Demi Lovato says she's in 'healthy' relationship with Jutes after years of dating older men due to 'daddy issues'
Demi Lovato, 31, and Jutes met for the first time while working on a session for their 2022 album 'HOLY FVCK'
2023-09-13 09:49
Striking actors agree deal with Hollywood studios
Hollywood actors and studios reached a tentative deal Wednesday to end a months-long strike that has crippled the entertainment industry, delayed hundreds of popular shows and films, and...
2023-11-09 09:51
Peace prize winner Narges Mohammadi smuggles message out of cell
"Victory is not easy, but it is certain," imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize winner and women's rights activist Narges Mohammadi, said in a message smuggled out of...
2023-11-01 19:55
Ukraine-Russia war live: Kyiv claims five Moscow fighter jets hit by drones, as Prigozhin ‘confirmed dead’
Ukraine hit five of Moscow’s fighter jets with an overnight drone strike on Russian soil, a source in Kyiv’s security service has told Ukrainian outlets. Russia’s defence ministry claimed to have shot down two drones in the Bryansk and Kursk regions, which both border Ukraine, giving no information about possible damages or casualties. But the Kyiv Post and Ukrainska Pravda both cited sources in Ukraine’s SBU security service as claiming that just three of more than a dozen drones were brought down, claiming strikes on four Russian Su-30 fighter jets and one MiG-29 at an airfield in Kursk. It came as Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was confirmed by Russia’s Investigative Committee to have died in a plane crash near Moscow on Wednesday, citing the results of genetic tests it said confirmed the identities of the 10 bodies found in the wreckage. Western politicians and commentators have speculated that Mr Putin ordered Prigozhin to be killed as punishment for Wagner’s brief mutiny in June. Meanwhile, a resurfaced clip of Prigozhin talking about a “plane falling apart in the sky” has resurfaced on social media. Read More What we know — and don't know — about the crash of a Russian mercenary's plane Putin says Wagner chief had ‘complicated fate’ – as officials suggest explosion on plane caused fatal crash While world media speculates on Wagner chief's presumed death, Russian state media shies away Wagner has been decapitated – the mercenaries should fear the future
2023-08-28 02:28
In face of corporate behemoths, an indie music festival thrives
Back in 2006, Spotify was a nascent start-up, your average stateside concert tickets went for $40 and many fans learned about the best new music...
2023-10-01 14:55
Donald Trump Jr facing calls to be banned from Australia
A petition has been launched in Australia calling for a ban on Donald Trump Jr from visiting the country for a right-wing event next month. By Monday nearly 15,000 people had signed the Change.org petition protesting against the former president’s eldest son attending the “Turning Point Australia” event. The group is affiliated with right-wing provocateur Charlie Kirk’s “Turning Point USA”, which aims to reach the next generation of conservatives. Nigel Farage is expected to join Mr Trump on his trip. “Donald Trump Junior is a far-right agitator who spreads bigotry wherever he goes,” Omar Hassan of the Campaign Against Racism & Fascism said in a statement. “His visit is likely to be a magnet for far-right and neo-Nazi groups across Melbourne, so we will be there in numbers to send the message that people here reject and despise everything they stand for.” And he added: “Trump Jr is a prominent far-right spokesperson, famous for his aggressive racist and transphobic campaigning. “He was an instrumental part of his father’s 2016 presidential run, and has since been part of attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, including the violence on January 6. We’re protesting him to stand against white supremacy, transphobia, and misogyny.” Activists say that if Mr Trump is allowed into Australia a protest will take place on 11 July at the State Library of Victoria. Read More Sketch artist defends controversial take on Trump arraignment Shocking emails reveal Donald Trump Jr making offensive comments about Mexicans and Black people Trump pleads not guilty as he makes history as first president to be criminally charged – twice Trump news – live: Bill Barr slams Trump’s ‘absurd’ classified papers defence as ex-attorney quits CNN lawsuit Trump praises Melania’s ‘attitude’ as she skips arraignment: ‘She doesn’t care that much’
2023-06-20 08:23
After Arlington National Cemetery horse deaths, Army makes changes to improve their care
The Army has announced changes to the way it will care for the gray and black horses that carry service members' flag-draped caskets to their final resting places in Arlington National Cemetery
2023-05-11 05:26
Foreman runs for TD, Bears beat Panthers 16-13 to boost their shot at the top pick in the draft
D’Onta Foreman ran for a touchdown and the Chicago Bears boosted their shot at the top pick in the draft, beating the Carolina Panthers 16-13 on Thursday night
2023-11-10 12:51
Known to child welfare, a violent father and a child missing for two years: What happened to Harmony Montgomery?
