Trump shares conspiracy that Biden died and was replaced by a clone

President Donald Trump has shared a baseless conspiracy theory that former President Joe Biden died and was replaced by a robotic clone.

Late Saturday night, Trump, 78, shared a Truth Social post claiming his former political opponent, Biden, 82, was killed in 2020 and replaced by a clone – unbeknownst to Democrats.

“There is no #JoeBiden–executed in 2020,” the post reads.

The post goes on to claim that the real Biden was replaced by “clones doubles & robotic engineered soulless mindless entities” and that “Democrats don’t know the difference.”

Trump’s supporters were quick to get behind his message, some sharing side-by-side memes of Biden claiming “these are not the same people,” and others egging on Trump for “trolling.”

Some commentators pointed to Biden’s earlobes, claiming that before 2020, they appeared to be unattached to his head, whereas now they are. Another even insisted that the government televised giving Biden a “funeral cannon salute at Arlington” on his Inauguration Day.

Detractors of the president, meanwhile, branded his sharing of the post “concerning.”

Trump’s wife, Melania, has also been the subject of similar conspiracy theories, with some claiming a body double replaced her during his first term. The White House at the time dismissed the theories as a “non-story.”

Trump has seemingly been digging into conspiracy theories all weekend, including on Friday when he claimed CBS “deleted” his 2015 interview with Stephen Colbert.

Trump reposted a Facebook video on his Truth Social account containing heavily edited clips of his September 2015 interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

A message next to the video states: “You are not supposed to see this video. CBS DELETED this entire episode from their official website. You will not find these segments on YouTube either.”

However, a quick search on YouTube revealed otherwise. Clips from the Trump-Colbert interview are still available to be watched on the official Late Show account. One video has 17 million views.

The Independent has contacted the White House for comment.

Villagers fed up of tourists’ drones urge ban after man filmed in bath

Fed up residents of “the prettiest village in England” are calling for a ban on tourists’ drones after one local reported being filmed while taking a bath.

“No drone zone” signs have now been plastered across the windows of homes in Castle Combe in the Cotswolds, as well as in the local church and the public car park.

Residents say the aircraft are constantly flying over their gardens and streets – and even by one man’s bathroom window.

Retired police officer Hilary Baker, 69, told The Sunday Times: “It’s almost like some of the visitors have lost their moral compass, they have lost their boundaries. When you go into your back garden and put your washing out and there is a drone hovering 20 yards above your head, it really quite rankles.

“Another neighbour had been working in his garden and jumped in the bath and there was a drone at his bathroom window, watching him in the bath. You just think, really?

“I should think on a monthly basis I will get verbal abuse [for asking them to stop].”

Police were reportedly called on a pilot who would not land his drone last month and verbally abused locals when they asked him to respect their privacy. It is claimed he filmed children playing in a back garden and flew up and down the high street hovering at first floor window level. The Independent has contacted Wiltshire Police about the incident.

Before the drones, tourists were overstepping boundaries in Castle Combe for years, according to residents, with signs seen asking visitors to not pick flowers or walk down homes’ side alleys.

But Ms Baker, who has lived in the Wiltshire village for more than three decades, said there has been a recent surge in tourists flying drowns for their social media channels, especially since the Covid-19 pandemic.

While the picturesque village is only home to a few hundred people, thousands of visitors descend on the area every week, having seen videos on various social media platforms. Often referred to as one of the “prettiest villages in England”, its historic centre is a particular draw as well as its chocolate box cottages.

Sisters Lydia Chia, 27, and Deborah Chia, 24, who were posing for photos on a trip from Singapore, told The Times: “I saw it on my friend’s Instagram and a little bit on TikTok. It’s really pretty. I pick where to visit based on pictures and aesthetics, and whether or not it’s Instagrammable.”

Chairman of the parish council Fred Winup found that just over half of tourists chose to visit Castle Combe after seeing it online, in a visitor survey he conducted last year.

The retired bank director told of a time a drone followed him along the high street “just five feet above my head”, adding: “It was a Californian [piloting it], he was a nice guy who didn’t know the rules and said he was sorry.”

