Alleged victim says he told police the actor was known to be up to no good' while running the Old Vic theatre in LondonKevin Spacey was a predator" who good-looking young men were warned about because it was well known he was up to no good", a court has heard.An alleged victim of the Oscar-winning actor told police that Spacey was a very slippery, snaky, difficult person" who groomed him. He said the 63-year-old actor tried to reel him in with promises of introductions to Hollywood stars before assaulting him a dozen times. Continue reading...
by Bethan McKernan in Jenin and Peter Beaumont on (#6CNTA)
At least eight Palestinians killed and dozens injured as major Israeli offensive targets city of JeninIsrael has launched a major aerial and ground offensive into the West Bank city of Jenin, its biggest military operation in the Palestinian territory in years, in what it described as an extensive counter-terrorism effort".At least eight Palestinians were killed and 50 injured, 10 seriously, in the attack that began at about 1am on Monday, and the death toll is likely to rise, according to the Palestinian health ministry. Continue reading...
New Conservatives such as Miriam Cates also say large number of arrivals risks damaging UK's cultural securityRishi Sunak risks damaging cultural security" and faces defeat at the next general election unless emergency measures to curb net migration are introduced, a new group of Conservative MPs has warned.As Downing Street slapped down the group's proposals to cut visas issued to care workers, members of the New Conservatives grouping said that ignoring their 12-point plan could end in electoral defeat. Continue reading...
Spokesperson says prime minister agrees with Ben Stokes about Jonny Bairstow's dismissal at Lord'sRishi Sunak has accused Australia of breaking the spirit of cricket over the controversial dismissal of Jonny Bairstow at Lord's.England's Bairstow was stumped in bizarre circumstances on a tense final day in the second Test, with the Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey throwing down the stumps after the batter ducked the final ball of the over and set off to talk to partner Ben Stokes in the apparent belief the over had ended. Continue reading...
Centre aims to bring perpetrators of sexual violence, kidnapping and other unspeakable horrors' to justiceA centre for the prosecution of crimes of aggression committed in Ukraine has opened in The Hague with the backing of the EU, the US and the international criminal court (ICC).Ursula von der Leyen said the aim of the centre was to bring to justice those involved in unspeakable horrors" such as sexual violence, kidnapping of children and displacement of civilians. Continue reading...
by Mark BrownNorth of England correspondent on (#6CNZ0)
Mayor of Waverley, Sydney sent video message to support plan to bring lido on Longsands back to lifeThe mayor for Bondi Beach in Sydney is among those lobbying a council in north-east England to support ambitious plans to restore an outdoor swimming pool which fell into disrepair during the 1970s.Tynemouth outdoor pool was something of an institution for decades after its opening in 1925. Perched on the sprawling and golden Tynemouth Longsands beach, the concrete saltwater pool was a much-loved, if bracing, part of life for generations of local people and visitors. Continue reading...
Specialist officers watch for Just Stop Oil protesters, with chalk also banned as tournament security is increasedUndercover specialist police officers are being positioned in key spots in Wimbledon crowds and chalk has been banned from the tennis championships for the first time, as organisers attempt to thwart environmental protesters.Sally Bolton, the chief executive of the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), said specialist behavioural detection officers (BDOs) would work with intelligence officers to identify and anticipate protesters from Just Stop Oil, who have disrupted a number of sporting events in recent months. Continue reading...
British Chambers of Commerce aiming to replace troubled CBI as leading voice of UK businessesThe British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has launched an economic forecasting unit in an apparent move to further its campaign to replace the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) as the leading voice of businesses in the UK.The BCC, which is made up of 53 regional chambers of commerce affiliated to a central body, last month announced the launch of a business council as a new national offer" for businesses, as its rival the CBI fights for survival in the wake of allegations of sexual misconduct. Continue reading...
Rightwing TV channels' use of politicians as presenters comes under scrutiny following complaintsOfcom has launched investigations into GB News and TalkTV as the media regulator struggles to handle how rightwing television channels are employing serving politicians as presenters.GB News and TalkTV's willingness to push opinionated television news in a manner not traditionally seen on British television has left Ofcom playing catch-up, trying to apply a broadcast code written in a different era dominated by the BBC and ITV. Continue reading...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#6CNX2)
Industrial action will run from 17-22 July, coinciding with strikes by RMT and disrupting train servicesRail disruption in Britain at the start of the summer holidays is set to intensify as the train drivers' union Aslef announced another week of industrial action.A new overtime ban across the major train operating companies in England will run from Monday 17 July to Saturday 22 July, coinciding with two of the first of three 24-hour strikes by the RMT union. Continue reading...
