News

Britney Spears deixou a reabilitação após uma internação de três semanas.

A artista de 44 anos – que foi oficialmente acusada esta semana de dirigir alcoolizada após sua prisão em 4 de março – saiu das instalações na noite de quarta-feira, o Every day Mail pode confirmar.

“Britney está muito bem, ela se sente ótima e otimista sobre seu futuro”, disse uma fonte ao Every day Mail. ‘Ela continuará a trabalhar consigo mesma com aconselhamento para ser a melhor pessoa que pode ser e realmente prosperar na vida.’

A fonte acrescentou que ela passa a maior parte do tempo com os filhos Jayden James, 19, e Sean Preston, 20, cujo pai é seu ex-marido Kevin Federline.

A estrela pop deu entrada em uma clínica no sul da Califórnia no início de abril.

Isso aconteceu cinco semanas depois que ela foi presa sob suspeita de dirigir sob a influência de drogas e álcool (DUI) em Ventura, Califórnia.

PageSix foi a primeira a relatar que ela havia deixado a reabilitação.

Também esta semana, a ex-artista de Las Vegas foi acusada de DUI e será processada na segunda-feira no Tribunal Superior do Condado de Ventura (foto)

O Every day Mail entrou em contato com o representante de Spears para comentar.

No remaining de março, o Every day Mail informou que Spears estava sóbria e participava de reuniões de AA perto de sua mansão em Thousand Oaks, Califórnia.

“Britney tem sido muito aberta e honesta em suas reuniões de AA, ela disse que adora abrir seu coração, pois sabe que essa é a melhor maneira de se curar e se sentir melhor”, disse uma fonte ao Every day Mail.

“A única coisa que ela gosta são bebidas sofisticadas de café. Ela está sendo tremendous cuidadosa porque quer estar ao lado dos filhos.

Ela tem passado um tempo com os filhos, que já moraram no Havaí.

“Ela está muito feliz por eles estarem próximos novamente, isso está curando seu coração, ela ama seus filhos”, acrescentou a fonte.

Alcoólicos Anônimos é uma irmandade international de ajuda mútua liderada por pares, dedicada à recuperação do alcoolismo baseada na abstinência por meio de seus Doze Passos de orientação espiritual.

Em casa com um de seus filhos antes da reabilitação

Um porta-voz de Spears disse ao Every day Mail no início de março que a cantora estava ansiosa para procurar ajuda e colocar sua vida de volta nos trilhos.

A declaração explicava: “Este foi um incidente infeliz que é completamente indesculpável. Britney vai tomar as medidas certas e cumprir a lei, e espero que este possa ser o primeiro passo em uma mudança há muito esperada que precisa ocorrer na vida de Britney.

‘Espero que ela possa obter a ajuda e o apoio de que precisa durante este momento difícil. ‘Seus entes queridos apresentarão um plano necessário e atrasado para prepará-la para o sucesso e o bem-estar.’

Também esta semana, a ex-artista de Las Vegas foi acusada de DUI e será processada na segunda-feira no Tribunal Superior do Condado de Ventura.

A estrela vista com os dois filhos no remaining de março. ‘Britney está indo muito bem, ela se sente ótima e otimista sobre seu futuro’, disse uma fonte ao Every day Mail

Uma acusação é o primeiro comparecimento formal ao tribunal em um processo felony em que o réu é informado das acusações contra ele, informado de seus direitos e declara se é culpado, inocente ou não contestado.

Ainda não se sabe se a estrela de Poisonous está planejando comparecer pessoalmente em sua audiência de acusação na segunda-feira.

Visto antes da prisão por DUI

Em uma declaração dada ao Every day Mail, o Gabinete do Procurador Distrital do Condado de Ventura disse: ‘Se a Sra. Spears comparecerá ou não na audiência será uma decisão tomada entre ela e seu advogado.

‘Como se trata de uma acusação de contravenção, ela não é obrigada a comparecer e seu advogado pode comparecer por ela.’

O Ministério Público confirmou que Britney enfrentará os mesmos ‘protocolos’ que todas as outras pessoas.

