EL PASO, Texas (AP) — The calls to 911 poured in from staff at Camp East Montana in Texas, the nation’s largest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility, at a rate of nearly one a day for five months, each its own tale of pain and despair.
A man sobs after being assaulted by another detainee. Another bangs his head against the wall after expressing suicidal thoughts. A pregnant woman complained of severe back pain and also had coronavirus.
“Every day felt like a week. Every week felt like a month. Every month felt like a year,” said Owen Ramsingh, a former property manager in Columbia, Missouri, who spent several weeks in the camp before his deportation in February to the Netherlands. “Camp East Montana was 1,000% worse than a prison.”
Fueled by billions of dollars in new funding, ICE operations across the nation have roiled communities, separated families and created a culture of fear in pursuit of President Donald Trump’s vow to rid the country of unauthorized migrants.
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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org
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The mass arrests have swelled detention centers, and set ICE off on a national chase for space to warehouse those who have been apprehended. Far from the “worst of the worst” that Trump vowed to deport, the data from ICE show that 80% at the camp had no criminal record and were instead caught up in a far-reaching dragnet.
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Camp East Montana looks like a pop up village, with six long tents along a stretch of the Chihuahuan Desert outside El Paso at the U.S. Army base Fort Bliss, once the site of an internment camp for Japanese Americans during World War II. Inside the hastily constructed camp, a series of communal living pods shelter thousands of immigrants in color-coded uniforms and Croc-style shoes.
But the stories of the conditions at the facility, revealed in data and recordings from more than a hundred 911 calls obtained by the The Associated Press — in addition to follow-up interviews and court filings — offer a disturbing portrait of overcrowding, medical neglect, malnutrition and emotional distress.
The detainees describe a camp where an average of about 3,000 people have lived per day in loud and unsanitary quarters, diseases spread easily and sleep is a luxury. The center will be closed to visitors until at least March 19 because of a measles outbreak, according to U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar.
Detainees struggle to obtain medication and health care, lose concerning amounts of weight because of a lack of food, and live in fear of private security guards known to use force to put down disturbances. The ceilings in the windowless tents leak when it rains and they only see sunlight during brief outings once or twice a week to a cramped recreation yard.
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In an email, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson who did not provide their name rejected claims of subprime conditions, saying Camp East Montana detainees receive food, water and medical treatment in a facility that is regularly cleaned.
The agency said Tuesday that normal operations continue at the camp. The Washington Post reported Wednesday that ICE is considering a plan to close it.
Detainee says guards bet on suicide
Like other detainees, Ramsingh said that between cleanings the rooms, restrooms and showers were often filthy and infested with insects. He said detainees stole others’ food because everyone was hungry due to the small and sometimes inedible meals, which led to fights, and the conditions took a toll on his mental health.
At one point he said he overheard a security guard talking about bets made among the staff over which detainee would be next to die by suicide. The guard said he had paid $500 into a pool, with the total pot riding on the outcome. The talk was particularly jarring, he said, because he had contemplated suicide himself.
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The DHS spokesperson said Ramsingh’s account was false, though provided no indication of how the agency had sought to verify that.
Ramsingh said he heard of the betting pool after Jan. 3, when ICE said security guards responded after a 55-year-old Cuban man tried to harm himself and then used handcuffs and force to restrain him. A medical examiner ruled that Geraldo Lunas Campos’s death was a homicide caused by asphyxia.
In addition to those cases, detainees attempted to harm themselves while expressing suicidal ideations on at least six other occasions that resulted in 911 calls, according to records from the City of El Paso obtained under the Texas public information law.
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DHS said the facility’s medical staff “closely monitors at-risk detainees,” provides mental health treatment and tries to prevent suicide attempts.
Ramsingh was a legal permanent resident brought to the U.S. at age 5, when his Dutch mom married a U.S. service member. He married a U.S. citizen in 2015.
But at the age of 45, immigration authorities detained him at Chicago O’Hare airport in September after he flew home from a trip to visit family in the Netherlands. They cited a drug conviction from when he was 16 years old, for which he served prison time decades ago. He was among the first detainees sent to Camp East Montana.
‘It’s really mentally draining’
Other medical emergencies included seizures, chest and heart problems, according to AP’s review of 130 calls made after the camp’s opening in mid-August through Jan. 20.
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“It’s not easy in here, psychologically,” said detainee Roland Kusi, 31, who said he fled Cameroon in 2022 to escape political violence. “You just keep thinking, like all the time, you’re thinking and thinking for a solution. … It’s really mentally draining.”
Immigration authorities arrested him in Chicago in September at an appointment with his wife, a member of the Army National Guard, to register their marriage in pursuit of legal residency for him. He was shipped quickly to El Paso.
A Cuban immigrant in his 50s told the AP he requested to receive his medication for diabetes, high blood pressure and an enlarged prostate during a six-week detention at Camp East Montana but it never arrived. He spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
Desperate, the man said he once refused to leave living quarters when a cleaning crew came. An immigration official offered him Ibuprofen, and urged him to consider leaving for another country.
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“He says to me, ‘Look, there are a lot of detainees, we don’t have enough for everyone,’” he said. “The man from ICE says to me, ’OK, why don’t you decide it’s better to leave? Leave for Mexico, go to Cuba. There you can have your medicine, have your things.’”
Fearing death, the man agreed to self-deport to Mexico to Ciudad Juárez — across the international border from his wife and their 11-year-old son in El Paso.
Injured detainees range from teenagers to retirees
The detainees, mostly male, come from all over the world. Some have lived in the U.S. for decades.
The camp is intended for short-term stays before detainees are transferred or deported. The average stay there is only nine days, according to ICE data, but some detainees have been kept for months amid court cases or logistical issues related to deportation. Ramsingh said he got stuck there for weeks after his deportation was ordered because ICE lost his Dutch passport. His personal belongings, including gold jewelry, also went missing.
