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Kirsty Gallacher breaks her silence as she posts on social media for the first time since

admin — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 13:03:12 +0000

Kirsty Gallacher breaks her silence as she posts on social media for the first time since brother-in-law Russell Brand was accused of rape, sexual assault and predatory behaviour

Published: 08:33 EDT, 20 September 2023 | Updated: 09:00 EDT, 20 September 2023

Kirsty Gallacher returned to social media on Wednesday to share her first post since brother-in-law Russell Brand was accused of rape, sexual assault and predatory behaviour.

The presenter, 47, has maintained a stoic silence following a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 Dispatches into the comedian’s conduct around women at the height of his mainstream TV fame.

But she returned to Instagram on Wednesday with a 46th birthday message for Sky Sports colleague and close friend Natalie Pinkham.

Sharing a photo of the pair at the Ultimate Luxury Travel Related Awards, an event they co-hosted in 2018, she wrote: ‘Happy birthday to this special woman, how lucky I am to have you in my life.’

Pinkham later reposted the tribute on her own Instagram account, adding: ‘Love you too KG.’

Back online: Kirsty Gallacher returned to social media on Wednesday to share her first post since brother-in-law Russell Brand was accused of rape and sexual assault

Gallacher’s return to social media comes after a week long absence as Brand, who is married to the presenter’s younger sister Laura, battles to save his career following an in depth exposé into his actions while working in mainstream TV and radio.

On September 16, shortly before the Dispatchers report aired on Channel 4, she appeared to support her brother-in-law after he took to social media to ‘absolutely deny’ a string of ‘very serious criminal allegations made against him’.

The Smooth Radio presenter shared the comedian’s two-minute YouTube video, accompanying it with a large red love heart in an Instagram story that she has since deleted.

Brand has since been accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse by four women during the peak of his fame, according to a joint investigation by The Sunday Times and Channel 4.

The allegations claim to have taken place between 2006 and 2013. One of the alleged victims is alleged to be a 16-year-old schoolgirl.

Bad influencers: Just 90 seconds of watching ‘ideal bodies’ on social media can

admin — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 06:50:01 +0000

Images of ‘ideal’ bodies and faces can contribute to eating disorders in women
The researchers said filters allowed features to be enhanced to unrealistic levels

By Mail Foreign Service

Published: 17:00 EDT, 17 September 2023 | Updated: 21:01 EDT, 17 September 2023

Women can see their mental health negatively affected by just 90 seconds of watching social media influencers showing off their bodies, a study says.

The images of toned legs, flat stomachs, full lips and blemish-free faces has an almost instant – and detrimental – effect on viewers’ own body self-image.

It has long been known that images of ‘ideal’ bodies and faces can cause women to feel worse about themselves and contribute to psychological and eating disorders.

But researchers sought to discover if this was also true of exposure to short-form TikTok and Instagram videos.

‘Appearance-ideal content can pressure women to look a certain way that is unrealistic or completely unattainable,’ said Dr Jasmine Fardouly, senior author of the study.

Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner (pictured) are among the world’s biggest social media influencers, with 364million and 380million Instagram followers respectively and millions more on TikTok

It has long been known that images of ‘ideal’ bodies and faces can cause women to feel worse about themselves and contribute to psychological and eating disorders

The images of toned legs, flat stomachs, full lips and blemish-free faces has an almost instant – and detrimental – effect on viewers’ own body self-image

‘We know this starts early, with girls as young as six reporting unhappiness with their bodies, desires to look thinner, and even dieting to lose weight.’

Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner are among the world’s biggest social media influencers, with 364million and 380million Instagram followers respectively and millions more on TikTok.

The team at the University of New South Wales in Australia showed 211 women aged from 17 to 28 images and videos selected from the Instagram and TikTok accounts of female social media influencers. They were then surveyed about their mood and own body image.

The team found the women compared their bodies to the women in the ‘appearance ideal’ content and invariably found themselves less attractive. Dr Fardouly added: ‘The total exposure time was only a minute and a half, and we found that was enough to have harmful impacts.’

The researchers said a further problem is that technological filters allow the social media subjects to enhance their features to unrealistic levels, leaving their audience ‘more likely to engage in negative social comparisons’.

The UK medics who are moving to Australia, becoming social media stars and joining

admin — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 12:21:33 +0000

Thousands of freshly-trained medics join the NHS every year after five years in medical school.

But it was revealed this week that, rather than working in the health service, a third of those in training plan to flee the UK in favour of working in the likes of Australia, New Zealand and Canada in a bid for better pay and work-life balance.

One in 33 students even plan to leave medicine altogether.

Among the medics vacating the health service include those jetting off to use their skills abroad and those becoming social media stars or joining OnlyFans – with some earning millions.

Moved to Australia

Dr Michael Mrozinski says he felt exhausted after working in the NHS for seven years.

The medic, 37, says that during his time as a junior doctor in Glasgow, the NHS couldn’t ‘care less’ about his ideas for providing better patient care.

Dr Michael Mrozinski says he felt exhausted after working in the NHS for seven years

On TikTok, the Scot explained that by age 30 he was ‘completely burnt out’.

He said he saw far too many patients, was snowed under with paperwork and always left an hour or two after finishing.

Dr Mrozinski said: ‘That just wasn’t sustainable for me.

‘So I decided to get away from the NHS, to move out to Australia and it is the best decision I have ever made.’

The medic started working in Australia in 2016. He said his work-life balance is far more sustainable and his more senior colleagues even ‘scolded him for not taking his coffee breaks’ or staying 20 minutes after his shift.

Became a Youtube star

Dr Ali Abdaal, 29, studied medicine for six years at Cambridge University and worked as a junior doctor for a further two.

During his studies, he set up a YouTube channel, creating content around medicine and his degree.

Dr Ali Abdaal, 29, studied medicine for six years at Cambridge University and worked as a junior doctor for a further two

But eight years into working for the NHS, he was earning £40,000 a year as a medic while he claims his YouTube account made him millions.

He said: ‘This year we are expecting the business to probably make around £2million in profit.’

