Leah Spasova from Oxfordshire fought for 10 years to obtain tubal ligation procedure, while men could get vasectomiesAnalysis: questions over how accessible procedure should beA woman denied a permanent form of birth control on the NHS over fears she might regret it, while men were allowed contraceptive procedures, has won her case with the health ombudsman.Leah Spasova, a psychologist from Oxfordshire, spent a decade fighting to obtain female sterilisation at her local trust, a procedure that blocks or seals the fallopian tubes to prevent pregnancy. By contrast, men can undergo a vasectomy, a procedure that stops sperm from being released. Continue reading...
Critics say women face unequal treatment but others say tighter controls reflect legitimate medical concernsA psychologist who was denied sterilisation on the NHS has successfully challenged the decision after taking her case to the health ombudsman, raising questions over how accessible the procedure should be.Leah Spasova spent years seeking an operation to prevent pregnancy by blocking the fallopian tubes. Many argue that barriers faced by women, from funding refusals to stricter eligibility criteria, amount to unequal treatment compared with men seeking vasectomies, and limit bodily autonomy. Continue reading...
Judge tells 70-year-old Nancy Pexton she showed no remorse for the ferocious attack on Jennifer AbbottA woman who murdered her sister in her London flat and stole her Rolex watch has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 22 years.Nancy Pexton stabbed Jennifer Abbott 10 times and left her body for three days in the property in Camden, a court heard. Continue reading...
Claire Freemantle accused of causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving when 4x4 hit school in LondonThe driver of a 4×4 that crashed into a south-east London primary school has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving after two eight-year-old girls were killed.Claire Freemantle, 49, is accused of two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and seven counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving following the incident at The Study Prep school in Wimbledon in July 2023. Continue reading...
Court heard woman asked fashion boss to stop but he did not even when she started cryingJames Holder, a co-founder of the clothing firm Superdry, has been found guilty of raping a woman after a night out in the Gloucestershire town of Cheltenham.Gloucester crown court heard Holder, 54, had been due to get a taxi back to his mansion in the Cotswolds with a male friend. Instead, the pair got into the victim’s taxi and went to her flat, where the fashion boss raped her. Continue reading...
Nancy Pexton, 70, stabbed sister Jennifer Abbott, 69, and left her body to decompose in Camden flat for three daysA woman has been found guilty of murdering her sister by slashing her neck before making off with her diamond-encrusted gold Rolex watch.Nancy Pexton stabbed her sibling Jennifer Abbott 10 times and then left her body for three days in her flat in Camden, north London, a court heard. Continue reading...
Paramedics on Atlanta-Portland flight help Ashley Blair give birth to ‘gorgeous’ Brielle Renee just before landingWhen baby Brielle Renee was born, new mom Ashley Blair was flying high – quite literally. Blair unexpectedly went into labor shortly before her full Delta flight from Atlanta to Portland touched down on Friday night.The surprise birth was just one of two medical emergencies on board that emergency medical technicians Tina Fritz and Caarin Powell responded to during the flight, capping the end to their vacation in the Dominican Republic, the pair told the Associated Press. They were helping another passenger when flight crews called for assistance for Blair. Continue reading...
Ellen Mulvey ran up huge betting losses online and wrote ‘addiction is the worst disease’ before she diedA family is calling for wholesale reform of the gambling industry after an inquest heard details of the life and death of Ellen Mulvey, a “generous and caring” woman with a high-flying City job who also had a secret addiction.Mulvey’s family believe she lost hundreds of thousands of pounds gambling without their knowledge, first via mainstream operators and then on unlicensed platforms. Continue reading...
After she had to travel out of state to access care, Rachel Fulton joined the Center for Reproductive Rights’ suit, which an appeal has now halted indefinitelyIt was the worst day of Rachel Fulton’s life. She stood outside her doctor’s office, reeling with the news that her dearly wanted pregnancy needed to end. But her day would, somehow, become even worse: Fulton lives in Tennessee, where abortion is banned except for very narrow threats to the patient’s life. She had to travel hours to another state to receive care from an unfamiliar doctor far from home.Fulton joined a lawsuit, along with five other patients, in 2023 against the state of Tennessee for violating their right to life. The American Medical Association and two doctors also joined the lawsuit because they say they have been prevented from providing the standard of care for their patients. Continue reading...
Noongar woman Mary Ann Miller died of sepsis, while homeless to avoid an allegedly abusive ex-partnerWarning: This article contains images of and references to Indigenous Australians who have diedThe family of an Aboriginal mother of seven who died just weeks after giving birth say the Western Australian government knew she was experiencing domestic violence and fearing for her safety weeks before her death.Mary Ann Miller died of sepsis in Fiona Stanley hospital on 28 March, two weeks after giving birth to her son and after she was allegedly assaulted and had her nose broken by her former partner. Guardian Australia is not suggesting the alleged assault contributed to her death. Continue reading...
