Japanese politics is politer and more understated than most.
It’s perhaps the reason that Western audiences do not always pay a huge amount of attention.
But something feels different this time, and that’s largely down to the woman at the centre of this story; the drum-playing, Trump-hugging, China-provoking prime minister who has raised the stakes for both Japan and the region.
In central Tokyo, just a few hours before polls open in the snap election she called, hundreds of people crowded into a small local park to see Sanae Takaichi.
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Image: Supporters at a rally
Despite the bitterly cold temperatures and the fact that many struggled to see her over the sea of heads, there was a sense that something significant was unfolding.
“I was just passing,” one woman told me, “but I couldn’t not stop to see her!”
There is no disputing the fact that Takaichi is just different to those who have gone before her.
She’s a former heavy metal drummer and motorbike rider, and she is happy to jump around the stage at rallies and sing to visiting foreign leaders (Italy’s Giorgia Meloni was greeted with a rousing happy birthday).
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K-Pop jam session with South Korea and Japan leaders
Her outsized character in a scene historically so male and so dry has led to soaring personal approval ratings, 2.6 million followers on X and a one-year wait to buy her signature black handbag.
Not to mention the reversal of fortunes seen by her struggling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP): it now looks set to take a majority in Japan’s Lower House, just four months after she assumed the leadership in the wake of her unpopular predecessor’s resignation.
Image: A hat worn by supporters has ‘Sanai’, Takaichi’s first name, written on the back and ‘Japan is back’ on the front
Japan’s ‘Iron Lady’ will pursue conservative vision if she wins
But she’s also far from the liberal champion many might have hoped for in the country’s first female leader; she is, in fact, ultra conservative.
She’s anti gay marriage and a vocal defender of traditional gender roles; she sees Margaret Thatcher as a role model and has leant into a rising feeling of “foreigner fatigue” in Japan, directed both at immigrants and tourists.
If she secures her own mandate at Sunday’s election, it is this conservative vision that she will be pursuing.
Image: The ‘battle bus’ drumming up support for Takaichi
‘She’s like a friendly neighbour or sister’
In her hometown of Nara, they think that is a good thing.
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Here, a small minivan has been converted into a “battle bus” of sorts, and her dedicated team of supporters are driving it around the traditional streets, asking locals to sign it, calling her name through the megaphones and asking for their votes.
“She’s like a friendly neighbour or sister,” one old man tells us as he remembers her starting out in politics.
Image: This man describes Takaichi as a ‘friendly neighbour’
‘She is simply doing what is necessary to protect Japan’
When I ask one of her team what he makes of her conservative views, he simply responds: “Rather than labelling it conservatism, I think she is simply doing what is necessary to protect Japan.”
Of course, in any election, domestic policy is a focus; she favours tax cuts and increased public spending to boost a sluggish economy.
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But the area of her policy that has brought the most attention and the most ire has been her approach to foreign policy and, particularly, her approach to China.
Image: A member of her team says Takaichi was ‘doing what is necessary to protect Japan’
Image: This voter in Nara says he has been supporting Takaichi for 20 years
Support from Trump
According to its constitution, Japan is still a pacifist country, and it has thus long relied on the US for its security.
Takaichi has made a particular point of cosying up to Donald Trump’s America; his visit to Japan last year was notable for the excess of its warmth, and Trump has actively endorsed her campaign.
Trump hails ‘golden age’ of Japan relations
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But she has also been highly hawkish in her attitudes to Japan’s largest and most powerful neighbour.
The two were already set to be at odds; Takaichi’s plan to spend more on and build up Japan’s military is a deeply sore point in China, which suffered enormously at its hands during the Second World War.
But things plunged to a new low in November when she said that a Chinese attack on the island of Taiwan (a self-governing democracy that China sees as a breakaway province) would amount to an “existential threat” to Japan, and it would have the right to intervene militarily.
The comments have caused outrage in China, drawing a raft of damaging retaliations, from the banning of the imports of Japanese seafood to restrictions on its access to crucial rare metals and a pointed suggestion that Chinese travellers should avoid it.
Relations are at their lowest ebb for over a decade, and while some Japanese are happy to see their leader stand up to China, others are anxious.
