The plot thickens in Coronation Street when Alya Nazir (Sair Khan) is confronted by a mysterious face from her past with a chilling threat…
Alya’s been acting pretty shifty lately – and in a soap teaming with liars, schemers and Carl Webster (Jonathan Howard), that’s really saying something.
The lovely Alya is usually the very last Weatherfield resident we expect to have skeletons in the closet. She won our hearts bravely fighting for family when she helped her mother Yasmeen Nazir (Shelley King) escape her controlling, abusive husband Geoff Metcalfe (Ian Bartholomew). More recently, she’s happily settled into her career as a trainee solicitor working at Barlow Legal Services for Adam Barlow (Sam Robertson), who just so happens to be her boyfriend.
Adam and Alya are partners in law and love… but for how long? (Picture: ITV)
This may be about to change.
In Tuesday’s episode on February 10th, fans were intrigued to see Alya’s romantic date with Adam disrupted when she received a text from an unknown number. Whoever it was, she clearly didn’t want her boyfriend to see and quickly turned her screen away. However, the mystery caller refused to take ‘no’ for an answer…
… and sure enough, Alya approached a parked car driven by a mysterious visitor.
A flash car? In this neighbourhood? Expect trouble, Alya. (Picture: ITV)
This unwanted blast from the past is Rich Pemberton (Jamie Cho), a high-flying lawyer who previously hired Alya to work at his firm Fabian Croft’s, in Dublin. The last time these two crossed paths in Coronation Street was when Rich walked in on Alya finally giving into temptation with Adam and sharing their first kiss.
This did not bode well for Alya’s training secondment in Dublin, so she andAdam had to put forward their most compelling case yet to convince Rich not to kick her out.
Now the smooth-talking solicitor is back, and he wants something from Alya which is sure to put her relationship with Adam in jeopardy.
Rich’s return to the Cobbles spells bad news for Alya (Picture:ITV)
Adam is currently on cloud nine, celebrating the fact that he and Alya have managed to poach Jenna Mackie, one of Fabian’s biggest clients. Obviously Rich is less than happy about this little development, as we will soon see…
In this sneak-peak video, Alya finds herself cornered by Rich at work.
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Rich confronts Alya for avoiding him and demands to know if she has ‘done what he asked’. True to form, Alya defiantly states she has not and has no intention of doing so either.
She states in no uncertain terms that if Jenna Mackey wants Barlow to represent her, then she will. Sticking to her guns, Alya refuses to be bullied by Rich. Turning nasty, Rich warns her that there will be consequences before storming out.
What dirt has Rich got on Alya? Will those consequences be for her job, her relationship… or both?
A pal told The Sun: ‘Fans will be sad to hear that their relationship is really over, but the pair just want a clean break.
The couple are said to have split early last month after seven years of marriage (Picture: Instagram)
‘Millie and Hugo are committed to co-parenting their two young children and keeping everything stable.’
The friend insisted that ‘they are still very amicable with each other and have a lot of respect for one another.’
‘They want the divorce to go through as painlessly as possible and are focusing on work in the meantime.’
For Millie, work involves creating fashion, beauty, and wellness content for social media, as she boasts an impressive 1.3million followers on Instagram.
She also documents her sobriety journey following the release of her 2025 book, Bad Drunk.
As for Hugo, alongside his own influencing activities and promoting luxury brands, he is the director of fitness brand Oner Active.
Millie and Hugo remain on good terms for the sake of their children (Picture: Instagram)
They are now navigating co-parenting daughters Sienna and Aurelia (Picture: Instagram)
He and Millie met as teenagers before joining the E4 reality series, which has catapulted names like Sam Thompson, Spencer Matthews, and Jamie Laing to fame.
Millie was one of Made in Chelsea’s first-ever stars, joining at age just 21 in 2011 and leaving in 2013. Hugo was also part of the original cast.
The ex-lovebirds officially started dating in 2010, with their squabbles and scandals well documented on the programme.
Just months after their first split in 2011, Millie embarked on a high-profile romance with rapper Professor Green, whom she wed two years later.
