The audience stood for a moment of silence to honour Ukrainian soldiers who had died in combat. Then the lights went down, the music went up, and a procession of models strutted by as the crowd snapped photos and made videos on their phones. It is a ritual that has been repeated again and again … Read more
The report of the public inquiry into the causes of the Grenfell Tower fire has been published – and it forms a devastating verdict on the incompetence, dishonesty and greed that made possible a disaster in which 72 people died. Sir Martin Moore-Bick’s report chronicles failures in the construction industry, the council, regulators and central … Read more
Peter Apps’ article on the conclusions of the Grenfell Tower inquiry is right to remind us of one of the primary failures of the last governments – to keep us safe (Grenfell is simply explained: firms chased profits, ministers sat on their hands, innocents paid with their lives, 4 September). Regulations about health and safety … Read more
“Was there a moment that I knew we were going to win gold? Probably the toe save,” says Emma Hayes, after a pause to think. “After the toe save I was like: ‘Oh, your name’s on it. Your name’s on it.’” That “toe save” came in the 119th minute of the United States’ Olympic semi-final … Read more
Justice for those responsible for 72 deaths in the Grenfell Tower fire may not come until the end of this decade, a former chief prosecutor has warned, as survivors voiced growing fury over building firms’ “arrogant” refusal to admit wrongdoing. The public inquiry findings of “systematic dishonesty” by multimillion-dollar building companies involved in the tower’s … Read more
Reuters The killing of Ugandan Olympian and long-distance runner Rebecca Cheptegei has devastated her friends and family – and has left the East African athletics community reeling. Cheptegei died on Thursday morning after suffering severe burns – her ex-boyfriend doused her in petrol and set her on fire on Sunday outside her house in north-west … Read more
Getty Images France’s new prime minister has had a long career in politics, but Michel Barnier is best known even in his native France as the EU’s chief negotiator in the Brexit years. His task was to represent the European Union during talks with the UK government. Born in the mountainous Savoie region in south-east … Read more
He calmly but firmly negotiated the UK’s departure from the EU after years of British squabbling over Brexit, and he prefers consensus to political punch-ups. But Michel Barnier faces his toughest challenge yet as France’s new prime minister amid the country’s biggest political crisis in decades. The discreet rightwinger, 73, known for his sensible anoraks, … Read more
The sound of silence. After more than a decade of Tory governments, many of us had become inured to the chaos. We had come to think of dysfunction as routine. Incompetence, stupidity, corruption, narcissism were a steady background noise. Just a normal working week. So it’s come as something of a surprise to find that … Read more
The federal judge presiding in Donald Trump’s criminal prosecution over alleged 2020 election meddling said she would not let his presidential campaign or the election affect how and when the case should proceed. The US district judge, Tanya Chutkan, held a crucial hearing in Washington DC on Thursday to listen to arguments from the prosecution … Read more