Author: News Desk

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…

Who was the third celebrity eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing 2024? Nick Knowles has become the third celebrity eliminated from the 20th anniversary series of Strictly Come Dancing. The DIY SOS star, 62, returned to the dancing competition this weekend, having missed out on movie week following an injury to his knee, and an injury the week before resulting in his arm in a sling. Saturday’s epic show saw fans shocked by Pete Wicks’ unrecognisable new hair-do, Chris McCausland once again leaving us gobsmacked and the audience on their feet with another incredible routine, and a surprise literary guest in…

Gavin and Stacey star plays coy when quizzed on possible wedding in finale One of the stars of hit TV show Gavin and Stacey is keeping viewers on edge for as long as possible, having refused to say whether there will be a wedding in the finale of the BBC sitcom. Alison Steadman, 78, who plays everyone’s favourite fake vegetarian, Pam Shipman, said she was sworn to secrecy over whether Nessa and Smithy finally tie the knot. Speculation has been rife for months that Ruth Jones’s character will marry James Corden’s character in the last-ever episode of the comedy,…

Jared Leto facing backlash after revealing ambition to play in Moscow Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman Jared Leto has come under fire after revealing his ambition to perform in Moscow. The musician and actor, 52, made a series of comments during a recent gig in Belgrade – expressing his ambition to play Russian cities St. Petersburg and Moscow. Taking to the stage as part of the band’s ongoing world tour, the House of Gucci star thanked Russian fans in the audience and revealed that he wanted to visit their homeland when ‘these problems’ are finished. ‘We missed you guys, do…

80s Hollywood star still ageless almost 40 years after hit movie Dirty Dancing star Jennifer Grey is looking ageless, four decades after starring as ‘Baby’ Houseman in her signature role. The Hollywood star, 64, found fame starring opposite Patrick Swayze in the 1987 classic. The film followed young Baby as she met and fell for dance instructor Johnny Castle at a resort in the Catskill Mountains – wowing audiences with their electric chemistry and steamy dance sequences. In the years which followed, Jennifer went on to an illustrious career in film and television, including episodes of Friends, House M.D. and…