WASHINGTON — Lawmakers this week condemned the Trump administration’s termination of humanitarian protections that have left a 4-year-old girl who is receiving critical medical treatment in Los Angeles vulnerable to deportation and death.
On Tuesday, The Times published the story of S.G.V., who has short bowel syndrome — a rare condition that prevents her body from completely absorbing nutrients. She and her parents received temporary permission to enter the U.S. legally through Tijuana in 2023.
In a letter Thursday to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, 38 congressional Democrats, including California Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, urged her to reconsider the termination of the family’s legal status.
“We believe this family’s situation clearly meets the need for humanitarian aid and urge you and this Administration to reconsider its decision,” the lawmakers wrote. “It is our duty to protect the sick, vulnerable, and defenseless.”
Last month, S.G.V.’s family, who now live in Bakersfield, received notice from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that their status had been terminated and that they had to leave the country immediately. Earlier this month, they applied again for humanitarian protections.
Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary in the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement that the family is not actively in the deportation process and that their application is still being considered.
The girl’s physician, Dr. John Arsenault of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, wrote in a letter requested by her family that any interruption in her daily nutrition system “could be fatal within a matter of days.”
The story about S.G.V. drew swift public outcry. An online fundraiser for the girl’s care had amassed nearly $26,000 as of Thursday morning.
The letter to Noem was led by Reps. Luz Rivas (D-North Hollywood) and Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Los Angeles). Rivas said state legislators and constituents messaged her about the family, asking what she could do to help.
While the family lives outside of Rivas’ district, which encompasses the north-central San Fernando Valley, she said it is her role as a California Democrat and a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to speak up for immigrant constituents in districts where Republican representatives may not do so.
“That’s why we’re organizing as members of Congress,” Rivas said. “Without action from Secretary Noem and this administration, this little girl will die within days.”
In a post on X, Rep. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park) called the situation “heartbreaking.” Seeking to deport the girl despite her medical condition is “cruel and inexcusable,” Chu added.
In another X post, Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) wrote: “Trump wants to deport a four-year-old who could die from a life-threatening medical condition if her treatment is interrupted. How does this cruelty make us a stronger nation?”
The family and their attorneys held a news conference Wednesday at the Koreatown office of the pro bono firm, Public Counsel. The lawyers explained that the equipment administered by the hospital to S.G.V. for home use is not available outside the U.S.
“If they deport us and they take away my daughter’s access to specialized medical care, she will die,” said Deysi Vargas.
Attorneys for the family noted that S.G.V. is not the only child affected in recent months by the Trump administration’s immigration policies. In an attempt to speed up arrests and deportations, they said, children are needlessly being swept up in the process.
Gina Amato Lough, directing attorney at Public Counsel, said the girl’s case “is a symbol of the recklessness of this administration’s deportation policies.”
“We’re seeing a pattern of cruelty and a violation of our most treasured rights and values,” said Amato Lough. “These are people coming to us for protection, and instead we’re sending them to die. That’s not justice, and it doesn’t make us any safer.”
DI Alistair Banks’ sick exploitation gang has finally been exposed and the corrupt copper has seemingly met a grisly end in Hollyoaks but fans think he’s not the only one
Hollyoaks fans are concerned Dodger Savage has been killed off
Hollyoaks fans have all said the same thing after the latest “insane” episode.
During Wednesday’s (May 28) dramatic episode, which is available to watch on Channel 4’s website, corrupt copper DI Alistair Banks (Drew Cain) put the lives of Vicky Grant (Anya Lawrence), Dillon Ray (Nathaniel Dass) and Frankie Osborne (Isabelle Smith) in more jeopardy.
Rex Gallagher (Jonny Labey) told Dodger Savage (Danny Mac) about a private auction site he’s sure DI Banks will be using to sell the teens.
At The Loft, DI Banks started the bidding with Vicky and Rex and Dodger tried to be the highest bidders but to no avail. However, Dillon assured Frankie that he had a plan and tried to create a distraction.
DI Banks caught Dodger and passed him onto his cronies to deal with him
Dodger figured out their location and called for back up and an oblivious DI Banks called his mysterious wife to inform her that they’ll be on the move with their money soon.
Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson) was horrified to find his boyfriend Rex bidding on Dillon and demanded answers and Rex finally told Ste thetruth that he was part of the gang and begged for forgiveness but Ste cut all ties with him, labelling him a predator.
The lights got cut off at The Loft and an armed DI Banks went to search the area. He caught Dodger in the act and passed him onto his cronies to deal with him.
DI Banks was shot by three different guns at once
Dillon, Frankie and Vicky found weapons and hid from Banks. Vicky made a distraction as Frankie attempted to unlock the door but DI Banks caught her. All the teens fired their guns and DI Banks collapsed to the floor.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, after watching the dramatic episode, one fan penned: “Insane episode omg. #Hollyoaks” Another added: “What an episode!!! #hollyoaks.”
Frankie, Vicky and Dillon looked over DI Banks’ lifeless body after they three of them shot him
A third persons said: “I have never been so nervous for an episode before omfg!! it was so dark and intense and that ending?? just wow!! amazing episode.”
With DS Banks believed to be dead, fans have been left concerned for hero Dodger. One social media user wrote: “I fear we all got distracted by the everything to realise we don’t know Dodgers fate and now I’m scared they killed Dodger.”
Another added: “Please tell me they didn’t kill Dodger off. #Hollyoaks.” A third wrote: “Im sad now please no Dodger! i need to know what happened to him! #hollyoaks.”
Hollyoaks airs Monday to Wednesday on E4 at 7pm and first look episodes can be streamed Channel 4 from 7am
Federal prosecutors in the US will not seek the death sentence for Joaquin Guzman Lopez if he is found guilty at trial, court documents show.
Federal prosecutors in the United States said they will not seek the death penalty for the son of Mexican drug lord “El Chapo” if he is found guilty of multiple drug trafficking charges when he goes on trial.
According to media reports, federal prosecutors in Chicago filed a one-sentence notice on May 23, saying they would not seek the death penalty for Joaquin Guzman Lopez, the son of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman – the former leader of Mexico’s feared Sinaloa Cartel who is serving a life sentence in a US prison.
The notice did not offer any explanation for the decision by the federal prosecutors, or further details.
Joaquin Guzman Lopez, 38, was indicted in 2023 along with three of his brothers – known as the “Chapitos”, or little Chapos – on US drug trafficking and money laundering charges after assuming leadership of their father’s drug cartel when “El Chapo” was extradited to the US in 2017.
Joaquin Guzman Lopez’s lawyer said in an email to The Associated Press news agency on Tuesday that he was pleased with the federal prosecutors’ decision, “as it’s the correct one”.
“Joaquin and I are looking forward to resolving the charges against him,” Lichtman said.
Jeffrey Lichtman, lawyer for El Chapo’s son, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, speaks to the media as his client is set to make his initial US court appearance in Chicago, Illinois, in July 2024 [Vincent Alban/Reuters]
Joaquin Guzman Lopez has pleaded not guilty to the five charges of drug trafficking, conspiracy and money laundering against him, one of which carries the maximum sentence of death as it was allegedly carried out on US territory.
He was taken into US custody in a dramatic July 2024 arrest alongside alleged Sinaloa Cartel cofounder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada on a New Mexico airfield.
Zambada has also pleaded not guilty. But his lawyer told the Reuters news agency that he would be willing to plead guilty if prosecutors agreed to spare him the death penalty.
Another of the brothers, Ovidio Guzman, is expected to plead guilty to drug trafficking charges against him at a court hearing in Chicago on July 9, according to court records.
“El Chapo” Guzman is serving a life sentence at a maximum security prison in Colorado.
JOHANNESBURG — Presley Chweneyagae, the South African actor who gained international recognition for his leading role in the 2005 film “Tsotsi,” which won South Africa’s first-ever Academy Award for best foreign language film, has died. He was 40 years old.
His talent agency MLA on Tuesday confirmed Chweneyagae’s death and said South Africa had lost one of its “most gifted and beloved actors.”
“His passion for empowering the next generation of artists will remain integral to his legacy,” MLA Chief Executive Nina Morris Lee said in a statement. She gave no details about the cause of death.
Chweneyagae’s three-decade-long career spanned theater, television and film.
His award-winning performance in “Tsotsi,” based on the 1961 novel by South Africa’s preeminent playwright Athol Fugard and directed by Gavin Hood, catapulted him to international stardom.
Chweneyagae was also a gifted writer and director, co-writing the internationally acclaimed stage play “Relativity” with Paul Grootboom.
The South African government paid tribute to Chweneyagae, lauding his outstanding contribution to the film, television and theater fraternity.
“The nation mourns the loss of a gifted storyteller whose talent lit up our screens and hearts,” the government said in a post on X. “Your legacy will live on through the powerful stories you told.”
