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An author and climate activist walked out of her own event at the Edinburgh International Book Festival in protest at its links to “fossil fuel companies”.

Mikaela Loach halted a panel discussion about her new book to hold up a banner criticising the festival’s main sponsor, Baillie Gifford, before leading audience members out of the venue for a protest in the street outside.

It comes after more than 50 authors and event chairs at the festival signed an open letter criticising the involvement of the investment firm, who they accused of making “huge profits from global disaster”.

Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg also cancelled a planned appearance at the festival, while writers, including Zadie Smith and Gary Younge have threatened to boycott next year’s event.

Ms Loach posted a video on Instagram of the moment she interrupted the talk on Saturday – assisted by fellow writers and activists who held up a banner reading: “You wouldn’t burn books, don’t burn the planet. Drop Baillie Gifford”.

In the clip, she is seen telling the audience: “I can’t actually in good faith continue just talking about these issues without doing something, especially given the festival is sponsored by an investment firm that is banking rolling this climate crisis.

“Baillie Gifford are an investment firm that have £5bn of investments in the fossil fuel industry.”

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Ms Loach, author of It’s Not That Radical, wrote on Instagram that she had been “so excited to be invited to speak on my book at the Edinburgh International Book Festival and would have loved to have had a full conversation there. But, we are in a dire situation with the climate crisis.”

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The clip then shows members of the audience at the event, which was advertised online at £15.50 a ticket, clapping and then walking out of the venue with her while chanting: “hey hey, ho ho, Baillie Gifford’s got to go”.

She wrote on Instagram: “All 180 people in the audience walk[ed] out in solidarity with the authors”.

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Mikaela Loach tells Sky News in 2021 the UK is not a climate leader

The festival has previously responded to criticism from the authors by saying that only a “small percentage” of their sponsor’s income came from fossil fuels, and “it seems to us that they are in fact investing in companies that are seeking to resolve the crisis.”

Festival director Nick Barley said: “As a charitable organisation, we would not be in a position to provide that platform without the long-term support of organisations such as Baillie Gifford.

“We strongly believe that Baillie Gifford are part of the solution to the climate emergency.”

Baillie Gifford has also rejected claims it invests “heavily” in fossil fuels. It said in an earlier statement: “Only 2% of our clients’ money is invested in companies with some business related to fossil fuels.”

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Prosecutors call for 11-year jail sentence for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs

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Prosecutors call for 11-year jail sentence for Sean 'Diddy' Combs

Federal prosecutors in New York are urging a judge to sentence Sean “Diddy” Combs to more than 11 years in prison.

Following the hip-hop mogul’s conviction on prostitution-related charges, they also want him to be fined $500,000 (£372,000), according to court filings.

Last week, defence lawyers urged a 14-month sentence. Due to time served, that would enable him to walk free almost immediately – following his arrest in September last year.

But he could, in theory, face up to 20 years in jail after being found guilty of two counts of transportation for engagement in prostitution. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.

Judge Arun Subramanian, a US district judge, is due to sentence Combs in Manhattan on Friday.

Sean "Diddy" Combs reacts after verdicts are read of the five counts against him, during Combs' sex trafficking trial in New York City, New
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Combs reacts after the verdicts are read in July

During his trial, prosecutors said Combs coerced two of his former girlfriends to take part in what were described as “freak offs”.

He was found guilty of transporting male prostitutes across state lines to take part in those events.

Both women testified that Combs physically attacked them and threatened to cut off financial support if they refused to take part.

However, while jurors believed Combs broke the law over using sex workers, they did not find the sexual encounters involving the women were non-consensual, which is what prosecutors had argued.

Combs was cleared of the more serious charges of sex-trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.

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In a written legal submission, his defence team has detailed “inhumane” conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York.

They said the food sometimes contains maggots, that the rapper is routinely subjected to violence, and that he has “not breathed fresh air in nearly 13 months”.

They also said his “career and reputation have been destroyed”.

His legal team said Combs had been “adequately punished” already, was sober “for the first time in 25 years”, and had helped other inmates by creating an educational programme on business management and entrepreneurship.

