Four children and two adults were attacked in a park in France's Alpine region on Thursday.

It’s now been one year since moms and dads dropped their children off at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde for the very last time. It’s been one year since 21 of those young students and their heroic teachers were shot dead in their classrooms. And it’s also been one year since Texas Governor Greg Abbott began ignoring the desperate pleas for action from the victims’ families. On 24 May 2022, 18-year-old gunman Salvador Ramos entered Robb Elementary School armed with a legally purchased AR-15 and murdered 19 students aged between nine and 11 years old and two teachers. The massacre horrified the nation, marking one of the deadliest mass shootings in American history. Since then, the families have been begging Texas officials to take action and tighten the state’s gun laws – gun laws that are among the weakest in the nation. But, for the last 12 months, it has all fallen on deaf ears. Despite their desperate pleas, Mr Abbott refused to call a legislative session to even discuss the possibility of introducing gun safety measures all the while he continues to enjoy his longstanding, cosy relationship with the National Rifle Association (NRA). Mr Abbott’s action – or inaction – over the mass shooting fell under scrutiny almost immediately after the 24 May tragedy. When news of the shooting reached him in Abilene, where he was holding a press conference about wildfires, instead of rushing to Uvalde, he continued with his plans to attend a fundraiser to drum up donations for his re-election campaign. Initially, Mr Abbott claimed that he only stopped by the campaign fundraiser in Huntsville to “let people know that I could not stay, that I needed to go”. But this version of events fell apart two months later when campaign finance reports and flight-tracking records, obtained byThe Dallas Morning News, revealed that he actually stayed almost three hours at the event. While devastated parents were receiving the worst possible news, Mr Abbott was raising up to $50,000 in campaign funds. Call logs, released by state Senator Roland Gutierrez, showed that Mr Abbott only accepted three calls from Texas DPS Director Steve McCraw on 24 May, with the two men speaking for less than 30 minutes about one of the deadliest mass shootings in US history on the day of the massacre. In the weeks after the shooting, Mr Abbott also came under fire when he was a no-show at the funerals for each of the 21 victims. When scheduling records exposed his absence, Mr Abbott’s office responded by saying he had sent flowers and condolences to the families and had visited every family who had requested a meeting. Then there was his change in messaging about what happened that day. One day after the massacre, Mr Abbott gave his first public address in which he heaped praise on the “amazing courage” of law enforcement officers on the scene. He told the community that had just lost 21 members that “it could have been worse”. “It could have been worse. The reason it was not worse is because law enforcement officials did what they do,” he said. This turned out to be false. In the days and weeks after the shooting, it emerged that almost 400 officers waited a staggering 77 minutes before breaching the classroom as the gunman continued his murderous rampage and wounded victims bled to death. The police response has now been branded an “abject failure,” one in which officers on the scene prioritised their own safety over saving the lives of the victims. Mr Abbott later fumed that he had been “misled” by unidentified “public officials” before making his speech. Three days on from the shooting, the governor spoke out again – this time giving two vastly different speeches with two dramatically conflicting messages on the topic of gun safety. That Friday, Mr Abbott had been due to speak on stage at the NRA convention in Houston. In light of the shooting, he pulled out of the event – but not before sending a pre-recorded video message to be played on stage. In that speech, he undermined the importance of gun safety laws, claiming they have no impact on reducing gun violence. “There are thousands of laws on the books across the country that limit the owning and using of firearms, laws that have not stopped madmen from carrying out evil acts