Nancy Pexton appears at Highbury Corner magistrates court charged with murdering Jennifer AbbottA woman has appeared in court charged with murdering her 69-year-old sister who was found stabbed inside her north London home.Nancy Pexton, also 69, appeared at Highbury Corner magistrates court on Friday charged with murdering Jennifer Abbott, also known as Sarah Steinberg, last Tuesday. Continue reading...
by Amy Sedghi (now) and Joe Coughlan (earlier) on (#6Y3V8)
Assisted dying bill will pass to the Lords after MPs vote to accept it, with 314 votes to 291MPs have gathered in the House of Commons for the third reading of the assisted dying bill. If approved, it will then go to the House of Lords.There will also be four votes in the Commons on changes within the bill since it was last put to MPs in November.The terminally ill adults (end of life) bill has huge implications for hospices, our staff, volunteers and patients, as well as the health system and society more broadly. But there are still many unanswered questions around how a future assisted dying service would work.Given this lack of clarity we welcome the introduction of new clause 20, which would require the government to consult with palliative and end of life care providers if the bill progresses. It is vital that the access of palliative and end of life care for everyone is increased, and for that we need a better funding model for hospices. Continue reading...
French charity to challenge new Channel migrant interception plans in European courtsPlans by French police to enter the sea to stop small boats carrying UK-bound asylum seekers willcause more deaths and will be challenged in the European courts, a French charity has said.Arthur Dos Santos, the coordinator of the refugee charity Utopia 56, said there would be an increase in the number of people who would take desperate" measures to reach the UK. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Show at The Box in artist's home town spans entire career and includes previously unseen worksShe was a seaside landlady who left school at 14 and who, without any formal training, became one of Britain's most popular artists. Now, 17 years after Beryl Cook's death, her home city of Plymouth will this week announce a major exhibition that will include previously unseen works as well as much-loved humorous paintings with larger-than-life characters.Cook was chronically shy and avoided her exhibition openings - and would probably have stayed away from the show at The Box from January 2026. Continue reading...
Foreign secretary says government will provide charter flights from Tel Aviv when airspace reopensBritish nationals who want to leave Israel will be offered charter flights from Tel Aviv as soon as airspace reopens, the government has said.With the conflict with Iran continuing, Whitehall officials have been working to organise escape routes for the thousands of British and dual nationals in Israel. Continue reading...
PM Jonas Gahr Store declared Norway's support for the 5% target proposed by Nato's secretary general Mark RuttePoland's EU minister Adam Szapka, who led the country's EU presidency from January, will become the new chief government spokesperson, prime minister Donald Tusk has announced.The move comes ahead of a broader government reshuffle after the ruling pro-European coalition's defeat in the presidential election earlier this month. Continue reading...
by Dan Sabbagh Defence and securty editor on (#6Y3YX)
Palestine Action members break into Brize Norton airbase in Oxfordshire and spray military planes with red paintA pro-Palestine protest group has said two of its members broke into the RAF's Brize Norton airbase and defaced two military aircraft with spray paint before escaping the site without being detained.Palestine Action released a short video on Friday morning showing two people driving electric scooters unimpeded inside the airbase at night, in an embarrassing breach of Ministry of Defence (MoD) security at a site where transport planes used by the king and prime minister can be parked. Continue reading...
Transformative' project wins the 2025 architecture medallion as town centres, industrial restorations and residential homes collect other awards of note
Top chefs in this year's World Region of Gastronomy are looking back as they shift from avant-garde cuisine to something more homespunThey revolutionised cooking worldwide with radical techniques and a highly technical cuisine of playful trompe l'oeil - but now many disciples of Catalonia's iconoclastic chef Ferran Adria believe it's time to get back to their roots.Catalonia has been named World Region of Gastronomy 2025 by the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism and later this month 60 Michelin-starred chefs will launch a campaign to position Catalonia as a unique and exceptional gastronomic destination. Continue reading...
External consultant appointed to review show's culture after at least two complaints against Richard FredianiThe editor of BBC Breakfast has taken an extended period of leave after allegations of bullying and misconduct.Richard Frediani has been the subject of at least two misconduct complaints since taking over the UK's most-watched morning TV show in 2019, according to Deadline. Continue reading...
Tropical Storm Dalila brings flooding to Acapulco, while Hurricane Erick causes disruption in Oaxaca stateWhile the western Atlantic has experienced a quiet start to the hurricane season, the eastern Pacific has recently become fairly active, producing a tropical storm and a category 4 hurricane within a few days.The first and weaker of these systems, Tropical Storm Dalila, developed into a tropical storm late last week. Although this storm stayed off the coast of Mexico and was relatively weak to other storms that have developed in this region, Dalila brought flooding and mudslides to the resort town of Acapulco, in western Mexico. Continue reading...