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Ronan Keating, Keith Duffy, Shane Lynch and Mikey Graham will perform a headline show – and promise to remember Stephen Gately too

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Ronan Keating, Keith Duffy, Shane Lynch and Mikey Graham will perform a headline show – and promise to remember Stephen Gately too

Boyzone are reuniting for their biggest ever headline show next summer, inspired by the success of their recent documentary Boyzone: No Matter What.

Ronan Keating, Keith Duffy, Shane Lynch and Mikey Graham will perform live at Emirates Stadium, London, on Saturday 6 June 2026.

It will be the first time they’ve performed together since a five-night run at the London Palladium in 2019, and will be the largest show of their entire career anywhere in the world.

In January, a three-part documentary celebrated their success, as well as revealing the dark side of being in a boyband in the 1990s.

One of the biggest pop groups of the era, the five-working class lads from Dublin formed in 1993, put together by talent manager Louis Walsh. They broke into the UK charts the following year.

Six number one hits and five number one albums followed, with 25 million records sold across the world.

Stephen Gately’s untimely death back in 2009, as a result of an undiagnosed heart condition, means the full band will never again take to the stage, but the remaining band members say the show will be a time to remember Gately.

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Read more: Ronan Keating on boyband fame in the 90s

Boyzone said: “We’ve been truly blown away and humbled by the response to the documentary this year. The love we’ve felt from fans all over the world has inspired us to create the ultimate experience together, headlining our own stadium show.

“The four of us can’t wait to stand together again and enjoy One For The Road.”

Ticket pre-sale kicks off on Tuesday 7 October at 9am, with remaining tickets going on general sale 9am on Friday 10 October.

With hits including Words, No Matter What and Love Me For A Reason, the band have four BRITs and an Ivor Novello award, and after reuniting in 2007, they performed four sell-out UK arena tours between 2008-2019.

Boyzone: No Matter What is available on Sky and streaming service Now

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Harry Potter author JK Rowling hits out at Emma Watson in fresh clash over transgender issues

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Harry Potter author JK Rowling hits out at Emma Watson in fresh clash over transgender issues

JK Rowling has accused Emma Watson of being “ignorant of how ignorant she is” amid their ongoing disagreement about transgender issues.

The Harry Potter films’ three central stars – Watson, Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint – have publicly backed the rights of transgender people in recent years, often distancing themselves from the author when asked about her in interviews.

Rowling, 60, has previously been accused of transphobia, which she denies.

Watson, 35, discussed her relationship with the writer on a podcast last week, telling host Jay Shetty: “I think it’s my deepest wish that I hope people who don’t agree with my opinion will love me, and I hope I can keep loving people who I don’t necessarily share the same opinion with.”

Rowling has now shared a more than 600-word post on X in response to Watson, in which she states: “Like other people who’ve never experienced adult life uncushioned by wealth and fame, Emma has so little experience of real life she’s ignorant of how ignorant she is.”

JK Rowling in 2019. Pic: AP
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JK Rowling in 2019. Pic: AP

The author went on to say the Hermione Granger actress is never going to need a homeless shelter or be placed on a mixed-sex public hospital ward.

The multimillionaire author said that “I lived in poverty while writing the book that made Emma famous” and therefore “understand from my own life experience what the trashing of women’s rights in which Emma has so enthusiastically participated means to women and girls without her privileges”.

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Rowling added that while she has found it “hard to shake off a certain protectiveness” towards the Harry Potter stars, who she has known since they were children, there was a “turning point” in her relationship with Watson in 2022.

She said this happened when Watson gave a Bafta speech saying “I’m here for all the witches”, which some saw as a criticism of the author’s beliefs on gender.

Emma Watson arrives at the Baftas in March 2022. Pic: Reuters
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Emma Watson arrives at the Baftas in March 2022. Pic: Reuters

The actress then asked someone to deliver her a handwritten note saying “I’m so sorry for what you’re going through”, the author claimed on X.

This came at a time “when the death, rape and torture threats against me were at their peak” and “Emma had just publicly poured more petrol on the flames”, Rowling said.

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Watson has often publicly disagreed with Rowling.

In 2020, she was one of several Harry Potter stars who showed their support for the trans community when the author shared a series of divisive posts online.

“I want my trans followers to know that I and so many other people around the world see you, respect you and love you for who you are,” the actress wrote at the time.

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