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Texas state representative: ‘I’ve never seen anything like this in my life’ Fox NewsThere's more to the chic Renault 5 than its baguette holder and lipstick-shaped gear shifter. The French marque is pulling out all the stops to make the R5's revival more interesting with an online shop chock-full of branded merchandise, and some items are cool as hell.
The one that initially caught our attention was the cassette player, which was all the rage when the previous-generation Renault 5 launched. Made from aluminum and fitted with headphone and microphone jacks, the Player5 Portable Cassette Player has Bluetooth and a play/record function. The rechargeable battery lasts for up to 10 hours and Renault throws in a blank 60-minute cassette. Oh, you also get a pencil to rewind the tape—which is a sentence that only makes sense if you're past a certain age. All for €180, which works out to about $195 at current exchange rates.
96 Photos
You can also buy a nifty slot car race track that's nearly 150 inches long. It comes bundled with 1:43 scale models of the 2021 Renault 5 prototype that came before the production version and the rad Turbo 3E concept. Both have working headlights and a turbo function with a dedicated button on the controllers. It'll set you back €115 ($125).
Another product that we found interesting is a €200 ($217) helmet with built-in brake light and turn signals. Alternatively, you could go for a €110 ($119) set of three stainless steel balls to play a game of pétanque. Per Wikipedia:
"Players or teams play their boules/balls towards a target ball. In pétanque, the objective is to score points by having boules closer to the target than the opponent after all boules have been thrown. This is achieved by throwing or rolling boules closer to the small target ball, officially called a jack, or by hitting the opponents' boules away from the target, while standing inside a circle with both feet on the ground."
Aside from miscellaneous items such as beanies, sweaters, socks, skateboards, pencils, pedal cars, and scale models of various sizes, there are a few pricey goodies. You can spend a cool €2,700 ($2,930) on a bicycle or €3,000 ($3,250) on a surfboard. Reach deeper into your pockets for a foosball table that costs a whopping €4,200 ($4,500). It's made by French football table manufacturer Bonzini and weighs 176 pounds (80 kilograms).
As for the car itself, Renault has said the reborn 5 will kick off at around €25,000 ($27,000). A more expensive hot hatch derivative will follow later this year when Alpine is going to introduce the A290.
There's more to the chic Renault 5 than its baguette holder and lipstick-shaped gear shifter. The French marque is pulling out all the stops to make the R5's revival more interesting with an online shop chock-full of branded merchandise, and some items are cool as hell.
The one that initially caught our attention was the cassette player, which was all the rage when the previous-generation Renault 5 launched. Made from aluminum and fitted with headphone and microphone jacks, the Player5 Portable Cassette Player has Bluetooth and a play/record function. The rechargeable battery lasts for up to 10 hours and Renault throws in a blank 60-minute cassette. Oh, you also get a pencil to rewind the tape—which is a sentence that only makes sense if you're past a certain age. All for €180, which works out to about $195 at current exchange rates.
96 Photos
You can also buy a nifty slot car race track that's nearly 150 inches long. It comes bundled with 1:43 scale models of the 2021 Renault 5 prototype that came before the production version and the rad Turbo 3E concept. Both have working headlights and a turbo function with a dedicated button on the controllers. It'll set you back €115 ($125).
Another product that we found interesting is a €200 ($217) helmet with built-in brake light and turn signals. Alternatively, you could go for a €110 ($119) set of three stainless steel balls to play a game of pétanque. Per Wikipedia:
"Players or teams play their boules/balls towards a target ball. In pétanque, the objective is to score points by having boules closer to the target than the opponent after all boules have been thrown. This is achieved by throwing or rolling boules closer to the small target ball, officially called a jack, or by hitting the opponents' boules away from the target, while standing inside a circle with both feet on the ground."
Aside from miscellaneous items such as beanies, sweaters, socks, skateboards, pencils, pedal cars, and scale models of various sizes, there are a few pricey goodies. You can spend a cool €2,700 ($2,930) on a bicycle or €3,000 ($3,250) on a surfboard. Reach deeper into your pockets for a foosball table that costs a whopping €4,200 ($4,500). It's made by French football table manufacturer Bonzini and weighs 176 pounds (80 kilograms).