‘The money equation here is completely asymmetrical,’ he added.

He explained that he would have eventually reached a salary of £100,000 working for the NHS after specialising, but that wouldn’t be for many years.

Dr Abdaal revealed that while he did enjoy his job as a doctor, he did not look forward to going to work on a Monday morning.

He said now he genuinely looks forward to going to work every day and rushes through his morning routine just to sit at his desk and work on ‘doing his own thing’.

Joined OnlyFans

Michaela Ogilvie, from Ramsgate, left her role as an NHS mental health social worker earlier this year.

The 32-year-old made the decision after becoming ‘depressed’ by her work.

Meanwhile, 32-year-old Michaela Ogilvie, from Ramsgate, left her role as an NHS mental health social worker earlier this year after becoming ‘depressed’ by her role. Since making the switch, the content creator has amassed nearly 20,000 followers on Instagram and 30,000 on TikTok. But her income comes from OnlyFans, where she claims she is also in the top two percent of creators on the site and earns up to £1,000 a week

Since making the switch, the content creator has amassed nearly 20,000 followers on Instagram and 30,000 on TikTok.

But her income comes from OnlyFans, where she claims she is in the top two percent of creators on the site, earns up to £1,000 a week.

She said: ‘I enjoy it so much more than social work – it’s so freeing.

‘For me it’s about taking back control.’

Became a life coach

Dr Helena Bridge, who worked as an NHS junior doctor in Oxford, says she was often left ‘sobbing and hyperventilating’ while working as a junior doctor.

She said she was overwhelmed with calls and a long list of urgent tasks, which left her ‘scared’ in case she made a mistake that cost someone their life.

After nearly a decade in medicine, she took the ‘ultimate risk’ and left the NHS last year.

Dr Helena Bridge, who worked as an NHS junior doctor in Oxford, says she was often left ‘sobbing and hyperventilating’ while working as a junior doctor

The neuroscience graduate became a life coach instead and has since set up her own business.

Dr Bridge said: ‘I am definitely not anti-medicine, but I am anti-suffering.’

‘The system feels like a sinking ship’, Helena added.

‘I would not want to continue working in a health care system like this, because I couldn’t provide to my patients the kind of care standards that I would want for my own family or friends or for myself.

‘I don’t dehumanise patients, I don’t see them as a tick box on a list of todo things. I value people’s quality of life, I value that they are not in pain.’

Social media awash with ads for AI SEX WORKERS

admin — Sat, 02 Sep 2023 04:52:01 +0000

By Matthew Phelan For Dailymail.Com

Updated: 20:13 EDT, 1 September 2023

So-called ‘thirst traps‘ posted by attention-hungry real people on social media have experienced an influx of digital competition lately – artificial intelligence.

Start-ups that market sexually available virtual companions to lonely men have started to spring up on social media.

The ads promise ‘AI girlfriends’ whose underlying ‘machine learning’ architecture learns the user’s preferences.

Sites like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok are worried, given that these new ads have shown an uncanny ability to beat content moderation roadblocks in place to block such overtly sexual content.

Worse, in certain ads, memes incorporating well-known children’s TV characters from Cookie Monster to SpongeBob SquarePants are redeployed in a questionable ‘fair use’ cases to promote the AI sex apps and their ability to generate ‘NSFW pics.’

Suspicious AI sex app ads are flooding Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. Certain ads incorporate memesof well-known children’s TV characters from Cookie Monster to SpongeBob SquarePants in questionable ‘fair use’ cases to promote their ‘NSFW pics’

Social media giant Meta has created an ads library that allows users, the public, regulators and academics to track the ads posted to their platforms, including Instagram and Facebook. Above, one of the racy, troublesome new AI sexbot ads as posted to Meta’s ad library

Other ads feature digitally or potentially AI-generated girls whose indeterminate age could be read as teenage or younger.

For it’s part, Meta has claimed that it has got a handle on the ads, which appear to violate their policies.

The ads promise ‘AI girlfriends’ whose underlying ‘machine learning’ architecture learns the user’s preferences — building greater and greater simulated intimacy the longer the real person on other end sticks with their fake love interest

As the company said in a statement to NBC News, it is Meta’s stance that its ban on adult content does not exempt AI-generated content.

‘Our policies prohibit ads containing adult content that is overly suggestive or sexually provocative — whether it’s AI-generated or not,’ according to a human spokesperson Meta.

‘Our policies and enforcement are designed to adapt in this highly adversarial space, and we are actively monitoring any new trends in AI-generated content.’

Meta also told the news broadcaster that it is reviewing the version of its policies that are accessible to the public and to advertisers, to make sure that their language is sufficiently clear.

For years and in some cases over a decade, social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok have been in a standoff with sex workers, sex education advocates and artists who all have complained of draconian and prudish moderation policies.

Many of these advocates are alarmed by these platform’s tacit consent or lenient treatment of these app developers’ paying ads.

‘Sex workers are not allowed to make money off their image,’ said Carolina Are, a research fellow at Northumbria University’s Centre for Digital Citizens, ‘but some tech bro who is creating a similar AI image is.’

One adult toy maker, Unbound CEO Polly Rodriguez told NBC News that her company has frequently faced daunting obstacles advertising with Meta.

She expressed confusion and annoyance over the ability of these AI chatbot ads to somehow evade content moderation, intimating that the issues suggests evidence of inconsistent enforcement and bias.

‘They’re not addressing the root issue of: Why are these ads sailing through to begin with?’ Rodriguez said.

Donald Trump’s mugshot sends social media into a frenzy with memes and jokes

admin — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 04:46:17 +0000

In a social media frenzy, the internet has exploded with a wave of creative memes and humorous posts after the release of the official mugshot of former President Donald Trump.

The image, which quickly went viral, has sparked a multitude of reactions from users across various platforms.

The image shows a stern-faced Trump in what appears to be a standard booking photo. The former President is wearing a blue suit and red tie in the shot.

Within moments of the image hitting the internet, hashtags such as #TrumpMugshot and #OrangeIsTheNewOrange began trending on X.

Others defended Trump with the hashtag #MyPresident.

