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JK Rowling urges students not to volunteer at orphanages Author highlights evidence suggesting that ‘orphanage tourism’ drives families apart and makes children vulnerable to abuseJK Rowling has called on students around the world not to volunteer at orphanages, pointing to emerging evidence that “orphanage tourism” drives family separation and child trafficking.Speaking at the One Young World summit in London, the global forum for young leaders, the Harry Potter author and founder and president of children’s charity Lumos, said orphanages do “irreparable harm” and “perpetuate the abuse” of children and communities. Continue reading... Go to Source

Man charged over murders at party in Milton Keynes Charlie Chandler, 21, charged with murder of two 17-year-old boys and attempted murderA man has been charged with the murder of two 17-year-old boys and the attempted murder of two other males at a birthday party at a house in Milton Keynes.Charlie Chandler, 21, from Bletchley, was charged on Thursday in relation to the attacks on Saturday night. Continue reading... Go to Source

Essex lorry deaths: all 39 victims were Chinese nationals Police say 31 men and eight women were found in trailer, as details of its journey emergeThe 39 people found dead in a lorry trailer in Essex were Chinese nationals, police have confirmed.The victims, discovered in a refrigerated trailer in Grays on Wednesday, were eight women and 31 men, Essex police added. Continue reading... Go to Source

Brexit: Swinson urges Corbyn to back second referendum amid wait for EU extension decision - live news Rolling updates of today’s political developments, including the Queen’s speech vote, division over a possible election and EU debate over Brexit extensionFull story: Cabinet split over pre-Christmas electionCorbyn urged to resist election callsAnalysis: Labour reluctance goes beyond no-deal fears 1.06pm BST• Boris Johnson’s cabinet is divided over how to proceed with Brexit, as the prime minister faces the stark choice of pressing ahead with his deal or gambling his premiership on a pre-Christmas general election.After an inconclusive meeting with Jeremy Corbyn on Wednesday morning in an attempt to agree an acceptable timetable for parliament to consider the bill, the prime mini...

Nusrat Jahan Rafi: 16 sentenced to death over Bangladesh murder Student set on fire after refusing to withdraw sexual harassment claim against headteacherSixteen Bangladeshis have been sentenced to death for the murder of a 19-year-old student, Nusrat Jahan Rafi, who was burned to death in April after complaining of being sexually harassed by her school principal.Among those found guilty were former members of the school’s administration, teachers and pupils – 12 of the 16 having confessed to participating in the killing in which Rafi was lured on to the school’s roof, doused in paraffin and set alight. Continue reading... Go to Source

Meet Adrenaline: Asterix gets first female hero in 60-year history Asterix and the Chieftain’s Daughter, released on Thursday, stars a rebellious teenage Gaul who keeps Asterix and Obelix on their toesAsterix, the indomitable pint-sized Gaul forever outfoxing the Romans, is taking a step back for a female hero for the first time in the beloved comic’s 60-year history.In a move to update the books, which have been entertaining readers since 1959 and spawned multiple movie spinoffs, the action in Asterix and the Chieftain’s Daughter revolves around Adrenaline, the teenage daughter of famous Gaulish king Vercingetorix. Continue reading... Go to Source

Franco's remains exhumed and flown to cemetery near Madrid Spanish dictator’s body moved from tomb in the Valley of the Fallen to lie alongside his wifeSpain exhumes Franco’s remains – in picturesThe body of the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco has been exhumed from the tomb in the Valley of the Fallen where it has lain since his death in 1975 and is being taken by helicopter to lie alongside that of his wife in a cemetery near Madrid.Shortly after 10.30am local time (0930 BST) on Thursday, the Spanish government announced the operation to move his body was under way. Continue reading... Go to Source

Police work to identify 39 people found dead inside lorry in Essex Murder investigation launched alongside inquiry into possible role of organised crime groupsPolice officers are working to identify 39 people found dead in the back of a lorry in Essex as part of a wide-ranging murder investigation into the UK’s worst such tragedy in almost 20 years.Essex police were alerted to the discovery of the bodies of 38 adults and one teenager in a unit at an industrial park in Grays by the ambulance service at 1.40am on Wednesday. Continue reading... Go to Source

