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Stephen McCullagh planned cold-blooded and calculated' killing of Natalie McNally in Lurgan, Northern Ireland, in great detailA YouTuber who set up a false alibi by livestreaming a video-gaming session online has been sentenced to 31 years in prison for the cold blooded and calculated" murder of his pregnant partner.Stephen McCullagh, 36, of Lisburn, County Antrim, showed no emotion on Wednesday as he was sentenced at Belfast crown court for the murder of Natalie McNally, a crime that chilled Northern Ireland. Continue reading...

President says he would like to meet' Mojtaba Khamenei and appears to confirm reports he had heated call with Benjamin NetanyahuThe Israeli military said it intercepted two projectiles that crossed into Israeli territory from Lebanon on Wednesday, after earlier announcing the interception of a hostile aircraft" that had also crossed into Israel.Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in the area of Misgav Am, the Israeli Air Force intercepted two projectiles that crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory," the military said, referring to a community on the northern border. Continue reading...

Reform leader jeered in parliament as he is urged to condemn violenceZia Yusuf, the Reform UK home affairs spokesperson, told Sky News this morning that he thought the treatment of Henry Nowak did justify his party's claim that two-tier policing operates in the country. He said:Having watched that footage [of Nowak's arrest] ... it's hard to escape the conclusion that it is a demonstrable example of structural two-tier policing that is embedded in Hampshire police force and forces across the country.People can go to Hampshire police's website and read their race action plan that was brought about under a Tory government.We understand and appreciate as police officers that we are accountable for our actions. What we ask, however, is that those actions are judged through fair and transparent processes. In this case, that process is already underway with the IOPC conducting their independent investigation.What we, as a society, cannot accept is the violent scenes we saw in Southampton last night.I know that since the release of the body-worn video footage from the night of Henry Nowak's murder, there is a desire for answers and accountability but that must be done in the right way and not used as an excuse to threaten and intimidate my officers and bring violence to our streets causing fear and harm to those living and working in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Continue reading...

President tells podcast that vice-president and secretary of state would be very hard to beat' if they ran together in 2028

New issue of the American Journal of Public Health focuses on parallels between marketing for cigarettes and UPFsThe new issue of the American Journal of Public Health focuses on ultra-processed foods, and reveals that big tobacco companies used strategies that helped them sell cigarettes to sell ultra-processed food products, including Lunchables, geared toward children.The parallels between ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and cigarettes include not only how UPF products were formulated and marketed to drive excess consumption, but also the growing body of evidence linking UPFs to a variety of health risks. For UPFs, these include cardiovascular diseases, certain cancers and cognitive health decline. Continue reading...

Petrol station attack in Calabria throws spotlight on widespread exploitation of foreign farm labourersThe exploitation of farm workers in Italy has come under the spotlight again after four men - three Afghans and one from Pakistan - were allegedly burned alive in a car at a petrol station in Calabria.The attack was captured by a surveillance camera at the garage in Amendolara, close to Cosenza. Two Pakistani nationals have been arrested on charges of aggravated murder, according to public prosecutor Alessandro D'Alessio. Continue reading...

Clifton George convicted of fatally stabbing charity worker Annabel Rook after she tried to end relationshipA man who fatally stabbed his partner and then set off a gas explosion at their north-east London home last summer has been found guilty of her murder.Clifton George, 45, had denied murdering Annabel Rook, a 46-year-old charity founder, during an argument at their home in Stoke Newington on 17 June 2025. Continue reading...

Mixed picture emerges from races across the US, as Trump's pick fails in Iowa. Plus: Jill Biden speaks about her husband's decision to drop out of the 2024 election

Home Office barred Cenk Uygur and Hasan Piker on grounds their visit was not conducive to the public good'Two leftwing US political commentators who were banned from entering the UK will still speak at the Oxford Union via livestream.The Home Office told Cenk Uygur and Hasan Piker their presence in the country was not conducive to the public good" when they attempted to come to London to attend this week's SXSW London event. Continue reading...

