St James's Park in central London records highest reading, with health alerts in place across the Midlands, eastern and southern EnglandUK temperatures have reached their highest point of the year so far, the Met Office has confirmed, with 31.9C recorded at St James's Park in central London.The high temperatures, which were recorded largely along the eastern half of the country, came as the majority of schools in England and Wales closed for the summer. Continue reading...
El Atentado a Trump by Conjunto Diamante Norteno adopts style long used to narrate tall tales and historical eventsFor centuries, Mexican corridos have narrated tall tales and historical events to the backing of accordion, guitar or brass band, preserving the memory of fictional heroes and villains - as well as real-life figures from revolutionaries to drug lords.After a man with an AR-15-style rifle opened fire at a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, it took barely two days for the attempted assassination of Donald Trump to be immortalized in a viral corrido. Continue reading...
by Ruth Michaelson in Jerusalem and Andrew Roth in Wa on (#6PAKV)
Itamar Ben-Gvir, who seeks to disrupt ceasefire talks, makes video at contested holy site in JerusalemIsrael's extremist national security minister has visited the holiest Muslim site in Jerusalem, recording a video saying he went to pray, in a provocative move as he seeks to disrupt ceasefire talks.Itamar Ben-Gvir, an ultranationalist and champion of the settler movement, recorded footage at al-Aqsa mosque compound, also known as the Temple Mount, a site holy to Muslims and Jews. Continue reading...
by Ruth Michaelson in Jerusalem and Andrew Roth in Wa on (#6PADZ)
Itamar Ben-Gvir, who seeks to disrupt ceasefire talks, makes video at al-Aqsa mosque compound in JerusalemIsrael's extremist national security minister has visited the holiest Muslim site in Jerusalem, recording a video saying he went to pray, in a provocative move as he seeks to disrupt ceasefire talks.Itamar Ben-Gvir, an ultranationalist and champion of the settler movement, recorded footage at al-Aqsa mosque compound, also known as the Temple Mount, a site holy to Muslims and Jews. Continue reading...
by Robert Booth Social affairs correspondent on (#6PAE3)
Lady Hallett says failure to challenge consensus views on UK's readiness to respond to pandemic was acute problem'Groupthink underpinned the flawed thinking behind the UK's pandemic response, a succession of witnesses at the heart of government told the Covid-19 public inquiry.The former prime minister and the former chancellor, David Cameron and George Osborne, admitted it; as did the current and former chief medical officers Prof Chris Whitty and Dame Sally Davies. The former health secretary Jeremy Hunt and the Cabinet Office minister Sir Oliver Letwin agreed. Continue reading...
Boy and younger brother, whose parents died in the house fire, remain in hospitalA woman has revealed how her partner saved a four-year-old boy from a house fire in Blackpool that killed the child's parents.The mother and father of the boy died in the fire in the early hours of Wednesday and their two children remain in hospital. The youngest child, a boy, is in a very poorly condition", police said. Continue reading...
Speaking to German media ahead of Munich concert residency, singer says she wants to do other creative things' and has no plans for new materialAdele has announced she intends to go on hiatus from music after a forthcoming concert residency in Munich.The British singer told German broadcaster ZDF: My tank is quite empty from being on stage every weekend in Las Vegas. I don't have any plans for new music, at all. Continue reading...
by Philip Oltermann European culture editor on (#6P99F)
Once seen as the world's most powerful woman, the former German chancellor is now immersed in the arts - and not only as an admirerAt the peak of her career, she was hailed as the world's most powerful woman and the de-facto leader of the EU.But as Angela Merkel turns 70 today, there will be no gathering of dignitaries to pay tribute to her legacy. Instead, she will celebrate entering her eighth decade in private", a spokesperson for her office told the German news agency dpa. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Midlands correspondent on (#6P99H)
Broxtowe council votes to build new oak headstocks after dismantling of original structure prompted protestsCouncillors in Broxtowe, in Nottinghamshire, have unanimously voted to replace Brinsley Headstocks in their original form, after the dismantling of the structure last year due to safety concerns prompted a backlash from residents.The headstocks, the last remaining structure of the type in England, were used to transport men and coal up and down mines in the area from 1872 until the last colliery closed in 1970. Continue reading...
by Anna Bawden Health and social affairs corresponden on (#6P8Z5)
Research suggests at-home tests could encourage 400,000 more women a year to have a screeningWomen could be offered DIY cervical screening tests on the NHS, after research found self-testing at home significantly improved screening rates.Researchers calculated that being able to take their sample at home could encourage about 400,000 more women a year to have a cervical screening. Continue reading...
