His name was in a child abuse diary
His name was in a child abuse diary
Reuters
Mauricette Vinet and her husband Roland, holding a photograph of their grandson Mathis
This story contains distressing details from the start
When Mauricette Vinet speaks of her grandson, her voice grows warm with affection.
“He was a lovely little boy. He had a strong personality, for sure! But he always thought of others, always asked if he could help,” says the French retiree, in her 80s.
“He loved to be out in the garden with his grandfather, picking green beans. He was a charming boy, Mathis,” she adds.
“But, as you know, there was a ‘before’ – and there was an ‘after’.”
Mauricette and her husband Roland are among the 267 plaintiffs who have pressed charges against Joël Le Scouarnec, the French former surgeon who is accused of abusing almost 300 people – mostly children, and almost all his patients – over the course of several decades. The trial started in Vannes, Brittany, on Monday.
Le Scouarnec and Mathis only crossed paths once, when Mathis, aged 10, was hospitalised overnight at the clinic in the small French north-western town of Quimperlé. Le Scouarnec – a mild-mannered, respected gastroenterologist – told Mathis’ parents the boy had to be kept overnight for checks.
It turned out Mathis only had a stomach ache, and he was sent home the next day. But Mauricette is convinced the brief hospital stay changed Mathis forever.
Mauricette Vinet
Mathis as a young boy, in photos shared by his grandmother Mauricette
“The unease set in, little by little. It happened gradually in the first year; then he stopped being happy and became aggressive with everyone,” she tells the BBC.
There is no way to establish conclusively whether Mathis’ troubles were linked to the surgeon. What is certain is that in his teenage years Mathis distanced himself from his family and started using increasingly hard drugs; later, he spent time in detox and rehab centres.
Then, in 2018, police knocked on his door.
They told him a man named Joël Le Scouarnec had been arrested the year before for raping his six-year-old neighbour. During a search of the surgeon’s home, police uncovered stacks of diaries and hard disks in which Le Scouarnec appeared to list hundreds more victims. Mathis’ name was among them.
Mauricette said Mathis told her police then read out an excerpt of the diary to him, which seemed to detail abuse Le Scouarnec’s inflicted on him during his hospital stay.
“Then they left. Mathis shut the door and was left on his own, with no help. And that was the beginning of a descent into hell,” Mauricette says.
The police visit helped Mathis make sense of flashbacks that had long plagued him, Mauricette says: “His malaise finally made sense; he traced it to the source.”
Mathis pressed charges against Le Scouarnec, but the revelations sent him down a spiral which came to an abrupt end on 14 April 2021, when Mathis overdosed and died. He was 24.
Getty Images
Court sketch created on February 24, 2025 shows retired surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec speaking during a hearing on the opening day of his trial
Mauricette and her husband pressed charges the very next day, and they are now listed as “indirect victims” of Le Scouarnec. They have attended court in Vannes, north-western France, every day since the trial opened on Monday.
It has not been an easy listen.
The testimony of witnesses – mostly close relatives of Le Scouarnec, now 74 – painted a picture of an apparently ordinary middle-class family which, behind the scenes, has been ravaged by child abuse, ******* and ******* violence.
Annie, Le Scouarnec’s sister, said she had been “taught to keep quiet”.
This week, it was all brought out in the open.
All three sons of Le Scouarnec struck an almost apologetic tone as they told the court about their happy childhoods with a cultured, intellectual father who may not have been particularly present but who was kind, patient and supportive.
“We had holidays, nice houses – everything that constitutes a normal family,” said one.
The youngest son – who said he stopped contact with Le Scouarnec in 2017 “to preserve the image of him I have from my childhood” – said he now “looked upon everyone with distrust” and never left his own toddler alone with anybody.
“I am always worried that if my father could do this then my neighbour could, my partner, anyone,” the 37-year-old said.
Later the middle son – a tall man in his early 40s who admitted he was a “not totally abstinent alcoholic” – shared his memories of being abused at the hands of his paternal grandfather, Le Scouarnec’s father.
He was shocked as he was told for the first time in court that among his father’s alleged victims were some of his childhood friends.
Getty Images
Le Scouarnec admits the majority of the charges against him, his lawyer has said
And, on Friday, a stunned silence descended upon the courtroom as Le Scouarnec admitted he had abused his granddaughter – his eldest son’s daughter when she was under five years old. Moments after the revelation, the 44-year-old and his partner left the room to be assisted by a psychologist.
Other witnesses sparked consternation in the plaintiffs. Due to their sheer number, they sit in a separate room – a former university lecture hall – and follow proceedings via video link.
Christian D., a friend of Le Scouarnec now aged 80, often answered questions from the court sarcastically and repeatedly minimised the events at the centre of the trial, declaring that he could not “afford to cry over everything that happened in the world”.
Later, he insisted that he “never saw anything, therefore had nothing to say” about the devastating allegations against his friend. When he stated that he would take in Le Scouarnec if he was ever to leave jail, many alleged victims in the lecture hall got up and left their seats.
But most difficult for Mauricette and Roland was the much-awaited testimony of Marie-France L., Le Scouarnec’s ex-wife.
It has been alleged that she was at the centre of the omerta that reigned in the Le Scouarnec family, as she was repeatedly made aware of her husband’s obsession with children but did nothing to stop it.
Many lawyers and plaintiffs now believe she could have spared hundreds of children from being abused. Le Scouarnec’s brother – who was also heard this week – openly wondered whether she had been too enamoured by the lifestyle provided by her husband’s salary to speak out.
Marie-France has always denied this and, at the stand, came across as haughty and frequently defiant in the face of the accusations levelled at her.
“Catastrophe has struck: she knows I am a paedophile,” Le Scouarnec wrote as early as the mid-1990s in his diary. “Perhaps he was talking about his conscience,” Marie-France told the court.
She also suggested her five-year-old niece – who Le Scouarnec has been convicted of raping – had most likely “manipulated” her husband.
“She’s devious, that one. She loves the attention,” she said. Later, she complained that she was being “blamed” for everything. Only when she was shown an indecent photo montage Le Scouarnec made of their son as a child did she look visibly shocked.
