Republicans who control the Wisconsin Legislature have asked that the newest Democratic-backed justice on the state Supreme Court recuse herself from lawsuits seeking to overturn GOP-drawn electoral district boundary maps, arguing that she has prejudged the cases

Some iced coffee drinks from high street chains can contain more sugar than a can of Coca-Cola, which contains 35g of sugar, a survey has found. Which? compared frappes and frappucinos from Caffe Nero, Costa and Starbucks to find many had “exceptionally high” amounts of sugar. A Starbucks caramel frappuccino with semi-skimmed milk was found to be one of the worst offenders, containing 48.5g of sugar – or 12 teaspoons’ worth. NHS health advice suggests adults consume a maximum of 30g of sugar per day, or around seven teaspoons. A Caffe Nero Belgian chocolate and hazelnut frappe creme contained 44.5g of sugar – equivalent to 11 teaspoons. At Costa, a chocolate fudge brownie frappe mocha with oat milk included 42.6g of sugar, or 10.5 teaspoons. Which? compared the amount of sugar in these drinks to a 51g Mars bar, which contains 31g of sugar (7.5 teaspoons), while a 330ml can of Coca-Cola contains 35g of sugar (around 8.5 teaspoons). Even plain coffee flavour frappes and frappuccinos were found to contain “relatively high” amounts of sugar. A Costa Coffee frappe with skimmed milk contained 21.3g of sugar, Which? found. While the calorie content of the drinks must be displayed in stores, the sugar content does not, which could leave consumers at risk of unwittingly exceeding the maximum recommended daily intake of free sugars, the watchdog said. Dairy-based drinks derive some “locked in” sugar from lactose, but all the drinks also contained high amounts of “free sugars”, which refers to sugars that have been added and contained in syrups, honey and fruit juice. Health advice is to limit consumption of these sugars due to their potential to contribute to weight gain and tooth damage. Which? suggested consumers wishing to cut their sugar intake switch to iced versions of a standard coffee instead. The government introduced a Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) in 2018, known as the “sugar tax”, in an attempt to cut unhealthy levels of consumption. However, some drinks are exempt from the tax, including fruit juices and drinks made on-site and served in open cups. Syrups, often used in frappes, are also exempt. Which? nutritionist Shefalee Loth said: “Our analysis of sugar content in iced coffee blends shows people could unwittingly be consuming much more sugar than they realise, with potentially damaging implications for their health. “High street chains need to take more responsibility and reduce the excessive sugar content of some of their drinks to protect people’s health. “When buying an iced drink, there are alternative, healthier options to choose, such as a standard iced coffee, which contains far less sugar.” A Starbucks spokesperson said: “We are committed to helping customers make informed and improved choices that work for them, offering a range of customisation options such as choosing our smallest size (Tall) and our oat dairy alternative with no added sugar. “Sugar content for an Iced Latte with Semi Skimmed Milk, one of our most popular beverages, starts from 8.7g for a Tall size. Customers can find all nutritional information available on our mobile app, online and our menu boards.” Caffe Nero described its Belgian chocolate and hazelnut frappe creme as a “treat” and said it accounted for less than 5 per cent of its sales of summer drinks, while “coffee over ice” drinks, which contained less than 8g of sugar, accounted for 50 per cent of summer drink sales. The chain added that its iced latte – its highest seller – contained no added sugar. Reporting by PA Read More Olivia Colman’s fight to end domestic abuse: ‘Women are still expendable’ Colleen Ballinger: Everything we know about the ‘grooming’ allegations against YouTuber Miranda Sings Kevin Costner’s estranged wife says she’ll move out of their $145m home on one condition Starbucks barista documents coffee chain’s alleged food waste in viral video Being lonely ‘may increase risk of heart disease in diabetes patients’ Sarcoma Awareness Month: What you need to know about these cancers

