Christopher Wright, 73, shot Richard Dyson in November 2019 and then dismembered his remainsA man who killed his lodger and concealed his dismembered body in a barrel filled with concrete for more than five years has been jailed for a minimum of 35 years.Christopher Wright, a 73-year-old farmer from South Yorkshire, was convicted in July in Sheffield crown court of murdering Richard Dyson, 55, in 2019. Dyson had been living in his car on Wright’s farm in Hoyland and had been doing jobs for the then 67-year-old when the pair had a falling out. Continue reading...
David Owori, who played for the national team, died in hospital after he tried to stop robbers taking his phoneThe Ugandan football community is in mourning after the death of a player who was fatally injured during a robbery in the capital, Kampala, on Tuesday night.David Owori, who captained Sports Club Villa, a Uganda Premier League club, and represented the national team, was attacked after resisting an attempt to steal his mobile phone and other belongings. Continue reading...
Investigation by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty and Legal Agenda shows Israel deliberately attacked Amal Khalil and colleague Zeinab Faraj knowing they were civiliansAn Israeli strike that killed Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil and injured her colleague Zeinab Faraj in April was a war crime, three rights organisations said on Thursday.Investigations from Human Rights Watch (HRW), Amnesty International and Legal Agenda showed that Israel deliberately and directly attacked Khalil and Faraj, with apparent knowledge that they were civilians. The organisations called for the attacks to be investigated as war crimes, while HRW called for states to halt arm sales to Israel and put targeted sanctions on Israeli officials responsible for ongoing crimes. Continue reading...
Thames Valley chief says he may join Police Federation in court if Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers are freed from prisonThe chief constable of Thames Valley police has said he will consider joining legal action against the government if it fails to block the early release of two of PC Andrew Harper’s killers.The Police Federation is contemplating going to court in its attempts to keep Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers in prison. Continue reading...
Hits on two towns among deadliest bombings since start of June ceasefire An Israeli airstrike in south Lebanon killed one person and injured 11, the Lebanese ministry of health said, in one of Israel’s deadliest bombings since the start of the June ceasefire.Israel carried out an airstrike in the town of Tebnine, hitting a cemetery, the Lebanese health ministry said. It said the town of al-Mansouri, in south Lebanon, was also bombed, forcing families to flee. Continue reading...
Jake Richard acknowledges ‘unimaginable pain’ of Harper’s family but says government faces an ‘unenviable position’Good morning and welcome to the UK politics blog.Ministers continue to defend the release of PC Andrew Harper’s killers as part of the government’s early prisoner release scheme, despite a potential legal challenge from the Police Federation.Well, look, we understand that people are angry. The Harper family are, of course, angry. The police are angry too.We’re angry that we’re in this situation where we face the unenviable position of having to make sure that we have a sustainable prison system, which is so vital to a functioning law and order system in our country, but also that we do right by victims as far as possible.Because without a functioning prison system, it means it’s difficult for police to make arrests, it’s difficult for our courts to try cases, and it could mean to the collapse of law and order in this country.We cannot be in that situation, so that is the challenge that we face as government ministers and the prime minister faces ultimately.I feel sick to my stomach, if I’m really honest with you. I’ve had a gut wrenching feeling in my stomach the past couple of weeks with this, and it doesn’t go away.And arguably, I would say that many of my members across Thames Valley also have this gut wrenching feeling, even at the prospect of these two killers being released in the space of weeks, potentially.Ministers will scrap the requirement for companies to prove their green and progressive values before they are awarded government contracts, and instead ask firms to prove they will help young people back into work.Women should not feel pressurised into experiencing an “ideal birth”, the new health secretary, Yvette Cooper, has said, promising a root-and-branch reform of standards after several damning maternity scandals.An official investigation has been launched into charities in England and Wales donating funds to illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine.Andy Burnham has inherited a Labour membership that is sceptical about increased welfare spending, supportive of higher defence spending, and ranks the climate crisis as one of the country’s biggest challenges, according to new polling.BP’s chief executive has urged Andy Burnham to make use of the UK’s oil and gas resources even as the oil company prepares to sell its North Sea business after 60 years in the ageing basin.The Conservative party leader, Kemi Badenoch, has defended the selection of a former neo-Nazi activist as a candidate for a local election in Somerset despite him being jailed in 2016 after he was convicted of racially aggravated harassment of the former Labour MP Luciana Berger.Pupils in Scotland’s schools received their exam results this morning, with exam pass rates at all levels having risen this year, including a record number of National 5 passes. Continue reading...
Air raid alerts last for more than an hour as Moscow inflicts another heavy bombardment on Ukraine’s capitalRussian strikes in and around Kyiv killed at least 14 people, injured 27 and damaged warehouses, emergency service officials said. Some reports put the death toll at 15.Air raid alerts lasted for more than an hour as Moscow’s forces continued a series of deadly heavy attacks on the Ukrainian capital. The military administration said seven sites were hit in an assault that began on Wednesday after midnight. Continue reading...
