Johnny Mercer says he will ‘do all I can’ to change rules after veteran turned away from polling station

The veterans minister has apologised to former military personnel who have been prevented from using their veterans ID in order to vote in the local elections in England on Thursday.

Downing Street said it would “look into” changing the controversial new rules, which require photo ID in order to vote, to allow veterans’ ID cards on to the list of valid identification.

Swinney tells campaign launch event he can bind party together, restore trust and achieve Scottish independence

Kate Forbes has ruled herself out as a candidate in the Scottish National party leadership contest, clearing the way for John Swinney to become the next first minister.

Forbes, a former finance secretary who came to close to winning last year’s contest, confirmed growing suspicions she had reached an agreement with Swinney to back his bid.

LA encampment now cleared according to multiple reports after officers in tactical gear moved on to campus in latest flashpoint for mounting tensions

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NYPD Deputy Commissioner, Kaz Daughtry, has confirmed that Fordham University was among a number of educational institutions which requested police assistance on campus to disperse protests.

He said that individuals who refused to disperse has been arrested without incident.

Your @NYPDnews officers continue to protect the right to peacefully protest, but lawlessness will not be tolerated. I commend the professionalism consistently displayed by our officers.

In light of the activities that are currently happening, we further request that you retain a presence on campus through at least May 22, 2024 (when commencement and diploma ceremonies are completed) to maintain order and ensure encampments are not reestablished.”

Insurers report rise in cases of photos being manipulated with ‘shallowfake’ technology

A surge in fraud cases where photos are manipulated to show fake car crash damage is alarming insurers and helping to push car insurance costs up to record levels.

Insurer Allianz said incidents where apps were used to distort real-life images, videos and documents increased by 300% between 2021-22 and 2022-23, and it added that this “has all the signs of becoming the latest big scam to hit the insurance industry”.

Dozens of demonstrators in Peckham surround coach before it can take people to barge in Dorset

A standoff was under way in London on Thursday after a coach sent to collect asylum seekers and take them to the Bibby Stockholm barge was surrounded by protesters.

Dozens of demonstrators blocked the coach before it was able to pick up passengers, surrounding it on all sides. Hours later, the bus was still at the scene while protestors were also sitting in front of a number of police vans carrying a number of people who were arrested.

Marcus Aurelio Arduini Monzo also accused of two counts of attempted murder and two of grievous bodily harm

A 36-year-old man has appeared in court charged with murder after Daniel Anjorin, 14, was killed in east London.

Marcus Aurelio Arduini Monzo, a dual Spanish-Brazilian national living in Newham, east London, is also accused of two counts of attempted murder, two of grievous bodily harm, aggravated burglary and possession of a bladed article.

Lifesize Victorious Youth is at centre of a years-long dispute, with Italy claiming it was illegally bought by US trust

A European court has ruled that Italy has every right to reclaim a 2,000-year-old Greek statue from the Getty Museum in California.

The lifesize Victorious Youth, also known as the Athlete from Fano or simply the Getty Bronze, has been at the centre of a years-long dispute after Italy alleged that it had been illegally bought by the J.Paul Getty Trust.

Committee say use of WhatsApp should be banned on official devices unless there is transparency

Ministers should have to publicly declare contact from lobbyists on WhatsApp or face a ban on its use on official government devices, a committee of MPs has said.

The public administration committee said current transparency measures did not command public confidence, in the wake of the Greensill scandal over David Cameron’s private lobbying of ministers on behalf of his employer.

UN agency says reconstruction will require effort on a scale unseen since second world war

The EU has offered Lebanon a financial package of €1bn (£855m / $1.07bn), European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said in Beirut on Thursday.

The funds would be available from this year until 2027, von der Leyen told a joint news conference with Lebanon’s prime minister Najib Mikati and Cypriot president Nikos Christodoulides.

This continued EU support will strengthen basic services such as education, social protection and health for the people in Lebanon. It will accompany urgent economic, financial and banking reforms. Furthermore, support will be provided to the Lebanese armed forces and other security forces with equipment and training for border management and to fight against smuggling.

Company says it is aware of issue as users complain alarms are playing too quietly or not going off

Apple is working to fix a problem that has resulted in some users complaining that their iPhone alarms are not going off – or playing too quietly.

The company said it was aware of the issue, which has been picked up by TikTok users, who have complained about incidents where their alarm has failed to sound.