Covent Garden victims stabbed in the back with pair of scissors, court hears

• Tensions are escalating in Lebanon, causing the second day of diplomatic talks to end prematurely due to volatile events on the ground. • U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed optimism that a deal to resolve the conflict could be reached in the near future.

• Two Israeli soldiers were killed in Lebanon, marking the first Israeli fatalities since a ceasefire was established with Hezbollah in June. • The deaths occurred during an escalation of tensions despite the existing truce intended to stabilize the border region.

More than $5m in recent weeks have been spent in ads targeting Aisha Wahab and in support of Melissa HernandezSuper 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...

Exclusive: Academics say university must take responsibility for ‘grotesque racism’ unleashed and hold independent inquiryThe 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...

Agreement with RWE is fifth deal Trump team has made with energy companies, offering payouts to give up projectsThe 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...

Homes of people believed to be asylum seekers allegedly attacked during two nights of violence in ThetfordTwo 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...

The creator documented her battle with rare bile duct cancer, inspiring more than a million followers onlineSydney 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...

Judge issues temporary pause while he considers Trump’s request to revise his libel lawsuit against BBCA 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...

The 2-1 vote along party lines repealed ‘national cap’ that served as a key check on consolidation of the TV industryIn 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...

Cases have passed 4,000 and health watchdog plans to go door to door to find patients in major response escalationThe 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...

Emma Atkinson, 38, was seven months pregnant when she fell from window of flat in Leeds tower blockA 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...