Lord Peter Mandelson has been dismissed as ambassador to Washington after emails showed he sent supportive messages to Jeffrey Epstein while the financier faced sex offences. Downing Street sources said he was 'economical with the truth' about his links to Epstein before the appointment. The Prime Minister faces questions over what he knew about Mandelson's friendship with Epstein and the vetting process for the posting. Mandelson's sacking followed publication of […]

Police said officers were assaulted as they tried to keep apart the Unite the Kingdom rally led by Tommy Robinson and a counter-protest in Whitehall, central London. The Metropolitan Police estimated around 110,000 people attended the Unite the Kingdom event, with about 5,000 at the counter-protest. Officers formed a line along Whitehall to separate the two crowds. One side carried placards advocating welcoming refugees and opposing the far right, while […]

Nine officers based at Charing Cross police station have been suspended by the Metropolitan Police as an inquiry begins into alleged misconduct, including excessive use of force and discriminatory and misogynistic comments. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said the investigation follows a mandatory conduct referral from the Met on Thursday involving nine serving Met officers, a former Met officer and a serving detention officer. It also received a […]

Great Britain progressed to Saturday's 4x400m mixed relay final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo after finishing second in their heat, clocking 3:10.22. The squad—Lewis Davey, Nicole Yeargin, Toby Harries and Yemi Mary John—saw John hunt down South Africa’s Zeney van Der Walt in the closing metres to seal second behind the United States. Britain were the second-fastest across the two heats and head into the final with medals […]

The Scottish justice reform bill is set for a final vote next week. If approved, it would end the not proven verdict in Scottish courts and would update the victim notification system; it would also create Suzanne’s Law, designed to stop killers being released if they do not reveal where the victim’s body is. Suzanne Pilley’s murder in 2010 remains unsolved, with her body never found.

The BBC has released the first official image of the 15 celebrities taking part in Strictly Come Dancing's 23rd series. The picture shows all contestants in colourful outfits ahead of the new run, which begins on 20 September with presenters Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly. Many wore pink in the shot. Dani Dyer wore a tasselled pink dress with a plunging V-neck to the waist, while pink details were seen […]

The man charged in the killing of Charlie Kirk, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, had previously told family members he opposed the activist's views and had grown more political in the weeks before the shooting, Utah Governor Spencer Cox said. He cited evidence including engravings on bullets found in a rifle believed to have been used, and chat messages from a roommate that investigators had access to. Cox described the incident as […]

New data from the RAC and the charger locator Zapmap show 1,001 EV chargepoints were added at 260 UK supermarket sites between January 2024 and June 2025, lifting the total number of supermarket chargepoints to 3,917. That represents a 34% rise since January 2024. About 60% of supermarket charging locations offer rapid or ultra-rapid units, a feature the RAC describes as a key part of the rollout for drivers who […]

Almost one in five households had difficulty paying their water bill in the past year, according to Citizens Advice. The charity's survey, conducted in early August, found that 21% of those unable to pay ended up in debt to their supplier. The results come after the largest one-year rise in water charges since the industry was privatised. More than 40% of those struggling had to cut back on essentials, with […]