I am sharing a personal statement that my family and I have made in response to my brother’s announcement.

Strong Connor Roy vibes here

Telegram founder & billionaire Russian exile Pavel Durov 'arrested at French airport' after stepping off private jet | The US Sun the-sun.com/news/12283508/…

I reviewed one of my favourite novels of the year. Clare Chambers had a whirlwind bestseller with Small Pleasures. Her new novel, Shy Creatures, is wise, beautifully measured and as compelling as you want fiction to be. thetimes.com/culture/books/…

The Kirsty Allsop story is fairly baffling: Someone told social services they were concerned about her son. Social services, having been contacted, are legally required to investigate. They had a couple of phone calls with Kirsty, seem to have listened to her explaining why

Despite Reynolds’ enthusiasm for the CPTPP, economists say Britain’s entry will have little short- or medium-term effect on the UK’s trade or GDP, and certainly won’t compensate for its exit from the EU, the single market and the customs union. /6

At least 30 people killed and homes of 50,000 destroyed after dam collapse in Sudan trib.al/EWBFf8y

‘Women feel like failures if they haven’t had a “normal” birth’: how the NCT has shaped childbirth in the UK theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/a…

This is an unusual campaign

A former Las Vegas county official was found guilty on Wednesday of murdering a reporter who wrote articles critical of him. The highly unusual case had raised fears about press freedom in the U.S. and in particular the risks facing local journalists. nyti.ms/3Mr2SU8

Just reading up on the new rail minister

"I have never seen anything like this." One of the worst droughts in living memory is sweeping across southern Africa, leaving close to 70 million people without enough food and water. bbc.in/4g7k5Q7

Here’s some good news: The National Trust reached its nature restoration target (creating an area of habitat twice the size of Manchester) a year early. God bless our rangers. standard.co.uk/news/environme…

“Customer with Parkinson’s denied alcohol at Sainsbury’s” And the store doesn’t even seem to know how to apologise properly thetimes.com/article/1296b3…

Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin have announced the death of their beloved son, Hersh. Hersh was 23 years old. His body was recovered by the IDF in Gaza, along with other Israeli hostages. He was one of eight American hostages still being held in Gaza. Hersh was severely

A man found slumped over a table in a hospital coffee shop may have been dead for more than three hours before the alarm was raised - shocking story by my colleague Shaun Lintern thetimes.com/uk/healthcare/…

Tel Aviv right now. General strike tomorrow. Do the damn deal. (Photo Tally Melamed.)

Erm

🚨 Grenfell Inquiry report 🚨 - "Complacent" govt "well aware" of risk of cladding disaster but failed to act - "Systematic dishonesty" by product manufacturers "very significant reason" for fire - "Chronic and systemic" fire safety failures by tower's social landlords

In any case today we have some belated if welcome accountability for the others involved: the Charity Commission has recouped £150k+ in misused funds and banned several trustees involved in the scandal. 5/5 thetimes.com/article/16db00…