Latest news with #Philippa
Gulf Weekly
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Weekly
Enter the world of fantasy
Bahraini author Bader AlSadeqi's new titles, The Wayfall Kidnapping and His Heroic Worth, are set to hit the shelves this month, transporting readers to a fantastic world of dwarves, elves, knights, princesses and more. The 75-page The Wayfall Kidnapping is a villainous caper-crime fantasy novella – the creative talent's first attempt at the sub-genre. 'I wanted to try a story with more villain-centric characters,' the 32-year-old told GulfWeekly, explaining his experience with the style. 'All the stories I write take place in the same fantasy world, but independent of each other, and while all have a focus on action and adventure, their characters are not necessarily all heroic. Writing a caper-crime novella added more fun and flexibility in my storytelling. 'The challenge was coming up with a more straightforward story while maintaining some fun and excitement, especially with the focus on villains as main characters. I felt this was something different, and I found the experience very enjoyable,' he added. A caper story is a type of crime fiction and, unlike straight crime, has elements of humour, adventure or unusual cleverness – the main character often exhibits comical idiosyncrasies and law enforcement individuals are typically incompetent. Wayfall Kidnapping is set in the glittering city of Wayfall. The story explores a daring team of women, each with an unapologetic history involving crime, who are brought together for a job that might catapult them to fame or the darkness of death. The novella is part of Bader's Daedalusian Legends series, which currently comprises seven titles, including the new books. 'Writing these fantasy fictions has been a journey of weaving intricate plots, crafting more or less morally complex characters, and balancing the thrills with the depth of world-building,' said the IT-systems analyst and holder of a Bachelor's degree in Information Technology and Security from NYIT. 'One of the greatest highlights has been watching the story evolve, seeing characters surprise me, twists unfold naturally, and the world take on a life of its own. 'The biggest challenge? Ensuring the mystery remains sharp while keeping the fantasy elements immersive and believable. 'I've been working on these stories for over a month or more, refining every detail to make the adventure as gripping as possible.' Blending action, adventure, and other tropes of traditional heroic fantasy, sword and sorcery, His Heroic Worth is a 54-page short story and tells the tale of Prince Ronvid of Novidraken and Princess Philippa of Corniashire, who have long been betrothed – their union arranged to unite two neighbouring kingdoms. As the day of their long-awaited wedding draws near, the young couple temporarily escapes courtly life for a private retreat. But their idyllic getaway turns into a disaster when a vicious wyvern descends from the skies, abducting Philippa, setting the stage for 'a crucible of devotion, valour and chivalry', one that will truly test Ronvid. Bader has been passionate about fantasy and science fiction ever since he was a young boy, which inspired him to write stories of his own. His books are a testament to his 'wild imagination', which he dreams of sharing with others.
Daily Mail
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
This is my most complimented dress this summer - and Sienna Miller is a fan of the look too
Unfortunately I don't have a huge amount in common with the incredibly beautiful and talented global superstar Sienna Miller - but one thing we do share is a love of a good brown summer dress. The actress was recently snapped out in New York with Emily Blunt, wearing a rich chocolate brown dress that made her look more radiant than ever. With delicate tie straps at the shoulders and a glossy finish, the satin St Agni dress is definitely outside my budget at £481 - but that doesn't mean I can't take style inspiration from the gorgeous block colour of her outfit. Brown might not be an obvious colour choice for summer, but actually it looks much softer than black, is great with a tan and much more suitable than white if you don't want to be covered in stains within 20 seconds of leaving your house. My go-to dress of the summer is the the Audrey midi dress from Aym in chocolate brown. In fact I've had so many compliments on it that I've found myself