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Met Police Urge Students to Cancel October 7 Anti-Israel Protest

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Police have called on students to cancel a pro-Palestinian demonstration planned for the third anniversary of the October 7 atrocity, warning that it is “not the right day” for such an event.

Officers have promised a “robust” response if the students ignore the appeal and march through central London on Wednesday, describing the anniversary as “a day of mourning and a day of reflection”.

Student activists have promoted the demonstration on social media, saying they will “take to the street” to “demand an end to the Palestinian genocide”.

The Metropolitan Police said it “sounds incredible”, but despite considerable efforts it has so far been unable to identify anyone prepared to take responsibility for organising the march.

James Harman, the Met’s Deputy Assistant Commissioner for operations, said there were serious concerns about the effect of the protest on students and staff, particularly Jewish members of the university community, as well as concerns about its route and timing.

“We, the Met, have attempted to find and contact the student organisers to ask them to very carefully consider the impact their event will have, and to ask them to hold this event on a different day,” he said.

Mr Harman said locating the organisers had “frankly” proved difficult. He used the opportunity to urge them to reconsider, contact police urgently and arrange their protest for another date.

He also appealed to the estimated 300 students expected to take part, asking them to consider the distress the march could cause on such a significant day and exercise their right to protest at another time.

Pro-Palestine protesters gather outside King's College London on October 7 2025, the second anniversary of the Hamas attack on Nova Festival in Israel and subsequent attacks on Gaza by Israel.

Pro-Palestine protesters gather outside King’s College London on October 7, 2025, marking the second anniversary of the Hamas attack on the Nova Festival in Israel and Israel’s subsequent attacks on Gaza.

Jewish organisations and senior politicians have already condemned the planned demonstration.

DAC Harman said: “I don’t think it is the right day to be holding that event.”

He added that if the march went ahead, it would not be because the Met had authorised it, but said police would still have to manage the event.

Mr Harman warned that the demonstration, another pro-Palestinian protest planned for Saturday, October 10, and the possibility of disorder ahead of next week’s Holborn and St Pancras by-election could all “fuel further tensions” in London.

His comments follow reports of confrontations during canvassing for Sir Keir Starmer’s seat last weekend.

“We have absolutely no desire to get involved in politics,” DAC Harman said. “We have absolutely no desire to take sides in culture wars or wars of words between opposing groups.”

“That is very clearly not our role,” he added.

However, he said the Met and police have a clear responsibility to prevent serious disorder, violence and hate crime, adding that officers would respond robustly if necessary.

Students marched from King's College and stopped at various campuses along the way, calling for an end to genocide in Gaza

Students marched from King’s College, stopping at several campuses along the route while calling for an end to genocide in Gaza.

Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman

Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman.

Hundreds of students are due to march between four London universities on Wednesday, the third anniversary of the atrocity in which Hamas militants killed more than 1,200 civilians and took 251 hostages.

The protest is being advertised on social media by student activists, who say they intend to ‘take to the street’ to ‘demand an end to the Palestinian genocide’.

The Met said they are ‘making every effort’ through universities and others to identify organisers of the shadowy University of London Coalition responsible for advertising the event.

DAC Harman said: ‘We have found people who are attending, but they are not willing to take responsibility as the organiser of the event. I know it sounds incredible.’

Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, condemned all those marching on October 7.

She said: ‘Those planning public demonstrations on this day know exactly what October 7 represents.

‘They know of the savagery, the sexual violence, the murder and kidnapping committed by Hamas, yet they still choose this date.

‘This is a disgusting attack on the memory of the victims of Hamas and those still grieving, carrying the pain and trauma this anniversary brings.’

Raphi Leon, president of the Union of Jewish Students, said holding a protest on a day of mourning for Israeli families was ‘outrageous’.

He said: ‘There are 365 days of the year. The decision to protest on this day is provocative, deliberate and must be condemned to the fullest extent.’

Meanwhile, Education Secretary Lucy Powell said: ‘We certainly shouldn’t be doing anything other than marking those attacks on October 7 with deep mourning for those who lost their lives and those who were victims of that terrible Hamas attack.’

A similar march held on the second anniversary was described by then-Prime Minister Sir Keir as ‘un-British’.

He urged students to call off their action and accused participants of showing a lack of respect but to no avail.

The students plan to march from King’s College London, before heading to the London School of Economics, the School of Oriental and African Studies, and ending at University College London.

Israel has been accused of ‘genocide’ over the thousands killed in its retaliatory bombing campaign in Gaza.

