Thames Valley chief says he may join Police Federation in court if Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers are freed from prisonThe chief constable of Thames Valley police has said he will consider joining legal action against the government if it fails to block the early release of two of PC Andrew Harper’s killers.The Police Federation is contemplating going to court in its attempts to keep Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers in prison. Continue reading...
Jake Richard acknowledges ‘unimaginable pain’ of Harper’s family but says government faces an ‘unenviable position’Good morning and welcome to the UK politics blog.Ministers continue to defend the release of PC Andrew Harper’s killers as part of the government’s early prisoner release scheme, despite a potential legal challenge from the Police Federation.Well, look, we understand that people are angry. The Harper family are, of course, angry. The police are angry too.We’re angry that we’re in this situation where we face the unenviable position of having to make sure that we have a sustainable prison system, which is so vital to a functioning law and order system in our country, but also that we do right by victims as far as possible.Because without a functioning prison system, it means it’s difficult for police to make arrests, it’s difficult for our courts to try cases, and it could mean to the collapse of law and order in this country.We cannot be in that situation, so that is the challenge that we face as government ministers and the prime minister faces ultimately.I feel sick to my stomach, if I’m really honest with you. I’ve had a gut wrenching feeling in my stomach the past couple of weeks with this, and it doesn’t go away.And arguably, I would say that many of my members across Thames Valley also have this gut wrenching feeling, even at the prospect of these two killers being released in the space of weeks, potentially.Ministers will scrap the requirement for companies to prove their green and progressive values before they are awarded government contracts, and instead ask firms to prove they will help young people back into work.Women should not feel pressurised into experiencing an “ideal birth”, the new health secretary, Yvette Cooper, has said, promising a root-and-branch reform of standards after several damning maternity scandals.An official investigation has been launched into charities in England and Wales donating funds to illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine.Andy Burnham has inherited a Labour membership that is sceptical about increased welfare spending, supportive of higher defence spending, and ranks the climate crisis as one of the country’s biggest challenges, according to new polling.BP’s chief executive has urged Andy Burnham to make use of the UK’s oil and gas resources even as the oil company prepares to sell its North Sea business after 60 years in the ageing basin.The Conservative party leader, Kemi Badenoch, has defended the selection of a former neo-Nazi activist as a candidate for a local election in Somerset despite him being jailed in 2016 after he was convicted of racially aggravated harassment of the former Labour MP Luciana Berger.Pupils in Scotland’s schools received their exam results this morning, with exam pass rates at all levels having risen this year, including a record number of National 5 passes. Continue reading...
Anti-corruption watchdog’s long-awaited report finds ‘serious and concerning’ conduct by senior government members in dealings with union bossSenior members of the former Daniel Andrews government engaged in “serious and concerning” conduct in their dealings with firefighters union boss Peter Marshall, a long-awaited report by the Victoria’s anti-corruption watchdog has found.The report by the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (Ibac) was tabled in parliament on Wednesday, some eight years after their investigation first began. Continue reading...
Former leader shows support for new Victorian premier while paying tribute to Jacinta AllanFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFormer premier Daniel Andrews has thrown his support behind the Victoria’s new Labor leader, Ben Carroll, saying he has what it takes to win November’s state election.In a rare public statement on Wednesday, Andrews also paid tribute to Jacinta Allan, who he handpicked to replace him as premier when he resigned in September 2023. Continue reading...
Social media influencers fighting against extradition to UK where they face rape, sexual assault and other allegationsSocial media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate will remain in jail at least two more weeks until their next hearing as they fight extradition to the United Kingdom, where the brothers are accused of rape and sex trafficking, a federal judge said Monday.US magistrate Lauren Louis set a detention hearing for 13 August to determine whether the Tates should stay in jail or be released during what could be a months-long extradition process. Continue reading...
UK to seek extradition over sexual exploitation, ‘extreme pornography’ and assault and indecent images of a childAndrew and Tristan Tate, brothers who are social media influencers, were arrested by federal authorities Saturday in Miami, the US Marshals Service said.The charges against the pair were not immediately announced. Brady McCarron, a spokesperson for the marshals, said the warrant was sealed. Continue reading...
The legendary composer warned theaters could soon meet the same fate as Hollywood’s ‘empty soundstages’Andrew Lloyd Webber has spoken out about the precarious state of Broadway in the wake of the early closing of his revival Cats: The Jellicle Ball.“Broadway is more than a street or a collection of buildings. It is an idea—and one of the greatest cultural ideas America has given us,” the composer wrote in a lengthy X thread on Tuesday morning. Continue reading...
