The family of a British woman found dead in a suitcase in Athens after allegedly being killed by an Afghan migrant has spoken out for the first time.

Sharif Ahmadzai, a boxer from Afghanistan, is being held in connection with the death of Elisabeth Jane Ross after he refused to enter a plea on Thursday. 

Ms Ross had been a regular visitor to Greece, volunteering with NGOs helping refugees, homeless people and other vulnerable groups, particularly those from Afghanistan or Iran.

The Briton, who was from Edinburgh, arrived in Athens on June 26 and had initially been staying with Greek friends in the Keratsini district, the country’s main seaport close to the city.

Police confirmed she moved to Rethymnou Street in the city centre on July 2 and was volunteering with a Christian-based NGO working with refugees – two weeks later her body was discovered in an abandoned building.

In a statement on Thursday, her family said: ‘Lisa will always be remembered by us as kind, principled and selfless.

‘Her integrity was absolute, and she dedicated her life to helping others in need.

‘We are in deep pain, and we ask for time and privacy as we come to terms with our loss.’

Sharif Ahmadzai, a boxer from Afghanistan, is being held in connection with the death of Elisabeth Jane Ross, after he refused to enter a plea on Thursday 

Ahmadzai appeared in court on Wednesday morning where was asked to provide his version of events

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Ahmadzai, 26, is accused of manslaughter, robbery and illegal gun possession and exercised his right to silence and did not respond to the charges as toxicological test results are still pending, according to a legal source. 

His American wife has given an emotional testimony, describing how she had a realisation that Elisabeth, also known as Lisa, could be dead.

US-born Christian Alaina Hall told police that she had met Elisabeth through volunteer work in Athens and had last seen her on July 12, after a Bible study meeting, Greek news outlet Protothema reports.

Days later, she heard news that a body had been found stuffed in a suitcase in a derelict building in Athens.

Later that night, Alaina recalled waking up with a ‘terrible’ feeling.

The following morning, she sent a message to Elisabeth and received two replies, which raised her suspicions.

‘These messages were not in Lisa’s style, both in terms of her level of English and the use of emojis that she never used.’

Alaina added that she tried to call Elisabeth but never received a response.

In her testimony, Alaina also told police she grew suspicious of her husband after she woke to find him missing on the evening of July 15, and, after checking his shared location, she saw that he was at Elisabeth’s flat.

When she confronted him, he told her that he was out watching a football match, but had gone to Elisabeth’s apartment to use the toilet.

‘I don’t know what to tell you, but all of the above made me feel strange. Especially combining the dates, the messages and my husband’s behaviour, I have various thoughts that make me feel uncomfortable,’ she told police.

Officers started probing Ahmadzai after his wife allegedly reported her husband had been behaving suspiciously on July 30.

Detectives found CCTV footage which allegedly shows him leaving the apartment where Elisabeth was staying with a suitcase and dropping it where her remains were found on July 16.

Earlier this week, Protothema reported that Ahmadzai told police in a statement on Saturday that he did not kill the 38-year-old, claiming he found her dead before panicking and taking a series of unjustified actions.

During the testimony, he said: ‘I never did harm to anyone. I want you to understand me and believe me. I was just in a panic.’

Ahmadzai is suspected of killing Ms Ross (pictured) before putting her body in a bag and dumping it in a derelict building

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This is the moment the Afghan professional boxer walks through the streets of Athens carrying a suitcase allegedly containing the body of Briton Elisabeth-Jane Ross

He claimed he had visited the house where Elisabeth was staying, and found her lying on the bathroom floor.

‘[She] was spitting something like water out of her mouth. I spoke to her two or three times, but she didn’t respond. I froze. My legs went numb,’ he said.

The 26-year-old claimed he then panicked and left the house, where he encountered an elderly man near a bus stop. He reportedly asked the man what he should do after finding a dead body.

‘[The old man] told me that he worked with hospitals and he knows about them and what I should do is remove it from the house, or I will get into trouble. I sat and thought about what he told me for a few hours.’

He then admitted that he returned to the apartment the next day and placed Elisabeth’s body in a black suitcase, before placing it in the boot of the red Peugeot he was driving.

‘I started in the Peugeot, arrived near my house and parked it,’ he said, ‘I got out of the car, took the suitcase out of the trunk and walked to an abandoned building across from the Panhellenic University.

‘There I found the old man I told you about who gave me the advice. He told me to leave the suitcase with him, and he would take care of it.’

Ahmadzai told police he had taken Elisabeth’s phone and bank cards.

‘In addition to Lisa’s cards, I also took her mobile phone. From that, I sent some messages to people close to her to reassure them that she was okay. ‘

‘I don’t know what I was thinking. I wasn’t thinking clearly. I gave all the money I took out of Lisa’s cards to the old man because he was blackmailing me that he would tell everything to the police.

