Southport victim's dad accuses ambulance staff of breaching trust

The father of a girl seriously hurt in the Southport attack has accused North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) of a "complete breach of trust" as it emerged it was investigating whether staff inappropriately accessed victims' medical records.

Police say Ann Widdecombe killed in 'targeted attack' as motive investigated

Ann Widdecombe was killed in a "targeted attack" and detectives are still working to understand the motive, police have said.

Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing, said the appearance of the former Conservative minister turned Reform UK spokeswoman on Talk TV on the morning she was killed at her home in Devon is being looked into as part of the investigation.

Billionaire Warren Buffett stops donations to Bill Gates charity

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett has stopped giving donations to Bill Gates' charitable foundation weeks after the Microsoft co-founder detailed his links to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Buffett "irrevocably" committed in 2006 to donate shares in his firm, Berkshire Hathaway, each year to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as it was then known "throughout my lifetime".

US, Russian astronauts launch into orbit for joint space mission

NASA chief Jared Isaacman made a rare visit to the Russia-operated Baikonur Cosmodrome to witness the launch. 

A joint US-Russian space mission has lifted off from Kazakhstan for the International Space Station (ISS), highlighting a rare partnership that has persisted despite tensions over the Ukraine war.

Trump meets with Iraq prime minister at White House, vows ‘a lot of deals’

Iraqi prime minister says relations with US shifting from militaristic to economic, vows disarmament of factions.

United States President Donald Trump and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi have met at the White House in Washington, DC, with both leaders pledging to deepen economic ties and boost Iraq’s oil output.

What we know about UK politician Ann Widdecombe’s murder

The murder of former British politician Ann Widdecombe has sent shockwaves through the country’s political circles, with the case now referred to the counterterrorism police.

Widdecombe, 78, was found dead at her home in southwest England last week with what police had described as “serious injuries”.

How new Yemen tensions could complicate the global energy crisis

A sudden military escalation in Yemen has shattered a fragile, informal four-year truce, threatening to expand an ongoing geopolitical conflict into the Red Sea and sever one of the world’s most vital energy arteries.

Ukraine to present its anti-ballistic programme at Paris meeting today, Zelenskyy says – Europe live

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Ukraine to present its anti-ballistic programme at Paris meeting today, Zelenskyy says

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in Paris for today’s talks with the Coalition of the Willing.

Sam Neill: Tributes to Jurassic Park actor following his death aged 78

'Hero, legend, sweetheart': Tributes to Jurassic Park actor Sam Neill, who has died aged 78

Neill, who was born in Northern Ireland and grew up in New Zealand, died "surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life", a statement said.

US and Iran exchange fire and disagree on whether strait of Hormuz is open | First Thing

Good morning.

The US military has launched a fresh wave of attacks against Iran amid the escalating standoff over the strait of Hormuz.

Tehran said the latest strikes had “rendered futile” all the diplomatic efforts of the past few months, while Donald Trump said: “We’re beating them ​up”, as oil prices surged again.