Met police investigate incident, removing five officers from frontline duties after member of the public discovers items Armed police officers protecting the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, allegedly left a bag containing guns and a Taser on the street which was discovered by a member of the public.The Metropolitan police said on Friday it was investigating the incident and five officers had been removed from frontline duties while inquiries were being carried out. Continue reading...
Pentagon announces Randy George retiring from role as US army chief of staff, âeffective immediatelyâSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxRandy George, the US armyâs top officer, is stepping down from his role after defense secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly requested that he retire immediately. The Pentagon confirmed on Thursday that George, who had been serving as the armyâs 41st chief of staff, is retiring.âGeneral Randy A. George will be retiring from his position as the 41st Chief of Staff of the Army effective immediately. The Department of War is grateful for General Georgeâs decades of service to our nation. We wish him well in his retirement,â Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement shared on social media. Continue reading...
⢠The sci-fi adventure "Project Hail Mary," starring Ryan Gosling and directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, earned $54.5 million in its second weekend, holding strongly with only a 32% dip from its opening.
⢠The film has grossed $300.8 million worldwide in two weeks and marks the biggest hit of 2026 thus far, achieving the best non-franchise opening weekend since "Oppenheimer" in 2023.
⢠Horror films are reaching saturation in the market, with "They Will Kill You" debuting as a disappointing new release with only $5 million for Warner Bros.
Conviction revealed during questioning of Rob Hastings about a second woman whom he deceived into intimate relationshipAn undercover officer who deceived a woman into an intimate relationship was later convicted and dismissed from the police for assaulting his long-term partner, the public inquiry into undercover policing has heard.Rob Hastings, who infiltrated pro-Palestinian and left wing protest groups for three years during his covert deployment, was convicted of assaulting his now ex-partner and mother of his three children in 2014. He was sacked by the Metropolitan police for gross misconduct as a result. Continue reading...
Mayor of Hartford has fired a white police officer who fatally shot a Black man in a mental health crisis nine timesSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxA white Connecticut police officer who fatally shot a Black man 30 seconds after arriving at the scene, where three fellow officers had spent several minutes trying to de-escalate the situation, was fired Friday.Arunan Arulampalam, Hartfordâs mayor, said in a statement that he terminated Officer Joseph Magnano effective immediately in connection with the 27 February shooting of Steven Jones, who was on a city street holding a knife. The killing came eight days after a different Hartford officer fatally shot another man in a mental health crisis. Continue reading...
Joshua Jaynes and Kyle Meany were accused of lying on document used to enter Taylorâs house on night of shootingA federal judge has dismissed charges against two former Louisville police officers accused of falsifying the warrant used to enter Breonna Taylorâs apartment the night police shot her to death.Charles Simpson, a US district judge, issued a one-page ruling on Friday throwing out charges against Joshua Jaynes and Kyle Meany, two former officers involved in crafting the Taylor warrant. Continue reading...
Exchanges about US ambassador appointment may be lost after McSweeneyâs phone was stolenUK politics live â latest updatesPeter Mandelson will be asked to supply messages from his personal phone as part of the investigation into his appointment as Keir Starmerâs ambassador to the US.In February, MPs forced the government to commit to publishing tens of thousands of documents after a controversy erupted over the prime ministerâs awareness of the former peerâs links to the convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein before he was given the prestigious posting. Continue reading...
Scotland Yard investigating off-duty officerâs apparent involvement in altercation with journalists covering arson attack in Golders GreenA volunteer police officer is being investigated over claims he sought to intimidate Al Jazeera journalists who were covering a suspected antisemitic hate crime in north-west London on Monday, Scotland Yard has said.David Soffer, who was off-duty at the time of his alleged involvement, has been referred to the Metâs department of professional standards over his apparent involvement in the altercation between Golders Green residents and the journalists. Continue reading...
