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Showing posts from April, 2024

Five skeletons found under Wolf’s Lair home of Hermann Göring in Poland

Amateur archaeologists discover remains missing hands and feet at former Nazi military headquarters Amateur archaeologists have unearthed five human skeletons missing their hands and feet under the former home of the Nazi war criminal Hermann Göring at Hitler’s Wolf’s Lair military headquarters in present-day Poland. The remains, believed to be that of a family, were discovered as part of a dig at the site near the north-eastern town of Kętrzyn, where Nazi leaders spent large stretches of the second world war. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/VlMcYeb

Man admits ‘motiveless’ killing of mobility scooter rider after leaving jail

Thomas O’Halloran was stabbed in west London by Lee Byer who had paranoid schizophrenia and had been released five days before A man has admitted to the manslaughter by diminished responsibility of an 87-year-old mobility scooter rider in a “motiveless” knife attack in west London five days after being released from prison. Lee Byer, 45, stabbed Thomas O’Halloran in the neck and chest in Greenford in 2022. It can now be reported that Byer had numerous previous convictions and days earlier had been released from Wormwood Scrubs prison in south-west London. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/zH2yECq

Father pays tribute to ‘daddy’s girl’ found dead at school before detention

Caitlyn Scott-Lee, 16, is thought to have taken her own life the day before she was due to have her first ever detention The father of an autistic schoolgirl who is believed to have taken her own life the day before she was due to have her first ever detention has paid tribute to his “daddy’s girl” at the inquest into her death. Caitlyn Scott-Lee, 16, was found dead at Wycombe Abbey, a private school in Buckinghamshire where she boarded, on 21 April last year. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie . In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org , or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/bi6OmT3

The Garden Against Time by Olivia Laing review – an Eden project of her own

While a cast of literary heavyweights grace Laing’s account of her garden restoration, the real joys lie in her detailed description of the pruning and the planting and the soothing effect on her state of mind Olivia Laing’s new book, The Garden Against Time , is as fragrantly replete as a long border at its peak. The word that comes to mind is spumy: a blossomy, brimful excess that’s almost too much at times. Here are hundreds of plants, exquisitely described; here is colour, energy and expertise. In a way, it’s akin to a garden itself; a place, almost a park, in which the reader never quite knows what’s around the next corner. But while this is invigorating – my imagination whirred across the verdant expanses of its pages like some crazy, old-fashioned lawnmower – it’s also tiring. Dizzy on its pollen, I often had to put it down. I began to think of the chapter breaks as conveniently placed benches on which I might for a while sit quietly, temporarily unassailed by endless common na

Larmes de Couteau/Full Moon in March review – two supremely weird operas

Linbury theatre, London Bohuslav Martinů’s 1928 work is a strip-lighted nightmare whirlwind, while Harbison’s is highly stylised post-tonal sitcom unfolding around a four-poster bed In an evening where little was obvious, it was definitely a bad night for teddies. One had its head torn off as the violent accompaniment to a coloratura tour-de-force. Moments earlier, the backdrop had parted to reveal an entire wall of mutilated bears, clumsily taped back together. And, in one of the most disturbing moments of all, a human-scale teddy wandered on playing an accordion like a cameo in a horror film, before eventually removing its own oversized head to pick a fight with one of the singers. Confused? I was, repeatedly, in these extraordinary performances of two supremely weird operas. The bears themselves were the work of directors Eleanor Burke and Harriet Taylor, who staged Bohuslav Martinů’s 1928 Larmes de Couteau and John Harbison’s 1977 Full Moon in March – the former as a kind of str

Idrissa Gueye’s strike sinks Brentford and ensures Everton’s safety

The celebrations were not as euphoric as the derby but Brentford marked another momentous step for Everton nonetheless. Despite two separate points deductions totalling eight points, doubts over their financial future and ownership, Everton have secured their top flight status for a 71st year in succession. Idrissa Gana Gueye’s goal was enough to deliver a fourth consecutive Premier League win here and complete a superb achievement by Sean Dyche. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/pYUf56R

European football: Harry Kane reaches new best, Leverkusen stay unbeaten

Harry Kane scores twice to take total to career-best 42 goals Bayer Leverkusen grab dramatic 2-2 draw with Stuttgart Harry Kane scored once in either half to guide Bayern Munich to a 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday and a welcome boost before Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final first leg against Real Madrid. The Bavarians, who saw Bayer Leverkusen end their 11-year-Bundesliga reign by securing the league crown two weeks ago, have only the Champions League left to fight for with departing coach Thomas Tuchel eager to leave on a high note. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/usWon3m

