White House defends new press aide who posed with rifle in ‘Fuck Joe Biden’ shirt

Beni Rae Harmony, 24, has been ‘a trusted voice for the MAGA movement as a White House correspondent’, White House says

The White House has defended a newly hired press aide who posed for a holiday photograph in 2021 wearing a “Fuck Joe Biden” T-shirt and holding a rifle.

Beni Rae Harmony, the new assistant White House press secretary, revealed on Friday that she was going to work for Donald Trump just days after covering him as a correspondent for Real America’s Voice, a partisan rightwing outlet originally created as a video podcast platform for the president’s former adviser Steve Bannon.

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source https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/04/white-house-press-aide-beni-rae-harmony

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.

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source https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/oct/04/tories-scrap-environment-agency-natural-england-conservative-conference

Why pastors may not be seen - or heard - preaching on Ghana's buses for much longer

Ghana is a predominantly Christian country where preaching on public transport is widespread.

Women given shorts at Oktoberfest to prevent upskirting

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

Man shot dead at London memorial service in ‘senseless act of violence’

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.

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source https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/oct/03/met-launches-inquiry-after-man-shot-dead-at-london-memorial-service

Tories would expand free childcare to high earners, Badenoch says

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.

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source https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/oct/03/tories-plan-to-expand-free-childcare-to-high-earners-to-end-cliff-edge

2 Iranian Men Charged in U.K. Over Suspected Plot to Target Jews #wanitaxigo