As for the car itself, Renault has said the reborn 5 will kick off at around €25,000 ($27,000). A more expensive hot hatch derivative will follow later this year when Alpine is going to introduce the A290.
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
Plus, we answer your questions, including…
Check out our past episodes!
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Celebrating his victory in the South Carolina primary Saturday, Donald Trump declared, “I have never seen the Republican Party so unified as it is right now.”
It was an indisputable victory for Trump, particularly given that it was in the home state of his last remaining rival for the nomination, Nikki Haley, a twice-elected and popular former South Carolina governor. Trump beat Haley by about 20 points, and she doesn’t look likely to do much better than that going forward. Barring some shocking development, it’s a foregone conclusion that Trump will be the nominee.
But the GOP is not unified, never mind like never before. It’s actually as divided as it was in 1992, which was not a great year for Republican unity.
That was the year that Pat Buchanan challenged President George H.W. Bush for the nomination. Buchanan got just less than 38 percent of the vote in the New Hampshire primary, and it was widely regarded at the time—and ever since—as a devastating rebuke and a sign that the GOP was in deep disarray.
Buchanan stayed in the race until the end despite failing to win a single primary, much as Haley is threatening to do. The conservative challenger contributed to Bush’s subsequent defeat in the general election, and his candidacy established a lasting Buchananite faction within the party.
Now, Trump isn’t an incumbent, but countless observers (including me) have made the point that he’s running as a quasi-incumbent. Indeed, last week, Haley referred to him as a “de facto incumbent.” Trump has 100 percent name identification, and the party’s infrastructure has largely acted as if he were still its leader.
More importantly, Trump falsely claims that the 2020 election was stolen, and many Republican voters believe him. This lie is often denounced for lofty reasons having to do with democracy and his unfitness for office—rightly so. I think Trump disqualified himself from political office with the conduct that culminated in the January 6, 2021, riot. But its practical effects on the GOP are often overlooked.
Much of right-wing media and many elected GOP officials, including most of Trump’s primary opponents, refused to acknowledge that he lost. This prevented the party from turning the page on Trump or having a healthy debate over whether to move on from Trumpism.
Normally, when a party loses, an opposing faction within it gets a shot. That couldn’t happen in this case. As a result, Trump operates as an incumbent—a very weak incumbent.
But while the internal party reckoning that comes with a loss can be delayed, it can’t be denied. Over time, the opposition girds for its turn in power. Indeed, when Trump was elected in 2016, many—including Buchanan himself—hailed his victory as a long-postponed vindication for Buchananism.
There’s a key difference, however, between 2024 and 1992. Buchanan’s campaign was about issues—immigration, trade and foreign policy chief among them. Today, with the partial exception of support for Ukraine—which is largely a proxy for supporting Trump and his Russophilia—Republicans aren’t badly divided over any issue other than Donald Trump himself.
In the old days, Republicans who were moderate on abortion, defense, or taxes were often dubbed “RINOs”: Republicans in name only. Today, the term is reserved almost exclusively for Republicans who are insufficiently loyal to Trump.
Texas Rep. Chip Roy, for instance, is easily one of the most consistently conservative Republicans in Congress. But his support for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ campaign was enough for Trump to dub Roy a RINO and call for a primary challenge to him.
Trump has vacillated on abortion, fidelity to the Constitution and other formerly conservative litmus tests without paying a price among self-described conservatives. Moreover, the need to paper over his myriad character defects invites a kind of pathological defense of the man in full that has erased the “character issue” entirely. Indeed, it’s fair to say that many voters who describe themselves as “very conservative” mean they’re very supportive of Trump.
Similarly, Haley enjoys strong support among self-described moderate Republicans. But on the issues that once defined the party, she’s a conservative.
Haley’s determination to stay in the race probably won’t lead to her being president one day. But if the GOP is ever going to have a traditional conservative as a standard-bearer again, it will be because she helped preserve a safe space for them within the party.
Looks like the internet won’t have Che Diaz to kick around anymore. According to multiple sources, Sara Ramírez won’t be returning to “And Just Like That” for its third season, which starts production later this year for a 2025 premiere on Max.
