A man in his 60s died and 15 others were injured after a head-on collision between Talerddig and Llanbrynmair
Rail investigators are working to establish the cause of the first head-on train crash in the UK this century, which killed a passenger in his 60s on Monday evening.
A further 15 people were treated in hospital after the collision between the Welsh villages of Talerddig and Llanbrynmair on the largely single-track Cambrian line.
Continue reading...Downing Street says government ‘shocked’ at inheriting prisons crisis as hundreds of prisoners get early release. This live blog is closed
The funeral of Alex Salmond, the former Scottish first minister who died suddenly earlier this month after delivering a speech in North Macedonia, will be held on Tuesday 29 October, his family has announced.
The funeral will be at Strichen parish church in Aberdeenshire. It will be conducted by Rev Ian McEwan, a friend of the family, and only family and close friends are invited. Salmond will be laid to rest in Strichen cemetery.
According to the Eurostat data, England and Wales had 144 prisoners per 100,000 head of population, the 8th highest rate among EU countries and the highest amongst western European jurisdictions. Scotland had the 9th highest with 137 prisoners per 100,000. Northern Ireland had 76 prisoners per 100,000 of population and was ranked 24th.
Continue reading...The 34-year-old was last seen at 9am on Monday 30 September in Malton, North Yorkshire
A body believed to be that of Victoria Taylor has been found in the search for the 34-year-old woman who went missing from her North Yorkshire home three weeks ago.
Police searching for the missing woman, known as Vixx, has said there was a “significant possibility” she had entered the River Derwent, which runs through the town of Malton, where she lived.
Continue reading...Procedures performed by convicted breast surgeon were not a recognised or authorised type of operation
The convicted breast surgeon Ian Paterson pitched one of his patients an unauthorised cleavage-sparing mastectomy “almost like a sales job”, an inquest has heard.
Chloe Nikitas, an environmental consultant from Tamworth, died in 2008 at the age of 43 from breast cancer that returned three years after having a mastectomy she believed had removed all of her breast tissue.
Continue reading...Rahima Mahmut, in exile in the UK, ‘disappointed’ at failure to describe Beijing’s crackdown on minority as genocide
A leading Uyghur activist has accused the Labour government of “falling behind” its allies in failing to stand up to China, after ministers backtracked on plans to push for formal recognition of the country’s treatment of the minority group as genocide.
Speaking after David Lammy’s first visit to China as UK foreign secretary, the human rights activist Rahima Mahmut, who has lived in exile in the UK since 2000, said she had hoped there would be a shift in UK policy once the party came into power, including following the US in declaring a continuing genocide in Xinjiang.
Continue reading...The royals get on the tongs, banter with surf lifesavers and meet massive crowds at the Sydney Opera House
Just as King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived at a barbecue picnic in western Sydney, the strains of the Jimmy Barnes anthem, Working Class Man, wafted mysteriously and humorously above the crowd.
As Barnsey rasped out the opening lyrics of the Aussie classic, Charles and Camilla greeted hundreds of invited guests in the punishing Parramatta Park heat. Muster dogs waited patiently atop barrels and a windmill slowly twirled above a pile of hay.
Continue reading...Exclusive: Lee Hsien Yang says Singapore is no ‘paradise’ after fleeing authoritarian regime that his older brother inherited and still holds sway over through their revered father’s legacy
A senior member of the family that has dominated Singapore since independence has been granted asylum in the UK after fleeing what he says was a campaign of persecution.
In an exclusive interview, Lee Hsien Yang told the Guardian the authoritarian regime founded by his father turned on him as he endorsed the opposition following a family rift.
Continue reading...Move could raise £24bn a year say signatories including Jeremy Corbyn as polls suggest public support
A cross-party group of 30 MPs has urged Rachel Reeves to impose a wealth tax on Britain’s rich in next week’s budget rather than announce spending cuts that would hit the most poor hardest.
In a letter to the chancellor, the MPs – including the former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and his then shadow chancellor, John McDonnell – say she could raise £24bn a year from a 2% tax on wealth above £10m and lay the foundations for a fairer, more sustainable economy.
Continue reading...Poetry in protest event on 30 October will showcase how political change can be brought about through verse
The British Academy is to pay tribute to the late poet Benjamin Zephaniah next week as part of a night of discussion and performance.
The award-winning poet Jackie Kay is among guest speakers at the first Poetry in protest event on 30 October, which explores how political change can be brought about through verse.
