Nathan Carman’s rescue from an inflatable life raft 200 kms off the coast of Cape Cod in 2016 after spending eight days adrift in the North Atlantic Ocean was hailed as a miracle. The then 22-year-old and his mother Linda Carman had set off for an overnight fishing trip from Rhode Island on 17 September that year to try to mend their fractured relationship. She was never heard from again, and authorities quickly realised something about his extraordinary tale of survival wasn’t adding up. It would take prosecutors nearly six years to charge Nathan with her murder, and also name him as a prime suspect in the 2013 murder of his grandfather John Chakalos. The 29-year-old was arrested last May and pleaded not guilty to murder and fraud charges. He had been due to stand trial in October. Prosecutors alleged he had been plotting for more than a decade to claim his grandfather’s $40m estate, and stood to inherit millions with both elder family members dead. On Thursday morning, he was found “unresponsive” in his cell in Cheshire County Jail in Keene, New Hampshire. He was pronounced dead about 40 minutes later, an official said. Who was Nathan Carman? Nathan Carman grew up in Connecticut, the only child of Clark and Linda Carman. The family had a web of “strenuous and often combative relationships”, according to a 2018 New York article. Linda Carman had suffered from depression, and reportedly had struggled with a gambling addiction. Nathan was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, and underwent years of psychiatriac analysis and pharmaceutical treatment, according to a 2022 investigation by Air Mail. He was described by those close to him as an “angry, wayward, unpredictable” child, who “matured without empathy, or recognition of the reality of anyone” other then himself, according to the article. His mother, the second of four daughters, separated from Clark Carman and struggled to maintain a harmonious relationship with Nathan. Prosecutors said they would go on fishing trips to try to mend the fractured bond. In spite of this, he had a good relationship with his grandfather, who he considered his “best friend”, Nathan’s lawyers have said. After finishing high school in 2012, Nathan Carman enrolled in community college but failed to complete most of his courses. He then began showing an interest in his grandfather’s businesses and attended several meetings with him in 2012 and 2013, according to prosecutors. During this period, his grandfather convinced Linda Carman to designate her son as a beneficiary of her trust. Chakalos also paid for his grandson’s personal expenses, funding the purchase of a truck and an apartment, and a white Irish Sport horse named Cruise. Killing of John Chakalos John Chakalos was found dead at the age of 87 from gunshot wounds in his home in Windsor, Connecticut, on 20 December 2013, one month after his wife of 59 years Rita had passed away from cancer. Chakalos had made an estimated $40m fortune in real estate, primarily from building and renting luxury nursing homes, and continued to work right up until the day he died, according to an obituary. Even after amassing enormous wealth, he and his wife continued to live in the modest home where they had raised their daughters and lived for much of their married lives. The obituary stated that Chakalos had “showered his grandchildren, nieces and nephews with paternal love”. His motto was “without family you’ve got nothing”. However, prosecutors believed his then 19-year-old grandson was secretly plotting to murder him and claim his fortune. Carman was never charged over his grandfather’s death. But authorities laid out in detail in a 2022 indictment how they believed he had carried out the killing. Authorities said that Nathan purchased a Sig Sauer rifle about a year before the shooting. They alleged that he drove from his apartment in Bloomfield, Connecticut, to his grandfather’s home at about 3am and shot him twice in the head while he slept. Carman then discarded his computer hard drive and a GPS unit in his truck, they stated, preventing them from tracing his movements and plans. He received $550,000 after his grandfather’s death. In 2014, he moved to Vernon, Vermont, and by 2016, had allegedly squandered most of his inheritance. Linda Carman’s mysterious death In 2015, Nathan Carman purchased a 31-foot fishing boat, the Chicken Pox, using his newfound wealth from his grandfather’s death. Prosecutors stated that fishing had been a way for Nathan and Linda Carman to get together, and put aside their differences. In September 2016, Nathan arranged to go on a fishing trip with his mother around Block Island, off the coast of Rhode Island. They left from Ram Point Marina in South Kingston, Rhode Island, late on the evening of 17 September, and Linda told friends they would return by noon the next day. Prosecutors say that prior to the departure, Nathan removed parts of the engine and a part of the hull that stabilises the boat. At some point soon after departing, he murdered his mother and deliberately sank the boat, prosecutors alleged. The US