Labour has been accused of setting a 'bonfire of patient safety' with a new Health Bill that rips up key safeguards and removes protections for whistleblowers.

Ministers have made a 'catastrophic misjudgement' that risks another scandal on the scale of Mid Staffs unless Andy Burnham intervenes to stop the changes, the Liberal Democrats warn.

The Bill will remove the duty for the NHS to cooperate with the Care Quality Commission, will remove automatic 'safe space' protections for whistleblowers and result in the closure of local Healthwatch organisations, which provide independent advocacy for patients and uncover failings.

The Liberal Democrats have tabled amendments to the Health Bill that would cancel these changes and are urging the new Burnham administration to adopt them.

They have vowed to robustly fight the Government in the House of Lords, where Labour does not have a majority.

It comes after figures revealed the NHS in England recorded 403 'never events' in 2025/26 - serious, largely preventable patient safety incidents that should not occur if appropriate safeguards are in place.

Many patient protections currently at risk, including Healthwatch and

Scots who have turned to fat jabs to lose weight are shunning sweet treats and alcohol as they switch to healthier options, new research has revealed.

Those on GLP-1s including Ozempic, Wegovy or Mounjaro are cutting calorific items such as cakes and confectionery from their diet.

Instead they are turning to better alternatives such as fruit and vegetables, according to the study from marketing experts, The Knowledge Bank.

And as the pounds are lost many spend more on clothing to buy a new wardrobe for their slimmed-down figures.

Nearly nine in 10 Scots say they know about the fat-busting drugs, with some six per cent of those north of the Border currently on GLP-1s, the research shows.

Another eight per cent are thinking of using weight loss injections or tablets while five per cent of those surveyed have used them in the past.

While GLP-1s suppress appetites, they do not automatically mean those on them switch to healthier alternatives.

But among Scots who have experience of the medications is that snacks become the biggest casualties as appetites are suppressed.

A huge earthquake has struck Colombia, burying people across the country beneath collapsed buildings. 

Colombia's geological service said the magnitude of the quake, which struck at 7.30am local time (1.30pm UK time), was 7.4 and that its depth was 60 miles. 

It reported the epicentre as being in San Jose Del Palmar, a community about 250 miles west of Colombia's capital, Bogota, adding that this was the strongest quake the country has suffered in the last decade. 

At least 111 people have been killed and Colombia has declared a state of emergency following the quake, which has also injured at least 87.

Harrowing footage taken from across the country showed the façades of buildings crumbling and people huddling in the street, unable to stand up straight as the ground beneath them rocked violently. 

In one particularly shocking video, a church's spire was seen falling off and crumbling into rubble in front of a terrified crowd of onlookers. 

Families were held back from the scene by local police as a cloud of dust filled the air.  

The quake was felt as far away as Ecuador, Panama to the north, and Venezuela – which was

Joanna Cherry has accused Nicola Sturgeon of not being open about her sexuality or having a proper job as she hit back at the former first minister for calling her 'obsessed'.

The ex-SNP MP told an audience at the Edinburgh Fringe: 'Don't worry, Nicola, I'm not obsessed with you. Unlike you, I have a very happy and meaningful career to fall back on.

'And also, perhaps in contrast to her, I have a very strong and happy relationship with my girlfriend, and I'm open about my sexuality, and have been for a very long time.'

Ms Cherry, an eminent KC, said Ms Sturgeon 'flirts and teases us with the idea that she might be a lesbian' but had no 'hinterland' in gay rights.

She also predicted the SNP would 'probably throw Nicola under the bus' as she had become an 'embarrassment to the party'.

Ms Cherry, a long-term critic of Ms Sturgeon's botched gender reforms and the SNP's former justice spokesman, was speaking on a podcast recording with broadcaster Iain Dale.

Appearing

Nick Clegg's former special advisor denied sexually assaulting a woman at a party conference when he appeared in court this afternoon.

Neil Sherlock worked for the former Liberal Democrat leader from January 2012 until March 2013, when he was deputy prime minister.

The 62-year-old is alleged to have sexually assaulted a woman at the party's conference in Brighton, on September 18, 2007. It was reported to police in September 2023.

The former civil servant and consultant appeared in the dock at Hove Crown Court wearing a blue pin-striped suit and yellow tie and spoke only to confirm his name and enter his plea.

Sherlock was told that he would go on trial on Monday, November 29 next year and that the trial was expected to last four to five days.

He was remanded on conditional bail and ordered not to contact or attempt to contact the complainant, who was 30 at the time of the alleged assault.

At the time of the alleged assault, he was a partner at professional services firm KPMG, where he worked from September 1985 until December 2011,

A predatory refugee who sexually assaulted two women while roaming the streets of a Scottish town 'looking for a good time' has been jailed for four years.

Asylum seeker Muhammad Sheikhi 'deliberately targeted women who were alone and vulnerable' as they walked home after a night out.

In addition to the prison sentence, Sheikhi was placed on the sex offenders register for life, and made subject to a ten-year non-harassment order preventing him from approaching or contacting either of the women he attacked.

The 33-year-old appeared for sentence yesterday after being found guilty by a jury in May of attacking his 'terrified' and 'violated' young victims in Falkirk in the early hours of a Sunday.

Last night, the father of one victim said he blamed the UK Government and lack of border security for the incidents.

He said: 'If the Government had done its job correctly Sheikhi wouldn't be in this county and this wouldn't have happened. He shouldn't be in this country – he's illegal.'