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“Seeing China imposing economic sanctions, it proves how thoughtless her remarks were,” one man at her rally tells me. “It’s definitely more dangerous.”
Image: Takaichi has been targeted by Chinese state media
Image: A man addressed Takaichi’s Taiwan remarks at her rally
The reality is that for all the Instagrammable moments, Takaichi’s stance on China might well be the key issue that plagues and potentially even defines her leadership; it is not a disagreement that the Chinese will just let go.
Japan’s lean to the right under a Takaichi-style nationalism might well bring a renewed sense of pride to some, but it could also bring a new jeopardy to all.
Products are recalled when there is a potential safety risk
A popular French bakery brand that is often on the shelves in many supermarkets in the UK has recalled a batch of one of its products after a potential choking risk was found. Brioche Pasquier has urged customers who have bought six-packs of its Pitch Chocolate and Hazelnut Brioches with a specific date to return them.
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Products with a best before date of 4 March are to be returned or discarded due to “the potential presence of hard white plastic”, according to an announcement by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) on Saturday, February 7.
The product is stocked by several UK retailers including Asda, Tesco and Ocado. For the biggest stories in Wales first sign up to our daily newsletter here
In addition to posing a choking threat, ingesting pieces of plastic can potentially harm the digestive system. The FSA warned that the possible presence of plastic fragments make the product “unsafe to eat”.
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Only Pitch Chocolate filled 225g (6×37.5g) packs with the batch code UK 034 are subject to the recall.
Customers who have purchased the affected product are advised not to consume the brioches and to get in touch with the brand’s customer care team via their website or by emailing technical@briochepasquier. com.
The batch code and expiry date can be located on the back of the pack.
Brioche Pasquier confirmed that no other batch codes or any of its other products have been impacted.
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The US president and Israel’s prime minister will meet on Wednesday in Washington to discuss negotiations with Iran, according to Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.
The talks came amid a continued American naval build-up near Iran, which Donald Trump has described as an “armada”.
What’s happening on the streets of Iran?
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The US president has repeatedly threatened to take military action since the Iranian regime launched a bloody crackdown against protesters who took to the streets of cities across the country last month.
Both sides said more talks are expected to be held soon.
Oscar-nominated director on Iran
On Thursday, the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, told reporters: “While these negotiations are taking place, I would remind the Iranian regime that the president has many options at his disposal, aside from diplomacy as the commander in chief of the most powerful military in the history of the world.”
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A regional diplomat who had been briefed by Iran told Reuters news agency that Iran insisted on its “right to enrich uranium” during the negotiations.
The diplomat also said Iran’s missile capabilities were not raised in the discussions.
Iran threatens US with ‘regional war’
Iranian officials ruled out putting the country’s missiles, which make up one of the largest missile arsenals in the Middle East, up for discussion.
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Iran also wants recognition of its right to enrich uranium.
“The prime minister believes that any negotiations must include limiting ballistic missiles and halting support for the Iranian axis,” said the office of Mr Netanyahu, in a statement.
Bolivia’s political landscape has changed dramatically since August 2025, when a general election ended the Movement for Socialism (Mas) party’s rule after nearly two decades. Its presence in Congress has all but vanished, with rightwing parties now commanding an overwhelming majority.
The new president, Rodrigo Paz Pereira, campaigned with the rightwing populist slogan: fé, familia y patria (faith, family and homeland). He swept to victory in large part due to the widespread popularity of his running mate and now vice-president, Edmand Lara.
As the son of former Bolivian president Jaime Paz Zamora, who led Bolivia from 1989 to 1993, Paz Pereira represents a new generation of the country’s traditional political elite. But Lara, a former police captain who has become prominent on social media since 2023, comes from the popular classes.
The unlikely pair benefited from a strong desire among the Bolivian people for change amid a severe economic crisis marked by a shortage of US dollars and annual inflation of nearly 20%. They also took advantage of widespread distrust of reticence towards politicians from previous governments.
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In his November inaugural address, Paz Pereira denounced that Mas had left what he called an estado tranca (obstructing state). He pledged to replace it with a smaller, technocratic state capable of attracting foreign investment. This model of state reform is part of his broader neoliberal project of “capitalism for all”, an ill-defined entrepreneurial vision that celebrates informality.