Coastguard was notified that the boat was missing on 18 September, and mounted an extensive search and rescue effort. On 25 September, Nathan Carman was found floating on an inflatable life raft by the Orient Lucky commercial boat 200kms off the coast of Cape Cod. The then 22-year-old would later tell investigators that he had noticed the engine making unusual noises on the day he had set off, and the Chicken Pox started taking on water. He said he saw his mother in the cockpit, and grabbed three bags containing food, flares and life jackets. But when he looked back, his mother was no longer there. The unlikely survival tale set off a media frenzy as outlets tried to secure interviews with the survivor and the ship’s captain. “I was yelling, ‘Mom! Mom!” Nathan Carman said in an interview with the Associated Press describing the sinking. “I loved my mother and my mother loved me.” The Hartford Courant reported at the time that police were investigating Nathan Carman for knowingly operating an unsafe vessel and putting his mother's life in danger. Police obtained a search warrant for his Vermont home, and found Nathan had removed his computer prior to leaving. When asked about the police search, he told the AP: “I don’t know what to make of people being suspicious. I have enough to deal with.” Arrest and death In 2019, Chakalos’ three surviving daughters filed a lawsuit in New Hampshire seeking to block Carman from receiving any more of his grandfather’s inheritance. They publicly accused him of involvement in his mother’s death. The case was dismissed after a judge ruled that Chakalos was not a New Hampshire resident. It was later refiled in Connecticut and was still pending at the time of his death. In May 2022, Carman was charged with “murder on the high seas” by US attorneys in Vermont. He was also charged with insurance fraud, relating to an attempt to claim $85,000 for the loss of the Chicken Pox. Authorities said his arrest was the culmination of a multi-year investigation conducted by the FBI, the US Coast Guard, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Connecticut State Police, the Windsor Police Department in Connecticut, and the South Kingstown Police Department in Rhode Island. Carman denied the charges and was ordered to be held in custody pending the trial. On Thursday morning, he was found “unresponsive” in his cell at the Cheshire County Jail and was pronounced dead soon after, according to the CT Insider. A cause of death has not yet been released, and police are investigating. Carman’s attorney Martin Minnella told the Associated Press that he had been in good spirits when they spoke on Wednesday, and they had been due to meet again on Thursday. “It’s just a tragedy, a tragedy.” Carman’s three aunts issued a statement to the AP saying they were “deeply saddened” by his death. “While we process this shocking news and its impact on the tragic events surrounding the last several years we ask for your understanding and respect relative to our privacy,” they said through a lawyer. Read More Man, 28, accused of killing mother on fishing trip when he was 22 years old dies awaiting trial Youth environmentalists bring Montana climate case to trial after 12 years, seeking to set precedent Treat Williams death: Everwood and Hair star dies aged 71 following motorcycle accident

UFC star Conor McGregor has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in a bathroom during a Miami Heat game in the NBA Finals. Miami Police Department has confirmed that an investigation has been launched by its Special Victims Unit after the claims were made against the Irish fighter. Ariel Mitchell, the lawyer for the alleged victim, told The Independent that her client had turned over the clothes she was wearing during the alleged incident for investigators to carry out forensic tests. “My client went to the police on Sunday, but was instead turned away and encouraged to seek legal counsel before pursuing the matter further. She then consulted with me and we filed a report on Wednesday,” she said in a statement. “My client seeks only one thing and that is justice it and that is what she sent out to do and that’s what I will make sure she gets.” McGregor’s lawyer, Barbara Llanes, told The Independent in a statement: “The allegations are false. Mr McGregor will not be intimidated.” Ms Mitchell claims that the alleged victim was separated from her friend by NBA and Heat security and ended up in a men’s toilet at the arena. she claims that McGregor kissed her and forced her to perform a sex act. She alleges that McGregor then forced her up against the wall and tried to have sex with her. The lawyer says that her client finally elbowed McGregor and escaped the bathroom. In a statement, the Miami Heat said, “We are aware of the allegations and are conducting a full investigation. Pending the outcome of the investigation, we will withhold further comment.” The alleged incident happened on the same night that McGregor was involved in a stunt with the Miami Heat mascot that saw the person wearing the costume go to hospital after being punched in the face by the professional fighter. Read More Miami Heat, NBA investigating allegation that Conor McGregor assaulted a woman at Finals game Conor McGregor announces fiancee Dee Devlin is pregnant with couple’s fourth child Conor McGregor offers update on Miami Heat mascot after punching incident Conor McGregor pays young action-figure artist $1,200 for figurines Calls for Conor McGregor to be investigated after violent punch hospitalised Miami Heat mascot

