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Mick Jagger leads tributes to first black actor to land leading role at National Theatre, who sang with the Rolling StonesThe trailblazing" actor Cleo Sylvestre has died at the age of 79, her agent has confirmed.Sylvestre, also known as Cleopatra Palmer, had been a feature of film, stage, television and music since the 1960s, and played Melanie Harper, Meg Richardson's adopted daughter, in ITV's Crossroads - making her the first black actor to have a regular leading role in a UK soap opera. She was also the first black actor to land a leading role at the National Theatre. Continue reading...

The Rev Sue Parfitt has lost right to conduct religious ceremonies after her arrest at a Just Stop Oil demonstrationAn 82-year-old retired priest has spoken of her pain at losing her right to conduct religious ceremonies because of her participation in Just Stop Oil protests.The Rev Sue Parfitt was arrested in May after causing damage to the glass around Magna Carta at the British Library in London as part of a protest with the climate action group. She is still awaiting trial. Continue reading...

Football club became aware of billionaire owner's interest in young, blond girls', says Gaute HaugenesThe former manager of Fulham women's team has said female players were protected" from the club's late owner, after staff became aware" the billionaire had a predilection for young, blond girls".Five women have alleged in recent days that they were raped by Fayed, and a number of others have alleged sexual misconduct took place while they worked at Harrods, the luxury department store that was previously owned by Fayed. Continue reading...

Commemorations of 45 people experimentally' gassed reveal dark moments in the Netherlands' historyThey call them stumbling stones - little brass plaques in the pavement marking addresses where Holocaust victims once lived.As the Netherlands marks 80 years of liberation, a row has sprung up about placing Stolpersteine for 45 Dutch political prisoners - Jewish activists, communists, critical Christians - who were experimentally" gassed by the Nazis at the Bernburg psychiatric clinic in Germany in 1942. Continue reading...

After another shocking week, latest Guardian 10-day polling averages survey shows vice-president ahead by 2.6 pointsThe US presidential election remains on a knife edge 45 days before voters go to the polls, despite Kamala Harris enjoying one of her most encouraging spells of opinion polling since becoming the Democrats' nominee nearly two months ago.During yet another momentous week that began with a suspected second assassination attempt against Donald Trump, the latest Guardian 10-day polling averages survey shows Harris increasing her lead to 2.6 points, 48.5% to 45.9%. Continue reading...

Zelenskyy will present victory plan' to US president during trip to Washington next week, when he is also likely to hold talks with TrumpVolodymyr Zelenskyy has urged Joe Biden to allow Ukraine to carry out long-range strikes inside Russia with US-supplied weapons, and to earn a place in history" by strengthening Ukraine" before he leaves office.Speaking before a crucial trip next week to Washington, where he will meet Biden and the US vice-president and presidential nominee, Kamala Harris, and address the UN, Zelenskyy said he would present a victory plan" to end the war. Continue reading...

No injuries reported after mile-long tornado sweeps over residential area of Hampshire townA mile-long tornado swept through Aldershot damaging properties and felling trees.The extreme weather event caused no injuries as it twisted through the Hampshire town at 12pm on Friday, according to the local council. Continue reading...

Designer Harry Beck's famous transport diagram, first published in 1933, has spawned imitators around the worldHarry Beck may not have a London Underground line named after him as Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth have, but there is a plaque on a platform at Finchley Central, once his local stop, that marks his legacy: the design of the tube map.And this autumn, as a new play about him called The Truth about Harry Beck entertains London audiences, an exhibition will allow the public to see some rare and valuable original examples of his work. Continue reading...

Daring breakout by 25kg rodent, found in nearby woods, had made headlines around the worldCinnamon, the missing capybara, is back in captivity in a Shropshire zoo after spending a week on the run in some nearby woods.After a huge search operation - involving 20 people and a thermal drone - the 25kg (55lb) rodent was found just 250 metres from her paddock at Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World in Telford on Friday. Continue reading...

Republican and Democrat officials relieved as court allows 98,000 people to vote in state and local racesNearly 98,000 people whose citizenship documents had not been confirmed can vote in state and local races, the Arizona supreme court has ruled.Officials had uncovered a database error that for two decades mistakenly designated the voters as having access to the full ballot. Continue reading...

Key figures seek to bring about winner-takes-all allocation that would give Trump all five electoral college votesCongressional Republicans are demanding an 11th-hour change to Nebraska's presidential voting system in a move that could transform the electoral calculus and tip the race to Donald Trump in the event of a photo finish.With polls showing Trump neck-and-neck with Kamala Harris both nationally and in battleground states, senior GOP congressional figures are pressing the Nebraska legislature to replace a system that splits the allocation of its electoral college votes with the straightforward winner-takes-all distribution that operates in most US states. Continue reading...

