Local News

Prince Andrew's reputation was "irrecoverable" following his Newsnight interview, according to his senior aide.A witness statement from Dominic Hampshire also reveals he was told by intelligence services they had "genuine concerns" about the alleged Chinese spy Yang Tengbo and his "influence on the Duke of York". The court papers, released on Friday, were used in a case related to Yang, who was excluded from the UK on national security grounds […]

Russell Brand has been charged with rape and two counts of sexual assault between 1999 and 2005.The Metropolitan Police say the 50-year-old comedian, actor and author has also been charged with one count of oral rape and one count of indecent assault. The charges relate to four women.He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday 2 May.Police have said Brand is accused of raping a woman in […]

In Small Heath in Birmingham, the sun is setting on another mound of rubbish.There are dozens of bin liners on the street corner, with puncture holes and rips, causing rotting food to spill onto the pavement. "I've seen loads of rats here," says a man strolling past the pile. "People walk here and chuck their bags on top and I have to live next to it."Look at this," he says, […]

A scheme meant to boost access to NHS dentists under the last government appears to have "comprehensively failed", MPs have saidIntroduced in February last year by Conservative health ministers, the Dental Recovery Plan promised to introduce 1.5 million new treatments for patients and offered dentists a "bonus" to take NHS patients. According to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the scheme appears to have "resulted in worsening the picture" more than […]

A 'vile' former police officer who was caught in a sting operation after travelling to meet what he thought was a 14-year-old boy has been jailed. Thomas Kettleborough, 35, then an inspector with Avon and Somerset Police, was arrested in July 2023 while attempting to meet up with 'the teenager' after communicating with him on Grindr and Snapchat. However, he was actually speaking to undercover officers.After being detained at a […]

The expansion of Luton Airport has been approved by Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander.She said she approved the airport's expansion plan, which is for a new terminal rather than runway, despite the Planning Inspectorate recommending she reject it over environmental concerns. Chancellor Rachel Reeves had been considering whether to expand the airport as a means to boost UK growth, following a similar decision to give the green light to a third […]

An MP has told Sky News she was attacked online by the Tate brothers after she participated in a debate in the House of Commons about violence against women.The controversial duo, Andrew and Tristan Tate, are facing charges of rape and human trafficking in the UK - all of which they deny. But they are still very active online, and according to Sorcha Eastwood, the MP for Lagan Valley, are […]

The US is "our closest ally" but "nothing is off the table" in response to Donald Trump's 10% tariffs on imports from the UK, the business secretary has said.In a statement following the US president's nearly hour-long address to the world, Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: "We will always act in the best interests of UK businesses and consumers. "That's why, throughout the last few weeks, the government […]

The assisted dying bill is entering the make-or-break stage.The message from those around Kim Leadbeater is that all is calm and well. She tells me she is "not particularly worried" about 28 MPs changing their minds and overturning the previous, historic, vote at the bill's second reading. But the mood at the assisted dying campaign's press conference today is different. The cheerful optimism that marked the last one has turned […]