Author: Henry

Oxford University solicited and accepted more than £12 million from the late motorsport tycoon Max Mosley — the son of the British fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley — and arranged for the Mosley name to be inscribed on one of its most historic monuments, despite objections from academics, students and Jewish groups, according to an investigation by the Daily Mail. Drawing on documents obtained through Freedom of Information requests, the Mail reported that several Oxford colleges and departments courted Mosley for donations in the years before his death in 2021, and that the university pressed ahead with the money even…

Driver 16 times over drug limit jailed for killing cyclist A motorist who got behind the wheel with cocaine far over the legal limit has been jailed for nine years after veering across a country road and killing a cyclist in a head-on crash. Daniel Booth, 31, admitted causing the death of 56-year-old Neil Routley, who was struck as he cycled along the B4461 Aust Road near the Severn Bridge in South Gloucestershire on 29 June last year. Bristol Crown Court heard that Booth, of Lydney in the Forest of Dean, had no previous convictions and had pleaded guilty to…

Reports circulating on social media claim that the United States has launched military strikes in the Strait of Hormuz following what has been described as an alleged Iranian violation of a recently agreed ceasefire. The reported strikes come amid heightened tensions in the strategically vital waterway, a key global shipping route through which a significant share of the world’s oil supply passes. Any military escalation in the region could have major implications for international security and energy markets. At the time of publication, US and Iranian officials have not released detailed statements confirming the reported operation. The situation remains fluid,…

Texas is poised to become the first U.S. state to require public school pupils to study passages from the Bible as part of their core reading, with its education board due to vote on Friday on a measure that would affect more than five million children. The proposal before the Republican-controlled Texas State Board of Education would set out a list of roughly 200 required texts, placing parables from the New Testament alongside literary staples such as Charles Dickens’ “Great Expectations” and Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice.” According to CBS News, education observers believe the plan appears to be the…

A small, long-overlooked patch of land in Brookhaven, Georgia, is set to become a public park after the City Council approved buying the site, with most of the cost covered by a donation from the family foundation of a former councilman. The council agreed to purchase the 0.95-acre property at 1277 Goodwin Road — commonly known as “Goodwin Island” for the way it sits marooned at the junction of North Druid Hills Road and East Roxboro Road. According to the City of Brookhaven, the $1.5 million acquisition was approved at the council’s meeting on 23 June. The bulk of the…

President Donald Trump has accused Iran of a “foolish violation” of last week’s ceasefire after Iranian forces struck a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, deepening doubts over an agreement intended to halt nearly four months of war and reopen one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. The strike, on Thursday, hit the Singapore-flagged Ever Lovely as it crossed the strait near the coast of Oman. The UK Maritime Trade Operations centre reported damage to the vessel’s bridge but no injuries, and the ship continued on its way. US Central Command attributed the attack to Iran. Writing on his…

Transitioning from cigarettes to vapes — rather than quitting nicotine completely — is linked to a higher risk of developing severe eye diseases that can ultimately lead to blindness. A sweeping Korean study found that swapping cigarettes for high-nicotine vapes, which are touted as a healthier alternative, raises the odds of diabetic retinopathy and other vision-damaging conditions, compared to quitting nicotine completely.  Diabetic retinopathy can lead to blindness in people with diabetes by damaging the retina’s blood vessels, while refractive disorders, which can affect anyone, such as astigmatism and farsightedness, cause blurred vision. The broader category includes cataracts, or clouding of the lens; glaucoma, which involves…

Andy Haldane says the billions spent subsidising savings should reward money kept in British firms — but critics warn a home bias could dent returns The economist advising the man widely tipped to become Britain’s next prime minister has called for the tax breaks on pensions and ISAs to be redrawn so that savings invested in British companies are rewarded more generously than money sent overseas. Andy Haldane, president of the British Chambers of Commerce and the Bank of England’s chief economist between 2014 and 2021, set out the idea on 25 June at the BCC’s annual conference in London.…

California’s towering redwood trees have long stood atop a hidden earthquake threat that could unleash widespread devastation if it awakens. Geologists have confirmed a previously unmapped active fault in Humboldt County after uncovering evidence that it produced at least four major earthquakes over the past 20,000 years. The Shively Fault lies near the small community of Shively within the Mendocino Triple Junction, where three tectonic plates collide, making it California’s most seismically active region. Researchers say the fault could be capable of producing a magnitude 7 or greater earthquake if their mapping confirms it extends beyond the currently identified section.  An earthquake of…

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says they’ve charged a man in the cold case murder of a Jeff Davis County pastor decades after the killing. It’s been more than 30 years since 54-year-old James Hand was found shot to death on the roof of his church. Authorities say on June 1, 1996, deputies with the Jeff Davis County Sheriff’s Office discovered Hand’s body. According to investigators, the pastor of the Full Gospel Church in Snipesville was repairing the building’s roof when someone opened fire, shooting Hand multiple times. Hand’s killer remained a mystery until the GBI says new information led…