The South Africa Film and Television Awards organization, known as SAFTA, paid tribute to Chweneyagae, calling him a “true legend of South African Cinema” on X.
“Rest in Power … a powerhouse performer whose talent left an indelible mark on our screens and in our hearts,” SAFTA posted.
The secretary general of the ANC, the party that dominated South African politics for 30 years, offered his condolences.
Fikile Mbalula described Chweneyagae as a “giant of South African film and theatre.”
“His legacy in ‘Tsotsi,’ ‘The River,’ and beyond will live on. Condolences to his family, friends, and all who were touched by his brilliance,” Mbalula said.
Judge Julieta Makintach was accused of participating in a documentary about the famed football player’s death.
One of the three judges presiding over a negligence trial related to the death of Argentinian football player Diego Maradona has resigned, leaving the case’s future uncertain.
On Tuesday, Judge Julieta Makintach announced she would recuse herself after reports emerged that she had participated in a documentary about Maradona’s death and its aftermath.
“This is a judicial tragedy,” said Fernando Burlando, a lawyer for Maradona’s eldest daughters, Dalma and Gianinna.
Judges are largely forbidden from taking part in interviews and other public commentary while proceedings are ongoing. Since March 11, Makintach has been part of a three-judge panel weighing the fate of seven healthcare workers who tended to Maradona during his final days.
The seven have been charged with negligent homicide following Maradona’s death by cardiac arrest in 2020 at age 60.
It is a high-profile case that has stirred a great deal of scrutiny in Argentina. Maradona is a national hero, having led the national football squad to a World Cup victory in 1986.
His performance in that year’s World Cup tournament has since become the stuff of sporting legend. Even a foul he committed during the quarterfinal has been dubbed the “Hand of God”, since it led to an Argentinian victory over England – a rival with whom the country had an ongoing territorial dispute.
In 2000, the football governing body, FIFA, named Maradona one of its two “Players of the Century”, alongside Brazil’s Pele.
But Maradona struggled with addiction, and he passed away shortly after undergoing brain surgery for a blood clot. The circumstances of his death, in turn, led to questions about whether the football player received adequate medical care in his final days.
The seven defendants include a neurosurgeon, a psychiatrist, nurses and other healthcare professionals who attended to him. They face up to 25 years in prison if convicted. An eighth person is expected to face court separately.
More than 190 witnesses are expected to testify against the seven main defendants. One coroner already told the court in March that Maradona’s death “was foreseeable” and that the football player likely died in “agony”.
But the trial was brought to a halt last week when one of the key defendants, Leopoldo Luque, called for Judge Makintach to be removed from the bench.
Luque was a neurosurgeon and a personal doctor to Maradona when he died. Luque’s lawyer, Julio Rivas, told the court that his client had been approached by the BBC, a British news company, to take part in the documentary.
Through that interaction, Rivas explained they found out that the documentary’s production company had ties to Judge Makintach’s brother, Juan Makintach.
Police also indicated that they had seen a camera in the courtroom, allegedly approved by Judge Makintach.
On May 20, prosecutor Patricio Ferrari called for the trial to be paused for a week while the incident was reviewed. Footage was presented to the court from the documentary, showing the start of the trial. It appeared to feature the judge as a central figure.
Judge Makintach has denied wrongdoing. But Ferrari argued, “The situation compromises the prestige of the judiciary.”
It is unclear whether a new judge will replace Makintach in the coming months.
THIS is the shocking moment a massive explosion shook a chemical plant in eastern China’s Shandong province.
Terrifying footage shows the moment of the eruption at the Gaomi Youdao Chemical plant in the city of Weifang at around midday local time.
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An explosion at a chemical plant in the eastern Chinese province of Shandong killed at least five people
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The blast occurred a few minutes before noon local time
Images show the roaring inferno followed by billows of black smoke rising high into the sky.
Emergency Services sent more than 230 firefighters and 55 vehicles to the scene to try and bring the blaze caused by the explosion under control.
The explosion killed at least five people while 19 are reportedly injured, according to local emergency management authorities.
A further six people are currently missing.
A local resident told the The Associated Press news agency that his home – located than 7km (4.3 miles) from the plant – shook from the impact of the explosion.
The plant manufactures pesticides as well as chemicals for medical use, and has more than 500 employees, according to corporate registration records.
Local fire officials sent more than 230 personnel to the scene, according to state broadcaster China Central Television.
Workplace safety has improved over the years in China but remains a stubborn problem.
The National Ministry of Emergency Management recorded 21,800 incidents and 19,600 deaths in 2024.
A recent spate of such accidents has prompted calls from President Xi Jinping for “deep reflection” and greater efforts to stop them.
Horror moment dirty water pipe EXPLODES near tourists’ balconies on Costa Del Sol
Last month, at least 15 people were killed and 44 injured in a fire at a residential building in the eastern city of Nanjing.
In January, dozens died after a fire broke out at a store in the central city of Xinyu, with state news agency Xinhua reporting the blaze had been caused by the “illegal” use of fire by workers in the store’s basement.
Domestic media reports suggested the fire was caused by an electric heating device.
Meanwhile, a deadly explosion ripped through a fried chicken shop in northern China, killing two people and injuring 26 more last year.
Shops, homes, and cars were completely destroyed in the horror blast, which is believed to have been caused by a gas leak, according to state reported at the time.
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Windows of nearby buildings were ripped from their hinges by the explosion
Ricky Gervais is living his best life right now. Even when he’s busy talking about death. On Saturday his new tour, Mortality, arrives at the Hollywood Bowl, where thousands will hear him tackle hilariously macabre commentary about life — and the end of it — through his signature blend of dark humor, empathy and razor-sharp commentary. His last appearance at the Bowl in 2023 with Armageddon earned him a Guinness World Record for the highest-grossing single stand-up performance — so, no pressure.
Gervais is also known for turning awkward pauses and brutal honesty into comedy gold, so it’s only fitting that after such a long career full of accolades that he would also finally earn a coveted spot on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Friday. As Hollywood honors the man who’s roasted its elite with such precision, to be roasted for eternity by the Hollywood sun sounds fitting.
It’s not all about receiving: Giving back matters to Gervais and he’s doing that by helping spotlight the next wave of comedic talent through the Spirit of Comedy — a U.K. stand-up contest presented by Dutch Barn Vodka, which he happens to co-own. With a star on the Walk of Fame, a massive show at the Bowl, and a platform for rising comics, Gervais is fully owning his Hollywood moment. But he needs to be home by 6 p.m.
You’ve spent your career pushing comedy boundaries, has there ever been a moment where you thought, “Oh yeah, I’m going to have to defend this one?”
Oh no, it all comes and goes. It’s cyclic. People get nervous and that’s just always been there from day one. People get worried and then I say, well, this is why it’s OK. Sometimes it’s an executive producer or a broadcaster who just wants some ammunition to defend it. Because sometimes, they don’t know whether it’s OK or not, they just don’t want to get complaints. If I can go “listen, this is why it’s OK,” then they often trust me because I can defend it. It’s not me sitting in the room going, “what’s the most offensive thing I could say to get the BBC burned down?” There’s always a point to it. Offense often comes from people mistaking the subject of a joke with the actual target, and they’re not usually the same.
It sometimes feels like comedians, whose job it is to joke, are being held to a higher standard when it comes to what is “offensive.”
We’re human, so we react to buzzwords and we’re cautious of taboo subjects. That’s why they’re still taboo, because we’re cautious of them. I do that on purpose as well, particularly with my stand-up where I talk about contentious issues and taboo subjects because I do want to take the audience to a place they haven’t been before. I do want them to reflect on it, worry about it, think about it and then, I’ve got to misdirect them. It’s like I take them by the hand through a scary forest but it’s OK because they always laugh. If I were going out there and saying things that were really offensive, and no one was laughing, well, that would be odd. That’s what politicians do. Politicians say awful things and they mean it, and no one laughs. Comedians say things they don’t mean, everyone laughs and they get the same treatment.
But you have to have free speech, and there’s nothing you could say that someone somewhere won’t be offended by. It’s impossible so you shouldn’t even try. I don’t go out there and try to ruin the audience’s evening, I go out there and I make a joke and it’s crafted. We’re human though and we take things personally, but you shouldn’t because I think comedy is best as an intellectual pursuit.
“Comedy is best as an intellectual pursuit” sums you up because you’re not careless. There’s a formula to it all.
Exactly. You should go “well, that’s a bad subject and I don’t agree with the punchline, but does it work comedically?” It’s a magic trick. It is a formula. You can’t argue with chemistry. No one goes, well, I know I laughed, but I don’t agree with it. Well, it did what it does. That’s the joke and I’m not gonna change the joke or meaning. I think the only form of censorship, as an audience, is your right not to listen. You just don’t have to watch. You can leave, not buy my stuff, not buy my tickets, and that’s absolutely fine.