• India has condemned the recent elections in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), labeling the process a "complete farce" amid allegations of electoral manipulation.
• The region has faced severe turmoil since June, driven by widespread protests against inflation and high electricity tariffs.
• Indian officials report that Pakistani forces have killed 90 people in the region since June to suppress the unrest.
Government revises plans to tackle prison overcrowding amid pressure from MPs and victims but domestic abusers and killers could still be released earlyGood morning and welcome to our live coverage of UK politics. The mother of PC Andrew Harper said her family are “bitterly disappointed” that her son’s killers remain eligible for early release after the government revised plans to tackle the overcrowding crisis in prisons.Following pressure from victims, MPs and frontline prison officers, rapists, child sexual abusers and groomers will be excluded from the scheme for England and Wales, the government said on Monday.It feels like we’re letting Andrew down again. We’ve been through the justice system, we thought we’d done as best as we could. Now we’re standing up to fight again … so I just feel really let down, for Andrew’s sake as well as ours. Continue reading...
Journalist’s son says his mother was examining leak from Electrogas, part owned by Yorgen Fenech who is on trialDaphne Caruana Galizia was investigating suspected corruption by the businessman Yorgen Fenech and members of Malta’s government when she was killed, a jury has heard.The heir to one of Malta’s biggest fortunes, Fenech is on trial for murder, accused of commissioning and paying for Caruana Galizia’s killing in a car bombing in October 2017. Continue reading...
• Two people were killed after firefighting helicopters collided while battling a wildfire in Greece, according to the report's headline.
• In a separate incident, police and officers from Punjab and Sindh provinces were deployed to secure elections against potential disruptions.
• Protesters from the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) established road blockades in several neighborhoods to prevent voting.
• Two crew members, one Danish and one Greek national, were killed after two firefighting helicopters collided in Greece.
• A British pilot and another Greek crew member survived the crash, though the extent of their injuries was not specified.
• The incident occurred during active firefighting operations, highlighting the high-risk nature of aerial firefighting in the region.
• A suicide bombing occurred on Sunday outside the Kabal Police Station in Pakistan's Swat district, targeting a peace rally.
• The attack resulted in at least seven deaths and left 18 other people injured.
• This incident highlights the ongoing security challenges and the persistent threat of militant violence in the region.
• A resident of Neelum Valley, identified as Raja Ehsan, was killed by security forces during firing at protesters in Athmuqam Tehsil.
• The incident occurred as the second phase of the disputed legislative assembly polls concluded amid widespread unrest and heightened regional tension.
• This violence underscores the volatility surrounding the electoral process in PoJK, where security interventions have led to fatal clashes.
Paedophile breached non-molestation order before killing and sexually assaulting girlfriend’s daughterCleveland police failed to arrest a paedophile for breaching a non-molestation order, 18 months before he murdered and sexually assaulted his girlfriend’s two-year-old daughter, Teesside crown court has heard.Isabelle Welsh died on 14 September 2025 after what police described as a “campaign of violence” against her. The two-year-old collapsed at her home in Teesside after she suffered weeks of abuse which left her with a body covered in bruises and 21 broken bones. Continue reading...
New education secretary says it is ‘false trade-off’ by critics to suggest schools cannot pursue academic excellence alongside technical skillsLucy Powell has said she wants to be an ambitious “tiger mum” for all young people, whatever their route through education, after the government was accused of dumbing down England’s schools with plans to create more vocational routes.The new education secretary said secondary pupils should be able to pursue academic excellence as well as high-quality vocational training, and it was a “false trade-off” to suggest schools could not provide both. Continue reading...
Convicted killer seeks to withdraw guilty plea and go to trial – but that could put death penalty sentence back in playCould Bryan Kohberger, convicted 13 months ago of the murders of four University of Idaho students, now find himself on death row? That’s one potential outcome of a perplexing petition he filed last week in which he claimed he was misled by his defense attorneys into pleading guilty.A new trial could grant the wishes of family members who hoped to see the 31-year doctoral criminology student convicted by a jury in open court and sentenced to death. Or is Kohberger simply following the example of many serial killers in attempting to gain control of the narrative and extend the suffering of his victims’ families? Continue reading...
• The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has strongly condemned the deteriorating law and order situation following the killing of a youth.
• The party expressed grave concern over the rising violence and the failure of security apparatuses to protect citizens.
• This incident highlights the ongoing instability and security challenges facing urban centers, fueling political tension and public outcry.
• On August 2, 2026, Russian strikes on Kyiv resulted in 10 deaths, while a separate blast in Moscow killed 3 people.
