KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Africa’s top public health body on Friday confirmed a new Ebola outbreak in Congo’s remote Ituri province, with 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths recorded so far.

The deaths and suspected cases have been recorded mainly in the Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement.

The Ebola virus is highly contagious and can be contracted through bodily fluids such as vomit, blood or semen. The disease it causes is rare, but severe and often fatal.

“Four deaths have been reported among laboratory-confirmed cases. Suspected cases have also been reported in Bunia, pending confirmation,” the agency said, referring to the capital of Ituri province, near the border with Uganda.

It said preliminary laboratory results had detected the Ebola virus in 13 of 20 samples. The results suggest a non-Ebola Zaire strain of the virus with sequencing ongoing to further characterize the strain, the agency said. The Ebola Zaire strain has been prominent in Congo’s past outbreaks.

The World Health Organization said last year that Congo has a stockpile of treatments and some 2,000 doses of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine, However, the vaccine is effective against the Ebola Zaire strain of the virus, it said.

The Africa CDC said results confirming the strain in the new outbreak are expected within the 24 hours.

The latest outbreak comes around five months after Congo’s last Ebola outbreak was declared over after 43 deaths.

Ituri is in a remote eastern part of Congo characterized by poor road networks, and is more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the nation’s capital of Kinshasa.

Africa CDC said it is concerned about the risk of further spread due to intense population movement, mining-related mobility in Mongwalu, insecurity in affected areas, gaps in contact listing and control challenges.

The proximity of affected areas to Uganda and South Sudan also raises concerns, it said.

The agency said it is convening an urgent high-level coordination meeting Friday with health authorities from Congo, Uganda and South Sudan, together with key partners including U.N. agencies and other countries.

“The meeting will focus on immediate response priorities, cross-border coordination, surveillance, laboratory support, infection prevention and control, risk communication, safe and dignified burials, and resource mobilization,” it said.

Congo has seen more than a dozen Ebola outbreaks

This is the 17th outbreak in Congo since the disease first emerged in the country in 1976. An Ebola outbreak from 2018 to 2020 in eastern Congo killed more than 1,000 people. The WHO said that outbreak was characterized by the Ebola Zaire strain.

An earlier outbreak that swept across West Africa from 2014 to 2016 also killed more than 11,000 people.

The new outbreak will create more worry for the Central African country, which has been battling various armed groups in the east, including the M23 rebel group, which launched a rapid assault in January last year and has since occupied key cities.

Ituri in particular is also battling violence from the Allied Democratic Force, an Islamic State-linked militant group which has killed dozens there and in other parts of the east.

Congo, Africa’s second-largest country by land area, often faces logistical challenges in responding to disease outbreaks. During last year’s outbreak, which lasted three months, the World Health Organization initially faced significant challenges in delivering vaccines due to limited access and scarce funds.

Dr. Gabriel Nsakala, a professor of public health who has been involved in past Ebola outbreak responses in Congo, said the country and health workers on the ground have a high level of experience from past outbreaks, in addition to existing infrastructure such as laboratories.

“In terms of training, people already know what they can do. Now, the expertise and equipment need to be delivered quickly,” Nsakala added.

The Nova Poshta postal service said two of its staff, both named Dmytro, had been killed in the attack, one of them alongside his wife. Former hockey player Yuriy Orlov and his 24-year-old girlfriend Maryna Homeniuk, an English teacher, were among the victims. A kindergarten teacher, Svitlana Moskalishyna, was also killed.

At this point, I think I have seen Bianca Censori’s nipples more times than I have seen the sun rise or heard my own mother’s laugh.

The Australian architect and wife of Kanye West once again managed to stun Los Angeles over the weekend after stepping out for a cinema date night wearing what appeared to be little more than cling film.

Censori arrived at a movie theatre in a fully sheer grey thong bodysuit that left very little to the imagination, paired with transparent tights and towering burgundy platform boots.

The outfit, which existed in more of a philosophical sense than a textile one, was completed with slicked-back hair, a claw clip and a couple of rings, while West — as is increasingly tradition — dressed like somebody about to inspect a ranch.

The rapper wore a leather jacket, dark trousers, cowboy boots and sunglasses, once again maintaining the couple’s now-familiar dynamic where Bianca appears dressed for an avant-garde nudist colony while Kanye looks prepared for a tactical weather emergency.

