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Wales Online
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Gavin & Stacey's Jo Page announces exciting next move and it'll involve her iconic sitcom role
Gavin & Stacey's Jo Page announces exciting next move and it'll involve her iconic sitcom role For the first time the Swansea-born star will take fans behind the scenes of her most iconic roles and introduces them to a colourful cast including Ruth Jones, James Corden, Richard E. Grant, Johnny Depp, Liam Neeson and Emma Thompson. Actress Joanna Page has said the book will focus on her upbringing in Wales, going to drama school in London and her career in acting Gavin & Stacey star Jo Page has announced an exciting new career development and it will involve some insight into her most iconic sitcom role, Stacey Shipman. The Swasnsea star will be releaseing a memoir later in 2025, entitled Lush!: My Story - From Swansea to Stacey and Everything in Between. The book will launch in September, and will be a 'funny, candid and endlessly surprising memoir' in which Joanna 'shares her story in full for the first time.' The book is said to take readers behind the scenes of her most iconic roles as well as detail her early life growing up in Treboeth and the sudden shock of moving to London at 18 alone) to takeher place at RADA. Fans could pre-order the book now, which you can find out more here. In a video clip shared on her Instagram, the Welsh actress, who played Stacey in the BBC sitcom that concluded last Christmas after 17 years, said that she had "so much" fun writing the book. In the clip, she said: "I'm so excited to be able to tell you all about my book. "I'm going to be talking about all of the highs and the lows of my life and career so far. Article continues below "Everything that's got me up to this point now. I have had so much fun writing it, and this is going to be the very first time that you actually see the cover. "And I'm so, so happy to share it with you now." In the caption of the video, the Gavin & Stacey star provided further details on the focus of the book. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter . The actress wrote: "From my early days growing up in Wales, to going to drama school in London and being on my own for the first time at eighteen, through those early auditions and right through my career and life to date. "There have been so many incredible moments and stories and re-visiting them has been such a journey – one I can't wait to share with you." Content cannot be displayed without consent Many have responded to the news, with fellow Gavin & Stacey star, Laura Aikman, who played Smithy's jilted bride Sonia replying with: "Congratulations!!" Psychologist Dr Julie Smith said: "Best title ever! Well done! Can't wait to read it!" Another fan said: "Awww that's lush! Can't wait to read". It has been over six months since we said goodbye to Jo Page's beloved character Stacey and the rest of the cast in Gavin & Stacey: The Finale, which was aired on Christmas Day last year. But the actress has kept herself busy since then, having been spotted filming in Barry Island with presenter chef Chris 'Flamebaster' Roberts in March and starring in the BBC One series Wynne & Joanna: All at Sea alongside presenter Wynne Evans. The star has also co-hosting a podcast alongside Eastenders icon, Natalie Cassidy, called On The Telly, where they talk about TV and the entertainment business. Article continues below
Al-Ahram Weekly
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Intense skirmishes in Libya - World - Al-Ahram Weekly
The flareup of violence in the Libyan capital Tripoli last week was a stark remainder of the fragility of the security situation in the country and the looming possibility of a slide back into civil war The Libyan Presidential Council, in cooperation with the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), launched a mechanism to stabilise the truce and ceasefire in Tripoli on 18 May. Meanwhile, the Libyan capital was rocked by intense skirmishes last week between the Deterrence Apparatus for Combating Terrorism and Organised Crime (RADA), which is affiliated with the Presidential Council, and the 444th Combat Brigade, which is part of the internationally recognised Libyan Government of National Unity (GNU). As these forces clashed, several armed groups in Western Libya attempted to march on the capital. The unrest erupted after a security operation carried out by the GNU against the Stability Support Apparatus (SSA) following the assassination of SSA commander Abdulghani Al-Kikli in Tripoli on 12 May. The circumstances surrounding his assassination remain unclear. Al-Kikli (also known as Ghnewa) had commanded one of the largest militia groups in Tripoli. While nominally subordinate to the Presidential Council, it operated independently. According to some reports, Al-Kikli was killed following disputes with leaders of other armed factions from Tripoli and Misrata over control of key government facilities in the capital, such as the Libyan Telecommunications