Stuart Latham admitted 49 offences in one of UK's biggest online child sexual abuse casesAn abhorrent" Snapchat predator has been jailed for 14 years for raping a 12-year-old girl and exploiting dozens of others in one of the UK's biggest online child sexual abuse investigations.Stuart Latham, 22, is believed to have solicited explicit images from hundreds of girls, most aged between 11 and 13, on social media over the space of a year. Continue reading...
Body found in field hours after search near Wisborough Green as police rule out foul playA man has died after falling from a hot air balloon in West Sussex.Emergency services carried out an extensive search for the man involving police drones and dogs after receiving reports of the incident near Newpound Common, in Wisborough Green, shortly after 9am on Friday. Continue reading...
Singer cancels shows in Connecticut and Massachusetts out of abundance of caution', days after threat also issued in OttawaMorrissey has cancelled two shows in the US over a credible threat on his life", according to his official Facebook page.The former Smiths singer, 66, was due to appear at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut, on Friday night, and at MGM Music Hall at Fenway in Boston, Massachusetts, on Saturday. Continue reading...
Celeste Rivas, 15, identified by Los Angeles officials after body discovered inside vehicle in Hollywood tow lotA decomposed body found inside an impounded Tesla that reportedly belonged to the singer d4vd has been identified as that of a teenage girl who went missing more than a year ago.The Los Angeles county medical examiner's office confirmed that the body found inside the vehicle at a tow lot in Hollywood on 8 September was that of Celeste Rivas, 15. Continue reading...
Trump had refused to grant visas for Palestinian delegation due to attend conference and UN general assemblyThe United Nations general assembly has voted to allow the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, to address next week's annual gathering of world leaders next week in New York via video link after Donald Trump said he would not give him a US visa.The resolution received 145 votes in favour and five votes against, while six countries abstained. Continue reading...
by Joseph Gedeon and Chris Stein in Washington on (#705BC)
Several Democrats who opposed the measure said they condemned Kirk's murder, but could not support his speechThe killing of the conservative activist Charlie Kirk last week has triggered a wave of political disquiet in Washington, with some House Democrats fearing a messaging trap over a Republican resolution to honor him while other lawmakers worry about the broader political temperature following government pressure on broadcasters.Democrats ultimately decided to side with the Republicans to pass the resolution, with 95 Democrats in support. Fifty-eight Democrats opposed it, 38 voted present and 22 did not vote. Continue reading...
by Tom Ambrose (now) and Amy Sedghi (earlier) on (#7055T)
IDF tells residents of Gaza City to flee south but closes Salah al-Din road evacuation routePakistan's defence minister says his nation's nuclear programme will be made available" to Saudi Arabia if needed under the countries' new defence pact, marking the first specific acknowledgment that Islamabad had put the kingdom under its nuclear umbrella.Defence minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif's comments underline the importance of the pact struck this week between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, which have had military ties for decades, AP reports.I welcome the excellent cooperation with the Palestinian Authority. We are working together to ensure his swift extradition.This is another step forward for justice and truth. My thoughts are with all the families who have endured the pain of waiting for so long. Continue reading...
Committee to conclude review of bill by 7 November. This live blog is closedThe UK is preparing to recognise the state of Palestine imminently, after Israel failed to meet conditions that would have postponed the historic step, including a ceasefire in Gaza, Patrick Wintour reports.YouGov has relased polling today suggesting that Britons are in favour of this by more than two to one, although a large minority of people do not have a view. Continue reading...
by Philip Oltermann European culture editor on (#705CN)
Court fines publisher after Milo Rau falsely claimed that far-right former chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache sang a song ridiculing the six million Jews murdered by the NazisA Swiss theatre director known for re-enacting landmark trials has been told by a judge in Vienna that his publisher must withdraw a book in which he alleged that a far-right Austrian politician sang a song mocking the victims of the Holocaust.On Thursday, Vienna's regional court fined independent German publishing house Verbrecher Verlag 1,500 (1,300) for publishing a book in which Milo Rau alleged that Heinz-Christian Strache, the former leader of the Freedom party (FPO), once sang a song with the line: We'll manage the seventh million", a reference to the approximately 6 million European Jews murdered at the hands of the Nazi regime. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Party investigates Northumberland councillor John Allen over alleged YouTube postsReform UK has suspended one of its councillors while the party investigates him over alleged online comments about wanting to kill Keir Starmer.The suspension came after the party was presented with details indicating that John Allen, a Reform UK Northumberland county councillor, had posted comments online about wanting to shoot the prime minister. Continue reading...
