The latest National and International News

Prawn cocktail sales jump 170% as 1980s dishes make dramatic UK comeback

A wave of 1980s nostalgia has hit UK supermarkets and restaurants, with classic dishes from the decade experiencing a dramatic sales surge.

14-year-old girl charged with attempted murder after triple stabbing at Manchester school

A 14-year-old girl has been charged with three counts of attempted murder and two counts of possessing a bladed article after a triple stabbing at a Manchester school. The charges stem from an attack that occurred on Tuesday at Co-op Academy Manchester in Blackley.

17% weight loss in trials - UK clears daily Wegovy pill for private prescription

The UK has approved its first GLP-1 weight loss pill, offering millions of people an alternative to weekly injections. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency authorized the daily Wegovy tablet for private prescription, making Britain the first country in Europe to clear the medication.

Man, 22, claims he saw knife before pushing 12-year-old girl to ground in Dundee street fight

A Bulgarian man has told a court he pushed a 12-year-old girl to the ground because he saw a knife under her T-shirt and feared she would attack his sister. Iilia Belov, 22, is on trial for assault following the incident in Dundee's Lochee area in August last year.

From hand-painted 1959 original to wheelchair Barbie: Glasgow's doll evolution show

A major Barbie exhibition is opening in Scotland for the first time, showcasing the iconic doll's evolution from 1959 to today. The show opens Saturday at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow and features more than 150 dolls alongside rare accessories and historic milestones.

Facebook and Instagram crash globally - 41,500+ reports: "Thought I got hacked"

Meta platforms crashed globally this afternoon, locking millions of users out of Facebook and Instagram. The outage began around 2:45 PM UK time, preventing people from accessing their accounts and leaving them staring at error messages.

At 87, still painting daily: David Hockney's $90 million record and 450-work retrospective

David Hockney transformed modern art with his joyful, color-saturated vision over more than seven decades, becoming one of the world's most beloved artists and creating some of the 20th and 21st centuries' most memorable images.

Why Flutter's ditching London for Wall Street - and what it means for the LSE

Flutter Entertainment is abandoning the London Stock Exchange in another blow to the UK's financial markets. The gambling giant, which owns Paddy Power, Betfair and SkyBet, will delist its shares from the LSE on August 3, leaving it solely traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

32 seconds after takeoff, 260 lives lost - and investigators still can't explain why

Air India Flight 171 crashed into student accommodation just 32 seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport a year ago today, killing 260 people. An official crash report released late Friday points to a baffling fuel switch error as the likely cause — both engine fuel cutoff switches mysteriously transitioned to the CUTOFF position moments after the aircraft became airborne.

ECB raises rates to 2.25% as Iran war drives oil to $92 and inflation hits 3.2%

The European Central Bank has raised its benchmark interest rate to 2.25% from 2%, marking the first increase since 2023. The move comes as the eurozone grapples with rising inflation driven by surging oil prices from the Iran war.

£780m wiped from UK grocery sales as weight loss drug users slash food spending

The rapid uptake of weight loss medications in Britain has wiped £780 million from annual grocery spending, fundamentally reshaping how households shop and eat. Research from Worldpanel by Numerator shows households with GLP-1 drug users bought 299 million fewer food items in their first year of treatment, saving an average of £418 per household.

Two-thirds of struggling households unaware of tariffs that could ease £7bn debt crisis

Millions of households are missing out on vital support for essential bills as their debt to water, energy and broadband companies climbs to more than £7 billion. The National Audit Office (NAO) found only a third of eligible broadband customers and 39% of water customers struggling to pay their bills are aware of social tariffs, meaning vulnerable people and those on low incomes could be losing access to critical help managing their debt.

Four legal challenges delay £9.1bn car loan payouts for 12 million until 2027

Millions of people mis-sold car loans in the UK face a major setback. The Financial Conduct Authority now expects compensation payouts to be delayed until at least 2027, pushed back from the original plan to start payments this year.

1.8 million UK homeowners face mortgage shock as rates jump from 2.5% to 4.48%

UK homeowners are experiencing a mortgage crisis that experts compare to the aftermath of the 2008 financial crash. Around 1.8 million fixed-rate mortgages are set to expire in 2026, forcing borrowers who locked in rates around 2.5% to remortgage at approximately 4.48% for five-year fixes - or face standard variable rates averaging 7.27%.

