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The summer of travel chaos wrought by rail strikes is far from over, as Britain prepares for the latest 24-hour industrial action on Saturday, August 13, as train drivers’ union Aslef stages a walkout. The industrial action is likely to cause disruption into the morning of Sunday, August 14, with the following lines affected: Avanti West Coast, Arriva Rail London, CrossCountry, Great Western Railway, LNER, Greater Anglia, London Overground, Southeastern, Hull Trains and West Midlands Trains. Aslef is striking over drivers’ pay, with general secretary Mick Whelan saying: “Many of our members – who were the men and women who moved key workers and goods around the country during the pandemic – have not had a pay rise since 2019.” Steve Montgomery, chair of the Rail Delivery Group, said: “The Aslef leadership has for the second time in as many weeks, decided to impose yet more uncertainty for passengers and businesses by disrupting passengers’ weekend plans. “We call on Aslef to … [Read more...] about Train strike this weekend: Services affected plus full list of dates for August

Among the photo captions of his 500-year-old house in Lindos, Rhodes, Jasper Conran had some advice for Instagram’s chief executive. With its ornate door knocker and mosaic floors, the house has remained in its original form for five centuries, Conran wrote. The British fashion designer had captured this stillness in photographs, for years the defining feature of Instagram that made it popular with celebrities and brought in billions of dollars in advertising revenue. But Conran expressed a growing frustration over a redesign that millions of users feel is being forced upon them by the social media app. “Please don’t let us down in the frankly callous way that you appear to be doing. Make Instagram Instagram again; either that or create a parallel platform that doesn’t wipe out the existing one,” he wrote to Adam Mosseri, Instagram chief at Meta. He warned the app threatened to “kill off the skill and hard work that so many millions” have put into photographs. Instagram is … [Read more...] about Celebrities rebel against Instagram boss as he tries to match TikTok

A “summer sale” for Channel migrants is fuelling a rise in crossings with people smugglers slashing prices by as much as £1,500 per person, it has emerged. Social media adverts, discovered on Monday by The Telegraph, saw the traffickers offering “bargain” prices and crossings on small boats that have “never been cheaper,” down from £5,000 to as little as £3,500 per migrant. The promotions were primarily targeted at Albanians who accounted for four in 10 of the nearly 3,000 migrants who crossed the Channel during a six-week period this summer. Border Force experts suggested the smugglers may be cutting prices to open up new markets like the Albanians previously unable to afford the charges. MPs on the home affairs committee have also claimed that gangs may be exploiting the court-enforced delay in deportations of illegal migrants to Rwanda to persuade them to make the crossing now before the flights start. The disclosures come as another estimated 300 Channel … [Read more...] about ‘Summer sale’ for Channel migrants fuels record crossings

When she was growing up, film-maker Gurinder Chadha was captivated by a photograph which took pride of place on the mantelpiece in her family’s front room in Southall, west London. For years she assumed the dashing man in a jewel-bedecked turban must be a relative; only later did she understand his true significance. “He was Maharaja Sir Duleep Singh, the last king of the Sikhs,” she says. “He ruled Punjab, my ancestral home – vast, powerful territories stretching from Afghanistan to China.” That is, until Duleep Singh was deposed by the British Raj, exiled to Britain as a teenager and forced to give the Koh-i-Noor diamond, the most dazzling of his dynasty’s treasures , to Queen Victoria. For Chadha’s family, that photograph was symbolic not just of past glories from the land of their forefathers, but of the deeply complex shared history between two nations – Britain and India - that had brought them as immigrants to this country. “As soon as you mention the word ‘Empire’, people … [Read more...] about Gurinder Chadha: ‘People get defensive about the British Empire but it’s our shared history’

Liz Truss’s plans to slash taxes could trigger a wave of investment into the UK, the boss of Legal & General has said. Nigel Wilson, the influential City grandee and chief executive of the UK’s biggest pensions manager, said that cutting taxes on businesses could boost the attractiveness of Britain as a destination for international investors. Attracting overseas money could soften the blow as the economy heads into a recession, Mr Wilson said. "Reducing the tax burden will be seen by international investors [as a sign] that the country is open for business,” he said. It comes as Ms Truss and former chancellor Rishi Sunak, the two candidates vying to replace Boris Johnson as prime minister, continue to trade blows about whether immediate tax cuts would boost economic growth or stoke inflation. Ms Truss is in favour of rapidly cutting taxes in the hope it will stimulate economic activity, while Mr Sunak argues that slashing taxes now will only serve to prolong the … [Read more...] about Liz Truss’s tax cuts could trigger a wave of investment into the UK, says L&G chief

