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BRITAIN’S Got Talent has been plunged into a new ‘fix’ row, with viewers fuming over two international acts making it through the auditions.

Sunday night’s episode featured Filipino dance troupe Obsequious and Japanese comedian Akira Ohashi, both of whom wowed the judges and audience.

ITV

Japanese comedian Akira performed various tricks with just a tray to cover his modesty[/caption]

ITV

Filipino dance troupe Obsequious wowed the judges[/caption]

Akira, who performed various tricks with just a tray to cover his modesty, has already found fame in Japan – clocking up millions of YouTube engagements for his racy videos.

Meanwhile, Obsequious boast 66,000 Facebook followers and have won championships including the World Supremacy Battlegrounds, WSB Asia PH, Battlegrounds PH Luzon, WSB Asia International and Champions Tour Cell championships.

While many fans praised their performances, others took to social media to question why the acts weren’t from the UK.

The show has never hidden the fact that auditions are open to everyone, regardless of experience or nationality, with all contestants given the same chance to impress the judges and viewers.

However, some fans were less than pleased, with one writing under a post on the show’s official Instagram: “What’s the point in calling it ‘Britain’s’ Got Talent?”

Another added: “BRITAIN’S Got Talent???!!” while a third quipped: “Welcome to Global Got talent.”

Over on X, formerly Twitter, one viewer fumed: “Once again it should be called worlds got talent ! Keep it British.”

Another echoed: “BGT another year of effing dog dancing, dance troops, bloke that can sing a bit, some scary shit and the dumbest studio audience ever.”

But not everyone was unhappy, with plenty of fans defending the international contestants.

One posted: “They were incredible! Who cares where they’re from? Talent is talent.”

Another said: “BGT has always had worldwide acts – this isn’t new. Let’s just enjoy great performances.”

A third added: “The best acts should go through no matter where they come from. End of.”

Despite the backlash, the show has a long history of welcoming talent from across the globe, with past winners including Canadian magician Eric Chien and American comedian Viggo Venn.

A source said: “BGT has amassed a global fanbase with over 24 billion views of content across their social media channels, so it naturally attracts talent from across the world, who use the show as a platform to showcase their act to a massive audience.

“BGT is and has always been an inclusive show and it welcomes acts to take part from around the world.”

• Britain’s Got Talent continues next weekend on ITV.

ITV

Viewers are fuming at the judges for sending the two international acts through auditions[/caption]

Lahore, Feb 25 (SocialNews.XYZ) England and Afghanistan will lock horns in a high-stakes Group B encounter on Wednesday, at Gaddafi Stadium, as both teams search for their first win in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025....

The post Champions Trophy: England, Afghanistan face must-win battle in Lahore appeared first on Social News XYZ.

A RARE planetary parade is to emerge in the night sky this week for the last time until 2040.

Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Venus, Neptune, Saturn and Mercury will be strung across the sky in an arc shape on 28 February.

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Five planets, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Venus and Mercury, will be visible to the naked eye[/caption]

The moment will be short, lasting until roughly 6:30pm GMT / EST in the UK and the US – which is when Jupiter will fall below the horizon.

Stargazers will have to wait 15 years for the next alignment involving seven planets.

Only five planets, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Venus and Mercury, will be visible to the naked eye.

Uranus and Neptune are simply too far away from Earth, and therefore require a telescope or binoculars to view them.

While they will mostly look like larger, twinkling stars – you will be able to set Venus and Mars apart from the rest.

Venus will be the brightest in the sky, shining twice as bright as the North Star, Polaris.

Venus, Jupiter and Saturn will appear as bright-white points of light.

While Mars has a distinct orange glow.

Alignments of four or five planets are not uncommon, as their orbits bring them to the same side of the Sun as the Earth.

But it’s remarkably rare for six, or even seven, planets to align.

How to view ‘planet parade’

The best time to witness the celestial phenomena is just after sunset.

Mars will appear in the eastern sky.

Jupiter and Uranus will be visible in the southeast.

While Venus, Neptune and Saturn will appear in the west.

While binoculars or telescopes can give a detailed view of the planets, they can also limit the portion of the sky you can see.

Jupiter is scheduled to set at roughly 6:30pm GMT / EST in the UK and the US.

Mercury’s placement will also be low on the horizon, meaning it will dip out of visibility at about 7pm GMT / EST.

