Complaint cites concerns that kiss planted on footballer Jenni Hermoso could constitute sexual assaultA prosecutor has filed a complaint with Spain's high court against Luis Rubiales, citing concerns that there could be grounds to charge the football chief with sexual assault as well as coercion, after he planted a kiss on the lips of footballer Jenni Hermoso.The complaint, which comes days after Hermoso filed a criminal complaint accusing Rubiales of sexual assault, requests that the court place Rubiales under formal investigation. From there, the court can decide whether charges are warranted against Rubiales. Continue reading...
In video brought to surface, Mark Dickey says he was very close to the edge' after falling ill 1km downLocal and international cave rescue teams are poised to begin an attempt to evacuate a sick American caver from a deep underground system in Turkey, in what experts are suggesting may be one of the most complex operations of its kind.Turkish-led rescuers have said the operation to bring up 40-year-old Mark Dickey by stretcher could take up to four days, and will require constant monitoring of his health. Continue reading...
IOPC apologises unreservedly' to Marcia Rigg, whose brother Sean died after being restrained in BrixtonThe police watchdog has apologised unreservedly" to the sister of a black man who died in police custody in London 15 years ago.The Independent Office for Police Conduct apologised to Marcia Rigg, whose brother Sean died after losing consciousness at Brixton police station, for delays and police failings. She said she hoped that no other family would have to endure her family's never-ending trauma". Continue reading...
Value of fast-track grocery delivery service believed to be quarter of the $11.8bn it was worth 18 months agoThe fast-track grocery delivery service Getir is reportedly now worth a quarter of what it was valued at 18 months ago, after a big shakeout in the sector amid declining consumer demand.The Istanbul-based company is raising $500m in a funding round that will value the business at $2.5bn and is expected to close later this month, according to a Financial Times report citing people familiar with the matter. Continue reading...
Public demand for Jagtar Singh Johal to be set free is not in his best interests', says Asia ministerThe UK government has decided not to call for the release of a British man held in an Indian jail for five years, saying it would not be in his best interests.There have been repeated calls for Britain to do more to secure the release of Jagtar Singh Johal, who claims to have been tortured and forced to make a confession. He faces terrorism charges and the first stages of his trial have just started after repeated delays caused by disputes over evidence. Continue reading...
Legal experts and bloggers say proposed crimes could be used arbitrarily and lead to more censorshipProposed changes to a Chinese public security law to criminalise comments, clothing or symbols that undermine the spirit" or harm the feelings" of China have triggered the concern of legal experts, who say the amendments could be used arbitrarily.The changes were first made public last week as part of a mandatory soliciting opinion" process, as concerns mount about the increasingly authoritarian and nationalistic rule of China's president, Xi Jinping. Continue reading...
Firm admits culpability after three people died in derailment in Aberdeenshire in August 2020Network Rail has been fined 6.7m at the high court in Aberdeen after admitting health and safety failings over a rail crash that claimed three lives.The train's driver, Brett McCullough, 45, the conductor Donald Dinnie, 58, and a passenger, Christopher Stuchbury, 62, died in the derailment near Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, on 12 August 2020. Continue reading...
Kim Jong-un said it heralded a new chapter but South Korea said the vessel seems not to be operationalNorth Korea has launched its first tactical nuclear attack submarine", state media reported, although the South Korean military said the vessel might not be operational.The North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, presided over the unveiling ceremony on Wednesday, saying the sub was part of a push forward with the nuclear weaponisation of the navy", according to state news agency KCNA. Continue reading...
by Kiran Stacey Political correspondent on (#6EJJP)
PM's crunch meeting with Indian counterpart at G20 hoped to smooth way for free trade dealRishi Sunak has insisted a trade deal with India is not guaranteed, as he prepares to meet his Indian counterpart during the G20 summit in Delhi.The British prime minister will speak to Narendra Modi this weekend at a crunch meeting that could determine the future of a free trade agreement between the two countries, as well as influence India's approach to Russia. Continue reading...
