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...
Wales secretary says Tories should have prepared for workforce cuts resulting from switch to electric arc furnaceUncertainty over the future of Tata Steel in south Wales is already causing job losses in the broader industry, the Welsh secretary has warned, as the government scrambles to reduce the toll of redundancies in Port Talbot.Speaking on Wednesday ahead of announcing the first 13.5m tranche of funding to support laid-off workers, the secretary of state for Wales, Jo Stevens, criticised the former Conservative government for what she said was a failure to prepare for the possibility of thousands of jobs losses at Port Talbot. Continue reading...
by Shaun Walker Central and eastern Europe correspond on (#6PZH6)
The longer the incursion lasts, the harder it is for Russia's president to brush it off as a hiccup in a successful warAs Ukraine's assault on Russia's Kursk region continues, Moscow's repeated insistence that everything is under control is wearing thin.Images broadcast on Ukrainian TV on Wednesday, showing a reporter speaking from the town of Sudzha, with no obvious signs of fighting in the background, seemed to quash Russian claims on Tuesday that the uncontrolled ride of the enemy has already been halted", and that the Russian army had regained the initiative. Continue reading...
Rising cost of living and climate crisis have played spoilers to the celebration, which has sold out every year since 2011For more than a decade, tickets to Burning Man have sold out almost immediately - sometimes in a matter of minutes.But this year, less than two weeks before the festival kicks off, tickets are still available - raising questions about the future of the annual desert revelry in the face of the climate crisis and economic instability.This article was amended on 14 August 2024. It previously stated that Burning Man has been held in Nevada's Black Rock desert since 1986. The festival actually first began on a San Francisco beach in 1986. Continue reading...
by Natricia Duncan Caribbean correspondent, and agenc on (#6PZKN)
Two attacks in Clarendon killed eight and injured nine as government looks to focus on gang violenceJamaica's prime minister has issued a 14-day state of emergency in the country's southern Clarendon parish amid fears of further violence after two shootings on Sunday left eight dead and nine wounded.Seven people were killed when gunmen fired indiscriminately at a birthday party in Cherry Tree Lane, Clarendon; the eighth victim was killed in a second shooting. Continue reading...
Newspaper and campaign group allege Palestinians are sent ahead of troops into buildings or tunnels that need clearingIsraeli soldiers are using Palestinian civilians as human shields in Gaza to enter and clear tunnels and buildings they suspect may have been booby-trapped, a leading Israeli NGO and newspaper have reported.The practice was so widespread across different units fighting in Gaza that it could in effect be considered a protocol", said Nadav Weiman, the executive director of Breaking the Silence, a group founded by Israeli combat veterans to document military abuses. Continue reading...
Islamist group says it won't negotiate just to negotiate', raising fears of Iranian attacks on Israel if no deal is agreedHamas appears unlikely to participate in a new round of talks on a Gaza ceasefire deal on Thursday, further eroding hopes of an agreement that might stave off expected retaliatory strikes by Iran against Israel for the killing of a Hamas leader in Tehran last month.Most observers already had low expectations of the ceasefire talks, with Israel hardening its position in recent weeks and fears that Hamas, now led by its most hardline faction, would offer few concessions. Continue reading...
by Mark Brown North of England correspondent on (#6PZH5)
Keyboard warrior' Julie Sweeney sentenced to 15 months on busy day for rioting cases in England's courtsA 53-year-old woman who lived a quiet, sheltered" life has been jailed for 15 months for posting a comment on Facebook which said: Blow the mosque up with the adults in it."Julie Sweeney, of Church Lawton, Cheshire, pleaded guilty at Chester crown court to sending a communication to convey a threat of death or serious harm. Continue reading...
by Eleni Courea Political correspondent on (#6PZDJ)
Civil Service Commission was not told that Ian Corfield had given the party more than 20,000 over 10 yearsA Labour donor was approved for a senior Treasury role without the civil service watchdog being informed of his donation history, it has emerged.Ian Corfield has donated more than 20,000 to Labour politicians in the last 10 years, including 5,000 to the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, last summer, according to Electoral Commission data. Continue reading...
Pay-as-you-go simcard seller often filed late returns, had accounts queried by auditors and was embroiled in eight-year VAT battleLycamobile, a telecoms company that has given more than 2m to the Conservative party, has been issued with a winding-up petition by HM Revenue and Customs, amid a long-running VAT dispute.The company, founded by businessman Allirajah Subaskaran in 2006, sells pay-as-you-go sim cards that are popular with low-paid workers wanting to make cheap phone calls to family overseas, as well as in the UK. Continue reading...
GMB accuses owner TDR Capital of mismanagement as sales at supermarket fall 6%The GMB union has called on the owner of Asda to take urgent action" to protect jobs amid signs the supermarket is in a fight for survival".On Tuesday data revealed sales at Asda fell 6% in the three months to 4 August, despite continuing grocery price inflation, taking the retailer's share of the UK take-home grocery market to 12.6% - the lowest level in at least 13 years. Continue reading...
Nearly 300 people aged 19 and under were killed by Bahian security forces in 2023, making it Brazil's highest rateActivists have raised the alarm over police violence in the Brazilian state of Bahia, as new figures revealed that more children and adolescents are killed by the region's security forces than anywhere else in the country.Two hundred and eighty-nine people aged 19 and under were killed by police in Bahia last year, up from 242 in 2022, according to a new report by the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) and the Brazilian Forum on Public Safety. Continue reading...
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