Holding Company and the Audit Bureau. During the GNU security operation, government forces took over the Abu Salim district in Southern Libya, which had served as Al-Kikli's and the SSA's stronghold. Tensions in the capital then heightened further when GNU Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah issued a decree dissolving the RADA and dispatched the 444th Brigade to seize the RADA headquarters in Eastern Tripoli. In response, Abdelraouf Kara, the commander of the RADA, sought support from militia factions in Warshefana and Zawiya, tribal areas west of Tripoli opposed to Dbeibah. As has occurred before with many of the armed factions that proliferated in post-Gaddafi Libya, Kara and 444th Brigade Commander Mahmoud Hamza had once been allies. Both are from the Souq Al-Jumaa district of eastern Tripoli, share a similar radical Salafi ideological outlook, and worked closely together until their rupture in 2022. According to Libyan sources, the Warshefana and Zawiya militias aimed not just to defend Kara and the RADA but also to join forces with him to topple Dbeibah and replace him with a new prime minister representative of various influential forces in Western Libya. The clashes between the RADA and the 444th Brigade last week brought life in the capital to a halt and caused significant damage to public and private property in Tripoli. Although a ceasefire was announced after two days of fierce fighting and neutral forces have been deployed as peacekeepers, the authorities have yet to release any official casualty figures. Meanwhile, Dbeibah is also facing pressure from other quarters. Speaker of the Libyan House of Representatives (HoR) Aguila Saleh called on the Attorney General to launch an investigation into the GNU prime minister in connection with the assassination of Al-Kikli and the events in the capital and impose a travel ban on him. Khaled Al-Mishri, who is contesting the validity of the elections that led to his replacement as the head of the High Council of State (HCS) by Mohamed Takala, has called for the formation of a new government in coordination with the HoR. The GNU has lost its legitimacy, Al-Mishri declared. As though to confirm this, anti-government protests then erupted over the weekend, demanding Dbeibah's removal and the appointment of a new interim prime minister to oversee the rest of the transitional period until national elections are held. To quell the violence and de-escalate tensions triggered by Dbeibah's actions, Mohamed Al-Menfi, head of the Presidential Council, officially annulled Dbeibah's decrees to restructure the security agencies, including the order to dissolve the RADA. He also proclaimed a truce and reached an agreement with UNSMIL to secure the current ceasefire and enhance security in the capital. The agreement was concluded in the presence of UN Special Representative and UNSMIL head Hanna Tetteh and her Deputy for Political Affairs Stephanie Khoury. The mechanism calls for a 'Truce Committee' tasked with promoting a permanent ceasefire among the militia factions in Tripoli, protecting the civilian population, and reaching an agreement on security arrangements for the capital. In a televised address on 17 May, Dbeibah attempted to explain the government's security operation in Abu Salim. It was part of broader security arrangements for Tripoli that had targeted a militia that was beyond the control of the state, had extorted public institutions, had taken over six banks, and had exploited the Internal Security Agency for private gain, he said. The militia had committed many violations in the areas it controls and had contributed to the fragmentation of sovereign institutions. Dbeibah attributed the subsequent violence to an attempted 'coup' masterminded by Aguila Saleh, commander of the Libyan National Army in Benghazi, and Khaled Al-Mishri. He stressed his commitment to restoring order and consolidating state authority in Tripoli and expressed his dismay over the protests calling for his removal and the formation of a new government. He cast the GNU, which is not an elected body or created by an elected body, as a manifestation of the democratic gains of the 17 February 2011 Revolution. The sudden flareup of violence in the capital last week was a stark remainder of the fragility of the security situation and the looming possibility of a slide back into civil war. Dbeibah's insistence on implementing what he called new security arrangements but what others read as a bid to consolidate power is a reflection of his government's fragility, as manifested in the HoR's withdrawal of confidence and the resignation of several ministers. Some reports suggest that he is now engaged in talks with various political forces to engineer a cabinet reshuffle. Towards this end, he hopes to take advantage of the fragmentation among his political rivals as well as the general animosity between the HoR and HSC, which continue to haggle over details regarding the electoral laws and the constitutional framework. Meanwhile, international stakeholders are still