A declaração explicava: ‘Este caso de DUI será tratado de acordo com nossos protocolos padrão. Para réus sem histórico anterior de DUI, baixo nível de álcool no sangue e onde não há acidente ou ferimento, os promotores normalmente oferecem o que é conhecido como “imprudência molhada”.

‘Esta lei permite que um réu se declare culpado de direção imprudente envolvendo álcool e/ou drogas.’

A Procuradoria Distrital também explicou que este tipo de cenário é “comum, especialmente quando um arguido demonstra automotivação para resolver questões subjacentes através de reabilitação ou de um programa de tratamento de drogas e álcool”.

‘De acordo com essa oferta, um réu é colocado em liberdade condicional por 12 meses, recebe crédito por qualquer tempo passado sob custódia, é obrigado a completar um curso de DUI e deve pagar multas e taxas impostas pelo estado. Esta oferta será estendida à Sra. Spears na segunda-feira.

Half of voters think Sir Keir Starmer should be ousted as Prime Minister before the next election.

A new poll for The i Paper by BMG Research shows that even a large number of those who voted Labour at the last election have turned against the party’s current leader.

The findings suggest it will be an uphill struggle for the Prime Minister to regain the authority that he once held – and to dismiss questions about his future as nothing more than Westminster gossip.

Shorts – Quick stories

SCIENCE

Could the bluebuck return from extinction?

Researchers are using genetic technology to bring back from extinction a blue species of antelope that died out around 200 years ago, Texas company Colossal Biosciences announced this week.

Here is everything we know.

Hunted to extinction

The bluebuck, an antelope once native to southern Africa, was known for its unique silvery-blue coat and curved horns, which could reach two feet in length.

It became the first large African mammal to go extinct in modern history, due to hunting around 1800 – during European colonial settlement of the Cape – just decades after it was first recorded by scientists.

‘Pivotal’ step in ‘de-extinction’ programme

Efforts to bring the bluebuck back form part of Colossal’s broader “de-extinction” programme, aiming to revive species like the dire wolf, the woolly mammoth and the dodo.

The bluebuck is the sixth species added to that list and the first focused on antelopes, marking what the company called a “pivotal step” to help “protect entire ecosystems”.

WORLD

3 min read

NEWS

3 min read

The de-extinction process

• Researchers first took cells from the roan antelope, a close relative.
• These are genetically modified to introduce preserved bluebuck DNA.
• The aim is to create embryos that surrogate animals could carry.
• Breeding technology may also support wider conservation efforts.

NEWS

5 min read

The long-term goal

• The goal is to rewild bluebucks in South Africa’s renosterveld habitat.
• But there is no timeline yet for when a living bluebuck may be produced.
• Of the world’s 90 antelope species, 29 are at risk of extinction.
• Colossal says its project’s findings could also protect those animals.

Big Read

6 min read

MONEY

The new plan for state pension reform

The current state pension is “outdated, increasingly unaffordable and too rigid for the way people live and work” and should therefore be replaced by a new fund which could pay out early, it has been suggested.

Triple lock equals big spending

The triple lock means funding of the state pension is one of the biggest areas of government expenditure, at about £146bn a year – equivalent to 5 per cent of GDP.

However, scrapping the triple lock is seen as a vote-loser and it has been backed through at least the end of this Parliament by all main UK political parties except the Greens.

Exclusive

3 min read

PENSIONS AND RETIREMENT

4 min read

‘Outdated’ state pension is ‘too rigid’

Pensions reform is unavoidable due to the UK’s ageing population, argues a new report by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI), which says the triple lock should be scrapped by 2030.

The former Labour prime minister’s think-tank proposes that state pension increases should instead be linked only to rises in earnings, with the current system eventually replaced by a new “Lifespan Fund”.

Why the TBI says reform is needed

Without reform, the TBI says the outlay will rise to…

7.8%

of GDP spent on the state pension by 2070, an extra £85bn a year in today’s terms.

This is due to a projected increase in the number of pensioners from 12.6m to 19m.

5.5%

of GDP is around the level the TBI’s proposed reforms would keep state pension spending.

This would save the Government some £66bn in additional costs by 2070.

