WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge agreed Thursday to block the Pentagon from punishing Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, a former Navy pilot, for participating in a video that called on troops to resist unlawful orders.
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled that Pentagon officials not only violated Kelly’s First Amendment free speech rights, but they also “threatened the constitutional liberties of millions of military retirees.” The judge invoked an old-fashioned rebuke — “Horsefeathers!” — in response to the government’s claim that Kelly is trying to exempt himself from the rules of military justice.
“To say the least, our retired veterans deserve more respect from their Government, and our Constitution demands they receive it!” wrote Leon, who was nominated to the bench by Republican President George W. Bush.
Kelly, who represents Arizona, sued in federal court to block his Jan. 5 censure from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Leon’s order prohibits the Pentagon from implementing or enforcing Kelly’s punishment while his lawsuit is pending. The judge instructed the parties to provide him with an update in 30 days.
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In November, Kelly and five other Democratic lawmakers appeared on a video in which they urged troops to uphold the Constitution and not to follow unlawful military directives from the Trump administration. Republican President Donald Trump accused the lawmakers of sedition “punishable by DEATH” in a social media post days later.
The court case is just one front in a broader dispute that has spiraled between the group of Democratic lawmakers and the Trump administration since they posted the video. Earlier this week, a Washington grand jury declined to indict the lawmakers over the video.
Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin has said she has been told the Justice Department could seek a new indictment as soon as Friday. Kelly and Slotkin said at a news conference Wednesday that they are keeping all legal options on the table regarding potentially suing the administration.
Hegseth said the government will appeal Leon’s decision. “Sedition is sedition, ‘Captain,’” he posted on his X account, referring to Kelly by his rank at retirement.
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Leon said that Kelly “is likely to succeed on the merits” of his free speech claim. “He has also shown irreparable harm, and the balance of the equities fall decidedly in his favor.”
Hegseth said Kelly’s censure was “a necessary process step” to proceedings that could result in a demotion from the senator’s retired rank of captain and subsequent reduction in retirement pay.
The judge concluded that Kelly’s speech is entitled to full First Amendment protection.
“Rather than trying to shrink the First Amendment liberties of retired servicemembers, Secretary Hegseth and his fellow Defendants might reflect and be grateful for the wisdom and expertise that retired servicemembers have brought to public discussions and debate on military matters in our Nation over the past 250 years,” Leon wrote.
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“If so,” he added, “they will more fully appreciate why the Founding Fathers made free speech the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights!”
Kelly said in a video statement posted after the ruling that the case was about more than just him and that the administration “was sending a message to millions of retired veterans that they too can be censured or demoted just for speaking out.”
He added that the ruling was unlikely the end: “This might not be over yet, because this president and this administration do not know how to admit when they’re wrong.”
The 90-second video was first posted on a social media account belonging to Slotkin. Reps. Jason Crow of Colorado, Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania also appeared in the video. All of the participants are veterans of the armed services or intelligence agencies.
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The Pentagon began investigating Kelly in late November, citing a federal law that allows retired service members to be recalled to active duty on orders of the defense secretary for possible court-martial or other punishment. Hegseth has said Kelly was the only one of the six lawmakers to be investigated because he is the only one who formally retired from the military and still falls under the Pentagon’s jurisdiction.
Kelly’s lawyers said the Pentagon’s censure of Kelly — and its efforts to reduce his retirement grade and pay — are an unprecedented attack on the rights of veterans to publicly debate national security issues.
“Defendants assert an absolute and unreviewable authority to impose military punishment on a retired veteran and sitting United States Senator for engaging in speech a civilian political appointee dislikes. That position is as alarming as it is unprecedented,” they wrote.
Government lawyers said the case “is not about legislative independence or freedom of speech in civilian society.”
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“Instead, this case involves a retired military officer who seeks to use his military status as a sword and his legislative position as a shield against the consequences of his actions in military personnel matters,” they wrote.
Hegseth, the Defense Department, Navy Secretary John Phelan and the Navy are named as defendants in the lawsuit.
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Associated Press writer Ben Finley contributed to this report.
The announcement forms part of NatWest Group’s “growing together” plan, which sets out how the bank aims to help build conditions for UK growth by backing regions, championing mid-market companies, strengthening infrastructure and housing, boosting financial confidence among families and young people, and supporting innovators shaping the economy.
Designs were bought by Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Michelle Pfeiffer, Trudie Styler and Clemence Poesy, among others.
A Scots fashion brand which catered for numerous A-list celebs, including Jennifer Lopez and Madonna, has gone into liquidation.
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Queene and Belle Limited, based in the Borders, has voluntarily closed the business. Founded in 2001, the firm has created designs which were worn by many celebrities.
Previously speaking to The Herald, Angela Bell, the company’s director, revealed who has snapped up their designs. She said: “Designs have been bought by Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Michelle Pfeiffer, Trudie Styler and Clemence Poesy, among others, which is great.”