Chaos erupts as Republicans barge into Trump impeachment inquiry hearing Group chanting ‘Let us in’ enter closed-door meeting where top Pentagon official who oversees Ukraine policy was to testifyAmbassador’s Ukraine testimony leaves Trump struggling to respondPolitical tensions over an intensifying impeachment inquiry reached fever pitch on Wednesday as Republicans “stormed” a closed-door committee hearing on Capitol Hill disrupting a crucial deposition related to the Ukraine controversy was appearing – a day after devastating testimony from a key diplomat. Related: Republicans are finally realising Trump is his own worst enemy – and theirs | Richard Wolffe Continue reading... Go to Source

Johnson's cabinet split over gambling on pre-Christmas election Prime minister awaits decision of EU27 over extension before next moveBoris Johnson’s cabinet is divided over how to proceed with Brexit, as the prime minister faces the stark choice of pressing ahead with his deal or gambling his premiership on a pre-Christmas general election.After an inconclusive meeting with Jeremy Corbyn on Wednesday morning in an attempt to agree an acceptable timetable for parliament to consider the bill, the prime minister told MPs at Wednesday’s PMQs that he was awaiting the decision of the EU27 over whether to grant an extension before settling his next move. The EU’s decision is unlikely to come before Friday. Continue reading... Go to Source

Rose McGowan says Weinstein launched 'diabolical' effort to silence her Movie mogul engaged fixers, lawyers and spies to intimidate actor over her allegations of rape, she says in lawsuitThe actor Rose McGowan alleges in a new lawsuit that the film mogul Harvey Weinstein took “diabolical” actions when he learned she was going to write in a memoir that the producer had raped her decades prior, engaging a team of fixers, lawyers and an international spy agency to intimidate and silence her. “This case is about a diabolical and illegal effort by one of America’s most powerful men and his representatives to silence sexual-assault victims. And it is about the courageous women and journalists who persisted to reveal the truth,” the actor alleges in the lawsuit filed in a California fede...

Superyachts and private jets: spending of corrupt super-rich revealed Groundbreaking analysis finds £300bn of suspect funds funnelled through the UK The multimillion pound spending habits of corrupt members of the global super-rich – including 421 luxury homes, three superyachts, seven private jets as well as elite private school fees and even hovercraft – have been revealed in a groundbreaking analysis of more than 400 money laundering and corruption cases.Research by Transparency International, an anti-corruption campaign group, found more than £300bn of suspect funds have been funnelled through the UK banks, law firms and accountants before being spent on a £1m Cartier diamond ring, masterpiece art works from Sotheby’s, and a £50,000 Tom Ford crocodile-skin jacket with matching...

Driver arrested after 39 bodies found in lorry container in Essex Man, 25, from Northern Ireland held on suspicion of murder after bodies found in GraysA murder investigation has been launched after 39 bodies were found inside a lorry from Bulgaria on an industrial estate in Essex.A 25-year-old driver, from Northern Ireland, has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Continue reading... Go to Source

US envoy says Trump used military aid to push Ukraine to investigate Biden Ambassador Bill Taylor’s testimony met with ‘sighs and gasps’Push to target Biden described in leaked testimony – liveThe acting US ambassador to Kyiv has provided congressional committees conducting impeachment hearings a detailed account of how Donald Trump repeatedly sought to make a summit meeting and military aid to Ukraine conditional on its government launching investigations into the president’s political opponents.Bill Taylor’s testimony was the latest in a series of depositions by serving and former administration officials, as part of the impeachment inquiry, about Trump’s use of the presidency to put pressure on the Ukrainian government to procure compromising information on his political rivals...

Brexit: Johnson holds PMQs after meeting Corbyn to discuss timetable for bill – live news Prime minister will have to decide whether to carry through with call for election if EU offers lengthy extensionMPs reject Boris Johnson’s attempt to fast-track Brexit dealLabour to back general election once EU approves delayWhat happened last night and what comes next? 12.53pm BSTHere’s our story on that meeting between the prime minister and Jeremy Corbyn. Related: Johnson and Corbyn fail to agree timetable for 'paused' Brexit bill 12.46pm BSTSome more details are emerging about the meeting held between Corbyn and Boris Johnson this morning.Govt sources confirm “PM met Corbyn this morning in his office in the HoC labour to discuss whether labour would back a timetable that allows us to a...

