Unions calls for urgent reform of TRA amid reports of serious and concerning' allegations of misconductThe organisation responsible for regulating teachers in England is being investigated by the Department for Education after allegations of misconduct by staff, and teachers left in distress after lengthy inquiries.A former employee of the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) told the Observer that the regulator had forgotten it was investigating real people", and that the agency was blindly" putting cases through and assuming guilt from the start". Continue reading...
Businessman calls father best president' US has ever seen during visit to Trump International golf resort in ScotlandDonald Trump is doing great" after last month's assassination attempt last month, his son said.Eric Trump, 40, arrived at the Trump International golf resort in Aberdeenshire by helicopter on Saturday to view a half-finished new course on the North Sea coast, which will open next year. Continue reading...
This live blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereThousands of pro-Palestine protesters are marching through central London, UK.Protesters waved banners reading stop arming Israel", ceasefire now" and from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free".This terrorist operation was carried out by firing a short-range projectile with a warhead of about 7 kilograms - causing a strong explosion - from outside the accommodation area. Continue reading...
Man who killed activists in 2020 questioned Trump's gun rights bona fides before backing down in face of hate tweetsAcquitted killer Kyle Rittenhouse announced he would not be supporting Donald Trump's attempt to return to the White House - but ultimately ended up endorsing him anyway after he was inundated with vitriolic messages from the former president's supporters.The flip-flop by Rittenhouse - who has fashioned himself as a gun rights activist after shooting two people to death in Kenosha, Wisconsin, during racial justice protests in 2020 - followed an initial pledge to write in former congressman Ron Paul as his choice on November's presidential election ballot. Continue reading...
Ministers may face hefty bill in more than 100 cases related to Manston processing centreAsylum seekers are urging the Home Office to settle more than 100 claims for detaining them unlawfully at Manston, the controversial processing centre in Kent for people crossing the Channel on small boats.If the mass claim is settled ministers will have to foot a hefty bill for the failures of the previous government, which could run into hundreds of thousands of pounds. One mass claim involves 96 people, both adults and children. Other similar claims have also been lodged with the Home Office. Continue reading...
by Mark Brown North of England correspondent on (#6PPWH)
Kim McGuinness says rioters do not define city and praises residents clearing the streets after riots Police brace for more disorder - latest updatesAppalling far-right" violence on the streets of Sunderland does not represent the region or its people, the north-east mayor has said as hundreds gathered in the city to help clean up.Kim McGuinness said she was shocked and horrified" by the violence of rioters on Friday evening. Continue reading...
Some say the dig on childless women is disheartening' but that there are more pressing issues' demanding attentionJD Vance's history of derogatory comments about childless cat ladies" has fueled condemnation from Democrats, celebrities and even a Republican host of The View. But while many have pointed out how callous the remarks might feel for women dealing with infertility, conservative women who have struggled to have children are not necessarily pulling away from Vance or his running mate, Donald Trump.Since being tapped to serve as Donald Trump's vice-presidential nominee last month, Vance has faced a barrage of criticism for his comments about the role that childfree people should play in US society - people who, he has said, are more sociopathic" than those with children and have made the United States less mentally stable". In particular, Vance has targeted America's leadership class", Democrats and journalists for not having children. Continue reading...
Person who admitted sending BBC presenter explicit messages and videos when teenager felt taken advantage of'The person at the heart of the Huw Edwards allegations has said he felt groomed" by the newsreader.The man, who says he was paid for explicit images when he was a teenager, told the Daily Mirror he felt sick" after learning the BBC presenter now faces a possible prison sentence after this week admitting accessing indecent photographs of children as young as seven. Continue reading...
In Chico, where the arson-sparked Park fire has raged for days, residents are back in the harrowing routineThere is a rhythm, even a routine, to the disastrous wildfires that unfold in northern California year after year.High temperatures, strong winds and low humidity - and then an ignition in a dry landscape, a plume of smoke and an unsettling orange sky. Continue reading...
Woman named locally as Daena Walsh died shortly after being found with serious injuries in Midleton flatIrish police are questioning a man in his 30s about the death of a woman in County Cork.The woman was found with serious injuries at a flat in the town of Midleton at about 4.15pm on Friday. Continue reading...
