67 m. ago After 35 years, the Menendez brothers have a chance for parole. Was that the Netflix effect? | Zoe Williams

It is hard to prove the judicial impact of two shows inspired by the notorious double murder case. But undoubtedly, they heightened public scrutinyWhen the true-crime documentary Menendez Brothers: Misjudged? aired in 2022 on Discovery+, its impact was not immediate, except on TikTok, where – chicken and egg-style – it was hard to determine whether people were talking about the case because of the show or because a general cultural osmosis had brought the topic to the fore.Erik and Lyle killed their parents in 1989, when they were 18 and 21. They alleged a childhood of sexual, psychological and physical abuse by their father, which their mother knew about but didn’t act on. The judge disallowed what was called the “abuse excuse” at the time, and the prosecution successfully landed the argument that they had murdered their parents for their inheritance, resulting in whole-life sentences without the possibility of parole. Continue reading...

Politics

3 h. ago Cassie Ventura describes a decade of alleged abuse in testimony at Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial

Music mogul’s former girlfriend describes physical abuse, control and violence at trial in New York CitySinger Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, a former girlfriend of Sean “Diddy” Combs and a key witness in the federal sex-trafficking and racketeering trial of the music mogul, returned to the witness stand in New York City on Wednesday morning, as the high-profile trial enters its third day.Ventura, who is eight and a half months pregnant, began her second day of testimony by revisiting the hotel surveillance footage of her 2016 assault by Combs. She said Combs threw a vase at her.In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit Women’s Aid. In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. Other international helplines may be found via www.befrienders.org. Continue reading...

Events

3 h. ago France’s premier faces questions from an inquiry on a Catholic school abuse scandal

French Prime Minister François Bayrou is facing questions from a parliamentary inquiry into alleged abuse at a Catholic school amid accusations he has hidden what he knows about the scandal

Politics

11 h. ago Diddy trial: Key moments so far as rapper's ex Cassie Ventura tells court of alleged abuse

Here’s a rundown of the case against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs after two days of his sex trafficking trial

Events

13 h. ago What's happened to Sean Penn? Fans horrified by Hollywood star's appearance as he makes bombshell claims

Sean Penn's fans were shocked by the actor's 'rough' appearance on the Louis Theroux Podcast on Monday.

Events

24 h. ago Cassie Ventura describes alleged abuse by Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs in sex

Singer says on the stand there were ‘violent arguments’ and ‘dragging’ in former relationship with the hip-hop mogulSinger Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, a former girlfriend of Sean “Diddy” Combs and central character in the case against him, took the stand on Tuesday as the high-profile federal trial of Combs entered its second day in lower Manhattan.She is expected to testify against her former partner for several days. Continue reading...

Events

25 h. ago Cassie Ventura testifies about alleged ‘freak offs’, physical abuse and blackmail during Diddy’s sex

Cassie Ventura took to the stand while eight months pregnant to give her take on the relationship that started when she was just 22

Events

25 h. ago Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial live: Cassie Ventura recounts alleged ‘freak offs’, physical abuse and blackmail

The 55-year-old music mogul’s ex-girlfriend, who is eight months pregnant, is testifying about her alleged ‘Freak Offs’ with Diddy that began when she was 22

Events

31 h. ago Six killed in Tripoli clashes after killing of militia leader

Abdel Ghani al-Kikli, known as Gheniwa, had recently been involved in disputes with rival armed groupsThe killing of the head of one of Libya’s most powerful militias, which has been accused of abusing asylum seekers and faced allegations of crimes against humanity, has triggered armed clashes in Tripoli, resulting in at least six deaths.Abdel Ghani al-Kikli, better known as Gheniwa, the commander of Support Force Apparatus SSA, one of Tripoli’s powerful armed groups, based in the densely populated Abu Salim neighbourhood, was killed on Monday night at the headquarters of the 444th Combat Brigade of the Libyan army, a source in one of the country’s security forces told Al Wasat television. Continue reading...

Events

32 h. ago Sean Penn says he’d work with Woody Allen again ‘in a heartbeat’ despite sexual abuse allegations against director

Penn appeared in Allen’s 1999 film ‘Sweet and Lowdown’

Economics

43 h. ago Sean Penn says he’d work with Woody Allen again ‘in a heartbeat’

The actor, who was speaking on The Louis Theroux Podcast, also cast new light on his meeting with former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, and had harsh comments on both Donald Trump and Elon MuskSean Penn has reiterated his defence of Woody Allen, saying he would “work with him in a heartbeat”.Penn was speaking on The Louis Theroux Podcast, and told Theroux that while he felt he didn’t know Allen well enough to know for certain that “100% this didn’t happen”, he said: “The stories are mostly told by people that I wouldn’t trust with a dime. It just seems so heavily weighted in that way.” Continue reading...

Economics

48 h. ago Staff member dismissed as police probe alleged assault of child at additional support needs school

Members of staff at the school have been subjected to “significant threats and abuse" since allegations emerged.

Events

53 h. ago A timeline of allegations and charges against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs

Most recent lawsuits include accusations of drugging and raping as recently as 2022, and Jay-Z added as accusedSean “Diddy” Combs is on trial in New York on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. The 17-page indictment against Combs – which reads like a charging document filed against a mafia leader or the head of a drug gang – alleges that Combs engaged in a two-decade pattern of abusive behavior against women and others, with the help of people in his entourage and employees from his network of businesses.Combs and his lawyers say he is innocent and any group sex was consensual. They say there was no effort to coerce people, and nothing that happened amounted to a criminal racket. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Pope Leo XIV 'accused of mishandling sexual abuse allegations against priests in churches'

Campaigners have called on the Vatican to ‘conduct a thorough investigation’ into Robert Prevost’s handling of the claims

Events

5 d. ago Pope Leo accused of failing to properly investigate allegations of child sexual abuse in his church

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) say they have made the Vatican well aware of the then-Cardinal Robert Prevost’s reported inaction on allegations of sexual assault against minors by priests in his church

Events

5 d. ago Pope Leo XIV 'looked the other way' when confronted with child sex abuse allegations against priest in his Chicago church

The first American pope is accused of turning a blind eye when priests under his wing were accused of sexual abuse.

Events

7 d. ago 'Bravery' of alleged victims 'puts their abusers to shame', Rochdale sex abuse trial told

Prosecutors argued that the two complainants are 'credible, honest, accurate and reliable'

Events

8 d. ago Five retired Greater Manchester Police officers arrested for alleged sexual abuse of woman who was pimped out as a child

EXCLUSIVE: Two other suspects are deceased, Neal Keeling reports

Events

1 week ago Sean Penn is ripped apart for making outrageous claim about Donald Trump: 'Shut up, you buffoon'

Sean Penn slammed Donald Trump on The Jim Acosta Show podcast, saying the president reminds him of a murderer who 'might try to destroy the world.'

Politics

1 week ago Funeral sex predator, 20, 'sexually abused' underage boy she met at memorial service

Ayla Gonzalez Salinas, 20, met the teenager at a memorial service they both attended last November where they first began messaging before she allegedly sexually abused him

Events