Ulf Kristersson says there is a clear risk of something serious happening' amid growing Muslim anger at the attacks on Islam's holy bookThe Swedish prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, has said that he is extremely worried" about the consequences if more demonstrations go ahead in which the Qur'an is desecrated, amid growing Muslim anger at a series of attacks on Islam's holy book.Attacks on the Qur'an in Sweden and Denmark have offended many Muslim countries, including Turkey, whose backing Sweden needs to join Nato - a goal of Stockholm's after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Continue reading...
Critics say underfunded CCRC only investigated 17-year-long miscarriage of justice when handed evidence on a platter'The quashing of Andrew Malkinson's rape conviction after 17 years in jail has thrown a spotlight on to failures by the miscarriages of justice watchdog to take up his case earlier.The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) declined to grant Malkinson a new appeal hearing in 2012 and again in 2020, although it considered different evidence than in its third review. Continue reading...
Exclusive: David Campbell Bannerman, who wants to stand for South Norfolk, launched body that attacked privileges committeeRishi Sunak is under pressure from Conservative MPs to kick off" a controversial rightwing politician from the party's approved candidates' list after his grassroots organisation campaigned to deselect Tory MPs and attacked the integrity of the privileges committee inquiry into Boris Johnson.David Campbell Bannerman, a former deputy leader of the UK Independence party (Ukip) who defected back to the Tories in 2011, has said he wants to stand for the safe South Norfolk constituency, where the party has a majority of 36,000. Continue reading...
Longstanding issue for community given little attention compared with closure of ex-Ukip leader's Coutts account, says mosque chairThe furore over the closure of Nigel Farage's bank accounts with Coutts has led to the resignation of two chief executives and an intervention by Downing Street.But, when nearly a decade ago, three Muslim organisations, including Finsbury Park mosque, had their HSBC bank accounts shut, there was little public acknowledgment or support. Continue reading...
Fire safety concerns and lack of lifejackets noted on the 500-capacity barge, moored in Portland, DorsetMinisters are planning to send the first 50 people to a controversial barge used for housing asylum seekers next Tuesday, but there have been fresh calls for a delay over safety concerns.The government has already been forced to push back the planned start date for commencing operations on the Bibby Stockholm, which ministers hope will reduce the costs of accommodating those who cross the Channel on small boats. Continue reading...
by Jillian Ambrose Energy correspondent on (#6DAJA)
Campaigners criticise plan to increase oil and gas production despite extreme heat in EuropeShell has reignited outrage among climate activists by handing billions to its shareholders after making profits that campaigners have described as obscene".Protests were held outside oil company's London headquarters on Thursday after it reported second-quarter profits of just over $5bn (3.9bn) in the same week that wildfires linked to the climate crisis burned across Mediterranean countries. Continue reading...
Kalantari steps down as chief operating officer of digital platform, saying it is time for new adventures'One of the co-founders of LadBible, a digital platform that creates content aimed at young men, has decided not to return to work after taking a seven-month sabbatical from the business.Arian Kalantari, who set up LadBible with a school friend, Alexander Solly" Solomou, and developed it into a successful digital platform with millions of followers, resigned this week, saying it was the right time to create space in my life for new challenges and new adventures". Continue reading...
Shocked by her death, the singer's compatriots are recalling her courage, kindness and humourThe memories have come tumbling out. The little girl who played in a Dublin park. The teenager who sat on school steps strumming a guitar. The pop star who leaned out of a record company's limousine in Washington DC to shout joyous insults at the Pentagon.Ireland is remembering Sinead O'Connor - and grasping what it has lost. For some people in Glenageary and Dun Laoghaire - the south Dublin suburbs where the singer grew up - the news of her death still had an air of unreality on Thursday. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Midlands correspondent on (#6DARE)
Louis De Zoysa, 26, murdered 54-year-old with a gun he smuggled into a custody unit in south LondonA man has been sentenced to a whole-life order, meaning he will spend the rest of his life in prison, for the murder of Sgt Matt Ratana, whom he shot with a gun he smuggled into a custody centre while handcuffed.Last month Louis De Zoysa, 26, was found guilty of killing Ratana, 54, by shooting him in the chest at point-blank range at a custody block in Croydon, south London, in September 2020. Continue reading...
