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We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has launched an urgent search for three men tied to a tragic Tuesday morning incident. This shooting claimed the life of a Tucson police recruit and left his fiancé, a corrections officer, wounded and in the hospital.
According to authorities, an arrest warrant has been issued for Alex James Barnett, aged 33, who is among the trio of suspects. As of Friday morning, the identities of the other two suspects have not been released to the public.
Thursday night brought the release of surveillance footage capturing two men dressed in black. The video shows one individual at a gas station located at 5405 West Valencia Road at around 5:20 a.m. on Wednesday. Another clip places a suspect in a parking area near South Palo Verde Road and East 33rd Street at around 10:50 a.m.
A composite image provided by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department displays a surveillance video still of an unidentified male suspect, alongside a photo of 33-year-old Alex James Barnett. These visuals were shared as part of an active manhunt in Tucson, Arizona, following the killing of a 23-year-old local police recruit and the wounding of his corrections officer fiancé.(Pima County Sheriff’s Department)
The hunt has also led authorities to discover a gray Acura MDX SUV, which was abandoned and subsequently recovered by police on Thursday, according to official reports.
One of the unidentified men appears to have tattoos on his arms and legs. He had short, dark hair and a short beard. The person seen dropping off the Acura was pictured only in grainy video and appeared to be wearing a shirt without sleeves.
Still images taken from surveillance video at a Shell gas station at 5405 West Valencia Road in Pima County, Arizona, around 5:20 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 19. This is shortly before deputies responded to a 911 call nearby and found a Tucson police recruit dead and his fiancee, a Pima County corrections officer, suffering from a gunshot wound. She was hospitalized in stable condition. This unidentified man is one of three suspects deputies are looking for.(Pima County Sheriff’s Department)
The murder victim has been identified as 23-year-old Carlos Ramirez, who was due to graduate from the police academy on Aug. 27 and previously worked as a corrections officer for the sheriff’s department.
His fiancee, also 23, was taken to a hospital in stable condition. Authorities did not immediately release her name.
Pima County investigators are looking to identify this man seen walking away from the suspect vehicle around 10:50 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026.(Pima County Sheriff’s Department)
“The Tucson Police Department is deeply saddened by the passing of Carlos Ramirez, a member of Basic Recruit Class 26-1,” a spokesperson told News Media. “Carlos was fatally shot early this morning. His fiancée was also injured and is currently receiving medical care. Our thoughts are with Carlos’s family and loved ones, his fiancée, and his classmates, instructors, and academy staff during this difficult time.”
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos previously said the suspects were wearing all black clothing and ski masks at the time of the shooting — which happened around 6 a.m. Wednesday.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos and Tucson Police Chief Monico Prieto deliver a news briefing after a double shooting killed a Tucson police recruit and sent a Pima County corrections officer to the hospital on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. The victims shared a child and multiple suspects were at large, authorities said.(Pima County Sheriff’s Department)
It happened at Ramirez’s home in the 7700 block of South Enchanted Spring Drive, about 17 miles southwest of Tucson.
Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or 520-88-CRIME.
In the cozy confines of Steven Law’s Northcote residence in Melbourne, an array of family photo albums sprawls across the dining table, each offering a rare window into a less-spoken family history.
One particular sepia-toned image captivates Steven, prompting him to reach for a magnifying glass to scrutinize the details more closely.
The photograph features a woman adorned with a grand hat and a scarf elegantly wrapped around her shoulders—Steven’s grandmother, Irene Law, just as he remembers her.
“Irene was an elegant lady, articulate and immaculately dressed. That’s how she was known to us,” Steven shared with SBS Chinese.
Years after her passing, her visage now appears on walls across Australia, part of artist Peter Drew’s Aussie poster series—spotlighting an often-overlooked chapter of her life, and sparking conversations on the true essence of Australian identity.
The Aussie ‘paradox’
When Steven’s sister Christina Law discovered that her grandmother would feature in Drew’s poster collection, she was moved to tears.
“I was really overwhelmed and quite teary when I saw that nanna had been included in this series,” Christina told SBS Chinese.
Under the Immigration Restriction Act 1901, one of the laws that formed part of what is now known as the White Australia policy, the dictation test could be administered at an officer’s discretion to people seeking entry to Australia.
It required a person to write a 50-word passage in a European language dictated by an immigration officer. After 1905, the officer could choose “any prescribed language”, making it possible to administer the test in a language the person did not understand.
The exemption certificates were designed to allow eligible non-European residents who had lived in Australia to leave temporarily and return within a set timeframe without being subjected to the dictation test.
It’s been more than a decade since Drew debuted the poster series in 2016.
The posters have since sparked mixed reactions, including graffiti, counter-posters and attempts to tear them down.
In recent months, videos of the artworks being defaced and altered to include different messages about identity have also circulated on social media.
“Someone has vandalised my old posters, so I’ve got some new ones, and I’m going to fix them up,” Drew told SBS Chinese while standing on Morphett Street in Adelaide’s central business district.
He’s equipped with a canvas rucksack full of supplies and replaces the graffitied artworks with the ease of someone who has installed thousands of posters over the years.
Asked whether the “Aussie” label on his posters is a question or statement, Drew said there’s no simple answer.
“In some ways, the posters have a double meaning because the first way to read it is that the person in the poster is Aussie, and that’s a celebration of them being Australian,” he said.
“But in another way, the poster is also saying that the White Australia policy is Aussie, and that’s something that we don’t celebrate. So, there is a paradox because those two things are conflicting with each other.”
For Steven and Christina, the posters illuminate a chapter of their family’s history that remained largely shrouded in secrecy.
‘We knew nothing’
In 1900, Irene (then known as Lucy Maud Lem Cue) was born in South Wangaratta in north-east Victoria.