Wiltshire council has now put a sign up in the public car park, following calls from the parish council. The warning to drone pilots reads: “If you use these devices where people can expect privacy, such as inside their home or garden, you are likely to be contravening CAA [Civil Aviation Authority] guidelines”.

The rules that are in place around drones, while complicated, typically require pilots to have the aircraft in their line of sight, to avoid getting close to crowds or building, and to respect people’s privacy.

With some devices having reportedly crashed into the church roof or resident’s trees, Mr Winup said: “People do lose control of drones and they could take an eye out.”

BA steward found ‘naked and dancing in toilet’ after alleged drug use

A naked British Airways crew member was discovered dancing in a business class toilet while on shift mid-flight after allegedly taking drugs, according to reports.

The Sun reported the steward was supposed to be serving meals to passengers on a recent flight from San Francisco to London Heathrow, but had disappeared.

When the double-decker Airbus A380-800 was searched, it is claimed that the in-flight crew manager discovered him naked and dancing in the Club World cabin toilet.

Staff reportedly dressed their colleague in a spare pair of pyjamas used by first-class passengers before buckling him into a first-class seat, where he stayed for the remainder of the 10-and-a-half-hour trip.

The Metropolitan Police said a 41-year-old man on a flight from San Francisco to London Heathrow Airport was arrested on suspicion of being unfit for duty.

The force said officers were called by cabin crew over concerns for the welfare of a man just after 9.30am. When the plane landed, he was taken to hospital for treatment, before being arrested and later released under investigation as enquiries continue.

British Airways told The Independent the incident is a matter for the police.

The Met said in a statement: “At 9.32am, police based at Heathrow Airport were called by cabin crew following the concern for welfare of a man on an inbound flight from San Francisco.

“A 41-year-old man was taken to hospital for treatment once the flight had landed.

“Officers arrested the man after he received medical attention. He was arrested on suspicion of being unfit for duty. He has since been released under investigation.

“Enquiries remain ongoing into the circumstances, and an investigation has been launched.”

Romesh Ranganathan ‘taking a step back’ from his career

Comedian Romesh Ranganathan has said he is “taking a step back” from his career “to be at home a bit more”.

The 47-year-old from Crawley, known for his Bafta-winning TV series with comic Rob Beckett – titled Rob And Romesh Vs, emphasised that he will not be retiring.

“I know that people sort of say I’m busy and I’m always like, trying to work and stuff. There is no strategy. There’s no game plan. I have no end game,” he told Lauren Laverne on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs.

“There’s no vision board or anything like that. (I’m) just doing whatever feels good.”

He added: “I do feel like I’m sort of settling into winding things up, like not winding things up, but I’m taking a step back.

“I want to be at home a bit more. And by the way, this is not an announcement of retirement, but I do feel like, relatively recently, this is quite fortuitous that we’re talking about this at the time that we are, because I have just hit this period of thinking I am probably going to just be a bit more measured in what I do going forward.

“I think I might take a bigger break between bits. I’ve told you, I’ve not hit the thing yet, maybe this next thing could be it, but it’s not going to be it if I don’t go off and just live life.”

Ranganathan also reflected on the time he spent as a maths teacher, before his current career, and said it was more stressful than working in comedy.

“There wasn’t a single day of that job that I didn’t feel completely fulfilled,” he said.

“I felt very stressed. It’s the most stressed I’ve ever been in my life actually.

“There’s not been a single day of my comedy career that’s even come close to the stress that I felt as a teacher. I cannot speak highly enough of teachers and teaching and how I loved that job.”

Alongside his stand-up, the comedian is known for presenting the game show The Weakest Link and starring in the BBC One sitcom Avoidance.

He also starred in the BBC Two documentary series The Misadventures Of Romesh Ranganathan and BBC Three’s Asian Provocateur, which saw him trace his family roots.

In 2024, he took over Claudia Winkleman’s Saturday morning slot on BBC Radio 2 and he also presents Romesh Ranganathan: For The Love Of Hip Hop on the station.

