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Published by Reuters By Philip Pullella ROME (Reuters) – Italy’s Catholic bishops said on Friday they would commission a report on clerical sexual abuse in the past two years and a separate analysis going back to 2000, disappointing victims who wanted a thorough investigation going back many decades. Earlier on Friday, victim groups held a small protest near the Vatican embassy to Italy, at which activists carried boards with pictures of men and women with blood-stained underwear. The bishops announced their decision in a statement on a number of issues at the end of a week of meetings, during which they elected Cardinal Matteo Zuppi of Bologna as the new president of their national conference. It said an unspecified academic research centre would issue an independent report on cases of abuse reported to Church authorities in 2020-2021. There would be a separate analysis of Church data on abuse between 2000-2021, adding that it would be carried out “in collaboration with independent research institutes”. Zuppi, who is seen as a progressive, told a news conference the two-year report would be ready by November but did not say when the two-decade analysis would start. Victims groups expressed frustration. They had called for an overarching independent investigation going back to at least part of the past century similar to those carried out in France and Germany.. Francesco Zanardi, 51, head of Rete l’Abuso (The Abuse Network), which has one of the largest digital archives on clerical sexual abuse in Italy, said starting the analysis from the year 2000 would exclude many cases like his. Zanardi was abused by a priest before 2000 in northern Italy who was later moved to other parishes, where he abused other minors. “The sensitivity the Church says it has for the suffering of victims falls flat on its face because this choice includes an automatic cutoff,” Zanardi said. “Our battle will go on,” said Ludovica Eugenio of ItalyChurchToo, a coalition of nine groups of victims and victims advocates. Zuppi said the analysis was not going back further because it was difficult to judge the past by today’s standards. “There is no desire to cover up anything … we are not running away from anything,” he said. Victims like Zanardi say there are hundreds of cases where Church authorities either failed to intervene, covered up, or acted too late to stop abuse from being repeated. The worldwide sexual abuse crisis has done the Roman Catholic Church massive damage to its credibility and cost hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements, with some dioceses in other countries declaring bankruptcy. (Reporting by Philip Pullella; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Jodie Foster is to star in season four of ‘True Detective’. The 59-year-old actress – who shot to fame as a child star in Disney hits such as ‘Freaky Friday’ and ‘Candleshoe’ before going on to Oscar-winning success with more mature roles in ‘The Accused’ and ‘Silence of the Lambs’ – has been cast as Liz Danvers in the HBO crime drama for its upcoming season, according to Deadline. Jodie – who has not appeared in a regular role on television since ‘Paper Moon’ back in 1974 and most recently guest-starred on ‘The Simpsons’ as the voice of usually-silent character Maggie back in 2009 – will be investigating the mysterious disappearances of six people from a research station in Ennis, Alaska in the series. A description from HBO reads: “When the long winter night falls in Ennis, Alaska, the six men that operate the Tsalal Arctic Research Station vanish without a trace. To solve the case, Detectives Liz Danvers and Evangeline Navarro will have to confront the darkness they carry in themselves, and dig into the haunting truths that lie buried under the eternal ice.” Jodie will also serve as executive producer for the upcoming series of the hit drama while scripts will be penned by Issa Lopez – who has previously worked on ‘Tigers Are Not Afraid’ and Secondary Effects’ – along with Alan Page Arriaga. Further details of the drama – which previously starred Matthew McConaughey, Rachel McAdams, and Carmen Ejogo – are not available but it has been reported that the series remains in the development process. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Mrinalika Roy and Emma Farge GENEVA (Reuters) -Countries should take quick steps to contain the spread of monkeypox and share data about their vaccine stockpiles, a senior World Health Organization official said on Friday. “We think that if we put in place the right measures now we probably can contain this easily,” Sylvie Briand, WHO director for Global Infectious Hazard Preparedness, told the U.N. agency’s annual assembly. Monkeypox is a usually mild viral infection that is endemic in parts of west and central Africa. It spreads chiefly through close contact and until the recent outbreak, was rarely seen in other parts of the world, which is why the recent emergence of cases in Europe, the United States and other areas has raised alarms. So far, there are about 300 confirmed or suspected cases in around 20 countries where the virus was not previously circulating. “For us, we think that the key priority currently is trying to contain this transmission in non-endemic countries,” Briand told a technical briefing for member states. Needed measures included the early detection and isolation of cases and contact tracing, she added. Member states should also share information about first generation stockpiles of smallpox vaccines which can also be effective against monkeypox, Briand said. “We don’t know exactly the number of doses available in the world and so that’s why we encourage countries to come to WHO and tell us what are their stockpiles,” she said. A slide of her presentation described global supplies as “very constrained”. Currently, WHO officials are advising against mass vaccination, instead suggesting targeted vaccination where available for close contacts of people infected. “Case investigation, contact tracing, isolation at home will be your best bets,” said Rosamund Lewis, WHO head of the smallpox secretariat which is part of the WHO Emergencies Programme. (Editing by Andrew Heavens) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jan Wolfe (Reuters) – The U.S. Justice Department on Friday extended its streak of victories in jury trials against rioters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, securing a guilty verdict in its prosecution of a New Jersey man facing a felony charge. After less than a day of deliberation, a federal jury in the District of Columbia found Timothy Hale-Cusanelli guilty of all five counts he faced, including obstruction of an official proceeding, a felony carrying a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden will sentence Hale-Cusanelli on Sept. 16. Hale-Cusanelli is a former member of the U.S. Army Reserves who works as a Navy contractor with a “secret” security clearance and access to weapons, prosecutors said. An informant told investigators that Hale-Cusanelli was “an avowed white supremacist and Nazi sympathizer” who posts online videos espousing extreme political opinions, the Justice Department alleged in court filings. Hale-Cusanelli was the fifth Capitol riot defendant to take his case to a jury trial. The Justice Department has secured convictions in all five cases. Prosecutors have been less successful in the two cases to culminate in non-jury trials. Both of those trials were overseen by McFadden, who partially acquitted one defendant while fully acquitting another. Video footage from the riot showed Hale-Cusanelli yelling at police officers outside the Capitol complex and entering the building after it was breached. Hale-Cusanelli’s defense lawyer argued that his client did not realize Congress was counting electoral votes on Jan. 6, 2021, and therefore lacked a criminal intent. Thousands of people stormed the Capitol that day to try to keep Congress from certifying current President Joe Biden’s victory over then-President Donald Trump, a Republican. More