The UK heatwave is breaking all records. Schools have been shut, trains are running slower. Meanwhile, political temperatures are rising too. The TV debates for 10D are exposing divisions within the Conservative Party. Palki Sharma reports.

Gravitas: UK is sweltering under record high temperatures

July 18 is marked as Nelson Mandela International Day. Mandela was South Africa's first democratically-elected President, he fought against Apartheid and changed the trajectory of South Africa. Listen in to Palki Sharma.

Gravitas: Nelson Mandela International Day

30 green sea turtles were stabbed in Japan. Nearly half a million animals were killed during lab tests in Belgium. UN report says 1 million species could become extinct because. Palki Sharma tells you why you must act now.

Gravitas: UN Report: 1 Million species on track to extinction

Netflix is all set to publish its earnings report for the second quarter of 2022. The results could determine the company's future at a time when it is losing share value and subscribers. Palki Sharma decodes Netflix's 2022 nightmare.

Gravitas: Why is Netflix losing subscribers?

Sri Lanka's acting President Ranil Wickrenesinghe declared an emergency to tackle widespread protests against his government. How does the emergency empower the government? Will it backfire? Palki Sharma tells you.

Gravitas: Sri Lanka declares emergency to contain protests

Last week, the Hindu community in Bangladesh was targeted again. A temple and several houses of Hindus were vandalised in southwestern Bangladesh. Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: Angry mob targets Hindus again in Bangladesh

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed a new security official as acting head of the domestic security agency after he fired two top officials. Zelensky suspended the country's security chief and top prosecutor over claims that they failed to purge Russian spies from their organisations. Ivan Bakanov, who is Zelensky's childhood friend, will be replaced by Vasyl Maliuk - a former first deputy head of the SBU. Reports have mentioned that Maliuk led the anti-corruption and organised crime unit of the agency’s central directorate. ALSO READ | UK: Air traffic briefly suspended at Luton airport as hot weather 'melted' the runway Another change was Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova, who embodied Zelensky's policy of putting young political allies in charge of fighting corruption following the former TV comic's 2019 election. In a video statement, the Ukrainian president said that the pair had failed to eradicate traitors and collaborators. On Monday, the deputy head of Zelensky's administration said that the pair was suspended pending further investigation. WATCH | Passengers in shock as train halts in middle of wildfire in Spain As per reports, more than 60 officials from Bakanov's SBU security agency and the prosecutor's office were apparently working in Russian-occupied territory. In the video address, Zelensky said that 651 treason and collaboration cases had been opened against law enforcement officials. Zelensky said: "Such an array of crimes against the foundations of the national security of the state ... poses very serious questions to the relevant leaders." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Ukraine: Zelensky appoints new security official as acting head of domestic security agency

Twitter on Monday (July 18) accused Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk&nbsp;of trying to "slow walk" the company's lawsuit against the world's richest person to hold him to his $44 billion takeover bid.&nbsp;

This comes after Twitter sued Musk for breaching the multi-million dollar contract he had signed to buy the tech firm. Twitter has urged a Delaware court to order Musk to complete the deal.&nbsp;

In the latest development, the social media giant urged for a September trial. According to a court filing, documents revealed that trial will ensure deal financing remains in place. &nbsp;

The company wrote: "Millions of Twitter shares trade daily under a cloud of Musk-created doubt. No public company of this size and scale has ever had to bear these uncertainties."&nbsp;

As per the company, Musk is ordered to close the deal it could still take months of additional litigation to close the debt financing, which expires in April.&nbsp;

Now, Twitter asked the judge to reject Musk's proposal to hold the trial in February. Whereas, both sides will make their arguments about the trial's proposed to start.&nbsp;

Previously, the San Francisco-based company argued that no financial damages could repair the damage Musk caused after he said he would not complete the deal.&nbsp;

All of this started when Musk sent a letter to Twitter saying he was pulling out of the controversial deal he made in April to buy the platform for $54.20 per share, or $44 billion in total.&nbsp;

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Twitter on Monday (July 18) accused Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk of trying to "slow walk" the company's lawsuit against the world's richest person to hold him to his $44 billion takeover bid.

