turn – USMAIL24.COM https://usmail24.com News Portal from USA Tue, 19 Mar 2024 12:21:14 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.4 https://usmail24.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Untitled-design-1-100x100.png turn – USMAIL24.COM https://usmail24.com 32 32 195427244 Turn heads in this adorable spring dress – only $28! https://usmail24.com/turn-heads-in-this-adorable-springtime-dress-just-28/ https://usmail24.com/turn-heads-in-this-adorable-springtime-dress-just-28/#respond Tue, 19 Mar 2024 12:21:14 +0000 https://usmail24.com/turn-heads-in-this-adorable-springtime-dress-just-28/

Us Weekly has affiliate partnerships. We receive compensation when you click on a link and make a purchase. Learn more! When you find the perfect dress for every season, you just know it. It can be a tight-fitting sweater dress for deep winter, and it can be a strapless summer dress for summer, with lots […]

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When you find the perfect dress for every season, you just know it. It can be a tight-fitting sweater dress for deep winter, and it can be a strapless summer dress for summer, with lots of lace and colorful embellishments. For spring you want color, in reference to all the beautiful flowers in the season. And if you want the best one you can find right now, with tons of bold shades, you’ll have to take it to Walmart.

The absolutely beautiful Free fitting mini dress with gathered waist costs just $28 at the retailer, and it looks much more like one of the more expensive boutique dresses you might find in an upscale part of town. This is a classically shaped dress with a maxi skirt, a split neckline and a pleated waist for a more defined hourglass figure. It also has pockets, which, as you probably already know, is a bit rare these days. And who doesn’t love a dress that allows them to carry things? The answer to that question is: no one. Pockets in dresses are an absolute dress for us.

To get Free fitting mini dress with gathered waist for just $28 at Walmart!

But what really strikes you about this dress is how bright and colorful it is. Although it comes in three colors, the other two are basically muted compared to Pink Floral, the best of the three. It is deep pink with warm tones and nice white and light pink flowers everywhere. It really looks like you are a walking storm of petals, and everyone will turn to look at you when you wear this dress.

To get Free fitting mini dress with gathered waist for just $28 at Walmart!

Moreover, it is made of 100% cotton, so you can dance around in an airy dress that does not get too warm. Slip it over your head and put it on thanks to the elastic cuffs, gathered neckline and relaxed fit. It’s like wearing a nightgown all day, no matter what event you’re going to. Only of course you look a lot more chic.

To get Free fitting mini dress with gathered waist for just $28 at Walmart!

Whether you’re looking for the perfect dress for brunch or just want to add something new with a pop of color this year, don’t hesitate to add this dress to your wardrobe. You won’t regret the $28, and this is a look you can wear for multiple seasons. We also love a versatile dress!

Related: The 24 Best Anti-Aging Eye Creams in 2024

Branded content. Us Weekly has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. Reviewed by Dr. Diana Rangaves, PharmD You wake up in the morning, go to the bathroom and look in the mirror. Something seems wrong. You seem different, but you can’t put your finger on it. […]

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Julia Fox wears a bustier decorated with doll heads and a dresser drawer as a hat in new fashion series that challenges designers to turn ‘trash into treasure’ https://usmail24.com/julia-fox-bustier-doll-heads-omg-fashun-teaser-htmlns_mchannelrssns_campaign1490ito1490/ https://usmail24.com/julia-fox-bustier-doll-heads-omg-fashun-teaser-htmlns_mchannelrssns_campaign1490ito1490/#respond Tue, 19 Mar 2024 00:00:23 +0000 https://usmail24.com/julia-fox-bustier-doll-heads-omg-fashun-teaser-htmlns_mchannelrssns_campaign1490ito1490/

Julia Fox really outdoes herself with her daring outfits in a new fashion competition series called OMG Fashun. The 34-year-old model shows off an assortment of wild ensembles created by contestants who are challenged to transform ‘trash into treasure’ in the teaser for the new showwhich dropped on Monday. “You’re designing for the ultimate muse, […]

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Julia Fox really outdoes herself with her daring outfits in a new fashion competition series called OMG Fashun.

The 34-year-old model shows off an assortment of wild ensembles created by contestants who are challenged to transform ‘trash into treasure’ in the teaser for the new showwhich dropped on Monday.

“You’re designing for the ultimate muse, Julia Fox,” the show’s co-host Law Roach explains in the clip, later adding, “One man’s trash is Julia Fox’s treasure.”

In each episode, three talented designers are asked to create an outfit for the Uncut Gems actress, pushing the boundaries of fashion with unconventional techniques and materials.

“Doing this show is exactly what I do in my everyday life,” Julia notes in the teaser, as she is quite famous for her bold style.

Julia Fox really outdoes herself with her daring outfits in a new fashion competition series called OMG Fashun

The 34-year-old model shows off a range of wild ensembles created by contestants challenged to transform 'trash into treasure' in a teaser for the new show on Monday

The 34-year-old model shows off a range of wild ensembles created by contestants challenged to transform ‘trash into treasure’ in a teaser for the new show on Monday

In the clip, the star confidently displays an eclectic range of styles, from a pink bustier adorned with plastic doll heads to wearing a chest of drawers on top of her head.

“Julia Fox is so sassy,” one designer enthuses in the teaser, while another applauds the style-conscious star for having “no boundaries” when curating ensembles.

“She’s not afraid to be a bad b***h,” another enthuses, with a separate claim from Fox, Julia takes a look.”

The competition themes range from ‘designs celebrating Julia’s dual personality: motherly saint and provocative sinner’ to creations using materials sourced from ‘Mother Earth’.

The winners will receive a cash prize and the honor of having their creation exhibited by Fox itself.

“One of you is going home with a $10,000 prize and the other is going home with a quarter and this necklace,” Julia teases in the video.

“I’m actually going to keep the quarter, I might need it for parking,” she added with a smile.

Guest judges include former Real Housewives of Atlanta star Phaedra Parks, actor Tommy Dorfman from the hit Netflix series 13 Reasons Why, comedian Pretty Vee, RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Violet Chachki, model Wisdom Kaye and Nylon Magazine editor-in-chief Lauren McCarthy .

“You’re designing for the ultimate muse, Julia Fox,” the show’s co-host Law Roach explains in the clip, later adding, “One man’s trash is Julia Fox’s treasure.”

In each episode, three talented designers are asked to create an outfit for the Uncut Gems actress, pushing the boundaries of fashion with unconventional techniques and materials.

In each episode, three talented designers are asked to create an outfit for the Uncut Gems actress, pushing the boundaries of fashion with unconventional techniques and materials.

“Doing this show is exactly what I do in my everyday life,” Julia notes in the teaser, as she is quite famous for her bold style

“Doing this show is exactly what I do in my everyday life,” Julia notes in the teaser, as she is quite famous for her bold style

“Julia Fox is so sassy,” one designer enthuses in the teaser, while another applauds the style-conscious star for having “no boundaries” as she curates ensemble

“Julia Fox is so sassy,” one designer enthuses in the teaser, while another applauds the style-conscious star for having “no boundaries” as she curates ensemble

The press release for the show reads: ‘Using materials and techniques that would make fashion’s so-called gatekeepers squirm, contestants must race against the clock to put together and style their unconventional ensembles for the judges.

‘The disruptor with the most striking, unexpected and innovative appearance will be crowned the winner of the competition.’

Last month Julia talked about the upcoming series E!‘OMG Fashun is shaping the future of fashion, emphasizing sustainability, upcycling and creative craftsmanship to restore the integrity of this art form.’

‘To be the most stylish person in the room, you don’t have to spend a lot of money; all it takes is creativity and a dash of self-confidence,” she continued.

“My biggest hope is that our viewers will be inspired by what we create on the show and recreate the looks at home using all the old junk they have lying around!”