Letter sent to Perplexity AI but US-based firm calls corporation's claims manipulative and opportunistic'The BBC is threatening legal action against Perplexity AI, in the corporation's first move to protect its content from being scraped without permission to build artificial intelligence technology.The corporation has sent a letter to Aravind Srinivas, the chief executive of the San Francisco-based startup, saying it has gathered evidence that Perplexity's model was trained using BBC content". Continue reading...
by Rafqa Touma (now) and Nick Visser (earlier) on (#6Y3MD)
This blog has now closedBragg says better value' for taxpayers if Coalition part of Chalmers' productivity roundtableAndrew Bragg, the shadow minister for productivity and deregulation, told RN Breakfast this morning it was up to treasurer Jim Chalmers who sits on an upcoming productivity roundtable but taxpayers would be better off if the Coalition was on the invite list.As you know, we're happy to be productive. We are doing our own policy work on productivity, deregulation, cutting of red tape. ... I think taxpayers would get better value if we were able to collaborate. But ultimately, who goes to this meeting is up to the treasurer. As he says, there'll be a role for us regardless.But I do think that if there is an opportunity for bipartisanship on trying to improve our very anaemic productivity, which I have to say, after three years of Labor, I mean, the government have largely driven a lot of this bad productivity because of their huge commitment to red tape. Continue reading...
Committee seeking warrants for staff from premier and police minister's offices, but they insist they had reasonable excuse or just cause' not to attend
Industry professionals gather at civil and military aircraft event further overshadowed by war between Israel and IranEvery second summer more than 100,000 aviation industry professionals gather in Paris for an airshow - a flying display crossed with a vast conference. The mood at the latest gathering this week was more subdued than usual, after the deadly crash a week ago of a London-bound Air India flight in Ahmedabad.Investigators have recovered the black box from the plane to try to work out the cause of the disaster. The aircraft maker Boeing, and GE Aerospace, which made the 787 Dreamliner's engines, both cancelled many of their media-facing events out of respect for the families of the 241 passengers and crew who died, as well as at least 30 more people on the ground who were killed. Continue reading...
by Lanre Bakare Arts and culture correspondent on (#6Y3VE)
In 1992 letter, Mustapha Matura warned of risk to Ladbroke Grove, home to strong Caribbean creative communityA groundbreaking Trinidadian-British playwright who paved the way for modern Black British theatre makers warned about the dangers of gentrification in Ladbroke Grove, which he believed would ruin the writer's paradise".Mustapha Matura was the first British writer of colour to have work put on in the West End, and used the west London area as an inspiration for many of his plays, which were also staged at the Royal Court and National Theatre. Continue reading...
by Helen Livingstone (now); Hayden Vernon, Maya Yang, on (#6Y346)
This blog has now closed here. You can follow our new live blog hereThe leader of Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service has said that a directive had been issued to reduce the number of people on the floor that was hit at Soroko hospital in Beersheba, according to the Haaretz newspaper.He added that there had been no hazardous materials incident at the hospital and that for now Magen David Adom was transferring patients to other hospitals in southern Israel instead of Soroka. Continue reading...
Student Loans Company figures show 10% jump in a year as individuals increase borrowing to meet cost of livingStudents in England are finishing their degrees with government loans averaging 53,000, a jump of 10% in a year, as they increase their borrowing to meet the rising cost of living.The Student Loans Company (SLC) has released figures showing individual loan balances were 5,000 higher in 2024-25 than a year earlier, when the average in England was 48,270. Continue reading...
by Josh Halliday North of England editor on (#6Y3T1)
Exclusive: first store opens in Spinningfields, Manchester, two weeks before band's first gig in 16 years in CardiffWill the truce between the Gallagher brothers hold out? Will the most-hyped reunion in British rock history actually come off? And will fans be able to bag themselves an official Oasis tea towel?The answer to that final question, at least, has arrived. The first Oasis merchandise store will open in Manchester on Friday, two weeks before the band perform their first gig in 16 years at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#6Y3T3)
Exclusive: Research by the General Medical Council found doctors opting for US, Australia and Canada insteadDoctors are choosing not to come and work in the UK because they are put off by low salaries, the high cost of living and poor quality of life.Research by the General Medical Council (GMC) shows that doctors who shun the UK are opting to move instead to the United States, Australia and Canada to earn more and have a better life. Continue reading...
In the phone call, Thai prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra discusses a border dispute with former Cambodian leader and calls him uncle'Thailand's prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, apologised after a leaked phone conversation with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen prompted public anger and threatened the collapse of her government.In the leaked call, Paetongtarn - daughter of the populist former leader Thaksin Shinawatra - discusses an ongoing border dispute with Hun Sen, who is known to be a friend of her family.
