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Wales Online
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
BBC Strictly star Tasha Ghouri opens up about split from Love Islander
BBC Strictly star Tasha Ghouri opens up about split from Love Islander Strictly Come Dancing star Tasha Ghouri has opened up on her love life, admitting that she is ready to start dating again after her split from her ex-boyfriend Andrew Le Page. Strictly Come Dancing and Love Island favourite Tasha has opened up about her break up with her ex-boyfriend Andrew LePage. (Image: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty Images ) Strictly Come Dancing sensation Tasha Ghouri has candidly shared a snippet of her personal life, revealing her openness to falling in love again soon and even hinted at marriage aspirations. Rising to fame on Love Island's eighth season in 2022, Tasha reached the grand finale, claiming fourth spot with then-partner Andrew Le Page. Following her stint in the villa, she achieved what she termed a "dream come true" by taking part in the previous year's Strictly Come Dancing edition. Now she has opened up on two different podcasts about her relationship with her ex-boyfriend and how she hopes to one day get back in touch. She told Rylan on his BBC Sounds podcast, Rylan: How to Be in Love: "He was the first boy I was in love with, you know, I learned so much from him. Like he taught me so much about love, and I will take that with me." For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter . Rylan replied: "And he'll always be the first boy you fell in love with , well remember our biggest love to date, whatever you want to call it." Tasha continued: "I feel like we never had that closing chapter. You know when you have that last chat and you have that closure, we didn't have that, and I feel like that's still kind of lingering. "So, I'm sure one day we will have that closure chat... he was also my best friend, like at the time, he was everything. So, I really hope one day when things have settled and, you know we have time to grieve we have to look back on stuff. I really do hope one day we can get back in touch and find that civilness." Article continues below Content cannot be displayed without consent Despite her stellar performances leading her to the Strictly Come Dancing final, she narrowly missed out on lifting the coveted Glitterball, with comedian Chris McCausland and his dance partner Dianne Buswell clinching victory. Chris made history as the first blind victor on the show, while Tasha also left a historic footprint as only the second deaf contestant to participate in the BBC spectacular. In parallel to her accolades on screen, Tasha faced personal trouble as news emerged of her split from Andrew. The couple met on Love Island, where they finished in fourth place in 2022. (Image: Getty Images for Spotify ) Delving into the reasons behind their separation during an episode of Spooning with Mark Wogan, she reflected: "My head was kind of saying, 'stay in it, just trust it, it will change,' but it didn't, and that's where we had to sit down and think, 'am I going to be happy in 10 years' time, five years' time, two years' time?'". Following her recent break-up, she's declared herself ready to start dating again, sharing with Heat magazine: "I feel ready to open those doors again and start dating." She's also eyeing up a future that includes marriage and children: "At some point, I do want to get married and have kids - that's still my goal." During the candid chat, she expressed a longstanding desire for marriage and keenness for her grandmother to see her tie the knot, stating: "Marriage is something I've always wanted, especially for my nan to see me walk down the aisle," while revealing her grandmother is her "best friend." Article continues below
Forbes
08-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
China's HQ-9B Challenges Russia's Middle East Air Defense Market Share
HQ-9B, an advanced two-stage air defence system with multi-target anti-jamming capabilities, ... More exhibited at the airshow in Zhuhai in south China's Guangdong province Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (LONG WEI / Feature China/Future Publishing via Getty Images) If recent reports are accurate, China has begun to give Russia significant competition in the lucrative Middle Eastern and North African arms market, especially when it comes to exports of air defense systems. Iran has received Chinese surface-to-air missile systems since the recent 12-day war with Israel, the London-based Middle East Eye outlet reported Monday, citing Arab officials. It's unclear how many systems or which type Iran has received, although the report states Tehran is paying with oil shipments. The HQ-9 is China's version of the Russian S-300, and the HQ-9B is an extended-range version. Export variants are known as the FD-2000 and FD-2000B, respectively. Any timely delivery of the HQ-9B/FD-2000B, in particular, to Tehran would send a strong signal to Moscow. Until recently, the most advanced air defense system Iran ever imported was the Russian S-300 PMU-2, which Tehran received in 2016. However, in two rounds of strikes in April and October 2024, Israel disabled the majority, if not the entirety, of Iran's S-300 