Category: News

A MUM was so high on cocaine during a school run that other parents had to take her car keys and walk her kids to class.

Hayley Berry, 36, was described as being completely “out of it” when driving her youngest children to school in Broadstairs, Kent, last November.

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One magistrate told the mum her actions were “one of the worst examples of drug-driving” he had ever seen as she was banned from driving for two-and-a-half years.

Parents became concerned after Berry suddenly stopped her Ford C-Max in the middle of the street in the coastal Kent town on November 11.

A stranger took her keys while other mums quickly stepped in to walk her kids the rest of the way to school, reports KentOnline.

Police were informed and Berry was later arrested at the scene before being charged.

When she appeared before magistrates in Margate on March 7, Berry admitted drug-driving and driving while unfit through drugs.

A test of Berry’s blood found a reading of 83 micrograms of benzoylecgonine per litre, the court was told.

The legal limit for the cocaine byproduct’s presence in blood is just 50 micrograms per litre.

Magistrates also heard Berry had GHB in her system – a drug which has sedative and anaesthetic effects.

Despite it showing up on the day she was arrested, Berry had not been over the limit for the substance.

Lucie Fish, prosecuting, told the court how Berry had stopped her car in the middle of the street while carrying her children last year.

She explained how a man grabbed the intoxicated mum’s keys after putting his hand up to stop her.

Some women then walked Berry’s kids to school as Berry “wasn’t in a fit state”, Fish added.

Nigel Numas, defending, read out a reference from Berry’s cocaine sponsor who said the mum had made some personal growth over the two years he had known her.

Berry was said to be making better choices in her life and took full responsibility for her actions in the reference.

It added the mum had genuine remorse for her actions and that she was determined to rebuild her life.

Numas also explained that the man she had been seeing had given her what Berry believed was a legal high but was in-fact GHB.

He said Berry was “naive” for drinking the substance unknowingly but that she was also “making great strides” towards beating her addiction.

‘I DON’T WANT TO THINK WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED’

Berry was jailed for eight weeks by magistrates but her term has been suspended for 12 months.

She has also been ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.

The chairman of the bench said: “I must say this is one of the worst examples of drug-driving I’ve come across.

“You had your youngest children in the back of the car and you were out of it.

“I don’t want to think what could have happened.”

Berry has also been disqualified from driving for 30 months and was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £154 on top of court costs of £85.

She will pay what she owes the court at a rate of £20 a month, however, as she is currently on Universal Credit.

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Disclaimer: Please note, The Chromatic by ModRetro has ties to controversial figure Palmer Luckey. NINWR LLC feels it is important to cover this software, but we do not condone the actions or opinions of any individuals involved in its production.

One of the more interesting tidbits when the Chromatic was announced was the ambition by ModRetro to do re-releases of obscure and hard to find retro Game Boy and Game Boy Color games. As part of their ModRetro Classics Collection, two new re-releases can now be bought and experienced for the first time by Game Boy fans. Since these games are technically re-releases we felt it appropriate to cover these titles as mini reviews.

Released in the US as a tie-in to the Disney film “We’re Back”, and later remade for the SNES as ‘Radical Rex”, Baby T-Rex is mostly considered as an overlooked and exploited title for the original Game Boy. As it was released in different regions with different licensing deals to appease a regional market.

The titular T-Rex is, mostly according to the manual, steeped in the nineties with his attitude and skateboard to get around. As an excuse to make a surprisingly fast scrolling 2D platformer, I’ve heard of worse settings. While you jump around, you can collect coconuts and other objects to toss at obstacles and opponents. Every world is capped off with a short boss fight against a dinosaur as you make your way to the wizard Sethron to save your girlfriend.

Jumping feels tight enough and getting to know the layout of the levels is key to making it to the end of the game. In a way it reminded me of a simplified version of Sonic, where keeping speed and momentum going is key to make it to the goal. Unfortunately the level design isn’t really that interesting or diverse to keep your attention for too long. There is also a two-player ‘mode’ which requires you to pass the handheld back and forth with another player to get the highest score. Riveting.