Two dead and more than 500 arrested after PSG’s Champions League win

Two people have died and more than 500 have been arrested after disorder broke out during Champions League final celebrations in France following Paris Saint-Germain’s win, the French interior ministry has said.

Wild celebrations erupted across the French capital and beyond after PSG crushed Italian opponents Inter Milan 5-0 to win the Champions League for the first time.

However, skirmishes with police following the win spoilt the party.

The interior ministry said 192 people were injured and there were 692 fires, including 264 involving vehicles.

As of Sunday morning, 559 people had been arrested, including 491 in Paris, which led to 320 people being placed in police custody, the ministry added.

Some 22 members of the security forces and seven firefighters were injured.

A 17-year-old boy was stabbed to death in the western city of Dax during a PSG street party, the national police service said.

A man in his twenties was killed in Paris when his scooter was hit by a car during PSG celebrations, and the driver has been detained, Paris police chief Laurent Nunez said.

“A judicial investigation will determine whether or not it [the fatality in Paris] can be linked to the celebrations. At this stage, it appears to be connected to the festivities,” Mr Nunez told a press conference.

On the boutique-lined Champs-Élysées avenue, bus shelters were smashed and projectiles hurled at riot police, who fired tear gas and water cannons to push back surging crowds as thousands of supporters descended on the area.

Nunez warned that more skirmishes could occur on Sunday as PSG will parade on the Champs-Élysées before celebrating the title with their fans at the Parc des Princes stadium.

“We’re at half-time, so to speak, as this afternoon we have the parade taking place on the Champs-Élysées,” Mr Nunez said.

“Only those attending the parade will be allowed on site. A maximum attendance of just over 100,000 people has been set — beyond that, no one else will be allowed in.

“This evening, there will be a celebration at the Parc des Princes as well. We also expect gatherings around the Place de la Porte-de-Saint-Cloud, and we will respond in the same measured but firm way should there be any attempts to block the ring road, attack law enforcement, or cause further damage.”

The final in Munich was widely watched across Paris, including inside PSG’s Parc des Princes stadium, where the match was broadcast on a giant screen.

However, the 5-0 victory over Inter Milan also led to some unrest, with flashpoints and arrests occurring even during the game.

Outside the stadium, a brief clash erupted during the first half between celebrating PSG fans letting off flares and riot police, who responded with tear gas to disperse the crowd.

At the top of the Champs-Élysées avenue, a water cannon was deployed to protect the Place de l’Étoile, near the Arc de Triomphe. Police reported that a large crowd, not watching the match, attempted to breach a barrier to confront the police.

Mindful of any celebrations getting out of hand, as has often been the case in Paris during high-profile soccer matches, PSG forward Ousmane Dembélé urged fans after the final to show restraint amid their euphoria.

“Let’s celebrate but without breaking everything in Paris,” he told broadcaster Canal Plus.

At the Place de la Bastille, there were joyous scenes as fans climbed onto the base of the famous column, singing, dancing and letting off flares, while those around joined in.

At one point, motorbikes loudly revved their engines and the crowd cheered as they did laps around the column. There were no police nearby and, by 1am, the atmosphere was upbeat with no tensions and plenty of singing.

Security was tightened up in anticipation of potential post-match violence and 5,400 police officers were deployed on the Champs-Élysées, other key parts of Paris, and its nearby suburbs.

Win a luxury ticket package for two to this year’s Wilderness Festival

Music fans can win a luxury package for two to this year’s Wilderness Festival, all courtesy of Audi.

Wilderness returns this year to the picturesque nature reserve at Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire, and will be headlined by rock band Supergrass, Nineties rave duo Orbital, and Brit Award-winning, Grammy-nominated indie-rock duo Wet Leg.

Completing the headliner lineup are Basement Jaxx, who are making their return to live shows for the first time in over a decade, as they celebrate the 25th anniversary of their groundbreaking album, Remedy.

The winner will receive a pair of complimentary festival tickets and boutique accommodation in a luxury cabin for two. They will also be treated to an Audi Kitchen experience and, for the ultimate luxury, your own private chauffeur to take you and your guest to the festival and return journey.

Enter the prize draw here.