Trump himself posted the photo to his X account with the caption DONALDJTRUMP.COM, his first tweet since January 8, 2021.

Here are some of the top, funniest and wackiest memes and posts about the now-infamous mugshot:

Users from across the political spectrum chimed in with their takes on the mugshot after waiting in anticipation for its release.

Some users on X poked fun at Trump’s signature hairstyle, while others playfully speculated about his potential ‘prison wardrobe.’

Some joked about how the former president’s weight was listed at 215 pounds.

Instagram and TikTok were also not far behind, as users flooded these platforms with short videos and image-based memes.

In one widely shared meme, Trump’s face was superimposed onto various famous movie scenes where characters find themselves behind bars, leaving audiences in stitches.

The memes ranged from light-hearted humor to political satire.

‘Trump is mean mugging the camera, this is too funny,’ one user wrote on X.

Others defended the former president and said the photo would be used as a rallying cry.

‘I stand with President Trump against the commie DA Fani Willis who is nothing more than a political hitman tasked with taking out Biden’s top political opponent. ‘Persecution, not prosecution,’ Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene tweeted with hashtag #MAGAMugshot.

Fake Trump mug shots also went viral prior to the release of the photo.

The photo to the left is the original photo used in the fake Trump mug shot to the right

Trump has made history by becoming the first former president to pose for a mugshot after his arrest for trying to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia.

The 77-year-old was arrested for the fourth time this year and fingerprinted by authorities at the Fulton County jail. Unlike with his previous three arrests, on Thursday he had his booking photo taken.

He stared into the camera for the historic image, with a scowl on his face.

Trump’s height and weight were recorded and, as part of the booking process, he was given a prisoner identification number: P01135809.

He was then released on payment of 10 percent of his $200,000 bail, having spent less than 20 minutes inside the infamous facility.

The former president traveled to Georgia on Thursday afternoon from his Bedminster, New Jersey, home.

Ahead of his surrender, Trump slammed Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis as a ‘Radical Left, Lowlife District Attorney. His surrender came hours after Willis requested Trump face trial in Georgia on October 23, and as his former chief of staff Mark Meadows surrendered to cops.

A handful of other Trump allies and ‘co-conspirators’ who turned themselves into the Georgia prison this week also had their mugshots released by the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office. They are accused of joining a ‘conspiracy’ led by Trump to unlawfully change the outcome of the election.

‘America’s Mayor’ Rudy Giuliani faced the humiliation of having his mugshot taken after getting booked at the Atlanta jail on Wednesday.

In the image, Giuliani can be seen looking straight ahead, showing a slight frown, with industrial lighting shining on his forehead and a sheriff’s badge on the wall to his right.

I’m a tech expert, here are six things you should NEVER share on social media

admin — Sun, 13 Aug 2023 01:01:52 +0000

Laura Kankaala, Threat Intelligence Lead at online security software provider, F-Secure (F-Secure)

The way most people use social media puts them at risk of identity fraud, home burglaries, an expert warns.

Laura Kankaala, Threat Intelligence Lead at online security software provider F-Secure, told DailyMail.com there are six things she would never post on social media.

They include photos of her house keys, back-to-school images of children or anything that can identify places she regular visits – such as her morning run route.

Photos taken near my home or sharing my location

It’s very easy to give away your home address inadvertently on social media, Kankalaa warned.

She said: ‘I avoid taking and posting photos in and around my home that can give away where I live, key landmarks and recognizable shops and buildings can allow someone with ill intentions to build an accurate picture of where you live.

‘Even something seemingly innocent like a fire station or convenience store can provide key waypoints.

‘Another one to avoid is sharing a map of your run, hike or cycle particularly if you started from your home as this can easily reveal your address.

‘Also, be aware that some social media apps have location sharing, like Snapchat, BeReal and Facebook.

It’s easy to forget this setting is enabled so I recommend switching it off.’

Photos of my house keys or flight tickets

Sharing your flight tickets is dangerous

Posting a photo of your house keys after buying a home might seem innocent enough, but it carries risks, as does posting flight tickets (which can give away details such as passport numbers).

Kankalaa said: ‘A trend that’s popular with new homeowners is to take a photo of their set of keys, perhaps dangled outside of their front day to proudly announce their new purchase.

‘This is a huge no for me. Depending on the type of lock, it is technically possible to 3D print a copy of keys based on a photograph. So, if you don’t want any uninvited guests, I’d keep the keys out of shot.’

Posting flight tickets online can expose your personal information – or make it easy for malicious pranksters to cancel your plane ticket as a ‘joke’.

Photos of children going back to school

It’s become popular to post pictures of children on a doorstep going back to school – but this can give away personal details both about your child and about where your home is located.

Kankalaa said: ‘As schools return it’s popular for parents to post pictures of their children in identifiable uniform outside their door with a house number clearly visible.

‘I would think carefully about posting this online, at the very least blur out the badge and house number.’

Photos in the workplace

It’s very easy to give away private details about your workplace which could be exploited by cybercriminals, Kankalaa warned.

‘Maybe you want to show the world you’re working really hard or perhaps you’ve found a cool coffee shop and you snap a photo of your laptop/device in situ, with a coffee. But it’s also an easy way to unintentionally reveal sensitive information on your screen.

‘Smartphone cameras produce such high-quality photographs nowadays, someone could easily zoom into your shot and read the content of your emails or work dashboard. The same goes for when you’re logged into personal emails. If you really want to share such a photograph, then lock your device screen first.’

Photos of other people without their consent

It’s worth thinking before you post – do the other people in this image or video want to be there?

Kankalaa said, ‘Many of us are in the habit of sharing photos of friends online but how often do you ask permission before doing so? Assuming everyone’s circumstances are the same could land someone else in trouble.

‘On a lighter note, perhaps someone has pulled a sickie at work, but unfortunately there can be darker circumstances.

‘Someone might be in an abusive relationship; for instance, a photo shared online could put them in danger.’ It may seem overly cautious but asking ‘do you mind if I post this picture of us online?’ is good practice as well as good manners.

