News

More than a thousand sharks and rays are known to have become entangled in plastic debris with “significantly greater number of species” likely to be affected, a study found. Scientists at the University of Exeter found reports of 1,116 of the creatures caught up in plastic in the world’s oceans after scouring existing studies and social media. The true number is likely to be far higher, the researchers said, calling debris from land-based pollution and discarded fishing gear a “severely...

The Church of England has said it will accept a marriage involving a transgender person, but only if the spouses were of opposite sexes at the time of their wedding. The significant shift in direction was revealed ahead of Friday’s General Synod of bishops in York. Prudence Dailey, churchwarden of St Michael at the North Gate in central Oxford, submitted one of the more than 100 questions to be addressed by Church leaders. “Given that the Church of England’s teaching...

PinkNews has published an opinion piece from Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the Opposition, at 12noon today Friday, July 5 ahead of tomorrow’s Pride in London march. Here is the full text. “This Pride, we’re celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising. It’s a moment to remember that those “riots” were direct action by an oppressed community, led by black trans activists struggling against a bigoted state. I myself remember the bold action taken by campaigners against Section 28, organised...

Cuts to policing have contributed to a feeling of lawlessness fuelled by drug and knife crime, five former Scotland Yard chiefs have said. In a letter to the Times, the former top brass warned the police service’s resources had been “drained to dangerously low” levels. The letter, which was signed by Lord Condon, Lord Stevens, Lord Blair, Sir Paul Stephenson and Lord Hogan-Howe – who collectively ran the Metropolitan Police from 1993 to 2017 – said the public now have...

Popularised in 2009 in a speech by David Cameron new research finds many are still struggling to get by.

Strongest earthquake to hit Southern California in 20 years

Chief Inspector of Constabulary Sir Thomas Winsor made the finding in his annual assessment. Public safety could be put at risk unless “profound and far-reaching” police reforms are urgently introduced, the chief inspector of constabulary has warned. In his annual assessment of policing in England and Wales, Sir Thomas Winsor said, if changes are not made, forces “face unacceptable compromises in quality of service levels of public safety”. In his report for Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and...

The Duke of Cambridge became the prince of hugs when he showed off his affectionate side and embraced a hospital cleaner. William’s heartfelt encounter came as he visited the Royal Marsden in central London to highlight its work supporting the mental health of cancer patients, their families and the medical staff who care for them. Speaking to a matron who had returned to duties after receiving help, he praised the work of nurses, saying the “reservoirs of compassion” they must...

The travelling community is in “a state of panic” as Dublin’s councils seek to hire a full-time security company to evict families from private land, it has been warned. A joint tender document from the four local authorities was published on June 25 by Dublin City Council saying they are seeking a security firm to help evict Travellers from sites around the county, seven days a week. The contract’s estimated total value excluding VAT is more than 750,000 euro. John Connors,...