Boy, 15, charged with murder of nine-year-old in Weston-Super-Mare

A 15-year-old boy will appear in court charged with the murder of a nine-year-old girl in Weston-super-Mare.

Schoolgirl Aria Thorpe was pronounced dead after police were called to a residential address in Lime Close, Mead Vale, in the Worle area of the town, on Monday night.

Shortly after officers arrived at the scene at 6.12pm, the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested in the area.

The preliminary finding of a post-mortem examination has indicated that the girl’s tragic death was a result of a single stab wound, Avon and Somerset Police said.

On Wednesday morning, the police said the boy had been charged with murder and will appear at Bristol Magistrates’ Court.

The force also formally named the girl as Aria.

Superintendent Jen Appleford said: “This remains an incredibly difficult time for Aria’s family, who we continue to support and update around our investigation. It is impossible to adequately describe how traumatic the past 36 hours have been for them and we’d like to reiterate in the strongest possible terms their request for privacy.

“The tragic loss of such a young girl has caused a huge amount of shock and upset, with there being a profound sense of loss felt throughout the community. We are working closely with partner agencies and schools across the Weston area to make sure those affected receive access to any support they need.”

The police investigation into what happened has “continued at pace” since the girl’s death, said Supt Appleford.

She added: “We are grateful to local residents for the patience shown while we have been carrying out enquiries in the area. This work will need to continue over the next few days, but if anyone has any issues then please do not hesitate to speak to officers on the cordon who will be happy to help.”

Trump to give prime time address as Venezuela oil tensions build

Donald Trump will give an “ADDRESS TO THE NATION” from the White House this evening, according to an enthusiastic social media post from the president.

Trump did not elaborate on the topic of the address, but claimed that the “BEST IS YET TO COME” in the post.

Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, told reporters that the prime-time broadcast will give an insight into the president’s plans for next year. It will also give him a chance to speak about his successes.

“The best is truly yet to come, as he often says, and so he’ll be addressing the country about all of his historic accomplishments over the past year and maybe teasing some policy that will be coming in the new year, as well as we head into this Christmas season,” she told reporters, according to NBC News.

The news comes after Trump called for a complete blockade of Venezuelan oil, in a massive escalation of tensions. Meanwhile, the military has continued its unprecedented build-up in the Caribbean, heightening fears of a U.S. strike on Venezuelan soil.

Bondi Beach suspect charged with 15 counts of murder as funerals held

A 24-year-old man accused of carrying out the Bondi Beach mass shooting has been charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder, as Sydney began holding the first funerals for victims of the attack that killed 15 people.

The charges against Naveed Akram include a terrorism offence, 15 counts of murder, and 40 counts relating to wound/grievous bodily harm to a person with intent to murder.

He has also been charged with the alleged firing of a weapon, displaying the symbol of a banned terrorist group, and placing an explosive device in or near a building.

According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, prosecutors will argue that Akram’s actions were intended to advance a religious motive and were carried out in a way that caused deaths, inflicted severe injuries, and put the wider public at risk.

The charges were laid as families, faith leaders, and political figures gathered in Sydney on Wednesday to mourn the victims of the Bondi Beach attack.

The first funerals marked a sombre turning point for a nation still reeling from Sunday’s violence, which left 15 people dead after two gunmen – Sajid Akram, 50, and his son Naveed Akram, 24 – opened fire at a beachfront Hanukkah celebration attended by Jewish families.

One of the first services was held at the Chabad of Bondi synagogue for Rabbi Eli Schlanger, whose death has become emblematic of the scale of loss suffered by the local Jewish community. Outside the synagogue, mourners packed the streets in silence as Schlanger’s coffin – draped in black velour embroidered with the gold Star of David – was carried inside. Family members leaned over the coffin, weeping.

Schlanger, 41, was an assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi and the organiser of the “Chanukah by the Sea” event at Bondi Beach. A father of five, his youngest child is just two months old.

Often referred to as the “Bondi Rabbi”, Schlanger was widely known for his work supporting Jewish life in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. Chabad described him as a tireless community figure devoted to strengthening faith and connection.