by Theo Gkousarov & James Parrish (Metdesk) on (#6CNVR)
High concentration of particulate matter has led to health officials distributing masks and advising people to stay indoorsMore than 500 fires have been raging across Canadian provinces for nearly a month, spreading an orange-brown haze across eastern Canada and midwest and nort-east regions of the US, leading to a suffocating smog extending to major American cities. Toronto and New York have been ranked as the most polluted urban areas affected by wildfires in Canada, according to IQAir.com.The high concentration of particulate matter in the smoke has led to health officials distributing masks and advising people to stay indoors. As wildfires continue to burn through the rest of the season, until cooler temperatures, rain and snow arrive, further episodes of often very poor air quality are to be expected across parts of the US. Continue reading...
by Shah Meer Baloch in Mandi Bahauddin on (#6CNSX)
Officials in Punjab say they can't to stop the exodus, as families tell of loved ones lost on the perilous route via Africa and the MediterraneanIn one of the busiest hubs for trafficking in Pakistan, would-be migrants are continuing to leave for Europe despite hundreds of people drowning after a trawler sank off the Greek coast last month, the Guardian has found.In the past week, at least two more people from the district of Mandi Bahauddin, in eastern Pakistan, have left with the help of traffickers. The continued migration comes as families mourn loved ones believed to be on the Greek shipwreck, most of whose passengers were from Pakistan, and those missing after previous forlorn attempts to reach Europe. Continue reading...
by Nadia Khomami Arts and culture correspondent on (#6CNSZ)
Like any author, translators want to receive credit for their work instead of being treated as an afterthoughtThey have often been overlooked in the artistic and literary process, but translators have long claimed they have the power to change everything.There are tales of myths being born, societies being forged and cities destroyed with just a slip of the pen, such as the supposed translation error that allegedly led to the US deciding to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, or the speculation about life on Mars after the mistranslation of an Italian astronomer. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: the Labour leader may well win the next election - but why are so many of his policies being ditched? Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning.Keir Starmer has undergone a political transformation since he became leader of the Labour party. During the leadership contest, he positioned himself as a colleague and friend" of former leader Jeremy Corbyn, in whose shadow cabinet he had served. His list of policy pledges presented him as a more competent version of Corbyn, with none of the political baggage.NHS | Seven in 10 people in the UK believe charges for NHS care will creep in over the next decade, ending the health service's record of being free at the point of use, polling has found. Ahead of the service's 75th birthday this week the Guardian also asked five experts for their ideas on how to make the NHS thrive again.House of Lords | Two British peers were among 50 people who attended a party organised by the Russian ambassador to the UK at his opulent residence in west London last month. The event was to mark the creation of a Russia independent of the Soviet Union.Scotland | Orkney could leave the UK to become a self-governing territory of Norway after its council opted to explore alternative forms of governance". The archipelago off the north coast of Scotland will also consider changing its legal status within Britain as it seeks to provide more economic opportunities.Israel | As many as 50 Conservative MPs are threatening to rebel against a government proposal that would impose fines on public bodies, including local councils, that seek to mount boycotts against Israel. The scale of the unease on a foreign policy issue has caught government whips by surprise.France | The riots over the police shooting of teenager Nahel M appeared to ease after five nights of unrest that have seen thousands arrested and widespread destruction. French media reported that police made 49 arrests nationwide yesterday, down significantly from more than 2,000 over the previous two days. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Ranem Elkhalidi meeting Foreign Office officials this week as she continues fight to bring her son homeA woman whose seven-year-old son was kidnapped by his father and taken to Saudi Arabia has said lawyers in the country are too afraid to get involved with her case, as she prepares for a meeting with the Foreign Office this week.Ranem Elkhalidi has vowed to keep fighting for the safe return of her Cheshire-born son Ibrahim, who was taken from his primary school six months ago by her estranged husband, Hamzah Faraj, a Saudi national, in breach of a court order. Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#6CNQT)
Doctors and senior hospital figures - as well as the official statistics - paint a bleak picture. But is there cause for hope?Dr Nick Scriven can pinpoint the exact day he realised the NHS could no longer cope. I first noticed it when I was on call on New Year's Day 2012. We ran out of beds in our hospital. As a result medical patients had to occupy the beds in a surgical ward meant for people with broken bones waiting to have planned orthopaedic surgery.We'd always had outliers', the occasional medical patient who'd ended up in a surgical bed. But this was the first time cases like that had ended up taking over almost all the 30 beds on the orthopaedic ward. This went on for a month and was a massive stress for everyone as we'd never had to cope with this amount of patients being looked after elsewhere before. Continue reading...
