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ZELENSKY should flee Ukraine “immediately” amid escalating tensions between Washington and Kyiv, insiders in the White House have warned.

US-Ukraine relations exploded this week, with military intelligence suggesting Russia is just days from declaring victory over the almost three-year war.

AP

Sources say Volodymyr Zelensky should flee Ukraine[/caption]

AFP

Trump has openly criticised Zelensky and labelled him a “dictator”[/caption]

Reuters

Ukrainian intelligence suggests Russia is preparing to declare victory[/caption]

Getty

The Russian leader could portray the victory as a triumph over NATO[/caption]

Trump and Zelensky have been waging a war of words with the US President openly criticising the Ukrainian leader and branding him a “dictator.” 

In response, Kyiv slammed his attempts at peace talks with Russia and accused him of being “in a disinformation bubble”.

As the relationship between the two leaders continues to deteriorate, a source close to the American President told the New York Post “the best case for [Zelensky] and the world is that he leaves to France immediately.”

Asked about the growing tensions between the US and Kyiv, another source close to the White House said the public spat was a long-time coming.

They said: “It’s nothing new to me.

“I heard months ago it’s time for an election and new leadership,”

The “real question is, has anyone told [Trump] they really, really like him?”

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency says the Kremlin is only days away from declaring victory in Putin’s war.

The Russian leader may portray it as a triumph over NATO as well, amounting to a defeat for the West, according to the GUR.

The agency said: “Russia is preparing to declare an alleged ‘victory’ in the war against Ukraine by the ‘round date’ – 24 February 2025, the third anniversary of the beginning of the full-scale war.

“Moreover, these plans may also include a ‘Russian victory over NATO’, as Muscovite propaganda has long described the war against Ukraine as a war with the Alliance.”

The diplomatic turmoil escalated after Kyiv rejected the US’s proposed mineral deal as a repayment for military aid.

On Thursday the US cancelled last minute a joint press conference with Zelensky after he met with one of Trump’s envoys.

Trump lashed out at Zelensky on social media and accused him of “refusing to have elections”.

He warned “modestly successful comedian” Zelensky must “move fast or he is not going to have a country left”.

Trump also claimed the Ukrainian president talked the US into “spending $350 billion dollars to go into a war that couldn’t be won”.

He also later insisted he “trusts” that Russia wants peace after branding Zelensky a “dictator without elections”.

While Don’s close ally Elon Musk joined in and branded Zelensky a “despised dictator” in a fiery social media rant.

He said: “If Zelensky was actually loved by the people of Ukraine, he would hold an election.

“He knows he would lose in a landslide.

“In reality, he is despised by the people of Ukraine, which is why he has refused to hold an election.

“I challenge Zelensky to hold an election and refute this. He will not.

“President Trump is right to ignore him and solve for peace independent of the disgusting, massive graft machine feeding off the dead bodies of Ukrainian soldiers.”

Fears have grown over the course of the war ever since Trump bypassed Ukraine and continental leaders to do business directly with Moscow.

The UK and France have since suggested a peacekeeping plan that UK PM Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron are set to propose to Trump in Washington next week.

It is said to involve putting up to 30,000 UK and European troops on the ground, an idea that Putin has said is “unacceptable.”

But US Secretary of State Marco Rubio pushed back against accusations that the Trump administration has given in to Russia, saying Washington first wants to see whether Moscow was “serious”.

He said: “US President Donald Trump “wants this war with Ukraine to end.

“And he wants to know: Are the Russians serious about ending the war, or not serious about ending the war?”

And US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz warned Ukraine‘s leader to stop hurling “insults” at Trump.

He told a Thursday briefing at the White House: “Some of the rhetoric coming out of Kyiv, frankly, and insults to President Trump were unacceptable.

“President Trump is obviously very frustrated right now with President Zelensky, the fact that he hasn’t come to the table, that he hasn’t been willing to take this opportunity that we have offered.