Ahmadzai pictured with his American wife Alaina Hall. Her testimony has been revealed for the first time

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‘As far as I know, this old man’s name is Nikos, and he frequents the place where I left the suitcase.’

He appeared in court on Wednesday, where he denied killing Ross but claimed that an ‘old man’ had persuaded him to move the body.

In addition to ‘intentional homicide’, he has also been charged with robbery and weapons offences.

Ahmadzai reached the island of Lesvos in 2016. He then converted to Christianity and married US-born Christian Alaina Hall in 2023 before they set up a ministry helping refugees in Athens.

Angelina Jolie‘s older brother James Haven came out as gay on Thursday as he emotionally opened up about entering a ‘new chapter’ in his life. 

The 53-year-old actor, who is the son of Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand, took part in a candid discussion on his ex-wife and close friend Romi Imbelli’s Substack livestream. 

Haven and Imbelli married in August 2024 during a ceremony in Laguna Beach, California. It was later revealed that she filed to annul the marriage just 15 days later. 

In the clip, Imbelli explained that she wanted to give Haven the ‘opportunity to speak on this’ after he also released a statement which was shared to her Substack.

‘Today’s a new day,’ she explained. ‘We get to be this and you get to be, Gem, what are you?’ 

He let out a laugh to ask, ‘Is this the cue?’ before he told viewers, ‘I’m gay.’ 

He let out a laugh to ask, ‘Is this the cue?’ before he told viewers, ‘I’m gay’; seen in 2017 in Beverly Hills 

Haven also read the statement and explained, ‘When I was a little boy, I was absolutely obsessed with the Disney princesses. 

‘I would sneak glitter onto my cheeks, swipe mascara onto my lashes, and for those moments, I felt like magic.’

Jolie’s brother added that he ‘didn’t have the language back then to explain why I just knew it made me feel more like me.’

He further expressed, ‘It was never about pretending to be someone else. It was about letting a part of myself shine that had always been there.’  

As years passed, Haven had started to question ‘if that sparkle was something I had to hide to be accepted by the “normal” boys around me. 

‘Like so many gay kids, I learned to question parts of myself long before I learned to celebrate them.’ 

Haven also shared that he was ready to tell the truth. 

‘Not because he’s changed, but because he’s tired of hiding. Coming out isn’t about becoming someone new, it’s about allowing everyone else to meet the person who has been here all along.’ 

Jolie’s brother added that he ‘didn’t have the language back then to explain why I just knew it made me feel more like me’; seen in 2014 in Hollywood 

The actor added, ‘I hope my family and others can choose love over fear, understanding over judgment, and connection over the beliefs that may have kept us apart’; Haven (left) seen with Voight and Jolie in 1988 in L.A. 

The actor added, ‘I hope my family and others can choose love over fear, understanding over judgment, and connection over the beliefs that may have kept us apart. 

‘I hope they can look beyond the labels and simply see me with the same heart, the same laugh, the same soul they’ve always known.’ 

Haven explained that the ‘little boy with glitter on his face and mascara on his lashes was never confused, broken, or something to be ashamed of. 

‘He was simply gay. He was joyful. He was brave before he even knew it.’ 

Haven also talked about stepping into a ‘new chapter’ and feeling ‘free’ in his life through an additional Substack video. 

‘Today is August 6, 2026 and I, James Haven, begin a new chapter in my life. After many years of healing from childhood trauma, I am now free to live the life I believe I was always meant to live.

‘One of hope, one of peace, and one of love. So, as my story unfolds, I want you all to know that I do it with an open heart with nothing but love for myself and for all of you.’ 

He sent gratitude to those who read his statement and for ‘allowing me to be what I was meant to be.’ 

Daily Mail has reached out to reps for Jolie for comment, but has yet to hear back. 

Haven also talked about stepping into a ‘new chapter’ and feeling ‘free’ in his life through an additional Substack video; seen in 2017 

During the livestream, Imbelli told Haven that she had a feeling he had been gay when they married, but did not want to admit it to herself

During the livestream, Imbelli told Haven that she had a feeling he had been gay when they married, but did not want to admit it to herself. 

‘I didn’t want to see it. I didn’t want to believe. I knew it and I wanted to support you and love you,’ she said. 

‘And then I didn’t want to believe it because then it would mean losing you in that capacity, which I couldn’t.’

Imbelli, who has known Haven for over 20 years, said that he was still her ‘life partner’ following the split. 

‘We will do life together. You are not my close friend. You are my love. And you happen to be gay,’ she said. 

Page Six also reported on Thursday that Haven will officially launch his own weekly podcast titled Save Haven with James Haven, although a release date has yet to be announced. 

Imbelli, who is preparing to release a memoir titled Breathe Mija, also shared a post to her Instagram account that included photos of both her and Haven. 