Wrexham’s Paul Mullin: ‘As soon as we leave the pitch, Ryan’s first to text’

Star striker talks achieving another promotion, potentially making scoring history and finding acceptance in his son’s autism ‘The desire to win will be the same as every other game,” Paul Mullin says as he anticipates a Hollywood-style finale for Wrexham on Saturday afternoon while their fans at home and around the world celebrate a second straight promotion . Wrexham’s last game in League Two is against the new champions, Stockport County, and Mullin is determined to end another tumultuous and successful season with a personal milestone. If Mullin scores against Stockport he will become the first player since Alan Shearer to have racked up at least 25 goals in four consecutive seasons across the top five flights of English football. Mullin has spent the past hour thoughtfully discussing his role in the delirium surrounding Wrexham’s rise under the celebrity ownership of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney and a range of subjects from finding acceptance and even joy in his son’s autis

Women should give up vaping if they want to get pregnant, study suggests

Research finds hormone that indicates fertility at lower levels in vapers and tobacco smokers Women should give up vaping if they are hoping to get pregnant, according to a study that suggests it may affect fertility. In the first research to demonstrate a link between fertility prospects and electronic cigarettes across a large population, analysis of blood samples from 8,340 women revealed that people who vape or smoke tobacco had lower levels of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), which indicates how many eggs women have left in their ovaries. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/pUwiNTB

Crews battle fire threatening longest wooden pier on US west coast

Over 100 firefighters, 30 lifeguards and 32 police officers called to help as flames tore through restaurant at end of California pier A historic southern California pier caught fire on Thursday, burning for several hours until firefighters battling the blaze from boats were able to extinguish the flames. Flames tore through a restaurant at the end of the Oceanside Pier, the longest wooden pier on the US west coast, and heavily damaged the closed diner and a neighboring business. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/UnCroqL

Booker prize urged to consider name change over slavery link

Broadcaster Richie Brave, whose ancestors were enslaved, says organisers should be ‘asking themselves some questions’ The Radio 1Xtra host Richie Brave has said the Booker prize should consider changing its name because of its links to enslavement. Brave’s legal surname is Booker and his ancestors were enslaved by the founders of the company that originally sponsored the prize. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/bZuTq4d

Hailed as a hero and then sacked: the carer’s allowance whistleblower

Enrico La Rocca helped expose profound failures but less than a year later was dismissed by the DWP – and then later rehired Sunak under pressure to grant carers amnesty Almost exactly five years ago, Enrico La Rocca was hailed by MPs as a hero, a whistleblower whose tenacity had helped expose profound failures at the heart of the government’s vast benefits agency, resulting in tens of thousands of vulnerable unpaid carers being unfairly fined and prosecuted. Without La Rocca – who was not named at the time – serious problems with carer’s allowance overpayments may never have come to light, the Commons work and pensions select committee concluded: without him the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) would never have been persuaded of the “urgent need to act”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/oY1j8q9

‘It should feel like an extension of the living room’: radical study centre is named best building in Europe

A ‘non-hierarchical’ university space that can be continually altered or even moved has won the EU’s biennial prize for contemporary architecture A lightweight university study centre designed to be easily disassembled has won the prize for the best building in Europe. Longevity, permanence and a sense of immutability might be the ambition of most architects, but Gustav Düsing and Max Hacke would be delighted to see their building adapted and reconfigured, or ultimately dismantled and moved somewhere else altogether. “We imagined the project as a changeable system,” says Düsing, co-designer of the new study pavilion for the Technical University of Braunschweig , Germany, which has been named this year’s winner of the EU Mies award (formerly the Mies van der Rohe award), the biennial European Union prize for contemporary architecture. “We wanted it to be a counter model to the university’s high-rise building and its conventional one-sided lecture halls. It’s more like an extension of

Taylor Swift hits 1bn Spotify streams in a week with Tortured Poets Department

Swift’s new album breaks another streaming record after already becoming the platform’s most-streamed album in a day Taylor Swift’s new album The Tortured Poets Department has become the first to reach 1bn Spotify streams in a week. The platform announced on X that with two days to go, it had become the “most-streamed album in a single week” and had surpassed a billion with the exact number undisclosed. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/XCiMIZp

