There was a rush to hold hearings before the anti-death penalty governor, John Bel Edwards, leaves office in JanuaryThe Louisiana state board of pardons has voted against granting clemency hearings to five Louisiana death row prisoners, effectively ending a campaign to hold hearings for 55 death row inmates before the state's anti-death penalty governor, John Bel Edwards, steps down in January.On Friday, the four-member panel sitting in Baton Rouge denied the hearings to four people on a split vote, and by a majority to a fifth, Winthrop Earl Eaton, who was convicted in the 1985 killing of a Louisiana pastor, on the grounds that he is unlikely to be executed because he is mentally incompetent. Continue reading...
Police say romance fraud has soared' but true extent unknown as many victims do not come forwardPolice have warned online daters of the risks of fake celebrity profiles after a woman lost about 5,000 to a romance fraudster posing as TV chef James Martin.Nottinghamshire police said the scam is part of a trend where fraudsters pose as celebrities on dating profiles to lure fans. Continue reading...
A crowdfunding drive led by TV presenter Christa Ackroyd aims to make the first home of the literary siblings a tourist destination and source of inspirationAround a million visitors a year beat a path to Haworth, the small West Yorkshire town nestling in the windy moors of the Worth Valley - mainly to see the home of the Bronte sisters.The house that writers Charlotte, Anne and Emily shared with their father, church minister Patrick, and their wayward brother Branwell is a major tourist attraction. Visitors wander around the parsonage and surrounding cobbled streets to soak up the atmosphere of just how the Brontes lived two centuries ago. Continue reading...
Israel's PM has brought fractious parties together over Hamas's invasion, yet questions remain over how it was allowed to happenBrothers and Sisters in Arms was set up in January by Israeli military reservists in protest against the sweeping judicial overhaul unveiled by the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his newly elected coalition of far-right and ultra-religious parties.During the year, as the demonstrations grew into the biggest protest movement in Israeli history, the organisation increased to more than 60,000 members. All of them understood that refusing to show up for reservist duty was a serious step to take, but said the threat to Israel's democratic health superseded other worries for now. Continue reading...
Attitude magazine celebrates TikTok star who collaborated with beer maker who left her high and dry after conservatives boycottedAfter gaining Attitude magazine's first-ever woman of the year award, US trans activist Dylan Mulvaney said receiving such recognition from the UK-based LGBTQ+ publication means so much more" after a substantial transphobic backlash undermined her Bud Light advertisement.No matter how hard I try or what I wear, or what I say, or what surgeries I get, I will never reach an acceptable version of womanhood by those hateful people's standards," Mulvaney said in social media videos that showed her accepting the award this week. But as long as I have the queer community that sees me for my truth - I'm gonna be OK." Continue reading...
Disagreements over who is best placed to take Nadine Dorries's seat could threaten tactical voting strategies at general electionThe fierce byelection battle in Mid Bedfordshire is poisoning relations between Labour and the Lib Dems and risks denting informal cooperation to remove the Tory government, senior Labour figures have warned.An incredibly close three-way battle has emerged in the seat formerly held by Boris Johnson ally Nadine Dorries, who quit after being refused a place on the former prime minister's peerages list. Labour and the Lib Dems are both convinced they have the better chance of overturning the colossal 24,664-vote majority and pulling off one of the biggest byelection wins in history this week. Continue reading...
