This Week in Pictures, September 26 – October 02, 2017

There were numerous big stories around the world last week so we take a moment to review some of the most important.

In Puerto Rico the ongoing efforts toward recovery following Hurricane Maria which killed 16 and left millions without power sparked a small war of words between Donald Trump and the Major of San Juan, Carmen Yulin Cruz, whose patience had worn thin in the aftermath of this massive disaster. Her forthright plea for assistance made to Trump at a press conference got a terse response that said Puerto Rican officials showed “poor leadership” and “want everything done for them”. Recovery efforts continue.

In Spain an independence referendum held in the region of Catalonia was declared illegal by the government in Madrid and heavy handed police tactics were used at some polling stations to prevent Catalans voting to secede from the rest of Spain. Dramatic footage of clashes between voters and police shocked the world and hundreds were injured in Barcelona and other major towns. Where voting was able to go ahead the turn out was 42.3% and Catalan officials said 90% of those had voted for independence.

In the USA Hugh Hefner the founder of the Playboy empire died at the age of 91. Having been at the forefront of liberalization back in the sixties the now dated core of the brand has long since become passe but the logo has continued to be one of the most recognizable and bankable in the world. He was laid to rest in a private and discrete service after passing away at the famous Playboy Mansion which will now pass on to his neighbor Daren Metropoulos who bought the property in 2016 for $100m.

In Sports OJ Simpson walked free from jail after nine and half years. Charged with attempted armed robbery the sports and TV star left prison looking forward to a steak and seafood meal, the only question is now will the media and his legions of fans give him enough space to have a retirement or will we soon be seeing the juice hit the front pages again? You’ll have to check our daily news pages to find out but in the meantime here’s a look at some of the stories we covered over the last seven days.

Here’s how to spot a bugged casino in your area

Oprah or Money? We reviewed the available odds for the name of Kylie Jenner’s baby

Check out three of the biggest boxing fights that could happen in 2018

You’ll find the best odds on Australian politics at BetVictor Sportsbook

Who’s the most likely to become the next manager of Bayern Munich?

Meanwhile in Germany a donkey has been accused of attempting to eat a supercar mistakenly believing it to be a carrot of unusual size. Admittedly the McLaren 650S spider is indeed a ghastly orange color and Markus Zahn had parked it close to the paddock of donkeys, however the damage inflicted on the vehicle by “Vitus”, mainly to the paintwork and carbon fibre, may not have been due to mistaken identity but merely a four legged animal making the only comment it can on the awful taste of a two legged one.