Friday evening news briefing: Fresh Just Stop Oil attack on Van Gogh’s Sunflowers
Good evening. Just Stop Oil has thrown soup over two of Vincent Van Gogh’s Sunflowers paintings in “a sign of defiance” after two of their members were jailed for a similar protest.
Elsewhere in today’s newsletter, Dame Maggie Smith has died at the age of 89, and Israel has targeted Hezbollah’s leader in a major attack on the group’s central headquarters.
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Fresh attack on Van Gogh’s Sunflowers after Just Stop Oil activists jailed
On Friday three protestors entered the Van Gogh “Poets and Lovers” exhibition at the National Gallery in London and threw soup over Sunflowers 1889 and Sunflowers 1888[3]. It comes after Phoebe Plummer and Anna Holland were jailed earlier today for two years and 20 months respectively for throwing soup over the same 1888 painting[4] in October 2022.
Dame Maggie Smith dies aged 89
Dame Maggie Smith starred in more than 60 films and television series throughout her 70-year career
KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH/AP
The actress starred in more than 60 films and television series over a career that spanned seven decades[5]. She was one of the few to have achieved the “triple crown” of acting – garnering the highest accolades for film, TV and stage performances. Dominic Cavendish pays tribute to the late star[6] and you can read her obituary here[7].
Israel targets Hezbollah leader in huge Beirut air strike
Huge smoke plumes were photographed rising hundreds of metres above the Lebanese capital as Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV said four residential buildings had been destroyed. The attack came after Israel’s military said that it would be carrying out fresh strikes against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon.
Benjamin Netanyahu earlier vowed to continue operations against Hezbollah during an address to the UN General Assembly – see a recap of his speech and follow the latest updates here[8].
Evening Briefing: Today’s essential headlines
- Couple caught performing sex act on easyJet flight[9]
- Wealthy pensioners face £80k hit under Labour tax raid[10]
- Britons with buy-to-lets in France face shock £100k tax bills[11]
- Wall Street rises as falling inflation clears path for more rate cuts[12]
- Trans rapist referred to as ‘she’ by judge… but is sent to male prison[13]
Train tracks flooded and motorways blocked as rain batters Britain
Flooded tracks halted trains at Wellington station
PA
Severe flooding submerged railway tracks and blocked motorways as heavy rain lashed parts of England on Friday. Images posted on social media showed tracks at Wellington station in Shropshire completely flooded, while abandoned cars were seen on the M5 near Bristol. Meanwhile, households have also been warned about the potential for rats to enter homes to scavenge for food[14] following the floods.
Comment and analysis
- Matthew Lynn | Labour’s bitter war on wealth has already flopped[15]
- Miriam Cates | Lockdown hurt our children – its critics have been proven right[16]
- Karl Williams | Ed Miliband’s socialist energy plans will leave Britain in the dark[17]
- Adam Smith | Envy is alive and well in today’s Labour Party – non-doms are its victims[18]
- Tom Harris | The Trump-Starmer love-in is deeply embarrassing for Labour[19]
Labour’s Britain: ‘I no longer see any future in this country’
The wealthy and skilful are fleeing Britain, particularly as fears grow over a range of tax rises in Rachel Reeves’s first Budget. The Telegraph has spoken to a number of its readers who form part of this vital and undervalued group.
As they flanked Donald Trump on stage at the Republican National Convention this summer, the former-president’s offspring conveyed a carefully choreographed message: this is now America’s most powerful political family. However, while some of the Trump clan have been instrumental in helping to secure his dominance over the Republican party, others appear much less enamored[26] with the idea of four more years on the global stage.
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References
- ^ Joshua Hughes (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ sign up to the Front Page newsletter here (secure.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ threw soup over Sunflowers 1889 and Sunflowers 1888 (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ throwing soup over the same 1888 painting (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ spanned seven decades (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ pays tribute to the late star (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ read her obituary here (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ recap of his speech and follow the latest updates here (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ Couple caught performing sex act on easyJet flight (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ Wealthy pensioners face £80k hit under Labour tax raid (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ Britons with buy-to-lets in France face shock £100k tax bills (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ Wall Street rises as falling inflation clears path for more rate cuts (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ Trans rapist referred to as ‘she’ by judge… but is sent to male prison (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ rats to enter homes to scavenge for food (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ Labour’s bitter war on wealth has already flopped (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ Lockdown hurt our children – its critics have been proven right (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ Ed Miliband’s socialist energy plans will leave Britain in the dark (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ Envy is alive and well in today’s Labour Party – non-doms are its victims (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ The Trump-Starmer love-in is deeply embarrassing for Labour (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ catalysed a talent drain (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ Muriel Furrer, 18, dies following crash at cycling World Championships (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ England’s bid to replace Walters could be derailed by Premiership clubs (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ Latest from fourth ODI at Lord’s (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ Tottenham are flat-track bullies – they are too easy to play against (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ Clive Everton, snooker authority who succeeded ‘whispering’ Ted Lowe as the BBC’s voice of the game (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ others appear much less enamored (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ sign up to the Front Page newsletter here (secure.telegraph.co.uk)