Author: BBC

54 minutes agoBy Marianna Spring, BBC Disinformation reporterReutersFalse rumours swirled online seconds after Donald Trump was shot“Staged”.Within minutes of the news breaking about the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, that word was trending on X in the United States.It’s a word that has become synonymous with conspiracy theories on the fringes of social media, often to cast doubts on an attack or shooting. But in the last 24 hours it has flooded into mainstream online conversation, and posts filled with evidence-free speculation, hate and abuse have racked up millions of views on X.Assassination attempts on US presidents have in the…

Getty ImagesFans are mourning US actress Shannen Doherty, who has died the age of 53 of cancer. “It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress Shannen Doherty,” her publicist, Leslie Sloane said.Doherty enjoyed a screen career spanning four decades as the star of hit TV shows like Beverly Hills 90210 and Charmed.Although Doherty and the characters she played usually seemed to inhabit a glossier, more beautiful world, she was always someone viewers could relate to on screen, and was a self-proclaimed “badass” in real life.The Memphis-born star began acting as a child with appearances in…

Former US President Donald Trump was rushed off stage after gunshots erupted at a rally in Pennsylvania in an apparent assassination attempt.Footage showed him grimace and raise a hand to his right ear, before ducking as several sharp cracks – a series of shots – broke out.The suspect was shot dead at the scene, one bystander was killed and two others were critically injured, officials said.This is how events unfolded. Source link

14 hours agoBy Bonnie McLaren, Culture reporterGetty ImagesNetflix’s America’s Sweethearts shows the blood, sweat and tears behind the smilesAmerica’s Sweethearts, which lifts the lid on life in the most famous cheerleading team in the US, has been climbing up the Netflix charts since its release last month.The series follows the gruelling recruitment and coaching process for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders – DCC for short – and how much pressure the members face to be perfect.Among the hopefuls is 24-year-old Ariana McClure – a medical sales rep who moved to Dallas to pursue her dream.It is her second attempt at making the team,…

A senior Hamas commander was killed in an air strike in Gaza on Saturday, the Israeli military has said. Khan Younis Brigade commander Rafa Salama died in the attack, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).In a statement, the Israeli army said Salama was one of the “masterminds” of the 7 October attack and a close associate of Mohammed Deif, the top commander of Hamas’s military wing. The IDF said that Salama’s death “significantly impedes Hamas’ military capabilities”.Israel has said the attack was targeting senior Hamas leaders, but Hamas says the claim is “false” and aimed at “justifying” the attack.The…

Actress Shannen Doherty, best known for roles in hit TV shows like Beverly Hills 90210 and Charmed, died on Saturday from cancer at 53. “It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress Shannen Doherty,” her publicist, Leslie Sloane, said in a statement. “The devoted daughter, sister, aunt and friend was surrounded by her loved ones as well as her dog, Bowie.”Doherty spent over four decades as an actress. She is best known for role playing Brenda on four seasons of 90210. The actor was diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2015 and underwent a mastectomy,…

57 minutes agoBy Tom McArthur, BBC NewsGetty ImagesThe FBI has named the man who shot at Donald Trump during a campaign rally as Thomas Matthew Crooks. Crooks is alleged to have opened fire while the former US president was addressing a crowd in Butler, Pennsylvania, leaving one audience member dead and two others badly hurt.The 20-year-old was shot dead at the scene by a Secret Service sniper, officials said.In a statement, the FBI said Crooks was the “subject involved” in the assassination attempt on the former president and that an active investigation was under way.He had not been carrying ID, so investigators…

Getty ImagesThe new government has made tackling NHS waiting times a key priority – and this week appointed NHS surgeon and former health minister Lord Ara Darzi to investigate what is going wrong. Is productivity the place to start?The scale of the challenge facing Health Secretary Wes Streeting was made clear as he announced the review on Thursday. The latest performance figures – the first published since the election – showed the hospital backlog had risen again for a second month in a row, hitting 7.6 million. The British Medical Association called it a “shameful” legacy for the Tories to…

Video footage obtained by TMZ shows the moment a shooter started opening fire at a rally for Donald Trump in Pennsylvania.The FBI says it is treating the incident as an assassination attempt.One bystander was killed in the shooting and two others were critically injured, police said. Source link

BBCRachel Reeves’ favourite chess move is the Sicilian Defence.It’s an opening move designed to open up the board for later in the game – and one the chancellor used often as a junior chess champion. It’s “particularly good when you want to go on the attack,” she suggests.Growing up, Reeves was driven around the country by her parents to compete and beat privately educated boys, often as the only state school-educated girl. The story has echoes of the fictitious chess prodigy Beth Harmon – the lead character in Netflix show The Queen’s Gambit, of which Reeves is a fan -…