A California woman who was reportedly shot and abducted from her boyfriend’s car in a park near Los Angeles has been found dead, police have confirmed. The body of Andrea Vazquez, 19, was discovered in an open field in Moreno Valley, not far from where her family say her phone last pinged and they found traces of blood. Whitter Police Department say that they have arrested 20-year-old Gabriel Esparza as the main suspect in the case and charged him with murder and kidnapping. Police said Mr Esparza, a Whittier resident, was arrested at his job Monday in the city of Lakewood. He has since been booked into the Whittier Police Department and is being held without bail. Police have called this a random killing. “At this time, it appears that Andrea Vazquez and her male companion were randomly targeted by the suspect at Penn Park,” police said in a statement. And they added that investigators had recovered the weapon believed to have been used in the slaying, as well as the suspect’s vehicle, a 2013 White Toyota Tacoma truck, was also recovered. Officials say that her body was found late on Monday night and that the victim’s family were informed on Tuesday morning. “This is not the outcome they wanted, but they do realize Whittier Police worked around the clock,” said Moses Castillo, a former LAPD detective and advocate for the family. “Their pain and grief is beyond description.” The victim was shot and kidnapped from Penn Park in Whittier after she had been sitting in a parked car with her boyfriend. Investigators say that the boyfriend fled the gunfire and when he returned to the vehicle he “discovered blood” near by and Ms Vazquez gone. Police say that the case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office on Wednesday. Vazquez was a fashion design student at Fullerton College and also worked at a mall in Cerritos. Read More Lured into a stranger’s car with candy, raped and thrown into a toilet pit to die. How Lori Poland fought back California woman is shot and pulled from car by kidnapper at Los Angeles park, police say Michigan newborn twins found safe hours after hospital kidnapping by hooded women

'1000-lb Sisters' Tammy Slaton donned an oversized denim shirt over a black t-shirt as she held a peace sign to the camera

Alexandra Cupolo, 29, blamed the 'occult' for fatally shooting Andrew Sturm, 41, and Jacqueline Cupolo, 56

With the tragedy and horror wreaked in Morocco last week, it's unsurprising that people’s focus hasn’t been on the skies. And yet, Friday’s devastating earthquake, has also sparked renewed interest in a mysterious aerial phenomenon. Footage shared to social media just moments before the 6.8-magnitude tremor struck the High Atlas mountains appears to show blinding lights flashing across the sky. Experts have suggested that the jaw-dropping sight is evidence of an enigmatic natural occurrence called “earthquake lights”. Reports of these bright flashes go back centuries. And yet, very little is known about them, to the point that scientists aren’t even sure they’re real. Indeed, some experts have concluded that there isn’t sufficient proof to support their existence, the United States Geological Survey notes. Nevertheless, “people have wondered about them forever," Karen Daniels, a physicist at North Carolina State University, told the New York Times. "It's one of those persistent mysteries that hang around and never quite get nailed." The issue with studying earthquake lights is that since earthquakes are impossible to predict, so are any preceding celestial pyrotechnics. Not knowing when or where they will occur means researchers can’t preemptively install the necessary equipment needed to detect them. Essentially, the only evidence we have comes from eyewitness accounts and, more recently, video recordings. And there is an abundance of the former, with a 2014 study noting that aerial luminous phenomena were reported in relation to 65 earthquakes which occurred in Europe and America over a period of 200 years. These descriptions of earthquake lights vary in their details, with some recalling on-and-of lightning-style flashes, and others minutes-long glows of different colours. “All of these have been reported by observers,” John Ebel, a seismologist at Boston Collegel told the NYT. “Which ones are actually true, and which ones are products of their imagination, we can’t really say.” One theory behind the formation of earthquake lights is that they are the result of friction between tectonic plates generating electricity. However, most experts are unconvinced by this hypothesis, including Dr Daniels. She told the NYT: “Rock on rock is not a situation where people have been able to generate large charge separation. And so it just doesn’t seem like a very good explanation for what people see.” Other scientists have suggested electrical arcing from power lines shaken by earthquakes could be responsible for the sky flares. But Dr Daniels acknowledged it’s still possible that there’s no link at all between the lights and tectonic events. “We’re comforted by things that we can understand, and we’re scared by things we don’t,” she pointed out. “I think that’s part of the reason we’re so fascinated by this phenomenon.” Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter 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.

Investigators are looking for clues on whether the attack on three Palestinian students was a hate crime.

Among the most prominent of blooming plants that are seemingly everywhere in California this year following an unusually wet winter is the highly flammable wild mustard that threatens to fuel wildfires

Washington state's Senate has quickly approved a major new drug policy

Russia's defence ministry has taken over from Wagner in recruiting inmates to fight in Ukraine.

Turkey completed a $10 billion borrowing program in international markets this year with its first dollar bond sale

xQc, a popular Canadian streamer, rose to fame playing League of Legends and Overwatch before rebranding to his current name