by Presented by Michael Safi; produced by Lucy Hough, on (#6P76N)
Orlando Whitfield, the author of All That Glitters, on his years of friendship with the art fraudster Inigo PhilbrickOrlando Whitfield, the author of All That Glitters, tells Michael Safi about his former friendship with Inigo Philbrick, who was sentenced to seven years in 2022 for wire fraud and ordered to forfeit $86m (68m).As students at Goldsmiths University in London, Whitfield and Philbrick decided to start dealing in art together. They sold their first piece for 15,000 (12,600). Continue reading...
Buyers not fazed by election or Euro 2024, says Rightmove, as gamechanging' interest rate cuts anticipatedThe number of agreed house sales over the past month was 15% up on this time last year, according to Rightmove, as buyers anticipate gamechanging" interest rate cuts they hope could come as early as August.Britain's biggest property website said homebuyers largely shrugged off the distractions" of the general election and the Euro 2024 football tournament to keep transactions well above this time last year. Continue reading...
Catherine presents trophy to Carlos Alcaraz in second public appearance since cancer diagnosis announcementThe Princess of Wales has made her second public appearance since announcing her cancer diagnosis, attending an occasionally rowdy Wimbledon men's final where she was welcomed with a standing ovation.Catherine, who is the patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, presented the men's singles trophy to Carlos Alcaraz, who beat Novak Djokovic in straight sets. The princess attended Sunday's final with her daughter, Princess Charlotte, and her sister, Pippa Matthews. Continue reading...
by Lorenzo Tondo and Bethan McKernan in Jerusalem and on (#6P6TX)
Airstrikes add to one of deadliest weeks amid uncertainty over whether Hamas has withdrawn from ceasefire talksAt least 31 Palestinians have been killed and more than 50 wounded in fresh Israeli bombings across the Gaza Strip, rescuers and health officials have said, as conflicting reports emerged over whether Hamas was withdrawing from ceasefire talks after the targeting of the group's top military commander.Four attacks in various parts of Gaza City in the early hours of Sunday morning occurred less than 24 hours after Israeli forces said Mohammed Deif, who is believed to be the mastermind behind the 7 October attack on southern Israel, was the target of a strike in the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza that, according to the territory's emergency services, killed more than 90 people and injured 300 others. Continue reading...
by Jessica Elgot Deputy political editor on (#6P6W4)
Houchen says party must avoid seeming self-indulgent as other Conservatives attack Liz Truss over new interventionThe Conservatives should not have a protracted leadership debate as it would be a waste of time" and could risk appearing self-indulgent, the Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen has said.His comments came as former Conservative parliamentary candidates rounded on the former prime minister Liz Truss, who has attacked the leadership of Rishi Sunak in the failed general election campaign by saying he had trashed her legacy in office. Continue reading...
Corey Comperatore, 50, was a hero' who had so much life left to experience', his sister saysCorey Comperatore, a former fire chief of the Buffalo Township Volunteer fire company in Pennsylvania, has been identified as the victim who was shot and killed amidst an assassination attempt on former US president Donald Trump on Saturday.He was a hero that shielded his daughters. His wife and girls just lived through the unthinkable and unimaginable," Comperatore's sister, Dawn Comperatore Schafer, said in a post on Facebook. Continue reading...
Former first lady thanks law enforcement for protecting her husband, as Trump's children issue statementsMelania Trump has condemned the man who authorities say tried to assassinate her husband, Donald, on Saturday as a monster".The former first lady's comments came in a statement on Sunday which, like others from the former president's family members, expressed support for law enforcement in their response to Saturday's shooting at Trump rally in Pennsylvania. The shooting killed one spectator and wounded two before Secret Service agents shot the attacker dead. Continue reading...
Exclusive: solar developer Trinzic to voluntarily shut down as holding company seeks to recoup more than 25mA solar energy project developer linked to Thames Water is to be liquidated and its staff made redundant as the crisis engulfing the debt-laden water supplier puts strain on its complex corporate structure.Trinzic Operations Ltd, which is ultimately owned by Thames's parent company Kemble Water Holdings, is to be voluntarily shut down, the Guardian can reveal. Continue reading...