The 42-year-old musician (real name is Stephen Manderson), who recently revealed he and Millie are back in touch, separated in 2015, with Millie having since revealed they both had their ‘own struggles’ and ‘thought [they] could fix each other,’ contributing to the marriage’s demise.
After their breakup, she and Hugo reconnected, and they went on to start a family.
Last Valentine’s Day, Millie wrote about feeling ‘incredibly lucky’ to be married to Hugo (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
Posting for Valentine’s Day last year, which would be their final one together, Millie declared herself ‘incredibly lucky’ to have Hugo in her life.
‘More than half my life knowing you, nearly a decade together, and five years married… It’s wild to think how much we’ve grown, both as individuals and as a team,’ she wrote alongside a photo.
‘Through every up and down, every challenge and every joy, we’ve always found our way back to each other—stronger, more resilient, and more in sync than ever.
‘I feel so incredibly lucky to have you by my side, navigating all of life’s twists and turns together. Here’s to us, always 💗’
Alas, things weren’t to remain rosy forever, as they decided this year that it would be ‘better’ to be apart.
A source revealed to The Daily Mail: ‘Millie and Hugo are currently going through a separation and have sadly decided to split.
Pictured here in 2011, the pair met as teenagers and their romance was a big part of Made in Chelsea’s storylines (Picture: Shutterstock)
‘They have known each other for many years, and in recent weeks, have had serious conversations about their future, ultimately deciding it’s better for them both to part ways.
‘Their main priority remains their children and family life, and separating is not something they ever hoped would happen.’
Millie and Hugo are believed to be ‘considering what living apart might look like and how they plan to navigate co-parenting their young children.’
‘It’s been an incredibly difficult start to the year, and one they hope to continue managing in private.’
Neither Millie nor Hugo has commented publicly on their divorce yet, but the mum-of-two continues sharing glimpses of her home life on the internet.
Most recently, she wrote a sweet message to her daughters for International Women’s Day, saying the annual event felt ‘especially meaningful as [she] raises two girls.’
‘I hope they grow up kind, confident in their voices and deeply sure of their worth, and I hope they always know they don’t have to shrink themselves for anyone,’ she added.
‘They remind me every day what really matters.’
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Arsenal were denied a penalty in the first half against Everton (Getty)
Arsenal were furious after they were denied a penalty in the first half of their Premier League game against Everton on Saturday.
Eberechi Eze had played Kai Havertz in on goal but the Arsenal forward appeared to be clipped by Michael Keane.
Referee Andy Madley waved play on while VAR opted not to send the official to the screen to review the decision.
In a statement explaining the decision, the Premier League Match Centre said: ‘The referee’s call of no penalty to Arsenal was checked and confirmed by VAR – with the contact from Keane on Havertz deemed to be minimal.’
Meanwhile, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp branded the decision an ‘absolute disgrace’.
‘It’s so clear. How on earth have VAR taken three seconds to say that’s not a penalty? That’s a horrendous decision,’ Redknapp said.
‘It’s definitely a penalty and it should be overturned.
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The video cuts to dozens of sperm speeding through a futuristic tube – with what we assume to be micron-long banner ads for the betting app PolyMarket, of course.
The 128 athletes will be competing for a grand prize of $100,000. Though we’re not sure if the sperm or the man gets to keep the money.
The tournament’s website says: ‘Sperm racing is a science-based competitive sport.
‘During the 2026 sperm racing world cup, athletes compete by representing a country, advancing through qualifiers, matchups, and tournament rounds that are broadcast and shared publicly.
‘This is not a lottery or a game of chance. Selection and advancement are based on eligibility, performance, availability, and competitive structure.’
Athletes must be at least 18, free of sexually transmitted diseases and be able to ‘provide biological samples’ to compete.
The tournament was made to promote awareness over declining male fertility (Picture: Sperm Racing)
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This could be you, dear reader (Picture: Sperm Racing)
A poster for last year’s sperm race (Picture: Sperm Racing)
Organisers have yet to confirm the date and timings of the event.