Reuters
Joël Le Scouarnec’s trial is due to last until June
“That was absolute theatre,” Mauricette told the BBC, adding that Christian D.’s testimony had been “vile” and that she thought Marie-France was living in “pure denial”.
As the gut-wrenching events played out, Le Scouarnec sat in his box – mostly reactionless, but at times noticeably agitated, his voice cracking as he asked his sons for forgiveness. He flinched when excerpts of his diary were read out, and averted his eyes as indecent photographs he took of his nieces were shown.
His lawyers have said he admits to the “majority” of the charges against him, and that he will explain himself over the course of the trial, which is due to last until June.
The alleged victims will take the stand from next week; Mauricette and Roland will do so in April. “I will look at Le Scouarnec and tell him what is deep in my heart – he killed my grandson,” Mauricette says.
“Not with a gun, but he killed him,” she adds. “He’s going to get 20 years, but his victims… will have to live with this their whole lives.
“Their sentences will be longer than his.”
Throughout the week, over in the victims’ hall, people came and went, but the majority stayed for hours on end each day.
As descriptions of trauma and abuse poured in, one middle-aged woman covered her face with her hand and kept it there a long time.
Next to her, a young man rubbed his eyes repeatedly, then stood up and left.
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Microtopia Gameplay Video
Microtopia Gameplay Video
Skewed and Reviewed has posted some gameplay video of this interesting mix of RTS, insects, and robotics but noted the annoying controls and pathfinding.
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‘Why I’m determined to crack my only unsolved case’
‘Why I’m determined to crack my only unsolved case’
Blast Films
Jo Ward searches for the forensic clues at crime scenes
The crime scene was a bloodbath. The victim, stabbed multiple times, had tried to defend himself. In the process, the suspect is also thought to have lost blood.
The attacker is still at large.
“It’s quite a frustrating case,” says Jo Ward, crime scene coordinator at West Midlands Police, “because I don’t actually think I’ve had a case that has not been solved in my 27 years, so it doesn’t sit right with me.”
Jo has dealt with more than 50 murders, and is determined to track down the killer of her only unsolved case – an investigation featured in the new BBC series of Forensics: The Real CSI.
On 9 February 2022, Jo was called to investigate the ******* of a ******** national, Jinming Zhang, 41, in a flat in Digbeth, Birmingham.
It quickly became apparent that the flat was being used as a ******** and the only witness to the brutal ******* was a young ******** woman who had hid from the killer.
Originally the motive was thought to have been robbery – drawers on a bedside table had been pulled out and the property searched. But this could not be confirmed.
West Midlands Police
The victim, Jinming Zhang, tried to fight off his attacker
As crime scene coordinator, Jo was first on the scene, combing the property for evidence. Throughout the investigation, she worked alongside other specialists, such as blood pattern analysts and CCTV coordinators to try to piece together everything that happened that night.
Police believe the ******* suspect may have sustained a hand injury in the frenzied attack.
Blood pattern analysis, a technique used to interpret the bloodstains at the crime scene, helped to determine which of the blood spots in the flat may have belonged to the victim and which could have been the killer’s.
A blood trail was detected leading away from the property, and hours of CCTV footage was analysed to track the killer’s escape route.
The suspect was a ****** man, between 5ft 2in (1.6m) and 5ft 5in (1.7m) tall and of slim build. CCTV also revealed he had an unusual way of walking.
Although a DNA sample of the suspect was found, there were no matches on the national DNA database – which holds the DNA profiles of about 5.9 million people who have been arrested and cautioned, or convicted of a crime.
The case is still ongoing and no-one has yet been charged with the *******.
West Midlands Police
CCTV footage captured an image of the killer who was wearing dark clothing
This would have been the end of the road it if was 10 years ago, says Jo, but developments in forensics have meant familial DNA searches could also be used to try to identify potential biological relatives of the suspect who might also be on the national database.
“In the 27 years I’ve been in [the police], I’ve never carried out that kind of search before,” says Jo.
The use of familial DNA search is not the only advancement in forensics, says Jo, the sample size needed to get a full DNA profile has also changed dramatically.
“Years ago we used to have to have quite a large amount of blood, or any other cellular material, to then actually get a DNA profile from it,” she says. “Nowadays, we literally need a pinprick size amount of blood or any other cellular material to be able to get a full profile.”
Previously, as well as blood, the main DNA sources would have been cigarettes. But now, anything that has been in contact with the lips and saliva can also be swabbed to provide a DNA profile, says Jo, such as cans, bottles of drinks and, increasingly, vapes.
Cellular DNA can also be found when someone has simply touched an item, says Jo.
“Obviously when we have murders or ******* assaults, we’re always looking at [whether] the item of clothing [has] been gripped by the offender at all during the assault. It’s about targeting those areas to then see if you can obtain the DNA from that.”
Blast Films
Jo has worked on many high-profile cases
But while techniques have improved, getting answers is not always as fast as Jo would like.
“It’s not like your CSI Miami,” says Jo, “where they get a DNA and literally within an hour they get results.”
She is hopeful the identification process will speed up in the future.
“Obviously fingerprints have always been around and we recover them with powder and send them in,” says Jo. “I think digitally there will be something that comes up in the future where it’s a simple, take a photo, scan straightway, and it’ll be a quicker turnaround on identification.”
Walking into so many ******* scenes over the years has had an impact on Jo. She gets the same feelings of apprehension approaching every scene, with butterflies in her stomach.
“Sometimes I feel sick after I’ve come out and not wanting to eat, but I’ve really got a mindset now where I think: ‘Ok I can’t change what’s happened but what I can do is my utmost to then identify the person responsible and get justice for the victim and the family.'”
Jo suffered with PTSD after a ******* investigation in the past, which she says taught her a lot. To avoid a recurrence, she tries not to get emotionally attached.
“I think that’s the mistake I made when I had my PTSD, that I was looking at all the family photographs,” says Jo.
“It’s a tough job but it’s also a very rewarding job when you get that result and you identify the suspect and they get charged.”
When it comes to her only unsolved case, Jo is hoping someone will come forward after watching the programme and remember something that could lead to the identification of the suspect.
She also has a message for the killer: “We need to get justice for the victim and the family. Do the right thing and come forward.”