Ariana Grande BREAKS social media silence amid claims of an affair with married Wicked

admin — Tue, 08 Aug 2023 18:47:30 +0000

Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez are headed for divorce and have been reportedly separated since January 2023 – after two years of marriage.

A spokesperson confirmed the news to DailyMail.com on Monday.

Ariana, 30, and Dalton, 27, had a whirlwind romance during the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown, getting engaged that same year and tying the knot in 2021.

Ariana oftentimes shared cuddled up snaps of the two of them to her Instagram, professing her love to her realtor husband.

The star has been busy filming Wicked in London – making time for Wimbledon on Sunday – where the star was seen ring-less in the crowd, sparking rumors of a rocky patch.

‘Ariana and Dalton have nothing but respect for one another. They’re still friends and want to remain that way moving forward. There was no cheating, no resentment between them, the marriage just simply didn’t work out. These things happen,’ a source close to the couple told DailyMail.com.

As Ariana and Dalton go their separate ways after two years of marriage – Dailymail.com looks back at their whirlwind romance….

The way they were: Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez are headed for divorce and have been reportedly separated since January 2023 – after two years of marriage

FEBRUARY 2020 – FIRST PUBLIC SIGHTING ONE MONTH AFTER THEY STARTED DATING

Ariana and Dalton were first seen kissing at Bar Louie in Northridge, California, TMZ reported at the time.

His identity was unknown.

They were seen in a booth at the bar sharing a number of kisses during the 1 am visit.

The duo were with pals, and sat at the bar booth for only thirty minutes.

MARCH 2020 – HIS IDENTITY IS REVEALED

In late March 2020, his identity was revealed by TMZ.

Dalton is a high-end realtor working for real estate group Aaron Kirkman in Los Angeles.

Details of their relationship surfaced – with the start of their relationship beginning in January 2020, per People, as they confirmed their romance began two months ago, via their insiders.

The pair first met when Grande was looking for another home through his luxury real estate firm and her team happened to enlist his help in particular.

‘Ariana was looking for a home outside of Los Angeles to be her getaway house, and her team found Dalton to help,’ a source told Us Weekly.

‘When she saw him, she immediately thought he was cute and very good-looking, and she asked her team to set up an in-person meeting with him. Ariana fell very hard for Dalton shortly after they met.’

During the Covid-19 lockdown, Ariana and Dalton quarantined together at her home in LA.

‘Ariana is stay at home with friends. She is serious about self-distancing and has been with the same group of people for days. One of the people she is with right now is Dalton- they have been hanging out for a couple of months. Ariana doesn’t want to do another public relationship, so she is tryin to keep this one quiet, but she seems very happy with Dalton,’ People’s source said.

Meet Dalton: Dalton pictured on Instagram in 2019

MAY 2020 – DALTON APPEARS IN HER MUSIC VIDEO WITH JUSTIN BIEBER FOR STUCK WITH U

Ariana and Dalton appeared briefly in the music video for her duet with Justin Bieber – called Stuck With U.

The music video featured Justin and Hailey Bieber, as well as fans and other celebrities – like Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Falchuk, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, Stephen and Ayesha Curry – plus sisters Kendall and Kylie Jenner..

They were seen dancing, hugging and also practicing social distancing in the video.

Ariana appeared with Dalton in the video, as they danced and smiled at each other.

It’s official: Ariana also used the star-studded video’s premiere to confirm her budding relationship with Los Angeles realtor Dalton Gomez

JUNE 2020 – ARIANA GOES INSTAGRAM OFFICIAL WITH DALTON AHEAD OF HER 27TH BIRTHDAY

Ariana cuddled up with her boyfriend Dalton Gomez in a cute photo shared late Thursday night ahead of her 27th birthday – going Instagram official in the process.

The pop singer also included a hodgepodge of photos and videos from her quarantine at her Beverly Hills home.

She captioned the photos, ‘almost 27,’ and had comments turned off, preventing anyone from send her birthday wishes.

Ariana’s photo with Dalton featured the high-end real estate agent wrapping his arm around the singer, who had her hand partially obscuring her face.

Dalton shared a photo on his Instagram of him and Ariana about to kiss – in honor of her birthday.

‘happy birthday to the best person in this world,’ he captioned a photo of the two leaning in for a cute kiss.

AUGUST 2020 – ARIANA CELEBRATES DALTON’S BEITHDAY WITH SWEET TRIBUTE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Ariana kicked her relationship with Dalton up a notch as she helped him celebrate his birthday.

The pop star shared a bevy of sweet photos and videos featuring the two that showed how inseparable they are.

Ariana began with an underlit video of her with Dalton wrapping his arms around her from behind.

The couple swayed to the strains of L-O-V-E while the young real estate agent leaned in for a sweet kiss on the cheek as she flashed an angelic smile.

‘hbd to my baby my best friend my fav part of all the days,’ she wrote in the caption, adding, ‘i love u’ and a smiley face.

Loved-up couple: Ariana Grande, 27, helped her boyfriend Dalton Gomez celebrate his own birthday with sweet videos and photos of the two posted to Instagram

DECEMBER 20, 2020 – ARIANA AND DALTON ANNOUNCE ENGAGEMENT

Ariana announced that she is engaged to Dalton Gomez.

The pop star shared a photo of a stunning diamond ring on her left finger as she wrote, ‘forever n then some,’ along with some loved-up snaps.

The engagement comes just after nearly a year of dating her real estate beau.

The asymmetrical oval shaped diamond featured a pearl next to it on a simple platinum band. In 2014 Grande tweeted about a pearl ring that had sentimental value relative to her grandpa, which led her fans to believe the pearl on her current ring may have been repurposed, though it is unconfirmed.

‘Nonna had a ring made for me w/ the pearl from grandpa’s tie pin. she says he told her in a dream it’d protect me <3'.

A source from Grande’s camp told People, ‘They couldn’t be happier, they’re just so excited. This is a happy time for them, both sets of parents are thrilled.’

Grande has not been shy on social media about her love for her now fiance as she has called him her ‘best friend,’ and ‘favorite part of all the days.’

