Tandridge District Council in Surrey plans to spend £150,000 to help vulnerable residents with essential needs and bills during the winter. The support will target people struggling financially, including families with children, disabled individuals, pensioners, carers, homeless risk cases, and victims of domestic abuse.
Key Facts
The council aims to run its winter support scheme for another year.
The fund will provide money to help with essentials and bills.
Nearly 500 households benefited from previous schemes.
Applicants must live in the Tandridge District Council area and be 16 or older.
Priority groups include families with children, disabled people, pensioners, carers, homeless risk cases, and domestic abuse victims.
Council officers will review applications based on local economic conditions and other support available.
The maximum award is usually £150 for households without children and £250 for those with children.
Applications will open on November 9 if the scheme is approved.
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A grand jury found no evidence that anyone committed a crime in the death of Nolan Wells, an 18-year-old who drowned after staying behind on Mississippi’s Horn Island during a July 4 outing. The jury also said claims of racial motivation and wrongdoing by other boat passengers were not supported by facts.
Key Facts
Nolan Wells went missing on July 4, 2026, after visiting Horn Island with friends.
His body was found near the island on July 6, and drowning was determined as the cause of death.
The grand jury reviewed the case and decided no criminal actions were involved.
Accusations against passengers of the boats to and from Horn Island were dismissed by the grand jury.
There was no evidence that Wells’ death was linked to racial motives.
Friends said Wells stayed behind to talk with a girl, but the family doubts he would stay alone by choice.
The grand jury included 23 local citizens and said boat passengers cooperated fully with the investigation.
Wildlife and other visitors commonly stay behind on Horn Island during busy holiday times.
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A private investigator told an anti-corruption commission he was hired to watch a Liberal minister and gave secret recording devices to a fugitive property developer. The New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption is investigating claims that several Liberal figures received illegal donations from the developer in exchange for political favors.
Key Facts
Shane de Kauwe, a private investigator, was asked to watch former NSW Liberal MP David Elliott.
De Kauwe installed a hidden camera without permission on a building to record a person related to Elliott.
The investigation involves allegations that Liberal politicians took $2 million in illegal donations from Jean Nassif or his company.
Jean Nassif, a fugitive property developer, denies being corrupt.
The allegations include attempts to damage Elliott’s political career and remove a building official, David Chandler.
De Kauwe provided secret recording devices to Nassif, a lawyer Sharangan Maheswaran, and Liberal figure Jeremy Greenwood.
De Kauwe reported a suspected attempt to extort $5 million from Nassif for building approvals to the police.
The matters are unproven, and no formal wrongdoing has been established against Elliott or Chandler.
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The UK government will review how domestic abuse is considered in international child abduction cases under the 1980 Hague Convention. The review aims to improve support and legal protection for mothers who return to the UK with their children after fleeing abusive partners abroad.
Key Facts
About 500 Hague-Convention cases for child return are filed each year in England and Wales.
Between 10% and 20% of children in these cases are separated from their main carer through court orders.
The Hague Convention requires children taken abroad without agreement to be returned within six weeks for a home court decision.
The government’s review will analyze high court cases from 2024 to 2025 to see how domestic abuse is handled.
Current laws assume all international child removals are harmful and children should be quickly returned.
Many families today are multinational and affected by domestic abuse, which was less understood when the convention was made in 1980.
Victims of abuse often lack equal access to legal help and emotional support in court.
Campaigners hope the review will lead to changes that better protect abused mothers and their children.
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A Mississippi grand jury decided there is not enough evidence to charge anyone in the death of Nolan Wells. The grand jury concluded that Wells' death was consistent with drowning and found no proof of a crime or use of cocaine.
Key Facts
The grand jury issued a "no true bill," meaning no charges will be filed.
They reviewed 132 subpoenas and heard from 43 witnesses.
Wells’ body was found on Horn Island, a Mississippi barrier island, and his death matched drowning.
bruising on Wells' head was not fatal, and no fatal injuries or diseases were found.
Tests showed Wells had no cocaine in his system at death.
The grand jury found no evidence of criminal behavior by anyone who was with Wells that day.
Wells disappeared July 4, 2026, after going to Horn Island with friends by boat.
A large search involved local agencies, Coast Guard, and volunteers before Wells’ body was found.
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A federal appeals court ruled that Missouri must use a new congressional map drawn in 2025 for elections instead of the current 2022 map. The court found the 2022 map violates the Constitution, and a permanent injunction was issued to block the older map’s use in upcoming elections.
Key Facts
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decided Missouri should use the 2025 congressional map for elections.
The court said the 2022 map violates the U.S. Constitution and federal law.
Three judges on the panel included two nominated by President Donald Trump and one by President George H.W. Bush.
A permanent injunction was issued by a district judge to stop Missouri officials from using any map other than the 2025 version.
The ruling followed legal challenges from a group called People Not Politicians, which opposes the 2022 map backed by Republicans and President Trump.
