National News

Lionel Messi’s unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia which led to him being suspended by Paris St Germain included activities such as feeding gazelles and visiting a luxury retail complex, according to a release from the Middle East state’s tourism authority. The Argentina World Cup winner has been suspended for two weeks by PSG and had his wages docked for the same period after setting off for Saudi Arabia following Sunday’s

The parents of Madeleine McCann have marked the 16th anniversary of her disappearance by thanking well-wishers and saying she is “still very much missed”. In a short statement on the official Find Madeleine Campaign website, Kate and Gerry McCann said: “Today marks the 16th anniversary of Madeleine’s abduction. Still missing… still very much missed. “It is hard to find the words to convey how we feel. “The police investigation continues,

A judge has approved a “global” settlement of compensation claims made by people affected by the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire. Lawyers representing bereaved relatives, survivors and local residents on Tuesday told a High Court hearing in London that there had been a global settlement of about 900 cases and a global sum of about £150 million compensation agreed. The judge, Senior Master Barbara Fontaine, said she approved “overall settlement terms”.

Pupils and parents are facing more disruption as tens of thousands of teachers walk out of schools and sixth-form colleges across England. Teacher members of the National Education Union (NEU) are back on picket lines on Tuesday as they stage a fresh strike in a long-running pay row. The NEU – which also staged a strike on Thursday – believed the majority of schools would either restrict access to pupils

Wagamama owner The Restaurant Group (TRG) has cheered “very encouraging” trading as it revealed plans to speed up its closure programme. Shares in the company, which also owns the Frankie & Benny’s brand, jumped on Tuesday morning after it hailed “good progress” on recent cost-cutting efforts. In March, the company said it would shut 35 of its loss-making casual dining restaurants, which include Frankie & Benny’s, in order to boost profits.

Sir Keir Starmer has said he is “confident” that partygate investigator Sue Gray has not broken any rules in her discussions with Labour about a senior party role. A Cabinet Office minister is due to issue a written statement to the House of Commons on Tuesday containing an “update into the circumstances leading to the resignation of a senior civil servant”, according to Parliament’s order paper. The PA news agency

Oil giant BP’s profit was more than half a billion pounds more than expected in the first three months of the year as the business continued to benefit from elevated energy prices. Bosses revealed on Tuesday that the company made just under five billion US dollars (£4 billion) in underlying replacement cost profit between January and March, citing a strong performance in its oil trading business. It is a reduction

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have said there is “seriousness” to the offer they broadcast on Twitter for footballer Gareth Bale to come out of retirement and play at the Hollywood stars’ club Wrexham. Former Wales captain Bale was offered the opportunity to play for the Welsh club following their promotion to the English Football League in April. The five-time Champions League winner announced his retirement at the age of