The ‘Lifespan Fund’ proposal

• This fund could be accessed early, not just for retirement
• Reasons could include ill health, career changes or caring roles.
• Entitlement would be built through activities like work, caring or study.
• Safeguards for early access include minimum balances rising with age.

POLITICS

5 min read

OPINION

What our experts think of the new state pension plan

While the Tony Blair Institute’s plan is independent of the Government, it does raise an important question about the sustainability of our current pension system and if it is still fit for purpose.

So, should the state pension be replaced? Our experts have shared their perspectives.

Missing Oscar found after winner blocked from taking it on flight

Pavel Talankin claims he was forced to check in his golden Oscar statuette at a New York airport. It later went missing.

Here’s what we know about the incident – and the mission to
find it.

Multi-award-winning documentary

In March, Talankin won Best Feature Documentary at the Oscars with Mr Nobody Against Putin, showcasing war propaganda at a Russian school where he worked after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The BBC-backed piece also won its 35-year-old protagonist and co-director a Bafta earlier this year. He has reportedly traveled often since then, showcasing both awards at events and screenings.

Dispute at the airport

Frequent flyer

Talankin had faced no prior issues bringing his Oscar aboard US or international flights.

Trouble in NY

But he was stopped when trying to board a flight from New York to Germany on Wednesday.

A makeshift ‘weapon’

Airport security at JFK International allegedly said his award could be used as a weapon.

Lost in transit?

Talankin only had carry-on luggage with him, so Lufthansa airlines provided a “flimsy” cardboard box in place of checked bag to put the award in, packaging it with tape and bubble wrap.

But when Talankin arrived in Germany, he discovered that his statuette, which reportedly costs up to $1,000 (£733) to make, had vanished.

Oscar located!

Luckily, Lufthansa said on Friday that it had located the statue and was keeping it “in our care” in Frankfurt while working to arrange its swift return to Talankin.

The airline said it had “apologised to the owner” and that an internal review was ongoing. The US Transportation Security Administration did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

FILM

3 min read

FILM

6 min read

Superdry co-founder James Holder found guilty of rape

The co-founder of clothing
firm Superdry is facing jail
after being found guilty of
raping a woman after a night
out drinking.

Everything we know

James Holder, 54, had gone back to the woman’s home, went to the toilet and then promptly fell asleep on her bed snoring. The multimillionaire fashion boss then woke up and beckoned the woman, who was trying to sleep in the lounge, into her bedroom and raped her.

Holder had denied charges of assault by penetration and rape and said what sexual activity took place between them was consensual.

A closer look at the detail

• A jury at Gloucester Crown Court acquitted Holder of assault by penetration but found him guilty of rape.
• The woman was attacked in the early hours of 7 May, 2022, after a night out at a bar in Cheltenham.
• Holder and a friend had gone back to her home uninvited, and he attacked her after waking from a short nap on her bed.
• The woman said she was crying and asking the married father-of-two to stop but he carried on.

Explained

4 min read

WORLD NEWS

Britney Spears charged with DUI – everything we know

Pop star Britney Spears has been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs less than two months after her arrest in California.

What were the charges?

The 44-year-old singer was charged with driving under the combined influence of alcohol and drugs on Thursday, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office said.

It comes just weeks after the chart-topper voluntarily checked herself into rehab, following her arrest in California in March after she was seen driving “erratically”.

NEWS

2 min read

MUSIC

5 min read

Timeline of events

After Spears’s arrest, a representative for the singer confirmed she had voluntarily checked herself into a treatment facility.

• 5 March: After her arrest, Spears was released from Ventura County Main Jail, north-west of Los Angeles.
• 13 April: Spears was confirmed to have checked into a treatment facility.
• 30 April: Spears was charged with driving under the combined influence of alcohol and drugs.
• 4 May: Spears’s case is due on court.

What happens next?

If Spears pleads guilty to reckless driving, she will receive a 12-month probation, during which she is required to complete a driving under the influence (DUI) class and pay state-mandated fines and fees.

This is because she has no prior DUI
history, there was no crash or injury in
her arrest, she was alone in her car, and
she had a low blood alcohol level,
according to the Attorney’s Office.

Chippies selling
catfish as ‘traditional fish supper’

Fish and chip shops are having
to sell catfish in order to cut
costs amid the US-Israeli war
with Iran, at a time when many have been forced to close or
raise prices.