Harris' memoir, 107 Days, includes her thoughts about the Pennsylvania governor and former transport secretary as potential running matesJosh Shapiro has said Kamala Harris will have to answer" for why she did not publicly alert people to Joe Biden's declining ability to serve during his term in the White House.The Democratic Pennsylvania governor was a candidate to become Harris's running mate when she replaced Biden as the Democratic party nominee for president late in the 2024 campaign after the president dropped his re-election bid, but narrowly lost out to Minnesota governor Tim Walz - whom Harris dishes on in her new book. Continue reading...
Employers and officials are cracking down on comments considered inappropriate' after far-right activist was killedIn the aftermath of far-right activist Charlie Kirk's assassination, dozens across the United States have been fired, suspended or disciplined over social media posts about Kirk and his death, as employers and public officials crack down on remarks they deem inappropriate".After Kirk, 31, was shot and killed on 10 September while speaking at Utah Valley University, members of the Trump administration called on the public to expose anyone appearing to be celebrating" his killing. Continue reading...
Police seek white male suspect and are treating incident as a hate crime after traumatised' victim hit three timesA nine-year-old girl was shot with an airgun in what is being treated as a racially aggravated assault in Bristol, said police, who have increased patrols in the area.The victim, who has been left traumatised", was hit three times by a pellet and the white male suspect, thought to be 17 to 18 years old, shouted racially abusive language at the girl, Avon and Somerset police said. Continue reading...
by Vikram Dodd Police and crime correspondent on (#7057A)
Graffiti was found in area accessible only to officers and staff at Charing Cross police station in late AugustThe Metropolitan police have launched a criminal investigation into one of their own police stations after racist graffiti was found daubed on a wall to which only officers and staff have access.Graffiti containing the N-word is alleged to have been found written on a toilet wall at Charing Cross police station in central London. It was spotted and reported by an officer on 29 August, just after Notting Hill carnival. Continue reading...
Active clubs' are capitalizing on assassination of far-right commentator to entice recruits with promises of vengeanceThe same American-born neo-fascist fight clubs surging in numbers across the US and around the world, have capitalized on the assassination of far-right commentator Charlie Kirk, to entice new recruits with promises of vengeance and racist camaraderie.These so-called active clubs" are a loose collective of neo-Nazi mixed martial arts groups that gather at local gyms and parks to train, tapping into existing gangs of white nationalists or adjacent organizations. Global authorities view them as perhaps one of the most organized and pernicious domestic terrorism threats, emanating from far-right political ideologies. Continue reading...
Couple, who were living in Afghanistan, were arrested and held without charge, raising fears for their healthA British couple have been freed from months of detention in Afghanistan, the UK Foreign Office has said.The Taliban released Barbie Reynolds, 76, and her husband Peter, 80, after eight months of detention. Continue reading...
by Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent on (#7057B)
Portugal has also made extradition request for Diogo Santos Coelho who is facing cybercrime chargesA high court judge has ruled that a vulnerable autistic man should not be extradited to the US on cybercrime charges, quashing a Home Office decision.The UK government has accepted that Diogo Santos Coelho, 25, was groomed and exploited online by adults from the age of 14, leading to him setting up the website RaidForums, to which the alleged crimes relate. Continue reading...
by Josh Halliday North of England editor on (#7055B)
Police seek two men over racially motivated' attack on woman in her 20s in Oldbury, near BirminghamA 10,000 reward has been offered by the Sikh community for information leading to the conviction of two men being sought over the racially motivated" rape of a woman in her 20s.The perpetrators allegedly told the woman you don't belong in this country, get out", as they attacked her on the morning of Tuesday 9 September. Continue reading...
Intervision promises to be lighter on sequins and heavier on patriotic ballads than its European counterpartRussia is gearing up to revive its Soviet-era alternative to Eurovision - the Intervision song contest - which kicks off in Moscow on Saturday, with performers from 23, mostly allied, countries set to take the stage.But sequinned bodysuits, camp theatrics and Europop bangers will be in short supply. Instead, the Kremlin's version of the spectacle promises traditional values", patriotic ballads and a Russian entry led by a fiercely pro-war singer, as Moscow attempts to refashion Europe's glitter-soaked pageant in its own image. Continue reading...
Network Rail says train named after public vote will join fleet of unsung hero' leaf-busters this autumnIf Boaty McBoatface taught us one thing, it's that the public do not take a naming ceremony particularly seriously.Cue the newly named leaf-removal train: Ctrl Alt Deleaf. Continue reading...
