DeSantis says Trump's chance of being elected if convicted 'is as close to zero as you can get'
Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis says Donald Trump is unlikely to be elected president again if convicted in any of the four criminal cases he faces
2023-09-14 23:23
Libya flood: The devastation of an Egyptian village 560 miles away
The Egyptian village of al-Sharif has lost at least 70 young men in the Libyan floods.
2023-09-14 23:22
Alex Murdaugh appears in court for first time since murder trial sentencing for financial crimes hearing
Alex Murdaugh appeared before a judge in a South Carolina courtroom on Thursday for the first time since he was hauled away after being sentenced to life in prison for the brutal murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul earlier this year. The disgraced attorney was shackled and handcuffed but smiled as he entered the courtroom in Beaufort County and shuffled to the defence table wearing a bright orange jumpsuit. He once again stands before Judge Clifton Newman, who oversaw his murder trial back in March, but now faces a slew of financial fraud charges. Judge Newman is expected to set a date for Murdaugh to stand trial on charges for stealing from the estate of his dead housekeeper Gloria Satterfield and from his family friend Jordan Jinks. Murdaugh is accused of stealing insurance payments meant for the family of his housekeeper, Satterfield, who died after a fall at the Murdaugh family property in 2018. Former Palmetto State Bank CEO Russell Laffitte and former attorney Cory Fleming – both former friends of Murdaugh’s and alleged co-conspirators in his financial crimes – are also due in court on the same day. Fleming is expected to be sentenced on Thursday after pleading guilty to 23 counts, which included conspiring and working with Murdaugh to steal from clients and friends. Laffitte – who was convicted of federal charges in November – is also appearing for a status conference in his state case. Murdaugh is facing more than 100 state and federal charges over his alleged financial crimes – many of which he admitted to on the witness stand at his murder trial. The hearing on Thursday will focus on the state charges. A court hearing on the federal charges is scheduled for 21 September. Murdaugh previously agreed to plead guilty to federal charges he stole millions of dollars from clients, according to court records. The court appearance comes just over a week after Murdaugh’s defence attorneys filed a bombshell motion requesting a new trial based on allegations of inappropriate behaviour by Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill. Read More Alex Murdaugh to face court for first time since murder trial sentencing as jury tampering update looms – live Another twist in the Alex Murdaugh double murder case. Did the clerk tamper with the jury? Alex Murdaugh’s friend pleads guilty to helping steal from dead maid’s family
2023-09-14 22:52
Briton bemused after failing to find ‘vino’ at Rugby World Cup stadium in France
A Brit was left bemused after being told there was no “vino” for sale at a Rugby World Cup stadium in France. Linda Russ, 64, says women weren’t catered for at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille - as only beer was available. The stadium is located in the historic French province of Provence, which is famous for its wines. But Linda claims the irony was missed by staff - who she says stared back at her with a blank expression and said “non” when she asked for a glass. She was in the south of France with a group of friends to watch England and Scotland’s first games over the weekend. Linda, a retired school operations manager from Bristol, said: “Being in Provence, you would have thought they’d have wine. “The restaurants nearby had it, but there was none in the stadium. It was strange. “There were no alcoholic drinks at the Vélodrome for women. The only alcoholic drink available was beer and it ran out on both days before the match started. “We asked for wine and they said no. “We always go to the Bristol Bears rugby back home. It’s usually always cider or wine for the girls. “I think they just weren’t equipped to deal with rugby fans. “The people serving were so young, we asked for “vino” and they couldn’t understand us at all.” Wine is thought to have been made in Provence for at least 2,600 years, ever since the ancient Greeks founded the city of Marseille in 600 BC. And France and wine are synonymous the world over. Linda, who often goes to rugby games with family and friends, says she enjoys a drink while watching. She said: “We were thinking they may not have cider, which is what we normally have as we’re from Bristol. “We even tried ordering vino blanc and vino rouge, but they didn’t understand us at all!” Linda says the beer that was available quickly ran out too - which she views as a man’s drink. She said: “It was very strange that there seemed to only be alcohol for the men and not for the women. “We also noticed the toilets didn’t stock up on paper towels from the previous night in the women’s toilets. “It was really poor preparation - they were completely overwhelmed.” Asked how the stadium should better prepare for games, Linda said: “Get some wine in, get more beer in, and be more prepared.” “They’ve got to realise us rugby fans drink a lot.” The Stade Vélodrome and World Rugby were approached for comment. Read More Warning to Brits who dined at popular French restaurant after woman dies during botulism outbreak Chorus of disapproval: National anthems sung by schoolkids at Rugby World Cup out of tune with teams France sends the army to ensure water to drought-stricken Indian Ocean island of Mayotte Russia-Ukraine war: Kyiv ‘retakes village near Bakhmut’ after Crimea strikes - live Russian pilot tries to shoot down RAF spy plane: ‘You have the target’ Analysis: What we learnt from Vladimir Putin’s summit with Kim Jong-un in Russia
2023-09-14 22:50
UAW prepares to strike as contract talks hit deadline
Union boss Shawn Fain says companies can afford demands, including a 40% pay rise.
