Republican presidential contender hints at government involvement in deadly September 11 attacksThe biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, a contender for the Republican presidential nomination, was condemned for conspiracy-tinged remarks about the events of 9/11 and the January 6 attack on the Capitol.I think it is legitimate to say how many police, how many federal agents, were on the planes that hit the Twin Towers," Ramaswamy said, in a profile published by the Atlantic on Monday. Continue reading...
Oliver Anthony has becomes the first to top the Billboard Hot 100 with no prior chart history, for a song which has drawn backlash for its stereotypes of welfare recipientsOliver Anthony's Rich Men North of Richmond, the out-of-nowhere country song that went viral earlier this month, has debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making him the first artist to ever notch a top single with no prior chart history in any form.The song, which Anthony says is the first he ever recorded with a professional microphone, was widely shared online along with a video of bearded, Virginia-based singer playing an acoustic guitar in the woods. The song was streamed 17.5m times during the week ending 17 August, and a video of Anthony's performance posted by the channel RadioWV has racked up 30 million views in 12 days. Continue reading...
by Pippa Crerar, Josh Halliday and Haroon Siddique on (#6E1J5)
Rishi Sunak facing pressure from families and medical experts to put planned inquiry on statutory footingThe official inquiry into the murders committed by Lucy Letby could be upgraded to compel witnesses to give evidence, Downing Street has indicated.Rishi Sunak has come under growing pressure from victims' families and experts who want the investigation strengthened to become a statutory inquiry, giving its chair full legal powers to summon witnesses. Continue reading...
by Patrick Butler Social policy editor on (#6E1N3)
MP who first called for inquiry says he is not surprised the Metropolitan police have decided to take no further actionAsked about the Metropolitan police decision to take no further action in the cash-for-honours allegation involving King Charles's Prince's Foundation, the author and former Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker said wearily: I'm not actually surprised. To have taken action would have offended important people in society."Baker, the author of the 2019 critique of the royal family, And What Do You Do?, wrote to the Met in 2021 calling for an investigation after press reports emerged that a long-time senior aide of the then-Prince Charles had offered a Saudi billionaire (and donor to causes close to the King's heart) help to secure a knighthood and UK citizenship in return for donations. Continue reading...
Texas senator falls for one of the oldest internet hoaxes after sharing image online that has been circulated several times over'The Texas US senator Ted Cruz, a former candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, appeared on Monday to fall for one of the oldest internet hoaxes, sharing a supposed picture of a shark on a flooded highway in Los Angeles with the remark: Holy crap."California does indeed face potentially catastrophic flooding thanks to Storm Hilary but users of X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, were swift to point out that the image Cruz reposted is in fact wholly crap. Continue reading...
Resort town receives King Charles's approval and says tribute is for late monarch who had a fondness for FranceA French seaside resort has renamed its airport after the late Queen Elizabeth II, with her son King Charles's blessing.Le Touquet received the official support of the king on Monday for the change, the northern resort's town hall said in a statement. Continue reading...
Sentencing hearing reveals predatory history of Adam Provan, who was found guilty of raping a 16-year-old girl and a fellow officerA Jekyll and Hyde" former Metropolitan police officer who raped a 16-year-old girl and a female colleague hoarded the details of more than 700 women on his phone, a court has heard.In June, Adam Provan, 44, of Newmarket, Suffolk, was found guilty of raping a fellow police officer six times between 2003 and 2005, and twice raping a teenager whom he met on a blind date after lying about his age in 2010. Continue reading...
Club criticised for doing bare minimum and only acting after enormous' social media and press pressureWomen's rights organisations have welcomed Manchester United's mutual decision to part ways with Mason Greenwood, calling it a relief" for many survivors of domestic and sexual abuse while criticising the club for evading accountability.On Monday the club announced it would be most appropriate" for Greenwood to resume his career away from Old Trafford. The decision came after a six-month internal investigation, and after prosecutors dropped an attempted rape case against the forward, who has denied all the charges. Continue reading...
Shefford becomes second town council in Mid Bedfordshire to say MP should resign because she is no longer doing her job properlyRishi Sunak and Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, were both given a chance to show off their painting skills when they visited a nursery in Harrogate this morning. According to PA Media, they were both painting bees. Keegan's bee would merit a gold star. Sunak's looks more like a parrot with a squint.In his pooled TV interview, Rishi Sunak also stressed the government's commitment to extending access to free childcare. He said:It is really important to me that young families have access to high quality affordably childcare. That is why the government is expanding its offer of free childcare.Currently working families can access 30 hours of free childcare for three and four-year-olds. As part of our big reforms we are extending that all the way down to little ones as young as nine months. Continue reading...
by Harriet Sherwood Arts and culture correspondent on (#6E1ED)
UK union initiative provides framework for negotiating greener practices in film and TV industrySome stars insist on private jets, or a police escort to accompany their vehicles. George Clooney had a hot tub and beach hut installed next to his trailer. Rihanna demanded an animal print rug and icy-blue chiffon" curtains. Many specify types of food, snacks, drinks and flowers.But some of the UK's best-known stars are now taking a stand against celebrity riders" by backing a campaign to improve sustainability in the film and television industry. Continue reading...