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Advocates for detainees and some members of Congress have called for the camp’s closure, citing inhumane conditions.
“This facility should not be operational. It feels like this contractor is reinventing the wheel, and people are losing their lives in their experiment,” said Escobar, a Democrat from El Paso who has toured the camp several times.
She said the facility had temporarily cut its population below 1,900 when she visited last month after cases of the measles and tuberculosis were reported.
On one visit, a female detainee showed Escobar a meager serving of scrambled eggs that was served still frozen in the middle. She learned that detainees protested after they had stopped receiving juice, fruit and milk with their meals.
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Escobar also met with a detainee from Ecuador who said his arm had been broken during a violent arrest by immigration agents in Minnesota. Weeks later, he was still pleading for proper medical treatment and the congresswoman could still the fractured bones in his forearm poking up under the skin.
“I asked him, have you asked for help? And he said, ‘I ask every day, all day. And the only thing they give me is aspirin’,” she recalled.
A missing inspection report
The Washington Post reported in September that a required ICE inspection found conditions at the facility violated at least 60 federal standards for immigration detention, but that report never been released publicly.
The DHS spokesperson did not explain why but called claims in the Post story false. The spokesperson said ICE’s Office of Detention Oversight recently completed an inspection at Camp East Montana but that report also has not been released.
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The camp was hastily constructed last summer after the administration awarded a contract now worth up to $1.3 billion to Acquisition Logistics LLC, a Virginia contractor that had previously not operated an ICE facility.
The company uses subcontractors at Camp East Montana, including security firm Akima Global Services and medical contractor Loyal Source.
Escobar called for an investigation into the contractors, saying they were not delivering the services paid for by taxpayers.
“People should be moved by the abject cruelty, but if they’re not, I hope they’re moved by the fraud and corruption,” she said.
Most of the 911 calls were made by the camp’s contract medical staff. At least 20 incidents were reported as seizures, including some that resulted in head trauma.
Some injuries stemmed from fights between detainees, including a man who said he had been kicked in the ear and battered in his ribs. Another man reported he could not move his left eye after he had been assaulted the day before.
A woman who was 12 weeks pregnant had not received any prenatal care prior to her arrival at Camp East Montana and was intense pain, 911 calls revealed. She was among a small number of emergencies involving women, who make up less than 10% of the camp’s population.
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The calls also revealed some staff discord. A doctor is heard berating another employee for seeking to take a suicidal detainee back into the detention facility rather than to the emergency room, only to then figure out they had confused two different patients.
After one detainee attempted suicide while in an isolation room, a doctor could be heard speaking with a shaken colleague. A security supervisor assured him, the doctor said, that incidents “like this shouldn’t happen.”
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Foley reported from Iowa City, Iowa, and Biesecker reported from Washington.
There are three types of people in Dubai right now: those off to play padel, those rushing to the Omani border, and those waiting for house prices to drop.
It’s a joke doing the rounds here, and it neatly captures the mood.
Day seven of this war started with the familiar humdrum of daily life – people out jogging, children off to the park, the malls filling with shoppers.
But the mid-morning air was pierced by the screech of another emergency alarm on mobile phones.
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Image: A missile alert sent to mobile phones in Dubai
This one warning of incoming missiles, telling people to seek shelter and stay away from windows.
We’ve now had to teach toddlers and childminders to take cover when they hear the warnings or blasts from air defence. I’ve met children in Ukraine who are so familiar with the sounds of war they can tell if it’s incoming or outgoing fire. I never expected to see children enduring this in Dubai.
Normal life continues while the country is attacked every day.
Image: Smoke billows from Dubai’s Jebel Ali port on Sunday after an Iranian attack. Pic: Reuters
The UAE is now having to defend its territory, residents and way of life – in a way it never imagined.
It’s understood Iran has fired more drones and missiles at the UAE than anywhere else – even Israel – in these last seven days of war.
If you want to get people’s attention, aim for a global city and its five-star hotels. Create shock, havoc, and headlines.
But no one expected this – not the government, the military, or the millions of people who live here.
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Image: The site of an explosion at the Fairmont The Palm Hotel in Dubai on Saturday. Pic: AP
The US military base in Abu Dhabi was always known to be a possible target, but fairly low down the list given the far larger American military assets in the region. The UAE also made it clear in a public statement several weeks ago that no attacks on Iran were to come from its territory, airspace or waters. It was thought this would add a layer of protection to Iran’s Gulf neighbour.
We couldn’t have been more wrong.
More than 200 ballistic missiles and nearly 2,000 drones have been fired at the UAE in seven days.
Two missiles and 74 drones have got through. Three people have been killed and dozens injured.
Image: A Dubai beer garden sitting almost empty amid ongoing hostilities with Iran. Pic: AP
For some residents, it’s been too much, and community WhatsApp groups are in meltdown with people sharing flight information and tips on the journey to Muscat airport.
I’ve heard from many who have crossed into Oman to catch a flight, others who’ve driven to Saudi Arabia to get out.
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I’ve also heard from others making the reverse journey – separated from their children and desperate to get back.
For many stranded tourists, it’s been a nightmare holiday. The initial shock of finding themselves caught up in a war has been replaced by a sense of abandonment.
The UK government took nearly a week to organise its first evacuation flight, and there are tens of thousands of British holidaymakers still trying to get home.
We’ve received hundreds of messages from people at a loss as to what to do. One traveller who did get a flight, called on the way to the airport to say they could see incoming fire.
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Image: The US consulate in Dubai on fire
It’s been a surreal and scary week on many levels. The psychological impact has been even greater than any physical harm.
Will this hurt the city? Will this impact the country? For sure. At least for a time. I’ve already spoken to residents who’ve left and don’t want to come back.
Will it impact the sky-high property prices and rents? Probably.
Image: Empty road near Dubai International Airport. Pic: Reuters
Much depends on how long this war lasts – how long Iran is willing to sabotage its relationship with its neighbours.
