Tehran says fees to cover cost of managing waterway will come into effect at end of 60-day negotiation periodIran has announced plans to introduce a system of maritime fees in the strait of Hormuz in two months, after the 60-day period of negotiation that has been triggered by the signing of the memorandum of understanding.Tehran, claiming a historic victory over the US, said the strait was under its control and a European plan for a naval mission to escort ships though the strait would not be welcome. Continue reading...
PeopleCert had been planning to cut about 400 jobs in 22m savings drive at training body it bought last yearThe vocational training body City & Guilds has guaranteed that plans for mass compulsory redundancies and the offshoring of hundreds of UK jobs to Greece will no longer go ahead.The proposal to remove about 400 UK roles was first reported by the Guardian in December as part of a 22m cost-cutting drive after the acquisition of the charity's training and awards business by the Greek-owned PeopleCert in October. Continue reading...
Parents and their kids, new and old fans and a few celebrities gathered to honor the team's NBA ChampionshipThousands of Knicks fans - decked out in blue and orange jerseys, shorts, hats, necklaces and more - gathered in downtown New York City on Thursday to celebrate the team's NBA championship in a lively ticker-tape parade.All along Church Street, the street running parallel to the parade route, fans lit joints, threw back shots of Fireball whiskey and drank Coronas, within view of bemused and outnumbered New York City police officers. Some fans climbed atop police cruisers and posed for photos. Continue reading...
Labour and Tories claimed Green party leader breached London assembly ethics code over non-payment of taxZack Polanski has been cleared by an ethics inquiry looking into complaints that he did not pay council tax while living on a houseboat.A report by the Greater London authority's monitoring officer found that the circumstances of the Green party leader's living arrangements were beyond its scope and he had therefore not breached the code of conduct for London assembly members. Continue reading...
Show features characters and sets from likes of Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep and celebrates roots in cityAardman's most famous characters, Wallace and Gromit, may be denizens of northern England but the studio's deep-rooted connection to the south-west of the UK is being celebrated in a new show on Bristol's harbourside.The exhibition at the M Shed, just around the corner from the Aardman base on Gas Ferry Road (a name that would not be out of place in a Wallace and Gromit adventure), shines a light on the studio's 50 years in Bristol. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Event co-founded by Jordan Peterson will bring together global populist-right figures, US state officials and Eton teachersThe Reform UK MPs Sarah Pochin and Andrew Rosindell will be there. As will a plethora of Reform advisers, backroom staff and figures such as Ben Delo, a British crypto billionaire who has given 4m to Nigel Farage's party.Yet as populist-right politicians from across the globe and their multimillionaire backers prepare for this year's Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (Arc) - a rightwing London summit labelled an anti-woke" Davos - others whose expected attendance has not been publicised potentially raises more questions. Continue reading...
Five episodes have been dubbed into Australian language Yolu Matha for Naidoc Week, with Bandit voiced by a founding member of rock band King StingrayIt's already been translated into 120 languages around the world but soon the globally loved children's show Bluey will be available in an Australian Indigenous language for the first time.Five episodes from seasons one and two have been dubbed into Yolu Matha, the Australian First Nations language of North-east Arnhem Land, as part of an initiative for National Aboriginal and Islanders Day Observance Committee (Naidoc) Week. Continue reading...
Ex-defence secretary John Healey and ex-defence minister Al Carns have given resignation statements to MPsSpeaking to reporters at the G7, Keir Starmer also defended the defence investment plan (DIP) draft that led to John Healey's resignation as defence secretary last week. Starmer confirmed that Dan Jarvis, the new defence secretary, is getting some input before the publication of the DIP in its final version.Starmer said:The position on investment in defence is firstly that we increased last year defence spending from 2.3% to 2.6%, that's the biggest increase since the 1980s, and that means 270bn will be spent this parliament on defence.On top of that [the] defence investment plan which obviously gives us capability for the future. We will put even more money in relation to that. I've been really clear that's required difficult decisions, I have taken the decision to reallocate money from other departments. Continue reading...
by Lisa O’Carroll Senior correspondent on (#76BPF)
The meeting has been delayed due to resistance over details of the youth mobility scheme allowing under-30s freedom to work and study in EuropeThe EU and the UK have announced they will hold their next summit to discuss the reset" in relations between London and Brussels on 22 July.The summit, which will be held in Brussels, has been delayed several times, with talks over a youth mobility scheme allowing under-30s to work, travel or study in each other's country deadlocked in recent weeks, fuelling speculation the summit would be postponed until the autumn. Continue reading...
