Two studies find the top-grossing films of 2024 were led by female protagonists as much as by men, buoyed by the success of Wicked and The SubstanceWomen achieved gender parity on the big screen in 2024 for the first time in the US, according to two new studies.Out of the 100 top-grossing films of last year, women led 42% of the films, the same percentage as their male counterparts, with 16% led by ensembles. This was according to Dr Martha Lauzen's annual It's a Man's (Celluloid) World report. Lauzen said that 2024 offered one of the richest slates of films featuring female protagonists in recent memory". Continue reading...
Incident at Scottsdale airport leaves two others taken to trauma centers but Vince Neil was not onboard aircraftOne person was killed and others were injured when a private jet owned by the Motley Crue singer Vince Neil collided with another jet on Monday afternoon at the Scottsdale airport in Arizona, authorities said.Neil's jet was landing at the airport when it veered off the runway and collided with another parked plane, Neil's representative, Worrick Robinson IV, said in a statement. Two pilots and two passengers were on Neil's plane, but he was not among them. Continue reading...
Former Spanish football federation boss is accused of sexual assault after kissing player at Women's World CupThe former Spanish football federation boss Luis Rubiales has told a court that he asked the player Jenni Hermoso if he could kiss her before doing so after the Women's World Cup victory in 2023.I am absolutely sure that she gave me her permission," Rubiales, 47, told the court in Madrid. In that moment it was something completely spontaneous." Continue reading...
Sixfold rise from days of Pena Nieto suggests Americans have increasingly become pawns for criminal drug gangsThe number of Americans arrested in Mexico for offenses related to organized crime increased by 457% - or nearly sixfold - during the 2018-24 presidency of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador compared to his predecessor, according to a new report.Since the current president Claudia Sheinbaum took office in September, 185 US citizens have been arrested by the Mexican army on organized-crime related charges - an average of three a day. Continue reading...
Mamady Doumbouya has led the country since a 2021 coup. Some fear he has no intention of relinquishing powerAcross Guinea's capital, Conakry, billboards and posters proclaim the people's loyalty to the vision of Mamady Doumbouya, the general who has led the west African country since a coup in September 2021.The iconography is omnipresent. Along the Fidel Castro highway, the posters hang on poles that rise out of piles of rubbish. Near the grand mosque, one poster is accompanied by the gnomic inscription Your silence is precious, your eyes reassuring". Another, bearing an image of him shaking Xi Jinping's hand at a meeting in Beijing in September, has the caption: Welcome back Mamady Doumbouya, our pride." Continue reading...
The family, which included four small children, were initially told by Vrbo that the property's issues were minor'A family who arrived at their rented holiday house to find bloodstained furniture and a room full of sex toys were told the problem was minor" by the booking platform Vrbo.Paul Norris [not his real name] and his wife had booked the five-bedroom, 300-a-night house in Northern Ireland for a week's holiday for their extended family, including four young children. Continue reading...
by Lanre Bakare Arts and culture correspondent on (#6V6SA)
Alterations, by Michael Abbensetts, follows a Guyanese tailor as he tries to establish himself on Carnaby StreetThe National Theatre's decision to stage a work by a pioneering" and forgotten" black British playwright should be the start of a revival of similar overlooked work from the 70s and 80s, according to the creative team behind the project.Director Lynette Linton and writer Trish Cooke will bring their revival of Alterations by Michael Abbensetts to the Lyttelton Theatre stage this month, and have said the decision to stage a play by the Guyanese-born author, who was the first black British writer to have a series commissioned by the BBC, is overdue. Continue reading...
Britain's ambassador to Washington says Starmer government can influence president and UK's economic future depends in large part on investment from the USBritain must respect Donald Trump's strong and clear mandate for change", Peter Mandelson has said, but Keir Starmer's government could always make our views known privately and directly" to the US president.Lord Mandelson, Britain's ambassador to Washington, said that in dealing with Trump, the government must understand what drives him". Continue reading...