Antisemitic attacks have increased across places of worship, universities and wider society in the three years since October 7.

Genetic Bowel Cancer Sign Thousands Have—and How Aspirin May Help

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October 7 Survivor Booed Off Stage at Film Premiere Protest

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An October 7 survivor was booed from the stage during a protest at the premiere of an anti-IDF documentary, with members of the audience reportedly shouting, “It’s too bad the Germans didn’t finish you off.”

Sabine Taasa travelled to Delft in the Netherlands to challenge the portrayal of the Gaza conflict in the documentary NAZA.

The French-Israeli national was met with jeers inside the cinema, where audience members also told her, “We don’t care.”

The award-winning film contains interviews with two dozen Israeli military and intelligence sources, who discuss IDF tactics used against Hamas targets, as well as policies surrounding collateral damage and civilian casualties.

Some interviewees describe killing hundreds of civilians in order to strike a single military target.

Others say the Israeli military would wait until targets were at home with their families before launching attacks—a tactic referred to in the film as “Where’s Daddy?”

Ms Taasa attended the screening to protest what she described as the documentary’s depiction of the war, despite having survived the October 7 attacks herself.

Her husband died that day after throwing himself onto a grenade to shield their sons. Their 17-year-old son was also killed in the massacre.

Ms Taasa was booed off stage as she tried to hold a protest against a documentary's depiction of the war in Gaza

Ms Taasa was booed from the stage as she protested the documentary’s portrayal of the war in Gaza

This image shows the moment the bereaved mother is accosted by security at the cinema as she is told to leave the premises

The bereaved mother was confronted by cinema security and told to leave the premises

Audience members told Ms Taasa it was 'too bad the Germans didn't finish you off' and 'we don't care'. Pictured: A view of the cinema during the protest

Audience members reportedly told Ms Taasa, “It’s too bad the Germans didn’t finish you off” and “We don’t care.” The cinema is pictured during the protest

Video footage shows Ms Taasa interrupting the screening midway through to confront directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor. She accused them of minimising the massacre of Israeli civilians nearly three years earlier.

The grieving mother’s appeal was met with boos from the audience, along with demands that she leave the stage.

As Ms Taasa tried to explain that her husband and teenage son had been killed on October 7, some attendees were heard laughing and shouting, “We don’t care.”

After walking onto the stage, she told the audience: “My name is Sabine Taasa. I am a mother of four boys.

“I survived October 7. I came here to tell my story… I came from Israel to tell you the truth.”

She went on to describe the deaths of her husband and son, but members of the audience could be heard laughing and repeating, “We don’t care.”

Near the end of the footage, the crowd chants “Go away” and “Shame on you” at Ms Taasa before applauding.

She reportedly also urged the filmmakers to “look her in the eyes” before asking: “You’re talking about collateral damage?

October 7 survivor Sabine Taasa's husband was killed after jumping on a grenade to protect the couple's four sons. Their 17-year-old boy also died in the massacre on October 7

Sabine Taasa’s husband was killed on October 7 after throwing himself onto a grenade to protect their four sons. The couple’s 17-year-old son also died in the massacre

Ms Taasa is also said to have urged the film's directors to 'look her in the eyes' as she told them of her bereavement

Ms Taasa is also said to have urged the film’s directors to ‘look her in the eyes’ as she told them of her bereavement 

‘My husband and my son were murdered by Hamas. Where does this appear in your film?’ 

The footage was shared online by the Israeli group Ad Kan, founded by a group of IDF officers and former intelligence soldiers to ‘fight anti-Israeli organisations whose funding comes from foreign countries and other antisemitic bodies’. 

The organisation had travelled with Ms Taasa to the Netherlands and attempted to project images of October 7 atrocities on the screen. 

Oded Nir, an Israeli musician who lives in the Netherlands and claims to have been involved in the planning of the protest, said in a post on X last night: ‘I was at the cinema with the friends and with Sabine Tascha, a survivor of October 7. 

‘I filmed, I listened, and it hurt me deeply. In the last two days, we prepared for this moment together with a group of brave and strong people. 

‘Sabine is a brave woman and a true hero, with strengths that are hard to describe. The shouts directed at her in the auditorium as she tried to tell her story from the seventh were horrific. 

‘They yelled at her, “We don’t care” and “Too bad the Germans didn’t finish you off”. It’s hard for me to describe what I felt when I heard those things directed at a bereaved mother.’