Catfished?

An investigation by the BBC found fish and chip shops are selling catfish, which is significantly cheaper than cod or haddock. Catfish, which is safe to eat, costs £3.40 per kg, while cod or haddock typically go for around £15.

POLITICS

3 min read

MONEY

5 min read

Iran war coming for a national favourite

This comes amid fears rising costs could push further fish and chip shops will be forced to close.

Scott Walker, the chief executive of GB Potatoes, told Sky News this will be “inevitable” next year.

Rising costs for energy, cooking oil and fish have already forced many shops to close or raise prices.

Price rises ahead

Cost of living bites

The Government has already warned of months of price rises while the Bank of England predicted a worst-case scenario in which inflation could hit 6.2 per cent.

NEWS

4 min read

WEATHER

UK could be 27°C and hotter than Hawaii

Parts of the UK could be hotter than Hawaii on Friday, but forecasters have warned of possible heavy rain and thunder, with more changeable weather to come over the bank holiday weekend.

Parts of the UK could hit new high

Temperatures could reach a balmy 27°C in London and East Anglia at the end of the working week, the Met Office said, 10°C higher than averages for the time of year.

That would make Friday the warmest day of the year so far and surpass the forecast of 26°C in Honolulu, the capital of Hawaii. Cardiff, meanwhile, could hit 19°C on Friday, which would make it warmer than Athens.

Plenty of sun

“We’ve got some very warm, humid air coming up from the south,” Met Office meteorologist Simon Partridge said.

“That means we will see some very warm weather, particularly in the east and the south-east, because there we’ll see the best of the sunshine.”

LIFESTYLE

6 min read

LIFESTYLE

6 min read

Not the case for everyone

Variable weather

“Unfortunately, it doesn’t mean everybody’s going to get a warm, dry, beautiful day,” he added.

Central clouds

Clouds down the UK’s central spine from Scotland to the Pennines and the Midlands could produce heavy rain.

Thunder possible

There will be the “odd rumble of thunder” in the Midlands, the Met said, while large parts of the north will temperatures between 19-22°C.

Short of the record – and won’t last too long

• A 27°C peak still falls short of April’s all-time record high, though.
• That was recorded at 29.4°C in Camden Square, London, in 1949.
• And weather over the May Day weekend will be a different story.
• Temperatures will drop to April averages by Monday, with some weekend rain widely expected.

NEWS

2 min read

CRIME

Suspect charged with attempted murder after Golders Green 
attack

The terror suspect in Wednesday’s stabbing attack in Golders Green has been named and charged by the Metropolitan Police with multiple counts of attempted murder.

Golders Green suspect

• The suspect is Essa Suleiman, a Somali-born British national.
• Now of Camberwell, it is believed he previously lived in Southwark.
• He is reportedly a Somali translator and former school security guard.

LIVE

1 min read

Two separate attacks

Two Jewish victims, aged 76 and 34, were hurt in the knife attack in north-west London. The former, Moshe Ben Baila, is in a stable condition in hospital and the latter, Shloime Rand, has reportedly been discharged.

Suleiman, 45, was Tasered and arrested at the scene in Golders Green. Police have also charged the suspect in relation to a separate attack that left a man injured on Great Dover Street in Southwark earlier the same day.

What else has been reported?

The suspect was known to Prevent, the government’s anti-extremism programme

• Suleiman came to the UK legally as a child in the 1990s.
• He was reported to Prevent, the government’s anti-extremism programme, in 2020.
• The case against him was closed the same year.
• A group understood to be supportive of the Iranian regime has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Suspect to appear in court

In relation to the Golders Green attack, Suleiman faces two counts of attempted murder and one count of possession of a bladed article in a public place.

The suspect was also charged with attempted murder in relation to the incident in Southwark. He is due to appear at Westminster magistrates’ court on Friday.

UK terror threat level raised

• Counter Terrorism Policing are investigating the stabbing.
• It is the latest in a string of antisemitic attacks in the area.
• The UK’s terror threat level has been raised to “severe”.
• It is the first time this has happened since November 2021.

NEWS

3 min read