Vicki Barker

Their alleged crimes, bewitching to death a mother, a baby, and a three-year-old, and having carnal relations with the devil.

Now, the city government of Maidstone, where the women were executed, has appealed to Britain's Labour government to introduce legislation pardoning them and the hundreds of others executed for witchcraft in the Middle Ages.

But past such attempts have failed, although in Scotland, which executed Europe's highest number of witches per capita—

Then-First Minister Nicola Sturgeon did issue a formal apology in 2022.

For NPR News, I'm Vicki Barker in London.

Once again on Saturday, London police officers carry demonstrators from their silent sit-in supporting the banned group Palestine Action.

to sympathetic applause.

It takes five officers to carry away each protester, each protester trying to make the process of arrest as slow and laborious as possible.

Now, forces in multiple cities say their officers are exhausted and spread thin with security beefed up outside synagogues and Jewish schools following last week's synagogue attack.

So the British government says it's going to give police more powers to put conditions on repeat protests, possibly moving them to more containable locations.

For NPR News, I'm Vicki Barker in London.

Fifteen years ago, the Women's Rugby World Cup final was played in a small stadium in front of just 13,000 spectators.

On Saturday, a capacity crowd of close to 82,000 packed Twickenham Stadium, considered the home of English rugby, breaking all records for the women's sport.

Mo Hunt, who plays scrum half, among the players, telling the BBC neither she nor her teammates could ever have imagined interest in their sport would hit this level.

Phrases like dream come true were used.

A capacity crowd is also expected at the team's victory celebration on Sunday.

For NPR News, I'm Vicki Barker in London.

Parent company Meta says UK users will be offered subscriptions starting at about $4 a month to go ad-free on their smartphones or PCs.

That follows its out-of-court settlement earlier this year of a lawsuit brought by a British privacy campaigner who argued that Meta's use of her personal data breached UK data protection laws.

Her argument was backed by British regulators, who have now pronounced themselves pleased with Meta's decision.