UK spy agencies took their “eye off the ball” over Russian interference and the government “badly underestimated” the threat, a watchdog has said. A long-awaited report from parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) found Vladimir Putin’s administration has been engaged in “hostile foreign interference”. It criticised the “illogical” approach by MI5 not to fully investigate
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Government borrowing for April-June was more than double that for the whole of the previous fiscal year thanks to the “unprecedented impact” of the COVID-19 pandemic, official figures show. The deficit of £127.9bn for the three-month period compares with a £55.4bn shortfall for the year to the end of March, the Office for National Statistics
Scientists have identified 37 volcanic structures on Venus that appear to be recently active – and probably still are today – painting the picture of a geologically dynamic planet and not a dormant world as long thought. The research focused on ring-like structures called coronae, caused by an upwelling of hot rock from deep within
California is shutting down again as it reports a record increase in the number of coronavirus cases. The US state reported more than 11,800 new virus cases on Monday, according to a tally by news agency Reuters, bringing the total to almost 400,000. If California was a country, its total number would put it fifth
A California appeals court has refused to overturn a verdict in favour of a school caretaker who claimed the weedkiller Roundup caused his cancer. Dewayne Johnson had been awarded $289.2m (£228.4m) in August 2018 after a San Francisco jury was told that the chemical was responsible for his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The award was cut by
Doctors, teachers, police officers and other public sector employees are to receive bumper, inflation-busting pay rises as a reward for their efforts during the coronavirus crisis. With inflation currently just 0.6%, the biggest increase, 3.1%, goes to teachers, followed by doctors and dentists, who will receive 2.8%, the Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced. Police, prison
England’s chief nursing officer has confirmed she was “dropped” from one of Downing Street’s daily coronavirus briefings in the midst of controversy over Dominic Cummings’s lockdown trips. Ruth May told MPs she was axed from the line-up for the Number 10 briefing on 1 June despite having already prepared for her appearance. It had previously
Amber Heard has made a series of graphic allegations against ex-husband Johnny Depp in a lengthy witness statement to his libel trial. The statement came as she began three days of evidence at the High Court as part of Depp’s case against The Sun newspaper over a 2018 article that labelled him a “wife beater”.
Hermes says it is creating more than 10,000 jobs through a £100m investment to bolster its UK delivery capacity as the coronavirus crisis drives up demand for online shopping. The company said 1,500 full-time positions were available – including head office, warehouse and delivery roles. It was seeking 9,000 further self-employed couriers across the UK.
6:52 AM ET LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Chirp, chirp, chirp! “Is that me ringing?” New Orleans Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry wondered aloud, looking down at the proximity monitor clipped to his credential as he walked from the practice facility inside Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex to conduct his virtual news conference on
8:33 AM ET On July 10, Matteo Berrettini, the No. 8-ranked men’s player, lost a semifinal on red clay to Andrey Rublev during an exhibition tournament on a chilly, wet day in Kitzbuhel, Austria. Barely 24 hours later, Berrettini triumphed in an Ultimate Tennis Showdown semifinal on a hard court under sunny but hot and
The UK has suspended an extradition treaty with Hong Kong following the imposition of controversial new security laws on the territory by China. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announced the “necessary and proportionate” measure in a statement to the House of Commons on Monday. The UK will also extend to Hong Kong the arms embargo it
Amber Heard says Johnny Depp told her the only way out of their marriage “was death”, and refuted claims he ever asked her to sign a pre-nuptial agreement, a court has heard. In a statement given at the High Court in London, the actress, model and activist also alleges that Depp threatened to kill her
The prime minister has said he will not be “pushed into a position of becoming a knee-jerk Sinophobe” because of deteriorating relations with China. Boris Johnson acknowledged that the UK has “serious concerns” with Beijing’s treatment of its Uighur minority, alleged human rights abuses and the ongoing situation in Hong Kong. And while he promised
Marks & Spencer is to cut 950 jobs in a retail management shake-up marking the first phase of a major transformation programme. It comes a day after Sky News first reported that M&S was to begin setting out redundancy plans this week – joining the likes of John Lewis and Boots in taking the axe
A coronavirus vaccine being developed by scientists at Oxford University induces an immune response to the disease, the first phase of human trials has revealed. Doses of the vaccine were given to 1,077 healthy adults aged between 18 and 55 in five UK hospitals in April and May as part of the phase one clinical