Seventh and most recent victim was ambushed while driving, as most cases thought likely to be work-relatedSeven reporters have been killed in Pakistan in the first six months of 2024, a record annual number with half a year still to go.The most recent victim was Khalil Jibran, a former president of a local press club in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan. He died in June when the car he was driving was ambushed by two men who dragged him out and shot him multiple times. Continue reading...
Putin intent on total subjugation' and wiping Ukraine off the map, says Biden; Russia lacks troops or ammo for major offensive'. What we know on day 868 Continue reading...
Pier, which has delivered the equivalent of a single day's pre-war land aid deliveries in two months, will reportedly be removed in a few days' timeA US military pier, built two months ago as a way to bring sea-borne humanitarian aid into Gaza, is to be permanently dismantled within a few days, according to a new report.The Associated Press (AP) reported that the pier, which has had to be moved repeatedly to avoid bad weather, would be reconnected to the Gaza coastline on Wednesday but would operate for just the next few days before being disassembled by the US army and navy. Continue reading...
The area, packed with royal history and dragon symbols, has been private since it was built 175 years agoThe appearances of royals on the Buckingham Palace balcony has long been a focal point of national events. From Queen Victoria welcoming troops back from Crimea and George V celebrating the end of the Great War to the late Queen Elizabeth II on her platinum jubilee, it has gained iconic status.But the palace room immediately behind its famous net curtains has remained private since the east wing was built 175 years ago. Continue reading...
by Andrew Roth, Dan Sabbagh and Julian Borger in Wash on (#6P3G6)
Critical step for president in convincing foreign leaders he remains up to task of leading 32-member military allianceJoe Biden has announced that Nato countries will provide Ukraine with five new strategic air defense systems as leaders began a summit in Washington where the alliance was expected to declare Ukraine's path toward Nato to be irreversible".The promise of weapons deliveries, including anti-air defenses sought after by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, came just a day after a deadly missile strike against a pediatric cancer hospital and other civilian targets in Ukraine that Biden called a horrific reminder of Russia's brutality". Continue reading...
Public figures call for release of Tori Towey, 28, who says attempt was response to alleged domestic violence attackA 28-year-old woman from Ireland has been charged with attempting suicide" by a court in Dubai, with politicians and campaigners calling for her release.Tori Towey, who works in the United Arab Emirates as an airline cabin crew member, was allegedly attacked and left with severe bruising and other injuries in a violent incident. Continue reading...
Officials say the AI-enabled campaign to spread pro-Kremlin propaganda involved 1,000 social media accountsThe US Department of Justice said on Tuesday that it disrupted a Russian operation that used fake social media accounts enhanced by artificial intelligence to covertly spread pro-Kremlin messages in the United States and abroad.The news comes four months before the US presidential election, which security experts widely believe will be the target of both hacking and covert social media influence attempts by foreign adversaries. Senior US officials have said publicly they are monitoring for schemes intended to disrupt the vote. Continue reading...
Move goes toward solidifying Republican support around the party's presumptive nomineeNikki Haley is releasing the delegates she won during this year's Republican primary so that they're free to support Donald Trump at next week's convention, a move that goes toward solidifying GOP support around the party's presumptive nominee.Haley on Tuesday opted to release 97 delegates she won across a dozen primaries and caucuses earlier this year, according to her former campaign. Continue reading...
Conservationists say it's a slap in the face' to those who are trying to save the threatened speciesThe Canadian province of Alberta has quietly reversed a two-decade ban on hunting grizzly bears, in what conservations described as a slap in the face" amid continuing debate over the future of the threatened species.Alberta first banned the hunting of grizzly bears in 2006 after the population of the species, which once reached as many as 9,0000 bears, collapsed due to generations of overhunting, agriculture development and urbanization. Continue reading...
Roger Pearce withdraws allegation Dave Morris was among anarchists who planned to plant bombs at military baseAn undercover police officer who went on to become the head of the Metropolitan police's special branch has admitted he mistakenly accused an activist of planning to plant bombs at a military base.Roger Pearce, the undercover officer who infiltrated anarchist groups in the 1980s, had alleged to a public inquiry that he drove to Aldershot with a group of anarchists to recce bomb sites". He accused Dave Morris of being one of the anarchists. Continue reading...