Driver and passenger had been shot dead after car had reportedly been driven from Copenhagen to MalmoSwedish police are investigating a double shooting after two bodies were found in a burnt-out car rented by a British citizen.The driver and passenger, who had driven across the Denmark-Sweden border into the southern city of Malmo, were shot on Sunday, according to the daily newspaper Aftonbladet. Continue reading...
Likely outcome' of Trump victory means EU should reopen diplomatic talks with Moscow, says Hungarian PMViktor Orban has claimed that Donald Trump has detailed and well-founded" plans for peace between Russia and Ukraine in a letter to a top EU body that is likely to inflame tensions about the Hungarian prime minister's diplomatic freelancing.Orban, who met Trump at his Palm Beach compound last week, said in his letter to the president of the European Council, who organises meetings of the bloc's 27 national leaders, that the Republican presidential nominee was ready to act as peace broker immediately" after his election. Continue reading...
Actor and rock musician says I would never condone hate speech or encourage political violence' after Kyle Gass joked about assassination attemptJack Black has put his rock duo Tenacious D on hold following an onstage comment made by his bandmate Kyle Gass, which seemed to support the assassination of Donald Trump.Gass was celebrating his birthday during a concert in Sydney on Sunday, with a cake presented to him on stage. Black told Gass to make a wish as he blew out the candles, and Gass responded, to audience laughter, Don't miss Trump next time" - a reference to the failed assassination attempt by 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks at a Trump rally the previous day.I was blindsided by what was said at the show on Sunday. I would never condone hate speech or encourage political violence in any form. After much reflection, I no longer feel it is appropriate to continue the Tenacious D tour, and all future creative plans are on hold. I am grateful to the fans for their support and understanding. Continue reading...
Lancashire teenager disappeared after attending music festival on the island four weeks agoAn autopsy has confirmed that the body found by Spanish rescuers in Tenerife on Monday is that of the missing British teenager Jay Slater.A court spokesperson has reportedly confirmed that fingerprints taken from the body match those of the missing 19-year-old from Lancashire. Continue reading...
Decorative artefacts saved from skip 30 years ago amid debris at former ladies' university' Sutton House in LondonRare examples of 17th-century decorative paper-cutting found amid debris at a historic house in east London that was part of what was known as the ladies' university" are to go on display.Eight examples of the art form have been identified, including a hen embellished with coloured silk and a tiny folded star. They were discovered on a lintel where they are assumed to have settled after falling between floorboards about 350 years ago. Continue reading...
Judge said Kevin Davies, father of Wales rugby star, set out to ridicule and intimidate' former employeeAn employer has been told to pay more than 26,000 to a former worker for deliberately coughing in her face during the pandemic.Kevin Davies - the father of the Wales rugby player Gareth Davies - set out to ridicule and intimidate" the woman over her health concerns, a tribunal heard. Continue reading...
Human Rights Watch says ill-treatment of some minors arbitrarily held in gang crackdown amounts to tortureAbout 3,000 children - including some as young as 12 - have been swept up in El Salvador's mass detentions since President Nayib Bukele began his crackdown on gangs two years ago, according to a new report from Human Rights Watch (HRW).The report, which draws on case files and almost 100 interviews with victims, police and officials, documents the arbitrary detention of children and ill-treatment that in some cases amounted to torture. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: The new foreign secretary has met with officials from Israel, Palestine and relief agencies - but what do his actions and words mean for the conflict? Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. A few months before the election, David Lammy outlined his vision for Britain's role on the international stage under a Labour government: progressive realism", or the pursuit of ideals without delusions about what is achievable". Just over a week into his tenure as foreign secretary, we have our first concrete indications of how he intends to operate those principles in practice.On a visit to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories over the last couple of days, his first international trip as foreign secretary, Lammy says he is sending a clear message: We need an immediate ceasefire, the immediate release of all hostages, the protection of civilians, unfettered access to aid in Gaza and a pathway towards a two-state solution".Republican national convention | Donald Trump named JD Vance, the Ohio senator who was once one of his fiercest critics and called him America's Hitler", as his running mate at the Republican national convention on Monday. Trump, wearing a bandage over his wounded ear, shook hands with Vance in his first public appearance since the assassination attempt against him.US politics | A Florida judge appointed by Donald Trump has dismissed the case against him for illegally retaining classified documents, ruling that the special counsel who brought the prosecution had been improperly appointed. The stunning decision, in defiance of precedent going back to the Watergate era, is likely to be appealed.UK news | Rescue teams on the Spanish island of Tenerife have discovered the body of a young man in the area where the British teenager Jay Slater disappeared four weeks ago. Police said it appeared that the person could have died after an accidental fall from a cliff.UK-EU relations | Britain is taking its first steps towards forging closer trading links with the EU in meetings between the new business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, and international counterparts in Italy. Reynolds will say that the new UK government wants to foster a closer, more mature relationship with our friends in the EU".Defence | Britain and its allies are facing a deadly quartet" of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea who are acting together against the west, the newly appointed head of Labour's defence review said. The comments from former Nato secretary general George Robertson reflect concerns that the grouping are increasingly sharing arms, components and military intelligence. Continue reading...