Her biological mother was born in New Zealand and had British ancestry. Her father, Lem Cue, was of Chinese descent and died when Irene was two years old. She was then adopted by another Chinese-European family and raised in Melbourne.
At the age of 18, Irene travelled to Hong Kong with her adoptive father, who hoped to recruit workers for his furniture manufacturing business and expand his commercial interests in China.
In March 1921, she returned to Australia and obtained a Certificate Exemption from Dictation Test (CEDT) before travelling back to Hong Kong.
Irene would eventually marry and raise children — mostly on her own, after her husband’s death.
In the 1970s, Irene returned permanently to Melbourne, where she remained until she died at age 80.
Despite her overseas travels, Irene was born in Australia and therefore considered a British subject by birth (Australian citizenship was later introduced in 1949). That legal status, however, did not necessarily protect people of Chinese and other non-European backgrounds from immigration restrictions.
But historian Michael Williams believes people of Chinese ancestry were “overwhelmingly” targeted by Australian immigration officials during this period.
“Legally, yes, they were definitely Australians. But socially, it was a bit more problematic,” Williams told SBS Chinese.
“If they grew up looking Chinese, then they would not have been considered Australian. The White Australia policy pretty much identified an Australian as being a white person.”
When Steven discovered that his grandmother’s records had been preserved by the NAA, he felt a “stronger” connection to his family’s past but admits he also felt angry.
“Irene never spoke to us about the difficulties she had. We knew nothing about that until after she passed away.
“We were a bit angry in a way, that these people were Australians; they were Australian-born, yet they needed these documents in order to return to the country.”
The White Australia policy and its legacy
According to the NAA, only a “small number” of people were granted CEDTs. Those exemptions could allow non-European residents to travel overseas and return to Australia, while those who were not exempted could face exclusion.
The dictation test was administered 1,359 times before 1909, with only 52 people granted entry, according to the NAA. After 1909, no migrants required to sit the test passed.
Williams said he has seen examples of dictation tests in which immigration officers targeted people from multicultural backgrounds who understood English.
“If you happened to speak English, they would test you in Greek or Estonian at one stage … and as a result of failing the test … you were [considered living] illegally in Australia and could be put in jail.”
The dictation test was abolished in 1958, but elements of the White Australia policy remained in place for years afterwards. The final remnants of the policy were removed in 1973, while the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 subsequently made racial discrimination unlawful in areas covered by the legislation.
Christina said she learnt about the mechanisms of the White Australia policy at school, but for a long time, did not realise how this history personally impacted her.
“I see now that it relates to me. I mean that was why we were the only Asian family in the school because no other Asians were allowed into the country at the time.”
“People called us names, we were teased, and we often felt isolated,” he said.
Now 66, Steven said he feels “richer” because of his Chinese ancestry and cultural traditions passed down through generations.
His experience reflects a broader shift in the makeup of Australian society. About 731,500 people born in China lived in Australia in June 2025, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
The 2021 Census recorded more than 1.39 million people with Chinese ancestry, making it one of the largest overseas-born ancestry communities in the country.
When people from multicultural backgrounds walk the streets and spot Drew’s brightly coloured posters, he hopes they are reminded that Australian identity “has room for them”.
“It’s not such a rigid thing that is set in the past and static, not evolving. It’s actually … much stronger … than that.”
Steven also believes the artworks continue to send a powerful reminder that people, no matter their background, are “welcome here, no matter where they’re from”.
“[Irene] was Aussie, just as much as we are. Just as much as the other people in the posters.”
This story was produced in collaboration with SBS Chinese.
Laken Snelling, a former University of Kentucky cheerleader, admitted guilt on Friday morning to manslaughter charges regarding the tragic death of her newborn son. The young mother was accused of placing her deceased child in a trash bag.
At 22, Snelling originally faced charges including abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and concealing the birth of her baby. She had pleaded not guilty to these allegations back in April of last year.
The incident came to light on August 27, 2025, when Lexington police arrived at an off-campus residence. Snelling’s college roommates had made the grim discovery: the newborn was found unresponsive in a black plastic bag stored in a closet.
Following the investigation, the Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office revealed that the infant had been born alive but died from asphyxia by unclear causes. This led to a grand jury’s indictment of Snelling on first-degree manslaughter charges in March.
During an interview with authorities, Snelling initially told them that her baby had fallen to the floor after birth. She stated she believed at the time that the child was not “breathing or alive.”
However, her story soon changed, claiming instead she had passed out “on top of the baby” and woke up to find him “turning blue and purple.”
In court this week, Snelling finally admitted to “ending” the baby’s life “instead of helping him” and copped to putting the infant in a plastic bag, WKYT reported.
Prosecutors have recommended a 10-year prison term for manslaughter, and one year each for abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant.
In a bizarre and chilling case, a Massachusetts woman, known for taking a selfie with an unsettling doll, has been sentenced to prison for her involvement in trafficking human remains stolen from the morgue of Harvard Medical School.
The woman, Katrina Maclean, aged 47, received a 24-month prison sentence on Tuesday. Her sentencing follows her admission of guilt in a macabre operation led by Cedric Lodge, a former morgue manager, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
Maclean’s guilty plea to the charge of interstate transport of stolen goods was recorded in December last year, as the court documents, accessed by the Daily Mail, reveal.
During investigations, the mother of two confessed to storing and selling human body parts through her business, known as Kat’s Creepy Creations, the indictment detailed.
Prosecutors allege that she obtained these body parts from Lodge, who during the years 2018 to 2022, illicitly extracted organs and other body parts from cadavers intended for medical research, diverting them before their scheduled cremations.
