NATO members are undertaking large scale combat exercises as worries grow in the 32-nation alliance over its most powerful member, the United States.
Read More »
NATO holds combat drills as Trump goes rogue
The Jennifer Hudson Show Renewed for Season 4
Jennifer Hudson isn’t leaving your TV screens any time soon: Her daytime Emmy-nominated series The Jennifer Hudson Show has been renewed for a fourth season by the Fox Television Stations, TVLine has learned. “It is an unbelievable privilege to spend your days being able to engage with inspiring people from all walks of life, to […]
Read More »
Reason darts star Van Gerwen pulled out of tournament 15 minutes from his home revealed after shock loss to care worker
MICHAEL VAN GERWEN failed to turn up to the Players Championship on Tuesday – but not because of his shock defeat the day before.
Mighty Mike, 35, was stunned by Irish care worker Michael Flynn in the first round on Monday in Rosmalen, Netherlands.
Flynn played the game of his life to beat the World No. 3 6-4.
The Irish amateur told Sky Sports: “I laughed when I saw I was playing Van Gerwen.
“I text my wife and she said, ‘Good, you need to play against these fellas if you are planning on becoming a professional, so just go out and beat him’ – and I did.”
According to MVG’s close friend Vincent van der Voort, the three-time world champion had been expected to return to the venue on Tuesday.
But he was a no-show – despite the venue being 15 minutes from his house.
Van der Voort claims it was not because of MVG’s loss to Flynn.
The Dutchman is reportedly suffering from a foot injury and was resting up ahead of Thursday’s Darts Premier League in Dublin.
Van Gerwen recently revealed he had broken his toe while on holiday with his family.
BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS
The 35-year-old jetted off to Asia for a getaway after losing in the PDC World Championship final to Luke Littler.
He told reporters: “[It’s] annoying, but you can’t do anything about it.
“It happened last week on holiday. Accidents can happen. I enjoyed my holiday. I definitely had a nice rest.”
Van Gerwen has battled numerous health issues over recent years.
The Dutchman has suffered for years with a troublesome jaw, going under the knife three times.
The issues had plagued him to the extent it was affecting both his breathing and sleep.
Premier League Darts 2025: Dates and venues
Night 1 – Belfast: Humphries beat Dobey 6-1
Night 2 – Glasgow: Littler beat Humphries 6-5
Night 3 – 3Arena, Dublin – Thursday February 20
Night 4 – Westpoint Exeter – Thursday February 27
Night 5 – The Brighton Centre – Thursday March 6
Night 6 – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham – Thursday March 13
Night 7 – Utilita Arena, Cardiff – Thursday March 20
Night 8 – Utilita Arena, Newcastle – Thursday March 27
Night 9 – Uber Arena, Berlin – Thursday April 3
Night 10 – AO Arena, Manchester – Thursday April 10
Night 11 – Rotterdam Ahoy, Rotterdam – Thursday April 17
Night 12 – M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool – Thursday April 24
Night 13 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham, Thursday May 1
Night 14 – First Direct Arena, Leeds – Thursday May 8
Night 15 – P&J Live, Aberdeen – Thursday May 15
Night 16 – Utilita Arena, Sheffield – Thursday May 22
Play-Offs – The O2, London – Thursday May 29
Van Gerwen has also struggled with gout in his feet, which has affected his work at the oche.
Mighty Mike has been drawn against Chris Dobey in Dublin on Thursday.
Littler won last week’s event in Glasgow, beating World No. 1 Luke Humphries in a thrilling final.
Dramatic moment yob somersaults through the air after crashing stolen motorbike in high-speed cop chase
THIS is the moment a thief catapulted through the air after crashing a stolen moped following a high-speed police chase.
Ciaran Parker was attempting to evade cops after swiping the Kawasaki 300 motorbike when the horror unfolded.
Footage showed the 19-year-old narrowly missing a bus as he swerved across two lanes in Pelton, County Durham, at 60mph.
Parker, who was not wearing a helmet, was then captured somersaulting through the air after crashing the bike at around 40mph.
A terrified mum with a pushchair managed to pull her children away just in time as Parker and the bike skidded towards them.
The thief can be heard sobbing and moaning “I need some painkillers” as he lays bloodied on the ground.
As police approach him, Parker tells them: “Right, I know exactly what you’re gonna say but I’ve just bought the f***ing bike man.”
Bodycam footage then shows medics tending to the teen’s injuries after he suffered a broken leg in the crash.
At one point he screams out: “I’m in a bad way here. My ankle! My leg’s knacking!”
When asked if he is on any drugs, Parker tells a paramedic to “get off my f***ing head”.
A friend of Parker’s then arrives and tells him to “pack it in” and tells him: “You’re not big and you’re not clever”.
She also berates him after a boy was injured by flying debris during the crash.
Parker has now been detained for 14 months in a Young Offender Institution after admitting a string of offences.
These included aggravated vehicle taking, dangerous driving, driving without a licence, driving without insurance and drug driving.
