
Zhanna D’Art: Who was the controversial vegan raw food influencer who died from ‘starvation’?
Zhanna Samsonova was just 39 when she died, reportedly from “starvation and exhaustion”, thousands of miles from her birthplace in Moscow, Russia. The Instagram influencer’s tragic story has come under scrutiny due to her promotion of a completely “raw” diet, which reports have suggested was linked to her death. Under the name Zhanna D’Art, Samsonova regularly wrote about how she subsisted exclusively on fruit, vegetables, seeds, smoothies and juices while living in Malaysia. Her mother, Vera, attributed Samsonova’s death to a “cholera-like infection” that was exacerbated by her diet. In recent weeks, Samsonova had been unusually quiet on Instagram, with the exception of a troubling post shared just days before her death on 21 July. “Life is meaningless but worth living provided you recognise it’s meaningly,” she wrote, over a photo of herself wearing sunglasses, with a gasping expression on her face. Vera, 63, told Russian newspaper Novye Izvestia how she had begged her daughter to return home as she feared for her health. “I understood that Zhanna was about to die, but still I could not help her in any way. My daughter's life has turned into a nightmare,” she said, via LBC. She told the publication that she had “fought for years” to save her daughter, once an aspiring model, but she “refused to listen”. Samsonova is believed to have left Russia in 2006, buying a one-way ticket to spend the past 17 years travelling around Asia while blogging and practicing yoga. Photos shared by Vera showed a smiling Samsonova apparently taking part in a modelling contest. The images are in stark contrast to the final photos she shared of herself before her death, where she appeared visibly gaunt and malnourished. Her friends also spoke with local media, confessing they feared she was suffering from anorexia and that her diet was becoming increasingly limited. One of her neighbours, who was not named, said she was “horrified” when they met in Sri Lanka a few months ago, as Samsonova looked “exhausted” and had swollen legs “oozing lymph”. “They sent her home to seek treatment. However, she ran away again. When I saw her in Phuket, I was horrified,” the friend said, according to The Sun. “I lived one floor above her and every day I feared finding her lifeless body in the morning. I convinced her to seek treatment, but she didn’t make it.” Samsonova regularly made claims about the supposed benefits of her raw food diet, including that it offered “natural” protection from Covid-19. She also claimed that her body did not “require” water, writing last year that her fruit-based diet meant she had gone without water for the past six years. In recent months, she appeared to have become a fan of the durian fruit, sharing frequent posts that promoted it. “It’s that fabulous time of year again – Durian Season in Thailand!” she wrote in the caption of one of her final videos. “Wake Up And Smell the Durian! For all you durian lovers out there, isn’t it just the best? And for those who haven’t yet experienced the joy of durian, you’re in for a wild ride!” When she died, Samsonova had around 16,000 followers. At the time of writing, however, that number had increased to 33,000. There have been previous cases where people have starved to death due to their extreme diets, including children whose food intake was controlled by their parents. Last year, a vegan mother was sentenced to life in prison over the death of her 18-month-old son, who was fed a diet of raw fruits and vegetables. Prosecutors said that Sheila O’Leary’s son Ezra was severely malnourished, and weighed just 17 pounds when he died in September 2019. O’Leary was convicted by a Florida jury in June 2022 of first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, aggravated manslaughter of a child, child abuse and two counts of child neglect. For anyone struggling with the issues raised in this article, eating disorder charity Beat’s helpline is available 365 days a year on 0808 801 0677. NCFED offers information, resources and counselling for those suffering from eating disorders, as well as their support networks. Visit eating-disorders.org.uk or call 0845 838 2040 Read More Vegan raw food influencer ‘dies of starvation and exhaustion’ ‘Love, obsession, extortion and murder’: The dramatic downfall of TikTok influencer who became a killer Royal family silent as Meghan Markle celebrates 42nd birthday Who was controversial vegan raw food influencer Zhanna D’Art: Health expert Dr Michael Mosley shares two tips for avoiding osteoporosis Will Smith says Willow ‘mutiny’ changed his view on family success
1970-01-01 08:00