It’s almost refreshing to see such a simple game, one of the many many that filled out the Game Boy’s library, return in a premium package and more accessible form. But in truth, it’s hard to fully recommend Baby T-Rex at both this price point and the value of the game. There simply isn’t anything here that feels either replayable enough for the format of Game Boy, nor unique enough that warrants an extensive playthrough. I don’t think his radical attitude had much to do with why this particular dinosaur went extinct.

Last Week Tonight host John Oliver has taken a swipe at Mel Gibson after a Department of Justice attorney suggested the actor was the reason she was fired.

DOJ pardon attorney Elizabeth G Oyer was asked two weeks ago to join a working group reviewing cases of individuals with past convictions who could be eligible to restore their gun rights.

After narrowing down the candidates to nine people with old convictions and a low risk of recidivism, Oyer said senior Justice Department officials asked her to add Gibson to the list, despite his 2011 misdemeanour conviction for domestic violence.

In a column for Rolling Stone, Oyer wrote: “No one has told me why I was fired. But the notice was delivered hours after I declined to recommend reinstating the gun rights of a famous friend of the president, the actor Mel Gibson, who has a history of violence against women.”

Oyer also told CNN: “When I came into work on Friday morning, I said to a colleague, I really think that Mel Gibson might be my downfall, and within hours of saying that, I was being escorted out of my office”

Speaking on Monday’s episode of Last Week Tonight (17 March), Oliver said: “Wow, that is, frankly, incredible. She got fired because she didn’t think Mel Gibson, best known for his work in screaming, should have guns.”

Oliver then told his viewers to visit Gibson’s Wikipedia page and read the various scandals surrounding the Braveheart actor. He also encouraged fans to look up Gibson’s father’s Wikipedia page, which the comedian called “spectacular”.

“Hutton Peter Gibson was an American conspiracy theorist, Holocaust denier, writer on sedevacantism – which is a belief that there hasn’t been a valid pope since 1958 – a World War II veteran, the Jeopardy! grand champion for 1968, and the father of 11 children, one of whom is the actor and director Mel Gibson,” said Oliver quoting the Wikipedia profile.

“That is a fascinating man,” Oliver added. “And imagine having so many terrible views that producing Mel Gibson is not the worst thing about you.”

Speaking to the , Oyer said: “Giving guns back to domestic abusers is a serious matter that, in my view, is not something that I could recommend lightly, because there are real consequences that flow from people who have a history of domestic violence being in possession of firearms.

“He [a senior official] then essentially explained to me that Mel Gibson has a personal relationship with president Trump and that should be sufficient basis for me to make a recommendation and that I would be wise to make the recommendation.“

Gibson was named as one of Trump’s special envoys to Hollywood, along with Jon Voight and Sylvester Stallone in a bid to make the US film industry “bigger, better and stronger than ever before!”

The Independent has contacted Mel Gibson’s representatives for comment.

A mother who moved her family from Belfast to Lanzarote has shared her experience so far – saying she doesn’t regret anything. 

Kathleen Burke, from Belfast, and her husband made the ‘very impulsive’ decision to pack up their lives and move to the Spanish island last year. 

Taking to her TikTok account @kathb2024, the mother-of-two documented their journey and explained the decision to her followers in another clip. 

In the video, which racked up over 50,000 views, she revealed they visited the island in the past on holiday and had enjoyed the ‘relaxed way of living’. 

The couple were fed up of the ‘horrendous’ weather in Northern Ireland and they pointed out how expensive it was to entertain their children with indoor activities.

She described the repetitive nature of her old life as being ‘like Groundhog Day’ and said their new residence was offering them a much cheaper lifestyle. 

Kathleen took a job in hospitality while her husband was offered a position as a delivery driver.

They enrolled their children in the local school, where they are learning to speak Spanish fluently, and they found some free adult Spanish classes in their local area.