You can turn your own TV off, but what you can’t do is make other people turn their TV off. That’s the difference. And then, people will complain about something you’re doing in the privacy of your own home, even if they have to go up to their attic and stand on a stepladder and look through binoculars to see it. They will find it. People sometimes seek out the offense and that’s actually where people can get addicted to being offended. They like it, it makes them feel alive. The news even picks up Twitter! They say, “Oh, fans weren’t happy!” Three fans weren’t happy.
“I don’t go out there and try to ruin the audience’s evening, I go out there and I make a joke and it’s crafted,” Gervais said. “We’re human though and we take things personally, but you shouldn’t because I think comedy is best as an intellectual pursuit.”
(Andy Hollingworth)
Tweets making headlines is why we can’t have nice things. I wanted to ask about the Spirit of Comedy contest, where the winner gets to open for you at OVO Arena Wembley. How did all of this happen?
I know, it’s mad! I’ve never done anything like this before and I’ve turned down loads of things, but this co-ownership with [the show’s sponsor] Dutch Barn Vodka is different. When we met, we first bonded about the company being really ethical. It was sustainable, it was recyclable, they used British apples, they were vegan, they paid their workers really well—they were really trying to be good, and I like that. They said they wanted me to make it famous, make it a global brand, and that I could do the advertising, which really interested me. I do all of my own trailers, I write all my own stuff, so that was exciting creatively. What a great nut to crack.
The business side of it sort of came last, but it all made sense too. The main thing about it was I felt I could sleep at night, and I could still have fun. That’s all I really cared about. The contest was actually all Dutch Barn’s idea and when they were asked about the contest they said something like, “Well, we know Ricky’s not going to last forever.” Maybe they’re finding my replacement? How cruel and ironic would that be?
Well, at least you can go down knowing you broke a record at the Hollywood Bowl.
Yes! It was two years ago, and I just put out a tweet because it broke the record for a single gig. I don’t know why I’m doing it again. I did it once, it was frightening, I broke the world record and it was great. Why would I do it again?
Ricky Gervais speaks at the 77th Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 5, 2020, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.
(Associated Press)
Because we love you in L.A. and it’s been too long. That’s why.
I haven’t been avoiding it, it’s just a long way so I try to do as much as I can while I’m there. I sort of work out of London now and also, it gets harder with jet lag. I’m 63! Jet lag lasts about a week now! Everything is worse, isn’t it? I’m offered really cool things every day, flying around the world and I just think, is it better than me sitting on the couch with my cat and my girlfriend watching Netflix? No. It has nothing to do with anything else other than how valuable your time is and how you wanna spend it.
Is that why you named your tour “Mortality”? Are you planning?
Sort of. There’s a joke in there where I sort of talk about getting old, looking back and all the things that are going wrong which are funny. The reason I started doing one word, sort of academic-style titles, was that I was sarcastically making fun of the pomposity of some comedians who think they’re doing lectures. That’s where it started when I was pricking that bubble of comedians who think they’re changing the world. I’ve kept up the one-word thing, but also, mortality, it’s a scary subject so already the audience is going, is Mortality gonna be funny? Yeah, it’s funny! I’m the one dying. Sit back and laugh.
From sitting to kneeling, it’s fitting — and a bit ironic — that someone who roasted Hollywood so memorably is now being cemented into its history with a star on the Walk of Fame.
Well, that’s funny because the first time they told me I got it I said, “Oh? Do I have to get down on all fours on the concrete? I’ll never get up! I’ve also got bad skin!” I had all of those thoughts, but I’m doing it the day before the Hollywood Bowl so I can kill two birds with one stone. It’s all about getting home on the couch by 6 p.m. This life, you know what I mean?
You started kind of late, but you did earn this comfortable life. And maybe 6 p.m. is the new midnight.
When I grew up, I was good at school, I went to college, then I was a failed pop star, and I never had money. Really, I never had any money. I think I was about 37 years old when I started doing this, and I just grabbed a hold of it. I thought, this is a really lucky second bite of the cherry. You better not screw this one up. So, I did work really hard, but in saying that, what does this sound like? “I work really hard in a room writing while drinking cappuccino.” Some people are hiding behind a wall getting shot at! My dad was a laborer for 60 years! It’s funny to say that, because now, I’m glad I was born poor. It’s not something that I talk about much, but I am sort of proud of myself. I didn’t have a penny, and no one gave me anything. It might be luck, but I still feel like I beat the system.
Colombian authorities have shared a new update on the tragic murder of Italian scientist Alessandro Coatti.
Content warning: This story includes topics that could make some readers feel uncomfortable and/or upset.
In April, tragedy struck the community of Santa Marta, a port city in the Caribbean region of Colombia, after the London-based scientist’s dismembered body was found in two different suitcases across town.
According to The Guardian, Coatti was travelling in South America to conduct research after departing his position at the Royal Society of Biology (RSB) in London. He was last seen leaving his hostel on 4 April and was reported missing the following day.
After the discovery of Coatti’s body, local authorities initially speculated that he was mistakenly caught between two crime groups in the area that were attempting to “settle scores,” per The Guardian.
However, after further investigation, police now think a local gang targeted Coatti on Grindr with intentions to drug and rob him.
According to a recent report from Colombian news outlet El Tiempo, police believe that the 38-year-old was lured to an abandoned house in the San José del Pando neighbourhood. Upon his arrival, the group allegedly used a chemical substance to immobilise Coatti.
La Alcaldía Distrital de Santa Marta rechaza enfáticamente cualquier acto de violencia, reitera el compromiso con la defensa del espacio público y la seguridad de los funcionarios que trabajan en favor de una Santa Marta más ordenada y segura para todos. pic.twitter.com/lY9qkxELEE
— Alcaldía de Santa Marta (@SantaMartaDTCH) April 26, 2025
But the robbery escalated to murder, with the local coroner’s office confirming that the late scientist died from blunt force trauma to the head. They also stated that he was dismembered after his death.
Lastly,authorities have identified at least four people who were allegedly involved in the horrific crime, including a woman who’s believed to have Coatti’s cell phone.
A reward of 50 million pesos is being offered for information that will advance the case further.
Since his tragic death, tributes have rolled in for Coatti, with his former colleagues at RSB describing him as “warm” and “funny.”
“He was a passionate and dedicated scientist, leading RSB animal science work, writing numerous submissions, organising events and giving evidence in the House of Commons,” they said in a statement.
“Ale was funny, warm, intelligent, loved by everyone he worked with and will be deeply missed by all who knew and worked with him. Our thoughts and best wishes go out to his friends and family at this truly awful time.”
The Max Planck Institute for Brain Research echoed similar sentiments in a separate statement.
“It goes without saying that no one deserves such a monstrous fate–– but it is particularly impossible to comprehend how this could happen to someone as friendly, open-minded, optimistic, positive, enthusiastic and kind as Ale,” they said.
“We are heartbroken for his parents and family, and we can only offer our deepest condolences and sorrow. We will carry his memory with us– is smile, curiosity, his warmth. This is a profoundly tragic end to a beautiful life.”
Emmerdale spoilers for next week have revealed a devastating twist for a number of villagers, while fans will also see a hospital dash, a murder confession and characters facing drama
00:01, 27 May 2025Updated 00:03, 27 May 2025
Emmerdale spoilers for next week have revealed a devastating twist for a number of villagers(Image: ITV)
There’s huge scenes ahead on Emmerdale next week, with possibly two deaths being exposed.
As a body is found in the lake, there’s fears it’s Anthony Fox whose murder is about to come to light. But in a dramatic turn of events, Nate Robinson’s family finally learn he’s dead.
News of a body being found leads to those who covered up Anthony’s demise panicking, and soon his killer Ruby Miligan, his daughter who he sexually abused as a teenager, heads to the police station. She begins to make her killer confession, first telling them about the abuse she was subjected to.
As her loved ones desperately try to stop what it already in motion, the character prepares to reveal what she did and keep everyone else out of it. The interview is halted by the arrival of a solicitor just as Ruby is explaining her dad’s vanishing act, and we learn said solicitor has a plan.
So will Ruby get to confess all and will she be locked up? What exactly does her husband Caleb Miligan have up his sleeve? OF course what they are soon to find out is that the body is not Anthony’s, and is in fact Caleb’s nephew Nate.
Ruby Miligan heads to the police station(Image: ITV)
As it emerges he’s been in the lake for some time and that it’s murder, suspects begin to emerge. Cain Dingle is blindsided about news of his missing son’s death, with Nate’s wife Tracy Robinson also heartbroken.
Cain is left in the frame and faces tough questions from the police as Nate’s final moments are recounted. His own family members begin to question whether he might be guilty, with Tracy also airing her own suspicions – unaware John Sugden is the real killer.