High court rules prince's claims of illegal information gathering can proceed but phone-hacking allegations cannotThe Duke of Sussex's damages claim over allegations of unlawful information gathering against the publisher of the Sun will go to trial, a high court judge has ruled.Prince Harry, 38, alleges he was targeted by journalists and private investigators working for News Group Newspapers (NGN), publisher of the Sun and the now defunct News of the World. Continue reading...
Scotland Yard says Irish singer's death, just weeks after she moved to UK capital, is not being treated as suspiciousPolice officers found Sinead O'Connor unresponsive in a London flat on Wednesday just weeks after she had moved to the city, it has emerged.The Metropolitan police said in a statement on Thursday that officers were called at 11.18am on Wednesday to reports of an unresponsive woman" at a residential address in the Herne Hill area of south London. Continue reading...
Retail group says pretax profits almost doubled as Sports Direct improved marginsThe owner of House of Fraser has said it could close more stores, after shutting eight in the past year and declaring the department store globally is broken".Michael Murray, the chief executive of Mike Ashley's retail empire Frasers which also owns Sports Direct, the designer street fashion chain Flannels and a plethora of brands from Jack Wills to Evans Cycles, said its department store portfolio was continually under review" and some outlets were still too big and we have to find solutions for the excess space". Continue reading...
by Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent on (#6DANY)
Judge rules decision to release man convicted in 1988 of murdering two 15-year-old girls should be reviewedThe double child killer Colin Pitchfork has had his release from prison put on hold after a judge decided the decision to free him should be reviewed.In June, the Parole Board said Pitchfork, who was jailed for life and handed a minimum term of 30 years in 1988 for the rape and murder of Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth, both 15, no longer posed a threat to the public. Continue reading...
Former Smiths frontman writes impassioned screed on his website, criticising media and record labels for lack of support for O'Connor during her lifeMorrissey has written a vociferous tribute to the late Sinead O'Connor, decrying the media and music industry over a lack of support for the singer.Praising her proud vulnerability", he writes on his website: There is a certain music industry hatred for singers who don't fit in' (this I know only too well), and they are never praised until death - when, finally, they can't answer back [...] You praise her now ONLY because it is too late. You hadn't the guts to support her when she was alive and she was looking for you. Continue reading...
First-half results will anger consumer groups that have campaigned over treatment of vulnerable customersBritish Gas has reported its highest ever first-half profits, of almost 1bn, after the energy watchdog let it claw back more money from household bills.The UK's biggest energy supplier reported profits of 969m for the first six months of 2023, up nearly 900% from 98m in the same period last year. Continue reading...