Durham Crown Court was told the bike had been stolen from the back garden of a house just hours before the April 2 crash.
A drug test found Parker, now aged 20, had cocaine and cannabis in his system at the time of the crash.
Detective Constable Michelle Leonard, of Durham Constabulary’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “This was an incredibly dangerous piece of riding from Parker.
“He rode recklessly at very high speeds through residential areas, often on the wrong side of the road, before crashing the bike in the middle of a busy town centre.
“It is a miracle nobody was seriously injured or, worse, killed.”
‘Deeply disrespectful’ – Lookman releases statement after own manager called him ‘one of worst penalty takers ever’
ADEMOLA LOOKMAN has called criticism of him “deeply disrespectful” after his manager slammed his missed penalty.
The former Fulham and Everton star was in action for Atalanta last night as they were dumped out of the Champions League by Club Brugge.
https://twitter.com/footballontnt/status/1891961770924740818
The Serie A side trailed 3-0 on the night and 4-1 on aggregate at half time in Bergamo.
Lookman, 27, pulled a goal back in the first minute of the second period, before being handed a golden opportunity to further reduce his side’s deficit from the penalty spot.
The Nigeria international’s spot kick was saved by Brugge goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, however, with Atalanta going on to lose 3-1 on the night.
After the game, Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini said: “Lookman was not supposed to take that penalty, he is one of the worst penalty takers I’ve ever seen.
“He has a frankly terrible record even in training, he converts very few of them. (Mateo) Retegui and (Charles) De Ketelaere were there, but Lookman in a moment of enthusiasm after scoring decided to take the ball and that was a gesture I did not appreciate at all.”
Lookman has since hit back at criticism directed his way.
In a statement posted to his social media accounts, he wrote: “It saddens me on a day like this to have to write this statement – most of all because of what we have achieved together as a team and as a city.
“Being singled out in the manner I have been not only hurts but feels deeply disrespectful, not least because of the immense hard work and commitment I have always put in each and every day to help bring success to this club and to the incredible fans of Bergamo.
JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS
“In truth, I have dealt with many difficult moments during my time here – the majority of which I have never spoken about because in my opinion the team must always be protected and must come first. This makes what happened last night even more hurtful.
“Along with our incredible fans, we as a team are hurting too with last night’s result.
“During the match the designated penalty taker instructed me to take the penalty; and to support the team I took responsibility in the moment to do so.
“Life’s about challenges and turning pain into power which l’ll continue to do.”
Lookman’s botched spot kick last night was not his first underwhelming penalty.
With Fulham trailing West Ham 1-0 in November 2020, the winger stepped up from 12 yards in the 98th minute.
He infamously attempted a Panenka penalty, which was easily saved by the goalkeeper.
Prior to last night, however, he had scored all four spot kicks taken for Atalanta
https://twitter.com/The_MVPPodcast/status/1325238555887759360‘LOST HIS HEAD’
In the closing stages of last night’s match, Atalanta skipper Rafael Toloi “lost his head”.
As the 34-year-old went to take a throw in, he was needlessly bumped by Maxim De Cuyper.
The red mist then descended upon Toloi, who tried to throw the ball at his opponent.
It slipped out of his hand, however, and he fell over.
Feeling embarrassed, Toloi got up and begun to charge at De Cuyper, who had turned and was walking away.
The referee attempted to get in the Brazilian’s away but his efforts were futile, Toloi bundling over his opponent.
He went on to be sent off for his head loss, while De Cuyper was yellow carded.
Gasperini, 67, added of the incident: “That was an ugly incident and we must never lose our heads.
“Atalanta must leave the Champions League with dignity, having played great games against the likes of Real Madrid, Arsenal and Barcelona.”
Emma Raducanu handed letter by ‘fixated’ man at hotel hours before she broke down in tears after spotting him in crowd
EMMA RADUCANU was handed a letter at her hotel by a ‘fixated man’ who she later spotted at her match.
The tennis star was left in tears during her Dubai Open match after seeing the man in the stands.
The man was ejected from the crowd and has received a ban from all WTA events.
In a statement from the WTA, it was revealed that the same man had approached the 22-year-old in a public space the previous day.
He accessed the hotel Raducanu was staying in and handed her a letter.
The man’s identity is unknown but he is understood not to be a UK national.
Security expert Alex Bomberg, who lives in Dubai, said of the situation: “I’m a resident of Dubai. In Dubai itself, I can tell you know the authorities will be taking this very seriously.”
Raducanu was taking on former French Open finalist Karolina Muchova at the Dubai Tennis Championships on one of the event’s outside courts.
After two games she approached the umpire in clear distress, and even appeared to hide behind the official’s chair at one point.
She could then be seen wiping away tears with her towel as the man was ejected, with Muchova going over to comfort her.
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS
The WTA have been in contact with Raducanu and her team following the incident.
They released a statement stating “Raducanu was approached in a public area by a man who exhibited fixated behaviour”.