Forensics: The Real CSI – ******* in a ******** is on Sunday 2 March at 21:00 GMT on BBC Two and from 06:00 GMT on BBC iPlayer
Details of help and support for victims of crime are available in the *** at BBC Action Line
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Monster Mop Up Gameplay Video
Monster Mop Up Gameplay Video
Here is a look at the game which involves capturing and cleaning up after a messy monster.
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Gen Z and Millennials outnumber Baby Boomers at upcoming federal election
Gen Z and Millennials outnumber Baby Boomers at upcoming federal election
Millions of Gen Z and Millennials are expected to dominate ballot boxes at the upcoming federal election, outnumbering Baby Boomers for the first time.
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Grammy-nominated singer ****** Stone dies in Alabama interstate ******
Grammy-nominated singer ****** Stone dies in Alabama interstate ******
****** Stone, a 63-year-old, three time Grammy-nominated R&B and soul singer/songwriter, reportedly died Saturday in Montgomery County after a morning collision on I-65.
Multiple news outlets have reported the fatality, citing family and friends.
“My mommy is gone,” wrote Stone’s daughter Ladi Diamond (Diamond Stone), on social media Saturday. Diamond offered the public her thanks for the outpouring of love after her mother’s death.
A native of Columbia, South Carolina, Stone was a resident of Atlanta, Georgia. It’s been reported by multiple sources that there were nine other passengers in Stone’s van, but that Stone was the only fatality.
R&B and soul singer ****** Stone died during a collision on Saturday, March 1, in Montgomery County, Ala.
“Unfortunately, at around 4 a.m. while heading back to Atlanta from Alabama, the Sprinter flipped over and was subsequently hit by a big rig. Thankfully, all survived except for ******,” Walter Millsap, president of Conjuction Entertainment, told Billboard.
The night before on Friday, Stone had a Mardi Gras performance at the 2025 Grand Marshal’s Ball in Mobile.
“It is with deepest sympathy that we express our condolences to the Stone family during this difficult time,” wrote Isadore B. Sims, president of the Mobile Area Mardi Gras Association, in a social media post Saturday. “We were truly saddened to hear of ******’s passing and our hearts go out to you all.”
Sims praised Stone’s final performance Friday.
“Her talent captivated everyone in attendance, and her presence truly elevated the event,” Sims said. “Never could we have imagined that it would be the last time we would have the honor of witnessing her perform. The news of her passing has left us all deeply saddened, and we will always cherish the memories of her incredible talent and warm spirit.”
As of 4 p.m. Saturday, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency had not confirmed Stone’s fatal accident.
“I cannot confirm that at this time, but I can tell you that we are working to get details of the ****** sent out soon as possible,” said Senior Trooper Joshua Thompson.
What ALEA has released, without identifying Stone or anyone else involved, is that there was a two-vehicle ****** on I-65 that involved a commercial vehicle. The accident blocked the left northbound lane and the left southbound lanes near the 162 mile marker, in Montgomery County.
Stone began her music career as a member of the female rap trio The Sequence. She received international acclaim for her song “Wish I Didn’t Miss You,” and Grammy nominations for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for “Baby” and :”More Than A Woman,” and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for “U-Haul.”
Stone was also the founder of Angel Stripes, a national non-profit that focuses on community partnership.
Montgomery Advertiser reporter Shannon Heupel can be reached at *****@*****.tld.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Grammy-nominated singer ****** Stone killed in Alabama interstate ******
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****** Stone dies at 63. The Grammy-nominated singer was killed in a rollover ******. – USA TODAY
****** Stone dies at 63. The Grammy-nominated singer was killed in a rollover ******. – USA TODAY
****** Stone dies at 63. The Grammy-nominated singer was killed in a rollover ******. USA TODAYOfficials react to Grammy nominated singer ****** Stone’s death in Montgomery County ****** WSFAR&B singer ****** Stone dies in car ****** at 63 CBS NewsAngie Stone, Neo-Soul Singer, Dead at 63 Yahoo EntertainmentSinger-Songwriter ****** Stone Dead at 63 TMZ
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Ukrainian newspaper accuses U.S. of switching to Russia’s side in the war
Ukrainian newspaper accuses U.S. of switching to Russia’s side in the war
Ukrainian newspaper accuses U.S. of switching to Russia’s side in the war – CBS News
Watch CBS News
An editorial from one of Ukraine’s most prominent online newspapers, The Kyiv Daily, said, “America’s leadership has switched sides in the war.” On Friday, President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy got into a fiery confrontation at the White House. Shifting U.S. foreign policy has also rattled American allies. Imtiaz Tyab and ******* James Inman report.
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Row deepens over European sanctuary
Row deepens over European sanctuary
George Sandeman and Giulia Imbert
BBC News
AFP
Wikie, pictured with her calf in 2011, needs to be rehoused after her marine zoo home shut in January
The uncertain future of two killer whales is no closer to being resolved despite the closure of their marine zoo home two months ago.
Wikie, 23, and her 11-year-old son Keijo are still being kept at Marineland Antibes, located in southern France, after it closed in January due to a forthcoming law banning the use of orcas in shows.
For months managers at Marineland have tried to send the killer whales to other marine zoos but this has angered animal rights campaigners who want them housed in a sanctuary, where the orcas won’t have to perform or be used for breeding.
The orcas were expected to go to another marine zoo in Spain when the French government rejected a move to a proposed sanctuary in Canada a few weeks ago.
But now Agnès Pannier-Runacher, the French ecology minister, said she would speak to colleagues in Spain, Italy and Greece about creating a different sanctuary together. However, her proposal has few other details and has been criticised.
The ecology ministry, when asked by the BBC, had no further information on where a sanctuary might be located or who would fund its construction and running costs.
Loro Parque, a marine zoo in Spain that wants to receive the killer whales from Marineland, told the BBC this week the current proposal was “wholly unsuitable” and that they were best positioned to care for them.
Christoph Kiessling, vice-president of the facility in Tenerife, said whale sanctuaries were “currently unable to meet the complex physiological, social and environmental needs” of killer whales.
Most designs involve cordoning off a bay and employing staff to ensure Wikie and Keijo – who were born in captivity and cannot be released into the wild – were properly fed and looked after.
