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Maureen Lipman has criticised fellow star Sir Mark Rylance as “jolly silly” for quitting the Royal Shakespeare Company over BP sponsorship. The Oscar-winner, 59, ended his relationship with the renowned theatre company over financial backing by the oil giant, which has faced increased criticism over environmental issues. In a letter to The Times newspaper, Coronation Street actress Lipman, 73, said that Sir Mark, who was an associate artist with the RSC for 30 years, would be more effective taking action at “grassroots level”  “Resigning...

Ireland's fast growing economy could suddenly contract if Britain crashes out of the European Union without a deal, a prospect that has become more likely, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on Wednesday. Ireland's finance ministry reiterated its forecasts on Tuesday that gross domestic product growth would fall to anywhere between zero and 1% in 2020 if Britain crashes out of the bloc later this year, rather than growing by the forecast 3.3 percent if its neighbour secures an orderly Brexit....

Banks in Britain are showing signs of restarting preparations for a no-deal Brexit after a lull in the shift of financial services jobs and capital from Britain to the European Union in the past few months, consultants EY said on Wednesday. EY's Brexit Tracker of public announcements from 222 of the largest financial services firms in the three months ending May 31 found that the 7,000 planned job and a trillion pounds in capital relocation to new EU hubs was...

"You sanction the foreign minister simultaneously with a request for talks. The White House is afflicted by mental retardation and does not know what to do", he said.

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox has dismissed a claim the UK will be able to continue trading with the EU tariff-free for 10 years. Boris Johnson has been slapped down by International Trade Secretary Liam Fox over his claim Britain could use international trade rules to continue tariff-free trade with the EU in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Mr Johnson has argued that a provision under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade – known as Gatt 24 –...

BREAKING: In a world first, Facebook has agreed to hand over the identification data of French users suspected of hate speech on its platform to judges, France's minister for digital affairs Cedric O said on Tuesday. O, whose father is South Korean, is one of French President Emmanuel Macron's earliest followers, and has been influential in shaping the president's thinking on Big Tech as an advisor at the Elysee palace in the first two years of Macron's presidency. Reuters are...

The husband of an aid worker jailed in Tehran has joined her on a hunger strike for twelve days now to demand her release by the Iranian authorities

The former foreign secretary also said he rarely loses his temper, despite police being called after row with girlfriend Carrie Symonds

Nine of the top 10 areas for homeless deaths have seen three times the average cutbacks. Deaths of homeless people have been highest in areas with the biggest council cuts, Labour analysis shows. Nine of the 10 areas with the most homeless deaths have had at least three times the average cuts to council budgets. The highest number of estimated deaths, 90, was in Birmingham, where council cuts per household have hit £939.80 – more than three times the national average...