divided over how to handle the Libyan crisis. Dbeibah is in a delicate position. He wants to demonstrate his ability to enforce the new security arrangements in Tripoli, dismantle the power centres of rival militias, and remove them from government institutions that they saw as their own turf. However, achieving this will require international support, something that was largely absent during the recent clashes, although now it may have quietly reemerged in the form of UNSMIL's coordination with the Presidential Council on ceasefire stabilisation. If Dbeibah succeeds in eliminating the RADA, as he did the SSA last week, he will have secured his personal control over the capital, sidelining rivals and bolstering his influence as the main power in Western Libya. This presents a dilemma for both Libyans and the international community. On the one hand, if the Tripoli-based GNU can assert its control over the capital and Western Libya, this might ensure the success of efforts to reform the government institutions. However, tensions would seethe dangerously beneath the surface due to the ongoing opposition to Dbeibah and his government among significant political forces. Conversely, Dbeibeh's failure to secure control over the capital would contribute to perpetuating the ongoing security chaos and institutional collapse, which are hampering efforts to rebuild and improve the country's degraded public services. This is why many believe that institutional and structural reform should take priority, especially given the ongoing deadlock in the political process. The aim of this is to lay the legislative and practical groundwork for the long overdue Libyan presidential and parliamentary elections to restore the legitimacy of the country's institutions and leadership. * A version of this article appears in print in the 22 May, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Economist
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Economist
Presentations: It's all in the knees
RADA, a world-famous acting school, has trained Anthony Hopkins, Alan Rickman and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Add to that list Boss Class host Andrew Palmer. In this episode, he gets tips on how to be a better public speaker. To listen to the full series, subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. Episodes are out on Mondays. If you're already a subscriber to The Economist, you have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.
Libya Herald
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Libya Herald
Tripoli demonstrations start off peaceful in Martyr Square – end up with Molotov cocktails and fatality at Cabinet Office
Tripoli's demonstrations yesterday evening started off peacefully at Martyr Square but ended up riotous, destructive and fatal at the Cabinet Office. Large crowds, in the thousands, gathered at Tripoli's main central square calling for the downfall of the Tripoli based Abd Alhamid Aldabaiba government. But there were also calls for all the political entities to resign and hold elections. The catalyst The catalyst for the demonstrations started at the beginning of the week with the death of the Stability Support Apparatus (SSA) militia leader, Abdelghani Ghnewa Al-Kikly, clashes between his SSA militia and Aldabaiba-aligned forces (the 444th and 111th Brigades) and clashes with the Sug Il Juma-based Special Deterrence Force (SDF / RADA). This is the same SDF / RADA militia that controls the controversial Mitiga prison accused by the international community of grave human rights abuses. The SSA is also the militia that was in charge of the Abusleem Zoo in which mass graves are suspected to exist. The fatal and destructive demonstrations at the Cabinet Office After exercising their new post-2011 February revolution to demonstrate and call for the downfall of a government and its Prime Minister, most of the demonstrators returned to their lives and homes. However, a small hardcore group of demonstrators decided to head to the Cabinet Office in Sika Road. There, they became violent, attempting to storm the Cabinet Office. They destroyed the metal perimeter fencing (as clearly shown by video footage posted by the government), threw projectiles at security personnel and the building and set fire to rubbish, tyres etc, closing off the road to traffic. There were copycat road closures and fires to rubbish and tyres in other roads and street in Tripoli in the same evening. The death of a police officer, use of Molotov cocktails The Tripoli government reported that at the Cabinet Office demonstrations a police officer ''was wounded by unknown gunmen and died of his wounds''. The government Media Office released video footage of the violent attempt to storm the Cabinet Office. It reported that ''the security services thwarted an attempt to storm by a group infiltrated among the demonstrators, targeting the Prime Minister's building by setting fire using Molotov cocktails and iron tools, and the attempt was immediately repelled without causing damage. The Government affirms that the Prime