But what I do know is that seven days on, a country not used to war has shown it can defend itself.
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And a population that chose this city for its lifestyle and security – never expecting to confront war on their doorstep – has shown a quiet resilience they can take pride in.
Many Britons aspire to leave a positive mark on the world, yet a significant number have not formalised their wishes through a will, new research reveals.
A survey by Great Ormond Street HospitalCharity (Gosh Charity) found that while 61 per cent of people hope to be remembered for their contributions, only 39 per cent have actually drafted a will.
The figures are even lower for charitable bequests, with just 14 per cent including a gift in their will. A further 11 per cent expressed an intention to donate to charity but have not yet updated their will, and 19 per cent are considering it.
Over half (52 per cent ) of respondents emphasised the importance of their lifetime actions benefiting future generations.
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The research also found that two-fifths (41 per cent ) of people said they are not currently considering leaving a gift to charity in their will (Gareth Fuller/PA)
The research was carried out by Opinium and released at the start of Free Wills Month.
Death of a loved one
Becoming a parent or grandparent
Reaching a life milestone
Experiencing a serious illness
The research also found that two-fifths (41 per cent ) of people said they are not currently considering leaving a gift to charity in their will, rising to more than half (51 per cent ) of Baby Boomers (aged 62 to 80) and 44 per cent of Gen-X (aged 46 to 61).
The survey also explored the life moments that prompt people to reflect on the legacy they want to leave behind.
The death of a loved one was the biggest trigger (14 per cent ), followed by becoming a parent or grandparent (12per cent ), reaching a life milestone (10 per cent ) and experiencing a serious illness (9 per cent ).
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The research suggests there may be some uncertainty about how accessible legacy giving can be, Gosh Charity said.
Nearly two-thirds (65 per cent ) of people were aware it is possible to leave a gift of any size to charity in a will, while just over a third (35 per cent ) were unaware of this.
Get a free fractional share worth up to £100. Capital at risk.
When asked about leaving a small financial gift of up to £100, nearly half (46 per cent ) of people surveyed believe it would make little difference to a charity, and 8per cent believe would make no difference at all.
Gabi Field, deputy director of public fundraising at Gosh Charity, said: “Every legacy gift, no matter the size, helps Gosh Charity fund vital support for families at the hospital as well as ground-breaking research. Together, these gifts ensure seriously ill children get the best chance and childhood possible, now and for generations to come.”
Gosh said patient Ary Patel and his family have seen the impact of that support first-hand. Ary, who is approaching his 10th birthday this year, underwent heart surgery at the hospital when he was six months old.
This month, he is starring in a Gosh Charity TV advert encouraging people to consider leaving a gift in their will.
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Ary’s mother Shiva said: “To see Ary approaching his 10th birthday is truly incredible, and something we will never take for granted. When Ary needed surgery, the care we received at Great Ormond Street Hospital was extraordinary – not just the life-saving treatment, but the support and kindness shown to us every step of the way.”
Opinium Research surveyed 2,000 people across the UK in February.
The Anglo-American “special relationship” has hit a low ebb following American strikes on Iran. US president Donald Trump disparaged British prime minister Keir Starmer with a negative comparison to Winston Churchill, making clear his “disappointment” over British reticence to offer logistical support to the American military.
This is the latest in a series of comments Trump has made about Starmer’s authority on foreign policy concerns – particularly the British return of Diego Garcia to Mauritius.
For his part, Starmer has publicly broken from the president on the matter of Greenland, offering “strong support” to Denmark in response to US threats to take over the territory. In January, when Trump disparaged British troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, Starmer called the remarks “appalling.”. Despite Trump’s attempts on Truth Social to smooth the matter over following a “stern” call from Starmer, one controversial exchange has bled into the next. Trump is understood to be very unhappy that the UK won’t join strikes on Iran. Starmer has stood by his decision and insists it is his duty to decide what action is in “Britain’s national interest,”.
This breakdown in relations between the two heads of state is remarkable – but it is not unprecedented. Britain’s refusal to follow America into a foreign conflict has inflamed tensions before. President Lyndon B Johnson and prime minister Harold Wilson endured a breakdown in the 1960s over Vietnam. The way Wilson handled this situation should be Starmer’s guiding light has he charts his own course on Iran.
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Vietnam
The UK did not publicly participate in the Vietnam war. At the time it was searching for a way to join the European single market against French wishes and extricate itself from its military bases in the Arabian Peninsula and Southeast Asia. Wilson was seeking to move away from costly military commitments abroad.
Publicly, Wilson pushed for an end to the war, meeting with the Soviet Union’s Alexei Kosygin to try and move negotiations forward. He backed Johnson when the US agreed to what Wilson called “unconditional negotiations” with North Vietnam in 1966. Behind closed doors, Wilson reiterated his private support for Johnson regularly. He also met with the president to justify British reticence to join the war on several occasions, using trips to Washington as a way of trying to bolster the public image of a strong affiliation.
No love lost: Lyndon B. Johnson with Harold Wilson at the White House in 1967. Library of Congress
However, the Wilson and Johnson governments clashed over a number of concerns. Johnson faced criticism in Britain for failing to attend the funeral of Winston Churchill in 1965. LBJ was allegedly so infuriated by the lack of British troop commitment to the war that he called Wilson a “little creep” behind closed doors. The Americans also lamented the weakness of the British pound, as Wilson had it devalued by 14.3% in 1967. This threatened the stability of the US dollar and other western currencies.
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The White House began to see Britain as a much less valuable – or stable – ally in the ongoing cold war. The British in return felt pushed to acquiesce to American pressure, while also relying on American support on issues such as Rhodesia, which unilaterally declared independence from the UK in 1965.