According to photos from the outing, one visibly stunned bystander was caught staring open-mouthed in the parking lot, creating one of the funniest photos of the century.

In doing so, the bystander inadvertently recreated the exact dynamic John Berger dissected in his seminal art theory text Ways of Seeing, where the viewer becomes part of the image itself: the fully clothed observer awkwardly inserted into the corner of a scene of female nudity, there to legitimise, witness and mirror the audience’s gaze.

Who says an art history degree is wasted in celebrity journalism?

And honestly, ever since Bianca Censori entered public consciousness, we have all become the man in the white hoodie: frozen somewhere between horror, fascination and second-hand embarrassment, yet completely incapable of looking away.

Censori’s latest appearance continues a fashion trajectory that long ago abandoned concepts like subtlety, practicality and, increasingly, opacity.

Earlier this month she visited a spa wearing a completely sheer black catsuit with nothing underneath, while last year she effectively broke the internet at the Grammy Awards after appearing nude beneath a transparent mini dress.

At this stage, trying to predict Bianca Censori’s next outfit feels less like celebrity journalism and more like participating in an escalating social experiment about the limits of public desensitisation and decency laws.

And yet somehow, every single time, the internet reacts like a Victorian spinster catching sight of an exposed ankle at a garden party — scandalised, enthralled, morally conflicted and, above all, absolutely desperate to keep looking.

Content about Bianca’s latest sartorial experiment is consumed with the kind of rabid fascination usually reserved for true crime documentaries and royal affairs.

Part of the fascination surrounding Censori is that her wardrobe exists in this strange cultural grey zone between fashion, performance art, provocation and what appears to be Kanye West treating public outings like increasingly difficult bonus levels in a video game called ‘Can We Still Legally Enter Restaurants?’

Because unlike typical celebrity red-carpet nudity — where illusion fabrics, strategic tailoring and careful styling create the appearance of exposure — Bianca’s looks often seem intentionally designed to erase the distinction entirely.

Still, whether people view the outfits as empowering, exploitative, artistic or simply exhausting, one thing remains undeniable: it’s hard to look away.

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Jordan Honeyman tortured Alan Lawson before dumping him back at his home in Saltcoats with horrendous injuries.

A killer who tortured his victim and held him hostage roamed the streets for two weeks before he was arrested.

Jordan Honeyman filmed himself inflicting horror injuries on Alan Lawson, 36, at the thug’s home in Largs, Ayrshire in February 2024.

Honeyman dumped Alan severely injured back at his house in Saltcoats on February 4 but he sadly died in hospital two days later.

The twisted killer then went on the run and was even captured on CCTV in Ardrossan as police launched a manhunt.

The maniac shared footage on Snapchat, which showed Alan’s severely wounded body on the floor of a blood-splattered room.

Honeyman also posted a topless picture of himself, with his naked torso smeared in his victim’s blood.

Blood stained clothes and bedsheets were also seen scattered across a wooden floor next to the wounded victim.

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Rumours circulated in the area about the killer moving around Largs and Saltcoats and staying with pals as he evaded cops.

Terrified local residents demanded that the police issued a description of the killer and complained of being left in the dark about what, or who, to look out for.

One told the Record: “There is a killer on the loose but the police haven’t released any information on a description.

‘We have no idea what the person they are hunting might look like. If we did and one of us saw him in the towns, we could contact the police.

“But right now, I could pass him in the street and not even know.”

One parent told the Record that children living in the area had been banned from playing outdoors while he remained at large.

They said: “There were rumours that he is was hiding out locally, but nobody has any idea what he might look like.

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“My kids haven’t been allowed out to play after school since the murder. A number of other parents feel the same way. I’ll be keeping them at home until the police have caught the person responsible.”

Sources added that the man had been on a week-long “crack and booze” bender before he carried out his frenzied attack.

One said: “He had been on a bender for a week – drinking and smoking crack.

“He lost it and launched into the most vicious, horrendous attack on poor Alan. He said he had him chained up and had attacked him repeatedly over two or three days. He said he split his skull open and slashed him.

“When the booze and drugs wore off he came to his senses and panicked, so he took Alan back to his house and just dumped him there, leaving him for dead.”