Yuletide goods on sale alongside summer lines and before Halloween items annoyed locals in Home Bargains in DenbighIt may not have been the sunniest of Augusts but a store in north Wales has been accused of giving up on summer way too early after it filled shelves with Christmas stock.A section of the Home Bargains store in Denbigh is awash with festive offerings, from Grinch stockings to gold baubles, from strings of tinsel to plastic wreathes, sparkly reindeers and worker elves' hats. Continue reading...
by Patrick Butler Social policy editor on (#6E1EG)
Force launched investigation after reports alleged offers of help to secure honours and citizenship were made to Saudi nationalThe Metropolitan police has come under fire after announcing it has discontinued its investigation into cash-for-honours allegation involving the king's charity, the Prince's Foundation.The force said on Monday no further action would be taken after the conclusion of an 18-month inquiry into media reports that offers of help to secure honours and citizenship for a wealthy Saudi national were made by a former chief executive of the foundation. Continue reading...
by Vikram Dodd Police and crime correspondent on (#6E1B2)
Exclusive: bereaved accuse authorities of cover-up as police say there will be no criminal chargesThe families of the 21 people killed in the Birmingham pub bombings have been told a police reinvestigation of the 1974 atrocities has failed and will lead to no criminal charges, the Guardian has learned.The fresh disappointment led the bereaved families to accuse the authorities of a continuing cover-up and the government of disrespecting their suffering. Continue reading...
by Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent on (#6E1B3)
Licence period could be terminated from five years after release instead of current 10 years, in positive step'Prisoners released on licence after serving time under an abolished and much-maligned indefinite sentencing scheme in England and Wales could have the period in which they can be recalled to prison halved under new rules.The changes to the imprisonment for public protection (IPP) scheme would mean that IPP prisoners could in theory have their licence period in which they can be recalled terminated five years after release rather than the current 10 years. Continue reading...
by Tobi Thomas (now); Kevin Rawlinson (earlier) on (#6E149)
Judge said lifelong harm has been caused in horrific circumstances' as he addresses empty dockThe mother of twin boys, Children E and F, now reads her statement. Child E was murdered and Child F survived an insulin poisoning the following day. She says:Our world shattered when we encountered evil disguised as a caring nurse. The heartbreak and shock left me feeling confused and numb. How could [Child E] collapse so suddenly after spending the day cuddling with us?It was a living nightmare. Little did I know that the nightmare of pain and hurt would continue, emotionally battering me throughout my children's lives.We felt cheated, deceived, and utterly heartbroken once more.He was buried in that gown, a gift from the unit chosen by Lucy. I feel sickened by the choice we made. Not a single day passes without distress over this decision.We had to organise her funeral. The service took place the day before her due date. Her ashes were buried in a tiny box on her actual due date. Those weeks were particularly difficult... my arms, my heart, my life felt so painfully empty.I needed to be her mum in every way ... I questioned if I missed something. Did I do something wrong? I missed my daughter.I love being a mum but, at the same time, live with grief and depression ... I never feel good enough. I feel I have let myself go. My marriage is also scarred by all the hurdles we went through ... I feel not only that I lost [Child D] but I lost all those years of my life too.I had a car crash after a nervous breakdown. I considered ending it all. I couldn't continue and I didn't want to. I was hoping that if I went to the other side I would see and be with my daughter.We wanted justice for [Child D] and that day has come. Continue reading...
Four Australians and two crew were saved after their boat capsized off Sumatra, but hopes of finding the remaining person on board appear overRescuers have ended their search for a missing Indonesian crew member one week after a boat with seven on board hit bad weather off Sumatra island, officials said on Monday.The search was launched last week after authorities received a report that one of two boats headed for Pinang island from Nias island had failed to reach its destination. Continue reading...
Air Koryo flight from Pyongyang cancelled two hours after its scheduled arrival in BeijingNorth Korea's national airline's first commercial flight since it largely closed itself off from the world in early 2020 in response to the Covid pandemic has been abruptly cancelled.Journalists gathered on Monday at Beijing's Capital international airport to await Air Koryo flight JS151 from Pyongyang, due to arrive at 9.50am. Continue reading...