Authorities refused to grant access for judge and legal teams to visit island, where dozens of Tamil asylum seekers are strandedThe US government has blocked the UK from holding a court hearing in one of its own territories, it emerged on Tuesday.The hearing was due to take place on the remote island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to consider the fate of dozens of Tamil asylum seekers stranded there for more than 1,000 days who claim they are being unlawfully detained. Continue reading...
by Dan Sabbagh and Andrew Roth in Washington on (#6P3AF)
Nato official warns there could be further Russian strikes on Ukraine this week to try to draw attention away from eventWorld leaders flew into Washington DC on Tuesday for a two-day Nato summit where they are expected to agree enhanced military support for Ukraine against a backdrop of questions about Joe Biden's mental sharpness.Britain's new prime minister, Keir Starmer, and Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, were among those arriving at the US capital amid a warning that Russia could step up missile strikes on Ukraine this week, repeating a barrage that killed at least 38 on Monday. Continue reading...
Former chair of Whitehall agencies overseeing state-owned businesses gives view on what went wrongThe former chair of a Whitehall agency responsible for taxpayers' interest in the Post Office has blamed the Horizon IT scandal on a mixture of incomplete curiosity" and a toxic culture" at the state-owned company.Robert Swannell, a veteran City businessman and former Marks & Spencer chair, was speaking on Tuesday before the judge-led public inquiry investigating why post office operators were wrongly prosecuted for theft and false accounting over financial discrepancies linked to bugs within the Horizon IT system. Continue reading...
For UK consumers the cost of beans could increase by up to 25% over the coming yearThe price of coffee is set to remain very high" and is unlikely to drop until the middle of next year amid intense pressure on supply chains, the Italian coffee company Lavazza has said.We have never seen such a spike in price as the trend right now," said Giuseppe Lavazza, who chairs the company. He admitted that he had been wrong to predict last year that prices would begin to fall this year. On Monday, prices reached $4,300 (3,356) a tonne. Continue reading...
Filing opposes Trump ally's attempt to change his chapter 11 bankruptcy into a chapter seven liquidation of assetsThe former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani is treating his bankruptcy case as a joke", lawyers for Donald Trump ally's creditors said in a new filing, alleging the former president's sometime attorney was attempting to avoid accountability by hiding behind the facade of an elderly, doddering man".Since day one," attorneys said, Giuliani has regarded this case and the bankruptcy process as a joke, hiding behind the facade of an elderly, doddering man who cannot even remember the address for his second multimillion-dollar home and claims impending homelessness if he must sell that second multimillion-dollar home. Continue reading...
Teenagers each given a year's probation after creating and spreading faked images of female classmates in south-west SpainA court in south-west Spain has sentenced 15 schoolchildren to a year's probation for creating and spreading AI-generated images of their female peers in a case that prompted a debate on the harmful and abusive uses of deepfake technology.Police began investigating the matter last year after parents in the Extremaduran town of Almendralejo reported that faked naked pictures of their daughters were being circulated on WhatsApp groups. Continue reading...
Parliament the most diverse by race and gender the country has ever seen, says Starmer, with the largest cohort of LGBT+ MPs in the worldDowning Street has released a full version of what Keir Starmer said in his opening remarks to the metro mayors at their meeting this morning. It is not on the No 10 website, so I will post it here.Having this meeting four days after I was invited by the King to form a government is a real statement of intent on my part, on our part.Because as we have said over and over again, economy and growth is the number one mission of this Labour government in 2024. Continue reading...
William Stampfl was trying to climb Mount Huascaran in 2002 with two friends, one who was found and one who is still missingPolice have found the well-preserved body of an American mountaineer who was buried by an avalanche 22 years ago as he tried to climb one of the highest peaks in the Andes.Police in the Ancash region found the body of William Stampfl on Friday near a camp 5,200 meters (17,060 feet) above sea level. The 58-year-old Stampfl had been trying to climb the 6,768-meter Mount Huascaran. Continue reading...
Cameron Davis had asked to be sectioned hours before he attacked Lorna England, 74, in February last yearA man who stabbed a 74-year-old stranger to death in a Devon park three hours after telling doctors he would kill someone when they refused to section him has been found guilty of murder.Cameron Davis stabbed Lorna England in the heart and neck as she walked home from the shops in Exeter. When he was arrested, Davis told police: I warned you ... why didn't they listen to me at the hospital?" Continue reading...
Darryl Anderson was almost three times over drink-driving limit when he crashed, killing Karlene Warner and her nephew Zackary BladesA man who was almost three times over the drink-driving limit when he crashed into a car, killing a baby and his aunt, has been jailed for more than 17 years.Darryl Anderson, 38, had been driving his Audi Q5 erratically from Newcastle airport, having drunk on the plane back from a shortened holiday after falling out with his wife. Continue reading...