Amid the war of words, Zelensky said he had held a “productive meeting” with US envoy Keith Kellogg in Kyiv.

“We had a detailed conversation about the battlefield situation, how to return our prisoners of war, and effective security guarantees,” Zelensky said on social media after the meeting.

“Strong Ukraine-U.S. relations benefit the entire world,” he added.

EPA

Zelensky and US Special Presidential Envoy for Russia and Ukraine Keith Kellogg met in Kyiv[/caption]

Reuters

Firefighters working at a residential area in Sumy after it was hit by a Russian missile strike[/caption]

MOLLY-MAE Hague has revealed why she made an early exit from the BAFTAs – for a reason you wouldn’t expect.

In her latest YouTube vlog, the former Love Island star admitted she struggled through the star-studded Bafta ceremony.

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Molly-Mae has revealed the hilarious reason she needed to make a speedy exit from the star-studded BAFTA Film Awards in London last week[/caption]

Getty

Molly-Mae wowed on the red carpet in an elegant but edgy black outfit[/caption]

The Love Island icon turned businesswoman graced the red carpet on Sunday night alongside Hollywood royality, including actors Ariana Grande and Timothee Chalamet, and reality star Kylie Jenner.

Despite the glamorous night out, it seems the prestigious event wasn’t quite as enjoyable as she had hoped, with the mum’s early exit leaving fans amused.

Molly-Mae, who stunned on the red carpet in a glamorous black gown, confessed she had to leave mid-way through the meal because of the discomfort.

Before leaving she treated fans to an exclusive glimpse of the BAFTAs dinner, with guests snacking on tins of caviar for starters – a luxury food of salt-cured fish eggs.

The video cut back to Molly-Mae at home where confessed that she had “the world’s worst trapped wind” from being in the same position for too long.

She said: “I’m having a peppermint tea as I’ve got to be honest, I’ve got the world’s worst trapped wind… it put the ‘ong’ in long.

“It was a lovely evening, but also, as I had such a sore stomach from sitting in the same position, I had to leave halfway through the meal as I was in so much pain,” she explained.

“I was like, ‘I literally can’t sit here.’ First BAFTAs tick.”

It wasn’t the only hiccup on the night.

Honest Molly admitted she “completely panicked” when she made a huge blunder on the Bafta’s red carpet.

Yet she has admitted that she “completely panicked” when asked about her favourite film of the year.

A correspondent for The News Movement filmed the influencer and businesswoman – in a video then posted to TikTok – in which she replied: “I did enjoy Nosferatu.

“And that’s up today.

“So yeah, with the long nails …” before walking off.

Yet eagle-eyed social media followers were quick to flag that the Maebe founder had spoken out about the horror flick on her YouTube page – and said she hated it.

One then remarked on her new video: “I fear Molly-Mae is me whenever I am caught off guard and say the exact opposite of what I feel.”

Another put: “Has nobody else panicked and said the first thing that comes to mid lmao.”

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The influencer cut a stylish figure on the Red Carpet[/caption]

SCOTS are set to be blasted by up to 14 inches of snow as maps reveal the worst hit areas.

Severe warnings are in place for rain today before a vicious weather system sweeps in on Sunday.

Tom Farmer

Scots are set to be blasted by up to 14 inches of snow[/caption]

Getty

The first flurries will hit the country in the early hours of March 2[/caption]

WXCharts

Some parts could see up to could experience up to 14 inches[/caption]

And there is set to be further chaos at the beginning of March with the country facing days of snowfall.

Weather maps from WXCharts show the first flurries will hit the country in the early hours of March 2.

By the evening of March 3, parts of the Highlands and Argyll and Bute will see around six inches.

During the next day two days, March 4 and 5, the north of the country could experience up to 14 inches on the ground.

In its long-range forecast for February 25 to March 6, the Met Office said: “Conditions through this period are somewhat uncertain, and the detail especially so, but it is more likely than not that a mainly westerly regime will dominate the UK’s weather.