Jujutsu Kaisen and Solo Leveling are both extremely popular anime. They are powerhouses among the modern anime series, with millions of fans worldwide. Yet, when it comes down to it, they struggle with the same fundamental issue of focusing on their protagonists. Jujutsu Kaisen is a narrative with rich characters, lore, and development. So much […]

This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire

In the world of anime, there are very few moments that are as big as the 4th Great Ninja War or the Fourth Shinobi World War from Naruto. It is one of the, if not the, greatest moments in the history of the series and one of the main reasons why Naruto still sits at […]

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Business Wire India Simplilearn, a global leader in digital upskilling, is excited to announce the appointment of Shane Clem as Vice President of Strategic Partnerships. With over two decades of experience driving revenue growth, enhancing...

The post Simplilearn Strengthens Its Leadership Team, Appoints Shane Clem as VP of Strategic Partnerships appeared first on Social News XYZ.

IRELAND defender Jake O’Brien and his girlfriend Sophie have revealed the sex of their baby just days after announcing she was pregnant.

The Everton star, 23, and his partner revealed they were expecting in an emotional and heartwarming post on Instagram.

And on Monday, they revealed exactly what they were expecting in a similarly touching video shared to her Instagram Story.

The video, initially in black and white, shows the couple standing over a balloon, preparing to pop it with the resulting confetti revealing the sex.

They are momentarily prevented from doing so by their two dogs, who appeared to be just as excited as the soon-to-be first-time parents.

Eventually, O’Brien pops the balloon, from which blue confetti falls to the ground, signifying that they were expecting a boy.

Accounting for Jake and one of the two dogs, it will make for a third boy in the household.

Sophie made light of this fact by joking “I’m totally outnumbered now”.

As for the young fella’s footballing alignment, he has been given no choice in the matter after Sophie revealed he had been gifted his first teddy bear.

On the chest of the bear was the inscription: “Born an Everton fan”.

The pregnancy announcement video was suitably precious.

It depicted Sophie reacting to the initial positive test herself before O’Brien enters the bathroom and is shown the test.

The couple then share a hug before the video cuts to her at a doctor’s appointment at which she gets a sonogram.

She said: “Time for our next chapter ..

“Never felt love like this ”

The comments were flooded with well-wishes, led by the 23-year-old’s international teammate Evan Ferguson.

The on-loan West Ham striker said: “Congrats to the both of use ” while Killian Phillips commented: “Can’t wait to be a godfather”

Ireland and Southampton midfielder Will Smallbone said: “Congrats guys ” while Ireland and Brighton star Mark O’Mahony posted: “Congrats to the both of ye ”

Nathan joked: “Congragulations!!!! That babies gonna be playing in the NBA” and Liam remarked: “Moyes has turned this man into a superstar on and off the pitch. Unreal”

Everton megafan and streamer Ryan Hall said: “Congrats to both of you! Amazing news ”

JUMPING onto the housing ladder isn’t the easiest of processes. 

You might think you’ve managed to save enough money, only to sit down with your mortgage adviser and realise you’re back at square one. 

EBay

eBay is selling a well insulated granny annexe[/caption]

EBay

It is well designed for the unpredictable English weather[/caption]

This could explain why living arrangements are evolving, as people adapt to new ways of living.

In an era where families are seeking flexible, multi-generational living solutions, granny annexes are emerging as an ideal option. 

These self-contained spaces, either attached to or separate from the main house, provide a stylish and practical way to keep loved ones close while preserving independence. 

And now, eBay is making this option more accessible than ever.

Currently listed on the platform is a two-bedroom granny annexe that fits perfectly at the back of your garden. 

Designed with the unpredictable British weather in mind, the annexe is damp-proof and features double glazing.

Even better, it’s priced at just £750 per square metre.

The eBay seller describes the building as “perfect” for those looking to create a “luxury cabin, annexe, or mobile home.” 

The kit includes all the essentials to ensure your project is energy-efficient, helping to reduce energy bills in the long run.

Measuring 12 metres in length by 5 metres in width, with an internal ceiling height of approximately 2.3 to 2.4 metres, the annexe can be customised to suit your specific needs.

Boasting thick insulation to minimise heat loss and designed to withstand various climates, the granny annexe combines practicality with durability. 