During the funeral service, his father-in-law Rabbi Yehoram Ulman struggled to speak through tears.

“Whatever I say today will be an understatement to what you mean to everyone and to your family and to me personally,” he said. “You are my son, my friend, my confidant.”

He added: “A day without you is impossible.”

Prime minister Anthony Albanese, speaking earlier to reporters, said Schlanger’s loss was felt far beyond his immediate family.

“He was clearly much loved in the community, not just by his family as well,” Mr Albanese said.

“I think all Australians’ thoughts and hearts are with those families as they go through farewelling their loved ones.”

Funerals were also scheduled on Wednesday for Reuven Morrison, Peter Meagher, and Rabbi Yaakov Levitan.

As services continued, residents across Sydney gathered at Bondi Pavilion, laying flowers and lighting candles at the site of the attack, transforming the beachfront landmark into a sprawling memorial.

Meanwhile, the surviving suspect, Naveed Akram, is set to face court later on Wednesday via video conference. One gunman, Sajid Akram, was shot by police at the site of the attack on Sunday.

Mr Albanese has said that the attack was driven by “Islamic State ideology” and investigators believe the suspected attackers had recently undergone “military-style training” in the southern Philippines, an area associated with Islamist extremist groups, according to public broadcaster ABC.

New South Wales premier Chris Minns has confirmed that emergency legislation is being drafted and that parliament will be recalled ahead of the Christmas break. Proposed changes include caps on the number of firearms an individual may own, the reclassification of straight pull-up and pump-action shotguns, reductions in shotgun magazine capacity, and a ban on belt-fed shotgun magazines, local media reported.

The state is also seeking to eliminate appeal mechanisms once a gun license has been revoked.

Opposition leader Sussan Ley told reporters on Wednesday that over the past two years Jewish Australians had seen “a rising tide of antisemitism” in the country.

“They have looked to their leaders in Canberra, and they have looked to Prime Minister Albanese, and he has failed them. He has failed them every single day.”

“If none of the events of the last two years were a wake-up call, then surely this is the wake-up call the prime minister needs to step up,” she said.

Deputy prime minister Richard Marles told Channel Seven that Jewish Australians have not felt secure “for a long time”.

“Antisemitism is at the heart of this and we need to be doing everything in our country to stamp it out. We have been acting on that in terms of commissioning the Segal report,” Mr Marles said. It is a report by special envoy Jillian Segal on combating antisemitism.

“Not for a moment am I saying that everything has been done. We need to do so much more and we will do that. This won’t be a week or a month, it’s a long-term project but we must stamp antisemitism out. In this we must bring Australians together.”

Rob Reiner’s son charged with first-degree murder over parents’ deaths

Nick Reiner, the youngest son of director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner, will be charged with two counts of first-degree murder after the famed Hollywood couple was found dead.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced the charges on Tuesday afternoon, two days after the Reiners were found dead at their estate in Los Angeles’s Brentwood neighborhood. Their son was arrested near Exposition Park in Los Angeles late Sunday.

Hochman revealed that Reiner, 32, is accused of using a knife to carry out the alleged murders.

“These charges will be two counts of first-degree murder with a special circumstance of multiple murders. He also faces a special allegation that he personally used a dangerous and deadly weapon, that being a knife,” he told reporters.

Now that prosecutors have decided to file charges Reiner is expected to appear in court and enter a plea.

“He is going through medical clearance, something that everybody who gets arrested and gets held in a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department jail goes through,” Hochman said. “Once he is medically cleared, he will be brought to court to be arraigned on these charges. At that point, he will enter a plea of guilty or not guilty.”

If convicted, Reiner could face a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, or the death penalty. “No decision at this point has been made with respect to the death penalty,” Hochman said.

The coroner is still determining the couple’s exact time of death, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell told reporters. Police responded to the Reiners’ home around 3:40 p.m. local time on Sunday.