2023-09-14 22:46
'Tombstone' Cast Then and Now: Revisiting the unexpected western hit 30 years later
The film arrived in theaters on Christmas Day 1993 and has since remained an evergreen classic thanks to its cast and iconic gunfights
2023-09-14 22:46
‘You have the target’: Russian pilot tries to shoot down RAF spy plane over Black Sea
A Russian pilot fired two missiles towards an RAF surveillance plane after mistakenly believing he had permission to fire. Following the incident last September, Russia claimed it had been caused by a “technical malfunction” with the UK’s Ministry of Defence publicly accepting their explanation. However, intercepted communications reveal that one of the Russian pilots believed he had been given permission to target the aircraft following an ambiguous command from a Russian ground station. After firing, the first missile missed the RAF plane while the second failed to launch successfully. If it had reached its target, it could potentially have drawn a Nato member into a military confrontation with Putin’s Russia. The two Russian SU-27 fighter jets had encountered the RAF plane, which was carrying a crew of up to 30 people, as it was flying a surveillance mission over the Black Sea in international airspace on 29 September. Three Western defence sources with knowledge of the incident have told the BBC that the two Russian pilots received words to the effect of “you have the target”. This prompted one of the pilots to release an air-to-air missile, which successfully launched but failed to strike its target. A row then broke out between the two Russian pilots, as the second did not believe they had been given permission to fire. However, a second missile was released but simply fell from the wing - suggesting the launch was aborted or the weapon malfunctioned. As the Rivet Joint is loaded with sensors to intercept communications, the RAF crew would have been able to listen in to the incident which could have resulted in their own deaths. After the Russian Ministry of Defence called it a “technical malfunction”, the UK government confirmed the incident had taken place. In a statement to MPs on 20 October, the former Defence Secretary Ben Wallace described it as a “potentially dangerous engagement”. However, he added: "We do not consider this incident to constitute a deliberate escalation on the part of the Russians, and our analysis concurs that it was due to a malfunction." An intelligence leak, published online by US airman Jack Teixera, revealed that the US miliary spoke of the incident as a “near shoot-down”. “The incident was far more serious than originally portrayed and could have amounted to an act of war,” the New York Times reported. The MoD has now told the BBC that “this incident is a stark reminder of the potential consequences of Putin’s barbaric invasion of Ukraine.” Since the incident, RAF surveillance flights have been escorted by Typhoon fighter jets armed with air-to-air missiles. Read More South Korea expresses 'concern and regret' over military cooperation talks between Kim and Putin What is a Storm Shadow cruise missile? Weapons, spy satellites and nuclear ambitions: what we learned from Putin’s summit with Kim Jong-un in Russia The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary
2023-09-14 22:29
NASA to name new chief of UFO research as panel urges more study
By Joey Roulette WASHINGTON (Reuters) -NASA on Thursday said it is naming a new director of research into what the
2023-09-14 22:24
Hundreds of police officers hunted for Danelo Cavalcante for two weeks. A dog secured his capture
As escaped murder convict Danelo Cavalcante was escorted out of the woods of a Pennsylvania town on Wednesday morning, his face bore the mark left by the four-legged hero who subdued him. Calvalcante was finally taken back into custody after a 14-day multi-agency manhunt that spanned more than 25 miles. For nearly two weeks, Cavalcante eluded hundreds of SWAT, FBI, state, federal and local enforcement officers in full combat gear, as well as tracking dogs, and police on horseback and on aircraft. It was a US Border Patrol’s tactical unit (BORTAC) that finally made the capture shortly after 8am. Dozens of agents in the special operations unit celebrated the major development with a victory photo next to a defeated, bloodied and handcuffed Cavalcante. The key participant in the imminent capture, a K-9 who surprised Cavalcante and tackled him to the ground, also posed front row next to its handler for the photo. A Border Patrol spokesperson told The Independent that the K-9 behind the heroic efforts is a four-year-old Belgian Malinois named Yoda. Pennsylvania State Police Lt Col George Bivens said that Cavalcante began to crawl through heavy underbrush as border patrol agents closed in on him. Yoda