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Yearly Archives: 2018

Last week the Dail passed the bill to legalise abortion in Ireland up to 12 weeks.

Once the bill passes the Seanad and is signed into law, it will be the first time in history of the state that free access to abortion is legal.

Although that seems monumental, people are still waiting for "basic human rights" to abortion care says the Abortion Rights Campaign.

Their comments come as today marks International Human Right Day 2018.

The campaigners have called upon Governments, both North and South to "secure and vindicate basic human rights to abortion access."

Although the Republic of Ireland held a referendum earlier this year, and subsequently voted to repeal the 8th amendment, abortion is still criminalised in Northern Ireland.

This weekend, the Abortion Rights Campaign submitted a response to the Women and Equalities Committee Inquiry on Abortion Law in Northern Ireland.

Linda Kavanagh, a spokesperson for the group, said: “We call upon Westminster to take the necessary actions to provide free, safe, legal and local abortion access for women and pregnant people in the North."

"As several international monitoring bodies have made clear, reproductive rights should never be a devolved issue. The UK Government have an affirmative obligation to provide abortion access in Northern Ireland,” she added.

“We urge the UK Government to decriminalise abortion across the UK, in line with international norms and best practice. The 150-year old criminal laws are still being enforced in Northern Ireland. The Northern Irish government actively prosecutes people for accessing abortion medication outside of the law. These prosecutions are cruel, unjust and inhumane, and they need to stop."

The group called for local abortion provisions to be provided for people in Northern Ireland, adding that travelling to Liverpool, Manchester or in the near future, Dublin, is just "not good enough."

Linda explained that the public in the north are ready for change and highlighted that two-thirds say that Westminster has a duty to reform the country’s abortion law and enable people to access healthcare at home.

She continued: “As we mark this day, we acknowledge that people in the Republic too are waiting for their rights to be realised. Since the referendum in May, almost 2,000 people have travelled abroad to access abortion services which should be available at home. More than 500 have imported abortion pills despite the continued legal risks in doing so."

We are united with those in North Ireland fighting for the Government to decriminalise abortion and to give safe access to medical care.

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Sunday’s season finale of Keeping Up with the Kardashians saw Kim open up candidly about her husband Kanye West, following the rapper's turbulent declaration that "slavery was a choice".

Despite admitting that she was "hysterically crying" when she heard her 41-year-old husband say the quote, she claims that he is of sound mind and is even "doing good".

The Kardashian star will always have his back, it seems.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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She spoke about the controversial hip-hop star's antics very openly;

“When he gets ramped up, he can’t control what he says — he can’t let it go,” she said. “He loves being ramped up."

He’s like, ‘I feel powerful when I’m ramped up. I don’t want to be so suppressed. Yeah, I say crazy s—, but I’ve always said crazy s—. That’s why I’m Kanye.'”

She insists, however, that his intentions are understandable to her as his wife;

“I always know what Kanye’s intentions are and what he’s trying to say, but I also know that they’re going to write a headline and people are going assume that that’s exactly what you said and what you meant,” she continued.

“He didn’t say slavery is a choice, he was saying, ‘If you’re going to still be enslaved for another 400 years, then that’s some bulls—.’ That, as a wife, is really frustrating to see the media take everything and run with it.”

The timing was extremely unfortunate; Kris Jenner was set to appear on the Ellen DeGeneres show, who commented on the whole debacle.

“I just want to make everything better,” said Jenner, 63. “You know me. I want everybody to get along, I want everybody to be happy, I want everybody to understand one another, communicate.”

“Even thought Kanye went on TMZ this morning and made some controversial comments, my loyalty really lies with Kanye,” Jenner continued.

“It’s really my job to be there to support Kanye and be somebody in his life that offers him love and support and not criticism.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Once the scandal was settled, Kim flew out to Wyoming to support Kanye at his album launch party.