Lodge transported the remains from the medical school in Boston to his home in New Hampshire, where he and his wife, Denise Lodge, would then sell them to clients like Maclean, according to prosecutors.
He even allowed Maclean and other buyers to visit the Harvard Medical School morgue to examine the cadavers and select remains for purchase, the indictment said.
Lodge was sentenced to eight years in prison last year for stealing and selling body parts ‘as if they were baubles.’
Katrina Maclean poses with an eerie doll. Maclean, 47, was the owner of Kat’s Creepy Creations, a shop in Peabody, Massachusetts that specialized in dolls, oddities and bone art
Maclean was sentenced to 24 months in prison on Tuesday after admitting her role in a ghoulish scheme that involved trafficking human remains from Harvard Medical School
Maclean agreed to purchase two dissected faces from Lodge for $600 in October 2020, the indictment said.
The pair made sale arrangements on the phone and via social media, then met at the Harvard Medical School morgue to conduct the transaction, prosecutors said.
In July 2021, Maclean shipped human skin from Massachusetts to a man in Pennsylvania whom she wanted to ‘tan the skin to create leather,’ the indictment said.
She paid the man with more human skin instead of money, according to court documents.
Kat’s Creepy Creations, which was known to sell dolls, oddities and bone art, was raided by theFBI in March 2023, months before she and the other defendants were charged in the case.
Seven others, including the Lodges, have been imprisoned after previously entering guilty pleas in connection to the human remains scheme.
Maclean’s attorney Edward Rymsza, in a statement to the Daily Mail on Thursday, described her sentence as ‘unreasonably harsh.’
‘We were incredibly disappointed with the sentence imposed. Ms Maclean accepted full responsibility for her actions in this case,’ he said.
‘The sentence imposed was unnecessarily harsh and excessive. An appeal has already been filed.’
Maclean pleaded guilty to a charge of interstate transport of stolen goods last December
Prosecutors say Maclean purchased the remains from former morgue manager Cedric Lodge
Lodge his wife, Denise Lodge, (pictured) were sentenced to 96 months and 12 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in the scheme
Harvard Medical School this week agreed to pay $53 million to settle class action lawsuits by relatives of body donors whose remains were trafficked in the scheme.
The lawsuits were brought by 47 relatives of people whose remains were potentially mishandled and sold. The remains were donated for research and education.
Harvard has said it cannot determine precisely which donors’ remains Lodge stole.
After he was charged in 2023, the school said it reviewed information from federal investigators along with records showing when donors’ remains were sent for cremation and when Lodge was on campus to determine which donors may have been affected.
The settlement covers relatives or designees of people who donated their remains to Harvard Medical School between January 1, 2018, and March 31, 2023.
Harvard Medical School Deans George Q Daley and Bernard S Chang announced the development in a letter to the community on Tuesday, calling the actions of Lodge ‘despicable, abhorrent, and a flagrant betrayal of our values as a medical community.’
In their letter, Daley and Chang said Lodge’s actions ‘do not reflect the reverence we hold for the altruistic individuals who selflessly donate their bodies’ to the school’s Anatomical Gift Program.
‘We reaffirm our deep sorrow and empathy for the families of donors who may have been impacted,’ they said.
Harvard Medical School (file photo) this week agreed to pay $53 million to settle class action lawsuits by relatives of body donors whose remains were trafficked in the scheme
In addition to the payments, Harvard Medical School agreed to provide families with a statement condemning Lodge’s actions and summarizing improvements made to the Anatomical Gift Program.
The school also plans to establish an annual financial aid scholarship for medical students beginning in the 2027-28 academic year to honor anatomical donors.
Harvard said it has enacted recommendations from a panel of outside experts appointed in 2023 to review the program after Lodge was charged.
Pending court approval, Harvard said that two class action settlement funds totaling $53 million will be established to resolve the lawsuits.
The Daily Mail has approached Harvard Medical School and attorneys for Maclean and the Lodges for comment.
The buzz around Camp Rock 3 has created an exhilarating whirlwind for its vibrant ensemble of young stars. When they visited DECIDER’s studio on Wednesday, August 19, the excitement was palpable. They seemed almost stunned that it had already been nearly a week since the film’s grand debut on Disney Channel.
“Really? It’s been that long?” exclaimed Liamani Segura, in disbelief.
“Wait, are you serious?” echoed Lumi Pollack, equally surprised.
Casey Trotter chimed in with, “That’s unbelievable!” adding to the amazement.
Reflecting on the warm reception of this latest installment in the Disney Channel Original Movie saga, the talented ensemble — Torres, Segura, Pollack, Trotter, and Hudson Stone — expressed their delight. They play the next wave of Camp Rockers vying for the chance to be the opening act for Connect 3, none other than the iconic Jonas Brothers.
“I think good,” Stone said of how fans have taken to the film.
Pollack quipped, “Obviously, we haven’t even had any perception of time because this whole week has been such a whirlwind for all of us. But just all good stuff I think!”
While Segura said she “can second that,” Trotter offered up a sense of gratitude for the experience and the hard work he and his co-stars put into the film, which is streaming now on Disney+.
“I feel so grateful. I feel like, just the amount of work that we all put in is so great and I’m just proud of everyone and so grateful,” he shared.
Outside of their auditions and screen tests, the four young actors hadn’t previously known each other, but quickly took a liking to each other’s company while shooting in Canada.
“I don’t think there were any moments when we weren’t hanging out,” Pollack recalled. “Even if we had been filming all day, we were like, ‘We should just watch a movie in someone’s room.’”
