Darren Conway admits 11 charges after the Met identified him as a member of an online sexual offending forumA man has admitted using an online sexual abuse network to commit a host of sexual crimes, along with another man, against the latter's unconscious wife.Darren Conway, 52, pleaded guilty to 11 charges at Wood Green crown court. They included voyeurism, possession of extreme pornography and encouraging the other man to sexually abuse his wife on Conway's behalf. Continue reading...
Substitution with jack mackerel, a different species, because of dwindling stocks is criticised by the consumer group Which?If you've recently opened a tin of mackerel and thought there was something fishy going on, you may have been right. An overfishing crisis means that instead of traditional mackerel, some now contain a different fish with a similar name, prompting concerns that shoppers are being short-changed.Over the past year big brands such as Princes, as well as some supermarket own-labels, have replaced traditional tinned mackerel fillets with jack mackerel fillets. Continue reading...
by Shrai Popat (now) and Tom Ambrose (earlier) on (#78AM4)
President appears to tie Iran war to sacred oath' to victims killed in September 11 attacks as memorials are held across the USOn 11 September, 25 years ago, Osama bin Laden drove with a small number of al-Qaida retainers and aides to a remote location in eastern Afghanistan. His convoy of SUVs was accompanied by a minivan converted into a makeshift communications centre.The van's rudimentary equipment did not allow Bin Laden to watch the 19 men he had started sending to the US more than a year before fly planes into the twin towers in New York and the Pentagon near Washington DC, killing about 3,000 people. But he listened as shocked radio announcers broke the news. Continue reading...
Greens accuse Labour of hiding position to avoid criticism before contest, in which Zack Polanski is standingA decision on approving the controversial Jackdaw gasfield in the North Sea is to be delayed until later this autumn, with the Greens accusing Labour of hiding their position before the crucial Holborn and St Pancras byelection.Miatta Fahnbulleh, the energy secretary, had been poised to give her recommendation to approve the Jackdaw field off the coast of Aberdeen next week. Continue reading...
Far-right German party's newly elected representatives face fresh scrutiny as it tries to form government in Saxony-Anhalt Why is the AfD's state victory significant and what might happen next?The Alternative fur Deutschland is facing scrutiny over the suitability of some of its prospective new MPs - including a former Stasi officer and a former pornography actor - just days after its historic win in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt.Presented by the AfD's lead candidate, Ulrich Siegmund, for a photocall in the state capital of Magdeburg on Thursday, some of the members-elect were revealed to have a range of questionable backgrounds, including criminal records, Stasi pasts and connections to far-right networks. Continue reading...
by Jakub Krupa (now and earlier) and Martin Belam (ea on (#78AKM)
Ulf Kristersson's comments come ahead of the parliamentary election taking place this Sundayin BrusselsThe European Commission has said it is assessing whether Ukraine has a funding shortfall, amid renewed pressure to use Russia's frozen assets to aid Kyiv.That [frozen assets] is not a primary focus. We have worked extensively on this and now the focus is somewhere else."So we've got to carry out that work first. We need to establish the needs before we can potentially discuss ways of addressing it." Continue reading...
MPs today voted not to approve the assisted dying bill at its second reading. The bill, which was brought back to the Commons after being blocked in the Lords, would have allowed terminally ill people to end their lives with medical help in some circumstances. Find out how your MP voted Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Senior political correspondent on (#78ASN)
Bill fails at second reading despite near-identical legislation being approved by Commons in last parliamentA bill to permit assisted dying in England and Wales has been voted down by MPs, almost certainly stopping such a measure from being enacted before the next general election.In the second reading of the bill, put forward by Labour's Lauren Edwards, MPs voted by 286 to 270 in the Commons for the bill to be blocked. Continue reading...
Term-limited, hard-right governor instituted an ideological infiltration of universities by placing allies in powerful postsIn fewer than four months' time, Ron DeSantis, Florida's hard-right governor, will be termed out of office, and what critics saw as his relentless eight-year, anti-woke" assault on higher education in the state will finally be over.But while DeSantis himself will be gone, numerous hand-picked loyalists will remain in positions of power to protect his ideological makeover of universities and colleges. The latest, Alex Kelly, the governor's former deputy chief of staff, and Florida commerce secretary, was named last week as the sole finalist in Pensacola state college's search for a new president, at least the 12th close DeSantis ally to win such a plum post. Continue reading...
