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lol646m UN General Assembly calls for 'unconditional' ceasefire in GazaVera will soon return to screens to bow out after 14 years, meaning that a growing number of stars have now been in its cast. And, while the likes of leading lady Brenda Blethyn are on its final series, others have flown the nest, including one who who made an unexpected return after quitting his role. After its launch in 2011, Vera cemented itself as one of the nation's favourite dramas, with BAFTA winner and Oscar nominee Brenda leading the ranks as no nonsense sleuth DCI Stanhope. There have now been 13 series on ITV, with it announced earlier this year, that the next two episodes will be the last, with Vera ending for good with its finale on January 2. Vera's return for a 13th run at the start of this year was tinged with some sadness, with the news that stars Kenny Doughty and Ibinabo Jack would be playing no part in it; having both decided to walk away from the Sunday night drama. Both of them made their exits in last year's Vera Christmas special, The Rising Tide and their departures aren't the first exits to rock Vera. Here, ahead of Vera series 14, we look at what happened to some of the show's stars who've walked away, one of whom made a shock on screen comeback this year. We'll start with the actor who is returning to Vera, to reprise his role as Joe Ashworth; eight years after leaving leading lady Brenda 'heartbroken' with his exit. After appearing in shows like BBC drama Cutting It, David became Vera's original sidekick, with millions of ITV viewers loving the camaraderie between him and Brenda. It came as a massive surprise to Brenda and Vera fans when David left the show after series four. His character Joe wasn't even given a proper exit on screen, with his absence being explained by DCI Stanhope, as she briefly mentioned that he'd moved sway after getting a 'big promotion.' After leaving Vera, David carved out a successful career as a film director, winning a coveted Tribeca film award for Best narrative short for Man and Boy. David also worked on Orthodox and North East set two parter Stable and Hyem, as well as being in the directing team for smash hit drama Killing Eve and returning to Vera behind the camera, to direct an episode of series 8. And, in a turn of events that no-one, particularly the man himself, saw coming, David was back as Joe for series 13, with Brenda Bletyhn suggesting they get him back if they wanted her to continue on as Vera. The lead actress got her way and David is once again by her side in the 14th and final series. Late actor Paul starred as Dr Billy Cartwright in Vera from 2011-13, before going onto have worldwide fame in the cast of Friday Night Dinner. Paul died in 2021 at the age of 54, having battled a brain tumour. Paying tribute to him, Brenda Blethyn took to X (Twitter) to write: "RIP Paul Ritter, the very finest of actors and a gentleman. He will be so sorely missed and I send my heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. What very sad news." The most recent of Vera's departing stars, Kenny hinted at his exit from the show when he posted a series of backstage photos of him and his co-stars and captioned them 'Thanks for the memories.' That set alarm bells ringing for fans and their worst fears were confirmed when Kenny then returned to social media to announce he'd decided to walk away from playing Vera's sidekick, Aiden Healy after nearly nine years. Kenny has since confirmed he made the decision to leave before filming series 12, with him then convinced to stay for the Christmas special. He has given no indication as to what's next for him career wise, but he did make headlines in November, after getting married to Extras and Nativity star Ashley Jensen, having headed up to Shetland with her as she joined the BBC drama of the same name, also written by Vera author Ann Cleeves. A few months ago, having already filmed new Channel 5 thriller Au Pair, Kenny announced he'd be joining forces with other half Ashley in Wax Fruit, which he described on Instagram as a 'Scottish period drama with wonderful scripts, locations but most importantly characters & stories for everyone.' Kingsley played pathologist Dr Marcus from series 4-6, before coming back a few years later. S ince flying the nest from the show, has gone onto star in Oscar nominated movie One Night in Miami and played a Ken Doll in Barbie the much publicised Greta Gerwig film that was released in the summer and went onto be 2023's biggest film. Kinsley starred alongside leads Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie in the movie inspired by the iconic doll, with other famous faces in the cast list including Will Ferrell, Ugly Betty actress America Ferrera and New Rules singer Dua Lipa. A role in Barbie isn't the only part film fans have seen Kingsley play of late, as he is also took on the lead role in a biopic of music legend Bob Marley; with him being snapped on set alongside co-stars like Happy Valley's James Norton, before the film was released to great reviews. After appearing in series two and five as Bethany, Cush's one episode of Vera's sixth series proved to be her last, as Bethany was killed off. Since her tragic exit from Vera, Cush went onto be a regular cast member in the 2015–2016 season of world famous CBS series The Good Wife, also going onto star in its spin-off, The Good Fight. Last year, she received an Olivier nomination for her star turn on stage in Hamlet and was also a guest