Jail time and unlimited fines planned under conversion practices ban
Those who carry out conversion practices – commonly known as “conversion therapy” – could be jailed for up to five years under landmark new plans. The draft Conversion Practices Bill, which criminalises “abusive acts” aiming to change someone’s sexual orientation or transgender identity, was laid before Parliament on Thursday. The
TV Festival to move from Edinburgh to Manchester
The TV Festival is relocating from Edinburgh to Manchester next year after half a century. Organisers said it was moving from the Scottish capital “amid increasing challenges around accessibility, affordability and sustainability” across the television industry. The TV Foundation, which has run the event since 1976, praised Greater Manchester’s vision
AI could flag issues with council homes sooner
Artificial intelligence (AI) could be used to flag issues with council homes before they become critical. Researchers at the University of Cambridge are developing the new AI tool alongside Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council. It will scan data from thousands of properties and flag the ones most
Boy, 3, no longer critical after crocodile attack
A three-year-old boy who was seriously injured after ending up in a crocodile enclosure is no longer in a critical condition, police confirmed. The boy was attacked by at least one crocodile following an incident at Johnsons of Old Hurst near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, on Thursday. Cambridgeshire Police has arrested and bailed a
Starmer quits as Labour leader and paves way for contest for new prime minister
Sir Keir Starmer has said he will quit as Labour Party leader, paving the way for a contest to decide a new prime minister. Speaking in Downing Street, Sir Keir said he accepted he was not best placed to lead Labour into the next general election and he had informed
‘He’s stored in a hard disk in my head’ – watching the World Cup as a manager
I’ve loved the World Cup since I saw Denmark at Mexico ’86 as a boy – my dad would record the matches overnight so I could watch them with my sister before school the next morning, a lot like kids today are still doing 40 years later! I can still
Johnny Marr to auction guitars he played with The Smiths and Billie Eilish
Johnny Marr is to auction almost 100 of his guitars, including the ones he played on The Smiths’ This Charming Man and the Billie Eilish song No Time To Die. The sale also includes a 1960 Cherry Red Gibson ES-355, given to Marr by music mogul Seymour Stein as an
Fake romance to missed deliveries: How to protect yourself from three common scams
Nobody thinks they will become the victim of a scam, until they are. A record four million cases of fraudsters stealing money were registered last year, according to UK Finance, a banking trade body – with plenty more going unreported. Sam Little, a 35-year-old former contestant The Traitors, revealed last
Late singer Oliver Tree’s body returned to US after helicopter crash
The body of US singer-songwriter Oliver Tree has been returned home to California, with an Instagram post on his account saying “he can finally rest”. Tree and six others died in a helicopter crash over Rio de Janeiro last week, when it collided with another helicopter. The social media post also said his family
London’s driverless revolution: Awe, anxiety and the unknown
The driver has taken his hands off the wheel, and the car starts driving itself. I am suddenly dumbstruck and lost for words. The car slows down at a zebra crossing and lets a pedestrian cross and then accelerates away. My brain can’t understand what is happening. It is a