LAUSANNE, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 13, 2023--

Centuries later, Stede Bonnet’s motivations and actual aptitude for piracy remain unclear. But he still managed to make the history books—in his nightgown, no less.

Tom Brady has become the latest US celebrity to buy a stake in a British football club, and we have to admit it’s one sports story we didn’t see coming. The NFL legend has announced he’s become a minority shareholder in Championship side Birmingham City. He’ll get involved in the operation of the club itself, too, with Brady becoming the chairman of the club's advisory board. The new role will see him work with the sports science department to give expertise on the health of the players and advise on recovery programmes. He’ll also work with the marketing team as part of his position. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Brady follows the likes of Wrexham co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McInerney in buying a stake in a British club, as well as golfers Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas who were recently confirmed as minority investors in Leeds United. It comes a few months after Brady confirmed his retirement from the NFL after an illustrious career spanning more than two decades with the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brady said on Thursday (August 3): “Birmingham City is an iconic club with so much history and passion and to be part of the Blues is a real honour for me. BCFC is built on teamwork and determination and I’m excited to work alongside the board, management and players to make our Second City club second to none. "I’ve been part of some amazing teams in my day, and I’m looking forward to applying my perspective to create that same success here in Birmingham.” Birmingham City chairman Tom Wagner also said: “Tom Brady joining the Birmingham City team is a statement of intent. We are setting the bar at world-class. Tom is both investing and committing his time and extensive expertise. As Chair of the Advisory Board Tom will have a direct impact on the Club. "The Men’s, Women’s, and Academy teams are going to benefit from the knowledge. The goal that Tom has committed to own is to make Birmingham City a respected leader in nutrition, health, wellness, and recovery across the world of football.” The news was announced on Thursday morning and it’s already sparked a big reaction. Birmingham City start their season this weekend when they kick-off their Championship campaign against Swansea. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

A pianist has become an overnight sensation after his performance at a cafe took an unexpected twist. Emil Reinert was at the Dritan Alsela coffee shop in Dusseldorf, Germany, earlier this week when he launched into a piece from the opera ‘La Traviata’. The surrounding diners looked bewildered at the musical outburst as they sat casually sipping their drinks. However, Reinert himself was left with “goosebumps” when a man sitting across the room suddenly erupted into song. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter The stranger with the Royal Albert Hall-worthy voice accompanied the piano player until the end of the verse, at which point a second surprise performer piped in. The man’s friend, who was sitting opposite him, also turned out to be an opera singer and, together, the trio wrapped up the impromptu rendition to rapturous applause. @emiliopiano I met 2 SINGERS in a CAFÉ!! ? @Dritan Alsela Song: Libiamo ne' lieti calici Opera: La Traviata #piano #singing #verdi #traviata #libiamo #publicpiano #classicaltok #classicalmusic #opera #dritanalsela Reinert, who goes by the username emiliopiano on TikTok, posted a video of the spontaneous show, with the caption: “I met 2 SINGERS in a CAFÉ!!” In the overlay text to the two-minute clip, he wrote: “This is what happens when you play Italian music in a café.” He then wrote that he was “so happy” when the man joined him and noted that everyone in the room “soon became silent” and started filming on their phones. The Franco-German musician concluded his video by hailing the experience as proof of the unifying power of music. The recording racked up a staggering 53.9 million views in just two days, as fellow TikTokers shared their delight at the heartwarming display. “These people just got free tickets to a very expensive show,” one commented. “It’s fun cause they probably get paid to sing [...] so this was just for the moment,” wrote another. “As a former dancer I can tell you some people just love their art and share it anywhere anytime,” pointed out a third. “Music is a universal language even if you don’t understand the lyrics you can find beauty in the song,” said a fourth. And a fifth said: “I would love to be somewhere when this happens. It makes me so happy to see spontaneous joyful music.” Meanwhile, a number of killjoys were quick to flag that the whole thing was most probably “staged”. Reinert has amassed 2.2 million followers on TikTok thanks to his videos which have been shot in unlikely settings around Europe, from airports to beaches. Each one sees him happily tickling the ivories on his own before he’s joined by a “surprise” bystander who happens to have brought along an instrument or an exceptional singing voice. @emiliopiano I met a VIOLINIST at the Airport ?! ❤️ #piano #pianogare #mentalhealthawarenessweek #tohelpmyanxiety #pianoengare #pianoairport #violin #violinist #pianoduo #pianoduet #pianoduetchallenge #pianotutorial #pianomusic #pianolesson #pianoplayer #pianist #pianocover #pianotok @RIOPY And yet, as many fans point out, it doesn’t matter that the whole thing is pre-planned. “I know these are staged,” one viewer wrote. “But they still make me cry the happy tears.” Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

