USA Update

NEMANJA MATIC has received a ban after he covered an LGBTQ+ campaign logo on his kit with tape.

The former Manchester United and Chelsea midfielder, who now plays for Ligue 1 club Lyon, covered up the logo on his sleeve for the final game of the season.

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Nemanja Matic has been banned for two games for covering an LGBTQ+ campaign logo on his sleeve with tape[/caption]

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Matic, 36, used tape to cover a rainbow coloured Ligue 1 logo on his Lyon shirt for their final day victory over Angers.

The logo was part of Ligue 1’s annual campaign against homophobia which sees every club shirt adorned with the rainbow design.

Matic wasn’t the only player to cover the logo, with Le Havre forward Ahmed Hassan also covering the sleeve design with tape.

According to Belgian news outlet HLN, both Matic and Hassan have been handed two-match bans by the French Football Federation as a result of their actions.

The pair will also reportedly have to undergo an awareness campaign about homophobia in football.

Matic is believed to be a member of the Serbian Orthodox Church and Hassan is Muslim.

A third player, Nantes striker Mostafa Mohamed, has escaped punishment after refusing to play with the logo.

Mohamed, who is also a practicing Muslim, chose not to play in the final match of the season rather than covering the logo up.

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Le Havre forward Ahmed Hassan (right) also covered up the logo[/caption]

AFP

Mohamed cited his ‘values’ for not playing in Nantes 3-0 win over Montpellier.

He wrote on social media: “Living together also means recognising that this diversity can be expressed differently from one person to another.

“I believe in mutual respect – the respect we owe others, but also the respect we owe ourselves and our beliefs.

“As for me, there are deep-rooted values tied to my heritage and my faith, which make participating in this initiative difficult.”

The actions of the Matic, Hassan and Mohamed prompted France’s sports minister Marie Basacq to issue a statement after the final day of the Ligue 1 campaign.

Barsacq said: “Football has a massive platform, and the [French Football] Federation is determined to put this issue on the clubs’ and supporters’ agenda.

“Homophobic insults and behaviour are no longer acceptable.

“Society has evolved, and the language in football must change with it. There’s a full range of sanctions available, and they must be applied.”

Although rare, some players have spoken out in support of the LGBTQ+ community in the past.

Speaking six years ago, Atletico Madrid and French international Antoine Griezmann said: “If a gay player wants to come out, he might not have all the France players with him, but he will have me.”

RITA Ora is back – and she’s feeling sexier than ever.

Sitting down with Bizarre’s Jack as she drops her new single Heat today, the singer says: “I wanted to really celebrate my sexuality and the way I am as a woman.

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Another line has Rita singing: ‘Only one thing I need. Your heat on me’[/caption]

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Rita Ora says she’s still in the honeymoon phase with husband Taika Waititi three years after tying the knot[/caption]

“My last album was so different, it was about my love life and getting married.

“But with this next lot of music I wanted it to be so carefree and back to how I was coming up in the industry.

“I wanted to celebrate everything I have become.

“It’s not super deep, just fun.”

Rita certainly doesn’t hold back on Heat, with racy lyrics including: “Sex on sight, anywhere you like. Inside or outside.”

Another line has Rita singing: “Only one thing I need. Your heat on me.”

Keen not to put words into her mouth, I ask Rita what she means and she gives a cheeky laugh, explaining it’s not just about getting down and dirty.

“It’s the need of it happening right now, in this moment,” Rita says.

“It’s the idea that I want it on right now or I don’t want to hear about it.

“It’s that simple. I think that comes from the excitement of the song.

“I wanted it to feel instant and to have an impact.

“It is a brave, straight-up demand that you can use in any way you want.”

As for her own love life, Rita is happily married to Hollywood director Taika Waititi and even three years after they married, she is still in the honeymoon phase, adding: “I feel in a really great happy place right now.”

She is now turning her hand to playing Cupid with her pals so they find “the one”, telling me not to only go for “your type on paper”.

Rita adds: “I have never really had a type, I have never really thought of it like that.

“It’s always been about the person.

“I’ve never cancelled anyone out as they don’t fit my perfect list of what I think’s perfect.

