Two of four men on trial say they met couple via online ads and swinging website and had no idea wife had been drugged
Men accused of sexually assaulting a woman whose then husband drugged her for years and allowed her to be abused have described being invited to the couple’s home via online adverts and a swinging website.
One of those accused of assaulting Joanne Young, who has waived her legal right to anonymity, as she lay restrained and blindfolded said he was a young man “trying out things” and had no idea she was drugged.
Two of four men on trial say they met couple via online ads and swinging website and had no idea wife had been drugged
Men accused of sexually assaulting a woman whose then husband drugged her for years and allowed her to be abused have described being invited to the couple’s home via online adverts and a swinging website.
One of those accused of assaulting Joanne Young, who has waived her legal right to anonymity, as she lay restrained and blindfolded said he was a young man “trying out things” and had no idea she was drugged.
In closing speech, prosecutor says six women had ‘bravely’ come forward after realising they were not alone
Six women who have been “haunted” by their encounters with Russell Brand came forward to give evidence against him with nothing to gain and no appetite for fame, a court has heard.
The prosecutor, Riel Karmy-Jones KC, said the women, who do not know one another, had not been compelled to make police complaints by the “magic force” of media reporting on Brand’s alleged misconduct.
In closing speech, prosecutor says six women had ‘bravely’ come forward after realising they were not alone
Six women who have been “haunted” by their encounters with Russell Brand came forward to give evidence against him with nothing to gain and no appetite for fame, a court has heard.
The prosecutor, Riel Karmy-Jones KC, said the women, who do not know one another, had not been compelled to make police complaints by the “magic force” of media reporting on Brand’s alleged misconduct.
Richard Dawkins’ first work has thrilled fans and frustrated critics for five decades. The science has moved on, but any writer looking to supplant its place must learn its lessons
Richard Dawkins’ The Selfish Gene was not predicted to be a success. Its initial print run, published this week in 1976, was just 5,000. It went on to sell millions, and is perhaps the most influential work of pop-science ever. For 50 years, it has been the go-to resource for the layperson seeking to understand evolution.
What accounts for its enduring power? Prof Dawkins’ central claim, that “we are survival machines – robot vehicles blindly programmed to preserve the selfish molecules known as genes” was provocative, stripping the messy stuff of human and other life down to a simple law. And yet the book is primarily concerned with proving that complex, selfless behaviour such as altruism in animals can emerge from these basic “selfish” drives, satisfyingly resolving an apparent paradox. Prof Dawkins – a zoologist by training – also succeeded in conjuring entertaining, vividly drawn vignettes of the lives of animals, from lions and ants to hawks and honeybees, to make his points.
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John Swinney and Rhun ap Iorwerth say devolving power further is up to Holyrood and Senedd – not Westminster
Scotland and Wales’s first ministers have told Andy Burnham that decisions on local devolution rest solely with their parliaments, in response to the prime minister’s push to extend English-style regional powers across the UK.
After Burnham held discussions in Glasgow with John Swinney and Rhun ap Iorwerth about localised employment and reindustrialisation powers, Downing Street characterised the talks as constructive.
From surgeons to senior civil servants, even the most decent people can make disastrous mistakes. But these gaffes require honesty
Gabriel Weston made a mistake at work this summer. It doesn’t define her – she was and is a well-regarded NHS surgeon and author – but it was serious enough, as she explained in an extraordinarily candid series of Instagram and Substack posts this month, to prompt an investigation that left her feeling “ashamed and alone and really quite nervous”. Whatever went wrong in the operating theatre was bad enough to be classed a “never event” (something that should never be able to happen if the process is working properly) and triggered a nagging anxiety that she might somehow do it again, unless she figured out where she had unexpectedly gone wrong.
It’s a fascinating insight into a process that most people never have the courage to talk about openly. But it also highlights why it’s so hard in practice for doctors and other professionals to acknowledge and learn from mistakes – as every public inquiry into every public scandal ends up recommending, only to repeat it all over again after the next one – rather than close ranks and cover up. Weston says she only spoke up out of frustration with what she saw as her employers’ failure to support her (she had asked to reduce what she considered an overloaded operating list to take some pressure off, which she says has now happened, leaving her full of praise for the hospital’s ultimate response). Judging by the responses to her posts, she’s not alone.
Swedish climate academic says he has been ‘kept in the dark’ over Home Office decision to revoke his travel authorisation
The Swedish climate academic Andreas Malm has condemned a travel ban imposed on him by the UK government as a “drift into authoritarianism” amid criticism of the move.
Malm, the author of How to Blow Up a Pipeline, said he had been “kept in the dark” by the UK’s immigration authorities over the reasons for his electronic travel authorisation (ETA) being revoked.