Absentee ballots have already been sent out using the 2022 map, causing confusion.
The U.S. Supreme Court blocked the 2025 map earlier but has not yet made a final decision on the appeal.
Some critics say the new ruling could harm representation of Black and Brown voters in Missouri.
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The White House started a new TV channel called Trump TV on YouTube, which streams videos 24 hours a day. This launch happened soon after President Donald Trump banned reporters from CNN, Politico, and MS NOW because of their news coverage about him and his administration.
Key Facts
Trump TV is a new online channel run by the White House.
It streams videos all day and night on YouTube.
The first video showed President Trump speaking at Mount Rushmore on July 3.
President Trump stopped reporters from CNN, Politico, and MS NOW from covering him.
The reporter bans were due to these outlets’ coverage of President Trump and his team.
The Trump TV launch followed soon after the bans.
The channel aims to share President Trump’s messages directly to viewers.
The White House controls what content goes on Trump TV.
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A grand jury in Jackson County, Mississippi, decided there will be no criminal charges in the death of Nolan Wells. Wells disappeared after a July 4 celebration, and his body was found in the water two days later; the report says his death is consistent with drowning.
Key Facts
Nolan Wells, 18 years old, vanished after celebrating July 4 with friends near the Gulf Coast.
His body was recovered two days later off Horn Island, Mississippi.
The grand jury reviewed all the evidence, including the medical examiner’s autopsy report.
They concluded no criminal charges are warranted at this time.
The evidence suggests Wells died by drowning.
Authorities had previously suspected he drowned.
The official report cited the position, condition, and location of Wells' body as consistent with drowning.
The grand jury’s report was released on the night of September 21, 2026.
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President Donald Trump met with New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani at the White House. They talked about city issues and noted their differences, especially about President Trump’s press restrictions.
Key Facts
President Donald Trump hosted New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani at the White House.
The meeting took place one day before President Trump’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly.
They discussed problems affecting New York City.
They acknowledged they disagree on some topics.
A key difference was over President Trump’s limits on press access.
The meeting was held at the official presidential residence.
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A former police officer, Beau Lamarre-Condon, is on trial in Sydney for allegedly killing two men and claims he acted in self-defence during a struggle over a gun. The prosecution argues he planned the murders, while the defense says he panicked and tried to clean up the scene afterward.
Key Facts
Beau Lamarre-Condon, 31, is accused of fatally shooting Jesse Baird, 26, and Luke Davies, 29, on February 19, 2024.
He allegedly used a police service weapon in the shootings at Baird’s home in Paddington.
The prosecution says Lamarre-Condon had an obsession with Baird and planned the murders.
Lamarre-Condon entered the home disguised as an Uber Eats delivery rider and wearing a motorcycle helmet.
According to the defense, a struggle happened; Baird was shot first, then Davies accidentally shot himself in the struggle.
Lamarre-Condon admitted to a friend he had killed two people and tried to hide the bodies in surfboard bags with concrete to make them sink.
The bodies were found eight days later near a monastery after an unsuccessful attempt to hide them in a dam.
Lamarre-Condon pleads not guilty to two murder charges and aggravated break and enter.
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Less than half of California voters support Proposition 40, a state ballot measure that would tax the net worth of billionaires in California. A new poll shows that 45 percent of registered voters back the proposed 5 percent tax on the state’s 200 billionaires.
Key Facts
Proposition 40 is a proposed 5 percent tax on the total wealth of California’s billionaires.
California has about 200 billionaires whose net worth would be affected by this tax.
A recent University of California, Berkeley poll found that 45 percent of registered voters support the measure.
The poll was conducted by the Citrin Center for Public Opinion Research and POLITICO.
More than half of the voters do not support Proposition 40 at this time.
The tax would be applied based on the billionaires’ net worth, meaning the total value of their assets minus debts.
The poll reflects public opinion on a potential new tax rule specific to California.
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President Donald Trump met with New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani at Gracie Mansion for a private meeting where they discussed issues like affordable housing and immigration. Despite their political differences, both appeared friendly, with Trump expressing hope that Mamdani will be a good mayor for New York City.
Key Facts
President Trump met Mayor Zohran Mamdani in a private meeting at Gracie Mansion.
The discussion covered topics such as affordable housing, immigration, and protections for Haitian immigrants.
Trump said he hopes Mamdani will be a great mayor and expressed a desire for what is good for New York and the country.
Mamdani emphasized the importance of immigrant New Yorkers, especially Haitian immigrants, to the city’s safety and economy.
Trump and Mamdani acknowledged they have many disagreements but maintained a respectful tone during their meeting.
This was the first presidential visit to Gracie Mansion in 45 years.
Mamdani is a democratic socialist and the first Muslim mayor of New York City.
Mamdani recently helped launch a lawsuit against the Trump administration’s immigration policy changes affecting immigrants.
