Individuals could get up to 2.6m in compensation over blood products that caused HIV and hepatitis CVictims of the contaminated blood scandal will begin receiving compensation before the end of the year, and some people will be entitled to more than 2.5m, the government has confirmed.An outline of the long-awaited compensation scheme was set out in May, after the final report of the infected blood inquiry laid bare what Rishi Sunak, the then UK prime minister, called a decades-long moral failure at the heart of our national life". Continue reading...
In letter to Ilham Aliyev, campaigners urge release of Gubad Ibadoghlu after pre-trial process halted indefinitelyA group of British MPs have called on the Azerbaijan government to free an academic from the London School of Economics and Political Science who was detained after writing articles critical of the country's environmental policies.Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu, who is based in the UK, was arrested and held by Azerbaijan authorities while visiting members of his family in July 2023. He has been a prominent critic of the ruling elite in the Eurasian nation, which is preparing to host the Cop29 Climate Summit in November. Continue reading...
Workers in adult gender clinics allege chaotic' administration and out of control' waiting listsThe NHS has set out plans for a review into the safety of adult gender services, in response to detailed concerns raised by the author of the Cass report on gender care for children and young people.Dr Hilary Cass, the leading consultant paediatrician, listed 16 separate points of concern about the quality of treatment being offered to adults with gender dysphoria in a strongly worded letter to NHS England. Continue reading...
Fans in sequins and cowboy hats arrive undeterred at first of five Taylor Swift concerts in LondonThousands of fans have arrived at Wembley stadium in London to see Taylor Swift perform for the first time since her shows in Vienna were cancelled after a foiled terror attack.Despite heightened security concerns, fans have arrived unfazed, wearing sequins, cowboy hats and friendship bracelets. Angelina Morris, 20, said her mum had spent more than 50 hours hand-sewing her outfit and had not thought twice about attending the concert after the attack plot. Continue reading...
Pupils in England delivered strong A-level results this summer, with 42% of entrants getting A* or As in maths. Here are three questions to ponderThe class of 2024 proved exceptional at maths - but are you? Here are some questions pupils faced in last year's A-level exams. The answers are at the bottom.Turn over your exam paper and begin! Continue reading...
by Pamela Duncan and Carmen Aguilar García with grap on (#6Q0J4)
Stem subjects most popular among this year's students, who secured higher proportion of A*s than pre-Covid yearsAnother year, another cohort of A-level students in England experiencing the unique, nerve-racking experience of results day. Yes, the results are in. And for many more students than expected, the news is good.Here is what we have learned in the course of this year's A-levels ... and be grateful that there will be no exam on it at the end.Additional contribution by Chris Watson and Tural Ahmedzade Continue reading...
US, Qatar, Egypt and Israel meet in Doha in effort to prevent fighting spiralling into region-wide Middle East conflictA new round of negotiations aimed at brokering a ceasefire in the war in Gaza and preventing the fighting from escalating into a region-wide conflict has begun, as the death toll in the Palestinian territory reached a grim milestone of 40,000 people, according to local health authorities.Mediators from the US, Qatar and Egypt met an Israeli delegation in the Qatari capital of Doha on Thursday afternoon, with talks expected to continue into the next day. Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, is not directly participating in the talks, meaning expectations of a breakthrough are low. Continue reading...
Agency says long-running investigation into company run by Tory peer Michelle Mone's husband will be concluded as quickly as possibleThe National Crime Agency has said it is not scared" of lawyers acting for PPE Medpro, the company led by the Conservative peer Michelle Mone's husband, Doug Barrowman, and is progressing an investigation into it as fast as we can".The NCA is conducting a long-running investigation into suspected criminal offences committed in the procurement by PPE Medpro of 203m of government contracts to supply personal protective equipment during the Covid pandemic. Continue reading...
Personal assistant and two doctors among those indicted after Friends star died last October of acute effects of ketamine'Multiple people have been arrested and charged over the death of Matthew Perry, prosecutors said, including the actor's personal assistant and two doctors.The doctors supplied the Friends actor, who died at his Los Angeles home in October 2023, with a large amount of ketamine, the US attorney Martin Estrada said, and took advantage of Mr Perry's addiction issues to enrich themselves". Continue reading...
by Shaun Walker Central and eastern Europe correspond on (#6Q0E2)
Military commandant's office is being established in city, says president as discussions over prisoner exchanges restartUkraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has claimed Kyiv's troops have full control over the Russian town of Sudzha, which had a prewar population of 5,000 people and contains infrastructure pumping Russian gas towards Europe.Sudzha, roughly six miles inside Russian territory, is the biggest of 80 settlements that Ukraine claims to have taken during the ten days since its surprise incursion into Russia began. Continue reading...
Brazilian president suggests fresh elections or coalition government as potential solutions to political crisisThe Brazilian president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has made clear he does not yet accept Nicolas Maduro's claim to have been re-elected as Venezuela's president, and has suggested fresh elections or a coalition government as potential solutions to the country's intensifying political crisis.Maduro's claim to have won Venezuela's 28 July vote - despite compelling evidence that he was heavily beaten - has plunged the South American country into uncertainty and spooked regional governments who fear possible conflict and the consolidation of a dictatorship on their doorstep. Continue reading...