Group affiliated with al-Qaida target army base and Timbuktu river boat as violence surges in regionAl-Qaida-linked militants have killed at least 64 people in twin attacks on an army base and a crowded passenger boat on the Niger River in northern Mali.Extremists from the Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) appear to have targeted the Timbuktu boat on the river and an army position at Bamba, in the northern Gao region, with a provisional toll of 49 civilians and 15 soldiers killed", according to a government statement. Continue reading...
Police also confirm they are searching for signs of former soldier Daniel Abed Khalife in Richmond Park in LondonPolice searching for the escaped terrorism suspect Daniel Abed Khalife are investigating the possibility he had help from within Wandsworth prison to carry out his clearly pre-planned" getaway, the Scotland Yard chief, Sir Mark Rowley, has said.The force also confirmed it was searching for signs of Khalife, a former British soldier, in Richmond Park, in south-west London, not far from the prison he escaped from. Continue reading...
by Kiran Stacey Political correspondent on (#6EJEQ)
British officials hope the UK prime minister's star status in India will help in negotiations with Narendra ModiRishi Sunak has said he is looking forward to a special" trip to New Delhi, where he believes he will be welcomed as India's son-in-law" during his first visit to the country since entering Downing Street.The prime minister will land in the city on Friday morning ahead of this weekend's G20 summit - the first time he has been to India since before the Covid-19 pandemic. Continue reading...
Anniversary of accession marked with gun salutes and abbey bells as royals attend service near BalmoralKing Charles III is remembering his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, with a private church service in Scotland on the anniversary of her death on Friday.As gun salutes and abbey bells mark the anniversary of his accession elsewhere, Charles and Queen Camilla will be at their Scottish retreat, and will attend private memorial prayers at Crathie Church near Balmoral Castle. Continue reading...
by Presented by Jonathan Freedland, with Franklin Foe on (#6EJDA)
Afghanistan, Ukraine, abortion rights - what was Joe Biden thinking during some of the toughest points of his presidency so far? Who did he rely on for advice? How did his morals play a role? Does he regret anything?This week, Jonathan Freedland speaks to Franklin Foer of the Atlantic about his new book, The Last Politician: Inside Joe Biden's White House and the Struggle for America's FutureArchive: Washington Post, CNBC, NBC, MSNBC Continue reading...
TV host reportedly said it's embarrassing and I feel so bad' after former and current employees alleged they were fearful of his moods on setJimmy Fallon has reportedly apologised to staff on the Tonight Show after Rolling Stone published allegations from current and former employees claiming a toxic work environment behind the scenes of his late night program.It's embarrassing and I feel so bad. Sorry if I embarrassed you and your family and friends," Fallon said told Tonight Show staff during a brief Zoom meeting on Thursday evening, staff in the meeting told Variety and Rolling Stone. I feel so bad I can't even tell you. Continue reading...
Myanmar's deposed leader has gum disease and struggles to eat but son says requests for help made by officers at notorious Insein prison have been deniedAung San Suu Kyi's life may be at risk, because she has such serious gum disease she is struggling to eat after more than two years in jail, her son has warned, saying he feels powerless to help her.Myanmar's ousted leader, now 78, has not been allowed see a doctor even though she was unable to walk at one point, is suffering from vomiting and dizziness and may have problems with her wisdom teeth, Kim Aris said. Continue reading...
Monarch writes of great affection' for Queen Elizabeth II and releases a favourite official portrait of herKing Charles III has paid tribute to his late mother Queen Elizabeth II and re-pledged his own service to the nation in a message marking the first anniversary of her death and of his accession.In a signed message he wrote: In marking the first anniversary of her late Majesty's death and my accession, we recall with great affection her long life, devoted service and all she meant to so many of us. Continue reading...
Band say unexpected win is testimony to good, special people putting time and effort' into helping young people to play musicThe 2023 Mercury prize has been awarded to Ezra Collective, the London band whose propulsive blend of jazz, funk and Afrobeat has electrified audiences and cemented the capital's jazz scene as one of the world's most exciting.We met in a youth club," said drummer and bandleader Femi Koleoso on accepting the award for the year's best British or Irish album for Where I'm Meant to Be, the band's second release. This moment we're celebrating right here is testimony to good, special people putting time and effort into [helping] young people to play music ... let's continue to support that," he added, citing grassroots collectives in London such as Tomorrow's Warriors and Kinetika Bloco. Continue reading...
