Pope Francis is alleged to have interfered with a key witness before he changed his evidence in the Vatican’s controversial “trial of the century” over an ill-fated £300 million London property deal. Leaked documents, messages and voicemails have been passed to the London financier Raffaele Mincione, who was convicted under canon law of embezzlement by a Vatican court in 2023. The conviction related to a loss-making investment in 60 Sloane Avenue, Chelsea, a landmark building that was once a car showroom for Harrods. Mincione, 60, has always protested his innocence and argued that the Vatican case — which was investigated, prosecuted and tried by officials appointed by the Pope — was conducted unfairly. • High Court ruling raises questions about Vatican’s ‘trial of the century’

The Times has listed Sauna in the Woods in Rackheath as one of the UK's best wild saunas. The traditional wood-fired sauna ranked alongside the Wildwood Spa in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall and the Secret Sauna in Bungay, Suffolk. There is a plunge pool for guests to cool down in (Image: Sauna in the Woods) Author Emma O'Kelley said: "Whether it’s down to the freshwater swimming pond, the forest of silver birch trees or the chunky, hand-hewn cabin doors and frames, Sauna in the Woods feels about as Nordic as it gets in the UK." The wild sauna is situated within 40 acres of private woodland "and the silence and privacy of the setting are magical". READ MORE: Hunstanton named one of the UK's prettiest seaside townsThere is a converted 1960s bus changing room on site (Image: Sauna in the Woods) The site also includes a converted 1960s bus changing room, a natural swimming pool and a wooden plunge pool to cool off in.

Two men used a chain saw to cut down the celebrated Sycamore Gap tree in the north of England in a “moronic mission” in 2023, and the felling was filmed on a cellphone, a prosecutor in northeastern England said on Tuesday. The tree, a beloved landmark that stood by Hadrian’s Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was found illegally cut down in September 2023. The trial for the two defendants in the case — Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, both from Cumbria, England — opened on Tuesday in Newcastle Crown Court, in England’s northeast, less than an hour’s drive from where the tree stump stands. The men have pleaded not guilty to two charges of criminal damage. Presenting the case against the defendants on Tuesday morning, the prosecutor, Richard Wright, called the felling a “moronic mission” and an “act of deliberate and mindless criminal damage.”

, externalThe i Paper says, external Spain and Portugal were "thrown into chaos". The Financial Times, external talks of people flowing on to the streets when metro stations were taken offline. A different focus is taken by the Sun,, external which focuses on the impact on British tourists with its headline, "no beer in Benidorm". The Daily Telegraph reports, external on the proposed new law blocking sex offenders from gaining asylum in the UK. And the Daily Express leads, external with a quote from the Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, who has criticised the government's inheritance tax on farmers.

Details Seven nights’ self-catering for two from £1,095 (lancastercanalboathire.com)• Discover our full guide to the UK4. Details Seven nights’ self-catering for four from £2,277 (beaconparkboats.com)• 100 of the Best Places to Stay in the UKAdvertisement5. A week is enough and Floating Holidays, in Middlewich, north of Crewe, has some lovely canal boats to pick from: the crimson Casanova sleeps four. Details Seven nights’ self-catering for four from £1,048 (floating-holidays.co.uk)6. Details Seven nights’ self-catering for two from £1,514 (marinecruises.co.uk)• I love Scotland more than anywhere else.

Ashley Wilbraham, 38, from St Harmon was on holiday with his family in Borth when he went missing in February. Family members have told the County Times that Ashley rushed out of the caravan park he was staying in after thinking there was an emergency and headed to the beach between Borth and Ynslas on February 23. RECOMMENDED READING:The family have undertaken a frantic search for him and “travelled numerous times back to Borth, checking with drones and kayaks, searching everywhere”. The family said he “was in a vulnerable state that evening due to panic”. Ashley has been missing since late February (Image: Supplied)In a statement given by the family to the County Times they said: “Did anyone help him that evening or see him along the coast?

After a meeting with UK Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds to advance the ongoing Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations, Goyal held talks with Revolut Chair Martin Gilbert with a fintech focus and De Beers Group CEO Al Cook with a focus on "global trends in the gems and jewellery sector" on Monday. "Exchanged views on the immense opportunities in India's fintech ecosystem and the importance of partnerships with global players to drive innovation and growth," Goyal posted on social media after meeting Gilbert. "Interacted with members of the Indian business delegation over dinner. Discussed the robust growth of our industry and avenues for greater collaboration with the UK for mutual prosperity," said Goyal.On Tuesday, the minister will meet UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves, among other senior officials.All eyes are on the FTA negotiations, which were re-launched in February following a pause for general elections last year.They are aimed at clinching a deal that is expected to significantly enhance the estimated GBP 41 billion a year India-UK trade partnership. "This government is committed to doing the right deal with India, which will improve access for UK businesses, cut tariffs, and make trade cheaper and easier," a UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT) spokesperson said.