“It is therefore likely that further spells of mild, wet and windy weather affect the UK at times, interspersed with colder, showery conditions with a risk of some snow in the north, mainly over higher ground.

“However, there is also a chance that drier, more settled conditions develop at times, especially towards the south or southeast of the UK.

“Temperatures are likely to be close to or a little above average overall, although with a risk of overnight frost in between frontal systems or in association with any drier spells.”

Today, a yellow alert is in place from 6am until 6pm and covers Central, Tayside and Fife, Grampian, south west Scotland, Lothian and Borders and southern parts of Strathclyde.

On Sunday, all of Scotland has been warned to expect high winds arriving from the west, with a yellow Met Office warning in place between 6am and 6pm.

Gusts could widely reach 60mph inland, with 70mph possible on the west coast and higher ground.

Travel disruption is expected and weathermen say power cuts are possible.

Meanwhile, flooding of a few homes and businesses is “likely”.

WAKING with a jolt, my head and heart thumping, I had no idea where I was or any recollection of the night before.

This had become my ‘normal’, a terrifying feeling fuelled by the bottle of vodka and several glasses of wine I’d got through the previous day.

Lorna Roach

A once enjoyable few drinks with friends had spiralled into an alcohol addiction, but I couldn’t see it.

A blackout here and there, unexplained bruises and an apology to whoever I’d fallen out with after one-too-many sambucas – I thought this was just the price you paid for a good night out.

As a sociable 25 year old living in London, it didn’t occur to me that it wasn’t normal at all.

Nor could I see that my nights out were gradually becoming more chaotic, and that the amount I was drinking was spiralling. 

A couple once found me drunkenly stumbling around, miles from home, and were so worried they took me in for the night. 

Another time I fell into a table at a swanky bar, smashing drinks everywhere.

The night before my 30th birthday got so wasted I hit the pavement face first, shattered a front tooth and spent the morning of my big day in a dentist’s chair.

Despite dozens of incidents like these, it would be another four years before I truly twigged that my drinking was out of hand. 

Supplied

And two more after that before I’d end up in rehab — physically addicted and completely broken by booze. 

First sips of Hooch

Looking back, the signs that I’d become an alcoholic were always there.

From my first sip of Hooch at the age of 15, I always drank to get drunk. And why not – drinking was fun! 

As a teenager it felt new and exciting. At university I practically had a degree in partying.

And once I entered the world of work, everyone seemed to be at it.

British women are the world’s biggest female binge drinkers, according to a 2023 report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

A typical night out would start with several glasses of wine or fizz, progress to shots, and often end with me the last one standing — or falling over — at the bar.  

Claire Weekes

Twenty-six per cent finish six drinks or more in a single sitting, at least once a month.

By my early twenties I was drinking far more than that, several times a week.

A typical night out would start with several glasses of wine or fizz, progress to shots, and often end with me the last one standing — or falling over — at the bar.  

I’d be out most Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights and there’d usually be a cheeky lunchtime or post-work session with colleagues, too.

Boozing also played havoc with my love life. I’d get sozzled on dates to calm my nerves and partners would tire of my drunken behaviour. 

More than one relationship came to an end because, in the words of one ex-boyfriend, I was “a nightmare” when I drank.

Lorna Roach

Boozy blackouts 

I also didn’t realise at the time that I used booze to deal with every emotion. If I was happy, I drank.

If I was sad or worried, I drank. 

When I was 28, I suffered a vicious assault while on holiday in Thailand, and in the months that followed I used alcohol as a crutch to try and get over it. 

This, I now know, was the start of my relationship with alcohol turning sour.

I drank to cope with what had happened, and in the meantime the blackouts and embarrassing incidents became more frequent.

I’d often end up in floods of tears at the end of a night out.

I tried to kid myself that drinking was still fun, but in reality I was going into freefall.

Nights out gradually turned into nights in with boxes of wine, to avoid falling over drunk or falling asleep on the night bus on the way home.