Twitter on Monday (July 18) accused Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk of trying to "slow walk" the company's lawsuit against the world's richest person to hold him to his $44 billion takeover bid. This comes after Twitter sued Musk for breaching the multi-million dollar contract he had signed to buy the tech firm. Twitter has urged a Delaware court to order Musk to complete the deal. In the latest development, the social media giant urged for a September trial. According to a court filing, documents revealed that trial will ensure deal financing remains in place. The company wrote: "Millions of Twitter shares trade daily under a cloud of Musk-created doubt. No public company of this size and scale has ever had to bear these uncertainties." As per the company, Musk is ordered to close the deal it could still take months of additional litigation to close the debt financing, which expires in April. Now, Twitter asked the judge to reject Musk's proposal to hold the trial in February. Whereas, both sides will make their arguments about the trial's proposed to start. Previously, the San Francisco-based company argued that no financial damages could repair the damage Musk caused after he said he would not complete the deal. All of this started when Musk sent a letter to Twitter saying he was pulling out of the controversial deal he made in April to buy the platform for $54.20 per share, or $44 billion in total. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Twitter says Elon Musk is 'slow-walking' trial over $44 billion deal

Sexual health clinics on the frontline of the monkeypox response are already financially stretched, leaving the United States and UK ill-equipped to tackle the first major global health test since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Infectious disease experts say sexual health clinics - which offer confidential walk-in diagnosis and treatment – are best placed to identify and treat cases of monkeypox, which is largely affecting men who have sex with men.

Yet such programs are doing so largely without additional funding despite years of financial neglect. There is little data on funding for sexual health services globally, but experts agree that the sector is under-resourced.

That has impeded the monkeypox response and diverted scarce resources needed to curb rising rates of other sexually transmitted diseases (STD), sexual health experts in the UK and the United States told Reuters.

This lack of resources could result in further spread of monkeypox, they said. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the outbreak has reached 63 countries.

"This is a gap and a weakness in our public health system&nbsp;that monkeypox has exposed," Dr. Meg Doherty, director of the WHO's Global HIV, Hepatitis and STIs Programmes, said in an email.

"Even among high income countries, funding for sexual health globally is decreasing or remains unfunded," she said.

Although monkeypox is being transmitted through sexual contact, the virus can infect anyone who comes in contact with pus-filled sores, body fluids, respiratory droplets or contaminated linens.

Clinic staff must take extra time cleaning exam rooms and buy additional protective gear. When added to chronic low staffing, a problem exacerbated by the COVID pandemic, appointments can be hard to come by. Testing equipment in the United States is also in short supply.

Monkeypox has been endemic in parts of Africa for years, but since early May, the virus has been spreading rapidly in other countries mainly among gay and bisexual men, who often present with rashes in the genital and anal area that doctors may confuse with herpes or syphilis. Out of 11,500 confirmed cases globally, 1,469 are in the United States and 1,856 are in the UK, according to a Reuters tally.

In Spain, with 2,447 cases - the most in the world - patients are being seen in hospitals and health clinics. Local health authorities said they added extra testing capacity early in the outbreak and the health system was not under pressure.

FUNDING CUTS 

Data from a UK charity called the Health Foundation show England's sexual health services' budget was cut by 14% over a six-year period ending in fiscal 2022. UK clinics have yet to receive any new funding to meet the additional monkeypox demand.

In the United States, funding for sexual healthcare and research likewise has dwindled, said David Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD).

"Monkeypox has shone a glaring light on this fact. Broadly speaking, the STD field has been vastly underfunded for 20 to 30 years," said Harvey, whose group has requested $100 million in funding to address the monkeypox outbreak.

Federal funding for STD programs has remained relatively flat in the past two decades - $168.5 million in 2003 vs $152.5 million in 2022 - a 40% drop when accounting for inflation, according to the NCSD. State and local investments also have fallen, even as STD rates reached all-time highs, according to a 2021 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine report.

A survey of NCSD's membership released on June 12 found that 42.7% of U.S.-based sexual health clinics have access to appropriate testing swabs, and less than 20% have appropriate tubes for collecting monkeypox specimens for transport to clinical labs.

With limited providers and appointment slots, clinics must triage patients, prioritizing those with pain or rash or suspected monkeypox. That has left asymptomatic patients and those in need of other services without care.

Harun Tulunay, 35, a sexual health advocate who is HIV positive and was recently hospitalized with monkeypox in London, knows of friends whose sexual health appointments were delayed or unobtainable "because they (clinics) are too busy dealing with monkeypox."

He is not surprised, as he experienced the time-consuming decontamination efforts when he was diagnosed.

"We see it overwhelming clinics," he said. "If we suddenly have 5,000 cases, what will happen?"