Bling ring: The couple got engaged in December (Grande’s sparkler pictured)

MAY 2021 – ARIANA AND DALTON GET MARRIED IN INTIMATE CEREMONY AT HER MONTECITO HOME

Ariana secretly married her fiancé Dalton Gomez.

The 27-year-old singer is said to have tied the knot with the real estate agent, 25, over the weekend at her $6.75m home in Montecito, California.

A representative for the singer confirmed to PEOPLE on Monday night: ‘They got married. It was tiny and intimate – less than 20 people. The room was so happy and full of love. The couple and both families couldn’t be happier.’

Despite the scaled-down celebrations, Ariana and Dalton – a real estate agent – are said to have exchanged the traditional ‘I dos’, TMZ also reports.

A source close to the Grammy winner confirmed to the outlet that the secret ceremony took place at her California home where her neighbours include the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Ariana is said to have bought Ellen’s former home, a unique 5,500-square-foot Tudor-style mansion which she paid $6.75 million for last August.

Love: Ariana secretly married her fiancé Dalton Gomez

JULY 2021 – NEWLYWEDS ENJOY HONEYMOON TO AMSTERDAM

Ariana gave her more than 250 million Instagram followers a first look at her honeymoon with Dalton in Amsterdam.

The newlyweds looked happy in love as they went sightseeing in Netherlands’ capital, which is famous for its canals, artistic heritage and beautiful houses.

In addition to posting a few scenic shots around the city, she shared a snap of herself gazing at Dalton as they sat in a pair of giant wooden shoes.

NOVEMBER 2021 – LOVEBIRDS ENJOY THANKSGIVING WITH HER FAMILY

They celebrated Thanksgiving with her family and her co-stars from The Voice.

The singer shared a string of snaps and videos from the festivities including one of her and Dalton with their pet dog Toulouse.

Ariana shyly hid her face in the pooch’s fur as Dalton laughed, her hair pulled up in its signature ponytail with a sweet ribbon tied in a bow.

AUGUST 7, 2022 – ARIANA SHUTS DOWN SPLIT RUMORS AFTER SHE DOESN’T WEAR HER RING

In August 2022, Ariana shared a makeup tutorial and wasn’t wearing her ring – she shut down any rumors by revealing that her ring was getting cleaned.

‘I’m not wearing my wedding ring, it’s getting cleaned. I’m not getting a divorce before you start, don’t,’ she said at the time.

No problem: In August 2022, Ariana shared a makeup tutorial and wasn’t wearing her ring – she shut down any rumors by revealing that her ring was getting cleaned

FEBRUARY 2023 – DALTON SHARES SWEET VALENTINE’S DAY POST

Dalton posted an Instagram story on Valentine’s Day 2023 of them cuddling together – which she re-posted on her stories.

He had captioned the image ‘My forever valentine,’ and she re-posted it with her own comment – ‘I love you’ and a heart.

MAY 15, 2023 – ARIANA GUSHES ABOUT DALTON AS SHE CELEBRATES TWO YEAR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

In May 2023, Ariana celebrated her two-year wedding anniversary on Instagram – with a photo from her wedding day.

The photo, shared on her Instagram stories two months ago, feature Ariana and Dalton kissing on their wedding day.

She captioned the photo ‘2’ to signify two years of marriage, adding a heart and ‘3.5 years together.’

She also added: ‘I love him so.’

Anniversary: Ariana Grande celebrated her two-year wedding anniversary with a sweet snap from her wedding day

JULY 17, 2023 – ARIANA AND DALTON SPLIT – AND HEADED FOR DIVORCE

Ariana and husband Dalton have split, and have been separated since January 2023.

The couple are heading for divorce, the insider said as it emerged Ariana had deleted all of the romantic photos of her May 2021 wedding from Instagram.

A spokesperson for Ariana confirmed the news to DailyMail.com.

Ariana, 30, was seen ring-less at Wimbledon over the weekend; she has not been seen wearing her ring for some time now.

Their insider claimed that the couple tried to reconcile two months ago but it ‘failed.’ It was also claimed Gomez had flown to London in January in a last ditch effort to save the pair’s marriage – visiting his wife on the set of Wicked but it ‘didn’t work out’, reports PageSix. The pair were seen having crepes together in the UK capital.

‘Ariana and Dalton have been having some issues for months now,’ Us Weekly’s source said on Monday.

In mid-May 2021, Ariana and Dalton, a 27-year-old luxury realtor, tied the knot at her $6.75 million Montecito home.

Ariana has been busy filming the musical Wicked across the UK since December 2022.

The source reported that the Ariana and Dalton had been having ‘problem’s before she began filming.

No ring: Ariana, 30, was seen ring-less at Wimbledon over the weekend; she has not been seen wearing her ring for some time now; seen on July 16, 2023 at Wimbledon in London chatting with actor Jonathan Bailey

The actress and the realtor still ‘talk’ on the phone regularly and ‘remain friends.’

The Us Weekly insider ‘were having issues before she left for Wicked filming [in London] that they couldn’t resolve, and the distance did not help. They haven’t been speaking and are speaking, and a divorce is likely.’

Another insider from the outlet noted that their marriage was ‘thriving’ until earlier this year: ‘Things had been going really well for Ariana and Dalton since they got married. But unfortunately, they hit a rough patch a few months ago and haven’t been able to recover.’

Page Six also reported their ‘split,’ with their source revealing: ‘They came to the decision together. They came to the decision together. They were having problems before January, but they want to remain best friends.’

He tried to ‘save’ their marriage with a trip to visit her on the set of Wicked but the source said ‘it didn’t work out.’

‘They’ve been really good friends throughout the entire process and their friends and families have been trying to protect them,’ the source said.

Happier times: The Us Weekly insider ‘were having issues before she left for Wicked filming [in London] that they couldn’t resolve, and the distance did not help. They haven’t been speaking and are speaking, and a divorce is likely’

Market insiders ditch ‘woke capitalism’: 87% say funds focussed on tree-hugging social

admin — Fri, 04 Aug 2023 18:11:18 +0000

Wall Street brokers and other market insiders are turning on the left-wing investment strategy known as ‘ESG’ or ‘woke capitalism,’ with growing numbers saying it’s little more than a passing fad, a poll shows.