Three men arrested after five people die in Channel boat crossing

Suspects being questioned by National Crime Agency in Kent on suspicion of immigration offences Three men have been arrested in connection with a Channel boat crossing that led to the deaths of five people, including a young girl. The three have been arrested on suspicion of facilitating illegal immigration and entering the UK illegally. The suspects – two Sudanese men aged 22 and 19 and a 22-year-old from South Sudan – are being questioned by the National Crime Agency (NCA) in Kent, the agency said. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/dcVRJ4j

Cakes and drinks sweetener neotame can damage gut wall, scientists find

Industry’s sugar substitute E961 can have ‘toxic effect on health’, says study finding sweetener capable of damaging intestinal bacteria A sweetener used in cakes, soft drinks and chewing gum can seriously damage people’s health by weakening the gut, a new study has found. Consumption of even a small amount of the sweetener neotame can lead to someone starting to suffer irritable bowel syndrome, insulin resistance, and even sepsis, a condition that kills about 40,000 in Britain a year. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/ZX3eAUD

Inquest finds gross failings in care of woman who drank too much water

Staff at private mental health hospital near Weston-super-Mare missed chances to prevent Lily Lucas’s death, jury finds An inquest jury has found there were “gross failings in care amounting to neglect” before a woman had a heart attack at a private mental health hospital due to complications from drinking excessive amounts of water. Lillian Lucas, 28, known as Lily to her family and friends, died in September 2022 after being found unresponsive in her room on Milton ward at the Cygnet hospital in Kewstoke, near Weston-super-Mare, where she had been an inpatient since June. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/n5BdWtF

‘England is hope’: some say they will try again – despite Channel deaths

Attempt to cross via overcrowded dinghy from Wimereux aborted after engine stalls and five people drown They could have been on a school trip. Fifty teenagers from Vietnam, dressed for the biting cold in puffer jackets, smart trainers and woolly beanies, sat on the pavement by the bus shelter outside Gare Calais listening to music and watching videos on their smartphones. They were waiting for the 423 bus to take them back to a forest outside Dunkirk, where they have been staying at night with about a thousand others. It had been a disappointing morning for the group. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/1zjQE0O

Skeptical judge and National Enquirer deal: Trump trial day two key takeaways

Judge admonishes ex-president’s lawyer, and first witness confirms Trump enlisted National Enquirer for 2016 campaign Donald Trump watched the judge presiding in his New York criminal trial dramatically admonish his lead lawyer and hear the prosecution’s first witness confirm that Trump specifically enlisted the help of the National Enquirer tabloid to kill negative stories that could derail his 2016 campaign. Here are the key takeaways from Tuesday’s proceedings in People of the State of New York vs Donald J Trump. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/T2i3h4f

Almost 600,000 in England awaiting gynaecological treatment, figures show

Exclusive: analysis shows increase of a third in two years, prompting claim of ‘deprioritising women’s health’ The government has been accused of “deprioritising women’s health” as analysis shows that almost 600,000 women in England are waiting for gynaecological treatment, an increase of a third over two years. There are 33,000 women waiting more than a year for such treatment, an increase of 43%, according to Labour analysis of data from the House of Commons library. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/EDTKj4p

Blue Lights recap: series two, episode two – move or die

Things ratchet up in the explosive Belfast police drama, with blazing house fires, a most terrifying murder and the arrival of a very familiar face Shootings, showdowns and a surprise transfer from Holby General. Here’s your section debrief on the second episode, titled Iceberg … Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/aTVRqi0

The Jinx: Part Two review – more bombshells from Robert Durst, the serial killer who just won’t shut up

Nearly a decade on from the murder confession that made The Jinx iconic TV, Durst’s loose lips don’t get any less shocking – but this meta follow-up does make some icky choices It has been nine years since The Jinx aired its explosive finale and we heard the immortal words uttered by Robert Durst: “Killed them all, of course.” He was, in essence, confessing to the murders of his first wife, Kathleen McCormack Durst (in 1982); his best friend, Susan Berman (in 2000); and his neighbour, Morris Black (in 2001). The documentary film-makers handed their evidence over to law enforcement in 2013, and he was arrested on 14 March 2015, the day before the finale aired. He was convicted of the murder of Berman in 2021 and charged with McCormack’s disappearance – but died in prison at the age of 78, the day before that trial was due to begin. With Durst now gone, it is hard to know exactly what fresh intel a sequel to The Jinx could possibly reveal, and whether or not this is simply a Tiger Kin

Israel still has no proof of Unrwa terrorist claims – but damage to aid agency is done