“You don’t really know until you meet someone who takes you by surprise. Being open may surprise you.

“That would be my advice.

“It’s helped a lot of my friends and now I see them and they are really happy, but admit they’d have never gone for that person.”

This weekend, Rita will perform Heat for the first time at WorldPride in Washington and her fans heading to Capital’s SummerTime Ball on June 15 will hear it there too.

‘Always nervous’

And after five years, a UK tour also looks to be just around the corner. Rita says: “My favourite thing is performing live.

“The fact I can still say I get to do it is a blessing.

“I am really lucky.

“I’m supporting Ricky Martin on tour and hopefully next year my own tour.

“There is a lot happening.

“I’m hitting the ground running.

“My time off is usually around Christmas.”

For now, she is focusing on her new music and the follow-up to her last album You & I, which reached No6 in the charts when she released it in 2023.

“I am always nervous as it’s new music,” Rita says.

“Its like having a baby.

“You put it out into the world and you can’t control how it’s digested.

“You put so much effort into one thing and then you have to learn how to let it go.”

A DEBENHAMS that was once a bustling shopping hub is set to be transformed into a co-living space.

The former store is set to be demolished and replaced by a ten-storey block with a cinema, gym and podcast studio.

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The former Debenhams store in Chelmsford, Essex, is going to be transformed into co-living spaces[/caption]

Similar to student halls, the plan submitted to Chelmsford City Council envisages 181 single-occupancy rooms.

If approved, each room will have a bed, kitchenette and an ensuite bathroom.

They will also have a wardrobe, desk and storage.

The communal spaces will contain facilities like a lounge, co-working space, event space, a gym, cinema and podcast studio.

The shared areas will be available to the public on an invite-only basis.

The vision for the development is to provide young professionals with affordable living spaces.

Co-living housing is a new concept that is defined by a large-scale purpose-built shared accommodation.

In cities, there has been a rise in single people and couples living in warehouses and large disused buildings for cheap rent.

Savills have said that co-living schemes are a way to tackle the cripling housing crisis by “offering shared affordable, high quality accommodation, predominantly for 18 to 40-year-olds, with fully furnished private living units, communal areas and often flexible working space”.

A planning statement said: “The site sits in a primary location within the Chelmsford City Centre, opposite the River Chelmer and within walking distance to Chelmsford High Street, and to both Chelmsford train station and bus station. It was formerly in use as the servicing block to the adjacent Debenhams department store.

“However, it is now redundant with limited scope for it to be brought back into use for retail servicing.

“On this basis, it presents as a highly sustainable brownfield site with substantial scope to enhance and contribute towards the wider strategic goals of Chelmsford.”

This comes after another former Debenhams was given a new lease of life as an entertainment venue.

After the business went into administration in 2020, hundreds of the huge department stores were left empty on UK high streets.

Now, one of the abandoned stores has been completely transformed into the ultimate entertainment space.

The Debenhams in Midsummer Place, Milton Keynes has been revamped by entertainment company Lane 7.

The 40,000 square foot space has been kitted out with a bowling alley, roller skating rink, golf simulators, bumper cars, pool tables and a gaming experience.

Lane 7’s Luke Harvey said: “The culture of what people want from their nights out has changed a lot recently, the shift from being a drinking culture has stopped a little bit, especially for 18-24 year olds.

“People want a little more from their nights out; they don’t necessarily want to go to a nightclub anymore.

“They want something fun and something they can do with a range of different friends and families.”

Since opening in March, the venue has seen about 2,300 visitors on its busiest days which are usually Friday nights and evenings.

The entertainment company has taken over the ground floor, while Sports Direct occupies the upper floors.

Although shoppers can still buy from Debenhams online, all of its 124 beloved high street stores closed down because of falling profits and rising debt.

The financial problems were triggered by a combination of consumers moving online, as well as Covid lockdowns which stalled profits.

Across the country, councils and developers have been repurposing former Debenhams stores.

One in Northampton was demolished and replaced by student housing in October 2024, a fate that will follow for the two other stores left in the city.

REALITY hit Love Is Blind invites singles to fall in love having never locked eyes, never mind lips.

