Scottish Rugby responds to taking the knee row as governing body defends players over controversial stance

Johnny Marr has opened up about his recent spat with Morrissey, saying that he felt he had to “defend [himself].”Back in January, the former Smiths frontman asked Marr to stop mentioning him when giving interviews, in reference to an interview that Marr did with Uncut magazine where he mentioned Morrissey.Morrissey posted a lengthy open letter in which he asked Marr: “Would you please, instead, discuss your own career, your own unstoppable solo achievements and your own music? If you can, would you please just leave me out of it?”Marr responded at the time with his own Instagram post, writing: “An ‘open letter’ hasn’t really been a thing since 1953, It’s all ‘social media’ now. Even Donald J Trump had that one down. Also, this fake news business… a bit 2021 yeah?”Now, in a new interview with The Times, Marr was asked about his response to Morrissey to which he replied: “When you’re attacked out of the blue, particularly in public, you have to defend yourself.“The letter was designed to be insulting, wasn’t it? That has to have been the idea.

The 2022 SAG Awards are here!

ITV got viewers worried yesterday when it posted a picture of its Loose Women and This Morning stars for International Women's Day.

Heating up in Hollywood! If you love CBD-infused desserts or if you’re searching for a new book about LGBTQIA+ culture, Us Weekly has you covered.

Foxtel in Australia has become the latest broadcaster to suspend transmission of the Kremlin-backed RT channel in the region.

Helen Mirren, 76, is acting royalty! The Hitchcock star has appeared in tons of beloved and critically acclaimed movies throughout her career. From her early career as Hermia in a 1967 adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream to more recent roles in mystery dramas like The Good Liar in 2019, there’s no slowing the British star down. Throughout much of her career she’s had one man by her side: her husband Taylor Hackford, 77, who she’s been with since 1986 and married to since 1997. Find out more about Taylor and his marriage to Helen!

Lionel Richie has the kind of music career only few can dream about.  The 72-year-old legendary singer/songwriter rose to fame in the 70s as a founding member of the band Commodores before venturing off on a solo career. His first three albums sold over 30 million copies and spawned such mega hits as “You Are,” “”All Night Long (All Night)” and “Say You, Say Me.” While recording his own music, he also wrote/produced such chart-toppings singles as Kenny Rogers’ “Lady,” “Endless Love” featuring Diana Ross and “We Are the World” with Michael Jackson. His talents brought him four Grammys, an Academy Award nomination and the Songwriters Hall of Fame’s highest honor, the Johnny Mercer Award. Fans can now see him as a judge on American Idol, as he returns for his fifth season on Sunday (Feb. 27).

The wait is nearly over for fans of Steven Knight’s epic Birmingham gangster drama Peaky Blinders.  Sunday 27 February sees the return of the legendary Tommy Shelby, played by Cillian Murphy, and his mob for the sixth and final series of the smash hit saga. But what can we expect from Tommy and his friends – and enemies – when we catch up with them? Fans are also keen to know about the new arrivals joining the series for its finale, including acclaimed star of Time and Line of Duty, Stephen Graham. Get exclusive celebrity stories and fabulous photoshoots straight to your inbox withOK!'s daily newsletter .

James Brown documentary produced by Mick Jagger and Questlove in on the way.A&E Network announced the four-part documentary yesterday (February 26) and said it’s expected to arrive in 2023.James Brown: Say It Loud will be directed by Deborah Riley Draper and will be executive produced by Mick Jagger, Questlove and Black Thought, among others.In a statement, Jagger said he was “thrilled” to executive produce the project, saying: “He was a brilliant performer who inspired me from the beginning and was deeply committed to the Civil Rights movement. I have always admired James and learned so much from him.”Questlove and Black Thought added: “The life of James Brown is significant not only to understand his immense musical impact, which inspires us and other artists to this day, but also for the deep and lasting impression he has had on American culture.“Brown’s life is a crucial and timely story of struggle, redemption, and self-identity and we are honoured to have the chance to share it.”In 2014, the late Chadwick Boseman starred as James Brown for the biopic Get On Up, which Jagger also produced.

Eddie Vedder was joined by The Police drummer Stewart Copeland at a California show this weekend to perform ‘Message In A Bottle’ – check out footage below.Vedder and his all-star band The Earthlings, which features Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and former RHCP guitarist (and current Pearl Jam touring member) Josh Klinghoffer, are currently towards the end of a short US tour behind Vedder’s new solo album, ‘Earthling’.At Friday night’s (February 25) show at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California, Copeland joined the band on drums for an extended run through one of The Police’s biggest hits.It also saw Chad Smith, usually drummer for the band as he is in Red Hot Chili Peppers, taking up guitar duties instead.See footage of the performance below.At an earlier show on the tour in Seattle, Vedder paid a moving tribute to the late Mark Lanegan following the grunge icon’s death.The former Screaming Trees frontman passed away yesterday morning at his home in Killarney, Ireland.There was an outpouring of grief from artists across the music world from the likes of Manic Street Preachers, The Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess, Anton Newcombe and many others.Vedder, who was performing at the Benaroya Hall, paused his show to honour the late 57-year-old.“I got here about four o’clock and all of a sudden my body started shaking a little bit,” he told the audience. “I started to feel really terrible and I think it was because I was having an allergic reaction to sadness.“Because we lost… there’s a guy called Mark Lanegan.