Wilderness Festival is known for its eclectic music lineup, which this year includes performances from pop singer Lapsley, singer-songwriter Bess Atwell, Scottish musician Jacob Alon and DJ Craig Charles.

At The Sanctuary and Spa, guests will discover an oasis of calm, whether that means taking part in disco yoga or a workshop to explore your sensuality. Highlights include boating, massage treatments, sauna rituals, hot tubs, a wild sauna, Wim Hof method ice baths and wild swimming.

Gourmet food offerings can be found at Ben Quinn’s long table banquet in the woods, a once-in-a-lifetime experience set in the woods and lit by chandeliers. There, Quinn and his team will serve up a feast of flavour cooked right in front of you five courses of carefully curated, responsibly sourced, local and seasonal ingredients.

Elsewhere, attendees can join a number of talks, comedy sets and conversations, from Food Stories with Jay Rayner to a live recording of Jamie Laing’s podcast, Great Company.

Comedian, writer and NHS doctor Matthew Hutchinson will share a sharp and moving look at life on the frontline of British healthcare, while cultural historian Tiffany Watt Smith will uncover a bold and fascinating alternative history of female friendship.

The prize draw will open for entries at 3pm (BST) on 7 May 2025 and close at 3pm BST on 17 June 2025. Only one entry per person is permitted for the Prize Draw. Terms and conditions apply.

Brisk walks could cut colon cancer death risk by more than a third, study finds

A structured exercise routine can reduce the risk of death for people with colon cancer by more than a third, a study has found.

The results, unveiled at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conference on Sunday, could transform how colon cancer is treated around the world, the researchers said.

The scientists hope the findings will prompt healthcare providers to integrate exercise plans into routine cancer care.

The CO21 CHALLENGE trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, followed 889 people with colon cancer across six countries, including the UK.

It found that a structured exercise programme significantly reduced the likelihood of the disease returning and improved overall survival compared with standard advice.

After five years, 80 per cent of patients who followed a tailored exercise regime were cancer-free, compared with 74 per cent of those who were offered just health education materials.

This means the risk of dying, cancer coming back, or developing a new cancer was 28 per cent lower in the exercise group.

After eight years, survival rates were 90 per cent in the exercise group compared to 83 per cent in the health education group, representing a 37 per cent lower risk of death.

More than 31,000 people in the UK die from colon cancer every year, according to Cancer Research UK.

The study was part-funded by Cancer Research UK’s Stand Up To Cancer campaign and carried out in collaboration with the Canadian Cancer Trials Group (CCTG).

The three-year programme saw patients supported by physical activity consultants, starting with weekly in-person sessions for the first six months and moving to monthly sessions either in person or online. Activities were tailored to the individual, from brisk walking to gym-based circuit training.

Among the patients to benefit from the trial was Margaret Tubridy, 69, from North Belfast.

Before her cancer diagnosis, she said she had never exercised. Now, five years on, she says she is lifting weights, pole walking and taking part in gym classes twice a week.

“It’s been almost five years since my cancer diagnosis and if I meet anyone, I tell them I am doing great,” she said.

“Taking part in the trial helped me so much – I am stronger, fitter, and my anxiety is better. I never thought at 69 years of age I would be able to do all of this – I am chuffed to bits.”

Professor Vicky Coyle, UK lead researcher and clinical professor at Queen’s University Belfast, said the study gives “clear and encouraging” evidence that physical activity can reduce colon cancer mortality.

“We now need to work with policymakers and healthcare providers to embed exercise into treatment plans where appropriate,” she said.

Cancer Research UK said the findings should act as a wake-up call for health services, adding it could “transform clinical practice”.

However, Caroline Geraghty, senior specialist information nurse at the charity, said this can only happen “if health services have the necessary funding and staff to make it a reality for patients”.

She added: “It’s important to remember that every cancer journey is different – starting new activities after treatment can feel overwhelming, and it may not be the right option for everyone. Take things at your own pace and speak to your doctor to discuss what is safe for you.”

The researchers said more work is needed to explore the biological mechanisms behind exercise’s effect on cancer, but the evidence is already strong enough to prompt urgent action.