The suspect, 19, has been held on suspicion of two counts of grievous bodily harm after two men were stabbed in Clapham on 13 AugustA 19-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a homophobic attack outside a nightclub in south London in which two men were stabbed, police have said.Two men were taken to hospital after the incident in Clapham on 13 August. They have since been discharged. Continue reading...
Campaigners say many facilities and medical workers are likely to deny access since procedure is banned in many local jurisdictionsHuman rights activists in Mexico have welcomed a historic ruling by the country's supreme court that decriminalized abortion, but warned that the historic decision will not automatically make terminations accessible for all Mexican women.Wednesday's unanimous decision stripped away federal criminal penalties related to abortions - but not the many local laws banning the procedure, which remain on the books in 20 of Mexico's 32 states. Continue reading...
by Nadeem Badshah (now); Mabel Banfield-Nwachi and Ke on (#6EHD1)
Lack of confirmed sightings a little unusual', says head of the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism CommandAn investigation is under way into why a former soldier accused of terrorism who is now on the run was held in a lower-security prison, Michelle Donelan, the science secretary, said. She added that the government's top priority" was tracking down Daniel Khalife, who absconded from HMP Wandsworth on Wednesday morning by clinging to the bottom of a delivery van, the Guardian's Aubrey Allegretti reports.The Labour MP Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, when talking to Nick Ferrari from LBC about the prisoner escape at Wandsworth prison, has said the government sat on their hands". She also claimed that she had raised concerns about conditions and staffing levels in the prison many, many months ago".Speaking to Sky news, the shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, says there were grave questions" about how Khalife, who was awaiting trial for terrorism and Official Secrets Act offences, was able to escape prison.Responding to Khalife's escape, the Prison Officers Association (POA), has highlighted staffing shortages and budget cuts. Mark Fairhurst, the POA national chair, said: Wandsworth is one of the largest prisons in the country and is overcrowded and under resourced. The chronic staffing shortages and lack of adequate training for staff highlight the need for an urgent review of how our prisons are run. We await the results of an internal investigation so we may ensure this is not repeated."Earlier, the technology secretary, Michelle Donelan, said it wasn't helpful to draw a link between over-capacity, understaffing, and the prison escape until there had been a thorough investigation". She told ITV's Good Morning Britain programme: We can't say why this happened until we've got the results of that investigation. I don't think it's helpful to get into a hypothetical of what was the cause, or what allowed this individual to evade the system and manage to escape."Responding to Daniel Abed Khalife's escape, the Prison Officers Association (POA), has highlighted staffing shortages and budget cuts.Wandsworth is one of the largest prisons in the country and is overcrowded and under resourced. The chronic staffing shortages and lack of adequate training for staff highlight the need for an urgent review of how our prisons are run. We await the results of an internal investigation so we may ensure this is not repeated.No one ever wants to see an escape from prison but since 2010 this union has been on record as saying cuts have consequences. You cannot take out 900m from the budget with reduced staffing levels up and down the country and expect the Prison Service to operate as if nothing has happened. Government needs to take responsibility for the decimation of the Prison Service with less staff and more prisoners and Wandsworth is a typical example of what life is like for serving prison officers operating in a stressful and violent workplace with inadequate staff levels caring for over 1600 prisoners at that establishment. Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#6EJ0T)
Julian Kelly discusses structurally unsound hospitals during evidence to Commons public accounts committeeSome hospitals are so dilapidated that they regularly have to shut wards and operating theatres to safeguard patients' safety, a senior NHS boss has admitted.Julian Kelly, NHS England's deputy chief executive, made the statement when giving evidence to the House of Commons public accounts committee on Thursday. Continue reading...
Labour MP Stella Creasy also vying for role that became vacant when former chair Chris Bryant was given shadow cabinet roleHarriet Harman has emerged as the frontrunner to take over the vacant chair of parliament's standards watchdog, with the only other declared candidate so far being fellow Labour MP Stella Creasy.The role is vacant after the appointment to the shadow cabinet of Chris Bryant, who used his resignation letter to express concerns that there were still too many organisations regulating MPs' conduct. Continue reading...