Minister's building is not just an administrative facility, but rather the centre of the executive decision of the State, and contains sovereign documents and documents that affect the interests of the Libyan people, and targeting them is a direct infringement on state institutions and capabilities. In a statement issued yesterday, the Security Directorate warned against approaching the seam sites, after receiving confirmed information about attempts to penetrate them and provoke violence that may target demonstrators with the aim of fuelling and destabilizing. The Government commends the Ministry of Interior for their high professionalism in securing the demonstration in Martyrs' Square and ensuring the safety of its participants''. The crisis united Aldabaiba's enemies – The knives were out Aldabaiba's enemies were united by the crisis in their opposition to him. They took full advantage of the crisis caused by the militia clashes and its subsequent fallout. But it must be noted that many of the demonstrators were not out in support of democracy, accountability or the formation of a strong, militia-free state. On the contrary. The demonstrations are driven by the militias that Aldabaiba's security forces clashed with such as the SSA and SDF / RADA, as well as militias that support them and had gathered from Tajura, Zawia etc. It is also very possible that Hafter had his hidden involvement in this destabilisation of Tripoli. Both he and House of Representatives (HoR) Speaker, Ageela Saleh, want to discard the Tripoli government and install a more friendly ''unified government''. That is not to say that there were no genuine, neutral demonstrators in opposition to Aldabaiba and his regime. But the drivers of the demonstrations are much more sinister than appears. Ministerial resignations Several Ministerial and Under-secretarial resignations were announced yesterday as the political crisis built up. The Ministers of Economy, Local Government, Housing and Construction Minister, the suspended Acting Minister of Health, and the Minister of Water Resources, all announced their resignations. The expected resignations were for Ministers who hailed from Sug Juma. They came under immense pressure from their tribal areas and localities to resign. Is Libya's problem Aldabaiba or systematic? Ostensibly, the demonstrators want Aldabaiba and his government to resign because of the militia clashes which caused collateral damage, terrified the public and caused a still undeclared number of injuries and deaths. But what or who is to replace Aldabaiba and his government? Western Libya rejects HoR Speaker Saleh's flawed and self-serving election laws that guarantee his and Hafter's continued existence in power if they lose the elections. The impotent UNSMIL has failed to get both sides to agree to new election laws. The militias still exist. The state – the system – is still weak. People sometimes want change for the sake of change – but change produces uncertainty and an even bigger mandate vacuum and could lead to even more instability. Tripoli government affirms right to peaceful demonstration post Feb 2011 Commenting on the demonstrations, the Tripoli government said ''We affirm that the right to peaceful demonstration is one of the gains of the February revolution, and it has remained available in the western regions of Libya (implying that citizens cannot demonstrate in eastern Libya against Hafter), and is freely expressed within the legal frameworks and respect for state institutions. We warn against deviating from the peaceful nature of the demonstration, as it may result in tensions on the ground that negatively affect the efforts of calm and threaten the return of war. Ending all bodies that have been in power for more than a decade We reiterate our vision that achieving lasting stability in Libya passes through ending all the bodies that have been in power for more than a decade, and have contributed to prolonging the political division and disrupting state-building. Putting an end to militias Ending armed groups and aligning themselves fully with the regular police and security services is a broad popular demand that constitutes the cornerstone of building a state of law and institutions''. At the time of posting (4.30 pm Tripoli time), Tripoli was calm and the Aldabaiba government was still standing. . Tripoli based Libyan government accepts ICC's jurisdiction on alleged crimes in its territory from 2011 to the end of 2027 ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan Libya report to UN Security Council Aldabaiba meets UK ambassador, says recent security operation came within efforts to enforce law and end an irregular presence General Authority for Search and Identification of Missing Persons says received reports of possible mass graves in Abusleem Zoo Presidency Council decrees unconditional ceasefire, freezes all Aldabaiba Tripoli government's recent military/security decrees 444th Brigade and Military Intelligence head Mahmoud Hamza's narrative of the SDF / RADA Tripoli clash Images of Abdelghani Ghnewa's funeral in Kikla appear as his SSA militia mourn him Gunfire at demonstrations calling for Aldabaiba's downfall, nervous ceasefire holding as calm returns to Tripoli The time of parallel security services is over, there is no place in Libya except for regular institutions of the army and police: Aldabaiba Tripoli PM Aldabaiba appoints Mustafa Al-Wahishi as the new head of the Internal Security Agency Tripoli PM Aldabaiba decrees reorganisation of some security units following Ghnewa Kikly's reported killing Ceasefire announced after heavy overnight fighting in Tripoli Calm returns after overnight Tripoli clashes as major militia leader reportedly killed