Ad Kan said in a post on X: ‘Watch the outcry of the bereaved mother Sabine Taasa at the screening of the film NZA: ‘You’re talking about collateral damage? My husband and my son were murdered by Hamas. Where does that appear in your film?’ 

‘We arrived today in the Netherlands, for the European premiere screening of the film NZA, together with the heroic bereaved mother Sabine Taasa, who lost her son and husband on 7.10. We will not allow antisemites to spread lies! That’s it.’

  • Do YOU have a story? Email William.G.Hallowell@dailymail.co.uk 

Kyrsten Sinema’s Former Bodyguard Allegedly Said He’d ‘Take Down’ Former Politician

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Matthew Ammel, a former bodyguard and romantic partner of ex-Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, has been arrested after allegedly threatening to “take down” the former politician. The arrest came about a month after he was accused of causing roughly $200,000 in damage to her home.

Ammel, 39, was taken into custody Tuesday in a Cheesecake Factory parking lot in Phoenix after police were alerted by his GPS monitoring device, The Arizona Republic reported.

Officers arrested him near a gun shop after he dropped off a knife described by authorities as a “large, military style” blade. He had reportedly brought it in to be engraved as a gift for his nephew’s Marine Corps boot camp graduation.

Court documents reviewed by KPHO allege that Ammel, who is involved in a custody battle with his former wife, attempted to buy a firearm, threatened to kill a judge in North Carolina and warned that he would “take down” Sinema, the former independent senator.

Ammel served in the Army in Iraq and Afghanistan before joining Sinema’s security detail in 2022. After his Sept. 17 arrest over the alleged destruction of Sinema’s Cave Creek property, he was released under a no-contact order.

Authorities say he violated that order just two days later by attempting to have an acquaintance contact the former senator on his behalf.

Sinema, 50, reported the alleged violation to police on Sept. 22, but Maricopa County prosecutors said she declined to assist with the case.

A judge initially set Ammel’s bond at $25,000. Prosecutors are seeking to raise it to $100,000 in cash, citing the alleged death threats.

“The state fears [Ammel] will escalate his retaliation if released,” Maricopa County Deputy Attorney Bryn Barasha wrote in a court filing.

Prosecutors also alleged that Ammel contacted military acquaintances to build a rifle, bought tactical equipment and discussed funeral arrangements. The filing did not provide additional context about those claims.

Ammel declined to appear in court for his arraignment Thursday. The hearing has been rescheduled for Oct. 15.

He also faces a felony criminal-damage charge stemming from the alleged destruction of Sinema’s Cave Creek home on Aug. 30. Authorities estimate the damage at approximately $200,000.

Ammel has said he vandalized the property because he had become disillusioned with the state of American politics.

“I was p—-d at the system,” he told The Arizona Republic. “I took it out on her art.”

“The American people have no idea how [f–ked] up our government is, and, like what our politicians spend their time doing.”

Ammel, who says he is dealing with the effects of brain injuries, insisted that he is not dangerous.

“I’m not crazy. I’m just really smart, and I have seen behind the curtains,” he said.

He claimed he damaged Sinema’s home after she refused to share a video showing soldiers assisting a wounded man in Iraq.

Ammel said he wanted Sinema to use her connections at the Pentagon to investigate why his military unit had not received the Presidential Unit Citation.

He also alleged, without identifying any companies, that Sinema “works for some of the companies that financially benefit from the genocide in Gaza.”

Ammel, who admitted he had been drinking, allegedly threatened to destroy a piece of her artwork every 10 minutes if she didn’t comply.

She refused, and he allegedly threw 22 paintings into her swimming pool, with the estimated damage coming to around $123,000.

Ammel also allegedly shattered several expensive alcohol bottles and destroyed one mirror, bringing damages to more than $200,000.

Sinema’s relationship with her former bodyguard became public after Ammel’s ex-wife of 14 years sued the former politician under North Carolina’s “homewrecker law.”

Heather Ammel accused Sinema of destroying her marriage with her ex-husband by sustaining an affair with him during their trips together around the world.

The affair broke out a little over a year after Ammel was hired to Sinema’s protection detail in 2022.

Sinema allegedly bought Ammel gifts and paid for him to receive psychedelic treatment during the home-wrecking relationship.

She invited him as a guest to a wedding and a Taylor Swift concert.

Sinema, the first openly bisexual person elected to Congress, admitted to having repeated sex with Ammel in cities across America beginning around Memorial Day 2024.

Sinema didn’t seek election in 2024.

