General news

Follow @generalnews_UK

• Woman killed in late-night drive-by shooting in Sydney suburb

  14-04-2025 23:03 via theguardian.com
  
  Police searching for a killer after multiple shots fired in an attack on a home in AmbarvaleGet our afternoon election email, free app or daily news podcastA woman has been killed in a drive-by shooting in suburban Sydney after she was hit in the leg when a home was peppered with bullets.Police were searching for her killer on Tuesday morning after the overnight attack at Ambarvale, on Sydney’s south-west outskirts. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Erin Patterson murder trial live: ‘probably impossible’ for death cap mushrooms to come from supermarket as they cannot be cultivated, expert tells trial

  14-05-2025 05:14 via theguardian.com
  
  Patterson, 50, faces three charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder relating to a beef wellington lunch she served at her house in Leongatha. Follow live updatesKey figures in the mushroom lunch trialLawyer Sophie Stafford asks Dr Thomas May about incidents involving death cap mushroom poisoning.She points to a poisoning that was a subject of a Victorian coroner’s report from May 2024. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Ukraine war briefing: Europe ready with sanctions if no ceasefire after Istanbul talks

  14-05-2025 03:16 via theguardian.com
  
  Pressure mounting on Putin to sit down with Zelenskyy in Turkey; Macron says Ukraine realises it cannot retake all territory. What we know on day 1,176 European leaders have indicated they will press ahead with further sanctions against Russia – whether or not the US does likewise – if talks in Turkey on Thursday do not produce a ceasefire. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, said Europe would impose new sanctions if Moscow did not agree to the 30-day ceasefire. The German chancel
  
  Read more

• Rohan Dennis given two-year suspended sentence after car crash that killed wife Melissa Hoskins

  14-05-2025 02:48 via theguardian.com
  
  Former world champion cyclist avoids jail after pleading guilty to committing aggravated act likely to cause harm after 2023 incident that killed Olympian HoskinsAustralia news live: latest politics updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastOlympic cyclist Rohan Dennis has received a suspended jail sentence over a road incident that led to the death of his wife, fellow Olympian Melissa Hoskins.Dennis, 34, appeared in South Australia’s district court on Wednesday aft
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• California judge resentences Menendez brothers to be eligible for parole

  14-05-2025 02:41 via theguardian.com
  
  Erik and Lyle Menendez given 50 years to life, making them eligible for parole and giving them chance at freedomA California judge has given Erik and Lyle Menendez, who had been sentenced to life in prison for the murders of their parents in their Beverly Hills home, a chance at freedom after 35 years behind bars.Judge Michael Jesic shortens the brothers’ sentences of life in prison without the possibility of parole to 50 years to life. They’re now eligible for parole under Californi
  
  Read more

• UK government to launch AI tool to speed up public consultations

  14-05-2025 01:01 via theguardian.com
  
  New system will analyse responses 1,000 times faster than a human and save millions, ministers claimAn AI tool has been used to review public responses to a government consultation for the first time and is now set to be rolled out more widely in an effort to save money and staff time.The tool, named “Consult”, was first used by the Scottish government when it was seeking perspectives on the regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures such as lip filler. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• The Comedy About Spies review – rapid fire gags in a delightfully silly show

  14-05-2025 01:01 via theguardian.com
  
  Noël Coward theatre, London
  The sheer rate of jokes, from groanworthy to dynamite, may leave you crying helpless tears of laughter in this farce from the Mischief company‘Vodka martini.” “Shaken?” “Yes, but I’ll be fine.” If groanworthy jokes of that calibre float your boat, The Comedy About Spies, set in early 1960s London, will be plain sailing. Even if they don’t, that needn’t put you off: the new show from Mischief, the company behin
  
  Read more

• NHS medical negligence liabilities hit £58.2bn amid calls to improve patient safety