Page Six also reported on Thursday that Haven will officially launch his own weekly podcast titled Save Haven with James Haven, although a release date has yet to be announced; seen in 2014 

‘I wasn’t here to out someone I love. I was here to help set someone free. There is a difference. In return he set me free,’ she wrote.

‘Forgiveness, grace, and unconditional love have carried us to this moment. We ask only that you give him the same compassion as he learns to walk through this world with his head held high, exactly as God made him.

‘Love doesn’t always fit into the boxes we’re taught it should. Sometimes it transforms. Sometimes it changes shape. Sometimes it asks us to let go of what we imagined so we can embrace what is true.’

She added, ‘I’ll always love him. Just not as his wife, but as my family, my best friend, and one of the greatest loves of my life…’ 

Haven and Imbelli married in August 2024 after knowing each other for over 23 years at the time. The following year in March, Imbelli announced that she had filed for an annulment

Haven and Jolie are both the children of Voight and Bertrand. The siblings infamously shared a controversial kiss at the 2000 Oscars and Golden Globes (seen above)

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Haven and Imbelli married in August 2024 after knowing each other for over 23 years at the time. 

The following year in March, Imbelli announced that she had filed for an annulment. 

Legal documents revealed that Romi filed for an annulment on August 27, 2024, just 15 days after the wedding took place. 

Haven and Jolie are both the children of Voight and Bertrand. The siblings infamously shared a controversial kiss at the 2000 Oscars and Golden Globes.  

Donald Trump signed a pair of executive orders on Thursday aimed at restricting the right of birthight citizenship despite the Supreme Court ruling that the right was respected under the Constitution.

At a ceremony on Thursday the president was flanked by Stephen Miller, the architect of his deportation program, as he unveiled two orders targeting birthright citizenship and “birth tourism”, which Republicans argue is a massive source of fraud.

The first will identify “certain categories of children of aliens who are not entitled to birthright citizenship”, which according to an Axios report will largely be used to restrict the children of foreign diplomatic staffers from being eligible for citizenship if they are born in the U.S.

Trump told reporters that he believed the orders were legal, despite the Court’s ruling. Miller used his moment in the spotlight to attack the concept of birthright citizenship and argue that it had never been the intent of the drafters of the 14th amendment to the Constitution.

“As the president mentioned, the 14th Amendment was passed exclusively in the aftermath of the Civil War, so that to ensure that the children of slaves would be citizens. It had no other meaning and purpose outside of that, and that’s been clear, obviously, since the day that it was passed,” said Miller. “This is not something that is even seriously contested by anybody.”

“The president is using his authority as commander in chief to sign first an executive order using the new rule the Supreme Court issued to expand the definitions of people who are ineligible for birthright citizenship,” Miller said.

A White House staffer added during the event that there was “absolutely nothing” that would run “afoul” of the recent court ruling on the subject.

Trump used his own remarks to bash the Supreme Court justices for an “unfortunate” and “unfair” decision, which struck down an executive order aimed at preventing birthright citizenship from being extended to the children of undocumented immigrants and temporary protected status (TPS) holders.

“We had a very unfortunate decision in the Supreme Court concerning birthright was close, but a very very unfortunate decision. So we’re making adjustments because it’s very unfair,” Trump told reporters.

“This was done right after the Civil War. This was for the babies of slaves, and what’s happening now? People are building businesses around it. From wealthy people are building businesses around birthright citizenship. That’s not the way it’s supposed to work. It’s a disgrace. They’re buying their way in, and we’re not going to let it happen,” said the president.

“Birth tourism” allegations were central to the Trump administration’s oral arguments at the Supreme Court, where U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer claimed that billions of people are “one plane ride away from having a child who’s a U.S. citizen.”

But a 2020 analysis from the anti-immigration think tank the Center for Immigration Studies found that the number of “birth tourism” cases hover around 20,000 to 26,000 per year, or less than 1 percent of all American births.

There are already restriction in U.S. law banning persons from obtaining tourist visas “for the primary purpose of obtaining U.S. citizenship for a child by giving birth in the United States.”

Trump’s new orders direct the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies to crack down on that practice.

In June, the president suffered a major defeat at the hands of the Supreme Court, which ruled 6-3 in favor of upholding the broad protections of birthright citizenship in the face of a Trump order that would have banned some children of immigrants from receiving citizenship rights upon birth. The order targeted newborns whose mothers or fathers were undocumented or were under temporary protected status.

Trump’s latest order is still likely to come under legal challenge. The court’s order noted that many of the distinctions between classes of immigrants made by the administration in Trump’s orders simply did not exist in the 14th amendment to the Constitution.

The words used throughout Trump’s order — “mother,” “father,” “lawful,” “temporary”— are absent from the 14th Amendment, Chief Justice John Roberts noted in his opinion.