She said: ‘One of the biggest reasons for moving here is the weather, anyone that knows us knows that we travel quite a lot and if you live in Belfast you know that the weather is terrible.’

Kathleen said the children’s activities were expensive as most of them would have to ‘be indoors, like the cinema’. 

She added: ‘It would be like £60-£70, we always wanted to have that lifestyle where we were in a sunnier climate so the kids could go on bike rides or down to the beach, walks and go to the park.’

Kathleen revealed that the cost-of-living crisis was another major pull for the family to escape the UK.

She said: ‘The bills are a lot cheaper than we’d pay back home…some of the bills you wouldn’t even pay that you would back home, like gas is just one of the things because you do not have your heating on.’

The mother explained how she and her husband were ‘very impulsive’ after enjoying a sunny holiday in early 2024 and booked their family one-way flights to Lanzarote in late June. 

She explained: ‘It was January and it was still nice and sunny, we could go walking and do things, it was so nice, you could even go down to the beach, it was nice because it wasn’t rain, rain rain.’

The mother-of-two claimed they chose Lanzarote as they were familiar with the island from previous trips and liked how ‘clean and chilled’ it was.  

While the family are loving their experience right now, they aren’t opposed to the idea back home one day in the future. 

Kathleen concluded: ‘People say “oh you will get bored and you won’t like it after awhile”. Then so be it. We have decided to try this out and see how it goes. 

‘If it doesn’t work out then at least we tried and that’s how I keep myself feeling positive about it.’

In another post she revealed that they kept their home in Belfast and are in a long-term rental in Lanzarote. 

Many rushed to the comments to share their thoughts on the family’s move abroad. 

One person wrote: ‘Making me want to move fs lol weather’s brutal here. I’d move to a warmer climate in a heartbeat.’

Another said: ‘I love your content. Manifesting this all the time. Love lanzarote. I get such a peace from this island. Just want to move out there and live. Did you get work sorted?’

Someone else wrote: ‘Went to Lanzarote for the 1St time in June and loved it already booked for next June. I would definitely love to retire to their best of luck to your wee family.’

A fourth said: ‘Your right nothing ventured nothing gained. We in Spain a week tomorrow amazing feeling and everyone so positive. Enjoy you only live once.’

Another added: ‘You need a VISA YOU ARE BRITISH?’ To which Kathleen replied: ‘You don’t need a Visa if you have a Irish passport.’

By A. JAMES FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

Published: 07:38 GMT, 17 March 2025 | Updated: 08:34 GMT, 17 March 2025

A Missouri cop who shot and killed a woman and her child last year will not face criminal charges, prosecutors confirmed.

Two Independence police officers responded to reports of an assault at an apartment building in November. They were figuring out how to arrest the woman, who was nonverbal and communicating with nods and gestures, when she lunged towards them with a butcher’s knife while holding her child, Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson’s office said Friday.

One officer escaped, but the other, who was backed against a closet, unloaded four shots into the woman, named as 34-year-old Maria Pike, and her three-month-old daughter, Destinii. Both died.

Johnson’s office said the officer’s use of deadly force “falls within the protection of the law.”

Her office also noted there wasn’t enough evidence to conclusively prove the officer intentionally shot the infant.

“The evidence shows that the shooting officer shot the civilian who was holding the infant,” prosecutors said in a statement.

“We did not arrive at this decision lightly. The loss of a young mother and her infant are devastating and tragic,” Johnson said. “However, as prosecutors, we are bound by an oath to apply the law and analyze facts without being guided by the sympathy we feel for all those impacted. Our purpose is to determine if what was done was reasonable, defined by Missouri law, and not whether it was the best course of action.”

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Additional reporting by AP.