Former President Donald Trump got some good legal news on Thursday when the Westchester County, New York district attorney confirmed that a two-year investigation into the Trump Organization’s valuation of a golf club there has been closed and will not result in any criminal charges. News of the closure of the investigation was first reported by Insider on Wednesday. The news that Mr Trump will not be charged in the case comes days after he became the first former president to ever be federally indicted. Mr Trump was arraigned on 37 felony charges relating to his handling of classified documents after leaving the presidency in Miami on Wednesday. He has also been indicted in New York for his alleged role in a hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels. In a post on social media on Thursday, the former president heralded the end of the investigation into the Trump Organization in Westchester County as the “honorable thing to do” and asked when the other cases against him would be dropped. “THIS WAS THE HONORABLE THING TO DO IN THAT I DID NOTHING WRONG, BUT WHERE AND WHEN DO I GET MY REPUTATION BACK? WHEN WILL THE OTHER FAKE CASES AGAINST ME BE DROPPED? ELECTION INTERFERENCE!!!” Mr Trump wrote in a post on the platform Truth Social. The closure of the Westchester County investigation brings to a conclusion a years-long dispute between the county and the Trump Organization over what its tax burden should be. In 2015, Ossining’s valuation of the worth of the Trump Organization’s club was 90 per cent higher than the Trump Organization’s own valuation. In July of 2021, however, the town and the club reached a deal in which the town agreed to pay the club about $875,000 and cut its property assessment by nearly 30 percent. Over the course of the Westchester County investigation, which was led by a special prosecutor, the district attorney’s office subpoenaed records from the Trump National Golf Club Westchester and the small town of Ossining where the club is located to see whether the club took any steps to reduce its reported value. It was a particularly intriguing investigation given that, in a lawsuit filed last year, New York Attorney General Letitia James accused Mr Trump of overstating the value of the club to inflate his net worth. CBS News noted the connection. The Westchester County case may now be closed, but there are still more investigations into Mr Trump that may result in additional charges — including multiple investigations into his attempts to overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election. Read More Trump news – live: Trump rejected efforts to settle classified papers as Melania spotted in NYC on birthday Is Donald Trump going to prison?

Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston on Thursday for allegedly leaking highly classified materials on social media, according to the Justice Department. “The unauthorized removal, retention and transmission of classified information jeopardizes our nation’s security,” Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy said in a statement announcing the indictment. “Individuals granted access to classified materials have a fundamental duty to safeguard the information for the safety of the United States, our active service members, its citizens and its allies.” Mr Teixeira is charged with retention and transmission of national defense information and unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or materials. The Massachusetts man, 21, could face a sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 if convicted. Mr Teixeira, who allegedly posted defence documents on a server within the gamer-focused chat app Discord, has pleaded not guilty. According to prosecutors, the guardsman was warned multiple times by superiors about his “concerning actions” regarding viewing and handling classified information. “The Defendant even continued to share information with his online associates, defying these admonishments and taking further efforts to conceal his unlawful conduct,” officials wrote in a May filing. The guardsman had top-secret security clearance. Armed FBI officials raided Mr Teixeira’s home in April and arrested him. Officials found a collection of weapons including hanguns, bolt-action rifles, shotguns, and an “AK-style high-capacity weapon” in his room. Mr Teixeira was allegedly behind one of the largest intelligence leaks of the decade, and the materials he shared online contained sensitive information about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine’s air defences, and the ways the US spies on its partners and allies, according to The Washington Post. On Discord, Mr Teixeira, a cyber transport systems journeyman responsible for communications networks in the Air Force, posted under the screen names “jackthedripper” and “excalibureffect.” One member of the “Thug Shaker Central” Discord server at the centre of the leaks told the Post Mr Teixeira once shared a video of himself shouting racist and antisemitic slurs before firing a rifle. Read More How was a 21-year-old gamer able to leak a mountain of major Pentagon secrets? Guardsman indicted on charges of disclosing classified national defense information Documents leak suspect had been warned about handling of classified information, prosecutors say