Kiessling did say such a solution might be possible if there was more extensive research and planning but “such a process could take years, leaving the two Marineland [orcas] in a facility that is being wound down”.
AFP
Despite having closed to the public, Marineland is still paying the costs of looking after Wikie and Keijo
Campaigners point out that several orcas have died at Loro Parque in the last few years, including three between March 2021 and September 2022.
Managers at the marine zoo said scientific examination of those orcas by the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria showed the deaths were unavoidable.
They also fear Wikie might be used for breeding. Loro Parque announced in January that Morgan, the only female of the three orcas currently kept there, is pregnant.
Katheryn Wise, from the charity World Animal Protection, said Loro Parque was ultimately an entertainment business that used orcas to make money.
She added: “Morgan’s pregnancy underlines the fact that Loro Parque could never be a suitable option for Wikie and Keijo and should be removed as an option.”
Marineland, who are still paying to look after the orcas, said a move to Loro Parque as soon as possible was in the best interests of the animals’ ********. They have asked the ecology ministry to approve the transfer.
‘The water is too warm for orcas’
The whale sanctuary in Canada applied to the French government to take in the orcas last year but their bid was rejected in January.
They were told the site they had selected in Nova Scotia was too far away and that the water there was too cold for Wikie and Keijo, who have spent their whole lives in southern France.
Following Pannier-Runacher’s proposal for a sanctuary in Europe, which she announced a fortnight ago in a video on Instagram, the directors of the rejected ********* project criticised the idea of one being built in the Mediterranean.
They wrote a letter to her in which they cited Dr David Perpiñán, a diplomate at the European College of Zoological Medicine, who said: “Wikie and Keijo’s origin is Iceland. These two orcas do not belong to the ecotypes seen in the Mediterranean.”
He added: “The possibility of building a sanctuary for them in the Mediterranean is probably the worst of the possible options.”
The directors also said, unlike the European proposal, their sanctuary was ready to begin construction as the design had already been finalised.
EPA-EFE
Morgan, the only female orca at Loro Parque, is pregnant and some campaigners fear Wikie would be bred too
Other animal rights groups have been more welcoming of Pannier-Runacher’s announcement, saying a European sanctuary would still be better for the orcas’ ******** than life in another marine zoo.
Sea Shepherd, a marine conservation society, replied to the minister on Instagram saying this was a chance to achieve what the zoo industry calls “impossible” – the building of an ocean sanctuary where captive orcas can enjoy the rest of their lives.
Pannier-Runacher said in her video she was keenly aware of the strong feelings people had about where Wikie and Keijo should be rehomed.
She did not rule out sending them to Loro Parque or other marine zoos, only that she would “oppose any transfer to a site that is not suitable for accommodating” orcas.
Last November she blocked an application by Marineland to send the killer whales to a marine zoo in Japan, citing lower animal ******** regulations in the country.
The ‘Year of the Sea’ is currently underway in France, a government initiative to raise awareness about the importance of the ocean, and Pannier-Runacher believes the creation of a European whale sanctuary would be a fitting testament to it.
“I’m not telling you that it will work,” she told Instagram users. “But nothing ventured, nothing gained.”
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WA election 2025: Labor outnumbers Liberals five to one on digital staff
WA election 2025: Labor outnumbers Liberals five to one on digital staff
WA Labor has deployed a 15-strong army of social media whizzes, while the Liberals have just three.
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Among the Best Stocks to Buy According to Bill Gates
Among the Best Stocks to Buy According to Bill Gates
We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Stocks to Buy According to Bill Gates. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) stands against the other stocks.
Bill Gates is one of the most influential figures in the modern world. The software company he co-founded, best known for its Windows operating system, ranks among the most valuable companies globally, boasting a market capitalization of $3 trillion. This success has contributed to Gates becoming one of the wealthiest individuals, with his net worth recently estimated at $108 billion.
In 2000, Bill and Melinda Gates established the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, now one of the world’s largest charitable organizations. The foundation focuses on public health, poverty reduction, education, and climate change. Since 1994, the Gateses have contributed over $50 billion to its initiatives, including more than $1.94 billion in grants for vaccine research during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a report by Business Insider, Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates, and Warren Buffett have collectively contributed around $100 billion to the Gates Foundation to date. During an interview with the BBC, the Microsoft co-founder and Gates Foundation chair disclosed the extent of his philanthropic efforts. According to a foundation fact sheet, Gates and French Gates, who are now divorced, donated a total of $59.5 billion between the organization’s inception in 2000 and the end of 2023. Meanwhile, Buffett, the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, has contributed an additional $39.3 billion.
The foundation has been a major financial backer of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for malaria and tuberculosis vaccine research. It also played a pivotal role in launching Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which spearheads immunization efforts in low-income nations. Headquartered in Seattle, the foundation continues to expand its global impact. Following a $20 billion donation, Gates outlined plans to boost its annual spending by 50%, targeting $9 billion by 2026.
Bill Gates has dedicated years and billions of dollars to addressing climate change. His foundation has directed substantial funding toward climate technology solutions while consistently highlighting major sources of greenhouse gas emissions, particularly those from large energy and manufacturing companies that burn fossil fuels extensively. However, Gates believes that many people overlook one of the significant contributors to climate change: agriculture, particularly methane emissions from livestock and the impact of fertilizers.
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Since 2015, Breakthrough Energy, the climate-focused investment firm he founded, has allocated $2.2 billion to more than 160 startups and initiatives, aiming to generate investor returns while reducing emissions. In addition to these investments through the firm, Gates has also pursued climate-focused ventures independently. Some of these startups focus on practical solutions, such as sealants to improve heating efficiency, while others explore more unconventional approaches, including burying plant waste to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
As of Q4 2024, The Gates Foundation, managed by Michael Larson, has a portfolio valued at over $42 billion. The tech and industrial goods sectors represented 29% and 26.3% of the portfolio, respectively. The finance sector made up over 21% of the fund’s portfolio. In view of this, we will take a look at the best stocks to buy according to Bill Gates.
To make our list of the latest stocks in Bill Gates’ portfolio, we scanned through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s SEC filings for the fourth quarter and picked out the top ten stocks with the highest investment stakes.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).
