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Published by Reuters By Brian Ellsworth MIAMI (Reuters) – A Caribbean regional court has ruled that a Saint Kitts and Nevis prohibition on gay sex is unconstitutional because it violates the right to privacy, striking down one of a handful of bans on same-sex intercourse that still exist in the region. The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court ruled against two portions of the Offences Against the Person Act, adopted in the dual-island nation in 1873, which called for up to ten years imprisonment for having or attempting to have gay sex. The law’s statutes criminalising gay sex are inconsistent with the constitution “and, as such, (are) null and void and of no force and effect,” wrote High Court Judge Trevor M. Ward in a decision dated Aug. 29. The suit was brought by Jamal Jeffers, a gay man from the Caribbean nation, and a non-profit organisation called Saint Kitts and Nevis Alliance for Equality. The country’s attorney general, the defendant in the lawsuit, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court hears disputes involving members of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, which includes six independent countries and three overseas British territories. Buggery laws remain on the books in a number of Caribbean nations including Jamaica and Barbados. Though they are rarely enforced, gay rights activists say that eliminating them would help ease pervasive homophobia. (Editing by Nick Macfie) View the full article

Published by AlterNet By David Badash Billionaire-backed Blake Masters, the Arizona Republican party’s nominee for the U.S. Senate is undergoing a massive transformation little more than two months before Election Day and nearly two months after early voting in the Grand Canyon State has already begun. Masters is a venture capitalist, the former COO of billionaire Peter Thiel’s investment firm, and former head of his foundation. He’s been described as someone who “spews white supremacist conspiracies,” including promoting the “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory, saying Democrats “hope to just change the demograph… Read More View the full article

Published by Radar Online mega Bradley Cooper and his ex Irina Shayk have sparked rumors they are back together after taking a romantic-looking vacation together years after their split, Radar has learned. Over the weekend, the 36-year-old Russian supermodel shared a series of photos from the trip on Instagram. Irina was seen smiling from ear to ear while she posed with large pigs on a beautiful beach. In the middle of her slideshow, a photo appeared showing the model rocking a bikini while standing extremely close to the shirtless actor. Bradley was seen pouring water into a bucket for the pigs that were roaming the island. The exes looked very comfortable next to each other while they leaned in close for the snap. @irinashayk/instagram In another photo, Bradley and Irina were seen feeding sharks in the ocean. The exes 5-year-old daughter Lea De Seine was not seen nor did the two seem to have anyone else on the trip with them. The vacation comes weeks after Bradley was linked to Hillary Clinton’s aide Huma Abedin. A source told Page Six that the two were dating after being introduced together by Anna Wintour. mega However, sources told RadarOnline.com that the two were only friends and were not romantically involved with each other. Bradley and Irina’s reunion is a bit surprising given their breakup in 2019. The couple had been together for 4 years but were never married. The two quickly decided they would share joint custody of their daughter. They never went to court to make it official but they have never had any public drama about the arrangement. Both agreed to stay in New York to raise their kid. mega The couple kept their romance low-key for years with Irina previously saying about her relationship, “I have a lot of friends who share a lot of their personal life on Instagram or social media, very publicly. I admire it and I think it’s great – but I think it’s all about personal choice.” She added, “Because my work requires me to be out there, I just decided my personal life will be quiet. That’s why it’s called personal, because it’s something for you and your family, and I feel happy with it.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Michael Jackson’s children have paid tribute to the singer on what would have been his 64th birthday. Siblings Paris and Prince Jackson posted childhood photos of their father to Instagram accounts to mark the milestone on Monday. (29.08.22) Prince, 25, said alongside a snap of ‘Bad’ singer Jackson feeding him as a baby: “Happy birthday to the greatest!” He also shared images of of all three Jackson children at various celebrations, including ones with birthday hats and Christmas trees. Prince added: “Miss you more and more but I love you more and more with each day. Thank you for everything.” He signed off the post with applause and heart emojis. Paris, 24, posted a similar throwback image to her Instagram stories, with hers showing Jackson giving her a kiss as a young girl. She said “hbd” – meaning happy birthday – with a heart emoji alongside the snap. Jackson died aged 50 in 2009 at his Los Angeles home after a massive overdose of hospital tranquiliser propofol. Prince said with his sister Paris alongside him at the ‘Michael Jackson Diamond Celebration’ held in honour of the singer’s 60th birthday: “Being here today is definitely an awe-inspiring feeling, because our father was the King of Pop and he did so much.” Paris added at the event: “We honour him in our own way, and I don’t really expect anyone else to understand besides this dude right here (Prince.)” Jackson is survived by three children – his eldest Prince, who was followed by Paris and his youngest Blanket, now 20 and known as ‘Bigi’. In a rare interview last year, Bigi told Good Morning Britain how he and his siblings continue their late dad’s legacy. He said: “There’s a lot of really cool stuff here. I think there’s a lot of history in this house and studio… that’s what he was all about.” View the full article

