Author: Tara Whitman

Gaston Browne says Britain should pay for its part in the slave trade or risk ‘a repeat’ of its atrocities, hours after attending church with King Charles and Queen Camilla Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister, Gaston Browne, welcomed King Charles and Queen Camilla to a Sunday church service, then told ITV News he would personally like to see the King replaced as head of state. He also criticised Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch for saying Britain should stop apologising for the slave trade, and called on the UK to pay reparations. He said failing to do so risked a repeat of…

The Duchess of Sussex’s father denies the claims and no charge has been brought, while a UK watchdog investigates how the Metropolitan Police handled an earlier warning Mexican officers have reportedly raided a storage unit rented by Thomas Markle, the Duchess of Sussex’s father, near his former home in Rosarito, as investigations into allegations of child sexual abuse images spread across several countries. Heavily armed Guardia Nacional officers seized a computer and boxes of items on Saturday afternoon, according to reports. Mr Markle, 82, denies the allegations, which were first raised by his son in the Philippines. No charges have…

The Budget removes two forms of rates support from specialist vape retailers in England, one of several measures aimed at curbing a habit that around one in five children has tried Specialist vape shops in England will lose access to two forms of business rates relief from 1 April 2027, the Budget confirmed on 28 October. They will no longer qualify for Small Business Rates Relief or for the lower retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) multipliers. The Treasury expects the change, which also hits adult gaming centres, to raise £10m a year. It comes as Action on Smoking and Health…

Lucid dreaming can be learned by some people, but new studies suggest that realising you are dreaming and steering the dream are separate skills, and that success is far from guaranteed Learning to recognise a dream while it is happening, known as lucid dreaming, is possible for some people with practice. New research suggests it is harder to master, and to steer, than popular advice implies. A review of 19 studies found the best evidence supports a technique called mnemonic induction, but success rates ranged from under 20% to over 40%. A September 2026 paper in the Journal of Sleep Research argues…

Hello! magazine reports that the Duchess of Sussex is “devastated” and being supported by those closest to her. Her father, Thomas Markle Snr, denies the allegations, and no criminal finding has been made. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have reportedly taken their two children on a short break overseas as they come to terms with a police investigation involving her father. Thomas Markle Snr is the subject of a probe in the Philippines after his son, Thomas Markle Jnr, claimed to have found child sexual abuse material among belongings left at his father’s former home in Cebu. Mr Markle Snr…

Most of the line is closed east of South Tottenham while Network Rail carries out emergency repairs. The derailment has also cut c2c services and disrupted freight at London Gateway and Tilbury. Commuters in north and east London face major disruption in the coming days, with most of the Overground’s Suffragette line closed. There will be no service between South Tottenham and Barking Riverside until at least the end of the week, according to Transport for London (TfL). The closure follows the derailment of a freight train near Barking, which has led to emergency repair work by Network Rail. National…

Australian media say the Duchess of Sussex will spend several weeks filming the revived children’s cooking show next year. No broadcaster or producer has confirmed it. Meghan Markle, 45, is reportedly heading back to Australia to host the upcoming season of Junior MasterChef Australia, according to news.com.au. The show is understood to be returning to Channel Ten in 2027. Meghan is said to be due to appear alongside MasterChef Australia judge Poh Ling Yeow. Prince Harry and their children could join her in Australia, though no firm plans have been confirmed. The research notes found no announcement from Network Ten, Paramount or the…

The regulator says there was no significant change in the share of children encountering harmful material in the first nine months after the Online Safety Act’s child protection duties took effect. Ofcom has said the Online Safety Act has so far not significantly reduced the amount of harmful content children see on social media. The law’s child safety duties came into force in July 2025, requiring tech firms to protect under-18s from pornography, serious violence, suicide material, racism, misogyny and bullying. Ofcom’s review found most UK children had encountered at least one piece of harmful content online in a four-week…

The chain says the return of the seasonal bake on Thursday, the earliest date in its 17-year history, put it on course for its biggest Festive Bake season yet. Greggs has confirmed that its Festive Bake achieved its highest single-day sales since the product first launched, on the very first day it was available this year. The bake returned nationwide on Thursday 22 October, two weeks earlier than ever before. The chain said it believed “Brits were ready to get their Christmas food fix earlier than ever”. It added that the strong start puts it on course to sell more…

A large Chinese study suggests a possible benefit, but British heart experts say other factors may explain the finding and that no “optimal dose” has been established. Chinese researchers publishing in the Journal of Internal Medicine say regular tea drinkers had up to an 11% lower risk of vascular disease. The study followed 485,934 adults in China for a median of 9.05 years and recorded 14,863 cases. The authors hope the work could one day help identify an “optimal dose” for tea drinkers. British heart experts have urged the public to treat the result with caution, saying other factors may…