
Straight, white, middle-aged blokes are vilified & blamed for all the world's problems – but now we all owe them thanks
For years, they've been caught in the middle of the destructive culture wars; the PSM (pale, stale male) vilified and blamed for all wrongdoing in the world. The last acceptable group left to lampoon.
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How ironic, then, it's this under-threat species women have to thank for protecting, well, womenkind.
The Supreme Court, one largely governed by the breed, came good in its verdict last week.
A supremely balanced ruling that a woman is defined by biological sex under equalities law was delivered by Lord Patrick Hodge, a 71-year-old grey-haired, dad of two. Peak PSM.
He told the court: 'We counsel against reading this judgment as a triumph of one or more groups in our society at the expense of another. It is not.'
He added the legislation gives transgender people 'protection, not only against discrimination through the protected characteristic of gender reassignment, but also against direct discrimination, indirect discrimination and harassment in substance in their acquired gender'.
Yet this fact, the assertion trans people be treated with dignity and kindness, appears to be entirely lost by those protesting at the verdict.
Thousands, waving pretty pale pink and baby blue trans pride flags and less pretty sweary banners, were angry. Very, very angry.
Activists defaced a statue of the suffragist Millicent Fawcett, and at least six other statues were vandalised.
Little angers decent, law-abiding British people more than oiks trying to spoil our history and culture.
These minority protesters are doing a gross disservice to the majority of decent, kind, normal trans people — ones who simply wish to live their lives quietly and peacefully.
The ones who don't want to stand out or draw attention to themselves.
Instead of further stoking the hostile fires of identity politics, the trans and non-trans communities should be channelling frustrations and anger elsewhere; putting effort into finding solutions, not more problems.
Organising sports leagues and competitions, shelters and public spaces for those who need them, perhaps.
But another crucial take-away from this ruling, one overlooked by many celebrating it, is some women will be hurt by it.
Something rampant feminists and protesting trans extremists seem to be forgetting.
This obsession with genitals, not helped by the PM's refusal to comment either way, could come at a cost to those this ruling was implemented to protect.
Come at a cost
What about women with PCOS?
Those with excess testosterone, or big frames and large hands?
Those with short hair or, in the case of those undergoing chemotherapy, no hair?
Will women, those more stereotypically masculine in appearance, be made to show passports every time they have a wee in a Nando's?
The nuanced reality, then, is as Lord Hodge said.
This isn't a win for any given group.
It is something that must be further explored and navigated sensitively.
And that does not involve trashing statues.
POSH WINS IN WHITE
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VICTORIA BECKHAM's decision to copy an outfit previously worn by her fractious daughter-in-law for her 51st birthday was a PR masterstroke.
While no one on Team DVB will ever officially comment on the stunt, Victoria has been in the fame game for almost 30 years – the very age of Brooklyn's wife, Nicola Peltz.
Posh and Becks' very public (alleged) falling-out with their beloved eldest son is being played out on Instagram – a medium that can make or break celebs.
Victoria knows EXACTLY what she is doing.
Wearing the same outfit as another woman, especially one 21 years your junior, is usually sartorial death.
But Victoria – who has not touched a carb since 1998, trains five times a week and whose pert boobs are not unfamiliar with the surgeon's knife – looked every bit as good as Nicola in the matching white corset and trousers.
And she knows it.
1-0 VB.
DOGS' DIRTY SECRET
MUCH can be told about a person by the way they interact with animals.
Are you, for example, the kind of human who nods and smiles at a dog, rather than the owner, on a walk?
If so, you're my kind of person.
It turns out Marina Fogle – wife of Ben – is also my kind of person.
In an interview with The Times last week, she waxed lyrical about the benefits of kids growing up in muddy, mucky, furry, pet-infested homes.
'Don't call my dogs filthy,' she implored.
'They're gut microbiome enhancers!
'Life is enhanced by animals.
'Whether it's the cultivation of bacteria that colonises our guts and boosts our immune systems, or the good vibes that come from living with a being that is generous with love and light on judgment, I'm not sure.'
Quite!
Nothing irritates me more than a young mum hysterical with fear about their indulged, Boden-wearing sprog petting a creature.