Fighting on the eastern front is a new Russian offensive'See all our Ukraine war coverageFighting in Avdiivka on the eastern frontline enters a fifth day, as Russia continues to deploy new forces in an attempt to surround the city, according to Vitaliy Barabash, the head of its military administration.Russia's defence ministry says its forces shot down two Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea near the southern resort city of Sochi on Saturday morning. The city's mayor, Alexei Kopaigorodskyi, said there had been no casualties or damage and that the situation was under control.A top Ukraine general said fighting in the north-east had significantly worsened" as daily Russian attacks continued.Russia has detained three lawyers of the jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny and raided their homes, aides said, a step that comes as pressure on the Kremlin's critics increases. The move was an attempt to completely isolate Navalny", his ally Ivan Zhdanov said on social media.The US has claimed North Korea delivered more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions to Russia for the war in Ukraine. The White House national security council spokesperson, John Kirby, said the US believed Kim Jong-un was seeking sophisticated Russian weapon technologies in return for munitions to boost North Korea's nuclear programme.Vladimir Putin dismissed the idea that Russia damaged a gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia and suggested such claims were made up to divert attention from what he said was a western attack on Nord Stream.EU leaders meeting later in October will demand decisive progress" on using Russian assets frozen by sanctions to help Ukraine, according to their draft statement.The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and the Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, while visiting the Black Sea port of Odesa on Friday, vowed to improve Ukraine's air defences and to increase the security of a humanitarian corridor" for grain exports. Continue reading...
The country goes to the polls this weekend after a campaign marked by bloodshed and the assassination of a candidateEcuadoreans will this weekend choose between a centre-right presidential candidate who is the scion of one of country's wealthiest families, and a leftist disciple of the former president Rafael Correa, in an election overshadowed by violent crime and the assassination of a third candidate.Polls ahead of Sunday's vote put the banana industry heir Daniel Noboa, 35, slightly ahead of Luisa Gonzalez, who has promised free medicine and increased worker protections. Continue reading...
Met officers seen wearing divisive thin blue line' symbol at sensitive protests despite orders to remove themMetropolitan police officers are openly defying orders not to wear badges appropriated by the far right and linked to white supremacy.In July, the force's chief, Mark Rowley, banned officers from wearing the thin blue line" badge saying that in the US an equivalent symbol had been used by hard-right groups". Continue reading...
Voice to parliament referendum fails in defeat that Indigenous advocates will see as a blow to progress towards reconciliationAustralians have resoundingly rejected a proposal to recognise Aboriginal people in its constitution and establish a body to advise parliament on Indigenous issues.Saturday's voice to parliament referendum failed, with the defeat clear shortly after polls closed. Continue reading...
Actor brings his seven-decade career to close, saying he wanted to go out on a high note after his last role in The Great EscaperMichael Caine has confirmed his retirement at the age of 90, drawing to a close a glittering career in which he won two Oscars.After his comments last month that he was sort of retired", Caine made it official, telling the BBC's Today programme: I keep saying I'm going to retire. Well I am now.
Law and Justice seeking third term in power on Sunday but faces stiff challenge from coalition led by Donald TuskPoland is gearing up for a parliamentary election on Sunday, the result of which is likely to have a major impact on the country's direction, and polls suggest the race is too close to call.The incumbent Law and Justice (PiS) government is seeking a third consecutive term in office, fighting a challenge from the main opposition coalition led by the former prime minister and European Council president Donald Tusk. Continue reading...
Jewish and Palestinian communities take to the streets as police increase presence around schools, synagogues and mosquesTens of thousands of protesters rallied across the Middle East and in parts of Asia, Europe and the United States in support of Palestinians and condemnation of Israel as it intensified its strikes on Gaza in retaliation for Hamas attacks a week ago.Elsewhere, Jewish communities in the US, France and other countries held rallies on Friday in solidarity with Israel after the Hamas attack from Gaza, the deadliest killing spree against Israeli civilians in the country's 75-year history. Continue reading...
Former England cricket captain was hurt while filming the motoring show at its test track last DecemberThe BBC has reached an agreement" with Andrew Freddie" Flintoff after he was involved in a crash while filming Top Gear, the corporation has said.The former England cricket captain, 45, appeared with facial injuries in public for the first time in September, nine months after he was taken to hospital after he was hurt while filming the BBC motoring show at its test track at Dunsfold Aerodrome last December. Continue reading...