Pair, believed to be mother and son, recovered from water but died at scene in Elthorne Park, Ealing A woman and her young child have died after getting into “difficulty” in the water at a west London park, police said.Police were called to Elthorne Park in Ealing just before 4.30pm on Saturday, where a woman and child were recovered from the water, the Metropolitan police said. Continue reading...
Enzo Bettamio alleged to have stabbed Kamonnan Thiamphanit in April 2024 at a property in BayswaterA teenager has been charged with murder over the death of a 27-year-old woman after his extradition from the United Arab Emirates to the UK.The charge relates to the stabbing of Kamonnan Thiamphanit, which took place at a property in Bayswater, west London, on 6 April 2024. Continue reading...
John Ashby to serve minimum of 14 years after admitting rape, robbery, intentional strangulation and religiously aggravated assaultA man has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 14 years for the religiously aggravated rape and assault of a Sikh woman.John Ashby, 32, had admitted charges of rape, robbery, intentional strangulation and religiously aggravated assault on Tuesday. Ashby asked to see his barrister and changed his pleas around an hour after being sworn at and told to “sort your shit out” by a member of the public who approached the dock of Birmingham crown court. Continue reading...
Woman raped by two men while a third filmed ordeal after she became separated from friends on night outThree men have been found guilty of repeatedly raping a woman on Brighton beach in a “cynical, predatory and callous” attack after she became separated from her friends on a night out.A trial at Hove crown court heard the woman was targeted by the men as she was “staggering in the street” and was “incapacitated” in the early hours of 4 October. Continue reading...
Janet Fordham died in crash after travelling to see man who claimed he would help to recover money from earlier scamsA British woman who was scammed of up to £1m in a string of so-called “romance frauds” died in a road crash after travelling to west Africa to try to recoup some of her lost fortune, an inquest in Devon has heard.Janet Fordham, 69, was cheated of her life savings and her home over five years by fraudsters apparently based in the UK, Germany, the US and Ghana, the inquest in Exeter was told. Continue reading...
Michelle Sadio, 44, was shot near the River of Life Pentecostal church in Willesden in 2024Two men have been found guilty of murdering an innocent woman and injuring two more people in a drive-by shooting outside a wake.Michelle Sadio, a mother of two, was shot outside the River of Life Pentecostal church in Willesden in north London on 14 December 2024. She had been among about 100 mourners, including children as young as five, at the wake for 80-year-old Dianne Boatong. Continue reading...
At least four more injured at world heritage site in latest violent incident as country prepares to co-host World CupOne Canadian tourist has been killed and at least four other people have been shot after an armed man opened fire at one of Mexico’s most famous tourist destinations, the Teotihuacán pyramids near Mexico City.The shooting – the latest violent incident to affect Mexico as it prepares to co-host the football World Cup in June – took place on Monday lunchtime and was captured in mobile phone videos shot by visitors to the site. Continue reading...
Gabrielle Carrington, 29, faces charges after incident on Argyll Street in the early hours of Sunday morningA woman has been charged with attempted murder after a car hit pedestrians in central London in the early hours of Sunday.A woman in her 30s remains in a life-threatening condition and a man in his 50s suffered life-changing injuries after they were hit by a car in Argyll Street, Westminster, at approximately 4.30am on Sunday, the Metropolitan police said. A second woman in her 30s suffered minor injuries, the force added. Continue reading...
Federal prosecutor says woman is suspected of dealing weapons to Africa on behalf of Iranian governmentA California woman was arrested at Los Angeles international airport after allegedly trafficking weapons on behalf of the Iranian government to contacts in Africa, including Sudan.Shamim Mafi, 44, of Woodland Hills was detained on Saturday night by federal agents, according to the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles. Continue reading...
Police say 29-year-old arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and drink driving after collision in WestminsterA woman has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a car hit pedestrians in central London in the early hours of Sunday morning.A woman in her 30s is in hospital in a critical condition and a man in his 50s suffered life-changing injuries after they were hit by a car in Argyll Street, Westminster, at around 4.30am on Sunday, the Metropolitan Police said. Continue reading...
Liza Tobay, who lives in UK, was told her settled status had been ‘red flagged’ after trying to make a connecting flight from Munich to EdinburghA German woman has been separated from her two-year-old daughter in Edinburgh after a Home Office mistake left her stranded in Dusseldorf earlier this week.Liza Tobay, who has lived in the UK for 15 years, had taken her oldest child, a six-year-old boy, to visit his grandfather and some other relatives over Easter when confronted with what she said appeared to be “a serious administrative error”. Continue reading...