than 800 face criminal charges. (Reporting by Jan Wolfe; Editing by David Gregorio) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Johnny Depp is rumoured to be making his post-trial film comeback by starring in Beetlejuice 2. Fans have flooded social media with the claim after they noticed the embattled actor’s name seemed to appear on a call sheet found when they said they searched for the upcoming Beetlejuice 2, set for release in 2025, on Google. Alongside Depp are Michael Keaton, 70, and Winona Ryder, 50, both of whom are rumoured to be reprising their roles from director Tim Burton’s 1988 original. The rumours started making the rounds ahead of the jury in Depp’s defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard, 36, being dismissed to deliberate on the feud. The 1998 film revolved around a dead married couple – played by Alec Baldwin, 64, and Geena Davis, 66 – who are resurrected as gormless ghosts who become hell-bent on haunting an irritating family out of their dream home. Fans said they would be overjoyed to see Depp, 58, in the follow up – especially after his gruelling days in court fighting to prove he is not a domestic abuser. One said on social media: “Thrilled to see Johnny Depp added to the cast of Beetlejuice 2.” Another exclaimed: “I’m happy for Johnny!! Robert Downey Jr wants Johnny for the next ‘Sherlock Holmes’!” But other film fans cast doubt on the rumour, with one sceptic saying: “So you people did a Google search for ‘Beetlejuice 2’, saw his name pop up, and think that means he got cast in it? LMAO! I can see why you stand with him.” Ryder, who played goth Lydia Deetz in Beetlejuice and was engaged to Depp for three years from July 1990, has defended her ex-fiancé Depp throughout his legal battles. She said her experience with the actor Depp is “wildly different” than the allegations that Heard has made. Ryder said in court in July 2020: “I truly and honestly only know him as a really good man – an incredibly loving, extremely caring guy who was so very protective of me and the people that he loves, and I felt so very, very safe with him “I do not want to call anyone a liar but from my experience of Johnny, it is impossible to believe that such horrific allegations are true. I find it extremely upsetting, knowing him as I do.” Ryder – who also starred alongside Depp in ‘Edward Scissorhands’ – has said she is “hopeful” Beetlejuice 2 will go ahead. She confirmed on Tuesday (24.05.22) in an interview with USA Today she would be appearing in the cast by declaring: “I’m in! I’m definitely excited and I’m really hopeful that it’ll happen. “The only way we would do it is if everything was perfect and we had all the people – obviously Michael and obviously Tim,” The movie would again reunite Depp with his long-standing collaborator director Tim Burton, 63, who has cast Depp in eight of his films including ‘Ed Wood’ and ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Abba are said to need £140 million to cover the costs of their hologram concerts after splashing out on ‘Abba-tars’ made by George Lucas’ special effects firm. The Swedes returned to stage on Thursday (26.05.22) for the first time in 40 years with an avatar-led show in their purpose-built arena at London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford. Bandmate Benny Andersson’s son Ludvig Andersson, 40, who is the project’s music producer, told ‘The Telegraph’ newspaper no band had tried a virtual performance before as “it’s so bloody expensive”. He added: “We also need lots of people to come and see it for a very long time.” ‘The Times’ estimates the band will need to recoup £140 million to cover costs of their immersive digital show, which is already critically acclaimed by the world’s leading music writers. The 95-minute high-tech concert was created by the four members of Abba – Agnetha Fältskog, 72, Björn Ulvaeus, 77, Benny Andersson, 75, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, 76 – dressing up in motion-capture suits to pre-record the performance. The voices and movements are the real quartet, but the performers onstage at the 3,000-capacity venue are their digital avatars, created using motion capture and other technology by Industrial Light and Magic, founded by ‘Star Wars’ director George Lucas, 78. The show could run in London for three more years or go elsewhere to regain its costs. Andersson told ‘Variety’ about future plans for the show: “We’ll see. This has to get on its feet first. We have to see how attractive it is. We’ve sold 380,000 tickets or so. “It’s good for a couple months. We need to see if it sells more tickets. But there will be promoters coming in from the US to see if there’s something that will be suitable for their market. “I think we’re exactly in the right spot here in London. The English people have always treated us like we were theirs for some odd reason, for which I’m very humbly grateful.” The band took a risky but “very appealing” decision to shun corporate sponsors after a bad experience when the band were in their pomp. Ulvaeus said: “The last commercial we ever did was 1975. It was for a Japanese TV brand called National, and we did some ludicrous changes to Fernando. We felt so ridiculous doing it, so never again.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) – While nearly all attention will be focused next week on Queen Elizabeth as she celebrates her 70th anniversary on the throne this year, for those with eyes on the future of the British monarchy, attention is switching to her grandson Prince William. The British royals have suffered a bruising couple of years with the U.S. sex abuse lawsuit against Elizabeth’s son Andrew, Prince Harry, William’s younger brother, quitting duties to move to the United States in 2020, and police investigating alleged wrongdoing at the main charity of son and heir Prince Charles. With the health of the popular 96-year-old queen an increasing source of concern, forcing her to pull out of public engagements, her Platinum Jubilee will mark not just a time to reflect on her past, but to look ahead. Most polls show a majority of the British public support the monarchy, and, while his 73-year-old father commands less popularity, William – the second in line to the throne – and his wife Kate are the most liked royals after the queen. But, surveys also suggest those aged under 50 are far more ambivalent about the institution. “The future does rest on Prince William,” Matthew Dennison, a biographer of the queen, said. “And we all know that public opinion can be unkind.” A decade ago, amid celebrations for Elizabeth’s then Diamond Jubilee, there was a notable moment when she greeted crowds from the balcony of Buckingham Palace accompanied by Charles, his wife Camilla, William and his wife Kate, and Harry. It reflected the long understood plan of Charles to slim down the monarchy effectively to his immediate family when he became king. But the shock exit of Harry and his wife Meghan to the United States has put paid to that, placing even more pressure on William, 39, and his young family to maintain the institution’s long term viability and popularity while navigating a rapidly changing society. ‘LAST OF THE MOHICANS’ “William is the key person because William is going to be king one day,” said Charles Rae, a former royal correspondent at the Sun newspaper. “He’s the last of the Mohicans, basically. I think an awful lot rests on William’s shoulders for the future of the monarchy.” William and Kate, 40, have enjoyed highly positive media coverage over the last five years as one of the world’s most glamorous couples with Hollywood star appeal. The prince has shaken off the “work-shy Wills” nickname British tabloids gave him in the last decade when they suggested the couple were lazy. “To be honest I’m going to get plenty of criticism over my lifetime and it’s something that I don’t completely ignore but it’s not something I take completely to heart,” he said in a 2016 interview to mark the queen’s 90th birthday. William has also received much praise for his work on mental health, homelessness and the