With families facing impossible choices, Labour’s should be easy

Few causes seize the emotions of the Labour Party as does the alleviation of child poverty, and rightly so. More than a quarter of a century since prime minister Tony Blair pledged that his generation would be “the first to end child poverty”, far too many families struggle, through no fault of their own, to provide for their children.

One index of that national failure is highlighted by The Independent today: the surge in demand for help from baby banks. The cost of living crisis, with sharply higher energy bills and food prices hitting the poorest households hardest, has left hard-pressed parents seeking help to provide for their offspring. More than 3.5 million essential items were handed out by these charitable units in 2024, including nappies, clothes and cots – an increase of 143 per cent on the previous year.

This trend is entirely consistent with the official statistics. Some 4.5 million children, representing 30 per cent of all children in the UK, were living in households with a relative low income after housing costs (that is, with an income below 60 per cent of the median) in 2024. According to Save the Children UK and the Baby Bank Alliance, 219,637 families were supported by UK baby banks in 2024 alone – an increase of 35 per cent on the previous year.

As valuable, indeed essential, as the work of charities is in supporting children in need, it is no substitute for action by government, and this Labour government in particular. While the Blair and Brown administrations made some progress in achieving their stated aim, including the passage of the Child Poverty Act in 2010, the subsequent coalition and Conservative years saw an effective abandonment of it. The two-child limit was imposed in 2017, and has been a source of misery and resentment ever since.

The pressure on ministers to make an immediate impact on child poverty is growing, and it is coming from both inside and outside the party. Almost as soon as the Starmer administration was formed last year, a rebellion on the two-child cap on child benefits was organised by backbenchers on the left of the party. Derided as “the usual suspects”, the rebel MPs were brushed aside and dealt with by having the Labour whip removed. But they laid down a marker of what should be expected from a Labour government, even if the manifesto was vague.

Now, disquiet around wider cuts to the social security budget is growing, and spreading to the rest of the party, including the usually loyal 2024 intake. Those in more marginal constituencies will also have found their instinct for social justice being given fresh impetus by Nigel Farage, who recently pledged to abolish the two-child cap (albeit for natalist rather than socialist reasons). Removing the hated cap is once more – in the words of Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary – “on the table”.

So it should be. It would not end child poverty – this social evil is far too entrenched to be susceptible to such an easy fix – but it would result in an immediate and significant improvement for a great number of children. Child poverty is especially acute in larger households: 44 per cent of children living in families with three or more children are in poverty.

The Child Poverty Action Group says that 350,000 children would be lifted straight out of poverty, and a further 300,000 would find their conditions improved. To place that in context, about half a million children were rescued from poverty across the entire span of the 1997 to 2010 Labour government.

The problem is money, but it is not an extravagant amount when viewed in the context of the social security budget. Lifting the cap would cost the Exchequer some £3.4bn, or 3 per cent of the bill for working-age benefits. Indeed, even if one were to factor in a reversal of the cut to the winter fuel payment, and of the scheduled cuts to disability benefits, the total cost would be £10bn a year. That is a more substantial sum, but one that could still be accommodated inside an envelope of public spending amounting to £1,200bn.

The process of running the UK’s public finances has become one of absurdly tight margins, dictated by the chancellor’s habit of allowing herself far too little room for manoeuvre in her self-imposed fiscal rules. Hence the constant crises and the wearying, never-ending search for cuts, which are too often made at the expense of those who can least afford them.

As the chancellor approaches the Comprehensive Spending Review, she deserves some sympathy for the scale of the task ahead of her. She is right to say that no programme to support social justice can be launched on the basis of unsustainable public finances. The establishment of free breakfast clubs and stronger protections for renters and workers will also push child poverty rates lower. But some of the choices she has made have not been wise ones, and they now need to be revisited.

Politically, it seems increasingly apparent that Ms Reeves and her colleagues on the Child Poverty Taskforce, led by Ms Phillipson and Liz Kendall, have no alternative, when they report in the autumn, but to renew Labour’s mission to make sure no child goes without food, shelter or clothing. It now falls to their generation to eradicate this scourge for good.