Paul McNamara , Reporter

In December, we met Jayne Simpson in Stafford – where a local charity was trying to help rough sleepers through the harsh winter. Despite their best efforts, she was found dead in a doorway in the town centre several months later.

It’s been reported that the government is putting in an extradition request to Moscow for two Russian nationals suspected of the Salisbury Novichok poisoning. The move is likely to put further strain on Russian-UK relations which have been difficult ever since the attack in March.

In London, a 23 year old man has been stabbed to death bringing the number of murders in the capital so far this year to 85. Siddique Kamara who was active in the drill music scene where he was known as “Incognito” and “SK” died yesterday evening. Earlier this year he himself was cleared at…

Tommy Robinson, the far right activist has been released from prison on bail – after winning a contempt of court appeal. He’ll now face a fresh hearing over an allegation that he committed the offence by using social media to broadcast from outside a trial. The court of appeal said there had been procedural flaws…

Radio presenters have a sad and difficult history of mispronouncing his name. But today it was Jeremy Hunt’s own turn to struggle with identifying someone correctly. While on an official visit to China, the foreign secretary mistakenly told his hosts mistakenly that his wife was “Japanese” – when she is, in fact, Chinese. Paul McNamara…

Ministers are consulting on new measures to tackle the intimidation of  election candidates – in person or online, including a new law which could see anyone convicted barred from holding public office themselves. It follows a report which found social media was “the most significant factor” driving harassment or abuse. The government is also looking into tougher  measures to…

Revelations about the extent of Russian interference in foreign elections – including hacking and  spreading disinformation – are just the tip of the iceberg, MPs have warned The digital, culture, media and sport committee said the country was facing a “democratic crisis” because fake news and manipulated data were becoming so pervasive. The MPs want tougher…

A coroner has ruled that a young soldier fatally shot himself at Deepcut barracks, shortly after he was told he’d be discharged. Private Sean Benton was found with five bullet wounds in his chest at the Surrey barracks in 1995, the first of four soldiers to have died there amid widespread claims of sustained bullying…

If Donald Trump is intent on delivering a lecture to Europe to spend more on defence, in Britain the main narrative has been years of budget cuts, with warnings from military chiefs that the UK’s armed forces could be left badly diminished. That wasn’t the view on display today, though, as the Queen joined thousands…

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has accused Russia of committing “an attack on British soil”, after the death of Dawn Sturgess, who was exposed to the deadly nerve agent Novichok. Her partner Charlie Rowley remains critically ill in hospital. Police are investigating whether it’s linked to the attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his…

A 16-year-old boy has been charged in connection with the death of Alesha McPhail. The six-year-old’s body was found on the Isle of Bute on Monday close to the town of Rothesay where she was staying with her grandparents.

Police investigating the death of Alesha McPhail on the Scottish island of Bute have warned locals to be vigilant about the safety of their children. Detectives launched a murder inquiry after the body of the six-year- old was discovered in woodland on Monday.

The fire brigade commander who was in charge of the initial response to the Grenfell Tower fire has admitted he had no idea that fires could spread through cladding. Michael Dowden told the public inquiry into the disaster that he had failed to make a series of compulsory safety checks on the building in the…

It appears to have started in the late 1980s: a loose regime of medics and nurses habitually dosing mainly elderly patients with opioids, the innocuous instruction on their notes: “Please make comfortable.” At least 456 patients died prematurely, and because records are incomplete, the true number may have been over 600. It happened at Gosport…

When it comes to public opinion, do voters accept that there is a £20 billion Brexit dividend to spend on the NHS? And separately, will they accept the need for tax rises without punishing the government? We went to Romford in Essex, which voted predominantly to leave the EU, to find out.