Ex-PM among those saying they will take legal action over covert' plans to return sculptures to GreeceThe former British prime minister Liz Truss and a hard-right lobby group have been accused of stoking culture wars after putting their names to a letter claiming they would take legal action over alleged covert" plans to return the Parthenon marbles to Greece.The letter, addressed to Keir Starmer and the culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, as well as trustees of the British Museum, was organised by a rightwing campaign group called Great British Pac, led by the Conservative activist Claire Bullivant and the former Reform deputy co-leader Ben Habib, who was ousted from the party by Nigel Farage. Continue reading...
by Robyn Vinter North of England correspondent on (#6YK4Y)
Northumbria police say two men are in custody after death of woman in her 80s and another in her 90sTwo care home residents have died after a car police were chasing crashed into their building in Sunderland.Ten residents were taken to hospital after the stolen BMW collapsed a large part of a wall and part of the first storey of Highcliffe care home in Witherwack. Continue reading...
Donald Trump said overnight that group of US trading partners, including the bloc, would get a letter today or tomorrow'Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust memorial, condemned as a desecration of historical truth" new plaques near a Polish monument to the wartime Jedwabne massacre of Jews by their Polish neighbours, AFP reported.The plaques, crowdfunded and placed by the far-right on a private plot in vicinity of the official memorial just before of the 84th anniversary of the massacre, question the official findings and falsely claim that the crime was committed by a German pacification unit" instead of local Poles. Continue reading...
Burning of boat containing dark-skinned mannequins in lifejackets in Moygashel draws widespread condemnationPolice in Northern Ireland are investigating a loyalist bonfire that featured effigies of refugees sitting in a boat as a hate incident.Crowds in the County Tyrone village of Moygashel cheered on Thursday night when the towering pyre was lit and flames engulfed the vessel and a dozen dark-skinned, lifesize mannequins with lifejackets. Continue reading...
Country's navy announced seizure of uncrewed narco sub, first capture of such a vessel in Colombian watersThe bust was unusual - a narco submarine capable of carrying more than 1.5 tons of cocaine. There were no drugs onboard this time, but most notably, there were no traffickers.Last week, the Colombian navy announced that it had seized an autonomous semisubmersible", the first seizure of such a vessel in the country's waters. Continue reading...
Woodland Trust's 10 nominees from across the country highlight how trees inspire creative mindsA cedar tree climbed by the Beatles, an oak that may have inspired Virginia Woolf and a lime representing peace in Northern Ireland are among those shortlisted for tree of the year 2025.Voting opens on Friday for the Woodland Trust's annual competition, which aims to celebrate and raise awareness of rare, ancient or at-risk trees across the UK. Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#6YJS5)
Exclusive: Tom Dolphin says rise needed to redress real-terms earnings loss since 2008 and strikes could last yearsResident doctors' 29% pay claim is non-negotiable, reasonable and easily affordable for the NHS, the new leader of the medical profession has said.Strikes to ensure resident - formerly junior - doctors in England get the full 29% could drag on for years, according to Dr Tom Dolphin, the British Medical Association's new council chair. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Social affairs correspondent on (#6YJNP)
Black people also less likely than white people to get social housing and can face overt racism' from private landlordsBlack people in England are almost four times as likely to face homelessness as white people and substantially less likely to get social housing, according to the first major study into homelessness and racism in more than two decades.A three-year research project by academics at Heriot-Watt University found that ethnicity affects a person's risk of homelessness, even when controlling for factors such as geography, poverty and home ownership rates. Continue reading...
Public accounts committee warns UK infrastructure risked becoming stony ground' for investors without major overhaulBad management of private finance contracts is leading to poor quality assets being handed back to the government, including schools and hospitals, according to parliament's spending watchdog.Its report into the use of private finance initiatives (PFI) for infrastructure comes at a time when the government has identified private investment in projects such as power plants and transport outside London as a key part of its growth agenda. Continue reading...