Published by AFP Former US president Donald Trump looks on during a January 2021 rally in Georgia, where he faces an intensifying criminal probe Washington (AFP) – Prime-time congressional hearings and an unprecedented FBI raid on his home have ramped up legal pressures on Donald Trump, but analysts say a slow-moving, lower key investigation in Georgia could be the case that finally brings him down. Scrutiny of the former president’s effort to overturn the 2020 election in the state he lost to Joe Biden by fewer than 12,000 votes is intensifying as he eyes a third run for the White House in 2024. The 76-year-old former reality TV star immediately cried foul after becoming the first Republican presidential candidate to lose Georgia in almost three decades. But after three presidential ballot counts and the failure of numerous lawsuits, no evidence of significant voter fraud surfaced in the critical swing state. Trump nevertheless meddled repeatedly in Georgia politics, pushing for secretary of state Brad Raffensperger in a now-infamous taped phone call to “find” enough votes to overturn Biden’s victory. A group of Brookings Institution legal experts wrote in October last year that Trump’s post-election conduct in the state “leaves him at substantial risk of possible state charges predicated on multiple crimes.” In May, Fulton County’s top prosecutor Fani Willis assembled a special grand jury to investigate attempts by Trump and his allies to overturn Georgia’s election results. ‘Legal exposure’ A potentially year-long process, the probe could end in Trump facing a raft of solicitation and conspiracy charges connected to election fraud and interference, according to legal experts. The former president — who denies all wrongdoing — could also face prosecution under Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statute, which is usually used to nail down mob figures. Willis has already amassed significant testimony from Trump’s inner circle, including his former personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who has been informed he is the target of criminal investigators. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp — whom Trump berated repeatedly for certifying the 2020 election results, his duty under the law — was ordered by a judge Monday to testify after November’s midterm elections. Raffensperger and Georgia attorney general Chris Carr, who was also pushed by Trump to contest the state’s vote count, have already appeared before the grand jury. Meanwhile Trump’s ex-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows is fighting his own summons, as is the former president’s Senate ally Lindsey Graham, who denies accusations that he improperly suggested that Georgia toss out lawful mail-in ballots. “Willis seeking testimony from additional Donald Trump allies, including Mark Meadows, is a sign of how serious this investigation is — and how concerned Trump should be about his own legal exposure,” Noah Bookbinder, president of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, posted on Twitter on Friday. Former assistant US attorney Kevin O’Brien, a seasoned trial lawyer specializing in white-collar criminal defense, cautioned that a high-profile witness list does not necessarily equate to a nailed-on prosecution. ‘Big freaking deal’ State prosecutors generally have less expertise for white-collar investigations than the federal justice department, O’Brien told AFP, advocating for a “wait-and-see attitude” to the potential for charges. “(The) proof will be in the pudding,” he added. “Trump has thus far escaped all accountability for his actions, whether in Georgia or elsewhere.” Other experts say, however, that the Georgia investigation differs from the federal probes in key ways that may make prosecution more likely than an indictment from the federal justice department. David French, a former attorney turned conservative commentator, believes Trump faces criminal exposure over the 2021 insurrection, but has long held the view that Trump’s primary risk was in Georgia. “You can take some criminal statutes — both Georgia and federal — and just pretty much match it up with his conduct,” he said on a recent episode of current affairs podcast The Fifth Column. “Let me put it this way: if he was a small-town sheriff, and he had called a local county election commissioner and said, ‘I need 50 more votes or, you know, you might find yourself arrested,’ he’d probably already be indicted. “But he’s the former president of the United States. That’s a big, big freaking deal to indict him. And I don’t know if that will happen, but Georgia to me has always been a greater risk for him.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Miley Cyrus will appear alongside her godmother Dolly Parton in a new festive film. The 29-year-old singer has joined the cast of NBC project ‘Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas’, which will also feature Miley’s dad Billy Ray Cyrus. According to Deadline, Willie Nelson, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmie Allen and Zach Williams will also appear in the movie, as will Tom Everett Scott, Ana Gasteyer and Angel Parker. The film will feature the ‘Jolene’ hitmaker in the titular role, and will see her try to share a unique “mountain magic”, which she has always found in Dollywood at Christmas time, with the world. Parton will also executive produce the project alongside Sam Haskell and David Rambo, who is writing the film. Miley and Parton may well be conversing about the movie via fax in the coming months, after the ‘Wrecking Ball’ hitmaker revealed earlier this year they use the communication method to stay in touch with one another. The star said: “It was amazing because, you know, she was doing it for the phones, yet every time I coordinate and kind of communicate with Dolly, it’s still through fax. “So I don’t know what she’s talking about. She’s rarely on the phone. “Well, we do use the phone, but she does a fax, and then someone scans the fax, and then they put it into a text message, and then that gets sent to me, and it’s always signed.” Miley has also been encouraged by the country music icon to improve her own communication skills. She explained: “I’ve started to try and make my own letters because there’s something so amazing just about a connection. It’s just not casual. You know that she took the time to get out, I guess, her typewriter.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Britney Spears felt like her family “threw [her] away” amid her 13-year conservatorship. The 40-year-old pop star had her conservatorship ended last year, and the ‘Gimme More’ singer has now opened up about her relationship with her family, alleging that she was ordered by her dad, Jamie Spears – who was her co-conservator – to work and spend time in a mental health facility. In a 22-minute video posted on YouTube and Twitter, she shared: “I was scared, broken, [and] I’m sharing this because I want people to know I’m only human. “I do feel victimised after these experiences and how can I mend this if I don’t talk about it?” Britney accused her sister Jamie Lynn Spears and her mom Lynne of failing to support her in her bid to leave a mental health facility. By contrast, the ‘Toxic’ singer could feel the love and support of her fans, many of whom joined the Free Britney campaign. The ‘Oops!… I Did It Again’ hitmaker – who is one of the best-selling artists of all time – said: “The whole thing that made it really confusing for me is these people are on the street fighting for me, but my sister and my mother aren’t doing anything. “To me it was like they secretly, honestly lied to me being the bad one, like I was messed up and they kind of just liked it that way. Otherwise, why weren’t they outside my doorstep saying, ‘Baby girl, get in the car, let’s go’?” Britney committed herself wholeheartedly to her work amid her conservatorship. However, she was left feeling discarded by her family. She shared: “To me, the thing was, I think, the trauma of all of it and just the whole thing together and going down to how much effort and work and heart I put into what I did when I did work, even down to the details of how many rhinestones are gonna be in my costume. And I cared so much and they literally killed me. “They threw me away. That’s what I felt, I felt like my family threw me away.” View the full article

