Author: News Desk

Voting closes in contest to lead UK Conservative Party as it seeks to rebound from defeat Voting closed Thursday in the months-long contest to lead Britain’s Conservative Party after its crushing election defeat, with the result due to be announced on Saturday. Tens of thousands of members of the right-of-center party were eligible to vote in the runoff between lawmakers Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick. In a race that has lasted more than three months, Conservative lawmakers reduced the field from six candidates in a series of votes before putting the final two to the wider party membership. Both candidates…

Don’t be shocked if Robert Jenrick beats Kemi Badenoch in the Tory leadership contest The bookmakers and many observers have almost given up on the Tory leadership final as a contest, with Kemi Badenoch now the firm favourite to replace Rishi Sunak. But history shows that Tory leadership elections are often far from predictable – whether it is in the early rounds where MPs wittle down the contenders to two, or the final run-off, where party members have their say. Ms Badenoch’s rival, Robert Jenrick, only made it to the final because of some clever tactics in persuading MPs to…

Prolific Gloucester shoplifter banned from wearing wigs in stores after attempts to disguise herself A serial shoplifter has been prohibited from wearing wigs to get around a ban which stopped her from entering stores in Gloucester city centre. Hannah Roberts, 33, had been forbidden from going into shops that were part of Gloucester’s City Safe Scheme following a spate of thefts. A court heard she repeatedly ignored the sanction and tried to get around it by wearing a variety of hairpieces, but her distinctive throat tattoo still gave her away. When challenged by staff or security officers, she reportedly became…

Mohamed al-Fayed: Full timeline of allegations, from the shop floor of Harrods to Fulham Football Club The “horrifying” scale of the allegations against Mohamed al-Fayed is becoming clearer, as a team of lawyers investigating claims of rape and sexual assault by the late Harrods and Fulham FC boss revealed they have now been approached by hundreds of people allegedly impacted by his abuse. The team called Justice for Harrods Survivors said on Thursday its lawyers have been contacted by at least 421 people, including witnesses and survivors. Many of them have come forward since the airing of a BBC documentary…

Oxford student who wanted to be Britain’s youngest PM drowned after jumping into River Thames An Oxford University student drowned after jumping into the River Thames while celebrating the end of his exams, an inquest has heard. Wesley Akum-Ojong was in his first year of studying politics, philosophy and economics (PPE) at Brasenose College when he went missing after leaping into the water from a bridge at the Port Meadow beauty spot. The 19-year-old had been “trashed” – a university tradition in which students who have finished their exams have confetti and shaving foam thrown on them – before making…

Rachel Reeves’ value for money tsar to be paid £950 a day The government’s new value for money tsar will be paid a day rate of £950, the equivalent of a £247,000 annual salary. David Goldstone, who will take up the position of chairman of the new Office for Value for Money, will effectively be on a higher pro-rata salary than the prime minister. Rachel Reeves announced during her Budget speech that Mr Goldstone was being appointed to “help us realise the benefits from every pound of public spending”. A statement from the Treasury later confirmed he will advise the…

Trending News Inspiration Papers News that Matters Impact on your life Good News Rachel Reeves admits tax hikes will hit working people as IFS accuses chancellor of ‘undermining trust’ Reeves gives Labour post-Budget poll boost despite £40bn tax row First case of potentially deadly mpox strain detected in UK I spent the day scaring strangers and discovered you should never say this one word Previous Next Previous Next Carol Vorderman@carolvorders Read More Rishi Sunak fuming about the fact that his tax avoiding wife can’t now go back to her non-dom tax status (Mrs Sunak saved £20 million in taxes by…

Today: A weakening band of rain will move south across Scotland, with brighter but colder weather arriving in the northeast. Elsewhere fog patches lifting to leave a mostly dry and mild, though rather cloudy day. Patchy drizzle, with some brighter breaks. Tonight: Mostly cloudy but mild, with patches of fog and some light rain or drizzle through the evening and overnight. Clearer intervals allowing a local frost to develop across northern Scotland. Source: Met Office