Inquiry has not backed up allegations of ties to Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which led to loss of $450m as people died in droves Israel has yet to provide evidence of Unrwa staff terrorist links, Colonna report says Unsupported Israeli allegations about Unrwa links to terrorism led major donors to cut $450m in funding to the main humanitarian agency working in Gaza at a time when people there were dying in droves. Three months later, the situation has only worsened with the onset of a human-made famine on top of the bombing, the collapse of healthcare, the lack of water and a rise in epidemics. And despite a rigorous inquiry by the former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna, supported by three well-respected research institutes, there is still no evidence for the claim that significant numbers of Unrwa employees have Hamas or Islamic Jihad ties. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/zRYVfqM

European football: Leverkusen still unbeaten as Stanisic foils Dortmund

Defender’s dramatic equaliser denies Dortmund victory Stuttgart’s 11-match unbeaten run ends at Werder Bremen Bayer Leverkusen ’s Josip Stanisic scored a 97th-minute goal for the German champions to rescue a 1-1 draw at Borussia Dortmund and prevent Xabi Alonso’s side from suffering their first loss of the season. Niclas Füllkrug gave Dortmund the lead in the 81st minute with a volley inside the left post, after Marcel Sabitzer teed him up with a lovely cushioned pass before the ball went in off the goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky’s gloves. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/S9UDO0N

Arsenal return to top spot after Trossard and Ødegaard see off Wolves

Arsenal fans suffering from accusations of a typical late-season collapse could refer their critics to a resolute and assured victory after their team managed a sixth consecutive clean sheet on their league travels for the first time in their long and illustrious history. ‘One-nil’ to the Arsenal has always had a ring to it but no one in red and white was complaining when, after Leandro Trossard’s 45th-minute goal provided Arsenal with the ideal fillip, Martin Ødegaard scored even later in the second half to seal the victory, slipping home a cute left-foot shot inside the near post at the second attempt after an intricate passing move. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/OxD8ob6

Manchester City reach FA Cup final after Bernardo Silva’s late strike sinks Chelsea

The idea for Manchester City had been to channel the anguish from the midweek Champions League quarter-final exit against Real Madrid into something more positive and it surely applied most strongly to one of their number. Bernardo Silva had been a snapshot in so many negative emotions after his terrible penalty in the shootout with Madrid had turned the tide sharply against his team. This is what redemption looks like. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/tuYkOC3

MoD accused of ‘go-slow’ with half of £900m Ukraine fund unused

Delays mean just £404m of the money donated by nine countries has been committed or spent More than half of a £900m military fund for Ukraine run by the British Ministry of Defence has not been used because of bureaucratic delays in handing out contracts. The UK-led International Fund for Ukraine counts nine countries among its donors. Critics claim its provision of weapons to the frontline has been slow. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2tJ3BrY

Train driver who upskirted female passenger avoids jail sentence

Paolo Barone found guilty of voyeurism after taking photos of sleeping woman on train to St Albans in 2022 A Thameslink train driver who took photos up a woman’s skirt while she was asleep on a train has avoided jail, despite being found guilty of voyeurism. The driver, Paolo Barone, was on his way home from a shift in September 2022 when he saw that the woman, 51, had fallen asleep on a train travelling from London Blackfriars to St Albans in Hertfordshire. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/bnVSvJQ

Trussonomic lessons: what can be learned from former PM’s book?

The anti-growth coalition, Bank of England and the OBR are among those under fire from Liz Truss Raw free-market economics is missing in action. Somewhere between its 1980s ascendancy and today, the media, politicians, civil service and even the corporate mainstream abandoned small government and low taxes. At the heart of Liz Truss’s new book, Ten Years to Save the West , the former prime minister reckons this is the reason for Britain’s economic drift, alongside “unelected technocrats” overruling the “wishes of the people”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/Tak2Bwp

Low-carb diets work. Why does the American Diabetes Association push insulin instead? | Neil Barsky

The American Diabetes Association takes millions from companies that stand to profit from our reliance on drugs. Is that affecting their guidance? For a glimpse into how big business influences the $4tn US healthcare system, look no further than the world’s most powerful diabetes advocacy and research non-profit, the American Diabetes Association (ADA). Diabetes afflicts 38 million Americans, with another 90 million considered pre-diabetic. Every year the disease claims the lives of over 100,000 Americans and disproportionately affects people of color. It is also ruinously expensive, as doctors visits, hospital stays, insulin, blood test strips, leg amputations, continuous glucose monitors and numerous glucose-lowering drugs add up to about $400bn a year. To put it bluntly, we are losing the war on diabetes. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/5LQ8kKZ