“I am so excited to be in Wyoming for Kanye’s listening party,” she said. “After TMZ, Kanye changed his whole album. I’m just excited so many people came out to support him. … I’m glad that now we can just have fun, listen to the music and have a good time.”

“I obviously support him and will always, but he likes to speak for himself and I like to speak for myself,” she added. “As his wife, I just have to express how I feel and have those private conversations with him and help him better communicate what he has to say.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Kim had also been working with the White House to attempt to commute 63-year-old Alice Maria Johnson's life sentence for a first time non-violent drug offence.

“My first phone call was to Ivanka [Trump]. I just felt like as a woman she would really feel for this woman the way that I connected with Alice,” Kim said. “She did and she connected me with her husband Jared Kushner, so I actually have a meeting with the president of the United States next week to discuss Alice Johnson.”

According to Kim, it was a "tricky" situation, as she disagrees with Donald Trump's polarising views.

“I’ve been so straightforward with Jared. I have different views, I was at Hillary Clinton fundraisers. So this might not be a popular opinion, but I’ll talk to whoever I need to talk to to get the job done.”

“I know we have one shot to plead our case. Knowing that someone’s life is in your hand, it’s a really scary feeling,” she added. “We have to just do justice by Alice.”

She then flew to Tennessee to meet Johnson in person, after Trump shockingly commuted her sentence.

“It’s just such a satisfying moment. To know that she’s been behind bars for 22 years and she’s now home — it’s really amazing,” she said. “Just seeing Alice with her huge family, it’s like me and my big family. If I couldn’t be with them for two decades, that would break my soul.”

“That’s what so many people don’t get. This has nothing to do with politics. F— politics,” she added. “I don’t really know anything. This is: Get in front of the person — the only person in the world that can make this decision — and try to change their mind.”

“Every time I think that I’ve had a crazy year, I live the next year and it’s even crazier. … On this journey of getting Alice out, I have learned so much about criminal justice is and really how messed up our system is,” Kim said.

"There’s so much that has to be done … now that that is in me, I can’t stop at Alice. There has to be so much more than I can do.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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The season wrapped up, the family reflected on the addition of three beautiful new grandchildren; Stormi, True and Chicago.

All in all, Keeping Up with the Kardashians displayed the crazy year which the clan has had, but the positivity which they have for each other was the most heartwarming aspect.

Bring on the next season, and even more drama, we say.

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We have our King of the jungle and it comes as no surprise.

Loved both inside and outside of the I'm A Celebrity camp, Harry is a worthy winner and was a hot fave to take the jungle crown.

Although we cannot believe that another series is done and dusted, we HAD to take a look at some of Harry's key moments in the jungle.

From his epic stories, bushtucker trials and to the love of his wife, Sandra Harris – Harry was truly one-of-a-kind.

The iconic cyclone trial was no match for Harry, although him shouting about needing a wee, was definitely a highlight.

And we can't forget the moment when he was reunited with Sandra, his wife of 51 years – there wasn't a dry eye in the house.

Their relationship is just so special and Harry was very vocal in the camp about his love for her after all these years – long live their relationship.

As for his last ever bushtucker trail, the 71-year-old met his fear of rats head on and it was hilarious.

His running commentary was TV gold.

And of course, it would be a crime not to mention Harry's rendition of Frank Sinatra's My Way.

The bookies had selected Harry as the fave celeb to win the show as Harry's personality stole everyone's heart.

Fans even took to Twitter last night to show their love for Harry by tucking into his beloved jam roly-poly pudding.

They gorged on the desert during the hour-long episode in his honour and share pictures of their pud.

They're hoping as soon as Harry is out of the jungle, he can enjoy Sandra's version of the dish.

We are thrilled that he took the crown and delighted that Emily Atack was the "princess" of the jungle, coming in at second place.

We are certain the celebrities are glad of a hot shower and some proper grub.

What a season it has been. 

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Get ready for early 2000's nostalgia overload – because two of the hottest bands are coming to the stage at Malahide castle.