Published by Radar Online MEGA Tom Cruise and Elisabeth Moss — two of the Church of Scientology’s most famous followers — are being dragged into a nasty dispute with the assistant of Leah Remini who claimed she was held against her will during her time at the church, Radar has learned. Valerie Haney filed a lawsuit against The Church of Scientology in 2019. In court documents, Haney explained she was born into the religion in 1979. Both of her parents were members. As a child, Haney said she lived in Clearwater, Florida where Scientology has its headquarters. At age 15, Haney said she signed Scientology’s billion-year contract with the church promising to stay committed to its goal. She alleged she was made to do manual labor seven days a week. Eventually, she said she was able to escape but not before being forced to sign a document by church officials. “During the routing out process, I was made to sign the departure documents in a room with only Scientology’s general counsel and a man armed with a gun,” Haney said in her lawsuit. “I do not know any of the contents of the documents I signed. I was not given copies of the documents. I signed any document that was given to me because I just wanted it to be over and to get out of there.” In 2018, Haney appeared on Remini’s A&E show Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath where she spoke about her time in the church. This led to a video being produced entitled “Valerie Haney: Leah’s Paid Liar.” Haney believed the church was behind the video that contained false and defamatory information. In response, the Church of Scientology demanded the dispute be moved to the church’s internal religious arbitration process pointing to the document signed by Haney. Scientologists run the proceedings. The Church of Scientology denies the allegations in Haney’s lawsuit and disputed the claim that there was a man with a gun in the room with her. The Church of Scientology was successful in having the case moved to arbitration where the parties are fighting now. According to Tony Ortega from The Underground Bunker, Haney and the church are going back in forth over who will preside over the proceedings. Last month, Haney wrote a letter to the church to start the arbitration process. The first step is she is allowed to pick one representative from the church, the church picks another and then those two people pick a third. Haney said she picked Elisabeth Moss as a proposed arbitrator. However, she was informed Moss had declined the nomination to serve and was told to pick another person. In response, Haney told the Church of Scientology she wants Tom Cruise to be the arbitrator. She told them if Tom isn’t available she’ll take Shelly Miscavige as a third option. Shelley is the wife of the leader of the church, David Miscavige. Remini previously filed a missing person’s report with the LAPD over Shelley but officers said they had confirmed David’s wife was fine. Remini argued the officers never explained if they saw Shelly in person or only spoke to a person who identified themselves as Shelley on a phone call. RadarOnline.com has reached out to the Church for comment. As RadarOnline.com previously reported, the Church of Scientology is also involved in a civil lawsuit brought by Danny Masterson‘s accusers. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Demo Lovato regrets making her three documentaries. The ‘Confident’ singer has chronicled her struggles with mental health issues and addiction in three films, 2012’s ‘Demi Lovato: Stay Strong’, 2017’s ‘Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated’ and last year’s ‘Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil’, but she won’t be letting cameras into her personal life again any time soon because she is “really sick” of watching herself and wishes she had waited until she had “figured out” what works best for her. She told Alternative Press: “Honestly, I’m really sick of watching myself, and I think other people probably are too. And if they aren’t, then they can watch my music videos. “I wish I would have waited until I had my s*** figured out more because now it’s cemented. Sobriety is what works for me and nothing else.” However, the 30-year-old star won’t stop sharing her life with her fans. She added: “My story’s not done, so I want to be able to say by the time I’ve written a book, ‘OK, this is me grown up.’ “ Demi recently released a new album, ‘Holy Fvck’, and her rocky eighth record reflects who she really is. She said: “I’m in a new chapter of my life, and I want my music to reflect that.” The ‘Sorry Not Sorry’ hitmaker recently reverted back to using female pronouns after a time using gender neutral terms such as they/their and she suggested her gender identity will continue to “fluctuate”. She said: “The most important thing for me is that I’m a very fluid person, with sexuality and with gender identity, so not being married to anything in those regards is really important to me. “It’s very important that I stay true to who I am in the present moment. That’s going to change; it’ll fluctuate.” Demi feels frustrated with the way people try to “force” her to carry on as the person she used to be. Discussing her new song ‘Eat Me’, she said: “So many people want me to be a certain type of person. It’s like, ‘Do you miss her?’ That song was a clapback to all these people that still are in the comments on the internet — that I see occasionally — that try to force me into the mould that I used to be or what they want me to be now.