List of All Articles with Tag 'world'

A Florida mother killed her two children and then herself in an apparent murder-suicide after losing a custody battle. Brandy Hutchins “from every indication in our investigation now, has murdered her 10-year-old child and her 19-year-old child. Murdered them,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said at a press conference on Sunday. “And then subsequent to that, she shot herself.” The murders of Hutchins’ 10-year-old son and 19-year-old daughter happened inside a mobile home over the weekend, just days after a judge ordered her to turn over custody of the boy to his father. Sheriff Judd called the tragedy “absolutely devastating for everyone,” including his deputies who responded to the tragic scene on Friday. Hutchins had been ordered to hand over the 10-year-old boy by 6pm Friday. He was later identified online by his father as Aiden Hutchins. When Hutchins failed to comply with the order, a search was launched for the boy so his father could take him back to Maine. On Sunday afternoon, police found the bodies of Hutchins and her two children inside a mobile home in the Waverly neighborhood of Lake Wales. “We’re devastated for this beautiful 10-year-old child, all because mom did not want to turn the child over to the rightful father pursuant to a court order,” the sheriff said. Aiden’s father shared a heartbreaking post after learning the news on Sunday. “[i]t is with a heavy heart that I am writing this to give everyone an update about my son Aiden Hutchins who was missing and taken by his mother on August 25 2023 who decided to murder him.” “[H]e was killed by her today August 27 2023. he will forever be in my heart and did not deserve this. Rest in peace my sweet boy I will see you again. I love you,” he said. Sheriff Judd also noted at the press conference that there was no indication of possible violence as a result of this custody battle or any history of mental illness. “There was no indication that there should be any violence, but it was violent,” Judd said. “This was a domestic event, a court-ordered event, where she had to turn custody over to the ex-husband and she wasn’t going to do that, so she murdered the 10-year-old. The 19-year-old daughter was there and [she] murdered her as well.” “There was absolutely zero evidence in the court order or testimony that there was any violence or threat of violence or a danger,” Judd added. The sheriff said that his office deals with “hundreds and thousands” of court orders, so for one to turn out like this has left them “heartbroken and devastated over this horrible, horrible event.” “I can’t imagine a more horrific set of circumstances.” Read More Rachel Morin’s mother shares ‘unbearable’ pain as Bel Air killer still at large weeks after murder Couple who considered making Lucy Letby their son’s godmother now believe she was trying to kill him

The San Franciscopolice officer’s union reacted with outrage last week when Reem’s, a local bakery chain, refused to serve an officer in uniform. “NO COPS ALLOWED,” the San Francisco Police Officer’s Association wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “That’s the confirmed policy of the bakery chain Reem’s. One of our officers was denied service last weekend because he was in uniform. Reem’s confirms that they will not serve anyone armed and in uniform. Presumably, this includes members of the US Military.” The union also claimed the policy was “bigoted” and “discriminatory.” Reem’s, a bakery serving Arab food, with locations across San Francisco and Oakland, confirmed the indicent took place at its Mission neighbourhood store, but said the policy applies to all armed people and that officers were welcome to come in while off duty. “Reem’s has a deep commitment to uplifting social and racial justice in our communities,” the business wrote in a statement on Instagram. “This includes fostering an environment of safety for our staff and customers. In a time of increased gun violence – particularly impacting people of color, youth, and queer people — we belive that maintaining a strict policy of prohibiting guns in our restaurant keeps us safer.” “Many members of our community have been impacted by gun violence, whether that be experience on the streets of San Francisco, having come from war or occupation, or having increased fears due to a growing climate of political extremism,” the bakery continued. “All too often, Black and brown people, and poor people are the victims of this violence. At Reem’s, we aim to provide a space where people can eat delicious Arab food and work together to strengthen our community, without fear of violence or harassment.” The Mission neighbourhood is a diverse area home to numerous immigrant communities from different countries. It’s not the first time such a controversy has occured. A cashier was fired from a San Francisco pizzeria earlier this year for refusing to serve a police office. Meanwhile, in 2021, the San Francisco restaurant Hilda and Jesse apologised for refusing to serve three uniformed SFPD officers. The San Francisco Police Department has a well-documented record of disproportionate violence against people of colour. Black people are 6.5 times more likely to be shot by the SFPD than white people, while Latinx people are 3.6 times more likely, according to data from Mapping Police Violence. Read More San Francisco's music scene in the 1960s and '70s takes center stage in an MGM+ docuseries Tensions high in San Francisco as city seeks reversal of ban on clearing homeless encampments How a vote to empower autonomous ‘robotaxis’ from Cruise and Waymo has divided San Francisco

