ENGLISH

    A new controversy engulfed Westminster today when a woman accused House of Commons authorities of ignoring her claim that she was raped by a Conservative Party figure. I was raped by someone senior to me in the Conservative Party, alleged the woman, who is a Tory activist. Tory whip Chris Pincher resigns and refers himself to police over behaviour allegations It was violent. It wasn’t in Westminster, it was in my own home. And it shouldn’t have happened. The case raised questions of whether the House of Commons has done enough to protect victims after it emerged that a warning given to the authorities about the man allegedly responsible was not passed on. Theresa May was due to meet other party leaders this afternoon to try to hammer out protection for MPs’ staff who fall ...

    Millions of pounds from the Queen’s private estate has been invested in a Cayman Islands fund as part of an offshore portfolio that has never before been disclosed, according to documents revealed in an investigation into offshore tax havens. Files from a substantial leak show for the first time how the Queen, through the Duchy of Lancaster, has held and still holds investments via funds that have put money into an array of businesses, including the off-licence chain Threshers, and the retailer BrightHouse, which has been criticised for exploiting thousands of poor families and vulnerable people. The duchy admitted it had no idea about its 12-year investment in BrightHouse until approached by the Guardian and other partners in an international project called the Paradise P...

    Households face increases of up to £930 in their annual shopping bills if Britain walks away from Brexit talks without a trade deal, according to new research which reveals a disproportionate impact on poorer families and the unemployed. Meat, vegetables, dairy products, clothing and footwear would be subject to the largest consumer price rises under a no-deal scenario, according to a study published in the authoritative National Institute Economic Review, adding to inflationary pressures that have already forced the first interest rate rise in a decade this week. Stalled negotiations resume next week in Brussels, but the government is also about to publish a trade bill which would result in Britain being required to apply swingeing new tariffs on European imports if it fa...

    The dramatic circumstances of Sir Michael Fallon’s sudden resignation as defence secretary last week can be revealed by the Observer. The cabinet heavyweight’s shock departure on Wednesday followed a phone call from the journalist, Jane Merrick, who informed Downing Street that he had lunged at her and attempted to kiss her on the lips in 2003 after they had lunched together. The revelation was the tipping point for No 10, which the Observer understands had been compiling a list of alleged incidents involving Fallon since claims against him were first made. Michael Fallon resigned as defence secretary on Wednesday after the journalist Jane Merrick told Downing Street he had lunged at her. After Fallon’s attempt to kiss her, Merrick, then a 29-year-old junior political repo...

    A second boy, 16, has been arrested after two acid attacks on delivery drivers, one of which has left the victim fighting for his life. The teenager is being held on suspicion of grievous bodily harm in relation to the assaults which took place in London in the space of half an hour. A 14-year-old boy arrested on Friday has now been released under investigation. Police said the victim of the first attack, a pizza delivery moped driver, was critically injured after being sprayed in the face with a corrosive substance and may lose his sight. The 32-year-old was attacked in Walpole Road, Walthamstow, at about 6pm last Thursday, after being approached by two men on a moped who attempted to steal his vehicle. He suffered severe injuries to his eyes and face, and also breathed i...

    This is the first picture of a takeaway delivery driver who is fighting for life in hospital after being sprayed in the face with acid by moped thieves. Muhammed Nawshad Kamal, 32, is likely to lose his sight in both eyes after he was attacked when two thugs tried to steal his moped on Thursday night. He had just finishing dropping off a delivery in Walthamstow, north London, when the thieves demanded he hand over his keys. Mr Kamal, who has lived in Britain for eight years, refused and was repeatedly doused with the corrosive liquid during the attack in Walpole Road at about 6pm on Thursday. He was sprayed in the face and chest. On Friday, officers investigating the incident arrested a 14-year-old boy in connection with the attack. He was taken to an east London police st...

    Tourists visit the Great Pyramid of Cheops on May 28, 2011 in Giza, Egypt Egyptian authorities have detained a British woman who entered the country carrying painkillers. Laura Plummer, 33, a shop worker who lives in Hull, was arrested after 290 tramadol tablets and some naproxen for her husband’s sore back was found in her suitcase. She then reportedly signed her name beneath a 38-page statement in Arabic, upon request, believing she would be able to leave the airport afterwards and begin her two-week break by Red Sea. Instead, she was put into a cramped cell with 25 other women, where she has remained for almost a month. Tramadol is legal in Britain although users must have a prescription due to its high potency, but it is illegal in Egypt and it is known to be used as a...