then set out to subdue Cavalcante and left the escaped killer with a gnarly scalp wound that bled onto his face. “K9s play a very important role, not only for tracking but also in a circumstance like this, safely capturing someone,” Mr Bivens said. “Far better than having a patrol dog subdue the individual and then have to use lethal force. Our intention is always to use other means.” Mr Bivens said the K9s that participated in the search are typically used to simply detain suspects without causing additional injuries. According to the Border Patrol’s website, the dogs are “trained in human detection, tracking and the physical apprehension of violent subjects is singularly suited for this need.” Border Patrol said that it worked together with state police and other local and federal agencies to corner Cavalcante and secure his arrest. Agents from Buffalo, Detroit, Washington and Vermont and Border Patrol’s Special Operations Group in El Paso, Texas, participated in the capture. “Today’s actions are the latest demonstration of how our agents and officers bring incredible capability, additional interagency communications technology, and dedication to keep our communities safe,” a spokesperson said. “Most importantly, all those involved in the search were able to return home safe following the end to this manhunt.” BORTAC agents are deployed to specialised missions across the country and are described as “highly skilled at tracking humans in all terrain and in all environments.” Cavalcante’s escape from a Pennsylvania prison on 31 August ensued a frantic manhunt for the convicted killer in the vast wooded terrains of Chester County. Residents gripped by fear followed pleas by police to secure their homes, as three school districts in the area and a large botanical garden were forced. Law enforcement faced criticism for Cavalcante’s success in eluding officers and sneaking past the search perimeter. The initial four-square-mile search area had to be expanded to 10 square miles and then dropped altogether after Cavalcante managed to steal a vehicle and drive more than 25 miles from his initial hiding spot. Then on Monday night, Cavalcante broke into a garage in South Coventry Township and stole a .22 rifle with a scope and a flashlight on it. The homeowner opened fire on Cavalcante with his pistol but the fugitive was not injured. Authorities blamed the vast wooded area and the weather for their failure to capture Cavalcante sooner, noting that no perimeter could be secured completely. Retired Las Vegas Police Lt Randy Sutton agreed that the biggest challenges law enforcement faced were weather and containment-related. Aircraft with thermal technology had been flying over Cavalcante’s hiding area, but high temperatures likely prevented human signals from being detected. “It is absolutely impossible to contain a subject within a perimeter if it has not been diminished to an area where the manpower could be completely surrounded,” Mr Sutton, founder of the nonprofit The Wounded Blue, told The Independent. “It is not unusual for individuals to escape from perimeters, and that is why there is flexibility [in] changing those parameters. Law enforcement did just that and is what eventually led to the capture of the suspect.” He added: “The suspect could’ve been captured earlier had additional resources in the terms of manpower and technology been employed but once again, there is no full-proof method when it comes to a manhunt. “This individual could’ve [held] up for many more days or even weeks, had he located an unoccupied structure and remained there.” The first possible sign of Cavalcante that alerted searchers shortly after midnight Tuesday was a burglar alarm. Law enforcement personnel investigated it and did not find Cavalcante. But the alarm attracted nearby search teams to the area and around 1am, a Drug Enforcement Administration plane with a thermal imaging camera picked up a heat signal that searchers on the ground began to track and encircle. Storms moving in with rain and lightning forced the plane to leave the area while search teams stayed put and tried to secure a perimeter around where the heat signal had been to prevent Cavalcante from slipping away once again. Later in the morning, the plane returned along with more search teams. Border patrol agents then moved in on Cavalcante in a wooded area, about a half-mile away from where the burglary alarm went off. Cavalcante was wearing an Eagles hoodie and what appeared to be his prison pants when he was apprehended. Officers cleaned his bloodied face and proceeded to cut off his clothing before he was escorted inside a tactical vehicle. “Folks, whoever had their Eagles’ hoodie stolen,” Gov Josh Shapiro joked at a press conference after the arrest. “If you could let us know, I’ll