Christa Pike’s Botched Execution Shifts Focus From Victim, Ex-Chief Says

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Tennessee’s failed attempt to lethally inject Christa Pike, a 30-year death row inmate, on Wednesday evening has placed her execution in doubt and could ultimately prompt the state to abandon capital punishment, according to the former Knoxville police chief who supervised her arrest in the 1995 murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer.

“I’ll be surprised if there are any executions in Tennessee in the near term, if again, ever,” Phil Keith, who headed the Knoxville Police Department from 1988 to 2004, told News Media.

Pike drew national attention in the days leading up to her scheduled Sept. 30 execution after filing a last-minute appeal, seeking clemency and requesting alternative execution methods, including a team of all-female executioners. The failed attempts to administer the lethal injection soon overshadowed everything else.

Colleen Slemmer in a portrait photo.

An undated portrait photograph of Colleen Slemmer provided by her mother. (May Martinez/Special to the News Sentinel)

That focus, Keith said, also diverted attention from Slemmer, the teenager who was killed.

“Why don’t we talk about Colleen’s potential future, about her life, you know, do a deep dive on her family, talk about what she was trying to do?” he asked in an interview with News Media on Thursday.

Pike and Slemmer met at the Job Corps Center, a vocational school serving young people from difficult backgrounds, Keith said. While Pike displayed signs of what he described as a developing criminal career, Slemmer was a teenager who avoided trouble and was working to improve her life.

Christa Pike wearing white with curley red hair at trial in 1996

Christa Gail Pike is seen during her trial for the murder of Colleen A. Slemmer March 18, 1996, in Knox County Criminal Court. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)

“She was a bright young woman,” Keith said. “She had interest in computers. She was applying herself there. She was clearly an innocent party in this; she was not involved in any of the violence that went on at Job Corps.”

University of Tennessee forensic anthropologist Dr. Murray Marks testifies about the wounds to Colleen A. Slemmer’s skull during Christa Gail Pike’s murder trial in Knox County Criminal Court on March 25, 1996. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)

Keith described Slemmer as shy and committed to her education.

“She was just a child that was trying to, that had been through a troubled early life and was trying to get her life on track,” the former chief said. “Her mom was, was clearly a big supporter of her, but there were some limitations there.”

Slemmer’s mother, May Martinez, did not respond to News Media’s requests for comment Thursday.

Pike and two others — her boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, and a friend, Shadolla Peterson — lured Slemmer to a park, where they beat, slashed and tortured her for as long as an hour.

A vertical photo of a death row inmate in Tenneseee

Christa Gail Pike was scheduled to be executed on September 30, 2026. (Tennessee Department of Correction via AP)

“Pike was the catalyst,” Keith said. “She was the one that was planning out all the events, the luring, all that sort of thing.”

Keith said Pike showed “no remorse” during police questioning after the attack, which a psychiatrist later testified at trial had involved “satanic elements.”

Pike kept a fragment of Slemmer’s fractured skull as a trophy and showed it to other classmates before her arrest. Shipp, who prevented Slemmer from escaping and held her down, later carved pentagrams into the victim’s chest and face.

“She represents pure evil,” Keith said of Pike.

Disgraced Former USA Gymnastics Doctor Larry Nassar Removed From Sex Offender Registry

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Disgraced former Team USA gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar has been removed from Michigan’s sex offender registry.

Nassar served as the national gymnastics team’s doctor from 1996 to 2014, using his position to sexually abuse hundreds of young athletes, including Olympic medalists Simone Biles and Aly Raisman.

He is serving multiple decades-long prison sentences after convictions in federal and state courts for sexual abuse and possessing child pornography.

The 63-year-old is among more than 20,000 people removed from Michigan’s sex offender registry after the Michigan State Police purged individuals whose offenses occurred before July 1, 2011, according to the Eaton County Prosecutor’s Office.

The removal followed a September 9 ruling by the Michigan Supreme Court, which found that amendments to the Sex Offender Registration Act enacted in 2021 could not be applied retroactively to crimes committed before that date. The decision prompted a large-scale purge of the registry.

The Eaton County Prosecutor’s Office criticized the ruling in a social media statement, saying: “The Michigan Supreme Court’s decision to eliminate SORA requirements for these offenders is deeply concerning. Our community, along with the victims of these crimes, expected the registry to provide a measure of protection and awareness—assurances that have now been removed by the Court’s ruling.”