The beautiful trendsetter is considered the perfect candidate for the gig, according to Executive Vice President of Unscripted Content, Lifestyle and Documentaries at NBCUniversal Entertainment Rachel Smith. ‘

“Julia is an industry tour de force and a champion for emerging designers,” she told the outlet.

“This show celebrates fashion’s newest disruptors as they push the boundaries for their ultimate muse, Julia, and we’re excited to share their original and unique perspectives with our audiences.”

Omg Fashun’s teaser comes after Julia stole the spotlight with her unique clothing choices at the Oscars after-parties.

'She's not afraid to be a bad b***h,' enthuses another, with a separate claim from Fox, Julia takes a look'

‘She’s not afraid to be a bad b***h,’ enthuses another, with a separate claim from Fox, Julia takes a look’

The competition themes range from 'designs celebrating Julia's dual personality: maternal saint and provocative sinner' to creations using materials sourced from 'Mother Earth'.

The competition themes range from ‘designs celebrating Julia’s dual personality: maternal saint and provocative sinner’ to creations using materials sourced from ‘Mother Earth’.

The winners will receive a cash prize and the honor of having their creation exhibited by Fox itself

The winners will receive a cash prize and the honor of having their creation exhibited by Fox itself

OMG Fashun premieres back-to-back episodes on Monday, May 6 at 9pm ET on E!

OMG Fashun premieres back-to-back episodes on Monday, May 6 at 9pm ET on E!

She even went topless — in a tiny dress with nipple tassels — at the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s 32nd Annual Academy Awards Viewing Party in West Hollywood.

Julie, mother of son Valentino, three, with ex-husband Peter Artemiev, became a household name after dating rapper Kanye West for six weeks in 2022, with the former couple going their separate ways on Valentine’s Day that year.

Her film resume includes The Great American Mud Wrestle in 2018, Uncut Gems in 2019 and PVT Chat in 2020, as well as No Sudden Movie in 2021, Puppet in 2022 and Presence in 2024.

OMG Fashun premieres back-to-back episodes on Monday, May 6 at 9pm ET on E!.

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Chelsea flop attempts to ‘turn high kick’ as team is attacked by pitch invaders https://usmail24.com/fenerbahce-fight-fans-chelsea-michy-batshuayi-kick-turkey/ https://usmail24.com/fenerbahce-fight-fans-chelsea-michy-batshuayi-kick-turkey/#respond Mon, 18 Mar 2024 00:38:50 +0000 https://usmail24.com/fenerbahce-fight-fans-chelsea-michy-batshuayi-kick-turkey/

CHELSEA flop Michy Batshuayi tried to perform a ‘spinning high kick’ on a fan after hundreds of people invaded the pitch to attack his Fenerbahce teammates. The chaotic scenes came at the end of the Turkish team’s dramatic 3-2 win over rivals Trabzonspor. 12 Crazy scenes broke out in Turkey as Fenerbahçe players were attacked […]

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CHELSEA flop Michy Batshuayi tried to perform a ‘spinning high kick’ on a fan after hundreds of people invaded the pitch to attack his Fenerbahce teammates.

The chaotic scenes came at the end of the Turkish team’s dramatic 3-2 win over rivals Trabzonspor.

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Crazy scenes broke out in Turkey as Fenerbahçe players were attacked by Trabzonspor fansCredit: Getty
The home fans flooded the pitch after a late defeat, which the Fenerbahce players celebrated provocatively in the center circle

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The home fans flooded the pitch after a late defeat, which the Fenerbahce players celebrated provocatively in the center circleCredit: AFP
Chelsea flop Michy Batshuayi attempted a 'spinning high kick' on one fan

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Chelsea flop Michy Batshuayi attempted a ‘spinning high kick’ on one fan
The visitors were chased off the field by angry home fans

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The visitors were chased off the field by angry home fansCredit: AFP

Two goals from ex-Manchester United great Fred put Fenerbahce ahead.

Trabzonspor fired back to level the match at 78e minute.

But with just moments left on the clock, Batshuayi scored a winner for the visitors to leave them two points behind Super Lig leaders Galatasaray.

It sparked wild celebrations among the Fenerbahçe players, who gathered in the center circle at the whistle for a jubilant group meeting.

However, the mood was spoiled when a Trabzonspor fan ran onto the pitch before confronting Batshuayi and Co.

The intruder was then chased by security, but this only inflamed the already angry home crowd.

Suddenly, scores of fans rushed onto the pitch before attacking the Fenerbahçe players.

Some of the ugly scenes were caught on camera as security tried to form a ring around the visitors as they led them into the tunnel.

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However, clashes broke out across the pitch, with one video capturing the moment Batshuayi unleashed a “spinning high kick” at an onrushing Trabzonspor fan.

The former Chelsea man, who moved to London in 2016 before completing a move to Fenerbahce 18 months ago, appeared to miss his attempt.

Fenerbahçe board members throw objects at Trabzonspor fans
The chaotic scenes shocked Turkish football

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The chaotic scenes shocked Turkish footballCredit: Getty
There were clashes all over the field

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There were clashes all over the fieldCredit: Getty
Bright Osayi-Samuel eliminated one attacker

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Bright Osayi-Samuel eliminated one attackerCredit: Getty
Security struggled to manage clashes on the pitch

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Security struggled to manage clashes on the pitchCredit: AFP

However, ex-QPR and Blackpool ace Bright Osayi-Samuel appeared to take a pitch intruder to the ground, punching him after he was confronted.

He was quickly led away by teammates as Fenerbahce headed for the exit.

Incredibly, there were also clashes in the stands between their board members and Trabzonspor fans.

A Fenerbahce chef was seen throwing cups and other items at home supporters, one of whom appeared to be hit.

Fans responded to the chaos online, saying: “What the hell is happening there.”

Another stated: “Crazy scenes.”

One commented: “Sunday league vibes.”

Another added: “This is not how you play the game.”

There were more fights in the stands

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There were more fights in the stands
Fenerbahçe board members threw cups at Trabzonspor fans

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Fenerbahçe board members threw cups at Trabzonspor fans
The sharp objects caused some damage to the objects below

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The sharp objects caused some damage to the objects below
One fan claimed to have been injured

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One fan claimed to have been injured

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Chelsea fans turn on Mauricio Pochettino, but the boss uses props to defend himself https://usmail24.com/chelsea-mauricio-pochettino-fans-boo-prop-defence/ https://usmail24.com/chelsea-mauricio-pochettino-fans-boo-prop-defence/#respond Sun, 17 Mar 2024 18:07:07 +0000 https://usmail24.com/chelsea-mauricio-pochettino-fans-boo-prop-defence/

MAURICIO POCHETTINO used a bizarre prop to defend himself after Chelsea fans turned on him today. The Blues almost suffered a shock at the hands of Championship Leicester in the FA Cup before sealing their place in the semi-finals. 3 Fans turned on Mauricio Pochettino as Chelsea narrowly defeated Leicester in the FA CupCredit: Alamy […]

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MAURICIO POCHETTINO used a bizarre prop to defend himself after Chelsea fans turned on him today.

The Blues almost suffered a shock at the hands of Championship Leicester in the FA Cup before sealing their place in the semi-finals.

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Fans turned on Mauricio Pochettino as Chelsea narrowly defeated Leicester in the FA CupCredit: Alamy
Pochettino used a bizarre prop to defend himself against the boo boys

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Pochettino used a bizarre prop to defend himself against the boo boys

Goals from Marc Cucurella and Cole Palmer had given Chelsea a 2-0 lead at half-time.

It should have been three after Raheem Sterling missed a penalty.

But Leicester fired back in the second half thanks to an own goal from Axel Disasi and a wonder strike from Stephy Mavididi.

When the score was somehow 2-2, Chelsea fans unleashed their anger by booing Pochettino.

They were also heard singing “you don’t know what you’re doing” when he brought on the impressive Mhykailo Mudryk in place of the woeful Sterling.