A survey of Bloomberg terminal clients — typically big financial institutions — also found large numbers expected funds led by environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) values to lose money this year.

It comes as Republicans move against ESG funds in Congress, and as consumers reject firms that champion liberal causes, evidenced by the wokelash against Bud Light’s tie-up with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

Researchers found that 87 percent of 116 Bloomberg terminal clients who aren’t directly engaged with ESG expect the sector’s investment funds to lag behind market benchmarks in the coming year.

Woke capitalism hurts the bottom line, market experts say

Does investing in green technology help investors by mitigating the long-term risks of global warming? The debate rages

The 181 terminal clients who work in ESG — and have more skin in the game — are also pessimistic, polling showed. Fully 55 percent said the woke funds would underperform in the coming months.

In a starker rebuke of ESG, 69 percent of respondents who don’t work directly in the field called the strategy a fad, while only small numbers said it was becoming more relevant.

‘These survey results are proof positive that the ESG scam is unraveling,’ Will Hild, director of Consumers’ Research, a policy nonprofit, told DailyMail.com.

‘ESG is a grift and a fad which will underperform investment strategies that focus on serving consumers rather than woke politicians.’

ESG refers to a set of standards for a firm’s behavior that guide investors on where to put their money — for example, by funding wind farms to combat climate change, while pulling out of damage-causing oil and tobacco giants.

The strategy gets especially controversial when it guides funding to firms promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) schemes, which irk conservatives, who say they help women and minorities by sidelining white men.

This has spawned a fractious debate about whether efforts to make society fairer and cut carbon emissions are in the strategic interest for investors, by mitigating the risks of climate chaos and social disorder.

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, an early champion of ESG investments, in June announced that he would no longer use the term, saying it has been ‘misused by the far left and the far right.’

‘ESG is a grift and a fad,’ says Will Hild, director of Consumers’ Research, a policy nonprofit

The markets say ESG won’t be around in a couple of years

House Republicans held a series of hearings last month, in which they called for quashing the Securities and Exchange Commission’s efforts to enforce more transparent corporate-disclosure rules of ESG-related factors.

As well as taking on the SEC, GOP politicians seek stricter oversight of proxy-advisory firms and also favor limiting — or even excluding — ESG-focused investments from some pension funds.

Bloomberg also gathered comments from users of their terminals — which are costly multi-screen systems leased by traders and others to analyze real-time financial market data and place trades.

They surveyed 349 clients, mostly in the US, where respondents were more critical of ESG.

Some said the strategy was here to stay, others called it a ‘politically-driven ideology that has no place in a professional investor’s decision-making’.

‘Our job is to provide returns for investors, not change the world,’ wrote one respondent.

Bloomberg surveyed 349 users of their costly terminals, which are typically big financial institutions

Another said ESG has ‘morphed from risk management to political activism for the left.’

Still, only a small minority of all those surveyed said their firms were pulling back from ESG products. Most respondents agreed that ‘we all have a role to play in protecting the world’s resources.’

Roughly two-thirds of those surveyed who are engaged in ESG said the backlash will likely force firms to abandon terms such as ESG, as they continue to support efforts to achieve the same goals.

Ultimately, however, a majority of all respondents expect politics to exit the conversation and be replaced by a more practical discussion about the future of ESG.

‘Participants of this survey are financial industry insiders, and they are increasingly realizing what we have been saying all along,’ added Hild.

‘We expect the collapse of ESG to continue, especially in the US, and will call out BlackRock or any other asset manager when they are using other people’s money to push their far left political agenda.’

Social media influencer mom, 31, dies from meningitis after catching FUNGAL infection

admin — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 00:21:21 +0000

A Texas mother-of-three has passed away after traveling to Mexico to undergo a boob job and contracting meningitis — making her the ninth American victim in the outbreak of the fungal infection.

Crystal Villegas, 31, spent the last four months fighting for her life in a Texas hospital after contracting fungal meningitis, a rare infection that causes swelling around the brain and spinal cord.

She traveled to Riverside Clinic in Matamoros, Tamaulipas State, Mexico, located on the border with Texas, US, reportedly to save money on the op.

The outbreak, linked to two Mexican clinics, is feared to have infected hundreds and has already killed nine American women, mostly young mothers, highlighting the dangers of so-called ‘medical tourism.’

Crystal Villegas, 31, spent the last four months fighting for her life in a Texas hospital after contracting fungal meningitis

Ms Villegas battled the infection for four months in Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen

Ms Villegas lived in Brownsville in the state, just on the other side of the border.

She was receiving treatment at the Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen following her boob job, and passed away at around 6:30pm on 30 July.

Her husband Juan Tapia, a super featherweight boxer who fights under the name Johnny Blaze, said: ‘It was a hard four months, she fought hard and never gave up.’

According to Mr Tapia, his wife regretted having the breast implant surgery and desperately wanted to see her three young children grow up and become adults.

He added: ‘Those few months have been very difficult, very hard for me, but I am at peace that she is now resting.’

In the days following the operation in Mexico, Ms Villegas began to complain of a severe headache and her condition worsened with a high fever.

After going to the emergency room, tests revealed she had meningitis.

Ms Villegas pictured with her husband Juan Tapia, a super featherweight boxer who fights under the name Johnny Blaze

Nine Americans have died after receiving cosmetic surgery at either River Side Surgical Center (left) and Clinica K-3 (right) in Matamoros, Mexico

Mr Tapia also claimed that two of Ms Villegas’ friends had also died after undergoing a cosmetic operation, including a close friend in March.

Ms Villegas is one of nine Americans who have died from the fungal infection, including mom-of-two Jody Adkins, mom-of-four Lauren Robinson, who received a boob job, liposuction and Brazilian butt lift (BBL) and mom-of-one Shyanne Medrano, who underwent liposuction and a BBL. A further death of a Mexican patient also occurred, according to local news media.

Before she passed away, Mr Tapia said his wife was ‘learning how to walk again, learning how to use the restroom again, how to talk again.’

