Singer responds after documents obtained in which officials say fans will mainly be drunk, rowdy middle-aged men'Liam Gallagher has criticised Edinburgh council bosses after Oasis fans attending three sellout concerts at Murrayfield Stadium were described as mainly rowdy" middle-aged men" who take up more room" and would drink to medium to high intoxication".The Scottish Sun said it had obtained safety briefing documents through freedom of information requests, before the reunion gigs on 8, 9 and 12 August. Continue reading...
Corporation has been targeting audiences across the Atlantic as it tries to shore up revenue streamsSenior BBC figures are examining plans that would lead to American consumers paying to access its journalism, as the broadcaster looks to the US to boost its fragile finances.The corporation, which is facing fierce competition from streamers and falling licence fee income, has been targeting US audiences as it attempts to increase its commercial revenues outside the UK. Continue reading...
Chancellor says PM not grandstanding' and wanted to assure himself' that national public inquiry was necessaryRachel Reeves has defended Keir Starmer's decision to launch a national inquiry into historic child sexual exploitation after months of pressure, saying that victims of grooming gangs have always been the government's priority.The chancellor said the prime minister was not concerned with grandstanding" and had instead wanted to assure himself" that a full public inquiry was necessary. She insisted that ministers had never dismissed the concerns of victims", even as Labour previously resisted calls for a wide-ranging investigation. Continue reading...
Former French president loses country's highest state award despite Emmanuel Macron's opposition to moveThe former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been stripped of his Legion of Honour, the country's highest distinction, after his conviction for corruption was confirmed last year, according to an official decree published on Sunday.The conservative one-term president has been beset by legal problems since leaving office in 2012. In December France's highest court upheld his conviction for influence peddling and corruption, ordering him to wear an electronic ankle tag for 12 months. Continue reading...
by Dan Sabbagh Defence and security editor on (#6Y070)
Woman told court that gagging orders reinforced culture of closing ranks that tolerated rape and sexual assaultThe UK defence secretary, John Healey, has conceded that policies that banned members of the armed forces from speaking to the press or MPs without permission are unlawful, after a legal challenge was brought by two women who complained they were raped while serving.The women, from the RAF and Royal Navy, argued the restrictive regulations had prevented them from speaking out publicly about their experiences and how their complaints were handled by the chain of command and military police. Continue reading...
Former curator's comments, later withdrawn, reignite debate over attribution of Samson and Delilah paintingIt is an unwelcome question, but an important one: did the National Gallery buy a 2.5m dud?This has remained the suspicion of many experts since one of Britain's premier cultural institutions acquired Samson and Delilah, a long-lost masterpiece by the Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens, in 1980. Continue reading...
by Eleni Courea Political correspondent on (#6Y065)
Exclusive: Restrictions to be reviewed as embassy official says UK-China relations are showing a positive momentum'China is considering lifting the sanctions it imposed on UK parliamentarians in 2021 in the latest sign of warming relations between London and Beijing.The Chinese government is reviewing the sanctions, which it introduced four years ago, in response to what it called lies and disinformation" about human rights abuses in Xinjiang, according to two UK government sources familiar with the conversations. Continue reading...
Marketed to party people' and touted as a faster route to hydration than water, electrolytes are in the middle of a boomThe tickets are bought, the line-ups have been announced and it's nearly time to drag last year's tent out of the cupboard for a wipedown - and to evict a few dead earwigs. And this summer, there's one more festival accessory that partygoers won't be travelling without: electrolyte tablets.Touted as a faster route to rehydration than water, and a way to replace vital salts lost during heavy drinking and partying, the focus on festivals is the latest twist in a global boom for electrolytes, as everyone from triathletes to YouTubers sings the praises of these super-hydrating mineral supplements. Continue reading...
by Chris Osuh Community affairs correspondent on (#6Y05J)
Surging demand for looser styles with high necklines comes amid politicians' criticism of burqa and the hijabFashion influenced by Islam and other religions is expected to become mainstream" globally, in spite of politicians singling out the burqa and the hijab, as the rise of modest fashion" is powered by influencers, luxury brands and big tech.The Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, has said employers should be able to ban staff from wearing face coverings, before adding that she was not in favour of a government ban. Continue reading...