The latest promo of Celebrity MasterChef has struck an emotional chord with viewers, showcasing heartfelt reunions between contestants and their loved ones. The episode features appearances by family members and close friends of participants, including Tejasswi Prakash’s mother, Archana Gautam’s mother, and Faisal Shaikh’s friend, among others.
A particularly touching moment unfolds as Tejasswi Prakash is surprised by her mother’s arrival on the show. Overwhelmed, Tejasswi reflects on her upbringing, sharing, “My dad used to work in Dubai, and my mom raised me and my brother alone here in India. It gets difficult, especially when you have a girl child. I once told her I wanted a car, and she mortgaged her gold bangles to buy me a second-hand car. Once, I participated in a fashion show to earn ₹5,000. We have seen many things together.” Her mother, brimming with pride, responds, “Mere liye yahi winner hai.”
The latest Celebrity MasterChef promo, featuring Tejasswi Prakash’s emotional reunion with her mother, has deeply resonated with fans. Viewers have flooded social media with heartfelt messages, praising the show’s ability to highlight the personal stories behind their favorite celebrities. Many expressed admiration for Tejasswi’s mother’s sacrifices and resilience, with comments like, “Tejasswi’s journey is truly inspiring; her mother’s strength shines through her.” This touching moment has not only strengthened fans’ connection to Tejasswi but also underscored the profound impact of familial bonds showcased on the show.
The star-studded contestant lineup for Celebrity MasterChef includes Tejasswi Prakash, Nikki Tamboli, Gaurav Khanna, Dipika Kakar, Archana Gautam, Usha Nadkarni, Rajiv Adatia, Kabita Singh, Faisal Shaikh (Mr. Faisu), Abhijeet Sawant, Ayesha Jhulka, and Chandan Prabhakar. As per reports, the top five finalists of the season were Tejasswi Prakash, Gaurav Khanna, Nikki Tamboli, Faisal Shaikh, and Rajiv Adatia.
This promo not only highlights the personal sacrifices and journeys of the contestants but also underscores the deep bonds they share with their families, adding an intimate layer to the culinary competition.

Supernanny Jo Frost has warned parents that they may be ‘neglecting’ their children if they don’t watch them brush their teeth.

Last week, the government’s health minister Stephen Kinnock launched a ‘toothbrushing scheme’ in schools to boost oral health in youngsters.

The programme, which will take place in nurseries and schools up and down the country, will encourage children to brush their teeth using fluoride toothpaste.

With £11,000,000 in funding, the scheme will target children between the ages of three and five in the most deprived parts of the nation.

But the news did not do down well with British childcare expert, Jo Frost, who took to Instagram to lament her frustrations at parents failing to ‘supervise’ their children brushing their teeth.

Jo, now 54, became a household name in the noughties when she went into homes of unruly children across the UK for Channel 4‘s Supernanny, offering desperate parents some relief for dealing temper tantrums.

She’s continued to give out advice since her time on the programme, offering insights on the dos and don’ts of parenting. 

‘Parents if you are not supervising your young children or brushing your VERY young children’s teeth that is PARENTAL NEGLECT,’ she wrote in a heated post.

‘What else will schools do for parents? First potty training now teeth brushing,’ she raged. 

‘How many other life skill schemes will teachers have to take on, distracting them from their real role when in fact it is actually a parent’s responsibility to uphold.’

Continuing, she penned: ‘In fact it is actually a parents responsibility to uphold, because not doing as such is child neglect. It is your child’s basic fundamental right to be cared for and their basic needs met.’

The no-nonsense approach nanny repeated the word ‘neglect’ throughout the post and emphasised the importance of parents being ‘the loving nurturing role models’ to their children.

Elsewhere, she urged the health minister to consider prioritising making ‘food that is cheaper to our families’ who are struggling to feed their families. 

The childcare expert added that they ‘might consider having 500,000 supernannies trained across Great Britain’ to provide support to families. 

She pointed out that one in five children have decayed teeth, calling it ‘deplorable’ and emphasising the need for ‘healthy oral hygiene’ in youngsters.

‘We are in a parenting crisis when we can not carve 4 mins out of our day twice a day to teach or clean our children’s teeth,’ she complained elsewhere in the post.