Prime minister Elisabeth Borne says country will be on urgent' terrorist alert until level of risk establishedFrance has been put on its highest level of security alert after a suspected radical Islamist killed a teacher and injured three others in the north of the country.Prime minister Elisabeth Borne said on Friday night that the country would be on urgent" terrorist alert for a limited time while the level of risk was established. Continue reading...
by Daniel Boffey, chief reporter, and Sam Jones on (#6FHZB)
As dawn broke last Saturday over the 40-mile Gaza-Israel barrier, once confidently described as an iron wall", Hamas struck at the eyes and ears of Israel's defence. It was shortly before 6.30am at the end of a Sukkot week of holiday when explosive devices, dropped from above by drones, made a mockery of past claims of impregnability by disabling the wall's communication towers and its remote-controlled machine gun posts, while snipers picked off sensors and cameras, blinding Israeli defenders left staring at blank screens to what was in deadly motion.Unseen in the weak light of early morning and unheard under the roar of the first of about 2,200 rockets fired towards southern and central Israel, Hamas fighters used wire cutters to make discreet punctures in the 20ft-tall double fence barrier or detonated small explosive loads to create larger openings. Continue reading...
Alice Litman had been waiting more than three years to receive gender-affirming healthcare when she died in May 2022Lengthy waiting lists and significant barriers that prevent transgender people accessing gender-affirming care in the UK contributed to a decline in the mental health of a young trans woman who killed herself, a coroner has concluded.Sarah Clarke, the assistant coroner for West Sussex, Brighton and Hove, on Friday delivered a narrative verdict at the end of the inquest into Alice Litman, 20, who had been waiting to receive gender-affirming healthcare for more than three years when she died in Brighton in May 2022.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counsellor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...
Arrested suspect was on watchlist of people known to be security risk in connection with radical IslamismA teacher has been killed and two other people critically injured in a stabbing at a school in Arras, northern France.The suspected attacker, who has been arrested, was on a watchlist of people known to be a security risk in connection with radical Islamism. Local media reported that he was a former pupil at the Gambetta-Carnot school. Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#6FHZD)
Deal on table would give consultants another hefty rise on top of the 6% Rishi Sunak described as finalGovernment officials and doctors' leaders are holding secret talks with the aim of ending strikes by hospital consultants before the start of the NHS's winter crisis.In a remarkable move, the deal under discussion would give consultants in England a hefty further pay rise for this year in return for calling off their stoppages. That is despite Rishi Sunak's previous insistence that he would not revisit the 6% award he described as final. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Deputy political editor on (#6FHZE)
Met initially took no action but reopened inquiry after video showed staff drinking alcohol and dancingThe Metropolitan police have recommended 24 fixed-penalty notices be imposed for breaches of Covid rules at a pandemic-era Christmas party held by the campaign team of a Conservative peer.Officers initially decided to take no action over the December 2020 gathering at the Conservative headquarters (CCHQ), despite a photograph showing the then mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey amid a crowd of apparent revellers - with some holding drinks and standing next to a buffet. Continue reading...
Rishi Sunak fails to gain electoral benefit from party conference season, poll says, as Labour receives two-point boost during its conferenceRishi Sunak has recorded a clip for broadcasters from the JEF meeting in Sweden. Echoing the line used by Grant Shapps this morning (see 9.40am), he offered more or less unequivocal support for Israel. He downplayed the concerns about the legality of the Israeli operation, while saying the UK was aligned with Washington in wanting Israel to protect civilians as far as possible.Asked if he had any sympathy for innocent Palestinians, many of whom have no affiliation to Hamas whatsoever who may lose their lives because of this", and if he had discussed their plight when he spoke to Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli PM last night, Sunak replied:We're monitoring the situation very closely. We have formally updated our travel advice. And of course humanitarian concerns, and protecting the civilians, are very important. And this is something that I spoke to Prime Minister Netanyahu about late last night. It's also why we've moved Royal Navy assets into the Mediterranean over the coming week. They will be able to provide humanitarian support if required.It's important to remember why we're in this very difficult situation, and that's because Hamas, a proscribed terrorist organisation, committed an appalling act and barbarity and has killed over 1,000 Israelis, including women and children, in scenes that are quite frankly horrific and that we haven't seen in decades.It is unequivocally wrong, and there is no moral ambiguity about that.Of course, we should always and we are always having concerns of civilians paramount in our mind, something I've discussed with Prime Minister Netanyahu myself.And I'm aligned with what the secretary of state from the United States and the president have said, that, of course, Israel should take every possible precaution to protect civilians as they exercise their rightful ability to defend themselves. Continue reading...
