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The man, who cannot be named, denies he raped the woman or asked her to watch sex tapes

Liquidators to recoup millions sent to blackmailer who threatened to expose Plutus Payroll tax fraud scheme

Nearly nine in 10 users said they had positive experience, with 7m tests now provided across network in EnglandPatients are having important tests such as X-rays and scans more quickly thanks to the NHS's rollout of a network of community diagnostic centres (CDCs), the health service's patient champion has found.The 160 CDCs now in operation across England have been opened over recent years to help patients get tested and diagnosed faster than by going to their GP or local hospital. Continue reading...

Group including neonatal experts and statistics professors question its setup amid concerns about convictionA group including some of the UK's leading neonatal experts and professors of statistics is calling on the government to postpone or change the terms of a public inquiry over concerns about the conviction of the neonatal nurse Lucy Letby.In a private letter to ministers, seen by the Guardian, the 24 experts said they were concerned that the inquiry's narrow terms could prevent lessons being learned about possible negligent deaths that were presumed to be murders" in the neonatal ward of the Countess of Chester hospital (CoC). Continue reading...

Event in September will include tours of Curtis's home town, which have already sold out, and a tribute band gigMacclesfield will hold its first ever Joy Division Day next month, to celebrate the town's links to the band.The lead singer Ian Curtis grew up in the Cheshire town, and after his death in 1980 aged 23 his ashes were buried in Macclesfield cemetery. Continue reading...

Warren is given suspended prison sentence as lawyer says former Interpol target one' now wants peace'The notorious gangster Curtis Cocky" Warren has been handed a 14-month jail term, suspended for 18 months, after he pleaded guilty at Liverpool crown court to failing to comply with a serious crime prevention order.Warren, 61, pleaded guilty to six breaches of the order, said to have been committed after his release from prison in 2022. He had previously pleaded not guilty at the same court to 18 counts of failing to comply with an SCPO. Continue reading...

Two killed as Kryvyi Rih hotel hit, and Zaporizhzhia drone attack kills another two, a day after assault on power grid

Grammy winner asks for privacy as she mourns Patricia and Alison, saying: My heart is broken'Mariah Carey's mother, Patricia, and sister, Alison, both died on the same day, the singer said Monday.My heart is broken that I've lost my mother this past weekend," the Grammy-winning singer said. Sadly, in a tragic turn of events, my sister lost her life on the same day. Continue reading...

Authorities look into what happened to Kendra Frazer, 39, who was found unresponsive at the Black Rock desert eventAuthorities are investigating the death of a woman identified as 39-year-old Kendra Frazer who was found unresponsive on the opening day of Burning Man, the event held annually in Nevada's Black Rock desert, about 100 miles (160km) north of Reno.Hours after the festival officially began on 25 August, emergency personnel were called according to officials with the Pershing county sheriff's office, after teams affiliated with the non-profit that runs the event attempted life-saving measures and were unable to revive the woman. Continue reading...

More talks to take place on Tuesday as president attempts to find a PM who can command cross-party supportFrance has been plunged into further political chaos after Emmanuel Macron refused to name a prime minister from the leftwing coalition that won the most parliamentary seats in the snap election last month.The president had hoped consultations would break the political deadlock caused by the election that left the Assemblee Nationale divided into three roughly equal blocks - left, centre and far right - none of which has a majority of seats. Continue reading...

Vallejo police retrieved snake in car after 10-mile chase in crackdown of sideshow involving roughly 500 vehiclesA 10ft-long python was discovered in a vehicle during a bust of an illegal sideshow in the San Francisco Bay Area that attracted hundreds of people, authorities say.The Vallejo police department said officials received multiple calls around 11.12pm on Friday of a sideshow involving roughly 500 vehicles in the Bay Area city. Drivers were blocking traffic, beaming lasers into the eyes of other motorists and spinning their vehicles, according to a police statement. Continue reading...

FBU calls for urgent investigation into blaze as more than 100 people evacuated from building in east LondonA large fire that engulfed a block of flats in Dagenham, east London, has been brought under control with everyone accounted for, the London fire brigade (LFB) said, as attention turned to the role cladding played on a building with known fire safety issues.Emergency services were called to the fire on Freshwater Road at 2.44am on Monday, which was declared a major incident. More than 100 people were evacuated from the building and two were taken to hospital. Continue reading...

People at two Geo Group facilities in California protest poor food quality, medical neglect and a working wage of $1 a dayMore than 60 detainees at immigration processing centers in California launched a hunger strike during the last month in protest of conditions they say are in violation of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) policies.The hunger strike at Mesa Verde and Golden State Annex facilities is an escalation of a 1 July labor strike, in which 59 people stopped working in protest of the dangerous and neglectful conditions. The hunger strike started on 11 July, but was paused when guards threatened to transfer the detainees to Texas. It was resumed in early August. Continue reading...

