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The Journal
29 minutes ago
- The Journal
What's behind the online 'nude pics' row between Azealia Banks and Conor McGregor?
A SOMEWHAT UNEXPECTED row between rapper Azelia Banks and Conor McGregor blew up yesterday after the New York musician posted what appeared to be nude photos of the former MMA fighter. Banks is a 34-year-old rapper from Harlem who broke into the global music scene with her smash hit '212′ in 2012, and has had a number of critically acclaimed albums. She is also well-known for her controversial and often changing opinions and statements – in 2019, for instance, she described Irish people as 'a bunch of prideful inbred leprechauns' after a sold-out gig in Dublin. Yesterday morning she posted two photos on X, seemingly of McGregor, in which he was nude in front of a mirror. In one of the photos he appeared to have a weight hanging from his penis, and there was an accompanying message – apparently from McGregor to Banks – which read: 'Don't be a rat cos all rats get caught'. In a further tweet, tagging McGregor, Banks says: 'Like how are you really going to sexually harass me with the potato farmer d*** then threaten me not to tell??? 'Honey…… ain't u trying to be the president of Ireland what is it giving fam? Advertisement 'Use some f***ing sunscreen damn.' Later, Banks further tweeted that she and McGregor 'have been sending each other unsolicited nudes since 2016″. X removed the original photos that Banks posted. McGregor hasn't commented on the posts, but has been active online including posting videos of himself on a yacht and sharing a 'Happy Birthday' message to himself. The Journal has contacted representation for both McGregor and Banks for comment. Appeal over civil court sexual abuse verdict McGregor was deemed liable for sexually assaulting Nikita Hand in the Beacon Hotel on 9 December 2018 following a three-week civil trial at the High Court, with the jury in the case awarding Hand over €248,000 in damages. McGregor, who had denied the allegations, subsequently appealed the jury's decision and is seeking a re-trial of the civil case against him. At the start of this month, lawyers for McGregor withdrew their application to introduce new evidence as part of his appeal against the civil jury finding. You can read our further coverage of the case here. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The Journal
29 minutes ago
- The Journal
Case of Irish tourist detained in US after outstaying visa by three days 'disgraceful'
AN IRISH-AMERICAN lawyer has said he is 'not surprised' to hear that an Irish tourist was jailed in the US for three months after he overstayed his visa by three days. Brian O'Dwyer, a veteran Irish-American lawyer and a well-known immigration activist, told The Journal : 'The idea is to be as mean spirited, as cruel as you can be, so to discourage people from from overstaying their visas. 'It's an absolutely horrendous way, and it's frankly disgraceful, but it is certainly what's happening right now.' According to The Guardian newspaper , the man spent two months in a detention centre run by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) before being moved to a federal prison. He returned to Ireland in March. 'Thomas', who spoke to the newspaper anonymously, said that while visiting his girlfriend in the states, he tore his calf and was told by a doctor not to travel for eight to 12 weeks, which meant he had to remain in the US until slightly after his visa expired. He said he sought an extension from the Irish and American embassies and the Department of Homeland Security, but did not hear back from them. After suffering a mental health episode in a hotel room with his girlfriend, police were called and Thomas was taken to jail. When he was released on bond, he was picked up by US immigration authorities and taken to an ICE processing centre in Georgia. On 17 December, he signed a form agreeing to be removed from the US, but instead of being deported, he remained in custody after Donald Trump took office and was unable to get answers as to why ICE were still keeping him in custody. Advertisement In February, around two months after he was detained, he was moved from Georgia to a prison in Atlanta which houses criminal defendants on federal charges. Thomas told The Guardian that the conditions here were worse than in Georgia. The Department of Foreign Affairs has been contacted by The Journal for comment. Speaking to The Journal , O'Dwyer said he was 'not surprised' to hear about the case. 'This is not unusual for what has basically become a very cruel way of enforcing the law in the United States right now,' he said. Since he came into office, US President Donald Trump has been pouring resources into arresting and deporting undocumented immigrants as he aims to carry out the immigration purge that was promised during his presidential campaign. Today, the Washington Post is reporting that immigrants who arrive in the US without documents will no longer be eligible for bond hearings and will be detained for the duration of their removal proceedings, which can take months or years. 'They are ratcheting it up so that they can keep people in detention for as long as they want and and that's as frightening as as can be,' O'Dwyer said. The man who spoke to The Guardian is the latest Irish person to be detained by US immigration officials in recent months. Last month, a Donegal man who had lived in Boston for more than 15 years was deported to Ireland less than a month after he was detained for violating his visa waiver. The man, who is the father to two American-born children, had joined the waiting list for green card applications three years ago . In April, Irish woman Cliona Ward, who has been a legal resident of California for 30 years, was detained by ICE for three weeks after returning from a trip to Ireland to visit her sick father. Related Reads Irish woman detained by US immigration to be released after charges dropped in court 'Fear across the board' for undocumented Irish in the United States, says immigration lawyer Undocumented Irish not forgotten as Harris says immigration is 'sensitive' topic in US right now She was taken into custody after complying with a request to report to an immigration facility and presented documents showing that her decades-old drug and motor vehicle convictions had been expunged, which was not recognised under federal law. She was released in May . O'Dwyer said the details of the length of time the man was detained is similar to the experiences of people he knows of who were detained. 