Last week, a coalition of sexual health/HIV organizations in the UK called for urgent funding support, seeking £51 million ($60 million) for sexual health services to "contain and eliminate monkeypox" as some clinics reported drastic drops in essential services.

Part of the issue is that funding for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections is largely separate, especially in the United States.

"There's been a lot of money put into HIV, which is appropriate, however, STI has been a pauper," said Dr. Matt Golden, director of the HIV/STD clinic serving Seattle and Washington state's King County. His clinic has diagnosed half of the area's monkeypox cases as well as provided vaccines and treatment guidance.

Experts in both countries agreed that monkeypox was a wake-up call for more investment in sexual health. "It is time we do something," said NCSD's Harvey.

Sexual health clinics on the frontline of the monkeypox response are already financially stretched, leaving the United States and UK ill-equipped to tackle the first major global health test since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sexual health clinics on the frontline of the monkeypox response are already financially stretched, leaving the United States and UK ill-equipped to tackle the first major global health test since the COVID-19 pandemic. Infectious disease experts say sexual health clinics - which offer confidential walk-in diagnosis and treatment – are best placed to identify and treat cases of monkeypox, which is largely affecting men who have sex with men. Yet such programs are doing so largely without additional funding despite years of financial neglect. There is little data on funding for sexual health services globally, but experts agree that the sector is under-resourced. That has impeded the monkeypox response and diverted scarce resources needed to curb rising rates of other sexually transmitted diseases (STD), sexual health experts in the UK and the United States told Reuters. This lack of resources could result in further spread of monkeypox, they said. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the outbreak has reached 63 countries. "This is a gap and a weakness in our public health system that monkeypox has exposed," Dr. Meg Doherty, director of the WHO's Global HIV, Hepatitis and STIs Programmes, said in an email. "Even among high income countries, funding for sexual health globally is decreasing or remains unfunded," she said. Although monkeypox is being transmitted through sexual contact, the virus can infect anyone who comes in contact with pus-filled sores, body fluids, respiratory droplets or contaminated linens. Clinic staff must take extra time cleaning exam rooms and buy additional protective gear. When added to chronic low staffing, a problem exacerbated by the COVID pandemic, appointments can be hard to come by. Testing equipment in the United States is also in short supply. Monkeypox has been endemic in parts of Africa for years, but since early May, the virus has been spreading rapidly in other countries mainly among gay and bisexual men, who often present with rashes in the genital and anal area that doctors may confuse with herpes or syphilis. Out of 11,500 confirmed cases globally, 1,469 are in the United States and 1,856 are in the UK, according to a Reuters tally. In Spain, with 2,447 cases - the most in the world - patients are being seen in hospitals and health clinics. Local health authorities said they added extra testing capacity early in the outbreak and the health system was not under pressure. FUNDING CUTS Data from a UK charity called the Health Foundation show England's sexual health services' budget was cut by 14% over a six-year period ending in fiscal 2022. UK clinics have yet to receive any new funding to meet the additional monkeypox demand. In the United States, funding for sexual healthcare and research likewise has dwindled, said David Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD). "Monkeypox has shone a glaring light on this fact. Broadly speaking, the STD field has been vastly underfunded for 20 to 30 years," said Harvey, whose group has requested $100 million in funding to address the monkeypox outbreak. Federal funding for STD programs has remained relatively flat in the past two decades - $168.5 million in 2003 vs $152.5 million in 2022 - a 40% drop when accounting for inflation, according to the NCSD. State and local investments also have fallen, even as STD rates reached all-time highs, according to a 2021 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine report. A survey of NCSD's membership released on June 12 found that 42.7% of U.S.-based sexual health clinics have access to appropriate testing swabs, and less than 20% have appropriate tubes for collecting monkeypox specimens for transport to clinical labs. With limited providers and appointment slots, clinics must triage patients, prioritizing those with pain or rash or suspected monkeypox. That has left asymptomatic patients and those in need of other services without care. Harun Tulunay, 35, a sexual health advocate who is HIV positive and was recently hospitalized with monkeypox in London, knows of friends whose sexual health appointments were delayed or unobtainable "because they (clinics) are too busy dealing with monkeypox." He is not surprised, as he experienced the time-consuming decontamination efforts when he was diagnosed. "We see it overwhelming clinics," he said. "If we suddenly have 5,000 cases, what will happen?" Last week, a coalition of sexual health/HIV organizations in the UK called for urgent funding support, seeking £51 million ($60 million) for sexual health services to "contain and eliminate monkeypox" as some clinics reported drastic drops in essential services. Part of the issue is that funding for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections is largely separate, especially in the United States. "There's been a lot of money put into HIV, which is appropriate, however, STI has been a pauper," said Dr. Matt Golden, director of the HIV/STD clinic serving Seattle and Washington state's King County. His clinic has diagnosed half of the area's monkeypox cases as well as provided vaccines and treatment guidance. Experts in both countries agreed that monkeypox was a wake-up call for more investment in sexual health. "It is time we do something," said NCSD's Harvey.