Proposal for 10-12.5% levies, to also include EU, Taiwan, Canada and Australia, would allow US president to skirt court-imposed limitsDonald Trump has threatened tariffs of between 10% and 12.5% on 60 countries including the UK, EU and Australia over alleged forced labour failures, in the latest attempt to revive his signature trade policy.The EU immediately hit back, saying it expected the US to respect the tariff deal it entered into last July and arguing that stealth tariffs breached the spirit of that agreement. Continue reading...

Democrats seek to oust Republicans in New Jersey and Iowa, while other major races remain up in the airThe key race for California governor remained deadlocked as vote counting continued across the US on Wednesday morning following primary elections to decide who would run in several critical districts in the US House and Senate in November, in a midterm year expected to favor Democrats.In California, it was the Republican Steve Hilton, a former UK political operative and Fox News host, who had the most votes, with roughly half of the ballots counted for governor. For the Democrats it was Xavier Becerra, the former health secretary, who led the field after a tumultuous campaign. The California system is such that the two candidates who receive the most votes then face off in the general election, no matter which party they are from. Continue reading...

Chief of Hampshire police says those claiming to protest over murder of Henry Nowak were determined to spark fear and division'

Anthony Odiong was sentenced to life in prison for sex crimes against his congregants in TexasA Louisiana church where a Roman Catholic priest served as pastor before being recently convicted in Texas of criminal clergy sexual assault and sentenced to life in prison has been criticized by his victims and their supporters for soliciting prayers on his behalf in a parochial bulletin published after his guilty verdict - which neglected to mention the survivors.One of the two women whom Anthony Odiong was convicted of assaulting in Waco, Texas - identified in court proceedings as Mary Doe - issued a statement on Tuesday encouraging St Anthony of Padua's community in the New Orleans suburb of Luling, Louisiana, to pray for his victims, too. Continue reading...

Son of deposed shah forced to distance himself from once-dreaded Savak as some of his fascistic' supporters glorify itFor decades, the Savak was seen as the most hated symbol of repression that kept Iran's last shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, in power - and a main driving force behind the revolutionary fervor that toppled him in 1979.Now the deposed monarch's son, Reza Pahlavi, has been forced to distance himself from the once-dreaded security agency after some of his most vociferous supporters glorified it as the defining emblem in their drive to install him on the throne in a royal restoration. Continue reading...

Watchdog makes ruling on search summaries after publishers complain about drop in click-through traffic and revenue

Emergency services at scene of incident at Sourton Down, near OkehamptonA Royal Navy helicopter has crashed into a field in Devon, police have confirmed.Emergency services are at the scene of the incident at Sourton Down, near Okehampton. Continue reading...

Demonstration follows family's plea for death not to be used to create division

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Sarah Jones says guidance that black and white suspects should be treated differently gives wrong impression'Anti-discrimination guidance to police that black and white suspects should be treated differently gives the wrong impression", according to the policing minister, who said protesters involved in overnight violence in Southampton should not be allowed to shape the reaction to the murder of Henry Nowak.Two people were arrested after unrest in Southampton after the sentencing of the 18-year-old's killer, Vickrum Digwa, who told police attending the scene of the stabbing in the city on 3 December 2025 that he had been the victim of a racist attack. Continue reading...

OECD forecast sets out economic risks from conflict, pointing to potential shortfalls to key energy products

Senate estimates hearing told issues caused by a glitch in the automated system that runs the controversial mutual obligations scheme

Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates nicotine consumption rose 40%, with illicit sources accounting for 80% of all tobacco

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Disgraced former congressman said to have put bet on whether he would be at Trump's State of the Union speechFederal authorities are investigating whether George Santos, the disgraced former Republican congressman from New York, engaged in insider trading by betting on a prediction market on his own attendance to the State of the Union address, multiple news outlets reported on Tuesday.Santos allegedly placed a bet on Kalshi, a popular online prediction market, over whether he would be in attendance at Trump's State of the Union address in February, according to NPR, which first reported on the investigation citing anonymous sources. Continue reading...