Concerns mount as ultraconservative Republican party's right to life' proposal could be enshrined in constitutionThe hard-won right to an abortion in Chile is at risk of being overturned, activists have warned, as the country's far right moves to enshrine protection for the life of the unborn child and maternity" in a new constitution.
Nurse could become only third woman to be given whole-life order amid calls for change in law to force defendants to attend courtLucy Letby faces spending the rest of her life in prison when she is sentenced on Monday for murdering seven babies and attempting to kill six more at the Countess of Chester hospital.The neonatal nurse, the worst child serial killer in modern British history, would become only the third woman to be given a whole-life order should the judge pass such a sentence, as has been suggested, at the hearing at Manchester crown court. Continue reading...
Bernado Arevalo's victory comes amid growing concerns over state of democracy in Central AmericaThe Guatemalan anti-corruption crusader Bernardo Arevalo has been voted in as president, according to preliminary results, a victory that until recently seemed impossible and which many voters hope will end years of rule dogged by allegations of corruption and authoritarianism.Arevalo, a 64-year-old ex-diplomat and son of a former president, had a 58% to 37% lead over the former first lady Sandra Torres with 99% of votes counted. Continue reading...
Luisa Gonzalez, who has pledged to revive Rafael Correa's social programmes, to run against Daniel Noboa in OctoberA protege of Ecuador's former leftist president Rafael Correa will face the son of one of the country's richest men in a runoff presidential vote in October, after first-round voting on Sunday failed to produce an outright winner.With more than three-quarters of ballots counted, Luisa Gonzalez, who has promised to revive Correa's social programmes, was tallying just over 33% support, while Daniel Noboa, the son of the prominent banana businessman and former presidential candidate Alvaro Noboa, was on 24%. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: As police in the UK launch an investigation into what happened to missing artefacts, an art detective explains why such thefts are so difficult to prevent Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. The British Museum is reeling from the discovery that gold jewellery, semi-precious stones and glass dating from the 15th century BC to the 19th century AD are either missing or stolen.A senior curator, who worked at the institution for 30 years, was dramatically dismissed after the items were discovered missing. His family deny he had anything to do with the lost items. Continue reading...
Report by Human Rights Watch details alleged attacks using explosive weapons and small arms on Saudi Arabia-Yemen borderSaudi border guards have been accused of killing hundreds of Ethiopians using small arms and explosive weapons in a targeted campaign that rights advocates suggest may amount to a crime against humanity.The shocking claims are made in a detailed investigation by Human Rights Watch, which interviewed dozens of Ethiopian people who said they were attacked by border guards while they tried to cross into Saudi Arabia from Yemen. Continue reading...
School leaders tell of abnormal levels of pupil anxiety amid plan to lower grades back to pre-pandemic levelsHigh levels of persistent absence and mental ill health have undermined pupils' GCSE results to be published later this week, headteachers have said, as education experts warn of 300,000 fewer top grades being awarded in England this year.School leaders who spoke to the Guardian said they experienced unprecedented numbers of pupils failing to turn up or walking out in the middle of exams. Continue reading...
by Elias Visontay Transport and urban affairs reporte on (#6E0Y9)
Proceedings against airline on behalf of hundreds of thousands' of customers aims to force refunds for flight credits and compensation due to lost interest
More than 35,000 residents under evacuation orders across province, while flames are being held at bay 15km from Yellowknife in Northwest TerritoriesCanada will send in armed forces to tackle fast-spreading wildfires in British Columbia, prime minister Justin Trudeau has said, as more than 35,000 people were put under evacuation orders in the western province.British Columbia imposed a state of emergency late on Friday, giving officials more power to deal with fire risks. The main fire was centered around Kelowna, a city 300km (180 miles) east of Vancouver with a population of about 150,000. Continue reading...
Consumer rights group and travel agents call for regulator to be given powers to act amid flight cancellationsAirlines that break the law by not helping customers when flights are delayed or cancelled should be fined, consumer rights groups and online travel agents have said.In a letter to the prime minister, Rishi Sunak, the consumer rights group Which? and leading online travel agents called for the aviation regulator to be given more powers to act amid flight cancellations. Continue reading...
Catastrophic' flooding expected despite weakening as storm with 80mph winds approaches the US south-westTropical Storm Hilary made landfall in Mexico over the Baja California peninsula and reached south-east of San Diego on Sunday afternoon.Hilary is expected to head towards the US south-west until Monday as authorities warn of life-threatening and catastrophic flooding. Continue reading...