Rodrigo Paz Pereira at his swearing-in ceremony in La Paz, Bolivia, in November 2025. Gabriel Marquez / EPA
Paz Pereira’s government soon revealed the contours of its economic and political agenda in Decree 5503. The decree included over 100 articles covering numerous issues such as fuel subsidies, taxes, emergency powers, resource governance and fiscal and monetary policy.
The government presented the decree almost exclusively as a measure to end longstanding fossil fuel subsidies. These subsidies, which were introduced in 1997, had become largely unsustainable with the decline of Bolivia’s gas exports since 2017. The decree ended the subsidies, replacing them with modest increments to the minimum salary and state pensions.
Other, more problematic elements of the decree that overlooked established procedures and the stipulations of Bolivia’s constitution were soon exposed. These included measures to grant the government emergency powers without the required justification, as well as major changes to the nationwide tax regime without legislative approval.
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The decree also introduced extraordinary powers for the central bank to acquire limitless external debt without mechanisms of democratic control. And it established a “fast track” mechanism for the approval of contracts for the extraction of strategic natural resources. Contracts would be awarded without legislative oversight or the required processes of environmental impact assessment and informed consent of Indigenous people.
Such a “fast track” mechanism openly revived what was known as the entreguista character of the Bolivian state, which had historically been prevalent under elite rule. This is a term used throughout Latin America to criticise governments or policies perceived as giving away a country’s national interests by, for example, surrendering control of natural resources.
Bolivia is home to the world’s largest known lithium deposit in the department of Potosí, estimated at 23 million tonnes. Lithium is a critical component in the batteries that power electric vehicles and smartphones, as well as in high-tech weapons systems. Bolivia is also well-endowed with other critical minerals such as tin, silver and antimony.
A truck drives in the Coipasa salt flat in the Oruro department of Bolivia. Stringer / EPA
Nationalist movements have fiercely opposed entreguista policies in Bolivia before. These movements have inspired major political events, including a revolution in 1952 that overthrew the ruling oligarchy.
They also led to the so-called water and gas wars in 2000 and 2003. These were periods of social unrest arising over government plans to privatise the water supply in the central city of Cochabamba and export natural gas through Chile, respectively.
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As noted in 2006 by Tom Perreault, a researcher at Syracuse University in New York, Bolivian people see tin or gas “not only as natural resources, but as national resources as well, that is, resources that properly belong to the nation and its people”.
This sentiment was captured recently by Bolivian researcher Gustavo Calle. In an article published on January 13, he said that by suggesting strategic resources will be exploited by foreign companies without meaningful control, Decree 5503 touched “the most sensitive vein of the popular nationalism”.
Repealing the decree
Two days after the government published the decree on December 17, Bolivia’s main workers’ organisation, the Bolivian Workers’ Centre, declared a general strike. It asked its members to mobilise, demanding the abrogation of the decree.
Then, on January 5, the largest Indigenous organisations joined the protests. They paralysed the country with more than 50 road blockades. And a march named “Bolivia is not for sale” later entered the capital city of La Paz, bringing together numerous sectors of society.
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Paz Pereira portrayed the leaders of the mobilisation as reckless individuals defending their own privileges. He also pledged not to back down against “criminals”. But after nearly 28 days of protests, the government finally conceded and abrogated the decree on January 11.
Bolivian police clash with protesters during a demonstration in La Paz in early January. Luis Gandarillas / EPA
The government’s image has taken a hit. However, unlike the government during the gas war, its legitimacy has not been challenged. That period of unrest ultimately resulted in the resignation of President Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada.
Paz Pereira’s defeat is also only partial. The elimination of the fossil fuel subsidies has now been consolidated. And the government is currently preparing a new authoritarian law to sanction road blockages as criminal offences.
In a recent interview with the Financial Times, Paz Pereira also sought to portray the popular opposition to his entreguista policies as being carried out by a mere minority of former Mas leader Evo Morales’ followers.
In the absence of an alternative political project, the new government appears to be in a strong position to impose its agenda. Yet the strength and explosive potential of resource nationalist sentiments in the country should not be discounted.
We all need a laugh once in a while, which is why a comedy night is the perfect way to spend an evening.