Items ranged from video cameras and guitars to taxidermy deer heads, props from Twin Peaks and Mulholland Drive - and the director's personal coffee machinePersonal effects belonging to the film-maker David Lynch, who died in January, have fetched more than $4m at auction in Los Angeles, with the highest bid of $195,000 going to scripts for his unrealised film project Ronnie Rocket.Wednesday's auction of almost 450 items included props from Lynch's films, personal items such as video cameras and music equipment, his director's chair, two taxidermy deer heads, his 35mm print of his debut feature Eraserhead - and his beloved La Marzocco GS/3 home espresso machine, which fetched $45,500 and presumably produces a damn fine cup of coffee. Continue reading...
Concerns raised about lighting outdoor fires after more than 500 blazes in the UK this yearFire chiefs have issued a warning over outdoor fires and barbecues after a sevenfold increase in UK wildfires, as amber heat alerts were issued across England before what is expected to be a scorching weekend.The UK has already experienced more than 500 wildfires this year, with incidents up 717% compared with the same period in 2024. Continue reading...
Army chief's effusive welcome in Washington hints at strategic recalibration amid Middle East turmoilAfter years in the diplomatic deep freeze, US-Pakistan ties appear to be quickly thawing, with Donald Trump's effusive welcome for Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, signalling a possible major reset.Once snubbed so badly that former prime minister Imran Khan had to board an ordinary airport shuttle after arriving in the US rather than being whisked off in a limousine, Pakistan is now enjoying top-level access in Washington, including a White House lunch for Munir on Wednesday and meetings with top national security officials. Continue reading...
by Jessica Elgot Deputy political editor on (#6Y3ME)
Vicky Foxcroft says she cannot support changes to disability payments ahead of key vote on welfare billThe Labour MP Vicky Foxcroft has resigned as a whip in protest at the government's welfare plans, saying she will not be able to vote for the cuts to disability payments.The government is braced for a major rebellion on the welfare bill, which includes significant changes to personal independence payments for disabled people. Continue reading...
Speaking at a hospital hit by an Iranian missile, the Israeli prime minister invoked ancient Persia as he hinted at a historic missionIt was in the Beersheba, about a thousand kilometers and 2,500 years from Babylon, that Benjamin Netanyahu suggested on Thursday that the time had come for the Jews to repay their ancient debt to Cyrus the Great and bring liberation to Iran.The Israeli prime minister had just made a tour of Beersheba's Soroka hospital which a few hours earlier had sustained a direct hit from an Iranian ballistic missile on one of its buildings. It was for that reason the scene of an escape which was already being dubbed miraculous by Israel's leaders. Continue reading...
by Dan Sabbagh Defence and security editor on (#6Y3JH)
Iran has struggled to respond effectively after Israel killed many of its top military commandersIt is a week since Israel began its largest attack ever on Iran, and in conventional military terms it is clear that Tehran is under extreme pressure. Israel has been able to achieve superiority over Iran's skies at extraordinary speed, within hours of launching its surprise assault. Its military claimed on Monday to have knocked out 120 Iranian air defence systems through a mixture of air and drone strikes, about a third of Tehran's pre-war total.In response, Iran's most effective weapon has been its stock of high-speed ballistic missiles, estimated at about 2,000 by Israel's Defence Force (IDF) at the outset of hostilities last week. But the heavy targeting by Israel of launch sites in western Iran, in underground bases such as at Kermanshah - coupled with Israel's grimly effective targeted killing of Iran's top military commanders - have left Iran struggling to respond militarily and presenting a significant threat. Continue reading...
Struggling steel sector among those expected to benefit in government's long-awaited industrial strategyUK manufacturing is expected to receive support to ease energy costs and boost skills, the Guardian understands, as part of a long-awaited industrial strategy due to be unveiled next week.Energy-intensive industries have long complained that they pay too much for electricity compared with competitors in the EU, while the wider industrial sector has struggled to recruit skilled staff. Continue reading...
PM Pedro Sanchez says he wants a more flexible formula' that would make target optional or allow Madrid to opt outSpain's prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, has rejected Nato's proposal for member states to increase their defence spending to 5% of their GDP, saying the idea would not only be unreasonable but also counterproductive".Sanchez said that he was not seeking to complicate next week's Nato summit in The Hague, but he wanted there to be a more flexible formula" that would either make the target optional or allow Spain to opt out. Continue reading...
by Miranda Bryant Nordic correspondent on (#6Y3G9)
US-made unmanned vessels will monitor maritime activity as part of trial, amid criticism over closer ties with AmericaDenmark is deploying floating drones on the Baltic Sea to protect undersea infrastructure and bolster maritime surveillance amid the growing threat of hybrid attacks from Russia.The arrival of Saildrone, a California-based company, has prompted criticism in Denmark over forging tighter bonds with the US in such a sensitive area as digital security. Continue reading...