Rule change follows high court challenge brought by two doctors prevented from working in specialist fieldsDoctors who have been prevented from working in the NHS while they wait for asylum decisions are celebrating after the Home Office agreed to lift the ban. The changes come into force on Thursday.The changes to the immigration rules follow a high court challenge by two specialist doctors who had the relevant qualifications to work for the NHS but were prevented from taking up work. Doctors who have a break in their practice can quickly become deskilled. Until now, the ban has remained in place despite shortages of doctors and other healthcare professionals in some parts of the NHS. Continue reading...
Susie Wiles was on plane and witnessed event, according to files shown to House judiciary committeeFederal prosecutors examined whether Donald Trump showed a classified map to people on his plane after his first term, including to his now White House chief of staff, Susie Wiles, according to justice department materials produced to the House judiciary committee.The incident was described in a 13 January 2023 briefing memo prepared for the then attorney general, Merrick Garland â roughly six months before special counsel Jack Smith charged Trump with retaining classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago club. Continue reading...
⢠Project Hail Mary debuted with $80.6 million at the US box office this weekend, marking the biggest opening of 2026 so far.
⢠Starring Ryan Gosling and Sandra Hßller, the film achieved the largest opening ever for distributor Amazon MGM Studios.
⢠The sci-fi adaptation of Andy Weir's novel highlights strong audience interest in major studio releases amid competitive weekend performance.
Park police chief says officer was âambushedâ by two gunmen who fired as officer drove in unmarked vehicleA US park police officer was seriously wounded Monday evening in a shooting in Washington DC in what the park police chief called an ambush.Park police chief Scott Brecht said in a press briefing that the unidentified officer was âambushedâ by two gunmen who fired at the officer as he drove by in an unmarked vehicle. The officer was working on a park police investigation when he was shot. The chief declined to give specifics of the investigation. Continue reading...
Former White House strategist says current situation at airports will help âreally perfect ICEâs involvement in the 2026 midterm electionsâHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.The former White House strategist and podcaster Steve Bannon has suggested the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers at airports is a âtest runâ for using them at polling stations in the midterms later this year.We can use whatâs happening with these ICE [officers] helping out at the airports, we can use this as a test run, as a test case to really perfect ICEâs involvement in the 2026 midterm elections, sir?Yeah, I think we should have ICE agents at the polling places, because if youâre an illegal alien you canât vote, right? Itâs against the law, itâs a federal crime for you to vote in federal elections.And so, if youâre an American citizen, you should be happy that ICE is there, because youâre not going to have illegal aliens canceling out your vote.The US Senate confirmed Markwayne Mullin to serve as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, elevating the Republican senator to a role where he will be among the public faces of Donald Trumpâs crackdown on undocumented immigrants. The Republican controlled chamber confirmed Mullin largely along party lines, with a vote of 54-45. More here.Donald Trump has claimed there have been talks between the US and Iran over the past day in which the two sides had âmajor points of agreementâ, appearing to avert a potentially severe escalation of the conflict. Tehran has denied the claim, in which Trump also speculated that a deal could soon be done to end the war. Iranâs foreign ministry spokesperson said no talks had been held with the US since the bombing campaign began 24 days ago. More here.The US supreme court appeared poised to curtail how mail-in ballots can be counted if they arrive after election day, which would affect laws in more than a dozen states during a midterm election year. The justices are considering Watson v Republican National Committee, a challenge over a Mississippi state law that was brought in 2024 by the Republican party. More here.California attorney general Rob Bonta said he has sued the US energy department to stop it from using a cold-war era law to restart the long-disputed Sable Offshore pipeline system linking the Santa Ynez offshore platform to California refineries. US energy secretary Chris Wright earlier this month restarted the pipelines using powers granted to him by Donald Trump through an executive order that invoked the Defense Production Act to supersede state laws. More here.Prediction markets are facing fresh bipartisan scrutiny in the US Senate as companies such as Kalshi and Polymarket continue to battle state-led efforts to regulate online betting. A bill was introduced in the US Senate on Monday that would ban federally regulated platforms from allowing wagers on sporting events, what would be a huge blow to marketplaces where billions of dollars have been traded on major events like the Super Bowl and the NCAAâs March Madness. More here. Continue reading...
