Prince Harry, his wife Meghan Markle, and her mother, Doria Ragland, were involved in a "near catastrophic car chase" with paparazzi photographers after attending an awards ceremony in New York. The spokesperson for the prince claimed the pursuit lasted over two hours and resulted in multiple collisions with other drivers on the road, pedestrians, and two New York Police Department officers. Harry and Meghan have previously stepped down from their royal roles and moved to the US to avoid media harassment, which Harry blames for the death of his mother, Princess Diana.
A woman has been kidnapped and raped in broad daylight in Northampton's Greyfriars area. Following the attack last week, the victim sought refuge in a nearby shop before police arrived. Leon Svans, a 27-year-old homeless man, has been charged with two counts of rape and one count of kidnap. He appeared at Northampton Magistrates' Court earlier this week and will remain in custody until a plea hearing at Northampton Crown Court on 27 June.
Confidence in the US Supreme Court dipped to its lowest level in over 50 years following the Dobbs ruling that has resulted in several state-level restrictions on abortion, according to the General Social Survey. Among the 3,544 respondents to the survey run by NORC at the University of Chicago, just 18% said they had a great deal of confidence in the court. The split between the level of support for abortion rights across Democratic and Republican party lines was the largest ever recorded, with the majority of Republicans against the right to abortion and the vast majority of Democrats in favor of it.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were involved in a "near catastrophic car chase" involving paparazzi photographers. Kensington Palace has issued a statement condemning the "relentless pursuit”, which lasted over two hours and resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers. The trio were forced to seek refuge in multiple police stations as they tried to lose the photographers. The couple had been attending an event in New York.
A homicide investigation has been launched after a woman died from stab wounds and two police officers were injured in pursuit of the victim’s alleged attacker. Police were called to a unit on Short Street, Caboolture following reports of an assault, and officers found the female victim with stab wounds. She later died in hospital and police have declared the area a crime scene. Officers attempted to stop the suspect's car using a tyre deflation device, but the car allegedly crashed into a police vehicle on the Bruce Highway at Yandina. The suspect, a 29-year-old Morayfield man, was arrested and taken to hospital. The two injured police officers suffered minor injuries.
Pony is a humorous one-woman play by Eloise Snape that taps into the anxieties of an expectant mother who has lived a hedonistic life. The play is set on a stage dominated by a pink pony, and Hazel tells her story directly to the audience, introducing a cast of characters including Hazel’s nanna, best friend, midwife and gym instructor. The production is directed with imagination by Anthea Williams, and Briallen Clarke delivers a fine performance. While the script has some superfluous elements, including gags about bodily fluids and new uses for Nutella, it shines with an “exuberant” quality that tackles life’s messiness.
A 20-year-old woman riding an E-scooter has died after being hit by a driver exiting a gas station in Oshawa, Canada. The woman was struck on the sidewalk and taken to hospital with severe injuries where she later died. The driver remained at the scene and police are now appealing for witnesses to come forward.
A student at a Canadian primary school required plastic surgery on his lip after being bitten by an off-leash dog in its yard. Toronto District School Board signage indicates where off-leash dogs are permitted within the city, but schoolyards aren't included in the list. One school's principal warned of the potential threat posed by off-leash dogs in schoolyards, noting that parents and children should take extra care when in the vicinity of the school outside of school hours. A woman bitten near Rawlinson Community School while carrying her child adds to recent concerns over dogs being walked off-leash in areas designated for children. Toronto's parks do allow for off-leash areas, but these tend to be in specific, designated green spaces.
Oscar-winning actress Rachel Weisz has revealed she suffered a miscarriage in the past. Speaking on the News Agents podcast, Weisz said the show Dead Ringers had faced a negative reaction to scenes depicting childbirth and baby loss. A mother of two, Weisz did not give further details about the miscarriage, but said it was all part of a "female experience of being alive". She also called out US anti-abortion activists who support the death penalty, saying: "At the beginning of life, a woman has no choice. How do you rationalise that?”
Australian police are investigating the alleged Taser use on a 95-year-old woman, who is now clinging to life in hospital after an altercation with police in a regional aged care facility in New South Wales. The elderly woman, who reportedly suffers from dementia, was discovered with a knife while using her walker on Wednesday. The Snowy Monaro Regional Council, which operates the facility, issued a statement confirming the incident. NSW police issued its own statement, but provided little detail about the event, though they did confirm a critical incident investigation into the officers' response to the incident has been launched.
Arthur Miller's 1983 visit to China, in which he directed his own play "Death of a Salesman" to a Chinese audience, provided a unique point of cultural connection between China and America, says The Economist. The play was performed in Chinese by a Chinese cast and was based around the human issues of family, relationships and morality, areas overlooked by China's previous dramas, which had concentrated on politics and history. At the time, China was emerging from Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution, a period which had already seen a brief spell of artistic freedom subsiding under the "spiritual pollution" campaign. Miller's play was, however, given an enthusiastic reaction from audiences. Its themes have remained poignant and relevant in China, where middle-class audiences appreciate the relevance of the playwright's depictions of struggle and failure. Recently, experimental theatre has emerged with social commentary and dystopian themes, reflecting China's evolving society and vibrant theatre scene. Miller's play is still praised in China, as being remarkably relevant today.
