03 March 2023 – 29 April 2023
Former US Vice-President Mike Pence has testified for over seven hours before a federal grand jury in a criminal investigation probing Donald Trump’s alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
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Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of the fraudulent company Theranos, successfully appealed to delay her 11-year jail term. Her lawyers cited “numerous, inexplicable errors” in the decision, including references to charges for which the jury acquitted her.
In November, Holmes was sentenced to 11 years and three months after a Californian jury found her guilty of three counts of investor fraud and one count of conspiracy. However, the jury acquitted her of the patient fraud charges.
Holmes’s appeal was initially rejected earlier this month, with a judge telling the former Theranos CEO to report to prison on Thursday. However, that decision has now been reversed by the higher court that ruled in her favor.
The prosecutors will now have to respond to the motion by 3 May while Holmes remains free.
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The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has called off part of the 48-hour strike starting on 30 April because the High Court ruled that the final day fell outside the union’s six-month mandate granted in November. The union said it would seek to renew the mandate.
Read related storyThe Chinese president, Xi Jinping, has reassured Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy that China will not escalate the situation in Ukraine and said it’s time to “resolve the crisis politically.”
Labour MP Diane Abbott has been suspended for a letter she wrote to a comment piece in the Guardian about racism; which itself was racist. In the letter, she said “many types of white people with points of difference” can experience prejudice, but “they are not all their lives subject to racism.” She went on to write, “Irish people, Jewish people and Travellers were not required to sit at the back of the bus.”
The comments were deemed “deeply offensive and wrong” by Labour, and Abbott later withdrew her remarks and apologized “for any anguish caused.”
The suspension means Abbott will sit as an independent MP in the House of Commons while the investigation takes place.
Elon Musk has whipped up a frenzy on Twitter as countless celebrities rage at him for removing their verified badges. Celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Charlie Sheen, alongside organizations such as the BBC and CNN, have all lost their verified badges. However, public figures can choose to keep their blue ticks if they pay the $8 monthly fee along with everybody else as part of Twitter Blue.
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The former president Trump has posted to Instagram promoting his digital trading cards that “sold out in record time” to the tune of $4.6 million. This was Trump’s first post in over two years since he was banned from the platform after the events of 6 January 2021. Trump was reinstated on Instagram and Facebook in January this year but has not posted until now.
Read related storyThe UK’s Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards has opened an investigation into UK prime minister Rishi Sunak over a potential failure to declare an interest. The inquiry relates to shares held by Sunak’s wife in a childcare agency that could have been boosted by announcements made in the Budget last month.
The secretary of state for health and social care, Steve Barclay, responded to the leader of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), expressing his concern and disappointment with the upcoming strikes. In the letter, Barclay described the rejected offer as “fair and reasonable” and that, given the “very narrow result,” urged the RCN to reconsider the proposal.
Read related storyThe NHS faces unprecedented pressure from the possibility of a joint strike between nurses and junior doctors. After The Royal College of Nurses (RCN) rejected the government’s pay offer, they are now planning extensive strike action for May bank holiday, and junior doctors have warned of a possible coordinated walkout.
Police have criticized “misinformed speculation” surrounding the recent presence of officers and a dive team in the River Wyre, where Nicola Bulley, 45, went missing in January.
A diving team from Lancashire Constabulary was seen downstream from where the police believe the British mother entered the river and have revealed that they have returned to the site on the direction of the coroner to “assess the riverbanks.”
The police emphasized that the team was not tasked to “locate any articles” or to search “within the river.” The search was to assist the coronial inquest into Bulley’s death scheduled for 26 June 2023.
This comes seven weeks after Nicola’s body was found in the water close to where she went missing following an extensive search operation that took officers to the coastline.
See live coverageThe FBI has identified Jack Teixeira, a Massachusetts Air Force National Guard member, as a suspect in leaking classified military documents. The leaked documents include a rumor that the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, is undergoing chemotherapy.
A new report suggests that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s health has worsened, with him suffering from blurred vision, numbness of the tongue, and severe headaches. According to the General SVR Telegram channel, a Russian media outlet, Putin’s doctors are in a state of panic, and his relatives are “worried.”
Read related storyLeaked documents from the NHS have revealed the true cost of the junior doctor walkout. The strike will reportedly lead to cesarean births being canceled, more mental health patients being detained, and transfer issues for the critically ill.
The former Scottish first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has said she will “fully cooperate” with the police following the arrest of her husband, Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of the Scottish National Party (SNP). Murrell’s arrest was part of an investigation into the SNP’s finances, specifically how £600,000 reserved for an independence campaign was spent.
Twitter accounts belonging to Russian officials, including the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, have resurfaced on the platform after a year of restriction. The social media company limited Russian accounts around the time of the invasion of Ukraine, but now with Twitter under the control of Elon Musk, it appears the restrictions have been lifted.
Adult film actress Stormy Daniels spoke out in her first major interview since Donald Trump was indicted for allegedly paying her hush money to conceal their affair. In the interview with Piers Morgan, Daniels said she wants Mr. Trump to be “held accountable” but that his crimes are not “worthy of incarceration.”