During a surprise testimony in a courtroom hearing connected to a sprawling criminal conspiracy case in Georgia, Mark Meadows did not recall how a highly scrutinized and recorded phone call at the center of the case against Donald Trump and 18 allies came to be. The phone call – during which then-President Trump urged Georgia’s chief elections official to “find” votes to overturn Joe Biden’s victory in the state – is among central pieces of evidence in a sprawling racketeering indictment targeting Mr Trump’s efforts to subvert the outcome of 2020 presidential election results in the state. Mark Meadows, a former White House chief of staff, testified in US District Court in Atlanta on 28 August as part of his effort to move the state case out of Fulton County and into federal court, marking one of the first courtroom battles between the 19 defendants and prosecutors under Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis in the largest case against the former president and his allies yet. He faces two counts in the sprawling 41-count indictment outlining dozens of acts that encompass the conspiracy: one count of violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO statute, and one count of solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer. Mr Meadows said on the stand that he was not sure whether attorneys on the call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger were working for Mr Trump or his campaign. US District Court Judge Steve Jones, shaking his head, asked why Mr Meadows would even allow them on the call without knowing their roles, ABC News reported. He said that the purpose of the call was to find a “less litigious way” to resolve a dispute over ballot signatures. He testified that he reached out to both Mr Raffensperger himself and a member of his staff, but neither had responded. Mr Trump himself eventually reached out to Mr Raffensperger, according to Mr Meadows. Ms Willis has subpoenaed Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to testify. Mr Meadows repeatedly testified that he did not recall setting up the call or how aides connected to the campaign – not the federal government – joined in. “I dealt with the president’s personal position on a number of things. It’s still a part of my job to make sure the president is safe and secure and able to perform his job,” Mr Meadows said, according to CBB. “Serving the president of the United States is what I do, to be clear.” His surprise testimony comes two weeks after a grand jury indictment presented the largest and most significant case yet facing Mr Trump and others connected to an alleged racketeering scheme in which they “knowingly and willfully joined a conspiracy to unlawfully change the outcome of the election” to ensure he remained in power. Mr Trump, Mr Meadows and their 17 other co-defendants were booked in Fulton County jail and released on bond last week. They are scheduled to appear in court for their arraignment hearings on 5 September. Attorneys for Mr Meadows have asked for the “prompt removal” of the case from Fulton County, citing federal law that allows US officials to remove civil or criminal trials from state court over alleged actions performed “under color” of their offices, with Mr Meadows performing such acts during his “tenure” as White House chief of staff, they wrote in court filings. His lawyers said they then intend to file a motion to dismiss the indictment “as soon as feasible,” according to attorneys. “Nothing Mr Meadows is alleged in the indictment to have done is criminal per se,” his attorneys wrote. “One would expect a Chief of Staff to the President of the United States to do these sorts of things.” Prosecutors, however, have argued that Mr Meadows was acting on behalf of the Trump campaign, performing acts that were “all ‘unquestionably political’ in nature and therefore, by definition, outside the lawful scope of his authority” as chief of staff. “Even if the defendant somehow had been acting as authorized under federal law (rather than directly contrary to it), that authority would be negated by the evidence of his ‘personal interest, malice, actual criminal intent,’” they wrote. During the hearing on Monday, which was not broadcast, Mr Meadows himself argued in his sworn testimony that he was both a principal figure and an observer in meetings with and about Mr Trump, and was “invited to almost every meeting that the president had,” CNN reported. “Those were challenging times, bluntly,” he said during his sworn testimony, according to CNN. “I don’t know if anyone was fully prepared for that type of job.” He also was grilled over false election claims amplified by the former president despite statements from members of his own administration rejecting them, including then-Attorney General Bill Batt telling then-President Trump that allegations of voter fraud are “bull****.” Mr Meadows said he believed the claims warranted “further investigation” at the time but had “no reason” to doubt Mr Barr, according to CNN. Mr Meadows is one of five defendants in the Georgia case who want to transfer the case out of Fulton County. Former assistant US Attorney General Jeffrey Clark and three people wrapped up in the so-called “alternate” elector scheme – David Shafer, Cathy Latham and state Senator Shawn Still – are also asking a judge to move the case to federal court. Mr Trump also is expected to do the same. Ms Willis also has subpoenaed his former lead investigator Frances Watson. Mr Meadows met with Ms Watson in December 2020 during a state-run audit of absentee ballot signatures that Ms Watson was overseeing. Mr Trump called her the next day. On 27 December 2020, Mr Meadows asked if “there was a way to speed up Fulton County signature verification in order to have results before Jan 6” if the Trump campaign can “assist financially”, which Ms Willis is likely to use to bolster prosecutors’ argument that Mr Meadows acted on behalf of the campaign, thus not immune from federal protections allowing his removal. Mr Meadows testified on Monday that he did not “recall reaching out” to Ms Watson. He also denied that he directed White House aide John McEntee to draft a memo outlining how to delay the certification of electoral college results on 6 January, 2021 during a joint session of Congress that would be targeted by a mob of the former president’s supporters in a violent attempt to upend the election’s outcome. Mr Meadows “did not ask” Mr McEntee to that, he said, according to CNN. Those allegations outlined in the indictment from Georgia prosecutors “did not happen” and were the “biggest surprise” to him as he read the charging document, Mr Meadows said. The Georgia case is separate from the US Department of Justice investigation and federal charges against Mr Trump for his efforts to subvert the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. At a separate hearing on Monday, US District Judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington DC set a tentative trial date in that case for 4 March, 2024 – one day before Super Tuesday primary election contests. Read More Trump handed two key court dates as bid to delay trials until after election falls apart - latest Who is Fani Willis, the Georgia prosecutor who could take down Trump Trump and all 18 others charged in Georgia election case meet the deadline to surrender at jail