Microsoft Corporation (MSFT): Among Best Stocks To Invest In From Couch Potato Stock Portfolio
A development team working together to create the next version of Windows.
Stake Value as of Q4 2024: $11,994,729,611
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is engaged in developing and marketing software, services, and hardware that deliver new opportunities, greater convenience, and enhanced value to people’s lives. While the $3 trillion company was co-founded by Bill Gates himself 50 years ago, he now owns less than 1% of the business after his most recent donation of shares to the Gates Foundation in 2022.
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) reported revenue of $69.6 billion in Q2 2025, up 12% YoY, while its net income of $24.1 billion surged by 10% on a YoY basis. This strong performance was driven by a 21% increase in cloud revenue, although challenges remain in Azure’s growth. The company also witnessed a whopping 157% jump in AI services revenue last quarter, exceeding its expectations. Microsoft maintains a strong balance sheet, generating $22.2 billion in operating cash flow and ending Q2 with over $17.4 billion available in cash and cash equivalents. It also returned $9.5 billion to investors through dividends and share repurchases.
Shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) recently took a hit after investment bank TD Cowen reported that the company had canceled some of its leases of data centers in the US, a move that may reflect concerns about whether it’s building more AI computing than it will need over the long term. However, the company responded by saying that it is sticking to its plan to invest over $80 billion in AI and cloud capacity this fiscal year.
Bretton Capital Management stated the following regarding Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) in its Q4 2024 investor letter:
“Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has become the go-to provider of computing services for many emerging AI companies, and its franchise is much more diversified than Alphabet’s, making it a net beneficiary of the AI arms race. Demand for its cloud computing services continued to grow, and the rest of its business (Orce, Windows, Xbox, GitHub, LinkedIn) are also thriving, sending earnings per share up 22% while the stock returned 13%.”
Overall MSFT ranks 1st on our list of the best stocks to buy according to Bill Gates. While we acknowledge the potential for MSFT as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than MSFT but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stock To Buy Now and Complete List of 59 AI Companies Under $2 Billion in Market Cap
Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
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Trump takes actions to increase lumber supplies and curb wood imports – The Associated Press
Trump takes actions to increase lumber supplies and curb wood imports – The Associated Press
Trump takes actions to increase lumber supplies and curb wood imports The Associated PressTrump Picks Another Trade Fight With Canada Over Lumber The New York TimesHow tariffs on lumber would hit home builders and buyers AxiosTrump orders new tariff probe into US lumber imports ReutersTrump orders probe into alleged dumping of lumber in US market Financial Times
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Israel supports ceasefire proposal from U.S. envoy, Netanyahu says
Israel supports ceasefire proposal from U.S. envoy, Netanyahu says
Israel’s government said early Sunday it supports a proposal to extend the first phase of the ceasefire in Gaza through Ramadan and Passover, though ****** has insisted on negotiating the truce’s second phase instead.
The statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office came minutes after the first phase ended, and as talks have begun on starting the second phase that’s aimed at ending the war and seeing all remaining living hostages in Gaza returned home.
The statement gives new details on what Israel described as a U.S. proposal: A ceasefire extension through Passover, or April 20. On the first day of the framework, half the hostages, alive and dead, would be released. The rest would be released if an agreement is reached on a permanent ceasefire.
The statement said it was proposed after U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff got “the impression that at this stage there was no possibility of bridging the positions of the parties to end the war, and that more time was needed for talks on a permanent ceasefire.”
There was no immediate comment from ******, which earlier rejected an Israeli proposal to extend the ceasefire’s first phase by 42 days — doubling its length — saying it goes against the truce agreement, according to a member of the group who requested anonymity to discuss the closed-door negotiations.
Officials from Israel and mediators Qatar, Egypt and the United States have been involved in negotiations on starting the ceasefire’s second phase in Cairo. But Basem Naim, a member of ******’ political bureau, told The Associated Press there had been “no progress” before Israeli negotiators returned home on Friday. ****** did not attend, but its position has been represented through Egyptian and Qatari mediators.
Under the ceasefire deal’s terms, fighting should not resume while negotiations are underway on phase two.
Israel’s new statement says it can return to fighting “if it believes that the negotiations are ineffective,” and it noted ******’ refusal to accept the proposal for an extension of the first phase.
However, “if ****** changes its position, Israel will immediately enter into negotiations on all the details of the Witkoff plan,” the statement says.
Before Israel’s new statement, an Egyptian official involved in the talks spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the negotiations. The official said ******, Qatar and Egypt wanted to continue with the existing ceasefire deal, and they rejected Israel’s proposal to extend the ceasefire for four weeks with a release of hostages every Saturday without officially entering negotiations on the second phase.
The Egyptian official said the U.S. wants to start negotiations on the second phase but called for hostage releases during the negotiations. ****** insisted on a full implementation of the ceasefire terms.
The first phase, which paused 15 months of fighting in Gaza, saw the release of 33 hostages, including eight bodies, in exchange for nearly 2,000 ************ prisoners. Hundreds of thousands of people returned home to northern Gaza, aid into the territory increased and Israeli forces withdrew to buffer zones.
****** started the war with its Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack that left about 1,200 dead in Israel, mostly civilians, and took some 250 hostage. Since then, Israel’s military offensive has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, who do not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths but say more than half the dead have been women and children.
According to Israel, 32 of the 59 hostages still in Gaza are dead.
The two sides agreed to the three-phase ceasefire deal in January. Talks on the second phase were meant to start the first week of February. Israelis rallied Saturday night to urge their government to continue the deal.
****** has reaffirmed its “full commitment to implementing all terms of the agreement in all its stages and details” and called on the international community to pressure Israel to immediately proceed to the second phase.
Other challenges complicate the ceasefire’s future. Israel has said ****** cannot be involved in governing Gaza after the war. Netanyahu has also ruled out any role in Gaza for the Western-backed ************ Authority, dominated by ******’ main rival, ******.
****** leader Mohamed Darwish on Saturday reiterated the group is willing to hand over power to a ************ national consensus government or an Egypt-proposed body of technocrats not aligned with ****** or ******. His comments came in an open letter to next week’s summit of Arab leaders in Cairo. ****** has dismissed Israel’s suggestion that its leadership go into exile.
