Georgia Hunter Bell edged training partner Keely Hodgkinson by 0.01 seconds to take the silver in the 800 metres at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Kenya’s Lilian Odira won gold in a championship record time of 1:54.62. Odira surged clear on the final straight to claim victory, with Hunter Bell posting 1:54.90 for silver and Hodgkinson finishing in bronze. The British pair had led the race before Odira overtook […]

Liverpool have postponed their Women’s Super League fixture with Aston Villa following the death of former manager Matt Beard. Beard, who had two spells in charge of the club, left in February. During his first spell he won back-to-back WSL titles in 2013 and 2014, and he returned in 2021 after time with the Boston Breakers in the United States, West Ham and Bristol City. He steered Liverpool to promotion […]

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey has branded Elon Musk a criminal and urged Parliament to summon him to explain his remarks at a central London rally. He has also called for an Ofcom investigation into X, and into Musk personally, under duties set out in the Online Safety Act. Sir Ed is due to address the Lib Dem conference in Bournemouth on Tuesday, where he is expected to press […]

John Stapleton, a well-known television presenter, has died aged 79. He passed away in hospital on Sunday morning after living with Parkinson’s disease, which his agent said was complicated by pneumonia. Jackie Gill said: “John had Parkinson’s disease, which was complicated by pneumonia. His son Nick and daughter-in-law Lisa have been constantly at his side and John died peacefully in hospital this morning.” Stapleton had disclosed his Parkinson’s diagnosis in […]

Prime Minister Keir Starmer will attend the Battle of Britain service at Westminster Abbey on Sunday. The ceremony, held between 11:00 and 12:00, marks the 85th anniversary of the RAF victory in 1940. It was the first decisive battle fought entirely in the air and a turning point in the Second World War. A Second World War-era flypast, usually featuring a Lancaster Bomber, is planned after the service. Sir Keir […]

Figures released under freedom of information show the maintenance backlog for Scotland's police stations stands at £231.6 million. The greater Glasgow division holds the largest share, with £46.5 million of repairs outstanding, around a fifth of the total. A report to the Scottish Police Authority last year described the police estate as unsustainable and not fit for modern policing, noting that alleviating the backlog would address the fabric of the […]

Justice Secretary David Lammy announced a large expansion in body armour for prison staff, increasing stab‑proof vests from 750 to 10,000. The plan was unveiled during a visit to Belmarsh prison in south‑east London and includes 5,000 vests that will be fitted for guards working in high‑security facilities. The package also provides 500 Tasers for trained staff in local response teams based in prisons, up from 20 for specialist staff […]

The UK is set to recognise a Palestinian state on Sunday, despite pressure from the United States and families of hostages held by Hamas. Sir Keir Starmer is expected to confirm the move after saying the situation had deteriorated since he urged Israel to change course over the summer. Ministers warn that ongoing Gaza offensive and a perceived rush to expand settlements in the West Bank threaten any chance of […]