Larry Nasser has been quietly removed from the Michigan Sex Offenders Registry List

Larry Nassar has been removed from Michigan’s sex offender registry

Nasser is serving decades in prison after being convicted of multiple crimes

Nassar is serving decades in prison after being convicted of multiple crimes

Michigan State Police says the registry is intended to “assist the public” in preventing future criminal sexual acts by convicted sex offenders. It generally includes a person’s legal name, photograph, primary and work addresses, age, physical description, court information and records related to the conviction.

“His conduct occurred before 2011 despite his convictions coming after,” the Eaton County Prosecutor’s Office said in confirming Nassar’s removal, according to CBS News.

The prosecutor’s office said the Supreme Court could have adopted a different interpretation that would have allowed certain sex offenders to remain on the registry.

More than 150 gymnasts were abused by Nassar during his three-decade career. He admitted sexually assaulting athletes while working at Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics.

Nassar also admitted possessing child pornography. More than 100 women later sought more than $1 billion from the federal government, alleging that the FBI failed to act on allegations against him.

In 2017, a federal court sentenced Nassar to 60 years in prison for possessing child sexual abuse material. The following year, two Michigan courts sentenced him to up to 175 years and up to 125 years, respectively, for molesting female gymnasts under his care.

After the federal sentencing, U.S. Attorney Birge said: “Today was a day of reckoning for Larry Nassar. He more than deserves this punishment for what he did.

“He consumed child pornography on a massive scale. We found 37,000 images of child pornography on his computers. Insatiable hunger of that nature simply encourages those who produce such images to continue to sexually exploit children. Compounding his danger to the public,

“Nassar was an insidious hands-on child predator in his own right. He took advantage of family friendships. And he treated his license to practice medicine as a license to sexually molest children. Thanks to the brave victims who came forward, we learned the full scope of his depravity. The breadth and dark depth of his heinous acts are extraordinary.”

Larry Nassar is pictured in court during his sentencing hearing in Michigan in January 2018

Larry Nassar is pictured in court during his sentencing hearing in Michigan in January 2018

Olympic icon Simone Biles was among Nasser's long list of hundreds of victims

Olympic champion Simone Biles was among the hundreds of athletes abused by Nassar

In April 2024, the U.S. Justice Department announced a $138.7 million settlement with more than 100 people who accused the FBI of grossly mishandling sexual assault allegations against Nassar in 2015 and 2016. The delay allowed the sports doctor to continue abusing victims before his arrest.

When combined with other settlements, $1billion now has been set aside by various organizations to compensate hundreds of women who said Nassar assaulted them under the guise of treatment for sports injuries. 

Simone Biles publicly broke her silence in January 2018, revealing in a powerful tweet that she was one of Nassar’s victims.

‘It took me a long time to write that, probably a couple of days, because every time I would go to write, I would start balling, and I couldn’t get through it,’ she said.

Biles also noted that she was heartbroken over having to continue to train at the ranch, the former USA Gymnastics national training center where she and her teammates were abused by the disgraced doctor.

Zack Polanski Fights for Political Survival at Greens Conference

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Zack Polanski will deliver only his second speech as Green Party leader at the Brighton conference, but the event comes at a critical moment as the party struggles with sharply falling poll numbers.

The self-styled “eco-populist” initially enjoyed a significant boost in support after winning the leadership just over a year ago.

Since reaching a high point in March, however, the Greens’ support has almost been cut in half. The decline has followed a succession of internal controversies and Labour’s move further to the left under Andy Burnham.

Mr Polanski is also expected to lose next week’s Holborn and St Pancras by-election, after taking the gamble of standing to become an MP in Keir Starmer’s former constituency.

As the Green Party conference opens in Brighton this weekend, speculation is growing that one of Mr Polanski’s deputies could mount a leadership challenge.

Mothin Ali, a Leeds City councillor, is reportedly preparing a possible bid in the next Green leadership contest, which is scheduled to take place next year.

The party is also embroiled in a row over whether broadcasters will be permitted to show Mr Polanski’s leadership address live on Friday afternoon, given the restrictions surrounding the by-election.

At the Brighton gathering, attention is expected to focus heavily on an increasingly heated dispute over a proposed Green Party debate on a motion describing Zionism as a form of racism.

Zack Polanski is facing a fight for survival in only his second Green Party conference speech as leader amid the party's plummeting opinion poll ratings

Zack Polanski faces a major test at only his second Green Party conference as leader, with the party’s support in the polls continuing to slide

Caroline Lucas, the former Green leader, has criticised the motion as “divisive” and cautioned that it “could be seen as a sign that Jewish people aren’t welcome in the party”.