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They are a fantastic avenue for up-and-coming comedians to get the exposure to crowds that they wouldn’t get otherwise. Equally, they are a place for established and well-known comedians to practice new material for their bigger tours.
Belfast has become known for creating great comedians and hosting great comedy nights across the city. We’ve put together a handy guide to some of the regular comedy nights happening throughout the city.
Lavery’s
Colin Geddis has curated one of the funniest comedy nights Belfast has to offer. He transforms Lavery’s middle floor into an intimate, side-splittingly funny evening with guaranteed laughs; get down early to avoid sitting in the front row.
It takes place on Wednesdays and Thursdays every week.
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The Empire
Belfast’s renowned comedy club welcomes local, national and international comedians for a night of outstanding stand-up comedy every Tuesday.
Presenting top quality acts from across Ireland, UK and the international comedy circuit, Belfast’s longest-running and most revered comedy club has been making people laugh since 1992, welcoming some of the biggest names in comedy through the doors for over 30 years.
There’s also a free pint of Harp Irish Lager for the first 50 people attending each week.
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Accidental Comedy Club
It is described as gloriously unhinged, ridiculously funny and brutally honest. It takes place in Shaftesbury Square on the first Friday of every month.
Tired of safe comedy nights where every punchline feels like it’s been filtered through HR? Well, this one is for you.
The Pavilion
Some brand new comedians and some old pros are trying new jokes! Each with 5-10 minutes to make you laugh. Arrive early for a chance to win £10 in drinks.
It takes place every Monday night in the Big House.
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The Spaniard
Get ready to laugh until your sides hurt with a hilarious mix of standup and improv comedy at Craic Off The Cuff!
Craic Off the Cuff is Belfast’s most unpredictable comedy night, which is a blend of stand-up, banter, and spontaneous fun. Hosted weekly by Ewan Latimer, the show mixes sharp jokes with on-the-spot improv.
Expect comedians thinking on their feet, unexpected moments, and plenty of laughs born in the moment. With board games on the tables and a relaxed, social vibe, it’s a night where no two shows are ever the same.
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The Black Box
Hosted by Belfast Comedy stalwarts Alan Irwin (Chortle Student Comedian of the Year Finalist) and Ronan Linskey (Bulmer’s Irish Comedian of the Year 2015).
Kill Your Darlings is one of Belfast’s most loved comedy clubs. It features new and established comedians doing all new, never heard before material. Previous acts include Colin Murphy, Shane Todd, Colin Geddis and Teresa Livingstone.
A start-up founder is organizing a Saturday “March for Billionaires” in San Francisco in protest of a proposed one-time wealth tax on the state’s ultra-wealthy.
The march, set to kick off this afternoon at the San Francisco Civic Center, has attracted a small crowd already, though it has run into one problem: its organizer has to keep insisting the event is not a joke.
“Yes, it’s real,” organizer Derik Kauffman told KRON on Friday.
When news of the planned march first began to circulate, some on social media speculated the event might be satirical or funded in the background by a California billionaire.
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Kauffman, whom the San Francisco Examiner identified as the march’s organizer, told the paper he is not in contact with billionaires or getting funding from them. The entrepreneur, who founded an AI company that took part in the Y Combinator start-up accelerator, added that he’s not a billionaire himself, but sees the wealth-tax proposal as a threat to the state’s tech economy and larger prosperity because it could force founders to sell shares in their companies.
Organizers are planning a ‘March for Billionaires’ in San Francisco today in protest of a proposed wealth tax on the ultra-wealthy (AFP via Getty Images)
The march is meant to “change the sentiment on this to recognize that billionaires have done a lot for us and communicate that we’re glad they’re here,” he told the Examiner.
The march, whose main program began on Saturday lunchtime, attracted a small crowd, though a social media user who said he was nearby suggested they were outnumbered by media members and counter-protesters.
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The tax proposal, a state ballot initiative backed by the state’s influential SEIU–United Healthcare Workers West, would levy a one-time tax on billionaires who were living in California as of January 1, equal to five percent of their net worth.
The state legislative analyst’s office has calculated that the tax could raise tens of billions of dollars, though it warned of uncertainty about the proposal’s impact, given fluctuations in the stock market and the possibility that billionaires could leave the state and take their tax dollars with them.