And although Chelsea came back to win with two late goals from Carney Chukwuemeka and Noni Madueke, supporters were still left furious with Poch.

Their differing views were put to the manager during his post-match press conference.

But the Tottenham icon fiercely defended his performance as he used a bizarre prop.

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Pochettino held up a copy of the matchday program before showing reporters a list of Chelsea’s entire squad.

The Blues had to put children Deivid Washington, Joshua Kofi Acheampong and Ollie Harrison on the bench against Leicester.

Can Jose Mourinho return to Chelsea?
Pochettino also launched a fierce defense of Raheem Sterling

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Pochettino also launched a fierce defense of Raheem SterlingCredit: Alamy

And Poch wanted to illustrate how difficult life was at Stamford Bridge with so many injuries to regular senior stars.

He said: “We have too many injured players and we have to use the kids.

‘I’m not here to do what the people want. I’m not stupid either. I saw Mudryk and we analyzed that he was tired. So we decided on Mudryk first and then Raheem. We are professional.

“They have to have confidence in the club. If I am here it is because of the confidence of the club.”

He also lashed out at fans who booed Sterling for several terrible misses.

Pochettino said: “We have to support him, he is a great player. He has more than ten years of experience in the Premier League.

“Of course I think the contribution was good. He was a bit unlucky with some actions when he should have scored, but we are a team and we have to be there for everyone.

“Fans have the right to show their emotions. For us, we try to empathize with our fans and not criticize.

“They want the best for our team and our players. But we are in a project. We need support and we need to really believe. We’re trying to build something.

“We are in a process of building the team. I know very well how to manage it. What the fans want is to win the game and we have achieved that. What the fans want is to go to Wembley and we have achieved that .”

“They have to trust me to manage it in the way I think is best for the club. We have to respect their opinion as much as they have to respect my decision.”

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As Putin lays out his vision, voters turn their eyes away from the war https://usmail24.com/russia-election-html/ https://usmail24.com/russia-election-html/#respond Fri, 15 Mar 2024 09:51:28 +0000 https://usmail24.com/russia-election-html/

Vladimir V. Putin’s vision of Russia – successful, innovative and borderless – is on display at one of Moscow’s biggest tourist attractions, a Stalin-era exhibition center that currently houses a sleek display called Russia 2024. The exhibition promotes what the Kremlin portrays as Russia’s achievements over the past two decades, roughly the period Putin has […]

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Vladimir V. Putin’s vision of Russia – successful, innovative and borderless – is on display at one of Moscow’s biggest tourist attractions, a Stalin-era exhibition center that currently houses a sleek display called Russia 2024. The exhibition promotes what the Kremlin portrays as Russia’s achievements over the past two decades, roughly the period Putin has been in power, and his promises for the future after he secured a new six-year term in rubber-stamp elections this weekend.

The exhibition is in many ways a microcosm of a country whose people are largely averting their gaze – at least publicly – from the great and bloody war in Ukraine that Mr Putin started more than two years ago.

The centerpiece is a large hall with pavilions containing all Russian regions, including five illegally annexed regions from Ukraine. Visitors to one pavilion are greeted by two LED screens attached to robotic arms that display tulip fields portraying the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, as calm and peaceful.

This is increasingly at odds with the reality of regular air raid sirens deadly Ukrainian missile and drone attacks in the city, including one on Thursday that killed two people and injured 19.

At the Crimea pavilion, crowds of visitors pose with men dressed as Roman legionnaires next to a video boasting about the bridge connecting the peninsula, which was illegally annexed in 2014, to the Russian mainland. There is no mention of the Ukrainian attack in 2022 that blew a hole in the bridge, or of the multiple threats that led to the closure of the bridge for hours.

It is a cognitive dissonance that many Russians have adopted in celebrating the motherland and accepting the government’s triumphant narrative – even as Mr Putin has become a pariah in much of the Western world, domestic prices are rising and the economy is suffering Russian military a staggering number of casualties in the Western world. Ukraine.

“People have spent these two years in this strange state where you basically have to choose to ignore a great tragedy,” said Greg Yudin, a Russian sociologist and researcher at Princeton University. “Most people understand what’s going on, but they still have to act like nothing’s going on. This is a deeply traumatic experience.”

Neither the war nor the recently annexed Ukrainian territories were mentioned by visitors to the expo who were recently contacted by a New York Times journalist.

“It may not be a masterpiece, but it showed Russia as it is,” said Maria, a 42-year-old water purification engineer, who attended the exhibition with her colleague Elena, 63. Both women were exuberant about what they saw, but were hesitant to share their full names with a foreign journalist for fear of reprisals.

Mr Putin has visited the exhibition four times, and his presence is evident throughout the quotes displayed in many of the pavilions.

“Russia’s borders end nowhere,” read a quote from the exhibition about the occupied Kherson region in Ukraine. On a recent afternoon, a woman posed for the quote, flexing her biceps as a man photographed her.

With Russia’s electoral apparatus controlled by the Kremlin, Mr Putin is confident he will be declared the landslide winner over three other candidates in the voting that starts on Friday and ends on Sunday evening. Putin, who has been in power since 1999, will become Russia’s longest-serving leader since Empress Catherine the Great in the 18th century if he completes his term.

The vote comes as the Russians are winning on the battlefield, while support for Ukraine in the United States is declining. Mr Putin has adopted a tone of confidence of late, reassuring Russians that life will be normal, while taking an increasingly hostile stance towards the West, which he portrays as a threat to the survival of Russia.

The exhibition Russia 2024 is part of what leaked Kremlin documents obtained by Delfi, an Estonian news channel, speak of a domestic ‘information war’, the budget of which is at least $690 million.

The documents, shared with The Times and other news organizations, reveal extensive spending on media and film projects aimed at building support for the war, known in Russia as the “special military operation,” and the occupation of parts of eastern Ukraine.

For now, the Kremlin’s “information war” appears to be paying off. Attendees expressed awe and joy at the exhibition, a sign that the selective view of Russia put forward by the Kremlin two years after its massive invasion of Ukraine continues to appeal to many ordinary citizens.

Last month, 75 percent of respondents in a poll by the independent Levada Center said the country is moving in the right direction — more than at any time since the question was first asked in 1996.

Another Levada poll found that fewer than one in five Russians “believe they have the power to change” in their country. Yet most Russians “still believe they live in a democracy,” said Andrei Kolesnikov, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Moscow.

One of the few reminders of Russia’s 2024 war was a pavilion that linked two of the Kremlin’s main policy priorities: the militarization of society and “patriotic education” for school-age youth.

“The Army for Children” welcomed children with cartoon animals in uniform. Children were invited to practice piloting state-of-the-art drones, sit in a virtual reality flight simulator and play a video game called Counter-Strike.

Nationally, the Kremlin has tried to turn both the trauma and drama of the war into opportunity. Military parades and school programs featuring war veterans are organized to enhance national pride and patriotic spirit.

Mr Putin has pledged to prioritize servicemen and women, announcing a new program called “Time of Heroes” in his annual State-of-the-Union address last month. The goal is to give veterans and soldiers the opportunity to be part of a “special workforce training program” for developing professionals.

As Russia reorients its economy to serve the war effort, the Kremlin is “creating a new middle class,” said Carnegie analyst Kolesnikov.

Still, Russians remain concerned about the war, said Mr. Yudin, the Princeton sociologist. It’s an uncertainty that strangely tends to draw voters to Putin.

“There is fear about what will happen if we don’t win: we will be humiliated, everyone will be persecuted, we will have to pay huge reparations – and essentially be under foreign control,” Mr Yudin said. “These fears are fueled by Putin, who has also positioned himself as the only one who can end the war.”

That’s in large part because the Kremlin has suppressed every candidate who has called for an end to the war. One of them, Yekaterina Duntsova, a former TV presenter, was disqualified from the end of last year. Boris B. Nadezhdin, another anti-war candidate, collected more than 100,000 expressions of support but was disqualified due to what the election commission called “irregularities.”

