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Pro-Palestine activist who cost the taxpayer £92,000 when he scaled Big Ben in 17-hour stand-off with police is spared jail
A pro-Palestine activist who scaled Big Ben and triggered a 17-hour stand-off with police has been spared a jail sentence, despite the protest costing the taxpayer an estimated £92,000. The case highlights the significant public expense and disruption caused by high-profile direct-action protests, even where courts ultimately opt for leniency towards those responsible. The activist’s…
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UK government steps in to aid families forced out of sinking village homes
The UK and Scottish governments are stepping in to help residents of Coalsnaughton, a village in Clackmannanshire, after homes were forced empty due to ground subsidence linked to former mine workings beneath the area. The intervention follows growing concern for displaced families left in limbo, unable to sell or safely occupy their properties, prompting calls…
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North Sea oil firm in jobs threat as pressure grows on government to approve drilling
A North Sea oil operator has warned it may be forced to cut jobs unless the UK government gives faster approval to new drilling projects, adding to mounting pressure on ministers over the future of the industry. The warning highlights ongoing tension between the government’s energy and climate policies and the North Sea sector’s calls…
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Wildfires force 300,000 evacuations across France, Spain and UK
Wildfires swept across France, Spain and the United Kingdom during a prolonged and extreme heat wave, ultimately forcing more than 300,000 people to evacuate as emergency services worked to bring the flames under control. The scale of the displacement highlighted growing concern about how vulnerable communities are to increasingly severe weather extremes linked to climate…
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Inter Milan close in on deal for defender John Stones
England defender John Stones completed a move to Inter Milan on a free transfer, joining the Serie A champions on a two-year deal after his contract at Manchester City expired at the end of June. The 32-year-old had been courted by several major European clubs, including Chelsea and Juventus, but Inter emerged as the frontrunners…
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Wildfires ‘stark reminder’ of extreme climate challenge, says William
The prince’s warning comes as wildfires rage in parts of Europe and the UK during a spell of extreme heat.
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Family of suicidal British woman who flew to US to be murdered by man she met in fetish chatroom pay tribute to ‘gentlest soul’
The family of a suicidal British woman have paid tribute to her as a “gentlest soul” after she travelled to the United States to be killed by a man she had met in an online fetish chatroom. The case highlights the dangers of online spaces where vulnerable people can be targeted and exploited, particularly those…
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Mind the ever-growing gap: the Premier League keeps spending big
Premier League clubs have spent more than £1.4bn on new players so far this summer, outstripping the combined outlay of the Bundesliga, La Liga, Ligue 1 and Serie A. The gap matters because it underlines the growing financial gulf between English football and the rest of Europe, a trend that shows no sign of reversing…
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Social care reform in England: how could we pay to fix a ‘broken system’?
Andy Burnham, as prime minister, has said England’s adult social care system is “broken” and needs reform, a view shared broadly across politics even though there is no agreement on how to pay for it. Burnham previously led an earlier failed reform attempt in 2010, which was undermined by Conservative claims it amounted to a…
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Hodgkinson & Asher-Smith in GB squad for Europeans
Keely Hodgkinson, Dina Asher-Smith and Katarina Johnson-Thompson headline a 98-strong Great Britain squad named for next month’s European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, the first time the UK has hosted the event. All three had opted to skip the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, with Hodgkinson and Asher-Smith aiming to defend their 800m and 100m European…