News Round-Up

• “Je Suis Charlie” – Charlie Kirk was murdered while practicing the very act that gave birth to this nation – and the only thing that will ensure its survival, say the editors of the Free Press.
• “Father hands in his son over shooting of Charlie Kirk” – The manhunt for Charlie Kirk’s assassin has ended with the arrest of 22 year-old Tyler Robinson, as Donald Trump calls for the death penalty, reports the Telegraph.
• “Charlie Kirk’s killer could be executed by firing squad” – Utah Governor Spencer Cox says the person responsible for the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk should face the death penalty, says the Mail.
• “Tyler Robinson’s Discord messages and dark online footprint” – Tyler Robinson is alleged to have discussed the aftermath of killing Kirk on Discord, mentioning how he had inscribed the bullets with political messages, according to the Mail.
• “Charlie Kirk’s UK campaign group pays tribute to him at London vigil” – Scores of people gathered in front of the Montgomery statue in Whitehall on Friday evening (including me) to mark the passing of Conservative activist Charlie Kirk after he was assassinated at Utah Valley University, reports the Mail.
• “Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point accuses Lammy of fuelling political violence” – The group founded by Charlie Kirk says the Deputy Prime Minister “described us and Charlie as sinister forces and xenophobic”, says the Telegraph.
• “The killing of Charlie Kirk shows just how poisonous Left-wing politics now is” – The importance of free speech and open civilised debate in the West has never been more urgent, writes Camilla Tominey in the Telegraph.
• “Trans Team USA cyclist disgustingly celebrates Charlie Kirk’s murder” – A trans Team USA cyclist celebrated Charlie Kirk’s death, according to the Mail.
• “The Left is celebrating Charlie Kirk’s killing. Democracy’s foundations are crumbling” – America faces a grim future of violence and counter-violence unless both sides understand the fundamental common ground of the US system, writes Charles Lipson in the Telegraph.
• “Liberals cheered when Charlie Kirk was shot, witness claims” – Liberal students at Utah Valley University cheered after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot an eyewitness has claimed, reports the Telegraph.
• “‘Get JK Rowling next’: Bluesky users celebrate death of Charlie Kirk” – Users of a supposedly nice and wholesome social media platform have been warned after some shared ‘hit lists’ with calls to eliminate Elon Musk, Donald Trump and the Harry Potter author, says the Times.
• “Bluesky is more of a cesspit of extremism than X ever was” – After the killing of Charlie Kirk, some Bluesky users were quick to celebrate his death and call for others to be targeted, writes Kara Kennedy in the Telegraph.
• “I sat with Charlie Kirk as he debated Left-wing students” – Far from being abrasive or dismissive, as many can be when they think they’re about to encounter a hostile reaction, Kirk was instinctively friendly to everyone, writes his friend Jack Anderton in the Mail.
• “Councillor who wrote Charlie Kirk post did not commit crime” – Fiona Wild, an independent on Burnley Council, reacted to Kirk’s murder with a post on Facebook that provoked outrage. But police have said she’s not guilty of committing a hate crime, according to the Mail.
• “The Oxford Union and the shameful response to Charlie Kirk’s killing” – George Abaraonye, the President Elect of the Oxford Union, has got himself into hot water after celebrating Kirk’s murder in a Union WhatsApp group, writes Adrian Hilton in the Spectator.
• “Oxford Union backlash after celebrating Charlie Kirk’s assassination” – The Oxford Union is facing a growing backlash after its incoming president made gloating remarks about Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Prestigious speakers have started cancelling forthcoming appearances, says the Mail.
• “Charlie Kirk could have been president” – Charlie Kirk helped drag conservatism into the digital age, making it accessible, shareable and, above all, youthful, according to the Spectator.
• “‘It’s Okay to Punch Nazis’ posts anti-Trump activist group” – A political group fronted by Zarah Sultana, Jeremy Corbyn and Zoe Gardner has posted a link to a song saying it’s okay to punch Nazis in the wake of Kirk’s killing, writes Charlotte Gill.
• “Hitting the jugular of liberal democracy” – We have a choice now: between liberalism or illiberalism, speech or violence, writes Andrew Sullivan in the Weekly Dish.
• “Labour MPs warn Starmer ‘not up to the job’ after Mandelson meltdown” – Furious MPs are openly warning that Sir Keir is “not up to the job” and “trust is eroding” in the wake of his flip-flopping over Mandelson just a week after he flip-flopped over Angela Rayner, reports the Mail.
• “Morgan McSweeney pushed for Mandelson to be made ambassador” – Starmer’s Chief of Staff viewed Mandelson as a mentor and hosted him at his family home in Scotland, says the Telegraph.
• “Mandelson stripped of university honours” – Manchester Metropolitan University has rescinded an honorary doctorate it conferred on Mandelson as pressure mounts on the PM to remove his life peerage, according to the Telegraph.
• “Mandelson forced out of his own lobbying firm, leaving his future in doubt” – Lord Mandelson is being forced out of the lobbying company he founded because of his close friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, reports the Telegraph.
• “The bad blood is everywhere after Mandelson sacking fiasco” – No 10 is furious but so is Mandelson, who feels hung out to dry and ill-treated after being backed by Sir Keir Starmer at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday only to be sacked the next morning, says the Times.