Government pledged to bring end to abhorrent' practices five years ago but legislation has been beset by delaysActivists have called for a ban on so-called gay conversion therapy to be brought forward immediately with no loopholes" five years after the government first promised it would ban the practice.Stonewall said lives were continuing to be ruined by attempts to cure" LGBTQ+ people of being themselves" as Monday marked half a decade since the government vowed it would introduce legislation to outlaw conversion practices. Continue reading...
Richard Curtis, Emma Thompson and others say bank is financing and profiting from climate chaos'Richard Curtis, Emma Thompson and Deborah Meaden are among celebrities who have called on Wimbledon to end its new partnership with Barclays over the bank's multibillion-pound support for fossil fuel projects.As the 2023 championships get under way on Monday, the group claims the sponsorship deal, reportedly worth at least 20m a year, is damaging the club's reputation. Continue reading...
Agency DDB Philippines apologises for using highly inappropriate' images that stock footage providers offer from Brazil and IndonesiaA tourism campaign for the Philippines backfired after the creators of a video promoting the archipelago nation as a holiday destination said it had used stock shots from other countries.Advertising agency DDB Philippines apologised on Sunday for the highly inappropriate" images, which included rice terraces in Indonesia and sand dunes in Brazil. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Poll finds large majority in UK think key principle of health service will be dropped in next decadeSeven in 10 people in the UK believe charges for NHS care will creep in over the next decade, ending the health service's record of being free at the point of use, polling has found.One of the NHS's key founding principles from 1948 is in peril, 71% of the public believe, according to the survey carried out for the Health Foundation ahead of the service's 75th birthday this week. Continue reading...
As borrowing costs soar, committee will look at regulation of small business lending as part of processAn influential committee of MPs has launched an inquiry into the challenges faced by small businesses when seeking finance as companies come under mounting pressure from soaring borrowing costs.The cross-party Treasury committee will examine how easy it is for small firms to access finance, the role of financial innovation and the regulation of small business lending. Continue reading...
Health secretary made clear he was open to further uplift on salaries but not while NHS junior doctors are planning to strikeDoctors in England could be offered a bigger pay rise after the health secretary admitted there needed to be movement on both sides" in the long-running dispute, but refused to restart talks while strikes were planned.Steve Barclay said that although he considered demands of a 35% salary increase to be unreasonable, a larger rise would be offered if negotiations were to resume. Continue reading...
Bridget Phillipson unveils 2,400 payment for newly qualified teachers who remain in post for two yearsLabour will unveil its education offer this week with a promise to pay new teachers a 2,400 retention bonus and pledge to cut billions spent on agency workers, but has refused repeatedly to commit to giving teachers a 6.5% pay rise.Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, will set out his mission" on schools aimed at improving school standards and extending childcare to pre-schoolers later in the week. Continue reading...
Bridget Phillipson says party has process to look into headteacher Katharine Birbalsingh's complaint against frontbench colleagueA complaint against the Labour frontbencher Jess Phillips by one of Britain's highest-profile headteachers accusing her of racist and bullying behaviour" could be investigated, the shadow education secretary has suggested.Bridget Phillipson, a senior member of Keir Starmer's team, said any complaint against a Labour MP should be looked into, but that she did not believe Phillips was racist. Continue reading...
Group issues 12-point plan calling for stricter immigration rules for care workers, students and refugeesRishi Sunak is facing demands from red wall" Conservative MPs to slash the number of overseas care workers, foreign students and refugees allowed into the UK in time for the next election.The MPs from the 2017 and 2019 intake, who call themselves the New Conservatives, have issued a 12-point plan to cut net migration to Britain from 606,000 to 240,000 before the end of 2024.A cap of 20,000 on the number of refugees accepted for resettlement in the UK.Caps on future humanitarian schemes such as the Ukraine, Afghanistan and Hong Kong schemes should the predicted 168,000 reductions not be realised.Implementation of the provisions of the illegal migration bill, which it is claimed would lead to a reduction of at least 35,000 from LTIM.A raise in the minimum combined income threshold to 26,200 for sponsoring a spouse and raising the minimum language requirement to B1 (intermediate level). This should lead to an estimated 20,000 reduction in LTIM, the MPs claim.Making the migration advisory committee report on the effect of migration on housing and public services, not just the jobs market, by putting future demand on a par with labour requirements in all studies.A 5% cap on the amount of social housing that councils can give to non-UK nationals.Raising the immigration health surcharge to 2,700 per person a year. Continue reading...