Health secretary announces expansion of Transform trial but does not back population-wide testingThousands more black men will be invited to take part in a prostate cancer screening trial as the health secretary insisted he was following the science" in not backing population-wide testing.James Murray accepted a recommendation from the UK national screening committee (UKNSC) that will result in only a few thousand high-risk men with a gene mutation being screened for the disease. Continue reading...

BoM and other agencies expect transition to the first El Nino since spring 2023 sometime during winter

Establishment Democrat beats Zach Wahls in primary as party eyes success in Republican-dominated state

Sydney Morning Herald removes piece by Cath Ellis, despite Western Sydney University saying her use of AI was appropriate'

Former first lady speaks about Biden's decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race at event for her new memoirJill Biden recalled the immense pressure that Joe Biden faced in the aftermath of his disastrous 2024 debate performance, saying he told her Jilly, I had no choice," following his decision to drop out of the presidential race.The former first lady made the comments during a Tuesday book event coinciding with the release of her new memoir, View from the East Wing. The event was held at the 92nd Street Y in New York City, and moderated by comedian and co-host of The View, Whoopi Goldberg. Former president Biden was in attendance at the event and received two standing ovations from the crowd. Continue reading...

Court decision that represents win for Republicans comes after lengthy battle over state's congressional map

Move comes after meeting in which Pelley said network chief Bari Weiss was murdering' news showScott Pelley, one of the most well-known and respected journalists in broadcast journalism, has been fired by CBS News after clashing with network brass over last week's severe round of cuts at 60 Minutes, the show he has worked on since 2004, the Guardian confirmed.While changes were long expected at 60 Minutes, CBS News management shocked staffers last week by firing the network's executive producer, executive editor and two correspondents, Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi, without giving a specific reason for their terminations. Continue reading...

US military says it struck tanker and sites on Iran's Qeshm Island and defended Kuwait and Bahrain from missile attacksThe US and Iran have exchanged fresh missiles and drone strikes, further jeopardising efforts by Washington to secure a new ceasefire agreement with Tehran.US forces fired a Hellfire missile to disable a tanker attempting to break through the American blockade of the strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, and later said they repelled Iranian reprisal attacks in the region and attacked sites on Iran's Qeshm Island. Continue reading...

Police say one hostage has been safely surrendered with the rest in good health' as people urged to avoid downtownA man barricaded himself inside a bank in the southern California city of Bakersfield with an unknown number of people, police said on Tuesday.The unidentified man had a bomb strapped to his body, according to Bakersfield Now. Continue reading...

Sydney crowd told to target National MPs as upper house prepares to vote on a bill outlawing sex-selective terminations

Members of Jalisco New Generation cartel used fake retail store in San Diego as a front for trafficking drugsFederal prosecutors have charged four suspects with trafficking more than one ton of cocaine for the Jalisco New Generation cartel using a fake retail store in San Diego as a front for a sophisticated tunnel that ran across the border to Tijuana, Mexico.The defendants include two Mexican nationals and two Americans charged with conspiring to traffic drugs across the US-Mexico border. The suspects, who range in age from 18 to 32, all face sentences that could land them in prison for life. One of them, Gregorio Epifanio Hernandez Lopez, also faces the charge of constructing, financing or using unauthorized tunnels". Continue reading...

NHS bosses giving evidence to public accounts committee admit current position is unacceptableGPs in England are so overloaded" that they cannot help older people who are at risk of falling in what NHS bosses accept is an unacceptable failure of care, the House of Commons' public accounts committee has said.Pressure on GPs' time has intensified as a result of the government's decision to give patients online access to their services, according to a report by the influential cross-party group of MPs. Continue reading...

Bank of England says updated imagery will celebrate native wildlife while bolstering anti-counterfeit featuresPuffins, dolphins and bumblebees are among the wildlife that could feature on new banknotes in the UK as the Bank of England announces its shortlist.There has been controversy over the decision, with figures including Nigel Farage criticising the Bank for, he claimed, wanting to replace Winston Churchill with a beaver. The Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, said it was a silly thing to do", and Reform UK's Farage called it absolutely crackers". In the end, no beaver appeared on the shortlist. Mammal options include bottlenose dolphins and red foxes. Continue reading...

