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Two men to appear in Manchester crown court charged with murder of 67-year-old Stuart EverettPolice have named a man whose body parts were found in a Salford nature reserve this month as 67-year-old Stuart Everett.Two men are to appear in court on Tuesday charged with murdering Everett, whose dismembered abdomen was found on 4 April in Kersal wetlands, a popular walking spot, causing “shock...

Bank says it has started search for a successor as it reports quarterly profits beat forecastsBusiness live – latest coverageThe chief executive of HSBC, Noel Quinn, is unexpectedly stepping down after an “intense” five years in the role, as the bank reported better-than-expected profits.Europe’s largest bank has kicked off a search for a successor and said Quinn, 62, will stay in the post until...

Moves come despite hospitality group reporting record profits and increasing returns to shareholdersBusiness live – latest coverageThe Premier Inn owner Whitbread is to cut 1,500 jobs in the UK and shut more than 100 struggling restaurants despite announcing a significant rise in returns to shareholders.Whitbread, which runs 850 hotels in the UK and has the sector’s biggest brand, Premier Inn, said it was starting...

Met police confirm ‘serious incident’ after reports of vehicle driven into house and people stabbedHainault attack – live updatesA man with a sword has been arrested after an attack on members of the public and police officers in Hainault, north-east London, police have said.In a statement, the Metropolitan police said: “Police and other emergency services are in Hainault, east London, at a serious incident...

Minister says ‘officers are used to this’, as figures suggest Home Office is in contact with only 38% of people it wants to removeThe Home Office is “used to” losing contact with asylum seekers, a UK government minister has said, after official figures suggested thousands of people it hoped to deport to Rwanda had stopped reporting.The impact assessment on the Home Office’s website on...

Doctor Who star will play Algernon in the ‘hilariously subversive’ comedy, said artistic director Rufus NorrisDoctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa is to make his debut at the National Theatre in London in Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest.Gatwa will play hedonistic bachelor Algernon Moncrieff in Wilde’s “trivial comedy for serious people” this winter. It marks his first major role in a theatre production...

Scotland’s first minister set to resign after failing to muster enough votes to survive a no confidence vote this weekHumza Yousaf is holding a press conference at noon, Sky News and the BBC are reporting.Mandy Rhodes, editor of the Holyrood magazine, says she was due to interview Humza Yousaf this afternoon, but he’s cancelled. Continue reading...

Decision to step down could come within hours as SNP leader faces no-confidence vote at HolyroodUK politics – latest updatesHumza Yousaf is expected to stand down as Scotland’s first minister on Monday lunchtime after failing to muster enough votes to survive a vote of confidence later this week. Yousaf is due to make a statement at noon at Bute House, his official residence in...

Peter Smith is in intensive care after suffering damage to an arm, leg and hand and puncture wounds to abdomenA British tourist who was seriously injured in a shark attack off a Caribbean island is “aware of what is happening and can communicate” in intensive care, his wife has said.Peter Smith, 64, from Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, was savaged 10 metres (33ft) off the shore near...

Campaigners say cash-strapped local authorities are placing young people in budget accommodation, making them targets for grooming by criminal gangsVulnerable teenagers in care are being placed in hotels by cash-strapped councils, with experts warning they are being “served up” to criminal gangs.Children aged 16 to 17 are entering care in greater numbers than any other age group, often with complex needs, and experts say...

Rumours of an early election, despite Labour’s lead in opinion polls, being used to keep unruly Conservative MPs in checkSenior Tories believe the threat of a summer general election is being used by Downing Street to deter a rebellion against Rishi Sunak’s leadership, before a perilous set of local elections this week.Westminster has been abuzz with rumours of an early election, despite the persistent...

UK PM points to Irish deputy PM’s claim that threat of being deported led people to cross border from Northern IrelandAn increase in asylum seekers heading to Ireland proves that the Conservative party’s Rwanda plan is working, Rishi Sunak has claimed.In an interview with Sky News’ Trevor Phillips that will air on Sunday morning, the prime minister said the “deterrent is already having an...