Firm reportedly felt it was in public interest to test alibi offered by former prince after Virginia Giuffre accusationPizza Express held an internal inquiry to investigate Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s visit to its Woking branch, as he has claimed he did on the day he is alleged to have had sex with a teenage victim of Jeffrey Epstein 20 miles away in central London, it has been reported.According to sources who spoke to the BBC, senior management at the restaurant chain held the investigation because they felt it was in the public interest to test the alibi the former Duke of York had offered. The broadcaster reported that the company had found neither evidence he had been to the restaurant in Surrey, nor evidence to definitively say he had not. Continue reading...
Tate and his brother argued CPS acted unlawfully by not telling them the names before they return to UKA high court judge has thrown out Andrew and Tristan Tate’s attempt to bring a legal challenge against the Crown Prosecution Service after it did not disclose the names of their alleged victims in UK criminal proceedings.The pair are facing legal proceedings in Romania, where they live, but will be extradited to the UK upon their conclusion to face a combined 21 charges, including rape, actual bodily harm and human trafficking. Continue reading...
Hastie tells colleagues home affairs minister did not disclose the threats made against him, but he has been targeted online for his views on Ben Roberts-SmithFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Liberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie is set to receive extra security in what he believes is a response to a One Nation-fuelled campaign against him, including over his stance on the Ben Roberts-Smith war crimes allegations.At a partyroom meeting on Tuesday, Hastie told colleagues that the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, had advised him that he had been identified for security measures at his home and electorate office. Continue reading...
• Peter Andre expressed dissatisfaction after Lee Andrews, the new husband of Katie Price, claimed to have "adopted" Price's children, including Junior and Princess.
• The claims were later revealed to be a farce, as investigations found no legitimate information about Andrews' company on its official website.
• Further evidence suggests that Andrews' social media presence is fraudulent, with photos showing him alongside various celebrities appearing to be AI-generated.
Liberal MP says Australia risks sovereignty and strategic independence being ‘constrained by the AI superpowers reshaping the global order’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLiberal Andrew Hastie says Australia should dramatically scale up investment in artificial intelligence to preserve strategic independence and warns the country risks being “a supplicant state” tethered to the US in an era of possible hot conflict with China.In a major address to Liberal members in Sydney on Monday night, the shadow minister for industry and sovereign capability likened the development of AI to the nuclear arms race of the cold-war era and proposed Australia position itself as a technology hub in the southern hemisphere. Continue reading...
• Katie Price has provided an update on her marriage to Lee Andrews after previous reports suggested the couple had split.
• Price recently traveled to Dubai to visit Andrews, who is currently incarcerated in a Dubai prison.
• Despite earlier hints that the relationship was over, Price has reappeared wearing her wedding rings, signaling a reconciliation.
Paul Quinn will serve at least 14 years for the 2003 rape in Salford and could spend less time in prison than MalkinsonThe government’s most senior law officer has been asked to review the “unduly lenient” prison sentence handed to a rapist who evaded police for nearly two decades in one of Britain’s biggest miscarriages of justice.Paul Quinn was jailed last week for a minimum of 14 years, meaning he could spend less time in prison than Andrew Malkinson, who was wrongly convicted of his crime. Continue reading...
• Former England football manager Gareth Southgate appears in a new BBC documentary exploring the "manosphere" and the struggles young men faced following the pandemic.
• Southgate explicitly refuses to mention Andrew Tate by name during the film to avoid providing the controversial figure with further publicity or a platform.
• The documentary examines the rise of online influencers who target vulnerable young men, highlighting a perceived crisis of identity and direction in modern masculinity.
Lawyer for British women attacks ‘extraordinary spectacle’ of Tate’s arrival in MoscowBritish women who have accused Andrew Tate of rape, assault and coercive control have questioned why the self-professed misogynistic influencer has appeared in Russia as UK authorities continue to hold off on seeking his extradition.Tate admires Vladimir Putin and amplifies Kremlin propaganda online. He arrived in the same week that Russian authorities welcomed US rightwing figures at an annual conference described as Russia’s answer to Davos. Continue reading...
• A National Audit Office (NAO) report has revealed that Prince Andrew was sub-letting cottages at Royal Lodge.
• The watchdog examined the property arrangements of various royals to determine the impact on public spending.
• A Palace source stated that rent paid by non-working royals covers all publicly funded expenditures, ensuring no additional cost to the taxpayer.
MPs urged to push for ‘radical reform’ after NAO finds former prince made income from Royal Lodge propertiesCampaigners have called for radical reform and a public inquiry into “all royal finances” after revelations that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor received an undisclosed private income from subletting three cottages on his Royal Lodge estate while paying a “peppercorn rent”.A report from the public spending watchdog, the National Audit Office (NAO), found the rental income went to the former Duke of York, but said: “We do not know what rent was charged.” Continue reading...
Paul Quinn, 52, to serve 24 years for attack that led to one of worst miscarriages of justice in modern British historyA man who evaded justice for nearly two decades has been jailed for 24 years for a “savage” rape for which Andrew Malkinson was wrongly imprisoned.Paul Quinn, 52, was found guilty of the 2003 attack in Salford after a fresh forensic analysis found traces of his DNA on the victim’s clothing. Continue reading...