An ocean sunfish has been caught on film off the coast of Massachusetts in a rare sighting. The video, which was shared on social media by marine touring company Cape Ann Whale Watch in Gloucester, Massachusetts, shows a white sunfish floating at the surface of the water in the Gulf of Maine. "We got to see a Mola mola or ocean sunfish up close and personal as it made its way down the length of our boat," said Cape Ann Whale Watch in the caption of the video. "These odd looking creatures are the largest of the bony fish. We find them floating on the surface of the water where they look quite flat." Ocean sunfish, which can grow up to 14 feet across and reach weights of over 5,000 lbs, float on their side at the surface in order to warm themselves in the sun after diving in deeper waters. They do not have a tail, instead using their top and bottom fins. They were originally thought to not be capable of independent movement, floating only where the tides and current took … [Read more...] about Giant ocean sunfish filmed in Gulf of Maine in rare and awesome encounter

More than 60 Oklahoma lawmakers—many of them Republicans who support the death penalty—are calling for a new evidentiary hearing in the case of Richard Glossip ahead of his upcoming execution. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals set a September 22 execution date for Glossip , 59, after a federal judge rejected a challenge to the state's lethal injection protocol. But a group of 61 Oklahoma legislators—44 Republicans and 17 Democrats—have urged Oklahoma Attorney General John O'Connor to join their request for a new hearing, citing an independent investigation by a Texas law firm that raised concerns about Glossip's guilt and conviction. "The report concluded that no reasonable juror who heard all the evidence would find Mr. Glossip guilty," the legislators wrote in a letter to O'Connor last week. "As elected officials representing the citizens of this great state, we believe it is vitally important to conduct a serious review of this case so that the truth might be … [Read more...] about Pro-death penalty legislators demand hearing on Richard Glossip’s execution

A series of four new rooms unearthed in a family home in Pompeii in southern Italy have revealed how the ancient Roman city's middle class struggled to keep up their status. Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director general of the heritage site, has shown how the new rooms highlight the vast difference between the ancient city's elite and the rising middle class. He explained: "In the Roman empire, there was an ample chunk of the population that struggled with their social status and for whom daily bread was anything but a given." The expert, who released details of the new find, shows how ordinary citizens' lives were a far cry from the sparkling fountains and mosaics of the ruling classes. A simple wooden cabinet is part of items that reveal the day-to-day lives of middle-class Romans. The cabinet contains what looks like a sink and the remains of a simple faucet. The discoveries were announced by the Pompeii Archaeological Park on August 7. The four new rooms were excavated in a … [Read more...] about New Discovery in Ancient Pompeii Reveals Secrets of Roman Society

IndyRef2: SNP has 'no mandate' for referendum says expert SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info It comes ahead of a full hearing on the case in October. The submission came from the Advocate General and is set to throw a spanner in the works for Nicola Sturgeon who published the Scottish government's case last month. Related articles 'Scottish Resistance' STORMS national energy provider's Glasgow HQ Police launch urgent appeal in hunt for gang of youths UK law officers have argued that the constitution is reserved to Westminster. Last month, the Scottish government published its case, stating the referendum is "advisory" and would have no legal effect on the union. A spokeswoman for the UK … [Read more...] about Sturgeon’s Scottish indy bid faces stumbling block as No10 sends argument to Supreme Court

Dowden asked about what Boris Johnson should do next SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info The outgoing Prime Minister was scheduled to meet in Warsaw yesterday, August 8, but Mr Morawiecki's office told Downing Street he no longer had time to meet. The visit was part of several calendar in-person and by-phone appointments set by Number 10 for Mr Johnson's final weeks in power. Related articles UK meringue company ends all exports to EU over Brexit 'disaster' GB News guests lock horns over Commons partygate probe into Boris After weeks of deliberations, the Warsaw visit was finally set for this week only to be cancelled with no further notice by the Polish leader. Mr Morawiecki's office told Mr … [Read more...] about ‘No time for you!’ Boris Johnson snubbed by EU state Poland with official visit CANCELLED