Witkoff, speaking on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” last weekend, said that securing the release of the last U.S. national believed to be among the surviving hostages, ***** Alexander was “front and center for us.” Alexander was serving with the Israel Defense Forces when he was abducted during the Oct. 7 terrorist attack,
“I know his parents,” Witkoff told CBS News. “We talk all the time. He’s critical. It’s one of President Trump’s most important objectives is to get all Americans home, and we’re going to be successful in getting ***** home, I believe.”
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Rail fares rise by 4.6% in England and Wales
Rail fares rise by 4.6% in England and Wales
Tom Espiner
BBC business reporter
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Regulated rail fares have gone up in England and Wales by 4.6% and the price of most railcards has risen by £5.
The government says fares need to rise so it can invest in the rail system, but Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander acknowledged passengers were “frustrated” by delays and cancellations.
Although the government plans to renationalise three rail operators this year, this is not expected to bring ticket prices down.
The Campaign for Better Transport said the latest increase “piles further misery on hard-pressed households” and called for lower fares.
The rail fare rise for regulated tickets includes most season tickets covering commuter routes in England, which can cost thousands of pounds.
Some off-peak returns on long-distance journeys, and flexible tickets for travelling in and around cities will also rise.
Train operators set their own prices for unregulated fares, but these tend to increase by a similar amount to regulated fares, including on lines that have already been renationalised.
About 45% of train fares are regulated in England, Wales and Scotland, but the 4.6% rise relates to travel in England and Wales only.
In Scotland, rail fares are set to increase by 3.8% in April.
In Northern Ireland, the nationalised Translink service said no decision had yet been taken by the Department for Infrastructure on whether rail fares will go up in 2025.
The cost of most railcards has also gone up by about £5, from about £30, but disabled railcards remain the same price.
‘Crazily expensive’Adrian Rose
Adrian Rose from Sittingbourne in Kent says the cost of some rail fares are “prohibitive”
Adrian Rose, 50, from Sittingbourne in Kent says hiking rail fares when they are already “crazily expensive” is not justifiable.
For him and his wife and two daughters to drive from Kent to see relatives in Newcastle is no more than £100 in fuel for the family, whereas to go by train can cost more than £400 if booking close to the departure date.
“The cost is prohibitive,” he says.
“I would happily take the train, but for over four times the cost? I could have a week’s holiday for that money.”
But Celia Downie, who uses the train regularly for work and leisure, says she will continue to do so “however much it costs”, because “I can work on the train and I believe it is environmentally proper to do so”.
But the 68-year-old from Bristol, who has a Senior Railcard, also believes prices are too high for families and says sometimes the experience of cramped carriages is “absolutely appalling”.
‘Not fit for purpose’
Heidi Alexander said she understood passenger frustration that fares keep rising “despite unacceptable levels of delays and cancellations”.
However, she said it was the lowest absolute increase in fares for three years.
But the Campaign for Better Transport said the fare increases would add to the pressure on households, coming on top of higher food and energy costs.
Michael Solomon Williams, head of campaigns at the group, said high ticket prices were the “number one barrier to getting more people travelling by rail”, and called on the government to bring down fares as part of rail reforms.
“The majority of the public are in favour of a publicly owned railway, but this support all but vanishes if fares were to continue to increase,” he said.
The campaign group said out of 40 commuter routes into London, annual season tickets for three will top £6,000 for the first time, with 10 others already there.
Annual season tickets from Canterbury and Southampton into London will go up by more than £300 to £7,100 and £7,477 respectively.
The government plans to renationalise rail firms as operators’ contracts either end or reach a break.
Last year, it said South Western Railway would be renationalised in May 2025, C2C in July 2025, and Greater Anglia in autumn 2025.
It is setting up a new arms-length body, Great British Railways (GBR), to take over service contracts currently held by private firms as they expire in the coming years.
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New world record for the largest polar bear dip
New world record for the largest polar bear dip
Czech cold-water swimmers have set a new world record for the largest polar bear dip.
A total of 2461 swimmers were involved in the successful attempt on the Most lake in northwest Czech Republic.
The previous record was 1799 swimmers who participated in the polar bear dip in Mielno, Poland, on the Baltic Sea on February 15, 2015, according to Guinness World Records.
For the record to be recognised, the participants have to be wearing bathing suits, be at least waist-deep in water and stay there all together for at least one minute.
The temperature of the water during the record attempt was 3.5C, well inside the “lower than 10C” mark required.
“Czechs are a nation of polar swimmers,” said David Vencl, the organiser of the event.
Vencl, a freediver, himself set a world record four years ago in men’s swimming under ice when he swam a record distance of 80.9 metres.
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Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis Vs. Lamont ****** Jr Results: Fight Card Results – Forbes
Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis Vs. Lamont ****** Jr Results: Fight Card Results – Forbes
Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis Vs. Lamont ****** Jr Results: Fight Card Results Forbes’Tank’ Davis vs. ****** live updates, results and analysis ESPNGervonta Davis vs. Lamont ****** Jr. fight predictions, odds, undercard, start time, preview, expert picks CBS SportsTank Davis vs Lamont ******: Live streaming updates and results, round by round, how to watch, PPV price, start time Bad Left HookHow to watch Tank Davis vs. Lamont ****** boxing match on Amazon Prime PPV USA TODAY
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Trump takes actions to increase lumber supplies and curb wood imports
Trump takes actions to increase lumber supplies and curb wood imports
Breaking down Trump-Starmer meeting, tariffs
Breaking down Trump’s meeting with U.K.’s Starmer, tariffs on U.S. allies
05:44
President Trump on Saturday signed a pair of actions to increase domestic lumber production, including a directive for the Commerce Department to investigate the possible harms that lumber imports pose to national security.
The president signed an executive order to increase the possible supplies of timber and lumber and possibly lower housing and construction costs, according to senior administration officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to preview the actions on a call with reporters. The goal is to streamline the permitting process by salvaging more wood from forests and expand how much wood product can be offered for *****, a senior White House official said.
The official said the order would also help prevent wildfires and improve the habitat for animals. The order would streamline the permitting process for obtaining wood products.
The official said that Canada, Brazil and Germany, among others, are engaged in subsidies regarding lumber that put the United States at a disadvantage. At the president’s direction, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick would start a Section 232 investigation under the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 to determine possible national security risks.