Acoba chair Eric Pickles says new rules should be made in time for Rishi Sunak's next reshuffleNo 10 should bring in new fines for ex-ministers who break the rules on lobbying in time for Rishi Sunak's next reshuffle and tighten restrictions on former civil servants, the government watchdog has said.Eric Pickles, the head of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba), said it should be possible to draw up new rules in time for the autumn - a time when prime ministers typically shake up their top teams. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: The twisty tale of Nigel Farage's dispute with the NatWest-owned bank has led to the resignation of its CEO, Alison Rose. A timeline of the drama and why it matters Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning.It has been almost a month since Nigel Farage launched an almighty tirade against NatWest-owned Coutts - a British private bank and wealth manager whose elite client list includes King Charles and most of the royal family. It was relatively unknown to most people until it attracted the ire of Farage, who first claimed the closures were linked to his status as a politically exposed person (PEP) and claims in the Commons that he had received payments from Moscow's state-funded broadcaster Russia Today.Music | Sinead O'Connor, Irish singer of the 1990 hit Nothing Compares 2 U, has died aged 56. Her death has stunned Ireland and the music world, and came 18 months after her 17-year-old son Shane died after leaving a hospital while on suicide watch. O'Connor had three other children. The musician, also a vocal activist, experienced mental and physical health problems, which she chronicled in social media posts and interviews.Africa | Soldiers in Niger say they have removed President Mohamed Bazoum from power, after armed troops earlier blockaded the presidential palace in Niamey, the capital. A group of soldiers made the announcement on the west African country's national television late on Wednesday. Niger is considered a linchpin for western-aided efforts to stabilise the Sahel region.MeToo | Kevin Spacey has been cleared of sexual assault in one of the UK's most high-profile #MeToo trials. The 64-year-old Oscar-winning actor wept as he was found not guilty on Wednesday of sexually assaulting four men after a four-week trial at Southwark crown court, in London.Environment | 2022 was the warmest year on record in the UK, the Met Office has confirmed, with experts warning the unprecedented heat is a sign of things to come. The news comes after former Conservative minister Zac Goldsmith said Michael Gove is a monster" if he continues to rubbish green policies while fully understanding the urgency of the climate crisis.US | The Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, briefly left his own press conference on Wednesday after stopping his remarks mid-sentence. McConnell appeared to freeze and stared off into space for 20 seconds. He returned and answered questions from the press. Asked later about what happened, McConnell said he was fine". Continue reading...
Daily press conference held in Beijing saw more than 20 questions from the media about Xi Jinping's former protegeChina's ministry of foreign affairs faced a barrage of questions on Wednesday, over the disappearance and dismissal of foreign minister Qin Gang but refused to answer any of them.The daily press conference held in Beijing saw more than 20 questions from the press about Qin, a former protege of president Xi Jinping, but none were printed in the subsequent official record. Continue reading...
by Nadia Khomami Arts and culture correspondent on (#6DAF6)
Opera company will leave capital by March 2029 and develop artistic programme for new baseThe English National Opera (ENO) will receive an extra grant of 24m from April 2024 to March 2026 and more time to leave London, Arts Council England (ACE) has announced.The ENO will now move to a base outside the capital by March 2029 - three years after originally envisaged. Before then, it will develop an artistic programme in its new city, while transitioning to a new business model that allows it to deliver a substantial opera season every year in the capital. Continue reading...
by Robert Booth Social affairs correspondent on (#6DAF7)
Twelve people have died in suspected e-bike and e-scooter blazes since 2020 in UKE-bike and e-scooter batteries should be regulated in the same way as fireworks after a spate of fatal fires in the UK, a safety charity has said.Lithium-ion cells that power the increasingly popular vehicles should be approved before sale to prevent greater loss of life, said Electrical Safety First (ESF). At least 12 people have died in suspected e-bike and e-scooter blazes since 2020 in the UK. Continue reading...
Electoral commission argued authorisation line on former Hughes MP's advertising was too small but judge found it was reasonably prominent' in broad daylight
Brisbane-based company oversees UK's floating barges that are to accommodate asylum seekers and which have drawn protests and raised concernsAn ethical fund manager will sell its stake in Corporate Travel Management over concerns the burgeoning Brisbane-headquartered company is profiting from the mandatory detention of asylum seekers in the UK.CTM gained recent prominence after securing a A$3bn (1.6bn) contract overseeing the UK's new asylum accommodation ships, including a 222-cabin barge moored in the port of Portland, Dorset. Continue reading...
by Presented by Michael Safi with Rachel Hall; produc on (#6DADZ)
Holidaymakers on the Greek island of Rhodes found themselves evacuated from hotels and sleeping in school halls as wildfires raged nearby. As they make plans to return home, residents and business owners are counting the cost of what will be an expensive recovery. Rachel Hall reportsThousands of British travellers landed in Rhodes expecting a holiday of sun, sea and relaxation in the warmth of one of Greece's most popular tourist islands. Instead they found themselves evacuated from five-star hotels and sleeping in school halls as firefighters battled with raging wildfires.The Guardian's Rachel Hall reports from Rhodes, where tourists are finding their way on to return flights and local residents and business owners are beginning the long and costly journey to recovery. Many are bemoaning what they describe as a slow response from the Greek authorities as volunteers step in to plug the gaps. Continue reading...