One person was wounded after an active shooter was reported to be on the campus of the University of North Carolina Monday afternoon. At least one shot fired in Caudill Labs on South Road, according to Orange County Fire and EMS radio. A suspect, described as a male wearing a gray shirt, was said to be in police custody. Students are still under a shelter-in-place order as police and paramedics respond to the scene. University Communications said they have no further information at this time.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has issued an emergency alert amid reports of an active shooting situation near campus. Local law enforcement and UNC officials have said that “an armed and dangerous person” is on or near the university. At least one person was wounded, The Daily Tar Heel reports. A suspect, described as a male wearing a gray shirt, was said to be in police custody. Students are still under a shelter-in-place order as police and paramedics respond to the scene where at least one shot was allegedly heard near Caudill Labs. More details are continuing to emerge as the situation unfolds.

Loved ones gathered on Sunday to honor Rachel Morin’s memory as her killer remains at large weeks after she was found dead on the Ma & Pa Trail in Bel Air, Maryland. The 37-year-old’s heartbroken mother shared what she felt when she found out her daughter’s body had been found. “The pain was so unbearable,” Patty Morin said. Morin was found dead after heading off for a walk along on the trail on 6 August. Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gahler recently told Fox News that identifying and catching the suspect is a “top priority” amid fears that he could do “something harmful to someone else”. “This individual poses a threat to every community from here to Los Angeles because we don’t know where he’s laying his head at night,” Sheriff Gahler said. The Harford County Sheriff’s Office revealed that DNA found at the scene of Morin’s murder had been matched to the DNA left at a home where an unknown man broke into a home in Los Angeles and violently attacked a young girl back in March. “The public will not be safe until we get him in custody,” Sheriff Gahler said. Read More Maryland police have DNA matching Rachel Morin murder suspect and video images but no identity Rachel Morin’s mother breaks silence on daughter’s killing Maryland sheriff calls out ‘heinous coward’ who killed mother-of-five Rachel Morin Rachel Morin’s boyfriend speaks out after police name man wanted over sex assault as suspect in murder Rachel Morin killer ‘not going to stop’ unless arrested, police say as new clues dry up

The parents of a South Carolina college student are mourning the loss of their son after he was fatally shot when he entered the wrong house by mistake. Nicholas Anthony Donofrio, 20, was a student at the University of South Carolina and lived at the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity house, his parents told local news station WTNH. According to the City of Colombia Police Department, Donofrio was mistaken for a burglar and shot in the early morning hours of 26 August after he tried to enter a residence a few houses away from the fraternity on South Holly Street. Authorities said that a 911 call was initially made regarding an ongoing burglary, but it later escalated to a shooting situation. Donofrio was pronounced dead at the scene. The young man had recently moved into the fraternity’s off-campus home ahead of the start of his junior year at the university. Donofrio, a Kinesiology and Exercise Science major, was looking forward to living at the fraternity home with four close friends. ”[Nick was] a great son, loving, compassionate, all the traits you would want in a son,” Donofrio’s grieving parents said in a statement to WTNH. Donofrio was originally from Madison, Connecticut and graduated high school in 2021. “When officers arrived on the scene, they found a deceased male on the front porch with a gunshot wound to the upper body,” the City of Columbia Police said in a statement. “Preliminary information indicates that Donofrio who resided on South Holly Street attempted to enter the wrong home when he was fatally shot.” Classes at the University of South Carolina resumed on 23 August. “Our Student Affairs team is providing resources and support to those who may be affected by this tragedy, and we remind all of our students that help is always available to them,” the university said in a statement to The State. In South Carolina, individuals have no obligation to retreat and are allowed to use deadly force if they’re not engaged in unlawful activity and are in a place where they have a right to be — such as their home or place of business. The state’s “stand your ground” laws also limit law enforcement’s ability to immediately arrest the shooter if they claim they were attacked first or acting in self-defence. The City of Columbia Police Department said the investigation remains ongoing and it will consult with the solicitor’s office regarding the circumstances surrounding the case and whether charges could be filed. Read More Ron DeSantis booed at Jacksonville vigil as police say racist Florida shooter bought weapons legally – live Who is Ryan Palmeter? What we know about the racist 21-year-old Dollar General shooter Judge to decide if father of man accused in parade shooting will stand trial too