Thomson Cooper’s Richard Gardiner has been named Queene and Bell’s liquidator. He is said to guarantee that “all creditors will be paid in full.”
The judgement has been referred to as a “members’ voluntary liquidation.” This indicates that although the company is still operating well and can settle its debts, the owners have decided to shut it down.
Speaking in 2015 on what attracted their high-end clientele, Ms Bell added: “We have a very artistic approach to all the pieces, and so much thought is put into every detail.
“It all comes from my perspective – that’s what my customers buy into. We have a high price point, so we’re hanging next to global brands like Lanvin.
“Being small can be difficult, but we can offer something different, a much more personal service.”
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Olivia Rodrigo has released the music video for her new single Drop Dead, the first offering from her much-hyped third album You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So in Love.
The video, directed by Petra Collins, sees the three-time Grammy winner dancing through the Palace Of Versailles in Paris in a frilly blue dress, running between the rooms before picking up her pink guitar and rocking out.
“You lookin’ like an angel on the walls of Versailles,” she sings on the track. “The most alive I’ve ever been.”
Watch the exciting clip for yourself below:
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On Instagram, the chart-topping singer described Drop Dead as a “new chapter” in the story of her new album.
“It makes me wanna skip around and roll the windows down and make out!” she enthused. “I was lucky enough to film the music video at the Palace Of Versailles a few months ago with the wonderful Petra Collins and I’m so stoked with how it turned out.”
Although Olivia has never directly said who inspired the song, she told British Vogue recently that the “person that the song is about is great”.
In the bridge of Drop Dead, she’s heard singing: “Pisces and a Gemini. But I think we might go really nice together. If you let me stay the night. Well, I think I might just have to stay forever.”
Olivia is a Pisces and Louis is a Gemini, further fuelling the speculation that he is the subject of the song – and, likely, more tracks from her upcoming album.
Olivia Rodrigo and Louis Partridge in October 2025
In the same British Vogue article, Olivia teased that her time with Louis – with whom she reportedly split in December 2025 – in London has inspired her new album.
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She teased: “I’ve spent so much time here over the course of making this album. It has a lot of songs that are London vibes, about experiences that I’ve had here”
The Summertime Sadness singer told the BBC in 2024: “I mean, how has that not happened yet? Can we just say, (singing) ‘it’s only 24 hours in a day’, I wrote that for them, but Sam (Smith, who sang Writing’s On The Wall, the theme to 2015’s Skyfall) you did a wonderful job, really, no I’m just kidding…
Alejandro Garnacho left Manchester United last summer to join Chelsea and could be on the move again
Alejandro Garnacho reportedly made it clear that he wanted to swap Manchester United for Chelsea several months before he left the club. Garnacho left United last summer to join the Londoners in a deal worth up to £40million.
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Since leaving United, Garnacho has made 38 appearances for Chelsea and has scored just eight goals in his debut season at Stamford Bridge.
The Argentina international has been forced to deal with a change of manager during his first season after leaving United, with Chelsea replacing former boss Enzo Maresca with Liam Rosenior back in January.
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Just months after leaving United, a fresh update has emerged about Garnacho’s future, including some insight into his final season at Old Trafford.
The Sun have reported that Chelsea are weighing up whether to cash in on Garnacho just a year after signing the forward from United.
The report also claims that Garnacho was keen to join Chelsea as early as January last year, with the player’s agent said to have made a trip to Stamford Bridge in the same month.
Garnacho’s agent is former Chelsea player Enrique de Lucas, and it now remains to be seen what the future holds for the former United star.
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Last summer, Garnacho expressed a desire to leave United, and was critical of the club’s former manager Ruben Amorim, following the decision to drop the forward to the bench for the Europa League final defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.
This was followed by Garnacho being left out of the squad for the Premier League finale against Aston Villa last season, and the forward recently opened up about his final months as a United player.
“I remember that, in the last six months, I was not playing like before at Manchester United,” Garnacho recently told Premier League Productions.
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“I started to be on the bench. It’s not such a bad thing – I was only 20 years old – but in my mind it was like I had to play every game.
“In my mind, maybe it was also on me. I started to do some bad things. But it was just a moment in life and sometimes you have to make decisions. I am really proud to be [at Chelsea] and still in the Premier League at a club like this.
“About United, I have nothing wrong to say about the club, anyone at the club or my team-mates. It was just a moment that changed and life continues. I have no regrets.”
Mohammed Mizanoor Rahman, who owns Norton restaurant Pangea, appeared at Teesside Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (April 15) charged with a string of offences.
They include three counts of assaulting a child under 13 by sexual touching and two counts of taking an indecent photograph/pseudo photograph of a child.
