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Photo: Geoff Capes Foundation/supplied Geoff Capes, British strongman, shot put record holder and renowned budgerigar breeder, has died aged 75. Capes left an indelible mark on British sport, birdkeeping and 1980s popular culture. "The family of Geoffrey Capes would like to announce his sad passing today, 23rd October. Britain's finest shot putter and twice World's Strongest Man," the family said in a statement. Born in 1949 in Holbeach, Lincolnshire, Capes excelled in athletics, representing Britain in three Olympic Games from 1972 to 1980, and setting the national shot put record of 21.68 metres which has stood for 44 years. Although his best Olympic finish was fifth in 1980, he won two Commonwealth gold medals as well as a haul of European medals. Capes worked as a policeman and was a...

Gisele Pelicot, 71, has become a feminist icon in France since the trial of Dominique Pelicot and 50 other men opened last month. Photo: CHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP Gisele Pelicot, whose ex-husband and dozens of other men are on trial in France accused of raping her, said she was "broken" by her ordeal, but also "determined" to help other women. The 71-year-old has become a feminist icon in France since the trial of Dominique Pelicot and 50 other men opened last month in the southern French city of Avignon. The case has sparked horror, protests and a debate about male violence in French society. "I am a woman who is completely broken," Gisele Pelicot told the court, adding that she wanted to "change society" in terms of how it deals with sexual assault. Gisele Pelicot insisted from the start t...

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Apia, Samoa. Photo: Commonwealth Secretariat / Supplied Climate change, the Middle East, and the importance of small nations on the world stage are being picked as major talking points for the Commonwealth meeting in Samoa. The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, CHOGM for short, has been held every two years since 1973. King Charles attended the last one in Rwanda in 2022 - standing in for his mother just months before her death. This year about 6000 people are expected in Samoa, the first time a small Pacific nation has hosted. A majority of attendees - 33 of the 56 countries - are small states. Otago University Professor of International Relations Robert Patman said climate change would be high on the agenda for them. "I think climate...

By Ece Toksabay and Mert Ozkan for Reuters Turkish police officers gather in Kahramankazan, north of Ankara on October 23, 2024, near the gate of the Turkish Aerospace Industries, after a huge explosion outside the headquarters. Photo: AFP Four people were killed and 14 others wounded in an attack at the Turkish Aerospace Industries' headquarters on Wednesday, the government said, and witnesses said they heard gunfire and a loud explosion at the site near Ankara. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said two attackers were killed in what he called a terrorist attack, adding three of the injured are in critical condition. TV broadcasters earlier showed footage of armed assailants entering the TUSAS building. "Two terrorists were neutralised in the terror attack on the TUSAS Ankara Kahraman...