Sturgeon denies cover-up accusations

Nicola Sturgeon has been accused of a cover-up in the handling of sexual harassment allegations against Alex Salmond.

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  • Quiz: How well do you know your fictional doctors?

    The quiz doctors will see you now...

  • ‘Brexit failed us completely’: Northern Ireland is a country divided again

    As Belfast reels after another night of violence on its streets, this bloodshed feels darkly reminiscent of the Troubles. Claire McNeilly reports

  • Conservationists’ joy as two curlew chicks return to Lough Neagh

    Curlews are one of Northern Ireland’s most endangered species, having declined by 85% since 1985.

  • Russian family at heart of £450m divorce battle 'unhappiest to appear in my courtroom', judge says

    A High Court judge quoted Tolstoy on Wednesday as she said the Russian family at the centre of a £450 million divorce was “the unhappiest to ever appear in my courtroom”. Mrs Justice Knowles referenced a passage from the Russian writer’s 19th century epic, Anna Karenina, as she allowed a legal challenge brought by the ex-wife of a Russian billionaire against her son. Tatiana Akhmedova had sued Temur Akhmedov for allegedly helping his father, Farkhad Akhmedov, hide assets following the breakdown of their marriage. The 48-year-old was awarded a 41.5 per cent share of her ex-husband’s fortune, which exceeds £1 billion, in 2016, but has since got her hands on only £5 million. The £453 million divorce settlement was the biggest made by a British court, but Ms Akhmedova had since been the “victim of a series of schemes designed to put every penny of the husband’s wealth beyond her reach”, the ruling concluded. The judge agreed with Ms Akhmedova’s characterisation of her son as his father’s “lieutenant” and said the schemes had been carried out with his “knowledge and active assistance”. The court found that very large sums had been transferred to Temur, 27, and concluded he must pay his mother, who is from Russia but lives in London, around £75 million. In the opening words of the ruling, which spanned 128 pages, the judge wrote: “All happy families are alike, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. “With apologies to Tolstoy, the Akhmedov family is one of the unhappiest ever to have appeared in my courtroom. “Though this case concerns wealth of which most can only dream, it is - at its core - a straightforward case in which, following their divorce, a wife seeks to recover that which is owed to her from a husband and his proxies who, it is alleged, have done all they can to put monies beyond her reach. “Nevertheless, it is a case not without legal and factual complexity though much of that stems from the details of dishonest schemes instigated by Farkhad Akhmedov and put into effect by his advisors and his eldest son, Temur Akhmedov.”

  • 15-year-old faces autumn trial accused of murder

    The youth is accused of murdering 17-year-old Joshua Hall at Cam sports club in Dursley, Gloucestershire.

  • Australians hit back at Britain over  'bad tactics' ahead of trade negotiations

    Australian Government insiders have hit back at Britain over "sledging" by Liz Truss’s allies ahead of trade talks this week. The Telegraph revealed on Tuesday that sources close to the International Trade Secretary were briefing that Dan Tehan, the Australian trade minister, was "inexperienced" in comparison. Allies of Ms Truss complained of "glacially slow" progress over a UK-Australian trade agreement, and warned that Mr Tehan "needs to show that he can play at this level" when the pair meet for negotiations on Thursday. They also claimed that the British cabinet minister was plotting to sit Mr Tehan "in the Locarno Room [in the Foreign Office] in an uncomfortable chair, so he has to deal with her directly for nine hours". An Australian minister told this newspaper that the remarks were "full of hubris" and hit back that Mr Tehan is "from the land" and "has the stamina" to see off Ms Truss’s tactics. Unimpressed, the frontbencher commented ironically: "I love it when Brits underestimate us." The minister, speaking on condition of anonymity, continued: "Sledging is a fine art, which we have mastered on the pitch. This is just the Brits gobbing off." Australian officials also weighed in to counter the UK Government briefing. An official at the country’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said: "If this was briefed by a member of Truss’s staff, that is very disrespectful." The official told the Sydney Morning Herald: "It’s also a very bad tactic. It won’t work." In response to the claim that Mr Tehan was "inexperienced" in trade talks, it was pointed out that while Mr Tehan only took on the post of trade minister in December, he first joined DFAT in 1995. He served as a diplomat between 1999 and 2001, and between 2002 and 2005 worked as a trade adviser to the minister, helping to negotiate Australia’s free trade deal with the US administration under George W Bush. Ms Truss is said to have texted Mr Tehan on Tuesday night to say she was looking forward to seeing him and hoped for a productive two-day dialogue in London. The UK High Commissioner Vicki Treadall faced questions over the UK briefing. She defended the sources close to Ms Truss, insisting that Australia is one of "our closest friends and allies", but that "this is a trade negotiation so there will be tactics on both sides". Some British politicians also took a dim view of the briefing. Alistair Carmichael, Lib Dem MP and home affairs spokesman, branded it "embarrassing" and tweeted: "It's also a reminder that the Government has chosen to turn trade negotiations with a supposed ally into another avenue for domestic politics, on the bet that no one will notice the long-term negative side effects."

  • COVID surge in coming weeks could delay plans to ease restrictions, top vaccine adviser warns

    A member of the government’s top vaccine advisory board has warned the easing of England’s coronavirus lockdown could be delayed if infections surge over the next few weeks.

  • Putin warns foreign rivals against 'crossing red line' with Russia

    Russian President Vladimir Putin warns foreign rivals against "crossing the red line" with Moscow, as he gives a state of the nation address amid deep tensions with the West.