Speaking at Labour’s conference in Liverpool this week, deputy leader Lucy Powell said she was “confident” her party would retain Holborn and St Pancras.

Ms Powell argued that voters who had previously supported Labour but switched to the Greens during Sir Keir’s premiership were now reconsidering their decision following Mr Burnham’s arrival in power.

A loss for Mr Polanski in Thursday’s by-election would deal a severe setback to his position as Green Party leader.

He is said to have asked the Greens’ ruling executive committee to delay the Brighton conference so the party could concentrate on the Holborn and St Pancras campaign. The request was rejected.

Rob Ford, a professor of political science at the University of Manchester, said Mr Polanski’s first year in charge had brought “many more voters off the fence”, but that most had ultimately moved away from the Greens.

Writing for Sky News, he said the sharp deterioration had occurred alongside Labour’s appointment of a more popular leader and a substantial improvement in the ratings of Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch.

“Polanski and the Greens need to decide how to respond to Labour’s moves to close down space on the Left,” he wrote.

He continued: “Whichever direction they choose, the Greens may also need to consider whether Polanski remains an electoral asset after a turbulent first year in office, during which his poll ratings have fallen rapidly.

“Although Labour’s gains from the Greens have become more pronounced since Andy Burnham became prime minister, Green support had already begun to weaken before he took over.”

Rachel Millward, another Green deputy leader, offered a more positive assessment, arguing that both the party and Mr Polanski had “set the political agenda” over the past year.

She told Times Radio: ‘The reality is that it’s Zack Polanski who brought the nation Andy Burnham.

‘And if we hadn’t had the success of the Green Party in this last year since Zack’s been leading, which has been unprecedented, phenomenal success…

‘…If we hadn’t had that much pressure on Labour, then we’d probably still be in the Starmer regime, which was pretty much ushering in a Reform government with its lurch to the Right.

‘So actually, what we’re seeing now is that we’ve set the political agenda and the Government is picking that up.’

In his conference speech on Friday, Mr Polanski is expected to call for a triple lock-style guarantee for private renters to ease young adults’ housing costs.

He will set out plans for a ‘three-year emergency brake’, which would temporarily limit rent rises to the lowest of either Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation, wage growth or 2 per cent.

These are similar metrics to the ones used to uprate the state pension each year, which rises by the highest of either inflation, wage growth or 2.5 per cent.

‘For too long, landlords have been able to hike prices way beyond wages,’ Mr Polanski is expected to say.

He will describe ’25-year-olds who can’t find a job, no matter how many tens or hundreds of applications they put in, who can’t imagine ever being able to afford to rent even a room of their own, never mind being able to put down roots in their own home’.

The party leader will also describe ’30, 35-year-olds moving back to their parents’ place with their partners in tow, sometimes their kids too’, warning that for many of them ‘times get tougher and those months turn to years’.

Mr Polanski is expected to say: ‘Today I’m calling for a three-year emergency brake on private rents – no rent rises above CPI, wage growth or 2 per cent – whichever is lower.

‘No sudden hikes, no evictions under the guise of rent rises, no more fear and uncertainty.

‘That emergency brake would give renters vital breathing space. Let wages begin to catch up with the rents that have outstripped them for too long.

‘And give government time to develop a national fair rents guarantee – to keep rents fair and affordable for everyone, forever.’

RHOC Recap: Heather Confronts Alexis, Tamra Reveals Vicki’s Health News and Emily Fears for Her Marriage at OG Reunion Party

RHOC Recap: Tamra Shares Vicki's Sensitive Health Information With the Group, Heather Discusses the Sandwich Generation, and Emily Worries About her Marriage; Plus, a Reunion of Housewives at Tamra's Event Brings Alexis Bellino Back on Our Screens

Two parties mean twice the tension on this episode of The Real Housewives of Orange County. Emily welcomes the group to a Persian celebration, while Tamra hosts an event to introduce her new THC seltzer. Once again, Vicki feels betrayed by Tamra and makes no effort to hide her frustration. Tamra’s party also brings a collection of familiar faces together, though the appearance of Alexis Bellino leaves several women visibly uncomfortable.

With the group’s relationships increasingly strained, Emily has no idea what to expect from the Persian party at her in-laws’ home. She is also preoccupied with Shane and questions whether he is genuinely happy in their marriage. Emily admits that she and Shane have been feeling increasingly disconnected.

Because Tamra takes her health seriously, she schedules a Prenuvo scan and asks Vicki to come along. Naturally, Vicki brings out her laptop while they wait for the appointment. Tamra later receives her results, which suggest that she is in good overall health. 