UK retail sales jump 3.7% as May heatwave sparks shopping spree for BBQ food and summer essentials

May's heatwave has driven a significant surge in UK retail sales, with shoppers snapping up everything from barbecue food to sandals and sunglasses. Total retail sales jumped 3.7% year on year in May, well above the 12-month average of 2%, according to data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG.

Starmer faces 'full-blown civil war' as Defence Secretary quits over spending

The UK Government is heading for a "summer of discontent" with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's authority in crisis, the SNP has claimed. Dave Doogan, the party's Westminster leader, accused Labour of descending into "full blown civil war" following a wave of high-profile resignations that have rocked the Government in recent days.

860,000 Scots in high-need areas miss out as government dysfunction blocks poverty funding

A "dysfunctional dynamic" between the UK and Scottish Governments and local authorities is hampering efforts to help Scotland's poorest communities, according to a damning new report. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation warns that poor coordination threatens to undermine the flagship Pride of Place Programme and leave hundreds of thousands without vital support.

Swinney accuses Reform UK of inciting racial division as racist violence hits Scotland

Scotland's First Minister John Swinney has accused Reform UK of "inciting racial division in Scotland" during a heated parliamentary exchange following violent unrest in Glasgow and other Scottish cities. The confrontation came after disorder linked to a knife attack in Belfast left police officers injured and sparked racist attacks on Scotland's streets.

Why Aberdeen South is on a knife-edge - and how Reform could decide the winner

Former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson has urged pro-UK voters in Aberdeen South not to split their support in next week's by-election, warning the race is "on a knife-edge" and that votes for Reform UK could hand victory to the SNP.

Starting uni this autumn? Two meningitis B jabs now free after deadly clusters hit students

The UK government has launched a one-off vaccination program offering the meningitis B vaccine to approximately one million young people. The initiative responds to fatal outbreaks earlier this year, including a cluster in Kent that killed two teenagers.

37 years later: Public inquiry opens into Belfast solicitor killed by loyalists with state collusion

The widow of murdered Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane described the opening of a long-awaited public inquiry into his death as "monumental" after 37 years of campaigning for answers.

Water company returns to £114m profit despite record fine for parasite outbreak

The new chief executive of Pennon Group has vowed to "rebuild trust" after the South West Water owner was hit with a record fine of nearly £2 million following a parasitic outbreak in Devon's water supply. Keith Haslett, who took the helm on April 1, acknowledged the company must learn from the incident that contaminated drinking water with cryptosporidium in 2024.

Starmer vows crackdown as hostile states recruit petty criminals for attacks on UK soil

The UK government has introduced legislation that will impose up to 14 years in prison on criminals acting on behalf of foreign state-linked proxies. The National Security (State Threats) Bill, presented to Parliament on Tuesday, targets individuals working for hostile nations like Russia, Iran, and China through proxy groups.

9 out of 15 phone chargers from Amazon, eBay risk electrocution - some weighted with clay

Nine out of 15 phone chargers sold on major online marketplaces pose a risk of electrocution, according to a new investigation by consumer watchdog Which?. Eight of the chargers also risk causing fires or explosions. The products were bought from Amazon, eBay, B&Q Marketplace, Debenhams Marketplace and AliExpress for prices ranging from £1.30 to £11.99.

Masked protesters torch bus in Belfast after stabbing sparks anti-immigration unrest

Masked protesters set a bus on fire in Belfast on Tuesday evening, as anti-immigration demonstrations erupted following a stabbing attack the night before. The violence saw commercial bins ignited and pushed into a Glider bus on Newtownards Road in the east of the city.

Rose Neill: 49 years on NI screens earns UTV newsreader an MBE

Rose Neill has been awarded an MBE in the King's Birthday Honours for her services to broadcasting and charity. The 68-year-old UTV newsreader is one of the UK's longest-serving newscasters, with more than four decades on Northern Ireland television screens.

Helen Mirren joins Britain's most exclusive honour - just 65 people hold it

Dame Helen Mirren has been made a Companion of Honour in the King's Birthday Honours. The 80-year-old English actress received the prestigious recognition for her services to drama, capping a career spanning six decades from Shakespearean theatre to Hollywood stardom.