With this change in attitude, Johnson turned to other allies for public support. The then Australian prime minister, Harold Holt, went “all the way with LBJ,” joining other Pacific allies in sending troops to fight alongside Americans. Johnson lavished support on them, granting Australia its first state visit by a sitting US president in late 1966.
Conversely, he never visited Britain once. Johnson’s antipathy towards the UK is perhaps best summed up by an act of political disrespect towards Wilson in 1965, when he had the White House band play “Plenty of Nuttin’” at a diplomatic dinner following economic talks – a sarcastic rejoinder for Wilson’s lack of what he deemed proper support.
A third way
Ultimately, the “special relationship” cooled significantly during the Johnson-Wilson era. But despite the sometimes-wretched relations between the two leaders, the connection between the two countries in terms of intelligence sharing, training and support on other matters remained intact. Wilson saw the value of American support, travelling to the United States several times during the 1960s despite criticism from anti-war campaigners and from some in parliament. Wilson’s conciliatory approach is mirrored by Starmer’s attempts to carve a third way over the first year of Trump’s government. Starmer was heavily criticised for inviting Trump to carry out a second state visit – the first US president to receive a return invite.
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The situation has changed since then, and the Iran strikes have indeed put pressure on the US-UK relationship. But there is precedent for resistance to American pressure in the Wilson-Johnson relationship. The effects were stark – it was not until Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan were in charge that the relationship truly felt “special” once again – but it endured and thrived again despite what had been a severe clash in personalities.
Trump’s climbdown over the criticisms he made of Nato troops in January shows that the United States still values its British ally to some extent. The prime minister should remember that the relationship will endure long after the current occupants of both the White House and 10 Downing Street leave their respective offices.
Many in the crowd saw the Cheshire-born star perform for the first time since his mammoth Love On Tour wrapped back in 2023 – and they came dressed for the occasion
For Harry Styles, Friday night in Manchester marked a long-awaited return to the stage. But for thousands of fans outside Co-op Live, it felt like a homecoming of their own.
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Many in the crowd saw the Cheshire-born star perform for the first time since his mammoth Love On Tour wrapped back in 2023 – and they came dressed for the occasion.
Feather boas and cowboy hats – a staple of Harry crowds – had clearly been pulled out of storage, joined this time by a fresh wave of sequins and sparkle inspired by the ‘disco’ promise of his brand new fourth album Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.
At just £20 a ticket, the show became one of the hottest – and most unusual – gigs of the year. The crowd arriving at the sold-out gig on Friday night (March 6) were met with a unique rule: this would be a strictly phone-free event.
Instead of filming the moment for social media, fans were asked to lock their phones away in special pouches on entry. In their place, concertgoers were handed disposable cameras – a nostalgic twist that encouraged everyone to stay present and soak up the moment.
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It felt fitting when Styles eventually emerged to open the night – after a unique synth buildup – with Aperture, the first track on the album. It’s a song made for hugging strangers on a dancefloor – and as fans bounced along to the chant of ‘We belong together’, this quickly became the unofficial motto of the evening.
He appeared donning a bright blue jumper over a floral shirt, with classic Harry yellow suit trousers. He brought the same wild dance moves he teased us with last week at the Brits and, understandably, the crowd went wild.
The phone-free rule seemed to work exactly as intended. Instead of a sea of glowing screens, the arena was filled with fans dancing freely and fully engaged in the performance unfolding in front of them. I’ll admit, I thought the disposables would be a bit of a gimmick, but it was a very special way to immerse yourself in the gig.
The show coincided with the release of Styles’ latest 12-track album, which dropped in the early hours of Friday morning. It was the first chance for fans to hear all of the songs live – and possibly their first chance to hear them at all.
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He moved onto American Girls – and despite having only 12 hours to revise the lyrics, fans didn’t disappoint. Track 2 is clearly already a favourite. Ready, Steady, Go! followed, allowing Styles to flex his vocals, bringing a similar undertone of rock to what we heard in his first solo album.
Early impressions suggest Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally continues Styles’ habit of refusing to sit comfortably in one genre. The album blends bits of funk, disco rhythms, pop and softer acoustic moments.
Like much of his previous work, there’s a thread of melancholy running beneath the upbeat production. It sparks the sort of nostalgia that makes you feel sentimental for memories you’re not even sure you have.
The heavy beat and impressive guitar solo of Are You Listening Yet? contrasted to the melancholy feel of The Waiting Game, which followed Taste Back – my favourite track on the album, which blends his older pop style with his newer, more mature lyrics.
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Throughout the show, Styles was joined by the House Gospel Choir, who added a rich, soulful depth to several of the new songs. The popular choir – known for their own house anthems and recent appearance alongside Styles at last weekend’s BRIT Awards – helped bring Season 2 Weight Loss to life, with their soaring harmonies transforming the track into one of the evening’s standout moments.
The mood then softened as Styles moved into Coming Up Roses, the album’s most delicate offering, accompanied by a stunning live string section that transformed the arena into a quieter, more intimate atmosphere.
Introducing the song, Styles paused to thank one of his closest collaborators.
“There’s a lot of people in the audience tonight who helped me make this record,” Styles told the crowd, before dedicating a song to his friend Tom. “I wrote a lot of songs and typically the songs I write by myself at home are the ones I assume won’t make it onto the album.
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“I want to thank Tom for pushing me to believe in me. That’s the reason why this song exists. It’s one of my favourite things I’ve ever done.”
From there, the mood lifted again as the crowd danced along to the infectious Pop, before the funk-leaning Dance No More saw Styles’ signature dance moves make a welcome return.
The choir and band then rejoined him for the emotional Paint By Numbers, with the crowd swaying in unison as flashes from disposable cameras briefly punctured the otherwise hushed moment.
The Manchester show marks a significant moment for the singer. Born in nearby Cheshire, Styles has always maintained a strong connection to the North West – and on Friday night, that sense of homecoming was unmistakable.
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“Good evening Manchester,” he grinned at one point, clearly soaking in the reception. “My name is Harry. It is an absolute pleasure to be here tonight.”