It’s been 10 months since the name Harmony Montgomery first hit headlines across the US when a missing persons investigation was launched to find the seven-year-old girl. Since then, her father and stepmother have both been arrested and charged. A home where she used to live in Manchester, New Hampshire, has been searched for days on end. And a reward for information leading to her discovery has topped $150,000. But, despite the national attention and the painstaking efforts to find the missing child, who is blind in one eye, investigators made little headway. In a press conference in mid-January, Manchester Police Chief Allen Aldenberg admitted he was a “little discouraged”. Though concerning, the lack of progress was perhaps unsurprising as whoever had information about what happened to the little girl had a more than two-year head start on investigators. Manchester Police said Harmony has not been seen since around October or November 2019 when she was five years old. Yet, a missing persons investigation was only launched in December 2021. However, on Monday a definitive move was finally made on the case, possibly bringing the years-long investigation closer to a close; Harmony’s father, Adam Montgomery, was charged with murdering his daughter. When was Harmony Montgomery last seen? The last confirmed sighting of Harmony by law enforcement was on 11 September 2019 when Manchester police officers were called to the home on 77 Gilford Street in Manchester where she lived. Harmony was living with her father Adam Montgomery, who had been given custody of his daughter in February 2019, as well as his wife Kayla Montgomery and their children at the property at the time. The little girl had been in and out of foster care for much of her life. Then, in 2018, her mother Crystal Sorey lost custody of her due in part to substance abuse. Ms Sorey lived in Massachusetts so the child was moved to New Hampshire where Mr Montgomery lived. Chief Aldenberg previously said the last police callout to the property was in October 2019 but confirmed he had muddled the dates in a press briefing on 12 January. Despite the date change, the police chief said investigators are still working to the belief that Harmony was last seen in October or November of that year. This timeline appears to be based on police interviews and statements from various family members. Ms Sorey told police she had not been able to contact her since they spoke on a video call in April 2019. After that, she said Mr Montgomery cut off all contact between her and her daughter. Mr Montgomery claimed to investigators he last saw his daughter around Thanksgiving 2019, claiming that Ms Sorey had picked her up from Manchester to take her to live with her. The criminal complaint says that Mr Montgomery claimed to believe his daughter was living with his ex and did “not show much emotion or reaction” when officers said they were concerned whether Harmony was alive when they contacted him in December. His story was also contradicted by Ms Montgomery’s account, who said she last saw Harmony the day after Thanksgiving when her husband said he was driving her to see Ms Sorey. Mr Montgomery’s uncle Kevin Montgomery told investigators he has not seen Harmony or his nephew since late 2019 when she was five years old. Who has been charged? On Monday, Harmony’s father, Adam, was charged with murdering his daughter. Attorney General John Formella made the announcement Monday at the Manchester Police Department. “Earlier this morning, Adam Montgomery was arrested for the murder of Harmony Montgomery in 2019 and other related charges,” Mr Formella said. According to Mr Formella, Mr Montgomery is facing four new charges in addition to others brought against him in early 2022. Those charges are one count of second-degree murder for recklessly causing the death of Harmony; falsifying physical evidence for altering, destroying, concealing or removing the girl’s body; abuse of a corpse for unlawfully removing, concealing or destroying Harmony’s body; and tampering with witnesses or informants, which he allegedly did by attempting to coerce his estranged wife, Kayla Montgomery, to lie to investigators. “I do want to again express my deepest sympathies to Harmony’s family, friends and loved ones,” Mr Formella said at the news conference in Manchester. “We understand that today’s news, while significant for purposes of this investigation, is yet another difficult moment for those who loved Harmony and those who have followed this case.” The charges accuse Mr Montgomery of repeatedly striking Harmony with his fist sometime around 7 December, 2021. His arraignment is scheduled for 25 October, according to the Department of Justice. In early January, Harmony’s father and his wife were both arrested and charged on counts related to the missing child. Mr Montgomery was arrested on 4 January and charged with second-degree felony assault, two misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a child, and one misdemeanor count of interference with custody. On the assault charge, he is