King Charles to open Scottish Parliament June 27 with Gaelic poet and local heroes

King Charles and Queen Camilla will attend a ceremonial opening of the new Scottish Parliament term on Saturday, June 27. The monarch will deliver an address to formally mark the start of the parliamentary session following May's Holyrood election.

King Charles celebrates British Asian Trust gala as charity marks 18.8 million lives impacted

King Charles attended the British Asian Trust's annual gala dinner on Tuesday night, an appearance actress and writer Dame Meera Syal called particularly important following recent unrest over the murder of student Henry Nowak by a Sikh man. The King's continued support for the charity he co-founded demonstrates his commitment to celebrating community unity during challenging times.

Andy Warhol's Queen Elizabeth II portrait from iconic 1985 series could fetch £115,900

An Andy Warhol portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth II is set to go under the hammer at a Danish auction house later this month, with an estimated sale price of up to £115,900.

Ranked 73rd, Katie Boulter stuns world number two Rybakina in London upset

Katie Boulter produced the biggest win of her career on Friday, stunning world number two Elena Rybakina at the HSBC Championships in London. Emma Raducanu also advanced with a commanding victory over Sorana Cirstea, marking a breakthrough day for British tennis on grass.

New mum Wyatt-Hodge rocks the bat like a baby after her century powers England to record win

England launched their Women's T20 World Cup campaign with a commanding 87-run victory over Sri Lanka at Edgbaston. Danni Wyatt-Hodge scored an unbeaten 105 off 62 balls, propelling England to a record-breaking total of 219-1, the highest score in Women's T20 World Cup history.

One million events: Parkrun hits milestone no other organisation has reached

Parkrun is set to reach one million events this weekend — a milestone its founder never imagined when he organized the first run with just 13 participants at Bushy Park in London in October 2004. Paul Sinton-Hewitt, 65, said reaching seven figures was "never in the plan" for the global charity that has evolved into a community of 2,800 locations across 23 countries.

£470,677 raised as Jill Scott finishes brutal 388-mile challenge with burst blisters

Former Lioness Jill Scott has completed her grueling 388-mile Sport Relief challenge, crossing the finish line at Sunderland's Stadium of Light on Friday after five days of cycling and running through torrential rain and brutal physical pain. The 39-year-old former Manchester City midfielder raised £470,677 for the charity.

Pele's 1958 World Cup medal could fetch £500,000 in record-breaking auction

A rare collection of World Cup memorabilia headlined by Pele's 1958 winners' medal is set to fetch more than £2 million at auction this month. The medal, awarded when the Brazilian footballer was just a teenager, is expected to bring in up to £500,000 alone.

Truly bowled over - Jon Snow on support after revealing Alzheimer's diagnosis

Former Channel 4 News anchor Jon Snow says he is "truly bowled over" by the outpouring of support since revealing his Alzheimer's diagnosis. The 78-year-old journalist is backing a campaign urging the Government to reform treatment and care for those living with the condition.

£1.5m Rodin bronze leads Christie's sale of art world insiders' private collection

A bronze sculpture by Auguste Rodin is set to fetch up to £1.5 million when it goes under the hammer at Christie's as part of a major sale from the private collection of Hon Patrick and Lady Amabel Lindsay.

Buffy star Anthony Head dies at 72 as daughters pay tribute to 'extraordinary father'

British actor Anthony Head has died at 72 from pneumonia complications, his daughters announced. The star of cult TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and football comedy Ted Lasso passed away peacefully surrounded by his family.

Wait, what? A royal embroiderer just made an 8-meter tapestry about Greggs sausage rolls

A royal embroiderer has spent more than 200 hours creating an eight-meter tapestry celebrating the British sausage roll. The artwork, unveiled at London's Design Museum, marks National Sausage Roll Day and offers visitors free entry to view the unusual tribute to the beloved snack.

30 years after launching Mobo Awards, pioneering founder Kanya King dies at 57

Kanya King, the pioneering founder of the Mobo Awards, has died at the age of 57 after "a courageous and characteristically determined battle with colon cancer," the Mobo Organisation announced. Her death marks the loss of a transformative figure who brought black music and culture into the British mainstream.

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