arsenal without suffering any losses. The 12-day war in June likely destroyed any of the remaining S-300 components. Iran paid approximately $1 billion for these missile defense systems and waited almost a decade for delivery. Aside from its disappointment with the S-300's performance, Tehran is undoubtedly frustrated with Russia's non-delivery of Su-35 Flanker fighter jets that it ordered and paid for early in this decade. Such disappointment, coupled with an urgent need to rebuild its air defense, may prompt Iran to pursue China's Chengdu J-10C Vigorous Dragon fighter instead, especially if it's satisfied with Beijing's prompt delivery of surface-to-air missiles in its urgent time of need. The reported Iran SAM delivery came little more than a week after retired high-ranking Egyptian military official Samir Farag confirmed Egypt's acquisition of the HQ-9B in an interview with Egypt's Sada El-Balad TV. The Diplomat also reported in May that Cairo had confirmed purchasing the HQ-9B and speculated Beijing 'may use Y-20 aircraft to deliver HQ-9B systems to Egypt, just as it previously transported HQ-22 air defense missile systems to Serbia when the landlocked European country was virtually isolated.' The last comparable strategic air defense system Egypt ordered was Russia's S-300VM system in the mid-2010s. In the intervening decade, it has also ordered medium-range IRIS-T systems from Germany, which it displayed for the first time in October 2024. Choosing the HQ-9B over additional S-300VMs aligns with Cairo's consistent preference for diversifying its military arsenal as much as feasible. Nevertheless, it's also a way of hedging against chronic delays in Russia's supply of spare parts of technical support for foreign operators of Russian military hardware in the wake of its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. After all, if Egypt's S-300VMs became inoperable, that could severely undermine its overall strategic air defense if it lacked any alternative and comparable system such as the HQ-9B. Furthermore, Egypt canceled its 2018 order for Su-35 out of fear of incurring American sanctions. China's recent deployment of J-10Cs to Egypt for a joint exercise fueled speculation that Cairo might acquire that Chinese jet instead, which would mark another win for Beijing over Moscow in the region. Algeria recently took delivery of some Su-35s originally built for Egypt from the same batch many speculated Iran would ultimately receive. Algiers still purchases a majority of its military hardware from Russia and reportedly recently acquired the more sophisticated Russian S-400 to enhance its air defense, which already includes S-300s. Incidentally, Algeria's neighbor and rival, Morocco, may have acquired the FD-2000B in 2021. With the conspicuous exception of Algeria, interest in Russia's strategic S-300 and S-400 systems might have already peaked throughout the wider region. Russia withdrew the S-300 system that it nominally delivered to Syria over two years before the regime of Bashar al-Assad finally collapsed in December 2024. Iran's S-300s have gone up in smoke and, if the Middle East Eye report proves accurate, won't be replaced by additional S-300s or even newer S-400s, especially if China has proven willing to supply HQ-9Bs or another comparable system like the HQ-22. In an exceptional and exceptionally costly move, NATO member Turkey received S-400s in 2019 but never put them in service nor exercised its option to acquire a second batch. Those Russian systems remain in storage as Ankara again attempts to regain admission into the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, from which Washington suspended it due to that contentious acquisition. While Russia marketed its S-300s and S-400s to the Arab Gulf states, none of them ultimately purchased any, even though the United Arab Emirates and, much more recently and secretly, Saudi Arabia did acquire medium-range Russian Pantsir-S1s. However, these states aren't opting for Chinese systems either. Saudi Arabia inaugurated its first company for its U.S.-made THAAD systems on July 2. Additionally, both Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have ordered the medium-range KM-SAM from South Korea in recent years, as has Iraq, which considered purchasing the S-400 in 2018. At least two recent Middle Eastern buyers of high-end Russian air defenses have reportedly turned to China for surface-to-air capabilities. In Iran's case, it may never trust Russia as a supplier again due to the Su-35 case, nor trust the reliability of Russian weapons due to the devastating S-300 losses it has endured. In Egypt's case, it may not opt for Russian air defenses again due to the risk of incurring U.S. sanctions. On the other hand, Turkey's S-400 acquisition was a one-off that Ankara may now privately regret, although it is unlikely to lead the NATO member to consider buying Chinese systems. Ankara had previously ordered the FD-2000 in 2013 as part of a $3.4 billion joint production agreement that it later canceled under pressure from the U.S. and NATO. Today, it appears that China may have begun making rapid inroads in those very same parts of the Middle Eastern arms market that Russia, for various reasons, has recently been losing out on, possibly for good.