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Google co-founder Sergey Brin has reportedly begun cutting ties in the state ahead of the proposed tax (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
“This would mean less money for the state’s general budget that supports education, health care, prisons, and other services,” the office wrote. “While there would be money from the wealth tax to pay for some of these things, like health care, that money would be temporary.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom opposes the proposal, as does a large swathe of the state’s tech community.
“This will be defeated — there’s no question in my mind,” Newsom told The New York Times.
“I’ll do what I have to do to protect the state.”
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The tax still needs to make it to the ballot and get voter approval, but billionaires, including Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Bri,n have already begun cutting financial ties with the state.
Research suggests the ultra-wealthy aren’t actually prone to move en masse in the face of new taxes.
“These people are just very embedded in the places where they’ve built their careers, and have a lot of ties to where they live and work. It’s costly to give those up,” Cornell University sociologist Cristobal Young, the author of The Myth of Millionaire Tax Flight: How Place Still Matters for the Rich, told CalMatters. “So it’s one thing to say, ‘I’m moving to Texas.’ But a lot of people, when it comes down to making that move, they don’t want to do it.”
Brad Arnold was the founding member of US band 3 Doors Down (Picture: Getty Images)
Brad Arnold, the lead singer of American rock band 3 Doors Down, has died at the age of 47.
The Mississippi-based singer had been diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney cancer.
A representative for Arnold said he died peacefully in his sleep on Saturday, surrounded by his wife and family.
As a founding member of 3 Doors Down, he wrote their breakout 2000 hit Kryptonite while in high school, which has more than 1.2billion plays on Spotify.
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In May last year, the singer shared his cancer diagnosis on the band’s Instagram, who were first formed in 1996.
He said: ‘I’d been sick a couple of weeks ago and went to the hospital and got checked out.
The singer had been diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney cancer (Picture: Getty Images)
‘I actually got the diagnosis that I have a clear cell renal carcinoma that has metastasized into my lung… and that’s stage four, and that’s not real good.’
Clear cell renal carcinoma is known as being the most common type of kidney cancer.
Stage 4 cancer is also a cancer that has spread from its original location to other parts of the body.
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In light of his diagnosis, 3 Doors Down cancelled their upcoming tour.
Arnold finished off his message by saying: ‘I’d love for you to lift me up in your prayers every chance you get, and I think it’s time for me to go listen to “It’s Not My Time” a little bit, right? Thank you guys so much. God loves you. We love you. See you.’
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For Townsend’s team, in far too many games, there’s uncertainty about when the damage will be done – the start or the end – but there is a near certainty that at some point it will indeed be done. It’s the rhythm of life under Townsend.
In Rome, it was at the start. There was talk from within the Scotland camp that they needed to execute better when entering an opponent’s 22. There were good reasons for that chat.
In last season’s Six Nations, they ranked second of six in terms of visits to a rival’s 22 and yet sixth of six in terms of points gained from those visits. Profligacy, as well as mental fragility, was a work-on, as they say.
A few minutes into the game, Scotland had an attacking line-out in Italy’s 22. A time for deeds now, not words. Clinical rugby, remember. Lessons learned. Progress.
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Their ball was stolen at the front and Italy escaped. It was the beginning of an utter calamity out of touch for Ewan Ashman, in particular, and his successor, George Turner.
The conditions? Yes, abject, but Scotland’s error count across the board was higher than Italy’s.
At times, when throws were pilfered or just launched over the back with no jumper and seemingly no communication, it was an unholy mess.
You wouldn’t have predicted a Scotland defeat that early, but you get to understand the triggers in this team and the omens weren’t encouraging.
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Especially so within a few minutes because Italy scored. Winning the air, as they so often did, they showed the kind of precision that Scotland only talked about. Ignacio Brex grubbered for Louis Lynagh and Italy had landed the first blow.
Becoming hard to score against was another of those non-negotiables that the Scotland boys mentioned. Up in smoke already.
Scotland had another attacking line-out inside Italy’s 22 soon after. Stolen again. A dozen minutes had been played and now, truly, you were hearing the music from Jaws ringing in the ears.
For a time, the conditions looked like they were impacting just one team out there. Italy went to the air once more, Lynagh got the better of the targeted Jamie Dobie and the score was on.
