Eni Aluko and Simon Jordan were caught in a heated row during talkSPORT’s advert break after he told her on air that her ‘entitlement would re-sink the Titanic’.

Aluko was a guest on the ‘White & Jordan’ show on Tuesday morning to talk about her recent criticism of Ian Wright’s prominent role in women’s football and her unhappiness with ITV’s decision to not select her as a pundit for the Euro 2025 final last summer.

During the interview, Jordan took exception to Aluko’s view on why she was overlooked by ITV with a scathing attack on her personality.

‘As far as expertise are concerned, when I listen to her as a pundit, the times I’ve listened to her, I don’t think that she is particularly enlightening, or illuminating, or engaging or charismatic, or sometimes comes across particularly likeable, but that’s my view and some people have the same view about me,’ Jordan told Aluko.

‘And my view of punditry is, when I listen to a pundit, whoever that pundit might be, whether it’s male, female, black, white, yellow, green, it’s, ‘do I learn something, do they engage me, and do they merit my attention?’.’

Aluko replied: ‘It’s an opinion which we are all entitled to. Everybody has them, I’m not going to listen to a mob on X who have never, ever put themselves in any situation to do anything close to what I’ve done in my career. I listen to the professionals, I listen to the people who have hired me for the last 11 years around the world, the biggest broadcasters in the world, by default if I’m working with the people who are considered the brilliant broadcasters, then if I’m in the same team as them, next to them, then by default I’m also considered a brilliant broadcaster.

‘So I take everything you’re saying, but the reality is I’ve been good enough for 11 years. As I said, I’m the person who would go and seek out feedback for someone to go, ‘I think you’re struggling’, it’s never happened.’

Jordan then said: ‘See, the language that you use, Eni, is steeped in a sense of entitlement. I mean, the sheer weight of the entitlement that you seem to believe you have would re-sink the Titanic.

‘I think you’ve been quite fortuitous. I think because of initiatives like DEI [Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion], they’ve allowed people to be put into positions in the men’s game that I don’t think they’ve merited, and they now seeds an attitude that you become a stalwart in the women’s game.

‘I listened to your observations about Ian, and Ian Wright is in the Ian Wright business, always has been, I’ve known Ian for 25 years and I have my own views on him, Ian is not in any shape or form obligated to provide any support structure for you or to give you a sense of entitlement.

‘Your position now as a broadcaster will be determined by the value of you. And he fact people aren’t potentially booking you now should give you pause for thought about why they might not be.’

Aluko replied: ‘Hold on, the reason people aren’t booking me is because I’ve taken myself out of the firing line. My last conversation with ITV was I’m taking a break from broadcasting.’

After talkSPORT cut from the first advert break back to the studio, the pair could be seen having an argument with Jordan forcefully gesticulating towards Aluko.

Jordan then stayed silent for the next eight-minute segment of the interview and was not asked any questions by the show’s host Jim White.

Aluko was later asked by White about people accusing her of being a ‘DEI hire’.

She replied: ‘I think it’s racist. I think it’s extremely racist to reduce someone to the colour of their skin without an assessment of all of the qualifications that get them the job.

‘It’s been considered racist by a criminal court to say that, by the way. You’ve got to be very careful to say that to a black person who can reel off a bunch of qualifications to do any job.

‘Listen, I’ve not done any job on the basis of my identity, I’ve always been the person who can back it up.’

Aluko also accused Laura Woods of ‘gaslighting’ her after the ITV host described Aluko’s suggestion that women’s football should only hire female broadcasters as ‘one of the most damaging phrases I’ve heard’.

When asked about Woods’ comments, Aluko replied: ‘I respect Laura’s opinion and always have done. I think it’s helpful for her to outline a lot of the attributes that go into a brilliant pundit.

‘Caps is part of that, as I explained, it’s not the decider, but it’s an objective way to say this person has enough experience to talk about this specific game.

‘Now, it’s interesting because Laura is one of the people I would consistently go to, we got on like a house on fire, I’d got to her and say: ‘How do you think it went? What do you think?’.

‘Laura consistently – and I had to look at the messages again and go hold on, I feel a bit gaslit here, said to me, ‘I think you’re a brilliant broadcaster, I think you’re a brilliant pundit’.