Director general warns that people taking nitazenes, often without knowing it, can absolutely die the very first time'There has never been a more dangerous time to be taking drugs" in Britain, according to the National Crime Agency, which said a rise in deaths from synthetic opioids and a surge in global cocaine production was driving an increased threat to life.Since June last year there have been 284 deaths confirmed from the synthetic opioids nitazenes after a surge in use began last summer. Continue reading...
Joel Souza was shot in same incident that killed Halyna Hutchins and tells Vanity Fair no one deserved this'Joel Souza, the director of the movie Rust, has said that although he survived being shot in the shoulder in the same on-set incident involving Alec Baldwin that killed the cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and shocked the industry, a part of him feels like it did not.When I tell someone it ruined me, I don't mean in the sense that people might generally think," he told Vanity Fair in a lengthy interview, speaking publicly for the first time since the tragedy. Continue reading...
This live blog is now closed you can read more of our UK political coverage hereChief secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones has said the pay deal offered to train drivers was good deal for the taxpayer", because it was resetting the relationship between government and public sector workers" and preventing strikes.PA Media reports he said:There is a direct cost to the economy if the strikes continue and we need to work together in partnership with workers and trade unions and business in order to get sustainable growth back into the economy. So this is a good deal for the taxpayer, it's a good deal for the economy.Making pensioners freeze, slashing services, cutting defence projects, increasing rail fares and raising tax all to fund inflation busting pay deals for trade union donors are political choices made by Labour. They are choosing to placate their union donors over everyone else. Continue reading...
President says military commandant's office being established in city. This live blog is closedRussia's defence ministry said today that its forces had regained control of the settlement of Krupets in the Kursk region, Reuters reported.Here are some of the latest images from eastern Ukraine. Continue reading...
Emmy-nominated actor says she would catch herself doing a lot of head tilting' after finishing Netflix seriesThe Crown actor Elizabeth Debicki took a long time to shake off the mannerisms of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, whom she portrayed in the award-winning Netflix series.The 33-year-old Australian found herself imitating Diana for a long while" after the filming of the series' sixth and final season, she said. Continue reading...
MAIB report says dinghy that collapsed with 47 onboard in December 2022 was in worse condition than similar vesselsAn investigation into the sinking of a migrant boat in the Channel that claimed at least eight lives in December 2022 has found that the dinghy was wholly unsuitable and ill-equipped" for its hazardous journey and even more poorly constructed than other similar vessels making the crossing.Of those who died, at least four bodies were never recovered and three of the four that were recovered have not yet been formally identified. The body that was identified has been returned to his family. Continue reading...
Over three-quarters of English applicants gain enough points for their favoured coursePrivate schools which could close as a result of the government's plans to impose 20% VAT are already facing big budget shortfalls", Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has said.She told Sky News:Private schools are businesses that can make choices about how they manage their budgets, the level of fees that they charge, and ultimately, it's about how attractive they are to families in terms of the numbers of students that are sent there.We have seen private schools in recent years whack up their fees year on year, way beyond inflation, and that has priced out lots of people.Overall, 425,680 applicants (all ages, all domiciles) have been accepted into university or college - an increase on 414,940 (+3%) in 2023.In total, 376,470 students (all ages, all domiciles) have been accepted at their first (UCAS firm') choice, a 4% increase on last year. This represents 82% of those holding an offer who received their decision this morning up from 79% in 2023.The overall number of accepted international students stands at 51,170, in line with 51,210 in 2023. However, accepted applicants from China are slightly down compared to last year - 10,950 (-6%).The top three subjects with the largest increase in total placed applicants are engineering and technology (+11% on last year), architecture, building and planning (+9%) and law (+9%).Acceptances for UK students (all ages) to nursing have risen slightly compared to 2023, with 18,450 applicants securing a place (up 1%). This still represents a decline from the peak seen during the pandemic.I'm particularly thrilled to see free school meals students securing a place at university or college in record numbers. I know how important it is to everyone working in education that every student, no matter their background, has the opportunity to reach their full potential. Widening access and participation is not just about numbers; it's about opening up doors and transforming the lives of students through higher education so they can pursue their passions and career aspirations.Ucas is here to help all applicants take their next step, including students who received different results than expected, or those who are looking to change their mind. Continue reading...
Protests reflect anger at 31-year-old's killing, as well as a failure to address the daily struggles faced by many womenAt the stroke of midnight, thousands of women holding flaming torches and blowing conch shells began to march through dark streets across the state of West Bengal.The processions in the early hours of the morning on Thursday 15 August, India's Independence Day, were part of several days of protest against the brutal rape and murder of a junior doctor inside a hospital in the state capital, Kolkata, last week. Continue reading...
by Peter Beaumont and Dan Sabbagh in Sumy on (#6PZH7)
Kyiv says it has also launched a major drone attack on four Russian airbases and shot down an enemy jetUkraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has said his country's forces are continuing to advance into Russian territory after their surprise offensive, as Kyiv said it had launched a major" drone attack on four Russian airbases.Zelenskiy said Ukraine's troops had advanced several kilometres in the largest attack on Russia since the second world war. In his nightly address on Wednesday he said Kyiv was achieving its strategic goal in the operation and reiterated his appeal to western partners to allow long-range strikes on targets inside Russia. The bolder the partners' decisions, the less Putin can do," he said. Continue reading...