accused of “striking [Harmony] in the face” sometime in July 2019, giving her a black eye, according to the criminal complaint. Police interviews with other family members revealed Mr Montgomery was allegedly abusive toward his daughter, including giving her a black eye, forcing her to clean the toilet with her own toothbrush and making her stand in a corner for hours as a punishment. Mr Montgomery’s brother Michael Montgomery told investigators he “had concerns that Adam was physically abusive” to the child and was “super short” with her. Kevin Montgomery said he noticed Harmony had a black eye in July 2019, which his nephew confessed to causing by hitting her in the face, according to the criminal complaint. “I bashed her around this house,” he said his nephew told him. Kevin said he contacted DCYF that time and had also noticed Mr Montgomery subject Harmony to other forms of “abusive discipline” including scrubbing a toilet with her toothbrush and her being “spanked hard on the butt”. Officials said Mr Montgomery was not cooperating with the investigation into his daughter’s disappearance and has refused to say where she is. The day after her husband’s arrest, Ms Montgomery was arrested on one felony charge of welfare fraud for allegedly fraudulently collecting welfare benefits for the missing child between December 2019 and June 2021. Ms Montgomery, who has three children with her husband, is accused of fraudulently obtaining $1,500 in food stamp benefits meant for Harmony between December 2019 and June 2021 even though the girl was not living with them. Prosecutors have now dropped that welfare fraud charge and added three new charges - one count of theft by deception and two misdemeanor charges of welfare fraud. The charges accuse Ms Montgomery of making intentional false statements about her stepdaughter’s whereabouts in February and March 2021 in order to claim benefits. She has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Mr Montgomery has a history of violence and a long criminal record including convictions for shooting a man in the head in a drug deal just six months before Harmony was born. He was also convicted in 2010 for attacking two women at gunpoint. It has also emerged that Mr Montgomery is a suspect in the cold case murder of a 28-year-old man in Lynn, New Hampshire, back in February 2008. Darlin Guzman was found shot in the chest in the parking lot of the former White Hen Convenience store in Lynn’s Austin Square on the night of 10 February 2008. He was pronounced dead in hospital. A law enforcement source told Boston 25 Newsthat Mr Montgomery, who was 18 at the time, and two members of his family, who were not named, have been the focus of the murder investigation since day one. The three family members had been in contact with the victim earlier that day and planned to meet with him at the convenience store, before the meeting culminated in gunfire, according to the source. The victim’s car was later found abandoned in the direction of Bedford, New Hampshire, where Mr Montgomery lived at the time. No one has ever been charged with the Mr Guzman’s murder but the source said Mr Montgomery remains the focus of the investigation to this day. Almost 14 years on from that killing, Mr Montgomery and his wife are now charged on counts related to his missing daughter, including, in her father’s case, her murder. Why was she not reported missing for two years? Questions arose over how a little girl could not be seen for more than two years without any action being taken by authorities. Multiple family members have said they raised concerns for Harmony’s safety with New Hampshire’s Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) over the last two years. Ms Sorey accused the authorities of “failing” her daughter. She said she made multiple attempts to report concerns to child services. On November 18 she contacted Manchester Police saying she believed her daughter was missing. Police officers contacted the New Hampshire Division for Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) about the location of the missing child. Then, on 27 December, the DCYF reported that it was also unable to locate Harmony. Manchester Police announced a search was launched on 31 December. Ms Sorey was so conviced that her daughter was in trouble that she sent emails to the Manchester mayor’s office, begging for help in finding the girl. “Please, I’m begging for help in finding my daughter,” she wrote on 29 December. Ms Sorey said Mr Montgomery had never enrolled their daughter in school and that she has missed “important doctor’s appointments she’s had since a baby due to a disability in her eye”. The emails were sent just two days before police finally reported Harmony missing. As well as the repeated attempts to raise the alarm, the family was well-known to child services. Records released on 12 January showed that police officers were called to the Gilford Street home at least 10 times between February 2019 - when Mr Montgomery got custody of Harmony - and when she was last seen in the fall. Reports