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Michele Lamaro, the totem of the back-row, skipped a pass out to Tommaso Menoncello and a five-point lead became 12. A dozen points in that weather is worth a whole lot more.
Chasing in the rain makes you panic, makes you force things, eats into what is left of your belief.
To Scotland’s credit – and there’s very little to go around – they scored through Jack Dempsey and again, later on, through the effervescent George Horne.
Paolo Garbisi’s boot and the incredibly strong will of his team kept the Scots at bay.
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That and the mistake mountains the visitors constantly constructed. It was a dogfight and Italy’s dogs were just that bit more menacing.
Captain Philip Gilbert Muldowney, 25, died following an incident at Otterburn Training Area in Northumberland
Captain Philip Gilbert Muldowney, a British Army officer who tragically lost his life in a training incident, was remembered for his dedication “to serve the common good of humanity” at his funeral service in Ireland.
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The 25 year old officer died on Sunday, January 25, following an incident at Otterburn Training Area in Northumberland, one of the UK’s largest army training ranges. Captain Muldowney, originally from Co Roscommon, served as a fire support commander within 129 (Dragon) Battery of the 4th Regiment Royal Artillery.
The Ministry of Defence described him as an “immensely enthusiastic officer who embraced life with a vigour that inspired those around him”. Known locally as Gilbert, he grew up in Ballinameen, near Boyle, after his family relocated there from Dublin during his childhood.
His father, David, serves as a permanent deacon in the Diocese of Elphin. The funeral service took place at St Attracta’s Church, Ballinameen, where Bishop Kevin Doran told attendees that Captain Muldowney brought “joy and hope” to those around him.
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Among those present were his colleagues and friends from the Army, whom Bishop Doran said “were closest to him at the time of his death”. Reverend Captain Henry Afful, Colonel Sean Grant, defence attache to the British embassy, Colonel Harry Waller, commanding officer in the Fourth Regiment Royal Artillery, and Colonel William Tulloch, First Battalion Scots Guards Commander, were also in attendance, reports the Irish Mirror.
Uniformed officers carried Mr Muldowney’s coffin into the chapel.
Representatives from the Irish Defence Forces and Mr Muldowney’s local GAA club were also in attendance.
Bishop Doran, who conducted the service, noted that the community had been sharing memories of Captain Muldowney whilst grieving his passing.
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He said: “Stories are told.
“Many stories have been told about Gilbert over cups of tea and coffee, and many more will be told before the day is out, stories of his escapades and of his commitment, his interest in archery and brewing, to mention but a few.”
He added: “I heard the story of Gilbert’s mobile phone.
“Tucked away in the cover of his phone, which was with him, was a tiny laminated card on it was a short passage from the Gospel according to Matthew, which has since been traced back to a clipping taken from his pocket Bible at home.”
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Bishop Doran went on: “We do live, as Jesus said, in a time when there are wars and rumours of wars.
“It’s an anxious time, not least for soldiers and for the families of soldiers.
“I suppose soldiers train for war in the hope that it will never come.
“They prepare so that others may live in peace.
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“Jesus encourages us not to lose hope in the face of all that is wrong in the world.
“‘The end is not yet’ was a central part of that Gospel passage which Gilbert had underlined.
“I take this to refer to the fact that Jesus has a mission for each of us, and that all of us, women and men, soldiers and civilians alike, are called to serve the common good of humanity.
“He who endures to the end will be saved with these words, Jesus reminds us that our ultimate good is achieved not by seeking our own glory, but by laying down our lives for one another.”
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During the service, several meaningful objects were presented at the altar: walking boots symbolising his passion for mountaineering, a handcrafted longbow made by Capt Muldowney himself, his cherished novel The Count Of Monte Cristo, and his St Christopher’s medal representing “symbol of his love of jewellery, his faith and his delight in travelling”.
Bishop Doran reflected: “We’re called to give our hearts to Jesus, who said to live by his word, it can take a whole lifetime, but as we have seen in Gilbert’s case, a lifetime sometimes has to be fitted into a few short years.”
He continued: “We give thanks today for all that Gilbert achieved in such a short space of time, for all the joy and hope he brought to his family and friends.”