Starmer says in exchange for every migrant returned, another migrant will be allowed to enter the UK legally. This live blog is closedSky News is now broadcasting remarks from Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron at their summit in Downing Street.Starmer says the situation in the Channel cannot go on as it is now.We all agree the situation in the channel cannot go on as it is. So we're bringing new tactics into play and a new level of intent to tackle illegal migration and break the business model of the criminal gangs.In uncertain times, we achieve more by strengthening our relationship with our allies, so that is what today is all about working together on the priorities that we share as two nations.For us, it's about delivering the changes that the British people want to see, and we will agree the situation in the Channel cannot go on as it is. So we're bringing new tactics into play and a new level of intent to tackle illegal migration and break the business model of the criminal gangs ...An estimated 7.36 million treatments were waiting to be carried out at the end of May, relating to just under 6.23 million patients - down from 7.39 million treatments and just over 6.23 million patients at the end of April.These are the lowest figures since March 2023 for treatments and April 2023 for patients.Monthly NHS data shows the overall waiting list dropped by nearly 30,000 in May to 7.36 million - the lowest total since March 2023 - with 60.9% waiting 18 weeks or less for planned care (the highest proportion since July 2022).Staff carried out an average of 75,009 planned treatments each working day in May - the highest number on record - with a total of 1.5 million treatments across the month, which is up on 1.45 million in April and higher than 1,437,914 pre-pandemic (May 2019). Continue reading...
Government has halted possible public contract bans for seven firms to avoid prejudicing criminal inquiriesSurvivors and bereaved families of the Grenfell Tower fire have accused the government of incompetence or outright indifference" after it paused investigations into possible public contract bans for firms criticised in connection with the 2017 blaze that killed 72 people.Five months after announcing it was to look at seven firms with the possibility of banning them from public contracts, ministers confirmed a pause on Thursday to prevent any impact on criminal investigations". Continue reading...
Ukraine president says he has held constructive talks with Trump and that European allies will help pay for Patriot systemsZelenskyy also repeatedly thanks partners for their help so far, saying it is thanks to their help it was able to start building a modern air force.We've done it in record time. No other country has switched from Soviet aircraft to F-16 and Mirages this quickly," he says.I urge all our partners: increase your investments when Russia increases its attacks. Continue reading...
ECHR rules South African runner did not have fair trial on need to lower testosterone levels to compete in women's sportThe South African runner Caster Semenya has called for athletes' rights to be better protected after Europe's top human rights court ruled that she had not been given a fair trial when she contested a policy that required her to lower her testosterone levels in order to compete in women's sport.The decision, handed down on Thursday by the European court of human rights, was the latest twist in the two-time Olympic gold medallist's extraordinary legal battle. Continue reading...
Heaton Park gigs will have double fence and security patrols but TikTokers are offering advice on gaining entryOasis fans have been warned that the band's homecoming gigs at Heaton Park in Manchester will be protected by a double fence with security patrolling in between after TikTok users offered advice on how to break into the concerts.Suggestions in videos on the social networking site included climbing trees to scale the fence, and swimming across a boating lake at the park. Continue reading...
Charity says system is failing to support children at a young age and points to Covid as contributing factorMore than 10,000 children were excluded from England's state schools last year, alongside record numbers of suspensions involving pupils younger than six or with special needs, as teachers struggled to cope with worsening behaviour.The figures for the 2023-24 academic year revealed that the number of permanent exclusions leapt up by 16% compared with the year before, while the total number of suspension days rose by 21% to 955,000. Continue reading...
Four arrested on suspicion of breaching Computer Misuse Act, blackmail, money laundering and joining activities of organised crimeFour people have been arrested at addresses in the West Midlands, Staffordshire and London as part of an investigation into a trio of cyber-attacks on Marks & Spencer, Co-op and Harrods.The National Crime Agency said two 19-year-old men, a 17-year-old boy and a 20-year-old woman had been apprehended on suspicion of breaching the Computer Misuse Act, blackmail, money laundering and joining the activities of organised crime. Continue reading...
Police reportedly write to women allegedly assaulted by late Harrods owner, apologising that he will never directly face justice'Women allegedly assaulted by the late Mohamed Al Fayed feel let down by police investigators, their advocate has said, as she criticised the Met for planning to resort" to sending a video to keep them updated.The comments by Dame Jasvinder Sanghera, who was appointed by Harrods as an independent survivors' advocate, came as it was reported the Metropolitan police had written to the women apologising for the distress they had suffered, especially as Fayed would never face justice. Continue reading...