Ramírez has played nonbinary standup comedian Che Diaz since Season 1, during which the character became a meme-generating object of mockery. In a cover story interview for Variety‘s Pride issue in June 2022, Ramírez said they had tried to avoid the online commentary. “Other people’s opinions of a character — that’s not something I can allow into my process,” they said. “I choose what I receive, right? That’s the beauty of being grown — I don’t have to receive everything!”
In the first season of “And Just Like That,” Che, who had a podcast with Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), swept Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) off her feet, causing her marriage to Steve (David Eigenberg) to end. At the end of Season 1, Che and Miranda went to Los Angeles, where Che was filming a pilot. Throughout the second season, the couple’s once-passionate relationship deteriorated, and they broke up. The Season 2 finale concluded with Carrie saying goodbye to her Upper East Side apartment by hosting a final dinner party there, with both Miranda and Che in attendance.
Of late, Ramírez has been an outspoken, prolific proponent for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, as reflected on their Instagram. Because of this advocacy, last month, the Daily Mail posted a story that speculated that Ramírez was hinting that they had been fired from “And Just Like That” because of their pro-Palestinian views, pointing to a particular post that stated: “It’s wild how performative so many in Hollywood are. Even more performative than the last character I played.”
Variety‘s sources dispute that Ramírez was fired for their politics or their Instagram presence. These sources say that the Che character had reached a natural conclusion, since their relationship with Miranda had ended.
A spokesperson from Max declined to comment.
In an interview in August with “And Just Like That” showrunner Michael Patrick King after the Season 2 finale, he discussed how the Che character had evolved over the two seasons of the Max hit. “Every time people say they don’t like Che, I go, ‘You mean you don’t like standups!,'” King said. “I mean, you’re standing on stage asking people to think you’re art. It’s a lot, that character. The audience got to see other sides, which is all you’re supposed to be doing if you get more than one season.”
And about the interaction between Miranda and Che in the finale, King said, “Hopefully, at the end, they’re like, “Good they’re not together, and they never will be.”
“Hey, It’s Che Diaz.” These are words we may never hear again, at least on And Just like That… Yesterday, Variety reported that Sara Ramirez, who played the nonbinary comedian and love interest of Cynthia Nixon’s Miranda Hobbes for two unforgettable seasons, will not be returning for the third iteration of the Sex and the City revival series. (Max has declined to comment.) And just like that, television’s most divisive, meme-worthy podcast-cohost-slash-comedian-slash-veterinarian-office-worker has left the building. Sayonara, Che.
Ramirez’s exit from the series has been speculated about for months, particularly after they alleged that actors were being “blacklisted” for posting anything in support of Palestinians in Gaza. (Ramirez is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns). “While they give awards away, casting directors and agents are making blacklists of actors and workers who post anything in support of Palestinians in Gaza to ensure they will not work again,” wrote Ramirez in an Instagram post, though they later added, “This post had and has nothing to do with my past work contracts.” (Nixon has also been outspoken regarding her support for a ceasefire, and appears to be returning to the series.) In their post, Ramirez went on to not so subtly criticize Che themself. “It’s wild how performative so many in Hollywood are,” Ramirez said. “Even more performative than the last character I played”—adding a painted-nail emoji at the end.
From a story perspective, it was probably time for Diaz to pack up their Hudson Yards apartment and get a move on. By the end of season two, the romance between Che and Miranda had more than run its course, crashing and burning in spectacular fashion. After moving to Los Angeles and back again, Che and Miranda called it quits; Che then ripped Miranda to shreds at one of their famed comedy concerts. While the former lovers were able to be cordial and even share a sweet moment at Carrie’s Last Supper, it was clear that there was no future for the two. To underline things, Diaz even had a new love interest, Toby, emerge at the end of the season.
Some fans will surely celebrate Che’s exit. They were a divisive and often confounding figure—a comedian who never said anything funny, a stoner who lived in a fancy building and made Cameos at night from bed while Miranda was sleeping. (Couldn’t they have at least gone into the other room?) Che was the type of person who’d show up unannounced and have sex with Miranda in the kitchen at three in the afternoon while she’s supposed to be taking care of a post-op Carrie, forcing Miss Bradshaw to piss into a Snapple bottle. (To be fair, that one was kind of on Miranda.) All of this led to vehement and passionate critiques of the character—something Ramirez was painfully aware of. Che was an acquired taste, to be sure.