The vote this weekend will also take place without any independent supervision; The country’s main election monitoring group, Golos, has been designated a “foreign agent” by the Justice Ministry and its co-founder, Grigory Melkonyants, has been jailed.

Putin’s biggest rival, opposition leader Aleksei A. Navalny, died under mysterious circumstances on February 16 in a penal colony in the Arctic.

His grave on the outskirts of Moscow has become a place of pilgrimage for an estimated tens of thousands of Russians who chose his vision of the “beautiful Russia of the future” over Putin’s war, mobilization and nuclear threats.

Many anti-war Russians, both at home and in exile abroad, are unsure whether to participate in sham elections that are neither free nor fair.

Before his death, Mr Navalny called on opposition-minded people to go to their polling stations at noon on Sunday to protest. The turnout will be the first test of his legacy and of the anger and momentum that has built up since his funeral – whether the desire to protest outweighs the fear of reprisals.

On Thursday, the Moscow prosecutor’s office warned that the protests were illegal and that organizing or participating in them would be considered acts punishable by up to five years in prison.

Back at the Russia 2024 exhibition, Elena, the water treatment engineer, said she was ambivalent about voting. “Maybe I’ll vote, because things are going really well now,” she said, before quickly stopping herself.

“But of course we hope that this will all end well,” she said in an indirect reference to the war. “People really want this to stop.”

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Dating apps have hit a wall. Can they turn things around? https://usmail24.com/dating-apps-tinder-bumble-html/ https://usmail24.com/dating-apps-tinder-bumble-html/#respond Tue, 12 Mar 2024 15:48:37 +0000 https://usmail24.com/dating-apps-tinder-bumble-html/

When online dating became as easy as swiping a finger across your phone screen, the companies that own apps like Tinder and Bumble became Wall Street darlings. But about a decade later, these platforms are struggling to meet expectations, and investors have become frustrated and eager for something new. Match Group and Bumble – which […]

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When online dating became as easy as swiping a finger across your phone screen, the companies that own apps like Tinder and Bumble became Wall Street darlings. But about a decade later, these platforms are struggling to meet expectations, and investors have become frustrated and eager for something new.

Match Group and Bumble – which make up almost the entire industry in terms of market share – have lost more than $40 billion in market value since 2021. Even at a time when the apps are a staple of people’s smartphones, the two companies are laying off workers and reporting lackluster revenue growth.

Both companies recently hired leaders who have pledged to experiment with new features in hopes of delivering the growth investors crave. But they face one crucial obstacle: Not enough young people are willing to pay for dating app subscriptions — in part because younger daters are increasingly turning to platforms like Snapchat and TikTok to make connections — and it’s not clear what will change there will bring in.

Match Group and Bumble generate the bulk of their revenue — about $4.2 billion for both companies last year — by selling subscriptions, with smaller revenue streams from advertising. But they are struggling to grow that revenue. Match Group was only able to maintain turnover last year by raising prices.

As for investors, the companies need to convince more young users to pay up.

“Wall Street likes subscription models because it gives them the comfort of recurring revenue,” said Youssef Squali, an analyst at Truist Securities.

By paying, users can unlock features like unlimited swiping and the ability to see who has swiped on it. But for many people, that’s not enough: unlike other paid subscription services, like Spotify or Netflix, dating apps can’t guarantee you’ll find what you’re looking for.

“It feels very different to pay for access to people,” said Kathryn D. Coduto, a professor at Boston University who studies dating apps. “When you pay for it, it feels a little strange.”

In the United States, 30 percent of adults, and more than half of adults under 30 use dating apps, according to a Pew Research Center survey released last year. About a third of dating app users said they pay for it, with men and adults with higher incomes more likely to pay than others, the survey found.

Millennials, the country’s largest generation, were a prime dating age when Tinder was first introduced, but more and more of them have gotten married in recent years, a decision that usually leads to people leaving the apps. Now the main users come from Generation Z, a younger – and smaller – target group with a lower disposable income. This generational change poses a challenge for the dating app industry.

Mandy Wang, an 18-year-old student at New York University, said she preferred meeting people in person or through direct message on platforms like Instagram or Snapchat. Dating apps are intended for casual use, “like a game,” she said.

“People use dating apps, but I don’t know anyone who pays for it,” Ms. Wang said. She even said she would be “ick” if she heard someone paid for a subscription.

Jess Carbino, a former Tinder sociologist and now consultant and dating coach, said younger people “still feel a desire to use online dating apps, but they don’t necessarily experience a sense of urgency to find a partner. “

“I think what we’re seeing is purely a demographic shift,” said Dr. Carbino.

Match Group and Bumble declined to comment on their plans to attract more paying users, citing public statements from their executives.

Bumble CEO Lidiane Jones told analysts last month that the company would revamp the app to appeal to more users, especially younger ones, by adding “personalization and flexibility” to the experience.

Bumble’s larger competitor, Match Group, was an early player in the online dating market, starting with Match.com in 1995. The company acquired Tinder in 2017 and Hinge in 2018, beginning a period of growth that caught the attention of investors.

Tinder is the largest brand in Match Group’s portfolio and the most popular dating app in the United States. It shook up the industry landscape in 2012 when it introduced a swipe feature, which is now ubiquitous on dating apps. But the novelty of the swipe has worn off and Tinder has lost its momentum. The number of paying users of the app dropped by almost 10 percent in 2023.

Tinder’s problems, and those of the broader dating app industry, are partly due to the fact that the format is largely the same as it has been for more than a decade, says Zach Morrissey, an analyst at Wolfe Research, a financial research firm. But the way people date may have changed.

“This is a space where product innovation has been relatively subdued in recent years,” he said.

That’s starting to hurt. Bumble, which went public in 2021, initially rose in value, but after a steady decline the stock is now trading at around a quarter of its IPO price. Match Group’s share price reached a high of $169 in 2021. The price now stands at $34, about a fifth of its peak value.

Match Group and Bumble have recently made some changes to convince investors they can turn things around, but it’s unclear what will solve their problems. “There is no obvious silver bullet that they need to tackle,” Mr Morrissey said.

Both companies have undergone a number of leadership changes: In January, Ms. Jones joined Bumble, and Match Group promoted Faye Iosotaluno, Tinder’s former chief operating officer, to the app’s CEO.

Bumble announced last month that the company would lay off about a third of its workforce in the first half of this year. It also lowered its first-quarter revenue forecast, below Wall Street expectations.

“The demand for connection and love remains very strong – two billion single people around the world,” Ms Jones told analysts in February. “Yet the products that contain the set of experiences to create those connections are not serving users in the ways they want.”

Match Group CEO Bernard Kim told analysts in a Jan. 31 earnings call that Tinder this year adopted “a fast-fail mentality, a strategy that prioritizes rapid experimentation and testing.” Mr. Kim took over the company in 2022 after previously serving as president of Zynga, the maker of mobile games such as Farmville.

He said the company would attract more paying users through marketing and that it was customizing its products in several ways, including introducing new a la carte premium features.

Match Group has also expanded its offerings, including a service for LGBTQ dating called Archer and a service for Latinos called Chispa. Sales from those products decreased by 4 percent in 2023.

Mr Kim said Tinder has completely reimagined the swipe feature and would roll out new features this year. The platform is also pushing for more users to get verified, a move aimed at improving security and helping women feel more comfortable using the app.

Activist investor Elliott Management, which previously led shakeups at Salesforce and Pinterest, took a $1 billion stake in Match Group in January, a sign that Wall Street sees an opportunity for growth.

Elliott declined to comment on the discussions with Match Group. Mr. Kim told analysts that he and the company had a “collaborative dialogue.”

Despite the challenges, the dating industry isn’t going anywhere, says Ken Gawrelski, an analyst at Wells Fargo.