The evening concluded with Carla’s Song, which Styles dedicated to a close friend in the audience.
Just when it seemed the night had reached its end, Styles returned to the stage with a surprise encore.
“We haven’t played that one in a while,” he joked after launching into From the Dining Table from his debut album. “Truth be told, we haven’t played anything in a while.”
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Fans erupted as he followed with Golden from Fine Line, before the unmistakable opening notes of Watermelon Sugar sent the arena into a frenzy.
Continuing a tradition from Love On Tour, the crowd gleefully screamed the famous ‘leave America’ line during As It Was, an affectionate chant urging the British star to return to the UK for good.
Reflecting on the atmosphere in the room, Styles told the crowd the community created at his shows is something he treasures deeply.
“The community that you guys have built together in this room, and rooms that I’ve seen around the world, is something so unbelievably magical,” he said.
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“In a world that we have today that feels so chaotic it’s so easy to become hopeless – and I see what you create together and there is just so much hope in here.”
“I encourage you to keep being the change in the world that you want to see,” he added.
He closed the night with Sign of the Times, the towering ballad from his debut solo album. Arms wrapped around friends and strangers alike, thousands swayed together as Styles delivered the final chorus – many, myself included, teary eyed.
But there was one final moment left. Returning briefly for a reprise of Aperture, Styles hammered home the message that had opened the night: ‘We belong together.’ As the chorus rang out once more, fans jumped arm in arm, rounding off the show in a full circle moment.
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The concert ended the same way it began – united.
For those lucky enough to be in the room, the night felt less like a typical arena show and more like a shared experience. The perfect blend of old and new, it felt like fans had witnessed something really special. Something intimate, despite the scale of the venue.
And thousands of voices sang together, one thing was clear: In that moment, Manchester really did belong together.
Frankenstein’s female creature, also known as “the Bride”, was the first female monster to appear on screen, in the 1935 Frankenstein sequel: The Bride of Frankenstein. An unruly and rebellious figure, she has inspired dozens of adaptations since.
Most recently, the Bride, as a dramatic character, has been part of a series of creative reimaginings through an explicitly feminist lens. For instance, the dark coming of age comedy, Lisa Frankenstein (2024). It imagined the Bride (Kathryn Newton) in the role of the scientist, who accidentally brings to life a young Victorian man (Cole Sprouse).
Released just a year earlier, Poor Things (2023) brought an even more complex exploration of power, agency and consent, set in a retro-futuristic Victorian era. In it, the female creature Bella (Emma Stone) negotiates what it means to be both a scientific object and creator (being created out of the pregnant body of a woman and the brain of the mother’s unborn baby). Bella does not abide by the rules and conventions of polite society, using her body against the purpose of her creator and causing several mental breakdowns for the male characters in the process.
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The trailer for The Bride!
Now, a new movie directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Bride!, brings the character to life in moody 1930s Chicago. Jessie Buckley plays the female creature brought back from the dead to be Frankenstein’s mate. But she is not the sort of creature that is inclined to serve someone else’s purpose. When Frankenstein (now the monster, not the scientist, and played by Christian Bale) calls her “the Bride of Frankenstein”, she replies: “No, just the Bride.”
Although the film promises a “Bonnie and Clyde” story – two lovers and rebels on the run from the law – this Bride refuses to belong to any man. Instead, gun in hand, she demands to be seen and heard on her own terms.
Reanimating the Bride from novel to screen
Since her inception, the Bride’s struggle has been for autonomy. She first appeared in Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein (1818), named after an egomaniac scientist who creates a creature from cadavers. In the novel, Dr Frankenstein begrudgingly agrees to make his male creature a companion, but destroys her before she can live. He is afraid she might reproduce or become even more powerful than the male creature.
Her destruction is the most violent episode in the novel and makes apparent the anxiety that her unruly female body causes to the mad scientist. The erasure of Shelley’s original female creation set the scene for the way she continues to be written out of most adaptations of the novel. This includes, most recently, Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein (2025).
One hundred years on from Shelley’s novel, the Bride was finally brought to life in James Whales’ The Bride of Frankenstein and played by Elsa Lanchester. Although central to the film’s title, she appears only in the final five minutes. But that was more than enough time to establish her cinematic legacy.
The monster meets his bride in The Bride of Frankenstein (1935).
She stands tall, dressed in a white gown, her dark, voluminous hair streaked with lightning. Scars and stitches run around her face. She is both alive and dead, a bride and child, beautiful and monstrous, futuristic and otherworldly. Her appearance defies categorisation, not quite the demure wife she is meant to be.
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Even more memorable is the Bride’s defiant scream when she rejects the male creature and the role assigned to her by the film’s title and her creator. Feminist scholars have read this as an assertion of sexual autonomy and agency, a rejection of patriarchal control and a refusal of the role of wife and mother. She is a powerful symbol of defiance, and both costume and voice become tools for future Brides to say no to their fate. Lanchester’s Bride, however, is not able to invent alternative possibilities for herself and is ultimately destroyed by the male creature, punished for her rebellion.
The limitations of patriarchy are made even clearer in later adaptations in which Brides who choose to end their lives, such as Frankenstein Created Woman (1967). Her limited options also show the constraints of a narrative in which she is made a mere character in someone else’s story.
The creature Lily (Billie Piper) in the television series Penny Dreadful (2014-2016) is another Bride who attempts to make her own path. But the memories of her body’s previous life as a sex worker have shown her that the world is rotten to the core – her only solution is to destroy it. Lily chooses destruction over radical change, and while she rejects both Frankenstein and the male creature, the man she does willingly choose ultimately betrays her.
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The trailer for Poor Things.
For some Brides, power comes from reclaiming the role of creator. This can be seen in Lisa Frankenstein and Poor Things, but also in an earlier adaptation – the exploitation comedy Frankenhooker (1990). The film ends with the Bride taking revenge on her creator by attaching his head to female body parts.