Margaret Hodge concerned over use of taxpayers’ money after revelations about former prince’s sublettingUK politics live – latest updatesA former chair of an influential parliamentary committee said it was “shocking” that the public spending watchdog had not established Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s income from subletting properties.Dame Margaret Hodge, who previously led the public accounts committee told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme she was “very concerned” that the National Audit Office (NAO) was not able to find how much money the former prince had made from letting properties. Continue reading...
Report into royal property affairs reveals disgraced ex-prince generated private income from Windsor Royal LodgeAndrew Mountbatten-Windsor received private income from subletting three cottages on his Windsor Royal Lodge estate while paying a “peppercorn rent” to the crown estate, a report into royal property arrangements has revealed.The National Audit Office (NAO) review also shows that King Charles pays an “adjusted” rent from his private Duchy of Lancaster income, below open market value, for his disgraced brother’s non-working royal daughters, princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, to live in royal palaces. Continue reading...
• Reality star Katie Price, 48, has shared an update regarding her husband, Lee Andrews, who has reportedly been detained and interrogated in Dubai.
• Price revealed she is confronting Andrews over his recent phone activity and is planning to fly to Dubai to visit him and resolve the situation.
• The incident highlights ongoing personal turmoil for the couple and raises questions about the nature of the legal issues Andrews is facing abroad.
Emails appearing to show Mountbatten-Windsor shared confidential information were handed to Buckingham Palace in 2020, says BBCEmails handed to Buckingham Palace six years ago appear to show that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor shared confidential information while he was a government trade envoy, it has been reported.The BBC said on Saturday that an archive of more than 30,000 emails was handed to the lord chamberlain, the most senior officer in the royal household, in 2020. Continue reading...
Yates says we have let ourselves down’ when dealing with allegations of client information being misusedFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastKPMG’s Australian chief Andrew Yates will step down immediately, after taking responsibility for the consultancy firm’s failure to properly respond to whistleblower allegations around the misuse of client information.The firm’s chief executive made the announcement on Friday morning, saying in a statement that “I have been committed to a speak-up culture in our firm”. Continue reading...
Alleged incident said to have happened at racing event in 2002, the year of the queen’s Golden Jubilee, according to the Sunday TimesPolice investigating Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor are looking into an allegation that he behaved inappropriately towards a woman at Royal Ascot, according to a report.The alleged incident is said to have happened at the annual five-day racing event in Berkshire in 2002, according to the Sunday Times. Continue reading...
Thames Valley police believe more witnesses may be out there in inquiry into alleged misconduct in public office by former princePolice investigating Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor want witnesses to contact them if they believe they have information about alleged sexual misconduct, corruption, fraud or the sharing of confidential information involving the king’s brother.In a sign of the potential expansion of their “unprecedented investigation”, Thames Valley police vowed to rigorously investigate claims against the former Prince Andrew. Continue reading...
The monarch may have thought the role would keep her ‘favourite’ second son out of trouble. How wrong she wasThat Queen Elizabeth II was “very keen” for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to take on a “prominent role in the promotion of national interests” as a trade envoy in 2001 demonstrates the fierce support the late monarch always gave her second son.Knowing he was “the spare”, and undoubtedly acutely aware of the pitfalls of that position – her sister, Princess Margaret, had struggled to find her own role – a mother’s instinct would be to protect, so far as she could. Continue reading...
Documents released by government also show queen was ‘very keen’ for former prince to have prominent roleUK politics live – latest updatesFormal security vetting and due diligence appears not to have been carried out before the appointment of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor as trade envoy, the government has said, as it emerged that that the late queen was “very keen” for her son to take up a prominent role in promoting Britain’s interests.The first batch of documents relating to the appointment of the former prince as trade envoy in 2001 by Tony Blair have revealed a memo addressed to Robin Cook dated 25 February 2000, in which the then chief executive of British Trade International, David Wright, said Queen Elizabeth II’s “wish” had been for Mountbatten-Windsor, then the Duke of York, to take on the role. Continue reading...
Alex Jenkinson, 39, from Suffolk is expected to stand trial in July, with the former Duke of York giving evidenceA man has denied threatening Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor after reports the former prince was accosted near his Sandringham home earlier this week.Alex Jenkinson, 39, pleaded not guilty at Westminster magistrates court on Friday to using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause fear or provoke unlawful violence against the former duke of York. Continue reading...
Nofolk police arrest man on suspicion of public order offence and possession of offensive weaponA man has been arrested on suspicion of a public order offence and possession of an offensive weapon near the home of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.Norfolk police said: “Officers were called to Wolferton shortly after 7.30pm yesterday (Wednesday 6 May 2026) following a report a man was behaving in an intimidating manner in the village. Continue reading...