by Sally Weale Education correspondent on (#76BPG)
Oscar-winning actor hails electrifying opportunity' to present lectures and seminars in contemporary theatreThe Oscar-winning actor Cate Blanchett has promised to cause a creative rumpus" in her latest role, as visiting professor at the University of Oxford.The Australian star is the latest in a long line of celebrated thespians to be appointed as the Cameron Mackintosh visiting professor of contemporary theatre at St Catherine's College, Oxford. Continue reading...
by Jessica Elgot Deputy political editor on (#76BPJ)
Lauren Edwards dismisses party internal concerns and criticises anti-democratic' way bill was haltedThe Labour MP Lauren Edwards who will bring the assisted dying bill back to the Commons has said she will not be dissuaded by concerns about Labour divisions, saying MPs should allow the House of Lords to finish its work on the bill after it was blocked from a vote by peers.It also can be revealed that the Labour MP and disability rights campaigner Marie Tidball is to co-sponsor the bill, alongside the former minister Alex Davies- Jones. Continue reading...
Ukrainian president praises successful talks after Trump's comments that Russia should make a deal' after G7 meeting... and given the delay this morning, the meeting may or may not have happened already - guess we will find out at some point during the day.in Evian-les-Bains Continue reading...
Breakthrough treatment enabled Archie Goodburn, 24, to keep competing but he says one new drug in 20 years is not enoughArchie Goodburn, a 24-year-old champion swimmer who has a rare, inoperable form of brain cancer, is calling for the government to do more to help people with the condition.I grew up representing my country, andI want to see my country supporting me back," he said. Continue reading...
by Presented by Helen Pidd with Josh Halliday; produc on (#76ACC)
Helen Pidd goes to Makerfield where the Labour candidate and would-be prime minister Andy Burnham faces Reform UK in a crucial byelection. With reporting from Josh HallidayOn Thursday, Makerfield is hosting what is surely the most consequential byelection in memory.If he wins, Andy Burnham will challenge Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership - and attempt to save the party and the government from its current malaise. Continue reading...
Awareness of disorders such as hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is low among British healthcare professionalsPeople in the UK with hypermobility conditions are waiting up to 21 years to be diagnosed while suffering from symptoms ranging from chronic pain to partially dislocated joints, research suggests.The study of more than 2,000 people, which was led by the University of Edinburgh and described as the largest of its kind in the UK, indicates awareness of hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD) and hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) is low among British healthcare professionals. Continue reading...
by Jessica Elgot, Dan Sabbagh and Alexandra Topping on (#76A7W)
Starmer can't sack him or let him resign', says ally of Dan Jarvis after predecessor's resignationThe new defence secretary is to revisit a controversial plan for funding the armed forces and may return to demand more cash from the Treasury, allies have said.Multiple government sources said Dan Jarvis would look to reprioritise" aspects of the defence investment plan (Dip), which was delayed until July after the resignation of John Healey following a disagreement over its funding. Continue reading...
by Vikram Dodd Police and crime correspondent on (#76A6S)
About 1,000 people demonstrated for and against show in synagogue promoting sale of property in IsraelAbout 1,000 people protested for and against a show promoting the sale of property in Israel on Sunday, with police making 14 arrests.Those opposed to the event, which was held in a north-west London synagogue, claimed it was also selling property in land illegally occupied by Israel and was part of an expansionist plan to drive out Palestinians. Organisers denied this was the case. Continue reading...
by Vikram Dodd Police and crime correspondent on (#76A68)
Met seizes far-right activist's phones after he disembarks flight at Heathrow under counter-terrorism provisionsBritish police say they stopped the far-right activist Tommy Robinson and seized his phones as he returned from a trip to Russia.Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, met Elon Musk's father in Moscow during his trip. Continue reading...
by Dan Sabbagh, Mark Brown and Jessica Elgot on (#769YZ)
Keir Starmer says operation involving National Crime Agency has delivered yet another blow' to Russia and PutinKeir Starmer said he directed British troops to seize a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker in the Channel in the early hours of Sunday, the first time the UK has led a naval capture since the start of the war in Ukraine.The prime minister released a video on TikTok early on Sunday showing heavily armed Royal Marine commandos boarding the oil-laden Smyrtos tanker, which had been sailing south of the Isle of Wight en route from Russia to India. Continue reading...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#76A1X)
Keir Starmer ready to overrule Ed Miliband after warnings manufacturers would be penalised and jobs put at riskThe UK government is poised to water down its 2030 targets for electric vehicle sales after intensive lobbying by the car industry and unions.The government is preparing to consult on less ambitious targets for the transition to fully battery-powered electric cars over the rest of the decade after carmakers and unions warned that they would penalise manufacturers and put jobs at risk. Continue reading...