Several agreed with her remarks, with one frustrated parent simply writing: ‘When the hell did parents stop parenting.’

A second wrote: ‘We went to the dentist yesterday and she recommended parents brush their children’s teeth until they are eight.’ 

Another complained: ‘If you don’t have the time for basic life skills with your children don’t have children!’

‘My god these are the basics! School is not responsible for teaching children basic hygiene!’, a fourth wrote. 

It comes after the childcare expert made the shocking revelation that she was assaulted once while filming her hit Channel 4 show, Supernanny.

20 years on from launching the show the childcare expert has shared how a parent ‘grabbed by the throat and pinned her against the wall’ when he didn’t like something she said.

Appearing on the Parenting Tools Podcast, Jo explained to hosts Jason Heron and Jordan Piano that she had been attacked while filming an episode filmed in Florida in 2007 for the US version of the show. 

The television personality was visiting the Nitti family in West Melbourne, Florida, where she met Lisa, 28, her four sons, Darren, 10, Matthew, eight, Devin, six and Jared, five, as well as her boyfriend of two years, John, 44.

The mischievous boys were frequently getting into trouble for their unruly and uncontrollable behaviour, despite efforts from Lisa and John – who even dubbed their home ‘The Crazy House’.

The episode, which was eighth in the third season, proved difficult for Jo, who battled not only rowdy children, by the ‘intimidation and aggression’ from their stepfather, John.

‘I helped a family called the Nitti family in Florida and there was a gentleman, a man, who was living with his girlfriend at the time and they had four children,’ she said.

‘During my observation, the man was very aggressive. He was a complex man for sure. But he was very intimidating and had the care of these four young boys.

‘He was in this blended family, right? His girlfriend had four children and he came into the relationship with four boys. 

‘And you could see with the boys that a lot of the behaviour was mimic behaviour from the intimidation and the aggressiveness from John.

‘I observed, I gave my comments on what I observed with the family. The children and their behaviour.

‘During teaching, he didn’t like what I said and he grabbed me by the throat and he pushed me up against the wall.   

‘But he didn’t like what I had to say which was the truth of a situation of him being very intimidated and he tried to intimidate me by pushing me up against the wall and he has his hands round my throat.

She went on the say that a lot of what is filmed does not always make the final cut. 

‘A lot of things happen and I don’t share. I choose not to or I choose to do so if the moment comes up like it has here.’

Cassie Ventura is expecting a baby boy.
The 38-year-old actress already has daughters Frankie, five, and Sunny, three, with Alex Fine and revealed while celebrating her husband’s birthday that they are going to have their first son.
She wrote on Instagram: “There aren’t words to describe how grateful I am that I get to do this life with you! The laughter and pure joy that I get to experience with you is beyond any of my dreams and manifestations. You’ve taken care of me and my heart like no other, you’re hands down the best girl dad and I’m SO excited to see you now become a father to OUR SON!”
Cassie first announced her pregnancy in July.
At the time, she shared a series of images from a professional photoshoot to show off her blossoming baby bump with her two young children sweetly seen cosying up to their mom’s bare pregnant stomach and her husband hugging her belly.
Cassie simply captioned the post: “#3,” along with a pregnant lady and blue heart emoji, signifying the gender of the unborn tot.
The couple’s exciting baby news came after a difficult time for Cassie as she’s had to relive her ordeal with embattled ex Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs.
Diddy was hit with allegations including physical abuse by Cassie in a November 2023 lawsuit, which he settled out of court a day after it was lodged.
Thanking people for their support, Cassie wrote in a statement shared to Instagram days later: “Thank you for all of the love and support from my family, friends, strangers and those I have yet to meet.
“The outpouring of love has created a place for my younger self to settle and feel safe now, but this is only the beginning. Domestic Violence is THE issue.
“It broke me down to someone I never thought I would become. With a lot of hard work, I am better today, but I will always be recovering from my past.”