Experts criticize Michael Chitwood's shaming' tactic of uploading videos and mugshot of teens to deter gun crimeA Florida sheriff's novel approach to countering school shooting threats by exposing online the identities of children who make them is drawing ire from juvenile justice advocates as well as others who say the tactic is counterproductive and morally wrong.Michael Chitwood, sheriff of Volusia county, raised eyebrows recently by posting to his Facebook page the name and mugshot of an 11-year-old boy accused of calling in a threat to a local middle school. He followed up with a video clip of the minor's perp walk" into jail in shackles. Continue reading...

Voicing aquanaut Gordon Tracy and scientist Brains to Daleks and Grandpa Pig, Graham was generous with his time and his talent'David Graham, who was the voice of characters in Thunderbirds and Peppa Pig, has died aged 99, it has been confirmed.The London-born star also voiced the evil Daleks in Doctor Who, and brought to life the Thunderbirds puppet characters aquanaut Gordon Tracy, scientist Brains, and Lady Penelope's driver, Aloysius Nosey" Parker, in the series in which a secret organisation tried to save the world. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Speakers and attendees pull out of Economist Impact event over ties to Philip Morris and Japan TobaccoA division of the publisher of the Economist has been forced to cancel a high-profile cancer conference at the last minute amid a backlash from speakers and attendees over its association with the tobacco companies behind brands including Marlboro and Benson & Hedges.Economist Impact, part of the Economist Group, which owns the eponymous weekly business magazine, was due to hold its 10th annual world cancer series in Brussels at the end of the month. Continue reading...

Campaigners say data will give greater oversight on 11-plus admissions exams and expose them to scrutinyGrammar schools in England have been ordered to publish details about their admissions tests, which campaigners say will expose them to greater scrutiny and potential legal challenges.The ruling by a first-tier tribunal required the Lincolnshire consortium of grammar schools to release anonymised results for children who sat its 11-plus entrance tests, including raw scores and results adjusted by their dates of birth. Continue reading...

NSW Rural Fire Service said 80-hectare fire was now under a watch and act' warning

Victoria police seeking an extradition order for the 65-year-old over the 1977 deaths known as the Easey Street murders

Which? study of 42 popular items such as pasta and milk revealed price difference even greater for loyalty card membersShopping at a local convenience store can cost you up to a fifth more than buying the same items at larger branches of the supermarket chains who own them, according to a new study - with the difference even greater for loyalty scheme members.Which? compared the cost of 42 popular grocery items - from cheese and pasta to blueberries and ice-cream - on three occasions in June and July at the largest supermarket-branded convenience chains - Morrisons Daily, Sainsbury's Local and Tesco Express - against prices at their full-sized supermarkets. Continue reading...

Deputy PM also says people will have a better life' within five years in interview with the Guardian

Local Government Association says cost to taxpayer for last-resort ceremonies has climbed to 6m a yearA rising number of people are being buried or cremated by councils in England because they have no one to organise or pay for a funeral, a survey of town halls has found.There was a 13% rise in a year in the number of public health funerals" in the 2022-23 financial year, the Local Government Association (LGA) estimated, as costs to the taxpayer for the last-resort ceremonies rose to almost 6m a year. Continue reading...

About 300m added to deal for UK's biggest online real-estate portal after first proposal unanimously rejectedThe Rupert Murdoch-controlled Australian property group REA has upped its proposed offer for Rightmove, the UK's biggest online property portal, to 5.9bn.REA, in which Murdoch's News Corporation has a 61% stake, has sweetened its initial proposal by about 300m after Rightmove's board last week unanimously rejected the first offer as fundamentally undervaluing" the company. Continue reading...

ICC requested arrest warrants for Israeli PM and his defence minister in May for alleged war crimes in GazaIsrael has submitted an official challenge" to a request from the international criminal court prosecutor for an arrest warrant against its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.In May the ICC's prosecutor, Karim Khan, requested the court issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his defence minister, Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Continue reading...

IDF airstrike on Beirut that killed at least 14 causes fears of escalation into even more devastating conflictFurther violence between Israel and Iran's allies Hezbollah and Hamas could ignite a devastating regional conflict, the United Nations has warned, after an Israeli airstrike in Beirut killed at least 14 people including a senior Hezbollah leader and wounded 66.The strike killed Ibrahim Aqil, a figure on the group's top military council who was wanted by the US for his alleged connection with the 1983 bombing of the US embassy in Beirut. Continue reading...