Poor Things is one of the only films where the Bride is not only invested in radical social change, but also escapes the expectations put onto her body as a scientific and sexual object. Bella actively subverts these expectations by repurposing her body as one of personal scientific enquiry. This extends to the way she uses sex. It puts her in a complicated position in relation to exploitation and empowerment, where she is simultaneously both and neither. Instead, her actions sit somewhere on the outside of our current perceptions of both.
As Jessie Buckley’s new Bride graces our screens, she promises to follow in the footsteps of her rebellious predecessors – and a long horror tradition.
This article features references to books that have been included for editorial reasons, and may contain links to bookshop.org. If you click on one of the links and go on to buy something from bookshop.org The Conversation UK may earn a commission.
Abusers use counter-allegations to deflect blame onto their victims and deter them from seeking help in the future (Picture: Maria Korneeva/Moment/Getty)
When the police arrived, Michelle thought her ordeal was finally over.
She sat shellshocked on the sofa, squinting through a black eye with blood seeping from a cut lip after the latest violent assault at the hands of her abusive partner.
But it was Michelle who ended up in a cell that night after he told officers she hit him first.
Her ex had used the counter-allegation tactic.
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It’s one that perpetrators often employ, according to Nadia Hughes, head of criminal justice services at Advance, a charity that helps women who’ve experienced harm through domestic abuse and the criminal justice system.
The ploy is particularly effective when a woman has acted in self-defence or retaliated, so the perpetrator himself has injuries. These are then misunderstood by the police as signs of aggression, rather than the culmination of years of abuse.
Nadia says that besides deflecting the blame from the abuser, the tactic also serves another purpose: ‘It’s a really manipulative way to deter a survivor from calling 999 in the future’.
Once the counter-allegation strategy has been used once, the police have a record that this woman might be violent or abusive. Nadia explains that ‘she’s then less likely to report the abuse she’s been subjected to because there is a distrust of statutory services like the police’.
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‘Counter allegations actually become a sort of weaponised way of controlling that survivor. It is something we hear a lot unfortunately.’
Around half of recent referrals to Advance, which works at the intersection of domestic abuse and criminal justice, have stemmed from women being arrested as a result of counter allegations.
Research shows that women are three times more likely to be arrested than their male partners at a domestic abuse incident involving them.
This Is Not Right
On November 25, 2024 Metro launched This Is Not Right, a campaign to address the relentless epidemic of violence against women.
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With the help of our partners at Women’s Aid, This Is Not Right aims to shine a light on the sheer scale of this national emergency.
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Michelle tells Metro she suffered years of abuse prior to her wrongful arrest, beginning when she was pregnant.
‘The second time he hit me was after my son was born and he was in my arms,’ she says. ‘That was horrific.
‘My son had a white baby grow on and there was blood all over him where he broke my nose.’
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Michelle suffered appalling injuries, including a broken leg and fractured collarbone, when her ex pushed her from a fourth-floor window.
‘When you’re in it you don’t see how serious it is,’ she says. ‘You just know that you survived it.’
She describes how her homelife hinged on her ex’s moods.
Around half of recent referrals to Advance have stemmed from women being arrested as a result of counter allegations (Picture: Getty Images/Johner RF)
‘He would phone me during the day and let me know how good or bad his day was going,’ she says.
‘That would determine what my evening was going to be like. If it was a bad day, I would be walking on eggshells waiting for him to flip at me.
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‘It’s like dying a slow death waiting for that snap to happen.’
Looking back, Michelle can’t even remember what that final argument was about.
When her ex started hitting her again, she instinctively threw her arms up to try and defend herself.
But she caught his face with her elbow while doing so, giving him a bloodied nose.
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Despite being the one who called the police, she found herself being arrested alongside him.
She lost her job as a family support worker after missing a key court hearing while in custody.
‘I sent myself to university when I was 30 trying to better my life,’ Michelle says. ‘I got the job of my dreams, and it was taken.’
Research shows that women are three times more likely to be arrested than their male partners at a domestic abuse incident involving them (Picture: Getty)
Beyond the physical and emotional toll, counter allegations can cost women their homes, their children and their jobs.
In the case of Bethany Rae Fields, her killer used counter allegations in the lead up to, and on the day he killed her.
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After 21-year-old Bethany reported her ex Paul Crowther to the police following threats he had made against her, her friends and family, Paul turned his finger at her multiple times.
Pauline, Bethany’s mum, calls his actions ‘despicable. She was tiny; 21 to his 35 years.’
Staffing issues meant that Paul’s complaint progressed slowly – as did Bethany’s against him – and a week after filing his ‘case’ with the police, he chased it, and then again four days later.
Despite Paul being reported to the police seven times, despite being known to services after having had two former partners complain about harassment – with one resulting in a conviction, and despite Paul telling mental health services that he wanted to take revenge against Bethany, he was still invited to make a statement after reporting her to the police.
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He went into the station on September 12, 2019, to make a statement against her. That same day he killed her.
Pauline now urges police to think of Bethany’s initials – BRF – and to ‘Believe. React. Fast’. That means considering whether the counter-allegation tactic is in play.
For Jessica, the experience of being disbelieved by the police has eroded her faith in the force completely.
‘I don’t believe they have listened to me once, or made me feel safe,’ she tells Metro.
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Jessica was abused for years by two of her children and ended up having to leave the family home after being arrested and charged when one of them claimed she was the perpetrator.
She says her son would hold a knife to her throat and her daughter would kick and spit at her.
‘It got to the point where I couldn’t go to the rest of the house really. I was living in a bedroom. It was marked cell number five with my name.’
Jessica adds: ‘I don’t think I could even admit to myself how bad it was until now, when I look at the pictures of the injuries and the pictures of my bedroom door – I thought that was normal.