Eric Zhu, one of the masterminds behind sperm racing, told Metro last year that he’s all too aware of how much of a joke this sounds.
‘It’s so, so stupid,’ the analytical platform Aviato founder said, ‘but it just might work.’
Despite being the tiniest cells in the human body, sperm can slither, spin and dash at speeds of 28mph all to wriggle into an egg cell.
Sperm, of course, don’t have eyes. Instead, they know where to go because egg cells let out a chemical which they sniff out, called chemotaxis.
To replicate these bodily conditions for the 0.05mm racers, the racecourse was fit with ‘chemical signals’ to fool the spermatozoa into swimming.
From left to right: Shane Fan, Eric Zhu, Nick Small and Garrett Niconienko. The four men are behind Sperm Racing (Picture: Sperm Racing)
Eric said that the idea for the F1 of spermatic fluid came from discussions around the decline of male fertility.
Measles is an airborne virus (Picture: Getty Images)
A single London borough has had 80 cases of a ‘fast-spreading’ measles outbreak in less than three months.
Measles is a highly contagious disease that notoriously causes a red rash behind the ears or hairline that quickly spreads downward.
At least 235 cases of measles have been confirmed in the UK since January, according to UK Health Security Agency data released today.
Of them, 107 occurred in the past four weeks.
The agency says 80 laboratory-confirmed cases of the disease were in Enfield, north London, and 15 in the neighbouring borough of Harringey.
What to know about measles
The virus can’t be easily stopped in its tracks (Picture: Getty Images)
Measles spreads when infected people cough or sneeze, spewing viral droplets that float in the air for hours and wriggle on surfaces.
It’s six times more transmissible than Covid-19, making it difficult to contain.
The virus, also called rubeola, can be spread days before symptoms even begin.
Symptoms start around a week after someone gets in contact with the virus, such as a runny nose or a cough.
Within days, measles’s more infamous symptoms, like red or brown blotches and white spots in the mouth, called Koplik spots, emerge.
There’s no specific treatment for measles, other than remedies in hospital, like IV drips and painkillers, to make recovery easier. A vaccine remains the best way to prevent infection.
To get the latest news from the capital, visit Metro'sLondon news hub.
While measles outbreaks do happen, the speed of the infections has taken local healthcare workers aback.
Health experts say that 95% of people need to be vaccinated to curb the spread, with current vaccination rates well below that at 91.9%.
Protection is gained from the two-shot Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Varicella (MMRV) vaccine, given to children when they are 12 months old.
Together, the doses are about 97% effective at preventing an infection.
Enfield has the lowest uptake in the UK, which has alarmed experts like Dr Jo Sauvage, the chief medical officer of the North Central London ICB, which organises healthcare for north London boroughs.
‘As the cases overall rise, it’s really distressing to see the numbers of children who are seriously ill also increase, with more children requiring hospital care,’ Dr Sauvage tells Metro.
Dr Yimmy Chow, UKHSA’s London region deputy director, says that children and adults who become infected with measles can suffer ‘needlessly’ in hospital.
Both Dr Sauvage and Dr Chow say there’s a simple thing people can do, however. Get vaccinated.
The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is the best way to protect against the disease (Picture: AP)
‘Measles is one of the most infectious diseases known, and it will find those who are unvaccinated. Two doses of the MMR vaccine provide vital protection,’ Dr Chow says.
‘If your child has missed any vaccinations, or you are unsure whether they are up to date, please contact your GP surgery as soon as possible — it is never too late to catch up.’
The World Health Organisation declared the UK is no longer considered to have eliminated measles last month.
Amy was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at 19, and has been in remission for breast cancer since last year.
The Caerphilly-born 35-year-old spoke to Metro about grabbing life, dodging karaoke and Reborn, her tour with reigning Strictly champion Carlos Gu.
In 2025 Amy was paired with Thomas Skinner in the dance competition – they were the first couple to leave.
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When asked about her ambitions now, she said: ‘If I’m asked back, I’d love to get to Blackpool on Strictly to prove to myself that I’m back to where I was before cancer.’
