17 h. ago Astonishing claims that Fayed bugged a female aide's flat... with the help of a bogus MI5 agent, corrupt police and a fake copy of the Official Secrets Act

Police are investigating astonishing claims that corrupt detectives working for Mohamed Al Fayed deceived one of his victims by staging an elaborate ruse involving a bogus MI5 officer and a bugged flat.

Politics

31 h. ago Home Bargains fans rave over 'insane' White Company vase dupe at a fraction of the cost

Shoppers are swooning over a £7.99 vase from Home Bargains which looks exceptionally similar to the White Company's Witcome Frill Vase, which retails at a staggering £45

Economics

51 h. ago British food and drink industry call on EU to ‘reset’ trade ties

Retailers and food producers offer to help efforts reduce ‘unnecessary red tape’ costing industry billions of poundsMore than a dozen of Britain’s biggest retailers and food producers, including Marks & Spencer, J Sainsbury and Asda, have called on the EU to reduce checks on food and drink crossing the Channel and Irish Sea, which they say are costing billions of pounds.Ahead of a summit on 19 May that is hoped to “reset” trade ties five years on from Brexit, they are urging politicians to hammer out a deal on sanitary and phytosanitary checks. They hope this would include a veterinary agreement and would harmonise food safety rules or recognise them as equivalent. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Minister hopes supreme court’s gender ruling will ‘draw a line’ under trans debate – UK politics live

Health minister Karen Smyth says ‘it’s good we have clarity for women’ as Tories call for ruling to be ‘reinforced with legislation’Shadow chancellor Mel Stride has highlighted the recent report by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) which suggested business confidence in the UK has dipped severely.In a post to social media, the recently knighted MP said:I take no pleasure in the ICAEW’s latest survey, which reveals UK business confidence has slipped into negative territory for the first three months of 2025, thanks to Labour’s anti-business budget.Tax burden tops the list of concerns for the second quarter in a row, with 56% of businesses saying it’s their greatest challenge. Red tape follows closely, with 43% of companies reporting increased strain. Rising costs and wage pressures continue to squeeze profits, with investment growth remaining sluggish.Single-sex services like changing rooms must be based on biological sex. If a male person is allowed...

Politics

3 d. ago UK officials label trade documents ‘secret’ to shield from US eyes amid Trump tariff war

Exclusive: civil servants beef up security rules for sensitive negotiating papers over fears posed by hostile US trade policyUK officials are tightening security when handling sensitive trade documents to prevent them from falling into US hands amid Donald Trump’s tariff war, the Guardian can reveal.In an indication of the strains on the “special relationship”, British civil servants have changed document-handling guidance, adding higher classifications to some trade negotiation documents in order to better shield them from American eyes, sources told the Guardian. Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago Shooting reported at a Dallas high school, and officials soon after say campus secured

School officials in Texas say police have responded to reports of a shooting at a Dallas high school where students were seen leaving the campus

Politics

5 d. ago Energy watchdog boss vows less ‘heavy handed’ approach to regulating suppliers

Ofgem chief executive Jonathan Brearley was speaking weeks after the Chancellor vowed to cut red tape across the UK to promote growth.

Politics

5 d. ago What Labour and Mayor Sadiq Khan are doing to revive London's nightlife

Ministers want to remove ‘red tape’ they believe is hampering the night-time economy — and say they ‘back the British night out’

Politics

1 week ago US small business owner says China tariffs endanger her company: ‘I could lose my home’

Beth Benike, whose products are manufactured in China, is ‘terrified’ what Trump trade war will mean for Busy BabyBeth Benike knew the tariffs were coming.The Minnesota veteran invented a placemat with bungee cords that hold toys or utensils, keeping them off the floor when babies toss them. It’s one of several products she created for Busy Baby, a company she runs with her brother. They are manufactured in China. Continue reading...

Economics

1 week ago This is how many new GPs the north west will get as patients struggle for appointments

'Unnecessary red tape was preventing practices from hiring newly qualified GPs', meaning more than 1,000 were due to graduate into unemployment in summer last year, the government has said

Science

1 week ago Trump is pushing the world into recession. By learning the lessons of 2008, we can still prevent it | Gordon Brown

As I discovered then, global problems need international responses. By working together, we can protect jobs and living standardsThis is the first in a two part series on the global response to Donald Trump’s tariffsNo more than a narrow window of opportunity remains if we are to prevent an unnecessary global recession. As China and the US decouple, disruptive trade wars are intensifying and threaten to descend into currency wars; import, export, investment and technology bans; and financial fire sales that will destroy millions of jobs worldwide. It seems barely credible that the world is being brought to its knees by one economy, outside of which live 96% of the population, who produce 84% of the world’s manufactured goods. But even though US officials have previously talked of a tariff policy of “escalate to de-escalate”, Donald Trump’s aim is to force manufacturing back to the US, and his 90-day relaxation of some tariffs does not mean he intends to defuse the crisis.On Monday, ...

Politics

1 week ago Trump is pushing the world towards recession. By learning the lessons of 2008, we can still prevent it | Gordon Brown

As I discovered then, global problems need international responses. By working together, we can protect jobs and living standardsThis is the first in a two part series on the global response to Donald Trump’s tariffsNo more than a narrow window of opportunity remains if we are to prevent an unnecessary global recession. As China and the US decouple, disruptive trade wars are intensifying and threaten to descend into currency wars; import, export, investment and technology bans; and financial fire sales that will destroy millions of jobs worldwide. It seems barely credible that the world is being brought to its knees by one economy, outside of which live 96% of the population, who produce 84% of the world’s manufactured goods. But even though US officials have previously talked of a tariff policy of “escalate to de-escalate”, Donald Trump’s aim is to force manufacturing back to the US, and his 90-day relaxation of some tariffs does not mean he intends to defuse the crisis.On Monday, ...

Politics

1 week ago Starmer ‘frustrated’ by regulators as he seeks to cut red tape to boost growth

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said in some cases regulators’ priorities ‘aren’t necessarily aligned with what the Government’s trying to achieve’.

Politics

1 week ago Home Bargains sells 'gorgeous' £8 vase 'just like' £45 The White Company version

The "gorgeous" Home Bargains vase could easily be mistaken for a much more expensive version

Economics

1 week ago Over 1,500 GPs hired as government seeks to end 8am appointment scramble

The Department of Health and Social Care said that since October 1 some 1,503 GPs have been recruited after cutting red-tape preventing practices hiring newly qualified GPs

Politics

2 w. ago Starmer to declare end of globalisation while Trump’s tariff war rages

Prime minister argues that tariffs show Britain must ‘move further and faster’ in cutting red tape to boost economic growth

Politics

2 w. ago Starmer to declare end of globalisation and admit it has failed voters

Prime minister argues that tariffs show Britain must ‘move further and faster’ in cutting red tape to boost economic growth

Politics

2 w. ago Drone footage exposing conditions at marine park leads to police raid

Drone footage of animal conditions at a Florida marine park has led to a raid by local law enforcement and wildlife officials.

Events

2 w. ago Brit tourist dies while snorkelling on dream holiday as he's found 'floating lifeless'

The body of an 81-year-old pensioner was found floating lifeless just 15ft away from the coast of Gili Trawangan island in Indonesia, according to police officials

Events

2 w. ago Rangers takeover latest as legal red tape nears finish line and Patrick Stewart grilling faced with unfortunate timing

The new CEO is set to face questions on the takeover, Barry Ferguson, and how the club plan to bridge the gap to Celtic

Events