After the assassination of Fernando Villavicencio, voters are hoping the next president can overturn rising violence and economic turmoilEcuadoreans are choosing a new president in early elections amid a powerful display of security after the assassination of the presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio less than two weeks before the vote.Voters are heading to the polls in the backdrop of rising crime, violence and economic turmoil. Continue reading...
Reporter Phyllis Zorn and editor Eric Meyer said no laws were broken in their investigation of local restaurateur Kari NewellThe police chief who led the raid of a Kansas newspaper alleged in previously unreleased court documents that a reporter either impersonated someone else or lied about her intentions when she obtained the driving records of a local business owner.But reporter Phyllis Zorn, Marion County Record editor and publisher Eric Meyer, and the newspaper's attorney said on Sunday that no laws were broken when Zorn accessed a public state website for information on restaurant operator Kari Newell. Continue reading...
Council is conducting rapid safeguarding review after death that has sparked international manhuntA 10-year-old girl whose death sparked an international manhunt was previously known to the authorities, Surrey county council has confirmed.Sara Sharif was found dead at her home near Woking on 10 August having suffered multiple and extensive injuries, which Surrey police said were likely to have been caused over a sustained and extended period of time". Continue reading...
From the Gulf of Mexico and almost to the Great Lakes, the US is still suffering from extreme heat during a record-breaking summerSweltering temperatures lingered on Sunday in a large swath of the central US, causing misery from the Gulf of Mexico almost to the Great Lakes.Record high temperatures were recorded in Texas and other states. People were told to chug extra water while mowing lawns or exercising outdoors, and to check on neighbors to ensure air conditioning is available. Continue reading...
Location, Location, Location star's parents, Anne and David, died after their car toppled off a bridge into riverThe TV presenter Phil Spencer has said his parents would have held hands" after their car crashed into a river on their farm.The Location, Location, Location presenter paid an emotional tribute to Anne and David Spencer on Instagram after the accident on Friday. Continue reading...
Danish PM says country will provide 19 in stages when pilot training is completed as Dutch counterpart pledges up to 42 planesThe Netherlands and Denmark have announced they will donate up to 61 F-16 fighter jets between them to Ukraine once pilot training has been satisfactorily completed, as Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited both countries after months of entreaties to bolster the Ukrainian air force.Denmark's prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, said her country would provide 19 jets - hopefully" six around new year, eight more next year and the remaining five in 2025. Please take this donation as a token of Denmark's unwavering support for your country's fight for freedom," Frederiksen said. Continue reading...
More than half of people believe MP's absence is significantly damaging parliament's reputation, poll showsA campaign group has written to the standards watchdog asking for an investigation into Nadine Dorries after its poll suggested more than half of people believe her absence as an MP and failure to quit has significantly damaged parliament's reputation.Tom Brake, the director of Unlock Democracy, called for an inquiry after the group commissioned an Opinium survey that found 55% of people thought Dorries had caused significant damage by failing to speak in parliament and delaying her decision to quit. Continue reading...
Jubilation at victory over England will take a while to sink in - and there are hopes it will bring lasting changeBy mid-afternoon on Sunday, the August-quiet, sun-fried streets around Madrid's WiZink Center had begun to fill with red strips, dazed and happy faces, and the inevitable chorus of horns from the capital's jubilant motorists. Spain had done it. But the fact they had done it was going to take a while to sink in.Among the hundreds of people milling about outside the sporting arena and concert venue - where giant screens had shown the World Cup triumph of the Spanish women's team to 6,000 people - were Laura Luengo, her wife, Tamara Rodriguez, and their young son, Alvaro. Continue reading...
No 10 says it will find appropriate' way to celebrate defeated finalists as Labour calls for full-team honoursNo 10 is considering awards for England's female footballers for reaching the World Cup final, as Labour called for the whole team to get honours.Downing Street said it would find a way to reward the players after they lost 0-1 in the final to Spain in Australia on Sunday. Continue reading...
Initiative aims to increase police presence as retailer sees rise in theft and aggressionWaitrose and John Lewis are offering free coffees and other hot drinks to on-duty police officers amid a rise in shoplifting.The drinks are aimed at encouraging a police presence in order to make thieves think twice" about stealing goods, said the head of security at the John Lewis Partnership, which owns the John Lewis and Waitrose brands. Continue reading...
Mayor threatens sanctions over reported practices of large minimum spends and selecting diners by size of previous billsThe mayor of St-Tropez has threatened racketeering" restaurateurs in the Med's most famous - and overpriced - former fishing village with sanctions after reports that some are selecting diners by the size of previous bills and are setting minimum spends.These accusations are extremely shocking to me because they are unfortunately true," Sylvie Siri told local media, adding that she and the entire council are totally opposed to such despicable practices", which were ruining the town's image". Continue reading...
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