It was like trying to wrench myself out of a toxic relationship. I hated what alcohol was doing to me… but I kept going back.

Claire Weekes

Hangovers would cause my anxiety to go through the roof and I started having panic attacks. 

I’d turn up to work hungover and sneak off to the pub at lunchtime by myself, to ‘top up’ and feel vaguely normal again.

Things only became worse when, at 31, I moved back home in a bid to sort myself out. By now my finances were a mess and my career was stalling. 

I clearly had a drink problem by this point but unbelievably, I still didn’t see it. I saw drinking as the solution to all the other problems I had.

And so I carried on, until one day I woke up with the shakes. Once again, I turned to alcohol to fix it.

Now I’d crossed a line and there was no going back.

Supplied

Drinking round the clock

I started carrying vodka around in water bottles to keep the shakes at bay. Before I knew it, I was drinking round the clock.

The descent from there was fast and frightening. I was fired from my job for being drunk at work. 

With no routine, my drinking really took off. And because I was living at home, it didn’t go unnoticed.

Women are advised to drink no more than 14 units a week.

At my worst I was more than doubling that every single day — ploughing through a bottle of vodka and several glasses of wine – easily polishing off seven bottles and 30 glasses a week.

Things came to a dramatic head when my mum found me unresponsive one day at home.

I was taken to hospital where they had to give me tablets to stop the withdrawal symptoms as the alcohol left my system.

By this point I was completely addicted.

Finally forced to admit I had a problem, I joined a local alcohol support group and started going to AA meetings.

But despite the damage I was doing to myself and everyone around me, still I couldn’t give up.

I’d manage a few weeks, find a new job and start to get back on my feet. Then something would set me off again. 

It was like trying to wrench myself out of a toxic relationship.

I hated what alcohol was doing to me, but because getting drunk felt comforting and familiar, I kept going back.

‘I’d finally had enough’

The next few months passed in a chaotic blur. More hospital visits. Huge rows with my family when I was drunk.

Taking myself off to hotels for days on end to drink alone.

Unable to hold down regular work, any money I did have quickly dwindled to nothing. 

And then it came. The moment I’d finally had enough. 

I was drunk when it happened, but it wasn’t huge and dramatic. I simply broke down, unable to carry on as I was anymore.

Within three days I was at a rehab facility in Bournemouth. My family were amazing, rallying round to fund my stay. 

In the first week I shook from the alcohol withdrawal and cried constantly.

But as the shakes subsided, I finally felt like a weight was lifting. 

Before, the booze would barely be out of my system before I’d relapse.

Finally, I was able to break that cycle and with a clear head, get to the bottom of why I drank the way I did.

Rehab helped me to see that my relationship with alcohol never had been – and never would be healthy, and that I had to say goodbye to it for good. 

I was there for six months and will be forever grateful I was able to.

The number of women dying from alcohol-related liver disease is rising — with 2,700 deaths recorded in 2022 — the highest number on record.

If I’d carried on the way I was, I could have been a statistic too.

Lorna Roach

A typical night out for Claire would start with several glasses of wine or fizz then progress to shots[/caption]

On the other side

I left rehab ten years ago, and whilst recovery hasn’t been easy, it has been the best thing I’ve done.

In the early days there were lots of ‘sober firsts’ to navigate.

Birthdays and Christmases without a drink felt tough at first.

But I’d use the tools I learned in rehab to get me through.

If I felt tempted to drink, I’d call a friend in recovery for support, or remind myself how terrifying the morning after a blackout used to feel.

Waking up the next day without that terror always felt like a win.

As other areas of my life improved too, any temptation slowly died. 

I found a new job and made a fresh start, renting a small flat in Bournemouth near the sea. 

Relationships with friends and family, that my boozing had left hanging by a thread, slowly repaired. 

Chaos, which seemed to follow me everywhere when I drank, disappeared from my life.

I now even enjoy sober dating, something ‘drunk me’ would never have imagined. 

