Following Columbia’s lead, students across the US are demanding ceasefire and divestment – and hundreds have been arrested

• Four students on why they’re protesting against war in Gaza: ‘Injustice should not be accepted’

At least 40 pro-Palestine protest camps have arisen across US campuses following Columbia University’s example earlier this month.

While many remain provocative though peaceful, demanding a ceasefire in Gaza and divestment by their institutions from companies with ties to Israel, hundreds of students and outside protesters have been arrested, and there have been some fierce clashes with police.

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Experts say the US east coast earthquake was an opportunity for people to learn the official protocol: ‘drop, cover and hold on’

Millions of people across the US east coast were jolted on Friday morning when a rare 4.8 magnitude earthquake struck the region.

With its epicenter in New Jersey, the temblor jostled densely populated areas where residents are less accustomed to earthquakes, including in the New York City metropolitan area . There are no early-warning systems in place for this region, unlike on the earthquake-prone west coast, where they give people a few moments to ready themselves before the shaking starts. On the east coast, fewer people have had practice or experience with what to do when an earthquake hits.

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Quake felt across New York City and surrounding areas including New Jersey

The New York region in the United States experienced a magnitude 4.8 earthquake that was felt across New York City and its surroundings including New Jersey, the Associated Press reported.

More details soon …

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Winner beat odds of one in 302.6m to secure eighth largest prize in lottery history

A person in New Jersey overcame the odds on Tuesday night and won the $1.13bn Mega Millions jackpot, breaking a winless streak that dated to last December.

The numbers drawn were: 7, 11, 22, 29, 38 and the gold Mega Ball 4. The winning ticket was sold in New Jersey, according the the Mega Millions website.

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Republican former New Jersey governor coy on whether he is considering 2024 ballot run with centrist No Labels group

Chris Christie, the former New Jersey governor, who mounted a failed, explicitly anti-Trump challenge for the Republican presidential nomination, refused to rule out running on a third-party No Labels ticket, a step most observers rate more likely to damage Joe Biden than Donald Trump.

Appearing on The Axe Files , a podcast hosted by the former Barack Obama adviser David Axelrod, Christie was asked if he was considering a No Labels run for the White House.

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Maryam Keshavarz’s semi-autobiographical film uses flashbacks to revel in the 80s and examine the different world of 1960s Iran

Energetic, funny and unashamedly sentimental, this is a warm-hearted comedy written and directed by Iranian-American film-maker Maryam Keshavarz, even if her semi-autobiographical story about life in a traditional Iranian family in New Jersey feels more than a little familiar from past movies about second-generation growing pains. But Keshavarz cranks up the charm, and the feelgood factor makes it an easy watch – despite some of the gags feeling more suited to a TV sitcom.

New York in the 00s; Leila (Layla Mohammadi) is a film-maker in her 20s, dressed up for a Halloween party in a “burqa-kini” (face-covering niqab on her top half, neon bikini below, incredible eyeliner). Leila is a lesbian but has a one night stand with a man in drag (Tom Byrne) at the party, and ends up pregnant. In lovingly recreated flashbacks to the 80s, Leila is a smart cheeky kid, youngest of nine siblings, struggling to find a sense of belonging and identity – as she explains on the voiceover. (Her running commentary is a bit much at times.) Back in the 00s, and adult Leila is not on speaking terms with her mother Shireen (Niousha Noor), who wants to preserve their Iranian culture. She refuses to accept her daughter is gay. (“You do this to hurt me!”).

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Police discovered three fatalities before cornering suspect who took hostages in a home in New Jersey

Residents of a Philadelphia-area suburb were ordered to shelter in their homes temporarily after a series of connected shootings on Saturday morning prompted a manhunt and hostage situation.

At about 8.50am local time, Falls township police were called to a home at Viewpoint Lane in Levittown, where two people had been shot dead. Minutes later, a second shooting was reported at Edgewood Lane, where a third person was killed.

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Co-owner Chris Carley asked for opening bids above $3,000 on eBay, reportedly aiming for $10,000 towards a renovation

More than 15 years after the cliffhanger final scene of The Sopranos screened in 2007, the classic American diner booth where it was filmed was sold at auction for a price that eventually cranked up to $82,600.

The TV mob drama, which the Guardian once described as “the most masterful show ever”, famously saw patriarch character Tony Soprano and his family sit in that booth in a New Jersey diner in the final scene of the series.

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