Labour defends West Midlands mayoral list amid 'homophobia' row MPs demand removal of candidate Salma Yaqoob over alleged homophobic commentsLabour has defended its shortlist for the West Midlands metro mayor after it was embroiled in a homophobia row.Members of the party’s LGBT group demanded the removal of the candidate Salma Yaqoob, the former leader of the Respect party, over alleged homophobic comments. Continue reading... Go to Source

Universities failing to address thousands of racist incidents Institutions are in denial about the scale of the problem, warns government equality watchdogUniversities are failing to address tens of thousands of racist incidents every year because they are in denial about the scale of the problem, the government’s equality watchdog has warned.An inquiry by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) found that about a quarter of minority ethnic students, including non-British white students, said they had experienced racial harassment since the start of their course. Continue reading... Go to Source

MPs reject Boris Johnson's attempt to fast-track Brexit deal PM fails to restrict scrutiny of bill to just three days in effort to meet 31 October deadlineBoris Johnson’s plan to fast-track his Brexit deal through parliament in time for next week’s 31 October deadline was blocked by MPs on Tuesday night, even after he threatened to pull it and press for a general election.The prime minister said he would speak to EU leaders and urge them not to agree to a prolonged Brexit extension after former Tory cabinet ministers Philip Hammond and Rory Stewart joined with Labour to inflict a humiliating defeat on the government. Continue reading... Go to Source

Labour to back general election once EU approves Brexit delay Testy shadow cabinet meeting fails to support Keir Starmer’s ‘referendum first’ stanceLatest Brexit news – live updatesLabour is ready to vote for a general election as soon as EU27 leaders have signed off on a Brexit extension, despite the desire of some senior party figures to secure a referendum first, the Guardian understands.Labour has twice abstained when the prime minister asked for an election under the terms of the fixed-term parliaments act, which requires a two-thirds majority. Continue reading... Go to Source

Withdrawal bill: How did your MP vote on the timetable motion? MPs have inflicted yet another defeat on Boris Johnson by rejecting his proposal to fast-track the final parliamentary stages of the EU withdrawal bill. Find out how each MP voted. Continue reading... Go to Source

Don't buy the hype: Boris Johnson's Brexit deal did not win approval | Jonathan Freedland MPs have voted for the bill to go forward, but that doesn’t mean they all back it – or that the saga is ending any time soonIt’s not over. For a few anxious, or jubilant - depending on which tribe you belong to – minutes between 7.15pm and 7.30pm, it seemed as if the Brexit saga might just be on the verge of resolution, after three and a half agonisingly long years. The House of Commons voted to allow Boris Johnson’s withdrawal agreement bill to advance to the next stage, a prize that had eluded Theresa May not once, not twice, but three times.What’s more, MPs gave it a green light more emphatically than even the most ardent Brexiters had dared hope. While May had been crushed by triple-figu...

What does Boris Johnson's withdrawal bill actually say? Here’s everything you need to know about the legal framework for the PM’s proposed Brexit dealLatest Brexit news - live updatesIt is here – the legislation setting out the legal framework for Boris Johnson’s proposed Brexit deal. The withdrawal agreement bill, or WAB, is 115 pages long, with an extra 126 pages of explanatory notes. It was published at 8pm on Monday, giving MPs 12 hours to digest details of the most notable constitutional change to the UK’s status in decades before the Commons resumes and they must cast their first votes on it. But what does it say? Continue reading... Go to Source

Johnson threatens to scrap Brexit bill and seek election before Christmas PM faces down MPs pushing for concessions to prevent no deal before agreeing to timetableLatest Brexit news – live updatesBoris Johnson has threatened to pull the Brexit legislation and seek an election rather than accept a three-month delay, but hinted he could live with a very short extension from the EU.Speaking in parliament on Tuesday, the prime minister attempted to stop MPs voting down his timetable for the legislation that gives them only three-days to scrutinise the bill. Continue reading... Go to Source