Military group declares end to the regime', citing deteriorating security situation and bad governance'Soldiers in Niger say they have removed President Mohamed Bazoum from power, after armed troops earlier blockaded the presidential palace in Niamey, the capital in one of the world's most unstable nations.A group of soldiers appeared on the west African country's national television late on Wednesday, a few hours after the president had been detained. Continue reading...
by Rob Davies in London and Edward Helmore in New Yor on (#6DA41)
Lewis, whose family owns Tottenham Hotspur FC, is accused of brazen' insider tradingLawyers for the British billionaire Joe Lewis have accused prosecutors of making an egregious" mistake, as the 86-year-old pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of securities fraud and conspiracy.Lewis, who heads the family that owns Tottenham Hotspur FC, was arraigned on Tuesday in Manhattan federal court with 16 counts of securities fraud and three of conspiracy to commit fraud, which prosecutors called a brazen" insider trading scheme to enrich his friends, lovers and employees, including two private jet pilots. Continue reading...
Esperanza Koren told London court she didn't know whereabouts of Bosco Sodi's paintingAn art dealer has been ordered to pay 111,000 over a missing abstract painting compared to a giant burnt digestive biscuit" by a judge in a London courtThe court heard that the piece by the Mexican artist Bosco Sodi - a round painting with a cracked surface built up using natural pigment, sawdust, wood pulp, natural fibres, water and glue - went missing after being loaned to the London art dealer Esperanza Koren in 2012. Continue reading...
Surrogacy is already illegal in Italy, while IVF is only available for heterosexual couplesThe Italian parliament has approved a bill criminalising people who go abroad to have children via surrogacy, a measure described as a disgrace".The bill, passed in the chamber of deputies with 166 votes in support and 109 against, is aimed only at Italians and envisages fines of up to 1m (856,690) and jail terms of up to two years for those who break it. Continue reading...
Court rules all potential victims must be assessed for support, after policy disqualified people with criminal convictionsA high court judge has ordered the home secretary to change a key part of a trafficking policy introduced just months ago.In an urgent hearing on Wednesday, lawyers representing trafficking victims said they were at risk of human rights violations such as slavery, servitude and forced labour if the policy continued. Continue reading...
Will Kerr has been suspended from duty with criminal and disciplinary investigations under wayThe chief constable of Devon and Cornwall is under criminal investigation over serious allegations of sexual offences, the police watchdog for Northern Ireland has announced.Will Kerr has been under investigation for several months over allegations dating back to his time as a senior officer in the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). He is understood to have denied any wrongdoing. Continue reading...
Swedish government says Russia-backed actors' attempting to damage country's bid to join NatoSweden has been the target of a disinformation campaign by Russia-backed actors" attempting to damage the image of the Nato candidate country by implying it supported recent burnings of the Qur'an, its government has said.Sweden is right now the target of influence campaigns, supported by states and state-like actors, whose purpose is to harm Sweden and Swedish interests," the prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, wrote on Instagram on Wednesday. Continue reading...
Former intelligence official says information came from multiple colleagues but couldn't go into specifics' at Congressional hearing into cover-up claimsFull report: US conducted multi-decade secret UFO program'Congressman Tim Burchett, who is co-leading the UFO investigation, also thanks the three witnesses slated to appear at today's hearing. We owe them a debt of gratitude," he says. Applause follows.Burchett goes on to say that the devil has been in our way through this hearing", and that he has run into roadblocks" from members of the intelligence community.This is an issue of government transparency. We can't trust a government that does not trust its people.We're not bringing little green men or flying saucers into the hearing. Sorry to disappoint about half y'all. We're just going to get to the facts. We're going to uncover the cover-up. Continue reading...
World news | The Guardian