Author: News Desk

Pakistani PM says he should not have to beg for help after catastrophic floods The Guardian says Shehbaz Sharif, the prime minister, has said Pakistan should not be forced to go out with a “begging bowl” to rich polluting nations after the floods that have devastated the country and said he would be seeking “climate justice” from the international community. Speaking from his home in Lahore, Sharif warned that Pakistan is facing an unprecedented crisis of health, food security and internal displacement after the “apocalyptic” monsoons which put a third of Pakistan’s regions under water. Some areas were hit by…

Thailand attack: 22 children among 34 killed in nursery mass shooting The Guardian says Thirty-four people have been killed, including 22 children, in a mass shooting at a preschool centre in a north-eastern province of Thailand, police have said. The attacker was a former policeman who killed his wife and child before shooting himself dead. About 30 children were at the centre when the gunman entered the building at 12.30pm (5.30am UK time), during the children’s nap time, police and local officials said. Some of the victims were as young as two. Jidapa Boonsom, a district official, told Reuters that…

Three people stabbed in central London The Guardian says Three people have been stabbed in an incident in central London in what is believed to have been a suspected robbery. Police officers and London ambulance service (LAS) paramedics attended the scene in Bishopsgate, near Liverpool Street station, on Thursday morning. Four people were treated at the scene, where witnesses told of seeing men on the ground with bloodied faces. One theory was that someone trying to take a bike had been challenged. A cordon was in place along the pavement outside a large-scale office, while pieces of emergency medical equipment,…

At least 17 people dead after boat sinks off Lesbos The Guardian says The bodies of 16 women and one man have been recovered from waters off the Greek island of Lesbos after a boat carrying people from countries in Africa sank in the early hours of Thursday morning. The Greek coastguard spokesperson Nikos Kokkalas said a large operation spanning a number of agencies was under way to find other passengers who had been on the dinghy that set sail from Turkey. “The women were all from African countries, aged 20 upward,” said Kokkalas, who described survivors of the shipwreck…

Iran to investigate death of schoolgirl in early days of protests The Guardian says Iranian prosecutors have opened an investigation into the death of a teenage girl during the early days of protests in Tehran, who has become an icon for the anti-government movement. The popular uprising against Iran’s theocratic rulers was sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd detained for allegedly violating the country’s laws on clothing, and has largely been led by women. Universities have been a battleground for days, and on Wednesday riot police were deployed around campuses in several cities…

The Guardian says Black and minority ethnic people in the UK are more than twice as likely as white people to experience “deep poverty” – extreme levels of hardship meaning they struggle to afford everyday basics such as food and energy, analysis has found.

Kyle Walker hands England injury scare to highlight unique challenge of mid-season World Cup The Independent says It was a largely unremarkable night for Manchester City, especially as their centre-forward is making the extraordinary seem everyday. Another two goals for Erling Haaland put Pep Guardiola’s side on the verge of qualifying for the Champions League knock-out stages at a canter. Haaland now has a barely credible 19 in his last 12 games. Copenhagen’s goalkeeper Kamil Grabara was left asking Jack Grealish if his team-mate is human. So far, so standard for the outstanding season that City, powered by Haaland’s goals,…

At least 35 killed in mass shooting at Thailand daycare centre The Independent says At least 35 people have been killed in a mass shooting at a daycare centre in northern Thailand, police say. The victims include at least 24 children, with toddlers as young as two among the dead, police say. The other 11 victims, all adults, include at least two childcare staff and one district official. The shooting took place around 12.30pm local time on Thursday afternoon at a centre for children in Uthaisawan Na Klang district in Nong Bua Lamphu province, police said. https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/southeast-asia/thailand-mass-shooting-nong-bua-lamphu-b2196719.html

Tory chair apologises for telling struggling people to just ‘get better-paid job’ The Independent says Conservative party chairman Jake Berry has apologised for his remarks calling on struggling Britons to “go out there and get that new job”. The senior Tory admitted he regretted his “clumsy” comments was he grilled on his remarks during interviews on Thursday – insisting he understood how hard people worked. Mr Berry told Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday: “People know that when their bills arrive, they can either cut their consumption or they can get a higher salary or higher wages, go out there and…

Tory members ‘subjected to disgusting homophobic abuse’ at LGBT event The Independent says Conservative party attendees have been accused of homophobic abuse at an LGBT+ event at the fringes of this week’s annual conference in Birmingham. Several people were removed for allegedly hurling homophobic insults at an event organised by LGBT Conservatives at the Reflex nightclub, it was claimed. One attendee was removed by security after calling a gay man a “f**” and another was chucked out for calling two women a “dirty l*****”, according to ITV News. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tories-conference-lgbt-homophobia-abuse-b2196724.html