by Jason Burke International security correspondent on (#6Y03Z)
Netanyahu has been systematically and successfully weakening his regional foes, now Tehran is in the crosshairsIsrael's offensive against Iran is the latest link in a chain of events triggered by the attack launched by Hamas from Gaza into Israel on 7 October 2023. All have successively weakened Tehran and, militarily at least, empowered Israel. Without each, it is difficult to see how the new offensive it launched directly against Iran on Friday might be possible.The first was the Israeli offensive in Gaza. This has now killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, but within weeks had militarily degraded Hamas sufficiently for the Islamist militant organisation to no longer pose a significant current threat to Israeli citizens. Continue reading...
Critics question speed and scale of embedding AI into public sector when debate rages about use of copyrighted materialThe government's artificial intelligence (AI) tool known as Humphrey is based on models from OpenAI, Anthropic and Google, it can be revealed, raising questions about Whitehall's increasing reliance on big tech.Ministers have staked the future of civil service reform on rolling out AI across the public sector to improve efficiency, with all officials in England and Wales to receive training in the toolkit. Continue reading...
After retriever Louie got spooked on a walk his owners have not stopped searching for him - and local walkers have stepped in tooWalking along Nevis Gorge, the rumble of Steall Falls can be heard long before you see it. Rocky terrain clears to expansive grassland, forest and shrubbery.Among Glen Nevis's lush greenery, flashes of bright red paper can be seen. It is not litter left by tourists who have trekked to this beauty spot, but missing posters handed out by the family of Louie, a two-year-old golden retriever who has been missing for a fortnight. Continue reading...
Search under way for two Australian men after Melbourne man Zivan Radmanovic fatally shot and another man injured at Bali villaAuthorities are searching for two Australian men suspected of fatally shooting a Melbourne man and injuring another at a villa on the Indonesian resort island of Bali.Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Dfat) confirmed a man died and another was injured.
Prime minister confirms a meeting is scheduled for Tuesday in Kananaskis, Alberta, where he will push Australia's case for a tariff exemption Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAnthony Albanese will meet the US president, Donald Trump, face-to-face for the first time next week, using talks on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada to press the case for an exemption to trade tariffs and talk up the Aukus agreement.Touring Amazon's headquarters in Seattle on Sunday AEST, the prime minister confirmed a meeting had been set with Trump in Kananaskis, Alberta, along with separate bilateral talks with the leaders of Canada, the UK and Germany.Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Continue reading...
by Jonathan Barrett and Patrick Commins on (#6XZZZ)
As questions swirl around the nuclear submarine deal, some strategists are pushing for an alternative, echidna' policy that focuses less on offensive capability
Emergencies services were called to an incident at Dunkeswell aerodrome at 1pm on FridayTwo skydivers have died after an incident at an airfield in Devon, police have said.Emergency services were called to the scene at Dunkeswell aerodrome, near Honiton, at 1pm on Friday following concerns for the welfare of two people", Devon and Cornwall police said. Continue reading...
PM says new statutory inquiry was right thing to do' after findings of review submitted by Louise CaseyKeir Starmer will launch a national inquiry into grooming gangs after receiving the recommendations of an independent report on the scandal.The prime minister said a new statutory inquiry was the right thing to do" based on the findings submitted by Louise Casey, who has carried out a months-long inquiry into the abuse of young girls. Continue reading...
Telecoms group says it strongly refutes claim by 62 franchisees that it unjustly enriched' itself at their expenseVodafone has terminated the contracts of 12 franchisees who have continued running the brand's high street stores while also being part of a 120m high court claim against the telecoms group.The legal case was launched in December, when 62 franchisees claimed Vodafone had unjustly enriched" itself at the expense of scores of vulnerable small business owners by slashing commissions to franchisees operating the mobile phone company's retail outlets. Continue reading...