• “UK economy flatlined in July in new blow for Rachel Reeves” – UK plc was at a standstill in July, in more evidence of a slowdown that could heap more trouble on the Chancellor, according to the Mail.
• “Lord Hermer is dangerously wrong about the ECHR” – Lord Hermer is wrong to staunchly defend the European Convention on Human Rights, says Andrew Tettenborn in the Spectator.
• “Burnham prepares to challenge Starmer for leadership” – The Mayor of Manchester is launching a new campaign group amid speculation that the PM will not last until the next election, reports the Telegraph.
• “Khan paves way for more Tube strikes with ‘no strings’ union pay rise” – TfL figures seen by the Telegraph confirm that tube drivers are to get a 3.4% base increase, guaranteeing they’ll strike again soon, says the Telegraph.
• “The BBC seems more worried about offending terrorists than telling the truth” – In the Telegraph, Stephen Pollard says the BBC is now more worried about offending Hamas than telling the truth about Gaza.
• “Rather than lecturing politicians on immigration, C of E bishops should be preaching eternal salvation” – Church of England bishops opposed to Nigel Farage’s plan to deport illegal immigrants probably are speaking for most of the people associated with their dioceses. But they should not think they’re speaking for the British public, writes Julian Mann in Christian Today.
• “Gender-critical author denied second literary honour” – The Boy In the Striped Pyjamas author has been denied another literary honour thanks to his support for JK Rowling, according to the Telegraph.
• “Theresa May’s attack on the Assisted Suicide Bill was phenomenal” – “If I were Leadbeater or Falconer listening today to the Assisted Dying Bill debate in the Lords, I’d be worried,” says Madeline Grant in the Spectator.
• “AstraZeneca’s £200m blow to Labour as pharma giant scraps investment” – Hours after official figures showed output from the pharmaceuticals industry in the UK fell 4.5% in July, Britain’s biggest firm said the project at its research site has been “paused”, according to the Mail.
• “Covid vaccine linked to child deaths, Trump administration to say” – A new CDC panel appointed by Robert F Kennedy Jr is to say next week that Covid jabs are responsible for 25 child deaths, reports the Telegraph.
• “Covid inquiry to examine impact of pandemic on asylum seekers” – The Covid inquiry is to investigate the impact of the pandemic on illegal migrants, reveals the Telegraph. Should we really be wasting taxpayers money on that?
• “Lord Alli ‘evicted young family and raised rent by £1,000’” – a family of five was given two months’ notice to leave a property owned by the Labour peer and friend of Sir Keir Starmer Lord Alli, says the Telegraph.
• “We’re running out of time to stop post-Covid mass migration from becoming permanent” – Those that arrived in Britain from 2021 will soon be able to apply to stay indefinitely, writes Katie Lam in the Telegraph.
• “Keir Starmer overrules Ed Miliband to snub Net Zero project” – The Prime Minister has picked AI over energy in blow to plans for a major hydrogen plant, says the Telegraph.
• “How to fix Britain’s energy crisis” – In the Critic, SDP leader William Clauston says the way to fix Britain’s energy crisis is to build new coal and gas plants. Simples.
• “Vital ocean upwelling fails to emerge for the first time on record” – The failure of a vital ocean upwelling has sparked concerns of catastrophic effects for life, according to scientists, reports the Mail.
• “Eco tycoon who ripped up neighbours’ flower bed finally settles case” – Michael Hodgson, 55, a wind turbine tycoon, was accused of criminal damage after ripping up a flowerbed belonging to a neighbour in August of last year, according to the Mail.
• “Incredible satellite images reveal new island formed in Alaska” – In Alaska, a new island has popped up, and NASA says that human-caused climate change is to blame, reports the Mail. Er, isn’t climate change supposed to submerge islands beneath the water, not create new ones?
• “Von der Leyen’s speech: continuing climate scare and preparing for a new pandemic” – On his Substack, Epp Tuul takes a jaundiced look at Ursula von der Leyen’s keynote speech on Wednesday.
• “People are beginning to realise the truth about Net Zero” – Is the human race becoming more than four times as rich as it is today really a catastrophe we should be taking steps to avoid? asks Matt Ridley in the Telegraph.
• “National Trust tears down Union flag from 180-year-old monument” – A Union flag was attached to the Grade I-listed Penshaw Monument “without permission”, according to the National Trust, who promptly tore it down, says the Telegraph.
• “University championed by Margaret Thatcher considers £150m sale offer” – Britain’s only independent university, once called a “bastion of free speech”, is considering a takeover following a string of controversies and falling rankings, reports the Times.
• “North Koreans caught watching foreign films are executed” – A government task force in North Korea has been employed to raid houses in search of ‘anti-socialist’ materials, eg Hollywood films. Those caught in possession of them can now be executed, says the Mail.
• “Thousands of anti-racism protesters to face down Tommy Robinson fans” – More than 1,600 police officers, including 500 from forces from outside London, will be deployed today on what will be a chaotic day in the capital with two high profile demonstrations and five football matches, according to the Mail.
• “Watch the speech I made in the House of Lords today opposing the assisted dying bill” – This is the speech I made yesterday in the Second Reading of the assisted dying bill. Needless to say, I was against it.

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