Author: James Carter

A magnificent 13-bedroom country mansion once owned by Poundland co-founder Steven Smith has had its asking price cut by £250,000 — the latest episode in a long-running saga of an extraordinary property that has repeatedly defied attempts to sell it at anywhere near its true perceived value. Hammer Hill House, near Romsley in Worcestershire, is currently listed at around £4.75 million, down from £5 million in April 2026, as its current owners attempt to find a buyer for one of the Midlands’ most architecturally distinguished private residences. The property is being handled by estate agents Charwell Noble, who describe it…

Donald Trump threatened to bomb Oman — a longstanding American ally and key broker in current Iran peace talks — during a chaotic White House Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, in remarks that left observers struggling to determine whether the President had misspoken or was making a deliberate threat against a friendly nation. The extraordinary moment came as Trump was responding to a reporter’s question about who would control the Strait of Hormuz, the critical oil passage that has been closed since Iran shut it following US and Israeli airstrikes in late February. The strait, which in normal times carries one…

A foster couple who repeatedly raised the alarm about a vulnerable four-year-old boy have spoken of their heartbreak after the child they raised for two years was found dead and buried in a family relative’s backyard in Washington state — as a state lawmaker calls for urgent changes to child welfare laws. Gary and Magali Lopez cared for Aiden Scott Bevins from the age of one to three, but say their repeated warnings to Child Protective Services about his safety were ignored before he was returned to his biological parents in early 2025. They say they knew from the moment…

Zack Polanski has claimed he is the target of a “smear campaign” and described the media scrutiny he has faced since becoming Green Party leader as “incredibly disproportionate” — as a string of revelations about his past and conduct continue to dog his leadership at a moment when the party is otherwise enjoying its strongest electoral position in years. The Green leader made the remarks to Sky News political correspondent Rob Powell, framing the sustained attention on his background and record as a politically motivated attempt to undermine both him and his party. His comments echo those of his supporters,…

The security concerns that led the UK’s vetting agency to recommend against granting Lord Mandelson security clearance for his appointment as British ambassador to the United States included his ties to China’s finance minister, a sanctioned Russian oligarch and a former head of Israeli military intelligence, according to a report by The Guardian. The nine-page summary produced by UK Security Vetting in January last year flagged Lord Mandelson’s links to Lan Fo’an — China’s finance minister since 2023, who greeted Sir Keir Starmer on the runway during the Prime Minister’s visit to Beijing in January this year — noting the…

The Makerfield by-election on 18 June is shaping up to be one of the most consequential votes in recent British political history — a contest that could determine who leads the Labour Party and, ultimately, who occupies Downing Street. Andy Burnham, the widely popular Greater Manchester Mayor, is standing as Labour’s candidate in a seat engineered specifically to give him a path back into parliament. If he wins, he is widely expected to mount a challenge to Sir Keir Starmer’s beleaguered leadership — a prospect that has drawn national attention to what would ordinarily be a safe northern seat. But…

Energy bills are set to jump by £221 a year from July after Ofgem confirmed the price cap will rise from £1,641 to £1,862 — and with bosses warning prices are likely to remain elevated through winter, here is what you can do right now to soften the blow. The increase, driven by surging wholesale gas prices following Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, equates to £18 more per month for the average household on both gas and electricity. Gas bills will rise by 24 per cent, while electricity bills will see a 5 per cent increase. Tim Jarvis,…

A local resident has publicly challenged Nicola Sturgeon’s insistence that she had no knowledge of a £125,000 campervan bought by her embezzler husband with SNP funds — saying he saw the former Scottish first minister shopping near her mother-in-law’s Dunfermline home in the same period the vehicle was parked on the property’s driveway. Peter Murrell, the former SNP chief executive and Ms Sturgeon’s estranged husband, pleaded guilty on Monday to embezzling £400,310.65 from the party between August 2010 and October 2022. Court papers revealed an extraordinary list of items purchased with the stolen funds, including the campervan, Lalique salt and…

Spanish police have raided the headquarters of the ruling Socialist Party in Madrid as Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez faces mounting pressure on two fronts — a deepening corruption crisis enveloping his inner circle and fierce backlash over plans to legalise the status of 500,000 undocumented migrants. Civil Guard officers searched the party’s central Madrid offices on Tuesday under judicial orders linked to an ongoing probe into alleged financial wrongdoing involving a former Socialist Party member connected to a state-run company. The raid represents the latest in a series of corruption blows to strike Sanchez’s government since he came to power…

Ferrari’s first ever electric vehicle has been savaged online, condemned by the brand’s former chairman and sent the company’s share price tumbling — in one of the most turbulent launches in the Italian marque’s history. The Ferrari Luce, priced at £474,320 and the company’s first five-seater, was unveiled this week to a reception that ranged from sceptical to outright hostile. Luca di Montezemolo, who served as Ferrari chairman from 1991 to 2014, was among the most cutting in his assessment. “If I had to say what I really think, I would be hurting Ferrari,” he told Italian media. “This is…