on innocent people in peaceful communities,” he said. “In Uvalde, the gunman committed a felony under Texas law before he even pulled the trigger. It’s a felony to possess a firearm on school premises. But that did not stop him.” The message – a show of defiance that he had no plans to tighten the state’s already weak gun laws – aired at the same time as he was telling the grieving Uvalde community that he “absolutely” expected new laws to be passed in response to the tragedy. “With regard to a special (legislative) session, let me just say this: all options are on the table,” he said. “Do we expect laws to come out of this devastating crime? The answer is absolutely yes. And there will be laws in multiple different subject areas. There will be committees formed, there will be meetings held, there will be proposals that will be derived, many of which will lead to laws that will be passed in the state of Texas.” Over the next year, Mr Abbott ignored ongoing requests from Uvalde officials to call a special legislative session to at least discuss the possibility of gun reform in the state. State Representative Tracy King and Mr Gutierrez – the two Texas lawmakers who represent Uvalde – urged the governor to call the session. State Democrats said they would support proposals including raising the minimum age to buy semi-automatic assault rifles from 18 to 21, creating red flag laws, introducing a 72-hour “cooling off” period for gun purchases and regulating private gun sales. Grieving family members begged for change, calling — at the very least — for a raise in minimum age to purchase assault weapons. Time after time, their pleas were ignored. Instead of acknowledging that the state’s weak gun laws may have played any part in the massacre (the 18-year-old gunman legally bought two AR-15s just days after his birthday), Mr Abbott pointed the finger at mental illness and school safety and insisted that raising the minimum age to buy would be “unconstitutional”. He claimed he took several other actions to “support the Uvalde community and make schools safer” including providing 30 law enforcement officers to the school district campuses for the new school year, $105.5m in funding for school safety and mental health services – as well as roping in Chuck Norris to front a programme to report suspicious behaviour at schools. None of the actions involved restricting access to firearms. Even during his race to hold onto his gubernatorial seat in the midterms, Mr Abbott refused to move the needle on the gun control debate. Family members who lost loved ones in the Uvalde massacre threw their support behind his Democratic rival Beto O’Rourke – including featuring in a gutwrenching ad campaign. Behind Mr Abbott, of course, was the NRA. Data compiled by Giffords showed that Mr Abbott received $20,700 in career gun lobby contributions – one of the highest of all candidates in gubernatorial races. His close relationship with the NRA was perhaps most evident when in June 2021 – less than one year before Uvalde – he signed a bill into law allowing Texans without a licence to open carry handguns. Standing at his shoulder at the bill signing were NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre and NRA president Carolyn Meadows. In November, less than six months after the state endured the worst school shooting in its history, Texans chose to re-elect Mr Abbott as governor for a third term. In the weeks and months leading up to the one-year anniversary of the Uvalde mass shooting, Texas has been rocked by several more mass shootings. On 28 April, five people – including a nine-year-old boy – were shot dead in a horror attack at a home in Cleveland. Days later, on 6 May, eight people were killed and seven injured when a neo-Nazi gunman went on a shooting rampage at an outlet mall in Allen. And again, nothing changed. Then on the one-year anniversary of the state’s worst mass shooting in history, Mr Abbott did announce some action: A moment of silence. Flags lowered to half staff in Texas. But still no attempt to tackle the state’s problem with gun violence. Read More Uvalde father warns lawmakers not to pay tribute to his son today New video from Uvalde massacre shows police officers vomiting and sobbing after discovering victims Uvalde victim's mother perseveres through teaching, connecting with daughter's memory

