20 minutes ago Kamala Harris joined by Lizzo at campaign event; Donald Trump rallies in Pennsylvania – live

Vice-president is hosting a get-out-the-vote event in Detroit for the city’s first day of early voting, alongside Michigan-born rapper LizzoHarris is panicking over the Black male vote – but polls don’t show full pictureWith the US election only 17 days away, Kamala Harris is courting one demographic with particular fervor: Black male voters. Continue reading...

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25 minutes ago Environmentalists acquitted after contentious murder trial in El Salvador

Former guerillas were accused of 1989 killing, but supporters say government wants to intimidate activistsSix former guerrillas, whose trial for a civil war-era murder was criticised by fellow environmentalists as politicised, have been acquitted by a court in El Salvador.Prosecutors had sought up to 36 years in prison for the former rebels of the hard-left Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front. Continue reading...

Events

28 minutes ago Liam Payne's heartbroken father pauses to kiss pictures of his son at fans' makeshift shrine to One Direction star in Buenos Aires

Geoff Payne arrived in Argentina yesterday following the death of his pop-star son earlier this week

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37 minutes ago Liam Payne's staggering net worth and incredible fortune he promised to son Bear, 7

As the world continues to mourn the death of Liam Payne who tragically died this week after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina, ex Cheryl has spoken out

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39 minutes ago ‘The bully of the bird table’: how the humble starling conquered the world

Some celebrate them, others despise them. Yet this mimicking, competitive and acrobatic songbird still exerts a powerful fascinationA stream of people heads steadily down the path, towards the viewpoint over the reedbed. As I walk alongside them, I’m reminded of a crowd ­heading to a football match, or a ­gathering of medieval pilgrims hoping for a miracle.There is usually a moment, about 20 minutes before sunset, when the gathering falls strangely silent, anticipating what we are about to witness. Then, just as some are ­wondering if they’ve come to the wrong place, or on the wrong day, the first birds appear in the far ­distance. A small flock of starlings, flying determinedly in our ­direction. A collective sigh of relief ripples through the crowd. We can relax. Continue re...

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39 minutes ago ‘He lashed out. He was scared’: the fight to save vulnerable UK children from being kicked out of school

Two hundred lawyers have come together to challenge a wave of discriminatory exclusionsWhen he started secondary school in Hackney, east London, at the age of 11, Sam* had high attainment levels and loved learning. At the end of the introductory week, he was given an award for being a “star”. Less than two weeks later, a courier delivered a letter to his home saying that he had been ­permanently excluded.Government data released this summer showed there were a record 9,400 permanent exclusions in 2022-23, up 45% from 6,500 in 2021-22. Sam, who lives on a council estate with his Cameroonian mother and has been diagnosed with ADHD and autism, is among the most likely ­children in the country to be thrown out of school. Continue reading...

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39 minutes ago Former top judge demands help for prisoners ‘left to rot’ under ‘morally wrong’ indefinite jail terms

Exclusive: John Thomas, who was once Britain’s most senior judge, has said IPP jail terms are ‘inherently unfair’ as he backs The Independent’s call for a review

Events

42 minutes ago Macron’s business policies made him ‘president of the rich’. Rachel Reeves, beware | Phillip Inman

The chancellor rightly wants to stimulate the economy by boosting growth. But she would be unwise to do it at the expense of the poorestThere is a danger that Labour will suffer the Macron effect when the budget is unveiled at the end of the month. Emmanuel Macron, who was first elected president of France in 2017, put business investment and building a culture of entrepreneurialism at the top of his to-do list – only to be condemned later as a friend of the rich.Rachel Reeves speaks a similar language when she says economic growth is her priority and that business people should be offered more support than even the Tories were prepared to countenance. Continue reading...

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61 minutes ago ‘Abrasive’ Kemi Badenoch urged to play nice to secure Conservative leadership

Supporters offer advice to get the favourite over the line, gambling she can unite the party and restore Tory fortunesSupporters of Kemi Badenoch have urged her to rein in her confrontational style to clinch the Tory leadership, with some Conservative MPs concluding they need to take “a big gamble” to restore their party’s fortunes as they replace Rishi Sunak.The shadow communities secretary emerged from the only scheduled televised debate on GB News last week with most MPs believing she is still the favourite in what remains a close contest with Robert Jenrick. Party members have until the end of the month to cast their vote. Continue reading...

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63 minutes ago Kamala Harris promises full marijuana legalization – is that a gamechanger?

The Democrat says she will end cannabis prohibition and seek to help Black men profit from the industry if electedKamala Harris announced on Monday that if elected president, she would fully legalize adult recreational cannabis on the federal level – the first time a presidential nominee has taken such an unambiguous stance on ending cannabis prohibition.As part of her pledge, she said she would take steps to ensure that Black men, disproportionately incarcerated and disenfranchised by the war on drugs, would stand to profit from the industry. Continue reading...

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