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Nicola Sturgeon has said her estranged husband Peter Murrell has never explained to her why he embezzled more than £400,000 from the SNP as she spoke of the “trauma” she has gone through. The former Scottish first minister also said she feels like she is “serving a sentence for a crime I did not commit” after Murrell pleaded guilty at the High Court in Edinburgh this week […]

A senior minister has warned of “consequences” for public spending of any cut to national insurance after Wes Streeting suggested the move as a way to boost employment. The Labour leadership hopeful suggested a “targeted reduction” of employers’ national insurance contributions in an interview with the Sunday Times as a way to “actively incentivise” hiring, particularly of young people. Labour’s first budget increased employers’ contributions, […]

Parents overwhelmingly back Australian-style restrictions on social media for children, the Technology Secretary has said. Ministers are considering a ban on social media for under-16s and more than 80,000 people have responded to a consultation on whether to introduce restrictions. One option is an Australian-style ban that forbids children under 16 from having social media accounts. Other proposals in the consultation are app curfews and limits on more […]

The Foreign Secretary will travel to China and India this week as the UK seeks to strengthen relations with both countries. Yvette Cooper will meet Chinese vice-president Han Zheng and foreign minister Wang Yi in Beijing on Tuesday, before visiting the southern city of Shenzhen, a major technology hub near Hong Kong. She will then travel to Delhi to meet her Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Thursday along […]

Social media star and Britain’s Got Talent judge KSI has announced he is leaving the YouTube collective Sidemen. The 32-year-old, whose real name is Olajide Olatunji, has made football, comedy and challenge videos with the group since 2013, and his departure was confirmed to the Press Association by his representatives amid rumours the announcement may have been part of a bet. In a post on YouTube, KSI said: […]

Declan Rice celebrated Arsenal’s Premier League title success by rapping to ‘Ice Ice Baby’ on their open-top bus – and then vowed his side are “coming back for more” next season. England midfielder Rice grabbed a microphone and belted out the Vanilla Ice classic as thousands upon thousands of Gunners fans lined the streets of north London. The party was jumping despite their Champions League […]

Cloudy skies and downpours are expected for many this weekend as a record-breaking heatwave gives way to cooler weather ahead of a likely soggy start to June. While some will enjoy a continuation of the warm weather and sunshine this weekend, others will be hit with heavy rain before temperatures drop for most next week. Those in the South and South East will see a bright start to […]

Rescue workers in Laos said they have safely evacuated four villagers trapped in a flooded cave for 10 days, the day after another one was successfully extracted. Two men remain missing. Lao and Thai rescue groups posted about the successful operation on social media, along with photos of the men lying on stretchers, wearing oxygen masks and being wrapped in foil blankets. The villagers had […]

A runner from London has become the first person in the world to complete 1,000 parkruns. Darren Wood was given a guard of honour from his fellow Sutton Runners as he approached the finish line to achieve his milestone on a warm, sunny day at Morden parkrun in south London, surrounded by friends and family. A stream of well-wishers took turns to congratulate Mr Wood […]

John Swinney has stepped up his calls for Holyrood to be given control over energy, insisting it is the only way to end the current “Westminster rip-off”. The Scottish First Minister said handing over energy powers would allow his Government to end the “hated” windfall tax on oil and gas – formally known as the energy profits levy. He also said it would allow for […]