Young people in distress who are treated by paramedics or A&E staff are not being recorded in England's health statisticsThousands of patients are being omitted from official health statistics because they are not seen by hospitals or GPs, according to a groundbreaking study of ambulance data in England.More than a third of people who made calls attended by Yorkshire ambulance service (YAS) last year - 288,000 of about 800,000 - did not go to hospital. Many of these patients had mental health issues. Continue reading...
Running mate decision likely to come down to who can have the hard conversations', a former Harris aide saysKamala Harris faces one of the biggest decisions of her political life over the weekend, as she enters the crucial last stages of picking a running mate who can help her win the White House and defeat the looming authoritarian threat of Donald Trump.Just two weeks after being suddenly thrust into the political spotlight and on to the top of the Democratic ticket after Joe Biden decided to step aside amid concerns over his age, Harris's campaign has triggered a burst of enthusiasm among Democrats. Polls show her recovering much of the ground on Trump that Biden had lost. Continue reading...
IDF soldiers have shared scores of videos of their conduct in Gaza. The American-Israeli soldier says his videos were taken out of context'An American-Israeli man deployed in Gaza with a combat engineering unit of Israel's armed forces posted videos online that show indiscriminate fire at a destroyed building and the detonation of homes and a mosque.One video posted by the man, Bram Settenbrino, and filmed from the shooter's viewpoint, shows dozens of rounds being fired into the ruins of a building. Another video shows what appears to be an armored vehicle's fire-control system trained on a mosque before it is razed to the ground. Others depict the detonation of several homes as soldiers cheer. Continue reading...
Boys aged 14 to 18 face charges including attempted murder after disorder earlier in weekPolice have charged seven people following violence and disorder on the Southend seafront earlier this week.Officers were called to reports of people carrying weapons on the seafront on Tuesday evening, Essex police said.A 16-year-old boy from Canning Town, charged with attempted murder, possession of a firearm with intent to cause serious injury, possession of a prohibited weapon in a public place, and violent disorder.A 14-year-old boy from Pitsea charged with violent disorder, wounding with intent, and possession of an offensive weapon.A 16-year-old boy from Shadwell charged with violent disorder, wounding with intent, and possession of an offensive weapon.Mekai Brown, 18, of Woodford, charged with violent disorder and wounding with intent.Tyler Omo-Irogho, 18, of Watford, charged with two counts of violent disorder, wounding with intent, possession of an offensive weapon, and assaulting an emergency worker.Michael King, 18, of South Woodford, charged with violent disorder and wounding with intent.A 17-year-old boy from Stratford charged with violent disorder, wounding with intent, and possession of an offensive weapon. Continue reading...
After a difficult period on the high street, base rates are falling, temperatures are rising and things are looking upIt's been a second cruel summer in a row for retailers and the hospitality business, but a more prolonged spell of warmth - and the first cut in interest rates in more than four years - may finally heat up the market, if it's not too late.From Argos paddling pools and outdoor furniture at garden centres to Heineken beer and Unilever's ice-cream brands, sales have been dampened by poor weather, which has added to the pressure from high interest rates and energy bills. Sales volumes were down in June and July in the UK, according to the latest CBI distributive trades survey, with retailers expecting more falls in August. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Gotta Get Thru This singer argues that neo-luddites' risk being left behind as technology developsThe growing use of artificial intelligence in the creative industries has been described as an existential threat to jobs and artistic integrity. Earlier this year artists including Billie Eilish and Katy Perry signed an open letter urging tech companies not to sabotage creativity", while Nick Cave has called lyrics written by ChatGPT a grotesque mockery of what it is to be human". But according to the musician Daniel Bedingfield, AI is music's future, and anyone who fights against it faces being left behind.AI is now here for ever," he told the Guardian. And so I think that there will be two paths: there'll be the neo-luddite path, and then there'll be everyone else, most of the planet, who thinks the music's really good and enjoys it." Continue reading...