constantly sharing the link with various friends so they can buy it too. Audrey midi dress £129 Shop At £129 it's not cheap, but the quality is fantastic, with a double-layered mid-length skirt and bamboo/cotton mix fabric that feels soft yet supportive. The shape is also amazingly flattering, thanks partly to the adjustable, lace up waist at the back. I'm actually tempted to buy it in a few more colours, because as far as I'm concerned, this really is the ultimate dress shape. Anyway, back to brown dresses - and there are loads to choose from on the high street, starting from as little as £20. Here are some of the best... Felicity midi dress £99 Shop Belted midi shirt dress £20 Shop Crochet trim sleeveless midi dress £22.50 Shop Drawstring-detail dress £27.99 Shop Chocolate brown spot print puff sleeve midi dress £36 Shop Next Colorado midi dress £69 Shop Philippa dress £125 Shop Kerrie dress £198 Shop £98 Shop Reiss Iona dress £165 Shop Sezane
Irish Examiner
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Suzanne Harrington: Anyone justifying Iran civilian casualties will have blood on their hands
My friend Philippa is desperately worried about her relatives. Aunts, uncles, cousins, grandchildren who live in affluent neighbourhoods in Tehran — areas an out-of-control Netanyahu is now bombing because it's where Iran's political leaders live. One of her aunts is 92 and lives alone. Mossad has been detonating car bombs around the city — a classic terrorist tactic, leaving civilians duly terrified. Already there are petrol and food shortages. The internet was down — she's been unable to contact family members. Trump's call to 'evacuate Tehran' is, says cultural historian Dr Nahid Siamdoust, 'extremely disconcerting'. She wonders where its 15 million inhabitants are supposed to go. Or how to get there. Or what to do then. Meanwhile, Israel is doing its usual trick of bombing hospitals while presenting to the world as a victim. Israel has also been bombing Iran's media HQ, which is located in a built-up residential area — the equivalent of dropping bombs on Donnybrook, Dublin 4. And yes, Iran's official media has long been a propaganda tool for a brutal, repressive regime which most ordinary Iranians fear and loathe, but how can this justify bombing civilians? It can't. Nothing can, ever, anywhere, for any reason. You'd think we'd know this by now. REFORMS STOPPED FOR OIL Until August 19, 1953, Iran was a progressive democracy. This was the country my friend Philippa's dad grew up in, under a democratically elected leader, a country undergoing social reforms and nationalising its oil reserves. The West didn't like this, and so to protect Western oil interests, it instigated a CIA- and M16-backed coup to install a Western-controlled dictator, the Shah. In 1979, the Islamic Revolution happened, and Philippa's dad, like many other Iranians who could, got out. Since then, Iran has been viewed as a rogue state with nuclear weapons, led by mad mullahs. This madness is starkly portrayed in The Seed of the Sacred Fig, the 2024 film by exiled director Mohammad Rasoulof, sentenced in his absence to flogging and jail by the Iranian state. The film, set in contemporary Tehran, details the daily claustrophobia and paranoid double-think of living inside a woman-hating theocracy. In 2022, Iranian police grabbed a 22-year-old, Mahsa Amini, off the street and murdered her in a police van, sparking the Women Life Freedom protests. Mad mullahs abound. Not a place you'd go on your holidays. Actually, says my friend Philippa, if you did go to Iran on your holiday, you'd be overwhelmed by ordinary people's hospitality, by their warmth and generous welcome. An Irish cyclist, Simon Jones, recently cycled through Iran, posting a love letter to its people on Instagram: 'To the country I was warned about most, but wish I didn't have to leave so soon.' How 'on the news we just see the scary men', not 'the real you'. Ordinary Iranians have been enduring the scary men for decades, both homegrown and foreign. They do their best to get on with it. 'The US and UK have been terrorising [Iran] for as long as any of us have been alive,' writes economic anthropologist Dr Jason Hickel. 'An Israel-Western regime change operation against Iran would lead to hundreds of thousands of deaths. We have seen this play out before, several times in past decades. Anyone who tries to justify this madness will have blood on their hands.' Don't. Bomb. Civilians.