Murder cops were seen stationed outside Alan’s home on New England Road in Saltcoats and officers raided a flat in Ardrossan as they searched for the killer.

Police Scotland announced they had finally arrested and charged Honeyman on February 20, two weeks after he dumped Alan was found with horrendous injuries by his mum.

Honeyman was sentenced to life at the High Court in Glasgow this week after a trial.

It emerged in court he had previously been jailed for almost three years for an attack on Mr Lawson in 2022.

Prosecutors said Mr Lawson was repeatedly punched, kicked, struck with a sharp weapon and had his feet scalded.

Honeyman also jumped on the man from a set of stairs, stripped him, applied superglue to his many wounds having forced him into the shower.

The court heard how afterwards Honeyman got help from two other men to haul Mr Lawson out of the bloodbath into a van and transport him back to his home in Saltcoats.

The killer also ripped up carpets and rugs as well as bagged other incriminating items in a clean-up operation lasting hours at his home.

Alan was said to have suffered at least 54 injuries. The brutal attack had caused a blood clot resulting in a massive and fatal stroke.

Honeyman had accepted causing the death, but had denied murder.

Sentencing, Lord Arthurson told the killer: “This crime was exceptionally callous.

“The violence was designed to cause him particular pain and were nothing less than acts of torture.

“The screenshots shown in court taken from the video in the house of you and your victim made clear that you revelled in what you had done.

“The image of you half naked and smeared in the victim’s blood was resonant of a scene from sort of dystopian work of fiction.”

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Michael Carrick is reportedly set to be offered a two-year deal as Manchester United head coach, with discussions said to be ongoing as the Red Devils seek to secure his future at Old Trafford

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Manchester United are preparing to put forward a two-year contract offer to Michael Carrick for the role of head coach. Carrick, who stepped into interim managerial duties following the sacking of Ruben Amorim in January, has made a favourable impression in the dugout at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils currently sit third in the table and have secured Champions League football next season.

They could be doing so with Carrick leading the charge, with talks reportedly continuing after co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe sanctioned the move following a meeting with chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox over Carrick’s future. According to The Athletic, there remains a possibility that an agreement could be reached ahead of United’s final home fixture of the campaign against Nottingham Forest.

The report further states that the deal would see Carrick take charge at Old Trafford for two years, with the option of an additional season extending his tenure through to 2029. The salary on offer has not been disclosed.

His backroom staff are also expected to remain in situ, with assistant Steve Holland, coaches Jonathan Woodgate and Jonny Evans all set to be handed new contracts. Meanwhile, Craig Mawson, who was promoted to first-team goalkeeping coach, is also set to retain a senior position.

United missed out on European football under Amorim last season — yet the club stood by the Portuguese manager until January, eventually parting company with him as Darren Fletcher stepped in as caretaker boss. Carrick subsequently stepped in for Fletcher after just two matches, with the Red Devils confirming he would remain at the helm until the season’s conclusion. Despite this, Carrick has raised eyebrows by steering United into the top three, masterminding impressive wins against Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool during the second half of the campaign, reports the Express.

Speaking earlier this month, Carrick said: “I’ve said it many times, I enjoy being here, I enjoy the role I’m in. We’ve had some good results and we’re in decent shape. We still want to keep improving, there’s layers that we want to get to, really. I’ll see.

“I keep saying the same things every week. There’s only so much I can say in terms of that, but I’ve said it many times. Again, I enjoy being here, I love being here. It’s a real privilege to be in the position I am but thriving with the responsibility that we’ve got.”

When pressed on when he anticipated clarity regarding his future, Carrick added: “I’m not sure, to be honest. Genuinely it’s not something in terms of deadlines that I’m really chasing. I think it’ll become clear when it’s going to become clear.

“I’m here at the moment to help the team and help the club get results. At the moment we’re doing all right. We can keep pushing and getting better, so, really, that’s genuinely all I’m focused on right now.”

Channel 4 Gogglebox star Ken Harwood, 77, has died following a short illness, with the show set to air a special tribute

Gogglebox star Ken Harwood has passed away following a brief illness at the age of 77. Show bosses confirmed in an official statement that Ken died last week, adding that a tribute would be paid to him on Friday evening’s programme.