She exited the show first with Thomas Skinner in Strictly 2025 (Picture: Guy Levy/ BBC/ PA Wire)
Amy was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2024 for her services to Crohn’s disease (Picture: James Veysey/ Shutterstock/ Rex Features)
And it doesn’t stop there, Amy is thinking beyond being just a professional partner on the show: ‘I’d love to enjoy my tenth year on Strictly, then do some presenting down the line and, one day, maybe even join the judging panel.
‘I judge a lot of competitions around the UK and around the world and I’d be a nice Strictly judge: fair, honest and sympathetic.’
With speculation mounting around who could replace them, Metro asked Amy whether she thought it would be strange without the famous duo: ‘Of course, but the producers are amazing and the show will evolve.
‘What makes Strictly work is the format: people falling in love with the celebrities and watching their journey.
‘I always try to make my celebrity fall in love with dancing because, for them, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.’
Thomas and Amy managed to squeeze in a Paso Doble during their time on last year’s series of Strictly (Picture: Guy Levy/ BBC/ PA Wire)
The 35-year-old said ‘you never know’ what could happen with each Strictly partner (Picture: Rex Features/ Ken McKay/ ITV/ Shutterstock)
A BBC spokesperson said at the time: ‘Strictly Come Dancing’s public vote is independently overseen and verified to ensure complete accuracy every week.’
They added: ‘Any claims to the contrary are entirely without foundation.’
Unlike some of her previous pairings, Thomas didn’t have any background in dancing. Whereas her 2024 partner, JB Gill, had a some experience throwing shapes while in boyband JLS.
‘All of them are challenges,’ Amy said.
‘And you never know. When last year’s line-up was announced, Karen Carney was odd-on to go out in week three or four.
Amy has been dancing on the show since 2017 (Picture: Rex Features/ Dave Hogan/ Hogan Media/ Shutterstock)
‘Bill (Bailey), Chris (McCausland), Hamza (Yassim), no one imagined they’d win. I embrace it all.’
Amy took a break from the show in 2023 after she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
On top of this, she’s had a broken foot, sepsis, and blood clots. Amy reflected on whether she’d been very unlucky or very lucky: ‘A weird mix of both.’
‘A young lady, Nikki, lost her life to breast cancer when I was going through chemo and her motto was: go grab life.’
‘I’ve promised her and myself, that’s what I’ll do.
The Strictly star is now ‘grabbing life’ (Picture: Instagram/ amy_dowden)
‘I’m still here, my hair has grown back, I’ve got my energy and dancing sparkle back and, when life is hard, I’m lucky enough to have family and friends around me.’
From her time on the flagship BBC show, she’s struck up a solid friendship with fellow professional Carlos.
On what makes them click, Amy told us: ‘We’ve known each other a long time and were rivals, but never bitter ones, always friends. He’s a beautiful soul who was there for me during my cancer journey.
‘He calls my mum and dad “mama and papa” and we really are like brother and sister.
‘We fight, we cry, we laugh and we don’t hold back – I’ll come downstairs in something and he’ll go, “Who told you you look good in that?!”. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.
They’re back dancing together on tour with a 2026 leg of Reborn. Their website reads: ‘Back on stage following a triumphant and acclaimed debut season, Amy and Carlos share an intimate portrait of their lives and journeys, in which the inspirational and transformative power of dance shines through.’
Despite being from Wales, Amy says she ‘isn’t a good singer’ (Picture: Mike Marsland/ WireImage)
Amy teased us with what to expect: ‘There’s going to be an empowering new group number, we’ve got Jake Leigh, who choreographed Carlos’s first-ever 40 in the Couples Choice, plus (Strictly singer) Andrea Grant and some new dancers.
‘With 24 dance numbers, there’s a lot to cram in, but Karen might be making an appearance at one or two venues too, who knows?’
The tour also involves singing, but Amy won’t be taking the mic: ‘I may be Welsh, but that doesn’t mean I’m a good singer!
‘Honestly, my karaoke number is the Hokey Cokey, because everyone’s dancing rather than listening to my singing.