Global trade imbalances have persisted for some time. Before the 2008 global financial crisis they were such a problem that in June 2006 the International Monetary Fund hosted the first “multilateral consultation on global imbalances”. The aim was an orderly unwinding of imbalances in a manner supportive of global growth. Large deficit countries such as the US and UK were encouraged to save more. Such adjustments to currencies, spending and savings are still valid ways to address imbalances but there is little justification for the approach taken by the US on tariffs.

Internet reactsWhen most tourists visit India, they often arrive with certain preconceived notions—one of the most common being the country’s struggle with cleanliness. However, for UK-based tourist and travel vlogger Daniel Pinto , a visit to one Indian city completely changed that perception.While traveling through India, Pinto landed in Indore Madhya Pradesh , without any prior knowledge of its reputation. Indore, often dubbed the ' Singapore of India ', has earned the title of the country’s cleanest city—an achievement it has held for seven consecutive years. Many expressed surprise, noting they hadn’t expected to see such cleanliness in an Indian city. The response overall reflected a sense of civic pride and growing awareness about urban cleanliness

British scientists have launched the world’s first trial of a vaccine that does not need to be kept in the fridge, using revolutionary technology that is set to be a “global lifesaver”. At present vaccines need to be refrigerated or frozen, and this “cold chain” is a huge barrier to getting people vaccinated in developing countries — meaning that about half of all vaccines are thrown away each year. The UK biotech firm Stablepharma has developed new technology, backed by the government, which converts existing vaccines to fridge-free versions that are “thermostable” and can be stored for long periods at room temperature. One of their vaccines, the Stablepharma tetanus-diphtheria vaccine (SPVX02), is now being tested on humans in a clinical trial at University Hospital Southampton.

Full-year forecasts and an ambitious target to almost double group revenues by 2030 remain intact at AstraZeneca despite “mixed” first-quarter results and the prospect of import tariffs in the United States, its largest market. Total revenue rose 10 per cent to $13.6 billion in the first three months of the year, propelled by double-digit growth in cancer medicines and biopharmaceuticals and growth across all its major geographic regions. However, it was behind the consensus forecast of analysts for $13.8 billion and weighed on AstraZeneca’s share price, which traded down more than 5 per cent before recovering to close up 92p, or 0.9 per cent, on the day at £106.18 on the London Stock Exchange. Sir Pascal Soriot, AstraZeneca’s long-serving chief executive, said the record revenues

British semiconductor company Alphawave IP Group on Tuesday said the UK takeover panel has extended the deadline for a takeover offer by US chipmaker Qualcomm to May 12.Alphawave said it is in discussions with Qualcomm and, accordingly, agreed to extend the previous deadline of April 29 for the U.S. chipmaker to make a formal bid, as required by UK regulations.The British company has been garnering takeover interest from the likes of Qualcomm and Arm for a crucial technology, known as "serdes", used for building AI processors Earlier this month, Alphawave had abstained from providing a financial forecast due to uncertainty stemming from the "rapidly developing nature" of US tariffs.

Last year the Labour Party won the general election in a landslide that was a mile wide but only an inch deep. That vote, which gave Labour a commanding majority on a vote share of 34 percent, reduced the Conservative Party to a rump of just 121 seats and, for the first time ever, elected five lawmakers from the far-right anti-immigration Reform U.K. party. Local elections on Thursday are an opportunity for voters to register their discontent, and Reform U.K., which is standing candidates in almost every contest, is polling ahead of both Labour and the Conservatives. A few weeks ago I took a train from Cornwall, where I live, to the Midlands, to attend the launch of the Reform U.K. local election campaign in Birmingham, Britain’s second-largest city. “Rats ‘bigger than cats’ are roaming Britain’s second-biggest city,” CNN reported.

Dyfed-Powys Police have confirmed that a 23-year-old man was arrested after a number of sheds were broken into over the Easter weekend. Dyfed-Powys Police said the man was apprehended after quick work by their Neighbourhood Policing and Prevention Team and Response Team. RECOMMENDED READING:The man, who is from the Leominster area, was arrested for burglary and has since been released on bail. “Officers from our Neighbourhood Policing and Prevention Team and Response Team acted quickly and were able to identify a suspect. “One man, aged 23, from the Leominster, was arrested on suspicion of burglary and criminal damage.

Gabrielle Wilson, from Rhayader, will compete in the cooking category at EuroSkills Herning 2025 in Denmark, taking place from September 9 to 13. The team has been selected and trained in skills excellence by WorldSkills UK, in partnership with Pearson, the world’s lifelong learning company. WorldSkills UK uses its participation in the EuroSkills competition to promote skills excellence across the UK and embed world-class training standards. "I wish Team UK the best of luck as they prepare to compete in Denmark in September." The experience will also serve as a stepping stone for the WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai in 2026.