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On the day of her arrest, Jessica says her daughter ‘started on’ her again as she was going into her bedroom.
Like Michelle, she put her hand out to signal she’d had enough – but that was not how it was subsequently reported to the police: ‘Apparently that was attempting to push her down the stairs.’
‘We are finding that women are not speaking up – they are not feeling confident or safe to report.’
Jessica is still haunted by the traumatic experience of being arrested.
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‘I was in the bedroom with my other daughter,’ she recalls. ‘We were just laying there. There was a bang on the door.
‘My bedroom door regularly banged from the children anyway, but as I went to open it, I was literally pulled out by force onto the little landing.
‘I didn’t have a clue what was happening – there was no reason for the police to be there. I was put in handcuffs.
‘I was crying, and the two children that did this were sat there filming the whole thing and laughing.
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‘It was so daunting, and the way they treat you when you’re going to the cells is just horrendous. I’d never been in one before.’
Jessica adds: ‘Everyone always joked and called me Wonder Woman because I had six children. I was a nursery manager. I was a trusted person.
‘They’ve taken all of that away.’
She spent a year under investigation only for the common assault charge to be dropped at the crown court.
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Being made to feel like a criminal has now changed how she views the police.
Learn more about Advance
Advance is a charity that helps women who’ve experienced harm through domestic abuse and the criminal justice system.
They deliver wraparound frontline services across the South and East of England, including Greater London.
You can find out more about the charity here; and if you need help now, you can find the relevant contact details here.
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‘They just don’t seem to understand domestic abuse. They definitely don’t understand child-to-parent violence.’
In addition to being less likely to call the police, a woman subject to counter allegations is also less likely to be referred by them on to specialist support because she is seen as a perpetrator.
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Nadia says: ‘If you’ve got perpetrators who are recording a woman using resistance – someone who has been subjected to abuse for a long period of time and gets to the point where she retaliates as a response to that – that becomes an isolated incident away from the long-term abuse and can be used as evidence against her.
‘We are finding that women are not speaking up – they are not feeling confident or safe to report.’
Research shows nearly 70% of women in prison or under community supervision are victims of domestic abuse. For many, that is directly linked to their offending and can take the form of counter allegations, coerced offending or criminalisation by association.
‘I’ve seen quite a number of cases where very coercively controlling men – very manipulative men – are able to set these situations up. It can all be quite Machiavellian and horrendous.’
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The Centre for Women’s Justice is campaigning for a new defence in criminal law that will recognise coercive control as the driver of the offence.
Currently, victims can only rely on the defence of duress – when you are coerced into acting under the use or threat of violence – which has been found to be ineffective in cases of domestic abuse.
Instead, they often depend on the police or Crown Prosecution Service deciding it is not in the public interest to prosecute them.
Harriet Wistrich, founder and CEO of the Centre for Women’s Justice, tells Metro: ‘In a lot of domestic abuse situations, by the time the police have arrived the victim could be very traumatised or hysterical and he’s appearing very calm.
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‘If he’s saying, “she’s just a bit mentally unwell and she’s just thrown something at me”, how do the police deal with that situation?
‘And we have seen a lot of situations where the woman has been arrested and she’s really the victim and the police aren’t necessarily able to make a very careful assessment of what’s going on.
‘I’ve seen quite a number of cases where very coercively controlling men – very manipulative men – are able to set these situations up.
‘It can all be quite Machiavellian and horrendous.’
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She adds: ‘Our proposed model is based on what we have for victims of trafficking, where it’s recognised that if you’re forced to commit criminal offences that essentially you have a defence if you can show that it’s directly linked with your exploitation.
‘What we’re arguing is that where somebody is in a coercively controlling relationship where they are under control of somebody and they are essentially forced to handle stolen goods or drugs or commit mortgage fraud or whatever it is, they can show circumstances which lead them to commit those acts.
‘Obviously, it’s not necessarily having a gun held to you, but if it’s in that context of the relationship then they should have a defence and be able to argue they are not culpable rather than potentially argue it as mitigation but still be convicted of a crime.’
Tanzanian foursome The Rafikiz stunned the panel with their acrobatic performance on the Britain’s Got Talent stage
Britain’s Got Talent judges were left stunned by an acrobatic performance that prompted gasps of “Oh my God!”
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Tanzanian quartet The Rafikiz auditioned for Simon Cowell, KSI, Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden in Saturday’s (March 7) edition of the ITV show. A preview clip from the programme reveals the panel’s astonished reactions as they witnessed the group’s acrobatic routine.
The contestants stripped to their jeans to demonstrate their abilities on the Britain’s Got Talent stage, captivating the judges with complex balancing sequences. During one segment, The Rafikiz formed a human pyramid, with the uppermost performer balancing upside down on his head atop his colleague’s head, reports Belfast Live.
“That is some serious strength!” Alesha observed as the crowd applauded and both Amanda and KSI exclaimed: “Oh my God!”
“What?” presenter Dec asked incredulously, as he watched from the side of the stage alongside co-host Ant. “Wow!” Ant responded as the act transitioned to a one-handed lift. “It’s like the Avengers or something!”
The spectacle intensified as one performer gripped a stand between his teeth and elevated another Rafikiz member into the air, supporting him entirely with his jaw.
The routine concluded to thunderous applause, with the entire judging panel standing to deliver a standing ovation.
“I am impressed!” KSI declared, whilst Amanda concurred: “It was so thrilling and so dangerous. I literally could not take my eyes off you. At the end I was covered in goosebumps. It was just amazing.”
Alesha expressed that she “loved it”, whilst Simon told them: “It’s a huge yes for me. We saw an act before from Canada.
“Literally, he was just jumping around on the trampoline. They blamed the size of the trampoline because we said no.
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“And you don’t have a particularly big staircase, but it doesn’t matter. Because you put on a show.”
