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Politics
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Judge approves $106m settlement over deadly 2019 Hard Rock Hotel collapse
Settlement ends years-long legal battle over collapse of 18-story hotel that was under construction in New Orleans A judge approved a $106m settlement on Thursday that ends a years-long legal battle over the deadly 2019 collapse of a Hard Rock Hotel that was under construction in New Orleans. The 18-story hotel project partially collapsed in October 2019 , killing three people and damaging nearby property. A grand jury ultimately decided against indicting anyone in the deadly collapse, but lawsuits were filed, including one brought by the city of New Orleans in August 2020 naming the building owners, their partners and contractors. Continue reading...
Trump again rebukes Jeanine Pirro over reflecting pool ‘vandalism’ case
President attacks ‘terrible mistake’ of US attorney, who said in court filing damage stemmed from botched renovation Donald Trump has doubled down on his criticism of Jeanine Pirro after the US attorney for the District of Columbia publicly challenged his claims that vandals had damaged the recently renovated Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool. “She said there was no vandalism. There was tremendous vandalism,” Trump told NBC News on Thursday. “So, she made a terrible mistake. I don’t understand why she did such a stupid thing.” Continue reading...
Airline workers reportedly decline to help US agents as Trump migrant crackdown accelerates
Expansion of immigration enforcement at US airports puts employees at odds with agents seeking 2,000 daily arrests A dramatic increase in immigration enforcement at US airports has reportedly placed the airline industry at odds with the Trump administration as workers decline to help federal officials arrest their targets – many of whom have pending applications for visas, asylum or green cards. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) – both part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – have expanded their collaboration to make as many as three dozen daily arrests at US airports last month, the Wall Street Journal reported . Continue reading...
ICE is now tracking nearly 54,000 immigrants via ankle monitors
Shift in monitoring methods has led to revenue boost for Geo Group, a private prison firm, that also makes the device The US is tracking nearly 54,000 immigrants through GPS-enabled ankle monitors as part of a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) electronic surveillance program, according to private prison corporation The Geo Group. Early last year, just 17,000 immigrants were wearing the devices.. The Geo Group owns BI Inc, the company that runs ICE’s intensive supervision appearance program (ISAP), and reported the numbers in its earnings call on Thursday. Continue reading...
Australia news live: Surge in EV demand and fuel diplomacy push sends trade surplus to nine-year low
Jump in imports narrowed Australia’s goods trade surplus to $1.1bn in June quarter. Follow today’s news live Penny Wong says Australia has ‘more work to do’ forging relationships in the Pacific The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong , is in Fiji today amid a meeting with her counterparts from across the Pacific. We’ve got work more work to do. We’ve announced that we do want to engage with and negotiate with both Tonga and Solomon Islands. Obviously, there’ll be a lot of work there that we want to do with them in partnership. It was a test which was destabilising and in a region where leaders have said we want an ocean of peace. It’s really important that partners respect that, and we would continue to encourage that respect. Continue reading...
Trump signs new orders targeting birthright citizenship
Executive orders come after supreme court rejected president’s first bid to restrict guarantee enshrined in US constitution Donald Trump on Thursday signed two executive orders that the White House said aims to restrict eligibility for birthright citizenship and ban “birth tourism”. The orders come just over a month after the United States supreme court rejected Trump’s first attempt to restrict the guarantee of birthright citizenship enshrined in the US constitution. Continue reading...
‘It is British life’: No 10 vows to stop councils trying to limit standing in pubs
Westminster council has recommended banning ‘vertical drinking’ or ordering at the bar in new draft licensing policy No 10 has vowed to confiscate powers from local councils which try to restrict customers from standing up while drinking in pubs or ordering at the bar. It comes after the Guardian revealed on Thursday that Westminster council in central London recommended not allowing “vertical drinking” or ordering at the bar in its new draft licensing policy. Continue reading...