‘So, I think there’s a little bit of serving an argument at this point, which I respect, she doesn’t agree and that’s fine, but I think there’s an insinuation in there, that you don’t meet the standard.

‘Again, I’ve worked too hard for people to conclude that because you’re not seeing me on screen, I’m not good enough, that’s not true.’

When asked by White about her use of the phrase ‘gaslit’, Aluko replied: ‘Well, not gaslit, I don’t want to say that because she has a view and I appreciate her view.

‘She mentioned about little boys being important as well, I agree, but when I see little boys coming to the games now, they’ve got women on their shirts, they don’t have men pundit names on their shirts.’

When asked again about her feeling of being gaslit, Aluko added: ‘Well to the extent that I feel there’s an potential insinuation there, that if you’re sitting in the stands and not on screen then you don’t meet all of these things that make a brilliant broadcaster.

‘But as I said privately, she’s told me many times, and reassured me many times, that she thinks I’m a brilliant broadcaster, which I will forever appreciate from Laura.’

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HomeAid has supported AHA with items for their Home Starter Packs. These packs are handed out to new tenants in need, to get them started in their new home.

Almond Housing Association (AHA) has welcomed HomeAid West Lothian into their building, as they open a new furniture and thrift store in Craigshill.

Over the past few years, AHA and HomeAid have worked together on a variety of initiatives, including supporting tenants with household essentials. Getting the keys to a new property is often an exciting time but furnishing the home comes at an additional cost.

HomeAid has supported AHA with items for their Home Starter Packs. These packs are handed out to new tenants in need, to get them started in their new home.

Items such as duvets, duvet covers and curtains have been provided through this partnership.

READ MORE: West Lothian will join pilot scheme offering weight loss jabs free of charge to patients

The new store in Craigshill offers a variety of second-hand furniture and white goods, as well as thrift shop items. This will give residents an opportunity to purchase high quality goods at reasonable prices.

John Davidson, AHA Chief Executive, said: “We are delighted to have the HomeAid team in the building. We have been working on this project behind the scenes for a few years and it’s great to see it come to life.

“Having relocated our team to the first floor of the building after Covid, we were keen to utilise the vacant space on the ground floor for the benefit of the community.

“The opening of the HomeAid store is positive and builds on the previous changes made to our reception area, now known as The Big Living Room, which is open to local groups and hosts ongoing events and classes.”

As well as providing high quality products, HomeAid is also helping to reduce waste by repurposing furniture from AHA’s void properties.

READ MORE: ‘Sausage thief’ caught on CCTV in brazen Scots corner shop incident

Willie Dunn, HomeAid Chief Executive added: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Almond Housing on our new store in Craigshill.

“We have a range of preloved clothes and furniture at affordable prices for everyone in West Lothian.

“We also offer a layaway scheme that allows customers to pay for larger items over a period of time, interest free and at no extra cost. This is a free service open to all.”

READ MORE: Major West Lothian road to get new cycle path through town centre

Don’t miss the latest news from the West Lothian Courier. Sign up to our free newsletter here.

Nathan Owens was last night charged with murder after the death of 19-year-old Carla, a second-year student, last Thursday (February 5). 

Officers were called to a student accommodation on Victoria Street following the sudden death and found Carla’s body inside the address. 

Owens, 34, of Hopps Street, was arrested by Lancashire Police last Friday before being charged and remanded in custody to appear before Preston Magistrates’ Court today.

“Our thoughts remain with her loved ones at this time”, the force said.

As part of the probe, police have been carrying out door-to-door enquiries and conducting searches in the area, using police dogs and a drone.

​Sarah Cardell, chief executive of the CMA, said: “Following designation of Apple and Google’s mobile platforms in October last year, the CMA has moved swiftly to secure a package of commitments from Apple and Google that will boost the UK’s app economy, giving developers the opportunity and confidence they need to invest and innovate.

MILAN (AP) — U.S. figure skater Amber Glenn says she has smoothed out copyright concerns with the artist behind one of the pieces of her free skate music, and that the Olympic team gold medalist may have struck up a new friendship with him because of it.

Canadian artist Seb McKinnon, who produces music under the name CLANN, had taken to social media after Glenn performed her free skate to conclude the team event Sunday and expressed surprise that his song, “The Return,” was used as part of the program.