Snow Patrol have announced they will play an open-air show at Malahide Castle on Friday June 7 2019.

This is fab news for fans who were unable to secure a ticket for tomorrow’s sold-out Dublin show at 3Arena.

Over the last 25 years Snow Patrol have released 7 albums and racked up an impressive number of critical and commercial accolades, including: 13 million global album sales, 1 billion global track streams, 5 UK Platinum Albums, and are Grammy and Mercury Music Prize nominated.

Not bad, huh?

Snow Patrol’s album Wildness, their first album in seven years, is out now.

Tickets are €49.90 including booking fee. 

Snap them up from Friday December 14 at 9am.

See you there!

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Well, Tristan Thompson and Khloé Kardashian have gone through the roughest of patches. Like cacti-level patches.

Speculation is always rife on the status of their current relationship, with "it's complicated" being the normal response.

The cheating scandal caused a massive amount of controversy, especially seeing as the sh*t hit the fan while Khloé was heavily pregnant. *rage cries*

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Then there were reports that he cheated on her AGAIN. The latest concrete news was that the Kardashian clan star was trying to make it work for the sake of baby True.

Now, according to Entertainment Tonight, they're back to being heart-eyes with each other.

A source alleges that;

"Her relationship with Tristan is so good. They made it through some really dark times, but she's happy that she gave him a second chance because he's stepped up and is not only an amazing father to True, but he's been such a rock for Khloé. They're really just so in love."

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Tristan Thompson (@realtristan13) on

Despite the fact that Khloé's family are understandably sceptical about his actions and intentions, the source emphasises that they are in "such a good place now" as well as the fact that Khloé has "never been happier".

The reality star certainly seems to be glowing with the happiness of a new mother, her dream of having a child finally became a reality.

Well, the family won't be spending Christmas together, and if Tristan cheats again, you can bet there'll be hell to pay from Khloé's followers.

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Cardi B is not a happy camper.

The 26-year-old, who announced her split from husband Offset on Insta last week, has lashed out at claims that their relationship was a PR stunt.

The rappers married in September 2017 after a few months of dating and had their first baby, Kulture, five months ago. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

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There has been speculation that the announcement was being used to promote Offset’s upcoming debut album, set to be released this week.

And Cardi is having none of it. 

She took to Instagram live, where she told fans, ''I really don’t like how people say my and my husband – whatever he is right now to me – is doing it for publicity. I wouldn't put my family in a bad name for no f**king publicity, ’cause at the end of the day, ten years from now, my daughter, she’s gonna be looking at these type of things and she’s gonna be asking me about these type of things.”

She continued, ''I’ve been seeing a lot of people say that my relationship was fake. B***h, there’s certain things called love. People do fall in love. Like, my relationship was never fake.''

She added, ''I met this n***a, he was on my ass, I gave him a chance and we fell in love with each other. Things was not always gravy, ’cause at the end of the day, we are two different people. But we never did anything for f**king publicity, b**h.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

F L O O R S E A T W I T H M R. & M R S. W A T E R

A post shared by OFFSET (@offsetyrn) on

She continued her rant when she said, ''You think I got f**king pregnant, could have ruined my career for f**king publicity?”

Hmmm, good point. 

What do you guys think – legit relationship or total sham? 

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Garfield became famous for his saying, "I hate Mondays", but I think we all feel the same. 

As Friday brings a sense of elation; Monday can do just about the opposite. 

Every Sunday night brings a new wave a stress, daunting and panic which pretty much ruins the rest of your time off.

With these simple steps to make you Monday blues go away, it'll be Friday again in no time. 

Don't live for the weekend

Find something you love to do and do it on a week night. If you only feel joy at the weekend, you may as well feel it during the week too. And it will make Monday go by a lot faster.

 

Relax

Don't overload your weekend with tiring activities. Take time to relax and recuperate from the past week so you will be as fresh as a daisy come Monday morning. 