  14-05-2025 01:01 via theguardian.com
  
  Public accounts committee called the record sum ‘jaw-dropping’ and criticised inaction to reduce errors in a damning reportThe NHS’s total liabilities for medical negligence have hit an “astounding” £58.2bn amid ministers’ failure to improve patient safety, an influential group of MPs have warned.The Commons public accounts committee (PAC) said the “jaw-dropping” sums being paid to victims of botched treatment and government inaction to reduc
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Major Whitehall buildings to be shut to shed 12,000 civil servant jobs in London

  14-05-2025 01:01 via theguardian.com
  
  Move to bring number of full-time government staff working in Whitehall down from 95,000 to about 83,000Major Whitehall government buildings are to be shut by ministers as they seek to shed 12,000 civil servant jobs in London, while moving thousands of roles to cities across the UK.Pat McFadden, the Cabinet Office minister, said he would set a target of 50% of all senior civil servants being based outside London within five years, with the aim of policy being made closer to communities affected.
  
  Read more

• Nottingham Forest’s Taiwo Awoniyi placed in induced coma after surgery

  14-05-2025 00:44 via theguardian.com
  
  Player’s condition is not thought to be life-threateningForward underwent abdominal surgery on MondayNottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi has been placed in an induced coma to aid his recovery from urgent abdominal surgery. The Nigeria international underwent the procedure on Monday night, having suffered a serious injury during Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Leicester.There is no suggestion that the 27-year-old’s condition is life threatening and it is understood the coma will help
  
  Read more

• Dairy companies ‘turning blind eye’ to global methane emissions, report suggests

  14-05-2025 00:01 via theguardian.com
  Assessment of leading dairy and coffee shop chains reveals failure to set out methane reduction targetsBig dairy companies are “turning a blind eye” to climate-damaging methane emissions, an assessment of the industry’s performance has found.Animal agriculture accounts for 32% of global emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas about 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period, with the breeding of cattle for milk and meat a key driver. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Day two of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs sex-trafficking trial ends as Cassie Ventura describes alleged abuse

  13-05-2025 23:59 via theguardian.com
  Singer says on the stand there were ‘violent arguments’ and ‘dragging’ in former relationship with the hip-hop mogulKey takeaways from Cassie Ventura’s first day of testimonySinger Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, a former girlfriend of Sean “Diddy” Combs and central character in the case against him, took the stand on Tuesday as the high-profile federal trial of Combs entered its second day in lower Manhattan.Ventura, who is eight-and-a-half month
  
  Read more

• Ballard’s 122nd-minute goal shatters Coventry and puts Sunderland in playoff final

  13-05-2025 23:58 via theguardian.com
  When Régis Le Bris first took charge of Sunderland last summer the Frenchman was such an unknown quantity that it took a good couple of weeks before fellow guests in his hotel began realising who he was.Ten months later the lowest of low‑key managerial appointments is one game away from the Premier League after Dan Ballard’s headed goal from Enzo Le Fée’s corner at the very end of extra time sparked the most joyous of pitch invasions. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs sex-trafficking trial: key takeaways from Cassie Ventura’s first day of testimony

  13-05-2025 23:31 via theguardian.com
  The singer, whose 2023 lawsuit was the catalyst for the hip-hop mogul’s charges, is a key witness – here’s what to knowCasandra “Cassie” Ventura, a former girlfriend of Sean “Diddy” Combs, is perhaps the most important witness in Combs’s high-profile federal trial.Her explosive 2023 lawsuit against Combs, accusing him of physical and sexual abuse, was the catalyst for the charges Combs is currently facing. Despite Combs settling that lawsuit with V
  
  Read more

• Energy Australia is in court accused of greenwashing. What is the case about and why is it significant?