'Once they were told that they were out of status and they had to go, what they said to the immigration authorities was 'Okay, I'm ready to go. I'll get on the plane and go'. But they kept them in detention for many, many days, basically just to give them a hard time.' He said the case is somewhat unusual given it involved a tourist, which is something he said he has not seen as yet amid the ICE raids and detentions. But he said it was still unsurprising that it happened. 'There is a marked decrease in the number of Irish coming to the United States,' he said. Figures published earlier this year showed tourism from Ireland to the US was down 27% in March. 'Something like this, of course, will only heighten the decrease in tourism. We've also seen a huge decline in J1 visas as well, because people were just not going to put up with this type of stuff,' O'Dwyer said. Asked what advice he would give to Irish people thinking of travelling to the US, he said: 'I'd be very careful. 'Unless they were 100% sure that their papers were in order, I wouldn't come.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Independent
44 minutes ago
- Irish Independent
‘It still doesn't feel real' – Irish tourist detained by US immigration authorities for overstaying visa by three days
The 35-year-old tech worker and father of three, travelled to West Virginia to visit his girlfriend last autumn under the visa waiver program, which allows tourists to stay in the country for 90 days. The Guardian reports the man's medical records show he was unable to travel as planned last December due to a health issue, but he was detained in three different US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities for around 100 days. He agreed to deportation when he was first arrested, but the man remained in detention and was not returned home until March of this year, when he said he was banned from entering the US for ten years. It comes amid a broader crackdown on immigration by the Trump administration, which has included increased checks for visa applicants, including the 'thorough vetting' of social media accounts. Earlier this year, Irish woman Cliona Ward, who lived in the US since she was a teenager, was detained for more than two weeks in relation to decades old convictions that she understood had been expunged. The Guardian has reported that 'Thomas', who could not be named as he feared facing further consequences with US authorities, planned to return home in October last year but tore his calf, which led to severe swelling and difficulties walking. "Thomas' told The Guardian that a doctor ordered him not to travel for 8 to 12 weeks due to the risk of blood clots which meant he had to stay beyond December 8, when his visa expired. He said he contacted the Irish and US embassies and the Department of Homeland Security to seek an extension, but acknowledged it was short notice and did not hear back. "I thought they would understand because I had the correct paperwork. It was just a couple of days for medical reasons.' While visiting his girlfriend's family in Georgia, he suffered a mental health episode and someone, who had overheard a conflict between the pair in their hotel room, called the police. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more His girlfriend told The Guardian that she hoped officers would get him treatment and did not want him to face criminal charges, but he was taken to jail and accused of 'falsely imprisoning' her in the room. He was soon released on bond but was picked up by US immigration authorities, who transported him to an ICE processing center in Folkston, Georgia. Despite signing a removal order agreeing to his deportation, he remained in detention and was at one point transported to a federal prison for criminal defendants where he said detainees were 'treated less than human' and he 'didn't see the sky for weeks.' He was escorted back to Ireland by two armed federal officers after being transferred to another facility in March, though The Guardian reports it remains unclear why he was jailed for so long for a minor immigration violation. 'I'll never forget it, and it'll be a long time before I'll be able to even start to unpack everything I went through. It still doesn't feel real,' he said. A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs said it is 'aware of this case and has provided consular assistance. As with all consular cases, the Department does not comment on the details of individual cases. 'The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade publishes advice for outward travel in respect of over 200 countries and territories. The advice provides an objective assessment of the risks individuals could face if travelling overseas, with a view to helping them to make informed decisions for themselves. This includes recently revised travel advice in regard to citizens traveling to the United States. 'All of our travel advice is reviewed regularly and updated based on consultation with our Embassies and Consulates on the ground, the relevant local authorities in each country, and our international partners, together with our domestic partners where appropriate.'