Mr. Trump told reporters on Feb. 19 while aboard Air Force One that he was considering a 25% tariff on lumber imports, according to Reuters.
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Knife crime: ‘I’m not tech-savvy
Knife crime: ‘I’m not tech-savvy
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I’m 48, use social media occasionally, and I’m not very tech-savvy. Until recently I’d never used Telegram.
But last year, after meeting the family of Ronan Kanda – the 16-year-old who was killed in a case of mistaken identity by two other teenagers who’d bought a sword and machete online – I decided to figure out how easy it was to buy a knife from social media.
It seemed like the children in the case were able to buy huge, deadly weapons with shocking ease.
So in spring 2024, I set up several social media accounts in the name of a fake 18-year-old man. He is a Londoner who is friends with a group of young men who carry knives. He thinks he needs one too, to protect himself, and he knows larger knives are more intimidating.
I got myself a separate mobile so my new searches would not impact my usual browsing algorithms. I started searching for knives, liking and following accounts which offered content.
The groups contained images of young men posing with knives, videos of close-ups of the blades, and some had videos of knife fights. Very quickly my new social media accounts started showing me more similar content.
A familiar pattern emerged. Knives were being advertised in posts on Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, with sellers directing buyers in their bio to their Telegram channels – encrypted groups where videos, photos and prices of knives for ***** were openly shared.
I found TikTok accounts like these advertising dangerous knives
Within hours of starting my searches I found and joined my first Telegram group selling banned weapons. There were zombie knives, machetes, switchblades and swords.
Twenty-two-inch machetes cost £40 and 24-inch zombie knives were £50 – with new stock arriving soon. The seller was based in Walsall and promised delivery to the Birmingham area for £5. Days later, a message went up saying the machetes and zombie knives had sold out.
Then a poll went up, asking “Should I get stab-proof vests?” Fifty-six subscribers answered. A few weeks later, stab vests were available to buy.
Within a few weeks I found more than 10 social media accounts offering ******** knives for *****. It didn’t take long for me to learn the slang used for terms like knife seller, flick knife and zombie knife.
Knives were offered in a range of colours – gold, silver, red and blue being the most common. Sellers uploaded photos of their parcels, naming the courier companies they were using to “guarantee quick delivery”. In some groups buyers had written reviews after receiving their knives – “******** quality these” and “vouched – nice one bro”.
There were deals too. One group offered discounts on bulk buying, £5 off second orders, and the chance for members to win knives and knuckledusters for free. As far as I could see, none of the groups were doing any kind of age verification.
Some were closed down during the nine months I observed them on Telegram, including one called Shanks R Us. But most of them stayed active the whole time.
Many routinely posted that they were out of stock, and apologised for the inconvenience.
In September 2024, the government introduced legislation making it an imprisonable offence to own or sell zombie-style knives and machetes. This added them to a long list of prohibited knives.
It’s clear they are now getting harder to get a hold of.
In one group, the admin says they are getting zombie knives manufactured and shipped from abroad – Malaysia, Pakistan and China – and it’s taking longer than usual. The admin brags that “all [their] shipments land”, and now they’re focusing on “bulk stock for the future… meaning the knives should be cheaper”.
But despite this, the trade is still going strong. On 14 February, I see a message on a group that’s grown from zero to 600 members in just a few months reading: “Happy Valentine’s Day to da ladies out there, grab your mans a tool for Valentine’s Day, make sure he’s safe.”
Many of the knives being sold are clearly ******** – but some aren’t.
The ***** of legal knives over Telegram is not technically forbidden, as you don’t need a licence or registration to sell them. It is, however, ******** to publish material encouraging the use of a knife as a weapon.
In spring 2025, the Home Office intends to launch a consultation into a registration scheme for selling knives online – which would require sellers of all knives, including regular kitchen knives, to sign up.
The Offensive Weapons Act states that there should be a system in place for age verification on ***** and for delivery, but there’s no evidence that this takes place in the social media groups I’ve been in.
I contacted the social media platforms to ask what they were doing to curb this harmful content.
Snapchat said selling weapons, including knives, was explicitly banned on the platform and that it actively worked to remove such content.
It said action was taken against violators of the policy – like disabling accounts. It also said it supported police investigations and had a team working around the clock to respond to authorities’ data requests.
Similarly, TikTok said the trade of dangerous weapons was prohibited and that in the third quarter of 2024, 96% of clips that breached guidelines were removed before being reported. It said sharp knives, regardless of size, were not allowed to be sold on TikTok Shop.
It added it worked closely with government and police to understand changes in knife crime, and assisted police enquiries.
I reached out to Meta too – which hasn’t yet provided a comment. Previously a spokeswoman told the Times that the promotion and ***** of weapons on Meta’s platforms was banned, and that such content was removed when found.
She added that in 2024, Meta met other tech firms, the Home Office, Ofcom and officials to understand how to work together to tackle the issue.
Telegram – the most unregulated of all the platforms – didn’t get back to me.
Telegram is crucial as it is the place where sales of the dangerous weapons actually take place – without action by them, things might not change even if Snapchat, TikTok and Meta cracked down on harmful content.
Nikita and Pooja Kanda, the sister and mother of murdered teen Ronan Kanda
Murdered teen Ronan Kanda’s sister told the BBC that his ********* “didn’t have any problems collecting his knife from his local post office”.
His mother, Pooja, was adamant that the online ***** of bladed articles had played a “crucial role” in the tragedy. “A 16-year-old managed to get these weapons online and sold these weapons to other people,” she said.
Following his death the government has announced a series of new measures known as Ronan’s Law, including stiffer sentences for selling knives to under-18s.
“Out of tragedy comes a light,” said Pooja. “The light we all need.”
But she stressed “there’s so much more we can do.”
Right now, it’s still incredibly easy to buy lethal blades on social media.
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WA election 2025: Kimberley MP Divina D’Anna on the brink of making political history
WA election 2025: Kimberley MP Divina D’Anna on the brink of making political history
Kimberley MP Divina D’Anna could be on the brink of making WA political history by becoming WA’s first female Indigenous MP to become a minister.