As they wait, Vicki vents about Carmella. Tamra, however, cautions her friend to be more mindful of the way she speaks about other people.

The scan shows what appears to be an increase in white spots around Vicki’s brain, possibly connected to the sepsis she previously experienced. Vicki quickly tells Tamra not to spread the news or claim she has “brain damage.” Despite her alarm, she believes Tamra will respect the private nature of the results.

Heather and Terry discuss what it means to belong to the sandwich generation while opening up about the challenges of caring for aging parents. Heather says her relationship with her mother has always felt emotionally superficial, a dynamic that has become even more intense since her mother moved to Los Angeles. She grows tearful as she reveals that she never considered herself intelligent until meeting Terry. Together, they say they have essentially “reparented each other” and discovered a deeper understanding of family. Their own childhood experiences continue to shape the way they raise their children.

Emily’s Persian party gets underway as a full family gathering, although Luke stays home. Emily believes the noise and crowd would be overwhelming for him. Heather arrives with her mother, Carole, while Carmella brings her daughter along. 

The celebration is also filled with unspoken conflict. Heather knows Vicki has called her fake, information she learned from Tamra, but chooses not to address it directly. Instead, she puts on a cheerful front and acts fake and friendly. 

Although Vicki expected Tamra to keep her medical information confidential, Tamra tells the other women about the possible brain damage. Tamra insists she was trying to protect Vicki, but Vicki is livid that such sensitive details became party gossip.

Feeling abandoned by Tamra, Vicki labels her “toxic.” When Emily relays the accusation, Tamra portrays herself as the injured party, arguing that she has never mistreated Vicki. In Tamra’s view, Vicki is the one resorting to personal attacks.

Jenn believes Vicki regularly changes her version of events, while Carmella also questions the behavior. She wonders how a businesswoman who runs an insurance company can avoid taking responsibility or keeping her account consistent. 

Tamra cannot understand why Vicki is refusing to speak to her, so she confronts her just before Vicki attempts an Irish exit. Vicki explains that her health is private and accuses Tamra of betraying her through gossip. Tamra asks why Vicki called her toxic, but Vicki avoids answering and focuses instead on her fear that everyone now knows about her medical concerns. Even so, she still refers to Tamra as her sister. 

Back inside, Heather and the women begin discussing a possible group trip to Tokyo. Even Carmella says she is willing to go, despite managing diabetes and having a fear of flying.

Carmella later offers to help Jenn discover her professional direction. She enjoys creating opportunities for people to develop, and encourages Jenn to select the finishes for a new property so she can gain confidence working independently.  

Carmella explains that she pursued her license because she never wants to depend entirely on a man again. Jenn relates to that feeling, recalling that after her divorce, her children were all she had. Starting over while feeling lost can be an incredibly difficult place to begin.

At home, Emily is struggling to manage everything. Shane feels that he is constantly the one repairing the damage and keeping the family functioning. Emily is frustrated when he leaves the party to take the children home, especially after he recently complained that he had no life outside the family. Both agree that they need to find a healthier balance. 

Tamra prepares to celebrate the launch of her THC seltzers with a couples’ party, leaving Emily uncertain about how to handle the evening. Shane wants recognition for taking care of things at home, while Emily urges him to stop acting as though he is the only person making sacrifices.

Tamra is excited to host the Vena launch at Elizabeth Vargas’s home, but the event quickly becomes a reunion of former Orange County Housewives. Tammy Knickerbocker, Jeana Keough, Quinn Fry, Jo, Fernanda, Lizzie, Lynne, Teddi, and even Braunwyn turn up to support her brand. That leaves one major question: will Alexis  and John also make an appearance? 

The women are unsure how Shannon will react to seeing Alexis. Heather also acknowledges that their relationship remains tense. She revisits her WWHL comments, in which she described Alexis’s wedding invitation as difficult to accept, as well as the fallout that followed Alexis’s extensive media tour. 

The ladies do their best to try and prepare Shannon IF Alexis and John arrive, and Carmella offers to drop kick Alexis if it comes down to that. 

Alexis and John appear and Heather is put off right away because Alexis gave her a look before even entering the party. Also, WTF is wrong with Tamra for inviting those two and not warning Shannon?

Tamra admits that she is close with Alexis, but claims it is not her job to give Shannon a heads up — “we all have to move on.” Alexis claims she blew Heather a kiss and certainly did not give Heather a look. Alexis tries to bolt and gets upset as Tamra tries to talk her into staying. Alexis yells that she wants to leave, and so Tamra brings Heather over to try and smooth things over.  

