by Jillian Ambrose Energy correspondent on (#6Z6CP)
Plans have provoked outrage from communities in areas of Great Britain expected to host new infrastructureThe government is pushing head with a plan to offer those who live near new electricity pylons a discount of 2,500 from their energy bills over the next 10 years to ease the backlash against its clean power plans.Thousands of households within half a kilometre of new or upgraded electricity infrastructure could each receive up to 250 off their annual energy bill from next year to help speed up the rollout of infrastructure critical to the government's targets. Continue reading...
Restrictions in place on Friday in areas including Norwich and officers will monitor at least 12 other towns and citiesPolice are braced for potential disorder in towns across England this weekend amid the far right's promotion of a range of protests against asylum seekers, with anti-racism activists planning counter-protests.Restrictions will be in place on Friday at locations including Norwich while officers will police at least 12 other towns and cities that evening. Continue reading...
by Patrick Butler Social policy editor on (#6Z6BY)
Ministers face backlash after analysis of proposed shake-up finds more than 10% drop in finance for some areasMinisters face a backlash from Labour-run town halls after it emerged deprived inner-city London councils stand to lose millions of pounds under a proposed funding shake-up despite promises to redistribute cash away from wealthy areas.Central London councils with high levels of poverty and homelessness, including Camden, which includes Keir Starmer's parliamentary seat, could lose more than 10% of their funding under the proposals, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). Continue reading...
Junta obtained anti-jamming' product made in Europe through a Chinese company, research finds, triggering calls for tighter sanctionsMyanmar's military is using advanced European technology to protect its drone fleet as it carries out brutal aerial campaigns, research suggests, prompting calls for sanctions against the junta to be tightened.Myanmar's military, which has been widely condemned for its indiscriminate attacks against civilians, obtained anti-jamming" technology made in Europe through a Chinese company, according to a report by Conflict Armament Research (Car). Continue reading...
Plan will likely displace tens of thousands of Palestinians already suffering from famine and comes after PM said he wanted to take control of entire territoryIsrael's security cabinet has approved a plan to take over Gaza City, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has said, marking another escalation in the 22-month offensive that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, destroyed most of Gaza and pushed the territory into famine.Ahead of the security cabinet meeting, which began Thursday and ran through the night, Netanyahu had said Israel planned to retake control over the entire territory and eventually hand it off to friendly Arab forces opposed to Hamas. Continue reading...
Muslim-majority Indonesia says the plan to treat wounded Palestinians in island's medical facility is a temporary and patients will return to GazaIndonesia will convert a medical facility on an uninhabited island to treat about 2,000 wounded residents of Gaza, according to a spokesperson for the president.Indonesia will give medical help for about 2,000 Gaza residents who became victims of war, those who are wounded, buried under debris," the spokesperson, Hasan Nasbi, told reporters in Jakarta on Thursday. Continue reading...
by Adam Fulton (now); Nadeem Badshah, Tom Ambrose and on (#6Z5KC)
This blog is now closed. See our latest full report here: Fears for Palestinians and hostages as Netanyahu plans full Gaza occupationThe medical NGO Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has called for the immediate closure of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the US- and Israeli-backed aid organisation operating in Gaza, describing GHF-run food distribution sites in Gaza as having become sites of orchestrated killing and dehumanisation".In a social media post on Thursday, MSF wrote:In MSF's nearly 54 years of operations, rarely have we seen such levels of systematic violence against unarmed civilians."The GHF-run food distributions in Gaza, Palestine, have become sites of orchestrated killing and dehumanisation", not humanitarian aid.During those seven weeks, our teams treated 71 children for gunshot wounds, 25 of whom were under the age of 15. Faced with no alternatives to find food, starved families frequently send teenage boys into this lethal environment, as they are often the only males in the household physically able to make the journey.Patients have also included a 12-year-old boy hit by a bullet that had passed all the way through his abdomen, and five young girls, one of whom was only 8 years old and suffered a gunshot wound to her chest.In MSF's nearly 54 years of operations, rarely have we seen such levels of systematic violence against unarmed civilians.The GHF distribution sites masquerading as aid' have morphed into a laboratory of cruelty. This must stop now. Continue reading...