Years of neglect leaves sexual health clinics ill-prepared for monkeypox

A team of scientists on Monday (July 18) announced the discovery of the first "dormant" stellar-mass black hole, that is spotted orbiting a star in a nearby galaxy. The astrophysicists have said that the black hole in the Large Magellanic Cloud is the first to be confirmed outside of the Milky Way.&nbsp;

Tomer Shenar, an astrophysicist at the University of Amsterdam said that the international debunking team has found a "needle in a haystack."&nbsp;

Shenar, who is the lead author of a new study, told news agency AFP, "We found a quite massive star, that weighs 25 times the mass of our Sun, that is orbiting around something that we do not see."&nbsp;

Shenar added: "We've never really detected such systems before. There have been a few claims in the last years, but they have all more or less been refuted."&nbsp;

The study mentioned tha the team was actually looking at the skies for something that could eventually become a binary black hole - which means two black holes orbit each other after swallowing their stars in a supernovae explosion.&nbsp;

Scientists have noted that in the blue star, the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy, a galaxy that neighbours our Milky Way, is locked in a death dance with a black hole that has nine times the mass of our Sun.&nbsp;

Normally, X-ray radiation detects these kinds of&nbsp;black&nbsp;holes. But this binary system is called dormant because it does not emit X-rays.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Why is this discovery important?&nbsp;

It is understood that these black holes are common throughout the universe, however, it has been difficult to find them. The discovery could also give an insight into how black holes are formed.

The experts have said that there have been several possible candidates in recent years that have been rejected.&nbsp;

The discovery could also give an insight into how&nbsp;black&nbsp;holes are formed.

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A team of scientists on Monday (July 18) announced the discovery of the first "dormant" stellar-mass black hole, that is spotted orbiting a star in a nearby galaxy.

A team of scientists on Monday (July 18) announced the discovery of the first "dormant" stellar-mass black hole, that is spotted orbiting a star in a nearby galaxy. The astrophysicists have said that the black hole in the Large Magellanic Cloud is the first to be confirmed outside of the Milky Way. Tomer Shenar, an astrophysicist at the University of Amsterdam said that the international debunking team has found a "needle in a haystack." Shenar, who is the lead author of a new study, told news agency AFP, "We found a quite massive star, that weighs 25 times the mass of our Sun, that is orbiting around something that we do not see." Shenar added: "We've never really detected such systems before. There have been a few claims in the last years, but they have all more or less been refuted." The study mentioned tha the team was actually looking at the skies for something that could eventually become a binary black hole - which means two black holes orbit each other after swallowing their stars in a supernovae explosion. Scientists have noted that in the blue star, the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy, a galaxy that neighbours our Milky Way, is locked in a death dance with a black hole that has nine times the mass of our Sun. Normally, X-ray radiation detects these kinds of black holes. But this binary system is called dormant because it does not emit X-rays. Why is this discovery important? It is understood that these black holes are common throughout the universe, however, it has been difficult to find them. The discovery could also give an insight into how black holes are formed. The experts have said that there have been several possible candidates in recent years that have been rejected. The discovery could also give an insight into how black holes are formed. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

'Needle in a haystack': Dormant stellar-mass black hole found outside the Milky Way

The United Kingdom government won the vote of confidence with 349 in support on Monday (July 18). During the debate, Boris Johnson cited the coronavirus vaccine rollout and support of Ukraine to defend his government's record. Meanwhile, 248 MPs voted that they don't have confidence in the government.&nbsp;

In the aftermath of a slew of scandals, Johnson resigned as UK prime minister. However, the main opposition Labour party wants Johnson out of office immediately.&nbsp;

Conservative candidates are in a contest to replace Boris with the due process underway. Meanwhile, Labour leader Keir Starmer called the candidates' withdrawal a sign of a party "out of ideas (and) out of purpose".&nbsp;

On Monday, a planned debate between the remaining contenders for Tuesday night was cancelled when former finance minister Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss pulled out.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Starmer said, "Pulling out of a TV debate when you want to be prime minister doesn't show very much confidence."&nbsp;

Sunak widens lead&nbsp;

Former British finance minister Rishi Sunak won the most support in the third round of voting to find a replacement for Johnson. Sunak got 115 votes on the third ballot of Conservative lawmakers on Monday.&nbsp;

Tom Tugendhat secured the fewest votes with 31. Former equalities minister Kemi Badenoch came fourth on the ballot with 58 votes.