Killing of Lauren Bullis and woman not yet identified in ‘random’ Monday attacks draws attention of Trump officialsAn Atlanta man has been charged in a string of attacks over a matter of hours that left two women dead and a man in critical condition, drawing the Trump administration’s attention after one of the victims was identified as a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employee who was walking her dog.The killing of the DHS worker, Lauren Bullis, and shootings of the two other victims on Monday led homeland security secretary Markwayne Mullin to issue a statement raising concerns that the 26-year-old suspect, British native Olaolukitan Adon Abel, was granted US citizenship in 2022. Continue reading...
Natasha Cochrane de la Rosa was refused boarding on flight to London because she was not aware of the rule changeA British woman has told how she fears being stranded in Spain for months after being refused boarding a on flight back home to London because she was not aware of new Home Office border rules.Natasha Cochrane de la Rosa, 26, was born in the UK to a British father and a Spanish mother, but because of archaic laws she was not entitled automatically to British citizenship because her parents were not married. Other women born to unmarried parents have called the rules an “illegitimacy tax”. Continue reading...
The family of Marie-Thérèse, from Brittany, fear for her health after she was cuffed and placed in a detention centreAn 86-year-old French woman who moved to the US to marry her 1950s sweetheart is being held in a crowded detention centre in Louisiana after she was arrested by immigration agents and cuffed by her hands and feet.The family of the woman, named only as Marie-Thérèse, said they feared for her health as French consular officials attempted to secure her release. One of her sons told the Ouest-France newspaper that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had treated his mother like a hardened criminal. Continue reading...
The 11-time Grammy winner had a net favorability of 65%, Obama came second with 14%, while Zelenskyy had 12%For the US public, the feeling that Dolly Parton expressed in her country music chart-topping 1974 classic I Will Always Love You is clearly mutual.A poll of Americans’ opinions about more than 20 international luminaries established as much, with the 11-time Grammy winner and philanthropist leaving her two closest competitors – Barack Obama and Volodymyr Zelenskyy – in the dust by more than 50 percentage points. Continue reading...
Michelle Dick accused of dousing musician with unknown substance in March and damaging his car before fleeingA woman who is accused of stalking former Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham has been arrested in Indiana, according to local police.Authorities in Fort Wayne, Indiana, said in a statement over the weekend that they took 55-year-old Michelle Dick into custody on Saturday as she was wanted on a warrant out of California “for stalking” Buckingham. Continue reading...
Appointment part of a raft of senior defence changes as current navy chief Mark Hammond promoted to chief of defence forceFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLt Gen Susan Coyle, an officer of more than three decades standing, will become the first woman to lead the Australian army.Coyle has been announced as the new chief of army, with her term beginning in July. Continue reading...
Victim in her 20s was attacked after leaving Labyrinth Epsom nightclub between 2am and 4am on SaturdayA woman was raped by several men outside a church after leaving a nightclub in Surrey, police said.The woman in her 20s reported she was attacked after being followed leaving Labyrinth Epsom between 2am and 4am on Saturday. Continue reading...
Police arrest man, 37, on suspicion of being in charge of dog dangerously out of control and causing injury resulting in deathA 19-year-old woman who died after a dog attack in Essex has been named by police as Jamie-Lea Biscoe. Police said the victim was found with serious injuries by emergency services after they were called to a property in Long Hide, in the village of Leaden Roding, at 10.45pm on Friday. Biscoe was pronounced dead at the scene. A 37-year-old man from Dunmow, who was arrested on suspicion of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control and causing injury resulting in death, has been bailed until July while inquiries continue, Essex police said on Sunday. The canine, which was a family pet and believed to be a lurcher cross, was seized and tests are under way to formally establish the dog’s breed, the force added. Assistant chief constable Stuart Hooper said: “Our thoughts remain with all those who knew and loved Jamie-Lea. Her young life has been so tragically cut short. “Our detectives are continuing to work around the clock to establish exactly what happened and specialist officers are continuing to support Jamie-Lea’s family. “This is unimaginable for her loved ones and friends and, as such, I would ask people to respect their grief and privacy at this extremely difficult time. “Our officers remain at the scene and anyone with concerns or information can speak with them there or contact us in the usual way.” A post-mortem examination is due to take place on Sunday, police said. Anyone with information that could assist the investigation has been asked to contact Essex police through their website or anonymously through independent charity Crimestoppers. On Thursday, a three-month-old baby died in a suspected dog attack at a property in Redcar, North Yorkshire. The baby girl is believed to have died as a result of a dog bite in the Dormanstown area and a woman, aged 31, was treated in hospital for an injury to her arm from a bite, police said. Armed officers destroyed one dog that had gone on to the street and a second recovered by police has since been destroyed. A man, aged 45, was arrested on suspicion of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury resulting in death and was released on conditional bail. Continue reading...
Police have arrested a man on suspicion of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control and causing injury resulting in deathA 19-year-old woman has died after being attacked by a dog at a property in Essex.Police have arrested a 37-year-old man on suspicion of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control and causing injury resulting in death, after the incident on Friday. He is now in police custody. Continue reading...