Both women, who had been in different nightclubs, were attacked separately within little more than an hour. CCTV footage showed him also approaching a third, who

A girl found dead in a river has been named as police said her death remained unexplained.

Faith Curran, 11, was reported missing around 12.40pm on Thursday before being found hours later.

The girl, who went missing from the Gore Glen area, near Gorebridge, Midlothian, was described as 'happy, adventurous and outgoing' by her family.

Faith's body was found in the Gore Water, near Shanks Bridge, around 4.25pm the same day and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officers said her death was being treated as unexplained but the circumstances were not thought to be suspicious.

Her family thanked those who helped to search for Faith for their support and kindness, asking that their privacy be respected.

An investigation is underway and Police Scotland said a report would be sent to the Procurator Fiscal.

A teddy bear and flowers were among the tributes left to Faith at the beauty spot near Edinburgh where she went missing.

Faith Curran's body was found in a

They are coming in masses, seeking to make the most of Edinburgh with the least amount of money.  

As the Scottish capital's Fringe Festival kicks off - the world's largest performing arts event - hundreds of thousands of people are flocking to the city. 

And now visitors in campervans are crowding out other motorists from on-street parking.

Up to a dozen motorhomes have been parked in Fettes Avenue close to one of the main police stations and near the festival action.

The spot has been chosen because a day's parking there costs just £11 and is free overnight, meaning tourists can also skip the city's tourist tax.

Even if they are slapped with a parking fine, which is £50 if paid within a fortnight, the stay makes financial sense amid soaring accommodation fees.

Fiona Campbell, chief executive of the Association of Scotland's Self-Caterers, said: 'It's no coincidence that Edinburgh's streets are filling up with a convoy of campervans just as the Festivals get underway.    

The United Nations expert on violence against women and girls has denounced a claim by a Green MSP that rape is a 'spectrum' of offences.

UN Special Rapporteur Reem Alsalem said rape should not 'ever be spoken of in those terms' as it risked 'undermining important progress' in criminalising it worldwide.

Ms Alsalem, who has previously given evidence to Holyrood, added to the growing backlash against Q Manivannan for saying there had been a 'demonisation' of rape.

A powerful coalition of rape crisis centres yesterday warned 'there is no hierarchy of rape' and survivors should never have to ask themselves: 'Was my rape serious enough?'

Manivannan yesterday insisted the words were taken out of context and apologised for the 'abstract' language causing 'considerable upset'.

The Edinburgh and Lothians East MSP said: 'I know from my experience of surviving sexual violence and speaking about recovery how deeply those experiences can affect people.

'And this complete mischaracterisation of my words has now returned me to my trauma.'

More than 175,000 visas held by foreign nationals have been canceled by the Trump administration, officials confirmed Monday.

Authorities cited alleged document non-compliance, ties to unlawful conduct and incitement of violence targeting Americans as key drivers behind the enforcement push.

State Department representatives stated that the bulk of these revocations stemmed from 'law enforcement encounters,' an explanation that has drawn criticism from legal experts. 

Immigration attorneys worry that officials are stripping visa statuses over trivial police interactions or unproven accusations that were never tried in court.

'The majority of these visas were revoked due to law enforcement encounters for a range of criminal activity, with assault, driving under the influence, theft and drug crimes being the leading causes,' the State Department said in a statement, listing other reasons like reckless driving, sexual assault, fraud, child abuse and 'other crimes.'

Government officials are characterizing the widespread cancellations 'as a result of the State Department's continuous vetting operations, which ensure that visa recipients abide by the terms of their visa and do not endanger Americans.' 

'Under President Trump and Secretary Rubio's leadership, the State Department will continue to identify, investigate, and revoke the visas of foreign nationals who threaten

President Donald Trump repeated his longstanding frustration with the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, acknowledging there was 'contractor error' involved in the renovation project.

'As with many jobs, there was also some contractor error done by rushing the job for a July 4th opening, but it was a very small area of this massive Pool, and was relatively inconsequential,' Trump wrote in a post on social media on Sunday.

Trump repeated his claims that the pool lining was vandalized by bad actors after the renovation became a flashpoint for controversy.

Trump repeated accusations against former Olympian David Hearn after he was arrested for vandalizing the pool, citing a 'highly credible witness' who claimed Hearn was 'violently ripping and tugging' the liner in the pool that bubbled up after it was installed.

Trump expressed disappointment there was no video evidence to convict Hearn and other suspects, but indicated there would be additional security cameras installed in the location to ward off future vandals.

'There was substantial other damage to the Reflecting Pool, also but, unfortunately, there is no video or proof, other than the damage, itself,'

Tyler Boebert, 21, son of Colorado Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert, has been released on a $10,000 bond after he was charged with 'sexual exploitation of a child.'

According to Colorado court records entered on August 6, 2026, Tyler was charged with three counts of sexual exploitation of a child, including a video charge. The charges are all felonies that allegedly occurred on January 1, 2024.

He was also slapped with two charges of 'contributing to the delinquency of a minor.' 

Boebert told the Daily Mail, 'I love my son. We take these allegations very seriously and pray for everyone affected during this challenging time.'

The records indicate that Tyler was released on August 9. He is scheduled to appear in Garfield County District Court on August 19th.

He has not yet entered a plea in the case first reported by American Muckrakers.  

This is not the Congresswoman's son's first run-in with the law, as he was charged with child abuse in February 2026.

Tyler, one of Boebert's four children, was slapped with a 'misdemeanor charge of child abuse without injury' according to 9News.

He is accused of leaving his