Nearly 50 GMB members at the Ayrshire missiles factory will stop work from Monday as union chiefs accuse MoD of holding talks in bad faith'Workers at a British weapons plant that supplies missiles to Ukraine are to stage a two-week strike after accusing the Ministry of Defence of breaking a pledge to hold meaningful pay talks.The GMB trade union said on Thursday that nearly 50 staff who handle Storm Shadow and Brimstone missiles assembled at an MoD munitions plant at Beith in Ayrshire would go on strike from Monday. Continue reading...
Shami Chakrabarti urges home secretary to address lack of safeguards around undercover operations after latest revelationsA prominent Labour peer has condemned the alleged cover-up of an undercover police officer's 19-year relationship with a woman he deceived using his fake identity.Shami Chakrabarti, the Labour peer and former shadow attorney general for England and Wales, is calling on the home secretary to address the lack of safeguards around undercover operations after the latest revelations. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Deputy political editor on (#6EHX1)
Crumbling buildings, a lack of space inside them and the high turnover of staff paint a picture of the parlous state of the prisons serviceWhile the sheer extent of decrepitude in the nation's schools uncovered by the crisis over aerated concrete might have been an eye-opener to some policymakers, a story that highlights the parlous state of the prisons service will have surprised almost no one.There are two main problems with prisons, which while interlinked are not entirely down to the same causes: the crumbling state of the prisons themselves, and the lack of space inside them. Continue reading...
Former police admit sending grossly offensive messages, including about the Duchess of SussexFive former Metropolitan police officers have pleaded guilty at Westminster magistrates court to sending grossly offensive racist messages on WhatsApp, including about the Duchess of Sussex.They entered their guilty pleas at Westminster magistrates court on Thursday afternoon. Continue reading...
Startup bank's deals range from 6.5% to 7.5%, comparable with two-year fixes at the moment'A new UK mortgage lender is launching home loans that allow people to fix their rate for up to 30 years. It may also let them borrow more money than standard deals.Perenna claimed that by giving people certainty over what they pay for up to three decades, its deals would free borrowers from the interest rate turmoil that has caused many people to be hit with dramatically highermortgage costs this year. Continue reading...
Competition regulator fears fewer independent practices mean pet owners have less chance to shop aroundThe competition regulator is taking aim at the UK's 2bn veterinary industry, amid fears that a surge in chain-owned surgeries may be leaving pet owners with dwindling choice and eye-watering" bills.The review by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is part of efforts to protect the 17 million households who now own a pet in the UK - a figure that jumped significantly during the Covid-19 pandemic.Annual dog vaccinations: 70X-rays: 395Cat neutering/spaying: 95-175Dog neutering/spaying: 195-295Gastroenteritis: 592Diabetes: 186Lameness: 966Seizures: 656Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS): 1,686 Continue reading...
Nottinghamshire force says it is preparing criminal investigationNottinghamshire police have announced they are launching a criminal investigation into maternity failings at Nottingham university hospitals (NUH) NHS trust, after hundreds families raised concerns to an independent review.In January the trust was fined a record 800,000 after admitting to failings in the care of a woman and her baby, who died minutes after being born. Continue reading...
Two entries in official Spanish dictionary are rooted in centuries-old prejudice, say campaignersMore than 20 Jewish groups from Spanish-speaking countries and beyond have written to Spain's leading linguistic authority asking it to remove antisemitic definitions from its dictionary that describe a judio (Jew) as a greedy or money-lending person" and the related term judiada as a synonym for dirty trick".In a letter to the 300-year-old Spanish Royal Academy (RAE), which chronicles and oversees the evolution of the Spanish language, the groups urge the institution to rethink the two entries in its official Dictionary of the Spanish Language on the grounds that they are outdated, utterly antisemitic" and contrary to the Spanish constitution. Continue reading...
