A ban on ninja swords introduced as part of legislation named after a 16-year-old boy who was stabbed to death with the weapon has come into effect. The ban in England and Wales makes it illegal to possess, make, import or sell ninja swords and it comes as part of Ronan’s law, named after Ronan…

An eighth person has been arrested over the murders of an elderly couple who died after an arson attack on their home earlier this month, police have said. Eric Greener, 77, and Sheila Jackson, 83, died following the fire at their home in St Helens, Merseyside, in the early hours of 15 July. A 48-year-old…

Two teenage boys have appeared in court, denying the murder of a “loving father” who was stabbed to death in South Wales.  The boys, aged 16 and 17, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared before Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on Friday. Appearing separately, one in court and the other via video link, they…

Louis Rees-Zammit has announced he is leaving the NFL and returning to rugby after spending 18 months chasing his dream of an American football career. The former Wales winger was part of the Jacksonville Jaguars squad that travelled to London for two games last season. But the 24-year-old didn’t make a regular-season appearance, either with…

The Edinburgh Fringe, the world’s largest arts festival, is getting under way, and the conflict in Gaza seems to be feeding into what’s happening. From shows cancelled to artists divided, it’s no joke. Rachel Creeger has had a distressing start to her stand-up run. Two weeks ago, out of the blue, she says the venue…

Ten men have been arrested by police investigating allegations of historical child sexual abuse in Bradford. West Yorkshire Police said the men, aged between 49 and 71, were arrested from addresses in the city. The allegations relate to offences, which are reported to have occurred in the area between 1994 and 1997 and relate to…

Voting in the Green Party’s leadership contest kicks off today. The party, which has four MPs and more than 800 council seats, holds elections for its leaders and deputy leaders every two years. However, the last contest was in 2021 when current leaders Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay were elected for a three-year term to…

Police are appealing for information after an eight-year-old boy was sexually assaulted in his tent in Drumnadrochit, in the Scottish Highlands. A man approached the child within his tent at the Loch Ness Bay campsite between 12.20am and 1am on Thursday, 31 July, while his family were in an adjacent tent. He sexually assaulted the boy…

Hollywood actor Brian Cox has told Sky News that Donald Trump is talking “bollocks” after suggesting there should be 50 or 75 years between Scottish independence referendums. The US president said a country “can’t go through that too much” when questioned by reporters during his visit to Scotland this week. The Emmy-winning star, who is…

The number of drone incidents in prisons rose by 43% in a year, according to new government data.  In the 12 months to March, there were 1,712 drone incidents at prisons across England and Wales, compared to 1,196 the year before. The latest figures represent “a new peak”. The ingress of drones into prisons, carrying…