A mother, Trista Fullerton, was arrested in Shasta County, California for allegedly kidnapping her eight children from foster homes

Wednesday did not go how Hunter Biden probably hoped. The president's son was supposed to finalize a plea deal, admitting he broke the law but avoiding jail time for misdemeanor tax crimes and agreeing to a diversion program on a gun charge. Instead, a federal judge questioned the scope of the plea deal.

A Chicago police sergeant has been acquitted of aggravated assault and felony official misconduct in a case involving a teenager he held in a prone position with his knee while off-duty, according to attorneys for the teen.

It’s becoming increasingly clear that there’s nothing celebrities won’t do for beauty, especially when it comes to their skin From Kim Kardashian’s famous predilection for so-called “vampire facials” to Victoria Beckham’s enthusiasm for bird poo-infused face cream, society’s elite seem willing to go to any lengths to preserve their glowing complexions. However, Cate Blanchett’s preferred treatment must surely be the winner in the weirdness stakes. It is known simply as “the penis facial”. And no, this is not a misleading name, it really involves penises – more specifically, the foreskins of newborn Korean babies (you can’t make this stuff up). Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter In an interview with Vogue Australia back in 2018, Blanchett revealed how she first came across the eyebrow-raising regime with her friend, fellow actor Sandra Bullock. “Sandy [Bullock] and I saw this facialist in New York, Georgia Louise, and she gives what we call the ‘penis facial,’” she told Vogue reporter Remy Rippon. “I don’t know what it is, or whether it’s just because it smells a bit like sperm — there’s some enzyme in it, so Sandy refers to it as the ‘penis facial'.” Her comments sparked a flurry of interest – and horror – in the procedure, which was later clarified by the beauty expert, Georgia Louise. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter (THR) she explained that the treatment’s technical name is an Epidermal Growth Factor facial – or EGF for short – and that no babies are harmed in the making of it. “The foreskin is collected during circumcision and the stem cells are then harvested and extracted through a centrifuge,” she told the website. “I am always very mindful to explain radical serums and potions that I carry in my back bar, so I always explain that EGF is derived from newborn baby foreskin, but cells were taken and from that, new cells are cloned from a laboratory,” she added. In a separate statement shared to her Instagram, she insisted that she only uses clone EFG cells that were “grown in a lab”, and that everything she uses is FDA approved. Apparently, the cells help to generate collagen and elastin, heal scar tissue and help treat pigmentation and sun damage. Anyone looking to emulate Blanchett and Bullock’s undeniable glow can now do so from the comfort of their own home: you can buy Hollywood EGF kits on the Georgia Louise website for a cool $415.00 (around £326). Inevitably, there’s no mention of the treatment’s NSFW nickname on the website but, let’s be honest, that’s how it will forever be known. 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.

By Liz Lee and Satoshi Sugiyama BEIJING/TOKYO (Reuters) -State-backed Chinese mouthpiece Global Times called the G7 an "anti-China workshop" on

Russia is weaponising food, energy and abducted children in its war against Ukraine, president Volodymyr Zelensky told leaders at the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday. While there are agreements to restrict arms and trade, “there are no real restrictions on weaponisation”, he said. Mr Zelensky was addressing the gathering at a sensitive point in his country’s campaign to maintain international support for its fight. Nearly 19 months after Moscow launched a full-scale invasion, Ukrainian forces are three months into a counteroffensive that has not gone as fast or as well as initially hoped. “We must stand up to this naked aggression today and deter other would-be aggressors tomorrow,” Joe Biden earlier told the assembly. The world must remain united in defending Ukraine, he said, warning that no nation can be secure if “we allow Ukraine to be carved up”. During his address, Mr Biden described the partnerships that the US government was fostering around the globe – from Africa to the Indo-Pacific – as creating economic and other advancements, even as he stressed that those relationships were not about “containing any country” – a clear reference to Beijing. “When it comes to China, let me be clear and consistent,” Mr Biden said. “We seek to responsibly manage the competition between our countries so it does not tip into conflict.” In his 30-minute address, Mr Biden repeatedly emphasised the value of institutions such as the United Nations and international coalitions that have helped the world confront significant challenges such as poverty and disease, as well as echoing his defence of democracy, a common theme of his presidency. “We will not retreat from the values that make us strong,” Mr Biden said. “We will defend democracy – our best tool to meet the challenges that we face around the world. And we’re working to show how democracy can deliver in ways that matter to people’s lives.” There were some notable absences as Mr Biden made his case before the assembly, including Rishi Sunak, French president Emmanuel Macron, Chinese president Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin. Mr Biden’s message of unwavering support for Ukraine will play out as the US Congress is increasingly divided over providing additional funding for Kyiv. Mr Biden has sought a package of £10.5bn in additional military aid for Ukraine and £6.8bn for humanitarian support. But conservative Republican lawmakers have been pushing for broad federal spending cuts and some of those allied to Donald Trump are specifically looking to stop money to Ukraine. Mr Biden is scheduled to host talks on Thursday at the White House with Mr Zelensky. During his visit to New York, Mr Zelensky spent time at a Staten Island hospital where he awarded medals to Ukrainian military members who had lost limbs. With help from a New Jersey-based charity called Kind Deeds, 18 personnel have been fitted with prosthetic limbs and are undergoing outpatient physical therapy at the hospital. “We all will be waiting for you back home,” Mr Zelensky told them. “We absolutely need every one of you.” Associated Press contributed to this report Read More Russia is ‘weaponising’ food, energy and children in Ukraine, Zelensky tells UN Zelensky urges Trump to ‘not waste time’ and share ideas on ending war in Ukraine Putin ‘weaponising’ food as troops target cargo ship in Black Sea - Ukraine live

KYIV (Reuters) -Ukraine on Wednesday reported some success in fighting near the Russian-occupied eastern city of Bakhmut as its troops

Andrew Tate took to social media to ask a philosophical question about life

Travis Kelce says the NFL is “overdoing it” with the amount of times it’s shown Taylor Swift while the music star attended his Kansas City Chiefs games the last two weeks

Britain is braced for a week of crippling rail strikes and unprecedented protests by doctors as unions vent

PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan is back to full health and determined to finalize the business agreement with the Saudi backers of LIV Golf

A lawyer for embattled Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says the Republican will not testify in his upcoming impeachment trial