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Jamar Powell says PC Connor Jones should be sacked rather than receiving written warning over traumatising actionA Metropolitan police officer who put a Taser to the neck of an innocent black child after he had been forced to kneel in the street has been found guilty of gross misconduct but allowed to keep his job.Jamar Powell told the Guardian he had feared he might die during the incident in September 2020, was left traumatised and would struggle to ever trust the police again, having been stopped and searched more than 30 times with nothing ever being found. Continue reading...

Protesters in Liverpool to call on government to implement full arms embargo against Israel over Gaza warThe UK's first pro-Palestine national march to be staged outside London is expected by organisers to attract tens of thousands of people on the periphery of the Labour party conference in Liverpool.The 19th national march for Palestine" will start at midday on Saturday near Lime Street railway station and end near King's Dock, where Keir Starmer's party is gathering this weekend. Continue reading...

Rachel Reeves and Angela Rayner will also not accept donations for work outfits after row over Waheed Ali giftsKeir Starmer and his top team will no longer accept free gifts of clothes from Labour donors, as it emerged that Rachel Reeves and Angela Rayner also received donations for work outfits.After the row over the Labour peer Waheed Alli funding Starmer's work wardrobe, the prime minister is understood to have decided he will not take donations to pay for clothes in future. Continue reading...

Sexual abuse survivors say working for late former Harrods owner involved deceit, lies and humiliation'A survivor of Mohamed Al Fayed's sexual abuse has given a harrowing account of her suffering at his hands. Speaking at a press conference in London, the woman - named as Natacha - told reporters she walked into a lion's den" when she accepted a job with the former owner of Harrods department store in London.She said working for him had involved a layer of cover-ups, deceit, lies, manipulation, humiliation and gross sexual misconduct". Continue reading...

He acquired prestigious assets but got into plenty of fights, and is now accused of sexual assault by former employeesMohamed Al Fayed, who female former employees accused of sexual assault in a BBC investigation this week, was flamboyant, extrovert and a thorn in the side of the royal family.That today, a year after his death at the age of 94, he is still making headlines reflects a life much mired in controversy. Continue reading...

Ticketmaster and Ticketek claim demand-driven prices mitigate the problem of scalping, when tickets are bought - often by AI bots - and resold at inflated prices

Ukrainian president tells press conference with Ursula von der Leyen that Ukraine plans to use EU loan for air defence, energy and weapons purchasesUkraine's victory plan" in the war against Russia depends on quick decisions being taken by allies this year, president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday during a visit by European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.Zelenskyy told a joint press conference with von der Leyen that Ukraine planned to use a proposed multi-billion dollar European Union loan for air defence, energy and domestic weapons purchases. Continue reading...

Vladimir Kara-Murza tells Keir Starmer that further exchanges are a matter of life and death'

Officials trying to avoid repeat of Afghan chaos as Israel strikes and foreign secretary tells UK nationals to leave

EU Commission says it will be sending independent observers to the country to investigate allegations of human rights violationsThe European Commission can no longer ignore mounting evidence of the gross human rights violations against migrants and refugees in Tunisia, say MEPs and activists.The EU has given millions of pounds to Tunisia to reduce migration from north Africa into Europe in a deal that pledges respect for human rights" and piqued the interest of the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer. Continue reading...

Observers questioned the paper's due diligence when a freelance writer appeared out of nowhere' in its pagesElon Perry gave the impression he was a mover and a shaker.There are the photos of him alongside Michael Gove - and taking selfies in Downing Street. And there are interviews too. Continue reading...

Chief executive confirms company with contracts for prisons has filed for administration and its sites are closing

Mark Ross pleads guilty to manslaughter of Claudiu-Carol Kondor and will stand trial for murder next yearA man has admitted killing the parcel delivery driver Claudiu-Carol Kondor, who died as he tried to prevent his van from being stolen in Leeds.Mark Ross, 32, pleaded guilty to manslaughter when he appeared at Leeds crown court by video link from prison on Friday but he denied murder and will stand trial on that charge. Continue reading...

Review had criticised support service, run by a trans woman, for not providing women-only spaces for 16 monthsThe chief executive of Rape Crisis Scotland has apologised to rape survivors who were let down by failings at the network's support service in Edinburgh.Sandy Brindley said a review had found significant failings" at the Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre during the tenure of its chief executive Mridul Wadhwa, who quit this month after being censured over her stance on women-only provision. Continue reading...

