A businessman cheated a council out of tens of millions of pounds and went on a spending spree with the cash, an investigation has discovered. Leaked documents reveal how Liam Kavanagh used Thurrock Council’s money to buy luxury goods, including a yacht and a private jet. The council has been made effectively bankrupt after investing…
US actor Paul Reubens, who rose to fame in the 1980s as the character Pee-wee Herman, died at 70 on Sunday after a private struggle with cancer. “Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit,” said a statement released by his estate on Monday. Reubens’ iconic cult Herman character…
The primary fundraising and political spending group supporting Donald Trump has spent more than $40m (£31m) on legal fees so far this year. That money, due to be confirmed in a financial filing on Monday, has been used to defend the former president and his allies across multiple cases. It is a more than two-fold…
At least six people, including a 10-year-old girl and her mother, have been killed by a Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih. Officials said 75 others, including 25 children, were injured when missiles slammed into a residential high-rise building early on Monday. Regional governor Serhiy Lysak declared a day of mourning…
Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos de Oliveira has appeared in court in Miami as part of the US probe into alleged mishandling of classified documents. Charges against Mr de Oliveira were filed last week as federal prosecutors widened their inquiry into Mar-a-Lago owner Donald Trump and aide Walt Nauta. Officials allege Mr de Oliveira tried to…
A zoo in eastern China has reassured visitors its sun bears are real rather than humans in disguise, after footage of one animal standing like a person sent rumours flying online. Responding to a viral video of a bear on its hind legs, Hangzhou Zoo said people “don’t understand” the species. Social media users had…
He is currently overseeing two separate criminal investigations into a former American president, but Jack Smith is no stranger to bringing high-stakes cases. Over the past two decades, Mr Smith, 54, has pursued public officials in the US and abroad – with a mixed record of success. The veteran prosecutor has cut a low profile…
India has confirmed that an object that washed up on a Western Australian beach recently was from one of its rockets. The giant metal dome was found at Green Head beach, about 250km (155 miles) north of Perth, in mid-July – prompting speculation about its origins. India’s space chief told the BBC on Monday it…
The Taliban have burned musical instruments in Afghanistan, claiming music “causes moral corruption”. Thousands of dollars worth of musical equipment went up in smoke on a bonfire on Saturday in western Herat province. Since taking power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed numerous restrictions, including on playing music in public. Ahmad Sarmast, Afghanistan National Institute…
Cardi B became the latest star to be hit by an object from the crowd during a concert, when an audience member threw their drink at the rapper. The 30-year-old reacted by throwing her microphone at the concertgoer from the stage. Although the rapper no longer had a microphone, her voice was still heard on…