Segura said their group pastimes ranged from the aforementioned movie nights to seafood boils, and the quality time clearly paid off. Here’s what the actors shared about which Camp Rock songs they loved recreating, how long they’ve been privy to Demi Lovato and Milo Manheim’s Camp Rock 3 cameos, and what they’ve been watching (outside of Camp Rock 3, of course)…
Photo: Paige Kahn/New York Post
DECIDER: I’m so excited to talk to you about Camp Rock 3. It’s now been almost a week since the movie premiered on Disney Channel.
LIAMANI SEGURA: It has?
LUMI POLLACK: Wait, what?
CASEY TROTTER: That is crazy.
LP: It’s only been like three days! What do you mean?
I know, it’s crazy!
LP: Wait, sorry? Pause!
Today’s Wednesday, I think it came out last Thursday.
HUDSON STONE: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.
CT: No, what?
So how are you guys feeling? What has the reception been like?
HS: I think good.
LP: Obviously, we haven’t even had any perception of time because this whole week has been such a whirlwind for all of us. But just all good stuff I think! Yeah?
LS: I can second that, yeah.
CT: I feel so grateful. I feel like, just the amount of work that we all put in is so great and I’m just proud of everyone and so grateful.
Photo: Everett Collection
You guys got to perform some of the most iconic songs from the first two Camp Rock movies. Which song was your favorite to recreate?
HS: I think for me, I loved recreating “Start the Party,” just because that was fun. The dancing, the choreo. We were all together, we were all in that number all at one time, and it just felt iconic.
LS: I think “We Rock.”
LP: I was going to say that, too.
LS: I think “We Rock” was my favorite especially because it was also with…
HS: “We rock!”
LS: … the Jonas Brothers. We got to perform it onstage for the Final Jam with them, and that was really full-circle.
LP: I would say ‘We Rock” too. It was just crazy because I think the day before we actually filmed that, later that night, we got to go to an actual Jonas Brothers concert. So being able to perform onstage with them in a soundstage and then go and watch them in an arena full of thousands of people was one of the most surreal moments of filming.
Two exciting cameos that fans only found out about just ahead of the movie being released were obviously Demi Lovato and Milo Manheim. How early on did you find out they were going to appear in the movie, and how difficult was it to keep this a secret?
LS: Milo Manheim went to the concert with us!
LP: And that was like, such a last-minute thing. I think at the concert — like, we saw him at the Jonas Brothers concert. And then I think Gary Marsh — I don’t know if I’m allowed to say this.
LS: You’re allowed to say that.
LP: Mr. President of Mr. Disney Channel was like, “Hey, you should be in our movie.” And he was like, “Hey, yeah.” So that was cool. Demi we knew.
HS: Demi we knew.
LP: We been knowing.
LS: We knew about Demi, but it was so hard to keep a secret. I swear our lips were so sealed. And I think the fans started catching on, literally a few days before the movie came out. And we were like, “No! We’ve done so good!”
Photo: Disney
With the Demi cameo, Liamani, you got to share a special onscreen moment with her when Mitchie waves to Sage from the wings. How surreal was that to shoot?
LS: That was so insane. I remember that day… ooh, that day. Oh my gosh! I remember it like it was yesterday. The look that we share is such a special moment in the film, and it kind of feels like she’s passing the torch, which is so crazy to even say out loud. But I definitely look up to her so much. So to have that moment with her just means the entire world, and I can’t wait for the fans to see it.
Lumi, hearing that you learned to play the cello for this role was incredible. How long did it take for you to get down?
LP: Well, we had about a month of prep before we actually were shooting. So I think literally Day 1, we started dance rehearsals, we started all of our musical lessons. So it was like Day 1 of prep, and I think it was about a month of lessons. At first I think there were like two hours every day, to just get the basics down of cello. I feel like everybody who you see playing the cello has had experience since they were 5 years old, and I think Rosie, my character, is the type of character to have had played the cello her entire life. So that was a lot of pressure stepping into that, I think. But I just made sure to stay committed and practice on my own. So yeah, it was about an hour to two hours of practice every single day until we started shooting.
Wow, that’s amazing.
LP: And then also while we were shooting. Whenever I had free time.
We need a Camp Rock album set to strings. Like each song with a strings take on it.
ALL FOUR: [Laugh]
HS: Yeah.
Hudson, I have to tell you I loved the song “Get Ready.” Such a bop.
HS: Thank you!
And you’re a musician outside of your onscreen work. Did you feel like you were infusing any of yourself into the role?
HS: Oh, for sure. I feel like Veronica Rodriguez, our director, helped do a great job of that and bringing me to the role of Desi. And I think, as far as me bringing Hudson to the role, I’m a musician, I write my own music, and I feel Desi is very much in that same vain. And “Get Ready” is a song that’s like him stepping into the spotlight, and that felt like a moment for me to do the same. I’ve never danced before Camp Rock, so a lot of my personal arc meets up with Desi’s in a way. So that’s really cool.
That’s so cool. Casey, I read how you started as a drummer, and that has led you to so many roles that include both acting and drumming, which I think is so cool. Do you have any other dream role that could combine the two?
LP:Whiplash?
CT: Like a Whiplash could be super cool. Something band-related. I feel like a lot of the time, a lot of the focus really isn’t on the drummer because there’s so much else in the band. And I’d love to do something that would be really mainly drummer-focused. That would be super cool.
Photo: Everett Collection
Did any of you four know each other before filming? And if not, how did you bond on set to create this chemistry?
LP: I don’t think we did.
CT: [To Lumi] I met you at the testing.
LP: Yeah, we met on tests.
HS: On auditions.
LP: But no, we hadn’t known each other. But I think, like, filming something — especially filming on location where we all were in a different country together — you bond just so quickly. And with these people, it’s really easy to become friends with them. But I think, like, we were all staying in the same hotel and we were kind of forced to hang out with each other because there’s no one else when we’re in a different country.