“So just found out an Olympic figure skater used one of my songs without permission for their routine. It aired all over the world … what? Is that usual practice for the Olympics?” McKinnon posted to X, before eventually congratulating Glenn on her medal.

Figure skaters are required to obtain copyright permission for the music they use. But the process is confusing and prone to mistakes, and several skaters at the Milan Cortina Games have had to change programs at the last minute because of it.

“The issue of music rights can be complex and confusing,” Glenn said in a statement. “Seems like there was a hiccup in that whole process. I’m glad we cleared things up with Seb and I look forward to collaborating with him.”

It was not clear where the hiccup occurred. Glenn has been performing to “The Return” for the past two years without any issues.

“It was a dream come true to perform at the Olympic Games and to have Seb acknowledge my performance and congratulate me afterward made the moment even more special,” Glenn said. “It’s my sincere hope that I was able to help create new fans of both figure skating and Seb. We will move forward and continue supporting both artists and the skating community.”

McKinnon, whose debut feature film will be released soon, said he was not trying to cause a controversy with his social media post.

“There’s absolutely no hate on my side,” he said. “At the same time I just want to make sure the artist rights are respected.”

The issue of copyright is a relatively new problem in figure skating, because for generations the only music that could be used was mostly part of the public domain. But when the International Skating Union relaxed its regulations in 2014 and athletes began using more modern music reflective of their own personality, some artists began to demand compensation for their work.

The ISU has been working to help skaters avoid copyright problems, but several still have popped up during the Winter Games.

Spanish skater Tomas-Llorenc Guarino Sabate had to work feverishly to obtain approval for the music to his short program, set to a medley from the animated film “Minions.” Sabate had been performing the popular program all season, only to learn Universal Studios was poised to reject its use during the Winter Games. He got the final approval he needed last Friday.

Russian skater Petr Gumennik did have to change his short program two days before the start of competition Tuesday night because he did not have the proper permission for music from “Perfume: The Story of a Murderer,” a psychological thriller. He pivoted to “Waltz 1805” by Edgar Hakobyan, for which Gumennik was able to get permission.

As for Glenn, the three-time U.S. champion has become an unintentional lightning rod during the Olympics.

An outspoken LGBTQ+ rights activist, Glenn said she has been receiving threats following a pre-Olympics press conference in which she said that the queer community is going through a “hard time” amid the political climate under President Donald Trump.

“I was disappointed because I’ve never had so many people wish me harm before, just for being me and speaking ‍about being decent — human rights and decency,” Glenn said Sunday night, wearing an LGBTQ+ pin on her team jacket during the team medal ceremony.

“So that was really disappointing,” Glenn added, “and I do think it kind of lowered that excitement for this.”

Glenn spent most of Monday making the TV rounds with several of her teammates to celebrate their gold medals, the second straight for the Americans in the Olympic team event. Then she planned to head to a training camp outside of Milan to prepare for the women’s individual competition, which begins with the short program on Feb. 17.

“For all of us first-time Olympians, you saw our nerves, and (it was good) just getting them out,” Glenn said following the team event. “So I’m really grateful that I was able to have this opportunity ahead of the individual.”

___

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

“It’s a beautiful top. Very versatile for so many occasions.”

Next shoppers are raving about a top that’s the ideal addition to your spring and summer collections. It can be worn as a layering piece during the day, or on its own for an evening look.

The Ruched Mesh Long Sleeve Top is selling for £24-£32. Available in sizes 6 to 26, it comes in black polka dot, chocolate brown/blue polka dot, chocolate brown/pink polka dot, ecru/black polka dot, floral and Lindsey Cherek Waller floral.

The top is designed in a regular fit, and features a slash neckline. Ruched side detailing and long sleeves complete the look.

For a simple outfit, you can pair it with the £35 High Rise Stretch Wide Leg Jeans from Next. The top has a 4.5 rating out of 94 reviews, reports Essex Live.

A pleased shopper wrote: “Very nice top, it’s [true] to size and the shape is flattering. I had many compliments, recommended”

Another added: “It’s a beautiful top. Very versatile for so many occasions.”

A third said: “It’s a versatile top for day or evening wear with jeans, smart trousers or skirts. I love the ruched side as it hides any tummy.”

But some customers complained about the material quality: “Poor quality, the top constantly rides up. I’m very disappointed, it’s not worth it.”

