Former News International editor Rebekah Brooks, who has been accused of conspiracy to derail the course of law in connection with the phone-hacking scandal, gets bail till June 22. 44-year-old Brooks, who appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court with her husband Charlie Brooks and four former staff at News International, faces charges of concealing documents important to the ongoing investigation into the phone hacking scandal which first hit the headlines last…

The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, who is suffering from a bladder infection and was hospitalised on Monday, didn’t miss even a single minute of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations as he remained glued to the television set in his private room at London’s King Edward VII Hospital. Prince Philip, 90, was rushed by ambulance from Windsor Castle on Monday after he was taken ill by bladder infection. The illness…

Baroness Sayeeda Hussain Warsi’s allies have last night refuted allegations that she embarked on foreign trips at taxpayers’ expense and misused her position as the Conservative Party Chairman. Reports yesterday highlighted the fact that Lady Warsi had 17 foreign visits in the past two years, though her main role was to foster relations with Tories in Britain. But the Baroness’ camp asserted that the visits – which included Pakistan, Indonesia,…

Prime Minister David Cameron is standing by Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt notwithstanding Labour’s consistent allegation that Hunt has broken the ministerial code and misled parliament. Cameron decided not to order an investigation into Hunt’s handling of the News Corporation bid for BSkyB. Hunt therefore held onto his post. A Downing Street spokesman said: “Jeremy Hunt’s evidence has shown that he acted properly while he was responsible for the BSkyB bid….

With shops filled with jelly moulds of the Queen’s face, soldiers chanting three cheers for the Queen and freshly painted boats ready to sail along the River Thames, Britain is now fully prepared for Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Full dress rehearsal of a procession have started between Westminster Hall and Buckingham Palace, ahead of the weekend’s Jubilee celebrations. As the rest of London was sleeping, thousands of servicemen and women braved the early morning chill and gathered…

Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt sent a message to James Murdoch favouring News Corporation’s bid for BSkyB, defying legal advice not to have any external discussions about the deal. Evidence revealed at the Leveson inquiry shows on December 21, Hunt sent a text message to Murdoch, the boss of News Corporation, saying “Great and congrats on Brussels, just Ofcom to go!”. This refers to the bid’s successful clearance from the European…

Amid indications of another post-Budget climbdown from Coalition ministers, government has announced another major U-turn today, scrapping George Osborne’s so-called “Charity Tax” proposal. Charity Tax U-turn is the government’s fifth U-turn this weeks after U-turns on the pasty tax, the caravan tax and VAT on listed buildings alterations. But, the charity tax - a clampdown on tax relief for gifts - is the biggest till now, as the move was expected to raise £400 million for the…

Former News of the World editor and PM’s former communications chief, Andy Coulson, has been detained by Strathclyde Police on suspicion of committing perjury at the trial of former MSP Tommy Sheridan in 2010. The 44-year-old was arrested by seven officers from Strathclyde Police at his home in the Dulwich area of London at 6.30 am and is being taken to Glasgow for questioning. “Officers from Strathclyde Police’s Operation Rubicon team detained a 44-year-old man…

It’s another blow to the Conservative-led government, as George Osborne has agreed to modify its controversial budget proposals to extend VAT on takeaway hot pies - in a move that was labelled by Labour as ‘U-turns from a shambolic government’. After a protest orchestrated by Greggs, the nation’s largest chain of high-street bakers, the government has signalled a retreat on tax rises on pasties and caravans. The climbdown over pasty tax will cost the Treasury £70 million annually. Now,…

As Tony Blair gave evidence at the Leveson inquiry today, a protester appeared behind Lord Justice Leveson at the High Court and accused the former prime minister of being a “war criminal”. The unidentified man stormed in Lord Justice Leveson’s private office and accused Tony Blair of receiving £6 million from investment bank JP Morgan, which he linked to the Iraq War that defined his premiership. “This man should be arrested for war crimes. JP Morgan paid him off…