Agency launches investigation into security failings that led to assassination attempt at Pennsylvania rallyAt least five US Secret Service agents have been placed on leave after the failed assassination attempt on Donald Trump in July.The action is reportedly the latest consequence of the security failings surrounding the 13 July shooting, when a 20-year-old gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, opened fire on Trump as he spoke at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Continue reading...

New vice and virtue restrictions offer a distressing vision of Afghanistan's future', says UNNew Taliban laws that prohibit women from speaking or showing their faces outside their homes have been condemned by the UN and met with horror by human rights groups.The Taliban published a host of new vice and virtue" laws last week, approved by their supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, which state that women must completely veil their bodies - including their faces - in thick clothing at all times in public to avoid leading men into temptation and vice. Continue reading...

Three-quarters of households that park cars on street do not have charger within five-minute walk, data showsNorth-east Derbyshire and Redditch, in the West Midlands, are among the worst public charging deserts" for electric vehicles in Great Britain, according to an analysis that found 9.3m households do not have off-street parking where they could install a charger.More than three-quarters of households that park their cars on the street do not have a public charger for electric vehicles within a five-minute walk, according to the analysis by the Field Dynamics consultancy. Continue reading...

Olaf Scholz also promises swifter enforcement of deportation rules after three killed in last week's rampageThe German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has promised tougher weapons laws and swifter enforcement of deportation rules in response to the deadly mass stabbing in the western city of Solingen, as the far right seized on public outrage in the run-up to key state elections.Scholz laid a single white rose at the scene of Friday night's rampage claimed by the Islamic State group in which a Syrian asylum seeker is alleged to have killed three and injured eight people attending a street festival marking the city's 650th anniversary. Continue reading...

Landslide in city of Ketchikan also damaged homes and infrastructure, and Alaska governor declared emergencyA landslide in the Alaska city of Ketchikan killed one person and injured three others while prompting a mandatory evacuation, authorities said.Three people were taken to Ketchikan medical center after the landslide, which struck at about 4pm local time Sunday. It also damaged homes and infrastructure, the Ketchikan gateway borough and city officials said in a joint statement Sunday. Continue reading...

James Cutfield is asked to appoint a lawyer after prosecutors question him a second time over sinking of BayesianThe captain of a luxury yacht which sank in a storm off the coast of Sicily last week, killing the British tech magnate Mike Lynch and six others, has been placed under investigation for charges of manslaughter and shipwreck.The 56-metre (184ft) superyacht Bayesian, carrying 22 passengers, sank off the coast of Porticello, a fishing village near Palermo, in the early hours of 19 August. It is thought that it was struck by a downburst, a gusty wind associated with storms. Continue reading...

Department twice provided written advice to No 10 before mistake that came to define Sunak's election campaignSenior officials at the Foreign Office repeatedly warned No 10 that Rishi Sunak should not leave June's D-day commemoration in Normandy early, according to new revelations in a book about the Tories' 14 years in power.The department passed on two messages to Downing Street in the weeks leading up to the event, which were then ignored in what has gone down as the worst election campaign blunder of the last 14 years. Continue reading...

Treasurer uses John Curtin Oration to accuse opposition leader of deliberately stoking culture wars and division

What's really interesting about this warm stretch of weather, is it is going to last for a long time,' BoM says

US senator Elizabeth Warren dismisses JD Vance's pledge that Trump would veto a nationwide ban if he were electedElizabeth Warren says American women are not stupid" enough to believe JD Vance's promise that Donald Trump would veto any nationwide abortion ban passed by Congress if the Republican presidential ticket wins November's election.American women are not stupid, and we are not going to trust the futures of our daughters and granddaughters to two men who have openly bragged about blocking access to abortion for women all across this country," Warren said Sunday on NBC's Meet the Press. Continue reading...

Return of 2016 chief Corey Lewandowski unsettled insiders and led to fears of further friction as campaign heats upDonald Trump's campaign remains jittery about the prospect of a power struggle inside the inner circle that could become a major distraction just months until the 2024 election, even if the jockeying for influence by top officials has ended with a truce, according to people familiar with the matter.The momentary power play among the senior advisers is widely seen to be over, for now, after the 2016 campaign chief, Corey Lewandowski, distanced himself from suggestions he was returning to the fold to run the campaign and the current leadership remained in their roles. Continue reading...

Two people taken to hospital and more than 100 evacuated as major incident declared over fire in east LondonA major incident has been declared after more than 100 people were evacuated and two taken to hospital as a fire engulfed a block of flats in Dagenham, east London, which had known" safety issues.The London fire brigade (LFB) said it was carrying out a significant search and rescue operation" after being called to the blaze on Freshwater Road at 2.44am on Monday. Continue reading...

Mal Frankcom says he wants people behind strike that killed seven people to be tried and convicted and punished'

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None of the candidates may seem like a good option, but some pose a greater danger to net zero than othersOut of power, and with no one paying them much attention at the moment, the Conservative leadership contest may seem fairly irrelevant to UK climate policy.But the winner could make a significant difference. Continue reading...