Researchers also discover that the ancient vines of Chianti, famed for its red wines, produced white fruitDNA extracted from 2,000-year-old grape seeds found in ancient wells in Tuscany has enabled scientists to map the most extensive genetic history of grapevines recovered from a single site.The findings revealed that vineyards of the Roman era formed part of the empire's sophisticated agricultural network that might have influenced the development of modern winemaking. Continue reading...
Rochford LGBTQ+ community say Reform council's ban on flying pride flags or holding events states they're not welcomeBefore Reform gained control of Essex county council in the May elections, Chris Taylor and members of the Rochford LGBTQ+ community already felt they were witnessing a growing tide of political rhetoric around identity.But they were still shocked when the county's new leadership moved to ban Pride events in 74 libraries, scaling back events of any particular groups or themes", a decision they said was straight out of Trumpland". Continue reading...
Kate Dearden says reforms such as enhanced sick pay simply bring UK into line with other big economiesLabour's radical workers' rights reforms have simply put the UK on a level playing field" with other big economies, the employment minister, Kate Dearden, has said.The government's Employment Rights Act became law last year, with specific provisions being implemented this year and next. Continue reading...
Alarm over the judgment and behaviour of the world's most powerful man, and the consequent risks to the world, can only get worseThe main Nuremberg trial ended, Winston Churchill warned of an iron curtain descending across Europe, It's a Wonderful Life received its premiere and, at Jamaica hospital in the borough of Queens, New York, Donald John Trump was born.It was 1946, also the birth year of George W Bush and Bill Clinton, but on Sunday the current US president celebrates his 80th birthday in a style uniquely his own. Trump will stage a night of cage fighting on the once-pristine White House south lawn as part of events marking the 250th anniversary of US independence. Continue reading...
Convenience store employee Eileen Fox, 56, said suspect banged into metal stand' but no one was injured in incident Waitrose employee sacked after stopping shoplifter from taking Easter eggsA convenience store worker was sacked after trying to tackle a woman who she suspected was shoplifting bacon.Eileen Fox said the suspected thief was well known" in Bootle, Merseyside, and claimed she had been stealing from the shop for years. Continue reading...
by Patrick Butler Social policy editor on (#769NG)
Chris Farrell was given benefit for six months despite his repeated requests for payments to stopA former unpaid carer has urged welfare officials to get their act together" after they continued to pay him carer's benefit for six months after the death of his husband, potentially landing him with debts of more than 1,300.Chris Farrell, 65, who claimed carer's allowance for four years while providing full-time care for his late husband repeatedly tried to get the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to stop paying him the 86.45 a week benefit.A carer who has accumulated more than 2,000 of unwanted carer's allowance since their mother went into a care home 10 months ago. They said they had contacted the DWP to cancel the benefit five times, by phone and online form, to no avail.A carer who found it impossible to get the DWP to stop carer's allowance payments despite reporting over a year ago she had taken on a new work contract and was no longer eligible for the benefit. She had been overpaid more than 2,650.A man trying to manage work and care for his father, who claimed carer's allowance for several months after being made redundant, has been unable to stop the benefit despite telling officials repeatedly he no longer needed it after finding a new job. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Research in England shows people a third less likely to reoffend under decriminalisation-style schemesDrug diversion schemes led by police that steer people away from the criminal justice system and into treatment and education services are significantly more effective in reducing reoffending than prosecution, according to a new analysis.Researchers examined outcomes across 13 English police forces and more than 62,000 criminal incidents over the past four years, finding that people whose cases were dealt with through decriminalisation-style diversion schemes were a third less likely to reoffend than similar individuals prosecuted for drug possession. Continue reading...
Appearance of a western reef heron in north Wales is unlikely to be the last, as heating temperatures mean species can survive Britain's winter, say expertsIt is a tropical bird typically encountered between west Africa and India, but last week a western reef heron arrived in north Wales in what is believed to be the first ever sighting in the UK.The heron was first spotted in Foryd Bay at the weekend before flying to nearby Caernarfon harbour where it fed among the boats. Continue reading...
The far-right proposal would require the government to put restrictions in place to limit the population by 2050A national ballot on an unprecedented far-right proposal to limit Switzerland's population to 10 million concludes this weekend, amid warnings of devastating consequences for the country's economy if voters back the initiative.A yes" vote would require the Swiss government to take steps to cap the population at 10 million by 2050, enacting tough restrictions on family reunification, residency permits and asylum if the number reaches 9.5 million before that date. Continue reading...
The violent disturbances occurred in a nationalist area yet played out against a backdrop of union jacksAs the racially motivated violence unfolded in Northern Ireland this week, a striking dissonanace could be seenbehind the mobs and flames and smoke.The knife attack that triggered the disturbances occurred in a nationalist area yet the mayhem played out against a backdrop of union jacks and loyalist murals. Continue reading...
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