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US president posts that meeting will take place on Tuesday in Qatari capital after exchange of fire in strait of Hormuz

Two sides agree to try to make bilateral relationship more balanced' after weeks of threatsThe EU and China have agreed to enter three months of talks to try to avoid a trade war over the bloc's 360bn (310bn) annual import/export imbalance.In their first joint statement in seven years, the two sides agreed in Brussels to open a formal trade consultation after weeks of threats and recriminations from China if the EU imposed any measures to stop the flood of goods and components into the bloc. Continue reading...

Plans include greater regional power, public ownership of utilities and the end of trickle-down economics

Labour MPs value Burnham's warmth as a communicator but they know that will not be enough on its ownWhen Keir Starmer welcomed Mark Rutte, the Nato secretary general, outside No 10 on Monday, the attire fitted the moment: dark formal suits, polished leather shoes. Almost 200 miles to the north, when Andy Burnham strode into the engine hall of the People's History Museum in Manchester, the vibe could not have been more different.Dressed in his trademark dark T-shirt and jacket, Burnham could just as easily have been walking down the street outside. He even began with a joke about his thigh-skimming running shorts, after he was pictured going for a jog the morning after announcing his return to parliament, telling the assembled audience he had bought a new pair as it was either do that or change the decency laws". Continue reading...

Makerfield MP and hopeful prime minister says he will bring about biggest rebalancing of power the country has ever seen'

Caroline Simpson worked closely with Burnham when he was Greater Manchester mayor

German police say two people were apprehended after numerous' shots were fired at a youth care facility in StadeMeanwhile, Ukraine is bracing to absorb the impact of the heatwave on its energy network, already pummelled by Russian attacks over more than four years of war, AFP reported.Grid operators in at least five regions - from Ivano-Frankivsk in the west to Zaporizhzhia on the frontline in the south - announced temporary restrictions on energy usage would be in force during parts of Tuesday. Continue reading...

UK telecoms group's 50/50 venture ends more than 18-month search for a buyer of its international operations

Lucas Trejo of Argentina loses wife and two children while Hector Bello's partner dies saving their daughter

Entertainment arm to split from mobile and broadband in move that raises questions over future of Sky News

Western states experience unseasonally low temperatures but New York and Washington DC could reach 40C by the end of the weekUnseasonal snow has fallen in some parts of the US, while other parts of the country brace for a heatwave this week.A strong cold front spread into the western US from the northern Pacific over the weekend, bringing an abrupt change in conditions to a region that had been experiencing high summer temperatures amid drought. Temperatures from the Canadian border to California have widely been 5-10C below the norm since Friday, and more than 10C below in some parts farther north. The pattern is expected to remain for much of the coming week. Continue reading...

Underwater expedition by Florida-based team supports possible therapeutic use of bacterial toxins from sea squirtsResearchers at a Florida university say bacterial toxins produced by tiny marine organisms they have studied in Antarctica could become an effective treatment for melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.A team from the University of South Florida (USF) recently returned from a six-week expedition to one of the world's remotest regions in which they collected samples of ascidians, invertebrates known as sea squirts that thrive in the icy waters. Continue reading...

Tehran attacks Bahrain and Kuwait amid efforts to open strait of Hormuz without Iran's direct oversight

Resolution Foundation calls for extra funding for apprenticeships and increase in number of youth support grantsMinisters should reject calls to reverse employment tax increases as a way to boost jobs for young people in favour of extra funding for apprenticeships and increasing the number of youth support grants, according to a leading thinktank.The Resolution Foundation said an in-depth study showed a cut in employers' national insurance contributions (NICs) and a reduction in the minimum wage for under-21s - measures demanded by business groups - would do little to promote the chances of younger workers finding a job. Continue reading...

