Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke has revealed she would choose Jacob Elordi and Jenna Ortega to play the lead roles if the film was ever rebooted

Russia has taken the wheel from Wagner as the Kremlin has recruited up to 100,000 prisoners to fight in Ukraine. The practice was a trademark move of the late mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, who filled his group’s ranks with convicted criminals. The army unit, commonly known as Storm-Z, is reportedly seen as a disposable force in Vladimir Putin’s “special military operation”. It comes as the Russian prison population has dropped from an estimated 420,000 to around 266,000, according to deputy minister Vsevolod Vukolov, who disclosed the figures earlier this month. Russian state-controlled media reported that Storm-Z squads exist, that they took part in intense battles and some of their members received medals for bravery, but it has not disclosed how they are formed, or the losses they take. While the Russian defence ministry has never acknowledged creating Storm-Z units, the first reports of their existence emerged in April when the Institute for the Study of War cited what it said appeared to be a leaked Russian military report on the formation of the squads. RTVI, a Russian news website, said Storm-Z “is the same scheme as with the [Wagner] private military company. Prisoners sign contracts with the defence ministry, and after completing them they can go home or continue serving”. However, a Russian soldier who fought alongside members of the penal squad told Reuters that Storm-Z fighters “are just meat”. The soldier, from army unit no. 40318 who was deployed near Bakhmut in May and June, said he’d given medical treatment to a group of six or seven wounded Storm-Z fighters on the battlefield. In doing so, he had disobeyed an order from a commander - whose name he didn’t know - to leave the men. He said he didn’t know why the commander gave the order, but claimed that it typified how Storm-Z fighters were considered of lesser value than ordinary troops by officers. The soldier, who requested anonymity because he feared prosecution in Russia for publicly discussing the war, said he had sympathy for the men’s plight: “If the commandants catch anyone with the smell of alcohol on their breath, then they immediately send them to the Storm squads.” The UK ministry of defence addressed the emergence of the penal squads in its update on 24 October, saying: “Russia largely continues to rely on specially designated ‘Shtorm-Z’ units for local offensive operations in Ukraine.” It said: “Multiple accounts suggest the units are given the lowest priority for logistical and medical support, while repeatedly being ordered to attack.” The intelligence update added that the squads were “likely first fielded in 2022” and they highlight “the extreme difficulty Russia has in generating combat infantry capable of conducting effective offensive operations”. Read More The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary Live updates | Israeli troops briefly enter Gaza as wider ground incursion looms Europe's central bank is set to halt rate hikes as the Mideast war casts a shadow over the economy Putin presides over rehearsals of 'massive' Russian nuclear strike

Millions of women will be able to get free contraceptive pills on the high street from next year without having to see a GP, under new plans revealed by the NHS. Starting next month, women in England can obtain a first prescription of the pill by visiting their local pharmacy. The change will give women greater choice over where to get the pill, and will free up 10 million appointments in GP surgeries, according to NHS England. The move has been hailed as a “step in the right direction” for patients and comes as part of a broader plan to allow patients to be treated for a range of conditions at local pharmacies. These conditions include sore throats and urinary tract infections. William Pett, the head of policy, public affairs and research at Healthwatch England, said: “Women across England will welcome the convenience of getting the contraceptive pill at a local pharmacy. “Being able to see your GP in a timely manner remains the public’s top concern. “If this initiative is effectively communicated and delivered, it will make a real difference to patients and relieve the pressure on hard-pressed services.” Mr Pett said there could be problems with the plan, though, such as pharmacists not being able to see a patient’s GP records, or differences in access between different areas of the country. The plan to make the pill available from pharmacies was piloted among a cohort of 4,500 women earlier this year. Under the scheme, if women opt for the combined oestrogen and progestogen pill, they will have a check-up with a pharmacist to record their blood pressure and weight. No checks are needed for the mini pill (progestogen only), which is also the case in other settings, NHS England said. Pharmacies need to sign up for the new service, meaning that it will not be available immediately everywhere in England. As more pharmacies join the scheme, the NHS web page will be updated so that women can check which locations offer the service. Women who are significantly overweight, or whose blood pressure is high – putting them at higher risk of blood clots on the combined pill – may be referred to their GP for further checks. The ongoing checks on blood pressure and weight that women need when they are on the pill will also be available in pharmacies. Funding has also been put in place to allow more pharmacies to offer repeat prescriptions of all types of contraceptive pill. NHS England said it expects almost half a million women to be able to access the pill next year without needing to contact their GP first, with the figure rising after that. Prescription figures for 2022-23 suggest there were almost 3 million prescriptions for the combined pill and more than 4 million for the mini pill. NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said of the plan: “This is really good news for women – we all lead increasingly busy lives, and thanks to this action, rather than making a GP appointment, they can simply pop into their local pharmacy when they need or want to access contraception. “We will also be expanding services so that more health checks are available for patients on the high street, which is not only better and easier for patients but also frees up NHS time for more GP appointments for those who need them most.” Under wider plans, pharmacists will be offering more blood pressure checks to patients who are at risk of high blood pressure, with a commitment to deliver 2.5 million a year by spring 2025. NHS England estimates that this could prevent more than 1,350 heart attacks and strokes in the first year. Dr Leyla Hannbeck, CEO of the Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies, said: “This is a step in the right direction for patient care. The pharmacy network has the knowledge, skill sets and the willingness to deliver these services and support the NHS. For years we have been highlighting that, if supported appropriately, pharmacies can add a lot of value to the NHS. We are accessible and we have a track record of delivering for patients.” Victoria Atkins, the new health and social care secretary, said: “For the public, these changes will mean more options for women when making a choice about their preferred contraception, reduce the risks of people suffering heart attacks and strokes, and make it easier to access medicines for common conditions.” Janet Morrison, chief executive at Community Pharmacy England, said: “It makes perfect sense to use community pharmacies as a first port of call for healthcare advice, access to contraception, and health checks such as blood pressure tests.” Read More Stephen Fry uses walking stick after breaking his leg, pelvis and ‘a bunch of ribs’ Jonnie Irwin jokes he’s ‘whacked’ after attending The Streets gig in Newcastle Kourtney Kardashian ‘gives birth to first child’ with Travis Barker Stephen Fry uses walking stick after breaking his leg, pelvis and ‘a bunch of ribs’ Jonnie Irwin jokes he’s ‘whacked’ after attending The Streets gig in Newcastle Kourtney Kardashian ‘gives birth to first child’ with Travis Barker

TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 31, 2023--

The Chevron Corp. says a liquefied natural gas plant in Australia has resumed full production after a fault cut output by one-fifth for three days

Prime Big Deal Days — the two-day shopping extravaganza that features amazing Black Friday-level sales — has been announced for October. But even if you’re not the biggest Bezos fan, you can still shop all the early Prime-inspired deals right now. Companies creating sales to catch that Prime Day-esque momentum is nothing new, and they also have the advantage of not having to be limited to that 48-hour sales window. So if you try to avoid Amazon or are simply trying to cure the shopping frenzy hangover with the hair of the dog, you'll be able to scratch that deal itch across the internet with any one of the ongoing Amazon Prime Big Deal Days alternative sales we've lined up.

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