Later, Cain is left reeling when DC Cole arrives and reveals there’s been a shock development in Nate’s case. But what has been revealed and who else might be blamed?
Elsewhere next week, there’s horror for Eric Pollard who suffers a fall as his health deteriorates amid his Parkinson’s disease battle. With no one coming to his aid initially he’s eventually rushed to hospital where he reveals he doesn’t remember anything.
He’s urged to get some help at home but this only leaves Pollard feeling patronised, with him refusing to make changes. But when Eric suffers yet another fall, Kerry Wyatt makes a call to a home-help company, and soon a resolution is met.
There’s huge scenes ahead on Emmerdale next week(Image: ITV)
There’s also a big decision made by teen April Windsor, who struggles with her exams. Soon she’s given a trial shift for a summer job at Take A Vow, but at a Christening she’s left panicked when she recognises the baby’s father.
Getting flashbacks to her time on the streets, she recalls that the man was someone that threatened to urinate on her – but will she confront him? Also in the village Dawn Taylor pitches herself to Belle as a new business partner, but she’s torn when Belle makes her swear Take A Vow will never take money from Joe Tate.
Soon Joe offers her some money, having already suggested they take over Home Farm weddings and not include Take A Vow. Will Dawn use Joe’s money though? Finally next week, Sarah Sugden worries how she will fund her planned IVF as she continues her plans to have a baby despite her cancer diagnosis.
After reading about these California beaches, can you blame me for thinking about the south of France right about now? And, you know, the movies at Cannes this year were pretty good too. In fact, we might have another best picture Oscar winner from the festival.
I’m Glenn Whipp, columnist for the Los Angeles Times and host of The Envelope newsletter, which is back in your inbox after a springtime sabbatical. Today, I’m looking at the news out of the Cannes Film Festival, wondering if Neon’s publicity team will be getting any rest this coming awards season.
The Cannes-to-Oscars pipeline is flowing
Last year’s Cannes Film Festival gave us a Demi Moore comeback (“The Substance”), an overstuffed, ambitious movie musical that everyone loved until they didn’t (“Emilia Pérez”) and a freewheeling Cinderella story that became the actual Cinderella story of the 2024-25 awards season (“Anora”).
Sean Baker’s “Anora” became just the fourth film to take the festival’s top prize, the Palme d’Or, and then go on to win the Oscar for best picture. But it had been only five years since Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite” pulled off that feat, so this would seem to be the direction that the academy is going. As the major Hollywood studios have doubled down on IP, indies like A24 and Neon have stepped up, delivering original, daring films that win the hearts of critics, awards voters and, sometimes, moviegoers.
Neon brought “Anora” to Cannes last year, confident that it would make an ideal launching pad. This year, the studio bought films at the festival — among them the taut, tart revenge thriller “It Was Just an Accident,” from dissident Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, and the anarchic political thriller “The Secret Agent” from Brazil’s Kleber Mendonça Filho.
Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi holds the Palme d’Or after winning the Cannes Film Festival’s top prize for “It Was Just an Accident.”
(Sameer Al-Doumy / AFP/Getty Images)
“It Was Just an Accident” won the Palme, making it the sixth consecutive time Neon has won the award. Despite being one of the world’s most celebrated and influential filmmakers for movies like “No Bears” and “The White Balloon,” Panahi has never received any recognition at the Oscars. That will change this coming year.
Another movie that might deliver the goods is a title Neon announced at Cannes last year, “Sentimental Value,” an intense family drama that earned a 15-minute standing ovation.
Or was it 17? Or 19? The audience at the Grand Théâtre Lumière might still be standing and applauding; who knows with these Cannes festivalgoers. I’d be long gone, heading to the nearest wine bar. The point is: People love this movie. It won the Grand Prix, Cannes’ second-highest honor.
“Sentimental Value” is a dysfunctional family dramedy focusing on the relationship between a flawed father (the great Stellan Skarsgård) and his actor daughter (Renate Reinsve, extraordinary), two people who are better at their jobs than they are at grappling with their emotions. They’re both sad and lonely, and the film circles a reconciliation, one that’s only possible through their artistic endeavors.
Norwegian director Joachim Trier directed and co-wrote “Sentimental Value,” and it’s his third collaboration with Reinsve, following her debut in the 2011 historical drama “Oslo, August 31st” and the brilliant “The Worst Person in the World,” for which she won Cannes’ best actress prize in 2021. Reinsve somehow failed to make the cut at the Oscars that year, an oversight that will likely be corrected several months from now.
Jennifer Lawrence in Lynne Ramsay’s “Die, My Love.”
(Festival de Cannes)
But it’s not just about the prix
Reinsve could well be joined in the category by a past Oscar winner, Jennifer Lawrence, who elicited rave reviews for her turn as a new mother coping with a raft of feelings after giving birth in Lynne Ramsay’s Cannes competition title “Die, My Love.” Critics have mostly been kind to the film, which Mubi bought at the festival for $24 million.
Just don’t label it a postpartum-depression drama, for which Ramsay pointedly chastised reviewers.
“This whole postpartum thing is just bull—,” she told film critic Elvis Mitchell. “It’s not about that. It’s about a relationship breaking down, it’s about love breaking down, and sex breaking down after having a baby. And it’s also about a creative block.”
However you want to read it, “Die, My Love” looks like a comeback for Lawrence, last seen onscreen two years ago, showing her comic chops in the sweetly raunchy “No Hard Feelings.” Lawrence won the lead actress Oscar for the 2012 film “Silver Linings Playbook” and has been nominated three other times — for “Winter’s Bone,” “American Hustle” and “Joy.”
With Ramsay’s movie, which co-stars Robert Pattinson as her husband, Lawrence may well have printed her return ticket to the ceremony, which would be welcome. The Oscars are always more fun when she’s in the room.
A BRITISH tourist has been arrested and extradited to Portugal after a teenager was brutally stabbed to death with a broken bottle in Lisbon.
The 27-year-old fugitive was bundled on a flight back to the Portuguese capital and remanded in custody after losing a battle against his forced return.
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A Brit tourist was arrested in connection with the death of teen Daniel Galhanas (pictured)
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Video shows the moment 19-year-old was attacked in Lisbon
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The attackers were later seen fleeing the area as the teen was left to die
Daniel was reportedly attacked while trying to defend a friend during a violent bust-up between rival groups – one of which included British holidaymakers.
Initial reports claimed the teen’s pal had tried to rob the tourist and his friends as part of a gang of thieves targeting foreigners in the area.
But Daniel’s family strongly deny he had any involvement in criminal activity – insisting he was simply trying to help a friend in trouble when he was fatally attacked.
Footage of the incident shows a man hurling a bottle at Daniel’s friend before picking up the broken glass and stabbing Daniel, who stumbles before collapsing in a pool of blood.
He went into cardiac arrest at the scene and was rushed to São José Hospital by volunteer firefighters – but died shortly after from his injuries.
Video from the night shows chaos erupting on the street near Largo do Calhariz, with a dozen people brawling as cars drive past the carnage.
Confirming the dramatic arrest and extradition, Portugal’s Policia Judiciaria said they had worked with UK police and judicial authorities to track down the 27-year-old suspect.
He is believed to have committed first-degree murder in 2023 in Largo do Calhariz, in Lisbon’s Bairro Alto district.
They said the crime took place between 4am and 5am on October 14, following a violent altercation between two rival groups.
Brit woman, 21, rotting in Dubai hellhole jail without a shower for a month after being arrested on drugs charges
“The victim ended up being hit in the neck with a broken glass bottle, which caused serious injuries and led to his death on the spot,” a spokesman said.
Officers said the suspect and his group fled the scene immediately after the attack.
They explained that a probe led by the PJ’s Lisbon and Tagus Valley Directorate resulted in the suspect being identified and an international arrest warrant being issued.
“The suspect, a foreign national, was eventually located and arrested in the United Kingdom, where he travelled to the day after the murder,” they added.
He has since appeared before judicial authorities in Portugal and been remanded in pre-trial custody.
At the time of the horror attack, local reports named Daniel as the young man seen in a disturbing viral video being stabbed with a glass shard before collapsing.
Police told his devastated family they were hunting an “English tourist” in connection with the killing.
A relative said: “An Englishman throws a glass bottle at his friend, who breaks it. The same individual picks up the pieces of glass and hits Daniel, who stood in front of his friend to defend him.
“The group of Englishmen flee and are chased by Daniel’s friends. He was left behind to faint with a friend, as the video shows.”
The family have repeatedly rejected claims Daniel was linked to a gang, saying he was a local boy from Odivelas who was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
A volunteer fire team who found Daniel bleeding on the street tried to save him – but later had their own vehicle attacked in a separate incident.
Commander Débora Alves said: “I don’t connect one thing to the other, but, shortly after the murder, a man was arrested for having stoned the window of one of our cars.
Five years ago on May 25, 2020, a white police officer in the United States killed George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, during an arrest.