Retired rocker creates artworks to raise funds for Florida sanctuary for rescued apesFresh from his retirement concert with Black Sabbath at the weekend, Ozzy Osbourne has announced a new project: a visual art collaboration with chimpanzees.Osbourne is a keen amateur painter, and for his latest works he painted multicoloured base coats on to five canvases, with the chimpanzees then adding daubs of their own. Continue reading...
Pair accused of spying on Neptune missile programme, which is seen as critical to defence against RussiaUkraine says it has arrested a Chinese father and son on suspicion of spying on its Neptune anti-ship missile programme, a key part of Kyiv's growing domestic arms industry that is critical to its defence against Russian forces.The announcement by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) follows assertions by Kyiv in recent months that Beijing, which has sought to project an image of neutrality, is helping the Kremlin's war effort. Continue reading...
Deliveries will also alternate on weekdays as Ofcom says ruling reflects changing behaviour of usersRoyal Mail has been given the green light to drop Saturday deliveries of second-class letters and provide services only on alternating weekdays from Monday to Friday under new rules announced by the regulator.Ofcom said that reforms of the universal services obligation (USO) reflected changing behaviour of postal users, with fewer letters being sent across the country. The regulator said it could end up saving the postal delivery service between 250m and 425m each year. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: As a new Guardian project begins, we hear from the teenagers navigating deprivation, isolation and a sense of being forgottenGood morning. A few weeks ago, 18-year-old Tamsin Jarman-Smith, born and raised in a small town just outside Blackpool, sat on a battered sofa at House of Wingz, a community youth organisation tucked down an alleyway a few streets from the beach, and explained what it felt like to be a young person growing up in a coastal town.I'm lucky because I found this passion for dancing and I come to this place, which has saved me I think, especially my creativity and hope for opportunities for myself, but lots of people my age feel like there is nothing here for them," she said.Europe | Talks over a British and French migration deal remained deadlocked on Wednesday night, as negotiators haggled over how much Britain will pay towards the cost of policing small boat crossings.UK news | Campaigners have decried as dangerously naive" the UK government's sweeping deal with Google to provide free technology to the public sector.Europe | Police have raided the headquarters of France's far-right National Rally and seized documents as part of an investigation into alleged illegal campaign financing.UK news | Thames Water has refused to claw back almost 2.5m paid to senior managers from an emergency loan that was meant to keep the failing utilities company afloat.Housing | The Bank of England has rolled out looser mortgage rules that policymakers hope will help 36,000 more first-time buyers on to the housing ladder each year. Continue reading...
Business rates cuts not enough as people in poorer areas simply don't have money to spend', says Centre for CitiesAs much as 5bn is needed to revive ailing UK town and city centres, with areas including Bradford in Yorkshire, Newport in south Wales, and Blackpool in Lancashire having double the proportion of empty shops as London, a study has found.A report from the Centre for Cities thinktank showed that the health of high streets across the country has varied significantly, and called for authorities to focus on developing homes and high-paying jobs in central locations to increase local spending power. Continue reading...
Managers believed Mohamed Kerita, who was signed off with back pain, was exaggerating his symptoms, tribunal hearsA disabled BMW worker was discriminated against and unfairly dismissed after bosses authorised covert surveillance on him, believing he was exaggerating his back pain, a tribunal has found.Mohamed Kerita, who worked in the firm's manufacturing factory, suffered with back pain from 2017, the tribunal in Reading heard. Continue reading...
Former cabinet minister claims Tories have abandoned the British people' in fresh blow to Kemi BadenochThe former Conservative party chair Sir Jake Berry has joined Reform UK in the most high-profile defection so far to Nigel Farage's party from the Tories.In a fresh blow to Kemi Badenoch, the former cabinet minister said his former party had abandoned the British people" and said he wanted to see Reform UK form the next government. Continue reading...
Doctors say hundreds of people have been wounded by Israeli gunfire while trying to reach convoysMedical officials, humanitarian workers and doctors in Gaza say they have been overwhelmed by almost daily mass casualty incidents" as they struggle to deal with those wounded by Israeli fire on Palestinians seeking aid.Doctors say many of the people they are treating describe being shot as they try to reach distribution sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a secretive US- and Israel-backed organisation that began handing out food in late May. Continue reading...
