The man behind the novelty pop act Jive Bunny and The Mastermixers has died aged 84, the company he founded has confirmed. John Pickles formed Jive Bunny in Rotherham in 1989 and the act went on to have three UK number ones with Swing The Mood, That’s What I Like and Let’s Party. Jive Bunny records typically used synthesisers and sampling to combine contemporary pop music with hits from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. A statement from the Mastermix company described Pickles as “a true pioneer in the music industry”, adding that he was “a leader, an entrepreneur, a businessman…
Author: David Wafula
Fifa has accused Uefa of a “smear campaign against it and its leadership” in a challenge to litigation over president Gianni Infantino’s scrapped plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup to private investors. Last week European football’s governing body filed legal papers in the US requesting disclosure of evidence and documents from Fifa as part of potential criminal claims in Switzerland. In a dramatic escalation of the controversy, Uefa accused Infantino of “criminal mismanagement” and “a fraudulently off-market price promoted by [him] for his own benefit” over the now-shelved Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) scheme. However, world governing body Fifa has…
Canada has unveiled a new $20 banknote featuring a portrait of King Charles III, the first new monarch to appear on a Canadian banknote in more than 70 years, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022. The banknote was revealed at a Bank of Canada event on Thursday – a “very special day”, central bank governor Tiff Macklem said. A unique feature of the banknote is its vertical orientation. The back shows an image of the Vimy Ridge memorial in France to commemorate Canada’s role in World War II. The Commonwealth nations of New Zealand and Australia have…
Spain’s Enric Mas extended his overall lead in the Vuelta a Espana with a late attack as Slovenia’s Jakob Omrzel won stage 12 to Calar Alto. Omrzel, 20, secured his first Grand Tour stage victory in imperious fashion, riding clear of his remaining breakaway companions on the 17km final climb to finish nearly two minutes clear of Urko Berrade, with Colombia’s Santiago Buitrago in third. In the process Omrzel moved within 30 seconds of Oscar Onley in the best young rider’s classification after a difficult day for the Briton. The Netcompany Ineos rider suffered an early crash and was then…
Lewis Hamilton says an upgraded Ferrari engine for this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix is a “step forward but not the whole amount we need”. Ferrari are taking the opportunity of their home grand prix to introduce the second of the two upgrades they are permitted this year in the hope it will improve their chances of a win on the historic Monza track. Ferrari have the fastest car in the corners on balance, but have been lagging on the straights so far this year. “Every little helps. Until this point of the year, even last race, we were losing 0.4secs…
Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli has joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal for a fee of £60m. The deal, which is worth a guaranteed £60m and includes a sell-on fee, ends the Brazil international’s seven-year stay in north London. Martinelli, 25, has signed a four-year deal with Al-Hilal, who are currently joint-top of the league with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr. He joined the Gunners from Brazilian side Ituano in 2019 and had 12 months remaining on his deal at Emirates Stadium, but had been told by manager Mikel Arteta he was not part of his plans for this season. “Proud to be blue, proud…
Catherine Zeta-Jones has been praised by fans as she uses her natural Welsh accent in an upcoming thriller series. The 56-year-old Hollywood actor returned to her hometown of Swansea, where some of the filming took place for Amazon’s Kill Jackie. A trailer released on social media gives viewers their first glimpse of the show, as well as a snippet of Zeta-Jones using her Swansea accent. The Oscar-winning star plays Jackie Price, an extravagant jet-setter who is trying to stay anonymous after escaping a “dangerous past as an international cocaine dealer,” according to Amazon Prime. One fan said they loved hearing…
Nvidia has agreed to buy artificial intelligence platform Hugging Face in a deal valued at about $12.9bn (£9.5bn), one of the AI chipmaker’s biggest acquisitions as it expands into software. Hugging Face, founded in 2016, has become a popular online platform where developers and researchers can find, share and test AI models and tools. It recently made headlines after rogue AI agents that escaped a testing environment appeared on its platform, raising questions about AI safety and oversight. The deal would bring one of the world’s largest AI developer communities into Nvidia and give it control of a leading open-source…
Around 2,000 students and teachers across Indonesia have fallen ill with food poisoning over the past three days linked to the government’s free school meals programme. In the latest case, 777 people became unwell after consuming the food at a high school in Rembang, Central Java, the institution’s headteacher said. The meals were provided through a multibillion-dollar scheme that is one of President Prabowo Subianto’s signature policies, aiming to improve nutrition for Indonesia’s schoolchildren. But, as well as being the suspected source of a string of mass food poisonings, the programme has been dogged by allegations of corruption and criticism…
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has responded to demonstrations by holders of Diploma in Pharmacy over the implementation of the 2026 Good Pharmacy Practice Standards. Duale said the Ministry of Health had taken note of the concerns raised by the pharmacy professionals and respected their right to demonstrate and engage the government on issues affecting their practice. He, however, clarified that the new standards do not prevent diploma or degree holders from practising or working at any level of the health system. “It is, however, necessary to clarify that the Standards do not bar any category of pharmacy professionals (whether…
Tourism stakeholders have opposed the proposed merger of the Tourism Research Institute (TRI) with the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB), calling for increased government funding to strengthen the research institution. The stakeholders argued that TRI should remain an autonomous institution and receive adequate and sustainable funding to effectively deliver its mandate. They made the remarks during a public participation exercise by the National Assembly Committee on Tourism and Wildlife on the proposed Tourism (Amendment) Bill, 2026, held in Malindi town. The session was chaired by Likuyani MP Innocent Mugabe. Kilifi County Director of Tourism Mary Kabani said merging TRI with KTB…
Gloria Steinem’s net worth was estimated at $20 million at the time of her death at the age of 92 in September 2026. Steinem was an American feminist, journalist, author and activist who became one of the most recognizable leaders of the second-wave feminist movement in the United States. Her influence grew rapidly during the late 1960s and 1970s. She used journalism, publishing, television and public speaking to campaign for gender equality and women’s rights. Steinem also co-founded several influential organizations, including Ms. magazine, the National Women’s Political Caucus, the Women’s Action Alliance and the Women’s Media Center. Her career…
US actress Carla Jeffery, who was known for appearing in 2018 Disney Channel movie Zombies and two sequels, has died at the age of 33. Announcing the news, her agent Carla Alexander described her as a “beautiful, vibrant and incredibly talented woman whose radiant smile could light up any room”. Jeffery played cheerleader Bree in Zombies and its follow-ups in 2020 and 2022, and previously had a recurring role in Curb Your Enthusiasm as one of the Black family, who moved in with Larry David after Hurricane Katrina. No cause of death has been given. Her management company Alexanders Talent…
Dolly Parton’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame has been replaced after the original one was vandalised following the late country legend’s death last week. Fans had laid flowers and left candles around her star in the heart of Hollywood, Los Angeles, which was awarded in 1984. But on Monday, photos showed it had been damaged after vandals scratched it, leaving her name badly defaced. Repairs were carried out on Wednesday, and the Hollywood Historic Trust said the new star will be unveiled on Friday. “The Hollywood Historic Trust and Hollywood Chamber of Commerce are proud to honour the legacy of Dolly Parton…
Former Premier League referee Mike Dean says he used to set himself mini-challenges during matches “as a laugh”. Appearing on Jamie Vardy’s podcast, Dean said he would see how long he could go without blowing his whistle, or stay inside the centre circle. “We used to say ‘we’ll kick off now. Right, see how long we can go without blowing a whistle’,” Dean said. “I’ve done that a few times in the Premier League, before VAR obviously – went 20, 25 minutes without blowing a whistle. “I used to do another thing. I used to stand in the centre circle…