A tourist has died and another has serious injuries after a man threw them off a bridge into a ravine at a famous ‘fairytale’ German castle. The American tourists, aged 21 and 22, fell 165ft down a ravine at Neuschwanstein, near the Austrian border. According to German tabloid Bild, the attacker was also American and aged 30. Police said the man fled but was arrested after the incident on Wednesday. The 30-year-old attacker reportedly sexually assaulted the two women before a fight broke out. When the 22-year-old intervened, the man strangled her and threw her into a ravine below, the BR public broadcaster reported. According to reports, the women were either thrown over the railing or pushed down a steep slope into the ravine. A 21-year-old woman was rushed to hospital via helicopter but died overnight in hospital. Her 22-year-old companion is still in hospital with injuries. Chief Public Prosecutor Thomas Hörmann told Bild: "The crime happened on Wednesday around 2:40pm. The two tourists met the man on a hiking tour east of the Marienbrücke. And joined him. The attack took place near the Marienbruecke, a bridge over a gorge close to the castle that offers a famous view of Neuschwanstein, German news agency DPA reported. Authorities said the three apparently took a path to a viewpoint, where the man attacked the younger woman. The suspect was caught after a massive police operation involving 25 emergency vehicles on Wednesday afternoon and taken to a police station in nearby Fuessen, it added. Neuschwanstein is one of Germany's most popular tourist attractions and is said to have been the inspiration for the Disney Cinderella Castle. The motive for the attack is still unclear and all parties remain unnamed. Read More Daniel Penny’s legal defence has raised more than $2.8m after subway killing of Jordan Neely Closings arguments set in trial of gunman in Pittsburgh synagogue massacre Nottingham attack – latest: Suspect in horror killings went to same university as victims

Donald Trump repeatedly rejected his attorneys’ efforts to settle the classified documents case ahead of a looming indictment, according to a bombshell new report. Insiders told The Washington Post that the former president’s attorney Christopher Kise advised him multiple times to return all classified documents to the correct authorities and then tried to persuade him to try to reach a deal with Attorney General Merrick Garland in the fall of 2022. However, Mr Trump reportedly dismissed the advice. As a result, on Tuesday, the former president was arrested and arraigned on 37 charges over his handling of classified national security documents after leaving the White House. He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in a Miami federal courthouse and continues to claim he is the victim of political persecution. On Wednesday, Mr Trump then marked his 77th birthday as the first current or former president arrested on federal criminal charges in American history. He spent his birthday at his Bedminster golf club, while wife Melania and youngest son Barron were spotted in New York City. Melania has so far remained silent on her husband’s latest criminal case. Read More Merrick Garland defends Trump indictment and denies any Biden administration involvement 'Stand with Trump' becomes rallying cry as Republicans amplify attacks on US justice system Former Trump chief of staff says ex-president is ‘scared s***less’

Hundreds of refugees and migrants are feared missing after a fishing vessel carrying them from Libya capsized and sank off the southern coast of Greece. At least 79 were earlier confirmed dead in the accident that occurred early Wednesday, while officials now fear scores more may have drowned as rescue operations continued on Thursday. The exact number of people on the boat has become the subject of speculation, with some Greek officials claiming it carried as many as 600 people. This is the deadliest turn of events off the country’s coast since the height of the 2015 migration crisis. “It’s one of the biggest operations ever in the Mediterranean,” Greek coastguard spokesman Nikos Alexiou told state broadcaster ERT TV. “We won’t stop looking,” he said. Rescuers have so far saved 104 passengers, including Egyptians, Syrians, Pakistanis, Afghans and Palestinians. Mr Alexiou told local media on Thursday that all survivors are men. One of the dead, however, is a woman, said local reports. “No