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The United Kingdom government won the vote of confidence with 349 in support on Monday (July 18). During the debate, Boris Johnson cited the coronavirus vaccine rollout and support of Ukraine to defend his government's record.

The United Kingdom government won the vote of confidence with 349 in support on Monday (July 18). During the debate, Boris Johnson cited the coronavirus vaccine rollout and support of Ukraine to defend his government's record. Meanwhile, 248 MPs voted that they don't have confidence in the government. In the aftermath of a slew of scandals, Johnson resigned as UK prime minister. However, the main opposition Labour party wants Johnson out of office immediately. Conservative candidates are in a contest to replace Boris with the due process underway. Meanwhile, Labour leader Keir Starmer called the candidates' withdrawal a sign of a party "out of ideas (and) out of purpose". On Monday, a planned debate between the remaining contenders for Tuesday night was cancelled when former finance minister Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss pulled out. Meanwhile, Starmer said, "Pulling out of a TV debate when you want to be prime minister doesn't show very much confidence." Sunak widens lead Former British finance minister Rishi Sunak won the most support in the third round of voting to find a replacement for Johnson. Sunak got 115 votes on the third ballot of Conservative lawmakers on Monday. Tom Tugendhat secured the fewest votes with 31. Former equalities minister Kemi Badenoch came fourth on the ballot with 58 votes. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

UK politics: Government wins confidence vote; Rishi Sunak widens lead in race to become PM

A harrowing video of the Valentine's Day 2018 shooting at a high school in Florida that left 17 people dead was played at the sentencing trial on Monday of the troubled young man who admitted to carrying out the massacre.

Nikolas&nbsp;Cruz&nbsp;pleaded guilty in October to 17 counts of murder and 17 counts of attempted murder for the attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

A 12-person jury is to decide whether the now 23-year-old should receive the death penalty or a life sentence for what prosecutor Mike Satz called a "cold, calculated, manipulative and deadly" massacre.

"I'm going to speak to you about the unspeakable, about this defendant's goal-directed, planned, systematic murder, mass murder, of 14 children, an athletic director, a teacher and a coach," Satz said in opening arguments.

A cell phone video recorded by a student, Danielle Gilbert, was played for the jury. The audio was made available to the public gallery and reporters.

Screams, cries and moans were punctuated by multiple shots as students huddled in their classroom trying to seek cover from bullets coming through the door.

"This can't be real," someone was heard whispering.

Gilbert, who broke down in tears as the video was played, said one person was killed in the classroom and three wounded.

Cruz, who was wearing a black Covid mask, covered his face with his hands and stared down at the table in front of him as the video was played.

Several anguished relatives of the victims fled the courtroom while others wept openly and hugged their loved ones.

'Next school shooter'

Satz, the prosecutor, told the jury that three days before the shooting,&nbsp;Cruz&nbsp;made a cellphone video in which he said &nbsp;"I'm going to be the next school shooter of 2018.

"My goal is at least 20 people with an AR-15 and some tracer rounds,"&nbsp;Cruz&nbsp;said in the video. "It's going to be a big event and when you see me on the news, you'll know who I am."

Satz said that&nbsp;Cruz, after fleeing the school, ordered a drink at a Subway sandwich shop and then went to a McDonald's, where he asked the brother of a girl he had just shot for a ride.

The boy, who was not aware at the time that&nbsp;Cruz&nbsp;was the assailant, declined.&nbsp;Cruz&nbsp;was arrested shortly afterwards.

The trial in Fort Lauderdale is the rare instance of a mass shooter facing a jury, as they often either take their own lives or are killed by police.

The death penalty requires the jury to be unanimous.&nbsp;Cruz&nbsp;will otherwise be handed life without parole.

