News – World and UK

The UK exported thousands of tonnes of pesticides last year that have been banned domestically due to their harmful impacts, an investigation has found. Greenpeace’s investigation unit Unearthed and Swiss campaign group Public Eye analysed documents that companies submitted to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) when exporting banned chemicals. The documents – obtained under freedom of information laws – showed that the UK shipped 8,500 tonnes of toxic pesticides […]

England secured their first away series in two years with a 323-run rout of New Zealand, Joe Root marking the occasion with a 36th Test century. The tourists followed up their eight-wicket success in Christchurch with a three-day thrashing in Wellington, celebrating success on the road for the first time since their trip to Pakistan in December 2022. After losing seven of their previous 10 matches overseas, Ben Stokes’ side […]

The Syrian government appeared to have fallen early on Sunday in a stunning end to the 50-year rule of the Assad family after a lightning rebel offensive. The head of a Syrian opposition war monitor said president Bashar Assad had left the country for an undisclosed location, fleeing ahead of insurgents who said they had entered Damascus after a stunning advance across the country. Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali […]

West Ham forward Michail Antonio has been involved in a road traffic accident, the Premier League club have confirmed. No details of the player’s condition or further information about the incident have yet been given but the club say their “thoughts and prayers” are with the 34-year-old. The Hammers were not in action on Saturday and host Wolves on Monday evening. A club statement read: “West Ham United can confirm […]

Gusts of 93mph have been recorded as Storm Darragh hit the UK. Millions of people have been warned to stay indoors, thousands are without power, and trains have been cancelled as the Government’s “risk to life” alert came into force. The emergency alert came into effect at 1am on Saturday and was sent to people within the area covered by the Met Office’s rare red warning for wind in parts […]

Working with the Conservatives when they were in government “could not have been more awful” but relationships with Westminster are “incomparably better” now Labour is in power, John Swinney has said. The Scottish First Minister made the comment after talks with Sir Keir Starmer in Edinburgh, with the Prime Minister and the leaders of all the devolved administrations joining the British-Irish Council summit on Friday. Mr Swinney said afterwards he […]

Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department has returned to the top of the UK albums chart as her record-breaking Eras Tour comes to a close, the Official Charts Company has confirmed. It marks the LP’s ninth non-consecutive week at the summit of the charts after a new anthology version was released, with 79% of the record’s sales made up of physical copies, seeing it also claim number one on the […]

Chancellor Rachel Reeves told a shop owner the Government was “trying to help” as she visited independent retailers ahead of Small Business Saturday. Ms Reeves toured the Leeds Corn Exchange on Friday where Deborah Bellamy, owner of Hidden Wardrobe, told her that businesses had found it “very tough” in recent years with rising costs and minimum wage increases, and had to let some staff go. The Chancellor said: “I know […]

The UK is the “sick man of Europe” when it comes to spending on medicines and community pharmacies, leaders from the sector have said. The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) urged the Government to “get round the table and start to deliver the funding necessary” to stop pharmacies closing and improve care for patients. NPA analysis of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) figures found the UK has fewer pharmacies […]