Bremen says symbol, used to call for silence in class, in danger of being mistaken' for Turkish extremist wolf salute'A city in northern Germany has become the first to issue an all-out ban on the use of a hand gesture used to encourage silence in the classroom because of its close resemblance to a far-right Turkish gesture.The silent fox" gesture - where the hand is posed to resemble an animal with upright ears (the little and forefinger) and a closed mouth (the middle fingers pressed against the thumb) - has long been seen as a useful teaching tool by educators in Germany and elsewhere. It signals to children that they should stop talking and listen to their teacher. Continue reading...
Prime minister doesn't want to see interaction with public reduced but admits he is concerned about escalation of rhetoric in some of our political debate'
by Robyn Vinter North of England Correspondent on (#6P6YG)
Tony Foulds, who maintains shrine to airmen he saw die in 1944, to have kit replaced after TV's Dan Walker steps inTony Foulds and his friends had gone to the local field to fight some kids from a rival primary school when he heard a noise overhead.It was 1944 and he was used to the sound of German aircraft over the skies near Sheffield. But this was an aircraft he'd never seen before. It was a B-17 Flying Fortress, an American heavy bomber, and it was on fire. Continue reading...
Nine other victims wounded after two separate shootings in Birmingham, at a nightclub and outside a homeFour people died in a shooting with multiple victims at a Birmingham nightclub late Saturday, while an earlier shooting outside a home in the city killed three people including a young child, police in Alabama said.Officers responded shortly after 11pm to a report of multiple people shot outside a nightclub on the 3400 Block of 27th Street North, Birmingham police department officer Truman Fitzgerald said in a video posted on social media. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Midlands correspondent on (#6P6TV)
As the music genre's popularity rises, dance classes are springing up. The Guardian goes along to give it a tryWhen Xingxi Wang started running K-pop dance classes in Birmingham, she rented a small room in Chinatown. Within a few years, demand had grown so much that she was able to open her own studio where she now runs up to 10 classes a week.Like many K-pop fans, Wang, 25, has been teaching herself dance routines at home since she was a teenager at school. Slick, synchronised choreography is a key component of K-pop, along with the fashionable outfits and synthesised music that define the genre. Continue reading...
Despite her activism during the golden age of cinema, Mary C McCall Jr was all but forgotten. Now a new book is about to set the record straightTo screenwriters in the 1950s, she was a major power player, fighting for pay rises and striking rights. To the Hollywood studio heads, she was the meanest bitch in town".Now, a new book aims to restore Mary C McCall Jr's reputation as one of the film industry's most important figures, a trailblazer who was airbrushed from history after getting on the wrong side of movie moguls. Continue reading...
Social movement is a potential tool in solving UK prison crisis by helping ex-convicts learn new skills and readjustGood beer, said Thomas Jefferson, softens the temper, cheers the spirit and promotes health".It may also be a potential tool for helping solve the crisis in British prisons. A craft brewery set up to employ ex-convicts and train them in the art of ale-making has proved a success in cutting reoffending rates - and is now being hailed as a possible template for ways to ease the unprecedented overcrowding in UK jails. Continue reading...
by Zoe Wood Consumer affairs correspondent on (#6P6RM)
More fans are embracing nolo' booze and canned mocktails' while watching the game to be sure of a clear head the next dayFor some England fans it would be unthinkable to watch the Euro 2024 final without a beer in hand, but with the prospect of work in the morning, many will be dodging a hangover by switching to alcohol-free booze.Retailers have seen huge sales of no- or low-alcohol (nolo) beer, cider, wine and canned mocktails" in the past few days, as hosts get ready for Sunday night's viewing parties. Continue reading...
Researchers say standups' contribution is unsung, and hope findings will help to bolster the industry's credibilityThe live comedy industry in the UK contributes more than 1bn to the economy every year, according to a study by Brunel University London.In the first project of its kind, researchers calculated the industry's annual value at 1bn, based on an estimated 3,000 workers in the sector, surveying more than 350 comedians, promoters, producers, venue managers and agents. Continue reading...
Britain's new PM and his team are genuinely excited to have seized the reins of power in Westminster - but are under no illusion about the size of the task aheadWhen the new British prime minister, Keir Starmer, invited Wes Streeting into Downing Street to appoint him health secretary on Friday 5 July, the exchanges behind closed doors were entirely cordial.But things rarely run 100% smoothly in the first days of a new administration as a complete government jigsaw is put together, piece by piece. Continue reading...
