SNP accused of ‘embezzling’ voters over Peter Murrell’s theft of party funds

• Diplomacy between Tehran and Washington has accelerated after weeks of escalation, with regional mediators helping drive a new round of Iran-U.S. talks. • The reporting says the confrontation follows more than six weeks of disruption tied to Iran’s pressure on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and a U.S.-enforced naval blockade.

Dana Weinger was dining outside Driftwood Grill in Summerton, South Carolina, when she was hitSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailA woman in South Carolina died in a freak accident after she was struck in the neck by a restaurant table umbrella that had been picked up by a strong gust of wind.Local NBC TV news station WYFF4 reported that the incident happened at the Driftwood Grill in Summerton when the woman was dining outside on the restaurant patio with her husband on Saturday night. Continue reading...

Age limits and changes to allegedly addictive design features could be in place by the end of the yearLabour is expected to announce a social media crackdown within weeks as the prime minister, Keir Starmer, on Tuesday said he would act “very, very quickly” despite splits between campaigners and child safety experts on what the new rules should be.New limits on social media access for children could be presented before the Makerfield byelection next month after an avalanche of responses to a public consultation have been analysed with the help of an AI system called Consult and an expert panel led by an eminent paediatrician. The consultation closes on Tuesday. Continue reading...

With many homes poorly designed for extreme heat, retailers report high demand for air conditioning and outdoor shadeFans are selling at a rate of three a minute and sales of ice cubes have tripled, retailers have said, as shoppers search for everything from ice baths to cooling eye masks to combat May’s record temperatures.The UK experienced a “tropical night” on Monday after temperatures earlier in the day had hit a provisional all-time meteorological spring record of 34.8C (94.6F) at Kew Gardens in south-west London. The record was broken again on Tuesday when temperatures provisionally reached 35C (95F) at Heathrow and Kew Gardens. Continue reading...

Anthony Odiong accused of sexually abusing three female congregants in Waco faces a maximum of life imprisonmentThe criminal trial of a Roman Catholic priest who ministered in Texas and south-east Louisiana and was charged with illicitly abusing his status as a clergyman to pursue sex with spiritually vulnerable female congregants began on Tuesday with jury selection.Anthony Odiong, 57, faces five counts of sexual assault in the first degree and two such counts in the second-degree in a state courthouse in Waco, Texas, involving three women whom he met while working there. Continue reading...

South East Water says demand has jumped owing to extreme heat but stops short of compulsory measuresSouth East Water has asked members of the public to use water only for essential purposes after demand surged on Monday to 100m litres more than average.After water outages for hundreds of homes across Kent and Sussex over the last three days during record temperatures, the company has asked customers to use water only for drinking, washing and cooking. Continue reading...

Woman argued water was a ‘universal human right’ but court ruled no law obliged hoteliers to serve it from tapsA tourist’s simple request for a glass of tap water at a hotel restaurant in the Italian Dolomites has culminated in Italy’s top court ruling that being served water from the tap is not a consumer right, after a lengthy and costly legal saga.The case dates back to 2019 when the woman spent a week at the five-star hotel in the ski resort of Corvara, in Badia, over Christmas and new year. She was on a half-board deal with the evening meal included, except for drinks. Continue reading...

Classic starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing will include footage censors decided was too gruesomeHammer Films’ horror masterpiece Dracula is to be re-released in UK cinemas in October, including footage believed to have been lost for more than six decades after it was deemed too gruesome for audiences.The 1958 movie from starring Christopher Lee as Count Dracula and Peter Cushing as Doctor Van Helsing has been fully restored in 4K. Continue reading...

Russia says arrest of Bishop Hilarion, who heads Orthodox congregation in Karlovy Vary, was politically motivated ‘setup’Czech police have released a Russian Orthodox bishop who had been detained on suspicion of drug possession, after Moscow condemned the arrest as a politically motivated setup.Bishop Hilarion, also known by his secular name Grigory Alfeyev, was stopped by police on Sunday in Karlovy Vary, a spa town in western Czechia popular with Russian tourists, after officers discovered containers holding a white substance in the boot of his car. Continue reading...

Joanna Howe says the image was sent to her by a woman ashamed of her abortion, and used it to support ‘rally for Emma and Ruth’ in favour of NSW billGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAn image posted by anti-abortion activist Joanna Howe claiming to show aborted twin girls called “Ruth and Emma” appears to be a picture of sugar gliders.The two little pink bodies are displayed on a clean white background and experts say the image does not look at all like the product of an abortion. Continue reading...

Trial of former DUP leader is expected to last four weeks and is among the most high-profile in Northern Ireland in recent yearsThe jury in Jeffrey Donaldson’s trial for alleged sex offences has been sworn in, launching one of the most high-profile trials in recent Northern Irish history.The former MP and Democratic Unionist party leader entered Newry crown court on Tuesday amid a heavy police and media presence for a trial that is expected to last about four weeks. Continue reading...