Capt Muldowney enlisted in the Army on January 5 2020, receiving his commission into the Royal Artillery on December 11 2020 following his training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
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A 2019 graduate of Elphin Community College, Captain Muldowney left an indelible mark on the institution, with principal Anne Gilleran noting he “is spoken of with enormous respect and affection by staff who knew him well”.
She added: “In a small school, those memories endure, and Gilbert’s contribution to Elphin Community College is remembered with great pride,”.
The school maintains a cherished custom, Ms Gilleran explained: “Elphin Community College has a long-standing tradition of displaying photographs of its head students.
“Gilbert’s photograph hangs above the main entrance to the school, where it stands as a quiet reminder of the standards, character and generosity of spirit he brought to our community.”
Researchers have found that most of the conditions listed as a side effect of vital medications are not caused by the drugs
New research has found new vital information
A group of medications that help lower cholesterol do not cause some of the major side effects listed on the packaging, a new study finds. Research part-funded by British Heart Foundation found that statins do not cause the majority of the conditions that have been listed in their package leaflets.
Statins are widely used in the UK to lower cholesterol in the blood to minimise the risk of heart disease which is a very common cause of death in the UK.
Based on a new study from The Lancet, researchers found that most of the conditions listed as a side effect of statins are not caused by the medications including cognitive impairment, depression, sleep disturbance, and peripheral neuropathy.
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Researchers have also called for labels and health information to be revised due to their findings. Stay informed on the latest health news by signing up to our newsletter here
The study says: “Adverse event data from blinded randomised trials do not support causal relationships between statin therapy and most of the conditions (including cognitive impairment, depression, sleep disturbance, and peripheral neuropathy) listed in product labels as potential undesirable effects.
“In light of these findings, such labelling and other official sources of health information should be revised so that patients and their doctors can make appropriately informed decisions regarding statin therapy.”
There are 5 types of statin available on prescription in the UK:
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Atorvastatin (Lipitor)
Fluvastatin (Lescol)
Pravastatin (Lipostat)
Rosuvastatin (Crestor)
Simvastatin (Zocor)
What the scientists found
The researchers, led by a team at Oxford Population Health, looked through data from over 150,000 participants in 23 clinical trials.
These included 19 trials involving 123,940 participants comparing the effects of statin therapies against a placebo, and four trials involving 30,724 participants comparing more intensive against less intensive statin therapy.
They found similar numbers of reports for those taking the statins and those taking the placebo for almost all the conditions listed in package leaflets as possible side effects.
Professor Bryan Williams, British Heart Foundation’s chief scientific and medical officer, said: “These findings are hugely important and provide authoritative, evidence-based reassurance for patients. Statins are lifesaving drugs, which have been proven to protect against heart attacks and strokes. Among the large number of patients assessed in this well-conducted analysis, only four side effects out of 66 were found to have any association with taking statins, and only in a very small proportion of patients.
“This evidence is a much-needed counter to the misinformation around statins and should help prevent unnecessary deaths from cardiovascular disease. Recognising which side effects might genuinely be associated with statins is also important as it will help doctors make decisions about when to use alternative treatments.”
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Peterborough City Council has announced it will be sending half-term supermarket vouchers out to eligible families soon to help them support their children over the school holidays.
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The £10 vouchers will be sent out automatically by text and email on Saturday, February 14 using school data and information held by the council.
All vouchers must be activated by 9pm the following day (Sunday, March 15). Any voucher that remains unactivated past this time will be deemed invalid. Activation is done by simply selecting a supermarket to use.
Councillor Katy Cole, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said: “We are continuing to do all we can to support families in need of help, which is why I’m delighted that once again we will be providing this worthwhile scheme over the February school break.”
The council warned that it may take up to 9pm on the day the voucher is sent for it to arrive. Parents with more than one eligible child should note that their voucher links will probably arrive separately.
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Eligible recipients should wait until Sunday, February 15 to contact the council about any missing vouchers.
It is important to note that any children who become eligible for the period up to and including Sunday February 22 will also receive vouchers if an application has been made.
Cllr Cole said she would “strongly urge” anyone who is eligible for the scheme but has not already signed up to consider doing so as soon as possible.
“The free school meals scheme not only helps families save around £450 a year per child but also helps their child’s primary school receive much-needed additional funding,” she said.
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Information about free school meals and how to apply can be found here.
