Latest news with #Why?
The Irish Sun
09-08-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
BGT's Alesha Dixon sets pulses racing in daring bra and miniskirt after reuniting with her man of 12 years after split
BRITAIN'S GOT Talent judge Alesha Dixon set puleses racing in a daring bra and tiny miniskirt after reuniting with her husband. The singer posed for sexy snaps on Instagram, after BGT was hit with Ofcom complaints over racy appearance from Alesha and Amanda. 6 Alesha Dixon stunned in new racy snaps on Instagram Credit: Instagram/Aleshaofficial 6 Alesha shared a sultry mirror selfie Credit: Instagram/Aleshaofficial 6 Alesha has reunited with her ex after a brief split Credit: Getty - Contributor Alesha, 46, wowed in a beaded bra that revealed plenty of skin and the high wasted skirt. It comes after the mum-of-two reconciled with her partner of 12-years Azuka Ononye after a 'really rocky patch' left their relationship on the brink. This March Alesha confirmed the pair had split but said they were living together for the sake of their children. A month later, those close to the couple confirmed they were giving their romance another try. A close source said: 'They went through a really rocky patch and decided to call it a day. It had been difficult for a long time and Alesha just couldn't see a way forward. 'AZ even moved out to a hotel for a while, despite the fact they were co-parenting. 'But there is still a huge amount of feeling between them. They've been together for 12 years and have two beautiful children. 'So they have decided to give it one last try. "They both desperately want to be a family again and are going to do all it takes to make it work.' Alesha is also ready to revisit her Mis-Teeq days as she teased a fresh chapter for the super-cool girlband. Asked her if there were "any advances" on a previous comeback chat, she replied: "There might be. Alesha Dixon's Fashion Evolution on BGT - Edgy and Elegant "Well, next year is the 25th anniversary of Lickin' On Both Sides, our debut album. "So we are thinking, we're thinking. "Thinking doesn't mean we are doing, we're thinking. "Which is more than we've done." BAND HISTORY Mis-Teeq started life as a four piece in 1999, but Zena McNally left two years later. Last year, Zena - now known as Zena Whitter - took radiant pics online for her 25,000 Instagram followers who gushed over her ageless look. Mis-Teeq formed in 1999 when Alesha met singer Sabrina a few years earlier at their dance school, Dance Attic, in Fulham, London. At the time, Hammersmith-born singer Tina Bartlett joined Alesha and Sabrina to perform and write music as a trio called Face2Face. However, after a successful audition with another upcoming pop group, Tina jumped ship to became a member of 90s and 00s pop sensations S Club 7. This fuelled Alesha and Sabrina, who promptly replaced Tina with Dulwich singer Su-Elise, who the duo spotted as she auditioned for another group. The final member added to the group would be Zena, who joined in 1999. The group signed to Telstar Records the following year and began working with an array of producers to form their debut album. Mis-Teeq's debut single, Why?, was released in January 2001 and reached number 8 in the UK Singles chart that year. The noughties group went on to have six more consecutive top-10 singles and two top-ten albums across US, Europe, Asia and Australia, including their double platinum second album Eye Candy which was released in March 2003. 6 Mis-teeq were a huge part of the UK pop scene between 2001 and 2005 Credit: Getty Images - Getty 6 Alesha went on to find success as a solo artist Credit: Getty
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What Mavis Staples can teach us about resisting Trumpism
On Sunday, June 8, I sat in a gentle rain at the Chicago Blues Festival with thousands of others, waiting for Mavis Staples to take the stage. At 85, Staples is an icon, with songs that include 'Why? (Am I Treated So Bad),' 'For What It's Worth,' 'Freedom Highway' and 'Long Walk To D.C.' As part of The Staple Singers, she helped provide the soundtrack for the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s, as well as the long Black Freedom Struggle. We must see legends like Staples while they are still with us. We are losing so many of them so fast. The Staples Singers' music helped people keep marching when it was hard. Those songs taught lessons about how to resist the terror of Jim and Jane Crow and its many forms of evil; they were a literal cadence for people to march toward justice, and they reflect the centrality of music to Black Americans as a source of cultural resistance, struggle, triumph and joy in the face of oppression. As Cornel West said in a 2012 interview, 'The blues is an autobiographical chronicle of a personal catastrophe expressed lyrically and endured with grace and dignity. Meaning what? Meaning that the blues are all those who are willing to look unflinchingly at catastrophic conditions.' In Chicago, the rain stopped, and Mavis Staples walked out onto the stage. The audience clapped and whooped and hollered. She welcomed the crowd with her song 'City in the Sky.' Then she launched into the freedom anthem 'I'm Just Another Soldier,' singing, preaching and teaching at the same time: You know I'm just another soldier in the army of love I'm just another soldier in the army of love Hut two three four; crying sometimes as I go I'm just another soldier in the army of love Now hate is my enemy; I gotta fight it day and night Love is tha only weapon with which I have to fight I believe if I show a little love for my fellow man Then one day I'll hold the victory in my hand During these dire times, America needs many such soldiers. Next to me, an Asian brother jumped up and down to the music like he was 'catching the spirit' at a tent revival somewhere in Mississippi. For a moment, I thought he was going to fly away up into the sky. Near him was an older white sister, smiling, nodding and clapping along. I immediately recognized her as a long-in-the-fight hope warrior, an old hippie or other anti-war peace-and-justice type who was reliving her youth. I would not be surprised if she had some personal stories of marching in places like Selma and Birmingham, singing those same songs. She was 'good