environment, but the couple’s recent tour of the Caribbean was a wake-up call after they faced protests over Britain’s imperial past and criticism that some of the tour had echoes of a colonial throwback. “I know that this tour has brought into even sharper focus questions about the past and the future,” William said in a highly unusual statement issued at the end of their visit. According to the Sunday Mirror newspaper the visit has prompted William and Kate to rethink how the monarchy should look, with the couple saying they wanted to be known by their names and not their titles – the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. “They want to try to avoid the bows and curtsies in public, be more approachable, less formal, less stuffy, and break away with a lot of the tradition and focus on a modern monarchy,” an unnamed source told the paper. Miguel Head, who was a key aide for the prince for a decade until 2018, said while William did not like ceremony, he understood its importance. “When he gets the top job he won’t do away with it all,” Head told the Sunday Times. “He’s mindful the monarchy represents something timeless that’s above all of us, and many people like the magic and theatre of it.” William accepts the monarchy needs to move with the times to stay relevant, something the queen has been praised for. The prince in 2016 called her his best role model for the job. “That’s the challenge for me is how do I make the royal family relevant in the next 20 years time, and it could be 40 years time, it could be 60 years time… I hope that’s something that I can do.” (Additional reporting by Sarah Mills; Editing by Alexandra Hudson) View the full article

Published by Reuters MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) – Pro-choice U.S. lawmakers visiting Mexico said Americans are turning to their southern neighbor to access abortions as some states tighten restrictions on the procedure and with the Supreme Court expected to strike down the right to an abortion. “As Texas has taken a step back into the dark, I am so grateful that so many people here in Mexico have opened their arms to pregnant Texans and helped them access the care they need,” said Texas state representative Erin Zwiener at a news conference in the northern Mexican city of Monterrey on Friday. Texas has one of the strictest abortion laws in the country, banning the procedure after six weeks of pregnancy. The state lawmakers visited Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey this week to meet with pro-choice advocates, who have made gains in relaxing Mexico’s abortion restrictions even as the United States has moved in the opposite direction. “We have a lot to learn … from this Mexican model,” said Colorado state senator Julie Gonzales. In Mexico, activists have for years helped women skirt abortion bans by providing information about how to induce a medication abortion using easily accessible pills. In the United States, where these pills are less widely available, litigation over medication abortion is likely to take center stage should the Supreme Court gut or overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide. For women living along the border, Mexico offers another option, said Arizona state senator Stephanie Stahl Hamilton. “Viagra is much cheaper in Mexico, and men are willing to come across the border to get their prescriptions,” she said. “One would wonder, if it’s okay for men, why wouldn’t it be okay for women?” (Reporting by Laura Gottesdiener and Daniel Becerril in Monterrey; Editing by Sam Holmes) View the full article

Published by AFP Country musician Lee Greenwood addressing the Conservative Political Action Conference 2022 in Orlando, Florida on February 27, 2022 New York (AFP) – Country music has long been closely linked to America’s pro-gun lobby, but several stars have distanced themselves from the National Rifle Association following the mass shooting at a Texas school. At least five country musicians, including “God Bless the USA” performer Lee Greenwood, pulled out of the NRA’s annual convention that opened Friday in Texas. “American Pie” singer-songwriter Don McLean also withdrew. Their initial billing highlights the close links between country music and the gun-supporting right in the United States, but experts say their withdrawal is indicative of shifting attitudes. McLean, 76, said it would be “disrespectful and hurtful” to perform at the convention’s “Grand Ole Night of Freedom” concert scheduled for Saturday after 19 students and two teachers were killed at an elementary school in the small town of Uvalde. Greenwood, whose patriotic signature song regularly rings out at Donald Trump rallies, said he canceled “out of respect” for those mourning, while Larry Gatlin said he couldn’t perform “in good conscience.” T. Graham Brown and Larry Stewart, lead singer of country band Restless Heart, also withdrew, according to statements carried by USA Today. ‘Not monolithic’ Conjuring up images of stetson hats, cowboy boots and the Stars and Stripes flag, country has traditionally been the favorite music of conservative white Americans. Its fan base is predominantly white, with roots in the largely Republican southern US states. “Country music is not monolithic by any means,” Professor Mark Brewer, who teaches a class on music and American politics at the University of Maine, told AFP. “But I think it’s safe to say that the predominant themes over the years have been more conservative, maybe with a hint of libertarian populism mixed in.” Brewer says there have been “longstanding connections” between country music, conservative politics, and gun culture. One of the reasons is geography. “There’s a big regional overlap. Country music has its origins in the American south and southern American politics have always been conservative. “The United States as a whole has a pretty prevalent gun culture, but it’s even more pronounced in the south,” he added. Professor Joel Schwindt, who teaches country music history at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, said the genre was “very specifically marketed” to white America from the start. Adding to its appeal amongst white working class groups was a “firm support for the military.” -2017 Las Vegas shooting – Unlike Hollywood and the US pop music industry, which lean left, country music has plenty of conservative artists. The musicians who withdrew from the NRA convention were careful not to criticize the gun body in their statements. Stewart praised it as a “great organization” as he defended the US constitution’s famous Second Amendment right to bear arms. Numerous country musicians have called for more gun regulations though, including Eric Church, Jason Isbell, Maren Morris and Kacey Musgraves. Several spoke out after a man opened fire from his hotel on a Las Vegas country music festival in 2017, killing 60 people in the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history. Rosanne Cash, singer-songwriter and daughter of late country musician Johnny Cash, wrote an Op-Ed in the New York Times later that year calling on country musicians to stand up to the NRA. “I think we’ve had more genuinely progressive stands in the last decade than we’ve probably ever had before,” including on LGBTQ issues, said Brewer. Although there are no conclusive studies, he thinks this might be because younger performers tend to be more progressive, as are the fans they are trying to attract. Schwindt notes that while country music’s fan base is primarily white, “regular listenership among non-white listeners, Black listeners and Hispanic listeners in particular, has grown pretty significantly over the past 10 to 20 years.” Could that lead to more country stars taking progressive stances in the future? “It’s something we’re seeing more of,” said Brewer. “I don’t know if I’d say that’s the dominant position still by any means. But it’s becoming more and more visible,” he added. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Arathy Somasekhar HOUSTON (Reuters) -Protesters holding signs and crosses with photos of victims from the Texas elementary school shooting protested Friday outside the National Rifle Association’s annual convention in Houston, as the gun lobby came under pressure after the massacre. Attendance was dampened and speakers and featured musical acts stayed away as about 500 protesters, some shouting “NRA go away,” and “Shame, it could be your kids today,” jeered attendees outside the George R. Brown Convention Center. Tuesday’s fatal shooting of 19 pupils and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas, by an 18-year-old gunman equipped with an AR-15 style semiautomatic rifle again focused attention on the NRA, the nation’s biggest gun lobby and a major donor to Congress members, mostly Republicans. Uvalde is about 280 miles (450 km) west of Houston. Video of the main auditorium in Houston, which holds about 3,600 people, showed it to be about half-full as former President Donald Trump took the stage late Friday afternoon. “The existence of evil in our world is not a reason to disarm law abiding citizens,” Trump told the audience to cheers, echoing speakers who rejected background checks or bans on semiautomatic weapons. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, a Republican, urged attendees not to back down in their fight against gun control. “Now would be the worst time to quit. Now is when we double down,” she said. Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick dropped out of making in-person remarks at the event. Patrick said he withdrew so as not to “bring any additional pain or grief to the families and all the suffering in Uvalde.” The headliners at a weekend concert, Don McLean, Larry Gatlin and Lee Greenwood, canceled their appearances. Gatlin issued a statement supporting background checks, calling it a “step in the right direction.” U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, said in a speech to the meeting that communities needed weapons to stay safe. “Taking away guns will not make them safer.” The NRA’s decision to proceed with its largest annual gathering is part of a decades-long strategy of standing up to pressure for gun control that dates to the 1999 Columbine High School shooting in Colorado. Wayne LaPierre, NRA executive director, addressed the school killings but said gun owners “love our nation, love our children and grandchildren. … That’s why we will always cherish and protect our fundamental right to defend ourselves and our communities.” At a park near the convention center, protester Harper Young, a 15-year-old Houston student, held a poster and choked back tears. “It’s completely unacceptable that gun violence is happening again and again. It’s horrific,” he said. Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, the nation’s largest teachers union, rejected suggestions that teachers be armed to thwart future shootings. “More guns equal more violence,” she said. “Assault weapons should be banned,” she said outside the meeting. Houston activist Johnny Mata called on the NRA to halt the convention and hold a memorial service for the Uvalde victims. “They have the audacity not to cancel in respect of these families, said Mata, who represented advocacy group Greater Houston Coalition for Justice. The NRA should “quit being a part of the assassination of children in American schools.” Tim Hickey, a Marine Corps veteran attending the event, dismissed the protests. “These people are puppets and sheep to the media. They are not changing anyone’s mind,” he said. On the convention center’s exhibit floor, attendees handled rifles, handguns, hunting and assault-style rifles at dozens of booths, and browse Sierra Bullets and other firms’ ammunition displays. The weekend convention was the five million-member group’s first annual get together after two prior cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Posters celebrating its 150th anniversary hung over the exhibit hall. In a pre-recorded video, Abbott said, “as Texans and as Americans we grieve and mourn with these families.” But he said existing gun laws did not stop the Uvalde shooter and pushed back at calls for new legislation, saying “laws will not stop evil madmen from committing these atrocities.” (Reporting by Arathy Somasekhar, Shannon Stapleton and Callaghan O’Hare; Writing by Gary McWilliams; Editing by Alistair Bell and Daniel Wallis) View the full article

Published by AFP A police officer stands near the makeshift memorial for the shooting victims outside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 28, 2022 Uvalde (United States) (AFP) – Fresh harrowing accounts emerged Saturday of the ordeal faced by survivors of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, fanning public fury over the massacre even as the deeply traumatized town prepared for a visit Sunday by US President Joe Biden. The haunting stories told by young students who were forced to play dead as a heavily armed gunman continued a methodical spree — killing 19 students and two teachers — have been underscored by accounts of the slow reaction by police during the drama. Ten-year-old Samuel Salinas was sitting in his fourth-grade classroom when the shooter, later identified as Salvador Ramos, 18, barged in with a chilling announcement: “You’re all going to die.” Then “he just started shooting,” Salinas told ABC News. Texas authorities belatedly admitted Friday that as many as 19 police officers were in the school hallway for more than an hour without acting, thinking the shooter had ended his killing. “From the benefit of hindsight… it was the wrong decision, period,” said Texas Department of Public Safety director Steven McCraw. Ramos, who carried two assault-style rifles, was finally killed by police. Uvalde survivors have described making desperate, whispered pleas for help in 911 phone calls during his assault. Many played dead to avoid drawing the shooter’s attention. Eleven-year-old Miah Cerrillo even smeared the blood of a dead friend on herself as she feigned death. Samuel Salinas said he thinks Ramos fired at him, but the bullet struck a chair, sending shrapnel into the boy’s leg. “I played dead so he wouldn’t shoot me,” he said. Another student, Daniel, whose mother would not provide his last name, said he saw Ramos fire through the glass in the classroom door, striking his teacher. The bullets were “hot,” he told the Washington Post, and when another bullet ricocheted and struck a fellow student in the nose, he said he could hear the sickening sound it made. Though his teacher lay on the floor bleeding, she repeatedly told the students, “‘Stay calm. Stay where you are. Don’t move,'” Daniel recalled. He was finally rescued by police who broke the windows of his classroom. Since then, he has had recurrent nightmares. A troubling timeline President Joe Biden will visit Uvalde on Sunday to again make the case for gun control, as activists set about galvanizing voters on the issue in the run-up to November’s midterm election. Despite the scourge of mass shootings, efforts at nationwide gun control have repeatedly failed, though polls show broad support from Americans. Speaking at a University of Delaware commencement on Saturday, Biden — himself a grieving father twice over — evoked the image of parents preparing to bury their children in Texas, and lamented “too much violence. Too much fear. Too much grief.” “We have to stand stronger,” he told the graduates at his alma mater. The Uvalde shooting was the deadliest since 20 children and six staff were killed at the Sandy Hook school in Newtown, Connecticut in 2012. McCraw revealed a series of emergency calls — including by a child begging for police help — that were made from two adjoining classrooms where the gunman was barricaded. But he said the on-scene commander believed at the time that Ramos was in there alone, with no survivors, after his initial assault. “I’m not defending anything, but you go back in the timeline, there was a barrage, hundreds of rounds were pumped in in four minutes, okay, into those two classrooms,” McCraw said. “Any firing afterwards was sporadic and it was at the door. So the belief is that there may not be anybody living anymore.” McCraw separately told reporters, however, that a 911 call received at 12:16 pm reported eight or nine children still alive. As many as 19 officers were outside the classroom door at that time, according to McCraw’s timeline. McCraw said one caller — a child who dialed 911 multiple times — begged for police to come. Her final call was cut off as she made it outside. Texas Governor Gregg Abbott told journalists who grilled him during a testy news conference Friday that he was given inaccurate information in the wake of the massacre. “I was misled,” Abbott said. “The information that I was given turned out in part to be inaccurate, and I’m absolutely livid about that.” View the full article