other survivor has been found [besides the 104 rescued yesterday] and the bodies [recovered] also remain 79,” he added. Caretaker Greek prime minister Ioannis Sarmas declared three days of national mourning on Wednesday night and said their thoughts were with “all the victims of the ruthless smugglers who exploit human unhappiness”. “There has been a dramatic rise in the death count, which is climbing by the hour,” one Greek official said on Wednesday. “Speculation is rife that as many as 600 people were onboard but that has not been confirmed. The ship is under the water. It has sunk.” Ioannis Zafiropoulos, deputy mayor of the port city of Kalamata, where survivors were taken, said there were “more than 500 people” on board. ERT TV reported that Charity Alarm Phone, which operates a trans-European network supporting rescue operations, said it received alerts from people on board a ship in distress off Greece late on Tuesday, saying 750 people were on board. However, it said that the spokesman for Greece’s caretaker government, Ilias Siakantaris, said reports that the vessel was carrying 700-750 people could not be confirmed. “We do not know what was in the hold... but we know that several smugglers lock people up to maintain control,” he said. On Thursday morning, Greek coastguard spokesman Mr Alexiou said it appeared the vessel capsized after people abruptly moved to one side – shifting the centre of gravity of the 25-30-metre vessel. “The outer deck was full of people, and we presume the interior [of the vessel] would also have been full. It looks as if there was a shift among the people who were crammed on board, and it capsized.” Eight people had been transferred to the central Port Authority of Kalamata for preliminary investigation by late Wednesday, said reports. In Kalamata on Thursday, there were tents set up for the rescued people and provisions for soup kitchens as well. The ship capsized in international waters, about 47 nautical miles (87km) southwest of Pylos off the Peloponnese coast, as it made its way to Italy. The Greek coastguard learned about the boat’s engine failure shortly before 2am, the shipping ministry said. Coastguard vessels, a navy frigate, military transport planes, an air force helicopter and an array of private craft were searching for survivors on Thursday. Reports said search and rescue efforts were hampered by strong winds. “The engine stopped and it sank in minutes,” one of the survivors was quoted as saying. Greek president Katerina Sakellaropoulou visited the area where rescued migrants were being tended to and political parties called off planned campaign events ahead of national elections later this month. The Italy-bound boat is believed to have sailed from eastern Libya’s Tobruk area. It was spotted heading north at high speed, according to the Greek coastguard. Coastguard officers tried to approach the vessel after receiving a request for help, it said at around 2am, then “saw the boat take a right turn, then a sharp left, and then another right so big that it caused the vessel to capsize”. Repeated calls to the vessel offering help were declined, the coastguard said in a statement. “In the afternoon a merchant vessel approached the ship and provided it with food and supplies, while the [passengers] refused any further assistance,” it said. A second merchant ship that approached it later offered further supplies and assistance which were turned down. About 72,000 refugees and migrants have arrived so far this year in Europe’s frontline countries Italy, Spain, Greece, Malta and Cyprus, according to UN data, with the majority landing in Italy. Meanwhile, it was reported that the rescued people who were taken to the hospital in Kalamata were battling hypothermia, fainting incidents and dehydration. “We are witnessing one of the biggest tragedies in the Mediterranean, and the numbers announced by the authorities are devastating,” Gianluca Rocco, head of the Greek section of UN migration agency International Organisation for Migration (IOM), said on Wednesday. “This situation reinforces the urgency for concrete, comprehensive action from states to save lives at sea and reduce perilous journeys by expanding safe and regular pathways to migration.” The IOM has recorded more than 21,000 deaths and disappearances in the central Mediterranean since 2014. Additional reporting by agencies Read More Charities say new Italian rules will limit rescues at sea A look at migration trends behind the latest shipwreck off Greece Greece says it's investigating claim migrants were illegally deported back to Turkey After long waits, new pilgrims prepare for Hajj's return, the first major one since COVID-19 Huge search seeks survivors of migrant boat sinking off Greece; hundreds feared missing After long waits, new pilgrims prepare for return of Hajj, the first major one since COVID-19

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu suspended the head of the nation’s anti-corruption agency, the latest in a series of

The country's central bank has aggressively raised interest rates since October 2021.