The Florida shooting stunned a country accustomed to gun violence and sparked new efforts, led by students from the school itself, to get lawmakers to pass tougher gun control laws.

'March for Our Lives'

Parkland survivors founded "March for Our Lives," organizing a rally that drew hundreds of thousands of people to the nation's capital, Washington, in 2018.

Thousands turned out for demonstrations organized by the group last month following two other mass shootings: one at a Texas elementary school that killed 19 children and two teachers, and another at a New York supermarket that left 10 Black people dead.

Those shootings helped galvanize support for the first significant federal bill on gun safety in decades.

President Joe Biden signed the bill into law in June but it fell far short of steps he had called for, including a ban on assault weapons.

Cruz&nbsp;bought the AR-15 semi-automatic he used in the attack legally, despite having a documented history of mental health problems.

Expelled from school for disciplinary reasons,&nbsp;Cruz&nbsp;was known to be fixated on firearms -- and had been identified as a potential threat to his classmates.

On the day of the attack, he arrived at the school in an Uber, began shooting indiscriminately at students and staff, and fled nine minutes later, leaving behind a scene of carnage.

A harrowing video of the Valentine's Day 2018 shooting at a high school in Florida that left 17 people dead was played at the sentencing trial on Monday of the troubled young man who admitted to carrying out the massacre.

A harrowing video of the Valentine's Day 2018 shooting at a high school in Florida that left 17 people dead was played at the sentencing trial on Monday of the troubled young man who admitted to carrying out the massacre. Nikolas Cruz pleaded guilty in October to 17 counts of murder and 17 counts of attempted murder for the attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. A 12-person jury is to decide whether the now 23-year-old should receive the death penalty or a life sentence for what prosecutor Mike Satz called a "cold, calculated, manipulative and deadly" massacre. "I'm going to speak to you about the unspeakable, about this defendant's goal-directed, planned, systematic murder, mass murder, of 14 children, an athletic director, a teacher and a coach," Satz said in opening arguments. A cell phone video recorded by a student, Danielle Gilbert, was played for the jury. The audio was made available to the public gallery and reporters. Screams, cries and moans were punctuated by multiple shots as students huddled in their classroom trying to seek cover from bullets coming through the door. "This can't be real," someone was heard whispering. Gilbert, who broke down in tears as the video was played, said one person was killed in the classroom and three wounded. Cruz, who was wearing a black Covid mask, covered his face with his hands and stared down at the table in front of him as the video was played. Several anguished relatives of the victims fled the courtroom while others wept openly and hugged their loved ones. 'Next school shooter' Satz, the prosecutor, told the jury that three days before the shooting, Cruz made a cellphone video in which he said "I'm going to be the next school shooter of 2018. "My goal is at least 20 people with an AR-15 and some tracer rounds," Cruz said in the video. "It's going to be a big event and when you see me on the news, you'll know who I am." Satz said that Cruz, after fleeing the school, ordered a drink at a Subway sandwich shop and then went to a McDonald's, where he asked the brother of a girl he had just shot for a ride. The boy, who was not aware at the time that Cruz was the assailant, declined. Cruz was arrested shortly afterwards. The trial in Fort Lauderdale is the rare instance of a mass shooter facing a jury, as they often either take their own lives or are killed by police. The death penalty requires the jury to be unanimous. Cruz will otherwise be handed life without parole. The Florida shooting stunned a country accustomed to gun violence and sparked new efforts, led by students from the school itself, to get lawmakers to pass tougher gun control laws. 'March for Our Lives' Parkland survivors founded "March for Our Lives," organizing a rally that drew hundreds of thousands of people to the nation's capital, Washington, in 2018. Thousands turned out for demonstrations organized by the group last month following two other mass shootings: one at a Texas elementary school that killed 19 children and two teachers, and another at a New York supermarket that left 10 Black people dead. Those shootings helped galvanize support for the first significant federal bill on gun safety in decades. President Joe Biden signed the bill into law in June but it fell far short of steps he had called for, including a ban on assault weapons. Cruz bought the AR-15 semi-automatic he used in the attack legally, despite having a documented history of mental health problems. Expelled from school for disciplinary reasons, Cruz was known to be fixated on firearms -- and had been identified as a potential threat to his classmates. On the day of the attack, he arrived at the school in an Uber, began shooting indiscriminately at students and staff, and fled nine minutes later, leaving behind a scene of carnage.

Nikolas Cruz: Harrowing video aired at death penalty trial of US school shooter

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