Amplifying misinformation is now part of radical right strategy, says Dutch study of tweets by MPs in 26 countriesFar-right populists are significantly more likely to spread fake news on social media than politicians from mainstream or far-left parties, according to a study which argues that amplifying misinformation is now part and parcel of radical right strategy.Radical right populists are using misinformation as a tool to destabilise democracies and gain political advantage," said Petter Tornberg of the University of Amsterdam, a co-author of the study with Juliana Chueri of the Dutch capital's Free University. Continue reading...
by Presented by Helen Pidd with Felicity Lawrence and on (#6V6Q9)
She was called the worst child serial killer in Britain in modern times. So why are medical experts saying her conviction is unsafe? Josh Halliday and Felicity Lawrence reportLucy Letby was convicted for the murder and attempted murder of more than a dozen babies. She has been called the worst child serial killer the UK had seen. But even before the trial was over experts had begun raising concerns about her conviction.Then, last week, came a bombshell press conference in which a panel of renowned neonatal experts said they believed not just that Letby's conviction was unsafe - but that there was no murder or deliberate harm. Instead they said the deaths had been caused by a series of factors including understaffing and a lack of skills on the ward to treat the babies they were caring for. So what is the evidence that the panel was looking at and why do so many questions seem to swirl around the Letby trial? Continue reading...
Federal prosecutors ordered to drop charges against New York mayor, who has cultivated relationship with TrumpA top official at the US Department of Justice has ordered federal prosecutors to drop charges against New York mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat who has cultivated a warm relationship with Donald Trump.In a two-page memo obtained by the Associated Press, acting deputy attorney general Emil Bove, an alumnus of the Manhattan office that brought the case, said that the decision to dismiss the charges was reached without an assessment of the strength of the prosecution and was not meant to call into question the attorneys who filed the case. Continue reading...
by Guardian staff and agencies in Guatemala City on (#6V6H7)
Vehicle headed toward capital city fell 20 metres into polluted ravine, leaving people trapped in wreckageAt least 55 people have died after a bus veered off a highway bridge into a polluted ravine in Guatemala City, leaving survivors trapped in the wreckage.The densely packed bus was carrying more than 70 people at the time of the accident early on Monday morning. It was traveling into the capital from the town of San Agustin Acasaguastlan when it plunged approximately 20 metres (66ft) from Puente Belice, a highway bridge that crosses over a road and creek. Continue reading...
by Emma Graham-Harrison and Quique Kierszenbaum in Je on (#6V6ES)
Israeli military on alert as mediators fear a breakdown in three-week-old truce as Hamas says door remains open'Hamas has said it is delaying the release of Israeli hostages indefinitely over violations" of the ceasefire deal, prompting Israel's defence minister to put the country's military on alert with orders to prepare for any scenario in Gaza".Mediators fear a breakdown of the three-week-old ceasefire, Egyptian security sources told Reuters, and have postponed talks until they receive a clear indication of Washington's intent to continue with the phased deal. Continue reading...
Federal employees claim in lawsuit deferred resignation' program is illegal because Congress has not approved itA federal judge has kept a temporary block on the Trump administration's offer of mass buyouts for more than 2 million government workers while he considers whether the offer is lawful.After issuing a temporary retraining order extending a deadline last week for federal employees to decide whether to accept the buyout offer, US district judge George O'Toole heard arguments in Boston on Monday in the lawsuit brought by federal workers' unions which claims the administration's deferred resignation" program is illegal because it has not been authorized by Congress. After the arguments, O'Toole said he would keep in place the temporary restraining order while he considers whether to block it longer term.Send us a tip
Actor in Here You Come Again says cast left stage because a woman was so disgusted there was a gay character'A Dolly Parton-themed musical had to be suspended mid-show in Manchester because of homophobic abuse, an actor in the production has said.Stevie Webb, who plays a superfan of the country music icon in Here You Come Again, said an incident at the Opera House last Wednesday resulted in the whole cast having to leave the stage, because a woman was so disgusted there was a gay character". Continue reading...
Iya Patarkatsishvili and Dr Yevhen Hunyak sued property developer over infestation that ruined wine and clothesThe daughter of a Georgian billionaire and her husband have been granted a refund after buying a 32m London mansion that was infested with moths.Iya Patarkatsishvili and Dr Yevhen Hunyak bought the early Victorian seven-bedroom Notting Hill home in May 2019. It boasted a pool, spa, gym, wine room, library, cinema, and a snoring room" designed for peaceful sleep. Continue reading...
Government says timing of trip to sustainable community' days before major housing announcement is a coincidenceDowning Street has said King Charles was not at risk of being dragged into politics after he took Keir Starmer and the Labour leader's deputy on a tour of a housing project in Cornwall.In a rare joint engagement between the monarch and political leaders, the trio visited Nansledan, a 120-hectare extension to the seaside town of Newquay, as a result of their shared interest in modern housing developments. Continue reading...
