By Andrew MacAskill and Muvija M LONDON (Reuters) -Britain's parliament delivered another blow to the political career of former prime

By Pavel Polityuk KYIV Russia said on Monday it was battling a cross-border incursion by saboteurs who burst

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 29, 2023--

The Florida attorney general has defended Governor Ron DeSantis after he discouraged looters and referenced signs put up saying “you loot, we shoot”. On Wednesday, the governor said, “Just to remind potential looters … you never know what you’re walking into. People have a right to defend their property. This part of Florida, you got a lot of advocates and proponents of the Second Amendment”. “And I’ve seen signs in different people’s yards in the past after these disasters and I would say it’s probably here, ‘you loot we shoot’. You never know what’s behind that door,” he added. Attorney General Ashley Moody defended those remarks on Fox Business on Friday, saying: “This is a law and order state. We’ll enforce the law.” On 30 August, Mr DeSantis said: “There are reports of people trying to loot down in Steinhatchiee.” “I’ve told all of our personnel at the state level … protect people’s property and we are not going to tolerate any looting in the aftermath of a natural disaster,” he added. “It’s just ridiculous that you would try to do something like that, on the heels of an almost category four hurricane hitting this community.” “If you go break into somebody’s house, and you’re trying to loot. These are people that are going to be able to defend themselves and their families so I would not do it,” the governor warned. “We are going to hold you accountable from a law enforcement perspective at a minimum and it could even be worse than that, depending on what’s behind that door. So let’s all band together and lift people up and not try to take advantage of a difficult situation.” Ms Moody went on to say that “the reason why we have so few deaths is because folks in Florida heeded the warnings to evacuate when they were told to do so by local authorities”. “When people leave, they have to trust that their property is going to be safe because of our approach to law and order,” she added. “I’ve had discussions with all of the state attorneys that have been involved with the jurisdictions and the storm. They are committed to ensuring that if people loot and take advantage of folks in their time of need, they will be held accountable.” “Holding them during that pre-trial detention period is so important,” Ms Moody told Fox Business. “If they get back out, they go right back to the areas that have been affected. hat is dangerous for our first responders [who] are trying to manage things on the ground, to have them distracted like that.” “This is a way that Florida stands out from other states around the nation. We hold people accountable, and we enforce the law. It’s very easy to do if you’re committed to it,” she said. “And I would suggest other leaders and other states take a look at how they’re approaching criminal justice. They might see the strength of their cities and their states improve.” Read More Hurricane Idalia - latest: Biden requests billions more in disaster relief as photos show storm’s destruction Florida mural of murdered journalist is defaced with anti-LGBT+ graffiti Ron DeSantis goes to extreme lengths to dodge questions from 15-year-old

By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK A Texas investment firm agreed on Friday to pay $2.51 million to settle

Lewis Hamilton is reportedly set to be offered £40m to make a shock switch to Ferrari next year. The 38-year-old, who has won six of his seven world titles at Mercedes since joining the Silver Arrows in 2013, is currently stalling on extending his current contract which expires at the end of the season. While both Hamilton and Mercedes boss Toto Wolff insist a new deal will be agreed, Ferrari now look poised to enter the race for the seven-time world champion with a lucrative offer. According to the Daily Mail, the Scuderia are prepared to offer £40m-a-year to land Hamilton – with president John Elkann already in close contact with the Brit and his team. The report adds that one possible scenario is for Hamilton to replace current Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, in what would amount to a straight-swap deal with the Monegasque joining Mercedes to partner George Russell. The other, more favourable, option is to pair Hamilton with Leclerc, meaning Ferrari would look to offload Spanish driver Carlos Sainz. With Hamilton’s current contract close to the £40m-a-year mark anyway, money would not be the predominant factor in his decision-making. Instead, the competitiveness of both cars compared to current runaway leaders Red Bull would be of greater significance, as Hamilton targets a record-breaking eighth world championship in his final years in the sport. While Mercedes, the dominant team in the hybrid era from 2014-2021 with eight-straight constructors’ crowns, took a backwards step in 2022, Ferrari burst to the front of the field with a potential championship-winning car. Leclerc’s challenge was foiled by reliability problems and strategic errors, as well as a few mistakes himself, and Ferrari have struggled at the start of this year too despite Fred Vasseur replacing Mattia Binotto as team boss. Mercedes are poised to bring new upgrades to this week’s race in Monaco – with a new floor, sidepod design and front suspension in the works. The modifications were set to come in at Imola last week before the race was cancelled due to flooding in the Emilia Romagna region. Whether Mercedes can haul in the deficit to Red Bull out in front – by 128 points in the constructors’ standings – this season remains very unlikely, but Hamilton will want to be encouraged that his team are taking a positive step before signing a new contract. Hamilton has been linked with Ferrari in the past, particularly surrounding contract negotiations in 2019, but stated at the time there were “things that don’t mirror my values and approach.” "The Ferrari thing is not going to happen, I think," he said then. "I’ve always been positive about Ferrari. I watched Michael win there. I’ve always been a Ferrari fan. I remember one of the first cars I ever bought was a Ferrari. And I think it’s a hugely iconic team and brand, particularly. "I think the team has, in my period of time. There have been things I’ve seen that I don’t necessarily feel mirror my values and my approach. However, it is a team that every driver, I think, has dreamed of what it would be like to sit in the red cockpit. Hamilton has not won a grand prix since December 2021, in Saudi Arabia, and a race later missed out on a record-breaking eighth crown in controversial and dramatic circumstances in Abu Dhabi to Max Verstappen. Currently, Hamilton is level in the all-time leaderboard on seven F1 world titles with Ferrari icon Michael Schumacher. Hamilton could, possibly, also be swayed by the fact that hero Ayrton Senna was poised to join Ferrari in 1995 before his fatal crash at Imola in May 1994. Red Bull is not seen as a realistic option for Hamilton, with Christian Horner saying as much in April, while Aston Martin are content with their current driver pairing of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. Hamilton currently trails championship leader Verstappen in the standings this season by 63 points after just five races. Read More Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes are the biggest losers from Imola Grand Prix cancellation Lewis Hamilton’s 2008 F1 title still under threat as Felipe Massa bemoans ‘injustice’ Where are Mercedes and Ferrari? Frankly, you don’t want to hear the answer ‘Nasty piece of work’: Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes slammed by Toto Wolff Lewis Hamilton and George Russell ‘pray’ for Imola as they urge people to ‘stay safe’ during floods