London student who police fear may have drugged and raped more than 60 women receives life sentenceA serial rapist feared to be one of the worst sexual offenders in British history has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 24 years for drugging and raping 10 women in the UK and China.Zhenhao Zou, a 28-year-old PhD student, drugged and filmed himself raping women between 2019 and 2024 after luring them to his flat with invitations to study or have drinks. Police fear more than 50 other women could be victims. Continue reading...
Order gives the Chinese-owned social media app, which has 170 million users in the US, until September to find a buyerDonald Trump has signed an executive order to delay the ban or sale of TikTok for the third time. The order gives the Chinese-owned social media company another 90 days to find a buyer or be banned in the US.I've just signed the Executive Order extending the Deadline for the TikTok closing for 90 days (September 17, 2025)," the president said in a Truth Social post. Continue reading...
Two serving officers and one former officer to face hearing after woman was also handcuffed and put in spit hoodTwo serving Metropolitan police officers and one former officer will face a gross misconduct hearing after a 90-year-old woman with dementia was targeted with a Taser, the police watchdog said.The woman was also handcuffed and put in a spit hood during the incident in Peckham, south London, in May 2023, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said. Continue reading...
Government strategy includes spending 9bn a year on fixing schools, hospitals, courts and prisonsMinisters have pledged to spend 9bn a year on fixing crumbling schools, hospitals, courts and prisons over the next decade as part of the government's infrastructure strategy.Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the Treasury, set out plans on Thursday to spend a minimum of 725bn over 10 years to boost UK-wide infrastructure and achieve a national renewal". Continue reading...
Graham Flatman may have acted outside his remit in seven cases between 2013 and 2024, investigation findsA psychologist who was found to have misled the family court about his qualifications had previously given expert evidence in at least seven other cases in which he may have been acting outside his remit.Graham Flatman, an educational psychologist based in Kent, was suspended for six months by the regulator for taking work as a clinical psychologist" and carrying out an assessment he was not qualified to make. Continue reading...
Jim Chalmers has kickstarted a conversation about productivity. If we lift it, what would we do with the dividends of our success: work more or spend more?
by Amy Sedghi (now) and Tom Ambrose (earlier) on (#6Y36G)
This live blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereCampaigners from trade unions, voluntary organisations and the Church of Scotland have announced plans for an anti-poverty march to demand better" from politicians in Scotland, reports the PA news agency.The campaign, Scotland Demands Better, will culminate in a march in Edinburgh on 25 October, walking from the Scottish parliament, up the Royal Mile and along George IV Bridge to The Meadows.Change for the better happens when people stand together and demand it. Scotland desperately needs that change.Too many of us are being cut off from life's essentials. Too many are frightened of what the future will bring. Too many of us are feeling tired, angry, isolated, and disillusioned.Air pollution remains the most important environmental threat to health, with impacts throughout the life course.It is an area of health where the UK has made substantial progress in the last three decades, with concentrations of many of the main pollutants falling rapidly, but it remains a major cause of chronic ill health as well as premature mortality. Continue reading...
by Nadia Khomami Arts and culture correspondent on (#6Y3BM)
Zak Starkey says his father made the comment after he was fired over a disagreement about his performanceRingo Starr has reportedly criticised the way that little man" Roger Daltrey runs the Who after Starr's son was sacked from the band.Zak Starkey, 59, who was sacked as the Who's drummer over a disagreement about his performance, said he was proud that his father had come to his defence. Continue reading...
Pedro Sanchez reportedly says move would be counterproductive' and harm Spanish economyEarlier today, I cheekily suggested that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is probably wondering how to persuade US president Donald Trump to stay at the Nato summit in The Hague next week long enough to get to discussions on Ukraine and Russia - and not leave early, as he did at the G7 summit.Well, looks like this issue may have actually influenced the planning.Budapest city hall will organise the Budapest Pride march on 28 June as a city event. Period." Continue reading...
Call for root-and-branch reform of treatment of children, many of whom are wrongly classified as adultsDecisions relating to lone child asylum seekers should be removed from Home Office officials because of fundamental problems with the way they treat this vulnerable group, a report has found.The report calls for root-and-branch reform of the treatment of thousands of children who have fled persecution in their home countries and made hazardous journeys in search of safety, often crossing the Channel in a dinghy or concealing themselves in the back of a lorry. Continue reading...
World news | The Guardian