Supreme court determines civil law test on use of force applies rather than criminal law testA police officer who shot a man dead in 2015 could face professional misconduct proceedings after supreme court judges dismissed an appeal, in a landmark ruling that provides significant clarity over holding officers who use force to account.The unanimous judgment brings to an end a long legal case by the firearms officer known as W80 who shot unarmed Jermaine Baker, 28, during a foiled attempt to free an inmate from a prison van near Wood Green crown court, north London. Continue reading...
by Mark Brown North of England correspondent on (#6CQH2)
Marcus Osbourne faces life sentence after pleading guilty to murdering Katie Higton and Steven Harnett in MayA 34-year-old man has admitted murdering his former partner and her new boyfriend in planned attacks carried out over several hours.Marcus Osbourne was told by a judge he faces an inevitable life jail sentence after he pleaded guilty to murdering Katie Higton and Steven Harnett in May. Continue reading...
The 15% raise being considered by ministers will not help to solve the severe shortage in immigration lawyers, The Law Society saidThe Law Society has warned that a proposed 15% increase in legal aid rates will not be enough to ensure that there are sufficient immigration lawyers to deal with the government's controversial scheme to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.The Ministry of Justice launched a consultation on increasing legal aid rates by 15% on 27 June for immigration lawyers representing asylum seekers threatened with removal to Rwanda under new rules in the illegal migration bill. Continue reading...
Theatre boss calls TfL decision ridiculous' after poster found to breach rules aimed at tackling obesityLondon's transport network has defended a decision to ban a theatre poster featuring an image of a Victoria sponge cake for flouting rules aimed at tackling childhood obesity.The proposed poster for Tony n' Tina's Wedding depicted a bride and groom on top of a severed wedding cake with a jam and cream filling. Continue reading...
Comments came as ministers blame young people using platforms like TikTok to incite violence after shooting of teenagerEmmanuel Macron has said the French government should consider controlling and cutting off social media networks when things get out of hand" in the country.The president's comments came as ministers blamed young people using platforms such as Snapchat and TikTok for organising and encouraging rioting and violence after the shooting last week of a teenager during a police traffic stop in a Paris suburb. Continue reading...
Regulator's investigation of hedge fund manager follows allegations of sexual misconduct, which he deniesThe UK's financial regulator is investigating whether Crispin Odey, the hedge fund manager facing allegations of sexual misconduct, is a fit and proper person" to work in financial services.The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has told MPs it was investigating claims that Odey, who was forced out of his firm Odey Asset Management (OAM) by its board last month, dismissed the firm's executive committee for an improper purpose". Continue reading...
Former administration staffer Candice Jackson partnering with Lauren Adams Bone, legal director of radical feminist' groupA former senior Trump administration staffer with extremist connections and the legal director of radical feminist" group the Women's Liberation Front (Wolf) are now partners in a Wisconsin law firm exclusively focused on anti-transgender litigation.The firm, Jackson Bone LLP, unites Candice Jackson, who rolled back Title IX protections for complainants in college sexual assault cases under Trump education secretary Betsy DeVos, and Lauren Adams Bone, co-author of a Women's Bill of Rights" that has shaped anti-trans bills currently before several state houses. Continue reading...
Short, handwritten note was for Charles Ellet Jr, who had written to the president for a civil engineer corps during the civil warA previously unpublished letter written by Abraham Lincoln during the civil war has been discovered and put up for sale in Pennsylvania, offering rare insight into the US president's strategic thinking in the first year of the conflict.The recipient of the short, handwritten note was Charles Ellet Jr, later a colonel in the Union army who wrote to Lincoln seeking the formation of a well funded civil engineer corps to help fortify Washington DC against the Confederate threat. Continue reading...
by Bethan McKernan in Jenin and agencies on (#6CQ6N)
Twelve Palestinians and one Israeli soldier dead after Israel carries out one of the biggest military operations in the occupied West Bank in yearsIsrael has withdrawn its forces from the Palestinian city of Jenin after carrying out one of its biggest military operations in the occupied West Bank for years.Local media quoted Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari as saying all troops had left Jenin and that the operation was completed. Witnesses in Jenin reported seeing convoys of Israeli military vehicles leaving the city after dark. Continue reading...
Independent Office for Police Conduct's finding that officer had no case to answer overturned in high courtThe high court has overturned a decision by the police watchdog that an officer who punched an elderly black man in the face had no case to answer.Errol Dixon, 71, sustained a broken nose, displaced septum and fractured a cheekbone and an eye socket in the incident in south-east London in September 2021. He was stopped in his car by police officers in Bromley and the primary officer held Dixon round the neck and punched him in the face. Continue reading...