More than 30,000 due to attend Canadian artist's opener at Plenitude arena, as thousands without tickets plan Friday night karaokeMore than 30,000 Celine Dion fans have gathered in Paris for the Canadian singer's long-awaited return to performing on Saturday night, four years after she revealed her diagnosis of stiff person syndrome, a rare neurological condition.Thousands more people without tickets have flocked to a series of giant karaoke events across France to belt out Dion's famous power ballads, in celebration of the star's health stabilising enough for her to return to the stage. Continue reading...
Widespread damage across Niihau, Kauai and Oahu, while in Japan further heavy rainfall causes widespread floodingHurricane Lowell caused significant damage to Hawaii's western islands this week. On Tuesday night the centre of Lowell tracked 50 miles (80km) from the island of Niihau in Kauai county as a category 2 storm with winds of up to 110mph. The strong winds resulted in widespread power outages across Ni'ihau, and the islands of Kauai and Oahu.The event was particularly notable because a tornado watch had been issued for Kauai on Monday night and into Tuesday morning. According to research maps from Iowa State University, it was likely to be the first tornado watch in Hawaii's history. In the event, a tornado was not documented, however hurricanes can produce tornadoes and most often occur in thunderstorms within rain bands away from the centre of the hurricane. Currently, five named stormed have occurred in the central Pacific with the strong El Nino this year being a key driver in the above normal hurricane season, as noted by the National Weather Service. Continue reading...
by Alexandra Topping Political correspondent on (#78AKP)
Exclusive: Calls from Labour grow as 105 MPs write to PM urging obvious' step to alleviate cost of living crisisAndy Burnham is coming under increasing pressure from his own MPs to commit to improving paternity leave in the UK in the next budget, with more than a quarter of Labour MPs writing to the prime minister to urge him to take action.Ahead of the chancellor's first budget next month, 105 MPs have written to Burnham calling on him to increase statutory paternity leave to help alleviate the cost of living crisis and arguing that lowest-paid fathers are the hardest hit by meagre paternity leave provision. Continue reading...
No 10 says new fleet of trains built in Derby will support 6,000 jobs across UKA fleet of battery-powered trains is to be built to bring faster, more reliable journeys to the north", Downing Street has announced.The 29 trains, which will be run by TransPennine Express, will be built at Alstom's Litchurch Lane works in Derby from 2028, supporting 350 local jobs, and nearly 6,000 across the UK, according to the government. Continue reading...
Labour MPs Gareth Snell and Meg Hillier say Lords must be allowed to fulfil duty in scrutinising bill on serious public issueMPs who voted for and against assisted dying have urged their respective sides not to take the extraordinary risk" of forcing through the bill using an obscure parliamentary procedure if it continues to be blocked by the Lords.Two Labour MPs have written a warning letter to colleagues in the crucial hours before the next vote on Friday: Gareth Snell, who voted in favour of the bill, and Meg Hillier, who voted against. Continue reading...
Christina Stambolian dress from 1994 has defined a whole category of fashion and is expected to fetch up to 220,000The dress that Diana, Princess of Wales wore one September evening in 1994 would have been memorable for its design alone - black, fitted, off-the-shoulder, skintight and short. However, it has another distinction, of defining a whole category of fashion - what has since become known as revenge dressing".Worn by Diana the same night Charles would reveal his infidelity on TV, the dress was quickly labelled the revenge dress" by the media. It has its own Wikipedia page, with the same title. Continue reading...
The country is one of just three that still permits commercial whaling, while its government has faced mounting pressure to ban the practiceIceland will submit a bill in February 2027 which could permanently ban whaling in its waters, a move that would leave Norway and Japan as the only two countries to permit commercial whaling.Whaling in Iceland has been put under intense scrutiny since a government-commissioned report was published in 2023 that found harpooned whales took two hours to die. The report led to a temporary suspension of the hunt that year. Continue reading...