A bystander’s video showed officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for about nine minutes in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as Floyd pleaded that he couldn’t breathe. The footage sparked weeks of global protests against police brutality and racism. It contributed to a jury’s murder conviction against Chauvin and a federal investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department.
Although ample evidence showed that Chauvin and police misconduct were to blame for Floyd’s death, another narrative quickly emerged – that Floyd died because of a drug overdose.
Five years later, that falsehood is central to calls for President Donald Trump to pardon Chauvin.
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a member of Trump’s Republican Party from Georgia, for example, recently revived her longstanding and long-debunked take that Chauvin did not cause Floyd’s death.
“I strongly support Derek Chauvin being pardoned and released from prison,” Greene wrote in a May 14 X post. “George Floyd died of a drug overdose.”
In 2021, a Minnesota jury convicted Chauvin of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Chauvin also pleaded guilty to twice violating a federal criminal civil rights statute – once against Floyd and once against a 14-year-old in 2017. The state and federal sentences that Chauvin is serving concurrently each exceeded 20 years.
In 2023 after a two-year investigation sparked by Floyd’s death, the US Department of Justice found that the city of Minneapolis and its police department engaged in a pattern of civil rights violations, including use of excessive force and unlawful discrimination against Black and Native American people.
The narrative that Floyd died of an overdose persisted through the involved police officers’ criminal trials and beyond their convictions, in part because powerful political critics of the racial justice movement sought to rewrite history with false claims. It was one of many false statements about Floyd’s actions, his criminal history and the protests that followed his murder.
Experts said systemic racism contributes also to the proliferation of the inaccurate narratives and their staying power.
“The core through-line that emerges is the kind of longstanding, deep racist narratives around Black criminality and also the ways people try to justify who is or isn’t an ‘innocent victim’,” Rachel Kuo, a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor who studies race, social movements and technology, said of the falsehoods.
The summer 2020 protests built on 2014 and 2016 protests against police brutality, but with Floyd’s case as a catalyst, racial justice advocates achieved global visibility and corporate attention, Kuo said.
That visibility came with a price.
When people of colour achieve visibility for their social movements or political demands, an effort to delegitimise those demands quickly follows, Kuo said. Misinformation plays a part by trying to “chip away” at the belief that what happened to Floyd was unjust or to undermine the protest movement overall, she said.
How conservative influencers distort an autopsy report to push overdose claim
Chauvin killed Floyd after police were called to a corner grocery store where Floyd was suspected of using a counterfeit $20 bill. News reports about Floyd’s criminal record – which included three drug charges, two theft cases, aggravated robbery and trespassing – fuelled false claims about his background.
Two autopsy reports – one performed by Hennepin County’s medical examiner and one commissioned by Floyd’s family – concluded Floyd’s death was a homicide. Although they pointed to different causes of death, neither report said he died because of an overdose.
The Hennepin County medical examiner’s office reported “fentanyl intoxication” and “recent methamphetamine use” among “other significant conditions” related to his death, but it did not say drugs killed him. It said Floyd “experienced a cardiopulmonary arrest while being restrained by law enforcement officer”. The private autopsy concluded Floyd died of suffocation.
Nevertheless, the Hennepin County autopsy report’s fentanyl detail provided kindling for the drug overdose narrative to catch fire. PolitiFact first fact-checked this narrative when it was published on a conservative blog in August 2020.
As Chauvin’s trial approached in early 2021, then-Fox News host Tucker Carlson wrongly told his millions of viewers that Floyd’s autopsy showed he “almost certainly died of a drug overdose. Fentanyl.”
Conservative influencer Candace Owens amplified the false narrative in March 2021. Lawyers defending Chauvin argued drug use was a more primary cause of death than the police restraint, but jurors were unconvinced.
Chauvin’s 2021 conviction didn’t spell the end of misinformation about Floyd’s death. The drug overdose narrative emerged again in late 2022 as the trial neared for two other police officers charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd’s death.
Misinformation experts said it’s not surprising that Floyd and the 2020 protests remain a target of false portrayals years later because of the widespread attention Floyd’s death drew at a time when online platforms incentivise inflammatory commentary.
“Marginalised groups have been prime targets of misinformation going back hundreds, even thousands of years” because falsehoods can be weaponised to demonise, harm and further oppress and discriminate, said Deen Freelon, a University of Pennsylvania Annenberg School for Communication professor who studies digital politics with a focus on race, gender, ideology and other identity dimensions in social media.
He said Floyd’s murder was a magnet for mis- and disinformation because it “fits the mould of a prominent event that ties into controversial, long-running political issues,” similar to events such as the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Conservative activists and politicians with large followings have continued to target Floyd and the 2020 protests.
The drug overdose narrative proliferated in conjunction with the October 2022 release of Owens’s film about Floyd and the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, titled The Greatest Lie Ever Sold: George Floyd and the Rise of BLM. Rapper Ye, formerly Kanye West, parroted the false narrative in an October 2022 podcast interview, citing Owens’s film.
In October 2023, Carlson repeated the false drug overdose narrative. That X video has since received more than 23.5 million views. In December 2023, Greene reshared a different Carlson video with the caption, “George Floyd died from a drug overdose.”
Ramesh Srinivasan, an information studies professor at the University of California-Los Angeles Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, said social media algorithms don’t allow for nuanced conversations that require detail and context, which are important for productive discussion about what happened in the summer of 2020.
A person’s online visibility and virality, which can directly correlate to their revenues in some cases, improves when a person takes extreme, antagonistic, partisan or hardened positions, he said.
“Those conditions have propped up certain people who specialise in the peddling of troll-type content, of caricatured content, of deliberately false content,” Srinivasan said.
Freelon said the internet has “added fuel to the fire” and broadened misinformation’s reach.
“So it’s important to remain vigilant against misinformation,” he said, “not only because lies are inherently bad but also because the people who bear the harm have often historically suffered disproportionately from prejudice and mistreatment.”
PolitiFact researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this report.
Roger Nichols, the songwriter who penned “We’ve Only Just Begun” and other hits for folk-rock duo the Carpenters, has died. He was 84.
Nichols’ death on May 17 was confirmed in a social media post from Nichols’ longtime songwriting partner, Paul Williams. He did not list a cause of death.
“The first song Roger Nichols and I wrote was called ‘It’s hard to say goodbye …’ Sadly, we hit the nail on the head. Roger Nichols passed away peacefully four days ago, at home with his beautiful family,” Williams wrote. “His wife Terry and the daughters he was so proud of, Claire and Caitlin at his side.
“He was as disciplined as he was talented,” Williams continued. “The words were born of the beauty in his completed melodies. I wrote what I heard, note for note …word for word. The lyrics waiting in the emotion already in his music. He made it easy.”
Nichols, a Montana native, released his first solo LP, “Roger Nichols & the Small Circle of Friends,” on A&M Records in 1968. It’s now regarded as a cult classic in the California pop-rock canon, with guest credits from Randy Newman, Van Dyke Parks and Lenny Waronker. However, he earned his big break as a songwriter after he penned an unexpectedly poignant jingle for a Crocker-Citizens National Bank commercial.
Richard Carpenter, who formed the popular duo with his sister Karen, heard the tune on television and asked if Nichols and Williams had a full version of the song. They quickly extended it into a tune that became the duo’s 1970 smash “We’ve Only Just Begun.” The single was nominated for song of the year at the following Grammys.
With Williams (and other lyricists), Nichols co-wrote many of the Carpenters’ most beloved songs, including “Rainy Days and Mondays,” “I Won’t Last a Day Without You,” “Let Me Be the One” and “I Kept on Loving You.” Beyond his hits for the Carpenters, Nichols co-wrote songs that were recorded by the Monkees, Barbra Streisand, Diana Ross, Petula Clark and Art Garfunkel, among many others.
In a comment on Williams’ post, Nichols’ daughter Claire wrote, “My mom, Terri, and my sisters, Caroline and Caitlin, are all so proud of the man he was, and are in awe of the legacy he leaves.”
Actions, we know, have consequences. And an apparent Marxist’s cold-blooded murder of two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington on Wednesday night was the natural and inevitable consequence of a conscientious, years-long campaign to dehumanize Jews and otherize all supporters of the world’s only Jewish state.
Seriously, what did you think was going to happen?
Some of President Trump’s more colorful all-caps and exclamation-mark-filled social media posts evince an impending jackboot, we’re sometimes told. (Hold aside, for now, columnist Salena Zito’s apt 2016 quip about taking Trump seriously but not literally.) Words either have meaning or they don’t. And many left-wing Americans have, for a long time now, argued that they have tremendous meaning. How often, as the concept of the “microaggression” and its campus “safe space” corollary took off last decade, were we told that “words are violence”? (I’ll answer: A lot!)
