’s actually vital to do it regularly – ideally every day – whether you’re working out or not. Getty Good flexibility has been linked to a lower risk of early death[/caption] Carlo Scozzaro/Myoset Sports rehabilitation specialist Carlo Scozzaro has shared three stretches to try at home[/caption] Believe it or not, staying flexible could actually help you to live longer. A study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports found a strong link between good physical flexibility and mobility and a lower risk of death from natural causes. Among men specifically, those with low flexibility scores were almost twice as likely to die during the 13-year study period compared to those with higher scores. And the risk of early death for inflexible women was five times higher than those who were supple. Scientists have long understood that poor flexibility could be an indicator of underlying health conditions, such as inflammation, and lead to pains and strains. But despite the connection, many of us still don’t make stretching a part of our daily, or even weekly, routines. More than two thirds of the UK population struggle with stiff or tight muscles, according to research by PureGym , while 69 per cent struggle with poor flexibility and 71 per cent experience a painful back. If this sounds like you, it’s time to get your flex on.  “Many of us spend much of the day sitting down, whether we’re in the car driving to the office, at work hunched over a keyboard or slouched on the sofa in the evening,” Carlo Scozzaro , a sports rehabilitation therapist at Myoset , says. “All this sitting means our muscles are in the same position for long periods of time, so they become a little shorter and tighter. Start of Brightcove Player End of Brightcove Player “It means when we do come to move, they hurt and they’re unable to actually comfortably move like we want them to.  “Sitting for long periods can shorten hamstrings and hip flexors, for example.” Throw in poor posture, which can put even more strain on various muscles (such as your shoulders, neck and back) and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.  Carlo adds: “Tight muscles can then impact joints as muscles pull on joints, supporting our movement. “When muscles are tight, we might not be able to move our joints through their full range of motion.  “Take your knee for example; if your leg muscles are tight – primarily your quads and hamstrings – you might not be able to move your knee comfortably. “When movement becomes uncomfortable, you’re less likely to want to move in the first place, so you might then end up in a vicious circle of limiting your movement and becoming stiffer and more uncomfortable.  “But, stretching helps to keep muscles mobile, so you can age comfortably, moving as you wish.” Want to boost your flexibility? Give these three stretches a try.  Do them every morning and evening – upon waking and before bed – and see if you feel a difference. You never know, it could even give your life expectancy a boost.  1. Lying down glute stretch  Carlo Scozzaro/Myoset Lie on your back and place on ankle on the opposite knee[/caption] Carlo Scozzaro/Myoset Reach one hand through your legs and the other to the side and pull your knee towards your chest[/caption] Lie down with your feet flat on the floor and your knees bent.  Place one ankle on the opposite knee. Then, use your hands to pull your knee towards your chest to help deepen the stretch.  At this point you should feel a stretch in your glute . Hold the position for 10 to 15 seconds before swapping sides. If you fancy doing this stretch during the day, you can try it from a seated position on a chair.  Sit up tall, take your left ankle over your right thigh and lean forward, pressing your left knee down gently.  Your glute muscles are the biggest muscle in your body.  When they’re tight, you may experience a sore back , knees and hips thanks to poor posture, so this one is great for those of us who sit at a desk all day.  2. Hip flexor release  Carlo Scozzaro/Myoset Stretch your hip flexors with this simple move[/caption] Carlo Scozzaro/Myoset Reach up and over to the side to feel a good stretch down the side of your body[/caption] Start on all-fours with the palms of your hands under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips.  Take your right leg forward so you’re in a low lunge with your back left knee on the floor. Your torso should be upright.  Then, keeping your hips forward, take your left arm, stretch it up overhead and then lean over to the right, taking your left arm over to the right side.  You should feel a good stretch down the left side of your body.  Push forward slightly into your lunge too; this way, you will help to stretch your hip flexors. For support, place your right hand on your hip. Hold this for 10 to 15 seconds before swapping sides.  googleoff: all Boosting mobility in your hips can really help to ease a tight or sore back Carlo Scozzaro Sports rehabilitation therapist googleon: all Explaining the importance of the hip flexors, Carlo says: “These are a group of important and often overlooked muscles in the front of your upper thigh.  “They essentially help you bend and lift your legs.  “So when you run and walk, for example, your hip flexors are working.  “Sitting for ages tightens and weakens the hip flexors, so you might end up with pain in this area.” 3. Deep squat  Carlo Scozzaro/Myoset Find something to hold onto for this one – a door frame works well[/caption] Carlo Scozzaro/Myoset Hold this position for 10 to 15 seconds[/caption] You’ll need to find something tall to hold onto for this; the edge of a door frame works well.  This is your anchor and it should be stable and able to resist your pull. Get into a low squat, holding onto your tall anchor point (door frame).  Keep your back flat and use your anchor to help you stay in your deep squat position.  Your hips should be lower than the bend in your knees and your feet need to remain flat on the ground.  Hold this for 10 to 15 seconds or for as long as you feel comfortable.  Carlo says: “Boosting mobility in your hips can really help to ease a tight or sore back.” How long will you live? LIFE expectancy in England is falling faster than anywhere else in Europe - and expanding waistbands are to blame. Advances in life expectancy between 1990 and 2011 have been attributed to improvements in  heart disease  and  cancer  care. But poor diets, low levels of exercise and increasing  body mass index (BMI)  scores have been linked to the slow down of these improvements in 2011 to 2019. As part of a new study, academics wanted to assess life expectancy advances across 20 European countries from 1990 to 2021. Researchers, led by experts from the University of East Anglia (UEA), compared several factors linked to life expectancy across England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. All countries showed annual improvements in life expectancy between 1990 to 2011, with an overall increase of an average of 0.23 years. From 1990 to 2011, life expectancy in England rose by an average of 0.25 years. This slowed to an average increase of 0.07 years in 2011 to 2019. Researchers said England experienced the largest decline in life expectancy improvement during the period studied. Between 2019 and 2021, which includes the first part of the Covid-19  pandemic , most countries saw a fall in life expectancy except for Ireland, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. Researchers said that the countries which “best maintained” improvements in life expectancy had fewer heart disease and cancer deaths. The researchers have now called for government action to improve overall population  health , including helping people have better diets and more exercise. Lead researcher Professor Nick Steel, from UEA’s Norwich Medical School, said: “Advances in public health and medicine in the 20th century meant that life expectancy in  Europe  improved year after year, but this is no longer the case. “We found that deaths from cardiovascular diseases were the primary driver of the reduction in life expectancy improvements between 2011-19. Unsurprisingly, the Covid pandemic was responsible for decreases in life expectancy seen between 2019-21. “Countries like Norway, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, and Belgium held onto better life expectancy after 2011, and saw reduced harms from major risks for heart disease, helped by government policies. “In contrast, England and the other UK nations fared worst after 2011 and also during the Covid pandemic, and experienced some of the highest risks for heart disease and cancer, including poor diets.” He added: “Life expectancy for older people in many countries is still improving, showing that we have not yet reached a natural longevity ceiling. “Life expectancy mainly reflects mortality at younger ages, where we have lots of scope for reducing harmful risks and preventing early deaths.” You can find out your life expectancy using our interactive calculator here ....