US secretary of state also voices concern for opposition candidate's safety while Venezualan government accuses Washington of leading coup attempt'The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, has congratulated Edmundo Gonzalez for receiving the most votes" in Venezuela's election, as more countries came out to recognise the opposition candidate as the winner of Sunday's disputed poll.Blinken spoke with Gonzalez and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado in a phone call on Friday and voiced concern for both of them, the state department said. On Thursday, Blinken recognised Gonzalez as the winner of last Sunday's vote, citing overwhelming evidence". Continue reading...
UK suppliers' new fixed-rate tariffs could keep household bills down - and beat forecast energy cap risePensioners who learned this week that their winter fuel payments were being stopped - and anyone else who wants to cut their gas and electricity bills this winter - should consider one of the fixed-rate tariffs launched in recent days.Until now, the handful of fixed-rate energy deals offered by UK energy suppliers just haven't been cheap enough to tempt us to recommend them. Continue reading...
One-time likely successor to party leadership has seen supporters desert her and rumours fly over a defection to ReformSuella Braverman's fall from darling of the Conservative right to political outcast has been sharp and brutal.One minute, she was the favoured future leader of MPs on the pro-Brexit wing of the party. The next, she had been swapped out in favour of a candidate who one aide wryly notes talks like her but looks like David Cameron": her former political ally and Cambridge University friend, Robert Jenrick. Continue reading...
by Anna Bawden Health and social affairs corresponden on (#6PPVC)
Physiotherapists and doctors say people run risk of serious injury or even death without proper trainingPhysios and sports medicine doctors have warned people not to try Olympic events at home after a spate of injuries to wannabe sports stars.The Olympics uniquely combines activities that many people already do at a novice or amateur level - such as tennis, football or running - as well as complex, more dangerous sports. Continue reading...
Hamas killing is further snub to Biden administration, which does not share methods or objectives of Israeli leaderStanding alongside Donald Trump in Florida a week ago, Benjamin Netanyahu was vague on the latest prospect of a ceasefire in the war in Gaza.I hope we are going to have a deal. Time will tell," the Israeli prime minister said, two days after his controversial address to a joint session of the US Congress. Continue reading...
Culture secretary says whether or not disgraced presenter returns the money is up to him'Huw Edwards should return the salary he was paid by the BBC after being arrested, the culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, has said.Nandy said it was wrong" that the disgraced presenter had continued to receive his salary between being secretly arrested last November and his eventual resignation in April - a sum of approximately 200,000. Continue reading...
Activists say they never agreed to leave their homeland and vow to continue fighting for democracy in RussiaRussian dissidents freed as part of a prisoner swap between Moscow and the west have shared their mixed feelings about the deal and vowed to continue their political activity from abroad.The exchange represented a difficult dilemma", said the Russian liberal opposition politician Ilya Yashin at an emotional press conference in Bonn. Continue reading...
Black Muslim Leadership Council Fund says Harris has shown more sympathy towards the people of Gaza' than Biden or TrumpKamala Harris has won the backing for her presidential bid of a key US Muslim organization that had declined to endorse Joe Biden before he withdrew from his re-election campaign.The switch to Harris was a sign that those who voted uncommitted" instead of actively voting for Biden in the primary, because of their objections to his response to Israel's war on Gaza, may have found an ally in his vice-president. Continue reading...
Christopher Rodriguez, 45, also admitted to bombing sculpture of Lenin and Mao in San Antonio, Texas, in 2022A Florida attorney pleaded guilty on Friday to using a rifle to try to detonate explosives he placed outside the Chinese embassy last year in Washington DC.Christopher Rodriguez also bombed a sculpture of the communist leaders Vladimir Lenin and Mao Zedong in a courtyard outside the Texas Public Radio building in San Antonio, Texas, in 2022, according to a court filing accompanying his guilty plea. Continue reading...
Acting director Ronald Rowe says this was a failure' and admits errors in communications and surveillanceThe US Secret Service takes full responsibility" for the events that led up to the attempted assassination of Donald Trump last month, the acting director of the agency said on Friday.In a press conference in Washington, Ronald Rowe, who replaced Kimberly Cheatle after she stood down from her position as director of the service after Trump was shot, said: This was a failure." Continue reading...