by Aubrey Allegretti and Jessica Murray on (#6EHD5)
MP says he has made arrangements to resign after panel decision on suspension for groping men, triggering byelection in TamworthThe former Conservative MP Chris Pincher has said he will quit the House of Commons, triggering a byelection in what was previously considered the safe seat of Tamworth in Staffordshire.Days after he lost an appeal against an eight-week suspension from parliament for groping two men at a private member's club last summer, the former deputy chief whip said he wanted to put an end to his constituents' uncertainty. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Midlands correspondent on (#6EHHS)
Arrests come after video on social media appears to show a warden being punched and a man attempting to knee another in faceThree men have been arrested after two traffic wardens were subjected to a nasty assault" while carrying out their duties in Birmingham.West Midlands police said three men, aged 31, 23 and 20, had been held on suspicion of assault and remained in police custody. Continue reading...
Partner of conductor who died in Aberdeenshire with driver and passenger says her life has been turned upside downThe partner of a train conductor killed in a fatal derailment near Stonehaven said the crash turned her life upside down", after Network Rail admitted in court it was to blame for a series of failures over the crash.Trish Ewen, 59, was speaking after Network Rail said on Thursday acknowledged a series of failures that led to the high-speed train crashing in August 2020 into a landslide, killing three people including her partner, Donald Dinnie. Continue reading...
Rocker's illness prompts third round of postponements this year, after concerts in March and August were affectedBruce Springsteen has postponed all September concerts as the singer is treated for peptic ulcer.A statement on his Instagram account said the decision of his medical advisers is that he should postpone the remainder of his September shows" due to the stomach ailment. Continue reading...
by Jillian Ambrose Energy correspondent on (#6EGB4)
Campaigners tell MPs more than 1m households missed out on government support for billsThe number of excess winter deaths in Great Britain caused by living in a cold, damp home climbed by about a half last winter after more than 1 million vulnerable households missed out on government energy bill support, MPs have heard.Fuel poverty campaigners told a parliamentary committee on Wednesday that despite relatively mild weather, the number of excess winter deaths had climbed to 4,706, up from 3,186 a year earlier, as a result of the energy cost crisis. Continue reading...
More than 60 cities battered by storm since Monday night as more heavy rains expected but sparing worst-hit areasAn extratropical cyclone in southern Brazil has caused floods in several cities, killing at least 31 people and leaving more than 1,600 homeless.More than 60 cities have been battered by the storm since Monday night, and Rio Grande do Sul's governor, Eduardo Leite, said the death toll was the state's highest due to a climate event. Continue reading...
Daniel Abed Khalife, 21, escapes HMP Wandsworth where he awaited trial for alleged terrorism and Official Secrets Act offencesA suspect accused of terrorism offences has escaped Wandsworth prison in south London and is on the run, sparking a police appeal for the public to help find him.Daniel Abed Khalife, 21, a serving member of the British army, is believed to have absconded from the Victorian-era prison at around 7.50am on Wednesday wearing a white T-shirt, red and white checked trousers and brown steel-toecap boots. Continue reading...
Couple had a daughter, Willa, in 2020, and last year had another daughter whose name they have not made publicJoe Jonas filed for divorce from Sophie Turner on Tuesday after four years of marriage and two children.The 34-year-old Jonas Brothers singer filed to end his marriage with the 27-year-old star of Game of Thrones in Florida's Miami-Dade county court. Continue reading...
Rumors and fake posts about an Ebola outbreak posted on TikTok and Twitter led to a rapid spread of misinformationRumors of an Ebola outbreak at the Burning Man festival spread like wildfire over the weekend with social media users posting fake health advisories, flight data and conspiracy theories to TikTok and Twitter, Forbes reported. Though the rumors have been debunked, their rapid spread is another example of the dangers of online misinformation, particularly on Twitter.The rumor mill got up and running on Saturday when two Twitter users - one with a verified" account - posted a fake screenshot from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Twitter account that said that an outbreak had been confirmed at the festival and that Burning Man attendees should shelter in place. Tweeted and Deleted; Apparently there's a fucking Ebola outbreak at Burning Man right now," the verified user captioned the screenshot. Continue reading...
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