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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...

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...

Emotional scenes at Andrews air force base as Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan and Alsu Kurmasheva step onto American soil

Insecure work is widely acknowledged as a key cause but high workloads and management culture also play a roleFor a nation that Rishi Sunak has accused of having a sicknote culture", and one previously derided by Conservative ministers as being filled with shirkers, Britons really do go into work a lot when under the weather.Forget the stereotype of the sickie taken to sit in front of the TV or enjoy the sun, the much more accurate tableau is that of someone sneezing and coughing in the workplace. Continue reading...

Aircraft engine maker's share price hits record high as it restores dividend for first time in five years

Misinformation and disinformation played major part in riots after stabbings involving childrenAnyone in Ireland sitting in front of their television screen or checking their mobile phone about events unfolding in Southport this week could not help but be struck by the similarities to what happened in Dublin in November last year.On both occasions young children were repeatedly stabbed. Continue reading...

Reynolds is suing former staffer over social media posts she alleges damaged her reputation

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris meet Wall Street Journal reporter as he steps off the plane in Washington. Plus, Simone Biles wins sixth Olympic goldGood morning.Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have met the Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and two other freed American prisoners after Washington and Moscow completed their largest prisoner exchange since the cold war.Who were the freed prisoners? There were 16 American, Russian dissident and German prisoners freed by Russia, in exchange for eight Russians freed by the US, Germany, Norway, Slovenia and Poland. Those returning to Russia included a number of undercover spies and a convicted FSB assassin whom Vladimir Putin had sought to free from German prison for years.How did the deal come about? The complex deal had involved months of negotiations between countries and came together in extreme secrecy. The US national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told reporters that the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was meant to be a part of the deal before his death in February. Continue reading...

Critics say representatives Elise Stefanik and Virginia Foxx shield for-profit colleges from accountabilityAs antisemitism hearings on college campuses ignited late last year, US representatives Elise Stefanik and Virginia Foxx seized the spotlight, relentlessly attacking Harvard, Columbia and other top universities, portraying them as unsafe and incompetent.We must DEFUND the rot in America's higher education," Stefanik insisted in December, while co-authoring a bill that would withdraw federal funding from universities that do not participate in plans to curb campus protests. Foxx made similar calls. Continue reading...

Chief health officer Clare Looker says woman in her 90s died after becoming ill on Tuesday as others in intensive care battle severe pneumonia

Response from chair criticised after more than 200 staff, contributors and suppliers called for inquiryThe BBC has been accused of gaslighting" a group of more than 200 of its Jewish staff, contributors and suppliers over the handling of detailed complaints about antisemitism at the corporation.The group's complaints included a letter to the BBC chair, Samir Shah, calling for an investigation into what it warned could amount to a serious institutional racism problem". Continue reading...

Kevin Burrowes received additional salary from the firm's international arm but did not initially reveal it to parliamentary inquiry into company

Commission proposes Mark Irving, of the Victorian bar, after allegations of criminal misconduct and bikie links against union's construction arm

Almost 200 killed as deluge sweeps northern India, while showers give way to high humidity at Paris OlympicsBetween Wednesday and Thursday morning, 147mm of rain was recorded in eastern parts of Delhi and its suburbs by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), breaking a 14-year record for the highest single day total in July.Delhi received more than half its monthly rainfall on Wednesday, which damaged infrastructure in northern India as widespread waterlogging of drains led to flash floods. Continue reading...

Armed gangs control much of Caribbean country's capital with reports of 40 rape victims a day in areas, UN reportsThe UN has called for the deployment of international security forces in Haiti to be accelerated after a report that at least 1,379 people were killed or wounded in gang warfare and 428 people kidnapped in the country between April and June this year.Service providers report receiving an average of 40 rape victims a day in some areas of the capital," warns the new report from the UN's office in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince. Continue reading...

The cat had lived through thunderstorms, hail and icy cold in Adelaide but it only took him a moment to warm back up to his relieved owner

Exclusive: A&Es and mental health services face dangerous' surge that could continue into 2025, say bosses

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Police car was set on fire during Wednesday's violent disorder, for which 12 people were arrested, in wake of stabbing attack in SouthportAn 11-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of arson after a police vehicle was set alight, while seven men have been charged, all in connection with the violent disorder in Hartlepool that followed the Southport stabbings.On Friday morning, Cleveland police said all seven men were charged with violent disorder. Among them, a 42-year-old was additionally charged with assault by beating of an emergency worker; and a 28-year-old man was additionally charged with possession of an offensive weapon in a public place. Continue reading...

Faith leaders have been seeking security advice, while asylum seekers have decried the ideology of hate and blame' after the Southport attacksIt was about 6pm on Wednesday when faith leaders at the Nasir mosque in Hartlepool were told by police to close its doors due to a protest by far-right activists in the town.The police came and said we need to block the gate because there is trouble on the way," recalled Muhammad Ali Ahmad, general secretary of the mosque. Continue reading...