Risk-filled mission to escort aid from US-built floating pier into combat zone under consideration in defence ministryBritain’s defence ministry is considering sending troops into Gaza to escort trucks of aid being driven off a giant floating pier built by the US military, a UK defence source has said.The pier is due to be completed next month in the eastern Mediterranean, and then it will...

Joint UK-French investigation alleges group advertised small-boat crossings of Channel on social mediaFour Vietnamese nationals have been arrested in London after an investigation into alleged people smugglers advertising small-boat crossings of the Channel on Facebook.The joint UK-French investigation alleges the group shared posts aimed at the Vietnamese community and charged migrants thousands of pounds to make the crossing. Continue reading...

Allies of Scottish first minister say he ‘will come out fighting’ after Greens say they would back no-confidence motionUK politics – latest updatesScotland’s first minister, Humza Yousaf, has cancelled a speech he was due to give in Glasgow amid speculation over his political future.Yousaf had been due to speak about the labour strategy in an independent Scotland, take part in a Q&A session and...

First minister cancels event as Strathclyde University as he faces no confidence voteStephen Flynn is viewed by some people as the most talented politician in the SNP and, in his interview on the Today programme, he was asked if he would stand for the leadership if Humza Yousaf were to resign. He replied:I have been asked this question previously the last time there was...

All-share proposal had potential to be one of biggest deals in sector for decade but deemed ‘opportunistic’Business live – latest updatesThe board of Anglo American, the London-listed mining company, has rejected a £31bn takeover approach from the Australian rival BHP.BHP’s all-share proposed offer for Anglo American had the potential to be one of the biggest deals in the global mining sector for a decade...

Yien Both, from South Sudan, and Tajdeen Adbulaziz Juma, from Sudan, charged with immigration offences in UKTwo men have been charged with immigration offences in connection with the investigation into the deaths of five people, including a child, who were trying to cross the Channel.Yien Both, a 22-year-old from South Sudan, has been charged with assisting unlawful immigration and attempting to arrive in the...

Chris Philp gets confused over neighbouring countries when discussing government’s Rwanda deportation policyUK politics – latest updatesThe policing minister, Chris Philp, appeared to confuse the countries of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo on BBC Question Time on Thursday.When discussing the government policy of deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda, the MP for Croydon South responded to an audience member’s question during the...

Micheál Martin says UK asylum seekers fearful of being removed to Rwanda are seeking sanctuary in IrelandThe UK government’s Rwanda policy has been described as a “kneejerk reaction” to migration by Ireland’s deputy prime minister, who said an influx of asylum seekers could arrive in Ireland as a result.Micheál Martin, Ireland’s Tánaiste, reportedly said asylum seekers fearful of being removed from the UK to...

Exclusive: Action by organisation supporting migrants argues new rules are discriminatoryAn organisation that supports migrant workers has launched a legal challenge against the government’s new policy to bar care workers from bringing children and partners to the UK, warning that it is “tearing families apart”.According to Migrants at Work, care workers have to choose between family life with their children and partners or getting...

Co-leader of party says Humza Yousaf can ‘no longer be trusted’ as first minister reportedly plans to run minority administrationHumza Yousaf, the SNP leader and Scottish first minister, is holding a press conference now.He says he has been in the post for little more than a year.We are investing record [sums in the NHS], ensuring it can employ record numbers of staff delivering the...

Pre-tax profits drop to £2.3bn between January and March, down from £2.6bn last year• Business live – latest updatesProfits at Barclays tumbled by 12% in the first quarter, as higher UK interest rates weighed on demand for mortgages and loans while a backdrop of economic uncertainty affected its investment bank.The UK bank said pre-tax profits fell to £2.3bn in the first quarter, down from...

Cabinet votes to leave historic Bute House agreement after government abandons emissions targetUK politics – latest updatesThe historic power-sharing agreement between the Scottish National party and Scottish Greens is to end after a crisis over the government’s climate strategy.The Bute House agreement was signed in August 2021 by the then SNP leader, Nicola Sturgeon, and the Scottish Greens co-leader, Patrick Harvie, bringing the Greens...