Brexit: MPs begin debate on withdrawal agreement bill - live news Rolling updates on today’s political developments as prime minister plans to ram his deal through parliament by ThursdayDonald Tusk: EU likely to grant extension requestMinister says MPs opposing bill are trying to thwart BrexitWithdrawal bill: what does Johnson’s version say? 1.29pm BSTBoris Johnson is up to open the debate on the withdrawal agreement bill. (You can watch the live feed at the top of this blog.)The prime minister says he wishes that the house had voted for the deal on Saturday, but that he still has “the utmost respect” for Oliver Letwin, though he disagrees with him. 1.23pm BSTMPs are taking their seats in preparation for the debate on the withdrawal agreement bill. Boris Johnson is set to open the...

More Tories might back PM's Brexit timetable if no-deal loophole closed Loophole would allow UK to crash out on World Trade Organization terms at end of yearLatest Brexit news – live updatesSoft-Brexit Conservatives could back Boris Johnson’s plan to push through his deal in three days if the government agrees to close a loophole that would allow the UK to crash out on World Trade Organization terms at the end of next year.Rory Stewart, one of the 21 Tories who had the whip withdrawn, said he and some of his fellow rebels had been negotiating “through the night” to give parliament more control over the next phase of the Brexit negotiations, including being able to vote for an extension to the talks. Continue reading... Go to Source

Erdoğan threatens to ramp up assault on Kurds in Syria 'safe zone' Turkish leader says he will act ‘even more strongly’ as end of US-brokered ceasefire loomsThe Turkish president has threatened to press ahead with an operation against Kurdish-led forces in Syria “even more strongly” if promises made by the US regarding the withdrawal of Kurdish fighters have not been met by the time a five-day ceasefire expires.Up to 1,300 fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are yet to vacate Ankara’s proposed border “safe zone”, as per the terms of a ceasefire announced by the US vice-president, Mike Pence, in Ankara last week, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told reporters before flying to Russia. Continue reading... Go to Source

Boris Johnson drawn into row over 'unsafe' Hillingdon hospital Hospital in prime minister’s constituency has moved child patients because of subsidenceBoris Johnson has been drawn into a row over the future of his local hospital, parts of which are so dangerous that patients have been moved out of wards to ensure their safety.The prime minister has become involved in a dispute involving NHS chiefs and local MPs over whether Hillingdon hospital in his north-west London constituency should be rebuilt where it stands, when it is knocked down, or on another site. Continue reading... Go to Source

Danish lighthouse put on wheels to move it away from eroding sea Rubjerg Knude used to be 200 metres away from coast before sand shifting and erosionA 120-year-old lighthouse has been put on wheels and rails to move it away from the North Sea, which has been eroding the coastline of north-western Denmark.When the 23-metre (75ft) Rubjerg Knude lighthouse was first lit in 1900, it was roughly 200 metres from the coast; now it is about only six. Continue reading... Go to Source

Brother of Manchester Arena bomber pleads not guilty to 22 murders Hashem Abedi, 22, denies all charges relating to explosion at Ariana Grande concert in 2017The brother of the Manchester Arena bomber has denied murdering 22 people who were killed while leaving an Ariane Grande concert in 2017.Hashem Abedi, 22, also pleaded not guilty to one count of attempted murder, encompassing all the injured victims, and conspiring with his brother to cause explosions. Continue reading... Go to Source

Boris Johnson in final push to ram through Brexit deal PM will seek to win two crucial votes on Tuesday in bid to leave EU by 31 October deadlineBoris Johnson will make a final bid on Tuesday to force Brexit through by the 31 October “do or die” deadline, amid growing signs he will make a renewed push for a general election whether his deal passes or not.Johnson has already requested a delay to Brexit, by sending the letter to Brussels required by the backbench Benn act after MPs declined to support his deal on Saturday – something he said he would rather be “dead in a ditch” than do. Continue reading... Go to Source