Libya Herald
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Libya Herald
444th Brigade and Military Intelligence head Mahmoud Hamza's narrative of the SDF / RADA Tripoli clash
Writing on his personal Facebook page yesterday, and not on his official 444th Combat Brigade page, Major General Mahmoud Hamza, Commander of the 444th Combat Brigade and Director of the Military Intelligence Department, narrated his version of yesterday's events regarding the clash with the Special Deterrence Force (SDF) / RADA in Tripoli. ''For years, we have always been keen on the security and protection of citizens, preventing bloodshed and stopping the armed conflict. We were not advocates of war, and keen on the sanctity of the blood of innocent people and the protection of lives, property and honours. Our intervention in the past years to stop armed conflicts is evidence of the sincerity of our intentions''. SDF / RADA reneg on agreement to handover locations ''What happened yesterday (the attack by SDF / RADA and its allied militias on his own forces) is treachery, betrayal and violation of the covenant and the charter, where the 'Deterrence and Judicial Forces' yesterday, after we were in an agreement and covenant with them, attacked all the (444th) brigade's positions in the capital Tripoli treacherously and without warning. We could only stand firm and valiantly in defence of their treachery, for which they were known before, and they learned a lesson in all the places where they were treacherous. They 'eat with the wolf and cry with the shepherd.' Refrained from attacking even though they could ''At the same time, we sought with every effort, and we stopped fighting to protect the people, and although all the lines were open to us to advance in all axes, but we stopped fighting. This shows our keenness to prevent blood and not to fight''. Comment Ultimately, this is one side of the story. Hamza's story. On the opposite side, the SDF / RADA have conveyed the narrative that Hamza's 444, the 111 Brigade and their other allies at the time, attacked them. Hamza is saying his forces went to fill a vacuum left by the disintegrating Stability Support Agency (SAA) and its ally, the Judiciary Force, following Abdelghani Ghnewa Al-Kikly's contested death the day before. Hamza recounts that his forces were entering these vacated locations with the agreement of the SDF / RADA forces. But according to him, they reneged on the agreement and attacked Hamza's forces. Nevertheless, as Hamza suggested, his track record is not that of a hot head. He has sought to portray and mould the 444th as a neutral and regular state institution: a regular army. His forces in guarding major crosspoints, roundabouts and traffic lights Salahaldeen and Ain Zara are impeccably presented and are respected by civilians in their treatment. They are restrained in being overly aggressive and in using force. They are mindful that they are accountable and represent the state. Militas are not. On the contrary, militias act with impunity at the cost of the Libyan people and the Libyan state. Hamza knows too well, that unlike the warlord militia leaders, he is a military civil servant. He is dispensable at the stroke of the pen of his boss – current prime minister Aldabaiba. However, Aldabaiba's enemies have sought to take advantage of the fog of war and create a tribal/regional narrative that Aldabaiba only stands for his hometown of Misrata – rather than the militia versus regular police and army narrative. The Libyan state will never stand on its feet if the state does not have a monopoly on the legitimate, accountable use of force. There can be no monopoly if the state is full of multiple, corrupt, self-aggrandising militias. . Images of Abdelghani Ghnewa's funeral in Kikla appear as his SSA militia mourn him Gunfire at demonstrations calling for Aldabaiba's downfall, nervous ceasefire holding as calm returns to Tripoli The time of parallel security services is over, there is no place in Libya except for regular institutions of the army and police: Aldabaiba Tripoli PM Aldabaiba appoints Mustafa Al-Wahishi as the new head of the Internal Security Agency Tripoli PM Aldabaiba decrees reorganisation of some security units following Ghnewa Kikly's reported killing Ceasefire announced after heavy overnight fighting in Tripoli Calm returns after overnight Tripoli clashes as major militia leader reportedly killed
