The 37-year-old actor says he felt suicidal after previous partners accused him sexual and emotional abuse in 2021, allegations he deniesArmie Hammer has given a candid interview since multiple sexual misconduct and abuse allegations were made against him three years ago, saying he is now grateful" it all happened - including the bizarre" cannibalism rumours.Whatever it was that people said, whatever it was that happened, I'm now at a place in my life where I'm grateful for every single bit of it," Hammer said on the Painful Lessons podcast. Continue reading...
Seven out of top 10 most played acts, encompassing radio, broadcast and public places, are BritishBritons rule the airwaves in the UK, with Ed Sheeran taking the most played spot and homegrown artists dominating the top 10 in a chart compiled by the music licensing company PPL.For Yorkshire-born and Suffolk-raised Sheeran, 33, it is the seventh time in nine years he has topped the list of music used across UK radio, TV and in public places. Continue reading...
University Hospitals Sussex admits errors, failures and surgeon disagreements in case of Ken ValderA troubled NHS trust has apologised to the family of a man who died after a series of delays led to him waiting four times longer for an operation than a national cancer target.Before he died in November 2022, Ken Valder, 66, a former tax inspector and voluntary steward at Brighton & Hove Albion football club, complained of delays after delay" to his treatment for oesophageal cancer. Continue reading...
by Dan Sabbagh Defence and security editor on (#6NJN7)
States are on course to spend $100bn a year, driven by a sharp increase in US defence budgetsGlobal spending on nuclear weapons is estimated to have increased by 13% to a record $91.4bn during 2023, according to calculations from the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (Ican) pressure group.The new total, which is up $10.7bn from the previous year, is driven largely by sharply increased defence budgets in the US, at a time of wider geopolitical uncertainty caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war. Continue reading...
Macron's move to call snap elections also seen as helping commission president's bid for second termUrsula von der Leyen is on track to remain for a second term as president of the European Commission, as EU leaders meet on Monday for a first discussion on divvying up the bloc's top jobs.The EU's 27 heads of state and government will gather for dinner in Brussels in their first group meeting since European elections last week boosted nationalist and far-right parties and triggered Emmanuel Macron to call snap elections in France. Continue reading...
Millions face disaster as Sudanese army and RSF accused of using food access as a weapon in on-going warSudan is facing a famine that could become worse than any the world has seen since Ethiopia 40 years ago, US officials have warned, as aid deliveries continue to be blocked by the warring armies but arms supplies to both sides continue to flow in.With much of the world's attention focused on Gaza, the scene of another human-made famine, Sudan is already the worst humanitarian crisis in the world and is slipping towards a humanitarian disaster of historic proportions, with far less media coverage and global concern. A UN humanitarian appeal for the country has received only 16% of the funds it needs. Continue reading...
by Patrick Butler Social policy editor on (#6NJN8)
Schools and health services forced to offer crisis help in the form of food, clothing, money and adviceBritain's schools and primary health services are staggering" under the pressure of demand caused by an epidemic of extreme poverty, as desperate families unable to afford food, clothing or heating increasingly turn to them for crisis help.Teachers and GPs in England, Scotland and Wales are informally acting as emergency food providers, welfare advisers, housing officers and social workers alongside their day jobs, as they devote more and more time and resources to support struggling parents and children, new research has found.Primary school staff estimated 48% of their pupils, and primary care staff 57% of their patients, had experienced hardship at some point since the start of the school year or over the past 12 months.A third of schools, and nearly half of GP surgeries, had set up food banks to provide emergency food supplies to hungry pupils and families. Staff in schools in deprived areas estimated 44% of pupils had come to school hungry over the past year.Nearly a quarter of NHS primary care staff and 40% of teachers said they had dipped into their own pockets to help pupils and patients. In one case, a nurse gave new underpants, still in their packet and intended for her husband, to a desperate patient. Continue reading...
The actor and director came together for a Mean Streets reunion at Tribeca film festival, with superfan Nas asking the questionsOn paper, it had a certain Mad Libs quality to it: the Tribeca film festival programmed a fiftieth anniversary screening of downtown classic Mean Streets, with star and festival co-founder Robert De Niro on hand for a Q&A along with director Martin Scorsese - the curveball being that those questions were asked by none other than rapper, lifelong New Yorker, and evident film buff Nas.The seeming incongruence faded away pretty quickly, and not just when Nas recalled shooting his Street Dreams music video as scrupulous homage to the Scorsese/De Niro joint Casino. (Growing up, Goodfellas taught us a lot," he added. It was helpful.") He set the stage for the event by expressing everything Mean Streets means and has meant to him, part of the longstanding mutual admiration between gangster cinema and hip-hop. As a restless young man in search of a dollar wherever he could get it, he saw an aspirational figure in De Niro's hot-tempered hustler Johnny Boy, and as a budding artist using the modest means available to convey his raw vision of authentic drama at street-level, he came to see himself in Scorsese. The film, released exactly one month after Nas' birth, taps into something fundamental about the city's essence, the hustle, the spirit," he said. Continue reading...
