By Lori Ewing MANCHESTER, England U.S. soccer veteran Megan Rapinoe raised the ire of retired tennis great Martina

A medical student suspected of killing three people on a shooting rampage in Rotterdam previously tortured animals and had Nazi material on his phone, it has been claimed. The 32-year-old suspect, named as Fouad L, opened fire on his neighbour’s home on Friday, killing a 14-year-old girl and her mother. He then stormed the Erasmus University Medical Center, where he was a student, and shot dead a university lecturer. Dutch media claim Fouad L’s neighbour had reported him for animal cruelty and the university had dropped his diploma. Prosecutors confirmed on Friday that they were previously concerned enough about his behaviour that they had sent a letter to his school, warning about his “psychotic behaviour” over his treatment of animals. Police also discovered Nazi-related and right-wing material, as well as images of people being stabbed, on the phone of the suspect two years ago, according to local media. The city of Rotterdam remained in shock on Friday morning after the deadly attacks by the lone gunman. The suspect first allegedly shot dead his neighbour, a 39-year-old woman, and her teenage daughter, who later died in hospital, before setting fire to their house. He then went to the nearby medical centre, where he is accused of shooting dead a 43-year-old lecturer, named locally as Jurgen Damen. Mr Damen had taught medical students at Erasmus University since 2013. Video on social media showed employees and students at the university fleeing the building while others put up signs in windows reading “we can’t get out”. Police marksmen then entered the building and the suspect was arrested inside. While the city now mourns the deaths of the three victims, many have questioned the suspect’s apparent motives with local news outlets suggesting it was a “personal revenge attack”. The neighbour shot dead was said to have filmed Fouad L torturing his rabbit and called police, who responded to find him drunk at his home. Officers found the animals in his house in a poor state and two crossbows in the property, it has been reported. It was also claimed that the suspect had shot a pigeon with a crossbow. Fouad L was prosecuted and convicted for abusing the rabbit in 2021 and given a 40-hour community service order. All the evidence was compiled in a letter from Rotterdam’s Public Prosecution Service and sent to Erasmus, it has emerged since Thursday’s attack. “I assume that the information contributes to your decision whether or not the person concerned is eligible for the basic medical diploma,” concluded the letter, which local media believe resulted in Fouad L not receiving his diploma. The prosecutors’ spokesperson confirmed the authenticity of the letter, but declined to comment on the school’s decision not to award a disploma. However, he reportedly posted on social bulletin board 4Chan under the name motorAnon, apparently to confirm the school’s decision, and reveal a feud he had with academics there. “Med school exam committee says they refuse to issue my diploma now despite having all points from the curriculum,” he is said to have written. He also accused teachers of failing him. ”Never try to do anything in academics, especially if you’re not a cuck and insist on speaking your mind like a man,” he posted. Chief prosecutor Hugo Hillenaar said the suspect had a history of police run-ins and “in 2021 he was prosecuted and convicted for animal abuse”. The 32-year-old man is due to appear before a judge on 3 October. Prime minister Mark Rutte said on X, formerly Twitter: “My thoughts go out to the victims of the violence, their loved ones and to all the people who have been in great fear. “Many thanks to the people of the services for their actions and assistance on site.” Read More Three killed in Rotterdam as student in combat gear opens fire at university hospital Dutch police say 2 people are killed in shootings at a university hospital and home in Rotterdam Elite army unit storms ship to seize Ireland’s biggest drugs haul