“For a simple reason: they did not matter,” he added.

Alex Woodward contributed reporting.

If you walked past her in the neighborhood where she lives, you’d probably just mistake the woman headed to lunch with friends as a pleasant, well-to-do local.

But there are subtle clues to this unassuming fifty-something’s real identity as one of the world’s most famous female rock stars, who was last photographed in public in 2009.

The long, jet black hair. The black and white striped Breton top. The $1,500 Gucci purse. And the Ford car with a red, black and white paint job.

For this is Meg White, one half of The White Stripes – and one of the most loved but mysterious female rock stars of all time.

Meg, now 51, enjoyed huge success with her ex-husband Jack White in the 2000s, with the couple’s career only taking off after their four year marriage ended three months into the new millennium.

Her drumming was initially panned as primitive by music critics, only for Meg’s skills to later become revered and praised as ahead of their time. 

Meg, who was half of iconic rock band The White Stripes, went for an Italian meal with friends, then toted home leftovers afterwards  

Meg is seen with White Stripes bandmate and former husband Jack White in 2002. The rockers were married between 1996 and 2000, but remained together as a band after their split – and achieved enormous success  

Meg and Jack’s 2003 song Seven Nation Army has become an NFL anthem and remains one of the most popular tunes of the 21st century, 23 years after its release.

The pair’s striking red, white and black style was so iconic that they appeared as themselves on The Simpsons.

Meg also fronted a fashion campaign for Marc Jacobs, while she and Jack infamously pretended to be siblings for a time, to try and avoid questions about their failed marriage.

They released their sixth and final album Icky Thump in 2007, made their last public appearance on The Conan O’Brien Show in 2009 – then confirmed their split in 2011.

Meg, who suffered from severe anxiety, subsequently disappeared into a life of contented Midwest anonymity, until now. 

Earlier this week, the Daily Mail tracked Meg down in Detroit – the city where she grew up and where she continues to live.

She still has her famous long hair, which was partially covered with a sun hat to shield her pale skin from the fearsome August glare.

Meg White was seen enjoying a cigarette with two female friends in Detroit on Wednesday afternoon 

Loyal to her Motown roots, Meg drives a Ford Bronco and has another of the manufacturer’s autos in her driveway. The car giant is headquartered in Detroit  

Meg wore a black sun hat to shield her pale skin from the fearsome August glare – but her famous long, black hair was still in evidence underneath

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Meg dressed casually for her outing in Detroit – but the $1,500 Gucci x Supreme bag she toted offered a subtle hint to her success and wealth 

Meg said she quit showbusiness because of her severe anxiety and now appears to be enjoying a life of anonymity 

She is seen here laughing after exiting her red, white and black themed Ford earlier this week

The former rock star wore a white striped shirt and carried a Gucci bag for her lunch

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Meg and Jack White are pictured in a 2006 episode of The Simpsons, where they played themselves 

Meg donned a simple black and white top, loose jeans and a chunky pair of black boots for a lunch outing to an Italian restaurant with two female friends.

Afterwards, they shared a cigarette and a chat while toting bags of leftovers. 

She and Jack were famous for wearing complementary red and white outfits at the height of their success, although Meg sometimes switched her clothing color palate to the black and white look that she displayed on Wednesday.

When approached by the Daily Mail, Meg, who is famously shy, was extremely friendly and laughed out loud as she denied being the famous rocker.

But when complimented on her music, she politely said ‘Thank you’ and gave the game away. 

Earlier the same afternoon, Meg was spotted leaving her historic mansion, whose unusual exterior decor has long been the subject of local gossip. 

Meg and her two friends shared a cigarette and a chat following their lunch at a spot in Dearborn

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The trio chatted for half an hour while smoking cigarettes outside the Italian restaurant 

When approached by the Daily Mail, Meg, who is famously shy, was extremely friendly and laughed out loud as she denied being the famous rocker – before giving the game away 

Meg chatted with her two friends after enjoying a long lunch in a mom-and-pop Italian restaurant

The yellow stucco property, which was built in 1905, has its exterior walls covered with giant decorative spiders and bats. 

Its beautifully-tended gardens are filled with plastic skeletons – some of them clad in the flag of the Detroit Tigers baseball team. 

Meg’s love for her home city clearly runs deep. Like many in Motor City, she only drives cars manufactured locally, with two Fords parked at her property.

The four-bedroom house, which Meg bought for $507,000 in 2004, is regularly discussed on local internet forums.

Commenters often speculate as to the identity of its owner – with Meg’s name occasionally mentioned, but never previously confirmed, until now. 

Chatter about its spooky decor grew so feverish in 2021 that a woman named only as ‘Tina’ spoke to a local NPR affiliate about her decorating philosophy.