John Hayes was stabbed in leg as he tried to stop attacker who killed three girlsA man who was stabbed in the leg while trying to stop the Southport attacker has said he is lucky the knife just missed an artery, as he praised the police and paramedics for being the real heroes".John Hayes, 63, was speaking from his hospital bed after he was stabbed in the leg as he tried to stop the attacker, who entered a dance and yoga class on Monday and stabbed several children. Continue reading...

This week, Paul Dans, the leader of the controversial Project 2025, resigned and signalled in a company email that work on it was winding down'. The project had become a manifesto of rightwing policies that would serve as a guide for the next Republican president. However, there is a significant stumbling block: Donald Trump wants nothing to do with it.Joan E Greve and Rachel Leingang discuss whether this marks the beginning of the end of Project 2025Archive: CNN, PBS Newshour, CSPAN, Tik Tok: heathergtv Continue reading...

Federal police charge 31-year-old man after drugs allegedly found in shipping container from US at Port Botany

US secretary of state Antony Blinken says there is overwhelming evidence' Gonzalez beat Nicolas Maduro in last weekend's presidential electionThe US government has recognised Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia as the winner of Venezuela's presidential election, discrediting the results announced by government-controlled electoral authorities who declared Nicolas Maduro the victor.Given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States and, most importantly, to the Venezuelan people that Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia won the most votes in Venezuela's 28 July presidential election," US secretary of state Antony Blinken said in a statement on Thursday night. Continue reading...

New law comes into force stopping most serious offenders getting married or entering into civil partnerships behind barsThe serial killer Levi Bellfield has been blocked from having a civil partnership, after a new law came into force stopping the most serious offenders getting married behind bars.Bellfield is serving two whole-life orders for killing Milly Dowler, Marsha McDonnell and Amelie Delagrange, as well as the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy. Continue reading...

Several foreigners and Russian political prisoners released as Germany frees hitman Vadim Krasikov as part of deal

Corporation explores possible legal action to recover salary from broadcaster who was paid for five months after arrestThe BBC's director general, Tim Davie, has said the corporation will look at all options" for recovering pay from the disgraced newsreader Huw Edwards.Davie said the corporation was exploring the possibility of legal action to claw back some of its payments to Edwards, who continued to be paid for five months after his arrest. He admitted this week to accessing indecent images of children. Continue reading...

White House, WSJ and politicians praise Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan's release in a likely political coup for Biden

Mission: Impossible star pre-taped stunts in Paris and Los Angeles for the 11 August ceremony, reports suggestTom Cruise is reportedly set to assist with the ceremonial Olympic Games handoff between Paris and the 2028 host, Los Angeles.The closing ceremonies will get a boost from the Mission: Impossible actor who has filmed stunts in both cities as part of a pre-taped segment for 11 August, according to TMZ. Continue reading...

Hassan Nasrallah calls for revenge at funeral of Fuad Shukr as does Iranian president at funeral of Hamas's political leader, Ismail HaniyehThe leader of Hezbollah has said that the Lebanese group's conflict with Israel has entered a new phrase" after the back-to-back assassinations of a senior commander and Hamas's political chief that risk plunging the Middle East into a regional war.In a televised address broadcast to about 1,000 mourners at the Beirut funeral of Hezbollah's second-in-command, Fuad Shukr, Hassan Nasrallah vowed that the powerful Shia militia would seek revenge. Continue reading...

Movement also wants face time with more receptive Kamala Harris to talk Gaza concerns to bolster party's powerThe Uncommitted National Movement has announced a number of demands in the run-up to the Democratic national convention (DNC) later this month, part of an effort to use its voting power to influence Kamala Harris and the Democratic party's stance on Israel's war in Gaza.In a press call on Thursday, movement leaders demanded that the DNC allow Dr Tanya Haj-Hassan, an American physician who's worked in Gaza, to speak at the convention about the humanitarian crisis that she witnessed first-hand. They have also requested that an uncommitted delegate be given five minutes to speak at the convention, and for Kamala Harris to meet with movement leaders about their concerns. Continue reading...

PM says his focus is on victims after former counter-terror official says Clacton MP is giving the EDL succour'Keir Starmer twice declined to criticise Nigel Farage's response to the Southport atrocity after the Reform party leader was accused of helping spread a conspiracy theory about the knife attack.Farage had questioned whether the truth is being withheld from us" after the attack that killed three children and injured more on Monday, speculating without information that the suspect may have been monitored by the security services. Continue reading...

Newspaper mounted a high-profile campaign to stress reporter's innocence and ensure he was not forgottenThe reporter Evan Gershkovich's release from a Russian prison on Thursday was celebrated across US and global media but perhaps most happily by journalists at his own paper, the Wall Street Journal in New York.In an email to staff after news of Gershkovich's release as part of a large-scale prisoner swap, Emma Tucker, the Journal editor-in-chief, said: A few moments ago, Evan walked free from a Russian plane. He will shortly be on a flight back to the US. Continue reading...