MrBeast sent Elon Musk fan Fidias a box of his Feastables but the YouTuber did not get to eat any of them

By Hyunjoo Jin The United Auto Workers (UAW) and the Detroit Three automakers on Thursday have a final

A military commander dubbed “General Armageddon” for his brutality during Syria’s civil war has been removed as the head of Russia’s air force, having not been seen in public since the mutiny by Wagner mercenaries against Moscow at the end of June. Sergei Surovikin, a former commander of Russia’s troops in Ukraine who was previously awarded his nation’s top military honour, has not been publicly sacked – but state media has published sources confirming the move. He was given his moniker in recognition of the brutal tactics he deployed in Syria’s civil war, and was regarded as one of Russia’s most effective commanders. General Surovikin – who is believed to have close ties to Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin – was the most senior military figure to lose his position over the attempted uprising, which took place over a 24-hour period from 23 to 24 June. Russian president Vladimir Putin reacted with fury to the mutiny, which saw Mr Prigrozhin’s forces attempt to march on Moscow in protest at the way in which Moscow’s military top brass were handling the invasion of Ukraine. President Putin said that the revolt – the most significant threat to his leadership in years – could have tipped Russia into civil war. The march on Moscow was eventually halted about 125 miles outside the capital after a deal was brokered between Mr Prigozhin and the Kremlin via Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko. The terms of the arrangement allowed for the Wagner founder and some of his troops to decamp to Belarus and leave combat operations in Ukraine, where they had been involved in some of the fiercest fighting seen in the war so far. Mr Prigozhin has been photographed in St Petersburg and Belarus in recent weeks, and posted a video on Monday that he suggested had been shot in Africa, one of Wagner’s other theatres of combat. The two men Mr Prigozhin had wanted to topple – defence minister Sergei Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the general staff – remain in their posts. General Surovikin’s last public appearance was on 24 June, when he appeared in what looked like a carefully stage-managed video. Visibly strained and without insignia, he urged Mr Prigozhin to abandon his march on Moscow. Since that day, speculation has been rampant about General Surovikin’s fate. Some Russian news outlets and sources have said that the general, who was often publicly praised by Mr Prigozhin in the run-up to the revolt, was being questioned over possible complicity, and that he was potentially being held under house arrest. General Surovikin’s daughter told the Russian social media channel Baza in late June that her father had not been arrested. US officials have previously told American media that General Surovikin was supportive of Mr Prigozhin, but that Western intelligence did not know with certainty whether he had helped the rebellion in any way. Of the latest move, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, citing an anonymous source, reported that General Surovikin had been replaced as commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces by Colonel General Viktor Afzalov, who heads the main staff of the air force. The agency frequently represents the official position of the Kremlin, through reports citing anonymous officials in Russia’s defence and security establishment. The RBC newspaper reported a defence personnel source saying: “Army General Sergei Surovikin has been relieved of his position in connection with his transfer to a different role ... He is currently on a short holiday.” The television personality Ksenia Sobchak, who is the daughter of a politician with links to Mr Putin, suggested that General Surovikin had not been in touch with his relatives. “They say that he was relieved of his post on 18 August by way of closed decree. The family still has had no contact with him,” she wrote on Telegram. General Surovikin was placed in charge of Russian military operations in Ukraine last October, but in January that role was handed to General Gerasimov while General Surovikin was made a deputy. News of the dismissal of General Surovikin came as another drone attack targeted Moscow, believed to be the sixth such assault in a week. The Ukrainian intelligence agency also claimed it had destroyed a key S-400 surface-to-air missile defence system in Russian-occupied Crimea. Such a loss would be another embarrassing blow for the Kremlin, as Ukraine increasingly targets Russia’s assets far behind the front line in southern and eastern Ukraine. Speaking about the drone attack on the Russian capital, Moscow’s mayor Sergey Sobyanin said that one drone had smashed into a building under construction in Moscow City, a prestigious business complex that has been hit by drones twice before. Several windows were broken in two buildings nearby, and emergency services responded to the incident. Russia’s defence ministry claimed to have downed all of the drones in Moscow and the surrounding area. Earlier, a three-hour night-time drone attack by Russia in Ukraine’s southern region of Odesa overnight on Tuesday caused a blaze at grain facilities, according to the head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration, Oleh Kiper. Elsewhere, a Russian drone attack on the city of Romny in northeastern Ukraine struck a local school, killing the principal, his deputy, a secretary and the school librarian, according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs. Three people were also killed in the Belgorod region of Russia on the Ukrainian border during the repeated shelling of a sanatorium, according to the region’s governor. Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report Read More The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin ‘dies in plane crash’ Russia's 'General Armageddon' reportedly dismissed after vanishing in wake of Wagner uprising Wagner chief Prigozhin reappears in first video after mutiny - and he’s recruiting