Reiner was initially scheduled to appear in a Los Angeles courtroom on Tuesday morning. But he did not receive medical clearance to move from the jail to the courthouse, his attorney Alan Jackson told The New York Times. He is being held without bail.

Reiner has a well-known history of drug addiction, a struggle that began when he was a teenager. He entered drug treatment programs on several occasions, beginning when he was 15. Reiner has said that he experienced homelessness a number of times due to his addiction.

Reiner also reportedly attended a holiday party with his parents on Saturday night, hours before their bodies were found. Sources told NBC News that Reiner was disruptive at the party, and that he behaved oddly after interrupting a conversation that involved comedian Bill Hader. The Independent has contacted Hader’s representatives for comment.

McDonnell called the case a “tragedy.”

“This case is heartbreaking and deeply personal, not only for the Reiner family and their loved ones, but for our entire city. We extend our deepest condolences to all of those who are affected by this tragedy,” he told reporters on Tuesday afternoon.

Major figures have been quick to share tributes to the iconic Hollywood couple on social media.

Author Stephen King wrote that he was “horrified and saddened by the death of Rob Reiner and Michele.” Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi described Rob Reiner as “creative, funny, and beloved,” and called Michele Reiner an “indispensible partner, intellectual resource, and a loving wife.”

Former President Barack Obama also honored the famed director, writing on X: “Rob’s achievements in film and television gave us some of our most cherished stories on screen. But beneath all of the stories he produced was a deep belief in the goodness of people – and a lifelong commitment to putting that belief into action.”

Alex Carey admits he ‘got lucky’ after Snicko controversy costs England

Snicko has been a point of confusion and controversy during this Ashes series and there was a fresh talking point on the first day in Adelaide as Australia’s century hero Alex Carey escaped England’s vociferous appeal and review, before later admitting he should have been given out.

Carey was on 72 when he tried to cut a Josh Tongue delivery which bounced across the left hander. England’s slip cordon were convinced they heard a noise and appealed immediately, but umpire Ahsan Raza was unmoved.

England reviewed the decision and Snicko showed a clear spike, but – not for the first time in the series – the noise tremor failed to match with the picture on screen, spiking two frames before the ball passed the bat.

Carey was cleared and went on to make his first Ashes century.

“I thought there was a bit of a feather or some sort of noise when it passed the bat,” Carey later admitted. “It looked a bit funny on the replay, didn’t it, with the noise coming a bit early. If I was given out I think I would have reviewed it but probably not confidently. It was a nice sound as it passed the bat.

“Snicko obviously didn’t line up, did it. That’s just the way cricket goes sometimes, you have a bit of luck, and maybe it went my way today.”

Asked if he is a “walker”, Carey smiled: “Clearly not.”

England’s bowling coach, David Saker called for the technology to improve after several incidents during the Ashes.

“There was obviously a spike but it was either really early or late,” he said. “Our boys are really confident he hit, Jamie Smith behind the stumps is not the sort of guy who would be like that unless he thought that.

“But you’ve got the technology. We’re pretty confident he hit but he’d be the person to be asking. He did look guilty. That’s the technology and I think they need to make sure it’s working better than it did. Even the Patty Cummins one [when the Australia captain was given out], there seemed to some timings out.”

Speaking on Australia’s Channel 7, the former international umpire Simon Taufel called it an “amazing” incident that he’d never seen before.

“The DRS was applied and for the third umpire to overturn the not out decision, we need to see a clear deflection off the bat, or we have to see a spike next to the bat or up to one frame past the bat,” Taufel said. “The confusing element here for everyone was that the spike occurred at least a couple of frames before the bat, which was just amazing.”

He added: “What was interesting in this particular case and in my experience, I have never seen a spike like this occur without the bat hitting something like a pad or the ground or the ball hitting the pad.

“There’s nothing else out there, absolutely nothing else out there, so my gut tells me from all of my experience on-field and also as a TV umpire that I think Alex Carey has actually hit that ball and the technology calibration hasn’t been quite right to game the outcome that it was looking for.”