‘So we dance while Carlos sings, which was quite a surprise to the audience – he’s really passionate about it.’
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
A former developer at Bluepoint Games has suggested Sony’s move away from PC gaming could be due to the fear of Valve’s Steam Machine.
While it hasn’t been confirmed by Sony, recent reports suggest the company has decided to pull back on porting every PlayStation 5 exclusive title to the PC.
Sony has apparently scrapped plans to bring Ghost Of Yōtei to PC, while upcoming single-player exclusives like Marvel’s Wolverine and Saros are set to remain console-only. Although it’s claimed there will be some exceptions, notably multiplayer titles and games not internally developed by Sony, like the upcoming Kena: Scars Of Kosmora.
In a post on X, Bluepoint’s former head of technology, Peter Dalton, wrote: ‘I read an interesting take on why Sony may be pulling back from pushing PC releases and instead focusing more heavily on exclusives. Some people frame this as a response to Xbox, but I’m not convinced that’s the real driver.
‘A more interesting possibility is the rise of a Steam-based console ecosystem. Consoles largely exist because they provide a cheaper, simpler alternative to gaming PCs. For most households, a dedicated gaming console is easier to justify than building or maintaining a high-end PC.
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‘However, if Valve releases a new Steam console that provides a console-like experience while still giving players access to the entire PC game library, that could become a very compelling option. In that scenario, if Sony were releasing all of its games day-and-date on PC, the Steam console could effectively offer the best of all worlds: console simplicity with the full breadth of PC gaming.’
Dalton ends the tweet on a dramatic note, adding: ‘It would be quite ironic if, after decades of traditional console competition, Valve ultimately ended up winning the console war.’
I read an interesting take on why Sony may be pulling back from pushing PC releases and instead focusing more heavily on exclusives. Some people frame this as a response to Xbox, but I’m not convinced that’s the real driver.A more interesting possibility is the rise of a…
There are some caveats with Dalton’s comments. While Valve’s Steam Machine promises to be compatible with your entire Steam library, the reality might be quite different – as we’ve seen with its handheld Steam Deck and the ‘deck verified’ label.
Additionally, it’s unclear how competitive Valve’s Steam Machine will actually be compared to Sony and Microsoft’s next consoles. It’s expected to come out this year but we still don’t know anything about its price, or whether it will be available anywhere aside from Valve’s website, which has greatly limited the Steam Deck’s visibility and sales.
Even with these caveats though, it’s a pretty sensible theory – and one which is more believable than Sony being concerned about Project Helix. At the moment, based on Valve’s dominance in the PC space and the dismal sales of the Xbox Series X/S, the Steam Machine feels like it has a better shot of making a splash than the next Xbox.
Although that’s only in theory – Valve’s first attempt to create a range of Steam Machine devices, in 2013, was a complete failure and while much has changed in that time there’s still no direct evidence that a concept like Steam Machine or Project Helix can be a mass market proposition.
It’s also possible Sony’s drift from PC is for other reasons. According to Alinea Analytics, sales of PlayStation games on PC have notably dropped in recent years, so this could just be a failed experiment for the company which they’re hoping to rectify ahead of the launch of the PlayStation 6.
Don’t expect any more single-player Sony titles on PC (Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Interior of a Central Line London Underground train, showing seating, grab poles, and passengers commuting through the capital’s iconic Tube network. (Picture: Getty Images)
Tube drivers will unleash a wave of 24-hour strikes in a fresh dispute over hours.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) will walk out at midday on March 24 and 26, April 21 and 23 and May 19 and 21.
The union said around 1,800 of its members were involved in the dispute over the introduction of a compressed four-day working week.
Drivers had rejected the proposals in a referendum, said the RMT, amid concerns about shift lengths, unacceptable working time arrangements and the potential impact on fatigue and safety.
Eddie Dempsey, RMT general secretary, said: ‘London Underground is trying to force through major changes to working patterns that have already been rejected by our members.