So are we really not supposed to take seriously the clear calls for Jewish genocide that have erupted on American campuses and throughout American streets since the Hamas pogrom of Oct. 7, 2023? Are we really supposed to believe that chants such as “globalize the intifada,” “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and “there is only one solution, intifada revolution” are vague and open to competing interpretations?
That doesn’t even pass the laugh test.
When pro-Israel Jewish American Paul Kessler died after being hit on the head during a clash of protesters in Thousand Oaks on Nov. 5, 2023, that is what “intifada revolution” looks like in practice. When Israeli woman Tzeela Gez was murderedby a jihadist while en route to the hospital to deliver her baby earlier this month, that was what “from the river to the sea” looks like in practice. And when two young Israeli Embassy staffers were executed while leaving an event this week at Washington’s Capital Jewish Museum, that is what “globalize the intifada” looks like in practice.
Really, what did you think was going to happen?
Indeed, it is the easily foreseeable nature of Wednesday night’s slayings that is perhaps the most tragic part of it all. The suspect in the deaths of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim left behind a handy manifesto laying out a clear political motivation. This was not a random drive-by shooting. Hardly. This was a deliberate act — what appears to be an act of domestic terrorism. And the suspect, Elias Rodriguez, has a long history of involvement in far-left activist causes. If the killer intended to target Jews, then the fact that both victims were apparently Christian only underscores the “globalize” part of “globalize the intifada.”
Zito had it right back in 2016: Trump’s social media posts should be taken seriously, not literally. But when it comes to the murderous, genocidal clamoring for Jewish and Israeli blood that has become increasingly ubiquitous ever since the Jews themselves suffered their single bloodiest day since the Third Reich, such anti-Israel and antisemitic words must be taken both seriously and literally.
A previous generation of lawmakers once urged Americans to fight the terrorists “over there” so that they can’t harm us “here.” How quaint! The discomfiting reality in the year 2025 is this: The radicals, both homegrown and foreign-born alike, are already here. There are monsters in our midst.
And those monsters are not limited to jihadists. Domestic terrorists these days come from all backgrounds. The deaths of two Israeli diplomats are yet another reminder (not that we needed it): Politically motivated violence in the contemporary United States is not an equivalent problem on both the left and the right.
In 2012, Floyd Lee Corkins attempted to shoot up the socially conservative Family Research Council because he heard it was “anti-gay.” In 2017, James Hodgkinson shot up the Republican congressional baseball team a few weeks after posting on Facebook that Trump is a “traitor” and threat to “our democracy.” In 2022, Nicholas Roske flew cross-country to try to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and thus prevent Roe vs. Wade from being overturned. Earlier this year, anti-Elon Musk activists burned and looted Teslas — and assaulted Tesla drivers — because of Musk’s Trump administration work with his cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency. And who can forget Luigi Mangione, who is charged in the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare Chief Executive Brian Thompson?
Both “sides” are not culpable here. They just aren’t. Israel supporters in America aren’t out there gunning down people waving the PLO flag. Nor are capitalists out there gunning down socialists.
There is a real darkness out there in certain — increasingly widespread — pockets of the American activist left. Sure, parts of the right are also lost at the moment — but this is not an apples-to-apples comparison.
Regardless, the violence must end. And we must stop treating open calls for murder or genocide as morally acceptable “speech.” Let’s pull ourselves back from the brink before more blood is shed.
Josh Hammer’s latest book is “Israel and Civilization: The Fate of the Jewish Nation and the Destiny of the West.” This article was produced in collaboration with Creators Syndicate. @josh_hammer
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Ideas expressed in the piece
The article argues that the killings of two Israeli Embassy staffers were a “natural and inevitable consequence” of widespread anti-Semitic rhetoric and the dehumanization of Jews since the October 7 Hamas attacks, citing officials who labeled the shooting an “act of terror”[1][3].
It links the attack to pro-Palestinian chants like “globalize the intifada” and “from the river to the sea,” asserting these phrases are explicit calls for violence rather than protected political speech[1][3].
The author claims political violence in the U.S. is disproportionately perpetrated by the far left, citing historical examples such as the 2012 Family Research Council shooting and the 2022 attempted assassination of Justice Brett Kavanaugh[3].
Hammer emphasizes that the suspect’s far-left activism and manifesto reveal a deliberate, ideologically motivated act of domestic terrorism, underscoring a broader trend of anti-Israel radicalization[1][3].
Different views on the topic
Critics caution against broadly attributing isolated violent acts to entire political movements, noting that most activists condemn violence while advocating for Palestinian rights through nonviolent means[1][2].
Some argue that condemnations of Israeli government policies should not be conflated with anti-Semitism, emphasizing the distinction between criticizing a state and targeting a religious group[1][3].
Legal experts highlight that while the attack was labeled antisemitic, the victims’ identities as non-Jewish Israeli staffers complicate narratives framing the shooting solely as religiously motivated hatred[1][2].
Advocates for free speech warn against equitating protest chants with incitement, stressing the importance of contextualizing rhetoric to avoid suppressing legitimate political dissent[1][3].
Luke and Beth Martin had been on a dream holiday to Turkey when tragedy struck on April 27Credit: GoFundMe
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Mum Beth from Portsmouth reportedly fell ill on her way to TurkeyCredit: GoFundMe
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Marmara University Pendik Training and Research Hospital in Istanbul where Ms Martin died
She was rushed to a two-star-rated public hospital, where she is said to have taken her last breath and had her heart allegedly removed without any permission.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) warns that coroners in Turkey can take small tissue samples and organs for testing “without the family’s permission” under Turkish laws.
The advisory says that these orphans are usually returned before the person’s body is released.
However, Turkish authorities “might keep he body parts without permission in exceptional circumstances”, the foreign office warned.
The travel warning was placed before Ms Martin’s death and has nothing to do with her tragic case.
That’s because hospitals in Turkey have faced accusations of stealing organs and facilitating illegal transplants.
Meanwhile, the British government in its travel advisory warned tourists to be aware of medical treatments in the country.
The Foreign Office suggested that people visiting the country for medical tourism should exercise caution and discuss plans with a UK doctor beforehand.
The travel advisory reads: “We are aware of six British nationals having died in Turkey in 2024 following medical procedures.
“Some British nationals have also experienced complications and needed further treatment or surgery following their procedure.”
Brit mum, 28, mysteriously dies on Turkey holiday before horrified family find ‘her HEART had been removed by doctors’
Ms Martin was wheeled to Marmara University Pendik Training and Research Hospital – a low-rated public hospital built on the outskirts of the Turkish capital.
After scrambling for an ambulance, she was finally admitted to the hospital, which offers Istanbul‘s International Patient Service serving foreign patients.
The doctors are understood to have checked her heart by performing an angiogram – a form of X-ray that shows blood vessels.
After doing the checks, the doctors told husband Luke they did not find anything suspicious.
Her family claims they were left completely in the dark by Turkish authorities throughout the whole ordeal.
And sickeningly, once they finally got back to the UK with her body, a UK autopsy revealed her heart had been removed – without any prior consent or authorisation.
Marmara Pendik Hospital is now facing a negligence investigation over Ms Martin’s sudden death, according to Ms Martin’s family.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) is also making its own enquiries with local authorities, the Daily Mail reports.
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The public hospital has a low rating on Google, averaging just two stars.
A website operated by the Istanbul Provincial Directorate of Health states that the hospital’s principles are “transparency and accountability [with] people at the focal point of the fairness of the health service that is excellent”.
The Sun has reached out to the hospital for comment.
Meanwhile, Luke told how he was then shocked when Turkish police initially accused him of poisoning and killing his wife after her shocking death.
She was being treated in intensive care, he said, before adding he was banned from seeing her.
Beth and Luke’s parents flew out the following day and were again kept in the dark.
They were then shocked to discover Beth had been transferred to another hospital overnight, due to “concerns with her heart”, with none of the family members informed.
Close friend Ellie, who travelled to Turkey to try and help, detailed her experience of what happened after Beth’s death.
She revealed that Beth was supposed to be transferred to a private clinic.
But the public hospital was slow to act and “stopped her” from doing so.
She told how the doctors were acting strangely.
Ellie explained: “All they went on about is ‘are you going to sue the hospital? Sign this bit of paper’.
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The hospital has low ratings on Google
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Beth pictured with her husband LukeCredit: gofundme
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Luke was initially accused of poisoning BethCredit: GoFundMe
“I said: ‘Is there something we should be suing for? Do you know something we don’t? Because that’s really suspicious.'”
The family, who have not been told her cause of death, claim they were also forced to carry Beth in a body bag through the hospital.
She blasted the hospitals, saying: “The insurance company wanted to move her to a private hospital but the public hospital in Istanbul were not cooperating, they were being slow and delaying reports and not sending information over.
“They stopped her.”