This year's big Broadway winners so far include Jeremy Strong, Daniel Radcliffe and 70s-set play StereophonicBest performance by an actor in a leading role in a musical
Make UK survey foresees growth in sector, but warns next government must tackle skills shortageBritain's largest manufacturers are expecting orders and output to increase dramatically in the second half of the year, even as a chronic shortage of skilled workers is threatening the ability of some companies to do business.Manufacturing is returning to normal business conditions after wild swings in demand during the pandemic, disruptions in prices after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the effect on supply chains of blockages and conflict around the Suez canal, according to a survey of 320 companies by the trade body Make UK. Continue reading...
Manifesto has no pledge to end rule Angela Rayner called inhumane' but there have been hints at more to comeSenior Labour figures have been crystal clear in the past about the two-child benefit limit, with Angela Rayner saying it was obscene and inhumane" and Jonathan Ashworth calling it heinous".Yet, as expected, Keir Starmer's safety-first manifesto lacked any promise to reverse it, and shadow ministers have been wheeled out to underline the need to make tough choices" and avoid unfunded promises. Rayner has said Labour has to prioritise". Continue reading...
IFS research shows 670,000 more children will be hit by policy by end of next parliament if limit stays in placeKeir Starmer is facing renewed pressure to scrap the two-child benefit limit, as research reveals that 250,000 more children will be hit by the policy over the next year alone.Labour's manifesto for government, published last week, included the promise of an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty", but no mention of the two-child limit. Continue reading...
Grant StClair-Armstrong will appear on the ballot paper but be an independent if he wins against Kemi BadenochThe Reform UK candidate Grant StClair-Armstrong has resigned after it was discovered he had previously encouraged people to vote for the far-right British National party.StClair-Armstrong, 71, is standing for election in North West Essex, challenging the business secretary, Kemi Badenoch. Continue reading...
Plant-based food company This has not detected E coli in the wrap but is concerned about possible contaminationA third sandwich and wrap manufacturer has recalled one of its products after an E coli outbreak that has left 67 people in hospital and more than 200 in total seriously ill.On Sunday evening the Food Standards Agency (FSA) said This had taken the precautionary step of recalling its This Isn't Chicken and Bacon wrap because of possible contamination with E coli". Continue reading...
Body of missing man found on Mathraki beach in string of recent cases of Greek island visitors dead or gone missingA missing US tourist has been found dead on a beach on a small Greek island west of Corfu, local media reported.The body of the man was found Sunday on a rocky, fairly remote beach on the island of Mathraki by another tourist. He had been reported missing Thursday by his host, a Greek American friend. The tourist had last been seen Tuesday at a cafe in the company of two female tourists who have since left the island. Continue reading...
PM says I'm not against it in principle' with issue expected to be subject of Commons vote in next parliamentRishi Sunak has said he is not opposed to assisted dying in principle ahead of an expected vote on the issue in the next parliament.Speaking to journalists in Puglia, the prime minister said he was not against changing the law on euthanasia. Continue reading...
Police said the two men were being held on suspicion of manslaughter following incident in Carlton-in-LindrickA 16-year-old boy has died after being injured by a falling tree.Nottinghamshire police said two men, aged 28 and 31, had been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with the death on Saturday. Continue reading...
The house's menswear show drew on youthful spirit, while Fendi got ready to mark 100 years with a new crestThey have been been ridiculed as snowflakes and too woke" by some, but Prada's co-creative designers think gen Z are a generation to be celebrated.Speaking backstage after their latest menswear show, which took place on Sunday afternoon at the Prada Foundation in Milan, Miuccia Prada said: Youth is the future. It is hope. We wanted to do something that would express youthful optimism because the times are so bad." Continue reading...