by Shaun Walker in Kyiv and Andrew Roth in Washington on (#6Z5YJ)
US president contradicts reports Putin meeting Zelenskyy was a precondition of a US-Russia summitDonald Trump has said he was ready to meet Vladimir Putin despite the Russian leader's refusal to meet Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy - dispelling speculation that direct talks between the two warring presidents were a precondition to a high-level US-Russia summit.Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump said that Putin did not have to meet with Zelenskyy first before the US and Russian presidents could meet. Continue reading...
Brian Driscoll briefly served as acting FBI director at start of president's new term, and final day is FridayThe Trump administration is forcing out a senior FBI official who resisted demands made earlier this year for the names of agents who investigated the January 6 insurrection, two people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.Brian Driscoll briefly served as acting FBI director in the first weeks of Donald Trump's new term, and his final day at the bureau is Friday, the people told the Associated Press on condition of anonymity, as they were not authorized to discuss the move. Further ousters were possible. Continue reading...
Palestine Football Association says Suleiman al-Obeid, 41, died during attack on people waiting for humanitarian aidA footballer known as the Palestinian Pele" has been killed in an Israeli attack in southern Gaza, according to the Palestine Football Association (PFA).Suleiman al-Obeid was killed on Wednesday when Israeli forces attacked civilians waiting for humanitarian aid, the PFA said. Continue reading...
There were no other reported casualties after the crash that occurred about 20 miles north of St Louis, MissouriTwo people died when a helicopter crashed into a barge in the Mississippi River near East Alton, Illinois, on Thursday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.Cpl Dallas Thompson of the Missouri state highway patrol confirmed that the two people inside the aircraft were killed and that there were no other reported injuries. The state patrol said no one was on the barge when the crash happened. Continue reading...
As the Paramoung-Skydance merger is made official, George Cheeks has finally spoken about the controversial decision to end The Late Show after 32 yearsAfter much media consternation and criticism over the cancellation of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, CBS chief has spoken up about the company's decision to end the television institution after 32 years.Speaking at a press conference following the takeover of Paramount by the media conglomerate Skydance, George Cheeks, the chair of TV media at the company, attributed the cancellation to financial headwinds faced by the format. Continue reading...
People detained after arriving in small boat expected to be returned within three weeks, says Home OfficePeople who arrived in the UK on a small boat have been detained under Keir Starmer's one in, one out" deal for the first time and are expected to be returned to France within three weeks, the Home Office has said.Detentions began on Wednesday lunchtime as those identified in the Channel were held in immigration removal centres pending their removal. Continue reading...
Rapper's former assistant has alleged an abusive work environment which climaxed in being punched in faceBusta Rhymes has been accused of physical assault and an abusive work environment by his former assistant.The 53-year-old rapper, whose real name is Trevor Smith, is the focus of a lawsuit filed by Dashiel Gables who claims he was punched in the face for being on the phone in January. Continue reading...
Phil Appleton, who has been diagnosed with erotomania, was due to stand trial before pleading guiltyA 71-year-old stalker fixated" with Anna Friel has been ordered by a judge not to contact the actor and keep away from the area where she lives.Phil Appleton sent Friel messages, turned up at her home and left her unwanted gifts over a period of almost three years.In the UK, the National Stalking Helpline is on 0808 802 0300 or email via their inquiry form. In the US, resources are available at stalkingawareness.org Continue reading...
Russian president says Trump talks could take place as early as next week and the UAE could hostRussian news agency Ria Novosti has just reported that the meeting between Putin and Trump is likely to take place next week."Separately, asked for updates on Gaza, the European Commission has confirmed that Israeli authorities continue not to authorise or allow EU access to Gaza" as the bloc is not considered a humanitarian actor," and it has to rely on UN reports. Continue reading...