But whatever taste Che left in your mouth, there’s no denying they were an integral thread in the batty fabric of And Just Like That… The show’s very premise launches Sex and the City fans into entirely uncharted territory. Samantha (Kim Cattrall) has straight-up disappeared; Charlotte (Kristin Davis) is struggling with the pressures of Upper East Side motherhood; Miranda, the once high-powered lawyer, is an alcoholic going through an identity crisis; Carrie becomes a widow who’s richer than God. Each lady has been given a new friend—Nya (Karen Pittman), Seema (Sarita Choudhury), and Lisa Todd Wexley (Nicole Ari Parker)—to fill the hole left by Samantha and also address DEI concerns. Into that spectacular mess entered Che Diaz, who may just be the perfect distillation of the bizarro fever dream that is the Sex and the City revival series. There’s a reason that, love ’em or hate ’em, the internet simply couldn’t get enough of Che.
For every cringe thing they did (remember “I’ve done a ton of weed”?), Che also had a few genuinely compelling moments. Their love affair with Miranda helped her go on an important and necessary journey of self-discovery and get out of a dying marriage. (Sorry, Steve.) They helped launch the ladies out of the 1990s and into the 2020s with their unabashed queerness and gender identity. (The queer subplots in the first iteration of Sex and the City weren’t great.) And the metacommentary surrounding the test audience’s reaction to their pilot, Che Pasa, while on the nose, was legitimately compelling in its analysis of the sometimes impossible expectations queer people have for mainstream representation within our own community. A Che-free third season of And Just Like That… may very well be like Carrie wearing an understated, not-completely ridiculous outfit to an event—less chaotic, sure, but spiritually incorrect.
Some of Sex and the City’s most memorable scenes were spurred by ridiculous and absurd love interests—the 30-year-old who lived with his parents, the man who cursed when he came, the guy with the funkiest tasting spunk. Che Diaz entered this pantheon, and succeeded at both shocking and amusing us. Say what you will about the comedian, but no one was doing it like them. With Che Diaz, we briefly touched the sublime. And yes, the sublime includes the phrase “comedy concert.”
“Hey, It’s Che Diaz.” These are words we may never hear again, at least on And Just like That… Yesterday, Variety reported that Sara Ramirez, who played the nonbinary comedian and love interest of Cynthia Nixon’s Miranda Hobbes for two unforgettable seasons, will not be returning for the third iteration of the Sex and the City revival series. (Max has declined to comment.) And just like that, television’s most divisive, meme-worthy podcast-cohost-slash-comedian-slash-veterinarian-office-worker has left the building. Sayonara, Che.
Ramirez’s exit from the series has been speculated about for months, particularly after they alleged that actors were being “blacklisted” for posting anything in support of Palestinians in Gaza. (Ramirez is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns). “While they give awards away, casting directors and agents are making blacklists of actors and workers who post anything in support of Palestinians in Gaza to ensure they will not work again,” wrote Ramirez in an Instagram post, though they later added, “This post had and has nothing to do with my past work contracts.” (Nixon has also been outspoken regarding her support for a ceasefire, and appears to be returning to the series.) In their post, Ramirez went on to not so subtly criticize Che themself. “It’s wild how performative so many in Hollywood are,” Ramirez said. “Even more performative than the last character I played”—adding a painted-nail emoji at the end.
From a story perspective, it was probably time for Diaz to pack up their Hudson Yards apartment and get a move on. By the end of season two, the romance between Che and Miranda had more than run its course, crashing and burning in spectacular fashion. After moving to Los Angeles and back again, Che and Miranda called it quits; Che then ripped Miranda to shreds at one of their famed comedy concerts. While the former lovers were able to be cordial and even share a sweet moment at Carrie’s Last Supper, it was clear that there was no future for the two. To underline things, Diaz even had a new love interest, Toby, emerge at the end of the season.