And Netflix is clearly smitten too, having ordered a THIRD run of the dating show before the second has even aired.

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Emma and Matt Willis host the UK version of Love Is Blind[/caption]

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Married couple Emma and Matt Willis host the UK version of the global format which sees participants ‘date’ either side of a wall, with the aim of reaching a marriage proposal.

Only once they have become engaged can the couples meet in person.

The series then follows them as they decide if they really do want to tie the knot and prove love can be blind.

It was a huge hit, with the show garnering 40.9million views in its first month.

A source said: “Everyone at Netflix was thrilled when the UK took to Love Is Blind as passionately as its global counterparts.

“The second series will air this summer but Netflix has begun work on series three as it’s such a no-brainer.”

The news comes the same week the streamer axed Holly Willoughby‘s Celebrity Bear Hunt as its ratings did not justify the vast budget.

Maybe they should have made the A-listers navigate the jungle in blindfolds . . . 

JEZ SHOW GROWS VIEWERS

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JEREMY CLARKSON’s farm has produced another impressive feat – beating Disney.

The launch of series four on May 23 boosted Prime Video’s viewing hours by more than 17million.

And that helped the streamer leapfrog Disney+ to make it into the top three video-on-demand providers for that week.

Netflix and YouTube always lead the chart, this time clocking 142.8million and 140.6million hours, but Prime had 62.8million thanks to Jezza’s series while Disney+ was on 57.3million.

A source said: “Clarkson’s Farm always delivers.

“Jeremy is one of Prime Video’s most bankable stars and with another series on the way next year, the only way is up.”

APP AIDS DYSLEX LUTHER

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Luther star Idris Elba has struggled with dyslexia throughout his career[/caption]

HE’S been learning scripts for more than three decades, but that doesn’t mean it all comes easy to Idris Elba.

The Luther star has struggled with dyslexia throughout his career, so he uses tech to assist him.

Now Idris has revealed that he and Luther director Stefan Schwartz have launched a new app to help actors learn scripts.

Speaking at London’s SXSW festival, he said: “I find reading scripts very difficult, actually absorbing words.

“My wife knows about this, because whenever I’m texting her, I miss out half the sentences.

“The dyslexia grew over time and it became a bit of a hindrance for me.

“[The app] was just about, ‘what if I could do this in a different way?’”

The tech is currently being used by Stefan on Rings of Power, which Idris admitted he hopes to one day star in.

“Stefan hasn’t cast me yet,” he concluded.

“I’m a little salty about it.”

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THE Fortune Hotel, hosted by Stephen Mangan, will return to ITV this summer for its second run, this time with a companion podcast Late Check Out.

Comedian Ellie Taylor, who will host the pod, added: “We’ll be getting all the gossip and hearing directly from contestants.”

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A MUM has been slammed for piercing her one-year-old daughter’s ears with large gold hoops.

Molly Ahern took to social media, sharing a video of her tot which left people horrified.

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But the mum hit back at trolls judging her[/caption]

The clip, which has now taken the internet by storm, shows her daughter snuggled under a blanket with her mum.

The only thing shown is her daughter’s large gold hoops hanging from her ears.

In the clip, the mum joked she was making the most of her daughter’s cuddles before she grew up.

She wrote: “Treasuring these cuddles cos in 15 years I’m gonna be a ‘fat s**g’ for not letting a drug dealer with one tracksuit and a 3.5 to his name stay in my home with her.”

Molly also captioned the post ‘No boyfriends.’

But that was not what caught viewers’ attention.

Instead, people were focused on the little girl’s earrings and had plenty to say about it.

The video shared on her TikTok account @molly.ahern21 went viral with over 200k views and people didn’t hold back on their opinions.

While some said it was giving ‘council house’ vibes others called her a ‘chav.’

One person wrote: “Holy council estate.”

Another commented: “The earrings say enough already.”

“Oh dear,” penned a third.

Meanwhile a fourth said: “Those hoops are a choking hazard.”

“The earrings are a NO!” claimed a fifth.

Someone else added: “The earrings! Poor baby.”

But Molly didn’t seem fussed as to what haters had to say.

