Did Kelis anticipate 'Milkshake' will be a huge success? Singer reveals her hit song had 'no takers' initially
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2023-08-23 08:25
Kentucky governor's efforts to help storm-ravaged towns may dilute GOP advantage in rural areas
Gina Thorn’s life was uprooted when a tornado tore through her Kentucky hometown of Mayfield, but her family stuck it out and now they’re homeowners
2023-08-10 23:15
No end to pursuit of the world’s best players, Saudi Pro League official says
The Saudi Pro League will target players “of the highest level” in future transfer windows, its head of recruitment has said. Top-flight Saudi Arabian clubs spent £701million to bring in talent from overseas in the summer,’ according to FIFA. That figure could have been even bigger if bids from Saudi teams for Paris St Germain striker Kylian Mbappe and Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah had been accepted. Michael Emenalo, the league’s director of football and the man in charge of the country’s Player Acquisition Centre for Excellence (PACE), admitted the Saudi league had “competed aggressively” in the summer window and that the focus was now on top-quality additions. “I’m hoping (the January transfer window) is not very busy, because I think the job that was done has been quite interesting and aggressive, and most of the clubs, I believe, have what they need,” the former Chelsea technical director said in an interview with the league’s in-house media team. “And hopefully the attention will now turn to work within the training facilities to improve these players and to allow the time to adapt and perform. “Now, whatever additional improvement that we need to do for any club, with time on our hands and preparation, we believe will be additions of the highest level. “We will continue to support and to see every opportunity we have to bring more talented individuals that want to come to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that is open for business.” Saudi clubs have always traditionally been one of the top recruiters of talent in Asia but Al Nassr’s signing of Cristiano Ronaldo in January of this year marked a gear shift and paved the way for other superstars to join the league. Neymar, Karim Benzema, Riyad Mahrez, Ruben Neves and Sadio Mane are among the big names who subsequently moved to the kingdom in the summer. Emenalo added: “These guys have been the best performers for a very long time in our industry. We’re very, very lucky to have them. “I’ve always explained, privately and publicly, that top-level footballers are incredible and unique artists, and what they can do, you can only dream of until you try to do it, when you realise how difficult it is. “Those guys are exceptional artists, and the artists as time goes on will be greatly appreciated and copied by youngsters in the country and that will be for the good of everyone.” Read More Damien Comolli says Toulouse’s entire football operation ‘driven by data’ Basketball coach says sport can play big role in developing skills of youngsters Newcastle, Man Utd and West Ham target Leverkusen defender Chelsea ‘robbed’ by ‘embarrassing’ referee in Real Madrid draw, fumes Emma Hayes On this day in 2011: Martin Johnson resigns as England team manager Anthony Joshua sees Otto Wallin as stepping stone on way to title fight
2023-11-16 18:20
Mildred worries as 'trial wife' Aussie's commitment issues makes 'The Ultimatum: Queer Love' experiment 'tough'
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2023-05-24 21:46
‘I love the fact that I struggled’: Yung Filly opens up on how his upbringing propelled him to stardom
When he’s not forgetting his flour on Great British Bake Off or chomping down hot wings for a challenge alongside best friend Chunkz, Yung Filly is surprisingly, acting exactly how he does on TV: Fun, playful, and full of laughter. The 28-year-old, born Andres Felipé Barrientos, moved to the UK from Colombia when he was two-years-old, relocating around south east London during his childhood. He’s known for his infectious comedy and high energy, and credits his upbringing alongside his mum and sister for his confidence. “I do get upset. I do get tired, lazy. But for the most part, what you see on the screen is actually me”, he admits. “My sister's full of energy, my mom's that way...I grew up in a loud household. In all fairness, I think that's why my career's gone so well. I think you can genuinely see that it’s all natural.” But he hails from humble beginnings. Although he vows he’d never move back to Columbia and always saw London as his home, it wasn’t easy, being racked up in debt and delving into his entrepreneurial roots from a young age (as the school’s Lucozade seller) just to get by. When asked what it was like growing up, he simply replies: “Struggle…ketchup and rice.” “I come from the bottom of the barrel…and that’s why I’m so grateful for the position I’m in now”, he adds. “My mum definitely shaped me with the lessons she taught me. “She’s a single mum with three kids, my dad was a s*** dad so she just had to make it happen. She did loads of cleaning jobs. My mum worked at Poundland at the time I had some mad BBC series…just getting my mum out of the position she was in was just the biggest motivation.” A fan of Jamal Edwards’ work, Filly started posting on YouTube at the age of 12, recording freestyles and