He added: ‘Please, please be aware of the risks of cosmetic surgeries. Our hope is to spread awareness so that people can actually do the research.

‘It changes everything. Everything. It’s not worth it.

‘I wish this was all just a bad dream that we could wake up from and go back to the day before the surgery and somehow, someway, convince her not to go.’

Every year, over one million US citizens travel to Mexico for cheap cosmetic procedures at private clinics where safety protocols are often deficient compared to US standards.

The above map shows the location of Matamoros, where the procedures took place. People are being urged not to go there for plastic surgeries

Some 1.2million US residents travel to Mexico annually to undergo elective surgery at a discount, according to Medical Tourism Mexico, which advertises that patients can save up to 80% on a comparable procedure in the US

Earlier in 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advised US residents not to undergo procedures in Mexico that involve epidural medication due to an ‘outbreak of fungal meningitis.’

The fungus isolated in the two clinics appears to be Fusarium solani, which was linked to a previous meningitis outbreak in Durango, Mexico, late last year.

According to the CDC, that outbreak, which was also linked to epidural anesthetic procedures, had an almost 50 percent mortality rate with those infections — with 39 deaths among 80 cases.

The new outbreak is thought to be due to contaminated epidural equipment, used in procedures such as a BBL, or dodgy morphine.

The victims of the latest outbreak have paid up to $5,000 for their surgeries, a fraction of the price they would pay in the US.

Health officials told DailyMail.com in June that they had been able to reach roughly half of the 230 people who received surgery at either clinic since the start of the year. The outbreak was first reported in May 2023.

Both clinics were closed in May. But if other confirmed cases are found at other facilities, the number at risk could be much higher.

The CDC is urging everyone who received surgery with an epidural (injection into the spine to numb part of the body) at either clinic this year to go to the nearest emergency room as soon as possible to be evaluated, even if they do not have symptoms.

The epidural is used in procedures such as liposuction, breast augmentation and Brazilian butt lifts, which can be more than $16,000 cheaper than in the US.

If a woman got these surgeries done in the US, it could set them back up to $20,000.

Chris Van Deusen from Texas Department of Health told DailyMail.com that while most of the cases have been women, some have also been men.

He said: ‘If anybody knows of somebody who may have gone to Matamoros to get surgery, let them know that they could be affected by this and to know what to look out for and they can certainly contact either us at the state or their local health department in their area to get more information.’

In its latest update, the CDC said it is investigating 151 people who may have the infection.

There have been nine deaths. Eight of these are confirmed cases, and one is a probable case. There is now a total of ten confirmed cases.

The patients being overseen by the CDC reported symptoms including headaches, fever, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, confusion, and sensitivity to light.

Dr Tom Chiller, head of the fungal diseases branch at the CDC, told DailyMail.com: ‘It’s so critical to get people in as early as possible and it’s not really too late.

‘I think so far, the longest period from the time of procedure to symptoms has been up to 50 days.

‘Fungi just have these long indolent periods sometimes and we’re not sure why and so it’s really not too late, we want people to get in and be evaluated.’

Dr Chiller added that the agency does not know the exact source of the fungal meningitis yet, and ‘we may never know it, unfortunately.’

He said the CDC is open to the fact that the infection could have occurred in other clinics. Currently, the source of the infection is thought to be the morphine provided to patients by anesthesiologists.

Relatives of Amber Gibson warn social services has ‘blood on its hands’ after tragic life

admin — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 05:43:05 +0000

The social services department involved in the case of tragic Amber Gibson has ‘blood on its hands’, according to relatives of the young girl murdered by her elder brother.

The accusation came as it was announced that an independent review of the circumstances of Amber’s death while under the care of South Lanarkshire Council will be completed after further interviews with witnesses in the criminal case.

Connor Gibson, 20, was yesterday convicted of attacking his sister Amber, 16, in woodland in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, in November 2021.

He removed her clothing, sexually assaulted her with the intention of raping her, inflicted blunt-force trauma to her head and body, and strangled her.

Even after her death, the sickening ordeal was not yet over as Stephen Corrigan, 45, the man who discovered the body in woodland violated her remains and was convicted of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by intimately touching and concealing the body, instead of contacting the emergency services.

The social services department involved in the case of tragic Amber Gibson (pictured) has ‘blood on its hands’, according to relatives of the young girl murdered by her elder brother

Amber (front right) and her brother Connor Gibson (back left) had spent much of their lives in care, but a source from their extended biological family today told MailOnline that social workers from South Lanarkshire Council blocked their maternal grandparents’ efforts to have the children stay with them. The siblings are pictured with their foster parents Carol (front left) and Craig Niven (back right)

Amber and her brother had spent much of their lives in care, but a source from their extended biological family today told MailOnline that social workers from South Lanarkshire Council blocked their maternal grandparents’ efforts to have the children stay with them.

‘The social work department has blood on its hands,’ claimed the family member who asked to remain anonymous.

‘Ambers’ grandparents, Mr and Mrs Adams, are lovely people and did their best for the children, but they needed more help from the authorities and didn’t get it.’

‘It put an enormous financial strain on the Adams, when they had the kids, but they were offered no help. The council seemed to prefer to spend hundreds and hundreds of pounds placing Amber and Connor with foster parents, rather than their own family.’

Mr and Mrs Adams refused to comment when approached by MailOnline.

Amber was aged just three, and her brother five, when they were removed from an abusive family household where they would witness their father Peter Gibson beating their mother Anne-Marie Adams black and blue, dragging her by the hair, putting his hands around her throat.

Peter Gibson was jailed for 10 years only a few months ago for a litany of violent sexual crimes.

Now his son Connor also awaits a life sentence for the brutal killing of his own sister. By the time she was murdered, blameless Amber had spent almost all her life in the care system and had already been a victim of rape.