An attorney for the sole suspect in Andrea Vazquez’s kidnapping and murder has said that his client is “scared” after being hit with multiple felony charges. Gabriel Sean Esparza, 20, is facing charges of murder, kidnapping and attempted rape in the death of 19-year-old Andrea Vazquez, according to a criminal complaint submitted in Los Angeles Superior Court. Mr Esparza is accused of randomly kidnapping Vazquez last week while she was on a date with her boyfriend at Penn Park in Whittier, California. Vaquez was shot and yanked out of a parked car as her boyfriend rushed for help but she was nowhere to be found when he returned to the scene. Her body was found days later by Whittier Police detectives in Moreno Valley. Mr Esparza’s attorney Ambrosio Rodriguez told FOX11 that his client was “scared” and “just beginning to understand what is going on.” “Everyone in this case is in shock, and everyone who knows him can’t believe that he has been charged with this crime,” Mr Rodriguez said. Mr Esparza, the son of an LA fire captain, has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and is being held without bond. Read More Ambushed at an LA park, kidnapped and her body dumped in a field: What happened to Andrea Vazquez? Andrea Vasquez: California woman shot and kidnapped from boyfriend’s car found dead Son of LA County fire captain pleads not guilty to Andrea Vazquez murder

Donald Trump’s arraignment in Fulton County, Georgia has been scheduled for 9.30am on 6 September. The remaining 18 defendants in the 2020 election subversion case have been scheduled to be arraigned after Mr Trump in 15-minute increments. Former New York Mayor and Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani is scheduled to be arraigned at 9.45am, and former law professor John Eastman after that at 10am. “Kraken” lawyer Sidney Powell is set to be arraigned at 10.15am on 6 September – Wednesday next week – followed by former Trump White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows at 10.30am. More follows...

One of the key architects of US measures to deny China advanced technology came to Beijing with an