For the Love of Dogs review – Alison Hammond brilliantly fills Paul O’Grady’s shoes

Hammond takes over presenting duties at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home – and gets all the tails wagging. Just like that, canine TV’s top dog should stay the leader of the pack We are living through canine television’s golden (retriever) era. Idly flick through the channels and it’s odds on that you’ll land on a minor celebrity on a walking holiday, a documentary about air fryers, or a programme about dogs who either need a home or be better trained in the one they already have. For the Love of Dogs is the original, the top dog, and it remains the leader of the pack. The late Paul O’Grady hosted this look behind the scenes at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, for whom he was also an ambassador, from 2012 until his death last year. The title bore his name, but he was so dedicated to Battersea’s work that it would have made little sense to stop making what amounts to a primetime TV spotlight on the charity and its reach. Nevertheless, his are very big shoes to step into. It makes sense, t

Nigel Farage is cancelled at last and he’s never been happier | John Crace

Thanks to the Brussels police the National Conservatism usual suspects could feel they really were relevant and important You’ve seldom seen Nigel Farage look quite so happy. Beatific bordering on ecstasy. And all because he had been cancelled. Something he has longed for all his career. Failing to be elected as an MP on seven separate occasions was just proof of the limitations of democracy. Winning the Brexit referendum was almost a disappointment. What was there left for him to do? Other than to sniff around the far right in the US. Hoping for scraps. A sense of identity. But on Tuesday all his dreams came true. Last year’s National Conservatism conference in London had been largely forgettable apart from a few attention-seeking appearances from people most go out of their way to avoid. And even these were no more than period pieces, designed merely to preach to the couple of hundred of the already converted. An exercise in futility. No more, no less. Continue reading... from T

Sun still rises for Tiger Woods but dreams of glory have long since faded

Five-time Masters champion is maybe the only person who hasn’t cottoned on to the fact he is playing exhibition golf The sun rose at 6.58am on Sunday in Augusta, a full three hours after Tiger Woods. Across the city, people were asleep and sharing the very same sorts of dreams, about the view down through the pines along the first fairway, the shots over the water at Amen Corner, the long walk uphill to the 18th green, where the club chairman Fred Ridley and last year’s champion Jon Rahm would be waiting ready with that freshly pressed Green Jacket. Woods says he still has these thoughts himself, in the few hours’ rest he gets between warming-down for the evening and warming-up again in the morning. For him, it’s a sixth win, and a share of Jack Nicklaus’s record. Only a handful of the people entertaining these thoughts had a chance of actually realising them. In the 29 years Woods has been playing here no one had come from further back than six shots off the lead on Sunday. Which m

Mikel Arteta urges Arsenal to keep believing after blow to title hopes

Defeat by Aston Villa leaves Manchester City top ‘We knew this moment could come. It’s about reacting’ Mikel Arteta admitted that Arsenal must “keep believing” they can still win the Premier League for the first time since 2004 after a disastrous 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa handed Manchester City the initiative in the title race. Late goals from the substitute Leon Bailey and a 19th league strike of the season for Ollie Watkins condemned Arsenal to only their fifth loss of the season. It meant that Arsenal missed the opportunity to return to the top of the table having seen rivals Liverpool also slip up against Crystal Palace on Sunday. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/yFN7vKp

England sweep Scotland aside in Six Nations despite Amy Cokayne red card

Scotland 0-46 England Red Roses run in eight tries to stretch lead at top of table England’s discipline was a concern for the second time in this Women’s Six Nations as they finished against Scotland with 14 players after Amy Cokayne was shown a red card. The hooker, who started her first international game in a year, was sent off in the 53rd minute after being shown a second yellow card. It was England’s second red card in three games after the No 8 Sarah Beckett was sent off early on in their opener against Italy . Despite being a player down, England extended their winning run against Scotland to 26 games. Scotland have been waiting 25 years to beat England but the Red Roses ensured their streak would not be broken. John Mitchell’s side are enjoying a perfect tournament in terms of results, topping the table with the maximum 15 points. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/Vtzg5AU