Abel Chunda, 27, due to appear in court over killing of Leonardo Reid, 15, and a 23-year-old manDetectives investigating the deaths of a 15-year-old boy and a 23-year-old man who were killed while making a music video have charged a suspect with two counts of murder.The two victims died after witnesses saw a fight break out among a group of about 40 people who had been filming on their phones and posing with luxury cars in Islington, north London, on Thursday 29 June. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: Staff are leaving in droves, wait times have tripled and critics say it's locked in a death spiral'. But the situation might not be terminal, with some big changes Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning, and a heartfelt happy birthday to the NHS, which was launched by Labour health minister Nye Bevan on this day in 1948. Don't hold your breath for champagne and cake on your local hospital trust's budget, though - you will be waiting almost as long as a typical queue at the nearest A&E.The NHS may be profoundly cherished for its millions of dedicated staff and the still astonishing cradle-to-grave principle that underpins it, but there is no question that the UK's healthcare system is very sick. More people are dying waiting for ambulances. Waiting times for treatment have almost tripled since 2020. GP surgeries and mental health services are at breaking point. Staff are leaving in droves, and nurses, junior doctors and even consultants are striking - once an unimaginable prospect - over pay and patient safety.Climate | The government is drawing up plans to drop the UK's flagship 11.6bn climate and nature funding pledge. A leaked briefing note to ministers seen by the Guardian, lays out reasons for dropping the UK's contribution to the fund for developing countries. The Foreign Office initially refused to comment on the leak, before describing it as false".Partygate | Scotland Yard is reopening its investigation into potential Covid breaches at a lockdown party at Conservative headquarters. The force will also scrutinise an event in parliament that the Tory MP Bernard Jenkin - a member of the privileges committee that produced a highly critical report into Boris Johnson - is said to have attended.Jenin | Israeli forces have withdrawn from the Palestinian city of Jenin, military officials have said, after carrying out one of the biggest operations in the occupied West Bank in years. Twelve Palestinians and an Israeli soldier were killed in the operation.UK news | Private bank Coutts has reportedly shut Nigel Farage's bank account after he fell below the prestigious lender's wealth requirements, raising questions over the Brexiter's claims that the bank was targeting him over his political views.Scotland | Mhairi Black, the SNP's deputy Westminster leader, will step down at the next general election, blaming the toxic" environment in Westminster. Black became the youngest MP in 350 years when she was elected in the SNP landslide of 2015 at the age of 20, described the Commons as one of the most unhealthy workplaces that you could ever be in". Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#6CQAD)
Former PM says service needs radical reform, including pointing patients to private healthcare offersThe NHS must undergo radical change or it will continue to decline and lose public support, Tony Blair has argued on the service's 75th anniversary.It must embrace a revolution in technology to reshape its relationship with patients and make much more use of private healthcare providers to cut waiting times, the former Labour prime minister says. Continue reading...
Wave of unrest after teenager's death leaves French president weighing pleas to tackle inequality against calls for tougher policingEmmanuel Macron is facing the biggest domestic challenge of his fraught second term in office, after the police shooting of a teenager of Algerian origin at a traffic stop last week led to multiple nights of urban unrest.The French president on Tuesday announced crisis funding to help the reconstruction of burned-out buildings and public services. But questions remain over deep divisions in French society and the political class. Continue reading...
by Sally Weale Education correspondent on (#6CQ8S)
Commons committee's report calls for government strategy to engage with young boys to tackle problemSexual harassment of girls is a scourge" in England's schools, according to MPs, who have called for a government-led strategy to focus on boys who are failing to engage with relationship and sex education.MPs on the women and equalities committee said in a report that there should be training for all teachers to help them hold conversations with boys and young men about sexual harassment and gender-based violence, in a way that challenges prevailing gender norms and ideas of masculinity. Continue reading...
by Libby Brooks Scotland correspondent on (#6CQ8V)
Focus group compares first minister with Sturgeon and discusses appeal of Labour as cost of living crisis continuesScottish voters overwhelmed by the cost of living want Humza Yousaf to get a grip and listen" to their struggles, as previous SNP supporters discuss the appeal of revitalised Scottish Labour.As Yousaf reaches 100 days as first minister this week, members of a focus group convened by More in Common UK agree his public profile is not as strong as his predecessor Nicola Sturgeon, despite divergent views on her recent arrest. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Deputy political editor on (#6CQ8W)
Study by Greater London authority finds mayor has received over 300,000 pieces of racist abuse since being electedSadiq Khan has received more than 300,000 pieces of openly racist or racially-oriented abuse on social media since he was elected London mayor, with a recent surge in such messages connected to his plan to expand the city's clean air zone, research has found.The study, carried out by the Greater London authority, found that racist abuse against the Labour mayor, which peaked when he was targeted on Twitter by Donald Trump, has started to rise again this year. Continue reading...
