Local News

The Bank of England has kept interest rates on hold as it warned of growing economic uncertainty linked to Donald Trump's trade war. The central bank's monetary policy committee, which meets every six weeks to set borrowing costs, voted 8-1 to keep the bank rate unchanged at 4.5%. Although the decision was widely expected, the vote was more unified than many assumed.Just one member of the committee, Swati Dhingra, voted to […]

The police fraud investigation examining the SNP could weaken the party's chances at the 2026 Scottish election amid trust in its finances being dented, one of Britain's leading political experts has told Sky News.Professor Sir John Curtice said the long-running inquiry, dubbed Operation Branchform, could prevent John Swinney's party from conducting an "effective ground war". Image: Professor Sir John Curtice. Pic: PA Detectives have charged Nicola Sturgeon's estranged husband Peter […]

The public inquiry into Lucy Letby's crimes will not be halted, its chairwoman has ruled, despite requests from hospital executives to do so.On Wednesday, Lady Justice Thirlwall refused the application from the senior hospital managers to pause the inquiry, pending the outcome of Letby's latest challenge to her multiple convictions for murder and attempted murder. Since September, the Thirlwall Inquiry has been examining how the former neonatal nurse was able […]

A wanted man suspected of killing his wife before her body was found in a car boot has been charged with her murder.Pankaj Lamba, who is the subject of an international manhunt following Harshita Brella's death last year, has also been charged with two counts of rape, sexual assault and controlling or coercive behaviour. Ms Brella, 24, was found in the boot of a silver Vauxhall Corsa in Brisbane Road, […]

A man has admitted to killing a mother and daughter in a motorway crash.Cheryl Woods, 61, and Sarha Smith, 40, of Caerphilly, died in the multi-vehicle crash on the M4 between junction 17 for Chippenham and junction 18 for Bath. Firas Zeineddine pleaded guilty to two charges of causing death by careless driving at Swindon Crown Court over his role in the accident on 20 October 2023.The 46-year-old, of Keynsham, […]

Children who underwent operations with a now-suspended surgeon at a Cambridge hospital are being let down again by a lack of information and transparency from the hospital's trust, according to a lawyer representing one of the families.Last month, Addenbrooke's Hospital announced it had contacted the families of nine children whose complex hip surgeries "fell below" the expected standard, following an external review. The orthopaedic surgeon, who has not been named, […]

Legal documents about Prince Harry's US visa application have been released - albeit with very heavy redactions.The released records show the judge concluded in September it wasn't in the public interest to disclose information about the Duke of Sussex's immigration status. He argued that Harry could be subject to "harm in the form of harassment" as well as "unwanted contact" from the media.So much of the text has been blacked […]

Families of the victims of convicted child serial killer Lucy Letby have hit out at calls for the public inquiry into her crimes to be suspended.They have also dismissed as "deception" Letby's claims to have new evidence of her innocence. Senior managers at the Countess of Chester Hospital, where nurse Letby killed seven babies and attempted to kill seven more, have added their voices to her call for Lady Justice […]

A teenager obsessed with mass killings who murdered three members of his family was travelling to his old primary school when he was arrested.Nicholas Prosper, 19, shot his mother Juliana Falcon, 48, sister Giselle, 13, and shot and stabbed his brother Kyle, 16, at their family home in Luton on 13 September last year. But he did not plan on stopping there, according to prosecutor Timothy Cray KC, who told […]