HS: Yeah, you don’t know anybody but the people you’re with. Like, it’s crazy.
LS: This is true, this is true.
LP: I’m kidding. We all willingly [hung out with each other].
LS: It was so fun. It was never a dull moment on set.
LP: I don’t think there were any moments when we weren’t hanging out. Even if we had been filming all day, we were like, “We should just watch a movie in someone’s room.”
LS: Like we would hang out in someone’s room, have movie nights, go to seafood boils.
LP: Seafood boils!
CT: [To Hudson] That was so good.
Is there another DCOM that you would like to see revived after Camp Rock?
LP:High School Musical! [Turns to Liamani, who starred in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series] Oh wait, that actually already happened!
ALL FOUR: [Laugh]
LS: Okay, but that was a series! Shoutout Tim Federle.
LP:Lemonade Mouth, Teen Beach Movie.
HS:Teen Beach [Movie], I’d want to see that. That’s incredible. Live-action Frozen.
CT: [Laughs]
LP: Let’s make a new one! Let’s make a new DCOM.
LS: Yeah, I’m down! I’m down for that.
LP: Me and Lia, we’ll work on it. Don’t worry.
LS: We’re gonna write the script.
Photo: Disney/David Astorga
Obviously, I can’t let you go without talking about the Jonas Brothers. What were the tips they gave you for stepping into the world of Camp Rock?
HS: Oh, they gave so much advice, let me just put it that way, while we were on set. Every time they could, they were literally talking to us about all things because they’ve had these long careers and they were doing it since they were our age. They had so much wisdom to share with us. I just found it incredible getting to talk to them. They’re such great guys.
LP: I think, for me, not even just the tips that they gave us, but just being able to observe them on set and watch how they carry themselves professionally and just as talented people. Also, I was just watching them and observing them stepping onto a set that kind of was like probably deja vu for them. And I think just learning to take everything in, because 15 years ago it was them right there, our age, doing all this. So I’m like wow, imagine that’s us in 15 years!
LS: I agree. I literally feel like they could have easily been so protective over the film because it’s their baby, you know? So I feel like they could have easily been protective. But they really allowed us to be our own people, be artists, and be creative, and do what we want to see, and bring ourselves to the film. So it was really cool.
I know you mentioned that you got to go to their concert. Will any of you be at their concert coming up?
LP: I’m actually going on the 21st I think! And I think Ava Jean from Camp Rock [3] is also going.
HS: Maddie the Baddie.
At DECIDER, we’re a site that’s dedicated to all things streaming. So what are you guys watching right now?
LP: Oh my gosh.
HS: So much.
LP: Well, I will say, a show I’m watching right now is Sterling Point on Prime [Video].
LS: Oh my gosh, I started it last night!
LP: You did?
LS: I did!
LP: It’s so good! And also shoutout Megan Park! She created that show, and she also wrote and directed the first movie I was in, The Fallout. So it’s like so amazing to watch that now. And I’m actually obsessed. It’s so good. And also, [I] go to the movies. Watching The Odyssey, Spider-Man: [Brand New Day], all that good stuff.
HS: I’ll say for me, I’m a little late to the party, but I just started Severance. I’m, like, halfway through Season 1 and it’s incredible. Adam Scott is incredible. And I’m watching Season 3 now of Silo, which is on Apple [TV], and that’s a great show. I’ve never really been into that sci-fi kind of world, but I’ve really gotten deep into this show and the plot just thickens at every turn, so I’m loving those two.
CT: So I saw an announcement for Grown Ups 3, and that was my movie. So I just recently rewatched those. And then The Hangover trilogy, I also rewatched that. A bunch of comedies. Like a lot of comedies.
LP:Camp Rock 3!
HS: Camp Rock 3, I’ve watched that one a few times.
Progressive lawmaker Aisha Wahab is set to replace the disgraced former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), marking a historical milestone as the first Afghan-American elected to the U.S. Congress.
Wahab made headlines back in 2018 by being the first Afghan-American to secure an elected position in the U.S., serving on the Hayward City Council. She overcame her Democratic rival, Melissa Hernandez, in a special election decided Thursday evening, according to the Associated Press (AP).
As the vote tally reached 95 percent for California’s Fourteenth Congressional District, Wahab led with 53.1 percent compared to Hernandez, who garnered 46.9 percent.
The rivals faced off in a special runoff after emerging as the two frontrunners in the June 16 special primary. This election followed the exit of Swalwell from politics due to a suspended gubernatorial campaign and resignation from office amid multiple unresolved allegations of sexual assault, which he denied. Earlier primary results had Wahab eclipsing Hernandez by 21 points for the upcoming full term starting in January.
Despite significant backing, Hernandez fell short. As president of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) board and former Dublin, California mayor, she still lost against Wahab, though high profile super PACs, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), reportedly invested millions in her campaign, mainly through oppositional advertisements.
“I’m very proud of this district for not listening to the hate-mongering and really knowing and believing the work that I’ve done,” Wahab told KQED on Tuesday night after she took a slight lead over Hernandez.
In a recently unearthed interview with Indian-American outlet PunjabiTV, Wahab pledged to be an advocate for foreign H-1B visa workers:
“This is far more crucial than I think people understand … Why are we not training our next generation of leaders and technologists and doctors and nurses and so much more?” she said in the clip.
Swalwell’s seat has been open since his April resignation, and will still have to be fought for in the November election, where both Wahab and Hernandez will again be on the ballot, this time vying for a full two-year term.
Olivia Rondeau is a politics reporter for – News based in Washington, DC. Find her on X/Twitter and Instagram.