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Cleveland Clinic named second-best hospital on Earth
Cleveland Clinic named second-best hospital on Earth
CLEVELAND (WJW) — Newsweek has named Cleveland Clinic the No. 2 hospital in the world for the seventh year in a row.
The publication’s World’s Best Hospitals 2025 ranking also put Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi at No. 172 — it’s also the No. 1 hospital in the United Arab Emirates — and Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital at No. 225, out of a total 250 hospitals worldwide.
Local scratch-off wins $500,000 top prize
“This recognition is a direct reflection of our 83,000 caregivers, who form the heart and soul of our global organization,” Cleveland Clinic CEO and President Dr. Tom Mihaljevic, is quoted in a Friday news release. “Their dedication, compassion and commitment to excellence are the pillars of Cleveland Clinic care. Every day, they answer the call to serve those in need.”
Mayo Clinic – Rochester in Minnesota took the top spot in Newsweek’s 2025 list.
Six other Clinic locations in Northeast Ohio and Florida were named in a separate ranking of the best hospitals in the U.S.:
Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, No. 2
Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital, Cleveland, No. 37
Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital, Weston, Florida, No. 48
Cleveland Clinic Akron General, Akron, No. 81
Cleveland Clinic Hillcrest Hospital, Mayfield Heights, No. 92
Cleveland Clinic Avon Hospital, Avon, No. 299
RFK Jr. targets childhood psychiatric drugs; doctors push back
Last year, Newsweek dubbed the Cleveland Clinic the World’s Best Smart Hospital and one of the World’s Best Specialized Hospitals, and acknowledged it as the best in the world for urology.
Other Ohio hospitals named by Newsweek include University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center in Cleveland, at No. 221, and Ohio State University Wexner – Medical Center in Columbus, at No. 245.
The rankings are based on surveys and data from hospitals in 30 countries, including opinions from more than 85,000 medical experts around the world, patient experiences and outcomes, and quality metrics.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
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Judge extends block on Trump gender-affirming care federal funding ban – The Hill
Judge extends block on Trump gender-affirming care federal funding ban – The Hill
Judge extends block on Trump gender-affirming care federal funding ban The HillJudge Blocks Trump’s Plan to End Funds for Trans Youth Health Providers in 4 States The New York TimesJudge in Seattle deals blow to Trump order seeking end to some gender-affirming care The Seattle TimesDonald Trump Suffers Major Legal Setback in Four States Newsweek
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Lewis Crocker v Paddy Donovan: Belfast fighter awarded wins chaotic fight via disqualification
Lewis Crocker v Paddy Donovan: Belfast fighter awarded wins chaotic fight via disqualification
Belfast fighter Crocker spent most of the opening round marching forward with his hands high and tight, his elbows tucked, with southpaw Donovan looking for separation to let his fast hands go and its was the latter who was the busier.
The contest began to open up in the second as they both got through with shots on the inside, but Crocker was more economical as he seemed determined not to waste anything by throwing for the sake of it, yet this was allowing Donovan to get into a flow although he was forced to work non-stop.
A cut appeared over Crocker’s right eye in the third with referee McDonnell signalling it came from a punch and it was becoming a gruelling battle as the boxers traded up close.
Donovan seemed to use downstairs as his target with Crocker bringing the uppercut into play but he would find himself with a huge welt under the left eye by the end of the fourth.
These were visible signs that ‘The Real Deal’ was making a dent – his speed was hugely effective as he was first to land when they were at middle distance.
Donovan had been warned on a couple of occasions for use of the elbow and in the sixth, it was once too many as a point was deducted.
Still, there was a sense that Donovan was in the lead on the cards and Crocker needed something to get a bit of momentum to bring his crowd back to life.
A couple of shots did that in the seventh, but Donovan’s use of the head saw him on the end of another scolding and perhaps fortunate not to lose another point.
His response was to up the pace as he threw in flurries, closing out the round in good style and he seemed to be on top in the eighth as he marched forward, but did ultimately lose that second point for use of the head.
Again, he upped the pace and a shot into the mid-section had Crocker down. The Belfast man rose and threw some wild shots as they heard the bell, but Donovan wasn’t done and inexplicably threw well after the bell on a vulnerable Crocker who was down and there was no option but to call it.
What happens next is difficult to predict as Crocker moves to 21-0 and Donovan is now stuck with a first loss. As it stands, it is the Belfast man moving on to a welterweight title shot, although a rematch may not be out of the question.
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Anglicare: Whoever wins the WA election 2025 needs to get things moving and fast
Anglicare: Whoever wins the WA election 2025 needs to get things moving and fast
The next government needs to hit the ground running. Whoever it is, whatever form the next government takes, we need to hit the ground running.
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Plane crashes at New Smyrna Beach Airport: Here’s what we know
Plane crashes at New Smyrna Beach Airport: Here’s what we know
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.Generate Key Takeaways
The Brief
A small plane experienced “engine issues” and then crashed shortly after taking off from New Smyrna Beach Airport, officials said.
There were two people aboard the plane: the pilot and one other person.
First responders said no one was injured in the ******. The plane appeared to ****** through a fence and flip over.
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. – A small plane – possibly connected to a flight school – crashed and overturned Saturday morning near New Smyrna Beach Airport, according to the New Smyrna Beach Fire Department.
In a post on Facebook, the fire department said the plane crashed on the west side of the airport, near Turnbull Road. No one was injured, the fire department said.
A photo shared by the fire department showed the overturned plane, which had “Epic Flight Academy” on the red tail. It showed that the plane had seemingly crashed through a fence, knocking it down, before coming to rest alongside a paved trail on the perimeter of the airport.
FAA: Pilot reported engine trouble
The FAA said the plane, a Cessna 172, crashed shortly after the pilot reported “engine issues” after taking off from the airport. There were two people onboard the plane.
Epic Flight Academy
Epic Flight Academy is a flight school at New Smyrna Beach Airport. It was founded in 1999, according to its website. It specializes in pilot training and mechanic training, the website states.
FOX 35 has reached out to Epic Flight Academy for comment.
The Source
The New Smyrna Beach Fire Department posted about the plane ****** on its Facebook page on Saturday, March 1, 2025. The FAA releases some information on the plane, the ******, and how many people were onboard.
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