Miami Herald
23-06-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Tesla fans flock to social media to celebrate robotaxi launch
After years of waiting, the Tesla robotaxi finally hit the streets of Austin, Texas, on June 22, 2025. CEO Elon Musk first mentioned the term robotaxi back in 2016. As recently as last year, Musk claimed there would be 1 million robotaxis on the road by this year. As he has done numerous times in the past after making such audacious claims, Musk had to scale back his projections significantly. Related: Tesla takes drastic measures to keep robotaxi plans secret Tesla launched in Austin this weekend with just 10 robotaxis, but the excitement generated by the brand's faithful may as well be for a million. Only invited guests who pass a checklist of requirements are allowed to test out the new autonomous taxis, and Musk is promoting the first footage of the rides on his social media platform X. Image source: CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images Videos have surfaced recently suggesting that Tesla is not ready to safely operate these vehicles autonomously. But Tesla won't be leaving passengers in their Austin robotaxis alone, as the company plans to have a "safety monitor" sitting in the front seat during drives. X user @djseo didn't seem to mind the human in the vehicle's passenger seat as he raved about the magic he felt riding in the car. "The best tech feels like magic because it's so normal you don't even notice it…until you do," he said. Users shared still photos of the vehicles in the wild. Some of the users who were lucky enough to get invites to the app to take the autonomous trips took multiple rides and raved about their experiences. Other "Teslavangelists" talked about the practicality of the robotaxi. "Here's a huge benefit of Tesla robotaxi - dropped us off in front of Terry Black's, crazy hard to find parking here, yesterday it took me almost 30 minutes to find a spot and today, I got dropped off right in front. Didn't have to pay for parking, either. Game-changing," user @BLKMDL3 said. The same user shared a video suggesting that the robotaxi performed just as well at night as it did during the day. Keen viewers will notice that in most videos, Tesla fans try to crop the safety monitor out of the shot as much as possible. Having a human in the vehicle other than the passenger certainly ruins the illusion of a major technological breakthrough, but the monitors are a necessary safety precaution. The "safety monitor" isn't an abnormal safety feature for an autonomous vehicle. Waymo tested its vehicles for six months with a driver and for six months without one in Austin before it launched its commercial service earlier this year. More on Tesla: Tesla claims rival startup is built on stolen trade secrets10,000 people join crazy Tesla class action lawsuitTesla execs question Elon Musk over controversial X post A safety monitor is just one of the robotaxis' safety requirements. Riders must agree to a TOS agreement, must have a debit or credit card on file, and can only request rides via the app between 6 a.m. and 12 a.m. within the geofenced area where it's allowed to operate. That geofenced area limits where cars can travel and changes based on the time of day. Related: Jim Cramer Makes a Surprising Admission About Tesla The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
RTÉ News
18-06-2025
- General
- RTÉ News
Irish-Iranians offer their perspective on Middle East conflict
To listen to RTÉ.ie's radio and podcast services, you will need to disable any ad blocking extensions or whitelist this site. Use the arrow keys to skip the audio ahead or backwards by 15 seconds Press the space key to skip back 15 seconds Press the space key pause or resume the audio playback Press the space key to skip ahead 30 seconds Are you sure? Leaving this page will stop playback. Would you like to: Reporter Edel McAllister speaks to three members of the Irish-Iranian community working in academia around the country. Photo: CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images
New York Post
11-06-2025
- Health
- New York Post
Doctors warn against ‘dangerous' viral Chinese sleep hack: ‘A physics experiment on your spinal cord'
It's not that kind of swingers party. How far would you go to get a good night's rest? Would you take supplements, journal or do a fire-burning ritual? How about swinging from your neck in a public park? That's precisely what some senior citizens in the northern Chinese city of Shenyang are doing — and it's going viral. 6 People in China are swinging from their necks in public parks to get better sleep. Future Publishing via Getty Images Footage shared on social media shows older adults looping U‑shaped belts attached to playground bars or trees around their chins and gently swaying back and forth like lemurs, seemingly without a care in the world. While it's certainly not a sight you wanna stumble across in the middle of the night, locals swear by this bizarre practice as a cure for sleep-related issues and spinal discomfort. The brains behind this operation is Sun Rongchun, 57, who developed the device to treat his cervical spondylosis — a common, age-related condition that can cause headaches, dizziness and insomnia, the Economic Times reported. Rongchun has trademarked the device and applied to have it patented — until then, he comes to the park every day to educate the public. 6 Footage shared on social media shows older adults looping U‑shaped belts attached to playground bars or trees around their chins and gently swaying back and forth like lemurs. REUTERS It seems his spinal exercises are really taking off. 'In the past, my cervical spine was in bad shape, so I was uncomfortable lying down every night, but after a few days, it worked pretty well,' one fan told local media. 'Now, my throat condition is better and the uncomfortable symptoms are completely gone. I've been doing this exercise for two years already.' 6 Sun Rongchun, 57, developed the device to treat his cervical spondylosis. Future Publishing via Getty Images It's unclear exactly how this device works on the spine — and experts say this is one trick you definitely should not be trying at home. 'People are desperate for better sleep, but no trend is worth risking paralysis or stroke,' said certified sleep science coach Rosie Osmun of 'Hanging any part of your body, let alone your neck, is biomechanically dangerous. There are safe, research-backed alternatives that actually work.' 6 'In the past, my cervical spine was in bad shape, so I was uncomfortable lying down every night, but after a few days, it worked pretty well,' one participant said. Future Publishing via Getty Images Done wrong, this trend can result in nerve damage, spinal injury or even death from restricted blood flow to the brain. There's already been at least one reported incident in which a man died after mistakenly looping the belt around his neck instead of his chin. 6 'Hanging any part of your body, let alone your neck, is biomechanically dangerous,' one expert said. REUTERS Human error aside, in a public park, you've also got the elements to contend with. 'Medical traction uses precise grams of force; park-belt swinging is essentially an uncontrolled physics experiment on your spinal cord,' said physical therapist Dr. Jennifer Miller, who is affiliated with Amerisleep. According to Osmun, the only reason these sleeping hacks gain traction is because 'they're dramatic, visually striking and falsely promise quick fixes for chronic problems.' 6 There's already been at least one reported incident in which a man died after mistakenly looping the belt around his neck instead of his chin. REUTERS If you're looking for a soothing, rocking sensation to make you feel like a baby before bed — get a hammock. Otherwise, you might be in for the forever sleep. 'Sleep is essential for life, but so is safety,' Osmun said. 'The solution isn't in belts, but in balance: real strategies grounded in science, not spectacle.'
