California couple charged with child abuse in surrogacy scheme involving at least 21 children

Silvia Zhang and Guojun Xuan had 15 children, aged between two months to 13 years, removed from their home

A California couple has been arrested on child abuse charges following an investigation into a surrogacy scheme involving at least 21 kids, police said on Tuesday.

Silvia Zhang and her husband, Guojun Xuan are expected to face conspiracy to commit child abuse charges, according to the Los Angeles county sheriff’s department.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/lHWCLwD

Tear gas in Paris and Marseille as school protests grow across France

Crowds of mainly teenagers called for more resources for schools and an end to what they called police repression.

from BBC News https://ift.tt/E0QAvOI

Florida high-schooler and one other killed in school bus rollover crash

Authorities say crash in Winter Haven involved three vehicles, including bus filled with dozens of schoolchildren

A high school student and one other person were killed in a crash that caused a school bus to flip over on to its roof in central Florida early on Monday, according to authorities.

About 26 students traveling on the public school bus involved in the crash were taken to the hospital, the Polk county sheriff’s office said in a statement posted to Facebook. The bus had 39 occupants: 37 high school students, the bus driver and the driver’s daughter, officials said.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/8Rq3X4z

Tories to pledge to scrap Environment Agency and Natural England

Shadow chancellor will also promise to scrap affordable homes regulations as part of strategy to refocus on growth

The Conservatives will announce a bonfire of regulations including abolishing affordable homes and community funding rules as well as scrapping Natural England and the Environment Agency.

The shadow chancellor, Andrew Griffith, will say the party intends to “streamline regulations” that protect nature and oblige developers to include affordable homes and community services such as GP surgeries, to speed up infrastructure and housebuilding.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/uzTw6nt

Nearly all women arriving on small boats have been raped, says Shabana Mahmood

Home secretary warns people traffickers will exploit asylum seekers because they decide who comes to the UK

Nearly all women who try to reach the UK in small boats from northern France have been raped on their journey, Shabana Mahmood has claimed.

In an interview with The Rest Is Politics podcast, the home secretary said far-right, balaclava-wearing activists would “kill” or “kick me out of my own country” if they took power.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/8D5GxdT

Women given shorts at Oktoberfest to prevent upskirting

The step at the Munich festival comes after thousands of voyeuristic videos emerged on social media.

from BBC News https://ift.tt/myMCEiW

Met launches murder inquiry after man shot dead at London memorial service

Forty-year-old victim declared dead at the scene in East Acton in a ‘senseless act of violence’

A murder investigation has been launched after a 40-year-old man was shot dead in a “senseless act of violence” during a memorial service in west London, police have said.

Police were called on Friday at 7.47pm after multiple shots were heard in East Acton.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/KVFL4RS

Tories plan to expand free childcare to high earners to end ‘cliff edge’

Kemi Badenoch says those earning more than £100,000 should not be discouraged from working more

The Conservatives have unveiled a proposed £700m childcare giveaway for high earners ahead of their annual conference, saying they would end the “cliff edge” where free entitlement ends at salaries above £100,000.

The plan, set out the day before the event begins in Birmingham, follows the earlier proposal by Kemi Badenoch’s party to abolish most stamp duty, another change to taxation that would disproportionately benefit wealthier people.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/gSJfWh2

Trump urges calls to Arkansas senator in push for permanent daylight saving time

President appeared to share phone number of Tom Cotton for people to call to push him to support measure

Donald Trump on Saturday put pressure on the US senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas to support a bill to make daylight saving time permanent, urging Americans to call what appeared to be the personal cellphone number of his fellow Republican and the chair of the Senate intelligence committee.

The Sunshine Protection Act passed the House in July, but it faces roadblocks in the Senate, where some Republicans are strongly opposed to it. Proponents, including the president and his administration, argue that the change would provide more daylight during the times that Americans are most active. Detractors said permanent daylight saving time would lead to darker and potentially more hazardous winter mornings when children will be waiting for school buses and parents will be driving to work in darkness.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/CHslxrQ

UCLA law school accused by justice department of illegally using race in admissions

University denies allegations, saying it is committed to making admissions decisions in compliance with all laws

The Department of Justice said on Thursday that the law school at the University of California, Los Angeles illegally considered race in admissions.

The announcement follows a similar accusation against the university’s medical school and comes as the Trump administration ramps up scrutiny of colleges’ processes for selecting students.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/d3Awu5s