‘Tina’ told MPR: ‘I don’t do gory and I don’t do cute. I just do old fashioned Vincent Price scary.’

Meg’s Detroit mansion, which she bought $507,000 in 2004, is regularly discussed on local internet forums because of its eccentric exterior decor

The beautifully-tended gardens are filled with plastic skulls and skeletons 

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Enormous fake spiders are screwed into the yellow stucco of the home – with more skeletons wielding the flags of Detroit sports teams seen in its gardens 

Speculation about the decor grew so fevered in 2021 that a local NPR affiliate interviewed the owner of Meg’s mansion, who gave her name as ‘Tina’

‘Tina’ told NPR that she had long preferred Halloween to Christmas, and decided to decorate it for Halloween all year round shortly after buying it

She added: ‘It’s my house. I can do what I want.’

‘Tina’ explained how she had long loved Halloween more than Christmas – but added that she makes a concession to the festive season each year by putting Santa hats on her skeletons.

Meg – who was married to second husband Jackson Smith between 2009 and 2013 – is so private that there is no information on whether she has since met a new partner, or had any children.

But in the MPR interview about Meg’s mansion, the woman named as Tina displayed a maternal side by revealing how much she enjoys giving out candy to thousands of young trick-or-treaters each Halloween.

‘It’s fun. It’s crazy,’ she said. ‘I love the madness of it. Just having like a thousand kids run at you wanting candy, it’s amazing. It’s the best feeling.’ 

While Jack White has gone on to continued music success, Meg shows no sign of wanting to leave her bubble.

Meg is seen with Jack on The Conan O’Brien Show in 2009. This was her final sighting in public – until earlier this week 

She and Jack were famous for wearing complementary red and white outfits at the height of their success

Meg is seen playing the drums at a concert in London in 2005. Many critics dismissed her skills as ‘primitive,’ but her musical abilities were later lauded as well ahead of their time 

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The duo were critically lauded, receiving six Grammys and a host of other awards

Even her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2025 failed to lure her out of seclusion, with Jack thanking organizers for the honor on her behalf.

So, with no bad blood with her former bandmate, plenty of money and a life of simple  but eccentric anonymity that she evidently adores, there seems less chance than ever of a White Stripes reunion.

And while many fans clamor to see Meg back by Jack’s side, a growing number concede that her refusal to return to the spotlight only burnishes her incredible enigma. 

By JON MICHAEL RAASCH, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT

Published: 21:22 BST, 6 August 2026 | Updated: 22:22 BST, 6 August 2026

President Donald Trump signed two executive actions on Thursday to crack down on ‘birth tourism’ in the US and to restrict citizenship from being granted to the children of foreign diplomats.

Birth tourism is a practice where pregnant mothers travel to the states to give birth and ensure their children are granted US citizenship. 

‘They’re buying their way in, and we’re not going to let it happen,’ Trump said in the Oval Office, announcing the new policies. 

‘We’re making adjustments because it’s very unfair,’ the President said of the practice. 

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The executive orders, which will likely bring on legal challenges, are the President’s second attempt to alter the 14th Amendment’s guarantee that almost every child born in the US is automatically granted citizenship. 

The Supreme Court struck down an effort in late June from the Trump administration to deny citizenship to children born to noncitizens within the US. 

The President signed an order to end birthright citizenship for children of noncitizens on the first day of his second term. 

‘We had a very unfortunate decision in the Supreme Court concerning birthright [citizenship]… so we’re making adjustments,’ Trump said. 

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‘They’re buying their way in, and we’re not going to let it happen,’ Trump said in the Oval Office, announcing the new policies

Senior Trump adviser Stephen Miller likened birth tourism to fraud during the Oval Office signing ceremony

Despite the gambit being throttled by the court, the Trump administration believes the decision makes room for some challenges to birthright citizenship, particularly as it pertains to children of diplomats and those traveling to the US expressly to have children in the states. 

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Since the 14th Amendment does not automatically grant citizenship to the children of foreign nations’ ambassadors born in the US, the new orders would expand that category to bar all children of foreign diplomats from being granted citizenship. 

The amendment also does not apply to invading armies, so the Trump administration’s new policies would consider the children of individuals classified as enemy aliens, such as those belonging to federally recognized terrorist groups, as not being qualified for automatic citizenship. 

Children born to mothers who traveled to the US explicitly for birth tourism would not be granted citizenship under the new executive orders because it would consider their entry to the states as fraudulent, given they applied for entry under a travel or work visa. 

The orders also would restrict birthright citizenship for those born in US territories like Puerto Rico. However, a bill would need to pass through Congress to make this plan viable. 

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While a bill was introduced last month to address the issue of citizenship in US territories, the legislation would face a tough battle in both the House and Senate. 

