Latest news with #Philippa
Daily Mirror
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
The One Show's Alex Jones gobsmacked by ageless BBC 90s star
The One Show presenter Alex Jones was left stunned as she watched a pre-recorded segment of a well-known BBC star. The One Show's Alex Jones was left stunned during Thursday evening's edition of the BBC programme. Viewers witnessed Alex, who recently delighted fans with a touching social media update, alongside Vernon Kay welcoming Zoe Ball and Sam Ryder to the famous green sofa. Before the presenting duo chatted with their studio guests, BBC audiences were treated to a pre-filmed segment featuring a familiar television personality. Opening the show, Alex announced: "First, we are starting tonight by celebrating an iconic BBC series that brought the future of technology to millions of living rooms." Vernon continued: "Household favourite, this month marks 60 years since Tomorrow's World began predicting the future, but did it get any of it right?! There was so much stuff on that show, the show's former presenter Philippa Forrester has been out to investigate." The programme then switched to a pre-recorded piece featuring Philippa examining whether the show's forecasts had materialised, reports Wales Online. Philippa served as one of the hosts on the cherished series during the 1990s, before its conclusion in 2003. Following the segment, both Alex and Vernon appeared astonished by Philippa's youthful looks. Alex remarked: "Oh, thank you, Phillippa! Who, by the way, hasn't aged at all! No." Vernon echoed her sentiment, responding: "Not changed, not changed." Whilst praising the 'brilliant' programme, Alex informed viewers that their guest Sam was a devoted admirer of the technology series. The singer responded: "It felt like a promising gateway to the future! Loved watching it everytime, loved it." Reflecting on the footage of Philippa, Alex remarked: "It's amazing though, to see how many of those things we saw there have come to fruition in one way, shape or form." The Tomorrow's World segment showcased archive material of Philippa seated in the rear of a vehicle, sporting a headset. She was explaining to viewers that future technology would enable meetings to take place from any location across the globe - a prediction that indeed became reality. In the nostalgic footage, she declared: "Within the next decade, I'll be able to have a virtual meeting, anywhere. In the back of a car for example! They'll appear right before my eyes." The One Show is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
The Journal
27-07-2025
- Health
- The Journal
Sitdown Sunday: Unexplained deaths and child exorcisms - inside the cult of the Jesus Army
IT'S A DAY of rest, and you may be in the mood for a quiet corner and a comfy chair. We've hand-picked some of the week's best reads for you to savour. 1. The Jesus Army Bugbrooke Chapel in Northampton. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Philippa was only six when her parents joined the Christian cult in Northampton. She later helped to expose what went on there, including unexplained deaths, sexual abuse and exorcisms performed on children. ( The Guardian , approx 35 mins reading time) Of all the strangeness in their new life, Philippa found the fellowship's approach to family hardest. Under Stanton's rules, communal living meant renouncing your 'natural family' in favour of the fellowship's 'spiritual family'. Women were called 'sisters', men were 'brothers' and leaders were 'elders'. Philippa's parents, instead of just being responsible for their family unit, were given other duties: helping to cook and clean for the other Shalom residents, or finding new recruits. When Philippa turned 12, she was moved from the room she shared with her younger brother into a dormitory with women of all ages. Explaining this approach, Stanton would point to a passage from Matthew 10, in which Jesus said: 'I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother … A man's enemies will be members of his own household.' In the absence of the 'natural family', any adult could be responsible for disciplining children. Many did so through 'rodding' – hitting children as young as two with sticks. 'He who spares the rod hates his son,' Stanton would say, quoting from Proverbs. 2. Second life A fascinating article about how some people showing signs of schizophrenia can actually have treatable autoimmune conditions. Rachel Aviv reports compassionately on what happened after a woman with a 20-year psychiatric history was suddenly 'cured'. ( The New Yorker , approx 35 mins reading time) After reading Christine's description of her mother's case, Steven Kushner, a co-director of the S.N.F. Center, arranged a meeting with her and Mary and Angie. Mary was living at a rehabilitation center in the Bronx while she regained her muscle strength. She was reluctant to meet another psychiatrist, she told me, but she felt she needed to 'rise up to the level of my daughters' studiousness.' In October, 2024, Kushner and three colleagues came to the rehabilitation center and spoke with Mary for three hours. 'Her psychosis was gone,' Kushner said. 'There was no other conclusion. There was no way that she could have the quality of the conversation that we had and willfully suppress psychotic symptoms.' In the conversation, Mary recounted intimate details about her daughters' pasts—what they would eat for breakfast, their arguments at recess—but she made no reference to the delusional beliefs that had dominated their lives. When Angie told the doctors that her mother had sometimes prevented her from going outside, even to do homework with classmates, Mary offered a practical explanation: there was crime in the Bronx, and she worried about Angie's safety. To explain why she put a sock over the showerhead in her bathroom, she said that she'd hoped to filter sediment from the water. She seemed to have filled in gaps in her memory in a way that was consistent with her current identity, as a sane person. Advertisement 3. Empty promises? A 'Farmers for Trump' banner on a livestock trailer in Illinois days before the 2024 US presidential election. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo The Trump administration froze millions of dollars in grants already promised to farmers across 40 US states to hire migrant workers to do jobs that Americans wouldn't. Now those who voted for the US President say they're struggling. ( Washington Post , approx 30 mins reading time) The stakes were still on JJ's mind that afternoon when a neighbor stopped by his shop and, as it often did, the conversation turned to Trump's overhaul of the federal government. 'There'll be some growing pains,' said Eric Smith, who had grown up in Yuma County, joined the Navy and returned to Kirk to raise his two daughters and work the family land. 'There'll be some caught in the fray that, you know, maybe shouldn't have been caught.' JJ handed cans of Michelob Ultra to Eric and Riggin, who was patching a tire. JJ had voted for Trump in part because of the president's promises to cut spending, but he'd never imagined the cuts would target a core Trump constituency. It made no sense to JJ, who said he didn't know what DEI stood for, much less what it had come to represent. He didn't hire Otto to promote an agenda, and he didn't think the government owed him a handout. The Agriculture Department had sought out JJ and the other farmers promoting an opportunity intended to lift the whole country. 'I'd like to think a year from now, what's being done now, we see the benefits from it,' JJ said of what Trump was doing and how he fit into it. 'I would hope.' 4. Reddit The website that feels like the old internet we knew and loved- where human beings interacted with each other positively, exchanging ideas and learning new things – has suddenly become a lot more popular. But can it survive AI? ( Intelligencer , approx 22 mins reading time) For years, Reddit, which is made up of thousands of sub-Reddits moderated by volunteers, offered a centralized and streamlined alternative to the web's thousands of small and scattered forums, message boards, and independent communities. At the same time, in contrast with the much larger social-media platforms that rose around it, it looked niche. 'The word social media didn't exist' when the site was launched, Huffman says. Since then, in his telling, the company has steered away from influencer culture and growth-at-all-costs social-media scaling — 'we don't want people to be famous because of Reddit,' he says — and toward realizing 'the vision of the old web.' Another way to tell the story is that the platform largely just stayed put. In any case, as the mega-platforms merge into TikTok-clone sameness, Reddit's steady focus on giving online randos a place to pseudonymously post with one another is paying off. In Huffman's view, Reddit's growth is simply its reward for stubbornly — maybe accidentally — 'fulfilling the promise of the internet.' 5. Don't look up Artwork of an asteroid heading towards Earth. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo The alert system for defending Earth against incoming asteroids was activated for the first time in January. We know now that the asteroid in question isn't going to hit us – but what happens when we know that one will? Tomas Weber went to Nasa to find out. ( Financial Times , approx 24 mins reading time) Some planetary-defence officials and astronomers, instilled with strains of space-age idealism, hope the news of an Earth-threatening inbound asteroid or comet might spur humanity to unite to protect ourselves. But when it comes to asteroids roughly the size of 2024 YR4, too small to threaten humanity as a whole but powerful enough to incinerate a city, the truth may be somewhat bleaker. The nature of the response is more likely to depend on where, exactly, the asteroid is set to fall — whether it's headed, say, for the Panama Canal, as in the case of 2024 YR's projected impact corridor, or for a medium-sized town in, say, Venezuela. The US, as the only nation with the demonstrated capacity to nudge near-Earth objects off a collision course, is the de facto world leader in planetary defence. It has a planetary defence action plan and employs a full-time planetary defence officer. But it is not clear whether the country would be a reliable protector of the Earth. Related Reads Sitdown Sunday: 'The water had lifted the house off its pillars. It was afloat. And then it wasn't.' Sitdown Sunday: She turned her life story into a bestselling memoir - but was it all a lie? Sitdown Sunday: Virginia Giuffre's family share what happened in her final days 6. Living with PCOS The WHO estimates that between 6% and 13% of women have polycystic-ovary syndrome – or PCOS. Here, some of those with the hormonal disorder – as well as a panel of doctors – discuss their symptoms, their struggles and why it takes so long to get a diagnosis. ( The Cut , approx 13 mins reading time) The syndrome is a leading cause of infertility and is associated with the development of metabolic issues like type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease as well as a heightened risk of endometrial cancer. Recent studies have even linked PCOS to cognitive decline later in life, and diagnostic rates are on the rise among younger women. While most experts think this is because there's simply more awareness around the syndrome, researchers also believe genetics and exposure to environmental pollutants — including microplastics, chemicals in pharmaceutical and personal-care products, and endocrine disruptors like pesticides — may contribute to the development of the condition. And yet, despite its pervasiveness, PCOS is still widely misunderstood, underresearched, and woefully underdiagnosed; the WHO estimates that up to 70 percent of affected women worldwide may not know they have it. …AND A CLASSIC FROM THE ARCHIVES… The MI6 building in London. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo A 2022 longread by Helen Warrell about the secret lives of three of MI6's top women spies. Though anonymised here, we now know that Ada is Blaise Metreweli, who was recently appointed the first female head of the intelligence service. ( Financial Times , approx 36 mins reading time) Four years ago, SIS launched its first television ad to recruit more women and ethnic minorities. It starts with footage of a shark weaving menacingly through the water, before panning out to reveal a much more benign scene: a woman and her young son looking at the predator from the other side of the aquarium glass. The final line is designed to dissolve the 'otherness' of spies: 'Secretly, we're just like you.' This is not strictly true. Spies aren't much like the rest of us, and working at MI6 is a distinctly strange experience. You cannot tell anyone beyond close family who your employer is, and even they are not allowed to know anything about your day-to-day activities. You are supposed to turn off your phone long before you approach headquarters, the emerald ziggurat on Vauxhall Bridge in central London. Once there, you lock it away. You have limited access to the internet. The only contact with the outside world is made via landline. Because it is not secure, working from home is extremely difficult. So while the organisation encourages flexibility, this is limited by the reality that your working hours must be spent largely in the office. The domestic admin of daily life is unusually cumbersome. Complicated transactions like buying a house are, in the words of one intelligence officer, 'a nightmare'. Note: The Journal generally selects stories that are not paywalled, but some might not be accessible if you have exceeded your free article limit on the site in question. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Gulf Weekly
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Weekly
Enter the world of fantasy
Bahraini author Bader AlSadeqi's new titles, The Wayfall Kidnapping and His Heroic Worth, are set to hit the shelves this month, transporting readers to a fantastic world of dwarves, elves, knights, princesses and more. The 75-page The Wayfall Kidnapping is a villainous caper-crime fantasy novella – the creative talent's first attempt at the sub-genre. 'I wanted to try a story with more villain-centric characters,' the 32-year-old told GulfWeekly, explaining his experience with the style. 'All the stories I write take place in the same fantasy world, but independent of each other, and while all have a focus on action and adventure, their characters are not necessarily all heroic. Writing a caper-crime novella added more fun and flexibility in my storytelling. 'The challenge was coming up with a more straightforward story while maintaining some fun and excitement, especially with the focus on villains as main characters. I felt this was something different, and I found the experience very enjoyable,' he added. A caper story is a type of crime fiction and, unlike straight crime, has elements of humour, adventure or unusual cleverness – the main character often exhibits comical idiosyncrasies and law enforcement individuals are typically incompetent. Wayfall Kidnapping is set in the glittering city of Wayfall. The story explores a daring team of women, each with an unapologetic history involving crime, who are brought together for a job that might catapult them to fame or the darkness of death. The novella is part of Bader's Daedalusian Legends series, which currently comprises seven titles, including the new books. 'Writing these fantasy fictions has been a journey of weaving intricate plots, crafting more or less morally complex characters, and balancing the thrills with the depth of world-building,' said the IT-systems analyst and holder of a Bachelor's degree in Information Technology and Security from NYIT. 'One of the greatest highlights has been watching the story evolve, seeing characters surprise me, twists unfold naturally, and the world take on a life of its own. 'The biggest challenge? Ensuring the mystery remains sharp while keeping the fantasy elements immersive and believable. 'I've been working on these stories for over a month or more, refining every detail to make the adventure as gripping as possible.' Blending action, adventure, and other tropes of traditional heroic fantasy, sword and sorcery, His Heroic Worth is a 54-page short story and tells the tale of Prince Ronvid of Novidraken and Princess Philippa of Corniashire, who have long been betrothed – their union arranged to unite two neighbouring kingdoms. As the day of their long-awaited wedding draws near, the young couple temporarily escapes courtly life for a private retreat. But their idyllic getaway turns into a disaster when a vicious wyvern descends from the skies, abducting Philippa, setting the stage for 'a crucible of devotion, valour and chivalry', one that will truly test Ronvid. Bader has been passionate about fantasy and science fiction ever since he was a young boy, which inspired him to write stories of his own. His books are a testament to his 'wild imagination', which he dreams of sharing with others.