Except nothing gets smoothed over. Alexis is seeing red and wonders why anyone owes Heather anything. Heather is unsure why this escalated so quickly, and I have to agree. Do Alexis and John stay or do they go? To be continued…

TELL US – THOUGHTS ON THIS EPISODE OF RHOC?

Judge Rejects Lindsay Clancy’s Attorney’s Bid for Not-Guilty Verdict in Murder Case

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A judge has rejected a defense request to dismiss the murder charges against Lindsay Clancy in the deaths of her three children.

On Oct. 1, Judge William Sullivan denied a motion from Clancy’s attorneys, who argued that prosecutors had not presented enough evidence to establish that she was responsible for the killings, according to the Associated Press.

The ruling followed a Sept. 29 hearing, when Clancy and her lawyer, Kevin Reddington, appeared in court for the first time since a jury failed to reach a verdict in her initial trial. The defense maintained that the prosecution had not produced evidence proving Clancy’s guilt.

During the hearing, which was streamed by Court TV, Reddington urged the judge to reconsider the evidence. “I ask the court to hearken back to the evidence that was presented and ask yourself, where’s the evidence that she did this?” he said.

Reddington also argued, according to CBS News, that “there’s no evidence that she admitted she did this.”

Prosecutors dismissed the defense position as “laughable,” saying the case included a “voluminous” body of evidence indicating that Clancy killed her children.

In rejecting the motion, Sullivan concluded that the prosecution’s evidence was sufficient for the case to be considered by a jury.

“There was evidence introduced, both physical and circumstantial, that would permit a rational trier of fact to find beyond a reasonable doubt the elements of the charge of murder,” Sullivan wrote, per the AP.

Clancy faces murder charges in connection with the January 2023 deaths of her three children with Patrick Clancy: 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan. The children were killed at the family’s home in Duxbury, Massachusetts.

At her first trial, Clancy’s defense did not contest that she caused the children’s deaths. Instead, attorneys argued that she should not be held criminally responsible because she was experiencing postpartum psychosis.

The trial ended in a mistrial on Sept. 4 after jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict. Eleven of the 12 jurors reportedly voted to find Clancy not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility.

Prosecutors have yet to say whether they will pursue a second trial in the case.

Hawaii’s 500-Year-Old Hōlei Sea Arch Collapses Into the Ocean

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Hawaii’s iconic Hōlei Sea Arch has collapsed into the Pacific Ocean, vanishing just days after visitors photographed the landmark still standing.

The 90-foot arch at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island was intact on Wednesday, Sept. 23, but had disappeared by Sunday night, the National Park Service said.

Officials have not determined exactly when the formation fell. They believe the collapse may have occurred during the three-day temporary park closure prompted by Tropical Storm Nolo.

The storm brought heavy rain and strong winds to the Big Island, leading to flash flooding and road closures across the area.

Authorities had warned visitors to avoid the area near Hōlei Sea Arch, where cliffs plunge directly into the Pacific and can give way without warning.

Social media photos show people entering the closed zone near the arch’s former location, officials said. Doing so exposed them to the risk of falling into the ocean and placed first responders in danger.

“We were just there on Sept 23rd around 10 am and are probably some of the last few to see it still standing,” one visitor wrote on Facebook.

“Very sad to hear of the loss of the arch. It figured in many of our vacation photographs throughout the 1990s. But the natural world is indeed constantly changing,” another person posted.

“Was lucky enough to see it in both 2012 and in 2022 when I visited the park. The changes from 2012 to 2022 were substantial,” a third tourist wrote.

“What a beautiful and special place. We are so sad that it is gone,” another visitor added.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, located on the Big Island, is home to Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, two of the world’s most active volcanoes.

The park attracts large numbers of visitors drawn to its dramatic volcanic terrain, lava fields and other geological features.

Hōlei Sea Arch stood at the end of Chain of Craters Road. Waves carved the formation through an ancient lava flow roughly 550 years ago.

Its collapse came after years of cracking, earthquakes and relentless surf weakened the site.

Earthquakes linked to the 2018 Kilauea eruption and summit collapse also damaged the cliffs surrounding the arch.

After new cracks and signs of instability appeared, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park closed the original viewing area in January 2020.

A safer viewing point, set farther back from the cliff edge, opened in March 2020.

Later that year, powerful surf from Tropical Storm Darby broke away a section of rock from the arch’s lower portion.