ranged from claims of domestic disturbances to animal welfare and concerns about the living conditions in the home. The DCYF was notified about some of the incidents. A neighbour told The Independent that it was a “bad situation” at the property, describing lots of people living there at different times, adults seen arguing in the street, junk left piled up in the yard, and the electricity being switched off at one point. “We didn’t intermingle with them as it was a bad situation,” she said. “There was lots of different people living there, piles of junk in the driveway, junk outside. “The electricity was turned off and they ran the generator all summer with the wiring running through the window.” The neighbour said the Montgomerys were “basically squatting” at the home when it had fallen into foreclosure and Mr and Ms Montgomery were refusing to leave. She said she went away for the Thanksgiving holidays in 2019 and returned to find the family had finally packed up and moved out. This coincides with when Mr and Ms Montgomery claimed they last saw the little girl. New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu announced on 12 January that the DCYF is carrying out an internal review of its handling of Harmony’s case. However, the governor defended the state’s work saying: “As soon as we found out that this child may not have been showing up for school for quite some time, it was reported up to us. “The team got right on it. It wasn’t a delay. It didn’t sit in a file on somebody’s desk.” An independent investigation was also launched by the Massachusetts Office of the Child Advocate after Harmony was moved from Massachusetts into the custody of Mr Montgomery in New Hampshire in February 2019. Officials in New Hampshire and Massachusetts passed the blame between each other. The New Hampshire governor sent a letter to Massachusetts court officials slamming a judge for placing Harmony in the care of her “monster” father, given his violent past and long rap sheet. Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker responded to the criticism saying he “felt his pain” but said he wants to wait to see the results of the independent review by the Massachusetts Office of the Child Advocate. The report, released in May, found placed the blame on state agencies failing to consider Harmony’s needs above her parent’s rights to her custody. “The central and most important finding in this investigation and report is that Harmony’s individual needs, wellbeing, and safety were not prioritized or considered on an equal footing with the assertion of her parents’ rights to care for her in any aspect of the decision making by any state entity,” Maria Mossaides, Director, Office of the Child Advocate, said in the report. “When children are not at the center of every aspect of the child protection system, then the system cannot truly protect them. This report describes the ripple effect of miscalculations of risk and an unequal weight placed on parents’ rights versus a child’s wellbeing.” Mr Baker responded to the report a day later by saying “everybody failed in this case,” and pushed a bill that included $50 million to recruit, train and pay guardian ad litems within the Massachusetts court system. “There are a lot of lawyers who are in the room on this case, and none of them at the end of the day had just Harmony Montgomery’s interest as a primary concern,” Mr Baker said. Where is Harmony? Investigators have revealed little detail about what they think may have happened to Harmony. The girl’s remains have still not been found. The Gilford Street property was the focus of much of the search with investigators seen in the home and the backyard for multiple days. However, Manchester Police said the search concluded there. It is not clear if anything of interest was uncovered and no other locations for searches have been identified. Around 300 tips have been received from the public so far and the reward for information about Harmony’s disappearance has topped $150,000. Anyone with information is asked to call or text 603-203-606 Read More Harmony Montgomery last seen one month before first thought as police chief says ‘somebody knows something’ Stepmother faces new charges in case of missing girl Harmony Montgomery Harmony Montgomery’s mother says daughter was ‘failed by everybody’ as police search home Harmony Montgomery neighbour says family moved on Thanksgiving 2019 – the same time dad says he last saw missing child
2023-06-21 22:54
Georgia police investigating online threats to jurors after pro-Trump doxxing campaign