The premiere of the Eras Tour concert film, a surprise one day earlier than planned, got Swift's devoted fans singing along and dancing in the aislesFor weeks, theater chains in the US have discovered the depth of the public's interest in Taylor Swift: colossal, and seemingly endless. The question dogging Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, the concert film version of her commerce-shifting, career-spanning stadium show, is not if it will be record-breaking but by how much. It's already the most lucrative concert film in US presales, and dropped a money bomb into the October box office calendar; producer Jason Blum moved the premiere of The Exorcist: Believer up a week so as not to compete (#TaylorWins," he tweeted).In terms of raw economic power, Swift stays winning. The film, which the 33-year-old singer produced and financed herself for about $15m, is projected to take in as much as $125m domestically in its opening weekend, plus around $60m overseas - a much-needed bump for theaters in their post-Barbenheimer slump, as the joint actors and writers strikes pushed a number of premieres to 2024. And in bypassing streamers and studios altogether, Swift has forged a cinematic profit lane already reaping results for other artists; Beyonce's Renaissance tour film, which has a similar direct distribution deal with AMC, has already sold $7m in tickets for its 1 December release. Continue reading...
Heavy rain forecast in the south with parts of rural and northern Scotland expected to have overnight snowParts of the UK are likely to experience freezing temperatures and snow this weekend as the weather across the country cools after a spell of unseasonably warm temperatures in some areas, the Met Office has said.Temperatures in northern and rural parts of Scotland are forecast to be as low as -4C with snow overnight. In London, while the weekend could start warm - with potential highs of 20C - it is likely to get colder quickly. Continue reading...
Shoes were stolen in 2005 from Judy Garland Museum and recovered in 2018 by the FBI, but no one was charged until this yearA man charged with the museum heist of a pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in the The Wizard of Oz was expected to change his plea to guilty in court Friday, pulling back the curtain on a whodunnit mystery dating back 18 years.Terry Jon Martin, 76, was indicted in May on one count of theft of a major artwork. The shoes from the film were stolen in 2005 from the Judy Garland Museum in the actor's hometown of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, and recovered in 2018 by the FBI. Continue reading...
The actor was unable to attend the Stop Trump Summit in New York due to Covid, but his statement was read out warning that we must take the danger very seriously'Actor Robert De Niro has launched another broadside at Donald Trump, calling the former president and likely Republican nominee for the 2024 election evil" and a wannabe tough guy with no morals or ethics".De Niro's statement was aired on Wednesday at the Stop Trump Summit in New York City, organised by the New Republic magazine. De Niro was unable to attend the event in person due to testing positive for Covid, but his statement was read out by Miles Taylor, a former Trump administration official and author of Blowback: A Warning to Save Democracy from the Next Trump. Continue reading...
Reed Wischhusen found guilty of possessing explosive substance and firearm with intent to endanger lifeA warehouse worker obsessed with mass killings has been convicted of plotting to carry out revenge" attacks at his old primary school, a police headquarters and his workplace.Reed Wischhusen, 32, was found guilty by a jury of having an explosive substance with intent to endanger life, possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life, possessing ammunition with intent to endanger life and possessing a prohibited firearm without a certificate. Continue reading...
Move comes after assassination of former PM Shinzo Abe and growing criticism of fundraising activitiesJapan's government has asked a court to strip the Unification church of its status, amid growing criticism of the group's fundraising activities after the assassination last year of the former prime minister Shinzo Abe.If the Tokyo district court accepts the request, the church - whose members are colloquially known as Moonies - will be stripped of its status as a religious corporation and lose exemptions from corporate and property taxes, as well as a tax on income from monetary offerings. Continue reading...
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