judge on BBC's RuPaul's Drag Race UK season 5 in the autumn. She made her return to British TV drama in 2024, alongside Peter Capaldi in Criminal Record and as the lead character in ITV revenge thriller The Beast Must Die. It was back in 2011 that Wunmi first appeared alongside Brenda Blethyn as DC Holly Lawson in the first ever series of Vera and, in a recent interview, spoke about how working with acclaimed actress Brenda 'changed' her approach to her craft, explaining: "The thing I remember most fondly and I think this changed me as an actor was I watched her and you get taught to ignore the camera in drama school, but when I was watching her, I realised she wasn’t ignoring the camera. “The camera was the audience and she was making sure the audience knew what was going on. If she turned away from me, she was never turning away from the audience." After leaving Vera, Wunmi went onto star in Luther and Kiri and in Damilola, Our Beloved Boy, the 2016 TV film about the murder of youngster Damilola Taylor. Most recently she took the lead role in ITV's opinion dividing drama Passenger, with it revealed in the run up to Christmas that it wouldn't be getting a second series, after a mixed response from both viewers and critics. Sonya left Vera at the same time as David Leon, having played DS Ashworth's wife Celine. After her 'off screen exit,' from the ITV drama, Sonya went onto star in a remake of The Man Who Fell To Earth and returned to the primetime schedule in ITV's true crime drama - The Hunt for Raoul Moat last year. Sonya played fictional Chronicle journalist, Diana Barnwell, the first journalist in the scene after Moat's shootings, before she bid to deliver up to the minute reporting on the massive manhunt for the killer. Clare's character DS Rebecca 'Shep' Shephard, was part of DCI Stanhope's team in series three and four; before being replaced by Bethany as Cush returned to Vera. After she left Vera, Clare went onto feature in some massive ITV dramas like Unforgotten, Downton Abbey, Grace and Baptiste. Vera fans were left gutted at the start of series 12, when Paul's character, Dr Malcolm, bowed out after a final bit of vicious banter with DCI Stanhope. Paul's exit from the show was confirmed by Brenda Blethyn before Vera's return at the start of 2023, with both her and co-star Riley Jones saying how sad they were to see him go. Paul has since starred in Olivier Award winning play The Pillowman, alongside Lily Allen and Benidorm and League of Gentlemen star Steve Pemberton. The Pillowman launched at the Duke of York theatre in London's West End in June 2023, with Smile and The Fear singer Lily playing a writer in a police state who is interrogated about the content of her short stories and their similarities to several murders occurring in the town.

When Supreme Court justices debated Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care yesterday, they kept calling the science “evolving” and “uncertain. ” Last year, Tennessee made it illegal for doctors to provide gender-affirming care to trans teens. Their reason? The state claims it needs to make sure young people don’t become “disdainful of their sex” — that’s the actual language in the law. That’s not how medicine works, doctors say. “When we ban care or slow down care, we’re affecting an entire age cohort and putting them at risk for worse mental health,” says Dr. Carl Streed Jr., who leads the World Professional Association for Transgender Health’s U.S. chapter and runs research at Boston Medical Center’s GenderCare Center, told USA Today . The state’s case leans heavily on claims about medical uncertainty. But Dr. Joshua Safer, who heads Mount Sinai’s transgender medicine center in New York, also told USA Today the approach for treating trans youth is already “conservative” and carefully individualized. “We try to be thoughtful and conservative when we support parents and kids,” he said. What Tennessee’s law actually does is block doctors from using the same medications for trans kids that they can freely prescribe to other youth for different conditions. It’s this bizarre contradiction that’s now before the Supreme Court. Major medical organizations filed receipts with the Court in the form of amicus briefs. The American Academy of Pediatrics brought the data : Studies show that access to puberty blockers and hormone therapy, when prescribed according to established guidelines, significantly reduces mental health crises for trans youth who need them. But Tennessee’s case relies heavily on six doctors—and that’s where things get sketchy. A recent investigation by Accountable.US found that courts have repeatedly called out four of these experts for: These are the basic facts that got buried in court: While Justice Roberts called this an “evolving situation,” medical groups say the basic science is solid. What’s actually evolving is the political fight—25 states have passed similar bans despite major medical associations opposing them. RECOMMENDED • mlive .com Trans-Siberian Orchestra to bring ‘The Lost Christmas Eve Tour’ to Grand Rapids this Sunday Dec. 4, 2024, 12:53 p.m. The American Medical Association’s position is clear: “Trans and non-binary gender identities are normal variations of human identity and expression.” They warn that blocking care access can have “tragic health consequences.” The Court will rule by June. At stake isn’t just Tennessee’s law— similar bans in 25 other states could be affected. For trans teens and their doctors caught in the middle, the wait continues.