Brazil, India and Saudi Arabia among countries not to endorse text supporting Ukraine's territorial integrityKey regional powers including Brazil, India, South Africa and Saudi Arabia have failed to sign up to a joint communique issued at the end of a Ukraine peace conference in which more than 80 countries and international organisations endorsed its territorial integrity in the face of Russia's invasion.Speaking at the end of the two-day summit in Switzerland, Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, welcomed the first steps toward peace" but acknowledged that not all attenders had come onboard. Unfortunately there are people who are still balancing," he said, adding that Russia was trying to divide the world. Continue reading...
by Eleni Courea Political correspondent on (#6NJE1)
Michael Cashman made the remark after the candidate for Canterbury said she was concerned about her safetyA Labour peer has apologised after accusing the party's Canterbury candidate, Rosie Duffield, of being too frit or lazy" to attend hustings.Duffield, who is seeking re-election in Canterbury and has risen to prominence because of her views on sex and gender, said on Friday she would no longer attend hustings because of constant trolling, spite and misinterpretation". Continue reading...
Police to investigate incident in which 10-month-old heifer was hit twice before it became trapped under vehicleThe officer filmed deliberately ramming a cow twice with his police car has been removed from frontline duties while an internal investigation is conducted.Nev Kemp, deputy chief constable of Surrey police, said: At this time, the officer who was driving the police car has been removed from frontline duties pending the outcome of these investigations." Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#6NJD1)
Survey finds more people blame Brexit than anything else for supply problemsAlmost half of adults in the UK have struggled to get medicine they have been prescribed - and more people blame Brexit than anything else for the situation, research shows.Forty-nine per cent of people said they had had trouble getting a prescription dispensed over the past two years, the period during which supply problems have increased sharply.One in 12 people (8%) have gone without a medication altogether because it was impossible to obtain.Thirty-one per cent found the drug they needed was out of stock at their pharmacy.Twenty-three per cent of pharmacies did not have enough of the medication available. Continue reading...
Data shows would-be drivers waiting an average of 17.8 weeks from booking, up from six weeks before CovidWould-be motorists keen to shake off their L-plates are having to wait more than five months to get a practical test at more than 100 examination centres around the UK, despite measures to clear a backlog built up during the pandemic. For potential drivers, booking a practical test has in recent years become a major obstacle to getting behind the wheel.A freedom of information request to the Driver Vehicle Standards Agency, by AA Driving Schools, has revealed that the average waiting time for a driving test in Great Britain is now higher than before the Covid pandemic at the majority of centres. Continue reading...
Police admit serious mistakes were made as at least three people believed to be involved in teenager's murder are still freeThe Met police's decision to shut down the hunt for the racist killers of Stephen Lawrence is to be reviewed, with police admitting serious mistakes" are still being made in the case, the Guardian has learned.At least three of the gang believed to have chased, surrounded and stabbed Stephen, who was 18, near a south-east London bus stop in April 1993 are still free, with two men convicted of his murder in 2012.. Continue reading...
Challenge accuses Alex Chalk of failure to raise rates, reducing access in immigration and asylum casesThe lord chancellor is being taken to the high court over claims that legal aid fees are so low they are preventing lawyers from providing representation for thousands of people who are eligible for it.The challenge focuses on access to legal aid for immigration and asylum lawyers. It is being brought by Duncan Lewis solicitors, one of the largest providers of civil legal aid in this area. Continue reading...
Nations also including Thailand, Indonesia, Mexico and United Arab Emirates did not sign final communique at summit on peace, says Swiss governmentUkraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy has thanked leaders and officials for attending this weekend's peace summit as today's talks get under way.A united world is a world of peace, a world that knows how to do the right thing. I thank everyone who worked for this day - every leader, all the teams and advisors of the leaders, all the countries. Our unity here proves that the very idea of international law remains alive and effective," Zelenskiy said in a tweet. Continue reading...
Ex-president says decision to hold vote after upheaval of European parliamentary ballot is major risk' for countryEmmanuel Macron has been warned by a former French president that his decision to call snap elections could plunge France into chaos, as his centrist party languishes third in opinion polls, far behind the far-right National Rally.Nicolas Sarkozy said dissolving the national assembly was a major risk" for France, because it could plunge it into chaos, from which it will have the greatest difficulty emerging". Continue reading...
Men linked to militant group took two guards hostage at facility in southern city of RostovRussian special forces have freed two guards and killed six men linked to Islamic State who had taken them hostage at a detention centre in the southern city of Rostov, the prison service said.State media said that some of the men had been convicted of terrorism offences and were accused of affiliation with IS, which claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on a Moscow concert hall in March. Continue reading...
