The Justice Department has reportedly abandoned a prospective case about the Biden administration’s use of an autopen, which President Donald Trump and his Republican allies have long alleged were part of a cover-up meant to hide his predecessor’s cognitive decline.

Veteran prosecutors were skeptical of the case to begin with and were unsure of what crime former President Joe Biden or his aides could be charged with committing, The New York Times reports, citing three unnamed people briefed on the probe.

The abandoned investigation, which began in 2025, marks the latest stumble in the president’s campaign to launch high-profile federal investigations against his political rivals.

Biden has said he “made every decision” under scrutiny by his critics, though he used an autopen, which are common for government officials, to sign some documents.

Trump has repeatedly claimed Biden’s actions, including his last-minute pardons of Biden family members including his son Hunter, are void as a result of the autopen allegations.

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A Republican-led House report released in October claimed the autopen allegations ranked among the “greatest scandals” in American presidential history, though it conceded that “not one of the Committee’s 14 witnesses” did “admit that they ever had a concern about President Biden being in cognitive decline.”

The Constitution doesn’t require a pardons be in writing or be directly signed by the president, according to legal scholars.

Trump has hung a portrait of an autopen in Biden’s spot on a recently erected presidential “Walk of Fame” in a hallway at the White House.

Last month, the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, which was handling the autopen investigation, reportedly failed to secure a grand jury indictment against a group of Democratic lawmakers targeted by Trump for making a 2025 video urging military members to resist illegal orders.

The office, led by Trump ally and former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro, reportedly pushed investigators to rapidly seek an indictment in the video case, even as investigators had only recently held early-stage discussions with lawyers.

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She also tapped two attorneys with scant experience in federal prosecution to help bring the case.

A former prosecutor who once worked in the U.S. attorney’s office has called Pirro’s failure to win a grand jury indictment, a rarity in federal court, a major shock.

“The average person doesn’t appreciate how stunning,” the official told Politico.

“The rules are skewed so heavily in favor of the prosecutor that it’s almost comical,” they added. “But the public is essentially saying, ‘We do not trust you. We are skeptical of you.’”

In Minnesota, meanwhile, the administration’s handling of the investigation into an ICE agent fatally shooting Renee Good in Minneapolis in January has prompted multiple federal prosecutors to resign.

The DOJ has also failed so far to win high-profile cases against Trump critics including former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

British passengers and hundreds of other holidaymakers are stranded on six cruise ships in Dubai and Abu Dhabi after missiles were intercepted nearby during the Iran-US conflict.

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British holidaymakers and hundreds of other travellers have been plunged into a cruise nightmare after their liner became stranded in the crisis-hit Middle East.

Donald Trump’s military assault on Iran has sent shockwaves rippling across the region and further afield, leaving thousands of people requiring urgent evacuation having travelled for holidays in Dubai, with the UAE among the countries targeted in precision missile strikes.

Among those thousands are passengers aboard six cruise ships docked at ports in the Gulf state and neighbouring Abu Dhabi, who have been left terrified as their vessels are unable to sail to safety.

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Those passengers have since described the chaos unfolding on their cruise liners, including hearing “loud bangs” as missiles are intercepted in close proximity.

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Speaking to CNN, Lesley Ballantyne, from Scotland, revealed that she and her husband woke one morning aboard the ship to find an emergency alert flashing on their mobile phones. She explained that the message had instructed them to “seek immediate shelter in the closest secure building” due to the imminent threat, reports the Daily Star.

She informed the broadcaster that, whilst her husband noticed nothing when glancing out of the window that morning, the couple subsequently “heard some loud bangs” and had “seen some missiles being intercepted from the ship”. The safety warning reached them on Saturday, and as of 4 March, the couple along with thousands of other passengers remain stuck aboard the vessel when it should be continuing its voyage around the Middle East.

Their cruise ship, the MSC Euribia, was meant to be following a route that would take it through to Europe later this year.

To access the open waters, it would have needed passage through the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway off Iran’s southern coast that serves as the only maritime route linking the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and onwards to the open sea.

Iran, however, has warned that it would prevent ships from passing through the strait during the ongoing conflict, with the regime even threatening to “burn every ship”. Cruise companies have confirmed passengers will stay on their ships whilst the hostilities continue, stating they are closely monitoring the situation.

One person stranded on the Euribia, an unnamed user posting in a Facebook group for the cruise ship, stated they were “constantly hearing explosions” from their position in Dubai. A further Italian passenger noted that the atmosphere remains “calm”, adding that travellers are permitted to leave the vessels but have been urged to “stay inside for the time being”.