Lack of radiologists blamed for waiting list for diagnostic tests more than doubling in 10 years in EnglandThe waiting lists for diagnostic tests, including cancer scans, is at a record high in NHS England, with doctors warning of a staggering shortfall" of clinical radiologists.Figures published on Thursday reveal the diagnostic waiting list stands at 1,658,221 - twice what it was 10 years ago. Nearly 500,000 patients are waiting for CT scans and MRIs. Continue reading...
Prime minister wants to foster a new spirit of cooperation and partnership to confront the crises facing the continentKeir Starmer has promised a new era of closer relations with Europe to ensure future generations can look back on what our continent achieved together" before a key meeting of European leaders this week.Starmer said Europe as a whole faced security crises and linked problems over migration, and that Britain should be at the heart of the continent's efforts to confront them. Continue reading...
Federal workplace minister Tony Burke has asked for advice on the extent of powers following claims of criminal links within construction division of union
by Lorenzo Tondo and Quique Kierszenbaum in Jerusalem on (#6P6MR)
Health officials say at least 90 people killed and 289 injured by strike on camp for displaced people in Khan YounisIsraeli forces say the Hamas military chief, Mohammed Deif, the mastermind of the 7 October attack, was the target of a strike in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, which, according to the territory's emergency services, has killed 90 people and injured hundreds more.Deif, 58, who has been on Israel's most-wanted list since 1995 and escaped multiple Israeli assassination attempts, is believed to be the chief architect of the attack that killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and triggered the Israel-Hamas war. Continue reading...
Boy, 17, faces charges including assault, threats to kill and threatening with bladed weaponA 17-year-old boy has been charged with multiple offences after an attack involving a bladed weapon at a Sikh place of worship in Kent, police said.Kent police were called to the Sri Guru Nanak Darbar gurdwara in Gravesend at 8.10pm on Thursday after reports of a disturbance inside the premises and two women being assaulted outside. Continue reading...
Police have been scouring site in Mukuru since mutilated corpses of at least six women were found on FridayKenyan police said that they had found more bags filled with dismembered female body parts on Saturday, the latest macabre discovery at a rubbish dump that has horrified and angered the country.Detectives have been scouring the site in the Nairobi slum of Mukuru since the mutilated corpses of at least six women were found on Friday in sacks floating in a sea of garbage. Continue reading...
Supporters pour into Berlin for Sunday's showdown against Spain, and Starmer writes letter to Southgate and squadIt's the night before the European Championship final and at the Olympiastadion two worlds are colliding. Outside the security cordon a delegation of suits and some obvious muscle are discussing provisions for the arrival of a dignitary, described euphemistically as a member of the FA board" (ie its president, Prince William). Twenty yards away, meanwhile, stands a removal van plastered in massive pictures of Kieran Trippier and the message Bury boys on Tour". It contains seven lads who are scoping out the arena but also bemoaning the fact they slept in the van the night before: It stank like anything in the morning."Everybody wants to be in Berlin for the game - be they Prince, punter, or prime minister. After a hectic first week in office which featured transatlantic diplomacy at the Nato summit in Washington, Keir Starmer will begin week two watching England's men's team play for glory as they take on Spain in their first ever overseas final. Continue reading...
Simmons, beloved TV personality who soared to fame in 1980s with energetic fitness videos, had birthday on FridayThe fitness instructor Richard Simmons, who rocketed to fame in the 1980s with up-tempo neon-colored exercise videos such as Sweatin' to the Oldies, has died.Simmons had just thanked fans on social media for birthday wishes after he turned 76 on Friday. I never got so many messages about my birthday in my life!" Simmons wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. I am sitting here writing emails. Have a most beautiful rest of your Friday." Continue reading...