white people' who had found lots of 'good trouble' in her life. I wanted to thank her. To my right were two older Black women. One was seated in a walker; the other was in a wheelchair. But not for long. Staples literally got the sick and infirm to stand up. Before the concert, I had made a promise to myself: I would not look at the news on my phone during the show. I needed a haven from the oppressive energy of Trumpism, from what was happening in Los Angeles and around the country. Predictably, I broke that pledge. No matter the power of Staples' words and voice, my mind could not help drifting westward. Trump is using his personal 'Battle for Los Angeles' to expand his autocratic rule and nakedly authoritarian campaign to end multiracial democracy. He has federalized the California National Guard to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in mass deportation efforts — and to help put down protests that may arise in response. On Sunday night, he made it clear: The target of these high-profile raids are Democratic-led cities and blue parts of the country. This move is central to Trump's plan to seek political retribution for those who dissent and, more broadly, to take away the American people's civil rights and freedoms. The Germans call this 'synchronization,' or 'gleichschaltung.' CNN recently reported that Trump's deployment of federal troops in Los Angeles was not, as too many in the mainstream news media had dutifully parroted, spontaneous. In reality, the administration has been planning for months to use the military as part of its mass deportation — and larger authoritarian — campaign. In a new essay, Rick Wilson, co-founder of the pro-democracy organization the Lincoln Project, boldly warns that the future of American democracy is imperiled by Trump's escalating and largely unprecedented use of military power in Los Angeles and, potentially, across the country: The military is not a domestic police force. It is not a tool of partisan vengeance. It is not a weapon to be brandished at political enemies. But Donald Trump doesn't care. He wants to blur that line. Erase it. Smash it. Because if the only thing between him and ongoing, eternal power is American democracy, then American democracy is what must die. And it won't die with a bang. It'll die with a bullet, fired by a Marine who was never meant to be there in the first place. This is what authoritarianism looks like. Not in jackboots and armbands, but in curated TV clips using old footage, policy memos, press conferences, and armed deployments justified by lies. Michael Waldman, the president and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, echoes Wilson's alarm. 'For years,' he writes, 'we have warned against the danger of an unchecked president turning the military against American civilians… The situation in Los Angeles is bad. What might come next could be worse.' On Saturday, at more than 2,000 locations across the country, 4 to 6 million people said 'enough.' The 'No Kings' protests offered a stark contrast to Trump's military parade and de facto birthday celebration that took place the same day in Washington, D.C. In advance of the parade, he warned that any protesters who attempted to disrupt the spectacle would face 'very heavy force.' As it turned out, heavy force was unnecessary. Conditions in D.C. were cloudy and rainy. Parade organizers were forced to start the event early to avoid the worst of the weather, and attendance was embarrassingly low. The Independent's Richard Hall described it as 'something closer to a medium-sized town's July 4th celebration.' During an interview with MSNBC, retired U.S. Army Brigadier General Steve Anderson was less generous. 'It was a colossal waste of time, effort and money we don't need,' he said. 'That's not who we are; we don't do these kind of things. We don't march down the streets like that. We prove ourselves and our value as an army, our strength as an army through our actions, not parades. That's something that dictators do.' During her performance, Mavis Staples performed her iconic song 'Freedom Highway.' As she sang, I couldn't help but think that to get through the next 1,300-odd days — and potentially longer, if Trump 'wins' a third term — the American people will need to internalize Staples' loving command to 'march for freedom's highway / march each and every day.' Political scientist Erica Chenoweth, co-author of 'Why Civil Resistance Works,' has argued that if just 3.5 percent of a country's population actively and peacefully opposes the government, the protesters can begin to force some concessions. The No Kings protests were a good start on the long march to end the Age of Trump. But the highway promises to be long and difficult. Detours and roadblocks will demand much more than just showing up for a few hours on a day in June. The march looks to be perilous. Do the American people have the heart, soul and bravery for this freedom struggle? They, and the world, will soon find out. The post What Mavis Staples can teach us about resisting Trumpism appeared first on
RTÉ News
12-06-2025
- RTÉ News
Kidnapping survivor Jody Plauché on surviving abuse and trauma
The latest episode of RTÉ's acclaimed podcast, Insights with Sean O'Rourke, features author, speaker, and child safety advocate Jody Plauché. Listen back above. As a child growing up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Jody was sexually abused* and later kidnapped by his trusted karate instructor. Just days after his rescue, Jody's father, Gary Plauché, took justice into his own hands, shooting and killing the abuser in front of TV cameras —an act that would spark national debate and media scrutiny. In the years since, Jody has refused to be defined by the trauma he endured. Instead, he has become a leading voice in child abuse prevention and education. His book Why, Gary, Why? —named after the now-infamous words caught on camera—shares his story and helps others recognise the patterns of grooming and abuse that too often go unnoticed. In their interview, Jody opens up to Sean on the healing process and his message to other survivors: "You can go through something, if you have the proper support—be it a psychologist, a friend, just as long as you have someone who can give you the proper support."
