EU leaders are gathering for a summit with six former Soviet states in Latvia, overshadowed by Russia’s role in the conflict in eastern Ukraine. The EU’s Eastern Partnership “is not an instrument for pursuing an expansionist EU policy”, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said ahead of the summit. The partnership “is not directed against anyone, it’s […]
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is facing a “significant potential funding gap”, according to Audit Scotland. The public finance watchdog said a long-term financial strategy was urgently needed. Audit Scotland warned that potential future reductions in funding could mean a budget gap of £42.7m by 2019/20. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said […]
A family had a narrow escape when a car ploughed through a garden wall into their house in Weymouth. Homeowner Josh Simmonds’ said: “There’s a whole wall on top of the settee, we’re all so lucky to be alive.” The silver Ford Ka hit the house in Corporation Road just after 17:15 BST on Wednesday. […]
Defence minister had approved programme to stop Palestinians working in Israel returning to West Bank on Israeli buses Israel’s prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, has cancelled a pilot scheme banning Palestinian workers from Israeli buses in the occupied territories – denounced as tantamount to apartheid – only hours after it was announced. The plan had been […]
The Scottish government has announced measures to help convicted offenders find work. It comes as figures show three-quarters of employers admit they discriminate against job applicants with a criminal record. Ministers are to consult on proposals to modernise the law which means people must disclose their convictions from the past four years. It would bring […]
The chief executive of Thomas Cook has said he is “deeply sorry” about the deaths of two British children on holiday in Corfu in 2006. Christi and Bobby Shepherd, from West Yorkshire, died from carbon monoxide poisoning at the Louis Corcyra Beach Hotel. Peter Fankhauser said: “From the deepest of my heart I am sorry.” […]
A Chinese man who was caught cheating on 17 girlfriends at once has been arrested for fraud. The man from Hunan province made headlines last month when all 17 women discovered each other when they rushed to his hospital bedside. The allegation of fraud relates to sums of money which he regularly took from the […]
All the human remains found at the scene of the Germanwings air crash have been identified and will be returned to their families, a French prosecutor says. The plane crashed in the French Alps on March 24 with 150 people on board. Investigators say co-pilot Andreas Lubitz deliberately crashed the plane after locking the pilot […]
Police in Texas are calling on members of rival motorcycle gangs to stop fighting after a deadly weekend shootout in Waco left nine dead. Sgt Patrick Swanton said: “There has been enough tragedy and there has been enough bloodshed.” Seven people remain in hospital and 170 are in custody. About 50 weapons were recovered from […]
Zimbabwe’s cricket team is in Pakistan, the first Test-playing nation to visit the country in six years. Thousands of security personnel were deployed as the team were taken from Lahore airport to a city hotel. Pakistan has hosted no top-level international cricket since Sri Lanka’s team bus was attacked by gunmen in Lahore in 2009. […]