The organisation confirmed he would be banned from events with “player safety a top priority”.
Bomberg reacted to the statement saying: “I’ve seen that the WTA have put out a statement, and I know they take player safety very seriously.
“Obviously, Emma’s had issues in the past. I know that she had a case a few years back. This is the sort of thing that is always a big concern.
“You wonder how, from a security point of view, how people are stopped from entering premises. Apart from using facial recognition technology, the only other way is using people who are ‘super recognisers’ in their security team.
“People who recognise individuals that are on watch lists and can alert the authorities or alert the security team.
“With this guy, I don’t know if there’s any previous interactions with this individual – he’s obviously turned up at her hotel, but what’s led up to this? We don’t know yet, but it looks like it’s being dealt with seriously.
“It’s always a difficult situation. VIPs get handed cards – they get handed gifts and stuff like that. It’s important for the people that are around them doing their security to be educated on this.
“Many years ago, the police in the UK used to refer to these individuals as ‘mad, bad or sad’. Now our understanding of fixated people has come a long way but it’s always a big challenge.”
Stalker hell
In January 2022, Raducanu revealed that she had been targeted by a stalker, who stole her dad’s shoe and left bizarre notes and gifts.
Married Amrit Magar, 35, was convicted of stalking at Bromley Magistrates Court.
Raducanu told cops at the time: “Because of this I feel like my freedom has been taken away from me. I am constantly looking over my shoulder.
Second man, 21, ‘makes no reply’ as he appears in court charged over fatal stabbing of asylum seeker, 34, in Dublin
A SECOND man has been remanded in custody charged with attacking asylum seeker Quham Babatunde, who died after sustaining fatal injuries in Dublin at the weekend.
Rory Carr, 21, appeared before Judge Paula Murphy at Dublin District Court today.
Mr Carr, of Ard na Greine, Seapoint Lane, Balbriggan, Co Dublin, was one of three people arrested during the investigation.
Mr Babatunde, a 34-year-old Nigerian man, died after an incident on Anne Street South in the city centre at around 3am on Saturday.
A row at a music event between two groups of people spilled onto the street.
Mr Babatunde was found unresponsive by gardai at the scene.
He was treated by emergency services personnel and rushed to St James’s Hospital but pronounced dead a short time later.
Mr Carr was charged with assault causing harm to Mr Babatunde and Adetola Adetuilehim at Anne Street South.
Mr Adetuilehim, who is in his 30s, was hospitalised following the incident.
Mr Carr is also charged with engaging in violent disorder with persons unknown.
Garda Paul Cummins told Judge Murphy the accused was charged shortly before 11pm on Tuesday at Pearse Street station.
The garda said Mr Carr “made no reply” to the charges. He added: “There are objections to bail”.
However, defence solicitor Evan Moore said his client was not applying for bail at this stage.
Judge Murphy remanded Mr Carr in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on February 26 for directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions.
She also stressed that the State must be notified if there will be a bail application.
DID NOT ADDRESS COURT
Mr Moore said his client consented to appear via video link, and legal aid was granted after a statement of Mr Carr’s means was presented to the court.
Mr Moore said the accused “is not working and has no assets”.
Dressed in a dark blue and grey tracksuit and black runners, Mr Carr stood silently with his hands behind his back.
He did not address the court and spoke only to his solicitor at the end of the hearing before turning to and nodding at a person in the public gallery.
ANOTHER MAN CHARGED
On Tuesday, Jeffrey Bangu, of Cardy Rock Crescent, Balbriggan, was held in custody by Judge Murphy after he was brought before the same court.
The 21-year-old unemployed man was charged with assault causing harm to Mr Babatunde at Duke Lane and to Adetola Adetuilehim at Anne Street South.
Mr Bangu was accused of violent disorder, and he had an additional charge for the production of a knife during the course of a fight at Anne Street South.
Garda David Dolan had said Mr Bangu “made no reply to the charges” and that there would be strenuous objections to his bail, but he did not make an application.
Mr Bangu was remanded in custody pending his next hearing at Cloverhill District Court on February 25.
A 23-year-old man was arrested by the PSNI in Belfast shortly before boarding a ferry and is currently detained at a police station in Northern Ireland.
Mr Babatunde had been living in the Ballyogan accommodation centre in south Dublin pending his asylum request process.
Jeff Probst Hints ‘Survivor 50’ Is Going To Be “Our Best Show”
CBS' Survivor 50th season is shaping up to be a game-changer, but Jeff Probst keeps the cast under wraps, leaving fans guessing who will return.
Read More »
Demon Slayer: Why Muzan Refuses to Become Human, Explained
Muzan has been hunting for the Blue Spider Lily to achieve godhood. With the arrival of an anti-demonization serum, why does he refuse to be human?
Read More »
Zero Day Cast & Character Guide
Netflix's Zero Day is finally here, and here are the biggest actors who appear in the show, who they're playing, and what else they've been in.
Read More »