by Josh Halliday North of England editor on (#6YG3R)
Exclusive: Government-funded pilot in areas where it's easier to buy a vape than an apple' may be extended across UKA mobile greengrocer will deliver fresh fruit and vegetables in areas of Liverpool where it is easier to buy a vape than an apple" as part of a new government scheme to tackle food inequality.Families in social housing will receive visits from the Queen of Greens, a mobile greengrocer in the city, which will be directed to the areas of highest need. Continue reading...
by Nadia Khomami Arts and culture correspondent on (#6YG3S)
Sam Edmunds hopes to help young people with his play The Chaos That Has Been and Will No Doubt ReturnGrowing up in Luton in the late 90s and early 00s, the playwright Sam Edmunds witnessed an abundance of knife violence that has stayed with him to this day.Me and my friends had knives pulled on us on numerous occasions. We once saw someone being chased with a machete at the back of the field by our school. In drama class, I remember a boy went into his bag to get his notebook out and a massive knife fell out. A boy in my brother's year was stabbed over 10 times on a night out." Continue reading...
by Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent on (#6YG3T)
Charities say more judge-only trials in England and Wales could lead to more miscarriages of justiceRemoving the right to a jury trial for more offences would disadvantage people of colour and other minorities and lead to more miscarriages of justice, reformers have warned.Sir Brian Leveson's independent review of the criminal courts in England and Wales is expected to be published this week and recommend the creation of intermediate courts, sitting without a jury, to try some offences. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Oxford's Bodleian libraries to put archive items on display for first time, celebrating spy author's tradecraft'The extent of John le Carre's meticulous research and attention to detail are among insights into his working methods that will be revealed when the master of spy thrillers' private archive goes on display for the first time this autumn.His classic cold war-era espionage novels have sold tens of millions of copies worldwide and inspired acclaimed films and television adaptations.John le Carre: Tradecraft opens at the Weston library, Bodleian libraries, on 1 October, running until 6 April 2026. An accompanying book, Tradecraft: Writers on John le Carre, will be released by Bodleian Library Publishing. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Social affairs correspondent on (#6YG1Y)
Children's commissioner says any Labour strategy to tackle deprivation must scrap the two-child benefit capChildren in England are living in almost Dickensian levels of poverty" where deprivation has become normalised, the children's commissioner has said, as she insisted the two-child benefit limit must be scrapped.Young people said they had experienced not having enough water to shower, rats biting through their walls, and mouldy bedrooms, among a number of examples in a report on the crisis of hardship" gripping the country. Continue reading...
Two crew members are missing after drone attack on Greek-operated Eternity C; Yemen's Houthi rebels say MV Magic Seas sank after Sunday raidTwo crew members of a Greek-managed vessel have been wounded and two are missing after a drone attack off Yemen on Monday, hours after Iran-aligned Houthi militants claimed an assault on another bulk carrier in the Red Sea, saying the ship had sunk.Monday's attack 50 nautical miles southwest of the port of Hodeidah was the second assault by the Houthis against merchant vessels in the vital shipping corridor since November 2024, said an official at the European Union's Operation Aspides, assigned to help protect Red Sea shipping. Continue reading...
Prosecutors allege high level of violence' used by Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, and Muhammad Amaad, 26, last JulyCCTV footage of the alleged assault of three police officers at Manchester airport has been played to jurors.Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, and his brother, Muhammad Amaad, 26, are said to have struck out after police were called to respond to an incident at the Starbucks cafe in Terminal 2 arrivals on 23 July last year, when Amaaz is said to have butted a customer. Continue reading...
Military ordered to turn ruins of Rafah into humanitarian city' but experts call the plan an internment camp for all Palestinians in GazaIsrael's defence minister has laid out plans to force all Palestinians in Gaza into a camp on the ruins of Rafah, in a scheme that legal experts and academics described as a blueprint for crimes against humanity.Israel Katz said he has ordered Israel's military to prepare for establishing a camp, which he called a humanitarian city", on the ruins of the city of Rafah, Haaretz newspaper reported. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Social affairs correspondent on (#6YFRR)
Revised bill passed after UK government rowed back on cuts will mean fewer rather than more people in relative poverty in 2030The changes the government made to the welfare bill in the face of a mounting rebellion over its proposals to cut disability benefits will lift 50,000 people out of poverty, an updated impact assessment has found.The prime minister was forced to abandon the central plank of his welfare bill - cuts to the personal independence payment (Pip) - to avert a large Labour rebellion in the House of Commons last week. Continue reading...
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