“Dating, in general, and love, more generally, is an essential human behavior,” he said. “So it’s hard to believe that this is materially changing. But the way we date, or the way we find matches, is a big problem in this discussion.”

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A sudden turn in voter sentiment helped overturn the changes to the Irish Constitution https://usmail24.com/ireland-constitution-change-voters-html/ https://usmail24.com/ireland-constitution-change-voters-html/#respond Sun, 10 Mar 2024 18:02:15 +0000 https://usmail24.com/ireland-constitution-change-voters-html/

In early February, as a referendum convened by Ireland’s coalition government to consider two proposals to change the country’s constitution approached, polls showed that a clear majority of voters intended to support this It. Many analysts assumed this would be the last in a series of votes in recent years to amend Ireland’s 1930s constitution […]

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In early February, as a referendum convened by Ireland’s coalition government to consider two proposals to change the country’s constitution approached, polls showed that a clear majority of voters intended to support this It.

Many analysts assumed this would be the last in a series of votes in recent years to amend Ireland’s 1930s constitution to reflect Ireland’s increasingly secular and liberal identity.

But as the day of the referendum, which coincided with International Women’s Day, approached, public opinion seemed to be turning: with polls showing support for the “yes” vote to plummet. When voters cast their votes Friday, they cast a definitive “no” on both proposed amendments — one to change long-criticized language about women’s duties in the home and another to broaden the definition of family outside of marriage.

The outcome was a blow to a government hoping for an easy victory. But far from proving that conservative values ​​were sweeping the nation, the result reflected a complex interplay of factors that, analysts say, are likely to force deep government scrutiny: a weak campaign for the amendments, confusion over the proposals and lower …than expected turnout in the elections.

Ultimately, the campaign in favor of the measures was rushed and disjointed, there was confusion over the language in the proposals and fewer than half of eligible voters went to the polls.

Laura Cahillane, associate professor at the University of Limerick’s law school, said that while some were against the content of the proposed changes, “the vast majority of people just really didn’t understand it”, partly because of an ineffective campaign to push for the proposed changes to approve. proposals.

“They weren’t sure who to believe because people were saying different things, and they weren’t sure what impact it would have, if any,” she said of the constitutional referendum. “If you change the most fundamental law of our state and you can’t predict the consequences, people will just say, ‘Let’s leave it as it is because at least we know what that means.’”

The last attempt to amend the constitution came in 2018, when a previous administration proposed a vote to remove language about “women’s duties in the home” from the document. But rights groups had urged the government to slow things down and consider new language.

Ultimately, a Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality was convened in 2020 and 2021, bringing together members of the public to make recommendations. The group proposed specific wording for referendums, and a parliamentary committee later backed that language. The government then confirmed its wording for the proposals last December.

“I think when the government actually published its formulation, everyone was a little bit surprised,” said Dr. Cahillane. “There were people who warned the government at the time and said, you know, this wording has come out of nowhere and people are not very happy about it.”

The audience was asked to vote on two questions. The first, based on Article 41 of the Constitution, would have provided for a broader concept of the family by replacing the existing language to recognize a family, “whether based on marriage or on other lasting relationships , as the natural primary and fundamental unit group of society.”

The second question concerned the wording in the Constitution that women’s rights groups and those who advocate gender equality have opposed for decades: that the state “recognizes that woman, through her life at home, provides the state with a support without which the common good cannot be achieved .” are being reached.”

The wording also says that the state aims to “ensure that mothers will not be forced by economic necessity to perform labor that causes them to neglect their duties in the family.”

The public voted against replacing that language with a new article that recognized all caregivers, regardless of gender.

For many who supported reforming the provisions but were unhappy with the actual proposals, this created a dilemma. Ultimately, all major political parties in Ireland voted in favor of the proposals, as happened trade unions, charities and equality groups, including the National Women’s Council and the former President of Ireland, Mary McAleese.

But there were concerns from the start.

Many members of the political parties had supported the government’s plan for voting, but had serious reservations about the language of the proposals, and some charities that supported the changes were early advocates of rewording the proposals.

“I don’t know anyone who is happy with the government’s wording in these referenda,” said Ursula Barry, emeritus associate professor at University College Dublin. in an op-ed published in The Journal who last week advocated a “yes” vote. She added that the “government has created confusion.”

Dr. Barry, who was also an expert adviser to the Citizens’ Assembly, noted that disability advocates and women’s rights organizations had wanted stronger language setting out the government’s obligations to provide support to healthcare providers.

As the vote approached, there was limited campaigning in support of the proposals, even by the government and the other political parties that had supported a “yes” vote. And advocates had to campaign in a short time frame.

Orla O’Connor, the chief executive of the National Women’s Council of Ireland, a charity that promotes women’s rights and equality, said in a statement that “the government’s poor wording, combined with a lack of leadership from political parties, resulted confusion among voters and a lack of mobilization on the ground.”

“We campaigned for a Yes vote because we believed and continue to believe that the Irish value care, and this was reflected in the previous polling,” she added. She said the wording in the proposal “did not go far enough and as the campaign developed it became clear that the public wanted more.”

Ultimately, nearly 68 percent of voters rejected the family changes, and nearly three in four voters opposed the health care issue.

The vote on healthcare represented the highest percentage of ‘no’ votes ever in the history of healthcare Irish referendums. And less than half of eligible voters – 44 percent – ​​turned out, marking a significant drop from 2018, when the referendum on legalizing abortion attracted almost two-thirds of eligible voters.

“In recent referendums on major social issues such as abortion and gay marriage, there have been a large number of organizations on the ground campaigning,” said Dr. Cahillane. “That has to happen, and the referendum didn’t allow that to happen this time.”

Unlike the 2015 referendum on marriage equality and the 2018 referendum on abortion, these latter proposals seemed to have had less practical impact for voters, she said.

Dr. Cahillane, who wrote extensively about the confusion surrounding the referendum ahead of the vote, said people who voted “no” represented a diversity of perspectives across the political spectrum. Some were conservative voters, others cast anti-government votes, and some feared that changing the language of the Constitution would have a negative impact on a variety of issues.

But the main cause of the defeat was likely voters who had difficulty parsing the proposals and were more likely to reject changes, she said, and the government did little to temper that.

“Of course there are people who are against this for different reasons,” she said, adding, “But the vast majority of people just didn’t understand it.”

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EuroMillions winner who won £148 million but whose love life took a devastating turn https://usmail24.com/euromillions-winner-gillian-bayfords-tangled-love-life/ https://usmail24.com/euromillions-winner-gillian-bayfords-tangled-love-life/#respond Sun, 10 Mar 2024 06:35:37 +0000 https://usmail24.com/euromillions-winner-gillian-bayfords-tangled-love-life/

Despite winning the jackpot, countless British lotto winners have suffered astonishing tragedies and lost their fortunes. Callie Rogers Callie became Britain’s youngest lottery winner when she won £1.9 million in 2003. The 16-year-old from Cumbria gave up her £3.60-an-hour cashier job and started spending money, buying a £180,000 bungalow and a £76,000 house for her […]

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Despite winning the jackpot, countless British lotto winners have suffered astonishing tragedies and lost their fortunes.

Callie Rogers

Callie became Britain’s youngest lottery winner when she won £1.9 million in 2003.

The 16-year-old from Cumbria gave up her £3.60-an-hour cashier job and started spending money, buying a £180,000 bungalow and a £76,000 house for her mother.

But she ended up spending thousands of dollars on wild parties, three boob jobs and drugs, plus around £300,000 on designer clothes.

Eighteen years after her victory, Callie was revealed to be claiming Universal Credit after losing her fortune.

Michael Carrol

The self-styled ‘King of Chavs’ was 19 when he won £9,736,131 from the National Lottery in November 2002.