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Chris Rock claims he turned down an offer to host the Oscars in 2023. The 57-year-old comedian – who previously helmed the Academy Awards in 2005 and 2016 – has declined to return to host following the incident at this year’s ceremony when he was slapped by Will Smith on stage after making a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith. As reported by MailOnline and other outlets, Rock was performing a stand-up comedy show in Phoenix, Arizona over the weekend when he addressed the situation. He referenced the murder of OJ Simpson’s late wife Nicola Brown Simpson, saying that the offer for him to return would be like asking her “to go back to the restaurant”. It’s said he also revealed he was asked to do a Super Bowl commercial in the aftermath of the incident, but also turned down the offer. An audience member urged him to “talk about” the slap, and he referenced Smith’s role as Muhammad Ali in 2001’s ‘Ali’. He added: “He’s bigger than me. The state of Nevada would not sanction a fight between me and Will Smith.” Smith struck Rock across the face on less than an hour before picking up his Best Actor statuette for his role in ‘King Richard’ at the Oscars back in March. Last month, he apologised and reached out to Rock publicly, while claiming he had been hurt both “psychologically and emotionally” by the incident. He said: “It’s all fuzzy. I will say to you, Chris, I apologise to you. My behavior was unacceptable and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk. “I hate when I let people down. So it hurts, it hurts me psychologically and emotionally to know I didn’t live up to people’s image and impression of me. “And the work I’m trying to do is, I am deeply remorseful and I’m trying to be remorseful without being ashamed of myself. “I’m human and I made a mistake, and I’m trying not to think of myself as a piece of s***.” View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Michael Jackson’s death from drug-induced cardiac arrest was “inevitable” and many people are reportedly to blame for the pop star’s tragic passing, Radar has learned. The shocking revelation was recently made by Orlando Martinez, a detective with the Los Angeles Police Department, during an upcoming documentary. Mega According to Detective Martinez, Jackson’s death in June 2009 was not only “inevitable,” but he believes it was “amazing” the 50-year-old King of Pop did not pass away sooner. “I really do believe that this death was inevitable,” Martinez said while recording the upcoming documentary. “Michael was going to get what he wanted. And if you said no, he would find someone who would do it for him.” He added, “There are a lot of folks who are to blame that have never had a reckoning for his death.” Previously, only Jackson’s personal physician at the time of his death – Dr. Conrad Murray – was blamed for the “Billie Jean” singer’s death from drug-induced cardiac arrest. Dr. Conrad MurrayMega Dr. Murray was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in November 2011, and was released from prison in 2013 after serving half of his 4-year sentence for involuntarily manslaughter. But according to Dr. Murray, who is also featured and interviewed in the upcoming documentary focusing on Jackson’s death, he was not the only doctor prescribing the “Smooth Criminal” singer the medication that led to his untimely death. In fact, Dr. Murray claimed he had successfully “weaned” Jackson off the medication, Propofol, just a few days before the singer and dancer passed away in June 2009 – although Murray further admitted he administered other drugs to help Jackson sleep the night of his death. “I will always love Michael,” Murray said during his interview for the upcoming doc, although he also revealed it “was not right” he was the only one forced to be punished for the pop legend’s premature passing. Mega Murray also claimed he was “manipulated” by the pop star because Jackson never revealed he was battling drug addiction when he hired the heart surgeon and cardiologist to be his personal physician in 2006. Michael Jackson ultimately passed away the night of June 25, 2009, at the Holmy Hills, Los Angeles home he was renting at the time. View the full article

Published by Raw Story By Travis Gettys A Southern Baptist youth minister from Arkansas is accused of sexually abusing more than two dozen boys. Keenan Hord, of Centerton, was arrested Wednesday in connection with investigations into sexual assault, sexual indecency and child pornography, although prosecutors have not formally charged the former youth minister who served at least two churches, reported the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. “We have been devastated to learn that a former employee of our church has been credibly accused of abusing adolescents during his tenure at our church,” said First Baptist Bentonville s… Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet By Brandon Gage Former Republican South Carolina Governor and United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has responded to Politico’s report from last Friday that the names of dark money donors to her nonprofit had been leaked to the publication. “The organization Documented, which describes itself as a nonpartisan government watchdog that investigates money in politics, obtained an unredacted copy of Stand For America’s 2019 filings, which it then shared with POLITICO,” the outlet explained. “The group did not share the original source of the filing, but it bears a stamp from t… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters UK By Andrea Shalal and Pavel Polityuk MYKOLAIV, Ukraine/KYIV (Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has urged Russian soldiers to flee for their lives after his forces launched an offensive to retake southern Ukraine, but Moscow said it had repulsed the attack and inflicted heavy losses on Kyiv’s troops. Ukraine said on Monday its ground forces had gone on the offensive in the south for the first time after a long period of striking Russian supply lines, in particular bridges across the strategically important Dnipro River, and ammunition dumps. “If they want to survive, it’s time fo… Read More View the full article

Published by DPA Mehmet Özata holds a bag made from the skin of the puffer fish up to the camera. Pufferfish are a plague in the Mediterranean Sea, causing problems for fishermen and threatening local stocks. Anne Pollmann/dpa Mehmet Özata lays out his colourful collection of leather products, from purses to key rings, all made from the skin puffer fish, an invasive species that has been terrorizing the Turkish coast for decades. An engineer in Alanya, near Antalya, Özata has been working with local universities to create a sustainable leather made from the skins of puffer fish. While his project is still at an early stage and output depends on the size of local catches, his products are attracting interest from Russia to the Middle East, Özata says. Plus, they are raising awareness of the problem. Native to the Indo-West Pacific, the puffer fish has been destroying local fish populations in the Mediterranean for almost two decades. Too toxic to eat, silver-cheeked toadfish can grow up to a metre in length and weigh some 7 kilogrammes. The fish reproduce faster than any predators able to hunt them. They first came to the Mediterranean after the Suez Canal opened in the 19th century. The species now causes annual losses of $2 million to $5 million for Turkish fishermen, according to estimates, as the fish tear through everything they have caught in their nets, from squid to crab, shrimp and octopus. Those who make their living from fishing say they are forced