Fernandes double gives Manchester United fortunate draw at Bournemouth

For Manchester United, is there a more damning indictment of their current state than the fact they have faced more shots than anyone else in the division this season? André Onana’s goal was peppered again here and they have now conceded a league-high 574 shots. The other teams at the top that list? Sheffield United, Luton and Burnley, a trio mired deep in relegation trouble. It is so easy for sides to ruffle United and it seems Erik ten Hag does not know the solution either, though Bruno Fernandes scored twice at Bournemouth to prevent a humbling defeat. Dominic Solanke and Justin Kluivert struck for Andoni Iraola’s swarming side and the hosts thought they earned a stoppage-time penalty, only for VAR to rescue Willy Kambwala from further pain. There were nine minutes of first-half stoppage time and while Fernandes, the United captain, clipped the crossbar with a dipping shot from 25 yards as he went in search of an equaliser, when the fourth official indicated as much it was the visi

County cricket: Essex v Kent, Gloucs v Yorkshire, and more – as it happened

Warwickshire piled up their second highest first-class score while Rory Burns and Dom Sibley starred at the Oval Over at Chelmsford, Jaydn Denly, nephew of Joe, is having a bowl for Kent as Essex continue to have fun with the bat, Matt Critchley is unbeaten on 127 while Simon Harmer, very useful down the order, moves to 41. Jaydn’s uncle is also in Kent’s XI! Big fan of these kind of highlights, which are more than just wickets, fours, sixes etc. Also quite hypnotic to watch Lyon just land dot after dot. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/9cyWHVu

Two Come Dine With Me winners convicted for importing cannabis

Nicholas Panayiotou and Eleanar Attard among gang who planned to smuggle 58kg of the drug into the UK Members of a gang, including two former winners of a Channel 4 cooking programme, have been convicted after their plan to import large amounts of cannabis was uncovered. Nicholas Panayiotou, Eleanar Attard, Constantinos Zavros, Luke Wileman and Koby Haik planned to smuggle 58kg of cannabis into the UK from the US, but were foiled after a theft at a London airport, the Metropolitan police said. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/opG2uxT

Kingsmill massacre an ‘overtly sectarian attack by IRA’, coroner rules

Inquest delivers findings 48 years after 10 Protestant workers were shot dead when their minibus was ambushed in County Armagh The shooting dead of 10 Protestant workers at Kingsmill in Northern Ireland in 1976 was an “overtly sectarian attack by the IRA”, a coroner has ruled. Nearly eight years after the inquest opened , Brian Sherrard delivered his findings in Belfast on Friday into the Troubles killings in County Armagh. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/NSmhKtT

The danger in saying yes to Pascal Soriot’s pay rise at AstraZeneca | Nils Prately

Despite rebellion, approval of £18.7m package opens door to likelihood of US-style executive pay elsewhere Is Pascal Soriot, the chief executive of AstraZeneca, “massively underpaid”, as the chief investment officer of Florida-based GQG Partners, one of the company’s big shareholders, argued this week? Well, of course he’s not. Soriot has been paid £120m over the past decade, which is a helluva sum even for someone who has been brilliantly successful in leading what is now – but wasn’t when he arrived – the UK’s second-largest listed company. The history-turning moment in 2014, when AZ and Soriot managed to see off a bid from Pfizer’s grim number-crunchers, has probably been worth many multiples of £120m to the UK economy. But such a sum for a single employee in an organisation of 90,000 still looks absurd: Soriot doesn’t do all the work himself. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/V2FnCkM

David Cameron: the Boy’s Own robot made of ham was nearly out-Foxed

Foreign secretary tried to deflect Fox News’s dumb comment about how UK ‘streets are taken over by pro-Hamas folks’, but he can’t please everyone How much have you really engaged with David Cameron, since he became foreign secretary in November? I always get a discombobulating strobe effect, all the alternative futures that could have been: the not-Brexit, the not-Boris Johnson, the not-austerity and social fracturing, if it hadn’t been for this rosy-face Duff Cooper in 21st-century fancy dress, and the incomprehensible number of people who didn’t take one look at that face and run a mile. So I find him quite hard to look at. As he does the American media rounds, talking Ukraine and Gaza to wingnuts (Fox News) and sensible centrists (CNN), the look he’s going for is somewhat changed. You know what they say about America, that it went from barbarism to decadence without the intervening period of civilisation (no offence, Fox News!) Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift

Adult transgender clinics in England face inquiry into patient care

NHS England to review seven specialist services after staff share misgivings privately Adult transgender clinics in England are facing a Cass-style inquiry into how they treat patients after whistleblowers raised concerns about the care they provide. NHS England has announced that it is setting up a review of how the seven specialist services operate and deliver care after past and present staff shared misgivings privately during a previous investigation. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/Q49cY5Z