She noted how suspicious it was that Beth’s hair was in “perfect” shape despite the mum undergoing “45 minutes of CPR”.
She speculated: “They said they did 45 minutes of CPR but anyone who has ever had CPR or has seen CPR knows how brutal it is.
“When I saw Beth in the morgue after she had her hair in two French plaits and they were perfect.
“There is no way they did CPR for 45 minutes, I know that,” she defiantly stated.”
She added that medical reports rule out food poisoning as a cause of death, but they still do not confirm how exactly the mum died.
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The family’s nightmare started hours after arriving on holiday in TurkeyCredit: Getty
Staff at ITV are said to be growing angrier as the row over cuts on key shows such as Loose Women and Lorraine continues, with insiders fearing a drop in standards
23:28, 22 May 2025Updated 23:50, 22 May 2025
ITV staff fury grows over 220 job cuts and ‘death of daytime’ as CEO pockets £4million salary(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
ITV staff fury is growing as the row over sweeping cuts to Loose Women and Lorraine continues to rage. Recriminations are becoming increasingly bitter over the channel’s axing of 220 jobs, with insiders insisting viewers will notice a drop in standards.
Many are blaming chief executive Carolyn McCall for the “death of daytime” and have criticised her for pocketing a massive £4million salary, including bonus, last year. There is also widespread anger that the cost-savings, which will radically change ITV ’s daytime schedule from January, were not delivered by Ms McCall to staff gathered in London’s Television Centre, on Tuesday.
A Good Morning Britain source said: “She could have walked the 400 yards to the studio to explain to folk in person.” But a channel spokeswoman said ITV Studios MD Julian Bellamy personally wanted to deliver the news: “It was really important to him that he shared this news directly in the way he felt appropriate. This is also very much in line with best practice HR given the sensitivity of the situation.”
Loose Women will feel the effect of the changes(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
They said ITV boss Kevin Lygo made the decision to shake-up the schedules. It comes as the channel was rocked by a series of other developments including:
Claims that standards across Lorraine and Loose Women in particular will go into a “death spiral” leaving viewers short-changed.
Outrage over stars on shows such as This Morning keeping their well-paid jobs while hundreds are sacked.
Fears of strikes among heavily unionised GMB studio crew and technicians.
On screen, viewers will see huge changes to the daytime schedule. Lorraine is the worst hit. It will run for 30 weeks, not 50 weeks a year, and will be slashed from an hour to 30 minutes each day.
Loose Women will stay at the same running time but will also be cut to 30 weeks. This Morning will remain the same length and frequency. Meanwhile Good Morning Britain will be extended by 30 minutes, to run from 6am to 9.30am. For the 22 weeks of the year Lorraine is not airing, it will go on until 10am.
A source said: “It’s not a case of viewers seeing less of their shows… it’s impossible to see how the high standards will remain the same. Some staff believe Loose Women and Lorraine in particular will enter a death spiral… it’s just so sad. Just a handful of people will be working on each of those two programmes which has huge ramifications for how they are going forward.”
All the shows are now going to be made under one roof. An insider asked: “If that’s the case, will Loose Women really still have a live audience…will there be the capacity for that? Everyone doubts it, not least because of the manpower needed to oversee it. Also, there is a huge amount of background work which goes into securing guests… in the new climate how does that continue with barely any staff?”
ITV sources insist that they want “minimal change” for viewers. The source said: “It’s early days and we are currently consulting but we don’t want to alienate our viewers and it’s hoped there will be minimal change on screen. Daytime is hugely important to our viewers.”
The Loose Women panel, including Coleen Nolan, GK Barry and Frankie Bridge, are also expected to see shifts dwindle, especially those who live outside London and charge for travel and hotels. Glam squads are also expected to be axed with stars expected to use in-house make-up.
An insider said: “To be honest there is very little sympathy for stars having their glam squads cut among the rank and file staff, in fact there is a lot of anger that on the whole the channel’s biggest stars are all keeping their jobs – and their exorbitant salaries – while others suffer.”
They added: “It’s no secret that stars on This Morning such as Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley are on huge salaries. Many believe they should offer to take cuts, or at least when their contracts are next negotiated.”
On the whole, This Morning is unaffected by the sweeping cuts. It will remain in its 10am-12.30pm slot on weekdays although questions remain over whether standards will be maintained.
The current Good Morning Britain team was particularly hard hit – of the 133 staff who currently make the early-bird magazine show, hosted by Susanna Reid, Richard Madeley and Ed Balls, just 38 will make the move to ITN which will now produce the show.
One source on the show said: “Lots of the studio crew and technicians will be the hardest hit with ITN taking over their roles. A lot of them are unionised and there is a fear among ITV that industrial action could be an option.”
GMB will be re-homed within ITN’s Gray’s Inn Road headquarters in Central London. Staff working on all shows are expected to “carry on as normal” until the plans are formalised.
A source said: “It’s a mutinous atmosphere to say the least and far removed from the happy, cheery image that ITV Daytime usually evokes.” The Mirror revealed this week staff on Lorraine were particularly worried their main host could quit.
Contrary to reports she was happy to see her hours cut “to spend more time with her family”, insiders say she is devastated for the team on the show being decimated. “They are a tight bunch on Lorraine and the agony is palpable,” said one.
Coronation Street actor Colson Smith bowed out as Craig Tinker after 14 years in a very brutal death scene, however the TV star made sure to leave a mark on the set before he left
Colson Smith shared a final behind-the-scenes look at his time as Craig Tinker(Image: @colsonjsmith/Instagram)
After 14 years on the cobbles, Craig bowed out in devastating scenes. He was murdered by villain Mick Michaelis in a cold-blooded and violent attack.
Shockingly, Craig was left for dead before being rushed to hospital where the police officer succumbed to his brutal injuries. Colson had worked on Corrie since he was just 11-years-old, but accepted his time had finally come to an end when he was called for a meeting with boss Kate Brooks.
Colson cheekily climbed up Rovers Return(Image: @colsonjsmith/Instagram)
The actor was axed from the soap, yet Colson managed to keep his spirits high as he bid farewell to Craig. Taking to Instagram after his final episode aired, Colson shared a series of cheeky photos from his time on the show.
He said: “My dump from my final block as Craig Tinker on Coronation Street. Thank you for having me.” Colson gave fans a behind-the-scenes look at his final outing as Craig, where he showed off his naughty side.
In one snap, Colson could be seen on top of the Rovers Return as he perched out of the top window. He also tried to keep smiling while filming his death scene as he laid out on a crash mat.
Colson gave fans a sneaky look into the dressing room as he showed how he was covered in cuts and scars thanks to the makeup department.
He took a selfie from his hospital bed(Image: @colsonjsmith/Instagram)
Despite the harrowing scenes, the TV star managed to take selfies while covered in blood in-between shots, with one backstage and another on his hospital stretcher.
Colson even topped up his tan in his full police uniform while waiting for camera to get rolling on his murder scene.
Speaking to The Mirror and other press, actor Colson shared his true thoughts on his axing and his exit plot. He also shared the shocked reaction of others when they found out his news.
Colson told us: “I think Craig dying, and Craig dying in the line of duty as a copper, that kind of hero’s death was by far the most perfect story for the exit. The last few weeks were mint, they were perfect and it was a really nice way to go out.
Colson managed to smile despite filming the shocking scenes(Image: @colsonjsmith/Instagram)
“I worked with great people, and I feel very lucky, and I felt very confident in everything that we did. I feel like the story worked.” Colson revealed the moment he figured out he had been dropped from the show, before soap boss Kate had even spoken to him.
He explained: “I knew that Craig had backed himself into a corner that was going to be really hard to get out of, so I fully expected the chat to go that way.”
Colson admitted he wanted Craig to be killed off and wouldn’t accept any other way of leaving. “I would want to die, I would want the door to be shut, so then I can kind of know in my head that Corrie has been this, Corrie has done that, and it is now done, and Craig’s journey is over,” he said. “So in a really weird way, it was the right thing for me to be killed.”
Jelena Dokic says her grief is “difficult and complicated” after announcing the death of her estranged father and former coach, Damir.
Former world number four Dokic, who retired in 2014, revealed in 2017 she had suffered years of mental and physical abuse from her father.
Damir was banned from all WTA Tour events for six months in 2000 after he became abusive in the players’ lounge during the US Open.
He was also jailed in 2009 for threatening the Australian ambassador in Serbia with a hand grenade
Dokic, who reached the Wimbledon semi-finals as a 17-year-old in 2000, had been estranged from her father for 10 years.
Underneath an Instagram post of her father and herself as a small child, Australia’s Dokic wrote: “As you know my relationship with my father has been difficult and painful with a lot of history.
“Despite everything and no matter how hard, difficult and in the last 10 years even non-existent our relationship and communication was, it is never easy losing a parent and a father, even one you are estranged from.
“The loss of an estranged parent comes with a difficult and complicated grief.”