Alex Greenwood: The England and Manchester City defender in profile
One of the most experienced and dependable names in Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses squad, Alex Greenwood might have been expected to start at left-back after Rachel Daly’s devastating season up front for Aston Villa meant her moving out of the defensive position she held throughout the last year’s triumphant Euros campaign. But with injuries ruling out Leah Williamson, Wiegman may prefer to deploy Greenwood through the centre and place Jess Carter at full-back, an uncertainty the Liverpudlian says does not concern her, insisting she is equally comfortable in either position. A dead-ball specialist as well as a no-nonsense defensive stalwart, Greenwood, 29, began her career at Northfield in Liverpool before being selected by Everton aged eight to enter the club’s Centre of Excellence. She eventually broke into the first team at 17 in 2010 and was named FA Young Player of the Year in 2012 before leaving with a heavy heart when the Toffees were relegated in 2014. Thereafter playing for Notts County, Liverpool and Manchester United – captaining the latter in their inaugural Championship-winning season in 2018/19 – she then moved to the all-conquering Lyon in France for a season, picking up the Champions League and three domestic honours, before (controversially) finding a permanent home at former rivals Manchester City in 2020. Greenwood has also picked up 75 senior England caps in that time, captaining the side in this year’s Arnold Clark Cup tie against Italy, and is otherwise known as an outspoken advocate for the women’s game, unafraid to speak frankly about the “draining” misogynistic abuse she and her teammates have been subjected to on social media. Get all the latest Women’s World Cup odds here Read More How to watch England vs Nigeria: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup fixture When do England play next? Women’s World Cup fixtures and route to the final Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup?
1970-01-01 08:00

Mary Earps: The England goalkeeper and world’s best in profile
Manchester United goalkeeper Mary Earps, affectionately known as “Mearps”, may now be firmly ensconced as England’s number one after her heroic displays at the Euros – and impassioned leadership of the table-dancing celebrations that followed – but her chances of even being part of the squad once looked remote. Prior to the arrival of Sarina Wiegman as England manager in September 2021, Earps believed her form was so poor she might never return to the national team, having made her debut against Switzerland in 2017 but received only a handful of caps thereafter before falling out of favour. While Earps went on to win the Fifa ‘Best’ award following the Euros, it was not long after she had considered quitting the game altogether. “I can vividly remember the days of feeling really down and I’d sort of reached my limits and given it a good go but I just wasn’t quite good enough. I had responsibilities, I had a mortgage and it wasn’t adding up,” she told the BBC earlier this year. Get all the latest Women’s World Cup odds here “Eventually I decided ‘OK, I’ll give it a couple more years…’ And then Sarina came in and life changed, literally like that. I felt like she really understood where I came from and had empathy for me as a human being. Not something I’ve experienced a lot in football over the years. I like her directness, her honesty.” Originally from Nottingham, Earps, now 30, was spotted playing for West Bridgford Colts by Leicester City and was taken into its youth academy but never made a senior appearance, moving on to Nottingham Forest and then Doncaster Rovers Belles, where she briefly established herself before being sent out on loan to Coventry City without playing. Spells with Birmingham City, Bristol Academy and Reading followed – during which period she completed a business studies degree at Loughborough University – and then a move to Frauen-Bundesliga champions Wolfsburg before she finally found a permanent home at United in 2019. Now one of the most confident performers in the squad thanks to Wiegman’s encouragement, the shift in Earps’ self-esteem was evident in her reaction to narrowly failing to save Brazil’s first penalty in April’s Finalissima shootout, the keeper remembering in an interview this month: “In that moment, I’m thinking: ‘Is this going to be how my day is going to go? I’m going to be close, but not close enough?’ “I said to myself: ‘No chance. This is mine – and I’m having it.’” Read More How to watch England vs Nigeria: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup fixture When do England play next? Women’s World Cup fixtures and route to the final Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup?
1970-01-01 08:00

Keira Walsh: England’s midfield star who broke the world transfer record for a female player
Despite being a Manchester City fan so committed to the club that she had pet goldfish named Shaun Goater and Nicolas Anelka as a child, Keira Walsh was also a keen student of “tiki-taka”-era Barcelona growing up in Rochdale, admiring the total control demonstrated by Pep Guardiola’s sides through elegant possession football. These days, Pep is managing City and it is Walsh herself sitting at the heart of Barca’s midfield. She made that move last summer for a world record fee after starring for the Lionesses at Euro 2022, pulling the strings at the centre of the park like another of her idols, David Silva, always knowing precisely when to play the killer pass. There was no finer example of this than the perfectly-weighted long ball she dinked into Ella Toone for England’s opener against Germany in the final, for which she was deservingly named player of the match. Another famed instance of Walsh’s artistry in action came at the SheBelieves Cup in Japan in 2019, when she played in Beth Mead with a pass that took out no fewer than eight separate opposition players in one move, a clip of which swiftly went viral. Her performances during the Euros inspired French journalist Julien Laurens to hail her as “the best player in the world”, an accolade that will place renewed pressure on her to stamp her authority on the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand this summer. However, a nasty-looking injury sustained in England’s second group game against Denmark saw her carried from the field on a stretcher, potentially bringing her tournament to a premature end. Walsh, now 26, abandoned youthful passions for badminton and cricket to commit to football, emerging from Blackburn Rovers’ youth system before transferring to her beloved City in 2014, where she made 118 appearances and became known to the club’s Oasis-besotted fans as “WonderWalsh” in tribute to her dependable presence. Former teammate Jill Scott, incidentally, has said her nickname among the Lionesses is “Sat Nav Foot” for the extraordinary precision of her passing. For England, Walsh has effortlessly succeeded Fara Williams in central midfield, having been handed the captain’s armband in just her seventh outing for the Lionesses, aged 21, and is no doubt the first name on Sarina Wiegman’s team sheet these days. Read More How to watch England vs Nigeria: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup fixture Who do England women play next? World Cup fixtures and route to the final Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup?
1970-01-01 08:00