In the comments, she told them to ‘put a sock in it,’ and revealed her baby didn’t cry when the piercing was done.

In another clip, laughing at the nasty trolls, she said she and her baby was unfazed by the hate.

“My little baby doll chav,” she captioned the post.

BOXER TOMMY Fury’s rollercoaster relationship with Molly-Mae Hague has helped the former Love islander bag a second series of her Prime Video show, Behind it All.

The couple, who got together on the ITV dating show six years ago, sensationally split up in 2024.

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The fate of Molly-Mae Hague’s documentary series has been revealed[/caption]

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The pair’s rollercoaster relationship spans six years since their time on Love Island[/caption]

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The documentary’s first episodes dropped in January[/caption]

However, they were reunited with a New Year’s Eve clinch, all of which was captured in the documentary.

Prime were blown away by the ratings and were particularly thrilled by the huge numbers of young female viewers which Mollie, 26, brought to the streaming service.

A TV insider said: “Molly-Mae: Behind it All was the most watched show by females in the UK in the hugely valuable 18 to 35 age group.

“That’s a crucial market for the streamer to tap into.

“Viewers were obviously hooked by the ups and downs of her relationship with Tommy, but also inspired by her juggling her love life with being a mother to their young daughter as well as running a business.

“Prime is so keen to get it back on screen that production has already kicked off on the second season which will either drop later this year or early next year.”

Tommy, 26, who is the half brother of boxer champion Tyson Fury, was accused of cheating on Molly-Mae when they split up last August.

They seemed to be reunited after their passionate clinch in January, and have been pictured together on numerous occasions since.

But she only confirmed they were back together last month.

Prime has teased that the second series: “is set to be more personal than ever, as we see Molly at a crossroads in her life…

“With more on her plate than ever before, Molly-Mae is testing living arrangements, taking on personal challenges and making some life altering decisions.”

Molly-Mae: Behind It All dropped its first three episodes in January.

This was followed by a second batch of three episodes four months later.

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Behind it All will be coming back for more[/caption]

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COCO Gauff is looking to add even more history to her resume.

With yet another win at the French Open, Gauff is one step away from from her first major win.

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Coco Gauff is moving on to the French Open final[/caption]

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She took down Lois Boisson in two sets[/caption]

Gauff took down Lois Boisson on her home turf in the semifinal matchup.

It was utter dominance from Gauff, only needing two sets to finish off the Frenchwoman.

Despite the crowd overwhelmingly rooting for Boisson, Gauff took the first two sets 6-1 and 6-2 to win the match.

It was a miraculous run from Boisson to even get to the semifinal.

She was ranked No. 361 heading into the event.

However, she managed to take down No. 3 Jessica Pegula and No. 6 Mirra Andreeva to get to the semifinals.

Gauff, who sometimes finds herself emotional during matches, looked completely locked in.

She didn’t get down on herself after mistakes and was calm, cool, and collected throughout the entire win.

However, she did let out a storm of emotion once capturing the win.

The French crowd was left quieted after Gauff’s dominance, as the final French player was eliminated from the tournament.

Now, Gauff is moving on to play in the final against No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.

She has breezed through the competition, winning her first, second, third, fourth, and quarter-final round matches in two sets.

Thursday’s semifinal was the first match that brought her to three sets.

Her match against Gauff should produce plenty of fireworks between two women looking for their first French Open win.

Fans are thrilled for the matchup and shared who they are rooting for on social media.

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Gauff is looking for her first French Open title[/caption]

“Should be a great match! Can Coco’s serve hold up?” one fan said.

“Best 2 players in women’s tennis,” another fan said.

“Going to be a classic,” a third fan said.

“Let’s Go Coco!!!!!!” a fourth fan said.

“Coco all the way!” a fifth fan said.

A RECORD rate of Social Security claims are now being filed leading many to fear a massive delay to payments.

The claimant number is now on track to hit 4 million, with the Social Security Administration (SSA) facing damaging cutbacks.

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A record rate of Social Security claims have now been filed, leading many to fear a massive delay to payments[/caption]

As one of the most important pieces of financial aid, Social Security is now being overwhelmed with new claims for support.