A family of four would have to pay as much as $200 to sit together, but new rule does away with such costsMost US airlines currently charge to seat young children with their parents, forcing a tough choice: either spend the flight apart, or pay as much as $200 more for a family of four.On Thursday the Biden administration proposed to do away with such junk fees" and require airlines to seat parents next to their children where adjacent seating is available at booking. Continue reading...

Move may clear the way for not-for-profit project Mayday Saxonvale to buy the 12-acre brownfield siteA residential developer has unexpectedly pulled out of a controversial regeneration project in one of England's most progressive towns after an outcry from local people.Somerset council leaders had faced heavy criticism after agreeing to sell a 12-acre brownfield site called Saxonvale in the town of Frome to the Acorn Property Group. Continue reading...

Insulting language in private message sent by Oliver Cooper to an activist colleague in 2017 emerged in a high court caseKemi Badenoch has brought in a Conservative councillor to help on her leadership bid who referred to a female politician in a vulgar manner in a message to another colleague.Badenoch has Tory councillor Oliver Cooper on her team despite it having emerged in legal action that he had sent messages in 2017 about a female councillor to another activist calling her offensive names. Continue reading...

Alex Beard and four other executives charged with conspiring to make corrupt payments in long-running SFO investigationThe UK's Serious Fraud Office has charged Glencore's billionaire former head of oil trading with conspiring to make corrupt payments to benefit the commodities company's oil operations in West Africa.Alex Beard, who ran Glencore's oil division from 2007 until his retirement in 2019, will face charges alongside former Glencore executives Andrew Gibson, Paul Hopkirk, Ramon Labiaga and Martin Wakefield after a long-running investigation into allegations of bribery at the company. Continue reading...

Fears asylum seeker accommodation may come under threat from mindless thuggery' of agitatorsPolice officials have been urged to step up patrols outside mosques and asylum seeker accommodation amid plans for at least 10 far-right rallies across England in coming days.Violent demonstrations have spread from Southport to London, Hartlepool, Manchester and Aldershot after the stabbing atrocity at a children's holiday club on Monday. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Schools watchdog refused Kelly Vaughan's request to defer inspection after MS symptoms relapseA primary school headteacher with multiple sclerosis (MS) has been paid damages in a landmark disability discrimination case against Ofsted, after her request to postpone an inspection over a relapse in her symptoms was refused.Kelly Vaughan, the head at Pool Hayes primary school in Willenhall, in the West Midlands, accused England's schools watchdog of failing to put in place reasonable adjustments" to accommodate her disability. Continue reading...

As exclusively revealed by the Guardian, the PM has announced a new unit to deal with violent disorder in the wake of the Southport riotingThe British Medication Association (BMA) said action by GPs in England will be a slow burn" rather than a big bang".Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer, chair of the BMA's GP committee for England (GPCE), said:This will not be a big bang'. It will be a slow burn. It's likely that impact may not be felt for some time. We hope this will give the new government time to consider our proposed solutions including fixing our contract once and for all.General practice should be the front door of the NHS, not the doormat. We don't want to have to take this next step, but must if we're to stop our services from collapsing completely."We had a huge response to this ballot, and the results are clear - GPs are at the end of their tether. This is an act of desperation. For too long, we've been unable to provide the care we want to.We are witnessing general practice being broken. The era of the family doctor has been wiped out by recent consecutive governments and our patients are suffering as a result." Continue reading...

Student protests that began over government-job quotas have led to mass round-ups, says families of detaineesThe Bangladesh authorities have arrested more than 10,000 people and banned a major opposition political party as part of a crackdown on dissent after protests that erupted across the country.Bangladesh has been in a state of turmoil for weeks after a mass student movement against quotas for government jobs escalated into deadly clashes when protesters were attacked by pro-government groups and hit with teargas, rubber bullets and pellets by police. Continue reading...

PM and police chiefs agree plans for unit that aims to boost intelligence gathering on extremist troublemakers'A new national violent disorder unit is to be set up to clamp down on rioters, the Guardian has learned, after far-right riots this week.Keir Starmer made the official announcement on Thursday, having agreed it with police chiefs at a crisis meeting. Continue reading...

Layton Richards, 29, sentenced to eight months in prison for string of thefts in Dorset, Hampshire and West SussexA thief has been jailed for eight months after being found guilty of shoplifting almost 800 Cadbury Creme Eggs over a three-month period.Layton Richards, 29, had been charged with 24 shoplifting offences between 6 January and 18 April this year, with Hampshire and Isle of Wight constabulary accusing him of stealing as many as 798 of the confectionery items. Continue reading...