Published by AFP War has ravaged the eastern Donbas region, including this school in the town of Bakhmut Kramatorsk (Ukraine) (AFP) – Russia pressed its onslaught on eastern Ukraine Saturday, saying it had captured the strategic town of Lyman and had successfully tested hypersonic missiles in the Arctic. Ukrainian forces battled to repel Russian forces from the outskirts of the key city of Severodonetsk, a Ukrainian official said, however denying claims it had been surrounded. Russia is waging all-out war for the eastern Donbas region — Ukraine’s industrial heartland where President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Moscow of carrying out a “genocide”. “The town of Krasny Liman has been entirely liberated from Ukrainian nationalists,” the Russian defence ministry said, using the Russian name for Lyman and confirming an announcement made a day earlier by pro-Moscow separatists. Lyman lies on the road to the urban centres of Severodonetsk and Kramatorsk. Russian forces have been closing in on Severodonetsk and nearby Lysychansk in Lugansk province, with conflicting reports about the extent of their advance. Regional governor Sergiy Gaiday said Russian shelling continued on Severodonetsk as Ukrainian soldiers fought to oust the invading forces from a hotel on its edges, but rejected claims the city had been encircled. “Severodonetsk has not been cut off… there is still the possibility to deliver humanitarian aid,” he told Ukrainian television. A Lugansk police official, cited by Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti, late Friday said Severodonetsk was “now surrounded” and Ukrainian troops could no longer leave the city. France, Germany urge talks Three months after Russia launched its invasion on February 24, leaving thousands dead on both sides and forcing 6.6 million people out of the country, Moscow has gained control over swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine, including port cities Kherson and Mariupol. Other Ukrainian ports have been cut off from the world by Russian warships, preventing key grain supplies from being transported out. Russia and Ukraine supply about 30 percent of the wheat traded on global markets. Russia has tightened its own exports and Ukraine has vast amounts stuck in storage, driving up prices and cutting availability for importers across the globe. President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly rejected any responsibility, instead blaming Western sanctions. But on Saturday he told French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in a phone call Russia was “ready” to look for ways to allow more wheat onto the global market. “Russia is ready to help find options for the unhindered export of grain, including the export of Ukrainian grain from the Black Sea ports,” the Kremlin reported him as saying. He called for the lifting of sanctions to allow “an increase in the supply of Russian fertilisers and agricultural products” onto the global market. Macron and Scholz urged Putin to hold “direct serious negotiations” with Zelensky, the German chancellor’s office said. And they demanded Russia free 2,500 Ukrainian fighters taken as prisoners of war after surrendering earlier this month at a sprawling steelworks in the ravaged port city of Mariupol. More weapons ‘dangerous’ Zelensky late Friday said his country was doing everything to defend the Donbas from intense artillery and missile strikes. “We are protecting our land in the way that our current defence resources allow. We are doing everything to increase them,” he added. To further help the Ukrainians, Washington was preparing to send advanced long-range rocket systems, US media reports said. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby did not confirm the plans to deliver the M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System, highly mobile equipment capable of firing up to 300 kilometres (186 miles) that Kyiv has said it badly needs. But he said Washington was “still committed to helping them succeed on the battlefield”. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged his country’s continued support “including helping provide the equipment they need” in a call Saturday with Zelensky, his office said. But Putin warned Macron and Scholz that ramping up arms supplies to Ukraine would be “dangerous” and risk “further destabilisation”. He spoke after his army said it had successfully fired one of its Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles some 1,000 kilometres (625 miles) across the Arctic. Ship docks in Mariupol As he seeks to ramp up international pressure on Moscow, Zelensky will speak to EU leaders at an emergency summit Monday as they try to agree on an embargo on Russian oil, which is being held up by Hungary, whose Prime Minister Viktor Orban has close relations with Putin. “We need to act until they stop their policy of aggression,” Zelensky told a think tank in Indonesia. But Moscow said Russia expects to receive one trillion rubles ($15 billion) in additional oil and gas revenues this year, a windfall from the sharp rise in oil prices caused in part by its invasion of Ukraine. In Ukraine, a spokesman for the Russian-controlled Mariupol port said a first ship had docked there on Saturday. “It will be loaded up with 2.7 tonnes of steel,” he told Russian state news agency TASS. There was however no official announcement from either the Russian or separatist authorities. burs-ah/ach View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Ellen DeGeneres is Portia de Rossi’s “idol”. The ‘Arrested Development’ star heaped praise on her wife as she hosted her last-ever episode of her long-running chat show. Portia, 49, shared a slideshow of photos on Instagram and captioned the images: “To my utterly beautiful, supremely talented, insanely accomplished wife on the day of your final show. I married an icon. I married my idol.” Ellen opened her final show with a clip from the first-ever episode in 2003. She later closed the landmark show with a monologue celebrating the changes in LGBTQ representation in showbiz. Ellen explained that she “was not allowed to say gay” at the start of her TV career. She said: “I was not allowed to say ‘gay.’ I said it at home a lot. Like, you know, ‘What are we having for our gay breakfast’ or ‘Pass the gay salt? Has anyone seen the gay remote?’ Things like that, but we couldn’t say ‘gay’. I couldn’t say ‘we’ because that implied that I was with someone, sure; couldn’t say ‘wife’ and that’s because it wasn’t legal for gay people to get married – and now I say ‘wife’ all the time. “Twenty-five years ago, they cancelled my sitcom because they didn’t want a lesbian to be in primetime once a week, and I said, ‘OK, then I’ll be on daytime every day. How about that?'” Ellen also thanked her viewers for the support they’ve shown her over years. She added: “I hope I’ve been able to inspire you to make other people happy and to do good in the world, to feel like you have a purpose. And I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: If I’ve done anything in the past 19 years, I hope I’ve inspired you to be yourself – your true, authentic self. “And if someone is brave enough to tell you who they are, be brave enough to support them, even if you don’t understand. They’re showing you who they are, and that is the biggest gift anybody can ever give you. And by opening your heart and your mind, you’re going to be that much more compassionate – and compassion is what makes the world a better place. “Thank you so much for being on this journey with me. I feel the love, and I send it back to you.