For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website
Britain’s Got Talent airs Saturday 7pm on ITV1 and ITVX
The St Richard Gwyn Catholic High School upgrade is expected to be completed by the end of next year, with the old one completely demolished by December 2028
The Vale of Glamorgan Council has begun work to redevelop St Richard Gwyn Catholic High School – the last of Barry’s four comprehensive schools to undergo such an upgrade. The £67.5m project will see old buildings replaced. Work on the new school is expected to be completed by the end of next year, with the old one completely demolished by December 2028.
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Back in 2020, two new school buildings were built at Pencoedtre High and Whitmore High, while Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Morgannwg has been significantly extended.
St Richard Gwyn will now be improved with work by contractor Morgan Sindall. For the biggest stories in Wales first sign up to our daily newsletter here.
The design for the school, which has 1,100+ pupils, includes quiet outdoor spaces filled with greenery, a cycle shelter and repair station to encourage pupils and staff not travel by car.
There will also be provision for children with Additional Learning Needs (ALNs), a 3G sports pitch and Multiuse Games Area which will be available to the school and wider community.
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The school hall will feature a full sound system and lighting for performances, while the canteen will get a new snack bar added on offering light meals and drinks.
Vale of Glamorgan Council said sustainability is a key feature of the new buildings, which use eco-friendly materials and energy-efficient systems, maximising solar energy to reduce the reliance on fossil fuels.
This is in line with the council’s Project Zero commitment to become carbon neutral by 2030.
A green roof made of vegetation will help drainage and provide other ecological benefits, the council said.
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Meanwhile, work on Ysgol Llyn Derw, a second site for Ysgol y Deri, in Cosmeston between Sully and Penarth continues. Ysgol y Deri, which shares its main site with St Cyres in Penarth, caters for pupils with special educational needs. Ysgol Llyn Derw is expected to be completed by the summer, the council confirmed.
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Ohtani put on a giant show in batting practice hours before he hit a grand slam in the second inning — in the first he doubled on the first pitch of the game but didn’t score — as Japan hammered Taiwan 13-0 in Pool C at the World Baseball Classic.
It was Japan’s first game of four in pool play.
Ohtani drew major Western star power to Japan for the game, with actor Timothée Chalamet and pop singer Bad Bunny in the stands.
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Ohtani spoke to the crowd after the game.
“I knew it was going to leave the park right away after I hit it,” Ohtani said of his grand slam. “It’s important to score first.”
Bowing and tipping his cap, Ohtani thanked the fans.
“It was a good game and we got off to a good start, so I think it was all because of your support,” he said to rising applause as he spoke in Japanese. “I think the battles will continue, but if the fans and the team can come together and cheer it will encourage us. So please support us.”
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Starting and winning pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto also, of course, credited Ohtani in a post-game press conference away from the field.
“This was our first game of the tournament and to score the first run is always difficult,” he said. “But Shohei hit a huge home run to give us the momentum. So I tip my cap to him.”
An early show in BP
Ohtani’s batting practice thrilled many who had traveled from afar to see him.
Lia Chan and her husband How and other family members flew in from Singapore — about a seven-hour flight to Tokyo — just to watch Ohtani play in the World Baseball Classic.
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“And baseball is not even popular in Singapore,” said Lia, who was seated a few rows behind home plate. “We know about baseball, we watch it, but when Ohtani came along it’s just gone out of proportions.”
Lia, her husband and other Singaporeans in their group were among some 40,000 in the stadium oohing-and-aahing on Friday, and this was only for batting practice hours before the second Pool C game.
Ohtani knows about drama.
He kept the crowd waiting for perhaps 30 minutes as other Japanese players practiced and hundreds of reporters with cameras, phones and tripods milled around in a penned-off area on the field.
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Finally, Ohtani emerged from the dugout and waited his turn around the batting cage, hugged a few players, made small talk, and greeted some fans in an area for sponsors.
Fans in the stands stood to get a better look. But they were asked to sit down by attendants holding signs in Japanese and English that read: “Please watch from your seats.”
Ohtani took about 25 swings, hit about 10 balls out of the park and another few against the outfield wall.
When batting practice ended, he jogged out to thank the batting practice pitcher, bowed slightly, and gathered a few loose balls and tossed them into the hopper. Then with a bat in each hand, he trotted off the field to prepare for the game against Taiwan.
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“Who does things like that?” Lia said. “He’s in another league.”
The incident took place on Friday afternoon when emergency crews were called to an apparent fall on Arthur’s Seat.
22:27, 06 Mar 2026Updated 22:27, 06 Mar 2026
A hiker has been rescued after “falling” from Arthur’s Seat. The alarm was raised shortly before 1.30pm on Friday, March 6 when emergency services were alerted to a climber having ran into trouble at the Edinburgh beauty spot.
Crews including Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) and Scottish Ambulance Service rushed to the peak, located within Holyrood Park, as did the coastguard in desperate attempts to help the individual involved.
The SFRS confirmed they sent two appliances, a height appliance and a rope rescue appliance to the incident, with a Coastguard helicopter also seen circling the skies around the popular site, located near the Scottish Parliament.
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Photos taken at the scene show an air ambulance circling the area. A Coastguard spokesperson confirmed that the male hiker was rescued and put into the care of the Scottish Ambulance Service, reports Edinburgh Live.
The name, age and gender of the person is not yet known, nor is the extent of their injuries, how it happened, or whether they required hospital treatment.
A spokesperson said: “At around 2.07pm, HM Coastguard was made aware of a male with injuries sustained in a fall at Arthur’s Seat, Edinburgh.
“An HM Coastguard Rescue Helicopter was sent, and the casualty was rescued and put into the care of Scottish Ambulance Service.”
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A SFRS spokesperson added: “We responded to reports of a casualty in Holyrood Park at 1.24pm on Friday, March 6. We had two appliances, a rope rescue appliance and a height appliance in attendance.”
Police Scotland and Scottish Ambulance Service has been approached for comment.
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