Geo Group faced up to $4m in fines for violations involving the use of a toxic disinfectant at an immigration facilityThe Donald Trump administration has dropped up to $4m in potential fines against the private prison operator Geo Group over the latter's use of a toxic disinfectant in a detention center that allegedly put employees' and detainees' health at risk.The administration made the move after Geo donated over $4m to the president and Republican leadership, as well as Trump's inauguration fund. Continue reading...
Police received nearly 700 false collision' 999 calls from Leicestershire heavy metal event in 2023When hundreds of 999 calls came in from fans at the Download festival two years ago, the emergency services must have thought a disaster was unfolding at the three-day heavy metal gig in Leicestershire.In fact, the calls were made automatically from smartwatches and other devices worn by fans because the tech assumed that people in moshpits had been in a collision", according to Leicestershire police. Continue reading...
Whitehall must work more with frontline services as part of plans to move offices from London, says Georgia GouldThe Whitehall civil service is too remote from people's lives and needs to be turned inside out" as part of plans to drive three of Keir Starmer's missions from outside London, a Cabinet Office minister has said.Georgia Gould, a former leader of Camden council who had a meteoric rise after her election as a Labour MP last year, said the government's plan to move thousands more civil service jobs out of London was not about just having offices in places" - and Whitehall civil servants needed to be more familiar with the day-to-day problems in frontline services from health centres to family hubs. Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#6XZNB)
Victor Adebowale says failure to detect his mother's cancer was example of black service, not NHS service'A senior figure in the health service has criticised it for deep-seated racism after his mother got a black service, not an NHS service" before she died.Victor Adebowale, the chair of the NHS Confederation, claimed his mother Grace's lung cancer went undiagnosed because black people get disproportionately poor" health service care.Black British mothers are up to four times more likely to die during pregnancy or within six weeks of giving birth than white mothers.Those of black and African or Caribbean origin are twice as likely to have a stroke, and younger, than white counterparts.Black African patients are two and a half times more likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act than white British patients. Continue reading...
Everyday people taken by surprise by overnight strikes and left wondering how to prepare for what may come nextAs dawn broke over Tehran, firefighters and other rescue workers saw for the first time the full extent of the damage done by overnight Israeli strikes.Among the first locations reached by responders in the capital was a 12-storey block of flats looming above a road junction and a shopping mall in the northern suburbs. A huge blast at around 4am had gutted two upper levels, showering debris into the street below. Continue reading...
Sheffield band were last at the top with This Is Hardcore, while Sabrina Carpenter is at No 1 in the singles chart and breaks an album chart recordPulp have topped the UK album chart for the first time since 1998, with the release of their new album More.The Sheffield band, fronted by Jarvis Cocker, were last at the top with 1998's This Is Hardcore, the follow-up to the similarly chart-topping Different Class in 1995. Continue reading...
James Sheen given four-year term and Michael Jones 27 months after theft of toilet during exhibition in OxfordshireTwo men have been jailed for their roles in the bold and brazen" theft of a 4.75m gold toilet from an art exhibition at Blenheim Palace.James Sheen, 40, and Michael Jones, 39, were sentenced at Oxford crown court for their roles as part of a gang who planned and carried out the burglary at the Oxfordshire stately home, receiving a four-year prison sentence and a 27-month prison sentence respectively. Continue reading...
Craig Williams and 14 others appear in court over allegations of cheating by betting on 2024 election dateA former Conservative MP and 14 other people facing allegations of cheating by gambling on the date of last year's general election are to go on trial.Craig Williams, who was the MP for Montgomeryshire and a senior aide to the then prime minister, Rishi Sunak, appeared in the dock at Westminster magistrates court on Friday after charges were brought by the Gambling Commission. Continue reading...
by Josh Halliday North of England editor on (#6XZ68)
Jamie Varley and co-accused John McGowan-Fazakerley were in process of adopting 13-month-old Preston DaveyA secondary school teacher has appeared in court accused of the sexual assault and murder of a 13-month-old baby boy he was adopting.Jamie Varley, 36, who was a head of year at a school in Blackpool, is also accused of a number of counts of assault, cruelty and taking and distributing indecent images relating to Preston Davey. Continue reading...