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English David Beckham doesn’t think it should be “strange” for gay footballers to come out. The former England captain – who has Brooklyn, 23, Romeo, 19, Cruz, 17, and 10-year-old Harper with wife Victoria – thinks it was a “shame” that it was still a big deal for Blackpool player Jake Daniels to become the first current UK male professional footballer to reveal he’s attracted to other men earlier this month. He said: “It’s a shame that when someone does come out that it’s such a strange thing. I’ve always felt that way about when someone does come out… it shouldn’t be. “At the end of the day there will be a huge amount of gay people in sports and why should they be any different from anyone else.” David hung up his boots in 2013 and thinks there’s a lot less prejudice in the game now than there was in his playing days, though he warned there’s still improvements to be made. He told the Evening Standard newspaper: “I played for 22 years, I saw a lot of racism and homophobia and do think it has changed. But there’s still a lot of work to be done.” Meanwhile, the Inter Miami owner and his family are planning to spend this summer in Florida to be with Romeo, who currently plays for his MLS soccer side. He said: “Usually we love to be in Europe for the summer, but we like to be together as a family. “[Romeo is] getting older now, so at some point he’s going to want to be with his girlfriend or mates and not want to spend the summer with us but he has no choice.” And after Brooklyn married Nicola Peltz Beckham last month, David is hoping the couple will join their family over the summer too. He said: “Brooklyn will be hopefully in Palm Beach. He’ll be able to hopefully come down with his new wife.” View the full article

Published by Chicago Tribune Illinois legislators and advocacy group Equality Illinois issued a joint statement Thursday calling out State Farm after the insurance giant pulled support for a gender identity school book program. Facing backlash, Bloomington, Illinois-based State Farm ended its partnership this week with the GenderCool Project, a “youth-led” nonprofit organization that distributes children’s books about being transgender, inclusive and nonbinary to schools and libraries. Now the insurance company is feeling the heat from LGBTQ advocates. “When it came to our attention that State Farm had reversed this partn… Read More View the full article

Published by Orlando Sentinel ORLANDO, Fla. — A state investigator who looks into teacher misconduct demanded to know who in Orange County Public Schools authorized the purchase of the book “Gender Queer,” a controversial memoir the district pulled from several high school libraries in late October, according to emails between the employee and the school district. “This office is trying to find out who approved the book,” wrote Ian Dohme, a Florida Department of Education employee, in an email to an OCPS administrator on April 13. Dohme’s request was alarming because he works for the department’s Office of Professional Pra… Read More View the full article

The Sims 4How Do You Say “Binary Breaker” In Simlish? After more than a year, fans’ wishes for a Sims pronouns update is here. The long-running simulator video game series “The Sims” broke new ground for trans and gender-diverse players on Tuesday by adding the ability to provide customizable pronouns for created characters in the series latest entry, “The Sims 4.” According to a Maxis blog post, the update prompts players to choose the gender of their character (or Sim) when entering Create a Sim mode. Among the options are he/him, she/her and they/them, but the update also adds a custom option that allows players to enter any pronoun choice they desire. Players may change the gender of their Sims at any time and the game automatically updates to properly gender the character in in-game text. After banging the drum for over a year, the trans nonbinary agender streamer got the chance to take an emotional victory lap during a stream from the It Gets Better Project’s official Twitch channel. Fighting back tears, Momo Misfortune introduced the update and spoke the update’s importance to the game’s large LGBTQ fan base. “Last year, it took 84 days of me tweeting, creating a campaign, and I just want to say thank you to everybody. Whether you shared the campaign, whether you signed it, talked about it – look, it’s here,” they said. “We made a difference. I may have started the campaign, but we all did this together.” “I think this just really shows how much the Sim Gurus care about our opinions and what we think is important, because this is so important,” they continued. “I’m just thinking about how when I was younger and I started playing ‘The Sims,’ it was a way for me to safely explore my sexuality. And now that we have customizable pronoun options in the game, this is going to help so many kids be able to safely explore their identities. That’s so important because, for a lot of us queer folks, ‘The Sims’ is an escape for us to be able to be who we really are and who we wish we could be out in public, out in the open, to our friends, to our family.” The Sims Pronouns: Previously on Towleroad The Sims Pronouns Update Is Here: ‘The Sims 4’ Adds Customizable Pronouns To In-Game Characters Brian Bell May 28, 2022 Read More EA, Paradox Heed Calls For Same-Sex ‘Crusader Kings’ Weddings; And To Keep Them in ‘Sims 4’ Russia Editions; Plus Gayming Award Noms — ROUNDUP Brian Bell February 18, 2022 Read More Writer Of Bisexual Superman Has Perfect Way Of Dealing with Those Protesting Too Much; Also Brockhampton Splits Up; G4 Host Blasts Boys Who Belittle and Sexist Viewers: Entertainment Roundup Brian Bell January 18, 2022 Read More Wonder Woman’s 1st Trans Amazon; ‘Battlefield’s 1st Non-Binary Specialist; ‘Superman’ Colorist Quits Offended By New Motto. Brian Bell October 26, 2021 Read More China Bans Games With LGBTQ, Effeminate Men or Nazi Characters; Activision Blizzard Settles; ‘Life Is Strange’ Promotion Benefits Community Brian Bell October 4, 2021 Read More ‘Frat Boy’ Culture at Activision Blizzard: Groping, Junk-Grab ‘Gay Chicken’ Game, ‘The Cosby Suite,’ Cited in California Suit. Employees Walk Out Brian Bell July 28, 2021 Read More Image via Electronic Arts/Maxis View the full article

Published by Radar Online MEGA “Bad news on the doorstep, I couldn’t take one more step.” Those lyrics, from Don McLean’s seminal hit “American Pie,” perfectly sum up the singer’s stance in the wake of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas. In light of the tragic events, McLean has pulled out of “NRA’s Grand Ole Night Of Freedom Concert,” set for Saturday night as part of the organization’s May 27-29 national convention in Houston. “In light of the recent events in Texas, I have decided it would be disrespectful and hurtful for me to perform for the NRA,” McLean told People Magazine. “I’m sure all the folks planning to attend this event are shocked and sickened by these events as well. After all, we are all Americans. I share the sorrow for this terrible, cruel loss with the rest of the nation.” MEGA The move follows a similar decision by Larry Gatlin, who explained in a statement: “I cannot, in good conscience, perform at the NRA convention. While I agree with most of the positions held by the NRA, I have come to believe that, while background checks would not stop every madman with a gun, it is at the very least a step in the right direction toward trying to prevent the kind of tragedy we saw this week in Uvalde — in my beloved, weeping Texas.” MEGA The Saturday evening concert event will be MC-ed by SiriusXM “Y2K” host Danielle Peck and features Lee Greenwood, Larry Stewart, Jacob Bryant and T. Graham Brown. Meanwhile, Friday’s first day of convention activities will include one major protest linked to the Uvalde massacre. Former President Donald Trump is also set to address the crowd, as Radar previously reported. According to the Houston Chronicle, the May 27 protest is being coordinated by the local chapter of Black Lives Matter and Discovery Green Conservancy. MEGA “We’re not there to incite anything, we’re just there to make the NRA uncomfortable andr un them out of Houston,” said local BLM member Ashton Woods. Houston mayor Sylvester Turner previously stated it’s too late to cancel the NRA convention, Nevertheless, a protest planned for Thursday will demand just that, in front of City Hall. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Justin Timberlake has sold his song catalogue in a deal reportedly worth $100 million. The ‘SexyBack’ hitmaker is “excited to be partnering with” Hipgnosis Song Management – who offer investors the chance to earn royalties from the work of a diverse range artists such as Barry Manilow and Beyonce – and a $1 billion fund supported by the private equity firm Blackstone in a deal believed to be valued at $100 million, according to The Guardian newspaper. The 41-year-old entertainer – who has sons Phineas, two, and Silas, seven, with his wife Jessica Biel, 40 said: “I am excited to be partnering with Merck and Hipgnosis – he values artists and their creative work and has always been a strong supporter of songwriters and storytelling.” The deal between the former NSYNC star and the management company gives them 100 per cent control and ownership over his stake in more than 200 songs he has been involved in writing. The founder and CEO of Hipgnosis, Merck Mercuriadis said: “Justin Timberlake is not only one of the most influential artists of the last 20 years but he’s also one of the greatest songwriters of all time. His hit songs including ‘Cry Me a River’, ‘Rock Your Body’, ‘SexyBack’, ‘My Love’, ‘What Goes Around… Comes Around’, ‘Suit Tie’, ‘Mirrors’ and ‘Can’t Stop the Feeling’ are amongst the most iconic of the period.” This arrangement with Justin is the third one finalised by and Hipgnosis Song Capital in 2022 as this year this snapped up the late singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen’s share of catalogue and 80 per cent of the royalties of country star Kenny Chesney. View the full article

Published by Radar Online MEGA It’s “reckoning” time for slimeball actor Kevin Spacey. That’s the reaction from Spacey’s estranged brother Randy Fowler when he learned his Oscar winning actor was slapped with four counts of sexual assault for allegedly attacking three men between 2005 and 2013 in London and Gloucestershire. “It not surprising to me that eventually they would’ve gathered enough evidence to pursue the four charges against him — I think the reckoning is going to happen,” Fowler exclusively told Radar hours after Spacey was charged. The charges filed by the Crown Prosecution Service Special Crime Division determined there was enough evidence to accuse the embattled Baby Driver actor of “causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.” The charges come just one week after Radar online exclusively reported the 62-year-old Usual Suspect was quietly slithering his way back onto the big screen – starring in three films—despite cries by critics who can’t believe Hollywood is ready to forget the handsy-creep accused of abusing roughly 30 victims. “The charges could possible derail his comeback,” Fowler said. “We live in a very small planet right now, people that spending all this money on his comeback could realize that they are on a sinking ship, and they should pull the plug on the projects and eat their losses.” MEGA The American Beauty star is set to star in the mystery thriller Peter Five Eight, which was shopped around at the high-profile Cannes Film Festival. Gabe Hoffman — the producer of the ground-breaking documentary An Open Secret, which exposed the rampant sexual abuse of child actors and led to the downfall of Spacey pal director Bryan Singer — believes the money hungry movie makers who used Spacey in recent films are now eating crow. “The studios only care about making money, a big part of that bet rode on that there is nothing more left to come out about Spacey,” he said. “So, with the new charges this bet just blew up in their face – BIG TIME– in the worst way possible.” MEGA As RadarOnline.com noted these new charges against Spacey come as the actor prepares to face trial in October over accusations, he sexually assaulted Anthony Rapp in 1986 when the younger actor was only 14 years old. Rapp claims a then 26-year-old Spacey invited him over to his apartment and grabbed him by his backside without permission. Spacey then allegedly proceeded to lie him on a bed before climbing on top of him without consent. MEGA Spacey denies the Rapp charges and the CPS “reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against Mr. Spacey are active and that he has the right to a fair trial.” Fowler thinks his rich and powerful brother may not be capable of buying his way out of the new charges — all occurring when he served as artistic director at the UK’s Old Vic Theater. “His troubles, in my opinion, are just beginning,” Fowler explained. “I don’t believe can go through life hurting other people without karma coming back and making you pay the piper. All these cases cannot be mistaken identity. They all can’t be made-up; they all can’t be people looking for money… They (CPS) wouldn’t had filed charges unless they had evidence!” “It took them five years to file charges – so they I guess they did they’re homework.” View the full article

Published by AFP The two-time Oscar winner was artistic director of the Old Vic London (AFP) – Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey is facing sexual assault charges in the UK, police and prosecutors said on Thursday, after a review of allegations against him. The two-time Oscar winner for “The Usual Suspects” and “American Beauty” was artistic director of The Old Vic theatre in London between 2004 and 2015. Allegations against him first emerged in the wake of the #MeToo movement that saw numerous claims of sexual assault and harassment in the movie industry. That prompted an investigation by London’s Metropolitan Police, and a review by The Old Vic of the 62-year-old Spacey’s time in charge there. The Crown Prosecution Service said in a statement that it had “authorised criminal charges” against the actor “for four counts of sexual assault against three men”. “He has also been charged with causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent,” said Rosemary Ainslie, from the service. “The charges follow a review of the evidence gathered by the Metropolitan Police in its investigation,” added Ainslie, who heads the special crime division. The Met said separately that the first two counts of sexual assault date from March 2005 in London, and concern the same man, who is now in his 40s. The third is alleged to have happened in London in August 2008 against a man who is now in his 30s. The same man is alleged to be the victim of the separate charge. The fourth sexual assault charge is alleged to have occurred in Gloucestershire, western England, in April 2013 against a third man, who is now in his 30s. None of the alleged victims can be identified under English law. The CPS, which brings prosecutions in England and Wales, and the police both referred to Spacey by his full name, Kevin Spacey Fowler. British legal restrictions are in place limiting what the media can report until the case comes before a jury to avoid prejudicing any trial. The CPS said that when considering whether to approve charges, it makes “fair, independent and objective” assessments about whether a case should go to court. Claims against Spacey in 2017 led to the end of his involvement in the filming of the final season of the political drama “House of Cards”. He was also dropped from a Gore Vidal biopic on Netflix and as the industrialist John Paul Getty in “All the Money in the World”. Christopher Plummer was brought in as a last-minute replacement. Spacey, considered one of the finest actors of his generation, has previously denied similar charges in the United States. A criminal case against him for sexual assault there was dropped in 2019. The actor is currently in New York and facing a civil case arising from the abandoned criminal action, US court documents show. British media said it was understood he had not been formally charged in the UK because he was not in the country, and there was no immediate word if he would have to be extradited. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jan Wolfe (Reuters) -Former U.S. President Donald Trump must testify under oath in the New York Attorney General’s civil investigation into his business practices, an intermediate state appeals court ruled on Thursday. A four-judge panel unanimously upheld a trial court decision from February enforcing subpoenas for Trump and his two eldest children, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump, to provide deposition testimony in Attorney General Letitia James’ investigation. “Once again, the courts have ruled that Donald Trump must comply with our lawful investigation into his financial dealings,” James said in a statement. “We will continue to follow the facts of this case and ensure that no one can evade the law.” Alan Futerfas, a lawyer for Trump, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In January, James said her nearly three-year investigation into the Trump Organization had uncovered significant evidence of possible fraud https://www.reuters.com/world/us/ny-attorney-general-details-possible-fraud-donald-trumps-family-business-2022-01-19. She described what she called misleading statements about the values of the Trump brand and six properties, saying the company may have inflated real estate values to obtain bank loans and reduced them to lower tax bills. Trump issued a statement earlier this year calling the accusations false and accusing James of a political agenda in targeting him and his family. Trump and his children have said testifying would violate their constitutional rights because their words could be used in a related criminal probe led by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, which James joined last May. Trump, a Republican, has also accused James of selectively prosecuting him because he is a political enemy. James and Bragg are Democrats. The appeals court rejected those arguments, saying James reviewed “significant volumes of evidence” before issuing the subpoenas. “Appellants have not identified any similarly implicated corporation that was not investigated or any executives of such a corporation who were not deposed,” the court said of the Trumps. “Therefore, appellants have failed to demonstrate that they were treated differently from any similarly situated persons.” (Reporting by Jan Wolfe; Additional reporting by Luc Cohen; Editing by Noeleen Walder, Diane Craft and Bill Berkrot) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Depeche Mode’s Andy Fletcher has died aged 60. The keyboardist and founding member – who was born in Nottingham and moved to Basildon in the 70s – of the 80s band has passed away In a joint statement posted to Twitter, his bandmates Dave Gahan and Martin Gore said: “We are shocked and filled with overwhelming sadness with the untimely passing of our dear friend, family member and bandmate Andy ‘Fletch’ Fletcher. The ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’ hitmakers said Andy – who was known as Fletch -“had a true heart of gold” and was “always” a great friend. The statement continued: “Fletch had a true heart of gold and was always there when you needed support, a lively conversation, a good laugh, or a cold pint. The ‘Enjoy the Silence’ musicians offered their “hearts” to the touring DJ’s family – which includes his wife Grainne Mullan and their two children, Meghan and Joe – and asked fans to “keep them in their thoughts” while giving them space to grieve. They said: “Our hearts are with his family, and we ask that you keep them in your thoughts and respect their privacy in this difficult time.” In a 2017 interview with The Skinny, Fletch mused it was the “electricity” between him and the rest of the band that made their work great. He said: “Martin and Dave live in the US and I live here, but it doesn’t really affect our relationships. Me and Martin are very close. Dave is more like a brother to me – if that makes sense. But what makes bands better than solo artists is the electricity that’s generated. Sometimes a band can’t stand each other but that electricity makes for great music. It’s the same with Depeche Mode; we have moments where we don’t like each other, and moments when we love each other. It’s the electricity that’s generated between us all that produces the good music.” View the full article

Published by AFP Crosses sit outside Robb Elementary School on May 26, 2022, in remembrance of those killed in Uvalde, Texas Washington (AFP) – Firearms have surpassed motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of death among American youngsters, with official data showing a strong rise in gun-related homicides such as the killing of 19 children in a Texas school rampage. Overall, 4,368 children and adolescents up to the age of 19 died from firearms in 2020, a rate of 5.4 per 100,000 a dashboard by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed. Homicides made up nearly two-thirds of the gun deaths. By comparison, there were 4,036 deaths linked to motor vehicles, the previous leading cause of death among this age group. The gap has been narrowing as road safety measures have improved over the decades, while gun related deaths have risen. The trend lines crossed in 2020, the latest year for which data is available — a finding identified in a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) last week. The letter’s authors noted the new data was consistent with other evidence that gun violence rose during the Covid-19 pandemic, for reasons that aren’t fully clear, but “it cannot be assumed that (it) will later revert to pre-pandemic levels.” The newly updated CDC dashboard shows that nearly 30 percent of the deaths were suicides, just over three percent were unintentional, and two percent were of undetermined intent. ‘Deadly consequences’ A small number were categorized as “legal intervention” referring to killings by law enforcement. The deaths disproportionately impacted Black children and adolescents, who were more than four times as likely to die as white children — for whom motor vehicles still posed a greater threat. The second most impacted group by guns were American Indians, followed by white Hispanics. Males meanwhile were six times likelier to die by a gun than females. By region, the gun-related death rate was highest in the capital Washington, followed by the state of Louisiana, then Alaska. The figures served to underscore that while mass shootings such as the one in Uvalde provoke horror, they make up only a small fraction of overall childhood gun deaths. “Since the 1960s, continuous efforts have been directed toward preventing deaths from motor vehicle crashes,” wrote the authors of another recent letter to the NEJM, contrasting the situation with that of firearms, where regulations have been loosened. While vehicle safety has been spearheaded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there is no equivalent agency to regulate gun safety, and historically very little government research funding was assigned to the area because of Republican opposition. Holden Thorp, editor-in-chief of leading journal Science published an editorial Thursday calling for more research into the public health impacts of gun ownership to advance policy change. “Scientists should not sit on the sidelines and watch others fight this out,” he wrote. “More research into the public health impacts of gun ownership will provide further evidence of its deadly consequences,” he continued, arguing that severe mental illness, often blamed for mass shootings, was prevalent at similar levels in other countries that do not have regular mass shootings. View the full article