She wrote: “The situation is calm, there’s a possibility to go out but the recommendations are to stay inside for the time being.”

A number of other ships remain stranded alongside the Euribia, among them the Celestyal Discovery in Dubai, its sister vessel the Celestyal Journey, currently moored in Doha, along with two TUI cruise ships — the Mein Schiff 5 in Doha and the Mein Schiff 4 in Abu Dhabi.

TUI Cruises confirmed in a statement released earlier today that approximately 218 passengers from the Mein Schiff 4 have departed on a specially arranged Emirates flight bound for Munich.

Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton said of Nygren on Sky Sports: “What a strange player. He can go missing in midfield but comes up with goals.”

Just as well given Daizen Maeda is still looking like a shadow of the player who lit up Scottish football last season, January loan signings Tomas Cvancara and Junior Adamu have yet to fully impress and Kelechi Iheanacho has disappeared from view despite his return from injury.

Nygren is not one of the title winners Tierney talked about in Celtic’s squad, but the 24-year-old Sweden midfielder is doing more than most to make sure he gets that league winners’ medal.

Former Celtic midfielder Scott Allan enthused on BBC Radio Scotland’s Sportsound: “The impact substitutes you’ve seen at the weekend, you’ve seen it again tonight with Benjamin Nygren and James Forrest linking up.

“Lovely tee-up from Forrest and Nygren just finishes – we’ve seen that time and time again and he’s had a real impact in this team.”

Indeed, Nygren has found the net three times and provided one assist in his latest four Premiership games – and his 15 goals are more than any other Celtic player in the league this season.

“I know Nygren gives up certain parts of the game, but what he does do is he gets into the box and gets on the end of things,” Allan said.

“I felt his overall play in the game was really good, played some lovely through balls, always looked like he was going to be a threat round about that 18-yard box and he was the difference again tonight.”

His manager was similary enthusiastic.

“He’s doing something that is the most difficult thing in the game – to score goals -and he’s popped up again with what proved to be the winning goal,” O’Neill said.

“Substitutes in recent weeks have made big contributions to us, so that’s important for us.”

A new podcast titled Beware Book revisits a string of brutal murders in Glasgow between 1991 and 2005, including the 2005 murder of 27-year-old Emma Caldwell

A new Rayo Original Podcast, Beware Book, revisits a series of brutal murders that shocked Glasgow between 1991 and 2005 and asks a haunting question – why have so many of the victims still not seen justice?

Over 14 years, eight women involved in prostitution were mercilessly killed, and at least four of those cases remain unsolved today – Diane McInally’s, Karen McGregor’s, Leona McGovern’s and Jacqueline Gallagher’s cases.

The killings happened during a turbulent chapter in the city’s history. Glasgow was grappling with soaring unemployment, high crime rates and the tightening grip of heroin addiction. The women, many already living on the margins of society, were left particularly vulnerable. Due to their distrustful of the authorities and fearing for their safety, they relied heavily on one another.

To try to protect themselves, they recorded warnings about violent or suspicious clients in a battered leather journal that became known among them as the ‘Beware Book’.

Now, journalists Collette McGonigle and Callum McQuade of Clyde 1 revisit these tragic stories that devastated families, re-examining the investigations and asking difficult questions about whether opportunities were missed and whether prejudice may have shaped how the cases were handled at the time.

The most high-profile case – the murder of Emma Caldwell – was finally solved in 2024, when Iain Packer was convicted, 19 years after her death. After covering the trial Collette and Callum revisited the other unsolved killings, questioning whether they were investigated thoroughly and without prejudice, and whether opportunities to catch Emma’s killer earlier were missed.

The podcast will feature deeply personal interviews with the victims’ loved ones, many speaking publicly for the first time. As well as a former investigating officer, who will share his thoughts on where the Beware Book might be today.

Listeners will also hear from Iain Packer’s earliest known victim and from former officers who all believe the full extent of his violent past is only now coming to light.

The series highlights the struggles faced by women on the margins and the failures of a justice system that often overlooked them.

“At its heart, Beware Book is about restoring dignity to women whose lives were often reduced to headlines,” the journalists say. “It’s about amplifying the voices of families who feel forgotten by the justice system.”

The podcast will examine whether renewed attention could finally bring answers forward and some measures of peace to those left behind.

The first two episodes of Beware Book will be available from March 23, with a new episode released every Monday for five weeks. The podcast is available on the Rayo app, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts from March 23.