Israeli Defense Forces say one of masterminds of 7 October attack was struck' in Gaza strike targeting himMohammed Deif is the head of the military wing of Hamas and one of the masterminds of the group's bloody surprise attack on 7 October which triggered the latest war in Gaza.Israeli officials said Deif - whose real name is Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri - was the target of Saturday's airstrike, which levelled several buildings in Khan Younis and killed 90 people, according to local health authorities. Continue reading...
by Nadeem Badshah (now); Amy Sedghi and Tom Ambrose ( on (#6P6AR)
Hamas says 90 people killed and almost 300 injured in attack - but it is unclear if Mohammed Deif is among themThe Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif, who it has been reported was the target of an Israeli strike in Gaza, has previously been described as the mastermind" of Hamas's 7 October attack.In this piece from November, the international security correspondent of the Guardian, Jason Burke wrote of Deif:The exact role of different Hamas leaders in the attack is yet to be established, but it is clear that Sinwar and Deif were central to its planning.Deif means guest", a reference to the 58-year-old's constant relocation to avoid detection by Israel. A member of Hamas since his early 20s, the former science student oversaw a wave of suicide bombings against Israeli civilians in the early 1990s, and another a decade later. Deif may have been crippled by one of many Israeli assassination attempts, and his wife and young family were killed in an airstrike in 2014. Israeli officials have described Deif, whose real name is Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri, as a dead man walking". Continue reading...
Ruth Westheimer encouraged frank dialogue when it came to sex, a subject, she said, we must talk about'The legendarily frank sex therapist and cultural icon Dr Ruth Westheimer, known simply as Dr Ruth, has died at the age of 96, according to her publicist.Westheimer died on Friday at her home in New York City, surrounded by her family. Continue reading...
International authorities work to foil thieves as they steal hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of the toysA black market for highly valuable Lego sets is being built brick by brick, and authorities are trying to knock it down.Lego sets are highly sought after, by kids and their parents as well as adult collectors. Continue reading...
Police trying to trace next of kin after blaze in East Ham on Saturday morningA child has died and five people have been taken to hospital after a house fire in east London.Six fire engines and about 40 firefighters were called to the blaze in Napier Road, East Ham, at just before 8.30am on Saturday, the London fire brigade (LFB) said. Continue reading...
Experts say the next head of the Office for Students must oversee a programme that will protect higher educationThe new head of the Office for Students (OfS) will have to oversee rescue plans to avoid a domino effect" with a number of universities going under, experts have warned.The new government's Department for Education (DfE) announced on Tuesday that it had accepted the resignation of the OfS's controversial chair, James Wharton, a former Tory MP who ran Boris Johnson's leadership campaign. Lord Wharton, who was given the job of running the independent regulator in 2021 despite having no experience of higher education, did not give up the Tory whip in the Lords and was widely criticised for being too close to the Conservative government. Continue reading...
As the Conservatives lick their wounds, a new generation of activists fear an extended period in the political wildernessWhen Jayde Tanisha Edwards saw the exit poll on 4 July, she was shocked. I think everybody came to the conclusion that the Conservatives were going to lose, but I don't think we realised how badly we were going to lose," she says.Edwards is an unlikely Tory activist. She is 25 years old, and when she got involved with the party some years ago - standing as a councillor in 2019 - she was a teenage mother living in temporary accommodation. Although everyone in her family and community supported Labour, she was attracted by the Conservative message of aspiration. It was that fundamental belief in prosperity and being able to build yourself up, and just do whatever you want to do," she says. Most people in her age group do not share this view: just 8% of people under 25 voted Conservative on 4 July. In 2019, it was 21%. With so few in their age group supporting the party, young Conservative members are a vanishingly small number. Even Edwards, a committed activist who is out knocking on doors in every local and general election, is uncertain. During this campaign, that fire and that passion for young voters just wasn't there," she says. So how can I convince people on the doorstep?" Continue reading...
Supporters of former Pakistan PM, who is serving seven years in prison, hope acquittal paves way for releaseA court in Pakistan has acquitted the former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife on charges of unlawful marriage, just a day after his party won the majority of reserved seats in the supreme court.Syed Zulfi Bukhari, an adviser to Imran Khan on international affairs and media, said: The court has not only thrown out the case but the judge has ordered for the immediate release of Imran Khan and his wife." Continue reading...
The new national assembly meets this week, but what will happen if the three almost equal political blocs cannot agree on a prime minister?One week after a snap general election that nobody won, and two weeks before it welcomes the world for the Olympic Games, France is still without a new prime minister or government and in political chaos.As the French celebrate Bastille Day, the national 14 July holiday, the squabbling and stalemate between the three groupings that took the most seats but failed to secure a parliamentary majority continued with warnings that it could be two months before a solution is found. Continue reading...
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