Experts and activists back Mike Tapp's proposal for care worker exclusion that led to row with Shabana MahmoodDoubling the leave to remain timeframe for care workers to 10 years is cruel and unconscionable", according to workers rights campaigners who back a Home Office minister's proposal to exclude the cohort from the government's immigration plans.Mike Tapp is at the centre of a political row with the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, after writing an article in which he said migrant care workers should be excluded from plans to retrospectively change the length of time people must work before they can permanently settle in the UK. Continue reading...

Bondi attack inquiry told broadcasters will be called as commission focuses on traditional and social media

President says we always hold onto hope' as discovery of earthquake survivors spurs fresh search efforts despite dwindling chances of survival

Exclusive: Sadiq Khan plans to use new powers after local council opposes city scheme for seasonal pedestrianisationThe mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, plans to override opposition to al fresco dining in Soho after the local council failed to apply to a scheme for seasonal pedestrianisation that is being introduced across the capital this summer.From 2027, restaurants in London's entertainment district will be allowed to put chairs outside in the warmer months despite a longstanding local row on the issue. Continue reading...

Spending watchdog says high-speed rail project must be put on stable footing to avoid repeat of costly past failuresRevised plans for HS2 should not be put into action until the government is confident they can be delivered, according to the public spending watchdog.The project to build the high-speed railway must be put on a stable footing to avoid a repeat of past failures, the National Audit Office (NAO) said in a report. Continue reading...

British Heart Foundation expects about 45 people a day to die over next decade if current trends continueAbout 170,000 people are expected to die from heart-related conditions linked to obesity - one of the leading causes of preventable illnesses - by 2035, according to a leading charity.The analysis, conducted by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), found that about 45 people a day are expected to die from cardiovascular disease linked to excess weight and obesity in England over the next decade, as long as current trends in obesity rates continue. In the UK, about two in three adults are living with obesity, and worldwide, more than half of adults and a third of children and young people will be overweight or obese by 2050. Continue reading...

The Happy Valley actor is lined up as the lead in German director Thomas Ostermeier's first Shakespearean play in EnglishJames Norton is to take on his first major Shakespearean stage role and play Hamlet in the West End next year.The King & Conqueror star said it was a privilege" and pretty terrifying" to be cast as the tragic prince in the acclaimed German director Thomas Ostermeier's production next autumn. Norton was last on stage in 2023 in the harrowing A Little Life, based on Hanya Yanagihara's novel, which the actor described as the hardest thing he has ever done. Continue reading...

Commissioner calls for overhaul of state support after reporting 10% rise in young patient referrals last yearMore than 1 million children were referred to mental health services across England last year, with referrals up 10% from the year previous, according to a report by the children's commissioner, Rachel de Souza. She said the country faced a crisis" in young people's mental health.The number of patients who had an active referral to children and young people's mental health services across England surpassed 1 million for the first time in 2024-25. This was almost double the number recorded in 2018-19, and an almost 10% rise on the previous year. Continue reading...

Russia's president says Ukraine's attacks on infrastructure are causing obvious' but not critical problemsThe Russian president, Vladimir Putin, acknowledged that the country was suffering from a certain shortage" of fuel in an interview published by the Kremlin on Sunday, after repeated Ukrainian strikes in their four-year war.Kyiv calls the attacks fair retribution for Russia's near-daily barrages on Ukrainian civilians and energy infrastructure since its February 2022 offensive. Continue reading...

Makerfield MP on course to be PM will argue for more decision-making in regions and communities as he sets out platform for governmentAndy Burnham will pledge to deliver good growth in every postcode" by overseeing a significant transfer of power out of Whitehall to local communities as he sets out his case to become the UK's next prime minister.In his first major speech since winning the Makerfield byelection, Burnham will argue for decision-making to be devolved to regions and communities to drive economic growth locally, replacing the current top-down national model. Continue reading...

Princess becomes first royal to climb highest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales, 18 months after cancer remissionThe Princess of Wales has completed the Three Peaks challenge to raise money for a cancer charity, becoming the first member of the royal family to achieve the feat.Catherine, 44, revealed in a message on social media she had successfully taken on the trek not only as a physical endeavour but to give something back" and raise awareness of the wider impact of serious illness. Continue reading...