Mayor describes transport minister's decision to honour former prime minister, who died last year, as crazy'A backlash is growing in Italy against a decision to rename Milan's main airport after the controversial late former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, with the city's mayor describing the decision as crazy".More than 35,000 people have signed a petition calling on Giorgia Meloni's government to stop the plan after the transport minister, Matteo Salvini, said he would give the final go-ahead to a decision by Enac, the Italian civil aviation authority, to rename Malpensa airport in memory of my friend Silvio". Continue reading...
This live blog is closedHere is the video clip of US national security spokesperson, John Kirby, saying gaps remain between Israel and Hamas in ceasefire negotiations.In a statement Israel's military has claimed to have eliminated dozens of terrorists and located numerous weapons" in Gaza City. It says it was acting following intelligence indicating the presence of Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist infrastructure in the area". Continue reading...
Death certificate seen by BBC says broadcaster, 69, died from acute peritonitis and a perforated gastric peptic ulcerThe former Radio 2 DJ Steve Wright died from a ruptured ulcer in his stomach, according to his death certificate.The veteran broadcaster, who died at the age of 69 in February, died from acute peritonitis and a perforated gastric peptic ulcer, the certificate seen by the BBC said. Continue reading...
by Gaby Eruteyan and Mabel Banfield-Nwachi on (#6P31F)
Kelly Whip vehicle at Harlyn Bay beach was towed back to safety once tide had gone outHolidaymakers in Cornwall had to come to the rescue along with the coastguard when an ice-cream van parked on the beach was washed out to sea by the incoming tide.Seawater flooded the Kelly Whip ice-cream van parked on Harlyn Bay beach, near Padstow, on Sunday and dragged it into the sea. The coastguard confirmed that the driver was found safe and was not in the vehicle at the time. Continue reading...
Mary Pelota's office says she spends time each summer putting up fish with family to fill freezers' for winterIn what was described as the most Alaskan thing ... ever", the Alaska congresswoman Mary Peltola announced on Monday that she would miss the week's US House sessions to help her family prepare fish to store away for the winter.Peltola's absence comes at a time when all Democrats are faced with scrutiny over whether or not they support Joe Biden's re-election campaign after the president's shaky 27 June debate performance against the presumptive Republican nominee, Donald Trump, left their party in a panic. Continue reading...
Suspended sentence last month for Cathal Crotty over attack in Limerick prompted protests across IrelandIreland's defence forces are to discharge a soldier who avoided jail after brutalising a woman in a random street attack in a case that provoked a national outcry.Senior army officers have completed dismissal proceedings against Cathal Crotty, 22, who is to be formally discharged on Thursday, Irish media reported. Continue reading...
More than 2.3m homes still without power as storm weakens to tropical depression threatening flash floodingPower started to come back for some of the millions of homes and businesses left in the dark when Hurricane Beryl slammed into the Houston area, while the storm - which killed several people before weakening - moved east, spawning suspected tornadoes and causing more damage.Beryl was blamed for the deaths of at least seven people in the Houston area on Monday, officials said. Three of those people were killed by fallen trees, one died in a fire, two drowned, and a civilian police department employee died after being trapped in high water while driving to work. Continue reading...
Mohammed Samak to face trial over death of Joanne Samak, who was found with serious injuries at house in DroitwichThe family of a woman who died from serious injuries at her home have paid tribute to a loving, sensitive and generous" daughter and mother.Joanne Samak, 49, was found at the house in Chestnut Spinney, Droitwich, Worcestershire, just after 4am on Monday 1 July. Continue reading...
Clifford Cowen, 57, charged after Rita Fleming found dead at her home in Kensington on 23 JuneA man has been charged with the murder of a 70-year-old woman after she was found dead at home in Kensington, west London.Rita Fleming was found dead at her house on Golborne Road on Sunday 23 June. Clifford Cowen, 57, was charged with her murder on 4 July, the Metropolitan police said. Continue reading...
Strategy to sit back and let Democrats tear into each other after Joe Biden's poor performance likely to take back seatDonald Trump will host a rally in the Miami suburb of Doral on Tuesday night and break a relative - and uncharacteristic - silence over the turbulent aftermath of June's presidential debate that raised questions about Joe Biden's candidacy.A Trump campaign source and some political opponents say the former president's strategy has been to sit back and let Democrats tear into each other following Biden's dismal debate performance, intensifying calls for him to drop out of November's general election. Continue reading...
