News
Judges âused signalsâ to fix Olympic boxing bouts, McLaren report finds
A damning investigation into boxing at the Rio 2016 Olympics has found widespread evidence of âcorruption, bribery and the manipulation of sporting resultsâ â with judges giving each other signals at ringside to fix bouts. The report by Prof Richard McLaren, who exposed state sponsored doping in Russia, said that the seeds of the corruption had been sown in the years beforehand,... read more
The Guardian view on the police and women: face up to the problems
T he disappearance of Sarah Everard in London in March sparked a wave of outrage at the violence women face. Following the sentencing of her killer, Wayne Couzens, to life in jail, the fury and distrust now centres on the police. No one doubts that the Metropolitan police are “sickened, angered and devastated”. Many worked tirelessly to bring Couzens to justice. But the full,... read more
Slamming the cell door on Wayne Couzens wonât fix womenâs fragile faith in the police
The haunting thing is that it happened in such plain sight. A couple driving home through London late at night saw a man putting police handcuffs on a young woman on the street. Something unspeakable was unfolding right before their eyes but they didnât know â how could they have known? â what they were seeing. They simply thought it was an undercover arrest. Heartbreakingly... read more
Oh my days: linguists lament slang ban in London school
A London secondary school is trying to stop its pupils from using “basically” at the beginning of sentences and deploying phrases such as “oh my days” in a crackdown on “fillers” and “slang” in the classroom. Ark All Saints academy has produced lists of “banned” language which includes “he cut his eyes at me”, which the Collins dictionary says originates in the Caribbean... read more
Sabina Nessa: garage worker in court accused of âpredatoryâ murder
A man has appeared in court accused of the âpredatoryâ murder of the primary school teacher Sabina Nessa. Garage worker Koci Selamaj, 36, allegedly attacked the 28-year-old as she walked through Cator Park in Kidbrooke, south-east London, on her way to meet a friend on 17 September. It is claimed he used a 2ft-long weapon to strike her repeatedly before carrying her away... read more
Sarah Everard murder: Wayne Couzens given whole-life sentence
Wayne Couzens has been ordered to spend the rest of his life in jail after a judge said his crimes were as serious as a terrorist atrocity because he abused his powers as a police officer to kidnap, rape and murder Sarah Everard. The former Metropolitan police officer used his warrant card and handcuffs to get Everard, 33, into his car as she walked home in south London at the height of Covid... read more