Just as my drinking problem crept up on me, so too did the gradual realisation that I’m far happier sober.

Now I can honestly say I don’t miss alcohol at all. 

Like most toxic relationships, once you’re out the other side you realise just how much better off you are.

Supplied

I drank to deal with every emotion – happiness, sadness or worry. When I did eventually get sober, learning to sit with these, rather than pour wine or vodka over them, was tough[/caption]

A MUM has faced criticism for continuing to live in a council house with two spare rooms, as she and her husband refuse to give up their home.

Shaz has lived in the property with her husband for 50 years, but she now finds herself having to defend their decision to stay.

tiktok/@mylovelycouncilhouse/

Shaz has taken to TikTok to defend herself[/caption]

This comes after claims that some people believe older tenants should vacate council houses once they reach a certain age or after their children move out.

Taking to her TikTok page, ‘mylovelycouncilhouse’, Shaz posted a video explaining her stance on the matter.

Speaking directly to the camera, she admitted that her views might “annoy a lot of people.”

Shaz explained: “My husband has lived here all his life – so he’s been here for 50 years, basically.

“I’ve seen some people say, ‘Oh, you shouldn’t stay in a council house when you get to a certain age, or when your children leave home, you should move out.’

“But it’s our home. It’s not just a council house; it’s our home.

“We’ve got two spare bedrooms – well, technically one, because we sleep in separate bedrooms. That’s the way we like it.

“I intend to stay in this house until I am either physically unable to or am carried out the door in a box.

“I’m not moving out of my home just because somebody on the internet says I should move and give it up for a family.

“We are a family of two.

“And when the grandchildren come to stay, etc., etc., where are they going to sleep if we’re living in a one-bedroom flat? On the sofa? No. No.

“We’ve been here fifty years. We’ve put a lot of money into this house, and there’s no way I am leaving unless I’m dead or physically unable to get through the door again.

“So, yes, we’ve paid, we’ve done a lot to this house, and we’re staying. We’re not moving.”

The video has since garnered over 67,700 views and 673 comments, with many people rushing to the comments section to share their opinions.

There are kids that will never have a garden because of this

TikTok comment

One commenter said: “Why should you move? Do those people who own their home just up and move when the kids leave? I hate the fact people look down on council tenants.” 

Shaz responded: “Scummy, aren’t we? Me too, lovely. And also, people think we don’t work too.”

However, not everyone agreed with her position.

One person wrote: “It’s not right that couples stay in family homes when families need them.

“I think the council should offer one-bedroom places, but unfortunately there are not many.”

Another added: “I’m on the fence because I get it’s people’s homes and no one wants to be told to move out, especially when you’ve put money into it, but there are kids that will never have a garden because of this.” 

A TEENAGER has been rushed to hospital after becoming impaled on a railing in Cork early this morning.

It is understood that the young lad was trying to scale a wall near University College Cork when he fell and became impaled on a railing below.

The incident took place shortly after 3am this morning.

Fire and ambulance services both rushed to the scene and the teenager was taken to hospital for treatment.

Cork City Fire Brigade confirmed that it attended the scene at around 3:30am but its assistance was not required.

In a statement this morning, a spokesperson said: “Cork City Fire Brigade attended a call at approx 3:30 this morning to UCC for a rescue general.

“On arrival, the National Ambulance Service had removed the casualty, and the city fire services were not required and returned to station.”

Gardai confirmed that they assisted emergency services at the scene of the incident.

A garda spokesperson said: “Gardai assisted emergency services with a medical emergency that occurred in the early hours of Friday morning 21 February 2025 in Cork city.

“As An Garda Siochana is not the lead agency in this emergency, no further information is available.”

For the latest news on this story keep checking back at the Irish Sun Online, where we will bring you live updates as soon as they happen, before anyone else.

Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/theirishsun, and follow us from our main Twitter account at @IrishSunOnline, where we will bring you this story and all the rest of the top news and exclusives of the day.