Connor Gibson, 20, (pictured) was yesterday convicted of attacking his sister Amber, 16, in woodland in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, in November 2021. He removed her clothing, sexually assaulted her with the intention of raping her, inflicted blunt-force trauma to her head and body, and strangled her

Connor and Amber Gibson are seen talking along a street in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire at 9.55pm on November 26, 2021

Connor is pictured on CCTV later at 11.44pm that evening (November 26, 2021) without Amber

Amber, said foster parents Craig and Carol Niven, was the ‘most giving, caring, loving supportive and admirable person’ who had ‘the most amazing outlook on life’.

The devastated couple said they believed the siblings had been ‘let down throughout their lives by the system’.

Just five months before her death, Amber had been raped by 20-year-old Jamie Starrs at his home in Bothwell and her statement proved crucial in bringing the rapist to justice.

Giving evidence at the trial of Connor Gibson, Mr Niven described the siblings as ‘not a good mix’ and said that he wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving them in each other’s company.

It was while they were together in November 2021 that Gibson pounced on his little sister, strangling and attacking her. He had also ripped off her clothes.

Her story began on New Year’s Day 2005 at Wishaw General Hospital in Lanarkshire where her brother and eventual killer had been born two years earlier.

Her parents, Peter Gibson and his much younger partner Ann Marie Adams, are believed to have met online and, by the time Amber arrived, a pattern of abuse was well-established. At their home in North Berwick Crescent, East Kilbride, Gibson inflicted appalling violence on the mother of his children – punching her in the face and kicking her in the body – between August 2001 and August 2007.

The children were taken out of their parental home and put into care and in 2008 the Nivens were approached to look after the pair in another Lanarkshire town. Amber and her brother moved into their Larkhall home but concerns about the older sibling’s behaviour soon arose.

Even after her death, the sickening ordeal was not yet over as Stephen Corrigan, 45, (pictured) the man who discovered the body in woodland violated her remains and was convicted of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by intimately touching and concealing the body, instead of contacting the emergency services

Just five months before her death, Amber had been raped by 20-year-old Jamie Starrs (pictured) at his home in Bothwell and her statement proved crucial in bringing him to justice

For a time they attended separate schools. Amber went to Moore House Academy, around 25 miles away in West Lothian’s Bathgate, while her brother was a pupil at Kear Campus in Blantyre, Lanarkshire – a secondary school for those with social, emotional and behavioural needs.

Former school friends described him as a loner who was prone to sudden fits of rage.

‘He would talk about killing other pupils which, to be fair, I saw as an over-exaggeration, but looking back on it now maybe the stuff he said wasn’t exaggeration at all,’ one classmate said.

A former female pupil described him as a ‘disgusting human’ who ‘threatened to rip’ her baby from her while she was pregnant.

Ultimately, the foster care arrangement broke down and Amber moved into Hamilton-based Hillhouse children’s unit when she was 14. Her brother remained with the Nivens until his 18th birthday in 2020.

It was while in the care of the state that Amber was raped by 20-year-old Jamie Starrs, who attacked her in June 2021 after being released on bail for another sex attack.

At the time of her murder, her brother was a resident at Hamilton’s Blue Triangle project, a hostel for homeless youngsters in Lanarkshire, while she was living at the Hillhouse unit.

Angel McKean, 19, a friend of Amber’s there, said the siblings’ relationship was turbulent.

But she said when she last spoke to Amber, hours before she was killed, she had been looking forward to seeing her brother.

Care home manager Ian Currie, 55, said Connor Gibson called the Hillhouse unit to speak to his sister on the day she was killed.

A short time later, Amber left with him, despite Mr Currie’s attempts to discourage her from doing so. She was never seen alive again.

Amber’s foster parents said she was the ‘most giving, caring, loving supportive and admirable person’ who had ‘the most amazing outlook on life’. Amber is pictured above

Four days later, Gibson wrote a tribute to his sister on social media: ‘Amber. You will fly high for the rest of time. We all miss you. Especially me. I love you ginger midget, GBNF [gone but not forgotten] xx.’ Hours before he was arrested for her murder, he shared another post in which he urged townsfolk to ‘leave a light on’ for Amber.

It was while Connor Gibson was awaiting trial for murder that his natural father, aged 62, was jailed for physical and sexual abuse.

The High Court in Glasgow heard how he had raped a woman in East Kilbride, after tying her up and blindfolding her. He also grabbed this victim by the neck restricting her breathing.

Peter Gibson was also convicted of indecently assaulted a young boy and punching and kicking him to his injury. Other convictions included lewd and libidinous behaviour towards another boy.

Mr and Mrs Niven were in court yesterday to hear the guilty verdict on their former foster son. In a statement, they said: ‘When they arrived at our home, Amber was three and Connor aged five.

‘Connor stated “We are safe” – they were until he took the safety away.’

They added: ‘Amber deserved to live a life of hope and opportunities.

‘As a family, we will never be able to get over how this was taken from her. We are relieved the people involved in what happened to her are now behind bars.’

Pictured: Police on the scene at Cadzow Glen park in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, where the body of Amber Gibson was discovered at around 10.10am on Sunday, November 26

CCTV captured Connor Gibson (pictured) walking home alone after killing Amber

CCTV captured Connor apparently disposing clothing after killing Amber in November 2021

South Lanarkshire Council described the case as ‘truly tragic’ and confirmed that in 2021 it established an independent review of the circumstances, which can now conclude since the court case has been closed.

Professor Soumen Sengupta, Director of Health and Social Care for South Lanarkshire, said: “This has been a truly tragic case, and our thoughts remain with all those who knew and loved Amber. There are established procedures in place for tragic events of this nature which are designed to ensure that events are fully understood and, if necessary, learned from.

‘In this case, after Amber’s death the Care Inspectorate and the Chair of the Child Protection Committee (CPC) were informed. The CPC acted to establish an independent review under an extremely experienced independent expert in the field. They have already carried out most of the work involved and will now be able to conclude the review, including interviewing people who were witnesses in the criminal case.

‘The results of the review will be delivered to the CPC once complete and then shared with the Public Protection Chief Officer Group. It is anticipated that the findings will be publicly reported in an appropriate format.’

South Lanarkshire Council declined to comment on the family’s claims but a source with knowledge of the case insisted there had never been an application from members of Amber’s family for custody of her or her brother.