to replace their nets every few months. The Turkish government has been trying to encourage people to catch the invaders, offering a bounty of 12.5 Turkish liras (around 70 cents) for each fish. That is not enough, says fisherman Mehmet Gökmen, 55, who has been casting his nets off Alanya for 40 years. The money isn’t worth the effort, he told dpa while sitting in his boat. “It is such a curse, they hunt like like piranhas… Some friends consider leaving the business,” says Mahmut, another fisherman. The currency crisis, rising cost of living and soaring energy prices also weigh heavily on fishing businesses. Most are family run and many are now struggling to maintain their boats. Additionally, “stocks in Turkey aren’t managed very well and fishing is not regulated effectively, which means losses for fishermen,” Ekin Akoğlu from the Middle East Technical University in Ankara tells dpa. Akoğlu says a bonus system alone cannot contain the invasion, citing Cyprus, where higher sums on offer have failed to dent the problem over the past 10 years. He says it would be better to tackle the issue by commercializing use of the fish, by making their skins into leather or using them in a medical setting, for example. A university in İskenderun, some 530 kilometres east of Alanya, has been looking into ways to make the teeth of puffer fish into fillings and crowns for dentistry, according to local media. Ever since he read about a child whose finger had to be amputated after a puffer fish bite, entrepreneur Özata has wanted to help. He offers local fishermen like Gökmen 20 liras for catching one fish. It then takes 8 hours to process the skin into leather. Next, Özata works with local women to create the hand-made accessories. They need around seven fish skins, depending on their size, to make one handbag for example. They discard the remains of the fish as they are poisonous. With three helpers, fisherman Gökmen says he can catch around 100 puffer fish in the space of an hour. He has been pulling the puffer fish out of the water for the past two decades, he says. The leather is stronger than other leathers and the distinctive pattern of the fish skin is visible in the products, making it more attractive for buyers, Özata says. His programme is small scale but ambitious. “With the right investor and an effective social campaign, I am sure we can finally help mitigate this problem in a couple of years,” he says. Fisherman Mehmet Gökmen holds the skin of a puffer fish which has been preserved in salt and then frozen. Anne Pollmann/dpa Leather from the skin of the puffer fish. The fish species is destroying the ecological balance in the Mediterranean, harming local fish populations and causing problems for fishing. Anne Pollmann/dpa Engineer Mehmet Özata holds the leather made from the skin of the puffer fish up to the camera. Pufferfish are preying on local fish stocks in the Mediterranean Sea, causing problems for the fishing industry. Anne Pollmann/dpa Leather made from the skin of the puffer fish. The fish species is causing problems for fishermen and threatening local stocks. Anne Pollmann/dpa View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Laverne Cox has laughed off being “mistaken” for Beyonce at the US Open on Monday night (29.08.22). The 50-year-old actress was at Flushing Meadows to cheer on her showbiz pal Serena Williams and Laverne noted that she’d been widely mistaken for the ‘Crazy in Love’ hitmaker on social media. Laverne – who was seen among the crowd sporting an all-black outfit and a matching black face mask – wrote on Instagram: “Not me getting mistaken for @Beyonce at the #USOpen tonight then trending on Twitter as the internet cackles over the mistaken identity. These tweets are funny as hell. Enjoy!!! “Go @serenawilliams #GOAT #SerenaWilliams #Beyonce (sic)” Laverne – who is best known for playing Sophia Burset in ‘Orange Is the New Black’ – also re-posted some of the messages on social media. One read: “Was Beyonce at the US Open or not? This Bey/Laverne Cox confusion is sending me [tears emoji] (sic)” Another simply said: “#Beyonce at the #USOpen (sic)” Meanwhile, Laverne and Beyonce have both been vocal in their support for Serena, 40, during her career. The actress previously tweeted: “Who’s the greatest of all time? @serenawilliams that’s who. Ok I am getting a bit turnt up over this match. #FrenchOpen. Shes is a #fighter (sic)” The Grand Slam-winning star is actually set to retire from tennis after the US Open. Serena – who has Alexis, four, with her husband Alexis Ohanian – announced the news in a social media post in August. She said at the time: “There comes a time in life when you have to decide to move in a different direction.That time is always hard when you love something so much. My goodness do I enjoy tennis. But now, the countdown has begun. I have to focus on being a mom, my spiritual goals and finally discovering a different, but just exciting Serena. I’m gonna relish these next few weeks [heart emojis] (sic)” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Stella McCartney has “challenged” herself to be “responsible” with her new skincare line. The 50-year-old fashion designer – who is the daughter of Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney and his late wife Linda – has teamed up with luxury brand LVMH to create skincare range STELLA and has “transferred the key principles” of veganism and cruelty-free production from her fashion house over to her new venture. She said: “At every stage I have challenged myself to make the most responsible decisions, that ranges from the mode of transportation (maximising sea-freight over air-freight), to banning single use products through the innovative refill system we implemented. I’ve also transferred key principles from my fashion house to my skincare line. It was important to me that the brand and the products needed to have my vegan and cruelty free principles at its heart. I’m proud to say that we have been accredited by the Cruelty-Free International Leaping Bunny Programme and the Vegan Society. That’s not to say it’s been easy, nor that the products are perfect.” Stella has launched three skincare products as part of the brand in the form of a reset cleanser, a restorative cream, and a serum and admitted that she had been on an “explorative journey” in creating them but insisted she would “not use anything else” now. She told GlamourUK: “It was quite the explorative journey to create these products – it was three years in the making and we banned almost 2000 ingredients where we considered the production or extraction process to be polluting. I also didn’t want to compromise on results. Our clinical results are really impressive, and I wouldn’t use anything else on my skin now!” Shop the collection at https://www.lvmh.com/houses/perfumes-cosmetics/stella-by-stella-mccartney/. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Ewan McGregor thought he was too “urban grunge” to appear in ‘Star Wars’. The 51-year-old star played Obi-Wan Kenobi in the prequel trilogy of the sci-fi franchise but revealed that he nearly turned down the part as he wanted more indie roles following his success in ‘Trainspotting’. Ewan told the ‘Smartless’ podcast: “I really had to think about it. Because it came right after that ‘Trainspotting’ period, and by that time I was so full of myself.” The actor quipped: “I was like, ‘I am Danny Boyle’s actor. I am f****** urban grunge. I am the Oasis of the British movie industry’, and then when ‘Star Wars’ came around, I felt, ‘I don’t know if I want to do this. This isn’t me.’ “I was so into being this sort of antihero. I felt like an indie British actor. I felt like that defined me.” McGregor revealed that it was a childhood love of the franchise that ultimately persuaded him to take the part. The ‘Moulin Rouge!’ star recalled: “In the end, it just got closer and closer. By that time, I was just so attached to the idea of it from where I was a kid. To get a chance to be that character and play the younger Alec Guinness was pretty awesome. “I was almost grateful to be involved in something that big and to be part of the legend of it, because I loved it. When I was a kid, I loved those films. I was six or seven when the first one came out. It’s in me somehow.” Ewan, who reprised his role as the Jedi for the Disney+ spin-off series ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’, says that making the sci-fi films was hugely different from featuring in indie projects. He said: “It’s a different process. Those prequels, it was very much the challenge of trying to be believable in front of a blue curtain for four months.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Daniel Trotta (Reuters) – Jackson, Mississippi, will go without reliable drinking water indefinitely, officials said on Monday, after pumps at the main water treatment plant failed, leading to the emergency distribution of bottled water and tanker trucks for 180,000 people. The city linked the failure to complications from the flooding of the Pearl River, but Governor Tate Reeves, who declared a state of emergency, said the cause was unknown and that the city-run water treatment plant had been poorly operated and understaffed for years. In any case the capital city of 150,000 people and 30,000 in surrounding communities could go without running water indefinitely, as officials warned anyone with access to tap water should boil it for three minutes. Jackson, the state capital, is more than 80% Black or African American, according to U.S. Census data. “Do not drink the water,” Reeves told a hastily called news conference. “In too many cases, it is raw water from the reservoir being pushed through the pipes.” The city said recent flooding of the Pearl River created complications at the O.B. Curtis water treatment plant, which sits next to a reservoir that drains into the river just north of town. The town has been under a boiled water alert for a month. Reeves said the motors powering the plant’s pumps went out recently, leaving it to operate on backup pumps, which failed on Monday. The state would establish an incident command center at the plant early Tuesday, hoping to re-establish operations. “Until it is if fixed, it means we do not have reliable running water at scale. It means the city cannot produce enough water to fight fires, to reliably flush toilets, and to meet other critical needs,” Reeves said. The crisis exposed a gulf between the Republican governor and the Democratic mayor of Jackson, Chokwe Antar Lumumba. Reeves said he did not invite Lumumba to Monday’s news conference and said, “I can’t comment on what effect the flooding may or may not have had.” The city operates the area’s two water treatment plants, the O.B. Curtis plant, which treats 50 million gallons (227,300 cubic meters) per day, and the Fewell plant, whose normal production of 20 million was increased to 30 million gallons, officials said. Because water pressure dropped system-wide, officials could not guarantee running water, and they did not know how many homes were affected. In the meantime, Jackson Public Schools said they would shift to online learning starting Tuesday. The city and state were both distributing bottled drinking water and non-potable water for toilets, which the governor called a “massively complicated logistical task.” (Reporting by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Bradley Perrett and Stephen Coates) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Natalie Grover LONDON (Reuters) -It is possible to eliminate the monkeypox outbreak in Europe, World Health Organization officials said on Tuesday, highlighting evidence that case counts are slowing in a handful of countries. There are encouraging signs of a sustained week-on-week decline in the onset of cases in many European countries, including France, Germany, Portugal, Spain and Britain, as well as a slowdown in some parts of the United States, despite scarce vaccine supplies. “We believe we can eliminate sustained human-to-human transmission of monkeypox in the (European) region,” said WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge. “To move towards elimination…we need to urgently step up our efforts.” The rollout of Bavarian Nordic’s monkeypox vaccine has been affected by limited supply of the shot, which is also approved to prevent smallpox, although regulators are taking steps to stretch out existing stocks. U.S., European Union and British regulators have backed changing the way the vaccine is administered by injecting a smaller amount of the shot intradermally, which increases by fivefold the doses that can be used from one vial. In addition to the vaccine supply crunch, given the time it takes to deploy the vaccine and for it to take effect, the significant factors behind the slowdown appear to be earlier detection, which leads to patients isolating themselves sooner, and behavioural changes, Catherine Smallwood, senior emergency officer and monkeypox incident manager at WHO/Europe said in a press briefing. “We do have some pretty good anecdotal evidence that people – particularly men who have sex with men who are in particular risk groups – are much more informed about the disease.” More than 47,600 confirmed cases in 90 countries where monkeypox is not endemic have been reported since early May. The WHO has declared the outbreak a global health emergency. COVID, POLIO Meanwhile, cases of COVID-19 and other respitory viruses are also expected to see an uptick this autumn and winter, as is typically the case in the cooler months, WHO officials said. The preventative measures that kept seasonal flu at bay in 2021 and 2020, for instance, are no longer in place – so it may not be a typical flu season this year, Smallwood said. Separately, polio, a deadly disease that used to paralyze tens of thousands of children every year, is spreading in London, New