IOPC launches independent investigation after referral by Scotland Yard over 2019 letter about Thomas Markle
Scotland Yard faces an independent investigation into its failure in 2019 to pass claims alleging wrongdoing by Thomas Markle, the father of the Duchess of Sussex, to law enforcement agencies overseas.
The force had referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) over its handling of a letter written by Markle’s former wife, Roslyn Loveless. Markle, 82, is now facing claims of child sexual abuse in the Philippines, which he denies, and is under investigation by authorities there.
Swedish climate academic says he has been ‘kept in the dark’ over Home Office decision to revoke his travel authorisation
The Swedish climate academic Andreas Malm has condemned a travel ban imposed on him by the UK government as a “drift into authoritarianism” amid criticism of the move.
Malm, the author of How to Blow Up a Pipeline, said he had been “kept in the dark” by the UK’s immigration authorities over the reasons for his electronic travel authorisation (ETA) being revoked.
Actor first shared his childhood experiences as part of Amnesty International campaign and became Refuge ambassador
When Patrick Stewart was growing up in the 1940s, he witnessed how, after his father beat his mother, home doctors and ambulance workers would tell her: “You must have done something to provoke him.”
Stewart knew the violence was never warranted, a conviction that became the spark for a lasting commitment to campaigning for greater understanding of domestic abuse.
Actor first shared his childhood experiences as part of Amnesty International campaign and became Refuge ambassador
When Patrick Stewart was growing up in the 1940s, he witnessed how, after his father beat his mother, home doctors and ambulance workers would tell her: “You must have done something to provoke him.”
Stewart knew the violence was never warranted, a conviction that became the spark for a lasting commitment to campaigning for greater understanding of domestic abuse.
Copies of popular cosmetics and skincare products more likely to contain toxic substances, Trading Standards warns
Mercury, lead and methanol have been found in counterfeit beauty products seized across the UK, Trading Standards has said.
There is a rising problem with fake beauty products, with scammers selling copies of popular and expensive brands. Cosmetics, skincare and perfumes are now among the watchdog’s most commonly investigated fakes.
Copies of popular cosmetics and skincare products more likely to contain toxic substances, Trading Standards warns
Mercury, lead and methanol have been found in counterfeit beauty products seized across the UK, Trading Standards has said.
There is a rising problem with fake beauty products, with scammers selling copies of popular and expensive brands. Cosmetics, skincare and perfumes are now among the watchdog’s most commonly investigated fakes.
The leader of the UK’s biggest trade union has called for the same political focus to be given to NHS, education and care sector workers as there has been on those employed in North Sea oil and gas.
Andrea Egan, the general secretary of Unison, said too often public sector workers were treated as an “afterthought” by the government compared with the “massive political focus” on protecting jobs in the North Sea.
Young dancers at the Ivy House in south-east London join the older crowd amid a renewed appetite for authentic, community events
The Ivy House pub in Nunhead, south-east London, has long been associated with raucous music, with the rock legends Ian Dury and Elvis Costello gracing its stage in the 70s, and indie favourites caroline and Kiran Leonard pulling in crowds today. But last Friday, it was a traditional Scottish ceilidh dance rather than a grassroots gig luring London’s cool kids to its sticky dancefloor.
Young dancers at the Ivy House in south-east London join the older crowd amid a renewed appetite for authentic, community events
The Ivy House pub in Nunhead, south-east London, has long been associated with raucous music, with the rock legends Ian Dury and Elvis Costello gracing its stage in the 70s, and indie favourites caroline and Kiran Leonard pulling in crowds today. But last Friday, it was a traditional Scottish ceilidh dance rather than a grassroots gig luring London’s cool kids to its sticky dancefloor.
Simon Richardson knew headteacher Michael Mullins was under his 4×4 as he kept driving in Manchester, jury heard
A motorist who drove through give-way markings, collided with a cyclist and then dragged him, trapped under his car, for more than a mile has been found guilty of murder.
Simon Richardson, 35, crashed into headteacher Michael Mullins, 56, who was cycling home from work at Stretford grammar school, Greater Manchester, on the evening of 20 April. Mullins hit the bonnet and windscreen of Richardson’s Volvo XC90 and then went under the car, becoming entangled in the suspension.
Simon Richardson knew headteacher Michael Mullins was under his 4×4 as he kept driving in Manchester, jury heard
A motorist who drove through give-way markings, collided with a cyclist and then dragged him, trapped under his car, for more than a mile has been found guilty of murder.
Simon Richardson, 35, crashed into headteacher Michael Mullins, 56, who was cycling home from work at Stretford grammar school, Greater Manchester, on the evening of 20 April. Mullins hit the bonnet and windscreen of Richardson’s Volvo XC90 and then went under the car, becoming entangled in the suspension.
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