Crowd dispersed by police after only 10 minutes and redirected to the subway due to threats from anti-LGBTQ+ groups, say organisersThe first Kyiv Pride march since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine was stopped by police after travelling only a few metres due to safety fears.In a display of resilience amid the conflict, several hundred people gathered in the rain at 10am local time in central Kyiv under umbrellas, waving rainbow flags and carrying banners with messages of unity and peace. Continue reading...
Four target voter groups all represented by white people in images in Conservative strategy leafletMeet Harold, Denise, Alison and Mark: the four key target audiences identified by Conservative strategists as the right people to win them seats in the general election.The four theoretical voters are defined as the persuasion audience", very likely to head to the polls and open to considering backing the Tories. Continue reading...
Apathy, economic insecurity and feeling ignored is driving the under-35s away from Labour and the ToriesYoung people feel more economically insecure, ignored and apathetic than the average voter before the election, amid evidence that they could be fuelling the growth of smaller parties.A strong rejection of the Conservative party among the youngest voters continues to be evident: the latest Opinium poll for the Observer has a 52-point Labour lead among the under-35s. Continue reading...
Helmet-wearing is rare in this nation of bike riders but authorities are pushing people to think againWhen 42-year-old Myrthe Boss gets on her bike to go shopping in the Dutch town of Ede, she pops on a helmet. This act, considered essential in many countries, marks Boss out as something of a radical in the Netherlands, where helmet-wearing is rare.Now, however, faced with rising number of traffic deaths linked in particular to older riders and e-bikes, the Dutch government and provinces - not to mention neurologists like Boss - are pushing for cyclists to think again. Continue reading...
Celebrity chef says wearing a helmet saved his life after collision in ConnecticutGordon Ramsay has said he is lucky to be alive after a really bad" cycling accident in the US.The celebrity chef said wearing a helmet saved his life after the collision in Connecticut. Continue reading...
Campaigner welcomes investigation into drug after hundreds of suspected adverse reactionsAn investigation has been launched by the European drugs regulator into a popular painkiller linked to a series of illnesses and deaths.The European Medicines Agency (EMA), one of the biggest EU regulators, confirmed on Friday it was reviewing the painkiller metamizole, which can lead to agranulocytosis, a potentially fatal condition in which a patient's white blood cells are severely depleted. Continue reading...
Iranian-Swedish citizen Saeed Azizi also exchanged for Hamid Noury, who was serving life in Sweden for role in death of political prisonersJohan Floderus, the Swedish EU diplomat held in captivity for two years in Iran, has been freed and has arrived home, the Swedish prime minister has announcedgreeted by the prime minister and his delighted and relieved family and friends.Ulf Kristersson said on Saturday that the Iranian lifer Hamid Noury was being exchanged for Johan Floderus and the Iranian-Swedish citizen Saeed Azizi. He arrived back in Sweden later that evening. Continue reading...
by Edward Siddons and Jon Ungoed-Thomas on (#6NJ77)
Landmark powers to impose huge fines to tackle tax evasion and avoidance are pointless', figures showThe UK's tax authority has not fined a single enabler" of offshore tax evasion or noncompliance in five years, despite landmark powers to impose huge fines.Tory ministers claimed new laws introduced in 2017 allowed HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to pursue accountants, lawyers and bankers who facilitate offshore tax evasion would create a level playing field", with potential fines of several millions of pounds. Continue reading...
Action has been taken in only a tiny percentage of internal misconduct claims against officers since review by peer Louise CaseyThe Metropolitan police has been accused of failing to deal with the toxic culture" inside its firearms unit after the number of internal misconduct investigations rose to its highest level since 2018.A wide-ranging investigation by Baroness Louise Casey last year found that the Met was institutionally racist, homophobic and misogynistic. Casey singled out its Specialist Firearms Command unit - also known as MO19 - accusing it of having a deeply troubling, toxic culture" where normal rules do not seem to apply" and staff were well-connected to senior officers in the Met". Continue reading...
Labour may currently have a commanding lead, but a second lacklustre half to the campaign could lead some voters to stay at homeTwenty-point poll leads, historic strength on all the polling indicators, a flailing opponent fighting for third place - and yet still Labour worries. It is no wonder.Dark nights of disappointment in suburban leisure centres haunt Labour nightmares, with candidates and activists cruelly betrayed by late swings and polling errors: 1970, 1992, 2015 - every generation of Labourites bears its scars. Continue reading...
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