‘Birth tourism is, as of the signing of this order, hereby banned,’ senior Trump adviser Stephen Miller said at the Oval Office event.

‘And what that means is that no one in the world is any more allowed to obtain a visa for this fraudulent purpose.’

Activists hold signs condemning Trump’s move to end birthright citizenship outside of the US Supreme Court in May

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The President attended the oral arguments in his birthright citizenship case in person earlier this year. It was the first time a President had sat for oral arguments

The first of the two orders would identify categories of noncitizen children who are not entitled to birthright citizenship consistent with historical exceptions recognized by the Supreme Court, an administration official said. 

The second order delegates presidential authorities to the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security and directs them to halt the practice of birth tourism. 

The UK Government’s Project Gigabit scheme, which aims to improve connectivity in hard-to-reach areas, has been expanded further into rural parts of North and East Yorkshire. 

The latest rollout extends to rural communities around Barnsley, Huddersfield, Hull, Bradford, York, and smaller villages in both Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

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Ian Murray, Minister of State at the Department for Digital, Media, Culture and Sport, said: “Good broadband is about giving families, workers and local businesses the tools they need to get on, wherever they live.

“This milestone is proof that Project Gigabit has put better digital opportunities into local communities across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire that have had to work around patchy connections for too long – whether that’s running a business from a rural village or taking a job that would once have felt out of reach.”

In Yorkshire, upgraded coverage now includes communities such as Sessay and Linton-on-Ouse.

Mark Bowden, Chief Executive of broadband provider Quickline, said: “At Quickline, we’ve always believed where you live shouldn’t determine the opportunities available to you.

“Through Project Gigabit, we’re proud to be working alongside the UK Government to bring gigabit-capable broadband to rural communities across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

“More than 60,000 homes and businesses can now access gigabit-capable broadband through our Project Gigabit rollout, while, in total, our full fibre network now reaches some 260,000 premises across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.”

Quickline has used the scheme to offer work experience and training to young people – supporting more than 1,700 young people in exploring careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through workshops.

In East Yorkshire, the changes are already having an impact – Quickline ran STEM workshops for 80 pupils from Skirlaugh Primary School and a resident named Margaret said the service had improved her ability to stay in touch with friends and family.

Project Gigabit has already helped upgrade more than 1.3 million premises across the UK.

In Yorkshire, other areas benefitting from the boost include Newport, Gilberdyke, Bishopthorpe, Fylingthorpe, Hawes, Askirgg, Marton cum Grafton, Holme On Spalding Moore, and Middleton-on-the-Wolds.

Scientists have used Artificial Intelligence to design new viruses capable of killing cells in the laboratory.

It marks the first time that the new technology has been used to successfully generate whole genomes, or the full set of genetic instructions needed to build a working organism. 

Supporters of the work said it offered hope for developing new treatments, but critics quickly warned it raised ‘urgent’ safety and security concerns.  

In their study, researchers at Stanford University, California, used the technology to create a genome for a virus that infects bacteria.

The AI suggested thousands of genomes, and the researchers created 302 in the lab before exposing them to bacteria.

Overall, 16 of the viruses suggested by the AI were able to kill E.coli.

The viruses they created were bacteriophages, which only infect bacteria and are not able to infect human, animal or plant cells. 

Revealing the results, Dr Brian Hie, a chemical engineer behind the research, said: ‘In this case, we wanted the model to generate the entire genome end-to-end in a single left-to-right pass. We didn’t add anything.’

The research was published alongside an accompanying article warning over the potential risks of the advance. 

Written by Johns Hopkins experts Dr Thomas Inglesby and Dr Maurice Hanke, it warned: ‘Although this is promising for life sciences applications, it also raises urgent biosafety and biosecurity questions.

‘The ability to compose viral genomes using generative AI now exists; the governance to safely steer it does not.’

For the research, published in Science, scientists used the AI tools Evo1 and Evo2. 

These work in a similar way to large language model chatbots ChatGPT and Grok, except they have been trained on genetic codes rather than written text.

Researchers trained the models on two million genomes for bacteriophages, and then tasked them to create new potential genomes. 

Scientists synthesized the AI-made genomes in the lab and put them into petri dishes containing E.coli, prompting the bacteria to start making copies of the viruses. 

Petri dishes were then monitored to establish whether the bacteriophages had started to attack and kill the bacteria.

Samuel King, a PhD student in the lab, told the BBC: ‘We were starting to see these clear spots and it was just extremely exciting.’ 

They wrote in the paper: ‘This work provides a blueprint for the design of diverse synthetic bacteriophages and useful biological systems at the genome scale.’

Scientists said bacteriophages have one of the smallest genomes known, making them much easier to create.

They said, however, that the work was a step towards AI being used for more advanced research.

Dr Patrick Cai, a researcher at the University of Manchester in the UK, said: ‘While these are relatively small bacteriophage genomes, the significance extends far beyond phages. 