Ken and his wife Anne, from County Durham, had been married for 55 years and were well-loved cast members on Gogglebox from series 15 to 19, which aired on Channel 4 between 2020 and 2022.

In their first appearance on the show, the romantic Ken presented Anne with a bouquet of 50 roses, one for every year they had been together. Anne was deeply touched by the gesture, though she playfully joked that she had nothing to give him in return.

She said: “You have put me to shame now with a card and roses, and I got you nothing. But you have me and that’s all you need.”

Upon joining the show, fans remarked that the couple “fitted in” immediately, sharing their views on television moments such as an ITV news report covering Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s relocation to Canada, reports the Mirror.

Anne remarked “She maybe just doesn’t like England or Great Britain,” to which Ken responded: “Why? Nothing wrong with it… except for the weather.”

Born in Consett, County Durham in 1948, Ken served as a postmaster for 30 years before becoming a local councillor, eventually retiring in 2013.

A statement from the show’s producers read: “Ken will be dearly missed by his wife Anne, sons Simon and Ross, daughter-in-law, Elle, grandchildren Freya and Tristram, and all who knew him.

“There will be a tribute to Ken at the end of Channel 4’s episode on Gogglebox tonight.” Earlier this month, former Gogglebox star Josh Tapper made a return to the public spotlight in a remarkably different capacity, having been elected as a Labour councillor nine years after stepping away from the Channel 4 programme.

Josh now serves as councillor for the Underhill ward in the borough of Barnet. Reports indicate that Josh secured 1,128 votes, earning him a seat alongside fellow Labour candidate Zahra Beg. His sister Amy took to social media to proudly announce the news, writing: “My brother is officially a Councillor! So so proud.”

The Gogglebox family has been struck by a number of heartbreaking losses over the years. In March 2024, former cast member George Gilbey passed away aged 40 following a tragic workplace accident.

George had appeared on Gogglebox alongside his mother Linda McGarry and stepfather Pete McGarry from 2013 to 2014, and again from 2016 to 2018. He lost his life in 2024 after falling from a height while at work.

Some years earlier, in 2021, much-loved cast member Mary Cook passed away at the age of 92. She had featured on the programme alongside her friend Marina Wingrove from 2016 to 2021.

Leon and June Bernicoff became immediate fan favourites upon their debut in 2013. June departed the show following the death of 83-year-old Leon in 2017, subsequently authoring a book about her life experiences before her own passing in 2020.

A brand new tournament starts this summer with Wales welcoming some of the best in the game to the Principality Stadium this year

Wales will be busy preparing for the inaugural Nations Championship this summer as the northern hemisphere take on the southern hemisphere in the newly formed competition. Fans can enjoy matches against the likes of Fiji, Japan, New Zealand and Australia with tickets up for grabs at SeatUnique.

This year sees the July and November international rugby windows transformed into one competitive tournament putting points, titles and silverware on the line. The July window will see the Six Nations teams travel south to face their respective opponents before welcoming them all to their own home turf in November.

It comes as Fanatics launches a sale across Wales rugby kits and Welsh fans have the added bonus of an additional home match in the July window with their match against Fiji in their own capital city. In November, they will welcome Japan, New Zealand and Australia to the Principality Stadium which promises to be an exciting month of international rugby.

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Wales kick-off their Nations Championship campaign against Fiji at the Cardiff City Stadium where fans can take advantage of three unique hospitality experiences. The Vanua Heritage Suite is priced at £238.80 and provides ‘premium’ seating as well as an authentic two-course Fijian dining experience with traditional game day favourites with an inclusive drinks package too.

The second option is the Flying Fijian Experience at £414 per person where fans are treating to premium padded seats with excellent views as well as player appearances and meeting legends of the game too. There will be cultural performances, live entertainment and authentic Fijian cuisine as well as an inclusive drinks package.

Wales Rugby VIP hospitality tickets

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Prices vary

Seat Unique

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Seat Unique offers VIP hospitality tickets for Wales’ autumn internationals including New Zealand and Australia.

The third option for the opener are the Private Boxes packages priced at £478.80 per person but does require purchasing the whole box which fits 15 people which costs £7,182 plus a booking fee of £179.55. Groups of 15 fans can enjoy their own personal private box experience with padded seats, an informal two-meal with an inclusive drinks package to complement your meal as well as a half-time cheeseboard and post-match pie platter too.