Island council leader cites deep cultural relationship' as authority considers a report that also examines the status of the Channel Islands and the FaroesOrkney could leave the UK to become a self-governing territory of Norway after its council opted to explore alternative forms of governance".The archipelago off the north coast of Scotland will also consider changing its legal status within Britain as it seeks to provide more economic opportunities. Continue reading...
Politicians including David Cameron and Keir Starmer pay tribute to crossbench peerBob Kerslake, a former head of the UK's civil service and permanent secretary at the Department for Communities and Local Government, has died after being diagnosed with cancer, his family have announced.The crossbench peer died on Saturday aged 68. On Sunday morning, his sister, Ros Kerslake, tweeted: My brother Bob (Lord Robert Kerslake) died yesterday after a short battle with cancer. We are all devastated." Continue reading...
by Dan Sabbagh Defence and security editor on (#6CNG2)
Lawyers for bereaved families allege British soldiers carried out policy of terminating all fighting-age menEighty Afghans may have been victim of summary killings by three separate British SAS units operating in the country between 2010 and 2013, lawyers representing the bereaved families have told a public inquiry.One of the elite soldiers is believed to have personally killed" 35 Afghans on a single six-month tour of duty as part of an alleged policy to terminate all fighting-age males" in homes raided, regardless of the threat they posed". Continue reading...
by Robert Booth Social affairs correspondent on (#6CNG5)
With a lower carbon footprint than gas-fired cremation, the process is described as gentler on the body and kinder on the environment'For anyone uneasy at the thought of their body being consumed by flames or interred in an insect-teeming grave, a new funeral choice is about to become available: water cremation.The process of dissolving a body in a bag in 160C water treated with an alkali will become available in the UK from this week - the first new legal method of disposing of cadavers since the Cremation Act of 1902. It has been described as a boil in the bag" funeral. Continue reading...
Rebel group of 50 have voiced objections to the bill designed to stop public bodies boycotting IsraelAs many as 50 Conservative MPs are threatening to rebel against a government measure due to be debated on Monday that would impose fines on public bodies, including local councils, that seek to mount boycotts against Israel.The proposal - piloted by the communities secretary, Michael Gove - is a Conservative manifesto commitment, and has caused divisions in both main parties, highlighting the controversy surrounding the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement. Continue reading...
Gemma Germeney, 31, died at scene of flat fire in King's Hedges, while Lilly and Oliver Peden, eight and four, died later in hospitalPolice have named a woman and two young children who were killed in a fire in a flat in Cambridge.Gemma Germeney, 31, died at the scene of the fire in Sackville Close, King's Hedges, on Friday morning, according to Cambridgeshire police, while Lilly Peden, eight, and Oliver Peden, four, were taken to hospital where they later died. Continue reading...
by Dan Sabbagh Defence and security editor on (#6CNE3)
Lords Balfe and Skidelsky were at event in June where ambassador sought to justify Moscow's invasion of UkraineTwo British peers were among 50 people who attended a party organised by the Russian ambassador to the UK at his opulent residence in west London last month, to mark the creation of a Russia independent of the Soviet Union.Andrei Kelin, the Russian ambassador, spoke at the event where he sought to justify his country's bloody invasion of Ukraine, while those attending included the Conservative Lord Balfe and cross-bencher Lord Skidelsky. Continue reading...
Soap star who also acted in Coronation Street, Brookside and the musical Chicago, had dementia, her family saidThe soap opera stalwart Meg Johnson has died at the age of 86 after having had dementia for the last few years", it has been confirmed.The death of Johnson, who had played Pearl Ladderbanks in Emmerdale since 2003, was announced in a joint statement from her family, the talent agency Jorg Betts Associates and the ITV show. Continue reading...
Portuguese organisation hopes to set up resource for veterinary practices around BritainPingo does not look like a conventional superhero. There is no spandex costume, a dearth of magical powers and - as far as is known - no secret identity. Yet the black and white cat is part of a bold endeavour to save lives: the first feline blood bank in the UK.Human blood banks have existed in the UK since 1937, while dogs have been taking part in canine blood donation drives for years. Continue reading...
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