Coroner Loretta Nolan called for swimming lessons to be made a formal part of the curriculum at secondary school level

A coroner has called for regular inspections to be carried out on the accessibility of lifebuoys after an inquest heard friends of a teenager who got into difficulty while swimming in the Grand Canal could not untie a lifebuoy from its stand to assist in attempts to rescue him.

A sitting of Kildare Coroner’s Court heard Max O’Connor (15) from Newcastle, Co Dublin drowned while swimming in the canal at the 13th Lock between Ardclough and Celbridge, Co Kildare on May 11, 2024.

The coroner, Loretta Nolan, issued a number of riders to her verdict after hearing evidence from several eyewitnesses about the inability of other teenagers to remove a lifebuoy from its stand.

Dr Nolan said she would write to Waterways Ireland to alert them of her recommendation that lifebuoys should be both available and accessible.

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The coroner acknowledged that there is a problem with vandalism of the lifesaving equipment but stressed that there was a need to “get the balance right” in terms of making them accessible.

She said it was important for anyone considering getting into water to help another to be able to access lifebuoys for their own personal safety.

Dr Nolan also called for swimming lessons to be made a formal part of the curriculum at secondary school level.

The coroner, who revealed she had lifeguard qualifications herself, noted that transition year students do some lifeguard training in association with Water Safety Ireland.

She observed that it would be good for all post primary students to have the knowledge of what to do if they found themselves in similar situations.

The inquest heard evidence from six teenagers who were with the deceased at the time of the fatal incident.

They told the coroner how two groups of friends from different schools had met up and decided to go swimming in the Grand Canal near the Cliff at Lyons country retreat.

The inquest heard that Max – a 3rd Year student at Coláiste Chilliain in Clondalkin, Dublin – had gone to the canal on his e-scooter with a speaker to play music.

The teenagers described how some of them were jumping in and out of the canal but Max had originally indicated he was not going to go in the water.

Another friend said he and Max had jumped into the water together after others had been diving into the canal for about 30 minutes.

He raised the alarm just after 5pm after realising that his friend was not getting out of the water.

One witness said he would have advised the deceased not to go in the water if he had realised he could not swim.

The teenager recalled seeing Max was drowning when he saw him trying to swim to the surface with air bubbles coming out of his mouth. He said he jumped back into the water and both were reaching out to try and grab hold of each other.

The witness said he tried to hold onto a chain to go deeper but “we were out of reach of each other.”

He added: “Everyone loved Max. He was a good friend and a friendly guy.”

He described the deceased as “very funny” and “gentle.”

“We’ll all miss Max. He’ll never be forgotten,” he concluded.

Another youth who dived into the canal to try and rescue Max said his friend looked like he was panicking in the water.

The witness said he and another swimmer had grabbed the deceased by the arms but were unable to pull him up.

“He was struggling and panicking,” the teenager recalled.

He said others were screaming at them to get out of the water which was estimated to be 15-20 foot deep where the group were swimming.

One girl fought back tears as she described how they struggled to remove the lifebuoy off its stand.

Another boy described trying to kick at the lifebuoy’s stand to try and break it as its rope was “wrapped around a pole” and could not be removed.

A woman living near the lock, Maeve Boylan, described how she was originally wary of the group of teenagers as she had experience of some groups being “trouble” but had observed how they seemed “calm and friendly.”

Ms Boylan said she realised that there was a bit of panic among them at one stage and realised a short time later what had happened when she heard someone shout out that someone was missing.

She told the inquest that she had spent 20 minutes on a 999 call to emergency services, while she had also got a key to open the lock to drain the water from the area where the group were swimming.

Ms Boylan said she was frustrated at not being able to do anything further to help and at realising that they were not going to be able to save the victim.

An aunt of the deceased, Joanne Moore, gave evidence of formally identifying her nephew’s body to gardaí.

Dr Nolan said the results of a postmortem showed that Max had died from drowning.

She said toxicology reports had corroborated the evidence of the witnesses that the deceased had not consumed any alcohol or drugs.

Returning a verdict of accidental death, Dr Nolan also recommended that counselling should be provided to Max’s friends, if they had not already received it.

The coroner said she would be writing to the different schools attended by the witnesses about her belief that counselling would be beneficial for them.

“It’s an experience that most people don’t experience thankfully,” she observed.

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Ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8, more than 60 stars, including Hollywood actresses Cate Blanchett, Gillian Anderson and Keira Knightley, have joined global feminist organisation The Circle’s funding appeal, #MakeAStandfor1in3, to help tackle gender-based violence.