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Rush hour crush from the last strike in September last year (Picture: TOLGA AKMEN/EPA/Shutterstock)
‘We are clear that these proposals raise serious concerns around fatigue, safety and work-life balance.
‘Despite our best efforts over many months, no satisfactory outcome has been reached so we have no choice but to call strike dates.
‘There is still time for London Underground to come up with a workable solution but we will take strike action if we cannot get a negotiated settlement.’
A Transport for London spokesperson said: ‘We shared our proposal for a four-day working week with our trade unions last year. Since then, we have been engaging with them on how best to implement the new working pattern.
‘We have started talking with our unions about how to implement a four-day working week for train drivers on the Bakerloo line only.
‘These threatened strikes are completely unnecessary and will have a serious impact on London’s businesses and commuters and we urge them to call off this action.
‘The changes would be voluntary, there will be no reduction in contractual hours and those who wish to continue a five-day working week pattern will be able to do so.
‘These changes will help us to improve reliability, improve our ability to flexibly deploy our drivers and enable us to offer a modern and efficient service while creating no additional cost.’
In September’s strikes last year, bus queues stretched to hundreds of people long with even vomit pictured smeared on windows.
‘When I have told people the bus is too full, or the journey has been diverted, they have punched the protective screen or spat at me,’ one driver told Metro.
‘The strikes are such an intense time for everyone, but we bear the brunt of it.’
Hospitals also warned patients to leave more time for their journeys, or to cancel their appointment in advance if they won’t be able to make it.
But Google has updated a little-known tool that allows users to, well, Google themselves to find and remove their personal info online.
What is Results about you?
Results about you generate reports about sites that might have your personal information by, well, Googling it.
You can then click a button to flag it for it to be removed from search results, with Google reviewing the request first.
When Metro gave the tool a whirl, we found our name and email mentioned in obvious places – Metro author pages, social media profiles and online directories, for example.
But it was also publicly available in more unexpected places, like a French photography studio’s website that now redirects to a shady dating network.
The tool tracks down mentions of your details in Google search results (Picture: Google)
Google will email you when it finds your information and give you the option to remove it from Google search, the idea being that it’ll stop data brokers from finding it, too.
Chris Yule, senior director of threat research at the cyber defence firm Sophos X-Ops, told Metro that Results about you is for the privacy-conscious.
‘Say you’re a doctor or a policewoman and you don’t want members of the public you’re interacting with finding your address from a quick Google search,’ Yule says.
‘Google will review requests to remove results if people search for you.
‘What it doesn’t do is stop your data being made available or sold online. Your information will still be available on the site it’s being sold on, but Google won’t link to it in results anymore.’
Why should I be worried about data brokers?
Yule warns that Sophos X-Ops has seen a 1253% increase in the volume of personal data for sale on the dark web over the last five years.
The shady corner of the internet uses technology that allows both sides of an online interaction to hide their identity and location.
‘Data brokers will steal and gather personal data with the sole objective of selling it on to people who can use it to make money, whether that’s personal data for identity theft and fraud, financial data for payment fraud, or technical data like usernames and passwords that can be used for ransomware and other cybercrime,’ Yule adds.
In a blog post, Google said it’s beefing up Results about you in the US, so users can hunt mentions of their passport details or social security number, which is used to apply for welfare.
Expanded monitoring will soon be available in ‘additional regions’.
To find any of this information, you do need to hand it directly over to Google – the company said the tool uses ‘rigorous security protocols’.
The tool stops your data from appearing in Google search results (Picture: Didem Mente/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Yule says the irony in giving Google your data for it to find your data isn’t lost on him.
‘Ultimately, Google is the arbiter of search results for most people, so if you want their help in taking down things you don’t want people to see, then you need to give them something to work with,’ he says.
Not everyone ‘plays by Google’s rules’, warns cybercrime expert
The tool is part of a growing number of paid data removal services, which keep your information out of data brokers’ hands on your behalf.
But such services still struggle to keep up with identity thieves, who can use an increasingly sophisticated array of tools to pretend to be you.