Trump’s Turkey stance sparks concern amid NATO summit, Netanyahu warning
During the NATO summit, President Donald Trump highlighted the thriving relationship between the United States and Turkey, mentioning it as ‘better than it’s ever been,’ this despite ongoing concerns regarding the F-35 program. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has raised alarms about Turkey’s support of Hamas. According to Olivia Beavers from the Wall Street Journal, there is notable unease among Republicans over Trump’s position, with some quietly expressing worries about its potential impact on the balance of power in the Middle East.
On Thursday morning, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz delivered a stern caution to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, accusing him of involving Turkey in “dangerous adventures in Syria” and emphasizing that Israel’s resolve should not be underestimated in this regard.
“Israel will not allow any actor to threaten its security,” Katz wrote on X. “It would be better for Erdoğan to continue his detached-from-reality, fanciful rhetoric against Israel in the Turkish Grand National Assembly than to attempt to test Israel’s determination to defend itself.”
This warning follows Israel’s recent strike on Syria’s Abu al-Duhur Airbase, escalating tensions that Washington is now trying to defuse. The situation places pressure on the U.S., as it seeks to manage the volatile dynamics between Turkey, a NATO ally, and Israel, one of its closest allies in the region. Israel has alleged that Syria was close to violating a security agreement by facilitating Turkish troop presence there, though Turkey staunchly disagrees with this account.
Syria’s government indicated there were no plans for a lasting Turkish military presence or base construction, though Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani acknowledged that Turkish officers had been on-site for training and knowledge-sharing purposes. Turkey’s Defense Ministry also announced that no Turkish military personnel were at the base before or during Israel’s attack, as reported by Reuters.
On Wednesday, Turkey called these allegations from Israel “untenable,” arguing that they are “intended to legitimize Israel’s unlawful airstrikes targeting Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. … The imputations voiced stem from Netanyahu’s intent to pursue expansionist and destabilizing policies in the region ahead of the elections in Israel,” Turkey’s government said in a social media post.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told Reuters Thursday that Washington was working on “a de-escalation process” that was already in place but still needed to be refined. Asked whether the dispute could lead to a direct Israeli-Turkish confrontation, Huckabee said, “I don’t think we’re even close to that.” He said Israel viewed Turkey as “moving further south” in Syria and perceived that as potentially threatening.
U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack sounded a sharper warning after the strike. Barrack said Turkey had received no advance notice and could have prepared a military response after detecting Israeli aircraft heading north toward Turkish territory. He said Washington was working to establish a more robust deconfliction mechanism among Turkey, Israel and Syria to prevent miscalculation or an accidental confrontation.
Sinan Ciddi, director of the Turkey Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told News Media that Ankara is portraying the confrontation through a sharply different lens.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and Defense Minister Israel Katz attend a meeting.(GPO)
“Turkey is chalking up the increasingly escalatory climate between Turkey and Israel to election antics/propaganda by Netanyahu and driving a narrative that Israel does not want stable neighbors and regional powers in the Middle East,” Ciddi said.
At the same time, Ciddi said Erdoğan “seems intent on taking actions inside Syria that are perceived by Israel as military escalation,” citing proposed arms sales, military training and assistance, continued Turkish influence over former militia members integrated into Syria’s new army and, most significantly, “developing military bases with Turkish troops and sensitive equipment.”
“Israel established clear red lines about what it was willing to tolerate in Syria,” Ciddi said. “Deconfliction only works if parties implement the agreed upon rules.”
NETANYAHU WARNS TURKEY SHOULD NOT GET F-35S, CITING ERDOĞAN’S HOSTILITY TOWARD NATO ALLIES
Syria’s president Ahmed al-Sharaa and Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdoğan attend a joint press conference at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, February 4, 2025.(Cagla Gurdogan/Reuters)
The dispute was already being discussed at senior levels before the strike. Mossad chief Roman Gofman spoke with al-Shaibani on Aug. 14, four days before the attack, according to three sources cited by Reuters. The conversation focused on Israel’s concerns about Turkey’s military presence in Syria, including potential troop deployments, weapons sales and drones supplied to the Syrian military.
Attempts to prevent an Israeli-Turkish clash are not new. Turkey and Israel began technical talks in Azerbaijan in 2025 aimed at preventing misunderstandings or military incidents in Syria. Turkey’s defense minister said in June 2025 that those contacts were continuing as Ankara trained and advised Syria’s military.
Ciddi argued that a mechanism alone would not prevent further Israeli action if Ankara continued pushing against what Jerusalem considers its security red lines.
Decommissioned Syrian air force planes are seen at the Abu Duhur military airbase east of Idlib, following the takeover of the area by Syrian opposition fighters on Dec. 7, 2024.(AP Photo/Omar Albam, File)
“To the extent that Ankara will push boundaries and attempt to position military capabilities that Israel feels is harmful to its safety, we are likely to see pre-emptive action by Jerusalem,” Ciddi said. “The ball is in Erdoğan’s court to not raise the temperature.”
Netanyahu is also facing criticism from inside Israel. Former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, a longtime Netanyahu adversary, accused the prime minister Wednesday of deliberately escalating tensions with Turkey for political purposes ahead of the Israeli election.
“Turkey is not Iran or Assad’s Syria,” Barak wrote in Hebrew on X, arguing that Israel’s strategic disputes with Ankara could be resolved, moderated or postponed through discreet diplomacy coordinated with the United States.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan speaks during a rally in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Istanbul, Turkey October 28, 2023.(Dilara Senkaya/Reuters)
News Media reached out to the White House, the Turkish Embassy in Washington, D.C., and Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz for comment.
Victoria Beckham’s dazzling collection of engagement rings, gifted by her husband David, is believed to surpass an astonishing value of £30 million.
Over their 24-year marriage, the 49-year-old fashion icon has curated an enviable assortment of stunning rings, each showcasing a unique design.