The double-digit decrease will save households an average of over £92 per year.

One of Northern Ireland’s largest suppliers of natural gas has announced that it will be making a further reduction to its tariffs for all domestic customers living in the ‘Ten Towns Network’ area from next month.

Effective from April 1, this double-digit decrease by firmus energy Supply will save households an average of over £92 per year. It follows a review of the regulated gas tariff for the firm in the area by the Utility Regulator.

The Ten Towns network includes Antrim, Armagh, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Banbridge, Coleraine, Craigavon (including Lurgan and Portadown), Limavady, Derry, Newry and more than 25 other towns and villages in the surrounding areas.

READ MORE: SSE Airtricity confirms gas price reduction in Northern Ireland from AprilREAD MORE: Northern Ireland home heating oil prices ‘jump by over £100’ due to conflict in Iran

The Newtownabbey-based firm previously lowered its gas tariff by 7.86% last October and by 11.84% in April 2025, providing significant additional savings for customers.

Ryan Miskimmin, Sales Director at firmus energy Supply, said: “As Northern Ireland’s largest gas supplier by volume, we want to provide the best value possible to all our customers by reducing tariffs when possible.

“This is our third consecutive tariff reduction for the Ten Towns Network in the space of a 13-month period. This latest reduction of 10.1%, which follows engagement with the Utility Regulator and the Consumer Council, is sure to be welcomed by our growing number of customers who have made the switch to natural gas.

“Since April last year, our consecutive reductions have decreased our tariffs by 27% with a cumulative saving of around £300 per customer. We know that these savings, coupled with the constant heat and instant hot water that natural gas provides, will be warmly welcomed by customers in the Ten Towns Network.”

The Greater Belfast Network area tariff is also currently under review by the company.

Colin Broomfield, director of markets at the Utility Regulator, said the move comes following a reduction in wholesale gas prices.

But he added that the analysis was completed before the latest conflict in the Middle East, which he said has impacted gas prices globally, adding that they expect that wholesale gas prices will remain volatile while the conflict continues.

Mr Broomfield said those who are worried about paying for their electricity or gas should contact their supplier in the first instance and discuss options.

“In addition, there are a number of agencies who can provide free and independent advice to households, including Advice NI, Christians Against Poverty, the Consumer Council and Money and Pensions Service’s MoneyHelper,” he said.

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It’s part of plans to build a 70km long water pipe through the region

A “strategic” 70km pipeline could be built through Cambridge to ease pressure on one of the UK’s most “water-stressed regions”. Anglian Water is planning to build the pipeline from the Grafham Water reservoir through Cambridge to the village of Rede in West Suffolk.

In this second stage of the plans, a 49km water pipe will be built from Cambridge to Rede, south of Bury St Edmunds. Ian Rule, director of water services at Anglian Water, said: “The East of England is one of the driest and fastest‑growing regions in the country, and climate change is putting increasing pressure on the water resources we all depend on.

“The Cambridge to Rede pipeline is a vital part of our long‑term plan to keep taps flowing for future generations, while protecting the environment and reducing reliance on sensitive sources like chalk streams. At this early stage, it’s really important that we listen to the communities along the proposed route.

“This consultation is about sharing information, answering questions and making sure local views help shape the plans before we move forward.” The East of England is the driest and one of the fastest-growing regions in the country.

The proposed pipeline would transfer water from areas where it is more available to places where supplies are under increasing pressure. This aims to reduce the number of homes and businesses dependent on a single water source.

Andy Alder, managing director for major infrastructure delivery at Anglian Water, said: “Delivering infrastructure on this scale has to be done in the right way – with communities, not around them. We’ve already carried out extensive environmental and archaeological surveys to help shape the proposed route and avoid sensitive areas wherever possible, and we’ll continue to refine our plans as we gather feedback.

“By using modern construction techniques and careful planning, our aim is to minimise disruption while leaving a positive legacy for the areas we work in.” Anglian Water has launched a consultation which seeks people’s views on the proposed pipeline.

Anyone who would like to share feedback can do so by emailing strategicpipelines@anglianwater.co.uk or calling 03457 145145 and quoting strategic pipelines. The consultation closes on April 12.

Former Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho starred in Chelsea’s 4-1 win over Aston Villa, with Liam Rosenior full of praise for his outstanding performance at Villa Park

Liam Rosenior heaped praise on Chelsea winger Alejandro Garnacho after the Blues’ triumph over Aston Villa. The west London boss highlighted the winger’s reaction in team meetings as a positive, in great contrast to how Garnacho’s spell at United under Ruben Amorim ended.