By Steve Scherer and David Ljunggren OTTAWA (Reuters) -Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem said on Wednesday that interest rates

A Canadian man has had limb-lengthening surgery, costing £25,000, to increase his height from 5ft 7in to 5ft 10in as he was so insecure about his height it caused him to have “suicidal thoughts”, and claims he is now “so much happier” and “confident”. Daniel Farbod, 27, a civil engineer, from Toronto, Canada, has been self-conscious of his height “all (his) life” – when he stopped growing, at age 14, he said it felt “tragic” and like his “first stab to the heart.” Daniel always defined “being masculine” as being tall, and was “ashamed” of himself as he “didn’t feel like a man.” Over time, being taller was all Daniel could dream about, and claimed his height “impacted his mental health so badly” that he was having “suicidal thoughts”. After coming across the unique surgery online, he realised he was “willing to sacrifice time and money to get (his) life back.” So, in May 2021, he had his first procedure in a specialist clinic in Turkey, which involved breaking his femurs, hollowing out the bone, and putting a rod inside the bone with external fixators, pieces of steel on the outside of his legs. Daniel had to turn the fixators with an Allen key every day for over four months, and eventually had his second surgery to remove the fixators after his bones had successfully fused together. When Daniel recovered, he could not “put into words how happy (he) was” and “felt so much more confident”, now, he is sharing his journey on social media to inspire others who are insecure about their height. Daniel told PA Real Life: “I’m really proud of myself for having the surgery. “I was insecure all my life about my height, it impacted my mental health so badly. “I was suicidal, and after admitting that I wanted to take the steps to feel better, and have the surgery, I feel so much better. “I think for other people, it is important to know how tough the surgery and recovery is – it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but for me, it changed my life and made me grow not only literally but also metaphorically as a person.” Daniel, who has always been self-conscious about his height, stopped growing at age 14, and became obsessed with finding ways to become taller. He said: “I researched everything from socks and supplements that claimed to increase your height. “I was always insecure and worried about it – I used to go to orthopaedic doctors because I was so scared of not growing. “But when I got to age 14, I stopped and it was so depressing.” When it became clear to Daniel that he was unlikely to grow any more, it took a toll on his mental health and confidence. He explained: “It was so tragic for me, it was like my first stab to the heart. “All my dreams would be about being taller and I had to somehow accept that my height had peaked. “I tried to keep myself busy to manage my thoughts but in 2020 I just couldn’t handle it – I had all of these negative thoughts and suicidal thoughts because I think being masculine, and being a man, means to be tall. “I didn’t feel like a man, I was so ashamed.” Daniel felt as though having limb-lengthening surgery was the only way he was going to feel better, but his parents, who are both “on the shorter side”, did not approve of his decision to have cosmetic surgery. He said: “Everyone was really against the idea because they thought it was not natural and it was changing the way your body is meant to be. “I knew the surgery was going to be tough, but I thought even that pain would be better than having suicidal thoughts. “I was willing to sacrifice time and money to get my life back.” In May 2021, Daniel had his first surgery in a specialist clinic, Live Life Taller, in Turkey, which involved breaking both of his femurs, hollowing out the bone, and putting a rod inside the bone with external fixators – pieces of steel on the outside of his legs. He explained: “I was really scared when I got to the clinic, and the breaking of the bones was the part I was most nervous about in the whole process. “It was crazy to wake up after the surgery – the reality just hit me all at once and I was so happy.” His recovery involved being in a wheelchair and using an Allen key to turn a bolt on the fixators four times a day at 90 degrees to separate the bone segments a little at a time. Daniel continued to do this every day for four and a half months, saying of his painful recovery: “My skin was stretching, my muscles were growing, it was madness. “It took me even longer to recover, they usually say it will take three months, but, my I had nerve issues with my right leg and had to have it broken again. “It was a very tough time.” In September 2021, the external fixators were removed, he explained: “I used a walker and really really slowly I worked up to using crutches. “I couldn’t really tell how tall I was at that point. “It took me at least another three months to be able to stand up.” Mr Farbod went from 5 ft 7 to 5ft 10 and thinks his mental health has dramatically improved as a result. He said: “I couldn’t believe it. I had been dreaming of being a tall man since I was 10 years old, it’s all I’ve ever wanted. “I went through all these sleepless nights, trauma and upset, and I finally achieved my goal. “I can’t even put into words how happy I was, and still am – I felt so much more confident.” When Mr Farbod arrived home, his family were also very happy for him. He said: “They looked after me so much – I could barely get out of bed or bend down for a long time. “They could tell I was so much happier when I recovered.” Now, Daniel shares his journey on Instagram and YouTube to inspire others who are insecure about their height. He said: “I want to show people the reality of the surgery – it’s tough but I want to raise awareness and get men talking about their insecurities.” For support, contact the Samaritans on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org, or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live 10 slick ways to kit out your student digs 4 essential officecore trends to update your work wardrobe Sickle Cell Awareness Month: What is sickle cell disease and how do you know if you have it?

Bronny James fell unconscious while practicing at the University of South California during a training session at Galen Center on Monday morning

Bill Maher discusses the poll that revealed that Donald Trump was leading in five of six swing states

Hollywood writers and studios were due to meet for a third consecutive day of high-level talks Friday, raising the industry's hopes that an end to the costly 144-day Writers Guild...

Hollywood actors were "duped" into extending negotiations for two weeks by studios who wanted more time to promote their summer blockbuster movies, union president Fran...