When I was a toddler, my mother was fastidious about sterilising my bottles and scrubbing my grubby little paws clean.
Until, that is, she found me sitting in the garden, digging up the dog's bone and merrily gnawing on its remains.
From then on, Doris the cocker spaniel and I shared our bones.
Today I have the constitution of an ox.
Go figure.
AJ MORE BIG BABY THAN BIG BROTHER
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FIERCE debate online over the weekend after AJ Odudu, a beautiful woman, inexplicably agreed to be dressed on national television in a beige nappy.
'AJ Odudu looks like she's done a big poo-poo,' observed one poet, while another added: 'Why is AJ wearing a giant adult nappy – who styled her in this monstrosity?'
Still, after being veritably eye-groped by sleazy misogynist Mickey Rourke, it's one way of avoiding the male gaze . . .
Chris Hughes and JoJo Siwa dressed as cats, took it in turns to p*** in a giant cat litter tray.
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In words I didn't expect to write of a clement Easter Monday, the duo went all 'method' and urinated in front of the cameras despite being yards from a human lav.
CBB producers have a feline fetish.
The stunt – blasted by viewers as 'vile' and 'horrific' – comes 18 years after former MP George Galloway pretended to be a cat and lapped milk from Rula Lenska's palms.
What a world, eh?

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The Guardian
28 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Indian Super League in turmoil with domestic game on brink of collapse
Crystal Palace may be disappointed the court of arbitration for sport ruled against them on Monday but at least they now know their fate. Imagine if all Premier League clubs were waiting for a court decision that would, in effect, determine whether the season would go ahead at all. That is the situation the 14 Indian Super League (ISL) teams find themselves in. The whole of football there has been waiting for a ruling from the supreme court. It was expected in mid-July but has still not arrived. The season is due to start in September. Or at least, it was. The ISL, formed in 2013, has grown from eight teams to 14, becoming the top tier along the way. Football Sports Development Ltd (FSDL) runs the competition but put the 2025-26 season on hold on 11 July. At the time, despite the shock, most stakeholders felt it would go ahead but confidence, trust and bank balances have taken a turn for the worse. Sunil Chhetri, the biggest name in the Indian game and the third-highest active international men's goalscorer, summed it up. 'When my phone went off a few weeks ago informing us of a delay in pre-season by a fortnight, I must admit it made me smile,' the 41-year-old wrote on social media. 'And that's because I was on vacation … I had more time than I had bargained to get in shape. 'That 'fortnight' has now changed to 'indefinitely' and that smile's been wiped out … Everybody in the Indian football ecosystem is worried, hurt, scared about the uncertainty we are faced with.' On Monday, the president of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), Kalyan Chaubey, used the c-word. 'It is true that we are going through crisis for which we are not responsible,' he told the Press Trust of India. 'Some self-claimed reformers with vested interests have created this situation. I believe, by the grace of God, we will collectively be able to tide over this crisis.' It all stems from the fact that the 15-year Master Rights Agreement (MRA) between FSDL and the AIFF, which received more than £4m annually from its commercial partner, is due to end in December, before the season's halfway point. There were discussions earlier this year and new proposals from FSDL but no deal was reached. Then the supreme court told the federation not to negotiate until it rules on the AIFF's constitution. So nothing is happening. The AIFF did not comment when contacted by the Guardian. A source close to FSDL said its hands were tied by the court. 'FSDL made a leap of faith in Indian football 15 years ago,' the source said. 'The current structure is atypical in football. Moving forward, there is a requirement to move to a structure in line with global best practices such as the Premier League, where the clubs are full or majority owners of the league themselves. The proposal was that clubs become majority owners of the league, with FSDL and the AIFF still involved as equity holders, so everyone has skin in the game and aligned incentives. AIFF prefers to continue with the fixed fee every year and that was the situation in April when the supreme court said that the AIFF needs to pause.' Limbo, however, can be costly, as people still need to be paid. Even when there is football, most ISL clubs lose money. Revenue from a central broadcasting and sponsorship pool is pretty much cancelled out by the franchise fee that the owners – who range from the City Football Group to cricket stars such as Virat Kohli and Bollywood's John Abraham – have to pay. Discussions on how the league is organised are welcome and necessary but are on the back burner for now. There are more pressing issues. Three clubs have suspended salaries, football operations or both: Bengaluru, Chennaiyin and Odisha. The owner of Odisha, Rohan Sharma, gave his reasons. 