Heat records of over 40C set as extreme weather spreads east, with more than 191m in Europe enduring 35C or above

About 31 in every 1,000 facing haemorrhage or severe tears, NHS figures show, in trend described as national crisis'

Matthew Ashley Foster-Smith, from Dorset, is accused of killing Natalia Villalba in an apartment in BogotaA British man has been arrested in Ecuador after the body of a woman was found inside a suitcase in Colombia.Matthew Ashley Foster-Smith is alleged to have caused the death of 36-year-old Natalia Villalba in an apartment in the Chico neighbourhood of Bogota on 18 June, local authorities said. Continue reading...

Deal could be announced in July and vow will safeguard future of shows such as Coronation Street and Love IslandSky has committed to spending 2bn on ITV's studios business over the next five years as it hammers out a takeover of its broadcasting arm, a move that will safeguard the future of popular programmes such as Coronation Street and Love Island.Sky, owned by the US telecoms company Comcast, has been in talks for months to buy ITV's media and entertainment operations, which include its free-to-air TV channels in the UK and the ITVX streaming platform. The 1.6bn takeover deal could be announced in early July, the Sunday Times reported. Continue reading...

Almost 24.4bn of government money went to private equity-run firms in year to April 2025, Guardian analysis shows

Five students and five instructors dead along with pilot after plane fell suddenly near aerodrome, says prefectA skydiving plane has crashed in north-eastern France, killing all 11 people onboard, according to the region's prefect.The parachuting-school plane crashed near Nancy at 11am, said Yves Seguy, the prefect of the Meurthe-et-Moselle region. Continue reading...

Document appears to have been subject to conflicting interpretations on key issues of Lebanon ceasefire and strait of Hormuz

As Labor pushes on with reforms, the Coalition must decide whether to join in the parliamentary deal-making

Iran attacked Bahrain and Kuwait after US strikes, and threatened a complete halt' to talks

Labour deputy leader says she thinks energy secretary would suit Treasury but tittle-tattle' over posts unedifying'Ed Miliband would make a good" chancellor to Andy Burnham, Labour's deputy leader, Lucy Powell, has said, before the likely next prime minister's first major speech on the economy since he returned to Westminster.Powell, who served as Miliband's chief of staff in opposition and is close to the former party leader, appeared to endorse him to run the Treasury - although some in Burnham's camp acknowledge such a move could be politically risky. Continue reading...

Quarterly Ofgem price cap rises to equivalent of 1,862 a year from 1 July amid growing consumer energy debtMinisters are facing growing pressure to lower energy costs as households in Great Britain face the steepest rise in summer bills in four years this week.The quarterly cap on gas and electricity charges will rise by 13% from Wednesday to the equivalent of 1,862 a year for an average household, just days after figures revealed that consumer energy debt had reached record highs. Continue reading...

IOPC confirms complaints from three survivors of alleged sexual misconduct by late Harrods owner in addition to ongoing investigationSurvivors of abuse at the hands of the late Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed have complained to a watchdog about how the Metropolitan police handled allegations.More than 400 claims of sexual misconduct have been made against Al Fayed, including rape and human trafficking, dating between 1977 and 2014. Continue reading...

Urn with loving messages to Gary Bonsor' to be buried in local churchyard as efforts to find family draw a blankIt is a puzzling story with a still unsolved mystery at its heart: just who is the individual whose cremated remains were left on the counter of a burger van at Newbury racecourse?And why - despite the cremation urn being labelled with a name and a message that hints at a loving family - has no one come forward to claim it? Continue reading...