Top French court suspends ban on using word ‘steak’ on plant-based foods

Government had issued decree to stop the word – used to describe a burger in France – being used for ‘veggie steaks’ France’s top administrative court has waded back into a battle over the labelling of veggie burgers, suspending a decree banning plant-based products from being described as meat. In February, the French government issued a decree to ban the term “steak” on the label of vegetarian products from 1 May, saying it was reserved for meat alone. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/g6OGBdQ

Post Office has run out of road thanks to an honest, stubborn man

There’s a long way to go before reparations have been made, but Alan Bates has finally proven in the Horizon inquiry that the operator went rogue As Alan Bates took the stand for the latest phase of the Horizon inquiry , it would be de trop (too much) to say that it was as if Madonna had entered the room, but even the judge, Sir Wyn Williams, seemed impressed. Not the Alan Bates? There was an expectant hush as he was asked to state his full name. I don’t know what the world was expecting, to be honest. “Alan ‘scourge of the corrupt’ Bates”? “Just call me The Enforcer?” “Alan Bates,” he said, with the faintest imaginable amusement on his face. Somewhere in that national hero’s head, there’s a voice saying, “I’m not the Messiah, I’m just an honest, stubborn man.” The living nightmare of shitehawks and con artists everywhere – an honest, stubborn man. It has become absolutely de rigueur (custom) for everyone from politicians to phone-in punters, to observe: “It’s an outrage, that it

McBurnie strikes late to deny Chelsea and earn point for Sheffield United

What Chelsea and Mauricio Pochettino would do for just one chaos free day at work. Around the corner they turn, the one that looks from the outside to be taking them in the right direction, only to inexplicably double back. So close, and yet absolutely miles away. It had looked like, despite a largely tepid performance, Noni Madueke’s goal midway through the second half would be enough to secure a Chelsea win. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/lXjVC7Z

Champions League needs true golden eggs to bring back unmissable spectacle | Jonathan Wilson

The same old teams in the same old patterns – which is why last eight must not be yet other procession for Europe’s elite This time, nobody can blame the draw. The last 16 of this season’s Champions League was a drab, largely unimpressive thing, salvaged to an extent by its final week as Arsenal came through a fraught second leg against Porto and Atlético Madrid came from 2-0 down on aggregate to eliminate Internazionale on penalties. But for the most part it was a plod of the predictable and the uninspired. To an extent that was simply a function of the ties, a mixture of mismatches and clashes between sides who for one reason or another have been out of sorts this season. Even the meeting of the Spanish and Italian champions felt weirdly insignificant given how disappointing Barcelona and Napoli have been. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/0QnMfEa

Briton says becoming world’s oldest man at 111 is ‘pure luck’

John Alfred Tinniswood, who was born in 1912 in Liverpool, acquired the title after Japan’s Gisaburo Sonobe, 112, died in March An 111-year-old man from England is now the world’s oldest living man and says the only diet he follows is eating fish and chips every Friday. John Alfred Tinniswood, who was born in 1912 – the same year the Titanic sank – insist the secret to his long life is “pure luck”. He obtained the title of world’s oldest man after 112-year-old Gisaburo Sonobe, from Japan, was confirmed to have died on 31 March. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/o8yq9B5

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs named in lawsuit accusing his son of sexual assault

Complaint accuses 26-year-old Christian ‘King’ Combs of assault aboard yacht chartered by music mogul father in December 2022 Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs and his 26-year-old son Christian “King” Combs are both named in a lawsuit that accuses the younger man of sexual assault onboard a yacht in December 2022. The suit, filed in Los Angeles superior court on Thursday and first reported by Rolling Stone , accuses the younger Combs of assault, battery, sexual assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The elder Combs, who is facing several lawsuits alleging sexual abuse and was recently subject to federal raids in a sex-trafficking investigation, is accused of aiding and abetting. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/BgExGzV

Family criticise police over possible discovery of body of sex offender linked to mother’s death

Relatives of Kelly Faiers say police failed to properly inform them that a body had been found The family of a woman found dead at a sex offender’s home have criticised the police’s “bodged” investigation after his body is believed to have been found this week in a caravan close to where he vanished six months ago. Relatives of Kelly Faiers said they were upset at how the news about the possible discovery of Richard Scatchard’s body was broken, claiming they did not have time to alert others close to Faiers before the police went public. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/lgctjnx

