United Kingdom

Mark Rowley says capital is a safe city, and claims of no-go areas are ‘completely false’ Members of the House of Lords have proposed “totally unnecessary” and “very cruel” amendments to the assisted dying bill in a bid to scupper it, Kim Leadbeater, the MP leading the campaign for the legislation, has said. Kiran Stacey has the story. I have beefed up the post at 9.08am to include the direct quote from Wes Streeting about not being able to guarantee patient safety in the NHS if the strike by resident doctors in England goes ahead. You may need to refresh the page to get the update to appear. Continue reading...

Robert Rhodes was acquitted in 2017 on grounds of self-defence after manipulating a child to help in cover-up A man who was previously cleared of killing his wife on the grounds of self-defence has been found guilty of her murder after their child came forward with new evidence under double jeopardy rules. Robert Rhodes, 52, from Withleigh, Devon, was convicted at Inner London crown court of murdering his wife, Dawn, on 2 June 2016 after the jury returned a unanimous verdict, Surrey police said. Continue reading...

Brexit is back making headlines in the UK after the Liberal Democrats received support for creating a bespoke customs union. Where does the UK currently stand, and what benefits would such an agreement bring?

Mohammadi ‘violently’ detained along with other activists at memorial event in Mashhad, according to her foundation Iranian security forces have “violently” arrested the 2023 Nobel peace prize winner Narges Mohammadi at a memorial ceremony for a lawyer and human rights advocate, her supporters said. Mohammadi, who was granted temporary leave from prison in December 2024 on medical grounds, was detained along with several other activists at the ceremony for Khosro Alikordi, who was found dead in his office last week, her foundation wrote on X. Continue reading...

The UK accuses Al-Fateh Abdullah Idris, also known as Abu Lulu, of committing acts of violence against civilians.

Scottish rock band says image ‘meant to provoke debate, not hate’ after many at concert accuse group of antisemitism The Scottish rock group, Primal Scream, has defended displaying an image of a swastika inside a Star of David during a London gig, in response to accusations of racism and antisemitism. During a performance at the London’s Roundhouse, a video was shown on stage of a swastika in the centre of a Star of David that was then superimposed over eyes of images of political figures, including the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the US president, Donald Trump. Continue reading...

Federal resources minister Madeleine King announces five new offshore exploration zones as part of future gas strategy Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The Greens and environmental groups have condemned the federal government’s move to encourage more offshore gas exploration, describing it as an “environmental betrayal” that undermines Labor’s climate agenda. The minister for resources, Madeleine King, this week announced five new areas in the Otway basin, stretching from waters off the south-west coast of Victoria to the ocean west of Tasmania, would be opened up for gas exploration as part of the government’s future gas strategy. Continue reading...

Lilian Greenwood condemns Conservative ‘mixed messages’ and promises a system that works for everybody UK politics live – latest updates Conservative policies that pitted drivers against cyclists risked making the roads less safe by inflaming tensions, a minister has said, promising that the era of transport culture wars is over. Lilian Greenwood, whose Department for Transport (DfT) role includes road safety and active travel, said seeking to divide road users into categories was pointless given most people used different transport methods at different times. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Force to pay damages to Aisha Jung, who was put into a police van and held until 4am The Metropolitan police have agreed to pay £7,500 in damages to a woman arrested at a Gaza protest for holding up a placard that said: “Apartheid Israel, what a cuntry.” Aisha Jung, 53, from south London, was with her husband and two of her sons, aged 10 and 11, when police arrested her at the November 2023 demonstration in Trafalgar Square, central London, telling her that the sign could be considered offensive. Continue reading...

Environmental advocates welcome Net Zero Commission’s report which found the fossil fuel was ‘not consistent’ with emissions reductions commitments Sign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter here Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The New South Wales government has been warned it can no longer approve coalmine developments after the state’s climate agency found new expansions would be inconsistent with its legislated emissions targets. In what climate advocates described as a significant turning point in campaigns against new fossil fuel programs, the NSW Net Zero Commission said coalmine expansions were “not consistent” with the state’s legal emissions reductions commitments of a 50% cut (compared with 2005 levels) by 2030, a 70% cut by 2035, and reaching net zero by 2050. Sign up to get climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s Clear Air column as a free newsletter Continue reading...