Four firms including Northern and Greater Anglia unlawfully prosecuted more than 74,000 alleged fare dodgersTens of thousands of prosecutions for alleged fare dodging brought by train companies are to be quashed after a court ruling.Four companies including Northern Trains and Greater Anglia unlawfully prosecuted more than 74,000 passengers in England and Wales using the single justice procedure (SJP), which allowed fast-track magistrates hearings on fare evasion cases to be held behind closed doors. Continue reading...
Senior aides see challenges from enemies real and perceived as the ex-president struggles against HarrisDonald Trump has privately expressed faith in his campaign leadership and no personnel changes are currently expected, but senior advisers find themselves in the most vulnerable moment as they struggle to frame effective attacks against Kamala Harris, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.The past month, starting with Joe Biden's withdrawal and his endorsement of Harris to succeed him, which propelled her to draw roughly even in key swing state polls, has easily been the most unstable moment for the Trump campaign since its formal launch in late 2022. Continue reading...
by Hilary Osborne Money and consumer editor on (#6PZZ0)
Councils warn misleading codes may lead drivers to fraudulent websites where personal data is stolenMotorists have been urged not to scan QR codes to pay for their parking after a spate of scams that take advantage of the move to mobile payments.The RAC said drivers should be very vigilant" and pay for their parking with cash, card or via official apps, rather than using a QR code that takes them to a website. Continue reading...
Trial in Orkney to test machine flying out of human controller's line of sight could pave way for home deliveriesAmazon has been given the green light to test-fly drones beyond a human controller's line of sight in the UK, paving the way for using the machines to deliver packages to homes.The online retailer is one of six organisations taking part in a trial led by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), with other projects including the inspection of offshore windfarms, air traffic control, policing and delivering emergency medical supplies. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Company's first European office is major shot in the arm for UK's aspirations to be global tech hubCybersecurity firm Wiz, which last month rejected a $23bn (18bn) takeover bid from Google's parent company, Alphabet, is to open a European headquarters in London - a move that is a major shot in the arm for the UK's aspiration to be a global tech hub.The new office, the company's first in Europe, will be run by co-founder and research and development head, Roy Reznik, who is relocating from Israel to the UK capital to underscore the company's business ambitions in the region. Continue reading...
Jade McCrossen-Nethercott receives apology from UK prosecution service for failings which led to case being closed and defendant acquittedA woman has been awarded 35,000 in compensation from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) after her rape case was dropped over claims that she could have had an episode of a rare sleep condition called sexsomnia.Jade Blue McCrossen-Nethercott, 32, contacted police in 2017, when she was 24, after waking up to discover she was half-naked, and with the sense that she had been raped while she slept. Continue reading...
The three-time Emmy winner has been celebrated for her vivid portrayals of strong, troubled women, including in 10 films directed by her first husband John CassavetesThe acclaimed American actor Gena Rowlands, a three-time Emmy winner and dual Oscar nominee, has died at the age of 94, her son, Nick Cassavetes, told Entertainment Weekly on Wednesday.Rowlands, acclaimed for her vivid portrayals of strong, troubled women, starred in dozens of films during a career that began on stage and television in the 1950s and included award-winning roles in A Woman Under the Influence and Gloria, directed by her first husband, the actor, writer and director John Cassavetes. Continue reading...
Victim, who remains in hospital, and her mother were visiting London when incident occurredThe 11-year-old girl who was stabbed eight times in Leicester Square this week is an Australian national, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Tradeconfirmed late Wednesday night.The girl was visiting London with her mother at the time of the attack. She was hospitalised and required plastic surgery for wounds to her face, shoulder, wrist and neck, a court was told on Tuesday. Continue reading...
Urgent need to recruit more mammographers to enable disease to be detected promptly, says professional bodyWomen are receiving late breast cancer diagnoses and experiencing treatment delays due to a shortage of specialist staff who can deliver breast cancer scans, according to leading radiographers.Specialist scans that are used to detect breast cancer are undertaken by radiographers, also known as mammographers, who specialise in breast imaging. Continue reading...
by Vikram Dodd Police and crime correspondent on (#6PZS4)
Devastating' report says there are serious concerns' about London force's management of dangerous offendersThe UK's biggest police force is providing an inadequate or failing service in seven of eight key crime-fighting areas, and there are serious concerns" about its management of dangerous offenders, according to an official inspection.The report on the Metropolitan police was described as devastating" by one Whitehall source and comes after the Met commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, who took office almost two years ago, vowed sweeping reforms. Continue reading...
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