music videos. “I was a go-getter, no one gave me my career, I was actively thinking of ways that I could become successful”, he says. “Without you realising, people in your life come into play and opportunities start appearing.” Over 1.4 million subscribers later, he’s built up a profile as one of the nation's most-loved internet personalities, and has been involved with the likes of The Sidemen, and Chicken Shop Date. “I'd say to my younger self, ‘focus and work harder’. I've definitely worked hard, but I definitely got misled at times in my life by influences and certain people. Even down to the first time I had a drink” he admits. “I always was that guy that was like ‘I'm never drinking it’s against my religion’..and I’m not blaming the people I was with as there’s natural influence.” “So I’d say work hard and keep your head down.” Most recently, he’s been going back to his roots and collaborating with Tango and The Prince’s Trust to inspire the next generation to pursue their passions in life - even if they haven’t figured out what they are yet. Along with the charity, he held a panel talk for 16-30-year-olds to help ‘find their fearless’ and get the tools they need to launch a career or start a business. @yfilly #AD This one hit the feels…? I met so many young people working towards a brighter future at the Find your Fearlessness Event with @Tango & @The Prince’s Trust I asked them who their fearless inspiration is and some of the answers got man feeling choked up! Every young individual deserves the chance to be fearless in progressing towards their personal goals. If you or someone you know is aged 16-30 and is out of education or unemployed, sign up to a course at The Prince’s Trust now! #FindYourFearlessness #GetTangod #DrinkTango ♬ original sound - yfilly “It was a bunch of kids that were in my position. I’m 28 now so the last time I experienced struggle I was about 15 so to see them sitting there and looking at me in awe and as someone who is an inspiration to them was sick”, he describes. “I was in that room, hosting that panel, I'm looking around and most of these people look like me. They’re all from ethnic minorities or Black, and I can relate to that. “When I'm talking to them individually, most of them come from the same upbringing I come from, their families being on benefits.” Speaking of why it was so rewarding, he adds: “People would ask me the most basic questions but my response just lit up their eyes and I was like ‘wow’ I’ve got that effect on people, it’s mad. That’s the project that I’m most proud of that I’ve done.” Despite dabbling in a few different roles before being pulled back into media, Filly accepts that it’s not easy to find something you love in life. “The people who have passions, they’re the lucky ones because they know from the get-go what they want to do”, he admits, joking that he’d ‘love to be a footballer’. “But the average person probably goes through about five careers before they’re doing what they’re doing.” “The hardest thing in life is trying to figure out what to do with it.” However, for anyone more introverted, it’s no secret that it can be more difficult to put yourself out there or have the willpower to follow in Filly’s footsteps - but he’s trying to teach people that confidence can most definitely come over time. “I think loving yourself and accepting yourself for who you are, and what you look like is important. In a modern-day society with social media it's so easy to be influenced and almost become someone that you're not”, Filly says. “I think first and foremost, it’s what a lot of lazy people don’t want to hear but it starts with you…you’ve just got to want it bad enough.” Even he’s had his down days, recalling: “I used to do Snapchat and there’d be times that I couldn’t be bothered to film but I’d record like two hours worth of videos because my mum was the motivation…I’d go home and see the paint peeling off the walls, or the fact that I was 16 and all my mates had a double bed and I was still on a single…all those little things motivate you.” But for him, it’s all been worth it. He has an amazing home, incredible cars, and still remains as humble as he was from the start, which is why fans are so intent on sticking around. “There’ll be times that I’m in bed and I’m like ‘I can’t believe this is my house’, I’m just so grateful for everything that I’ve got”, he says of how far he’s come. @drinktango Tango × Prince’s Trust find your Fearlessness event yesterday was a HUGE success! Special thanks to @The Prince’s Trust @yfilly @90sbabyshow @Strawberriesandcreem Poet, all the amazing ambassadors and attendees. Stay tuned on our channels to see what we got up to ? #FindYourFearlessness #GetTangod #FYP #foryoupage #xyzbca #yungfilly ♬ original sound - Tango “Sometimes I think to myself what if it had been the other way? What if I had grown up with a silver spoon? I probably wouldn’t be as grateful…I love the fact that I struggled.” He concludes: “My biggest achievement is helping my mum retire. It’s my mum’s world and I’m just living in it. I paid off my mum’s debt, my mum had loads of debt and I paid it off in one go. That was a sick feeling.” “I also took all of my family on holiday, that was sick, but everything is family-orientated…all these materialistic things ain’t s***.” “You know, I think I've smashed it. I’ve got my family involved in every aspect of the business, down to my two sisters, my mum and my uncle. I'm just proud of myself. And I don't tell myself enough, I've smashed it. “I wouldn’t do anything differently.” Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-09-08 23:17