Class action lawsuit argues the online travel platform distorted market with best price' clausesBooking.com is facing a class-action lawsuit from more than 10,000 European hotels arguing that the accommodation mega-site used its muscle to distort the market to their detriment over a 20-year period.The Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Cafes in Europe (Hotrec), which represents the industry within the EU and is bringing the legal action, recently extended to 29 August a deadline for hotel owners to join the suit because of high demand. Continue reading...
The actor will be sworn in ASAP' amid the federal agency's recruitment drive and unprecedented immigration raids that have sparked protest across the USFormer Superman actor Dean Cain has announced he has signed up to join Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice), in order to support US president Donald Trump's anti-immigration agenda.The federal law enforcement agency has aggressively ramped up immigration raids since Trump's return to the White House and was recently awarded $75bn in extra funding as part of his big beautiful bill", which includes billions for hiring an additional 10,000 Ice agents by 2029. Continue reading...
The pianist, composer and bandleader was the first Latino to win a Grammy and would win seven more over a career that spanned nearly 40 albumsEddie Palmieri, the avant-garde musician who was one of the most innovative artists of rumba and Latin jazz, has died aged 88.Fania Records announced Palmieri's death Wednesday evening. Palmieri's daughter Gabriela told the New York Times her father died earlier that day at his home in New Jersey after an extended illness". Continue reading...
by Shaun Walker in Kyiv and Andrew Roth in Washington on (#6Z54W)
Summit with Russian leader would follow great progress' made by special envoy Steve Witkoff during Moscow visitDonald Trump could meet Vladimir Putin as soon as next week to discuss the war in Ukraine, White House officials have said, although senior aides warned that serious impediments" remain to achieving a ceasefire.Late on Wednesday, the US president told reporters at the White House, when asked when he would meet the leaders of Ukraine and Russia: There's a good chance that there will be a meeting very soon." Trump said there had been no specific breakthrough leading to talk of a meeting but that US officials had been working on it for a long time". Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#6Z5EQ)
Baking, boiling or mashing potatoes raises risk by 5% and replacing with whole grains lowers risk significantlyLove potatoes? Well, there's good news and there's bad news.Eating chips has been found to raise the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, but baking, boiling or mashing potatoes was much healthier. Continue reading...
At least 25 departures cancelled while incoming flights diverted to Manchester and East Midlands airportsThousands of holidaymakers have been left stranded after flights at Birmingham airport were grounded on Wednesday when a small aircraft made an emergency landing.Three people from the aircraft were treated at the scene, one of whom suffered minor injuries in the incident, which occurred at about 1.40pm, West Midlands police said. Continue reading...
Solicitors Regulation Authority to prosecute Carter-Ruck partner Claire Gill over alleged email from 2017A solicitor at one of Britain's best known libel law firms is facing prosecution before a disciplinary tribunal over allegations that she made an inappropriate threat.The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) announced today it had decided to prosecute Claire Gill, a partner at Carter-Ruck. The decision was taken in March earlier this year. Continue reading...
Warwickshire police and crime commissioner's call comes after claims of cover-up over details of men accused of child rapeYvette Cooper is facing demands for clarity over the information that police forces are permitted to release to the public after claims of a cover-up" by the authorities over the immigration status of men accused of raping a child.The Warwickshire police and crime commissioner, Philip Seccombe, called for fresh national guidance after police were accused by Reform UK of failing to confirm that two Afghan men being prosecuted for the alleged attack on a 12-year-old girl were asylum seekers. Continue reading...
by Eleni Courea Political correspondent on (#6Z57S)
Angela Rayner gave the embassy two weeks to send additional details about its plans before approval decisionMinisters have asked China to send them the unredacted designs for its proposed super-embassy" in London or justify why some of the drawings have been blacked out.In a letter on Wednesday Angela Rayner, the housing secretary and deputy prime minister, gave the Chinese embassy two weeks to send additional details about its plans before a crunch decision over whether to approve them. Continue reading...