Mitch McConnell leaves rehab center to continue recovery from fall at home
Republican senator, 84, was taken to hospital after fall in June and has been absent from Senate since US politics live – latest updates Republican US senator Mitch McConnell has been discharged from a rehabilitation center following the fall that left him hospitalized, he announced on Thursday. McConnell, 84, whose weeks‑long absence from Capitol Hill fueled mounting speculation about his health , said he will continue his recovery at home. Continue reading...
Nasa astronauts conduct spacewalk outside International Space Station – video
Astronauts Jessica Meir and Anil Menon conduct a spacewalk outside the International Space Station, preparing the installment of new rollout solar arrays which will provide extra energy to support the station, according to Nasa Continue reading...
Aipac-linked Super Pacs spend millions in California to thwart progressive candidate
More than $5m in recent weeks have been spent in ads targeting Aisha Wahab and in support of Melissa Hernandez Super Pacs tied to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac) have spent millions in a California congressional race to keep a progressive Democrat from winning Eric Swalwell’s former seat. Aisha Wahab, a state senator who has been endorsed by the California Democratic party, is widely considered the frontrunner in the special election for the district covering a swathe of the East Bay. Continue reading...
Cambridge dons demand accountability over Jason Arday appointment
Exclusive: Academics say university must take responsibility for ‘grotesque racism’ unleashed and hold independent inquiry The University of Cambridge’s leaders deserve blame for the “grotesque racism unleashed” by Jason Arday’s appointment as professor, according to academics calling for the university to hold an independent inquiry. The Guardian understands that senior dons at Cambridge are circulating a joint letter calling for an inquiry into the processes and circumstances around Arday being given the position, with many suggesting the university wanted a “quick fix” to improve the diversity of its staff. Continue reading...
Trump administration to pay German firm $1.22bn to cut offshore wind leases
Agreement with RWE is fifth deal Trump team has made with energy companies, offering payouts to give up projects The German energy company RWE has reached a $1.22bn deal with the US government to relinquish its offshore wind leases and instead redirect funds towards fossil fuel investments. The agreement marks the fifth deal the Donald Trump administration has struck with energy companies , offering payouts in exchange for abandoning renewable energy projects and redirecting investment towards fossil fuels. Continue reading...
Covent Garden victims stabbed in the back with pair of scissors, court hears
Stella Gollovena, 47, has been charged with four counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm A woman has appeared in court accused of stabbing four men in the back with a pair of scissors in one of London’s busiest tourist districts. Stella Gollovena, 47, is accused of attacking Patrick De Barr, Thomas Harding, Adrian Lovett and Mantas Jankus during the attack in Covent Garden on Wednesday lunchtime. Continue reading...
Two men arrested after Norfolk police injured during unrest over asylum plans
Homes of people believed to be asylum seekers allegedly attacked during two nights of violence in Thetford Two men have been arrested after police were injured as they intervened to protect men believed to be asylum seekers from angry mobs trying to break into their homes. The arrests followed two nights of unrest in Thetford, Norfolk, involving more than 100 people protesting against plans to house asylum seekers in former military barracks near the market town. Continue reading...
TikTok creator Sydney Towle, who shared cancer journey, dies aged 26
The creator documented her battle with rare bile duct cancer, inspiring more than a million followers online Sydney Towle, a TikTok creator who shared her battle with stage 4 cholangiocarcinoma, or bile duct cancer, with over a million online followers, has died at age 26, her family announced on Thursday. Towle gained fame for her posts about her life as a spirited young woman that encouraged her TikTok followers to rethink how a cancer patient might look and live. Continue reading...
The Guardian view on mental health: the new secretary of state should make it a priority | Editorial
Parity for people with physical and psychological ailments has been promised for years. New neighbourhood clinics are a step in the right direction The rise in children and young people with mental health problems makes this week’s announcement of a new network of community clinics in England particularly welcome. A&E departments have recorded an increase in difficult-to-manage symptoms including aggression and hallucinations. New specialist walk-in mental health services should take some of the pressure off. The bringing forward of a deadline for ending out-of-area acute placements, and a pledge to reduce waiting times for children, are also positive. Declining mental health was among the key themes of Alan Milburn’s interim report on young people and work. It is a big factor behind the rise in claims for illness and disability benefits. Children’s anxiety and other psychological difficulties are also among the many challenges facing schools. Recent years have seen steep rises in emotionally based school avoidance , as well as in autism and neurodiversity. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here . Continue reading...