Kremlin spokesman says there have been certain contacts on the subject' with the US but says any discussion will be held in secretThe Kremlin has suggested it could be open to a possible prisoner exchange involving jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, but reaffirmed that such talks must be held away from the public eye.Asked whether Monday's consular visits to Gershkovich, who has been held behind bars in Moscow since March on charges of espionage, and Vladimir Dunaev, a Russian citizen in US custody on cybercrime charges, could potentially herald a prisoner swap, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow and Washington had touched on the issue. Continue reading...
Inquiry comes after President Emmanuel Macron met mayors to explore deeper reasons' for violenceFrench prosecutors have opened an investigation into the death of a 27-year old man who was hit by a projectile at the time of the riots on Saturday, the Marseille prosecutor's office has said.The man died on Saturday night while Marseille was engulfed in riots and pillaging, but prosecutors said it was not possible to determine where the man was when he was shot or whether the victim had taken part in the riots. Continue reading...
Damning report highlights lack of control over billions in spending and no stockpile plan for future pandemicBritain's lead public health body has a staggering lack of control over billions of pounds of spending, and there is no plan for stockpiling vaccines or personal protective equipment (PPE) for a future pandemic, a damning MPs' report has found.The public accounts committee was highly critical of the repeated governance and financial failings at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), which was set up with great fanfare under Boris Johnson. Continue reading...
Men aged 45, 47 and 58 charged with preparatory acts of terrorism and will appear in Belfast magistrates courtThree men have been charged with preparatory acts of terrorism by officers investigating the attempted murder of DCI John Caldwell.The police officer was shot multiple times at a sports complex in County Tyrone on 22 February after a youth football team coaching session. His son was with him as he loaded footballs into the boot of his car when the gunmen approached. Continue reading...
GMTV host undergoing trials for new drug that scientists hope could slow or reverse the illnessThe television presenter Fiona Phillips has disclosed she has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and is undergoing trials for a new drug that scientists hope could slow or reverse the illness.The 62-year-old said she was informed she had the illness 18 months ago, having had months of brain fog and anxiety. Her mother, father, uncle and grandparents had Alzheimer's, she said. Continue reading...
by Edward Helmore in New York and agency on (#6CPT4)
At least 15 people shot dead across the country in mass shootings so far on the holiday weekend celebrating the US's independenceA long holiday weekend of bloodshed has intensified after a heavily armed gunman in a bulletproof vest opened fire on the streets of Philadelphia on the eve of Fourth of July celebrations, in yet another mass shooting in the US, killing five people and wounding two boys before surrendering to the police.Across the country, Texas was entering the holiday to news that another shooting had killed three people, in Fort Worth, occurring just before midnight amid a gathering in a parking lot that also wounded eight. Continue reading...
Scotland Yard reopens investigation into party at Conservative HQ and launches new inquiry about gathering in parliamentScotland Yard is reopening its investigation into potential Covid breaches at a jingle and mingle" lockdown party at Conservative headquarters at the height of the pandemic as the Partygate scandal continues to plague the Conservative party.The Metropolitan police's decision to look again at the gathering of former Tory mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey's campaign team in the run-up to Christmas 2020 has prompted calls to delay his peerage until the investigation is completed. Continue reading...
by Robert Booth Social affairs correspondent on (#6CQ25)
Tenants demand rent freeze at National Landlord Investment Show in London as average monthly UK rents soarTenants facing soaring rents staged a protest against rampant profiteering" outside a landlord convention in London where investors were told how to build a 25m property portfolio, using none of your own money".Dozens of renters chanted: Landlords! Parasites!" outside the National Landlord Investment Show and demanded a rent freeze, as the average monthly UK rent has increased by 110 - more than 10% a year - according to the property website Zoopla. Continue reading...
by Bethan McKernan and Sufian Taha in Jenin on (#6CQ0H)
Armoured incursion in response to rising bloodshed across Israel and West Bank looks political as much as tacticalIn the darkness of the night, thousands of people stumbled in lines through the Jenin refugee camp, guiding each other through the twisted metal, churned-up concrete and spent ammunition littering the streets during a lull in Operation Home and Garden, Israel's biggest offensive in the West Bank for 20 years.Videos of the streams of people - about 3,000-4,000, according to Palestinian officials - fleeing to safety on Monday night were widely shared by Palestinians on social media, where they were likened to images of the Nakba, the expulsion of the Arab population from the newly created state of Israel in 1948. Continue reading...
