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Wild conspiracy theories linking 5G networks to the coronavirus pandemic are being blamed for a spate of attacks on UK cellphone towers — and are even being spread by celebrities such as Woody Harrelson. Fires at towers in Birmingham, Liverpool and Belfast have all been blamed on the conspiracy theories, UK officials said. The theories have ranged from 5G signals causing the virus, to the contagion being started as a cover-up for health maladies related to the networks. UK Cabinet Minister Michael Gove damned the tales as “dangerous nonsense” while noting that the damaged phone lines are crucial for emergency...

The Scottish government was forced to drop plans to axe jury trials today as its coronavirus bill jumped its first parliamentary hurdle. The SNP administration confirmed it had dropped the measure after an outcry from opposition parties and senior lawyers following the publication of the Coronavirus (Scotland) Bill on Tuesday. The bill originally proposed trials going ahead without juries to “ensure that criminal justice systems can continue to operate during the coronavirus restrictions”. But the move was branded “draconian” by the Scottish Criminal Bar Association and The Law Society of Scotland insisted there was not “sufficient justification” for ending the...

After more than a week of campaigning, intriguing and infighting among Conservative Party lawmakers, Britain’s foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, won the right on Thursday to take on his more famous and charismatic predecessor, Boris Johnson, in the final phase of the race to become the next prime minister. Mr. Hunt was the second choice of Tory lawmakers, well behind Mr. Johnson, and now the two men will compete for the votes of around 160,000 members of the party who will next month select a successor to Prime Minister Theresa May. Mr. Johnson won 160 votes, and Mr. Hunt 77. Mr....

Boris Johnson has secured the highest number of votes in the first ballot to select the Conservative party leader and next prime minister. Three contenders - Mark Harper, Andrea Leadsom and Esther McVey - have been knocked out, in the secret ballot held in the House of Commons. Mr Johnson received 114 votes, Jeremy Hunt was second with 43, and Michael Gove third with 37 votes. Seven candidates progress to the next round of voting next week. The two most popular MPs will be put to Tory party members in a final vote later this month. The winner of the...

UK media reported late on Saturday that Prime Minister Theresa May was facing a cabinet revolt and may have to resign immediately. The move comes just days ahead of a planned third vote on May's twice-rejected Brexit deal. What we know so far: The Sunday Times, The Telegraph and The Daily Mail reported on the potential coup, citing Conservative MPs. All said an interim leader would be appointed to oversee the last weeks of Brexit negotiation. The Daily Mail tabloid said Environment Secretary Michael Gove would likely take temporary leadership before a full contest in the summer. The Times...

Theresa May and Andrea Leadsom will battle it out for the Conservative leadership after Michael Gove was eliminated from the contest in the second round of voting.

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Voters will have to wait before migration can begin to be cut despite Britain deciding to leave the European Union, Theresa May has warned. The Home Secretary, who is the front-runner in the Conservative leadership election, promises to reform the EU’s rules on “free movement” of people, which currently allow an unlimited number of migrants to move to the UK to live and work. However, she stops short of promising to abolish free movement altogether, warning that it will “take time” before the numbers of immigrants come down. The issue of cutting migration is one of the critical battlegrounds in...

Video Link This film was shot of Sunday, but it contains several interesting behind the scenes bits of intel as to what is going on in the UK regarding Brexit.It appears the reason Boris Johnson dropped out was that he was unwilling to tow the line of immigration. It is also discussed that Cameron may be gone much more quickly that earlier believed.

Breaking: Boris Johnson: I'm not standing as Tory leader

The Chancellor says income tax could rise by 8% and billions would be cut from public services if the UK votes to leave the EU... says Treasury analysis has found that UK tax receipts would be £36bn-a-year lower after 15 years... the amount the officials calculate the exchequer would lose if Britain was forced to enter a trade deal similar to that which Canada has recently negotiated. The figure is the same as eight pence in the pound added to income tax. The 'Canadian model' is the scenario that many who want to leave say would be in Britain's best...

Boris Johnson’s surprising announcement on Thursday that he would not seek the leadership of the British Conservative Party — and by extension, succeed David Cameron as prime minister — leaves five candidates for the job. In a series of votes, Conservative members of Parliament will whittle down the list to two finalists, and the party’s roughly 150,000 members will choose between them. The process is expected to be completed by Sept. 9. The Conservative Party, which won a majority in Parliament last year, has a five-year mandate that lasts until 2020. But given the turmoil after voters decided that Britain...

Ex-London mayor Boris Johnson has ruled himself out of the race to be the next Conservative leader and prime minister. In a speech in London - billed as his campaign launch - Mr Johnson said he did not believe he could provide the leadership or unity needed... Addressing reporters in a new conference just moments before the deadline for nominations passed, Mr Johnson said the next Conservative leader would have to unify his party and ensure that Britain stood tall in the world. "Having consulted colleagues and in view of the circumstances in Parliament, I have concluded that person cannot...

In the middle of this transformation is none other than Boris Johnson, the leader of the successful "Leave" campaign, who however has cause to celebrate tonight because according to the Sunday Times, the former London mayor has won the backing of a key colleague to replace David Cameron as prime minister. Justice minister Michael Gove, who together with Johnson led the "Leave" campaign, called Johnson on Saturday to say he would back him for the leadership of the ruling Conservative Party, Reuters added. The Sunday Times said interior minister Theresa May was expected to enter the leadership contest in the...

Live coverage of the result of the EU referendum. This is a live BBC stream starting at 21:55 BST.

With just a week until the EU referendum, the under-fire Tory leader is priced at 5/2 to leave Downing Street before the end of June. William Hill has also cut its odds on George Osborne to cease to be Chancellor by the end of this year – from 7/4 to 5/4. It comes after 65 Tory MPs vowed to vote against Osborne's proposed "emergency Budget" of swingeing cuts in the event of Brexit. Vote Leave campaigner and ex-London mayor Boris Johnson is 5/2 favourite to replace Mr Cameron while Mr Osborne is priced at 9/2. Pro-EU Home Secretary Theresa May...

Leading figures in the Vote Leave referendum campaign to take Britain out of the EU have links to a controversial climate-skeptic think tank and question the science behind global warming. The group’s three leaders, Boris Johnson, Michael Gove and figurehead Lord Nigel Lawson, have cast doubt over man-made climate change, which is backed by most of the world’s credible experts.Lawson founded the Global Warming Policy Foundation in 2009 and is a noted climate skeptic. Both the foundation, which broke UK Charity Commission rules for anti-climate bias, and Vote Leave share rich donors. Gove — who tried to stop climate change...

Education Secretary Michael Gove yesterday declared war on the “utterly outrageous and medieval” use of the word “gay” as an insult. He will study current laws to ensure they are “properly policed” and could even “sharpen” them in a bid to stamp out offensive homophobic language. Mr. Gove told a conference held by pressure group Stonewall that the Coalition was determined to protect gay pupils from being subjected to homophobic bullying at school. He said that it was unacceptable to use the word “gay” as abuse and named and shamed former Radio One Breakfast Show DJ Chris Moyles. Mr. Moyles...

There is one form of hate which increasingly dares to parcel out blame. Far from this prejudice being met with resolute condemnation, action against its most virulent proponents is nugatory and the intellectual trends which favour it go broadly unchallenged. Why? Because this form of racism can be worn as a chic accessory to radical views, a badge of identification with "the oppressed". Anti-Semitism is the new black. The anti-Semitism now abroad is qualitatively different from the prejudice against the Jewish people which the Roman Catholic Church harboured in the 19th century and fascists in the 20th. The new anti-Semitism...