Police in Georgia are investigating online threats to members of a grand jury that voted to indict Donald Trump and 18 of the former president’s allies accused of conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in a sprawling criminal case. The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office is “aware that personal information from members of the jury” has been shared across social media platforms, the agency announced on 17 August, less than three days after a sweeping charging document was unsealed. As required under state law, the names of the jurors are listed in the 98-page indictment. The sheriff’s office is working with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to “track down” the origins of the threats in the county and in other jurisdictions, according to the statement. The former president’s supporters have published the jurors’ names, social media profiles, addresses and phone numbers as part of an apparent harassment campaign following right-wing outrage over a sweeping criminal indictment, the fullest accounting yet of an alleged effort among Mr Trump and his allies to coerce officials into a fraudulent scheme to subvert the votes of millions of Americans. Far-right message boards and platforms dominated by pro-Trump users such as Gab and Truth Social have been flooded with comments and posts surrounding the case and the jurors, with pledges to “doxx” or publish a person’s personal information online with the intent to harass them. Accounts on fringe far-right message boards such as 4chan and The Donald have threatened to follow jurors home and “photograph their faces,” labelled their names a “hit list,” posted images of jurors’ alleged profiles on Facebook and LinkedIn, tried to determine their political affiliations and religious and ethnic backgrounds, and promoted violence against them. The Independent’s review of posts across Truth Social, where users vie for the audience of the former president himself, shows users rushing to Mr Trump’s defence while trying to identify and smear members of the jury who indicted him. Users on the far-right, pro-Trump message board The Donald, frequently a hotbed for violent rhetoric targeting political opponents, have promoted the killing of jurors and suggested igniting civil war. This is a developing story Read More Trump insists Democrats are angry at his indictment too as Georgia jail booking nears – live updates Will the Georgia gang of 18 turn on Trump? Trumpworld hanging by a thread as co-accused pressured to flip on ex-president Who is Fani Willis, the Georgia prosecutor who could take down Trump
2023-08-18 06:29
Horror bodycam footage shows police rescuing woman chained to floor of Kentucky home
A woman who was chained to the floor of a Kentucky home for two days was freed by police in a dramatic rescue that was captured on newly released body-camera video. Louisville Metro police responded to the dilapidated house on Bolling Avenue around 7pm on Wednesday after neighbours reported hearing cries for help. The doors and several of the windows were barricaded, forcing officers to break in through a second-storey window where they came face-to-face with the distressed woman. Chilling footage shows the unidentified woman sobbing hysterically as police reached her. She was bolted to the floor with screws that were attached to a chain and secured around her neck by a MasterLock. Moises May, 36, who was arrested two days later, was keeping the woman locked up following an argument that turned violent, according to the police report obtained by WAVE3. The woman had left the night of the argument but returned the next day to collect her belongings when Mr May locked her inside a deadbolted room after taking her phone, police said. Mr May, who lives at the home with the woman and their child, allegedly chopped her hair off with a machete, forced her to strip down before he chained her to the floor and threatened to kill her. “You’re gonna get it tonight. I told you the next time you leave and don’t come home, I’d kill you,” Mr May reportedly told her, according to the police report. The woman’s cries for help were finally heard after she managed to break the second-storey window. When officers reached the woman in the grimy room on Wednesday evening and struggled to free her from the chains, she can be heard on the video telling the police that her captor kept the key to the lock on his keychain. “The woman had a chain around her neck, which was secured by a MasterLock, and that chain was bolted to the floor with screws,” the department said. Police located a hatchet in the home and were able to cut through the chain and free the woman. She continued to cry and shake as she was led outside to be treated by EMS. Mr May was arrested two days later and charged with one count of kidnapping, intimidating a participant in the legal process, wanton endangerment, assault, terroristic threatening and harassment. His bond was set at $100,000 and he is scheduled to reappear in court on 28 August. Read More Andrea Vazquez – latest: Gabriel Esparza arrested for murder after kidnapping teen on date with boyfriend Police warn Rachel Morin killer will strike again after weeks on the run Friends of missing Katy Perry songwriter Camela Leierth-Segura fear someone is holding her captive
2023-08-23 23:55
Vietnam Orders Netflix to Remove Chinese TV Drama Over Disputed Map
Netflix Inc. and FPT Telecom stopped offering the Chinese romantic TV drama Flight to You in Vietnam after
2023-07-10 11:25
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