Author: Liam Porter

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has underlined he will make no territorial concessions to Russia ahead of a scheduled meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin on the future of the war in Ukraine.The US-Russia meeting is due to take place in Alaska on 15 August.Hours before announcing the meeting, Trump had signalled Ukraine might have to cede territory to end the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.Zelensky said in a Telegram post on Saturday that “Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier”. He reiterated that Ukraine must be involved in any solution for peace,…

The Home Office is threatening to ban a Canadian academic from the UK after she was unable to renew her visa in time during a mental health crisis.Dr Heather Scott has lived in Britain since she came in 2011 on a study visa. The renowned academic, whose area of research relates to Victorian cemeteries including Highgate, Brompton and Abney Park, is required to be based in London.She has successfully renewed her visa seven times in the past. But in 2022, she became seriously mentally ill. She was hospitalised for 13 weeks and was unable to engage with the visa renewal…

Is it time to go electric? The UK car industry certainly thinks so and is readying for a surge in demand as a new subsidy scheme cuts the price of some electric cars by up to £3,750.With purchase prices – not to mention range anxiety – contributing to weak consumer uptake, the government grants are designed to bring the upfront cost closer to a petrol car. Making them cheaper will also give “thousands more drivers access to savings of up to £1,500 a year in fuel and running costs compared to a petrol car”, officials say.Robert Forrester, the chief executive…

Zhou added in his statement that Securam will be fixing the vulnerabilities Omo and Rowley found in future models of the ProLogic lock. “Customer security is our priority and we have begun the process of creating next-generation products to thwart these potential attacks,” he writes. “We expect to have new locks on the market by the end of the year.”Photograph: Ronda ChurchillIn a followup call, Securam director of sales Jeremy Brookes confirmed that Securam has no plan to fix the vulnerability in locks already in use on customers’ safes, but suggests safe owners who are concerned buy a new lock…

Gary Lineker is to host a new TV game show called The Box, ITV has confirmed.The new show will see the former Match of the Day presenter oversee 10 yellow boxes, each housing celebrity contestants who will be transported to unknown locations, where they will take part in different games.It will be his first presenting job since leaving Match of the Day in May amid an antisemitism row.Lineker, who previously hosted another ITV game show, Sitting on a Fortune – for 13 episodes across two seasons from 2021 to 2023 – said in a statement: “I can’t wait to host…

Margot Robbie has hit on the perfect high summer hairdo—one for running errands in the fug of L.A., that looks chic and detailed while being minimal effort. A look that could take you from pilates at Form to the farmer’s market. Quite necessary for the actor, who has been spotted both enjoying a Euro summer in Ibiza and Italy, and filming for her forthcoming film, Wuthering Heights.Photographed Thursday (August 7) in Venice Beach, Robbie stepped out with her mid-length blonde hair in perfectly braided pigtails.Following the peroxide blonde job and artfully curled ’dos that defined the Barbie movie press tour,…

When Raymond Antrobus was a child, he writes in his new book, The Quiet Ear, his father would call him “white” when he was drunk, and “black” when he was sober. “White” was meant as an insult, the author explains over tea in his flat in Margate, where a pile of toys indicate the recent presence of his own young son. In his cruellest moments, it was a way for Antrobus’s black father, who died in 2014, to say “I don’t understand you. I don’t love you. You don’t understand my pain.”Antrobus, 38, is calm and reflective when he talks…

Paris St-Germain expect offers for Gianluigi Donnarumma, Newcastle are set to make improved bid for Yoane Wissa and open talks over move for Randal Kolo Muani.Paris St-Germain expect offers from Chelsea, Manchester United or Inter Milan for Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, 26, who has become surplus to requirements at the French club. (ESPN), externalNewcastle are set to make an improved bid of £30m for Brentford’s 28-year-old DR Congo forward Yoane Wissa. (Times – subscription required), externalNewcastle have opened talks with PSG over a deal for 26-year-old France striker Randal Kolo Muani. (Florian Plettenberg), externalThe Magpies are also considering a move…

In their first pre-season match since winning the Club World Cup, Chelsea dominated Bayer Leverkusen (2-0). In his first appearance with the Blues, young star Estevao scored the first goal of the match.

Our world is full of grifters. Or so it seems, considering how often that word is thrown around in public life these days.This year alone, Zarah Sultana, the former Labour MP and founder of a new left party with Jeremy Corbyn, called the Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, a “billionaire-backed grifter” (perhaps borrowing from the language of Coutts staff who referred to him as a “disingenuous grifter” when his bank account was closed two years ago). Sultana, in turn, was accused of being a “grifter” duping “honest socialists” by the journalist Paul Mason.When giving evidence at the Covid inquiry, the…