Nobel prize-winner says US institutions have collapsed much quicker than expected under the Trump administrationThe Nobel prize-winner Maria Ressa has said Americans are like deer in the headlights" amid the collapse of US institutions and free speech under the Trump administration, particularly after Jimmy Kimmel's suspension.Speaking to Jon Stewart on the satirical news programme The Daily Show, the journalist and author of How to Stand Up to a Dictator, said the speed at which Donald Trump had collapsed" US institutions happened much faster than she anticipated. Continue reading...
by Nino Bucci Justice and courts reporter on (#7053R)
Health regulator places conditions on Dr Christopher Webster's registration over comments made after mushroom lunch murder trialAn Australian doctor who treated triple murderer Erin Patterson and her victims after the deadly mushroom lunch has been slapped with conditions by the health regulator after speaking out about the case.Dr Christopher Webster, a GP in the Victorian town of Leongatha, south-east of Melbourne, was a witness in Patterson's trial earlier this year. Continue reading...
Home Office says man left Heathrow for Paris early on Friday after losing high court attempt to block moveAn Eritrean man has been deported to France under the UK government's one in, one out" deal with the neighbouring country.The man - the second to be deported under the agreement - was on a flight that left Heathrow for Paris at 6.15am on Friday, the Home Office confirmed after he lost a high court attempt to block the move. Continue reading...
by Marjorie Finkeo in Port Moresby, Kate Lamb and Vir on (#7052B)
Beijing's comments come as leading military figures in PNG express concern over a potential defence treaty with AustraliaChina has urged Papua New Guinea not to sign a treaty that could restrict or prevent it from cooperating with another country, days after Australia failed to secure a defence pact with the Pacific nation.In a statement on Facebook late on Thursday, the Chinese embassy in Papua New Guinea said it respected the country's right to conclude a bilateral treaty with other countries on a voluntary basis". Continue reading...
Bali governor says new instructions issued to stop hotels and restaurants being built on productive land, especially rice fieldsIndonesia will ban the construction of new hotels and restaurants built atop cleared rice fields and agricultural land on the popular resort island of Bali, after recent flash flooding killed at least 18 people.A state of emergency was declared on Bali on 10 September after the island experienced the most severe flooding in more than a decade. Continue reading...
Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Fallon and David Letterman criticize ABC's parent company, Disney, and FCC chief, Brendan CarrLate-night show hosts Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, Seth Meyers and Jimmy Fallon and former host David Letterman have all rallied behind Jimmy Kimmel following ABC's decision to indefinitely suspend his popular late-night show after his comments about the rightwing activist Charlie Kirk.In his opening monologue on Thursday night, Stephen Colbert mocked executives at Disney, ABC's parent company, for caving to threats from Brendan Carr, the FCC chairman, when they pulled Kimmel off the air. Continue reading...
Sunday's demonstration in Manila to coincide with anniversary of 1972 martial law declaration as president backs rally in bid to placate angerThousands of people are expected to join a mass protest in Manila on Sunday amid a groundswell of anger in the Philippines against perceived corruption in government-funded flood control projects.Dubbed the Trillion Peso March", the demonstration is named after a Greenpeace estimate of $17.6bn that the environmental organisation alleges is the amount skimmed from climate-related projects in 2023. Continue reading...
by Pippa Crerar, Patrick Wintour and Robert Booth on (#704SK)
US president ends second state visit with warning that illegal migration could destroy the UKDonald Trump has told Britain it should call out the military" to control its borders during a tightly controlled summit in which Keir Starmer ducked major flashpoints with the US president.During a potentially difficult two-day state visit for the government, Trump has for the most part avoided exploiting tensions, although he described the UK's plan to recognise a Palestinian state as one of our few disagreements". Continue reading...
Experts react with concern that increasing the number of vaccinations required will threaten children's healthA powerful vaccines committee for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) voted on Thursday to change US vaccine policy and start recommending that children receive multiple vaccines to protect against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox, instead of a single vaccine that can protect against all four diseases.The new recommendations from the panel, the advisory committee on immunization practices (ACIP), arrived just one day after top former CDC officials said that Robert F Kennedy Jr was a threat to US children's ability to receive vaccines on schedule. The committee's work typically determines which vaccines are provided free of charge through the US government, shapes state and local laws around vaccine requirements, and influences which vaccines health insurers tend to cover. Continue reading...
PM cannot afford for US president to walk away from Ukraine crisis and must persuade him to publicly support specific Gaza plansWith bear traps avoided and fireworks unlit, Keir Starmer will be delighted that his press conference with Donald Trump lent credence to his claim to be America's first partner in defence, trade and now technology.Trump, for his part, got the great pictures" he wanted and was on his best low-wattage behaviour. He said he did not disagree with his host about much, save Starmer's plan to recognise a Palestinian state. And he teetered on the edge of being diplomatic, at least until he advised Starmer to use the military to stop small boats crossing the Channel. Continue reading...