‘It suggests that genome language models are beginning to learn the design principles encoded by evolution, opening the door to AI-assisted genome writing.’

Tom Ellis, a professor of synthetic genome engineering at Imperial College London, called the work impressive but noted it highlights the challenges of creating larger, more complex genomes. 

He told The Guardian: ‘This is literally the smallest and easiest genome to make.’ 

He added that an AI trained on dangerous pathogens could theoretically be used to design harmful viruses, but controlling access to genetic data and restricting the synthesis of risky genomes would help mitigate that risk – and governments are already working on these measures. 

Still, he cautioned against overblowing the threat: ‘The threat from full AI design and writing of a genome of a virus or bacteria is very overblown.

‘Just taking existing pathogens and making gain-of-function changes to their genomes is so much easier and much more likely to be a real pathogenic threat.’ 

Gain-of-function research is essentially the scientific practice of genetically altering a pathogen to study how it might evolve; enhancing traits like transmissibility, virulence or host range to better understand and prepare for future pandemic threats.

But the term became a lightning rod during the Covid pandemic, fueling fierce debate over whether such experiments at the Wuhan Institute of Virology – some of which were funded by US taxpayer dollars – played a role in the virus’s origins.

The news sparked immediate debate online. Reactions ranged in degrees of alarm. 

Some X users were encouraged by the breakthrough. 

One wrote: ‘Bacteriophages! Research has been looking into these things for a long time 1786050744. We could end serious bacteria-based diseases with these things.’ 

Another chimed in: ‘One hell of a milestone. AI-designed working bacteriophages are a big step for phage therapy against antibiotic-resistant bacteria – glad they kept it strictly bacterial.’ 

A third added: ‘Can we have them take out salmonella? That’d be great, thanks.’ 

Yet others were less measured. After years of COVID conspiracy theories and lab leak debates, the idea of AI designing any virus tapped into a deep well of distrust that no amount of scientific nuance could easily soothe.

‘Covid 2 is gonna be so much fun with ai,’ one X user joked darkly. 

Another wrote: ‘I’m not 100% against this, but I’m 95% against this because I DO NOT believe in people’s ability to keep this stuff contained. Doesn’t matter how smart and careful they are, all it takes is one small mistake or unexpected event and then these things get out of the lab.’ 

A third said: ‘That’s how it starts, until they produce the next zombie virus to destroy humankind.’  

This article contains spoilers for Spider-man: Brand New Day

Spider-Man’s origin story in the comics is rooted in the death of his Uncle Ben. He is a hero driven by grief – on a mission, to begin with, to avenge his uncle’s death.

In the latest iteration of Spider-Man, however, his grief is different. In the cinematic Marvel Universe, Spider-Man’s loss comes later in his hero’s journey – in the second film, ⁠Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). And instead of Uncle Ben, this Peter Parker loses his Aunt May.

Two Spider-Man films later, Peter Parker is still grappling with his loss. In Spider-Man: Brand New Day, this continuation of grief is depicted through scenes in which Peter Parker imagines speaking to his late aunt.

As an expert in grief and bereavement research, I was pleasantly surprised to see such a mainstream action film contain such a poignant message – and important lessons about living with loss and grief.

In Peter’s story, we see that loss is something that’s never really “gotten over”. Rather, we grow around the grief we experience. We also see that it can be healthy and productive to maintain a connection with the person we’ve lost after their death.

What Peter is fostering is known as a “continuing bond”. This connection can come in the form of external bonds such as keeping photos, objects and memorabilia. And it can also come from internalised bonds – for example, memories of the deceased or an imagined conversation, like Peter has with his Aunt May.

Research shows that internalised bonds can have a positive effect on our experience of loss. In the film, Peter’s conversations with May are wrapped in a memory – he is often speaking to her as a teenager. These exchanges help him foster strength and resilience.

Loss is not only death

We also see Peter coping with the loss of friends whose memories of him were wiped in the last film, Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Not all the losses we experience are deaths, and not all losses are related to people. We can experience similar responses over the loss of a job, the loss of identity, or the loss of people in our lives who are still living.

The latter can often be seen, by ourselves and others, as not a “legitimate loss” because the people still exist in the world. In fact, this continuation without them can serve to complicate the grief experience.

Peter is not the only one from whom audience’s can learn about grief in this film. We meet Jean Grey for the first time, a mutant whose sister was killed.

Jean is in the most intense phase of grief. When she learns about her sister’s death, she experiences an intense emotional grief response, which brings on the explosive development of her powers.

While grief doesn’t give people superpowers in the literal sense, it can be transformational. You are not the same person after a loss, and you can grow around that grief. We see this in Peter, who transforms as the film progresses – represented by his physical and power transformations.