TheSun.ie is your go to destination for the best celebrity news, football news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.

National Ambulance Service

A MUM who hoped face surgery in Turkey would make her look like a ‘snapchat filter’ had a ‘horror-film’ op that has left her unable to even close her eyes.

Joanne Law felt ‘wrinkly’ after losing seven stone following a successful gastric sleeve surgery in Turkey in February 2023, so was ‘excited’ to get work done on her face at the same hospital.

Kennedy News

Joanne Law suffered from blepharitis immediately after surgery, which caused her eyelids to swell and grow blister[/caption]

Kennedy News

Joanne before her face surgery, which set her back £5,200[/caption]

The 56-year-old had saved up around £5,200 for a face, neck and eyelid lift along with a fat graft and went under the knife again in June 2023.

But when Joanne was taken to the operation room, she was ‘frightened’ to see it was in basement and looked like a ‘horror film‘.

Joanne said she suffered from blepharitis immediately after surgery, which caused her eyelids to swell and grow blisters, lasting three months.

Since then, Joanne has not been able to fully shut her eyes, causing them to dry out and tear up.

Shocking footage shows Joanne’s eyes remaining open even when she is sleeping – with her eyelids not fully closed and her eyes clearly visible and darting around in her sleep.

This has left Joanne unable to drive at night as the lights blind her and her eyes are always dry, while her eyelids ‘droop’ and don’t shut properly.

The mum-of-two also suffers from ‘painful’ scars behind her ears and on her eyes, while she was left with a ‘wobbly turkey neck’ after the botched lift.

Joanne, from Manchester, Greater Manchester, said: “When I lost seven stone I just felt wrinkly, so I thought this is my next step, I’ll get my face done.

“I was chuffed the whole time and that was my downfall. I didn’t research enough because I trusted them.

“The procedure was around the back of the hospital in a basement. It frightened the hell out of me, it was awful, like a horror movie.

“There was an old-fashioned bed screen separator, someone was being operated on the other side in the same theatre.

“Immediately after I got blepharitis, which is a bacterial infection, and had blisters under my eyes for three months.

“I still can’t fully close my eyes now. I’m struggling to drive at night now because the car lights hurt my eyes and I just can’t close them.

“When it’s windy out I just can’t see, my eyes fill with tears. My eyes are so dry so they need to tear up to be protected from the elements.

Kennedy News

The mum-of-two also suffers from ‘painful’ scars behind her ears and on her eyes[/caption]

“When I get tired, the bottom of my eye droops. I’ll be driving and will have to pull over at services and shut my eyes because I’ll be driving as if I’ve had no sleep for a week.

“You can see one of my eyeballs more than the other.

“I got a turkey neck, it wobbles, and they didn’t tighten my muscles.

“I have scars on the back of my ear and earlobe so I can’t put earpods in my ear and it is still painful.

“It’s like a five-year-old has done it.

“I’m really deflated because my sleeve was such a success I thought I was going to look like something straight out of a snapchat filter.”

Kennedy News

The 56-year-old had saved up around £5,200 for a face, neck and eyelid lift along with a fat graft[/caption]

Kennedy News

Joanne is unable to fully shut her eyes, even when sleeping[/caption]

Now, Joanne said the surgery – which included as blepharoplasty, or eyelid lift – has knocked her confidence as she does not like to leave the house and uses makeup to cover her scars.

The hospital coordinator reportedly recommended that Joanne had a fat graft, which has left her feeling like a ‘cartoon character’.

When Joanne got in touch with the hospital she was reportedly told that her scarring was normal and to wait 12 months for them to heal.

However, the hospital reportedly ignored Joanne’s emails after the 12-month period.

Joanne said: “I’m not rich, I was saving up and gave things up, and I was really excited for the surgery.

“One side of my scars is different from the other, as if two different people were stitching me up for quickness.

“I’ve practised makeup, without it I feel like a mess.