Rosenior’s side demolished Unai Emery’s team 4-1 at Villa Park, despite falling behind inside two minutes. Joao Pedro produced an outstanding hat-trick following Douglas Luiz’s early strike, whilst Cole Palmer also got on the scoresheet.

It was former Manchester United star Garnacho who attracted considerable attention at the final whistle for an impressive display, however. Rosenior pointed out that his player had been frustrated by his recent lack of game time and praised Garnacho’s work on the training ground after he registered an assist in Wednesday night’s win.

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Speaking post-match, the head coach was emphatic in his verdict after the winger vindicated his prediction of an excellent performance. He also praised the Argentine’s attitude following the huge win. “He’s outstanding. He was outstanding,” Rosenior said.

“I’ve had a lot of conversations with him. I said in there, I knew he’d play well tonight because of how he has been training the last ten days and two weeks. He’s been disappointed not to play and he should be.

“In a positive way, he’s shown that in his training and the meetings we’ve had. Not just going forward but defensively, Matty Cash is a top full back and he did a job on him.”

Rosenior’s praise of Garnacho’s professionalism continued in his press conference. “That’s normally what happens. When you’re professional, you do everything right on the training pitch,” he said.

“He’s really impressed me the last few weeks. He’s impressed me the most while he’s been out of the team, because his reaction to being out of the team is professionalism.

“The intensity that he’s trained at, it’s no coincidence that he’s going to perform like that today. That’s the most pleasing thing for me, he deserved that today. He should have got a goal, but he was in the right position, and I loved how unselfish he was to set up the goal for Joao.”

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Rosenior also expressed admiration for Pedro. When questioned about the forward’s performance by Joe Cole, Rosenior immediately described the Brazilian international as “scary”.

The Chelsea manager commented: “His mentality as well, he’s a warrior. He’s a fantastic footballer, but he’s strong and he’s physical.

“We’ve worked a lot with him about his positioning in the box. Two of his goals I’m delighted with because they’re in the six-yard box and that’s where strikers get goals.

“We know he’s an outstanding player and for me, he’s got even more to go, which is even better for us.”

It was tense. On the touchline Hürzeler and Arteta exchanged words and even when it was announced there would be just three minutes of added time, in a half which had been stop-start, that led to more boos from the Brighton supporters.

Remarkably Arsenal were in front with an XG – expected goals – of just 0.01 (for that Saka shot). But they had that precious lead and marshalling by Gabriel, taking on even more responsibility in the absence of the injured William Saliba, they had been defensively sound enough. Even if Brighton had undeniably been the better team.

In midfield it was a struggle for Arsenal. Declan Rice had recovered, having had to come off against Chelsea, but both he and his central partner, in particular, Martin Zubimendi look desperately in need of a rest – which hopefully Saturday’s FA Cup tie against League One Mansfield Town will afford them. Surely Arteta has to trust Christian Norgaard more?

Brighton’s dominance continued but they were struggling to create opportunities with passes and crosses over-hit even though it felt like they were in control. After Saka blazed over, after doing well to work some space, Arteta acted with a double change: on came Kai Havertz and, maybe, to rile the home support even more, Leandro Trossard.

Before that Raya was finally extended, diving low to repel Rutter’s half-volley after which he went down injured claiming he had hurt his shoulder. It was the second injury he had “suffered” leading to chants of “cheat, cheat, cheat”.

Brighton went close. Substitute Yankuba Minteh worked his way to the byline with his low cross deflected behind. It could have gone anywhere. Then Mats Wieffer headed weakly into Raya’s arms.

Arsenal needed to stabilise and did through pressure of their own, earning corners and forcing Brighton back and forcing an error from Baleba. Substitute Kai Havertz had a run at goal but the midfielder recovered and blocked.

For Brighton Jack Hinshelwood’s final involvement was to badly miscue a header, high over the crossbar, when he was well-placed to equalise. He gave way to Danny Welbeck.

At the other end and maybe Trossard should have settled it only to slice badly wide, leaving Arteta with his face in his hands as the tension unsurprisingly grew, the fatigue kicked in and more substitutions were made.

Havertz could have ended Brighton’s resistance but Verbruggen saved and the seven minutes of added time were met with cheers from Brighton.

“Arsenal, Arsenal,” implored their fans, fully aware of the score in Manchester and as Brighton laid a late desperate siege. The boos were there again at the final whistle. As were Arsenal’s celebrations, even more when the City score came through.