Phil Appleton, 71, made subject to order preventing him contacting actor and banning him from certain areasThe actor Anna Friel has said she is constantly looking over her shoulder after a man stalked her for three years, telling her she would make the perfect wife" and turning up at her home with a ring.Friel said Phil Appleton, 71, a former pilot and actor, had invaded" her private life and that protecting herself and her family against him had taken up valuable time when she wanted to focus on her acting. Continue reading...
by Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent on (#704MA)
Government should fix broken legal aid system that causes delays, says head of immigration lawyers' associationIn a strongly worded response to a high court decision blocking the removal of an asylum seeker under the one in, one out" scheme, Shabana Mahmood railed at last-minute vexatious claims" and migrants suddenly deciding that they are a modern slave on the eve of their removal".The home secretary's comments cast aspersions on the 25-year-old Eritrean in the individual case and asylum seekers more widely. But those who work in the system believe they do not reflect the reality of the way - and pace at which - the justice system and the framework for identifying victims of modern slavery work. Continue reading...
Tens of thousands more forced to flee makeshift homes and shelters daily in face of new Israeli offensiveMore than a quarter of a million people have been displaced from Gaza City in the last month, according to figures from the UN, with tens of thousands more forced to flee makeshift homes and shelters daily in the face of a new Israeli offensive.Strikes by Israeli artillery, tanks and warplanes hit Gaza City again on Thursday as a UN official said new waves of mass displacement" were under way, after about 60,000 fled the new assault in 72 hours earlier this week. Continue reading...
Trump's press conference with Keir Starmer skirted around several potential topics of conflict - here's what was saidGiven an hour to speak freely in front of the world's media, Donald Trump is always likely to spring a surprise or two.His joint press conference with Keir Starmer at Chequers on Thursday was largely a disciplined performance, skirting around several potential topics of conflict. But it was still full of news, telling details, and startling information and opinions.
Trump was in his own Truman show, everyone else satellites to his ego, even the PM, who was just another beta maleIt takes all sorts. Standing around under gun-metal skies, watching soldiers isn't many people's idea of fun, but world leaders are a different breed. No bit of pageantry and flattery goes unnoticed. So why not give Donald Trump the full Disney treatment he craves? After all, it wasn't as if he was going to be allowed to stray outside the Windsor Castle compound and it was better than making the king sit indoors and watch Fox News.But if Wednesday was the softening up - You're great, you're the best, the world would stop without you. We've never done anything like this for anyone else" Thursday was very much the business end of the state visit. And the one moment of real danger for the US president and Keir Starmer. The Chequers press conference at which everything could go tits up. The one bit of the trip that wasn't entirely scripted. Continue reading...
Ex-Labour leader says legal advice being taken' over issue, while Sultana also claims sexist boys' club' is running partyAn extraordinary split has opened between Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana in the formation of their new leftwing party, with the former Labour leader suggesting he will take legal action over an unauthorised membership portal promoted by his co-leader.Sultana claimed the party was being run by a sexist boys' club" and suggested there were deep disagreements over how to launch party membership - including with the four other MPs in Corbyn's Independent Alliance. Continue reading...
US president also advises PM to use military to stop irregular migration at conclusion of his second state visitDonald Trump has accused Vladimir Putin of letting him down in a joint press conference with Keir Starmer during which the US president piled criticism on his Russian counterpart.Trump said on Thursday that he had hoped to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine soon after entering office, but that Putin's actions had prevented him from doing so. Continue reading...
Trump's officials request an emergency order to remove Cook from the Fed's board of governorsThe Trump administration has asked the supreme court to allow it to fire the Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, as it continues its extraordinary attack on the central bank's independence.In a filing on Thursday, Donald Trump's officials requested an emergency order to remove Cook from the Fed's board of governors, after an appeals court refused to go along with efforts to oust her.More details soon... Continue reading...
US and UK leaders also quizzed over Gaza and free speech as Trump claims he did not know former US ambassador, Peter MandelsonPresident Trump is now leaving Windsor Castle. He will be flying to Chequers by helicopter.Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, has thanked King Charles for what he said at the state banquet last night strongly supporting the Ukrainian cause.I extend my deepest thanks to His Majesty King Charles III @RoyalFamily for his steadfast support. Ukraine greatly values the United Kingdom's unwavering and principled stance.When tyranny threatens Europe once again, we must all hold firm, and Britain continues to lead in defending freedom on many fronts. Together, we have achieved a lot, and with the support of freedom-loving nations-the UK, our European partners, and the US-we continue to defend values and protect lives. We are united in our efforts to make diplomacy work and secure lasting peace for the European continent.Our countries have the closest defence, security and intelligence relationship ever known. In two world wars, we fought together to defeat the forces of tyranny.Today, as tyranny once again threatens Europe, we and our allies stand together in support of Ukraine, to deter aggression and secure peace. And our Aukus submarine partnership, with Australia, sets the benchmark for innovative and vital collaboration. Continue reading...