Author: News Desk

Passenger dies after going overboard from a cruise ship bound for Southampton A woman has died after going overboard from a cruise ship bound for Southampton. Rescue teams were scrambled by the French coastguard and navy along with an air search plane from the Channel Islands after a distress call said a woman in her 20s had gone overboard north of Les Casquets rocks, west of Alderney, at around 2am on Saturday. The woman went overboard from the Maltese-flagged cruise ship MSC Virtuosa. The casualty was later winched from the sea by a helicopter crew but was sadly pronounced dead.…

Campaigners demand ‘full disclosure’ of gifts to King Charles and royals after four-year silence Campaigners have called for “full disclosure” of gifts received by the royal family after it emerged King Charles has failed to publish an annual list for four years. Unlike MPs, members of the royal family are not required to declare gifts, donations and hospitality on a public register of interests. Nevertheless, they began publishing an annual list of official gifts received by the royal household following scrutiny of jewellery given to Queen Camilla by a Saudi royal in 2007. However, it has emerged King Charles and…

The Gainsborough Bath Spa hotel review: Geothermal baths, spa treatments and a refined restaurant The Gainsborough Bath Spa hotel review: Geothermal baths, spa treatments and a refined restaurant Heritage and modernity combine at this grand Georgian property in the centre of Bath, with a swish brasserie offering an eclectic menu of European and Asian flavours, elegant bedrooms, and perhaps the best spa in the South West – with access to its own geothermal waters Location Plumb in the middle of Bath, reached down a maze of narrow streets. And despite the central location – the main shopping area is just…

Boy, 7, left with life-changing injuries after being hit by bus in Manchester Boy, 7, left with life-changing injuries after being hit by bus in Manchester A seven-year-old boy has been left with life-changing injuries after being hit by a bus in Manchester. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) is investigating the crash, which happened in north Manchester on Saturday evening. The bus had been travelling on Moston Lane East before colliding with the pedestrian at 6.20pm. GMP said the boy suffered serious injuries that are life-changing but not believed to be life-threatening. He remained in hospital on Sunday. No injuries were…

Nigel Farage issues warning as MP forages for mushrooms for his lunch | News Nigel Farage spent a relaxing Sunday foraging for mushrooms for his lunch. Mr Farage appeared aptly dressed for the occasion, wearing a farmer’s cap and wellington boots. In a video posted to X, formerly Twitter, the Reform MP said: “It’s mid-October, it’s mushroom time. “People don’t really seem to want to go out foraging anymore, but I really do. “Take a look at these little monkeys, these are magnificent. If you don’t know what you are pocking, be careful. You can tell a mushroom by how…

Sexual abuse victims claim free court transcript scheme was ‘hidden’ from them for months Sexual abuse victims believe they could have been saved from months of suffering after they claim a government scheme to allow them access to free court transcripts was “hidden” from them for months. Following months of campaigning, a 12-month pilot scheme opened in May to allow “thousands” of sexual violence and rape victims to obtain usually expensive transcripts of judges remarks free of charge. However, campaigners and those eligible for the scheme say they were left in the dark about it opening until just weeks ago,…

Ukrainian mother’s desperate plea for children to join her in UK after Home Office refusal A Ukrainian refugee says she is living in a “surreal nightmare” after she was refused permission to bring her two children to the UK. Pressure is mounting on ministers to open a family reunion pathway for Ukrainians with temporary immigration status, after the rules were changed without warning in February. Charities say that the Home Office’s “restrictive rules and poor decision-making” are “tearing families apart”. Maria Kondratska, who arrived in Britain just months before Russia’s full-scale invasion, is now appealing on human rights grounds after…

Alex Salmond: The man who taught me political journalism is a contact sport – well before Donald Trump Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailAlex Salmond has died having failed to achieve just two of his great ambitions – make Scotland an independent country, and judge the annual Tartan B*****s contest for the worst Scottish political story of the year, held at the strictly private Christmas dinner for Holyrood hacks.The first he almost achieved in 2014, the second he begged each year to be allowed admittance…

Woman who did not get leaving card loses UK employment claim A woman who sued her former employer over not being given a leaving card lost her case when it was revealed it had been hidden from her after only three people signed it. Karen Conaghan claimed that the lack of a leaving card was a “failure to acknowledge her existence” at IAG, the parent company of British Airways, and a breach of equality law. However, a former colleague told an employment tribunal that managers had indeed bought a card but did not present it to Ms Conaghan because of the…

Novichok inquiry: Probe opens into nerve agent death of Dawn Sturgess in Salisbury The public inquiry into the death of Dawn Sturgess, who died in the Salisbury Novichok poisonings, is set to open on Monday. Ms Sturgess, 44, was killed after coming into contact with the Russian-engineered nerve agent, which was present on a discarded perfume bottle, in Amesbury in July 2018. The 44-year-old’s contact with Novichok followed the attempted murder of former spy Sergei Skripal, his daughter who were poisoned in nearby Salisbury in March that year. Police officer Nick Bailey also fell ill after becoming exposed to the…