United Kingdom

    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...

    Theresa May has unveiled a new party code of conduct guaranteeing an independent voice in investigations of abuse and harassment, as both the Conservatives and Labour faced pressure over whether they had failed victims. The code was revealed by May in a letter to the Speaker of the Commons, John Bercow, about her party’s plans to tackle the issue, following claims that have led to the resignation of one minister, Michael Fallon, and left two others facing investigations. She said parties had a role to play, but it cannot be right when dealing with serious issues relating to behaviour in parliament that vulnerable or concerned people are expected to navigate different grievance procedures according to political party. May added: “Neither can it be right that such difficult ...

    The BBC has come under fire this week after allegedly refusing to investigate sexual harassment claims against Chris Evans. A former colleague of the DJ sent an email to Director General Lord Hall listing a number of claims regarding Evans. She said that over the two years they worked together, he ‘flashed his penis’ daily and once grabbed her breasts, reports the Metro. The woman added that the 51-year-old DJ would ‘sometimes touch himself’ in front of her. However this week she was allegedly told that there would not be a probe into the claims, because they did not take place while he was employed by the BBC. Talking to The Sun, Tory Andrew Bridgen said: I’m appalled Lord Hall and the BBC have tried to sweep these very serious allegations under the carpet. Post-Jimmy Sav...

    These stunning houses on a beautiful street have become practically worthless with residents saying they are now prisoners in their own homes. The Georgian terraces are one of the most desirable locations in a UK city centre, with one in the area recently put on the market for £520,000. But the homes are unsellable due to a legal complication that prevents residents from extending the leaseholds on their properties or buying the freeholds. The time remaining on the leaseholds has dropped below the 70 to 80 year limit at which a bank will grant a mortgage, Chronicle Live reports. The freehold, and power to extend leaseholds, lies with the St Mary Magdalene and Holy Jesus Trust which owns the land in Newcastle city centre. Founded in the 12th century, the trust is made up of...

    House prices in the North West of England are forecast to surge at nearly double the rate of that in London over the next five years, according to a report. Between 2018 and 2022, house prices across Britain are projected by real estate adviser Savills to grow by 14.2%. Savills expects different pockets of Britain will see marked differences in house price growth over the period. Its projections range from an average 18% increase in the North West a home to the northern powerhouse to about 7% in London. House price growth: five year forecast (2018-22) (PA). The report said the North West region in particular has a robust economic outlook and strong employment growth. It said house prices in the North West are relatively modest compared with incomes, at around 5.6 times wag...