President Donald Trump’s former chief of staff, John Kelly, panned a short address given by his former boss on Tuesday as nothing more than panicked bluster in response to two criminal indictments filed by prosecutors in New York and the US Department of Justice. Mr Kelly spoke to The Washington Post after the ex-president appeared at his resort in Bedminster, New Jersey, in front of a crowd of $1,000-a-pop attendees gathered hastily to hear his post-arraignment remarks. And he chalked up the president’s threats to go after Joe Biden and his family with the full power of a weaponised Department of Justice as president to little more than a tantrum. “He’s scared s***less,” said Mr Kelly. “This is the way he compensates for that. He gives people the appearance he doesn’t care by doing this.” “For the first time in his life, it looks like he’s being held accountable. Up until this point in his life, it’s like, ‘I’m not going to pay you. Take me to court.’ He’s never been held accountable before,” added the former senior White House official and retired Marine Corps general. It was a comment that was simultaneously unsurprising yet notable due to the credence it lends to the idea that Donald Trump’s inner circle of advisers has done nothing but shrink since he took office in 2017 and left unceremoniously just four years later. In particular, Mr Trump is reported to have iced out all but those who agree most closely with his strategy and tactics, leaving behind even previously close aides like son-in-law Jared Kushner as he becomes further and further ensnared in legal entanglements. Mr Kelly was long seen as one of the president’s cool-headed influences in the White House, often clashing with more fervent True Believers in the administration like Steve Bannon and Stephen Miller. His brush-ups with the former eventually led to Mr Bannon departing the White House entirely before the end of Mr Trump’s first year in office. But Mr Kelly himself eventually left the White House, too, replaced by yes-men Mick Mulvaney and Mark Meadows who fed the president’s ego and enabled his most controversial actions, including his refusal to accept his election defeat to Mr Biden in 2020. Mr Meadows was most recently reported by The Independent to be cooperating with federal investigators in two probes examining his former boss’s undertakings as part of an immunity deal: One into the January 6 attack, and another dealing with presidential records and classified material taken from the White House. Mr Kelly is one of many former Trump White House staffers who have denounced their former boss since leaving his service; in 2020, Mr Kelly was reported to have described then-President Trump as one of the most dishonest people he has ever known in a CNN report. “The depths of his dishonesty is just astounding to me. The dishonesty, the transactional nature of every relationship, though it’s more pathetic than anything else. He is the most flawed person I have ever met in my life,” Mr Kelly has told close friends, according to the news outlet. Mr Trump was indicted last week on 37 criminal counts related to his handling of presidential records, including classified documents reportedly related to US defense and the military. He faces a separate 32-count indictment in New York, a result of a 2016 hush money scheme involving porn star Stormy Daniels. Read More Trump indictment – live: Trump speech lambasted as ex-president celebrates birthday post-arrest Special counsel Jack Smith stared at Trump throughout historic court appearance, report says Ex-Trump lawyer says evidence in indictment is like ‘a gun with Trump’s fingerprints on it’ Trump’s second arraignment: Watch how it happened Fox News calls Biden ‘wannabe dictator’ as it shows Trump speech on nuclear secret charges Marjorie Taylor Greene mocked for telling CDC chair: ‘I dont want my staff educated’

Hillary Clinton appeared on the Pod Save America podcast alongside a number of former Obama staffers, laughing as she was handed a t-shirt saying “Totally Impartial Potential Juror” after former President Donald Trump was indicted on 37 counts in connection to his alleged mishandling of national security information. The former secretary of state, senator, and first lady took part in the Monday evening recording released on Tuesday. “You’re kidding!” she said, laughing as the hosts spoke of Mr Trump’s fresh indictment. “I have a lot of reactions to it. And I think the best reaction publicly is, you know, let’s see it unfold and let’s see what happens.” After she was handed the t-shirt, she couldn’t resist pointing to its ‘Crooked’ logo and joking that it was the ex-president’s ‘nickname’. Meanwhile, Mr Trump appeared at his Bedminster, New Jersey golf course on Tuesday night, claiming that she “acid-washed” her emails, also contending that