The United States is opposing efforts by some European allies, including Poland and the Baltic states, to offer Ukraine a “road map” to NATO membership. Germany and Hungary are also resisting efforts to provide Ukraine with a path to join NATO at the alliance’s July summit.
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has warned that he will only attend the summit if tangible steps are presented toward NATO membership.
In 2008, NATO said that Ukraine would become a member in the future. Still, France and Germany pushed back, concerned that the move would provoke Russia. Ukraine formally applied for NATO membership last year after Russia’s invasion, but the alliance remains divided on the path forward.
The UK government has announced that a new emergency alert system will be tested on Sunday, 23 April at 15:00 BST. UK smartphones will receive a 10-second siren and vibration alert that will be used in the future to warn citizens about emergencies, including extreme weather events, terror attacks, and defense emergencies.
Read related storyThe former president was pictured sitting with his legal team in the New York courtroom as he was charged with 34 felony counts relating to hush money payments to pornstar Stormy Daniels. Mr. Trump pled not guilty to all charges.
Follow live storyFormer president Donald Trump arrived in New York ready for his arraignment hearing on Tuesday where he is expected to be criminally charged for hush money payments to pornstar Stormy Daniels.
A recent YouGov poll conducted after Donald Trump was indicted shows Trump surging to his largest-ever lead over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. In the previous survey conducted less than two weeks ago, Trump led DeSantis by 8 percentage points. However, in the latest poll, Trump is leading DeSantis by 26 percentage points.
The judge set to face Donald Trump in the courtroom is no stranger to cases involving the former president and has a track record of ruling against him. Justice Juan Merchan is set to oversee Trump’s hush money trial but was previously the judge who presided over the prosecution and conviction of the Trump Organization last year and even started his career in the Manhattan District attorney’s office.
Andrew Tate and his brother have been released from jail and put under house arrest. The Romanian court ruled in favor of their immediate release on Friday. Andrew Tate said the judges “were very attentive and they listened to us, and they let us free.”
“I have no resentment in my heart for the country of Romania over anybody else, I just believe in the truth...I truly believe that justice will be served in the end. There is zero percent chance of me being convicted for something I’ve not done,” Tate said to reporters while standing outside his home.
Read trending storyThe Manhattan grand jury has voted to indict Donald Trump for alleged hush money payments to Stormy Daniels. The case accuses him of making payments to the adult film actress in return for her silence over their reported affair. Trump categorically denies any wrongdoing, calling it a product of a “corrupt, depraved and weaponized justice system.”
After the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for the Russian president, questions have arisen about whether South Africa will arrest Putin when he attends the BRICS summit in August. South Africa is one of the 123 signatories to the Rome Statute, which means they are mandated to arrest the Russian leader if he sets foot on their soil.
Read related storyFollowing Alex Murdaugh’s conviction for the murder of his wife and son, all eyes are now on his surviving son, Buster, who is suspected of being involved in the suspicious death of his classmate in 2015. Stephen Smith was found dead in the middle of the road near the Murdaugh family’s South Carolina home. Still, the death remained a mystery despite the Murdaugh name repeatedly cropping up in the investigation.
Smith, an openly gay teenager, was a known classmate of Buster’s, and rumors suggested they were in a romantic relationship. However, Buster Murdaugh has slammed the “baseless rumors,” saying, “I unequivocally deny any involvement in his death, and my heart goes out to the Smith family.”
In the statement released on Monday, he said he tried his best to “ignore the vicious rumors” published in the media and that he hasn’t spoken up before because he wants privacy while he grieves the deaths of his mother and brother.
The statement comes alongside the news that the Smith family raised over $80,000 during the Murdaugh Trial to launch their own investigation. The money raised through the GoFundMe campaign will be used to exhume the teenager’s body for an independent autopsy.
Read related storyRussian President Vladimir Putin has said he will discuss China’s 12-point plan for Ukraine when Xi Jinping visits Moscow. China released the 12-point peace plan to resolve the Ukraine conflict last month, and now, Putin has said, “We’re always open for a negotiation process.”
After the International Criminal Court (ICC) accused President Putin of committing war crimes in Ukraine, namely the unlawful deportation of children, Joe Biden welcomed the news saying these are crimes Putin has “clearly” done.
After the UK government finally struck a pay deal for most NHS staff, they now face pressure to allocate funds to other parts of the NHS, including junior doctors. After a 72-hour strike, the British Medical Association (BMA), a trade union for doctors, has vowed to announce new strike dates if the government makes a “substandard” offer.
It comes after NHS unions reached a pay deal for nurses and ambulance staff on Thursday. The offer included a 5% pay rise for 2023/2024 and a one-off payment of 2% of their salary. The deal also consisted of a Covid recovery bonus of 4% for the current financial year.
However, the current offer does not extend to NHS doctors, who now demand a complete “pay restoration” that would bring their earnings back to the equivalent of their pay in 2008. This would entail a substantial pay rise, estimated to cost the government an additional £1 billion!