City at least avoided a sixth consecutive defeat but the manner in which they blew a commanding advantage will do little to settle nerves in and around the club ahead of Sunday’s trip to Premier League leaders Liverpool. City appeared in total control after a brace from Erling Haaland and another from Ilkay Gundogan had them three up seven minutes into the second half, but after Anis Hadj Moussa got one back in the 75th minute, City imploded. “It is what it is, difficult to swallow right now,” Guardiola said. “The game was good, we played well, we scored three and could have scored more. We do everything and then we give away, especially the first one, and after we are not stable enough to do it. “It’s not about no run or no commitment, but football you have to be [switched on] in certain moments to do it.” Santiago Gimenez got Feyenoord’s second in the 82nd minute and David Hancko got a dramatic equaliser in the 89th, making City the first team in Champions League history to have led 3-0 in the 75th minute of a match and fail to win. Some City fans, who suffered through Saturday’s 4-0 humiliation at home to Tottenham, made their frustrations known at the final whistle. “The last game against Tottenham, 0-4, the supporters were there, applause,” he said. “They are disappointed of course and we understand it. “People come here not to remember success of the past, they come here to see the team win and perform well. I am not the one when the situation is bad or good [to say] what they have to do. “These supporters, when we go away, our fans are amazing, travelling. There is nothing to do and they are right to express what they feel.” Guardiola’s own frustrations were apparent given the number of scratches visible on his head after the match. The Catalan had arrived at the ground with a cut on his nose, which he said he had caused himself with a long fingernail. City now face a trip to Anfield to face the Liverpool side of former Feyenoord boss Arne Slot, whose named was chanted by the visiting fans during the match. “Everybody knows the situation, I don’t have to add absolutely anything,” Guardiola said. “We are going to train tomorrow, recovery and prepare the next game. Day off and we have two or three days to prepare that and go for it. We will learn for the future and what has been has been. “It will be a tough season for us and we have to accept it for many circumstances.” Feyenoord’s late fightback brought jubilant scenes in the away end. “I think if you’re from Feyenoord it was an unbelievable evening,” head coach Brian Priske said. “A strange game which ends 3-3 which is an unbelievable result for us and also remarkable in the essence of being 3-0 down in minute 75 away from home against still, for me, the best team in the world. “Normally we don’t celebrate draws but this one is a little bit special.”

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By Ja'han Jones On Tuesday, a federal judge sentenced one of four activists convicted of conspiracy to act as agents of a foreign government , who worked with and for the Russian government to aid that efforts to sow political disunity in the U.S. Activist Augustus Romain Jr., 38, of Atlanta will serve five years’ probation and submit to random drug screenings. This case stemmed from federal investigators’ discovery that Romain and several associates worked with Russian officials to stoke political unrest and promote pro-Russian talking points in the U.S. from 2016 to 2022. Romain, who is Black, was convicted in September alongside Omali Yeshitela, a leader of the so-called Uhuru Movement, and Jesse Nevel and Penny Hess, who are white. Romain and Yeshitela had both been leaders of an umbrella organization known as the African People’s Socialist Party until Romain, who uses the nonbinary pronoun they, left to form their own group . The Atlanta Journal Constitution laid out some of the findings on Romain’s group and their work with a Kremlin-linked official named Aleksandr Viktorovich Ionov in a recent report. From the AJC : Romain left the group in 2018 and returned to Atlanta to form the Black Hammer Party, which they used to conduct often outlandish protests around the city, including an anti-vaccine protest outside the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during the COVID-19 epidemic, and a demonstration with members of the far-right Proud Boys in front of the CNN Center. FBI investigators said Ionov funded a number of Black Hammer activities, including a demonstration at the California headquarters of Meta, the parent company of Facebook, in March 2022 over its policies regarding content about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Justice Department said that in addition to protesting Meta on Russia’s dime, Romain posted Russian propaganda to social media at Ionov’s direction and sought Ionov’s input on a news release from their organization that condemned President Joe Biden’s support for Ukraine. The other co-conspirators in this case are expected to be sentenced next week. This case is a prime example of why voters must be wary of ostensibly radical activists whose rhetoric closely mirrors Russian far-right rhetoric. We know from a bipartisan S enate report on the Kremlin’s meddling in the 2016 election that Russian officials have taken a particular interest in targeting Black Americans with political propaganda. Considering a federal indictment filed this year alleges that Kremlin-linked officials have paid influencers to peddle right-wing, pro-Russian talking points, there’s no reason to believe Russia's efforts to infect the Black political discussion has been limited to Romain and their associates. Ja'han Jones is The ReidOut Blog writer. He's a futurist and multimedia producer focused on culture and politics. His previous projects include "Black Hair Defined" and the "Black Obituary Project."