It arrives prefabricated and ready to assemble, which significantly speeds up the construction process, and even includes a matching floor. 

The structure is designed to be installed on a concrete base, which is not included in the kit, although the seller offers quotes for this as an additional service.

At £750 per square metre, the total cost for this kit is £45,000, with delivery included. 

EBay

The granny annexe fits perfectly at the bottom of the garden[/caption]

EBay

It has a seating area outside[/caption]

For those opting for a supply-and-fit service, the price rises to £67,500. 

The seller has received 100% positive feedback so far, with one satisfied customer commenting: “Well he did offer to meet me halfway to collect which was a nice gesture. 

“The great seller will use him again. 

“The parcel was well packaged and he posted it very quickly.”

“Certainly a very good seller, the product arrived in good condition.” 

With its affordability, practicality, and energy-saving features, this granny annexe offers a modern solution to multi-generational living, proving that adapting to changing circumstances doesn’t mean compromising on style or comfort.

NATO forces have been forced to scramble their warplanes in Poland after Vladimir Putin used nuclear-capable bombers to attack Ukraine. 

Russia used a set of Tu-95MS’ to cause panic in Kyiv as residents were forced to rush to the metro underground shelters for safety.

East2West

A flash of light was seen across Ukraine following Vladimir Putin’s aerial attack[/caption]

East2West

Ukraine was blasted by Moscow’s jets[/caption]

The strikes came despite Putin insisting he wanted peace with Ukraine “as soon as possible” as Moscow continue to speak with Washington over a truce.

Explosions were heard in Kyiv, Zhytomyr, and Sumy, as well as in Kyiv and Cherkasy regions.

Drones were also used by Russia with several people suffering injuries. 

“Attention, due to the activity of long-range aviation of the Russian Federation, striking targets located, in particular, in the west of Ukraine, military aviation has begun to operate in the airspace of Poland,” said Warsaw’s  armed forces operation command headquarters. 

Ground-based air defences and radar reconnaissance systems were also  “put on alert”.

The NATO action was defensive amid fears Russia was unleashing missiles close to the Polish border. 

The attacks on Ukraine were reported to be continuing. 

At least two Tu-95MS bombers were reported taking off from Olenya air base in the Arctic. 

A COMMON medication taken by millions of Brits may accelerate dementia.

But experts cautioned it could be the condition itself that is linked to worsening memory.

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Antidepressants could be linked to worsening dementia[/caption]

The study looked at the health data of 18,740 patients with an average age of 78 years who were recently diagnosed with dementia.

Approximately 23 per cent were treated with antidepressants.

During the course of the study, a total of 11,912 prescriptions of antidepressants were registered.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) accounted for 65 per cent of the prescriptions.

Using standard cognitive tests, the study found higher doses of SSRIs were associated with a sharper decline in cognitive scores over an average follow-up of 4.3 years, and more severe dementia symptoms, according to the research published in BMC Medicine.

Men taking antidepressants appeared to experience faster cognitive decline than women, the Karolinska Institute study found.

But another class of antidepressants, serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), did not appear to have the same effect. 

The SSRI escitalopram appeared to accelerate cognitive decline fastest, followed by the SSRIs citalopram and sertraline.

Mirtazapine had less negative cognitive impact.

Antidepressants can often be prescribed to people with the dementia to help ease specific symptoms, such as depression, anxiety or sleep issues.

Dr Richard Oakley, associate director for research and innovation at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “[The study] did not rule out the possibility that the changes were due to the presence of depression rather than antidepressant use, so further research is needed to understand the effects of antidepressants.”

Prof Tara Spires-Jones, director of the centre for discovery brain sciences at the University of Edinburgh, who was not involved in the research, said: “People who needed antidepressants may have had more aggressive disease or the depression itself could have been affecting disease progression.”

The researchers, led by Sara Garcia-Ptacek, said future studies will help clarify their results.

Almost nine million Brits take antidepressants.

An estimated 8.7 million identified patients received an antidepressant drug item in 2023/24.

A previous study published in the British Medical Journal in 2018 found a similar link.

Researchers examined GP records of over 40,000 people aged 65 and older with dementia and nearly 300,000 without.

The results showed that those who had taken the drugs four to 20 years earlier were more likely to be diagnosed with dementia.