• Ukraine reported a critical shortage of Patriot interceptor missiles, leaving its capital more vulnerable to aerial attacks.
• These escalations highlight the intensifying nature of the conflict and the strain on Ukraine's air defense capabilities.
More than 20 people injured in explosion near Italian restaurant on Saturday night, authorities sayA homemade bomb carried by a woman killed three people and injured at least 21 in an explosion near a restaurant in central Moscow on Saturday evening, authorities said.The explosion occurred just before 8pm close to an Italian restaurant located in one of Moscow’s seven Stalin-era skyscrapers at Kudrinskaya Square, the police said. Continue reading...
Twenty-two people were injured in overnight attack in which Kyiv said it was able to shoot down just one of 27 Russian ballistic missilesThere has been an update by the Spanish government on the Ceuta border crisis, with officials saying the death toll has risen to 67. The government also announced plans to install a containment barrier extending from the breakwater into the sea to deter further crossings after tens of thousands of migrants entered the Spanish enclave from Morocco this week, AP reported.The Spanish foreign minister, José Albares, said that “practically the entirety of those who entered Ceuta have already returned to Morocco”. In a post on X, he added:It is not possible to travel from Ceuta or Melilla to mainland Spain without presenting identification at a police checkpoint. The integrity of the Schengen area is fully guaranteed. Continue reading...
• Two migrant workers were killed in a terror attack in Kashmir, marking another surge in regional violence.
• MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal urged the international community to hold Islamabad accountable for the "ruthless" use of force against peaceful protesters in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
• These clashes are occurring amidst ongoing elections for 45 contesting seats in the PoK legislative assembly.
Sean Grayson, diagnosed with colon cancer, was sentenced to 20 years for killing Massey in Springfield in 2024A former Illinois sheriff’s deputy won’t get an early medical release from his two-decade prison sentence for killing Sonya Massey inside her home after the Black woman called 911 about a possible prowler, state officials decided on Friday.Sean Grayson had been diagnosed with colon cancer prior to the 2024 shooting, and his attorney noted in January that the cancer had advanced to his liver and lungs. Continue reading...
Defense lawyers say Clancy was ill with postpartum psychosis when she killed three children in January 2023Jurors walked through the Massachusetts home where Lindsay Clancy strangled her three children, a rare visit on Friday that let them see first-hand the place where an outwardly ordinary family life unraveled into tragedy.After being driven past two businesses relevant to the narrative of the January 2023 killings, jurors were escorted in groups of six to view the inside of the house, including the basement where the children died.In the US, you can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...
Exclusive: Danielle Kirton calls on Ed Miliband to help her get answers about why evacuation order came too lateThe bereaved daughter of a British couple who died in a Spanish wildfire is calling on Ed Miliband to get answers from Spain’s government about why her parents were not told to evacuate until it was too late.Severe wildfires have burned across Spain and France since early July, killing people, destroying thousands of homes and forcing more than 300,000 people to flee. Continue reading...
Rudakubana, serving life sentence for murders of three girls at dance event in 2024, charged with multiple assaultsThe Southport killer Axel Rudakubana serving life in prison for the murders of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event in 2024 has been charged with multiple assaults on prison staff, police have said.On 29 July 2024, Rudakubana, then 17, launched a frenzied knife attack in Southport, north-west England, killing Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine. Continue reading...
• At least 90 civilians have been shot dead by security forces in Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) since June during protests for free elections and basic amenities.
• The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), the coalition leading the grassroots movement, reports that 20 activists were killed in clashes since this past Monday.
• Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif defended the brutal crackdown, labeling the protesters as "enemies" and comparing them to India.
• A coal mine explosion in Pakistan has resulted in at least 11 deaths, with dozens of miners still trapped underground.
• Rescue operations are underway to locate survivors and extract those remaining in the mine following the blast.
• The tragedy highlights the critical safety risks and lack of oversight often associated with mining operations in the region.
Huge missile and drone attack on Ukraine as Poland’s Tusk prepares to travel to impact site discovered in east of countryAt least 13 people were killed and dozens injured in another night of heavy Russian attacks on Ukraine, with neighbouring Poland also investigating an reported airspace violation and explosion on its territory.Russia launched 74 missiles and 284 drones against targets in Ukraine, with casualties reported primarily in Dnipropetrovsk and Lviv regions. Continue reading...
Police link shooting to gang violence but have not said who might have fired bullets that killed bystanders on SundayBullets that fatally struck two bystanders during a shootout at a Seattle food festival last weekend do not appear to have come from the gun that a 15-year-old arrested at the scene was firing, police said in court documents filed on Wednesday.The teen sprayed an untraceable “ghost gun” into a crowd, authorities say. Preliminary ballistics testing did not match the bullets recovered from the deceased bystanders to that weapon. Continue reading...