Jake Moore, a global cybersecurity advisor at software firm ESET, tells Metro that commonplace AI systems ‘don’t play by Google’s rules’.
‘AI is far more powerful at researching, so it’s important to be aware that some of these platforms can also share personal information sometimes,’ Moore says.
Cyber crooks often buy people’s data on dark web markets (Picture: Shutterstock/Max Acronym)
‘It is much better to attempt to remove the data from its origin than rely on the search removal tool.’
If you’re wary of what information about you is out there, Marijus Briedis, chief technology officer at NordVPN, has some tips.
‘Privacy should be approached in layers,’ Briedis says.
‘Adjusting account settings and managing what appears in search results can reduce exposure, but tools that protect your connection – such as VPNs – can also help limit how much of your browsing activity is visible to networks, advertisers and other third parties.’
Country Joe McDonald has died after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (Picture: Michael Putland/ Getty Images)
Country Joe and the Fish frontman Country Joe McDonald, who rose to fame when performing at Woodstock, has died aged 84.
The singer, born Joseph Allen McDonald, died of Parkinson’s in Berkeley, California. In a statement shared on his band’s social media, they announced: ‘We are deeply saddened to report the passing of Country Joe McDonald, who died yesterday, March 7th, at the age of 84, in Berkeley, California, due to complications from Parkinson’s disease.’
‘He was surrounded by his family, and the news has been confirmed by Best Classic Bands, as well as the McDonald family. At this time, the McDonald Family requests privacy during this very difficult period,’ the statement concluded.
The musician was best known for the song I- Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die Rag, which was a Vietnam War protest track he performed at the 1969 Woodstock Festival.
That performance also included his infamous call-and-response ‘Fish Cheer’, which had the audience spelling out the F-word at McDonald’s request.
Born in Washington, D.C, in 1942, McDonald then grew up in El Monte, California, before joining the Navy as a teenager.
The American musician rose to fame after performing at Woodstock (Picture: Ed Perlstein/ Redferns/ Getty Images)
He was well known for releasing a string of protest songs (Picture: Michael Putland/ Getty Images)
After serving from 1959 until 1962, he returned to Los Angeles to attend state college, later moving to the San Francisco Bay area.
It was there, in 1965, that he co-founded Country Joe and the Fish with guitarist Barry Melton in Berkeley. The pair had met at a folk festival at the University of California.
The band released its debut album, Electric Music for the Mind and Body, in 1967 – however it did not include their two famous protest songs out of fear of censorship.
But it did feature the song Superbird, which took aim at President Lyndon Johnson.
McDonald once reflected on his most famous protest song, telling the Street Spirit website: ‘The important thing about the Fixin’ to Die Rag was that it had a new point of view that did not blame soldiers for war.
‘It just blamed the politicians, and it blamed the manufacturers of weapons. It didn’t blame the soldiers.
‘Someone who was in the military could sing the song, and the attitude is, “Whoopee, we’re all going to die”. Most peace songs of the era blamed the soldiers for the war.’
Although Country Joe and the Fish disbanded in 1971, McDonald went on to write other songs addressing environmental issues and civil rights.
Throughout his solo career he released nearly 40 albums, the last being released in 2017.
McDonald released nearly 40 albums during his solo career (Picture: Anthony Pidgeon/ Redferns)
Speaking about that album – 50 – he said in 2016 that he was floored realising he’d been in the music industry for five decades.
‘I find the concept of 50 years incomprehensible. But it’s indisputable because I have children and some of those children have children and I know that the math is right. And I just finished an album and the title of it is 50 because it’s 50 years since the first album. I didn’t die, so there you are. I’m still alive and I’m still doing something. Filling a need helps a lot, and it keeps me sane,’ he said.
As an actor, McDonald also starred in 1970’s Gas-s-s-s-s, appeared in the 971 Don Johnson film Zachariah and played himself with Country Joe & The Fish in More American Graffiti in 1979. He also played Joaquin in the 1993 adaptation of Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City.
McDonald is survived by his wife Kathy. While he largely kept his private life out of the spotlight, he had previously spoken about having five children.
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