The decision by US prosecutors to offer Joran van der Sloot a plea agreement on charges of extortion and wire fraud led to his confession in the 2005 killing of Natalee Holloway in Aruba -- and although he likely can't be prosecuted for the Alabama teen's death, legal experts say the deal was vital in helping the teen's family finally achieve closure.

As spring 2023's Mercury retrograde ends, every zodiac sign can expect groundbreaking epiphanies when it comes to establishing prolonged gratification

At least 17 people have been killed and dozens more wounded after a Russian missile struck a crowded outdoor market in eastern Ukraine – the attack coming as Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, was in Kyiv for an unannounced visit. President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack in the city of Kostiantynivka, saying that a child was among the dead. Kostiantynivka – which had a pre-war population of around 70,000 – sits about 20 miles (30km) from the ruined city of Bakhmut, the scene for some of the bloodiest fighting of Russia’s invasion. Police said that nearly 30 stalls, a pharmacy, an apartment block, a bank, and a number of cars were damaged as the missile hit at 2pm local time. Officials said more than 30 people were injured. Video footage of the strike showed people looking up to the sky as they heard a missile approaching. Seconds later they are running for cover or falling to the ground after a huge explosion. Another video released by police showed rescuers searching through the kiosks and, as bodies were taken out in black sacks, people shouting: “Who have you found?” It also showed the floor of the pharmacy covered in blood, as a police spokeswoman can be heard saying: “At the moment of the strike civilians were here, they were buying medicines and this is what happened. People died here.” “This Russian evil must be defeated as soon as possible,” Mr Zelensky said on the Telegram messaging app. “When someone in the world still attempts to deal with anything Russian, it means turning a blind eye to this reality. The audacity of evil. The brazenness of wickedness. Utter inhumanity.” He later told a press conference in Kyiv that he believed it had been a deliberate attack on “a peaceful city”. Hours before the strike on Kostiantynivka, booms could be heard in the capital Kyiv as the train carrying Mr Blinken wound its way to the city, the Russians appearing to want to herald his arrival with a missile attack. No casualties were reported in the capital but local officials said one person was killed in the Odesa region where Russian missiles also fell. Mr Blinken’s two-day visit is a show of Washington’s continued support for Mr Zelensky and the Ukrainian war effort. The secretary of state is the first senior US official to visit Kyiv since its counteroffensive against Vladimir Putin’s forces began in early June. Mr Blinken met with Mr Zelensky on Wednesday and also held talks with foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba. Mr Blinken is also expected to announce a new package of US assistance. The total package will be worth up to $1 billion (£800 million), but may not all be announced by Mr Blinken in Kyiv. “We want to make sure that Ukraine has what it needs, not only to succeed in the counteroffensive, but has what it needs for the long term, to make sure that it has a strong deterrent,” Mr Blinken said standing alongside Mr Kuleba. A US State Department official said Washington wanted to discuss how the counteroffensive was going and assess battlefield needs as well as any steps that might be required to shore up Ukraine’s energy security before winter. “I think what’s most important is that we get a real assessment from the Ukrainians themselves,” the official told Reuters. “We want to see, and hear how they intend to push forward in the coming weeks.” When asked about Mr Blinken’s visit, Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Kremlin, said that Moscow believed Washington planned to continue funding Ukraine’s military “to wage this war to the last Ukrainian”. During his train ride to Kyiv, Mr Blinken held talks with Denmark’s prime minister Mette Frederiksen, who was conducting her own visit to Kyiv. The US secretary of state thanked Ms Frederiksen for Denmark’s donation of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine and its membership of a coalition of nations – including the UK – training Ukrainian pilots. Denmark and the Netherlands announced last month they would supply more than 60 US-made F-16s as soon as pilots are trained to fly them. They are the first countries to offer the jets. Also on Wednesday, Ukraine’s parliament approved the appointment of Rustem Umerov as the country’s new defence minister. Mr Umerov replaces Oleksii Reznikov, who helped secure billions of pounds of Western military aid, but was sacked by Mr Zelensky. Mr Reznikov’s ministry was dogged by a number of scandals involving corruption allegations. The former minister did not face corruption allegations himself, but says he is the victim of a smear campaign. Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report Read More The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary Russian missile turns Ukrainian market into fiery, blackened ruin strewn with bodies US lawmakers visiting The Hague say Russian President Putin is committing genocide in Ukraine Paul Whelan seen for first time in years in rare video inside Russia prison