US president says great progress was made' as White House official says secondary sanctions on Russia still expected to be implemented on FridayWe are getting first pictures from inside the Kremlin showing Russia's Putin welcoming Witkoff for their talks.Earlier today, Witkoff also went for a walk through Zaryadye Park near the Kremlin with Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian president's envoy for investment and economic cooperation, AP reported, pointing to footage aired by Tass. Continue reading...
by Vikram Dodd Police and crime correspondent on (#6Z563)
Victim's family say Roy Barclay has given no explanation for what the judge called an outburst of horrific violence'A man who beat a woman to death in a vicious and brutal attack" as she walked her dog, having previously been in prison for a similar assault on a man in his 80s, has been jailed for life.Anita Rose, 57, was found grievously wounded on 24 July 2024 in Brantham, Suffolk, with her dog tied to her leg by its lead to stop it running off. Her attacker was Roy Barclay, 56, who had been living rough to escape capture. Continue reading...
Former president can now see children and grandchildren without prior court approval, but phone and video ban remainsA Brazilian supreme court judge has eased the terms of Jair Bolsonaro's house arrest, allowing the far-right former president to receive visits from family members without prior judicial approval.The former paratrooper turned populist has been under house arrest since Monday, when Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the measure on the grounds that Bolsonaro had allegedly violated court orders. Continue reading...
13.5bn allocated for 10-year project to build longest single-span bridge in the world across the Strait of MessinaThe Italian government has given the final approval for the construction of a multi-billion-euro bridge linking Sicily to the mainland, a project that has been a topic of debate since at least the late 1960s but has been held back by a litany of concerns, including the huge cost, seismic risks and mafia infiltration.Giorgia Meloni's rightwing government has set aside 13.5bn to build what will be the longest single-span bridge in the world. A dream of Italy's late former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi and revived soon after Meloni's government came to power in 2022, the 3.7km bridge and its surrounding facilities are expected to take 10 years to build. Continue reading...
by William Christou and Sufian Taha in Jerusalem on (#6Z51Q)
Khamis al-Ayyad, 40, of Chicago died of smoke inhalation after Israeli settlers in West Bank set homes and cars on fireThe family of Khamis al-Ayyad, a Palestinian American who died last week as a result of an Israeli settler attack in the occupied West Bank, has called for an investigation into his death, amid a rising number of US citizens killed in the territory.Ayyad, a 40-year-old father of five and Chicago resident, died from smoke inhalation on Thursday after Israeli settlers attacked the town of Silwad, outside Ramallah, setting homes and cars on fire. Ayyad fainted while trying to put out the fires, his brother said, and died on the way to the hospital. Continue reading...
by Amy Sedghi (now) and Tom Ambrose (earlier) on (#6Z4R1)
Truck drivers have said delivering aid has become increasingly dangerous, while Jordan says Israeli settlers attacked a separate Gaza-bound convoy on WednesdayIsraeli officials have said Benjamin Netanyahu discussed a plan with the White House as it attempted to portray Hamas as having walked away from ceasefire negotiations, a claim denied by Hamas, which blamed Israel for the protracted impasse.While the Trump administration has not commented on the Netanyahu proposal, it has been given some credence by leaked comments made by the US envoy Steve Witkoff to Israeli hostage families at the weekend, suggesting his proposal for a ceasefire in exchange for the release of half of the remaining living hostages had failed.Both in Gaza and Lebanon, healthcare facilities have not only been directly targeted, but access to care has also been obstructed, including incidents where ambulances have been prevented from reaching the injured, or deliberately attacked.What is becoming clear is that healthcare workers and facilities are no longer afforded the protection guaranteed by international humanitarian law. Continue reading...
Roman restaurant association astonished' to see four ingredients, not three, listed on Good Food websiteOne of the UK's most popular food websites has cooked up a storm in Italy after allegedly botching a recipe for the traditional Roman pasta dish, cacio e pepe, drawing diplomatic representations from the main trade association for Italian restaurateur.A recipe on Good Food, formerly owned by the BBC, which continues to licence the web address bbcgoodfood.com - described cacio e pepe, a culinary institution in the Italian capital, as a store cupboard favourite" that could easily be whipped up for a speedy lunch" using four simple ingredients - spaghetti, pepper, parmesan and butter". Continue reading...
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