Over at the Principality Stadium when Wales welcome several big names in November, fans can enjoy The Riverside Terrace which is available as an option at £330 per person for a delicious two-course informal meal. Fans can enjoy live music throughout the day as well as benefit from early entry before indulge in a two-course street food-inspired brunch menu with a fully inclusive bar offering a variety of beers, house wines and soft drinks.

A caveat is that this package is available for groups of two to six, so fans booking for more than six guests will be split across two tables next to each other instead of all as one group. Also, guests will have to purchase spirits on the day if that is their drink of choice.

Another experience to consider at the Principality Stadium is the Captain’s Club located on the South Stand. Prices are from £654 during the Nations Championship with fans enjoying a five course fine dining experience as well as a post-match light supper too. The experience starts with a VIP early entry with Laurent Perrier Champagne reception and canapes on arrival before being introduced to your rugby legend host(s) and seated at your private table with your guests.

A live presentation and chefs show kitchen is all part of the experience at the Captain’s Club before taking in the pitch-facing lounge with direct balcony seating for the match along with your programme.

A third option are the Private Boxes, priced from £534 where guests can enjoy the company of their friends in their own experience three hours before kick-off. Guests can enjoy a choice between a formal or informal three-course menu featuring locally sourced Welsh ingredients with bar offerings include a selection of wines, beers and non-alcoholic beverages.

Fans will need to purchase the whole box, which would require 12 tickets for a total of £6,408 plus a £160.20 booking fee too for Wales vs Japan, for example. Alternatively, fans can get tickets for the Nations Championship through Ticketmaster or through the WRU’s official ticket office as well.

Leon Beagan fatally punched popular amateur footballer Andrew Lees outside Renfrew Leisure Centre.

A thug who killed a popular amateur footballer with a single punch has been jailed for seven years. Leon Beagan, 29, punched Andrew Lees outside Renfrew Leisure Centre on November 5, 2023.

The 27 year-old – known as Panda – suffered a fatal rupture of an artery in his neck and sadly passed away in hospital. Beagan was today sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow having earlier been convicted of a charge of culpable homicide.

Judge Douglas Brown told the killer the death was “a tragedy” and that it had left Mr Lees’ grieving mother “completely shattered”.

The victim – described as a “big friendly giant with a heart of gold” – played for local team Glynhill Moorcroft AFC. He had been at a game before going to Davidson’s Bar with a friend.

The other man left around 11.30pm – Mr Lees stayed and ended up in the company of the killer’s half-sister Skye Beagan. Mr Lees and Miss Beagan were later in Renfrew town centre before they met Beagan in the car park of the sports centre.

In his closing speech to jurors, prosecutor William Frain-Bell said: “It is not clear as to what the problem was between Skye Beagan, Andrew Lees and Leon Beagan.

“Things seemed to have kicked off when they came across each other.”

CCTV footage captured the men appearing to confront one another. This continued before Beagan landed a blow on Mr Lees’ head.

The victim did not expect the punch and was heard to state: “What did you do that for?” Mr Lees soon collapsed to the ground.

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Beagan walked off before others called for help. Beagan was said to have shown a “callous disregard” for what he had done to the man.

Paramedics tried to revive him – he was rushed to hospital, but never recovered. The artery tear had resulted in bleeding around the brain.

This type of injury was typically caused by a blow to the side of the head.

In his speech, Mr Frain-Bell added: “Leon Beagan accepts that he punched Andrew Lees.

“He told you that Panda was swinging a punch at him but he missed.

“However, this is not what Mr Beagan told his girlfriend when he got back to her flat.

“She said that Mr Lees pushed Mr Beagan – Mr Beagan pushed him back and then punched him.

“There was no mention of a punch by Andrew Lees.”

Beagan – also known as Gibson -had been on bail during the trial, but was remanded in custody.

Judge Brown told him: “Andrew Lees was plainly popular and much loved by many who knew him.

“The greatest impact will be on those close to him in particular his mother Angela Lees.

“He was her only child. He was loving, kind and protective.

“When he was killed her life was completely shattered. She will never recover from her devastating loss.”

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