Democratic candidate already cites PTSD for racist, sexist, homophobic online posts and has covered up Nazi tattoo

Alarm after Elias Irizarry is hired to position in office that manages highly classified military operationsThe Pentagon has appointed a rioter convicted for his role in 6 January, 2021 insurrection to a sensitive national security role dealing with counterterrorism, overriding insiders' concerns about his past record.Elias Irizarry, who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge in connection with the storming of the US Capitol, has been appointed to a position in the US Department of Defense's special operations and low intensity conflict office which manages highly classified military operations, causing alarm among Pentagon officials. Continue reading...

Ocean Observatories Initiative, $368m network that has provided crucial climate data, latest victim of Trump cutsThe Trump administration plans to dismantle a $368m deep-sea observation system that has for more than a decade provided crucial data on ocean systems and climate change.In a notice, the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced that it had initiated descoping of the Ocean Observatories Initiative" (OOI), a vast ocean observation network comprising more than 900 instruments that collect data on ocean health, including current patterns, climate variability and marine biodiversity. Continue reading...

Patients with knee arthritis who took medications for at least three years at reduced risk of needing surgeryTaking weight-loss drugs for at least three years could prevent thousands of knee replacements a year, research suggests.Globally, more than 500 million people have osteoarthritis. Knee arthritis is the most common form, affecting about 14 million people in the US and more than 5 million in the UK. Many will require knee surgery. In the UK more than 120,000 knee replacements are carried out every year. Continue reading...

Blanche confirms fund set up to compensate president's allies will not go ahead after fierce backlash and court setbacks

Experts say deluge of last-minute absentee ballots and notoriously slow system could delay results in tightest races

However, Todd Blanche said the IRS will still be prohibited from auditing Donald Trump, his family and related entities

Prime minister echoes family's plea that case should not be used to target communitiesPoliticians and community leaders have called for calm amid fears that the populist right is using the murder of Henry Nowak by a Sikh man to whip up racist resentment against minority ethnic Britons.After Nigel Farage called for the public to respond with pure, cold rage", Keir Starmer condemned the Reform UK leader, saying Nowak's family had explicitly asked that the case not be used to target particular communities. Continue reading...

Craig and Lindsay Foreman given 10-year sentences in February for alleged espionage, which they denyA British couple jailed on spying charges in Iran have lost an appeal against their convictions, their family has said.Craig and Lindsay Foreman, both aged 53, were handed 10-year prison sentences in February after being convicted of espionage, which they deny. Continue reading...

Tom Kean has been out with health issue since March. Democrats are sharpening their knives for general election

US claims world's 10th-biggest economy engages in unreasonable' trade practices that restrict US commerce'

Anthony Odiong faced up to life in prison for exploiting his spiritual authority as a clergyman for sex with his congregantsA Roman Catholic priest who was convicted recently of criminal clergy sexual assault in Texas has been sentenced to 99 years in prison.Anthony Odiong, 57, received the punishment from a jury at a state courthouse in Waco on Tuesday after some witnesses described his sexually inappropriate behavior going back more than a decade. Character witnesses on behalf of Odiong, meanwhile, advocated for him to get probation, saying he could follow such an arrangement's rules - such as living near Waco and not committing additional crimes - despite feloniously breaking his priestly vows of chastity. Continue reading...

Prime minister under pressure to show his campaigns against Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran have brought results as he faces elections with his political survival at riskIf there is to be a peace deal between United States and Iran, it will have to go through a familiar obstacle: Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel's military operations in Lebanon have become a sticking point in the talks for a potential opening of the strait of Hormuz - once again testing the volatile alliance between Donald Trump and Netanyahu.This time, the Israeli prime minister is under exceptional pressure to show that his campaigns against Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran have brought results as he faces elections with his political survival at risk. Continue reading...