Hassan Nasrallah condemns pager and walkie-talkie explosions that killed 37. Plus, how genetics explains picky eatingGood morning.Israel conducted dozens of strikes across southern Lebanon on Thursday night, hours after Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, threatened retribution and punishment" for the unprecedented attacks that blew up pagers and walkie-talkies bought by the group.What has Israel said about the explosions? It has not commented but announced, just hours before Tuesday's pager attacks, that it was broadening its war aims to return Israelis who had been evacuated from the north.Does X still use the tags? No, it now uses a community notes" peer review feature and has weakened its approach to content moderation under Elon Musk's ownership.What limitations are there to the study? It was conducted during the 2020 election, when Trump supports were more against the platform. Since Musk bought the company in 2022 he has brought far-right figures back on to the site, as well as adopting a lax position on moderation. Continue reading...

Troubled company seeks fresh terms and confirms it only has immediate access to about 1.6bnSome of Thames Water's biggest lenders are considering easing repayment terms as the company fights for survival.The step on the road to a potential restructuring comes as the UK's biggest water supplier is scrambling to shore up its finances. It has said it has enough cash to keep its operations running until the end of May next year. Continue reading...

Downing Street said to be concerned by political fallout at moment of extreme tension in Middle East Middle East crisis - latest news updatesDowning Street fears it is to be asked to support the issue of an international criminal court (ICC) arrest warrant for the Israeli leader, Benjamin Netanyahu.Such support would have to be given at a time when it has not proscribed Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps in the UK. There are concerns among some Foreign Office officials whether the position is politically sustainable. Continue reading...

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The man, who cannot be named, has pleaded not guilty to 12 charges, including six counts of rape

Lionel R, 44, one of 50 men accused, apologises to his victim and tells the court: I have no choice but to accept the facts'One of 50 men accused of raping the French woman Gisele Pelicot after she was drugged by her husband accepted the charges on Thursday, saying he was sorry for what he did.Lionel R, a 44-year-old supermarket worker and father of three, was among dozens of men accused of participating in the mass rape of Pelicot over a decade in a trial that has shocked France. Continue reading...

Unpublished essay linked to author's membership of secret society of mystery writers' to be printed in Strand MagazineAn unpublished essay by the English writer and critic GK Chesterton will be published this week by the Strand Magazine.Under its editor-in-chief, Andrew Gulli, the Strand has recently published unknown stories by Truman Capote, James M Cain and Rod Serling, creator of The Twilight Zone. But the case of the lost Chesterton is different, if appropriately so given its author's famous wit. It turns out the essay, The Historical Detective Story, wasn't lost at all. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Jenny Leong, who apologised after referencing antisemitic cartoon, was subject of human rights commission complaint

Australian Bureau of Statistics also told MP Andrew Leigh not including questions on sexual orientation and gender would do damage'

Party's aim is to build base of local councillors and activists, deputy leader says before conferenceReform UK plans to mimic the Liberal Democrats in building up a national base of councillors and activists to try to expand its support, the party's deputy leader, Richard Tice, has said before its annual conference.While the mood in Birmingham will be celebratory, with Tice joining Nigel Farage as two of the five Reform MPs elected on 4 July, there could also be some internal dissent over a planned new party constitution, with one senior party figure saying it would allow Farage to act as an absolute dictator". Continue reading...

Many remain positive about their high-profile politician but others complain that he got his seat and disappeared'It happened sometime on Monday morning, locals think, though no one seems to know exactly when. But as staff in the shops on Old Road in Clacton stepped out of work for lunch, they spotted that the billboard on the corner of Crossfield Road had been ripped to ribbons.Plenty had approved of the poster, placed there by the political campaign group Led By Donkeys, drawing attention to the huge scale of the local MP Nigel Farage's earnings outside politics. A photo of the billboard posted on X by the group has 24,000 likes. Continue reading...

The ministry of justice has added 55 Indigenous organisations to a list of terrorists and extremists, leading many to leave for Nordic countriesSami people in Russia are being forced to hide their identity and live outside the law" for fear of imprisonment and persecution, leading figures from the community have warned, after the government labelled dozens of Indigenous organisations terrorists and extremists.In July, Russia's ministry of justice added 55 Indigenous organisations to a list of terrorists and extremists, meaning that representatives of the groups - and anyone who takes part, cooperates or communicates with them - risk being sentenced to years in prison. Continue reading...