Sudanese and Afghan students with offers to study in UK say governmentâs âemergency brakeâ is discriminatoryThe women banned from studying in BritainSix students from Sudan and Afghanistan have accused the home secretary of racial discrimination and launched legal action to try to overturn a ban on them taking up university places in the UK.The students â five from Sudan and one from Afghanistan â have undergraduate degrees in medicine and science-based subjects and received offers from universities including Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial College London. Continue reading...
Barrister who represented Indigenous Palm Island community says appointing Darren Robinson to the Legal Aid board is a âslap in the face to the family of Mulrunji DoomadgeeâGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA barrister who acted for Mulrunji Doomadgeeâs family says it is âunacceptableâ for a former police officer criticised for his conduct in investigating the 2004 death in custody to serve on the stateâs Legal Aid board.Andrew Boe represented Doomadgeeâs family and the Palm Island community council at an aborted coronial inquest in 2005 and then in subsequent inquests in 2006 and 2010. Continue reading...
⢠President Trump directed federal immigration agents to assist TSA at US airports during a partial shutdown over Department of Homeland Security funding, with agents guarding exit lanes and checking passenger IDs unless Democrats agree to fund the agency.
⢠White House border czar Tom Homan is leading the airport security effort and has been meeting with bipartisan senators, though negotiations have not yet reached total agreement on resolving the shutdown.
⢠Democrats are demanding major changes to federal immigration operations and have stated willingness to fund TSA and most DHS components, citing concerns about escalated tensions among frustrated travelers and unpaid screeners.
⢠Amazon MGM's 'Project Hail Mary,' starring Ryan Gosling, debuted at number one with $80.5 million in North American ticket sales, marking the best opening for a non-franchise film since 'Oppenheimer.'
⢠The sci-fi epic, centered on Gosling's amnesiac astronaut racing to save the sun, drew about 5 million ticket buyers, with premium large format screens accounting for 56% of the gross and IMAX at 24%.
⢠Amazon MGM Studios head Kevin Wilson stated, 'What weâre seeing in theaters â the energy, the exit scores, the word-of-mouth â is everything we believed this film would deliver.'
Exclusive: Townsville lawyer and former detective Darren Robinsonâs appointment by attorney general Deb Frecklington has âbrought back a lot of traumaâ for Indigenous communityGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Queensland government has âopened old woundsâ by appointing a former police detective who was heavily criticised for his role in events surrounding the 2004 riots on Palm Island to the stateâs Legal Aid board, say First Nations community leaders and members of the legal fraternity.The Liberal National party government sacked and replaced all Labor-appointed members of the Legal Aid Queensland board last month. Continue reading...
Officer said he held himself responsible for accidentally phoning activist while in secret special branch meetingAn undercover police officer has admitted he was exposed as an infiltrator by his own blunder, which has been described by activists as worthy of Inspector Clouseau, the spycops public inquiry has heard.The officer, who used the fake name Simon Wellings, jeopardised his own covert deployment by mistakenly recording himself discussing individual campaigners with other special branch officers. Continue reading...
Officials understood to be investigating use of visas by company linked to Ahmadi Religion of Peace and LightThe Home Office is investigating a company linked to a religious sect based in Cheshire over its use of immigration visas.The company under investigation is linked to the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light (AROPL), a sect that blends tenets of Islam with conspiracy theories about the Illuminati and aliens controlling US presidents. Followers believe the sectâs leader, Abdullah Hashem, can cure the sick and make the moon disappear. About 100 of his followers live in a former orphanage in Crewe, in the north-west of England. Continue reading...
Gwyn Samuels, who committed crimes as James Bubb, befriended both victims online befriended both victims onlineA Metropolitan police officer who raped a girl and a woman after âsystematicallyâ grooming them both online has been jailed for 24 years.James Bubb, who now identifies as a woman named Gwyn Samuels, first sexually assaulted the girl when she was just 12 years old after befriending her online in 2018, the trial at Aylesbury crown court was told last year. Continue reading...