Australian police are reportedly to have used a taser to subdue a 95-year-old woman with dementia, causing a brain bleed and fractured skull. Clare Nowland had been carrying a knife at the time, hence the police being called, but the use of a taser has shocked the local community. A critical incident team is now reportedly investigating the matter.
Remains of Georgia woman killed 46 years ago identified, confirmed serial killer victim
The Toronto Star
23-05-18 16:32
The remains of Yvonne Pless, a Georgia woman who was killed in 1977, have been identified and confirmed as a victim of Samuel Little, known as the most prolific serial killer in U.S. history. Little confessed to killing two Macon women in 2018, and Georgia investigators confirmed that his confessions matched the unsolved Macon cold case. Pless' remains were identified using forensic genetic genealogy and her family was located in Macon. Little died in December 2020, having confessed to killing 93 people between 1970 and 2005.
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle were pursued by a large number of photographers in Manhattan after attending an event on Tuesday night. The security team employed to shepherd the couple away from the venue reportedly egged on the paparazzi who blocked roads and ran red lights in a pursuit that lasted over an hour, according to the couple's spokesperson. The security detail claims that the photographers behind them caused panic and a near collision. The issue of media intrusion and the pressure it places on the Royal Family was a concern of Princess Diana, the Prince's mother, who died while being chased by paparazzi in Paris in 1997. Responding to the event, a spokesperson for the New York Police Department defended the actions of their team, saying: “The threats involved never materialised into any actual danger.”
Nicola Sturgeon has won an award for promoting LGBT+ rights in the same week that former Scottish butcher Andrew Miller admitted to charges of kidnapping, holding captive and sexually assaulting a girl while dressed as a woman. Miller was a supporter of Sturgeon’s campaign to allow anyone over the age of 16 to change their gender. Critics of the campaign, including JK Rowling, have expressed fears that less scrupulous people would use the legislation to exploit vulnerable women.
An airport passenger has reportedly been asked to step on a baggage scale at an unidentified airport. Footage of the incident was posted by a TikTok user, apparently revealing an airline weighing individual passengers before take-off because it was operating a "tiny" plane. The video has since gone viral, with more than 1.6 million views. Some viewers criticised the airline while others said that on small aircraft, weight and balance was important for safety. The US Federal Aviation Administration recommends airlines use either guidelines from the CDC or make a "reasonable estimate of the passenger's actual weight and add 10 pounds."
Dr Kenneth Elliott, an Australian doctor who was held captive by al Qaeda-linked extremists in West Africa for more than seven years, has been released and reunited with his family. Dr Elliott and his wife Jocelyn were seized in January 2016 near Burkina Faso’s border with Mali, where they have operated a 120-bed clinic for over four decades. Jocelyn was released after three weeks.
New measures that severely curtail access to abortions in North and South Carolina are expected to force more women to seek terminations in Virginia, placing more pressure on the state's already strained abortion providers. Meanwhile, Republican-controlled legislatures in Florida and South Carolina are seeking to ban almost all abortions after six weeks. Whole Woman's Health, which operates two clinics in the area and a telehealth facility that provides abortion pills by mail, was seeing more women cross state lines prior to last June's Supreme Court decision.
Great-grandmother, 95, tasered by officer in Australia had walking frame and knife, police say
CNN
23-05-19 04:42
Police in New South Wales, Australia are investigating why officers used a Taser against a 95-year-old woman in a care home. Clare Nowland, who has dementia, was armed with a steak knife, which she had taken from the kitchen at Yallambee Lodge in Cooma. Homicide detectives are said to be working on the case. Despite calls for her to release the knife, Ms Nowland allegedly refused to do so. Once she approached officers, one was said to have decided to Taser her. Ms Nowland fell and hit her head, and remains in intensive care. The use of a Taser in such circumstances has been widely criticised. Clare Nowland had been at the home for five years, during which time she had good times and bad. She is the mother of eight children, with numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her family has appealed for privacy while they deal with their distress at Ms Nowland's treatment.
Outcry as Australian police taser 95-year-old woman
BBC
23-05-19 01:50
Police in New South Wales are facing criticism following the alleged tasering of a 95-year old woman with dementia at a care home in the city of Cooma. Officers were called to the Yallambee Lodge care home after reports of the resident carrying a knife. The woman was tasered in the chest and back and received a fractured skull and brain bleed, and is deemed to be in a critical condition. Groups including the New South Wales Council for Civil Liberties and People with Disability Australia have responded with concerns over the incident, calling for it to be treated with the "utmost seriousness" by officials.
