Women in California prison accuse staff cook of rape and urge criminal charges

Exclusive: After investigators concluded an abuse incident occurred, women speak out for first time – ‘I was so scared to tell anybody’

Two women incarcerated in a California prison are calling for the prosecution of a staff cook who they say sexually assaulted them.

The women say Marcus Johnson, a former supervisory cook at the California Institution for Women (CIW), raped them in 2020 while they were working for him in kitchen jobs. The women, who were making under 40 cents an hour, said in federal civil complaints he threatened disciplinary action if they reported him.

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I would scream in my sleep: Women from Syria's Alawite minority tell of kidnap and rape

The BBC hears harrowing accounts of assaults appearing to target the sect of former President Assad.

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Rhode Island ice rink shooting may have been tied to ‘family dispute’, officials say

Shooting at hockey game in Pawtucket that left three dead and three injured may have also been a ‘targeted event’

The shooting at a Rhode Island high school hockey game that left three dead and three injured may have been a “targeted event” stemming from a “family dispute,” officials have said, with local media reporting that one of the victims was the suspect’s son.

The Pawtucket police chief, Tina Goncalves, confirmed the suspect was also among the three people who died.

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Family of Zambia's ex-President Lungu dismiss poisoning allegation - lawyers

It is the latest twist over the fate of Lungu's body, which remains in a South African morgue since his death.

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Robert Duvall, Apocalypse Now and Godfather star, dies aged 95

From the classic To Kill a Mockingbird to blockbuster Gone in 60 Seconds, the Oscar-winning actor’s films spanned a remarkable range

• Robert Duvall was a vigorous and subtle actor who always performed with passion and conviction

Robert Duvall, the veteran actor who had a string of roles in classic American films including Apocalypse Now, The Godfather, MASH and To Kill a Mockingbird, has died aged 95.

“Bob passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by love and comfort,” wrote his wife, Luciana Duvall, in a message on Facebook.

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US teen who pushed for her father’s release from ICE custody dies of cancer

Ofelia Torres, 16, spotlighted her dad Ruben’s illegal detention last fall during Trump’s crackdown in Chicago

A Chicago teenager, whose father was detained by immigration authorities while she navigated cancer, died on Friday, a family spokesperson said.

Ofelia Torres, a 16-year-old in Chicago, had been undergoing treatment for an aggressive and rare form of cancer since late 2024. As she and her family struggled with the medical procedures, her father, Ruben Torres Maldonado, was detained by immigration authorities while at a Home Depot in October, leading to a contentious and public case that highlighted the human effects of the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown.

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Girl, 17, who died after three-car crash in Cwmbran was ‘funny, kind and caring’

Family pay tribute to Demi Edmunds, from Caldicot, saying she ‘loved her friends, and she was loved by all’

A 17-year-old girl who died in a collision involving three cars in Wales was “funny, kind and caring”, her brother said.

Demi Edmunds was the sole pedestrian in the incident on the A4042 in Cwmbran, Torfaen, Wales, which occurred at about 12.25pm on Thursday, Gwent police said.

The teenager from Caldicot was pronounced dead at the scene.

Her brother Jake said in a tribute published by the force on Saturday: “Demi was the best sister I could’ve ever asked for. She was funny, kind and caring.

“Me and her were very close, she was like a best friend to me that I could trust with anything and everything, but she’s no longer with us any more. Hopefully she’s in heaven, somewhere better.”

Police said the family has requested privacy to grieve.

In a shared statement, the family said: “Demi was a beloved daughter, granddaughter, sister, cousin and niece. Demi loved her friends, and she was loved by all.”

Inquiries are ongoing and police have asked anyone with information including CCTV or dashcam footage to get in contact quoting log reference 2600046163.

The Welsh ambulance service also attended the incident.

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Rental ebike programs booming in Australian cities as e-scooter ‘moral panic’ sees take-up stall

After a fast kick-off in Australia, e-scooter hire crackdowns fuelled by safety concerns have seen shared ebikes pull ahead

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Rental ebikes are booming in popularity as e-scooter hire operations decline across Australia amid what some have labelled a “moral panic” over safety.

The ebike boom has been led by Sydney, where the number of vehicles on streets nearly doubled in 2025 as US operator Lime deployed thousands more.

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Ukraine wants 20-year US security guarantee to sign peace deal

Speaking in Munich, Volodymyr Zelenskyy also called for a clear date for his country to be allowed to join the EU

Ukraine wants security guarantees for a minimum of 20 years from the US before it can sign a peace deal with dignity, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said ahead of talks next week with Russia and the US.

He was speaking in Munich on Saturday where he also called for a clear date for Ukraine to be allowed to join the EU. Some EU officials have put the date as early as 2027.

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New York police leader charged with bribery over school alert system scheme

Kevin Taylor allegedly accepted trips and lavish dinners for help in selling a ‘mobile panic alert system’ to city schools

A New York police leader tasked with protecting the city’s schoolchildren allegedly accepted bribes to help a businessman sell his “mobile panic alert system” to schools in 2023, Manhattan federal prosecutors have alleged.

Kevin Taylor, former commanding officer of the New York police department’s school safety division, “repeatedly abused his authority and considerable influence … by soliciting or demanding bribes in two bribery schemes” – allowing him to enjoy lavish travel and luxe eateries, an indictment against him alleged.

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