The part-time binman, who wore an electronic tag when he bought his winning ticket, immediately bought a £340,000 six-bedroom house in Norfolk.

He spent a further £400,000 on luxury home upgrades and spent £49,000 on a BMW to park in his driveway. Notably, he invested £1 million in Rangers FC shares.

Michael’s wife, Sandra, left him due to his incessant party boy lifestyle and took £1.4 million from the divorce settlement. He had declared bankruptcy in 2010.

Roger Griffiths

Griffiths and his wife Lara earned £1.8 million from the National Lottery in 2005.

The couple quit their day jobs, enjoyed expensive holidays and luxury motorbikes and also spent £800,000 on a converted barn in Wetherby, West Yorks.

After wannabe rock star Roger spent £25,000 making a music record, the couple invested in safer assets, but the global financial crisis struck and left them worthless.

In 2010, their uninsured home tragically went up in flames – and three years later, all their funds dried up.

Lee Ryan

Ex-con Ryan won the £6.5 million jackpot just 17 weeks after the lottery launched in 1994.

It later emerged that he was charged with handling stolen cars and served 18 months in prison after his huge payout.

Once released, he enjoyed his wealth for ten years, even buying a helicopter and a £2 million mansion, but ultimately ended up penniless.

Lee suffered his final blow when he made an ill-fated trip to Kyrgyzstan and invested the last of his profits in real estate, which failed due to an economic crisis.

Gillian and Adrian Bayford

The loved-up couple’s lives changed overnight in 2012 when they raked in a whopping £148 million.

But just 15 months after the victory, their eight-year marriage ended, with both parties partly blaming stress for their stunning victory.

Adrian moved in with ex-horse groomer Samantha Burbidge, who eventually ran off with his money, 30 horses, a horse trailer and a car that he gave her as a gift.

Gillian was convicted of attacking her ex-lover Gavin Innes. She then moved on and started dating fraudster Brian Deans, who ended up in jail and last made headlines in 2021 for claiming almost £40,000 in furlough.

Margaret Loughrey

Margaret earned £27 million in 2013, becoming Northern Ireland’s biggest winner at the time.

However, the 48-year-old later admitted that the enormous fortune did not bring her happiness.

She told local media: “Money has only brought me sadness. It has ruined my life.”

Tragically, Margaret, now in her 50s, was found dead in her home in September last year.

Martyn and Kay Tott

The Totts got the shock of their lives when they realized they had won £3 million in 2001 – six months after buying the ticket.

By the time they saw a call for the winner to come forward, they couldn’t find the ticket.

Computer records in their local Londis showed that Kay had actually bought the ticket.

But a little-known rule that required reporting lost tickets within 30 days meant they would never receive the money, ultimately putting too much strain on their marriage and causing it to break down.

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Rochelle Humes’ children turn into Oompa Loompas, Myleene Klass builds a TRAIN for her son Apollo and Amanda Holden travels to Narnia as stars celebrate World Book Day https://usmail24.com/celebrities-world-book-day-dressed-up-htmlns_mchannelrssns_campaign1490ito1490/ https://usmail24.com/celebrities-world-book-day-dressed-up-htmlns_mchannelrssns_campaign1490ito1490/#respond Thu, 07 Mar 2024 10:03:04 +0000 https://usmail24.com/celebrities-world-book-day-dressed-up-htmlns_mchannelrssns_campaign1490ito1490/

Rochelle Humes, Myleene Klass and Amanda Holden were among a host of stars who celebrated World Book Day on Thursday, sharing adorable snaps of their children dressed up as some of the world’s biggest stars. To mark the annual occasion, Rochelle shared adorable photos of her two youngest children Blake, three, and Valentina, six, dressed […]

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Rochelle Humes, Myleene Klass and Amanda Holden were among a host of stars who celebrated World Book Day on Thursday, sharing adorable snaps of their children dressed up as some of the world’s biggest stars.

To mark the annual occasion, Rochelle shared adorable photos of her two youngest children Blake, three, and Valentina, six, dressed as Oompa Loompas from the Roald Dahl classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Rochelle then shared another photo of her eldest daughter Alaia-Mai, 10, wearing a look inspired by the Babysitters Club series.

Myleene Klass went to great lengths for her son Apollo in honor of World Book Day when she and her fiancé Simon Motson built a cardboard train.

The Smooth Radio host posted a video showing the process of building a cardboard version of The Little Red Train, a drum filled with sweets for his classmates.

Rochelle Humes was one of many stars who celebrated World Book Day on Thursday, sharing adorable snaps of their children dressed as some of the world’s biggest stars.

The presenter shared adorable images of her son Blake, three, dressed as an Oompa Loompa from Roald Dahl classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

The presenter shared adorable photos of her son Blake, three, dressed as an Oompa Loompa from the Roald Dahl classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Amanda Holden and Ashley Roberts started the Heart Breakfast show celebration by transforming into mystical characters from the world of Narnia.

The pair stunned in their striking costumes after taking inspiration from CS Lewis’ novel The Lion, the Witch and the Garderobe.

Wearing a sparkling white jumpsuit and fur shrug, Amanda transformed into the evil White Witch for her appearance on the early morning show.

She completed her look with a matching silver crown as she posed for photos at the Heart Radio studio.

Meanwhile, Ashley donned a lion jumpsuit and became the furry hero Aslan, teaming it with cute matching ears and heels.

Jamie went for a much more pared-back ensemble and emerged as the legendary Wardrobe by dressing in little more than a single plank of wood.

Jacqueline Jossa’s daughters Ella, seven, and Mia, four, were dressed in very different costumes, with Ella as the Dr. Seuss icon Thing 1 and Mia as Tinker Bell.

Spencer Matthews also shared a photo of his son Theodore and daughter Gigi dressed as Harry Potter and Paddington Bear for the book-themed celebration.

Kerry Katona’s daughter DJ, nine, was also inspired by another classic Dahl character, this time the famous bookworm Matilda.

She wore a blue summer dress, red ribbon and matching gray cardigan and completed her costume with a stack of her favorite novels.

Rochelle then shared another photo of her eldest daughter Alaia-Mai, 10, wearing a look inspired by the Babysitters Club series

Rochelle then shared another photo of her eldest daughter Alaia-Mai, 10, wearing a look inspired by the Babysitters Club series

Myleene Klass went to great lengths for her son Apollo in honor of World Book Day when she and her fiancé Simon Motson built a cardboard train

Myleene Klass went to great lengths for her son Apollo in honor of World Book Day when she and her fiancé Simon Motson built a cardboard train

Jacqueline Jossa's daughters Ella, seven, and Mia, four, were dressed in very different costumes, with Ella as the Dr.  Seuss icon Thing 1 and Mia as Tinker Bell

Jacqueline Jossa’s daughters Ella, seven, and Mia, four, were dressed in very different costumes, with Ella as the Dr. Seuss icon Thing 1 and Mia as Tinker Bell

Spencer Matthews also shared a photo of his son Theodore and daughter Gigi dressed as Harry Potter and Paddington Bear for the book-themed celebration

Spencer Matthews also shared a photo of his son Theodore and daughter Gigi dressed as Harry Potter and Paddington Bear for the book-themed celebration

Kerry Katona's daughter DJ was dressed as Matilda, another Roald Dahl classic, complete with a stack of her own favorite novels

Kerry Katona’s daughter DJ dressed as Matilda, another Roald Dahl classic, complete with a stack of her own favorite novels

Amanda Holden and Ashley Roberts started the Heart Breakfast show celebration by transforming into mystical characters from the world of Narnia

Amanda Holden and Ashley Roberts started the Heart Breakfast show celebration by transforming into mystical characters from the world of Narnia

Amanda donned a sparkling white jumpsuit and shrugged and transformed into the villainous White Witch for her appearance on the early morning show

Amanda donned a sparkling white jumpsuit and shrugged and transformed into the villainous White Witch for her appearance on the early morning show

Meanwhile, Ashley donned a lion jumpsuit and became the furry hero Aslan, teaming it with cute matching ears and heels

Meanwhile, Ashley donned a lion jumpsuit and became the furry hero Aslan, teaming it with cute matching ears and heels

Jamie went for a much more pared-back ensemble and emerged as the legendary Wardrobe by dressing in little more than a single plank of wood.