by Tom Ambrose (now); Martin Belam and Helen Sullivan on (#6CPJN)
This live blog has now closed, you can read more of our Ukraine war coverage hereOleksiy Danilov has described recent days of battle as fruitful" for Ukraine in terms of destroying the resources of the Russian forces. In a post to social media, the secretary of Ukraine's national security and defence council described Ukraine as acting calmly" and wisely' in its counteroffensive. He posted:At this stage of active hostilities, Ukraine's defence forces are fulfilling the number one task - the maximum destruction of manpower, equipment, fuel depots, military vehicles, command posts, artillery and air defence forces of the Russian army.The last few days have been particularly fruitful. Now the war of destruction is equal to the war of kilometres. More destroyed means more liberated. The more effective the former, the more the latter. We are acting calmly, wisely, step by step.This is Martin Belam taking over the live blog in London. You can contact me at martin.belam@theguardian.com. Continue reading...
It wouldn't be the first time illegal drugs were brought into the president's residenceA preliminary field test on a white substance found in the White House has reportedly come up positive for cocaine, law enforcement authorities said, and the US Secret Servicewas investigating on Tuesday how it came to be at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.The presence of the substance - which has been sent out for further testing - came to light late on Monday when a firefighter with the Washington DC fire department's hazardous materials team radioed: We have a yellow bar saying cocaine hydrochloride," the Washington Post first reported. Continue reading...
Wimbledon tennis tournament affected by torrential downpoursAfter the hottest June since records began, forecasters have warned to keep an umbrella and raincoat handy this week.The Met Office said 20-30mm of rain could fall over a two-to-six-hour period on Tuesday as a heavy band of rain" passed over the Wimbledon tennis tournament at about 5pm. Continue reading...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#6CQ0N)
Party says closures beginning on Wednesday could exacerbate managed decline' of train networkLabour has criticised rushed" plans to close hundreds of railway station ticket offices across England, warning it could exacerbate the managed decline of our rail network".Train operators will begin closing offices on Wednesday, in a move that will dismay vulnerable passengers and inflame the continuing dispute with unions. Continue reading...
Alleged victim claims actor grabbed his crotch and kissed his neck twice, saying be cool, be cool'Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey had a panicked" look on his face after a man he met in a pub rejected him when he grabbed his crotch, a court has heard.The alleged victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told a police officer the Hollywood star had kissed his neck twice before grabbing him, saying the words Be cool, be cool". Continue reading...
Judges praised the staggering amount of talent on display' in entries to the competition launched by the London Review Bookshop for writers aged 11 to 14The winners of the inaugural Martha Mills prize for young writers have been chosen from more than 1,000 entrants.Izzy Cooper, Flynn Alexander Hampson and Mabel Swift have been announced as the winners of the award, which was launched by the London Review Bookshop and open to writing by 11-14 year olds. Continue reading...
Case brought against General Medical Council for failure to look into claimed links to heart problems and deathsThe regulator charged with upholding professional standards in UK medical practice is being sued by a junior doctor over its refusal to investigate a cardiologist for spreading allegedly harmful misinformation" about Covid vaccines.Dr Matt Kneale brought the case against the General Medical Council after it failed to investigate Dr Aseem Malhotra at the ROC Private Clinic in London - who linked Covid vaccines to frequent, severe heart problems and deaths, despite substantial evidence for their safety. Continue reading...
Councillors vote for motion asking officers to compile report on future of how islands are runOrkney council is to investigate winning greater independence, including possible deals with Nordic nations, after accusing Scottish ministers of consistently neglecting the islands.Councillors voted by a large majority on Tuesday to look at a range of options to increase their autonomy and funding, alleging that Orkney had been unjustifiably deprived of hundreds of millions of pounds by ministers in Edinburgh. Continue reading...
by Mark Brown North of England correspondent on (#6CPWC)
Robin Arnold, 71, breached a prevention order when he kept quiet about offence involving orphaned boy in AlbaniaA 71-year-old man convicted of raping an orphaned boy in Albania has been jailed in the UK for befriending families and children without telling them of his past.Robin Arnold brought the children, all from an immigrant African community in Carlisle, Cumbria, gifts and they called him Uncle Rob", a court heard on Tuesday. Continue reading...
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