Continue reading...HMRC and FCA asked to look into property deals with Saifuzzaman Chowdhury now under investigation for corruption in Dhaka
British regulators have been urged by MPs to examine the relationship between London estate agents, lawyers and lenders and a former Bangladeshi government minister under investigation for alleged corruption.
Saifuzzaman Chowdhury was the land minister in Bangladesh until earlier this year, when the government of Sheikh Hasina was spectacularly toppled, after her regime’s violent suppression of student protests.
Continue reading...Survey shows many consumers unaware that previously standalone businesses now owned by big corporations
Small breweries in the UK are ditching the term “craft beer” in favour of “indie beer”, warning that global corporations have bamboozled many drinkers into believing that formerly independent brands are still artisanal hidden gems.
In a survey by YouGov that marks a new phase of the bitter war over what constitutes “craft beer”, consumers were asked to say whether 10 beer brands were made by “independent craft breweries”.
Continue reading...Gardeners’ World presenter is bucking the trend to make the event more inclusive
Some gardeners at the Chelsea Flower Show may balk at the idea of a dog scrabbling around near their prize roses.
But Monty Don is designing his first Chelsea garden for next year’s event – and making it dog-friendly.
Continue reading...£4.3m hoard acquired for the nation by South West Heritage Trust will be displayed at British Museum next month
It began with a speculative trip to a soggy field in south-west England by a seven-strong band of metal detectorists more intent on figuring out how to use some new kit rather than unearthing anything of great historical importance.
But the friends came upon an astonishing hoard of coins – 2,584 silver pennies – from the time of the Norman conquest, which has been valued at £4.3m, making it the highest-value treasure find ever in England.
Continue reading...Government issues official document to Peruvian-born character, listing him as ‘Bear’ under its observations
He has been one of the UK’s favourite and most prominent refugees for two-thirds of a century. Now Paddington Bear – official name Paddington Brown – has been granted a British passport.
The co-producer of the latest Paddington film said the Home Office had issued the document to the fictional Peruvian-born character – listing for completeness the official observation that he is, in fact, a bear.
Continue reading...Justin Welby says ancestor owned enslaved people in Jamaica and was paid compensation upon abolition
Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, has revealed that his ancestor owned enslaved people on a plantation in Jamaica and was compensated by the British government when slavery was abolished.
Welby disclosed his ancestral links in a personal statement that reiterated his commitment to addressing the enduring and damaging legacies of transatlantic slavery.
Continue reading...Loans will be repaid using interest generated by $300bn of frozen Russian assets held in the west
Britain is to lend Ukraine an additional £2.26bn and allow Kyiv to spend the money on weapons to fight off the Russian invasion as part of a wider $50bn (£38.5bn) loan programme expected to be confirmed by G7 members later this week.
The loans will be repaid using interest generated by the $300bn of frozen Russian assets held in the west, with the extra funds promised as the US heads towards a presidential election where support for Ukraine is a divisive issue.
Continue reading...Tory rightwinger may have breached ministerial code as attorney general between 2021 and 2022
Suella Braverman forwarded government documents to her private email accounts at least 127 times while serving as attorney general, in a potential breach of the ministerial code.
The Tory rightwinger routinely forwarded correspondence, with at least 290 documents attached, when she was the government’s top legal officer between 2021 and 2022, according to a freedom of information request.
Continue reading...Martyn Blake shot Kaba, who was unarmed, in 2022, saying he feared Kaba would use his Audi to kill officers
A Metropolitan police armed officer on trial for murder after shooting an unarmed suspect in the head has been acquitted.
Martyn Blake shot Chris Kaba in September 2022 on a residential street in Streatham, south London.
Continue reading...The vocalist, who went on to form Battlezone and Killers, had experienced a number of health issues in recent years
Paul Di’Anno, the journeyman heavy metal vocalist best known for fronting Iron Maiden in their early years, has died aged 66.
His label Conquest Music confirmed that he died at home in Salisbury, adding: “Despite being troubled by severe health issues in recent years that restricted him to performing in a wheelchair, Paul continued to entertain his fans around the world, racking up well over 100 shows since 2023.”
Continue reading...Suspect being questioned over death of 57-year-old who was found with head injuries after going for walk in July
A 55-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of Anita Rose in Suffolk, police have said.
The 57-year-old left her house in Brantham to take her dog for a walk at about 5am on Wednesday 24 July. She was found unconscious with serious head injuries near Rectory Lane at about 6.25am and died four days later.
Continue reading...