Jamie went for a much more pared-back ensemble and emerged as the legendary Wardrobe by dressing in little more than a single plank of wood.

The trio posed for fun photos in their Narnia-inspired costumes as they kicked off World Book Day celebrations

The trio posed for fun photos in their Narnia-inspired costumes as they kicked off World Book Day celebrations

Millie Mackintosh joked that her youngest daughter Aurelia, two, was dressed as Batgirl because it's her 'favorite fancy dress outfit'

Millie Mackintosh joked that her youngest daughter Aurelia, two, was dressed as Batgirl because it’s her ‘favorite fancy dress outfit’

Millie then shared an adorable photo of her eldest child Sienna, three, dressed up as Sleeping Beauty in honor of World Book Day

Millie then shared an adorable photo of her eldest child Sienna, three, dressed up as Sleeping Beauty in honor of World Book Day

Aston Merrygold and his wife Sarah Louise shared adorable photos of their two eldest children dressed up for World Book Day, along with their newborn daughter

Aston Merrygold and his wife Sarah Louise shared adorable photos of their two eldest children dressed up for World Book Day, along with their newborn daughter

Sarah Louise shared a gallery of photos of their sons Grayson, five, and Macaulay, three, with their eldest child dressed as a chef from the book Where Are You Grayson and Macauley?

Sarah Louise shared a gallery of photos of their sons Grayson, five, and Macaulay, three, with their eldest child dressed as a chef from the book Where Are You Grayson and Macauley?

Classic FM star Dan Walker got into the spirit of World Book Day by dressing up as legendary wizard Gandalf to present his radio show

Classic FM star Dan Walker got into the spirit of World Book Day by dressing up as legendary wizard Gandalf to present his radio show

Millie Mackintosh posted sweet photos of her two daughters channeling their inner princess for World Book Day.

The Made In Chelsea star joked that her youngest daughter Aurelia, two, was dressed as Batgirl because it’s her ‘favourite fancy dress outfit’.

Millie then shared an adorable photo of her eldest child Sienna, three, dressed up as Sleeping Beauty in honor of World Book Day.

Classic FM star Dan Walker got into the spirit of World Book Day by dressing up as legendary wizard Gandalf to present his radio programme.

After welcoming their third child last week, Aston Merrygold and his wife Sarah Louise shared adorable photos of their two eldest children dressed up for World Book Day, along with their newborn daughter.

Sarah Louise shared a gallery of photos of their sons Grayson, five, and Macaulay, three, with their eldest child dressed as a chef from the book Where Are You Grayson and Macauley?

Meanwhile, their youngest son Macauley looked adorable in a little Bluey costume.

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Our nightmare by the four Hampstead mothers falsely accused of being satanic paedophiles: Middle class women who were forced to turn detective to jail their tormentors speak for the first time https://usmail24.com/hampstead/ https://usmail24.com/hampstead/#respond Tue, 05 Mar 2024 07:36:43 +0000 https://usmail24.com/nightmare-ordeal-innocent-school-gate-mums-satanic-paedophile-ring-htmlns_mchannelrssns_campaign1490ito1490/

There’s a photo on Anna’s phone which captures what she now knows to be the final day of normal life for her family: it shows her nine-year-old daughter making her way to school across a snowy Hampstead Heath. ‘When I looked back on that picture, I realised I had no idea then how much our […]

The post Our nightmare by the four Hampstead mothers falsely accused of being satanic paedophiles: Middle class women who were forced to turn detective to jail their tormentors speak for the first time appeared first on USMAIL24.COM.

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There’s a photo on Anna’s phone which captures what she now knows to be the final day of normal life for her family: it shows her nine-year-old daughter making her way to school across a snowy Hampstead Heath.

‘When I looked back on that picture, I realised I had no idea then how much our lives were about to change,’ Anna recalls. ‘It was the last snapshot of life as we knew it.’

Because the next day — February 5, 2015 — Anna and her husband, along with other parents and staff at her daughter’s pretty North London primary school, found themselves caught in a nightmare.

Two young children of a fellow parent at the school — in one of the wealthiest areas of London, home to celebrities including Jonathan Ross, Helena Bonham Carter and Dame Judi Dench — had begun to make a series of extraordinary and horrifying allegations.

Anna was just one of the adults connected to the school accused by the brother and sister of being part of a Satanic paedophile ring that indulged in horrendous ritual abuse and murder.

So outlandish were these allegations — among them that they were Devil worshippers who had sex with children, made child sacrifices and drank their blood — it is hard to imagine that anyone could take them remotely seriously.

Sabine McNeill is a virulent conspiracy theorist, since dubbed Britain’s worst online troll

And it’s important to say here that those accused were entirely innocent. But this is the internet age, where there is a ready audience for everything.

And so, fuelled by conspiracy theorists, the lurid allegations went around the world. To say that it upended the lives of those involved is an understatement.

The names, addresses and phone numbers of the parents, school staff and pupils identified as being involved were published online, and they were inundated with death threats.

The parents were contacted by vigilantes saying they would snatch their children to take them to safety. Equally horrifyingly, paedophiles would ask about their children’s sexual preferences.

It was, Anna recalls, ‘like being under siege’.

When they appealed to the police for help, they were told the harassers could not be prosecuted. Stymied, too, by internet giants doing little to shut down the relentless online content, it was left to the parents themselves to do what they could to protect their families.

Ultimately, it would take the determined and extraordinary efforts of four mothers in particular, who, working until the small hours, month in month out, meticulously gathered evidence that would lead to the prosecution of two of the most vocal online conspiracy theorists.

N ow, for the first time, the mothers have told their story in a compelling Channel 4 documentary, Accused: The Hampstead Paedophile Hoax, which explores both the devastating impact of the allegations and their determined fightback.

‘For years we had to keep this dignified silence, because we were trying to build a legal case and we didn’t want to jeopardise that,’ says Anna. ‘Now, finally, we get to have our voice.’

A voice, yes, but not a face. Along with the other mothers who appear in the documentary, Anna is choosing to remain anonymous.

On film, their words are spoken by an actor, and they are referred to by pseudonyms. They are determined to protect the privacy of their now grown-up children.

'Sarah', played by Sarah Barlondo, on set for the Channel 4 documentary. Many of the real women in the story have chosen to remain anonymous

‘Sarah’, played by Sarah Barlondo, on set for the Channel 4 documentary. Many of the real women in the story have chosen to remain anonymous

For while the trolls who targeted them are quieter these days, they have not disappeared entirely: they are still out there, propagating their theories in dark corners of the internet.

‘They’re still there, trying to spread their poison,’ as Jenny, another of the mothers, puts it.

The parents’ bewilderment remains palpable.

‘There are many curveballs in life that you can predict, whether it’s a terminal illness diagnosis or the death of a loved one — but being accused of being a satanic paedophile is not one of them,’ Anna says.

A mother of one, Anna had been happily married for 18 years and running a business with her husband, when, back in February 2015, she — along with some other parents of children in Year 5 at the Church of England affiliated primary they attended — received an email saying allegations had been made against the school.

‘It said they had been investigated by the police and that the case was closed,’ she recalls. ‘It begged more questions than it answered, so I went straight onto the internet.’

Within five minutes, Anna had found footage of the two siblings — one of whom, Abigail, was in her daughter’s class — alleging that an organised cult was based at the school which indulged in horrors from paedophilia to baby sacrifice.

‘She mentioned our daughter by name, saying she got paid for sex in sweets and naming myself and my husband as her abusers,’ Anna recalls. ‘It was like walking through the looking glass.’