Negotiations, which began months earlier, originally included release of late opposition leaderAt Cologne airport on Thursday evening, a group of associates of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny gathered waiting for a plane to arrive from Ankara. On board were 13 people who, until that morning, had been incarcerated in Russian prisons, including three people who had worked as Navalny's regional coordinators in various Russian cities and been jailed for extremism".After a swap in Turkey, they were now free, along with the Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and two other Americans, who were heading back home on a separate plane. Continue reading...
by Rowena Mason, Neha Gohil, Vikram Dodd, Eleni Coure on (#6PPFQ)
At least 25 rallies thought to be planned as religious leaders condemn attempts to sow hatred after Southport killingsRiot police will be on standby in every force in England and Wales to tackle planned far-right protests across the country this weekend, as religious leaders condemned shameful" attempts to sow hatred after the Southport murders.Muslim, Jewish, Hindu and Christian leaders were among those calling for calm at any demonstrations, amid warnings of potential escalation of violent disorder. Continue reading...
Former Home Office minister says he is open to capping immigration and wants to reimpose Rwanda schemeRobert Jenrick has said he would hope to detain and deport people who arrive in the UK on small boats within days" if he wins the Conservative leadership race and the next general election.The former immigration minister said he was open" to a cap restricting immigration to fewer than 10,000 people a year and shared his hopes of reimposing the Rwanda scheme. Continue reading...
Staff feel disillusioned with senior management and bitter that his pay had become an unstoppable snowballFor Huw Edwards, once the most trusted newsreader in Britain, now a convicted user of images of the most serious child sexual abuse, the disgrace is total - and nowhere more than in his home country of Wales.Hours after he pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children as young as seven, a plaque on a building at Cardiff castle commemorating its unveiling by Edwards had already been wrenched off; his voice was also deleted from its guide. He is likely to be stripped of honorary titles at Bangor and Cardiff universities. A mural of the newsreader's face in his home village of Llangennech, Carmarthenshire has already been painted over by the artist. Continue reading...
Neville Lawrence says he learned of plans to return remains to UK after he saw video of damaged grave in JamaicaStephen Lawrence's father has said he was not informed of the decision to exhume his son's body in Jamaica and return it to the UK, and that he is appalled" at the condition his grave was left in.It comes after Stephen's mother, Doreen Lawrence, said her family had decided to bring Stephen home to be closer to us" after originally burying him on the Caribbean island because they felt he would not be at peace in this country". Continue reading...
by Amy Sedghi (now) and Lili Bayer (earlier) on (#6PP4N)
David Hanson, a Home Office minister, says there is potential' for further violence but warns agitators to be prepared to face full force of law'Culture secretary Lisa Nandy has said she will be speaking with sporting bodies about inclusion, fairness and safety" after what she described as an incredibly uncomfortable watch" when asked about the Olympic boxing controversy.But Nandy said the biological facts are far more complicated than is being presented on social media" as she spoke about Italian fighter Angela Carini having abandoned her bout against Algeria's Imane Khelif this week.It was an incredibly uncomfortable watch for the 46 seconds that it lasted. I know that there's a lot of concern about women competitors, about whether we're getting the balance right in not just boxing but other sports as well.The decision that successive governments have made is that these are complex decisions that should be made by sporting bodies. In this case, for example, I understand that the biological facts are far more complicated than is being presented on social media and in some of the speculation.Following the disorder on Tuesday evening, we have now made seven arrests and further arrests will be made over the coming weeks.Extensive work is ongoing to identify all those responsible for the despicable actions and we are determined to find everyone involved in this incident. Continue reading...
Ali Xhaferri was driving at between 70mph and 92 mph in a 40mph zone in north London when he killed Ahmed MoneerA motorist has been jailed for 10 years after killing a pedestrian and seriously injuring his passenger after driving at up to 92mph (148kph) on a north London road.Ali Xhaferri, 43, lost control of his BMW on the A406 North Circular Road at Stonebridge on 11 March 2022 and struck Ahmed Moneer, 37, a pedestrian who was walking along the pavement. Continue reading...
US launches major vaccination campaign in a bid to prevent healthcare strain and potential mutations of H5N1 virusIn the face of serious concerns over the spreading bird flu virus in US agriculture, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is pushing a major flu vaccination campaign among farm workers in a bid to prevent healthcare strain and combat potential mutations from the highly pathogenic bird virus.Part of the campaign will seek to combat disinformation about vaccines, which has hampered previous efforts. Continue reading...