Some fans will surely celebrate Che’s exit. They were a divisive and often confounding figure—a comedian who never said anything funny, a stoner who lived in a fancy building and made Cameos at night from bed while Miranda was sleeping. (Couldn’t they have at least gone into the other room?) Che was the type of person who’d show up unannounced and have sex with Miranda in the kitchen at three in the afternoon while she’s supposed to be taking care of a post-op Carrie, forcing Miss Bradshaw to piss into a Snapple bottle. (To be fair, that one was kind of on Miranda.) All of this led to vehement and passionate critiques of the character—something Ramirez was painfully aware of. Che was an acquired taste, to be sure.
But whatever taste Che left in your mouth, there’s no denying they were an integral thread in the batty fabric of And Just Like That… The show’s very premise launches Sex and the City fans into entirely uncharted territory. Samantha (Kim Cattrall) has straight-up disappeared; Charlotte (Kristin Davis) is struggling with the pressures of Upper East Side motherhood; Miranda, the once high-powered lawyer, is an alcoholic going through an identity crisis; Carrie becomes a widow who’s richer than God. Each lady has been given a new friend—Nya (Karen Pittman), Seema (Sarita Choudhury), and Lisa Todd Wexley (Nicole Ari Parker)—to fill the hole left by Samantha and also address DEI concerns. Into that spectacular mess entered Che Diaz, who may just be the perfect distillation of the bizarro fever dream that is the Sex and the City revival series. There’s a reason that, love ’em or hate ’em, the internet simply couldn’t get enough of Che.
For every cringe thing they did (remember “I’ve done a ton of weed”?), Che also had a few genuinely compelling moments. Their love affair with Miranda helped her go on an important and necessary journey of self-discovery and get out of a dying marriage. (Sorry, Steve.) They helped launch the ladies out of the 1990s and into the 2020s with their unabashed queerness and gender identity. (The queer subplots in the first iteration of Sex and the City weren’t great.) And the metacommentary surrounding the test audience’s reaction to their pilot, Che Pasa, while on the nose, was legitimately compelling in its analysis of the sometimes impossible expectations queer people have for mainstream representation within our own community. A Che-free third season of And Just Like That… may very well be like Carrie wearing an understated, not-completely ridiculous outfit to an event—less chaotic, sure, but spiritually incorrect.
Some of Sex and the City’s most memorable scenes were spurred by ridiculous and absurd love interests—the 30-year-old who lived with his parents, the man who cursed when he came, the guy with the funkiest tasting spunk. Che Diaz entered this pantheon, and succeeded at both shocking and amusing us. Say what you will about the comedian, but no one was doing it like them. With Che Diaz, we briefly touched the sublime. And yes, the sublime includes the phrase “comedy concert.”
Zion Williamson may finally play an NBA game at MSG in front of a full crowd.
The oft-injured and high-flying Pelicans forward is listed as questionable for Tuesday’s game against the Knicks with a left foot contusion, an ailment that didn’t stop him from playing Sunday against the Bulls.
Assuming Williamson is available, Tuesday will represent just his second NBA game ever at MSG — and first since April 2021.
That game was held during the pandemic season in front of limited fans. Williamson previously played at MSG while at Duke.
“We’re gonna see,” said Josh Hart, who was Williamson’s teammate in New Orleans and played 42 minutes in Monday’s win over the Pistons. “Played him earlier in the year on the second night of a back-to-back, and we’re doing it again. We’ll see how that is.”
Williamson, who the Knicks tanked an entire season to try to draft in 2019, is averaging 22.4 points this season on 58 percent shooting.
The Knicks lost in New Orleans in October. The Pelicans (34-24) will be missing Brooklyn product Jose Alvarado, who is suspended for his part in a scuffle with the Heat last week.
The Pistons were cheated by the referees in a game that wasn’t even supposed to be in New York.
Monday’s 113-111 victory — which ended with a blown no-call that benefitted the Knicks — was originally scheduled for Detroit, but, due to issues related to the In-Season Tournament, was moved to MSG.
Basically, the Knicks were given too many road games because of their advancement in the in-season tourney — and the league punished the Pistons by taking away one of their games at Little Caesars Arena. It’s a pitfall of being the league’s worst team.
Regarding his high-profile injured players, Tom Thibodeau has repeated they need to hit “markers” in recovery.
On Monday, Thibodeau was asked to define those “markers.”