David Beckham, who boasts an impressive net worth of approximately £372 million, has never hesitated to indulge his wife’s love for luxurious jewelry.
Her collection began with a classic diamond ring costing around £69,000, escalating to an opulent oval-cut sapphire set in a delicate platinum pavé band, valued at a remarkable £4.4 million.
Victoria’s treasure trove features an exquisite array of gemstones, including yellow diamonds, vibrant sapphires, lush emeralds, radiant rubies, and a singular platinum-set eternity band.
Victoria Beckham, 49, is thought to own over £30 million worth of engagement rings that have been gifted to her by her husband David
Throwback: The fashion designer, has amassed a huge collection of rings over the course of their marriage (pictured on their wedding day in 1999)
Her first engagement ring was the three-carat marquise-cut diamond set on a plain yellow gold band David gave her when he proposed in 1998. It was said at the time the footballer spent £69,000 on the rock.
Neil Dutta, Managing Director of Angelic Diamonds told MailOnline: ‘Victoria Beckhams’ first engagement ring is a three-carat marquise-cut diamond set on a plain yellow gold.
‘The excellent cut diamond, set on an 18k gold band, is valued up to £299,563 today.’
After she and David tied the knot, Victoria stopped wearing the marquise cut and swapped it for a platinum set eternity band.
Her only single band, that she wore for around 18 months in the early days of her marriage, is worth over £14,000.
In 2003, Victoria showed off yet another engagement ring as she was seen sporting an emerald-cut diamond with side baguettes set in platinum.
The ring features, approximately, a six-carat emerald-cut diamond with two diamonds approximately 2.5ct set in a platinum band and worth up to £2,300,000,’ said Neil.
The following year, to celebrate her 30th birthday, David gave his wife a pink champagne diamond ring in a halo setting, reportedly worth £1.3 million.
In 2005, Victoria debuted her most extravagant ring yet as she was seen wearing a 17 carat pear-cut diamond which she still regularly wears today.
Neil explained: ‘The engagement ring alone is estimated at £1.8 million, it features a 12ct emerald cut yellow diamond set in a yellow-gold pavéd band, to enhance the colour is the large diamond.’
Her next rock was an eye-catching emerald diamond set in a yellow-gold pave band which she debuted in 2006, her first gemstone-centered piece valued at £2.4 million.
Victoria clearly had a thing for emerald cuts as she showed off a new diamond with 15 carats in 2008.
Number one: Her first engagement ring was the three-carat marquise-cut diamond set on a plain yellow gold band when David proposed in 1998. It was said the footballer spent £69,000
Eye-catching: After she and David tied the knot, Victoria stopped wearing the marquise cut and swapped it for a platinum set eternity band (pictured in 2001) worth £14,000
Wow: In 2004, David gave his wife a pink champagne diamond ring in a halo setting, reportedly worth £1.3 million
Another one! Her next rock was an eye-catching emerald diamond set in a yellow-gold pave band which she debuted in 2006. Neil of Angelic Diamonds valued it at around £1.8 million
Sensational: In 2009, Victoria sported an oval-cut ruby in a white-diamond setting, worth an estimated £4 million
This time the diamond was double the size of her 2003 emerald-cut ring, it is reported that the ring is designed by Chopard.
Neil of Angelic Diamonds valued this ring at around £3.1million.
In 2009, Victoria sported an oval-cut ruby in a white-diamond setting while she switched to an oval-cut sapphire on a platinum pave band the year after, worth an estimated £4 million.
Later that year, the star wore a pink diamond oval-cut set in a yellow band.
To complete Victorias’s’ precious gemstone set – an emerald, a ruby and a sapphire – in 2010, she was gifted a huge oval cut sapphire on a skinny platinum pavé band.
Neil Dutta said: ‘This ring is the largest gemstone in Victoria’s gemstone collection. It features a large 20ct oval cut sapphire set in a slim platinum white diamond pavé band. We predict this ring to be worth £4.4 million.’
It wasn’t until 2015 that Victoria debuted a new engagement ring as she sported a round-cut diamond set in a halo design, valued at around £1.5 million.
That same year, she also wore a moonstone set in a diamond-encrusted platinum band.
Diamond expert Neil commented: ‘Large high-quality moonstones like this one in Victorias’ engagement ring are very rare and hard to come by, making it valuable.’
‘The moonstone itself looks to be 15 carat surrounded by a white diamond encrusted platinum band valued at an estimated £4 million.’
At the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, Victoria showed off a new square-cut diamond in a platinum pave band, valued at roughly £264,000.
Two years later in 2018, she received her 15th engagement ring as she was seen wearing another square-cut yellow diamond.
‘This ring features a 12ct square-cut yellow diamond set on a platinum pavé band worth up to £2.5 million, which is £700,000 more than the ring Victoria was gifted in 2006,’ Neil added.
Stunning: To complete Victorias’s’ precious gemstone set – an emerald, a ruby and a sapphire – in 2010, she was gifted a huge oval cut sapphire on a skinny band worth £4.4 million
Rock: In 2015, Victoria wore a moonstone set in a diamond-encrusted platinum band at an estimated £4 million
Beauty: At the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, Victoria showed off a new square-cut diamond in a platinum pave band, valued at roughly £264,000
Diamond: Two years later she received her 15th engagement ring as she was seen wearing another square-cut yellow diamond, worth up to £2.5 million
Victoria and David celebrated their 24th wedding anniversary in July. Taking to Instagram to mark the occasion, the couple shared a slew of throwbacks, with Victoria joking she was still ‘laughing with, not just at’ her husband.
She captioned the images: ‘Still holding hands and still laughing (with you not just at you) I love you so much @davidbeckham xx’.