US federal judge halts order for Trump to turn over financial records to BBC
Judge issues temporary pause while he considers Trump’s request to revise his libel lawsuit against BBC A federal judge has temporarily halted an order requiring Donald Trump to turn over detailed financial information about his business empire to the BBC as part of an ongoing libel lawsuit. US district judge Roy Altman issued the temporary pause while he considers Trump’s request to revise and narrow parts of his lawsuit against the BBC over a 2024 documentary that aired in the UK. Continue reading...
FCC overturns limit on local TV ownership in win for media conglomerates
The 2-1 vote along party lines repealed ‘national cap’ that served as a key check on consolidation of the TV industry In a historic vote on Thursday morning, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted along party lines to overturn a key check against the consolidation of the television industry, throwing out a rule that prevented any one company from owning stations that collectively reach more than 39% of all US TV households. The vote is a win for television conglomerates that aim to expand their reach across the country, particularly conservative-leaning companies like Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar. Continue reading...
Ebola virus behind massive outbreak in DRC could be mutating, officials say
Cases have passed 4,000 and health watchdog plans to go door to door to find patients in major response escalation The virus causing a massive outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo could be mutating, health officials fear, as confirmed cases pass 4,000. Africa’s public health watchdog said the time for incremental action was over as they announced plans to scale up every aspect of the response and go “door to door” looking for patients. Continue reading...
Baby safely delivered after mother died in nine-storey fall
Emma Atkinson, 38, was seven months pregnant when she fell from window of flat in Leeds tower block A pregnant woman who died from a nine-storey fall had her baby safely delivered 30 minutes after her death, an inquest has heard. Emma Atkinson, 38, was seven months pregnant when she fell from the window of her father’s flat in Shakespeare Towers in the Burmantofts area of Leeds, on 22 October 2024. Continue reading...
Why has Kemi Badenoch given a former neo-Nazi an advisory role? – The Latest
Joshua Bonehill-Paine, a former neo-Nazi activist, has been offered a role as an adviser to the Conservative party by Kemi Badenoch after he withdrew as a Tory candidate for next year’s local elections. The role will reportedly be focused on how young men become radicalised. Bonehill-Paine was convicted of harassing a Jewish MP and has previously described himself as a ‘nationalist, fascist, theorist and supporter of white rights’. He says he has carried out counter-extremism work since he was released from prison. Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian political correspondent Ben Quinn – watch on YouTube Continue reading...
Perez Hilton ‘able to communicate’ after hospitalization following livestream
Family says celebrity blogger remains under medical care after viewers alerted authorities over disturbing TikTok broadcast Perez Hilton is “able to communicate”, according to a new statement released by his family, one day after the celebrity blogger appeared to self-harm during a disturbing TikTok livestream that prompted his hospitalization. In a message posted to Hilton’s blog on Wednesday evening, his family thanked supporters for the outpouring of concern. Continue reading...
Trains stop across north-west England after power cut hits signalling centre
Passengers awaiting Northern and TransPennine trains advised not to travel, with cancellations and other services delayed Trains across parts of north-west England have ground to a halt after a power failure hit the signalling centre controlling the railway in the region. Passengers awaiting Northern and TransPennine trains have been advised not to travel, with widespread cancellations and other services delayed by more than an hour already. Continue reading...
Burnham ‘personally intervened’ over possible early prison release of grooming gang perpetrators
Government ‘urgently’ identifying men convicted in historic cases who could be freed in scheme loophole UK politics live – latest updates Andy Burnham’s government is “urgently” identifying any grooming gang perpetrators who may still be eligible for early prison release after concerns were raised about a potential loophole in the system. The prime minister has “personally intervened” after men convicted of assaulting children in Bradford were expected to be freed from prison early despite a promise earlier this week that they would remain behind bars. Continue reading...