“It’s strength, range of motion, conditioning,” the coach said. “And once the doctors feel good about it, then you add in the contact and that’s usually one-on-one, two-on-two, three-on-three. Then you get to five-on-five, and you’re good to go.”
Neither Julius Randle (dislocated shoulder), OG Anunoby (elbow surgery) nor Mitchell Robinson (ankle surgery) have been cleared for contact.
“They have these markers they have to meet, and then they have to get cleared through medical with their exams with the doctors, and once that happens, then that’s really the next phase for them,” Thibodeau said.
The Knicks have relayed an expectation that at least Anunoby and Randle will return for the regular season.
It’s virtual certainty now that two of the Knicks’ possible first-round picks won’t convey this year.
One of them is top-18 protected coming from the Pistons, the other is top-12 protected from the Wizards. Those are the two worst teams in the league.
Both picks will also be protected next year. They eventually become second-round picks if they don’t convey in a few years.
The Knicks will likely get the Mavericks pick (top-10 protected) along with their own first-rounder.
Looks like the internet won’t have Che Diaz to kick around anymore. According to multiple sources, Sara Ramírez won’t be returning to “And Just Like That” for its third season, which starts production later this year for a 2025 premiere on Max.
Ramírez has played nonbinary standup comedian Che Diaz since Season 1, during which the character became a meme-generating object of mockery. In a cover story interview for Variety‘s Pride issue in June 2022, Ramírez said they had tried to avoid the online commentary. “Other people’s opinions of a character — that’s not something I can allow into my process,” they said. “I choose what I receive, right? That’s the beauty of being grown — I don’t have to receive everything!”
In the first season of “And Just Like That,” Che, who had a podcast with Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), swept Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) off her feet, causing her marriage to Steve (David Eigenberg) to end. At the end of Season 1, Che and Miranda went to Los Angeles, where Che was filming a pilot. Throughout the second season, the couple’s once-passionate relationship deteriorated, and they broke up. The Season 2 finale concluded with Carrie saying goodbye to her Upper East Side apartment by hosting a final dinner party there, with both Miranda and Che in attendance.
Of late, Ramírez has been an outspoken, prolific proponent for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, as reflected on their Instagram. Because of this advocacy, last month, the Daily Mail posted a story that speculated that Ramírez was hinting that they had been fired from “And Just Like That” because of their pro-Palestinian views, pointing to a particular post that stated: “It’s wild how performative so many in Hollywood are. Even more performative than the last character I played.”
Variety‘s sources dispute that Ramírez was fired for their politics or their Instagram presence. These sources say that the Che character had reached a natural conclusion, since their relationship with Miranda had ended.
A spokesperson from Max declined to comment.
In an interview in August with “And Just Like That” showrunner Michael Patrick King after the Season 2 finale, he discussed how the Che character had evolved over the two seasons of the Max hit. “Every time people say they don’t like Che, I go, ‘You mean you don’t like standups!,'” King said. “I mean, you’re standing on stage asking people to think you’re art. It’s a lot, that character. The audience got to see other sides, which is all you’re supposed to be doing if you get more than one season.”
And about the interaction between Miranda and Che in the finale, King said, “Hopefully, at the end, they’re like, “Good they’re not together, and they never will be.”
She’s still recuperating after planned abdominal surgery, but Kate Middleton’s secretary is the topic of the day because fans think he looks like a famous sports star. Lieutenant Colonel Tom White was just appointed to the Princess of Wales, filling in a role that’s been vacant for over a year.
Photos of White began circulating online after the news was announced, with some fans observing he looked like tennis legend Roger Federer. “I thought it was Roger Federer,” tweeted one. Another echoed: “Oh my he looks like Roger Federer.” Another said: “He’s very handsome.”
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White was an equerry (officer of honor) for Queen Elizabeth II up until her death in September 2022 and before that, he was a Royal Marines officer who served in Afghanistan in 2009.
Catherine’s last public outing was at the annual walk to church on Christmas Day 2023. She walked with Prince William and their three children — Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5.
Kensington Palace announced that the Princess had a “planned abdominal surgery” at The London Clinic on January 16, 2024. “The surgery was successful, and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery,” the statement said. “Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.”
“The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate. She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private,” the statement continued. “Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness’ progress when there is significant new information to share.”
