All news by author Thomas Brown

556
British ambassador to Mexico sacked after pointing gun at embassy employee
Clip on social media showed Jon Benjamin aiming assault rifle at colleague in region rife with drug gangs
1029
Sunak heads north after a flurry of Tory policies fail to move the dial in the polls
After week of campaign missteps, ‘reset’ is attempt to firm up base and beat back Reform UK, say observers
970
Toxic vegetables? In Kenya, former farm workers sue over pesticide exposure
Sickness and death befell the former employees of a British farm who allegedly worked with pesticides. Now, they want justice.
893
Study finds that wealthy white men are the UK’s largest transport polluters
IPPR research examines transport emissions by income, gender, location, ethnicity and age
666
"A life in prison is better than death in the trenches": How Russian soldiers desert
Almost every new day of Russia’s war in Ukraine brings with it fresh stories of “meat grinder” assaults – Russian attacks in which large numbers of poorly trained, mobilized troops are sacrificed in the pursuit of questionable military objectives.
772
Kate ’out and about’ more with family as palace receives flood of get well soon cards
The Royal Family has been overwhelmed with ‘get well soon’ cards as the Princess of Wales undergoes treatment for cancer.
963
Tens of millions spent ahead of new EU fingerprint travel rules
Preparations are under way at major Channel crossing points for a new automated European Union (EU) border IT system due to start this October, despite fears of queue chaos for holidaymakers.
869
Baby ‘beheaded’ and children ‘burnt alive’ in Israeli strikes on makeshift shelter
Newborns burnt alive, children beheaded and bodies of civilians scattered in tents housing displaced Palestinians – this is the aftermath of Israel’s war on Gaza.
942
"Cyprus confidential": Machine for printing Syrian currency
The Syrian regime prints banknotes primarily to address the urgent need for cash liquidity, resulting in consistent budget deficits.
766
Over 670 dead as landslide buries villages with over a thousand homes
A massive landslide devastated a remote village in Papua New Guinea and killed at least 670 people, UN officials have said.
645
Brexit staff shortages scupper plans to reopen Clarence House to the public
Palace officials have struggled to find the workers needed to open the doors at the king’s London home this summer
948
Tories rush to secure nearly 200 election candidates as Gove leads a wave of departures
Rishi Sunak appeared to catch his own party unprepared for the general election as Conservative HQ tries to find scores of prospective MPs willing to stand
800
Four people were injured and one person was arrested following a clash between Iran protesters in London
The unrest happened in Wembley after an event was held to mark the death of Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi.
716
Three more Israeli hostages’ bodies found in Gaza
The bodies of three more Israeli hostages have been recovered from Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have said.
859
’Bionic MP’ Craig Mackinlay who lost hands and feet quits Parliament
Tory MP Craig Mackinlay has said he won’t stand for re-election. He was given a standing ovation after returning this week after having his limbs amputated because of sepsis
700
Italy-led operation dismantles crime ring spanning Europe
In a sweeping operation on Wednesday, authorities arrested 17 Turkish nationals—14 in Italy and three across other European countries—cracking down on a criminal organization linked to murders, migrant smuggling, drug trafficking, and counterfeit cigarette smuggling across Europe.
1124
How Putin hijacked Austria’s spy service — and is now gunning for its government
Intelligence officials suspect Wirecard COO Jan Marsalek of colluding with the far-right Freedom Party on Moscow’s behalf.
914
A gangland enforcer attacked victims with machetes during a ’seven weeks of mayhem’ for the mob
Ross Al-Gailani, 36, doled out horrific violence including a murder bid on a former clan member who ended up having to have his leg amputated
911
Microsoft outage disrupts services globally
A major Microsoft outage left thousands unable to use its flagship search engine Bing on Thursday morning, with the technical issues also appearing to affect DuckDuckGo and ChatGPT.
782
Irish duo Daly and Wallace trailing in EU Parliament election poll
Though final result is difficult to predict, Irish MEPs Clare Daly and Mick Wallace face an uphill battle for re-election in latest poll.
815
Eurostar announces how EU’s post-Brexit rules will change journeys out of London
Eurostar passengers from the UK will have to use electronic kiosks before checking in for London departures when new post-Brexit EU border rules come in this year.
944
Disney’s Pixar Animation to lay off about 14% of workforce
Pixar Animation Studios, which produced such classic films as "Toy Story" and "Up," began laying off about 14% of its workforce Tuesday as it scales back development of original streaming series, according to a source familiar with the development.
879
Inmates used plastic cutlery to dig through the walls of Winchester prison
One in 10 prisons in England and Wales barely fit for purpose, says audit of prisoner treatment
678
Tory MP Craig Mackinlay discloses that his hands and feet have been amputated due to sepsis
Mackinlay will return to public life on Wednesday for the first time since being diagnosed last September
823
Mauricio Pochettino leaves Chelsea after one season
The Argentinian manager, who joined Chelsea in July 2023, guided the West London club to a sixth-placed finish in the Premier League.