Killing Eve will return to our screens for its fourth and final series over the coming days.

Drivers in Monklands are again facing major disruption as more roads are to be closed for repairs.

A body has been found in the search for missing Saltcoats teenager Jamie Cannon.

A man is fighting for his life in hospital after being punched and knocked unconscious at the end of a night out in Rochdale town centre.

Emergency services raced to a fire in Ferguslie in the early hours of this morning.

A mushroom cloud has been seen billowing in the sky after an explosion at a gas pipeline near a Ukrainian city.

Police have issued an appeal for help to find a wanted man from Leigh.

Dougie Poynter boasts a very successful career, having first rose to fame back in 2003 as one of the members of boyband McFly.The bassist, 34, has been in the spotlight for over 17 years, and during that time it's safe to say he's had his fair share of high-profile romances. Throughout the years Dougie has dated the likes of Ellie Goulding and Frankie Bridge, and most recently, model Maddy Elmer. However, the McFly star is allegedly single again after it was recently reported that he and Maddy have called it quits after three years together.

While things never fail to appear harmonious on-screen every day on This Morning, the daytime show and its presenters have faced their fair share of bust-ups, rivalries and controversies over the years. Since the programme made its debut in 1988, its hosts have provided some dramatic stories of their own alongside the show's segments and guests.

Cillian Murphy is set to make a welcome return to our screens on Sunday 27 February, when the final series of award-winning show Peaky Blinders premieres. The actor, 45, has become a staple on our screens over the years, having starred in films such as Batman Begins and Broken, before landing the role of crime boss Thomas Shelby the hit BBC series back in 2013. Peaky Blinders has gripped the nation since the very first series and now, nine years later, the sixth and final instalment of the Birmingham-based show is set to air.

Greater Manchester is looking even more stunning than normal this morning as glorious sunshine bathes the region.

A man was been arrested after police in Oldham used a stinger to bring a stolen car to a halt - just half an hour after it was swiped.

Wales will both blank taking the knee before Saturday’s Six Nations clash at Murrayfield and instead have a “moment of reflection”.Gregor Townsend’s side came under heavy fire last weekend when four players took a knee while the rest the squad remained standing ahead of their historic win over England at Twickenham.It later emerged the players hadn’t discussed the issue beforehand, leading to the confused response.Having taken stock of the fall-out from the incident, head coach Townsend explained his squad will now all follow the same protocol as the Autumn Tests and the other two Six Nations games last weekend for the Rugby Against Racism campaign.He explained: “We know what is happening this weekend – both teams are going to stand and

Gregor Townsend has moved to set the record straight on why some of his players failed to take the knee against England - saying they simply didn't know they were supposed to.Townsend's team picked up a famous victory over England at Twickenham in the Six Nations, but the match was quickly the centre of controversy when images emerged of players on both sides remaining on their feet while others took the knee in solidarity with Black Lives Matter. Criticism was soon levelled at the players in question on social media, some accusing them of taking a stance against the anti-racism movement.

Scotland rugby stars might again not take the knee this weekend – as he insists it should come down to personal choice.Gregor Townsend’s squad were engulfed in controversy on Saturday ahead of their stunning Six Nations glory over England when only four players made the act of solidarity at Twickenham.They were heavily criticised after a muddled response to the ‘moment of reflection’ and attempts of an explanation from Townsend and Scottish Rugby did little to satisfy the critics.Now Price – who did take the knee – is adamant it is not up to Murrayfield chiefs to organise a standardised response ahead of Saturday’s showdown against Wales in the capital.He said: “There may well be a discussion but I feel it’s an individual’s decision.“It’s

Mariah Carey called out the National Football League’s hypocrisy after it pledged its commitment to end systemic racism in a Super Bowl advert on Sunday 7 February. The commercial demonstrated the importance of diversity to football and reaffirmed the pledge the NFL made in June last year to commit $250m (£182m) over the next decade to combatting systemic racism.

Mariah Carey threw some shade at the NFL over its commitment to end systemic racism following its treatment of activist Colin Kaepernick in the past.

Gregor Townsend insists he "100 per cent" backs his players after several were criticised for not taking the knee.Only four of Townsend's squad took part in the anti-racism gesture ahead of Saturday's Six Nations victory over England.The non-participation sparked fierce criticism on social media but Townsend has moved to defend his stars.He's adamant his team "stand against any racism or discrimination in sport". Asked if taking the knee was discussed pre-match, Townsend told the BBC: "No.