Snicko technology is developed by BBG Sports, and its founder Warren Brennan later accepted responsibility, telling Australian publication The Age: “Given that Alex Carey admitted he had hit the ball in question, the only conclusion that can be drawn from this is that the Snicko operator at the time must have selected the incorrect stump mic for audio processing.

“In light of this, BBG Sports takes full responsibility for the error.”

Australia finished day one on 326-8 with Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon at the crease.

Pit-Smoked and Bourbon-Soaked: how to eat in Kentucky like a pro

What’s a drop of Bourbon or a foot tapping beat without the perfect dish to accompany them? There’s more to the Bluegrass State than whiskey and music alone. Though those things are important. Vital actually.

In Kentucky, the good times come served with a side of soul-enriching food, from fine dining, to time-honed traditions passed down through generations. A combination of Southern know-how, bountiful farmland and top-notch ingredients, plus modern culinary talent combine to make Kentucky a truly world-class culinary destination.

So get your fingers sticky with the sweet tang of BBQ, find the ultimate comfort food at a ma and pop shop on the roadside, or pull up a chair beneath a crisp linen tablecloth. It’s all here. Let us guide you to the top spots.

Louisville

Home of the world-famous Kentucky Derby, and with deep roots in the world of whiskey making, Louisville is a place where tradition is respected. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t reinterpreted, reinvented, and well, shaken up.

Kentucky’s largest metropolis, which straddles the slow running waters of the Ohio River, was built on whiskey. But as the new food hub of the South, it’s writing a new, distinctly delicious chapter.

‘New Southern Cuisine’, that’s the term coined for this new spirit of reverent playfulness where chefs across the city are putting new unique twists on traditional Southern fare from Hot Browns to Benedictine.

At 610 Magnolia, in the heart of Old Louisville, for chef and owner Edward Lee that means seasonal, multi-course menus that combine surprising global flavours into locally-inspired, often Bourbon laced dishes. Think seared scallops with kimchi or a sweet pea risotto with rock shrimp and magnolia.

Jack Fry’s is an institution. Behind its shutter board and mullioned window exterior, live jazz accompanies Southern flavours prepared with classic French techniques since 1933. Where once bootlegging occurred in a backroom, today spicy fried oysters, Bourbon braised short ribs, and peach cheesecakes laden the tables.

Don’t Miss:

Walk the distilleries and tasting rooms of Whiskey Row. This is mandatory. The imposing cast iron and red brick facades of Main Street once fronted the offices and warehouses for the burgeoning Bourbon barons. Today, they’re a playground for whiskey enthusiasts with exclusive bottlings, tastings and more to explore.

Follow Whiskey Row – and the Urban Bourbon Trail – across multiple blocks, and you’ll find NuLu (New Louisville). The East Market District of downtown draws an artsy crowd hang out to its neighbourhood murals, street art, galleries, and innovative eateries from Biscuit Belly to Royal Hot Chicken.

Lexington and the Bluegrass region

Combine fine dining with authentic Bluegrass charm in Lexington and beyond, where a visit to the world famous Keeneland Rack Track isn’t all about the horses. Yes, Lexington is a race horse capital, but sometimes the food is the main event.

Arrive purposefully hungry, and get amongst the smell of turf, saddle leather and smoked meats as jockeys, trainers and spectators alike head to the Track Kitchen. A morning staple and one of the city’s best-kept secrets, its home-style food feels like a hug. But careful, pace yourself.

Trackside concession stalls, only open during the races, beckon with their many culinary delights. From Keeneland’s signature Bourbon Bread Pudding to Kentucky Beer Cheese and the refreshing Keeneland Breeze cocktail, the food and drink here are as much a part of the experience as the races themselves. Classic Southern comfort meets local flair.

Don’t Miss:

Head out to the countryside, where the morning mist sits low on the pastures of Thoroughbred farms. Culinary star, Chef Ouita Michel may have just pioneered farm-to-table dining over the past 15-plus years. With all that high-quality produce in abundance surrounding Lexington, it just made sense to make the most of it.