The 34-year-old, who is also known as Mizzy, did not enter any pleas during the short hearing.
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Rahman, of Durham Street in Stockton, was remanded in custody until his next appearance at Teesside Crown Court on Wednesday, May 13.
The restauranter first opened Pangea on Norton Road in 2023.
The problem has been ongoing, according to Cllr Hilary Fairclough, for several months, usually reappearing after periods of heavy rain.
Council officers tested the water and found it was not untreated sewage as had been feared for locals, though they were unable to account for the smell or colour.
Cllr Fairclough said: “Several residents have reported this to me – they all said it was terribly smelly.
Residents described the small as ‘foul’ (Image: Hilary Fairclough)
“It’s been going on for a quite a long time as well – it was hot on Facebook just before Easter, but some residents have told me its been going on for months, not weeks.
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“I think it was the Facebook pictures that finally got people to take a serious look at it – just the fact that it looked so horrible.”
The sludgy, foul-smelling water flows down the ginnel from Whithill lane, past Highview and the back of Eastgrove Avenue.
There was at first concern that the water was coming from the nearby Sweetloves Water Treatment Plant, though United Utilities investigated this and found this not to be the case.
Despite this, neither United Utilities nor Bolton Council were able to ascertain the source of the water nor what it consisted of.
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The water seems to have formed a thick sludge (Image: Hilary Fairclough)
But United Utilities have install a channel drain on the path to fix the issue, work which they will complete ‘within the next few weeks’.
United Utilities said: “We’ve carried out a number of investigations on site and don’t believe the water to be coming from Sweetloves water treatment works or the wastewater and clean water networks in the area.
“We’ve agreed with the council as a goodwill gesture that we will install a channel drain on the path to direct the water into a nearby road gully which will rectify the issue – this will be done within the next couple of weeks.”
Williams’ cautiousness about going under the knife suggests he still has ambitions to continue on the baize for years to come – and who can blame him.
Last October, at the age of 50 years and 206 days, he beat the mark set back in 1982 by fellow Welshman Ray Reardon to become the oldest winner of a ranking event when he triumphed in the Xi’an Grand Prix.
Even now, having turned 51 last month, he is ranked sixth in the world going into the World Championship this weekend.
“When I was 45 I said I’d like to see where I am in the rankings when I’m 50,” Williams recalled.
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“I’m not retiring, I made that decision years ago. Let’s see where I am in the rankings at 55, that’ll be interesting.”
He may have ruled out retirement but is not feeling quite so confident about his chances at the Crucible this year.
“I’m still fighting. I’m still trying and that’s all I can say,” he said.
“I try my best in every tournament and if you win, great, if you lose, that’s not the end of the world.
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“I’ve been doing this since I was an eight-year-old kid. My father was going down the mines for 30 years, my grandfather for 50 years.
“I’m just travelling around the world playing the stupid game of snooker, getting paid well for it and enjoying it. You can’t put too much pressure on yourself.”
Teenager Celeste Rivas Hernandez, 14, went missing in 2024
Olivia Beeson UK & World News Reporter and Kirstie McCrum Deputy Head of News, Live News Network
09:10, 17 Apr 2026
American singer D4vd has been taken into custody following the discovery of a missing teenage girl’s body in his Tesla.
The TikTok sensation, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, faces arrest in connection with the death of the teenager who disappeared in 2024. The Coachella performer became the subject of a grand jury probe into the suspected murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, 14, after her remains were located in his vehicle in September.
Los Angeles Police Department confirmed on Thursday that the 21 year old is being detained without bail, with the case due to be submitted to the District Attorney’s office on Monday for potential charges.
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The musician has remained silent regarding the case, though his representatives confirmed he is assisting authorities with their enquiries, reports the Daily Star. Information surrounding the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez has been restricted from public disclosure, according to officials.
The court directive prevents any details about Hernandez’s death from being released or published on the Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office website. Hernandez’s remains were found inside the boot of D4vd’s impounded Tesla on September 8 2025, after complaints of a foul odour at a Hollywood tow yard.
Rivas Hernandez, from Lake Elsinore in California, was last spotted in April 2024. Following the discovery of Celeste’s body, D4vd called off the remainder of his tour dates, with a representative confirming his co-operation with police enquiries. “D4vd has been informed about what’s happened. And, although he is still out on tour, he is fully cooperating with the authorities,” a spokesperson for the artist stated.
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The LAPD told The Mirror US in a statement: “On September 17, 2025, detectives from the Robbery-Homicide Division served a search warrant on the 1300 block of Doheny Place in connection with the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Several items of evidence were recovered and will be analysed by detectives in the coming days.
“This is an ongoing investigation. Investigators are following up on several leads. Once additional information is available to share with the public, it will be released by the Media Relations Division.”