“The Princess of Wales wishes to apologise to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements. She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible,” they added.
Many Royal fans took to the comments on Instagram to express their concern and wish a speedy recovery to the Princess of Wales. One top comment read, “That’s very concerning. That’s a looong hospital stay and longer recovery. As a surgical nurse, I know this must’ve been a very serious medical procedure. Hoping for a full recovery for this young mom. ❤️” Another read, “Gosh…this writing format gave me a heart attack for a second. Wishing the Princess a quick recovery.”
On her long recovery time, a source close to the royal family told People: “It is sensible to take the time. That is a great example to the rest of us, as you’re often told to get back to work as soon as possible, which can be damaging,” they said. A former patient at the London Clinic sung the hospital’s praises. “The physical therapists are amazing, helping you recover and get back on your feet. After abdominal surgery, you need a lot of patience, and it’s a bit scary at first.”
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The famine in northern Gaza, caused by Israel's strangling siege, has reached extreme levels, Palestinian residents there have told Middle East Eye. There have been several reports of people dying from malnutrition, including infants.
Life for over half a million people there now revolves around a single task every day: finding something to eat. In this following account, a resident of Gaza City, who did not wish to be named, recounts to MEE's Lubna Masarwa the struggle to survive in a war-torn city.
Things are difficult. Getting anything has become a difficult task, even simple things like sugar, salt and rice.
We go on looking for them everywhere, even in old shops and abandoned homes. If and when we find them in shops, they are sold at crazy prices.
About four days ago, around 800 bags of wheat flour came in. There are up to 700,000 people in northern Gaza. This means one bag for around every 1,000 people or so.
My cousin was among those people who managed to get a bag. It's 25kg. He distributed it among our extended family and each of us got one kilo.
Just like everyone else in Gaza, my sister and I mixed our share with corn and soy flour.
We do this to increase the quantity.
'I have completely forgotten what food tastes like'
I spent three hours in the morning starting the fire and cooking it, and in the end, it wasn't good. It was hard, uncooked and tasted weird. My sister started crying and I tried to calm her by saying we could add thyme to it and eat it that way.
Then I visited my aunt's house and they were struggling to get the fire started because the remaining wood in Gaza is not good. So I spent the next three hours helping them.
After that, I went to my uncle's house and they had the same problem, so I helped them.
My uncle didn't seem right to me during the visit. I asked him what was wrong and he didn't answer. Later, his son told me he hadn't eaten. He gave the small thyme pies they made to the children and refused to eat.
At the end of this very long and tiring day, an air strike hit nearby. I was terrified because I was on the upper floor. It was very close.
We've reached our limit. Things are miserable and get worse every day. It's beyond famine.
I've become so frail. I was a healthy guy. I used to ride horses and run. Now I can't even go up the stairs without feeling very exhausted.
I have completely forgotten what food tastes like. I no longer know what fruit or chicken taste like. We had only rice and even that is scarce now.
If found, one kilo of rice costs 80 shekels ($22), when before the war it cost seven shekels ($1.90). We are running out of things like cooking oil, yeast, corn and barley. Even animal feed that we were forced to eat at some point is running out. Every day something runs out.
'To die from the bombs is better than to die from this hunger'
I know people who started to eat wild herbs.
If we stay like this for another week, I think we will start seeing people die from starvation en masse.
There's nothing left here. Healthy people are getting sick and sick people are dying.
It doesn't matter whether you have money or not. It doesn't matter whether you stored food at the start of the war or not. Everything has run out. We're all the same. There's no way around it.
To die from the bombs is better than to die from this hunger. At least with air strikes, you die right away.
But now, we keep going round and round each day just to find a bite to keep us standing.
In a new interview with Guitar World magazine, guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari spoke about his addition to MEGADETH. The 37-year-old Finnish musician stepped in last September for MEGADETH's longtime axeman Kiko Loureiro, who announced earlier that month that he would sit out the next leg of MEGADETH's "Crush The World" tour in order to stay home with his children back in Finland. It was later revealed that Mäntysaari would continue to play guitar for MEGADETH for the foreseeable future, with Loureiro seemingly having no plans to return.
"I never thought something like this would happen to me," Mäntysaari told the magazine. "But at the same time, I've always felt like being prepared was important in case a big band like this did call me."