Source: The Sun

Alternative Media Insights

Note: As we venture into the realm of alternative media reporting, it is essential to acknowledge that not all sources are created equal. While some outlets offer crucial counter-narratives and insights, others pose a significant risk of misinformation, perpetuating controlled opposition or serving as wolves in sheep's clothing, intent on misleading their audience with agendas designed to confuse rather than inform.

News from Russia

NOTE: By giving readers a glimpse into the Russian narrative, this section strives to humanize the country and its people, revealing that there is more to Russia than the sensationalized headlines and simplistic caricatures that frequently dominate Western news cycles. This nuanced perspective enables European readers to better understand Russia's complexities, interests, and concerns, ultimately fostering a more informed and balanced discourse on international relations and global affairs.

The plot against Metropolitan Tikhon was stopped.

Zelensky's inhuman personality had begun to be exploited by foreign handlers as a tool to disrupt ongoing negotiations between the United States and Russia.

Source: TASS Russian News Agency

An expert says that the EU will not redistribute nuclear potential.

Alexander Stepanov stated that without a key external player like Washington, no practical steps to distribute nuclear capabilities among the European members of the alliance are foreseeable.

Source: TASS Russian News Agency

Trump sent a message to Europe.

The possibility of the United States providing military support for a European mission in Ukraine was dismissed by the US president at a White House meeting.

Source: TASS Russian News Agency

Ex-leader warns of Transnistrian tensions on Western orders.

In response to last month's problems with natural gas supplies, Dodon said that Moldova had blocked humanitarian gas supplies from Russia.

Source: TASS Russian News Agency

The Russian army knocked out the Ukrainian forces near the DPR border.

Russian units were making rapid advances along this section of the frontline.

Source: TASS Russian News Agency

The US refused to give Ukraine a net of guarantees.

Most questions about size and rules of engagement remain unanswered, so the request for a European peacekeeping force will be the hardest to negotiate.

Source: TASS Russian News Agency

Chinese DeepSeek is challenging the US market for artificial intelligence.

DeepSeek is much cheaper than the models by US-based Openai and Anthropic.

Source: TASS Russian News Agency

Over 600 foreigners have been deported from Russia since the beginning of the year.

Over 18,000 events have been conducted by the Interior Ministry since the beginning of the year.

Source: TASS Russian News Agency

Russia wants to build dialogue with everyone, including the US.

It makes no sense to build cooperation from the perspective of truth, which is different for everyone, according to Dmitry Peskov.

Source: TASS Russian News Agency

After the start of Russia-US talks, investors are looking for Russian shares.

The agency writes that investors are buying anything with a tenuous link to Russia.

Source: TASS Russian News Agency

Russia wants the US to consider restoring direct flights.

The ministry said that the American side was asked to consider restoring direct air links.

Source: TASS Russian News Agency

There were attempts to put weapons into space.

Attempts to place weapons in space will fail if more countries join the group, said Artemyev.

Source: TASS Russian News Agency

The US and Russia have taken another step to mend ties.

The US and Russia have taken another step to mend ties.

Source: TASS Russian News Agency

Russia's consulate in Marseille has increased security after the attack.

The terrorist attack that took place on the morning of February 24, 2025, was condemned by the consulate.

Source: TASS Russian News Agency

The situation in Middle East, Africa is being discussed by a Russian diplomat and an Algerian envoy.

The situation in Middle East, Africa is being discussed by a Russian diplomat and an Algerian envoy.

Source: TASS Russian News Agency

The Ukrainian attack on Metropolitan Tikhon shows nothing is sacred.

The Ukrainian attack on Metropolitan Tikhon shows nothing is sacred.

Source: TASS Russian News Agency

Before the talks end, the Kremlin won't comment on Trump's statements about Zelensky.

Before the talks end, the Kremlin won't comment on Trump's statements about Zelensky.

Source: TASS Russian News Agency

Russia and the US have consultations in Istanbul.

Russia and the US have consultations in Istanbul.

Source: TASS Russian News Agency