York and Jerusalem for the first time in decades, spurring catch-up vaccination campaigns. The cases appear to be linked to so-called vaccine-derived polio, which rarely stems from the use of an oral polio vaccine containing weakened live virus. After children are vaccinated, they shed virus in their faeces for a few weeks. In under-vaccinated communities, this can lead to a spread of the disease, which may mutate back to a harmful version of the virus. While countries like Britain and the United States no longer use this live vaccine, others do – particularly to stop outbreaks – which allows for polio to spread globally. The evidence suggests the polio virus detected in all three locations appears to be genetically linked, said WHO/Europe’s vaccination expert, Siddhartha Datta. But what remains to be investigated is whether there are links around the cases, he said. (Reporting by Natalie Grover in London; Editing by Robert Birsel and Bernadette Baum) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Charli XCX was “always up for getting down and dirty” during her younger years. The 30-year-old pop star began her career at warehouse parties and small clubs when she was still a teenager, and Charli has confessed to missing the chaos of the early days. The ‘Boom Clap’ hitmaker said: “When I was younger, I was always up for getting down and dirty. I miss the ease and the fun of those shows, for sure.” Charli has even made a concerted effort to recapture the feeling she had during her teens. She told the BBC: “Five years ago, I used to request that my dressing room be trashed, like there’d just been a party in there. It was fun for about two weeks and then we were kind of just sitting in a literal mess. “Now it’s definitely a lot more health-orientated backstage – Kombucha and echinacea tablets. Real rock star stuff.” Charli’s stage shows have evolved markedly over the years. And she’s now feeling much more confident about her dance moves. The chart-topping star shared: “Now I’m 30, I realised I’d never learned a new skill and mastered it from the ground up. “So, whilst dancing isn’t exactly a giant leap away from music, I really was not a good dancer at all, so I spent months and months learning and training. “And I’m just really proud of myself for being able to start from nothing and end up with something that’s really cool.” Charli – whose real name is Charlotte Aitchison – also tried, and failed, to master another skill during the COVID-19 lockdown. The singer explained: “I had a brief cooking phase in the lockdown. I’m afraid that didn’t really get past the beginner stages.” View the full article

Published by DPA As Germany's three-month affordable mobility experiment ends, figures show many of those buying the €9 monthly ticket were using rail and bus options instead of cars. Transport officials and commuters are now calling for the one-time-only campaign to be continued. Christoph Soeder/dpa After tens of millions of ticket sales, Germany’s mobility experiment allowing travellers unlimited access to regional and urban trains and buses has been deemed a success in reducing the number of people driving cars. The €9 ($9) monthly ticket, which allowed people to use all of Germany’s regional and local transportation networks – but not high-speed trains – in June, July and August, was sold 52 million times nationwide, transport officials have announced. The Association of German Transport Companies (VDV), announcing the final tally at the end of the three months of reduced mobility costs, hailed the campaign as a complete success. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has been among those praising his government’s €9 transport pass, calling it “one of the best ideas we had,” earlier in August. Against the backdrop of rising fuel prices, inflation rates, climate change and city spaces crowded with cars, the ticket was introduced in June as a historic one-off experiment designed to help citizens keep costs down. In addition, Berlin wants to encourage people to switch to public transport in the interests of climate protection. Indeed, a recent poll showed that almost one in three people were using the ticket for transport on routes they normally used by car. Some 31% of adults said they frequently used the promotional ticket on routes they would otherwise have taken by car, according to a YouGov survey conducted for dpa. A further 18% said they had totally replaced their vehicle with local public transport. In contrast, 22% used the discounted ticket only rarely on routes where they would otherwise have travelled by car. According to the survey, 28% of Germans have bought a €9 ticket at least once. A further 22% already had a local transport subscription and benefited from a corresponding discount. VDV officials are among a chorus of people in Germany now calling for a swift follow-up solution for the ticket. “If we are serious about the transport transition and climate change, we must act now,” said VDV Managing Director Oliver Wolff. Environmental groups have also called for the experiment to be made permanent, given the likelihood of reduced carbon emissions from fewer cars on the roads. According to research by Greenpeace, the mobility shift from continuing such an affordable ticket would reduce CO2 emissions by 2 to 6 million tonnes per year, given the assumption that such a ticket would increase the incentive to travel longer distances by regional trains and not by car. At the same time, households would save between €224 and €474 per month with such a ticket, compared to the exclusive use of a car. Affordable mobility also impacted across a wide variety of trips, and was not just limited to daily commuters ditching their cars for bus and rail. According to the poll, one in two used the €9-ticket primarily for private journeys. Just under a quarter of those surveyed used it mainly to travel to work, while just as many used it primarily for tourist trips and excursions. Survey results showed that the majority of Germans – 55% – only want to continue regular use of public transport if a similarly priced ticket is available again. Despite calls for more affordable mobility, public transit costs are initially set to return to their previous levels, however. Monthly travel tickets typically cost many multiples more than €9 (a standard monthly Berlin urban transit ticket costs €86) and, unlike the limited €9 ticket, are valid only in one German city or region. View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Ghislaine Maxwell has reportedly become best friends with a convicted double murderer being imprisoned in the same Florida prison as the convicted sex offender, Radar has learned. Maxwell and Narcy Novak – an infamous double killer who murdered her millionaire ex-husband, Ben Novack Jr., and his mother, Bernice Novack, in 2009 – have reportedly developed a close friendship in FCI Tallahassee. Mega According to an FCI Tallahassee source who