Ryan Mason sent Jaysley Beck, 19, thousands of WhatsApp texts in a month, court toldA 19-year-old soldier found dead in her room at an army camp had become frightened at the psychotic and possessive" behaviour of her boss, who had sent her thousands of WhatsApp messages and expressed his love for her, an inquest heard.Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck, who died at Larkhill camp in Wiltshire, was concerned Bombardier Ryan Mason had hacked her phone because he seemed to know where she was, the inquest was told. Continue reading...
French president refers to Trump's oil remarks, but notes electricity is available'The Swedish prosecutor leading on the investigation into the Orebro shooting has confirmed this morning the identity of the perpetrator as Rickard Andersson, a former student at Campus Risbergska.He was previously described by the Swedish media as a 35-year-old unemployed recluse with psychological problems. Continue reading...
by Martin Belam (now) and Andrew Sparrow (earlier) on (#6V61J)
This blog is now closed, you can read our UK politics coverage here Downing Street has announced a mini-reshuffle following the sacking of Andrew Gwynne as a health minister over the weekend.Ashley Dalton is replacing Gwynne as a health minister. Dalton was a backbencher.Forcing those whose asylum applications have been rejected or who have overstayed their visas on to planes has never been the most effective way to return people and never will be. Being punitive just scares people into hiding. They lose contact with the authorities, living a life on the margins.Voluntary returns are far more effective, and the government should know this because it was the last Labour administration that commissioned independent agencies to run a voluntary programme that saw numbers increase. Building trust with refugee and migrant communities and treating people with dignity and humanity was far more successful than an enforcement approach. Continue reading...
Once one of Britain's richest men and a Tory donor, Nadir was found guilty in the UK of stealing millions from his company to fund a lavish lifestyleAsil Nadir, the Turkish Cypriot who built Polly Peck International, once Britain's fastest-growing company, before going on the run after it was discovered he had stolen millions from the conglomerate, has died. He was 83.Tributes poured in on Monday in the Turkish-held north of Cyprus, where the one-time fugitive businessman was regarded as a hero and for many years had lived in exile and isolation. Continue reading...
People will have no alternative' but to leave territory after destruction left by Israel, US president said in Fox interviewDonald Trump has said that his plan to take over Gaza" would not include a right of return for the more than 2 million Palestinians that he has said have no alternative" but to leave because of the destruction left by Israel's military campaign.The remarks are the latest effective endorsement of ethnic cleansing by the US president, who announced his plan last week during a summit with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu to the outrage of the Arab world and the surprise of even his closest aides. Continue reading...
President says minting of low-denomination one-cent coins costs more than their face value, echoing Elon MuskDonald Trump has ordered the US treasury to stop minting new pennies, calling the coins' production wasteful".For far too long the United States has minted pennies which literally cost us more than 2 cents," the president said in a Truth Social post on Sunday night as he left the Super Bowl in New Orleans. Let's rip the waste out of our great nations budget, even if it's a penny at a time." Continue reading...
Local channels show police officer walking up to star as he sings Shape of You and unplugging microphoneEd Sheeran has been stopped by police from busking in India after he was told he lacked permissions.The songwriter was seen singing the hit single Shape of You on a pavement in the southern city of Bengaluru before his concert on Sunday night. Continue reading...
Brandon Russell, 29, found guilty of plan to blow up power grid in Baltimore as jury rejects claims of FBI entrapmentFebruary was to be Brandon Russell's moment: facing federal charges of conspiring to blow up a series of power stations around Baltimore and trigger a citywide blackout, the neo-Nazi figurehead decided to take his case to trial and mount an entrapment defense against the Federal Bureau of Investigation.It did not work. Russell, a 29-year-old native of the Bahamas, had thrown away a promising future involving a college degree at the University of Florida and a national guard position to become a dedicated far-right figurehead previously imprisoned in 2017 over a murderous spat between comrades in the Atomwaffen Division, a neo-Nazi guerrilla group he had founded that was involved in five murders and a number of bomb plots before federal agents dismantled it in 2020. Continue reading...
