UK

Steve Phillips has resigned as chief executive of Welsh Rugby Union after claims of misogyny, sexism, racism and homophobia were levelled at the organisation. He had previously resisted calls to quit following the broadcast of a documentary, which heard accusations of a “toxic culture” at the game’s governing body in Wales. A number of former

Clare Drakeford, the wife of Wales’s First Minister Mark Drakeford, has died suddenly. In a statement, a spokesperson for the Welsh government said: “It is with deep sadness that we confirm the sudden passing of Clare Drakeford, reportedly 66, wife of the first minister. “The thoughts of everyone in the Welsh government are with the

A student nurse has appeared in court accused of taking a pressure cooker bomb to a maternity hospital in Leeds and planning a terrorist attack on an RAF base. Mohammad Farooq, 27, was allegedly inspired by radical Islam and Jihad when he carried out “hostile reconnaissance” of the military base in Yorkshire on 10 January

Germany is looking into digital attacks by hackers targeting websites in the country. The attacks – known as distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) – work by directing high volumes of internet traffic towards targeted servers in a bid by so-called “hacktivists” to knock them offline. “The scope and source of these attacks are currently being clarified,” said

A Love Island contestant is reportedly leaving the show after video footage emerged showing him brawling in the street and knocking a man to the ground. Haris Namani, a 21-year-old TV salesman from Doncaster, would be the second islander to leave the show should he exit the villa. A Love Island spokesperson told Sky News:

Twitter is being sued by the Crown Estate amid allegations of unpaid rent at its London headquarters. The Crown Estate, which manages a property portfolio belonging to the monarchy, filed a case at the High Court last week. Twitter’s office is based near Piccadilly Circus in central London – but reports have suggested that the

BBC chairman Richard Sharp has asked for a review into potential conflicts of interest following reports he helped Boris Johnson secure a loan. Mr Sharp said that while the appointment of the chairman is “solely a matter for the government”, he wants to ensure that “all appropriate guidelines have been followed within the BBC since

Britain is firing up three coal power generators ready for use on Monday as a prolonged cold snap grips the country. The National Grid said the three generators – two at Drax’s site in North Yorkshire and one at West Burton in Lincolnshire – will not necessarily be needed tomorrow. But it has asked them

Freezing fog will create dangerous driving conditions in England on Sunday, the Met Office has said, as the London Mayor warned the weather would exacerbate air pollution in the capital. The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for fog covering much of England, including Yorkshire, the South East and the Midlands. Travellers should

Police have been granted more time to question a man arrested on suspicion of a terror offence at a hospital’s maternity wing in Leeds. The 27-year-old suspect was initially detained after he was allegedly seen with a suspected firearm and a suspicious package at St James’s Hospital, Leeds, on Friday. He was later re-arrested on

A student who allegedly threw eggs at the King has pleaded not guilty to threatening behaviour. Patrick Thelwell appeared at York Magistrates’ Court charged with a Section 4 public order offence relating to the incident on 9 November. Wearing an open shirt and a crop top that exposed his midriff, 23-year-old Thelwell pleaded not guilty

The police have said they are “looking into the matter” after the prime minister was caught on camera not wearing a seatbelt. Rishi Sunak admitted a “brief error of judgement” after appearing beltless in a clip on Instagram as he promoted his levelling-up funding in Lancashire. Downing Street said: “That was a brief error of

Premier Foods, the maker of Oxo stock cubes and Mr Kipling cakes, has announced plans to close a plant in the West Midlands, putting more than 300 jobs at risk. Premier Foods said on Thursday morning that the site in Knighton, which straddles the border between England and Wales, had become unprofitable and would be

Police officers who allowed PC David Carrick to continue working despite serious allegations against him should be named and shamed, the mother of two women murdered in London has said. Mina Smallman said the latest scandal to engulf the Metropolitan Police had “retraumatised” her after two constables were jailed in 2021 for sharing images of

The rate of inflation eased to 10.5%, according to official figures – down from 10.7% in November. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the reduced cost of motor fuels led to the decline in the core consumer prices index (CPI) measure of inflation along with cheaper clothing and footwear, and recreation and culture. Pushing

A controversial anti-strike bill has moved a step closer to becoming law – hours after teachers and nurses announced fresh walkouts. Under the government’s draft Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill, the right to strike would be restricted by imposing minimum service levels and bosses would be legally able to fire employees who ignore a “work

Thousands of teachers could be set to walk off the job as the National Education Union (NEU) prepares to announce the result of a strike ballot today. The NEU has said walkouts in England and Wales could begin at the end of the month after more than 300,000 teachers and support staff were asked to

Flood warnings are in place across a swathe of the UK, with the wet and windy weekend coming hard on the heels of recent heavy rain. Temperatures are also set to drop by Sunday, bringing a chance of snow, sleet and ice in parts, causing disruption. Some 107 flood warnings and 181 alerts were issued

The economy grew by 0.1% in November, partly aided by the football World Cup, according to official figures which call into question predictions the UK is already in recession. Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed pressure on demand from the effects of high inflation, but a boost from people packing pubs and

Boris Johnson could agree not to challenge Rishi Sunak’s leadership after the local elections in exchange for a safe seat, close allies have claimed. The former prime minister “will be in a strong position assuming we get hammered in May”, the friend said. “He can go to Rishi and say ‘give me a seat in