Celine Boutier has the best two weeks of her life: First a historic major, then Scottish Open title
Celine Boutier won the Women’s Scottish Open just one week after becoming the first French golfer to win the LPGA Amundi Evian Championship, her maiden major.It’s been an incredible two weeks for French golfer Celine Boutier. The 29-year-old made history as the first French golfer to...
1970-01-01 08:00

Bryson DeChambeau plays the round of his life with record 58 at LIV Greenbrier
Bryson DeChambeau delivered the best round of golf in LIV’s history, shooting the league’s first 58 with a spectacular round amidst falling rain at the Greenbrier in WV.Bryson DeChambeau just won for the first time on the LIV Tour. And what a win it was.A lean Bryson DeChambeau w...
1970-01-01 08:00

Wyndham Championship payout distribution 2023: Prize money, purse
Breaking down the Wyndham Championship payout distribution and prize money for 2023 at Sedgefield to see how the purse will be doled out.Nerves were clearly being tested at the 2023 Wyndham Championship as the players around Sedgefield Country Club from Thursday's first round and on were th...
1970-01-01 08:00

Jake Paul arrives on tank for Nate Diaz fight
Jake Paul arrived on a tank for his fight with Nate Diaz on Saturday night (5 August). The YouTube star and professional boxer travelled in style before beating the UFC star in a highly-anticipated crossover boxing fight. Paul mocked the Dallas crowd at the the American Airlines Center after as he was loudly booed following his victory and faced audible chants of ‘f*** Jake Paul’ throughout the fight. Judges’ scorecards showed the relatively one-sided nature of the victory as the 26-year-old prevailed 97-92, 98-91, 98-91.
1970-01-01 08:00

USA vs Sweden LIVE: Women’s World Cup latest score as Megan Rapinoe starts on bench
The United States’ Women’s World Cup hopes are on the line as the defending champions face Sweden in the last-16 in Melbourne. The USA only scraped through Group E as runners-up, with the four-time champions avoiding an early exit by the narrowest of margins as Portugal hit the post in stoppage time Vlatko Andonovski’s side are under pressure after failing to win two World Cup group stage matches for the first time in their history, and face a Sweden side who cruised into the last-16 with three wins out of three. Sweden defeated the USA 3-0 on their way to winning the Olympics silver medal two years ago, and the side ranked third in the world will be confident that they can pull off the upset. Earlier, Jill Roord scored her fourth goal of the tournament as the Netherlands marched into the quarter-finals with a 2-0 win over South Africa at Sydney Football Stadium. Follow live updates from USA vs Sweden as the World Cup last-16 continues. Read More Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup? When do England play next? Women’s World Cup fixtures and route to the final
1970-01-01 08:00