Elsewhere, there’s the Checked Mesh Top from Marks and Spencer. Priced at £20, it’s available in black mix and grey mix.

It boasts a 4.5 rating based off 13 reviews. “It’s very easy to wear, stylish, slimming and can be dressed up or down,” one shopper said.

There’s also the £12.50 Mesh Long Sleeve Top from Tu. Featuring a crew neckline, it’s available in black abstract print and brown spot print.

It only has six reviews so far, but boasts a five-star rating: “A lovely top which has an underlayer so reduces any fear of transparency. The ruched effect is great and stylish.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our Be lifestyle newsletter for all the latest showbiz, fashion, beauty, family features and more.

After viewing the un-redacted documents, Massie and Khanna, who co-sponsored the law which compelled the release of the Epstein files last year, told reporters they had a list of about 20 people in which every name was redacted except for Epstein’s and his convicted sex trafficker associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

The free festival, coming back to the city centre on Friday, February 27 and Saturday 28 is set to transform the streets of Durham with colourful light displays and ice carvings.

Visitors will have the opportunity to follow a themed trail of hand-crafted ice sculptures, witness live carving demonstrations, and see the city come alive with engaging and interactive experiences.

The displays will span a broad variety of themes.

Fire and Ice 2025. (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Last year’s displays included a Beatles drum kit installation and an Elvis Presley tribute.

Families can also anticipate interactive installations and fiery performances.

The event traditionally brightens up the end of February with live street entertainment and a lively, colourful atmosphere.

Officers were on foot patrol around the Halliwell Road area last night, February 9, after complaints of antisocial behaviour and drug misuse.

They reportedly saw two men “removing items from the boot of this car” and “handing them over to someone”.

When they saw officers approaching them, they ran off.

Police seized nitrous oxide canisters from this car (Image: GMP)

Upon searching the car, police found four boxes of nitrous oxide canisters, seizing them and the car.

A spokesperson for Bolton GMP said: “Officers from the Bolton North Neighbourhood Team have been on foot patrol around the Halliwell Road area yesterday evening, following complaints of anti-social behaviour and drug misuse.

“Officers saw two men removing items from the boot of this car and handing them over to someone. When the men saw officers approaching them, they ran off.

“A search of the car revealed four boxes full of nitrous oxide canisters. The car has been seized and enquiries are on going to identify the men.”

Russia’s crucial oil and gas revenues, which have sustained its war against Ukraine, have suddenly dwindled to multi-year lows as the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion approaches.

This sharp decline is the result of new punitive measures from the US and the European Union, tariff pressure from US President Donald Trump against India, and a tightening crackdown on the fleet of sanctions-dodging tankers carrying Russian oil.

The resulting revenue drop is forcing President Vladimir Putin to borrow from Russian banks and raise taxes.

While these measures are currently keeping state finances “on an even keel”, they only increase strains in a war economy now plagued by slowing growth and stubborn inflation.

In January, Russian state revenues from taxing the oil and gas industries fell to 393 billion rubles (US$5.1 billion). This is down from 587 billion rubles ($7.6 billion) in December and from 1.12 trillion ($14.5 billion) in January 2025.

Janis Kluge, an expert on the Russian economy at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, says this is the lowest level since the Covid-19 pandemic.

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In January, Russian state revenues from taxing the oil and gas industries fell to 393 billion rubles ($5.1 billion).

That’s down from 587 billion ($7.6 billion) in December and from 1.12 trillion ($14.5 billion) in January 2025. That’s the lowest since the COVID-19 pandemic, says Janis Kluge, an expert on the Russian economy at German Institute for International and Security Affairs.

A new approach to sanctions

To pressure the Kremlin to halt fighting in Ukraine, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, from 21 November. That means anyone buying or shipping their oil runs the risk of being cut off from the U.S banking system — a serious concern for any multinational business.

On top of that, on 21 January, the EU began banning fuel made from Russia crude — meaning it could no longer be refined somewhere else and shipped to Europe in the form of gasoline or diesel fuel.

The head of the EU’s executive commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on Friday proposed a full ban on shipping services for Russian oil, saying sanctions offered leverage to push Russia to halt the fighting. “We must be clear-eyed: Russia will only come to the table with genuine intent if it is pressured to do so,” she said.