Meanwhile David penned a sweet tribute ‘to the best wife, mummy and drinking partner’ as he posted an old snap.
‘On this day 4.7.99 ❤️ 24 years and counting. To the best wife , mummy & drinking partner ( most of the time ) Happy Anniversary love u so much,’ he wrote.
Tragedy struck on Martha’s Vineyard when a young boy lost his life after allegedly being left in a frigid car by his babysitter, who was said to be preparing a meal indoors. The heart-wrenching incident claims the boy called out for his father in his final moments.
The child, identified as two-year-old Frank “Frankie” Rodenbaugh, reportedly perished after being unattended in the vehicle for three hours in March 2025. The babysitter, 41-year-old Aimee Cotton, now faces charges of second-degree murder, as legal proceedings continue this week.
Details surrounding the unfortunate event emerged from a wrongful death lawsuit initiated by the boy’s grieving parents, Julie and Matthew. The suit, as accessed by the Daily Mail, revealed that Frankie succumbed to the cold, leading to hypothermia and eventual cardiac arrest.
In a poignant reflection shared with the Boston Globe this week, Matthew expressed his anguish, stating, “My 2-year-old son, Frankie, died calling out my name.”
He added, “I was not there when he needed me most. So I made him this promise after his death: I will be there for him now, and forever.”
‘I will never stop fighting for Frankie and advocating for the highest measure of justice in his case.’
Frank ‘Frankie’ Rodenbaugh, 2, died after being left unattended in a vehicle for hours in March of 2025
Frankie was taken to Martha’s Vineyard Hospital and later taken to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston where he died six days later on March 19
Cotton was previously charged with manslaughter and child endangerment in October 2025 and pleaded not guilty to both counts.
She was released on bail.
A police report seen by the outlet said that on the day Frankie died, Cotton dialed 911 and reported that the youngster was not breathing and had turned blue.
She initially told investigators she left the tot and a one-year-old girl in the vehicle for 15 minutes before finding the boy unresponsive.
Investigators later uncovered surveillance footage from her own home, however, that showed the two children sat in the vehicle for around three hours.
She then told officers that while the kids sat in the car she was cooking bacon, preparing her son’s hockey equipment and doing household chores, the report said.
Aimee Cotton, 41, was indicted this week on a second-degree murder charge
According to the police report, the surveillance footage showed her arrive back at her home at 9:22am and bring items from the vehicle into the house.
Police said that over the next three hours Cotton ‘is not seen going to her vehicle, nor is anyone seen exiting the vehicle.’
At around 12:15pm Cotton was seen taking the girl inside for 10 minutes before returning to the vehicle, police said.
For an hour, she was then seen carrying multiple items from the house to the vehicle, which police said included hockey equipment.
At 1:15 she was then seen opening the rear passenger door of the car and first responders arrived not long after, police said in their report.
Frankie was taken to Martha’s Vineyard Hospital and later taken to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston where he died six days later on March 19.
Frankie is seen here with his father Matthew, who said in a statement this week that his young son died calling out his name
According to a wrongful death suit seen by the Daily Mail, Frankie was hypothermic and suffered a cardiac arrest
When confronted with the discrepancies, police said in their report that she acknowledged leaving the kids unsupervised in the vehicle.
She also acknowledged to officers that she did not provide them with food or water during this time, police said.
The wrongful death suit was filed in January and alleged that she misled emergency teams about the circumstances surrounding his death.
In June, a judge issued a stay in the suit pending the outcome of the criminal case held against her.
An indictment was returned on Wednesday, with Cotton to be arraigned inside Dukes Superior Court in Edgartown in October.
An attorney for the Rodenbaugh family told the Boston Globe: ‘It has been an honor to represent Matt Rodenbaugh and watch his relentless fight for his son.
‘I commend law enforcement for its sustained and continued efforts on the case.’
The Daily Mail reached out to the Rodenbaugh family for further comment.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In a significant development from the courtroom, Kenneth Ellis Wetherington, aged 60, will serve 14 months in federal prison upon conviction for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon. This major announcement came from John P. Heekin, the United States Attorney for Florida’s Northern District.
U.S. Attorney Heekin emphasized the importance of this sentencing, stating, “Removing weapons from the grasp of notorious criminals, such as this repeat offender, is vital for community safety. My office remains committed to zealously pursuing prosecutions of this nature, ensuring our citizens enjoy the protection and peace they rightly deserve.”
Initial Arrest Details
The arrest unfolded around 10:15 p.m. on November 21, 2025, when officers from the Gainesville Police Department arrived at a scene on NW 9th Terrace responding to a gunfire report. Eyewitnesses recounted that shots were discharged from a parking lot adjacent to 102 NW 9th Terrace, with one observer noting that Wetherington engaged in a heated dispute with an unidentified male before ultimately discharging a pistol.
Officers made contact with Wetherington at his apartment in the building where the shots were reported, and a witness said Wetherington had admitted that he had a gun during the argument and had fired several shots. Three .40 S&W Federal shell casings were reportedly found in the parking lot.
A search warrant for Wetherington’s apartment was obtained, and officers reportedly found a handgun loaded with six .40 S&W Federal rounds that matched the shell casings recovered outside.
An additional loaded magazine for the handgun was also reportedly found, along with a broken shotgun, 28 rounds of .40 S&W Federal ammunition, and 26 rounds of 12-gauge shotgun ammunition. Wetherington is not permitted to have any firearms or ammunition because he has eleven felony convictions, including a prior conviction for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
“This sentence is a reminder that there are consequences for violating the law,” said Gainesville Police Chief Nelson Moya. “We will continue to work with our federal partners to hold those who illegally possess firearms accountable and help keep our community safe.”
The case involved an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Gainesville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner prosecuted the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