 

Don't sleep in

The same sleep schedule all week will help you feel calm on a Monday morning. If you sleep in on the first day of the week, it will drive you crazy for the rest of the day. 

 

Plan ahead

Plan ahead on a Sunday night. Figure out what you will wear, pack your lunch and have everything organised so you won't be rushed on Monday. Start the week off on a good foot. 

 

Hit the hay early

If you are tired on Monday, it will only add to the stress of a hectic day. Nobody got time for that!

 

Pump some tunes

There's nothing better than listening to your favourite songs, so why not do exactly that on a Monday morning? It will not only get you in a good mood but it will also kick start your energy for the day. 

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It might be their first Christmas together as a couple, but Adam Collard and Zara McDermott won't be spending it together.

The Love Island stars, who are one of three couples still remaining from the show, will be with their families on Christmas Day.

Zara confirmed that the pair had spoken about it and decided that it was best if they went to their hometowns for the day.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Baby baby

A post shared by ZARA MCDERMOTT (@zara_mcdermott) on

The 21-year-old told OK! online that, ''Because Adam’s family’s in Newcastle and my family are in Essex, I said to him I’m not fussed about him being with me for Christmas.''

She continued, ''Because I’m with him all the other time of the year, I think it’s important to be with our families. So I said to him, ‘if you want to spend time with your family and I’ll be with mine then we’ll just see each other on Boxing Day.’''

She added, ''I’m not fussed about him being with me on Christmas Day, it doesn't bother me.''

She went on to say that her birthday is the week before and she was happy if she spent that day with her 23-year-old boyfriend.

Zara also spoke about the upcoming Love Island Christmas reunion and how her friend Ellie Brown was feeling about coming face to face with her ex Charlie Brake.

Zara said, ''It will be the first time her and Charlie have spoken since they split. The thing with Ellie is she’s got absolutely nothing to be worried about, nothing to be concerned about.''

She continued, ''If he was to say anything to try and be nasty to her it would just completely backfire for him because everyone loves her, everyone knows she’s an amazing girl and knows that he’s just not a very nice person clearly. I think it’s gonna get a bit ugly if I’m honest.”

We LEGIT cannot wait. 

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They might have been at the centre of controversy not too long ago, but it seems that Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott are fully embracing the Christmas spirit

After Kylie slammed fake photos claiming Travis has been unfaithful to her, she uploaded a video of his and hers Christmas presents.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Kylie Jenner Snapchats (@kyliesnapx) on

In a clip posted on her Instagram Story on Friday,  the 21-year-old showed off the “first two gifts under the tree” this year.

She zoomed in on two gold-wrapped gifts, one with a “Daddy” tag and the other with a “Wifey” one.

The video, which has since been deleted, has gotten fans talking about whether or not the pair are married.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Kylie (@kyliejenner) on

However, the couple frequently refer to each other as wifey” and “hubby,” and seem to be in no rush to tie the knot, rather they are focusing on raising heir 10-month-old daughter, Stormi.

Kylie has been posting regularly about her little on on her Instagram.

She uploaded a gorgeous snap of the tot on a plane, captioning it, ''Stormi takes the snow'' with a bow emoji.

She also posted several pictures of her carrying the little one, both of them wearing matching beanie hats. 

Being Stormi's first Christmas and Kylie's first as a mum, we're sure they are all so excited to spend it together. 

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They were what we all thought Love Island was about and when Dani Dyer and Jack Fincham were crowned the 2018 winners, it seemed that a Love Island wedding and babies were on the cards.

Alas, it was not to be and the couple shocked us all when they announced (or rather, Dani did) on Instagram that they had split after six months together.

The 22-year-old took to social media to post a message about what had happened between the pair.

She wrote, ''Jack and I have sadly decided to part ways. It’s been an incredible six months and we will always have a place in our hearts for each other, but sadly we’ve come to the realisation that it’s not mean to be long-term. We both plan to stay friends, I hope you’ll all understand. Love, Dani xx.''