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Hit Bravo series The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills has been airing since 2010 but series 15 has its lowest viewing figures yet
I first started watching The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills during lockdown. When the world was forced to stay indoors and socially distance, I found escapism in the glamorous Bravo series, living vicariously through the cast members’ lives.
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Starting with series one, within six months I had caught up on all seasons and soon wondered how I had lived without the lives of Kyle Richards, Lisa Vanderpump and Lisa Rinna in my life.
Over the seasons, the housewives have undergone huge changes, from losing fan favourites to iconic newcomers joining, all while wearing extravagant outfits and being head-to-toe in designer goods.
When series 15 started back in December, I couldn’t wait to get my next fix, although I was sad to have lost one of my favourites as Garcelle Beauvais quit the show during the series 14 reunion.
With new additions such as Amanda Frances and Rachel Zoe, as well as guests Kathy Hilton, Jennifer Tilly and Natalie Swanston, the fivesome joined series regulars Kyle Richards, Erika Girardi, Dorit Kemsley, Sutton Stracke and Bozoma Saint John in a huge shake-up.
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As much as I want to love series 15, which is currently airing, it sadly doesn’t hit in the same way past series do. It appears viewers feel the same way, as series 15 has the lowest viewing figures of a premiere episode.
The series have always seen more than 1million average viewers tune in, with series two bringing in 2.17million for the opening episode, but series 15 had its lowest yet with 0.70. What’s caused this decline?
I personally think that by losing some iconic cast members over the years, from Lisa Vanderpump, Lisa Rinna, Denise Richards and Garcelle Beauvais, while replacing them with relatively unknown celebrities in the Bravo atmosphere, it has left the series feeling disjointed.
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We’ve followed the housewives for years, and the only still-standing cast member from series one in 2010 is Kyle, with her sister Kathy regularly appearing as a friend throughout the franchise. The next-longest cast member is Erika, who joined in 2015; Dorit in 2016; and Sutton in 2020.
While it’s nice to shake up the series with new cast members, we’re not always as committed to their journeys as we are to those of long-standing cast members, so they really have to make an impact during their time on the show.
Thankfully, newcomers such as Jennifer, who has joined as a friend of Sutton’s in a guest capacity, Bozoma and Rachel have breathed new life into the series with their hilarious anecdotes, traffic-stopping ensembles and honest insights into their lives.
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This differs from fellow newcomer, Amanda, who has left the cast and viewers at home just as confused. Described as a ‘world-renowned thought leader on financial empowerment for women’ and known for her manifesting courses, which have divided the cast, Amanda was introduced as someone who had bought Kyle’s former Bel-Air family home.
This caused confusion from the start, as typically, newcomers have long-standing friendships with housewives already on the show or at least a history with them. But with Amanda’s link being bought by Kyle’s former home, she’s found it hard to settle on the series, and the other housewives have been just as hard on her. And this is my main issue with series 15.
Of course, with any Real Housewives series, we’re used to the drama, petty arguments or gossip between the ladies, but series 15 has taken on a new level of pettiness or dare I say it, nastiness.
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Typically, newcomers are given an easy ride on their first series as they settle into the housewives’ dynamics and socialising, but I don’t feel Amanda has been given that grace. Thankfully, Kyle and Sutton have taken Amanda under their wing, but the businesswoman has unfairly found herself and her business under scrutiny.
In one particularly harsh scene, some of the housewives used ChatGPT to dig into Amanda’s life and business, which was relayed back to her, and she hit back at.
Meanwhile, during a group trip to Florence, Italy, the ladies spotted a street vendor selling Venetian masks, which they dubbed ‘Pinocchios’. Newcomer Natalie asked, “Who’s going to be Pinocchio?” to which Bozoma responded, “Amanda!”
As a long-term fan of the show, the excessive scrutiny and behaviour towards Amanda just seems so unbelievably harsh. I understand the ladies might not get on with Amanda or understand her business, but to use ChatGPT to dig into her life and brand her as ‘Pinocchio’ seems way off the mark.
Meanwhile, a big feature of series 15 has been Dorit, who has found herself falling out with most of the cast while developing strong relationships with Bozoma and Rachel as she navigates her messy divorce with husband PK Kemsley. While Dorit’s fiery rows have provided entertainment throughout this series, as we gear up towards the finale, I’m bored with the same narrative.
We’ve seen Dorit storm off from a day out with Kyle and Erica as the trio tried to address their issues, while an expletive-laden dinner with the ladies saw Dorit walk away from a row with Erica.
The latest episode saw Dorit gear up for her book cover party, but with several housewives not attending due to their fallout with the housewife, the series finale, episode 18, is sure to feature the fallout and yet more arguments.
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For the series to succeed, we need to either bring back some fan favourites, introduce housewives with actual history with current cast members, or focus more on the glamorous lifestyles rather than the constant rows.
The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills is available to watch on Hayu.
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