Scottish Sun
21-06-2025
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Doctors said my baby boy had colic – now he lives with a lifelong seizure disorder and too many brain tumours to count
Thomas, now 13, has daily seizures - sometimes lasting up to three hours at a time - and uses a wheelchair DEVASTATING IMPACT Doctors said my baby boy had colic – now he lives with a lifelong seizure disorder and too many brain tumours to count Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) WHEN five-month-old Thomas Ward began screaming inconsolably on Valentine's Day in 2012, doctors told his mum Philippa that he likely had colic and might be teething. Nine days later, 'the bottom fell out' of Philippa's world when her son was diagnosed with a genetic disorder that causes tumours to form on numerous organs, including the brain. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 Thomas has a genetic disorder which causes tumours to grow on his brain 6 Doctors initially told his mum Philippa that he likely had colic or was teething Thomas is now 13 and has "more tumours than doctors can count". His devastating condition impacts nearly every aspect of his life, causing developmental delays, terrifying three-hour seizures, and the need for a wheelchair. Here, Philippa, 47, a communications professional from York, tells their story… 'YOU can't possibly think Thomas is having seizures, can you?' I will never forget the response from the out-of-hours doctor when I took my then-five-month-old son to the hospital one weekend in February 2012 after he began behaving unusually, crying incessantly and making strange, jerky movements. We were dismissed and told it was likely a simple case of colic - when a baby cries a lot but there is no obvious cause - or that he might be teething. Unhappy with this outcome, and as the symptoms continued, a few days later I took Thomas to see our local GP. She agreed he was behaving unusually and wrote to the paediatrician at the local hospital. There was no indication that Thomas had a medical problem that needed to be urgently addressed, but my instincts told me otherwise. The following day, I packed a bag, took my older son Ben to nursery and walked to A&E with Thomas. Mum shares red-flag warning sign on her baby's head that turned out to be meningitis - triggering 15 seizures As soon as the doctor saw him, he diagnosed Thomas with infantile spasms - a rare and damaging form of epilepsy. He then revealed my wonderful little boy might have tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), but he would have to be transferred to a larger hospital for an MRI scan to confirm the diagnosis. It was a terrifying time. February 29 is recognised around the world as Rare Disease Day, and it also happens to be the day Thomas was officially diagnosed with TSC, which causes tumours to form on the eyes, heart, kidneys, skin, lungs and brain. My legs gave way when we found out. It felt as though the bottom had fallen out of my world. My husband David and I learned that our son had numerous tumours on his brain and that they could cause cognitive impairment, developmental delays, behavioural problems, autism spectrum disorder, and seizures, which often cannot be adequately controlled using standard medications. We were also told that there are no approved therapies that address the root cause of TSC, so our only care options for Thomas were various therapies, symptom-based medications and possibly surgery. The days that followed were a blur. 6 Philippa, from York, says her son's condition affects their lives every single day 6 Thomas now has 'too many tumours on his brain to count' Despite an estimated one million people living with it worldwide, TSC is classified as a rare disease. If Thomas hadn't been diagnosed with it, I'd probably never have heard of it myself. Thomas underwent a few more tests before being discharged from hospital. As we were leaving, the neurologist handed us a leaflet from the Tuberous Sclerosis Association (TSA) - the UK charity dedicated to helping families affected by TSC. It felt like a strange consolation prize after receiving such a massive, life-changing diagnosis, but it became a lifeline, signposting to many of the resources and support available to us. We also joined a newly-formed Facebook group for other parents of children with TSC, and through that met some people who have gone on to become friends. But TSC continues to affect us every single day. There is nothing more heartbreaking than hearing a toddler shout: 'Seizure, seizure!' Philippa Ward Thomas is now 13, and like many people with TSC, he experiences seizures most days. At one point, Thomas was having up to eight seizures a day. Today, he typically still has at least one, usually right after waking up. They can last up to three hours at a time. He is not able to verbally communicate and has delayed motor skills. He often uses a wheelchair for outings to ensure his safety. Thomas requires regular medical scans and monitoring to track his tumours - there are now too many on his brain to count. He has been on numerous anti-epileptic medications, but none have fully relieved him from the exhausting seizures. TSC has put our entire family on a rollercoaster ride. As parents, there has been so much to learn about having a child with complex medical and developmental needs. FAMILY IMPACT It is especially difficult for us to witness the effect on our elder son, Ben. By age three, he could recognise a seizure and learned to alert us if Thomas was having one. There is nothing more heartbreaking than hearing a toddler shout: 'Seizure, seizure!' Ben, now 15, is very aware of his brother's needs. He understands the importance of being quiet in the evenings so Thomas can sleep. There are many activities we can't do as a family due to safety and accessibility issues. As a young carer, Carers UK provides him with support and resources when needed. 