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

I had the best day shooting this cover feature with @youmagsocial I hope you all enjoy reading it today xx

A post shared by ♡ Dani Dyer ♡ (@danidyerxx) on

The former couple were one of the few to not have sex in the villa during the summer and when they left Jack said that their first time ''wasn't a great performance'' but that it was ''amazing'' now.

However, Dani now claims that the 27-year-old was ''talking shit.''

She said before the break up that, ''People seem to want to know what we are getting up to of a night-time but this is our life, not some sort of sex-education class.''

We wonder how the rest of this break up aftermath is gonna pan out – get the popcorn and watch this space…

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She is the TV presenter who hosted the X Factor alongside Olly Murs, lifted the glitter ball trophy on Strictly and is the face of one of the hottest shows in summer – Love Island.

Yet the 39-year-old has now spoken out about how things behind her glitzy showbiz life were quite bleak.

It's been three years since she first began suffering with depression and now she says that during that time, panic attacks and relying on anti-depressants were the norm.

She says, “It all started the day after I won Strictly. I woke up and felt like somebody had covered my body in cling film. I couldn't get up and just couldn't pick myself up at all that next year. I felt ridiculous, being so sad when I’d just won the biggest show on telly and had such an amazing job.''

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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She continues, “I felt like I was being held together by a piece of string which could snap at any time. Fame doesn't make you happy.''

Anti-depressants came to her rescue, but while they helped her in some ways, they also made her feel numb in others. 

She had a panic attack in her dressing room moments before going live on The X Factor – but she didn't tell her family, friends or boss Simon Cowell about it. 

She reveals, “I didn’t want to be a burden. It was a really lonely place. While anti-depressants can work for some people, I became a little too reliant on them – if you forget to take one, you feel awful.''

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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It didn't help that her and Olly's hosting skills on the 2015 X Factor were slammed week in, week out.

She was fat-shamed and ridiculed and says that she felt like a joke.

She added, ''I could have walked on water one week and been told I couldn't swim. As much as I would put on a happy face, backstage I’d be in tears with my make-up artist.”

While her professional life is on the up, this year her personal life has been quite dramatic.

She has been in an on/off romance with Apprentice contestant Andrew Brady, whom she got engaged to three months after meeting in January, but split soon after.

She says, “We have a very passionate, raw love but at the minute we just need to look after ourselves. We need to be happy in ourselves before we can be together, I think – and that’s what we’re doing. I think we want the best for each other.”

She is happy as she is and 2019 looks set to be a busy year for her with the Strictly Come Dancing’s Christmas special, the filmed the Love Island Christmas show and making her West End debut as Roxie Hart in Chicago.

She is a fighter and we know that she is going to be just fine.

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It is the Strictly semi-finals and this week, the pressure is on the five remaining couples.

And Joe Sugg, after having strong weeks and high scores, came crashing down during the show when both of his dances failed to get the level of praise from the judges that the YouTube star has grown used to.

The 27-year-old took to the dance floor with his pro dance partner Dianne Buswell to do two dances – a Viennese Waltz and an Argentine Tango.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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He received a score of 29 for his first dance, which put him at the bottom of the leader board.

Judge Craig Revel Horwood said, "Way too much rise and fall, it almost became a waltz.''

He continued, ''All the movement I thought was too harsh and it made it look rigid. I don't think its your best ballroom to be honest.''

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Joe (@joe_sugg) on

Fans were not happy with this critique and insisted that he was under marked while others were not as heavily penalised. 

Others suggested that the way the judges scored the dances was a fix.

One wrote, ''Joe did better than Lauren and Ashley but gets Scored Lower …. I think it might be rigged #strictly."

While another said, ''So far I feel everyone tonight has been way over marked, except Joe who’s defiantly been under marked. #Strictly.''

The Results Show is on BBC One tonight at 7:15pm.  

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