Her abortion experience was ‘bizarre and painful’. Now she’s suing Tennessee

Kathryn Archer could not terminate her pregnancy in her home state and, instead, had to wait more than three weeks for an emergency abortion at an out-of-state abortion clinic In January 2023, whenever Kathryn Archer took her young daughter out to the local playground in Nashville, Tennessee, strangers often noticed her visibly pregnant stomach and wanted to make small talk. “When are you due?” they would ask Archer. “Do you know if you’re having a boy or a girl?” “Oh, I bet your daughter’s so excited to be a big sister.” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/6j5VBL2

Reform UK drops two more election candidates over racist comments

Jonathan Kay and Mick Greenhough made derogatory remarks about Muslims and black people on social media Reform UK has dropped two more parliamentary candidates after accusations they made racist comments on social media. Campaign group Hope Not Hate found tweets by candidates Jonathan Kay and Mick Greenhough in which they made derogatory comments about Muslims and black people. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/EN9CiXZ

Warner Bros announces new Matrix movie helmed by Drew Goddard

Writer of The Martian, Cloverfield and World War Z will write and direct fifth film in seminal cyberpunk franchise Movie-goers are headed back to the Matrix . Warner Brothers announced on Wednesday that The Martian screenwriter Drew Goddard will write and direct a new movie in the sci-fi action franchise for the studio. This will be the first in the cyberpunk series, which includes the 1999 original as well as The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions and The Matrix Resurrections, not to directly involve its co-creators Lana or Lilly Wachowski, though Lana is attached to executive produce. No word yet on whether the franchise stars Keanu Reeves , Laurence Fishburne, Carrie Anne-Moss, Hugo Weaving and Jada Pinkett-Smith will return. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/Ho7i81W

Police launch murder inquiry after remains found in Croydon park

Searches being carried out in Rowdown Fields after discovery on Tuesday morning Police have launched a murder investigation after human remains were discovered in a park in south London. The Metropolitan police consulted a forensic anthropologist, who confirmed that the remains were human and came from one victim. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/wFADKio

Braised ribs, potato salad and plum crostata: Sophie Hansen’s potluck-friendly recipes

Need to bring a plate? Whether you need a main, side or dessert, Sophie Hansen – Instagram’s @locallovely – has three crowd-pleasing dishes that will travel well This a recipe from my friend Ree Booth and it’s an absolute winner. It’s easy to bring together, tastes wonderful and is a substantial main – a great dish to take to any gathering. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/nDvMpSl

Charities halt Gaza aid after drone attack that killed seven workers

Humanitarian groups say they cannot operate safely after Israeli targeting of food charity convoy prompts international outcry Gaza aid convoy strike: what happened and who were the victims? The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza seems likely to worsen after charities announced they are suspending operations in the territory in the aftermath of an Israeli drone attack which repeatedly targeted a clearly identified convoy of international aid workers, killing seven. The strikes on a team from World Central Kitchen (WCK) led the charity – along with other aid organisations such as Anera, which helps refugees around the Middle East, and the US-based Project Hope, which focuses on healthcare – to announce on Tuesday that it would pause operations in Gaza to protect its staff. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/7plmSVJ

Former Ofsted chief says Ruth Perry inspection was error-free

Amanda Spielman says agency did not get it wrong in school downgrade that contributed to headteacher’s death Ofsted’s former chief inspector, Amanda Spielman, has refused to concede that her organisation made errors in its handling of the inspection that contributed to the death of the headteacher Ruth Perry . Perry killed herself last year after Caversham primary school, which she had led for more than a decade, was downgraded from Ofsted’s highest grade of outstanding, to inadequate, its lowest. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/L4DAoV0

‘Outdated and misleading’: is it time to reassess the very concept of money?

It’s regularly being created and destroyed – and economic models that don’t reflect that fact are not even slightly useful Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email In the classic 1946 film It’s a Wonderful Life, depositors demand their money from a small-town building society. Its manager, George Bailey (in an unforgettable performance by James Stewart), explains that the money is not in the building society’s vault; it has been lent to other people in the town. “The money’s not there,” Bailey pleads. “Your money’s in Joe’s house … And in the Kennedy house, and Mrs Macklin’s house, and a hundred others.” Bailey’s explanation reflects a widespread idea of how banks work. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/mTBvFIz

Adidas bans fans from adding ‘44’ to German team football shirt

Kit’s resemblance to infamous SS rune of Nazi paramilitary wing unintentional, company says Adidas has banned football fans from customising the German national shirt with the number 44 due to its alleged resemblance to the symbol used by Nazi SS units during the second world war. The Schutzstaffel (SS), a paramilitary organisation of Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich, was tasked with carrying out the industrialised genocide of Jewish people across Europe. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/I92sUwj