she stole china and furniture from the White House. “Hillary Clinton broke the law and she didn’t get indicted,” he said. “Hillary Clinton took hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of furniture, china, flatware, rugs and more from the White House and she wasn’t prosecuted,” Mr Trump suggested. “How about that one. She took the furniture and the china.” “It seems likely right now that he will end up the nominee,” Ms Clinton said of Mr Trump. “I mean, something can happen between now and when they start actually voting in the primary. But the Republican rules, as you know, favour winner take all.” “So the more people who get in against him, his chances actually go up. And then the response that we’ve seen in polling from Republicans suggests that they’re going to stick with him, that it’s more of a cult than a political party at this point, and they’re going to stick with their leader,” she added. “So I think that actually President Biden is in a very strong position to run a campaign that doesn’t have to talk about him. But I think other Democrats should and other concerned Americans should be asking hard questions.” “I have said now for months that Joe Biden had a remarkable first two years as president. I don’t think he gets the credit for it. And in part, that’s because he’s not a performer. He’s a producer. You know, he gets up every day and he goes to work for the American people,” the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee said. “In a time where in politics, not just in our country but elsewhere in the world, entertainment is really important. And the shock factor and the insult factor and the scapegoating and the finger-pointing, he’s really not doing it,” Ms Clinton said about Mr Biden. “And he is very careful about how he tries to present himself. I think that contrast is important. His accomplishments are important and trying to get people to focus on, okay, when the circus leaves town, what’s your life going to be like? How are you going to feel about your future and your family’s future and the big challenges that we have here at home and around the world.” “I think that’s the way to present a strong incumbent campaign against Trump,” she added. Ms Clinton said Republicans “refuse to read the indictment. They refuse to engage with the facts. There’s nothing new about that. And what they refuse to admit is this is on a track about him, not about anybody else. No matter how much they try to confuse people and how much they try to raise extraneous issues”. The former New York senator said that “it’s going to be fascinating, in a bizarre and sad way, to watch them spin themselves up”. “Their efforts to defend this man are truly beyond anything that I ever thought possible in our country. It is so profoundly disturbing how this could have ... been the opportunity to say, ‘Thank you so much for everything you’ve done for us. We really appreciate it, but this is kind of serious, and so we’re not going to continue to defend you,’” Ms Clinton said. “But no, they’re all in ... the psychology of this is so hard for me to fully grasp.” Read More Trump indictment — live: Trump 2024 rakes in $2m from Bedminster speech after federal charges arraignment Trump fundraises $2m from post-arraignment appearances Trump fans harass British reporter who asked him if he’s ‘ready for jail’ at Versailles restaurant Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement

Russian forces fired cruise missiles at the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa and shelled the eastern Donetsk region early Wednesday, killing at least six people, regional Ukrainian officials said. Russian forces have recently stepped up aerial strikes in their nearly 16-month war, a Ukrainian military spokesman said. It comes as Ukraine claims to have made advances in the face of “extremely fierce” fighting during its counteroffensive against Vladimir Putin’s forces, and has suggested Russia is losing a “staggering” 900 troops a day. As the lower house of Russia’s parliament gave its initial backing to plans to enable Moscow to enlist suspected or convicted criminals to bolster its army in Ukraine, Kyiv’s deputy defence minister claimed advances of several hundred metres near Bakhmut and Zaporizhzhia. The claimed advances – which contrast with Russian claims to have repelled attacks – preface a critical Nato meeting this week where Kyiv will urge the West to greenlight delivery of fighter jets, with senior Kyiv official Yuriy Sak telling The Independent that if “had we had F-16s, by now the situation would have been different”. Read More Belarus receives nuclear bombs ‘three times size of Hiroshima bomb’ from Russia Russia steps up aerial strikes on Ukraine – killing at least 6 Russia losing 900 soldiers a day during counteroffensive, Ukrainian officials claim