'It becomes harder to justify to my stakeholders to sink Crs upon Crs [tens of millions of rupees] with nothing to show for it, and no end in sight,' he wrote on social media. 'We have: no clarity when the League will Start, nowhere to practise/play/work in Odisha, no way to get sponsorship since there's no season, no way to engage investors with an expiring participation agreement. We hoped something would give, but sadly it hasn't.' Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion That applies not only to those who work for the clubs. The Times of India reported that nine concerned match officials had written to the AIFF. 'The lack of certainty regarding continuation of ISL has created uncertainty around our future and could compel us to seek alternative employment,' the referees said. '[This] would not only impact our livelihoods but also affect the continuity and development of professional refereeing in India.' On Friday, 11 ISL clubs wrote to the governing body in New Delhi to urge it to bring the seriousness of the situation to the attention of the supreme court, threatening legal action if this does not happen. It has become a big mess. Ideally, the court rules sooner rather than later and then everything can fall into place. Sources say about six months are needed to play the league, which must finish by the last day of May, so there is some leeway. But with extra time needed for negotiations between the AIFF and FSDL, and then with broadcasters, sponsors, clubs and players, plus international windows, there is not much.


Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Female Fuerteventura tourists left covered in blood as police arrest teen
A teenager has been arrested on a Spanish holiday hotspot accused of horror attacks on two female tourists in their hotel rooms in separate incidents. Detectives released graphic photos showing a bloodstained door and blood-covered floor and bed in one of the rooms as they said the victims had suffered serious wounds. The attacks happened in two different hotels in the resort of Costa Calma, the second largest holiday town in the south of Fuerteventura known for its beautiful child-friendly family beach. The youngster arrested has been described as a minor although his age has not been released. He has been remanded to a youth detention centre by a judge pending an ongoing criminal investigation. Police have not yet offered any information about what they think motivated the attacks, with details emerging a week after a 16-year-old British tourist was accused of trying to rape another UK holidaymaker at her hotel in southern Tenerife. The nationalities of the victims, one of whom was hospitalised with injuries to her head, hands and arms, has not been released. Confirming the arrest as part of Operation Praktiker, a spokesman for the Civil Guard said: 'The Civil Guard in Fuerteventura has arrested a minor as the alleged perpetrator of two crimes of serious wounding in Costa Calma in the municipality of Pajara. 'The victims are two women who were staying at hotels in the area. The investigation began as the result of an assault on a woman on June 23 this year. The victim was attacked inside her hotel room, suffering serious injuries to her head, hands and arms. 'She had to be rushed to Fuerteventura General Hospital to receive emergency medical attention. This incident generated great social alarm, intensified by messages the victim subsequently published on social media. Officers began by analysing images from CCTV in the area. 'They checked information with workers in nearby hotels, people who had been staying in the hotels around the dates under investigation and local residents and employees of nearby business premises, making background checks and verifying possible links with similar incidents. 'The analysis of the images enabled investigators to relate the June assault with another similar incident which occurred on December 16 last year, in which another woman was attacked in her hotel room, also in Costa Calma and very near to the scene of the second assault. 'In both cases a similar modus operandi was used. After comparing the security camera recordings, investigators concluded the same person had entered both rooms and caused the serious injuries the women inside suffered.' The arrest was made on July 18, although the Civil Guard has only just gone public with information about the detention. The Civil Guard spokesman said: 'The arrest occurred after a court-ordered search of the suspect's home. 