Jesus Javier Gomez Islas, 23, says in filing against LAPD he has permanently lost vision in one eye due to unjustified munition fired at his faceA 23-year-old Los Angeles man who attended a recent immigration protest outside a federal building says he was blinded in one eye by a law enforcement projectile.Jesus Javier Gomez Islas filed a claim against the LA police department (LAPD) on Thursday stemming from permanent injuries he says he suffered at a 31 January demonstration outside the Metropolitan Detention Center. The federal facility has been the site of frequent protests against Donald Trumpâs immigration crackdown and was the site of âICE Outâ rallies that week. Continue reading...
Prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre says connections have been proved between those in âtrusted and central positionsâ and late sex offenderThe Norwegian parliament has voted unanimously to appoint an independent investigative commission to look into connections between its foreign office and the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.Speaking before the vote on Tuesday, the prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, paid tribute to Epsteinâs victims and said that the files released by the US Department of Justice had clearly shown âit is possible to buy and abuse influence if you are rich enoughâ. Continue reading...
Angelo Rodriguez accused of hitting car and leaving scene, leading to deaths of quartet in second crash moments laterSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxA California highway patrol officer has been charged with second-degree murder for his role in a fatal crash last summer, prosecutors announced on Monday.Angelo Rodriguez, 24, was charged with second-degree murder after crashing into a civilian vehicle while driving at high speeds in Norwalk, said Los Angeles county district attorney Nathan Hochman at a press conference. Continue reading...
Nearly month-long funding lapse has disrupted US air travel and caused long wait times amid security officersâ absencesThe CEOs of major US airlines urged Congress on Sunday to move quickly to end a 29-day partial government shutdown that has forced 50,000 airport security officers to work without pay, warning it could further disrupt US air travel.Absences by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers had already disrupted travel at some major airports over the previous week, raising alarm as the busy spring break travel season continues. Continue reading...
National Secular Society to launch court action after failure to investigate alleged breaches of academic freedom lawsA university regulator in England has failed to investigate potential breaches of laws protecting academic freedom at a dozen theological colleges and is now facing legal action, the Guardian has learned.The National Secular Society says it is preparing to pursue the Office for Students (OfS) through the courts to act on complaints first made five years ago, arguing that the colleges are ineligible for public funding or government-backed student loans because of their commitment to theological doctrine. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Racial discrimination alleged after police withdrew indecent act charge a year after officer was recorded talking about âfucking IndiansâWARNING: this article contains offensive languageQueensland police investigated a Punjabi man for a year â over charges that were eventually withdrawn â despite knowing one of the arresting officers had been caught on camera describing Indians as a âbunch of fucking pervertsâ.The rideshare driver named Singh, who asked that his first name not be used because of the distress caused by the case, has now launched legal action against the force due to the alleged racial discrimination he suffered during the investigation that led to him being charged with committing an indecent act, according to his statement of claim. Continue reading...
Rare action began peacefully but âdegenerated into vandalismâ according to state-run newspaperFive people have been arrested in Cuba for acts of âvandalismâ after a small group of protesters broke into a provincial office of the Cuban Communist party and set fire to computers and furniture.The incident, which also affected a pharmacy and another shop, took place in the town of Moron, a little more than 300 miles (500km) east of Havana. Continue reading...
EU citizens with post-Brexit settlement status in UK will not have to present British passport to airlinesBritish dual nationals who are EU citizens with post-Brexit settlement status in the UK will not have to use a British passport to return to the UK, the Home Office has said in a significant U-turn on its controversial dual national border rules.The change, which critics say was âhidden awayâ on a government web page, comes weeks after controversy erupted over the new rules that came into effect on 25 February. They require British dual nationals to present a British passport or certificate of entitlement, costing ÂŁ589, before they board a plane to the UK. Continue reading...