Leading Democrat Adam Smith called on Biden to end presidential bid. Plus, heaviest Israeli strikes on Gaza City since 7 OctoberGood morning.Joe Biden's position among congressional Democrats eroded further on Monday when Adam Smith, the ranking Democrat on the armed services committee in the House of Representatives, lent his voice to calls for Biden to end his presidential campaign.What are the polls saying? A New York Times/Siena College poll last week found 74% of voters thought Biden was too old to be effective, including 59% of Democrats. Biden v Trump polls have widened slightly since the debate, with Trump averaging 42% and Biden 39.7%.Who are the alternatives? Vice-president Kamala Harris is touted by some Democrats, including Smith. The Michigan governor, Gretchen Whitmer, said she would not run for the Democratic nomination even if Biden walked away.What happens next? Today is the official start of a three-day Nato summit in Washington, and the Biden campaign signalled he would also increase public appearances, with a press conference on Thursday and more events next week, to try to allay voter concerns.What is the humanitarian impact of Israel's assault on Gaza? After the invasion was sparked when Hamas killed about 1,200 people and took 250 hostage on 7 October, more than 38,500 people have died in Gaza as Israeli attacks have decimated infrastructure and housing, displaced 90% of the population, and brought widespread malnutrition and famine to the coastal strip. Continue reading...
by Hannah Al-Othman North of England correspondent on (#6P2WS)
Daniel Halliday, 14, had been swimming in the river with friends before getting into trouble in the waterA body has been found by the coastguard off the coast of New Brighton in Merseyside, after a 14-year-old boy went missing in the water last month.Merseyside police said the body was found on Monday night, and while formal identification had yet to take place, officers remain in contact with the family of Daniel Halliday". Continue reading...
by Hannah Al-Othman North of England correspondent on (#6P2WT)
Oldham council pledges 10m to refurbish theatre after campaign led by actor Julie HesmondhalghOldham's historic Coliseum theatre has been saved from closure, after a successful campaign led by the actor Julie Hesmondhalgh.The theatre's shock closure was announced last year, after Arts Council England withdrew its funding. It cited concerns over management, while Oldham council, which owns the building, said that it was no longer fit for purpose". Continue reading...
Exclusive: Doubts raised over safety of convictions of nurse found guilty of murdering babiesThe verdict handed down to the former neonatal nurse Lucy Letby last week brought to an end more than 21 months of court proceedings. After two trials and two attempts to appeal, Letby has been convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others. She is serving whole-life sentences.For many there has been little room for doubt that Letby is the worst child serial killer in British history. Jurors heard harrowing testimony from the parents of the babies who died, and were shown notes scrawled by Letby and shift rotas that were used to condemn her. Continue reading...
by Jonathan Yeboah and Richard Partington on (#6P2RM)
Clothes, shoes, DIY and gardening perform poorly compared with spending surge during last year's heatwaveUK retail sales slumped last month as cold weather deterred shoppers from buying summer clothing and gardening supplies, despite pressure easing on households amid a slowdown of inflation.The latest snapshot from the British Retail Consortium showed a 0.2% drop in total UK retail sales compared against June last year. Continue reading...
Exclusive: former PM says immigration benefits UK but controls are needed to close off avenues' for populistsTony Blair has warned Keir Starmer to close off the avenues" of the populist right by keeping tough controls on immigration.The former prime minister said the new government should tackle parties such as Nigel Farage's Reform UK by dealing with people's grievances while sticking to the centre ground to hold Labour's electoral coalition together. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Entry/exit rules due to be tightened three weeks before half-term holiday, requiring face and finger scansUK government officials fear tailbacks and chaos at UK ports in three months' time unless the EU again delays plans to introduce a biometric travel registration scheme requiring facial and finger scanning.From 6 October all non-EU nationals will be required to enter biometric and fingerprint technology under a new European entry/exit system. Continue reading...
by Eleni Courea Political correspondent on (#6P2RN)
New members surpass 1945 figure, while record number of women are elected into parliamentThe House of Commons will induct a record 335 new MPs this week, the largest number in modern history.The number of newcomers to parliament surpasses the previous record of 327 in the 1945 election, which was held in the aftermath of the second world war and was the first election to take place in 10 years.F Continue reading...
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