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The latest sanctions are a step beyond the oil price cap imposed by the Group of Seven democracies under the Biden administration. The $60 per barrel cap, enforced through insurers and shippers based in G-7 countries, was aimed at reducing Russia’s profits, not banning imports, out of concern over higher energy prices.

The cap did reduce government oil revenues temporarily, especially after an EU ban on most Russian seaborne oil forced Russia to shift sales to China and India.

But Russia built a “shadow fleet” of aging tankers operating beyond the reach of the cap, and revenues rose again.

Pressure on India to stop Russian oil imports

Trump on 3 February agreed to lower tariffs to 18 per cent from 25 per cent, saying Indian President Narendra Modi agreed to halt Russian crude imports, and on Friday removed an additional 25 per cent tariff imposed over continued imports of Russian oil.

Modi hasn’t commented. Foreign affairs spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said India’s strategy was “diversifying our energy sourcing in keeping with objective market conditions.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that Moscow was monitoring the statements and remains committed to our “advanced strategic partnership” with New Delhi.

In any case, Russian oil shipments to India have declined in recent weeks, from 2 million barrels per day in October to 1.3 million per day in December, according to figures from the Kyiv School of Economics and the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

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Data firm Kpler says “India is unlikely to fully disengage in the near term” from cheap Russian energy.

Ukraine’s allies increasingly have sanctioned individual shadow tankers to deter customers from taking their oil — raising the number to 640 among the U.S., U.K. and EU. U.S. forces have seized vessels linked to sanctioned Venezuelan oil, including one sailing under a Russian flag, while France briefly intercepted a suspected shadow fleet vessel. Ukrainian strikes have hit Russian refineries, pipelines, export terminals and tankers.

Russian oil is trading at a steep discount

Buyers are now demanding bigger discounts on Russian oil to compensate for the risk of running afoul of U.S. sanctions and the hassle of finding payment workarounds that skirt banks reluctant to touch the transactions.

The discount widened to about $25 per barrel in December, as Russia’s primary crude export, Urals blend, fell below $38 per barrel, compared with about $62.50 per barrel for international benchmark Brent crude.

Since Russia’s taxes on oil production are based on the price of oil, that cuts into state revenues.

“It’s a cascading or domino effect,” said Mark Esposito, a senior analyst focused on seaborne crude at S&P Global Energy.

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Including diesel and gasoline created “a really a dynamic sanctions package, a one-two punch that are impacting not only the crude flow, but the refined product flow off of those barrels. … A universal way of saying, if it’s coming from Russian crude, it’s out.”

Reluctance to take delivery has meant an inordinate amount — about 125 million barrels — has built up in tankers at sea. That has driven up costs for scarce capacity, with rates for very large oil tankers reaching $125,000 per day “and that’s directly correlated with the ramifications of the sanctions,” said Esposito.

Slowing growth strains Russia’s budget

On top of that, economic growth has stalled as the boost from war-related spending reaches its limits and as labor shortages put a cap on potential business expansion. And lower growth means less tax revenue. Gross domestic product increased only 0.1 per cent in the third quarter.

Forecasts for this year range between 0.6 per cent and 0.9 per cent, down from over 4 per cent in 2023 and 2024.

“I think the Kremlin is worried about the overall balance of the budget, because it coincides with the economic downturn,” said Kluge. “And at the same time the costs of the war are not decreasing.”

The Kremlin responds by raising taxes and borrowing

The Kremlin has resorted to higher taxes and borrowing to fill the gap left by dwindling oil revenues and by slower economic growth.

The Kremlin-controlled parliament, the Duma, raised value-added tax paid on consumer purchases at the cash register to 22 per cent from 20 per cent and increased levies on car imports, cigarettes and alcohol.

The government has increased its borrowing from compliant domestic banks and a national wealth fund still has reserves to patch budget holes.

So the Kremlin has money — for now. But raising taxes can slow growth even more. And borrowing risks worsening inflation, brought down to 5.6 per cent through interest rates of 16 per cent from the central bank, down from a peak of 21 per cent.

“Give it six months or a year, and it could also affect their thinking about the war,” said Kluge. “I don’t think they will seek a peace deal because of this, but they might want to lower the intensity of the fighting, focus on certain areas of the front and slow the war down. This would be the response if it’s getting too expensive.”