Abigail and her brother Joseph (as they are called in the documentary) were the offspring of a striking-looking mum called Ella Draper, a glamorous, Russian-born yoga teacher who had lived in London since the 1990s.

Separated from the father of her children, she had become involved with an older man called Abraham Christie, then 65. He, like Draper, had an interest in alternative therapies but was seen by many as a menacing presence in the playground, with parents claiming that he was intimidating.

Ella Draper was a glamorous, Russian-born yoga teacher who had lived in London since the 1990s. She claimed that her two children had been abused by their father

Ella Draper was a glamorous, Russian-born yoga teacher who had lived in London since the 1990s. She claimed that her two children had been abused by their father

It was under Christie and Draper’s direction that, in the summer of 2014, Abigail and Joseph had first made their bizarre allegations to the police of ‘secret rooms’ at the school and the adjoining church where torture and abuse unfolded.

But when police could find no evidence, they recanted, confiding that Abraham had beaten and pressured them into lying.

A bitter custody case with the children’s father ensued, with parents and teachers still, at this point, none the wiser about the fact they had been the subject of horrific allegations. That is until a woman called Sabine McNeill — a virulent conspiracy theorist, since dubbed Britain’s worst online troll — became aware of them.

With Draper’s blessing, in early 2015 McNeill released onto the web videos they’d made of the children making their claims, alongside personal details of 175 people allegedly involved.

It went viral.

‘We were just sitting at home watching this story explode worldwide,’ says Jenny, whose only child, a boy, was also in Year 5.

‘It was massive. Global.’ Anna recalls: ‘I remember sitting on the floor in our bedroom thinking this isn’t going to go away. But I couldn’t even imagine what was to come.’

The fuse had been lit. Protesters began to gather at the school and the church, shouting obscenities at parents. Individual families received vicious death threats on their home phones and mobiles.

‘They would call us satantists, shout down the phone that we were f***ing and killing babies; that we were evil,’ says Jenny.

Police told them to vary their routes home, and carry rape alarms, yet none of it was enough to shake the lingering menace.

Sarah, a lawyer in her 40s who also had a child in Abigail’s year, slept on her children’s bedroom floor for eight months until the family were able to move house.

‘Once our address was out there, I could not shake the thought that someone would come in and try to take them,’ she says.

Jenny recalls being followed by a large group, chanting obscenities, as she picked up her son from a school cross-country race.

‘That was particularly disturbing, as this activity hadn’t been advertised, so it was clear that somehow they were tracking our movements.’

Naturally, the parents wanted to know why they’d been targeted.

‘I could not get my head around the fact that it was another mother who had made these allegations,’ says Anna.

But when Sarah called to confront Ella Draper, she denied that she was responsible. Anna recalls: ‘I said to her, can you please stop the bulls**t?

‘And she said: “It’s not me. It’s been this blogger.”’

What horrified the parents most was the potential damage to their children. It was impossible to protect them entirely from the unfolding drama, and Anna recalls her own daughter’s spiralling anxiety.

'Anna' is played by Kathryn McGarr in the series spiralling anxiety.

‘Anna’ is played by Kathryn McGarr in the series

‘The fact that these lovely, nine-year-old children were the subject of such degrading content, which could potentially be there for ever,’ says Jenny, ‘was so violating.’

Some parents were contacted by paedophiles asking if they could hook up with their child because they ‘liked sex’.

Again, the police said their hands were tied.

‘They pretty much admitted it was beyond their knowledge,’ says Anna. ‘There was this feeling that it would blow over, but to us it felt organised and targeted.’

‘It was incredibly disappointing,’ adds Sarah. ‘We were quite clear that this was criminal activity. We even identified a list of up to 20 laws that were being broken. But no one would listen.’

Undeterred, the parents began to mobilise, determined to get social media giants to remove links to the children’s videos, and at the same time gather evidence against the trolls that could lead to their prosecution.

As they hit one brick wall after another, many parents fell away, leaving Anna, Jenny, Sarah and another parent, Alice, the only ones refusing to give up.

Anna admits now they were an unlikely alliance: while all had children in the same year, they were not close friends.

‘If this hadn’t have happened to us, we wouldn’t have been this tight group,’ she says. ‘But we now have a lifelong bond.’

It was an uphill slog, with door after door shut in their faces, from tech giants to the Information Commissioner’s Office, which deals with data protection. ‘Their response was to suggest we should write to these people and ask them to stop,’ says Sarah. ‘Yet the police had told us not to engage.’

Only prosecution, the mothers believed, would send a message to those spreading the unfounded allegations across the web. And with the police still saying there was no case to bring, the mothers decided to build their own — painstakingly compiling a dossier of evidence to bring them down.

It would take years.

‘Bear in mind that every one of us worked, as well as looking after our families,’ says Anna. ‘It meant sitting down come 10 o’clock at night, then working until the early hours, evidencing, evidencing, evidencing. And that was pretty much it for four years.’

‘You can see from emails that I sent that I was working at 3 am, 4 am,’ says Sarah. ‘I wasn’t really sleeping. I lost a lot of weight.’

Jenny was forced to leave her job because of the allegations. ‘Ultimately, it made me bad for business because I started to get directly targeted.

‘Emails were sent directly to my staff, saying, “Did you know your boss has been accused of this?” It wasn’t that people weren’t sympathetic, but there was a feeling of being tainted by it.’

Sarah was in the process of applying for new roles when the scandal broke, and found herself rejected time and again.

‘It was all, “You’re just what we’re looking for”, until it got to HR — and suddenly they would come up with a story about why it wouldn’t work,’ she recalls.

All admit their marriages came under strain.

Finally, in late 2018 — more than three years after the allegations first broke — there was a breakthrough.

Thanks to their assiduous gathering of tens of thousands of documents as evidence, Sabine McNeill was put on trial for stalking, harassment and breaching a restraining order.

The German-born pensioner was labelled an ‘arrogant, malicious, evil and manipulative woman’ by the sentencing judge, who jailed her for nine years — the longest sentence ever handed down in a UK court for these offences.

Self-styled activist and blogger Rupert Wilson Quaintance, an American who had come to the UK a few months earlier, became obsessed with the case and threatened to ‘kick doors down’ and ‘draw blood’ from the parents.

He was jailed for nine months after being found guilty of putting people in fear of violence.

They were major victories, albeit bittersweet ones.

‘How do you go from being told there is “no public interest” in bringing a case to someone being sentenced to nine years in prison?’ asks Sarah. ‘That tells you that this was a huge system failure.’

D raper and Christie fled the country in 2015. They’ve have been on the run ever since, believed to be in Spain.

Why they started the hoax is still a mystery. If it was part of Draper’s fight for custody against her ex-husband, it failed. After a period in care, Abigail and Joseph were reunited with their father.

Six years on from the prosecution of Sabine McNeill, the mothers have now returned to a degree of normal life.

The children who were in Year 5 back then are now 18 and embarking on adulthood relatively undamaged —– so their mothers hope — by what happened.

‘I think we saved our kids, and I’m so grateful for that,’ says Sarah. ‘They were young and they couldn’t protect themselves.’

The women admit the ordeal changed them, leaving deep scars that will never fully heal.

‘You cannot go back to what you were, because that’s not the way life works,’ says Sarah.

All agree that however bizarre and outlandish their experience may seem, no one is immune.

‘All the way along, the police said this could have happened to any parent, in any school, anywhere in the country, anywhere in the world,’ says Anna.

‘It just so happened that, unfortunately, it was us.’

Accused: The Hampstead Paedophile Hoax is on Channel 4 at 9pm on Monday.

The post Our nightmare by the four Hampstead mothers falsely accused of being satanic paedophiles: Middle class women who were forced to turn detective to jail their tormentors speak for the first time appeared first on USMAIL24.COM.

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