'Clothes he allegedly wore the night of the assaults were recovered as well as different objects possibly linked to the physical attacks. Mobile phones were also confiscated so they could be analysed. The youngster has been remanded to the Tabares Juvenile Centre in Tenerife." As well as photos of one of the blood-covered hotel rooms, police also released footage showing them taking the suspect into custody. CCTV footage also made public shows a youth identified as the detainee fleeing the scene of one of his alleged crimes via a back balcony. Last week it emerged a British 16-year-old who had flown to Tenerife with his family had been held on suspicion of an attempted sex attack on a 22-year-old holidaymaker from the UK at an unnamed hotel in the resort of Playa de Las Americas. He was arrested at the swimming pool of his hotel in the same resort, next to the one where he allegedly attempted to enter his victim's room and force himself on her. He has been remanded to a juvenile detention centre following an appearance at a youth court and banned from leaving Spain pending an ongoing investigation. The incident happened 'busy daylight hours' on July 31 according to police, with a well-placed source saying it occurred around 3pm. Confirming the arrest a spokesman for Spain's National Police said last Thursday: 'Officers have arrested a minor aged 16 as the alleged author of an attempted sex attack on July 31 at a hotel in the municipality of Arona. 'The quick work of officers led to his rapid location and arrest, preventing the possibility of further attacks. The incident occurred at the door of one of the rooms of the hotel where the victim, aged 22, was approached by an individual who managed to sneak in behind her. 'She resisted, screaming to raise the alarm, and managing to prevent the attacker from closing the door behind him who reacted by fleeing the scene. The attack happened in busy daylight hours in a busy part of the hotel. 'CCTV cameras enabled the officers to reconstruct the events of that day and follow the suspect's movements so they could locate and arrest him at the pool of a nearby hotel. He was a guest there and on holiday with his family. The youngster was handed over to a youth court judge. 'Given the severity of the allegations against him, he was remanded to a youth detention centre where he will remain in custody, without being afforded the possibility of leaving the island.'


Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Death row prisoner gauges out both his own eyes to delay execution
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT Andre Thomas was sentenced to death in 2005, but his execution date was postponed due to his mental state. A man on death row for killing his wife and children before removing both of their hearts, gouged both of his eyes out and ate them in a desperate attempt to avoid execution. Andre Thomas was sentenced to death in 2005, but his execution date was postponed after he pulled out his own eyeballs. Thomas was found in his cell covered in blood before his day in court in 2004, reports The San Diego Union-Tribune. The man gouged out his other eye and ingested his second eye in another incident, which left him fully blind. His attorneys said he thought the act of mutilation would stop the government hearing his thoughts. To this day the 39-year-old, is imprisoned in Texas for a triple murder he committed and has confessed to. He admitted to murdering his estranged wife, Laura Christine Boren, his four-year-old son and Boren's 13-month-old daughter. He told police God had told him to commit the murders and he'd believed the three of them were demons. Thomas also removed the hearts of both children, Associated Press reported. He was found guilty in 2005 and was automatically given the death penalty. He was to be executed on April 5, 2023. An agency spokesperson, Jason Clark, said: "Thomas said he pulled out his eye and subsequently ingested it." In March 2023, Judge Jim Fallon issued an order withdrawing Thomas' warrant of execution, which came after his lawyers asked for additional time to review his mental state to see if he passed the competency threshold for the death penalty. According to the Supreme Court, while the death penalty is not illegal for those with severe mental illnesses, it rules a person must be competent. Marie Levin, Thomas' attorney, wrote in a statement: "We are confident that when we present the evidence of Mr. Thomas's incompetence, the court will agree that executing him would violate the Constitution. "Guiding this blind psychotic man to the gurney for execution offends our sense of humanity and serves no legitimate purpose." Levin said Thomas was 'one of the most mentally ill prisoners in Texas history … not competent to be executed, lacking a rational understanding of the state's reason for his execution.' Following the ingestion of his first eyeball, Thomas was treated at a medical centre before being transferred to a prison psychiatric ward. His trial attorney, Bobbie Peterson-Cate, said here he would 'finally be able to receive the mental health care that we had wanted and begged for from day 1.' In March 2023, a call for clemency was issued by more than 100 faith leaders amongst others to stop his execution, however, J. Kerye Ashmore, with the Grayson County District Attorney's Office who prosecuted the case, said they know 'nothing about the case' and had not read any reports or evaluations regarding his mental state. Thomas remains on death row.