Mäntysaari was born in Tampere, Finland and began playing guitar at the age of 12. In 2004, he joined the band WINTERSUN. He has also been a member of SMACKBOUND since 2015.
"I have a specific skillset where I can learn fast, jump into new situations, and be comfortable," Mäntysaari told Guitar World. "I've always liked doing that. I love teaching, and I've been on many cover projects, so being detail-oriented is part of my skillset."
Regarding his preparation for the way he approached playing the MEGADETH material, Teemu said: "[We'd] look at the small details of how they groove, the moods, and the technical side. We talked a lot about what Dave [Mustaine, MEGADETH leader] wants to project, picking directions, being very aware of down-picking, alternate picking, and, in many of the songs, being aware of both. We also talked about things like dampening, the flow of songs, creating contrast, hand positions, and trying to get things right fingering-wise, all of which I enjoy doing. There's a bit of detective work involved, and to get that information from the source in Dave was amazing."
Earlier this month, Mustaine told Brazil's A Rádio Rock about how Teemu ended up landing the MEGADETH gig: "Kiko had recommended Teemu, and Teemu is an exceptional guitar player. Kiko was at the top of his game when this happened, so we were obviously disappointed, but it is what it is. If Kiko would have said, 'I don't know anybody, and you're on your own,' that would have been a lot harder. But Teemu is the right guy for MEGADETH. And Kiko knows that Teemu is the right guy for me. So, he actually did us a really big favor, and I love him and I wish him the best with everything that he does."
Mustaine went on to say that "Teemu is gonna make a lot of people happy" on MEGADETH's upcoming South American tour "because we're gonna be playing some songs that we haven't played for a long time. When he came in, I figured instead of just saying, 'Well, you've gotta learn these 30 songs here,' I asked him to learn a couple more. I mean, what's the difference when you're learning 30 songs? What's 33, right? Well, if he learned three and I said he's gotta learn 30, that's different. But I asked him to do some other songs that Dirk [Verbeuren, MEGADETH drummer] and James [Lomenzo, MEGADETH bassist] have been asking me to play for a very long time, and we're adding them now, which is great."
Kiko announced his decision to step back from MEGADETH in a social media post in November. He wrote in part: "Dear MEGADETH fans, I want to share with you a decision that hasn't been easy for me. In September, I had to step away from the U.S. leg of the tour for family reasons. Looking ahead, during 2024, we anticipate an even heavier touring schedule for MEGADETH. After thorough reflection and discussions with Dave Mustaine and MEGADETH's management, we have collectively agreed that it is the right move to extend my absence. I don't want to hinder any of the band's plans or the hard work of all the incredible people involved in the tour."
In early October, Mustaine told Shaggy of the 94.9 and 104.5 The Pick radio station in Idaho Falls, Idaho about Teemu's addition to MEGADETH: "People are losing their minds over how things are going right now 'cause we have a really good chemistry together."
According to Mustaine, MEGADETH has been able to change up its setlist a bit as a result of the guitarist switch. "We've got a bunch of songs from our catalog that we're playing, a bunch of new songs too," he said. "We've been able to add a bunch of songs to the set because Teemu was a metal fan. Kiko did not grow up baptized in metal… Like the show we did a couple of nights ago, we opened with 'Hangar [18]' and then we followed it up with 'Mechanix'. We've never done that before, so it's a pretty heavy beginning. And we've added a second track off of the new album with 'Soldier On!', and we're getting ready to add a third."
In September, Mustaine was equally full of praise for Mäntysaari, telling Wes Styles in a separate interview: "He's really great. And I'm super excited with what Teemu has brought. And it's uncanny because he plays a lot like [former MEGADETH guitarist] Marty [Friedman]. And it's really exciting. At certain times I just close my eyes during the set and I just hear these songs played, whether like Kiko in the past or Teemu now, it just sounds really magic because these guys have learned these songs and they're not just going out there and just banging their guitar around; they actually learned the solos from some of the virtuosos that I've played with over my career."
MEGADETH played its first concert with Mäntysaari on September 6, 2023 at Revel in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Loureiro officially joined MEGADETH in April 2015, about five months after Chris Broderick's exit from the group.