Ukraine reports new gains in early stages of counteroffensive
By Tom Balmforth KYIV (Reuters) -Ukraine said on Monday its troops had recaptured a fourth village from Russian forces in
2023-06-12 21:51
Clippers' Amir Coffey arrested on suspicion of carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle, police say
Los Angeles Clippers shooting guard Amir Coffey was arrested on a firearms misdemeanor in Hollywood
2023-08-01 07:53
Australia Names Ex-Bank of England Official as New RBA No. 2
Australia’s government announced former Bank of England official Andrew Hauser will be the new deputy governor of the
2023-11-27 11:51
Iceland PM to take part in first women’s strike in almost 50 years: ‘Women’s Day Off’
Tens of thousands of women in Iceland are due to take part in the country’s first day-long strike in almost 50 years to raise awareness of gender-based violence and the gender pay gap. Katrin Jakobsdottir, Iceland’s prime minister, will participate in the protest, which will involve women and non-binary people stopping paid and unpaid labour on Tuesday. Workers from a range of sectors have said they will take part in the women’s strike, which is the first day-long protest since 1975, when women also downed tools and stopped work. Sonja Yr Porbergssdottir, chair of the Icelandic Federation for Public Workers, told The Independent: “Workers from all major industries are taking part: healthcare workers, teachers, service workers, finance workers, care workers, energy workers etc. “We also expect women and non-binary people on parental leave, the elderly, disabled people and others outside of the labour market to participate.” She said it is hard to gauge how many people will participate, but explained that more than 25,000 women took part in the 1975 strike, and she hopes that the number taking part in Tuesday’s event will top this figure. “The support of the women’s strike is widespread – schools are being closed, health services will be at the bare minimum, and major companies have made statements about support, so it will be a major event in any case,” she added. Ms Porbergssdottir noted that “significant strides” have been made since the 1975 strike, but cautioned that women still earn 21 per cent less than men. “Occupations traditionally associated with women are consistently undervalued and underpaid,” she added. “Sectors such as cleaning, childcare and caregiving are some of the lowest paid in society, disproportionately affecting women. Furthermore, women still bear the primary responsibility for childcare, perpetuating inequality.” Ms Porbergssdottir said that the strike also seeks to raise awareness of gender-based violence, as she explained that transgender people, women with disabilities, and women of colour endure higher levels of violence. The original protest, dubbed “Women’s Day Off” or “Kvennafri” in Icelandic, brought the nation to a standstill as women refused to work, perform childcare, or cook. Some 90 per cent of Icelandic women are estimated to have stopped work for the day, with schools shut down and flights cancelled due to a dearth of staff. Children were brought to work by their fathers because of a lack of childcare. The protest triggered far-reaching change in the country: Iceland subsequently elected the first woman to be an elected president in the world, and rolled out its first Gender Equality Act. BSRB, the country’s biggest federation of public worker unions, along with 31 associations, is taking part in the strike, according to local publication Mbl.is. “First and foremost, I am showing solidarity with Icelandic women with this,” the country’s prime minister told the news outlet. The protest’s organisers want the strike to raise awareness of sexual violence and domestic abuse as well as the undervaluing of sectors in which women are over-represented. Campaigners hope more people will participate in Tuesday’s protest than took part in the 1975 strike. The World Economic Forum recently declared Iceland the world’s most gender-equal nation for the 14th year in a row. Read More ‘18 more months, baby. Then I’m in Iceland’: The group helping trans people to leave the US Two in five Britons think championing women’s equality discriminates against men
2023-10-23 21:50
Tainted love: Misinformation drives 'vaccine-free' dating
In a private dating group on Facebook, Renee flaunts herself to like-minded singles as a fit, adventurous Kizomba dancer who at 35 exudes "inner child vibes." But...
2023-07-28 09:55
'MasterChef' USA Season 13: Who is Nina? Contestant reveals love for squirrel fat and impresses judge Gordon Ramsay with her 'technical flare'
Nina, an avid hunter who is also a squirrel fat enthusiast, dazzled judge Gordon Ramsay with her remarkable 'technical flare' on Season 13 of 'MasterChef' USA
2023-05-25 12:20
Shohei Ohtani, baseball's 2-way star, becomes first 2-time unanimous MVP
Shohei Ohtani, who has captivated baseball with his unprecedented combination of high-level hitting and premium pitching, became the first two-time unanimous Most Valuable Player when he won the American League honor
2023-11-17 07:48
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