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The restaurant industry is ever-evolving and continuously bringing in new changes to menus to suit its demographic. Certain tricks in their menus allow restaurants to subtly nudge customers into enjoying a fuller dining experience, consequently increasing their spending. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter To help diners avoid falling for these tricks, an expert at Menu Price lifted the lid on the sneaky tricks that encourage people to spend and consume more: Value menus Restaurants introduce value menus with meals of different price points. The restaurant hopes that it will motivate customers to opt for the priciest range of the value menu, which has more options, or to bypass the value menu entirely due to its limited options. This strategy ultimately translates into increased profitability. "If a restaurant's value menu features items like burgers, pizza, and spaghetti, but your preference leans towards a steak, you'll find yourself ordering the steak at its regular cost, bypassing the value menu. This scenario directly contributes to a higher profit for the restaurant," says a Menu Price expert. Emphasis on certain menu items Restaurants strategically highlight specific dishes, often those with higher profit margins, drawing customer attention to these preferred items through menu placement and design cues. The use of colour Warm hues like red and yellow can trigger hunger, while cooler shades like blue make meals seem more refreshing. Strategically deploying these colours in their menus helps restaurants subtly sway customer choices. Photographs used sparingly To maintain a sophisticated aesthetic, restaurants use photographs sparingly, only emphasising selected dishes, making them more appealing to the eye and tastebuds alike. Descriptive language Vivid descriptions of dishes can create a compelling image in customers' minds, making the menu items more appealing and increasing the likelihood of ordering. Avoiding currency symbols Menus without currency symbols can encourage higher spending, as prices appear less intimidating. "Keep a close eye on prices, even when restaurants fail to integrate dollar signs. This can help you avoid paying more than you want for a meal," the expert said. Anchor items Restaurants place some of their most expensive items next to even more costly options. The Menu Price expert added: "When customers see a pricey dish positioned next to an even more expensive option, they are more likely to perceive the less costly of the two as a 'better deal." Use of boxes Boxes and borders draw attention to specific items, creating a visual 'stage' that makes these dishes stand out. "This technique is often applied to high-profit items, specials, or unique offerings," they said. Keeping portion sizes secret Restaurants offer full or half salads or sandwiches without revealing the portion sizes. Despite any clear explanation, consumers assume that half sizes are overpriced and the full size is more cost-effective. "Customers perceive they are getting a better deal without even knowing the real serving size of the food options." Difficult-to-read font Using complex fonts in menus can slow customers' reading, promoting more profound engagement with dish descriptions. This added interaction can enhance dishes' perceived worth and exclusivity, thereby subtly inspiring a readiness to spend more. Remain vigilant during your next dining experience and see how many of these subtle tricks you can spot and how much money you can save on your meal. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Transfer deadline day live updates, news and completed transfers as Premier League clubs look to complete their summer business. Ryan Gravenberch, Sergio Reguilon and Joao Palhinha among the players expected to make last-minute moves.

Anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist Robert F Kennedy Jr has revived an antisemitic conspiracy that blames Jewish people for the emergence of Covid-19, a claim that follows a string of offensive statements and falsehoods elevated by the long-shot candidate for the US presidency. During a press event in New York City on 11 July, Mr Kennedy baselessly stated that “there is an argument to be made” that the disease is “ethnically targeted”. “Covid-19 is targeted to attack Cucasians and Black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese,” he said, according to video of the event from The New York Post. “We don’t know whether it was deliberately targeted or not but there are papers out there that show the racial or ethnic differential and impact.” His remarks follow antisemitic conspiracy theories that circulated at the onset of the pandemic, and follow other statements from the candidate elevating spurious conspiracy theories surrounding Covid-19 and vaccines that have fuelled his campaign. “The claim that Covid-19 was a bioweapon created by the Chinese or Jews to attack Caucasians and Black people is deeply offensive and feeds into sinophobic and antisemitic conspiracy theories,” according to a statement from the Anti-Defamation League. “Layer upon layer of antisemitism,” wrote Jonathan Weisman, author of (((Semitism))): Being Jewish in America in the Age of Trump. “If you still think there is a left or even non-insane case for supporting or even indulging RFK Jr then you have been conned or have conned yourself,” wrote MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan. “Madness. Racist, conspiratorial, dangerous madness.” “We have no words for this man’s lunacy,” wrote nonprofit US watchdog Stop Antisemitism. Mr Kennedy responded to the reporting on Saturday morning, and a statement from a campaign spokesperson to The Independent claimed that the Post “got it wrong”. “I have never, ever suggested that the Covid-19 virus was targeted to spare Jews,” Mr Kennedy wrote on Twitter before echoing his claim that the US and other governments are “developing ethnically targeted bioweapons”. He pointed to a 2020 National Institutes of Health study finding that the impacts of the disease are disproportionately felt among Black people and people with cardiovascular and pulmonary conditions, cancer and other risk factors. “In that sense, it serves as a kind of proof of concept for ethnically targeted bioweapons,” Mr Kennedy stated. “I do not believe and never implied that the ethnic effect was deliberately engineered.” Mr Kennedy’s campaign, an insurgent effort for the Democratic nomination boosted by right-wing media to drive a wedge among Democratic voters, has painted a dark and conspiratorial worldview amplifying debunked and misleading claims and outright falsehoods. Earlier this year, US Holocaust Memorial Museum shot down his suggestion that life is worse for people today than it was for Anne Frank. “Making reckless comparisons to the Holocaust, the murder of six million Jews, for a political agenda is outrageous and deeply offensive,” the organisation said. “Those who carelessly invoke Anne Frank, the star badge, and the Nuremberg Trials exploit history and the consequences of hate.” Mr Kennedy and his organisation Children’s Health Defense also have promoted James Corbett, a prominent conspiracy theorist who has claimed that “Hitler was a Rothschild” and “Hitler and the Nazis were 100 per cent completely and utterly set up” by the “international banking community and the international crony capitalists.” His connections to Mr Corbett join a long list of associations with and appearances on right-wing media platforms with far-right pundits. Read More Who is running for president in 2024? Robert F Kennedy Jr calls interviewer ‘unfair’ for spelling out his laundry list of conspiracy theories White House rejects Lauren Boebert’s claim that antisemitism plan will be used ‘go after conservatives’

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