Visit all eight of Ouita’s famous restaurants – or just a few – on a culinary tour. Honeywood at Fritz Farm is all about the locally-grown specialities, from sweet potato beignets to duck-fat basted New York strip. Meanwhile, Smithtown Seafood is a quintessential taste of the south with wild-caught fried catfish, fresh-shucked oysters and blackened catfish.

Owensboro

Breathe in the sweet smell of smoke and molasses. When you catch the scent of a true pit master at work, you follow it.

In Owensboro, Kentucky’s undisputed BBQ capital, a passion for flavour and a dedication to time-honed techniques, means you’re in for a treat.

In this city located on the south side of a deep bend in the Ohio River, BBQ is more than just a dish, it’s a tradition. With a history dating back to the 1830s, the area has developed its own unique style of pit BBQ, where vinegar-based sauces are mopped over the meat during a lengthy smoking process. Think tangy, tender, and melt-in-the-mouth.

Sure you’ll find chicken, beef, et al. But with sheep historically more plentiful, the main event here is mutton. Burgoo who? Look out for local dish Burgoo, a stew similar to Irish or Mulligan stew, most often served with a generous wedge of cornbread. Well, this is Kentucky.

Don’t get us wrong. BBQ is a year-round way of life with secrets passed down generations. Head to the Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn, where smoked meat has been slung since the 1950s. Or Old Hickory BBQ, where the grills have been firing since 1918.

But once a year Owensboro becomes the global BBQ capital. At the International Bar-B-Q Festival, BBQ and Barrels, held every second weekend in May, 80,000 assemble for two days of BBQ heaven, while teams fiercely compete over secret recipes and sizzling coals.

Don’t Miss:

What goes better with a smoked slice, than the twang of strings? Owensboro is the Bluegrass world capital too. Stop by the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum – the only international museum dedicated to preserving and showcasing the history and culture of this soulful, uniquely American genre.

Nigel Farage told to apologise for alleged racism by ex-schoolmates

A group of former schoolmates of Nigel Farage has, for the first time, come together to call on the Reform UK leader to apologise for allegations of racism in his youth.

An open letter to Mr Farage, which calls on him to make it clear he has renounced what they allege are “racist, antisemitic and fascist views”, and to recognise the events they say took place, has been signed by 25 former pupils and one ex-teacher at Dulwich College.

The Reform leader has insisted he never made racist remarks in a “malicious or nasty way” in response to the allegations levelled against him.

Mr Farage has sought to counter the claims by suggesting he has received letters of support from other classmates denying the allegations.

He also accused broadcasters who asked him questions about the reports of double standards, as at the time he attended the south London school from the mid-1970s, they aired programmes which would now be considered racist.

Reform deputy leader Richard Tice has meanwhile described the allegations as “made-up twaddle”, while the party has suggested they are politically motivated attacks.

In a letter first published on Wednesday by The Guardian, and seen by the Press Association, the signatories said it is “false” to suggest their allegations are politically motivated, as they “represent a broad swathe of professional backgrounds and political opinions”.

They added: “Most of us have had no contact since we left Dulwich. Until writing this letter, we have not acted as a group. We have neither plotted nor conspired. All we have in common is that we either directly experienced or witnessed your racist and antisemitic behaviour.”

The signatories also said it was “not true” they had only come forward since Reform began leading in the polls, pointing to previous reporting from as far back as 2013 in which similar allegations were made.

The group also countered Mr Farage’s suggestions “that the kind of language we recall you saying was typical of the cultural climate of Britain at the time”.

While they said there was “some truth to this”, they added: “However, these personalities did not make direct or personal remarks. They did not intimidate Jewish boys with references to perishing in gas chambers, as you did.

“They did not order a Black child of nine to ten years of age to go back to Africa, as you did. They did not chant vile racist ditties, as you did. Your behaviour was exceptional, even for those times.”

Their letter concluded: “While we agree that no-one should be judged in later life on the basis of what they have said or done in their youth, those seeking high office need to own their past and demonstrate honesty.”