  13-05-2025 23:24 via theguardian.com
  Climate group alleges energy giant misled 400,000 customers about ‘Go Neutral’ product, arguing that carbon credits don’t actually remove emissionsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA landmark legal case is about to begin involving one of Australia’s largest electricity and gas providers, which is alleged to have engaged in “greenwashing”.Energy Australia will appear before the federal court on Wednesday in a case brought by the Parents
  
  Read more

• Three child sex abusers have sentences increased after solicitor general’s intervention

  13-05-2025 23:10 via theguardian.com
  Men who raped vulnerable teenager in 1990s have prison terms extended after original sentences ruled ‘unduly lenient’Three child sexual abusers who raped a vulnerable teenager over several years in the 1990s have had their sentences extended after intervention by the solicitor general.Ibrar Hussain, 47, and brothers Imtiaz, 64, and Fayaz Ahmed, 45, had their sentences increased after Lucy Rigby referred the case to the court of appeal under the unduly lenient sentence scheme. Continu
  
  Read more

• NHS must accelerate use of weight-loss jabs, say obesity experts

  13-05-2025 22:00 via theguardian.com
  New research finds Wegovy can reduce risk of heart attack, early death and stroke within three months of treatmentThe NHS must accelerate its use of weight loss jabs, experts have said, as society enters a “golden age” of such medications.Obesity is linked to numerous long-term conditions including cancer, heart disease, dementia and diabetes, putting a huge strain on the NHS. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Partir Un Jour (Leave One Day) review – foodie musical is an undercooked turkey

  13-05-2025 21:49 via theguardian.com
  Cannes film festival opening film
  Dreadful songs add no flavour to dreary tale of a big-city gourmet returning to her home-cooked rootsThe opening gala of Cannes can be such a gamble: a very exposed festival slot which few films need or want, and whose occupants so often turn out to be the squawking overfed turkeys of the big screen. Such a one, sadly, is this listless and supercilious musical – ostensibly on the theme of heartwarming home town values – which flatlines like a hedgeho
  
  Read more

• Nat Sciver-Brunt starts England captaincy reign but Edwards is power behind throne

  13-05-2025 21:18 via theguardian.com
  All-rounder’s lack of involvement in selection is signal that head coach will drive new era after Ashes whitewashEngland’s 16-0 whitewash at the hands of Australia earlier this year sparked widespread calls for change. On Tuesday, as the new captain Nat Sciver-Brunt gave her first press conference since she was appointed last month, the curtain finally rose just enough to give the public a tantalising glimpse at a very new-look England setup.Twenty-four hours previously, the head coa
  
  Read more

• Trump must realise Putin is obstacle to peace, Zelenskyy says

  13-05-2025 21:15 via theguardian.com
  Ukrainian president says he will travel to Turkey on Thursday whether or not Russian leader flies in for talksVolodymyr Zelenskyy has said he hopes the current period of frantic diplomacy and high-stakes gambits between Russia and Ukraine will end with Donald Trump understanding that Vladimir Putin is the real obstacle to a peace deal.“Trump needs to believe that Putin actually lies. And we should do our part. Sensibly approach this issue, to show that it’s not us that is slowing dow
  
  Read more

• Golf ball ‘rollback’ up in air with PGA of America ‘vehemently against’ plans

  13-05-2025 21:08 via theguardian.com
  R&A and USGA want ball modifications to limit distanceMcIlroy drawn with Scheffler and Schauffele in US PGAWith golf still trying to extricate itself from one civil war, another looms on the horizon. The PGA of America has reiterated its stance against the rollback of the golf ball, with its chief executive stating the organisation is “vehemently against” plans put forward by the sport’s rule-makers.The R&A and USGA announced in late 2023 that all professionals will be
  
  Read more

• Robert De Niro attacks Trump in Cannes speech: ‘This isn’t just America’s problem’

  13-05-2025 21:07 via theguardian.com
  Accepting honorary Palme d’Or at opening ceremony of festival, actor rails against the US’s ‘philistine president’The actor Robert De Niro has – after a brief period of abstention – returned to his robust public critique of Donald Trump, using his Palme d’Or acceptance speech at the Cannes film festival to newly attack the US president.Speaking during the opening ceremony of the 78th film festival in France, De Niro said that the US’s re-elected co
  
  Read more

• US and Saudi Arabia sign $142bn arms deal as Trump to meet Syrian leader

  13-05-2025 21:01 via theguardian.com
  White House touts deal made on first stop of US president’s four-day diplomatic tour toGulf statesUS politics live – latest updatesThe United States and Saudi Arabia have signed a $142bn arms deal touted by the White House as the “largest defence sales agreement in history” in the first stop of Donald Trump’s four-day diplomatic tour to the Gulf states aimed at securing big deals and spotlighting the benefits of Trump’s transactional foreign policy.During the
  
