News – World and UK

A Labour MP has said he is “profoundly sorry” after tenants living in flats he rents out said they live with black mould and ant infestations. Jas Athwal, who represents Ilford South in London, owns 15 rental homes in the capital according to Parliament’s register of members’ financial interests, with some reportedly having “pretty serious faults”. A London City Hall member claimed he saw fire detectors hanging by a single […]

A headteacher’s union is calling on the Government to provide “financial protection” for schools at risk of collapse, as well as funding for students to catch up on any “lost learning”. In 2023, schools were told to close any buildings containing Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (Raac) that did not have existing safety measures in place. Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, told the BBC […]

Teenager Kimi Antonelli was named as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement at Mercedes on Saturday – 24 hours after his Formula One debut ended in the wall. Antonelli, who turned 18 last Sunday, was thrust into George Russell’s cockpit for the opening practice session for Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza. But his hotly-anticipated first appearance lasted fewer than six laps, and only 10 minutes, after he lost control of his Mercedes […]

Oasis fans face a struggle to secure general sale tickets for the band’s comeback tour as booking websites experienced outages. Manchester-based promoter SJM Concerts’ website Gigs and Tours faced issues even before tickets went on sale for the UK shows at 9am. The site displayed messages saying: “Please bear with us. At the moment there are a lot of people on the site looking for tickets, so we have put […]

Plans to introduce digital exams should be treated with “extreme caution” until there is certainty that all schools can run assessments fairly, the head of England’s exams regulator has said. Sir Ian Bauckham, chief regulator at Ofqual, suggested a number of state schools have “weak” wifi systems, connectivity and security because of a lack of investment in the estate. The Ofqual chief said there were “endless cautionary” stories of countries […]

There are serious medal opportunities across Paris for Great Britain’s Paralympic team on day three of the action. Swimming and cycling produced golden moments on Friday and there are high hopes of more success in the pool and at the velodrome, while there could be first golden moments on the track at the Stade de France, as well as in taekwondo and archery. Tai fights back as favourite for gold […]

The anti-obesity drug Ozempic could slow down ageing and has “far-reaching benefits” beyond what was imagined, researchers have suggested. Multiple studies have found semaglutide (available under the brand names Wegovy and Ozempic) reduced the risk of death in people who were obese or overweight and had cardiovascular disease without diabetes. Participants who took semaglutide died at a lower rate from all causes, as well from cardiovascular causes and Covid-19, researchers […]

One of two doctors charged in connection with Matthew Perry’s death made his first appearance in a federal court in Los Angeles on Friday after reaching a plea deal with prosecutors. Dr Mark Chavez, 54, of San Diego, stood in court with his lawyer and told a judge he understood his rights. US Magistrate Judge Jean P Rosenbluth told him he could remain free on bond with several restrictions, including […]

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky fired the commander of the country’s air force on Friday, four days after an F16 warplane that Ukraine received from its Western partners crashed during a Russian bombardment and killed the pilot. The order to dismiss Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk was published on the presidential website. “We need to protect people. Protect personnel. Take care of all our soldiers,” Mr Zelensky said in an address minutes […]