Reports claim replacement being lined up for co-founder amid concern over high pay and company's struggling share priceThe boss of Ocado has collected nearly 100m since the online grocery company floated on the stock market in 2010 despite its share price now languishing below its flotation level, analysis has shown.Tim Steiner, a former Goldman Sachs trader who co-founded the British technology company in 2000, is thought to be in discussions over his future after it emerged Ocado had approached at least one potential replacement. Continue reading...

Citizens in Minnesota using lessons learned from migrant crackdown to protect elections from president's threatsWhen thousands of immigration agents flooded Minnesota earlier this year, a loose network of neighbors sprang into action. They fed each other. They got kids to and from school safely. They tracked the surge that tore through their communities.After organizing, block by block, to monitor Donald Trump's extraordinary crackdown on their state, the same neighbors are shifting their focus to a different threat. What if the US president tries to steal an election? Continue reading...

UK is latest country to set minimum age for social media access but big tech is fighting back globally against curbs

As extreme weather events become more common, economists say government will need to take more active role to protect consumersAnyone attempting to notch up a productive day's work in the searing heat of southern England this last week was left in little doubt about the impact of extreme weather.But the economic effects of the climate crisis for the UK are not confined to the many hours lost to quietly perspiring - or fetching kids dismissed early from scorching classrooms. Continue reading...

Marco Rubio is scrambling to provide effective disaster response to country whose president US deposed in JanuaryThis week's dual earthquakes in Venezuela are a test for the new era of American power in the western hemisphere, as the Trump administration scrambles to provide an effective disaster response mission to a country that it now calls an ally in Latin America, after a US special forces raid in January deposed the country's strongman leader, Nicolas Maduro.The US is marshalling what secretary of state Marco Rubio called a big, fast, effective" and whole-of-government" response as the state department sent three specialised urban search and rescue teams and pledged a $150m assistance fund that one former disaster relief expert called the largest he had seen within 24 hours of an incident. Continue reading...

Crocodile Dundee was held up by the One Nation leader as an exemplar of Australian monoculture'. Hoges had other ideas

Exclusive: Concerns in-person vote system is giving bigger say to organised fringe activists who can attend conferenceSenior Greens are examining ways to revamp the party's structures to make it more effective and representative now its membership has more than tripled since Zack Polanski became leader.Under the party's direct-democracy model, policy is voted on only by members who attend one of its two annual conferences, a system some Greens believe risks empowering organised fringe activists who make the effort to travel to the events. Continue reading...

Analysts and western leaders believe Iran will increase support of militia groups despite deal between US and TehranAs Marco Rubio ended his brief visit to the Middle East on Friday, he sought to cast in the best possible light his discussions with leaders of the Gulf states. Those leaders are deeply anxious that the deal agreed earlier this month between Iran and the US fails to address their worries about continued Iranian efforts to project power and influence throughout the region.They've shared with us some very concrete concerns," the US secretary of state admitted, and insisted that any definitive agreement will require Tehran to not only restrict its nuclear programme but also halt its support of Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, militia in Iraq and the Houthis in Yemen. Continue reading...

Doubled penalties will have little effect if platforms not held to account for the content they carry, observers say

Search for survivors continues with nearly 70,000 people reported unaccounted for by their family membersThe death toll in the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela earlier this week has risen to 1,430, according to one of the country's top politicians, Jorge Rodriguez.Another 3,200 people were injured and 3,100 left homeless by the disaster, the National Assembly president added, speaking on state television. Continue reading...

With more than a third of Welsh parliament seats, Reform MSs have caused tears and walkouts - and voted against their own partyTears, walkouts, own-goal votes: the Welsh parliament has only been sitting for a few weeks, but Reform UK has already made a dramatic first impression in its new role as the official Senedd opposition.Plaid Cymru won May's historic Welsh elections, ending 100 years of Labour dominance and blocking the momentum of Nigel Farage's Reform UK, which came second. He had been aiming for it to become Wales's biggest party but it still performed better than any Welsh Conservative result on record, and increased its vote share from 1% in 2021 to 29% in 2026. Continue reading...

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