Trevor Morris is first in public inquiry to defend police who formed intimate relationships under false identitiesA former undercover police officer has criticised the Metropolitan police commissioner for apologising to the women who were deceived into sexual relationships by undercover officers.The criticism was made at a public inquiry on Friday by Trevor Morris, who deceived two women into sexual relations while he infiltrated leftwing and anti-racism campaign groups. Continue reading...
National Pensioners Convention tells chancellor decision means many older people may not survive to see the spring'Rachel Reeves has been urged to reverse her ill-advised" decision to strip most pensioners of their winter fuel payments, or risk millions of people being forced to choose between turning on the heating or preparing a hot meal.The chancellor has faced fury from backbenchers, who have questioned how many older people will die of cold as a result of denying about 10 million pensioners the payments. Continue reading...
Ella Milman pressed world leaders and researched the scheme that would eventually lead to the release of her sonMuch has been made of the public diplomacy behind the largest prisoner swap between Russia and the US since the cold war, with officials from at least seven countries spending years making calls and holding secret meetings in far-flung capitals.But since Evan Gershkovich, the formerly imprisoned Wall Street Journal reporter, and others stepped off the plane in Maryland on Thursday, new details have emerged about the role of a crucial player in that effort: his mother. Continue reading...
Moscow says Krasikov, returned by Germany as part of prisoner swap, served in Alpha Group, the FSB's special forces unitFor a few seconds, no one even noticed that Evan Gershkovich had taken his first steps back on US soil as a free man.All eyes were on Paul Whelan, the ex-marine who had spent more than 2,000 days in a Russian prison, mostly in obscurity as his family implored the White House to bring him home. Now Joe Biden was holding him by the elbow, while the vice-president, Kamala Harris, looked on. Continue reading...
Misty Roberts left post days before being jailed for third-degree rape and contributing to delinquency of minorsThe mayor of a Louisiana city near the state's border with Texas abruptly resigned from her post days before authorities jailed her on suspicion of raping a boy while she served in office.Misty Roberts became the first woman to be elected as mayor of DeRidder in 2018, and she was well into her second term in the position when she handed in her resignation - with immediate effect - to the local city council on Saturday. Continue reading...
Yusuf Deen Kargbo was roomate of Leonard Farruku and almost certainly last person to have seen him aliveThe Home Office threatened to forcibly remove a man from the UK who is likely to be a key witness in the inquest of the asylum seeker who died on the Bibby Stockholm barge.Leonard Farruku, 26, an asylum seeker from Albania, was found dead on the Bibby Stockholm in Portland, Dorset, used by the Home Office to accommodate hundreds of asylum seekers, on 12 December last year. An inquest is scheduled to open into his death in September 2025. Continue reading...
Federal agency's radio and drone detection system malfunctioned due to lack of proper technologyThe technology flaws of the US Secret Service helped the gunman who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, last month evade detection.An officer broadcast long gun!" over the local law enforcement radio system, according to congressional testimony from the Secret Service this week, the New York Times reported. Continue reading...
by Kat Lay Global health correspondent and Tiago Roge on (#6PP8X)
The disease, spread by midges and mosquitoes, has been linked to two deaths as cases surge in previously unaffected areasThe deaths of two young women, miscarriages and birth defects in Brazil have been linked to Oropouche virus, a little-known disease spread by midges and mosquitoes.A surge in cases has been recorded in the country this year - 7,284, up from 832 in 2023. Many have been recorded in areas that have not previously seen the virus. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Muyiwa Oki, president of RIBA, says new estates must be high quality and have access to shops, schools, transport and green spaceLabour's plans to boost housebuilding by allowing the construction of thousands of homes on green belt land could have the unintended consequence of producing isolated communities, the president of the Royal Institute of British Architects has warned.Muyiwa Oki said the government should avoid making the mistakes of the past, which have led to housing estates being built without proper access to transport, schools or shops. This would require more architects and design experts to be hired and retained in local authority planning departments, he said. Continue reading...
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