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Bashar Barhoum woke in his prison cell in Damascus at dawn, thinking it would be the last day of his life. The 63-year-old writer was supposed to have been executed after being imprisoned for seven months. But he soon realized the men at the door weren’t from former Syrian President Bashar Assad’s notorious security forces, ready to take him to his death. Instead, they were rebels coming to set him free. As the insurgents swept across Syria in just 10 days to bring an end to the Assad family’s 50-year rule Dec. 8, they broke into prisons and security facilities to free political prisoners and many of the tens of thousands of people who disappeared since the conflict began back in 2011. Barhoum was one of those freed who were celebrating in Damascus. “I haven’t seen the sun until today,” Barhoum told The Associated Press after walking in disbelief through the streets of Damascus. “Instead of being dead tomorrow, thank God, he gave me a new lease of life.” Barhoum couldn’t find his cellphone and belongings in the prison, so he set off to find a way to tell his wife and daughters that he’s alive. Videos shared widely across social media showed dozens of prisoners running in celebration after the insurgents released them, some barefoot and others wearing little clothing. One of them screams in celebration after he finds out that the government has fallen. Syria’s prisons have been infamous for their harsh conditions. Torture is systemic, say human rights groups, whistleblowers and former detainees. Secret executions have been reported at more than two dozen facilities run by Syrian intelligence, as well as at other sites. In 2013, a Syrian military defector, known as “Caesar,” smuggled out over 53,000 photographs that human rights groups say showed clear evidence of rampant torture, but also disease and starvation in Syria’s prison facilities. Syria’s feared security apparatus and prisons did not only serve to isolate Assad’s opponents, but also to instill fear among his own people, said Lina Khatib, Associate Fellow in the Middle East and North Africa program at the London think tank Chatham House. “Anxiety about being thrown in one of Assad’s notorious prisons created wide mistrust among Syrians,” Khatib said. “Assad nurtured this culture of fear to maintain control and crush political opposition.” Just north of Damascus, in the Saydnaya military prison known as the “human slaughterhouse,” female detainees, some with their children, screamed as men broke the locks off their cell doors in the early hours Sunday as insurgents entered the city. Amnesty International and other groups say that dozens of people were secretly executed every week in Saydnaya, estimating that up to 13,000 Syrians were killed between 2011 and 2016. “Don’t be afraid ... Bashar Assad has fallen! Why are you afraid?” said one of the rebels as he tried to rush streams of women out of their jam-packed tiny cells. Tens of thousands of detainees have so far been freed, said Rami Abdurrahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based pro-opposition war monitor. Over the course of 10 days, insurgents freed prisoners in cities including Aleppo, Homs, Hama and Damascus. Omar Alshogre, who was detained for three years and survived relentless torture, watched in awe from his home far from Syria as videos showed dozens of detainees fleeing. “A hundred democracies in the world had done nothing to help them, and now a few military groups came down and broke open prison after prison,” Alshogre, a human rights advocate who now resides in Sweden and the U.S., told The Associated Press. Meanwhile, families of detainees and the disappeared skipped celebrations of the downfall of the Assad dynasty. Instead, they waited outside prisons and security branch centers, hoping their loved ones would be there. They had high expectations for the newcomers who will now run the battered country. “This happiness will not be completed until I can see my son out of prison and know where he is,” said Bassam Masri. “I have been searching for him for two hours. He has been detained for 13 years,” since the start of the Syrian uprising in 2011. Rebels struggled to control the chaos as crowds gathered by the Court of Justice in Damascus. Heba, who gave only her first name while speaking to the AP, said she was looking for her brother and brother-in-law who were detained while reporting a stolen car in 2011 and hadn’t been seen since. “They took away so many of us,” said Heba, whose mother’s cousin also disappeared. “We know nothing about them ... They (the Assad government) burned our hearts.” Get local news delivered to your inbox!

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