Daily Mail
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
This is my most complimented dress this summer - and Sienna Miller is a fan of the look too
Unfortunately I don't have a huge amount in common with the incredibly beautiful and talented global superstar Sienna Miller - but one thing we do share is a love of a good brown summer dress. The actress was recently snapped out in New York with Emily Blunt, wearing a rich chocolate brown dress that made her look more radiant than ever. With delicate tie straps at the shoulders and a glossy finish, the satin St Agni dress is definitely outside my budget at £481 - but that doesn't mean I can't take style inspiration from the gorgeous block colour of her outfit. Brown might not be an obvious colour choice for summer, but actually it looks much softer than black, is great with a tan and much more suitable than white if you don't want to be covered in stains within 20 seconds of leaving your house. My go-to dress of the summer is the the Audrey midi dress from Aym in chocolate brown. In fact I've had so many compliments on it that I've found myself constantly sharing the link with various friends so they can buy it too. Audrey midi dress £129 Shop At £129 it's not cheap, but the quality is fantastic, with a double-layered mid-length skirt and bamboo/cotton mix fabric that feels soft yet supportive. The shape is also amazingly flattering, thanks partly to the adjustable, lace up waist at the back. I'm actually tempted to buy it in a few more colours, because as far as I'm concerned, this really is the ultimate dress shape. Anyway, back to brown dresses - and there are loads to choose from on the high street, starting from as little as £20. Here are some of the best... Felicity midi dress £99 Shop Belted midi shirt dress £20 Shop Crochet trim sleeveless midi dress £22.50 Shop Drawstring-detail dress £27.99 Shop Chocolate brown spot print puff sleeve midi dress £36 Shop Next Colorado midi dress £69 Shop Philippa dress £125 Shop Kerrie dress £198 Shop £98 Shop Reiss Iona dress £165 Shop Sezane
Irish Examiner
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Suzanne Harrington: Anyone justifying Iran civilian casualties will have blood on their hands
My friend Philippa is desperately worried about her relatives. Aunts, uncles, cousins, grandchildren who live in affluent neighbourhoods in Tehran — areas an out-of-control Netanyahu is now bombing because it's where Iran's political leaders live. One of her aunts is 92 and lives alone. Mossad has been detonating car bombs around the city — a classic terrorist tactic, leaving civilians duly terrified. Already there are petrol and food shortages. The internet was down — she's been unable to contact family members. Trump's call to 'evacuate Tehran' is, says cultural historian Dr Nahid Siamdoust, 'extremely disconcerting'. She wonders where its 15 million inhabitants are supposed to go. Or how to get there. Or what to do then. Meanwhile, Israel is doing its usual trick of bombing hospitals while presenting to the world as a victim. Israel has also been bombing Iran's media HQ, which is located in a built-up residential area — the equivalent of dropping bombs on Donnybrook, Dublin 4. And yes, Iran's official media has long been a propaganda tool for a brutal, repressive regime which most ordinary Iranians fear and loathe, but how can this justify bombing civilians? It can't. Nothing can, ever, anywhere, for any reason. You'd think we'd know this by now. REFORMS STOPPED FOR OIL Until August 19, 1953, Iran was a progressive democracy. This was the country my friend Philippa's dad grew up in, under a democratically elected leader, a country undergoing social reforms and nationalising its oil reserves. The West didn't like this, and so to protect Western oil interests, it instigated a CIA- and M16-backed coup to install a Western-controlled dictator, the Shah. In 1979, the Islamic Revolution happened, and Philippa's dad, like many other Iranians who could, got out. Since then, Iran has been viewed as a rogue state with nuclear weapons, led by mad mullahs. This madness is starkly portrayed in The Seed of the Sacred Fig, the 2024 film by exiled director Mohammad Rasoulof, sentenced in his absence to flogging and jail by the Iranian state. The film, set in contemporary Tehran, details the daily claustrophobia and paranoid double-think of living inside a woman-hating theocracy. In 2022, Iranian police grabbed a 22-year-old, Mahsa Amini, off the street and murdered her in a police van, sparking the Women Life Freedom protests. Mad mullahs abound. Not a place you'd go on your holidays. Actually, says my friend Philippa, if you did go to Iran on your holiday, you'd be overwhelmed by ordinary people's hospitality, by their warmth and generous welcome. An Irish cyclist, Simon Jones, recently cycled through Iran, posting a love letter to its people on Instagram: 'To the country I was warned about most, but wish I didn't have to leave so soon.' How 'on the news we just see the scary men', not 'the real you'. Ordinary Iranians have been enduring the scary men for decades, both homegrown and foreign. They do their best to get on with it. 'The US and UK have been terrorising [Iran] for as long as any of us have been alive,' writes economic anthropologist Dr Jason Hickel. 'An Israel-Western regime change operation against Iran would lead to hundreds of thousands of deaths. We have seen this play out before, several times in past decades. Anyone who tries to justify this madness will have blood on their hands.' Don't. Bomb. Civilians.