US allies criticize Trump's plans as harmful for all parties. Plus, the Forbes 30 Under 30' curseGood morning.Donald Trump has said he will announce new 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the US on Monday that would affect everybody", including its largest trading partners, Canada and Mexico, in another major escalation of his trade policy overhaul.How have US allies reacted? Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, said tariffs would harm European economies but also the US, given the level of economic ties. It means if you put tariffs on a lot of sectors, it will increase the costs and create inflation in the US. Is it what your people want? I'm not so sure," Macron said.How are markets reacting? Gold hit an all-time high of $2,900 per ounce, as trade war fears spark a dash for safe assets. Major US indexes - the Dow Jones, S&P 500 and Nasdaq - had modest gains in pre-market trading.What else did Unicef say? Spokesperson Tess Ingram said children in particular have been traumatised by Israel's war on the territory, which has left many communities without adequate healthcare, sanitation, shelter and water. About 700,000 northern Gaza residents fled to southern areas at the start of the war in October 2023, when the Israeli military issued mass evacuation orders. Continue reading...
by Mark BrownNorth of England correspondent on (#6V61X)
Simon Vickers stabbed 14-year-old Scarlett with a knife while they were mucking about' in the kitchenA father who murdered his teenage daughter by stabbing her with a knife while they were mucking about" in the kitchen has been jailed for life.A high court judge, Mr Justice Cotter, said Simon Vickers, 50, would serve at least 15 years in jail for killing 14-year-old Scarlett Vickers. Continue reading...
Maxwell Mclean says his treatment made an absolute mockery of the freedom to speak up' in the NHSPatient safety is at risk without better protection for NHS whistleblowers, according to a former health service chair who claims he was forced from his job after raising concerns about reviews into preventable baby deaths.Maxwell Mclean, the former chair of the Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS foundation trust, said his treatment made an absolute mockery of the freedom to speak up" in the NHS. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: As Rwandan-backed M23 rebels seize more territory and the humanitarian crisis worsens, what's the background to the war and prospect of peace?Good morning. Over the weekend, the presidents of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda - Felix Tshisekedi and Paul Kagame - were among those who took part in a regional summit aimed at ending the resurgent violence in eastern DRC. The summit ended with a call for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. But while there was a lull in the fighting yesterday, many fear that a ceasefire is less likely than escalation to a wider regional war.Rwanda does not officially admit to its involvement in the latest episode of the long-running and devastating conflict in eastern DRC. But M23, an armed group with Rwanda's tacit and practical support, has taken the capital of North Kivu province, Goma, and is now moving south to expand the territory under its control. At stake is control of a mineral-rich region of crucial strategic significance, and the fate of civilians there who are frequently the subject of ethnically targeted attacks - but also the question of whether national borders can act as any sort of constraint.Arms trade | Britain's system for controlling arms exports is broken, subject to political manipulation and has seen conduct that crossed the threshold into complicity with war crimes, a former UK diplomat has claimed. Mark Smith said officials were instructed to manipulate findings on the misuse of UK arms by allies.Immigration | The Home Office is launching a fresh wave of immigration raids as Labour attempts to counter the growing political threat from Reform UK. Amid anger from critics who believe the approach echoes Theresa May's hostile environment" regime, the government will broadcast footage of deportations from detention to removal centres and on to waiting planes.Israel-Gaza war | Israeli forces have withdrawn from the strategic corridor that divides northern and southern Gaza, as part of a ceasefire plan that has brought a fragile pause to the 16-month war. Despite the withdrawal - and the release of hostages and prisoners - little progress has been made on negotiating the second phase of the deal.Air pollution | More than 1,100 people a year in the UK are developing the most prevalent form of lung cancer as a result of air pollution, the Guardian can reveal. Health experts, cancer charities and environmental campaigners said the UK findings were devastating"Trump tariffs | Donald Trump has said he will announce new 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the US on Monday that would affect everybody', including its largest trading partners Canada and Mexico, in another major escalation of his trade policy overhaul. Continue reading...
by Patrick Butler Social policy editor on (#6V5Y2)
It takes the little people to stand up,' says Andrea Tucker, who was told to repay 4,600 after caring for mother for 15 yearsAn unpaid carer is to challenge in the courts an unfair and nonsensical" demand by welfare officials to repay 4,600 in carer's allowance overpayments, five years after being advised by the same department she was following benefit rules correctly.Andrea Tucker, a part-time charity shop worker who cared full-time for her mother for 15 years, told the Guardian the prospect of going to tribunal had made her ill with stress but she was determined to get justice. Continue reading...
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