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Prince Andrew to step back from public duties 'for foreseeable future' Duke of York issues statement amid criticism over relationship with Jeffrey EpsteinThe Queen has given permission for Prince Andrew to “step back from public duties for the foreseeable future” after days of mounting pressure following his interview with the BBC about his friendship with the convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.The Duke of York also said he was “willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations if required” over the US probe into Epstein. Continue reading... Go to Source

Sondland's bombshell testimony blows holes in Trump's Ukraine defence Ambassador to EU testifies as House impeachment hearingSondland: ‘We followed the president’s orders’A star witness at the impeachment inquiry has delivered a devastating blow to Donald Trump, testifying about the existence of a quid pro quo with Ukraine and insisting: “We followed the president’s orders.”Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, stunned Washington with bombshell evidence that blew a hole in the White House’s defences, implicated numerous senior officials and left the US president facing probable impeachment. Continue reading... Go to Source

Extinction Rebellion founder’s Holocaust remarks spark fury German politicians accuse Roger Hallam of downplaying significance of genocideA co-founder of Extinction Rebellion has sparked anger in Germany after referring to the Holocaust as “just another fuckery in human history”.Roger Hallam has been accused of downplaying the Nazis’ genocide of 6 million Jews by arguing in an interview that the significance of the Holocaust has been overplayed. Continue reading... Go to Source

General election: Liberal Democrats promise £50bn windfall from stopping Brexit at manifesto launch – live news Lib Dems say they are only party to offer credible plan for climate crisis; prime minister reveals national insurance manifesto pledgeLib Dems’ manifesto pledges £5bn duty rise for frequent flyersNo deal made with Labour on Scottish referendum, says SturgeonSign up for Andrew Sparrow’s evening election briefing 5.51pm GMTListen in to this week’s Politics Weekly, as my colleague Heather Stewart is joined by Ayesha Hazarika, Paul Harrison and Will Jennings to pick apart the ITV debate. Plus, Rowena Mason calls in from the Tory battlebus and Peter Walker reports from the Green party’s manifesto launch: Related: When Johnson met Corbyn – Politics Weekly podcast 5.46pm GMTJo Swi...

Police investigating Caruana Galizia murder arrest businessman on yacht Maltese journalist was killed by car bomb on Mediterranean island in 2017A prominent Maltese businessman has been arrested onboard his yacht as it was heading out to sea, in an operation linked to the murder of the Maltese anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.Armed forces personnel boarded a vessel at about 5.30am on Wednesday and detained Yorgen Fenech. Continue reading... Go to Source

English nationalist MP candidate found guilty of harassing Anna Soubry Amy Dalla Mura banned from campaigning in Broxtowe after targeting Soubry over Brexit A Brexit supporter who is standing against the remainer Anna Soubry in the general election has been found guilty of harassing her and banned from campaigning in her constituency.Amy Dalla Mura, 56, targeted Soubry between January and March this year, turning up at events and calling her a traitor on live television, Westminster magistrates court heard. Continue reading... Go to Source

Twitter accuses Tories of misleading public with 'factcheck' foray Dominic Raab defends rebranding account during debate and adds: ‘no one gives a toss’ Latest election news - live updatesTwitter has accused the Conservatives of misleading the public after they rebranded one of their official party accounts to make it look like a factchecking service during the ITV leaders’ debate.The party was widely criticised on Tuesday night when it temporarily changed the name of its Conservative campaign headquarters press office Twitter account, which is followed by nearly 76,000 users, to factcheckUK from its usual CCHQPress. Continue reading... Go to Source

Oxford Union president steps down in wake of blind student row Brendan McGrath resigns from debating society after student forcibly removed from eventThe president of the Oxford Union has bowed to pressure to resign after a blind student was dragged by his ankles from a debate event by a security guard.Ebenezer Azamati, a postgraduate student from Ghana, was forcibly removed from the event last month when he tried to return to his seat before a debate. Continue reading... Go to Source

José Mourinho appointed Tottenham manager after Pochettino sacked Mauricio Pochettino sacked by Spurs on Tuesday nightMourinho: ‘The quality in the squad excites me’Tottenham Hotspur have acted swiftly to appoint José Mourinho as their new manager on a contract that will run until the end of the 2022-23 season following Mauricio Pochettino’s sacking on Tuesday.Less than 12 hours after Pochettino was relieved of his duties by chairman Daniel Levy, Spurs confirmed that Mourinho will take charge of his third Premier League club after two spells at Chelsea and one at Manchester United. That ended with him being sacked by United in December last year, with the 56-year-old having since worked as a television pundit. Continue reading... Go to Source

Former UK official in Hong Kong 'tortured in 15-day China ordeal' Simon Cheng, who worked at consulate, alleges repeated mental and physical abuseA former employee of the British consulate in Hong Kong has alleged he was tortured while being detained in China, during a 15-day ordeal in which he said he was branded “a British spy and secret agent” and held in solitary confinement.The UK foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, has summoned the Chinese ambassador to demand an explanation after Simon Cheng, a Hong Kong citizen who worked for the British government for two years, went public with his account of repeated physical and mental torture. Continue reading... Go to Source

Fossil fuel production on track for double the safe climate limit ‘We’re in a deep hole over the climate crisis and we need to stop digging,’ warn expertsThe world’s nations are on track to produce more than twice as much coal, oil and gas as can be burned in 2030 while restricting rise in the global temperature to 1.5C, analysis shows.The report is the first to compare countries’ stated plans for fossil fuel extraction with the goals of the Paris climate agreement, which is to keep global heating well below 2C above pre-industrial levels, and to aim for 1.5C. It exposes a huge gap, with fossil fuel production in 2030 heading for 50% more than is consistent with 2C, and 120% more than that for 1.5C. Continue reading... Go to Source