Movie director James Cameron says he feels he “walked into an ambush” this week during a visit to Argentina in which he believes there was an attempt to use his image as an environmentalist to give a positive spin to lithium mining operations despite opposition from Indigenous communities

All eyes will be on the battle for survival and the scrap for the final European place on the final day of Premier League season on Sunday. Here, the PA news agency looks at the main talking points. Everton in the box-seat Everton are one of three clubs in danger, with two making the drop alongside already-relegated Southampton this weekend. But the Toffees at least have control of their own destiny heading into a Goodison Park clash against Bournemouth, knowing that a 70th-successive season in the top-flight awaits if they match the results of Leicester and Leeds. It promises to be a nervous afternoon, though, with Everton’s cause not helped by injury absentees Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Nathan Patterson and Ben Godfrey. Foxes’ future looks bleak Seven years after the charismatic Claudio Ranieri masterminded Leicester’s stunning Premier League title triumph, the Foxes look Championship-bound. They host West Ham knowing that victory over the Hammers might not be enough to keep them in the top division. Dean Smith’s team must win and hope Everton do not collect maximum points against Bournemouth, otherwise their fate will be sealed. It is all a far cry from May 7, 2016, when Ranieri and captain Wes Morgan held aloft the Premier League trophy. Leeds need a minor miracle Sam Allardyce faced mission improbable when he was parachuted in as Leeds manager with just four games of the season left after Javi Gracia was sacked. And so it has proved, with Allardyce overseeing one draw and two defeats so far. Nothing less than a win will do for Leeds against Tottenham at Elland Road and even then they need the results from both the Everton and Leicester matches to go their way. Battle for Europe Tottenham have their own targets to worry about during their trip to West Yorkshire. After spending much of the season battling for a Champions League spot, they could miss out on Europe altogether as they fight Aston Villa and Brentford for seventh and a place in the Europa Conference League. Villa are in pole position and know a win at home to Europa League-bound Brighton will be enough to secure European qualification for the first time since 2010. Anything less would open the door for Spurs, who last did not feature in continental competition in the 2009-10 campaign. Should both slip up, then Brentford can secure European football for the first time in their history if they manage to win at home to champions Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s balancing act What kind of City side awaits Brentford remains to be seen. With the Premier League title already won, City’s hopes of a trophy treble rest with the FA Cup final against Manchester United on June 3 then the Champions League final versus Inter Milan seven days later. It will be about finding a balance between resting players and avoiding rustiness ahead of those games, so rotation can be expected for Sunday’s trip. Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland could be among those rested, but if Haaland plays, it will be a last chance to extend his remarkable Premier League goalscoring record of 36 this term. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Aston Villa’s final step in European bid will be hardest – Unai Emery Ryan Mason ‘trusts the people making decisions’ at Tottenham ahead of key summer Thomas Frank inspired by ‘best coach’ Pep Guardiola’s work

Ryan Mallett was on a vacation with his girlfriend Madison Carter when he drowned offshore of Gulf Shore Drive in Destin, Florida