do my best to get you one of those new Kelly Green ones.” Cavalcante was transported to PSP’s Avondale barracks, where he will be interviewed. He is then expected to be moved to a state-run prison facility. The capture likely brought ease to members of the suburban community, especially the family of Cavalcante’s murder victim Deborah Brandao. Prosecutors said during his trial last month that Cavalcante stabbed Brandao roughly 40 times in April 2021 to prevent her from telling American authorities that he was wanted for murder in Brazil. “Our nightmare is finally over and the good guys won,” Chester County District Attorney Deborah Ryan said. “We never lost faith that this capture would take place and knew it was just a matter of time.” Read More Danelo Cavalcante capture details revealed as escaped prisoner treated for dog bite: Live updates Pennsylvania fugitive Danelo Cavalcante is captured hiding under logs in shed two weeks after prison escape Pennsylvania police take group photo with captured fugitive Danelo Cavalcante
2023-09-14 22:19
Biden advisers plotted impeachment response plan ahead of McCarthy's impeachment inquiry announcement
President Joe Biden's team has begun to execute an impeachment playbook more than a year in the making: Discredit the investigators while sticking to the business of governing.
2023-09-14 22:17
'Worse than death itself': Survivors describe Libya floods
Residents of Derna tell the BBC how they got out alive as floodwaters smashed through the city.
2023-09-14 22:15
Outcry after Spanish TV reporter ‘groped’ live on air
A Spanish TV journalist was allegedly groped live on air by a member of the public in an incident which has sparked public outrage and condemnation from the Spanish government. Isa Balado was reporting on a robbery in Madrid when a man approached her from behind and appeared to touch her bottom in an incident that was being broadcast live. The man, who was later arrested by the police, can be seen denying touching the reporter inappropriately when confronted immediately afterwards. The video by broadcaster Cuatro, where Balado works, showed a man wearing white shorts and sunglasses approaching her and appearing to touch her before asking a question. He continued to stand to the side as Balado attempted to resume her report, before she was then interrupted by programme host Nacho Abad, who asked her what happened. “Isa, forgive me for interrupting you... but did he just touch your bottom?” he inquired. The journalist replied “yes” and Abad asked the cameraperson to put the “idiot on the camera” who is then shown laughing. “As much as you want to ask what channel we are from, do you really have to touch my bottom? I’m doing a live show and I’m working,” Balado told him. He denied touching her and Balado said: “I would like you to let me work.” The man insisted that he did not touch her before touching her head and walking away. After Balado apologised for the disruption to her live report, Abad said: “No, you have nothing to feel sorry for. “It makes me so mad,” he added. Spain’s national police later tweeted that a man had been arrested “for sexually assaulting a reporter while she was doing a live television show” and included a brief video clip of the arrest. The incident has sparked renewed anger in Spain as it comes amid an ongoing sexism row over former Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales kissing World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso. Mediaset Espana, which owns the broadcaster, said in a statement: “We fully support Isa Balado, reporter for En Boca de Todos, after the absolutely intolerable situation she has suffered today.” The country’s acting equality minister Irene Mantero said on X: “What until now was ‘normal’ is no longer so. Non-consensual touching is sexual violence and we say enough to impunity.” Calling for strict punishment, Yolanda Diaz, the acting labour minister and second deputy prime minister, blamed “machismo” for the assault. “Machismo is what leads to journalists having to suffer sexual assaults like this and leaves aggressors unrepentant in front of the camera,” she said. Rita Maestre, a spokesperson for Más Madrid in the Madrid City Council, called the incident “intolerable” and extended her support to the journalist. Read More ‘We should celebrate Spain’s winners, not focus on Rubiales’, says Sarina Wiegman ‘Get back in the kitchen’: Lioness Fara Williams on the aggressive sexist and homophobic abuse she gets online Luis Rubiales refuses to apologise to Jenni Hermoso over ‘consensual’ kiss Alastair Stewart reveals dementia diagnosis Ukraine war: Kyiv ‘retakes village near Bakhmut’ after striking Crimea - live iPhone 12 is not emitting dangerous radiation, Apple says, amid fears of Europe ban
2023-09-14 21:54