‘Boo if you’re a virgin’: Jake Paul mocks crowd after beating Nate Diaz
YouTube star Jake Paul mocked the Dallas crowd as he was loudly booed after beating UFC star Nate Diaz in their highly-anticipated crossover boxing fight. Diaz was far and away the crowd favourite in Texas as Paul – who happily played the role of villain in the lead-up to the fight – was booed on his way to the ring, faced audible chants of ‘f*** Jake Paul’ throughout the fight and then continued to be jeered after his hand was raised in victory. The 26-year-old hit back at the American Airlines Center crowd during his post-fight interview however, as he cupped his hand to his ear amid the boos and stopped mid-answer to mock the supporters by saying “boo if you’re a virgin” before laughing sarcastically to himself. “He's tough, he's real tough, that's what he's known for but tough in this sport doesn't work,” began Paul, in reference to his opponent. And as the boos heightened, he continued “Boo if you're a virgin. Ha. Haha.” Paul had largely dominated the fight against Diaz, who was fighting for the first time since leaving the UFC and although proved an awkward opponent on his boxing debut, lacked the power to really hurt the heavily-favoured YouTuber. Paul scored a knockdown in the fifth round of their 10-round contest with a vicious left hook but 38-year-old Diaz got back to his feet and made the final bell. However, the judges’ scorecards showed the relatively one-sided nature of the victory as the younger man prevailed 97-92, 98-91, 98-91. That moved his boxing record to 7-1 and, having gone 10 rounds for the first time in his young career, he was keen to take the plaudits while also crediting Diaz for his heart. “I knocked him down and won basically every round, I think he won one round,” continued Paul. “But he's a warrior – I had him hurt in the first round, he kept on coming. No one is taking that much damage. “All credit to my team and my conditioning, I went 10 rounds in my eighth fight – it's unheard of. I've only been boxing for three years and beat a UFC legend who I was watching this growing up.” Before this bout, Paul had knocked out MMA fighters Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley – the latter a former UFC champion – and beat UFC legend Anderson Silva on points, although his most recent fight was a first career defeat to Tommy Fury. In that long-awaited fight in Saudi Arabia, Fury – half-brother of world heavyweight boxing champion Tyson – was knocked down but emerged victorious on points. Diaz is a longtime favourite of MMA fans – as shown by the vocal support he received in Dallas – but achieved crossover fame when he submitted Conor McGregor in March 2016, five months before losing a narrow decision to the Irishman. Last September, Diaz won his final UFC fight by submitting Tony Ferguson. Although a rematch to avenge his loss to Fury would seem to be a possibility after the Brit completes his own scheduled bout with another YouTuber, KSI, in October, Paul insisted his focus was the offer of $10m he has put on the table to face Diaz once more, under MMA rules. “I want to run this back in MMA,” explained Paul. “10 million dollars, PFL, that's the offer, let's run this back in MMA. Make it fair. I won one, now it's your chance in your home territory. MMA. Let's do it.” While Diaz didn’t fully commit to a rematch, he did sound amenable to the possibility, saying: “We're gonna have to try to do it. But I had the single leg in the first and the choke in the ninth [referencing a couple of MMA moves he tried to slip into the fight], so I already won that battle!” Read More I hate to admit it, but it’s time to face facts – the Paul brothers are generational talents Jake Paul’s latest fight is not about Jake Paul The hidden side of Jake Paul Jake Paul’s latest fight is not about Jake Paul Nate Diaz reveals ‘secret’ that he and Jake Paul share Amanda Serrano announces surprise return to MMA with PFL
1970-01-01 08:00

Keira Walsh returns to England training in Women’s World Cup boost
Keira Walsh has returned to full England training ahead of the Women’s World Cup last-16 match against Nigeria on Monday, just days after the Lionesses midfielder was stretchered off against Denmark. It was confirmed that Walsh had not suffered an ACL injury after she was left on crutches following England’s second match of the World Cup, although the Champions League winner remained with the squad following scans. Walsh missed England’s 6-1 win over China in the final match of Group C, with Sarina Wiegman changing her formation to a 3-5-2 in the midfielder’s absence, but her quick return to training has boosted hopes that the 26-year-old could play again at the tournament. Wiegman will give an update as to whether Walsh will be available for selection at her press conference in Brisbane later on Sunday, with England facing Nigeria in the last-16 clash the following day. Walsh was part of a full squad of 23 players who took part in training on Sunday. England have three players on yellow cards who will be suspended for the quarter-finals if they pick up another against Nigeria and the Lionesses make it through. Georgia Stanway, Lucy Bronze and Lauren Hemp are all a yellow card award from a one-match suspension, with yellow cards wiped out following the last-16. Read More Netherlands vs South Africa LIVE: Women’s World Cup latest score and updates as knockout stages continue Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today When do England play next? Women’s World Cup fixtures and route to the final
1970-01-01 08:00

Netherlands vs South Africa LIVE: Women’s World Cup latest score and updates as knockout stages continue
The Women’s World Cup knockout stages continue as the Netherlands take on South Africa in Sydney. South Africa were one of the stories of the group stage, as they stunned Italy with a dramatic 3-2 win to reach the last-16 for the first time. Led by star forwards Thembi Kgatlana and Hildah Magaia, the dangerous Banyana Banyana will be targeting another upset against the 2019 finalists. Netherlands topped Group E ahead of the United States and are an experienced side under Andries Jonker. The World Cup has been defined by shocks so far and the Netherlands will be wary of another, as they look to set up a quarter-final meeting with Spain, who thrashed the Switzerland on Saturday. Japan are also through to the last-16 and will face the winner of the heavyweight clash between defending champions USA and Sweden. The USA are looking vulnerable after scraping through Group E, and the defending champions going out at this stage would leave the tournament wide open. Follow live updates from Netherlands vs South Africa as the World Cup last-16 continues. Read More Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup? When do England play next? Women’s World Cup fixtures and route to the final
1970-01-01 08:00