Britain’s government said Sunday it plans to ban sales of small canisters of laughing gas as part of a wider crackdown on anti-social behavior heading into elections.

Communities Secretary Michael Gove vowed to save city centers and parks from turning into “drug-taking arenas” — and denied that the government was failing to tackle woeful prosecution rates for crimes such as rape.

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Public spaces should no longer be littered with the “scourge” of small canisters of nitrous oxide used by people to get a quick high, he said, even as experts warned that a ban would be counter-productive.

Gove, a former journalist, has admitted to taking cocaine in the past. He told Sky News that he had learned that taking drugs was a “mistake.”

British law already bans the “knowing or reckless” supply of nitrous oxide for inhalation outside of medical uses. But the canis-ters are easily bought online and on the streets.

Prolonged use can cause anaemia, nerve damage and spinal in-juries, doctors warn. There were 36 deaths in Britain associated with misuse of nitrous oxide between 2001 and 2016, official data show.

The Conservative government has been stepping up its get-tough rhetoric on a range of issues, including illegal immigration, as it tries to revive its standing in opinion polls ahead of local elections in May.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected Monday to outline a series of measures to tackle low-level crime, which pollsters say is rising up voters’ list of concerns as a cost-of-living crisis bites.

Downing Street said the plans will include vandals and daubers of graffiti being forced to wear jumpsuits or hi-vis jackets while they carry out tasks in public as punishment.

Police will gain new powers to tackle anti-social behavior on the spot — but critics warned that public trust in UK police forces was already at a low ebb after a series of shocking crimes by serving officers.
The opposition Labour party, which is riding high in the polls, accused the Conservatives of reheating old policies that had already failed.

“We hear these sort of re-boots and another re-boot and another announcement to get the Sunday media attention, but I think it amounts to nothing,” senior Labour lawmaker Lucy Powell said on Sky.

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Oscar-winning actor and producer Reese Witherspoon and her talent agent husband Jim Toth said on Friday they had made the “difficult decision to divorce.”

The pair tied the knot in March 2011 at Witherspoon’s ranch in Ojai, California, northwest of Los Angeles. In September 2012, the couple welcomed a baby boy named Tennessee James.

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“We have enjoyed so many wonderful years together and are moving forward with deep love, kindness, and mutual respect for everything we have created together,” the couple said in a joint statement posted on Witherspoon’s Instagram account.

“Our biggest priority is our son and our entire family as we navigate this next chapter.”

Witherspoon has two older children – daughter Ava and son Deacon with first husband Ryan Phillippe. The couple divorced in 2007.

Witherspoon, 47, who grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, won an best actress Oscar for her work on 2005 country music film “Walk the Line.” She has also produced several films and television shows including “Big Little Lies” and “The Morning Show.”

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Gwyneth Paltrow testifies she was struck from behind in ski collision

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Oscar-winning actor Gwyneth Paltrow took the stand on Friday to testify that she was not at fault for a 2016 ski slope collision in Utah that left a man with a concussion and broken ribs, contradicting testimony from the lone witness to the incident.

Paltrow, 50, said during cross examination that she was skiing with her two children, and said that in fact she was struck by Terry Sanderson, a 76-year-old retired optometrist who filed a lawsuit seeking more than $300,000 in damages over the incident at the Deer Valley Resort in Utah.

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In court papers, Sanderson said he suffered “permanent traumatic brain injury” as a result of the collision. He initially had sought $3.1 million in damages.

“I was skiing and two skis came between my skis, forcing my legs apart, and then there was a body pressing against me and there was a very strange grunting noise,” Paltrow said.

Paltrow said that is when they both fell to the ground with Paltrow on top of Sanderson, in a heap of skis and limbs.

Paltrow has filed a counter claim in Summit County District Court seeking a symbolic $1 in damages and lawyer fees.

Paltrow, who is also known for her Goop lifestyle brand, called into question prior testimony from Craig Ramon, a friend of Sanderson’s who said he heard a scream before he saw Paltrow crash into the retired optometrist.

Paltrow denied the accusation, claiming that Ramon was 40 feet away and unable to discern who was at fault.

Paltrow also refuted claims by Sanderson that she had skied off and ignored rules to share contact information with another party after an accident.

A Deer Valley Resort staff member, who was providing Paltrow and her family lessons and did not see the collision, stayed behind to provide contact information to Sanderson, she said.

The instructor, Eric Christiansen, is expected to testify next week.

Paltrow, who said she was upset and cursed at Sanderson after the collision, said she did not ski off until after Sanderson told Christiansen that he was fine.

“I did not cause the accident, so I cannot be at fault for anything that subsequently happened to him,” Paltrow said.

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