Where Chad, Cameroon and the Central African Republic meet, people are turning vigilante to fight backTired of waiting for the authorities to come to their aid, young men in the Mayo-Kebbi Ouest region of south-west Chad are banding into vigilante groups, using bows, arrows and spears to fight gunmen who have turned kidnapping into a professional pastime.We guide the gendarmes in the bush, but we are also the first to go after the criminals after a kidnapping," said Amos Nangyo, head of one of the units in Pala, capital of the region, which borders Cameroon, told Agence France-Presse earlier this month. Continue reading...
by Camille RodrÃguez Montilla in Caracas and Tom Phi on (#6P7BC)
Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who never before ran for office, hopes for a more democratic and peaceful country'The soft-spoken septuagenarian who could be on the brink of leading Venezuela into a new political era has promised to build a country of prosperity, democracy and peace if he is elected president, and vowed to govern for all citizens - including supporters of his authoritarian rival Nicolas Maduro.Retired diplomat Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia is leading the polls ahead of the South American country's 28 July presidential election, despite never having sought elected office and, until recently, being unknown to voters. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: On Saturday, the former president was shot at during a campaign rally leaving two dead, and two others with serious injuries - here's what we know about that day and what might happen next Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. On Saturday night, the United States came within a couple of inches of an unthinkable democratic crisis. The assassination attempt against Donald Trump - which left a spectator and the gunman dead, two others critically injured, and the former president with a wound to his right ear - felt like a moment of what Trump once darkly called American carnage". And it is likely to have far-reaching ramifications for the US election that we can't yet predict.Authorities have discovered bomb-making materials in the suspect's home and car, while Joe Biden last night delivered a primetime address from the Oval Office calling for national unity". Meanwhile, Trump said that his speech at the Republican convention on Thursday - which will take place amid tightened security - would bring the whole country, even the whole world, together".Euro 2024 | Mikel Oyarzabal scored a late winner to leave England heartbroken after Cole Palmer's equaliser had given them hope in Berlin, with Spain clinching a record fourth European championship 2-1. See more below.Israel-Gaza war | At least 17 Palestinians have been killed and 50 wounded in a fresh Israeli assault on Gaza City, rescuers and health officials have said, as Hamas was reported to have withdrawn from ceasefire talks. The strike followed an attempt to kill the Hamas military chief, Mohammed Deif, on Saturday that reportedly killed more than 90 people.Conservatives | The Tories should not spend too long on a protracted leadership debate that would be a waste of time" and could risk appearing self-indulgent, the Tees Valley mayor, Ben Houchen, has said. Houchen, who is now the most senior Conservative in office, said he could not see why a contest would need to run much past party conference in October.NHS | Thousands of children's lives are being blighted by shocking delays of up to three years, according to a report from NHS Providers that warns a forgotten generation" will suffer long-term harm as a result.US news | Shannen Doherty, star of Beverly Hills 90210 and Heathers, has died at the age of 53. She had been first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. Continue reading...
by Josh Halliday North of England editor on (#6P73E)
As 16,000 devotees piled into the AO Arena for England v Spain, the tide turned for Southgate and supporters dared to dreamFor all the questions that surrounded Gareth Southgate's England team this summer, there was only one that mattered come kick-off in Berlin: did you dare to dream?Despite the negativity aimed at the Three Lions over the last six weeks - at times, it felt like kicking the manager became its own national sport - there were good reasons to believe. Continue reading...