Crowd at funeral pays tribute to enigmatic criminal who enshrined himself in Australian folklore with democracy manifest' meme

Twenty-nine-year-old shot in execution-style murder' in Harold Street in western Sydney early on Monday

Country Liberal party chief minister, Lia Finocchiaro, says parents of children who commit crimes may also have their government benefits cut

Satya Tarapureddi rang call button at least seven times before child died at Monash children's hospital, coroner hears

The laws mean workers across the country can refuse to monitor, read or respond to work calls and emails outside paid hours

Media watchdog issues warning after 10 Play aired 17 betting commercials during friendly with England and women's A-League game

Just.Equal Australia says Anthony Albanese should not march in next year's Mardi Gras for pushing Australians back into the statistical closet'

Driver charged with eight offences after allegedly stabbing his partner while driving, leading to car crash in Engadine

British army officer kidnapped, then killed and secretly buried, while on undercover operation during TroublesA search is to begin for the remains of a British army captain and undercover officer who was kidnapped, murdered and secretly buried by the IRA in 1977.Capt Robert Nairac was kidnapped by the IRA while on an undercover operation in The Three Steps pub in Dromintee in south Armagh close to the border. After a struggle he was taken across the border to a field in Ravensdale woods area in north Louth where he was beaten up and questioned before being murdered. Continue reading...

The 58-year-old man was shot in the stomach outside his Cranbourne East home in what police say was a random attack

Sophie Galaise's departure comes after orchestra cancelled the performance of a pianist who had dedicated a piece to slain journalists in Gaza

The airline has vowed to rebook the customers, who scored cheap tickets to the US for less than $5,000 return, on to business class flights

US rapper says he will not perform in United Arab Emirates until it stops arming' the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan, where thousands have been killedMacklemore has cancelled an upcoming October concert in Dubai over the United Arab Emirates' role in the ongoing genocide and humanitarian crisis" in Sudan through its reported support of the paramilitary force that has been fighting government troops there.The announcement by the US rapper reignited attention to the UAE's role in the war gripping the African nation. While the UAE repeatedly has denied arming the Rapid Support Forces and supporting its leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, UN experts reported credible" evidence in January that the Emirates sent weapons to the RSF several times a week from northern Chad. Continue reading...

The Queensland senator was kicked off the Liberal National federal election ticket in July 2023

More opt to work beyond traditional retirement age but some are forced to, says advice group Rest LessThe number of people aged 60 and older who are self-employed has reached a record of almost 1 million, research suggests.This represents an increase of more than a third (33%) in the past decade, to reach 991,432 self-employed people aged 60 or over in 2023, according to analysis by Rest Less, which offers advice to older people. Continue reading...

Exclusive: nursing body says staff are being punished by benefits policy for those on temporary visasNHS nurses from overseas are being pushed into poverty" because of rules that deprive many people coming to work in the UK of welfare benefits for five years after they arrive.They are being forced to borrow money, run up credit card debts and go without food because they are unable to make ends meet, according to a report from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). Continue reading...

Ryan Evans, a safety adviser and former soldier, was staying at the Hotel Sapphire in Kramatorsk when it was hit by Russian missileA British man working for the Reuters news agency has been killed in a strike on a hotel in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, the news agency has said.Ryan Evans, who was working as a safety adviser for the agency, was killed after a missile struck the Hotel Sapphire on Saturday where he was staying as part of a six-person team. Continue reading...

Israeli air raids on rocket sites are part of dangerous rise in hostilities, increasing fears a major conflict could eruptBenjamin Netanyahu has vowed that Israeli air raids targeting Hezbollah rockets in southern Lebanon in the early hours of Sunday morning were not the end of the story", after the two sides exchanged their heaviest fire since the war in Gaza began, raising fears of an all-out regional conflict.The Israeli prime minister did not specify what further action, if any, was planned after the intense exchanges but he suggested Israel's moves would be aimed at changing the situation in the north". Continue reading...

First Black woman to become Master of the King's Music says cuts to education means we've lost so much talent'All children should be taught musical instruments for free at school to widen access to classical music, according to the first Black woman to be appointed Master of the King's Music.The Belize-born composer, pianist and singer-songwriter Errollyn Wallen says she plans to use her new role to influence the things I feel are important in music-making today," in particular better music education for children. Continue reading...

West London Caribbean heritage, arts and culture event has particular significance this year after far-right riotsThousands of people have gathered on the streets of London draped in flags and decked in jewels to celebrate the annual Notting Hill carnival, with some describing the festival as a big statement" on the cultural diversity of Britain.One million people are expected to attend the carnival, which marks the 56th year it has been running. The celebration of Caribbean heritage, arts and culture is one of the biggest and longest-running carnivals in the world. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Experts say desocialised' pupils home schooled through Covid are entering traditionally most disruptive years