Oil was little changed as the second half kicked off, with traders focused on challenges to demand and

A year after an Uber driver was shot in the head, the mother of the victim has filed a wrongful death and negligence lawsuit against the ride-share company. Christina “Christi” Spicuzza, 38, is alleged to have been murdered by Calvin Anthony Crew, 24, after he pulled a gun on her as she was driving him as part of an Uber taxi service. Cindy Spicuzza, the mother of the victim, has now filed a federal civil lawsuit against Uber for the wrongful death of her daughter. The ride began on 10 February; Mr Crew called his girlfriend Tanaya Mullen to order him an Uber using her Apple Pay account, Allegheny County Police say. Spicuzza accepted the ride and picked up Mr Crew around 9.11pm. Spicuzza, a mother of four, was found dead around midday on 12 February 2022. She was left lying face-down wearing a “Covid face mask” in a wooded area in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. Mr Crew was known to authorities as already “adjudicated for a robbery” he committed at the age of 14. The lawsuit relays that Uber failed to protect Spicuzza in three different ways: Uber should have verified Mr Crew’s identity before he entered Spicuzza’s vehicle, that Mr Crew’s previous criminal convictions should have been notified to Spicuzza and finally that Uber should have provided her with basic safety features. Distressing dashcam footage released by the court shows the moment that Mr Crew, who was wearing a balaclava to try and hide his identity, pushed a gun to the back of Spicuzza’s neck while holding her ponytail. In the background, the Uber app is heard saying to “drop off Tanaya”, meaning the journey was supposed to end there. The probable cause affidavit confirmed that the suspect told Spicuzza to keep on driving while holding the gun to her head. “Come on, I have a family,” Spicuzza said. “I got a family too, now drive,” Mr Crew replied. “I’m begging you, I have four kids,” Spicuzza said. “Please take that off of me,” asking him to put down the gun. The suspect allegedly said, “Do what I say and everything will be alright.” According to the affidavit, Mr Crew had been texting and calling his girlfriend Ms Mullen throughout the ride, possibly talking about picking up cannabis. “Whatever you doing tonight be careful,” Ms Mullen allegedly said to Mr Crew during the Uber ride. The night after the murder of Spicuzza, Ms Mullen allegedly texted Mr Crew, “I’m not going to jail if we get caught.” Mr Crew made the victim drive for an hour while going through her banking apps, and then eventually killed her, detectives say. “Had Uber applied its driver background check procedures to passengers, used its massive data analysis capabilities to screen out dangerous passengers, permitted drivers to cancel suspicious fares without penalty, or simply provided basic safety features in Ms Spicuzza’s Uber-approved rental car, these simple and effective measures—all readily available to Uber—could have saved Ms Spicuzza’s life,” the lawsuit said. “Unfortunately, however, Uber knew the dangers its drivers faced from dangerous, unverified passengers like Mr. Crew, and chose to do nothing, evincing a conscious corporate attitude for ‘profits over people,’ leaving behind Ms. Spicuzza’s family to grieve her tragic and preventable death.” The lawsuit states that Uber “could easily fulfil” its duty to protect their drivers “by applying the same screening standards it currently applies to its drivers to its passengers, as well as verifying who is ordering the ride.” In a statement to Law&Crime, an Uber spokesperson said that “No family should have to suffer such an unimaginable loss.” “While we cannot comment on pending litigation, we are committed to the safety of drivers who utilize the Uber app. Over the years, we’ve introduced features and policies, designed with safety in mind, like the in-app Safety Toolkit, the ability to freeze rider accounts with fake names and requiring ID from riders in some circumstances,” the Uber spokesperson said. “The safety of drivers is a high priority, and we’ll continue investing in safety features to raise the bar.” The lawsuit seeks a jury trial in the civil case. Mr Crew was arrested several days after the murder of Spicuzza. CBS News reported in March this year that a jury selection is set to begin his trial, with prosecutors seeking the death penalty. Read More Uber raises minimum age for most California drivers to 25, saying insurance costs are too high Woman escapes alleged kidnapper posing as an Uber driver by passing secret note to gas station customer Danelo Cavalcante - live: Homeowner ‘opened fire’ on fugitive after he stole rifle, locals told to lock doors

Tabitha Bartoe, 22, tweeted suggesting that she was fired from her weekend weather anchor position WATE 6 over her appearance

Amazon on Wednesday agreed to pay $30.8 million to settle Ring and Alexa privacy complaints filed by US regulators, including accusations that employees spied on...