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A 28-year-old man from Venezuela was shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Austin, Texas. He was taken into federal custody with a bullet still near his spine, according to his lawyer.
Key Facts
The incident involved a 28-year-old Venezuelan man.
The man was shot by an ICE officer in Austin, Texas.
The bullet remains lodged close to the man’s spine.
He is currently in federal custody.
A lawyer representing the man provided the information.
Video from the scene was captured and reported by CBS News.
ICE stands for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a U.S. federal agency.
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A family connected to a suspected Chinese spy gave more than $4.4 million to California politicians, including Governor Gavin Newsom and Vice President Kamala Harris. Their ties to the suspected spy and other Chinese officials have raised concerns about foreign influence in U.S. politics.
Key Facts
The family donated over $4.4 million to politicians in California.
Recipients included Governor Gavin Newsom and Vice President Kamala Harris.
The family has alleged connections to Fang Fang, a suspected Chinese spy known as a "honeypot" spy.
Fang Fang is accused of using romantic or personal relationships to gather information.
There are ongoing discussions about foreign influence and its impact on American politics.
The donations and alleged ties have attracted media and political attention.
The source of the report is CBS News.
The issue reflects larger concerns about election security and political donations from foreign-related individuals.
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President Donald Trump began his trip to New York by visiting Gracie Mansion to meet with Mayor Zohran Mamdani. This meeting happened before President Trump’s speech at the United Nations.
Key Facts
President Trump traveled to New York.
He visited Gracie Mansion.
Gracie Mansion is the official home of the New York City mayor.
He met with Mayor Zohran Mamdani there.
The meeting took place before President Trump’s U.N. address.
The information was reported by CBS News and reporter Jared Ochacher.
The meeting and trip were part of President Trump’s official schedule.
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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani met with President Donald Trump to discuss important issues like immigration and housing. Despite political differences, Mamdani said these talks can help New Yorkers, including securing the release of detained immigrants.
Key Facts
Mamdani met with President Trump on Monday at Gracie Mansion before the U.N. General Assembly.
This was the first meeting between a sitting U.S. president and a New York City mayor since 1981.
Mamdani, a democratic socialist, said he openly discusses disagreements with Trump but values direct talks to help people.
A previous meeting helped in releasing a detained Columbia University student, Elmina Aghayeva.
New York and other cities are suing the Trump administration over a federal rule affecting immigrant families’ access to public aid and legal status.
Mamdani opposes Trump's Middle East policies, especially concerning Israel and Gaza.
Trump, despite political differences, said he wants Mamdani to be a great mayor and acknowledged his potential.
Their meetings and communication include both face-to-face talks and phone/text messages.
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Starting in April next year, workers in Great Britain will have a legal right to take up to two weeks of unpaid leave after losing close family members, including step, half, foster, adoptive, and kinship relatives. This new policy also covers pregnancy losses like miscarriage and allows flexible timing for taking the leave within 56 weeks after the loss.
Key Facts
Employees can take up to two weeks of unpaid bereavement leave for losing a spouse, partner, parent, adult child, or sibling.
The leave also applies to step, half, adoptive, foster, and kinship care family members.
The law includes pregnancy loss such as miscarriage, termination, and unsuccessful IVF embryo transfers.
Biological, intended, and surrogacy parents are covered by the new rights.
Bereavement leave can be taken flexibly within 56 weeks of the loss.
The Employment Rights Act became law in December 2025, establishing these rights.
The government aims to provide a legal "safety net" beyond employer discretion.
Charities support the new rights but suggest the leave should be paid to help with financial impacts.
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A former contestant on the TV show "American Idol" appeared in court and cried while facing charges for killing his wife. During the trial, the court showed details and pictures related to how his wife was shot to death.
Key Facts
The accused is a former "American Idol" contestant.
He appeared in court on Monday.
He cried during the court session.
The case involves the killing of his wife.
The killing was described as "execution-style," meaning it was deliberate and violent.
Evidence shown included images and information about the crime.
The trial is ongoing.
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Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican candidate for Ohio governor, has seen his chances of winning drop to a record low according to prediction market Kalshi. Democrat Amy Acton currently leads in predictions, although some polls show a close race ahead of the midterm elections.
Key Facts
Ramaswamy’s odds of winning Ohio governor fell to 43% on Kalshi, the lowest recorded.
Amy Acton, the Democratic candidate, is leading in prediction markets and some polls.
Ohio’s current governor, Republican Mike DeWine, cannot run again due to term limits.
President Donald Trump won Ohio in 2024 and supports Ramaswamy’s run for governor.
Ohio has trended Republican recently, voting for Trump in three straight presidential elections.
Democrats see the Ohio governor’s race and Senate seat as key opportunities for 2026 gains.
A recent poll showed 48% of Ohio voters prefer Acton, while 45% prefer Ramaswamy.
Predictions reflect concerns about the political environment and Ramaswamy’s appeal to independent voters.
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