The boyfriend of a teenager killed along with three others in a car crash on the way to celebrate exam results has revealed the tragic way he found out. Aaron Costin had been in a relationship with Grace McSweeney for two years and received a message from the 18-year-old on Snapchat just before she got into the car. Minutes after seeing her location on the app, Aaron’s friend sent him a text saying there had been a crash on the road Grace was on. Grace’s brother Luke McSweeney, 24, along with Zoey Coffey, 18, and Nicole Murphy, 18, died at the scene in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, after the car they were travelling in struck a wall. Mr McSweeney was driving the teenagers to a bus on Friday when the car overturned and crashed into a wall. Aaron rushed to the scene but couldn’t get to the area because it was blocked off by police, he told The Sunday Times. “There was something in me that didn’t want to believe it was their car but I could see the car and then I knew what it was. It was hard,” he said. “She was bubbly, she was friendly. She was there for anyone, whenever you wanted. Her family made the home very welcoming.” Aaron had last seen Grace the day before the crash after she’d texted him worried about her results. He picked her up and they walked around Carey’s Castle, a short drive from Clonmel. The young couple met at a party organised by Zoey Coffey, 18, who also lost her life in the crash. Aaron said Grace and Zoey were inseparable, and the day he met Grace was the happiest day of his life. “She was one of the greatest women I’ve ever met in my life,” he added. The pair had been looking forward to a trip together to Amsterdam, which they had planned in part because of Grace’s love for history. She’d wanted to visit the Anne Frank House. Laying flowers at the scene on Sunday, Aaron said: “She was the love of my life.” The funeral for siblings Grace and Luke will take place on Friday and a book of condolences will open at County Hall in Clonmel on Monday. Parish priest Fr John Treacy said the funeral for Mr and Ms McSweeney would take place at St Peter and Paul’s Church in Clonmel at 11.30am on Friday. Father Treacy said “very difficult” days lay ahead for the families. “The love of a parent for their child, it’s an unspeakable and inseparable bond of love and fidelity, and tenderness and compassion, and to lose that is just something that words cannot adequately describe,” he told RTE Radio One. Aaron’s mother, Jennifer Costin, posted a tribute to Grace on Facebook the day after the crash. She wrote: “None of it seems real today. Thank you for making my son happy and I’ll do my best to mind him for you.” Around 2,000 people gathered in Clonmel for a vigil to mourn the death of the four youngsters on Sunday evening, with the location of the crash now adorned with flowers, notes and candles. Grieving family members and classmates of the victims of Friday evening’s crash were among those who attended the emotional event at Kickham Plaza. Classmates from Presentation Secondary School wore lilac jumpers that commemorate their graduate class of 2023. Speaking after Sunday’s vigil, Bishop of Waterford Alphonsus Cullinan said there was a “strength” in the community coming together in grief. “Because there’s so many people here, it just shows the strength of community that’s here, the bond that’s here,” he said. “Everyone here has a connection with what those three families and those four youngsters, God love them all. “So, there’s a real strength in that consoling one another, helping one another, to go through the grief, praying together, as well as singing together, crying together. “It’s heartbreaking and there’s no easy solution. There’s no easy words. We just have to find the strength to struggle on.” Gardai have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the crash, and are appealing for witnesses. Their investigation is currently focusing on preparing a report for the local coroner. Adverse weather conditions at the time of the crash, including heavy downpours at the scene when first responders arrived, will be considered as part of the inquiry. Read More Hundreds gather for Clonmel vigil to four young victims of horror car crash Support for Clonmel students will be in place for as long as needed – minister Leaving Cert students had received ‘excellent’ exam results hours before fatal crash Crafty Aussie makes button versions of music stars including Sir Elton John Explorer excited to add hydrogen balloon attempt to his Atlantic crossings Pittsburgh Steelers connect with Gaelic games to grow fan base in Ireland

Florida governor Ron DeSantis was heckled at a vigil held for the three victims of a racially motivated mass shooting in Jacksonville. Two men and one woman were killed on Saturday afternoon at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville by a white gunman carrying a weapon decorated with swastikas. The gunman, identified as 21-year-old Christopher Palmeter, shot and killed himself at the scene. Mr DeSantis, who is running for the GOP nomination for president, has been criticised for easing gun laws in Florida and initially staying silent on the shooting. In April this year, the governor signed a bill into law that allows people to carry concealed weapons without a government permit. As the governor began speaking at the vigil on Sunday, many members of a crowd of over a hundred people booed Mr DeSantis, forcing him to step back from the microphone. Ju'Coby Pittman, a Jacksonville city councilperson who represents the neighbourhood where the shooting took place, stepped in and asked the crowd to listen. "We are going to put parties aside because it ain’t about parties today," she said, adding: "A bullet don’t know a party." Mr DeSantis shared a video on social media condemning the violence, while calling the gunman a "deranged scumbag". "Casey DeSantis and I stand with the families impacted by the tragic shooting in Jacksonville," the governor wrote on X, previously known as Twitter. "The people of Florida stand united in condemning the horrific, racially-motivated murders." Mr DeSantis said that on Monday the state would be announcing financial support for security at Edward Waters University, the historically Black college near where the shooting occurred, and to help the affected families. Jacksonville Sheriff TK Waters identified those killed as Angela Michelle Carr, 52, who was shot in her car; store employee AJ Laguerre, 19, who was shot as he tried to flee; and customer Jerrald Gallion, 29, who was shot as he entered the store in a predominantly Black neighbourhood. The gunman entered the store armed with an AR-style rifle, Glock handgun and “outfitted with a tactical vest" shortly after 1pm on Sunday. He first went to the campus of Edward Waters University, where he refused to identify himself to a security guard and was told to leave the campus. The gunman’s father then received a text from his son, telling him to check his computer. His parents then found “several manifestoes” written by the gunman, intended for his parents, law enforcement, and the media. The sheriff called the writing “the diary of a madman”. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has opened a civil rights investigation and says it will pursue the incident as a hate crime. "Hate crimes are always and will always remain a top priority for the FBI because they are not only an attack on a victim, they're also meant to threaten and intimidate an entire community," said Sherri Onks, special agent in charge of the Jacksonville FBI office. Read More DeSantis is silent on whether he will visit Jacksonville after racially-motivated mass shooting Biden demands US do better on racism amid Jacksonville shooting: ‘Hate must have no safe harbor’ Jacksonville shooter in racist attack is named as it’s revealed he bought weapons legally - latest