Both Peter and Jean are isolated characters who have lost their support mechanisms – Peter because of the loss of his friends and Aunt May, Jean because of the traumatic death of her sister. Loneliness and isolation is a common experience following loss, which can confound or complicate the experience. Social isolation creates additional emotional strain.

For fictional super-powered people, this can have devastating consequences for more than just the characters themselves. In the film, we see Jean’s anger and her struggle to process the reality of her sister’s death result in her taking control and freezing everyone within her immediate vicinity.

The film also provides an important lesson about social support. In later scenes, we see Peter and Jean connect in his mind. Peter provides important support for Jean in her loss, reaching out and letting her know that she is not alone in her grief. This reflects research highlighting the importance of connection to others and social support following a bereavement.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a great action film full of fantastical people fighting for good over evil with the help of their super powers. But at its heart, it’s also a powerful meditation on the very normal human experience of living with loss.

It shows us that loss can be a transformational experience, not something simply to overcome. Like Peter, we all learn to live with loss in its many shades. While this can be isolating, the character arcs in Spider-Man teach us that reaching out and connecting with other people can be an important part of processing and adjusting to your loss.

“Under Kemi Badenoch’s strong leadership, a Conservative gain ought to be within reach, if the hard work is put in. I was the MP for nineteen years, and a Government Minister for 12 years (only Michael Gove served longer in the 2010-24 governments), and it is time for me to face new challenges and for a successor Conservative candidate to win back the seat from Labour, as I did in 2005.

A market town has been plunged into chaos by anti-immigration protests across two nights, leading to attacks on police officers and subsequent arrests.

On Tuesday, crowds of up to 100 people were seen storming homes linked to asylum seekers in Norfolk.

The individuals shouted and attempted to gain access to the properties in St John’s Way, Thetford, with a small group managing to enter one, force a resident out, and steal their phone.

As the disorder continued on Thursday evening, two men were arrested after two police officers were taken to hospital, with one female officer ‘seriously bitten’.

Other arrests were made for offences including public order, harassment, and possession of an offensive weapon.

One man aged in his 40s remains in custody, while Brian Thompson, 68, of Fairfields, has been charged for possessing a wooden bat and has been bailed ahead of a court appearance on August 25.

Earlier this week, properties were damaged with their windows smashed and fences broken, and people attempted to break into a residential property, police said.

Increased police powers were then granted this evening, allowing officers to direct people to remove face coverings or leave the area if they commit or ‘may commit’ anti-social behaviour.

Those who refused to remove a face covering when asked could be arrested, Norfolk Police added.

The force added that ‘significant police resources’ were deployed to Thetford on Wednesday night to maintain public safety after a large group of people gathered on Clover Way.

It was reported that people were ‘trying to gain access to a residential property’ and that group members ‘became physically aggressive towards officers’. This involved a male officer being struck with a rock, while the biting of his female colleague ‘broke the skin’.

A third officer was spat at.

Reform UK’s deputy leader Richard Tice claimed the disorder is a sign ‘local people are furious that large numbers of illegal migrants are being dumped into their locality’.

He told Times Radio: ‘Those local communities should be allowed to express that concern and anxiety without instantly being smeared and labelled as being bigots in some way.

‘That is very different to any form of violence.’

Windows on a terraced house on that street appeared to be smeared with broken eggs today.

A marked police car was parked near the street, which is close to a primary school, and uniformed officers were seen at the rear of a property.

The police response was criticised by some local people, though, with one unnamed resident of Clover Way describing how, at around 9.30pm on Wednesday, ‘lots of young boys … came up on bikes and chucked eggs at the house’.

The largely seated protest started ‘peaceful’ until extra officers arrived and formed a line, she said, after which it ‘started to get a little bit rowdy’ as protesters ‘took a step forward’ towards law enforcement.

No one tried to get into the house, she said, adding that police ‘started pepper-spraying people’, including ‘a lady in a wheelchair’.

There were ‘a few young idiots picking up stones, lobbing them at a police car’.

‘They brought a riot van down and blocked the front of the house,’ she explained, adding that officers got out batons, made arrests and told people to leave.

‘This is a very quiet estate; nothing happens here.’

Meanwhile, Scott Hussey, a Reform UK councillor for the Brecks ward for Norfolk County Council, said the street was divided with 30 officers on one side and about 80 ‘people from the town’ on the other.

‘Many people who had just come out of their houses to watch,’ he insisted, saying it was ‘mainly peaceful’ when he was there.

The town’s MP, Terry Jermy, further said that the ‘ugly scenes’ in Thetford over the past few days have been ‘difficult to watch’, calling them ‘deeply concerning’.

Mr Jermy has previously called on the Home Office to end ‘secrecy and confusion’ around plans to house more asylum seekers in former military barracks – including at RAF Barnham near Thetford.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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