Kennedy News

Joanne says her surgery looks like a ‘five-year-old has done it’[/caption]

“I don’t like going out of the house, if anyone sees me without makeup, they straight away say, you look ‘tired’.

“The fat graft made me look like a cartoon character, it’s changed how I look. It just made my face flat and weird.

“I’ve sent them pictures every month and they kept saying to wait 12 months. Now they’re just ignoring me.”

Now, the mum wants to raise awareness of the risks involved with operations abroad.

Kennedy News

Joanne said the surgery – which included as blepharoplasty, or eyelid lift – has knocked her confidence[/caption]

Kennedy News

She was left with a ‘wobbly turkey neck’ after the botched lift[/caption]

Joanne said: “What made me suspicious was before I went in is that I couldn’t find any before and after photographs of the surgeon’s work.

“I remember he fobbed me off to the point that I believed him. I was excited about what I was going to have done and ignored my gut feeling.

“I’ve been so frustrated, I want to scream to other girls and say don’t do it.

“The recovery was horrendous, there was no aftercare. That hospital is a butcher’s shop.”

THIS is the unbelievable moment a thief escapes from court by slipping through a window and clambering down a three-storey building.

The daring escape was pulled off by Onoshana Thando Sadiki from Jeppe Magistrate’s Court in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Sadiki was supposed to be facing court proceedings for charges of breaking an entry and theft on Tuesday afternoon – but he had other ideas.

The suspect bolted through the court room door while the magistrate was speaking, according to local media reports.

The court was sealed off but Sadiki had vanished, and his bold escape was filmed by an astounded onlooker in a neighbouring building.

Footage shows the wily defendant clinging onto vertical beams on the outside of the court building, perilously high up.

He then slides down the outer face – using the railing to slow his descent – and lands on the next floor down.

From there, he makes a huge leap and plunges the rest of the distance to the ground.

Once on terra firm, the escapee wastes no times in scarpering.

He sprints down a flight of steps and off into the surrounding neighbourhood.

Sadiki’s freedom was only temporary, however, as he was nabbed again the next day while on the run.

Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi, a Guateng police spokesperson, said: “The suspect escaped when he was appearing at Jeppe Magistrate’s Court on a charge of housebreaking and theft.

“He was rearrested today, February 19, 2025, at Malvern by the Jeppe tracing team and will be further charged with escape from lawful custody.”

In a separate video, Sadiki reflected on the moment he made a break for it.

He said: “When the judge called me the first time there was no one there.

“So I saw there was no one there. After that I just looked at the door.”

He said the judge had been intending to postpone the trial.

Sadiki continued: “I’m telling my layer, you must do the guilty [verdict] now.

“I want my thing now. No matter what it is, I don’t want to go back to trial.”

Footage of the bold break-out went viral on social media in South Africa.

One user joked: “He’s really a master mind of house breaking.”

Another said: “You can see he is used to housebreaking. The way he comfortably went down that wall is very Tom Cruise-like.”

And it seemed to inspire a note of a patriotism in a third, who said: “They don’t make criminals anywhere else like they do here in South Africa. If there was a World Cup for criminality South Africa would win gold every single time.”

BARRY Connell, the trainer with whom Michael O’Sullivan is most associated, paid a fitting tribute to the tragic jockey after overseeing a winner at Punchestown on Thursday.

The pair had linked up for O’Sullivan’s most memorable triumph with Marine Nationale in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival.

@RacingTV

William Munny took the Listed 2m novice hurdle for him with ease at the Kildare track[/caption]

PA

O’Sullivan was buried in his native Cork at a massive funeral on Wednesday[/caption] https://twitter.com/RacingTV/status/1892640256240865455

So it was always bound to be an emotionally wrought moment when Connell spoke on camera for the first time since the 24-year-old’s passing.

At the outset of his interview with Racing TV, Connell acknowledged: “It has been a terribly difficult week for the family and everyone in the racing community.

“Michael was part of our operation for a long time, and it’s been heartbreaking, it’s been very difficult.”