recently dished on the pair’s friendship, Maxwell “gravitated” towards Novak in July and the two “spend hours talking, laughing and joking.” “Once inside, Ghislaine gravitated towards Narcy,” the source told The Mirror on Monday. “Because of her length of time inside and the brutality of her crime, she is treated like a female don.” “Ghislaine will have a modicum of protection through her friendship, but given their ages and millionaire backgrounds, they were always destined to get on well,” the source added. “Together, they spend hours talking, laughing and joking.” Novak was jailed in FCI Tallahassee in 2012, shortly after being convicted of her ex-husband and former mother-in-law’s July 2009 murders. Mega As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Maxwell was convicted on December 29 for five out of six charges connected to recruiting, grooming and trafficking underage girls over a ten-year period between 1994 and 2004. Maxwell was moved to the Federal Correctional Institute on July 25, nearly one month after she was sentenced to 20 years in prison for recruiting and grooming the underage girls for the late billionaire and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. “Ms. Maxwell worked with Epstein to select young victims who were vulnerable and played a pivotal role in facilitating sexual abuse,” Judge Alison Nathan said during the sentencing trial in June. “The damage done to these young girls was incalculable.” But despite Maxwell and Novak’s long prison sentences, sources have compared FCI Tallahassee to a “holiday camp” because the inmates can partake in a series of activities, including: exercise sessions, work periods, softball, flag football, and frisbee. Mega Maxwell is reportedly expected to teach her fellow inmates both yoga and English, although she will also be offered the opportunity to take part in apprenticeships focused on electricity, plumbing, horticulture, and baking. Novak is currently serving a life-sentence at FCI Tallahassee for her crimes, while Maxwell is expected to complete her sentence around 2042. She will be 80-years-old when released. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Ross Kerber (Reuters) -Top New York City and California pension officials want payments processors Visa Inc, Mastercard Inc and American Express to create a new tool to track suspicious gun purchases. Staff for New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who oversees pension funds, said he has filed shareholder resolutions at Mastercard and American Express asking their boards to explain their views on whether to add a new “merchant category code” for firearms stores. Lander and a California State Teachers’ Retirement System portfolio manager made a similar request to Visa, whose deadline for 2023 shareholder proposals has passed. In Aug. 29 letters to the three companies seen by Reuters, the pension officials wrote such codes would help financial firms meet obligations to report suspicious purchases, and noted the four-digit codes are already assigned to specialized businesses like bowling alleys. Currently, “banks and payment networks cannot readily identify sales made by standalone gun and ammunition retailers,” the officials wrote. A Mastercard representative said it is reviewing the issue and that it aims to support “all legal purchases while protecting the privacy and decisions of individual cardholders.” Representatives for Visa and American Express did not immediately comment. U.S. gun-rights activists say new codes could open the door to unauthorized police surveillance. An international standards body would implement code changes. New York City Mayor Eric Adams, with representatives on pension fund boards, supports calls for the new codes, a representative said. Mass shootings this year including an April 12 attack in New York’s subway system that left 23 injured have continued a long-running U.S. debate over gun control. While still subject to investor approval, the resolutions mark a new tactic for activists who have successfully pressed firearms makers directly in some cases. But a measure in April asking Mastercard to report on payments involving untraceable “ghost guns” won support from only 10% of shareholder votes cast. (Reporting by Ross Kerber in Boston; Editing by Lincoln Feast) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Beanie Feldstein taught her ‘Funny Girl’ co-star “so much” about coping with “ups and downs”. The ‘Booksmart’ actress cut short her run in the Broadway production at the end of July amid lukewarm reviews and a lack of recognition in the Tony Awards nominations but Jared Grimes has praised the 29-year-old star for refusing to be a “victim” and showing her strength. Speaking on the Broadway Podcast network’s ‘The Art of Kindness’, he said: “She’s super strong. I mean she’s super duper strong and she’s been through a lot and you would never even know. I think to see somebody that’s battle tested in that way and is still able to be secure with themselves and lead with kindness. I mean I learned so much. You really see what somebody’s made of by the way that they handle those ups and downs. “You can choose to be a victim or you can choose to use those ups and those downs to fuel you in the direction of your dreams even more. She’s an example of somebody who’s had all the weight of the world on her since she stepped into the industry and she’s handled it in some of the most stand-up ways that I’ve ever seen anybody handle anything. “I’ve learned so much from Beanie Feldstein and I hope that we all can learn from how strong of a person she is and will continue to be.” Beanie previously insisted it was an “extremely difficult decision'” to walk away from the show. In a statement, she explained: “Playing Fanny Brice on Broadway has been a lifelong dream of mine, and doing so for the last few months has been a great joy and true honour. “Once the production decided to take the show in a different direction, I made the extremely difficult decision to step away sooner than anticipated.” Beanie went on: “I will never forget this experience and from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank every single person who came to the August Wilson (theatre) for the love and support you have shown me and our amazing cast and crew. “ It later emerged Beanie had been due to continue in ‘Funny Girl’ for another six months beyond September, but show bosses trimmed her contract and the actress then made the decision to leave at the end of July. A representative for the show told PEOPLE: “The producers decided to take the show in a different direction and end Beanie’s contract on September 25th, six months earlier than anticipated. A month after that decision, Beanie decided it was best for her to leave on July 31st. The producers were aware of and in support of her decision. The producers and Beanie worked on this together professionally, respectfully, and graciously.” View the full article