Reporting from Sacramento — Past efforts to repeal the death penalty in California have centered on moral or ethical objections. This year, proponents of Proposition 62, which would replace the punishment with life in prison without parole, are focusing on economics.
Prominent supporters of the measure have repeatedly pointed out that the state’s taxpayers have spent $5 billion on the executions of only 13 people in almost 40 years. Online ads have urged voters to end a costly system that “wastes” $150 million a year.
“Sometimes, something is so broken it just can’t be fixed,” a voiceover says in one commercial, as a blue-and-white china vase shatters to the ground.
“Let’s spend that money on programs that are proven to make us safer,” a crime victim pleads in another.
But as voters weigh two dueling death penalty measures on the Nov. 8 ballot — one to eliminate executions, another to speed them up — researchers are at odds over the actual costs and potential savings of each. Independent legislative analysts, meanwhile, believe Proposition 62 could save taxpayers millions, while concluding that the fiscal impact of Proposition 66’s attempt to expedite death sentences is unknown.
Death penalty cases are often the most expensive in the criminal justice system because the costs associated with capital punishment trials and the incarceration of death row offenders are vastly higher.
The expenses begin to accrue at the county level. Capital cases require two trials, one to decide the verdict and another the punishment. They require more attorneys, more investigators, more time and experts and a larger jury pool.
The costs grow as the state must pay to incarcerate inmates during a lengthy appeals process: The average cost of imprisoning an offender was about $47,000 per year in 2008-09, according to the nonpartisan state legislative analyst’s office. But housing a death row inmate can lead to an additional $50,000 to $90,000 per year, studies have found.
Paula Mitchell, a professor at Loyola Law School who is against the death penalty and has advised the Yes on Prop. 62 campaign, puts the cost of the entire death penalty system since 1978 at about $5 billion.
That figure, updated from data compiled in a 2011 report, includes 13 executions since the death penalty was reinstated through a 1978 ballot measure; it was suspended in 2006 because of legal challenges over injection protocols. The figure also includes the cost of trials, lengthy appeals and the housing of nearly 750 inmates on California’s death row.
The initial study estimated taxpayers spent $70 million per year on incarceration costs, $775 million on federal legal challenges to convictions, known as habeas corpus petitions, and $925 million on automatic appeals and initial legal challenges to death row cases.
Mitchell and other researchers said Proposition 62, which would retroactively apply life sentences to all death row defendants, would save the state most of that money.
“It is sort of a fantasy that this system is ever going to be cost efficient,” said Mitchell, who has been named the university’s executive director of the Project for the Innocent.
But proponents of Proposition 66 argue the system can be reformed. The ballot measure would designate trial courts to take on initial challenges to convictions and limit successive appeals to within five years of a death sentence. It also would require lawyers who don’t take capital cases to represent death row inmates in an attempt to expand the pool of available lawyers.
In an analysis for its proponents, Michael Genest, a former budget director for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, contends such changes would save taxpayers $30 million annually in the long run. Proposition 62, in comparison, would cost taxpayers more than $100 million due to this “lost opportunity” over a 10-year period.
But independent researchers with the legislative analyst’s office found plenty of factors could increase or reduce the chances of either ballot measure saving taxpayers money.
Overall, they found Proposition 62 was likely to reduce net state and county costs by roughly $150 million within a few years.
The actual number could be partially offset if, without the death penalty, offenders are less inclined to plead guilty in exchange for a lesser sentence in some murder cases. That could lead to more cases going to trial and higher court costs, according to the legislative analyst’s office.
Yet over time, the state could see lower prison expenses, even with a larger and older prison population, since the costs of housing and supervising death row inmates is much higher than paying for their medical bills, analysts said.
“If Prop. 62 goes into effect, they can be housed like life-without-parole inmates, some in single and some double cells,” legislative analyst Anita Lee said. “It would fall to [the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation] to do an evaluation of risks.”
Calculating the fiscal impact of Proposition 66 is much more complicated, the office found, as the measure leaves more open questions on implementation, such as how the state would staff up with additional private attorneys.
Legislative analysts said the costs in the short term were likely to be higher, as the state would have to process hundreds of pending legal challenges within the new time limits. Just how much is unknown, but the actual number could be in the tens of millions of dollars annually for many years.
Also unknown, analysts said, is the proposition’s effect on the cost of each legal challenge. The limits on appeals and new deadlines could cut the expenses if they result in fewer, shorter legal filings that take less time and state resources to process.
But they could increase costs if additional layers of review are required for habeas corpus petitions, the initial legal challenges in criminal cases, and if more lawyers are needed.
Meanwhile, potential prison savings could reach tens of millions of dollars annually, depending on how the state changes the way it houses condemned inmates. Transferring male inmates to other prisons rather than housing them in single cells at San Quentin could lead to lower costs. But how much depends on how many the state can move.
Mitchell said it was “pretty much delusional” to expect Proposition 66 to ever save the state money. For that to happen, she said, California would have to execute “one person every week, 52 people a year for the next 15 years, assuming they are all guilty.”
But Kent Scheidegger, author of the proposition and legal director of the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation, argued the legislative office’s numbers were skewed, while security costs for dangerous inmates would likely have to remain just as high.
“They don’t become any less dangerous if you change their sentence from death row to life without parole,” he said.
Recaldo Thomas who died in the Bayesian yacht tragedy last yearCredit: PA
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Recaldo was a chef aboard the yacht when it sunkCredit: Facebook
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The Bayesian superyacht sunk off the coast of Sicily during a storm last yearCredit: EPA
Recaldo’s family are now seeking compensation for his tragic death – and they could be in line for a $40 million payout.
The chef’s sister-in-law Joycelyn Palmer told MailOnline: “We just want justice and yes, we will be looking at compensation, someone must pay for what happened.”
Last week a report detailing the “vulnerability” of the yacht revealed how the tragedy unfolded.
A thorough investigation has shown that the ship was likely knocked over by “extreme wind” and was not able to recover.
But Palmer believes the yacht’s 236ft mast may have also played a part in the tragic sinking.
Recaldo’s sister-in-law said: “I looked up the yacht and when I saw the mast I just thought that must have something to do with what happened.
“You can even see it in one of the last pictures he sent us.”
She also claimed the crew were at fault as they had taken the weather for granted and didn’t alert the captain until it was “too late”.
Palmer recalled the emotional turmoil the family experienced in the aftermath of the tragedy.
She said it took six long weeks to get Recaldo’s body, meaning they were unable to have an open-casket funeral and say their goodbyes properly.
Influencers left stranded after $4m Lamborghini yacht sinks off Miami Beach
Palmer described her brother-in-law as a lovely man who had a heart of gold and an infectious smile.
The family’s lawyer said they were looking at a US lawsuit against “various entities”.
They added that a $40million pay-out would not be out of the question for the “emotional loss”.
Mike Lynch and his daughter were among the seven people who died in the deadly sinkingCredit: EPA
Anchored off the coast of Porticello Harbour in Palermo, a downburst of stormy winds hit the boat causing it to topple.
It sunk to the sea floor in minutes and prompted a huge five-day search operation with specialist divers, underwater drones and helicopters.
Recaldo was found dead near the wreck site on August 19, but it took several more days to recover six missing guests including the Brit billionaire and his daughter.
New York lawyer Chris Morvillo and wife Neda also died, as did Morgan Stanley international chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy.
Just two months before the disaster, Lynch had been cleared of carrying out a massive fraud over the sale of his software firm Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard in 2011.
The boat trip was a celebration of his acquittal in the case in the US.
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Recaldo’s family has raised concerns about the reason the yacht sunk
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The yacht sunk on August 19Credit: EPA
An interim report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch revealed last week that the yacht had a “vulnerability” to lighter winds which the owner and crew may not have known about.
Andrew Moll, chief inspector of marine accidents, said: “The findings indicate that the extreme wind experienced by Bayesian was sufficient to knock the yacht over.
“Further, once the yacht had heeled beyond an angle of 70° the situation was irrecoverable.
“The results will be refined as the investigation proceeds, and more information becomes available.”
Floating cranes, remote-controlled robots, and specialist divers amongst other marine experts are all helping to recovery the vessel.
But the operation had to be put on pause just days after it started when a diver died.
The diver, who is thought to be a Dutch national, reportedly died when working 160ft below the ocean alongside other recovery workers to cut the boom of the yacht.
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The mission to life the yacht from the seabed is underwayCredit: Reuters
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Emergency services after the tragedyCredit: PA
After an unsuccessful attempt trying to cut the section, the divers are believed to have used a blow torch.
Local media speculated that the man was hit by part of the cut boom as it came off whilst he was underwater.
But police said they have launched a probe to understand what exactly caused the man’s death.
According to other local media reports, an underwater explosion was heard by at least one person before the man was found dead.