Duke of Cambridge, Keir Starmer and London mayor Sadiq Khan also among those sending commiserationsKing Charles has urged the England team to hold your heads high" in a message to Gareth Southgate where he praised their really great achievement".England fans were commiserating after Spain pulled ahead 2-1 in the 86th minute after Mikel Oyarzabal managed to meet Marc Cucurella's low cross into the box and put the ball past Jordan Pickford. Continue reading...
The actor, also known for roles in Charmed and Little House on the Prairie, has died of cancerShannen Doherty, star of Beverly Hills 90210 and Heathers, has died at the age of 53.A statement from her publicist Leslie Sloane, cited by People magazine, said: It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress Shannen Doherty. On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after many years of fighting the disease." Continue reading...
Catalogue of errors by government and health officials includes the deliberate winding down of PPE stockpilesThe first official report by the UK Covid inquiry is set to expose a catalogue of failures by the last Conservative government and health officials in the run-up to the pandemic.Lady Heather Hallett, the inquiry's chair, will issue the report on Thursday and make recommendations to ensure that the UK is better prepared for any future outbreak. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker, Pippa Crerar and Rowena Mason on (#6P598)
PM tells unions to prepare for disappointment despite warnings of a crisis in staffing and recruitmentKeir Starmer is on a collision course with unions after playing down the chance of real-terms pay increases for public sector staff in negotiations, prompting widespread warnings of a crisis in recruitment and staffing.While Downing Street is not ruling out some above-inflation settlements, as could happen for junior doctors, Starmer warned unions to be prepared for disappointment ahead of the imminent findings of a series of pay review bodies. Continue reading...
Campaigners say figure is shameful and that Tory policy is single biggest driver of child povertyThe Labour government has come under fresh pressure to abolish the two-child benefit limit after the latest official figures showed a record 1.6 million children were living in families affected by the controversial policy.Campaigners, charities and MPs across the political spectrum described the figures as shameful and renewed calls for the benefit limit to be scrapped, saying the much-criticised policy introduced by the Conservative government seven years ago had become the UK's biggest single driver of child poverty. Continue reading...
by Zoe Wood , Sarah Marsh and Rob Davies on (#6P53S)
Flights to Berlin are fully booked and Tesco thinks it will shift 1m pizzas in massive boost to the economyPreparations for Sunday's Euro 2024 final are reaching fever pitch with retailers, pubs and airlines scrambling to meet England fans' demand for everything from beer and burgers to replica shirts and flights.On Thursday supporters with deep pockets were scouring the web for flights to Berlin or nearby cities and trying to secure a ticket for the final, the latter said to be changing hands for 2,500. Continue reading...
World's oldest grand slam breaks with tradition to host eChamps' as part of efforts to attract younger audienceFrom Hawk-Eye to AI, Wimbledon traditionalists have spent 20 years railing against the introduction of computer technology on the hallowed turf. But now the oldest grand slam in tennis is experimenting with hosting a whole tournament in a virtual world.The 147-year-old championship is holding its first esports competition in an attempt to build a fanbase among young people. Continue reading...
City authorities say blaze in spire contained after plume of smoke seen rising from 12th-century gothic buildingFirefighters in the Normandy city of Rouen have managed to bring a fire in its world-famous gothic cathedral under control, calming fears of another disaster at one of France's architectural jewels five years after the devastation of Notre Dame.Initial television images showed a dark plume of smoke rising from the cathedral spire and people in the streets below looking up in horror. Continue reading...
Eight of nine finfluencers' plead not guilty to promoting unauthorised content to 4.5m followersA group of influencers and former reality TV stars from shows including Love Island and Geordie Shore have pleaded not guilty to promoting an unauthorised investment scheme on Instagram, but will not be tried until 2027.Lauren Goodger, an ex-cast member of The Only Way is Essex (Towie), Love Island's Jamie Clayton and Scott Timlin, the former Geordie Shore star known as Scotty T, appeared at Southwark crown court in London on Thursday on charges relating to plugging an unsanctioned financial venture to their followers on the social media site. Continue reading...
by Jamie Grierson, Mabel Banfield-Nwachi and Vikram D on (#6P4N1)
Kyle Clifford, a British Army veteran, found in north London and taken to major trauma centre following manhuntA British army veteran wanted in connection with the death of three women in a suspected crossbow attack has been captured after being found with injuries, police have said.Kyle Clifford, 26, who is understood to have served in the British army for about a year, was named as a suspect by Hertfordshire police after the deaths of Carol Hunt, 61, and two of her daughters, Hannah, 28, and Louise, 25, at a property in Bushey. Continue reading...
World news | The Guardian