  Read more

• From early positivity to cursing on court: how the Djokovic-Murray partnership ended | Tumaini Carayol

  13-05-2025 21:00 via theguardian.com
  The two greats energised each other but the struggling Serb has cut a frustrated figure in recent practice sessionsIn the echoing surroundings of an empty Margaret Court Arena before the Australian Open in January, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray were working through their first training session at an official tournament together. Aside from the sweet sound of tennis balls being struck between Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, his training partner for the day, the only audible noise was the communicat
  
  Read more

• No evidence of genocide in Gaza, UK lawyers say in arms export case

  13-05-2025 20:51 via theguardian.com
  Palestinian rights organisation Al-Haq has launched high court action over carve-out of F-35 fighter jet programmeNo evidence has been seen that a genocide is occurring in Gaza or that women and children were targeted by the IDF, UK government lawyers have claimed, as a high court case opened into the handling of arms exports controls to Israel.They also suggested there was no obligation placed on the UK to make other states comply with international humanitarian law but only to ensure that no b
  
  Read more

• Assisted dying proposal passes first stage in Scotland

  13-05-2025 20:50 via theguardian.com
  Bill to allow assisted dying for terminally ill adults will now go forward to parliamentary committeeThe Scottish parliament has voted to consider a bill to allow assisted dying for terminally ill people for the first time, after a prolonged debate by MSPs.Holyrood decided by 70 votes to 56 to back the bill, in a free vote that followed months of pre-legislative scrutiny by a cross-party committee and comes days before MPs at Westminster vote on passing similar legislation for England and Wales.
  
  Read more

• Swedish senior diplomat arrested on suspicion of spying, say reports

  13-05-2025 20:25 via theguardian.com
  Security service investigating if there is a link with sudden resignation of national security adviserA senior Swedish diplomat has been arrested on suspicion of espionage, as the security services investigate a potential link to the sudden resignation last week of the government’s national security adviser, local media have reported.Sweden’s security service (Säpo) said on Tuesday it had arrested a person, identified in media reports as a high-ranking diplomat who had been stat
  
  Read more

• Man held over ‘targeted’ arson attacks on Keir Starmer-linked properties

  13-05-2025 20:19 via theguardian.com
  Police continue to question 21-year-old man in connection with fires they say were probably targeted against PMPolice are continuing to question a 21-year-old man arrested in connection with arson attacks on properties and a car linked to Keir Starmer, with counter-terrorism detectives believing the fires were targeted against the PM.Police said on Tuesday they were still trying to establish a motive for the attacks, which triggered condemnation from across the political spectrum at Westminster.
  
  Read more

• Stephen Fry is toast! The Celebrity Traitors lineup – ranked

  13-05-2025 20:00 via theguardian.com
  Will Jonathan Ross be too gobby? Will David Olusoga be a chess master? And will Charlotte Church be banished for doing sound baths? The Celebrity Traitors lineup has landed at last. Here’s who will win … and who will bombThis autumn sees the release of Celebrity Traitors, a new edition of the beloved BBC reality show starring a fleet of household names. It’s a risky move for all who signed up, in that the show has the potential to seriously warp how they’re viewed by the
  
  Read more

• No 10 defends Starmer’s language on immigration likened to Enoch Powell speech

  13-05-2025 19:38 via theguardian.com
  Downing Street says it is wrong to compare PM’s warning about ‘island of strangers’ to 1968 ‘rivers of blood’ speechDowning Street has robustly defended Keir Starmer’s language on immigration, which has been likened to that used by Enoch Powell, rejecting the direct comparison but saying the prime minister would not “shy away” from direct talk about the subject.A series of MPs criticised Starmer for his rhetoric when introducing a new policy paper
  
  Read more

Follow @generalnews_UK on Twitter!