The most recent data from the SSA shows that the number of people asking for support is nearing the 4 million mark.

This marks an increase of 17% to 1.8 million claimants this year through May compared with the same 2024 period, according to the SSA.

The SSA already provides services to nearly 70 million retirees in the US, and will struggle to fulfil this much traffic.

The spike has come as Donald Trump has slashed SSA staffing from 57,000 to 50,000, despite the President’s pledge not to touch it.

This is down from the SSA’s 63,000 employees a decade ago in 2015.

Over the past 10 years, the number of people claiming Social Security has risen from roughly 59 million to where it is today.

Max Richtman, president of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, told CBS: “I have attended several town halls around the country, and many people have asked if they should claim benefits early given Trump and [Elon] Musk’s interference in the system.

“People are scared, and they’re not sure what to do.”

A STRUGGLING INSTITUION

The SSA has long sparked concern, because it is paying out more than it is collecting through taxes.

This is due to the aging US population, so the SSA has been dipping into its trust fund to pay beneficiaries.

The agency has projected this fund will run out in 2035, triggering a benefits cut of about 20% for recipients.

A record number of people are hitting retirement age, which would add to the strain.

It is also thought that recent changes to Social Security through the Social Security Fairness Act is creating more recipients than ever.

The US Sun reported in February that a change in law would give millions retroactive payments they had been denied.

Some 3.2 million Americans were having their checks withheld due to a couple of loopholes, Government Pension Offset (GPO), and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP).

But now these are gone, and more retirees are being paid money they are owed through the SSA.

While this gives needed support to millions, it does add extra strain to the SSA.

Lee Dudek, Acting Commissioner of Social Security, said: “Social Security’s aggressive schedule to start issuing retroactive payments in February and increase monthly benefit payments beginning in April supports President Trump’s priority to implement the Social Security Fairness Act as quickly as possible.

“The agency’s original estimate of taking a year or more now will only apply to complex cases that cannot be processed by automation.

“The American people deserve to get their due benefits as quickly as possible.”

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It marks an increase of 17% to 1.8 million claimants this year through May compared with the same 2024 period[/caption]

KHLOE Kardashian raised eyebrows with a unique pair of jeans that showed off her amazing curves.

Khloe, 40, posed in the almost $600 thong jeans by French design-house, Thierry Mugler.

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Khloe Kardashian shows off her butt in skintight thong jeans[/caption]

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Her fans were divided over the jeans[/caption]

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But many agreed she looked fabulous regardless of the jeans[/caption]

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The jeans are designed by Thierry Mugler[/caption]

The Spiral skinny jeans showed off the mom-of-two’s best assets thanks to black panels down the back of the leg, that contrasted against the blue denim color to give a thong-like effect.

Khloé posted photos of her posing in the country-inspired design, completing the look with a black t-shirt and cowboy hat.

“This ain’t Texas IYKYK,” she captioned the post, quoting lyrics to Beyoncé’s hit track, Texas Hold ‘Em.

Fans were divided about the look, and even though many did not like the jeans, admitted Khloé looked incredible.

“Not a fan of the jeans at all, but she’s beautiful always,” wrote one person in the comments.

Another added: “Only Khloé can wear these jeans – anybody else I’ll make fun of – bye.”

And a third commented: “It’s not! We don’t wear those in Texas lol.”

While a fourth posted: “What the actual hell Khloé. And hair up when wearing a cowboy hat?! Girl what!”

Khloé’s foray into country style came after it was revealed her ex-husband Lamar Odom has reportedly been evicted from hiw Los Angeles mansion.

The former Los Angeles Clippers player was evicted allegedly due to ‘failing to pay $45k in rent.’

The New York Post reported that he has been ordered to vacate his mansion after he failed to pay $45,000 in back rent.

In March, Executive Recovery Group, Inc. -the sublessor of the Studio City megamansion – sued Lamar.

The company claimed that the Mavericks star agreed to pay $15,000 a month to stay at the sprawling home.

According to the publication, Executive Recovery Group, Inc has claimed that the former Lakers player did not pay any rent for three months between January and March.

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The jeans were debuted on the 2021 catwalk by Bella Hadid[/caption]