Read related storyOn March 17, 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Commissioner for Children’s Rights in the Office of the President of the Russian Federation.
The ICC accused both of committing the war crime of “unlawful deportation of population (children)” and claimed there are reasonable grounds to believe each bears individual criminal responsibility. The aforementioned crimes were allegedly committed in Ukrainian-occupied territory from around February 24, 2022.
Considering Russia doesn’t recognize the ICC, it is far-fetched to think we will see Putin or Lvova-Belova in handcuffs. Yet, the court believes that the “public awareness of the warrants may contribute to the prevention of the further commission of crimes.”
Read related storyNHS unions have reached a pay deal with the UK government in a major breakthrough that could finally end the strikes. The offer includes a 5% pay rise for 2023/2024 and a one-off payment of 2% of their salary. The deal also consists of a Covid recovery bonus of 4% for the current financial year.
Jerry Bruckheimer, one of the Pirates of the Caribbean producers, has said he would “love” to see Johnny Depp return to his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the upcoming sixth movie.
During the Oscars, Bruckheimer confirmed that they are working on the next installment of the legendary franchise.
Depp was dropped from the film after his ex-wife Amber Heard accused him of domestic abuse. However, he was vindicated when a US court ruled Heard had defamed him with false allegations.
Read featured story.According to government officials, a US surveillance drone, conducting routine operations in international airspace, crashed into the Black Sea after being intercepted by a Russian fighter jet. However, Russia’s defense ministry denied using onboard weapons or coming into contact with the drone, claiming it plunged into the water due to its own “sharp maneuvering.”
According to a statement released by US European Command, the Russian jet dumped fuel on the MQ-9 drone before striking one of its propellers, forcing operators to bring the drone down into international waters.
The US statement described Russia’s actions as “reckless” and “could lead to miscalculation and unintended escalation.”
The Secretary of State for Transport implemented a no-fly zone over the church in Saint Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire, where the funeral of Nicola Bulley took place on Wednesday. The move was made to prevent TikTok detectives from filming the funeral with drones following the arrest of one TikToker for allegedly filming Nicola’s body being pulled out of the River Wyre.
Follow live coverageXi Jinping has grabbed a historic third term as president with 2,952 votes to zero from China's rubber-stamp parliament. Shortly afterward, the parliament elected Xi Jinping's close ally Li Qiang as China's next premier, the second-highest ranking politician in China, behind the president.
Li Qiang, previously the Communist Party chief in Shanghai, received 2,936 votes, including President Xi — only three delegates voted against him, and eight abstained. Qiang is a known close ally of Xi and gained notoriety for being the force behind the tough Covid lockdown in Shanghai.
Since the reign of Mao, Chinese law prevented a leader from serving more than two terms, but in 2018, Jinping removed that restriction. Now, with his close ally as premier, his grip on power has never been firmer.
The Kidderminster man (aka Curtis Media) who filmed and published footage of police recovering Nicola Bulley’s body from the River Wyre was arrested on malicious communications offenses. It comes after police are reportedly charging several content creators for disrupting the investigation.
Follow live coverageIn a shocking interview with the New York Times, Alex Murdaugh’s brother and former law partner, Randy Murdaugh, said he is unsure if his younger brother is innocent and conceded, “He knows more than what he’s saying.”
“He’s not telling the truth, in my opinion, about everything there,” said Randy, who worked with Alex at the family law firm in South Carolina until Alex was caught stealing client funds.
It took only three hours for a jury to convict Alex Murdaugh of murdering his wife and son in 2021, and as a lawyer, Randy Murdaugh said he respects the verdict but still finds it hard to picture his brother pulling the trigger.
The Murdaugh brother concluded the interview by saying, “The not knowing is the worst thing there is.”
Read legal analysisThe Met Office has issued an amber “risk to life” alert for the Midlands and Northern UK, with these regions expecting up to 15 inches of snow on Thursday and Friday.
King Charles has officially invited his disgraced son, Prince Harry, and his wife, Meghan Markle, to his coronation, but it remains unclear how the couple will respond. A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan acknowledged they received the invite but would not disclose their decision at this time.
Disgraced South Carolina lawyer and now-convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh has been pictured for the first time since the trial. In the new mugshot, Murdaugh is now sporting a shaved head and a yellow jumpsuit as he prepares to start his two life sentences in a maximum-security prison.
It took only three hours for the South Carolina jury to find Alex Murdaugh guilty of shooting his wife, Maggie, with a rifle and using a shotgun to kill his 22-year-old son Paul in June of 2021.
The following morning the once prominent lawyer and part-time prosecutor was sentenced to two life sentences without the possibility of parole by Judge Clifton Newman.
Murdaugh’s defense team is expected to file for appeal shortly, most likely leaning on the issue of the prosecution being allowed to use Murdaugh’s financial crimes as a weapon to destroy his credibility.
Read legal analysisThe trial of disgraced lawyer Alex Murdaugh concluded with the jury finding Mr. Murdaugh guilty of murdering his wife and son. The following day the judge sentenced Murdaugh to two life sentences.
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