National News

Public confidence in the justice system is at risk of being undermined by the courts and tribunals service amid delays to key reforms, MPs have warned in a scathing report. The agency has almost “burnt through” its entire budget to deliver a programme that is just over halfway complete, chairwoman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Dame Meg Hillier said. Many of the issues relate to the introduction of His

The much-anticipated NHS workforce plan has been described as a beacon of hope to staff working on the frontline. But others have said the document is the “latest attempt to fill a leaky bucket”. NHS Confederation said that the “comprehensive” document will “go a long way to addressing the NHS’s workforce challenges”. Others have also welcomed the plan but have said that the “details will be crucial”. Government and NHS

Ben Duckett fell an agonising two runs short of an Ashes century as England took the fight back to Australia in the second Test at Lord’s. England had been a shadow of themselves on day one but rallied impressively with bat and ball before being dragged into a costly a short-ball battle during a gripping final session. The hosts took five for 77 in the morning session to dismiss Australia

Virgin Galactic has blasted off to the edge of space, marking the company’s first commercial spaceflight. After reaching an altitude of around 50,000 feet at 4.30pm UK time, the mothership, VMS Eve, released the rocket plane called VSS Unity with three Italian astronauts on board. Those inside the spaceship unfurled an Italian flag after reaching a state of weightlessness, having been given the all-clear to unbuckle and “enjoy” zero gravity

Campaigners and politicians have called on the Government to abandon plans to send migrants to Rwanda in the wake of a court ruling which raised concerns about “deficiencies” in its asylum system. Home Secretary Suella Braverman has been urged to scrap the “unworkable and unethical fever dream of a policy” after the Court of Appeal judgment was handed down on Thursday. The Government will seek permission to appeal against the

Household energy bills are expected to fall again, to below £2,000 a year from October, according to latest forecasts. Energy industry consultancy Cornwall Insight said it thinks the price cap on energy bills will fall to £1,978.33 from October from July’s £2,074, but rise again from January to £2,004.40, based on Ofgem’s current measures. However, the regulator is adjusting its definition of the average household’s consumption from October, down from

Former Essex player Jahid Ahmed believes an investigation into his allegations of racism is deliberately being dragged out to protect one of the accused. Ahmed, who spoke out in the week that a damning report highlighted entrenched racism in English and Welsh cricket, is convinced investigators want him to get to the point where he becomes exhausted by the process and gives up. The 37-year-old came forward in 2021 to

Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia have ended their feud in the wake of the proposed peace deal between golf’s rival factions. The former Ryder Cup team-mates fell out following Garcia’s move to LIV Golf, with McIlroy emerging as the most vocal opponent to the Saudi-funded breakaway. But even though McIlroy admitted earlier this month that he still “hates” LIV Golf, he and Garcia rekindled their friendship at the US Open

The prison doctor for rape suspect Nicholas Rossi has told a court she does not know why he uses a wheelchair as she saw a video of him kicking down a door and attacking an officer. Dr Barbara Mundweil, a GP at HMP Edinburgh, has been Rossi’s doctor since early September last year when she started work with the prison. Giving evidence at Rossi’s extradition hearing at Edinburgh Sheriff Court