Among the signatories are the filmmaker Peter Ettedgui, and Nick Gordon Brown, whose allegations were first reported by The Guardian in November.

One signatory, Martin Rosell, appears to be politically active, as a campaigner with the Liberal Democrats in Salisbury.

The majority of the signatories, 20, are named, while five former pupils and one teacher are not.

Mr Ettedgui told PA: “I suspect Reform will say this letter is evidence that we are somehow plotting together. So for the record, I can confirm that this is the very first time that a group of us has come together to refute the dishonest denials of Farage and his party.”

The group thought it was time to respond collectively because of the varied responses given by Mr Farage and Reform, he added.

Asked how he felt about the prospect of Mr Farage entering power, Mr Ettedgui told PA: “Would you want your school bully, someone who said awful, racist things to you, to be your prime minister?”

Labour urged Mr Farage to heed the calls to apologise.

Labour Party chairwoman Anna Turley said: “It’s shameful that Nigel Farage’s refusal to have a proper answer as to whether he racially abused people at school has led to this.

“He should finally do the right thing now and apologise fully to those who have bravely come forward.

“His inability to answer basic questions about his past behaviour leaves the impression he may have something to hide.

“It really shouldn’t be that difficult for him to explain his actions, or to take responsibility for them.

“Once again, Nigel Farage has proven he’s unfit for high office.”

A Reform spokesman said: “These latest attacks are a naked attempt to discredit Reform and Nigel Farage.

“Instead of debating Reform on the substance of our ideas and policies, the left-wing media and deeply unpopular Labour Party are now using 50-year-old smears in a last act of desperation.

“The British public see right through this witch hunt.”

Trump admits envoy leading Ukraine talks ‘knew nothing about Russia’

Donald Trump has said that his top negotiator in the Ukraine peace talks “knew nothing about Russia” before he was tasked with finding an end to the war.

The US president commended his diplomats in a wide-ranging Hanukkah celebration speech at the White House on Tuesday as American and Ukrainian delegations wrapped up the latest round of peace talks in Europe.

Trump singled out his son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff for praise over their work on the Israel-Hamas ceasefire earlier this year, before they were sent to lead talks with Ukraine.

“Steve’s a great dealmaker … He was a real estate guy in New York. He knew less about rivers and metes and bounds and Russia and the various places he’s working on. He knew nothing about it,” said the US president.

“But I recognised – for 20 years I’ve been dealing with everybody in New York – I said, ‘Steve has the best personality’ … I said, ‘Everybody loves Steve. He’s a great dealmaker, but everybody loves him.’ And that’s what he turned out to be.”

Mr Witkoff, 68, was brought in as Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East this year and oversaw the 10 October ceasefire in Gaza before assuming the role of de facto envoy to Russia. He was made ‘Special Envoy for Peace Missions’ in June, before expanding his remit to the war in Ukraine.

The developer, who had no prior diplomatic experience, faced criticism from US, Ukrainian and European officials over his refusal to consult with experts. Earlier this year, people familiar with the talks told POLITICO he viewed the conflict “through a real estate lens, like a land dispute”.

Washington and Kyiv have been holding intermittent peace talks for months, most recently working to modify a 28-point plan drafted by the US that was widely seen to favour Russia. Both sides emerged optimistic from talks in Berlin this week, but territorial concessions remain a sticking point.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky came away from the discussions cautioning that the “workable” revised plan was still only a “first draft”, with challenges still to be resolved. He has consistently said he will not give up land to Russia, as doing so is forbidden under Ukraine’s constitution.

Officials told the AFP news agency that the American team was still insisting that Ukraine should give up its Donbas region in the east in order to end the war.

Mr Witkoff came under scrutiny last month after a tape was leaked of him appearing to coach senior aide to Vladimir Putin, Yuri Ushakov, on how to negotiate in Russia’s interests.

A transcript of the call leaked to Bloomberg revealed that Mr Witkoff told Ushakov to ensure the Russian leader congratulated the US president following the announcement of his Gaza deal, insisting that the praise would ensure their discussion would be “a really good call”.