Getty Images By Mark Savage and Peter Walker BBC News A man has appeared in court charged with soliciting to commit murder over an alleged plot to kidnap TV presenter Holly Willoughby. Gavin Plumb, of Potters Field, in Harlow, Essex, is also accused of incitement to commit kidnap. The 36-year-old, who is a security officer
Month: October 2023
PA Media By James Cook Scotland editor A decade ago, it was fashionable for opponents of the Conservatives to scoff that Scotland had more pandas than it had Tory MPs. In recent years that taunt could have been directed at the Labour Party. Not any more. With a resounding victory in Rutherglen and Hamilton West,
Reuters By Antoinette Radford BBC News A Russian attack on the village of Hroza, south-east of Kharkiv, has killed at least 51 people, including a six-year-old boy. Locals were attending a wake for a local resident when a missile struck at 13:15 local time (15:15 BST). Ukraine’s defence ministry said there were no military targets
Reuters By James Gregory BBC News Plans to phase out the sale of cigarettes in England would be the “biggest public health intervention in a generation”, Rishi Sunak has said. The PM told the BBC there was “no safe level of smoking” when asked about restricting people’s right to choose. His plan seeks to raise
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. By Henry Zeffman & Kate Whannel Chief political correspondent and political reporter, BBC News in Manchester “The facts have changed,” the PM has said, as he confirmed the HS2 high-speed rail line from Birmingham to Manchester would
Family photo By June Kelly, Naresh Puri and Judith Burns BBC News Home Affairs Team A female teenage soldier is believed to have taken her own life after relentless sexual harassment by one of her bosses, an Army investigation has found. Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck, 19, was found dead at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire
Reuters By James Landale Diplomatic correspondent in Warsaw Western military powers are running out of ammunition to give Ukraine to defend itself against Russia’s full-scale invasion, the UK and Nato have warned. Adm Rob Bauer, Nato’s most senior military official, told the Warsaw Security Forum that “the bottom of the barrel is now visible”. He
Getty Images By Jim Reed Health reporter Decisions made by Boris Johnson, his government and his team of scientists in the early days of the pandemic are to come under intense scrutiny as the second part of the Covid inquiry begins. Until Christmas, the spotlight will be on key decisions made to try to control
AP/GETTY By Rianna Croxford, investigations correspondent BBC News and BBC Panorama The ex-CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch and his British partner face allegations of exploitation from men recruited for sex events they hosted around the world. A BBC investigation found a highly organised network used a middleman to find young men for the events with
PA Media By Nick Triggle Health correspondent NHS bosses are warning patients to expect extreme disruption in hospitals, as junior doctors and consultants stage a three-day joint walkout in England. The stoppage begins at 07:00, with NHS England saying it will bring non-emergency care to a “near standstill”. The British Medical Association is promising “Christmas
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. By Joshua Nevett & Henry Zeffman BBC Politics team in Manchester Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has told the BBC he wants to cut taxes but declined to say whether he would before the next general election. Mr
Getty Images By Antoinette Radford, Sam Cabral & Anthony Zurcher BBC News, London and Washington With just hours to go before the US government is due to shut down, the House of Representatives has agreed to a short-term funding deal. A bill that keeps the government funded until mid-November but includes no new aid for