Gambling losses and calls to helplines both up but Minns government has no benchmarks or measures to assess its harm minimisation strategy, report says
In today's newsletter: The unrest in Ballymena escalated, as tensions over immigration spiralled, leaving police injured and homes damagedGood morning. Over the past three nights, Ballymena, Northern Ireland, has been rocked by riots. At least 17 police officers have been injured, while homes, businesses and vehicles have also been damaged.The unrest erupted after a vigil on Monday for a teenage girl allegedly sexually assaulted by two 14-year-old boys. The boys had appeared in court earlier that day and were charged with attempted rape, where a Romanian interpreter read them the charges.UK politics | Rachel Reeves has pledged to ensure working people are better off" and invest billions into energy, housing, transport and infrastructure after the government's spending review announcement.US news | Los Angeles police made more than 300 arrests as protesters defied an overnight curfew imposed after Donald Trump's crackdown against demonstrations.Israel-Gaza war | Israeli forces killed at least 60 Palestinians in Gaza on Wednesday, most of them as they were seeking food from a US-Israeli distribution scheme, according to local health authorities.Austria | A 21-year-old former student who shot dead 10 people including pupils and a teacher at his former school in Austria before killing himself had planned to detonate a homemade explosive there, police have said.Music | Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys musician, songwriter and producer who created some of pop's most beautiful and groundbreaking songs, has died aged 82. Continue reading...
by Justin McCurry in Tokyo and Helen Davidson in Taip on (#6XY30)
J-15 fighter jet took off from Chinese aircraft carrier off Japanese coast and came within 45 metres of Japanese Self-Defence Force aircraftJapan has voiced serious concern" over a near miss involving one of its military planes and a Chinese fighter jet in the Pacific, where recent manoeuvres by Chinese aircraft carrier groups have raised tensions across the region.The Chinese aircraft took off from a moving aircraft carrier, the Shandong, and reportedly flew within 45 metres of a Japanese Self-Defence Force (SDF) patrol plane shortly afterwards. On Thursday, Japan's chief cabinet secretary, Yoshimasa Hayashi, urged Beijing to prevent a repeat of the incident, which took place at the weekend. Continue reading...
by Eleni Courea Political correspondent on (#6XY31)
Exclusive: Cross-party group including peers warns of risk of potential Chinese state influence' in private equity firmA cross-party group of MPs and peers has called on ministers to investigate how a US private equity company is funding its 500m takeover of the Telegraph.In a letter sent to the culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, last week, the MPs said there was a risk of potential Chinese state influence" in RedBird Capital. Continue reading...
As Alaa Abd el-Fattah's mother remains on hunger strike, supporters say activist's continued detention is campaign of vengeance by Egypt's presidentFamily, friends and supporters of the jailed British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah have spoken about the conditions of his long imprisonment as his mother, Laila Soueif, remains in a London hospital in declining health on a hunger strike to secure his release.Amid a mounting campaign to put pressure on British ministers to intervene more forcefully on Abd el-Fattah's behalf, supporters say his continued detention is part of a campaign of vengeance motivated by the personal animus of the Egyptian president, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, towards him. Continue reading...
National Anti-Corruption Commission concludes no inappropriate intervention' by Labor over payment to Liberal staffer following alleged Parliament House assault
Local MLA blames masked thugs' for attack on centre that had been hosting people in need after Ballymena riotingA fire broke out at a leisure centre during a third night of disorder in Northern Ireland on Wednesday.People wearing masks smashed windows at the Larne leisure centre in County Antrim and set fires outside which spread inside the building. Continue reading...
by Lanre Bakare Arts and culture correspondent on (#6XXXC)
After music, publishing, sports and philanthropy, rapper expands into film-making with lead role in Big Man, a short film premiering on YouTubeAfter conquering the charts, Glastonbury's Pyramid stage and launching his own publishing imprint, Stormzy is taking his first steps into the world of movies with starring in a short film about the travails of an ex-rapper.Big Man will be made by the rap star's own production company Merky Films in association with Apple, and feature Stormzy - in a sizable wig - as the lead character Tenzman, a former rap star now navigating a restless and uncertain chapter of his life". Continue reading...
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