  • 53 people missing after Indonesian navy submarine 'sinks into 700-meter-deep trench'

    Fears were growing for the lives of 53 people on Wednesday after Indonesia’s defence ministry found oil floating in the sea above a deep-sea trench where a Navy submarine has vanished. The submarine is thought to have sunk into a trough 700 meters (2,300 feet) deep while conducting a torpedo drill, according to local reports. An aerial search found an oil spill near the submarine's dive location and two navy vessels with sonar capability have been deployed to assist the hunt, Indonesia's Defense Ministry said. The 43-year-old submarine, KRI Nanggala-402, was around 60 miles north of the resort island of Bali when contact was lost. "[The navy] is currently searching for it. We know the area but it's quite deep," First Admiral Julius Widjojono said. Singapore and Australia, who have submarine rescue vessels, have also been asked for assistance. The vessel had been cleared to dive as part of a training exercise before it failed to report back. A total of 49 crew members, its commander and three gunners are thought to be onboard.

  • Fans are thirsting after Knuckles after getting a sneak peek at the Sonic 2 movie set. Yes, really

    Sonic sidekick Knuckles has been spotted on the set of the forthcoming live-action Sonic the Hedgehog film sequel and fans are going wild.

  • Man ordered to pay mother £75m after assisting 'schemes' by billionaire father to hide divorce money

    A man has been ordered to pay £75m to his divorced mother after helping his father hide money and assets from her, a court has ruled. In 2016, Ms Akhmedova was awarded a 41.5% share of 65-year-old Farkhad Akhmedov's £1bn-plus fortune. Ms Akhmedova is pursuing her former spouse in courts in multiple countries as she says he is hiding money from her, using their son to help him.

  • Latest weekly Covid-19 rates for local authority areas in England

    Doncaster, Luton and Leicester are currently recording the highest rates.

  • Boris Johnson urged to reveal number of those dying after taking COVID vaccine

    Tony Blair has said the information would help allay concerns about the AstraZeneca vaccine.

  • Vladimir Putin warns West of 'red lines' as Russians take to the streets in Alexei Navalny’s support

    Vladimir Putin threatened the West with a “swift and tough” response for crossing unspecified “red lines” in an address on Wednesday, while supporters of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny protested across the country, demanding his release. Mr Putin’s speech comes amid heightened tensions between Russia and the West and a massive Russian military build-up on the border with Ukraine, which has sparked fears of a new war in eastern Ukraine. He was expected to make a major foreign policy announcement but instead issued a stark warning to the West against encroaching on its interests. “Anyone who threatens the core interests of our security will come to regret it like they never regretted anything,” President Putin said at the end of his 90-minute speech in Moscow. “I hope no one decides to cross the red lines in relations with Russia - and we will decide what these red lines are in each case.” President Putin sought to portray Russia as a victim, arguing that Russia-bashing “has become a sport of sorts" in the West, adding that the Kremlin “has behaved with restraint and moderation.”

  • Derek Chauvin pictured in new mugshot after being separated from rest of jail for his ‘safety’

    Former police officer found guilty on all three counts

  • Demi Lovato issues tepid apology after ‘privileged’ rant against frozen yoghurt store

    Demi Lovato apologised Monday evening (19 April) for blasting a beloved frozen yoghurt shop over its options for people with dietary restrictions.

  • Greek, Spanish and Portuguese islands could open early to British tourists for summer holidays

    Greek, Spanish and Portuguese islands could be opened up early for summer holidays as part of the Government’s “traffic light” plans for resuming international travel, Grant Shapps has indicated. The Transport Secretary said islands with lower Covid rates than the mainland could be granted “green list” status for holidaymakers to travel to them without facing quarantine on their return. Greece has mounted a major campaign to fully vaccinate people living on 85 islands with more than 10,000 inhabitants by May so that they are Covid-free when the UK Government is due to lift its ban on non-essential foreign travel. Other islands such as the Canaries, Madeira and the Azores have lower Covid rates than Spain and Portugal, which could mean they are granted green list status before their mainland counterparts. Asked whether he would incorporate the “islands policy” into his traffic light system at a webinar organised on Tuesday night by Airlines UK, Mr Shapps said: “The simple answer is yes. I want to do that again. That’s why I have introduced a green watch list.” The green watchlist is designed to give holidaymakers early notice of a green list country which may be about to turn “amber,” requiring anyone returning to the UK to quarantine for 10 days. The islands policy was introduced last summer, which allowed ministers to maintain quarantine free travel corridors to Greek and Portuguese islands while travellers to the mainland were subject to self-isolation on their return to the UK. Greece aims to reopen to UK tourists who are either vaccinated, have proof of a negative Covid test or immunity through having contracted the disease from May 17. Mr Shapps on Tuesday said the UK’s roadmap plan for reopening foreign travel on May 17 was on course but he said people would have to wait until the beginning of May to discover which destinations would be on the “green” list.

  • Australia’s Covid vaccine rollout: how to fill the confidence gap

    Australia’s Covid vaccine rollout: how to fill the confidence gap. No single explanation can fit the myriad things that affect an individual, but it helps to have a framework for approaching the problem

  • Vaccine passports: Michael Gove visits Israel to study country’s ‘green pass’

    Cabinet Office minister also discusses possibility of travel corridor between two countries

  • English Clubs Withdraw From European Super League After Backlash

    League said it will consider “the most appropriate steps to reshape the project”.