The execution of Daniel Owen Conahan Jr makes him the state's 15th person executed this yearA Florida man was executed by lethal injection on Thursday after being convicted of one of a series of suspected killings that became known as the Hog Trail Murders in the 1990s.Daniel Owen Conahan Jr, 72, was sentenced to death for the 1996 kidnapping and strangling of Richard Allen Montgomery. Authorities found Montgomery's mutilated body in a wooded south-west Florida area where the remains of at least six people have been found over a three-year span. Continue reading...
Joe diGenova led investigation focused on intelligence assessment that Russia interfered in 2016 electionA longtime ally of Donald Trump resigned from his post leading a Department of Justice investigation into whether former law enforcement and intelligence officials conspired against the Republican president.Sometimes people want things done faster and that's all you can do," Joe diGenova said on Thursday. He appeared to be referring to concerns among other Trump loyalists that the president's retribution cases were not moving quickly enough. Continue reading...
Canadian PM Mark Carney hosts president in Calgary, where he grew up alongside large Ukrainian communityCanada offered support on Thursday to boost Ukraine's air defenses and help replenish its drone stocks, as the countries pledged to deepen their alliance during a visit by Volodymyr Zelenskyy.Mark Carney hosted the president of Ukraine in Calgary in the western province of Alberta, where the Canadian prime minister grew up among a large community of people with Ukrainian heritage. Continue reading...
Broadcaster, 86, had intended to end her life in Swiss clinic after being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in 2023Esther Rantzen has said she is no longer able to travel to Switzerland to end her life because she has become too physically fragile".Rantzen, who presented the TV current affairs programme That's Life! for 21 years and founded the youth support charity Childline, had intended to end her life in a Dignitas assisted dying clinic in Switzerland after being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in 2023. Continue reading...
by Adam Gabbatt and David Smith in Dallas, Texas on (#78A69)
Democrats are targeting Trump's relationship with Epstein as part of strategy ahead of midterm electionsJames Talarico, the Democratic candidate for Senate in Texas, accused his rival Ken Paxton of ignoring" survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuse, as Democrats seek to increase pressure on Republicans ahead of November's midterm elections.Speaking in Dallas, where Republicans are holding a midterm convention this week, Talarico appeared alongside one of Epstein's victims at an exhibit that featured about 3.5m pages of Department of Justice's files related to Epstein. Continue reading...
Advanced DNA testing reveals skeletal remains belong to Cindy Marcell Blizzard, who had run away from homeSkeletal remains discovered nearly 50 years ago in North Carolina have been identified as those of a 15-year-old girl who had run away from home.On 29 December 1977, skeletal remains and clothing were discovered in a wooded area near a tire manufacturing plant in Wilson, a city approximately 40 miles east of Raleigh. After decades of DNA testing, including advances in technology, investigators identified the remains as belonging to Cindy Marcell Blizzard, a 15-year-old girl who had run away from her home in Monkton, Maryland, in the spring of 1977, the North Carolina state bureau of investigation said. Continue reading...
Part of Dmitry Donskoy's right hand sent to spiritually strengthen' soldiersThe Russian Orthodox church has sent a fragment of a medieval warrior prince's remains to troops fighting in Ukraine, saying the relic would spiritually strengthen" soldiers and help them achieve victory.A reliquary containing part of the right hand of Dmitry Donskoy, the 14th-century prince revered in Russia for his victory over the Mongolian Golden Horde in 1380, has been taken to Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine and is now being transported along the frontline. Continue reading...
Mark Rutte said that Europeans increasingly understand' the need for their countries to take greater responsibility for our own security'Addressing German ambassadors, Wadephul repeats that the Russian threat has reached our doorstep and it's tangible."He adds:The Russian attempted attack at the airport in Leipzig is only the most recent incident in a string of constantly growing Russian aggression against Europe and against Nato.Russia and its partners operate with a global network against our interests and in favour of an own imperialist claim to great power status." Continue reading...
Critics react to bid for Republican votes with incredulity and point to potential $1.2tn cost atop existing national debtDonald Trump's promise of a $5,000 Trump dividend" for every US citizen if Republicans retain control of the US Congress in November's midterm elections has sparked incredulity and accusations of bribery.If the Republicans win, you win with us and you get $5,000," Trump said during the unprecedented Republican midterm convention in Dallas. It will be called the Trump dividend." Continue reading...