He may not be a Dan Skipper, but Tom Brady is definitely on the taller side compared to your average quarterback

Roxanne Kaiser called out Kat Shelton for not apologizing during 'The Ultimatum' Season 2 Reunion

Age gap relationships: The taboo that simply won't die. They are often met with confusion, and at times, sexist misconceptions tied to being financially motivated – but does an age gap really matter and can it affect the longevity of a healthy relationship? The debate has once again been reignited following Al Pacino's news he is expecting a child with his 29-year-old girlfriend, Noor Alfallah. The Godfather actor is 83. It comes weeks after fellow Hollywood star Robert De Niro, 79, shared that, he too, is set to welcome a baby with his long-term partner, Tiffany Chen, 45. And of course, it would be rude not to mention the running joke around 48-year-old Leonardo DiCaprio's dating history, in which he seemingly cuts ties with partners as soon as they hit the age of 25. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Al Pacino's announcement certainly stirred up a divisive response online, with some calling the 54-year-old gap "gross" and inappropriate. "Love Al Pacino, but that's just gross and thoughtless to that child," one person wrote, while another added: "Al Pacino was one of my favourite actors of all time. But at 82 years of age, he shouldn’t be with a 29-year-old. It’s just wrong." A third joked: "Not in my lifetime, could anyone have told me that Al Pacino and Robert De Niro would be walking their infants they biologically conceived while on Medicare and cholesterol meds, through Central Park in 2024." Meanwhile, Emma Flint for The Independent believes we should all simply mind our own business and get on with our lives. "My partner is 33 years older than I am: he’s 65, to my 32. And I really couldn’t be happier," she wrote. She continued: "While I understand these concerns, I can’t help thinking we are still sticking our noses in other people's business. And it’s not fair. Isn’t it about time that we gave our censoriousness a rest?" While the never-ending debate continues, one of the most substantial studies into age gap relationships found "there is less marriage satisfaction or less relationship satisfaction in age gap relationships." The Marital Satisfaction of Differently Aged Couples revealed this resulted from the younger counterpart having "less resilience" when it comes to hard times. Paul Brunson, the world's most influential matchmaker best known for his role as a love doctor on Celebs Go Dating and Married at First Sight, explained: "You think about a physical setback, a financial setback, whatever it may be in the relationship – the younger person is less likely to be able to bounce back or manage it vs the older person." However, in some instances, "the younger person can learn from the older person to become more resilient, and the older person in the relationship can learn to open their level of understanding." Interestingly, satisfaction levels from those with a significant age difference are the highest out of the study with "sparks flying in the couple." Unfortunately, this is short-lived and eventually "fizzles out, before satisfaction plummets." According to the study, there is actually a perfect age gap between partners. "Typically, 0-3 years is considered the 'ideal' age gap, and when you look at marital satisfaction with couples rating the health of their marriage, the sex in their marriage and the outlook of their marriage, couples who typically have a 0-3 year age gap have the highest level of marital or relationship satisfaction." "The next run is a 4-6 year gap, they see less satisfaction – but there's still some. The couples who have 7+ years as a gap routinely show the lowest level of marital and relationship satisfaction." Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

'We always wanted to throw a train off a cliff or blow it up. It was quite spectacular'

'Since U Been Gone' hitmaker Kelly Clarkson ripped her pants while going commando for the music video.

In her social media post on Saturday, December 2, the 'A Simple Favor' star referenced Beyonce and her good friend Taylor Swift

Penguin Books commissioned the work in 1965, but the "A Clockwork Orange" author only completed several hundred entries before discarding the project.

Mattea Roach poured her heart out as she acknowledged her father's death in public for the first time