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The San Francisco district attorney has released the surveillance footage that showed the fatal shooting of a 24-year-old transgender activist accused of shoplifting by a Walgreens security guard. The video was released on Monday following a public outcry after it was announced that the district attorney won't file charges against the guard, identified as Michael Earl-Wayne Anthony. The footage shows the guard assaulting unarmed Banko Brown on 27 April before fatally shooting him outside a downtown Walgreens. Brown was a budding community organiser known for helping Black transgender youth and reportedly struggled with homelessness. Last week, the board of supervisors unanimously approved a resolution urging district attorney Brooke Jenkins's office to release more evidence. She cited self-defence in her decision not to charge the guard. The video, which does not have sound, shows Brown heading for the door with a bag in his hand when he is intercepted by the guard. He then pushes and repeatedly punches Brown in the head before pinning him to the ground. The scuffle continues when after a point, the guard lifts Brown into the air. When Mr Anthony lets Brown go, he picks up the bag and moves to exit the store. He turns around and appears to step toward Mr Anthony, at which point the guard lifts his gun and shoots once, sending Brown falling back onto the ground. Mr Anthony, who was initially arrested and later released, told the police that he asked Brown to put the items back, but Brown was aggressive and fought to keep them. He said he told Brown he would let him go if he calmed down, and that Brown kept saying he was going to stab him. However, a knife was not found on Brown. Mr Anthony argued that he let Brown go, but he drew his gun and kept it pointed at the ground just in case Brown attacked. He said he shot when Brown advanced. The case was discharged by the district attorney on 1 May. The guard in interviews also misgendered Brown, referring to him as “she” and “her”. San Francisco supervisor Shamann Walton said in a statement that the video does not show justification for the shooting. Mr Walton said he plans to join board president Aaron Peskin in calling on the state attorney general for an independent review of the prosecutor’s decision. But Ms Jenkins, who has been criticised for handling the case, said that even after seeking more evidence, there was nothing to rebut the guard’s claim of self-defense. She pleaded with viewers to review all the evidence, including witness and police reports, given that the video footage lacks sound. "There will be a temptation, as human beings, to only view the video footage of this incident and nothing else," Ms Jenkins said. "We are accustomed to seeing videos online, and that often is what captures our attention rather than going the extra step to look deeper." Community members on Monday afternoon gathered outside Walgreens to protest against Ms Jenkins's decision to not file charges. Activists, politicians and others who reviewed the released footage of Brown’s death alleged that the video proves the security guard did not act in self-defence as suggested by the district attorney. Demonstrators with banners that read ”Justice for Banko Brown” demanded that Ms Jenkins press charges against the guard. "I was sad, but now I'm mad. I'm so mad. He was on the way to the centre the day he died," Tumani Drew, a friend of Brown's, told The San Francisco Standard. "All we know is that Banko was leaving the store. Anthony had no right to take his life." Brown worked as a community organiser for the Young Women’s Freedom Center – a nonprofit that provides support for young women and trans youths. "We do not need to see the video to know that Banko Brown’s killing was unjustified. Armed force is not a justified response to poverty,” said Julia Arroyo, the centre’s co-executive director. "We must live with the sobering reality that he was killed for no other cause but $14." Read More Transgender woman jailed for rape sent to male prison Payback? Project funds axed after Kansas lawmaker defies governor on abortion, trans rights Wave of anti-transgender bills in Republican-led states divides US faith leaders