Arrests of woman, 42, and man, 60, made after Met carried out searches of addresses in north and north-west LondonA man and a woman have been arrested by counter-terrorism police in London on suspicion of assisting Iran's foreign intelligence service.The arrests of the 42-year-old woman and 60-year-old man were made after searches carried out at addresses in north and north-west London on 24 June, the Metropolitan police said. Continue reading...
by Emma Graham-Harrison in Jerusalem and Xan Brooks i on (#789X5)
Testimony from Israeli military insiders involved in surveillance and remote killings features in documentary produced by the GuardianTestimony from 24 Israeli military insiders on the secret systems used in the war on Gaza has been revealed in a new documentary film about the mass killing of Palestinian civilians.NAZA, a film from the Oscar-winning Israeli directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, was shown at the Venice international film festival on Thursday as the only documentary competing for its prestigious Golden Lion award. Continue reading...
High commissioner to India replaces Olly Robbins, who was sacked over Peter Mandelson scandalThe Foreign Office has its first female head after the appointment of Lindy Cameron, the high commissioner to India.Cameron's new role as permanent undersecretary at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office means she will replace Olly Robbins, who was sacked over the Peter Mandelson scandal. Continue reading...
Billionaire Alex Beard and his former deputy appear in London court over alleged payments to African officialsGlencore's billionaire former head of oil trading has pleaded not guilty to two bribery charges after allegedly facilitating payments to west African officials in order to advance the Swiss commodity group's operations in the continent.Alex Beard, 59, denied two counts of conspiracy to make corrupt payments at Southwark crown court in London on Thursday, in a case brought by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO). Continue reading...
Iran and its proxies move closer to full control of two shipping chokepoints as regional conflict widensYemen's Houthi rebels are making a concerted drive to take full control of the country's Red Sea coast, claiming control of the key port of Mocha, in the most serious wave of fighting with the Saudi-backed government in years.Seizure of the coast would be a strategic disaster for Saudi Arabia and the US, taking Iran and its proxies closer to full control of two chokepoints for western shipping on opposite sides of the Arabian peninsula: the Bab al-Mandeb at the southern end of the Red Sea and the strait of Hormuz in the Gulf. Continue reading...
Health secretary says extreme demand no longer confined to winter as service in England warns of knock-on effectsThe NHS faced the busiest summer in its history" as the UK experienced a series of heatwaves, health officials have said, while the waiting list for routine hospital treatment in England has risen to its highest level for nine months.The health secretary said extreme demand" on the service was no longer confined to winter" and NHS leaders warned that the service had never gone into winter on the back of such a heavy summer". Continue reading...
by Achol Arok, Krishani Dhanji (earlier) on (#789GY)
This blog is now closedLabor introducing new laws to crack down on illegal tobaccoLabor will introduce new laws to make it easier to prosecute criminals involved in the illicit tobacco trade, as the government fights an uphill battle against the exploding black market.The new laws think about it as a list of observable indicators, very simple, fact-based things like: is the tobacco appropriately packaged? Is it a menthol cigarette even hiding in plain packaging? Is it being concealed? Does it have paperwork at the border?Or my personal favourite: is the retail price of this packet of cigarettes less than the amount of excise and GST combined? If any of these facts are proven, just one of them, that establishes the reasonable suspicion of the criminal offence of importing, possession, or conveying. It'll give powerful new tools to Border Force but every state and territory police force to go after the crooks.I said, look, my door's open if you want to talk about this. I don't know why he thinks I'm a liar. I don't quite know why he believes I lied about it.I'm disappointed he thinks I'm a coward. I don't know how he came to that opinion but that's up to him. I don't think he's a traitor. I absolutely respect the services given to our nation, like my family, has given to the service of New Zealand and Australia. Democracy's a robust thing. Continue reading...
Jamie Dimon tells UK politicians before October budget that investment could be at risk, it is understoodJamie Dimon, chief executive of the largest US bank, JP Morgan, is understood to have warned Andy Burnham and his chancellor, John Healey, against raising taxes on banks in his inaugural budget in October.The Wall Street billionaire met the politicians on Wednesday and cautioned them that higher taxes could put investment and employment in the UK at risk, it is understood. Continue reading...
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