He added: “I was lucky enough to spend a good bit of time with the family during the week.

“He packed so much into a career of two and half years that most riders wouldn’t be able to do in a lifetime.

“The two of us went along together.

“I only had the [training] license for a year and Michael had only just turned professional, and we went on a magical journey.

“We’ll be going back to Cheltenham this year, and it will be very emotional.

“Our hearts go out to the family, and we will never forget Michael.”

The Irish horse racing community en masse turned up in Glantire on Wednesday to pay their respects as the prodigiously talented rider was laid to rest.

Perhaps the most moving moment to come from a sombre day from start to finish was supplied by his girlfriend Charlotte.

She read out a poem she’d composed in his honour that summed up his lifelong love of racing.

It read: “Around the home bend, he came, so proud, a jockey, strong, with heart unbowed.

“The cheers of Cheltenham rose to the sky, as he galloped past, swift as a sigh.

“In the saddle, he knew no fear, chasing victory, his purpose clear.

“The crowd erupted with each swift stride, but it was his love that burned inside.

“With the reins in his hands and the wind at his back, he’d race through life, never looking back.

“A man of grit, of courage, and grace, whose smile could light up the darkest space.

“His spirit runs free, beyond the track, and in my heart, he’s forever mine.

“My love, my life, my endless love.”

EASTENDERS viewers have vowed to never watch the soap again after bosses made a “huge mistake” in wiping out a core family from the Square.

The BBC soap’s 40th anniversary live episode delivered a shocking twist as Martin Fowler (James Bye) met a tragic end in the Queen Vic disaster.

BBC

EastEnders viewers are furious that Martin Fowler was killed off in the live anniversary episode[/caption]

BBC

He died in the rubble after the Queen Vic collapsed[/caption]

BBC

Fans of the soap warned producers that they will be switching off after this development[/caption]

Fans are outraged, claiming that killing off Martin was unnecessary and a devastating blow to EastEnders’ legacy.

The dramatic scenes saw Martin crushed under a steel beam while heroically saving his on/off love Stacey Slater.

He was given morphine by paramedics as firefighters worked desperately to free him.

In his final moments, Martin proposed to Stacey, declaring his undying love before tragically succumbing to his injuries.

Viewers were left furious by the decision to axe Martin, and have taken to social media in droves to complain.

One person fumed: “How does one complain to Ofcom? Tom will be happy to know I am never watching EastEnders again.”

Another posted: “The whole of the UK right now on their way to complain to Ofcom for killing off our beloved Martin.”

“Guys, how do I complain to Ofcom?” another frustrated viewer asked, while a fourth raged: “They (Chris Clenshaw) kill off all the decent characters and leave all the rubbish behind. Big mistake.”

Many fans were particularly angered by the fact that Martin was the last remaining Fowler on the Square, marking the end of an era for the show’s first family.

“That was the biggest mistake in EastEnders history since killing off Ronnie and Roxy,” one devastated viewer wrote.

“Martin was the first baby born on EastEnders. He was the first legacy character. He has only been recast once, and his actor gave no indication that he wanted to leave. As a showrunner, you do your best to hold on to characters with as much importance as this.”

Another added: “Killing off Martin kills off a core history of the show. Aside from his kids, there are no more Fowlers left on the Square. Without Hope, Roman, and Michelle, the Fowlers are now all dead as a family.”

The backlash continued, with one fan lamenting: “Agree, and I’ve been saying this all night. Our last practical link with Arthur and Pauline. Why??”

Viewers also slammed the writing of Martin’s death, particularly the role Stacey played in it.

One fan wrote: “Stacey refusing repeatedly to leave with Martin until he confessed his love to her is what got him killed. It was totally unnecessary.”

Another viewer said: “Killing Martin Fowler off is weird. The Fowlers are the first family of Walford. Apart from Sonia, there’s now no one in Walford with the last name Fowler. How are they going to build that family’s legacy now?”