6 The now-13-year-old has seizures every day, sometimes lasting three hours at a time 6 He is a 'lovely young man with a vibrant personality', his mum says Despite the challenges Thomas has faced throughout his life, he remains a lovely young man with a vibrant personality and clear passions. He is a remarkable problem solver and even though he cannot speak, he is able to communicate very effectively when he wants something. He's a gentle and affectionate soul and a joy to be around. Thomas' favourite foods are chips, toast and avocado - he also loves ketchup and mayonnaise. He enjoys going on train rides, car journeys, watching YouTube videos and listening to music. His favourite person in the world is his big brother. One of the most important things we've learned since Thomas' diagnosis is the importance of community, especially one that understands your unique circumstances. What is tuberous sclerosis complex? ABOUT one million people worldwide are living with tuberous sclerosis complex, and up to 11,000 are diagnosed in the UK. It causes non-cancerous tumours to grow on the brain, as well as the eyes, heart, skin, kidneys and lungs. These tumours, which impact the central nervous system, can result in cognitive impairment, developmental delays, behavioural problems, autism, and seizures, which often can't be controlled by standard medicines. The condition can also cause skin abnormalities (such as patches of light-coloured or thickened skin, or red acne-like spots on the face), breathing difficulties, hyperactivity, kidney issues and a build-up of fluid on the brain. TSC is present from birth, although it may not cause obvious problems immediately. It is caused by changes in either the TSC1 or TSC2 gene, which are involved in regulating cell growth. There is no cure, but medicine, surgery and educational support can help. Many people with TSC will have a normal lifespan, although a number of life-threatening complications can develop. These include a loss of kidney function, a serious lung infection called bronchopneumonia and a severe type of epileptic seizure called status epilepticus. Patients may also have an increased risk of developing certain types of cancer, such as kidney cancer, but this is rare. Source: NHS Families impacted by serious conditions, especially rare diseases, often find themselves feeling isolated and alone in the weeks and months following a diagnosis. We are hugely fortunate to have our own family close by, and they are a great support to us, as is the wider TSC community around the UK and beyond. Since Thomas' diagnosis, I have done everything in my power to advocate for TSC awareness. I took part in the Great North Run to raise money for the TSA, have spoken at conferences and awareness events, shared our family's story with my workplace, and advocated for the TSC community within the NHS. There are a number of messages that I hope people take away from our family's story. Firstly, research for rare diseases like TSC is critical. While only between 3,700 and 11,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with TSC, each of these diagnoses impacts everyone in the patient's life. 'On constant alert' Having a treatment for TSC would be amazing. Thomas' frequent seizures require everyone in our house to be on constant alert. It's not easy, but Thomas is a wonderful young man, and he makes it all worthwhile. We remain hopeful that there will one day be a treatment that can improve Thomas' quality of life - and ours. I also want to remind parents of children with TSC, or any rare disease, of the importance of living in the present. When your child is diagnosed with a condition like TSC, it's understandable to ask: Why does my child have this disease? What will our future look like? We immediately begin grieving the child we thought we would have. I still don't fully understand why Thomas has TSC, but David and I are able to find tremendous joy in our lives with our son every day. The best things we can do are keep him safe, meet him where he is, help him enjoy life, and love every part of who he is. I look forward to the day when Thomas and others with TSC can access safe and effective treatment options. Until then, I am committed to making the world more inclusive and understanding.
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Leeds Trinity University fined over franchised course monitoring
A university has been fined £115,000 by the higher education regulator for failing to effectively address risks associated with its franchised Office for Students (OfS) identified "serious failures" in the arrangements Leeds Trinity University (LTU) had in place to oversee its sub-contractual inquiry found an "overarching risk" that LTU was unable to "properly ensure quality" with the arrangements or respond to concerns when university's vice-chancellor said "rapid growth in our partnerships created pressures that our systems and oversight processes were not fully equipped to manage at the time". External organisations can operate in partnership with registered universities to deliver courses on their the watchdog previously warned it would intervene when the use of franchised providers placed the interests of students or taxpayers "at risk".The OfS investigation looked at franchised provision at LTU between 2022 and found LTU's oversight arrangements were "not adequate" to ensure risks at partners relating to admissions practices and academic misconduct were watchdog's investigation concluded that LTU "did not properly consider" the impact of a decision it took to pilot lowering English language requirements for students who applied to study at its franchised partners between 2023 and 2024."It did not ensure arrangements were in place to enable these students to succeed," the report said. Philippa Pickford, director of regulation at the OfS, said: "The rapid expansion of courses delivered through sub-contractual partnerships further increased risks for students and taxpayers."The university said it "fully accepted" the investigation's Charles Egbu, LTU vice-chancellor, said: "We are unwavering in our long-held commitment to widening participation and increasing access to higher education."We welcome the OfS's acknowledgment of the proactive steps we have taken and the significant progress that Leeds Trinity has made to strengthen the oversight of our sub-contractual arrangements." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
